network video from red fish bridge;

[aberrant_type]

Who: Zoe Hange
Broadcast: Video
Action: for Red Fish crewmates
When: Tuesday... October 7... midday...?

[Someone is experimenting with shipwide broadcast. The screen shows Hange sitting with her hands folded in front of her, grinning amiably at the camera.]

Hmm. Is this thing working? I think so... [She pauses for a couple seconds and then laughs.] Well, I guess I'll find out! Hello, everyone, this is Captain Hange of the SS Red Fish speaking. [She winks.] I just got the paperwork turned in. Sorry to surprise you, Nunnally and Skull, but I decided I'd be up for it and thought it was better to get it done!

Now, I'm addressing everyone today to mention the tiny thing that's been embedded in our skulls! I'm guessing everyone has noticed that they have something in the back of their head that's difficult to even touch. It feels maybe bottle-cap sized! I hope that's familiar-sounding to all of you? I'm a little reluctant to actually open up someone's head but I wonder if anyone has tried that yet! Have you removed someone else's implant? Have you removed your own? If so, amazing! How did you do that? Nunnally let me experiment with hers a little, noninvasively of course, and reported discomfort that seemed unnaturally strong even when another person was just touching it! Thanks for your contributions, brave girl.

Also, as I told some of you, I didn't know anything about space before arriving here, but suddenly upon arriving I do! Also, we have a little room on this ship where I know how to use everything! That's unusual, given my home doesn't have anything close to this level of technology. I'm still exploring that equipment, but I wonder what others have noticed! I certainly don't understand everything on the ship, but I'm guessing if I mysteriously understand this one room, others will understand some other parts! What do you know now that you didn't know before? If you feel up to it, please let me know!

[holy talking, batman. She takes a moment to breathe, grinning at the screen still in an I know I know many words fashion.]

Great to meet you all, by the way! Let's get along and work productively together!

Comments

[aberrant_type]

Easiest isn't always what's best, but unless you can remove yourself to a situation with people you're more comfortable with, maybe it's a good idea to maintain your own space.

[amarant]

...you aren't going to tell me that I should try to fix it?

[aberrant_type]

Which part?

[amarant]

The part when I made him angry.

...and that I don't like to leave this room.

[ I mean if you want an alphabetical list... ]

[aberrant_type]

Well... I would work on controlling your temper first. It is important that you're able to get along with others, especially since we're in such close quarters.

[amarant]

...I'll try.

[ She is actually.......more worried now........oops. ]

[aberrant_type]

[Kindly,] Whatever happened, you didn't kill him, did you? [Hmm... she has no idea of what Emblica's capacity for killing people is anyway. Something to sniff around for more information on. Too bad Emblica is her only source, and seems skittish.]

Maybe you two can come to terms. Who was it?

[amarant]

I might have, if I was able to.

[ Not "would have," but "might have." ]

...I don't know if he told me his name.

[aberrant_type]

Mmm. That's a big claim for a fourteen-year-old girl, isn't it?

[Hange knows exactly how dangerous certain fourteen-year-olds can be, but she's interested to see where Emblica will go with that.]

I'm sure there are many young women and young people who think they might kill people. But killing another sentient creature, [because that distinction should be made, shouldn't it?] sometimes requires a little more mental preparation... or desperation.

[amarant]

I wouldn't want to do that. Even if I was angry at him, I wouldn't.

But I could have.

I'm not calm, and I'm not collected. He said I'm horrible, and he was right. There isn't...

[ Visibly frustrated, and audibly-- she talks a lot faster than normal. ]

There isn't anything I can do about it. If he left me alone, it wouldn't have happened, I would have stayed away.

[aberrant_type]

Emblica, in the end, even if you could have, you didn't.

Breathe.

[amarant]

But what if that doesn't happen next time? If the next person isn't as strong or doesn't expect it?

[ O-okay, now breathing. A bit shaky, but breathing is happening. ]

I'm sorry.

[ Awkwardly maneuvering to try and wipe at her eyes without uncovering her face. ]

I'm sorry, I'm not usually like this.

[aberrant_type]

[She's gentle in a kind of dry way. Hange is not really a mothering type, or really maternal, but she can mentor, as amusing as she'd find it trying to gentle a creature hundreds of years older than her.]

It's all right, Emblica. Everyone's been under a lot of stress for the past few days, isn't that so?

[amarant]

[ Honestly, it's nice to just have someone to talk to. It won't be quite this bad once she calms down a bit in general, here. ]

Yes, but--

[ Frustrated with how difficult it is to try to deal with this, she just gives up and turns around completely before taking the skull off. No face allowed here!

Probably a bit quieter since she's not actually facing the communication station: ]

I was never like this.

[aberrant_type]

Which part?

[amarant]

Irrational. Difficult to focus, no self-control.

[aberrant_type]

There's certain techniques you can use to subvert that. Proper breath control, for one.

[amarant]

I'll try that. Thank you.

[ Not wearing something over your face would probably help too, Emblica. ]

[aberrant_type]

Let's try it now, if you like!

[amarant]

That would be fine.

[ Finally puts her other head back on and turns around again. ]

I appreciate the help, Miss Hange.

[aberrant_type]

Don't worry about it. [One of those things: the privilege and duty to carry another forward.] Now, what you want to do in this exercise is exhale for longer than you inhale. Breathe in on a seven-count, exhale on a ten-count. Are you ready to start?

[amarant]

[ Nods; she's definitely listening, since she's pretty sure that she'll actually be using this in the future. ]

I'm ready.

[aberrant_type]

Exhale and I'll start my count. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, [and she'll carry on. It's a steady count and a very long breath but probably will actually work - it works on most humans.]

[amarant]

[ She's definitely close enough to human that it works, yes. ;;/ ]

[aberrant_type]

[She's gonna repeat the count several times, long enough to where she judges it will have worked. Then she stops. Good-naturedly:]

Better, kiddo?