001

[flickerflash]

Who: Katie and anyone!
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Marsiva
When: 1st December

[Oh. Well, this is new.

The bunks are comfy enough, and it's not exactly the first time Katie has found herself in an unfamiliar place. (Is it Thursday?) But it is the first time she's woken up in one for a long time, and so she squints at the door for a long moment trying to remember what she was last doing.

Then she peels off the bunk, blanket and all, and shuffles her way out to explore. She's not particularly worried, and most confusion goes right out the window when she see the giant windows that let her see out into space because seriously. She rockets over, face smooshed against the glass. That's probably where anyone on the Marsiva can find her for a long time, because space. Spaaace. This is the best accidental visit ever.

Much later, she'll actually think to check the comms, and only when she goes looking for the one she's meant to have. She turns up on the feed still with the sheet half draped over her curls and her nose still a little red from her mushed space-watching, and addresses the network cheerfully in a British accent.]

I think I took a left turn. Are we really in space? That's not just a clever painting or something, is it? Does that mean there are spacesuits? Can I go out in it? Is anyone here that I know? And what buttons do I push to leave again? Not that I didn't turn up here on purpose, because I've always wanted to see space and I really can't jump that far. Oh, but I should probably make sure, so if you could help I'd be much obliged.

...oh, I need a sword, too. Mine ran away.

[Hello, I am nine and full of questions and lies. But genuinely, she is curious. Something is afoot.

(But space.)]

Comments

[huaaaaagh]

[Oh, phew. He's not exactly afraid of space - as long as it's, you know, over there - but he's definitely someone who likes his feet on solid ground.]

I can't imagine it would be. Space is mostly just big and empty. It would be really lonely out there.

[flickerflash]

[...hm. She hadn't considered that. Even Katie isn't young enough to believe there are aliens or interesting things just out of sight from the window.

...okay shelving that idea for now but she does want to at least go out in it.]

You've very smart. What's your name?

[huaaaaagh]

[Man, it's a rare day that someone says he's anything but an idiot.]

Kirito. And you?

[flickerflash]

[Enjoy it while it lasts!]

Dorothy! [May as well run with a theme here.] Like in the Wizard of Oz.

[huaaaaagh]

...Wizard of...

[...ah!]

That's the story about the girl and the witch, right? With the flying house.

[flickerflash]

And the monkey and the tornados and the yellow brick road.

[Well, this guy's from earth, then.]

It's my favourite story.

[huaaaaagh]

I don't really know it that well, to be honest. I think I might have read it years ago as a kid, but not since then.

[flickerflash]

You should read it again!

...oh, but I suppose that might be a little hard here. [OH well.] What books do you like, then?

[huaaaaagh]

Ah... you'd probably find them pretty boring. I don't read much fiction, so the books I read are usually mechanics textbooks or manuals...

[Oh come on, throw the kid a bone.]

I like fantasy stories, though.

[flickerflash]

[Yeah her eyes legit start to glaze the second he mentions textbooks-- oh good.]

What kind of fantasy stories?

[huaaaaagh]

Anything with swords, fight scenes, monsters, good versus evil... I guess the cliche stuff, then.

[flickerflash]

But that's the best kind! Do you like any stuff with with dragons in it?

[huaaaaagh]

Oh, sure. Dragons are great. And quests involving dragons always nets the best treasure.

[flickerflash]

Don't they? [We're still talking about books right...] Dragons are such hoarders. The last one I beat up had lots of gold and cigars and comics. He still doesn't like me much for stealing them.

[huaaaaagh]

[Ahaha, what an active imagination this kid has, beating up dragons! Amazing!]

Dragons never forgive a thief. Cigars and comics are better than my last dragon, though. It was hoarding its own crap.

[flickerflash]

Really? [Oh god the face she makes.] That's horrible. Didn't it have a sense of smell?

[huaaaaagh]

That, I'm not too sure about, but its waste actually crystallized and turned into ore in its stomach, so it didn't smell at all. It looked a bit like giant diamonds, and it was incredibly rare and valuable... I guess it was still a sort of treasure, in that sense.

[flickerflash]

...aren't diamonds meant to be the hardest thing ever? That must have been awfully painful.

[Katie]

[huaaaaagh]

...Ahaha... maybe it had really tough internal organs.

[He should probably not be encouraging her, but what the heck.]

[flickerflash]

Oh, I suppose it would have. [Legit.] No wonder he didn't want anyone stealing it. He put so much effort in.

[huaaaaagh]

Yeah, it was pretty angry when it found me lurking around its nest. But hey, I got a cool sword out of it, so it was worth the trouble.

[flickerflash]

Oh really? What kind of sword? Is it a magic one?

[Did the dragon crap that out too. Curious minds, man.]

[huaaaaagh]

Not magic, no, but really strong. I was able to fight countless monsters with it.

[flickerflash]

[Ahhh she's talking to a real hero!]

I have a really strong sword too! [This is technically a lie because it's missing. Look how we get around that geas.] Are you a knight or do you just like adventures?

[huaaaaagh]

[He would laugh if she said that.]

I'm definitely not a knight, so the latter, I guess.