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]

[Okay, she is definitely playing with him, isn't she...]

A squire, huh. You must be pretty important. They're for errands and polishing your gear, right?

[flickerflash]

That's right. And fetching all your things and you teach them all the things you know, but you start with all the boring stuff.

[huaaaaagh]

You can't start out with advanced techniques first. They'd just trip over themselves and get discouraged. I think you've got it right.

[This is why skill trees have prerequisites.]

[flickerflash]

But what if you have a squire that's just clever? Do you think they could learn the fun stuff first?

[huaaaaagh]

Depends on what the 'fun' stuff is. Even when you're clever, knowing the basics is important.

[flickerflash]

I suppose I'll have to tell her that. Perhaps she'll listen.

[Nah, she knows. But can't she learn the basics and the awesome stuff at the same time >_>]

[huaaaaagh]

You've got a stubborn squire, then?

[Another kid, probably. Or she herself is the squire, and this is one of those.]

[flickerflash]

Very stubborn. But she's a fast learner and she can give me piggy back rides, so I put up with it.

[huaaaaagh]

Ah, so she's bigger than you. How'd you net yourself a squire, out of curiosity?

[flickerflash]

She pestered me until I said yes! Some people can be very annoying.

[This is an unrepentant grin.]

[huaaaaagh]

Haha, I bet.

[This kid is kind of adorable.]

Well, at least you got something out of it.

[flickerflash]

Someone to carry all my things. But I did teach her to make a sword, so I think she forgives me.

[huaaaaagh]

Whoa, so you not only have a sword, but you make them, too?

[TINY BLACKSMITH]

[flickerflash]

[Ooonly under the strictest supervision of an eight foot tall blue guy with horns. But. That's not the fun answer, is it?]

That's right! I sell them on the street corner every Sunday. They're very popular. Oh, but I can only sell them to people with a license.

[I'm sorry Kirito.]

[huaaaaagh]

[ALL MY TEARS]

So how does one go about acquiring a license for swords?

[flickerflash]

You have to sit a test! And then if you pass that, they make you do lots of different things with a sword just to show you can hold it without cutting anything you didn't mean to.

[huaaaaagh]

Ah, so it's kind of like school. For swords.

[That actually sounds kind of awesome.]

[flickerflash]

It's very much like school! We take our weapon safety very seriously.

[huaaaaagh]

You'd be reckless not to. Weapons can be dangerous to the user just as much as the enemy if not used properly.

[flickerflash]

[Katie nods solemnly.] Not knowing which end to hold it by can be quite dangerous. Though I think you'd be rather stupid if you couldn't tell right away with a sword.

[huaaaaagh]

W-well. That's what school is for.

[He'd. He really nervous if he had to go to class with someone that dense.]

[flickerflash]

I suppose it has to be good for something. Most other things we learn are very dull.

[huaaaaagh]

It's important to take the good with the bad. I mean, if I didn't learn math, I wouldn't be able to build computers.

[flickerflash]

You build computers? [Uh. Hmm. She's not that familiar, but...] Like Apple?

[Her library has two of those!

...1980s.]

[huaaaaagh]

Similar to Apple, yeah.

[That's blasphemy, child. PC MASTER RACE 4 LIFE]

Custom builds are a lot more flexible as far as design, though, so I prefer them.