Windrose, where the wind blows

[tothefly]

Who: Windrose crew and you, distinguished visitors!
Broadcast: Naaah.
Action: Windrose, various points in the near vicinity
When: Until we get off this frozen rock

[On New Year's Day, the crew on board the Windrose and those nearby may notice the chill as the doors to the cargo bay are left open, and their captain making quite a bit of noise as she inspects their newly expanded home away from home. This is likely to go on for a while. Feel free to come investigate, chat among yourselves, complain about the cold, etc!]

Comments

[imahologram]

Exactly.

[Leia turns the water off again. No point wasting the water.]

It's a little more complicated than a bath, but it's quicker. We only get thirty minutes of hot water each hour, so you'll want to time your showers carefully. I usually take them later at night, so I don't leave everyone else without.

[All that hair, you know.]

[therewerefifty]

[A bath she's more familiar with the concept, at least, even if it didn't look like this. And oh wait, she didn't quite catch on with the comment about temperature, but she glances sharply back to the showers again.]

The water can be hot? [From the tone you might have just handed her the holy grail. That's amazing. She almost asks how and then decides she wouldn't understand the answer anyway.

And--ah. Leia's probably in here for a reason.] I'm sorry. I didn't mean to delay you.

[imahologram]

Yes. [Leia grins. She might come from a world where hot water is often easily available, but she's spent enough time in battles, on ships, and on backwater planets to know what a luxury a hot shower can be.] It's worth it to make sure you shower at a different time from everyone else.

Oh, it's no problem. I can always take one later. [She'll be in there a good twenty minutes if she takes one now, and that won't leave much time for Makie.] If you want to take a shower, you can go ahead.

[therewerefifty]

I wouldn't dream of denying you such a luxury. [Or delaying it. Her smile holds a ghost of humour.] I shall go and investigate the kitchen instead.

[She hesitates. Then:] Perhaps you'd like to join me for tea when you're done?

[imahologram]

That would be great--thanks. [For tea, for letting her shower, so on and so forth.] I'll see you in half an hour.

[Or somewhere around there, anyway. When she comes to the kitchen, she's dressed in the usual beige uniform, but her damp hair hangs down her chest in a loose braid.]

Finding your way around? These galleys take some getting used to.

[therewerefifty]

[And in the meantime she's had the facts of the galley explained to her by Natasha, oh god why is nothing simple in the future-- but now she has a cup of green tea, hot and steaming, that she's nursing.

She glances up as Leia enters, noting the uniform-- she'd seen the same one in her own quarters, so... maybe she's meant to wear it. But until someone says otherwise, she'll stick with the kimono, especially as it's newly mended and clean.]

It's definitely far beyond anything I'm used to. But it seems the future holds a great deal of convenience, once you can find your way.

[imahologram]

That's true--provided you can stomach what they're calling food here in the Fleet.

[She starts fixing herself a cup of tea as she speaks, casting a little smile back Makie's way.]

If gel and flavored solids are the food of the future, I'll stick with the present.

[therewerefifty]

I'm sure I will manage. If it's nutritious, it's an improvement on Adstringendum. Food was scarce in my last days there.

[That aside, Makie eats precious little as it is. Her illness tends to destroy her appetite. But feeding Lilly was difficult.]

[imahologram]

I'm sorry. [That couldn't have been an easy thing to manage.] What we have will keep you alive--but I'm going to stock up on some real food at the next planet we come to.

[With all the credits they've been paying her for her family's...issues...she might as well.]

What was Adstringendum like?

[therewerefifty]

[She gives a thoughtful hum, leaning back in her chair.]

It was very strange at first. There were-- something was wrong, and people and pieces of culture from different worlds kept getting drawn into the place, so it was a very chaotic landscape. But the people were nice.

Then we were forced to leave that area and took residence in a ruined city instead. Food was-- we hunted or grew our own. It was... peaceful. Until the last days.

[imahologram]

[When Leia settles down to listen to a person, she does so with her full, unwavering attention. Makie's no exception, especially when the story is so curious. Parts of it echo what's happening here...but only parts.

Just how many places like this exist? she can't help but wonder.]

What happened?

[therewerefifty]

A creature called Deireadh arrived. Very powerful. He was... dead, but lonely, and wanted all of us to join him whether we wanted to or not.

Soon after, the landscape was poisoned. Rabid animals and tainted water, and we were attacked by monsters until some of us started dying.

[She sips her tea, expression distant.] I'm not sure what happened after that. But I've spoken to someone here who says they managed to deal with the problem and things were returning to normal. I hope that means I have somewhere to go back to.

[imahologram]

I hope so, too.

[That sounds like a disaster--and yet Makie would prefer it to the place she knew originally. How much worse it must have been, Leia can't guess, but she supposes it must have been.]

Perhaps by the time you return, it will be peaceful once more.

[therewerefifty]

That would be nice.

[She smiles, brought back to the here and now.] There's a little girl who will be missing me there. So the sooner I can return, the better. Although I certainly find the company here pleasant.

[imahologram]

I can't blame you. We'd just won a war, where I came from--I'd go in a minute if they offered.

[And with someone dependent on Makie, it only makes sense she'd want to go back.]

We do have one of the better ships for crews, from what I've seen. Some of them are much more...volatile.

[Looking at you, Huntress.]

[therewerefifty]

I would assume a great many different personalities have been brought here. It wouldn't surprise me.

I shall consider myself lucky, then. [She's only met the ladies so far, but all of them have been likable.]