these are the days, it never rains but it pours...

[falconing]

Who: The crew of the Huntress and all visitors!
Action: On board the Huntress.
When: The month of January!

It's a mingle! For our new crew, resolving various catastrophes, and assuring Han Solo he made the correct decision in becoming a good person. Please send help.

Comments

[fishwife]

[Undyne grabs a cup and-- dang, what do kids like? Soda??? She's not actually sure. That stuff is so bad for you... but she keeps drinking it herself. After a moment of deliberation, she goes with Orange Flavor, then calmly walks over and sets the cup in front of Koala.

There's still some spaghetti lodged in the table. She casually yanks it out and sits next to her, wearing a smile.]

No one's going to hit you, human. If they do they have to answer to ME. You are part of the crew, yes? I'm the cook. If anything, it's my job to serve you! Not the other way around.

I'll clean up the rest of the mess myself. You've been running around so much I haven't seen you until now, so rest up!

[scrubscrub]

[Everyone keeps saying that! They say it over and over and over. Part of the crew, free agent, not a slave — it's preposterous! How can she trust any of them, when this could be one big game? The Sun Pirates, they had seemed trustworthy; she'd grown so fond of them! But now they're not with her, can't take her home.

... But what is this lady...? Is she like a fishman?

She fidgets with her dress. Everyone says she's free. She can't believe that! If it's wrong, she's not sure she could take it! And then how will she get home to her mother, knowing she's ruined her odds? Oh, why did she have to come here, where everything feels so topsy-turvy? Can she trust them like she did Mr. Tiger and the others? And where does that trust lead...?

Her smile twitches.]

I'm... so confused... I, I don't know...

I don't know how to be part of a crew... Or how to be served... Or how to rest without...

[She flusters.]

I should be cleaning this! I'll get intro trouble... They'll be angry with me!

[fishwife]

[When it's clear her usual heroic approach won't work, she softens. Very, very gently, she reaches out to place her hand over the little girl's.]

Who will be angry? The people who kidnapped us? Trust me, they don't care.

[She tilts her head, red hair falling away from her eyepatch.]

You're safe here. The ships get attacked sometimes or so I hear, but the damage hasn't been too bad. If a bad guy tries to board my ship, I'll run them through.

[scrubscrub]

[EEP.

But even if that's a little scary, she is surprised by the quasi-talk of protection. She fidgets with the ends of her dress with her free hand, looking with uncertainty at Undyne — like she can't quite bring herself to believe her. It's been a long week, and not even that, and she just doesn't know what's honest and what's a snake that will bite her later.

That said, she doesn't pull away from Undyne's hand. Partly because she's afraid of angering her by pulling away, but also because there is comfort in it.]

... E-everyone says things like that... B-but how do I know I can... trust... [It's her first real mention of her distrust; she doesn't want to ever voice how she really feels, because if it's not what they want to hear, what will happen to her? Perhaps she offer the woman a token of her truth because she seems to be a fishman, one of the few people who've ever helped her after so long in captivity.] Everyone will have a limit... i-if I don't do well...

[fishwife]

[For a fish lady, her hands are surprisingly warm. Not like, hot or anything, but you know. She's a real flesh and blood thing.]

Trust...? [Her single visible eye widens as understanding dawns. She's not just dealing with a girl who was a servant. She's dealing with someone who's been abused.] ... I don't expect you to trust me right away. Especially when you're a human, and I'm a monster. But... I swear I'll protect you. It's my duty.

Do you know what a knight is?

[scrubscrub]

[She's doing her damnedest to keep smiling. She really is.]

I... It's a warrior! Like one that defends a king.

But... why would you protect someone like me?

[She doesn't understand. The Sun Pirates, they put away their guns, but —

But a knight defending her? That's preposterous. They would protect the nobles.

She's not anything like that, she's far, far from it.]

[fishwife]

Yes, exactly like that. I'm the captain of the Royal Guard on my world. [Poor little girl. Undyne continues on, striving to answer her question.] The security of the realm is my job-- and training recruits, of course!

[Her smile softens.]

My people owe their lives to a human. Without that person's help, I would still be locked up underground. I never knew what fresh air felt like, or what the "sun" was, or the ocean, or good food... I'd never even been to a beach. I only knew those things through stories.

Freedom is important, little girl. It's like air. Once you have it, don't let go of it.

[scrubscrub]

[Freedom is important... She knows that. She definitely knows.

She shakes her head, rubbing at her eyes. She won't cry! It can't possibly be like the Sun Pirates. She can't fathom it, this kindness offered to her. She can't possibly trust the people here to be kind... After all, they aren't taking her out of the kindness of their hearts; she was placed here. So...

... So...]

I don't want to let it go, miss.

How do I know I can keep it? It can be so easily taken...

[fishwife]

[It's precisely because they were all placed here that they have to stick together. They have no choice in the matter. If they don't get along, they could be hurt or worse.]

You fight for it.

[She holds out her left hand. There's a quick spark of electricity, and then a bright blue-green lance appears. She's careful not to point it at Koala-- in fact, the first thing she does is place Koala's hand over it.

The girl probably isn't strong or tall enough to hold it up, so Undyne helps support it.]

I know what you're thinking. You're small and easily hurt, right? But that's okay. You have time. I started off smaller than you, but I had a lot of enthusiasm! I followed around my biggest hero and learned how to fight like he did.

You don't have to use weapons to fight, either. Sometimes words and kindnesses are enough to save someone. The strongest human I know didn't hurt anyone at all.

[scrubscrub]

[She's not even supposed to touch a weapon. Touching a weapon could have her lose a hand, or get a beating, or — or if it's grave enough, it'll be the death of her. But her tension melts slightly with Undyne's words.

She blinks, that impossible smile gone now.]

The strongest human didn't...

How did they do something like that?

[fishwife]

[The spear vanishes with a twitch of Undyne's fingers. Koala doesn't seem interested in holding it. Maybe it's best to start her off slowly, with entry level weapons like swords and machetes.]

People with big hearts can do just about anything as long as they're determined.

[Very cautiously,she reaches out to brush a bit of hair away from Koala's eyes.]

I'm sorry I scared you. I'm Undyne.

[scrubscrub]

[She smiles after a moment. It's not as confident as could be, but it's at least not one of her large, awful smiles, which were often so fake and full of fear or worry. She looks down and wrings her hands a little, her nerves smoothed out by the comforting way Undyne's speaking.]

It's okay. I don't mind.

... I'm Koala.