open mingle post;

[payback]

Who: Everyone on the waystation!
Broadcast: n/a
Action: open to everyone to tag into
When: October 11, 2014

[It sure is a lovely day actually pretty much indeterminate time period out here in the vast darkness of space, isn't it? I bet everyone's enjoying themselves, getting a chance to get off their dinky little ship and stretch their legs. Even on this shitty, empty little waystation.

Where are you, droot flooters? What are you up to? Stay out of trouble, now.]

[ooc: hi everyone! I thought I'd give this a try and see how the game liked it. What we have here is a mass mingle post. Rather than everyone making a bunch of different posts about landing on the station, everyone is invited to post a parent comment with their character out and about, doing something. Everyone else is invited to look at who's posted, tag them, post their own parent comments, thread jack, tag around and generally have a grand old time! It should hopefully be a nice low-pressure way to do some action tagging with each other.

Please tag in if you feel so inclined! Don't be shy to tag around!]

Comments

[amarant]

Move...where?

[ She feels like she's just woken up after sleeping, again. It's been a long time since she talked this much, especially about something like this. ]

You don't think I should just stay away from everyone else?

[aberrant_type]

No.

[Hmmm.]

The god isn't here now, is it?

[amarant]

No, but...this is-- it's already in me.

[ Her voice catches again. ]

It'll happen someday, I'm sure of it. I'll kill someone, I keep imagining it, and even though I don't want to, I...still do.

[aberrant_type]

[She reaches over again to squeeze Emblica's shoulder, not hard but meant to be comforting.]

It sounds like you'd benefit from more calming techniques, Emblica... there are things you can do to control ideas like that, to control your temper... [This really puts Emblica's account of attacking another crew member into perspective.] They might help you even if these impulses are... supernatural... in origin.

[amarant]

...you really think so?

[ She takes a deep breath; it's good not to get too emotional again. It was embarrassing enough the first time. ]

I already owe you so much for the help you've given me until now.

[aberrant_type]

I think it's worth trying! And if those techniques don't work out, we can always find something else to try, or someone else with more experience with... magical things. [oh man. magic. what a frustrating idea! Hange loves science, the observable, the quantifiable. magic...]

Anyway, it's my pleasure to lend you a hand with this. It sounds like serious stuff... you shouldn't have to take it on alone.

[amarant]

It isn't anything new, handling things alone.

...but I think it might be nice to have someone else helping.

[aberrant_type]

I'm a scout! We survive by our teamwork. Maybe a new pair of eyes will help you.

No matter how bad they might be, your thoughts aren't crimes, Emblica. They might be scary, and you might not know what to do with them... [As Hange has never been sure how to deal with her outbursts of rage, either -] ... but if you can control yourself from acting on them, you haven't done anything wrong.

[amarant]

...that's a nice way to look at things.

[ Though she also, in a way, doesn't like the idea that she's a decent person as long as she doesn't do anything. ]

I appreciate it, all of this.

[aberrant_type]

[Well, being a "decent person" is one thing, not doing anything wrong is another.]

It's no problem. I'd like to help.

[amarant]

[ ...that is true. ]

Just...take care of yourself, too, before you worry about me. You're the captain of one of these ships, after all. That's important.

[aberrant_type]

Don't worry. I'll be able to balance both of those responsibilities.

Do you want to hear about my world?

[amarant]

Yes! I'd like that.

[aberrant_type]

I told you that humanity lived within the walls... and that they protected us from extinction. You asked me from what, but I never answered that...

Well, Emblica... where I'm from, humanity's population has been decimated by creatures called "titans." They're humanoid, but they're very large, and they exist to devour humans, although not for sustenance. In fact, when a titan fills its stomach full of humans, it simply vomits the contents back up.

[amarant]

[ Nods; she looks somewhat like a child listening to a story, like this. ]

...that must be terrifying.

[aberrant_type]

For most people, it is! We've lived the past one hundred years inside the walls, Emblica... and that might have been enough for some people. Humanity could have survived and we might continue to. But one day, about five years ago now, the outermost wall - there are three, inside of each other - was attacked by two special titans: the colossal titan and the armored titan. They breached the wall and let titans into the outermost ring, rendering those lands unsafe for humanity. Twenty-five thousand humans died from that attack, at least. Then two hundred and fifty thousand more humans a year later, when we were forced to purge our populations due to food shortages.

[amarant]

It couldn't have been easy to survive like that.

[ Quietly, almost gently. ]

[aberrant_type]

That's why some humans still fight to explore past the walls and reclaim the world.

[She laughs a little.]

I'm military. In the armed forces, your lifestyle is secured... if you join the right branch, or can survive fighting titans in the scouting legion.

[amarant]

[ It's definitely impressive. ]

What do you do, Miss Hange?

[aberrant_type]

I'm part of the scouts. And I'm a researcher. [She lifts her head and finally smiles, but in contrast to her usually cheerful face - well, this one really shows her teeth.] I study titans.

[amarant]

[ She can definitely understand a thirst for knowledge... ]

It's no wonder nothing seems to surprise you.

[aberrant_type]

[She laughs!]

A life full of only rage and fear is so empty. I prefer to look at things from a fresh perspective.

It maybe be useless in the end, but...

[amarant]

If you look at your life as something that only has an effect on yourself, then everything would be useless in the end. Wouldn't it?

It's more likely that you'll have an effect on something, no matter how small.

[aberrant_type]

Haha! [Abruptly she seems to regain some of the energy she lost in telling her grim little story.]

It's not often that people say that to me. Thank you.

[amarant]

[ Oh, good. ]

You don't need to thank me. It's only the truth.