Mingling with the Fishes

[save_the_souls]

Who: SS Blue Fish and Anyone visiting!
Broadcast: MAYBE???
Action: SS. Blue Fish!
When: After the Shuffle to...idk whenever

[Welcome new crew and visitors to the SS Blue Fish! There's been some additions to the crew, some grievous losses and some activity as they prepare these finale days to leave the planet of Mor. Don't mind the two cats and large amounts of meat being stored. Since Blue Fish lacks a pilot, the ship can still be found docked in Mor's volcano until they leave the planet for anyone who wants to drop by for a visit!]

[In other words, get in here and mingle!]

Comments

[forcemageure]

You could see what's in that crate, if you're interested.

[ For all his inherently questionably humor his posture projects effortless friendliness, smile quirking into full, lopsided life at an instant's provocation. ]

I'm Hawke. I'd offer to shake your hand, but--

[ Well! She is becatted! He knows better than to interrupt that.

PS: literally anything could be in that crate. Aaaaaanything. ]

[dancingmd]

[She returns his smile with equal friendliness.]

I'm Dr. Beverly Crusher. Nice to meet you.

[Scratching a pleased-looking Alicia under the chin, she looks around the room.]

I take it you're our new security officer then. This armory wasn't here before.

[With one last pet, she sets Alicia down. The cat looks bewildered for a moment, but soon finds another inconvenient place to curl up. Beverly, meanwhile, opens the crate that Hawke indicated. Frowning slightly, she pulls out an old-fashioned (to her) pistol.]

I guess it's too much to hope for phasers.

[forcemageure]

[ How are 'Hawke's feet' for an inconvenient place? Perfect? Yes. He snorts laughter and just ...slides backward out of Alicia's reach. The cat gazes after him with perfectly round-headed disdain for a second, then oozes off in search of a warm vent.

So this is how life is for cat people. He sees so much more now. Anyway he gestures for the pistol and - much to his own continued surprise - discovers he could probably take it apart and put it back together with relative confidence, amongst a handful of other useful details - such as like, where the safety is, even if it's not loaded. ]

That's never going to stop being odd. But to answer your question, that dubious mantle does seem to have fallen round my shoulders.

[ He ruminates aloud, wry and resigned, touching the back of his neck for emphasis. You know, the whole. Augment thing. Some people came in with appropriately spacey skills, some had to have them apparently smushed right into their brains. Although: ]

What is a phaser, exactly? Maybe there's a request form around here you can fill out for others to ignore!

[ In his experience that's just ...what happens to request forms. ]

[dancingmd]

[She laughs. Even in the 24th century, humans haven't quite figured out the meaning of efficiency in the bureaucracy. Before answering she gingerly puts the pistol back, worried she might accidentally set something off.]

They're laser pistols that can be set to either stun or kill... obviously I almost always use the stun setting.

[forcemageure]

[ Hawke, who has spent enough time at the party pedestal to recognize a certain skittishness around weaponry, reassures with combination headshake and close-mouthed grin. ]

You're in less danger've losing fingers than you think. [ He taps the safety's little lever, by way of demonstration. ] Not perfectly idiot proof, I don't think that's possible with these things, but it certainly helps.

In case you were worried we're all the idiots in question, not just you.

[ Guns seem a lot more like magic than weaponry to him, just a type of magic he now understands. Magic is as controllable as the mage using it, but perfectly safe? Never. ]

[dancingmd]

[Good save there, Hawke.]

I just need some training in how to handle guns... I've only ever seen them in museums or in holo- [She pauses, not really in the mood to explain holodecks again] in reenactments, never used one myself.

[forcemageure]

[ Don't worry, he is the Primary Idiot in this case. ]

Before your time, I take it. [ He takes it incredibly dryly. ]

[dancingmd]

[She laughs again.]

Just a little. You wouldn't happen to be interested in taking on a student, would you?

[forcemageure]

Seems in my best interests, doesn't it? We do all live on the same boat.

[ He gives her a sunny, lopsided smile, finds a place to perch on the uhhhh, long metal bench narrative has just decided exists, and pats the spot next to him. ]

We can't exactly go firing live rounds into the walls--well. We could, but I don't think it'd would win any popularity contests. At the least I can show you what all the parts do! Assuming, of course, that all the information they've shoved into my head means anything and isn't just a fancy recipe for biscuits.

[dancingmd]

Oh, now you're just ruining all my fun!

[With an exaggerated sigh, she takes the proffered spot on the bench.]

I suppose I'll have to settle for the fancy biscuit recipe. What do I do first?

[forcemageure]

[ Excellent, Hawke approves of exaggerated ...well, anything. ]

If you like, you could pretend to be blowing holes in things while I do appropriate sound effects.

[ The lowest setting is definitely 'pew pew', because of course it is. Meanwhile! ]

Get used to the idea that it's heavier than you think it is, mainly.

[ It seriously is, here. Hold it! There might be a lot of totally necessary finger brushing on the transfer. ]

[dancingmd]

[Totally necessary. As she takes the gun, she raises an amused eyebrow at Hawke's antics. Not that she's going to object, mind you.]

[Weighing the gun in her hand.]

It is a lot heavier than a phaser.

[forcemageure]

[ He takes no blame for any antics! They're vital to the uh, gun larnin' process. ]

It seems to be the bastard child of one and a pistol, so I suppose that's to be expected.

[ Urrrrrrggghhh. ]

Listen, when you were unceremoniously abducted into this adorable little circus, did they shove a bunch of previously unfamiliar information into your head, too?

[dancingmd]

Not a bunch, no. But I think it's a little different for me than for most. You see, I already live on a starship at home.

[forcemageure]

And you were already a healer?

[ Though he gets the concept of 'doctor,' obviously, it's not so much called that in Thedas. ]

I understand weaponry just fine, but usually it's a little more fiery. Or icy. Or ...lightningy. Is that a word? No matter. They took my staff anyway.

[ Jerks! ]

[dancingmd]

Mmm-hmm. I'm the chief medical officer aboard my ship, in fact. My grandmother was a healer as well, so I suppose it's a family tradition.

[She grins a little at his use of "lightningy."]

And how does lightningy weaponry work?

[forcemageure]

Well, mainly I point at things and [ he affects a ludicrous booming voice ] the very forces of nature answer my call ...also it tingles a bit.

[ But actually for he puts up a hand and waggles his fingers, the latter of which he absolutely does not need to do; either way bright little rivulets of electricity dance from one webbing to the next. ]

A staff does make it easier. Tires one less and so forth. But in a pinch it's as easy to do with hands. Probably has something to do with why they occasionally cut them off mages back at home.

[ That's not ...horrible, or anything Hawke. ]

At least Atroma let me keep mine, that's always a bonus!

[dancingmd]

[She's laughing at his theatrics (he'd be so good onstage) but that laughter quickly turns into an excited wonderment when he does his lightning thing. Unthinkingly, she grabs his hand and stares at it, her mind racing through all the evolutionary possibilities that could have brought this about in a humanoid.]

How intriguing! [She looks up at him, still awkwardly clutching his hand.] Would you mind doing it again?

[She's so fascinated, she doesn't even pay attention to the cutting the hands off thing.]

[forcemageure]

[ She has said the magic words--not literally, shut up. She said do it again, that's the point! He tilts his chin down, eyebrows arching up in a jolt of faint but pleased surprise. ]

If you're really that interested, sure.

[ 'That' interested does help, but he'd probably have gone for a repeat demonstration with anyone who seemed remotely up for the idea. Despite the misgivings of his younger sister and even their father in the past, Hawke has never wanted to be anything but a mage.

He doesn't drop her hand, just weakens the current buzzing between his fingers to a faint hum (less strength than the infamous electricity thing, for comparison), still enough to be felt, just not to hurt. ]

I can turn it up, if you like, but I'd advise stepping back a bit. And ...not touching anything wet.

[dancingmd]

Please!

[She looks up at him and colors red again, suddenly realizing how awkward this is. Letting go of his hand, she stands and steps a couple of meters away. She nods at him. She's ready.]

[forcemageure]

[ Usually a person in Hawke's position throws electricity after gathering up a handful of it, but since he's not intending to uh, fry anything in here he more holds his hands out in front of like he's going to catch rain, saving the spread fingers. Blue-white currently drapes around his palms, runs across the backs of his hands and coils around his wrists like vines on a trellis, crackling more and more sharply in the air ]

Not much more to it than that! Unless--

[ Oh, he can also make it arc. She's just lucky he isn't juggling. ]

[dancingmd]

[Beverly watches Hawke with a combination of pure scientific interest and excited wonder.]

Do all humans from your world have such abilities?

[forcemageure]

[ He laughs, what would on someone else be bitterness tempered with wry resignation. ]

No, just those of us responsible for original sin.

[dancingmd]

[She's very sorry but she can't keep the skepticism out of her voice at all here.]

Original sin?