driftfleet | [ open ] .002 though I am empty, I still warn the sailors on their way

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[ open ] .002 though I am empty, I still warn the sailors on their way

Who: Katara
Broadcast: Written, Video
Action: Yes! Blue Fish and Planet
When: Message sent Monday, midmorning. Some backdated shuffle action.

[After giving it some thought, Katara decided to make an open network post. She wanted to write it out, but as part of her habit from living with Toph, she decided to both transcribe and say it aloud:]

I want to thank the person who put the memorial into place. If you get in touch with me, I can help you get the number to fill in.

I know that a lot of us have been pretty impacted by what we found here. I don’t know how long we’re usually on a planet, but I was thinking… it might be good to have some kind of remembering ceremony by the memorial? It feels important to find a way to show honor to the lives that were lost here. I don’t know what kind of funeral rites they would have preferred, and there’s no way to respectfully move them, so… maybe some fire and some music? Does anyone have any ideas?

I know that this might not be for them as much as it is for us, but… I think that’s important too.

(OOC: Please feel free to threadjack all up in this conversation; Katara would like to make this a community effort, because it feels like it’s something that’s needed to her.)

[The confetti is still as annoying as the last time it happened, but Katara is happy to be on her brother’s ship. She’ll want to wander around and meet everyone, though no doubt Sokka will soon join her to give her an Official Tour. (Did she really need to know every single detail about the ship and all its history? Probably not, but now she does, unless someone saves her.) She’ll spend some time in the kitchen and try to figure out what she needs to bring up from the planet, and then do the same thing in her new room.

Before she heads back down to the planet, she’s going to try to linger long enough to meet everyone.]

[Since the Blue Fish will likely be her permanent home as long as she’s on the fleet, that means that Katara will be doing what she can to take advantage of the free… everything. Her first stop is a hardware store where she picks up a wheelbarrow and several cans of water-based paint. The color - some shade of blue, though she wants something a little lighter too. She’ll be there pondering over choices for a bit.

She also has no qualms about stealing a good idea from the Vanquish when she sees it, and will pick up a chalkboard for the kitchen there as well. She spends a long time staring at a small electrically powered fountain for noise, trying to decide whether or not to get it. For now, she walks away.]

Hmm… maybe I should get different chair too?

[So feel free to find her, either at the hardware store or wheelbarrowing her way back to the shuttles! After dropping the paint off in the cargo hold, she’ll return once more to the planet for a bunch of canned fruits and vegetables and rice… and maybe go back for that fountain.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I think it's a good idea, if only to settle our own souls. We don't have much in the way of religious leaders here, but I think setting a time and place for people to gather and pay their respects if they wish wouldn't do harm.

[Thanks to world sharing classes, Katara is familiar with the concept of religion, it's just... hmm. Not a word that she really thinks of, at all, and certainly not in this context, although after a moment she can see the connection.]

Do you have any idea how much longer we'll be on the planet? If it's something you think people would be interested in, I'd hate for them to miss it.

For as long as we've been here? I wouldn't say more than another week or two at most. And if we stay longer.. we really need to start questioning what else might be coming, or is already out there.

It could also be done during what we call Drifting as well. We don't necessarily need to be here to address it, and there's a multicultural center on the Iskaulit that would suit the purpose.

That's a good point... for anything that we want to do on our side of the ceremony.

[If... they need to seal up the bunker, or bring out the bodies (though some part of her still doesn't like that idea), then... that would need to be done sooner rather than later.]

Thank you for the idea. My name's Katara. What's yours?

_{[ Kirk wouldn’t suggest moving the bodies if asked. Though what
happened seemed to have done so long ago, there were still very real risks
that they might not have solutions for he would rather not tangle with
personally. ]}

James Tiberius Kirk, but you can call me Jim or Kirk. Nice to meet you Katara. I’m guessing you’re a new arrival?

[Jim or Kirk? That... is not helpful. Since both of those names are equally foreign, and sometimes people say their first name last and their last name first, Katara's face reflects her confusion for a moment.]

Yes, I've only been here a few weeks. [...] Which do you prefer, Jim or Kirk?

Either. Some people call me Jim, others call me Kirk. I’ll answer to both. Captain, if you wish to be formal, but i would rather people not, personally. No use standing in ceremony here.

_{[ the only people who actually did that were Chekov and Sandalio.
Chekov was expected given their history together from their own world and
Sandalio was just stubborn, more goat than wolf. ]}

Yeah... I don't tend toward that kind of formality. [If she did, she'd have to call too many people by titles, and she's found that they're just... pointless in places like this, really. Not that she was overly formal back in her home world either.]

But you really don't mind which one people call you? [That seems so strange to her. So she will... try to figure this out.] ...which one is your first name?

James is my first name - but it gets shortened to Jim. Kirk is my last name.

_{[ He chuckled. ]}

And no, I really don’t mind which I get called. Got used to it during the Academy, where everyone gets addressed by their last names for class and exercises. Same during active duty on the ships.

I see. [Jim, she decides, will do just fine.

...even if it was a strange sounding name to her, but then, they all were. He was probably from an Earth, the name had an Earth sound to it.] What kind of academy did you attend?

Star Fleet Academy, which trains the cadets to serve in Star Fleet. It’s a scientific and humanitarian organization back home backed by all member planets of the Federation.

Basically I’m a star ship captain. Like here, but it actually means something.

[...okay, those are a lot of words that she knows the meaning of independently, but not together.

But she'll get back to that in a minute; the current state is more important.]

You don't think being a captain here means anything?

Not in the same way it does back home. It’s not like you need qualifications to be one here - you simply apply and tada! Captain. There can even be more than one on a ship at a time. Atroma doesn’t really care.

I take my role seriously, but at the end of the day there’s no real authority behind the position here. I mean, I can’t even decide where my own ship goes - she’s forever tethered to Atroma.

[I mean, clearly the most important piece out of this is:]

...so if it's just paperwork, that means I don't really have to listen to Sokka more than I normally would.

[Ha! Take that, brother.]

Sokka's your captain, huh?

_{[ A pause as the words fully sink in. ]}

Did you know Sokka before coming here?

[A shrug.]

He's my brother.

[So, yeah. Her whole life, basically.]

What? Really? Well damn.

_{[ He didn't even know Sokka had a sister, but then again he didn't
exactly talk with with the guy to much. ]}

I'm glad he has someone from home here. It's hard, being the only one for sure. And his sibling to boot.

[She doesn't like to think about the years Sokka has spent here by himself. She knows it's not her fault, knows that the fleet is a lot... safer and seems less... awful, in many ways, than Luceti, but she still hates it. She's glad he's the sort to find family wherever he goes.]

Mmm... yeah. Do you have people from your home world here?

Yeah, I do. Pavel Chekov - my navigator on my ship back home, and my friend. I had a few others before, but they've left now.

_{[ There isn't really emotion when he says it, but then it happened
awhile ago, and he's used to the sense of loss by now. ]}

People come and go, as you'll find.

[Oh, she knows that name!]

Oh, I met him! Well, on the communicator, when I first got here.

[It had been a good conversation; she'd liked him.] He seems very nice.

[And yes, people come and go. That, she knows.]

He very much is. I hope you two continue to get along - you can never have to many friends after all. If you have any tech or math questions he’s definitely your guy - a genius even in my time. I have him check my calculations most times.

_{[ He laughs. His voice warm like a proud elder brother rather than
that of a superior coworker. ]}

Uh - I'll keep that in mind if I have any tech or math questions.

[ She... can't imagine why she would, but it's always good to have a trusted resource. ]

Is he on your ship with you?

Yup, over on a the Tourist. So if you ever stop by, chances are you'll run into both of us. Just watch out for the slugs and the leopards.

[...]

The... slugs and leopards?

[Said to the tune of: say what now?]

Oh, yes, we received them from previous planets. I keep the slugs, personally - they have a rather calming effect with low grade telepathic empathy gifts and the leopards are like perpetual snow-leopard kittens. I know some people have otters as well.

_{[ Look don't you give him that tone, missy, your world has some weird
animals too - don't deny it! Sokka didn't even know what a cat was! ]}

[ open ] .002 though I am empty, I still warn the sailors on their way

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