festival day!

[thespaceopera]

Who: EVERYONE
Broadcast: Up to you
Action: Everywhere in the Yadrolla system!
When: 5/30

[At last, the day has come: Festival Day! Once again, the Starstrikers have taken the trophy this year. But that doesn't mean members of other teams, or those who didn't play, can't celebrate with the rest of them!

There are parties everywhere. Ribbons, streamers, and confetti litter every major street in the system. (Remember what they say about glitter...) There is food on every block, and people cramming into shops to get in on the merch.

Don't forget about the reason for the festival-- the pet adoption drive! A large playground-type area has been set up on the Starstrikers' desert moon where people can play and interact with the lovable creatures needing new homes. Whether you're looking for companionship or just something to do, there's plenty to coo over! Every pet comes with an info card listing a fanciful name and a general description of their age and temperament. Maybe Sir Pringle the puppy or Marquess Mariana the fish can become your new best friend.

Sadly, the Fleet will be drifting in about a week... but feel free to party until then!]

Comments

[oratorical]

Pavel it is, then.

[Because if he's not about formality, then she won't be, either. Truthfully she prefers things that way anyway.]

You have nothing to be sorry about. I'm only sorry I can't remember the time I spent here before.

[candothat]

[Never hurts to leave the option open! Pavel has lived on a ship with Jarvis for well over a year and they still preface each other's names with 'Mr.']

Oh, it wasn't here. There was another universe—but all of that gets complicated, and you weren't there for very long.

[oratorical]

[That has her attention, not just because it involves her--a different her?--but because that's also the first she's heard of yet another universe, rather than just people's home universes.]

Where was it, if I can ask?

[candothat]

That was a place called MarinaNova. It was a small city in a dome and underwater—or it was meant to seem like one. In actuality, it was a convincing simulation. [He waves a hand dismissively.] The specifics are unimportant. What is important is that it was another universe like this one, full of people taken from other worlds and allegedly controlled by mysterious, powerful entities.

[oratorical]

[The specifics sound important to her, especially given that last sentence there.]

Could it have been the same group? These Atroma I've heard so much about.

[candothat]

Maybe not this group specifically. I was in a third universe that was overseen by another set of entities, and the differences between the three universes makes me believe that they aren't the same. Same race, maybe? At home, there have been encounters with beings who collect members of other species.

[He sounds decidedly unperturbed by all of it.]

[oratorical]

How many different universes have you been to?

[Since with the way he's talking, Leia decides that's the best thing to get out of the way first. Not that it's the most important part of everything said there, but it certainly gives some perspective.]

[candothat]

Other than home? Only the three.

[Which... is kind of a lot.]

[oratorical]

That's about three more than what would otherwise be expected.

[Granted, they're all above average at even one alternate universe traveled to, but that's just a minor detail.]

What was the other one like?

[candothat]

...Okay, true.

[Being in different universes is just so commonplace now. It even happens at home!]

It was a city, but one that changed frequently. Sometimes we changed too... physically, or our memories. The Fleet seems stable by comparison.

[oratorical]

[She can't help but agree with that. Changing memories isn't an idea Leia is comfortable with in the least.]

I've heard about the chips we have here having a similar sort of control, though. Has that not happened to you yet?

[candothat]

Oh, those. No, I haven't experienced that yet, but the changes seem relatively benign, usually. Few people forget significant things or gain entirely new backgrounds or have their personalities altered entirely.

[oratorical]

[That's slightly reassuring, at least for things here. Not that she's fond of the idea of augment malfunctions, but that's another topic. Instead--]

So this other place where you were before, people did forget things and have their personalities altered?

[candothat]

Not infrequently. There were two times when I thought that I was married, and once I spent a day as a very different person. There were others, of course.

In some ways, though, I did prefer it there.

[oratorical]

[Leia's not sure which is worse: waking up as a cat person, which can apparently happen here, or waking up and thinking you're married to someone. Both are not something she's fond of on principle.]

Which ways are those? Not being on board a ship?

[candothat]

[In Pavel's experience, the marriage one kind of depends on who the other person is. But yes, in principle? Neither is good.]

No, no, I like the ships, it's only that there are far fewer people here. Fewer ways to be useful and busy between systems as well.

[oratorical]

[Oh. Feeling useful. Yes, that's the sort of feeling Leia needs a lot of. She purses her lips, pausing for a moment before she responds.]

Is it that empty when traveling between systems?

[candothat]

There are waystations sometimes, but yes, mostly. Even the Iskaulit begins to feel small eventually.

[That sounds gloomy. He backtracks.]

That isn't true for everyone! Maybe you will be better at keeping yourself entertained.

[oratorical]

[Leia shakes her head, the shadow of a self-conscious smile on her face at his comment.]

No, I think you'll find you and I suffer from the same affliction.

Which ship are you on?

[candothat]

I'm very sorry for that.

[Clearly not that sorry since he's smiling. Finding someone else who's bad at having free time is sort of refreshing.]

The Tourist, which is the best ship in the Fleet... but of course I'm biased. And you?

[oratorical]

The Vanquish. So far it doesn't seem so bad.

[candothat]

I'm not familiar with anyone on that ship. Or I wasn't prior to now.

[He gives her what he hopes is an encouraging smile.]

Things are mostly good. Often boring and occasionally harrowing, but overall not at all bad.

[oratorical]

[It's encouraging, and Leia matches his smile.]

I've heard some... interesting tales about my own fellow shipmates but I don't know how truthful they all are.

[candothat]

I would advise against putting too much faith in rumors, except for the ones that are particularly strange. The strange things tend to be true.

[oratorical]

Where would you place teleporting another so they fall into a pond?

[Strange to Leia, yes, but maybe it's normal here. Who knows.]