driftfleet | oh what will the signal be

Who: Mantis and you

Broadcast: Yes

Action: Planetside/Bishop
When: Today

Action (Planetside)

He can almost hear dogs barking in a distant part of the base. The briefing file from before they moved in mentioned herds of caribou at the start of spring. If he focuses hard enough, he can almost hear Liquid calling out orders of the speakers to the guard patrols.

Blink. He’s holding a bowl of stew in the middle of a feast. A number of locals were insistent that he eat something, he’s so tall and thin. It was nice, in a way, to be fretted over. He could feel part of something rather than merely observing from the sides. Not that he wasn’t observing, but it was from the midst of something warm and alive and calm. You had to make your own joy when life is primarily a frozen wasteland. Home never felt so close in the year he’d been part of the fleet.

From his perch at one of the tables, he sits cross legged and listens in to conversations, spoken or otherwise. The sheer wealth of minds gives him almost as much of a sense of peace as the planet itself. Land and people hum together as one. He’ll smile as people pass him by. It’s a beautiful night.

Broadcast (Bishop)

The feed floats and bobs as he stomps warmth back into his body and shrugs off his coat. He pats his arms and shivers a little. Then his gaze is upon the screen and he waves.

“So we, well, most of us, can agree the planet has something odd going on. You can hear it in the air, over the communication devices. Another planet that sings.”

Mantis walks through the Bishop all the way to the kitchen. Jacket lands on the table and an approximate bottle of milk comes out of the fridge as a small saucepan comes down from a different shelf to the stove. The fire gets going all on its own, the milk pours itself, and he fishes a container from one pocket of his jacket as the cooking gets going.

“Cocoa powder, or something close to it.” He holds the tin up to the camera. “Whatever the source of this humming is likes calm. I’m willing to bet it’s this tree that bestows gifts on people. I’m going to go and find it. It’s almost…fairy tale. You have to do three deeds to even catch its attention.”

He finally walks over to the stove himself and waves a hand over the saucepan. “A kind deed. A heartfelt truth. A sacrifice of something that holds meaning to you. I know the truth I can tell, if someone is willing to hear me out, but for kindness… For that, I will do almost anything. I will respectfully retain some of my dignity.”

He shivers again and rubs at his arms. “Does anyone really need help right now? So many of us seem to know self-sufficiency these days.”

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Why are you so interested in finding this tree? I have no desire to go down on that planet.

I got two necklaces in a package from Atroma fans or sponsors or someone looking to dredge up my pain. I'm giving one up in exchange for one that I want even more.

Edited 2018-11-24 01:09 (UTC)

......So you're doing this because of some Atroma fans?

[Hux had a hard time believing what he was hearing, and there was a hint of disbelief in his voice. It was quickly replaced with genuine confusion and trying to understand the situation.]

Where are you on the ship? I prefer discussing more in person then over the device.

I don't know that it was a fan, just that I got a box with my name on it filled with bad memories.

[There's some clinking as he goes searching for a mug.]

Kitchen. I'm making hot chocolate if you want some.

[A few minutes later Hux appeared in the kitchen.]

Now that we're not talking over the communication device....perhaps you can explain some more about your situation.

--What is hot chocolate?

[He glances over his shoulder when Hux enters, his whole body soon following. Behind him, the jar of cocoa lifts up and into his waiting hand.]

Must have missed my broadcast. I had gotten my first present from a stranger in the year since I arrived in the Fleet. [His shoulders tense up as he speaks.] Three items. Three boys. A lot of bad memories.

You don't have chocolate where you come from? It's...a sweet food made from the seed of a kind of tree. You can use it in drinks and different foods. I mix mine with hot milk.

We may have something similar to it, but we don't often eat anything particular sweet. I would be willing to try this drink."

Hux moved to sit down at the table. He could no longer float things over like he could when he had a glitch. He didn't miss it, but it didn't bother him that Mantis could. He was also aware that it wasn't the Force either so that calmed him a bit. He remembered the explanations.

So why would people send members of the fleet bad memories like that. How can they do that? This is new territory for me. How did you manage to resolve those issues the first time it happened?

[He nods and turns back to the saucepan, two mugs nudging themselves out of a cabinet and settling on the table.]

You're lucky I use too much milk most of the time. Cocoa can be bitter if not diluted properly.

[He shrugs at the questions.]

Why does Atroma send us out to the farthest corners of the universe? It wasn't memories themselves, but objects that triggered them in me. I had probably the worst anxiety attack I've had in years.

The tea I drink at home is considered to be bitter to most. I doubt that would bother me much.

[Hux replied a smirk. The objects made more sense then actual memories. He had a feeling it was something that triggered the memories. But he wasn't sure with how this world tended to operated.]

Did you want to talk about what happened in regards to those memories?

You would be surprised how differently people perceive things like bitterness.

[Mantis stirs the milk with very small turns of his fingers. His shoulders sink slightly.]

I talked about it already with Iron Bull. He has this timbre to his voice where it has an immediate soothing quality. [He glances over his shoulder.] It seems I might be carrying some kind of survivor's guilt about my situation here. I'm supposed to be dead back home.

I wouldn't call the Iron Bull's voice soothing.... more so loud if anything.

[He titled his head, surprised by the bit of news. He had heard of this happening, but it was still a bit of a shock.]

Alright. Then I wonn't impose on that subject if you don't wish to repeat it. How are you trying to adjust to it by moving forward or amends?

[He understood what survivors guilt was like. He had seen it in his soldiers and he has dealt with it himself to a degree. It was a difficult struggle for many people and could destroy someone. He found that usually finding a purpose or having support seemed to help his men.]

[Mantis laughs quietly at the assessment.]

You should have been around when my boss got on a rant and a rave. Perfectly fine voice, but you want to cut out his vocal cords after a while.

[Mantis shrugs and shifts his weight from one foot to another.]

I tried guilting myself about it, but that just made me feel bad for something I couldn't change. Sank myself into idle distractions that proved to be less effective than seeking out the hobbies related to my career. If... If I could go home for just a little longer and know what happened after I was brought here... [He looks at Hux from over his shoulder.] I want to know if anyone survived.

oh what will the signal be

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