Out in the Snow

[scalpelofmarmora]

Who: Ulaz and you!
Broadcast: yes
Action: Blameless and planetside
When: throughout December

Action - Planet side exploration, various options
[What did a certain Galra do when faced with a wide open expanse of snow? Go exploring of course. There was a lot to see in this place apparently. When he wasn't spending time around the fleet or the rather friendly locals, he was out in the wilderness, enjoying the silence of it all. He was still far to used to spending time in space ships that being on planet was different for him.

Of course it was different. The rivers of this place seemed to be glowing blue. Quite remarkable. He did of course have wonder why they were like this.

Not only was he out in the fields of snow, but he eventually discovered the ice caves. He wandered quietly through them, looking with interest at the formation created by the ice, but also the distorted images that they created]

Action - Hot Spring
[It was probably safe to say that Ulaz was adventurous and curious enough to investigate many parts of this planet. When he had heard about the hot springs, he decided to at least go up and look at them...

Not that he had actually decided if he was going to try them out or not. But he could at least say that he had been there.

Maybe someone could convince him?]


Open Broadcast / Closed Action on Blameless - sometime near the end of the month

[Ulaz is very quiet for a moment when he starts this then speaks]

I find myself constantly confused by what these worlds are able to accomplish. I got this from that tree on the planet.

[He holds it so it can be seen. It's an image of two female Galran, one probably slightly younger than Ulaz's age and a younger one, still bright purple in color. Both have completely solid yellow eyes like Ulaz and the background looks very... desert like.

He moves the picture back so he can look at it again before speaking]

My mother and my sister from more years back than I can count. I don't know how this could have been obtained.

Comments

Planetside

[sandywolf]

[As Biffy has mentioned before, werewolves can be almost completely silent, and in fact both Biffy and Lyall take pains to make more noise that they normally would when on the ship so as to avoid nasty surprises for their crewmates.

This is even truer for Lyall when he moves as wolf. So the crunch of snow under his paws is rather deliberate as he spots someone he knows and starts trotting towards them in the snow. And anyway, even if the noise didn't give him away, his coloring against the white backdrop would.

So Ulaz willsee the smallish, sandy-colored wolf, fur speckled with black from the tip of his nose down his spine to his tail, moving towards him slowly. Every once in a while he stops to sniff at something in the snow.

And then all of a sudden he stops... and jumps! Almost vertically, burrowing into the snow and coming back out with a small rodent in his maw, which he just gulps down in one go.]

[scalpelofmarmora]

[Ulaz had been told that the wolves made more noise on the ship in order to keep from sneaking up on people. He did appreciate that if they really were as quiet as they said. Now, especially out in the snow, he was glad to hear the wolf that was out as well rather than being surprised by it.

He watched the wolf coming right in his direction with no intent to hunt or protect territory in its posture. He had been told by Lyall that he did seem to be mistaken for a large fox. Now that he had seen a fox, he could see the vague comparison, but used to looking at details, noticed that it was not in fact a fox.

He watched as the wolf suddenly stopped, raising an eyebrow as the wolf jumped and practically burrowed into the snow, coming up with a small creature and eating it. He's not at all squeamish about it though it was odd think about considering he could turn back into a human...]

Looking for a late night snack?

[sandywolf]

[He was indeed not a fox, but still very small for a wolf.

He finished his snack and licked himself clean before sitting down in the snow and giving Ulaz a nod. Yes, hunting on the ground was really preferable to the muck they were being served for food in the ship, even if fare on the Blameless tended to be a bit better than most.

He ran a small circle around Ulaz, nose twitching as he smelled everything he could.]

[scalpelofmarmora]

[Yep, this most certainly had to be Lyall. The wolf had just nodded to him in response to the question about a snack. Biffy had been the only wolf to response as such when he had been stuck in his wolf form as a glitch.

He watched the wolf run around him, sniffing the air]

There is more out here?

[He's trying to pick yes or no questions since that was pretty much the only way they could communicate at the moment. Other questions or attempting anything of a complicated conversation was not going to work]

[sandywolf]

[There are indeed more out there, and Lyall nods again, but doesn't make a move to catch them. He just had himself a little snack, after all.

Instead, he starts trotting away. Then turns back to see if Ulaz is following. He could use a bit of company.]

[scalpelofmarmora]

[Ulaz watched as Lyall started to walk away, but the glance back told him the werewolf was expecting him to follow. So he started walking after Lyall to catch up with him. He wasn't sure if there was a destination in mind or if they were just walking, but he'll go with it either way.

He's silent for a few long moments before he spoke again]

I have seen a fox now. You are definitely not a fox.

[Just wanted to put that out there]

[sandywolf]

[There's a small huff from Lyall and he shakes his head a little. Why, thank you, Ulaz. He's fine with being underestimated, but a fox is entirely the wrong species to be confused with.

He's not really going anywhere special. It's just a nice night to be out, and he always like running around in wolf form when they get to a planet just to stretch his legs.

All of a sudden, he gives a burst of speed, starting to run real fast and letting the wind glide through his fur. he does it for a minute or so before he stops and then doubles back, tongue lolling.]

[scalpelofmarmora]

[Ulaz walked calmly beside the wolf. It is nice out here. He wasn't built much for cold, but he didn't mind it. This was, in his opinion, one of the nicer planets they had been on. The people were friendly and the scenery was beyond compare. He would take any chance he could get to be around it.

When Lyall took off running, Ulaz jogged after him, not able to keep up both because of Lyall's supernatural state and because he just wasn't built for snow. Okay, didn't seem there was a point to that... but it was kind of fun]

[sandywolf]

[No, there wasn't really a point except to enjoy the run. It wasn't full moon so Lyall was still himself, but as an old wolf, he was also alright with letting the wolf part of him run freer at times.

Circling around Ulaz was mostly pack instinct, and Beta instinct as well. Make sure the pack members are safe and watch their backs. Lyall kept trotting forward, occasionally breaking into a run, and then coming back and retracing their steps while sniffing around.]

[Action | Blameless]

[padadin]

[He's passing by when he hears Ulaz doing his broadcast. Something from the tree? He waits by the door for the talk to be done before coming closer and taking a peek at the picture. Aww.]

I think you'll just have to accept "magic" as an explanation for this one, Ulaz.

[scalpelofmarmora]

[Ulaz looked up as Shiro walked in. He turned the picture so that Shiro could see it fully]

I think I will have to. There is no other way.

[padadin]

[A nod for those words as he takes a better look at the photograph.]

It's a lovely picture. Is that where you grew up?

[scalpelofmarmora]

It is. I hadn't even thought about it in a while... Maybe because I was thinking of my sister.

[He'd mentioned her to at least a few people recently]

[padadin]

Is it Daizabaal? Or... some time later.

[After, you know, the emperor crazy and the Galra lost their planet.]

They look happy, at least. [So he bets on Daizabaal tbh.]

[scalpelofmarmora]

It is not Daibazaal. My sister never breathed the air around Daibazaal. Though it was not far. It was one of the planets that Galra not in the military lived on after the destruction of the planet. It was very organized, most Galra living in specific areas. Of course they wanted to know where their future "recruits" were.

We were happy. Most of the time. The three of us at least.

[padadin]

[Stuff like "specific areas" and "their future recruits" doesn't paint a nice picture in Shiro's eyes - it sounds almost like a military camp, even if it was a place for civilians. Very controlled.

But Ulaz says they were happy, and Shiro trusts his word. Besides, "most of the time" confirms not everything was like smelling flowers.]

I feel like there's a big "but" left hanging at the end of that sentence.

[scalpelofmarmora]

[Ulaz had memories stretching back a long ways. He had them back far enough to when Daibazaal was still around, before it was destroyed. He knew enough that life had changed after that. The militaristic side had won over the culture. They wanted to further military growth rather than anything else]

You are perceptive.

WE were happy. My father had always been with the military, even before. He was one of those who can't think for themselves. If the Emperor had told him to jump off a cliff, he probably would have without asking why. When the military shifted occurred, he embraced it. Wanted the three of us to be willing soldiers, myself, my sister, and my brother.

When they came to find out if those in my age would make good soldiers, I was found to be more intellectual. And they wanted technicians so I was encouraged to not enlist, to study something useful so I could be of use later.

[There was a pause]

My father found no value in technicians because they didn't fight. And my brother would rather get on his good side than remember that it wasn't his father who helped him most of the time, but his older brother.

[voice]

[tiedonastring]

[While Hux was curious about how the tree could have provided such a personal object, he was more curious about the story the pictre told.]

What was your family like?

[He had no photo of his mother or even one of his mentor Sloane. He was surprised that the Galra had something so personal. It didn't seem like they held such personal objects from the little he had learned.]

[voice]

[scalpelofmarmora]

[To be fair... they didn't. This may have been taken sometime when Ulaz fell into the category of "teenager", but it wasn't something that he'd ever really had in his possession... and certainly not as an actual picture that he could hold like this]

My father was a zealot for the military. Being more... scientifically inclined was something he disapproved of because it wasn't fighting. My brother eventually became like him. My mother had more patience than I can imagine anyone else having, dealing with me and my father at odds, when he was around to do so personally. Like all Galra she wanted us to be tough, but she understood the value of an intellectual mind. My sister was still young the last time I saw her. She was adventurous, wanting to explore especially in areas she wasn't suppose to. Drove our mother crazy, but I approved of that spirit... which probably encouraged her.

[voice]

[tiedonastring]

It sounds that you and your father didn't get along to well. He sounds a lot like mine. I am glad that you at least got to know your mother and siblings. It was something I never had a chance to do so.

[voice]

[scalpelofmarmora]

No, we did not. When I was younger, we must have. He believed the military was the answer to all problems and attempted to train us to believe the same. Of course an army can only go so far without scientists and medics, but they were unimportant in his mind.

It must be something that is universal in militaristic societies, fathers disapproving.

You didn't get that chance to know your mother?

[voice]

[tiedonastring]

No. I was taken from her when I was four by a bounty hunter who was there to retrieve my father and I. Our fallen empire needed children so I was essential to their cause whether I wished to join or not.

When I asked about her I was rebuked. If he did mention her he viewed her in an ill manner and said it was a mistake. I was considered a bastard child. His wife disliked me and made it well known I wasn't wanted. I'm sure if the empire didn't need children I would have been left alone. I was merely tolerated for the sake that I was a tool to their cause.

[voice]

[scalpelofmarmora]

[There was silence for a long moment after that before Ulaz spoke again]

I am sorry. No one should have to go through that. It was bad enough with my father believing I had failed him and eventually my brother... In times of war, people stop being people and start being possessions. That is not the way it should be.

[voice]

[tiedonastring]

[There was some hesitation before he responded and he tried to sound more nonchalant then what he really was.]

It is what it is. Nothing can be done about that now.

Your are lucky to be able to connect with the majority of your family. It seems that fathers are hard to please.

[voice]

[scalpelofmarmora]

No, nothing can be done about it, but it should not have happened. The world should not operate that way.

They do seem that way, especially ones loyal to the military. My brother used to never be like him. But when he neared the age where he would be in the military, he changed. Tried starting a fight with me to prove he was better simply because I was intellectual and they thought I'd be better suited for technician than soldier.