THE PLANET MINGLE

[princessia]

Who: EVERYONE!
Broadcast: Maybe, if you want?!
Action: The Planet
When: From May 11th until the end of the month

[ Willing to venture away from the casinos and investigate the nearby green planet? Here's your chance, now that it's in range!

THIS IS A MINGLE. GET HERE. ]

[ Make your own prompts, explore the planet, spend a night there, piss it off by taking its plants, whatever! MAY STAR SYSTEM OOC POST for your reference on getting through the orbit, what's on the planet, etc.! ]

Comments

[openhands]

[Cassandra generally doesn't like the idea of this planet--it doesn't seem to have much to offer anyone and it seems far too easy to get lost within the forest--and yet here she is all the same. At the moment, she is fiddling with her communicator. For now, she is less aware of Cole being anywhere nearby. Mal is supposed to keep in relatively consistent and regular contact with Cassandra while she is transitioning her cravings from coffee to engineering, but it's a little difficult to manage that with the communicator acting up. Of course, this is far beyond her area of expertise, so back into her pocket it goes with a small, frustrated growl.]

[If Mal doesn't turn back up, she'll go looking tonight, she decides. Cassandra picks the book she had been reading back up, opening it to where she has it dog-eared to continue reading, far less concerned with exploring the woods herself right now and more at keeping an ear out for any trouble.]

[killedwithlove]

[He should know better than to approach unheard and from the side. He really should.]

She'll be all right. She's done this before, she will do it again.

[openhands]

[He really, really should. Or he just enjoys startling the crap out of Cassandra because even though she's not as absorbed in her book as normal, she still jolts when he suddenly speaks with a hand flying to her chest to feel her heartbeat. She manages to only just keep the book in her other hand and in her lap rather than sending it toppling over to the ground.]

Cole, what--!? [She stops short with her question and shakes her head, lowering her hand back into her lap.] I know that. But I still...

[She hesitates to admit it.]

I still worry.

[killedwithlove]

[He crouches down next to her, stroking a plant softly, making the leaves quiver under his fingertips.]

You care. So you worry. There's nothing wrong with that. It does you credit that you care.

But I want to reassure you. She'll be okay. And your care will make it ache less.

[openhands]

[Cassandra looks at the plant he touches. She's seen others interacting with the plants like they were more than just simply plants, and somewhere in the back of her head she does have her suspicions about the life on this planet.]

[But what's at the forefront is that it's her sincere hope that her care makes it easier for Mal. The first time Mal did this, she seemed to have done this on her own. It's hard to tell if that made it easier or harder just as it's hard to predict whether or not Cassandra's involvement will make it easier or harder. They will have to see, but she hopes Cole is right. She wants him to be right.]

Thank you, Cole, [she says after a few beats of silence. She closes her book and sets it aside once more.] Have you been exploring the planet?

[killedwithlove]

[Compassion is very aware of how alive this place is, the twinges and the grumbles and the satisfactions on a scale he can't grasp but knows is there.

What's more present is Cassandra's genuine concern for her friend. And he can do something about that.]

It's always good to know someone cares.

Yes. I've been here a while. I like being here. It's almost... home, in a way.

[openhands]

Home?

[She has a feeling he's implying the Fade more so than Thedas. But she doesn't experience Thedas quite the same way he does, leaving it as a possibility even if an unlikely one.]

[killedwithlove]

Home.

Thedas. The Fade. Not the Fade, I can't make things change here, but it's more Fade than Thedas normally is.

Not quite either. But familiar. Comforting.

[openhands]

[Cassandra is silent a moment, letting his answer sit for a moment in her mind.]

What else can you tell me about this planet, Cole?

[killedwithlove]

I don't know. What do you want to know?

[He's pushing his fingers into the ground, getting them filthy and then dancing them lightly through the clods he's pushing up.]

Don't stay past sun down. It doesn't want you here then. That isn't for you.

[openhands]

What happens after the sun goes down?

[Not that she doesn't appreciate the warning, of course, but it may not be an option. She won't leave Mal out here by herself. The more she can know of what to possibly expect, the better.]

[killedwithlove]

This world is not for humans then. It's a world for other creatures when the sun goes down. Creatures more like me, like her, like angels or magic.

Not mages. They're still people. Other people.

You can't stay with her. I'm sorry, but you can't. I'll stay here and make sure she's okay for you.

[openhands]

[Cassandra shakes her head. It's not so much that she doesn't trust Cole or even necessarily question his capability in helping Mal seeing as how helping is what he does. But it's her promise to Mal. She will do what is necessary if it is called for. That responsibility should not and cannot fall to anyone else, not even Cole.]

I appreciate that, Cole, but it's something that I have to do.

[killedwithlove]

No.

[Firm like Cole rarely is. Compassion is more confident in what he is than Cole can be.]

You can't. Not won't. Not, not allowed.

You can't. The world cannot have you here. You cannot be in that world, the night world.

I can. And I'll look out for her. I promise. I will do what you would, if it comes to that. It won't.

[openhands]

[Cassandra frowns a little. His urgency isn't anything new in the face of danger, but the firmness is something quite new and different. Even when he disagrees, even when he's urgent, it's more often than not that Cole understands that people will do as they feel is best.]

Cole, are you feeling alright?

[killedwithlove]

I'm feeling a lot of things. Mostly from other people.

Please. Don't stay. [He reaches for her hand, to plead.] Please. I like you. I don't want you hurt.

[openhands]

[She lets him take her hand, but she frowns. That's not the answer she was looking for and his urgency seems odd.]

Cole, I will be fine. I'm more than capable of taking care of myself.

[killedwithlove]

[He looks down, shaking his head slightly.]

You're not ready. But I'll be here.

[openhands]

Then it will be fine, Cole. You have nothing to worry about.

[killedwithlove]

[His look says he's going to keep worrying anyway, but he lets her hand go.]

[openhands]

[There is only so much that Cassandra can do to convince Cole. She cannot make him worry less or not at all and it probably wouldn't be in his nature to stop worrying altogether in the first place. They are at somewhat of an impasse however, so both simply need to accept and let be.]

Just keep a close watch on Mal if you happen to find her. She may not be entirely within her right mind.

[Whether due to the transfer or the planet's influence, anyway, Cassandra isn't fully expecting to find Mal completely herself. Just so long as she can hold onto control will be more than enough. Then perhaps they can put this behind them and see what happens.]

[killedwithlove]

I will. I promise. I'll look out for her.

And I can not be where she is, so she won't hurt me. I know she'd be upset if she hurt someone and wasn't in her usual way of thinking.

[openhands]

She would never forgive herself. I believe you two have that much in common.

[killedwithlove]

I don't really know anything about forgiveness.

[openhands]

Compassion and forgiveness are often quite similar, Cole.