singillatim | the steps of survival

Who: La'an Noonien-Singh + whomever wants cr pre-event
What: Patrolling, corpse disposal, investigating, supplies
When: September; days before the event + non-event things
Where: Around Milton

Content Warnings: La'an's warnings, corpses, + TBA

step 1: recognize the situation ( open to ~~1 person~~ dr_unconscious )

[ This isn't the first time La'an Noonien-Singh has been trapped somewhere against her will. Really, she supposes she should count herself lucky that the frozen landscape means this can't possibly be the work of the Gorn — the cold-blooded lizards avoid the cold and would never choose this place as a hunting ground. Of course, if it were the Gorn, she would at least have some idea of how to handle everything, whereas all of this is... beyond her.

She isn't a scientist. She can't even begin to guess what the atmospheric phenomenon might be and whether it is the cause behind the damaged electronics or their presence here. But she can still gather information and put together pieces as she's able, and perhaps someone here will be able to take it further than her. Working in Starfleet has taught her to rely on the strengths of others as much as her own, so she just has to hope that someone here will be able to further connect the dots.

To that end, she continues searching through the homes that haven't been claimed by other unwilling residents. With a foraged notebook in hand, she documents the state of each home, what was taken and left behind, and what she can tell of the former residents. And whenever she finds a journal of one of those residents, she clears a space at the kitchen table and settles in to read, paying close attention to the final days recorded in 2014 as the town's situation worsened. ]

step 2: establish priorities ( open to all )

[ Patrolling the perimeter of the town feels natural to La'an. Bundled up against the cold (though not as much as she really should be) with a red scarf standing out against all the black, she does her best to ignore the elements while focusing on the familiar. Walking the hallways of the Enterprise is one of her many duties aboard ship, checking in at different locations to ensure everything is working smoothly and there are no issues in need of her attention. She may not have a team to check in with here, but she still has a self-appointed mission to keep these people safe for as long as they're trapped here, which isn't something she's going to shirk.

So she walks. In the morning, at midday, and when night falls, she walks along the edge of the town, keeping watch for any of the predators she'd heard while traveling here, or for signs of anyone in need of help. ]

step 3: inventory supplies ( open to ~~1 person~~ moralabsolutism )

[ It's been days since her arrival and La'an has yet to explore the town's grocery store. Her attention has been devoted to uncovering details of what happened in Milton and how they were brought here, but as she accepts that answers might not be as forthcoming as she would like, she's going to have to take stock of what they have available to them.

There's an almost ominous feeling as she steps into the building, the large room quiet and devoid of life. It's been years since she even set foot in a place like this, which makes it all the more unsettling, but in she goes, choosing an aisle at random, her hands stuffed into the pockets of her jacket as her footsteps almost echo through the silence. ]

step 4: stay calm ( closed to fidior )

[ After finding the initial bodies in her first days in Milton, it has become increasingly apparent that there are too many to leave untended. These were once people, so of course they deserve to be laid to rest in some appropriate manner, but more than that, bodies decay. La'an can still vividly recall the smell of rotting remains on the Gorn planet, the stench mixing with the sheer terror of fighting for survival to create a memory that will be forever seared into her memory. And since she very much doubts that many of the people here have enough experience with death to stomach what needs to be done, she takes it upon herself, at first taking care of the corpses found in the houses she visits to investigate left-behind belongings, and then purposefully searching other locations for any missed remains.

Moving the bodies is anything but easy. The ones out exposed to the elements are frozen solid, and the ones found indoors in unheated areas aren't much different. But it's the ones in warming areas that worry La'an most — enough time has passed since the time of death that rigor mortis has disappeared and decomposition has begun. This is a dangerous time for the living, especially when they barely even have the most basic archaeological medicine to rely on.

The churchyard is her destination with the latest body. Using an old shower curtain, she wraps the heavy fabric around the corpse of an older man and slowly drags the frozen weight through the snow-covered street. It's exhausting work but she doesn't let that stop her. This is work that needs to be done. ]

step 5: use everything at your disposal ( wildcard )

( Comment below if you would like a custom starter, or leave one for me! This post is to establish some last-minute, pre-event CR to help set the stage for whatever is in store for us this month. These threads don't have to go on for a long time, since we'll all likely dive headfirst into event things soon, but if anyone would like to meet a stoic, absolutely not from the future, badass Starfleet officer in disguise, here's your chance.

And don't forget to check out La'an's permissions, if you haven't already! )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ She watches him move the rice with ease, taking note of the strength that might be useful later, and uncrosses her arms as he sets it down. It's not escaping her notice that he's helping her, and not only that, but he's doing it in a way that doesn't make her feel incompetent. That wasn't necessary on his part and there are many who wouldn't have bothered. ]

Thank you. I appreciate the advice.

[ Her words aren't just a cordial platitude — she's truly grateful for his help. La'an Noonien-Singh hates being out of her element, and his advice will help her get back on solid footing. ]

[Rorschach stopped what he was doing for a moment and gave La'an a long look. The idea of someone thanking him for anything was so foreign to his senses as to be surprising when it did happen. Back home, everyone there thought of him as being some crazed, murderous vigilante, someone to be afraid of rather than welcome the sight of when he did try to intervene.

Maybe...things could be different here. Maybe this was his second chance, a way to be able to keep doing with what he always had, but in an improved fashion. With that idea in mind, he kept staring at the woman, wondering if she was one of those worthy of protection. So many were just whores. But there was a few who genuinely were good souls and needed someone to watch out for them.]

[ He stares at her, or at least in her general direction, and La'an doesn't flinch away from what she feels must be a type of scrutiny. What he's looking for she couldn't begin to guess, but she hopes she passes muster of whatever measure he's taking of her. It's unusual for her to care this much about what someone else thinks of her, but she recognizes that these are unusual circumstances — and if they're going to survive this place, they'll need to work together.

But, after a few long moments passed and it became clear he wouldn't be speaking again, she bends down to pick up the sack of rice. With it tucked securely under one arm, she takes a look around to spot where salt and other necessities might be before turning back to the stranger. ]

My name is La'an, by the way. What should I call you?

[ Not what his name is, or what others call him. What does he want her to call him. For someone who understands the significance of names, it's an important distinction. ]

[He was perceptive enough to pick up on her wording. 'What should I call you?' Who a person was to the rest of the wold and what they wanted to be called were two very different things. Hence why he had disliked Dr. Long for calling him "Walter" when he was held in prison and told him as such.]

Rorschach.

[He told her as the name he wanted to be known by. Walter Kovacs was nothing any longer to him but someone who had died the same night he'd failed to save a little girl from death. What was left was someone who wasn't a person any longer but simply an ideal to fulfill, acting as judge, jury, and executioner for those the police couldn't punish.

(And if he told himself that enough, maybe he could quash the parts of himself that were still very much human beneath the surface.)]

[ She can't help the smile of amusement that tugs at her lips. It isn't cruel or mocking, but the simple curved mouth of someone understanding an inside joke. (Not that she thinks he's joking; she's entirely certain he is not.) ]

I should have guessed. [ Even two hundred years in the future, some psychologists still use the method in their practices. She'd been through more than one session with them as a child after her first encounter with the Gorn. ] It was nice to meet you, Rorschach. I'm going to find a few more things and be on my way.

[ She gestures over her shoulder before nodding to him and turning, but she only makes it a few steps before stopping again. He seems the vigilant sort, and perhaps he might be the sort to keep an eye out for things people need. So, after a moment, she turns halfway and looks back at him. ]

If you happen to find anything that's strawberry-flavored... [ It's a stupid request, and she's clearly uncertain about making it. The moment the words are out, she wishes she could pull them back in. ]

[He was glad someone in town got the reference. Most people seemed ignorant as to the correlation between his name and the black-and-white face he wore.

Surprisingly, he could completely understand La'an's request. Wasn't he the same way with anything that had a large amount of sugar in it? He was a fiend for sugar cubes and had been disappointed to as of yet find any in the stores or houses.

Rorschach nodded silently as the black spots on his face congregated around his mouth. He was smiling under his face.]

the steps of survival — ota

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cw: misogyny references

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cw: child death mentioned

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Wrap!