singillatim | Summer Open!

Entry tags:

Summer Open!

Who: Ari Tayrey + OPEN
What: Back in Milton, Tayrey hosts a gathering, builds a sled. and maybe more.
When: Mid-July through August
Where: Mostly Milton and the surrounding area; at the Coast in late August
Content Warnings: Violence, creepy tar creatures

Notes: Open starters are in the toplevel, more may be added as time goes on. Her gaming event (IC Invitation) isn't formally a mingle but if two characters turn up and want to have a thread between them then go for it. I'm in the game Discord or at

sailthesky if you'd like to plot. I'd love both to develop existing CR and have her chat with new people.

1. Blackrock Lounge

[Tayrey's promised gathering isn't in her own home on Blackrock Road. Something felt wrong about opening it up to strangers, not when she only has a few rooms. Instead, she has set everything up in the abandoned house opposite. She cleared out the unwanted furniture, carefully arranged a selection of scavenged tables and chairs, and then set about decorating. One wall is adorned with colorful star charts, with so much detail that she clearly hasn't sacrificed accuracy for aesthetics. There's a warm fire burning, and she has put all the alcohol she's managed to collect over on the far table. It's a pitifully small collection; she hopes some will have taken her advice and brought their own.

If you're the first to arrive, congratulations, you're getting taught kalixtri. Tayrey shows off her handmade deck of sixty square cards. Four sets of twelve with numbers and colors, and then twelve picture cards, like the Tower and the Contract, which have variable values dependent on which hand they're played with. It's complicated and relies heavily on being able to remember combinations and calculate probabilities, but she'll explain patiently.]

Ready to try a game?

[Or maybe kalixtri's not your thing. Maybe, a little later, you hear Tayrey talking about her life shipside.]

Our biggest celebration was always Liberation Day. One year we ended up in the primary cargo bay because it was the only way to squeeze everyone in for the drinks and speeches. It was hard enough to calculate when to celebrate it if you were out in the black. Here I've got no idea.

[Or maybe you want to share something about your life back home, or talk to her about something else?]

2. The Lines of Trade

[Arilanna Tayrey is not a carpenter, as will be very evident to anyone who looks at this new cargo sled of hers. It appears to be made out of pallet slats and scavenged wood, and while it's far from expertly made, it looks sturdy. She has even taken the time to paint it in her own colors, blue and silver.

Maybe you've seen her working on it, out behind her house. Tayrey does have a habit of singing to herself as she works. Her voice is untrained, but sweet - until you get close enough to realise that most of the lyrics are about fighting battles or destroying pirates.

Either way, she soon notices that she has an audience, and straightens up.]

Do you like it? It's for trade. I'm tired of being limited to what I can fit in a backpack, when it takes so long to get anywhere.

3. Beached!
[late August, using the relevant prompt on the August TDM]

[There's always something disconcerting about salvage operations. If there are cargo crates floating out there in the black, it usually means that the ship that carried them has run into terrible trouble, at least. It's not something that Lieutenant Tayrey likes to do, particularly, but here it's extremely practical. She has a sled; she wants to pile it up with food for her private stores and saleable goods for Milton before she has to pull it all the way back there. With that objective in mind, it's hardly surprising that she ignored local mumblings about the beach being creepy. Crates wash up there, and she wants them.

There's a stillness about the beach today, an emptiness that puts her in a contemplative mood. This isn't starship salvage. The scale is far smaller, stuck planetside. Her horizons have shrunk in a way she never could have imagined, and yet travelling these small distances on this one planet feels every bit as perilous as crossing light years out by the new frontier. Her mind drifts as she walks the sands, searching and sorting and packing up whatever she finds that's of value. She's so indescribably far from home. Who wouldn't feel strange, contemplating that? If she doesn't despair, it's because she believes whatever phenomenon brought her here can send her back, somehow.

Until then, she's a lone Tradeliner, and that isn't a comfortable feeling either. She misses Savitskaya. She misses Lowell and Chernova and Montero. She misses Costelin and Dalkar and little Levannen. She might even be missing Lieutenant Brannenford, and that is definitely a sign that she's letting herself fall into some sort of hollow melancholy. Usually she keeps those thoughts at bay by focusing on the good people here, the ones she can trust. Today? It's harder to shake that off.

Tayrey never bothered to consult with Jace before beginning her work. When she first spies the dark footsteps in the sand, her mind still dulled by the settling of that heavy mood, it seems only natural to follow them. She follows, and she follows, until suddenly they turn back on her.]

Is someone there? Are you invisible?

[Her response is curiosity and not fear, and it's a mistake. When the figures burst forth from the tar, they're right beside her. Startled, Tayrey drops the few glass bottles she's been carrying, and she tries to run, but they're too close. She feels a grab at her shoulder. Solid. Far more solid than she imagines. She shoves one away, wildly, digging her boots into the sand as if it were her own ground to protect. There's a sudden fury building within her, like a fire stoked high. In one swift movement, she draws her energy pistol.]

Back off or I shoot!

[As if they were people. As if it were the right thing to do, to give them warning, to choose rationality over rage. Unfortunately for Tayrey, these beings don't seem capable of negotiation. Fortunately for her, she's not alone on the beach.]

[ooc: her unexpected anger when threatened is Old Bear's Blessing at work and may be turned on your character even if they do nothing but help! She'll be very apologetic afterwards if she yells at them, though. Requesting that anyone tagging in doesn't use Aurora Call on her, please, but she should be reasonably easy to calm down ~~just tell her that her behavior is not very officer-like~~]

x. Wildcard!

[Get in touch to plot or just throw up a starter and we'll see what happens.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Chloe’s brought along a bunch of carrots since that's pretty much the only thing she grows that's just as good to eat raw.

Fortunately she's feeling a lot sharper with that green fog swirling around this month, so she grins and leans in, elbows on the table.]

Sure. Deal me in. Do you guys usually place bets, or is it just for fun?

[Tayrey gives the cards a quick shuffle, and then deals them out, two hands followed by three upturned cards in the middle. She grins.]

Back home? There were always bets. It technically wasn't allowed, for anyone still in training, but everyone ignored that. Except that we did extend courtesy for anyone still learning the game. So let's hold off on the wagers for now.

[Without waiting for agreement, she points at the cards laid face-up.]

Green Two, Blue Seven, and the Binary Star card, which has highest value with?

[The answer is a red hand. Tayrey will provide the answer if needed, but she's trying to test Chloe's memory. Looking at her own cards, her best option seems to be a run of prime numbers in blue, using the seven and capped with the Slow Ship card, which favored the color and so got her a multiplier.]

[Chloe laughs. Explorers really are the same everywhere.]

Oh, the face cards are hardest to remember. Do you call them that?

[They aren't exactly faces.]

Which ones does that go with, yellow?

Face? No. [It's true, there really aren't many faces.] I guess we'd call them the picture set if you're talking about the whole deck, but if it's in your played hand then it's a cap if it's at the end of a sequence, and a core if it's in the middle. [She's happy to explain, because in truth she's delighted to have someone who wants to play a game from home with her.]

Binary Star isn't bad with yellow, but it's best with red. Now, I don't want to discard any cards, but if you do, you can discard one, and take whatever's at the top of the deck. [Not every card you're holding needs to be played, so there's a strategic element here, with Tayrey projecting confidence.]

Red. I should have remembered that.

[It's her favourite colour, and probably the only colour Ari’s seen her wearing.

Chloe discards a yellow four and draws a card from the deck.]

Now what, I raise?

[Tayrey grins. They make quite the pair, one in red and the other all in blue.]

You'll remember for next time! Yes, if we were gambling, it'd be time to raise. Or if the game had more than three players, there are other actions, like swapping a card with someone, unseen - but as it's just us two for now, we'll keep it simple.

[Then she sets down her chosen pattern, around that blue 7 already on the table. 3, 5, 7, 11, Slow Ship.]

That's five cards, plus four for a prime run, and a cap multiplier of 3. 27.

Now, you put yours down. You have the advantage, not going first, in that you could build on mine - say you had blue 10 and 12, you could put them either side of my 11, as well as playing your own pattern. [Like adding tiny words in Scrabble, not that Tayrey could make the comparison.]

Okay, I've got green four, six, ten… can I play the picture card in place of eight?

[No, she does not know what this card represents, though it's probably something Tayrey sees all the time.]

[Tayrey nods, an encouraging smile on her lips.]

You can! That makes it a core card. It's the Engine, which as a core on green is double minus one. [It doesn't look like any conventional sort of engine, more a cylinder with a strange blue glow.]

The cards look much better if you buy them stationside. Art isn't my strong point! [She has done her best, though. At least the colors are vibrant.]

So that's five cards, six points for all evens, double, minus one - your score's at 21.

That’d be lucky in another game.

[Chloe shrugs.]

What happens next?

Next? We leave it all there, add two more cards to the initial line on the table, get a few more ourselves- [Even as she speaks, she starts dealing out the necessary replacements.] -and then, we play new sequences, linked to the first.

[Before she examines her new cards, though, there's something else Tayrey wants to ask.]

What's your other game? Could you show me how to play?

[Chloe nods, picking up her new cards.]

Blackjack. It's also called “twenty-one” because you're trying to make your cards add up as close to twenty-one as you can get before the dealer can. I know Raylan’s got some decks of cards so you can learn if you want.

[This prompts a slightly uncertain look from Tayrey.]

Citizen Raylan.

[She echoes, with her usual reluctance not to use it without a title.]

Remind me, which is he?

With the hat.

[That’s a bit of a joke but it's definitely a point of pride with him. He wouldn't even let her wear it when she was in his body!]

Tall, nice smile. He lives on Greene Street, and holds poker game nights sometimes.

[She nods in amused recognition.]

The hat. I've seen him around. I'll try to find an opportunity to introduce myself, get an invitation to that game.

He’s pretty chill, so I don't think an invitation will be a problem, but if you need it I'll vouch for you. He's a friend.

[ Konstantin's careful to avoid the fog that rolls in, undeterred from his routines of running around Milton. It's perpetually important to him to keep his strength not only up but to improve it, to keep pushing himself harder, but it's also become a time for him to indulge in his own thoughts. He enjoys it as much as it's a necessity for him.

The cosmonaut's slowed down to a comfortable jog as he loses himself in those thoughts for a few moments, breathing in the crisp chill of the air. Memory seeps into his relaxed mind, warm and bittersweet: jogging like this with Tatiana, chatting together, or simply sharing silence. Strange to think that it's been over a year since he last saw his friend. Stranger still to think that he will likely never see her again.

He's so lost in thought that he initially slips past Tayrey as he passes by the back of her home. Then, processing the lilt of sweet singing a few seconds later— he backtracks, turning around to jog up to her. He wears the dark green tracksuit and sneakers that he first showed up to this place in, issued by the research facility: not a happy reminder of being their lab rat, but the clothing's comfortable for working out in. ]

Peace and prosperity! [ Konstantin greets the younger with her own greeting and a lift of his hand in a friendly wave. There's an impressed lift of brows as he comes to a halt, placing his hands on his hips as he observes her handiwork. ] It's nice work! What're you planning to trade?

[She hears that, the Tradeliner greeting, and it warms her heart.] Peace and prosperity! [Tayrey echoes it, and gives him a little wave back. No need for the formality of a handshake.]

I'm glad you're the first to see it! I can use it for hauling firewood around Milton, local trade, and I'm planning on going to the coast and back once every couple of months. You know, establish a line of trade. [The young Tradeliner grins at the thought.] There are people on either side who can't or won't make the journey, so I can take requests, or load up on whatever goods seem valuable. It's strange, I should be getting weaker, on this diet, but I'm stronger than ever.

[Tayrey's surge of physical strength can be traced back precisely to the day after an incredibly vivid dream she had about the Old Bear, but it would feel silly to say this. She mustn't let hardship draw her into superstitious thinking. For some, it's understandable, but doesn't she have to do better? Her father hadn't even allowed fanciful stories from her nannies, he'd been so determined to see her grow up valuing logic. She isn't about to abandon it now.]

There's one dilemma. [He's possibly the only person she's willing to share it with.] When we were out there, I ventured to that cannery. Animal hazards aside, it was... very difficult to find the tinned vegetables. The bulk of it - well, you must know, it was all dead fish. I could carry that up here and trade it, but it doesn't feel ethical, profiting off something like that. Like I'm encouraging it. I should probably stand clear of the whole business.

[Tayrey's vegetarianism isn't motivated by animal welfare concerns, but an enduring cultural sense that eating meat is disturbing. Deeply taboo. She doesn't comment on the diet of anyone else in their group, but there's a vast difference between ignoring something like that and actively selling the stuff.]

That's a wonderful idea! It's about time we had something like that around here, and now that we've made connection with Silverpoint.... [ The discovery of people living in another town outside of Milton and Lakeside has been huge. Maintaining connection in the form of trading supplies and potentially news alike is a smart endeavour. ]

I know that Randvi is also heading back and forth from the coast sometimes. I've been meaning to join her — it's a long way, but these days, I'm feeling better than ever too.

[ He's also a bit wary to directly bring up his own newfound strength, the one that pulses in his blood now like the Old Bear's roar, hot and hale. Konstantin likewise has a hard time believing in the supernatural components, even if parts of this place make it difficult to truly deny. Still... he'll likely always hold onto the belief that these "powers" being given to people are the result of experimentation by an institutional entity behind the scenes, that there are reasons beyond some supernatural force.

He pauses to listen to her next words, considering them carefully, and with a surprised lift of brows. Konstantin had also taken a little trip out to the cannery and seen for himself the dangers it held — to learn that Arilanna experienced it is a bit worrisome. If Randvi hadn't been there to scare the wolves off with her fire, even Konstantin's own enhanced strength may not have been enough. ]

Did you go out to the cannery alone? [ is the first thing to ask, followed up by another question— ] Something like that is considered unethical where you're from?

[ It's asked curiosity, with no hint of judgment; he's noticed, over time, that the young woman doesn't seem to eat meat, but it's not something there's ever been time to really have a conversation about. In fact, downtime just to chat is rare around here, so he's all-too happy to indulge in the opportunity now. ]

[His approval means a little more to her than she expected. Tayrey smiles brightly, nodding as he shares his thoughts.]

It was Citizen Randvi I travelled out there with, the first time. She's good company. You should join her, next time! Or you are always welcome to travel with me, that goes without saying, but I expect Citizen Randvi's pace will be quicker.

[It's a long journey alone, and would be more enjoyably made with either Konstantin or Randvi - but Tayrey is cautious. She doesn't know by how much the sled will slow her down, and she doesn't want to delay other people, or risk them making well-meaning offers to help her. If she allowed that, she'd have to put them on profit-share, and that would decrease the success of the venture, not to mention complicating the accounting.]

I went to the cannery alone, yes. I spent some time exploring and mapping the area. [She says that as if it's wholly unremarkable.] I shot a wolf. [Just the one. Had there been a pack, she might have been in real trouble.

No qualms about killing animals when she has to, then. Tayrey knows it won't be easy to explain her people's position, even though it's simple common sense back home, because in this place, everything and everyone is different. Still, she's resolved to try her best.]

It's unethical, yes, but it's not the sort of ethics question that people debate over, or that some people do even though they know it's wrong. Before I came here, I'd never met anyone who eats flesh. It's the sort of thing you'd get in those old-fashioned stories about slow-ship spacers who get stranded light years from anywhere, and even then it's just for the shock value. Anyone actually stranded would look for edible plants.

[There's a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes now. She doesn't want to insult him, but she won't lie about her perspective, either.] I was very shocked to see it happen here. At first I thought it was a sign of the... desperation of a failing colony, but then I learned most people would do it no matter how much food they had stored. I could hardly believe it, but I am trying my best not to- [a little, thoughtful frown wrinkles her brow] -to react to it as anyone back home would, but that does leave me conflicted over business ethics.

[ Konstantin simply brightens more visibly as Ari speaks about Randvi so favourably. There's something especially warming to hear that two people he regards so highly not only know each other but are on good terms. ]

Randvi's truly a delight. She was one of the first people I met in this place... Ahh, she's helped me with a great deal.

[ He can't hide the affection in his voice when speaking of his friend, though there's a shift towards concern when she says she went alone — and bumped into one of those wolves. ]

I'd be glad to join you some time, no matter how slow or fast the pace! I could always use some more adventure in my life. [ He gives a good-natured wink, before adding— ] —and you could use someone to watch your back. Going anywhere alone in this place can be so dangerous, for any of us. [ It's not that he doubts the young lieutenant's capabilities; from what he's learned of Tayrey, she's certainly a force to be reckoned with. Even shooting a wolf is more than most might be able to do. It's just that... the rules are strange, here. Different. Not always logical or worldly at all. He'd seen that bear vanish for himself, more phantom than anything corporeal. ...And yet it was capable of ripping people apart.

The thought of Ari wandering around on her own is a weight in his gut.

As he listens to her continue, he slips his hands into his pockets, easy-going and conversational, though his expression stays attentive, focused. He's certainly witnessed plenty of cultural differences in this place — Rorschach uses the word communist as though it's something dirty and dangerous — but Tayrey's world is very unique and he's not quite heard something like this, before. It has his curiosity piquing; he's very much here to learn more about it. ]

I think I understand. It's not so much a matter of ethical choice as it is... a thing that simply doesn't exist in your world at all. Like an old wise tale. [ They have them in his culture, too — shocking stories that no one really takes seriously; they're metaphorical, or intentionally unrealistic. He's not at all insulted, staying wide open to the conversation. ]

It must be very strange for you to see people so easily eating meat, here. It's true that it's considered a norm for most of us on Earth. [ ...And some of them have diets that are especially bloody... Perhaps now is not the time to tell Tayrey that he regularly consumes raw animal blood and other parts by necessity. His alien passenger would no doubt seem especially barbaric. ]

I understand wanting to stick to your principles. [ He nods. ] But the way I see it is... you're adapting to this world and what its people eat. If you provide meat, you're not betraying your own people, just helping these people while you're here. It won't change you. You're far too resilient for that, I think. [ He smiles, meaning it. After his last conversation with Tayrey in which he learned more about her customs, witnessed her resilience and dedication to her culture for himself... he has no doubts in that. ]

[His last point prompts another bright smile. It might only be flattery, she thinks, but she doesn't really mind. He doesn't think she'd be doing anything wrong. That means something.

The decision is hers, ultimately. Her training didn't prepare her for anything remotely like the specifics of this situation, but it did teach her how things have to work, out in the black. The captain is the ultimate authority, because a message through half a dozen relay stations isn't going to reach anywhere relevant in time. Tayrey is very far from being any sort of captain, but being sole Tradeliner makes her senior Tradeliner, and she has been prepared for that, even if only in theory. Their hierarchies are so very specific for good reason. There's always someone for the decisions to fall on.]

I hope you're right. [There's confidence behind that modesty.] It's so very strange, but it's not - back home, we talk about upholding people's rights. Failing to do that is what can get a colony cut off. Eating animals? I find it distasteful, but if it's harming anyone at all, it's the person doing the eating, and that's hardly something for me to interfere with, even if it goes beyond what I'd call normal cultural variation. Like - what did you have tales of, back home?

[She's curious, about his own culture, his life before all this. Tayrey shoves her own hands in her coat pockets, unconsciously mirroring his gesture. It's a still day, the temperature high enough that, acclimatised as she is, she's comfortable. She rocks on her heels a little as she considers it all.]

People have been understanding of my need for fair contract in negotiation, mostly. That's a bigger discomfort, if they don't, because back home it's a terrible insult to offer charity to a person who isn't in need of it. I can choose not to be offended, if they don't know any better, but I can't choose to ignore the principle. So if they can make allowances for my culture, I can do the same for theirs.

[Fair contract.

That should settle it.]

And I - I'd be very glad of your company, on my next journey out. We can look out for each other. [This one, Tayrey isn't going to argue. She knows the danger in travelling alone, she knows that anyone shipside would tell her that this is not terrain for a solo venture. She did it out of necessity, because she thought it was the only way, because being in someone else's debt would be worse than taking the risk.

Between comrades there are no such debts.]

I'll do the same for you, if you want to go - I want to say on expedition, as if it were a grand venture and not a matter of miles. It feels that way. It takes so long to cover such short distances. But whatever we call it, I'm with you.

[ Levi is not much of a bread and circus kind of guy, but it's nice to break up the routine sometimes -- plus, he used to play some card games when he was younger, though it probably mostly included cheating at it. So when he sees the invitation and knows that his work calendar consists of nothing but get food and firewood for the foreseeable future, he decides to pay a visit. ]

[ He's impressed with the quality of the card deck -- he assumes that she's made all of it here, at least -- and looks over it with some curiosity. ]

Don't think I've played anything like this before. [ But he's not leaving, so... he's ready to learn? ]

[Ari Tayrey's work routine is very similar to Levi's, and that's part of the reason why she's doing this. She's used to deep space, and when you're out in the black for weeks at a time it can get tedious, but at least there are holovids to watch and games to compete in. Having some entertainment brightens up a day for her, so she figures it's the same for most others.

She's happy to see Levi show up, and she takes his remark as an invitation.]

I hadn't either, before I joined my ship. I'm sure you'll learn quickly. I had to - we used to gamble, and I didn't like to lose too much!

[She starts showing him the cards, 4 numbered sets of 12 in different colors, and the extra 12 picture cards. They are, indeed, all handmade. Tayrey isn't much of an artist, but she's very precise. The shape of the cards is exact, and the picture cards bear more of a resemblance to nicely-colored technical drawing than art.

Tayrey shuffles the deck, and deals them hands of seven cards each, before putting the next three face up on the table. Red ten, Blue three, and the Binary Star picture card. She explains that a played sequence must be all the same color, and include at least one picture card, and one from the table - but picture cards can represent any value in the sequence. In illustration, she builds on the red 10 with a red 8 below it, then a picture card, the Tower, in place of the 6, and the red 4 beneath that.]

You want to give it a try with your cards?

Not much here to gamble with, at least.

[ They don't have anything like money, though he supposes someone who really wants to feel that adrenaline might wager pieces of jerky or tools. He's not too keen on the idea, considering those things are necessary for survival. ]

[ Doesn't mean he can't learn a new game just in case it ever crops up in a different scenario. ]

[ So he watches with attention and with a small frown. The numbers and colors are similar enough to normal cards, but he has a harder time wrapping his head around the pictures, as they're different from the usual king-queen-knight combo. ]

[ He eyes the example and then the cards in his hand a bit sceptically. ]

Is there a rule for how long the sequence should be? Do you get points for the values or is it more like poker?

[ Where specific sequences are worth more regardless of the value of individual cards. ]

There's always something to gamble with. You just have to be creative. If you want to, that is.

[She won't push it. She especially won't push for someone to gamble on a game they've only just learnt, even if some of her old comrades wouldn't have thought twice about such things. Tayrey holds herself to a particular ethical standard.

She goes on to explain:]

The longer, the better. You get points for the length and the value of the sequence but it's not about adding up the numbers on the cards - you've just got to memorize what different combinations are worth.

[And then, a moment later-] What's poker?

[Teach her, Levi, she has so much to discover!]

I'll give it a thought if I beat you a few times.

[ He's not even joking, but he's not putting a price tag on his skills while he has no skills to speak of. ]

What are the best combinations, then?

[ His eyebrows actually rise in surprise just the briefest amount. With her being from what seems to be the future on top of a whole different world, he'd always assumed she would know everything he does and then some, but it doesn't seem to be the case. ]

It's a card game. There are nine hands of different values, or eight combinations that give you a bigger score than a single high value card. For example, with two fours, you would win against someone who's got a five and a queen.

Edited 2025-08-24 15:31 (UTC)

[Rorschach's not used to hearing much in the way of music. Occasionally on Aurora nights, he'll play something in the library from the collection of records he'd accumulated. Oddly, he was very fond of soul music, which one not might think upon seeing him for the first time. But it made sense when one realized he'd grown up in the late fifties and early sixties.

Mostly, he's just used to Eddie creating noise with that damn electric guitar of his on those nights as well, though he's long since learned not to get anywhere near Rorschach if he wanted to not be stripped bald. So when he hears a high, sweet voice, Rorschach gets curious and follows the sound through until he sees someone he has yet to talk to. He simply stands there, watching apparently unaffected by the cold weather. The black dots on his face move around slowly, coming together before dividing in two and starting the whole process over again.]

[Tayrey, not immediately aware she's being observed, carries on singing. This song appears to be rhapsodizing about the prettiness of the explosions when evil pirate ships are destroyed in deep space.

At the end of the verse, she notices a figure standing there, watching her. Or rather, she notices that mask he's wearing. It's the strangest thing, those dots merging and parting. Almost hypnotic, but unsettling, too. It's strange not to see a person's face properly, not even through the tinted glass of a helmet.

She's cautious, but as of yet, she's reserving judgement. Tayrey steps forward. She's warmly wrapped in that bright blue wool coat of hers, and she has a grey scarf over her head, her attempt at protection from the cold.]

Peace and prosperity! What brings you out here?

[Her typical greeting. Her tone is confident, maybe even friendly. Expect the best from people, hope they live up to your expectations.]

[His body language remains wary as he looks at Ari, closed off and not at all friendly even if she can't see the expression on his face to confirm it. He neither comes closer or pulls away, simply staying exactly where he is. He's dressed lightly for the weather in his usual get-up, all things considered, but Rorschach has always been able to weather the cold well.]

Heard singing.

[The laconic response is odd on its own but is only enhanced by the fact that Rorschach's deep, raspy voice has the same gravelly quality as a bunch of nails and screws turned on in a blender.]

[He doesn't look or sound especially pleased about having heard her sing, but Tayrey has absolutely no intention of apologizing. One thing this place isn't short of is space, so she figures if he has a problem with it, he can simply move along.]

Yes, that was me.

[Stating the very obvious, but she says it mildly.]

It's an old habit. Sometimes it feels too quiet out here.

[That's true enough, although Tayrey's lone voice hardly compares to the entertainment of group singing shipside. Still, it's better than nothing.]

...Not bad.

[One thing Rorschach isn't is being much of a talker, at least not verbally. He's gotten much better at expressing himself telepathically through the Aurora Call power but he doesn't always use that right off the bat with people he's just met. It's another way that his continuous trust issues tend to rise up here.

He does nod at the mention of how quiet this snowy landscape can be.]

Used to much more sound. Lived in a city before this.

[Which meant the learning curve for surviving in such a remote place had been steep for someone who had never lived anywhere besides NYC before. But here Rorschach was, still alive and intact.]

[ She nods, understanding at once. Cities are loud. That her definition of a city is probably alarmingly small by Earther standards doesn't negate that. ]

I grew up in a Company Tower. Busy, most of the time. Then I went shipside, and - well, if you're not hearing the hum of the engine constantly, it means something has gone very wrong.

[ Tayrey is relaxing a little, despite the strange circumstances. He isn't being unpleasant to her; she's revising the threat level downward considerably. ]

Do you like music? I wish there were more of it here.

[When Rorschach hears Ari talk about a ship, he immediately assumes it's one that moves over the water rather than through space. After all, humans have only gone to the moon in his own time sixteen years prior. Well, except for Dr. Manhattan, who could take off and teleport to places like the Moon or Mars on a whim if he really wanted to.

He gives a short nod when Ari asks about his musical tastes.]

Like some. Accidentally projected one or two stuck in my head with the Aurora Call before.

[Fortunately, the only one who had ever seemed to notice when that happened was Lestat, and Rorschach's control over his strange gift is a lot better these days. Now he only sends out what he wants to.]

[Fortunately, she's not alone on the beach. Unfortunately, Casper Darling is not a fighter. No, not in the least. When backed into a corner, he can be scrappy, but he worked a desk job before he was here. He's not cut out for this sort of thing.

But of course he had to explore the beach. He's a scientist. That is what he does. Of course he had to follow the strange footprints until he sees a young woman a little ways down the beach, struggling against the tar creatures.

All he has with him is a knife and a very heavy ashtray, but he has to try, doesn't he?] Hold still! I can try to get them off. [Carefully, so carefully, trying to avoid her limbs and the gun, he works on attempting to cut some of the tar away. Pulling at it and slicing through the pieces he's able to grab.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Summer Open!

1.

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2!

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I LIKE BOTH THO let's start with 1 and see what happens

Brilliant! He can always take a break, go out and spot the sled later :D

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2

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3: beached!