The Good Ship Sheboygan ([personal profile] sheboygan) wrote in [community profile] cheboygan2014-06-02 06:30 pm
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1. EVERYTHING STARTS

Thirty years, by the spinning of faraway Earth around its star. Thirty short Earth-years that translate to the full lifespan of the beings born on a planet that runs much quicker around its own star, home planet to ship builders of renown well beyond their solar system.

A long life.

The names of the Captain and the Engineer never left that faraway world, kept safe among the People (as they called themselves) when the two set forth with their incredible ship. It held unprecedented technology, even for their race's innovative builders. An engine that ran by manipulating probability... a successful design could open up so many possibilities.

Those glorious futures are bright in the Captain's eyes as she pilots her vessel. The Engineer, on the other hand, is content with what's already come and gone, more determined to see the end of their journey through with dignity. It is an end, after all; thirty Earth-years and the ship builders pass on to whatever awaits the mind when the body stops working. One last, beautiful trip.

They are who oversee this strange situation. After their ship's malfunction, finding fresh cargo in their ship was surprise enough. Discovering that they had picked up living beings completely foreign to this part of the galaxy was even more strange. The further discovery that these creatures were, in fact, foreign to this entire universe if the readouts were to be believed... well. It wasn't impossible. But it was improbable.

The Captain was the first to take charge, as she had to, becoming the first to attempt to soothe and steady the unlucky travelers. She had always been the more outgoing of the two of them.

Two solitary fingers and a near-as-long thumb rise on a hand dappled with pores. Patience, the Captain urged, waiting for all to be safely roused. Patience, she said, without any mouth or voice at all, and the thoughts chimed like bells in the minds of the strangers. Tiny flame-like flickers of light lingered at her temples as she used her thought-speech to communicate.

An image blossomed in the head-spaces of her audience, a (hopefully) welcoming image of herself and her crewmate. Her species was tall and lithe, nearly eight feet in height. Their clothing carried the same elegant, almost carved-looking swirling texture as their skin, and their skirts flowed all the way down their bodies to swirl on the ground, hiding any notion of feet.

< Hello, strangers! You may have noticed that you are no longer at the where you were expecting to be at! >

The tone of her "voice" became sheepish as she continued. Lingering behind her, the Engineer seemed to glower as best as one could without eyebrows or a mouth to really sell the expression.

The Captain started to pace, and this only accentuated her truly alien nature. Her limbs curved like willow branches swaying in the wind, like there were fewer bones than there ought be in her body.

< There has been a problem with some experimental transportation technology, and it looks like we're all going to be housemates for a little while. >

She continued with a full explanation of the circumstances through which the travelers had been pulled to this universe.

< The long and short story is that we're stuck here together until we can get the ship running again to take us all back to our home planet, where we can get you back to your home universes. In order to do that, though, the Ship needs material in order to grow. Your assistance in gathering said material would be appreciated. We've landed on the planet Canagan, and there should be plenty around. Just ask the locals. They'll be able to tell you more about that.

The exit to the ship is marked by the red lights. The mess hall is marked by blue. I will be waiting there if you have any further questions. >

She finished her speech with the mental equivalent of a winky emoticon.

< That was an inelegant introduction, > remarked the Engineer.

< Well we have to show that we're friendly somehow! > The Captain sent her a thought-speak pouty face, and got silence in return. While the Engineer tried to retreat, she was held off by her partner. They needed to linger, to support these strangers how they can.



NOTE: Put a star (*) in your comment subject line if you'd like an NPC at any point in your thread and we'll find it to respond (or you can ping Elle or Toast on Plurk/mod account!)
muchfaster: (pic#7707151)

*

[personal profile] muchfaster 2014-06-09 03:11 am (UTC)(link)
Hiiee...

[that pool is...so weird. so weird! Sena's hugging his arms to suppress some involuntary shudder and seeing it. it looks like...mouthwash...

ulp.

he freezes when he sees the Captain, heart jumping into his throat. she's so scary-looking! simply for looking so strange.]


U-u-uhhh–!! [no amount of arm-hugging's going to keep him from getting jittery now.]
captain_cheboygan: (Kitty OMG)

Re: *

[personal profile] captain_cheboygan 2014-06-09 03:43 am (UTC)(link)
[The Captain doesn't notice the newcomer until he starts making noises. She looks over at him and her head cocks slowly to the side, body language very much like a confused cat.]

< You are making a ... noise? >

[It doesn't seem to have a communication purpose, though. Strange.]

< Are you ill? >
Edited 2014-06-09 03:46 (UTC)
muchfaster: (pic#7707132)

[personal profile] muchfaster 2014-06-09 11:07 am (UTC)(link)
EH–!! [he jolts, straightening up. if his hair wasn't already standing on end, it'd be standing on end.]

I-i-ill? Uh! Uhh...No? No, I don't. Think so!

[right, so, occupied arms? meant the football and helmet are just aimlessly on the floor. he recognizes this in glancing down and frantically scrambles to pick them up.] I mean! I'm only! This is just! Uh–!

[slowing down looking backup. gulp.]

I mean...
captain_cheboygan: (Kitty srsly)

[personal profile] captain_cheboygan 2014-06-09 03:01 pm (UTC)(link)
< Your thought processes are still very difficult to understand. >, the Captain says with a slight frown on her face, lowering her feet to the ground.

She hadn't anticipated communication being a problem. Her race has never had that issue before with sentient life forms.

Perhaps she just isn't being welcoming enough.

< Would you like something to eat? > She waves at the green pool with one long-fingered hand. < I have carbohydrates running right now, but could switch the settings if you want electrolytes? >
muchfaster: (pic#7707133)

[personal profile] muchfaster 2014-06-09 09:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Very slowly, Sena's head turns to stare in the direction she pointed to. When one thinks eat, there's usually more than an empty table involved. Maybe a bowl of snacks? A drink?

Not a giant pool of Listerine.

Carbohydrates? Electrolytes? Sena gulped again. Hiie...This sounds like a kind of meal Shin-san would prefer...!

"Ouh, n-no, thank you, um..." He hesitated, trying to think of the most important thing he ought to ask, given the chance.

"Um...how come I can hear you...in Japanese?"

Yes, very good.
captain_cheboygan: (Kitty Content)

[personal profile] captain_cheboygan 2014-06-10 02:48 am (UTC)(link)
Honestly, kid, it smells sweet, not minty.

< Oh, how polite! >, the Captain's eyes squint into pleased half-circles, and she claps her hands together. < You hear me in your language, because I am not speaking to you! Well, I am, but not with sounds. My People are telepathic. Conversation goes straight from my mind to yours, and back. >

She keeps "grinning" with her eyes.

< It's cool, huh? Makes communication really easy! >
muchfaster: (pic#7707142)

[personal profile] muchfaster 2014-06-10 10:51 pm (UTC)(link)
"I-it is cool..." he concedes, feeling off-balance. It makes very little sense, but then, what's he know about telepathy, anyway? But if it's hearing words in his head...

"It's just, just talking, right? It's not mind-reading is it?"
captain_cheboygan: (Kitty Content)

[personal profile] captain_cheboygan 2014-06-15 06:55 am (UTC)(link)
In the Captain's world, talking and mind-reading are the same thing, but Sena's words come with connotations attached, and she manages to muddle out the right ideas.

< Yes, it's just talking. I only hear what you want to say to me, so you waon't be revealing any embarrassing stories from your youth... > She pauses, then grins with her eyes. < Unless you want to tell them to me! >
muchfaster: (pic#7707149)

[personal profile] muchfaster 2014-06-17 11:24 pm (UTC)(link)
"Uh!" Sena's hands go up, shaking. "No, thank you! I mean, I think I don't want to talk about that!" One of those hands moves to the back of his head. "I don't think it'd do any good, anyway. I mean, because this is something more different than anything."