PILOT'S LOG 1.01 ✈ VIDEO; console

[merb]

[ The feed opens with Stork tapping one long green finger on the screen, looking a bit sheepish. He's not unfamiliar with the level of technology here, just the specifics. In the background, a public cafe and several irate looking kedan glaring at the Merb's back. In the foreground, some telltale purple bio-mechanical goop. ]

So... note to self: don't try dismantling these things, they melt like a bad batch of Globs. I, uh, I'm probably going to have to pay for that other one, aren't I? I've probably contracted Raztorian poisoning already. Only a matter of time before I start going blind in one eye...

Can someone tell me what passes for a crystal depot around? Someone mentioned the Earth Sector, but when I showed them the Cinder crystal I had on me, they said they'd never seen anything like it.

[ He turns his head to look over his shoulder, not at the kedan but upward, to the sky; the metal earrings move as he flicks one long ear, listening for something while looking uneasy. ]

Is the sky always this quiet here? I don't like not being able to hear even a single airship. If there's going to be a cataclysmic blast cloud coming to wipe us all out, I'd like some time to get a fresh copy of my will prepared.

Comments

[highprofilerichkid]

...Wow. I have no idea what any of that means. But you don't need to worry about blast clouds or Ratzawhatverian poisoning. Whatever those are, we don't have them. I don't know if you've figured this out yet, but... this isn't your universe. You're what's called a foreigner - you got pulled here from your home universe by some haywire dimensional magic. And those people behind you who you've pissed off by melting their computer are kedan. They're the locals.

[Tony shrugs and gives Stork a slightly apologetic smile.] Welcome to Keeliai.

[merb]

Oh, I've gotten the whole welcome speech already. [ and you can almost hear the air quotes ] It was how I got access to these consoles.

[ flatly: ] Though, the bit about them melting should have been a little higher up in the bullet points. [ he holds up two fingers to emphasis how little ]

Foreigners, giant turtle, bad dream juju evil, the whole 9 airmiles. Do you know how many germs a turtle can carry? You're probably all mutating and just haven't noticed it yet.

[ Stork leans very close to the screen. ]

Any rashes, strange bumps, unexplained mood swings lately?

[highprofilerichkid]

Oh, good, [Tony says, looking slightly more cheerful.] I suck at the welcome speech.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure nobody's died or mutated from weird alien germs yet. I think we'd notice that. No rashes, no bumps, and no mood swings that can't be explained by something else. [He means relationship drama. He's talking about his boyfriend.]

Relax; it's really not so bad here now that the big bad guy is gone. [Then he adds lightly,] The kedan have even started to hate us slightly less, so you probably won't get stabbed in the street. [Not helping, Tony.]

[merb]

[ Stork stares across the feed for a moment. ]

Yeah. You really do suck at the welcome speech.

[highprofilerichkid]

Nobody's actually been stabbed yet, [Tony admits, taking pity on the newbie.] I think. Things aren't that bad between us and the kedan. Besides, the foreigner team has serious firepower. Anybody who messes with one of us might end up messing with a lot of us. That keeps most people off our back.

Video

[seismometrics]

[This guy is reminding her of a squirrel on cactus juice. It's not a good combination.]

[Have a girl hanging out idly in front of her console, raising an eyebrow.]

Okay, first off? Slow down. Not a competition for how much crazy you can fit in a post.

Second, this place has held up pretty well through some serious stuff, including a whole "fire from the sky!" thing, so you can probably hold off on the will for a while. We'll let you know when it's time to panic, 'kay?

Third, you're going to have to explain what a crystal depot is.

Re: Video

[merb]

[ Stork crosses his arms in front of him and huffs loudly. ]

You haven't even begun to see the crazy that happens when Raztorian poisoning gives you a fever so high that your brain starts melting out your ears!

I don't need anyone to tell me when to panic, I'm always the first to know -- and usually right. The Black Gorge. The Forbidden City. If people would just listen to me more often, there would be a lot less potential death and pain in my life!

[ And then: a few blinks. ]

A crystal depot is where you can buy and exchange crystals. Obviously.

Video

[seismometrics]

[Oh, yes. This one is going to be a handful. A melodramatic handful. Purposefully or not, Toph's finger goes up to pick at her nose.]

Sounds awesome. Looking forward to it.

So, Captain Fussypants, did you find out because you were first to know, or because you were already panicking?

And . . . if it's that obvious, why do you think people are asking about it?

Re: Video

[merb]

[ Stork grimaces a little -- eww -- even his squad isn't that immature (mostly) -- but doesn't comment in the nose picking. ]

I'm not a captain, I'm a pilot and I'm not panicking. Being prepared is not the same thing.

[ He's actually telling the truth here about not panicking -- for him, this isn't. For everyone else, it would be. ]

I just want my ship back! And if you can't show me where she is, then I want a transposer crystal so I can build a scanner to find her!

Video

[seismometrics]

[Learn to do a good nose picking, man. Does wonders for stress. Toph listens idly to his non-freaking out-ness with full skepticism, eyebrow raised.]

Okay, I just heard "blah, blah, blah, flailing, blah." Just about none of that made sense. Which probably means it doesn't exist here, and definitely doesn't where I come from.

What's probably pretty safe to tell you, though, is that your ship isn't here. Period. Most people don't come with stuff that big.

Welcome to the giant floating Turtle. With no way off until he drops us off at random.

[If she sounds wry, she is.]

[video]

[aquanimity]

I've never heard of Raz- [What was it he'd called it?] uh, that poisoning, but if you're worried about it you can come by the Healer's Guild. I'm sure we'd be able to keep you in good health.

I don't think the kedan have airships; I haven't seen any, but then again I've only been here for two weeks myself. I guess they're fairly common in your world, though?

[She's definitely curious about several other things he's mentioned, but refrains from belaboring the new arrival with invasive questions.]

I'm Aqua, by the way. Welcome. [Have a small and friendly smile, Stork.]

Re: [video]

[merb]

Raztorian. And does this Guild have disinfectant I can buy? Preferably in bulk? I'm going to need to sanitize everything.

[ For a moment he looks overwhelmed by that; it's entirely possible that by "everything" he means the entirety of Keeliai, if not Tu Vishan. But then he perks right back up at the mention of airships. ]

Airships are the only way to move around Atmos. Don't the-- kedan? Ever leave the terr-- I mean, turtle?

[ He's really relieved -- insomuch as the Merb ever gets relieved -- that nearly everyone he's mrt so far has been friendly and non-hostile. ]

I'm Stork, of the Storm Hawks.

Re: [video]

[aquanimity]

We do have something like that, yes, but not a huge amount, and the Guild does need it too. [She looks at him apologetically.] You should be all right, though. I don't think you're more likely to get sick here than you would normally.

Only when the currents take the turtle close to land, or so I've heard. But no one can really tell when that will next happen. Airships would be very useful here. [Is that a slightly wistful sigh? Aqua misses her glider at times, and the freedom it brings for travel, even if she wouldn't be able to leave this world on it.]

Storm Hawks? That sounds exciting.

Re: [video]

[merb]

I'll take as much as you can spare. Where is this Guild located?

[ Stork gives an all-over body twitch when Aqua says he's not likely to get more sick here than at home, because that (in his mind) does not greatly lessen the threat. He also huffs over the lack of airships. ]

I'm not walking everywhere. Fine, I build one myself.

If you take your exciting with a side of constant terror and ever-present probability of doom, then yes: we're a Sky Knight squad.

[video]

[pushtheboundaries]

[he's not even surprised anymore. between Kedan and everything else, he's staring to be surprised if people are straight-up human]

Define 'crystals'. There may be something close to it, here.

As for the skies- no airships that I've seen, and even birds are pretty rare.

Re: [video]

[merb]

[ Meanwhile, Atmos has such a mixed population, and humans being the most populous species of it, that Stork has no idea how much of an oddity he seems to many. He's used to being looked at strangely by other Atmosians for being a Merb as part of a squad, but never as not human. ]

Crystals-- small? Jewel-like? Generally shiny? Usually glowy? Major power source in the universe for only about the last 500 years or better?

Any of this... ringing a bell?

[video]

[pushtheboundaries]

Up until the last part. You'll find things are a bit different here, though I wouldn't mind taking a look at the one you have. Some sort of battery may be able to replace it.

Re: [video]

[merb]

Right, because the giant continent turtle wasn't shaking things up enough for me.

[ Stork considers; there are alternatives to crystal power in Atmos, it was just that most of them were very outdated. ]

Do you know of anywhere I can get some tools? I have a few that I arrived with, but I could use some more.

[peacefullywreathed]

[Oh, this fellow again. He's amusing and ridiculous at once.]

The people here don't use crystals for their technology. Pity, really.

[Some of the most powerful magical artefacts around were powered by crystals. The Sceptre of the Ancients sprang to mind.]

[merb]

And... what do they use around here?

[theideaguy]

Would you like me to come by in the middle of the night and yell BOOM! to you to make you feel more at home? I mean, I'll even do that for free.

1/2

[merb]

OF COURSE I DON'T WANT YOU TO DO TH--

2/2

[merb]

Wait, is that an actual job here?

[ He could have found his calling. ]

I laughed. Oh god, I laughed.

[theideaguy]

[For a brief moment, Sokka is laughing hilariously. Yes, that was just too precious.

[And then said laughter stops when the second bit finally hits him.

[Though eventually the smile starts to come back.]

Oh well, I'm sure you could make quite the reputable career out of that. I mean, I personally know a couple people that I'd love to wake up randomly in the middle of the night. If I could see the reactions on their faces, I might even pay more for that.

[merb]

[ EXCUSE YOU SOKKA, IT WAS A LEGIT QUESTION. ]

Pay how much more?

[ Because he could pretty easily rig up an action-sensor instant camera. ]