nysalogs | i like digging holes [closed]

[ What would it mean to find "harmony" with his co-pilot? 76 has the feeling that he doesn't want to find out. While he would rather do this with Ana and call it a day, she'd reminded him that the reason they'd come up here was to help those who were new to all this. She's already moved on to do that, but 76 still has to find a partner of his own.

He can't imagine how the Orbiters expect those of them who don't have piloting experience to know their way around one of these ships, but that's probably why they'd entreated anyone who did have that knowledge to lend a helping hand.

Sighing to himself, 76 moves through the hangar, looking out for someone else who seems to be alone. Eventually he spots someone short and furry tinkering around with one of the ships, and figures that can only be one person.

Rocket's inspecting the ship with a certain kind of familiarity, and 76 approaches out of curiosity. ]

You know what you're doing here?

[ Who would have thought? ]

Dude, c'mon. It's me. I always know what I'm doin'.

[He says while flicking switches with reckless abandon and looking annoyed when they don't do what he expects them to do.] If you wanna see how a real pilot flies, get in.

[ It doesn't look like Rocket knows exactly what he's doing, judging from the look on his face when he hits some of those switches. On the other hand, he's still handling the ship with familiarity and confidence, and that's more than 76 has going for him.

With another glance around, he can see that the area has mainly emptied out. Neither of them are newcomers, but they'll need to get back down to the planet either way.

So after just another brief pause, 76 climbs into the co-pilot's seat and straps himself in. ]

Any pointers?

[ Yeah, he's never done this before, but he's generally a quick study. ]

[Rocket swallows down the uncertain "ummm" that threatens to escape as he tries another sequence of switches. Now that 76 is strapped in, a few things seem to be online that weren't online before, which is weird. It must need two pilots to operate.

That sounds unsafe.] Eh, y'know. Relax. Don't panic. And just embrace the fact that you're about to look real badass.

[He presses what he assumes will engage the engine and... the lights flicker.] What the hell? Did I get a busted one?

[ 76 isn't one to panic in general, but he can't ignore the fact that it seems like they've picked a ship that doesn't want to work properly. Rocket isn't exactly filling him with confidence in his abilities right now.

He'd also noticed that the ship came online as soon as he sat down, though, so the existence of two seats isn't simply for convenience, he's guessing. ]

Hmm... [ The noise is more like a growl under his breath as he pushes the same sequence of buttons that Rocket did. After a brief pause, the engine roars to life and both of their control panels light up. 76 glances over and raises an eyebrow. ] Looks like we might need to do this in tandem.

We have to do it in what?

[It's not that Rocket doesn't get what he's saying- he does. It's just so stupid. So inconceivably stupid. Annoyed, he jabs a claw at the controls to switch to manual pilot, but he's only greeted by a disconcerting error buzzer noise.] Dammit. It don't have a manual switch either.

[ 76 realizes that Rocket is asking out of annoyance rather than confusion. It doesn't seem like an overly complicated mechanic, not that 76 knows much about space travel. This seems like a lot to ask from someone who's never piloted before, but he's never been one to shy away from a challenge. ]

We could see if any of the other ships work differently, but they all looked pretty much the same to me. [ On the outside, anyway. Besides, this one is already started up and (in theory) ready to go, so...

76 tilts his head at Rocket. He's the supposed expert here, so it's his decision. ]

It's fine. I don't mind flyin' with a handicap. [That kind of edginess is exactly what you want to hear from your expert pilot, and the ship's buzzer noise seems to be continuing unabated now.]

Harmonization error? [He reads the words emblazoned in a corner of the screens.] Is that an engine thing?

[Meanwhile, there's an uncomfortable tugging in the back of his mind, like something invasive trying to move in. He shakes his head as if to ward it away, but it persists. Meanwhile, his own anxiety is more than just assumed by his attitude, it's felt.

[ Calling this a handicap could be seen as an insult to 76's piloting, but he doesn't particularly care. He realizes it would be easier if Rocket could do all this on his own, but 76 will take the chance to learn a thing or two about flying one of these things. Given that they're trapped out in space, it's bound to come in handy eventually.

The anxiety tightening up his chest isn't helping matters, though, and if anything it makes him more aggravated. This is the sort of unfortunate situation where negative feelings are bound to build on each other. ]

Your guess is as good as mine.

[ He leans forward and reaches out for his yoke. ]

Let's try steering it toward the exit.

Oookay. [Rocket says it, uncertainly, almost as if in response to the new frustration bubbling up that doesn't feel like his own. He shakes his head, like a dog fighting off a sore ear, and puts his mind on the prize.] Okay. We got this. Just gotta... focus on what we're doing.

[The ship moves, albeit in jerky stutters and stops.]

[ Focusing isn't something that 76 struggles to do, most of the time, but it's difficult not to be distracted when the ship keeps moving as if it's missing an engine or some other critical component. They're moving, yes, but it's at a snail's pace and by the time that they're approaching the exit that will let them out into space, 76's confident is pretty low. ]

There must be something we're missing here. [ If he was doing something wrong technically, he's sure that Rocket would say something. Leave it to the Orbiters to not fully explain things. With an aggravated sigh, 76 leans back in his seat and drags a hand through his hair. ]

You mean besides a ship without faulty wiring? [Rocket's annoyance is palpable, but it's made worse by the fact that he can feel something else, and instinctively, he mimics 76's gesture without thinking of it.

...And then it hits him and he lowers his hands in surprise.] Shit. That was weird.

[ 76 glances over, having caught only a glimpse of Rocket's gesture. He isn't entirely sure what he's referring to, and given how bad of a start they've made, it doesn't seem smart to make any assumptions. ]

What is it?

[ If nothing else, the ship seems to have ground to a halt until they figure this out. ]

I just did the thing you did as you did it. [Rocket begins flipping through the screens, now knowing what he's looking for and when he finds it, he breaks out into a frustrated laugh.]

Mental link. The friggin' thing has a mental-link. "Cooperation and teamwork." That's just like these d'asted Celestials.

[ It still takes a few seconds for everything to sink in, but 76 leans over to look at the read-out on Rocket's screen. Right now, the representation of this supposed link is unstable, bouncing around instead of presenting as a smooth, straight line.

While he doesn't know exactly what a mental link entails, he doubts he's going to like it. ] All right, so... sounds like you have some experience. How does it work?

[ They don't have to like this, but they do need to figure it out. Maybe they can latch onto that. ]

I actually have zero experience, 'cause it's the dumbest thing I've ever heard, but it ain't hard to figure out.

[Ugh. He hates it when people are in his head. That discomfort is loud enough to go straight through the link right to 76.] We gotta be in sync to make the ship move.

In sync. [ 76 lets out a breath and closes his eyes for a few moments. Trying to clear out his mind to make sure that they're linked up the right way is no simple task. Meditation is hardly his strong suit.

Especially when he can tell that he's feeling things that don't belong to him. It's an uncomfortable sensation, to say the least. ]

Then let's focus on what we both want, which is to get this ship out of here and down to the planet. [ He leans forward in his seat, taking a more active position in the cockpit as he grabs his yoke. ] Let me know when you're ready.

[ Or maybe he'll just be able to feel it. ]

[Rocket is the absolute worst when it comes to things like "clearing your mind" and "forcing yourself to compromise," but he doesn't want to be stuck in this stupid ship forever.] All right. I'm ready.

[Is he though? Is he really? With that frustrated feeling basically being the emotional equivalent of the Girl From Ipanema invading their nice safe mental link......]

[ This isn't going to be easy or smooth, that's for sure.

The ship jerks out of the hangar and into space, but it continues to switch direction suddenly, sometimes sending them out into the blackness in space, sometimes turning them toward the planet.

76 bites back on the urge to tell Rocket to get his shit together, well aware that won't help anything. Still, they better not end up stranded out in space because they couldn't get in sync with each other. 76 clenches his jaw and tightens his hold on the controls. If nothing else, he knows how to operate under pressure. ]

[ It's been a long day of rowing, but they've finally found a place to rest. The cavern shields them from the sun, and 76 might have been tempted to strip down and try to cool off in the water if there weren't so many other people around.

He's already had a peek inside of the ominous skull, and while it's tempting to find somewhere to pass out now, food is another consideration. He'd burned through the rations he'd brought from the station during their rowing adventure.

So he's peering into the water, taking stock of the fish there. It's going to be hard to try and catch one with this many people around, and with no real gear, but maybe he can get creative...

Either way, he's distracted enough considering his options that someone would be able to approach. ]

[And approach someone does, though it's more an accidental creeping up upon rather than something deliberate-- he's pacing about for something to do, an effort to expel the restlessness that's building in him, the unsettled disquiet displaced feeling that comes with being in a situation so far from everything he knows. He hates this, honestly. The expanse of water they'd crossed, the heat and the big bright open sky so vast it feels as though it could swallow him whole, the verdant creeping flora and fauna and even this cool, dark cavern, although like the man he's about to address, it brings some relief from the brighthot rays of the sun outside.

He moves silently, a creeping soundless spectre, made for unnatural stealth and grace to the point where he moves this way even when there is no need for it. He's pretty much right behind 76 before he chooses to speak.]

Really, you haven't had enough of the water for one day?

[Staring at it intently like that, after all that tedious rowing.]

[ 76 would like to believe that his instincts are pretty good, that he has a sixth sense and knows when someone's creeping up on him. Most of the time, that would be true. In this case, though, he isn't ready for the sudden sounding of a voice behind him. Giovanni might want to learn that it's not a good idea to sneak up on a paranoid soldier with reaction times that have been ingrained for decades.

In other words, 76 instantly spins around, halfway ready to lash out. In a split second, he registers that the person speaking to him is using a neutral tone, and that nothing about his body language is threatening. Just here to chat, apparently, except that he'd been preternaturally quiet.

Or maybe 76 had just been that lost in his thoughts. But he doesn't think so.

His stance shifts and he doesn't comment on his overreaction, instead delivering a delayed response to the other man's question. ] It's not the water I'm interested in. It's more about what's in it.

[ It only takes a few more seconds for 76 to place why this stranger is familiar. ] Giovanni, right? [ He'd made the announcement with Ana. ]

[One distinct problem with being a genetically engineered tool of war is that the prospect of oncoming violence does very little to perturb him; quite the opposite really, and had the other refugee responded with something vicious and hard he'd likely have exulted in it. Just as well that it didn't go that way perhaps, and instead there's only that brief fraction of a moment where 76 spins and moves and almost almost lashes out, something in Giovanni already responding and readying itself despite his outward look of perfect calm--

--but then the man rights himself, responds evenly enough, and any prickle and flash of oncoming volatility in the warhound bleeds out into nothing but a tingle in his neck, underaround the collar bolted down through flesh and muscle into bone. He smiles his crooked smile, says nothing of the other man's surprise. It seems only polite when the man himself has chosen to let it slide.]

That's correct.

[He's neither caught off guard nor particularly surprised to discover his name and face are known-- he'd been a wanted man after all, posters strewn about the city of Olympia for everyone to see, and then there'd been the 'public apology'...]

You saw the broadcast, I suppose.

[But then he shrugs, turns his concealed gaze toward the water.]

And what is in it?

[He comes from a twisted subterranean landscape where nothing natural can thrive-- of course he's never seen live fish until now.]

[ It might have gotten ugly if 76 had actually thrown a punch, and he'll give himself credit for not letting it go that far. Not everyone was willing to shrug off something like that, and he doesn't know Giovanni well enough to be sure what category he would fall into. He'd seemed agreeable enough during the announcement, but that may have been an act.

Both of their faces had been on wanted posters, so 76 had been aware of Giovanni's name and had a vague idea of what he looked like. The broadcast had added the details he'd been missing, and 76 had paid close attention to it given that his friend had been the other half of it. He nods as confirmation but doesn't say anything beyond that. None of them are being hunted anymore, so they may as well focus on their current situation. ]

If we're lucky, there's fish. You can never really be sure with this place, though.

[ He could just as easily be attacked by some poisonous sea monster, which is why he's only going to observe for now.

He takes a seat near the water's edge, aware that his footsteps might be enough to scare off any fish that might be around. Fishing is an act of patience, which is hardly his strong suit, but maybe he can still pull something off. ]

[None of them are being hunted anymore, no, not in the way that they had been, with such dramatic intensity. Though Giovanni does wonder whether, as a member of the Guard, he's supposed to be keeping an eye out, whether he's expected to accost his fellow fugitives should he happen to come across them. His loyalty is a bonedeep thing, slow to form but fierce to grow, and Olympia has him now, more so because of his slip-up and the tightening of the leash that followed, the fact that he'd been pardoned but is now more thoroughly controlled-- there's a familiarity in it. Something he appreciates and settles into, something that makes him think of home.

Yet despite this...he really has very little interest in dragging those who chose to flee back into captivity. He's been given no direct orders to do anything of the sort and as such, whilst he may recognise the man before him now, they're currently far from Olympia, and he has no strong compulsion to act on his employers' behalf in this instance.

And so instead he moves a little closer, as smooth and soundless as he'd been when he'd inadvertently crept up upon 76. Peers down into the watery depths, at the flash and flicker of movement beneath the surface. Unnaturally fast as he is, there's a good chance he could snatch one up with relatively little difficulty. But for the moment, at least, he shows no compulsion towards this activity either.]

They're edible, I believe?

[He sounds a little dubious as he watches the swift-darting forms-- prior to his arrival here he'd only ever consumed the bland and unrecogniseable mush they'd been fed in the below, and he doesn't need to eat in order to live, besides. He's not exactly an expert in this area.]

[ 76 doesn't know enough about Giovanni to realize that he still considers himself a part of the guard, even after everything that happened (and perhaps even because of it). If he did know, he wouldn't be able to fully understand that kind of loyalty.

It isn't something they need to get into, for now. 76 assumes that Giovanni wouldn't turn on someone who'd been in the same position as him, and while it had been a refugee who caught him in the first place, no one has given him grief for his unintentional part in the attacks for a while now.

So instead, they can talk about fish. 76 catches a glimpse through the clear water of gleaming scales. These fish are different shapes and colors than the ones he knows, but their basic structure is the same, and that's reason enough to believe they can be eaten. The way that Giovanni asks is... strange, though. ]

... Have you never eaten fish before?

[ That would be some kind of tragedy, but 76 can't expect every world to have the same food that he's used to, either. ]

[For the moment, at least, fish it is.

Giovanni goes on peering into the watery depths at the odd forms that dart and flicker beneath the surface now and again-- they don't look especially edible, but really, what would he know? He isn't like the twins, doesn't mooch off to do as he pleases, has only ever followed Her orders down to the letter, Her six-fingered hand always felt at the collar bolted down into his bones. And so any experience he has with real food remains limited-- half the time, since he arrived here, with no-one to remind him and no set meal times to adhere to, he rarely bothers to eat at all.

It's highly doubtful, besides, that in his dark little corner of a world flung into perpetual winter by the sins of their forebears, in a city mostly sunk underground, that they have fish at all.

And so he shakes his head. Looks on.]

Not as far as I'm aware, no.

[Which isn't to say he wouldn't try it.]

[ It's possible that Giovanni had been served some first back in Olympia, particularly during their trip to the sea, but the point still stands. He hadn't ever had the chance to eat fish back home, which means that most of his life he's been missing out on seafood. 76 can't promise him any sort of impressive meal, but the fact remains that they need to eat.

(Or at least, he needs to eat.) ]

Well, here's your chance to find out what it's like. If we can catch one, anyway.

[ He stands in a relatively smooth motion and then moves away from the water's edge, searching on the rocky ground for anything he could fashion into some sort of makeshift spear. If he can manage that, then his superhuman speed should be enough to nab them some dinner. ]

[And despite his own lack of a concrete need for sustenanace, the comment has him vaguely curious, nonetheless. As such, he observes the other refugee as he begins to cast about for something, saying nothing for just a moment, only watching. He can't be sure exactly what it is he might be looking for, what kind of tools are generally needed in order to catch a fish, but--]

I could probably snatch one out of there, if you wanted. Are they slippery?

[He imagines they would be, from the look of them.]

[ Color 76 skeptical. It's not just anyone who can simply snatch a fish out of the water like that, and so he pauses from his searching, glancing over from where he'd crouched on the rocks to unearth a piece of wood that could be fashioned into something sharp and deadly. ]

They are, yeah. So what you're suggesting isn't all that easy.

[ Not that he can assume that anyone here is strictly human. He's a little curious himself. ]

If you want to give it a shot, though, knock yourself out.

[There's the slight canine tilt of his head, considering-- but then he nods, moves to crouch down at the water's edge, carefully hitching up the hem of his suit trousers as he does so. He leaves 76 to get on with his own ministrations whilst he concentrates on gazing into the water, eyes focused, waiting for an appropriate moment to strike--

--and then quite suddenly he does, faster than anything as human-looking as he is has any right to be, hand cutting down into the water, and although he manages to grasp the fish he's after, the feel of it has him pulling back inadvertently-- slippery alright, and cold to boot. Unpleasant.

There's the click of his tongue against teeth then, annoyance with himself for being so easily startled. And he returns to patiently waiting until the fish slowly surmise it's safe to re-emerge, begin darting past his spot once again.

His second attempt, when it comes, proves more successful. Perhaps surprisingly, he manages to hook the thing out with startling suddenness, although he lets go of it almost as soon as he's drawn it free of the water. It lands on the ground between them this time, but quite alive and flopping about, likely to end up back in the water again unless someone does something to stop it.

Giovanni seems disinclined. Only watches, makes a face. The feel of intestines against his bare hands? That's fine. A slippery cold fish? Quite another matter, apparently.]

[ 76 honestly doesn't expect Giovanni to manage anything, and so he transitions to sitting down on the rocks so that he can begin whittling one end of the stick he's found into a sharp point. All the same, he does keep an eye on Giovanni as he perches by the edge of the water, curious to see what he'll pull off.

The first attempt is so fast that 76 can't tell from his position if Giovanni actually grabbed hold of a fish or not, but the way that he moved is worth his full attention. Definitely not anything a human should be capable of; 76 would know.

The second attempt is even more successful. Giovanni snatches a fish out of the water bare-handed, though at that point seems to be at a loss for what to do with it. 76 is quick to react, standing up so he can move over and seize the fish before it flops its way back into the water.

This is the unpleasant part of fishing, the part that no one really wants to do. 76 shifts the wriggling fish around in his grip until he's holding it by the tail, then rears his arm back and swings it forward to bash the fish's head against the rocks. With the sort of strength he has, it only takes the only time, and then the fish hangs lifeless in his hand.

He sets it down between the two of them, then glances up at Giovanni. ] Nice work.

[The final and bloody dispatching of the fish-- it's not something Giovanni would have any particular qualms about doing. That is, of course, if he felt so inclined as to pick the thing up again in the first place. The slippery-cold flesh of it makes him wonder if it can really be worth eating, if it can really taste good...and yet, despite any reservations he may have, he's nonetheless curious to try.

He watches as 76 kills the helpless thing without so much as a shiver of revulsion, something more akin to cool indifference written into the hard angles of his face. An indifference only infinitesimally interrupted in the wake of the other man's words; despite himself, it's a hard thing not to react to praise and affirmation of any kind. Lord knows he gets precious little of it.

And so, there's the ghost of a smile by way of response, a small nod of the head.]

And now that it's caught and killed, what comes next?

[ Praising someone for their ability to catch a fish that they're going to kill and eat might seem strange in the grand scheme of things, but 76 doesn't think much of it. It is a little odd that Giovanni seems pleased to have done well, but then again, if this is really all so new to him it would make sense.

Mainly it's just that 76 hasn't seen him actually smile before now, and he's not sure if the expression fits his face. ]

I'll skin it and debone it, then cook it.

[ They could cook it as-is, but he happens to have a knife with him, which he pulls out of his boot. It's not the kind of knife that's really meant for this sort of delicate work, but it'll do in a pinch.

After sitting back down, he stretches his legs out, then sets the fish in the space between them to begin slicing into it. Without looking up from his work, he asks Giovanni: ] Do you know how to start a fire?

i like digging holes [closed]

for rocket

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for giovanni

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