Where's the Elf Help Section?

[holtfinder]

WHO: Moonshine and you!
WHERE: The Bishop, Town Center, near the flood plain
WHAT: Getting her bearings, making friends and influencing people, getting into trouble
WHEN: After the superhero event, as she arrived in the aftermath
WARNINGS: None, will edit if that changes

[Closed to the Crew of the Bishop] Queen Takes Bishop
Upon being informed that she's been assigned to the Bishop, the ship becomes one of Moonshine's first places to explore. The larger rooms make her height look even more ridiculous against the proportions of the ship, but she still makes a point of poking her head into as many of the rooms as possible. At one point, she even picks one of the exposed cords in the wall, following its length to see where it leads. It's as useful as anything, as any signs indicating what's where on the ship are useless to her.

One particular place to find her poking around is the Galley, where the refrigerator and freezer seem to confuse her more than anything else she's seen. "What's the use of a big box of cold?"

[OTA] Nyoom!
It's a bright day in the city center, when suddenly a grey wolf with a small purple-clad woman riding on his back bolt across from somewhere near the livestock nursery, around the fountain toward the Whale Come Sent Her. Someone's excited to stretch his legs, it seems, though he alternates between zoomies and stopping to sniff around things. It is entirely possible that those who aren't paying attention to their surroundings may be half bowled-over by an overeager wolf and his apologetic rider.

[OTA] The Wild Hunt
Eventually, Steadypaw catches the scent of a nest of piglet-squirrels toward the south end of the Town Center, tracking their scent down toward the flood plain. Those within earshot may hear a loud "AYOOOOOOAH!" from Moonshade as the pair harry their prey. If anyone's interested in a delicious breakfast of fresh piglet-squirrel meat, feel free to join the pair as they hunt. After all, Moonshade's without the knife or bow and arrows she'd normally be packing for such a hunt. She has, however, fashioned herself a slingshot and gathered some rocks, but more firepower would obviously be appreciated.

[OTA] Wildcard
Feel free to reach out on Plurk (darkersolstice) or Discord (darkersolstice#9463), but honestly if you just want to throw something random at me, I will roll with the punches!

Comments

[holtfinder]

The woman on the back of the wolf is laughing, reaching out occasionally to try and touch one of the mothcats, because clearly this is just a big old game of tag now. The wolf leaps up at one point to try to catch one as well, missing by several inches.

"These clearly aren't food, Steadypaw. Play nice. For all we know, this is the closest you'll get to pack around here."

[beholding_archivist]

Jon stands and watches wolf, rider and mothcats round the fountain once more, blinking twice before his attention is pulled down towards where the Countess brushes lazily against his leg before sitting down next to him with a lazy swish of her tail feathers.

The mothcat that Steadypaw snaps after performs a roll in the air and then swoops down to land on the wolf's head, hitching a brief ride and turning to face the elf with wide, green eyes. The feline meows once before leaping back up into the air and resuming to flutter along.

With her next pass of the library, Jon raises a hand in an attempt to catch her attention, which she may or may not notice. "...uh... H-hello...?"

[holtfinder]

She notices, and makes a split second decision, leaping off the wolf's back for a three-point landing on the ground before walking over to Jon, while the beasties continue to gyre and gimble as animals do.

"Good morning. Don't worry, he won't hurt them. He's just wound up; new surroundings, new things to stick his nose into."

[beholding_archivist]

That sure is an impressive leap and Jon nods in greeting when the comparably small woman approaches.

"Oh. I'm relieved to hear that. I'm Jonathan Sims. Most people just call me Jon, though. I- I assume you just arrived." It's really a rhetorical question. Their group is small enough to easily keep track of everyone that is present.

"Do you have any questions I might answer?"

[holtfinder]

"Many. I hardly know how much I don't know, and almost everything is unfamiliar to me here. But...I don't know where to start asking."

There's a little sheepishness about that. She's been faking confidence well so far.

[beholding_archivist]

"Then I begin by asking a question first: The data point neat the fountain, have you touched it?" Because depending on that answer she may or may not have some basic knowledge about her situation already.

[holtfinder]

"Yes. That much, I've done. So I know why I've been brought here--even if I don't really like that I was, without asking."

She frowns, looking at Jon. "Alright, I think I have my first question. What is that mask of metal and crystal on your face?" His glasses, that is--she's never seen someone wearing them before.

[beholding_archivist]

Jon nods at first, then looks a little taken aback. "Mask of- Y-you mean my glasses?" He reaches a hand up to touch the rim of said glasses with two of his fingers. "Oh, ah- They halp me see. It's glass, not crystal, though. Actually pretty common in my world."

[holtfinder]

"Do you need to see very far, like a scout? Is that what they're used for?" It's clearly not something she's ever encountered before. As she said, she doesn't know what she doesn't know. Around every corner, she's discovered something completely alien to her way of life.

[beholding_archivist]

"Ah, not quite." Jon shakes his head. "My eyes just- They aren't the best. These glasses correct my vision." It's tricky to explain, and yet Jon understands that not every world is familiar with items and concepts entirely normal on his own.

[holtfinder]

"I don't understand. But if they help you, that's all I need to know right now, I think." She smiles slightly. "We all have things that we're better or worse at. That's why we have people to back us up, right?"

[beholding_archivist]

And Jon just nods, offering a little smile. "They help me, yes."

Sometimes that's all the explanation needed.

"Have you met some of the others that were brought here already?" He inquires with a little tilt of his head. "We are having a little get together at the beach soon. A lot of us will be there."

[holtfinder]

"I would like the opportunity to meet everyone properly. If I wouldn't be intruding?" She thinks that was an invitation, but better to check than to embarrass herself. "I've managed to meet some people on my own, though. Lark and I spoke using the tablets; I think we're going to end up working closely together."

[beholding_archivist]

"You are very welcome to join us, Miss-" He gestures vaguely. "I'm afraid I didn't catch your name?"

In face, she hasn't introduced herself as of yet.

[holtfinder]

"Moonshade, of the Wolfriders." Even as she says that, Jon knows she has another name, one she hasn't offered aloud: Eyrn.

"And the wolf is Steadypaw. What should I call you?"

[beholding_archivist]

Jon nods in responds, taking note of that additional name, yet not commenting on it. If she doesn’t wish to share that one yet, it’s not his place to call her out on it.

The Wolfriders title makes sense, given how he has first seen her. He offers a smile. “Nice to meet you, Miss Moonshade. I am Jonathan Sims. Simply Jon is fine. I, ah- Your home world must be very different from this one.”

[holtfinder]

"I'm not so sure yet that it is. This city is only a small part of this world, and it is very different. But the forest, the vastdeep waters, we have those where I'm from. I heard stories since I was a child about how the ancestors of all elves on my world arrived in a crystal palace that could fly among the stars; is that really so different from the ships here?"

She's grasping for comfortable concepts where they can be found. The idea of everything being completely different is deeply scary.

[beholding_archivist]

"You're telling me your people were using space ships at some point in the past?" Jon blinks, not having expected anything like that. "I- I mean- In that case- Maybe your world is more like this one than my own?" Space faring elves. Well. He is certain there are certain pieces of fiction catering to that idea.

"So... You are an elf, then." Just steering away from that bafflement.

[holtfinder]

"Not ships, a crystal palace. We've since rediscovered and reconstructed it. But yes, I'm an elf. Most humans take us for spirits or demons because of our magic, but we're simply elves."

Not that she has any of the magic they're known for. She's not a healer, not powerful as a treeshaper or rockshaper. All she knows is Sending, and any elf can do that.

[beholding_archivist]

"Well, on my planet elves are creatures limited to fairy tales and myths." Jon says with an apologetic little shrug. "They don't exist. But this world has ways to access all sorts of galaxies, which is- I mean. I met a lot of beings that don't exist on the Earth I know." Including actual super heroes.

"I'd be curious to learn about your people eventually. For now I am aware you rather need to settle in and get used to and get to know those who live here alongside yourself."

[holtfinder]

"I'd be glad to tell you stories of our people. We have a tradition of howls, nights where we gather to share our history and remember it together."

She pauses, glancing over to where Steadypaw's wrestling with some of the mothcats, allowing them to swarm him before lightly snapping his teeth in their direction.

"So, is this building some sort of...cattery?"

[beholding_archivist]

At first Jon nods his acknowledgement and appreciation for her agreement to tell him more about her people - and quite likely even her world. Then he blinks at her question, his attention drifting over to where the young mothcats are having a great time with the much bigger wolf.

Jon can't help but be amazed with how mindful the canine is about not hurting any of the felines that might well have been prey to him.

"Actually, this used to be a library." He starts, only slowly taking his eyes of the playing animals. "The information the Agrii stored here got destroyed and acquiring new additions is a slow process. The mothcats... Well. Their mother decided to live here and these were all born on top of these empty shelves."

[holtfinder]

"What's a library?" Surprise, Moonshade's never seen or heard of such a place before. It's a complete null signal to her, but she's definitely curious about what it's for.

[beholding_archivist]

"A library is a place of knowledge. In my world we keep books there. Books, but also other mediums on which information can be stored and exchanged and shared." Jon gestures lightly with his hands as he explains. Then he shrugs and makes a guess. "Do your people aybe use scrolls to write down and pass on knowledge, experiences or stories?"

[holtfinder]

"We have one, the Scroll of Colors. But only those who can sense and use magic can make the memory-pictures come out of the scroll. And spirits, when they're using someone else's body. But our tribe mostly passes down stories at howls, telling the history of the Ten Chiefs and more recent victories. We don't write like humans do."

Surprise, she's utterly illiterate.