revivalproject | [Event Mingle] Great Full Day!

[Event Mingle] Great Full Day!

At last it is here, the day An Nu and Ga Re told you about has arrived. While the last few days may have been a bit of a trial with the whole replicator going a bit wonky thing, but that’s no reason not to celebrate, right? Right! Good thing too, because the Whale Comb Sent Her is absolutely awash with what must be seasonal good cheer. The whole outside of the building is wrapped in vines, though thankfully this time they seem to be made primarily of a thick sort of cloth, and the fall colors to them are also painted on. There’s no doubt that the decorations come from your friendly Agrii either, because apparently they feel that pink and purple are also very valid color choices for fall foliage, so enjoy those splashes of color too.

Inside the decorations continue, the fabric vines ringing the room at a height that would clearly be natural for the Agrii. Amid them are painted cloth banners announcing things like WHALE COMB and EAT MUCH and GREAT FULL and of course the ever present THANK YOU. Around all of these are cloth and paper pictures that wouldn’t look out of place in an elementary school classroom around Thanksgiving. You’ve got your handprint animals, foam shape plants, and vividly painted pictures of tables full of food with Agrii around it as a group. And sometimes in those last ones there are little drawings that… wait, He Row, is that you? Well, they did say you were celebrating together, so maybe that’s what they meant.

But of course people didn’t just come here for the wonderful decorations. You’re here for the food, for the feast, for the togetherness. Good news is that the Agrii have you covered on that as well. A series of tables have been set up in the Sent Her, much like when He Rows first arrived on Agra-10. Along one wall is a long series of tables covered with pink and purple cloths, and over the majority of these are the foods the Agrii have sent down. There are platters of hamburgers (which taste like peanut butter), and plates of peanut butter sandwiches (which also taste like peanut butter). There are pies that look like they’re apple and taste like iced tea. There are more ‘traditional’ things too, which are things like green bean casseroles, vegetable lasagnas, and even some seventeen layer dip to go with all of the chips. There’s apparently no meat though. Not from the Agrii at least.

The even better news is that this isn’t all there is. A whole two tables of space have been left open for the He Rows to bring their own food offerings, or the results of their replicator experiences. The Agrii have been kind enough to leave out plenty of extra plates and serving utensils as well, so no one should worry about there not being enough. And hopefully what your fellows have brought is very tasty. Or came out in a reasonable size or volume from the replicator.

Then there are the tables laid out in the middle of the room. They are round things with only a few seats at each, and there are name tags? Apparently the Agrii thought they might help you get to know each other this Great Full with random seating. Hope your table mate is fun. At each space there is also a little cloth baggie of… oh wow, is that candy? Yes it is! Those sweets are going to be a great reward for after dinner. Or during it. And surely there’s nothing strange that comes from eating them at all.

Finally, there’s even something for those whose entertainment isn’t to be found in eating. The Agrii have been studying their He Rows for a while now, and they know what you need. One side of the room is dedicated to other forms of entertainment. There’s a big poster drawn of what looks to be a glownie, but lacking a tail. Ah but don’t worry, there are tails made of cloth in a bowl nearby for He Rows to restore to the paper glownie. Don’t worry about injury to the paper glownie, it’s all done with magnets! For those who aren’t about tail pinning there are other fun things to be done. There’s a karaoke machine in the corner, clearly the Agrii remember how much fun that was. Wait… Is that the exact one that He Row Billy loaned to the Deep End? Apparently so. And last but far from least is the most important of celebration games: a booth with a stack of personal peanut butter pies and a sign saying ‘Eat Fast Count Is!’ Which probably means eating contests for those brave enough to face that much peanut butter.

FAQ
Do we need to make our own logs for this?
No. You’re welcome to use this post to make Top Levels for this mingle. Get out there and enjoy your celebration together.

We’re not obligated to that randomized seating are we?
Nope! We just felt it could be a handy way to explain mingling with other He Rows you might not normally talk to.

What if our character would bring food?
Our best suggestion is to note that in your TLs. Who knows, maybe your creativity with cooking or the silliness of your offering (or the results of a poor replicator situation) could be fun for others to enjoy.

Can we still use the replicator here and now?
Absolutely. If that sort of chaos is what you want to have fun with, then have at it. Besides people here can probably help you eat your way through any food you get.

That candy seems sorta suspicious. What’s up with that?
Great question. Each baggie will have a random assortment of little gummy candies that are shaped like Agrii heads, complete with three eyes, smile, and little teeth. Each one even has their own unique flavor. And their own unique side effects.

Yellow - Maple Flavored - Makes eater more energetic and friendly
Green - Sour Apple Flavored - Makes eater feels mischievous and is more likely to play pranks and tell jokes
Blue - Dark Lager Flavored - Makes eater tell the truth for half an hour (is not actually alcoholic
Purple - Chocolate Flavored - Makes eater very affectionate or romantically inclined
Red - Cinnamon Flavored - Makes eater easily angered or quick to challenge other people

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Omega's certainly become acclimated to being around other people, but it's a little easier here, or so she's found. Maybe it's because they're all strangers to this place like she is. That there aren't many others her age hasn't really bothered her, not that she hasn't been sad when those who had been had long since vanished, but she's simply used to being surrounded by adults, or at least those who look it.

While Dustin is wary of the food, the young clone is absolutely amazed by the spread. The overwhelming presence of peanut butter flavored food doesn't discourage her in the least, but it's not a flavor she's ever had until coming here and she and her brother probably enjoy it more than most people should. She's still considerate about what she puts on her plate, not wanting to take too much, even with all the encouragement to eat. She's even helped herself to some of Dustin's offering. It doesn't smell like peanut butter, which is probably for the best. There is too much of a good thing, after all.

"Hello," she greets cheerfully as she sets her plate down and settles into the seat beside Dustin. "Isn't all this food amazing? I've never seen so much."

Over the course of the meal, Dustin has slowly started to branch out the types of food on his plate based on what he sees people eating and not getting violently ill from. Omega proves to be a valuable resource for this; she's smaller and likely has a faster metabolism, so any negative effects would show up in her first over anyone else, plus she's been very adventurous with her choices. His plate has ended up looking an awful lot like hers when she takes the seat next to him.

Dustin grunts as a returned greeting, frowning as he chews on a peanut-butter-flavored hamburger. The dissonance is...weird, but acceptable. Peanut butter was a favorite snack back home. "I guess," he shrugs. "Odd lack of flavor profile. At none of it seems immediately fatal."

The girl chews enthusiastically on a spoonful of what at least looks like mashed potatoes. She gives Dustin a bit of an odd look at his observations. "Were you expecting something to be poisonous?" She looks deeply concerned at that. It sounds like a terrible thing for something meant to be, so far as she can see, a welcoming sort of gesture prompted by the Agrii.

She pokes at stroganoff thing Dustin had brought, seeming a bit more hesitant about the pickings, but ultimately deciding she intends to finish what's on her plate as she gathers up noodles to pop into her mouth.

For how suspicious and troubling Dustin's assertion might have been, he seems very unconcerned about making it. "I'm not going to discount the possibility," he answers, frowning at his burger. There's something on it that has the texture and actual taste of kale, and it is not meshing well with the peanut-butter overtones. Dustin peels the bun off to better inspect its toppings. "The Agrii seem to have a distinct lack of understanding of what we actually need here. Even if it wasn't intentional, they could provide us with food that most of us can't process appropriately."

The girl continues to chew, although she seems overall pleased by the taste of the noodle dish that she eagerly gathers up more from her plate. After all the peanut butter overload, a different flavor doesn't hurt at all.

"...I guess you have a point," she admits, looking thoughtfully at the remaining things on her plate. "All the food they've provided otherwise has been in dispensers." Omega tilts her head at Dustin. "And it doesn't explain why things that look completely different all have the same flavor, unless they've just been...reshaped?"

"Or they just really enjoy the taste of peanut butter," he replies. Dustin's focus remains primarily on extracting the off-white strips of what he assumed were onions, but have now been positively identified as the unwanted greenery taste culprits, from his burger. "Just enough information to shape their foods into what they recognize we eat from home, not enough to actually make it palatable. Unresearched food substitutions sound especially dangerous."

A point conceded with a nod. Omega picks up her own burger-looking thing, studying it. She glances curiously at Dustin, watching as he picks apart the layers on his.

"So you've had food like this before?" she asks. "What do you call this one? ...and what's it supposed to taste like?" Carefully peeling back the top bun, she looks at the leafy greens sitting there on top of what at least looks like meat of some kind.

Dustin glances up with a curious expression, but quickly shakes it away. Not knowing what a hamburger is really isn't the strangest thing he's heard, not by a long shot - people from his own world in different countries might've had the same reaction to it, even.

"Hamburgers," he explains patiently, starting to put his back together. "Primary components are meat - usually beef - placed between two slices of wheat bread, or 'buns.' Toppings vary based on preference and location. Predominantly savory, sometimes greasy or fatty palate."

Omega is certainly curious, eagerly listening as Dustin explains. She eyes the layers of whatever plant matter the Agrii have seen fit to top them with, identifying the meat portion with a thoughtful nod. Setting the top piece of bread back into place, she picks it up in both hands again.

"Hamburgers... It's too bad they probably don't taste like they're supposed to. It looks like it would be delicious." She sniffs at it, nodding to herself as she detects those notes of peanut butter before she shrugs and takes a bite.

"Eh," Dustin shrugs, taking a bite of his own reconstructed burger. All unpleasant kale notes are gone, leaving only the taste of peanut butter behind. He can live with this. "Depends on how they're cooked, but most of the time they're acceptable. And efficient. A lot of protein and potential nutrients from vegetable toppings without too much investment or time. There are worse things you could be eating."

After some thoughtful munching of her initial bite, Omega sets the burger down to follow Dustin's example and pull out the leafy greens. Now she can see why he'd removed them.

"I wonder if they would have ever served that sort of thing in the cafeteria back home," she wonders aloud, once again picking the burger up after she's finished pulling out all the greens. "All the food served there was nutrient-focused, but it wasn't bad."

"Doubtful. There are more efficient foods - protein bars, ration packs, trail mix..."

Dustin pauses, passing Omega a curious glance.

"...You weren't there for long?" he asks, tilting his head. "To see the full spread of what they had on rotation."

"Oh, I've had ration bars. Real food is much better when you can have it."

Omega pushes around some noodles on her plate until there's enough of a mass to try gathering up for another mouthful. "Oh, usually I wouldn't eat with the soldiers. But I think most of the food served was essentially the same, at least for us. Nothing very fancy like this." Burgers are apparently fancy.

This spread is just as fancy by Dustin's perspective, so he doesn't comment on Omega's assertions about the food. He's much more interested in the other stuff she's talking about - the soldiers, especially.

"You lived on a military base?" Dustin continues, following another bite of his burger.

She very obviously likes Dustin's noodle dish! It's the first thing completely gone from her plate. She even licks off the fork.

"Kind of? It was a science facility mainly, but parts of it have been converted for military use," Omega explains, glancing over the rest of her plate again before she decides to work more on her own burger.

Somewhere in Dustin's sad, shriveled heart, he notices that Omega appreciates his cooking and feels a swell of pride. He shifts ever so slightly in his seat to sit up a little taller.

"Science facility?" That definitely piques his interest. "What kind? Or was it more generalized?"

"The Kaminoans specialized in cloning," Omega replies before taking a bite. It definitely helps to take a break from the peanut butter before it gets too repetitive.

"They created an entire army for the Republic. But now the Republic's gone, and the Empire isn't interested in clone soldiers."

Dustin opens his mouth a faction to ask 'what kind of cloning,' but Omega beats him to the explanation. Apparently, she means the sort where they essentially print humans as military fodder. His brow furrows, conflicted between if he should be concerned at the flippancy of such an act, versus fascinated that they managed to pull it off with such efficiency. Feelings are complicated, so he ends up landing somewhere in the middle.

"So...what were they doing, still?" Dustin asks, tilting his head. "If funding was pulled for their cloning projects, and they had all those soldiers going unused. Did they convert over to something else? Mercenary work?"

Conflicted feelings of her own flicker across her face. "Not unused. The Empire's still using the clone troopers that they still have, probably until they're no longer useful," she says, frowning. "The Kaminoans are still trying to convince them that their services are needed though."

Or they were before she'd left. Omega's not so sure what's going on in Kamino now. "My brothers left. They didn't like the changes that were happening. I went with them. They don't like to consider themselves mercenaries, but I guess that's essentially the sort of work we do now."

Dustin nods slowly along, in the meanwhile polishing off the last of the peanut-butter-flavored hamburger on his plate. This sounds like the sort of corporate shenanigans he's used to hearing where he's from, so none of the actions of this Empire or the Kaminoans surprise him, even if he finds them personally objectionable. The Empire sounds like they're trying to be efficient about spent resources, and the Kaminoans want to continue utilizing their own facilities and specialized research in order to stay relevant to their customers. Dustin can understand where they're both coming from.

It's really the last bit - the part where Omega starts talking about her brothers - that catches him off-guard. "'We?'" he points out, quirking an eyebrow. "They're...you're doing mercenary work with them?"

"Mmhm," Omega nods as she chews on her sandwich. She doesn't seem to be bothered about admitting it, like it's something to be expected. "I'm part of the squad after all. I want to help too."

It's a decision she'd made, not based upon any expectations of who she was or reasons for her being created, not that she'd been intended to become a soldier. She can't say even she knows the reasons for her own existence, but she knew she was different, just like her brothers.

Dustin takes a moment to just look Omega over, critically, like he's studying something especially unusual and he doesn't know how he feels about it yet.

"...How old are you?" is the question he eventually settles with. She can't be much younger than he is, and while Dustin has always chafed at the opportunity to be treated like an adult, even he has a problem with allowing kids his age to operate in combat teams. Forget the moral implications - it's simply inefficient.

She can guess what that look is about, meeting it with the arch of a brow and pursed lips. "Thirteen," she replies, unable to keep the slight edge of a challenge in her tone.

Omega's well aware of how people view her, but she's always been willing to prove herself capable of things. She's also aware of her limitations, so it's not like she has any delusions of grandeur. It boils down quite simply to her just wanting to be with her brothers.

Dustin is used to giving other people that look; being on the receiving end of it feels a little surreal, and provides some much-needed perspective. He would've reacted the exact same way in her situation, wouldn't he? Frowning, Dustin looks away to his now empty plate.

"It's surprising that they let you come with them," he explains quietly. "Where I'm from, someone our age wouldn't be allowed to do work like that. Legal and widespread moral roadblocks."

Omega lets him off the hook once he looks away and explains himself. She tilts his head at him before looking at her own plate again.

"I wanted to be with them. I know that what they do is dangerous, but...there's no one else I'd want to be with. They almost left me with another family because they thought it's what I needed. Maybe it would've been safer, but it wouldn't have been the same."

She picks up her fork as she explores whatever else is left on her plate. "My brothers didn't really know what to do with a kid, but they've been willing to teach me things. We all look out for each other and that's what really matters. If it's a legal issue, well, they deserted the Imperial army so that's been our main concern, and Cid just gives us jobs and probably doesn't care too much so long as we deliver and she can get paid."

[Event Mingle] Great Full Day!

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