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

"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."

Dustin's overly intense gaze flickers back to Omega and stays there, but this time there isn't anything critical about his interest. He's confused. As an only child (as far as he's aware) and a self-made social pariah, the feelings Omega is describing are completely alien to him. What does it mean to want to be included in a group of people so badly that you'd risk life and limb for the chance to stay with them? Dustin can't fathom it, and maybe he never will.

Not that he finds everything she's talking about completely foreign. "You're lucky--" That you had people who were so loyal to you, is what Dustin thinks. Nothing comes out of his mouth for a couple of seconds before he abruptly looks away, flushes, and says instead, "--That you had worked lined up when you left. An alibi and steady income are important when you're on the run."

It's a strange expression that she's unsure of how to place. She doesn't think too much on it though. After all, her situation is hardly normal.

Dustin's response that follows is equally baffling. She blinks as he looks away, wondering what he'd been about to say. Her expression falls a little as he finishes his sentence. "Well, I guess it ended up working in our favor, but we didn't really have anything prepared or thought out when we left. The only reason we went to find Cid was because we needed information. I think we're still trying to figure out a lot of things, but right now, doing jobs covers the necessities."

"Obviously," Dustin says quickly with a shake of his head. He had no reason to assume they did - he was just looking for a diversion and found a bad one. How embarrassing. Suddenly very interested in escaping this conversation, Dustin scoots out of his chair, plate in hand. "Well, whatever. It's not like it matters anymore anyway. We're probably never going back home after this."

He hadn't intended for that to sound so callous, but it's out in the open now, and, well, he means it. Dustin keeps his eyes fixed on his hands.

"Tired of peanut butter," he mumbles. "Maybe stuff at the other end of the table will taste different."

It's practically a slap in the face to her. Her eyes widen at his words before she almost looks like she'd cry. Her squad, her brothers are her everything. Dustin can't dismiss that so easily.

But there's some steel to her core and she won't let any tears fall so easily, brow furrowing as her lips press firmly in a line to stave off anything more. She sniffs, her face pulling into a frown.

"You don't know that," she says. Somehow she finds some ember of determination, kindling an almost knowing smile. But then that's just how much she believes that she'll be able to go back some day. She'd been apart from her brothers before. She'll find a way back to them again, however long it takes.

She saves Dustin the trouble of having to excuse himself from the conversation, pushing out from her seat. "At least I have one of my brothers here. I should get some food for Echo," she says as she takes up her plate.

Dustin hurt Omega, and in return, Omega hurts him. He doesn't react at all to her denial - Dustin has convinced himself that they aren't going home, and he can't say that he'll miss it if he never sees it again - but something about the realization that one of her brothers is here hits him weird, making him freeze in place. The hair on the back of his neck stands up and heat rises into his face. Is he angry? It feels like he's angry. But that doesn't make any sense. Why should he be angry about Omega having family here?

Regardless of his ability to process his own emotions, Dustin is feeling a thing and he reacts to it, huffing a heavy exhale and storming the rest of the way down the room in silence. Much later in the day, he'll be mortified to finally place that fleeting, unpleasant sensation as jealousy, although understanding what it is won't bring him any closer to figuring out why he's experiencing it in the first place.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Event Mingle] Great Full Day!

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