Whale Comb Home Party! (Open to all players)

[trpmods]

WHO: All He Rows!
WHERE: The Amphitheater (Blue 1)
WHAT: The Agrii have thrown our heroes a Whale Comb Home party; you can also choose to use this as a forum for discussing theories and more.
WHEN: April 2
WARNINGS: Please mark any warnings in individual threads







On April 2, as soon as the light starts rising in the morning, you hear music. It’s loud and odd. The notes don’t actually make a lot of sense together; they slide up and down and alternate wildly. It’s the sort of symphony a child at a piano might make except with a cacophony of instruments. It fills the air with cheery, disjointed music as it floats out from the amphitheater, beckoning you there but, this time, not at all compelling.

On your comm you will see a message from Ga Re:

He Rows,

We whale comb you here a gain. Agrii have food at mew sick home. Go with mew sick. Part tea for all. Also learn time. Agrii need learn storm. Us need learn all he rows learn. Us hear all. Talk at mew sick home. We learn. You learn. All learn and stop storms!

Thank all yous.

- Ga Re

If you choose to enter the amphitheater, heroes who arrived in the first wave might recognize the scene:

Hanging against one crumbling wall is a piece of fabric that has ‘WHALE COMB HOME!’ painted on it in drippy, fluorescent pink letters. The Agrii version of a smiley face that you've come to know and love is painted underneath it right on the wall. ‘US THANK THEY!’ is written beside it. Scattered through the wide space are tables upon tables of food.

There are meats, fruits, root vegetables, and even what might be a sweet dessert of some sort as well. Characters with the Agriculture expertise - and those who have attended one of these parties before - will know that everything is edible and nothing will make you sick. But some of it might have … adverse effects:

- People chomping down on the striped meat all seem to get very drowsy a few minutes later.
- The red fruit that looks like a giant cherry is the equivalent of a few shots - the more consumed, the more drunken this party is getting.
- There is a bowl of weeds that have small, daisy-like flowers all along the stalks. This tastes like chicken and gives the eater a sudden burst of energy that will have them running around the room like they’re being chased.
-There are a collection of drinks, some made from the red fruit, some that are clearly water, some that taste like a less-sweet lemonade with no effects, and then there's a blue one that tastes like an especially dark beer. People drinking this will find themselves incapable of lying for a half hour.

Enjoy your party, heroes. But also heed what Ga Re said: This is an ideal time to talk with one another and compare whatever you’ve managed to learn. Think of it like a town hall where whatever you learned on Risa or in the storm can be spread around and analyzed.

Comments

[beholding_archivist]

A - Arrival & Pre-Food Mingling

It's the Unknowing all over again.

Jon has decided he doesn't want to go to the amphitheater the moment he has noticed it. Which unfortunately came along with noticing its closeness to the hospital for which he has already volunteered whatever help he can be. When the music starts, however, he nearly drops his tea. And while there maybe isn't anything compelling in it for everyone else, there simply is no way for him not to plain need to know. The message of course doesn't help.

And so against all former resolutions and despite that tight knot of dread curling tighter and tighter within himself, he goes.

He instantly doesn't like it. Making a seething noise, he pulls up his recorder a moment after entering, muttering to it with obvious irritation.

"I followed Ga Re's invitation and- I don't like it. Maybe they mean well, but this is a headache in the making. At least there are no- Hold on." He lowers the recorder and turns to the nearest person, not any less irritated than just a moment before "Excuse me. Does this happen regularly?"

B - You learn. - He teach!

"So you want to learn, fine. I will GLADLY teach you."

If you haven't met your local Archivist yet, then maybe this isn't the time to get the best first impression of him. It may simply be the music grating on his nerves or maybe it's the perfectly harmless looking fruit he has dared to try, but at some point he has decided to clear off a table and drag it over to the wall where the banner has been pinned up. Now standing on said table with a red marker in one hand and using the other to hold the fabric steady, he begins to correct the misspelling while rambling on to seemingly no one in particular. His tone hasn't really gotten any less irritated ever since he arrived. If anything, the man appears even more aggravated.

"What you're looking for is the term welcome. If you watch closely, I will demonstrate its spelling for you. Apparently you are at least remotely familiar with what it sounds like, but whales and combs are in no way related to the greeting you were attempting to deliver. Whales, for one, are a widely distributed and diverse group of fully aquatic placental marine mammals. A comb is a tool consisting of a shaft that holds a row of teeth for pulling through the hair to clean, untangle, or style it. Now you may neither be familiar with common animals on Earth, nor hair in general. I am admittedly surprised that you managed not to misspell home. Though I have doubts that this is due to understanding rather than mere luck."

And as he rambles on, Jon will slowly yet decidedly work his way through writing over the banner in big, red marker letters. Which of course means he will have to climb down from his table and move it.

Feel free to interrupt his lecture or wait for him to finish. He still has some letters left to paint, though it may get obvious quickly enough that the banner doesn't gain much more legibility through his actions.

C - Great Life Choices™ including Alien Food!

He really shouldn't have tried the fruit. Sure, they look harmless enough, but... He hardly even knows how well he copes with regular food these days. So this has been a clear mistake.

And they do look harmless? Like actual cherries once one gets past their size?

But now that the initial effect is dwindling, Jon can't help but feel remotely sick. And tired. Having stepped outside for some fresh air, he has found the remainder of what likely used to be a wall at some point to sit down inelegantly. Part of him wishes he had a cigarette at hand, but no such luck. He will have to make due with the blue drink he has grabbed on his way out, not really paying attention to it and merely needing something liquid at that point.

At least it tastes remotely like beer so as long as he ignores the color, he can just try and fool himself.

And while he tries to do just that, it may be rather obvious that for once he isn't ranting either at his recorder or to himself. Instead he is just quiet and tired and brooding.

B!

[deal_me_in]

This is by far the strangest party that Cayde's been to. If it weren't for the attempted spread and the...decor... Okay, so he's having a hard time digesting it as a party. Like he had a hard time trying to work out that message they'd all been sent.

He's picked up one of the blue drinks, for the moment just to have something in hand. That's only because his attention is fixated on the man who's apparently a living spellcheck. It's as entertaining as anything at the moment, or at least the Exo thinks so. Oh! Not only a spelling demonstration, but a biology lesson too!

"Hey Sundance, you getting thi- Oh, right." He taps his fingers against his drink for a moment before setting it down and taking out his tablet communicator. Then he holds it up so he can record Jon.

[beholding_archivist]

Jon is just concluding his lecture by finalizing the last e in welcome with the words "As you can see, it's spelled ENTIRELY differently!" when he catches sight of the stranger recording him. Though at that moment the person behind the tablet doesn't dully register and he merely raises a brow at the tablet. And what it's being used for.

"Well. I guess that's not the worst idea either." He comments, then turns around and crouches down before the recording device, stern expression in place and red marker still in hand.

"Let's continue with your mew sick home."

At those words Jon pulls worth a piece of paper, then continues to write out the words MEW SICK HOME in red marker before presenting it to the camera.

"That's incredibly wrong! The correct words here are music home." He writes those beneath the first set of words in quick, big letters before striking through the mew sick home. "And while they give a vague description of this place, they still are inherently wrong." The music home gets stroked through and he writes down AMPHITHEATER beneath, holds it up and points the marker at it.

"This. This is the term you need. This is what this place it. An amphitheater. A term derived from the ancient Greek amphitheatron. An open-air venue used for entertainment, performances, and sports. Hardly limited to music alone."

It's then that his attention flicks up and to the person behind the tablet "I'm sure you will agree with-- Uwa-HAAAHH!!"

And that's the sound he makes as he screams and falls backwards at the sight of this certainly NOT HUMAN face. Luckily the table is standing at a wall, or he would have pushed himself right off of it.

[deal_me_in]

Naturally he expects some kind of objection, but when Jon decides to go with it, the Exo gives him a gloved thumbs-up as he continues to record.

"Oh... was that what they were trying to say!" he say as the Archivist goes into the roots of amphitheaters. "Huh, guess everyone can learn somethin'. Nice job, teach!" He flashes a backlit amber smile, only to be screamed at.

The recording is still going as Jon goes sprawling back against the beaming wall, and only a few second after does Cayde figure he should probably turn the thing off. "Hey, you okay there? Kinda a delayed reaction there for a little stage fright."

[beholding_archivist]

For a few moments Jon keeps trying to scramble away further, muttering something unintelligible in his fit of panic and holding the marker before him as if it were some sort of weapon. Of course he can only get so far against the wall behind him, so at least the stammered nonsense becomes a little clearer.

"Please don't kill me! Please- I don't-- I don't want to die!"

And why does that terribly disharmonious music only convinces him further that this is what this... This. This whatever this THING is wants to do?

Cayde-6 // OTA

[deal_me_in]

[[Response to Ga Re]]

Dear Gary,
The offer for grooming is appreciated but I don't know how sanitary serving food at a sick pet clinic is. But if keeping sick kitties company will make them feel better I'm all for it. ...unless you're making tea out of them. Gross!

...okay I think I may be understanding this all wrong...

- Cayde-6

---

At the Partay

"...well if that ain't downright creepy..."

Cayde studies the bright pink smiley of sorts on the wall with the casual air of someone observing an intricate museum piece with no background on its history whatsoever. He scratches his chin, stooping down if only to see just how far the teeth have dripped on the wall. "So are we dealing with like...alien vampires? That's a new one."

At least they seem like very ...cheerful? alien vampires? With bad taste in music. And questionable taste in food. The Exo looks over everything, especially the drinks as he tries not to twitch from the jarring music in the background. He'll give them an E for Effort.

partay;

[hulkintraining]

Cayde isn't the only one observing the Agrii's curious decorating choices. Teddy stands before the table littered with food and drink with a close but comfortable amount of space between the two of them. He's already picked up a handful of the red fruit, popping one in his mouth as he moves his head side to side as if examining the picture from all sides.

"I think this is their attempt at a self portrait. I'm not as put off by the fangs as I am by whatever is dripping off them. Is that saliva? Blood? Is it supposed to be the color pink or were they just working with what they had?" He shrugs, as if answering his own questions.

"They have a gift for raising questions we'll probably never find the answers to. Alien vampires is a nice guess though."

[deal_me_in]

"Well if you don't know then I sure don't," Cayde replies, somehow managing to look like he's offering a crooked smile as he turns his head towards the young man. "That's the creepy part. Hopefully it's just a combination of enthusiasm and too much paint and not, you know, intentional."

He forces a laugh. From what he's heard about the Agrii, that sure sounds about right. "Has anyone asked 'em? Because I will totally ask them." Inquiring minds want to know!

[hulkintraining]

"That's a possibility too," he responds, idly popping another red fruit in his mouth. "But it definitely says something about a person if they can paint something creepy with bright pink paint, intentionally or not."

The weird repetition of 'Eat' surrounding the artwork is particularly haunting. He can almost hear the word being chanted over and over again in his head. Or was it just him? Teddy shakes his head to clear away those thoughts, turning his attention back to Cayde.

"Ask them what? If they're alien vampires? I don't think anyone has."

[deal_me_in]

The Exo nods. "I would most certainly have to agree. Just what that something is, exactly? I don't know if I wanna know. But then again maybe I kind of do because I guess I'm just morbidly curious."

He shrugs. "But yeah, why not? ...unless that just leads into a whole conversation trying to explain what that is. Hm. Maybe that's why no one's asked... In which case maybe it'd be better to have the Archivist guy do the asking, because he seems to like going into lengthy explanations as it is."

A pause. "...unless that's only because he was drunk."

[stabgremlin]

[A - Arrival]

He didn't exactly have much to share himself- and didn't like the idea that the Agrii were listening in. Maybe it did make him a little paranoid, that they could. Whether the place had listening devices planted in it despite the fact that the Agrii hadn't been on their planet in a long time. Or perhaps they had- their little vacation to Risa would be the perfect time for them to come in, after all. While everyone was away.

Still, the world ran on information.

At least his world did.

So he had shown up- moving into the place- greeting anyone familiar with a nod, though it didn't take long for him to attempt to slink off into the shadows.

[B - Listening In]

Agents worked best from the shadows. He was meant to be behind the lines, behind the scenes. Of course, he wasn't really Cipher Nine here. Wasn't part of Imperial Intelligence. Still, it was all he knew- even before leaving the Ascendancy. So working from the shadows he did- moving around the room, sticking to the shadows.

Trying to stay unseen and unheard.

Listening to conversations, much like the Agrii themselves were, from somewhere else.

He couldn't help but search too- checking anywhere that looked suspicious to his trained eye, to see if there were in fact any surveillance devices hidden. It reminded him a little of his first proper mission for Imperial Intelligence, sweeping his room on Hutta for bugs. Honestly the environment reminded him a little of Hutta as well- the air was cleaner, of course. But it was messy and just- gross and chaotic and giving him a headache.

Every now and then he'd let out an almost hissing sigh of annoyance- and one of his boxes of toothpicks that he'd gotten in Risa was very nearly empty already, with the way he was chewing them to splinters from the stress of the environment.

[killikambassador]

Hiding in the corner or not, Vector could hone in on Aden, thanks to seeing his aura and catching the smell of the Chiss. Naturally, Vector made his way over to the agent.

"We greet you, my love."

[stabgremlin]

If anyone was likely to see him lurking at the edges of conversation and the action, it was Vector. That didn't stop Aden from jumping slightly at being spoken to, having not expected it- after all, he'd been staying in more unseen places for a reason, taking care to not really be noticed. As he'd been trained to.

Always an agent, he supposed.

"Vector," He said, turning to him, with the sort of warm smile he wouldn't show anyone else, "Didn't know you were going to attend."

Vector had been on Agra 10 longer than he had- his presence made sense. Vector had things to share, while he didn't. He just wanted information.

"Was I being so obvious to everyone else, too, you think?"

He supposed he would stand out more here than even at home. There were a few Chiss around, of course, besides himself, but still.

[killikambassador]

"Not likely. We saw your aura from across the room."

Vector stroked Aden's cheek with the back of his fingers, but made no overt gestures of affection.

[thrawnsaide]

[A: Town hall meeting]

Eli made a point to join the meeting. He wasn't interested in the party. He remembered the last time the Agri had offered food and it had proved to give different results on people. Instead he brought his own snacks to eat and drink. He sat off to the side observing everyone and listening to what people had to say or didn't say. He wasn't one for large crowds, but he found this to be important.

[B: Wildcard]

Feel free to add your own interaction.

A

[stabgremlin]

"I see I'm not the only unsociable person here to listen but not talk."

Had it not been for the fact that they'd spoken before, Aden would probably have slipped by in the shadows. Eli was not someone who stood out, perfectly ordinary among others who most certainly weren't. There were places where such things were useful, of course, though this was not one- and perhaps being ordinary was actually something that made him stick out here.

It was almost funny, that.

"Smart, though," He said, nodding toward the food the other man had, "Either you're as cautious as I am and won't accept anything unless you've seen it be prepared or made it yourself... Or you've been burned by our hosts' idea of refreshments before. Let me guess- the latter?"

Tommy | OTA

[doubled_speed]

1 - The Blue Drink Police

Yeah, Tommy remembers the blue drink. In fact, once he arrives he actively glowers at the drinks at the table. This time, he resolves, he will keep as many people as possible from making his mistake. Which is why Tommy's leaning against the table by the blue drinks, chewing on a cherry-like-fruit and lamenting that he couldn't get drunk. Stupid fucking metabolism.

And any time someone approaches, looking thirsty, Tommy holds up a halting hand.

"Dude, you don't want this. It's truth serum. So not worth it. It nothing else, go try the Daisies."

Okay, so many he isn't COMPLETELY pure and good. Because he was amused about the flowers when he wasn't eating them himself.


2 - Talk Time

The storm. The second someone near Tommy brings it up and asks questions, well... Okay, he definitely moves forward to put in his two cents.

"You know what gets me about the Storm? It doesn't just dampen powers for those of us who have abilities. My abilities? They're genetic. It's fucking with me on a DNA level or some shit. Back home, people do that. They make these collars that target the gene and interfere with it. I can totally understand the way this place and the storms fuck with my ability to make things explode. That's manipulating energy and matter and shit. I can understand if it made me tired or slowed me down some. But I fractured my ankle. My bones are thicker and stronger than a human's. How did a Storm take that away?"

This place? It's terrifying.

2

[beholding_archivist]

After having recovered some from comparably reckless experimentation with the offered food options for someone who doesn't exactly eat anymore, Jon has settled to staying quiet and paying attention to some of the issues being brought up. And this?

Well. It sounds like something pulled straight out of a super hero comic. Which really isn't the sort of media he has much knowledge of. So what's a little more disturbing to him than a storm messing with someone's super powers is the idea of an entire world being so used to super-powered beings that they have moved past wonder and potential fear to outright attempts of restrictions and control.

It's a disconcerting mental image, to say the least.

"I wasn't aware the storm's influence goes quite as deep." He muses aloud, deciding to stick with the issue brought up by the young man "But maybe that is part of the reason as to why they are deadly to the Agrii." Yes, genetics. Certainly not his field. Some basic knowledge, he has that, yes. Still he doesn't believe that his own... Abilities are in any way tied to his DNA.

The Archivist crosses his arms and exhales "I will admit that I couldn't see either. Though in my case it's nothing genetic but supernatural."

[doubled_speed]

"Yeah, well now you are," Tommy grumbles, arms crossed over his chest. The fact of the matter was that these storms were messed up. Though, if it came right down to it, Jon could get quite the stories about Tommy's horrible memories of mutant suppression collars. And Super Juvie.

"But there's also the ghosts. Lucky we didn't walk off any cliffs. That shit is deadly."

Supernatural? Tommy takes half a step back. People with magic that he wasn't related to were not people he was fans of. And that's his main interpretation of the word 'supernatural'. It's the evasive thing that some people use to describe the mystical. Clearly.

[beholding_archivist]

"Ghosts." The way he says that word along with that maybe a little too dramatic eyeroll makes it clear enough what Jon thinks about ghosts: They are nonsense. Hallucinations. The result of unchecked drug abuse and wild fantasies.

But fine. He will indulge the idea of there maybe being something one might consider to be ghosts on this planet.

"As I can't claim to have encountered any... Ghosts. You... Wouldn't mind telling me what these do?"

Of course he has noticed the other taking a step back, and he can't exactly blame him. Not that distance makes any difference in theory. Jon still remains mindful of keeping his own questions uncompelling.

[plate_builder]

1 - A Dancing Cat

Parties. Why did people even go to these things? Well, he supposed to have fun or feel like they've achieved something. The thing was, he was pretty certain nothing had been achieved. But there was food, there was drink, and there was time for Reeve to meet his captive fellows. That being said... There is something about Reeve that might make him stand out while he's enjoying his meal and taking mental notes of his fellows, Reeve's attention strays from something else.

From a small, black and white plush cat doll, no more than a foot tall. Something he'd bought on Risa. A cat shaped a bit like a human. Which was currently dancing to the music in the Amphitheater. Reeve, focused instead on studying the banner spelling out the message from the Agri, doesn't even notice that his little friend is busy bouncing and spinning in a mimicry of proper dancing. What can he say, Mini-C is spirited.

2 - Honesty Hour

AS the night goes on Reeve finds there not to be much more to see in the amphitheater itself. At last he turns to the food, and of course, the drinks. The blue drink in particular. And, after a few sips, well... Won't this be an interesting situation for Reeve to meet his fellow abductees in?

In fact, here he is now, smiling and offering a hand out to someone he has not yet met.

"Good evening. My name is Reeve. How long have you been here?"

2

[deal_me_in]

Cayde's been knocking a few back himself, not that it seems to be doing much for him. He's been to better parties, he thinks.

Seeing someone approach and not outright scream at him or something, he takes that as a good sign, grinning as he takes the man's outstretched hand in his gloved one to shake.

"Hey there. Name's Cayde. I...have not actually been here long at all. Seriously like, whenever we got transmat'd from our magical vacation getaway, that's how long I've been here. How 'bout you?"

[plate_builder]

He looks like a robot. Reeve definitely is interesting. And of course he squeezes to see if it's metal too.

"Your engineering is very impressive. Oh, two days before the vacation."

And he lets go of the hand and feels awkward. That didn't make sense, that he just said that. Ignore it. That was rude.

[deal_me_in]

Definitely metal under that. The Exo's browplates shift at the comment, but by now he knows better than to be taken aback by the reactions people have to him around here. Not that it isn't weird.

"Oh, I know," he says casually, his head lifting in a way that suggests a rakish grin with the way his jaw opens. He folds his arms, regarding the guy. "Two days before, eh? So I guess at least you had an idea of what to expect, coming back."

Cal Kestis // OTA

[out_of_order]

Cal finally pried himself away from the replicator project, figuring a break would be good anyway, and maybe he can find other people that might want to help out with it. Although he had his doubts, he wonders that perhaps the Agrii will show up so they can actually talk about how that storm went. He's not sure what all they've figured out, if anything, to really start to do something about it though.

With BD-1 on his back, he steps into the amphitheater. Mew sick home, huh? "Not exactly my taste in music," he winces, a lopsided smile tugging at his lips. He looks around, noting the banner that someone's apparently taken upon themselves to correct, shaking his head as he laughs.

"Come on, let's see what this food is," he says to his droid friend, approaching the tables. At least some of the stuff looks...edible.