introducing the SHOUTING ROCK

[doggedly]

CHARACTERS: EVERYONE, ANYONE but Sirius Black is doing the initiation
LOCATION: THE SHOUTING ROCK, a large craggy boulder which stands just to the southern border of what centralized camp has been (moved and re-) constructed
WARNINGS: SHOUTING
SUMMARY: there is important information that needs to be disseminated and since there's no network and no owl post, we have to resort to old fashioned methods. that means SHOUTING IT AT EACH OTHER.
NOTES: backdating this just slightly to September 13. also mostly this is for action tags and quick meet-ups and discussions of any weird discoveries - so please feel free to carry on your own brief scenes below. shout back and share planet info and threadjack and heckle each other and carve all over the Shouting Rock. this is the worst Town Hall meeting ever.



The shouting could have occurred at a more inconvenient time. To anyone that lodges complaints about the shouting, Sirius will be sure to mention this very important fact: shouting could have occurred at three in the morning, jungle time, when the camp was hushed in sleep after its recent new additions and recent generalised reacclimation of makeshift tents et al, some distance from what's left of the Tranquility. And after all of that, and finally getting to sleep, only to be woken by shouting? Merlin, just think of how irritating an early-morning Shouting Rock declaration would have been.

(This is still a little irritating.)


"IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT."

Like a text post to the network, bolded. Sirius shouts with his hands cupped around his mouth. No magical amplification, which is another point of luck for you all. So, too, is the fact that Survey Rock has yet to be established. This is Shouting Rock, and Sirius is standing on it and shouting to the camp at large.

"JUST SO EVERYONE KNOWS. If you go that way--" And he points south-west-wards, back toward the way that they came-- "--And you go off into the woods and follow along the river, you're going to get about a day and a half or so, and then you won't be able to go any farther. And I mean you really won't! Nosebleeds, the whole bit. If that's what does it for you, enjoy yourself out there, but for the rest of us, it's like the good old TQ all over again. Some things never change. So, you know. Take care! And there's these massive beasts out there roaming around. Huge, absolutely huge, and not easy to take down. If you can get at one, it'll have good meat on it. They don't seem to have any trouble with nosebleeds. Might be their horns. Blocks it up or something."

A gesture, for horn-on-nose, side of his wrist pressed to his nose. Very educational.

"And, finally--" Wishful thinking, if you thought Sirius was done there. If anything else, this bit gets shouted a little louder than the rest: "I've got a seriously brilliant reward for the first person that can do anything about making alcohol! Alcohol, right? Of any sort, so long as it's halfway to drinkable. We bloody well need it."

With an air of brisk finality, he claps his hands together. Important bit delivered; important announcements sorted.

"Right, that's it. Anyone else that's got anything to say, this is your Shouting Rock, and I now declare it open. Make good use of it!"

Anyone that gets closer to the rock will find that name carved in the side, done in letters three feet high:

THE SHOUTING ROCK

Bit of a shaky hand, since it was magic that actually carved it. It's the thought that counts.

Speak now, Jungleites, or forever hold your peace.

Comments

[canevenlift]

[Poor Liam hasn't exactly had it easy the last few days. He's managed to eat a little— maybe— but he was used to some pretty terrible habits thanks to lacrosse practice since he was old enough to hold a stick.

Currently he's attempting to carve an "S" into the rock, and someone near by might notice his quickly sharpening nails...]

[metempsychotic]

[ Iezabel has not yet embraced hermitage, so she's a member of the captive camp audience like everyone else. That said, she has been a bit subdued lately, withdrawn behind gloves and cowl, but Sirius's announcement manages to stir her from a growing stupor. She approaches the jut of the newly christened Rock with some sort of purpose in mind, and a chalky piece of stone in hand. She seems about to make her own mark, when she spots her neighbor- a young man attempting a distinctly challenging serpentine shape.

She is, indeed, near enough to spot Liam's... condition. She doesn't seem alarmed. Rather, she appears curious. ] Impressive rate of change, [ she remarks, then gives a short, sharp cough into her fist before inquiring: ] Is this a new development?

[canevenlift]

[That causes him to look up— and his nails to retract to be more human looking.]

Uh— what?

[He hasn't tried to tap into his latent psychic powers yet, if that much is obvious.]

[axeyou]

What's the 'S' stand for?

[Johanna, passing by, had stopped at a distance to watch him work. Claws, huh. Aren't you something, cutie. She's elected at last to speak up, now that he's nearly finished that one latter.

She follows up her question with a little smile. It might look like encouragement, as she prompts:]

Does it stand for 'sucks'?

[canevenlift]

Scott doesn't suck!

[It comes out before he thinks the thought through anymore, but he knows that if Scott was around here, somewhere, he wouldn't want him to attack anyone.

So he doesn't.]

[ontheline]

[somewhere far in the distance, light reflected off a broken mirror flickers in and out in a pattern

random messages follow]

-. .. -.-. . / .-- . .- - .... . .-.

-.. .-. .. -. -.- / .-.. --- - ... / .-- .- - . .-.

.- ...- --- .. -.. / .-- . .. .-. -.. / .--. .-.. .- -. - ...

... -- .. .-.. . -.-- / ..-. .- -.-. .

[tongueamok]

[Written neatly in ink on a scrap of paper left beside the rock, held to the ground by a smaller rock just beneath the carving:]

Seeing how you took the time to carve this, it should be noted that a set of directions and what may be found there would be more helpful than "THE SHOUTING ROCK."

[doggedly]

[Should Carlisle check back on his note, he will find that it's been magically expunged of his original message. On that same scrap of paper:]

look now :) :)


[Now the Rock is carved with:

THE SHOUTING ROCK ---^

Helpful arrow pointing up. 'Directions'.]

[tongueamok]

[Just one word written on the paper now, below the new message:]

Cheeky.

[Feel the eyeroll he let loose when he saw the 'directions.' FEEL IT.]

[hairrands]

Someone else is an early riser, so the shouting in that godawful accent isn't what gets her. It's the fact that someone has carved themselves a soap box, for real here, only bigger. AJ is both a little bit disgusted and a little bit thrilled.

When Sirius finishes yodeling, she thrusts a nod his way, signalling what she hopes will be conveyed as a 'drinkie drinkie' gesture by twitching thumb down, pinky up over her mouth. The priorities in life, right?

Anyways, she doesn't want him or anyone else to know that about three quarters of the way to that dead-line along the river is where she and Algidus meet to shoot the breeze and fish for acid bacon-beasts, so all the better to lure this guy and others off the scent.

[doggedly]

Fortunately for AJ, 'twitchy thumb down, pinky up over mouth' is the universal gesture for 'drinkie drinkie'. This means that she ends up looking less mental than if it were not the universal gesture. But the gesture does not denote any subtleties. Does it mean agreement? Does it mean she's depserate? Does it mean that she's been holding out but is now willing to share?

Mysterious abound. Sirius makes note, and when he jumps off of the Shouting Rock, he does so with purpose in mind: to stroll over to her, hands in the pockets of his jeans.

Expectantly, he raises his eyebrows, just as cool as always. A little smile takes off some edge of aloofness, something very nearly friendly. "And?"

[hairrands]

Noting his hands in his pockets, AJ frowns and lifts her eyes to the man, preoccupied for a moment by considerations of how some people had managed to receive (or find) clothing anything other than hot, sticky, canvassy jumpsuit. Had she simply drawn the short stick or was there more to it?

Regardless, his brief question caused her to refocus. Crossing her bare arms--for she'd ripped the sleeves of said suit off a day or so ago--she gave a careful shrug. "What's it worth to you if I know how to get some?"

[alsohawkeye]

[ As Sirius stands on the rock for its inaugural shouting, someone at the back cups her hands around her mouth and shouts back. ]

Play Free Bird!

[doggedly]

[Up on the distant stage of the Rock, Sirius cranes his neck to try to see who's shouted at him. This is an act. He knows that it's Kate. But he goes through with it anyways, squinting a moment before he cups his hand to his ear and leans out toward her--a gesture he immediately follows with leaning back again, and shrugging. Universal sign language for:

I CAN'T HEAR YOU FROM WAY UP HERE ON THE SHOUTING ROCK, SPEAK UP

So.]

[judex]

Shouting is not really Fenris' thing. Gatherings of more than a few people aren't really his thing, either. He's still missing the vast majority of his memories--Do you like anything? I like quiet--but he knows that much about himself, or else is learning that much about himself right now, squinting in distaste and turning one of his long ears away from the racket.

But he's interest. He just waits until Sirius is off the damned rock to come closer, unelfishly awkward on his bare feet and picking jungle mud out from beneath his fingernails one after another.

"What seriously brilliant reward?"

[doggedly]

The way this bloke sidles up puts Sirius right back at the Hog's Head. The jungle smells less of goat than the Hog's Head did, and this bloke is slightly more clear of face if not of intent--and just as weird of appearance as Hog's Head patrons tended to be. Ears sharp enough to cut ice on, picking out each step like a cat walking on aluminium.

But still: functionally the same as a bloke at the Hog's Head looking to make a deal. Descended of ancestors who made careers of hanging about dangerously in back rooms, sipping expensive scotch while underlings did nitty-gritty dealings for them, Sirius holds claim to that famous of poshboy skills: looking cool and aloof and not really bothered by how weird your current companion is, while the little hint in the corner of your smile tells any onlookers that you're above his class.

No offence, knife-eared weird bloke.

"The sort of brilliant reward I'd be happy to go into more detail with, if I knew its potential recipient wasn't taking me for a ride." If he had a cigarette right now, he'd take a drag on it. Merlin but he wants a cigarette right now. That removes some of the edge from his cool, but only some. And he's not here to play games, he's here to drink, a.k.a., continue to live, so he's a bit friendlier when he adds: "Know much about alcohol, do you?"

[altercate]

"He doesn't have a reward."

At this point, disparaging Sirius Black is almost a hobby. But on this particular issue, Derek is both of the opinion that there can't be any worthwhile reward, and that the fixation on alcohol is unnecessary. Admittedly, Derek's view of alcohol has been low from the start and he's far from unbiased, but that's clearly besides the point.

[puppydogeyes]

We can't waste the water or risk the dehydration.

[She's stood further back from the rock, far enough that maybe she might have just listened to his declaration and then disappeared without a word. Her memories returning have brought a heaviness that's been weighing on her, seen her keeping herself to herself, and even Sirius standing on a proclaimed 'shouting rock' and yelling at people wasn't really enough to draw her out of it.

What he says, though, is.]

Did you try multiple points, or just the one?

[doggedly]

[The fact that he's not got all of his memories more or less restored means that Sirius finds Tyke easily among the onlookers ranged around Shouting Rock--not so much onlookers as innocent bystanders who looked around when someone started shouting, but the point remains.]

Well, I can risk it.

[Counterpoint to that first point. As if in demonstration, he flexes his right hand at her, almost like a wave. Magic, remember. (Maybe not.)]

And we tried a bit. Miserable work. Where we were, seemed nigh on impenetrable, and we'd have kept going--bloody noses and massive headaches and all-- [And he would have, too; this is not an idle boast--] Only then all that happened.

[That. The Tranquility itself. Sirius nods, in the direction that the ship lies.]

Sounded like a mess even way out where we were. We turned around to see what had gone wrong.

[kutte]

That's not going to stall 'em forever.

[ jax points out, practical in spite of his own desire for a strong drink. ]

We gotta figure out what to do when someone gets their hands on some hooch.

[ whether or not that someone is jax remains to be seen. ]

8D

[whinings]

Given that Elena is well and truly green to this whole situation, all of the "TQ" talk just confuses her more than ever, if that's even possible, because you know being kidnapped by a broken spaceship to a planet with two moons and deadly everything isn't confusing enough. Still, she waits until Sirius has said his piece and hops down before she approaches. It's a little awkward at first, she sort of hovers near by until his eyes wander close enough to her position that she takes it as an opening, and then steps in a little closer with something that's trying to resemble a smile.

"Um, hi," she raises a hand, wiggling her fingers just a little in a half-wave before shoving one hand into her pocket and tipping her head in the direction that Sirius had previously indicated, "I- well, I caught most of that...announcement but I was just wondering-"

This is off to a rocky start. There's no point being half-assed about it though, so she just huffs slightly before continuing with a little more backbone. Honestly she doesn't even know why she's so nervous (beyond the obvious 'not knowing everyone and waking up in a pod full of goo) it's not like the people here are murderers or something. They've built a society, right? It can't be that bad.

"Look I'm new. Like, last week new and I just wondered if you could explain this whole...nosebleed thing a little better. What exactly happens?"

8)))))))))

[doggedly]

For first years at Hogwarts, for idiots with too many questions, for people he just does not like: Sirius would meet this sort of introduction with cool aloofness, a brief withering look before turning away. Anyways.

For Elena: Sirius zeroes in on her, and smiles. An actual, friendly smile, one that will encourage discussion. If someone were to suggest mild sexism in Sirius, they would be partially right. He has a great deal of respect for girls. Especially fit girls. Especially if you define respect as--

Well. It doesn't matter. He's actually listening to her, with kind patience--following along with the nod of her head, waiting for her to get to it.

Yeah. There it is. He nods, with equal patience, and tips a finger toward her. You.

"Guessed as much," he tells her. "You being new, I mean. Something about the face."

The way he says it suggests that maybe that's not such a bad thing. He glances back toward the ship again, and does a cursory rub of his wrist under his nose. A month of inadequate shaving has left him looking all rumpled-stubbly-handsome, like a disaffected lord who got lost whilst adventuring. (Semi-true. And don't mention the lord bit.)

"Nosebleeds were sort of a thing, back on the Tranquility. When it was cruising about in space good and proper, I mean, and not, you know. Falling to bits on the edge of a great cliff in the middle of absolute nowhere. Dunno that they're actually related to the ship, since we were a bit far out, but anything's possible. This was more like-- a warning. 'Turn back now, or you'll be a geyser of blood a moment later'. And, having had all sorts of blood-from-the-eyes problems, back on the Tranquility" --And he pulls a face, eeesh, yes, it's as disgusting as it sounds, sorry-- "It isn't fun."

There's maybe five seconds of pause before his smile flicks back up onto his face, a bit brighter than it was before. "Last week new, eh?"

[altercate]

This isn't the first time someone's reappeared without remembering their last stint on the Tranquility. That doesn't mean Derek has forgotten. It's been a long time since Jenna was here, since she had nagged Derek into meeting Elena. Avoiding her this time around, but the lingering vestiges of familiarity and guilt are enough to spur Derek into striking up conversation.

"It's a warning." Derek tells her, succinct if just this side of too blunt. "It happened before the ship crashed. It meant something bad was going to happen."

Or that Derek had to hold someone's hand. He grimaces as he recalls that repeated indignity.

[bailedontheempire]

Bail is more amused by Sirius's antics than anything else. In the long run he still hopes they can get some sort of long range communication set up. But that will take time, and the jump had definitely set them back. "I suppose that's one way of dealing with the situation."

[likescats]

Death is just watching with amusement as well. Now actually visible on his face. The shock.

DO YOU THINK IT WILL CATCH ON?