EVENT: FIRST CONTACT ▒ RELEASE ▒ JANUARY 18

[ataraxites]

CHARACTERS: Ensemble production!
LOCATION: Basecamp.
WARNINGS: Discussion of abduction.
SUMMARY: In the early morning hours, the passengers and crew of the Tranquility regain some of the souls lost to them.
NOTES: First event log for the January modplot!

J A N U A R Y   1 8 The first sign of activity are the bright, white lights that banish the very, very early morning gloom towards the eastern-most side of the camp. A huddle of ten silhouettes have emerged from the treeline, human-shaped and ordinary. Some are empty handed, and others are laden with bundles. (To the perception of those returning, camp has changed. There are walls in the process of being built. A new aura of unfriendliness. It's hard to see past the lights shining into their eyes, exposing them to scrutiny. The gifts of fur pelts, fruit, and primitive weaponry are distributed among them, with the idea of gift printed firmly in their minds.) There is little in the way of delay in permitting them entry. They are shown within the boundaries of basecamp, and as sunrise only just begins to tinge the sky, a buzz of activity is already humming through camp. Although details of their ordeal will take time to circulate, the returning passengers and crewmembers will have with them a message, and that is, the outlying camp would like to invite five of them, corresponding with a set of necklaces amongst the gifts, to a meeting at sundown at a nearby camp, north of basecamp. There is much to talk about. N O T E S More information can be found in the January modplot post. Any questions and queries can also be directed there. The second event post, First Contact: Diplomacy, will be up tomorrow and available to volunteers still to be selected. Until then, please feel free to OOC plot and ICly discuss approach.

Comments

[tadashiwashere]

[Arrival]

Unease.

That is the word of the day even after Tadashi is safely within the confines of camp. Things are different. Maybe in the bad way. All the same, he's not one to rush judgement until he has enough information and feels more like himself again. Since waking up, things have been a bit of a jumbled blur. There's so much to think about.

All of that can wait, however.

Still blinking the spots from his eyes after the lights, Tadashi begins his search for familiar faces. He needs that grounding. And then the next step -- finding those in charge of agriculture and getting some of the fruit from the basket he's carrying into their hands. As a single gift and meal, it's nice, but Tadashi doesn't want to risk wasting the opportunity to eventually add another crop to their lineup.

[Home Sweet Home]

No one has moved in.

That's one thing, at least.

Tadashi stands just outside of his combination shack and tent, propping his fists on his hips as he observes what's inside. His rough workbench still stands -- odds and ends scattered across it where Tadashi hadn't yet had an opportunity to organize things before his ill-fated trek into the jungle. There's unlikely to be any food, but the sealed container he keeps water in still seems to have a bit leftover.

He reaches back to rub his neck and shakes his head, then moves forward to check under his cot for the thing he knows should be there (hopefully). After some rummaging, he finds the sock his mirror shard has been tucked away in since practically the day he received it.

"Probably should have had this on me..."

home sweet home

[klutziness]

Word spreads quickly across camp.

They've come back. They're alive. It's a miracle.

Rikku has never really believed in miracles. Things just happen the way they happen. But she can't deny that everyone's return tempts her to believing. Especially once she gets the list of names, and hears that Tadashi's is on it. The temptation is doubled, and she stars running.

By the time she reaches his shack, she's thoroughly out of breath, huffing and puffing. And once she sees him, that huffing and puffing gives way to a strangled laugh. Her eyes are wet and burning, but she doesn't care.

"Ta-da-shi!" The syllables are punctuated by her combination wheezing and laughing. Even though she's pretty sure her lungs are about to collapse, she throws herself towards him for a hug.

[tadashiwashere]

He knows Rikku's laugh anywhere. He's spent enough time around the mechanic, that even her huffing and puffing gives her away -- Tadashi doesn't know a lot of people as exuberant as the blond girl.

Tadashi manages a grin-- "Been a while, h-- Oof!" --and then laughs as well as he catches her in a hug.

"Don't tell me you missed me?"

home sweet home

[circumitus]

Rey is at miles into the jungle, working on her dome when she hears about the return of the missing people. After that, she doesn't waste much time heading to the base camp at a brisk pace, cutting her travel time in half thanks to her speed and stamina. She has so many questions that don't have nearly enough answers to.

When she makes it to the camp, she checks on the ones she's known have gone missing recently. Hughes and Takeshi, to name a couple. But nothing. It isn't until she finds Tadashi's tent that her search actually proves to have any point.

"You're back," she says rather casually, maintaining a neutral expression. But really, there's relief somewhere to be found under the surface.

[tadashiwashere]

"Am I?"

Tadashi wrinkles his nose a little at the vague attempt at a joke and offers an apologetic shrug. It's been a long two days. He still doesn't feel like he's got everything under control, but after the hole he fell into when Hiro vanished, he's not going to let these events knock his feet from under him.

"It's good to see familiar faces," he admits, leaning back against his workbench and gesturing towards the rough chair if Rey is so inclined. "I heard that I've been gone for a while. I must have been hit with a tranquilizer that was meant for an elephant."

[Arrival]

[foundafamily]

Firo's taking a walk to clear his head, which feels like it's been spinning forever now. The heightened wariness on the planet on top of his own efforts dealing with Szilard's memories mean that sleep isn't such an easy thing.

Today he might actually be glad for that. He has his eyes open for any signs of suspicious moment or attack, but he's not really paying attention to anything he sees. Until Tadashi. He rubs his eyes to make sure that it's not a mirage.

It's impossible to sound as nonchalant as he wants to. He bounds over to his friend, practically beaming. "You're finally showin' your face, huh?"

[tadashiwashere]

Tadashi grins back -- this is just who he wants to see after a long slog through the jungle. Firo might not be the sort of guy he would ever have a chance to meet back home, but here he's one of the best friend's Tadashi can ask for. And he definitely needs a friend right about now. Way too much is happening.

"Becoming a wise hermit in the jungle just isn't as nice as you would think."

He shrugs, then shakes his head. "Do I have some things to tell you. But first... what happened? The wall is new."

Arrival

[acapriciousthing]

Death doesn't know Tadashi well, but she's crossed path with him. They always seem to meet about people vanishing. Funny how these things worked out. "We'd been worried."

And started keeping better track of numbers.

[tadashiwashere]

The way they've met in the past isn't lost on Tadashi, but he still has a small smile for Death. A familiar face is a familiar face, even if they aren't that well acquainted.

"I don't think any of us meant to worry anyone." He lifts his cap slightly to card his fingers back through his hair before replacing it. "Uh... that's not because of us, is it?"

He jerks his chin briefly towards the wall construction, somewhat concerned no matter what the answer will be.

[deservesadaisy]

If Ivan doesn't look quite so hale as some of the other returning, he looks no worse than he usually does these days. Not that many would know. He feels as if life since the crash is a comically accelerated version of life as he'd been used to it; people come and go in an eyeblink and he stays still.

(He's had looks in that span he cared for more than "jungle survival jumpsuit," to be fair.)

Still, he scans the crowd for anyone who knows him, whether curious or mistrustful. If anyone noticed he'd disappeared at all, Ivan will be surprised. He's hardly going to voluntarily stay with the armored giants instead, regardless.

Instead, he'll linger as the more vociferous survivors relate what they know, and listen to the debate over who will volunteer and with what aims. He doesn't expect his opinion will be solicited, but still, he'd rather know what mess they're getting into this time.

[rhyfelgri]

Scanning the crowd doesn't prepare him for Enfys, but thus far, very little has; he'll find her a moment later at his elbow, nudging him, the bright-sharp friendliness of her smile not veiling (not bothering to try to veil) the ever present threat that she likes to be to his ongoing uprightness. She'd taken it terribly seriously, being a bit responsible for this absolute motherfucker upon letting him live - she noticed, when he disappeared.

"Still kicking, I see. What's all this, then?"

Enfys tends to talk to him like she doesn't have to be polite to get what she wants from him. In fairness, that's not that different to how she talks to everybody else, but if one day it grates enough to mean she gets to slam him face first into the dirt and remind him why

well, the distinction of enjoying it because she's that kind of person rather than enjoying it because she has any real malice for him in particular (no) probably won't mean that much to him.

[deservesadaisy]

It is a sign of just how few acquaintances he has left that the tiniest shred of Ivan is relieved to see her. Of course, the rest of him is busy with a much more intense of course it would be you reaction that flickers across his face.

Still, he actually does answer the question. "Either they can wipe memories or they have tranquilizers strong enough to put a vampire out for weeks, it seems," he leads with. "I've nothing of use before two days ago, nor does anyone else, as far as I've been able to gather."

So that's fun.

[tongueamok]

[coming back to camp]

The past few days had been full of surprises.

The first was when Carlisle awoke on a cot somewhere that was definitely not the camp. The fact he had no knowledge of getting there was confusing and unnerving; the revelation his captors had changed his clothes left the fastidious clergyman feeling both uncomfortable and appalled. He vaguely remembered foraging, then something hitting his neck and... not much after that. His mind was still in a haze, head throbbing with a dull, constant ache. Worse was how groggy he'd been upon waking -- while he'd never been at the peak of physical fitness, his muscles were painfully sluggish, as though he'd been asleep for a hundred years.

Or dead. That was a feeling he did not want to relive.

The second surprise came in the form of his captors... or supposed captors, rather. They'd been strange creatures, to say the very least, and far too generous in their care of the survivors from the ship. Carlisle couldn't help but be a little paranoid of such altruism, but he hadn't questioned it too thoroughly. After all, they had fed them, as well as provided reasoning for their behavior. They'd even sent the survivors back to the camp with gifts and a message for the others -- signs of their goodwill.

Strange indeed. Some gifts came with a price, though. Being twice-cursed, Carlisle knew that all too well.

The third and final surprise was the camp itself. The new walls were imposing, and had sprung up in such a short time -- or so it would seem to someone who has been missing and lost more than a few days' time. They offered safety to those on the inside, but with the metal walls, wooden pikes, and blinding lights, it was an intimidating sight to any approaching from the jungle.

Just as he and the other missing people were: former survivors, now somehow strangers. Carlisle couldn't help but feel at least a little threatened as they were ushered into the camp, even if he did belong there... well, as much as any of them 'belonged' on that planet. Had they really been gone for long enough to construct such a barricade?

Carlisle keeps his head down as he enters the camp with the rest, a couple of bows slung over his shoulder, arrows and a fur pelt tucked in his arms. He hardly recognizes the camp; he can't help but wonder if anyone he knows will still be there for him to recognize, too.


[where things used to be - closed to L]

Mentally exhausted and preferring to avoid the commotion going around the rest of the camp, Carlisle heads to his makeshift abode. It's there he finds surprise number four.

What home Carlisle had made for himself definitely shows the signs of his absence: one of the walls has fallen and taken the roof with it, unsettled from one of the ship's jumps; the tarp that once covered the doorway has completely blown away, and is nowhere to be seen; his makeshift shrine to the Camisou, once displayed proudly outside his door, is now half-buried in dirt and foliage. It's clear no one has been home for some time.

He sighs. Just how long has he been gone, again?

Despite his aches, he gets to work on putting things back together. He needs not only that order in his life, but also a quiet place to reflect on all that's on his mind -- given the events of the past few days, there is an awful lot to reflect upon.

[hairrands]

Having already been working on the wall in the murky dawn-light, AJ was one of the first to arrive near the gates when the new arrivals were called. She'd been looking at the faces of supposed members of this misbegotten community, but none of them looked familiar to her. That should not be surprising--the first time around that she'd been here, she had not socialized much, had in fact avoided the camp save when she wanted something out of someone in it.

Things aren't just different for Carlisle.

Speaking of which, he is one of the faces that she recognizes. As the small gaggle approaches, passes within the gates, and the necklace bearers begin to divulge what, exactly, is happening, AJ has the gall to point at the sullen looking man, then hike her thumb over her shoulder. You, get over here.

She remembers the way he'd stuttered over the food she and Algidus had dredged up out of the river, and she remembers how he owes her a favour. Never mind that she was off this awful planet (or possibly beneath it) for maybe months. A favour's a favour.

[tongueamok]

Another surprise greets Carlisle as he scans the crowd -- there, among the people to meeting them within the gates, is AJ Harris, someone he'd filed away as a missing person well before his own disappearance.

A brief hint of astonishment crosses his face as he considers what this will mean for those who were looking for her (or, well... one in particular). There's a tug at the corner of his mouth, a small, bare smile to match his relief; he takes a couple of steps in her direction, prepping himself to ask her a dozen questions as to where she's been and what she's been doing.

And then AJ spots him, sending all that relief out the window in the span of a few seconds. His brow knits as she points squarely in his direction, stopping him in his tracks; next comes a silent, forceful beckoning with a cock of her thumb. He glances over his shoulder, as though she might be talking to someone else, then looks back her way.

That smile is pulled away by his nerves, more crooked and less sure by the second as he points toward his chest and mouths a question in return. Me?

[thecoldshoulder]

Algidus hadn't left the camp often over the past couple of days.

He'd wanted to--oh, how a part of him had wanted to. The ice alien was reclusive and preferred to keep to his own affairs, so being packed in so closely among so many humans was difficult for him for a number or reasons. Aside from his the obvious issues of personal space and his grievances with the species in general, every day he spent in with the crowd of humans was another reminder that he was separated from his own, and would never have the luxury of seeing his people until he finally found some way to escape this planet. Did the humans even think about that? No, probably not. They were probably all taking the presence of their own for granted if the way he'd seen them squabble over even the most petty of things was any indication. It made him feel sick with resentment, made him want to leave the camp so he could get some space again... and some times he did, but he always came back before too long.. for there was one very good reason why he was staying at the camp despite all of this.

So when the survivors showed up on the horizon, Algidus took notice immediately. At first he had been wary--he knew there was another group out there, somewhere, the ones who had been responsible for the stampede-- but as they approached and the bright lights of the walls had washed over their forms, he realized that he knew... well, not many of them, but some. So he allowed others from the camp to see them, let them in, though he kept a close watch on the process the entire time like he was expecting things to go wrong. Carlisle wasn't the only one who was suspicious of the gifts they'd come bearing... whoever it was that had sent them back was going to have to do a hell of a lot more to earn this alien's trust.

Speaking of Carlisle, he was one of the ones that Algidus actually recognized from the group... and he didn't look happy. He had to wonder exactly what had gone on; this didn't look like the work of the Technicians, who the alien still believed to be responsible for the one other disappearance that he'd been aware of, but he needed to be absolutely sure. It was time to dig for some information; in his mind, Carlisle still owed him for the stunt with the cliff and he was at least familiar with the man, so he was the best place to start.

"You've been gone a long time, human," the alien speaks up as he comes up beside Carlisle, and he eyes the objects he's toting with him curiously. His icy body itself is another testament to how long Carlisle has been gone: over time his species gradually adapts to significant changes in environment, and thanks to all the foliage around them he's been through quite a green shift that should be more apparent given the man's absence. "Something tells me that wasn't a carefree romp through the jungle you all took. What happened? Where have you been?"

[tongueamok]

The camp isn't the only thing that has changed in Carlisle's absence. Shifting the gifts he's carrying in his arms -- the arrows aren't as heavy as they are cumbersome -- he attempts to get his bearings and figure out where his makeshift home has gone. The captors, the camp, his abode... none of it seems familiar anymore, which is a terrible prospect for someone who fears both the unknown and the uncertainty that often accompanies it.

If there's one thing that does feel familiar for him, it's himself... and that's unfortunate. Before his disappearance, he'd been struggling with some lost memories, remnants of his homeland and his past that had been missing since the crash landing. Upon awakening far from the camp, it was as though the fog lifted, and he seemed to remember it all -- the good, the bad, and some parts he'd rather take to the grave.

In good news, it's not as though he's surrounded by complete strangers, and so he has a few distractions -- Algidus' voice is unmistakable as he addresses Carlisle, even if what he's saying isn't all that comforting. "It's a long story," he replies with a tired sigh and a glance Algidus' way, silently thankful the alien wasn't booming at him, as per usual. He isn't sure he can take that at the present -- his nerves are already rattled enough. "Or maybe not long so much as complicated. There's a lot that I..."

He trails off as he does a double take, his eyes narrowing as he scrutinizes the alien with a second look. He opens his mouth to say something, closes it, purses his lips, then decides to ask anyway. "I'm sorry, lad, but are you... more colorful than you used to be?"

[ryuuzaki]

L is relatively sure of the location of Carlisle's little dwelling, and relatively sure that Carlisle will respond well to a request for information -- if he's not panicking, and if he remembers what happened during his absence. It's not hard to trail him from a distance, though, and when L arrives, he sees that the little hut is now degenerating into the past tense.

Carlisle is already trailing around, picking some things up from the ground and attempting to get others to stand upright. L stands on the periphery, then says Carlisle's name -- not too sharply -- in an attempt to get his attention.

[tongueamok]

And his attention L gets: Carlisle hears his name, looks up, then to his sides, finally spotting Ryuuzaki once he glances to his right.

"Ryuuzaki," he says with a nod, a muted greeting. "Sorry if I've missed a salvage run. It seems I've been, um..."

He glances back toward the pile of debris that used to be his house. "Absent, and for some time."

Closed to Algidus

[hairrands]

[Shortly After Camp Delegates Chosen]

There's been a lot to think about since the unexpected turn of events at dawn went down. Is meeting with a bunch of aliens really worth the potential trouble? Are the potential gains worth the risk? Throughout the ensuing discussions crystallizing around the shouting rock, the young woman had lingered near the outskirts to listen in, but she for once had not been accompanied by Algidus. She'd watched him abruptly wade in, gills flaring icy condensation with every argument made to accept him as a part of the delegation. She'd had to hand it to him; it was ballsy to try to play by the same rules as everyone else here.

Now, however, she suspects an immediate sojourn from the camp. She needs one; it's been days since she had arrived and despite various dangers lurking in the jungle, being cooped up with all of these other survivors has been making her twitch to all sorts of other limits. Anyways, she's spent more time with Algidus in the last few days than anyone else, and he's been one of the few who have not made her want to smash things. More accurately, she's been able to foist off wanting to smash things onto him, and she figures it's more or less payback time.

She can already tell that somebody's in for trouble when he comes steaming out of the meeting, and she's not going to let it be her. "I'm ready to go out," she tells him instead. True enough, she's got her spear and she's got her hair tied back like she'd always done when picking around between her ancient stills before she'd gone missing. Moreover, she'd aired her concerns to him about being alone out in the jungle throughout the last few days, so letting him know that she's done here ought to be more impactful for him. "Let's go kill something." Just in case he's not distracted enough from the sour turn of events he'd just had to face.

[thecoldshoulder]

Algidus never thought he would see the day where he would throw himself into the middle of human delegations, honestly. But the second he learned that there was another alien race out there, waiting in the jungle for them, there was too much at stake here for him to just idly sit back. There were countless questions tumbling around inside his head and for once he felt like he stood to gather some actual information from someone. Where had these other aliens came from? Where they natives or had they come to this planet for some other reason? Was it a routine visit, some kind of ritual, or had they been marooned just as the survivors of the Tranquility had? What sort of technology, exactly, did they have access to? Could he eventually get in their good graces and maybe, finally, discover some way to get the hell off this planet?

Not all of these questions were posited to the group of humans discussing delegations--he was still trying to keep his escape plans close to the chest--but he did his best to make up for that by providing them with plenty of other incentives. Primarily, he was by far one of the most physically intimidating individuals in this camp; he also was a highly trained warrior, which meant that if things went to shit during this meeting he could provide them with some security. After all, Algidus didn't really believe that this encounter was going to be as peaceful and simple as it was laid out to be. He didn't survive as long as he had by trusting anybody that simply dropped off a few gifts, especially not when those that had given them had initially started out as kidnappers. But he was willing to risk any underhanded plans if it meant furthering his own here, so he had argued every way he could think of.

In the end, however, it was not to be. The icy alien wasn't necessarily surprised when the humans rejected him, but he was still crestfallen--frustrated and irate. When the volunteers had been chosen and he had not been among them Algidus had promptly stormed away from the shouting rock, muttering under his breath how it would serve them all right if they were the next ones to get snatched away. He'd was so bent out of shape about this--about genuinely trying and being shot down-- that he'd almost walked right by AJ, but when she picks up her spear and addresses him he stops up short, looking at her in surprise.

He'd almost forgotten what it was like to have someone who was not only in tune with his moods and what was causing them, but willing to help him try and relieve them... and in a way that some others might balk at, no less. She seemed to know just what he needed and Algidus felt a surge of appreciation for the woman in front of him that only grew stronger when she suggested actually heading beyond the camp, which she'd been very reluctant to leave for a long time now. He wasn't sure if she was making the offer to try and help him blow off steam or just to prove to herself that she could--or if it was a mix of both--but either way, she was rewarded with a chuff and a decisive nod for the towering icy being.

"Yes," he growled, falling in to walk beside her, "Makers, yes. If I don't get out of here I may just turn around and knock some sense into those short-sighted fools. I'm right beside you, AJ. Where do you want to go?"

[hairrands]

"Out," she replied simply. "You know where's the best, you've been out further than me. Anyways, you're the one who needs to wring some necks. Go ahead of me, I'm not getting in that line of fire." She tried to send him a half-quirked grin, but even despite the fact that she wasn't the target of his rage, she could feel it crackling between them in a way that she was only just starting to get used to. Being around camp had felt safer on some fronts, but it also meant that strange, nearly unfathomable feelings, memories, and other occurrences would blind-side her when she wasn't expecting them.

Now she tried to hold the wafts of cold fury without admitting they might somehow be her own; if nothing else, her horrible encounter with the Biomatrix had taught her not to trust what felt like spikes of emotion or persuasive arguments...

"You know where I haven't been," she eventually rasped, for need to communicate verbally lest she feel overwhelmed, "down by the river, the one with the rocky bacon-flavoured things that tried to rip you a new one. You'd pulp most of the volunteers. Wouldn't you rather fight something a little more up to your scale?"

She hadn't heard much about rhinobears yet, not that weren't tall tales, so this was the highest threat that crossed AJ's distracted mind.

[romancekiller]

[the thing about being kidnapped and finding herself in another camp under the circumstances their captors explained to them was really nothing new for clarke. there was a familiar sense of deja vu between her experience at mount weather but also being on the tranquility and it left her feeling wary because any question she did have led to more question that she wasn't able to find an answer for.

clarke vaguely recognizes the faces of couple of the others taken until she noticed that octavia was with her too. her concern immediately fell towards her friend, feeling both relieved and concerned. it seemed like they were both unharmed though which was a good thing but she is a bit hesitant to trust it.

they were being set free so they could return to their own camp along with gifts which she assumed were peace offerings so clarke decides to reserve her judgement for now until she can gather her thoughts and think things through more thoroughly. she sticks together with octavia as they start to make their way out of the jungle and it's not that long before they reach the camp but the moment they do, she abruptly stops in her tracks. it brings another feeling of deva ju this time from back home as she notices the newly constructed wall surrounding it which seems to have been built in their absence]

Seems like everyone has been pretty busy. [she doesn't know how long they were gone for but it leaves her with the unsaid question as they head inside: just how long they were even gone for?]

[letmetakeaselfie]

[ when clarke makes it into camp, tony is among the welcoming committee. he wraps a blanket around her???? that's what firemen do okay it seems like the thing to do at the time. ]

Welcome back. You know, or whatever word applies. [ since you were the first person to help him, he's trying to return the favor even if he is super awkward as a rule. ]

[alsohawkeye]

Clarke!

[ Kate lifts a hand both in greeting and to get her attention. She's heading over, bow still in her other hand, arrows held between her fingers. All of the faces of those returning seem to be familiar to someone and most of them to her. Clarke stopping short is what draws her eye, and her concern. They may have only met a couple times, but that's beside the point. ]

Are you okay?

[ She has about twelve million more questions, but she resists the urge to let them all start spilling out until she has an answer to that one. ]