PLAYER EVENT ★ HELIOLOGY

[ricksybusiness]

INTRODUCTION. It's difficult to tell time without the presence of a sun or moon. There are no stars. The world is in constant blackness, the heavens barely visible from below and the only light artificial. It's been like this for months. Suddenly, those who expressed interest in observing the sun (or lack thereof) will all at once receive a text message on their ALASTAIR jewellery from 82736775: Get your shit and go look at the sky. Now's the time. If you need me, I'm around. It's time to get to work. OBSERVATION. Find the highest point you can and point the telescopes at the sky. Should be easy, right? Be mindful that there are still guards patrolling the city, looking for escaped prisoners, and some citizens would be very happy to tip them off to your presence. There are still animals in the forests to contend with, and there are still nosey citizens who may ask you too many questions. There are also your fellow ALASTAIR agents, who may not be very willing to share the spot they already staked out before you just showed up. People and animals aren't all you need to look out for, either. Seven hours after the observation starts, there is a lightning storm. It lasts for 30 minutes, bolts of electricity arcing across the sky. It might be a good idea to scurry down someplace lower when this happens -- you know what they say about lightning and height. 82736775 doesn't contact anyone after the initial text, so observers are free to give up whenever they decide they've been sitting out in the freezing dark for long enough. [ note: even if you didn't sign up, feel free to tag in! your character won't have a telescope but that doesn't mean they can't mingle. ]

[ previously: ic info | ooc info ]
[ direct questions here! ]

Comments

[adlantisag]

[ The great head swings up sharply at the noise, yellow eyes winking. It has a huge, club-shaped head with a bony crest down its neck. It doesn't hear Steven's meow so much as pick up on the vibration of it moving through the air, and when it looks at him it sees the flaring of his nervous system as he moves, concentrating in the gem at his belly.

The cat pulls back, lowers its head and head-butts the tree, making it tremble. Boom! ]

[jamminshield]

[Whoa! The closer view is even more breathtaking. It reminds him of a dinosaur too, which is even cooler. His eyes widen, mesmerized by the sight.

...But then he's quickly snapped out of it as the tree is suddenly headbutted. The trembling extends to the branch, and Steven is nearly thrown off, but he quickly clings to the branch like a koala with furry hair.]

W-wait, hold on! I just wanna be friends! Please, let me love you!

[adlantisag]

[ The beast stops its attack when Steven is left dangling from the branch, within reach of its massive head--and massive teeth.

It rears onto its hind legs, planting its claws in the tree bark to hold itself upright. Its nose is just shy of Steven's face.

There's a long, stressful moment when it seems like Steven may be doomed--until a great, slimy tongue rolls out of the cat-shark's mouth and slobbers all over Steven's cheek. (Tastes like hamburgers.)

After which Ninat lets herself drop back to the ground, looking impatient.

Look, she's not made to climb. If Steven wants to love her, he's going to have to come down, whether she makes him or not. ]

[jamminshield]

[Oh god, Steven winced as the creature was coming right for him. Was this the end of Steven?!

Instead, he only feels the assault of a gigantic tongue. Despite his clothes now being grossly soaked, Steven found himself giggling in response. Then he looked down as the creature descended to the ground.]

Aw... You do wanna be friends! All you want is some love after all. Well, you're in luck, new friend. Steven Universe is here to deliver!

[He lets go of the tree branch and hops right down to the ground, landing feet away from the creature and being winded for a moment from the drop.]

[adlantisag]

[ Steven's head comes up to Ninat's chest, or thereabouts. She looks down at him, watching him recover from the jump down, and in order to makes this easier for him decides to lie down. That way, he'll be better able to reach her head, which he's totally going to scratch, right? ]

[jamminshield]

[Aw. Steven quickly regains his composure as he faces the creature. It's easy to tell what she wants, so he steps on forward and starts applying some loving scratches.]

There! That's a good girl, right? Good, good girl!

[adlantisag]

[ Ninat likes scratches and she especially likes being called a good girl (because she is). Steven's scratching makes her rumble low, laying her head on the ground as she thoroughly enjoys it.

That is, until a voice cuts through this peaceful moment. ]

Ninat? Ni-nu, lat essenen dap?

[ Ninat's head jerks up, shoving Steven's hand away. Kida makes her way over to the animal, before seeing Steven in her shadow. ]

Steven! You found my companion, I see.

[ Ninat rolls onto her back, revealing the long stripe of her reflective belly. Please don't be angry at her, lady. ]

[jamminshield]

Kida! [He exclaims happily as he looks up towards his dear friend. He ain't even mad that Ninat's attention was drawn away and just steps towards the two of them.]

I guess I did. I should have known you were behind something this cute!

[adlantisag]

[ Kida's smile is bright, her annoyance at Ninat's disappearance vanishing in the face of Steven's enthusiasm. ]

She is, isn't she? [ She's crouching now, one hand reaching out to fondly pat Ninat's belly. ] Her name is Ninat, but I call her Ni-nu. She likes having her crest scratched.

[ 'Nee-noo', a nickname. The giant shark...cat...seems delighted by all the attention, rolling onto her side now to bat at Steven a bit with her massive paws. ]

[jamminshield]

Hi, Ninat! Hiiii! [He waves cheerily at the creature and then watches Kida pet her, then he giggles as he's pawed at.]

Hahaha, you're so silly! But you hear that, Ninat? I just learned a very interesting tip! [He says that teasingly as he tries to make his way over towards her crest, to give her a very gentle scratch.]

[adlantisag]

[ Ninat's mouth opens, but instead of a purr out come a series of raspy clicks. Kida laughs. ]

She likes you. I hope she did not frighten you.

[ She knows Ninat can be a little...overwhelming, sometimes. ]

[jamminshield]

[He smiles warmly at this reception.]

It's okay! She just... startled me, that's all! It didn't take long to realize she's just a really big and silly friend! I have a big and silly animal friend back home too, you know.

[adlantisag]

[ Ninat might take exception to 'big and silly', but she likes the petting too much to express it. ]

Do you? What is she like?

[jamminshield]

Well his name is Lion! [He won't make a big deal out of the correction.] And he's... well... a big pink lion! He's super cool and fluffy and he has all kinds of cool abilities. But he's a real sneak and doesn't tell me about all of the amazing things he can do! He even has another dimension in his mane that has a lot of my mom's stuff in it. We think he used to belong to her! But no one knows much else about him. Except old Lion himself!

[adlantisag]

[ The only lion she's ever seen is Gilgamesh's Shishi, so she imagines that, in pink. The image is--striking, certainly. ]

Your friend sounds quite magical. [ 'Other dimensions in his mane'? A lion after ALASTAIR's own heart. ] Did your mother leave him to you?

[jamminshield]

He's super magical! And... um... probably? [He shrugs sheepishly.]

My mom had a lot of secrets, so there's a lot we don't know for sure, especially about Lion. Not even the other Crystal Gems knew about him... and I only met him last year. But we know for sure that she must have belonged to my mom, and it seems like he was meant to be with me! [Then he looks even more sentimental.] I- I even found a video tape for her from me inside his mane.

[adlantisag]

[ Steven talks about his mother as an abstract, and Kida suspects it's because he never knew her, but she can't say for sure. Her own memories of her mother are distant, tinted by the rosy attachment of childhood. ]

I do not know what a 'video tape' is--[ but judging from context ]--it is some kind of message?

[jamminshield]

[Steven's attachment is of its own Rosy nature. He nods as she speaks.]

Yeah! Sorry, I forgot you might not know what that is. It's a message alright! Like... when your jewelry makes images, that's what video looks like! Except video tapes are a lot less advanced and you need a bunch of different things to play the message.

But... That's what it was. A message for me.

[adlantisag]

[ She watches his expression fall a bit. ]

May I ask what it said, that message?

[ If he doesn't want to answer--she won't press. ]