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PORT: MEODRIOTOPE

Feb 11, 2022 – Feb 13, 2022
Welcome to Meodriotope! (Try spelling that without double-checking. I double-dog dare you.) This is our first port. Ports are, as the name implies, a visit to "shore", which can be just about any planet in the Oos Galaxy. This time, the Peregrine is dropping in on a flower-gathering errand, but it's a good opportunity for characters to stretch their legs.

The full OOC write-up for the port is here. If you have any questions about the event, please ask here.

1. Disembarking

For some passengers, this will be the first time they've touched land in almost forty days. Is it unusual, stepping down onto solid ground and breathing cool, fresh air? Is it frightening, to look upon the sea of blue grass and pale sky and realize you have never been so far from home? Is it exciting? Awe-inspiring? Gross, because who likes the outdoors anyway?

Of course, not everyone will disembark. Inmates cannot leave the ship without a warden as escort, and wardens will be responsible for inmates in port — they don't have to be glued to each others' sides, of course, but it's harder to make trouble under a watchful eye.

2. Camp

There'd be a lot of walking without the ATVs, so the Navarch has deployed both vehicles to serve as transport and support for housing. The campsites, once set up, look very much like regular Earth camping — turns out at some point in human development, people pretty much perfected what a rapid set-up/rapid tear-down camp can be, give or take some aesthetic trappings. A sleeping bag is a sleeping bag. A camp stove is a camp stove. It's just cooler when it's made of sleek white metal with designer rounded edges and blue lighting, and all.

There are four tents set up, each sleeping 4-6 people, so even if everyone decided to camp, it won't be too crowded. They are equipped with a solar-air tube that can generate power from sunlight, so they are climate controlled and have built-in lighting. An additional tent serves as a mess tent, though you'll all be eating on little folding chairs. Plastic trunks store rations. Those who want a bit of local fare will have to work for it.

Wardens also have a locked toolbox containing a hatchet, a firestarter, and a pair of utility knives. Should be handy for setting up a campfire at night. Shame no one picked up marshmallows from the commissary; that would have been nice.

3. [Mis]adventuring

There's plenty to see out in the world of Meodriotope:

Burrowing holes — Beware your ankles: the fields are home to colonies of littari, rabbit-like creatures the size of labradors. They leave large holes that are easy to fall into, if you're not watching where you step. This time of year, they usually stay deep in their warrens, but occasionally they pop up to smell the wind and scavenge for edible plants in the thick grasses. They're largely harmless, preferring to flee when possible, but they may go for the calves with their large, blunt teeth when cornered or struck. (They also taste good with mint sauce.)

Lover's Kiss — These little plants can be difficult to find, as they thrive under the grasses' shade, but when you find one, you find a lot of them. Each vine has fifty or more bright, red blooms, pinched at the sides and bowed in the middle like a pair of juicy lips. The Navarch requests that they be harvested; they're used in medicines on a neighboring planet and the Admiralty has asked the Peregrine to pick some up while we're in the area. Be careful, though: if you pluck them too roughly, they'll explode, and the red markings take weeks to wear off skin, even with dutiful scrubbing.

The Fishwives' Village — Five hours west is a small village close to the shore, home to...well, who knows if they're wives, but they have fish heads and bodies with humanoid arms and legs, and they wear little robes. Kind of like reverse mermaids. They are quite small, barely reaching four feet tall, and they speak their own language, leaving communication to little gesticulations and gestures. They live in small stone huts, arranged in concentric circles with a small market in the middle, and barter roast seafood, handicrafts, crabgrass beer, and small tools for off-world goods. Most of their culture seems to revolve around fishing and goods made of woven grasses. The fishwives are fussy about outsiders and carry little fishing spears when they visit, just in case.

The Shoreline — Long, long, long coastlines looking out at the sea, with beaches made up of smooth stones. There are plenty of interesting sea creatures to see in the rocky tide pools, but try not to handle anything indiscriminately (many things bite and some of those things are venomous). You can walk a long way out before the water gets deep, but be careful and make sure you aren't too far out when the tide comes in.

Rock Formations — Weathered in fascinating shapes from centuries of storms and high winds, these formations curl across the southeastern plains. They make swooping sounds when the wind passes through them, like deep and echoing woodwinds. Suneoff, resembling cat-sized mudskippers, dwell in the formations' shadow, while the bat-like knassu nest in the better protected crannies.

4. A Very Wet Last Day

Looks like we didn't manage to miss the rain. The storm clouds on the horizon take their sweet time to arrive, but on the last full day before departure, wardens and inmates will wake to the sound of heavy rain on the roofs of their tents. For some, it may be a struggle to leave the warm, dry confines of the tent to venture into rain. It's the kind that comes down relentlessly, soaking you to the skin within minutes, and cold to boot.

To make matters worse, the rain has transformed the long grasses into a veritable slip-n-slide. Step too quickly and you might find yourself shooting down a sloping hill, or at the very least on your ass. Visibility drops to barely twenty feet ahead.

Packing up in this? Ugh. We have to be back on the ship by nightfall! Anyone who isn't aboard gets left behind.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Welp. Guess it was too much to ask that he have an hour or two to simply smell the sea air and maybe try to relive some fond memories. Turning, he spots the unlucky inmate, and sighs.

Then he walks over, and offers a hand for Theo to pull himself up. He can take the help, or not. ]

Already sneaking away from your chaperone?

[It's probably not a surprise that he doesn't take the help. He's not one much for help, nor touching people. He pulls himself up, brushing himself off and grumbling.]

Don't have a warden. Not my problem.

[ It's not surprising in the least. Theo absolutely seems the sort to not believe he needs anyone, ever. From what Lucifer understands, he spent a couple of days hiding out on his own recently. Pretends not to need or want anyone, while simultaneously desperately wanting someone to care, to notice.

That's sort of what Lucifer sees, anyway. ]

So it won't be your problem if you run off somewhere and get left behind? Ready to escape the Peregrine and make a life with the local fish people?

[ He suspects the thought actually terrifies Theo. ]

[Nail on the head there, Lucifer. Theo stops in the middle of straighting his clothes to give him a wide-eyed stare for a moment as that thought hits him.]

What? God, no. I'd rather go back on that space garbage barge than stay here.

I'm not-- I'm just out here walking around, okay? I'm not doing anything. I don't need a fucking babysitter for that.

[Theo immediately reacts like he must be in trouble. Always on the defensive.]

So, you - sneaked off the ship, are sneaking around sneakily, trying to avoid all wardens, when you've been known to do similar in the past and have made threats to your own and others' safety on the network where everyone can see...

And you expect me to think you're completely innocent here, nothing to worry about, it's fine?

[ Theo. Kid. Lucifer's look is almost sympathetic. ]

I actually believe you, but you really need to do better than that, generally speaking.

[As he goes to through Theo's list of mistakes, he skitters back a few steps, scowling at him. Theo doesn't believe Lucifer believes him, and he doesn't want to go back to the ship yet. But if he tries to run on these rocks, he knows he won't get very far.]

Yeah, right. Like I said, I never got assigned a warden so that ain't my problem. I wasn't missing this chance to come out here, and if I get left behind, so what. You'd all be fucking relieved, I'm sure.

[ Oh, he definitely won't get very far with Lucifer watching him. The taller man doesn't move, however. He makes no indication of trying to stop Theo from running, if that's what he really wants to do. Lucifer's stance is relaxed, actually. Pretty casual.

He can read Theo like a book. Maybe he's just that transparent, or maybe it's that Lucifer sees a lot of the person he used to be in him - maybe a bit of both. Pushing people away before they get a chance to hurt him, or before he gets a chance to hurt them? Yeah, that's right out of Lucifer's old playbook, even if the specifics of the behavior were a little different. ]

You don't want to be left behind, but it would certainly prove you right, wouldn't it? That none of us can be trusted. That no one could possibly believe you're worth the trouble. But the Navarch clearly thinks you might be, otherwise you wouldn't have been brought to the ship in the first place. It takes a lot of power to pull people from different universes, you know. Lots more than I have. And someone went to the trouble, for you.

[While Lucifer continues, Theo takes a few more unsure steps backward, slipping once but staying on his feet. The more Lucifer just calls him out completely, the more scared he looks. He slowly shakes his head, becoming more emphatic once he makes his last point. The fear is once again covered up by anger, which seems like a never ending well in the his boy.]

That's her mistake! I didn't ask for this! [More lying. He agreed, desperate and scared.]. And no, of course you can't be trusted! This is just some fucking job for you all, and-- and if you're the goddamn Devil like you claim--

[He slips a bit again, his thoughts cut off by cursing again loudly.]

Fucking hell--!

[ So angry. Lucifer keeps his cool, though - he's gotten pretty good at that - although, when Theo slips again, he automatically closes the space between them, gripping the young man's elbow to steady him. He doesn't need to incur a head injury, after all. ]

Careful.

Don't-- [Theo tenses sharply at Lucifer's touch, roughly pulling his arm away. Probably also not a surprise that someone like this doesn't like other people touching him, either.]

I-I don't need-- I'll take myself back to the ship if I have to. You can go back to... whatever it was you were doing out here.

[ Yeah, Lucifer is neither surprised nor offended that Theo isn't interested in being touched. He's just making sure the kid doesn't sprain an ankle or crack his head open on a rock! ]

Well, I was enjoying the beach. Which is what I assume you were doing. I don't see why we can't both enjoy it.

[ So no, he's not going to kick you off the beach, or make you go back to the ship. He's going to chaperone you. ]

[Theo looks skeptical. Lucifer gets some side-eye.]

I... can stay.

[He looks around to make sure the rest of the beach is empty. Just him and Lucifer. At least there was no one else here. Okay, fine. Not ideal, but he'll take it.]

Good!

[ Theo can side-eye all he wants. Lucifer's calling it a win. ]

I particularly like beaches. I lived in Los Angeles for about ten years; a number of important things happened to me on the beach. What about you?

[ Yes, he is absolutely going to try and make conversation. ]

[Theo wasn't about to just chat it up with a warden, and especially not this one.

That is, until he mentions LA. Theo scoffs.]

Of course you'd live in Los Angeles.

[There's a pause from Theo as he looks out over the rocks and water. He couldn't pin the feeling down, but he was homesick. He'd never left his home city in his life before coming here.]

... I'm from San Francisco.

It seemed the opposite of Hell in every significant way. But still warm.

[ Lucifer isn't a fan of cold weather. But! This is good information! And he doesn't miss that pause, either - the way Theo seems to be looking at nothing in particular for a moment. Lucifer has become more observant of others in addition to becoming more self-aware, and he senses a certain homesickness.

He's pretty much always lowkey homesick for LA, so he may just be projecting. ]

Do you miss it?

[ He thinks it's a legitimate question - for a long time, if anyone had asked him if he missed the Silver City, his answer would've been Hell no, despite the fact that he'd been forcibly kicked out. ]

Huh. Really? Woulda figured they'd have had a lot in common.

[A few different emotions cross Theo's face briefly when asked that question, though, and he responds by finding a nearby dry rock to sit on. God, what he wouldn't do for a cigarette right now.

He continues looking out over the water, actively avoiding looking at Lucifer.]

Anything's better than that fucking ship.

There are far, far worse places to be.

[ Lucifer sighs, his expression turning serious. ]

Los Angeles is full of light and life and people seeking what they desire most. Hell was dark and despairing and full of people torturing themselves for their worst guilt. It was my prison, as much as theirs - but I could leave it, and they couldn't. Not without help.

[ It is the absolute, literal truth. But he could just as easily be talking about the Peregrine, too. ]

[Theo can draw that parallel, and he finally turns to look up at Lucifer. When not angry, Theo just looks so tired, so dull around the edges. At least with the anger, it brought out some life in him. A fighting spirit, even if just in the interest of self-preservation.]

And you traded that, for this. [He extends an arm to the vast, empty beach around them. As nice as it is to be off the ship, as much as he loves the beach, it was still so empty to him. San Francisco was always teeming with life.]

I returned to Hell, to make it better. To help other souls escape it.

[ Lucifer nods. ]

And I'm here to do the same, for a time. So, yes. I gave up my life in Los Angeles.

[ He's pretty chill about it. He looks at Theo steadily. He does look tired. Perhaps that could be helped, too, in time. With the right warden. ]

... You're fuckin' nuts. I shouldn't be shocked, I guess.

[Theo brings his knees to his chest, watching the waves as the tide slowly brings them closer.]

You could do whatever the hell you want, and you wanna do this.

[ Lucifer chuckles. ]

That's one way of putting it, yeah.

And maybe, someday, you'll understand why I'm crazy enough to do this. Anything is possible.

[ After all, the Devil is a good guy now, etc. ]

[Theo gives that a derisive huff.]

Yeah, right. As if I'll ever understand anything that the De-- that you do.

[Still struggling with the whole idea that this guy is Lucifer. Or so he claims. Theo believes it more than he lets on. To him it was just the cruel irony of this place to bring in someone like Lucifer as a warden. Just wait til he meets Loki.]

Am I so far beyond human comprehension? I don't think I am.

[ His entirely human therapist was pretty good at understanding him, for the most part. ]

For instance, my parents? They were never around. Especially Dad. He worked all the time. He'd occasionally give us some command, or order, and expected it to be carried out to the letter - and we did. We went above and beyond, even, because my siblings and I just wanted Him to notice us, approve of us. He never did, though. And it made me... so angry.

[ He's resolved these issues, but it's not difficult for him to conjure up the memory of his anger and frustration, infuse it into his story, letting the truth of his feelings out as he explains. It might be a bit of a shot in the dark, opening up to Theo like this, but maybe not the pitch dark. He thinks there's a target he's aiming for. ]

[There's a moment there where Theo peeks back up at Lucifer, brow furrowed as he considers the story. Theo had spent his whole short life just trying to get someone, anyone to pay attention to him.

He wraps his arms around his knees. If Theo could make himself any smaller at this point, he'd probably vanish.]

You make it sound so-- normal. Your "siblings", your "Dad". Like it didn't have consequences on the whole of existence.

I call them that because that's what they are. They're my family.

[ He knows the feeling. Craving attention, needing to not feel alone all the time. He probably went about it in far different ways than Theo did, given the boy ended up here, but the core desire was likely the same. ]

Every action has consequences. Back then, I didn't care. I'd get Dad's attention or destroy myself in the attempt. He sent me to Hell, instead. A failure, and a monster. And then humans decided to tell and re-tell the story, use it in all kinds of ways over the millennia. And I became the eternal villain.

PORT: MEODRIOTOPE

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