DUNGEON LOG: KEYSTONE SHORE

[phantasmods]

The morning of the 9th, everyone will get a message sent to their communication devices -

Okay, guys! I think we have enough stabilizers to try and get the shoreline stable. If you want to help out, grab your supplies and come on up to the roof!

When characters arrive at the roof, they'll find Top - with a wheeling table full of many copies of the same odd-looking device - the two exploratory drones, and a ramp down off the roof to the ground. (The latter looks a little hastily constructed.)

"Okay," Top says, picking up one of the devices. "Here's the stabilizers. Stick them to walls and stuff - mostly out of the way places where they're not going to get knocked off - and then press the buttons along the side."

They demonstrate, unfolding the set of legs at one end of the device before showing the buttons to anyone who's close enough. "Go ahead and take a couple, especially if you've got one of those space-saving inventories going on, I know there's like four of you with those? Strange got some first aid kits together, too, if you want."

Sure enough, another table nearby has the med kits... As well as traditional paper bag lunches, courtesy of Bottom. Don't question it too much.

"We'll be staying back here to keep track of the stabilization progress and work the drones," Top says, "but don't hesitate to call if you get in trouble! We'll send one of these guys down to get you an evac if you need it."

And with that, you're free to go down the ramp... Or to make for the beach however else you might choose to go.

Comments

Glitterstone, 9 night

[founderinglight]

[It is, indeed, nighttime.

Which tends to make some people a bit more jittery than normal. Good thing the stars are bright enough to see that the figure is humanoid...

Also, a good thing that Izunia still has Prompto's button flashlight clipped to his scarf at the neck. He still really obviously jumps at the sound of Jetshard's footsteps, whirling around with his rapier coming to hand in a gleam of blue.

Then the light falls on a familiar outline of horns, and he relaxes and sighs.]

I'm starting to think I shouldn't be out here at night, that's the second time I've nearly jumped someone.

[dubiouslychthonic]

[Jetshard takes several very quick steps backward as he pulls the sword, lifting her hands to show them empty. As he relaxes, she lowers her hands, releasing a breath she hadn't been consciously aware of holding.] Shit, Izunia, that is one hell of a startle response. Remind me never to try and sneak up on you.

[founderinglight]

My apologies. It really is a nighttime problem - I'm far more secure in places that are well-lit.

[At least he didn't actually stab her. The rapier vanishes in another sparkle of blue.]

[dubiouslychthonic]

[She appreciates not being stabbed. She would greater appreciate not having had to wonder if she was about to be stabbed, but not being stabbed is in fact a positive outcome.]

...is that why you keep sleeping in well-lit public spaces up at the station?

[She'd wondered, but hadn't quite figured how to ask.]

[founderinglight]

Part of the reason, yes. The other part is simply the nature of the chronic fatigue that runs in my family due to our magic. We all tire more easily than average as a result.

[So he just... keeps gear to nap wherever, rather than forcing himself to return to his room.]

[dubiouslychthonic]

I see. [Her professional side wants to press more on that front - dietary supplements? Hormonal support? There are ways to mitigate burnout and fatigue in psychic trolls, she wonders if there's similar for magical humans - but her diplomatic and cautious sides agree that needling him over it on a dark beach is pretty much the worst choice.]

Well, if you're intent on defying your own circadian rhythms, do you want to explore together a bit? My vision's more than sufficient for these light levels.

[founderinglight]

[Hey, at least he's not doing anything with it that would actually have a worse effect than some fatigue. Also it's not like he ever minds talking comparative biology with her.]

Humans are remarkably flexible in that regard. Prompto lent me his light, so I'm happy to explore if you are.

[dubiouslychthonic]

I'd argue the point, but I was up well before noon today, so I don't really have a walkstub to stand on here.

[She's starting to feel it, but on the other hand, lately she's spent as much time staring at the ceiling - and listening to the knife roomba rattle around inside the cabinet she's shut it up inside - as she has sleeping, and being outside and moving around is enough to keep her alert for now.]

Just tray and keep the light out of my eyes and we'll be good.

[founderinglight]

Walkstub?

[Okay, he can't not be a little amused at that, if only because he'd expect leg to be a perfectly serviceable translation. The attempt at the Alternian word is passable enough, at least.]

[dubiouslychthonic]

[She smiles, ruefully.] Too much time spent among lowblooded eight-sweep-olds will do a number on a person's vocabulary.

[founderinglight]

I suppose mine isn't likely to be much better, considering. But that's still am interesting one.

[Noctis did not do great things for his own vocabulary.]

[dubiouslychthonic]

The current trend seems to be cramming as many syllables into an unsuspecting word as possible. Or maybe I'm just getting old and less patient with deciphering the more complicated ones.

[founderinglight]

Kids these days.

[They're just a couple of old people gently mocking the youth.]

Though that's probably better than indecipherable memes.

[dubiouslychthonic]

Oh, mothers, yes. Or compulsive punning. One of the girls speaks almost entirely in cat puns, if you'd believe that. [The Huntress - as she's more or less consistently insisting on being called these days - generally has a good head on her shoulders, but... the cat puns. Jetshard chuckles, and shakes her head.] But then, the historical record indicates here ancestor did as well, throughout her life.

[founderinglight]

...I can honestly say that that's not a problem I'm aware of any human having.

[Horrible puns, yes. Communicating almost entirely in them, not so much.]

[dubiouslychthonic]

Some people say it's a sign of an unusually strong custodial bond, but honestly I'm fairly sure that in the vast majority of cases it's an intentionally cultivated habit. Or starts out as one, at least.

[founderinglight]

I'm inclined to agree, if only because I can't see how the logic in the former follows at all.

[dubiouslychthonic]

I mean, there are plenty of weird behavioral tics that can result from a kid getting insufficient socialization because their lusus limits their access to other trolls. But I'm not convinced that it has any real impact on linguistic development.

[founderinglight]

...I think your species does family structures significantly differently from anything I'm familiar with. As well as language acquisition.

[dubiouslychthonic]

...Ah, right. Given that even closely related non-troll species don't have the same kind of highly variable brood parasitism, I think that's probably a safe bet.

[founderinglight]

...An extremely safe one.

[He's a mammal.]

Humans tend to stick with close genetic relatives until at least sexual maturity. Not always, but enough of the time that "you were raised by your parents" is a safe enough assumption.

[dubiouslychthonic]

Troll larvae are tended to communally by the Auxilliatrices of the brooding caverns, and turned over to the custody of their lusus naturae guardians somewhere around their primary metamorphosis. Most of us never meet a close genetic relative, or at least not close enough to be positively identified as such.

"Parents" [And that's a mostly-successful attempt at repeating the word he'd used,] doesn't really translate.

[founderinglight]

Direct genetic relative, with a connotation of caretaking and general responsibility for the child in question. Are you familiar with mammalian sexual reproduction in general, or do you need a fuller description?

[At least he's old enough that the Talk doesn't make him awkward.]

[dubiouslychthonic]

I'm familiar. [She does have a pretty solid biology education.] Biologically it's straightforward enough. The word's just got connotations that the Alternian language would very rarely assign to people, is all.

[founderinglight]

Meanwhile, in human languages, we wouldn't assign those connotations to anything that wasn't. Or, at least, not in regards to the guardians of people.

I take it you don't have a notion of siblings, either.