JELLY SHROOM CAVE BASE EXPLORATION | ACTION

[imsorey]

[In the early morning, just after breakfast is cleaned up, Sorey sends a telepathic broadcast to whoever is still currently hanging around the base:

Hey everyone! We found a strange cave way down deep in the tunnels a couple of weeks ago, and the fish down there told us there were humans living down there somehow! We’re going to check it out today. You’re welcome to come with, but bring some kind of shielding, all right? There’s a whole bunch of Tiger Plants on the route, and those spikes they shoot are no joke!

Mikleo chimes in: If you have swimming troubles, I should be able to take you around, though a couple of you might want to bring Seaglides as well. We mapped out a partial safe route, but keep in mind there’s some very large predators, and the water pressure’s going to be pretty intense if you move too far from us down there. Come prepared for that.

Should you as an intrepid explorer decide to venture down into the tunnels with them, there’s plenty to see. Glowing Jelly Shrooms are scattered across the caves, the only bit of light offered so far down in the dark. Sorey and Mikleo will lead the group in a careful circuit through them, not going too close. It’s easy to see why when a couple of Crabsnakes poke their heads out curiously.

The abandoned base the group will come across is small but has some useful items if you care to take a look. There’s also a dully glowing three-person Seamoth to be discovered not too far away, out of power, if any technologically-inclined people want to figure out how to get that back to base for use.

((OOC: Open mission post for Jelly Shroom Base Exploration! Sorey and Mikleo will tag whoever tags in, but feel free to jump other people as well and branch your explorations out separately if you’d like. There’s a lot to find!))

Comments

[potentite]

[Ah he's so obvious about everything isn't he? Dirk staring at him just makes his heart beat faster though and he stretches his foot down to poke Ripley in her shell, distracting himself when she tries to catch it.

It's not the smartest distraction but he has to focus on something other than Dirk for a few seconds.]

We could ride herd on for a jaunt once I understand how driving works. It always looked fun in movies.

[There has yet to be a Fast and the Furious movie underwater okay.]

[splinten]

[Dirk's eyes flicker down to follow the foot. Ripley is so aggressive. Jake is definitely trying to distract himself. Dirk should back off.

It takes him about ten seconds to convince himself to drift a little further away from Jake instead of leaning back against the hull and pulling Jake to him by the waist. He rubs at his mouth to kill the feeling.]

I'll get my toolkit on standby for the crash.

[They will totally crash. It will be glorious.]

[potentite]

[Jake watches Dirk move, how strangely graceful he always looks underwater, and Ripley almost catches his foot because of it. Damn it. He tears his eyes away to watch the snail instead.]

Huh? Wait, I won't washout! What makes you think I would?

[splinten]

[Ripley can't save them every time. Dirk grips the side of the seamouth. Ripley will save them this time though.]

Basic statistical analysis.

[potentite]

I've never crashed anything. Falling out of trees doesn't count.

[splinten]

Good job, Jake. You made a technically true statement that has the surface appearance of supporting your claim.

It's a shame I know your entire history with vehicles, which is to say, that you have none.

[potentite]

Oh my god. [He can't huff but it's there mentally.] That means I could be an excellent driver. We don't know either way. But the truth is that I haven't crashed yet.

[Yes he is using that faulty logic because he knows it's faulty but you can't prove it wrong.]

[splinten]

Fuckin' flawless argumentation. You should sell the idea to Hollywood: they're the only people who would buy it.

[This is the hill they will die on.]

[potentite]

[They've died on stupider hills and you know it.

Also he knows that's a major insult but he doesn't care. He actually likes Hollywood.]

Now that's a bad argument. It borders on ad hominem!

[splinten]

You're right. Let me make it clear.

The concept of the 'talented amateur' who has absolutely no experience with a subject but somehow is perfect at it is total bullshit. Ben Affleck of all fuckin' people knew that when he criticized Michael Bay for his poor conceptual thinking in Armageddon, and at least the drillers had some basic transferrable skills. You have never operated any kind of vehicle in your life. Neither have I. Without any training, supervision, or AI guidance, probability favours the pair of us slamming into a reef over any successful first expedition.

[potentite]

[He folds his arms.]

Ouch. That's cold, man...

[Your own star insulting your script? Just wow. Ouch. Ouuuch.

Not that he doesn't know it's a stupid trope, too. It's not like he ever proved to be special in a useful way. But the appeal of turning out to be special in the way everyone needs is still his favourite thing in movies. Chosen ones and prophesies and everything in-between. Maybe he'll always feel too attached to that.

Well, whatever. He mentally huffs again.]

What if I practiced without you knowing? Then I would seem like a prodigy.

[Not that he would because he can't even lie to look cool but still.]

[splinten]

In the unlikely scenario that you train without my knowledge, then you're right: that's how it would appear. But in fact, you would have worked hard and earned your skills.

Frankly, a conman who pretends he's a prodigy while working in secret to perfect his skills sounds like a more interesting movie premise to me.

[He would absolutely watch that film. It sounds interesting.]

[potentite]

[For some reason that surprises him, blinking a few times.]

Really? You'd think that was cool?

[splinten]

[He tilts his head. The response surprises him a little. But he explains it clearly.]

One, the premise isn't overplayed and offers an interesting turn on the usual structure.

But more than that, into the general philosophy of aptitude, natural talent is unreliable. I have respect for genius, but not without work. Someone who works for what they want, trains, pushes themselves towards competency through determination and effort, is a much more appealing hero to me than someone who trips into gifts they never even thought about.

[potentite]

[In other words, it doesn't matter if someone is special or not? It matters how they end up being. That makes sense. But they still end up special, it just takes longer.

Oh, like a Page.

He resists laughing but only barely. That's incredibly stupid. If he thinks about it, he's not special because he's a Page. He's a Page because he just has the potential to be special. It's not even a guarantee, just something he can do. Which also happens to go along with his amazingly lame powers that don't do anything when he actually wants them to. If he keeps working on himself, then maybe...

Maybe maybe maybe. Only a maybe. But a maybe is better than anything he's had, right?]

I like that idea. If you find a movie like that, let's watch it.

[splinten]

Of course.

[He brushes his thumb over Jake's cheek, and the water moves away where he touches.]

No one I'd rather watch with, bro.

[potentite]

[Okay now he's definitely warm and staring a little. But he feels a little more content than before.]

You're absolutely aces, Dirk. I mean it.

[splinten]

[Dirk's fingers slip underneath Jake's jaw. Carefully, they trace the line.]

You're pretty incredible yourself, Jake.

[potentite]

[It's a familiar gesture that sends his heart reeling faster than his thoughts can catch it.]

Dirk...?

[splinten]

[His fingers stop at Jake's chin.

And then he's flashstepped about a meter away.]

My bad.

Sorry.

[potentite]

[He fidgets with the hem of his shirt, glancing away.]

I'm sorry. Do you want me to leave? Would that be easier for you right now?

[splinten]

[He goes back to holding onto the Seamoth as a point of stability.]

Come on, man. Stick around.

What's a little unresolved sexual tension between friends?

[DIRK STRIDER PLAYIN' IT SO COOL]

[potentite]

[Now he's embarrassed for entirely different reasons, so it works?]

Strider! If the whole point of this exercise weren't to keep my mitts off you, I'd scrum with you right now!

[His automatic desire to is to fight him over everything yes.]

[splinten]

Huh. I'm surprised.

I didn't think you'd overestimate your ability to get any 'mitts' on me in the water.

[FITE HIM BRO HE IS IN HIS GODDAMNED ELEMENT]

[potentite]

[Wow excuse you.]

I didn't think you'd underestimate my ability to hit you anywhere.