{action}

[guidance]

base:

[waking up, Fi finds herself definitely not in water. everything about the situation registers on her systems as new, and yet corresponding to the dream that was so fresh in memory. curious. strange. worthy of investigation - instinctively, she knows that to sit and wait idly is not the best course of action. there will be time for rest later.

so she begins to look around, beginning from the second floor, leaving the Sea Equipment room with the drone that had greeted her following behind after they exchange telepathic pleasantries and "Miss Fi" states her intentions. nowhere that anyone else can go is off limits in her investigation. Fi floats, gliding in the air gracefully, taking in locations and what the rooms seem to be purposed for. all for the sake of data. all for the sake of understanding and building a complete map as soon as possible. poking her head into everything, she can't be anything else other than another new arrival.

Fi doesn't greet others first, but she pauses and will remain a respectful distance away from them when she sees them, looking and observing who they are and what they seem like to her. sorry to those that find the looks that are halfway to staring more unsettling than polite. she wants the lay of the land before anything else, including names.]

water:

[of course, the base is not the only place to go. the world outside is far greater in scale and still calls to her to come and see without stopping. a wetsuit is not even a thought for her, and she drifts through the water as she is, a streak of blue that doesn't so much swim as simply travel through the water. but her work is interrupted by those of the aquatic species that come to satisfy their own curiosity, the more bold or friendly sorts coming closer and causing her to halt and acknowledge them.

for them, she drifts a little, lets them come closer or turns so that the edges of her cape fan out, as interested in them as they are her. the concept of some of them being dangerous is there, but she wants to know. wants to see them, record them, take in the data about them if it's allowed. in a way, she looks like she's having fun, as though they're innocently trying to communicate instead of a mutual moment of trying to understand what the other species is about.

there are different types - rabbitrays, some are called, gasopods another, or hoverfish another group, so URSULA's logs will say when she looks at them later. so much to learn. so much to see.]

wildcard.

[Fi is pretty much anywhere and everywhere right now, so if you have a scene in mind you want, go for it! cave exploring, floating in the dreamscape, whatever's wished.]

Comments

[splinten]

[He senses her approach and catches sight of her movements. Either URSULA has gone and taken her own leap with the coolest interface he never thought to design, or it's a newcomer.]

Nice moves there. Very sleek.

[What. He's impressed?]

[guidance]

My movements?

[she can process the compliment to them, and bows her head as a way of acknowledging it.]

Fluidity is an essential component in them. Thank you.

[okay, maybe that's not the right way to accept when someone praises you, but she isn't sure a simple thanks like she's heard some say is sufficient.]

[splinten]

[Okay, yes. Dirk is not great at human interactions but he is clearly outclassed here. He doesn't object; in fact, he feels chill talking to her. He is used to (things that are like) robots.]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say you're a new arrival here. Have you gotten debriefed on the situation?

[guidance]

Yes, I was made aware of our responsibilities as members of this crew upon my awakening.

[the drone had been very amiable to her getting the basic spiel and asking several questions. it matched with the concept she had in her mind - the dream that had pulled her. even if she was only a visitor, it did no harm to be here. as long as the tasks before were settled.]

Fi is the name I am called.

[because that's what you do in this situation - you give them your designation, so they might speak easier.]

[splinten]

Cool. Mine's Dirk Strider.

[There's definitely something about her. He almost feels like he should introduce her to Horo some time. They speak the same language. And are blue. (He hopes to God Jake does not get a thing for Fi too. Dammit, Jake. You have the weirdest fetish.) He decides at the least he wants to keep an eye on Fi. He has an instinct whenever it comes to people like... that.]

Is there anything I can help you with? Aside from giving you a heads-up about our future ice rink, where you will clearly wreck the competition.

water

[potentite]

[Jake happens to spy her around some rabbitrays. He stops, staring at her.]

...Um...

[She is so so pretty. Wow. Shit, no, he needs to not stare. And say something? Don't be weird? But he's already flustered.]

Um. Hello, miss. Lovely rabbitrays you have there.

[Nailed it.]

[guidance]

[his staring is noted, but categorized as something natural, an instinctive reaction upon seeing a spirit such as herself. humans needed to process such things.]

Hello.

[unlike him, she's sedate, the rabbitrays swimming around her.]

They appear to be intrigued by my presence here.

[potentite]

[He hesitates before swimming closer, stopping far enough away not to scare her. Though he really doubts she could be startled by him but he doesn't want to test it.]

They're playful critters, so don't worry about them going off into a tizzy. They just like to be friendly.

[guidance]

[definitely not scared of him, and instead she watches the reactions of some of the rabbitrays, something like a vague smile on her lips to see them play. how bright.]

I would be more concerned if they perceived myself as a threat. Friendliness is in adequate supply here.

[potentite]

[It's kind of a weird way to be watched but then again he keeps trying not to stare so who is weird here?]

Friendly and rambunctious is the name of the game! So, forgive me for being forward, but you don't appear human... Again curse my curiosity but from what species do you hail?

[expulsions]

[Fi isn't the only one in the water today without a wetsuit. Percy's jumped back into the ocean to explore on his own though he seems to lazily be letting the water carry him wherever it wishes to carry him. He doesn't plan to venture too far from the base just yet and it's for this reason he's busy watching the rabbitrays play together.

However, they seem to have found a new playmate and zip forward, leaving Percy in their dust.]

Where're you going? [His voice might echo to Fi even if he's trying to talk to the fish. He'll swim forward, cutting through the water to catch up before he stops a few feet away from the newcomer.] Oh.

[...give him a moment to look her over. What is she? He just doesn't know. But that doesn't stop him from watching the animals curiously check on Fi.] These kind are really friendly but they scare pretty easy too.

[guidance]

[her cape floats in the water, and her head turns to follow the creatures, studying them but saying nothing for a second while she takes in their coloration and patterns.]

They have nothing to fear in my presence. They should not be scared.

[she lets them swim around her as they would, one of the bolder ones coming up under her cape to dart through.

[expulsions]

I don't know if telling them not to be scared is gonna work on all of them. [He watches the fish duck in and out of Fi's cape even as he swims closer.] Have you ever done this before?

[guidance]

Have I done what? Communicated with fish?

[it's an honest question, as most questions are with her. so far she's determined that careful movements are the best to not unduly startle the creatures, and that they are more attuned to simple things.]

[expulsions]

Yeah. You don't seem to mind that they're circling you like that.

[forsage]

[ roderic hadn't noticed at first, focused on grooming a sleeping daisy's fur to keep her nice and neat. (because one of them had to be and roderic is a lost cause at this point.)

only when he accidentally drops the comb - "dammit." - and reaches down to grab it back up does he notice that someone else is in the room and jesus whoa. he needs to bite down on his tongue to make a sound, not wanting to wake up his dog as he lamely raises his hand to show he sees them now. ]

Um… Hiya.

Take it that you're new here, huh?

[ because he likes to think he would remembering seeing… them. ]

[guidance]

Yes, I am. Do not be alarmed.

[which is something she has to say, noting his reaction. drifting closer without invitation, she takes in the room, and despite her neutral expression her curiosity is plain. the drone stays by the doorway since they're not needed at the moment.]

[forsage]

[ how many times had he heard that being true after ackerly started a brawl with someone?

well… actually… it always turned out to be true most of the time so hm- ]

Will not to be. Name's Roderic. [ he inclines his head in greeting to make up for his lame wave just a second ago.

feeling a little bit more at peace for some reason, he looks back down to the dozing dog at his side and thinks maybe introductions should still be made. ] This here is Daisy. Cute as a button and smart as a human. Don't let her sleepiness fool you though. She's a lean, mean fighting machine when it comes to protecting the base.

[ judging by the hesitant smile on his face, it seems like he was trying to make a joke. ]

[guidance]

Roderic. Daisy. My name is Fi. Greetings.

[she comes closer so she can look at them, man and dog both. almost like someone who would touch if it was allowed, but Daisy's calm should be preserved.]

I offer no threat to the base, so she should not have reason to fight.

[is it a joke back? is it Fi taking his words literally? who knows.]

[forsage]

Ah. That's… good.

[ those are the exact words going through his head as he looks at fi, trying to decide if he should continue to crack a joke or, you know, actually make conversation.

daisy makes it easy for him. the ruckus, quiet as it is, is still enough to rouse the dog up from her sleeping. upon seeing a new, and unfamiliar, face, she stands up and immediately scampers over to fi as she gives out a happy bark. hello, new face! hello! ]

Daisy-! What did I tell you about approaching strangers? [ he looks embarrassed as he turns his attention back to fi, rubbing the back of his neck. ] Sorry 'bout her. I think she's hoping you'll give her a pat on the head or a scratch behind the ears.

base

[inject]

[ Currently, Valentine was taking notes on the Disease culture pots. She was aware that someone else was in the room - in her line of work, she couldn't afford not to be - but she didn't turn around to see who or what it was. Probably a good thing; she didn't want to be distracted right now. ]

If you're not wearing protective gear, or at least respirator, I suggest getting out.

[ Since she was wearing one, she spoke telepathically. ]

[guidance]

Protective gear is unnecessary for me. However, if you would like me to leave, I can certainly do so.

[the telepathy that comes back is factual, almost immediate like a conversation would be. unless Valentine tells her to leave again, Fi continues in her observations of this section of the base - she touches and disturbs nothing, she is only looking, even coming closer in her scanning of the room, calculating what it is used for.]

[inject]

[ Valentine turned around and - raised her brows. She'd seen weirder things than Fi before, but it didn't mean she wasn't surprising to see. She struck a very elegant figure, and looked both manufactured and entirely... well, spiritual.

Like a remote parasite. ]

Decontaminate yourself and you can come as close as you like.

[ She turned around, but her body thrummed with tension - like she was waiting to see what Fi might do. ]

[guidance]

[her tension was noted, but Fi said nothing in regards to it, instead going off to where she and the drone can be decontaminated. it will press the buttons needed, and then she returns to peer at what Valentine is doing. innocent, absent of any bloodlust or danger.]

What is it that you are working on?

[inject]

[ She wondered if she'd be able to test this... woman? It would be interesting to see if she resonated with Theonic energy. ]

I'm examining the culture pots that we've been growing the Disease that was contracted here.

[ The 'Jellyshroom Sickness.' She jerked her head in the direction of a free datapad. ]

There are details on there.

[ She was still thrumming with repressed energy, trying to make herself aware of Fi's movements and motions without outright looking at her. She really was quite fascinating. ]