That Time They All Met in the CQ

[chiseler]

[Let's be honest, nobody had time to info-share Monday what with motives going live after they came down from the top-level deck and also…you know. The whole awkward thing with the corpse. That happened.

Arrangements are made, the whiteboard's been moved and…there's a wedding.

What the fuck, Cradle.

Either way, assume that Luke found your character in person, sent a message via Furry Passing or contacted them via some other means to inform them about a group meeting up in the Captain's Quarters after the wedding to talk about their findings from the day before.

He's not a leader, and it's probably clear from the way he's leaning against the wall next to the whiteboard and dumping handfuls of space-brand Skittles into his mouth.]

All right…so this happened. [This, of course, being the top deck.] We were all up here yesterday and so we should probably start figuring stuff out. It weirds me out that Alice let us up here now after all this time. [He shrugs.] Who wants to go first?

Comments

[bloodteller]

If it's bodies in there, that's a form of food, right?

...Sorry, it was just waiting to be said.

[monsieurchatastrophe]

Uh. Jason set up my wedding this morning for some reason? Oh, and he got married to Elizabeth, too.

[he is even wearing a second, tackier ring on his other hand. it's pink violet. this happened. aNYWAY MOVING ON TO CLEARLY MORE IMPORTANT TOPICS]

The vents are pretty big. We can crawl through them okay. [why is it that luke and he went in the vents. on so many occasions. they could've died. why] But... maybe it'd make sense for them to be smaller, if they're like parasites? Though I don't know what the black thing could be if it's not one of them. Maybe they can change sizes...

[this is a horrifying conversation]

[todorable]

So only a couple of them came? And the crew killed them--they said they could--but instead they messed up and didn't get them all? ...Do you think Rhys really did have babies.

[bloodteller]

...Congratulations? [ probably? ] Let Jason know I'll cut his dick off if he hurts Elizabeth. [ maybe he'll take it more seriously if it's coming out of adrien's mouth. sorry ]

I know. I've been, too. They change and a lot of the pathways get really small, though. I don't know... if they can change size, then why choose a host at all? Maybe they can change more than just their size.

[monsieurchatastrophe]

... That's not what I was getting at.

[BUT NOW IT'S ALL HE CAN THINK OF. TOTTY. WHY!!!]

I just... There's got to be a reason why they hunt in small groups? When animals hunt together it's to corner their prey, but if they're outnumbered, then it's... I don't know. Weird.

[monsieurchatastrophe]

I'll ... relay the message?

[or WILL HE. probably not.]

Well... they changed Rhys and Elizabeth's bodies, right? They were all. [makes a rawr gesture. this is completely wrong for this setting, but thanks for trying] You know. Messed up. But maybe they're not that strong without a host body to change?

[toprotecttheworld]

And that's the problem!

How could she not have any idea? We were supposed to be let up there, apparently, but what did she think the Captain was doing during all that time? How could she have missed that?

[bloodteller]

Please do! [ look at this angelic face, why would you deny her this!!! ]

If we're assuming that the thing Jack saw in the video was the alien, that kind of debunks that, doesn't it...? But it's a good thought. Maybe they need host bodies to do something they can't do. I wonder... If it's like a virus... what's a virus without a host, anyway?

[monsieurchatastrophe]

[because he doesn't want to talk to jason about his dick obviously???]

That's why I asked. That black thing... it doesn't look like something that'd need a host. [and then, hesitantly, because he's not sure he likes where she's going with the virus/host thing:] Usually the way to get rid of a virus is a vaccine. Maybe that's what those weird executions are. Some kind of vaccine for the aliens.

[bloodteller]

[ that does... get a moment of pause from her. ]

We both know Elizabeth is fine.

[ it's a firm, almost defensive statement. liz is a-ok. they both know that. ]

[monsieurchatastrophe]

She is. Whatever Alice did, it worked. But... Rhys isn't.

[killing people only makes them dead]

[bloodteller]

What are you trying to say, Adrien?

[ okay maybe there's a tiny, tiny note of panic in her voice now. she just wanted to ask about his suit and then to tell him to pass a message to jason why is this nightmare hour ]

[monsieurchatastrophe]

The only way we have right now to save the hosts is to have Alice deal with them. That's all I'm saying. [he bites his lip, hesitating] But that's not a real solution, because the only way for that is-- for them to be revealed to her, and that's been in trials. We're talking about a murder for a murder. I don't know.

[whispers why is it always goddamn murder]

Maybe if we could find and capture them first... Rhys was already dead, and he was loose on the ship. Maybe that's why she couldn't do it with him.

[todorable]

[it always comes back to mpreg]

...How weird?

[look we don't have animals in tokyo other than crows and cockroaches and they're both massive and mean]

[monsieurchatastrophe]

Well. Maybe weird is the wrong word. I don't know that much, [he's fifteen and all his experience with animals is the local zoo, lbr, paris has mostly pigeons] and it's not the same because animals hunt for food, not "hosts". But... Animals who've evolved to hunt in packs instead of alone do it for a reason. Usually because it's easier and benefits the whole group, otherwise they'd just hunt alone. When they hunt in packs, they've also got specifics roles, like ... distracting or tracking or something. I don't know that this means anything here, but... Maybe the reason they're hunting like they are is that they have roles to follow? Like a real hunting pack.

[todorable]

So...you think that's why no one's acted since Rhys? Whoever's left has roles that aren't "get shot by Jack"?

[monsieurchatastrophe]

... Okay, when you put it like that, it sounds stupid. It was just an idea.

[todorable]

Huh? No... That's not what I was getting at, especially not on your special day. You might be on to something.

[monsieurchatastrophe]

[he flushes a bit at the mention of his wedding because. of course he does. he is twelve.]

You think so? They might also have just been trying to lay low. We got two of them in a week, if there's only five...

[todorable]

[if he was embarrassed maybe he shouldn't have told anyone (as if gossip can be avoided in this place)]

Either way, if they're out there, they're being smart about it. There haven't even been noises in the grates.

[monsieurchatastrophe]

[no it's a happy flushing. he is still on a high from being married. let him live. or rather let him die and free me from this, honestly.]

They've got to know we're looking for it now after what happened with Rhys, and with what Shelley pulled when she... [murdered. ugh.] Point is, we're expecting vents, and we've been pretty loud about it.

[todorable]

But no one's been sucked through one, so that's something. Maybe they've been too intimidated by the normal human killers, they figured they'd just sit back and enjoy.

[refactor]

[ thumbs up from jack ]

[ Because maybe, maybe shooting Rhys was a dick move, but he'll never apologize for revealing an alien and fucking it up. ]

[refactor]

[ Jack has presumably listened to the theories here so far, since it's not like I got sucked into a TV show last night and died, nope... But he'll eventually speak up, and as he speaks, he gestures with his hands, always a physical speaker. ]

Well, with whatever the hell that was, think that's a fair assumption, if only because assuming the opposite there would be a dumbass thing to do.

[ Assuming that is is dangerous is definitely better than assuming it isn't, after all. ]

But as for the why? I mean, I'm assuming 'cause they're parasites. Viruses. Not animals or anything like that, because if we're talking behavior, that's got an easy explanation. We know about 'em now. We want to kill 'em. Or at least, I sure as hell do. [ is anyone surprised that jack wants to kill though ] So assuming they're not idiots, they've gotta lay low if they want to even survive. You wanna talk behavior, that's primal.

[ Jack pauses, then adds: ]

That aside, if we think of them more like a parasite than an animal, then their goal seems pretty straightforward to me. They're either hitching a ride in someone to get someone else or they're trying to infect more people. Both are pretty unfortunate, but that first one-- Okay, well, until all the weird shit this week, think about it. You've got a ship full of people all from different places, and preeeeetty sure we all want to get the hell out of here. Nice and convenient for them, because it means they can just wait and ride it out until we get home. Then? We wouldn't have Al. Just the real straightforward method.

[refactor]

[ jesus christ yuno ]

Woah, woah, don't be goin' cannibal on us just yet, kiddo. At least wait until, I dunno, we have a food shortage?

[ that's clearly the problem here, not the eating people part. #borderlands ]