video:

[that_cost]

[ If anyone was hoping to see the face of a half-grown grey kitten pressed against the device, this is your lucky day because that's exactly how it starts. Said kitten manages a meow and some sniffing before her owners hand reaches in and pulls her away. ]

Thanks, Bubble. You found the record button.

[ The flattest tone in the world, right there. Bubble has clearly turned this thing on by accident and Charlie isn't sure she approves. Darn cat. ]

Go chase the dinosaurs, or something.

[ Bubble instead hops up onto the bed behind Charlie and starts playing with the girls hair and Charlie sighs like this isn't what she wanted at all.

Speaking of Dinosaurs, since this thing is now broadcasting or whatever for all residents to see, she has a question. So she turns to face the camera, lips pursed slightly and Bubble sneezes her irritation at the fact that Charlie moved. ]

Why are there dinosaurs on the station, anyway? And why does the station look like a good sneeze in the wrong spot would knock it apart?

[ She has no manners. She could have at least introduced herself. Give it a second. ]

Hi. I'm charlie. I'm ninety percent sure I'm new, but some of this place looks familiar. Or, maybe I'm just going nuts, because I'm even more certain that I'm supposed to be on islands somewhere else. Clearly, 'm not. So if anyone can give me information about where I am that wasn't provided when I first showed up? Some kind of Survival Guide or Cliffs Notes version of whatever it is you guys think a new girl should know. Thank you in advance.

Comments

video;

[sketchycharacter]

[Nate's caught up short. It takes him a minute, but...that's an old familiar face, someone he last saw five years ago—or two. Kinda depends how he looks at it.]

Don't drink the water.

[He snaps his fingers.]

Wait. That's Mexico.

Re: video;

[that_cost]

Only drink beverages with the round ice cubes...or was that the ice cubes with holes in them because those are the ones made from purified water. I think I heard that somewhere.

[ She doesn't want to acknowledge the fact that she recognizes this guy just yet. It's weird and unsettling. But she has to know. ]

I've seen you before. [ A pause, a nose wrinkle and a tapping of her fingers on her leg, which of course Bubble thinks is a game and the cat goes to attack Charlie's fingers. Charlie startles and looks down at the cat with a small sigh and scoops the cat up again. ]

I mean, am I wrong or have we met?

video;

[sketchycharacter]

[Honestly he has no idea. He'd avoid both just to be safe.]

Yeah. Yeah, we have—a long time ago for me. Not sure how if it was the same for you.

[She doesn't look that much older. It'd show more for teenagers, right?]

And it was a different part of space. Charlie, right?

Re: video;

[that_cost]

Yeah, that's me.

[ Except hang on, though. She's kind of remembering something, maybe? ]

That wasn't what I told you, though, was it? First time around. I went by Leigh. Which isn't inaccurate.

text;

[nishizono]

everything's trying to kill you in space. figure out how to breathe in space because no one's lucky around here.

Re: text;

[that_cost]

Bad luck and I are practically siamese twins, we're so joined at the hip. I'd have to learn how to breath in space and also keep warm. And fly. It'll take a lot and I don't know if i"m that committed to that much education.

Re: text;

[nishizono]

lucky for you there's a ton of bleeding hearts here who'd love to help out even if you don't want them to!

peachy fucking keen, right.

text;

[that_cost]

Depends. Are they bleeding hearts for the sake of being bleeding hearts? Or are they 'bleeding hearts'?

Video;

[shiro2hero]

It probably looks that way because it's over three hundred years old.

Has anyone given you a rundown yet?

Re: Video;

[that_cost]

Only the brief one I got when I first arrived.

[ Look, it’s the cat again. She’s sniffing at the device and generally trying to make her presence known with soft meows and chirps. Charlie once again pulls her away, now kind of smiling. ]

Video;

[shiro2hero]

I'll try and answer any other questions you have, if you like.

[... it's really hard to keep serious when there's a cat, though. And he may, absently, waggle a finger at the camera.]

Re: Video;

[that_cost]

[ Said cat bats at the screen, sniffing and trying again, and then walking away. She's had enough, apparently. ]

If I have any, I'll let you know. Other than what's your name? That's about all I have, questions-wise.

[aka_pistachio]

If you want a dinosaur put a collar on it or some shit so it doesn't get shot.

[that_cost]

People are actually keeping the dinosaurs?

[aka_pistachio]

Yeah. [ She aims the camera at Pino, who gives his best tiny velociraptor roar. ] Pino's the best one but the others aren't bad.

[that_cost]

Oh, my God. It's cute.

[ SON OF A BITCH! She doesn't want to find the small dino's cute, okay. But there it is. That tiny roar was precious. And Charlie's grinning. ]

I don't know. I don't think Bubble is okay with sharing her human. I don't think she likes the Dinosaurs, either. She keeps growling and running away.

Video

[clussy]

(He realizes that there's a lot of important things in this video. He really does. But Eddie's been recently opened up to the world of animals without fake allergies, and boy, it's a wonderful world. He definitely has a preference for dogs, but cats are pretty cute too. Especially kittens.

He's not wearing his mask presently, and his eyes are watery, the tip of his nose red, clearly from sneezing a lot, but he gives a small smile.)

I like your cat. (He's never pet a cat before, and lord, he wants to ask to.)

I dunno about the dinosaurs. But some of them aren't too bad. (He shows Richie's dinosaur, a compy, which is rooting around in the corner of the room in a pile of blankets.)

video: *silently screaming about Stephen King Kids uniting*

[that_cost]

[ Charlie manages a smile before Bubble, who always seems to know someone is paying attention to her, sticks her face into view again. She meows softly, sniffing the screen and backing up before leaning in to sniff again. Charlie has decided that maybe, just maybe, she should let Bubble have her moment. She'll tire of it and walk away soon, but for now, everyone is amazing and new and she wants to meet them all. So Charlie peeks around her, grinning at Eddie. ]

I think she likes you, too, kid.

[ Bubble finally decides she's had enough, though, and steps back to curl up on Charlie's legs with a loudish purr. Charlie eyes the Compy, kinda smiling if still looking a bit unsure. ]

Bubble hasn't quite been getting along with them, but her behavior leans more towards hissing and then running. I don't think she's going to hurt any of them, though, so I think your friend is safe.

video: a proper thing to scream about tbqh

[clussy]

(Lord. He has truly been blessed. A part of him almost reaches towards the camera as if it would actually let him pet the cat. He doesn't though, instead just smiling broadly.)

You think? (Eddie instantly looks delighted by this prospect. He's just young enough that being told an animal likes him in particular made him feel like a million bucks. Hell, tell him that when he's thirty and he'd probably still feel that way. Who didn't want to be loved by animals?

He's almost disappointed when the cat strays from the camera, but he gets over it well enough. He could meet the kitten properly later- for now, he had messaged the woman for a reason. He looks up finally, actually looking properly at her.)

Yeah, I could imagine not. They're not all friendly. Yeah, Teddie's kinda...Um. He can be a little mean, but he's tiny enough that all ya gotta do is pick him up or squirt him with some water.

(Eddie isn't really fond of hurting the animals. He'd seen some people kicking them, and even if they were pests, that didn't make that okay.)

video;

[januaryember]

[Oh god kitten! Beverly is 500% here for the cat and is seized with an intense urge to pet the cat. That's what really gets her attention in the first place, but once Bubble left, she was still interested enough to stay on.]

Hey, Charlie. No one's sure about the dinosaurs, but they do make good pets. [She holds up her own Psittacosaurus, Marvin.]

No one really has any sorta answers as far as I can tell.

You said your cat's name was Bubble?

Re: video;

[that_cost]

Yep. Bubble Oh Seven. Named for James Bond. Double Oh Seven. Here’s hoping you know who that is, or I’m going to sound ridiculous.

[ She looks at Marvin with curiosity, kind of smiling but still looking very unsure of it. It’s a dinosaur. They’re supposed to be dead. She has so many half formed questions in her head, some of which are ‘how in the fuck’ and others that start with ‘but why the fuck’ and at least two that start with ‘where the hell’. This has been a very. Very weird past few days. No one can blame her for not thinking coherently. ]

video;

[januaryember]

No, I know who he is. [Everyone in the 80s knew who James Bond was.] It's a cute name for a cat. Why'd you go with bubbles?

[Bev scratches the top of Marvin's head and he makes a pleased clucking noise.] This is Marvin, by the way. A lot of us have them as pets- my friends Eddie and Richie have them, too.

You'll know Richie when you meet him, by the way. He's the one that won't stop talking.

video;

[shadowblends]

[aw, what a cute cat! would have been kurt's first reaction, but as the animal is moved away and he catches a glimpse of charlie's face, his eyes widen in utter shock. no, that ... that can't be raven! but she looks almost identical to his fellow blue mutant (when in disguise), so how exactly does he explain that? to be fair, charles had a facetwin for a while before the both of them disappeared and the girl did say her name.]

Hello, Charlie.

[which is apparently the perfect time for his own mini-triceratops to make an entrance. she clambers up over his shoulder, letting out a high-pitched squeak when she tumbles, but kurt's tail is swift, looping around the dino's middle and bringing her around to rest in his arms.]

Sorry about that, [he says, head shaking.] They can be a handful sometimes. I was going to offer what information I had, but it seems like other people have already answered your questions just as well as I could, so ...

'Welcome to the chaos' is the only thing I have left.

Re: video;

[that_cost]

[ That's a blue guy, that is. Charlie's not going to stare for too long, or look too shocked. But here's hoping he forgives her for the moment of silence as she takes this in. ]

Wow, people really are keeping the mini dinosaurs, aren't they?

[ Y'all are making it very hard for Charlie to not keep one or two for herself. Very hard. It's unfair. ]

Welcome to the chaos works. It's both greeting and warning in one. I think every new person should be greeted with that, just so they know.

Re: video;

[shadowblends]

[never fear, charlie! he's used to people being surprised by his appearance at first and hey, she didn't say anything rude to him, so plus one for her in his book.]

Sure, why not? They aren't really hazardous to our way of living.

[unless being bitten counts? but it's totally fine-- adopt a tiny dinosaur today!]

You think so? Hm ... that seems like a fair point. Maybe I'll greet all newcomers with it.