video;

[yer_pretty_good]

[The video shows a man who's new around here. He's probably older than most, given that he's forty. Most men his age don't have such white hair, but because of it, his features are somewhat striking. He also has a western drawl to his voice when he speaks.]

I suppose it's time for introductions. You can call me Ocelot. I come from the same time and place as Kazuhira Miller, if you know him.

[Guess that would depend on how friendly Kaz has been.]

I was given a job here as a hypnotherapist.

[He realizes how weird that sounds.]

I'm not even sure how the captains knew I had the skill to hypnotize someone. I don't remember sitting through a job interview. Anyway, just because I can hypnotize someone doesn't mean I will. Hell, I recommend you don't come to me for therapy at all. I'm probably the type that belongs in therapy instead of giving it. [He smiles a little, indicating that's a joke. Or is it?]

But I'm here.. in case.. I don't know what. [He shrugs.] Now, while I'm on the line, I heard there's a library here and someone has the designation of chronicler. Any information you wanna share, I'd love to hear it. Mostly about our current situation and anything you think I might need to know about the ship and life here. Thanks.

Comments

[imaginary_wife]

Well. No one can fault you for not laying the cards right out there on the table.

[Have one of the resident MedBay staff, one of the oldest and loudest at that. A petite, reptilian looking little woman, though the "scales" she has aren't exactly that.]

[yer_pretty_good]

[He raises his eyebrows at her appearance, but he's in space, so he should get used to such beings.]

Figured it was better to be honest about it, since people might think I'm an actual doctor or something. I'm not, in case it wasn't obvious enough.

[imaginary_wife]

Well, Slick, if we're ever in dire straights I'll keep you in mind.

[yer_pretty_good]

[He likes this alien. She has a good way of talking.]

The straights would have to be pretty dire, but I'll do what I can.

You got a name?

video;

[manyvoiced]

Welcome aboard.

I believe we've had the pleasure of meeting, however briefly before.

[She smiles; it's small but the best you're getting out of Breq.]

There is in fact a library, increasingly well-stocked too. You'll want to talk to the head librarian Elizabeth DeWitt or one of her new assistants. As for the ship's chronicler, that would be Lara Croft. [Sounds like someone has the ship's registry memorised.] Are you interested in books?

video;

[yer_pretty_good]

[He smiles. Yes, he remembers her, even if their first meeting was brief.]

Sounds like you know a lot about this place.

[Maybe she could fill him in on anything he should know.]

I'm interested in information. Whether it comes from books or people.

[manyvoiced]

I know a bit.

[An honest assessment, but she was always trying to learn more.]

Then the library is a good place to look. Although I'll warn you, there is a lot of....frivolous material there.

[Not that frivolous is all bad. Certainly it kept people entertained and happy.]

Is there anything you're looking to know specifically?

[yer_pretty_good]

Whatever I can about this place. Whatever will help me get along here and get me back to where I belong.

[He has important work to do.]

text

[commontype]

Ocelot? Yeah, I know Kaz.

[Even though he's super suspicious of this guy, he'll still be polite. It's what a gentleman would do.]

We could probably all use some therapy, especially after bein here if that tells you anythin. Ship's got a shrink though, if you need it.

So. You ain't gonna be trouble are ya? [Maybe only mostly polite.]

text

[yer_pretty_good]

[Ocelot is amused by the brief civility before the last text is sent. Seeing as this person knows Kaz, he's not really surprised by it.]

Trouble? Is this how you welcome everyone to the ship? Or am I just the lucky one?

text

[commontype]

Nah, I ain't sayin' it to be rude, just wanna be sure, yeah? Like, the way I see it, nothing here is really what it was back home. We can't start over. Start fresh.

text

[yer_pretty_good]

If no one knows you here, you can start fresh, though that doesn't apply to me. A man might try to start over, but in the end most men don't really change all that much.

[This probably isn't easing any of Eggy's paranoia.]

video.

[whatdidisay]

Ocelot? ( that's... well that's an interesting name, ivan'll give the man that. ) Yeah, I know him. He wouldn't take a kitten from the gardens.

( which he should have now that ivan's had a second one foisted off on him. )

There's not much to say about the ship. We visit plants, something bad always happens, occasionally everyone onboard nearly dies. You know, completely normal stuff.

( he's done with this ship, honestly. like, back when they wanted to sacrifice people to bring back the sun in his first month here. )

Re: video.

[yer_pretty_good]

[Ocelot lifts his brow at the details and smiles a little.]

Oh yeah. Sounds completely normal.

[But at least he knows what he might be in for. Still, he'll have to be prepared for a dangerous journey.]

What about the captains? Do they care if we live or die?

[whatdidisay]

They stick to themselves mostly, unless you go out and find them. ( he shrugs, accented voice rich and vaguely russian -- if someone stranded a bunch of russians on a planet for some seven hundred years. ) I don't think they don't care, from what my cousin's said when he rants about them. Which are more about them not doing what he thinks should be done than any actual complaint. They're not exactly running a tight ship here.

( oh right, introductions! )

Ivan Vorpatril, by the way.

[yer_pretty_good]

[Ocelot is pretty good with accents, and despite the cowboy get-up and western drawl in his own voice, Ocelot is actually Russian, too. Mostly. So he does pick up on the sound of Ivan's voice a bit. Not to mention the name is kind of a giveaway.]

Nice to meet you, Ivan.

Yeah, I kinda got the feeling about the lack of proper captaining. One should lead by example. Show their face among their men.

[Not to keep to themselves.]

video;

[foggybear]

Hypnotherapy?

That stuff is completely inadmissible in court, and they gave it to you as a job? I mean--that's a pretty odd set of skills to have around here, don't you think?

video;

[yer_pretty_good]

[Ocelot is a little amused.]

I guess I won't be testifying in space-court, then.

[If there is such a thing.]

I couldn't be more surprised by the job assignment, but I guess it is what it is.

[As for skills, his skill-set is varied and runs a range that isn't really usual to begin with.]

Did you get a job?

text

[a_shadow]

I don't know what time and place that is.

It's weird how they know certain things about us and then claim not to have a clue later. I've been here before and that was really the thing I noticed back then. Nothing changes.

text

[yer_pretty_good]

Earth. 1984. Not that it probably makes a difference here.

[But that's the time and place he comes from.]

I'm sure they know a lot more than they let on.

[That's sort of typical for people in charge. What she writes at the end is the curious part, though.]

What do you mean you were here before? You escaped?

text

[a_shadow]

1984 is a long time ago for me. I'm from about 500 years in your future.

I didn't escape, I was just sent back for a time and then brought here again when I died.

Re: text

[yer_pretty_good]

Died? Sorry to hear that. I didn't know people who died could be brought here.

[That really expands who could show up next from his own world, and there are a lot of people he'd rather stay dead, too.]

video;

[incantamentum]

[Eric and the word therapy are like a moth to a flame even if it was hypnotherapy. He sets his MID to transmit his own smiling face, glasses on, from the luxury of his desk in the Safe Space.]

I hate to be the one to tell you but they seem to know everything about us. I suppose I should introduce myself, however, as your new colleague. My name is Doctor Eric Dufosset and I'm the ship's Counselling Operative. [He's practically grinning though because he got to use the word colleague for the first time ever.]

Re: video;

[yer_pretty_good]

Nice to meet you, doc.

[So this guy was the real counselor among the crew.]

So you know, I might be referring a lotta patients that come to me over to you. You'll probably do a better job than I would.

video;

[incantamentum]

Nice to meet you too, circumstances considered.

[He's smiling pretty openly still.] I don't quite think that will be necessary- patients here are few and far between.