001 \ video \ open spam for tree hugging

[onlysurvivor]

[The video feed is pointed toward a series of plants in the garden. There is a very excited blond man very gently touching the leaves of one of the plants. It's like he's afraid he might break it. If one looks closely they might be able to see thin white scratch like scars covering his hands and forearms.

He smiles brightly toward the video feed.]

I knew plants were supposed to be green!

But! I didn't expect flowers to smell this good. They were said to have pleasant scents but... [he stops to smell the flowers, literally. He closes his eyes and looks truly blissful for a second.] This is amazing.

[He excited turns back to the camera.] Most of you come from worlds with green plants, right? I need you to tell me something... [Somehow his grin got broader.] Was the sun yellow? The sky, was it blue and clear of smoke and ash?

Comments

[tolaywaste]

[Eventually Alex will stop being surprised by the questions new arrivals have, but not this day. The grin's infectious, though, and he can't help smiling back.]

Yeah, it was. Pretty much exactly like that. Not yours?

[onlysurvivor]

I knew it! [Triumphant and oh so happy.]

No, no. Our sun was red, the sky was a haze of smoke and ash from the Ashmounts. Plants were short and brown with thick stalks. Aside from trees, most plants couldn't grow on their own, they needed the ash cleared away from them every day so they could grow.

Not like these. [He's back to gently touching the leaves of the closest plant]

[tolaywaste]

Well, that sounds depressing. [Super tactful. Always.] There's usually - well, where I'm from, there are usually a lot more plants. [Smirk.] And they're all green.

[text]

[godsays]

[ He's seen images, artist's renderings, sketches of the Survivor. This can't be him, it can't be, and yet...

He mentions ashmounts. The red sun. He's from Zane's world.

So Zane tentatively puts forth a single word, unwilling to speak aloud to him yet: ]

survivor

[onlysurvivor]

It was. [he's somber for a moment.]


[Then back to smiling!] They were everywhere, right? Big forests and... [give him a second to recall the word] jungles?

[tolaywaste]

I've never seen a jungle, but those exist, yeah. Where I used to live, there was a forest right outside.

[text]

[onlysurvivor]

[ That... is incredibly creepy, Zane. Way to put a slight damper on his joy. ]

who is this?

[text]

[godsays]

Are you him?

[onlysurvivor]

What color was their bark? Was it still white?

[tolaywaste]

No, it was - it depends on the tree. Usually brown-ish, though, sometimes gray.

Are you a warden? [This is relevant, bear with him.]

[text]

[onlysurvivor]

Some people call me that. My name is Kelsier. Where are you from?

[text]

[godsays]

I know your name.

You died.

[onlysurvivor]

[He smiles all the same.]

I am. The color of plants weren't exactly on my mind when I made my deal to be here. I'm a little excited.

[text]

[onlysurvivor]

I know. I was there, it was Lord Ruler. You still haven't answered my questions.

[text]

[godsays]

You died two years ago.

[text]

[onlysurvivor]

Has it really been that long? Come find me, we should talk.

video;

[some_kinda_hero]

[Claire's features are a compilation of amusement, sadness, and surprise. He's adorable with the excitement, but it's also super sad that he has to get that elated at all.] Yeah, sun was yellow, sky was blue. Well. Mostly, when it wasn't hidden behind smog, but that's more of a city con. Why, what colors were they were you came from?

[text]

[godsays]

[ OH MY GOD HE WANTS TO TALK TO ME. ]

You want me to tell you what happened.

[tolaywaste]

[Alex grins.] No, I get it. I'm asking because - well, the CES spits out different places. I've gotten forests a couple of times. Not lately, though. [Since they're gearing up to whatever the Admiral has planned.]

video;

[onlysurvivor]

The sun was red, the sky was a smoky brown haze and most plants were brown. There were some yellow and red plants but they could only be grown in conservatories.

Now-- [his smile brightens] -- There was a time when the sky was blue, the sun was yellow and the plants were green but that was a thousand years before my time. The Lord Ruler suppressed that knowledge. He didn't want anyone to know how the world should really look. If we knew that, well, we'd have hope, wouldn't we?

[text]

[onlysurvivor]

Eventually. I want to know who you are and where you came from.

[onlysurvivor]

Not lately. Has something changed?

[tolaywaste]

There've been some changes made, something's happening at the end of the month. [He looks down and away, then back with a shrug. Don't worry the new guy.] Hopefully it'll be back to normal after that.

[onlysurvivor]

I guess, we'll see what happens. [He doesn't look worried and still smiles.] Should I watch for anything? I'd like to keep the people here safe.

Spam

[chlorophylliac]

[Ivy's been a fairly regular presence in the greenhouse and garden since its official staff both departed the ship; she visits at least daily to water the plants and make sure they're getting along and aren't coming to harm.

This time, there's already someone unfamiliar there when she arrives. He's touching the plants and she has mixed feelings about that - people go from handling to breaking so easily - but he's being delicate with them, almost reverent, and she relaxes marginally.

But she doesn't talk, yet, so there's just going to be a green woman wearing leaves walking past to fill a watering can from the faucet.]