Voice

[potentite]

[This is a very shy voice you're getting.]

Um, hello? Ah, um, pardon my interloping in your thoughts here but, ummm... I believe we've found the source of that frightful cloudburst we've been having. It appears those ornery blue fiends are causing quite the brouhaha from their literal cooler. They seem a mite bit peeved.

[A beat.]

I, um— I don't have any suggestions, I just— I thought everyone should know.

[Another pause.]

Sooo... that's all.


[ooc: for anyone interested in exploring this with jake in a (backdated to before this post!) top level, here you go!]

Comments

[rootandbranch]

[Geir's finally getting used to telepathy.]

Is that why the ocean's so stirred up? How are they even doing it?

[potentite]

I heartell they have powerful control over water? So magic seems to be the culprit! Though it's troubling for sure.

[rootandbranch]

Oh, I see.

[Geir pauses to mull over that for a moment.]

Did you get the impression that it's their magic holding all the water up? Or can they only kick rain out of it? I didn't really go near the Uvi base while I was up there.

[potentite]

[Oh. He didn't think of that.]

Fuck. Uh, well. I... think they can only mess around with it? I suppose I can't really rule out the former though.

[rootandbranch]

I don't know at all! I'm just trying to figure this out, too.

[he thinks back to his own trip...]

We went up to the surface not too long ago. The currents were really bad, but the water seemed normal once we got out. So I'm not too worried.

[potentite]

Well, that's a relief. [Clearly if this stranger thinks it's fine, it will be fine.] Still, we should keep an eye on them in case they cause more of a hubbub.

[rootandbranch]

[RANDO STRANGER REASSURANCES ARE THE MOST RELIABLE! the stranger's voice sharpens with interest at that suggestion, though.]

Sure. What do we do to keep an eye on them? None of us that I know about is living in the ocean. Or even go in there that often to look.

[potentite]

Well... Dirk lived in an ocean his whole life but I wouldn't want to stick him on guard duty on his lonesome. But he might have a good idea?

[rootandbranch]

Dirk lived in an ocean?! Really?!

[whoa - this stranger both knows Dirk, and had a strong reaction to living in an ocean. weird!]

I didn't know any humans could go without air.

[potentite]

Oh! Well, he lived above it, technically, but spent enough time in it to be a fish himself. I think he can hold his breath for like... ten minutes? More? It's crazy. Are you friends with him?

[rootandbranch]

Ten minutes is a long time for a human?

Oh! I like him. I don't know him that well, but we talked a long time about, um, he calls it philosophy. Whether we should be alive or not, things like that. Are you?

[potentite]

[There's a slight laugh. He's kind of worried if Dirk is talking like that but this person seems cheerful enough to give him a hand in it.]

Yep, sounds like Dirk. Ah but yeah, we're b— [Abrupt stop.] —um, friends, I guess? Yes, friends. We've known each other for years. Oh but yes! I mean, I can only hold my breath for about thirty seconds or so!

[rootandbranch]

[that last aside reminds Geir of their original purpose for chatting. more practically:]

Thirty seconds or ten minutes isn't long enough to stay with the Uvi base and give us a warning if they do something else, though.

[potentite]

Well, luckily, while we're here we can fly like bats out of hell, so holding our breath for such a short period is fine enough for a quick pop in. Mine is more limited than his, though. He could dive in and watch for those ten minutes, but... well, like I said, I wouldn't want to push that onto his shoulders alone.

[rootandbranch]

[relying on someone holding their breath for that kind of thing doesn't strike Geir as a great idea. he wouldn't want to do it, for example-- which is why he's not offering despite the task of dashing in and out being well within his capabilities. he doesn't think that spot checks like that really make the most sense, anyway, compared to leaving a guard there... which he's extra unwilling to do.]

Doesn't anyone know any magic that could make a watcher? Someone could set it and leave it.

[potentite]

Like... set up a camera or something?

[rootandbranch]

What's a camera?

[potentite]

Oh! You know, it's, um... a device that can take pictures? But, in this case, I meant the kind that can record images and um send them back to us!

[rootandbranch]

That sounds... good?

[it's in a tone of doubt -- Geir has no concept of what such a device would look or behave like.]

Does anyone have one?

[potentite]

Hmm, well, I think we could probably buy one. Not sure how much to barter for something like that, though. But it should be possible!

[rootandbranch]

It doesn't sound as good as a guard, especially not for currents, but it's better than nothing. And maybe Dirk will have ideas.

[potentite]

Dirk always has ideas! He's got every ace possible up his sleeve.

[It is stupidly affectionate.]

[rootandbranch]

["every ace possible up his sleeve" is not the impression Geir got from his conversation with Dirk, but this guy has known him longer, and clearly likes him. Geir decides to take his word for it.]

Okay, that's an idea, then.

[potentite]

[Jake just has a lot of faith in him regardless.]

Okay! I'll poke him about it later. That's a mighty fine start to solving this, I think.

[rootandbranch]

Okay!

[Geir doesn't want to be the lone guard,
but this problem and its solution is interesting to him now.]

Let me know how it goes?