video @nina

[neversmall]

[ You can make VIDEOS ON THIS THING.

Now that Nina knows this, no one is safe. Well, okay, not true, because she's still got to get the hang of it. You, the viewer, are once again treated to a vision of... the Aid Station wall.

Nina: "Where's the camera again?"
John, her long-suffering patient who isn't suffering as much as he is laughing at her: "On the corner, there."
Nina: "But that means I have to hold my wrist like--" Abruptly, the picture changes and now Nina's squarely in view, "--oh yes, you're right. That's a better idea."
John: "...so are you gonna say something or?"
Nina: "Oh Saints, is it recording already? Blast--"

Bright smile is go! ]

Hello, everyone! If we haven't met yet, I'm Nina Zenik.

There are so many of us here from so many different places. It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly two months, and now more of us are coming. I’m not used to making announcements like this [ some noise from beside her, Nina looks toward John and corrects: ] -- or, posts? Apparently they’re called posts. -- but even some the Adament crew I’ve spoken to are interested in my questions, so they’ve assured me they don’t mind if I - post - with this.

So tell us - what’s it like where you’re from? What are the legends that are most popular? What are the courtship practices? [ She’s absolutely not crafting this whole post because she’s searching for ideas on this, nope. ] Are you one of those of us have been fighting a war -- excuse the question if it’s rude, there just do seem to be a lot of us. I’d ask you to talk about your favorite foods instead, but that might be more depressing than helpful. Oh - here’s one: If you’re from an Earth, how do you know it’s a different Earth than all the other Earths? And if not, does your planet have a name or is mine the only one that doesn't?

Comments

[deathpending]

I look forward to it.

See you tomorrow, Miss Zenik!

video ▶ @cal

[psychometries]

[ Well, at least someone around here is having fun with the video. Cal was starting to despair with all the texting. ]

Hey, Nina. Looks like you're figuring things out. [ He gives her a friendly little wave, while BD-1 trills cheerfully over his shoulder. ]

That's a lot of questions. I'm not actually sure where to start.

[neversmall]

Your profession puts you in that much danger?

[ Why not then simply do something else, as your sister appeared to at least start? ]

[neversmall]

Going from a group attempt to make me into lunch to a single attempt to make me into lunch does not exactly bring the word 'remarkable' to mind first. 😅

[ You've been safe from emojis long enough, general. Now they must be inflicted, if you're going to say things like: Let's deal with volcra to go see a dragon. ]

Although I do admit - from a very safe distance, far, far away, where no one could possibly expect me to do anything about it - it would be a wonderful thing to see a dragon in flight.

[ And also a horrible thing, if she was too far away to do anything about it while it... did what dragons do.

Well. Maybe it fed on fish. She found she could deal with that. ]

[neversmall]

Well, I don't think NOT talking about it is suddenly going to make our portions taste any better. We might as well enjoy imagining good food even if we can't actually taste it. And now I know what 🍕🌭🍔 all mean, so really it's been very educational.

I don't think we've officially met before?

[neversmall]

Hello, Cal! I've had some help, [ She twists her wrists so John can wave at Cal. ]

And you can start wherever you'd like - choose your own place. They were suggestions more than anything.

[morozova]

( it's times like this that he feels every bit the boomer he is. saints. )

I don't think Rusalye does much flying.
Or if he does, you clearly know different stories than I do.

( which is entirely possible, actually. he hasn't left ravka in quite a while, travelling the fold notwithstanding. )

Have you ever heard the stories of the sildroher?

[neversmall]

😆😂 Oh that would be horrible. [ She said, as if she hadn't suggested it herself. She's the worst, don't enable her. ]

[psychometries]

Just suggestions, huh?

[ Ah, what's it like to be an extroverted person who makes friends wherever they go... can't be him. ]

Is there a reason why you're asking about courtship practices?

[portolan]

I see you are picking up the local tech faster than I am. I have not figured out the video function yet.

Would you like to meet and discuss? I've enjoyed our previous conversations.

[ He COULD learn how to do video, but it seems oddly intimate and public at the same time. As much as he's a performer, he likes to be in control of that image. Or video. ]

[sunmon]

Well as far as I know we only have two representatives of Ina/Volkskoye/Ground here that we need to win over, and I have a feeling they can be convinced.

[neversmall]

Planet Ground!! 🌎🌍🌏

[ It is not NICE to mock literally 90 percent of the population... or politic to do so.

But they are the ones who named their planet GROUND. ]

Are you suggesting a vote?

[neversmall]

[ Nina doesn't miss a beat, she just shrugs. ] Fun? We don't have many such practices among the Grisha in Ravka. I've recently learned there are some places where courtship is much more... structured.

[sunmon]

We can send them notifications here, can't we? If we use their usernames.

[ simultaneously inviting a druskelle and the darkling into the same shitpost might be a terrible idea tbh ]

[neversmall]

[ Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah, she's not gonna go for that. As far as she knows, neither one can identify the other by sight, and she'd prefer to keep them as far away from each other as humanly possibly, yes, please, thank you. ]

We could, but I'm not sure if I'm ready to commit. I suggest a trial period. Let's each introduce our planet by different names to people when we speak with them, and see if we can narrow it down to a favorite. With no tie breaker, we might be better off just leaving it to see what we like best.

[sunmon]

But the people we will be introducing it to are the kind of people who think Ground is a good name. 🤔

[neversmall]

Yes, but it's not about what they think - it's about how it feels when we say it to them. Whichever one makes it sound most like home.

[neversmall]

Oh, I just learned that it was possible! 😀 And John helped me with the rest.

If you'd like! I'm finishing up at the Aid Station soon, or we could meet during the lunch shift?

[neversmall]

[ Ah - whoops. She must have lost the thread there. ]

No, I haven't heard those kinds of stories about the Rusalye -- I started thinking about this dragon instead. If he was this size, I'd like to know what he thought he'd be able to do with all those girls he drowned.

What stories of the sildroher?

[morozova]

Nothing good, I expect.

According to my mother, the Hedjut people used to tell stories of creatures that inhabited the waters off the coast of Fjerda. Their songs were said to be able to control the weather.

[portolan]

I don't think I've met John.

I can come by the Aid Station. I'm recovered enough to do a few more rounds of healing before lunch.

[psychometries]

The Grisha? Is that the name of your people?

un.vidar

[spalten]

[ that's all well and dandy, but - ]

'Courtship practices' seems like an awfully pointed question ... troubles in love?

[neversmall]

What kind of creatures were they?

text --> action

[neversmall]

We'll be here!

[ And sure enough, there they are. Nina is sitting on John's, an Adament crew member in his late 40s, bed as they peruse the stories together. John's broken arm and leg are a good deal better than they were - more than halfway healed due to Nina's work earlier. And despite the lack of pain medication, he is in no pain. ]