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

[neversmall]

[ Did she have a favorite legend? ]

The Firebird, I suppose. There's something very hopeful about it.

[ That was probably true - or mostly true. True enough; there was something very hopeful about it. ]

Do you?

[morozova]

Sankta Juris, of course.
What boy doesn't aspire to one day see a dragon?

[neversmall]

[ Nina smiles suddenly, finding herself unexpectedly warmed by this insight into the man she's looked up to her whole life. ]

Yes, that's an excellent story. Though I never imagined the dragon as quite as big as the one we're sheltering under, it is amazing to see it now.

[morozova]

It would be rather difficult to miss.

I wonder how the Sea Whip would compare, size wise. Though I suppose being a cursed prince he could hardly be considered a true dragon.

[neversmall]

You'd have to wonder how something this size could even fit in the True Sea.

...and then you'd have to go and very quickly get a drink.

[ Because it could fit, and isn't that a terrifying thought? ]

[morozova]

Yes, but at the same time wouldn't it be remarkable?
Certainly something worth the risk of the Fold.

[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. ]

[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]

[ 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.

[neversmall]

What kind of creatures were they?

[morozova]

Some kind of mermaid.

[neversmall]

They sound powerful and fascinating.

You know what's interesting? I've not met a single person who didn't have some understanding in their world of what a dragon is. I wonder if the same could be said of mermaids.

[ What common thread brings them all here? This could be... something, could be nothing. ]

[morozova]

I wouldn't be surprised.
The words might differ somewhat, but it seems that some of the fundamentals remain largely unchanged.

[neversmall]

I can understand that across countries, but against entirely different planets? I never would have imagined that.

[ If she'd ever bothered thinking about it in the first place. ]

[morozova]

It is remarkable.
Certainly something that would keep any philosopher busy for some time.

seems we're getting toward an end?

[neversmall]

[ She never thought she'd share anything with a philosopher - but she's willing to chase down any threads she can to understand what's going on here. Somehow she doesn't think it has anything to do with a dead dragon. The dead are dead. ]

Yes. I'm certainly no philosopher. Hopefully we'll be able to uncover something a bit more solid at some point.

absolutely cool with wrapping this here/soon

[morozova]

( there's some elegant metaphor to be found, somewhere, for whatever is happening to them. something like the many branches of a tree, or its vast and sprawling root system.

but he's thinking about mermaids and dragons and the fact that if they aren't careful they'll be stuck here right alongside the adamant and its crew. )

Yes.

( the wreckage seems as good a place to start as any. however, he knows enough about the technology here, now, to realize how difficult it would be to decipher anything he found.

this is a problem, though not an insurmountable one. )

Perhaps the thessyx will have some insight to offer.