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 Posted: Tue May 03, 2022 10:45 am
Andreiya was frozen, wide eyed and guilty. He was rigid and unmoving. He’d known as soon as she cut herself off that something was amiss, and he followed her gaze to Dylas and then locked eyes with her when she looked at him.
“I can explain,” he said, and looked like he was squirming out of his skin.
“It was winter. It was cold. He came in. He can leave. He eats bugs. His name is Dylas. He is harmless. I am not holding him captive and I have not enslaved him, we are friends. He can leave! He likes the heater there. I leave him alone, he does what he wants.”
He had a thousand excuses, but in that brief moment of panic, all thoughts of collaboration and research and tending to Velenia’s land was temporarily forgotten.
Of course he would have been all for it!
But right now his mind had just regressed into a dialup tone so he struggled to clarify his would-be enthusiasm.
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Posted: Sun May 08, 2022 10:05 am
It likely didn't help Andreiya's anxiety much that Fae-Fae took a while to respond. She spent a few moments with her eyes squinted shut and her hand on her chin, humming intently and shifting from foot to foot as she thought. Animal welfare was a sensitive topic for her, for reasons her comrades in the Vanguard weren't normally privy to. However, it was clear that whatever her initial feelings were, Andreiya hadn't been acting out of any desire to enslave another being. Then, her eyes popped open, and she looked at the little snake again. "Tʜᴀᴛ ɴᴀᴍᴇ sᴏᴜɴᴅs Vᴇʟᴇɴᴄɪᴀɴ," she remarked. "Hᴏᴡ ᴅɪᴅ ʜᴇ ɢᴇᴛ ɪᴛ?" Her tone was inquisitive, but not hostile, and, perhaps, a little bit teasing. It seemed as though the plants were not the only thing in here her friend had formed an attachment to.
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Posted: Wed May 11, 2022 9:09 am
Andreiya stared again and it took a few seconds for his mind to catch up with his heart.
“I guessed. He and I speak different languages. I assume he has named me in his own language as well. He was here all winter. I researched, it is too cold for them to live successfully and they can easily freeze. They cannot regulate their body temperature like you and I. He likes the heat from my generator. He also eats the bugs that get in. He likes it here. He is no prisoner. He is a guest and he may leave whenever he likes. I assume he will plan to find a mate at some point, in which case we will go our separate ways. I am doing nothing wrong,” he said, but now appeared a bit more flustered.
He crossed his arms over his chest defensively and, while he was still a bit flushed, he was at least committed to his innocence.
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Posted: Thu May 12, 2022 2:12 pm
As she listened to Andreiya's tale, the stormy-haired Cadet fixed her gaze on the little creature once again -- trying to spot hints of the snake's natural language her superior had alluded to. It was motionless, however, save for the occasional tongue-flick. "Yᴏᴜ'ʀᴇ ʟᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ ɪᴛs ʟᴀɴɢᴜᴀɢᴇ? Wʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴏᴇs ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴇᴀɴ?" she asked, gesturing towards the motion as the snake made it again. Then she stuck her tongue out briefly in an attempt to communicate with it directly.
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Posted: Wed May 18, 2022 3:47 pm
Though Andreiya was again flustered, Fae-Fae sticking her tongue out at it almost made him snort. Especially when Dylas stared at her and repeated the gesture.
“No, I do not claim that I am learning his language. But I am trying to understand him. This–do not tell anyone about him, it could send the wrong message. I am thinking about promoting him to my assistant. He is very helpful, he keeps the insects at bay. You are welcome to eat as many of those as you like,” he huffed. His face was still red but he was trying very hard to calm down.
“It is complicated. Look into his eyes, Fae-Fae. You will understand. He speaks with them.”
Dylas’ big eyes said ‘I am cute’ and ‘Let’s be friends’.
Andreiya knew this to be fact, even if he couldn’t figure out how to explain it.
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Posted: Fri May 20, 2022 3:44 pm
Following Andreiya's advice, Fae-Fae looked into the little snake's eyes more carefully. The snake stared back. It was certainly a charming little creature, as most of Earth's wildlife seemed to be, but try as she might, she couldn't pick up any kind of message from its expression. She stared harder, leaning in, and still nothing. She attempted to project a friendly greeting through her own eyes, her expression becoming more strained and determined as she did so, and still nothing. Questioningly, she looked back at the Corporal. Perhaps he had some kind of gift for animal communication she didn't have. More importantly, after his explanations, she couldn't really accuse him of doing anything wrong. It was a strange arrangement, but not one she could judge. "Iғ ʜᴇ ɪs ᴛʀᴜʟʏ ʜᴇʀᴇ ʙʏ ᴄʜᴏɪᴄᴇ, ᴛʜᴇɴ I ʜᴀᴠᴇ ɴᴏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴘᴏʀᴛ," she said brightly. "Aɴᴅ I ᴡɪʟʟ ᴛʀʏ ɴᴏᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴅɪsʀᴜᴘᴛ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʀᴇsᴇᴀʀᴄʜ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ."She was already looking back at the tomatoes with a longing expression as she made her promise, but quickly pulled her eyes away.
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Posted: Sun May 22, 2022 7:09 pm
While Andreiya was still a bit flustered, he seemed like he was doing his best to calm down, quickly. He couldn’t afford to get too riled up. Fae-Fae was a peer and he should respect her, and should take great effort not to make Commodore Lyndin doubt his promotion.
“I appreciate it. Perhaps I will set aside a few plants that do not need to be monitored closely for my research. We will see.”
But, maybe he’d already made up his mind. Fae-Fae might be too tempted by the sweetness of his tomatoes to hold true to her promise. A distraction might be for the best. And, if not from her, there might be others.
“But I am glad you have visited. My research is very important to me. I hope to have more to show off, soon. I want to make the Vanguard proud.”
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Posted: Wed May 25, 2022 9:27 am
Fae-Fae nodded enthusiastically again, her plumes of graphite hair flapping back and forth against her freckly face. She was glad to have run into Andreiya, even though she hadn't planned on talking to him today. Furthermore, his deep investment in his research meant he was unlikely to be too far from his greenhouse very often -- something she would take a note of for the future. Her eyes shone a bit when he pondered setting a few plants aside, but she didn't comment on it, instead returning to the line of thought that was almost broken by the snake sighting. "Wᴇ ᴄᴀɴ ᴄᴏʟʟᴀʙᴏʀᴀᴛᴇ, ʏᴇs?" her ComTech warbled. "Tʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴡᴏʀᴛʜᴡʜɪʟᴇ ɪɴᴛᴇʀsᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴs ᴛᴏ ᴇxᴘʟᴏʀᴇ ʜᴇʀᴇ."Not to mention the possibility of exploring his greenhouse for plants she could eat from later.
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Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 7:09 am
It took him only a moment to consider; Andreiya was protective of his research, and prideful, but he understood that there was room for collaborations here that could benefit everyone. As long as they could figure out how to improve soil quality and–ideally–cultivate plants capable of growing anywhere, he’d be happy.
He wanted to know that even if Velenia was in the worst state, they could grow plants. If they could grow plants, they could grow food. Stabilize the ground. Stabilize the air. Could be sustainable.
He was hopeful, even without knowing what to expect of their would-be homeworld. He wanted to make Lyndin happy, even if Velencya was his home
“We can collaborate,” he confirmed. “I look forward to your research. I think we will be most effective when we work together. And.”
He glanced back at his tomato plant. “...I suppose I will need a taste tester in the near future. Collaboration will be necessary.”
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2022 6:06 am
The Cadet's face brightened at Andreiya's agreement to collaborate -- and shone all the more when he dubbed her a taste tester. Visions of more delicious tomatoes tantalizingly spun in her head as she left the greenhouse, and she hoped such an occasion would happen soon.
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