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 Posted: Thu Apr 14, 2022 12:13 pm
Fysarius was... moderately satisfied with the organization of his personal quarters. The walls on all sides were burdened with shelving, each supporting misted tanks full of shrubbery or rocks or just layers and layers of soil- and probably something else.
Okay, definitely something else. Some of the tanks distinctly chirped or whirred or buzzed. Jars filled any other available space between the tanks; some empty and knocked over, some brimming with pale, murky liquid, some with dozens and dozens of tiny carapaces.
Close to the window, an arrangement of PVC piping, tiered with three segments, one on top of the other, and each segment drilled with a dozen small holes, where seed pods could be placed to benefit from the constantly running water through the pipes. Many of the seeds had sprouted already, with small tendrils of vines spilling over the edges of the pipes. The water needed to be replenished nearly every day (Earth plants were incredibly thirsty), and while Fysarius had initially dutifully poured pitcher after pitcher into the bottom reservoir pipe, that quickly became tedious.
A waste of time.
Instead, he had decided that the quicker (and messier) option of funneling a hose from the outside faucet through his window and into the pipes was the more efficient method. It had a tendency to spill across his wood floor, but that could easily be wiped up and wrung out.
Fysarius cracked open his window before heading outside in a loose t-shirt, shorts, and bare feet. He circled around the back of the house, unwound the hose and fed it through his open window, trying to get it as much in the reservoir opening as he could before turning the faucet on and staring down at the slowly-filling water line. It did a good enough job of being mostly funneled into the piping, and Fysarius only thought a bit about how any such waste would have been unacceptable on Velencya...
He would've been entirely focused on his one task: fill the reservoir, return to room. There wasn't a whole lot of room for detours, but there were a few small things that could attract his attention, even when Fysarius was specifically trying to be unobservant.
A dull hum, like quickly beating wings. The flutter of something small just out the corner of his vision, as if something weaving quickly in and out of sight. Like a fly, or a butterfly, or a bee.
Fysarius swiveled toward the noise, and it took him a moment to recognize what he'd seen wasn't exactly one of the insects he might have been interested in, but something that seemed to purposefully emulate them. For what? It could only be something fashioned by one of the Vanguard... Another glance around, and... He found her. "Corporal Fae-Fae... These creations are yours?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2022 2:20 pm
In contrast to all the chirping, whirring and buzzing in Fysarius's room, the tiny drone began to -- for lack of a better word -- sing. Or perhaps it was more of a whistle. Whatever it was, the sound was distinctly synthetic, and distinctly Velencian. It merrily played out a somewhat disjointed jumble of noises from the various machines and widgets back home, in a manner that could almost be labeled a song, as it flitted around and between the two Vanguardians. Fae-Fae's fluffy gray hair flapped back and forth around her face as she nodded emphatically. She was certainly proud of her work. "I sᴛᴜᴅɪᴇᴅ ɪɴsᴇᴄᴛ ғʟɪɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇ ᴛʜᴇᴍ. Wᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴀᴛᴀ?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2022 3:49 pm
Fysarius watched as the drone bobbed between them, thrumming with mechanical notes in a way that almost made it seem as if it had life. He canted his head, curious as to what and why-
Until the harsh spattering of water spilling across his floor as his pipe reservoir overflowed made Fysarius emit a startled croak of sound and sloppily yank the hose back through the opening and out his window again, spewing as it went. "Aw, man..." He pressed his forehead to the glass pane as he peered inside to see the mess, but the damage was done. More wasted water than he'd intended, and significantly more to clean up. So much for the 'efficient' way.
With a little malcontented grumble, he turned the faucet off and coiled the hose up neatly as he'd found it before regarding Fae-Fae's creation again.
"I think... for as far as this particular information is concerned, I prefer to make and record my own observations." Not that he would doubt the accuracy of her discoveries, but given how little he felt he had on this world, collecting his own data in a field that he felt passionate about was one of few things worth any joy. "But, I am curious: what purpose does it serve?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 15, 2022 4:20 pm
A small laugh came out, only partially suppressed behind a fist at her mouth, at the sight of Fysarius struggling with the hose. A couple flecks of water splashed onto her visor and her uniform, but she didn't mind it much. More to the point... why exactly was he feeding the human hose into his human window?? That curiosity sat at the edge of her mind as she nodded respectfully at the Cadet's denial of her offer. He wanted to work independently; she could respect that. Perhaps they could compare notes later instead, when he had some more data of his own. At his question, though, Fae-Fae hesitated, just for a second, before gathering up the courage to respond. "Pʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴛʀᴜsᴛ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴛ's ʟᴇss ғʀɪᴠᴏʟᴏᴜs ᴛʜᴀɴ ɪᴛ sᴏᴜɴᴅs," she requested. Then, she took a deep breath, and slowly tapped in her next words: "Iᴛ ɪs ᴀ ᴍᴜsɪᴄᴀʟ ɪɴsᴛʀᴜᴍᴇɴᴛ." The smile returned to her face, small and shy. "Aғᴛᴇʀ sᴛᴜᴅʏɪɴɢ ᴀɴ Eᴀʀᴛʜ ɪɴsᴛʀᴜᴍᴇɴᴛ, I ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ ᴄʀᴇᴀᴛᴇ ᴀ Vᴇʟᴇɴᴄɪᴀɴ ᴏɴᴇ. Dᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ᴛʜᴇ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀs ᴡɪʟʟ ғɪɴᴅ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ғʀɪᴠᴏʟᴏᴜs?" A bit of worry was breaking through. It was almost unheard of for her express insecurity of any kind, but this was different. She knew some in the Vanguard might see her choice here as a direct contradiction of their values.
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2022 8:12 am
As far as Fysarius was concerned, every single thing they did on this planet was frivolous, and he'd absolutely not been shy about sharing his disdain for the predicament their group was in. He hardly had to expend any mental energy to gauge how agreeable Fae-Fae was to that line of thought, though, and there was probably nothing to be gained from being negative with her. ...And it was simply too easy to stay that way, once he'd started. He used the excuse of water on his shirt to divert his focus there, scrubbing the blotchy areas with the heel of his palm as if that would aid in drying it more quickly.
"Mm. I suppose it's not really anyone's place to tell you what is frivolous, so long as you find value in it," Fysarius said to the fabric of his tee shirt, voice carefully controlled and neutral, less some of the bitterness and disdain find its way out.
He hated this planet. He wanted nothing to do with it or its activities or its instruments. He felt mistrust toward his comrades of centuries when they spoke of the joys they found in being here, when they should already be home. He didn't comprehend what everyone was doing with their time, and he didn't know what to do with his own when it seemed like he was simply unable to force himself to function. They should've left months ago. They should have nothing more to do with this place. He hated it here, he hated it here-
But Fysarius could not afford for his thoughts to linger there. It felt suspiciously like his heart wouldn't be able to endure it. He exhaled softly, gave a peculiar twitch to his shoulders and neck as if something was being switched off, and glanced back to Fae-Fae. "They're nice. The sounds it makes."
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2022 8:50 am
"Tʜᴇʏ ᴀʀᴇ ᴀʟʟ sᴏᴜɴᴅs ғʀᴏᴍ ᴍᴀᴄʜɪɴᴇs ᴏɴ Vᴇʟᴇɴᴄʏᴀ," Fae-Fae explained, proudly, while the little drone continued to chirp. Her ComTech's tone descended to something more vulnerable and confessional as she continued, "I ᴍɪssᴇᴅ ʜᴇᴀʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍ. I ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʀʏ ᴀʀʀᴀɴɢɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴀ sᴏɴɢ."Something she was far from accomplishing, obviously. The rhythm and progression from one Velencian signal to the next was disjointed and awkward, lacking the thoughtfulness and elegance real music carried. Now her gadget was whistling her least favorite signal of all -- the tune that sounded when it was time to leave the shower. Her freckly face soured into a momentary frown when it reached her pointy purple ears, and she decided to deactivate her creation for the time being. Then, peering into Fysarius's window, she asked, "Wᴏᴜʟᴅ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀssɪsᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴄʟᴇᴀɴɪɴɢ ᴜᴘ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴡᴀᴛᴇʀ?"
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2022 9:07 am
"I miss them too," he agreed quietly, but could not risk dwelling on it more than that, could hardly even let himself acknowledge that Fae-Fae must be thinking of the home they couldn't return to, if she was hard at work creating machines to replicate the things that reminded her of Velencya. She switched it off, and Fysarius didn't know how to describe what he was feeling at the loss.
He cleared his throat, swallowed, and glanced back through his open window. "Oh, no, that's okay. I have a vacuum to suck most of it up so I can save it for the next time I need it. It's for my strawberries. They don't mind water with a little floor dust in it."
Fysarius tamped the pad of his index finger against the window as he gestured to the leafy stalks sprouting just beyond the glass panes. "I've built a sort of irrigation system for them. They're growing well, even though they're just in my bedroom." He didn't want to admit that the whole PVC piping setup had been something he'd found on the Earth internet. Humans apparently also liked to keep plants in places that would typically be too small or too dark or too dry for them.
"It's just hard to get enough water into the piping without the hose. Messes happen, I suppose."
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Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2022 9:44 am
Following Fysarius's pointing, Fae-Fae peered into the window of his bedroom, leaning in close enough that her nose pressed up against the glass. The sprigs of green on the other side filled her eyes with wonder, as did the plastic piping that fed them the water they needed to grow. She was visibly impressed by the setup her friend had managed, and even moreso by the fact that more than one of the Vanguard had found such interesting ways to grow plants. "Is ɪᴛ ᴘᴏssɪʙʟᴇ ᴛᴏ ғᴇᴇᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴘɪᴘɪɴɢ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴡɪɴᴅᴏᴡ?" she asked. "Pᴇʀʜᴀᴘs sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴅɪsᴍᴀɴᴛʟᴇ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɴᴏᴛ ɪɴ ᴜsᴇ."So he could close the window when needed, of course. In spite of getting two denials of help from Fysarius so far, she couldn't help but continue offering.
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Posted: Fri Jun 03, 2022 7:10 am
"Probably," Fysarius admitted. "This type of material was very easy to work with. It's solid enough to hold water, but is pliant enough to cut through for different pipe lengths, and it even comes in a bunch of different diameters too. And for all the different sizes, there must be- I don't know- dozens of different types of fittings for it. So I probably could conceivably adjust my current set up to have an open-ended pipe that I could use to either drain out the window or fill from the hose."
He stared at the pipe arrangement through his window, folding his arms in consideration. It was a relatively closed circuit at the moment, just going from the reservoir and circulating through the plated pipes. To change it, he'd probably have to take out and adjust the whole bottom reservoir to have an open end that he could cap when he was done with it.
It's probably what he should've done initially, if he thought about it.
"Maybe I will have to," he grumbled quietly. "I should have expected how often the system would need water replenishment. It seems to deplete much more quickly than I initially anticipated, and it would probably be easier to fix now, rather than once my strawberries have grown larger..." It would be kind of a hassle, though. Particularly since he'd just filled it.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2022 5:56 pm
Fae-Fae nodded along as Fysarius mulled over his options, impressed at both his resourcefulness with the materials and with the humans for inventing something so convenient. Between him and the materials expertise Cypher had shown at his shooting range, the Vanguard was showing potential to make real use of what the Earth had to offer them. Hopefully it would lead to ideas they could apply at home. His grumbling at the possibility he needed to change his setup was somewhat endearing, causing her to break into a little smile. "Lᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴍɪsᴛᴀᴋᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ᴜᴘɢʀᴀᴅɪɴɢ sʏsᴛᴇᴍs ɪs Vᴇʟᴇɴᴄɪᴀɴ ᴛʀᴀᴅɪᴛɪᴏɴ, ᴄᴏʀʀᴇᴄᴛ?" she offered, along with a warm and reassuring look. "I ᴛʜɪɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙᴇ ᴘʀᴏᴜᴅ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴀᴛ. "A little beeping from her ComTech reminded her that she had other things to do, so she left her friend to his task with a wave.
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Posted: Wed Jul 20, 2022 7:02 pm
Velencian tradition.
Fysarius felt a bitter twang at the back of his throat, something that made his eyes narrow and his stomach roil, heartbeat abruptly pattering in a way that he could suddenly feel it in his chest. There was nothing in this worthless conglomeration of messed up pipework that spoke anything of home. A lot of good 'Velencian tradition' did any of them when most of the Vanguard were off putzing around with all the useless variety of Earth offerings. Useless Earth cuisine. Useless Earth fasion. Useless Earth stupid thirsty plants.
He held his tongue between his teeth, emitting a quiet, strained, "Mhm," in agreement as Fae-Fae's ComTech distracted her and Fysarius turned fully toward his window to pretend to fiddle with a piece of the piping with his back toward her.
She moved on, and that suited him just fine, flicking an answering wave over his shoulder while Fae-Fae walked away. Once she was removed enough from sight, he hurried to slink around the side of the building for the back door, back to the safety and solitude of his bedroom, where he could draw the curtains closed and curl into himself and wish he could stop being so offended at his would-be friends for just mentioning little slivers of home. It wasn't fair to be so mad. It wasn't like Fae-Fae had done anything but try and be friendly...
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