01 ♥ text/spam

[synchronous]

[ For now Dirk is staying holed up in his cabin trying to get his bearings, reading through old entries on his communication device. Most of what he skims is completely meaningless to him, but he gets the basic idea.

Prison ship. Rehabilitation. Ha ha ha, yeah, no. ]

[ text ]

I'll spare you the "You're a bunch of big meanie kidnappers, I want to go home, woe is me", as I'm sure you've heard it a million times before, but know that the sentiment is there all the same.

I do have a few questions, though.

- Where, exactly, is this ship?
- What constitutes "rehabilitation"?
- Is there some kind of new prisoner FAQ available? Guide to prison life? Anything like that?

That's about it.

[ spam ]

[ Maybe an hour or so after his post, he finally gets his shit together enough to leave his room and look around. Might as well learn everything he can about this place.

He can be found everywhere. Yes, everywhere. Well, everywhere inmates are allowed into. Okay, not other people's cabins. Most places, then. He's just walking around, snooping really, giving off a vibe of aloofness and devil-may-care-ness. ]

Comments

[text ]

[routemistress]

welcome aboard bb, if you've been backreading you know who I am yes?

1. she's in her own pocket of spacetime which moves through the larger web of realities. often we touch other realities. these are floods and breaches which vary from the amusing to the excruciating. occasionally both at once.

2. it's different for everyone. broadly speaking it's a place in your journey where you come to an understanding of how your life became fucked up, and how you can move through it in a less fucked way in future.

3. Chromie has a pamphlet! It can be read here.

[synchronous]

That was helpful, thanks.

[ Text ]

[routemistress]

it's why I'm here bb. i'm usually a bit more actively social but I'm a bit tired from the comms glitch day. so much fun!

[also from being shot in the face, but Iris isn't mentioning that.]

[ Text ]

[synchronous]

Yeah, that made browsing through old posts real fun. [ Eyeroll. Not that she can see it. ] From what I was reading that just happens every so often?

spam

[patheticvillain]

[First and foremost, Cassel watches Dirk on the network. Iris is talking to him - and while Cassel still isn't exactly talking to Iris, she does tend to get a quick read on people. He trusts her. Sort of. Mostly.]

[After that, he observes the snooping. He can first be spotted in the gym, where he works; then, later, in the dining hall, where he can be caught glancing away from Dirk once or twice; finally, he's smoking on deck, where he finally stops pretending the observation isn't going both ways. Tipping his chin up in acknowledgment, he grins, like - what are you gonna do?]

Hiya. Welcome.

spam

[synchronous]

[ There sure are a lot of people here. At least in comparison to back in the Medium, anyway. He's not really sure what constitutes "a lot of people" from other, possibly more objective points of view.

But despite the sheer number of other living beings on this ship, Dirk can't help but notice that one guy has shown up in multiple times in his observations.

Finally he steps up onto the deck and takes a peek out past the railing. That... sure is unlike any view he's ever seen before!

That guy he saw earlier is here too. He squints behind his sunglasses and shrugs at the greeting. ]

...thanks. I guess.

spam

[patheticvillain]

Don't thank me until you've had your first traumatic Barge experience.

[He blows smoke at the sky. Not-really-sky. Whatever it is.]

Did you sample the populace and gain their wisdom?

[synchronous]

[ Gee, that sounds fun.

He stares down at the abyss beneath them. ]

I wouldn't put it that way. I'm just developing my sea legs or whatever.

[deshabille]

Did you have a guide to your old life? Just curious.

[synchronous]

Kind of.

[deshabille]

Kind of. Lucky you.

[synchronous]

It was actually pretty frustrating.

Point taken, though.

spam;

[notdreaming]

[ Kara always noticed when there are unfamiliar faces. She doesn't know everyone on the barge, but she hears their voices and sees their faces often enough that they all seem familiar. Dirk is, naturally, an utter stranger.

She smiles. ]

Hello! You must be new.

spam;

[synchronous]

[ Dirk's just poked his head into whatever room Kara is in, so he definitely notices when she sees him. Oh great, someone's talking to him. Might as well not look like a weirdo... ]

Uh... yeah. You must not be.

spam;

[notdreaming]

[ There aren't enough people in the common room for a new arrival to go unnoticed. It seems that Kara is the only one interested enough to get up and greet the boy, though. ]

I'm Kara. I've been a warden here for a while now.

Re: spam;

[synchronous]

[ He lurks right there by the door, in no way eager to get down and mingle. ]

So you're one of the ones lording it over the rest of us.

[strangehistorian]

Hello there! I see most of your questions have already been addressed. My name is Chromie! I work in the library.

[synchronous]

Ah, you're the one who wrote the pamphlet. You seem pretty knowledgeable about all this.

[strangehistorian]

I try! I've been here for awhile, and there's nothing to be gained from not sharing what I know.

Text

[bodilesswarrior]

I'm sorry about that. The kidnapping part. [She's been there, bro.]

But try to look at this as an opportunity. I know it's difficult, right now, but you can use this place. It's not perfect, but it's helped a lot of people.

Text

[synchronous]

I'm not gonna be one of them.

Text

[bodilesswarrior]

Not if you give up before you start.

voice

[godsays]

Rehabilitation is - complicated. I'm not sure that's what I'd call it.

I'm not sure what I'd call it.

text

[synchronous]

I'm getting the impression that "arbitrary" is the right word.

voice always

[godsays]

No. Just different, for everyone. It's not really rehabilitation, or redemption. The Barge is about giving people chances they might not otherwise have had.