001 | Video

[blondeandperky]

[Right. Okay. Buffy's gotten herself a little settled in, figured out that 1) this isn't the CDC and 2) It's a hell of a lot worse than being in a CDC facility. Not least because Shaun and George didn't seem to be here, but not most because of it either.

But the important next step is meeting the people who are here.]

I'm sure that at this point is where I'm supposed to say that it looks like truth really is stranger than fiction. After all, look at me. I'm on a spaceship.

[She laughs brightly.]

But I have to say. Fiction is still stranger. After all, I could write a story where I were on a spaceship full of killer rabbits. Or giant friendly octopodes. Or no, it's not a spaceship after all, rather we're on the back of a giant walrus.

Still, as far as realities go, this one is a little strange. I'll grant that.

[She shifts the communication device back enough that she can wave at the camera, then moves it forward again to focus on her face.]

If you're still listening, then you're probably not the type of person who's going to tell me to just get to the point, and I think that we'll get along.

Hi. I'm Buffy Meissonier, I'm new, and it's nice to meet you.

Comments

[anomaliiiiies]

We could be on the back of a giant turtle, though.

[blondeandperky]

Is the turtle purple with glowing pink wings?

[anomaliiiiies]

That could be a possibility.

[blondeandperky]

The thing is, you can always add more details to make something more ridiculous, no matter how it starts off.

[anomaliiiiies]

Of course. Simplicity keeps things sane, I've always thought. My name's Jane Foster, by the way, and I'm one of the scientists here.

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[goingsilent]

A little strangeness isn't always bad. It can keep a girl on her toes.

[blondeandperky]

It's nice to meet you Jane.

When you say one of the scientists, do you mean there's actually a group of you, or that you were a scientist where you came from?

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[blondeandperky]

Oh, definitely.

Life without strangeness would be very dull indeed. But then, so would life without fiction be.

[andblockbuster]

[...Wow. Someone who can babble better than him. Bravo, Buffy.]

Wouldn't rule out the killer rabbits, my very new-to-this-ship friend.

[blondeandperky]

No?

I haven't seen any around yet, at least.

[Just some cat-people.]

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[cloy]

A writer, are you? [ Ros has a sort of bemused facial expression. ] Now there's a first.

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[blondeandperky]

A first?

Even here, I... Really?

[She's thrown, because even with zombies there are lots of writers and certainly there are plenty of things to draw from here.]

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[cloy]

I wouldn't know about here, dear. I only just arrived. But where I'm from a pretty face like yours wouldn't be wasted on words.

[ Forgive her, she's from medieval fantasy land, and a prostitute to boot, so Ros' concepts of social structure and female agency are a far cry from anything Buffy might be familiar with. ]

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[blondeandperky]

[ Have a very wrinkled nose. ]

Words aren't a waste.

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[cloy]

Best left to kings and maesters, they say, [ she says with a twirl of hair around her knuckle. ] But leave them long enough they'll say all manner of thing.

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[blondeandperky]

Words are everyone's right, to use as they see fit.

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[goingsilent]

You might be able to say that fiction is one of the ways we put a little strangeness into life, when life's not holding up it's end of the bargain.

[whatatoolhewas]

Buffy? Do people still use that name? [no seriously this is a real question.] Man, that's almost cute.

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[blondeandperky]

It's different, though. Fiction means what we want it to, life...not always.

[blondeandperky]

I don't know about people...

[She gives a bright smile back.]

But I do. What do you call yourself?

[whatatoolhewas]

Well, my mom calls me Jeff, Jeffrey when I'm in hot water, but everybody else calls me Joker.

[blondeandperky]

I think I can guess at the reason for that.

How long have you been here?

[whatatoolhewas]

Longer than I should be, but not as long as some. [sigh] Few months now.

[blondeandperky]

What have you been doing...during all that time? What kind of society does this place have?

[whatatoolhewas]

Well, nobody's gone to worship the pig's head down here in the shuttle bay recently and I don't know where the conch is-- I'm guessing somewhere in the Oxygen garden, since I bet somebody tried to use it as a bong-- but we're a scruffy yet adorable collection of survivors from all walks of life hoping not to get home by hook or by crook.

So far we've had a mutiny attempt by a one man robotics team who wore spikes to his debut and demons that bodyjacked people. Between all that, there was apparently a lot of pot smoked, some people got laid, there was a least one fight in the showers, and, uh, we got a shuttle working.

Sorry; if this was the Normandy I could tell you who was boning who and who had just broken up over who was boning who, but this isn't my ship.