[video]

[sweetmotherofgod]

Okay, since this is apparently the request hotline lately, I've got three.

[Heather holds up a hand, counting off on fingers as she goes.]

First, the Agricultural department is stupid understaffed. There's stuff growing in there that wasn't when I got my introductory tour, so I know at least one of you knows what they're doing. Sure I don't need to remind you that if the garden goes tits-up we all die nasty, so how about some of you come and make it all official?

Second, does this puzzle deal seem familiar to anyone else? Stuff goes to hell, you get a puzzle, you get clues, and you don't know whether what's on the other side is something you need or something that's gonna make it worse? Might have been a little lonelier last time around. Let's talk. Two heads are better and all that bullshit.

Third, I need to hear from anyone who has or knows how to make Aglaophotis. If you know what it is you'll have a pretty good idea of why.

Let me know.

Comments

Video

[walksonrooftops]

[Misinterpretation of that first request, activate.]

It's not okay to grow kuims in the garden?

[He's got a face that screams "but I really need those", but if they have to go, then they have to go.]

permavid? Heather loves your face

[sweetmotherofgod]

Whoa! Don't panic, big fuzz.

[ smile, placatory hand gestures - calm down, kittycat. ]

I don't know what a kuim is, but if it makes oxygen it's more than okay. It's just - my gardening experience comes down to a windowsill full of potted plants. When I signed on for this I thought there'd be people to tell me what to do, and now it's just me.

Maybe you can teach me about 'em?

[leaps]

I can spend some time in Agriculture. Botany was my second concentration in Academy.

video;

[sweetmotherofgod]

You don't just grow stuff, you have fancy book-learning about it too?

[okay, there might be a bit of sarcasm in there, but it's playful rather than mean because what she's about to say is pure truth:]

You might be my favorite person on the ship right now. I'm Heather. What can I call you?

Voice;

[pocketfulofsouls]

Has anyone ever complimented you on your vernacular?

[ Hint of amusement here. ]

video;

[sweetmotherofgod]

It's one of my many charms. We don't all get to coast on a sassy accent.

video;

[upstairsbrain]

[Definitely pinged at that last bit.]

Aglaophotis? ... Like, as in, used in the occult, Aglaophotis?

video;

[sweetmotherofgod]

[ Bingo. So she's curious, but guarded. ]

That's the stuff. You gonna make my day?

[video]

[yardbird]

Depends. What kinda puzzles are we talkin' about, here? Like... riddles? Odd placements...?

[Moving picture frames? Fishing rhymes out of corpses to get to a specific location? TERRIBLE POETRY?]

[video]

[sweetmotherofgod]

[ DING DING DING! Give that man with the voice a prize. ]

Yeah. Crap that looks like it's out of place and weird stuff happens when you put it back, poems that kinda make you shit your metaphorical pants. Sounds like maybe we're on the same track.

I say Silent, you say..?

[voice]

[doggedly]

Third probably won't be useful, not really. Can you make it? I thought it was more grown. You could really have sort of lumped that into your first one.

video;

[sweetmotherofgod]

[ Frown. It's not that Heather doesn't like a smartass. It's more that she likes to be the smartass she's liking. ]

It was pretty damn helpful last time.

It's the processing bit I need help with. Dioscorides thought it was peonies, so I planted some. Past that point, I've got jack. I'm not gonna eat a bunch of flowers and hope for the best.

video;

[stimulations]

I've a passing knowledge and two working hands, if that would be at all helpful. To the first request, of course. I can't say this puzzle business is something I've encountered before, and the term Aglaophotis is completely foreign to me.

video;

[sweetmotherofgod]

I'd appreciate it. Right now everything's helpful. Somebody's got a handle on it at the moment but they don't seem interested in sharing, and I just wanna make sure that we're not all screwed if something happens to 'em.

And trust me, you are way happier not knowing the other stuff.

video.

[shoyu]

That sounds -- like quite a harrowing situation to have been in before. The puzzles, that is.

video.

[sweetmotherofgod]

Honestly? Yeah, it sucks bad to start out, but there's a point where you just kinda get numb. Or I did, anyway. I think it's that or go nuts.

text

[mutelunatic]

i could help.

video forever 'cause she's a brat

[sweetmotherofgod]

Hey, my favorite chatterbox. That'd be great. I figure the more of us there are who figure out what we're doing and have a hand in keeping it running, the less of a chance there is we'll all suffocate slowly and horribly, so thanks!

[ okay that might have been a little upbeat on the delivery but

oh well ]

video;

[65]

It is familiar, only the chance of there being something better on the other side is slim to none.

video;

[sweetmotherofgod]

What was it for you? If that's not too personal.

[ because god knows the place she's thinking of could get extremely fucking personal, when it wanted to. ]

voice;

[therangerking]

[ Arwen and Elrond both are much better at the growth of things, and Aragorn has spent more time watching the lands surrounding the farms than the work itself. ]

I know much of plants. [ Where they grow, how they grow, what they need to grow, Elrond is really thorough. ] Yet I have not tried my hand in their cultivation before.

voice;

[sweetmotherofgod]

Well if you wanna give it a go, now's good. And if you'd rather not do the hands-on stuff I could use some of that info. I have basically no clue what I'm doing here.

video;

[became]

I was thinking map, personally.

video;

[sweetmotherofgod]

How literal of you.

[ glass of water to go with her super-dry tone, there? And because she is a master of restraint who always knows where to leave something so it will have the most effect: ]

I didn't mean like a freakin' jigsaw. I mean all this passwords and poetry and codes bullshit. This stuff's not meant to happen in real life.

[ and certainly not twice, come the fuck on. ]

text | best at priorities

[handelaar]

Don't let morons fuck it up down there

[While none of it is his job, not technically, even if he's tending to the gardens often enough - he can't keep his trap shut here. He likes the plantlife far too much, more than even his own self-preservation.]

Give me a schedule. Different

[Opposite of yours, implied, even if they can both guess at it.]

text | in space no-one can hear her scream 1/2

[sweetmotherofgod]

[there's a significant lag between Heather receiving the message and Heather responding - type, delete, type, delete, type, contemplate jumping out airlock.]

I'll draw one up.

[allucinator]

What the hell sort o' world do you live in, darlin'? Puzzles don't usually feature into mine, not unless their name is Jack the Ripper or somethin'.

[sweetmotherofgod]

Jesus, it's not - it wasn't normally like that, okay? That was messed up and freaky.

Also, if you think of Jack the Ripper as a puzzle and not a murdering asshole, you might wanna look into therapy.

video ; locked

[unparental]

Aga-- [ jenna stumbles over the word, looking concerned. ] Aglaophotis? Is everything okay, Heather?

video ; piggybacking on that lock

[sweetmotherofgod]

I'm fine. It's just a precaution.

[ and she pronounces that word - precaution - with a heavy dose of verbal eyeroll, knowing how it must sound, though what follows is sincere enough. ]

There's there's some stuff I probably oughta tell you. Especially after I was such a tool about your... thing.

voice.

[swagneto]

Puzzle isn't necessarily familiar, but it does seem like the next logical step.

voice.

[sweetmotherofgod]

Right? But why the hell give us all this mysterious crap? Is it like a test, or is it just some spacefreak getting their rocks off watching us all flip our shit?

video;

[entrapments]

I dunno, I'm kinda with you on this one. The whole thing comes off a lot like a video game.