[Godric is sitting, slumped casually in a chair in one of the common areas when he turns on the video feed. When he speaks, his tone is soft but clear, and he remains thoughtful as he speaks unhurriedly. This isn't a speech he's had planned out, but he knows what he wants to say.]

With every jump, we receive a variety of new passengers from a variety of different worlds. To some, this ship is not so dissimilar to what they are accustomed to. To others, it is the most foreign thing they have ever known. The worlds we come from vary like grains of sand, and although the welcome guide offers a rudimentary introduction into the unknown, and an invaluable insight into what has already come to pass here, it can only do so much to ease the culture shock.

As our worlds are different, so too are there differences in the types of people we are accustomed to, and how we react to those people. Some of you have vampires in your world, or werewolves, or shapeshifters. For others of you, these are merely fictional stories. But this ship acts as a nexus, and the first thing that any of us must understand is that all things are possible here, and not all things are as you might expect them.

I am a vampire, and not the only one aboard this ship. There are a few of us, but we are as varied as our worlds. Where some of us may have no reflection or cannot be recorded, for example, [he smiles here, the humor obvious] my kind certainly can. We have different cultures and different sleeping habits, and indeed, different eating habits, which is the thing that naturally concerns most newcomers.

While all vampires feed on human blood -- the sole thing we all have in common -- it can affect us differently according to our natures. Some of us, it seems, choose to refrain entirely from its consumption and come to no harm for it. Some of us can eat food and survive on that alone, the same as any human. And for those of us for whom this is not an option, there are synthetic options provided by medical, as well as many kind and generous people aboard who have willingly donated their blood so that we will not starve.

I tell you all this to reassure anyone who has recently come aboard, and found themselves alarmed by our presence. While I cannot vouch for all of us any more than a single human can vouch for all his species, I can say that most of us mean no harm, and wish only to live as peacefully as we can here. I tell you this also so that any vampire new to this ship can understand we are not in hiding, and that aggression is not welcome. And while I cannot speak for any other supernatural species aboard, I hope you will all understand that you have friends here.

[He leaves off there, but leaves the feed open for questions.]

[ Some of you knew. Some of you didn't. If you didn't, you're about to find out. ]

Party! Party at blue base today! Please bring chips!

[ And suddenly, with Caboose's limited social skills and expansive technological wisdom, everyone who listens to his abrupt message receives a poorly drawn map leading to one of the holodecks on his floor. If you decide to attend the ridiculous event, it's been entirely made up to look like Blood Gulch— Well, poorly made up. But it's somehow interactive enough to allow entrance of the Blue Base, where Caboose has creatively fit boxes and chairs underneath the holograms to make the tables and chairs somewhat functional.

Just be sure to bring your own drinks because that punch he's been holding onto is looking a little dark. And not in a good way. ]

[Video turns on to show the garden in the background and an Elf in the foreground looking neutral.]

Before the jump, my son and I began making mead. We have returned to...unexpected results.

The different casks, though they were begun at the same time, have...aged differently from each other. One cask is spoilt as though many years have gone by, two are ready to drink, and one has yet to finish fermenting. Do what you will with this knowledge.

As we now have two casks of good mead, one shall be given as promised to Chuck, who provided the honey. The other we will open three nights from tonight, and we invite you to join us on the second level of the gardens with whatever food and drink you wish to provide. There will be music and dancing as ever.

However, remember the gardens provide you food and air to breathe. Enjoy your revelry, but if you so much as bend a leaf you will be asked to depart.

Health and joy to you.

[Disconnect.]

We haven't had a jump that exciting in months. Smiley, a puddle of someone outside the medbay and a jump that felt a little different than normal. Almost makes me think that was just the start. I know, Tony, don't do the thing where you ruin the calm, but seriously, we're overdue for it. Personally, I vote for no pirates this time, but that may just be me and the residual annoyance of them.

[ this is so not actually what tony meant to open up with, but it's meant to sort of break the ice a little bit before he moves onto the important question. not to mention, maybe even pressing the issue of feeling weird after the jump was partially important to him. but details.]

Speaking of exciting jumps though. We all know that sometimes you get weird things from home and the like from the lockers on occasion. If you haven't, sucks to be you. [ a beat where tony takes a moment to take a drink of something. ] Show of hands, how many people got something that didn't look like it was from home, or seemed to just hop right over the bad line and into the territory of unpleasantness that may or may of not prompted you to scream what the fuck? Or whatever profanity you're fond of.

Don't be shy, I'll admit it, I found a shin bone in my locker and since I don't moonlight as a surgeon that cuts off limbs, that definitely shouldn't have been there. So, spill, satisfy my curiosity about this.

So now that I've read the handy little welcome manual and have established that this place is entirely too creepy--

[ She looks at the screen and sighs. Traces of concern and what might be fear accompany her mostly unamused look. It's probably pretty obvious that she took the time to make herself look at least semi-presentable before contacting the network. Her hair looks generally tucked into place and her usual daily makeup has been applied. ]

Is there anybody here who knows me? [ She expects at least a few yeses. She's practically New York royalty in her world. ] My name is Charlotte Clarke. I want to know if my family's here. The Graysons. Or anybody else from my world, I guess.

[ She basically just doesn't want to be here alone. ]

Also, I need to speak to a doctor. Preferably one who knows what they're doing.