made waves with some friends I know

[fightlikehell]

 

The season is a'changing, the weather is warmer. The forecast calls for high temperature, low humidity and a light breeze. A near perfect day. What better reason to gather the friends and have a good time with a bonfire? Grab a beer, have a seat. Cheery tunes fill the salty air. There's plenty of room and so much to eat.

Matt Murdock is actually dressed for the beach. Still likely more than usual. He burns so easily. There's no way he could have done this alone. Anyone who is anyone in Nexus knows that there is that distinct Verity Willis touch on everything. If the sounds and the sights don't get you, it is going to be whatever Clint has on the grill. That man is magic.

[ooc; Come on in, guys and gals! Hop threads, twist time for sooner, later and all things in between. It's a real party. Don't be shy!]

Comments

[poetwarrior]

While Faris does need to stay close to Hunter for the time being, he is certainly allowed some time away to explore. The quadrupedal K'da pads down to the surf and wades through the water, marveling a bit at the unexpected treat of being able to relax in nature instead of being cooped up in a scout ship for weeks on end.

Perhaps a swim is in order, and then some sunning on the beach. Of course, he will certainly not turn away anyone who wishes to chat, or offer him food. And should someone else be swimming too, well, he may just need to give them a proper greeting, as is polite when one is visiting.

[onemorebounty]

*In the place Samus calls home, humans and humanoids are but a small fraction of the population, far less represented than in the Nexus. Thus, she tends to gravitate to the comparatively rare non-humans when they appear. Clad in a swimsuit and sarong in an abstract blue print evocative of feathers, sandals, an amber visor, and a broad, floppy hat, she nods a greeting to the sunbathing individual as she passes.*

Are you with the party, or here on your own?

[poetwarrior]

He hears and smells her coming before she arrives, although on a beach that's not really that remarkable. Besides, she isn't trying to be stealthy. He raises his head, long neck arching to look at her, and he inclines his head politely. "Both, somewhat. I was not explicitly invited, but I am attending with someone who is." That said, he's gotten the impression that not being on the invite list doesn't mean they'll kick you out, regardless. Fortunately for him.

"I am Faris, poet-warrior of the K'da," he introduces himself.

[onemorebounty]

Samus Aran, Last Warrior of the Chozo.

*She inclines her head more formally in turn.*

Pleased to meet you, Faris. Out of curiosity, who are you here with?

[poetwarrior]

"A human named Hunter. He has offered to serve as temporary host until I find my way back home to my long-term host." Faris sweeps his tail to the side, smoothing out an area of sand next to him if she wishes to sit while they talk.

[onemorebounty]

Hunter? I don't think I've met him.

*She accepts the implied invitation, folding her legs under her on the sand.*

Your host?

[poetwarrior]

Faris is not in the habit of making any assumptions one way or the other whether people have heard of his kind, given his experiences so far. "My species is a symbiotic one. We must rest on the skin of an appropriate host at least every six hours, or we die. In that form, we may be mistaken for tattoos, as humans sometimes have."

[onemorebounty]

*Samus appreciates that; for all the diversity of sapience in her home Facet, they don't have any tattoo dragons as far as she knows.*

I can see how dying would be inconvenient. Six hours isn't all that long of a window--what constitutes an appropriate host?

[poetwarrior]

Faris lifts a paw, one of the closest things to a shrug he can do. "We have never known the specific reasons why some species work as hosts and others do not. Before I met Hunter, I only knew of two species in the galaxy that would serve. Fortunately, humans are capable, and Hunter was willing to allow me to stay."

[onemorebounty]

What's the other species?

*Perhaps it isn't exactly a polite question, or a polite line of inquiry, but these sorts of comparative biology things are interesting to her.*

[poetwarrior]

Faris doesn't seem to take offense. "Our usual hosts are called the Shontine. We have been partnered with them for centuries. Voluntarily, of course."

[onemorebounty]

Another sentient species, then.

*Her expression grows thoughtful for a moment, her attention turning inward as she mulls over the possibilities. There are questions here, loose threads that she wants to tug, but she's able to recognize she'd have little patience for someone tugging similar loose threads of hers.*

That's an interesting adaptation your people have developed.

[poetwarrior]

He cocks his head to the side slightly. "Yes, of course."

Her second statement evokes little more than the K'da equivalent to a shrug. "We have been this way for as long as anyone recalls."

[onemorebounty]

That's what makes it interesting--whether there was some convergent development, an engineered uplift, or... well, I don't imagine you'd appreciate anyone speculating on your origins.

[poetwarrior]

His tail twitches from side to side. "Not at all. My people are not opposed to science, and the seeking of knowledge. Our historical records do not go back that far, however, and biological examination is inconclusive, when it is even possible."

[onemorebounty]

*She chuckles.*

My people aren't opposed to the pursuit of knowledge, either--in principle. In practice, having seen the results of every attempt by someone to profit from learning about my biology, I've taken a less generous stance. I wouldn't have blamed you for similar.

[poetwarrior]

"It is not easy to study a K'da who does not wish to be studied," Faris answers, drawing the corners of his draconic mouth up in a smile, or something close to it anyway. "All such studies have been by our own people, the K'da and Shontine."

[onemorebounty]

*She gives a slow, slight shake of her head.*

Don't phrase it like a challenge like that, or I'll be tempted to take it up, and that's not the sort of person I'd prefer to be. That said, it's good to hear your people haven't fallen under the wrong end of somebody's scalpel.

[poetwarrior]

"Another quirk of our biology," he says, and digs his forepaws into the warm sand, just for the feel of it. "Our bodies disappear upon death, no matter the cause."

[onemorebounty]

That must make for interesting funerary customs.

[poetwarrior]

"It is one reason why being a poet-warrior is so important to my people. We are remembered in song and legend, not physical monuments."

[onemorebounty]

I see how that would be important. My own people favor sculpture. Are there no poets in your culture who are not also warriors?

[poetwarrior]

"Perhaps. I do not know every K'da. It seems unlikely, however, as we are currently at war with a race who wishes to eradicate us. Whether we like it or not, we must all be prepared to fight to defend our lives."

[onemorebounty]

Ah. Everyone a warrior, with extinction the alternative. I have some understanding of war--who's the enemy?

[poetwarrior]

"They are called the Valaghua. I have never met them face to face, but we have encountered their ships on numerous occasions. They are intelligent and deadly."