[considers this for a second as he double-checks the fit of the suit on one foot, eventually saying]
Both. I was trying to figure out what the hell I could do to help around here. Fixing the showers and kitchen, and getting supplies are top priority, but neither can happen without spare metal or someone willing to swim for things. I can't develop any serums or program robots, but I can swim.
[he's already taken a dive suit out for Karkat, observe, to his left. it's going to be slightly baggy in the crotch]
You up for it? I figured my first dive shouldn't be solo, and the guy I know from home...
[trails off, then changes tack]
Anyway, you seem like you know what you're doing here.
[ "you seem like you know what you're doing here."
karkat decides right then and there that rin is now officially his best bro on the base. john egbert who?? dave strider WHO??? rin u are the real fam.
he takes the dive suit though (fuck u for the crotch). the idea of getting out and actually doing something useful is very appealing right now, so while karkat would normally make a fuss about having a plan suddenly thrown at him like this without discussion first he. is willing to go along with this. ]
Well, you caught me at a good time since I don't have anything better to do right now. [ you can't spend all your time fussing over sick people or else you might get sick too, after all. ] You're lucky I'm so gracious.
[a big, unconvinced and smug grin; tsun game knows tsun game]
More like you're lucky I'm so proactive. Or do you wanna keep smelling all the gross, stale sweat around here?
[Rin familiarizes himself with some tools to take out on the mission; things that cut, and lift, and grip, absently watching various instructional videos while he keeps getting ready. his hair is drawn up next, to shove into the suit]
I think we should focus on the metal. I know a guy that can sort of -- melt-fix things with a robot arm. We could have working facilities by the end of the week, maybe.
[welcome to the optimism idealist corner with your host, a gay shark]
[ melt-fix things with a.... robot arm. you know, whatever, that sounds legit.
karkat definitely does not share rin's optimism, partly because he tends to focus on how shit can go wrong usually and partly because he has been here for two months and does not believe in the heart of the cards after what he has seen here. ]
It might be nice to at least have working showers again because, jegus, worst possible timing for that to get busted. As if everyone wasn't already gross enough.
[ he goes to change into the suit though even though he has been scammed with his...... ]
[the helmet goes on, and Rin double-checks and triple-checks his air-supply. it's not as stale as he imagined it would be -- though maybe he's just gotten used to the gross, sick-filled air on the base]
Weren't you tending the sick? What, no sponge-baths?
[ok, now to set the drone to follow their heat trails and carry the shit they find... stumbles more on this. he's a science nerd, but this shit's advanced, ok?]
[ karkat actually looks slightly flustered at the mention of sponge baths mostly since THAT IS SO.... EMBARRASSING...... AND ALSO GROSS. mostly embarrassing. he recovers extremely quickly though, to his credit. ]
Pretty sure that's a job reserved for newbies. Make sure you scrub them extra hard, Rin, to get the germs out. It shouldn't be a problem from your very nicely toned arms.
[ karkat people don't normally point out when very nicely toned arms that casually??? he has no filter. ]
[Rin doesn't notice how flustered Karkat gets, still playing fucking battleship on this over-enthusiastic roomba. the drone is awake now, and seems to be excited about the upcoming adventure. stay still damnit so Rin can program your directive!]
[the casual mention of his arms at the end of Typical Teen Shit Talk is enough to grab his attention, though; he glances over at Karkat, a startled kind of flush behind his scuba steve gear]
[homoeroticism is at least the name of the game at boarding school but really?]
[attempts to save this conversation from the dumpster of awkward trash;]
If you want weight-lifting advice, let me at least finish this first. Tone only comes from hard work and dedication.
[there, now it's sports. still kinda gay sports]
I'm not sure a guy who won't even scrub somebody's back has what it takes, though.
[Rin comes from a bathing culture. back to the gay pits]
[ listen...... my guy, my pal, dealing with karkat means dealing with his constant stream of freudian slips. it is an unfortunate consequence that comes along with his friendship and there are no take backs.
also like. karkat is contrary as fuck and whenever people tell him he cannot do something he will go out of his way to prove that he can, even when he in fact does not want to do the thing. it's one of the easiest ways to reign him in even though it does not have a 100% success rate. ]
I didn't say I wouldn't scrub someone's back. It just seems like a task better suited for you, with your "weight lifting" and all of that.
[stop talking about his arms, oh my god. the red returns to his face. ok, the drone is ready to go. Rin is ready to go. is Karkat?]
-- I'm better suited to catching people who faint from shock. Like you, getting delicately knocked over by the stench of those backs.
[was that less gay? more gay? can we just go swimming now????? Rin crosses his (toned,,) arms, and watches Karkat put on his dumpy dive suit. the drone also turns to watch]
[ RIN I THINK WATCHING KARKAT PUT ON AN OUTFIT MAKES THINGS MORE GAY??????????
but once he's got this piece of shit on, he turns his full attention back to rin and their tiny new companion. he snorts at rin's comment. ]
Unlike you, I am made from stronger stuff and can handle a smelly back. Are you sure you're feeling alright? If we need to take breaks for you to rest your dainty little figure I am willing to slow down for you.
[those suspicious teeth of Rin's make a long, jagged appearance as he grins widely, all that hot warmth in his face draining for an expression as sharp and cold-blooded as a shark -- this is one area of his life that he doesn't feel awkward or hesitant about]
If anybody's gonna need a rest from swimming, it's you. C'mon, let's head out.
[a button is pressed, the doors begin to jutter open. the drone does a couple excited loops around Karkat's feet]
[ karkat realizes, belatedly, that he chose the wrong topic to trash talk about. he remembers rin flat out stating that he's a swimmer, more than once, and karkat is definitely not a sea troll? he does not have fishy gills.
why did he start a contest for something he is definitely going to lose....... rip.
in any case, karkat heads over to the exit, while their newly adopted drone child presumably follows. ]
Let's not make a second bet because it's going to be awfully fucking hard trying to pick so many things to make you do for me.
Edited (i forgot dialogue ) 2016-08-15 05:58 (UTC)
[the last thing Rin manages to embarrass them both with before the the initial exit opens all the way, and they emerge onto the waiting platform. the door closes behind them, and Rin already feels -- better, even before the platform submerges. when they're finally released into the water, it's hard to say if Rin can't help showing off, or simply can't help himself after so many days trapped on "land" -- he shoots straight off, powerful legs and arms propelling him through the water like he doesn't even need the suit's modifications for speed. it's not a graceful stoke by any means, more like something with serrated teeth and designs on the horizon]
[the shallows are safe, Rin knows, and he's following the map inside his helmet to the sunken wreck just off of them, dangling precariously off an underwater ledge into the Kelp Forest. try and keep up, Karkat]
[ karkat follows behind, and honestly it's a little weird seeing someone other than feferi obviously enjoy being in the water this much. karkat is not too fond of being stuck on a water planet, primarily since he has spent his whole life connecting the ocean to trolls with higher blood status than him.
at least he's not slow; he's spent too much time in these waters by now to not get better at the whole swimming deal. he's still no rin though. ]
I'm waiting for you to suddenly sprout fins and a tail.
[Rin's happy that Karkat's keeping up enough for this to almost feel like a race; almost, because Rin's glorying in the (only) thing that makes him feel special and confident (when it's not making him cry). he manages to reign in his speed only after quite a few long stretches of swimming, falling back beside Karkat, trying to turn his mind back to the task at hand, and not how easy it is to get lost in the stretch of his arms and legs cutting through the ocean]
I told you I was good. You're not so bad, either.
[it feels good not just to swim, but to swim with somebody. that's always been a part of it, for Rin, too]
[but they have a job to do]
-- Have you scavenged from this wreck before?
[the drone follows along beneath their shadows, closer to the ocean floor]
[ karkat prefers exploring the islands than the shipwrecks. he is not as confident about his fighting ability underwater, for one, and also because there is just something creepy about seeing those structures like that. karkat isn't a fan of creepy. ]
Although maybe someone else has stopped by? I am not even going to pretend to know what the fuck everyone else gets up to when they leave the base. Probably ruining something.
[ karkat hypocritically says, as the monolith continues to be a rave version of a lighthouse. ]
Ch, that's the kind of organisation we need at the base... well, let's check it out.
[except once they get to the wreck, before they can dive deeper and start getting to work, Rin spots something strange. it almost seems like... the kelp forest is reflecting weird pulses of light...?]
[Rin had swum a bit closer, as if about to check Karkat's equipment himself, but eventually]
[falls for his bullshit, because he's heard and seen so much weirder water-musing from his longtime rival, Haruka "the water is Alive and I want to be INSIDE it" Nanase]
...Yeah. There's no end in any direction, it's a little crazy. C'mon, let's dive.
[you liar]
[downdowndown Rin goes, not hesitating at the creppiness or spoopiness of the wreck (ironic, considering). the entire thing is made of a kind of metal, and Rin wonders if they should strip it from the outside, or swim through the wreck itself first for stray, easy to pick up parts. he's learning towards the latter]
Let's go in. The video said there's a light on these things, didn't -- there we go.
[illumination, from a small flashlight beside his temple; into the nearest ripped-open hole he swims, the drone putputting it's way through the water after him, then stopping and waiting for Karkat]
[ ugh, look, rin thinks he's somewhat cool and karkat wants to keep that image up for as long as trolly possible. rin finding out that karkat turned a huge ass spaceship into the largest strobe light in the universe might ruin things on that front.
it'll definitely be easier to do the latter though. while a lot of the bigger predators do not typically hang around here, karkat would rather not get distracted attempting to remove metal from the wreck and have something sneak up on them. as good as a swimmer rin is, karkat is pretty sure it'd be up to him to you know. make sure they don't get maimed. ]
For someone who's so new, you are really goddamn comfortable with this whole setup.
It's just diving. I used to do this all the time as a kid.
[without any of the cool high-tech equipment or the imperative need to do so; also, without any of the predators. Rin read up on what floats around out here, but hasn't absorbed, maybe, what seeing alien lifeforms will be like in reality. there are shapes moving in the wreck, things living in it -- when Rin's light roves over them, they tend to scatter (but not all of them)]
And my grandma did it for a living.
[he swoops down suddenly, quick fins and sharp movements, finding some kind of broken-off metal door, a decent haul; he lifts it onto the drone. how's sentry duty coming?]
Without the gear, it's a lot harder. Even I couldn't hold my breath this long.
[ as they are still alive, sentry duty is going swimmingly.
but ohhh, grandma. karkat is fully informed of what a grandma is now, so he gets that reference. he is completely under the impression that grandmas are these badasses now so if one shows up and breaks their hip he will be very confused. ]
You shouldn't be that disappointed. Even with my superior physiology, I couldn't hold my breath this long either. I'm not a sea dwelling troll.
[amusement, curling at the edges, if distracted -- a telekinetic laugh at Karkat's hautiness. he really gets a kick out of this guy's insistence on trash talk]
Wait, what's superior about your physiology?
[Rin's grandma was pretty badass, as far as his prepubescent self was concerned, so he probably won't correct Karkat's misimpression. Rin in turn understands the "sea dwelling troll" mention, having heard there's a girl who mostly sleeps under the base instead of it. to be fair, it's kind of self-explanatory]
[more metal gets pushed and piled onto the drone; Rin doesn't know what half of this technology is, and has no words to describe the functions they might have played, before this place was a wreck to pick apart. some things he doesn't load onto the drone, but puts into a medium sized bag unfolded at his waist -- shiny things, organic things, mechanic things, small and intricate and maybe useful down the line. maybe that engineer guy can figure out what some of this stuff actually is]
Are you a mountain troll, or... something? If there's types.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Both. I was trying to figure out what the hell I could do to help around here. Fixing the showers and kitchen, and getting supplies are top priority, but neither can happen without spare metal or someone willing to swim for things. I can't develop any serums or program robots, but I can swim.
[he's already taken a dive suit out for Karkat, observe, to his left. it's going to be slightly baggy in the crotch]
You up for it? I figured my first dive shouldn't be solo, and the guy I know from home...
[trails off, then changes tack]
Anyway, you seem like you know what you're doing here.
[L M F A O]
no subject
karkat decides right then and there that rin is now officially his best bro on the base. john egbert who?? dave strider WHO??? rin u are the real fam.
he takes the dive suit though (fuck u for the crotch). the idea of getting out and actually doing something useful is very appealing right now, so while karkat would normally make a fuss about having a plan suddenly thrown at him like this without discussion first he. is willing to go along with this. ]
Well, you caught me at a good time since I don't have anything better to do right now. [ you can't spend all your time fussing over sick people or else you might get sick too, after all. ] You're lucky I'm so gracious.
no subject
More like you're lucky I'm so proactive. Or do you wanna keep smelling all the gross, stale sweat around here?
[Rin familiarizes himself with some tools to take out on the mission; things that cut, and lift, and grip, absently watching various instructional videos while he keeps getting ready. his hair is drawn up next, to shove into the suit]
I think we should focus on the metal. I know a guy that can sort of -- melt-fix things with a robot arm. We could have working facilities by the end of the week, maybe.
[welcome to the optimism idealist corner with your host, a gay shark]
no subject
karkat definitely does not share rin's optimism, partly because he tends to focus on how shit can go wrong usually and partly because he has been here for two months and does not believe in the heart of the cards after what he has seen here. ]
It might be nice to at least have working showers again because, jegus, worst possible timing for that to get busted. As if everyone wasn't already gross enough.
[ he goes to change into the suit though even though he has been scammed with his...... ]
no subject
Weren't you tending the sick? What, no sponge-baths?
[ok, now to set the drone to follow their heat trails and carry the shit they find... stumbles more on this. he's a science nerd, but this shit's advanced, ok?]
no subject
Pretty sure that's a job reserved for newbies. Make sure you scrub them extra hard, Rin, to get the germs out. It shouldn't be a problem from your very nicely toned arms.
[ karkat people don't normally point out when very nicely toned arms that casually??? he has no filter. ]
no subject
[the casual mention of his arms at the end of Typical Teen Shit Talk is enough to grab his attention, though; he glances over at Karkat, a startled kind of flush behind his scuba steve gear]
[homoeroticism is at least the name of the game at boarding school but really?]
[attempts to save this conversation from the dumpster of awkward trash;]
If you want weight-lifting advice, let me at least finish this first. Tone only comes from hard work and dedication.
[there, now it's sports. still kinda gay sports]
I'm not sure a guy who won't even scrub somebody's back has what it takes, though.
[Rin comes from a bathing culture. back to the gay pits]
no subject
also like. karkat is contrary as fuck and whenever people tell him he cannot do something he will go out of his way to prove that he can, even when he in fact does not want to do the thing. it's one of the easiest ways to reign him in even though it does not have a 100% success rate. ]
I didn't say I wouldn't scrub someone's back. It just seems like a task better suited for you, with your "weight lifting" and all of that.
no subject
-- I'm better suited to catching people who faint from shock. Like you, getting delicately knocked over by the stench of those backs.
[was that less gay? more gay? can we just go swimming now????? Rin crosses his (toned,,) arms, and watches Karkat put on his dumpy dive suit. the drone also turns to watch]
no subject
but once he's got this piece of shit on, he turns his full attention back to rin and their tiny new companion. he snorts at rin's comment. ]
Unlike you, I am made from stronger stuff and can handle a smelly back. Are you sure you're feeling alright? If we need to take breaks for you to rest your dainty little figure I am willing to slow down for you.
no subject
[those suspicious teeth of Rin's make a long, jagged appearance as he grins widely, all that hot warmth in his face draining for an expression as sharp and cold-blooded as a shark -- this is one area of his life that he doesn't feel awkward or hesitant about]
If anybody's gonna need a rest from swimming, it's you. C'mon, let's head out.
[a button is pressed, the doors begin to jutter open. the drone does a couple excited loops around Karkat's feet]
no subject
why did he start a contest for something he is definitely going to lose....... rip.
in any case, karkat heads over to the exit, while their newly adopted drone child presumably follows. ]
Let's not make a second bet because it's going to be awfully fucking hard trying to pick so many things to make you do for me.
no subject
[the last thing Rin manages to embarrass them both with before the the initial exit opens all the way, and they emerge onto the waiting platform. the door closes behind them, and Rin already feels -- better, even before the platform submerges. when they're finally released into the water, it's hard to say if Rin can't help showing off, or simply can't help himself after so many days trapped on "land" -- he shoots straight off, powerful legs and arms propelling him through the water like he doesn't even need the suit's modifications for speed. it's not a graceful stoke by any means, more like something with serrated teeth and designs on the horizon]
[the shallows are safe, Rin knows, and he's following the map inside his helmet to the sunken wreck just off of them, dangling precariously off an underwater ledge into the Kelp Forest. try and keep up, Karkat]
no subject
at least he's not slow; he's spent too much time in these waters by now to not get better at the whole swimming deal. he's still no rin though. ]
I'm waiting for you to suddenly sprout fins and a tail.
no subject
[Rin's happy that Karkat's keeping up enough for this to almost feel like a race; almost, because Rin's glorying in the (only) thing that makes him feel special and confident (when it's not making him cry). he manages to reign in his speed only after quite a few long stretches of swimming, falling back beside Karkat, trying to turn his mind back to the task at hand, and not how easy it is to get lost in the stretch of his arms and legs cutting through the ocean]
I told you I was good. You're not so bad, either.
[it feels good not just to swim, but to swim with somebody. that's always been a part of it, for Rin, too]
[but they have a job to do]
-- Have you scavenged from this wreck before?
[the drone follows along beneath their shadows, closer to the ocean floor]
no subject
[ karkat prefers exploring the islands than the shipwrecks. he is not as confident about his fighting ability underwater, for one, and also because there is just something creepy about seeing those structures like that. karkat isn't a fan of creepy. ]
Although maybe someone else has stopped by? I am not even going to pretend to know what the fuck everyone else gets up to when they leave the base. Probably ruining something.
[ karkat hypocritically says, as the monolith continues to be a rave version of a lighthouse. ]
no subject
[except once they get to the wreck, before they can dive deeper and start getting to work, Rin spots something strange. it almost seems like... the kelp forest is reflecting weird pulses of light...?]
Hey, you see that? Is it normally like that...
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Yes.
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[ #smooth #nailed it ]
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[falls for his bullshit, because he's heard and seen so much weirder water-musing from his longtime rival, Haruka "the water is Alive and I want to be INSIDE it" Nanase]
...Yeah. There's no end in any direction, it's a little crazy. C'mon, let's dive.
[you liar]
[downdowndown Rin goes, not hesitating at the creppiness or spoopiness of the wreck (ironic, considering). the entire thing is made of a kind of metal, and Rin wonders if they should strip it from the outside, or swim through the wreck itself first for stray, easy to pick up parts. he's learning towards the latter]
Let's go in. The video said there's a light on these things, didn't -- there we go.
[illumination, from a small flashlight beside his temple; into the nearest ripped-open hole he swims, the drone putputting it's way through the water after him, then stopping and waiting for Karkat]
no subject
it'll definitely be easier to do the latter though. while a lot of the bigger predators do not typically hang around here, karkat would rather not get distracted attempting to remove metal from the wreck and have something sneak up on them. as good as a swimmer rin is, karkat is pretty sure it'd be up to him to you know. make sure they don't get maimed. ]
For someone who's so new, you are really goddamn comfortable with this whole setup.
no subject
[without any of the cool high-tech equipment or the imperative need to do so; also, without any of the predators. Rin read up on what floats around out here, but hasn't absorbed, maybe, what seeing alien lifeforms will be like in reality. there are shapes moving in the wreck, things living in it -- when Rin's light roves over them, they tend to scatter (but not all of them)]
And my grandma did it for a living.
[he swoops down suddenly, quick fins and sharp movements, finding some kind of broken-off metal door, a decent haul; he lifts it onto the drone. how's sentry duty coming?]
Without the gear, it's a lot harder. Even I couldn't hold my breath this long.
no subject
but ohhh, grandma. karkat is fully informed of what a grandma is now, so he gets that reference. he is completely under the impression that grandmas are these badasses now so if one shows up and breaks their hip he will be very confused. ]
You shouldn't be that disappointed. Even with my superior physiology, I couldn't hold my breath this long either. I'm not a sea dwelling troll.
no subject
Wait, what's superior about your physiology?
[Rin's grandma was pretty badass, as far as his prepubescent self was concerned, so he probably won't correct Karkat's misimpression. Rin in turn understands the "sea dwelling troll" mention, having heard there's a girl who mostly sleeps under the base instead of it. to be fair, it's kind of self-explanatory]
[more metal gets pushed and piled onto the drone; Rin doesn't know what half of this technology is, and has no words to describe the functions they might have played, before this place was a wreck to pick apart. some things he doesn't load onto the drone, but puts into a medium sized bag unfolded at his waist -- shiny things, organic things, mechanic things, small and intricate and maybe useful down the line. maybe that engineer guy can figure out what some of this stuff actually is]
Are you a mountain troll, or... something? If there's types.
[is that a rude question?]
[maybe not, but the trash talk following is]
So that's why you couldn't keep up...
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"touch"
how dare u check to see what i fixed
freudian slips everywhere
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