[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.
Fuck you, I was keeping up. I am the king of keeping it up, you are just clearly jealous of my skills...
[ karkat trails off, though, watching as a stalker swims by. they can be dangerous if you're not careful, but karkat doubts it'd be a problem. he tries to quickly recall what they were talking about. right. shit talking. ]
And no I am not a fucking mountain troll? That's completely fake. It's just sea and land.
[ there are more types though, but it's by blood color and not. region where they live. karkat isn't sure if he wants to approach that topic though; he's explained the concept of the hemospectrum a few times since he's been here. it's still an uncomfortable subject though; while karkat's blood color isn't as much of a secret as it once had been, it's still something he would rather not. talk to people about. and mentioning the whole subject to someone may lead to people asking about him ]
Feferi's another troll and she's a sea dweller. You two can bond over being red for the ocean together.
[the thought is almost aggressive in its abruptness, and it's almost comical the way Rin broadcasts his immediate thought with an unintentional force]
I wanna race a sea troll.
[a-ah... that was embarrassing, like an unexpected fart. please forgive his rampant need to swim against all things swimmy. Rin attempts to divert attention from his competition-induced tourettes syndrome with a follow up question]
Is "red" land-troll for "mad"?
[as in, absolutely loony for? as in, reverse little mermaid obsessed with it? makes sense -- no metal in this stretch of creepy dark ship. Rin swims further in, the drone trundling after a little less peppily now, balancing its load]
[ ... lmao, somehow karkat isn't even surprised that was rin's immediate reaction to learning about sea trolls. they don't know each other very well yet, but from the small amount of time they've spent together karkat is pretty aware that rin seems to love the water. ]
Well I guess that's one to describe it. [ love can make people crazy, sometimes. ] Think of it more like you both want to human marry the ocean.
[ he did not forget rin's sudden declaration though. karkat follows in after him, looking back over his shoulder to make sure nothing follows them before speaking again. ]
Feferi would probably love to race you though as long as you don't start crying when she owns your ass.
I wouldn't cry, screw you. And shut up, I'm not weird, I just want to swim.
[his rival wants to human marry the ocean, thanks (though that he "just wants to swim" is probably the understatement of the year, considering swimming is the cornerstone of how he relates to people, makes friends, falls in love, goes to school, founds his self-worth, remembers his dead father, pursues his future, and chases his happiness)]
[but yeah nothing weird he just wants to swim... sure]
[the removal of a piece of metal suddenly fills the cavern with movement, as a nest of rabbit trays is revealed and startled. Rin's eyes widen, seeing the bright creatures for the first time]
Whoah...
[he isn't anticipating how friendly they are -- they swim around all three of them (Rin, Karkat, and Our Baby Drone), investigating playfully and generally getting in the way]
[ it very suddenly hits karkat that this is most likely rin's first time outside the base since his unique arrival to it. like... he knew, but it isn't until he sees rin's reaction to the alien fish that it sinks in. it's always a little weird since people react to stuff like this because karkat forgets that not everyone has had to deal with all the space/time bullshit he's had over the years. it's why he has adapted to life on the base a lot better than others, even if a lot of parts of it are aggravating. ]
They also taste pretty good.
[ KARKAT DON'T TALK ABOUT EATING THE CUTE FISH CREATURES WHEN RIN IS BEING DAZZLED BY THEM????? ]
[actually, Rin maybe surprises Karkat but not being overly sentimental about the fish's purpose in life]
Should we grab some, then? Ah, I didn't really bring any fishing gear... people on base could definitely use a protein boost, though.
[he's a fisherman's son, after all; the ocean gave so they could live. Rin half swims after a particularly friendly rabbit tray, trying to touch its fins and get a look at its shape and face. the drone carrying their shit is currently attempting to load a live rabbit tray onto its pile, which is not very successful]
[something else is stirring, deeper in the wreck, aware that there's suddenly a lot of movement. translator's note: movement means food]
[ he raises an eyebrow at the cute comment. rin keeps saying embarrassing things and it's hilarious but also very refreshing because karkat is the one who normally keeps saying embarrassing thing. the shoe being on the other foot is very a+
he watches their drone and it's a miracle his eyeballs don't fall out of their sockets with how hard he just rolls his eyes at it. ]
Some people keep them as pets? I know there are a couple in the Magister's tank to keep him company.
[ he says, just. assuming rin would know who the hell the magister is.
he does not notice the movement, too distracted by rin being rin. ]
[get your eyes off the merboy and do your job!! Rin stops being princess of the sea after a few more moments (the rabbit tray let him pet it), and goes back to work. more metal goes onto the drone which has -- amazingly -- managed to keep the rabbit tray in a friendly headlock. they seem to have reached a cease-fire agreement, or maybe the rabbit tray is dead. I guess it's coming back with them]
[having picked up everything in this area, Rin moves on, pretty agile around corners and dangerous spikes. he is not nearly as enchanted by the wormy-air bags they find in the next room, but there's a big pile of tech in the corner]
That looks promising. Know what any of this shit is?
[Rin is not used to Dangerous situations. the worst thing that could happen to him is pissing off his coach and getting exiled to land for a couple days. well, no, the worst thing that could happen was getting hit by a bus or poisoned by some grumpy Australian animal, but Rin's generally a smart kid when it comes to looking both ways before crossing the street and not interacting with Australia's wildlife too liberally. still, the fact that Rin is not anticipating danger as a default basically ever becomes instantly apparent, when Rin does not unquestioningly obey Karkat's command, rather continuing to swim closer to the pile of promising tech]
Yeah, in a minute... let me just get this onto the drone.
[the drone was born fearless, but it's directive is to follow both of them -- so it sits between them, its camera swiveling back and forth, unsure of which directive to follow. the captured rabbit tray doesn't give a shit about any of this]
[the curse is both said and aggressively thought, and Rin has just the right combination of good reflexes and good luck to kick right off the nearest groaning piece of metal, the shark missing a healthy bite of his midsection by narrow inches. his brain immediately tells him not to thrash and draw its attention further, but his brain is also telling him to get the fuck away from the fuckin sand shark. it doesn't help that the rabbit trays and air-bags are swimming all over the place now, making it hard to see how the shark's moving]
Karkat -- !
[the line of telepathy is grabbed with both hands and shaken, the swell of Rin's panic and adrenaline snapping into Karkat's head]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[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]
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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.
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[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]
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[ 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. ]
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[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]
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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.
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[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.
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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.
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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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[ karkat trails off, though, watching as a stalker swims by. they can be dangerous if you're not careful, but karkat doubts it'd be a problem. he tries to quickly recall what they were talking about. right. shit talking. ]
And no I am not a fucking mountain troll? That's completely fake. It's just sea and land.
[ there are more types though, but it's by blood color and not. region where they live. karkat isn't sure if he wants to approach that topic though; he's explained the concept of the hemospectrum a few times since he's been here. it's still an uncomfortable subject though; while karkat's blood color isn't as much of a secret as it once had been, it's still something he would rather not. talk to people about. and mentioning the whole subject to someone may lead to people asking about him ]
Feferi's another troll and she's a sea dweller. You two can bond over being red for the ocean together.
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I wanna race a sea troll.
[a-ah... that was embarrassing, like an unexpected fart. please forgive his rampant need to swim against all things swimmy. Rin attempts to divert attention from his competition-induced tourettes syndrome with a follow up question]
Is "red" land-troll for "mad"?
[as in, absolutely loony for? as in, reverse little mermaid obsessed with it? makes sense -- no metal in this stretch of creepy dark ship. Rin swims further in, the drone trundling after a little less peppily now, balancing its load]
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Well I guess that's one to describe it. [ love can make people crazy, sometimes. ] Think of it more like you both want to human marry the ocean.
[ he did not forget rin's sudden declaration though. karkat follows in after him, looking back over his shoulder to make sure nothing follows them before speaking again. ]
Feferi would probably love to race you though as long as you don't start crying when she owns your ass.
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[his rival wants to human marry the ocean, thanks (though that he "just wants to swim" is probably the understatement of the year, considering swimming is the cornerstone of how he relates to people, makes friends, falls in love, goes to school, founds his self-worth, remembers his dead father, pursues his future, and chases his happiness)]
[but yeah nothing weird he just wants to swim... sure]
[the removal of a piece of metal suddenly fills the cavern with movement, as a nest of rabbit trays is revealed and startled. Rin's eyes widen, seeing the bright creatures for the first time]
Whoah...
[he isn't anticipating how friendly they are -- they swim around all three of them (Rin, Karkat, and Our Baby Drone), investigating playfully and generally getting in the way]
These things are so cool...
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They also taste pretty good.
[ KARKAT DON'T TALK ABOUT EATING THE CUTE FISH CREATURES WHEN RIN IS BEING DAZZLED BY THEM????? ]
"touch"
Should we grab some, then? Ah, I didn't really bring any fishing gear... people on base could definitely use a protein boost, though.
[he's a fisherman's son, after all; the ocean gave so they could live. Rin half swims after a particularly friendly rabbit tray, trying to touch its fins and get a look at its shape and face. the drone carrying their shit is currently attempting to load a live rabbit tray onto its pile, which is not very successful]
[something else is stirring, deeper in the wreck, aware that there's suddenly a lot of movement. translator's note: movement means food]
They're kind of cute....
[probably accidental projection there]
how dare u check to see what i fixed
he watches their drone and it's a miracle his eyeballs don't fall out of their sockets with how hard he just rolls his eyes at it. ]
Some people keep them as pets? I know there are a couple in the Magister's tank to keep him company.
[ he says, just. assuming rin would know who the hell the magister is.
he does not notice the movement, too distracted by rin being rin. ]
freudian slips everywhere
[get your eyes off the merboy and do your job!! Rin stops being princess of the sea after a few more moments (the rabbit tray let him pet it), and goes back to work. more metal goes onto the drone which has -- amazingly -- managed to keep the rabbit tray in a friendly headlock. they seem to have reached a cease-fire agreement, or maybe the rabbit tray is dead. I guess it's coming back with them]
[having picked up everything in this area, Rin moves on, pretty agile around corners and dangerous spikes. he is not nearly as enchanted by the wormy-air bags they find in the next room, but there's a big pile of tech in the corner]
That looks promising. Know what any of this shit is?
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[ that sounds like a compliment but it's literally what URSULA named the species. she isn't the most creative ai tbh.
karkat approaches it and... no... he isn't dirk, his specialty isn't tech. maybe if he checked out the
wait.
did something just move? karkat squints in that direction, wondering if it was another one of the harmless fish. ]
Hey dumbass, come over to where I am.
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Yeah, in a minute... let me just get this onto the drone.
[the drone was born fearless, but it's directive is to follow both of them -- so it sits between them, its camera swiveling back and forth, unsure of which directive to follow. the captured rabbit tray doesn't give a shit about any of this]
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Yeah that's fucking cool. Just do the exact opposite of what I just said, that's completely fine.
[ ugh maybe he just imagined it? he slowly goes after rin, wondering if maybe his paranoia is just acting up.
and that's when the fuckin sand shark lunges at rin. ]
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[the curse is both said and aggressively thought, and Rin has just the right combination of good reflexes and good luck to kick right off the nearest groaning piece of metal, the shark missing a healthy bite of his midsection by narrow inches. his brain immediately tells him not to thrash and draw its attention further, but his brain is also telling him to get the fuck away from the fuckin sand shark. it doesn't help that the rabbit trays and air-bags are swimming all over the place now, making it hard to see how the shark's moving]
Karkat -- !
[the line of telepathy is grabbed with both hands and shaken, the swell of Rin's panic and adrenaline snapping into Karkat's head]
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