trans_9 | Animal Watching [Open]

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Animal Watching [Open]

Among the things that Cassie had learned about the ship where she now made her home was that there was a section of it that held a large number of alien animal and plant species. Although it had taken her longer then she thought it would to get there, she had finally found her way to Hydroponics, where the animals were supposed to reside. Her eyes twinkled happily and a smile played across her lips as she wandered through the area. The animals that she saw were incredible. Nothing like those that she was familiar with, but that didn't matter. They were all amazing in ways that were unique to them and that was wonderful.

She spotted a strange green creature out of the corner of her eye and spun to get a better look, but, to her disappointment, it vanished before she could see much more. Cassie moved towards the area where she had last seen it, hoping that it might still be lingering nearby or that there might be more like it still within range. She moved slowly and quietly so as not to startle any animals still nearby.

She continued on for a while longer, managing to get at least a glance of a number of other animals and in a few cases she did better then that, although she didn't know enough about them to put a name to any of them. She sighed contently as she walked, feeling more comfortable at that moment then she had since she arrived here. Even the house that she lived in on the ship, the one that resembled her home on Earth, still felt strangely foreign to her for some reason. But here... the animals and physical surroundings might be alien, but this feeling of being surrounded by so many wonderful creatures was not. She felt surprisingly comfortable here.

She might just have to come here more often.

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"It's Eva, still," she says, then motions at the plants. It does occur to her that in a way, she's commandeered Cassie's house. She knows Cassie's too good-natured to ever kick her out, but perhaps she should have made more of an effort to keeping things the way they were. The way that would be familiar to Cassie.

"No, ah, I was just grabbing some seeds to experiment in the garden with. You don't mind that I've made a garden, do you? It keeps me from clawing people's eyes out on this ship."

Maybe if certain people - Iniss - wouldn't be such royal irritations, she wouldn't need something to distract her from fantasies of violence.

"Cassie, no offense, but in a battle between me and either of your parents, I'd win. In a battle between me and both of your parents, I'd win." She, Michelle and Walter may not always see eye to eye, but she respects them well enough. Enough to make jokes at their expense. "Seriously, all I'd have to do is say 'look over there, a rare species of deer' and I could sucker punch either of them."

Edited 2011-07-20 05:07 (UTC)

Cassie nodded, acknowledging Eva's response. "If that's what you wish."

"A garden?" Her eyes lit up for a moment. She didn't know too much about gardening in general- she appreciated plants for there own beauty and the effect they had on the environment, but they had never really been her priority. Her heart had always been and probably would always be devoted to the animals. But... gardening sounded kind of interesting. A way of making the environment around the house a little prettier and maybe a bit more personal. Something that might make it feel more like home to her. Besides, it drove her mad that she seemed to have so little to do. She wasn't used to it and she honestly desperately wanted to be doing something useful.

Her voice was quiet when she spoke again. Tentative. "Would you maybe like some... help? I mean I understand if you prefer to do it alone though, so feel free to tell me no." She shrugged, smiling a bit weakly. "It's just an idea."

"I don't know. My parents are tougher then they look. I wouldn't want to cross them," Cassie laughed, enjoying the bit of banter and trying to play along as best she could. "Of course, the rare species of dear thing might prove a problem, but that assumes that the fight ends there."

She grins. "I destroy the garden almost as much as I fix it up. It could probably use a gentler set of hands. When you're done playing Steve Irwin, I can show you what I've done with it."

She might hide what's become of the Japanese maples, though. Despite Zouichi's advice, she's managed to kill yet another set of them. It's not that she isn't a decent gardener, just that Japanese maples require consistency, rather than a tender who only seems to pay attention when she wants to unleash frustration by ripping weeds up, or set aside her feelings of loss by mothering something that can't squirm away under the guise of 'independence'.

"Cassandra, dear, I was forged in the heart of the Yeerk empire. Also at UCLA. Believe me, I can throw a mean right hook of a sucker punch." She ties up her hair and throws a fake punch at the air to demonstrate, winking. "How've you been adjusting to the ship so far?"

"I look forward to it," Cassie grinned, her eyes sparkled happily at the thought of starting upon a new task. And, as an added bonus, this would give her the opportunity to get to know Eva on a more personal level, or at least she hoped that it would. There hadn't been a lot of time during the war for anything that didn't involve finding a way to better aid the resistance. "Maybe later today when we're both at the house? I'd like to get started soon, if that's possible."

"Remind me not to upset you then," Cassie teased gently. "I don't want to end up on the wrong side of any of your punches."

Cassie paused to consider the question. "I suppose that I'm adjusting well. It's not easy, but I'll adapt." True in part, but not completely. She was starting to get used to life on Stacy, but there was still so much that she hadn't been able to come to terms with yet. She felt a wave of guilt for withholding her complete thoughts from Eva and her smile faded for a moment, but Cassie just couldn't bring herself to burden Eva with her own problems. She'd deal with them without troubling the older woman.

She forced the smile back quickly. "How long did it take you to adapt when you first arrived?"

"Absolutely. I'm mostly a beginner at this whole green thumb thing, but you seem to have a way enough with living things." It's an understatement. Cassie seems to live for living things.

She shakes her head, laughing loudly before remembering that they're supposed to be sneaking. "Don't worry. I'm not nearly stupid enough to punch you."

Her smiles gets a bit sad there. She can see Cassie's hesitation, sees lingering sadness there. The same that hangs in the shadow of her own son. "I don't know exactly when in the timeline you're from, but if you ever need to talk...I've sort of got a wealth of experience too."

But the smile's back on Cassie's face, so it's back on Eva's. "Oh God, who knows on this ship? I still don't know if I'll ever get used to the humidity here."

Cassie smiled shyly at the compliment, her eyes brightening. She'd rather think of herself that way. As someone who helps to nurture life rather then the killer she sees all too often when she looks in the mirror. "Thank you, Eva. This is going to be fun."

She tilted her head at Eva's offer, watching the older woman for a moment. It had occurred to her that she didn't actually know when in time Eva was from, but, given her comment about having a "wealth of experience," she suspected that she must be from some point after being freed. "Thank you. I appreciate that. Sometimes... it can help to talk and if I need to I'll come to you." And she was tempted. A part of her knew that she needed someone to confide in, but she just didn't know who she might be able to speak to about all that she was feeling. But, she hated to drop her problems on anyone else. They all had their own issues to deal with and none of the others needed hers added to the ever growing pile. She was supposed to be there for them after all. That was all she really wanted. To be able to help her friends.

For a moment, she almost gave in to the temptation to unburden herself, but she slapped her mouth shut. No, she couldn't. It felt like whining and when so many others had suffered more then she, then what right had she to sit here whining about her own problems? Eva, for example, had spent years a prisoner in her own body. She was kind to offer the help and Cassie was grateful for it, but it would be unfair to lay anything more on the kind woman.

"Can I ask when in time you're from? I don't think anyone has mentioned it yet," Cassie asked, making a valiant effort to hide her thoughts from the other woman.

Cassie giggled softly. "Yeah, the humidity is a bit much, but I don't mind it too much."

After having lived with a cold-blooded killer in her head, Eva knows the difference between those born into it and those who are life-givers. She sees right through you, Cassie. She knows you hate the war.

"Well, you know where to find me if you need to. Just because you're not mine doesn't mean I don't get to be the house mother, still." And that title will have to be wrenched from her cold, dead fingers. "I've filled the guest bedroom with books. If I ever die and get repodded, you should convert it into a library in my honor."

She pauses just a second before smiling. "Four years after the end of the war. You did very well for yourself, Cassie. You've done a lot of good, a lot of clean good, for our world back home."

"Thank you," Cassie told her again with a thankful smile, which then quickly faded at Eva's mention of dying. That was just not something that Cassie was prepared to deal with right now. It upset her too much to think about it, especially given that, with all she'd seen and been through, she was now very aware that anyone could die. The cruelties of war... Her lip quivered for a second as she opened her mouth to respond, but couldn't force any words from her lips. Taking a deep breath, Cassie forced herself to steady, deciding to avoid that topic all together.

"Really? I was able to be of some help?" That brought about a hopeful if somewhat hesitant smile. It made her happy to hear that the war had really ended (After so long, she'd begun to fear that the circle of violence would continue on forever.) and that she'd been able to do some good in their world. She wanted to ask more both about herself and the others, but she was still afraid of what she might find. Encouraged by the positive news though, she did question a bit further. "How?"

Deciding to risk taking it a step further, she added, "And my friends? They're okay too?" They'd all been such a mess when it all ended that it was hard to imagine, but if she had done alright in the end then perhaps they had too.

Edited 2011-07-23 01:57 (UTC)

She nods, twirling one of her loose bangs in her fingers. "Very. You were appointed some job with a big fancy title, something like Special Assistant to the President for Resident Aliens. So you were the youngest person ever to tell the president what to do, and you saved more national forests than the EPA and Greenpeace combined."

She hopes it's some small comfort to Cassie. After the war, after killing and contributing to killing, all some people do is try to atone - and no amount of lives saved ever seems like enough. "You and I consulted a few times, but you were on a national level and I was working state. And mostly host rehabilitation, rather than anything interesting."

It's an unfortunate area of her expertise, but someone needs to be advocating for them. Besides, making it about other hosts and their problems takes the focus off herself.

"Oh, like I can keep track of what they're up to on any given day," she says, doing a very convincing approximation of levity. It's not quite a lie, but Eva can't bring herself to say they're probably dead. Not yet. Not when that might be the world and time she has to return to.

Cassie smiled at hearing all that Eva had to tell her. The knowledge that her future self had been able to make a significant and positive difference in the lives of others as well as furthering the preservation of nature was very much welcome, especially after all the terror and pain that war had brought. She closed her eyes and she whispered gratefully, "Thank you."

"You became involved in host rehabilitation?" Cassie asked. "That's a noble cause." Cassie's heart went out to those who had been held against their will by the Yeerks. It was hard enough to be involved in a war in the first place, but to be forced to turn against those you loved had to make it all the more traumatic.

"I'm glad that they're doing well too," she grinned, taking that interpretation from Eva's words and tone. A traitorous part of her mind recognized that this wasn't actually what Eva had said, but it was what she wanted to believe, so she didn't question it. The war was over and they'd be okay. For her own state of mind, she needed this to be true.

She grins. "You're welcome. Don't worry, I'm sure I forgot something. You end up doing what you were always meant to do, I think." Not this war business they were thrust into, not this glove fitted to Cassie's teen years that was entirely wrong on every level.

She shakes her head and sighs. "Right. Noble. There's nothing noble about the nitty gritty of politics. It's more discouraging than anyone else. So many of the people we're trying to help think a little infestation is all the excuse they need to just lay down and die and wait for others to take care of them. But of course, people who've never experienced it don't help with their callousness. It's just a circus act of general idiocy."

The bitterness is trickling into her voice.

"That's good to hear," Cassie smiled, her eyes shining with relief. "Thank you again!"

"But, in the end, what you're doing is helping people, even if not everyone is receptive to it," Cassie said gently, recognizing the bitterness for what it was. "Sure, the process isn't always going to be clean or straightforward, but what matters in the end is that people are better off then they were because of your actions." She looked admiringly at Eva. "And I think that it's incredible that you've chosen to brave all that unpleasantness to give others a new lease on life. That, in my opinion, is a very noble endeavor."

She twists her mouth a bit, slightly uncomfortable with the whole thing. It may be 'noble' in the general sense of the word, but largely her job back home was taken in the selfish pursuit of having some way to compartmentalize and trivialize her years as a host. Some deep desire to prove she could fix everything, so she didn't have to fix herself.

"Well, it keeps me busier than the ship does. You'll have to find some way to occupy yourself, Cassandra. I believe the science department might be looking into tagging and identifying more of the animals here."

Cassie hesitated, tilting her head as she watched Eva carefully. She'd noticed the strange twist of Eva's mouth, but she couldn't figure out if it was because her words had hit home and caused Eva to reconsider or if she'd simply upset the older woman. Although tempted to press further, she opted instead to leave the topic alone. If Eva had wanted to talk about it more then she would have continued the conversation, but she'd attempted to redirect it instead. Taking her cue from Eva, Cassie allowed the conversation to be directed to a new topic without protest for now.

"Really?" Cassie asked, the interest clear in her voice. And, if you listened closely, you might notice a little bit of need too. At home, even before the war, she'd rarely had this much time to herself. When she hadn't been at school, doing homework, or with her friends, she'd busied herself in her father's clinic in her family's barn, where there had always been something that needed doing. Having this much time to herself was unnerving and left her feeling useless.

She wanted to be useful. She wanted to help. She wanted to feel like she was doing something worthwhile. Instead...

"How would I go about getting involved in something like that?" Cassie asked curiously. Then she paused and asked another question. "The tagging doesn't hurt the animals does it?" She suspected that the answer would be no, but it was always better to check first.

Edited 2011-07-25 00:44 (UTC)

Eva understands that need to be useful so much. That, and the drive to find a million things to distract her, is why she's taken her job on the Quarter, organized the book club and angled at Bight for an organizer position. Professional bureaucrat, she is.

"From what I've heard. I imagine you'd just have to talk to Luis Sera about it. Be careful, though, he's a bit of a rake." And while Eva's a mature woman who can handle a little flirting, she still thinks of Cassie as a child, if a child with experience and wisdom greatly beyond her years. Lecherous older men, even the polite and respectful ones who know when to back off, are something Cassie should be protected from. "I honestly don't know more than that."

"Luis Sera?" Cassie repeated the name and nodded, acknowledging that she understood. She fiddled with her omnicom for a moment, which she'd been carrying around, but hadn't used yet. No, she still wasn't a huge fan of technology, but given the way things seemed to work on Stacy, she assumed that she'd have to get used to it. And she couldn't think of a better way to get in touch with the man. "I'll contact him. I guess... I just post something for him on this thing?" She held out the omnicom to show Eva, her face twisting a bit, expressing her discomfort.

She smiled appreciatively. "Thank you for the advice. I'll be careful." And she took it all to heart, although she doubted that the man would bother with her once he saw her. She'd never been the type to draw too much attention. Pretty enough perhaps, but she was not the sort that guys tended to throw themselves at. But she also understood Eva's concern and was grateful for it. She was also hardly the most experienced when it came to interacting with the opposite sex, having had only one serious relationship, for which she still had a number of unresolved emotions, and a few crushes in the past.

On a less conscious note though, any guy trying to flirt with her would likely find themselves running up against a brick wall. She still hadn't come to terms with her own feelings on a number of levels and that held her at a distance for now.

Eva scrunches up her nose and laughs. "Hah, right. Get Marco to show you around that thing. I only recently found out that you don't have to sign your name at the end of every entry. I'm hopeless with most technology."

Not Yeerk technology, though. She's excellent with that.

"He's harmless. Last time I saw him, he was upside down being dangled over a gigantic venus fly trap. I think it's over that way, actually," she says, waving in the general direction of the giant man-eating plant. "So be careful here, too. You know you always have to be careful when aliens are involved."

"I still don't see the purpose of all this stuff," Cassie admitted, eying omnicom with distate. "There has to be a simpler way." But then she smiled. "Well, I guess that I'll just have to hunt Marco down and ask him then."

"He came out of that alright though, right?" She had to check, even though she was quite sure that Eva wouldn't have brought it up so lightly if he had not been.

Her eyes shifted to look in the direction that Eva had motioned towards. "A venus fly trap? Wow, I've never seen one before!" Curiosity was likely to get the best of her in regards to seeing the plant, but she hadn't forgotten the lessons her parents had taught her as a child. Nature, while beautiful, could also be dangerous. A healthy respect for the danger, without losing that spark of curiosity went a long way. "I'll be careful," she promised.

"So, what else is there fun to do around here?" she asked, the eager smile back on her face.

Edited 2011-07-26 01:55 (UTC)

"I was barely psyching myself up to use a cell phone when Stacy snatched me up into this techie's paradise," Eva says with exaggerated moping. "Yes, he's fine. I had to help cut him down and I heard he got stuck in it again not ten minutes later, but he's fine."

She grins. "Well, the Sensoriums are nice. You can create anything there, so I've been running through Turner Classic Movies and bringing them to life. And the city has plenty of people to talk to, if you're up for socializing. Most of them are pretty much as big of screwballs as we all are."

Because there's very little point in pretending they're not terribly damaged.

Cassie giggled at Eva's words. "I imagine that Ax and Marco must be having fun with all this."

She tilted her head quizzically and then smiled. "I'm glad that he's okay. That must have been a rough day for him."

"I've heard of that place briefly, but I haven't had the chance to go there yet," Cassie confided. "It uses holograms, right? Do they really look that real?" Not that she found it terribly hard to believe that they could. After all, the Chee's holograms were incredibly realistic, well past what she had ever believed possible. Did Stacy have that type of technology? "Then I should definitely go explore the city some more," she commented thoughtfully, though she just nodded silently to the latter part of Eva's statement. She was perfectly aware of just how damaged they all were.

Edited 2011-07-28 00:32 (UTC)

Eva shrugs. "Secretly, I think he likes it. It gives him something to feel beleaguered over."

She nods. "Completely real. They even feel real. It'd be unsettling if the possibilities weren't so endless." She starts walking back to the entrance to hydroponics, her cuttings in hand. If Cassie wants to walk with her, all the better, but if not she'll leave her to her animal tracking. "The City's got plenty of lovely things too. Have you seen the Vatican?"

Cassie grinned, but made no further comment.

"Wow!" Her eyes were alight at the possible implications. The knowledge that holographic technology so advanced was simply available for anyone to use was surprising for her. "I'll have to stop by there soon."

She noticed Eva starting to head towards the entrance and quickly began to follow, but then she stopped herself, shooting a hesitant glance behind her. She wasn't really ready to leave yet. Soon, but not now. And, although she still wished to speak with Eva more, it wasn't as though she wouldn't see the older woman again. They lived in the same house, after all. She smiled, "I think that I'm going to hang out a little bit longer, as long as you don't mind. I'll see you at the house?"

Edited 2011-07-28 04:44 (UTC)

"Definitely. Pull up the Amazon rainforest or something. It'll fill in the details down to the humidity." She gives Cassie a little wave. "Of course you will. I've invaded it, after all."

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Animal Watching [Open]

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