fire one more torpedo, baby, watch the kitchen sink

(Roleplay entry, a'course.)

It had been a normal day of checking in at Haven, unpacking some lab equipment in the new orbital lab above the moon, and I'd just flown down to the main town to check in with the store. And then...



What the HELL?!?

I didn't even know anything until Justine shrieked, because she'd heard something pound, HARD, against the back wall of the store. We checked the security feeds and found one of the snow snakes battering its head against the back wall to get in to us.



Which is when we both realized we didn't have our Anti-Arc ankle bracelets on. Apparently they are that voracious.



The only plus side? I think it got its head wedged between the corner of the transport crate and the back wall of the store.



And this is when I learned, again, that my little Derringer-strength palm pistol is USELESS because I'm still a crap shot.



In utter frustration, I pulled open the Preferences menu and pored over everything with a fine-tooth comb, and finally, I found something that might help--under the Mouselook sub-menu, there was a little tick box to allow crosshairs to be shown. Well...hell, that wasn't on already, I'd known that, I just hadn't known where to look before!



I ticked the box and crept closer, terrified, while the snake flailed in frustration trying to get free, and went into mouselook again. Missed with the first shot but the second shot--BANG!

I'd done it! I'd killed a snek!

I need gin.

there's no way to ring the alarm, so hold on until it's over

(Roleplay entry, if a basic one.)



Back again prospecting, and I think I'm finally getting decent at it. But...the snakes. They looooove following me around.



I thought it would be harder to pick them out in the camouflaged snow form, but...no, they're weirdly more obvious.

So far, barring attacks from Reavers and the occasional gang of bandits, Haven's main hazards are the toxic mushrooms, the spiders, the snakes, and the wolves. The wolves are easy--they're fairly territorial, so avoid the areas they're in and they generally won't exert themselves to attack. The spiders, while very annoying, are slow, so when I see one drifting from the web, I just run out of the way. The mushrooms have the capacity to be lethal, but it's not like they move around. So stay away from those patches, and I'm fine.

But the snakes. The snakes are irritatingly mobile.



I swear they're taunting me.

And I'm supposed to be protected. The little ankle bracelet I mentioned earlier? It's supposed to keep them away, or at least, that's what I was told. This is a strange definition of "will stay away", if so...



Another day, more ore tracking, and even more snakes. Whyyyy....



I decided I'd had it, pulled out my palm pistol, finally approved by the magistrates, and...missed with every single shot. Come on.

I need a better gun.



And if the snakes can laugh? This one is. I just know it.

and here we stand, the sweet arresting duality

(Light roleplay entry.)

The uplift is complete.



Also, there's something mystical and lovely about dancing with a group of known pagans, heathens and atheists, whose sole intent is to dance, chat a bit, and leave all the nonsense behind in a very accepting, mellow setting. I'm really starting to like the Wandering Star.

At any rate..."On the second day of Christmas, my true love gave to me..." SNAKES, apparently.



No, it's only Christmas today, actually, and no one had to give me evil snakes, they come with the territory. In this case, the territory being the snowy moon of Haven. And I'm the idiot who decided tromping around in the snow looking for ores to sell was a great idea.



Get away get away get AWAY! I thought the "Anti-Arc" was supposed to keep them off me!



Did I also mention Haven has feral wolves? That will attack if I get close enough? Note how I'm not getting close enough.



Oh, great, now there's two snakes near me! Find someone else to harass!

Also, I am curious--did this particular wolf suffer an injury? And someone patched up the leg, and wrapped it in jolly holiday red? Why??

In other news...



I put a dance floor in Gearhaven's garden. Right now, it's not scripted to do anything but rotate, but I'm fond of it.



And NuTanis is coming along swimmingly.

To that end--the Gearhaven end, not the cyber-city end--we may have to delay the first Gearhaven prize. We'd targeted that for somewhen in January, and we may still be able to, but the holidays have proven busier than expected, plus, the Duke's planning at least a "soft" open for Gearhaven in January. We've had some time to discuss potential candidates, so there are names in the hat, it's just...time, and availability, and lack of holiday stress...it's...somewhat daunting.