Character Cantina II

Sigmund joined Qrlil and said, his voice down to an almost normal level to avoid giving Qrlil or Ryan a headache "hell with it, mind if I have a seat?" Avea nodded, and he took one.

Avea said, "ah, Qrlil was it? We never formally met, but..." she stopped short of reminding her of her previous antics, and instead said, "anyways. I'm Avea tel'Malo, and these are... ah, Tokanae, Shiko, and Koiina. They're... well... ah..." she paused not certain of the mythologies such a creature as Qrlil would have, so she simply said, "the sort of thing you'll only find in a place like this. They can explain it better than I. Over there is Charlie, and Noah is the guy hanging onto Koiina." She gave Qrlil a friendly smile and said, "you seem to be doing well. Sleep well?"

edited 13th Oct '11 7:28:05 PM by KillerClowns

Ryan chuckled. "Now that's a nice trick. I've never been good with tech stuff, myself, but I can definitely see that coming in handy."

Ryan suddenly noticed Qrlil coming downstairs. "Hey, look who's back!" he said. He thought she looked a bit embarrassed, but hopefully she'd pick up that the inevitable ribbing would be, at least on his part, entirely good natured. "Just remember not to go too far," he thought.

Lafayette couldn't sense anything interesting on Qrlil, nor did Qrlil do anything interesting in response. Because of this, he figured, even though it was very unusual looking, it didn't really hold any more interest than your average surface creature. There must have been lots of surface creatures that he had not seen before, and Qrlil must have been one of them.

"We still try to be a little creative, even so." Tokanae said to Avea, "I'm glad you like our look."

Turning to Qrlil, Tokanae said, "Hi, nice to meet you Qrlil. We're personifications of concepts here to learn about other universes, if you're wondering. Where are you from?"

edited 13th Oct '11 7:22:57 PM by Sonzai

"From what the guy said, it's not too hard," said Jonathan. "Doesn't even require electricity or wires, it's just levers and bars. I use two guns a lot, but even if you don't, it can save you a second or so on the reloading time."

An alien came by the table, and Jonathan scooted over to make room. "Hello. Didn't see you come in, but I could've missed you. Name's Jonathan Sandusky."

Qrlil was somewhat overwhelmed at all of the introductions. She tried to organize them in her head.

The three human (?) females, besides Avea tel'Malo, were Tokanae, Shiko, and Koiina. They were the ones with the not-quite-there scents: they claimed to be "personifications" of some kind, and she wasn't prepared to doubt them right away.

Both the human males who recognized her smelled fairly similar to Sigmund and each other. She hadn't gotten the first one's name; the second was Johnathan Sandursky.

"Hello," she said to them all. "As to where I am from, that is a longer story then I thought it was. At any rate, my homeworld is named Qrtx. I am reasonably certain that it does not exist in your universes - the common thread among those here seems to be humans."

She had a sudden suspicion as to why a few of them recognized her. "Er," she began. "I apologize for the disturbance I may have created earlier. I was not entirely in control of my actions." She bent a little in apology.

edited 13th Oct '11 7:50:15 PM by nrjxll

"Well, we are quite close to human-space and especially Earth, here. I would be quite surprised if Humans didn't exist in your universe." Tokanae said to Qrlil, "And you look better now, so that's good?"

Shiko looked Qrlil over inquisitively, thinking perhaps another non-human viewpoint would help the conversation.

"So Qrlil," Tokanae said, "What brings you here?"

"Yes, thank you," Qrlil said in response. "Except for my head - which I understand to be a normal part of this process - I am feeling much better now. As your friend" - she gestured at Avea - "said, I did indeed sleep well."

More or less well.

"And as to why am I here... well, as I said, that is rather a long story."

She tried to look uncomfortable (human-style). She wasn't quite prepared to mention that she had until recently believed them all to be simulations, or venture any of her speculations on how she might have actually gotten here.

Ryan nodded. "I'm sure you're right, it's just that I don't particularly like tampering with anything involving explosives. Bad things tend to happen when I do."

Turning to Qrlil oops, Ryan put on his best disarming grin. It was a miserable failure of a facial expression, but hopefully the intent would come through. "Don't worry about it. Alcohol tends to do that, and from what I've heard, you ordered pretty much the strongest drink in any universe, ever. The lesson from this? Don't order more booze than you know you can handle." Ryan gazed wistfully at the four remaining glasses that still sat on his old table. "Not that I'm one to talk. Word of advice, if you decide to drink again - see those tiny glasses, with the two different colors and the worm at the bottom? Avoid those."

edited 14th Oct '11 2:56:44 PM by KyleJacobs

Avea shook her head, an amused look on her face, as she said to Qrlil, "that's always good advice." She then turned to Ryan and, with an impish smile, asked, "you learn that the hard way I take it? You seem like that kind of guy."

Sigmund, meanwhile, looked at Qrlil and said, "don't worry, you got nothing to apologize for. You weren't cruel, violent, or petty like some folk get when they're drunk, just a bit... silly." To the newcomers, he sternly said, "and no, you can't have the details. If Qrlil wants to tell you, she will." Looking back at Qrlil, he continued, "honestly, you found out some new things about yourself, and take it from me: you did nothing you had to be ashamed of, and don't let anybody tell you otherwise."

Amended.

edited 13th Oct '11 10:58:13 PM by KillerClowns

I think Ryan was supposed to be talking to Qrlil there, judging by the context.

Whoops. Fixed now.

Qrlil turned her head away. It was one gesture their species shared.

"I do not think you understand," she said quietly in response to Sigmund.

"We are not like you, or like other species we have met. Humans are American and Chinese and Russian and British and Japanese. G'vek are Hatori and Kelveki and L'vrin and Kisht. Qrtxians are qrtxians. We do not deviate. We were made as one, and while we made hold our own opinions on some matters, when the qrtxian people decide on some issue we all follow after them. To dissent as I do - not just in how I feel about, about this but in other things as well - does not happen. Ever."

She paused for a moment, trying to find how to express it.

"It is not a cultural difference. It is a species difference."

For the record (since I've been trying to draw a distinction between the two), it's a cultural difference, not a species difference. Qrtxians are more communal and monocultural then humans, but not nearly to the extent they like to claim.

Noah had stopped paying attention to the conversation, for the obvious reason that he was busy making out with Koiina, but Charlie was rapt with interest at Qrlil's talk of Qrtxians.

"That's pretty strange for a whole species to just agree so often like that. Where I'm from, the immortals do nothing but squabble and fight with each other. Hell, when I first met Noah, he was an exile of his race."

Sigmund raised an eyebrow and, his doubt clear on his face, he said to Qrlil, "uh-huh. So, if you all move in lockstep, how the hell did you end up in space? For new scientific theories to form, somebody's gotta dissent. No dissent, and you guys would still be gaping in awe at fire." Considering Qrlil, he suggested, "something tells me your historians have be 're-interpreting' your history on orders from above. And besides, I'm pretty damn sure I saw you dissent." He felt sorry for Qrlil — a society like that struck Sigmund as impossibly stifling, Orwellian, and, above all, probably doomed. It wouldn't be pretty when the pot boiled over.

edited 14th Oct '11 9:00:15 AM by KillerClowns

"Lay off of her," said July instinctively between sips of his orange juice. "Dissent is a luxury that many of us cannot afford to have." Dissent in places like where July had lived usually ended with getting shoved out of the airlock, and then being retrieved and eaten at a later date, or worse.

edited 14th Oct '11 9:57:55 AM by OhSoIntoCats

Ryan decided to chime in. "Actually, as much as I can't believe I'm saying this, I'm with Sigmund on this one. My country's pretty much right in the middle of transitioning to something similar, although not quite as far-reaching. It's pretty much hell."

"Not all species are quite as individualistic as humans." Tokanae said, "We've seen some species much more communal than that, for example: some that must work together to even perform complex thought, giant single organisms, or even crystalline hive minds, where separation would be tantamount to death. Even we are somewhat united, different as we may appear."

"However, based on our experience so far, it doesn't appear that Humans work too well when forced to be all alike." Tokanae said, "So I can see where you're coming from, Sigmund and Ryan."

Noah shuddered at what Tokanae had said.

"Wow, I can't even imagine how awful it would be to live in such a communal society."

Charlie, piped in;

"Noah, that's because you hate all society's everywhere. You're far too... odd to properly be part of any community."

Noah shrugged and turned to Koiina.

"So, do you have to put up with anyone like Charlie here everywhere you go? I knew I should have hired that Hot Australian med student, but noooo..."

Qrlil was very uncomfortable - some of what they were saying sounded a lot like things she had thought over the last three years.

"You do not understand," she tried again. "No one forces anyone to agree. We are all supposed to do so simply by our nature... but I do not," and I'm beginning to believe that I'm not the only one. She bent forward a little.

"Er," she added. May I blatantly change the subject? "May I have one of those" - she pointed at the cookies on the table - "please? I believe they are compatible with my digestive systems, and I would like to try some food from another universe."

Ryan grinned. If Qrlil wanted to try something from another universe, it'd probably be better to start her off on something with fewer mental effects. She already seemed to be sensitive to them, and given what she'd revealed under the effects of the Gargle Blaster, her eating one might make things a bit uncomfortable, to say the least. "Um, Qrlil? Speaking of your nature, after that incident with the drink, it's probably a good idea for you to avoid those cookies for now. If you want something from another universe, I've got a few ideas."

He motioned to a waiter and asked for some New York cheese pizza. "Actually," he said, "on second thought, I don't even remember what an actual New York pizza tastes like. Can you bring 2? Thanks."

edited 14th Oct '11 2:55:34 PM by KyleJacobs

"Don't listen to Ryan, they're really quite good," Avea said, handing her one of Koiina's love cookies.

"Only if you're a silly little girl," Sigmund said, causing Avea to glare at him. He explained, "Koiina there accidentally flavored them with, er, magical essence of love. So if romance has backfired on you, stick with martinis."

"But, as I was saying, there's a difference between being united and being static..." he paused, a theory suddenly entering his head. "Uh, silly question, if you don't mind me asking. Well, two of them. How long do your kind normally live. And how long did it take for you to get from your discovery of agriculture to... let's say, walking on your moon, if you've got one, or sending probes to another planet otherwise?"

edited 14th Oct '11 2:56:23 PM by KillerClowns

"Essence of love cookies," Qrlil said skeptically. "Yes, well, that is an issue I will not have much trouble with, one way or the other."

She turned her head to face Sigmund. "I think I understand what your mistake is," she said. "I believe I told you before, but my species did not evolve sentience - we were uplifted by beings we know as the Trjql Qrl'k, and when they did so, they remained to guide us for some time afterwards. While they made certain not to give us any technology that we were not prepared to handle, they did allow us to skip much of the early stages of civilization. We were spacefaring around a century after we were uplifted.

"As for our age, we live about twice as long as humans, but this is a matter of technology, not physiology. I do not believe our natural age limits are all that different."

She turned back to Avea and took the cookie. "I believe I will try this, thank you," she said. She tried a rueful grin. "I have already publicly embarrassed myself once; I do not believe any effect these might have could be worse."

Sigmund shook his head. "Wow. They tore apart your entire culture just to play god and make themselves feel good? And I bitch about dumb white people sending yoga mats to Haiti. You guys are lucky your only problems are a few issues with individual expression. The sheer side effects of an act of that magnitude..." he took a minute to calculate. "Without a chance to truly establish a scientific tradition, the government infrastructure needed to deal with the repercussions of the new technologies they were throwing at you in a single lifetime, the cultural revolutions that sort of thing would bring... why would they...?" Suddenly, comprehension dawning, he said, "oh, of course. You said they stayed on to 'guide' you. Those clever, evil bastards..."

Though he seemed to have found a new admiration for the Trjql Qrl'k, it was a very wary one, the sort reserved for the most efficient of predators. "And the Trjql Qrl'k just... get away with this sort of thing? How many civilizations did they destroy before they got lucky with your people?" He paused to consider what he said, then shook his head and said, "never mind, I can't imagine they would have told you about their failures."

"Oh it's not that bad... It's a little like this." Koiina said to Noah, referring to their previous, um, 'interactions'. "And what's wrong with Charlie?"

"Go ahead and have some if you want to, I rather doubt they could actually be incompatible." Tokanae said to Qrlil, "Although they may be rather ... odd."

Then, turning to Sigmund, "Uplifting isn't always evil, although, results do tend to vary on the nature of the species, based on what I've heard." Tokanae said, "But it does seem to be rather uncommon in these parts, though. Most advanced species tend not to interfere too much."