mismanagement | IC Contact Post [Hadriel]

[Oh, right, different worlds.]

Not eating any meat makes you vegetarian but I guess you can sort of eat some meat? Like fish doesn't count or whatever. I don't even know.

Vegan's like, super vegetarian. No meat, no fish, no eggs, no anything anywhere near coming from an animal.

Oh. Is that for...spiritual reasons? [Or something? Maketh isn't unfamiliar with the concept, though she's not the fan of willingly limiting one's diet.] I've heard of similar things back home. Not on Lothal, of course, but other places...

I think so, yeah. I mean, I think there's a bunch of reasons, but I'm guessing the main one is that she really loves animals.

[He tilts his head a little, curious.]

Lothal?

The planet I was stationed on. [She hesitates.] My home too, I suppose.

Oh yeah? What's it like?

[Also is she implying people in her world travel to other planets? Because that sounds awesome and he's all about that.]

Hot. Frustrating. [Maketh grimaces. She was born there, sure, but that doesn't mean she has to like it.] There were a lot of problems. I would have rather been stationed elsewhere, on one of the inner planets, but those positions are very competitive.

[She pauses.] Does your world have space travel? It seems rare, from what others have said.

[Huh. He's still curious, but it seems kind of like a sensitive subject so he lets it go for now.]

We have space travel but it's really limited. Like, we can get to our moon but we haven't done it in forty years or something, but there's plans to go to one of the closest planets in the next few decades or something.

I'm guessing there's a lot better spaceflight where you're from, though.

[Maketh rests her chin on the heel of her palm, considering this.] It's commonplace. Has been for a very long time. But you only have one planet? Truly?

[She has trouble imagining that. It must be very crowded.]

That's awesome.

[Seeing other planets, especially as just a normal part of life, would be super cool.]

Yeah, just one planet, Earth. There's eight planets total in our solar system and then like, some ridiculous amount of dwarf planets, but Earth's the only habitable one. The others are gas planets, freezing, scorching, have no atmosphere, or any combo of those things.

[He really liked his gen-ed astronomy class.]

That's...strange. [The universe is so vast to be left unexplored. Certainly there uninhabitable planets back home, but there were always more that could be taken if needed.] Your entire population on a single planet. How was your government structured?

[Tell her details, Chris. All the details.]

Yeah. I think there's like seven billion people now?

Geez, now you're asking the hard questions.

[He's not nearly as good at this subject, but he'll try and answer he question anyway.]

The planet's split up into lots of different countries, and they all have their own governments which are all kind of different. The country I live in's called the United States and we have a whole complicated voting system for a president and a senate and representatives. Other countries are like, monarchies or dictatorships or communist or a whole bunch of other things.

Oh. That's not as many as I expected.

[Still substantial, of course, but Maketh has been to places that had almost twice that. She supposes the planet might not be physically large enough for more. Maketh leans back in her chair, clearly fascinated.] That...that is hard for me to imagine, so many different types of government in a single place. It sounds...chaotic.

[Though perhaps not bad. Just different.]

There are...other ruling bodies, of course, but their power is minimal in Empire controlled space.

Do most places where you're from have more people than that?

[He's totally curious]

Yeah. Chaotic's a good word for it. Unfortunately there's a lot of fighting between countries because of it, but at the same time like... There's lots of totally different cultures that find ways to work together, too. A lot of our space and science things are joint projects between tons of different governments.

[He considers her statement a moment.]

So this Empire runs most of the planets? What sort of government is it?

The inner planets tend to, yes. It...varies greatly. Some are barely inhabited at all.

[The universe is very large. Even the Empire has trouble keeping track of them all.]

That...hmm. That is very different from what I know.

[Whether it's good or bad, she can't say. Maketh is quiet suddenly, focused on her hands. Finally she looks up. The truth remains what it always has been, and she has to acknowledge her part in it.]

You'd call it a military dictatorship, I believe.

[She had believed it the best way - the only way - for a long time.]

...Huh.

[That's... Not exactly what he was expecting, and he's not totally sure how to respond to it. It isn't his world, so as much as the idea is pretty horrible, he's also not going to jump to any conclusions.

He'll jut stay quiet for a few moments, in case Maketh wants to elaborate or say something else.]

[Well, now that's out there. She shouldn't be this honest with people, Maketh thinks. She doesn't know how to manage the fallout just yet. Everything is so different here, and she hasn't learned all the rules.

Maketh clears her throat.] What is this, by the way?

[She prods the nearest container of food. Vegan, Chris said.]

[He's not judging--he's pretty sure the situation is a lot more complicated than he understands--but he also doesn't know what to think about it. So changing the subject is fine with him, even if it's one he's already answered; she's obviously uncomfortable, so he won't point it out.]

Not totally sure. Whatever vegetables we managed to find, and then she like, threw a bunch of spices and rice into it and made it not-terrible. Which is pretty much magic, when you can't use meat or cheese.

small>['Not terrible.' Well that's -- something. Maketh has been eating out of cans since she got here. She can cook, a little, but she's horribly out of practice.

She pulls one of the containers closer. Might as well. She'll end up with a hangover in the morning no matter what she does, but this way it might hurt a little less.] I see. Thank you, uh. For bringing it.

Yeah, no problem. Hope it like, helps at all.

[With the doubtlessly impending headache. Fortunately that's not going to be an issue with him, though he might just get one for another reason; he's exhausted, and realizes he should probably head back home now that he's sure she's more or less okay for the moment.]

I should um... Probably go now though; I don't wanna leave everyone for too long.

[Since Emily and Josh are still recovering, and Ashley just went through the whole experience of seeing wendigos for the first time. None of the three are getting along at the moment either, so that just makes it all more awkward and more reason he should be there.]

I appreciate it. [She says it softly, with a bit more care than before. This moment didn't go like she planned at all, but Maketh is beginning to think that maybe - maybe it's better that it didn't. She feels better for having had this conversation, no matter how much it hurt to say the words. Maketh smiles a little.] You're a kind person, Chris. Thank you.

[Chris blinks once at her words, but then offers a small but warm smile as he stands.]

Thanks, but I just... I'm glad you're okay.

[Even if 'okay' is relative.]

[Maketh stands as well, hands clasped behind her back. None of this went according to protocol, but she feels better standing at attention.] Be safe.

IC Contact Post [Hadriel]

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