014 ♍ VIDEO

[glowsferatu]

[ Kanaya is sitting at her desk, with Ashiah laying down on it in front of her. The little grub keeps glancing around in various directions, while her mother's gaze and smile is fixed on the camera. ]

I've been thinking recently about the cross-section of the imPort community who aren't human, perhaps most particularly since the ambassador elections last month. There are a sizable amount of us, not a large group, but significant. I've spoken with many of you on individual terms, and while the resources Governor Kang and SELF have provided to those of us with more unique needs have been invaluable, I feel there is still something missing in our collective socialization. We live the imPort experience in a way that many others won't fully appreciate, and I think we could benefit from sharing those experiences with each other.

[ At this point, Ashiah tries to wander off camera, but Kanaya suppresses a giggle as she puts a hand on top of her and scoots her back into place. ]

I'm unsure exactly what form that would take, but putting us all in a room to share our stories would be at least a start. If anyone is interested, please let me know, and I'll see about renting some space. Of course, if you have any special dietary needs, in terms of snacks, I would like to hear those as well.

This is generally something I'd prefer to save until we're in person, but... [ She's interrupted as Ashiah turns around and nuzzles into her chest, then tries to climb up her shoulder. Kanaya stops and laughs to herself, then plucks her off and cradles her, despite all her fidgeting. ] Anyway, for those of you who I haven't had the pleasure with yet, my name is Kanaya Maryam, and this is my daughter, Ashiah. I'm an Alternian troll, specifically an awakened jadeblood, which basically means I'm a vampire. She's a Daughter Grub from the same planet. [ She raises a finger, shaking her head. ] And before you ask, no, she isn't a troll, and she won't grow up to be one, either. Once she finally pupates, she'll become a Mother Grub. They acted as gestational surrogates for trolls, while the jadeblooded caste were their caretakers and midwives. It's all a bit complicated, this is just a general summary.

So, hopefully we'll be able to put something together moving forward, and I'll be able to hear all of your stories, as well. I'll be looking forward to hearing from each of you.

Comments

[ Video ]

[dualismum]

[ He wouldn't be sharing his story exactly because it's awful and in all honesty he doesn't remember all of it because of his amnesia, but Sasaki would love to meet other non humans. If only because it helps him to feel less like a monster when he is wih them ]

That sounds like a good idea, Kanaya.

[ you know his dietary needs tho, pls don't have snzcks for him ]

I can help you organizing it if you'd like.

[ Video ]

[glowsferatu]

[ She could always try serving him something from herself, but she's not sure how he'd react to non-human meat, so she won't. ]

I'm glad to hear it, Sassan. I could always do with an extra hand, once I have some idea how large the workload will be.

[Voice] [Private]

[thegriffinofdeath]

So your race is born from another race?

[It's the best way she can wrap her head around the mother grub thing, really.]

[Voice] [Private]

[glowsferatu]

No. Like I said, it's a surrogacy, the genetic material was still provided by trolls. They're more like a middle agent, filling a gap in our reproductive process that we can't cover ourselves.

[douchebag]

[ Okay, so the grub thing is pretty weird and the only troll-like species he knows is the Jiralhanae, but Felix is focusing on the vampire part of this. ]

So does that mean you can or can't go out in the sunlight?

[glowsferatu]

[ Well, if she weren't welcoming some scrutiny, she wouldn't have mentioned it. ]

Oh, that's actually perhaps the most significant difference between myself and the human vampires I've met. Jadebloods are perhaps the only trolls who were capable of surviving the greater heat of our sun, the rest were all nocturnal.

If anything, you might consider me solar-powered.

[Video]

[monge]

["Special dietary needs" huh?]

I'm gonna need lots of soft cream, zura.

[...So it's safe to assume he's interested.]

[Video]

[glowsferatu]

Glad to have you aboard, Komasan! [ She takes out a notepad, jotting it down. ] Now, I don't think that's one I'm fully familiar with. Would that be more like ice cream, or a whipped cream?

video;

[23wishes]

[There's a good deal of hesitation in her voice but she's made a vow to step outside her comfort zone more, so...]

I'd love to.

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[glowsferatu]

[ Kanaya's motivation is a bit similar, trying to find a way to contribute some real good, instead of just miserably fighting against the bad. ]

It will be a good opportunity, I think. Getting to know the others, letting ourselves be known. It fosters trust, and friendship.

[ video ]

[darkimitation]

[Kagami listens to this post over a few times before finally making a response, though he seems a bit nervous about it.]

Do you really want to know other non-humans and help them? Because um, I'd rather meet with you alone first if that's okay.

[ video ]

[glowsferatu]

[ There's something oddly familiar in his looks, but Kanaya can't quite place it immediately. She narrows her eyes in curiosity, but makes sure to couple that with a smile. ]

I could agree to that. If you're concerned with my intentions, or just need a more familiar face beforehand, I'll welcome any scrutiny necessary. Getting to know each other is rather the point, anyway.

Is there anywhere you'd like to meet?

Video

[danceofcurse]

A congregation of nonhuman imPorts?

[The idea is one Van sounds interested in, but he has a feeling that, like Kanaya's own story, there are a great many nonhumans whose situations are complicated, his own among them.

He has always wanted to be free to be himself, but there were, and perhaps still are, countless dangers (both known and unknown) to exposing himself as something more than human. Still, Van is intrigued, even wants to talk about what he is, particularly if it means discussing it with those who might be less inclined to judge or misunderstand.]

...I think I'd like to meet others.

Video

[glowsferatu]

[ Kanaya's eyes widen, here's one she wouldn't even have recognized if he didn't volunteer the information. That's why it was important for her to ask, so many would fall through the cracks if she just guessed. ]

And I'm sure we'd also like to meet you! You're a fairly new arrival, yes?

[beneathbluerafters]

I agree with the dog-creature, soft ice-cream is a must.

[glowsferatu]

Well, maybe we should just make it an ice cream social, then.

[ She could probably digest ice cream, as long as it doesn't literally clog her arteries. ]

[acclimatized]

Starting a new club Kanaya?

[glowsferatu]

I think so, yes. Finding an excuse to make new friends.

video | id reads "karen starr"

[boobwindow]

If you need help with renting a place, let me know.

video, private.

[glowsferatu]

I'll keep it in mind, if I have any trouble.

[ She rests her head under her chin, meeting Karen with a bit of a sly smile. ]

Are you going to be there? In costume, of course.

[SOUND ONLY]

[braceforimpact]

[Well, that was all very interesting and Kaworu has about ten million questions, but there's also the little issue of... Kanaya.

Or more specifically, Kanaya and Shinji.

And...]

I don't understand. You state your purpose as shared experiences, but introduce yourself using experiences that cannot be shared by others.

[SOUND ONLY]

[glowsferatu]

[ Oh, Kaworu. He's important to Shinji, and probably doesn't understand a lot of the local experience, so she can play nice. More than that, he has a point, she should have qualified that in the main address. ]

Well, we obviously will all have very significant differences in our history. The common experiences we live are more as pertains to this world, while we are imPorts, and how it reacts to us.

But, to understand where we are and where we will be going, it can help to know where we've been. Sharing the perspectives that we are starting from, and how we view this world through them.

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[fullofrage]

I'm a vampire as well. And I was a ghost for a while, before I got here. I'd be up for something like this.

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[glowsferatu]

Hmm. [ She pauses to think. For the most part, she would consider vampires still human, only with a diverging condition. On the other hand, this isn't a vampire she's met before, and she's fully aware of how challenging that condition can be to live with. Turning him away may not be prudent. ]

Vampirism can be its own struggle, one that can take a lot of diligence to keep under control. Do you have a safe source of food?

[ofgoldenfoil]

[ Well just hang just one moment - ]

I know Kang, and I heard a little about SELF. Does it offer anything for dragons?

[glowsferatu]

You know, I couldn't really say! But I'd be surprised if it doesn't, considering Kang himself was among its founders. He would likely be the best person to ask.

Are you a dragon yourself?

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[helpline]

Aliens Anonymous! I'll bring crisps.

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[glowsferatu]

Great! Will it be the flavored sort, or should I make sure we have salsa?

[ She squints to herself, glancing offscreen. Can you mix blood with salsa? ]

voice;

[lastnerv]

I guess I don't need to tell you how good of an idea this is when everyone else is.

Uh, if you need food for it, though, I could make something.

voice;

[glowsferatu]

It should be an excellent opportunity to properly initiate you as a new member of the group!

We have an ice cream machine and crisps already on offer, so whatever else might be good to include. Probably best for someone who actually eats to decide that. Can you make salsa?

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[irassible]

[ That was one of the more interesting and...slightly disturbing...stories he's heard today.

He's still boggling a bit when he replies. ]

So this gathering would be just for...socializing? Like a club?

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[glowsferatu]

[ She's a weird person from a weird planet, she is at peace with this fact. ]

That's the general idea, yes. Though the way I have it envisioned, it is as much about providing non-humans who've been thrust out of their element with emotional support as it is expanding their social horizons.

text;

[unwiseheart]

[ Because if he went anything other than text, it would turn into a shouting match. To be honest, replying at all is a very poor idea, and yet-- ]

pass.

text;

[glowsferatu]

[ This motherfucker right here. She puts all her shouting impulses into typing, her screen does not appreciate it. ]

you count more as a human anyway

Permavid

[governorkang]

This is a good idea, Kanaya.

[glowsferatu]

I'm glad to hear you agree! And I think we could all use a few more friends. Really, I would have liked to have done something of the sort earlier this year, but I don't know if I was quite ready to organize it yet.

video

[burnseternal]

A meeting of minds sounds splendid, Kanaya! It would be very nice indeed to meet the other non-human imPorts around here, and to have a greater knowledge of where we are all from.

You needn't do all the work, of course. Provided at least some of the others can eat what I cook, I don't mind bringing food in the slightest.

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[glowsferatu]

Oh, I didn't expect I would! Mentioning something like this is almost an open invitation for people to volunteer. Luckily, if there's one thing I'm good at, it's administration, so all I need to do now is organize all my sundry volunteers.

What sort of food will you be cooking?

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[fastballspeciaaaaal]

Your daughter is adorable.

[Okay yeah, she's a weird little grub thing, but precious nonetheless!]

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[glowsferatu]

[ Kanaya beams at Ripley, it isn't often enough for her that she hears anything so unreservedly positive said about Ashiah. ]

Isn't she just? Too often, I hear humans thinks she's weird or too buggy. But I think they're all wrong, in the most objective way imaginable!

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[fridgeflower]

A decent amount of people back home seem to think of mutants as non-human, but I'm not sure if that's technically correct or just a method of making us the Other. We're still human mutants. I guess other species can have mutants, too.

So. It's an interesting question, but I don't know if I count. And I might be in enough extracurricular clubs as it is.

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[glowsferatu]

I think it can be complicated to draw a real line on. Especially when already as imPorts we're often treated differently from natives, but not without good reason, and not always in a negative way. Aside from certain exceptions, I think our history on the last imPort world may have better fit in line with what you've said about mutant treatment.

Myself, I'm not sure how comfortable I am drawing lines, when those lines stop being hypothetical, and begin to apply to actual people. So, in a case like this, I suppose it will depend on where you would consider yourself fitting best, or if you think your own history will parallel significantly to the ones we will share.

If you believe it will, then I would gladly welcome you to join us.