#oc kata

[dru-plays-starbound]

Log Entry 2029.2, Kraz Morass IV, logged by Mio, Captain of The Vestige

'Tides, I can hardly type this, my hands are shaking so badly.

Associate Engineer Kata and I were investigating an unusual signal from this planet as part of her field training, when we were caught short by an incoming blizzard. Worse than that, I stumbled in the low visibility, sliding down an ice shelf and landing such that I damaged my Environmental Protection Pack. Night was closing around us, dropping visibility and temperature further, and I was beginning to succumb to the effects of the cold. However, when we tried radioing the ship for a retrieval teleport, we were met with nothing but static.

Thinking quickly, Kata instructed me to wrap myself in a blanket, while she took the Matter Manipulator and built a shelter of ice around us. Being from a Category 3 Cold planet herself, warm-blooded, and with a working EPP, Kata is far more used to the cold than I.

As I sat there and shivered, she moved swiftly to bring out a nanostove and rations. I was somewhat surprised when she produced a billycan, rather than the standard MRE packets of fish pie. She was somewhat sheepish when I pointed this out, admitting she'd asked Sparkfoot to whip up a batch of coralcreep curry. She explained, as she heated it, that it was a traditional dish on her home planet, helping to stave away the planet's chill. Once I started eating, I was glad she had flouted the rules, as it helped restore some of my heat.

We are now huddled together, as close to the nanostove as can be, preparing to sleep to the sound of the wailing winds and pelting snow howling outside our shelter.

Of all my crew, I am very glad to have Kata on this run. Though we have stretched the term 'training' to its extreme, she has performed exemplorarily, and I will be discussing a commendation award with Yuudai.

Built for the 2022, '23, & '24 Winter prompts "Igloo", "Blizzard" & "Coralcreep curry".

Mods used: Cozy Furniture Pack, nuggubs' Mega Mod

[druidx]

OC Favourites Tag

Thanks for the tag @bodoramzap

Rules: share photos of your OC’s fave Colour, Food, Season, Animal and Pastime.

Tagging back: @aalinaaaaaa @thewriteflame @wildswrites @aquadestinyswriting @artdecosupernova-writing @autumnalwalker @blind-the-winds @eli-writes-sometimes @hannahcbrown @oh-no-another-idea @rhikasa @swordsoulwrites @winglesswriter @andromeda-grace @writingmaidenwarrior

Since I'm still on my Starbound kick, I thought I'd do this for Kata, the assistant engineer on Mio's ship.

Fave colour: Red

Fave food: Coralcreep Curry

Fave season: Winter

Fave Animal: Whisper

Fave pastime: Reading

(Whispers are considered monsters in the game, because they're always aggressive, but they'll still count for animal, I think)

Some misc backstory I came up with for Kata while making this. She grew up on a Snowy planet type (maybe something to do with the frost is responsible for her muteness?). The ship is climate controlled, but when certain dates roll around she can't help but miss the snow, and being able to cozy up next to a fire with a nice hearty curry. She usually enjoys fieldwork, but absolutely cannot go down to any desert, arid or other hot planet types, because she cannot deal with the heat.

Photo credits

Kata made in Heroforge by me

Red fabric - @ukotasthane on Unsplash.com

Curry - @/grimnoire on Unsplash.com

Snow - @/craig_bradford on Unsplash.com

Whisper - taken from Starbounder.org, image added by Katzeus

Book - @thenathanaguirre on Unsplash.com

[dru-plays-starbound]

Too Many Critters!

First, it was the slug in the kitchen leaving slime-trails over Sparkfoot's ingredients.

Then it was the sackbag in George's bed, followed by...

...the tiny croc in the showers which had Kata running, dripping and screaming.

Next was the ore nibbler causing Freya to waste a whole day fixing the atomic furnace. (But the narfish in the hologram didn't bother anyone).

The final nail was drilled by the steam spider in Fife's infirmary.

"The Captain can't keep leaving critters running around the ship!" cried Sparkfoot. "It's unsanitary!" "It's alarming!" cried Kata, and George nodded along. "It's dangerous!" cried Freya. "Something," Fife said, "must be done!"

"Boss," said Kata to Yuudai, "please will you speak to the Captain about this?" "Imploring. She listens to you," said Sparkfoot to Xictli. "Alright," Xictli and Yuudai said. "We'll see what can be done."

"Come," said Captain Mio when Xictli knocked on the bridge door. "Captain," said Yuudai. "The crew are concerned with the number of critters you keep abandoning on the ship." "They are becoming a nuisance and a danger," said Xictli. "Oh?" Mio asked. "The ore nibbler ate through the atomic furnace." "The slug spoiled food and the steam spider left rust in the infirmary." "And the crew don't like being surprised in their quarters." "Oh dear," said Captain Mio. "I'll see what I can do."

The first thing to do, thought Captain Mio, was to collect all the critters together. So she went around zapping up all the critters with the relocator tool. All the siders and the scarabs and the blobs and all the other critters.

Then she though 'well now I have them all, where shall I take them?' She couldn't just dump them on any only planet - they were too use to being fed. So the Captain thought long and hard. "I know!" she exclaimed to herself. "I can take them to the Zoo on Altais! The keepers there will be able to take them and look after them for me. And I can visit them any time I like."

So off she went and talked to the zoo keepers. "Of course we can look after your critters!" the zoo keeper said. "We'll be happy to have them." Mio put the critters in a special box for the zoo keeper and petted them all. "Visit any time," the zoo keeper said, smiling. "Of course. I'll see you soon!" Mio said, happy that the critters and her crew would all be happy again.

Made for the Jan 2024 prompt: Critters

[dru-plays-starbound]

You Never Forget Your First

Universe: Starbound CW: Grief Words: 665 Context: Written for the Woe, Cubes be Upon Ye Protectorate Event, some of Mio feelings about the Terrene Protectorate.

"Where you go, I'll be right behind you…" The song drifted along the quiet, empty corridors of The Vestige, mournful in its longing and loneliness. "Where I go, I'll have you at my side…" Kata looked up from where she was reading, hidden in a storage compartment near the front of the ship. Her e-book was tucked into a pocket as Kata rose, flicking one long, grey pigtail out of her face. She crept out of the storage compartment. "Where we go, together…" The song was coming from the Bridge. Kata checked her watch. Past midnight, local planetary time. No one but she was usually up this late. No one but the Captain was allowed on the bridge.

Kata crept forward, keying open the Bridge door, wincing at the pneumatic hiss. Sat in the chair at the navigation console was Captain Mio. "There's nothing we can't fight through. Nothing we can't weather…" The rising beeps and bloops from the ship's instruments made an odd accompaniment. With every other line of the song, Mio tapped the little hula girl, gummed down to the top of the console. "If you've got my back, I've got yours. Standing firm against it all…" Kata couldn't stand the pain in her captain's voice any longer. She rapped against the metal hull.

Instantly the song died in Mio's throat. She rocketed to her feet, reaching for the pistol on her hip. "Kata! 'Tides, woman…" Mio cleared her throat, hand moving away from her weapon to sign out, "What can I do for you?" Kata stepped onto the Bridge. "Captain, you okay?" she signed, her hands slow and cautious. "Yes, thank you." Kata frowned at Mio's quick and perfunctory signs. Kata drew herself up, her gestures sharper. "Respectfully, do not believe you." Mio lifted her chin. Kata looked her in the eye, one fist on her hip.

All at once, the Captain seemed to crumble. Her shoulders bowed, her gills flared rapidly, and the underside of her throat flushed a speckled red. Mio wobbled on her feet, then fell back into her seat. Kata cried out as she rushed over, hands flittering between Mio and signing, "Captain! What's wrong? You sick? I get Medic!" "No, it's fine." Mio caught Kata's shoulders, before her hands returned, tremulous, to the signs. "I'm just… I miss my first crew." Kata shook her head in confusion. "That song was one Fabian came up with. To remind us there was nothing we couldn't do together. Tides, he was so proud of it too." Mio nictated, her gaze over Kata's shoulder. "And here I am, singing it as a mourning song, instead of a marching song." "This at Academy?" Kata asked. "Yes. Our last year, we were sorted into proto-crews. We trained together as one unit. We should have graduated together. Gone into space together." "How long?" "Since Earth?" Mio's hands shook, mangling the sign for the Protectorate's homeworld. "Nearly five years? Maybe. I'm ashamed to say space has made time fuzzy." "It has been seven years, three months, 19 days, 55 hours and 3 minutes," SAIL's modulated voice came quietly through the speaker on the console.

Mio twitched an eyebrow ridge, her throat working. "Okay to miss people. Sadness not a failing," Kata said. "Don't have to hide." The shiver in Mio's hands belied the perfunctoriness of her signs. "I have my current crew to think of. Food to source, equipment to maintain. I shouldn't be wasting time on what's long passed." "Captain-" "I also have to finish plotting this course. Thank you for your concern, Kata. Go to bed." The last signs were delivered with a sharpness that made Kata blink. She rose, but still hovered until Mio made shooing motions at her. As Kata left the Bridge, she heard Mio take up her tune again, but rather than the mournful sound from before it was upbeat and joyful. Kata smiled; glad, if confused, that her Captain was in better spirits than she'd been found.