Ceres

[ Open Spam ]

[ A century of ice in Narnia has not been kind to the water elementals of the land. Undines are, generally speaking, family, and Ceres has lost too many sisters to thick layers of ice covering ponds. River dwelling undines are luckier, as running water is rarely stopped by even the bitterest of winters. This one has been difficult on everyone, she knows, but she can't help but be a little extra bitter towards the White Witch.

None the less, Ceres remains unaffiliated. She is rather shy of others, and keeps mostly to herself. There's good reason for this, as any undine who falls in love with a land-walker becomes themselves a mortal land-walker. She keeps to the main rivers for the most part, but does occassionally venture into smaller streams. She never goes so far as the ocean, though. She doesn't like the taste of salt water, and she is at heart a rural creature.

She is far more willing to talk with Aslan's army than the queen's cruel agents, but can easiest be coaxed from the safety of the river bottom with food. The waters are sparse of life after one hundred years of winter. ]

[ Holy cow Ceres is actually showing her face on the network today! And on top of that, she's not angry, depressed, or even annoyed! It's a Patriot Day miracle. ]

It has been suggested to me that I might take up hobbies which are more interactive. I have not found sports to hold much interest for me, but I have been told that activities such as card games, board games, and criticizing films can be entertaining group activities.

[ Is she serious? Oh yes, she is very serious. ]

If there is anyone aboard who might be so inclined, I do not believe the necessary paraphernalia will be difficult to obtain.

[ It's Aya's blue eyes that sparkle with excitement as she addresses what she now understand to be an extended network. Hello, outside world-- isn't it a beautiful day?

She wouldn't know, it's always just space space and more space around here. ]

Hello~! I am Aya Mikage, the girl who has been called the "Amuro Namie of Sarashina High School"! [ You are literally the only one who calls you that, Aya. ] Ceres is here too, if you want to talk to her, but I thought I'd check and see if any of my friends are picking this up! If you are, I want you to know that I'm okay, and I'll be coming back soon, I promise!

Tooya, if you're there, I love you! Take good care of Yuuhi while I'm gone, okay?

And for anyone else... [ She thinks about it for only a few seconds. ] I don't have any equipment, but we can do some karaoke anyway, if you want!

[ Let the 4th Wall Day shenanigans ensue? ]

[ Video ]

[ Hello Barge. Ceres is angry. Must be Tuesday. ]

If you are in possession of a doll resembling me, I demand that you hand it over at once.

[ Yup that's it. ]

[ Audio ]

[ Ceres has calmed down a bit since wrecking the 6th floor common room. She's spent quite a long time alone in her room. An inordinate amount of time, even. About as inordinate as the long silence that comes from the feed before she actually begins to speak. ]

Imagine, if you would, that you have only ever stayed still long enough to have a child. You meet a man, have his child, nurse it, and when your work is done you move on and do it again somewhere new.

Three years is an interminable length of time. Three years, trapped, kept in the same place with no hope of release. Learning to care for people, losing them, gaining and losing everything again and again and unable to stop it.

What have I done to deserve this fate?

( Valentines for Arthas, Chromie, Iris and Touko )

[ Anyone who's seen Ceres before can tell easily that there's something different about her. Again. But it isn't her eye color. In fact, this does seem to be Ceres, but a gentler, more talkative Ceres. ]

Good afternoon, everyone. I hope you're all doing well. This flood does not seem to be a terribly unpleasant one, though that is always still a possibility. We find ourselves so often here in close quarter and desperate situations from which there does not seem to be an escape. What moments of happiness we can find here should be treasured.

Valentine's Day is tomorrow, a holiday on which it is custom for women to show their affection towards others, be it romantic or friendly. I see no reason to wait, and the words may fail me later.

[ Why yes, it's a speech. ]

I wish to extend my thanks and apologies alike to all of those on this ship who have extended towards me their friendship. There are not many of you, and I have not treated you overly kindly. In truth, strange though it may seem to you, I have never had a friend before. Human men have always been to me little more than potential seed or abuser or both, and human women were an irrelevant distraction. It is rare that I have ever met one of my own kind, and there have been no others with whom I might spend time. This does not excuse my behavior, but I hope perhaps it can explain it.

I have always been a woman with a mission, and now without the means to accomplish my goals I find myself lost. I cannot ask you to be patient with me, but I can hope.

That is all.

Your Admiral subjects his prisoners to indignities like this mistletoe, and you claim it is in the name of redemption.

[ Ceres' voice is bitter, if not furious. She didn't promise she wouldn't lecture. As it turns out she can't just send Aya home and be done with it. And as Aya is slow to point out, Ceres does owe her for finding the Mana, even if they didn't quite make it to retrieval. ]

Must I truly lower myself to such baseness to leave this place?

[ Aya did say she should socialize more. This is probably not what she had in mind. ]