OoM: Avatar compound

[hallelujahpilot]

The trouble with Hell's Gate is that one cannot simply vanish on days off. The best Trudy has ever been able to manage is the time she got stranded at the Naukograd for four days thanks to a hurricane. The radio-silence was nice; other things...not so much. Scientists tend to get neurotic when left to their own devices for too long, and Trudy and Schidmt had been too worried about their Samson being damaged to really enjoy said radio silence. All in all, she does prefer being at Hell's Gate.

At least, this is what she is telling herself as she buttons up her uniform's shirt and finds the spikes for her boots (not all the Marines wear the spikes, but Trudy'll take the extra grip they offer over an obscure sense of pride any day).

(And she is aware that she shouldn't be this annoyed, given she just ran off to Carl's Earth for three months, but days off are days off.)

Trudy knows what Grace is doing. Mostly. A little of it might just be an unthinking, Queen of the Lab, people-do-as-I-ask. But most of it? Putting Trudy through her paces. And Trudy can't really say anything - and wouldn't, because she's a Marine, and she's been there and done that in bootcamp - but it is getting to be more than a little annoying.

(and oh yeah, does she ever cop grief for it as she stomps her way out of the barracks)

At least for her sense of pride, she knows her way to the Avatar compound without having to ask directions. This is both a result of having lived at Hell's Gate for three years, and because the SecOps Marines use the obstacle course. The fact that she's bringing along her sketchpad (in a bag slung over the top of the filter-pack on her back) is also partly to make her feel better about being summoned; if she's being summoned by the Queen Bee, she might as well bring along something she wants to do.

(fine, sure, Grace's comment that Trudy'll have a better understanding of transporting the Avatars if she actually spends time with them and observes them makes sense, but there are principles involved)

Adjusting her filter-mask slightly, Trudy moves out into the unpressurized part of the complex, and then outside. It'd be beyond Grace to mention where she'd be, wouldn't it? Sighing briefly, Trudy shakes her head in an effort to shake off her bad mood, straightens her shoulders, and sets off towards the longhouse.

Comments

[hallelujahpilot]

Grace's stance makes Trudy want to draw her.

With a cape, billowing in the heroic breeze.

(She manages to keep the smirk from her face, though.)

"And we're on the same page now?"

[donthidemycigs]

That all really depends on a lot of things, most of which she and Trudy haven't even breached yet. More like Grace has a theory she's right.

This doesn't seem like the right kind of thing to say to Trudy, however.

"You tell me," she shrugs. "You want the detail?"

[hallelujahpilot]

It goes against the grain to volunteer. But this isn't exactly volunteering, and this is...

Different.

"Yeah, I do."

[donthidemycigs]

"With all it entails?"

[hallelujahpilot]

"Y'know, I've been in worse situations with the local population. So, yeah, I think I can handle it."

They aren't actually at war with anyone, nor are they there to stop a civil war. Peacekeeping sucks.

[donthidemycigs]

"Good. I think we are on the same page, then."

Of course, Grace would never tell her that she's also read her file.

"There are details I want to go over. Things involving the Avatars, the layout, time and placement. But I've got a whole court of colleagues waiting on me, and if I remember right, today's your day off."

Smirk.

"Meet me at the longhouse, say... 1500 hours?"

That gives you plenty of time to yourself, right Trudy?

[hallelujahpilot]

"Works for me, Doc."

Beat.

"Mind if I stick about for a bit, and draw, though?"

[donthidemycigs]

The request takes Grace by surprise.

"No, go right ahead."

The fact that she didn't jump on the opportunity to make a run for it just gets added to Dr. Augustine's internal list.

[hallelujahpilot]

Trudy tosses Grace a casual salute, and then turns to walk over to the longhouse. She trusts sitting on the steps more than she trusts sitting on the ground and, true to her word, she pulls out her electric sketchpad, and starts to draw.

She draws the plants, she draws the buildings and she draws the people. It's a point of pride, the latter bit - Army artists draw vehicles, Navy artists draw ships, Air Force draw planes. Marine artists draw people. And so Trudy draws the Avatars, people with tails and ears, and she studies them, and sure, part of this is practice; it'll be easier talking to the Na'vi when she's used enough to the Avatars to pay attention to ears and tails as social cues, rather than ears and tails.

And, besides, it's an utterly beautiful day, and she refuses to spend it inside if she can help it.