Day 010: A Bear Inside The Dropship
Summary: Oxfor is escorted into the dropship for more discussion.
Date: Day Month Year
Related: Here Cometh Four Horsemen
Oxfor Cookie Max Cole Fiona Niner Quinn 


Cargo Hold, The Dropship
The lowest level of the dropship was once meant to store large amounts of cargo in addition to auxiliary seating. As the camp outside was built, however, it was cleared of the meager supplies sent down with The 100, and now is merely storage for the most valuable of resources. It's walls, deck, and ceiling have been stripped to bare metal panels, and several small areas extend beyond the central area, providing an illusion of privacy. A single lowered door with a pair of curtains across it is the only exit from the dropship, while two ladders pierce the ceiling, leading to the levels above.
10 Days After Landing

Max moves into the dropship since he was standing by the ramp, and makes his way in to make sure there's some places to sit cleared out. It's a space inhabited by teenagers. He stows some stuff away quickly just getting the place in some kind of order so that folks can sit down and talk while Cookie talks Oxfor into coming inside to make himself comfortable.

Oxfor has finished up his fruit leather — finally. He has not passed judgement on it yet, probably because his dark eyes are taking in every inch of the cargo hold of this spacecraft. He casts a glance over his shoulder once, but the dismisses the outside chaos as he moves to take a seat at the behest of Max. The displaced dropship seat kind of groans under him, but just once, and then it settles into the heavy weight of the Grounder. He leans back a bit, thick fingers pressing together in a steeple of patience.

Niner takes only a couple steps into the dropship, stopping near the exit with arms folded across his chest. He's not blocking the way in or out, but it would be unlikely anyone slips through unnoticed. A muscle in his jaw twitches now and again, and his breathing is audible. Someone's still trying to simmer down, it seems.

While Oxfor gets settled, Cookie makes rounds with the snack tray, offering the dried treats to each of the present Delinquents.

"This is the…ship we arrived in, Sir." Cole says after letting Oxfor getting a good look around the place. "There are two more levels above us, however we were all jammed inside of it and sent down from the sky." There's a certain method he shouldn't be using all the tech-garble like he's known to use. So, easier words willmake do for the time being. "Take a look around, or if you have an questions, I'll answer what I can about the ship or the sky or whatever else." Oh yeah, if Cookie is coming by with a tray, you better believe he's getting on that raspberry leather action. Told her before he's got a thing for them.

Max's cleared out seats enough for those coming in to all take one if they want, and finally takes up a seat off to one side so as not to get in the way of Cole's tour. He takes a little bit of something off of the tray, a little bit of the fruit leather, which he proceeds to chew on the corner of as he glances in the direction of Niner by the door.

Quinn follows a few moments after Niner, giving him a brief look as she steps past him and into the dropship. She moves over to where Max is sitting, dropping herself down into a seat next to him.

Fiona passes Niner by, the shorter girl giving him an askance glance as she moves past him. Her gaze goes to Max and Quinn now, as she steps up to a seat, and seems to be wondering whether the're going to eject her.

Oxfor looks at Cole under the weight of that stare. "I don't have questions." He then settles his gaze on Niner, and then he starts to smile that white smile again. Toothy would be a fine way to describe it. "You don't like being afraid, do you?" Okay, maybe he does have questions. "Do you know why we feel fear?" He settles deeply into the chair again, actually seeming to be waiting for an answer now. He pauses when Cookie brings by a tray, politely taking another offering before he looks back at Niner.

Nodding, Cole takes a seat across from Oxfor, however the question was not for he himself, and he looks over at Niner, a certain look that would suggest that he'e either really hoping there's not another outburst like the one that just happened, or if he needs to call for a guard to have him thrown out. Because the mechanic isn't going let anything ruin this. Not when they've come this far. So all he can do is wait for an answer.

"To remind us we're alive." Quinn offers up her answer to Oxfor, even if he might not have been addressing her. When Cookie comes by with her tray she takes one of the pieces of fruit leather, giving Fiona a look, but she doesn't seem to be inclined to eject anyone from the meeting.

Something Niner murmurs to her when he takes a snack prompts Cookie to smile at him kindly, before she lightly cants her head in an 'I got this' manner. Once she's made sure everyone had a chance to take a snack, she sets down the tray and then offers her waterskin to Oxfor. She supposes it's been a bit of a journey from the Grounder camp to here.

Niner doesn't point to his own eyes and then point to Quinn's in classic /I'm watching you/ pantomime, but the way the pale graygreen eyes follow her might make it obvious, anyway. He leans against the dropship wall and watches Fiona move past as he chews. The chewing freezes when Oxfor looks at him, then starts again, slower, as he stares back. Finally, he swallows, and says, "I don't like you being left alone with three girls and guys who gotta keep their fingers, that's what I don't like," he says. It's a dodge of the question, an obvious one, but he makes it anyway.

"Fear keeps us alive. It's a survival instinct, but it can also prevent us sometimes from logically addressing what scares us," Max says, drawing the fruit leather from his mouth as he watches Niner and Oxfor from where he sits next to Quinn. He then pops it back into his mouth. He's not moving anywhere, nor does it seem that he's going to try to eject anyone. He glances over at Fiona and gives her a faint smile.

Quinn's look is quietly accepted, though Fiona does return Max's smile with a faint one of her own. She may have things to answer for later, but it got them all here, now. Remaining silent, she turns her attention primarily to Cole and Oxfor.

Oxfor chuckles, deep and sonorous. "You outnumber me ninety to one… and I have just as many people as you under my care." He takes a bite of the leather, chewing it slowly before he speaks. "I have no interest to kill you here." Then he looks over to Max, and he nods slowly. "If we do not fear, then we have nothing to overcome, nothing to conquer, and nothing to remind us of our mortality." The he continues to chew, still mulling over the texture and flavor. Then he looks over toward the others, carefully weighing each delinquent in turn.

"An instinct. One that needs to be controlled. It's either a tool to be used to a trap to kill us. Depends on the person." Cole finally says, since everyone else is talking about it. "It is, and can be, a double-edged sword." he finally decides on, though unsure if that's the proper analogy to be used. Then he considers Oxfor's own reasoning. "You are an unknown. And there is a distinct fear of the unknown. However, given the situation we now finds ourselves, everything is an unknown. Some will be driven by it. Other caged. It depends on the person in particular." A wave is given to Cookie for water. But his eyes are still on the Bear.

Quinn tucks her piece of fruit leather into one corner of her mouth, looking right back at Oxfor when he starts to look around at the group. She doesn't speak up again, and instead waits for the visiting Grounder to kick things off in some fashion. Apparently she's set with the food, no need for water yet.

Cookie sees you Cole, even if Oxfor doesn't appear to see her offering him the waterskin, and the grizzly Grounder gets first dibs. Maybe he'll realize she's there, when she answers, "It also reminds us why we're alive. All the things that matter to us that we don't want to lose. That life is precious."

When the water gets around to her, Fiona definitely has a few sips. "A gift." she murmurs quietly. "Fear is a gift." She sounds like she's quoting something, but doesn't elaborate.

Oxfor snorts. "Controlled." He shakes his heavy head. "Embraced…" He looks pointedly at Niner, and then nods to Fiona. Then he finally regards Cookie, and offers her another full smile as he takes the skin. "Mochof." He takes a swallow, appearing to be far more comfortable in eating and drinking compared to the Grounder prisoners. Then he returns his focus to Cole. "You should know that I am not here as a friend, skaikru… now is not the time to try to make me less of an unknown."

Niner makes a dubious sound at the answers given by the other Delinquents, much like a schoolkid being asked to admit he likes poetry in front of his buddies. He straightens up and unfolds his arms, digging his hands down into his pockets. It's a somewhat less threatening posture. He rocks back on his heels, takes a deep breath as he stares down at his boots, exhales with only a small shake at the end. Attaboy. You used up all your murderface for today.

"I would not expect any less, Sir." Cole replies. "And I'm not one who makes assumptions until the facts are laid bare for me. Only then, do I make a decision. Besides, it would be foolhardy to expect anything more than that. But, you are here to talk, and we are here to listen. If there is a chance at communication, it starts there first. In listening without expectations." When he gets turn for the water, the man with take swig, nodding at Cookie. "You've come of your own accord and you did not kill those you came back with. I thank you for that."

"M-aw-ch-aw-f?" The chef looks both puzzled and pleased, carefully repeating — and possibly butchering — the word. "What does that mean?" With the chief having taken his fill of water, Cookie then passes the waterskin to the others, starting with Fiona (sorry, Cole) because she also presumably had a long ride.

Max continues to chew on the end of that bit of leather, gradually wearing it down. He watches the exchange between Cole and Oxfor with interest, his head canting just a bit to the side as he regards Cole in particular, expression thoughtful. The sheer lack of cussing seems to impress him, and some of the tension from outside seems to slowly go from his shoulders as he waits to see what Oxfor wishes to speak about in silence.

"Thank you." Fiona supplies for Cookie. Yeah, she's not only thirsty from the ride, but in general, the kids have lived without a lot of water. She does her best not to be greedy. "Means thank you." She's been listening. Picking things up. Asking the very same question.

Quinn's keeping silent for the moment. Just chewing on that leather for a little while longer before she glances over at Fiona, a flicker of a frown. It's not an angry one, instead it's just a thoughtful one.

"No," Oxfor says without missing a beat. "I'm not here to talk… I'm here to bring your healers to my village." He takes another bite, his gaze not leaving Cole's. "I'm here to talk about that." Then he looks at Cookie, brows raised. "A offering of thanks, gratitude… mochof." He says it a bit slower, being strangely helpful. Then he looks at Fiona with a nod.

"Cameron, Asher, Cassandra, Silver, Morgan and Faolan will be going with you." Quinn speaks up when the healers are brought up, "There may be one or two more that ask to go, but as of right now those seem to be the most likely to be accompanying you back." She leans forward, resting her elbows on her knees, "After they go to your people and help the sick, what is the next step after that?"

"That's when we get our summit." Fiona says, noting, "I'll need to speak to them before they leave. I can tell them about the symptoms and the people I interviewed. They may be able to get more information from the Ark with the details."

That new bit of information seems to surprise Cole a bit, causing him to lean back in his seat a bit, considering, the wheels of the mechanic's head spinning furitively. Theories and hypothesises whir past his eyes that could cause a question like that. But his eyes are matched with Oxfor's not missing a beat, even if his thinking is a break-neck pace. "Our healers." he echoes. "We do have healers in this camp, some more experienced than others. My next question I would pose to you, in that case; why do you need our healers?" He pauses a look to Quinn, only for a second. "Let them make that choice if they want. I'll only take those that volunteer to go. If they've already agreed to that, then fine." Then back to the Bear. "Indeed. Say we do this, then?"

The Maker of Yum-Yums has no frame of reference for what is considered strange or not. She's a pleasant, friendly, helpful sort, and she tends to view the world — and the actions of others — through that lens, in recognition of or the absence of those traits. "Mawchawf," is repeated, less awkwardly in the mouth than the first time, but still not there. "Mawchawf." Cookie lets the word settle on her tongue, her brow furrowing in the discerning way it does when she is tasting something. Whatever she concludes, she replies with a bright smile. "You're welcome."

"Fuck that," blurts Niner, a few hackles rising again. "I'm going too." It's no sooner said then he stops, clears his throat, and squirms slightly in what might be an apologetic gesture. "Gimme that when you're done," he says to Cole, holding a hand out toward the mechanic and his waterskin. Topic change much?

"That's what we were talking about outside," Max says, "And I'm pretty sure everyone just mentioned was asked, not volunteered, and almost all said yes. All we've ver talked about is letting people make their own decisions and leaving it up to them. That doesn't change now."

"If my people do not die in their care — " No pressure. " — I will summit with your people to bring a ceasefire to our two settlements." He looks up at Fiona, and nods slightly. When Cole asks his question. "It is your sickness, you can heal it. And if you can't…" There is that deep, ominous pause again. Then he looks at Niner, and starts to grin. "Face your fears," he says. Then he looks at Cookie, and takes another demonstrative bite of the fruit leather to show his satisfaction. Maybe that gut of his isn't so hard to figure out…

"The sickness started shortly after we arrived." Fiona explains. "-If- we are responsible," she slides an askance glance Oxfor's way, "it's certainly not on purpose; the Ark does not countenance biowarfare. Either way, if we have the means to help, we should." Not just because it gets them their summit, but it's the right thing to do, in her mind.

Quinn glances towards Cole, frowning at him, "Everyone mentioned has voiced a willingness to go." She points out, giving him a bit of a shake of her head. It's clear that, of everything, that was perhaps the most insulting thing anyone's ever said. She's done nothing but fight for people's right to choose. She then glances back towards Oxfor and Fiona, "I'm certain that those that are going will do their very best to help your people."

"If we are to blame, then we will do what we can and what we must to fix the situation." Cole replies, handing back the waterskin to Niner without his eyes leaving Oxfor. "However, should we not be able to do, should we try and fail, I would ask that the burden of that blame fall upon my shoulders. And not anyone else. If someone must pay, then I will do so." A slow nod at both Quinn and Fiona. "If they volunteered themselves, then they go. There isn't any other disucssion on that matter." Then back to the chieftan. "However, should be able to cure then, all the better. And thank you, for offering us that chance to prove ourselves."

Niner grabs the waterskin, and takes a couple big mouthfuls before he holds it out with a small wiggle for the next who wants it. "Maybe the heat shielding sloughed off and they breathed it in or it got in their water or something," he puts out there in a moment of silence. Antibodies and hemoglobin? Not his thing. Particulate matter and material cross-contamination? That's more like it.

Max shakes his head just a bit and says, "Blame doesn't help anything. Finding the source, and working to fix it, that helps everyone involved. While the healers are working on helping the sick, perhaps we should see if they have any ideas of what might have caused it, so we can help find a way to prevent it, rather than just taking blame. Because if it's not us, they won't stop getting sick, you know?"

Oxfor snorts indignantly. "And who are you to your people?" He fixes Cole with a steady stare. "I see the look you just caused your gona there…" He nods to Quinn. "You made a snap judgement without facts, without even acknowledging her…" His smile turns toothy. "If she was one of my people, she would see your face blackened and nose bled." He then gestures out at the camp. "I came expecting a camp of Sky people, posed to stake their claim to lands they long surrendered… but what I see are children who cannot tell their asses from their elbows." He turns his gaze slightly between Cole and Quinn, and then his expression grows serious. "What would you have done to my people had the three not brought them to my village as a show of good faith?"

Oxfor does pause, adding with a wry smile to Cookie. "Except for your Baker, there… you should be listening to her." And he takes a tear from the fruit leather once more.

"Let them go, and sent one of our own to negotiate. It was exactly what we were posed to do when it became clear they had been released and snuck out in the dead of night." Quinn promptly states, pausing for a split second, "What is go..gona?"

"Five bucks on 'bitch'," mutters Niner, only half under his breath. His teeth flash for a second as he gives a single, snorting laugh. He pushes forward, taking a slow approach toward Oxfor, and puts the waterskin down on the adjacent seat before returning to his previous spot.

"I know, Max." Cole's voice is oddly calm. "But I'm wholly confident in our healer's ability. But, few should die if possible, if at all. I'm minimizing as many casualties as I can." he explains slowly. "However, that was going to my next point." But Oxfor takes his attention away. "I'm just someone who wants keep these people safe and alive. Little more than that, and I'm willing to do what it takes to prove that point. I have nothing else to give but my life for my people. Honor, gratitude, it's all meaningless if isn't willing to put their convictions on the table and do what must be done." As for the prisoners, he shrugs. "Likely released, just as she says."

"We'd been talking about doing just what had been done, when we found out that it had already happened," Max confirms, his attention shifting from Cole back to Oxfor. Niner's comment, however, earns him a sidelong look from Max that lingers for a few moments. Unwilling to be distracted, however, he turns back to the others and says, "We are children, but we are children who were sent here to try and survive, and who are trying to find a way to coexist with your people, a people we didn't know would be here when we arrived. You are the ones wise in the ways of the earth that our previous generations left. And yes, we are struggling. That much you've seen clearly with your own eyes. But then, if we had nothing to fear, no challenges — we'd have nothing to overcome."

Niner's comment draws Cookie's attention. "Jonah," is all she says, but the tone and accompanying look often are enough. Somewhere between gently chiding, vaguely disappointed, and encouraging of improvement. As if to say: C'mon, now. No need for that. You're better than that.

"Warrior, fighter," Oxfor explains patiently. "You are a gona… you carry yourself like one." Then he leans back in his chair once more, his curiousity piqued. "Was it?" He tilts his head slightly at Quinn. "Who should they have gotten consent from?" He looks back out at the camp through the dropship doors, almost meaningfully. Then he sighs, shoulders rolling heavily beneath his jacket. "If they disobeyed, punishment is required… but who did they disobey?" He considers the group around him, his thick finger rubbing against his equally thick lower lip.

Warrior? Quinn can accept that, which she does with a nod, taking a moment to consider what he asks about who they disobeyed, "It isn't that there was actual disobeying, but there was a disregard for the group as a whole. Since we don't have any true leadership, as you likely know it, everything has been by majority consensus. It's a complicated situation."

"But we're here now." says Fiona. Is she sorry? It's hard to tell. She's not treating the situation lightly.

"Nobody was willing to take the steps needed, because any leader that would chosen would result in…other issues." Cole nods at Quinn's remarks. "However, someone had to be willing to speak with you, to listen to what you wanted. Step up to that task. But in the end, you will get your healers, and they will do what they can to heal your people while others try to discern just what was contracted and by what. Or who. A concensus was being reached in regards to releasing the prisoners, until some decided to do what should have been to begin with. What should have been in the very beginning."

Max's stare is returned with a slight eyeroll — whatever, DAD — but between that and Cookie's chiding, Niner finds himself clearing his throat and studying a bit of grit on the metal floor near one boot. "We thought there was nobody left on Earth," he says after a bit. "They didn't send us down like some kinda… kinda… fuck, I dunno, missionaries. I bet they didn't even expect us to last. No food, no supplies, nothing."

"We are here now," Max echoes Fiona, "And what matters is moving forward, toward finding a way to live." Then he settles back, the remainder of the fruit leather slowly disappearing until he has none left.

Oxfor rolls his massve shoulders again. "And what did their disregard cause?" His curiosity, and perhaps even need to understand, is obvious. Niner's words does draw the Bear's attention — he meant to do that. "And yet, here we are…" He shakes his head, and his breath almost chuffs as he breathes it through his thick cheeks. "You'll forgive me if I do not hold your three unauthorized messengers in ill-regard… they brought back two of my warriors, and have agreed to stop the death that is creeping through my village." Beat pause. "What if people of your camp did not wish my people to be released?"

It's okay, Niner. Cookie kindly smiles and reaches out to give the young man a reassuring squeeze on his arm.

"Not everyone did." Quinn isn't going to lie to him about this, it seems. "The harm it caused was to undermine the progress made in working towards a united camp. I don't know what kind of leadership your people have, but if you had none…would you be happy if three people acted without regard for the rest? I'm guessing no." She then smiles faintly, almost slowly, "We'll never know, will we? I can't speak about what ifs in the past tense, we're here, now, and there's things to be done in the future. But what I know is that the majority seemed to want to free your people and work together with them….but.." She shrugs a bit, "Maybe I'm wrong. But it's a what if that is by passed now, isn't it?"

"Odds are someone would have released them, told them to run and we would've had our own inner conflict amoungst ourselves. Those that wanted them released and those that did not." Cole puts it bluntly. "There are dividing lines within this camp, regarding other issues not pretaining to your people, but the one thing that almost everyone does agree with is to stop fighting with your people. That has been not been in dispute. You have seen the arguments firsthand yourself. But I don't really enjoy in speculation. Because it didn't happen, for which I'm pretty grateful about."

Niner glances at Cookie for a moment. His pensive expression lightens slightly with an up-twitch of the corners of his mouth, until Quinn's words turn his face back into a hard, suspicious frown. "It's like she said," he says. Begrudgingly. Agreeing with her seems to itch. "There's enough of us that didn't want them killed- enough of us trying to make this place work- that they would've been okay. The only chance we had to get to talk to you guys, you know?" There might not be casinos on the Ark, but bargaining chips are still bargaining chips.

"I think the ifs are very important," Oxfor says to Quinn. "If there are people amongst yours that do not want dealings with mine, then that could cause the Summit to fail." Then he starts to grin toothily. "I don't have a dog in this hunt… but you do… several. So, I think the ifs are important…" Then he shakes his head once more, looking to Cookie for a bit more food. Bear hungry. He pauses to think a bit, and then he looks at Niner after a moment, and he nods… almost thoughtfully.

"The ifs are our problem. Know that we want to move forward with this summit of yours, and the ifs will be dealt with by the time we meet you again for it." Quinn replies, her eyes shifting towards Cole, then Max and Niner as she says it, then focuses back on Oxfor, "Believe me when we say the ifs that might have been against freeing your people are a small number, they will be convinced of the benefit in making an alliance with your people."

"If the summit gets the fighting to stop, the people in this camp will rally around. Whatever it takes. Some may find the deal against their own need for vegenace, violence, what have you, but they can't deny the fact that it's easier working with your people than against." Cole points out simply. "We have only been here little more than a week. There is still much to get used to for us. I don't expect anything to go smoothly, not until we have more baser needs such as food, water, shelter squared away. These things take time."

Old hat at playing hostess, Cookie is already there with the tray and an amiable smile. And once the Bear takes what she wants, she'll see to the others.

Max has nothing to add at this point. There's a smile over in Cookie's direction as she sees to everybody's comfort, grateful as it flickers there, before his attention shifts back to Oxfor.

"We have a lot to learn." remarks Fiona, "And we hope that you understand the mistakes we made are due to a lack of knowledge, not intention to harm." She looks over at Quinn. "And the more we learn, the better prepared we are for the summit."

"Could you get your tongue any further up his ass?" Niner abruptly snaps at Fiona. "No wonder Grey took you along. We're fucking trying to work with them, not just hope for a fucking reacharound."

Quinn glances over at Niner, just shaking her head a fraction, "She's not wrong, though. We are learning, none of us were prepared for this…" She glances back towards Oxfor then, "How are your people governed?"

"Whatever they've been doing has kept them alive for almost a hundred years." Cole shrugs. "If it keeps us alive, I'm interested in learning it. Adapting to a new envrionment, that's what we have to do. Because our ways, Ark ways, are not going sustain us down here."

"Don't be jealous." is all Fiona has to say to Niner in amusement. She's the girl who talked a dozen kids into chaining themselves to Tesla Station's doors. What can't her tongue do?

The Bear starts to to rise to his feet, stretching slowly. He speaks to Quinn without missing a beat. "I earned the right to care for my village, and in turn answer to my kruheda as a voice of my village. Those worthy within each clan is in turn ambassador to the Commander, who bears The Flame." He turns his gaze toward Niner, giving him a grinning look and then he steps toward Cookie's tray, drawn to another fruit leather. "You should only worry about me… and the kruheda…" Well, he did promise he would help secure them a Summit, might as well be helpful. For now.

"Eventually, someone will have to do so here. That…may prove to be the most difficult thing amoung us." Cole frowns a moment at the thought to trying to get the entire camp to organize on just particular thing in gernal. Like that. "With any luck, someone will earn such a right as well. Only time will tell." Then he stands when Oxfor does. "Thank you for speaking with us."

When the Bear rises, so to does Max. "Thank you," he adds for himself as well. "And I wish for a swift recovery for your people," is offered as well, and not just for their sake.

Quinn pushes to her feet when Oxfor stands up, pausing for just a split second of thought before she offers the man a hand. She has no idea if they understand the concept, but it's worth a shot, "I'm called Quinn. We should have started with introductions, and I apologize that we didn't."

Fiona shoots Niner an amused look. "Don't be jealous." She's the girl who talked a dozen kids into chaining themselves to Tesla Station. What can't her tongue do? She looks to Quinn. "May I?" She offers to handle introductions.

Niner snags another piece of fruit leather as Cookie comes around, gnawing off a shred from one end. "I'm Niner. She's Fiona," says Niner, with a toothy and completely mirthless grin to the girl he named.

It seems that the meeting is adjourned, so Cookie asks of Oxfor, "Will you be joining us for supper before you go? If not, I'll go make you and the medical team travel packs." Always with the food and drinks, this one.

"Sure." Quinn replies to Fiona when she asks to make the introductions, dropping her hand. She slides a glance towards Niner, once more frowning at him, but she still holds her tongue.

Max glances over toward Fiona and seems willing to let her introduce him if she wants to, refraining from doing so for a moment.

With a glare at Niner, she indicates Quinn. "Em laik Kwin kom Skaikru, Cookey kom Skaikru, en Macks kom Skaikru." The indicating hand then gestures vaguely at Niner and switches to English. "He's just a horse's ass." To Cookie, "Count me in. I'm going to go back."

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