Character Space Liner

[Observation Deck]

Enkar was clearly impressed by Jin's enthusiasm. No equivocation, no doubts, no hesitation. "My own revolution could have used more like yourself," he said. "We had too many thin-skinned anarchists," the word was spat as an insult, "who were more interested in dying as moral victors. Moral victories, of course, are of little value to those bleeding in the gutter." And then, Enkar's ego finally (for now) subsided and he added, "but ah, now we risk falling into self-congratulation. The enemy of the vigilance necessary to keep a people free from the oppression of fundamental evil systems." He hastily added, "not saying you've fallen there, of course, but it is a risk we all face. 'Resting on our laurels', as the Terrans say, and letting so-called 'moderates' soften us."

Deck 1 - Arboretum

Pearl laughed at the way Joshua casually mentioned his bag "contained" nearly three hundred more tacos. She lounged back and drew on her vapouriser, as she if she were relaxing with a cigarette after a picnic lunch on Earth or on Terra Nova.

Aubrey puffed on his vapouriser thoughtfully. He could see no problem with answering a few questions about Terra Nova. "I don't mind, but I don't know if it's anywhere near as interesting as you might think."

[Comet Cafe]

Sakura had a somewhat similar reaction to that of her Norse companion, in that she stared, wide-eyed and with her mouth slightly open, as a truly bizarre creature seemed to literally appear from nowhere and then approached them. In another moment of similarity, it also took her a second to realize that she was being rather rude. Abruptly, she sat up straight, as both her body and tone stiffened. "Nice to meet you!" she blurted out. "I, uh, who... what..." she stammered, before managing to ask "so, uh, what's your name?"

[Pool Deck]

Kiryu emerged from the changing rooms at about the same time, sporting a towel, some rented flip flops, and with sheathed sword in hand. "I'm a little superstitious," he told Mari. "And I've learned it's bad luck for me to stash my word somewhere out of arm's reach."

He looked around for a moment. "It occurs to me that men's and women's hot springs are usually separated," he said. "Or do they not do that here?" Casting a sly grin at Mari, he continued, "you know, I hoped I'd end up buck naked with some lovely lady today. Although, a hanging out in a hot tub with some centuries-old oni isn't quite what I'd been expecting..."

[Comet Cafe (Loki, Sakura, QR)]

The qrtxian stared back at the humanish women and blinked again, slowly, wearing an expression of obvious cluelessness such as transcended species.

After a moment she caught herself and inclined her head slightly to Loki. "Chupathingy to you, as well," she said. Her head turned to take both of them in without moving her eyes. "My name is... complicated; currently I prefer to go by QR.^note as in the letters Q R, not the 'kwur' sound in 'qrtxian'. I presume from your reactions that this is the first time either of your has ever seen a member of my species?"

Underneath the lyrical voice there was a very definite tone of dry amusement.

Deck 9 ~ Pool Deck (Mari; Kiryu)

Mari gave the samurai a nod when he returned from changing, "I can understand not wanting to be without a weapon; trouble always shows up when you least want it to. But 'ey, that's what taijutsu's for, assumin' you got any skill in it."

She then glanced over towards the hot tubs, which preempted a shrug from her, "From what I can tell, it don't seem like the hot tubs are segregated; I'm pretty sure I can see what looks like a giant lobster in one of the tubs, so..."

As she continued her survey of the pool deck, her eye caught a familiar head of hair, prompting her to head towards the (entirely female occupied) hot tub said person was occupying.

Deck 10 ~ Comet Cafe (Loki; Sakura; QR)

Loki had returned to gawking at QR for a moment before once more returning to her senses. "Yes," she replied, before taking the initiative of introducing herself and her companion, "I'm Inigo, and this is Sakura."

The goddess then gestured towards an open seat, "Have a seat, and would you care for some chee—" she said, before stopping herself, "What is your species, anyway, and can you eat cheesecake?"

Deck 9 ~ Pool Deck (Ayako; Ethoya; Emille; Lux Sniper; {Mari; Kiryu})

Ayako thought about the compliments the bikini-clad Emille had given her. "I'm more of a textile crafts-person myself; I can't work porcelain," she said, before taking a moment to try and make heads or tails of the French names Emille was using, Ayako ended up shaking her head. "No, I'm afraid I've never head of the place," the girl stated, before tilting her head, "I'd definitely imagine a land of toys would make for a tourist attraction; they don't have to be alive for that to happen."

When Emille stated that her aunt was long deceased, Ayako gave her a sympathetic look; "Oh, my condolence—" She faltered when the woman became startled before correcting herself over her apparent faux pas. Closing her mouth, the girl perked up slightly when she had remembered she hadn't bothered to give her name yet; "I'm Ayako Watanabe, you can call me Ayako-chan if you want." She glanced over at the ragdoll, "It doesn't have a name; I really hadn't considered it," she said.

Blissfully ignorant of Lux's private interactions with the others, Ayako gave her a warm smile as she hmmd thoughtfully over activities the two of them could do. Adjusting her posture whilst sitting by one of the bubbling jets, she too turned her attention to Ethoya, "I'd like to know more about Xayu, too, Ethoya-sama, if you don't mind."

Ayako then gave Lux aside inquiry: "What's Nomi?"

"'Ey there sleepy'ead, I see you've finally woken up."

Startled slightly, Ayako craned her head up, "Mari-sama?" she stated as she stared at the towel-clad oni woman standing over her. "WHY ARE YOU NAKED?!" she exclaimed as she jumped/stumbled forward towards the center of the hot tub.

Mari gave a slight chuckle at the magical girl's embarrassed antics, before tossing her towel over with the doll and Emille's hat and joining the others in the water. "It's a 'ot tub, silly," she said, accompanied by a wave of her hand. She then turned to address the others, "Don't mind me, saw lil' Aya 'ere and decided t'join you guys; 'ope I'm not interruptin' anythin'."

(Dark Matter Lounge- Rebecca, Sinistrina)

Rebecca commented as she walked, "I'm surprised at that, Sinistrina. You're such an interesting person, I find it hard indeed to believe that you would ever be lonely. Though if I had to guess, the black spiderweb clothing is part of the reason."

"I was actually the resident expert on souls, so when my coven leader asked me to help her rescue a friend from the Black Pit, I really couldn't say no. There wasn't anyone else she could turn to." Rebecca blinked a couple of times to get rid of something in her eye, then kept going. "Ah, much better. As I was about to say, we ventured into the molten rivers of Greed to get the person in question, who was being held by a Lesser Count of the sin. We managed to hold him off long enough for the matriarch to get her friend out, and he now haunts our castle as a ghost. He could go to the afterlife whenever he wants, but after spending a little time in the Pit, he doesn't want to take the risk. Can't say that I blame him."

Rebecca stopped at a sign for the Lounge, opening the door for Sinistrina. "After you, my friend." The lounge was still filling up, and Rebecca took a seat near the front, motioning for the other lich to come join her. The redhead took a nervous gulp, before asking Sinistrina, "If it's not too rude, Sinistrina, I simply must know... how did you die?"

(Club Neptune- Phagora, Carlotta, Halberd, Reshk)

Phagora winced as Reshk told the story of his crewmates' deaths. "There are very few good ways to die, if any at all, but that is definitely not one of them. May they be at peace, wherever they are."

The half-demon gave Carlotta a raised eyebrow. She'd tried to learn necromancy from Rebecca once, and it had been such a fiasco she'd excised the whole experience from her mind. "A necromancer? Most interesting, but your phrasing leaves a little to be desired. Did she raise you from childhood, or the dead?"

"I don't know much about fixing things, but if you need something lifted, I can take care of that. I assure you, I'm stronger than I look."

Dark Matter Lounge (Rebecca, Sinistrina)

Though Sinistrina had only memories of the sorrow of loneliness, she turned her gaze downward and walked more slowly as she replied. "Perhaps it was the creepy attire to a small extent - but mostly it was because of my magic. Necromancy is considered a dark art for a reason, after all. The loneliness and misery never truly bothered me, though; given the moral implications and harmful nature of my magic, I deserve it in a sense. From the sound of things, it seems as if you have experienced something similar... then I suppose this is the point where I find a friend who understands, as you have yourself, though in my case I had to leave my world entirely."

Finally they reached the Dark Matter Lounge, where Sinistrina's suppositions about finding front-row seats turned out to be correct. Sitting next to Rebecca at an otherwise empty table near the stage, she considered what the other lich said about the Black Pit, and something didn't quite make sense. "Earlier you said that you visited the Black Pit while you were alive - and you didn't find your coven until after you died. Was this before you officially joined them, then?"

"As for how I died... it was kind of similar to your death. I mentioned that the black mists that shroud the Deathly Glade carry a supernatural plague of sorts. One that drains the life out of all who enter." She made sure to emphasize the word "all". "For a while I survived by drawing power from these mists, as I did on occasion throughout my life, but doing so corrupted me in a way, weakening my body and eventually drawing my soul right out of it. Do you remember what Conrad said about revenants? Holding my soul inside me nearly drove me mad as well, even ripped it apart, so I had to physically anchor it... piece by piece... in order to keep my sanity." At this point she was speaking in a softer voice with frequent pauses, with her head bobbing up and down as if she were falling asleep. "Doing so, of course, made life more and more... difficult, and after I exhausted every option of escape, I... finally allowed death to take me."

Taking a moment to gather herself, she continued in her usual tone, "Silly as it sounds, I did not even know lichdom was possible then - otherwise I would have considered a single ritual like you did. How did you learn about such a ritual anyway?"

[Space Liner, Arboretum - Joshua, Aubrey, Pearl]

Joshua looked at Pearl, "You laugh, but I am totally serious. Three hundred is more than enough to take on dozens of monsters over a wide area. Mind you, I manage to die a few times every now and then, but I get back on my feet every time thankfully."

"Now my question about Terra Nova," Joshua said as they looked at Aubrey, "So you've got a bunch of people, all from different time periods, who have different ideas and ways of life. Depending on how far back some of those people are from, someone who has never seen a cellphone is probably going to freak out and start shouting about witchcraft. So my question is, how does Terra Nova not fall into total chaos?"

Deck 1 - Arboretum

Aubrey was shocked by Joshua's casual talk of dying a few times but he had been asked a question and it warranted answering.

It was a question that touched him personally, as one who had been suddenly thrust - as it were - into a world with far more advanced technologies and alien social and ethical mores.

He gave a wry smile. "As far as I've heard, the oldest people still living originate from around the time of Henry VIII - hardly a time of primitive superstition - so most people have had the opportunity to see the advancement of technology, albeit at an accelerated rate, as it has come through from Earth and even been adopted and reproduced. I understand that there are artisans who learned their trade in the time of Queen Elizabeth the First that can reproduce nearly any metal item to which they have been introduced - and manufacture the tools with which to do so - metal cartridges and projectiles for firearms spring to mind, as do vapourisers like these." He held up his vapouriser, with its blown-glass tank and metal fixtures. "Most people see something new and just accept that technology has moved on - they've lived on Terra Nova long enough to know that time passes faster on Earth. Steam power, electricity, automobiles, trains, telephone and radio have largely been welcomed and embraced."

Pearl took a drag on her vapouriser. "When we arrive, we find a place that is less advanced - technologically and socially - than what we are used to. Then things or the knowledge of things arrive and, if we have someone who has the skills to replicate it, maybe it's adopted. In some ways, Terra Nova still has not caught up with the 1920s - my era - and in other ways, it's passed it."

Aubrey nodded. That was certainly the case for those who, like Pearl, had arrived at the same time as others from their time period. "The biggest problem," he continued, "is that of changing values - the place of women in society has changed, there is acceptance by new arrivals of certain practices that are deemed perverted and unnatural by many of the older inhabitants.

"These are not new problems, however, and the Council long ago put laws in place to handle such things. Some of the oldest people still remember problems surrounding the rise of Protestantism - the war actually spilled over into Terra Nova and nearly decimated the population." Aubrey wracked his brains trying to recall what some of the survivors of that time had told him. "The Reformation, the rise of the Church of England - Protestants arriving on a world where the population was Church of Rome - the Gunpowder Plot, the Civil War, Cromwell and such - it took over a century on Earth but it was scarcely twenty-one years on Terra Nova."

Pearl nodded, she had been on Terra Nova longer than Aubrey and had heard quite a bit about it. "People still talk of it. It was the catalyst for some serious changes at the time. Out of the turmoil rose a new council, with a strong leader and foundations based on Locke's Letters Concerning Toleration. Laws were enacted to preserve the safety of the colony as a whole." She made a face. "They don't stop people from being intolerant of others' ideals and morals, but they do govern what will happen if that intolerance ever again takes the form of violence. Hangings are no longer public - to the annoyance of some of the older folk who had enjoyed the spectacle - but they still happen."

Aubrey gave a curt nod of agreement. "From what I've seen, the Civil War is still fresh in enough people's minds that they don't want a repeat and they make that clear to new arrivals." He gave a mirthless chuckle. "I think that I found the changes harder than some of the earlier arrivals, who have had time to adapt - perhaps grudgingly - as things change.

"I'm deemed an 'anomaly' - I arrived long after others from the late 1800s, at around the time when people from the early twenty-first century were arriving, so I found a place where technological and social matters were alien to me. It was quite difficult for me to adjust at first." But not for James, he recalled; the Georgian grenadier had already harboured extremely permissive views about the roles of women and hadn't seemed at all fazed by even the most advanced technology - indeed, he positively embraced it as fast as he could get his hands on it. And what passed for "music" in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries.

Aubrey took another puff on his vapouriser and continued. "Those from my time who had arrived at the 'proper' time had had over a decade to get used to the changing nature of the place."

"Those who were born there," added Pearl, "are even more accustomed to the change, they've grown up with it happening around them and the pace of change seems normal to them." She canted her head inquisitively at Joshua. "Now, what do you mean that you've died but always got back on your feet afterwards?"

Aubrey looked at Joshua, interested in hearing the answer to that.

edited 16th Sep '17 8:12:14 PM by Wolf1066

[Pool Deck]

Kiryu watched with some puzzlement as Mari hopped into a tub with four other people in it. I guess she can still surprise me, he thought. Normally, a hot tub full of women sounded like a good time, but these didn't seem like any ordinary women, and at least one of them was still a kid. That pool had 'trouble' written all over it. Nevertheless, it was an intriguing kind of trouble... He sighed and dipped back into the changing room, coming back out a moment later in a pair of rented swim-trunks. I hope there's a bar here, he thought. I could really go for another drink... or five...

"Pardon the intrusion, ladies," he said, walking up to the hot tub and casually sitting down next to Mari. He put his towel and sword down behind him, on the edge of the pool. "She invited me," he explained. "We're drinking buddies... Speaking of," he turned to Mari. "I was standing right next to you, then you take off and don't even bother to introduce me. That's awfully rude, you know." He grinned at her. "But nothing a little more sake couldn't fix."

[Comet Cafe]

Sakura greeted QR rather sheepishly as Inigo introduced her, and nodded as the girl asked about her species. "Oh, and what's your planet like?" She asked, enthusiastically. Then, feeling rather unsure of herself, blushed slightly and added, "um, you know, if you don't mind my asking..."

[Pool Deck]

One thing at a time. First, Mari. Did she not know, or not care? Everything about her expression and demeanor suggested the second; she was messing with people. Cute. Waltzing around naked in front of strangers in a land that rather clearly didn't typically go nude to public baths was not a stunt Ethoya would pull (wittingly), but it didn't bother her either. She found it vaguely amusing, smirking slightly at Ayako's response, but refrained from comment. She gave a nod of acknowledgment to both her and Kiryu, then glanced at Ayako. "A friend of yours?"

She'd been asked a question, then. "Well, if we've all settled down? The Xayu... hmm. Try explaining breathing and you'll know why I'm having trouble. It's just been part of me for..." She bit her lip. It was before calendars. "How long have humans been painting on cave walls? Anyways, that's how long it's been a part of me... or I part of it..." she spun her hands around one another, searching for an explanation. Or, really, choosing one from the many. Maybe step back to the essentials? It seemed only fitting she borrow from Asaya vashon'Ethoya qo'Amaye qo'Thelam ul'Valmoth here, and hope it translated.

"Have you ever watched a storm," she said, idly turning some of the steam into a miniature storm cloud, "and rather than fearing it, let yourself be overwhelmed by the light, the thunder, the sheer majesty of it all?" The cloud began to flicker and crackle with "lightning", and even a peal of thunder, though the lightning was just light without electricity. "Or perhaps you have done something similar, something else in which you can lose yourself. Transcending the limits of your body, feeling the interconnectedness of all existence, and your place in it? Knowing that you are small, and yet not feeling afraid or weak, but knowing that despite your smallness, you contain a part of the universe just as surely as it contains you? It is that interconnectedness that is the Xayu." She let the cloud descend into the water, then, and sparks of harmless light imitating lightning danced and played in the water.

The explanation was pretty basic. It missed the subtleties that differentiated Xayusa from various other religions that had the same general focus on transcendence and cosmic oneness; a Buddhist, Pantheist or New Age believer might (or might not) agree with Ethoya's words while still rejecting other, more particular claims of Xayusa theology. But it would do for now, and Ethoya honestly didn't want to get too deep into the topic. If those aforementioned particular claims came to the surface, she could well find herself in some protracted philosophical debate, and she'd had enough of those for one day.

Though she'd acknowledged them already, it was now Ethoya greeted them properly. "Ethoya Uvalex, a humble servant of that very Xayu, at your service. And don't worry," she said with a self-effacing smile, "I don't sermonize without reason. They asked."

edited 18th Sep '17 5:00:05 PM by KillerClowns

[Arboretum (Hadia, Aubrey, Joshua, Pearl)]

With her remaining samosas packed in a bag for later snacking and her belly comfortably full of fizzy beer, Hadia decided to stretch her legs somewhere more active. Singing wasn't quite her interest right now she thought of it. Perhaps the Arboretum? Isaac would be sad if she didn't at least visit there and tell him if she saw anything really odd.

And when she arrived, she was not disappointed. The flower were impeccably arranged, and quite exotic; to her limited knowledge, she was fairly sure at least the glowy ones weren't Terran. A few in particular caught her eye. A plant that looked like a red and black pineapple with black leaves. Doesn't that only grow in the Graveyard of the Gods? It's a lot prettier when it's not in a hellish wasteland...

Distraction and alcohol combined to lead her straight into Aubrey.

Luckily, she recovered her precious samosas before any were lost. Then she cleared her throat, put her glasses back straight, and said, "sorry, I got distracted," she indicated the plant. "My friend's a botanist, and he's been trying to grow..." she paused. They probably didn't care. "...never mind." Alice had recommended getting to know strangers — they're as strange as you'll ever find them — and this seemed like a cosmic hint she ought do that now. "Hadia al-Filistini, Chief Operating Officer, Western Amalgamated Agricultural." The canned introduction flowed naturally, each leading into the other by force of habit, even though sober she'd have stopped at her name.

A pause. Then, she indicated Aubrey's bowler, "Nice Hat." And she meant it; old-fashioned styles had become popular in Hadia's era, as her own fashions indicated, but she'd never seen someone pull it off with quite so much ease. He didn't quite have the air of an early 21st Century hipster, as she might have expected; somehow, it seemed natural to him.

edited 19th Sep '17 4:58:10 PM by KillerClowns

Pool Deck (Lux Sniper, Ethoya, Ayako, Mari, Emille, Kiryu)

Emille was glad to have a brow made of human skin rather than porcelain, for it was more flexible, and boy did it get a workout. Particularly with what both Ayako and this "Lux Sniper"^note I just realized that she introduced herself just after Emille arrived said about dolls. "Solevaille without living dolls?" she remarked to Ayako, sounding almost offended in a way. "That would be like... France without wine. Static dolls are pretty, sure, but the living ones are what make Solevaille special. Humans made us to look like people for a reason - and in fact when alive... they are people." Hoping nobody would catch the pronoun mishap in what she said, she quickly looked at the not-fairy and added, "I hope that answers your question, Lux Sniper - and if you are not a fairy, what are you?"

Her brow continued its workout, this time doing some furrow-ups, as the novice human it was attached to spotted a couple joining them. A rather plain-looking man with a sword, and a... devil? More importantly, one completely devoid of clothes. Ayako was not the only one embarrassed; Emille's cheecks turned a shade of red that matched Mari's hair. "How dare you enter a bath naked in plain view of the public?! There are laws against public nudity, you know! However, since you are a friend of Ayako, I will allow your company if you stay submerged up to your shoulders. Attendant!"

With a motion of her hand, she hailed over a pool robot who dropped his way-too-tall stack of towels to listen. "Would you kindly provide some sort of bubble cover for us?"

"I can turn on the jets, miss."

At least the bubbles gave Emille some peace of mind. Still, it became clear from what the man said that this devil woman(?) had little concern for manners. At least he himself seemed sensible, though for some reason Emille seemed to be avoiding him with her eyes. "Greetings, I am Emille Laroux, Princess of Solevaille," the uptight Frenchwoman finally said in a more welcoming tone. "And who might you two be?"

Ethoya's explanation of the Xayu calmed her down a bit - in fact, it did more than that. In the cloud the angel(?) summoned, in the electricity-free bolts swimming around in the waters, she saw glimpses of the white mists in that wall panel she had gazed into in the Spirit Room. It all made sense to her - that feeling of unity with the forces of the universe itself, the feeling of smallness yet utmost importance...

"So the Xayu is what you call magic, then," Emille finally said to her. "I know the feeling, and have experienced that sense of transcendence myself." Cupping her hands just under the surface of the water, she produced a light within them, giving the bubbles above it a bright yellowish glow. This she gazed into as she continued on. "I have heard it said that anyone can use magic given the correct mindset. I thought it was hogwash at first, but sometimes, like a sudden bolt of lightning, it... strikes you, changing everything... for the better." She put on a wide smile, her face glowing almost menacingly in her light, somehow even brighter than the ambient light of the pool deck.

edited 18th Sep '17 9:30:05 PM by ladytanuki

[Deck 1, Arboretum - Joshua, Hadia, Aubrey. Pearl]

Joshua cleared their throat to address Pearl's question, "Well the thing that essentially makes me human plus plus, can also keep me and others like me alive over and over again. Not only does it allow us to heal massive wounds over time without rests, even if we do fall to our injuries, we can always reappear in spirit form, either to fully reform in one location, or to return to our bodies. Keeping us fighting against the coming darkness and all that."

And then Hadia appeared before the three, Joshua noting her rather eager attitude to introduce herself.

"Joshua, Globetrotting Agent of the Post-Mundane, Templars," they said while giving Hadia a wave.

Deck 1 - Arboretum

Pearl listened to Joshua's explanation with wonder. Of course, it made a lot of sense in many ways - if they had the technology or ability to do a lot of the things she had already witnessed, then it was probably only natural that they had found the means to defeat death and quite sensible in terms of ensuring that valuable, highly-trained agents aren't lost.

Aubrey was so wrapped up in pondering Joshua's amazing revelation that he was shocked by somebody suddenly barrelling into him - fortunately not hard enough to cause injury or even moderate pain. It turned out to be a rather attractive young woman with dark hair and glasses, dressed in some sort of suit that was clearly exquisitely tailored to fit. Like many of the more modern women's outfits, it involved trousers.

From the way she was moving and the noticeable smell of beer, she had perhaps over-imbibed a little.

She apologised most nicely and explained that she had been distracted by a plant and Aubrey was glad that Wolfe wasn't there - the New Zealander probably would have "humorously" - and quite deliberately - misunderstood and responded as if the plant she had just indicated was her friend, the botanist... most likely making some comment along the lines of "seems to be growing quite nicely" or something equally absurd.

Aubrey winced internally that such a thought even crossed his mind.

The shock and instinctive annoyance at being bumped into had faded nearly instantaneously - it had clearly been a genuine accident and her apology was undoubtedly sincere. Other than being startled, he was unharmed and there was no point blustering.

Her introduction had the air of recitation by rote, and he got the impression that she had had to say it so often - presumably as part of her work - that it just flowed naturally.

The compliment to his hat was obviously sincere and very well recieved. Aubrey was of a time when one did not appear in public without hat or waistcoat - which had made his recent capture and subsequent rescue all the more galling - and prided himself on having suitable headgear. He had decided that the day's travel was not formal enough to warrant a topper, and so had chosen the bowler.

He doffed the aforementioned hat politely. "Pleased to meet you, madam. I'm Aubrey Branscombe, and this is-"

"Pearl," Pearl interjected, before Aubrey could make the introduction on her behalf. Pearl had not been aware of Hadia's approach or presence until the woman had almost tripped over Aubrey, at which point she noted the stylish clothes, hair and glasses with approval - clearly a professional woman of discerning taste - if perhaps overly preoccupied with flora to the detriment of navigation.

With Joshua's introduction complete and all standard pleasantries completed, Pearl gave Hadia a smile. "We've been having a picnic and exchanging stories. Would you like to join us?"

edited 19th Sep '17 10:03:28 PM by Wolf1066

Deck 1 - Arboretum [Hadia, Joshua, Pearl, Aubrey]

Hadia had missed Joshua's explanation, but now she looked him over, he had the look of a Sol III agent; all shiny ultra-advanced tech. And given what Sol III had done in its time, that made her instinctively wary. Hopefully the resemblance was pure coincidence and these Templars — not a name that brought up positive associations to Hadia — were more mentally stable and less prone to causing massive global collapse and a death toll in the thousands trying to "save" the world. If nothing else, Joshua himself seemed an agreeable kind of person.

Aubrey's introduction was a touch formal, but just a touch, and she accepted it graciously; it seemed no harm was done. Pearl's fashion was a bit dated, but Alice had mentioned these anomalies seemed to float around the early 21st century, and Pearl's fairly conservative outfit had aged gracefully, unlike some of that era's fashion choices. "Certainly," she said, joining them. Then she offered her remaining samosas. "I can't eat all of these — not if I want to keep my figure — and it's the least I can do after nearly trampling you guys. As for exchanging stories..." she pursed her lips as she considered how much to tell. These guys weren't a huge security risk, right? Parallel universes? "I've got a few. I'm no Captain Galactic, but I've had more excitement than most C-level execs. My company's big on the hands-on approach, even if it occasionally means nearly losing one of those hands to an extraterrestrial swordswoman."

edited 20th Sep '17 3:23:27 PM by KillerClowns

(Lounge- Rebecca, Sinistrina)

"You're correct, it was before my death." Rebecca waved an attendant over and ordered a glass of wine. "Don't need to drink, but I like the taste."

"In any case, it was after I had been exposed, so everyone knew where to find me. We were in and out in a night, though it felt like several days. Time flows unpredictably there- one of its many charms," she commented, the sarcasm in the last word evident. "She offered me a place in the coven, but I turned her down. I was naïve enough to think that I wouldn't blunder and ruin what goodwill I had. What a fool I was."

"As for how I found the ritual, it was actually given to me by a member of the Order, believe it or not. Part of the terms of my... parole, as it was, was that I would be able to take one book a month from the local chapter, to build my own library. It was in a partially translated and damaged book, but I was able to work out a rough translation and fill in the gaps with what I knew of magic."

"It sounds like you and the mists were trying to feed on each other, but it was hungrier. It's a shame you couldn't find another way. Speaking of, how did you escape? It seems like a place that's very difficult to cast a spell, especially something delicate like a portal."

Deck 2 [Ulf, Teri, Sophia, Wolfe, Gwion]

Despite the somber memories the thread evoked he couldn’t help but smile, maybe even feel a bit proud. “Good to hear that in some reality countries can set their baggage aside for something that important.” he said. “A little inspiration, good to have.”

‘Ah.” he noted as Wolfe described his planet’s moon. “That is more reasonable, I had the mad image of some bright green ball of silly putty or gelatin wobbling about in orbit.”

To Teri he sighed “I don’t know if they served the Russians or the Russians served them. I’ve heard older stories of similar creatures in Germany, the Blotsaugers, but I’m no scholar.”

“Our, abilities make us natural shocktroopers, but they also give us the instincts and awareness of our other form, and the best way to defeat your enemy is to know them. We kept watch on enemy encampments and troop columns from trees. It wasn’t the most pleasant work, it makes you realize the humanity of your quarry. But in the fight for survival it was of critical importantance.”

“Some of the enemy didn’t fit in. They range in personality but all have similar characteristics. Banter, jokes, bonding over meals, complaints against the state, but some would never engage in such behavior. As we observed them closer trying to distinguish officers and sharpshooters from the rank and file other inconsistencies arose. Some never seemed to sleep. In Finland’s winter, men can literally freeze solid in some areas real men fidget and emote to keep themselves warm in snow, the unmen would forget and spend hours almost stationary, usually during watch rotations. We never saw any of them eat or drink, nor show desire to. They always appeared to be rank and file men, we saw no officers among them, whether that was coincidence or some hierarchal situation we do not know."

“On the field of battle they looked like any other soldier. Aside from an unusual fortitude against fear. But when wounded they would not die.”

He looked at Wolfe.

“Have you ever seen a Bofers gun? The shells are this big.” he touched his thumb to his fingers in a circle. “It fires two rounds a second per gun. A man does not survive one. But they did. Crumpled like any other only to begin crawling across the snow. A full burst of machine gun fire would drop them as bones snapped, but they would use any remaining locomotion to continue dragging themselves towards us.”

“In desperation one of my comrades drowned one of them in a water barrel. When it went still he left it, the creature crawled after him and ripped his throat out before we could execute it. They only fear fire, it sends them up like a rag of alcohol. That or dismemberment were required and as they looked no different from any other man every surrender or failed charge had to be handled with utmost care.”

He blinked several times.

“Apologies, I seem to have strayed from the topic. The unmen do not seem to need anything the moon would deny us and evicting them would be even harder, impossible maybe. But that is longer a concern of mine, thankfully.”

Deck 2 - Corridor —> Moonshine Bar/Lounge

Teri couldn't help but shudder at Ulf's description of "Unmen" and she could see that even Sophia - who looked hard enough to bend metal pipes around - looked perturbed.

Gwion was quietly thoughtful. He had suspected the moons inhabitants might be vampires, but these creatures sounded a lot worse.

Wolfe's flesh was crawling by the time Ulf had finished his explaination. Thankfully, by this time, they had arrived at the bar and Gwion led the way in.

The decor was pleasant and it was not too crowded. Nor was it deserted - groups of clients of numerous humanoid and non-human races occupied about half of the tables. On the stage was a karaoke machine and a young human-like person was mangling some unfamiliar song in an unfamiliar language.

At least, Wolfe hoped he was mangling the song as he would hate to think that anyone had made the song sound like that deliberately.

Gwion led the way to the first empty table, pulled up a chair and sat down, followed quickly by Sophia, Teri and Wolfe.

Teri and Wolfe both took vapourisers from their pockets - compact tanks attached to long slender batteries - and puffed on them as they eyed the list of exotic cocktails.

Gwion took out his own vapouriser - a compact box-shaped battery with a somewhat larger tank than Teri's or Wolfe's and drew on it lustily then exhaled a respectable cloud of vapour.

Sophia's vapouriser was an enormous black and chrome affair that looked like it had been designed for the purpose of scaring small children. She drew on it then blew an enormous cloud of vapour up towards the ceiling, where it was sucked away by the ventilator system.

Gwion looked around. "What's everyone drinking? My treat."

Moonshine Bar/Lounge

[Ulf, Teri, Sophia, Wolfe, Gwion]

Ulf was pleasantly surprised. He was accustomed to Capital City's lights, sounds, and the noisy, bright irritations the younger folk called "night-life". The well, perhaps not "club", but lounge was pleasantly lit, seemed to forgo more of the garish lightwork, and played music at a level that did not make conversation impossible.

Someone was doing a spirited attempt at singing onstage and while Ulf was as oblivious to music as could be, the patrons attitudes ranged from lethargy to minor pain. He took his seat at the table with the others, took a nice long moment to crack his back and chuckled at the sudden parade of smoking implements.

"Now I'm feeling underdressed." Regardless he took out a metallic cigarette pack and an old battered lighter. The pack extended a cigarette seemingly of it's own accord. As a self-proclaimed old-timer Ulf let many of the nuances of the Capital pass, but smoking implements were one of the joys he dove into headfirst.

The cigarette appeared to be plastic but when he wrapped his lips around, it had the same texture and taste of good quality paper. While perfectly capable of self-lighting, Ulf had requested that feature be removed from his batches. The flickering flame brought the familiar nostalgic taste of his Työmies from the old days. It wasn't a perfect replication he sometimes wished they were a little...smokier, but they scratched the same itch and that was what mattered most.

"What's everyone drinking? My treat." Gwion's voice came from a crossed the table. Ulf pulled his head back forward and his lip tweaked on the cigarette.

"I've had enough eastern drinks to kill me dozens of times over. So, in the spirit of adventure, let's have what you fellows have."

edited 23rd Sep '17 4:30:11 PM by Slysheen

Deck 2 - Moonshine Bar/Lounge

Teri took a long drag on her vapouriser, did a French inhale terminated with a snap inhale of the last of the vapour and puffed out a series of perfect rings. Gwion's offer sounded delightful and Ulf's "spirit of adventure" sounded dangerous, given the tastes of the others at the table. She gave Ulf a mischievous grin. "What? All in the same glass?"

Wolfe chuckled. That would be some cocktail. He noted that, of all those at the table, Ulf was the only one with some form of combustible smoking implement. Wolfe himself only smoked actual cigarettes on occasions, as a special treat. The others, he knew, only vaped.

Teri had given up smoking on Earth, prior to her arrival on Terra Nova, and had taken up vaping when introduced to it by Wolfe - she was still using the Earth-manufactured Aspire CE5-S "clearomizer" he had given her in the wilderness but the battery unit to which it was attached was of Terra Novan manufacture, the original battery having long since "died".

Gwion had taken up vaping in his teens back in the early twenty-first century and was still going three-score years later, as much addicted to the familiar actions and social activity as to the nicotine in the juice. He sucked another gust directly down into his lungs and exhaled with contentment.

For Sophia, vaping outside of a competition was a social thing. Everyone else was kicking back and relaxing and puffing away, so she joined in; otherwise, she could take it or leave it.

Wolfe looked at Gwion. "I'll have Kahlua, Midori and Bailey's, please."

Teri nodded. "Same."

Gwion instantly recognised the recipe as the Australian version of the Quick Fuck, one of his own favourite drinks. He looked at Sophia who gave a "what the fuck" sort of shrug then nodded.

"So, Quick Fucks all 'round, then." Gwion pressed the intercom key on the tabletop and placed the order, adding a couple of bowls of spicy wedges on which to snack.

Wolfe looked at Ulf appraisingly. The man was clearly from some version of Earth - though obviously quite different from his own - but the cigarette case was clearly far more advanced than what he would have expected and had the unmistakable stamp of Capital City about it. "I gather you spend quite a bit of time in Capital City."

edited 24th Sep '17 12:31:56 AM by Wolf1066

Dark Matter Lounge (Rebecca, Sinistrina)

((Note: Edited this post to add the announcement at the end and mention something potentially important about Dr. Goesling's locket.))

What Rebecca said about finding the ritual seemed especially interesting. "I would not have expected the Order to even have any books on magic," said Sinistrina. "Did you not say they aim to execute anyone who uses it?" It also got her thinking... back to the study of the house she ended up dwelling in. Specifically its study. If I had been thinking, it could be possible to have found a similar ritual in there, perhaps. However, even if there were any spell books in there, the pages in the books she had found had mostly faded away, as she recalled.

She nodded. "And that is another way in which the Black Pit is similar to the Deathly Glade. Time is impossible to measure in the latter; I only know I was in there for three years because Carlotta told me the date. ...Oh, Carlotta is the doll I mentioned earlier."

"Libations for the dead?"
A robotic waiter had arrived with a tray bearing two glasses of wine, as Sinistrina had decided to order the same. It had been a while since she last drank it - not since Carlotta brought a bottle from Solevaille. After taking a sip, she paused with the slightest look of contentment on her face before speaking. "I do not know about taste, but it does seem to... put me in better spirits, or at least better awareness of things. Do you ever notice that yourself?"

After hearing Rebecca's question of how she escaped the Deathly Glade, she took out her hand mirror, which still had the black mists swirling around on its surface. "Well, this mirror is actually a portal to the Deathly Glade... though it is a one-way one. Lucina keeps a larger version of it in her throne room as a detection-free means of executing people." There was a disapproving tone to her voice during that last part. "However, like I said before, something on this ship must have broken the seal on the former, as I only emerged by chance on board it, just recently. I have no idea what changed, but if this is true... hm, I must try something."

Placing the mirror face-up on the table, she stood up and held a hand over its surface, where some of the mist rose up to touch her palm. Peering into these mists, she spoke. "Gottfried Goesling, I call upon you."

More mist rose up, during which Sinistrina reached her hand right inside the mirror, holding it there for a while. When she finally pulled it out again, it was grasping another. In a cloud of mist, a man emerged out of the mirror. One in about his forties and clad in an almost insultingly cheap suit... and while obviously dead, he looked to be quite intact. Also notable were the bowler hat sitting atop his head, the scalpel sticking out of his coat pocket, and the locket hanging around his neck... the latter was imbued with a sort of dark magic similar to the presence in Rebecca's crystalline heart. Upon his emergence, Sinistrina invited him to sit down in an empty chair next to her.

"This is Dr. Goesling, one of my revenants, and formerly Professor of Anatomy at the University of Solevaille. Used to be my favorite instructor in fact." As the man tipped his hat, Sinistrina retrieved the mirror and held it before her once more. "But more importantly, my suspicions are confirmed - it seems that this particular portal to the Deathly Glade is no longer one-way after all."

Not long after she said that, a robot walked up to the microphone on the stage and spoke to the crowd. "Attention ladies, gentlemen, transients, vorls, krlltians, and... variations thereof, I have just been informed that Mr. Durante Hisakawa has had to cancel his performance for unspecified reasons. Therefore, karaoke will be starting half an hour ahead of schedule." Already some of the rest of the crew were setting up equipment for the latter.

edited 28th Sep '17 12:47:14 AM by ladytanuki

Moonshine Bar/ Lounge

[Ulf, Teri, Sophia, Wolfe, Gwion]

The thought came while the words of acceptance were on his lips, drunken werewolves, even happy ones, were rarely welcome at bars.

"I do not think they have a glass that big." he shot back to Teri, "Sequentially could work better."

"So, Quick Fucks all 'round, then." Gwion announced. Such a fun name, one of the things he loved about Western society was the nomenclature they used for drinks, the names themselves had the twist of a riddle.

"I gather you spend quite a bit of time in Capital City." Wolfe asked. Ulf gave a comfortable shrug of noncommitment.

"For the moment. Wasn't planning on staying as long as I did. Got hurt in a little scuffle when I arrived and the city has good medical services. They didn't make a fuss over my condition and I guess I fit right in." There was still the slightest hesitation before "condition". It still gave a slight bump to his train of thought but he was surprised how quickly it was fading.

"I did some contract work to cover the physical therapy and helped a...friend settle in. The wonders of a space city are great but I've always been more comfortable rural. You look like you'd understand." he nodded to Wolfe.

edited 24th Sep '17 7:45:24 PM by Slysheen

Starlight Restaurant 1F

Jake seeming mildly intrigued when Lucina pushed the crystalized soul away, his expression becomes more questioning as she grasped his hand. Still, as she begins speaking the demon general listens calmly. Narrowing his eyes a bit in thought once she finishes, Jake looks towards his own sister- Only to then hear one of the men speak.

Looking over in his direction and noticing none of the others seem to agree with his assumption, Jake lets his gaze linger for a moment. Then, he finally speaks up "With my wings of grotesqueness on display, why do you think we're merely street performers? Honestly, I don't like the implications for your universe then..."

Jake letting out a sigh, his sister Fiona then giggles to herself before speaking a bit playfully "Geez, you sound like Cornelius saying that bro. Pfft, you could imagine Faith or Fuji saying what you did right?" Looking at his amusedly smiling sister, Jake flaps his hand at her in casual agreement. Still...

Settling his gaze on Lucina once more, the rider of conquest speaks with a calm seriousness. "You wish to restore the dead? Then it doesn't matter how much I strengthen your magic, what you would need is necromancy. After all, when a doll broke, who was sent to try repair? Your father the toymaker, or the local medicine man?"

Pulling the crystalized soul in closer, Jake continues speaking. "There's only so much one can do with any ability or skill. Certainly you can try performing these feats without the assistance of necromancy, but well... The results would hardly match up. Though frankly, it is hardly necessary to ask me for the power of necromancy. You already know someone who has it, no?"

Letting out a deep breath and looking briefly at Fiona, Jake continues. "Honestly, it would be easier to seek her forgiveness and start your redemption there. If you truly refuse the obvious answer, though... I must tell you it won't be easy to acquire my assistance. You see..."

The crystalized soul lazily floating Jake Ronso, the demonic catboy looks from it to Lucina. "I refuse to give power to those who would abuse it, or at least refuse to give them the chance to. Thus if I gave you a universe of your own, I would of made sure you never left it. As it stands, your soul isn't pitch black enough to write you off as irredeemable trash."

Sending the crystalized soul over to Fiona who gently catches it, Jake flares up his wings before finishing. "Nonetheless, you have committed too many sins for me to comfortably give you power as is. You must prove the genuineness of your redemptive desire, that you won't slip back in arrogance. Only when I am convinced will I bestow you the gift of necromancy."

[Pool Deck]

Apparently this was a pool full of magicians. Or, given some of descriptions he'd just overheard, something rather more extreme than that, though he couldn't think of an apt word for it. Still, they seemed nice enough, and he still had a nice buzz going from earlier, so as long as none of these lovely ladies started a fight, he was happy enough just be there. The hot tub itself was pretty nice too, though he still felt a real, natural spring would have been better.

Speaking of lovely ladies, a couple of them had introduced themselves, and at least one had taken issue with Mari's openness. He chuckled. "Yeah, Mari," he teased. "There are laws against that sort of thing. What were you thinking?"

Turning to the others, he dipped his head slightly as he introduced himself. "Kiryu Saitou, professional good-for-nothing, at your service. Nice to meet you."