TVTropes Now available in the app store!
Open

Follow TV Tropes

Following

Character Resort

Go To

nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#6226: Jul 8th 2012 at 3:58:14 PM

[Beach]

Qrlil hissed. "Let him finish the story," she said in a mock-annoyed tone.

DiurnalBrocolli Something... from Somewhere... Since: Apr, 2012 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Something...
#6227: Jul 8th 2012 at 4:01:16 PM

-Beach-

"It sure is a nice sunset, guys." Yuki said to the duo. "You guys had fun here?"

Just floating around...
TeraChimera Since: Oct, 2010
#6228: Jul 8th 2012 at 4:17:56 PM

[Dining —> bar]

"All right," said Vincent, nodding. "Come on." He headed over to the bar.

Taking a seat, he looked over the menu. "What do you like to drink?" he asked Havlak.

[Beach]

Xavier gave a slight nod to Qrlil and continued. "Nope," he said, shaking his head. "No living skeletons. Incidentally, someone else made the same assumption when he first saw them. Anyway, they were all chimera, all really old. It looked like they died in some state of panic, not that dissimilar from the skeletons at Pompeii and Vesuvius. A little creepy, but we've encountered stuff like that before."

He settled in a bit more. "So our group went and started cataloging the stuff in the city and exploring the surrounding area. Native animals were a bit aggressive, but no one died from them. We bonded, had disputes, yadda yadda yadda, the whole shebang. Everything went smoothly, and found other, smaller sites. Like a small fort on a western ridge of the mountain here — the road leading to it even had a stone bridge arcing dramatically over a ravine — and a sealed, magic-proof building on the eastern side of the mountain, right here."

He frowned. "Then stuff started going wrong. This ship started hanging around the island, for one. Ordinarily, nothing wrong with that, but the island's supposed to be normally inaccessible from the outside. A freak storm happened, and a chimera and a human somehow washed up on the island. We don't want to use our boat until we need to, so we let them stay with us. They claimed to have nothing with the ship off the shore. Then stuff starts going wrong — 'misplaced' papers, equipment screwups, something stalking people at night. The new guys claimed to have nothing to do with it, but..." Xavier snorted. "They were sloppy, it was pretty obvious it was them, but we didn't know why. And then, just as we were about to confront them, BAM!" He made an exploding motion with his hands. "Pirates."

edited 8th Jul '12 5:07:39 PM by TeraChimera

nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#6229: Jul 8th 2012 at 4:33:18 PM

[Dining]

"Generally," Havlak said, "I prefer ordinary beer. You?"

As noted earlier, usage of italicized words like beer is meant to avoid things like Call a Rabbit a "Smeerp" - Havlak's gluvpaki beer-analogue doesn't need some made-up name - but it's not supposed to be actual human beer, or indeed even alcoholic.

[Beach]

Qrlil remained focused on the story, not wanting to interrupt. Based on her some of her past encounters with human storytelling, she briefly considered giving a melodramatic "gasp" at the mention of pirates, but decided it wasn't worth the risk of being rude.

KillerClowns Since: Jan, 2001
#6230: Jul 8th 2012 at 5:28:51 PM

[Beach]

"Pirates," Frank muttered quietly. He somehow suspected they were akin to the Somalian pirates he'd occasionally heard of on the news, but he couldn't quite get the image of an old wooden ship flying under the Jolly Roger out of his head. Then again, who knew?

[Beach]

Malo simply nodded in the affirmative.

Avea said, "yeah! It's been great, tiny little misunderstandings I got dragged into by Julia aside. She really shouldn't 'help' people who don't want to be helped." Malo shook her head, clearly familiar with these sorts of events. Avea continued, "but it was fun, in the end. Painfully awkward moments caused by trying to help an alien and a dragon-man fall in love aside."

edited 8th Jul '12 5:29:10 PM by KillerClowns

TeraChimera Since: Oct, 2010
#6231: Jul 8th 2012 at 6:11:02 PM

[Dining]

"I don't know," said Vincent. He couldn't decide as he looked over the menu. "It depends on what I'm in the mood for, and right now, I'm just thirsty. I don't want anything in particular." He drummed his fingers on his chin as he thought, his tail flicking back and forth.

"How about a chocolate shake?" he said suddenly. "Those're good." He glanced to Havlak. "You know what shakes are? Or have any from where you're from?"

[Beach]

"Pirates," said Xavier, nodding. "And before either of you says anything, the joke about them being pirates of the Caribbean has already been made." He shook his head. "Anywho. The pirates were a mixture of humans and chimeras, and the two who had 'accidentally' washed up were their leaders. Or at least, the people who had hired them. They had heard about the dig and spent a while trying to get onto the island. Thought there was treasure there." He waved a hand vaguely. "They had just found out how to enter the nonexistence field or whatever it's called.

"They wanted to kill us, but we had enough of a warning that we managed to split up and make things harder for them. I was part of a group that made it into the jungle, and was pursued up the mountain to that small fort. Managed to shake them off — sort of — at the bridge I mentioned. Several more of us hid out in Akantsae. A bit easier, but still tense, from what I heard. And, just before the pirates came, we had gotten that magic-proof building unsealed, so they got themselves inside and resealed it. Problem is, what was in the building was what they were after." He chuckled dryly.

"Turns out, the chimera in charge of them wasn't after gold. He was part of a psychotic anti-human group, and was after an ancient weapon that had been developed thousands of years ago. Similar to a nerve gas. Those skeletons I mentioned? Died because of an accident involving it, which is what caused Akantsae to be abandoned. The building was an old version of the place Vincent works at — its resistance to magic was meant to keep any accidents contained, but that didn't work out — and the leader thought that either the gas itself or its formula was inside. Still managed to convince his men that there was treasure inside, but some of them heard rumors."

nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#6232: Jul 8th 2012 at 6:23:54 PM

[Dining]

"Shakes, shakes," Havlak muttered out loud. He thought, drumming a claw on the table.

"Right!" he said after a moment. "Milkshakes. Extremely cold sugary quasi-mash drinks. I'd imagine I'd hate the stuff, if I could drink it at all. Or try to drink it, anyway - by the looks of it, you'd have a far simpler time sticking your claws in and sucking it off them then trying to 'drink' in any normal sense of the word."

He turned to the bartender. "So just a beer, please."

[Beach]

Qrlil remained focused on the story, rapt with attention. She still wanted to have a chance to talk to Xavier, but she knew she would soon enough - and it wasn't as though the story itself couldn't keep her focused.

Actually, this doesn't sound that different from some adventure fiction I have read. Except it is on an island, not a planet.

edited 8th Jul '12 9:55:35 PM by nrjxll

Stormthorn The Wordnomnom Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
The Wordnomnom
#6233: Jul 9th 2012 at 1:46:38 PM

“We will enjoy what time we have, and then we will part. You and I both knew this was the case, and I am used to only knowing people for short periods of time.”

She had finished her first drink by now and ordered another, adding to the bartender, “Bring a shot of something smooth for my girlfriend to put in her soda.”

@:Nrjxll regarding calling that drink Beer: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/CallASmeerpARabbit

edited 9th Jul '12 2:19:01 PM by Stormthorn

While the breath's in his mouth, he must bear without fail, / In the Name of the Empress, the Overland Mail.
KillerClowns Since: Jan, 2001
#6234: Jul 9th 2012 at 4:25:55 PM

[Bar]

With a teasing smile, Julia said, "you're terrible, y'know that?" But she did not reject the offered drink when she arrived. She cautiously sniffed it, then, after a quick glance around, surreptitiously added it to her soda. She sipped the resulting concoction with a straw, then quietly sipped it. "Hmm," she said, "not bad. Gives it a little something extra." She took another, more hearty drink.

Then she lifted up a glass, offering it in toast. "Here," she said, "is to... uh..."

[Beach]

He remained silent, and nodded for Xavier to continue, but Frank thought great. Genocidal magic dragons. Just what a world needs. And don't you just love how the word 'gold' can get people to do the dumbest things for the shadiest people?

edited 9th Jul '12 6:21:04 PM by KillerClowns

TeraChimera Since: Oct, 2010
#6235: Jul 9th 2012 at 9:41:10 PM

[Dining]

Vincent frowned. "You know, when you put it that way, it sounds really weird." He shrugged. "I suppose you could make anything sound weird, if you tried hard enough."

He ordered a light beer. "So," he asked Havlak as he sipped, "your species have anything resembling an alcohol culture? It seems like humans are borderline obsessed with the stuff. Can't imagine why. I mean, it's a drink."

[Beach]

"So," continued Xavier, "we're all basically being chased, and can't really do much about it. However, some of the people in the facility found a back way and managed to sneak out without the pirates outside the facility knowing. They met up with the city group, and some of them got on our boat to try and make it to the mainland. Maybe the Mexican government could help.

"However, they got noticed while sailing away. The pirates were smart enough to put two and two together, and broke into the facility, while we tried to get in to stop them — not much, but we're the only ones there. Their leader chooses that moment to reveal his plans, and forces his second-in-command into a room filled with the gas to demonstrate its effects."

He chuckled. "Only for his second to get right back up and shoot him in the back. See, several millennia can cause a poison to lose its potency. The gas was absolutely useless. The pirates who hadn't already left decided to kill us, to take out the frustration of no gold. And, of course, the Mexican army chooses that moment to swoop in and save the day." He snorted. "Why can't the cavalry come earlier? Anyway, the dig got disrupted for a while, but I'm still amazed every one of us managed to make it out in one piece. At least that Nat Geo guy got an exciting article out of it, and Akantsae wasn't too badly damaged." He shrugged. "So. Story over. Good? Bad? Nyeh?"

nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#6236: Jul 9th 2012 at 10:11:07 PM

[Dining]

"Alcohol culture?" Havlak said, thoughtfully. "Well, first, we don't have anything to do with alcohol. Translation software calls this stuff beer, but it's not like yours; gluvpaki cannot tolerate alcohol.

"But as for the question..." He took the mug of beer that the bartender brought out and drank from it thoughtfully. "I don't know. I suppose you'd have to define what that meant."

[Beach]

Qrlil tilted her head. "I don't know," she said honestly. "I arrived without hearing the beginning."

She rose to her feet and moved over to Xavier's side. "At any rate," she continued, smiling, "how have you been - and what have you been doing? I've been finishing up my game with Vincent."

edited 9th Jul '12 10:11:33 PM by nrjxll

TeraChimera Since: Oct, 2010
#6237: Jul 9th 2012 at 11:18:17 PM

[Bar]

Vincent took another swig. "Well, Earthlings make drinks out of alcohol, right? Beer, wine, whiskey, yadda yadda yadda. However, there's pretty much an entire subculture devoted to that. Wine tasting, the right ways to distill a drink, what does and doesn't go in this or that martini, how it's brewed, and so on. However, there's nothing similar to that for, say, milk. Or juices. So I was wondering if your species has anything similar to this... alcohol culture. With a different base, though."

[Beach]

"So you finally got around to that?" chuckled Xavier. "Vincent can be a big procrastinator at times. When he's nothing finishing everything incredibly early. It's a weird flip-flop." He shrugged.

"But, mostly," he said, "I've been talking with Frank here." He gave a brief nod to Frank. "About... all kinds of stuff, really. Jobs, magic, relaxation, not-politics, and how segregation is sometimes a good thing, if the species being segregated have legitimately different needs."

nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#6238: Jul 9th 2012 at 11:50:01 PM

[Dining]

Havlak chuckled a little (though Vincent probably wouldn't understand it as such). "I've heard of such things," he said, "among other species. But not among mine, so far as I know. Gluvpaki, as a rule, have far less of these... 'subcultures' then humans do. I'm told it's a matter of our evolutionary origins - pack species versus social-grouping species. So no, no alcohol culture, nor its analogue."

He took another drink of the beer. "Any one reason you want to know?"

[Beach]

Qrlil nodded understandingly. "I can understand that," she said. "'Integrating' with the dragosi or picilnk would undoubtedly lead to shorter lives for all of us. I doubt your problem as severe, but..."

She tilted her head and smiled again. "At any rate, I was hoping we could... talk, as well." She nodded at the ocean, still lit red-orange by the setting sun (a color she had always found attractive). "Perhaps out there, if you wouldn't mind swimming again?"

A thought struck her, and she turned to Frank. "That is... if I am not interrupting?"

edited 9th Jul '12 11:50:39 PM by nrjxll

KillerClowns Since: Jan, 2001
#6239: Jul 10th 2012 at 4:08:37 AM

[Beach]

"Not at all," Frank said to Qrlil. "Matter of fact, I think I should make sure my daughter isn't getting into trouble sometime soon." He then turned to Xavier. "Thanks for the story, although," he chuckled softly, "I still can't get out of my head the image of these 'pirates' you're talking about being honest-to-god Jolly Roger types. Kinda doubting it, yeah. Still, murdering your second-in-command... not sure if even the mages would do that. Mind you, more out of practicality than anything to do with right and wrong..."

DiurnalBrocolli Something... from Somewhere... Since: Apr, 2012 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Something...
#6240: Jul 10th 2012 at 4:38:59 AM

-Beach-

"Is it just me, or does this day seem more faster than usual?" Yuki noted. "Either that, or as they always say, time always travels fast when you're having fun..."

Just floating around...
TeraChimera Since: Oct, 2010
#6241: Jul 10th 2012 at 9:16:59 AM

[Dining]

Vincent shrugged. "I'm curious. Isn't that enough? I just wanted to know a bit about your culture." He took another drink of his beer and frowned. "Don't know why I wanted to know about that, though. Alcohol normally isn't something that interests me like that." He shrugged.

"I get what you're saying with different psychologies and stuff. There are some things like that between humans and chimeras." He waved a hand back and forth. "Although it's debatable how much of it is species differences and how much is psychological conditioning. Having to live in secret for thousands of years can do stuff to you."

[Beach]

"If the leader had his way," said Xavier, "the second was going to die sooner or later. I don't think he thought of his second as anything other than a means to an end. He wanted to kill all humans, remember, and his second was human." He shrugged. "Don't worry, though, nutcases like that are in an absolutely tiny minority."

He turned to Qrlil. "Yeah, going in the water again sounds nice." He pushed himself to his feet. "You can head on in and I'll get changed. Sound good?"

Stormthorn The Wordnomnom Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
The Wordnomnom
#6242: Jul 10th 2012 at 9:25:39 AM

“To us,” the Retriever finished for Julia, “and to those like us.”

She drank and then allowed herself a smirk.

“By which I mean those seizing the moment. I doubt you will find many retrievers dating blue haired girls from another world. But I doubt we are the first to make the most of what we have.”

With that she turned and gaze Julia a small kiss on the cheek.

While the breath's in his mouth, he must bear without fail, / In the Name of the Empress, the Overland Mail.
nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#6243: Jul 10th 2012 at 12:04:01 PM

[Dining]

Havlak 'shrugged'. "It can be hard to tell the difference in some cases," he said, "but we definitely don't think much like humans in a lot of ways, whatever the reason may be."

He took another drink of the beer and waved a claw at the beach. "Anyway, I'll be going out there shortly."

[Beach]

"Very well," Qrlil said. She made the necessary adjustments to her robes, turned and bowed slightly to Frank, and stepped into the water, though not going in too deeply just yet.

Spotting Avea, Malo, and Yuki, she waded over towards they were, intending to engage in a bit of conversation while Xavier was getting changed. "Hello," she said to them, nodding slightly.

DiurnalBrocolli Something... from Somewhere... Since: Apr, 2012 Relationship Status: Wishfully thinking
Something...
#6244: Jul 10th 2012 at 5:04:19 PM

-Beach-

"Hi!" Yuki said to the newcomer. "Nice sunset, isn't?"

Just floating around...
KillerClowns Since: Jan, 2001
#6245: Jul 10th 2012 at 5:24:27 PM

[Bar]

"Er... carpe diem, I think is how Zach put it," Julia said, blushing from the kiss. She clinked her glass against the Retriever's and downed the concoction in a single gulp. She then returned the Retriever's kiss with a gentle peck on the lips. "Yeah. Something like that. Life is just moments, drifting on by, unless you catch them, make them special, make them yours. Y'know?"

[Beach]

Malo said, "in a surprising display of astuteness, Yuki here was just pointing out that this day does seem much shorter than the previous ones. A shame, but I suppose understandable. Or perhaps we are simply imagining it — time slips by faster when it is only a few grains in the hourglass, it seems."

[Beach —> Bar]

Frank left the beach and took a seat at one of the tables in the bar, where he could watch Julia and the Retriever. He nodded politely and gave a friendly smile to both, but said nothing. He noticed his daughter was swaying slightly, but again, decided not to point this out. She could have her fun — within reason — given how little time she had left to enjoy it.

nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#6246: Jul 10th 2012 at 6:11:24 PM

[Ocean]

"Hello," Qrlil said again, dipping her head slightly. She gave Malo a slight glance at her comment, but decided not to bring it up, instead saying "I have noticed that, as well. I suppose it is possible that time has been 'sped up' somehow for the last day."

She waded in a bit deeper until she was no longer able to stand, and let herself float, keeping one eye out for Xavier. "It is a nice sunset," she agreed. "Very nice. I have always liked these colors."

Bit late now, but I've decided to start using "Ocean" tags for people who actually in it, to distinguish them from the ones sitting on the beach.

[Dining]

Havlak raised his mug in a casual greeting to Frank, then took another drink from it.

edited 10th Jul '12 6:11:45 PM by nrjxll

TeraChimera Since: Oct, 2010
#6247: Jul 10th 2012 at 9:44:52 PM

[Dining]

"Don't let me stop you," said Vincent to Havlak. "I won't mind you leaving."

He turned to Frank and nodded. "I take it you're having a decent time?"

[Beach —> rooms —> ocean]

Xavier made for his room and quickly changed into his swimsuit. Once that was done, he headed back down to the beach. He gave a brief nod to Malo, Avea, and Yuki, and waded into the water next to Qrlil.

"Everything going all right?" he asked as he let himself start drifting in the water. It was very soothing.

nrjxll Since: Nov, 2010 Relationship Status: Not war
#6248: Jul 10th 2012 at 9:50:33 PM

[Beach]

"Quite well, thank you," Qrlil said. She nodded to excuse herself from Yuki, Malo, and Avea and swam out a bit deeper. Coming to a halt, she splashed the water slightly, watching the ripples against the sunlight.

"As I said," she continued, "I was hoping we could talk. Some small talk, some talk about more important things - in whichever order you prefer."

Not sure if I should have Havlak leave yet.

Stormthorn The Wordnomnom Since: Jan, 2001 Relationship Status: THIS CONCEPT OF 'WUV' CONFUSES AND INFURIATES US!
The Wordnomnom
#6249: Jul 10th 2012 at 11:37:04 PM

“I think…I think it’s more about how you take the moments. How you appreciate them that matters. Flatliners seize every moment all the time. And I am really truly alive every second of a dangerous job.”

She paused here, searching for words, and seemingly unaware that the glass she was holding had suddenly bloomed with a fine mesh of tiny cracks under her fingertips.

“But the fucking and the drugs and my killing and stealing…these are not the way moments were intended to be seized.”

She nodded and then turned to Julia, releasing the cracked glass and gently cupping under the girl’s chin.

“I don’t know how I can thank you enough for understanding. You listen and you see; you know that I am no hero. I’m-I am trying to be poetic here,” said the Retriever, biting her lip. “My hands have blood on them,” she said after another pause to consider, “And whatever you may think inside, you don’t condemn me to my face. And you don’t just see a war machine or a dangerous reputation, you see me as a person. So thank you, for understanding, and helping me seize these moments in the right way.”

She released Julia and turned away, drawing deep breathes.

While the breath's in his mouth, he must bear without fail, / In the Name of the Empress, the Overland Mail.
TeraChimera Since: Oct, 2010
#6250: Jul 10th 2012 at 11:37:49 PM

[Ocean]

For a moment, Xavier drifted on his back, watching the sky. It was slowly darkening, like ink spreading through water. It was mesmerizing, and nothing could quite capture the right blending of color besides the real thing.

"Why don't we go with the important stuff," he said. "Just to get it out of the way." He briefly sank underneath the water and resurfaced upright. "I'm listening."


Total posts: 6,391
Top