(Spirit Room- Phagora, Emile, The One Who Brings Horizons)

"Never crossed my mind, but I imagine that it would feel odd for someone who never had flesh to have it for the first time. You'll get used to it, I think."

The half-demon looked at Emile's human form. "You're very beautiful, Emile. No doubt about that. In both your bodies, actually."

"As for using magic with incantations, well, think of it like armor. The more layers you have, the more protection. It's the same way- will, incantation, and emotion reinforce and strengthen one another. The easiest way to use will is to feel the energy around you, and then imagine that energy doing what you want it to. It's.. hard to describe, and I'm not the best with words."

Sickbay (Max, Cecilia, Rolph, Tigris, Minerva, Gabriel Jones, Anna)

Overhearing Cecilia's explanation, Gabriel's expression is of mixed disappointment and 'that makes sense'. "So not real magic after all... How the hell does she have such sufficiently advanced biology then?" Might be super technology, you know that me?" "Nah, she specifically said POV then, not that's her worldview."

Though upon hearing the man with Cecilia express his concern, Gabriel looks over Cecilia with scrutiny. Anna, for her part, seems softly unnerved by the implication. However, she soon began mulling over what Tigris mentioned. "Why suppress the existence of magic? If it destabilized and threatened to destroy reality... Would that mean I'm magic?"

Once Tigris actually speaks to her, Anna seems a little confused. "Did she really not hear me earlier?" Rolph's simple reply didn't really reassure Anna, the young girl sighing softly. "But they're the only ones who could of made me..." Gabriel, for his part, genuinely seems a little surprised that anyone at all would agree with him.

Anna smiling a little at Minerva's reassurance, she nonetheless managed to pick up what the gynoid said. Though once Minerva started mentioning lemons, Gabriel muses to himself "The combustible kind that burn houses?" Yet Gabriel's face lights up in awkward embarrassment upon being given another hug, and discusses with himself.

"So is it just me, or are you getting suspicious too?" "Of what, that Minerva's creators are a bunch of pervy dudes?" "Yeah, that. Surely she knows people would interpret her random hugging as flirtatious or romantic." "Well, could be a directive of hers to-" "Nope, nope nope, what if she does have telepathy? She's only gonna hear that and think we're like all the rest!"

Shaking his head a little after Minerva already stopped hugging him, Gabriel glances around the room before deciding to speak up. "Actually a very important distinction that she's called a gynoid. Androids would specifically be male, and saying female android is just as nonsensical if you said female man. That and artificial lifeforms have a concept of gender, so ya know... Just as offended if called the wrong gender."

Then, Anna finally addressed Tigris through Gabriel's watch ~"I never did much with my body before, so I can't say much on the subject. I certainly do feel fine, merely getting used to it. Though why was magic repressed where you come from? Is it a threat to reality like us Psychics, or more severely like the Skyblazers?"~

Anna's inquiry thus sparked a look of 'oh right' on Gabriel, and he then looked towards Max. Glancing back to Cecilia briefly, it doesn't take Gabriel long to speak. "So that wasn't real magic then, merely something sufficiently advanced? The Eldritchians, despite having some crazy abilities like manipulating electrical bonds or rapid regeneration without exhaustion, they were... Well, fully scientifically compliant. Turns out, when being assaulted by incomprehensible alien monsters, pretty easy to assume they are unnatural blasphemous horrors."

Letting out a breath, Gabriel holds his bone mask for the man to see. "Here, try smashing the pieces together. The material is something stupidly durable, and like adamantinium you can't really break it with more of the same. Honestly I never learned how tough it is, but I can casually shrug off civilian weaponry with it and my bone spikes can punch through other Eldritchians without breaking most of the time. Though look, if she did botch things with Anna, I obviously wouldn't let you have this you know? Just... Got nothing else to give as payment."

edited 27th May '17 3:12:54 PM by Kkutwar

Abandoned Theater:

"You probably have more stories to tell than anyone could ever write.", Sii-razh said as the couple revealed their... well, otherworldly pasttime. Still wary, he peered into the still active theater on the other side, trying to gather more details, but unable to. That was far too detailed to be a projection, and yet too distant from reality to be a simulation. Tracing back his steps, he remembered every step he walked, every corridor he had been in on the ship...

Yet his entrance on the ship, the flash of light and vertigo,those could mask a transition into a dream state. This is only paranoia, being trapped in simulated realities belongs to science fantasy books... as do spaceships. But if he was already trapped, what ill would come from taking the plunge? And what would he think later, if he wasted this opportunity.

"The chance to see ruins spring back to life is not a common offer.", he said louder, testing the firmness of Henry's phantom rope with one hand, while the other reached into his coat, feeling one of the things he carried within. A long dark blue feather given as a payment for a good deed. Still fearful, still alert, heart still beating loud in his chest, he let go of the feather and climbed off the edge.

At first it was a true climb, slow and measured, but his gloves were not meant for grabbing rope and he lost control for a moment, enough for inertial to no longer be at his side and make him plummet faster. While he made a brief scream he oppened his arms slightly and adjusted his posture, bracing himself for the landing. Hitting the ground pain shoot up his legs and even to his spine while he lost all sense of position for a moment.

But he already had his movements planned and expected, folding partially his legs and breaking into a roll to redirect the force, thankfully preventing true damage. As soon as he came to a stop he rose up and looked around, while absently trying to remove the dust from his coat.

After recovering his sense of balance, Sii-razh looked through the cosmic window, or "moth-hole", as Henry described it, and focused on it with some confusion. That Theater was the same theater, wasn't it? Did that mean...

"We could already be there, couldn't we? Not... not the same individual, but... the same role or character, with some differences. A common element, like the theater. I-I am having a hard time explaining."

Then he looked back to the ruined theater around, towards the exit, and asked Henry and Lauren, specially the last: "You said it is safe. How safe? Any limitations on coming back?"

Sickbay (Gabriel and Anna; Max and Cecilia; Tigris; Rolph; Minerva)

"If you want to learn more about her powers, better ask Bergmann herself once she gets better. I'm not an expert on the issue." Max took the bone mask from Gabriel's hands and weighed it in his hands.

Another item for Bergmann's gruesome collection... Though if the boy is telling the truth it will have practical uses for a change.

"I hope everything will turn out well for all of you." Max nodded. "Good day."

Max approached Cecilia's bed.

"Gimme... that..." The healer's voice was weak.

"No. You'll overexert yourself."

"I'm a healer. I know bet-"

Max's frown deepened as he saw Bergmann's eyes close. He let out a deep sigh and crossed his arms.

Well, at least it went better than our previous 'vacation'. Nobody got killed.

[Deck 3-Abandoned Theater/Henry and Lauren]

"Trust me dude I have so many stories to my life that I had to split my autobiography into volumes that tell a century of my life a piece." Henry said showing signs of advanced hearing.

Lauren checked her watch as Sii attempted to climb down Henry's rope. When she heard him fall she quickly ran to the edge to make sure he was ok and was then relieved when he appeared to be ok. After she was sure he was fine she grabbed the rope and repealed down there with the others.

Henry looked over to Sii where landed. "Probably." He shrugged. "I hope I don't run into myself there. I'm a complete jackass. As for the safety it's fine. There is nothing stopping us from returning as long as I have my device."

"Don't forget about the sickness Henry." Lauren added annoyed like she's reminded him of this a million times before.

"Oh yeah that." Henry replied nonchalantly. "Well the only worry some thing is that you'll experience some minor pain and nausea from your body adapting to traveling to another dimension. Lauren and I are used to it so it doesn't bother us as much but because you're new to this it might mess you up a bit."

[Deck 11] (Hallway)

Sakura was about to ask why 'Inigo' was a funny name, when she noticed that John and Akira had gotten separated from her and disappeared. She frowned. They'd seemed nice, and she'd never had the opportunity to make it up to them for keeping them lost. This 'Inigo' girl was fast, though, and she was back to heading for the elevators before Sakura could really process what had happened. Not wanting to get lost again, she hurried after her.

"I suppose I am a bit hungry..." she said. "What kind of food do you suppose they have around here?"

[Dark Matter Lounge]

"Hey, no pressure, kids are a serious handful," Kiryu chuckled. "Great way to derail all your plans, too." He paused to take another sip. "Of course, my little girl's not little anymore. All grown up, just about. As she's so eager to remind me..." He smiled into his drink for a moment.

He watched with curiosity as Mari received then sent a text message. "I hear ya," he said. "Can't live with 'em, and all that." He chuckled again, then motioned to the bartender for yet another refill. "Anyway... I believe you were about to tell me something interesting... like, maybe, how many more cups of sake you think we can take before we hit the floor?"

edited 30th May '17 4:59:52 PM by Blackfire667

Spirit Room (Emille, Phagora)^note Pretty sure Horizons is no longer participating in this exchange.

Emille put on a proud smile when Phagora called her beautiful. "Well, I would consider beauty a necessity in my position. Any princess who is less than that would be the subject of ridicule indeed. I do not suppose you are familiar with monarchies where you are from? Where are you from anyway? Assuming you're not from Hell, of course, as you are not a full demon." She glanced downward. Why am I even taking magic lessons from a half-demon anyway? This is a sin on my part in more ways than one!

"But as for intent, I tried that. I wanted with all my might for that blasted rope to move, and it could not so much as budge without that silly incantation! What am I lacking? There has to be something I am missing..."

Again her eyes drifted over to one of those strange hypnotic panels on the walls, the same one she had seen the white mist in. But only for a moment before looking back at Phagora. It was beckoning her, but yet in a way, she feared it. Surely it cannot be that simple... The look she gave her suggested that she might be lost in thought.

[[Sickbay: Tigris, Max, Cecilia, Gabriel, Anna, Minerva, Rolph]]

“I didn’t discover anything,” Tigris said to Rolph. “I’ve put my own person touches on some of the spells I learned, but a lot of practitioners do that. I was just lucky enough to grow up in a place where magic was widely practiced, and I trained to be a sorceress for one of the royal houses.” She reclined back in her chair, more at ease now that Anna was feeling fine and Cecilia had apparently fallen unconscious.

“It’s not always clear why cultures repress magic,” she said, r trying to ignore the hunger pangs. She had been on her way to get a meal before coming here, but she could not just leave Gabriel and Anna alone with Cecilia. There still was no telling what the healer would do when she awoke. Tigris felt a small inkling of fear at just what the woman might be capable of…but of course, Tigris had seen a lot herself. She began to think about the best close-quarters shield spell to counter whatever Cecilia might try. Just in case.

“Usually, though,” she said, returning to Anna's question, “it’s a religious matter, especially early on in cultural development. It’s considered heresy for mortals to take on what are seen as strictly divine powers. Usually, that translates into accusations of witchcraft and devil worship. It took until fairly recently, when the world saw what ‘’real’’ devil worship was like, that more people began to accept the arts. It was only after a long, bloody war, when the mages provided critical assistance in defeating the cultists, that magic was really differentiated from such abominable works. And even then,” she said, looking back at Gabriel and Anna, “it took generations for the acceptance to become more widespread. In some places, I’d still be cast out as a heretic.”

It struck her then that she was rambling. She decided not to go into the other theories about the repression of magic...the ones involving the Devourers. Theign was a fan of that one, and as much as she hated his paranoia, it wasn't implausible. She sat back in her chair again, hoping someone else would fill the silence.

Deck 11 ~ Hallway (Loki; Sakura)

Loki fished the pilfered keyphone from her coat and flicked the screen a few times. “Hmm, I'd say space food, judging by the names of all the places on this ship,” she said to Sakura, “and sushi apparently.” The girl paused for a moment before waving her hands in whimsy, “Space sushi!”

Loki tapped her chin, pondering over that last thought before adding a (slightly) quieter comment that ended up rambling slightly, “I wonder if space fish tastes like normal fish? Where would you even find fish in space? I want fish now... To the snack bar!”

She twirled her staff to skillfully miss the elevator button. Twice. Scowling slightly, Loki resigned herself to simply pushing the down button. Moments later, the elevator arrived, and Loki stepped in, holding her staff out to hold the doors open for Sakura.

Deck 9 ~ Dark Matter Lounge (Mari; Kiryu)

Mari nodded for a moment, “Yeah, all o'the kids I'm in charge of are almost grown too... 'cept the ditz,” she said with a smile, ruefully shaking her head. “Mine love t'remind me o'the fact that they aren’t 20 yet, so they can’t drink.” More bell ringing head shaking, “Spoilsports, don’t know what they’re missin'. O'course, sometimes I think they could go for a drink...” the oni added solemnly, before downing another glass of sake.

Mari then shot a playful glance at Kiryu, “I'll have you know I’ve drunk gods under the table. I can really hold my liquor,” she said, grinning.

[Various Areas -> Abandoned Theater]

A sulfur yellow portal opened up in the Arboretum, which closed as soon as it had opened when a speeding blur exited and then vanished into another portal that appeared opposite of the last portal.

The same sulfur yellow portal opened up again on the first floor of the Starlight Restaurant, though this time the blur zigzagged through the tables before entering another portal a short distance away from the one it had exited.

This continued throughout other parts of the ship, the same sulfur yellow portal opening and closing again while the blur passed between the portals. This caused several incidents such as when a portal opened on the pool deck and the blur rushed across the pool, splashing water along the way.

Eventually, this disturbance stopped throughout most of the ship, save the one spot where the blur came into clear view.

In the catwalk above the stage of the abandoned theater, a final sulfur yellow portal opened and closed while the creature that had been speeding through the ship stopped running and rested.

The creature, which was a good seven feet in height, had widely different features and looked like a hodgepodge of assorted animal body parts. It's form was somewhat humanoid and it stood with a hunched over back. It had four boneless arms that were covered in snake scales, the largest pair each ended in three fingered hands, which were the only parts of its arms that had bones, It stood lizard-like, dark brown scaled legs, with four toes on each foot, the inner two toes on each having raised sickle claws. It's upper body was fairly muscular, with skin in dark shades of green and brown. It's head was covered by a translucent mane, each "hair" being thin, individual tentacles, save the creature's three eyes, which had black sclera surrounding irises of blue, red and golden yellow, with dot like pupils. Jutting out of the mane where two long, curved and rigid horns like that of an Ibex that faced forward.

The creature was panting as it stood on the catwalk, exhausted by the teleporting and dashing through the ship. The creature had been trying to find a place not occupied by anything else and it seemed to run into a good place to rest.

Hefting itself over the railing of the catwalk, the creature landed on the stage with a loud thump and then noticed the group of three who were also in the abandoned theater.

The creature froze, unsure what to do as it was out of too much energy to even run.

edited 4th Jun '17 9:10:09 PM by DarkbloodCarnagefang

[Observation deck]

Despite his attempts to ignore Geoff, Proseda has gotten seriously annoyed with the being. While it was probably in his best interest to leave it alone, Geoff's veiled insults had given him a reason to be worried, as well as a reason that would pass muster to simply borrow the magic of a higher power.

He mutters an invocation under his breath, looking into his lap to avoid eye contact before his spell begins. A surge of anti magic surges from Proseda and surrounds Geoff to prevent any resistance. Moments later, another spell materializes from nowhere and surrounds Geoff, quickly bending time to its will in order to determine exactly where the being had been 24 hours prior, before detonating into another puff of anti-magic. A final snap of Proseda's fingers finishes the ritual, and another puff of magic emanates from him, forcibly teleporting Geoff to wherever he had come from.

Proseda goes back to watching Jin as if nothing has happened, despite the notable absence of the fourth party.

Sickbay (Rolph; Gabriel, Anna; Minerva; Tigris)

Rolph glanced over at Max and Cecilia, giving them a sympathetic look as the latter passed out from exhaustion. That bar round would have to wait.

Turning back to Tigris, he listened to her story with wide pupils and twitching mandibles, slowly leaning his head sideways in confusion. "Uh-huh," he responded, not quite sure what to think. As he saw it, all this talk of magic and spells was probably just a poetic way of describing some other phenomenon, perhaps a bit like how the Cravyn liked to name their machines after mythological characters, but he was starting to wonder how long that explanation would hold up. The concept of cultures that suppressed knowledge due to superstition sounded familiar enough, though.

"It proved too useful to ignore then?" he continued. "I never really got an opportunity to study religious cultures myself before I left Urrlna, not directly anyway." He went over to the other side of the room to grab a chair. Well, with one exception...

Getting back, he placed the chair in front of him and turned to Minerva, giving the gynoid a curious look. "You look very convincing," he said matter-of-factly before sitting down, stretching his two hind legs. He was quiet for a few seconds before glancing up again, pointing a short claw at her.

"Wait... are you sapient?" Given what he'd already seen so far, and what Garkin had told him before, it wouldn't actually be that big of a surprise. "Uh, I'm sorry if that sounded insensitive."

Arboretum (Glitch; Shireen and Robin)

"Good point," Glitch answered, it's artificial voice taking on an amused tone. "Though some events were definitely more unexpected than others. Like ending up here, for example."

The drone swiveled around in the air, taking even more scans of it's surroundings, before facing Shireen again.

"And now you're a space traveler yourself. Is this your first time on a..." Glitch moved closer, narrowing the iris covering it's camera lens. "Excuse me miss, but are you feeling alright? I'm detecting a sudden spike of increased neural activity."

Deck 2 ~ Sickbay (Minerva; Anna, Gabriel; Tigris; Rolph)

Wide eyed, Minerva motioned apologetically with her hands, realizing that Gabriel was turning a rather bright shade of red from her hug. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to...” she said, trailing off slightly.

She then adjusted her composure, before adding to the conversation about artificial gender dynamics; “That's true; though, I'm not really offended if I'm called an android. The term has been modified and defined due to several decades' worth of science fiction and robotics research, and it's better known than the term “gynoid”.” She paused for a moment, before continuing, “I suppose a more appropriate term would be “anthropoid”, as a specific variety of vitasimulacrum automaton, but that's getting a bit nitpicky and overly technical, so I'm pretty sure that would never catch on,” she said, shrugging.

She then turned towards Anna, a puzzled look on her face, “I’m familiar with the term “psychic”, though not necessarily as a threat to reality, but what exactly is a “skyblazer”, might I ask?” The gynoid had another moment of thought, “Science is always subject to change when ever new information is gathered and analyzed. What might currently be a threat to reality could turn out to be someone reading the instruments wrong.”

Minerva was about to offer to allow help with testing of the bone sample Gabriel gave to Cecilia, but she stopped when she noticed the other woman had already passed out from exhaustion. “Why don't we all head to one of the ship's restaurants?” she suggested, having picked up the faint sound of what sounded like a stomach rumbling with her acute hearing. “You two have been through a lot, and the doctor said that you were malnourished, so I'm sure some food would do you guys some good,” she said to Gabriel and Anna.

She faced the sitting insectoid alien and nodded. “Yes, Dr. Ingram was very passionate and meticulous in designing and upgrading me. My mind and body are the result of years of research and experimentation.” She then stared blankly at Rolph for a moment, before gingerly rubbing the back of her head. “Oh no, I get that sometimes from skeptics,” she said, pausing for a moment, “I am capable of thinking and feeling, so by definition, I'm both sapient and sentient.”

The gynoid let out a short sigh, "I'd rather not delve into that aspect of philosophy too much, if you don't mind. I have a tendency of offending people when I imply they're a philosophical zombie; turnabout is apparently not fair play," she said, shrugging.

edited 2nd Jun '17 2:29:56 PM by WillDeRegio

(Spirit Room- Phagora, Emile)

"Monarchies? Yes, most nations are, where I'm from. The only exception I can think of is Altenia, down on the southern coast, where the people choose who leads them. Then again, that's where the Grand Library is. The average Altenian is better educated than the citizens elsewhere. Hard to have people make informed choices when they can't read."

"My home? Blackrose Castle, on the shores of Lake Grenmer. Technically, it's in the territory of the Grand Duchy of Dring, but they don't know we exist, and we intend to keep it that way. Much fewer witches get tied to stakes if nobody knows about them. I haven't been to the Black Pit, but two others of my coven have. All my interactions with my father have been in the mortal realm."

Phagora blinked as Emile described her problem. "I think I might not have been clear enough; it seems I missed a step that has become automatic for me. Will is not enough, you have to visualize what you want to happen. Imagine what you want reality to be, and it should bend to you." The half-demon's eyes followed Emile's, not picking up on whatever it was she was looking at. "What is it, Emile? Do you see something, because I don't."

Arboretum (Glitch; Shireen and Robin)

Oops, came the thought.

Did I get the cases mixed up?

No, he's probably referring to my presence, came the thought.

Are you going to reveal yourself, my lady?

I have a better idea. Keep talking, came the thought.

"You can do that?" said Robin. "Cool."

"That's called 'thinking', darling. If the level of activity is high, I guess I should be flattered," said Shireen. Her brain map, meanwhile, was taking increasingly salacious patterns. "Unless it's dangerous. I feel fine otherwise."

[Observation Deck]

Enkar was only briefly distracted by the affair of Geoff and Proseda and, lacking any ability to sense magical activity, responded to Proseda's dismissal with only a brief tilt of the head as he mused about what, precisely, had just happened. Where was Amu when Enkar needed him?

Enkar missed the implication of Ren not mentioning the royalists entirely. Maybe he would have noticed, had something else not had caught his ear. If that were my sibling, I have little doubt they would be dead if we ever met again. Live fascists generally turn out to be a waste of everyone's time.

Enkar nodded, a single certain gesture, at that. "It is so good," he said, "to meet another who understands what fascism truly means. A pampered soul who has never seen what soldiers, emboldened by overwrought uniforms, do to those who dare to stand for themselves might consider your words harsh, and blither on about the bonds of blood overcoming all things..." he scoffed. "Again, my penchant for rambling reveals itself." Then he decided to slowly, delicately, lay down a few of his cards. "But you agree a great many things the innocent and naive may never understand or forgive you for are necessary to combat the great disease? And I hope, none doubt it is a disease that leaves the body an empty plaything of fascism's memes and propaganda."

This last point was not an entirely honest reflection of Enkar's beliefs. He hadn't lied, per se, but implicit was the claim that the disease killed free will — something Enkar didn't believe in. He view the "self" as merely a self-justifying construct for the wants and desires societal context filled them with. However, that particular line of thought wasn't always found agreeable by people with the received, common view of "the self".

Abandoned Theater:

At Henry's remark about his own virtues, the natural path was to raise an eyebrow and comment, and Cirranze did so:

"Then I'll try to stay clear of you if..."

But uneasiness gave away to a sure sense of anticipation, and words gave away to silence as every hair in his body rose as if under the influence of some subtle electric potential. A strange color in the corner of his vision, a shadow above, a ripple that came before the impact.

And so he dashed back to the edge of the stage, turning back to face its center just before the loud sound of the creature's landing. It was large, with repitilian features and six limbs, the first two pairs seeming almost like fingered tentacles, lacking visible articulations. Three unearthly eyes adorned its head, unlike the paired ones found in any living creature, and surrounding them was a ghostly mane of strands of something that could have been hair, but most likely wasn't.

The more dramatic would say that Cirranze was paralized by the sight of the creature, but when he started moving it became clear his gaze was not one of pure fear. In a defensive posture he took a few steps to the side, closer to one of the stairs leading back to the upper floors of the Theater but not further away from a creature.

It was said that the purest and wisest could render a rabid beast placid with a wave of their hands. Cirranze was neither, but that creature was no rabid beast either, if its hesitance to act proved anything. And so, Cirranze kept staring and raised his left hand in a protective gesture while he took a step back and said:

"I do not know if you understand this... but we do not want to fight."

And with those words came a shadow of thought, a small impression of the primal link among almost all living beings: self-preservation.

Arboretum (Glitch; Shireen and Robin)

"My knowledge of Human biology is a bit limited," Glitch responded. "But if you feel fine there's probably nothing to worry about for now."

The drone let out a few low hums and chirps as it adjusted it's sensors. It could have just been faulty readings after all. Once it was done, and resumed it's ongoing mission of scanning everything it could find, it suddenly froze in mid-air, before rapidly shifting it's gaze between the two women.

"Oh, that makes more sense."

Glitch hovered closer to Shireen, lowering the volume of it's artificial voice to a whisper.

"Would you prefer some privacy?"

[Pool Area]

Ethoya was sad to see the captain go, but soon found herself a new place to relax.

She lounged in the pool area, presently fully-dressed as she sipped on a sweet, drink of pink and blue swirls that mysteriously did not mix and typically left mortals with a hangover and a hole in their memories. She wasn't quite ready to go for a swim yet — in particular, she was getting a feel for how the locals dressed. Swimwear seemed to vary wildly, ranging from remarkably modest skirted suits to a few dubious outfits that made Ethoya wonder if simply going naked (as she would at home) would be less scandalous than such uncomfortable-looking affairs.

And as ever, she was looking for those that stood out — that had a certain light about them. She couldn't place her finger on what it was, but some people just seemed more... vibrant than most here.

Deck 6 ~ Room 6.202 —> Deck 9 ~ Pool Deck (Ayako; Ethoya)

Ayako woke and found herself lying on a couch, the memories of the strange dream she had quickly dissipating into her subconscious. Staring at the unfamiliar ceiling above her, she groaned as her body complained from the massive cramp it had sustained. Apparently, falling asleep in a chair wasn’t exactly a wise thing to do, though it felt more like she had been hit by a train.

Realization struck with the fury of a thunderbolt; she was on vacation! Wearily blinking, she mentally complained to herself about how this was a lousy way to start off one’s holiday, before hauling—scratch that, rolling and falling off the couch. The girl grumbled in annoyance from the floor as the rest of her dress flopped down across her.

Reaching up from off the floor, the now disoriented girl pawed around the top of the coffee table next to her, before finally hauling herself to a more stable position. Stifling a yawn, and using her powers to straighten out her clothes, Ayako glanced down and noticed the note and keyphone.

Taking a cursory look over the letter, she carefully folded it up and stuck it and the keyphone into a newly formed pocket in her dress. She then clambered to her feet and absentmindedly trudged over toward the suite's kitchen, and upon finding nothing of terrible interest (she refused to cook after the noodle incident), headed out into the hall to go look for the others. By walking straight into the door.

Her head now cleared of drowsiness; Ayako gingerly rubbed the small bump on her head as she opened the door properly and headed down the hall towards the nearest elevators. She pulled her keyphone out and brought up the ever convenient map of the ship, to look over the ship’s various amenities. Deciding that going for a swim sounded nice, she took an elevator up to Deck 9 and made her way over to the pools.

Entering the pool deck, an individual caught her eye, prompting her to head over to the golden garbed woman sitting poolside. "Hello!" Ayako said cheerfully to Ethoya, before speaking up about something she noticed, "Say, don't I know you from somewhere?"

Arboretum (Glitch; Shireen and Robin)

Shireen squinted at Glitch suspiciously.

"Er... what for?" whispered she.

And what did you just do, my lady?

Huehuehuehuahuahua, came the thought.

No, not this again.

You were feeling a bit down, came the thought.

And this - whatever it is you've done - is supposed to cheer me up?

Sometimes embarrassment brings people closer. Have fun, came the order.

[Pool Deck (Ayako; Ethoya)]

Ethoya studied the small, over-dressed girl for a few moment, her brow creasing as she tried to place the vague sense of familiarity. Then... "Ayako Watanabe, wasn't it? We met previously, in one of the more... meaty portions of the spirit world." Sort of. There were metaphysical details she expected would bore Ayako. So she continued, "apologies for the sudden departure last time. The one who called me to that realm initially had... stabilized, so I was no longer needed by her. And you all seemed quite able to take care of yourselves."

She glanced at Ayako's new bump with slight concern, but figured it wasn't anything more than an annoyance. So she said, "and now I'm here because... well, time flows differently here, and I am long overdue a vacation. So..." she raised the glass. For no discernible reason, the sudden motion made the liquid within hiss slightly. "The same for you, I should hope?"

Deck 9 ~ Pool Deck (Ayako; Ethoya)

Ayako pursed her lips in thought. This elegant lady had apparently met her before, judging by the fact she already knew her name, but she couldn't recall the place where or when they had met. The young textile magician started to give an apologetic shrug, and then it clicked, "Oh, you're Ethoya-sama!" She then sheepishly rubbed the back of her head after her enthusiastic outburst, "Sorry, my memories of the time we met are bit foggy, but yes, I'm Ayako Watanabe."

Giving the bump on her head a brief rub, Ayako then proceeded to clasp her hands together. "I'm on vacation, too," she replied enthusiastically, eying the avant-garde cocktail Ethoya had in her hand with mild curiosity. Judging by volatility of the drink, the girl mentally wagered the drink probably wasn’t for someone of her young age, though how it kept its unusual arrangement was beyond her.

Ayako plopped herself down on an adjacent deck chair, sending her outfit fluttering around her. "Yeah, this vacation's a bit overdue; one thing or another kept coming up. But, I was finally able to arrange a trip, with Mari-sama's help, of course," she said, kicking her feet, "and that why I'm here."

She then glanced over at the pool, "Well, not why I'm here here, I'm here 'cause I wanted to go swimming, and then I saw you, but— I think you probably know what I mean" she said, catching herself about to ramble.

[Deck 9 ~ Pool Deck (Ayako; Ethoya)]

Ethoya took a sip of the deleterious substance as Ayako spoke. Then said, "no offense taken; the living usually don't remember much of their nocturnal visits to the Spirit World without help." Which reminded her, she still hadn't gotten to trying that mushroom. "I seem to have made some impression there, though." Especially a first impression, she remembered, a brief bite of her lips betraying that awkward memory.

"Now that we have time," Ethoya then said, moving the conversation along before it could linger, "I have to ask. You seem... rather disciplined for your age." How to put this next thought without coming across as condescending? (It would have been easier without whatever substance was in her drink interfering.) "How did you learn to handle yourself in crises so well?" She couldn't help but be concerned for the young warrior, though only because she underestimated Ayako's age — Ayako's maturity at her actual age of fifteen, while unusually high by modern Terran standards, wouldn't be seen as atypical in Ethoya's homeland.

edited 7th Jun '17 8:50:33 PM by KillerClowns

Spirit Room (Emille, Phagora)

Though her face was made of porcelain, Emille's brow furrowed when she listened to Phagora describing her hometown. "Hmm, you must be from the past then. In my time and place, literacy is quite a common skill. Although, I have never heard of any of the places you describe, except for the Black Pit, which I assume to be your equivalent of Hell. At least they are nowhere in Europe as far as I know, so you must be from some third-world or uncharted country or a land that no longer exists."

"Though to be fair, I believe those pesky cartographers always forget to put Solevaille on the map, so it is likely nobody has ever heard of where I am from either. And I would prefer to keep it that way, unlike Lucina who wants to draw the whole world to Solevaille. Even though we are at the dawn of the twentieth century where I am from, some things are better off hidden, you know? Like dolls... and witches. Speaking of 'witch', thank you for at least attempting to teach me about magic. The only witch in my kingdom is dead, and you saw how self-centered Lucina is, so I had no choice but to seek outside help."

Once again, she glanced over to the panel on the wall. "Are you sure you do not see that white mist inside that wall panel over there? It looks sort of like... a mirror..."

A peculiar thought came to her. More than just that - a coincidence. And even more still - her destiny. Entranced, she walked over to this panel, dragging the tip of her parasol along the floor (something she would never do while alert) as she went. All the while, she got a sense that there was something inside those mists, something she just couldn't make out. In some far corner of her mind, she remembered the same was true of the black mists swirling around inside a different mirror that existed in Solevaille, but while those drew people into a world of death (dragged them off to Hell, as she once put it), these seemed to contain a strange realm of life. In fact, it looked a lot like...

I remember this. The sense of deja vu became ever stronger as she got closer to the panel. This was... this was the very first sight I ever saw. She remembered... the clunking of machines, the hissing of steam vents, the clip-clop of wooden feet on the ground, the unamused chatter of people toiling away... I was born here. Here in these white mists. My soul came from here. Only those with souls can use magic, correct?

At last she was standing right before the panel, and though she was actually gazing up at it (it was at a height taller than herself), to her it seemed as if she was facing it directly. And in that moment, everything was still. The spirit room faded away, along with the rest of the ship. While she gazed deep into the nothingness of the mists, she felt said mists engulf her (though in reality, all this time she was standing still and staring at the wall), and saw indistinct images flash across her periphery. And thought...

Yes... yes, it is all very simple, isn't it? It is like the primal force of the universe... anything can be created from the nothingness that initiates life. Like this one that initiated mine. In another corner of her mind, one that this time was illuminated by this realization, she recalled what Phagora had said to her about visualization. To picture in her mind what she wanted to have happen before it could happen... and here and now, in the grand scheme of things, she knew exactly what she wanted to have happen. She knew exactly what she would do once she returned to Solevaille from this unearthly vacation. And, she knew how. For a moment, just one fleeting moment, an image became clear before her in the white mists: a ruby, just like the one in Lucina's scepter.

Finally the scent of incense returned to her, and she became once more aware of the dim surroundings. The white mists in the wall panel had vanished... but she still felt them, filling her very consciousness. Such that her eyes closed, an her hand moved over what would have been her heart if she had one. All that is holy... All that brings life, light, and justice into this world...

As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw her parasol lying on the floor before her. Upon picking it up, she extended it upward, where a light shot out of it and formed into a glowing yellowish ball that radiated bright beams outward, kind of like a miniature sun. But it was not sunlight - it was a cleansing light. Not like Lucina's magic which was made to heal and bring life; this light was made to purify all that is good and punish all that is evil. Focusing all her attention on this orb, she smiled broadly.

"Yes! Yes, this is exactly what I was after! I shall use this holy light how it was meant to be used! My justice shall not be misguided by greed and frivolity, but righteous as a proper ruler's reign should be! This light shall smite the wicked and protect the weak! It shall wash away all uncleanliness and guide the pure of heart!"

She had completely forgotten that there was a half-demon in the room.

edited 7th Jun '17 9:56:03 PM by ladytanuki