<Kaeru> Initializing… Run: Respite. Arc: Avalon. ETA: 6:30 start. Recommended music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIyl9bCp6W4
<Glacon> Kaeru: Cosmo Sheldrake - Come Along - length 4m20s - 39633↑424↓ - 1,608,175 views - Cosmo Sheldrake on 2017.10.13
<DSJ> Rhea arrives for briefing, wherever that is.
<Soulless> Joshua is there.
<Nemi> Ophelia wanders into the briefing room, wearing a far too large (stolen) Florida State University hoodie.
<Varren> Ezek struts in and gets into a seat! He taps the chair and sways side to side
<Odocoileus> Tally is there!
<Varren> Ezekiel waves to Tally and..well pretty much everyone but Rhea because he doesnt know her. He waves to her after the others. "Hello, Ezekiel Novynette."
<Kaeru> A briefer stands at the head of the table, and files are already placed on the table in front of seats. He clears his throat. “Alright, I’ll keep this short,” he says flatly. “You’re going to the coast. We’ve gotten a few reports— sightings of something large in the water. We weren’t going to think a whole lot of it- just send a preliminary team to make sure it was nothing- until yesterday.” He gestures to the file
<Kaeru> s.
<Soulless> "…" He reads/
<DSJ> Rhea reads the file, hopeful that this is a living thing and not some weird magic thing.
<Kaeru> In the file is a collection of three formal reports on supposed sightings of the aquatic creature mentioned. But the briefer calls your attention to the next pages— readings from the nearby coastal area consistent with foundation technological signatures and dated from less than 24 hours ago.
<Nemi> Ophelia flips ovpen the files and reads, brows creeping skyward all the while.
<Kaeru> “Before you think that’s weird enough for one day,” the briefer adds with a tinge of annoyance to his voice, “We had some techs on another site closer to the coast take a look at the signatures. And guess what they found?”
<Varren> Ezek reads along and hums. "You got me…signs of life? Or our tech?"
<Kaeru> He scoffs. "Not quite that weird, no."
<Kaeru> “Those aren’t just generic Foundation tech signatures. If they were, we might think they’d been faked, or made as decoys. But they’re not. They’re individualized. Coded with serial tags, like most of our gear is. Three guesses where those signal tags tell us that tech’s from.”
<Nemi> "Let me guess. They're from that same field team?"
<Varren> "The missing te-yeah what she said."
<Kaeru> "We didn't send a preliminary team," he clarifies. "We wanted to make sure the signals were authentic first. Guess again."
<DSJ> Rhea decides not to guess, and just listen for now.
<Varren> "I am gonna go very weird and guess…gear that belongs to us in this very room?"
<Kaeru> He points. "To a T, agent. The signature places that tech as belonging right here on the site."
<Nemi> Ophie's brows arch all the more. The tiny Latina taps a fingertip against her lower lip. "Could be temporal or spatial. We have anything missing?"
<Kaeru> "That's the thing. We don't. Everything that isn't here is properly signed out. Nothing's unaccounted for."
<Nemi> "So- most likely a temporal anomaly or a replication of our own gear. Sounds fun." Ophie beams.
<Varren> Ezekiel raises an eyebrow at the mention of temporal. "Have there been any odd mission reports we here gear could have been copied?" He doubts it. "Can why we are interested though."
<Varren> "Oh…she keeps beating me to thoughts."
<Kaeru> "We think it might be. But it's impossible to tell for sure from just the signature."
<Kaeru> “Thing is, though, they’re networked signals. Anyone with half a brain would know we could track ‘em. We gotta assume they intended that. They probably know you’re coming, whoever this is."
<Nemi> Ophie taps her chin and nods. "So, either temporal anomaly or obvious trap. Either way, be ready for some shit, ay?"
<Kaeru> "But," he adds, "Whoever or whatever this is has made no indication so far of being at all hostile— to us or to anyone else. That’s why we’re not sending a combat team. Your goal is to get there, find the source of the signature, and figure out who the hell has it and how the hell they got it. Make sense?"
<DSJ> "I'm just curious why it's on the coast, considering we're out in the desert."
<Nemi> "Understood."
<Varren> "Well if it is temporal. I have a bit of knowledge in that so I might be able to sniff it out. If it's a trap..well we will deal with that." He closes his file and leans back in his chair. "Maybe they want a nice view?"
<Kaeru> He turns to Rhea. "No idea. But it's our site's gear. We're gonna be the ones to see what's going on."
<Nemi> Ophie twizzles her lips. "What kind of gear are we picking up out there, anyway?"
<DSJ> "Understood."
<Varren> "And is this undercover? Or isolated enough for standard gear?"
<Kaeru> "We can't be sure, entirely. Something networked, so almost certainly a tracker, transmitter, or some kind of com equipment. And no, it's pretty isolated, as is. Don't gear out too heavy, but no need for full cover." He picks up a small radar device from the table in front of him. Holds it up to call attention to it. "This thing's already tuned to the signal we're looking for." He puts it back down and slides it across the table at
<Kaeru> (//rolls dice) Ophie.
<Nemi> "Understood." Ophelia sits up and takes the offered device, carefully slipping it into her satchel.
<Varren> "I am good to go in this case."
<Varren> Bringing trunks just in case they need to explain things
<Kaeru> "Your pilot's already in the bay. Wheels up in 20. If you haven't got any questions, gear up and head out."
<TheSpookanist> Estrella who has been there the whole time is grinning and tapping her heel against the floor impatiently. "So no fighting, no one to lie to besides the usual, just find the thing?"
<Soulless> Joshua sighs. "Gonna need a smoke once we get there."
<Kaeru> "That's the goal. Plus, it'd be nice to know how the fuck they got it. And who they are."
<Kaeru> "Just learn what you can and come back as unscathed as possible. Don't assume nonthreats."
<Nemi> Ophie rises and scurries out.
<Odocoileus> (I am back! Just reading back scroll now)
<Kaeru> (o7)
<Varren> Ezekiel rolls out! Stops by his room for his gear and trunks, then to armory for his guns, and finally to the transport.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella unceremoniously rocks to her feet and strides smoothly out of the briefing room.
<Kaeru> ezekiel no
<Kaeru> /s
<Varren> Juuuuust in case
<DSJ> Rhea gathers her stuff, including sample stuff, and heads out to the dropship or w/e that's taking them
<TheSpookanist> Estrella grabs a swimsuit and loads a duffel bag with some normal beach stuff as well as her knives and her Beretta, also just in case. They were told to not assume nonthreats.
<Kaeru> if we're all set to go we can skip on over to where you're going
<Varren> Sure!
<Odocoileus> Tally is all geared up along with her hoodie.
<Nemi> Ophie fills her bag with useful things- her field kit, swimsuit, some medical supplies, her Beretta, a spare towel, flashlight, some foodstuffs, waterbottles…
<Nemi> ( Ready! )
<DSJ> (i am okay w timeskip)
<TheSpookanist> Estrella is ready!
<Soulless> (ye)
<Kaeru> Alright, let's roll! A friendly site dropship pilot gives you a cheerful greeting, engine already running…
<Nemi> Ophie returns the cheery greeting and hops right aboard!
<Kaeru> You're flown near to the coast, far from any major cities or even any smaller towns. The pilot (for reference, it's Tillman, the sweetie [ https://imgur.com/a/p98lLeY ]) wishes you luck when you exit the plane. A short transport ride brings you to a small rocky cliff face overlooking the ocean with a grassy plateau right up to the edge of a sheer drop into shimmering blue water. From what you saw driving up, you'd estimate it's
<Kaeru> maybe a 30 foot cliff, leaning forward so that the jagged rocks and crashing waves are below and behind the high point one could stand on the edge of the plateau.
<DSJ> "So, what's the plan, exactly? I assume it isn't jumping off the cliff and swimming at the anomaly."
<Odocoileus> "I hope not.." she snorts.
<Kaeru> The green grass waves gently in the pleasant breeze. Though the hill is mostly bare of other plantlife, a few scattered trees stand proudly near the edge of the cliff. One in particular tops the hill near the edge of the plateau— tangled dark branches of an ancient weeping willow hanging leaves perilously over the open air as if reaching for the sea spray that might splash to the top of the cliff in bad weather. But there's no bad
<Kaeru> weather today. Just scattered clouds and a light breeze that hints at later rain. Ophie, the radar device points you towards the willow.
<Varren> "I mean…I can try if you think it will help."
<TheSpookanist> Estrella smiles as she steps out, looking over the cliff with a sigh as she breathes in the sea air. It's been a while since she's had that. "All right, where's the beeping thing point us?" She slings her bag gracefully over her back and cracks her joints, stiff from the flight.
<Nemi> Ophie likes Tillman, and wishes Tillman well on the way out. Once they arrive on that pleasant vista, she glances to the radar device- and points to the massive willow tree. "That way."
<Varren> Ezekiel looks after her point and grumbles. "Careful about the tree. Man eating trees are a thing in the world." He is smiling as he glances down over to cliff. Curiously he looks at the odd watch on his wrist and taps it to see if it might react to a temporal rift or activity nearby
<Varren> Probably not but worth a shot
<Kaeru> Feel free to look around… It's not that huge an area, and it's pretty open, so one perc roll could cover the water and the area around you.
<Nemi> Ophie peers all about, thoughtful.
<Nemi> 4df+5
<Glacon> Nemi: 6 (4df+5=-, +, 0, +)
<Kaeru> Ezekiel, actually…
<Varren> 4df+3 and crap…
<Glacon> Varren: and crap…: 2 (4df+3=0, -, -, +)
<DSJ> 4df+4 perc
<Glacon> DSJ: perc: 6 (4df+4=+, 0, +, 0)
<Kaeru> Ezekiel, it's not explicitly clear, but there's something weird going on around here.
<Kaeru> (re: watch)
<Kaeru> Tally, Joshua, Estrella?
<TheSpookanist> 4df+3 ENEMIES EVERYWHERE
<Glacon> TheSpookanist: ENEMIES EVERYWHERE: 3 (4df+3=0, -, 0, +)
<Kaeru> (mass effect enemy voice)
<Soulless> Joshua looks around.
<Soulless> 4df+5 "…I'm gonna take a s smoke…"
<Glacon> Soulless: "…I'm gonna take a s smoke…": 7 (4df+5=+, +, +, -)
<Varren> Well unfortunately for Ezekiel it never tells specifics outside of two things and 'hey possible temporal' he frowns at it and says nothing yet specific. "Got an odd feeling. Watch yourselves." He strolls towards that tree
<Kaeru> Estrella, Ezekiel, it's a really nice view. Not too high up, but still very nice. The rest of you see something more noteworthy, potentially-
<Kaeru> There's someone there. Below the willow's branches, leaning against the knotted trunk. A young-looking woman, light bronze freckled skin and smooth, rounded features under a head of short orange-red frizzy hair French braided tightly to her head. She wears loose white clothing with long sleeves and a wide collar, fabric comfortable and breathable and somehow spotless.
<Kaeru> She holds something in her lap.
<Kaeru> The radar pings.
<Nemi> Ophie perks and carefully lowers the radar as she approaches, gesturing for the others to mind the woman. The tiny Latina, caramel-toned and sleepy-eyed, shrugs her hoodie around herself as she ambles over.
<Kaeru> Joshua, you can if you want to, of course, just hit up HI2 if you want to get a bit of distance and have a chat with someone.
<TheSpookanist> The tall pale girl with black hair approaches as well, rolling her shoulders as she follows Ophie's lead.
<DSJ> Rhea follows Ophie, ready to react.
<Varren> Ezekiel nods at Ophie and diesnt change pace he just strolls up there casually with no weapon drawn. He isnt leading and is almost even with Ophie since he had started walking before she pointed out the lady.
<Kaeru> The woman glances over when you near her, but then turns her gaze back to the horizon. Where she's seated, with one leg folded and the other out in front of her, one sneaker rests just on the very edge of the plateau. If she pointed her toes, they'd be above open air.
<Kaeru> She breathes deeply and sighs, smiling and content. The breeze stirs the willow's hanging branches and she closes her eyes, head resting back against the trunk of the tree. "Feel that?" she asks in a quiet, relaxed sort of tone.
<Kaeru> There's a heavy black rectangle in her lap— a device of some kind. A foundation logo on the side and an antennae on the top might clue it in as a long-range transmitter. One of our long-range transmitters.
<Varren> (As a note Ezekiel's watch will only make an audible tone if someone who is a blood relative or a temporal version of himself is near.) "Feel what?" He doesnt enter into the vines of the willow just yet. Looks at it for a second and then shrugs and heads in to get a better look at the tree itself.
<Nemi> Ophie turns to face into the breeze and inhales the sea air. ".. I do. It's- it's lovely," she says, from her post just by the stranger.
<Nemi> "Always loved the seashore."
<Kaeru> Ophie, Rhea, Joshua — movement over the edge of the cliff catches your eye. There is something in the water. Something that certainly isn't particularly small. You can't tell what it is. Just movement below the surface.
<Kaeru> The woman nods at Ophie's reply. She'd meant the breeze. "Nothing quite like it."
<DSJ> Rhea focuses on the water, trying to make out what's there: would a science roll help?
<Kaeru> Sure!
<Nemi> Ophie pauses, squinting on whatever's in there. She'd doing much the same- what so big could be so near the shore?
<Nemi> 4df+6 the heck is this
<Glacon> Nemi: the heck is this: 6 (4df+6=+, -, 0, 0)
<Kaeru> It doesn't seem massive— but bigger than a dolphin, for certain, and bigger than most sharks would be.
<Varren> It's a kraken.
<Kaeru> ( Soulless, pm'd you what you missed)
<DSJ> 4df+6
<Glacon> DSJ: 8 (4df+6=+, +, +, -)
<DSJ> oof near crit
<Varren> Ezekiel hums a soft tune no one would recognize and look up into the tree. "I am not used to such salty air but..yeah it is kind of nice."
<Odocoileus> (sorry I am here!)
<Soulless> Joshua wanders off to smoke.
<Nemi> Soon, Ophelia settles down beside the woman, gazing out to sea. "What's that thing you have there?"
<Kaeru> Well, Rhea, it isn't a kraken. Ophie, you can tell that much, too. At this distance, it's hard to make out anything for certain— but it's definitely not a whale. It's too long and narrow in shape, closer to a sort of seal-like shape. But waaay to big for that.
<Kaeru> (odo no worries :D)
<Odocoileus> Tally keeps close to Ezekiel and sniff the air. "It is nice but there is too much wind for me"
<TheSpookanist> Estrella rocks back and forth on her heels while letting other people do all the talking.
<Kaeru> Joshua, head to HI2 if you like
<Kaeru> Ophie, the woman looks over at you. "This? I thought you'd know," she says innocently. "It belongs to you, after all, doesn't it?"
<DSJ> Rhea takes some quick notes on the weird not-whale.
<TheSpookanist> She glances around with a smile; she's never been to the beach much, but this is nice. The last time she was near the ocean was less than pleasant, on account of her friend getting turned into a statue.
<Varren> Ezekiel nudges Tally so she knows he is aware of her and directs his attention to the lady, listening.
<Kaeru> Rhea! As you're looking, it comes into view from the deeper water again, nearing the surface. A spine of frills cuts through the surface of the water and a flattened tail fin flicks momentarily into view.
<Nemi> Ophie shrugs. "Not to me. But, I guess to the group. What's your name?"
<Odocoileus> She blinks and looks up at Ezekiel and then then woman.
<DSJ> She focuses on that, doing some quick sketching and theorizing.
<Kaeru> She turns her gaze back out across the horizon, smiling wistfully. "It's Josephine," she replies. "Josephine Pinto."
<Odocoileus> "it is a pleasure to meet you Josephine!"
<Kaeru> She looks over at Tally and smiles warmly.
<Nemi> "It's nice to meet you, Josephine. Um. I guess- why do you have that?"
<Kaeru> She looks a little disheartened. "You aren't going to tell me your names?" She looks at each of you. "I already know who you are, but it's only polite, I thought."
<Nemi> "Oh- sorry. I'm Ophelia. I just- kind of- I'm spacey."
<Nemi> Ophie sighs and visibly deflates in her seat.
<DSJ> "Rhea Fisher. What's with the creature in the water?"
<Varren> "Ezekiel Novynette. You know who we are?" He is smilingly and diesnt sound very peeved, just relaxed.
<TheSpookanist> The tall woman shrugs her shoulders in languid fashion, wandering around looking for a something to lean on while still being part of the conversation. "Estrella Ramos."
<Kaeru> She looks apologetic and smiles hopefully at Ophie. "It's alright. It's good to meet you, Ophie." How she knew your nickname isn't clear. She turns to Rhea. "That's Eda," she says simply.
<Kaeru> To Ezekiel- "Yes, I do."
<Nemi> "It's nice to meet you too. Uhm- I'm.. Kind of guessing you pulled us here for a reason?"
<DSJ> "Eda? Interesting."
<Varren> "Have we met before? Or do you know us another way?" Ezekiel steps to the edge if the cliff and watches that shape.
<Odocoileus> "I am Tallulah!" (Sorry in thought I sent it)
<Kaeru> She waves a bit to Tally and Estrella. To Ezek- "No, we haven't met. But I know who you are." She says it as if it's obvious, and she doesn't quite understand why he's questioning.
<Nemi> Ophie gnaws her lip at her question hanging in the air.
<Kaeru> To Ophie, she nods. "Yes."
<Kaeru> "We've been keeping tabs on quite a few people from your organization for a while now. Wanted to know if we could trust you." She smiles.
<Kaeru> "I thought we could. You all caught my eye the most, so I sent for you."
<TheSpookanist> Estrella chews on her bottom lip as she surveys the area. She still looks cheery, but she's not sure about this 'we' business.
<Nemi> ".. on what?" Ophie tilts her head. "Wait- wait, sorry, what? *Me*? I'm- not even with the Foundation exactly, I'm *interning* here, I'm with Novavida-"
<Soulless> 4df+5 insight
<Glacon> Soulless: insight: 5 (4df+5=0, 0, 0, 0)
<Kaeru> She nods. "I know," she clarifies. "But you're on the same site. You're with them for now, and I like you. You're passionate." She smiles brightly, innocent and friendly. "I have something I want to show you. Your friend who speaks to wind voices should come along as well. It would do him good."
<Nemi> "I just- I want to try and understand things. I want to try to help. I don't know if I like how the Foundation does things but it's the best we have, and-" She blinks. "Uhm! Oh! Okay!"
<Odocoileus> She tilts her head and mumbles under her breath. "Wind voices?"
<Varren> Ezekiel doesn't feel any danger, not like he would notice. So he is still relaxed and ready for whatever. "Sure, I am good with all this….and just a small question. When did you and I meet exactly? I am foggy sometimes."
<Kaeru> She looks at Ezekiel. "We haven't," she replies simply, calmly. "Not before today."
<Varren> "Oh yeah, my bad, like I said..foggy." he chuckles and rubs the back of his neck. "My bad. So what were you gonna show us?"
<Odocoileus> Tally looks so confused.
<Soulless> Joshua jogs back. He doesn't look calmed, but he's looking around. "What'd I miss?"
<Kaeru> She pushes herself slowly to her feet, stretching lazily. Looks over at Joshua. "Welcome back, Joshua," she smiles warmly— something that doesn't allow any thought that she could be malicious. Innocent and kind.
<Kaeru> "Did you learn anything?"
<Kaeru> Ezekiel, she doesn't answer your question. She seems a little spacey, honestly.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella is outwardly still loving the chance of being outdoors and inwardly abso/lutely/ not trusting anyone who seems /that/ nice.
<Kaeru> She's still smiling.
<Varren> He doesn't mind at all! He just keeps an eye on the water. It looks nice and he hasnt ever been around the ocean much.
<Soulless> Joshua's eyes narrow at that.
<Soulless> "It's just a smoke."
<Nemi> Ophie rises beside Josephine, awkwardly.
<Soulless> 4df+5 insight what's this girl's deal
<Glacon> Soulless: insight what's this girl's deal: 4 (4df+5=-, 0, +, -)
<Kaeru> Ezekiel. The thing in the water pops up once in a while. Usually just a shadow under the surface, sometimes little fin disturbances of the water's calm.
<Kaeru> Joshua— she seems to have asked entirely innocently. Her expression is kind, and expectant- open and friendly. Smiling.
<Kaeru> "But did you learn anything?" She tips her head a bit.
<Varren> He doubts he can call it over so he doesn't try. Instead he crouches. Does Josephine still have the transmitter?
<Kaeru> It's in her hand, yes. She picked it up from her lap when she stood up.
<Varren> He looks up at her and tilts his head. "By the way..do you think I could have that box?"
<Kaeru> She raises it halfway and looks at it. Then over to Ezekiel. "Why?"
<Soulless> "…No."
<Kaeru> She frowns at Joshua's reply. "That's too bad. Learning is nice."
<Varren> "Just curiosity more than anything I suppose. It did bring us here I guess I just want to see it for myself maybe."
<Nemi> "So, um. What do you want to show us, miss Josephine?"
<Kaeru> She nods to Ezekiel. "Okay. I'll give it back to you." She doesn't make any move to do so, though. Looks at Ophie. "Home," she replies simply. Turns and walks calmly away from the edge of the cliff a ways before turning back around to face you all. Stretching lazily as she walks, as if waking herself up a bit.
<Nemi> Ophie tilts her head but makes to follow, puzzled and curious.
<DSJ> Rhea follows, from a further distance.
<TheSpookanist> Maybe it's just mirroring, but Estrella plants a hand on the back of her upper arm and pulls it skyward to stretch as well as she follows Josephine along.
<Kaeru> She's stopped and turned back to face towards the willow, the cliff. Doesn't seem to intend to go any further away. Looks at Ophie. Then at Estrella, Rhea.
<Kaeru> "Do you know the phrase 'leap of faith?'" She asks it entirely innocently, with a slight tilt of her head.
<Varren> Ezekiel sighs and stands up. He can get it later she seems a little distracted maybe. He watches her curiously as he walks after
<TheSpookanist> "Hmm. I don't like this, but… Hey, sounds fun."
<Kaeru> She grins happily.
<DSJ> "Yes, but I would hope you aren't about to use it in conjunction with just jumping off of a cliff."
<Varren> Ezekiel does and strangely enough murmurs about not having a hood on his coat or wearing enough white for this. "Well..might be fun"
<Nemi> "I know it. Um. Are we cliff-diving? I did that on Spring Break once. Was fun."
<TheSpookanist> Estrella drops about two and a half feet off her height as she dips down to stretch and prepare for a sprint.
<Kaeru> "Of course not! I wouldn't call you all here just to try to harm you." She smiles brightly. "Don't worry, though. You don't need to know how to swim."
<Odocoileus> Tally pokes her head put from behind Ezekiel and watches closely as she sniffs the air a few times.
<Kaeru> "Leap of faith, right?" She smiles. "Follow me." She faces towards the cliff and gives one last bright grin to you all before taking off running. She doesn't hesitate at the edge— leaps with a whooping shout from the rocky edge, dislodging a few loose pebbles and quickly disappearing from sight below the edge of the plateau.
<Varren> "Oh, then I dont have to take off my boots? Because swimming in boots is asking for trouble-oh, well then" Ezekiel watches her sail off and moves to the ledge to look down after her
<Nemi> Ophie inhales, turns, and.. dashes afterward. She leaps.
<Soulless> "…"
<TheSpookanist> Estrella /sprints/ to the cliff's edge without a sound, and then catapults herself with a yell as she hurls down towards the water.
<DSJ> Rhea follows, mourning the probable loss of her weird water creature notes.
<Soulless> Joshua closes his eyes, and then follows after Estrella and Rhea.
<Kaeru> Ezekiel, when you look for her, she isn't there. Not in the water, or anywhere. Like she just disappeared halfway down.
<Odocoileus> Tally follows at full speed.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella makes sure to do a backflip on her way down!
<Varren> Ezekiel turns to look at Tally, shrugs as she goes and jumps right off after. Nothing ventured nothing gained.
<Kaeru> And Ezekiel, perhaps only you notice, but as Ophie, the first to follow, leaps after her- there's a little white slash of light through the air and she's gone, too.
<Kaeru> This is where things get fun, folks.
<Varren> Ezekiel likes fun
<Kaeru> Okay. Ophie, stay here. Joshua, go back to HI2. Estrella, TT; Rhea, TT2. Tally, you're ic5. Ezekiel, ic4 (which I'm commandeering for this run not sorry)
<Kaeru> (scene change.)
<Soulless> Joshua lights up.
<Soulless> "…Alright. Give me the usual. Warnings. How to finish this quickly." His terse, tense, cautious, the way one deals with a lion.
<Kaeru> It's been a minute, hasn't it?
<Kaeru> Nice to see you haven't gotten yourself killed yet.
<Soulless> "Ah yes."
<Soulless> "Hello. Please give me these answersd and I'll be on my way."
<Kaeru> [The voice sounds almost saddened.] Alright. Well, I don't have any warnings for you, really. Nobody here wants to hurt you. Or anyone.
<Kaeru> I suppose my only tip is-
<Kaeru> Well. Take a chance, yeah? Leap of faith, that sort of thing. You can trust these people. You have my word.
<Soulless> 4df+5 insight
<Soulless> "You're not lying to me, are you?"
<Kaeru> [a shake of his head that somehow you know is present to spite not being able to see him.] No. Honest, you'd know. I'm an awful liar. [as far as you can tell, he's only told the truth.]
<Soulless> "…Okay. I'm sorry. This is. You're not guaradian angels, are you."
<Soulless> "You're something else."
<Kaeru> [He thinks about that for a moment.] No, I don't think so.
<Kaeru> But sometimes I try to be.
<Kaeru> You're people, after all. You deserve something good once in a while. Even if it's not much.
<Soulless> "…"
<Soulless> "Mmm. We're people to you?"
<Kaeru> … What else would you be?
<Soulless> "…Mm."
<Soulless> "I'll go then. See you."
<Kaeru> Yeah. She's waiting for you.
<Kaeru> Ophie.
<Kaeru> You wake in a bed.
<Kaeru> You don't wake in a hospital bed, or your bed in the site dorms.
<Kaeru> You wake in a bed that's soft, cool and cozy like a down feather hug. Light, gentle, not stifling or overly warm. Your body sinks perfectly into the mattress, as if it was built to your preferences and shaped for your individual form and comfort.
<Kaeru> You wake slowly, drifting pleasantly out of kind and happy dreams you can't quite recall.
<Kaeru> You wake to soft, natural light flowing in from outside and a somehow familiar automated voice from the opposite side of your bed.
<Nemi> Not a hospital bed, like the one she was in for so long after the night of fire. Not the miserably uncomfortable dorm bed. She settles into the bedding, just exulting in it, and quietly wondering where she is and what was happening. Ophie does, at least, open an eye to flutter about, take in her surrounds, and perhaps ocus on the voice.
<Kaeru> "Wake up," she prompts in a sweet, caring tone, "And smell the coffee. Wake up, and smell the coffee!"
<Kaeru> Your duvet is down and a perfect, spotless white, pattered uniformly with grey and black simplified silhouettes of overlapping gears. A smallish sandy brown dog snuggles up against you, fur a bit brittle and stiff. He's missing a front leg and his tail is cut short, but little paw twitches and noises in his sleep indicate happy, content dreams.
<Nemi> Ophelia siiighs. Coffee time. Not quite like the gallons of coffee and adderall that kept her going through her doctorate. She sits up, rubbing at her nose, and smiles at the little dog as she carefully tries not to wake him. The tiny, not quite five foot scientist takes a moment to survey herself, not just her surrounds. How she longed to just stay in bed for once.
<Kaeru> The pillows are fluffed and cases black, headboard above you a simple, uncarved arch sitting below a large, intricately designed steampunk-styled wall decoration. "Wake up! And smell the coffee…"
<Kaeru> Your room is spacious and styled in pristine, minimalistic décor. To one side of you are spotless glass floor-to-ceiling windows that are darkened by some kind of automated tint up until the uppermost foot or so, which is clear and spotless to let in the shining sun. Outside is a bright white you won't be able to make out in detail until your eyes adjust more.
<Kaeru> To your other side is a heavy-looking, strong wooden brown crate decorated by gold and bronze gears across the outside as well as painted-on serial codes and similar labels as well as travel stickers and the like. Atop it is a beautifully intricate, detailed model of a winged airship as well as a large hollow-centered gear leaning against the wall that displays the current time in digital floating in the open space in the middle.
<Kaeru> Soft, pulsing light shines from the back of the gear alongside the automated voice that calls for you to wake.
<Nemi> ".. okay, okay," Ophie groans and picks herself up. She actually had to admit fondness for the gears motif everywhere, and that fascinating hollow gear projection clock, which she stares at and immediately tries to figure out. Half to just shut off the chiming message.
<Nemi> 4df+8 REVEAL YOUR SECRETS
<Glacon> Nemi: REVEAL YOUR SECRETS: 7 (4df+8=0, +, -, -)
<Kaeru> In front of you, the wall across from the foot of the bed is a checkboard of thick tile glass with a gap at one side to allow entry to the room behind.
<Kaeru> The room is bright, and beautiful, and soft.
<Kaeru> It smells of coffee.
<Nemi> Ophie thinks she *likes* this place. A lot. Once she susses out the alarm clock enough to turn off the message, she'll head thataway. What's she wearing? Pajamas?
<Kaeru> Upon sitting up, a small blue light appears on the tinted glass of the windows with a pleasant ding. The dot flattens out into a long line— the line wavers, dipping and rising with the sound of an automated voice.
<Kaeru> “Good morning, Mrs. Ophelia!” The line shrinks and lowers slightly to make room for the current weather, displayed large enough to be read easily from where you are halfway across the room. “The current time is 10:30. It’s a sunny 10 degrees Celsius or 50 degrees Fahrenheit outside, with a light drizzle on the forecast for the afternoon. Don’t forget a light jacket if you plan to be outside for very long, espe
<Kaeru> cially in the rain! We don’t want you catching a chill as it gets colder.” There's a little pause, as if mimicking a moment a person might take to smile a friendly, warm smile. "Would you like me to open the viewing balcony?"
<Kaeru> She's wearing what she was before, just with her gear set aside near the bed.
<Nemi> So comfy, at least. Shorts, FSU hoodie. Mrs. earns a curious hum. "Oh. Um. Yes, please."
<Kaeru> The display dings pleasantly and disappears before the dark grey tinting on the floor-to-ceiling windows that blocks out most of the sunlight from outside slowly lowers, fading like a gentle gradient. Light floods the room, white and natural, but bright enough that your eyes need a moment to adjust. When they do, you see the glass of the windows themselves split in two like sliding doors and open smoothly to allow access onto a
<Kaeru> small porch. The railing is white, spotless stone like the walls of the room, and curves slightly inward. Curved glass connects from the top of it to above the window-doors, creating a little bubble that allows the room and balcony to remain regulated in terms of temperature and humidity. But it's what is beyond the bubble that grabs hold of your attention and doesn't let go.
<Kaeru> A vast, near-utopian cityscape unfolds before you past the curved, spotless balcony glass. Beautifully curved white structures and massive areas of bluish curving glass across entire faces of towers and rounded buildings. Massive terrariums, patches of integrated greenery built into the architecture at every floor and in huge strips and sections along the ground. Among shimmering bodies of water and sheer drop-offs that show
<Kaeru> curving balcony-edged floors lined by wide plantlife bannisters and eventually ending in lower-down grounds of wilderness or water. Towering redwoods stand like spires from these lowered areas, reaching high above the average groundlevel and branching out as if straining to take hold of the sky. A single central tower dwarfs all else in view, smooth and curving arcs of white structuring intertwined over a cylindrical body of bluish
<Kaeru> glass. People and animals roam the parks far below you, in pairs and groups of people with several animals or a single person with at least one animal companion- nobody seems to be alone. Looking down, you must be on a high floor— but another balcony above your own prevents you from seeing if the structure you're in continues far above you. You have to be at least on the 10th floor- higher. 20th? More? It's hard to tell. The
<Kaeru> ceiling is high, so it's possible that 20th is a fair estimate, but you're rather far from the ground- to say the least. Not like you could fall, though, with the glass there.
<Nemi> Ophie squints into the light before her vision adjusts, and with care, she approaches the balcony proper to peer out into the impossible city. Her eyes are wide in wonder and fascination- this blend of utoptia, sci-fi city-scape with the massive growth of nature alike.. "Oh my god," Ophie whispers. ".. this is amazing."
<Kaeru> A little ding and the voice responds. "I'm glad you like the view!"
<Nemi> Ophie pauses, blinks, turns back. And something clicks. "How long have I been here? And where am I?"
<Kaeru> "You just arrived, of course! You are in Avalon!"
<Nemi> "Avalon.. Where exactly is Avalon? Is there any schedule for me to follow coming up, or am I just here now?"
<Kaeru> "I'm not entirely sure how best to explain that," she replies honestly. "And no, there is not! You are free to do as you like while you're with us."
<Nemi> "Oh! Lovely!" Immediately, Ophie's excited. What wonders could she find to uncover? "How can I leave my room here? Is there any particular recommended places I can go, or places to avoid?"
<Kaeru> There's a door. "All places in Avalon are entirely safe, if that's what you mean! I would recommend the parks throughout the city!"
<Nemi> "And if I'm interested in the sciences and technology?" Ophie slips back into the bedroom to check on the doggo. And maybe see about some coffee.
<Kaeru> "The observatory might interest you, or perhaps the museums!" She only has to ask if she wants coffee. The dog snorts and quits its quiet snoring, lifting its head and thump-thumping a wagging tail against the bed.
<Nemi> "Coffee please. And- can I please get directions to the museums?" Because you know that's what Ophie's about.
<Kaeru> "How would you like your coffee?"
<Kaeru> "And yes, of course. Simply ask for me and I will be able to guide you at any point while you are in Avalon. You may call me Vienna."
<Nemi> "Two cream, two sugar, to go, please, and- thank you, Vienna!" Ophie beams as she walks over to scritch at the pupper's head. "What's this little guy's name? And how long will I be here?"
<Kaeru> A travel mug is filled on a table by the door with steaming coffee exactly as she requested. "His name is yours to decide! If you do not wish to pick one, I can tell you what his name has been until now. He will respond to whatever you choose, though."
<Kaeru> "You will be here as long as you decide to stay, of course!"
<Nemi> "Oh! Lovely! What's his name been until now?" Ophie scoops the mug in hand and gestures for the little guy to follow her way out of the room.
<Kaeru> "His name is Luck." The little three-legged sandy brown fella stands up slowly and stretches before hopping down awkwardly onto the floor and trotting happily to her side.
<Nemi> Tiny and damaged but doing his best. It reminded Ophie of herself. She smiles and makes her way out.
<Soulless> Joshua keeps his eyes closed the whole time.
<Kaeru> Joshua.
<Kaeru> You wake in a bed.
<Kaeru> You don't wake in a hospital bed, or your bed in the site dorms.
<Kaeru> You wake in a bed that's soft, cool and cozy like a down feather hug. Light, gentle, not stifling or overly warm. Your body sinks perfectly into the mattress, as if it was built to your preferences and shaped for your individual form and comfort.
<Kaeru> You wake slowly, drifting pleasantly out of kind and happy dreams you can't quite recall.
<Kaeru> You wake to soft, natural light flowing in from outside and a somehow familiar automated voice from the opposite side of your bed.
<Soulless> He blinks awake, slowly as he ussally does, strethces.
<Kaeru> "Wake up," she prompts in a sweet, caring tone, "And smell the coffee. Wake up, and smell the coffee!"
<Kaeru> Your duvet is down and a perfect, spotless white, pattered uniformly with scattered and minimalistic black squares.
<Soulless> He sits up.
<Soulless> "Mmm… Lazaro?"
<Kaeru> The pillows are fluffed and cases black, headboard above you a simple, uncarved arch sitting below a large, antique framed photograph of Aztec ruins. "Wake up! And smell the coffee…"
<Kaeru> Your room is spacious and styled in pristine, minimalistic décor. To one side of you are spotless glass floor-to-ceiling windows that are darkened by some kind of automated tint up until the uppermost foot or so, which is clear and spotless to let in the shining sun. Outside is a bright white you won't be able to make out in detail until your eyes adjust more.
<Kaeru> To your other side is a simple metal nightstand adorned by a standing golden gyroscope model and sporting the backdrop of a tall metal stand for a large silver birdcage. The cage has a section where the door would be if it hadn't apparently been removed entirely, and within it is a variety of small toys and comfort items for an avian pet. A moderately sized and colorful roundish bird sleeps happily on a false branch inside. A
<Kaeru> small globe on the nightstand spins slowly and displays the current time as a projection floating, still, in front of it, curved to mimic the curvature of the globe slightly above it.
<Kaeru> In front of you, the wall across from the foot of the bed is a checkboard of thick tile glass with a gap at one side to allow entry to the room behind.
<Kaeru> The room is bright, and beautiful, and soft.
<Kaeru> It smells of coffee.
<Soulless> "…"
<Soulless> "…No Lazaro. Not my home."
<Soulless> He gets up and tries to leave the room.
<Kaeru> Upon sitting up, a small blue light appears on the tinted glass of the windows with a pleasant ding. The dot flattens out into a long line— the line wavers, dipping and rising with the sound of an automated voice.
<Kaeru> “Good morning, Mr. Joshua!” The line shrinks and lowers slightly to make room for the current weather, displayed large enough to be read easily from where you are halfway across the room. “The current time is 10:30. It’s a sunny 10 degrees Celsius or 50 degrees Fahrenheit outside, with a light drizzle on the forecast for the afternoon. Don’t forget a light jacket if you plan to be outside for very long, especial
<Kaeru> ly in the rain! We don’t want you catching a chill as it gets colder.” There's a little pause, as if mimicking a moment a person might take to smile a friendly, warm smile. "Would you like me to open the viewing balcony?"
<Soulless> "…Where am I?"
<Kaeru> "You're in Avalon, Mr. Joshua!"
<Soulless> "Where is Avalon? Where are my friends?"
<Soulless> Is he dressed normally?
<Kaeru> He is, but his gear is set aside near the bed. "I'm not sure how best to answer that," the voice replies honestly. "But your friends are in the adjacent rooms. Do you not want me to open the viewing balcony?"
<Soulless> He begins to put things on.
<Soulless> "I'd like the viewing balcony opened with my crew."
<Soulless> He begins to leave the room.
<Soulless> If he can?
<Kaeru> "Of course, Mr. Joshua. Your friends are in the adjacent rooms. If you would like coffee, just ask!"
<Kaeru> The door is unlocked!
<Soulless> Joshua gets out and knocks on the door closes to him, right or left.
<Kaeru> Joshua, you step out— into a large, open lobby area, round and high-ceilinged. Couches and tables dot the area, and the walls around it are lined with doors with names on them. Your own has your name on it. Stairs at two points, across from each other, on the circle, along with elevators. They go up and down. Some of your friends are already out here.
<Kaeru> (commandeering for run space. BEEP BEEP)
<Varren> Ezekiel is special! Hello he is here after casually hopping off a cliff
<Kaeru> Ezekiel.
<Kaeru> You wake in a bed.
<Kaeru> You don't wake in a hospital bed, or your bed in the site dorms.
<Kaeru> You wake in a bed that's soft, cool and cozy like a down feather hug. Light, gentle, not stifling or overly warm. Your body sinks perfectly into the mattress, as if it was built to your preferences and shaped for your individual form and comfort.
<Kaeru> You wake slowly, drifting pleasantly out of kind and happy dreams you can't quite recall.
<Kaeru> You wake to soft, natural light flowing in from outside and a somehow familiar automated voice from the opposite side of your bed.
<Varren> This reminds him of his childhood bed, much softer than any foundation bed in 198something. He makes this tired groaning noise and contorts in a stretching motion. "Hhhhhhhhhhnnnnng" He blinks his eyes open and glances at the light and then after the voice
<Kaeru> "Wake up," she prompts in a sweet, caring tone, "And smell the coffee. Wake up, and smell the coffee!"
<Kaeru> Your duvet is down and a perfect, spotless white, pattered uniformly with a simplified version of a classic, ornate and flowery flowered design. A large, long-haired whitish blonde Russian horse dog takes up a good bit of space at the foot of the bed, snoring quietly.
<Varren> "Well that is not the dog he is familiar with. Loki was a gigantic German Shepherd. But he isnt complaining at all. Ezekiel slowly pushes away the duvet and stretches while sitting up. Coffee sounds very good, what is he wearing?
<Kaeru> What he already was wearing, but his gear is set aside beside the bed.
<Kaeru> The pillows are fluffed and cases black, headboard above you a simple, uncarved arch sitting below a simplified version of an ornate wall mount for two antique sabers. "Wake up! And smell the coffee…"
<Kaeru> Your room is spacious and styled in pristine, minimalistic décor. To one side of you are spotless glass floor-to-ceiling windows that are darkened by some kind of automated tint up until the uppermost foot or so, which is clear and spotless to let in the shining sun. Outside is a bright white you won't be able to make out in detail until your eyes adjust more.
<Kaeru> To your other side is an ornate circular end table made of intricately carved wood and topped by a soft red velvet square with the corners hanging slightly off of the table. An inactive fancy metronome displays the current time floating in small digital letters in front of it and the base pulses with a soft light along with the kind automated voice that calls for you to wake. A small dragon figurine sits beside it, dramatically
<Kaeru> guarding a large set of crystals.
<Varren> Does he actually smell coffee? Ezekiel leaves his gear aside for now and stands, going to that table. He usnt bothered by this scene at all, it actually reminds him of when he first joined the Foundation. He looks over the dragon figurine and if he can, sets the metronome clicking.
<Kaeru> In front of you, the wall across from the foot of the bed is a checkboard of thick tile glass with a gap at one side to allow entry to the room behind.
<Kaeru> The room is bright, and beautiful, and soft.
<Kaeru> It smells of coffee.
<Kaeru> Upon sitting up, a small blue light appears on the tinted glass of the windows with a pleasant ding. The dot flattens out into a long line— the line wavers, dipping and rising with the sound of an automated voice.
<Kaeru> “Good morning, Mr. Ezekiel!” The line shrinks and lowers slightly to make room for the current weather, displayed large enough to be read easily from where you are halfway across the room. “The current time is 10:30. It’s a sunny 10 degrees Celsius or 50 degrees Fahrenheit outside, with a light drizzle on the forecast for the afternoon. Don’t forget a light jacket if you plan to be outside for very long, especial
<Kaeru> ly in the rain! We don’t want you catching a chill as it gets colder.” There's a little pause, as if mimicking a moment a person might take to smile a friendly, warm smile. "Would you like me to open the viewing balcony?"
<Varren> "Yeah. Sure thing. At first you had my curiosity…" he leaves the line unfishined and leaves the dragon and metronome alone, moving to watch the window un case that's the view.
<Varren> "And…good morning…unless you are automated…fuck it. Good morning either way.:
<Kaeru> "Good morning! I am automated, yes, but I am not prerecorded, if that is what you mean."
<Kaeru> The display dings pleasantly and disappears before the dark grey tinting on the floor-to-ceiling windows that blocks out most of the sunlight from outside slowly lowers, fading like a gentle gradient. Light floods the room, white and natural, but bright enough that your eyes need a moment to adjust. When they do, you see the glass of the windows themselves split in two like sliding doors and open smoothly to allow access onto a small
<Kaeru> porch. The railing is white, spotless stone like the walls of the room, and curves slightly inward. Curved glass connects from the top of it to above the window-doors, creating a little bubble that allows the room and balcony to remain regulated in terms of temperature and humidity. But it's what is beyond the bubble that grabs hold of your attention and doesn't let go.
<Kaeru> A vast, near-utopian cityscape unfolds before you past the curved, spotless balcony glass. Beautifully curved white structures and massive areas of bluish curving glass across entire faces of towers and rounded buildings. Massive terrariums, patches of integrated greenery built into the architecture at every floor and in huge strips and sections along the ground. Among shimmering bodies of water and sheer drop-offs that show curving
<Kaeru> balcony-edged floors lined by wide plantlife bannisters and eventually ending in lower-down grounds of wilderness or water. Towering redwoods stand like spires from these lowered areas, reaching high above the average groundlevel and branching out as if straining to take hold of the sky. A single central tower dwarfs all else in view, smooth and curving arcs of white structuring intertwined over a cylindrical body of bluish glass.
<Kaeru> People and animals roam the parks far below you, in pairs and groups of people with several animals or a single person with at least one animal companion- nobody seems to be alone. Looking down, you must be on a high floor— but another balcony above your own prevents you from seeing if the structure you're in continues far above you. You have to be at least on the 10th floor- higher. 20th? More? It's hard to tell. The ceiling is high,
<Kaeru> so it's possible that 20th is a fair estimate, but you're rather far from the ground- to say the least. Not like you could fall, though, with the glass there.
<Varren> Okay now he has to. "….annnnnd now you have my attention." Ezekiel forgets the coffee for now and takes as much as he can in, pressing a hand to the glass. When he is done he pulls his hand away and looks to see if he smudged it. Okay…coffee time. He goes into the other room for coffee!
<Kaeru> Nope, no smudging! He doesn't need to go anywhere for coffee, actually. When he steps off of the balcony back into the room, the voice addresses him again. "How would you like your coffee this morning, Mr. Ezekiel? Or would you prefer tea?"
<Varren> "Oh I have a choice…well then chair latte tea with a little cinnamon in it please?" As he steps up to the foot of the bed her absently rubs the dog gently.
<Kaeru> The dog makes a happy grumbly noise, stretching and yawning with a squeaky whine. "Of course!" says the voice, and a little table by the door automatically pours what was requested into a steaming mug.
<Varren> "God, it's like Star Trek." He blinks and fetches his mug, takes a drink even if it is hot to try it out.
<Kaeru> It's hot, but damn. Good tea. Reminds you of Ivory. You hadn't had coffee like that in a long time.
<Varren> Luckily it just reminds him of it. He is still ninety eight percent sure that making tea in ivory is toxic to a degree. Oh well though! He drinks happily and makes a move to go into the separate room.
<Kaeru> The door is unlocked… And leads out into a large, open lobby area, round and high-ceilinged. Couches and tables dot the area, and the walls around it are lined with doors with names on them. Your own has your name on it. Stairs at two points, across from each other, on the circle, along with elevators. They go up and down.
<Varren> Ezekiel, being a curious fellow that isnt too bothered by things, gets on some of his gear, main his belt for his smaller weapons and essentials like a flashlight and stuff. Once it's on he walks up to another door with a name and tries to open it.
<Odocoileus> Tally is existing.
<Kaeru> Tally.
<Kaeru> You wake in a bed.
<Kaeru> You don't wake in a hospital bed, or your bed in the site dorms.
<Kaeru> You wake in a bed that's soft, cool and cozy like a down feather hug. Light, gentle, not stifling or overly warm. Your body sinks perfectly into the mattress, as if it was built to your preferences and shaped for your individual form and comfort.
<Kaeru> You wake slowly, drifting pleasantly out of kind and happy dreams you can't quite recall.
<Kaeru> You wake to soft, natural light flowing in from outside and a somehow familiar automated voice from the opposite side of your bed.
<Kaeru> "Wake up," she prompts in a sweet, caring tone, "And smell the coffee. Wake up, and smell the coffee!"
<Kaeru> Your duvet is down and a perfect, spotless white, pattered uniformly with tessellating patterns of geometric, silhouetted lizards. A small German Sheppard like dog leans heavily against your legs, stretched out in its sleep.
<Odocoileus> She curls up tightly under the soft blankets and pillows with weigh her down. She is mildly grumpy that she is woken up by the warm light shining on her face. She is immediately reminded of home as soon as she tosses the super soft blankets that cover her, but the automated voice throws her off and she sits up. "[W-what? Who is that?] Jerry? Z-zack?" She speaks in her native tongue.
<Kaeru> The pillows are fluffed and cases black, headboard above you a simple, uncarved arch sitting below a geometric metal wall piece in the shape of a flute-playing Kokopelli. "Wake up! And smell the coffee…"
<Kaeru> Your room is spacious and styled in pristine, minimalistic décor. To one side of you are spotless glass floor-to-ceiling windows that are darkened by some kind of automated tint up until the uppermost foot or so, which is clear and spotless to let in the shining sun. Outside is a bright white you won't be able to make out in detail until your eyes adjust more.
<Kaeru> To your other side is a dark brown wooden bedside table with two round-knobbed drawers and a spider plant atop it thriving, its leaves reaching out across the wood and down the sides. The front of the plant's pot shines a soft, pulsing glow from a small line along the rim as the automated voice speaks to rouse you. The current time is displayed in black digital letters on the seemingly screenless surface of the wooden pot.
<Odocoileus> She sniffs the air a few times as she rubs her eyes with her sleeves, as she always sleeps with a hoodie or an over sized hooded jacket of the like. "[Who are you?]" She says groggily
<Kaeru> In front of you, the wall across from the foot of the bed is a checkboard of thick tile glass with a gap at one side to allow entry to the room behind.
<Kaeru> The room is bright, and beautiful, and soft.
<Kaeru> It smells of coffee.
<Odocoileus> She hops outta bed and stretches out as tall as she can and makes her way over to the other room and looks around.
<Kaeru> Upon sitting up, a small blue light appears on the tinted glass of the windows with a pleasant ding. The dot flattens out into a long line— the line wavers, dipping and rising with the sound of an automated voice.
<Kaeru> “Good morning, Ms. Tallulah!” The line shrinks and lowers slightly to make room for the current weather, displayed large enough to be read easily from where you are halfway across the room. “The current time is 10:30. It’s a sunny 10 degrees Celsius or 50 degrees Fahrenheit outside, with a light drizzle on the forecast for the afternoon. Don’t forget a light jacket if you plan to be outside for very long, especial
<Kaeru> ly in the rain! We don’t want you catching a chill as it gets colder.” There's a little pause, as if mimicking a moment a person might take to smile a friendly, warm smile. "Would you like me to open the viewing balcony?"
<Odocoileus> "[yes? Where am I exactly? Or where am I supposed to be?]"
<Kaeru> It's noteworthy that the voice is speaking to you in the language you're most comfortable with.
<Kaeru> "You're in Avalon!" The display dings pleasantly and disappears before the dark grey tinting on the floor-to-ceiling windows that blocks out most of the sunlight from outside slowly lowers, fading like a gentle gradient. Light floods the room, white and natural, but bright enough that your eyes need a moment to adjust. When they do, you see the glass of the windows themselves split in two like sliding doors and open smoothly to allow
<Kaeru> access onto a small porch. The railing is white, spotless stone like the walls of the room, and curves slightly inward. Curved glass connects from the top of it to above the window-doors, creating a little bubble that allows the room and balcony to remain regulated in terms of temperature and humidity. But it's what is beyond the bubble that grabs hold of your attention and doesn't let go.
<Kaeru> A vast, near-utopian cityscape unfolds before you past the curved, spotless balcony glass. Beautifully curved white structures and massive areas of bluish curving glass across entire faces of towers and rounded buildings. Massive terrariums, patches of integrated greenery built into the architecture at every floor and in huge strips and sections along the ground. Among shimmering bodies of water and sheer drop-offs that show curving
<Kaeru> balcony-edged floors lined by wide plantlife bannisters and eventually ending in lower-down grounds of wilderness or water. Towering redwoods stand like spires from these lowered areas, reaching high above the average groundlevel and branching out as if straining to take hold of the sky. A single central tower dwarfs all else in view, smooth and curving arcs of white structuring intertwined over a cylindrical body of bluish glass.
<Kaeru> People and animals roam the parks far below you, in pairs and groups of people with several animals or a single person with at least one animal companion- nobody seems to be alone. Looking down, you must be on a high floor— but another balcony above your own prevents you from seeing if the structure you're in continues far above you. You have to be at least on the 10th floor- higher. 20th? More? It's hard to tell. The ceiling is high,
<Kaeru> so it's possible that 20th is a fair estimate, but you're rather far from the ground- to say the least. Not like you could fall, though, with the glass there.
<Odocoileus> She looks around in sheer awe, and her jaw drops. She bounces back and forth from one hip to another as she surveys the landscape. "[May I go outside and explore or do I have a schedule that must be attended to before hand?]"
<Kaeru> "[You are free to do as you like, Ms. Tallulah!]"
<Odocoileus> She presses her face to the glass and stares for a moment and her eyes widen like it's a giant carnival. "[yes yes yes!]" She slips on her boots, flairing them at the top to not tie them all the way and scans the room once before leaving
<Kaeru> "[Would you like coffee or tea before you head out, Ms. Tallulah?]"
<Odocoileus> "[may I have smoked oolong tea before I leave?]"
<Kaeru> "[You may! Would you like anything added to it?]"
<Kaeru> You immediately smell the tea you asked for… Strong and warm, coming from a small table near the door that automatically fills a mug.
<Odocoileus> She takes the mug and sniffs it. It reminds her of the first site she went to and the teacher who taught her English as she takes a sip of it straight
<Kaeru> It's hot, but it's perfect- exactly what you asked for.
<Odocoileus> She melts happily and coos. "[Can I get this in a to go thermos?]"
<Odocoileus> "[I need to find my friends as soon as possible.]"
<Kaeru> "[Of course, Ms. Tallulah.]" A little panel behind where the mug had been opens and pushes a thermos out before closing again. "[Your friends are in the adjacent rooms.]"
<Odocoileus> "[thank you ominous voice!]" She pours the tea carefully into the thermos and takes another slow drink of it before heading to the door and out into the hallway.
<Kaeru> Synthesized laughter. The door is unlocked… And leads out into a large, open lobby area, round and high-ceilinged. Couches and tables dot the area, and the walls around it are lined with doors with names on them. Your own has your name on it. Stairs at two points, across from each other, on the circle, along with elevators. They go up and down. Ezekiel is also standing in front of a door, and you almost run into him trying to open yours.
<Kaeru> Estrella.
<Kaeru> You wake in a bed.
<Kaeru> You don't wake in a hospital bed, or your bed in the site dorms.
<Kaeru> You wake in a bed that's soft, cool and cozy like a down feather hug. Light, gentle, not stifling or overly warm. Your body sinks perfectly into the mattress, as if it was built to your preferences and shaped for your individual form and comfort.
<Kaeru> You wake slowly, drifting pleasantly out of kind and happy dreams you can't quite recall.
<Kaeru> You wake to soft, natural light flowing in from outside and a somehow familiar automated voice from the opposite side of your bed.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella stretches her limbs down into the mattress beneath her, joints cracking as she rolls her head thataway sleepily.
<Kaeru> "Wake up," she prompts in a sweet, caring tone, "And smell the coffee. Wake up, and smell the coffee!"
<Kaeru> Your duvet is down and a perfect, spotless white, pattered uniformly with scattered outlines of cartoon-drawn seashells.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella rolls her head across the pillow for a minute before kicking her foot into the plush mattress, rolling twice before spilling out of bed on her feet with a long sniff as she rubs her eyes and yawns at high volume, sniffing around for the coffee.
<Kaeru> The pillows are fluffed and cases black, headboard above you a simple, uncarved arch sitting below a beautiful pastel-colored painting on the wall of a sunset on an ocean horizon. "Wake up! And smell the coffee…"
<Kaeru> Your room is spacious and styled in pristine, minimalistic décor. To one side of you are spotless glass floor-to-ceiling windows that are darkened by some kind of automated tint up until the uppermost foot or so, which is clear and spotless to let in the shining sun. Outside is a bright white you won't be able to make out in detail until your eyes adjust more.
<Kaeru> To your other side is a large strongly-built glass tank filled with clear water and waving gently kelp-like vegetation, within which a few pink and purple luminescent jellyfish swim peacefully. Among the plants and the jellies is a smallish semi-camouflaged (and, honestly, rather cute) octopus. The two species don’t seem to mind each other, and the octopus lazes happily near a stream of bubbles from a little false treasure chest. Th
<Kaeru> e tank also acts as a nightstand, and atop it is a thin metal bar at the base of a standing sheet of thin glass that displays the current time and weather along with humidity and temperature. A soft, pulsing light shines from the metal base, rousing you along with the speech of the automated voice.
<Kaeru> In front of you, the wall across from the foot of the bed is a checkboard of thick tile glass with a gap at one side to allow entry to the room behind.
<Kaeru> The room is bright, and beautiful, and soft.
<Kaeru> It smells of coffee.
<Kaeru> Upon sitting up, a small blue light appears on the tinted glass of the windows with a pleasant ding. The dot flattens out into a long line— the line wavers, dipping and rising with the sound of an automated voice.
<Kaeru> “Good morning, Ms. Estrella!” The line shrinks and lowers slightly to make room for the current weather, displayed large enough to be read easily from where you are halfway across the room. “The current time is 10:30. It’s a sunny 10 degrees Celsius or 50 degrees Fahrenheit outside, with a light drizzle on the forecast for the afternoon. Don’t forget a light jacket if you plan to be outside for very long, especially in
<Kaeru> the rain! We don’t want you catching a chill as it gets colder.” There's a little pause, as if mimicking a moment a person might take to smile a friendly, warm smile. "Would you like me to open the viewing balcony?"
<TheSpookanist> Estrella scratches at the back of her jaw as she looks around, taking in everything at once, trying to make it rather quick but it's hard for her when she's still shaking off sleep. "… Uh, yeah, sure, that sounds great." She smiles as she moves with that unnatural stride over towards the window. The rain… well, tends to make her body feel less like garbage.
<Kaeru> The display dings pleasantly and disappears before the dark grey tinting on the floor-to-ceiling windows that blocks out most of the sunlight from outside slowly lowers, fading like a gentle gradient. Light floods the room, white and natural, but bright enough that your eyes need a moment to adjust. When they do, you see the glass of the windows themselves split in two like sliding doors and open smoothly to allow access onto a small
<Kaeru> porch. The railing is white, spotless stone like the walls of the room, and curves slightly inward. Curved glass connects from the top of it to above the window-doors, creating a little bubble that allows the room and balcony to remain regulated in terms of temperature and humidity. But it's what is beyond the bubble that grabs hold of your attention and doesn't let go.
<Kaeru> A vast, near-utopian cityscape unfolds before you past the curved, spotless balcony glass. Beautifully curved white structures and massive areas of bluish curving glass across entire faces of towers and rounded buildings. Massive terrariums, patches of integrated greenery built into the architecture at every floor and in huge strips and sections along the ground. Among shimmering bodies of water and sheer drop-offs that show curving
<Kaeru> balcony-edged floors lined by wide plantlife bannisters and eventually ending in lower-down grounds of wilderness or water. Towering redwoods stand like spires from these lowered areas, reaching high above the average groundlevel and branching out as if straining to take hold of the sky. A single central tower dwarfs all else in view, smooth and curving arcs of white structuring intertwined over a cylindrical body of bluish glass. People
<Kaeru> and animals roam the parks far below you, in pairs and groups of people with several animals or a single person with at least one animal companion- nobody seems to be alone. Looking down, you must be on a high floor— but another balcony above your own prevents you from seeing if the structure you're in continues far above you. You have to be at least on the 10th floor- higher. 20th? More? It's hard to tell. The ceiling is high, so it's
<Kaeru> possible that 20th is a fair estimate, but you're rather far from the ground- to say the least. Not like you could fall, though, with the glass there.
<TheSpookanist> (it's NOT RAINING I am a FOOL but it's RAINING LATER which means it is HUMID NOW so the above clause stays) Estrella leans out and peers all the way down, knocking lightly on the glass to figure out how solid it is, if only out of curiosity. She takes a while before finally shrugging, both giving up trying to understand and accepting that this is kinda how it is for the moment.
<Kaeru> Tap tap. It feels solid.
<TheSpookanist> She takes a step back, turning on her heel before walking back over to launch herself onto the bed, bouncing to a standstill. "Hey uh, I'm new here, you got anything more coffee than just the smell?"
<Kaeru> There's an synthesized laugh. "Yes, of course! How would you like your coffee? Or would you prefer tea?"
<TheSpookanist> "Coffeeeeeee, cream, one sugar." She starts going through her morning stretches, forcing her body to cooperate with her on yet another day.
<Kaeru> A little table near to the door brings the strong smell of good coffee as it pours what was requested into a steaming mug.
<TheSpookanist> "Yeah, all right, I can deal with this." She stretches a leg out far, far behind her and starts gulping down coffee, pausing when she realises she should probably be doing something. "Did uh, Josephine or whoever's in charge here tell you to tell me anything?"
<Kaeru> "Josephine is a citizen of Avalon," she replies. It's good coffee. Even for you. Hell, especially for you. "But I have access to Avalon's entire database of information! Ask me anything you wish to know."
<TheSpookanist> "Cool." Estrella freezes, then pats around her bed and begins looking around the room for her stuff.
<Kaeru> Her gear is placed neatly beside the bed.
<TheSpookanist> She sighs in relief before chugging the remainder of her coffee, setting the mug down and rolling her neck before grabbing one of the large syringes; she lines it up, winces as she presses the needle into her thigh, grits her teeth as she pushes down the plunger. Finally, she tosses it back in the rest of her gear, empty save for a tiny drip of blue from the tip of the needle. "All right, better."
<TheSpookanist> "Uh, you know where my friends are at?"
<Kaeru> "Your friends are in the adjacent rooms!"
<TheSpookanist> Honestly, Estrella could do with chilling by herself for a while, but if she doesn't check in with the other agents she gets reported /AWOL/ and then things get /complicated/ and- She sighs, stretches out just a little more, making the most of the relaxation, then starts out towards the doo- She checks to see if she's dressed, /then/ sets out towards the door.
<TheSpookanist> If she isn't, obviously, she fixes it.
<Kaeru> The door is unlocked… And leads out into a large, open lobby area, round and high-ceilinged. Couches and tables dot the area, and the walls around it are lined with doors with names on them. Your own has your name on it. Stairs at two points, across from each other, on the circle, along with elevators. They go up and down. Head to ic5— some of your friends are already out there.
<DSJ> Rhea exists
<Kaeru> Rhea.
<Kaeru> You wake in a bed.
<Kaeru> You don't wake in a hospital bed, or your bed in the site dorms.
<Kaeru> You wake in a bed that's soft, cool and cozy like a down feather hug. Light, gentle, not stifling or overly warm. Your body sinks perfectly into the mattress, as if it was built to your preferences and shaped for your individual form and comfort.
<Kaeru> You wake slowly, drifting pleasantly out of kind and happy dreams you can't quite recall.
<Kaeru> You wake to soft, natural light flowing in from outside and a somehow familiar automated voice from the opposite side of your bed.
<DSJ> Rhea looks around, very unsure of what's going on.
<DSJ> But, presumably she doesn't know what just happened.
<Kaeru> "Wake up," she prompts in a sweet, caring tone, "And smell the coffee. Wake up, and smell the coffee!"
<Kaeru> Your duvet is down and a perfect, spotless white, pattered uniformly with simple black-line constellations.
<DSJ> Rhea gets up, quickly. She's not panicked or anything, she just usually gets up pretty quickly.
<Kaeru> The pillows are fluffed and cases black, headboard above you a simple, uncarved arch sitting below simplistic black shapes forming a model of the solar system on the wall. "Wake up! And smell the coffee…"
<Kaeru> Your room is spacious and styled in pristine, minimalistic décor. To one side of you are spotless glass floor-to-ceiling windows that are darkened by some kind of automated tint up until the uppermost foot or so, which is clear and spotless to let in the shining sun. Outside is a bright white you won't be able to make out in detail until your eyes adjust more.
<Kaeru> To your other side is a round glass end table supported by the lower half of a 3D model of the solar system in monochrome metal. As it is, the model's sun exists as a half-sphere below the glass, with the upper half of the sphere rising through the glass and glowing a soft, pulsing orange to the sound of the automated voice. The glow is partially blocked by the shape of a rather large bearded dragon lazing sleepily atop it. The current
<Kaeru> time floats in digital above the model sun, and the entire table is mildly dwarfed by the shape of a very expensive-looking golden stargazing telescope on a tripod beside it.
<Kaeru> In front of you, the wall across from the foot of the bed is a checkboard of thick tile glass with a gap at one side to allow entry to the room behind.
<Kaeru> The room is bright, and beautiful, and soft.
<Kaeru> It smells of coffee.
<DSJ> Rhea looks for some clothes to put on, and tries to remember what she's supposed to do today. She also warmly regards the lizard, because it's neat.
<DSJ> unless she's wearing regular clothes then ig
<Kaeru> Nope, she's wearing what she was when she jumped.
<Kaeru> Upon sitting up, a small blue light appears on the tinted glass of the windows with a pleasant ding. The dot flattens out into a long line— the line wavers, dipping and rising with the sound of an automated voice.
<Kaeru> “Good morning, Ms. Rhea!” The line shrinks and lowers slightly to make room for the current weather, displayed large enough to be read easily from where you are halfway across the room. “The current time is 10:30. It’s a sunny 10 degrees Celsius or 50 degrees Fahrenheit outside, with a light drizzle on the forecast for the afternoon. Don’t forget a light jacket if you plan to be outside for very long, especially in the
<Kaeru> rain! We don’t want you catching a chill as it gets colder.” There's a little pause, as if mimicking a moment a person might take to smile a friendly, warm smile. "Would you like me to open the viewing balcony?"
<DSJ> "…yes. Yes, I would."
<Kaeru> The display dings pleasantly and disappears before the dark grey tinting on the floor-to-ceiling windows that blocks out most of the sunlight from outside slowly lowers, fading like a gentle gradient. Light floods the room, white and natural, but bright enough that your eyes need a moment to adjust. When they do, you see the glass of the windows themselves split in two like sliding doors and open smoothly to allow access onto a small
<Kaeru> porch. The railing is white, spotless stone like the walls of the room, and curves slightly inward. Curved glass connects from the top of it to above the window-doors, creating a little bubble that allows the room and balcony to remain regulated in terms of temperature and humidity. But it's what is beyond the bubble that grabs hold of your attention and doesn't let go.
<Kaeru> A vast, near-utopian cityscape unfolds before you past the curved, spotless balcony glass. Beautifully curved white structures and massive areas of bluish curving glass across entire faces of towers and rounded buildings. Massive terrariums, patches of integrated greenery built into the architecture at every floor and in huge strips and sections along the ground. Among shimmering bodies of water and sheer drop-offs that show curving
<Kaeru> balcony-edged floors lined by wide plantlife bannisters and eventually ending in lower-down grounds of wilderness or water. Towering redwoods stand like spires from these lowered areas, reaching high above the average groundlevel and branching out as if straining to take hold of the sky. A single central tower dwarfs all else in view, smooth and curving arcs of white structuring intertwined over a cylindrical body of bluish glass. People
<Kaeru> and animals roam the parks far below you, in pairs and groups of people with several animals or a single person with at least one animal companion- nobody seems to be alone. Looking down, you must be on a high floor— but another balcony above your own prevents you from seeing if the structure you're in continues far above you. You have to be at least on the 10th floor- higher. 20th? More? It's hard to tell. The ceiling is high, so it's
<Kaeru> possible that 20th is a fair estimate, but you're rather far from the ground- to say the least. Not like you could fall, though, with the glass there.
<DSJ> Rhea stares, sort of awestruck. Does she remember the jump and all that?
<Kaeru> She does. She remembers about halfway down before she woke up.
<DSJ> "Well. Okay. The others are probably here too, so finding them should be the first priority, right? Sure, this place looks fantastic, but none of us can really stay here."
<Kaeru> Intended or not, the automated voice responds to that. "You are welcome to stay as long as you like, Ms. Rhea! Your friends are in the adjacent rooms."
<DSJ> "Where am I, and why are we here?" ~Might as well take advantage if this thing is going to eavesdrop~
<Kaeru> "You're in Avalon, Ms. Rhea! You're here because you chose to come when offered the chance, of course."
<DSJ> "We… weren't really informed of what exactly we were doing, which I guess reflects more on us."
<Kaeru> "That is true! We do not make our existence known to outsiders often, and so we did not wish to explain in case you were to refuse the offer."
<DSJ> "Is there a way out? Just in the event of emergency, or something like that."
<Kaeru> "Of course! There are many exits from the building as well as from the city."
<DSJ> "Where do they go?"
<Kaeru> "The exits from the building lead to different areas of the city. The exits from the city lead either back to your world, into the other districts, or into the water outside!"
<DSJ> "So the city, and Avalon, aren't places in my world. Am I understanding this right?"
<Kaeru> "That is correct!"
<DSJ> "So where are they, then? Is this another dimension?"
<Kaeru> "I suppose so! Not a parallel dimension, exactly, but a world that is similar in its basic properties to your own. I must warn you that this only applies to Avalon itself, though. Once you exit the districts it is far different from your world."
<DSJ> "Understood. Where are all the other people here from?"
<DSJ> "My world, or are they native?"
<Kaeru> "Some are native, but most in some way originated from your world."
<DSJ|Mobile> "Who built this place?"
<Kaeru> "The Priestess, of course!"
<DSJ|Mobile> "And the Priestess is…?"
<Kaeru> "The creator of Avalon. She watches over the city, and makes sure it is safe from outside threats. She is the reason this place exists!"
<DSJ|Mobile> "Where's she from?"
<Kaeru> "I do not know! I suppose she has always existed, in some form."
<DSJ|Mobile> "Got it, got it. Who's room is closest to mine?"
<Kaeru> "Your room is next to Ms. Estrella's."
<DSJ|Mobile> "Got it, thanks."
<Kaeru> "Of course!"
<DSJ|Mobile> "How do I get to Estrella's room from here?"
<Kaeru> There's a door. "It's just outside. Several of your friends are already in the lobby."
<DSJ|Mobile> "Then I'll join them."
<Kaeru> "Bring your companion, if you'd like! I'm sure she'd be happy to join you."
<DSJ|Mobile> "Uh, sure."
<DSJ|Mobile> Rhea obtains lizard, and heads for the lobby
<Kaeru> The bearded dragon blinks awake and opens its mouth as if to make some noise, but doesn't, and closes it after a moment. Clambers to cling to her arm or shoulder with feet meant for climbing. It's a good few feet with its tail, orange and brown and healthy looking.
<Odocoileus> She stops short of running into Ezekiel and blinks a few times before staring up at him. "Aahhh-hello!"
<Varren> Ezekiel blinks and looks surprised. Well now. "Hello Tally." He walks past her just into her room and glances around to see if it's the same or different. "Can I get a muffin?"
<Odocoileus> "muffin?"
<Odocoileus> She tilts her head
<Varren> "Muffin. Blueberry please."
<Varren> "Ship computer, Jarvis? Kitt?"
<Odocoileus> She blinks a few times and hands him her thermos as a substitute. "I have no muffins in this room, none that I have noticed, unless ominous voice placed them there without me noticing."
<Kaeru> Ezekiel, her room has the same basic shape, but it's decorated very differently. Customized, almost. There's a small chime and the wall nearby lights up with a little blue dot. "You can call me Vienna," says the voice. "And yes, you may! Turn around, Mr. Ezekiel." If he does, he'll see a table near some couches spin and open at the sides, rising slightly, to display an array of baked goods.
<Odocoileus> Tally sniffs the air. "Muffins?" She turns around to look at the muffins. "We jumped off a cliff. Are we dead?"
<Kaeru> "Of course not, Ms. Tallulah! You entered a gate to Avalon."
<Odocoileus> "what is Avalon?"
<Varren> "Tally, Vienna has gifted us muffins." He strolls in and picks one up, sitting on the edge of her bed. "Soooooooo. This is interesting." He whistles softly in a tune he would have used for Loki back in the day. "Isnt Avalon a sort of heaven in human myth? So maybe dead." Is the voice different from his ai?
<Odocoileus> She huffs. "If we are really dead then I can float like the ghost then, right?"
<TheSpookanist> Estrella steps out of a nearby room, stretching and yawning as she enters and looks around blinkingly at everything and everyone here. "Uh, hey, what's up, guys?"
<Odocoileus> Tally looks over at the door and scans Estrella a few times.
<Kaeru> Nope, same voice! "Avalon is the name of an island from Arthurian legends in your world," she confirms.
<Odocoileus> "you are comrade?" She says to Estrella
<Varren> "You could try-Arthurian…..I swear to god. Vienna. Where is Excalibur?"
<Odocoileus> "if this is Arthurian legends magic is possible then correct?"
<TheSpookanist> She's barefoot in jeans and a black t shirt, rubbing the back of her neck. "Uh, I ain't communist but I'm a member of the team yeah." She shuffles over to the nearest seat and plots down.
<Varren> Ezekiel waves from within Tally's room and heads just out the door, bringing Tally with him by a light hold on her wrist. "Also could try."
<Odocoileus> She follows behind Ezekiel and lifts up her hood a little.
<Kaeru> Synthesized laughter. The voice now comes from a nearer place, a little blue dot hovering above the center of the Baked Goods Jackpot Table. "Excalibur is in the center of the grand cathedral, of course! Where else would it be?"
<Soulless> Joshua steps in.
<Soulless> "…Anyone hurt?"
<Odocoileus> "I am unharmed." She laces her fingers with Ezekiel's and stays close to him
<Odocoileus> She keeps her face hidden under her hoodie and hides behind him
<Kaeru> Joshua, you're mildly startled by a sound of flapping close to your ear as a small colorful round bird lands on your shoulder. It'd been in your room— maybe it didn't like being left alone.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella looks up to Joshua and raises a hand while she yawns. "I'm good. This place is basically a hotel."
<Soulless> He looks at the bird.
<Soulless> 4df+5 insight- what the fuck, bird
<Glacon> Soulless: insight- what the fuck, bird: 7 (4df+5=+, +, +, -)
<Varren> Ezekiel has this look in his eye. This is meant to be. He lost the Apparently Not Real Excalibur back in that church. Or maybe it was one of them..many cultures have a version. "I am sure everyone so far has had a pleasant morning." He holds Tally's hand without question. "Almost seems like an apartment building. Each room is different."
<Odocoileus> Can Tally grab it like hamburger?
<Odocoileus> Aka the bird
<Kaeru> It's a round little guy. Bright greens and yellows. It chirps happily and sits on his shoulder, spherical body flattened a bit by its own weight. It knows you. You almost feel like you know it, too, Joshua.
<Kaeru> Tally, you can try??? It's on Joshua's shoulder.
<Odocoileus> Do you want me.to roll for that or?
<Kaeru> I mean. If Joshua doesn't try to stop you, then yes, roll acro
<Odocoileus> 4df+4 birb!
<Glacon> Odocoileus: birb!: 6 (4df+4=+, +, 0, 0)
<Kaeru> Joshua, Tally's trying to grab your new bird friend! Are you doing anything about this?
<DSJ|Mobile> Rhea enters the lobby, bearded dragon on her shoulder.
<Odocoileus> Her eyes sparkle brightly from under her hood as she reaches for the borb
<TheSpookanist> Estrella waves to Rhea. "Yo. Everyone's bein' weird. We probably know as much as you."
<DSJ|Mobile> "What's the plan now? Do we have one?"
<Soulless> Joshua watches it carefully.
<Soulless> "Where do I- hey, don't touch him."
<Soulless> He backs up from Tally.
<Kaeru> Tally, sorry, no bird grabbing today. Unless you try to follow and do it anyways.
<Odocoileus> Tally recoils immediately and holds on to Ezekiels waist and hide behind him burying her face in his back
<Odocoileus> "s-sorry."
<Varren> "Excalibur is in the center of this place. I would like it. Also I have a dog and a blueberry muffin…do any of you think this is real?" He holds Tally's hand unless she pulls away after bird
<Varren> Oh he puts an arm around her and pats her head.
<Soulless> "…"
<Soulless> "That was irrational." He tries to get the bird on his finger.
<Odocoileus> She flinches for a second and the looks at Joshua. "I am familiar with many animals. I apologize."
<Kaeru> Ezekiel, as if right on cue, said long-haired blonde dog pushes out of a dog door from your room and trots lazily over. Long snoot sniffing the air. Tally, the german shep from your room hears the other dog emerge and bounds out through a similar door and in little happy circles around its friend.
<Kaeru> Joshua, the bird cheeps tinily and hops over to the newly offered perch.
<Nemi> Ophelia arrives in the lobby, pausing to peer around in fascination. She has a pup with her. "This place is *amazing*. They've got light projection systems, voice-activated controls on the housing systems.. I think I have a good idea on how some of it works, even! And then the *view*!"
<Odocoileus> "hounds!" She pets the dogs.
<DSJ|Mobile> "And that's all great, but I'm not ready to accept this all at face value."
<Kaeru> Tally, the german shep is from your room! He must be yours. The russian horse dog is Ezekiel's, it seems, and it strolls gracefully over to his side.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella stretches out on the couch with a loud yawn. "It's real enough that the coffee is good. I don't think there's a point in trying to guess if it's real."
<DSJ|Mobile> "Not saying it isn't real, I'm just skeptical of this place actually being this wonderful."
<Odocoileus> She still holds into Ezekiels hand as she bends over and hugs he doggo. "I thought that smell was me!"
<DSJ|Mobile> "Or of it letting us leave."
<Nemi> Ophie takes a gulp of her own coffee and exhales. ".. this is nice. I was thinking of heading to the museums. Kinda glad you're all here, too, and I'm not just, like, alone on this journey."
<TheSpookanist> "… Wait, I've got an idea!" Estrella vaults over the beck of the couch and trots over into her room.
<TheSpookanist> She heads in and attempts to claim an Octopus Friend™
<Varren> He smiles at the dog and pets its head. "You can play." He returns his attention to the others "it's hard to say what it is but I noticed that when we jumped a rift opened. White light..could be temporal or teleportation. Cant say." He smiles. "But yeah cant deny that this place is amazing."
<Kaeru> When she nears the tank in her room, the top of it slides open and she can reach in and Retrieve Friend. Somehow, Estrella, you know he can survive out of water perfectly happily…
<Odocoileus> "we should have our friends help us, since they were here when we arrived they must know this place better than us."
<Kaeru> Estrella - He's colorful, deep blues and purples mixed and splotchy across him. He's oddly cute.
<Odocoileus> "isn't that right?" She floofs the German Shepards face
<Kaeru> Boof!
<Soulless> He offers the bird to to Tally.
<Soulless> "You can pet him. But we should get moviing soon."
<Nemi> Ophie snickers. "I still want to see these museums. And the observatory. Just think of all I can learn from it.."
<DSJ|Mobile> 4df+6 SCI Is anything up with these pets?
<Glacon> DSJ|Mobile: SCI Is anything up with these pets?: 6 (4df+6=-, 0, 0, +)
<TheSpookanist> "Hellllll yeah." She dips her hand into the water to Acquire Friend, sticking him on her arm and heading back out to everyone else with an arm wet up to the elbow.
<Kaeru> The bird squawks a bit and tilts its head at Joshua.
<Odocoileus> She scritches the birb behind it's jaw and on top of it's head with a single finger.
<Varren> "I want to see Excalibur the most…but also I get the feeling it us very important here."
<Kaeru> Rhea, they seem normal enough- except for that new addition that returns with Estrella. See, octopi can't normally breathe air. This one seems perfectly happy to.
<Kaeru> Estrella, the friend clings to your arm and kinda scootches upward to get comfy.
<DSJ|Mobile> "… we don't have a real plan, do we?"
<Kaeru> Tally, the bird squishes and puffs up. It looks happy about this.
<Odocoileus> Tally smilles brightly and then looks down at her doggo and sniffs it a few times. "You seem like normal dog. Can you show us how to get to the sword?"
<TheSpookanist> Estrella gently pats OctoFriend with a huge grin. "I mean, I dunno what to do besides hang out. Dunno where Josephine is or what we're doing here."
<Varren> "Look around and see what we find is the best bet. But I think with the tech here they would have no issue copying our tech. So that explains that kind of."
<Nemi> ".. woah. Octopus." Ophie scoops up her little buddy into her arms. Puppo has three leggies! "Vienna, can you point me toward the museums?"
<Soulless> He puts the bird on his shoulder again. "…"
<Soulless> "you know what."
<Soulless> "I need another cig."
<Kaeru> Boof! Boof boof! He looks over towards one of the staircases, Tally.
<DSJ|Mobile> "Yeah, we could really use some kind of guidance."
<Kaeru> Ophie, there's a little chime of response from Vienna! "Of course! Is there any subject you would like to explore? There are many museums in Avalon."
<Odocoileus> She practically rips Ezekiels arm off as she drags him to the staircase. "Thank you dog!"
<Kaeru> Dog trots after you! You should name him. Ezekiel's dog follows too, slower, while Tally's shep bounds ahead of her playfully. Boof!
<Nemi> "Hm- developing technologies?"
<Soulless> Can Joshua fuck off for a bit to smoke?
<Kaeru> A chime. "Would you like a historically oriented museum, or a specific area of technology?"
<Kaeru> Joshua sure can. He's kinda inside, though. Maybe wait until he's outside?
<Nemi> "Let's say.. Transportation? Computing?" Ophie is going to totally break this stuff down and try to emulate it.
<Odocoileus> "I shall call you Galthor!" She calls out to her doggo happily
<Kaeru> Chime. "There is a transportation technology exhibit across the nearby park. Would you like to go there?"
<Varren> Ezekiel is dragged after Tally even though he weighs more "bwah-okay okay, coming!" He laughs and follows after her tug.
<Odocoileus> Tally is surprisingly sturdy and strong for her size
<DSJ|Mobile> "I'll uh. Just go with you, Ophelia. If that's alright."
<Odocoileus> She sniffs the air in the stairwell before heading on down.
<Soulless> "…Let's just… head out."
<Nemi> "Yes please!" Ophie beams.
<Nemi> "And- sure!"
<Kaeru> Boof! The dog has accepted his new name. It runs in little circles in front of glass elevator doors.
<TheSpookanist> "Uh, I'll tag with whoever wants me." Estrella shrugs and looks around at people going or not going in various directions.
<Nemi> Ophie snuggles Lucky and otherwise bounces on her heels. She is soooo hype.
<Varren> Ezekiel is still following while mentally naming his own doggo! He is gonna go with Odin!
<Odocoileus> She full on sprints into the elevator doors and presses the button to go down.
<Kaeru> Lucky gives a little startled yap when he's grabbed, but snuggles back happily.
<Varren> "Odin, let's go buddy." He holds the elevator open for the dogs
<DSJ|Mobile> Rhea follows Ophie when she starts going for the museum.
<Odocoileus> She let's go of Ezekiels hand and motions to Galthor to hop on her back for a piggy back ride.
<Nemi> And soon enough, off Ophie goes! Onward to aventure!
<Kaeru> Fitting name, Ezekiel. The dog looks at you and seems almost to understand that that's his name now. Follows.
<Kaeru> The elevator is big- big enough to fit all of you comfortably, plus your tag-alongs.
<Varren> Ezekiel holds Tally's hand and swaps between taking a drink and petting Odin while balancing the mug on his knee held up.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella shrugs and heads off to Adventure as well, looking at OctoFriend inquisitively
<Kaeru> A little blue light appears on the wall of the glass elevator. "Ms. Ophelia, please descend to the ground floor if you wish to go to the museum you selected."
<Varren> He braces for the end of the ride and the yanking that's sure to follow
<Kaeru> Estrella, OctoFriend isn't very expressive, at least not in any way you can read.
<Nemi> "Alright! Please take me there?"
<Odocoileus> Can Tally piggy back her doggo?
<Odocoileus> Er carry it on her back
<Kaeru> The elevator ride is smooth and fast, and quickly takes you from the 23rd floor (oh, that's how high up you were- and it looks like there are more than 50 floor in the building entirely) to the ground. The doors slide open into a bright, open lobby area with a glass front that displays a wide park area outside.
<Kaeru> Tally, sure, but he can walk on his own, and he's not exactly small.
<Odocoileus> She didn't care she happy to have animal fren
<Nemi> Ophie steps on out with Lucky in-arms, eyes widening as she starts through the lobby. She sips her coffee on occasion as she goes. "This place is amazing," she whispers, aiming to head into the park. "Vienna, where to from here?"
<DSJ|Mobile> Rhea keeps following Ophie, looking around with a degree of suspicion.
<Kaeru> (see https://imgur.com/a/XZ8ciJa the park image here for a visual of the area outside) Paths branch out in various directions. Vienna chimes pleasantly before responding. "The second path to your right, Ms. Ophelia."
<Varren> Ezekiel will let her hand go so she can dogback her shepherd. Ezekiel sniffs the air deeply. "I would like…actually." he looks at Odin. "Wanna show me to Excalibur? I trust you more than Vienna. No offense Vienna."
<Odocoileus> She looks over her shoulder at Galthor and beams. " Where should we go buddy?"
<Nemi> "Thank you, Vienna!" Ophelia beams and ambles her way thataway!
<Kaeru> "None taken, Mr. Ezekiel! Your companion will lead you to the grand cathedral if you ask."
<TheSpookanist> Estrella glances around at the various people and the various animal friends before staring at her own /intently/, eyebrows knit as she tries to think of Literally Any Name.
<Kaeru> Those of you who head towards the museum, head to TT. For the grand cathedral, TT2. If you want to go somewhere else, ask Vienna.
<Kaeru> Estrella, for some reason the name Redwall pops into your head. You suppose he is sort of brownish red, in this light.
<Varren> Ezekiel pats Odin "to the cathedral then. Let's take a jog." He waves for Tally and Galthor to follow. To tt2 for me
<Odocoileus> She follow!
<DSJ|Mobile> Rhea follows Ophie.
<Nemi> Ophie is eagerly, gladly taking in all the sights, trying to suss out what it's all made of, how it all works as much as she can by eye and feel and sound alone.
<Nemi> The investigator is in heaven.
<DSJ|Mobile> "… how does that fish tie into all of this?"
<Kaeru> Vienna leads them down a path towards a large, flat-topped building with plantlife on the accessible roof. Other people are in the city, and often have animals of their own of various types and shapes and sizes. They smile pleasantly as you pass them or they pass you. Most wear white or near-white garb, flowing and comfortable, futuristic in style.
<Nemi> "Maybe it's a creature like the ones here?" Ophie hazards. "Vienna, what's Eda? Who's Josephine?" Ophie, her bright orange hoodie and all, probably stands out.
<Kaeru> "Eda is a nickname that many here use to refer to the creature Daedalus," she replies. "Josephine Pinto is a citizen of Avalon who can travel to your world for brief periods without risk."
<Nemi> "Is there normally restrictiosn against it? And what's Daedalus?"
<Nemi> Ophie continues along, just.. enjoying the place.
<DSJ|Mobile> "Would we be at risk if we returned?"
<Kaeru> "Not restriction, but most who are native here or reside here permanently cannot return safely to your world even if they originated there," she explains. "And no, Daedalus poses no risk to you. She serves to protect Avalon."
<Nemi> "Why can't they?" Ophie furrows her brows.
<Kaeru> "Most of those who are here but originated in your world ended up here because their original lives were cut short," she replies pleasantly. "Others have simply resided here for longer than their normal lives would have allowed them, and thus cannot return to their own world for fear of facing the consequences of time."
<Nemi> "So this is- like- some mythic realm?" Ophie hazards. "Sort of like an afterlife?" She peers down at Lucky, pondering.
<Kaeru> Lucky barks! "Not entirely," Vienna replies. "It simply obeys different foundational rules than your own world does. As such, creatures die, cease to exist, in your world; they do not, here. So when lives are close to ending, at times they come here, so that they may live happily for however long they desire."
<Nemi> "That's.. Huh. What all is *in* Avalon, anyway? And - I guess I should ask, what's so interesting about us to get your all's interest?"
<Kaeru> "Avalon is a self-sufficient district-based nation," she explains as you near the building you're headed towards. It's mostly bluish and reflective glass, walls slanted slightly outwards. "We often seek to expand our basis of allies by seeking those we deem trustworthy of knowing of this place."
<Nemi> "So- another dimension, different laws, and district-based." Ophie peers up at the building in quiet wonder as she continues approaching. "How'd it get to this state? Who's in charge?"
<Kaeru> "The High Priestess is, of course. Though the nation itself mostly self-regulates. We have no malice towards one another, and know that greed would be detrimental to balance and peaceful coexistence." The building has plantlife, vine-like, hanging from rooftop gardens. There's a door… But hey, roll PERC for me.
<Nemi> 4df+5
<Glacon> Nemi: 6 (4df+5=+, -, 0, +)
<DSJ|Mobile> 4df+4 perc
<Glacon> DSJ|Mobile: perc: 5 (4df+4=0, -, +, +)
<Nemi> ".. god that's so cool," Ophiewhispers. "And- uh- who's the High Priestess? Like- this is- super nice but like, half the reason I ended up having a bad time, uh, a couple years ago was because people were greedy fucks."
<Kaeru> You both notice. Among the human citizens, someone less so. Seated among some trees in a garden area nearby, surrounded by happily chirping birds. A grey cloak over its whole body and a red scarf around sloping shoulders, its face a strange off-white and gold-highlighted mask with slit, slanted eyes and two thin horns.
<Kaeru> It's sitting on a bench of sorts, but it's probably tall when standing up.
<Nemi> Ophie pauses, peers that way. ".. Oh. Woah. Who's that? They look- kind of important."
<DSJ|Mobile> ~I get the feeling those guys are *really* in charge~
<Kaeru> A chime. "I was unaware you did not know there were nonhuman citizens of Avalon," Vienna replies. "This district is, by chance, mostly human, but there are others."
<Nemi> "Wait- huh, really? I- I uh, I wasn't aware there *were* nonhumans. Like. Citizens, anywhere."
<Kaeru> "Of course there are. I can answer any questions you may have, and I'm certain the Vixen you have just seen will also assist you if you wish."
<DSJ|Mobile> "That's certainly an interesting name."
<Nemi> "This is just- like- blowing my mind. Uh- I kinda don't want to bother them. But- this is- like- amazing."
<Nemi> "I kinda hope I can do something like, to make my world something more like it."
<Kaeru> "I am certain they would not mind if you wished to speak to them. But I can answer questions in their stead, if you wish."
<Kaeru> "I am glad you like it here!"
<Nemi> "Well- er, I suppose question one.. What're a Vixen?"
<Kaeru> "Vixen is the word best fitted to their own species name, when translated to your language," she replies. "The person you see there is one of these creatures."
<Nemi> "What're they like? As a people, I guess."
<Kaeru> "Incredibly gentle," she replies factually. "They are a very social people, forging strong relationships and bonds to others and their surroundings. But they have no concept of war or conflict in the way that humans do, nor a concept of ownership."
<Nemi> "Why do they wear those cloaks and masks? Or- is that their face?"
<Kaeru> "They have always worn these types of robes when interacted with," she explains. "It is possible it is a cultural tradition, but they have never removed these robes that I have recorded, nor insinuated that they are able to or willing to. The mask is not, in fact, a mask, as you guessed. It is a part of their physiology, in a way of subtly mimicking the creatures they are surrounded by in order to fit in without unsettling those they are seeking to befriend."
<Nemi> "That's really neat. So they have- limited polymorphism to their morphology patterning off the phenotypes of nearby beings.. What other non-humans live here?"
<Kaeru> "That is correct!" she confirms. "Several other races exist in Avalon as part of the city's citizenship. Other than the Vixen, there are the Cast, the Deacons, the Moray, and the Barons, primarily, though there are others as well."
<Nemi> "What're they like?" Ophie's venture to the musuem's momentarily forgotten in her excitement.
<Kaeru> "Which do you wish to ask about?"
<Nemi> "Each of them!"
<Kaeru> Synthesized laughter. "Which would you like to ask about first, then, Ms. Ophelia?"
<Nemi> "Leeet's start with.. The Cast!"
<Kaeru> A chime. "The Cast are a race of visually stonelike creatures who have as of yet seemed to be entirely mute in terms of our sense of vocalization. They are able to speak to one another, but the frequencies they use are not audible to humans, and it's unclear how the sound is made. They seem to have the ability to passively alter and transmute stone and stonelike materials, possessing a seeming telekinesis-like power over mineral
<Kaeru> substances."
<Nemi> ".. Incredible.. The Deacons?"
<Kaeru> Bing. "The Deacons are a race of large semi-humanoids that are proportioned differently than humans tend to be, with more mass higher on their bodies and more slender limbs, broader shoulders. They possess bonelike facial features and often large connecting horns that resemble ram's horns to human observers. As well as possessing hoof-like feet, they are often thought of as satyr-like."
<Nemi> "Iiinteresting." Big beefy goatmen. "What're they like? And the Moray?"
<Kaeru> "They tend to be more competitive in their culture, but are not malicious. They tend to prefer solitude or small numbers in terms of company, and seem to be less socially oriented than other races, taking on most tasks alone rather than attempting to gain assistance from others."
<Kaeru> Chime. "The Moray are aquatic semi-humanoids that are named for their facial resemblance to your world's moray eels. They are larger than humans by up to five or six times in measure of body mass, and tend to be more impulsive and temperamental than other races. They are social, but their norms differ from humans', and they can often get quickly frustrated with the lack of understanding or social connection."
<Nemi> "Wow.. And the Barons?"
<Kaeru> Chime. "The Barons are the largest strictly humanoid race present in Avalon. They tend to be up to twice as large in terms of mass as humans, and around 1.5 times as tall. They have more visible musculature structure, and their silverish skin tones lead some to view them as somewhat synthetic in appearance. Their bodies are armored, and they resemble humans in many ways, aside from blue crystals that center at their life force. They are
<Kaeru> seen as more hostile or abrasive by many humans in their social norms, and can be very solitary, but are extremely loyal to those they choose to ally themselves with."
<Nemi> ".. Neeeat. Er. I should probably head into this museum now I went all this way for, huh?" Ophie peers at Lucky, as if the pup would have input.
<Kaeru> Yipyap. "If you wish, Ms. Ophelia."
<Nemi> Ophie heads into the building! Time to explore.
<Kaeru> You enter the mostly-glass building and are greeted first with a model of some of the first types of automobiles and planes. Historical recreations, some, and others seeming more authentic and beautifully preserved. And beyond them is similar vehicles- but far sleeker, more advanced, more emulating the style of Avalon.
<Nemi> The older vehicles get thoughtful looks- before Ophie moves now to the much more Avalonian vehicles. And if there's anything on how they *work*- you know she's devouring it.
<Kaeru> "Older" models of sleek, hovering vehicles- cars, riverboats, etc- have excerpts on extremely efficient power cells charged through the power grid of the city (which, apparently, strangely enough, is entirely hydroelectric??? However that works). Magnetic and molecular displacement methods allow them to hover, as well as small field generation in some cases.
<Nemi> Naturally, Ophie is trying to both suss out how that works, if it'd apply to the physics of Earth, and if it's something she could theoretically replicate. She has a keen mind and great memory, so one can only see.
<Kaeru> In theory, it would. But the trick is actually managing to get the specifics right. The power draw would be incredible, and messing with molecules is- well, it's not easy, and it can get really dangerous if you don't do it just right. Especially at larger scales, like keeping an entire car off the ground.
<Nemi> Still, it's a start, and the tech seems sound. She would just need to make it *work*. A project for idle time, one supposes. Ophie continues to drift through the museum, looking to see how far advanced it all *gets*. "How did all of this tech come about, Vienna?"
<Kaeru> "We have had a lot of time to develop it," she replies. "And a lot of people to attempt it. The Barons in particular have been extremely vital to our technological advancements. However, as much of their technology is oriented towards weaponry, we have had to alter their principles to fit our needs somewhat. They have been happy to assist in us doing so."
<Nemi> "Are they all native to- whatever planet this is on, or did they come from elsewhere?"
<Kaeru> "The races of Avalon originate from a wide variety of places. Only the Vixen and the high priestess are native to the world Avalon resides in."
<Nemi> "Wait- humans aren't?" Ophie is probably lingering in here for an hour or two by now, her coffee long-drunk and Lucky guided to walk at her side. "And- who is the High Priestess, anyway? Aside from the leader and lawgiver?"
<Kaeru> "No, they are not," she replies. "And the High Priestess is the creator and protector of Avalon. She ensures this place can exist, and exist separate and safe from outside threats."
<Nemi> "That's- wow. Wait. If she's a Priestess- what does she serve as intermediary to?"
<Kaeru> "No one. I am uncertain how the name came to refer to her, but when I was first created, it was already in place."
<Nemi> "See, it makes me think of, uh, tarot. High Priestess, Emperor, The Tower, all that. Anybody else with titles like that here?"
<Kaeru> Chime. "Not that I am aware of. There are references in the database to other creatures by tarot card names, but they do not reside here. In fact, most of them appear to be unable to come near Avalon at all."
<Nemi> "Can you follow up on those references? I'm wondering if they might have their own realms, or something." Finally tiring of the museum, Ophie wanders her way out, mind already filled with possibilities.
<Kaeru> "Of course." Chime… "It appears as though they for the most part live, at least partially, in your own world," she explains. "I have a record of seven such creatures with tarot card titles associated with them."
<Nemi> "Can I get a printout record on them so I can look the mover later? The day's nice and bright and I'd rather explore while I have it."
<Kaeru> Chime. "I'm afraid we don't make use of paper documentation. But I can allow you to take with you another form of documentation when you leave, of course."
<Nemi> "Oh- please. Maybe an audio recording?"
<Kaeru> "I can record the data I have on a chevron stone and give you an activator so that you might be able to use it. It will serve the purpose of a printout."
<Nemi> "Please do!" And a new piece of technology to figure out, too! Fi's inward self squeals.
<Kaeru> "Give me a moment, please, Ms. Ophelia."
<Kaeru> Chime. Chime. Eventually, above a small terminal, a small kite-shaped stone slate with several unfamiliar runes across its surface seems to just materialize slowly in the air before lowering to sit on the terminal. A small rounded (but flat-bottomed to allow it to sit on a flat surface) teardrop stone sits beside it with a small spiral etched into the top in gold.
<Nemi> "… Iiiiinteresting," Ophie studies that entire process intently before reaching over to scoop up the teardrop-shaped device. "How does this work?"
<Kaeru> "Simply hold the smaller stone above the chevron and move it to one side," Vienna explains. "Imagine you are using it to turn a page."
<Nemi> Ophelia does as bid, taking the smaller stone and lifting it over the slate, as if turn the page of a book.
<Kaeru> As she does, symbols similar to the ones on the stone itself appear projected in blue in the air above it, slowly rearranging to form legible English script.
<Nemi> ".. this is *so cool*," Ophie whispers.
<Kaeru> "I'm afraid the information that I have on what you asked for is fairly limited," Vienna chimes. "But I encoded what I had on the chevron so that you could refer to it at a later date."
<Nemi> "It's really appreciated!" Ophie tucks both devices carefully into her bag and straightens. "Er- what time is it, anyway? I should prrrrobably be back to my room, shouldn't I?"
<Kaeru> Chime. "It is nearly six PM," Vienna informs you.
<Nemi> ".. Time for dinner. And probably catch up on my lack of lunch and breakfast." It really *was* just like university.
<Kaeru> "Of course. If you return to your building, food is available in the lobbies." You don't feel hungry, though. "And at any point you may choose to gather your friends and return to your own world."
<Nemi> "Sounds good! How would I do that? And- uh- why *don't* I feel hungry, anyway?"
<Kaeru> "I can guide you back, and connect you to your friends if you wish."
<Kaeru> "You do not feel hungry because sustenance is not a requirement here."
<Nemi> "That's- weird. Uhm. I like to eat, so it's- what, just a social, experiential thing, here?"
<Kaeru> "It is a source of pleasure and entertainment, I suppose."
<Nemi> ".. that's hard to wrap my head around. That the - laws of reality are different. Egh." Ophie starts her way across the great parklands on back to the building. It was, by her mind, time to turn in. She had so much more exploring to do!
<Kaeru> "That is not the only rule that is different here from where you are from," Vienna replies (not very helpfully). "No living thing is able to die while it is here."
<Nemi> "I'm not sure how that's *possible*."
<Kaeru> "By your world's laws, it isn't," she replies. "This world is different."
<Nemi> "I seem to have a lot to learn," Ophie grins as she continues to the .. 'hotel'. Sleep in that perfect bed sounded really, really nice.
<Kaeru> "I am happy to help."
<Nemi> Soon enough, Fi finds herself back in her room and .. gratefully flops facefirst into the bedding. It beckoned.
<Varren> Ezek is following a dog to places!
<Odocoileus> Tally bounces along carrying Galthor along nuzzles him.
<Kaeru> The graceful, tall dog trots away down a path diverging from the park area. It's almost immediately clear where he's taking you.
<Kaeru> There are other people around, often with animals of their own of various types and shapes and sizes. They smile pleasantly and wave sometimes when you pass them or they pass you. Most wear white or near-white clothing, futuristic in style and flowing comfortably.
<Odocoileus> She bounces along happily and spins occasionally with Galthor on her back. She looks like she is having a blast.
<Kaeru> But the dog Odin is leading you towards the massive, wide twisting central spire you'd seen from your rooms.
<Varren> That is probably that massive building. Ezekiel stays close to his dog. He has handed his cup off to someone random as they walked, apologizing happily. "Well this is a change of pace from usual missions"
<Varren> Oh yeah see, was correct
<Odocoileus> "you need your sword back? Correct?"
<Odocoileus> "and yes! Definitely! I do not enjoy being lit on fire or shot, or bisected by bullets."
<Kaeru> Hey, roll PERC, you two.
<Odocoileus> She trots along, keeping a fast pace with Odin like its nothing as she carries this dog that easily weighs 80 lbs.
<Varren> "Well…I dont think that's gonna be possible considering all…this. it is probably needed for them. But yes I do want Excalibur. I lost the one we found."
<Varren> 5 for mine in ooc
<Odocoileus> 4df+5 v:
<Glacon> Odocoileus: v:: 7 (4df+5=+, 0, +, 0)
<Kaeru> (w/out using your reroll, glac just might like you better)
<Kaeru> yeah there we go
<Odocoileus> :3
<Kaeru> Well, you both see it. Among the normal citizens (as normal as you can get when that lady has a literal baby elephant with her—) there's something that stands out.
<Kaeru> Still humanoid, it's taller than either of you, and wears a hooded dark green robe with a cloak.
<Kaeru> Its face is smooth and opal, like stone, and its hands are rocklike and segmented. Small fragments of stone float around its head and above its hands. It sits on the ground in a patch of grass, cross-legged…
<Varren> Ezekiel looks at this but sticks close to Odin. Slowing down a little get get a better look. Well that sure is odd
<Varren> "Tally, what do you think?"
<Odocoileus> She slows down and sets down Galthor and covers her face with her hood as she holds Ezekiels hand.
<Odocoileus> "sentries? Possibly?"
<Odocoileus> "they do not give me a good feeling."
<Varren> He holds it of course! "Should we say hi? I think we should say hi " he walks towards the figure!
<Kaeru> It looks very peaceful, tilting its head slightly to one side and then the other to look at the floating stone fragments above its hands as they move and spin slowly like the ones around their head.
<Odocoileus> She stares up at the thing and hides behind Ezekiel a bit. "They wear hoods like I do…to hide something.."
<Odocoileus> She whispers to him
<Varren> "You hide something? Huh.." Ezekiel looks at the stones it looked at. "Hello! My name is Ezekiel." He points at the stone by its hands. "Do i… touch it? How does this work?"
<Odocoileus> "do not!" She whispers quietly as she sniffs the air furiously. What does this this smell like
<Kaeru> ( https://imgur.com/MKzys16 here u go) It looks up slowly and stares at you. Nods, after a moment, and holds out a hand to you, a large stone shard hovering and spinning above it.
<Varren> Fuck it, ezek has no head for danger. "Its fine Tally. I got this." He reaches out and touches the pretty rock!
<Odocoileus> She looks to Galthor. "can we trust?"
<Kaeru> It's- just a stone. Shale, maybe, with how light it seems. Not light enough to just float, but light, brittle. A bit jagged.
<Kaeru> Galthor looks up at you, Tally, calmly, wagging his tail. Seeming unbothered by the presence of the creature.
<Odocoileus> She keeps Galthor close and squeezes Ezekiels hand.
<Varren> Now Ezekiel is confused, does he pull it away easily enough? Or is there resistance?
<Kaeru> No resistance, no.
<Varren> Then he takes the rock with a questioning stare at the being.
<Kaeru> It allows this, lowering its hand when he takes it. It feels like it could break, crumble easily in his hand, but it's too heavy to be just weak shale all the way through…
<Odocoileus> She clears her throat and mimicks an American accent pretty much perfectly. "Excuse me, can you tell us what you are exactly since we are visitors? Also, which way is the sword of Excalibur which we can view?"
<Varren> "Hmmmmm." Ezekiel doesn't crumble it right now, he wants to wait incase he shouldn't but he gets the feeling something is inside. Like a fricken kinder egg stone thing. He is gentle with the rock currently. "Yes what she sa-wow that's a good accebt."
<Varren> Accent
<Kaeru> It tips its head very slightly to one side, looking at you, Tally. It holds out a hand, palm up in front of it and slightly to one side. Slowly, shards of stone from around its head and above its other hand assemble and fuse together into a smooth tablet that hovers above its hand. Slowly, as if being written out, words are carved into the slate's face. [I AM CAST]
<Odocoileus> She immediately and absentmindedly starts speaking in Vietnamese. "[What is CAST? Can you explain in a way we understand since I have trouble reading] English?"
<Varren> "Dear god. That accent was fucking great." Ezekiel blinks down at her and then at the statue
<Kaeru> It pauses. The surface of the slate seems to ripple, taking the lettering with it as a little line of rolling jagged stone moves across it. This time, it writes in Vietnamese. Ezekiel, you still see the lettering in English, though. [CREATURES OF STONE, TO YOU,] it writes. Erases it. [TO US, YOU ARE CREATURES OF SAND]
<Varren> "See, they are perfectly fine Tally, no need to worry at all."
<Odocoileus> She still seems uneasy and holds on to him tighter. "T-thank you I have practiced many hours."
<Varren> "Okay well your practice was very well placed. Now let's go see a magic holy artefact!" Ezekiel takes his turn to tug her toward the cathedral. "Bye Cast guy I am naming Doug! Thanks for the gift!"
<Odocoileus> She is yanked toward the cathedral and yelps a little as she dragged along
<Kaeru> The Cast watches them go, calm and serene, before looking back to its stones, the tablet fragmenting in the air into shards soundlessly.
<Kaeru> You head towards the grand cathedral! (It's in both those city drawings I did. Big tower.) The base is wider than you'd thought, and the tower itself larger in diameter- hell, the cathedral is just much bigger than you thought it was.
<Odocoileus> "Ezekiel…this place is too open and large I.." she shrinks quite a bit and seems on the verge of crying.
<Varren> "Hey…hey." Ezekiel pats her head and pulls off his coat, laying it over her shoulders. "I am here for you it is safe I promise. But if you dont want to go in…I can take a quick peek after we find a place you can sit." He smiles at her warmly.
<Odocoileus> "n-no! I shall follow!"
<Kaeru> You have two dog friends to protect you.
<Odocoileus> She smiles up at him nervously. "I don't like wide open spaces, they scare me..no where to hide."
<Varren> "Dont worry about that. I I am more dangerous than anyone else here." He makes Spooky fingers at her and rubs her cheeks through her hood. "I have got your back." He takes her hand again and strolls into the cathedral!
<Odocoileus> She rolls up her sleeve and actually holds on to his hand with hers. "You are not dangerous, you are so sweet it hurts my teeth looking at your pretty face."
<Kaeru> You approach the cathedral! Massive white arches overlap and intertwine over the path and around the base of the tower, making up the structure of the tower overtop glass curves.
<Kaeru> Massive open archways show the way into a large, golden-glowing interior, similarly structured and open, pathways from various directions leading inward towards the center. For a sense of scale, you may need to walk the equivalent of more than a football field in length just to get from the entryway to near the central circle.
<Kaeru> (eg, that's less than radius. Maybe 2/3 of the radius, and it's probably 1.5 football fields, if you had to guess.)
<Odocoileus> Tally holds Ezekiels hand as she follows. They probably go unnoticed since she is so small, they could be brother and sister since she is tiny.
<Varren> Ezekiel is just floored by this place. They knew how to worship. He makes sure she stays close as he walks towards the center. Because where else you gonna put a holy sword?
<Kaeru> You don't need to roll perception to see the strange additions to the people here. There are several of the stone creatures scattered about, in small groups or alone near the edges of the cathedral. One large (and i mean large- guy has to be at least 8 or 9 feet tall, and you're far away still) humanoid figure in a long coat stands nearer to the center, looking at something in its hand. But Ezekiel, you don't have to look around much for the sword.
<Kaeru> The center of the cathedral is a massive set of rings towards a central pedestal, a large rectangle. Large as in longer in length than two cars and probably as wide as a car is long. It's a grey stone pedestal, and out of it rises a massive white and silver blade, intricate and stripped by gold lines bordering the central line and carved with intricate runes and symbols.
<Odocoileus> "is..that yours?"
<Varren> So this thing is bigger than he is, isnt it?
<Kaeru> oh yeah. This thing is probably at least a good 50 feet tall.
<Odocoileus> She motions to the sword.
<Varren> Ezekiel blinks at it. "Well…some legends did say it formed to the wielder but….pulling it out could be an issue. May not be the right one." He grumbles, very obviously disappointed.
<Kaeru> So no, the sword definitely doesn't belong to the person there.
<Kaeru> They're big, but not that big.
<Odocoileus> She stares at the sword and the Ezekiel….
<Odocoileus> She tries to math
<Odocoileus> It doesn't add up
<Varren> Fuck. He slowly looks up the sword. "I don't think I will be able to pull that out of the stone….but that wont stop me from trying. Let's talk to the big guy."
<Kaeru> This creature, the one in the longcoat, is certainly strange. Almost human- humanoid- but not quite. Their skin is silverish blue and a blue glowing crystal seems to be imbedded in their forehead, and a larger one surrounded by cracks in the center of their chest.
<Varren> Ezekiel waves and approaches the coat one!
<Kaeru> ( https://imgur.com/2pIEGXb blam) It looks over, seeming somewhat unapproachable in its demeanor. But it makes no move against either of you, just flips a coin between its fingers.
<Odocoileus> Tally fluffs up and stands in front of Ezekiel as she faces this giant imposing figure. "hello yes. This sword belongs to my brother here from a different timeline may we please have it?"
<Varren> Ezekiel isnt that bothered by his standoffish looks. He approaches all the same and blushes when Tally speaks. "Well….I dunno if This One is mine…but this is an Excalibur. Right?"
<Odocoileus> She leans back towards Ezekiel. "It should shape to your form correct like the lore states?"
<Kaeru> It speaks in a strangely dually-toned voice, reverberating oddly in its sound, and lower than human voices. "Not sure how you don't know," he huffs. "Playing tourist, are you? Yes, this is Excalibur."
<Varren> "Any reason it is so big?" He swallows and tilts his head to look up at the sword again. "And yeah, let's assume we are tourists for now."
<Kaeru> The creature looks up at the sword. "It's not like any of us is meant to wield it," he grunts. "It belongs to the high priestess."
<Odocoileus> "the high priestess?"
<Varren> "…Josephine?"
<Kaeru> It makes a strange rumbling sound, low and almost unnatural as a sound made by a living creature. A sound of annoyance, perhaps. "You really are tourists," it says flatly. "The High Priestess created this place. Avalon. Whole thing. Single-damn-handedly."
<Odocoileus> "she is pretty. Where can I see her again, master?"
<Kaeru> It responds naturally to the title, strangely enough. "You can't," it replies bluntly. "And you haven't before. She doesn't make herself visible to anyone in Avalon except on very rare or special occasions. She's a bit preoccupied."
<Varren> "Preoccupied? Hmmm them how did Excalibur get here? Is she..huge?"
<Odocoileus> She nudges Ezekiel. 'Shouldn't you try?"
<Kaeru> "She isn't, not that I've seen," it replies, seeming maybe a bit smug that it has seen her at all. "Fact, she's kinda small. But hell if she can't swing that thing around like a chew toy."
<Varren> "Well fuck…can I try to pull it free? Also what's this?" He holds up that shake bit from earlier." She shrugs at Tally, pretty resigned to not being able to this time
<Odocoileus> "may I try scary statue?"
<Kaeru> "I'm not a statue," it says bluntly, voice low and reverberating. "And that, human, is a Cast core shard. Hope you didn't kill anyone to get your hands on it, either." It grunts. Looks at Tally. "Feel free, but good luck even reaching the handle." It's got a point. It's at least 50 feet up.
<Odocoileus> Tally is already climbing up the sword to pull it from the stone
<Varren> "Oh God….tally..I hope you can do it." He is cackling like a madman watching this. Also he shakes his head. "Was given to me. What does it do?"
<Odocoileus> "huh, s-sorry master. I was only trying to do my best for my friend who once held this sword in a different reality."
<Kaeru> It looks at Tally. Grunts. "Different reality. Not this one." Looks to Ezekiel. "It's a source of low-output sustained energy. A sort of minor spiritual object for the rocks."
<Odocoileus> She shrinks and hides behind Ezekiel.
<Varren> "Right, dont break it, got it." Ezekiel squints at Excalibur and using his best effort tries to enforce his rule over it with his will power to lift it. Maybe things work differently here
<Odocoileus> Tally pours her pure will into Ezekiel
<Odocoileus> "DO IT I BELIEVE!"
<Kaeru> A little scoff from the large creature. "Got the right idea, human, but it won't work," it states flatly. "Even I can't lift it. Only one person's ever been able to aside from the Priestess and her type."
<Kaeru> "But you don't hurt the core by breaking the shale," he adds. "Shale is just a sort of shell on it."
<Odocoileus> CAN TALLY HELP HIM?!
<Varren> "Oh so do beka it. Then I had the right idea." Ezekiel frowns at the sword and just tries once more, to get it to respond to him in some way, gimme a shake here. His face actually goes a bit red with effort.
<Odocoileus> Tally tries to pull zeke
<Kaeru> The creature makes a strange snorting sound, an amused rumble of sorts. "Well don't learn to walk by trying to pick up a 60-foot sword with your brain," he says bluntly, some sort of flat humor. "Something smaller, human. Watch." It looks around for a moment before its eyes settle on the firearm on your hip, Ezekiel. It flicks a wrist almost too subtly to be seen and the holster's cap flips down, allowing the sidearm to be yanked from
<Kaeru> the hold by some invisible force and only stop when it's hovering with the barrel facing away from the creature's raised hand.
<Odocoileus> She clings to Ezekiel and protect his body with hers
<Varren> Ezekiel blinks down at her and pats her shoulder. "I dont think he would be helpful just to shoot me." He nods slowly and raises his hand towards the gun, seeing if he can move it back into the holster himself. Is he a magician?
<Kaeru> Dunno, that depends. Roollllll- determination.
<Varren> 4df+4 oh I have that
<Glacon> Varren: oh I have that: 7 (4df+4=0, +, +, +)
<Varren> O h
<Odocoileus> 4df+5 both of us?
<Glacon> Odocoileus: both of us?: 7 (4df+5=+, +, -, +)
<Kaeru> It's clear that this creature is stronger than you in this way- it probably has a lot more practice, to be fair. But you are able to take it back from the creature, moving it through the air, the trade-off feeling almost like just taking it gently from its hands. It doesn't stop you from doing so.
<Odocoileus> She frowns. "Stop it you weirdo!"
<Varren> Ezekiel slips it into his holster with his mind, with Tally's help. He smiles at her widely. "I am happy with this result. Where is the priestess by the way?"
<Kaeru> It blinks. "Everywhere, I guess," it replies bluntly. "Hell, maybe in the sword. Not like she's a physical creature most times."
<Odocoileus> "what do you mean?"
<Kaeru> "She's not mortal, human," it states flatly. "She's practically a god."
<Varren> "Oh." Ezekiel raises an eyebrow and looks at the sword. He hums softly and shrugs. "Works for me! She is probably dispersed after some kinda ascension..or something."
<Varren> "Oh that works too. Who are you by the way, I am Ezekiel."
<Odocoileus> Tally supports in Ezekiel in any thing he does without question.
<Kaeru> "… Rogue." It says this flatly, factually. A name.
<Odocoileus> "w-what?"
<Varren> "This is Tally." He looks up and furrows his eyebrow. "How do we leave this place and come back?"
<Kaeru> It looks at Tally. It points at Ezekiel, jabbing a finger towards his chest. "This one is Ezekiel." It manages to pronounce your name close to correctly to spite its strange voice. Points at itself. "Rogue."
<Kaeru> Looks at Ezekiel. "Not up to me," it grunts. "You can leave. You can't come back unless they let you."
<Odocoileus> "what am I then you piece of shit" she climbs on Ezekiels shoulders and flails.
<Odocoileus> "fite me."
<Kaeru> "… Tally." It repeats, mimicking the sounds Ezekiel used to form the nickname.
<Odocoileus> She deadpans.
<Odocoileus> "I am worth more than a rouge you piece of shit!"
<Varren> Ezekiel is balancing her on hiss shoulders as best he can while laughing. This is just hilarious to him. "Dont fight the leader like guy Tally! Hahaha"
<Kaeru> It blinks down at Ezekiel. To spite Tally being on his shoulders, she's still not taller than it. "I'm not a leader."
<Odocoileus> She fluffs up and pounds her chest like baby gorilla. She is so small it can be barely be taken seriously
<Odocoileus> "I can eat you!""
<Kaeru> "I would not recommend it." Deadpan.
<Varren> "Tally! Phrasing!" Ezekiel looks up. "Guide? Priest? Chef?"
<Odocoileus> She yells and bares her tiny teeth
<Kaeru> Looks down at Ezekiel. "Just another Avalonian Baron."
<Odocoileus> She sits on Ezekiels shoulders and tries to look menacing
<Kaeru> The creature is unintimidated.
<Odocoileus> "don't you hurt him you dickface that's our sword you piece of torn frenulum!"
<Odocoileus> "give it to us now!"
<Kaeru> It deadpans. "You lift it, you can have it."
<Varren> "Oh a baro-Tally, hearts and minds must be won first! Let's be kinder to the baron." He smirks "I will find a way eventually."
<Odocoileus> She flails.
<Odocoileus> "take me over tonight Galthor, Odin please assist me!"
<Kaeru> "Yes, do not attempt to attack the baron," it replies flatly, sarcastically. "And maybe the baron won't do anything to the humans."
<Odocoileus> "then can I hug you furiously since you seem like you have not been hugged in centuries?"
<Kaeru> "That's an accurate observation, so no," it says simply. The way it'd phrased that previous reply had implied 'baron' as less of a title and more of a species or race- similar to 'human', the phrasing suggests.
<Varren> "We have baron as a title as well it just isnt used much anymore. And sorry Baron Rouge. Would this place happen to be anchored outside of normal human time and space?"
<Kaeru> "Rogue," it corrects. "And yes. It is, if 'normal' means 'based on your world.'"
<Kaeru> "But Avalon is anchored, kept steady in space and time by the Priestess. The rest of the world isn't."
<Odocoileus> Tally just jumps on to the Baron's face and hugs it tightly. "Take it now Ezekiel!"
<Odocoileus> She smothers the statue love and affection.
<Kaeru> Tally, you stop in mid-air and are lowered very slowly to the ground under the Baron's deadpan gaze.
<Varren> "Dear go-Tally! Shit!" Ezekiel cackles and starts patting her lower back. "Let it go let it g-oh okay."
<Kaeru> It said it wasn't a statue.
<Odocoileus> She frowns and doesn't realize the difference.
<Odocoileus> *as she is lowered on to Ezekiels shoulders
<Varren> "Well then! This has been an enlightening conversation, especially considering everything…what is the point of Excalibur here? In the center of this all?"
<Kaeru> "It's where the Priestess keeps it," it says flatly. "It's here in case the priestess ever needs it again."
<Odocoileus> "what has she needed it for?"
<Kaeru> "To make this place. Keep it safe. Keep threats out."
<Kaeru> "There are things out there as strong as her. She's the only reason we don't have to deal with them."
<Odocoileus> She looks down at Ezekiel at pats his head and whispers, "should we leave?"
<Varren> "Possibly. We may have learned all we can here…wonder what the others are up to." Ezekiel smiles at Rogue and steps back. "Well….looks like that time to hit the ol dusty trail…."
<Kaeru> It huffs. "Go, then. Back to your dead world."
<Varren> "It isnt dead yet. And for what it's worth this place is nice. Better than ivory in some ways." Ezekiel huffs and starts off with Tally still on his shoulders
<Kaeru> It scoffs in a way that says it disagrees. But it doesn't comment further.
<Odocoileus> "I still enjoy our world… does that not count?" She huffs as Ezekiel walks away
<Varren> "We can enjoy whatever we want and he cant tell us otherwise Tally. Let's go find the others by wandering randomly and bothering people."
<Kaeru> A chime from nearby! "Some of your companions have already returned to their rooms," Vienna informs you. "You will find rounded black stones on your nightstands. Keep them with you. You'll wake up back in your own world, but you'll keep them with you."
<Odocoileus> She huffs. "Fine fine." She holds on to Ezekiels head and huffs
<Varren> "Oh, then back to the rooms." He starts walking and messes with his shake as he goes, trying to gently get at the inside. "You seem disappointed."
<Odocoileus> "I am.not!" She huffs and crosses her arms
<Varren> "Yes because that is sssssooooooo convincing." He heads back towards the rooms building with her and the dogs.
<Odocoileus> She holds onto him as he walks back
<Varren> If nothing eventful happens he drops her off at her room.
<Kaeru> Nope. It's sleepytime.
<Kaeru> You'll wake up back on the site… In the morning.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella chews her lip unsurely. Both of these places sound… Hmm. Not her jam. "… Hey, Vienna. This place has octopuses; it have an ocean anywhere?"
<Kaeru> Synthesized laughter! "Of course it does!" she replies, amused. "Look up!"
<TheSpookanist> Look up? What does that- ah, whatever, she does that.
<Kaeru> You realize after a small moment that the shimmering, strange silvery-blue sky isn't just an optical illusion. That's not a sky at all. It's some sort of shield, arching high above the city. And there's water beyond it. You see shadows move through the water- massive aquatic creatures outside.
<TheSpookanist> "Ohhhhhh. That's - Yeah. All right. No beach, then?"
<Kaeru> "We have many bodies of water throughout Avalon itself! Would you like to go to a beach?"
<TheSpookanist> "Hey, sure." Estrella grins quite happily.
<Kaeru> "Would you prefer a place where a boat can be supplied?"
<TheSpookanist> "Nah, just somewhere to swim."
<Kaeru> "Of course. The building to your left is a travel spire. Please request transport to the third sublevel."
<Kaeru> It's a narrow sort of tower, like it has two elevators, one in front of the other, to be accessed from either side and take people up and down.
<TheSpookanist> "… Huh, all right." Estrella nips back inside to grab her gear, then hears to the spire in her swimsuit, duffel bag on her back. "Uh, third sublevel," she says as she steps in. "Er… Vienna, right? It's okay to tell the others where I am. Might be problematic if they can't figure it out."
<Kaeru> "Of course. If you ever wish to contact them, I can connect you to them directly." The elevator doors close and it begins to descend based on your command.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella is in an elevator! Everyone else is elsewhere unless Joshua is following her to the beach!
<TheSpookanist> Anyway, Estrella heads to the beach!
<Kaeru> ( Soulless - Estrella headed down to the sublevels of the city, while others headed to a museum and towards the grand cathedral. Join whichever group you think Joshua would.)
<Soulless> Joshua follows Estrella to keep shit in eveness.
<Soulless> "…Estrella, right?"
<Kaeru> The doors open and the area is more dimly lit, but beautifully decorated with plantlife. It's somewhat cavelike and natural, but the path is white cobblestones. Soft blue lights hang above to light the way, and there's light too from the end of the path around a corner.
<TheSpookanist> "Ayep; you're Josh." Estrella pushes off against the wall she's leaning on and heads inside as her eyes dart around in wonder. "So, you coming with because beach sounds more fun or to keep an eye on the resident freak?" She smirks at him as she awaits the response.
<Kaeru> Joshua, you still have a bird friend with you.
<Soulless> He pets his friend.
<Soulless> "Just need to go outside a bit, I guess. Need a smoke."
<Kaeru> Do you head down the cavern-style path?
<TheSpookanist> "Cool, but medical says I can't be around people who're smoking, so uh, have fun with that. Normally I'd ignore that but last time I tried to smoke I coughed blood." Estrella has been heading!
<Soulless> "You not the last bit freaked out about being moved like this?"
<Soulless> "Oh no, it's not that kind of smoke. Don't worry about it."
<TheSpookanist> "Nah, kinda was but the bed was comfy and the coffee was fuckin' nice. Plus, got a sweet little… octopus… guy." She raises a finger and attempts an impromptu fist bump with a tentacle.
<Soulless> "…Yeah. I don't know what these are."
<Soulless> "Too familiar."
<Kaeru> Estrella, you get a very successful little fist-bump from a curled little tentacle. Smart friend.
<TheSpookanist> "Plus, they didn't take any of my shit. So I'm good just hangin' out in the megacity with the cool robots and the good coffee."
<Soulless> "This isn't our home."
<Soulless> Joshua's disturbed, but he seems disturbed for reasons other than the reasons he's giving.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella blows an exasperated breath out of her lips and looks around for a panel. "Uh, hey, Vienna, you have a speaker around here?"
<Kaeru> "I do, Ms. Estrella. How can I assist you?"
<TheSpookanist> "I don't want to but like, theoretically, how do we get back home?"
<Kaeru> "As soon as you wish to leave, I can guide you to an exit to where you first entered Avalon."
<Soulless> "Is there a way for an exploratory team to come explore instead?"
<TheSpookanist> Estrella points in the direction of the voice and continues walking, picking pace up to a jog. "Hey, we are exploring."
<Kaeru> Rounding a corner, you come into a much larger, more open area- hardly a cavern at all. Further on a ways you can't even see the ceiling. That elevator must have taken you far further down than you thought. But the floor gives way to soft sand, and gentle waves echo in the chamber. Surprisingly well-lit, and sunlight streams in from across the water.
<Kaeru> Estrella, it's a beach. Frankly, it's stunning.
<TheSpookanist> "Yeeeeeeeeeeees!" Estrella stretches out and whips a towel out of her bag like a frisbee, letting it settle flat on the sand before it's interrupted by her bag landing atop it. "You can't tell me this /isn't/ exploring."
<TheSpookanist> There's a huge grin on her face as she jogs up to the water, dipping her feet in it and scanning around the horizon.
<Kaeru> There's what seems to be a red and black polished wooden gondola on the sand to your left a ways, with oars atop it. The water is cool, but not overly so, and refreshingly clear and calm.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella turns to Joshua, shrugs, and sprints out into the water, leaping into a deep enough part to relax and swim around with TentaclyBuddy.
<Kaeru> Octobuddy, named before by your brain as Redwall (you can change it of course), swims happily near the surface of the water in little circles around you, then away and back again in little exploratory lines.
<Kaeru> Joshua, your little round bird friend sits nervously on your shoulder.
<Soulless> He looks at bird friend.
<Soulless> "…I don't swim."
<Soulless> He lights up instead.
<Soulless> He mutters. "…Okay, Jana, what the fuck."
<Kaeru> He doesn't get a response for a moment. Then another moment. Another- and a creeping sort of fear begins to rise. He feels alone.
<Kaeru> But a little pleasant chime from behind him from Vienna interrupts this train of thought. Asking for his attention, a little blue light on rock walls, pulsing subtly.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella swimswams around with Small Buddy while Josh deals with that.
<Soulless> "…Hello?"
<Soulless> He whispers, agaiun.
<Soulless> Firmer, now.
<Soulless> "*Hello???*"
<Soulless> He ignores Vienna for the moment.
<Kaeru> No response aside from another subtle chime. Polite, not interrupting so much as requesting kindly.
<Soulless> He lets the cig go out, then looks to Estrella, and then Vienna. "*what.*"
<Soulless> "Estrella! Come back please?"
<Kaeru> "I apologize for not informing you earlier, Mr. Joshua," she replies kindly, not loud enough for Estrella to overhear. "Your ability to communicate this way will not work while you are within Avalon. Part of the nature of this place is that it prevents connection or communication to things outside of it. If you wish, you may be able to speak to the high priestess, but I am certain she is preoccupied with protecting this place, I'm
<Kaeru> afraid."
<TheSpookanist> Estrella surfaces out of the water, attaching Redwall to her arm as she walks up. "What's up?"
<Soulless> "…"
<Soulless> "How are you aware of this."
<Kaeru> A chime. "Aware of the nature of Avalon, or of your abilities?"
<Soulless> His eyes narrow. "The latter."
<TheSpookanist> Estrella glances between Joshua and the wall, Vienna and Joshua, blinking. From them to Redwall. She shrugs at Redwall.
<Soulless> "Estrella. We should get away from the AI, or something."
<Soulless> "It's dangerous."
<TheSpookanist> "Yeah uh, why?" She wrings out her hair.
<Soulless> "Dangerous. Knows too much."
<Soulless> "How do you know so much?"
<Soulless> Joshua has a polite gaze to Estrella.
<TheSpookanist> "We already knew before we stepped in here these people knew a lot about us." She has a slightly pained expression. "I really don't give a shit how they know or how much they know, not like I keep it a secret."
<Kaeru> "While assessing if others are deemed trustworthy enough to know of this place, we must know if they deviate in any way from typical members of their species. As a matter of fact, Mr. Joshua, you are not the only one present here that fits in this category."
<Soulless> "Okay, well *I* keep things secret."
<TheSpookanist> "Oh heyyyyyyy, you're a freak too! Nice to finally meet another, not that I expected a lot of us."
<Soulless> "No, I am /not/ like you. I'm just. I'm just a guy."
<Soulless> He looks uncomfortable again.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella cracks her joints as she streeeeeeetches out. "Yeah yeah, thanks for being a buzzkill on the whole solidarity thing. Look, clearly you got personal issues to sort out there."
<TheSpookanist> "Buuuuut I'm cool with the AI. So's everyone else as far as I know."
<Soulless> "I'm no more anomalous than this team is for entering this place."
<Soulless> "Too cool with it."
<Soulless> "We need to get back and call a containment unit on the whole space."
<TheSpookanist> Estrella maturely makes a wet fart sound with her mouth and goes to chill out on her towel while they continue this conversation. "You /really/ know how to be a killjoy, god damn, I take back wanting solidarity."
<Soulless> Joshua frowns. "Look, I'm not. Like that, okay? I'm just. A normal guy."
<Soulless> "Shit just happened to me but that's not what I am."
<Soulless> He glares hard at the bird. "And who are you, exactly?"
<TheSpookanist> "You're not a normal guy, you're a killjoy, and if you're a normal guy for having shit happen to you then I am some white chick with an office job named Stacy."
<Soulless> "Ok Stacy."
<Soulless> He grins.
<Soulless> "Come on, let's find the others. It's not good to be separated."
<Soulless> "We don't even know if these oceans are safe."
<TheSpookanist> "Holy /shit/ do I not want to go to a museum and if the robot wanted to get us killed we woulda died in our sleep." Estrella rolls her shoulders and lays back on her towel in exasperation. "Fuckin' chill."
<Soulless> "I'm so fuckin' chill my dick's frozen off."
<TheSpookanist> "You're so fuckin' chill you're melting the room."
<Kaeru> The bird looks at you like you're a blank wall, Joshua. It's. It's a bird.
<Soulless> He sighs. "Look. I'm sorry about what I said. I literally got a spider bite the size of a dinner plate on my shoulder and it's still not fully healed, and I'm still really freaked out about it."
<Soulless> "So just bear with me, aight? Not all of us are cool with suddenly realizing your whole life is-" He wheezes. "Nevermind."
<Soulless> "Can you even get a suntan with these rays?"
<TheSpookanist> "Yeah that's definitely what she was talking about, a spider bite." Estrella squints up at the sky. Does it feel like real sunlight?
<Soulless> "It's related."
<Soulless> "I thought the thing was a mistake. Turns out it's not a mistake."
<TheSpookanist> "Yeah and me getting kidnapped and injected with shit was a mistake in the way that the fucks who did it ain't kickin' anymore, but very rarely is any shit anywhere a mistake."
<Kaeru> Estrella, it sure does, but you know what's above the city…
<TheSpookanist> "Feels like you can get a tan, yeah." She shrugs. "But that's just my guess."
<Kaeru> It's possible others don't. Vienna told you to look up. You wouldn't have realized otherwise.
<Soulless> "Vienna? Confirm deny?"
<Soulless> "Yeah, well I'm not over it, so give me a bit of breathing room, aight?"
<Soulless> "It just happened to me."
<TheSpookanist> "Yeah; I assume Foundation knows already? I mean, I guess they gotta if you've ever been to medical."
<Kaeru> Chime. "You cannot be burned by the sun in Avalon outside of areas specifically designed to emulate natural sunlight," she replies.
<TheSpookanist> "Is this one or are those special?"
<Soulless> "It's in some records but… if no one goes looking, I don't tell anyone."
<TheSpookanist> "I'm not straight up like, required to tell people unless the situation is risky. AKA, I don't have any meds left." She shrugs and relaxes back, shutting her eyes. "Anyway, you done panicking about the robot now?"
<Kaeru> "This is not one of those areas. Some districts are entirely this way, but this is not one of them."
<Soulless> "I'm not panicking." Defensive.
<Soulless> "So are we just going to sit and get sand up our cracks?"
<TheSpookanist> "You're really, really panicking. And yeah, unless you have a better option. I don't see any reason to do anything else if we can get a free vacation day and do our jobs at the same time."
<Soulless> "It's just been a rough fucking time."
<Soulless> He sits down, careful to move the bird to his chest before he lays down.
<Soulless> "So what happened to you?"
<Kaeru> Bird chirps and settles happily on his chest, a round little puff of feathers.
<TheSpookanist> "CI. Basically weird ghost type shit happened to me, the Foundation showed up, then the CI got curious and snatched me a couple days after they finally left."
<TheSpookanist> "That's pretty much it."
<Kaeru> Hey, guys? Roll perc.
<TheSpookanist> 4df+3 exclamation mark emoji
<Glacon> TheSpookanist: exclamation mark emoji: 2 (4df+3=+, 0, -, -)
<Soulless> 4df+5 !
<Glacon> Soulless: !: 4 (4df+5=-, +, -, 0)
<Kaeru> Joshua, you see it. Estrella, not so much. But as you're lying down, you see something else in the sand, a good ways to your right. Lying half-in the water, it seems to be a coil of some kind of massive snake, striped and greenish brown-yellow in color in the low light. It seems to be- napping? It hasn't noticed you, that you can tell, and it's still enough that you hadn't noticed it until now.
<Soulless> Joshua points it out to Estrella.
<Soulless> "Is it dangerous?"
<TheSpookanist> Estrella sits up and looks over, shrugs, sighs, lays back down. "Vienna, that snake dangerous?"
<Kaeru> Well, it's big, that's for sure. In places probably three feet in diameter, give or take. Vienna chimes. "That is not a snake," she replies. "But no, it is not dangerous to you."
<TheSpookanist> "There we go, not dangerous. And /Vienna/, I'm sure, wouldn't send us somewhere dangerous, riiiiiiiiight?"
<Kaeru> "Of course not, Ms. Estrella."
<TheSpookanist> "Vienna gave me coffee. I trust Vienna."
<Kaeru> "I am certain you could wake them if you wished to learn more. It would even be polite of you, I believe, as it's likely they will become dry-skinned if they remain out of the water for too long."
<Soulless> "…Aight."
<Soulless> He approaches slowly.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella throws her arms forward to shift her weight, getting back to her feet in half a second and following Josh accordingly.
<Kaeru> As you get closer, it becomes clear that it, indeed, isn't a snake at all. Striping and strips of frilling fins on either side of its body down to the end of its tail. It's an eel; and once you can see it better, you can tell that the uppermost portion of its body is almost humanoid. It rests lazily atop its own coiled body, head tucked downward slightly and not easily seen.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella… pokes em lightly. Once.
<Kaeru> It stirs, body shifting and tensing, untensing, as if stretching. Uncoils somewhat and shifts its head to look over at you both. (concept - https://imgur.com/WBjc9Nz ) Its upper body is certainly humanoid, but its head still resembles an eel of sorts as its body does. Black, rounded eyes stare without blinking.
<TheSpookanist> "Heeeeeey- uh." Estrella pauses a moment because that /is/ slightly intimidating, even to her, but swallows it down to grin instead. "Uh, Vienna said it might be good to wake you so you don't dry out up here."
<Kaeru> It lifts itself slightly and uncoils as if standing up, ending up more vertical with a small support below it as folds in its body. The humanoid portion of its body is human-sized, so the rest of it makes it larger in mass than either of you by a good bit. It leans forward slightly and stares at you, Estrella. You did poke it. And it- speaks. A hissing, strained sort of tone, like vocal chords not meant to make that sound.
<Kaeru> "Yyyyess. I wouuld hhhave." It speaks slowly.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella's initial nervousness has worn off, so she settles for grinning and rubbing the back of her head. "So uh, yeah. Uh, I'm Estrella, by the way." She thumbs to her compatriot. "This is Josh."
<Soulless> "…Hi."
<Soulless> "Vienna, by the way. what's with the companion animals?"
<Kaeru> Josh, its head swings slowly to face you, and it inspects you with featureless black eyes. Back to Estrella. "Thhhhaank youu. Ffffor waking mme."
<Kaeru> Vienna chimes. "It is a system that allows for citizens to have a sense of anchoring in Avalon with a companion that is easy for them to connect to and rely on," she explains. "We find it to be beneficial."
<TheSpookanist> "Hey, no problem." She smiles and gives a thumbs up!
<TheSpookanist> She has /no idea/ what else to do there.
<Soulless> "Why's mine a bird and her an octopus."
<Soulless> He looks at the… thing. "What's your name."
<Kaeru> "It is somewhat random," Vienna replies. "So I'm afraid I'm not sure."
<Soulless> "K."
<Kaeru> Joshua, said 'thing' looks at you for a solid few moments before replying. "Ssssiilllcaa."
<Soulless> "Nice to meet you, Silca. What manner of being are you?"
<Kaeru> "Nnnneeww," it comments. "Yyyou donnnn't knowww." It shifts and tilts its body to the side and slightly forward to be nearer to both of you. "Iiii ammmm. Moraay."
<Soulless> "…Yes, new. It's nice to meet our first Moray."
<Soulless> He's looking at Estrella like 'fuck what now'.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella is clearly NOT equipped to continue any kind of conversation! "Uh- I dunno. Anything new people should know about here, I guess?" She shrugs!
<Kaeru> "Yyyyouuu. Go. Hhhhhomee?" It speaks in that strange, tortured way, strained by the effort to make the right sounds. "Ssssoon? I caaannnn. Taake youu. Tto the ssssuurfaacce. Exxxplaiinnnn on thhhe waay."
<TheSpookanist> "Uh, if you're not gonna dry out, sure! Sounds good." Estrella smiles amicably!
<Soulless> "…I have… uh. We can wet your skin with cloth as we go."
<Soulless> He begins taking off his jacket.
<Kaeru> "Nnno. Iiii. Takke youuu. By watterrrr." It nods, bobbing its head slowly, a mockery of a gesture it'd seen. "Nnnot. Dryyyy."
<Kaeru> It swings its head to look over at the gondola-style riverboat across the beach.
<TheSpookanist> "Oh! Yeah, good plan." Estrella jogs over, quickly shakes out her towel, packs up, and hops in the boat!
<Soulless> "Okay."
<Soulless> He goes onto the boat. "We have a team though."
<Kaeru> "Yyyyessss. I ttaake yyouu. Onnnlyyy to thhhhhe grouuund llevellll," it replies as it follows them- smoother in movement, clearly capable of being much faster than either of them. It slides into the water and grabs hold of a loop at the front of the Gondola with a hand, dragging it easily off of the beach to spite the added weight.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella restrains herself from giggling. "Thanks for this."
<Kaeru> "Yyyessss. It issss. Eassssyyyy. Huumannns weiiigh so liitllllle." Once the boat is on water, it glides quickly and smoothly with the force Silca applies by swimming powerfully with the boat held alongside it. Heads out towards the other end of the cavern, towards sunlight.
<Soulless> "Silca, what do Morays do for fun? What is your history?"
<Kaeru> It considers this for a few moments as it brings the boat into the sunlight and up a winding river, not slowed even slightly by the current going against it. "Iiii. Ennnjoooyyy watterfaalllls. Ssssomme Moraay can cliiiimmmb tthhhhemmm. Iit issss. Diiifffficuullt."
<Soulless> "Hm."
<Soulless> "Is there a way to come back when we want to?"
<Kaeru> "Yyyyessssssss. Thhhhe oonnnnesss whoo cannnnn crrroosssssss oooverrrr. Cccannnn lettt youuu. As thhheyyy diiid beefoooore."
<Soulless> "And an exploration team?"
<TheSpookanist> "Joshua, tryyyyyy not to be such a killjoy about it." Estrella sighs and relaxes back in the boat.
<TheSpookanist> "So can't come here on vacation unless we get Josephine's… well, probably doesn't have a phone number."
<Kaeru> "Jjjoosssepphhiiiine." It knows that name. "Hhhher oootherrr hhhalllllf. Wiilllll giiiivee yooou. A waaayy tto cooonnnttaccct. Avvallllonnnn."
<TheSpookanist> "… Other ha- actually, yknow what, we'll probably see what that means soon enough." Estrella stretches out on the floor of the boat.
<Kaeru> Eventually, surprisingly quickly, Silca has taken you up far enough to be level with the park you began in, outside the building with your rooms. Effortlessly drags the boat up to a place where you can get out. "Assssk. Ffforrr Kaayllllaaa."
<TheSpookanist> "Aight; thanks again, Silca!" Estrella hops out gracefully with her bag slung over her shoulder, taking a look around." She turns to wave to Eelguy. "Seeya around! Maybe."
<Kaeru> It mimics the wave awkwardly before disappearing smoothly into the water, taking a few moments before its long tail disappears entirely.
<TheSpookanist> "So, uh, Vienna, you know where a Kayla is?"
<TheSpookanist> Estrella asks, well, more or less the air, not bothering to look around for the screen.
<Kaeru> Before Vienna can respond, a slight swirl of smoke manifests itself into a human figure. A young woman, dark skin and curly hair pulled up into two buns and wearing a cropped-off shirt with baggy, loose pants. "Right about here, I'd think," she smiles.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella's mouth is still open, but she settles for nodding and shutting her gob. "Yeah, that works. Uh, hi, I'd introduce myself but something tells me you already know."
<Kaeru> She chuckles, grinning. "Damn, caught me red-handed," she replies.
<Soulless> "…"
<Soulless> Joshua looks on edge again.
<Kaeru> She looks at you, Joshua. "Hey, what's up? Something wrong?"
<Soulless> "…So do we wait here?"
<Kaeru> "Nah. You wanna go home, I can take you. Just call up your friends, I'll give you a way to ping us and send you back to where you came from."
<TheSpookanist> "Hey, it wouldn't exactly break my back to stick around and /see more sights/ and whatever… But uh, yeah, Silca said you and Josephine are like… the same?"
<Kaeru> "I'm sure your people would wonder where you'd gone," she chuckles. Nods. "Yes, Josephine and I are a special case. We entered Avalon together and with a strong enough bond that we ended up connected more than just emotionally." Chuckles.
<Soulless> "…Are you queers?"
<TheSpookanist> There's a catching of Estrella's breath for half a second as she tries to figure out exactly how to respond to that. She stops herself somewhere between assumptions about romance and a 'gay' joke-
<Kaeru> She laughs. "Yes, I suppose we are," she nods. "Certainly not your average couple, though."
<TheSpookanist> Estrella stops herself halfway over to lightly smack Joshua with the back of her hand when Kayla laughs. "Oh, uh- cool. Romantic, I guess."
<Kaeru> She grins. "We are quite literally inseparable," she jokes.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella just kinda gets lost in thought there.
<Soulless> "…."
<Soulless> He wonders if Cas would like that.
<Soulless> "Y-yeah."
<Kaeru> She holds out a small polished round blue-black stone about the size of her palm over- one to each of them. There's a spiral etched in gold into the top of it. "Here," she says. "Keep these. They'll stay with you when you go back home. For now, you're good to go back to your rooms and head to bed. You'll wake up where you should be. With who you should be with." She winks. Grins.
<TheSpookanist> Estrella winces. "Well, unless you assign me someone that's currently a big fat empty space, but thanks anyway!" Estrella grins and tosses the stone in her hand, turning back in the general direction of her room. "Uh, good to meet you, Kayla!"
<Kaeru> Kayla leans in to whisper something to Estrella, grinning still. Then leans away again, waves a little half-salute. "Same to you. See you around, maybe."
<TheSpookanist> Estrella smirks and salutes back, walking away. "Well, I'll definitely be back! So hope so!"