The docks (and beyond)

[xinoehp512 he/him]

The woman pulled out a long object from a sheath at her side. It looked like a key, but the edges were sharp.

"I use this," she said, "and you are reborn in the mortal world."

@I think I am here.

-----

Tom froze for a second. Then he sprang into action.

He jumped up from his seat at the table and began pressing buttons on the wall. The air shimmered as several screens appeared in mid-air, showing what was going on around the boat.

A red light started flashing on one of the screens. A few moments later, a brown light began to flash as well.

"Keyed," he muttered. "But which one?"

He looked up at Thought and AJ. "Stay quiet. I'll try to stall. Once we're out of the tunnels we can escape."

He flicked a switch, and a black circle appeared in midair in front of his mouth. "This is the captain," he spoke. "Who are you, and why do you wear a disguise?"

@Shard of Thought

[I think I am here. he/him]

19 minutes ago, xinoehp512 said:

“I use this," she said, "and you are reborn in the mortal world."

“And what would I do there?” Csilen asked. “I did shoot myself for a reason.”

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

48 minutes ago, xinoehp512 said:

Tom froze for a second. Then he sprang into action.

He jumped up from his seat at the table and began pressing buttons on the wall. The air shimmered as several screens appeared in mid-air, showing what was going on around the boat.

A red light started flashing on one of the screens. A few moments later, a brown light began to flash as well.

"Keyed," he muttered. "But which one?"

He looked up at Thought and AJ. "Stay quiet. I'll try to stall. Once we're out of the tunnels we can escape."

He flicked a switch, and a black circle appeared in midair in front of his mouth. "This is the captain," he spoke. "Who are you, and why do you wear a disguise?"

@Shard of Thought

 

Thought paled. Keyed... did that mean one of the people from her past? This was happening too fast. They had been safe and now...

[xinoehp512 he/him]

3 hours ago, I think I am here. said:

“And what would I do there?” Csilen asked. “I did shoot myself for a reason.”

"Serve, of course. There are many things that we can do in the mortal world to advance our work."

She fingered the key-blade, tossing it up and down in her hand.

@I think I am here.

------

The woman laughed. "Why should I tell you anything? You certainly aren't enlightening me."

She looked around the boat. "So, where do you have her? Are you hidden in that safe room of yours?"

She walked up and knocked on the door. No one responded.

Without warning, a handerfle rounded the corner of the ship and shot toward the woman. She turned in surprise to face it just as it reached her.

The handerfle hissed with pleasure as it grabbed at her. Its hiss changed to one of confusion as the woman vanished and reappeared behind it.

With one motion, she pulled out another long, sharpened, keylike object and rammed it through the handerfle. It died instantly, collapsing to the floor.

"Too scared to attack me, Tom?" she called out.

@Shard of Thought

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

AJ tensed. He had no place in this. Noticing Thought's pale expression, he took her hand.

Quote

Ugh, I have to be both sides of a romantic relationship now. I wish Bean had more time.

---

Thought tried to breathe normally. "What does she want with me?" she muttered. There was an ugly feeling aboard this ship. Dissonant Intents, screaming at one another. Her head started pounding. 

[xinoehp512 he/him]

Tom flipped a switch and the circle turned white. He turned to face Thought. "Revenge, probably. You hurt her worse than any of the others when you abandoned us."

On screen, the woman had begun to teleport from room to room. Tom watched her a second, then turned back to Thought. "She can't teleport in here, so don't worry about that. The only way for her to get to you is if you were to go to her."

The woman suddenly teleported into a group of handerfles. They put up a fight, but they were hopelessly outmatched.

"Will you reveal yourself?" called the woman, ramming her key-blade through the chest of one of the handerfles. "Now that I kill your servants?" Another fell to her deadly blade. "Or will you hide like a coward?"

@Shard of Thought @I think I am here.

[I think I am here. he/him]

On 26/03/2019 at 0:49 AM, xinoehp512 said:

“Serve, of course. There are many things that we can do in the mortal world to advance our work."

She fingered the key-blade, tossing it up and down in her hand.

 

“I’ll be arrested,” Csilen said. “As soon as I’m there. By the other contables. They’ve seen my murders. My failure. I won’t be able to take them down.”

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

6 minutes ago, xinoehp512 said:

Tom flipped a switch and the circle turned white. He turned to face Thought. "Revenge, probably. You hurt her worse than any of the others when you abandoned us."

On screen, the woman had begun to teleport from room to room. Tom watched her a second, then turned back to Thought. "She can't teleport in here, so don't worry about that. The only way for her to get to you is if you were to go to her."

The woman suddenly teleported into a group of handerfles. They put up a fight, but they were hopelessly outmatched.

"Will you reveal yourself?" called the woman, ramming her key-blade through the chest of one of the handerfles. "Now that I kill your servants?" Another fell to her deadly blade. "Or will you hide like a coward?"

@Shard of Thought @I think I am here.

Thought didn't like death. War had made her sick when she was a Shard. She could sense the handerfels dying. Like faraway lights being extinguished. Not something you could see or quite feel, but the air was dimmer. She was ashamed to admit, even to herself, that she was scared. She squeezed AJ's hand. "We can't wait this out. What is her name?"

---

AJ itched to move, but he was hesitant to interfere with things he didn't understand. He stayed silent and still. 

[xinoehp512 he/him]

Tom shook his head. "She's disguised. She might not even be female, for all I know." He glanced at the screen again. "There's only three people it could be, though. Nialliv, Aurora, or Samika."

He played with the switch some, but avoided flicking it just yet. "I have something that should remove the disguise. Only..."

He trailed off, chewing his lip.

@Shard of Thought

----------

The woman shook her head. "Where you're going, no one will know who you are."

 @I think I am here.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

33 minutes ago, xinoehp512 said:

Tom shook his head. "She's disguised. She might not even be female, for all I know." He glanced at the screen again. "There's only three people it could be, though. Nialliv, Aurora, or Samika."

He played with the switch some, but avoided flicking it just yet. "I have something that should remove the disguise. Only..."

He trailed off, chewing his lip.

1

"What? Will you have to show yourself?"

[xinoehp512 he/him]

Tom hesitated, then shook his head. "No. It's nothing." He looked up at the wall dashboard. "I'll do it right now... now, where was that button?"

One of the buttons lit up purple. He reached over and pressed it. "That should do it," he muttered, turning back towards the screen.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

58 minutes ago, xinoehp512 said:

Tom hesitated, then shook his head. "No. It's nothing." He looked up at the wall dashboard. "I'll do it right now... now, where was that button?"

One of the buttons lit up purple. He reached over and pressed it. "That should do it," he muttered, turning back towards the screen.

Tom's face hadn't elicited any memories, but it had evoked feelings of deep trust. Who knew what would come this time? That is if any of this was true. She wasn't sure of anything. All she really knew was AJ. She was exceedingly grateful for his companionship. 

Quote

How were her relationships with the other people in the crew?

 

[xinoehp512 he/him]

On 3/28/2019 at 1:46 PM, Shard of Thought said:

How were her relationships with the other people in the crew?

Quote

Pretty good, but different for each one. One in particular she was especially close to (besides Tom).

The woman jerked suddenly. Her face began to shift slightly.

She looked up, somehow managing to stare directly at the screen. "Of course... I suppose it was too much to hope you wouldn't have a counter to your own invention." As she spoke, her voice shifted and changed.

She began to teleport again, faster and faster. Soon she appeared on each screen for no more than a second. Her voice warped as she spoke. "Well, I suppose there's no hiding it now. I am Samika Satrebil, treasure hunter and scientist."

@Shard of Thought

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Thought swallowed. She didn't recognize the face. She didn't understand anything.

---

I have to do something. "Do you have any ideas for how you're going to get her off?" AJ asked.

[xinoehp512 he/him]

Tom turned to AJ. "Who? Samika, or Thought?"

For a brief moment, Samika vanished from all the screens. She reappeared a second later with her face turned away, hidden and unreadable.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

“Samika. I thought you said this place was going to be protected.”

[xinoehp512 he/him]

"It is protected. There's no way into this room we're in right now." He turned back to the screen. "All we need to do is get out of the tunnels. Then I can call backup."

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

"So you just expect us to wait? I-" Thought looked at AJ sternly. He shut his mouth.

[xinoehp512 he/him]

At that moment, the woman spoke.

"I know you're in there, Tamika. Tom's not the only ones who has spies."

Her voice was somewhat muffled, but it sounded eerily familiar in some way.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Thought looked down at her hands. They were shaking. She stayed silent, feeling weak and useless.

[xinoehp512 he/him]

The woman continued.

"You owe me a debt, even if you seem to have forgotten it. I intend to see that debt repaid."

She paused for a moment, then went on.

"Three thousand years is a long time, Tamika. Enough for a hundred lifetimes, or more. More than anyone should live.

"Rebirth is not in the slightest a pleasant process. Death is painful; your soul is being ripped from your body. But the worst part is what happens after.

"You can feel yourself trying to transition between realms, but you can't- you're stuck. The force pulls at your soul, trying to tear you apart into nothingness, but you cannot give. Instead, you wait, trapped in that state of agony for what seems like eternity.

"And then, at last, you are reborn."

Samika paused, catching her breath.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

2 hours ago, xinoehp512 said:

The woman continued.

"You owe me a debt, even if you seem to have forgotten it. I intend to see that debt repaid."

She paused for a moment, then went on.

"Three thousand years is a long time, Tamika. Enough for a hundred lifetimes, or more. More than anyone should live.

"Rebirth is not in the slightest a pleasant process. Death is painful; your soul is being ripped from your body. But the worst part is what happens after.

"You can feel yourself trying to transition between realms, but you can't- you're stuck. The force pulls at your soul, trying to tear you apart into nothingness, but you cannot give. Instead, you wait, trapped in that state of agony for what seems like eternity.

"And then, at last, you are reborn."

Samika paused, catching her breath.

"Why anyone should want to live beyond what is right, I cannot understand," Thought mumbled aloud. "I can sense her emotion. Vaguely, but it is there. I just can't... make it out." She closed her eyes, concentrating.

[xinoehp512 he/him]

"I never wanted this," whispered Samika. "Not the way I got it." She shifted her position, but her voice and her face were remained frustratingly unplaceable. "And I suppose I've come to realize I never really wanted it at all.

"You were the one who wanted really immortality, for yourself and for me. You didn't believe in an afterlife- or at least, not a pleasant one. And so you feared death, probably more than any of others.

"We met earlier than any of the others, becoming friends at a young age. You were the one who convinced me we should seek out the Key. We were close then.  We were even closer when we were reborn. 

"And so I listened to you when you said I should wait. I trusted you when you said that we would find the missing piece. Even when I died again, waiting, I listened to you and trusted what you said. And in the cave, when it seemed all hope was lost, I still listened. Because I cared about you, and I knew you cared about me.

"Or, at least, I thought I knew."

She shifted again, speaking in a low and sad voice.  "I thought that it had been a mistake, but when we found you again at last, what you said to me..." 

She trailed off, and shuddered violently for a brief moment. Then her voice turned dark. "For three thousand years I have suffered because of your betrayal. You don't even remember it, do you? You used your powers to forget, unwilling to bear what you had done. But just because you don't remember doesn't mean you're excused."

The woman began to pace the deck, still speaking. "We had a bond, you and I. We were like sisters." She stopped and turned toward the screen, her face shrouded in shadow from her hood. "And so, when we were reborn, some twist of fate intervened."

She pulled back her hood, letting the dim light from the lantern illuminate her face- a face that looked almost exactly like Thought's.

"You betrayed me, sister," she hissed. "And I will never forgive you."

@Shard of Thought

[I think I am here. he/him]

On 28/03/2019 at 11:26 PM, xinoehp512 said:

The woman shook her head. "Where you're going, no one will know who you are."

Csilen paused, tossed the thought around.

“Ok,” he said. “I agree.” Now what would happen, he had no idea.

[Zephrun’s Imperium they/he]

Quote

Xino, you read my mind. Thought has been having nightmares about mirrors. I've been planning that for a while now.

Thought's eyes grew wide. Her breath caught. That face. Her face. She hated that face. Every night in the mirror. Unending reflections whispering to her. And she could never look away. 

@xinoehp512