TDM #1, arc 1.0: we drift like worried fire

[lamentus]

BUFF

Bonded of The Sorrowweld will find that the NPCs are especially friendly to them this month. Seriously, they just keep trying to give you things. It might get annoying.

DEBUFF

For those who are bonded to Tarnished Az-Mehet, you keep seeing shadows out of the corner of your eye on every screen in the ship, even your datapad. Something is lurking.

At first, you feel a pull. In which direction, you do not know. When a portal of shimmering black and glittering stars appears in front of you, it only seems natural to step into it. On the journey, it is as if you see everything: ancient galaxies wheeling through space, cultures born and growing and leaving their planets, lights creeping over landmasses and them winking out all at once. You see the hungry arm of a black hole, an enigmatic smile under a mirrored mask, a fist clenched tight around an endless sword. Fangs shining in starlight, bandaged feet that have traveled so many miles and still remain sturdy, and code shattering under titanium will.

And then your feet touch solid ground again, and what you have seen is suddenly hard to recall, the merest of glimpses springing to mind when you try to think back.

All you know is that you witnessed something enormous, something you probably shouldn't have seen.

As you struggle to refocus your gaze, all you see for a long moment is white. White walls, white floor. Narrow white cots lined up against a wall, screens blinking above them in tones of soothing aqua and mint. You are in a medbay — a highly advanced one, given the lack of bulky machinery — but perhaps the most eye-catching thing about the room is a long window showing endless black and twinkling stars outside.

Before you can give voice to any thoughts, a small robot flutters toward you, and perches on the back of a chair. "Hello, Wayfarer!" the birdform chirps cheerfully. "I imagine you must have many questions; allow me to enlighten you! You have fallen victim to a quantum accident and have been pulled to another universe, but the Ascendants, in their generosity, intercepted your signal and brought you here so that you did not wind up in empty space. You are aboard the Theorem of the Astral Rose; our mission is to explore uncharted space and search for the Song!"

They pause, thinking, their little blue eye aglow, and then brighten.

"Oh! Introductions are in order! I am Starling's Lament in Flight, but you may call me Starling's Lament. I am one of the Hosts of this exploration vessel; we will do everything we can to ensure a safe voyage for you. Unfortunately, at this moment, we cannot send you home. The Ascendants have indicated that their search for the Song may play some key role in doing so." They whistle a merry tune. "Please enjoy your stay!"

REFLECT

When you manage to get your wits about you -- it's a bumpy ride between universes! -- you start to leave the medbay. Starling's Lament has indicated that you are free to explore the ship, and nowhere is off limits to you. As you leave the cool white tones of the medbay behind, a hallway stretches out in front of you. Both sides are transparent, offering a view into the long dark of space beyond. However, unlike deep space, there is currently quite a lot to see.



On the left lays the broad curve of a planet, lush green landmass and white clouds skidding across its surface. Its star is just sinking behind it, lighting up the very edge of its atmosphere in tones of engine-burn orange and ozone blue, as long shadows cast by enormous space elevators creep across the landmasses. Its most eye-catching feature, however, are the hexagonal structures webbed across its surface, connected by fine corridors with all the geometric precision of woven spider's silk. You can just barely see the tiny dots of spaceships flowing around them, docking, embarking, shuttling between them.

"That is the Redline Trading Post." You hear a tiny whisper, and look up to see another robot — a beetleform, this time, with a shiny dotted shell — watching you curiously from its place on the ceiling. In fact, there are a number of other Hosts doing the exact same thing; a snakeform coiled around a barrier rail, a catform with bright yellow eyes peeking around the corner, a chirping droneform hovering some distance down the hallway. They're all fascinated by you. "But we will be departing soon. You will not get to taste the Galactic Snowball Nova-Cream, the shining culinary jewel of Redline. Sorry. I hear it is very tasty."

You look to your right, away from the planet and the Redline post, to gaze out into the depths of space. In the distance, there is a nebula, its gasses lit up in shades of coral pink and deep purple. It is pockmarked with stars both young and old, newborn stellar entities cradled in the depths of its life-making dust. Set against the dark of space, it is a flower in bloom.



It's beautiful, except—

The longer you look at it, the more something nags at the corner of your mind. A memory glances across your thoughts, unbidden. Something you hoped for, maybe; or something you fear. Whatever the memory, as you gaze at the nebula, a small piece of it curls, shaping in response to your memory. It is your face, reflected perfectly. Smiling, or howling in anger, or weeping.

Eventually, the nebula will go back to normal. But for now, it reflects the fears and triumphs of the new Wayfarers, a mirror held up in the darkness of space.

IMBIBE

Once you make it into the bulk of the ship, the Hosts inform you that as they have just restocked all essential supplies, they will be throwing a party in your honor, and they hope you will sample the food.

Maybe you're incredibly dubious about this. Maybe you're starving after your long journey. Either way, you find yourself in the mess hall. It's less like a traditional mess hall and more like a park full of food trucks with seating in the middle. The food trucks are bright and eye-catching, Hosts serving huge heaps of food from their interiors, as their signs advertise everything from Earthen Ancient Egyptian food (As Close As We Can Reconstruct It!) to Raxalar Black Stew (New and Improved: Now Free Of Grit!).

Real grass is underfoot, and the picnic-style seating in the middle appears to be real wood. The lighting is a myriad; whimsical string lights strung between the trucks, floating globe lights playfully dancing like fireflies, and the luminescence of a dogform's patterns and a droneform's enormous eyes and a flyform's glittering trail. The Hosts are clearly excited.

And if the food happens to have... some kind of effect?

Well, the Hosts say, that's only to be expected! The attention of an Edict may, for a nano-second, turn toward the start of this voyage, and that's bound to make anything go a little wonky. Also, they've used some ingredients from the local system, and it's only customary there to share some thoughts and ideas and memories when you eat together. How else can you properly get to know each other?

RED BUFFALO SHANK WITH SPIKED LOTUS

This may or may not look appealing to you depending on your sensibilities, but it does smell incredible. Soft, savory red meat paired with the fragrant, earthy scent of the vegetable. The Red Buffalo is perfectly seared, and if you poke them cautiously, you'll find the spikes are entirely edible, as long as you chew well enough. If Wayfarers eat this, they will find themselves sharing a memory with the nearest person, a vision of the last time they were truly happy.

UPSIDE-DOWN PLUM SPARK-WINE

It seems the Hosts aren't quite sure of the appropriate alcohol content of substances, as this will burn all the way down, chased by a cool, sparkly feeling all the way down one's esophagus. It tastes of sweetly sour plums, and a potential hangover tomorrow morning. Wayfarers that imbibe this alcohol beverage will start overhearing the thoughts of those around them, as if they are perfectly in tune with everyone.

GOLDEN BUNS WITH SPICED HONEY DRIZZLE

Ah, a perfectly homey looking meal, sweet and savory, gently steaming. These are a must-try for any Wayfarer with a sweet tooth, proudly boasting of the agricultural and apiary skill of a nearby alien culture. The buns are perfectly fluffy, the spiced honey is warming. What's not to love? After eating this, Wayfarers will find themselves and the nearest person sharing a vision of themselves as they might have been had they gone down the worst possible path in their life.

CHERRY COLA!™

This isn't the Cherry Cola! you may or may not be familiar with, but it's interesting that whatever alien came up with this came up with the same Earth word. Or maybe the Hosts got it from Earth? Either way, it's fizzy, it's sparkly, it makes you feel like you're floating on rainbow bubbles. Upon drinking this, imbibers will telepathically project outward a vision of the most beautiful thing they've ever seen.

A CAKE. MAYBE.

Dear god. What is it? Who came up with this? Who is even brave enough to try this? It certainly… has a taste. It… has an appearance. Whether either of these things are good is in the eye of the beholder. Wayfarers adventurous enough to put this in their mouths (or other eating appendages) will find themselves uncontrollably speaking aloud of the thing they long for the most.

INITIATE

Eventually, it comes time to launch.

The Hosts are a blur of activity, some of them packing up more delicate equipment in case of errant gravity waves during initial propulsion, some of them herding the Wayfarers into a seating area reserved specifically for the safety of its occupants during launch, deceleration, and rare turbulence. You are informed that engine flare will be so bright it will rival a star for the next twenty-five hours of engine start-up burn, but you will only need to stay strapped in for half an hour or so.

As the Theorem's enormous engines start cycling, the entire ship seems to hum in melodic song. And after everybody is strapped in, that's when the intensity starts. Gravity seems to want to push everything toward the stern, and Wayfarers are pressed hard against their seats with the inertia. After half an hour, the Hosts cheerily announce that everybody is free to get up and move around — but you might want to stay near a window, as they will be doing a low dive through the nearby planet's second moon's atmosphere, and it will be quite the sight.

Soon enough, the moon becomes visible. It is of unbroken crimson red, though subtle shifting in its surface lets you guess that it's water rather than earth. And then, as the Theorem rolls gently to the side, the view in the windows nearly perfectly split between moon and space, that's when you see them, swimming through the atmosphere.



To call them fish would be inaccurate — they are not in an ocean, or any body of water — and yet, that will be the word that springs to mind for most Wayfarers. Some of them are sleek and small, schooling in packs of shimmering white and ochre. Others are long and pointed, appendages pointed backward to exude a bright pink gas that propels them forward and which trails after them like oil slicks in the air. The locals call them x'enuda, the Hosts tell you, a combination of words that mean to fly and cunning prey.

They swim closer, swarming outside of the window. Some of them swim through, phasing through the shielding and windows alike, to dance gently in the interior of the Theorem, darting to and fro. If any Wayfarers find themselves curious enough to reach out and touch these creatures, they will find themselves similarly phased, capable of passing through matter for the next few minutes before the shared electrical field wears off and returns them to normal corporality. The external shield will catch you if you phase right through the ship's floor, but you may need to swim back up. Others may find themselves suddenly craving company, as if the x'enuda's instinct to remain safe in a school is catching.

FOREWORD

"All Wayfarers, please report to the docking bay!"

As you filter into the enormous cavern that makes up the docking bay of the Theorem, you see rows of smaller spacecraft. Some of them are sleek and light, like they'd be as free as a feather during aerial combat, while others are bulky and spacious. Many of them have designs in alien languages on them, or bizarre looking mascots, seemingly for good luck. As the occasional screen informs you, you are free to claim any one of the ships as your own, but first, Starling's Lament would very much like to give a presentation.

Past the rows of ships lays an expansive opening in the side of the Theorem, many stories high and wide, a shimmering forcefield the only thing between you and space. Beyond it, you can see the quickly fading shape of the planet and moons you left behind as the Theorem continues acceleration. It is in front of this that Starling's Lament has set up a large hologram of a star map.

As they start to explain once everyone is gathered, the map currently shows the region of space you are in. It is an enormous quadrant of multiple galaxies, some pinwheeled in shape, some circuler or tube-like. A line arcs across it, heading into what is clearly less-explored space, beyond the area colorfully marked as Alliance territory. Eventually, that line stops at a star, which then magnifies to reveal a six planet system, the second planet from the star circled.

This is your first objective: designation Epsilon-355.

There are many stories of which planets the Last Pilgrim has set foot upon, and yet, nobody has ever verified any of them. This, the Ascendants claim, is the closest match they have found for one of those planets in a scrap of story: a land of golden sand and shimmering glass, where pilgrimages track their way across the Golden Barrens desert. The planet is small and unassuming in the hologram, and the details next to it are scarce: relatively normal gravity, breathable atmosphere. More details will become available as the Theorem gets close enough for in-depth scans.

If there any notes of the Song to be found, they may yet be found in the Last Pilgrim's footprints.

Presentation nearly over, Starling's Lament directs you a series of tables that have neatly assembled packages of gear. Once you have picked your Division, you are welcome to claim the technological tools of its trade. You can also look at the spaceships available to claim, or even just watch out the docking bay door as you leave the planet behind and head deeper into space.

Welcome to the mission, Wayfarer.

(CODE)

Comments

karna ― fate

[sunbeloved]

may your travels bless you. (reflect)

(when it comes to mysteries and adventures, he is not a stranger to either of those things. whenever it comes to something like....this, that's another story. the memories dance about his mind, this man, this servant who stands before the expanse and stares onward with quiet eyes and burnt fingers pressed against the glass of this window he stares outside at the nebula before him says nothing. some may wonder why he isn't in awe, why karna in all of his glory refrains from showing a childlike joy and more than that. he has his reasons, but he will not say them, as he thinks briefly that it is beautiful.

he remembers, he remembers the moon and how he surrendered himself and his armor to save the life of one person. karna remembers, his heart holds within it a fire, be it here or chaldea....this man is a warrior. the spirit of someone who may never bend to trials and tribulations is what he carries, warm fire and a kind heart that holds nothing other than love for those he calls his own companions. in him, karna is surprised. the traders and others were more than happy to assist him. offering help that others hadn't received, items, whatever he wishes for, as if recognizing in him something that not even he knew about.

sadly, that also means he's stuck carrying more than he'd like. it's part of why the hero of benediction calmly set aside his "belongings" to take a chance to view the sights before him. it calls to him, to remember. he remembers it all.

his life, his death, and his rebirth. from ashes, the son of surya was reborn as a servant. the strongest of all. lofty titles were never his thing, but that was simply fact and not arrogance about what it suggests of him. he didn't have a need to boast about any of it.

karna never would.

regardless, he's contemplating a little too much before his attention is drawn to the sound of footsteps. a thought is there that it might be another trader, likely bringing him something else that he did not ask for and that karna was too kind to decline. seems that his pile of goods was unfortunately about to grow bigger, or perhaps not before he notes he wasn't being called out to like most have been doing at this trading post. someone else? another traveler, by the looks of things when his head turns to look back behind himself.)

Forgive me for not greeting you, I was merely thinking that the sight of this endless space is beautiful.

self indulgences. (initiate)

(the issue with being alone is that he would need to kill time. his master isn't around from what exploration karna had done earlier, he's also seemingly alive based off having needs again instead of simply needing mana replenished. how peculiar, but he muses it could be worse. as of now, they hadn't done much aside from going over the basics and anything else that had been asked about. karna didn't need much instruction, paying attention wasn't an issue for him, either, unlike some of the others he noted were there with him at first. seems like he should expect to be asked to do more than one might find necessary.

but that doesn't stop him from taking the opportunity for some manner of activities once the all clear was given for movement. right now, he's....shadow-boxing? his fists are striking the air quickly, a sort of practice to it that seems unorthodox and not at the same time in how fast his hands are. except, there's another thing, if looked at closely someone will notice that his stance is similar to boxing.

left, right, weave....

all of this in the middle of the ship? it's almost silly, but he finds it easier to fight than talk. conversation isn't his forte, though karna's attention shifts after noticing that someone else was watching him. another wayfarer, then. he wasn't surprised. he's something of an oddity already between this and how he stands out, the change of clothes didn't help that.

nor did the obvious scars around his neck that are the telltale signs of someone that was once beheaded.)

Would you care to join me in passing the time? If you prefer to watch, then that is fine.

(he wouldn't push it, anyway.)

take flight. (foreward)

(from the assignments, he was given a rifle. a pulse rifle they called it....it wasn't difficult to adjust to aiming with it. conventionally, he did better with a bow than he did with modern weaponry. not that this would stop him, much. most underestimate his ability to adjust and learn quickly. with or without mana, he's got the idea that he'll be the one dealing with arrests and other potential issues. perhaps he might find himself as always being the one who gets hurt more than others, though that's simply his nature whenever karna checks the rifle again and adjusts it to rest along his back.

they all seemed strangely too willing to provide him aid, not being able to tell if they're lying or using it to control him makes this not as easy as he'd like. still. the people do give off the impression of friendliness, he'll just need to be mindful of his surroundings as he typically is before looking over the ships that were offered.

picking one is going to be also difficult.

it isn't as though he minds, chaldea did give the servants their own living quarters and he made his into a space that felt fine enough. the issue is more that karna wouldn't also want to impose with having someone else be stranded if he picked wrong. eventually, one will find him climbing into one of the nearby ships. the color of it red, but it seemed like it might suit him in appearance before karna got into the cockpit. would he even be able to drive this? he doesn't have access to his innate abilities, meaning this ought to be an interesting time. hopefully his assigned crew won't mind that he's learning on the fly.)

I should warn you, this is my first time piloting.

(he isn't joking, by the way.)

wildcard.

( originally i was going to wait, but i decided to tl anyway because i have lost control of my life and temptation won. feel free to pm or poke me at entropist for something plotted out, as a heads up i haven't wrote this boy in a bit so expect some rust. )

reflect

[flavourtown]

[ Though Jiaoqiu's face is turned toward the glass and the expansive view outside, he's clearly not looking at it -- the white blindfold is enough evidence of that, but as is his distracted stance, chin tipped up a little as if deep in thought. Still, the apology makes him smile, wry and wistful. ]

I remember.

[ He's had the view described to him by another, enough that Jiaoqiu has a good idea of what lays outside the hallway windows. A nebula on one side, a busy trading post on another. Both things that he has seen plenty of before, but would nonetheless appreciate seeing again, if he were able. ]

I was always a little unnerved by the sight of black space, admittedly. I always felt like... it would only take one slightly too deep breath, and my feet could simply leave solid ground, and I would float up into the endless black, never to come back down.

[ It used to make him feel dizzy, in the same way a great height would. He can almost feel the same sensation now, merely knowing that the sight is there, and he's only separated from it by a pane of glass and shielding. ]

Others, I know, see an endless potential in that same sight. What do you see?

[sunbeloved]

(ah. the blindfold catches his attention, though he cannot see lies any longer....this man is different. the fox ears, those catch his attention first. chaldea had a number of similar people, even tamamo no mae was among those who were brought about to their ranks. he's good at remembering details, the things that others overlook while also maintaining his own rhythm. but it's a question that's familiar to him. what does he see, karna wants to believe he felt the same about endless potential. however, there was always more to it than that. karna isn't a conversationalist, he's truly hopeless, but questions and stories were always better to get his attention.)

I see with hope one day an expanse touched by warm light.

(he does not fear, he does not doubt himself. the words were said carefully, but with something earnest. one day, he would wish to see a warm fire in the cold loneliness of space. a hearth. perhaps it will not be any time soon, but that is something he considers. his burnt hand leaves the glass, it's unusual to not feel within him the roaring blaze that was his mana at its full force. though he can feel it enough, that is something. his father, who left him, karna does not feel his blessing as another thing he's noticed. interesting.

this might take some getting used to, though he doesn't mind it, before blue eyes settle back on the fox next to him.)

Are you afraid still, kind sir? I can see why it might be more unnerving than before, were you in need of further assistance I do not mind....the people were keen on giving me gifts I didn't quite request while trying to gather information.

(now that sounds right for him, worrying more for others than himself. that's what had gotten him cursed so heavily, why he died, too. the recollection is there of his brother's arrow, how karna did not regret and simply accepted his fate.)

It does remind me of when I last saw the sun, as another thing in itself. My last moments.

[flavourtown]

I'm fine. No assistance necessary.

[ It comes out terse, thinly irritated, Jiaoqou's normal polite veneer failing for a moment.

He doesn't need assistance. Not now, anyway. He's fine when he's just standing still, when he doesn't have to move through an environment, when he doesn't have to factor in and avoid obstacles and people. When he doesn't have to move in a way that strains his chest and shoulder muscles, still scarred and atrophied. Basically, he's fine when he's just... doing nothing. Being useless. Offering useless words and no actions.

Seconds later, Jiaoqiu sighs shortly, shoulders slumping. Whoops. Both words and thoughts had gotten a bit too poisonous there. ]

My apologies. That wasn't fair to you. It was kind of you to offer, truly.

[ He pastes on his polite veneer once again, a placid smile and calm demeanor. Recovering from a minor aberration. ]

I suppose I am less afraid than before. Not seeing the void certainly helps. [ He pauses, one ear swiveling in curiosity to face the man beside him. ] Your... last moments? Were you dying before you came here? [ Alarm sets in. ] Are you hurt?

[sunbeloved]

(he can see it, the way he tenses. karna did not need his discernment to read people, this is something he knows too well. some find themselves holding such things as sore spots, memories that were often difficult to accept, and their new life adjustments being another issue in itself. hadn't he been through something similar? a son lost, his screams of anger, and a brother's own son struck down by his anguish in response. another memory, another glimpse of the past that he can see in these stars. while karna is quiet, he does not take this as a rude gesture.

what he holds, is understanding. a relaxed posture, his gaze softened from its usual emptiness into something akin to knowing that this was more on him for being unintentionally rude himself. he should have considered a lesson he learned some time ago, not everyone desires help. not everyone even desires him to save them, but jiaoqiu himself does not need to apologize.

it was merely an offer, his kindness and his inability to sit by when someone seems like they are in need.)

No, it was rude of me to ask as well without considering you might dislike it.

(his tone takes up a softness from the usual gentle calm to his voice, as if to tell him that he were truly, fine, in karna's eyes. this man must have been through a lot. something else that he can understand, as a warrior himself, he knows how rough it must be to keep going to some. for that reason, he always took upon his shoulders their burdens and dreams. fears, hopes, their hearts.

now isn't a time to be lost in his thoughts, the question and alarm, he smiles to himself a little. a good thing jiaoqiu could not see, he would notice the way it doesn't meet his eyes strangely. that's normal for karna. emotions are a fickle thing, something else that he struggles with aside from holding conversations and conveying what it is that he's thinking about without issue. a struggle, but a struggle that only someone like him might ever have.)

I'm fine, truly. This was some time ago, long ago I stood in a war against my own kin. Brother against brother, the short of it is.... (he trails off, thoughtful, but unsure how to put this delicately before:) He killed me. I did not hold any regrets in my demise, not even his arrow taking my head from my shoulders.

I did everything that I could have done in life.

[flavourtown]

[ His response just makes Jiaoqiu feel worse. Great, now he's out here being a dick to nice, generous people, what an accomplishment. He feels really good about that.

Normally, his smooth, polite veneer is nigh unshakable. It gets tested daily by his General's shenanigans and Moze's regular baffling social choices. But ever since being kidnapped, his unruffled feathers are far more ruffled than usual, leaving him more easily irritated, more prone to taking offense. Yes, he is aware that it's a classic trauma response, both from the attack and losing a major sense, but he's a healer, surely he should know how to recover from these things more quickly?

Luckily, what his company says next is more than a little distracting.

Jiaoqiu's eyebrows furrow above his blindfold. ]

Sorry, are you telling me that you were decapitated?

[ By an arrow, no less! That's an impressive feat! ]

But now you are standing here before me, head firmly attached to your shoulders? I... can only assume?

[ For all he knows, the man's carrying his own head in his arms, like those ghost story immersias. The voice is coming from about head height, though. ]

[sunbeloved]

(explaining servants and how they work might make this more confusing, is something karna thinks briefly. at most, he can attempt to condense it into something that can be retained for the sake of things being smoother. figuring out a starting point and going from there will be a must, or that's what he thought about it before his attention turns from the fox before him to the golden spiked collar around his neck. wordlessly, he brushes a finger underneath it, his own mind you, against the scars from his beheading. his head isn't gone, it's also attached to his shoulders.

obviously there's something that sticks out if he wandered around with his neck exposed, but he isn't the sort to alarm people by exposing something like this. his body mostly being burnt aside, he's quietly mulling this over.

there likely is something he can say.)

It's difficult to explain, I am dead, but I'm also not any longer while here seems like. My head is still firmly attached.

(that's the best he can take it, he'll give him the proper explanation when jiaoqiu feels better. karna doesn't want to overload a man who is struggling in his own way with losing his vision, much less whatever other things are on his mind while they're speaking together. but that doesn't mean he should also keep the other man in ignorance before his attention falls back on the nebula.

thoughtful, it reminds him again of the beauty of the stars. it reminds him briefly of how he and others would offer prayers to the gods, how he once called the people he cherished brighter than the sun's rays while apologizing to the brahamin before him for speaking such sacrilege against his father, surya, who he never knew.)

But I've noticed that I cannot access some things I'm used to having. For example, I can detect when someone is lying, usually. It's a skill that I obtained throughout my youth by questioning my elders about stories or memories they had. I'm still able to read people, but finding lies seems to be off the table....for now, anyway.

(he doesn't need his discernment to do that necessarily, but it would take him time. it's almost an amusing handicap. his mana did still seem to be there, the warmth radiating from him and everything, but it seems inaccessible in itself too. odd. though he muses it could be worse, he can at least provide heat for people that were in need of it.

....even if that's an odder idea of a man like him sitting beside someone for them to warm up.)

[flavourtown]

Ah, yes-- that's not just you. I, too, cannot access some things I'm used to having.

[ His enhances senses, for one. Everything sounds and smells so muffled, like he is experiencing life through a thick wrap of stifling wool. It's made coping with his blindness exponentially harder -- he supposes that's why the Hosts offered him the earpiece he's using, to describe his surroundings for him. It hasn't proven particularly useful at details, though.

Case in point: all it can come up with to describe the man next to him is humanoid, 178 centimeters tall. How useful. He knows everybody's height, but nothing about their looks. ]

I can't say that I was dead before I came here, though.

[ His tone is dry, and more than a little bit fascinated. He has access to the best medical technology and magic, yet nothing he's ever seen would allow a person to recover from being fully decapitated.

He holds out a hand with a flourish, snapping his fingers, but nothing happens. ]

Normally I can control and produce fire. But here, nothing. Not even a single spark.

[sunbeloved]

I see....

(that makes two of them, he thinks to himself. his own abilities were the same. using fire, the sun itself, to unleash a fury upon those who were unfortunate to be faced with him. he isn't particularly hurried to explain more about himself, servants are interesting in that regard about their life and death. the number of them that died horrifically is not something to overlook or ignore. karna is only among those that did lose his life so terribly. what a man he is, a foolish man.

a foolish demi-god. he's tall, he's lanky, but the slimness of his build doesn't show entirely that he's got muscle to him. strong arms and legs, an inquisitive nature, while also deciding for his part he can explain more.)

We are the same in that, my mana is like living fire. Any strikes I did would unleash that flame, it's a part of me in that I'm like an eternal flame. I can feel it, but I also cannot use it....so I suppose that I have the role of a walking space heater, as they're called now for anything cold.

(it was a poor attempt at a joke, his deadpan tone doesn't help that. how he's often so calm and cold, despite being warm to the touch. his jokes were never considered "good", but he finds that bad humor isn't necessarily a terrible thing to others. he doesn't say them out of malicious intent, after all. karna only decided something at his own expense was worth the trouble of making this slightly amusing for the other party.

though that caused him to cross his arms, his burnt fingers tapping along the elbow of one in thought. it was strange, he's alive again, but they took away his ability to use mana and his discernment?)

I'd also say that I don't suggest trying death, it gets a little too quiet.

(....another bad joke, at his own expense, again.)

[flavourtown]

[ So, then, the trip through universes has clearly robbed them of things -- not just items and weapons on their person, but powers and magic fundamental to them, even enhanced senses. If there is a point to that, Jiaoqiu does not know, beyond a basic guess at disarming them for a peaceful entry into the ship.

He can hear fingers tapping against skin; perhaps his conversational companion is uneasy. Jiaoqiu can hardly blame him.

And then comes-- whatever that was. A joke? An incredibly morbid joke, when Jiaoqiu is still trying to picture how on earth one gets decapitated by an arrow? (With incredible force, presumably?) He puts his face in his hand, despairing. ]

I'll take your words under advisement.

[ And then: ]

I must have forgotten my manners: I am Jiaoqiu, of the Xianzhou Yaoqing, though I suspect that will mean nothing to you. [ Though he has met a few people from his universe who did indeed know exactly what he meant, the majority of people that he's met have been from different universes entirely. Universes where the denizens of Abundance aren't a plague on the cosmos, and the Yaoqing and the Xianzhou Alliance doesn't need to exist to wage eternal war against them. ] May I have the honor of knowing your name?

[ He's maybe laying it on a bit thicker than usual; but politeness wins many battles, and he doesn't know how many he'll have to wage here. ]

[sunbeloved]

(he'll tell him the story another time, truly. the story of his death, the story of the man who was known by his people as being a saint for his generosity, courage, and kindness. the man who took under his wing many that were suffering once before in their lives, those who sought safety and charity.

the hero of charity, hero of benediction.

the very same who made a terrible joke about his own death, and while he notes the way jiaoqiu seemingly did not enjoy that one....it is only then that he finally after this brief pause speaks his name and that is:)

Karna. I am doubtful I will run into anyone else from my world in particular, but that is my name.

(he notes the shift in jiaoqiu's tone, laying it on thick. he didn't need to, is something karna wants to say. despite his inability to read into the true nature of others, he believes from their words and how jiaoqiu himself stands that this man is by no means evil or a terrible person. he's simply a man that was dealing with his own struggles. this is something he's used to doing, personally. battles of words are better left to those skilled in them. karna is by no means skilled, his own abilities lie in war itself.) Xianzhou Yaoqing? (were it not for the difference in naming, he might have thought the other man said "yan qing", he knows one named that. he was an odd man.)

Mm, my own home, my birthplace is called India. A country on Earth.

(though his own is different, his own version. servants exist, people capable of superhuman feats as warriors themselves, legends. heroes. there was a big distinction in being contracted by a master to fight in grail wars, but karna hardly cared for wishes. his own has been long since fulfilled, what he wanted most was to use his lives as opportunity.

that opportunity was to fight those who were stronger than him, if not equal to him.)

[flavourtown]

Earth? The name rings a bell, but I'm afraid I don't know much about it.

[ Hardly surprising-- there are many thousands of known occupied planets in his universe, and they aren't his area of academic expertise. Still, he doubts Karna is from the Earth in his universe. If they had discovered technology or magic to revive a man from being decapitated, surely it would be known about in the wider universe.

For the question, he explains: ]

The Yaoqing is a spacefaring city-ship, one that holds a population of millions. As part of the Xianzhou Alliance, we fight against a plague on the universe: the near-immortal creatures of a particular god.

[ So, the Theorem is somewhat familiar to him in terms of technology, though it is significantly smaller than the Yaoqing. Also, it does not seem to be locked in eternal battle, merely on a mission of exploration. Honestly, Jiaoqiu doesn't know what to do with himself when he's not constantly under threat of attack. ]

It makes you wonder-- why us. We seem to come from very different backgrounds; what unites us, that we were both brought here? Or was it truly an accident?

[sunbeloved]

(if only he clarified it wasn't technology, but forming a contract. he genuinely is still dead, the only thing is that karna is granted this ability to live again thanks to that contract. then again, this is better left for another time in general. the explanation of how someone dead is here, alive, and breathing would only be more confusing with everything else happening. karna only isn't as lost as some might've been from his own understandings. there were different timelines, different existences of the world in his own version of earth. lostbelts, dead ends of history that were being pushed forth in an attempt to make them the new reality.

singularities, too, at the start. they averted the end of the world once, but it did not stay that way, unfortunately. what happened after is what counts as frightening for those who were normal. gone was humanity, except for the select few survivors. they've all lost everything in the destruction of what once had been their history, their home, and their comrades.

but he listens, quiet and frowning to himself. the last time he was around anything futuristic was the mooncell. they didn't fly ships, they also didn't do anything like this cause that they were brought on for. it was simply another war, another place in which they'd fight for the grail.)

It might be answers we won't have for quite some time, if ever. The right people or what they felt right, maybe, could be part of why.

(perhaps if arjuna did find himself here....they might both set aside differences for another cause. another chance at uniting shoulder to shoulder. brothers, together. or perhaps, instead, tragedy awaits. he won't think too much about it before his attention goes back to jiaoqiu.)

It isn't easy to say. But I do intend to do my utmost for the sake of this journey, I'm used to it. Shouldering burdens, fighting for my life, sharing bonds with others despite my own shortcomings.

(sacrificing everything for the sake of comrades. he's died with a smile both times it's happened, a smile on his lips as he accepted his fate. no regrets, no other desire except acceptance for his lost in life. a true comrade, a man who means his word even if it might kill him.)

[flavourtown]

A regular hero, then.

[ It could have sounded mocking, but Jiaoqiu mostly just sounds wistful, and heavy.

He's heard words like that before. So many times. Proud declarations of loyalty, to the cause, fierce devotion to shouldering other's burdens. He'd hear these words as a soldier lay recovering on a medical cot, and those words would ring in his ears as he watched that soldier go back to the battlefield and die miserably, their lives cut short in an instant no matter how well he'd nursed them back to health.

Will some of them die on this journey? Will Jiaoqiu have to stand by once more, even more useless than before, no longer able to heal them? ]

Still, that's a curious level of belief in a journey we haven't yet started, and don't yet know the purpose of. Do you believe the Hosts when they say the end of this journey might help bring us home, or do you just... throw your lot in with any mission that comes your way?

initiate;

[asternal]

[ It doesn't take much to capture Shion's interest in the first place, as he flutters from place to place, faint wisps of the flames that make up his body in tow. But the way the man strikes the air, forceful but practiced, precise movements, like an artisan at his craft, snatches his attention as quickly as his punches. ]

I wish I could...

[ He really does. Sadly, that privilege will have to be reserved for the more corporeal. He subconsciously leans in, a boyish spark of interest in his eyes. Sports........... ]

Are you...a boxer?

[sunbeloved]

(a young boy? that caused him to pause, the wisp of flames caught his attention with something of an inquisitive look to his eyes. he hasn't seen someone like this before, entirely. the fire reminds him of his mana briefly, burnt hands relax from his stance as he straightens out his posture. another oddity. not one he expected, but an oddity nonetheless. karna's eyes settle on the young boys moments later, he's thinking about how to answer that since he isn't necessarily a boxer entirely. all of this had been taught to him.

martha and beowulf had taken the time to instruct him in their differing styles.)

Mm, not necessarily, I know how to thanks to people I've met before. I'm better with a bow more than my fists.

(was he curious? karna thought that it was cute of him to have that childlike spark to his eye. maybe there was something he could do, since he can presume there are reasons for it and his refusal.)

Boxing isn't difficult to learn, but it can be to apply properly since it requires timing. If you'd like, you could watch me and try to follow along with my movements instead of sparring.

(that might be better, maybe. he's always had a soft spot for the young, and it isn't any harm to let him try learning, since karna can slow his movements to give him the chance to catch them.)

[asternal]

[ A bow... He thinks of an archery club, his mind conjuring up images of other school sports clubs in tow. Boxing. Archery. Judo. Kendo. Track and field. Baseball. Soccer. Tennis. Volleyball. Sirei always got somewhat more animated than usual when he taught him about school team sports through their audio tutoring. Teammates gathered round, sweating it out with each other and competing with rivals. Sharing in the glory of victory and the bitter tears of loss together in tournaments. ]

I'd love to! I don't quite understand what it feels like to exercise, but I'll try my best to keep up.

[ Karna is now officially the coolest person he's met here, bar none. He doesn't even care if they're doing this in the middle of the ship. ]

[sunbeloved]

(then that works for him, he might not in particular know his circumstances, but....who was to say that karna minded that? coming from chaldea meant that he has seen his share of oddities among the servants brought there. some he's even fought before, others that stuck out as much as he did. karna is silent for now, his expression easing into a smile despite it not reaching his eyes. this was always something he's done, his best effort being given in response to others and their joys that were given to him. so it's only fitting that he does it again.

he does first take the chance to stretch. since his young companion mentioned that, he should at least take the opportunity to let him limber up. safety first. well, something of safety first, it's still good to impart good habits in someone before moving on to the real thing.)

It can feel rewarding, truly. Even just desiring to do it is enough, I use it to unwind and clear my mind. I'd say that it's enjoyable whenever you find your own rhythm in it.

(a roll of his shoulders, his burnt arms out stretched moments later. it's something interesting to think about to him still, one can notice the heat coming off karna, but his mana is not accessible. he's already joked poorly that his practicality with it is equal to a space heater, from that being unable to necessarily "leave" him.

....and about trying death being a bad idea.)

[asternal]

I see... I think I can understand how it'd help you feel better.

[ Repetitive movements that one knows is part of making progress, a difference, practice. He nods along, taking in the man's movements, mimicking them with his fiery form to the best of his ability, speed and all, despite having no real reason to do so. Just putting in that effort is rewarding for him, even if his body has no real point of comparison as to what it's like to stretch and limber up. He can now say that he's exercised, in some form.

Inevitably, his notice falls upon the burnt limbs, the way the heat also emanates from the man in a way that doesn't simply happen for most normal humans, and so he has to ask. ]

...Are you fire?

[ Not "Are you on fire?" or "Do you use fire?", but "Are you fire?". ]

[sunbeloved]

(he catches it, blue eyes taking in the sight of wisps. the flame in view like sparks. as expected, he had wondered to himself how similar this boy could be to him in a sense. perhaps not entirely, as time goes on, he might think of someone different. someone else entirely, as impressions of a young boy with brown eyes and a plain appearance to him might begin to come to mind. a boy who was cursed by fate in a sense, expected to disappear forever while locked away in a machine based paradise. dead, not dead. a literal ghost in the machine.

he doesn't answer the question, not yet. fire is something that's always been part of him, the light of the sun and it's tender embrace. the fiery passion of it as those driven by it carry on, karna has always understood that and seen it as something beautiful. that humans themselves can be like warm rays of sunlight, a blasphemous thought in the face of his father, but one he learned as he lived on.

his expression softens briefly, the coldness to it like he was thinking of something else and then:)

Blessed by the sun, by my father, Surya, the Sun God. I carry in me something like a fire that will never fade.

(eternal flames. he knew not his father personally, but he still is grateful to him for his gifts that he had given him. if only karna could access his mana in full, but alas, he can't change that.)

My mana itself is fire, is what I mean. It's something that will never leave me, restricted and sealed away or not.

[asternal]

[ A fire that will never fade. Something that will never leave him, restricted and sealed away or not.

He mulls over Karna's words in his mind, arm outstretched mid-...stretch. Unable to help himself, he flexes his fiery fingers, looks down at his arm, then back at the flames that the man himself sports. Back at his limbs, burnt and charred but still there, solidly seen and felt (probably to the consternation of any foes that Karna may have faced). ]

So it's a part of who you are... We're not the same, of course, but we're not too different from each other in that regard, either.

[ Although he wouldn't call his own situation in a blessing, the similarity is comforting, in a way. So he smiles, a little rueful, and the flames that make up his fingers on his right hand mildly dissipate into the surroundings, like a candle in the air. ]

My own flames are one of the few things I've ever really known.

[sunbeloved]

(fire that never fades, eternal and engulfing.

child of the sun, child of surya who only once touched his son to bless him as he rested in his mother's womb. that is karna. he's silent, listening, and maybe softens up slightly in his usually cold expression. he wasn't wrong, karna thinks. they are similar, but not. the man who was known for being powerful, one of the strongest and yet, he died before his true potential could be realized. his hands, though burnt, are real.

everything about his body is. being alive again in a fuller sense left him surprised, and confused about how this happened to him. he won't question it too much, but he also can't help himself by thinking this is interesting. another chance at living, this time, without being summoned to fight for what wishes his masters has.

or to protect the world, as his current master had desired most before everything went to hell and agony.)

....I never thought I'd meet someone else with eternal flames.

(the sight of the wisps of fire on the boy's hands does cause karna to watch closely, did he live in it for this long? his heart almost aches for him.)

It can be a blessing and curse, I suppose. The warm feeling of it being lighter than anything, but.... (he pauses, expression thoughtful, and then:) ....then it also gets lonely, when it gets colder.

[asternal]

Neither did I.

[ He's not sure if it's a good thing or a bad thing that someone else has felt—does feel—the constant licking of flames on their body too, wrapped in searing, undying heat, but every encounter is a blessing for him, so he'll treat this one as such too, despite the circumstances. Or maybe precisely because of them. ]

Do you get lonely often?

[ It's difficult for him to imagine his life without the faint yet constant crackle of fire murmuring in his real body's ears, so used to them over the years that that they've become negligible. ]

[sunbeloved]

(good or not, he did hold an understanding. there's something of one about how eternal flames can be a burden. however, in a way, the warmth of life from it is another beautiful thing. reminding them that this fire shall always be there. carrying within reminders, memories, and that which should be cherished by those who were born to live and die without regrets. it's almost saddening. karna holds no regrets for what happened in his life, that he passed away before reaching his true potential. his death was simply fate. arjuna was destined to win, he wouldn't deny his brother that for overcoming everything despite it all.

but the question of loneliness, his smile, it never reaches his eyes fully outside rarer moments. it still softens karna's expression, now that he thinks about it....he wasn't wrong to ask. karna did feel it. loneliness, but was that not okay as long as he felt it? it meant he misses people he held dear to his heart. those who were not with him, those who he longed to see again some day be it in battle or together on the same side.

it only meant that they had become important to him. those who he would never forget, those who will live on through their wishes that he carries upon his shoulders. be they men and women, be they the youth who prided themselves for their dreams.)

Sometimes. I always believe it to mean those who I miss were those who I hold dear to my heart.

(the fire's warmth, the warmth of happiness, love, and the closeness of everyone. their laughter, his rarest of smiles in response as they live, as they mourn, and as they carry on together. be merry, oh foolish men, while praying that their lost brothers may rest in peace to the gods above.)

However....I also like to believe one day I'll see them again.

[asternal]

[ He nods in acknowledgement, his next words wholehearted and genuine. ]

Then I'll believe so too, for your sake.

[ And his own, but he doesn't say that out loud. Now that he's had a taste of what it's like to live with comrades, to laugh and talk but also deliberate and mourn with them, he wants more than anything to hold on to those feelings and memories until Day 100, and carry them beyond even after his flames die out. ]

Sorry for bringing the mood down... [ Talking about people they miss, on the first day... ] Um... My name is Shion. What's yours? Where are you from?