all that glitters

affiliated with endless expanse

[ssendlessexpanse]

We wanted to take a moment to thank everyone that participated and followed Echo Express and Endless Expanse. Without all of you, none of this would have evolved into what the series has become today and we are so grateful. The friendships formed, the stories we were able to tell, and the fun we have all had is really something we hold dear and hope you all do as well. This truly couldn’t have happened without each and every one of you. We love you guys.

So, to all of the EE/X family, we would like to say again…

THANK YOU FOR PLAYING!

[luminescentlumi]

Luminescent Lumi’s Rainbow Brigade | CLOSED

[fantasmagoricas]

fantasmagoricas:

luminescentlumi:

nobodyheardyou:

pentury:

The idea of tackling this scavenger hunt alone never once crossed Toto’s mind; a team was essential, and quickly one had found him. When Lumi steered him to the clothes rack, Toto proved that there was such a thing as ‘too amenable’ as he began pulling off his clothes in the middle of the plaza. Other passengers mingled and dispersed around him as he hung up his coat and fastened a new one in place—leopard print, a perfect match. The outfit Dot had provided for Toto was striking, dazzling, just like him. As Lumi looked him over, Toto took to the attention like a plant absorbing sunlight, and thrived further still in the environment Lumi had created; one of theatrics.

Toto’s eyes brightened as Fantasma rushed to Lumi’s side and struck an equally dynamic pose. The urge to join in was impossible to resist—it was time to lend his name to the Rainbow Brigade. 

“And what’s that? Who’s this?!” Toto swept in with a pose and a spin, arms cutting through the air. “It’s the golden dancer! Toto!” He fell into place in the line, now three members strong, and gave the audience another bold pose. By his showman’s air, no one would have guessed that the audience only consisted of one man—Toto’s eyes settled on Nobody, wide and expectant. With the tips of his fingers, he beckoned the man forward.

“Ehehe! And …?”

Somehow their host knew exactly how to toy with him. Draped over his hanger was a full suit and tie, a heavy trench coat, even a badge. Nobody held the ensemble out in front of him. The look was an authentic one, and he would not deny that it struck a spark of excitement, but he couldn’t kid himself. He would be no less a man in costume than if Dot had given him an evening gown to wear.

He returned to his team wearing his scavenging uniform in full, and under his arm he carried a shallow bowl with a dish rag draped over its contents. When he drew to a stop he felt the hem of his coat settle below his knees and could not help but smile a little. Images from American dramas flashed through his thoughts—but not for long.

The enthusiasm of his comrades and fearless leader was contagious. He laughed as each of them struck a pose, and when Toto turned the spotlight on him Nobody adjusted his arms around the bowl and applauded. It wasn’t until seconds later that he realized he should have joined in.

“Oh. And, uh… Nobody.” he said, and laughed again. His eyes darted to each of his teammates. “You’re all looking smart. Here. Brought us some fuel.” Nobody swept off the dish towel and held out the bowl. Arranged in a circle was an assortment of donuts. He snatched one for himself and tore off a generous bite.

“So,” he continued around a mouthful, “anyone got any bright ideas?”

“Oho~ A fabulous idea. We can’t conduct a proper investigation on empty stomachs! Brigade, eat up!”

Lumi broke from her posing to pick a donut with pink icing out from the pile. She didn’t particular care about the flavor so much as she cared about how cute it was. It even matched her outfit! Had Nobody done that on purpose? The rascal.

“Think before you speak, Nobody! Don’t you know I’m always full of flawless ideas~?”

Lumi took a proud bite of her donut as she looked over their provided lists. It seemed easy enough to reason that each of these clues corresponded with a different guest. Considering how many their were, it was likely it was for those left living as well… 

“The most logical place to begin our search is with ourselves, hm? Ah, and that isn’t some sort of hippie nonsense. I believe we each possess something that might work for these clues. For instance…”

Lumi tapped her cheek. One of these had to match something she owned. Then it struck her. 

“It protects you from others, and others from you.”

She covered her mouth in shock as she reached for the pocket of her skirt where she kept them… Her precious gloves. Lumi trembled. They were custom. How could Dot ask for such a thing?

“Dot… is a monster… It’s just too cruel…” She removed the gloves from her pocket and showed them to the others. “These… could possibly work…” This was going to be an ordeal. 

What a flawless team! Fantasma broke her pose and clapped for everyone’s performance. Even Nobody’s contribution was deserving of praise -- she was tempted to explain the merits of dramatic body language, but bringing food was much more like him.

But she didn’t have any clue where to start, herself. Riddles were not exactly her strong point. Thankfully Lumi was just the opposite, although her discovery was only momentarily exciting. Fantasma’s smile fell into a thoughtful frown.

“The gloves?” She noted, tilting her head at the accessories as Lumi produced them. Just by looking at them she could tell they were high-quality and almost certainly expensive. The correlation between the cryptic words and the actual item in Lumi’s hands finally clicked. “Ah, they protect in two ways! I see! You must give them to Dot?”

Daintily, absently, Fantasma removed a glove of her own and took one of Nobody’s donuts. She nibbled at it for a few moments, getting her thoughts together before she spoke again.

“I do not know what belongs to me on the list... I will try to think of it! But I did not bring many things to the ship.” Her smile returned, and she looked to the others for affirmation. Her question was prompted more by curiosity than concern. “It is OK with everyone? To give up your things?”

[fantasmagoricas]

view of the sea | ch.3 open

[fantasmagoricas]

fantasmagoricas:

yumigahara:

Rather predictably, Daisy’s eyes light up at Fanta with the noodle, holding it up like a sword. Grabbing the other noodle Fanta picked up with her left, Daisy quickly swims to the pool’s shallow part and lifts herself up.

She eyes Fanta happily before taking up her own stance. Legs bent, the noodle on her left shoulder and her right hand forming a sign in front of her face, index and middle fingers pointed upwards.

Nin nin! Daisy mouths. Ninja Daisy is ready for action! She straightens herself and makes an exaggerated bow.

But, hoping to take her by surprise, Daisy shifts gears and kicks water at Fanta. Then, laughing voicelessly, she swings her weapon wildly and harmlessly, aimed at nowhere in particular.

A ninja?! Such a formidable foe...! Fantasma performs an over-dramatic bow of her own, although coming from her that was nothing new. They were ready now for a proper duel -- except completely unexpectedly, Daisy didn’t look like she wanted to follow any etiquette.

“You are sneaky!” Fantasma gasped as she shielded herself from the splash, her accusation sounding more delighted than anything else. She brandished her weapon, now ready for action, but it seemed that she might have already seen the extent of Daisy’s combat ability. But an idea struck her; with a few ineffective slashes of her own, she moved closer to Daisy until one of the younger woman’s attacks landed.

“Ah!” Fantasma cried out, as if the pool noodle had driven itself straight through her heart. Her own weapon fell from her hand. She staggered backwards a few steps, moving towards the shore, and finally collapsed onto the sand. The water was only a few inches deep here -- she imagined herself to be a tropical Ophelia.

“You defeated me, Daisy...!” she wailed, placing the back of her hand on her forehead and turning her face away from the sun. Despite trying to sound weak and dying in tone, she projected her voice like a stage actor. “It is my loss... ah, the light... it fades...”

[fantasmagoricas]

view of the sea | ch.3 open

[fantasmagoricas]

fantasmagoricas:

pentury:

Toto gave his own three-fingered salute, swift and passionate, then shed his own inner tube when he realized he no longer needed it—not for this game. Brimming with excitement, Toto took Fantasma by the hand and waded to the edge of the shallow end. He stood at the top of the slope, feet planted firmly on the ground, and wondered just how far he could throw his fellow passenger; to the island? To the end of the pool? She could get hurt like that, he decided—just a little strength was enough. 

“I’ll go underwater,” he told her. “And you’ll climb on my shoulders! OK?” 

Satisfied with his explanation and unconcerned with failure, Toto sunk down into the water, slowly until the last hairs on his head disappeared from the surface. He reached behind him to find Fantasma’s ankles and gripped them tight once her feet were in place. His breath bubbled to the top as he rose back up, every muscle in his body tensing under the strain, but Toto was at ease. Everything would go well—it was a thought that always seemed to come true.

With a big breath, Toto broke the surface. His laughter was proud and impish as he brought Fanta higher and higher, and then finally rose to full height. Together, the two of them were over ten feet tall. 

“Now ~ ready?” Toto reached up for Fantasma’s waist. “One! Two! Two and a half … ! Hehe. Three!” With considerable force, Toto launched Fantasma off his shoulders and into the deep end.

Following Toto’s instructions was not difficult. Standing on Toto’s shoulders, she would surely tower over any of the other passengers with ease. She grinned at the thought, although it didn’t seem like anyone was here to witness their combined gargantuan form. A shame.

“Ready!” she said without a trace of hesitation, and then she yelped incoherently as he actually launched her.

Even though he counted her down, Fantasma was not as prepared for the throw as she thought she would be. More than anything she was not prepared for how easy it seemed for him to throw her, whether that was just her own perception of it or not. Regardless she was now sailing through the air, the pool and the ship looking even further below her than they actually were. Time seemed to slow and her heart felt light, comforted and thrilled by something simultaneously familiar and unfamiliar.

She did her best to twist and reorient herself mid-flight, like a cat trying to land on its feet, and she hit the water with an impressive but relatively painless splash. For a few seconds she tumbled around, engulfed by the muffled sound of water moving around her, but she quickly righted herself and kicked back to the surface.

“Hahahahaha!” The laugh came before she could even inhale, and she realized this almost immediately. After a pause to breathe she continued, still treading water. “Thank you, thank you! That was amazing, Toto! Now you will do your jump?”

[estatomartedi-blog]

[chapter 3] that’s my story and i’m stickin’ to it

[fantasmagoricas]

fantasmagoricas:

 estatomartedi:

Tuesday watched her with a look of unadulterated exasperation, as the cogs slowly turned in her brain.  They thought about trying to explain - again - what the problem actually was, and that they weren’t a cop, this is the entire issue, Fantasma… but what was even the point?  It didn’t matter.  They hadn’t wanted an apology… just an excuse to get to know her better - and lo and behold, here it was.

Her throw wasn’t bad - better than they could have managed, they suspected - and Tuesday clapped politely.  Her answer, however, left a lot to be desired.  They picked up a ball, chewing their lip.  “I suppose it’s just that your job sounds… so glamorous compared to others’, yet I haven’t heard anythin’ about it from you.  Is there a reason you avoid talkin’ about your work, amore mio?”  Turning to smile at her, they rolled down the aisle without even looking: it sailed straight into the gutter and missed every pin.  Tuesday seemed not to care in the slightest.

“Perhaps it’s all… top secret?”

“Top secret?” Fantasma repeated, her laugh starting mid-word. She hadn’t expected a question like that, even if they were joking. At the very least they didn’t seem to have been bothered too much by her answer. She looked into the distance, her voice lowering into something playfully dark. “Haha, maybe you are right..? Ah-- but if I say this, then it is no longer top secret... hmmm...”

She tapped her cheek with one finger a few times as Tuesday made their unfortunate attempt, deep in thought about this dilemma, but after a little thought she gave up and shrugged.

“But ‘glamorous’, yes! I speak to many people, and go to beautiful places... I see all the expensive and the luxury things.” She sighed dreamily, retrieving her ball and lining herself up again. Her thoughts of strategy were short-lived, and this time she decided to throw just based on feel. “More important, I can bring stories to people. It is fun!”

The golden sphere rolled... and hit two pins. Still a success! She dusted her palms, satisfied despite her declining performance. “I love my work, but it is no use to talk about it. I will only miss it! Do you love your work, Tuesday?”

[luminescentlumi]

Luminescent Lumi’s Rainbow Brigade | CLOSED

[fantasmagoricas]

fantasmagoricas:

luminescentlumi:

Dot had come into Lumi’s life once more and delivered an unimaginable gift. The ultimate quest in snooping complete with thematic outfits and clever puzzles to crack! What was this? Was she developing feelings for Dot…? Oh, young love! What a thrill!

Needless to say, Lumi wasted no time getting into her new detective outfit. It was rather flashy, wasn’t it? Not that she minded. In fact, she probably preferred it this way. She couldn’t wait to show off to everyone else, but first… She had a game to win.

A prize was on the line! One that didn’t require her to murder anyone and still allowed her to investigate! Of course she was going to participate, but she wasn’t going to do it alone. No, she had to gather the most talented aboard the ship… Passengers with the guts to go the distance. Passengers with the smarts to crack Dot’s code!

Yes… those passengers!!

After gathering up her three targets and forcing them into their detective costumes, she lined them up where Dot had gathered them on the fourth floor. She stood in front of them with her arms behind her back, her expression serious as she looked them up and down. Yes… they looked fabulous.

[ x ]

“Thank you for joining me completely of your own free will, darlings! I’ve got a very special mission for us. It’s something only this team can do… Yes~! We’re going to win Dot’s Scavenger Hunt!”

Lumi posed and began to laugh dramatically. She was possibly a little too excited for this, but she had a hunch that the people she had chosen to join her would share this excitement.

“I’m sure you’re wondering why you have been chosen~ I’ll have you know that it’s only 75% true that you were the first passengers I could get my hands on! The other 25% is because each of you has a unique skill needed to solve these mysteries! What are those skills you ask~? Hmhm… Well, I’m not sure either, but it’ll be fun to find out, won’t it~?”

She was already having too much fun. Striking another trained pose, she winked at her team of misfit explorers and called out.

“You are all officially members of Luminescent Lumi’s Rainbow Brigade! I’m your leader in pink: Rainbow Leader Lumi~! Okay, now you all try. Roll call, roll call~”

Fantasma had needed no convincing and rushed to change into her new clothes as soon as possible. Dot certainly knew how to entertain -- just the sight of herself in her room’s mirror was enough to plunge her into the depths of a  giggle fit she wasn’t sure she could escape from. She did escape, somehow, and returned to the fourth floor at Lumi’s insistence and joined the others.

“This is very exciting! We will have fun!” she said, her hands clasped in front of her and bouncing on her heels. Lumi’s percentages meant nothing to her, and whether her unique skills would be of any use here was still up for debate. It would be stifling to take this too seriously, anyway. But whatever the scientist’s reasons were for picking this group Fantasma had no complaints about the results.

The fun began immediately -- Fantasma laughed at Lumi’s pose and leapt next to her, striking an exquisite stance of her own before anyone could beat her to it. And ‘rainbow brigade’ had an exciting ring to it, even if she wasn’t entirely sure what it was supposed to mean.

“I am Fantasma!” she cheered, as if it were a bold declaration. Nothing else needed to be said, of course, so she directed her attention to her other teammates in anticipation. She watched them intently -- surely they would not disappoint.

[fantasmagoricas]

view of the sea | ch.3 open

[fantasmagoricas]

fantasmagoricas:

rebel-bandit:

Bandit stood up and tried to dodge the splash Fantasma had sent back at him. Unfortunately, he’s not quick enough to avoid it. Now standing at the edge of the pool with the lower half of his body wet, he couldn’t help but chuckle. He was having! The splashing was fun! It was more entertaining than the conversation they were having by far.

In fact, the conversation was…. lacking? It felt like there was a communication barrier despite them both speaking English. The lad couldn’t tell if the woman in the pool was making light of the matter or truly didn’t care.

Quieting his amusement and laughter from the splash war at hand, he tried to speak seriously again, “I don’t think I don’t worry about what other people do. I–” he paused while scratching at his chin. “–I don’t know.”

Bandit frowned and shoved his hands into his pocket. He sat criss crossed at the edge of the pool now.

“Fanta. What do you care about?”

Fantasma hummed, considering Bandit’s question for a moment. The way he was seated now, he looked remarkably like a child. It didn’t take her long to come up with a response.

“No!” she said, clear and bright like a bell. “I will not tell. I told you, women like to have mystery!” Besides, she had a feeling that if she tried to explain he wouldn’t really get it anyway. Better to just put an end to this conversation entirely -- she was supposed to be having fun!

“If you want to do something, you do it. This is what I believe.” Her voice was slightly sterner, edging on tired, but her smile remained. “You try to kill Lumi -- if this is what you want, you do not take it back. If you do not want it, you do not try it. It is simple!”

“Now, I will not talk about this any more!” she cheered, leaning back on the donut and redirecting her gaze to the sky. Her eyes narrowed at the lines that ran across, it until she sighed and closed them completely. “My advice is bad. If this is all you want, maybe someone else is better?”

[fantasmagoricas]

view of the sea | ch.3 open

[fantasmagoricas]

fantasmagoricas:

pentury:

At any other beach, Toto’s attire might have raised some eyebrows; here it only demonstrated a lack of commitment. The sand crunched under his boots as he descended the steps, long coat billowing behind him. The pool was just one stop in his daily patrol of the ship—a search for experience, for all its activity—but when he saw the passenger waving at him from the water, the desire to explore vanished in an instant.

“Fantasma!” Toto’s hand shot high into the air to wave back at her. She seemed just as happy to see him as he was to see her, but that was no surprise. With a good mood turned great, Toto leapt through the sand towards the poolside, making a dance of it. Fantasma’s invitation was unnecessary, or perhaps Toto was simply quick to obey—by the time the third word had left her mouth, Toto was already pulling off his clothes. He draped his coat over the back of a pool chair and gave it a parting pat. His pants, suspenders, turtleneck and shoes followed with varying degrees of care. When he turned to face Fantasma, all that remained was his swimsuit, neon green and tiger-striped. 

“Are you ready? Watch!” 

Toto ran to where the water was deepest and stepped up to the poolside. He stretched his arms and bounced his weight, looking down at the pool and then at his toes peeking over the ledge. Toto shifted his weight again, forwards and back, preparation for a jump that never came. 

“Ah- … Wait!” He stumbled backwards. Then, with more confidence, “Wait, wait! I should have one of those! A donut! Haha! Don’t you agree?!” Without waiting for a response, he hurried into the shed, and after a moment’s careful deliberation, he returned with a bright yellow inner tube. Grinning big, Toto waded into the water towards Fantasma.

“Want to see if you can stand on my shoulders? I’ll throw you!”

Fantasma was alarmed and a little intrigued when he started stripping without a second thought, but in the end it turned out that he had swimwear on after all. Oh well. The tiger stripes were certainly his style!

“I am watching!” she called as he ran, remaining where she was waiting patiently for his undoubtedly spectacular jump. Unfortunately it never came, but after his quick retreat and return his new idea was even more exciting. Fantasma bolted upright so quickly she almost lost balance.

“Will you?!” she gasped, placing both hands on her face in surprise. They were roughly the same size so there was a chance he wouldn’t be able to pull it off... but he sounded confident. And after seeing him punch like he had during their investigation, he had to have a certain level of strength. It was worth the risk, she decided. “No one ever throws me before! I want to!”

Hopping out of her donut, she tossed it onto the sand and hurried to Toto’s side, giving him an over-eager salute once she stopped. Again she wondered briefly if this was a good idea or not, but dismissed this thought even more quickly than she had before. Bad ideas were their own brand of fun!

“I am ready, Toto! Show me what you can do!”

[mrosterhase-blog]

In memory of...|| Open

[fantasmagoricas]

fantasmagoricas:

mrosterhase:

“Hm…I suppose you can say that. But no one wants to walk into a courtroom and look like a criminal. Everyone tries to be on their best behavior, even if they’ve done something - ah, less than pleasant.” He frowned to himself. Not exactly a great conversation topic…he would spare her the details. “But I think everyone has something that they would want to keep hidden from other people.”

As he watched Fantasma inspect the flowers, Judge could slowly feel a knot forming in his stomach. Something to keep hidden…surely, she was the same, wasn’t she? She seemed so easygoing that he wanted to believe that was how she always was, but he had had his expectation betrayed several times already on this ship. It wasn’t impossible. He sighed uneasily and turned his eyes up towards the ceiling.

“Well, I guess that’s not always a bad thing.” The words seemed to be directed at himself as much as they were to her. “Sometimes you have to hide things to protect other people or keep things in order.”

After a moment of thought, Judge glanced back over at Fantasma and shot her an apologetic smile.

“Ha ha…sorry. It seems like all I’m good for now is being gloomy. How do you stay so cheerful all the time?”

“Sometimes you have to hide things...” Fantasma repeated, nodding to herself. She hadn’t expected Judge to say something like that, but that was all the more reason to take him seriously. She paused before nodding one final time. “I see! Maybe you are right!”

Fantasma stood up and straightened her clothes, dusting her hands as if to rid themselves of the previous conversation entirely. She returned Judge’s smile with a bright one of her own, brimming with confidence.

“For me it is easy!” she declared. “When I feel sad or worry, I know it is no use to feel this way. If I cry or I panic, nothing changes and I only waste time. So! I look at the future!” She punctuated this statement with a grand sweep of her arm, pointing boldly forward.

“I think of the solution! And if I cannot think of one, I have fun until I do think of it!” Giggling, she lowered her arm and replaced her smile with a slightly more mischievous one. “And I think it is fun, sometimes, to cheer up the gloomy people. So, you and I will go do something cheerful!”

[luminescentlumi]

Potential | Chapter 3 [ OPEN ]

[fantasmagoricas]

fantasmagoricas:

luminescentlumi:

“You’re doing well! I miss all the time~!”

Depending on where she was and what business she was in at the time, she would take out potential clients or contacts to bowling to butter them up. She was never very good, but her enthusiasm carried her through the conversation. Nothing like throwing a ball into pins to bring people together.

“Mmm… I play with people I wish to feel closer to…” 

She stepped up to the slick wood flooring and aimed her ball down the lane. With a swift and calculated movement, she sent the ball straight down the middle. She slowly turned around to face Fantasma and placed her hands firmly on her hips. Each pin flew up in the air behind her as ‘STRIKE!’ appeared on the screen overhead.

“…or people I want information from. So, Fantasma, what’s something interesting about yourself~?”

Lumi’s success was so elegantly timed, almost choreographed, that Fantasma wasn’t given time to celebrate and cheer as much as she would have liked. A performance like that deserved some recognition, but maybe that could come later. Questions first.

“You want to know about me? I think you will find many interesting things, so I will choose one...” Fantasma tapped her cheek, looking aimlessly around the room as she carefully considered her next words. Lumi did not strike her as an easily entertained woman, after all, so it would have to be good... “Ah! I know!” Suddenly she snapped her fingers and leaned closer to Lumi, her voice lowering.

“Once, I wore the crown jewels! Of France!” she whispered, her attempt at mystery hampered by the giddiness still evident in her voice. “I was at the museum for other business, but for a short time I was able to try them. Haha!”

She straightened again and retrieved her ball, stepping back to the lane taking careful aim at the pins this time. Maybe she too could roll such a magnificent ‘strike’... someday. Eventually. She gave Lumi a sideways glance before taking her shot.

“Will you tell me about yourself too, Lumi?” The ball rolled -- a gutter again. She shook her head, throwing her hands up in defeat before giving the other woman her full attention again. ”I am very curious, about you and your work!”

[fantasmagoricas]

view of the sea | ch.3 open

[fantasmagoricas]

fantasmagoricas:

nobodyheardyou:

“Worse than that?” Nobody raised his eyebrows. Had Fantasma not been so Fantasma he might not have believed her claim, but experiences like this one seemed to bounce right off her. What was more difficult to believe was that these experiences didn’t bruise on impact.

“Alright, alright. I give in. No more worrying. Least while my feet are in the water.” Nobody watched the other passenger float, inch by inch along the surface of the water. Then the word kind passed between his ears, and his smile twitched. Although he told himself that his concern came from somewhere more pragmatic—from a place that sought peace among these passengers—maybe he was simply softer than he thought. “I don’t know, Fantasma. I’m pretty boring these days.” He pushed off the tile and leaned forward onto his knees.

“But if you wanna compare battle wounds, get over here.” Nobody beckoned her closer with a gesture to punctuate his order, then pushed his right sleeve up and away from his forearm. Hiding among his tattoos was a horizontal scar no longer than a finger. The tissue was pink and caught the light.

“This one’s gotta be the flashiest,” he said, and laughed again. “Seared the hell out of it. Blistered like crazy too. Have you got—” Nobody cut himself off when he looked at Fantasma again, whose state of dress he had managed to forget until now. “Guess you’re not hiding much, eh?”

Fantasma obliged to Nobody’s request without a second thought, eagerly cruising her little float to the edge of the pool with a few well-timed shoves through the water. These things were obviously not made for movement, but she would have to make do. And once Nobody made his grand reveal, she felt it had been worth the trip.

“Amazing! It looks terrible!” she cried, clapping a few times in a tiny applause. A burn, then? She already had a million questions about how he got it, but Nobody’s attention had apparently shifted elsewhere for the moment.

“Hahaha, you are right!” she laughed, spreading her arms wide. She gave herself a once-over, twisting in an attempt to look over her own shoulder, but if there were any nasty scars left they had dwindled into lines too faint to see in this light. Oh well. Fantasma turned back to Nobody and tapped her eyebrow. “Most of mine fade. Except this one! It was not a bad injury, but it stays anyway.”

“When I was very small, me and the other children were always in trouble. We go places we should not go, we do things we should not do. There is one store owner we bother very often -- he is old and mean, but his store has sweets so we go anyway. One day, he sees us and has enough -- he chases us and throws rocks! That is how I get this.”

Fantasma shrugged. “Haha! It is not an interesting story. But I want to hear about yours!”

[fantasmagoricas]

view of the sea | ch.3 open

[fantasmagoricas]

fantasmagoricas:

rebel-bandit:

Bandit sighed. Why did she sound unsure when she said she wasn’t sure that it would be better if he were dead? How is someone supposed to feel in response to this? Not only that, her saying also went over his head. Well, he understood it but he didn’t have an answer!

He tilted his head and watched the ripples flow throughout the pool from the disturbance that is the two of them. He was trying to think of something smart to say in response to her. Something Fantasma may be impressed by. The ripples weren’t helping so he took a look to the sky. He couldn’t even properly enjoy the view because of the cage that engulfs the Endless Expanse. Bummer. He’ll just have to look dumb.

“You’re no help,” he sighed. Bandit waved his hand dismissively in from of him. “You don’t even know if my being alive is good a thing or not, you’re guidance sucks, and nothing was accomplished.”

Bandit couldn’t help but chuckle. He scooped up some water and tried to splash Fantasma the best he could.

“I appreciate it anyway!”

'Guidance’... maybe her words had lost something in translation, but she hadn’t really thought of what she was doing as an attempt at guidance. Oh well -- even if he had understood her perfectly, she had her doubts that his response would be much different. On top of being sensitive Bandit was, despite everything, still a very stubborn personality.

“Yes, I am no help. My guidance is bad-- I can not tell you good advice.” she smiled tightly, reeling back daintily and holding her hand up as a shield from Bandit’s splashes. Fantasma couldn’t tell if it was her fault or his, but she found conversing with this particular passenger took a little more effort than most of the other passengers. “How do I explain it... because to me, what Bandido does is not important.”

“Pfffthaha! It does not matter.” she stifled a much larger laugh, although not very well. Feeling another wave bubbling up in her chest, she hurriedly kicked some water back at him, creating a probably unnecessarily forceful splash. “I think you do not worry about what the other people do either, no? So you do not need advice.”

[mrosterhase-blog]

In memory of...|| Open

[fantasmagoricas]

fantasmagoricas:

mrosterhase:

Judge gave Fantasma a faint smile and a wave as she entered. Still as peppy as ever, it seemed. Still, something in her cheerfulness wavered as she glanced over at the new addition to the garden.

“Hm…well, to be honest, I’m not a gardening expert, either. You could probably tell already, though.” He let out a weak chuckle as he looked back over at his work. “Hopefully you can do better than I can.”

Padre…that was her name for Shepherd, he supposed. If she was here on his behalf, it was likely painfully obvious that he hadn’t attempted to plant anything in his memory. His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked over towards an empty plot of land where something could fit. Well, he wouldn’t stop her if she wanted to take it upon herself to add something new.

“Ah…you and Shepherd - were you two close?” 

“Oh, no no.” Fantasma dismissed him at the first mention of her doing any better than him, waving her hand. She could learn how to grow plants, she was sure, but venturing into the world of horticulture by herself wouldn’t have any point if it was just for her own sake.

“Ah! No! We were not close.” she said, not having expected the question. She placed a finger on her chin, working through how to best explain her feelings. Normally she could just blurt them out, or proclaim them with confidence, but lately she had been forced to contend with many more complex thoughts. “But when we talked, I thought ‘he is a good man’! He was fun to talk with. So I was very surprised when we learned he is the one who killed Blythe.”

“What he did to her was not good.” She laughed a little, crouching to look at the flowers more closely. Without any knowledge on the subject, Judge’s handiwork looked quite alright to her. Suddenly she had a realization, her voice a bit softer as she went on. “Ah, but maybe you are used to this. Because of your work, maybe you often meet people who are... not the same as their look.”

[fantasmagoricas]

view of the sea | ch.3 open

[fantasmagoricas]

fantasmagoricas:

yumigahara:

Daisy’s never had much chances to swim in her life, but the few times she’d gotten the chance to, she’d enjoy it so much that oneesama often scolded her for staying in the water too long.

Although it’s been a little over a week since they first stepped into the ship, this would only be Daisy’s first time in the cruise’s pool. Properly. The first day with Toto doesn’t count. This time, she’s brought a dry-suit, which looked to be more fit for deep water diving.

Daisy pops out of the water, and seats herself on an edge of the pool. She looks rather satisfied, but she plans to swim around more. And upon spotting a certain someone waving at her, Daisy is definitely swimming some more.

Almost accidentally jumping back into the water in her excitement, Daisy waves back at Fanta eagerly. 

She dives back in, and swims gracefully underwater towards Fanta. Her hands gently grab hold onto Fanta’s float and her head appears above the water, smiling cheerfully. 

Water very pretty! she mouths slowly, Fanta very pretty! Wanna play?

“Daisy!” she cheered, spreading her arms. The balance of the float shifted just slightly as Daisy grabbed it, but Fantasma didn’t think she was in any danger of toppling into the water any time soon. These plastic inflatables seemed surprisingly durable... but all that aside, maybe an actual swim wouldn’t be so bad either.

She watched Daisy intently, doing her best to register her lip movement as actual words. In the end she didn’t think she really got it completely, but after a moment of consideration the important words became obvious.

“You say ‘pretty’? Thank you! You are pretty too, Daisy!” she giggled, looking back towards the shed of pool accessories. She didn’t really know any swimming games, but surely she could think of something... “What will we play-- ah! I know!”

Fantasma vaulted herself out of the float and into the water, and then swiftly pushed herself over the edge back onto the deck. Forcing herself not to run she hurried to the shed, quickly returning with two pool noodles in her arms. While still on dry land she tossed one of them in Daisy’s direction before stepping back into the pool, in an area where it was shallow enough to stand. With one hand on her hip she brandished her weapon, holding the foam noodle like it was Excalibur itself.

“We will battle! Enguarde!”

[estatomartedi-blog]

[chapter 3] that’s my story and i’m stickin’ to it

[fantasmagoricas]

fantasmagoricas:

estatomartedi:

Ah, lucky them - just the person they’d been wanting to chat to.  She hadn’t meant it, they knew, so it wasn’t that they were angry: it was either a slip of the tongue or a simple lack of understanding.  If her sunny expression was anything to go by, she certainly didn’t understand the trouble she’d put them through.

“Fantasma.  Good of you to stop by.”  Tuesday smiled, crookedly.  “I’ve got a bone to pick with you.”  Ignoring the bowling ball still lying on the floor, they padded up the steps and approached.

“Somethin’ you let slip in the theatre the other day has really captured everyone’s imaginations!”  They clapped their hands together.  “See, they all figure now I’m some undercover detective who’s been keepin’ secrets from them.  All wanna know my life’s story.  And frankly, I don’t wanna tell ‘em.  So.  I figure fair’s only fair.  You know so much about me you can go ‘round tellin’ everybody?  I wanna know somethin’ about you.”  

Tuesday spread their arms wide, indicating the alleys behind them, and grinned.  “Bowl with me, and let’s hear it from the horse’s mouth: who is Fantasma?”

Tuesday was usually an easy conversation partner, so their mention of a ‘bone to pick’ caught her off guard. Their explanation didn’t really clear things up for her, and for a few quiet seconds afterwards she could only blink at them.

“Ah! I am sorry! I did not know it is a secret...” Fantasma gasped and then frowned, placing her hand on her cheek. She couldn’t remember them saying anything about it needing to be kept under wraps -- they brought it up in public after all, with no shortage of people to hear them. And at the time it had sounded like Nightingale had already known about it... oh well. Her smile returned as she decided not to puzzle over it further. “I know only a little about bowling, but I will join you!”

Strolling forward past the broken machine, she scooped up the golden bowling ball from the floor and held it to her chest, mimicking what little of the sport she had seen on the ship. Even with her eyes trained singularly on the pins at the end of the lane she spoke, casual and upbeat. “I am Fantasma. For my work, I sell art. I am born in Spain, and I live there now alone-- ah, but I travel often so I am rarely home.”

She sent the ball rolling, with a little more speed than she meant to, but it still reached the end and hit five whole pins. Incredible! Fantasma pumped both fists in triumph before turning back to Tuesday, moving her hands to her hips.

“Is this OK?” she asked, the brightness in her voice not quite reaching her eyes. The look she gave them was expectant, almost challenging. “Haha, if I am honest, I do not know what to say... but if you ask a question, I will answer it!”

[fantasmagoricas]

view of the sea | ch.3 open

[fantasmagoricas]

fantasmagoricas:

rebel-bandit:

Bandit nodded when Fantasma stated that they could still talk. Admittedly, he was a little disappointed that Fantasma didn’t persist on him joining her in the pool. Oh well, it’d be totally uncool if he pressed the issue.

When Fantasma spoke again in a much more darkened tone, Bandit’s face tightened. Whether she was joking or not, Bandit didn’t think it was funny.

“Really? I thought you of all people wouldn’t give me crap about it!” He shook his head disapprovingly, “Guess I misjudged you.”

Allowing some time to pass to let the atmosphere of the conversation get heavier, he finally broke it with a sigh. Bandit let his face sink into a somber expression. He then rolled up his pants and dipped his feet into the water while he sat at the edge of the pool.

“What should I even do? In this game, I mean? I feel like even though I’m trying to win, I’m still losing.” He then groaned, “Stickity stars! I don’t even know why I’m asking you. It’d be better for you if I died, wouldn’t it?”

Maybe she should have guessed that he wouldn’t take that joke well. Bandit was a... sensitive boy. His criticism wasn’t anything to worry about regardless, and she simply responded to his glare by raising both hands in a shrug.

While he was making himself comfortable she had been content to sit wordlessly, listening to muffled sounds of waves rushing against the side of the ship. The silence was broken quickly, but she perked up a little at the question.

“Better for me?” she asked, and then hummed for a moment. She thought about this for a short while, her gaze drifting to something distant and insignificant. Finally she shook her head, although when she answered her voice still trailed upwards in genuine confusion. “No, I do not think so?”

“Ah, but I do not know ‘what you should do’. A lo hecho, pecho.” With the difficult thinking exercise finished she smiled again, laughing briefly at herself and knocking one fist against her chest a few times. “This means something like... you cannot change what you did, so you must face it. If you know this, what do you want to do?”

[fantasmagoricas]

view of the sea | ch.3 open

[fantasmagoricas]

fantasmagoricas:

nobodyheardyou:

As the day drew to a close Nobody could feel his gait growing heavy, but in a stubborn effort to make use of the space provided he paced one floor after the next until he reached the main deck. Although walking helped to keep his mind off the big stuff, he could not keep his thoughts from wandering to the people Shepherd had left behind. By now the others doubtless had people asking after them as well. Nobody thought of his own family and stifled a laugh. They would not be wondering where he had gone.

A bright greeting cut apart his rumination. He tore his eyes from the view beyond the railing, and when he spied the other passenger Nobody nearly choked on his own breath. He greeted her with a loose hand.

“You know what? I think I will,” he said, and stopped next to the pool. His teeth were clenched behind a smile. Fantasma’s swimwear left nothing to the imagination, and it was taking the last of his energy to keep his eyes from roaming. Once his shoes were tossed aside and his pants cuffed at the knee, Nobody sat at the water’s edge and dunked his feet.

“Ahhhh,” he breathed, and leaned back on his hands. “Guess I needed this more than I thought.” As he considered a full swim, his eyes found Fantasma’s stark white bandage. His smile faltered. “How’s the battle wound?”

Nobody was always good for conversation, although he did insist on being almost paternally concerned about everyone’s injuries. It would be better, she thought, to think of it all as something that happened rather than something that was still happening. As soon as this bandage came off that could become a reality. But even if she didn’t want his sympathy, she laughed at his phrasing-- if it could be called a battle wound, maybe she should have put up more of a fight.

“It is nothing!” she said, waving her hand dismissively. She looked up at the sky and stretched a little before, sighing and lying back with her arms behind her head. Her smile widened, just barely, and it was difficult not to close her eyes as she reminisced. “When I was young-- more young-- I was very reckless. Maybe... one or two times, I am hurt worse than this. So to me it is no problem!”

“No no, I am finished with this. Even when you are here to relax, you worry! Haha!” She laughed, feeling like the memories would dissipate into the air along with her voice. She tilted her head at Nobody, her eyes narrowed in playful scrutiny. “You are kind, but I think you are not such a boring man. You must have your own battle wounds! No?”