Incomprehensible Jesters

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Incomprehensible Jesters
"Sometimes I wonder if I should come back, but the whole community seems quite dead at this point." He smirks to himself, locking and unlocking his fingers. "Of course, I think many would want me dead on principle if they even know of me. So perhaps it's for the best that I stay in my corner of the galaxy."
Reblog this if you’re polyamorous, searching for a cryptid, trying to communicate with demons, willing to throw a Molotov cocktail at a police car, really want more tattoos/piercings, or just really love nonbinary people.
No one will ever know which one 👀
I.
“What makes a secret worth keeping?”
The astropath smiles thin daggers, raising a finger to his lips, conspiratorially and mischievously. "I couldn't say precisely as to how you may operate, but I know I'm very fond of cost-benefit lists in those types of situations. In addition, many secrets just aren't worth the trouble people think they'll get for having them." Draco shrugs. "Knowledge that a man has a scandalous tattoo isn't quite worth the same as knowing that said man is a suicide bomber for a terrorist cell. You understand."
non ducor, duco.
"Is anyone out there...? I know I have been- away as of late, my apologies, all. I hope to come back, if there's anyone that would like to interact with me." The transmission is crackly and static-ridden, but still, it sends to anyone that would receive it.
"Please be normal." Marduk hisses, leaning close to the smaller man as they approach the choir chamber. "All you have to do is stay quiet and stay in your lane, at least this time, and we'll be fine." "I'll see what I can do, Mr. Kainis." Draco smiles far-too-pleasantly then getting serious. "I'll do my best, but it's... challenging, even when I know the other members." "I'll be helping smooth things over too. We've got this." Marduk stretches idly, arm cracking as they enter.
Loud laughter can be heard from the Saldhana’s choir, Cirsi rubbing her face exasperated. A few members point towards the two who entered, one member shoving another closer to them. She calls down to them “Welcome back you two. Hope you got enough rest, since the Captain wants us to move towards the drop off point for our latest cargo. Your partners are waiting for you to take your seats.” Turning more towards her choir, her voice drops an octave “Isn’t that right everyone?” The choir stops laughing and immediately moves to their spots, leaving two empty seats across the room from each other. “Draco you are on the right, Marduk on the left. I’ll need to speak to the two of you after we get to the location.” She turns and quietly converses with Captain Helios, gesturing wildly occasionally.
"Just a staff, nothing too fancy." Marduk drawls. "And yeah, I'd love to use my psyker shit. It's not really worth getting my eyes burned out if I never use any of it, you know how it is."
Draco's quiet, listening to the people around him before he murmurs. "Mr. Kainis, if you'll be alright here, I might go track down our acquaintance in Engineering."
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Marduk nods, placing a hand on Draco's shoulder and pulling him closer for a moment. "Play it safe." He hisses before he lets go, turning his attention back to the astropaths.
Draco undulates his fingers in a wave and nodding politely. "Until next time, then, Choirmaster Rubeus."
She waves Draco off, “I’ll be checking in once Marduk is finished with his fights. If he lasts more than one.” She snorts, turning her attention to Marduk. “What psychic abilities do you want to use? Depending on what it is, the rules will change and drastically. Pyromancy cannot be used to kill, but minor maiming is okay, since we have biomancers on standby to heal any injuries. Telekinesis cannot be used to keep the opponent off the floor for more than five seconds.”
"Sounds like a pretty good time." Marduk grins, rolling his shoulders and making a show of 'looking' around at the gathered astropaths. "Who's getting their ass kicked first?"
"Please be normal." Marduk hisses, leaning close to the smaller man as they approach the choir chamber. "All you have to do is stay quiet and stay in your lane, at least this time, and we'll be fine." "I'll see what I can do, Mr. Kainis." Draco smiles far-too-pleasantly then getting serious. "I'll do my best, but it's... challenging, even when I know the other members." "I'll be helping smooth things over too. We've got this." Marduk stretches idly, arm cracking as they enter.
Loud laughter can be heard from the Saldhana’s choir, Cirsi rubbing her face exasperated. A few members point towards the two who entered, one member shoving another closer to them. She calls down to them “Welcome back you two. Hope you got enough rest, since the Captain wants us to move towards the drop off point for our latest cargo. Your partners are waiting for you to take your seats.” Turning more towards her choir, her voice drops an octave “Isn’t that right everyone?” The choir stops laughing and immediately moves to their spots, leaving two empty seats across the room from each other. “Draco you are on the right, Marduk on the left. I’ll need to speak to the two of you after we get to the location.” She turns and quietly converses with Captain Helios, gesturing wildly occasionally.
"Just a staff, nothing too fancy." Marduk drawls. "And yeah, I'd love to use my psyker shit. It's not really worth getting my eyes burned out if I never use any of it, you know how it is."
Draco's quiet, listening to the people around him before he murmurs. "Mr. Kainis, if you'll be alright here, I might go track down our acquaintance in Engineering."
"Yeah, I'll be fine." Marduk nods, placing a hand on Draco's shoulder and pulling him closer for a moment. "Play it safe." He hisses before he lets go, turning his attention back to the astropaths.
Draco undulates his fingers in a wave and nodding politely. "Until next time, then, Choirmaster Rubeus."
*: ・゚✧ interrogation starters.
feel free to change pronouns etc as needed.
CALM / QUESTIONING.
“ tell me, what happened?”
“ did you see anything?”
“ what do you remember?”
“ do you remember anything unusual?”
“ please, try to remember as much as you can.”
“ every detail is important.”
“ and what happened next?”
“ and what did you do when all this took place?”
“ what were you doing around __ am/pm?”
“ where were you around __ am/pm?”
“ can anyone verify that?”
“ was someone with you?”
“ and you had nothing to do with it?”
“ and you weren’t involved?”
“ did you see it happen?”
“ did you see who did it?”
“ did you see or hear anything? anything at all?”
CARING / UNDERSTANDING.
“ you seem scared… is that why you don’t want to talk?”
“ did someone hurt you?”
“ it’s okay. you can tell me.”
“ you were just trying to defend yourself, weren’t you?”
“ we can take a break, if you want.”
“ everything will be okay, i promise. but you need to talk to me.”
“ it’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it. but it really would help if you did.”
SUSPICIOUS.
“ there is something you’re not telling me.”
“ i think you’re lying.”
“ you looked away just now when you said that. are you sure you’re telling the truth?”
“ except what you’re telling me doesn’t align with what we already know.”
“ seems to me like you know more than you’re letting in on.”
“ what aren’t you telling me?”
“ who are you trying to protect?”
“ so you really don’t know what any of it means? no clue at all?”
“ they must’ve told you more than that.”
“ you have to have seen more than that.”
“ and you want me to believe you don’t remember?”
“ and you want me to believe you had nothing to do with it?”
“ an accident? is that what you’re going with?”
DEMANDING.
“ i need you to tell me the truth.”
“ i need you to tell me what happened.”
“ i know you’re not telling me the truth.”
“ that doesn’t line up with the evidence. so… you wanna try that again?”
“ stop lying. i already know that’s not what happened.”
MAKING A DEAL / ASKING FOR HELP / DEMANDING HELP.
“ what do you want in exchange for this information?”
“ i’m listening…”
“ you’re coming with me.”
“ since you’re the only one who knows how to find them, i don’t really have a choice but to take you with me.”
“ fine. i’ll take you with me, but if you try anything…”
“ i can’t give you that. you know that.”
“ if we’re going to make a deal, you’re gonna have to ask for something a little more rational than that.”
“ okay. we have a deal.”
“ sorry. no deal.”
Starter Call! Like/reblog fr some starters!
*: ・゚✧ dexter season one episode one starters.
feel free to change pronouns, wording, etc. as needed!
“ tonight’s the night.”
“ you’re mine now, so do exactly as i say.”
“ what do you want?”
“ i want you to be quiet.”
“ you have to listen… do what i say.”
“ it’s horrible. isn’t it? isn’t it?”
“ OPEN YOUR EYES AND LOOK AT WHAT YOU DID!”
“ look or i’ll cut your eyelids right off your face.”
“ stop! that never helped anybody.”
“ please, you can have anything.”
“ please, you have to understand.”
“ trust me, i definitely understand.”
“ see, i can’t help myself either.”
“ i have standards.”
“ i don’t know what made me the way i am.”
“ i don’t know what made me the way i am, but whatever it was left a hollow place inside.”
“ people fake a lot of human interactions, but i feel like i fake them all. and i fake them very well.”
“ they’re both dead now.”
“ i didn’t kill them. honest.”
“ you’re different, aren’t you?”
“ i found the grave.”
“ there were a lot of bones in there.”
“ i’m a very neat monster.”
“ [name], are you there?”
“ i need you here, okay? please? pretty fucking please with cheese on top.”
“ you better be a cop.”
“ where the hell do you keep your gun?”
“ any suspects?”
“ how does someone so dumb get so much power?”
“ she knows how to play the game. you could take a lesson.”
“ you can’t get so emotionally invested.”
“ what can i do to help?”
“ can i bounce some ideas off of you later? you know i always get smarter when i’m talking to you.”
“ you just need a little more confidence.”
“ you’re making me smarter already, see?”
“ it’s hot as hell out here.”
“ so… why are you here?”
“ there’s no blood here.”
“ it’s the weirdest thing you ever saw.”
“ i can’t think. i have to get out of here.”
“ where are you going?”
“ i wish you’d stop that.”
“ it’s one of those mating rituals which i really don’t understand.”
“ how’s the family?”
“ see you at the next bloodbath?”
“ never miss a party.”
“ ha-ha, you’re a sick bastard.”
“ and thanks for the fucking doughnut.”
“ never leave home without my rubber gloves.”
“ so. anything new?”
“ one of these days you’re gonna tell me.”
“ i like doing it. maybe i can help out. it fills my nights.”
“ you have a morbid sense of fun.”
“ just don’t get me fired.”
“ just like me… empty inside.”
“ where the hell you been?”
“ you’re giving me the fucking creeps, you know that?”
“ fuck you.”
“ look at the blood spatter, look at the patterns. it tells a story.”
“ there’s always a sacrifice.”
“ animals don’t like me.”
“ have you ever wanted to kill anything else? like a person?”
“ why didn’t you?”
“ i don’t understand sex.”
“ when it comes to the actual act of sex, it’s always just seemed so… undignified.”
“ vanilla, chocolate and strawberry… which one do you think melts faster?”
“ will you be back?”
“ needless to say, i have some unusual habits.”
“ normal people are so hostile.”
“ just stay right there.”
“ i’ll be right back.”
“ will they catch him soon?”
“ i’m sorry. i don’t think i want to.”
“ what have i done now?”
“ i can explain.”
“ you and i had an understanding.”
“ you come to me, you tell me, and we deal with it together.”
“ there’s blood on this knife!”
“ are you sure? are you telling me the truth?”
“ i thought we had this under control.”
“ you still don’t remember anything from before?”
“ what happened changed something inside you.”
“ i’m afraid your urge to kill is only going to get stronger.”
“ you’re saying i’ll be like this forever.”
“ how can it ever be good?”
“ you’re saying… you’re saying they deserve it.”
“ remember this forever: you are not alone and you are loved.”
“ it’s a waste of time.”
“ she’s dumber than the boat people. throw her a fucking raft.”
“ i could be wrong.”
“ you should try it sometime, you need a life.”
“ don’t make me hit you.”
“ what are you thinking?”
“ why the hell is that important?”
“ i’m pretty sure i covered all my tracks.”
“ what’s your thing, psycho?”
“ it’s okay. i don’t want to upset anybody.”
“ you’ll be the hero.”
“ i have an idea. something in a different direction.”
“ i’m watching you, motherfucker.”
“ no security guards. that’s good.”
“ i’m not sorry.”
“ i was worried. i didn’t know what to do.”
“ would you like to come in?”
“ i don’t want to lose you.”
"Please be normal." Marduk hisses, leaning close to the smaller man as they approach the choir chamber. "All you have to do is stay quiet and stay in your lane, at least this time, and we'll be fine." "I'll see what I can do, Mr. Kainis." Draco smiles far-too-pleasantly then getting serious. "I'll do my best, but it's... challenging, even when I know the other members." "I'll be helping smooth things over too. We've got this." Marduk stretches idly, arm cracking as they enter.
Loud laughter can be heard from the Saldhana’s choir, Cirsi rubbing her face exasperated. A few members point towards the two who entered, one member shoving another closer to them. She calls down to them “Welcome back you two. Hope you got enough rest, since the Captain wants us to move towards the drop off point for our latest cargo. Your partners are waiting for you to take your seats.” Turning more towards her choir, her voice drops an octave “Isn’t that right everyone?” The choir stops laughing and immediately moves to their spots, leaving two empty seats across the room from each other. “Draco you are on the right, Marduk on the left. I’ll need to speak to the two of you after we get to the location.” She turns and quietly converses with Captain Helios, gesturing wildly occasionally.
Cirsi snorts. “I can see why you two are friends. Thanks for the tip Marduk, I’ll try to keep Draco from ever getting near my Vanguards.”
.:I’ll try to help the best I can with whatever you are planning, but I cannot guarantee anything. The Choir will also help, as they usually do for her. If Helios gets wind of this, I’m throwing you under the bus in order to save Egun Ko from being involved.:
.:Just me, if you'd be so kind.:.
.:FUCK no, you don't get to deal with this alone.:. Marduk snarls through the mental link.
.:Mr. Kainis-:.
.:You need help and I'm helping, whatever that entails.:.
The impression of a smile seeps through the link, a fire in a fireplace crackling. .:Thank you.:.
"I'm sure if your astropaths are anywhere as strong as they seem, I can't imagine it'll be too difficult. Even I have my limits."
Marduk coughs, the sound of "bullshit" seeping through.
"Yes, Mr. Kainis?"
"Oh, nothing." The younger Vanguard says far-too-innocently. "Allergies, you know how it is."
"Come now, it's rude to keep secrets. Besides, your only allergies are nickel and pollen and there doesn't seem to be any of that around here."
"Shit, man. Blind and having auditory hallucinations? Those Inquisition missions must've knocked you around worse than we initially thought." Marduk grins. "I'm sure Mergot would love the chance to poke at you again."
"You wouldn't."
"But I might and you're not gonna risk it."
"...Fine, keep your secrets. I'll teach Mr. Rasnen how to initiate a mind link, though."
Marduk groans. "Don't give him another way to talk."
"Your ship sounds so much more interesting than this one." She snorts in good humor and smiles. "Maybe I should meet this Mergot if he's that threatening. Maybe he could teach me a thing or two."
.:Let me know what the plan is when you have one, and I'll try to separate Egun Ko and Captain Helios. I may not be able to do so for long, if at all, but I'll try. We have at most two days before the Hunt, if things go as scheduled.:.
"I assure you, the only time anyone should meet Doctor Cathire is if one needs immediate medical attention." Draco's tone is dry, locking and unlocking the long fingers on one of his hands. "Otherwise, it's an experience that can be easily passed up."
.:Of course. That's not nearly as much time as I'd like, but I'll make it work.:. In contrast to his speaking tone, his mentally projected voice is cold iron and unforgivingly sharp, his aura slightly flaring.
"He feels weird as shit." Marduk nods. "Something's off with Mergot, but it's hard to tell what, exactly."
"I personally chalk bits of it up to his affinity for sedatives."
"That would do it, yeah." Marduk nods, then turns to Cirsi. "Dunno if you'd like it that much, it's just another ship. We just have- quite a few oddballs in our crew."
"Sounds like a party at any rate. The weird ones are the most fun, aren't they?". She laughs and spins to face them, smiling. "I'm sure you'll enjoy the sparring, and," she tilts her head for a moment and snorts, "Marduk, you already have someone who wants to fight you."
.:Good. I had an inkling of an idea to deal with Helios, but I don't know how well that'll work at this point. I'm guessing you've already figured out that this ship isn't 100% inquisitorial?.:
.:I assumed the ship wasn't particularly Inquisition-aligned when the crew saw fit to terrorize and beat an agent of the Inquisition. If you have ideas, I'd be willing to consider them:. Draco's internal tone is cold and sharp, a contrast to his external exasperated laugh. "I certainly wouldn't mind some more conventional crew. The quirks are interesting for a time, but too many in one ship leads to a fair amount of frankly unnecessary internal friction."
"Yeah?" Marduk smirks. "They don't stand a chance in hell against me, I'm gonna beat them into the ship's floor."
"If memory serves, didn't Miss Ko manage to pin you, Mr. Kainis?" Draco's smile oozes shit-eating amusement.
"Doesn't count, four people in one quarters doesn't leave a whole lot of room to move around." Marduk dismisses it easily, waving the thought away with a careless flick of his rest.
"I'm sure, Mr. Kainis."
"Hey asshole, did you want to spar?" There's clear amiability behind the playful threat. "I've got plenty of ass-kicking to go around."
"Oh, I know. I'm simply not interested in being embarrassed in front of an entirely new crew." Draco gestures as if carelessly examining his fingernails. "It's politics, you see."
"Fuck, that's right, I forgot you're a bitch!" Marduk's voice is teasing. "Man, how stupid of me."
"Indeed." The older man agrees with an amused laugh. "I'm perfectly content minimizing the amount of physical conflict I get into and if that makes me a 'bitch', then so be it."
Cirsi whistles appreciatively, "So Egun Ko managed to actually do that? I knew she was strong despite everything, but to pin someone is a feat."
.:Most people on the ship don't know that she's a part of the Inquisition, since Helios has kept that hidden. Other than that, Helios is transporting something he really shouldn't, and I was thinking of hiding it for a while to make him search for it. Since it's so important to this trade he has, I bet he's willing to part with Egun Ko for a while.:.
"Regardless of how well you think you fight Marduk, I wouldn't be surprised if some newcomer gives you a hard time." She snrrks as she spins back around.
A fond smile tugs at Draco's lips as he falls into step slightly behind Marduk. "...I look forward to seeing Miss Ko at her full potential."
.:If you need assistance, simply let me know. I'll see what I can throw together on my end.:.
"I fucking hope so. It's not fun just kicking the shit out of everyone right away, the challenge's the best part!"
Draco snorts. "Perhaps Miss Keres would like to spar with you at some point, then. She's probably somewhere in the lower decks right now but I doubt this ship thought to try to part her from her chain-glaive."
Marduk barks a quick laugh. "They let her on at all after the last fight club incident?"
"I'm told she's quite talented in engineering and archeotech, I assume those are the reasons Inquisitor Wolfe sent her over."
"There's only three of us over here, yeah?" Marduk muses thoughtfully after a moment.
"Correct."
"...You ever wonder why us in particular? Two vanguards and one of the most vicious fighters on The Dauntless?"
Draco shrugs. "I don't have one-to-one access to the Inquisitor. I was simply told to go assist however was needed for the time being. I also doubt she's one of the most vicious aboard The Dauntless, she's simply practical."
Cirsi snorts, "Well, we can always use the help with engineering on this ship. Or with some of the tech Helios transports."
The sound of muffled cheering and jeering gets louder as the group approaches a set of wide double doors. Cirsi grins and stops in front of the doors. "Welcome gentlemen, to the sparring rings.". With that she sweeps an arm to the side to allow the two entrance as the doors opened.
The cheering swelled with the opening of the doors, revealing three large cages. One was a little farther apart from the rest, made out of a glass like material, and had scorch marks marring the floor. The other two rings were fairly clean and had combatants fighting. The warp fluctuating rapidly as they each used their psychic abilities.
Draco tenses slightly at all the new stimulus, pulling his aura in close around him on instinct. This was... odd. His fingers twitch toward his hip for a whip that's no longer there. "Quite- boisterous, aren't they?" He murmurs, though to who is hard to tell.
"It is a little bit of culture shock, isn't it?" Marduk agrees easily, his own aura staying steadfast, almost challengingly as he 'looks' around the area. "It'll be some adjustment."
"Well of course! At first no one wanted to participate, but they chose to do so in order to let off steam after working. Eventually it became a sort of sport for everyone."
She leads them down through the crowd, excited whispers following in her wake.
Draco strains to hear the whispers as he moves, staying carefully quiet. His attention strays toward some of the people sparring but stays mostly on the new astropaths closest to him.
Meanwhile, Marduk smirks, confidently excited. "You know, you should try sparring with some of them. At least here, you're less likely to end up killing someone with Perils."
Draco's smile is politely empty of amusement. "I think it's rather bold of you to assume that time was an accident."
"Fine, be no fun." Marduk waves a hand dismissively. "I'll just have to kick all the ass myself."
"Please be normal." Marduk hisses, leaning close to the smaller man as they approach the choir chamber. "All you have to do is stay quiet and stay in your lane, at least this time, and we'll be fine." "I'll see what I can do, Mr. Kainis." Draco smiles far-too-pleasantly then getting serious. "I'll do my best, but it's... challenging, even when I know the other members." "I'll be helping smooth things over too. We've got this." Marduk stretches idly, arm cracking as they enter.
Loud laughter can be heard from the Saldhana’s choir, Cirsi rubbing her face exasperated. A few members point towards the two who entered, one member shoving another closer to them. She calls down to them “Welcome back you two. Hope you got enough rest, since the Captain wants us to move towards the drop off point for our latest cargo. Your partners are waiting for you to take your seats.” Turning more towards her choir, her voice drops an octave “Isn’t that right everyone?” The choir stops laughing and immediately moves to their spots, leaving two empty seats across the room from each other. “Draco you are on the right, Marduk on the left. I’ll need to speak to the two of you after we get to the location.” She turns and quietly converses with Captain Helios, gesturing wildly occasionally.
Cirsi snorts. “I can see why you two are friends. Thanks for the tip Marduk, I’ll try to keep Draco from ever getting near my Vanguards.”
.:I’ll try to help the best I can with whatever you are planning, but I cannot guarantee anything. The Choir will also help, as they usually do for her. If Helios gets wind of this, I’m throwing you under the bus in order to save Egun Ko from being involved.:
.:Just me, if you'd be so kind.:.
.:FUCK no, you don't get to deal with this alone.:. Marduk snarls through the mental link.
.:Mr. Kainis-:.
.:You need help and I'm helping, whatever that entails.:.
The impression of a smile seeps through the link, a fire in a fireplace crackling. .:Thank you.:.
"I'm sure if your astropaths are anywhere as strong as they seem, I can't imagine it'll be too difficult. Even I have my limits."
Marduk coughs, the sound of "bullshit" seeping through.
"Yes, Mr. Kainis?"
"Oh, nothing." The younger Vanguard says far-too-innocently. "Allergies, you know how it is."
"Come now, it's rude to keep secrets. Besides, your only allergies are nickel and pollen and there doesn't seem to be any of that around here."
"Shit, man. Blind and having auditory hallucinations? Those Inquisition missions must've knocked you around worse than we initially thought." Marduk grins. "I'm sure Mergot would love the chance to poke at you again."
"You wouldn't."
"But I might and you're not gonna risk it."
"...Fine, keep your secrets. I'll teach Mr. Rasnen how to initiate a mind link, though."
Marduk groans. "Don't give him another way to talk."
"Your ship sounds so much more interesting than this one." She snorts in good humor and smiles. "Maybe I should meet this Mergot if he's that threatening. Maybe he could teach me a thing or two."
.:Let me know what the plan is when you have one, and I'll try to separate Egun Ko and Captain Helios. I may not be able to do so for long, if at all, but I'll try. We have at most two days before the Hunt, if things go as scheduled.:.
"I assure you, the only time anyone should meet Doctor Cathire is if one needs immediate medical attention." Draco's tone is dry, locking and unlocking the long fingers on one of his hands. "Otherwise, it's an experience that can be easily passed up."
.:Of course. That's not nearly as much time as I'd like, but I'll make it work.:. In contrast to his speaking tone, his mentally projected voice is cold iron and unforgivingly sharp, his aura slightly flaring.
"He feels weird as shit." Marduk nods. "Something's off with Mergot, but it's hard to tell what, exactly."
"I personally chalk bits of it up to his affinity for sedatives."
"That would do it, yeah." Marduk nods, then turns to Cirsi. "Dunno if you'd like it that much, it's just another ship. We just have- quite a few oddballs in our crew."
"Sounds like a party at any rate. The weird ones are the most fun, aren't they?". She laughs and spins to face them, smiling. "I'm sure you'll enjoy the sparring, and," she tilts her head for a moment and snorts, "Marduk, you already have someone who wants to fight you."
.:Good. I had an inkling of an idea to deal with Helios, but I don't know how well that'll work at this point. I'm guessing you've already figured out that this ship isn't 100% inquisitorial?.:
.:I assumed the ship wasn't particularly Inquisition-aligned when the crew saw fit to terrorize and beat an agent of the Inquisition. If you have ideas, I'd be willing to consider them:. Draco's internal tone is cold and sharp, a contrast to his external exasperated laugh. "I certainly wouldn't mind some more conventional crew. The quirks are interesting for a time, but too many in one ship leads to a fair amount of frankly unnecessary internal friction."
"Yeah?" Marduk smirks. "They don't stand a chance in hell against me, I'm gonna beat them into the ship's floor."
"If memory serves, didn't Miss Ko manage to pin you, Mr. Kainis?" Draco's smile oozes shit-eating amusement.
"Doesn't count, four people in one quarters doesn't leave a whole lot of room to move around." Marduk dismisses it easily, waving the thought away with a careless flick of his rest.
"I'm sure, Mr. Kainis."
"Hey asshole, did you want to spar?" There's clear amiability behind the playful threat. "I've got plenty of ass-kicking to go around."
"Oh, I know. I'm simply not interested in being embarrassed in front of an entirely new crew." Draco gestures as if carelessly examining his fingernails. "It's politics, you see."
"Fuck, that's right, I forgot you're a bitch!" Marduk's voice is teasing. "Man, how stupid of me."
"Indeed." The older man agrees with an amused laugh. "I'm perfectly content minimizing the amount of physical conflict I get into and if that makes me a 'bitch', then so be it."
Cirsi whistles appreciatively, "So Egun Ko managed to actually do that? I knew she was strong despite everything, but to pin someone is a feat."
.:Most people on the ship don't know that she's a part of the Inquisition, since Helios has kept that hidden. Other than that, Helios is transporting something he really shouldn't, and I was thinking of hiding it for a while to make him search for it. Since it's so important to this trade he has, I bet he's willing to part with Egun Ko for a while.:.
"Regardless of how well you think you fight Marduk, I wouldn't be surprised if some newcomer gives you a hard time." She snrrks as she spins back around.
A fond smile tugs at Draco's lips as he falls into step slightly behind Marduk. "...I look forward to seeing Miss Ko at her full potential."
.:If you need assistance, simply let me know. I'll see what I can throw together on my end.:.
"I fucking hope so. It's not fun just kicking the shit out of everyone right away, the challenge's the best part!"
Draco snorts. "Perhaps Miss Keres would like to spar with you at some point, then. She's probably somewhere in the lower decks right now but I doubt this ship thought to try to part her from her chain-glaive."
Marduk barks a quick laugh. "They let her on at all after the last fight club incident?"
"I'm told she's quite talented in engineering and archeotech, I assume those are the reasons Inquisitor Wolfe sent her over."
"There's only three of us over here, yeah?" Marduk muses thoughtfully after a moment.
"Correct."
"...You ever wonder why us in particular? Two vanguards and one of the most vicious fighters on The Dauntless?"
Draco shrugs. "I don't have one-to-one access to the Inquisitor. I was simply told to go assist however was needed for the time being. I also doubt she's one of the most vicious aboard The Dauntless, she's simply practical."
Cirsi snorts, "Well, we can always use the help with engineering on this ship. Or with some of the tech Helios transports."
The sound of muffled cheering and jeering gets louder as the group approaches a set of wide double doors. Cirsi grins and stops in front of the doors. "Welcome gentlemen, to the sparring rings.". With that she sweeps an arm to the side to allow the two entrance as the doors opened.
The cheering swelled with the opening of the doors, revealing three large cages. One was a little farther apart from the rest, made out of a glass like material, and had scorch marks marring the floor. The other two rings were fairly clean and had combatants fighting. The warp fluctuating rapidly as they each used their psychic abilities.
Draco tenses slightly at all the new stimulus, pulling his aura in close around him on instinct. This was... odd. His fingers twitch toward his hip for a whip that's no longer there. "Quite- boisterous, aren't they?" He murmurs, though to who is hard to tell.
"It is a little bit of culture shock, isn't it?" Marduk agrees easily, his own aura staying steadfast, almost challengingly as he 'looks' around the area. "It'll be some adjustment."
"Please be normal." Marduk hisses, leaning close to the smaller man as they approach the choir chamber. "All you have to do is stay quiet and stay in your lane, at least this time, and we'll be fine." "I'll see what I can do, Mr. Kainis." Draco smiles far-too-pleasantly then getting serious. "I'll do my best, but it's... challenging, even when I know the other members." "I'll be helping smooth things over too. We've got this." Marduk stretches idly, arm cracking as they enter.
Loud laughter can be heard from the Saldhana’s choir, Cirsi rubbing her face exasperated. A few members point towards the two who entered, one member shoving another closer to them. She calls down to them “Welcome back you two. Hope you got enough rest, since the Captain wants us to move towards the drop off point for our latest cargo. Your partners are waiting for you to take your seats.” Turning more towards her choir, her voice drops an octave “Isn’t that right everyone?” The choir stops laughing and immediately moves to their spots, leaving two empty seats across the room from each other. “Draco you are on the right, Marduk on the left. I’ll need to speak to the two of you after we get to the location.” She turns and quietly converses with Captain Helios, gesturing wildly occasionally.
Cirsi snorts. “I can see why you two are friends. Thanks for the tip Marduk, I’ll try to keep Draco from ever getting near my Vanguards.”
.:I’ll try to help the best I can with whatever you are planning, but I cannot guarantee anything. The Choir will also help, as they usually do for her. If Helios gets wind of this, I’m throwing you under the bus in order to save Egun Ko from being involved.:
.:Just me, if you'd be so kind.:.
.:FUCK no, you don't get to deal with this alone.:. Marduk snarls through the mental link.
.:Mr. Kainis-:.
.:You need help and I'm helping, whatever that entails.:.
The impression of a smile seeps through the link, a fire in a fireplace crackling. .:Thank you.:.
"I'm sure if your astropaths are anywhere as strong as they seem, I can't imagine it'll be too difficult. Even I have my limits."
Marduk coughs, the sound of "bullshit" seeping through.
"Yes, Mr. Kainis?"
"Oh, nothing." The younger Vanguard says far-too-innocently. "Allergies, you know how it is."
"Come now, it's rude to keep secrets. Besides, your only allergies are nickel and pollen and there doesn't seem to be any of that around here."
"Shit, man. Blind and having auditory hallucinations? Those Inquisition missions must've knocked you around worse than we initially thought." Marduk grins. "I'm sure Mergot would love the chance to poke at you again."
"You wouldn't."
"But I might and you're not gonna risk it."
"...Fine, keep your secrets. I'll teach Mr. Rasnen how to initiate a mind link, though."
Marduk groans. "Don't give him another way to talk."
"Your ship sounds so much more interesting than this one." She snorts in good humor and smiles. "Maybe I should meet this Mergot if he's that threatening. Maybe he could teach me a thing or two."
.:Let me know what the plan is when you have one, and I'll try to separate Egun Ko and Captain Helios. I may not be able to do so for long, if at all, but I'll try. We have at most two days before the Hunt, if things go as scheduled.:.
"I assure you, the only time anyone should meet Doctor Cathire is if one needs immediate medical attention." Draco's tone is dry, locking and unlocking the long fingers on one of his hands. "Otherwise, it's an experience that can be easily passed up."
.:Of course. That's not nearly as much time as I'd like, but I'll make it work.:. In contrast to his speaking tone, his mentally projected voice is cold iron and unforgivingly sharp, his aura slightly flaring.
"He feels weird as shit." Marduk nods. "Something's off with Mergot, but it's hard to tell what, exactly."
"I personally chalk bits of it up to his affinity for sedatives."
"That would do it, yeah." Marduk nods, then turns to Cirsi. "Dunno if you'd like it that much, it's just another ship. We just have- quite a few oddballs in our crew."
"Sounds like a party at any rate. The weird ones are the most fun, aren't they?". She laughs and spins to face them, smiling. "I'm sure you'll enjoy the sparring, and," she tilts her head for a moment and snorts, "Marduk, you already have someone who wants to fight you."
.:Good. I had an inkling of an idea to deal with Helios, but I don't know how well that'll work at this point. I'm guessing you've already figured out that this ship isn't 100% inquisitorial?.:
.:I assumed the ship wasn't particularly Inquisition-aligned when the crew saw fit to terrorize and beat an agent of the Inquisition. If you have ideas, I'd be willing to consider them:. Draco's internal tone is cold and sharp, a contrast to his external exasperated laugh. "I certainly wouldn't mind some more conventional crew. The quirks are interesting for a time, but too many in one ship leads to a fair amount of frankly unnecessary internal friction."
"Yeah?" Marduk smirks. "They don't stand a chance in hell against me, I'm gonna beat them into the ship's floor."
"If memory serves, didn't Miss Ko manage to pin you, Mr. Kainis?" Draco's smile oozes shit-eating amusement.
"Doesn't count, four people in one quarters doesn't leave a whole lot of room to move around." Marduk dismisses it easily, waving the thought away with a careless flick of his rest.
"I'm sure, Mr. Kainis."
"Hey asshole, did you want to spar?" There's clear amiability behind the playful threat. "I've got plenty of ass-kicking to go around."
"Oh, I know. I'm simply not interested in being embarrassed in front of an entirely new crew." Draco gestures as if carelessly examining his fingernails. "It's politics, you see."
"Fuck, that's right, I forgot you're a bitch!" Marduk's voice is teasing. "Man, how stupid of me."
"Indeed." The older man agrees with an amused laugh. "I'm perfectly content minimizing the amount of physical conflict I get into and if that makes me a 'bitch', then so be it."
Cirsi whistles appreciatively, "So Egun Ko managed to actually do that? I knew she was strong despite everything, but to pin someone is a feat."
.:Most people on the ship don't know that she's a part of the Inquisition, since Helios has kept that hidden. Other than that, Helios is transporting something he really shouldn't, and I was thinking of hiding it for a while to make him search for it. Since it's so important to this trade he has, I bet he's willing to part with Egun Ko for a while.:.
"Regardless of how well you think you fight Marduk, I wouldn't be surprised if some newcomer gives you a hard time." She snrrks as she spins back around.
A fond smile tugs at Draco's lips as he falls into step slightly behind Marduk. "...I look forward to seeing Miss Ko at her full potential."
.:If you need assistance, simply let me know. I'll see what I can throw together on my end.:.
"I fucking hope so. It's not fun just kicking the shit out of everyone right away, the challenge's the best part!"
Draco snorts. "Perhaps Miss Keres would like to spar with you at some point, then. She's probably somewhere in the lower decks right now but I doubt this ship thought to try to part her from her chain-glaive."
Marduk barks a quick laugh. "They let her on at all after the last fight club incident?"
"I'm told she's quite talented in engineering and archeotech, I assume those are the reasons Inquisitor Wolfe sent her over."
"There's only three of us over here, yeah?" Marduk muses thoughtfully after a moment.
"Correct."
"...You ever wonder why us in particular? Two vanguards and one of the most vicious fighters on The Dauntless?"
Draco shrugs. "I don't have one-to-one access to the Inquisitor. I was simply told to go assist however was needed for the time being. I also doubt she's one of the most vicious aboard The Dauntless, she's simply practical."
"Please be normal." Marduk hisses, leaning close to the smaller man as they approach the choir chamber. "All you have to do is stay quiet and stay in your lane, at least this time, and we'll be fine." "I'll see what I can do, Mr. Kainis." Draco smiles far-too-pleasantly then getting serious. "I'll do my best, but it's... challenging, even when I know the other members." "I'll be helping smooth things over too. We've got this." Marduk stretches idly, arm cracking as they enter.
Loud laughter can be heard from the Saldhana’s choir, Cirsi rubbing her face exasperated. A few members point towards the two who entered, one member shoving another closer to them. She calls down to them “Welcome back you two. Hope you got enough rest, since the Captain wants us to move towards the drop off point for our latest cargo. Your partners are waiting for you to take your seats.” Turning more towards her choir, her voice drops an octave “Isn’t that right everyone?” The choir stops laughing and immediately moves to their spots, leaving two empty seats across the room from each other. “Draco you are on the right, Marduk on the left. I’ll need to speak to the two of you after we get to the location.” She turns and quietly converses with Captain Helios, gesturing wildly occasionally.
Cirsi snorts. “I can see why you two are friends. Thanks for the tip Marduk, I’ll try to keep Draco from ever getting near my Vanguards.”
.:I’ll try to help the best I can with whatever you are planning, but I cannot guarantee anything. The Choir will also help, as they usually do for her. If Helios gets wind of this, I’m throwing you under the bus in order to save Egun Ko from being involved.:
.:Just me, if you'd be so kind.:.
.:FUCK no, you don't get to deal with this alone.:. Marduk snarls through the mental link.
.:Mr. Kainis-:.
.:You need help and I'm helping, whatever that entails.:.
The impression of a smile seeps through the link, a fire in a fireplace crackling. .:Thank you.:.
"I'm sure if your astropaths are anywhere as strong as they seem, I can't imagine it'll be too difficult. Even I have my limits."
Marduk coughs, the sound of "bullshit" seeping through.
"Yes, Mr. Kainis?"
"Oh, nothing." The younger Vanguard says far-too-innocently. "Allergies, you know how it is."
"Come now, it's rude to keep secrets. Besides, your only allergies are nickel and pollen and there doesn't seem to be any of that around here."
"Shit, man. Blind and having auditory hallucinations? Those Inquisition missions must've knocked you around worse than we initially thought." Marduk grins. "I'm sure Mergot would love the chance to poke at you again."
"You wouldn't."
"But I might and you're not gonna risk it."
"...Fine, keep your secrets. I'll teach Mr. Rasnen how to initiate a mind link, though."
Marduk groans. "Don't give him another way to talk."
"Your ship sounds so much more interesting than this one." She snorts in good humor and smiles. "Maybe I should meet this Mergot if he's that threatening. Maybe he could teach me a thing or two."
.:Let me know what the plan is when you have one, and I'll try to separate Egun Ko and Captain Helios. I may not be able to do so for long, if at all, but I'll try. We have at most two days before the Hunt, if things go as scheduled.:.
"I assure you, the only time anyone should meet Doctor Cathire is if one needs immediate medical attention." Draco's tone is dry, locking and unlocking the long fingers on one of his hands. "Otherwise, it's an experience that can be easily passed up."
.:Of course. That's not nearly as much time as I'd like, but I'll make it work.:. In contrast to his speaking tone, his mentally projected voice is cold iron and unforgivingly sharp, his aura slightly flaring.
"He feels weird as shit." Marduk nods. "Something's off with Mergot, but it's hard to tell what, exactly."
"I personally chalk bits of it up to his affinity for sedatives."
"That would do it, yeah." Marduk nods, then turns to Cirsi. "Dunno if you'd like it that much, it's just another ship. We just have- quite a few oddballs in our crew."
"Sounds like a party at any rate. The weird ones are the most fun, aren't they?". She laughs and spins to face them, smiling. "I'm sure you'll enjoy the sparring, and," she tilts her head for a moment and snorts, "Marduk, you already have someone who wants to fight you."
.:Good. I had an inkling of an idea to deal with Helios, but I don't know how well that'll work at this point. I'm guessing you've already figured out that this ship isn't 100% inquisitorial?.:
.:I assumed the ship wasn't particularly Inquisition-aligned when the crew saw fit to terrorize and beat an agent of the Inquisition. If you have ideas, I'd be willing to consider them:. Draco's internal tone is cold and sharp, a contrast to his external exasperated laugh. "I certainly wouldn't mind some more conventional crew. The quirks are interesting for a time, but too many in one ship leads to a fair amount of frankly unnecessary internal friction."
"Yeah?" Marduk smirks. "They don't stand a chance in hell against me, I'm gonna beat them into the ship's floor."
"If memory serves, didn't Miss Ko manage to pin you, Mr. Kainis?" Draco's smile oozes shit-eating amusement.
"Doesn't count, four people in one quarters doesn't leave a whole lot of room to move around." Marduk dismisses it easily, waving the thought away with a careless flick of his rest.
"I'm sure, Mr. Kainis."
"Hey asshole, did you want to spar?" There's clear amiability behind the playful threat. "I've got plenty of ass-kicking to go around."
"Oh, I know. I'm simply not interested in being embarrassed in front of an entirely new crew." Draco gestures as if carelessly examining his fingernails. "It's politics, you see."
"Fuck, that's right, I forgot you're a bitch!" Marduk's voice is teasing. "Man, how stupid of me."
"Indeed." The older man agrees with an amused laugh. "I'm perfectly content minimizing the amount of physical conflict I get into and if that makes me a 'bitch', then so be it."
"Please be normal." Marduk hisses, leaning close to the smaller man as they approach the choir chamber. "All you have to do is stay quiet and stay in your lane, at least this time, and we'll be fine." "I'll see what I can do, Mr. Kainis." Draco smiles far-too-pleasantly then getting serious. "I'll do my best, but it's... challenging, even when I know the other members." "I'll be helping smooth things over too. We've got this." Marduk stretches idly, arm cracking as they enter.
Loud laughter can be heard from the Saldhana’s choir, Cirsi rubbing her face exasperated. A few members point towards the two who entered, one member shoving another closer to them. She calls down to them “Welcome back you two. Hope you got enough rest, since the Captain wants us to move towards the drop off point for our latest cargo. Your partners are waiting for you to take your seats.” Turning more towards her choir, her voice drops an octave “Isn’t that right everyone?” The choir stops laughing and immediately moves to their spots, leaving two empty seats across the room from each other. “Draco you are on the right, Marduk on the left. I’ll need to speak to the two of you after we get to the location.” She turns and quietly converses with Captain Helios, gesturing wildly occasionally.
Cirsi snorts. “I can see why you two are friends. Thanks for the tip Marduk, I’ll try to keep Draco from ever getting near my Vanguards.”
.:I’ll try to help the best I can with whatever you are planning, but I cannot guarantee anything. The Choir will also help, as they usually do for her. If Helios gets wind of this, I’m throwing you under the bus in order to save Egun Ko from being involved.:
.:Just me, if you'd be so kind.:.
.:FUCK no, you don't get to deal with this alone.:. Marduk snarls through the mental link.
.:Mr. Kainis-:.
.:You need help and I'm helping, whatever that entails.:.
The impression of a smile seeps through the link, a fire in a fireplace crackling. .:Thank you.:.
"I'm sure if your astropaths are anywhere as strong as they seem, I can't imagine it'll be too difficult. Even I have my limits."
Marduk coughs, the sound of "bullshit" seeping through.
"Yes, Mr. Kainis?"
"Oh, nothing." The younger Vanguard says far-too-innocently. "Allergies, you know how it is."
"Come now, it's rude to keep secrets. Besides, your only allergies are nickel and pollen and there doesn't seem to be any of that around here."
"Shit, man. Blind and having auditory hallucinations? Those Inquisition missions must've knocked you around worse than we initially thought." Marduk grins. "I'm sure Mergot would love the chance to poke at you again."
"You wouldn't."
"But I might and you're not gonna risk it."
"...Fine, keep your secrets. I'll teach Mr. Rasnen how to initiate a mind link, though."
Marduk groans. "Don't give him another way to talk."
"Your ship sounds so much more interesting than this one." She snorts in good humor and smiles. "Maybe I should meet this Mergot if he's that threatening. Maybe he could teach me a thing or two."
.:Let me know what the plan is when you have one, and I'll try to separate Egun Ko and Captain Helios. I may not be able to do so for long, if at all, but I'll try. We have at most two days before the Hunt, if things go as scheduled.:.
"I assure you, the only time anyone should meet Doctor Cathire is if one needs immediate medical attention." Draco's tone is dry, locking and unlocking the long fingers on one of his hands. "Otherwise, it's an experience that can be easily passed up."
.:Of course. That's not nearly as much time as I'd like, but I'll make it work.:. In contrast to his speaking tone, his mentally projected voice is cold iron and unforgivingly sharp, his aura slightly flaring.
"He feels weird as shit." Marduk nods. "Something's off with Mergot, but it's hard to tell what, exactly."
"I personally chalk bits of it up to his affinity for sedatives."
"That would do it, yeah." Marduk nods, then turns to Cirsi. "Dunno if you'd like it that much, it's just another ship. We just have- quite a few oddballs in our crew."
if i cannot bend H E A V E N i will raise H E L L