-- tenebrousThorns [TT] began pestering chicaneAgamemnon [CA] at 17:30 --
[04:24] CA: *he's looking even worse than he has lately, wandering into roses office, his hair a mess, not looking like he's really slept for a couple days*
[04:25] TT: -She frowns, not the least surprised as he enters.- I heard you were there.
[04:25] TT: When everything...
[04:26] TT: Are you okay?
[04:38] CA: *he WANTS to do his typical, lol you kidding of course im fine, but he doesn't. He stands there and stares at her for a moment before going to sit down* heh, not really.
[04:41] TT: Didn't think so.
[04:41] TT: ...This is a lot to process at once.
[04:44] CA: i really didnt think hed just go and do something like that, you knowv?
[04:45] TT: ...I admit. I was not expecting that specifically, no.
[04:45] TT: -She sounds slightly bitter. Of course he didn't go after the Empress herself-- she could have felt a lot more justified in something like that.-
[04:45] TT: Spoken to him, since then?
[04:48] CA: yeah, i vwisited him in the holding cells.
[04:49] TT: How... did it go? -She asks, delicately. She's still trying to piece together what she feels about all of this.-
[04:50] CA: it... vwent. i told him howv i felt and he vwas pretty accepting of that.
[04:51] TT: I have absolutely no idea what to make of this.
[04:52] CA: *blinks and looks at her* vwhat?
[04:52] TT: He stabbed-- her consort. To prove a point? Revenge? Spite?
[04:52] TT: Or because it would be easier, I suppose?
[04:52] TT: For fuck's sake, I--
[04:52] TT: I just don't understand.
[04:56] CA: *that hadn't occured to him. That rufioh HADNT gone after lifera, he went after someone who. as far as cronus knew, had nothing to do with anything. It wasn't even a highblood, it was a human. He stares up at the ceiling*
[04:57] TT: -She wraps an arm around him. She's a little bit shaken-- maybe angry for those very reasons. She squeezes his shoulder.- I'm sorry you had to see it.
[04:59] CA: ... he says hes not going to stop until shes punished for vwhat shes done but i dont feel like i understand vwhat she did.
[05:00] TT: There's a good deal to explain on that subject alone.
[05:00] TT: It's complicated.
[05:02] TT: ...Europa was bombing Earth, and the alliance assured that they were complicit in such matters. Regardless of whether or not there was any official endorsement. But Europa's governing body is an entirely different beast from Beforus, which stands-- stood-- as an isolationist empire, for most of its existence...
[05:02] TT: ...But, the past tense would be important, more important than anything, I'd think, considering what we all witnessed in that video.
[05:03] TT: That's to say nothing yet of the exploitation-- or enslavement, I guess, investigation was ongoing as to how severe it was-- of psionic labor, roughly... a year and a half ago, when we visited the planet...
[05:03] TT: Of course, that's all politics.
[05:04] TT: You don't just stab someone because of politics.
[05:04] TT: Politics prefers to use-- I don't know.
[05:04] TT: Three drops of arsenic in your tea or a bomb under a car.
[05:04] TT: It's something you plan.
[05:06] CA: yeah i remember seeing stuff like this sometimes back on europa. evwery time a lowvblood vwould get vwiolent ovwer the vway things vwere run the archmage vwould reciprocate vwith vwiolence, but vwhenevwer it vwas just talking sometimes hed listen to vwhatevwer it vwas.
[05:07] CA: it vwas one of those... you strike you get struck dowvn but if you dont really seem like a threat he didnt take issue or something like that.
[05:11] TT: ...Something like that. I wasn't terribly familiar with how Beforus ran. She kept things rather clean on the surface, if nothing else.
[05:12] TT: I don't know why she's here, though.
[05:13] CA: it sounded like that guy rufioh stabbed rescued her from prison or something.
[05:14] CA: and vwith howv frustrated the newv captain looked im pretty sure he didnt ask anyone to.
[05:15] TT: -She rubs her eyes.-
[05:15] TT: So you mean to tell me that it is completely fucked.
[05:15] CA: yeah, i think so.
[05:19] TT: ...How's Meulin handling this?
[05:22] CA: shes devwastated. and shell keep being devwastated unless rufioh knocks it off, i think.
[05:23] TT: Someone's going to have to talk to him, I suppose.
[05:23] TT: If we can talk him out of this.
[05:23] TT: Aranea is somehow still walking free on this ship.
[05:24] TT: I'm sure someone will find some reason or way.
[05:31] CA: yeah as long as he vwants this agenda i doubt anyones going to let him go. *sighs* i dont knowv, i didnt argue vwith him a vwhole lot. about it.
[05:32] TT: It's not your fault, whatever he chooses to do with himself.
[05:38] CA: ... *deflates* it still feels like my fault.
[05:38] TT: Why do you say that?
[05:40] CA: i tried to use my magic to calm things dowvn. but it didnt vwork.
[05:40] TT: -It doesn't take long for it to dawn in her mind.
[05:41] TT: You could actually do something? At will?
[05:41] CA: yeah, my musics magic. i can control howv people feel... i think?
[05:50] TT: How did you manage to figure that out?
[06:03] CA: vwell, it vwas that vweird little stocky guy. i think his name is jake?
[06:05] TT: Rings a bell.
[06:09] CA: he said something about howv i could probably do great things vwith my music and i vwas like sure maybe.
[06:10] CA: so i gavwe it a try and it vworked.
[06:11] TT: Well you've made more progress than me in the art of dancing to the whims of a bunch of giant monsters.
[06:12] CA: vwhat do you mean by that?
[06:14] TT: I spoke to a creature calling itself Cetus.
[06:14] TT: We seemt o have made some sort of deal.
[06:16] CA: huh. sounds suspicious if you ask me. i mean i guess i might havwe done that, but i dont remember vwhat it vwas.
[06:26] TT: It was suspicious.
[06:26] TT: So I'm glad to be vindicated on that account.
[06:27] TT: For all we know maybe you did. They're certainly powerful enough to remove a few memories.
[06:29] CA: so youre supposed to havwe some magic nowv too, huh?
[06:32] CA: *sits up a little* hey, maybe i can help.
[06:32] TT: Are you proposing a song?
[06:36] CA: hey, howv did you knowv?
[06:38] TT: Given what you told me, it might actually help.
[06:40] CA: yeah, nowv i just havwe to think of the right mood i vwanna go for... hmm... *strokes chin* maybe inspiration?
[06:43] TT: Inspiration. Whatever one plays when trying to figure out something that they should not, by any right, have to figure out.
[06:44] TT: An elusice knowledge that exists on the far corners of the boundaries of human thought.
[06:59] CA: uh... yeah something like that. *he thinks some more and decide to just start playing whatever, but he tries to channel inspiring thoughts through the sound*
[07:07] TT: -She's not sure what it is she's trying to do with her powers... or how to do it. She rubs her temples and it's at this point she probably should be feeling frustrated with herself, but curiously enough, it seems... okay. Like she can do this, despite evidence to the contrary.
[07:17] CA: *he continues playing on this keytar he totally pulled out that dojo just realizes she didn't write him pulling out in the first place. The song starts to evolve into some new age, particularly into the west by enya*
[07:49] TT: -She is quite readily aware of what she would be thinking otherwise. That this is ridiculous and there's certainly no way to suggest that being inspired would have a tangible effect on her abilities-- whatever abilities those were, if anything at all.-
[07:50] TT: -She begins to feel something, however. Her mind is open as the tune of the music plays through the air. She can't close it like she might normally.-
[07:52] TT: -She feels herself-- falling. Out of her body, out of time, out of space. The lurching feeling gives way to one not just weightlessness, but a complete lack of sensation. All awareness of her body gone-- indeed, even the feeling of /ever/ having been alive seems distant and bizarre to her. -
[07:53] TT: -The knowledge begins to filter into her mind. Not in visions or emotions, but as simple understanding-- she Knows something. No neurons firing clumsy impulses of interpreted sensation, but the certainty of knowing something that is without ever needing to experience it.-
[07:54] TT: -It was rapturous, though brief. The crushing weight of the knowledge began to press upon her-- and all too soon she is back in her body, looking out through her own eyes. She gasps for breath, panting heavily, only just realizing that she hadn't been breathing that whole time.-
[07:58] CA: *immediately stops playing at this reaction, grinning* hey, did it vwork?
-- tenebrousThorns [TT] is now an idle chum! --
[08:18] TT: -She presses her hands to her head, trying to keep it from spinning.-
[08:18] TT: We need to go there.
[08:22] CA: *goes VERY PALE* vwhat.
[08:27] TT: It's under attack. Or...
[08:27] TT: It's going to be.
[08:28] TT: We need to go there next.
[08:31] CA: ... *he feels torn. On the one hand, it's his home, and he had been homesick for quite some time, but on the other hand... he wasn't looking forward to being throwvn into that mix* vwouldnt it be easier to avwoid it if its...
[08:33] TT: -A bit too sharp, abrupt, but she shakes her head.- It's just like Beforus. Or... or close to it, at least. If we don't go there--
[08:33] TT: There's not going to be anything left.
[08:43] CA: oh... shit. i dont vwant that.
[08:52] TT: I need to tell someone.
[09:03] CA: like vwho? captain guy?
[09:07] TT: Ideally. Or First Mate Guy. I'm not picky.
[09:16] CA: hey isnt he also from europa? hed probably get it for sure.
[09:17] TT: You're right about that.
[09:17] TT: Hopefully it carries enough water to be believable.
[09:18] TT: That's something, right?
[09:19] CA: hey yeah, guess my povwers really are for real then, eh? *grins*
[09:20] TT: -She actually smiles, despite the severe mental whiplash from her first real vision.- It did something incredibly important.
[09:21] TT: You did something that made a great difference.
[09:21] TT: In the future.
[09:21] TT: We're not quite there yet.
[09:23] CA: *woah, he feels lightheaded. did he really just make that big of a difference?* ... maybe my religion vwas right, maybe i really am their savwior.
[09:24] TT: Astonishingly, and for many of the wrong reasons. But that might be compelling enough evidence when we arrive.
[09:27] CA: oh yeah speaking of, i found my old death pheonix robes vwhen i vwas rearranging my room.
[09:30] TT: You... kept those? -She's not sure she's ever seen them but... - Maybe they'll be... useful?
[10:10] CA: hey, if vwere going to europa they vwill be. i could make it look like i came back from the dead and evweryone should listen to vwhat i say or something.
[10:14] TT: ...That may be the third time you have suggested something like that. But it's actually what we have to do.
[10:14] TT: I am at a loss, currently.
[10:17] CA: hey vwhat can i say, i really vwant to be important.
[10:19] TT: And the fate of a planet is likely to be determined by a keytar.
[10:34] CA: man this is going to really go to my head. heh, i havwent felt this good in avwhile.
[10:35] TT: Just remember what you're doing this for.
[10:38] CA: yeah, sure thing, kitten. of course.
[10:40] TT: -Squints. that PATRONIZING TONE. She's gotta deal with that later.- I need to go talk to Eridan, regardless.
[10:46] CA: should i leavwe you to it then?
[10:49] TT: Yeah. I'll let you know what happens after this.
[10:57] CA: sure. ill catch you later then. *stands up and gives her a halfwave*
[11:00] TT: Right. -She's already on her way, at a PRETTY QUICK PACE-