lifeaftr | Sirens And Camping And Orbs, Oh My

i. [camping] i'm full of ink and i'll be glad / to spill the guts you never had

[Beau isn't super talkative during the earlier trip; she knows most of the people here, but it's just not her way to chatter through it all. Settling in for the night is a different story, and she pokes at the fire before breaking the silence.]

So, is this the point where we ask personal questions? Do some real bonding experiences before someone gets stabbed?

[It's only 20% of a joke. The rest is paranoia. Good thing people don't stay dead here.]

ii. [ruins/orb] you live your life inside a lens / a photographic skeleton

[She knows there has to be something else on these goddamn islands. The route they had taken here had these weird things on top of poles that they seemed to be following, weirdly inert of noise but absolutely tracking. It makes her nervous to even step around, but also inspires her to push forward-- don't let the enemy take you unawares, or something like that. Really, she just wants to find something. This has been too much of a bust so far.

At least, it seems that way now as they dig into ruined books and Beau rolls her eyes as she nudges one out of the way with her foot.]

I swear, libraries are following me now. It's like they know.

[There hasn't been a lot of inane chatter on this trip, not by anyone. She'd had her doubts, before they'd set out- Keith, at least, she'd worked with in battle. Shepard also held herself like a soldier, but Beau?

She's-- rougher, around the edges. Nothing soldier about her. But she didn't complain, and was as quick as anyone to take stock of passing creatures or points of interest in their surroundings.

That's the only reason 2B is willing to bear with the chatter now.]

That depends on the type of information you want to know.

[Rougher around the edges is probably the nicer way of putting it. Beau is devoid from the kind of structure 2B is likely looking for, but it gives her certain advantages- being unpredictable, able to stop on a dime and turn towards the chaotic where necessary. But this doesn't seem weird to her- everyone has some kind of conversation around camp at night. It's good to know not everyone is too hesitant to talk.]

I dunno. Not really lookin' for anything in particular, that just seems to be the theme. Run off with a bunch of people into the woods, have an emotional experience, something goes horribly wrong. I just figured I'd keep it on the rails.

[He signals for his wolf to stay parked just inside the doorway and walks over to join Beau.]

Too bad it isn't an intact library. All this fire damage is worrying me. [What happened here? He turns his bayard into a long white and black blade, using it to nudge at ruined books. He pokes between two books but they're beyond repair.]

Nothing hidden between the books so far.

[She sighs, poking at a charred piece of wood idly with the toe of her boot.]

Guess we had a ton of water. Figures there'd be somebody out there who's all fire too.

[That at least makes sense. She continues to step carefully further inward, trying to spot anything out of the norm.]

What do we even think we're gonna find in here? Lockbox? Something valuable? Or just... anything we can? 'Ss hard to know what we're looking for without any path.

Anything we can. I'm looking for how extensive the fire damage is. The mana pool was damaged like this too and the statues on either side of it.

[He withdraws his sword and it vanishes back into a U shaped device he clips to his hip. His hands ghost over the debris and he kneels down to scan the wreckage with his eyes.]

So far, it looks like this area might have been a target. Might be enough left to find out why.

[She listens to his comments with a hum, trying to categorize everything in her head as she gazes around.]

Here's what I don't get though. This is a swamp. Those don't just, you don't just make those, they only ever evolve because of a specific climate. So how did all this fire burn so well through this place if it was soggy and humid? This is-- like, charred. That only happens with temperatures that flash the damn place.

[It must have been magic, but even then, the scope of that is... so much.]

Hey, that phoenix people talked about, the sun or something. Was that a fire god? Did we find out?

[He gives that some thought as he circles the room. He scans it with his eyes. If only he could change his Bayard into other shapes. He could use a staff right now.]

We didn’t. When the phoenix hatched it scorched the ground of Chol. According to the Jormun, they have guarded that island every time it surfaces. It’s the only place the Phoenix will go to be reborn.

It went right into the sky as it rose. [He brings his fingers to his lips and whistles a few notes low and melodic. Something drops from the sky and sails in, a reddish orange bird singing the same notes. Keith thrusts his arm out and Ember alights on his armored arm.]

This is Ember, one of the children of that Phoenix. I’m not sure it’s Phoenix Fire that did this. Some explosives are focused blasts. If they had that kind of tech it would be easy to do that kind of damage. The more advanced the technology the more precise they could get.

[Beau hums, though it's half a hum half an 'ugh' from the bottom of her throat. Not the sort of thing she was hoping to hear.]

Damn. I was hoping maybe that was like, the fire one, and you guys had figured that out already. Aren't elements controlled by one god anyway? Where's the Wildmother when you need her...

[She idly kicks a bit of rotted wood, nudging it aside before proceeding towards a ruined door frame to pass into another area.]

We keep finding weird gods, too. Like, not that it's not useful, but we've got a pantheon of like... stories and celebration? Justice? Farming? Not what I'd consider the ones running the show.

It might still be the fire god, just it isn't Phoenix. [Keith says as he reaches up and pets his bird's feathers. He croons a song to the bird and sways just a little on his feet. After a moment he puts two fingers out and tips them skyward. The phoenix leaps off his arm and wings back out the door.

Just as he turns back to Beau he catches sight of something out of the corner of his eye.] Could be the least damaged of the gods are who we're finding.

[He says as he walks back to the bookshelf of ruined books. He kneels down and waits.] We only one Standing Water had some sort of part in things and some places are marked to keep out Storyteller.

[She files away that info in her head- just stuff she can't take action on now, but might be able to eventually. She's stepping to the frame, testing it's sturdiness with a nudge of the back of her hand when she sees Keith headed somewhere specific. Beau creeps back, eyes searching the area with deft intent.]

But the pool you all were in. That wasn't a god itself, right? You can't just go inside a god.

[I mean, maybe some you can. Uka'toa did always seem big on that 'consume' topic. But the words are idle as she shifts her head back and forth, and then quickly dons the goggles tied to her waist.]

Hey. Something's here. Reflecting light.

[In a way books decidedly don't.]

I don't know what isn't possible for a god. [Then all words are forgotten and Keith goes entirely still and focused. Like a predatory cat his eyes track the faint flicker of light. He moves slowly, each movement measured and precise. The point of his blade presses into the slot between two ruined books.

He moves it to the left beyond the blade is a strange orb with flickering light. Keith shifts to the side to give her room to take a look as he draws his blade back away from the object. He keeps it in hand ready to lift it in defense or to kill.] It looks like one of the orbs.

[She goes quiet as she does the same, the goggles affording her the low-light vision she naturally lacks. It's about getting the right angle, and she shuffles a bit to the side so a sunbeam hits the glasses and bounces off of... whatever the hell. But once it's revealed, she snakes in close, taking a peek as she tilts the goggles onto her forehead.]

Shit, yeah. That's one of those things.

[Beau gathers up the hanging sash from her waist, taking the long ends and covering her hands with them to lift it out. She's gentle, but the spiraling cracks and weird buzzing are really not a good sign.]

Well that's weird. Guess you can damage those.

What could even do that? Crashing to the floor? [Keith turns and leans forward to see the orb a little better. He studies the flickering lightning and tilts his head to listen to the buzzing sound issuing forth.]

It isn’t just me hearing that sound is it? Sounds like radio static. Are these things wirelessly projecting the memories? [He should get his scanner fixed. It would solve so many problems or it wouldn’t. He frowns and leans closer like a cat watching prey.]

I can’t tell what damaged it.

[She doesn't know what a radio is, so she can't comment on that much. But she is lifting it up, turning it over gently, using the sash to roll it around.]

Maybe this is what happens if you throw it in fire. Coulda gotten burned. The stuff underwater wouldn't have dealt with that sort of thing, but it probably went through a lot of falling.

[Okay, note-- don't put that shit in fire. Or as much as she'd suspect.]

Should probably get it out of here so it doesn't break and do some weird bullshit.

Might have been fire damage. Whatever did that damage, blackened the stone and that takes a lot of heat to do. [Keith rises to his feet and puts his weapon away. He doesn't even want to risk harming the orb.]

Anyway, yeah. We should get back to the rest of the group and talk about this.

[He makes a hand signal and his wolf by the door rises to his feet and waits for them to emerge.]

[Yeah, Beau's being damn careful on this one. She figures she'll roll it in her bedroll and get it back in her pack.]

Yeah. We should let 'em know. Make sure it doesn't stay here and get blasted by some idiot.

[Little do they know, this was... well, inevitable. As much as they tried.]

We’ll keep it as safe as possible. [Keith agrees, as he steps out of the building and past his wolf ally. The great beast glances back at Beau and huffs.

None of them know what is ahead . If they had Keith would have tossed it into the sea.]

You have what you need to cushion it?

[She thinks she would have, too. Beau transfers it to one hand, using the other to pick at where the sash is tied. After two or three pulls, the knot comes loose, and she pulls it off her waist to start tying it up.]

Yeah, for now. Got some better stuff at the house. Just gonna carry it.

[She looks like a mom carrying a baby, if anything about Beau could be described as motherly. At least it wasn't just thrown in a bag.]

[Shepard gives a light huff as she leans back on the piece of swamp wood she has been using as a back rest.]

I'd say so, typically. Anything you want to share?

[She gives a lopsided smirk as she continues to settle in. She's keeping a general eye out currently but one of the others is on active watch so she's not terribly concerned.]

What about a first kiss story? Or the first time you punched someone?

[She's mostly being facetious but she'll take any real answers Beau gives.]

[Beau chuckles at Shepard's suggestions, tilting her head the other woman's way.]

Who said anything about me telling stories? I brought up the prompt, you pick it up.

[Rule one of being a fantasy librarian- give as little info as possible and take as much as you can.]

And for the record, don't think I could tell you first punch. There's been a damn lot of those.

Hm. Fair point.

[Fair's fair after all, but she is definitely not answering that first kiss one.]

I'm in the same boat. I think... my first punch was some other raggedy kid back in the slums. Pretty sure he had a sandwich I wanted, so I took it.

[She just shrugs. You do what you gotta, you know?]

[Yeah she isn't either, Shep. Some things are reserved for level 6 friends, and you're like, a level 1.5.]

Good enough a reason as any. I'd bet mine was a wall. Or my parents. Whole time's just kind of a blur.

[It's really not, but she doesn't want to focus on it at all.]

So why didn't you just take the sandwich without punching him? Or was he getting all defensive about it?

[1.5!? wow!!! That's better than she ever expected!!!]

I didn't really think about it. Growing up it was a lot of "violence for violence's sake." It was just how things were done. He had something I wanted so I took it.

[She hadn't quite developed her excellent diplomatic skills back then. After all with Samson all she really needed to do was be his back up.]

[She gets 1 for being a hot girl and a half for not needing to be carried or rescued over the day's trip. These are the low level points okay, you'll need more to get through the higher levels.

In response to the commentary though, she just shrugs.]

Yeah, I guess. I always wanted to get into fights when I could anyway. 'Ss more fun.

[And also more reckless, more dangerous, closer and closer to death each time. It didn't matter back then. Beau isn't totally certain it matters as much as it should now.]

Guess we're just as rowdy as that ash made us out to be, huh?

[Shepard shakes her head, smiling gently.]

Yeah... there's nothing quite like a good fight to get the blood pumping there.

[At the mention of the ash Shepard gives Beau a sheepish look.]

Guess so. Sorry for... well, no better way to say it, kicking your ass.

[She chuckles warmly then.]

Eh, kid me deserved it.

[Her kid self was such a little punk, but those kind of defeats seem almost nostalgic now. At least these can be, without having any real stakes.]

Didn't really know how to fight then. You wanna try that now, won't be as easy. But I was pretty uhhh, pretty pissed at the time.

I wouldn't say she does.

[Shepard just isn't that kind of girl to accept that kids "deserve" anything like that.]

Oh good. If it was just as easy, I'd be hard-pressed to explain those abs of yours.

[She winks.]

Yeah, I noticed. I just didn't know what to do about that. Definitely was an awkward kid.

[Well you get an eyebrow waggle for THAT one, Shep. The two words every girl wants to hear: nice abs.]

Pretty sure we can both agree to toss that up to dumbassery and call it closed. I kicked you in the teeth, you choked me out, y'know. Kid stuff. Sounds like you ended up somewhere better anyway.

[Shepard laughs, a loud and true laugh.]

Kid stuff, huh? Sounds like you had a rough childhood like I did if that's what you think kid stuff is. And more or less. I had someone good who pulled me off the fast track to hell. If it wasn't for him... well, I don't think I would be here now.

[She definitely would not be. She would have died, unknown and alone, in the streets.]

[Well, that answers the additional question of how she put it down. Beau can't say she ever quite did. Sure, the Cobalt Soul was a more organized and official agency, but she was given a lot of leeway in what she actually investigated. As long as something was exposed, some latent truth, it didn't really matter.]

Eh, sometimes you just get really good at it and call it a promotion.

[And that's as much as she's saying on that one.]

Point is I don't hold it against you. I was a shithead of a kid. Past is past.

Thanks I guess. I’m used to people holding grudges for… forever.

[Why can’t anyone let anything go in her world? It’s so frustrating.]

Yeah… the past is past. I agree. Neither of us are who we used to be. For better or worse.

Yeah, yeah, don't go getting nostalgic on me now.

[Beau's good at getting past stuff like that, mostly because she doesn't like getting into her own past. It's fine. Some wounds don't need reopening, or they don't need it to happen now. Let that scab rest.]

Gettin' late. Should probably sleep. We taking watch shifts?

1. Looking down on these bright blue city lights [Travel]
[He isn't a social man and the woods are quiet. It almost soothes the ragged edges of the cold abyss in his heart that keeps sinking its teeth into him. But he knows they're not safe and it's his job to kill anything that threatens the group. Sometimes he wonders how far these islands have pushed him towards his mother's people and their violent ways.

He's a hooded and masked shadow stalking by the group with his vast blue wolf pacing beside him. The faint purple glow of his armor stands out among the greenery if he stays still for a moment. He keeps moving, pausing to poke at things with his blade and purple sword. Keith comes alive when they run across the mettalic construct.

His voice has an odd echo quality to it as he speaks, mask still in place.] ...This looks like some kind of announcement or warning system.

[He peers at the top in silence for a minute.] ...keep an eye out for anything else sticking up out of the ground.

2. Howling ghost they reappear [Camping]
[He's offered to cook for those of them that eat. He's not a bad cook and even the action of prepwork is familiar and welcome to his mind. The little pieces of information they have swirl through his thoughts as he uses his Marmora knife as a chef's knife for a simple stew.]

Probably should talk about what we found. Did it look familiar to anyone?

3. Creatures lurk below the deck [Ruins/orb]

...more fire. [He says when they get close enough. Keith puts on a small burst of speed and moves ahead, shoving his hood back. Purple light crackles and his mask fades, vanishing entirely.]

What the hell happened here? ...it had to have happened a really long time ago for the forest to grow that thick but the stone to be...like this. [Keith's steps are lighter as he picks his way through the ruins, circling the edge of a wall without touching anything.]

Be careful. There might be some kind of trap still around. See any of those poles near by?

No, but that doesn't mean there aren't any. [She's not too far behind them- none of them are. Glancing back to ensure that Shepard and Beau are still together, she follows Keih. Better to keep each other within sight...especially here.

She eyes off the charred walls, running a gloved hand over them. Even with the darker material, she can still see the heavy amount of soot coming off with just a touch.]

Whatever happened, it wasn't good. How can the damage here have been so extensive, but so centralized? There was no sign of fire damage on the warning system we located yesterday.

Could be this place was targeted. [He searches the wall with his eyes and reaches his hand out to lightly press against it. It seems sturdy but, there could be cracks.]

And that warning system...it looks like it was a kind of stand by mode? How it looks while active might give us more details but I don't want to know what happens when it is active.

[He frowns as he reaches the edge of the wall and goes right around the corner. No sign of anything near the wall.] So we know two locations hit with this damage so far. This one and the Manapool itself.

[He casts his search a little farther from the walls, hand signaling for the wolf to put his nose to ground and go rooting around for anything unusual.]

[Shepard gets it. She does. She's in her armor too, also patrolling, also keeping watch. The wolf is quite... different but you know what, she had a pet varren so she really has no place to comment. It's nice to be walking with everyone though. It's nice to have a purpose again, no matter how fleeting it is. She's kept her own head low for awhile, isolated herself from the people around her. But honestly? It's time to change that. She can't live in darkness forever. And one of the best ways to change that is to reach out to someone else who may need a hand.]

It does. What kind of technology did they have here? Everything is so contradictory.

[All the same, it is nice to see it here. Makes her feel more like she's in the right time, kind of.]

This is all definitely leading somewhere. But to what, I can't say.

[She gives Keith a sidelong look.]

How are you holding up? Are you all right?

I'm fine. [He functions. He calls that good enough. Keith circles the construct and kneels down to inspect it closely.]

There's no fire damage. Were these built after whatever set fire to the manapool and the statues by it? Or...

[His hand settles on the ground. No obvious damage to the soil. He stands up and peers upwards again.] I've got a bad feeling about this island.

[He's shut off. She gets it. So instead of pushing it for now, she looks to where he inspects the object and huffs a bit.]

It could be that whatever set fire to those things didn't find an issue with these. Or perhaps they changed these to fit whatever function they wanted them to have. Have we seen anything like this on other islands before this one?

[She nods in agreement.]

There's too many open ends here, and all of them are pointing towards a war. It can't mean anything good.

[He leans back on his heels and thinks that over with a visible furrowing of his eyebrows. He closes his eyes unknowing that doing so shows just how worn around the edges he really is. It clears the dullness and the tension as he relaxes to pull up memories of things he's seen.

With his eyes still closed he shakes his head.] Nothing like this on other islands. Especially the fire damage. But I agree,

[The tension is back and he opens his eyes, the deep violet of them fixed on the fire damage ahead of him.]

I think some kind of war happened here. Or at least a fight.

[He looks so worn down. Shepard frowns a bit at the sight.]

Do you think whoever was here won? Do you think they even stood a chance?

[Silly questions, really, but... she knows how things work here now. She knows that whatever happened here will inevitably affect all of them.]

Do you think we will stand a chance?

[They’re questions they don’t know the answer to. He turns his gaze on her.] I don’t know.

[He says, choosing honesty. There is nothing he can do to make this better. He has never been good at that and his job has always been to protect when he can.]

All we can do is give it a shot. But we haven’t been here long. We don’t know what defenses are still operational. We might be able to use it to our advantage.

We need more information.

[She nods and sighs a bit, shaking her head.]

There is still so much about this place that we don't know about. Not even just this island, but Enso, the Storyteller...

[She looks out to the distance towards the other sirens looming.]

It feels like we're just treating the symptoms, not curing the disease. If that makes sense.

Yeah, yeah it does. [He turns away from Shepard to run a hand over his face and look again over the landscape.]

Even during the siege on Chol. It felt like we were just preventing things from getting worse. All I know is some places are sealed from Storyteller. Some of the other deities don't like them. Something broke this world and,

[He spreads his hands apart and makes a frustrated animalistic sounding growl.] I haven't found the answers in two years! Getting really old.

Chol... that feels like so long ago, now.

[The islands were so much different. They all had no idea what was coming.]

My fear is that... that the Storyteller is the key to all of this. To the broken world we live in. And they don't even remember.

[Or they don't want to remember.]

I don't know about you but, despite everything that they have done and everything that has happened with them... I still want to protect them. I want to save them, just like I want to save everyone who is here.

I do too. I just... [His eyes close and he hangs his head. How long has he been chasing shadows? It would be one thing if he got even one answer but he has none of them. Nothing feels like he has been anywhere closer to getting home.

Sometimes he just wants to roar his fury to the heavens. He buries his face in his hands for a moment and forces it all down. It’s a visible thing, one by one his problems going behind a door. He straightens then sighs, popping his shoulder.] We’ll find it.

Somehow. And yeah, I still want to protect them. But I want the answers. I want to know what this is all about and why. And it will probably hurt.

[When he hangs his head she reaches out immediately to put a hand on his shoulder. She knows this look, this body language. You swallow up all the emotions you have to keep pushing on. Because you have to. Because the other option is to collapse under the weight of everything that needs doing and fixing. She grips his shoulder once, reminding him that he's here. She watches as he pulls himself together, hiding her own aching heart at the sight. No one should suffer like this.]

It absolutely will hurt. And I want the answers as well. Just remember you're not alone in that, ok? You've got other people around you who can keep you standing through it all.

[The touch of a hand to his shoulder is so grounding his mind goes blissfully blank. He half expects to see a familiar man standing beside him when he raises his head. It hurts when it isn’t.

Shiro is gone. Again. He shoves that ache down. He has learned how to live with it and that knowledge can’t be allowed to break him.] I know. All we have is each other in this place.

[The thought sparks a question.] ...did you notice that every time we find these islands no one knows anything? That doesn’t make sense. You ask about one point in time and they don’t know.

There should be at least a little bit of clues. There’s nothing. As if someone or something erased what was.

It is strange, yes.

[It makes her suspicious. It sets her to wondering what could be hidden… or what was erased.]

It’s like you said. Like someone erased it or warped it beyond recognition. But who would benefit from that? Beyond, I suppose, the Storyteller if they’re the one who caused all of this.

Sirens And Camping And Orbs, Oh My

beau | ota | ill match format, threadjacks fine!

campiiiing

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Ruiiinss

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Camping!!!

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Keith | OTA | I'll match format, threadjack as you please

3!

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1!

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work fucked me up right quick but i swear i am still here

Welcome back!

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