I WANT YOU TO JOIN ME IN A MYSTERY RESCUE MISSION!

[om_nom_namur]

[Sometime around mid-month, a text message goes out to the general public.]

WANTED

Adventurers strong enough to brave the high seas
Doctors, healers, and those inclined to render aid to the suffering
A worthy crew
Explorers
Those inclined to solve mysteries

Interested Parties Report to The Maelstrom at Fayren Harbor
Anchor Weighs at Dawn June 20

*~*~*~*

[Dawn at the Docks - June 20]

[In spite of the early hour, Fayren Harbor is bustling with activity as the darkness thins. Fishermen who've been out all night rush to bring their fresh catch to the market, while others who will be out all day race to be the first out to sea, and first to the best fishing spots. At the far end of the harbor an enormous clipper towers above the everyday ships, drawing a crowd of gawpers who, after being yelled at a few times by the workers hurriedly trying to load her, have the decency to stand back and let those who look to be on official business move freely. At the top of the gangplank a man with a clipboard hurriedly checks lists and directs those bringing cargo aboard, while an oversized, burly man with blue skin and shark features watches, balancing in a crouch on top of the rail. Though he isn't saying much, there's an air of authority about him. For any wishing to enlist, the fishman would seem a good person to talk to.]

[Fair Winds - June 20-21]

[When the supplies for the expedition are loaded and the tide is nearing its peak, Namur hollers for all hands to gather on deck for a quick briefing, the sun beginning to crest the horizon and make the sails glow as he speaks.]

A'ight y'all, thank y' for answerin' the call t' come an' help. We got a whole colony a folks that's gone missin', an' I ain't gonna lie, I ain't got any idea what we's gonna be in for once we reach the island. No one's been able t' get there since they gone, or at the very least ain't no one bothered comin' back, an' folks is worried they mighta met a dreadful end if y' catch my drift. This voyage's gonna be dangerous, but I know we's up t' the challenge. Whatever quarrels y' got with each other, leave 'em on these shores, cuz from now on 'til we make it back we's all on the same team, workin' for the same goal. Watch each other's back, keep each other safe. If we do that, there ain't nothin' that's gonna keep us from hittin' our target.

When we get there, there might be folk that's sick, or maybe they don't want us botherin' 'em, or maybe somethin's already botherin' 'em an' they'll need our help gettin' rid a the pest. We done our best t' have somethin' ready for everthin' we could think of, but that don't mean we thought a everthin', so look sharp an' keep yer wits 'boutcha! Any kinda weird shit make sure t' report it t' somebody, preferably me or one a my kin. Enchantments an' curses ain't outta the question here, so if y' see somethin' strange, say somethin'. Easy as that.

Meantime, I 'xpect all them that knows their knots t' make theirselves useful gettin' this ol' girl t' run. The rest a y's gonna make yerselves useful in the galley, keepin' shit clean, an' learnin' the ropes. Don't wanna hear no bitchin' 'bout chores, we's all gonna be doin' 'em, so don't even start! Don't be stealin' each other's shit, an' definitely don't be showin' yerself for a shitty traitor. Them's the rules! Don't like 'em, get yer ass off the ship!

All that said now, let's get this baby out t' sea 'fore we lose our tide!

[There's plenty to do, both in getting the Maelstrom away, and in keeping her plunging dauntless through the open waters. Keeping sails trim, keeping the decks clean, keeping the crew fed. And plenty of opportunities to get to know the other members of the crew a little better. Namur will encourage those that don't know how to sail to learn from someone who does. It'd be a shame if all the experienced sailors became incapacitated without passing on at least the basics.]

[The Storm - June 22]

[There'd been some good cloud cover the day they set out from Fayren, enough to mottle the sea with sun and shade and provide a strong wind to speed their rescue mission. But the further from shore they ventured, the thicker the clouds became, and soon the experienced sailors would likely find themselves watching the sky with trepidation. Distant thunder rolls over the waves, until suddenly and without warning the wind abruptly shifts direction, and the distant storm bears down on the clipper with astonishing ferocity. Namur screams to be heard above the wind whistling through the shrouds.]

ALL HANDS ON DECK! GET YER ASSES TIED T' THE SHIP AN' GET THEM SAILS STOWED NOW! THIS AIN'T A JOKE OR REQUEST!

Comments

Re: Sharing rocks.

[light_of_willpower]

[Trunks had finally met the 'infamous' Ted, while on the ship. The other had kept to himself pretty well, and had seemed to manage well enough. Trunks had kept himself polite, and had found plenty of things to do.

So the 'weirdo introvert' approaching him had him blink from where he was sorting his capsule stash. The question brought a blink.]

I didn't know sorcery had fruit?

[Half of his mouth quirked up though in a faint smile.]

If you mean magic, I'm not overly familiar but I've seen it. It's a distinct and separate thing in my world from Ki-manipulation, which is what I do. They have some similarities, and to the untrained eye can seem similar.

[So not a magic-person per se, but not totally ignorant.]

Re: Sharing rocks.

[youfool]

"Some" is better than none. Anything interesting about this?

[From his pocket he produced a small, smooth stone with a crude heart-shape etched in. It glowed sometimes, but probably not now. Who knows, maybe this ki stuff would perk up. Hey, that wasn't a bad avenue to pursue either.]

"Ki"...isn't that a sort of spirituality? Can you detect it? Anything coming from the ones on the island before us?

[That's his way of asking "do they have souls", or is everyone a meaningless NPC per usual? Granted, all their powers are next-to-nothing, but it couldn't hurt to ask. And if Trunks can still use his sixth sense, and can't find anything, especially in Ms. Mensch, why, that'll give him free reign to deal with her without the limits of conscience.]

Re: Sharing rocks.

[light_of_willpower]

Besides that someone marked it?

[Maybe a bit of sarcasm there, but only a bit. Trunks looked at it, but that was about all he did.]

Seems like it glows a bit. Which, I mean, I can examine if it's tech if you want, but I don't think you think it is.

Also

[Holding up a hand, to make some points.]

I'm pretty sure whatever brought us here and is keeping us here has dampened any abilities we have. So, I'm not sure if I'll be able to sense anything one way or the other, considering the difficulties I'm having doing anything related to Ki.

[But he'd try. Closing his eyes, frowning a bit with the concentration to try and see if he could get any kind of reading.]

Re: Sharing rocks.

[youfool]

[Trunks would discover all of two souls: His own, and Ted's. If there were any others, they were out of his diminished range. The latter revelation must've filled him with relief.]

I think your thoughts of my thinking are accurate. So you suspect an intelligent storm, eh? One with aims of its own?

[Not an unreasonable conclusion. Anything that would knock them all out and conveniently bring them elsewhere seems like "the system" brute forcing an outcome, superpowers be damned. He smiled and went to take the stone back.]

Well, no ki in here, eh? Thanks for trying, Trunks. I'll keep looking. Rain check on my other request when things go back to normal.

Re: Sharing rocks.

[light_of_willpower]

[Trunks hated this dampening effect. He'd been able to sense ki for most of his life at this point, after Gohan'd taught him young. It was a survival mechanism in some ways, and he felt like he was covered in a heavy wet blanket or looking through thick cotton right now.

But he could make out the other man just enough, and he could feel the energy within himself. Even if he couldn't do much with it.]

We don't have enough information--about our situation here or that rock, to make any decent hypotheses. If you mean an 'intelligent storm' in the sense that it's similar to whatever brought us to Genessia originally? It's an assumption, but it's our likeliest first lead even if it is just an assumption.

We need more information, and to be very very careful with any actions we DO take, before doing something rash about being stuck here.

[Definitely a scientist's son.]

Ki is, I suppose, more spiritual--but it's not mystic. Again, where I'm from the two have different connotations with 'mystic' being more akin to 'magic'. Anyone can sense ki, as it's in everyone. It comes about just by living thing existing, to put it at its most simple. "magic" and "mystic" usually denote a different type of energy, and I've only really encountered it thanks to dealing with the Kais in my world. God like beings who are in charge of creation and watching over life.

Re: Sharing rocks.

[youfool]

[Part of Ted was curious what Trunks thought of the soulless NPCs blighting most of the globe. Did they still register as living things? Was their spiritual void very disturbing? How about the animals?

He can't say he agrees with being too cautious. They'll need a few leaps, a risky experiment here or there, to find what they need. And boy-oh-boy does Ted love his risk taking. As long as he's the one doing it, of course.]

True. A pity these islanders have precious little information to give, eh? To hear them tell it they've been here from the start. The only one who seems to fit that narrative is the matron herself. Do you think you might try a ki reading on her? Just to be sure. Call it intuition--a concept you'll hate, no doubt--but I'd appreciate a once-over. Just for peace of mind.

[He's strongly considering destroying her to break the spell. "Suffer not a witch to live", as the Bible says. He's 99% sure it's kosher, but he wouldn't mind some assurance to that effect. Come to think of it, he could get away with "murder" of that caliber much easier if these ki-readers' range only went to a foot in front of them.]

A useful distinction. I figured as much.

[It sounded much like Namur's haki; the similarity of the words probably wasn't an accident. Other than that, his eyes glaze over as Trunk begins to delve into his personal lore. He used to be more sympathetic to that before his apathy wrote them off as too ridiculous to consider, even for idle conversation. And now's not the time for idleness.]

Well! Whether mystic or mundane, please tell me aught else you find. Godspeed.

[Time to make a getaway before Trunks asks awkward questions, like where he got that rock...]

Re: Sharing rocks.

[light_of_willpower]

[If Trunks had had any inklings to Ted's thoughts, he'd have asked the other how he felt about cyborgs and androids? He couldn't sense Seventeen for example, via ki, but that didn't mean that the other was any less a person and being. He was alive and living.

Trunks, when he's thinking, isn't usually reckless. He's far from passive though, even if he's cautious. As he said--they don't have enough information--but they also need to start somewhere. Which means some experimenting, and going on assumptions. ]

Why would I hate intuition?

[There's a grin.]

Sometimes that's the only thing that's kept me alive. And I can try, but again--I'm severely handicapped right now on this island.

That said...

[Since Ted was starting to walk away, but Trunks had some more questions. He'll even get up and follow the other if needed.]

Where did you get the rock?

Re: Sharing rocks.

[youfool]

[Ted assumed Mr. Serious Science Man may not have appreciated the fuzzier ways of knowledge. He smiles, content that the assumption was wrong. The smile dims a little while he tries to think of a good lie.]

On the beach.

[Technically true. It was in the crone's shack, which was on the beach. Safe!]

The carving caught my eye and seemed too deliberate to be natural, but perhaps I'm being silly.

Re: Sharing rocks.

[light_of_willpower]

[There's a lot about Trunks, that would surprise Ted likely.]

Uh huh...and so you just decide to ask about if it's magic, from a scientist.

[Do you hear the skepticism?]

Re: Sharing rocks.

[youfool]

[Yes, and he hopes his breezy cheer will overcome.]

You and one Goku share similar origins, don't you? I thought you might also share his wide experience.

[He'd chimed in on a post about the philosophy of the soul, so he figured he was good a try as any for insight into the arcane. Alas, no dice. He wonders if it wasn't wiser to keep this to himself. Would that make him look like a bad team player?]

Re: Sharing rocks.

[light_of_willpower]

[Yeah...maybe. Trunks is still gonna walk with him.]

Sadly not as much as one might think, no. I've had my own adventures but none quite like his.

Re: Sharing rocks.

[youfool]

[Hang it all, Trunks, take a hint already. He begins to chatter and make small talk while on the lookout for distraction. It'd be convenient if one of the huts caught fire or a beached whale came ashore. Alas, no such luck. Then he spots someone in a time of day he really, really shouldn't. His brow furrowed as he cocked his head to confirm what he saw.]

Excuse me.

[He abruptly parted ways with some concern in his step.]