come_sailaway | To infinity...and beyond? (Semi-open)

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To infinity...and beyond? (Semi-open)

Who: Ari Tayrey + willing CR + anyone else who wants in
What: Mini-plot: an expedition to determine what kind of infinite this store really is
When: 25-29??? November
Where: The Infinite Tommy Bahama
Warnings: None yet
Notes: First prompt is a text message sent to Ari's friendly-ish CR - replies are welcome even from people who don't want to take part! Other prompts are open but please note that participating characters will potentially be in the store for up to 4/5 days. Party post rules are fine, start your own toplevels and tag people other than Ari if you like. ((I checked with our lovely mod about what would happen if they tried this!))

1. Texting

I have a plan. I want to see just how infinite this Tommy Bahama is. Multi-day expedition for data collection? It could be informative. Maybe fun, too. Interested in coming along?

- Tayrey

2. Preparing

Even people who don't know Ari well may notice that something is up. It's not often that people walk into Tommy Bahama wearing backpacks full of supplies. There's some last-minute preparation going on here, as well as a last-minute opportunity to join the expedition. Expect Ari to want to check and make sure everyone has all the essentials with them. She's used to preparing for trips to uninhabited and potentially hostile planets, and it shows. Don't mind the fussing. She wouldn't do it if she didn't care.

3. Exploring

Despite all the promises, the expedition is - well, boring might be an accurate description, unless you're really invested in the outcome. There's a lot of walking past the same racks of clothes, over and over and over. Infinite length doesn't mean infinite variety.

Ari's fascinated, and she'll be chattering about loop programming to anyone who will listen, and attempting to measure the distance between one rack of garishly-patterned bikinis and the next iteration of that very same rack. She'll encourage tests, too - what happens if you completely destroy one of the displays? Is the destruction repeated? (Spoiler alert: no, it's not that kind of loop, but let's try it a few times anyway and make sure?)

Maybe you give up and head back after a few hours. Maybe you have a run-in with the Bahamanal. Maybe you join in with Ari's ridiculous spacer song singalong - she is in a good mood. It's Tommy Bahama, anything could happen.

4. Relaxing

Ari pushes the pace on the first day, because it comes naturally to do so, and possibly, subconsciously, to weed out anyone who isn't serious about this and is going to cause them problems once they're a long way in. Eventually, though, it's time to stop for the night. There's not a campfire, but it's a fine social occasion just the same. Ari's brought some Serena Eterna branded playing cards, and she's up for a little gambling. Maybe you have some other entertainment ideas. Don't stay up too long, though - see if you can't make a nice nest of clothes to bed down in. There's plenty of walking to do tomorrow.

5. Emerging

Plenty of data has been collected about the repeating displays, but there's no end in sight to this store. Is it really infinite? If there's a way to answer that question, this expedition won't do it. It's over two days in when the group realises that they're over halfway through the supplies they brought. Time to turn around, whether that leaves you disappointed or delighted.

Unfortunately, there are no tricks of perception or proportion here. It'll take just as long to walk out as it did to walk in. Look on the bright side, at least you're carrying less weight? Finally, on the fifth day, the intrepid explorers who stayed the distance catch sight of the store entrance up ahead. Who saw it first?

6. Wildcard

Anything else you want to do! (Just let me know if I need to add warnings to the header :) )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[A headtilt.]

Explain your thought, or is it a banned topic?

Depends on what the Cardalek scientists study I suppose. Ishida isn't -- we don't have scientists in my time. This is a very fanciful idea. Commander Crichton has me completely sold on it, I'd love more. But the closest we have is more engineers and architects, and smiths. Ishida is a tactician. I mentioned before Oichi would have to be able to be near the battlefield to work as one, yes? [A nod.] Mitsunari helps coordinate things between Hideyoshi and Ieyasu, on the back end, so I can meet the enemy on the frontlines. With my entire army behind me backing me up.

So his experiments, field tests, are all while playing Go instead. Though sometimes if I need a legal doctrine or theory, or obscure historical text, I can set him to find it for me. Ieyasu has him look up antidotes if he doesn't know them by heart.

Do you have simulation games in your sector? I've heard some of the biggest can encompass a whole universe. Be careful with Eridan. He has tricolor demon horns, [Imitates horns to his head with fingers!] And a purple striped noose. [It's a scarf... ANYWAY.] His people conquer whole universes. He's a master of strategy simulation games. If Ishida were here, I'd set him to play against Eridan just to see who'd win. There's a paintball FLARP game of his I want to try sometime.

It's not banned! Mitsunari Ishida sounds as smart as the scientists, and the ones I am thinking of used to get so focused that they'd forget to eat or leave the labs. [She smiles.] Engineers are important too! They are some of the most important people on a starship, because you really don't want it to stop working when you're out in deep space.

I don't know what flarp games are, but we have training simulations? They seem real, once you're in them. We use them for practising what to do in emergencies, or to simulate battles. I had to do a lot of them during my command training. [Ari laughs.] My very first simulation where I was the captain, I got everyone killed. I was so upset! [She's amused by it now, but only after years of distance.] Savitskaya saw me and told me to go right back and do it again, and I thought she was awful for not caring about my feelings, but of course she was right. I did much better the second time. The more complicated simulations aren't just a battle, they're when multiple things happen and there's no perfect solution so you have to make decisions about priorities. It's harder to know whether you've won or not, then. But that's what it's really like.

[She nods.] I'll avoid this Eridan. [No need to draw his attention to her sector, just in case.] Are there any simulations here?

Ah yes, that's how Mitsunari is. Hideyoshi brings him food sometimes. It's very cute, but don't tell them I said that.

[He laughs softly.] Why did everyone die?

[Waves a hand!] Don't avoid him. Just be careful. He's fun. Troll species, though I don't know if his people's science outclasses yours or Starfleet. It's hard to imagine anything beyond Starfleet, but even they had space pirates once.

There's -- [Squints.] The video games in the arcade, I expect, is not what you're thinking of. I come from an archaic time where we use actual stones to play games, so it's all very advanced to me.

I think it's safest if I don't tell anyone they're cute, don't worry. [Never going to mention that she told Klaus that Nobunaga was cute, definitely not.]

They died because I was so indecisive! I spent so long trying to figure out what the right decision was that by the time I decided what to do, the enemy already had the advantage - and then I was just reacting, and slow about that, too. I had to learn to analyse situations much faster, and make decisions even when I didn't have all the information, when waiting for it would be too costly. [She's very critical of her younger self. In her defence, she'd been thirteen at the time.]

[Ari shakes her head.] I think avoiding a demon troll who conquers universes sounds sensible, no? Not an enemy you want to risk making.

No, not the flatvid games, they're just... odd. [She might enjoy some of them if she tried, but she's wary. Not a very productive use of her time.] Do you mean throwing stones? Seeing who can throw furthest, or closest to a target? That can still be a good game. Not everything needs a lot of technology.

[Laughs.] You can call Klaus cute. Oh! And Ranmaru.

Ah, the perfectionism. I think that makes sense. Going from the tower to the ship. I wonder if it's lucky then I was in battle since I was six.

Perhaps. But what if he knows more about wormholes and how to jump universes and is the way out of here, but even he doesn't know it. And he's a very young demon troll. About the age of when you were going through those simulations I think.

Flatvid, yes. Right. [A small laugh and he shakes his head.] No. Throwing stones isn't a game. We have skipping stones, but that's different. I mean Go. And mancala. I played mancala with Eridan using bottlecaps and beer glasses. Board games. Chess. Shogi. Ah, there are also -- more elaborate simulations with the maps! That's what Ishida does. You draw up maps of all the battlefields you might encounter and use little markers for the troops and your advisers and generals play as the enemy.

If I say it to Klaus, he'll think he's allowed to say it back to me, and he's not. [Joking? Half-joking. Lieutenant Tayrey is not cute.]

Yes, the Tower was so different! It took me a while to get used to things. [Culture shock. Not quite as bad as on this ship, but then young Ari had wanted very much to be a spacer, and had been eager to adapt.] I'm not sure if lucky is the right word, because it would have been more fortunate if you'd lived in peace [and prosperity] when you were young. But it was certainly an advantage to you. You made it one.

[She chuckles.] If he knows about those things, you'll find them out from him, won't you? You don't need me for that.

[She listens to the list of games, and they don't really mean anything to her - until her eyes light up at the mention of map simulations.] I want to do that! [Ari grins.] Maybe not now. Maybe when we're finished with the Art of War project, we can do map simulations instead. We can take turns in using land maps and space maps. [This sounds like the best idea ever. Say yes, Oda!]

Ahhhh very true. I'd say you could call him sexy, but same problem, isn't it? You will have to call him clever and competent, and then watch him stare into space trying to yell at Reginald. "You see Dad? I AM competent! Suck it!" That is what he'd say in his head. Or should. [Because they both know it would probably be more like "That's not true, why are they so fooled? What am I doing differently that I've accidentally on purpose conned them? Should I stop conning them? Oh no, what if I mess up?" etc.]

There's no peace in Hell. Not anywhere. I was born into the best place possible. A castle. A nobleman, son of the Emperor's best general. And if I'd been born in Europe there's still plagues and problems there too.

Perhaps. But I don't know about L-Space or spacer technology. So even if he tells me some things, I might not understand enough of it. Certainly not enough to cross reference everything. And Crichton wouldn't get along with him at all. Zero chance. Because Eridan is noble-born and America, the country Crichton is from, prides itself on doing away with that.

[His smile gets SO fond when she lights up and he just laughs softly and nods.] Of course. If you start making your own terrain maps, we can even play it in between chapters. To help illustrate the concepts, if you want.

Sexy's not as bad as cute, but sure. Same problem. And he is clever and competent, he's just good at hiding it.

[She sighs.] I used to think I was unlucky, but I really wasn't. I was fortunate to be born, and to have my genetic advancements, and to be adopted by someone who cared about me, and live in luxury. All I could see back then was what I didn't have. I prefer being a spacer, but I can't judge Cardalek like I used to. [Very clever and very angsty preteens don't have the best and most objective judgement? Who would have thought?]

Does that really bother Commander Crichton so much? There are only a few colonies in my sector that have a system like that. Inherited titles. Most of us disagree with it, but as long as those people aren't using their power to oppress others, it's up to the individual colony how it does things. We still trade with them.

[Of course she's delighted by his suggestion.] Yes! I'll start work on one as soon as we're back; that's an excellent idea! [They'll be lovely, very detailed maps that she puts lots of time into. Working on paper is still a novelty to her, and she's enjoying it.]

Exactly. Which means he is even more of both. In a ninja way.

It is always easy to see what you want more of, and to forget to be grateful for what you had.

[A quiet hum.] It's not that Crichton would be the prejudiced one. But he is also not military, and Eridan is.

[Another soft laugh.] I brought my notebook and some pens for when we camp for the night. If you want, I'll even show you the basics tonight. We can draw in the circle and line racks, and then we can make makeshift baby bahanamals and ourselves to simulate scenarios for here even.

[That makes her imagine Klaus as a ninja, which is all too amusing.] Yes, I think so. I like him. [Very simply put, but honest.]

[Ari is suddenly a lot more interested in Eridan. Military, and around the age Ari was when she was in training? They're likely to have at least a little in common, even if he is a demon troll.] Maybe I'll talk to him, if I see him. [No promises.]

Yes, let's do that tonight! See who can devise the best anti-bahamanal tactics. I can use some of the mapping of this place that I've done on my computer, to help.

He's difficult not to adore, ne? [He loves him so much it's ridiculous!!!]

[No comment on Eridan specifically, butvhes pleased. If nothing else, he's one to keep tabs on.]

Excellent, that sounds like the most fun I'll have had since... [A beat. Today? He's had a lot of fun okay okay. He just laughs!] Recently. But the last time I did such a thing was with Oichi. [And he has super fond memories of it!]

[She laughs.] It's so good that the two of you found one another. You're good for each other. It's the sign of a good partnership, when you enrich each other's lives, inspire each other. [Not that Ari knows anything about it; her experience is limited to a handful of overnights downstation.]

I guess you've had a lot of fun lately, right? [She's being careful. Talking about Oichi might make him feel despondent, and Ari doesn't want that.] I'm already enjoying this expedition a lot. This will make it even better!

Yes. A partner would be impossible for me normally. It's great, isn't it?

Yes. [Laughs. He has SO MUCH FUN!] Is there anyone else you want to invite to join in?

It really is. [She can agree with that without agreeing that anything else here is great. It's fine.]

[Ari thinks for a moment.] I would say Klaus, but I don't think he'd enjoy it as much as we will. We'll see who is interested when we start, maybe? Only- [her gaze darts briefly over towards Valdis. She's made no secret of the fact that she's avoiding the woman.] Not her. She has some nerve, showing up uninvited. [Ari hadn't personally invited all of the others present, but that was different.]

Klaus probably would be reminded of his father, and war in general, so maybe other things.

Ah....

[Nobunaga actually blushes and glances away... but moves in closer so he can keep his voice quiet.] That is my fault, General. I asked her to come along to keep an eye on me. She was equally irritated with me playing Siffleur's game, and knows how Klaus and I have trouble staying on task sometimes. My apologies, I wasn't aware you're not on better terms.

[Ari's instinctive thought is to tell him how unnecessary it was. That she's perfectly capable of managing this expedition, and that includes him and Klaus.

She doesn't, though. It'd be too defensive. Too needy? Maybe he'd take it that way. You're stronger if you can ignore minor irritations. Oda can do what he wants. Instead, she says, calmly:]

I see.

It was an easy mistake. Not worth fretting over now. But so you know, she and I have no contract.

[This last, Ari says with an intensity and a gravitas that suggest it means something other than not having a formal written contract the way she and Nobunaga do.]

I will ask you not to fight her, Teyrey. I do have an accord with her. She's another General.

But she's a -- [Red eyes flicker. How to explain.] On Earth, when we speak of demons, it's a spiritual contrast to angels and God. In a literal sense, I fought the monks and religion. She also did. I know I mentioned heaven, the celestial realm is the stars, but in a more dark sense...

Let's see... I don't know Greek religion and mythology very well. I remember -- [Furrows his brow and squints.] Underworld? But they meant in a more -- Ah Egyptian way. Bear with me, Teyrey, [A smile.] I know this is irritating. The idea that after you die, your soul goes into the ground and that who you are is almost trapped in that. Hell, likewise, is the idea that after death, instead of reincarnation, you could get trapped and punished for all your misdeeds.

This place -- Eterna, is like Purgatory in a sense. In between heaven and hell. For someone in space, heaven, it's closer to hell than you've ever been, and you don't like it. For someone like me, it's closer to heaven than I've ever been, so I do like it.

Valdis comes from Hell, like me. Not Japan, just in a hellion kind of way. [He'll let Valdis conceal or reveal the hellhound thing as she wishes.]

Remember when you thought Join or Die meant I'd kill anyone who didn't join? I told you, in Hell, you can't stay neutral. Someone who didn't join my army, even if they were a merchant or an artist, even something other than a soldier, then they would be forced into the war no matter what. There is no escaping the wars in Hell. In all of Hell, there is nowhere truly safe. There is no peace, and the only path towards prosperity was through me, because I was the only one foolish and reckless enough to strive for that. The only one stubborn enough to say there was a way out of hell, and stubborn enough to drag everyone no matter how they fought against it.

Contracts in Hell are -- as close as one can get to slavery. I cannot say with absolute certainty that she thought you were trying to trick her, but understand: most demon kings are nothing like me. As badly as you think of the Captain, and then add some more layers. Saito Dosan... Until here... I thought he was normal for Hell. Now I wonder. And he is why I know; at least I'm very certain, we were truly in Hell, and I just didn't believe it until here.

Saito Dosan was my father's killer. Mitsuhide's former employer... if you can call him that. His evil Uncle, to borrow the future's story terms. Kichou's father... Tch... I have fucked up plenty on my own with Kichou, even without blaming his father, but Kichou would not be a hundredth as damaged if not for Saito Dosan. All the things you think of pirates, or Klaus' father: Reginald Hargreaves; he was that and then some. This sort of person is standard for Valdis' world. The kind of person who uses contracts to hurt people. To force them to do things they hate. A reason I do not have Klaus in my army. He has already had to do things he hates, and will again just by being my partner. I have clauses with Mitsuhide. That if I ever go too far, if I ever do become like the other demon kings: Saito Dosan and the others, and betray the dream of ours, then he's the one in charge of killing me. Because he would know the signs. And as it is, I push Mitsuhide to the absolute limits, well beyond normal friendship, as I've told you.

Do not make pacts with other demons, Teyrey. I told you I once did. I sold my soul, thinking I don't have one. Demons corrupt souls. They have to. It's the only way they exist at all. Lashing out like crabs in a bucket, keeping them all trapped there instead of cooperating to get out. I joke about it, with Klaus, and others. That I want to corrupt everyone - because I mean freedom, which the religious are against. But that's not true for other demons. They want to hurt people, and they aren't so ambitious as to try to get the most satisfaction out of it. The very short fleeting enjoyment of punching someone is almost enough. They are not just oathbreakers. They will twist everything you value to try to make you hate it.

Hate is the only weapon I'll never use, Teyrey. Not ever. I've been told letting myself be hated was still going too far, but I wasn't smart enough to think of a way out of it. Demons will try to make you hate everything you cherish, and yourself. The smart ones won't break their oaths, because they know doing so is fate worse than death, but they will do everything to make you want to break yours. This is the kind of place Hell is. Why I was so desperate to get Japan free of that, by any means necessary.

Valdis is not that way herself. She has a beautiful soul, she wrote poetry for me the first time we met that made me sing and dance with joy. But she doesn't know you yet. And contract with her is going to take a lot. I told you I trust no one once, not even myself or my right and left hands. She uses faith like like I use trust. I'm not saying she's afraid of you, but certainly she'd be suspicious of traps. You're like oil and water. You're from opposite worlds. Heaven and Hell.

For you, contracts are beginning overtures of peace. For someone who's never known peace, or prosperity; only torture, death, and hell, that's like telling you that she's a mythical dragon -- a creature that doesn't exist. "Magic" in the non-code word way. Understand?

[Ordinarily, Ari Tayrey is perhaps Nobunaga's most attentive audience, no matter how much detail he chooses to explain things in. Not this time. She's impatient, fidgety, quickening her pace. Earther religions mean nothing to her except for what she needs to understand Nobunaga's metaphors. She doesn't believe in a literal heaven or hell, and to her anyone who claims to be from one is either speaking figuratively, or lying.

She follows Oda's argument well enough, despite this - but she doesn't accept his conclusions.]

And yet you said it yourself. She has an accord with you. She wrote you poetry. She's not so damaged as all that, or she wouldn't trust you that far. She would fear that you were like Saito Dosan. Do you know what she did to me? [Ari scowls.]

She has a problem. One I could help with, so I offered a deal. Very favorable terms for her, because she was new here. Because I wanted to help her. Do you know what she did, Oda? She didn't just reject my deal. I don't care if someone rejects a deal. She rejected all notion of contract with me, and then turned her back on me and left. Do you know what that is? It's not someone saying they don't want to join your army. The contract is the building block of society. Fair contract, in all dealings with each other.

It's like... [how to make him understand?] The caste system. The one you hate. Saying no contract that way and walking off is saying - you are so low to me, I would never do business with you. I would never hold even to social contract with you, like agreeing not to harm one another. Can you imagine what an insult that is to me, and to the Tradelines?

[A little sigh.] She did not physically harm me, so I will not physically harm her. That's code, you don't need to worry about that. But if we were out on the lines, I'd see that no ship from Kishar to Lorentzen Delta would trade with her, that no Company would finance her. [Here, Ari doesn't have that power, so she's showing her disapproval the only way she can.]

[His expression softens on Ari, but he trusts her enough to let her see some of the pain.]

Not in Hell it isn't.

In Hell, that's... just strength. And fear. Teyrey... Ari... No one in Japan wants to deal with the foreigners usually. Only me. They're terrified of what they might bring. You'd think things couldn't get worse. If we don't get food from the foreigners, and offer them luxuries, we'll all starve. And yet, that's how they are. And there's pride too. No one likes to admit when they need to accept help, and demons least of all. Because exposing that weakness gets you eaten.

She didn't mean to insult you, or she would have just openly done so. Bluntly.

For you contracts are the means to peace. For her... It would be like if I tried to force you into wearing slave collar and pretty dresses and treat you as an object. Or perhaps even if you were trying to offer that. It's a game of traps. One you should not play.

For now if you need space, I'll afford you it. But if she comes to you, I ask that you consider these things, all right?

I have my pride too. I don't believe that anyone strong would just accept being treated like that. In Hell they don't live by my non-aggression principles, do they? They'd answer insults with violence.

[And he called her Ari, and she doesn't know what to think of that. It's strange. Uncomfortable. Nobody shipside would, not even her friends. Klaus did, but he was... she doesn't have the heart to correct Klaus on that sort of thing. He's not like the others.]

She insulted me. You didn't, so I'm not going to quarrel with you about this, alright? I don't want to. I value you, and our friendship, far too much. But if she comes to me, I'll give her exactly what she asked for. No contract. No consideration. No hostility either, just - nothing. And that's all I have to say on the matter.

[A nod.]

Magic it is.

With one brief correction. On this ship the two strongest people I've met are Maeve, and Valdis. Remember this.

[It doesn't help because Ari had been talking about herself. The idea that only someone weak would accept being insulted and do nothing about it.

Valdis thinks she's weak, then. Nobunaga does as well, it seems - although she's not angry with him for that. He knows all her weaknesses, because she let him close enough to see them. That way she could learn from him. Knowing that he thinks better of Valdis than of her is grating, to say the least, but it just makes her want to prove herself. To train more, work harder until she's strong in his eyes.

She says nothing more about the difficult topic, but she does move closer to him, and she has to stop herself from reaching out to take his hand - not appropriate, Tayrey! - so instead she just walks close beside him, hoping he'll understand.]

[No, Nobunaga thinks Teyrey is possibly one of the smartest people, up there with Mitsuhide. A difference from strength. Hideyoshi is stronger than Mitsuhide, but not smarter.]

[As Teyrey gets closer...]

[He just gives a sneaky grin and:] Space Invasion! [This is the warning he's been told (once) to do, and does now. And then he glomps her in a hug.]

[Hugs are violence. He's being violent. Okay okay.]

You're brilliant. I know I've told you before, and I'm telling you again. And I'll keep saying it. I'm really proud of you for everything.

[Ari knows that warning, so this time she's not startled and jumpy when he hugs her. That said, Nobunaga has to know enough Tradeliner code now to be aware that if you're violent, you can get violence back - in this case, a very heartfelt hug, arms wrapped around him. Not very professional? Right now she doesn't care.

One day she is going to stop worrying that any little unsolvable disagreement might make him suddenly dislike her, but she's not quite there yet.]

Thank you. I'll work harder, I will. I want to be strong. [In all the ways that count.] And I'll remember the kind things you say about me.

[Okay, but Nobunaga escalates! And picks her up slightly and swings her a little! This much!!! He's proud this much!]

You're doing great. When we're our own harshest critic, it's tough to remember that we can be doing the best when it's so easy to focus on only the flaws. Just remember I'll never lie to you on this, I'm just not that kind. I'd say you're already doing better than Ieyasu and Ranmaru. I'd give you a castle on successful completion, but I'll have to do something better. Maybe a teapot. So you can blend your berries and matcha.

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