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

"Oh, it won't be easy. I'm not too keen on dying. But I'd rather it be my life than that of others."

It makes sense that the girl is afraid. She's in a world incredibly different from her own. Meeting people with powers far beyond her and her beliefs. She tries to explain mystics with science, to stay within her comfort zone. Fear had to be the only reason to try to treaty with a complete stranger.

She sighs heavily. She's had contracts in the past, but they were signed with an alias, never any danger. Here it is her own name.

"I will make an attempt. Negotiating and arguments are something I quite excel at believe it or not."

It's the years as a lawyer.

"I mean same, but in your case, it seems like that means you'll be stuck surviving again in spite of things. I get killed a lot more easily than I expected. Well, it's not like I can do magic, so..." shrug.

"I believe you," a slow nod. "And feel free to teach her a lesson about it too. I did warn her not to make contracts with --" a handwave. "I know you're not a demon, or I'd veto it completely. Demons use contracts to twist them, and she'd hate that." Red eyes narrow. "That's the one weapon I'll never use." Ugh why the hell is he hearing stupid Kennyo's bells in his head now of all times? Shoo. "But all the same, associating contracts with safety is itself fairly dangerous. Especially since she still doesn't believe in magic or demons or souls."

"I don't know how my death will work here," she replies, "It may be different than at home. At home, depending on the method, it can take minutes or hours."

Again, Nobunaga is showing that he has honor by not manipulating his contracts.

"Her lack of belief in those elements of my life make a contract difficult. So I suppose I should keep it as simple as possible and expect her to negotiate as you say she will."

"It will take until midnight, when things are normal. Presumably. It did for me, both times, and we believe that is what would happen for Klaus too, though we haven't tested it, and he hasn't died yet."

He really doesn't have honor - he says. And he hasn't manipulated his contracts, yet, to her knowledge. Twisting contracts isn't the tool he won't use. It's hate. Also apparently Klaus. Because Klaus veto'ed being a weapon, so that goes forever and ever and ever.

"Negotiations are a sign of respect in her realm, offering grand openings as offers is equally a sign of high respect. Negotiating and going back and forth to get as much hammered out as possible is proving one's strength in a fun way, like normal people spar here. That said, I do not know that she will do that with you, not out of disrespect, but simply she was so--" he refrains from saying hurt, "Offended by your first refusal, she might not want to risk trying too hard. Keep this in mind, but do not go so far that I need intervene. I will protect her at any cost, but I value my relationship with you very deeply, General."

"You insult me, Demon King. I have no reason to take advantage of a human who doesn't understand the forces she is dealing with. If she is as clever as you say, then there is no need to be concerned about her. I'm only doing this to ensure that our goals stay aligned. Though if she has you protecting her, I don't know why she needs me to the same."

Valdis doesn't trust Nobunaga. She likes him. She enjoys their verbal sparring. She even appreciates his tactical mind. But she does not trust him in the slightest.

"And you just don't want to miss out on more Haiku about killings gods."

"She is, but she's still impossibly inexperienced, in a way I cannot reconcile except by thinking of her as just short of Tendi's time. That much peace."

Nobunaga snorts... and then just outright laughs. "You know full well my skills to protect her are not in the same capacity as yourself." And he just sticks his tongue out at her!

And another laugh! "Indeed. Ah, I have recently contemplated becoming a god-injuring weapon for one god to use against all things that face him. Though, of course, this means getting Klaus' okay first. I don't want to see him cry for any reason I can prevent or avoid."

Nobunaga does not want ANYONE to trust him, not Klaus, not Ari, no one.

"There is no peace here," Valdis agrees, "Do not worry, I will not take advantage of her naivete. I'm not a demon after all."

She frowns at him. "You really are an idiot. You don't need to become a god-injuring weapon. Why would you even contemplate such a thing?"

A pause. What gods does she know on the ship. Crap.

"Which god?"

"Because I want to. I already have been in the past, even if I couldn't kill them." A quiet hum. "Yato. He did something impossible, even if hasn't done it yet. Time travel."

Yato. So much for being harmless and cheerful. God of Fortune indeed.

"Someone telling you that they have travelled through time doesn't mean much if they are a god. Like...a literal weapon? You being ok with being used by a god of all things, is not something I would have ever guessed."

"He didn't. He did the opposite. He said it wasn't him, but there's no one else it could be. What is wrong with being a weapon, anyway? I have always been fighting gods, and weakening them. I'd rather take this into my own hands and direct where my soul leads rather than it be chewed on by demons, or used up by the Captain. I want to free the ghosts, and now I know there is a path to it."

Irritated. First Klaus, now Valdis. "If anything, you should be much more worried about him. I won't hold back, and my blowback in untrained hands is exceptionally lethal."

She goes quiet. But it's not the sort of quiet that is contemplative. It's the dangerous, evaluating kind.

"Is that a threat."

Oh, right. He had just lowkey warned her against going too hard on Ari. Instantly Nobunaga softens. "No, I'm worried about Yato. As strange as that may sound, I've never heard of him as a god before, have you? Even though he's Japanese, and I'm not a monk, but my family is." A headtilt. "He's without weapons here. No one, not even gods, should be defenseless. I want to free everyone, and I think he can help me. I know I come across as the Fool of Owari, but I'm very good at what I do, even more when it's ridiculous."

Quietly: "Do you think I'm in the wrong? Letting my soul be a weapon rather than the Captain using me without my say?"

"I think the Captain will use your soul whether you are Yato's weapon or not. I have yet to speak to him, but it is said he wants the your negative feelings. Do you think those feelings will stop just by allowing Yato to use you? You can't free everyone, no matter how much you fight or struggle. It's dangerous to even get attached to Klaus, but you have. You give the Captain ammunition at every turn. You just met him, is he really worth the risk?"

"That's the cool part!" A GIANT BEAM. "My negative emotions will cause Yato direct physical pain. So I have to get my shit together, and make sure I can handle myself."

He says...

Like that is a thing he is genuinely capable of. She can join Klaus in warning Yato that Nobunaga is a man pretty much THOROUGHLY ruled by intense emotions, and Yato might be getting in for a lot more than he's ready for.

"I told him he has to meet Klaus first, since then at least he'll know the majority of my mood swings." Minus the brooding. Yeah, there is actually brooding, somewhere under all that poetry club, karaoke, and throwing Klaus around like a dog with a chew toy.

"The Captain is powered by all strong emotions, even my joy and enthusiasm, so my goal is to prove that such things can be even stronger and more effective than the sorrow and torture of others. Yato falls directly into that plan. Sometimes you can meet someone and know right away how they fit into your life, whereas others you can know for decades, and still not know what to do with them. Time is an illusion."

"You do realize that you throw a fit whenever something you don't like happens. I seem to recall poor Klaus getting at least yelled at for daring to have his heart flutter in his chest at me the other day. You, dear Demon King, have anger issues."

This conversation has really gone places she didn't expect.

"I've been holding everyone at arms length for hundreds of years, and most of those I've known for decades are more likely to put a dagger in my back than actually stay in my life."

She'd kill them first.

"I don't throw a fit!" A beat. "I do have anger issues." At least he knows it?

"Yeah yeah, same same. Well, not hundreds, but you know..." A shrug. "It's fine though, I'd rather someone I liked killed me than someone I can't stand. But I am kind of an abrasive personality." Kind of. Just a little. Not like, a world-ending amount or anything. Maybe.

"And if your negative emotions from your self-admitted anger issues hurt Yato, then you aren't really protecting him, are you?"

Why on earth that doesn't seem to click for him she has no idea. But it's his soul, not hers and he might be more willing to listen to Klaus than her, so she's not going to stop him from doing it. But, she's not thrilled.

"I'm not signing on to protect him," blandly, but true. "Weapons have many uses. I'm not trying to protect a god. I'm trying to help him, so he can help me, and free the ghosts, and send Chase back in time."

"For someone so selfish and without honor you certainly seem stuck on helping the ghosts, who, I might add, possessed passengers and killed other passengers."

Total insanity.

"Who is Chase?"

"What makes you think that's not self-interest?"

Chase is Crichton's killer.

Wait.

"A ghost." Obviously. "But not anymore."

Valdis takes a very, very deep breath, then steps directly into Nobunaga's personal space.

"Selfish people only help the people they care about. Evil people only help themselves. You want to help those you have little to no connection with."

She taps him on the chest.

"You have doubted your soul before, saying you sold it to a demon. Now you want to offer it to a god. Is it worth so little to you?"

Edited (typos are the bane of my existence) 2022-11-30 23:23 (UTC)

[He has such complicated feelings about souls. Things he didn't believe existed.]

[No less complicated is his thoughts on demons and gods.]

[He was so worried through October when he first found out he had a soul. Still. Despite the Demon thing. And then even more worried about what the Captain would do to it, turn him into a ghost, the void worse than torture. She's mistaken, like Klaus, like Ari. He's not good, he is selfish. He cares about people connected to the ghosts, and at least some of the ghosts individually. He isn't devoid of empathy, no matter what he'd like to do to stop it.]

It's the most valuable thing I have.

It anchors me to existence. It lets me come back after death. Instead of focusing on the cost, focus on what I'm getting out of it.

Trying to protect it is inefficient. It will never be enough for me. Just as Teyrey needs to be doing something meaningful, something productive, I am no different. There's no sacrifice I won't make to see my ambitions through. And not even fighting gods, or serving on their behalf will deter me from that path.

An untapped potential is wasted. Maeve once asked if it came to choosing between Klaus and Japan, could I really bring myself to do so? But I already have, countless times. There's nothing I haven't given up to return Japan to the rest of Earth. Here's not so different. At least using my soul as a weapon it's going to a use in a way I agree to and furthers my ambitions. That's what I want.

Klaus says not to put everyone as a tool or weapon to my ambitions, so I won't. But I will always use myself first and foremost. That's what it means to be so stubborn you become the Demon King.

Her hand lays flat against his armored chest now, and she can feel it there. Underneath everything, bright and filled with the same hope and energy all souls are. He's being a fool now, letting her in this close, but he has no idea and he lets everyone in too close.

"You've already made us weapons." She replies, "Weapons that can be turned against you. That's all relationships are. Are you going to risk not being there for Klaus because you are fighting with Yato?"

She sighs and pulls away, "If you are so desperate to give away your soul, give some to me and I will make sure Klaus and Tayrey are safe while you are off freeing the ghosts."

Nobunaga would argue what happens if she hurts him? No game of Go or strategy is played in only one move.

"You may think that way, I think that way, but Klaus is allowed to refuse to be part of it. That's his zen, his freedom, and I'll fight to protect it."

A sigh. "I wouldn't love him if he was truly incapable of holding his own. He hates it, so I will try to give him that freedom, but I cannot stop being me, and he is still his past, however he may run from it."

At the request of part of his soul, Nobunaga's red eyes narrow. "You're going to have to be very specific. I know what happens to souls in Yato's hands, but not your teeth, Hellhound." Even if she's not a traditional demon, he's not sure how much it's different either.

Oh, there's the Demon King she's looking for. Suddenly on guard, he's not always an idiot. She tips her head and smiles, taking another step back, well out of reach.

"Nothing happens to your soul. You may feel tired, or weak for a few hours afterward. I use the energy to heal myself and enhance my abilities in battle. I used to have a rather large store of it, but it apparently didn't copy over so I have to use my own soul if I want to do things faster. But, as you might guess, using my own soul has risks I may not want in the middle of a fight."

She's aware that she is dangerously close to manipulation, there could have been a much better approach.

"There is no deal attached, no contract. I don't even need permission. But I won't take energy without it. I may be a monster, but I'm not an evil one."

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