APRIL EVENT: YOU HAVE NO POWER OVER ME (EPILOGUE)

[sailmods]

[one by one, they are brought out of the dream, finding themselves in a brightly lit world of sand and broken glass, of familiar faces and audible relief.

as they pass through the crew quarters, they may notice that some tubes seem to be unoccupied, merely sand and empty air.

when they finally push open the heavy door, they find themselves on deck zero. the familiar terrain of the Serena Eterna. they never really left at all.

it is still and quiet; none of the usual ghostly presences can be found anywhere on the ship; in fact, it seems as if there’s barely enough of… whatever it is to keep the lights on, and they’ll find that all internal locations are dimly lit, making it difficult to search them. and they will be searching.

because Fio wasn’t in any of the tubes.

and neither was the Captain.

and Sparkles is somewhere to be found.]

Comments

[neverleave]

[Natsuno's been behind Vance, having taken the same detour to Playback and another one to get his flamethrower - for emotional support as well as violence. He's not impressed with a bully's bluster, but then again Sparkles is way worse.]

If you make the rules, allow fire. Maybe this thing burns.

[This is meant to Vance, but he isn't particularly invested in keeping his voice low.]

[pinballer]

[ He nods. ] Fire's allowed. And does double damage on Sparkles.

[ That's also not something Vance can decide but it sounds cool. ]

[makesomedeals]

You're bringing a knife and a flamethrower to a magic-based fight.

Would you at least like a gun?

[Come on guys, at least do your fights properly here. He says while standing there holding both of Fio's plushies with one arm so Ava can go do her rescue gambit.]

[neverleave]

[He rolls the hem of his t-shirt just enough to reveal the glock 19 in his belt.

He's good here, but maybe Vance wants one.]

[pinballer]

Well, I don't fucking have any magic but I'll be damned if I sit back and let everyone else choose my fate for me.

[ A pause. ]

If you've got a gun I'll take it.

[makesomedeals]

[Max should really have some questions here namely: do you know how to use a gun? But he just assumes everyone knows (including Fio) and also he's 90% sure that Vance is from America which means he probably got one when he entered elementary school.

Squishing the plushes under one arm, he reaches in his jacket to produce a handgun, not one of the fancy future Overwatch ones, but the pistol from the claw machine what feels like eons ago.]

Four shots left, enjoy yourself.

[He easily flips the gun on his palm, handing it over. He doesn't really think a gun will work on Sparkles, but hey, sometimes the destruction and loud sounds are the point.]

[neverleave]

[Natsuno eyes the gun and pulls out an extra magazine out of his pocket.]

Fifteen more.

[light_mischief]

[he's a skeleton and yet somehow, he manages to side eye this interaction.]

Probably doesn't even know where the safety is...

[makesomedeals]

I'd think you'd say something about this being an: important learning opportunity?

[You have to let your kids grow up sometime Skulduggery.]

[light_mischief]

In this case, the learning curve might cost us Fio -- why couldn't you have developed a mentor streak last month?!

[makesomedeals]

My apologies for having the worst conversation of my life with the Erda and then being crushed to death by sand. Maybe next time we're all about to die I'll read a self help book instead.

[light_mischief]

[EYEROLL]

You're the one I'm sending him to for lessons on gun safety when he shoots his foot off.

[makesomedeals]

Also an important learning opportunity, and the kind of mistake he's only liable to make once.

Additionally we'll never find out if he does shoot his foot off unless he does it in front of us right now, because it's not as if anyone would admit to that.

[pinballer]

Thanks.

[ He takes the gun. It is immediately obvious that the only gun he's ever held before was the light guns in the arcade. ]

[businessorlibation]

[As if Natsuno's comment had reminded him, Johnny pats his pockets to see if he might have a cigar from Tauva in them, pulling out his Blue Horseshoe lighter. Look. Look. If the goddamned faceless dame has the fucks to give to put out his smoke under these circumstances, she's a more formidable construct than he's given her credit for.

In the meantime, he and his bloody hands need some gods-damned nicotine and tar.]

[ossie_oswald]

[ Over at the tea table, Ossie waves a cigarette case in his direction. ]

[businessorlibation]

You're a peach, Mr. Wuthridge.

[He will accept a cigarette gladly, lighting it and taking a long drag as if it's the first deep breath he's had in weeks.]

[ossie_oswald]

You're too kind, Mr Summer, [ Ossie takes one for himself, touching the end of it to the lit end of Johnny's to light it, ] have you eaten yet? Drunk? There's tea, sandwiches, biscuits, and some gin if you ask nicely and turn those lovely gold eyes in my direction.

[businessorlibation]

[That is so gay, Ossie. He's delighted by the gesture.]

I've done none of those things yet. They haven't been a priority for some reason. Though a sandwich sounds particularly appealing. Gin...not yet, not yet.

[ossie_oswald]

Cucumber? Egg? Ham and cheese? Chicken and salad? All of the above?

[ Johnny will undoubtedly recognize this fussing from his own playbook. ]

[businessorlibation]

[Johnny pauses. Looks Ossie in the eyes for a moment. Oh, he appreciates the fussing for what it is, but he also appreciates that it's directed toward him, despite (or maybe because of) it being his method and his madness.

Sometime, sometime soon, he'll need to see what became of Hurrikane, if not of Hu-Rakan.]

Cucumber and cheese, if that's not an imposition.

[ossie_oswald]

Certainly not.

[ From one of the plates where they're arranged, he procures Johnny a cucumber and cheese sandwich on a napkin. ]

We've juice and water, too, if you change your mind on something to drink. No rush. This seems to be the sort of nonsense we're uniquely capable of maintaining, so I expect we'll all be here a while.

[businessorlibation]

At least here is familiar again.

[Look. Somewhere along the line the ship had become a safe place, a haven from the unknown beyond it. He could kiss the deck and thank the ship for her service again, but that might look weird to others.]

[ossie_oswald]

Better the devil we know, as I said to ton beau. Just as soon as we can get the lights up again. I don't suppose you're keeping a thousand souls in your back pocket, are you?

[businessorlibation]

Ossie, I don't even know what a soul is, if we're honest with ourselves. Though, and I know no one will listen to me, perhaps some of it inessentials could be chopped for the sake of what we need. For example, the casino? We don't truly require one, do we?

[And if part of him is considering Watson's gambling addiction when he suggests that cut, no one needs to know.]