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The Off-Season [OTA]
What: Passing the days
When: Throughout December
Warnings: TBD
Like Butter Over Too Much Bread [The Brig] [Post-Excursion]
If anyone happens to be near the lower levels of the ship, they might catch a whiff of something odd. To some, it might smell like something burning. To others, it might smell like spilled gasoline, or odd chemicals. To everyone, it's a smell that catches their attention and puts them on alert.
Should they follow it, they'll find it leads to the brig, where Maxwell is hunched over a magic circle on all fours, shaking and drenched with sweat. He looks positively exhausted, and doesn't give much of a reaction when approached. His eyes are glazed over, focus deadlocked on something distant and unseeable.
Nothing Up My Sl- Whoops! [Various] [Anytime]
He's been busy at work in the library, leaving the tables by the Alchemy Engine littered with random objects. Every time he's there, he's surrounded by spreadsheets. It seems like he writes something down whenever he manages to make something, even if it's a duplicate of the objects he's already made.
Stay, Keep Us Company a While [Bobby B's] [During Excursion]
With the ship so empty, he's taken to sitting in Bobby B's with the phonograph playing, always sitting in the same chair. He doesn't smoke while he's doing this, he just sits and stares at the opposite wall. It's his way of being the edgy rogue in the shadowy corner. There's no mistaking it, he's brooding. One could say he's being quite silly about it, but perhaps there really is something weighing heavy on his mind. It's certainly not out of the question around here.
The Smell of Danger on the Air [Various] [Post-Excursion, Post Interaction With Tiamat]
There's the faintest hint of blood clinging to him, a stray few specks on his shirt tails. It's probably nothing.
[Wildcard]
Like Butter
"Hello, Maxwell. I hope you have not forgotten our deal?"
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"My Lady. I was not expecting to speak directly with you again so soon. I have not forgotten our deal, but the Captain has been less than forthcoming with some information I require."
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"You can start without that information. Something happened on the excursion and this is the perfect chance for us to move forward with the binding, all you would have to do to activate it would be to use the words I will teach you. But you have to get the symbols in place."
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Tiamat leans against the wall and crosses her arms, fixing him with her scarlet gaze.
"You're sure you're willing to do something like this? If your resolve shakes and your hand slips it could all be for naught."
She desperately hopes he can, she needs the man to do what she cannot.
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"If you do this correctly, you will have an Angel of Death under your complete control whenever you want. It's too bad you didn't see the display she put on at the excursion, killed 12 people without touching them, ate someone's heart. It will be well worth your while to follow through when the Captain complies with your wishes."
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"So, if we complete the binding now, it will not require that I immediately take control. What you're proposing is not that we set her into a frenzy now, but that be ready to do so at a moment's notice?"
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She smirks.
"Is it still considered murder if they don't know about it?"
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...Maxwell, you're not my "Elder Scrolls: Oblivion" character. You shouldn't have to worry about getting the prompt "Your killing has been observed by forces unknown."
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She holds out her hand to him.
"Shall we go secure your plans?"
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"Yes, let's."
He knows his way down to the morgue in a way that won't go through any busy areas, and he knows he won't get too much suspicion walking with 'Valdis,' but he's still a little on edge as they make their way there.
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She closes the door behind them, flicking on the light before pulling a piece of paper out of her pocket and holding it out to him.
"Here are the symbols, and when you are ready to activate them, just say 'Vær min ødeleggelse i mørket.' No one will know until you give further commands, but control will be yours."
She jumps up on one of the slabs.
"Just make it fast, I dislike suffering when it's my own."
cw: implied surgery
He's done so much worse. Scalpels are much less unwieldy than razors honed from flint. He trades nitrile gloves for silken ones, and works in silence, save for his incantations.
Hearts are strange when they aren't black and withered or made of straw.
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Whether or not he really has adequately covered his tracks remains to be seen.
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Contact will be difficult moving forward, but I will message you when I am able. Be wary otherwise.
And Good Luck.
[Wildcard]
"Hey, got a minute. I need to talk to you about something." His voice is firm but he's working hard to keep the obvious aggression out of it. "It's important."
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"How can I help you?" he asks, curtly.
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"You know she's already got a boyfriend named Max, right?"
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"I am. You wanna know why?"
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"Do tell."
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"See the date in that bottom corner? Funny thing about it is she doesn't remember anything from that day. So, tell me," he unsheathes his pulse pistol and brings it out of the thigh holster. He isn't pointing it at Maxwell yet, but the threat is clear. "What were you doing with her and why doesn't she remember it?"
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"Maybe you'd like to fill me in on what those emergency measures are?"
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"That wasn't really a suggestion, my man. If you're supposedly doing what's in her best interest, then explain to me why it looks a whole lot like you killed her and left her in the morgue for three days."
Now, the gun actually is pointed at Max. "If you won't say it to me, then you ARE going to say it to her. Just so you know, she ate a guy's heart recently."
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It's a risky request, but it'll buy him time.
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Frell.
He shoves said gun back into the holster on his thigh.
"That's what I'm saying. She has questions and you're going to give her answers. Here, why don't I send her a message right now, tell her you're willing to talk?"
Yeah, he's doing that. With the same hand that was holding the gun, he now takes out his phone and types a brief text to Valdis.
"There. Done. Let's see what she says."
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"Very well. Do tell me when you hear back from her."
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"Great news," he looks up at Maxwell finally. "She's coming to talk to you, herself. If I were you, I would think twice about using any lines about how this is for the greater good when talking to her."
He puts the picture away in his vest front pocket and regards Maxwell with one last hard glare. "You better watch yourself. I'll be paying attention to what you get up to from now on."
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Time for him to start getting his story straight.
Bobby B's. Post Tiamat.
After making a pit stop at Photos At Sea he knows who he is looking for.
After wandering the ship he finally spots who he is looking for.
"You're Maxwell?" He asks as he pulls up a chair.
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She warned him against hurting Maxwell and he's determined not to.
"I'm going to tell you what I know. Then you are going to tell me how to fix it."
Ash wasn't in the mood for small talk. Or tip toeing around the issue. They were running out of time.
"I know Tiamat has taken control of her a couple of times recently. I saw the picture of you and Valdis outside of the morgue. I know she died, she knows she died. She woke up with a new scar. She also called you a warlock not a magician." He pauses and sighs. "She is in pain. Thinks she's going crazy. Keeps feeling like something inside
of her is being torn open over and over...and she smells like a dying animal. What did you do to her?"
His eyes are filled with concern. Pleading. "Just tell me how I stop it, please. I can't lose her. I'll do anything."
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"She... she's really that unwell?"
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Still in the library?
He gets up from the chair.
"Let's go. I left her in the library."
[To Closed w/ Valdis]
"Fine."
He's going to see for himself exactly what's going on.