We're wide awake now, our eyes are wide open. We're running this world, we keeping it turning

[opheliac]

Who: EVERYONE ON THIS DANG SHIP!
What: IT'S A PARTTTYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
When: last week of april before more shit happens.
Where: rischie
Warnings: PG-13??? alcohol is definitely involved, teens being teens, drunk people or doing bad decisions??? who is to say!!!





Fast Travel Thread Links

★ ENTRANCE.
★ THE DANCE FLOOR.
★ AT THE BAR.
★ GAME AREA.
★ DJ TABLE // PRIVATE WITH JINX
★ LOSER CORNER.
★ THE FOOD TABLE.
★ KARAOKE.
★ OUTSIDE RISCHIE.
★ WILDCARD.

Comments

[sabigoe]

I think so too!

[ Agreeing, with a bright smile. She's hoping. Honestly she has her worries, which she isn't going to voice out loud. She doesn't want to dampen anyone's spirits by suddenly putting on a frown. Being a child that lacks any gift of magic or any super special abilities, the best she can do is put on a smile and keep everyone's morale up high. ]

So, um... is everyone like you where you're from? Do you have skeleton brothers and sisters?

[ Or skeleton friends! Or mothers and fathers, even? She's thinking similar to how human families are. ]

[light_mischief]

[He laughs, because that is just too much. His friends would have a field day with her, no doubt, and they'd probably lead her to believe a lot of funny, untrue things about magic skeletons. Thankfully, Skulduggery's never been very good at pranking people, children or otherwise.]

No, no other skeletons. All of my friends look normal. [Well, mostly normal. Well...] Well, they have their skin, at least. I was... just special.

[He wants to ask if she's got any powers, but it might... be a bad idea. He doesn't know if her cheerfulness is too fragile to handle it, but he... really needs to know.]

Are you special in your world, Fio? Do you know if... maybe that's why you're here?

[sabigoe]

Special? ...Hm.

[ Not really? Maybe? She never really thought too hard if there was a specific reason for her being summoned by the captain.

Fio hums in thought, swaying her arms lightly by her sides. "Special", she would think that would mean something positive about herself. Her family was considered the lowest of the low and misfortunes would happen one after another. The country's laws were unjust... ]

I don't know... but I... used to dream all the time.

[ It's pretty clear it's a touchy subject as her cheeriness dies down, with some hesitance in her words. Not many people know about the nightmares that she had prior to her arrival on the cruise ship. She tends to avoid mentioning it and there hasn't been much reason to bring it up in the first place. ]

But they were always unhappy dreams. I don't think it's really "special" 'cause it was always sad things.

[light_mischief]

[He wants to tread lightly; it's a party, for one, and she's just a little girl, for another. The last thing he needs or wants is to upset her.]

Hmm. Sometimes, sad things can make us special, too. But I understand. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to.

[He can always ask around and find out for himself. There's no need to push her.]

[sabigoe]

[ Sad things can make us special, too. Maybe, that's actually true, when she thinks about it. Mulling over those words, she debates how much she wants to talk about. Surprisingly, there were some happy things that came from the sadness. Like meeting who she considers her only real friend in the dream realm, when she never really had any in the human world.

With that in mind, she's able to bring back her small smile. Maybe she can tell him some things. ]

Um... well... I used to be able to go to this world called "the Cage" in my dreams. Maybe that's something that also made me special? [ As far as she knows, she's the only human so far that was able to access that mysterious place. She then makes a wide gesture with her arms. ] It's this big ol' stone building! That's where I met my friend Mr. Monster.

[light_mischief]

Ah, I see. [He... kind of does, at least. The actual methodology might be different, but dreams as liminal spaces aren't entirely lost on him.] I think that's a special talent, indeed. So Mr. Monster is somebody who lives in the Cage?

[Skulduggery doesn't seem to be judging the name; he's obviously heard far stranger.]

[sabigoe]

[ Good, because Mr. Monster is just another one of Fio's many nicknames. She ponders in thought again. She never really learned where her friend actually lived and he never really cared to tell her. Then she shakes her head. ]

...No. He was brought to that place. By Carrie, I think? Carrie's a little ghost! Um... not like the ghosts here though.

[ The Cage is a strange place... and she never really asked too much about its workings and its denizens. Sort of just accepted how things were over there. Similar to the cruise ship and how she's now just talking to a skeleton with stride. ]

[light_mischief]

[The more she says about it, the more he's certain he has no earthly idea what she's really talking about. It's not her fault, though, not really; he's been feeling that way about pretty much everyone else he's met so far. His world, he figures, is equally bizarre to an outside perspective.]

The ghosts here are odd, aren't they? They're not like the ones I'm used to. Were ghosts common in the Cage?

[sabigoe]

I'm not sure... I've only really seen two of 'em around.

[ But the Carrier always talked like he might be working alongside some other ghosts, somewhere.

When comparing the ghosts aboard the ship to the only two that she's familiar with, they do seem odd. And perhaps a little scary when they grow restless. The angry, upset screams of "get out" and the furniture getting flung around... she never wants to experience that again. ]

...Have you met a lot of ghosts, Duggy? Were they nice?

[light_mischief]

[The last ghost Skulduggery faced had been the murderous specter of a long-dead sorcerer, hellbent on kidnapping his partner as his living bride, so... the answer to the last bit is a resounding no.

Like hell is he going to say that, though!!!]

Ah... ghosts try not to bother most people, so I don't see very many. When I do, they seem... unhappy. It's too bad, but I suppose it makes sense. It's probably not much fun, being a ghost.

[sabigoe]

Um... well... if I were a ghost, I think I'd be a nice ghost! And I'd wanna be everyone's friend.

[ Spoken with an innocently happy smile. Well, she has very little knowledge about ghosts and is just using her imagination now. ]

[light_mischief]

I'm sure you would be. For now, we can be glad that you're not a ghost, but a spectacularly special little girl.

[sabigoe]

[ It feels good to be able to call herself special, especially when her parents never really saw her in the same light no matter how hard she tries. She lets out a small giggle. ]

...Yeah! I'm glad I have some reasons to be special. And I don't think I get to eat cake and all sorts of yummy foods if I were a ghost. [ A pause. ] Do skeletons eat?

[ The answer is obvious, but she just has to make sure. ]

[light_mischief]

Unfortunately, no. Which is too bad. [Mostly because it means he forgets basic food safety, which leads to embarrassing conversations, like, "No, Skulduggery, pizza doesn't keep over a month on the table," or, "You do know you have to refrigerate pasteurized items, don't you?"

In his defense, pasteurization came about long after he lost the ability to eat.]

Have you seen the food here at the party? It looked good.

[sabigoe]

It is pretty good.

[ Much of it is unlike anything she has ever tried before. Pretty much all of the cruise's dining is extravagant in comparison to the thin gruel that she's grown up on in her life before the ship. Often she feels like some sort of princess. She could ramble on about how good the food tastes but... she doesn't want to make the skeleton man sad!! ]

...I'm sorry you can't have any of the food here. I hope you're still enjoying yourself?

[light_mischief]

Of course. It's a good party -- lots of people, loud music, and dancing. I've been meeting a lot of new people, too, which is always fun.

[Trying to figure out what everyone has in common so far has turned up desperately little. Still, the contacts he's made tonight will prove useful later on down the line. At the very least, he's gotten a rough headcount of the passengers aboard, which might come in handy during an emergency. As far as parties go, he's counting this one as a rousing success.]

What about you, Fio? Have you been having a good time?

[sabigoe]

[ Only the second party that she has ever been to and for all of the same reasons, she's enjoying herself. The music is a little too loud for her liking, which is why she's at this corner in the first place. As long as others are having fun though, she won't complain. ]

I've been having a good time. I like seeing everyone smile and laugh.

[ Honestly, she's not entirely happy. To be having fun at this moment is strange, not knowing what sort of dangers they will be put through. Maybe she will let some of her worries show, just a little. She has never been very good at keeping it all in, after all.

Fidgeting a bit, a small frown tugs at her lips. ]

I don't really want to scare you or anything, but... [ Besides, he deserves to have some kind of warning. Maybe it's already been learned by now, but she wants to say it herself. She doesn't know how long they can continue to relax like this and she doesn't want to see anyone get hurt. ] ...Please be careful, Duggy. I've heard the captain isn't very nice.

[light_mischief]

[The most minor of reassurances is that she's only heard the rumors, instead of having to experience it for herself. He's just... gonna fully get down on her level here, crouching down so that they can be having a truly private conversation.]

I'll be careful about him. And you never have to worry about scaring me, alright? [He points to the perma-grin of his skull.] I'm a skeleton, I can handle all the scary you can throw at me.

[sabigoe]

[ Warnings from others and after visiting a fellow passenger in the infirmary, she's convinced enough that the rumors are true. Everyone needs to stay on their toes. His skull face is... much closer now at this level, but she's not afraid. He's a nice skeleton and not anyone for her to fear.

She nods slowly. ]

...And if he tries to hurt you? You can handle that too?

[ Do skeletons feel pain... ]

[light_mischief]

[He's not going to tell her that he's invincible, because he's not. And he can hardly lie and say he can't feel pain -- there are too many instances of torture in his life for that to be true. But he's determined and uncannily resilient, so he can promise her one thing.]

I can handle the captain, don't you worry about me.