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"Hey!" Imagine cries, jumping up and down and clasping her hands. "The Sweet Doomed Angel! I've heard SO much about this place. Like, I always wanted to go, but I never got a chance to!"
As soon as you walk in the door she TAKES OFF like a shot into the maelstrom of the nearest dance floor.
*UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ*
Manteca, within a minute, you have a visual call coming in on your comm.
*UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ*
"HI!HAHAHA!"
Imagine is surounded by three males of various races. The music from the dance floor UNZ's in the background.
*UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ*
"HEY! Do you want a drink? Bobby here is recommending the Chernobyl Cherry! I'll get us all a round!"
*UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ**UNZ*
A few minutes later Imagine returns with a tray fully loaded with glasses of various hues and fizzinesses. "This one's Nuclear Apple, that's the Ch-Cherry, this one's You Dam Dirty Grape, and that one's Well Now Ain't We A Pear. Don't touch this one! Bobby just said this was Offensively Good."
She takes a sip, smiles.
"So, where you all from?"
Lounging in the booth Boreal is drinking a dark beer, tail lazily flicking through the air behind her. When the tray of drinks get's put down Boreal looks it over for a moment, before grabbing one of the smaller ones at random and downing it. It must have been the Nuclear Apple, because she is sure there was some apple flavour there, but the main flavour was sour. "Vesk 3." she says before taking a hearty swig of beer to wash away the aftertaste of the shot.
Manteca sets his comm unit down, after sending the third or fourth message to EH-RK with selfies of the group at the bar, an address for the bar, and then a link to an infosphere quiz about "What Cast Member From Season 1 of Live Exploration Extreme!! Are You??" He doesn't take a drink, but is clearly hesitating between the Ch-Cherry and Well Now Ain't We A Pear.
"Well, I'm from Verces by birth! Though I don't stay in touch with anyone from there - my family's all pretty independent, but I try to get back for the shirren holidays every year or two. I've been living happily on Absalom Station for a few years now." He finally picks the Ch-Cherry drink and takes a sip, emitting happy feelings telepathically at his choice.
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Imagine smiles and nods politely at Boreal as the Vesk gives a tautological answer to her point of origin. Imagine knew the Vesk existed, but not much else, and there wasn't much more to go on in her answer.
At Imani's answer, her eyes to wide as saucers and she tilts her head to the side, indicating interest. "WHAaa? There are Shirren holidays? Like, like what?"
"Well, they're not technically exclusively shirren, but rather related to the worship of Hylax. A number of the holidays revolve around the constellations visable from Nchak, the moon of Liavara where the mortal embodiment of Hylax can be..." The doctor begins to go into excruciating details on Hylaxian holidays, actually switching into telepathy after a minute in order to convey the thoughts more rapidly.
It is dry. So dry. And most of the holidays just seem to be excuses for everyone to get together, with a seeming emphasis on group hugs.
Boreal: 4974 creds
Manteca: Psychic Booster, 4974 creds
Eric: mk1 Ability Upgrade, D-Suit with Thermal Capacitor, 1676 creds
Boreal: 4974 creds
Manteca: Psychic Booster, 4974 creds
Eric: mk1 Ability Upgrade, D-Suit with Thermal Capacitor, 1676 creds
Manteca, seeing the incoming credits from EH-RK, immediately stops what he was saying midsentence and starts infosphere-shopping for a better medkit. "Well thank goodness, now I can get something with some anti-scarring gel," he says, glancing over at Boreal and her recent terrible wounds.
"Why would you want that?" Boreal asks incredulously
Eric has Tahomen's armor resized to fit his smaller frame and he sells his previously used armor to a sketchy looking Ysoki.
Eric then orders a meal via his comm unit and spends his time perusing the Classified Advertisements. He's interested in gathering data on Humanoid mating rituals.
While doing that he stumbles across someone selling black market grenades and orders a few.
"Why would you want that?" Boreal asks incredulously
Manteca freezes for a second, trying to think of tactfully explaining this. "Well... for some species, scarring is a sign of... mistakes made. The toughness to survive an injury is secondary to having the wits or skills to avoid receiving the injury in the first place - and it can effect diplomatic endeavors or mating prospects. Like Imagine here." The shirren gestures at the human. "Imagine, if someone cut your face in a fight, would you want the scar visible? Or would you want it to heal without a scar?"
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The sketchy looking Ysoki is offended, that now even androids think they can look down on him, but takes the armor anyway. At that price it will bring him a nice profit.
"Baaah!" Boreal says by way of dismissing Manteca's silly ideas.
"A scar is a story! A tale to tell yoir mate!" She says a bit loud due to being tipsy.
"Scars teach. If you are scarred it tella others that you have faught. Being alive tells them that you have always won! My scars tell me where my foe was stronger than me, and they remind me to get better. They show me that I can die. Every scar makes me savor life more and more." she says before downing a shot from a passing tray.
"A scar earned fighting with your comrades... how can you even think to hide such a thing?!"
"Baaah!" Boreal says by way of dismissing Manteca's silly ideas.
"A scar is a story! A tale to tell yoir mate!" She says a bit loud due to being tipsy.
"Scars teach. If you are scarred it tella others that you have faught. Being alive tells them that you have always won! My scars tell me where my foe was stronger than me, and they remind me to get better. They show me that I can die. Every scar makes me savor life more and more." she says before downing a shot from a passing tray.
"A scar earned fighting with your comrades... how can you even think to hide such a thing?!"
Not all scars are from battle, Boreal Typhon, Manteca says, switching to telepathy as if he talked more quietly the music would drown him out. I treated a young ysoki once who had been in a fire. She had escaped - but her entire family had not been so lucky. For her, seeing the burns in the mirror was a reminder of what had been lost. The first day she saw her fur growing across her face, even if it was coming in white... she cried in front of me that day. "I can stop seeing the fire," she said. I've thought a lot about that, and what she meant, what she had seen. I was too afraid to ask in the moment. The shirren also downs a shot from a passing tray. "I think it's imperative that we go dance! Lots! Right away!" the shirren yells, switching back to his speechvoice.
Boreal harumphs and remains seated while Manteca runs off to dance.
Communicating with Ciskisk you get the additional information that some ships of the corpse fleet left the proximity of Absalom Station suspiciously close in time to your findings.
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Imagine was about to comment that a big, horrible scar on the face was just about the worst thing she could...imagine, but suddenly the two started flying at each other in a way that made her think that they're just talking about scars and medicine anymore, and perhaps there were some deep-seated personal issues unresolved here. And then Manteca screwed up his face and was really quiet for a bit before BURSTING off and saying something about dance.
Well, -that- at least she could weigh in on.
"Yippee!" she cries, grabbing Menteca's hand and leading into a packed floor full of writhing and gyrating young things, their ears being beaten and their bodies moved to grind by something both retro and neo-tech.
Imagine's body moves like a silk-covered snake as she casts a spell and slides her arms around the good doctor's neck.
'We can still talk, if you like,' Imagine's voice comes through, echoing the Shirren's own mindspeach. 'That leaves our mouths free for...other things.'
Oh, do they do food here? Manteca says, looking around the dance floor as though expecting waiterbots carrying canapes to be wheeling through the packed dance floor. I don't see anyone else with food out here... do you think it's against the club's rules?
Eric corresponds with the Starfinder Society. He requests a payment for services rendered and promise of future payments for finding the Gate of the Twelve Suns. For additional payments he will endeavor to find the connection between the Corpse Fleet and the Cult of the Devourer.
After a while of sitting at the table on her own, Boreal has calmed down somewhat. On her second beer now, she watches the dance floor. As her gaze wonders lazily she finds herself watching Imagine and Manteca more often than anything else. The way Imagine moves, despite how... voluptuous she is, captivates her.
As Imagine dances around Manteca Boreal's eyes lock with hers for a moment. Boreal quickly finds something else to look at though.
Imagine gets the sense that Boreal was watching for a while longer than the fleeting eye contact would indicate.
Eric continues upgrading his personal cloaking device. Now not only can he use its powered N2 Cells to create lifelike holograms but he can use an extended light reflecting diode to create a semi permanent field of cloaking around his body.
He imagines this will make checking to ensure his allies have packed appropriately much easier.
In regards to money, Ciskisk is no fun to talk to. She has no budget of her own, and the Starfinder Society still counts on people that do the job out of altruistic motives. Even when the bare existence of the universe is at stake, there is no money to get. At least not from the Starfinders. But there is the promise of honor and glory when the findings will be published under your name. Not that you couldn't have it without the society. But having Ciskisk as a contact with connections and background information that is not available to everyone, having the society on your side is still better than a poke in the eye with a burnt stick.
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Oh, do they do food here? Manteca says, looking around the dance floor as though expecting waiterbots carrying canapes to be wheeling through the packed dance floor. I don't see anyone else with food out here... do you think it's against the club's rules?
Imagine giggles and hugs Manteca close. When she relaxes her grip, she looks somewhere and makes some undecipherable motions with her hands. Within moments an attractive young man comes over with a gilded tray.
'Take your pick, love. Those are vodka gummy bears, that is tequila caramel corn, the orange slices are rum shots, and the pink stuff is champagne granita,' she wordlessly states, pointing to each in turn.
To the waiter she simply smiles and says, "Thanks, Bobby."
'What the--? Why is the Vesk checking me out? I know I'm cute, but that cute...?' Imagine wonders, catching the eye contact and musing on it while trying her best to get the Shirren drunk.
She doesn't even know if they -can- get drunk.
But she's gonna find out.
Imagine giggles and hugs Manteca close. When she relaxes her grip, she looks somewhere and makes some undecipherable motions with her hands. Within moments an attractive young man comes over with a gilded tray.
'Take your pick, love. Those are vodka gummy bears, that is tequila caramel corn, the orange slices are rum shots, and the pink stuff is champagne granita,' she wordlessly states, pointing to each in turn.
To the waiter she simply smiles and says, "Thanks, Bobby."
'What the--? Why is the Vesk checking me out? I know I'm cute, but that cute...?' Imagine wonders, catching the eye contact and musing on it while trying her best to get the Shirren drunk.
She doesn't even know if they -can- get drunk.
But she's gonna find out.
Manteca takes the granita and sprinkles some of the gummy bears across it, and quickly begins taking heaping scoops of both, pausing in his dancing for a second.
She's very fierce, says the shirren - his tone serious despite the fact that at this point he's trying to slurp an escaped gummy bear off the rim of the glass, the ridiculousness doesn't translate to his soft telepathic tone. Not just in battle - I mean, certainly in battle - but in every way. There was a kasatha, before, that I think she felt close to - they were often abnormally warm or displayed patterns of incoherent speech around one another. I've never heard two creatures able to talk so cavalierly about blood, though. The shirren shudders involuntarily.
So what will happen is this: she'll argue something fiercely and passionately. Like scars. Like showing mercy to some turncoat ragamuffin cultist. He pushes goodwill telepathically towards Imagine, in reassurance that he's being lighthearted. We don't see eye to eye all the time. Or possibly even often. But I respect her judgement, and she's learned to respect mine - at least so much as she doesn't propose we wrestle for who's right like some vesk. So when we argue and she can't shorten me with a doshko, she acts tough - and then we part ways and she thinks about it and changes in her own inscrutable ways, and it makes for all in all a very complicated vesk. But a very good one.
He begins looking around for Bobby again. This... shamping grenade, did you say? It's so tasty! And all the little bears! You can almost hear the bubbles in his telepathy.
Boreal finishes her second beer, and goes through a few shots while waiting for a waiter to bring her third. Drunk is a word that is rather fitting at this point.
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'A...kasatha, you say?' Imagine notes, having not a clue if that is an animal, vegetable, or mineral.
Noting the Shirren's...enjoyment of the refreshments provided, Imagine wordlessly smiles back at Bobby, and he returns bearing a tray heaping with reinforcements. "Pear sake sorbet, rum coffee risotto, shrimp bruschetta with limoncello, and more of the gummy bears, although I think the more colorful ones are each made with a different flavor schnapps. Butterscotch, apple, peach, peppermint,' she points out each in turn.
'And you? Do you also act tough when it comes to things you...care about? Or are you always open to trying new things?'
Boreal Typhon, a handsome young waiter comes by and places a steaming bowl at your elbow. "Beef and dark beer chili," he simply states before grinning sheepishly and heading off. The heaping bowl is reinforced chrome, but the spoon is trying very hard to look like it's actually made from some creature's horn.
"Huh?" Boreal says, taking a moment for her to realise that someone has just put food down infront of her, "Wait!" She calls after the water. As the waiter has already disappeared into the crowd and loud music, it is too little, too late.
Boreal sniffs the at the contents of her heaped bowl, and quickly decides she likes the smell. Picking up the spoon to dig into her meal she lets out a heart laugh as she realises that the spoon is a plastic fake. She digs in to her meal with ravenous hunger all the same, I wonder who I have to thank for this Boreal thinks to herself, consumed by the bowl, The hot meal being a very welcome and delicious change from her fare of the last while of dry rations and MRE's.
A few mouthfuls in Boreal stops and looks around for Manteca and Imagine, THey have got to try this!. Spotting them she stands and waves at them animatedly, trying to draw their attention, Which isn't hard. An 8ft tall lizard waving about like an idiot is not hard to miss, even somewhere like the club.
Manteca looks happily at the new laundry list of alcoholic ambushes in food form and grabs another heaping helping of gummy bears. He happily pops a few more in his mouth. Yeah, Tannhauser - she was nice when she warmed up. I wonder what kasatha mouths look like..? ...Do you think Boreal knows?? If telepathy can giggle, Manteca is there.
'And you? Do you also act tough when it comes to things you...care about? Or are you always open to trying new things?'
Imagine's question makes the shirren sober up for a second. Yes. Well... I try. I'm not the tough one in the group, not by a long shot. But I like to think that I don't drag anyone down too much. But yes, I'm always open to trying new things - the shirren shudders. Though I'll request that we not get the [url=https://paizo.com/campaigns/GMFoxysIncidentAtAbsalomStation/gameplay&page=24#1151]Akitonian scramble on this planet a second time. I've never had mountain eel, though... Maybe EH-RK can find a place... Manteca sends a barely comprehensible text to EH-RK:
Where dat MT Eel around hurrrrr ;) :) :P :O ps I found out about these little pictograms humans use sometkmes there called mojis :O :)
At this point, Boreal's bulk makes it's way through the doctor's addled senses. "Oh! Boreal wants us!" The shirren grabs Imagine by the hand and leads her back to where the vesk awaits.
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'How about we go sit over thwhaaaa--' Imagine is cut off as she is abruptly brought back to their point of origin.
She sighs and looks wistfully back at the secluded booth which was now empty as the recent occupants had suddenly left from a mixture of telepathic pleading, bribery, and a universal mystic with a bonus to intimidation, where she had thought to try her own mountin'n' eel.
"Um, yes, well, what is so important that two people couldn't be left alone when they -might- be having a moment??" she asks pointedly of the vesk.
"This Chili is amazing!" Boreal says with a friendly grin, "You guys should try some!" Boreal says holding up the bowl towards them, "Some guy just came and put it on the table and left. I think he might have been a waiter. He said it was chili. Its really really tasty..." She blabbers for a moment, before remembering her point "Go on then!" she jiggles the bowl slightly to encourage them
Manteca is already dipping a claw into the chili. This is delcious! the shirren yells telepathically. I bet EH-RK would like it for his data-set! WHy sint he herre, I feel bad he's allone on the ship.
The gummy bears must have caught up with Manteca. The non-telepathic of you didn't know you could slur thought, but hoo boy can you.
He takes another claw of chili.
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"He said it was... dark beef and beer." Boreal says getting it wrong. "EH-RK needs to try it too!" she says excitedly, and then tries to call him on her comms unit.
"EH-R**UNZUNZUNZ** shili ish **UNZUNZUNZ** PARTY! **UNZUNZUNZ**" and just because she knows how to peak his interest "**UNZUNZUNZ** So many **UNZUNZUNZ** dancing **UNZUNZUNZ** underwear."
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Imagine is dumbfounded that the tactic she thought to use to keep the vesk distracted is now the basis by which her carefully laid *teehee* plan is now set on fire. She rolls her eyes and stares at the ceiling for a full 15 seconds. Shortly thereafter the handsome waiter Bobby comes by with two more bowls, identical to the first.
"Here ya go, Imagine," he says with a devastating smile before leaving.
Imagine collapses into a chair, surrendering her momentum. She takes a defeated taste of a spoonful. "Yep, at least the chili -is- pretty good," she sighs, putting the spoon back.
IT'S DELICIOUS, the shirren telepathically yells. He's hunched over nearly double and is shoveling the chili into his mouth like someone is going to take it away.
He suddenly stops, antenna spasming a little bit, and then bolts off for where he desperately hopes the lavatory is.
When he returns, he dejectedly emotes The bears came back. He waves feebly in the direction of the lavatory. In there. I think I need to go back to the ship. He burps a little, antenna drooping sadly.
"The chili will be good in the morning." Boreal says, "We need a container!" tail waiving wildly.
Once i waiter comes round to figure out what she wants, and he returns with a literal bucket, Boreal tips everyone's chrome bowls into it, before hoisting Manteca onto her shoulder and lifting the bucket to leave.
"Imagine, are you coming with us?" Boreal asks as she starts to make her way to the door.
Manteca makes a dangerous-sounding URP sound upon landing belly-first on Boreal's shoulder, but before Boreal can make it out the door, the shirren is fitfully sleeping.
There are not many people outside at this time of the night, but the few that are give that crazy group a wide berth.
At the spaceport they are stopped by security who checks their identities first and give them a 'don't drink and fly!' lecture before leeting them through. The Sunrise Maiden still stands where it was left. But it takes the group a few attempts to pin that location.
"EH-RK!" Boreal says kicking the access door. "You locked the door! Let us in!"
EHrick, Manteca telepathically burbles his psition on from Boreal's back.
From his position in the crew cabin inspecting the clothing locker...
Eric comms through the shipboard comm system
Humanoids: Refrain from kicking the Sunrise Maiden. The antitheft system will activate.
and then when Manteca drunk telepathies Eric, he realizes its the crew returning.
The ship's boarding access hisses open and Eric is waiting at the top of the ramp.
Humanoids: The Cult of the Devourer awaits.
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Imagine traipses in to the ship and immediately starts poking around. "So, like, which room is mine?"
The question seems redundant as she immediately flops onto the first unoccupied rack she sees. Without bothering to get up, she chirps out loudly, "Hey, I didn't have time to pack any clean underwear. Is that gonna be a problem?"
The ship's boarding access hisses open and Eric is waiting at the top of the ramp.
Humanoids: The Cult of the Devourer awaits.
Manteca wriggles out of Boreal's grip and lands with a soft "thump" on the ramp. He stands up as quickly as he can stagger and stands, weaving a little bit. "Then let's not make 'em wait too long!," the shirren's bravado only suffering a little bit from his slurring.
Imagine traipses in to the ship and immediately starts poking around. "So, like, which room is mine?"
The question seems redundant as she immediately flops onto the first unoccupied rack she sees. Without bothering to get up, she chirps out loudly, "Hey, I didn't have time to pack any clean underwear. Is that gonna be a problem?"
"EH-RK! We have an underwardrobe tactical issue!" Manteca yells. Rather than hang around to explain to anyone what he meant, he retreats to his bunk, where he fumbles with the medkit to give himself a rehydrating IV drip and is asleep in moments.
Human Reformed Cultist Imagine: You will notice that the bin labeled "Tactical Underwardrobe" has been recently added to the bunkroom. I have taken the liberty in ordering several pairs in a variety of sizes and shapes. Please choose accordingly. Eric says stiffly
With everyone inside EH-RK closes the entrance and goes through the launch procedure. As the travel will take several days anyway, there is no need to wait for anyone to get ready. They will be then. Course already programmed it is an affair of mere minutes, before Castrovel is reduced to a marble in the great black and some more minutes until the ship jumps into the rift.
After an long but uneventful travel the Sunrise Maiden jumps out of the rift. Arriving at the Field of the Lost, a bleak sight greets through the starship’s viewscreen: irregular chunks of rock and ice and occasional ominous fields of green and blue floating through an empty void, with a vast field of stars for a backdrop.
Eric uses the Maiden's scanners to check for nearby energy signatures, the location they received from the Comm Unit was nearby, he knew it.
Aaaand there is a ship hiding nearby who is energizing its weapons already.
Eric calmly flips the alarm klaxon to the on position and calls his allies to battle stations.
Humanoid Crew of the Sunrise Maiden: There is a ship hiding nearby with energizing weapons. The odds are very unlikely it will be friendly. Attempting to hail. Power up weapons and shields.
Eric begins performing an evasive maneuver and sends out a hail on all the normal hailing freqs
Attention Sentient Beings: This is the Sunrise Maiden on a mission for the Starfinder Society. We are a friendly exploration vessel. We request permission to investigate this area for the Society.
"Ye better get ya rusty scrap metal out of our territory, arrr!" the enemy ship replies.