Xio is mostly quiet as they walk around the Loop, pausing once or twice to point at a star and recount her experiences on a certain planet; her stories are strangely vague.
When they reach Green Fields, she smiles mischievously and leads Yazeloya to a bend in the stream partially sheltered by trees. She looks around, making sure they're alone, and pulls at an unseen knot at her waist; the black dress disappears and leaves her in a shimmering robe, which she shrugs out of, and close-fitting black armor, which she takes a moment to remove as well.
Just in her scanty underthings, she piles her clothes under a shrub, and with a glance at Yazeloya to make sure she's watching, adds her top to the pile as well. She wades into the stream until it reaches her chest, suppressing a giggle at the cool water, and turns to grin invitingly at the Vesk.
Finding the message and attached video waiting for her on her comm unit first thing in the morning, Stefani watches it with a chuckle before sending a response.
<Not the video I was expecting when mentioning getting your boink on and getting sweaty. Entertaining, but it didn't look like you beat my time. Although I am sore this morning.>
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"Bozhe moi," Yazeloya breathes as she watches Xio strip down and slip into the stream. The vesk slips out of her own pantsuit, her muscles rippling and mottled scales gleaming in the starlight. She splashes into the water beside Xio and gently wraps her arms around the much smaller woman. "You know, I am not usually drawn to soft-skinned beings, but there is something enchanting about you, kotyonok. I am thinking this will be a very enjoyable vacation, indeed."
The shapeshifter laughs, running her hands up the Vesk's well-built arms and shoulders and clasping them behind her neck. "Indeed," she echoes, and pulls herself up to kiss Yazeloya full on the mouth.
After a long moment, she breaks the kiss, but only just; with scarcely an inch between their lips, she whispers, "as much as I enjoy a little risk, we should probably go back to my room before this goes much further."
Yazeloya lifts Xio up out of the water and carries her back to her room...
***
Zidhil bows to Stefani and bids her a pleasant evening. He kisses her on the cheek before retiring to his chambers. It would seem that he doesn't mind taking things slow...
***
You get some quality sleep in the comfortable rooms aboard New Elysium. In the morning, your Keys to Elysium app beeps to indicate that you have a voice message from Filip Kallsner.
"Good morning! I trust you enjoyed your first evening aboard our fabulous resort. As per our previous conversation, we have afforded you an opportunity to question the pirates whose attack you foiled yesterday before we ship them off. When you are ready, please inform the security personnel and they will escort you to the Sentinel on which they are being held.
"Other than that, you have free rein of the resort again today. We look forward to seeing you at the welcome gala tonight at 6:00 PM!"
Shabad has a second message from Filip indicating that he thinks her campfire event is a wonderful idea. He will arrange a ballroom to her specifications for the event tomorrow evening.
"Good morning! I trust you enjoyed your first evening aboard our fabulous resort. As per our previous conversation, we have afforded you an opportunity to question the pirates..."
Damonkayo groans slightly, his head somewhat affected by the raucous night before. Listening to Filip's message drone quietly in the background, he methodically strips his armor and clothing from the previous day before dragging himself to the center of the floor in the spacious room. Once there, he crouches in a meditative stance, allowing the turbulent red light of his solar mote to gradually saturate the inside of the room with a fitful red light, casting shadows upon Damonkayo's face that give him the appearance of carved stone, weathered by the ages.
Finishing his meditation, Damon grabs an electrolytic beverage from the minifridge before dropping back into bed, using Keys to order a hot, protein-rich brunch to be delivered to his room. While he waits, Damon logs into the Wandering Market, ready to burn his gift credits on something he's been eyeing for a while, as well as several sundries he emptied on their last expedition.
Damon looks over at the two longarms Rain brought up for him the previous day. Scratching his chin thoughtfully, he taps his comm unit. "Keys - is there a weapon enchantment service available on New Elysium?"
A text message appears in response to Damonkayo's inquiry. Though not her specialty, Vorilynn Wreyas is a retired Xenowarden and retains her skills as a mystic. You may request her services to enchant your weapons.
A glowing dot on the map shows the half-elf's location within Green Fields.
Shabad takes in the messages, chuckles at Stefani's reply to her joke, and proceeds to dress for the visit to the pirates. She puts her old traveling togs back on, not wanting to look like a dorky tourist. She makes herself look as most people expect a scientist to look, with a white coat with some stains on the front. She puts on a pair of glasses that scientists often use to present data from a computer where they can read it without having to look at a monitor, even though she does not need it with her data jack. Then she rechecks her limited information on the asteroid's history and fires off a quick request to Filip to send her what he can about what the asteroid was used for prior to it being a resort site.
She takes her pack with her and stops off at a cafe that is serving breakfast, enjoys some eggs and sausage with coffee, and then sends a message to the security detail indicating where she is, so they can find her and escort her to the pirates.
As Shabad finishes her breakfast, a pair of security guards arrive to show you to a docking tunnel that connects to one of their ships, a Ringworks Sentinel. In the ship's stern is the brig, where a barred, force-field augmented door allows people to speak and see each other through. A pair of pirates languish in the cell: a female half-orc and a male korasha lashunta. Both are lithe, muscular, and adorned with numerous tattoos.
"Har! Well, lookie here," the lashunta says, eyes roaming over Shabad's body. "Didja bring me a sex-droid for a conjugal visit?"
The half-orc chuckles. "That scrawny thing? You can have her, Wenmar. I just want some booze! Something to help me pass the time till our mates show up to avenge our capture!"
Since she's on 'vacation', Stefani enjoys a long shower after sending her response off to the good Doctor. She forgoes her customary tee shirt over the top of her light armor and just adds her coat.
<Where you at, Doc? Meet you somewhere for breakfast?>
As Dr. Freebairn's breakfast arrives, she's hailed by Stefani.
"Mornin', Doc. You going to talk to those pirates this morning? I'd love to join you." The woman takes a seat next to the lab-coat garbed android. "I'll take more of the same," she calls out as she sees what Shebad has ordered.
Stefani steps close to the door to ensure that the prisoners can see some of her tattoos.
"Avenge your capture?" She questions in disdain. "You scabs must be running with some milk-sot crew. If anyone ever failed in any of the lots I've run with, the only reason we'd come back for 'em would be to make an example of 'em. We didn't tolerate failure." She nods with a grin. "And you two failed - big time. Wonder what your crew boss really thinks of that." She laughs.
The pirates laugh at Stefani. "You fancy yourself a pirate, lady?" the lashunta, Wenmar asks. "Looks to me you're a bit too soft around the midsection to back up that hard-bitten act you're trying to put on! Perhaps you've been enjoying a few too many sticky buns on your shore leave!"
"Aye, if you were a real pirate, you'd be able to smuggle us some liquor past these security guards, wouldn't you?" the half-orc asks, a trace of hope in her otherwise sardonic request.
Damonkayo meets up with the security detail right before they board the Sentinel. Watching the exchange between the pirates and Stefani, Damonkayo steps up behind her, an immense form backlit by an angry, red glow.
"All things come to an end. Yesterday, it was your freedom. The scientist has questions. Answer them, and your grovels may be answered in turn." The fitful red light spreads shadows across the vesk's battered face, highlighting his weathered scars.
The pirates wince and shrink back from Damonkayo. All trace of joviality vanishes as the two become serious. "Alright, fine. What do ya wanna know?" Wenmar asks.
Shabad nods her thanks to Stefani and Damonkayo, steps forward, holds up her comm unit, sends it a telepathic command, and it begins to hiss and squack with static and then the words of one of the pirates says, "Rot on that rock, maggots. May you join our mates what haunt its innards!""
"Tell me the story of what happened to your 'mates' and if I can confirm any of it, I'll do what I can to see you have some items to ease the boredom of your incarceration." she says evenly. She turns on her video scanner to record their answer.
The half-orc looks grim as she recounts the tale."Years ago, this place was an abandoned mine. Talk around the Diaspora suggested that some corporation built a facility within the old tunnels, but most believed the rumor was false or that such a place would have heavy security. Later chinwag said that people got disappeared on this rock. A few bold pirates went to see what’s what over the years, but as no one who went in came out, most pirates avoided the place. Then, about 2 decades ago, something right bad happened inside the asteroid. A shirren pirate named Kizkota who visited the asteroid was able to transmit a message that warned others that the place was turned inside out and advised them to avoid it at all costs. Of course, pirates still traveled here anyway, and those who made it out talked about ghosts in machines, living shadows, and mates who disappeared in the tunnels."
She finishes up by saying, "This place is full of hungry ghosts, mark me."
Xio gets up before Yazeloya and takes a scaldingly hot shower, then returns to sit on the edge of the bed in the nude and check her messages.
She rolls her eyes at the idea of questioning the pirates, but knows the others will definitely want to go. She invites Yazeloya along, figuring the Vesk might be interested in what the prisoners have to say, and then uses the Keys app to order breakfast for the two of them.
By the time she's eaten, dressed, and made her way downstairs, she's late meeting Shabad. She arrives (finally) with a coffee in hand, her magical robe still open over her black armor, and grumbles about having to keep a schedule while on vacation.
Despite her earlier reservations, the shapeshifter watches the exchange between Shabad and the pirates with a growing interest.
"A specific corporation name would be helpful, or type of corporation. Why did you come back now? Were you aware this asteroid was now the site of this resort?"
The half-orc shrugs. "What's the difference? One corp's just as crooked as the next one."
The lashunta chuckles. "Yeah, we knows about your fancy-schmancy vacation spot. Why d'ya think we was lurking nearby? Wealthy guests arriving means lots of loot to plunder!"
"Well, if you want to me help you, give me a name I can confirm. Otherwise, I have to assume you're making this stuff up. Or maybe you're just stupid. You did not have the sense to figure out those wealthy guests would travel with security and ships that can defend themselves, so I guess it would make sense you keep coming back to a place you claim has brought you nothing but grief. If that's all you;ve got, I guess we're done here, unless the one's you attacked have anything to say," Shabad glances at the members of the Brutaris team in attendance and her colleagues.
The pirates have nothing more to offer. Yazeloya is the only Buzzblade to have come along to witness the interrogation. The big vesk makes a rude gesture and bares her teeth. "I say let them rot in prison, and good riddance," she growls.
As security escorts you back to the resort, they inform you that you have salvage rights to the pirates' gear. Each of the two pirates had defrex hide armor, a tactical dueling sword, a thunderstrike sonic pistol, a frag grenade II, and one battery. The pirate vessel had a corona artillery laser onboard, along with two high-capacity batteries. These items can be sold at most New Elysium shops for 10% of their value.
A message from Filip Kallsner appears on Shabad's comm unit, replying to her earlier inquiry. The halfling confirms that the asteroid was a mine owned by a company called Ulrikka Clanholdings. New Elysium has been on the asteroid for 5 years now and hasn't had any issues to speak of.
Damonkayo is the last of the Spirit's crew to leave the brig area, forcing the pirates to squirm under his gaze for a few moments more. When they're informed of their salvage rights, Damon looks through the spoils with mild interest, but doesn't find much to suit him.
"Let's see, we've got some crap pirate pants, little pirate swords, a gun that's too small, a gun that's too big, a cherry bomb, and some batteries. Eh, I could always use another battery."
The vesk pockets one of the high-capacity batteries, leaving the rest of the spoils for someone else.
Shabad leaves without further comment. She could use the pistol as a back-up small arms, but she can fabricate an equivalent weapon by expending a 2nd level spell using her Fabricate Arms magic hack. So if someone else wants it, Shabad will gladly let it go.
She can also produce better armor with her spells than the Defrax hide, so she'll leave that as well. If no one wants the sword, she'll take it, more as a souvenir than something she plans to wear or fight with.
On her way out, she notifies security that they cooperated with her requests for information, so she recommends they get some small creature comforts on their way to justice.
As they get back to the resort, Shabad says, "Well, I've got some research to do and prep work for tonight. I've arranged for one of the ball rooms to be made to look like a forest with a campfire in the middle and I'll be telling a few ghost stories. I'm hoping some of the people who attend will tell their own stories as well. You've all probably heard the stories I'll be telling, but come if you'd like. Might be a good date event."
She heads over to the Contemplation lounge where she gets comfortable and appears to be resting, although she is actually on her computer trying to find more information on the asteroid, its previous owners, and any events relating to it.
Searching the infosphere, Shabad is able to locate a hobbyist conspiracy archive called Asteroid Anecdotes that confirms portions of the pirate's story with fewer details. However, the archive identifies the asteroid by its number, D-334H, which can be traced to Ulrikka Clanholdings—who abandoned it in 275 AG.
Once Shabad confirms the asteroid's number and ownership by Ulrikka, she locates the corporate Infosphere site and tries to get behind the firewall to see what juicy details she can learn about the history of the asteroid, any accident reports, and also to whom the rock was sold.
Shabad uncovers the fact that Eclipse Innovations registered ownership of the asteroid in 293 AG and sold it again 4 years later to a company called Vercara Holdings. Vercara held the asteroid until 311 AG, when Paradise Resorts bought it and began building New Elysium. A bit of further digging reveals that, through a few other companies, Eclipse indirectly owns Vercara Holdings.
Meeting up with the others outside the brig, Recorva accompanies them to examine the gear that the two pirates had previously owned. Followed as always by Rain, she falls into step with the party. "Apologies for not accompanying you inside to question the prisoners, but I didn't feel any particular need to watch a pair of weasels squirm."
Once they get to examine the salvaged equipment, she walks straight past the armor, nose crinkling slightly as she passes them. Looking through the weaponry, she picks up and examines one of the pistols for a few moments before placing it down and picking up one of the swords. "I'd been thinking about getting a better backup weapon than my knife, and this seems like it should do the trick. Additionally, Rain could make use of a limited form of ranged combat capabilities from one of the pistols. He would have to hold it in one of his manipulator arms, but it should do the trick until I can put together an arm reinforced enough to support this puppy." The last part is said as she pats her left arm on the artillery laser. She then looks back towards the rest of the group. "Assuming nobody minds, of course?"
Stefani looks over the pirates' gear, but doesn't find anything that draws her eye.
"I'm going to get some work done and then find Zidhil," she says. "I might even get some new ink."
Once the procedure is completed, the soldier makes her way to the pool and sends a message to Zidhil to see if he'll join her there.
New Elysium's augmentation specialist is Rhissona Avran. She is a verthani of the Augmented caste, gaunt with cropped blue hair. "Ah, an interesting procedure," she says to Stefani. "It involves genetically modifying your heart to release restorative chemicals to heal physical trauma. The procedure is perfectly safe, I assure you. I'll be sure to conceal the sutures with sprayflesh to avoid unsightly scars."
The verthani performs the augmentation with skill and precision. Soon, Stefani is relaxing poolside, awaiting Zidhil's arrival.
Indicating that perhaps the prisoners comments affected her more than she showed, Stefani spends an hour at the gym before grabbing a shower and heading across the way to the Boundless Sunroom.
She relaxes in a green and yellow one-piece swimsuit with an attached skirt. More of her ink is exposed - Multiple patterns and symbols on her legs and chest. More scars are exposed as well. Some over and some under her various tattoos.
A few other guests splash in the pools or soak up the UV rays of the artificial sun. Among the latter is a female shirren with an athletic build, wearing a wide-brimmed sun hat. She reclines in a chair as she taps away at her datapad, antennae twitching every so often.
"Excuse me, miss. Is this seat taken?" Zidhil asks Stefani wryly as he approaches. The large man is clad only in purple swim trunks, his muscular body on display. Several scars crisscross his chest and back, though not nearly as many as Stefani sports.
Stefani makes a show of looking the handsome man up and down. "No it's not, Sir," she says. "But I must warn you, I might not be able to control myself. I've been known to be unable to resist my baser urges. It might be safer to sit somewhere else."
She leans back on her chair and smiles.
"I like to live dangerously. I think I'll take my chances." Zidhil reclines on the chair beside Stefani. He reaches over to take her hand.
"I just came back from a run around the Loop. This is quite the nice place they've got here. I'm going to be retiring from brutaris soon, and if this is the sort of lifestyle I can look forward to, then I'll be a happy retiree indeed."
"Oh, I couldn't live like this," Stefani says with a light laugh. "I enjoy blowing s@~$ up too much to give it up. It's what I'm good at."
She gives his hand a squeeze.
"But it's nice to take a little time out now and then to enjoy ... things."
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Shabad uncovers the fact that Eclipse Innovations registered ownership of the asteroid in 293 AG and sold it again 4 years later to a company called Vercara Holdings. Vercara held the asteroid until 311 AG, when Paradise Resorts bought it and began building New Elysium. A bit of further digging reveals that, through a few other companies, Eclipse indirectly owns Vercara Holdings.
Edit:
Shabad continues to look for context for the information she has obtained about the chain of ownership. She researches what kinds of businesses the shell corporations own/run and what pies Eclipse his its corporate fingers in. While she's at it, she looks for some pirate chat sites to see if she can find any more about pirates named chinwig and Kizkota.
Zidhil smiles at Stefani. "Yes. Things are... nice."
***
Shabad is able to find a bit more on the infosphere. Eclipse Innovations is a research company specializing in diverse technological and magitech inquiry and application. The firm is based in the Vercite city of Cuvacara. Vercara Holdings is simply a real estate company.
No reason is given for why Ulrikka Clanholdings ceased their operations. There doesn't seem to be any information about a pirate named Kizkota, but Shabad does discover that "chinwag" is a slang word for gossip, not somebody's name.
Before returning to New Elysium, Xio paws through the salvage and takes the grenades.
Back on the station, she announces her plans to relax in a mud bath and get a massage at Titan’s Rest before going to lunch. Anyone who wants to have a good time is welcome to join me,” she purrs, flashing Yazeloya a smile. ”Otherwise, I’ll see you later.”
As security escorts you back to the resort, they inform you that you have salvage rights to the pirates' gear. Each of the two pirates had defrex hide armor, a tactical dueling sword, a thunderstrike sonic pistol, a frag grenade II, and one battery. The pirate vessel had a corona artillery laser onboard, along with two high-capacity batteries. These items can be sold at most New Elysium shops for 10% of their value.
"Alright, so that's a pistol and a sword for Doc, a pistol, a sword, and a laser cannon for Rain, a couple grenades for Xio, and a couple batteries for me. I'll go see in I can find a pawn shop in paradise for these nasty pirate pants."
Back on the station, she announces her plans to relax in a mud bath and get a massage at Titan’s Rest before going to lunch. Anyone who wants to have a good time is welcome to join me,” she purrs, flashing Yazeloya a smile. ”Otherwise, I’ll see you later.”
"I was considering a massage, but now I think I'll postpone that 'til the crowds have died down." Damon grumbles, still unimpressed by his crewmates' ham-fisted flirting.
While pawning off the last of the pirate's gear, Damon stops by the Wandering Market to pick up the gear he ordered earlier this morning before heading back to his room to try fitting his personal arsenal into his new null-space chamber. Satisfied with the device's performance, he straps it to his arm and decides to find some peace and quiet in Azure Stars, where he orders a morning beer and watches the stars turn until lunch.
"I was considering a massage, but now I think I'll postpone that 'til the crowds have died down." Damon grumbles, still unimpressed by his crewmates' ham-fisted flirting.
”Oh please, don’t hold off on my account. There’s probably enough room for all us to get full body massages together if you want,” Xio laughs as she heads off.
She grins at the group—and one hot Vesk woman in particular—over her shoulder as she walks away. She nips up to her room to change into an actual robe and carefully stow her armor and magic garments, and back down to the second floor, where she makes her way to Titan’s Rest.
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Zidhil gives Stefani's body a thorough looking-over. Apparently, he likes what he sees. "Those are some interesting tattoos. I'm sure there are some stories behind a few of them?"
***
Azure Sky is quiet at this time of the morning, but the beer is tasty, and the unimpeded view of the Disaporan sky is unparalleled.
***
Yazeloya meets Xio outside of Titan's Rest, clad in her own oversized robe. A human woman with dark hair greets the pair as they enter. She is wearing a light-colored lab coat over business attire in neutral shades. "Welcome to Titan's Rest. I'm Dr. Sidrani Lominn, overseer of New Elysium's spa and medical facilities. It looks like you're scheduled for a mud bath and massage. Our staff will take good care of you. I hope you enjoy!"
Dr. Lominn escorts the pair to a side chamber, where steam rises from two tubs full of bubbling mud. Yazeloya disrobes and slips into her bath, letting out a huge sigh. "Ah! This feels so good! I haven't had a decent wallow since I left the Veskarium!" She immerses herself in the mud almost completely, leaving only her eyes and nostrils poking out.
Shabad gets up from her lounge chair in Contemplation and strolls over to the Absalom Bistro for some lunch. She sends Filip a message requesting they meet at the ballroom to go over the program for the evening storytelling event.
While she's waiting for his reply, she hooks up her hacking kit to the comm unit and sees if she can figure out the code used for the Keys program. She is suspicious of the whole enterprise. She knows that many times ghost stories are spawned by mysterious events that often have nothing to do with restless spirits. What she could figure of the history of the asteroid, the pirate stories, and the fact that the strange events all coincided with the Eclipse corporation taking ownership of the resort behind the veil of shell corporations left her wondering about why a resort would be built on an asteroid when all the same services could be built into something like a luxury starship. None of it passed the smell test. Then to 'reboot' the resort as a way to test this program that did not seem all that special, well, her scientific skepticism was engaged.
A dialog box pops up when Shabad begins her hacking, warning her that attempting to analyze the code is a violation of the user agreement. Proceeding along this course may result in her invitation to New Elysium being revoked.
Confident in her skills to avoid detection, the android continues anyway. It takes her about an hour, but she is able to bypass the app's security measures to get a look at the underlying code. Doing so reveals that the software has been manufactured by Eclipse Innovations. It appears to be hybrid technology, laced with a bit of mystical enchantments to augment its functioning. This isn't that unusual, though, as many software developers have been experimenting with magically enhanced programs.
As she is studying the code, a message from Filip comes across her comm unit. The halfling is happy to meet with her, and asks her to come to the Emerald Song boardroom so they can discuss plans for her event tomorrow evening.
Zidhil gives Stefani's body a thorough looking-over. Apparently, he likes what he sees. "Those are some interesting tattoos. I'm sure there are some stories behind a few of them?"
"There's a story behind every tattoo I have," the red-head says with a smirk without opening her eyes. "Some are stupid, some ... aren't."
She sits up and looks at her companion. She smiles at him. "How about we start at the beginning ... " The woman holds out her wrists and Zidhil can clearly see a tribal band around each one. However each has had another symbol added over the top of the band on the inside of her wrists. One is a sword and the other is a pair of blood drops.
"I was born and grew up in a crew called Mavis' Brood. They're a bunch of parasites that prey on miners. Like everyone else in the family, I got these when I was nine. I don't know which of the family members was my father or my mother. But according to them it's a lifetime membership - there's no way out and they mark you to show that. When I was fifteen I proved them wrong." Her eyes linger over the added symbols.
"I could have had them removed, but I keep them to remind me that there's always a way ... if you're willing to pay the price."
She rises from her chair. "And if you want to hear any more stories from me, you'll have to buy me lunch."
Zidhil stands along with Stefani. "You drive a hard bargain. Shall we adjourn to Absalom Bistro, then? We'll probably need to get dressed first."
Stefani gives him a friendly push sideways with her hip and laughs. "'Get dressed first'? You're no fun."
Stefani changes quickly and joins Zidhil at the Absalom Bistro for a friendly lunch. She spends most of it expounding on the various major and minor events of her life that many of her tattoos represent.
Shabad smiles as the warning pops up about violations of the service agreement. She is actually counting on that, She uses the routing of information that triggered the warning to determine how to block further such triggers as she worms her way further into the code. She sets up a replica of the interface and begins to divert information meant for the program to her replica, allowing her to analyze the code without triggering any more alarms.
Once she has satisfied her curiosity that this is not some vicious hack, she wraps up, covers her tracks, and responds to Filip's message. The use of magic in the code concerns her a little, as that is harder to analyze and could contain any number new vectors for malware to affect the user of the program. Still, she is making progress.
She grabs some of her favorite Absalom deserts available from the Bistro, waves at Stefani and Zidhil as they arrive, and activates Keys and asks it to show her the way to the meeting room.
Once there, she begins to work on Filip, being attentive to find things in his proposed set-up that she can praise, mimicks some of his mannerisms, and even gushes about how innovative the meeting room is, even as she is imagining ways she could rewire it all to work better.
Once she feels she has buttered him up sufficiently, she gives some praise for some of the resort amenities she has already enjoyed and then asks, "So I talked to those two pirates who were captured and they seemed quite certain this asteroid was haunted. Now they're just space scum who'd lie to their own mothers, but I have a professional reason to be interested. That got me thinking, why did Paradise Resorts choose to build a resort here? I mean, most resorts are in exotic locations where guests can enjoy something found nowhere else while enjoying all the other resort perks. But it doesn't seem this hollowed out rock offers anything like that, so why build here? It seems you could have put all the same resort features on a large spaceship and then you'd be able to offer passage to special places and people could enjoy the resort all the same."
Xio lowers herself into the other side of the tub with a sigh of pleasure. She closes her eyes and leans back, letting herself float in the mud.
”So,” she asks gently, peeking at Yazeloya out of one eye. ”How’d you leave the Veskarium and end up a Brutaris star on Absalom?”
A text message appears in response to Damonkayo's inquiry. Though not her specialty, Vorilynn Wreyas is a retired Xenowarden and retains her skills as a mystic. You may request her services to enchant your weapons.
After a light lunch, Damon heads to Green Fields, slowly walking about and enjoying the pleasant garden atmosphere. He keeps an eye out for an industrious half-elf women who fits the description of a retired Xenowarden.
You enjoy a pleasant lunch with Zidhil. Afterwards, the older man takes your hand and kisses the back of it. "Thank you for an enjoyable morning. I should retire for now and prepare for the gala tonight. I trust I'll see you there?"
***
Filip gestures to the windows overlooking the dazzling River Between. "Have you seen the view? It's incredible!" the halfling declares. "Plus, anybody can book a cruise on a luxury starliner. Paradise Resorts prides itself on offering holidays in exotic locales for the discerning vacationer. If you're asking about why they chose this specific asteroid, well..." He shrugs. "I'm just the operations manager. That sort of decision-making is beyond my pay grade."
***
Yazeloya rises up out of the mud so that her mouth is clear. She slides forward a little bit to get closer to you, her scaly hands caressing your legs beneath the surface. "I was born shortly after the Swarm invasion forced an alliance between the Veskarium and the Pact Worlds. My parents were warriors who fought against the invaders, and after the war, they decided to retire to Absalom Station. They raised me to fight but the enemy had already retreated, so I decided to use my skills in a slightly less lethal setting. The thrill of brutal combat without the risk of death.
"And you, kotyonok? Why did you decide to become a spacefaring swashbuckler?"
***
It doesn't take long for you to find Vorilynn, recognizing her from your brief glimpse when you arrived yesterday. The willowy half-elf has her long silver hair pinned up in a bun, and she sings softly to herself as she trims a rosebush. She turns and smiles up at you as you approach. "Good afternoon. Are you enjoying the gardens?"
"I'll be there," Stefani responds with a grin.
She spends the rest of the afternoon shopping for something to wear.