When Stefani gets out of the shower, Xio is sitting up in bed in her preferred form, a tray of coffee and bagels in front of her. "Good thing the room service here is so quick! I don't think I've ever been this hungover," she says, sounding impressed.
The shapeshifter does look a little green — literally. As she sips one of the coffees, her skin begins to fade back to its usual pallor, and she pats the bed beside her. "How much do you remember? It's all pretty blurry after we came back here, but I think I would know if we f%%+ed, you know?"
Stefani scrunches up her face as she tries to separate her dream from what she actually remembers.
"Umm ... I don't really remember anything after the cabaret and that's kinda fuzzy. If we didn't ... do anything ... then why am I ...?"
She frowns. It's getting harder to differentiate her memories. "How about we just pretend whatever might have happened, didn't, and move on from there."
Xio shrugs, looking indifferent as she spreads cream cheese on a bagel and drapes some thinly sliced fish on top. "If that's what you want," she says, taking a bite and talking with her mouth full. "I don't see why it matters though, it's not like it'd change anything. It's just sex."
She leans back and stretches, cringing a little at the ache that surfaces in her approximation of a body. "I wish I remembered, though. I love shifting when I'm that drunk. It can get really messy and gross," she says, a little too cheerfully.
"I wish I remembered, though. I love shifting when I'm that drunk. It can get really messy and gross," she says, a little too cheerfully.
Stefani cringes.
Maybe I'm glad I don't remember.
"Sorry, but sex is more than that for me, Xio. I don't just do that with anyone that comes along. It's too ... intimate. I'm not saying it has to be that way for everyone. You're free to f~&% whoever you'd like and I won't think any less of you. But for me ... " She shakes her head.
She chuckles a little.
"I am glad that the Doc was asking about dreams earlier and not tonight. I had one last night that ... wow."
At least I hope it was a dream. No, it had to be.
"I'm off to the gym. What are you up to today?"
Then, almost as an afterthought, she activates the video recording function of her rig, still staring into the now cracked mirror.
--until the crack in the mirror begins to reverse itself in slow motion. It gradually disappears until the mirror is intact once more, then you gasp for air as you can suddenly breathe again. Your reflection is normal now--clear throat, eyes where they are supposed to be. But you still feel ragged and bruised from your brush with suffocation.
Rain arrives, but can find nothing amiss beside your physical bruising. A replay of the video footage shows your normal reflection choking and sputtering in front of an undamaged mirror. Was it all in your head?
Shabad gets up relatively early. She checks her video camera, using a program that detects various levels of change in image frame to frame, checking to see if she sees any shadows or unusual rashes on her skin.
Not finding anything, she is relieved but slightly disappointed at the same time. For her, the perfect vacation would include a mystery to solve. She puts on some exercise clothes and hits the gym. She waves at Damonkayo as he comes in but doesn't interrupt his workout to chitchat.
After the workout, she grabs a bite at the bistro. She double checks her schedule and sees that she has five hours before her first lecture on Ghosts of the Pact Worlds, so she double checks that her notes are in order, but it's a lecture she's done many times and doesn't need to study the material in advance.
She returns to her room, puts on her casual outfit of shorts, blouse, and sandals, packs her configurable outfit to change into when her lecture time arrives, and heads out to visit some of the areas she has yet to spend time in. After a walk through Green Fields, she gets a non-alcoholic drink at Azure Skies and gazes contentedly at the stars. Then she heads for the lounge chairs of the boundless sunroom.
Having spent time in the Burning Archipelago, this room hardly lives up to its name, but she enjoys the warmth and watches the people come and go as she contemplates her situation. She dozes a little, until her calendar program alerts her to the approach of her lecture. She steps into a changing room, puts on her configurable outfit, and sets it to her professional suit, dark blue slacks, a sky-blue blouse and tie, and a stylized jacket that had a faint resemblance to a lab coat.
She heads for the Muses meeting room. She doesn't message any of her colleagues about the lecture, since they've heard all this before. She wonders which of the residents will show up. Then she remembers she had asked Tok to view his recording of the story telling night. She sets her computer to remind her to contact him after the lecture.
Frustrated that he's unable to shake his off-putting feelings, Damonkayo heads to the docks, hoping to distract himself with routine ship maintenance aboard the Spirit. The vesk sends a curt message to his fellow crewmembers to notify them of his whereabouts.
Receiving Damonkayo's message, Recorva replies as she exits her room. Would you like some company? I could be there in a couple minutes.
Would you like some company? I could be there in a couple minutes.
<< Much obliged. >>
"I'm off to the gym. What are you up to today?"
Xio shoves the rest of the bagel into her mouth and gets out of bed. "Getting rid of this hangover, and maybe hooking up with Yazeloya later."
Her flesh briefly becomes fluid as she changes shape into her usual disguise, and she winces slightly as it solidifies, feeling the aftereffects of last night in all her limbs. She grabs her shimmering robe off the floor and shrugs it on, not bothering to command it to change appearance.
"Later," she mumbles to Stefani as she leaves the room.
The shapeshifter spends the rest of the morning nursing her hangover with mimosas and a slow brunch, feeling very insular as she gazes out at the stars. Eventually, she sends a message to Yazeloya, asking if the Vesk would like her company for dinner.
Yazeloya replies in the affirmative, telling Xio she can't wait to see her again tonight!
Stefani spends the morning working out her stiffness and frustration at the gym. Only once she's physically exhausted herself does she allow herself the reward of sending Zidhil a message with a casual request to join her for lunch.
Shabad finishes her lecture and spends some time chatting with folks who have questions. One of the lingerers named Jiri catches her attention. He is a pahtra, a felinoid race from Pulonis, or as the Vesk so creatively call it, Vesk-6. He is the first of his race Shabad as met and she is finds herself feeling a touch smitten. He is tall and slender, with a cat-like face with markings like a caracal lynx. He has a mellifluous voice and carries a synth violin as well as a red star plasma pistol. His jaunty freebooter armor gives him the bad-boy air of a pirate or mercenary. But his questions suggest he is cultured and intelligent, which makes him hard for Shabad to resist.
Shabad surprises herself by suggesting they get a bite to eat and continue the conversation and pleased when he says he'd be delighted.
So a short time later, she finds herself deep in conversation with this slender, athletic young Pathra, learning about his experiences as an independent cargo pilot (an occupation Shabad has learned, as often as not, really means a smuggler). He got his invite to the resort when he was called on to make an urgent delivery of special (and top secret) equipment for the resort. When he delivered the items more quickly than expected, he was extended an invitation to stay and enjoy the resort before heading on.
When Recorva boards the Spirit, she finds Damon in the cargo hold, trying to shoehorn some loose supplies into a polymer container. He can't quite get everything to fit, however, and in frustration, he chucks a box of emergency rations across the hold, nearly striking the strix as she enters.
"Bah! I, uh didn't see you there." Suddenly realizing how foolish he looks, the vesk points lamely at the overstuffed container. "It, ah, wouldn't fit."
Easily dodging the frustratedly thrown box of rations, Recorva turns to look at Damon. Raising an eyebrow at his rather lame explanation, she works hard to suppress a grin. "You don't say." Unable to hide it any longer, she gives a small snort of amusement as she moves over to retrieve the emergency rations. "You know, you really shouldn't throw things when you're frustrated. It very rarely makes you feel any better, and you also have to retrieve what you threw. Here, let's see about figuring out a better way to store this stuff in here." She then begins pulling out some items from the container, before placing them in spots that give slightly higher amounts of free space inside the container.
After heading back to her room to shower and stare at herself in the mirror for an hour while deciding on an outfit, Xio heads back downstairs to meet Yazeloya at Azure Sky.
"You know, you really shouldn't throw things when you're frustrated. It very rarely makes you feel any better, and you also have to retrieve what you threw. Here, let's see about figuring out a better way to store this stuff in here." She then begins pulling out some items from the container, before placing them in spots that give slightly higher amounts of free space inside the container.
"Thanks." Once Recorva fills the container, Damon heaves it up onto his shoulder and slides it onto a high shelf.
"I don't know about you, but I'm well and good to ship outta this place. Idlin' about is beginning to drive me crazy. Part of me thinks that everyone here is just pretending to enjoy it just 'cause they're supposed to. I'm itching to shoot something creepy in the face." Damon lifts another container and slots it into place with a touch too much effort.
As a Damonkayo works, Fillip Kallsner approaches him. The halfling holds a datapad in his hands. "Ah, good, there you are. I need you to sign off for final approval on the upgrades to your ship."
Fillip seems a bit less chipper than the last few times you have spoken to him, and he has a haggard look about him.
"Zidhil? Are you ok? It's me, Stefani." She looks him over for any signs of drug use or intoxication. "Do you need me to call someone?"
She reaches out and touches his hand.
After Shabad and Jiri have exchanged some anecdotes about their work and their food has arrived, Shabad asks him, "So, how are you enjoying the resort? I've enjoyed having some time to relax and socialize with my team and meet some new people, but I think I'm not really a resort person. Creature comforts are nice, but I find my mind keeps shifting to my research and making plans for what to do next. I'm frankly counting the days until we leave."
Stefani frowns, wondering what kind of chemical the man's been playing with.
"Pull yourself together, Quorin!" she barks at him, grabbing his arm. "Focus on my face! It's me, Stefani!" Her voice quiets a bit. "There's no blood. There's no creatures. You're having a bad trip. Take a breath and concentrate on my voice. It's just me. You know me. It's Stefani."
"Ah, good, there you are. I need you to sign off for final approval on the upgrades to your ship."
Damonkayo signs off on the ship upgrades after taking a moment to double check all the particulars. "You look as tired as I do," he says as he hands the pad back, "opening week runnin' you ragged?"
"You know it. A devil's work is never done," Fillip says with a strained chuckle.
***
"Get away!" Zidhil screams. He swings a fist at you!
Stefani dodges the clumsy swing and pulls back. She looks around for any type of security personnel.
"Security!" she shouts out. "Medical Emergancy here!"
Zidhil suddenly blinks and looks up at you, confusion and fear evident on his face. "Stefani? What... what happened?"
***
Jiri smiles at you. "All work and no play is a recipe for disaster. You've got to lighten up some, Doc. Enjoy this place while you can. Maybe you'd enjoy it more if you had somebody to spend the time with?"
***
You find Yazeloya waiting for you at Azure Sky. The normally cheerful vesk has a dour look on her face as she greets you. "Hello, kotyonok. It is good to see you, but today has been not so good. There was an incident with Zidhil earlier."
Jiri smiles at you. "All work and no play is a recipe for disaster. You've got to lighten up some, Doc. Enjoy this place while you can. Maybe you'd enjoy it more if you had somebody to spend the time with?"
"Well, my work is usually fun for me. When I'm on a hunt for a haunt or trying to work out an equation that could explain a mystery, that's when I have fun. These lectures feel more like work, but it's important to keep a public face on my research, since that's where I get a lot of my leads."
Shabad takes another bite of her Verces callimander salad and a sip of her dreamrinder iced tea. "I've found a few tantalizing clues that there might be some secrets down in the old mining tunnels of this asteroid, and there have been a few odd hints that something paranormal is afoot in the resort, but so far no solid leads. I'd love to get into those tunnels to poke around, but I don't want to get our team thrown off the resort for breaking their security perimeters, so I'm behaving... for now." She gives Jiri a mischievous smile and lifts here eyebrows once. "You want to take in a triD or try a virtual game? Or you could try to beat my record staying on the mechanical crest eater."
She recommends to security that he get a full medical examination and she'll accompany him.
You find Yazeloya waiting for you at Azure Sky. The normally cheerful vesk has a dour look on her face as she greets you. "Hello, kotyonok. It is good to see you, but today has been not so good. There was an incident with Zidhil earlier."
"Zidhil?" Her thoughts stray to Stefani, and she wonders if the space pirate is yet aware of whatever 'incident' had taken place. She places a hand gently on Yazeloya's arm, looking up at the Vesk. "What happened?"
"How about a triD? I hear they have early access to the new 'Crusaders of the Cosmos' sequel! They finally are introducing the villain they've been teasing for the past five years!" Jiri says with a laugh.
***
"It seemed so real. I couldn't snap out of it. I... I almost hurt you, Stefani. I am so sorry," Zidhil says.
***
"I am not sure. He experienced some sort of hallucination and attacked Stefani. It only lasted a few minutes, but I am worried about him." Yazeloya says.
"It seemed so real. I couldn't snap out of it. I... I almost hurt you, Stefani. I am so sorry," Zidhil says.
Stefani seem quick to dismiss his hallucination-inspired assault.
"Please!" she says with a dismissive wave of her hand. "You play professionally with a swing like that?" she jokes, although it's clear she's a little unnerved. "How about I take you back to your room. What were you doing before it began?"
Stefani will accompany the man back to his room and make sure he's comfortable. Once there, she seems reluctant to leave.
"If I wasn't there, then someone else would have been the one to laugh at your sad excuse for a punch," she says, trying to lighten the mood. She leans her head against his shoulder. "At least you know how to show a girl an exciting time."
She sits quietly for a moment.
"So ... did you want me to leave or ...?" She turns to him and reaches out to turn his face to look down at hers. "Should I stay?"
"How about a triD? I hear they have early access to the new 'Crusaders of the Cosmos' sequel! They finally are introducing the villain they've been teasing for the past five years!" Jiri says with a laugh.
"Sounds like fun. Let me check when the next showing is," Shabad replies. She checks Keys and sees there is a show coming up in a half hour. While she's checking, she asks Keys to locate her team members. She shakes her head a little when it shows Damonkayo and Recorva working on the ship, the others she assumes are with their Buzzblade pals. She shuts it off and finishes her food in a hurry so as to make the TriD in time to see some previews.
"I'm predicting the villain is a rogue AI that's been hiding in Captain Saint Claire's mechadroid. Seemed like the droid was behaving a bit odd after that deep dive in the Clockwork Cathedral memory banks," Shabad muses as they enter the theater.
***
A series of ads plays before the triD, targeted towards your interests--another feature of the Keys app! Then the movie begins. It's flashy and bombastic, but the plot is predictable. You guessed the twist before it even began!
Jiri drapes his arm over your shoulders halfway through the film, giving you a sly smile in the darkened theater.
Shabad returns Jiri's smile and accepts his gesture of affection, so long as he doesn't get more aggressive. While watching, she engages her computer via the datajack and looks up some things about the Pahtra race, with particular interest in their mating habits. She learns most of what she wants to learn from the following passage: "Most pahtras are asexual, and a relatively small number of breeding couples bolster the population with litters of six to eight kits at a time. While pahtras frequently form lifelong, loving relationships with a single partner or small set of partners, they cherish individualism above all else. From their first steps, they strive to distinguish themselves from their siblings by developing and perfecting a unique ability. This inclination also makes pahtras highly suspicious of conformism—including that demanded by their vesk overseers—and while they can be deeply distrustful of strangers, they are also very protective of those they consider friends."
After the feature ends, Shabad suggests, "I'm curious to hear you play your synth-violin. Would you be willing to join me at the Karaoke stage? I'll see if any of my team wants to join us."
Assuming he agrees, Shabad sends a message to the others: <I'm heading over to the Lyrakien Cabaret to give the Karaoke stage a go with my new friend Jiri. Would love for you to meet him and catch up with you all on how you've spent the day. Cheers.>
"I am not sure. He experienced some sort of hallucination and attacked Stefani. It only lasted a few minutes, but I am worried about him." Yazeloya says.
Xio digests this information as they enter the bar. She leads Yazeloya to a table close to the windows with a clear view of the starry expanse outside.
"At least they're both okay," she comments as they sit down. "They are, right? I haven't heard from Stefani today. I don't think she wants to speak to me right now," she says coolly, and waves over a waiter to order a drink.
"Hey, Mr. Stamina? You up for another round?" she asks as she sets the device back on the side table. She wiggles her bottom against him.
~~~~
A short reply is all that Shabad receives from the soldier.
<Busy. Maybe another time.>
As Shabad and Jiri arrive at the cabaret, Shabad glances at her comm unit when it signals a message has arrived. She frowns at the terse words from Stefani. She expects something different, more upbeat, in response to the news that the 'Doc' is taking her advice and has met someone. Even if Stefani is busy, Shabad expects some teasing or some encouraging comments.
Shabad shugs and makes a mental note to ask one of the others if Stefani is okay when she gets the chance. "Sorry, Jiri," Shabad says as they are shown to a table. "One of my team, Stefani, sent a message saying she wouldn't make it. You would like her. She sang here last night and it was quite something."
"Da, I think the two of them are still together in Zidhil's quarters. Perhaps their shared experience has brought them closer together. At any rate, we shouldn't let worries about them ruin our good time tonight, kotyonok. How was your 'ladies' evening?'"
***
***
"A shame. Perhaps we will meet another day. In the meantime, would you like to hear a song?"
Jiri takes the stage and produces his synth-violin, then proceeds to play a rousing tune.
Recorva's company relaxes Damon somewhat, and the vesk spends much of his afternoon puttering about on the ship before receiving Shabad's message. Grinning slightly, the grizzled vesk heads back to his room to clean up and roll on down to the Cabaret.