Friendly Fire

[cityship]

Elsewhere on this ship, a war was being waged. A war for the hearts and minds, the souls and very sanity of this crew.

A war that Stacy wasn't certain that all would survive, hence why she released you. Replacements would be needed.

But that war is miles away from where you are. Or at least, so it seems. There are no screams of agony to greet you, no monsters trying to claw at you.

But that doesn't mean the Nightmare King can't reach you.

Prior to your arrival here on the Obs deck, reality had been shifted. Constructs of the current crew grew out of nothing. All of them look, sound, feel, behave, and scan as the crew member they're copying. They're as real as you are. And with smiling faces, they await your arrival.

They can't wait to welcome you. To your doom.

Won't you say hi?

[ooc: Nightmare plot is still on, people, and this is the newbie portion. For all current players, as stated above, the Nightmare King made copies of your guys, who are still stuck fighting nightmares elsewhere in the plot. You can tag in as the copy of your character, have them be friendly, get the newbies to let their guard down, and then the real nightmare can begin. Newbies, you can tag in, have fun, and suspect nothing until its too late.]

[Only new characters and Command Staff can start new threads for introductions, to limit the number of threads. Everyone else, just tag in and have the copies of your guys greet the newbies.]

Comments

[falseswordsgirl.livejournal.com]

"Yes, something is," Yue kept her voice quiet, although whatever the set-up for this, it is likely that no amount of secrecy would protect this situation. Given that this girl knew her, she would have to put some trust in her given the situation. Taking what both Alessa's stated, those who woke up alongside her are allies. Given that this girl knew her, she was more trustworthy than the others. At least for the moment.

"Those who didn't wake up with us cannot be trusted," Yue said directly. The details must be shared quickly, every moment here was a moment other could-be allies were endangered. "Those who woke up with us are our best allies right now. We need to gather them, and separate from those who waited in here for us." Yue surveyed the room as best she could. Trying to discern the two groups. Unfortunately the best way to see the difference between those who were ally and enemy was when an enemy attacked. Not a very useful tool for measuring trust.

[timeinback.livejournal.com]

Well, it wasn't like Chao really trusted anyone anyway, so telling her not trust a select amount of people was like telling her to keep acting normal. Well, alright then! Still, Yue showing concern for it and obviously about to take action was warrant enough to join in on the small girl's request.

Her smile turned more firm and battle-ready. "Sure thing!"

[falseswordsgirl.livejournal.com]

Yue smiled, ever-so-slightly, but she smiled, "I don't want either of us to have to give Negi-sensei bad news when we see him again." Chao was not one of Negi's companions at the ball, nor was she on a wanted list in Ostia. However, she was in the correct age range given what she understood of Negi's companions. That she and the others were classmates, Chao was likely also a classmate.

"So be careful," Yue rose from the ground on her broom and made her way off to look around. Possibly sort out exactly what the situation is. Since the ship did not exactly explain everything. It is possible the computer was in on the ambush, or that the computer is not aware of the situation. Either way, she needed to work out the situation quickly.

[madebymagic.livejournal.com]

Billy's replica was actually pretty spot on. A baggy pair of jeans, a plain t-shirt, and a pair of sunglasses. He looked just like a normal teenager. But that was only outside appearances. He was actually just walking through the crowd now. Seeing if there was anyone around he hadn't met yet, or someone he knew from home.

That's when he spotted Yue.

"Well that's a new way to travel."

[falseswordsgirl.livejournal.com]

Yue looked down at the boy commenting on her travel methods. He had clothes, real proper clothes. However, she herself had clothes, so that could not be how she defined his status as friend or foe. She shouldn't act too out of the ordinary, deter an ally or tip off an enemy.

She slowed down and landed, "New for you, or new to this place? As I understand, witches on brooms are common in stories."

[madebymagic.livejournal.com]

"Well I'm a witch and I don't use a broom to fly. I just fly on my own." He shrugged a bit and shoved his hands into his pockets. "Actually I know a female witch who doesn't ride a broom too. She rides in this huge metal frog. But she's not here. Which is kinda depressing. She should be."

[falseswordsgirl.livejournal.com]

"Wouldn't wizard or sorcerer be the more correct term?" Yue did know of flight magic without a broom or staff, it was easier to fly this way. It is possible that the exact rules and training of magic vary greatly from world to world, and with a different organization of skills. "So... you never learned to ride a staff or broom?"

Metal Frog? Right, I should keep moving. "I am interested in looking around, so I will be on my way. If you wish to follow, or even suggest areas to see, by all means."

[madebymagic.livejournal.com]

"But I'm not a Wizard, I don't use a wand or a staff. And I'm not a sorcerer because I'm not that old." He shrugged a bit. "And don't even suggest Warlock. I get tired of telling people what it means." He smiled a bit and pushed off the ground, floating up in the air with ease.

"There was never a reason to learn. Like I said, I can fly on my own." He watched her for a moment. She was good to be weary. "I'll tag along."

[falseswordsgirl.livejournal.com]

"I would not think to call you a warlock. I would figure the gender association was a more pressing matter on words that are so synonymous," Yue pondered, "As the standard tools of magic are applicable to all words, it is only when you specialize in a fighting style do the terms mean different thing." Yue slowed to look at him when she spoke, before turning back to focus on flying forward. New terrain means you should be even more aware of where you fly.

"So, witch, do you have a name, and who would train you to fly freely before riding a broom?" She needed to investigate that detail. Even the Hero of the War, Nagi Springfield, began his training on a broom. He might have switched to unsupported flight. However he was the Thousand Master, hardly the bar you should set for a common wizard. Negi-sensei's flight was hardly as effective without a broom, it was more leaping than proper flight.

She really wished she could investigate MahoNet at this moment.

[madebymagic.livejournal.com]

"My name's Billy, and you seem to know a lot about magic. But you gotta remember, not all magic is the same. We've got a whole department here, and they all have different powers, and all of them are magic." He starts to fly a bit more lazily. It was just from experience that he could do that.

"I wasn't trained by anyone. Back home, I'm kind of the odd ball out. No one could really understand how my magic worked. Well there was one person, my mother. But she's..." He shook his head and looked off a bit. "Dead. Or she's as good as."

[falseswordsgirl.livejournal.com]

"I don't know that much, although I am in the top of my class." Yue found that statement rather odd, without a real reason why her being in the top of her class was odd. Different types of magical systems? That would be interesting to do some study on, where they draw power, how their power works. Incantations vs. Charms. She had read in stories about magics that worked differently... books she remembered reading, but not when she read them.

"Your world must be like Old World, magic exists, but nobody realizes it." She read about her home, after she found out it was her home. However the other thing he said, caused her to pause in the air, something in her head and heart ringing out in response to it, "I'm sorry to hear about your mother. It would be hard to go on if you lose a loved one you admire." She applied far too many deductions to this. She assumed he admired her, why did she assume that. Not everyone has such a relationship with their parents. Where was the answer she was seeking on this topic? What was she forgetting?

[madebymagic.livejournal.com]

Billy shrugged it all off and continued to fly beside her.

"People knew about magic back home, they just choose to ignore that it exists. Mostly because of it always causing the heroes one headache or another." Like how Doctor Strange was always battling some demon or another. Or how his mother had lost her mind and unmade reality. He shook his head and stopped thinking about that.

"I never met her. I guess that's the hardest part. Well that and the fact that there's a version of her here." And if that wasn't going to confuse this girl, he was sure nothing would.

[falseswordsgirl.livejournal.com]

"Magic is a secret in the Old World. We do our best to help, but due to how people have reacted in the past. The law is to hide, only a few humans know of magic," Yue recently became aware she was one of those few humans that know of magic. That she was not born to magic, or that world. "Magic does not seem to be that problematic to think about, at least for me."

"Another version?" Would that explain the two people she ran into earlier, the two Alessas?