The Accursed Island [Closed]

[cityship]

Planet Designation: Forcellia
Status: Terrestrial, H-class.
Non-sentient life: Extensive flora and fauna.
Semi-Sentient Life: Yes.
Sentient Life: Homo Sapiens.
Water: 69.5% of the planet's surface.
Climate: Earth-like
Landscape: Varied.
Air: Normoxic concentration.
Air Pressure: 101.3 kPa (kilopascals) = 14.7 psi (pounds per square inch)
Sky: Blue, with variable cloud cover.
Sun: A class G2V, yellow star.
Warnings: Wildlife and plant-life can be hazardous. Humans can be hazardous.
Mission: Negotiate for or otherwise obtain the artifact known as the Scepter of Domination.

Forcellia, or at least the part of it that contained the clearing in which the group now found themselves, wasn't exactly welcoming. The ground was little more than rocky soil, the sky violet-grey and overcast. Here, it was evidently late afternoon, edging into evening. It was slightly humid, as if from a recent rain; faint clouds of steamy mist seemed to curl off the ground, partially obscuring their view of their surroundings. Scraggly trees rose up out of this mist here and there, as if grasping towards fresher air.

The villagers in the area had supposedly been contacted ahead of time, and this had been the place they’d agreed to meet the crew. Whether or not they knew anything about this supposed Scepter of Domination, however, was not yet clear. What the Scepter even did or how it might contribute to their struggle was even less clear.

In the distance, they might hear the occasional whinny of a horse, or the lowing of a cow carrying up to them from the distance, though it was difficult, if not impossible, to tell from which direction the sound was coming from.

Comments

[masterofnun.livejournal.com]

Punchy isn't the heavy sleeper type, so he's also wandering around the clearing. The usual idiotically optimistic mood has fallen a little, not that he's alone.

He screwed up fighting the dragon. Not horribly. Not fatally. No one's dead and his bad ideas didn't get anyone seriously injured, nor did it even turn the tide of the battle. He's sure most of his comrades didn't notice.

He noticed.

Despite the night-vision capabilities, he has his goggles off at the moment. Those are for heroes, and he's...well, he's not there yet. He's trying. But heroes succeed, they rescue villages, they tame dragons and bring home the MacGuffin.

It occurs to him that he really doesn't know what he'll do if he's not hero material. The thought makes him feel like his guts are coursing with ice water.

He's so lost in his own thoughts (not to mention the darkness without his goggles) that he walks right into Ronnae. "Whoa! That you, Red?"

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

Ronnae jumps a little startled, but as soon as she turns she visibly relaxing, if anything blushing a bit.

"Oh, hey Punchy." a small timid smile playing on her lips as she bows in greeting.

Punchy was one of the few amongst their team who'd she'd talked to previously, not extensively, but enough for her to have a positive outlook on him. So she didn't feel as uncomfortable if it had been someone she didn't know who bumped into her.

"Taking a nightly stroll I take it?"

[masterofnun.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. Just getting some fresh air. Most times I go downstairs and do some reading when I can't sleep, but..." He shrugs. No comic books here, obviously.

"You had some mad stones in that fight today."

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

"This place is really pretty," she said in turn, smiling a bit at him. "I take every opportunity while we're allowed out of the ship to relish in the free natural environment."

At the compliment she blushed a bit, moving some loose strands of hair off of her face before smiling timidly.

"Thanks, you did good as well. It's not everyday that you saw a human show no fear at the sight of such a creature and fought back valiantly. I have to say I'm also impressed by the strength you displayed. Are people in your world like you?" she asked honestly curious, and the compliments seemed sincere, she had no reason to lie after all.

[masterofnun.livejournal.com]

He nods, although he doesn't quite agree. Nature's never really held much interest for him, except when he and his best friend Flora used to climb trees when they were little. Somewhere down the line, probably around puberty, forests and meadows and open skies just lost all their magic to him.

He blushes a little, but a look of worry crosses his face. "Ya think? I kinda...I wasn't at my best showing today, you know. Not at the top of my game. I could've gotten you seriously wrecked and you didn't even think twice about getting me out of that jam."

He sighs and shakes his head. "But no, people ain't all like that. We just try to be."

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

"It was a foe you haven't faced before, none of us were prepared. Or did you see anyone that made big progress individually that I wasn't aware of?" If he did, she'd like to know, she wants them to be better prepared for the next engagement.

"We all did what we could to the best of our abilities. Jumping into an ambush by such a powerful creature isn't easy. But we all worked together and tried to find ways to defeat the encounter set before us. So I do think you did well, considering the scenario. We'll do even better next time, right?"

She smiled at him reassuringly.

[masterofnun.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, but taking down those trees, I made it more dangerous. You peeps may not have taken it down, but at least you didn't give it more heat." He runs his hand through his hair and rubs the spot between his eyebrows. "Guess at least we'll have a plan next time. Not trying to rain on your parade or anything, promise."

He takes a deep breath and stares up at the sky. "Guess you're right, though. Big sky's kinda dope, in its own way."

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

Ronnae shook her head lightly. "It was a good idea, and trial an error is part of the battlefield. Not everything we do will go as we planned, so all we can do is learn and improve as we go along. Improvising as it may be at times."

She followed his gaze and smiled. "I don't know what dope means, but it certainly is beautiful."

[masterofnun.livejournal.com]

"You got a point, shawty. I guess I just expected the first big outing to be more..." He makes a gesture and shrugs. "Something. I don't know."

He nods. "Kind of makes you feel small, don't it?"

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

She couldn't help but giggle a bit, smiling up at the diamond studded skies.

"Something? More grand I guess you meant to say?"

She'd been in the same situation before, at least if he was referring to what she thought he was.

"In the grand spectrum of the universe and the many multiverses, we are but a grain of sand in the largest desert that could ever be conceived by the most creative of minds, and even then, it doesn't do the immense infinite that is the multiverse any justice."

Turning with a slight blush, "It's what my grandpapa used to say when he was teaching us about the many worlds he had visited in his youth."

[masterofnun.livejournal.com]

"Yeah. Something like that." 'Grand' isn't really a word in his vernacular, but that's the basic idea. He expected it slick, glorious, all bright colors and heightened emotion and pumping adrenalin. All he got out of it was the adrenalin, and when that drained out he just felt cranky and disappointed in himself.

"God, your grandpa sounds like such a downer." He laughs. "That's just gank, man. Thinking nothing we do matters because it's all so tiny."

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

Ronnae laughed and shook her head, "Not really, he's actually an extremely confident man and was always pushing us to do our best as long as we were happy with it. Testing our limits and such. He used ta be an incredibly powerful planestraveler yanno? And he gave it all away to settle down. Passed on his powers to the next planestraveler in line and began life in Azeroth."

She.... had never told that to anyone, and that thought alone made her feel really happy. Talking about her family always made her feel much warmer inside, and just doing it in a casual fashion with a friend... well it meant a lot!

[masterofnun.livejournal.com]

"Huh." Punchy laughs a bit. His eyes are adjusting to the darkness, and it's nice to see Ronnae smile. "Sounds like a stand-up homeboy. It must be nice, having a family that really pushes you like that."

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

Ronnae looks down a little and smiles. She really did miss them greatly, but the prospect of seeing them again once this was all over pushed her more and more towards giving it her all...

Just like they always encouraged her to do.

"It is. they're amazing... And I miss them greatly. It was. It was quite the shocker to learn that I lost everything when I first arrived, but you know, knowing that they would have wanted me to keep going forward and just better myself keeps me going yanno?"

"That, and all the people I've met on the ship that give me a reason to fight and keep on fighting for us all."

[masterofnun.livejournal.com]

He nods. He'd have signed up for this anyway, but the idea of bringing his world back...that means they aren't really gone, doesn't it? Not while there's hope. His Saturday morning cartoons have instilled that much in him, at least.

"Would you do it if you were ridin' solo, Red? If it was just you and the rest of those peeps out there on the other side?"

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

She had thought about it before. Specially with all that's happened, her memories of the first days on the ship. The agony and pain of knowing what happened and that empty feeling of being alone...

But she'd had been in lonely despair before... one of her darkest times. And something inside her told her to continue then so...

"I would... It would be much much harder, I'll say that much. But I would continue pressin' forward, if not for me than for everyone else, for those at risk of going through the same pain I had to go through."

[masterofnun.livejournal.com]

He pauses for a bit, then nods. "I figure it's like, the ultimate, you know? The most boss reason we could have to take these mofos out. The way I see it, they got all our homies hostage. It's the dopest rescue mission."

But he sees a trace of sadness on Ronnae's face, and reaches a hand over to pat her shoulder. "It's okay, boo."

Punchy's so cute X3

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

She nods in agreement, a smile on her face. "It is. And the more we put our minds, heart and bodies into it, the better our chances yanno? Can't go into this halfhearted."

And then he comforted her, making her face instantly blush but she smiled appreciatively. "T-thanks."

Re: Punchy's so cute X3

[masterofnun.livejournal.com]

"Word up." He finds that he does feel a little better, having talked to her. She is right, after all. They'll do better next time.

He pulls her close in a friendly hug. "Nah, thanks to you, shawty."

[ronnae.livejournal.com]

Ronnae's caught off guard by the hug, making the girl blush, but otherwise, she smiles, returning the gesture with a warm hug of her own.

"A-anytime. Ya know where ta find me if ya need ta talk or jus' hang kay? Now get some rest, it'll be another day tomorrow and we'll n-need ta be on our best."