trans_9 | It's dangerous to go alone [Open; Post-SHODAN]

The latest disaster aboard the good ship Stacy had been a reminder to Ter'thelas that the whole damned expedition was likely doomed to failure. He'd lost no abilities, unlike a good portion of the ship's crew, and so had simply laid low in the city, occasionally cracking a robotic opponent over the head or blasting it into pieces with a firearm. At the same time, it seemed that it might be time for him to consider alternatives to traipsing along on this haphazard expedition.

He had a small pad of paper and a pencil and was scratching out a list that read:

Staying on the ship. Pros:

Security
Karis
the satisfaction of fighting another damned war for the greater good
possible return home.

Cons:

Constantly harried by Ohm
lunatics popping out of the ship on a regular basis
not in command of own fate
death by any number of unpleasant methods

Leaving the ship. Pros:

Security from lunatics
nice quiet life (hopefully)
getting away from the damned madness

Cons:

No Karis

alone on a strange world (again)

And this is where he'd left it. It was hardly a complete list, but he was working on it, pacing back and forth in front of the massive view ports of the space bridge and enjoying the still disorienting view. Perhaps he'd seek counsel from some of the other members of the crew, if they happened along. He sighed and leaned against the wall, reading over his list again.

Would he be able to do it?

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"Yin and yang? Not familiar with them, I'm afraid." He rolls a shoulder.

"She died rather horribly and was a mind slave for a good couple of years before being freed and finding herself a monster rejected by all that she once held dear. I think it a mercy she hadn't had to meet her old family again until recently." He scratched at his chin.

"She is a member of a dwindling group of close-knit, mostly psychotic survivors, if you can call them that, who either generally hated, distrusted, and despised in varying degrees by everyone else in the world. They are allies of, at best, convenience of the Horde. Frankly, she live sin a world where everyone with a pulse hates her and wants her dead at worst or tolerates her at best. With a few exceptions."

"It's like two halves that are opposites. Here, let me show you." He pulls out his notepad and draws it out while Ter'thelas is talking.

"Huh. That pretty much puts it all into place, doesn't it?" He didn't know about the mind slave bit. Creepy. Not unlike things that happened back home. "And somehow she decided that I was cool because I like the taste of liver."

"Hm. An interesting philosophical idea, but no. We are not exactly opposites, not in the least." He rubs his chin, shrugs.

"As prickly as she is, I think she really does crave friends. And I think that she has a hard time with herself. Of course, that's only my opinion as an outsider. What her true feelings are, I couldn't say."

"No, I get that, although gotta say, you're way more formal than she is."

He nods but doesn't comment on Ter's assessment of Karis, mostly because it's not entirely inapplicable to his own attitude. "So what do you do around here besides talk about leaving?"

"I had the benefit of a proper education, service as an officer, and I am the last scion of my noble house. That means everyone else is dead, by the by." Ter'thelas chuckled quietly.

"I am an expert in not being found when I don't wish to be, a master swordsman, a passable marksman, and a layabout. In no particular order."

Man, it's always creepy when people laugh about death. Even though Howard tends to do it himself a lot. He does narrow his eyes slightly, in interest, when Ter'thelas explains all his capabilities.

"Not dead because of you, I'm guessing?"

"No. Dead because of that rather unfortunate undead horde that Karis served as a member of. She took part in the sack and destruction of my homeland and helped wipe out the vast majority of my people." He smiles slightly. It is a thin, unpleasant expression.

"I bear her no grudge. She had no choice in the matter."

"That's so....rational." That creepy smile makes Howard want to squirm a little. Something about Ter strikes him as so threatening, so detached from matters of life or death. "Are you guys the only ones from your world? I thought that one green elf chick might've been."

"It is the truth. And besides that, she has saved my life many times." Ter'thelas' voice edges towards anger and away from the faint arrogant detachment it usually implies. It annoys him that this young human questions the relationship he has with Karis. But he holds back the irrational spike of anger. He's ignorant, nothing more.

"There are others. We don't associate with them much, however. They are either mad or opposed to us in some fashion, at least they would be if we were on Azeroth."

Howard takes a discreet little step back, just out of striking range. "Fine, I get it, you're brothers in arms and all."

He shrugs. "I feel you. The people who showed up from my world are the same way. It's kind of a buzzkill."

It's dangerous to go alone [Open; Post-SHODAN]

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