[closed]

[wroughtiron]

Characters: An NPC (wroughtiron), Annabeth Chase (sophos), Hellboy (histruename), the Doctor (iwaspromisedtea) and Zatanna Zatara (backwordscompatible)
Date: November 25/28th.
Location: The Mainland.
Situation: These characters are tracked down by an NPC and given some information, as well as asked a few things in return. Individual scenarios are in the main body of the post itself.
Warnings/Rating: Shouldn't stray much above pg-13, but if it does I'll let you know.

Comments

[wroughtiron]

Well, a couple of the floating cities crashed into the oceans. Others crashed down here. I think the ARSHEPELIOS platforms may've survived, but they're up in space. It's a trip, or so I've heard.

[She helpfully points skyward.]

Not a clue, sorry. After the last cities were destroyed... I was too young to care about anything but the people I had to bury. So I put the bodies in a stasis field and packed 'em to the Mausoleum.

[sophos]

ARSHEPHELIOS? [The gesture upward gives a clue, but it doesn't lessen Annabeth's getting taken aback. In space??] What is that? Those? Satellites?

[She frowns again.] No, I don't blame you.

[But she can't resist.] Stasis field? How did you do that?

[wroughtiron]

It used to stand for something. Not a clue what, though. And yes-- satellites. Orbital defense platforms, really. Big guns.

[ah, well.]

We're an innately magical lot. I'm... a bit more powerful than most, but you can't use magic without a living turtle beneath your feet. So... when Tu Vishan makes port here, I sort of... steal some. And boom. Magic. Stasis fields are one of the things I can do. It's sort of like... stopping time, just in the relative space of someone's body.

[sophos]

That's a pretty long acronym. Why was there a need for orbital defense? Or was it technology for technology's sake?

[And now the reasons people lost some of their powers or strength are clear. At least, it makes sense - the turtle's energy powered everyone. The further they got from Tu Vishan, the weaker they were - and it wasn't because of something on the mainland. Annabeth's suddenly grateful her brain can't be taken away like other physical abilities.]

How often does it port here? What else can you do?

[wroughtiron]

Not an acronym. More like a portmanteau. And yeah - technology for technology's sake. It's what the first war was all about, the one that killed off the turtles. Some people didn't like it, others disagreed... politics, explosions. The whole nine yards.

[SO MANY QUESTIONS give her a moment she's going to go for a refill of her coffee. She holds the pot up for Annabeth as well in offering.]

It depends on the turtle. I've never noticed a pattern to it, but... I think maybe the big guy is mourning for his friends. I know I would.

[And then she wrinkles her nose.]

Depends on what I want to accomplish, I guess. I'm powerful enough, but I can't do shite unless the turtle's around, or I've got enough gimmicks to make it so it doesn't matter.

[sophos]

Great technology always scares some people. Causes divisions. That's no surprise. [It reminds her a bit of the Cold War, really.]

[SHE'D APOLOGIZE actually no she won't. But she'll use the time to think everything over again, quietly sipping her own coffee and shaking her head no on a refill, if only because she's still not plenty left.]

The mainland was never really talked about. I've been on Tu Vishan for about four months, and the first mentions only came about just before landfall. [A pause.] I would too.

You said you harvest energy when the turtle is near - how?

[She'll never be done!!!]

[wroughtiron]

Magic. It's hard to do, especially since I never really had anyone to teach me. I just had to... fumble along and figure things out.

[Shrug.]

[sophos]

[Oh, learning. Annabeth's met more than a few demigods who had to learn how to survive on their own before reaching Camp Half-Blood. More then a few who had to learn all this while simultaneously not knowing why.] Learning things that way is always hard.

[She pauses, drains the last of her coffee at last.]

But you can do it now. That's the important part. How do you store it? If it's a kind of energy... I don't exactly have magic myself. But it must fuel other things, too, yeah?

[Stamina that had been weakened, yes, and she did notice her hat stopped working the further inland she got. She'd heard people talking about technology shorting out. But having a way to store it - that sounds useful.]

[wroughtiron]

It's a spell. It needs a vessel - I found little clay cubes work the best. Something about the magic likes... solid structures. It doesn't seem to sit as well in orbs.

[She shrugs.]

And yeah, it's a form of... biomechanical energy, I suppose. It used to power the cities as well as the magicians. They just use it in different ways. Like how plants need sunlight to grow, but lizards use it to warm themselves up.

[... okay maybe that's a little off the wall, but it's true. Both things need solar energy, but their use of it is different.]

[sophos]

Biomechanical... [She mutters it out loud as she churns it over in her brain. Well, it makes sense, more or less, and explains how some of the structures and things work back in Keeliai. Tu Vishan was a literal bundle of energy.]

[That from what everything else was telling her, Eshai couldn't control entirely - but wanted to.]

And Eshai can harness that energy on the turtle, thus making her more powerful than she'd normally be?

Is there anyway to harness it without a spell? Like - if I wanted to build something using it. [She actually has no plans to, really, it's just a quick example]

[wroughtiron]

[She nods in agreement to the 'more powerful' bit.]

You could, but I wouldn't have the first idea how. Lost art. Magic is the only thing I've ever been able to learn.

[Her tone is apologetic.]

[sophos]

[Annabeth shakes her head, shrugging it off. She's long accepted her lack of magic and prides herself on not needing it. It doesn't mean it's useful on occasion, of course, but as far as she's concerned, it's nothing Eva has to be apologetic for.]

It's not in my genetics. But it's not your fault. It's still good to know.

I wonder if a way exists - or existed - in the library.

The Emperor isn't a kedan - is she native to this world?

[wroughtiron]

In her library? If it did, I doubt it does now.

[Because the Emperor's a terrible person, that's why.]

I'm not sure. I mean... I think she's native to this world, but... most people don't live as long as she's supposed to have lived. Could be she's found a way to extend her lifespan beyond the pale.

[sophos]

The censorship always was just as telling as any actual information would have been.

How old is she?

[wroughtiron]

Not too rightly sure. Centuries, easy. Older than that... I haven't the first or faintest.

[Hey she's met her like twice, cut her some slack.]

[sophos]

And she's had control over Tu Vishan for that long?

[wroughtiron]

I reckon so? I'm no historian, but from everything I've heard... seems like the logical conclusion to come to.

[sophos]

[Annabeth nods in agreement.] It probably extends her longevity as long as she can harness that power. Given the location of her palace, I wonder if it's close to the center of the turtle's power itself?

[It's more of a rhetorical-thinking-out-loud question than directly addressed to Eva herself.]

[Because then she sort of gets lost in thought, considering and putting together everything she's heard so far; she finally and absently drains the last of her coffee, then runs a hand through her hair, sighing.]

[wroughtiron]

What, like... what's that called... Feng Shui? The organization of objects to harness energy, or some such?

[By her tone she hasn't really put much thought into it.]

[sophos]

Feng Shui. Yeah, it could be.

[And her tone implies she'll be giving that a lot of thought now.] I'll look into it when I get back on the turtle.

[She'll have to find out more about Feng Shui, too, since it's not exactly her strong point. Maybe she can find the turtle's focal point of power.]

[wroughtiron]

What are your plans?

[That, now, sounds just slightly cagey.]

[sophos]

My plans? For when I get back? [That slight cagey-ness doesn't go unnoticed] More investigation with what you've told me. There doesn't seem a lot more I can do right now.

[Though she is hoping something will yield - maybe a piece of information would make more sense now, potentially lead to something that would help everyone stuck here.]

[wroughtiron]

I'm going to be very frank with you, girl. I want to know what's going on over on the Turtle. I've got less love for the Emperor than any one of you Foreigners - the fact that she massacred my entire people is slightly more paramount in my mind than the fact that she's kidnapped you all here.

So. I propose a deal. I'll give you something from your home. Name it and - providing it's not organic - I can get it for you. In exchange, I want you to keep an eye on the Emperor for me. Because regardless of what you all do, I want to take her down.

[sophos]

[Spy. Eva wants her to spy on the Emperor. She hates the idea of it; it's treacherous, it's dishonest, it cost Silena her life.]

[But if the Emperor is truly as Eva describes - and if Annabeth's being honest with herself, the story fills in all the blank, secretive spots and makes sense. And she fights for no cause she doesn't believe in.]

What happens if she does get taken down?

[Annabeth considers herself one of the good guys. But she's a pragmatist. Things aren't always black and white. Life on the turtle has been far too stagnant. Regardless of the honesty in potentially agreeing to this, having the option to pass along information may end up working in everyone's favor.]

[wroughtiron]

The kedan get sent home, first and foremost. I think they deserve it, they've been here quite a bit longer than you.

[... a pause.]

If... they want to go, of course. Maybe they've been here too long, you know? And after that, you folks. I think I might be able to do it. I can move inorganic matter, as I said, between the worlds. It takes a great deal of effort, but...

[She gestures around her.]

This is what I have to work with. After that... who knows. I'd like to... rebuild this place. See if there's anyone else out there. But I'd let Tu Vishan go free.

[That part seems important to her, by the resolution to her tone.]