rough winds do shake the darling buds of may | open, with starters

[wrathfulkhan]

Characters: Eyebrow Squad Gene, Jackie, Deon, and you!
Date: Throughout May
Location: Keeliai and the rest of the shell
Situation: General May drama and doings for Eyebrow Squad.
Warnings/Rating: None initially, but subject to change.

A. [Gene] Midnight Hotel | May 2 | closed to Tony

Gene hadn't taken the disappearance of the new influx of Foreigners well. But he'd taken it better than he'd expected; he'd always known, in his heart, that Bianca being back had been too good to be true. And Amelia hadn't returned, either. He'd been seized with a rather unusual and rather unfortunate sensation of missing all his friends who'd come and gone from Keeliai.

And it occurs to him that Tony might be feeling even worse. Howard had been swept away too. Gene hadn't been particularly heartbroken to see him gone - he still isn't too sure where he stands with the man - but he knows Tony's devastated by it. So he's tried to be as supportive as possible. He doesn't like seeing Tony upset.

B. [Gene] Sky Sector | early-mid May | open

Gene's been going around the Sky Sector and helping finalize some of the construction, making himself known among the kedan in the area, checking out the stalls in the artisan area. Sometimes he's putting the finishing touches on the little house he'd built for himself and Tony, and if he's not actively using tools - or secretly using the orange ring to manipulate matter, honing his control of it - he's probably open to talking.

C. [Jackie] Teahouse in the Water Sector | early-mid May | open

When he's not doing Snake stuff, Jackie's become quite fond of hanging out in a little teahouse in the Water Sector. Most of the time he has his Snake badge off, not wanting to intimidate any of the kedan, and just enjoying a quiet cup of tea. Tea had never really been his...well...his cup of tea, back home, but here he was starting to enjoy it.

D. [Deon] Metal Sector | early-mid May | open

Deon, meanwhile, is scouting out any technology he can find, buying up scrap wherever he can find it and writing out code by hand in a cheap notebook. Even if he can't test it, it's at least a decent exercise.

He's been dissuaded from dismantling a console - but he really wants to know how they work. Not worth pissing off the kedan, though; he's heard they don't take well to that.

But it looks like he knows what he's doing, or at least what he's after, either sitting on a bench and going over his handwritten code, the end of a pen in his mouth, or haggling with some kedan over some busted piece of looted Foreigner tech.

E. [Deon] Fire Sector | May 16 | closed to Shay

Deon's tired, and in need of a drink. He doesn't normally drink, but he's interested in seeing more of the kedan culture, and he figures that's worth the price of a beer or the local equivalent. Thus he sits at the bar, drinking an oddly sweet concoction that still has a mildly alcoholic fire to it, occasionally writing in his notebook as more ideas occur to him.


F. [Gene] House Iron Dragon | May 8 | closed to Tony

Tony's been acting weird the past day or so - more cagey than usual. Something's up, but Gene hasn't deduced what yet.

"You okay?" he asks, setting a mug of tea down in front of Tony, some concern in his voice. Still mopey over Howard, perhaps? The grief happens in waves, he knows that well.

G. [Deon] Stark Industries | late April | closed to NPCs

The staff at Stark Industries has been busy of late, but not too busy to finally see Deon for a job interview. He hasn't had one since college, so he's a little apprehensive, and visibly fidgeting.

H. [Deon] Wood Sector | mid-May | closed to China and Shay

Deon should really know better than to cut through gang territory by now. As it is, he's been cornered by some kedan from a smaller gang who are pushing him around and demanding his juulan. For someone so tall, he's a bit shit at defending himself or being at all imposing.

I. [Gene] Sky Sector / Earth Sector | early May 9 | closed to Skul

Once Gene manages to get his heart down from pounding like hell in his head, he grabs his radio and makes a call to Skul, like he'd promised Tony.

"Skul? I know it's late, but I need your help."

---

OOC Note: If you want another starter, please hit me up over at Chatvert and I'll pull something together for you! :>

Comments

[looksfine]

[Her lips parted, interpreting Gene's words not only literally, but immediately paralleling them with her own situation.]

...does he consider me to be a traitor, for resuming employment at the company under Zanru's leadership?

[wrathfulkhan]

What? No, [Gene says, a little taken aback.] I was joking. Besides, it's...different for me and him than it is for you. Some history involved. But he doesn't begrudge you the job, no way.

[looksfine]

What is so different about it?

[Gene had made the comment for a reason; she wanted to be absolutely certain that there were no hidden feelings of resentment for her actions.]

We both share a positive relationship with him. [Albeit friendly in her case, and...more than friendly in his] Why would he begrudge you, but not me?

[wrathfulkhan]

Because unless I'm sorely mistaken, you've never tried to kill him, [Gene says wryly. Succinct.] Anyway, his father was one of the Foreigners who came and went recently, and he started the company back in our world. From me, it'd be too much of a slap in the face. Besides, I'm hardly a tech person.

[looksfine]

That is true. But you are no longer an immediate threat to his life, either, correct?

[She seemed unaffected by the thought of them trying to kill one another. Been there, done that. Actually...came out of the situation very similarly to Gene and Tony. Unofficially. And without the other party trapped in an alternate realm atop a giant Turtle by her side.]

Although, admittedly, the lack of being a tech person would have been a sufficient reason for not desiring employment in a highly technical-focused place of business. Why did you not simply point that out in the first place?

[wrathfulkhan]

["That's debatable," Gene nearly says.]

No, I'm not. We're safe from each other now.

But I used to be there doing research on kedan magic. I didn't get very far, I'm afraid.

[looksfine]

[Magic]

[That was...not her area of expertise. In fact, it was precisely the opposite. Aya functioned on Science and Logic. Even the powerful properties of Green Lantern Energy were still bound within their own guidelines.]

There is no other individual within Keelai you could speak to about...magic?

[wrathfulkhan]

[Gene shrugged.] Loads of people, I'm sure. But that was my initial area of study; I've since moved on to other pursuits.

I'm not at all sure what I'll be doing. Bakura's offered to let me work at the dojo training people. [Still weird!]

[looksfine]

[Unlike a certain teenaged blonde, Aya had few preconceived notions regarding Bakura. She was vaguely aware that he had taken over the dojo--a building devoted to the study of martial arts--and that he was a long-time Foreign resident of Keelai, but of little else.]

Perhaps it would prove more beneficial if you refrain from limiting yourself to a single occupation.

I do not understand why you cannot work at the dojo and continue your studies in....magic.

[wrathfulkhan]

You're probably right, [Gene said, nodding.] I could do both. I'm just not sure if I want to keep studying magic.

...why do you keep saying it like that? Hesitating, I mean.

[looksfine]

[Busted.]

Magic is a practice that does not, in my limited encounters with it, follow along any reestablished rules or mathematical guidelines with respect to logic or even reality itself.

I do not understand it.

[wrathfulkhan]

[Gotta get up pretty early to sneak something by him, Aya.]

Well...they do say 'any sufficiently advanced technology will be indistinguishable from magic'. [Thanks, Howard.] Just because we can't understand it now doesn't mean we never will. I mean, plenty of things we'd think are normal would be considered magic to less technologically-advanced people.

[looksfine]

[To be fair, she had an absolutely horrible poker face.]

[A young robot who was still learning and sorting through the various emotions coursing through her systems, organic or otherwise, could hardly be expected to have the capacity to conceal them. Not that she desired to do so at most times, but moments like these did give her pause to wonder how useful such a skill might be.]

...did you just refer to me as Magic?

[Yes, it was egotistical, but it was also a fact that Aya herself was the most Advanced Piece of Technology that most of Keelai had ever seen. Foreigners included.]

In other words, you are implying that there are, perhaps, rules and structure to Magic after all. We have simply not yet developed the mathematics to accurately calculate it?

[wrathfulkhan]

[Gene nods, smiling a little bit.] Yeah, I suppose. You're more advanced than I could understand, definitely. [Not if he cheats, but all space rings aside: he's not a tech person, not like Tony.]

I'm sure each magical system has rules. Otherwise, how would it work reliably?

[looksfine]

[In a way, she was a space ring in Volkreig form. So there was that.]

Again, that is a question I am unable to answer at this time.

Any documentation on the subject, assuming it is even useful and not simply compromised of anecdotes, have always been written in the local language. My translation matrix does not work on written text.

[wrathfulkhan]

[They should be space ring buddies.]

Not just the kedan systems, but the others, like...like the artes Raine can do, and Solomon's death magic. They obviously both work, but they might do so with different mechanisms that don't interfere with each other. Parallel evolution of magical systems is a topic I could look into, actually...

Anyway, just because we don't understand them doesn't mean they don't work. I've run right up into artifacts I thought were magical being a little more mundane, [he says, his tone a bit rueful.]

[looksfine]

[She smiled faintly at his explanation.]

It sounds to me as if you are not entirely done with studying the subject quite yet.

[wrathfulkhan]

I guess not, [he admitted.] Now if only I could find someone willing to pay me for it.

[He'd always been interested in research, in history, myth, and magic.]

[looksfine]

[If only somebody would be willing to pay anyone for the privilege of learning. Not that Aya required monetary compensation, as she did not need it for sustenance or boarding, but...the thought was a pleasant one.]

Knowledge is always valuable to someone.

I do not believe there is not a single individual here who would not find such research useful. Particularly if magic is responsible for our continued presence, as is suspected.

[wrathfulkhan]

Most of the kedan don't seem too bothered about the idea that we could disappear, [he pointed out. But thoughts of home had been popping up more and more of late, especially with Howard's appearance and disappearance.] Though I would like to know what keeps us here, and why we keep showing up. And why sometimes we disappear...

[looksfine]

[In some ways, Gene was making her point for her.]

An area worthy of further research, in my opinion.

And one that I am certain many would be most interested in discovering.

[wrathfulkhan]

[Yeah, he's pretty good at that.]

So what, you think I should shop around my skills? Or at least my interests? See if anyone bites?

[looksfine]

Yes.

[No use stating otherwise.]

[wrathfulkhan]

Heh. [He smiled.] Maybe something'll come of that. I'll have to see who might be interested. And...carefully avoid mentioning it to Zanru. Just to stay on Tony's good side.

[Clearly in a good mood, since he was joking again.]

[looksfine]

[She missed the joke, but understood the colloquialism well enough to know he simply did not want to risk angering Tony over something that was still very, very personal to him.]

If it is any reassurance, I promise not to mention this conversation to Zanru as well.

[It wouldn't be that hard.]