[Nexus Standalone Plot] Triangulation

[Lady Serpentine]

((I'm rather glad I read the book I based that on, then. (Though I was anyway, since it was good in itself, but still...)

Also, I love the colors of the emotions thing. ))

"Not exactly music, just the kind I like to write and play... Trashed a bunch of my files, too," Dessa replies to Arianna, nodding. And as they probably are indeed still in contact, the aug'd girl can probably feel the dark violet pain flowing through the spacer, and Dessa most certainly feels her surprise.

In any case, the elongated composer is indeed pulled closer to Nike.

"Koto and violin, a little bit with some improvised stuff, a couple things of my own design... Mainly computer-based, though, unless I was working on things for this steampunk-themed band I was thinking of getting together.

And wouldn't that be kind of a bad idea, considering the forbidenness?

[Beans]

Nike frowns, gently rubbing Dessa's back.
But... I... should get you something at least... maybe something from the Lab, they might not suspect it's for you... or...
She seems very unhappy with not being able to help her bride.
I promise I'll do something, honey, I just gotta. She tries to gently rest her cheek against Dessa's, frowning in thought.

[Lix Lorn]

Sadly, Arianna can't feel anyone else's emotions unless they or she are actively aiming for it, but she will reply, still shocked, with
"The Unity would never DREAM of denying someone their passion. I'm sure I can get whatever you need in to keep working!" she nods passionately!

The Unity (Faction Infodump yay)

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The Unity, the faction Arianna comes from, are a human psionic faction driven away from the main force of humanity long ago for their pseudo-religious beleifs and techniques. They are heavily psionic, and use enhancing implants to increase their abilities. It's nearly impossible for them to completely silence their mind to someone they touch, but that's because their minds are loud. Another psionic would do the same in return, but to know what a non-psychic was thinking they'd need to try to read it. Which would be wrong.
Psionics can be trained even among normal humans, if the RP wanted to go that way.

The Unity is effectively a hive mind. All its members can talk and coexist at once, simultaneously feeling. They retain their own thoughts and identities, but they're very open. Lying is pointless, and actively seeking to cause pain is unheard of, simply because you will feel how much you hurt them. Only if you truly want them to suffer would a Unity be cruel.

They can be zealous and patronising at the worst, believing they have the best path through life. At their best, they are empathetic and creative. Generations of life as a unified whole have made the life of a Unity a well-oiled machine, where a single act of rebellion could cause massive damage-but the path everyone needs to take is one they want to.

In war, the Unity make extensive use of robotic drones, controlled remotely with psionics. Their armaments, besides the drones, are fairly standard.

Arianna is the daughter of a Unity held in high esteem for his service, and was chosen for this duty initially to gather intelligence on the other two factions. She refused to spy, saying that even the Unity would not ruin the sanctity of a marriage agreement, but could not deny the Unity's wishes that she participate as well as she could.

[Lady Serpentine]

Dessa kisses Nike's cheek, smiling faintly, and then lets the synth rest her cheek on hers, apparently having warmed a fair bit to her wives.

Turning her head slightly towards Arianna, she goes to slip an arm around the psion, and gently squeeze her shoulder, saying
"They sound like nice people, then. And if you both want to get me things, I certainly won't stop you... I just didn't want to cause trouble with the alliance, if I could help it. It benefits a lot of my friends, and I'm sure a lot of yours, too, so I was willing to try to figure out a way to deal if I had to."

((If you want to train Dessa as a psion, I'd be fine with that; she probably has some latent abilities for empathy, which is one of the reasons the few pieces she sold were as popular as they were.))

[Beans]

I'll probably have to talk up and down channels to keep it quiet, but I'll see to it that you get to make music.
Nike smiles and leans across Dessa to plant a smacker on Ari's cheek too, happy they're nice and close like this. What about you, sweets?
Her own interests are mostly climbing stuff, spicy food, and mystery novels.

[Lix Lorn]

"They can't worry about embarrassment if it's not something we'd be embarrassed by." insists Arianna.

"...do? I. Well."

Arianna is suddenly struck by the fact that essentially everything she does is done with large amounts of fancy and complicated Unity equipment.

[Beans]

Nike scoots over to cuddle with Ari, smiling sweetly.

[Lady Serpentine]

"Internal embarrassment, dear. Politics between the major Houses can be pretty complicated sometimes," Dessa explains, pulling her legs up onto the couch to occupy the space just left by Nike, and resting her head on Arianna's shoulder. "But I'd like to hear about your interests and such too, so we can talk about my family's issues later."

[Lix Lorn]

Her thoughts go very pink at the contact, and a flash of a strange golden chair appears as she says. "Oh. Well. I like to play the sphiano, I suppose? Do... do you have them?"

[Beans]

Nike blinks, frowning in thought.
Isn't that the floaty piano ball thing?
I don't think we have one, sweets.
She reaches across her shoulders to put a hand on Dessa's head.
So that's two pretty girls I'll be finding musical instruments for. The synth giggles, not really taking into account how difficult that might be.

[Lady Serpentine]

Dessa's head, which she shakes, gets a hand on it, then.

"I'm not really familiar with them either, no. Though from what I've heard, they're rather interesting... Maybe you could teach me to play, if Nike can get one for you, or you can get another through the Unity?"

[Lix Lorn]

"Ehe..." she sweatdrops. "I... I don't know." she blinks. "I can certainly try to teach you, but... they're played with the mind, so I'd need to teach you that... is that allowed?"

Pause.

"...is that even possible?"

Psionics and Sphianos

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Sphiano (noun): Musical instrument developed by the unity, consisting of three three-quarter rings of keys, on golden layers, suspended in a field to form a loose sphere, with one entrance. A psionic standing or sitting in the centre-or, with practice, from a distance-can play the sphiano with their mind.

Psionics are universal in the Unity, and one of the main things that caused them to leave the rest of humanity long ago. They would be ecstatic at a chance to teach psionics to outsiders, but the outsiders would be unlikely to agree to it.

[Beans]

Nike goes to lay across their laps, and they may notice something.
In short, her bust looks rather less now than it did while she was in her wedding dress.
She giggles, looking up at her girls.
I think you'd make as cool a psychic as Ari, hon. She strokes Dessa's hair with a grin.

[Lix Lorn]

Arianna does in fact notice, and probably wonders wh-
"Nike, why have you gotten smaller since the wedding?" she says, curious.

Lixie Has Put Too Much Thought Into The Unity

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They have a pseudo hive-mind, so theres no point hiding and lying. If you're curious, you may as well ask, cause they know you want to, and they'll understand why you're curious, rather than being offended by implications.

[Lady Serpentine]

((Correction: Lixie Has Put Enough Thought Into The Unity To Make It Awesome.))

"If I agree to it, I don't see why not," Dessa replies, smiling, and then looking down at the girl in her lap when Ari comments on her. "...Huh. Good question. Something to do with the dress, maybe?"

[Beans]

Nike giggles, then starts full-out laughing for a bit before calming down.
Well, little miss curious, Dessa's technically right.
See, I like running, and climbing stuff, and spicy food, aaaand mystery novels and stuff.
My chest gets in the way of those first two, so I wear a reducer. 'Cept they wanted me to look nice in the dress so they made me not wear it then.
She sits up and smiles, toying with Ari's hair.
Speaking of dresses, you two wanna change out of those, maybe into swimsuits? We do have a pool, after all.

[Lix Lorn]

"Oh, that makes sense." she nods happily. "And yes, that would be wonderful. I do like this dress, but it's a little heavy."

Super Secret Confession

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The Unity are based on the Advent, one of the three races from Sins of a Solar Empire. Most of the details are mine, but the general concept of pseudo-religious psionic race that were driven off by the rest of humanity comes from that. Fun RTS, available on steam. Act now!

[Lady Serpentine]

Dessa smiles down at the synthgirl, nodding.

"You look nice either way, Nike. And dresses aren't really my thing, so yeah, that would be nice. As would swimming..."

She looks down at her over-long limbs as she say this, frowning a little, and rubbing her elbow.

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I would, but my gaming budget right now is going to getting the nWoD rules and the stuff for Changelings. (Also I have pretty much no space whatsoever on my C drive, so I couldn't install it even if I weren't.)

[Beans]

((Geez, what do you even have that takes so much of your C drive?))
Nike walks her fingers up Dessa's arm with a reassuring smile.
I think your proportions are lovely, hon... and if swimming's a little hard at first, you can always use me as your personal floaty!

[Lady Serpentine]

((It's a teensy little laptop; it only has a 51 gig C drive, and I already have quite a few games on it.))

Dessa smiles back, reaching out and gently stroking the synth's hair.

"Thanks, Nike. I was more thinking it would be nice to get some of the weight off myself, but you do have a point there... Free water and null-g don't really mix, so this is going to be my first time in a pool."

[Lix Lorn]

"You don't have artificial gravity? That must be horrible." says Arianna, genuinely feeling terrible for her!

She's also tactless. REALLY tactless.

[Beans]

Nike puts a finger to Ari's lips. Sweets, I know you mean well, but you might want to think a little more before you say things like that. People might take it the wrong way.
She smiles and slips off their laps.
First time for everything, hon. Let's get changed, mm?
She'll try to help them off the couch.

[Lix Lorn]

Blink.
"But why?"

She stands up, very confused.

[Lady Serpentine]

Dessa frowns again, looking a bit saddened, though she gratefully accepts Nike's help up.

"I liked not having gravity. I could have had it set up, or moved to a section with it, but it was fun, and I preferred the people there anyway."

Edit: Aaand Lixie is a ninja.

[Lix Lorn]

"Oh! I never liked it that much. Maybe it's more fun if you're used to it? I bet we can get an antrigravity room for you." she says warmly.

Scrap

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I don't think the Unity have a concept of money, thus why she's so happy to request any and everything. Unless you particularly WANT us to not get stuff, they'll probably give it to her too. xD

[Beans]

Nike looks alarmed and tries to hug the lanky girl, rubbing her back and kissing her forehead.
Because, sweets, things like this happen... it's just, you're used to everyone in mental contact, right? No misunderstandings there.
But we don't always know what you mean and you don't always know what we mean and sometimes one of us will say something and another of us will take it the wrong way.
She sighs a little bit and kisses Dessa's cheek... and Ari speaks up again and she jumps a little, more alarmed.
Ari, th-that's not helping, dear...

[Lady Serpentine]

Dessa smiles, hugging back, and reaches out to squeeze Arianna's hand, before looking at Nike somewhat confusedly.

"An antigravity room would be great, actually, if it's not too much trouble...

And what do you mean about that not helping, Nike?"

[Lix Lorn]

"Oh... um... I guess I shouldn't then..."

...but then she is redeemed!
"Oh good!" cheerful face.
She will now be impossible to stop. Well done Dessa.

She eeps at the touch, which flushes them through with purple pride and a general glow of happiness.

[Beans]

I, um, just was afraid there might be a misunderstanding or something or... y'know.
She tries to lead her girlies upstairs to change.
Glad it worked out, though.

[Lady Serpentine]

((*insert classic meme Picard*
What have I done...
))

"Or me getting all 'I don't want to be here and I'm going to stab you in the face with that as many times as I can' again?", Dessa teases, following Nike upstairs if Arianna also goes with them. And, speaking of the psion, she'll likely be addressed by the spacer on the way up!

"Do you not like being touched? I noticed you seem a little embarrassed by it sometimes, and that you don't really seem used to it... If you like, I can try to avoid it in the future?"