Return of the Scarlet Empress II - Nothing on My Back...

[industrious]

Emerald Stormwrack

"Bleeding deathknight. I can't bloody use me legs at the moment. He's taken care of now. That teetotalling Terrestrial has him chained up in the cargo hold."

Emerald is still lying facedown on the deck, but the thought of paraplegia doesn't seem to faze him too badly.

"I greet you, Isa of the Birch River Clan."

Black Ice Shadow's has a low, quiet voice, possessing little charm and perhaps less volume.

"I believe Eris Orchid has a letter she would like delivered, but afterwards, we are to sail to Yu-Shan immediately. I have urgent news for the Bureau, and while I have sent a report, we must convene quickly."

[Ifni]

Birch River Clan? Hmm... from the forest lands? Linowan, maybe? Halta? The Chosen of Saturn has a Linowan look...

The diminutive Eclipse smiles at Isa in satisfaction. "Yes, we got here to find Typhon torturing Emerald while waiting for your agents to show up for their rendezvous; this didn't work out well for him. We're taking him to Yu-Shan; Emerald says he should sleep for a couple of days, at least."

Her expression becomes more serious as Black Ice Shadow speaks, and she gives him a nod of acknowledgement. "Understood, Shadow. I'll be back as soon as I can, once I find someone to carry it."

(She knows, of course, that Anaxos may be dead in the rebellion. But if that's the case it might be days before anyone confirms it; she has no good way to check. No one else can read the letter, no one else will hear her wind-borne words. It costs only a little Essence, and a little time. So work on the assumption he's alive. And hope.)

The little Solar vanishes back into the maze of streets, dark clothing blending into the shadows. It's easy enough to follow the sound of voices and breaking glass; plenty of looters and petty thieves in this area. And while such might not be inherently interested in breaking off their entertainment to carry a letter for her, she's fairly sure she can find at least one who's persuadable - and the others, well, if they're that stupid then nobody will miss them. A slight smile curves her lips as she approaches the firelight, bright and thin and cold and merciless as the first sliver of the crescent moon.

-----------

"Anaxos Ro. You think you can remember?"
"Yes! Please, don't -"
"You're not very good at following instructions, are you? I'm sure I told you to confine yourself to answering my questions. Do I need to find someone else?"
"... no, please..."
"Honestly, I've hardly hurt you at all - yet. If you manage to botch this very simple task, on the other hand... let's go over it again."
...
"... and if they tell me he's dead, I tie the letter to the stone, and it'll vanish when the time is right."
"Good girl! Now, off you go. And here, have a little something for your trouble..."

The girl manages, after a few tries, to transfer both silver coin and oddly-shaped stone to her belt pouch. It's made harder by the fact that one hand is locked in a death-grip on the letter, and the other is trembling like leaves in a high wind. For a moment she looks toward the Pool, but then hastily away; she pushes herself to her feet, and begins to run toward the twelve-story tower of the Guild.

-----------

Anaxos Ro, Guild headquarters, Nexus.

Anaxos. I leave Nexus tonight, by Ephiselle's order. Dispatched letter with details.
Commander Risa trustworthy. Council Tower may be vulnerable.

Then there is a pause. A gap. A slow inhalation, before she whispers,

Thank you for Nexus.
... Eris.

-----------

And indeed, Eris is back in only a few minutes, smiling and letter-less, eyes bright with a restless energy. "Right! That was straightforward... shall we go?"

Spoiler

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Confirmed with industrious that no, I do not have to roll to be evil and exceedingly persuasive to an extra, and while knowing that this happened might be important, it does not need to be drawn out.

The algorithm is "take the letter to the Guild headquarters, give it to Anaxos Ro or someone who promises to take it to him or at least stick it in his mailbox, if they tell you he's confirmed dead then attach the letter to the Lucky Rock, which will wend its way back to Eris sometime in the next few hours."

The third bit is WCWT, if it wasn't clear.

[The_Snark]

That's a note more formal than she was expecting. Isa's clan name isn't a secret, exactly, but she doesn't use it much these days. She walked away from the Birch River Clan years before she ever Exalted; they have no claim on her, nor she on them. The only ties remaining are those of blood, and thin ones at that.

Still. It's polite, unless it's meant to hint at how much he knows about her, and she's too weary to deal with that right now. She gives Black Ice Shadow a cautious nod. "Hello to you, too. I take it you're the agent we were supposed to look for?"

The news that there's a deathknight chained up in the hold is... she doesn't even know what to say to that. Is that safe? Foolish question; of course it isn't. But she can see the benefits along with the risks, and she can only assume they've taken precautions. Orchid and Child, at least, are no fools, and even Stormwrack is usually cautious when it comes to his own skin. Nice work seems inane, and she's not in the mood to hand out compliments. "Risky," is what she eventually settles on. "Should we expect more pursuit? Or was there just the one?"

[industrious]

Black Ice Shadow

"There were others, but Typhon was the only agent of the Mask that could have reached here in time. As far as I know, none will be here in time to hinder us."

Emerald Stormwrack

"Finally. Everyone's here, nobody has any more little errands to play, and we can cast off."

He tries to get to his feet, and hits the ground chest first.

"...Still need someone to help with that."

[Maugan Ra]

Zhou moves over and helps support the Chosen of Secrets as they move onto the boat. His face is completely stoic. Mockery will come later, assuming the Sidereals heal as well as the Dragon-Blooded.

[industrious]

Anaxos

As Eris stares into the bay, letters spun from liquid gold float up to the surface. Anaxos was a mortal, but he wasn't quite helpless.

Eris. It has been a pleasure. If you should need aid, my name and a letter with my seal will go a long way.

Emerald

Emerald unmoors the boat, with Zhou's help, and when the party is all aboard, the Lucky Starr sets off.

"To the Prow," he says, reaching into a pocket, and at the prow, casts salt into the air.

The world dissolves into a field of white, the world scattered on a bed of lotus petals. There is no wind in this eerie field, but there is motion of a sort. The salt air is replaced with one thin and austere, and Stormwrack's hands tremble.

"A night's rest for all of us. There are three quarters here, with three hammocks each. I'll keep an eye on Lauren. The rest of you can figure out who's sleeping where."

Spoiler

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Unless anyone has any objections, I'll move us to the next day with the next post.

[Maugan Ra]

"...huh. Neat trick." Zhou says softly, looking over the endless expanse of white. Then he shakes off his distraction, and helps Emerald back to his quarters.

He picks one of the other two rooms essentially at random, and claims an equally random hammock inside for his own. The armour at last comes off, carefully removed piece by piece and set down by his bunk with the same exacting precision as if he was still in the academy. He takes a moment to run careful touches over the few nicks and dents that it had sustained in the fighting - and then momentarily on the still-healing wound in his own side - before laying Aurora down next to them and collapsing into the hammock.

He sleeps the sleep of total exhaustion, and allows all the troubles of the world to simply melt away.

[Ifni]

Eris smiles as she watches the water, in the last moments before they leave. That's considerably better confirmation than she'd hoped for; not just that Anaxos is alive, but that he has a sorcerer with him, or is in a position to expend the resources himself. (She didn't think he was a sorcerer, but that doesn't mean much; Anaxos believes in keeping aces up his sleeve.)

And with that, her last tie to Nexus parts.

----------------

The Eclipse watches Stormwrack curiously as he invokes the Charm; her eyes widen momentarily in wonder as the world fades into the lotus-petal sea. Is it some passage through Elsewhere, or somewhere else entirely? I wonder if he would teach me...

She shakes her head slightly as she turns back to the others.

"I'll take first watch on Typhon. As you said, Stormwrack, someone should guard him, and I'm not so tired yet. For rooms..." Eris looks after Zhou. "I'll put Firada in the third one, then. Gender seems a simple enough way to sort things, Isa, if you want to share...?"

And she does want to talk to the Sidereal. The Bronze Sidereal, from what she now knows, and more: apprentice of Chejop Kejak, Old Man who'd kill her in the heart of Heaven, who helped hunt the Lunars to the edge of the world long ago.

But not tonight.

"Or Shadow, if you wanted to stay close to Firada, since you know her and clearly have medical training, that would work as well. I don't mind."

Once any necessary discussions have been concluded, Eris picks up Firada from the deck and takes her to her quarters. She unbuckles the sheathed daiklave on the Wood Aspect's back, and removes her boots and any armor she's wearing, before maneuvering her into the hammock. The blanket she keeps in her coat is soft and warm; she tucks it around Firada, careful not to snag it against her burns. She spends some time carefully trickling water into the taller woman's mouth, wondering absently whether Stormwrack actually bothered to pack food, or any non-alcoholic beverages.

(Oddly familiar, this scenario; fleeing a city by boat, her sister unconscious and injured by an agent of Oblivion. Perhaps history does cycle, although ten years seems like a short period. From shadowland to Creation to Yu-Shan... and where next? But it's good to be at Firi's side again, even if it's only for a little while.)

That done, she heads to the hold, sits down beside Typhon in his chains, and draws her daiklave. The hours of her watch pass quickly enough, in memories of Thorns and dreams of vengeance.

And later, when somewhere in Creation the sun is rising and perhaps a furious Emissary is returning to a battered Nexus, Eris Stormcrow clambers into the hammock next to her sister's, to sleep, and for a little time know peace.

Spoiler

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Happy to move on to the next day.

Conviction roll to regain Willpower: (5d10)[10][7][9][1][2](29)

[Aevylmar]

"None of you have lied or even told half-truths, actually, in this conversation; everything everyone has said has been what they've truly believed." She shakes her head slightly, with a faint smile. "Isn't that a worrying thought?"

"Fascinating. Either she's lying, or the Sidereals... Oh, Luna. They're just another group of well-intentioned fools with internal problems of their own, aren't they? Kind of a let-down, but it ought be make my job easier...

Skandi remains silent throughout the rest of the conversation as the others discuss locations. He doesn't claim any particular bunk, but waits and sees who he ends up next to. His jade armor is carefully removed and placed under his hammock with his collection armament; he's learned to travel light, and (aside from salted, smoked, near-inedible jerky) that's all he bothers carrying any more.

It's been quite a while since he's been on a boat, but soon enough the motions change from discomfiting to relaxing. It takes the Lunar only a few minutes to start snoring as though he had not a care in the world.

Spoiler

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Purchasing a second dot of Conviction, which I've been meaning to do for a while because Skandi is insufficiently Conviction 1. Then rolling to regain wp from sleep: (2d10)[7][9](16)

[Lix Lorn]

Lauren rolls her eyes derisively.
"It's almost like he doesn't trust me." she says caustically, but doesn't interfere or argue.

[The_Snark]

It would have been nice, if only for the sake of nostalgia, to sail down the river for a while. Feel the current under her feet, watch the countryside pass by. It's been a long time since Isa spent any time on the water. But - no, better this way. Safer. No need to worry about ghosts lurking inside the hull, or vengeful ships setting out from Nexus to pursue them, or complications downriver. Just them and a world of empty whiteness.

Isa glances over at Orchid—or Eris, whichever name she's using at the moment—before nodding. Share a room with a Solar? Why not? Just one more bit of insanity on top of everything else that's happened tonight. She doubts Orchid will try to murder her in her sleep, and (sad though it is) she doesn't trust anyone else on board much further than that.

She follows Orchid down - who's the third woman? Another Terrestrial friend of Orchid's? Too tired, worry about that in the morning - and curls up in the hammock on the far side, letting the ship's motion lull her. No more tears tonight; she won't feel private again until she reaches home in Yu-Shan, and perhaps not even then. Perhaps she's shed all she needs to.

Exhaustion, physical and emotional, settles over Isa like a heavy blanket. She succumbs and slips into a thick, dreamless sleep.

[Tavar]

Child grits his teeth(a common occurrence when dealing with Emerald) and walks to a cabin, any cabin, that Emerald isn't in.

Sleep should come easy: the day was exhausting. But something keeps him awake. Doubt. Doubt about his decisions in the main. But also about so many certainties. After what seemed like hours, he managed to reach sleep, but even then his dreams remained troubled.

[industrious]

A Dream of the First Age

The cigar was exquisite. Fine Southern Vegan tobacco, mild to the lips and tongue and yet bursting with flavor. Notes of pepper, lemon, and just a hint of vanilla. The smoke curled around the room, swirling and fading in a faint breeze.

“I am very disappointed in you, Captain.”

The Captain was a young woman, her uniform hanging delightfully upon her lithe figure. Barely thirty, but widely considered to be a rising star in the Navy. Several commendations and awards marked her breast. And, perhaps most surprisingly, a Fire Aspect. To have come this far despite her Aspect…well.

“Sir, I would like to note again that the Lintha had twenty ships, and the Valiant --”

“You were ordered to hold position, Captain, and you failed to do so.”
She begins another defense, but a hand is sufficient to quell any further protestations. He takes another drag of his cigar, blows the smoke towards the ceiling. The Admiral runs his tongue over his lips, tasting the exhaled smoke. Exquisite.

"I ordered you, Captain, to hold your position. And you failed."

"...yes, Admiral."

He closes his eyes briefly, opens them. Sighs in disappointment.

"It is a pity. By all accounts, you were quite promising. You've had quite a rapid ascent up the ranks. Several commendations. And your Dynasty is quite proud of you, from what I hear. If you had been a better officer, if you had followed my orders directly, there would have been far more. And I, personally, would have bestowed on you an even...greater honor. But, you failed. And there is no room in my fleet, in my Navy for failures."

The Admiral sits up straight, and speaks in a deceptively conversational tone, his caste mark shining. He wants her to know what he's done.

"Henceforth, the Deliberative Navy is forbidden from speaking to you, or acknowledging you in any way. They may not offer you any aid, nor by inaction assistance. Your Dynasty is likewise forbidden to do the same. You are relieved of your command, and discharged from the Navy."

He speaks, and the world changes. Her eyes widen, her mouth opens and closes, as she tries to find the words for mercy, please, Admiral, don't do this I'll do anything please don't, and he smiles at her agony.

She is a Dragon-Blood without a family, a military officer who for all intents and purposes never existed. What better punishment for failure? What better motivation for all of his other Captains? For her replacement to do better?

"Good girl! Now, off you go."

Tears trickle down the Dragon-Bloods face as she turns to leave, too afraid to protest further. Too shocked to do anything but obey. He clicks his tongue against his palate, halting her motion.

"I almost forgot, actually. You're due your final paycheck. And here, have a little something extra for your trouble..."

The letter of credit is for a large amount. A single Dragon-Blood, on her own, could survive on it for perhaps six months. But what after? Where could she go that would take someone the Admiral so punished?

And even worse was that the letter was marked by the Deliberative Navy, and in her name. And by his recent proclamation...

"Have a pleasant day. I wish you luck in any future endeavors, my dear girl."

The Admiral leans back, and takes another puff, savoring the smoke and the burn and adds a touch of essence. Breaths the smoke out mixed with orange flame. Yes. This was a very fine cigar, wasn't it? He'd have to put in an order for another box soon...

The Lucky Starr

The ship sails across the field of white, and its passengers sleep. Come the dawn, there will be much to talk about. But for now, they rest, exhausted by their time in Nexus, and dream.

[Ifni]

Untimely Orchid (yes, she's back!)

Tears trickle down the Fire Aspect's face, but only that. She doesn't sob or plead or scream, as her world is ripped away by the Solar Admiral's whim. She's a military officer, a Dragon-Blood, and -

- don't cry, little sister...

Moments and millennia later - Orchid screams.

As the paralysis of the dream fades she jolts upward, hands clawing at her lips, at her forehead - as if she could push back those hideous words, stripping away career, hopes, family. As if she could unmake the so-familiar sunlit force of Essence, imbuing the Admiral's condemnation. As if she could cleanse from her mouth the taste of smoke and pepper and lemon...

The wrenching cry from the Solar's sleeping quarters is followed a moment later by a loud thump, as of someone falling out of a hammock.

And a moment later Orchid pushes her way out of the room, running for the deck, dark green hair and clothes disheveled, feet bare, and an age of horror in her eyes. She doubles over the junk's low railing, half-collapsing as she loses the contents of her stomach into the sea of petals.

But it's just a dream...

Except it wasn't. And isn't.

Because as the horror of it begins to fade, as the rough wood beneath her hands and knees reminds her that she's Orchid, not the Admiral, not on some grand ancient flagship, Orchid, even if she's sailing a white ocean of flowers in the company of Exalts who she didn't know existed a day ago...

The nightmare fades and is reborn, laughing mockery and madness in her ears, as the memories of the night before begin to take shape. Her lips shape the words again, horrified, disbelieving, remembering: Good girl... Now, off you go... And here, have a little something for your trouble...

Different languages, but oh, Dragons -

And the taste of terrible power behind her words - his words - her words, as the world changed; and the blood on her sword, on her sister's sword... You'll need this more than I will...

Smiling at agony.

She can barely breathe, barely move, and the wood of the railing splinters and breaks beneath the white-knuckled clutching of her hands.

[Maugan Ra]

You can tell the nature of a man by the instincts he develops. When the unexpected happens, and all the carefully prepared masks are stripped away, what remains? What does the very core of his being urge him to do?

When the otherwise silent night is suddenly split by a horrified scream, Zhou doesn't even hesitate. He rolls out of the hammock with a grace only slightly dulled by his slumber, one hand reaching out to snatch up Aurora with precise and confident movements - can you misplace a part of yourself? - and it out the door before his conscious mind has even properly sparked into life.

It's only then, standing bare-chested on the deck of the ship, gleaming Daiklaive in hand, that he properly comprehends what is going on. Orchid, clutching the railing with a grip strong enough to splinter wood, tears streaming down her face...

Oh, Dragons. That explains it... it just caught up with her. In Nexus, watching her home burn down around her for the second time... she must have repressed it all, forced it all down. And now it's just hit her full force. Well, don't just stand there, you idiot...

Aurora spins in his hand and plants itself firmly in the deck, quivering slightly as he lets go of it and steps forwards towards the Solar. He drops into a crouch just in front of her, his gaze meeting hers, hands outstretched but not touching - don't want to startle her, especially not now...

"Orchid." he says softly, his voice full of concern and offered support. "Orchid, can you hear me?"

[industrious]

Emerald Stormwrack

He's up first, of course. He was born at sea (don't think about that night don't think about that night too closely), and the sea's in his blood. So he's up, his wounds healed, before what would be the morning light.

First things first. Breakfast for everyone. The cargo hold (not the sub-cargo hold, where Typhon is stored with the chains) has more than enough for all. Salt pork, ludefisk, and rum. Perfect sailor's breakfast. He doesn't hold with hardtack at all.

The pork and fish are in seperate pans over the firepit, and some of the rum goes into his belly and some into the pan. He even tries whistling again. Sailing has a way of making things peaceful.

As Orchid rushes past him, gripping the railing with hands of iron, he sighs, and suppresses the urge to chuckle. As Zhou heads past, he nods his head at the pair.

"If she's seasick," he calls out. "I have cigars! They'll help!"

[Ifni]

Untimely Orchid

She flinches violently back from Zhou. His face blurs before her, through the tears; they look nothing alike, except for the Aspect markings, but still -

Is the Immaculate faith right when it calls you Anathaema?

The remembered words echo down to her core, fury and harshness and more than a hint of threat, an edge of fear that's echoed and multiplied into something dark and vast and terrible -

But it's the concern in his voice and the softness in his eyes that breaks her, that makes her turn her face away because she can't look at him now, not now.

And then Stormwrack calls out, jauntily...

She hadn't even noticed him there as she ran past. Another time perhaps the smell of cooking fish and meat would make her hungry - there wasn't much in her stomach to lose, just the uttapam she'd grabbed from a street vendor outside the Menagerie last night - but not now.

Cigars! They'll help! From Stormwrack, who believes - who wants to - who told Zhou -

And the taste of lemon and pepper and vanilla rises in her throat again, and there's nothing left for her to throw up but that doesn't stop the retching, and when it's over she's on her knees and only her grip on the railing is holding her up at all.

"I'm sorry," she whispers. "Please, I'm so sorry -"

[Maugan Ra]

The pain in her voice is the first thing that clues him in to the fact that there's something more going on here. Why is she apologizing, of all things, and why now?

He takes a chance, and reaches out, embracing the distraught woman and holding her close. Physical and emotional support, all in one.

"Hush." he says softly. It's over now. There's nothing to apologise for. I've got you."

Little phrases, snippets of anything that comes to mind which might offer comfort or reassurance. A proper discussion can come later, once she's calmed down and had a chance to put her thoughts in order. Right now, this is much more important.

[industrious]

Emerald

He looks at him, looks at her, looks at the two of them.

Ah.

A thought and a wink, and the Sidereal becomes unimportant. Another, and he fades into the background.

Perhaps the door to belowdecks opens. Perhaps it closes again. It doesn't matter. So it never happened.

Belowdecks

"Isa."

Emerald leans against the wall of the cabin, a cigar in his mouth, and the man happily puffing away.

"Figure now seems a good time to talk. I'll want the oath afterwards, but now...now's a good time."

[Ifni]

Untimely Orchid

Orchid stiffens for a moment, in wordless protest - No, Zhou. No. You don't understand...

If he understood, if he knew what she had to apologize for, he wouldn't be embracing her. Wouldn't be looking at her with concern in his eyes, speaking to her so gently. He doesn't see the horror within -

But she can't make the words form. And selfish though it is, she doesn't want to. Later, she'll have to tell him, to explain - but for just a little time?

So for now she forces her muscles to relax, and nestles into the hearth-fire warmth of Zhou's arms, and rests her head on his bare shoulder. It can't last, she knows. But her breathing slows a little, and the relentless march of the memories in her mind seems... not quite so unbearable.

[Aevylmar]

"Oh holy -"

Skandi was a deep sleeper, once. It took a long time before he trained himself out of it, and some of that still remains. Perhaps that was why he was three long paces behind Zhou.

Then he watches, and pauses, and smiles, and fades back into his cabin, shaking his head with a quiet affection. He was shocked, yes, but then...

"They'll need a cabin of their own soon..."

[The_Snark]

The scream reaches into Isa's dreams and pulls her out like a hook dragging a fish out of water. She wakes with a start, struggles free of the net she's trapped in - hammock - that's right, a ship. She's aboard a ship headed for Yu-Shan - and puts her back to the wall in time to see someone vanish through the door. The middle hammock is empty, so... that would make it Orchid.

Ah.

Right.

Yesterday happened.

Isa leans back against the wall as memory comes flooding back. In a minute she'll go after Orchid and find out what's going on, but pull herself together first. She won't be much use to anyone if she's still half-asleep and wishing she could forget. After a few seconds she glances over at the third woman in the cabin. Jade powerbow lying below the hammock. Still breathing. Nasty-looking burns. Isa moves to check and make sure Orchid's rapid exit hasn't disturbed her, and this is where Emerald finds her.

She considers Emerald Stormwrack for a few moments. "All right. Talk."

[industrious]

Emerald Stormwrack

He puffs on his cigar, filling the small cabin with haze and the scent of burnt leather.

"I'll give you the short short version first. Then you can ask questions. And then I'll give you the long version. Frankly, nobody else in the Bureau knows about this; I haven't told anyone, and neither will you. Nobody else in the Bureau can know about this. You may think I'm just a drunken, foul-mouthed Golden turd, but this is important."

He pauses, reflecting on his words and his warning.

"Now then. Short short version is pretty simple. World-blowing, but simple."

"There were eight, not seven, Incarnae. And your Burning Waters was one of his Chosen. That's the short short version. Now you get to barrage me with questions. And keep your voice down, while you're at it. Child and Shadow are in the other cabins."

[The_Snark]

Oops. Now is probably not a good time to mention the letter she sent last night. Not that she ever intended to, really, but... just because Stormwrack is a drunken foul-mouthed Golden turd (what an apt way of putting it) doesn't mean he's wrong about everything. Simple but world-blowing, that sounds about right...

Well. Time to find out if she make a mistake last night. "Why don't you start by explaining why, exactly, it's so important that nobody else know about this?"

[industrious]

Emerald

"S'has to do with how Nocturnals are Exalted. And what they can do. You might have seen it yourself, maybe. Things that shouldn't happen. Bend and break and warp the Loom."

He looks to the left, looks to the right, beckons her closer.

"And how they're made," he whispers in their ear - softly, very softly. "You have to break Fate. You have to deliberately snap someone's thread, destroy their destiny."

He steps back, lets Isa sit on that for a moment.

"You know the Old Man, probably better than anyone 'cept for Yishie. What do you think he'll do if you tell him that there might be about a hundred Exalts running unaccounted for? And those hundred are damn near invisible to the Loom while somehow being able to break it whenever they damn well please? You think he'll let them run loose? You think he'll welcome them into the Bureau with open arms and starting pay? Or you think he'll order them all killed off? You think he'd let Burning Waters live?"

He takes another puff of his cigar.

"This is serious, world-shattering ****. And the Old Man ain't very good with welcoming serious, world-shattering ****."

[The_Snark]

"Nobody with any sense welcomes world-shattering ****."

Still, Isa takes a moment to consider. His worries mirror her own, though she hadn't taken the time to put her thoughts into words. What Burning Waters did made her uneasy; if he'd been anybody else... There's a very real chance the Bureau might decide he and his ilk are enemies, and then her loyalties will be stretched to breaking. One way or the other.

"He won't like hearing it," she admits quietly. "But he already has the Solars to worry about, and the deathknights, and maybe these new Yozi-Chosen if we can confirm that, not to mention everything else that's going on. I don't think he'll be as eager to make new enemies as you say. Not if there's a better way to do it."

"Anyway, what's your plan? Pretend they don't exist and hope nobody else finds out? People are already noticing those odd disruptions in the Loom. Sooner or later somebody is going to investigate and figure out what's going on."

[industrious]

Emerald

He lets out a bark of laughter when Isa uses his phrasing against him.

"Maybe. A good number of us were pretty welcoming when the Day of New Sun happened.*"

He avoids looking at her eyes for the next part. Emerald isn't entirely a fool.

"As for me honest plan...right now, it's 'wait until Yishie's in charge.' She's better when it comes to taking chances. Doing something that ain't entirely sure and true and tested. The Old Man ain't going to be trying new solutions when he's got what? Five years left? Less? Nobody's had a godsdamned clue for twenty years**.."

He starts puffing on his cigar furiously, filling the room in a smokey haze.

"If he thinks something's in the way of his Bronze Age, he ain't going to allow it."

There's something else that Emerald isn't saying. Something more personal. And it didn't take much thought to figure out what he's trying to hide. Or, rather, who.


*Day of New Sun: Quasi-Official name for 6 Ascending Water, when Lytek informed Chejop of the return of the Solar Exalted.

**Twenty years ago, the Gold Faction expected Chejop to expire after a clerk found records putting an upper bound on his age. When he showed up to work the day after it was calculated that he could not survive, the Gold Faction was thrown into shock.

[Maugan Ra]

He holds her for a time, until the shaking subsides and her breathing is more controlled. Only then does he carefully disentangle himself and stand back up.

"Well. I'm going to go put a shirt on. And then we'll see if anything that Stormwrack cooked up is actually fit for human consumption. And then you can decide whether you want to talk about it... whatever precisely 'it' is." he says softly. Then he turns and walks back into his cabin, plucking Aurora out of the deck on his way past.

He finds Skandi inside, and the smile on the werewolf's face isn't hard to interpret. Zhou just rolls his eyes, and carefully stows his heirloom blade back with the rest of his effects, pulling out a spare shirt from the small bag that he'd managed to pick up before he left Nexus. "Not a word." he mutters, pulling it on and then heading back outside.

Surprisingly, Stormwrack's provided food is edible, if only just about. Zhou takes a small sip of the rum, grimaces slightly - really, for breakfast? - and then takes a seat, waiting patiently for Orchid to make a decision, one way or the other.

[industrious]

Zhou

The Lucky Starr's firepit has a single long bench curved around most of it. As the two sit down, and eat Stormwrack's food (only slightly burnt due to his swift exit), Zhou finds a letter affixed to the bench under his knees.

Zhou,

A bit below the bench is the bottle of wine I owe you. It's yours, obviously. I pay me debts.

...Course, the wine might also be a powerful healing agent, a glass of which would get the Littlest Solar's sis back on her feet. And maybe she'd be grateful if you were the one who did it. Or maybe I'm a liar, and I just want to get the girl drunk while she's unconscious.

-S

PS. That wine is illegal for Terrestrials to hold, in Yu-Shan or otherwise. So don't tell anyone who gave it to you.

The bottle is tall and narrow, and the golden liquid within seems to shine faintly from within. It certainly doesn't look like any wine Zhou's seen before.

[Lix Lorn]

Lauren is quite a deep sleeper, but no-one who makes it their business to be a hero sleeps through a scream like that.

A mostly undressed nocturnal dashes out, to see a solar in tears-but not alone.
"Hmmmrmph... well that's good..." she murmurs.
"...'m going back to bed."