Future Tense: Zia

Future Tense: Zia
Date of Scene:	21 September 2013
Location:	Dreamscape
Synopsis:	It is decided.
Cast of Characters:	Deidra, Skoll Ulfang, Zia, Percival, Faruja
Tinyplot:	Fragmentary Passage

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Skoll Ulfang has posed:
Everything on this journey had begun with water. That first dream, that first splash. This time, instead of falling into water within her dream, she falls into water to /enter/ her dream. The pulsing light of her ancestors continue to protect her as the female Gargoyle fades from consciouceness.

Rest...

You've fought hard enough.

From reality into dreams... you are now allowed a moment of rest.

And from reality into dreams... there comes knowledge this day. But not without certain things being forgotten.

From reality into dreams... reality is forgotten, and the dream becomes her new reality. And within that reality... within that reality...

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"Where's our healer!?" - "Damnit, I'm statted for DPS!"

FLOMP...

Zia's screen turns gray, and a little red button that asks her if she wants to ressurect her MMORPG character comes up. Her party had just been entirely wiped out. When she looks out of the window, it's just turning morning again. She must have overslept.

"Sorry." She hears behind her.

There, Skoll is sitting, hen-pecking at keys on the keyboard. He'd been playing the healer. "I'm not really good at this." The two are sitting back to back, playing on their laptops in the middle of her tower.

However, looking outside, she might notice that the tower... isn't where it used to be. Outside is a nice blue sky and white clouds. Downstairs, trees. No city. She hears some noise downstairs. It sounds like her friends are visiting.

Percival has posed:
Reality not withstanding, Percival discovered long ago that his MMO calling was a mage.

The irony wasn't lost on him that shortly after he began playing that he'd begun to learn magic. And now?

His voice was muffled by the floor beneath them. "Lost two from my contingent a week ago... that pair always was careless. Didn't follow the rules."

There was a shifting sound, of his talons clacking lightly upon the stone floor of the tower. A sigh which sounded like half a pained groan. "I still blame myself."

There was a very long pause, as if he were debating something, his voice sounding weary, "I'll spare her the casualty reports. She doesn't need to hear this."

Deidra has posed:
There's a human woman along side Percy. She's wearing a tank top, combat cargo pants, her right arm is clearly bionic, which has a faded Xanatos Industries logo on it. She tilts her head a little bit looking at Percy and sighs.

"That's how it goes some people don't listen. It's how it goes, you can't save em all. "

There's also a metal bit behind her ear which has a cable plugged into it, as she's jacked into some sort of computer at the moment.

"It's for the best, honestly Percy." If one were to look at her face it's clearly Deidra but human that is quite a bit on the strange side.

"Things are not going too bad on my end at least. We salvaged a whole damn Galactic Federation ship, found some data on an old project some sort of bio weapon that might work. Said to not have a heart of any sort. If they can't be eaten by heartless.."

Faruja has posed:
"Agreed, Ser Percival. 'Tis quite enough suffering to go 'round. Still. They are in /His/ arms now. We must do what we can for the living." Comes the voice of one Faruja Senra, though it sounds different. Deeper than one might remember.

As Deidra speaks, the Burmecian makes a loud snort. "Fah! 'Tis best to be destroyed. Such...techno-sorcery shall befall upon us ill, mark my words."

Should one get a glance at the rat, he's far older: fur ran grey, only shocks of white remaining at the tips. His hair, too, has faded from black to silver. The spear and armor he wears is battered, faded gold and iconography scratched and well-worn, a far cry from the meticulous care one might have known him for.

Zia has posed:
The last thing that she remembered before this moment is the feeling of drowning. At first, there had been panic as she struggled for the surface, trying to reach the dying light above. Then, slowly, a peaceful feeling began to wash over her. Is this what it is like to die? Rather than pain or fear, her eyes close. It's a feeling of falling again through the water, drifting into a deep sleep.

Then...

Blinking, Zia looks towards the screen of her computer. Her mind takes a moment to catch up. The last thing she remembers was the Darkside blasting her out of the air, and then falling into darkness. Looking out at the window, she can just start to see the lightening of the sky, suggesting that dawn might be coming within the next hour or so.

Her ear twitches, and the white gargoyle turns towards Skoll, head tilted. It seems to take her a bit for her mind to catch up with the moment. Like most dreams, it's easy enough to let go of reality and just let things come. "It's alright, we can always re-spawn." She's just hearing the others downstairs, and types a quick message to the rest of the party, pushing herself up from her chair as she exits the computer.

The sight from the tower startles her mid-step, though. Something felt... off about it. "Sounds like we have company." She notes, then makes for the stairs.

Bits and pieces of conversation drift up to her ears, talons clicking as she makes her way towards them. For the second time in a matter of moments, there is a strange feeling as if something had grabbed hold of her stomach and tugged her off-balance. Deidra as a human, Faruja older, even Percival didn't look quite right. She hadn't glanced at Skoll more than to see the back of his head.

Confused, Zia rubs at the side of her head, "G'mornin." She offers, "Ah can put some tea on, if ye like. Sounds as if ye all had a bit of a busy night."

Skoll Ulfang has posed:
"Hey Perci, it's been a while since I last saw you." Skoll follows after Zia, hands in his pockets. There's a nasty scar across his right eye, but he seems to be perfectly healthy other than that... and looks young in comparison to the others. Perhaps that's in fact what makes things more striking. His right arm's shoulder is covered by a neat wolven pauldron of sorts, and there's a series of magical devices that covers his belt. A variety of things from Materia to that silly little keychain with the mickey mouse on it. He's wearing the same clothing she's used to him wearing... but they're all very pale and ragged looking. Even the leather that he normally keeps so well maintained.

"I wouldn't do it, Deidra. The last time we tried something like that, we got more than we bargained for. Had it not been for that young keyblade wielder with the blue hair, we would not have made it out alive. Sorry, but I have to agree with Faruja. Not to mention - such an operation takes manpower. It's best to stick with Zia's plan."

Percival has posed:
The Gargoyle looked at Faruja for some time, but did not bother to correct him. The conversation was wearisome as is without going into tangents on semantics and religion. He merely shakes his head. "I just wish it could have gone another way."

He looks more careworn, and definitely older, but not overly so. Gargoyles aged at half the rate of other races after all. He was however wearing paint that seemed to be favored by the Atlanteans now in certain places along his body. The lines seeemed faded, as if he had not had the chance to reapply it in some time.

A sidelong glance was given to Skoll, his expression certainly seemed amicable enough "Indeed, it has been. You're looking well, Skoll."

He cants his head in Skoll's direction, "He has the right of it here, we don't have the manpower for a salvage operation." A tired smile, "Just stick with the plan."

Zia's appearance caused him to hush for a time, before that same amicable smile returns, "It's good to see you again, Zia. And tea would be very much appreciated."

Deidra has posed:
Deidra turns her head to see Zia and tilts her head a bit, the head jack still plugged into the computer as she's typing away on the keyboard.

"Morning Zia."

Voice is right but clearly she's human. She stops typing and pulls the jack out o her head for a moment and reaches for a mug of coffee.

"Actual coffee, I have missed this."

She looks at Skoll for a moment

"Your right the ship's a real prize though. They really did bail us out. I can't fault her for her hair, at all either. Good taste. I'll keep scouring it's databanks for anything else of use. I'll lock down the files. Though the files indicate the weapon was lose before it's world fell so who knows what happened to it. I still say we could do it. I'll loot what we can though. I ain't leaving something like that untouched entirely. Armoury and medical supplies. The people who made it had information on humans at the very least."

She goes back to her coffee. She still wants to go after the ship, it's a mobile platform after all a community could use it to run after all.

((Remaining poses were done via e-mail. Need to copy poses and get them formatted and added in.))