Ship of Fools

Ship of Fools
Date of Scene:	12 June 2013
Location:	Hawaii
Synopsis:	Aboard the Romancing Saga III with two women operating under pseudonyms for two very different reasons, Reize and Ivo, relaxing off the coast of Hawai'i and taking stock of their future plans in the absence of their allies, are confronted with an extraordinary opportunity, one of which all men dream. Our heroes seek to seize their destiny. All things considered, they probably do.
Cast of Characters:	Ivo Galvan, Reize Seatlan, Royce, Violet

---

Ivo Galvan has posed:
If the world is at war, no one told Hawai'i.

Ivo Galvan emits a gusty sigh as he reclines in white board shorts on a long folding chair atop the open deck of a rather battered but sturdy seafaring vessel, the chipped and peeled paint on the ship's side emblazoned with the words ROMANCING SAGA III. Despite its somewhat weathered appearance, the ship is kind of cute, and sufficiently large for ocean travel, with its cabin and below-decks area offering servicable if cramped living quarters. Still, the Shard Seekers are used to living in what is essentially a converted warehouse, and once again, little touches serve to make the place seem more well-loved than worn-down.

Despite the glorious beaches visible in the distance and the gentle rocking of the waves, Ivo seems a little depressed, as least as far as one can tell behind his sunglasses. After their escapades in Port Royal, Raiya left in a huff, and he hasn't seen her since. On top of which, Church goings-on required Faruja and his allies to return to Fluorgis, diminishing the ranks of their merry band just when Ivo could have used some friends to cheer him up. It doesn't help that rumors have it that tensions are high in the world as a whole, and the intriguing news of falling stars is a little less exciting with their currrently abbreviated party.

The Shard Seekers are the proud owner of a new ship, and Ivo should probably explain that to Reize and Violet now that he's dragged them all the way here. He promised Faruja that he'd try to keep an eye on Alicia, too. But right now, he just can't muster up the energy.

Ah, he wanted to see Sensei in her swimsuit...

He sighs again, the warm sunlight upon his bare chest unable to soothe his wounded heart. He'll never recover.

"Oh, they're cute."

Sunglasses sliding slightly down the bridge of his nose, he straightens to look off at the distant shore toward a group of frolicking girls.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Hawai'i is a great place to relax and enjoy the sunny weather. It's bright and beautiful, perfect for folks to enjoy the weather and have fun in this atmosphere. Here are the Shard Seekers, atop a medium-sized boat at the open deck.

Reize himself is sitting over towards the vessal's edge, wearing a pair of black shorts while having a thin-framed white shirt. He is without his long-yellow scarf as well, but he does have the pendant on.

Why is Reize not wearing his adventure attire? Well, he is getting the ship ready and has been marveling at the structure.

As he wanders about, the boy looks over at Ivo, "Wow! This ship is amazing!" He pauses. "...How did we find this again?"

Royce has posed:
Royce is here as well, though given the choice, she would much rather not.

After being taken into 'protective custody' by the Shard Seekers on the insistance of their ally and friend, the witch has had little room to manuever or plan an escape that wouldn't involve merely using brute force to bust her way out. Between Ivo's constant advances and hawish overwatch and Reize's odd ability to show up every single time she's had a moment to try and slip away, Royce has found herself trapped.

It'd be something of a nightmare if she weren't immortal and incredible patient. As such, 'Alicia' lies stretched out on the deck of the ship soaking up the sun. Her ability to tan isn't something she's terribly worried about but the knowledge about normal human behavior she's gleaned over the centuries indicate that this is something expected for woman her age.

The witch's overcoat and thick metal gauntlets and boots have been set aside for the time being, revealing even more of her pale skin to the gazes of any onlookers. Her long silver hair makes for a decent padding in the absence of a towel and has the added effect of reflecting the warm golden glow overhead, making her even more radiant than usual without the need for any extra magical charm.

Violet has posed:
Both boys may have been up on the deck of the ship for some time before Violet peeks her pale head out, flushing a deeper shade of red as she looks around tentatively. She edges an inch out from the door that leads into the ship itself, but she holds a thick blanket around herself, clutching it closed between her hands in front of her.

This was probably a bad idea. Yeah, probably a bad idea.

Violet, or rather Annalise, sweatdrops to herself as she takes a deeper breath and takes a few steps out, trying to ignore everyone (and what possible odd glances there may be) as she plops herself into one of the chairs on deck.

Pausing a moment, she hesitantly glances up at the Witch a few feet away, seeing how relaxed the young woman (a few years older than she is clearly) is despite the lack of attire. Was Violet the only one nervous? Probably...

Violet sweatdrops to herself again.

Ivo Galvan has posed:
Was Ivo ever not in a good mood?

He's smiling affably now as he straightens, looking over at the spirited boy who has been roaming about and admiring their new means of conveyance. "I acquired it in Port Royal from a desperate young merchant with a weird name. Trio or something." Ivo furrows his brow, trying to recall, then shrugs and shakes his head. "Something dumb like that. Name of someone who'd end up piloting a giant robot in some overwrought animated drama."

Is that a valid category?

"Anyway, it could use a little touching up, but I'm quite fond of it already," he continues, smiling again. "We should be able to make our way around this collection of worlds easily now, and see if we can find out where the ship with Lich on it went. If there's a chance there actually was a World Shard on there, we've got to find it. Regardless, we need to keep testing and refining the Shard Seeker device." It led them into quite a scrape that time, needless to say.

Ivo would love to see a montage of the numerous occasions in which Alicia has almost escaped only to run right into Reize -- who each time is doubtless either doing something ridiculous or just plain lost himself -- but he'll content himself with admiring her frankly extravagant body. "It's a sin to look so good," he remarks, grinning at the reclining woman, his jesting tone not obscuring his appreciation of this sight, particularly her glimmering hair. "No wonder the Church is hunting you down." At this rate, you'd better ask them for sanctuary.

Annalise's nervous arrival just make Ivo look all the more amused. "It's a little hot for blankets, Violet," the knight-errant says gently, trying not to get too carried away with teasing her. He doesn't know the Princess too well, but if they're going to be travelling together in close quarters, best to build trust before, you know, abusing it. "Why don't you relax? That's what this world is all about. Believe me. I was stuck here for a while." For a given value of 'stuck'.

Ivo's gaze drifts inexorably back to Alicia, but surprisingly, his brain remains active while he ogles her -- in purely aesthetic appreciation, of course -- and after a moment he speaks again. "By the way, Alicia, do you have any leads on the location or activities of your sister? If we're going to clear your name, we should find her first." He's smiling affably again, looking as relaxed as he's encouraged Violet to be. "Even if our Shard Seeker device is still a prototype, it seems to lead us toward centers of powerful magical energy. If you don't have any information right now, and you suspect she's engaged in magical activity, following us wouldn't be the worst thing you could do."

He almost doesn't sound like he has an ulterior motive -- almost. But seriously, does Ivo actually /believe/ this outrageous soap opera story? I mean, if he /didn't/, or even if he had doubts, then Alicia is clearly a mysterious beautiful woman with a fascinating secret whose dark allure beckons men toward a perilous journey into--

Oh, wait.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
With a glance back, Reize takes the moment to take a look at the crew. He can see Ivo, who is finally looking at the girls despite being down earlier. Then, there is Royce, who had been under their watch on the request of Faruja.

Reize takes a moment to look over the woman, then he squints. It takes Reize a bit, but he finally moves over towards 'Alicia'. "So, it looks like Faruja doesn't trust you." He blinks, "...Why is that, again?"

And then, Reize looks over to see Annalise arrive, covered with a thickblanket around herself. "ooi! Violet!" There is a moment, however, when his hazel eyes meet upon her crystal blue eyes, that the boy starts to flush slightly.

Ivo's explanation earns the attention of the young adventurer. His eyes flutter shut and he gives a nod of nderstanding, "I see. Well, once we find the ship, we'll have to delve deeper. That may likely involve us..."

Swimming.
Swimming.
Swimming.

Reize is undergoing a flashback of his time within the water. It involed the raging tides of the waterfall smashing and smacking him around. Desperately trying to swim within away from the tide. Except, he could not swim.

A moment later, Reize is curled up into a ball, shade of horror befalling him.

"...I will pass on swimming." Q_Q

Royce has posed:
Alicia lifts her head off the deck and winks at the obvious flattery from her constant admirer. Right now she's operating on the assumption that everyone bought her completely ludicrous story about a twin sister. Whether or not that is true, they atleast seem to be playing along - Ivo because the thought of two Alicia's is enough for him to waive any other concerns away and Reize because he's just that gullible. Violet is something of a non-entity to the witch; she doesn't factor into her plans one way or the other. If she gets in the way, she'll suffer the same fate.

Reize's question causes the woman to sit up and stretch, leaning against the nearby surface of the hull. She puts on her best apologetic look as she does so, playing up the part as best she can. "It would seem he ran afoul of my twin sister. She has turned to the darker forces of magic and can be very brutal and unforgiving. It is not surprising that he mistook me for her."

Casting her gaze to Ivo, she shakes her head. "No. My sister is quite skilled at remaining hidden when she wishes to. It is why I have been unable to chase her down, she knows that I am seeking her out. Even though she could probably win if it came to blow, she has no reason to fight when she can simply evade."

At the mention of their device, the witch looks surprised then thoughtful. Yes... yes, that will do nicely. "I suppose that it could not hurt to try," she agrees with a faint smile. "My sister desires power. If there is magic to be found, then she will eventually attempt to take it for herself."

Violet has posed:
Violet couldn't help but give Ivo a flat glance as he points out the towel she clutches around herself. As if he had stated the obvious. Or mocking her and she didn't appreciate it. She was already nervous enough!

She exhales a long sigh as she listens half-heartedly, mostly gathering her courage for a long moment before pushing off towel and spreading it out on the hair behind her. The pale ruffles of her swimsuit was not someone she was used to. Or wearing a swimsuit period. It was far, /far/ less clothing she was accustomed to wearing. It felt as if she was wearing only her undergarments.

The young woman flushes deeper as she dips her chin, hiding part of her face behind her loose pale blonde hair and daring to glance up only to peek at Alicia when she sits up to stretch against the hull of the ship. Violet might not be sure what the witch's relationship is to the Shard Seekers, or if she was one herself and she's just never met Alicia before. Whatever it was, there seemed to be a sticky situation involved.

Ivo Galvan has posed:
"Don't worry, Reize," Ivo offers as encouragement. "If you end up in the water, just make sure to hold firmly onto a floatation device."

He's staring straight at Alicia stretching as he says this.

"Fantastic," he says, removing his sunglasses and straightening at Alicia's smiling reply. "Then you'll travel with us until we can clear your name for good. We're sure to find your sister eventually if we keep following the Shard Seeker device in search of anomalies." His argument has a lot of holes, but he's patching them up with enthusiasm. Typically, the nonchalant knight-errant doesn't display so much evident eagerness. "Welcome to our merry band, Alicia. Let me know if there's anything you need, and I will gladly be of service."

He seems happy.

"Sunscreen applied, bikini top tied, anything at all."

Too happy.

But his ardor fades to be replaced by a much more relaxed smile as Violet bravely lets the blanket drop and reveals-- "It suits you, Violet," the Shard Seeker strategist says gently. "You look great." Adorable, really. She has good taste, he decides. Doesn't seem to say much, though. Maybe he should make a little more effort to seek her contributions. "What do you think? Ready to follow the winds and the Shard Seeker device? Or is there anything else you wanted to do? There may not be as many of us for a while. The world's heating up again." Though not as hot as a Hawai'i summer.

"Should be an intimate cruise," he adds, teasing no one in particular.

Reize Seatlan has posed:
It takes a few moments, but Reize finally recovers, especially with the encouragement of his strategist. "Right, right.." He adds while rubbing his forehead. He then turns around to face the group.

So, Alicia's twin sister is responsible for Faruja's distrust. He furrows his eyebrows. "Well then, we will have to make your twin sister answer for her ways!" He slams a fist into his palm.

Then, he turns around to see Annalise's outfit.

 !!!

"Errr..."

Pause.

"...Eh heh. Violet. You look great!"

It is a bit of a pause as the boy glances towards her. There is a bit of awkward silence as he turns her way. That silence is accented by the flush forming on his cheeks.

And then, he starts shaking his head. "Okay, so we will start adventuring to find the ship!" His fist raises high, "We will find the shard!"

Royce has posed:
Alicia smiles more brightly, a look that genuinely seems happy at the news of being allowed to travel with this small band of goofballs. Happy isn't quite the right word for it, however, since she's incapable of feeling that strongly about anything. More like, pleased at the opportunity that this will provide, which is something far more sinister than what Ivo is thinking.

In the mean time, she's got an image to keep up though. The more she can wrap her benefactor around her finger the easier it will be to get away with her plans. Sporting a knowing smile, Alicia crawls on all fours back over to the section of the deck where she was stretched out previous and lays down on her stomach.

She holds up a hand and somehow there is a bottle of suntan lotion in it. The woman waves it back and forth in the air enticingly, clearly smiling at Ivo as if to say, 'Ask and ye shall receive'.

Violet has posed:
Violet tentatively lifts her pale blue eyes up at Reize, pausing a moment longer before his complement turns her a fierce shade of red. "T-thank you." she murmurs softly. "I feel strange wearing it. Its the least amount of clothing I've worn." the girl admits, though she instantly regrets it and if possible burns even brighter.

Maybe she shouldn't have admitted to something like that...

Exhaling a small sigh, Violet lifts her gaze towards Ivo. Appearing thoughtful for a quiet moment. "Actually... there is one thing I would like to do sometime. I mean, if it actually happens in a village we were traveling through." A small smile tugs at her lips. "I would like to go to a festival sometime. With games and dancing. I think it would be fun to dress up and attend a festival, or... a ball even." Parties are always fun after all.

Her pale eyes glance towards Alicia when the woman moves across the dock to stretch herself out, holding up a bottle of suntan lotion as per Ivo's hopeful suggestion. Its enough to give Violet pause before she gives a small glance at Reize, watching him for a thoughtful moment. "Should... you rub lotion on me too?" That's the custom here, right?

Ivo Galvan has posed:
Ivo will wrap around literally whatever. Finger? Finger works. How about the mast? He could wrap himself around the mast.

This is the best adventuring party ever.

He's already on his feet, sunglasses clattering heedlessly to the ground. "My knightly sense is tingling," he announces. "There is a damsel in distress." Is that what you call it, Ivo? Your 'knight'? Alicia doesn't need to entice him a second time. Though she can if she wants to. That'd be great. No, despite his evident enthusiasm, Ivo's grin is as mirthful as it is avid, and his eyes, now revealed, don't show himself to be as carried away as he's making himself out to be.

Beyond the straightforward pleasure of Alicia's totally hot body, there's the more refined pleasure of her unreal elegance, like that a woman far older than she appears, or some alien or goddess taken earthly form, not quite fully human; he can't quite put his finger what it is about her, and it fascinates him. But beyond even that, there is what Ivo loves most of all: the game. She seems so calculated, like him. He will gladly be manipulated if it means an entertaining situation that seems to harm no one, and if it offers the opportunity to potentially learn more about this mysterious woman.

I mean, how dangerous could her mystery be?

Blithely unaware of just how tragically correct and yet completely wrong his intuitions are, Ivo passes by a pumped-up Reize along the deck and conveniently pounds their fearless leader's upraised fist. "That's the spirit! I'll be counting on you, Reize, to keep our morale high during long, arduous trips by sea. Rocked constantly by the waves. With nothing in sight but endless water." His hand is resting on the boy's shoulder-- reassuringly? "All on you, chief!" he concludes brightly.

He looks over toward Violet, perhaps thinking of saying something mischevious, but the older swordsman looks visibly startled when the incognito princess voices a distinct desire, blinking once, and then smiling broadly. "That does sound fun," he says, a hint of fraternal affection in his voice. "We'll be traveling a lot and searching for rumors, so I wouldn't be surprised if we ran into one. If we do, we'll be sure to stop." His smile widens into a grin. "Actually, I love festivals and balls, too." And dressing up.

But he loves the prospect of rubbing suntan lotion into Alicia most of all, and he's about to turn on his heel and rush to his 'damsel in distress' when Violet suggests a similar scenario on her side-- whereupon Ivo freezes, eyebrows shooting up in something approaching alarm. What's wrong? What has he realized?

"Reize..."

Hissing this, he claps his hands on Reize's shoulders and leans in.

"/This is it. These are the big times./"

Ivo looks dead serious.

"/We can't screw this up./"

Reize Seatlan has posed:
The two gaze at each other for a couple of moments. In the empty air, there is the unspoken intimacy between the two. The eyes do not leave each other, but when she does finally acknowledge his compliment, Reize moves his hand over to the back of his head with a sheepish smile.

He coughs slightly, then he turns towards Ivo and Alicia at the act of putting the oil on her. The way that Alicia had turned over for Ivo, the boy does look at Violet's suggestion.

...
...

*DOIINGG!!!*

Antenna hair: Up!

The boy coughs a bit, then he starts to shake a bit, "S-su-sure..." Before the boy gets closer to Violet, however, Ivo did catch him and places his expectations upon him. The boy brightens a smile, until his older companion begins describing their adventure of the sea.

...Suddenly, Reize is not looking too hot. A shade of green follows through. The reassuring pat earns a faint smile, "Y--yeah..." Urp! "...Sure."

As the boy starts moving closer towards Violet, Reize is turning towards Ivo. There is a deep look of uncertainty on his face. In fact, Reize leans over to stage-whisper out towards Ivo. ...Though, considering that both Alicia and Violet are able to hear it, Reize is NOT doing a good job of it being secretive.

They can't screw it up.

'W-h-what do I do?!' The boy looks worried, suddenly self-conscious over the matter. Nevermind that the bubbling feeling is rising. Not the good kind. It is held in, yet his eyes now lock onto Ivo in askance.

Royce has posed:
It doesn't take much to figure out Ivo. Even someone like Royce, who is barely even able to be considered human as far as her thought processes go at this point, can tell that he's interested in her physical form. From her time studying human interaction and centuries of practical application, she's well aware of the power that physical attraction has. And she's gotten very good at using it to her advantage.

Ivo's distraction causes her to put on a mock pout and peer coquettishly over her shoulder at him through her lone eye. The hand holding the lotion sags towards the deck of the ship with disappointment.

"Oh... did you change your mind?"

Violet has posed:
Violet smiles, happy even at the prospect of attending a festival or even a fancy ball. She may even have to do some shopping for the occasion should it ever arise. Fun. She giggles to herself as she glances up at Ivo, blinking at him curiously as he pulls Reize aside with hushed tones. More guy talk?

Her pale eyes blink at them for a brief moment before shifting her gaze to Alicia, watching as the woman pouts softly and tries to urge Ivo back to her. Not that it'll take much Violet assumes. Looking back to Reize, the sudden green color in his face causes something of a concern, even worry as the girl frowns gently.

"Reize... are you okay? You don't look so good..." she asks when he moves closer, only the next moment turning away again to whisper (loudly) at Ivo. A small amount of color flushes her cheeks as Violet pulls her gaze away with some shyness. Reize's self-conscious making her self-conscious now.

Ivo Galvan has posed:
Ivo, hands still clenched on Reize's shoulders, looks over at Alicia as she speaks and proceeds to make fullest use of her charms. Sweat beads at his brow, and rather than answer, he snaps his gaze back at Reize, who is starting to look a little overwhelmed. But Ivo doesn't have the patience for this right now. He turns a baleful eye on his brother in arms.

"Pull yourself together, man!" Ivo whispers hoarsely, the taller youth shaking Reize violently by the shoulders, seemingly not hearing Violet's concerned query. "This is the moment we've been training for!" Who's we? Training how!? "Many men would gladly die to be in our places right now! We cannot fail to live up to their aspirations!"

He's sort of forgotten to whisper at this point.

"With these hands," he exclaims, continuing to use said hands to shake Reize like a can of soda, "we must fulfill our destiny, and massage lotion into the glistening skin of these gorgeous women! Reize!! Can you do it!?"

Ivo gets so worked up, he only belatedly seems to remember that the languid witch awaits him, and he abruptly releases Reize, suddenly snapping into a bright smile as he looks over at his voluptuous target.

"Coming, my sweet!"

Glory awaits!

Reize Seatlan has posed:
Sadly, Ivo had mentioned the travels of the sea and the motions that the tide would put him through, setting the motion of that motion sickness. However, Reize had tried to keep his composure for so long. He was not a weak-willed boy, but there was something about the sea travel that did not make him feel well.

Violet's question of his well-being earns her a smile as he faces her. He gives a slow nod, trying to reassure Violet that he is well. However, he manages to distance himself from her until he is at a safe distance.

...And then Ivo grabs him and starts shaking him like a soda.

@_@

'Can you do it?!'

As soon as Reize is released....

"BLARRRGGGUGGHHHHHHH!!!!!!"

Glory has crashed for Ivo.

Royce has posed:
The look on Alicia's face as Ivo gets hosed down is one of amused disgust. She winces but it's mixed with an attempt to hold back a laugh and she has to put the lotion down to cover her mouth so it doesn't escape. Alas, Ivo, your moment of glory has passed.

"Ohoho...", she giggles. "That's unfortunate."

Violet has posed:
Reize's reassuring nod to her earns a small smile from Violet, hopeful even if only for a moment. It doesn't last very long as the moment that Ivo begins shaking the younger boy does everything explode. Poor Ivo gets upchucked on...

Violet is instantly on her feet and hurrying to the boy's side, filled with overwhelming concern. "Reize, are you okay?!" Alicia may be laughing, but Violet isn't! "We need to get you downstairs to bed, before you get any worse."

Ivo Galvan has posed:
Ivo's consciousness floats in an endless void.

Seeking to be anywhere other than where it is, it reflects upon disconnected thoughts and questions.

Should he start carrying a flask, like Faruja?

On a scale of one to disowning, how disappointed would Sensei be?

Is this better or worse than being kissed by Reize?

There are no obvious answers to these profound and searching questions, but one conclusion is, if not certain, at least fairly likely.

Their destiny--

Wordless and stoic, his face a mask of distant composure, Ivo turns, walks calmly to the side of the ship, and jumps off into the sea.

--was probably this.

Splash!