+- Court of the Fallen (https://cotf-rpg.com)
+-- Forum: Out of Character (https://cotf-rpg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=26)
+--- Forum: Important (https://cotf-rpg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=27)
+---- Forum: Archives (https://cotf-rpg.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=38)
+---- Thread: [PQ] [RQ] in a town made of quicksand (/showthread.php?tid=9702)
Pages:
1
2
[RQ] in a town made of quicksand - Flora - 07-05-2024
What could go wrong sailing around all of Torchline with a man who could read her mind and with a demigod as inclined to blow things up as shake your hand?
Well, let's find out.
[say]"If Jack complains about us using the Ark for this, just tell him he should have got you a bigger ship."[/say] Flora whispered to Melita with a wink, as the Ark's skeleton crew unfurled the main sails. [say]"Besides, as if he'd want to be on someone else's ship, anyway."[/say]
Glancing over her shoulder at the crate secured to one of the masts that held the rainbow stones that Hadama and co had gathered the season before, Flora sighed softly as she glanced out toward the sea trying very hard not to think a good number of things.
1. Flora
2. Jack
3. Melita
Round 1
SET SAIL!
RE: [RQ] in a town made of quicksand - Melita - 07-05-2024
Blissfully unaware most of the time, and probably for the best at this interval, the chaotic Honeybee smirked at Flora’s whispers. [say]“Yeah. Mine wouldn’t have fit him at all,”[/say] she hummed in return, not bothering to hide any of it in some stage-like performance. It would've been really funny to say...tie him to the bottom of her boat and see what happened.
Not that she wasn’t familiar with the Ark anyway, and floated about, assisting with things setting sail, occasionally petting the cannon like an old friend, and rotating back around to wherever she was needed. Crossing her arms over her chest for a moment, she gazed out on the horizon, and then the sea itself. [say]“So we just need to drop stones?”[/say]
--
Melita helps set sail!
RE: [RQ] in a town made of quicksand - Jack - 07-06-2024
Yeah, yeah, laugh it up, girls.
Out of earshot (and 30ft away, Flora), the captain couldn't give a fuck about whatever gossip goes on between the Honeybee and the Doubletake, busy, y'know, getting his ship out of the harbour. The Ark has been on less true voyages as of late, but that's no bad thing in truth, and the crew and her captain have been able to give her a rest and a tune up in her time at port.
As such, it's with freshly dyed and deep ruddy sails that she eases out from Kaiholo, Jack calling orders to his crew and checking their determined path - and the weather and the relative distance to Starfall, too - before he finally leaves the rest in capable hands. Which is about when he does bring himself within talking range of Flora and Mel.
[say]"You know how far you gotta space the drops out?"[/say] he wants to know. [say]"Arclight ain't little."[/say]
Jack gets them out of port!
RE: [RQ] in a town made of quicksand - Flora - 07-06-2024
Knowing that the best help she could provide the Ark's crew in getting out of port was simply staying out of their way, Flora watched from next to the crate as orders were given and seamlessly followed until such time that they were surrounded by nothing but blue.
[say]"I think it's less about space and more about making the right shape."[/say] Flora answers, looking at Jack over the rim of her sunglasses before pulling out a map. She'd basically mirrored the shape of Torchline, extending it out into the ocean a good distance. Within the boundary was Apopo, Metacarpal Island, and the stretch of sea where the Kuali'i Isles usually were. If they floated past the barrier, that was their own damn fault.
[say]"The real question is how close do you think we can safely get to Starfall? From what my dad said there are just as many creatures in the water surrounding it as on its surface."[/say] Of course, the closer they were, the larger area they could protect and the farther they could push back the Family's influence on their shores.
It might also mean death, though.
Round 2:
What to do about Starfall?
RE: [RQ] in a town made of quicksand - Melita - 07-06-2024
Melita’s answer to Starfall would always be some concoction of violence, and she eyed the surroundings, waiting until they got closer to the first destination. [say]“What if we could go by pretty quickly? Or above?”[/say] She glanced at Jack – he’d know better than anyone about the speed and capabilities of the Ark. Unbeknownst to her, it wouldn’t really matter, given other creatures that lurked there, but it was worth a notion or two. [say]“And obviously I have no problem blasting at anything,”[/say] to no one’s surprise.
Because leaving it to its own devices seemed like the worst alternative, and the other invitations to melee were already there.
RE: [RQ] in a town made of quicksand - Jack - 07-06-2024
Yeah, about that death, though.
Stepping up before the crate to examine the map Flora has prepared, the captain's eyes rove keenly across it and pause against the violet island denoting Starfall, brows furrowing. [say]"Even if it were night an' I could get her airborne, there's creatures in the sky as much as in the ocean,"[/say] he mutters, leaning in a little closer and taking a bit of charcoal from his pocket to mark a dotted line just shy of where Flora has drawn her border.
[say]"That's as close as ships have been able to get previously, I reckon,"[/say] he says. [say]"If you want to buy extra distance, we could go by air or foot, but not usin' the ship."[/say] Jack's magic could take him far enough out, he thinks, and Melita has her anklet - and probably a bunch of other weird new Ludo shit, too.
[say]"Or you could channel."[/say] He shrugs at Flora.
Jack gives his suggestions!
RE: [RQ] in a town made of quicksand - Flora - 07-06-2024
[say]"What if.."[/say] Given the company she was in, there was no one better to answer the question Flora suddenly had in mind. [say]"..could we shoot the rocks through the cannons?"[/say] It would stop them from having to get too close, but would arguably position the stones far closer than any of them would reasonably want to go.
Biting at the inside of her cheek at Jack's suggestion, Flora let her head tilt from side to side. [say]"I could, yeah. I bet Frey could just get a pod of whales or something to take the stones and drop them."[/say] Selfishly the queen was inclined to save her channelling for when her own life was in danger, but the argument could just as easily be made that this would be in service of preventing such a situation from ever forming.
Round 3
Cannons or channelling?
RE: [RQ] in a town made of quicksand - Melita - 07-06-2024
Frowning at Jack’s practicality and reasoning, she glanced over at the map again, then along to the sea as they ventured. She could very well race out across the ocean with her anklet, and ordinarily not be bothered at all; but with her luck lately she’d get swallowed by something massive, die again, and leave the Captain laughing in the midst. And she couldn’t let him win by default.
Win what exactly – who really knew.
Flora’s suggestion was met with rounded eyes and excitement. [say]“Yeah, let’s shoot them!”[/say] And Jack couldn’t argue that she’d miss all the time, because there’d been just such an occasion where she’d hit the Spire. Andddd it only had to be the rocks out in the midst, with no true target except the sea itself.
--
Melita wants to shoot things!
RE: [RQ] in a town made of quicksand - Jack - 07-06-2024
Glancing between Melita and Flora as if they've just suggested he hang giant hunks of flesh from the Ark's hull and wave a flag declaring Free Food!, the shake of the captain's head is both a firm no and also vaguely concerned about how either woman has made it this far alive. [say]"To be clear,"[/say] he drawls, [say]"'cause I just wanna make sure the suggestion is one I understand. You want me to shoot cannons in the direction of Starfall, makin' a fuckton of noise for everythin' in the sky and water to hear?"[/say]
Say it again, girls. Slowly. And out loud.
[say]"Yeah, no."[/say] Figuring that he doesn't need to expand any further - and making it clear that he's firmly on the side of Channelling and not dying, the captain departs to go back to the quarterdeck where he can make sure no one is stuffing rocks into his cannons.
Jack politely declines.
RE: [RQ] in a town made of quicksand - Flora - 07-06-2024
[say]"We could...say it was target practice?"[/say] Flora suggests, frowning. True she'd forgotten about how loud cannons were liable to be and sure it was possible that Starfall would take it as some sort of assault, but..
As Jack leaves, Flora shoots Melita a petulant frown. [say]"Buzz kill."[/say] She huffs grumpily. But fine, whatever.
Closing her eyes, Flora channels. [say]"Rae or Frey? Could someone come down and take some of these rocks as close as possible to Starfall? We'd do it ourselves, but obviously that seems like a terrible idea, and because it's apparently not smart to use cannons, uhh, could you?"[/say]
Round 4
Flora channels!
Jack can pick which direction they begin their circuit (either toward the Maw or toward the Isles)
RE: [RQ] in a town made of quicksand - Frey - 07-06-2024
A warm breeze blankets the Ark as Frey appears, perched upon the bow with one leg atop the bust of Safrin. [say]"Well, since you asked so nicely."[/say] They purr, before hopping down and making their way to the crate. Reaching in, they magically pull out a number of large stones and toss them overboard. Some are instantly captured by the wings of seabirds, where others fall into the water and are grasped in the mouth of fast-moving fish.
[say]"No need to put all of our eggs into one basket, mm?"[/say] They say, before disappearing on the heels of a gust of wind.
RE: [RQ] in a town made of quicksand - Jack - 07-06-2024
Not suspicious, exactly, at the sight of heralds on his ship, because Melita had channelled Ludo plenty of times before she'd become a demigod, Jack is nevertheless a silent spectator as Frey goes about their business. Still, content that they will not be firing cannons directly at the island that wants to actively murder them, the captain turns his attention back to their route.
[say]"I'll take us pass the Maw, since we can pick up a lot of speed that way,"[/say] he calls over his shoulder to Flora and Mel, in case they want to prepare accordingly. The Isles tend to need a little more finesse, given that he's not entirely sure what arrangement they'll be in until they're close enough, and he doesn't want to run aground at speed. Or at all, ideally.
Jack chooses to take them through the Maw first!
RE: [RQ] in a town made of quicksand - Melita - 07-06-2024
Melita’s entire face was plastered into a frown the moment Jack started using rationality and sense. Sure, they might make a fuckton of noise, but at least it’d be fun. With a huff and a sigh they all seemed to be resigned to listen to the adultier adult, and she rolled her eyes in Flora’s direction. [say]“Boooooo,”[/say] and she gave a thumbs down in mild protest.
Otherwise though, she hastened to directions (because it was clear that without them she’d just as soon set shoot or set something on fire) – staring for a half a moment at Frey and all their spectacle, watching as the stones were tossed and captured by seabirds or fish. [say]“Neat,”[/say] because it was. Battening down whatever hatches needed to be in order thereafter, the smuggler found herself a nice little barrel and waited for the next stony opportunity.
--
Melita pouts and helps around the ship.
RE: [RQ] in a town made of quicksand - Flora - 07-06-2024
[say]"Thanks babe."[/say] Flora called warmly before waggling her fingers goodbye
Still content to keep herself out of the way, as the Ark began heading towards the Maw, Flora curled her arm through one of the passing crew members in order to tug them over to the crate. Whispering honeyed words into the ear, they seemed more than happy to help the queen shift the large container closer to the railing.
Tossing rocks overboard every few miles or so, Flora had accounted for all the major landmarks along their way before roughly counting out a number of rocks to go in between. She didn't think she'd miscalculated, but then math had never really been her strong suit, so fingers crossed.
In the crow's nest three sharp blasts suddenly pierced the air. Three of course meaning danger ahead. Indeed, a pod of ghost whales were seemingly trying to chase a few encantados over the lip of the underwater volcano.
Round 5, over halfway!
As we head nearer to the Maw we might need a bit of magical assistance from Jacqueline to keep us from being sucked in and possibly to avoid the ghostwhales.
Or maybe Mel can just blow 'em up.