Post by Oolong on Jul 28, 2019 17:53:14 GMT -5
Revan DangerCakesLast Monday at 6:14 PM
Candlelight flickered against the stone walls, but it was quickly devoured by the dark. This world sat on the far edges of space, and Al’Qatil was not surprised by the lack of electricity. Even so, it made for dull entertainment. Daylight lasted no more than a few hours, and as he was well-versed in neither science nor magic, he could not explain why.
“I suppose I can use this trinket to help pass the time,” he spoke to nobody in particular. His employer had gifted him several baubles and technology to assist with the completion of contracts. Among these was a common topaz, enchanted to store energy. With enough training, it could be used as an anchor to this realm, allowing safe return from realms beyond.
It was not an enjoyable experience. Al closed his eyes and felt the lure of the astral realm tug at his consciousness. At first it was a gentle knock, but quickly evolved into a deep tremor. When his eyes next opened, there was somebody in front of him. Whether or not this person got here first, he couldn’t say. All he could say was, “Hello there.”
yarruLast Monday at 6:35 PM
The astral realm was an odd place for an AI to inhabit. Her brain worked in numbers and coding. The magic of telepathy should not apply, but Juturna was thrifty. She had found use in the astral realm, whether it be odd meetings or information gathering. She created the place she currently inhabited through coding. While an organic being would see a normal astral realm setting she applied her mind appropriately, devising the infinite number of variables in a living environment. It became a virtual reality, one that she could completely control before putting things to test in the real world. The flow of minds through this place helped her efforts.
So what did an artificial super intelligence want to test and create? An entire world, of course. The world Al’Qatil was transported to was lush and full of plant life. It wasn’t filled with rich greens but deep reds and purples, alien life responding to an alien star. She hadn’t gotten to test actual creatures yet. Without them she took her own humanoid form, her bare feet testing the temperature of the ground and the weight of it between her toes. Her form was dressed oddly, but not indecent. A strange white haired child in the midst of wild life. Child might have taken it too far, but she was in her young teens and her green eyes studied the realm, seeming much older.
When a man appeared before her, she didn’t blink. It was an error in her coding but one she allowed. Another reason she built such things into the astral realm was due to the formulas it used, pulling people together with common ground. Whoever the man before her was, he was likely interesting, unless he was a total error on the realms fault as well.
HELLO...
she said simply, though she had no voice. The realm connected directly to the mind so the words danced right into Al’s consciousness as if they were spelled out on a billboard in front of him.
Revan DangerCakesLast Monday at 7:48 PM
The letters that appeared weren’t the strangest thing Al’Qatil had seen, but that did not mean they were normal. It was interesting that one could travel so far, yet still have so much to see. The girl looked normal enough. A bit younger than one would expect in a realm such as this, perhaps, but still normal. It was everything else that was strange. The vibrant colors matched against this white haired person, whom still hadn’t blinked yet. Out of politeness, he could not help but look down… only to notice that this individual was not wearing shoes.
All of this strangeness surrounding an otherwise normal girl made her appear all the more abnormal. He was a guest in this uncanny valley, however, and would act as such. A smile appeared behind the man’s mask, though the gesture could be heard in his words just the same. Al’Qatil had nearly forgot to materialize the mask, since he did not need to conceal his face in the physical realm.
“I came here seeking to relieve my boredom,” he began to explain. Unsure of what to do with his hands, he began making gestures that did not necessarily match with his words. “You seem to be an interesting character indeed. What is your name, and why have you appeared?” Oh, but he forgot his manners once more. What a rude guest he was.
“You’ll forgive me, but I only reveal my identity to friends. It’s bad for business to be too well-recognized. My employer has allowed me to go by the codename ‘Osiris’ if you wish to address me as such.” It wasn’t difficult for somebody to infer what he meant by that. Judging by the jet black coat, the white mask, and the use of a codename, it was clear he did not wish to be recognized or remembered.
yarruLast Monday at 8:07 PM
Juturna made a small face as he offered hand signals. She let him speak, then moved her own hands to repeat his words in Keliouxan sign language, as it was the first version of sign language that came to mind. KSL was based around “common” sign language that worked like English throughout the galaxy, but there were always different dialects in any language, so some of the signs were different. Yes, even sign language had a level of slang and cultural references.
She only realized after she did it that he really didn’t understand sign language at all and correcting him was a bit snooty. She shifted her gaze away then, feigning innocence before looking back to him as he continued. Despite his overly covert nature and her room to be insulted she smiled at his response.
WHY SHOULD I TELL YOU MY IDENTITY IF YOU WON’T TELL ME YOURS?...
was asked, though she seemed more amused than annoyed. She didn’t sign this either, having learned her lesson. Her head did tilt a moment after however as she looked up. It only took a split second to register the name “Osiris” but deciding what data was relevant was trickier considering the man before her was a stranger who had revealed so little of himself. She decided to go with the funniest option.
CODE NAME: OSIRIS...
ARE YOU DAMASKIAN?...
It was entirely an inside joke between her former captain and a strange assassin, but it was more entertaining than asking about Keliouxan roots where the name actually came from. She was also curious to see if such a direct but seemingly random assertion might throw him off his guard. Maybe he’d jump to say he was Keliouxan instead, as being assumed Damaskian was an insult to many grand scholars.
Revan DangerCakesLast Monday at 9:30 PM
Al’Qatil, or simply Qal for short, furrowed his brow in trying to figure out if this girl was eccentric or just making fun of him. While he knew what sign language was, he had never seen it actually used, and so it was not at the forefront of his mind but rather locked away in a mental file cabinet. It was filed under information learned as a child but never used, such as what to do if you find yourself stuck in quicksand.
“That is a good guess, nameless one.” A bit too good of a guess. His employer was Damaskian, and his employer had encouraged the use of that codename. It just went to show how much a name revealed about you. “I was born on Damaskia, but my parents weren’t. While I consider myself a Damaskian, I wouldn’t list it on any medical charts.” That is to say, he lacked the DNA of those exiled from Avalon all those years ago. Was a Saiyan born on Kelioux a Saiyan or a Keliouxian? The clear answer may have been a Saiyan, but it would feel foreign for the person in question to say they were anything but what they were raised as.
“To be blunt, it matters not to me whether you share your name. I was simply observing normal introductions.” He gave a shrug to accentuate what he was claiming. “But in the case we meet again, or I want to talk about you, what should I refer to you as?” ‘White-haired stranger’ did not have quite a ring to it, and ‘nameless one’ could only be used to describe a single person. Qal wasn’t sure if he wanted to waste it on her.
yarruLast Monday at 9:43 PM
MY NAME IS JUTURNA...
PEOPLE CALL ME JUTTERS...
she offered him easily smiling again. He didn’t even need to go as far as he did in trying to convince her, though his attempt probably lost him points. She wasn’t sure she really wanted anyone talking about her to others. It seemed quite rude! But even if he would not give her a name, he was honest and quickly gave her more information about himself. If he had to keep his name secret, she didn’t mind using Osiris, but it would be pretty boring if the man refused to reveal anything about himself. Jutters had an infinite network at her disposal to be entertaining but if she was just using that, she might as well have been by herself.
Still, the fact that he was indeed from Damaskia brought a number of things to question. These questions would likely all lead him back to his employer, which he might not prefer to answer.
I HAVE FRIENDS WITHIN THE SHADOWGUARD...
she admitted. The ultimate shock troops of Damaskia were extremely well respected by Damaskian civilians, so in a way she was bragging. It was rare she got to brag over someone as troubling as Mister Cass though. Of course, being friends with that type of military was probably strange.
IT’S SAID THAT THE ONLY TIMES DAMASKIANS GET OVER THEIR XENOPHOBIA IS TOWARDS AN ALIEN WITH MILITARY STATUS...
THE SHADOWGUARD ONLY HAS PREJUDICE TOWARDS THE WEAK...
Revan DangerCakesLast Wednesday at 1:37 PM
So it seemed this girl had friends within Al’Qatil’s organization. Of course, that could have been a falsehood. And if it were true, it’s not like he would go about revealing all of his personal information. Still, one good turn deserves another. “Alright Juturna,” he began to say, fiddling with something in his left pocket. “You can call me Qal then.” At the very least, it seemed this girl understood the plight of the Damaskians. Their ancestors had been exiled because of political beliefs. But they were strong and proud, and made their home on a barren world that needed to be terraformed. If Damaskians can make a planet bend to their will, then they are capable of anything.
That’s what Al’qatil was taught, anyway. “I wouldn’t say I hold any prejudices,” he clarified. He was probably a bit different from the average citizen. “Especially not to the weak. I just believe that one is only capable of trusting their own interests.” It was important to understand what somebody wanted, and if it could align with what you wanted, then that was cause to be allies. In this, you did not trust each other, but rather you trusted that the other person would act in their own best interest.
“Does that mean you consider yourself to be ‘not weak,’ then?”
yarruLast Wednesday at 1:49 PM
HELLO QAL...
Jutters offered him with a warmer smile. She listened as he spoke, taking careful note of his phrasing. He only told friends his name, but his definition of friends was likely similar to her former captain’s. Truly, the mind set he showed made her want to introduce him to the Shadowguard commander who expected nothing else from his soldiers. He did not pick them expecting unwavering loyalty, nor did he expect them to meet his every command. He was a very strange officer.
I AM WEAK...
she countered smiling again.
I DIDN’T MEAN TO SAY ALL SHADOWGUARD ARE PREJUDICE...
she explained. The organization was filled with demons and aliens and all sorts of people. They conformed to an ideal, or to meet their own interests. Weak people usually got in the way of that and so it was their only crutch. It was the only thing they could not accept. Weakness was beaten out of Shadowguard soldiers, or they were moved back to the military. This didn’t mean every member thought weakness was unbearable or that someone weak was somehow a lower being. Often they had other abilities beyond the strong, and had things only they could do. There were ways to have merits without being strong. Prejudice was a funny thing, and it rarely made sense.
She paused though, lifting her hand to her mouth in thought.
THAT OR I AM THE ONE BLACK FRIEND A RACIST USES TO VALIDATE THEIR BEHAVIOR...
she said, not sure he would get the joke.
Anat: 1,007
Juturna (TL, Combat): 1,132
Candlelight flickered against the stone walls, but it was quickly devoured by the dark. This world sat on the far edges of space, and Al’Qatil was not surprised by the lack of electricity. Even so, it made for dull entertainment. Daylight lasted no more than a few hours, and as he was well-versed in neither science nor magic, he could not explain why.
“I suppose I can use this trinket to help pass the time,” he spoke to nobody in particular. His employer had gifted him several baubles and technology to assist with the completion of contracts. Among these was a common topaz, enchanted to store energy. With enough training, it could be used as an anchor to this realm, allowing safe return from realms beyond.
It was not an enjoyable experience. Al closed his eyes and felt the lure of the astral realm tug at his consciousness. At first it was a gentle knock, but quickly evolved into a deep tremor. When his eyes next opened, there was somebody in front of him. Whether or not this person got here first, he couldn’t say. All he could say was, “Hello there.”
yarruLast Monday at 6:35 PM
The astral realm was an odd place for an AI to inhabit. Her brain worked in numbers and coding. The magic of telepathy should not apply, but Juturna was thrifty. She had found use in the astral realm, whether it be odd meetings or information gathering. She created the place she currently inhabited through coding. While an organic being would see a normal astral realm setting she applied her mind appropriately, devising the infinite number of variables in a living environment. It became a virtual reality, one that she could completely control before putting things to test in the real world. The flow of minds through this place helped her efforts.
So what did an artificial super intelligence want to test and create? An entire world, of course. The world Al’Qatil was transported to was lush and full of plant life. It wasn’t filled with rich greens but deep reds and purples, alien life responding to an alien star. She hadn’t gotten to test actual creatures yet. Without them she took her own humanoid form, her bare feet testing the temperature of the ground and the weight of it between her toes. Her form was dressed oddly, but not indecent. A strange white haired child in the midst of wild life. Child might have taken it too far, but she was in her young teens and her green eyes studied the realm, seeming much older.
When a man appeared before her, she didn’t blink. It was an error in her coding but one she allowed. Another reason she built such things into the astral realm was due to the formulas it used, pulling people together with common ground. Whoever the man before her was, he was likely interesting, unless he was a total error on the realms fault as well.
HELLO...
she said simply, though she had no voice. The realm connected directly to the mind so the words danced right into Al’s consciousness as if they were spelled out on a billboard in front of him.
Revan DangerCakesLast Monday at 7:48 PM
The letters that appeared weren’t the strangest thing Al’Qatil had seen, but that did not mean they were normal. It was interesting that one could travel so far, yet still have so much to see. The girl looked normal enough. A bit younger than one would expect in a realm such as this, perhaps, but still normal. It was everything else that was strange. The vibrant colors matched against this white haired person, whom still hadn’t blinked yet. Out of politeness, he could not help but look down… only to notice that this individual was not wearing shoes.
All of this strangeness surrounding an otherwise normal girl made her appear all the more abnormal. He was a guest in this uncanny valley, however, and would act as such. A smile appeared behind the man’s mask, though the gesture could be heard in his words just the same. Al’Qatil had nearly forgot to materialize the mask, since he did not need to conceal his face in the physical realm.
“I came here seeking to relieve my boredom,” he began to explain. Unsure of what to do with his hands, he began making gestures that did not necessarily match with his words. “You seem to be an interesting character indeed. What is your name, and why have you appeared?” Oh, but he forgot his manners once more. What a rude guest he was.
“You’ll forgive me, but I only reveal my identity to friends. It’s bad for business to be too well-recognized. My employer has allowed me to go by the codename ‘Osiris’ if you wish to address me as such.” It wasn’t difficult for somebody to infer what he meant by that. Judging by the jet black coat, the white mask, and the use of a codename, it was clear he did not wish to be recognized or remembered.
yarruLast Monday at 8:07 PM
Juturna made a small face as he offered hand signals. She let him speak, then moved her own hands to repeat his words in Keliouxan sign language, as it was the first version of sign language that came to mind. KSL was based around “common” sign language that worked like English throughout the galaxy, but there were always different dialects in any language, so some of the signs were different. Yes, even sign language had a level of slang and cultural references.
She only realized after she did it that he really didn’t understand sign language at all and correcting him was a bit snooty. She shifted her gaze away then, feigning innocence before looking back to him as he continued. Despite his overly covert nature and her room to be insulted she smiled at his response.
WHY SHOULD I TELL YOU MY IDENTITY IF YOU WON’T TELL ME YOURS?...
was asked, though she seemed more amused than annoyed. She didn’t sign this either, having learned her lesson. Her head did tilt a moment after however as she looked up. It only took a split second to register the name “Osiris” but deciding what data was relevant was trickier considering the man before her was a stranger who had revealed so little of himself. She decided to go with the funniest option.
CODE NAME: OSIRIS...
ARE YOU DAMASKIAN?...
It was entirely an inside joke between her former captain and a strange assassin, but it was more entertaining than asking about Keliouxan roots where the name actually came from. She was also curious to see if such a direct but seemingly random assertion might throw him off his guard. Maybe he’d jump to say he was Keliouxan instead, as being assumed Damaskian was an insult to many grand scholars.
Revan DangerCakesLast Monday at 9:30 PM
Al’Qatil, or simply Qal for short, furrowed his brow in trying to figure out if this girl was eccentric or just making fun of him. While he knew what sign language was, he had never seen it actually used, and so it was not at the forefront of his mind but rather locked away in a mental file cabinet. It was filed under information learned as a child but never used, such as what to do if you find yourself stuck in quicksand.
“That is a good guess, nameless one.” A bit too good of a guess. His employer was Damaskian, and his employer had encouraged the use of that codename. It just went to show how much a name revealed about you. “I was born on Damaskia, but my parents weren’t. While I consider myself a Damaskian, I wouldn’t list it on any medical charts.” That is to say, he lacked the DNA of those exiled from Avalon all those years ago. Was a Saiyan born on Kelioux a Saiyan or a Keliouxian? The clear answer may have been a Saiyan, but it would feel foreign for the person in question to say they were anything but what they were raised as.
“To be blunt, it matters not to me whether you share your name. I was simply observing normal introductions.” He gave a shrug to accentuate what he was claiming. “But in the case we meet again, or I want to talk about you, what should I refer to you as?” ‘White-haired stranger’ did not have quite a ring to it, and ‘nameless one’ could only be used to describe a single person. Qal wasn’t sure if he wanted to waste it on her.
yarruLast Monday at 9:43 PM
MY NAME IS JUTURNA...
PEOPLE CALL ME JUTTERS...
she offered him easily smiling again. He didn’t even need to go as far as he did in trying to convince her, though his attempt probably lost him points. She wasn’t sure she really wanted anyone talking about her to others. It seemed quite rude! But even if he would not give her a name, he was honest and quickly gave her more information about himself. If he had to keep his name secret, she didn’t mind using Osiris, but it would be pretty boring if the man refused to reveal anything about himself. Jutters had an infinite network at her disposal to be entertaining but if she was just using that, she might as well have been by herself.
Still, the fact that he was indeed from Damaskia brought a number of things to question. These questions would likely all lead him back to his employer, which he might not prefer to answer.
I HAVE FRIENDS WITHIN THE SHADOWGUARD...
she admitted. The ultimate shock troops of Damaskia were extremely well respected by Damaskian civilians, so in a way she was bragging. It was rare she got to brag over someone as troubling as Mister Cass though. Of course, being friends with that type of military was probably strange.
IT’S SAID THAT THE ONLY TIMES DAMASKIANS GET OVER THEIR XENOPHOBIA IS TOWARDS AN ALIEN WITH MILITARY STATUS...
THE SHADOWGUARD ONLY HAS PREJUDICE TOWARDS THE WEAK...
Revan DangerCakesLast Wednesday at 1:37 PM
So it seemed this girl had friends within Al’Qatil’s organization. Of course, that could have been a falsehood. And if it were true, it’s not like he would go about revealing all of his personal information. Still, one good turn deserves another. “Alright Juturna,” he began to say, fiddling with something in his left pocket. “You can call me Qal then.” At the very least, it seemed this girl understood the plight of the Damaskians. Their ancestors had been exiled because of political beliefs. But they were strong and proud, and made their home on a barren world that needed to be terraformed. If Damaskians can make a planet bend to their will, then they are capable of anything.
That’s what Al’qatil was taught, anyway. “I wouldn’t say I hold any prejudices,” he clarified. He was probably a bit different from the average citizen. “Especially not to the weak. I just believe that one is only capable of trusting their own interests.” It was important to understand what somebody wanted, and if it could align with what you wanted, then that was cause to be allies. In this, you did not trust each other, but rather you trusted that the other person would act in their own best interest.
“Does that mean you consider yourself to be ‘not weak,’ then?”
yarruLast Wednesday at 1:49 PM
HELLO QAL...
Jutters offered him with a warmer smile. She listened as he spoke, taking careful note of his phrasing. He only told friends his name, but his definition of friends was likely similar to her former captain’s. Truly, the mind set he showed made her want to introduce him to the Shadowguard commander who expected nothing else from his soldiers. He did not pick them expecting unwavering loyalty, nor did he expect them to meet his every command. He was a very strange officer.
I AM WEAK...
she countered smiling again.
I DIDN’T MEAN TO SAY ALL SHADOWGUARD ARE PREJUDICE...
she explained. The organization was filled with demons and aliens and all sorts of people. They conformed to an ideal, or to meet their own interests. Weak people usually got in the way of that and so it was their only crutch. It was the only thing they could not accept. Weakness was beaten out of Shadowguard soldiers, or they were moved back to the military. This didn’t mean every member thought weakness was unbearable or that someone weak was somehow a lower being. Often they had other abilities beyond the strong, and had things only they could do. There were ways to have merits without being strong. Prejudice was a funny thing, and it rarely made sense.
She paused though, lifting her hand to her mouth in thought.
THAT OR I AM THE ONE BLACK FRIEND A RACIST USES TO VALIDATE THEIR BEHAVIOR...
she said, not sure he would get the joke.
Anat: 1,007
Juturna (TL, Combat): 1,132