driftfleet | Chapter Twelve [Video]

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Chapter Twelve [Video]

Who: Richard Castle and you
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Windrose, if desired
When: February 11th

[When Castle flicks on the video, he's projecting a veneer of calm... very badly, because one can hear an edge of panic in his voice.]

Ha, ha, ha! I don't mean to alarm anybody, but I bought myself one of those spiffy augment upgrades. I picked fire, because who doesn't want to be red hot, am I right? But, enhh... [He holds up his left palm, which has a small but persistent flame on the center.] I can't seem to turn it off. Does anybody here have experience with fire powers? And should it really be this powerful when I've only bought the first level...?

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[He gestures to the world around them.]

Should she ever show up here, [Kate - he'll have to remember that name] I suppose you will get your wish though.

I'm not gonna lie, I wouldn't mind that at all. I mean, I don't want her to get trapped here, and I've been here a year and a half without anybody from my world showing up, so I'm not holding out hope that she'll arrive. But it'd be pretty great, and I think I could talk her into going through with it.

[Again...another person saying they've been here over a year. Okita's smile falters as the thought of being trapped here until he dies, leaving his friends to fight alone, forever wondering where he went, floats through his mind. Then he forces the expression back into place.]

If she does, I'm sure you could convince her. You are a writer after all. Words are your craft, aren't they?

[Castle notices that faltering expression, but he knows better by now than to ask when the reason isn't volunteered. He has learned SOMETHING over the years.]

I am told I have a way with them, yes. And anyway, it's not like we have much of a choice, right? Even when we visit waystations and planets, we're nowhere near Earth.

Yes, but the planets aren't really space. It would have to be a waystation or upon your ship if you were going to be married "in space."

[He's learning the technicalities of space travel and why not be a tease about it?]

Oh, getting married in front of a vending machine. Now THERE'S an idea. We could get junk food and have a party.

If by junk food you mean those strange treats that come out of the metal boxes? Then yes, that would be fun.

[Albeit weird because the food that came out of them was not very big.]

Yeah, that's the stuff. They are overpriced, but where I come from weddings tend to be expensive to begin with.

Well, they are supposed to be shows of a person's wealth and ability to care for their future spouse, yes?

Mmhmm. Kate doesn't care about that, though, to be fair. I can provide for her very well, but she likes being able to provide for herself.

Oh - she has a job herself? That's another unusual thing about the future then. She's not a... ah... night worker, is she?

Nah, she's a detective. She helps catch criminals- murderers.

[Wow, women on the policing force. The future is wild.]

Ah, I see! She must be very smart then.

[And he feels really bad for assuming she was of a different profession.]

The smartest person I know. She's very good at her job. She's always had a drive to bring justice to the bad guys, and to help the victims' loved ones get a sense of closure.

Does she also deliver the verdict and the execution then? Or is it done elsewhere?

That's done elsewhere- there's a whole legal system for that. She just gathers the evidence and makes the arrest.

Hm~ How interesting. It's not too different from our system then.

[Although evidence gathering is flimsy at best back in his day.]

Good to know some things never change. It's not an easy job, but it can be incredibly rewarding.

I suppose it can be.

[Although, the Shinsengumi probably created a few more problems than necessary, it probably also solved a lot more than the Mimawarigumi could get to.

Oh, but they got super off topic, didn't they? Okita looks into the camera and tilts his head.]

Has the fire in your hands settled now?

[They sure did, and Castle looks down at his hand. Voila, no fire.]

It has. ... Like it was never there to begin with.

Perhaps you should find a teacher before you try again, Castle-san.

Or just try it mostly in the bathrooms.

I'm definitely going to do that. Someone around here's gotta have experience with fire magic, right?

Certainly. There are a lot of different people here with powers. One at least has to have fire magic.

And if not I'll... just not use it, I guess, since I'm not sure Atroma would let me just give it back.

That would be a terrible waste though, Castle-san! There must be a place where you can practice your skills. Think of all the things [pranks] you could do with it!

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