driftfleet | the veil is thin . . .

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the veil is thin . . .

[ On the night of the 16th, the feeling of tension and horrid anticipation comes to a head. Everything stops when the sun goes down-- even the ever-present music in the hoppingest part of the city center. One by one, everyone turns their eyes to the skies. The young and old alike pour out of their houses, some in bare feet, and they point to the velvety blanket of stars.

It takes a second to find it, especially if one is unaccustomed to the starscape. But even a casual observer can see it.

A brightly-shining star, larger than the others, and growing larger.

An announcement cuts across all communication channels that encourages people to evacuate to the space station, but it’s clear that these are just people and they’ll need some help. Supplies, equipment, organization, there’s something for everyone to do.

Civilization is disrupted by a panicked stampede of people vying for limited seats aboard spacefaring craft. Within hours, there will be crushed glass, looting, and chaos.

The clock is ticking. Will you help? Or would you rather watch the dying gasps of a Singing Planet from a safe distance? ]

[OOC: Please see this post for plot details. Phase two has begun! Feel free to use this post as a reaction post, mingle, etc. or make your own!]

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Oh yes, the man looks terribly like a corpse; Jarvis didn't want to be rude about it, but...

He thins his lips, sitting back; he looks plenty exhausted himself, albeit in a much more lively way. Regardless, it's not usual for him to be missing his tweed jacket, sleeves slightly dirtied where they're rolled. Quite the laborer, this one.

"... No need of water? Do you not feel terribly... dried out, without hydration?"

He's trying his best to be polite about it.

"You are alluding to the fact that I appear dead."

Your manners are appreciated, Jarvis, but they are utterly wasted on Justice. Justice doesn't blink once as he stares at Jarvis, but there's no sign that he's being deliberately unsettling.

"I assure you that, despite appearances, I am healthy. My kind do not drink water." Justice still appreciates the concern, though. If he were human, he's sure that he'd like the water a lot.

He's about to jump into the most politest panic of "oh no no no you look fine there's absolutely nothing wrong with you what gave you that idea" sort of flubbing, but the man does appear surprisingly at ease with the response; perhaps he is more than used to the odd reactions, or perhaps he agrees he looks rather dead looking, or perhaps all of the above. But he stands there with his glass of unused water, curious if not worried about stepping on toes.

"Your kind, sir? I don't think I've been properly introduced. I have met a number of elves, and even a vampire, though... among others." So he's not at all bothered by the thought of having another non-human fellow around.

Justice constantly looks like he's glaring sternly at whatever he's looking at, like he's getting ready to give it a good lecture, so considering that, he doesn't have any visible negative reaction to being questioned about it. He seems perfectly comfortable with it, in fact.

Mostly because asking him questions means that whoever is speaking to him isn't immediately treating him like a demon.

"I am a spirit, specifically a spirit of justice. Spirits usually dwell within the realm of dreams that mortals visit in their sleep, but I was brought to the mortal world through careless magic." He really doesn't mind questions.

Well... He's at least used to that kind of personality thanks to his father. This man, however, doesn't seem like he's about to dissect and analyze his progress in life quite so efficiently. He is... taking the explanation in stride, really, but it's only because the fleet has helped prepare him for such things. Especially Stefan, who had shown his vampire fangs and gave him a sharp fright.

"I... see... Then -- do you not sleep or eat?"

Or pee. Do you not urinate?

No offense, but based off the dryness of your overall aesthetic, he's assume you don't.

"I do not eat. I am capable of sleep, but usually only in extenuating circumstances." Like if he's seriously overextended himself, or if he's slowly dying. Honestly, sleeping is a bad sign.

And Jarvis would be correct to assume he doesn't pee either.

"There is no food nor water in the dreaming world. My kind would not live long if we required it."

Oh. He settles for a worried frown.

"Goodness - but eating and sleep are so enjoyable..."

Gosh, Jarvis, don't point out the good things he's missing out on!

"... My apologies, I should really think before I speak. I'm sure you have plenty to enjoy!"

This mortal is a strange one. Is he worried about offending Justice? How odd. Charming, but odd. "I do have many things to enjoy. The mortal world is an endless source of wonder, and there are many things for me to do here."

Justice tilts his head, still staring at Jarvis. He hasn't blinked once this whole interaction, partially because he still hasn't figured out that mortals don't like it when he never blinks. "Why do you enjoy sleeping and eating? They are basic functions required by your body. It seems to me that they should be tedious."

Oh, it's... it's quite alright. The lack of blinking. He'll cope.

They have some pretty odd characters aboard, so he's had proper training.

"Oh, yes -- yes, honestly, I can relate. I'm actually quite behind on technology, so some of this is like a whole new world for me as well. Have you ever watched a movie from the 21st century? Phenomenal, I must say."

"I do not know what a movie is." Justice is from fantasy medieval Europe. Movies are so far from his era that they might as well be on another planet. He cocks his head in genuine curiosity. "What is a movie?"

If this human man enjoys them, then maybe they're worth looking at.

"It is a series of images that play in order to reveal moving pictures, accompanied by sound and music, to make a full storyline for an audience to follow," he says quite efficiently. He's always ready to explain a thing, have no fear! "Books come to life, as it were. They're quite an amazing feat of ingenuity."

Oh, how nice to have a mortal so good at explaining things. A lot of the time, Justice just gets a mortal flailing and asking him to just take their word for something. Although mortals tend to flail more for some questions rather than for others, but Justice has trouble predicting what makes questions different.

"That sounds fascinating." Another thing Justice likes about mortals: they're so damned creative. "Is there a way to view these in the Fleet?"

It would be something to keep in mind after the evacuation, at least.

"Oh, absolutely! I would ask around and see who has them... I'm very positive they're floating around. Perhaps on the network devices?" He taps a fingernail on the comms device poking out of his vest pocket. Lord, it's something that he's already forgotten he's speaking to a potential corpse. "Either way, you should enjoy yourself however you can after all of this danger has passed. You're hard at work and deserve the opportunity, after all."

"It is something to consider after this is over, at least."

Justice is going to keep it in mind. And he's also going to keep this mortal in mind as well, since he generally seems to be the helpful sort, and Justice knows better than to dismiss those when they come along.

"Have you been moving supplies or searching for stragglers?" Or both, as the case may be.

"Indeed -- we'll all need the break."

Jarvis forsees a long bath and a long sleep after this is said and done. Though he imagines it will have to come after helping sort out the citizens once they're out in space as well. He looks out over the throngs of quickly packing and moving townspeople, sad but hopeful.

"I've been doing a bit of both, really. There's never a shortage of things to do. Where might you be off to next?"

"I will be tracking more stragglers. I can sense where they are." Justice frowns at the air, like he can find them just by glaring at nothing for an extended period of time. "There are still some in the wilderness who do not realize where they should go to evacuate, and there are others who are having mobility trouble or are simply too stubborn to leave. I will be attending to as many as I can."

Jarvis gives a slight, proper nod, a fist loosely held with some desire to aid.

"A good idea, to be sure. I could come and assist you, if you'd like?"

... No offense, but they might react poorly to a dead-looking dude...

"You seem better suited to deal with panicking mortals than I am." Justice has zero shame in admitting this. It's the simple truth. This man seems like a good sort, eager to help others and kind even when to one as unsettling as Justice. Meanwhile, Justice looks like a corpse and he has only learned the barest social niceties. He would be dumb to pretend that this man would not be helpful.

"Your assistance would be welcome." Justice begins to walk in a seemingly random with a lot of purpose. He's set his sights on a particular straggler's presence.

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