Winter

[therewerefifty]

Who: Makie and you!
Broadcast: Not here. Try Manji's post.
Action: Yes!  Many places.
When: Over the next week

[Marsiva]

[It's still strange how she completely forgot about this place.  Between her health and Manji's on-edge paranoia and mansplaining she's exhausted, and can be found on her own curled up on a chair by a window, watching the starry dark outside.  The first time she was here it was a little terrifying.  Now, it's just peaceful.

Mostly until she starts coughing, anyway.]

[Blameless]

[And then she gets rudely dumped amidst a shower of confetti on the bridge of an unfamiliar ship, quite literally just sitting on the ground and trying to shield her face from all the coloured paper.  Sup, guys.  Here's a pale, thin lady in a kimono and shawl who glances up once it's safe, blinking in some confusion.]

...oh.  I'd... forgotten.

[For all the confusion, though, she couldn't sound any less interested about being here.  It's not personal; that's just Makie for you.  She's eternally done with the world.

For anyone not on the bridge, she will at least explore the ship to reorient herself before she goes and takes a nap.]

[Twin Roses]

[Eventually, once she's recovered somewhat, she makes the trip here.  She's never stepped into this cargo bay with such uncertainty.   Where you guys at?]

Comments

apologies for the delay!

[therewerefifty]

[Oh. It's someone a little less jarring in terms of culture, and greeting her with tea is a help. It's the faintest of smiles, but nevertheless.]

Thank you.

[She takes the cup gratefully, sinking into a seat in the kitchen.]

My name is Makie. Have you been here long...?

no worries! it wasn't that long!

[dandyofawolf]

Not much longer than you honestly. Barely more than a month really.

[Taking his own cup of tea, he goes to sit with her. He can hardly leave her to just sit alone after he's already offered her some, after all.]

I'm Sandalio de Rabiffano. Despite the circumstances it is nice to meet you, Miss Makie.

♥

[therewerefifty]

[Goodness. That's almost as much a mouthful as her own full name; she stopped giving it on the Fleet after a while.]

Likewise, Mr ... de Rabiffano. [He's a westerner, and she's not sure if she got that right, but manners and all.]

I've been here before, but it's... been a while. For me and for the Fleet, it seems.

[dandyofawolf]

[Someone who has been here before? So she went home and came back?]

If you do not mind my asking, what has changed since you were last here?

[therewerefifty]

I don't think anything has, apart from perhaps the people trapped here. The Fleet's only changeability tends to be the worlds it visits.

[She sips her tea.] It's more stable than my own home. Others might object. It's understandable.

[dandyofawolf]

Things must be rather chaotic if this is deemed more stable than your own home.

[Sandalio looks somewhat concerned even as he takes a sip of his tea.]

[therewerefifty]

They were, a little. Tumultuous times.

[Getting on the wrong side of the Shogunate is never a great idea. It's not a problem anymore.]

You say a month for you. Has it been hard to adjust?

[dandyofawolf]

It has been somewhat challenging. I seem to come from a rather...formal society. There has been a great deal of encouragement for me to be otherwise.

[The look on his face says he doesn't agree.]

[therewerefifty]

[Oh, that's familiar. Though Makie didn't mind some of it.]

You should be what makes you comfortable. Are you from the... noble class?

[dandyofawolf]

I can say I was born with wealth. I have recently become nobility though since taking over as alpha for my pack.

[Sorry, Makie. It's easy for him to forget how people aren't as familiar with werewolves here.]

[therewerefifty]

Alpha...?

[Not that she doesn't understand that dynamic, but she hasn't heard anyone talk about that before.]

[dandyofawolf]

Forgive me. I am still getting used to my kind not being so common knowledge. I am a werewolf. An alpha is a leader of a pack.

[He nods his head politely to apologize.]

[therewerefifty]

[...

Yeah, she's still staring blankly.]

You are some kind of wolf? [All she took from that. She's never heard of werewolves.]

[dandyofawolf]

That is rather accurate. I was once human but have turned into a man who can now become a wolf.

[He's hoping that at least makes more sense for an explanation.]

[therewerefifty]

[It's good enough. She'd been around the Fleet long enough to be able to just file that away as 'magical person' and leave it be. It sounds straightforward.]

Are such werewolves common in your world?

[dandyofawolf]

I would say the knowledge of them is common. It is rare for one to become one since one is more likely to not survive the bite.

[Which does mean he's one of the rare ones.]

[therewerefifty]

[That causes her gaze to become more measuring, lifting from her focus on the cup in her hands.]

You must be quite tenacious then, sir.

[dandyofawolf]

[There's a look in his eyes that speaks of something almost...sad. It passes quickly though as he continues his explanation.]

It is believed that those with excess amounts of soul are the ones likely to survive the transformation. It seems I qualified.

[therewerefifty]

[She certainly doesn't miss the look, fleeting though it was.]

...was this something you chose?

[dandyofawolf]

[He smiles down at his cup now, that look back in his eyes.]

I must ask that you not think ill of the two responsible for my change. I had been gravely wounded and would have died in their arms. They made a decision to save my life, the only one available to them. Though this was not my choice, I do not hold this against either of them and even care very deeply for one of the two.

[therewerefifty]

[Ah. That was more information than she intended to elicit, and Makie leans back tiredly.]

It is not my place to think ill of them. [Though tbh she totally would if he hadn't qualified what had actually happened. She understands doing dark things for love.]

I did not wish to make you uncomfortable. I am sorry.

[dandyofawolf]

[Slowly, he shakes his head then directs a warm smile to her.]

Once this change brought me only pain. I have accepted what I am and you did not make me uncomfortable. It was a fair question to ask but I thank you for your concern.

[And, in all honesty, he's simply too kind a person to let her question get to him for too long when he knows she had no way of knowing the truth.]

[therewerefifty]

[Acceptance. Something she's also familiar with. She assumes werewolves can magically heal or something along the lines, if he had to become one in order to survive.]

Are you here alone?

[Without his friends, that is.]

[dandyofawolf]

I am. I can at least say that none from my pack are here anyway. Were they here then I would know it.

[Just...alpha things.]

[therewerefifty]

The Fleet are... good people, usually. It can be difficult to be on one's own, but there are many who share the same fate.

[Ironically, Makie came with company from home she could give or take. But she vastly prefers the Fleet to Edo.]