Video

[hearsthesea]

Who: Shirley
Broadcast: Fleetwide
Action: Huntress
When: April 15 (backdated slightly by a few days!)

[It's been a while since Shirley made a public broadcast, but to anyone who sees her face it's easy to figure out that something happened - she's got a frown on her face and she keeps on glancing down at her hands, which she's wringing occasionally.]

Has anybody ever lost their--abilities? Magic, or fighting, or anything of the sort. I know I was able to use my eres just a little while ago, but I can't anymore. I don't know what happened, I...I just don't know.

Comments

Video

[save_the_souls]

What?!

[Oh. Oh. This is not good.]

You lost your powers?

Video

[hearsthesea]

I think so. I can't even use--um, it's something all Ferines should be able to do.

[At least, ones that haven't rejected the ocean's will. But then...]

You haven't heard of anything special about the stations we're on now, have you?

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[save_the_souls]

I haven't. [There's a pause as he deliberates whether he should say something]

[Which oh yeah, he's got no fondness for Aaron and Shirley is pretty much a friend- so he so will]

But I have heard of someone whose been taking powers.

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[hearsthesea]

Taking powers? Here?

[Sounds like something Atroma would do, almost certainly has done already...but that doesn't seem like what Allen's saying.]

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[save_the_souls]

Mm. They said they need to take powers to survive.

I had thought they were only taking volunteers, but if I'm wrong....

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[hearsthesea]

I think I remember hearing something like that in another broadcast. But they really did want people to volunteer...why would you take something and then start asking to have it?

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[save_the_souls]

I don't know...I don't like it. [This whole situation is getting sketchier and sketchier by the moment]

They have one of my powers. If they give it back like they said they would, I'll ask them about it. [And if they don't well he'll hunt them down B| ]

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[hearsthesea]

Who are they? They didn't seem to be anyone I recognize.

[Well, she recognizes Ino but the chances that it was actually Ino don't seem that great, just from their one conversation so far.]

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[serves]

[He's not too far away, given they're on the same ship, but he doesn't want to intrude--]

Shirley. Is there anything I can do?

[At least she's not, you know, Tranquil.]

video

[hearsthesea]

Cullen?

[Wait, they're on the same ship, never mind that.]

Where are you right now?

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[serves]

My quarters. Would you like me to go to you?

video -> action

[hearsthesea]

No, I'll come over myself.

[She ends it there, and she's down in the general bunk area within a few minutes. Shirley opens the hatch leading down to Cullen's room and calls to him.]

Cullen? Is it okay to climb down?

[serves]

It is.

[She'll find is room is plain as the day they got the upgrade, save for a small green plant on a shelf. Everything he owns is neatly out of sight, his cot made and intact despite him sitting on the edge, though he does stand to offer her a seat once she has her feet on the floor.]

Make yourself comfortable.

[hearsthesea]

You don't have to...never mind.

[Not something she wants to debate right now. Shirley sits down, folding her hands in her lap.]

Thank you.

[serves]

[He does sit back down once she's seated.]

What happened? Your... magic is gone?

[hearsthesea]

Yeah. I went to practice in the dome, but when I tried nothing would work.

[Her eyes lower, and her hands in her lap grip a little tighter.]

It wasn't the first time I've gone, but it was the first time I haven't been able to use my eres here.

action;

[misconceived]

[ Unlike Cullen, Chris just seeks Shirley out as soon as he sees this. He probably should have noticed, but between his dad being around, helping Hiro repair the other ships and Varric's disappearance... well, he's just not been paying attention. He'll blame himself for that later. ]

Shirley?

action;

[hearsthesea]

[Shirley hasn't moved from where she first made the original broadcast, and she's still staring at the screen. Partially it's out of shock, and maybe fear; mostly she just doesn't know what else to do. It's welcome when Chris interrupts her circle of thoughts, and he gets her attention quickly.]

Chris? Is something wrong?

action forever;

[misconceived]

That's... what I came here to ask you.

[ He moves over, sets the comm aside and gives her his attention. ]

Are you okay?

[hearsthesea]

You saw?

[Well, it's not like she's intending to keep secrets.]

...It bothers me more than I'd have thought. I've only been able to use my eres for a little while, but since I lost my quill I've always considered it my strongest connection to home. And after all this...

[misconceived]

Of course I did.

[ He might not seem like it, but he takes his captaincy fairly seriously. Any of his crewmates in trouble is something he's going to notice sooner rather than later. Especially loss of magic. It's a terrifying thought for him and he's secretly impressed with how Shirley's holding up despite it. ]

Do you have any idea when it happened?

[hearsthesea]

It had to be sometime while we were here. The last time I used them was a little while ago, when I was practicing in that dome. I went back today to try again, but that was when I realized my power was gone.

[That had made for an interesting moment, since she'd already called up the monster holograms. Thank goodness for voice commands.]

[misconceived]

Here?

[ Not even during the attack or something? He exhales. ]

All right. If you want, I could try some kind of... calling-to-lost-powers spell or something like that. Maybe get an idea of where they went or... what happened.

action

[devilsinthedetails]

[At the mention of lost powers, Cole immediately goes to find her because he knows how bad losing your powers can be and he's not going to let her be alone during this.]

Hey. You doing okay?

action

[hearsthesea]

[Shirley's kind of grateful for the company - it's not like she hasn't been through something like this before (except worse), but the loss of her eres is still a shock.]

I'm all right, thank you. I'm just worried. If we're attacked again...I'd feel much better if I had my power.