driftfleet | If At First You Don't Succeed... Try, Try Again

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vanyel ashkevron

If At First You Don't Succeed... Try, Try Again

Who: Vanyel & Anyone
Broadcast: nope
Action: The Casino-way station
When: During the time the planet is in range

_{[ At first a quiet hallway in one of the casino waystations is just that - a hallway, with a few doors dotted here and there leading into some shop or restaurant or another. Except wasn’t one of them beginning to glow? Yes, yes it was. The edges took on a definite white-blue light, flaring brightly before giving way to a panorama of what could only be a landscape of the planet below.

A figure comes through, dark hair looking disheveled, mud and plant life smeared across a dark-blue shirt, snowy white boots marred by dark streaks. The human shape sunk down to its knees, clearly breathing hard, breath rattling in his chest - and it is a he. Behind him, the visage of the planet faded, the “doors” closing with a fading light. The man clutched at his chest, hunching over in pain.

Slowly he sat up, revealing his face to be that of one of Vanyel Ashkevron, albeit streaked with sweat and a little pale. He looked around, blinking owlishly, seeming to recognize where he was. The thinest of smiles worked across his lips, almost triumphant. ]}

Well… that went better than I had hoped…

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[Natasha's there when the doorway starts to glow, and immediately can only think of Loki--the doorways Clint and Fury described, that she's only seen through security footage. Nothing good can come of something like this, but there's nowhere for her to go. Nowhere to hide that she can guarantee is safe. So instead she drops into a ready stance, and waits for whatever is going to emerge.

What does come through is almost unrecognizable, at least until he lifts his head, and Natasha recognizes Vanyel, looking clearly like he's been through the wringer. Easing up just slightly, she looks him over with no small amount of suspicion, verging on concern. Not for him, but for what might be following.]

Alive is usually better than dead. Are you hurt?

_{[ The gate closed quickly, and without his magic was not going to open
again. Certainly he had no intention of reopening said gate any time soon,
not with every magical nerve in him screaming. ]}

No, nothing serious, thankfully. All of my skills have not yet deserted me, it seems.

Some skills. I didn't think this place would let someone keep talents like that. Too risky.

[And yet, despite speaking of risk, here's Natasha offering him a hand up. Don't worry, she's stronger than she looks.]

Something happen on the planet?

Heh, did I not tell you I could do magic? I am not the only one either.

_{[ Duke, Felix, many others. He was far from the only mage in the
Fleet.}

He blinked, seeing her hand, taking it gratefully and getting to his feet with only a slight stumble. ]

I don't rightly know. I just know I was being chased, and that if they had caught me... well, the Tourist would need new security personnel. It changed so much from when the sun was out.

Not the magic in general that I was referring to. More the teleportation, especially over that distance. I'd figure Marsiva would keep that sort of talent to a more limited range, keep you playing by the rules.

[The slightly smug-sounding comment merits nothing but a slightly arched eyebrow as she helps him to his feet, likely more easily than he's expecting, and supports him as he stumbles.]

Did you get a look at what was chasing you?

[She figures it's probably safe to skip the who and go straight to the what.]

I do as well, but perhaps because I returned here?

_{[ It was the only thing he could think of at the moment. He had tried
to leave the world entirely in Paradisa, but perhaps if he had only wanted
to go from the Castle to the Village it might have worked. ]}

No, unfortunately. I only got the sense of a pack of animals, and fairly large. I didn't stay still long enough to truly see what they were.

_{[ He didn't think he'd survive if he had. ]}

It was a mistake going down there, treating that planet like a picnic. A vacation, whatever. Let's hope no one actually pays the price for it.

Were there others being chased, or were you alone?

[Rescue effort might be fruitless, but she's been doing this hero thing too long to not ask the questions.]

During the day it felt fine except for the abundance of magic. The planet is saturated with it, to the point it felt like it was overflowing.

_{[ He remembered it pressing on him, pushing and prodding at his skin
like water looking for the easiest path down the river bed. ]}

No, no it was just me as far as I knew. Thank the Havens for that. I had been with a friend, but we got separated. I didn't see a reason to worry, until... until this happened.

Let's hope your friend didn't ruin into the same trouble.

[Natasha pulls her comm from her pocket, meaning to check broadcasts to see if there's anyone signaling for help from the planet, but the screen gives her nothing but static. She curses eloquently in Russian, shoving it back in her pocket.]

No signal. I guess the field you mentioned doesn't like electronics much. Can you walk? We should get moving.

_{[ He cannot understand the language, but he recognizes her words for
what they are - cursing. It's surprisingly eloquent in whatever language
she is speaking. For a moment, he has an appreciation of it, even if he was
not a supporter of such crude language himself. ]}

Perhaps not. I never got a clear understanding of how magic and technology interact.

And yes, I can walk. Is there a cafe close? I could do with some tea and honey. It helps return some of my strenght.

[She hasn't yet gotten a chance to learn firsthand just how the implant handles invective. It obviously translates other languages for her--she can read lips, she knows when what she's hearing and what she's seeing don't match--but she has wondered if it might censor for the audience at home. Just enough.

Right now, the only thing she's wondering is how high the body count is, if the supposedly powerful magic-user ran away.]

They usually don't. Or are the same thing, depending on your point of view. I try not to mix them, myself.

There's a place a couple blocks back. They might have a better communications system, too. Something I can use to reach the planet. This way.

[If he can stand on his own, she'll let him, and she'll let him walk. Starting down the hall, she does at least stay close enough to catch him.]

_{[ He pauses a moment when he finds his feet, letting the world stop
spinning before nodding to her and following. He moves slowly, but steady,
growing more sure with each step. There wasn't much physical pain, but his
magical nerves continued to burn and sting. Thankfully, the cushion of the
planet's magic meant they hurt less than the might have otherwise. ]}

Hopefully most people are off the planet. Once the sun went down, it... the atmosphere changed. Before I felt curious, there was nothing to be afraid of, and then when the light faded I suddenly knew I had to be gone. I have not felt fear like that in quite a long time.

_{[ He had fought many battles, against demon, beast, man, and dark
magician alike. He was no stranger to his life being endangered, but he had
not been scared like the was on that planet since he was sixteen and facing
a dark magic bent on perverting his mind to his evil will. ]}

[She only shakes her head as she continues to lead the way down the hall, thinking rapidly. She'd gotten some bad vibes about the whole thing, and she'd learned by now to pay attention when her intuition kept poking like that. The planet seemed nice and harmless, and of course they just happened to come across it after the last couple of months being stuck in the same stale corridors. Of course it would be enticing. But there was always a catch. She only hoped that no more than a few had to pay the price for it.]

You talk about the planet like it's what attacked you, not things living on it. Tell me what happened?

[It's phrased like a question, but it's clear she expects an answer, even as she gestures to the door of the tiny café, letting him enter ahead of her.]

It is hard to explain.

_{[ He went quiet a moment as he tried to order his thoughts. ]}

The magic... the force on that planet - it felt like it was trying to get inside of me, like water trying to fill a pool. In the beginning it was odd, but I did not feel threatened. I felt good, like I had access to a node again. Ah - a node is a reservoir of magic in my world. But as I said, when night came, that feeling changed. It felt... hostile. I had the sense I should not be there, that something was wrong.

_{[ He looked to her before entering, hoping he had made sense, but he
knew it could be hard trying to explain magic to those without it. ]}

[It's not that difficult. People like Tony might have trouble dealing with the word 'magic,' might need to rationalize and quantify it. She doesn't feel that need. Whether it's storybook magic or just a different sort of technology, the effect is the same, and the effect is the only part that really concerns her right now. Following him in, she leads the way to a table in the corner, taking a seat that gives her a good view of every inch of the room.]

Not that hard. There's a saying where I'm from, you catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. It was a trap. And chances are you aren't the only one who fell for it.

_{[ He knows the motion, the sitting with her back to the door. Some
heralds did it, and his own sister had a penchant for it when they met in
pubs if they came across each other on his circuit rounds. He sat beside
her, easing himself into the chair and sighing as he took weight off his
legs and rested. ]}

A trap? Most likely, though one I have never come across made by something natural. A human, perhaps, but not natural.

[Better safe than sorry. Many of her habits were habits for a reason, mainly keeping her alive. Sometimes, in her downtime, she could act against them, but now? Now is not one of those times. She makes eye contact with a waiter, summoning them over for an order of tea with honey.]

Depends on how you define natural. There's plenty of things in nature that set traps to survive. Plants that draw in insects to eat. Maybe this is just a larger scale.

We can argue the semantics of it later. Right now, I need to find a communicator that actually works. This static is making it impossible to do anything. Maybe the shipboard comms will have better luck, or they have something here.

Who are you trying to reach? Once my magic is recovered some, I could perhaps send a message if it is a true emergency.

_{[ He did not like using his Mind Speech so, forcing his way into a
mind, but if it was dire he would let such scrupples go and only send the
message. He didn't root around in other people's minds as a rule, but
dropping a message was less invasive than that albeit still rude and even
unethical if done in certain ways. ]}

Trying to reach the planet, to get a warning to whomever might still be stuck down there. The interference has been getting worse all month; I assume it's got something to do with the planet. I'd rather know who's there and what the situation is before I go in.

[Listen to her. She's sounding like Rogers, all ready to go in and play hero. It isn't normally her style, but this isn't exactly normal.]

You tell me if you think it's an emergency. But honestly, I don't think more magic is the way to go with this. Not unless I don't have any other resources.

Magic, however, is working when our technology is not. If I am given a candlemark or so, I can try to send a message, though it might.. such a distance I have never quite attempted before. Perhaps I can at least tell you how many minds there are.

_{[ It was not a task he liked, but if they were in need of help.. at
least sensing their presence was not a true invasion. He rubbed at his
temples, a headache rising behind his eyes, but at least the sharper pain
of his magical nerves was fading. The cushion of the planet's magic had
saved him this time, but he would need to be cautious, he thought. He
doubted he would have such an easy time of it again. ]}

A candlemark?

[It isn't a term she's familiar with. She'd prefer to use quantifiable resources, though she's never disdained to use whatever is at hand. It doesn't pay to be picky, when so much of what you do is based around a certain sort of inherent flexibility.]

I'll keep that in mind, if I can't find any way to communicate with the surface. Stay here. Drink your tea. I'm going to look.

[She's gone long enough for the first pot of tea to arrive, and to grow cool, and finally makes her way back to the table, checking to see if he's still there, sliding into a seat across from him again and wiping a stray bit of blood from the corner of her slightly bruised mouth.]

Apparently, you mention the planet around the residents of this place and they suddenly go deaf. Mention it a little more, and they get hostile.

Ah, apologies... I believe the current term is an hour, roughly?

_{[ It was easier still to think of time in the way he understood it -
candle marks, positions of the sun, days and nights. Hours and minutes were
harder, though he had to admit much easier to use if one wanted to be
specific.}

He thanked the waitress for the tea, pouring himself a generous amount and finishing a cup, starting on the second when Natasha returned, and a small plate of mini-sandwiches, which also looked half devoured. He frowns, seeing the smear of blood. ]

Do you need healing? The wound is small, and I am somewhat recovered. Healing Magic is no trouble for me.

_{[ He raised his hand in question, a soft glow forming around it.
]}

[Candlemark sounds archaic, though she could have guessed that, given his manners and mode of dress, not even factoring in the magic thing. She's used to the more specific timekeeping methods, though she's no stranger to the basics.

When he makes his offer, she shakes her head, a brief but very clear motion.]

Not necessary. It's just a scratch. It'll heal soon.

[Belatedly:]

But thank you.

Teleportation, healing, long-distance communication--there anything you can't do with your abilities?

_{[ He didn't like leaving her with the wound, but it was her decisions,
and he tried not to force his magic on anyone if he could help it. Battles
he had to make the exception for. ]}

I'm rubbish at drawing. And I was never very good with a broad sword either.

[She may find it fairly easy to accept magic--it's just another resource, something to be used or accounted for--but that doesn't mean she's anywhere near okay with it being used on her. Just like she wouldn't ever allow Tony near her with anything resembling a new invention or 'medical technology,' it's just safer that way.

His response gets something that in a slightly less urgent time, might resemble a laugh.]

I don't know how you function, not being a master swordsman.

I'm going to head back to the docking bay, try and see if I can do anything with the ship communications. Most systems I'm locked out of, but maybe the crew and I can find a way to boost the signal...I don't know. I have to see if anyone down there needs help.

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If At First You Don't Succeed... Try, Try Again

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