RE: Cloudsea - The Chronicle of Alice Van Vaugen
07-22-2017, 01:49 PM
(This post was last modified: 07-22-2017, 02:09 PM by NotABear.)
Alice opened her mouth, and then closed it. Then she closed her eyes, and counted to five. One. Two. Three. Fou-
She always got this urge to just- scream her lungs out, but it was always quickly over-ridden. She wondered what part of that was the universe, and what part of that was Empty helping keep her emotions in check, and how much of that was her own doing.
She turned to look down at Viss, and slowly opened her eyes. Viss let out a quiet gulp, and flicked her tongue a few times.
Viss let out a sad sound and released Alice, spinning about dramatically on one foot and hopping up to sit on the edge of the bed.
Viss had hopped off the bed again, and had pushed up Alice's undershirt. She was unhappy with this, but was curious about what Viss had- Oh.
Alice rolled her eyes a little. Undershirt down. She finished pulling on and buttoning her overshirt. Then she found that they had picked her out a very nice green vest from her clothes. White shirt, black undershirt, green vest, green trousers and black boots.
Viss was continuing to freak out the entire time, to the point where Alice heard someone come down to the door of the room, but they didn't open it. Probably was just listening. That's rude. She adjusted her collar, and brushed herself off.
She turned, knelt down, and put her hands on Viss' shoulders. Viss stood there, mouth open, tongue standing straight out, before she couldn't hold it anymore, and her tongue flopped against her bottom jaw. It was cute, and weird.
The door slowly opened. Qhen put a hand through the door. Viss instantly pulled away from Alice and jumped up on the bed and looked- particularly subdued all of a sudden.
Alice was decidedly less angry than she was when she started this day. Lunch- It was breakfast. Breakfast was tasty, and simple. She never thought about it much, but a steam-powered airship would definitely be able to afford redirecting some of that heat into a oven-steamer. As such, breakfast was soft steamed buns with a spread of oven roasted fruit and honey. Turns out Qhen is fairly handy around an oven.
She was even willing to forgive Viss her. . . Exuberance. But don't tell her that. Alice is aware that Viss' concept of affection was- flawed was a cruel word, and not what she intended. Damaged? Different? Different. Viss is from a difference place and upbringing than herself. Qhen as well. Alice is pretty sure the last person who had otherwise seen her even partially nude was the doctor who had to remove a piece of metal piping from her shoulder because- well let's not dwell on that.
She was even willing to forgive this impromptu kidnapping. They hadn't like, taken her and run. The airship was slowly doing circuits over the island. Occasionally, Alice had looked over the side to see some of the crew below, still helping with the search and salvage situation. . .
. . .What was her plans now? Surely, this ride on the airship was something to do with that, but she had remained silent, Qhen was further back and up, navigating the ship. Viss was sitting nearby, but not too close, and she looked like she was deep in thought- Alice didn't want to disturb her. But she wasn't going to get anywhere just watching the scenery go by.
Viss waved an arm at Qhen. Qhen waved back and turned the wheel sharply, to point the nose of the ship towards the center of the island, then the entire thing went silent. Qhen had pulled something from the wheel, something on a long chain, which they slipped over their neck. A few moments later they were pulling a box over on which to sit.
Qhen thrust a key on a chain out at Alice. Alice looked at the key. Then Qhen. Then the Key. Then Viss.
Qhen and Viss looked at each other while Alice looked out into the clouds. Viss smiled at Qhen, and Qhen allowed themselves to smile back, while they got up and walked back up to the wheel. They were all hiding something from each other. They knew that.
Viss was thrilled with the possibility of getting to go out adventuring again. She only truly felt alive when she was being threatened with danger. She tried not to think about how messed up that was- but recently, because of Alice, and the developments with Qhen. . . She was starting to become a little more aware of how many scars she had covered up, or simply healed. She was absentmindedly rubbing one of the worse ones- it always ached when she wasn't keeping her mind preoccupied with other things- like how good Alice looked in that little black top. Also her skin is quite smooth. She sort of just wanted to nuzzle up against her and----
. . .Viss really is kinda trash. She knows.
Qhen was relieved that Alice said yes. It was like- a weight had been lifted off their shoulders. Figuratively and literally. It was something that Qhen had argued with the captain about often. . . Even on the night when he died. The captain had wanted to retire- and Qhen adamantly refused to take the job. . . Said they didn't have any right to be in charge of other people's well being, when they couldn't even take care of themselves. . .
When- when it all happened, the captain gave Qhen the key, and told them to run. Captain said it didn't matter that Qhen didn't want to be the captain. Qhen would know what to do with the key, and would either take the job, or find someone good enough to take their place.
. . .Qhen wouldn't have dared admit it- But sometimes Alice's eyes make them think of the captain. Sometimes when Alice was thinking very hard- she had this. . . amazing gaze. . . It made Qhen pause sometimes.
Alice. . .
Alice wasn't sure what to think. Everything was still moving so fast. Was this what life was like outside her shell? It kinda made her want to crawl back in. But she has the distinct feeling that 'the universe' would give her guff for it. . . Of COURSE she wants to explore! She wants to see things, things like she's read about in her books! Beautiful, amazing things. . .
But that also means having to see the less beautiful, more horrifying things. Qhen had asked her if she knew what the Imperial Sphere was like. Sometimes she forgot she even lived in it. The island barely had a presence of them, she had honestly forgotten. . . She's not even sure she's really seen anything about the Imperial Sphere except what she's read in books. It's not always the most flattering things.
But all of that aside, Alice was secretly thrilled- and honestly a little touched that Qhen had worked up the courage to do that. She was also a little touched- literally, but still- by Viss. Viss seemed genuinely worried with Alice's well being, which was something she was not particularly good at. Like, she could get up, do some exercise, eat well, but she still spent most of her time indoors, alone.
Whatever. She can figure out what she's going to do, after she talks to Qhen and Viss about the ship.
So. An interesting bit of participation, I'd like your help designing the Brasstack! Just log your choices after anything you might have to suggest to Alice, Qhen and Viss (yes, Viss can hear you again.) and I will use the suggestions to help put together the pieces.
Thanks for humoring me. ' <'
She turned to look down at Viss, and slowly opened her eyes. Viss let out a quiet gulp, and flicked her tongue a few times.
Viss was continuing to freak out the entire time, to the point where Alice heard someone come down to the door of the room, but they didn't open it. Probably was just listening. That's rude. She adjusted her collar, and brushed herself off.
She turned, knelt down, and put her hands on Viss' shoulders. Viss stood there, mouth open, tongue standing straight out, before she couldn't hold it anymore, and her tongue flopped against her bottom jaw. It was cute, and weird.
She was even willing to forgive Viss her. . . Exuberance. But don't tell her that. Alice is aware that Viss' concept of affection was- flawed was a cruel word, and not what she intended. Damaged? Different? Different. Viss is from a difference place and upbringing than herself. Qhen as well. Alice is pretty sure the last person who had otherwise seen her even partially nude was the doctor who had to remove a piece of metal piping from her shoulder because- well let's not dwell on that.
She was even willing to forgive this impromptu kidnapping. They hadn't like, taken her and run. The airship was slowly doing circuits over the island. Occasionally, Alice had looked over the side to see some of the crew below, still helping with the search and salvage situation. . .
. . .What was her plans now? Surely, this ride on the airship was something to do with that, but she had remained silent, Qhen was further back and up, navigating the ship. Viss was sitting nearby, but not too close, and she looked like she was deep in thought- Alice didn't want to disturb her. But she wasn't going to get anywhere just watching the scenery go by.
Viss was thrilled with the possibility of getting to go out adventuring again. She only truly felt alive when she was being threatened with danger. She tried not to think about how messed up that was- but recently, because of Alice, and the developments with Qhen. . . She was starting to become a little more aware of how many scars she had covered up, or simply healed. She was absentmindedly rubbing one of the worse ones- it always ached when she wasn't keeping her mind preoccupied with other things- like how good Alice looked in that little black top. Also her skin is quite smooth. She sort of just wanted to nuzzle up against her and----
. . .Viss really is kinda trash. She knows.
Qhen was relieved that Alice said yes. It was like- a weight had been lifted off their shoulders. Figuratively and literally. It was something that Qhen had argued with the captain about often. . . Even on the night when he died. The captain had wanted to retire- and Qhen adamantly refused to take the job. . . Said they didn't have any right to be in charge of other people's well being, when they couldn't even take care of themselves. . .
When- when it all happened, the captain gave Qhen the key, and told them to run. Captain said it didn't matter that Qhen didn't want to be the captain. Qhen would know what to do with the key, and would either take the job, or find someone good enough to take their place.
. . .Qhen wouldn't have dared admit it- But sometimes Alice's eyes make them think of the captain. Sometimes when Alice was thinking very hard- she had this. . . amazing gaze. . . It made Qhen pause sometimes.
Alice. . .
Alice wasn't sure what to think. Everything was still moving so fast. Was this what life was like outside her shell? It kinda made her want to crawl back in. But she has the distinct feeling that 'the universe' would give her guff for it. . . Of COURSE she wants to explore! She wants to see things, things like she's read about in her books! Beautiful, amazing things. . .
But that also means having to see the less beautiful, more horrifying things. Qhen had asked her if she knew what the Imperial Sphere was like. Sometimes she forgot she even lived in it. The island barely had a presence of them, she had honestly forgotten. . . She's not even sure she's really seen anything about the Imperial Sphere except what she's read in books. It's not always the most flattering things.
But all of that aside, Alice was secretly thrilled- and honestly a little touched that Qhen had worked up the courage to do that. She was also a little touched- literally, but still- by Viss. Viss seemed genuinely worried with Alice's well being, which was something she was not particularly good at. Like, she could get up, do some exercise, eat well, but she still spent most of her time indoors, alone.
Whatever. She can figure out what she's going to do, after she talks to Qhen and Viss about the ship.
So. An interesting bit of participation, I'd like your help designing the Brasstack! Just log your choices after anything you might have to suggest to Alice, Qhen and Viss (yes, Viss can hear you again.) and I will use the suggestions to help put together the pieces.