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Post by ch00beh on Jun 24, 2007 16:22:09 GMT -5
There it stood. It was gargantuan, about as big as a zeppelin, but flatter and wider and not filled with just empty air. The entire bottom of it was made of some transparent material to allow people to look down when it was in the air. There was an open deck up top, too, with a pool and accompanying chairs, which could possibly be a hazard if the thing moved too fast. There it was: the first luxury high tech airship, the Princess Buttercup, open to the public (at a steep price) for a ride around the world.
Ender offered an elbow to Rie. The psionic, not being one to wait in line with a bunch of rich people (and mind you, it was quite a long line, since there was a lot of space in the airship), nor being one to pay for anything he didn't need to, teleported himself and his friend inside.
The inside of the airship was furnished in ritzy polished wood and the like.
"This kind of reminds me of that Titanic movie, you know, the one where Kate Winslet poses nude, because of all the fancy stuffs," Rie said while looking around.
"It also reminds me if the Hindenburg, you know, that zeppelin that caught fire and blew up," Ender said sarcastically.
"Well, at least we can fly. Too bad for all those other rich people."
"Mhmm, yeah, that's good. The only problem I see with that is that I'm not a cold, heartless bitch like you." Ender smiled sweetly.
"You're too kind."
OOC: Peaceful cruise around the world and stuff. Just get into the ship (stow away, actually purchase a ticket, etc), and we can party.
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Post by Vaxx on Jun 24, 2007 17:02:01 GMT -5
Vaxx walked down the street, licking a lollipop he had just taken from a trashcan. "What's all this?" he said while looking at the giant airship in front of him. "Well, it's about time I had a vacation." He teleported onto the ship to avoid the line.
As per custom, Vaxx reappeared in an odd fashion. This time the end of his hair was stuck in the wall of the ship. Noticing Ender, he said "Hey, could you help me out please?"
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Post by Beelzebibble on Jun 24, 2007 17:09:46 GMT -5
Just then, a dashing, attractive young man came through a door into the room. And by dashing the author means that he was literally dashing. Specifically he was being chased by two supremely peeved young women.
They cornered him and he had no choice but to turn around and face them.
"You said you were going to get us some cocktails!" shouted the brunette.
"But I did," the man said feebly. "Don't you remember? I went running for them..."
"So explain why I saw you over by the bar with -- with her!" cried the brunette, pointing at the redhead.
"But I've never seen her before!"
"Oh, is that your game?" the redhead said. "Use me for a minute and then pretend I don't exist? Is that what you're playing at?"
The man weakly attempted the most ingratiating smile he could muster. "Ladies... please..."
"Don't try it," said the redhead sharply. Then both she and the brunette turned heel and breezed out whence they had come.
The man closed his eyes for a moment in a grimace, then softly said: "To me."
Instantly, another man who looked exactly identical to the first one appeared by his side. "Hey! How are you..."
He trailed off under the glowering stare of the first man.
"You were supposed to have a look around the place and get to know people."
"Which I did!"
"You made out with a total stranger in the bar!"
The second man looked hurt. "I was getting to know her!"
"I'd call that going above and beyond the call of duty."
"There's plenty of Terrian Brogue to go around..."
"Yes, thank you! A brilliant revelation, I'm sure! Please, keep churning out these discoveries; the human race will never look back. Now, come on."
"Oh, all right," grumbled the second man. He then stepped directly into the space occupied by the first man. Now there was only one Terrian Brogue standing in that spot.
He noticed Rie for the first time and, ignoring the bystanders who were watching him in befuddlement, he approached her and the man standing with her. "Rie! Nice to see you again! Who's your friend? I don't think we've met."
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Post by ch00beh on Jun 24, 2007 17:41:45 GMT -5
"Um," Ender tilted his head to the side to stare at the guy who just appeared partly in a wall. "Phasing through things isn't really my dealio. Rie?"
"What?"
Ender unsubtly gestured toward the guy.
"I don't get it. It's funny though."
"Help him out?"
"Oh." Rie walked up to the guy, pulled out a throwing knife, held it threateningly, then made a quick swipe to cut the man's hair, at which point Terrian walked in. Rie waved amicably, knife still in hand.
"Hi there," Ender said and held out a hand. "We haven't met, my name's Andrew, but most know me as Ender."
Suddenly, two security guards appeared around the corner. "Ma'am, you're going to have to come with us for carrying a deadly weapon past security."
"There was security?" Rie asked, genuinely curious.
The two security guards then made an attempt to grab Rie, but their hands simply went through her ethereal form, and they both fell to the ground awkwardly. Ender quickly stepped up behind them and put a hand on each of their heads.
"What are we doing on the ground here?" one of the guards said to his partner.
"I don't know."
"You guys were chasing off a woman with a knife. She went that way," Ender said while pointing.
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Post by Vaxx on Jun 24, 2007 21:04:34 GMT -5
"Um... thanks," Vaxx said while staring at his cut hair. "I guess I owe you one."
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Post by ch00beh on Jun 25, 2007 0:42:30 GMT -5
"Buy me pizza tonight, then we'll call it even," Rie said to Vaxx. "Erm. If they have pizza on this overly ritzed up place. A whole pizza, mind you. No, we are not sharing, no, I do not want to go out with you." She was very serious about the pizza too. Like Ender, she also had a tweaked metabolism. She was a later test subject, so the scientists had figured out how to dampen the hunger, but she still ate more than any normal human being. A whistle outside blew, signalling that the airship would be leaving in an hour's time. OOC: We'll get to the air in a couple posts or so. If we leave you behind, that's when you get creative. In other news, remember RP newbies, just because it's a party doesn't mean you can do one-line posts and hope to get it past me. Pretend you're me or Photu. What would a pretentious writer say? This is the perfect time to get some good RP practice.
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Post by Ocelot on Jun 25, 2007 13:37:41 GMT -5
"It has been rumored that the ship is going to have a surprise exhibition of fine jewels during its round-the-world trip."
"What kind of jewels are we talking here? Royal jewels, fancy trinkets...?"
"No, talk's saying its something new, something... big. Something the likes of which no one has ever seen before. Some say it's a foreign jewel from some distant planet; others say it's a new type of lab-created miracle. Whatever it is, it's been kept very hush-hush. I had to hack pretty deep into the company's mainframe to find this."
"And when exactly is this exhibition going to take place?"
"Don't know, to be honest. All I know is that it's gonna be there as far as these files say."
"So there's really no telling if this jewel or whatever exists and if there's even gonna be this exhibition?"
"Nope, just running on a clue. But hey, even if this is just a hoax, try and see this as maybe a vacation. God knows the last time you took one."
"Time has no patience for those who wait, Lev. When the time comes that I'm not a master thief and con artist, I will stop and settle down."
"OK, Boss. Whatever you say. I'll keep you posted on any new info I get. For now try to find out as much as you can from people and personnel on board."
"Will do. Ace out."
The man switched off his codec and walked toward the long line of people waiting to board the airship. He was a very good-looking, rugged yet sophisticated man, with his slicked-back jet-black hair. He was wearing a black tuxedo like all the other rich men boarding the ship. The man moved straight to the front of the line. He was then stopped by a guard.
"Sir, you need to wait just like everyone else," said the guard.
"I apologize but I do believe I am on the VIP list."
"Well then, can I have your name and boarding pass?"
The man reached into his jacket and pulled out his boarding pass. "The name's Macenrow. Ace Macenrow."
"Yes I see. Sorry for the inconvenience," said the guard as he handed Ace back his boarding pass. "Please enter, Mr. Macenrow, and your room number is suite 1408."
Ace walked on board and began to wander, only to see a man getting his hair cut by a strange yet attractive women with a knife. He was intrigued by her, so he approached the odd bunch. The woman was telling the man whose hair she had just cut that he had to buy her a pizza. Ace took this opportunity head-on.
"If you don't mind, miss, I'll buy the pizza on the man's behalf and anything else you may want for dinner tonight. Your friends are also invited if you would join me."
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Post by ch00beh on Jun 25, 2007 14:31:09 GMT -5
Rie looked the man up and down. Cute, maybe. "I'll take a pizza from both of you. No, I will not go out with you either, Mr..."
"Ace Macenrow, thief," Ender said, answering for the new guy. "Excuse me if I read the surface thoughts of anyone who hits on my friend." The psychic smiled sweetly. "On another note, you might want to remember to tell your lackey to delete your IP from the connection logs next time you hack into a system. They catch you if you're sloppy that way."
"You hacked the company's computers?" Rie asked.
"I wanted to make sure it wasn't some plot to overthrow the world first."
"Oh."
"Anyways, Ace, I'll take you up on that offer for dinner. I think there's a buffet tonight, so we should be spiffy in the food department."
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Post by Beelzebibble on Jun 25, 2007 14:59:37 GMT -5
"Thanks, Macenrow, but I'll pay for myself at dinner," said Terrian. To illustrate his point, he walked over to the other side of the room, leaving five duplicates in his wake. When he walked back across the same path, he absorbed each one back into himself.
"You wouldn't want me on your tab."
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Post by ch00beh on Jun 25, 2007 16:34:38 GMT -5
"He wouldn't want me on his tab either," Ender said, "but he offered so he brought it upon himself." Ender shrugged. "I think I need to obtain a room somewhere."
"Way to think this all the way through, Ender," Rie snarked. (OOC: I just made up a verb BIC)
"For that comment, you're on your own for getting a room tonight."
"I thought we were gonna share one."
"There's only one king sized bed in each room."
"So?"
"You move around a lot when you sleep."
"I'm not even in this plane of existence when I sleep."
"Aaand that's really creepy. Remember that one time I woke up with you holding my left lung?"
"Fine. I'll get my own room. Someone might accidentally fall of the side of the ship later though."
"Um." Ender stared. Rie smiled back.
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Post by kazkame on Jun 25, 2007 17:41:01 GMT -5
A man with a mask over his head was walking around the dock. He needed a way to evade the authorities and his family. “They’re after my secret, I know they are!” he said softly to himself. He decided the airship was the best place to find a way to escape from his troubles. His other problem was a lack of funds due to his little gambling problem. The man began to search for a way onto the ship. He walked behind some crates, while foraging through his trenchcoat. "I needz to a-call meself," he said, pulling out his bottle of whiskey. He drank the forty-ounce bottle with little interruption.
"Hic -- I think I found my -- hic -- my way on to the -- hic -- ship." His glazed eyes scoured the cargo hold for any security. "Hic -- time to go -- hic--" He made a drunken dash toward the opening at the end of the ship. "Hic -- hmm... gotz to finda-a hidings spots... hic."
The masked drunk found a crate his size, which was labelled "animal hides". "How ahh -- hic -- covenientsz -- hic--" he said, as he squeezed himself into the box, waiting for the passage to his new life.
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Post by Ocelot on Jun 25, 2007 21:38:43 GMT -5
"Well, I must say I don't get denied very often but I did offer you a dinner, miss, and your psychic friend is also invited. You too, Mr. Multiply yourself. I will meet you all later tonight, say... three hours." Ace then turned around and walked away from his new acquaintances but then stopped and looked at the psychic.
"I really hope you're not the type of person to interfere with a man's business, if you know what I mean. Hey, maybe you could even assist me and partake in the wealth." Ace began to walk away but again stopped and said, "Oh and it's Ace Macenrow, master thief."
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Post by ch00beh on Jun 25, 2007 21:47:51 GMT -5
"Oh, don't worry about me. I enjoy my fair share of illegal activities, like, you know..." (Ender dropped his voice to a whisper) "...downloading music. Oh, and this one time I crashed the computer systems of an Andalite dome ship in thirty seconds, but that doesn't really concern human law.
"But anyway, I'm only really concerned with things that affect the fate of humanity and blah blah blah all that jazz. Have fun with your thievery."
OOC: Kaz, WHAT WOULD A PRETENTIOUS WRITER WRITE?!? >.>
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Post by Popebenedict on Jun 25, 2007 22:41:06 GMT -5
OOC: This is a bit ahead of schedule, but I'm tired of waiting, so I'm just going to do it anyways. The ship is not really leaving, wait until Choobeh's says it is before you start writing about it being in the air!
Onslow had been waiting in that line for four hours now, and he had almost reached the entry platform. Four long hours of waiting out in the hot sun, standing up, listening to old rich snobs talking all around him, and complaining about the liquor smell that was emanating from his body. All of his hard work and perseverance was about to pay off. This cruise had been on his mind for the past six months, and he had camped out for over three nights at the ticket booth, so he would be the first to get a spot on the ship.
Oh boy! This is goin' to be great! Onslow thought to himself. I cant wait to meet all those hot women, chow down on all that grub, and best of all... ALL YOU CAN DRINK! WOOT!! This is going to be the best time of my life. I knew working at Micky Dee's would eventually pay off! It's been a long four years there, but saving all that money for this is more than worth it!
The line crept closer and closer to the bouncer checking the tickets. Onslow was next in line, and his excitement was more than obvious. His body was shaking, his hands were sweating, and his face was flushed. Looking the bouncer square in the eye, Onslow pulled out his ticket and handed it to the tough looking, buff man blocking the entrance to the ship.
"Hmm... Mr. Onslow, I presume? Can I see some ID?"
Onslow pulled out his social security card and driver's license, and handed them to the bouncer.
"Very good, mhmm... I see. There is only one problem. I'm sorry but you don't meet the dress code. All passengers are required to wear a suit and tie upon boarding the ship. You may feel free to change back once you have checked into your room; however, in order to uphold our image, all passengers are required to be in their Sunday bests. I'm sorry. Simply change, and you can board, I'll even let you cut this line. Sorry pal."
Onslow looked himself over, up and down. He hadn't thought of buying himself a new suit. In fact, he didn't have enough money to do so. The new outfit he was wearing had cost him the rest of his cash. Onslow had thought that his orange Hawaiian-style shirt, knee-high cargo pants, and sandals were a complete improvement upon his usual attire.
"Argh! What am I going to do? I can't miss out on this, I have to get in there!"
The hours ticked away, and lines got shorter, as Onslow brainstormed various ideas on how to obtain a suit or else get onto the ship in some other way.
"May I borrow your suit sir?... Madam, could I requisition that for just a short amount of time?... Come on kid, it will only be for a few minutes, just take it off, and I'll give it right back..." All attempts were failing, and the ship was about to take off.
What to do, what to do?! I have to get on that ship!... The cargo hold! That's it! I'll sneak in that way, they will never find me!
As Onslow walked around the back of the ship, a fleet of police vehicles rushed past him, heading toward the cargo hold. Onslow froze where he was standing. He realized he would have to wait for the heat to die down before he even attempted to sneak in. After about ten minutes of standing completely still, and looking like a complete idiot to everyone that passed by, Onslow observed several police men wrestling a man wearing a brown trenchcoat, mask, and black loafers.
Damn! Security is going to be really tight after what that guy pulled, I ain't going to be able to get on that way now... DAMN YOU!
Onslow looked back at the line... No one was now standing there, and the bouncer was closing up the gates, while porters pulled up the steps that allowed entry onto the ship.
"NO!! I got to find a way on! AND FAST!!"
Just then the horn signalling the departure of the air ship filled the air. Three short blasts followed by a singular long blast. The engines of the ship kicked on, and it began to hover slightly off the ground. A panic took over Onslow, and he began running toward the port as fast as his legs could carry him.
The ship was now nearly twenty feet into the air, and picking up speed and height rapidly. Almost all opportunities had run out for Onslow. Just then, Onslow noticed a rope dangling off the back of the ship.
There! I need to grab onto that! It's my only hope!
Onslow made a mad dash for the rope, jumped, and caught the tail end of it, right at the last possible second. While shimmying up, Onslow thought to himself, Boy was that a close one. I'm so glad I made it, now it's time to party! Continuing his ascension up the rope, Onslow eventually reached the top, and hoisted himself over the edge. Just then it struck him!
Wait a minute... I forgot... I CAN FLY!!
"DAMN IT!"
Hopefully I won't forget that... again... Whatever, at least I'm here now, and I'm gonna have myself a good time!
Onslow walked into the crowd, heading toward the area that appeared to have the most activity. "LADIES! Here I come!"
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Post by Vaxx on Jun 26, 2007 17:27:05 GMT -5
Still looking at his hair, Vaxx said, "Uh... sure, I guess a pizza is a good trade for freeing me, so I guess I'll see you tonight." With that Vaxx left the room to find some entertainment. He continued looking around the ship until he found the bar.
"So what will it be?"
"Anything that has booze, and lots of it!"
"Okay, so you want our Boozapalooza then."
"Well I guess so, but how much does it cost?"
"$79.99."
Vaxx checked his wallet. "Okay... what can I get for under two dollars?"
"I'm sorry sir, but the cheapest thing we have is five dollars."
"Oh. Well then I guess I'll be going then."
Vaxx continued walking around aimlessly, contemplating whether he should just leave. Then suddenly he saw Ace walk by him.
Pulling Ace aside, he said, "Hey I was wondering if you needed any help on that heist? Silly me, just realized that I'm out of cash and I could use some pizza money, so if you could be so kind as to help a fellow man." Vaxx bowed to Ace. "Oh great thief, what do you say?"
OOC: Man why did it have to be pizza? I just got back from eating a 29 inch pizza in 14 minutes with just one of my friends, so I'm kinda sick of pizza right now. It was free though, since we ate it in less than 29 minutes.
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Post by ch00beh on Jun 26, 2007 22:01:56 GMT -5
Another steam whistle blew. The intercom beeped on throughout the ship.
"Good morning everyone, welcome to the Princess Buttercup. I'll be your pilot today, Captain Todd Smith. Today we're going to embark on this fine vessel's maiden voyage -- in fact, the maiden voyage of all airships."
As he talked, there were faint hisses of steam as the hydraulic door closed shut, followed by clicks as the locks went into place. Crew members were calmly walking around, smiling amicably, while doing their preflight checks. As the engines began warming up, one could hear a distant, muted roar.
The captain continued. "The nice thing about these new airships is that they have a nice, easy ascent and descent. If you're not too confident in your 'airlegs' as I like to call them," he chuckled, "please take a seat for the next fifteen minutes or so while we rise to cruising altitude. If you have any problems during the flight, you can find any one of our fine stewards and stewardesses, in their dark blue hats."
The intercom clicked off. Neither Ender nor Rie felt like sitting down.
A minute later, it beeped on again. "The crew has given me the okay, now if everyone's ready, we'll be off."
The engine's volume sharply increased, though it still sounded distant. The ship shook as it took to the air, but a minute after, it steadied itself.
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Post by Ocelot on Jun 26, 2007 23:30:29 GMT -5
After his encounter with the strange bunch, Ace got to doing his job. He figured he would start by gathering intel on the most viable places for the exhibition to take place, so of course he would start with taking a look at the exhibition halls. Ace began to look for the way down to the lower areas of the ship and found himself a stairwell in the side of the upper deck. As he was about five steps down, he heard someone yell behind him.
"Sir! Sir!" Ace turned around to see a young woman dressed in the ship's staff uniform: obviously a crew member. "Sir, I'm sorry but all passengers must remain on the upper deck until after the ship has reached cruising altitude."
"Oh, no miss, I should the one apologizing," said Ace while he walked back up the stairs and approached the woman. He saw that she was quite attractive and, as was his style, couldn't resist. "I was the one breaking the rules, you're just the pretty young lady enforcing them." And at that moment Ace took the woman's hand and passionately kissed it. "My name's Ace. Its very nice to make your acquaintance, Dalia."
The women pulled her hand back in shock. "How did you know my name?"
"It's on your name tag."
"Oh my gosh! How stupid of me, of course!" exclaimed the woman, who was now blushing at how this stranger had gotten her so worked up in the last few seconds. "So... uh... yes, like I said before, you must please wait unti we reach cruising altitude."
"But of course, miss, but it seems I have lost my way. Can you lead me to the front of the ship?" Ace asked, knowing well that the front of the boat was in plain view from his location.
"Uh, yes, certainly, Mr..."
"Macenrow -- but please Dalia, call me Ace."
"Oh I couldn't, Mr. Macenrow."
Ace put his his arm around the woman's waist and pulled her in. "Please, I insist."
The woman began to stutter with her words, not being able to get them together correctly to say anything coherent. She was blushing so hard that her tan skin was completely flushed in red. Then she suddenly pushed away from Ace's grasp. "Sir! I really must ask you to refrain from doing that. I am a crew member, not a passenger!"
"Then why don't we talk when you're not a crew member? When's your shift end."
The woman paused, not knowing what to do next, but after several seconds of silence, she pulled out a pen from the side pocket of her uniform's blue skirt. She took it and wrote the number "0786" on the palm of Ace's left hand.
"That's my room number. Come by there at 10 o'clock and maybe you can take me out for a drink, Ace." The woman shoved the pen in her pocket and smiled at Ace. "I have to go now. See you later tonight." She then hurried off to the front deck.
As she rushed away Ace whispered to himself, "Yeah. Can't wait."
"Well, I see you aren't taking your time with ladies as you are with the mission, Ace, as always," Lev said through the codec.
"What did I tell you about eavesdropping on me Lev? And besides, I was doing my job."
"How's that?"
"I snatched the girl's key card."
"Ace, you sly dog."
"You're telling me."
"But really, Ace, I have some new intel for you."
"Spit it it out then."
"Well I was examining the guide map given by the ship and I noticed something weird."
"What is it?"
"For some reason, the map they're giving out is missing a few things."
"What do you mean?"
"The thing is, when I compare it to the blueprints it seems that the guide map is missing an elevator. But what's even stranger is that the elevator only goes to two places on the ship."
"And these are?"
"A cargo room and an extra exhibition room only accessible through that elevator. Do you see where I'm going with this Ace?"
"Got it. I'll find the elevator and see what's happening."
"All right, Ace. Talk to you later."
"Oh, Lev."
"Yes?"
"Don't forget to delete your IP from the connection logs next time you hack into a system."
"Uh... okay. Hey! How do you know--" Ace turned off his codec before Lev could finish. Just then he was approached by the strange man who had gotten his hair cut by the woman.
"Hey I was wondering if you needed any help on that heist? Silly me, just realized that I'm out of cash and I could use some pizza money, so if you could be so kind as to help a fellow man." He bowed to Ace. "Oh great thief, what do you say?"
Ace looked at the man. At a glance it seemed that he could offer no real help, but Ace thought he would give him a chance. "Well, you can start by introducing yourself and telling me what abilities you have that would honestly help in my line of work."
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Post by Beelzebibble on Jun 27, 2007 1:20:30 GMT -5
OOC - That's not a long RP post. This is a long RP post!“Well, if anyone wants me, I’ll be in the bar, getting on with the business my duplicate started. I’ll see you at dinner, if not sooner.” With a wave to Rie and Ender, Terrian left the room and made his way across the level to the ballroom (keeping a wary eye out for the brunette and the redhead on his way). Two enormous double doors opened onto the vast ballroom, with a floor so vigorously polished it almost glimmered, and tastefully intricate glass chandeliers that did in fact glimmer. There were a few clusters of people talking on the floor, but since the nightly dance would not begin until eight o’clock, the room was still quiet. Terrian strode across the floor to the bar, which was already seeing considerable activity. He looked over the tables and discovered to his horror that the brunette and the redhead were sitting in a far corner, muttering conspiratorially. He quickly slipped out of their line of sight, chose a large group of people gathered around at the counter, and added himself to it. At the center of the crowd was a tall, rather old man in an expensive-looking outfit who was sitting on a stool and addressing the people around him. “…is called the Acme of Power. A simple trick, but I daresay you might find it impressive. Now, as you see, my pockets are empty—” (he turned out his pockets, which were indeed empty) “—quite devoid of playing cards, I’m sure you’ll agree. My dear,” he continued, talking to a middle-aged lady who let out a small gasp at being chosen, “would you kindly select two cards from the deck? Any two at all that you prefer.” He picked his deck up from off the counter and fanned it out in front of the lady. She pulled out the five of spades and the seven of diamonds. “Fine choices, fine choices,” he said. He took the two cards back from her and held them around so that everyone could see which ones they were. “Now, watch carefully.” He made an extremely exaggerated show of shuffling the two cards back into the deck, and of further shuffling the cards in unpredictable patterns, frowning as he worked, as though in intense concentration. At last he appeared finished, and he held out the deck in front of him and drew in a deep breath. Then he put the deck down, reached into his pockets, and pulled out one card from each. He laid them on the table. They were the five of spades and the seven of diamonds. The crowd gasped. Terrian was shocked. He’d been staring at the old man’s hands the entire time – hadn’t even watched the cards, just the hands. They had never gone down to his pockets, never. He was absolutely certain of that. The old man would have had to move his hands faster than the human eye could trace. Or else… “You put them there with a spell,” said Terrian, dimly wondering how stupid he sounded. “You did that with real magic. No earthly trick could have managed that. You cheated.” The old man’s eyebrows arched, and he studied Terrian for a long moment. At last he said: “You are absolutely correct. I cheated.” Terrian grinned triumphantly. The old man held up one hand. A playing-card materialized out of thin air and fell onto his palm. Terrian continued to grin triumphantly for a few more seconds, after which he fully comprehended what had just happened and his grin sank into an awed stare. The other people looked similarly stunned. “Of course, I shall have to wipe that memory out of your heads," said the old man, tucking the card into his jacket. "Enchantments are not my specialty, but I believe I can manage that much.” He smiled around at all the gathered faces in turn. Terrian looked around, too, and saw each person’s eyes flicker, almost as though they briefly went blank. Terrian looked back at the old man and saw that he had resumed his position of studying Terrian with eyebrows raised. “Thank you,” he said. “That is exactly what you’re supposed to think.” This time he gave no further explanation, but stood up. “Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes my performance. I’m sure we shall all meet again on this voyage; perhaps you may persuade me to show a few more of my tricks then. For now, good day to you!” The onlookers applauded once more for good measure and then moved away. Terrian couldn’t believe what he had just seen. First this man had created a card out of nothing, then he had modified the crowd’s memory – everyone except him. Terrian still recalled the image of the card perfectly. Why had the old man not wiped his memory, too? “Come on, my boy,” said the magician, “let me buy you a drink. Two Scotches, please,” he added to the bartender, who fortunately had been too busy to watch the magician’s routine. He turned back to Terrian. “I hope you will do me the favor of holding that a secret, my boy. Charles Tanner, by the way.” He offered a hand, and Terrian shook it. “Terrian Brogue.” Charles Tanner studied him for another moment. “So what’s your power, then?” Terrian was too taken aback to register how taken aback he was, and instead simply replied, “Self-duplication.” “Ah interesting,” said Charles Tanner. “I could tell, when I looked at you, that there was something. I can’t spot them all, or even most, of the time, but… on occasion. My own forte, as you see, is conjuring.” “Indeed,” said Terrian faintly. The bartender put their drinks on the table. Gratefully, Terrian took a sip. “May I ask what brings you on this voyage, Mr. Brogue?” Terrian thought. “Mostly just interest, I suppose. I thought it would be exciting.” He was not sure whether he was being invited to return the question, yet eventually did. “The same as you, more or less,” Charles Tanner replied. “But, perhaps, with an eye more toward opportunity than excitement. Rich people bore me, my boy. Heaven knows I see enough of them.” Terrian compared several possible responses, decided that none of them was particularly impressive or engaging, and so waited for him to continue. “It’s your type – our type – that provides the intrigue. Whenever I spot one, I can’t resist introducing myself. It’s bad practice, of course, very bad practice, for someone in my line of work. It’s nearly undone me several times over. Yet still I introduce myself.” Terrian would have liked to have several possible responses to compare, but in fact he had none. “One must always cultivate a healthy understanding of, respect toward… even, perhaps, friendship with one’s rivals, my boy. Words like enemy and villain are bandied about by fools who can only see one side of the coin. Just because you stand in opposition to someone else doesn’t mean you wouldn’t enjoy getting to know them on another day… perhaps taking a drink with them.” Terrian was exceptionally glad Charles Tanner had mentioned taking a drink, since it reminded him that he was still holding a Scotch, and that gave him something to do with his mouth, which was suffering from lack of recent activity. He took another sip. Charles Tanner smiled. “You’ve got a good heart, chap,” he said. “I can tell that, too. I assure you I have no plans to make a scene on this voyage. With such stupid people milling about, basking in their own wealth, there’s never any need to. “Perhaps we’ll see each other again.” Out of his jacket he drew again the card he had conjured, which he lay facedown on the table. Then he got up, picked up his cane, walked across the ballroom floor, and exited. Terrian took one last sip and flipped the card over, revealing the king of clubs.
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Post by Vaxx on Jun 27, 2007 3:32:03 GMT -5
"Well my good sir, my name is Vaxx Soral. I know I may not look like much, but trust me -- I'm really quite useful." Without missing a beat, Vaxx rose a foot or two into the air. "For starters, I can fly. That's pretty helpful, right? Then of course my forte is my ability to use fire." Vaxx suddenly glowed slightly, and flames appeared at his fingertips. "Yeah, that's about all I can show you for now. Anything hotter and I might set off the smoke detectors."
He disappeared and reappeared behind Ace. "My newest talent is teleporting -- however I'm still working on that. Whenever I have to go past a few hundred feet, I start to lose it. I mean I always get there, but something usually goes wrong. Mostly landing on my face and getting my hair caught in walls."
Vaxx settled down onto the floor again. "So do you think I'm helpful enough to... um... help?"
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Post by kazkame on Jun 27, 2007 8:50:52 GMT -5
The man’s ears began to pop; he knew that it was time to go mingle with the guests. The crate was sturdy, so it didn’t move during takeoff. He quickly kicked the top and climbed out. “Well, I guess I don’t need this bag anymore,” he said softly, as he removed it to reveal a man with simple short brown hair and brown eyes. The trenchcoat also wasn’t needed any more, so he placed it along with the bag in the crate. The cargo hold was cold and dark, so he had to feel around for the exit.
After an hour of searching, he found the stairs, walked up and opened the door. The cargo room door was right near the bar; he decided it was time to take a little break.
“Daiquiri, shaken not stirred.”
“All right Mac.”
* * *
He quickly gathered his drink and adjusted the tie of his suit, a simple black and white pinstripe. He headed for the upper deck to watch the sky go by. Once on the deck he just hung on the railing and watched his old life fade away into the sky.
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Post by ch00beh on Jun 27, 2007 13:01:23 GMT -5
OOC: I think you need to change the tense of your writing Vaxx... it just seems really different then everyone elses. I mean, it makes sense to me, but its more of a present tense, and I think the standard for this forum is more of a story telling pass tense. Just a suggestion, to mesh the story better. OOC: I see where you're coming from Pope. However, most of the other dialog posts are in the same type of format. It's a little hard, for me at least, to tell a character I just met about myself in the pass tense. OOC - Most of the other dialogue posts are in the same format? Nobody else uses asterisks to indicate movement and other non-dialogue actions. We just say them in plain text. What it comes down to is that the rest of us are writing in prose and you are writing in a form which, with a few changes, would be playwriting. I have to agree with the Pope that it's kind of jarring in this context.
Regarding present versus past tense, I didn't quite understand your reasoning on that one. Could you explain further?
EDIT: In fact, looking at your first two posts in this topic -- that's what you should keep doing -- plain prose in past tense. OOC: Although I do see why present tense is easier. If I hadn't started off writing in the past tense when RPing, I would've found present a whole lot easier... Basically, all we're asking is that you change things from "*Begins teleporting all around Ace*" to something like "Vaxx began to teleport all around Ace in a rather confusing manner." Basically, remove the asterisks, change it to past tense, and give the sentences subjects. Because those are important. Otherwise it's not a sentence. Also, writing in the latter form gives you more freedom for description and such. EDIT: POHATU SEX (meant to write "sez", there, but the best Freudian slips should always remain uncorrected): Actually I'd say "in a rather confusing manner" is going too far. His previous posts in this topic were clearly written from Vaxx's perspective (phrases like "contemplating whether to leave" make it clear we're not simply observing Vaxx but actually seeing inside his head), so a phrase like "in a rather confusing manner" puts the reader off slightly by jarring their point of view -- the teleportation wouldn't be confusing Vaxx, it would be confusing Ace. Yep, Pohatu's nitpicking about an extremely little point here, but IT'S A LOT OF EXTREMELY LITTLE THINGS THAT MAKE A WRITER GOOD NOT ONE EXTREMELY LARGE THING EHHHH BACK IN MY DAY WE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE THESE DAMNED TELE-PORTABLES YOU YOUNG'UNS NEED TO LEARN A LI'L RESPECT
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Post by ch00beh on Jun 27, 2007 14:17:42 GMT -5
OOC: Actually, Lee said he tried to adapt some RP's into a story, but due to the fact that most of us have very different writing styles, it didn't work too well. That, and the changing perspectives, and all that jazz. In other news, gratuitous long post continuation time. BIC: "So, do we follow Terrian to the bar and get some food, or do we find a room now?" Ender casually asked Rie. "I thought I was on my own for finding a room." "Okay, if you really want to, go ahead." Rie pulled out her hunting knife, lightly ran up to the corner of the hallway and pressed herself against the wall. Ender idly watched. "Have fun with that," Ender said. He turned around and began to walk away when he heard something slump to the floor. More disappointed than surprised, he turned around to find a somewhat attractive flight attendant with Rie's knife sticking out of her back. She would have cried out for help, if the knife hadn't gone through her lung, disabling her ability to scream. Ender read the name "Dalia" on the nametag. "Seriously, you're on your own cleaning this up." "Yeah, I know." Rie pulled out her knife and wiped it on the attendant's shirt. "But I'll be nice and invite you to this gal's room." She fished around in the woman's pockets, eventually pulling out a room key. Engraved in simple Helvetica was the number "0786". Rie smiled. Ender rolled his eyes. "Kay, fine. I'll meet you in the bar after you deal with that." With that, Ender walked off. Rie had been holding the body the entire time so she could shift it out of the physical plane so that the blood wouldn't stain the carpets. The girl shifted herself and proceeded to carry it straight down, through the floor and out the bottom of the ship. Anyone who happened to see her would've thought she was a ghost, and would have probably sincerely regretted going on the airship. As Rie dropped through the bottom of the ship, gravity began to take hold, and she started falling like any normal object. Rie shifted herself and the body back to normal and just dropped it, despite the fact that they were at cruising altitude. Someone down there would be getting a nasty surprise. Or a really good one, if said person happened to be a necrophiliac. Rie, still falling and gaining speed, transformed into a pure white falcon. As soon as the transformation was done, she flapped her wings a few times to slow herself down then started back up. In a few minutes, she had reached the bottom of the ship, but continued around it to the top. The girl transformed back into a human and landed lightly on the top of the behemoth vessel. The wind wasn't too bad; the ship was made to cruise and float, not to travel somewhere quickly. However, if she stopped paying attention, she would probably lose her footing. Rie tried to remember the ship's layout according the emergency escape plans and began walking, carefully counting her steps. After several steps and turns, she became ethereal and fell straight through the hull of the ship. As she passed through the ceiling of one room, she became solid again, falling onto a bar stool. It would have been a perfect landing if she'd been a couple inches farther to the left, but instead, only half of her bottom hit the seat, so she lost her balance and fell off, though somehow, she managed to remain graceful while falling. This was probably due to the fact that she didn't disturb any of the objects around her and instead went through them. Suffice to say, all the people in the bar, excluding Ender, were staring. Ender had several shots prepared for this very moment and downed them all very quickly. "Um, ma'am, are you all right?" a random person asked. "Fine, thanks." Rie stood up and smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes. "Hey lady, how'd you do that?" a random kid asked. "Well, there's a theory that states that matter only occupies certain planes of existence. I happen to have a device that shifts my body into other planes so that I can pass through things easily." "Umm... okay?" the kid said, thoroughly confused. "Enough of this already," Ender said, downing the last shot. He snapped, and everyone in the room whose power level was no higher than a normal human had their memories rolled back a few minutes, to before Rie made her grantascular entrance. Ender walked up to Rie and sat down next to her. "Why am I friends with you?" "Because you think I'm pretty," Rie smiled sweetly. "Yeah, and we tried dating and it failed horribly," Ender smiled sweetly back. "I'm really reconsidering my friendship with you." "I hate you too, Ender."
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Post by kazkame on Jun 27, 2007 14:58:02 GMT -5
The man had finished his drink a while ago. It was the worst drink he had ever ordered. He decided it was time to get another one, this time a shot. He opened the door with a smile on his face. The stairway was cold and a little stuffy. He sneezed. "Umm, I better hurry up before I have a cold," he said, wiping his nose with his sleeve. He quickly ran to the bar, wishing he had a tissue.
The bar was somewhat crowded, mostly with people older than him. The only people near his age were a couple of odd types near the bar and another man at a table near the back. He walked to the stool next to the woman and sat down.
"A shot... leave the bottle," he said, looking at the bowl of nuts on the counter.
"Right up mac."
The bartender left and returned rather quickly.
"Thanks," the man said with a slight nod.
He poured the tequila. It tasted nice and warmed him up just right. He decided it was time to have some bar talk with the girl next to him. "So young lady, what brings you upon this fine ship?"
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Post by ch00beh on Jun 27, 2007 15:52:59 GMT -5
OOC - Is that Rie you're talking to, Kaz? Why is it suddenly in vogue for everyone to hit on Rie? OOC: Because she's the only female character on this entire ship. Rie apparently killed the other ones. Terrian needs get on the bandwagon already. (Ender hit on her way back when they first met, don't worry) BIC: "So young lady, what brings you upon this fine ship?" Rie rolled her eyes before turning to the newcomer. In an effort to throw off any more unwanted suitors, Rie gestured at Ender and in an above inside-voice volume said, "He does." Ender noticed the ploy, and also noticed the disappointed look on the other person's face. "Oh, don't worry, she's my sister. We're just here to have some fun." Rie turned around and scowled at Ender. Ender sent her a mental image of thousands of smiley faces jumping around. "Barkeep, scumble," she said. As soon as the bartender passed her the drink, she downed the entire shot.
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Post by Ocelot on Jun 27, 2007 15:53:13 GMT -5
Ace gave a confused look as Vaxx presented all his freakish powers to him. "You know I'm really starting to wonder if I've entered the airship for the Freaks Convention, but I supposed that teleportation of yours could be useful to me. Come on, let's walk while we chat." Ace then put his arm around Vaxx's shoulder and pulled him along. "OK, this may seem a little rushed, but I'm going to immediately assign your first mission. Ah-ah, questions will be after mission briefing. Now what we are going to try now is a little test on how well you can perform under pressure and how well you can thieve. So this is what we are going to do."
Just then Ace stopped and turned himself and his new accomplice to the right. In front of them lay a stairwell.
"As you can see, my con padre, these are the stairs that lead up to the navigation and control tower and in there is the captain of this fine ship and his many navigation assistants. In about a minute I will walk up there and knock on the door. Someone, most likely an assistant, will answer the door and I will politely ask if I can consult with the captain about a few concerns I have. The assistant will probably give me excuses to hinder me from talking to the captain but I will continue to insist until the captain who is standing in front of the navigation computers just ten feet away will out of courtesy let me in. I will begin to ask completely pointless questions about how everything works in the room and he will proceed to take me on a small tour of the tower, showing me the doodads and doohickies and all the flashy lighty things. I will throw in a few sailing jokes, shake a couple of hands and most likely get invited to share a dinner at the captain's table tomorrow night."
Ace paused for a moment and looked at Vaxx. "Now you are probably wondering 'Where in God's name do I fall into this?' and here's the answer. Right in the back of the navigation room is the captain's private workroom and I want you to do your little teleport thing to get inside. Now once in that room you will take," and as he said his next words Ace pulled out a shining red disc from his inside jacket pocket, "this disk and insert it into the captain's computer. Once you insert the disc the computer will probably begin to make a series of funny noises; just ignore them. After a few seconds the disc will eject and you will take it, make your way out by the same means you entered, and proceed to the bar where we will meet again. Got that buddy? Good well uh... Hmm what do you say in moments like these... oh, Good Will Hunting!"
Ace handed the disc to Vaxx, gave him a pat on the back, then ascended the stairs and knocked on the door. The beginning went exactly as he said and he walked into the room by request of the captain. As the door closed behind Ace he only hoped that he put his faith in the right person, but didn't worry too much since he had a clear way out if anything went wrong. And at that moment Ace whispered to himself, "Good luck, kid."
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Post by Popebenedict on Jun 27, 2007 16:36:34 GMT -5
The hustle and bustle of people was overwhelming. Onslow could barely take it all in -- he was having the time of his life! "Oy! Look at all these rich, beautiful people!" Onslow stated as he glanced around a second time, taking in as much as he could. "Time to get me some action! TO THE BAR!!"
While on his way to the bar, Onslow passed the pool area, and observed several beautiful women, as well as some fairly attractive men. All were dressed in next to nothing, showing off beautifully sculpted bodies. "I fit into this crowd just fine! What was that bouncer talking about?" As he said this, Onslow unbuttoned his shirt, so his finely cut abs and hairy chest could be seen by all.
Onslow continued to the bar, and walked up to the counter.
"Hmmm... normally I would have the strongest thing on the menu... but... THIS IS MY VACATION AND I CAN HAVE AS MUCH AS I WANT! So, no sense in wasting myself with one drink... hmmm... I'll take one of them fruit drinks, with the little umbrella on the side... something strawberry-flavored!"
"No problem, sir. That will be $25."
"WHAT! I thought drinks on this flight were free?! Wasn't that why I payed all that money?"
"Why, yes sir, they are free... every day except today. If you read the brochure, it clearly states that all food and drink must be purchased on the first day, then will be provided the rest of the time, unless you would like some type of rare specialty item."
Onslow pulled his brochure from his left back pocket, and found that it did indeed agree with what the bartender was saying.
"Damn it... Well, thank you sir." Onslow walked off mumbling to himself. "I'm sure as hell not going to eat or drink today... got to find someone who can take care of me... but where would I find someone with money...? Someone who has so much, buying a little for me wouldn't even be a second thought to them... WAIT A MINUTE! DAMN! I forgot, everyone around here is like that! Got to find me a benefactor!"
Onslow scoped out the general area around him, looking for the best possible candidate. "Someone nice-looking... who has money... and could maybe be charmed by my good looks..."
Suddenly a group of three individuals caught Onslow's eye. All three were conversing, and drinking away.
"They must have money, with how they are drinking. Oh! And that one looks really nice!'
Onslow walked over to the group, and tapped them all on the shoulder. "Hello there! I'm Onslow, nice to meet you!" The woman attempted to say something, but before she could get a word out Onslow continued on with his speech. "I couldn't help but notice you all seemed to be having good time, and I was wondering if I could join in?" The man to the right formed an O with his mouth, however, before he could utter a sound, Onslow once again continued on. "Thanks pals! I would love a drink... this time it's on you, I'll cover it... tomorrow."
Onslow slapped all three of his new friends on the back, and took a seat next to the man on the right.
Onslow reordered the same drink from before, and took a sip while eyeing the group. He carefully studied each of them, before his eyes came to rest on the chest of a single member of the group.
"No, I will not date you," Rie said, before any question could be asked.
"Excuse me?" Onslow replied.
"I saw you looking at me, and I know what you're thinking."
"Sorry... I wasn't looking at you... to be honest I was looking at your friend here." Onslow pointed toward Ender, and gave him a slight wink, and twitch of the head.
"What!" Rie responded, taken aback about not being the center of attention.
"Sorry, this cruise is making me feel a little experimental. Not saying you're ugly or anything, but I just want to try something different right now. You could join in if you wanted to, of course." Onslow looked over to Ender. "What do you say, big boy?"
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