[mission: hyrypia] hey kid wanna see a dead body

[onemind]

CHARACTERS: EVERYONE
WHERE: The Second Flight
WHEN: DAY :021 - DAY :022
SUMMARY: Leaving the Graze and flying over the Finger Maze. [insert Psycho music cue here]
WARNINGS: Corpses. Will update as necessary. Need a warning added? PM this account please!

HYRYPIA - THE SECOND FLIGHT
DAY :021

I. ALLLL ABOARD
THE SOUND OF HORNS has become familiar in your time on Hyrypia, but the low drone seems out of place here in the great open space of the main hall of the Second’s Flight. The space here is fantastically and beautifully ornate, the pale polished wood floors and rich dark paneling strangely reminiscent of sand and stone, loamy earth and some rich, dense forest not native to the arid lands of this planet. The space seems to dare the sky to claim it, acting out some daring violation of delivering the earth into the heavens. The twin heads of House Tyrisson are equally lavish both in their appearance and welcome. Two brothers, draped in elaborate pastel fabrics and glinting with enough metal accents to put the ornate robes of Seconds to shame, they trade a short speech back and forth between them:

"Once, our ancestors would have travelled the depths and turns of the Finger Maze in an effort to follow the footsteps of the First. Luckily, we don't live in such dangerous times; the gifts of the First and this planet we call home have allowed us to grow up out of our desperation. Consider this comfort our gift to you and enjoy your time on the Second Flight."

A band strikes up the moment the Tyrisson twins take their seats and you are left to your own devices. So much for living simply.

II. A MURDER MOST FOUL
A SCREAM PIERCES THE SILENCE of the saunas. The low sound of gently flowing water and the soft piped music seems to fade to nothing in the wake of the raw, terrified noise. Unsurprisingly, it draws immediate attention as a horrified Descendant practically falls into the arms of the servant that comes to his aid. The outburst is easily forgiven as word travels like lightning through the ship.

There has been a murder - or rather, two murders. Two bodies, damp with humidity and beginning to give of a distinctly unpleasant smell, have been found in one of the hot bath grottos. The mineral water they've been soaking in has reverted from a milky white to a terrible, blood rust brown.

And while it's unlikely that any Carbauschians were sharing the pool with them (robes make for unpleasant waders), the dryer albeit stiflingly hot areas of the conjoined saunas are such a communal meeting places that it wouldn't be out of the realm of imagination that one or two Hosts might be nearby… Regardless, news travels quickly and the chilly atmosphere that descends over the Second Flight is palpable. A horrific hunting accident is one thing, but murder? That's something else altogether.


HYRYPIA - THE SECOND FLIGHT
DAY :022

III. A SORDID AFFAIR
TO SAY that the atmosphere is somewhat tense is an understatement. It seems that everyone has something to say about the murders- but these things are said tersely, in whispers under the breath, with darting eyes and suspicious glances, and security- once hidden, secret- is now easily visible. They can be found at the entrance of each of the broad areas, patrolling down the paths that run alongside the outer walls of the Envoy’s cabins- never intruding, but ever present. Still, there seems to be an insistence that it will be dealt with by a member of the Tyrisson protectorate guard - Detective Savela, a hard-nosed, serious woman who seems not to want any assistance - and that the guests should continue to enjoy themselves. The bands still play, the games are ever present. Of course, those that are enterprising may wish to try poking around, instead.

IV. THE SHOW MUST GO ON
MURDER SCHMURDER-- In what's very clearly an effort to retain some sense of normalcy, an elaborate meal is served late on Day :022. The dishes are so complex that might as well be show pieces of their own, the music has an air of desperation, and the display of technomancy from a pair of Seconds is so delicate and ornate - centering almost entirely on a cloud of small metal coins that shifts shape constantly to illustrate scenes from the famous epic poem The Arion throughout the course of the dinner - that under any other circumstances it might be a singularly memorable moment.

Unfortunately, the palpable sense of suspicion between the envoy factions persists and the temper of the room is anything but celebratory. Late in the evening when most people have retired from the stifling atmosphere, a scuffle breaks out between some Meradan bodyguards and a clutch of Carpathan servants.


HYRYPIA - THE SECOND’S FLIGHT
DAY :023

V. A FAREWELL TO ARMS
THE ENGINES ever-present hum ticking down an octave is the first sign that the Flight has almost reached its destination. By the time the servants are politely knocking on the entrances of the berthings, the new dawn reveals that the cliffs and the winding passages of the Finger Maze have finally fallen behind the ship. The land here consists of rocky, relatively bare hills and is accented only with occasional short, sparse woody tree and straggly clumps of red grass. From somewhere in the distance, salt touches the wind. The Second Flight lands, setting gently down into the trough between two hills. Its now familiar gangplank extends, ready to send the Pilgrims again out onto the road.

---

((OOC Notes: This log covers days :021 and :022 on the Second Flight. A log will be posted for the walk on DAY :023 and the arrival at the Red Coast. Please be sure to review the MISSION: HYRYPIA ooc information to find setting information for the Second Flight. If you have any questions, please hit up either the mission's question thread, the FAQ or MOD CONTACT pages!))

NAVIGATION • GAME CALENDAR • MISSION: HYRYPIA • FAQ • MOD CONTACT • GLOSSARY

( CODE BY WHAMBAM )

Comments

ii

[detestable]

[ What Seth's really trying to acclimate to is having everyone he's meant to trust draped in fabric but still being able to identify them by the bright pulse of recognition that passes between their minds. It'd be easier if Seth could tell himself that he's just recognizing the color of a particular person's robes but he knows that isn't the case. He recognizes Clarke's mind. Seth was unlikely to forget what she felt like. Clarke had made a hell of a first impression, morbid though it had been. ]

Are you buying?

[ No one's buying. This is the first time in Seth's life where he hasn't been all that excited by an open bar. Alien space ships and Lakshmi's anger has made a real dent in Seth's ability to enjoy refreshments.

Though even as Seth sits, the buzz of Clarke's excitement intrudes at the edges of his thoughts. For Seth, it feels like sitting next to someone listening to music without a headset. There's no good way to ignore it and Seth's kneejerk rejection of it comes slowly. He's already aware that Clarke likely isn't the type to be unabashedly excited about anything. ]

What're you excited about?

[skaikru]

( morbid first impressions. yup, that's her.

but this bubbly, almost childlike wonderment for the world flying by around them — well, that's clarke, too. but it's different, measured. almost as if she's purposefully decided that this moment right here will be the one small slice of time in which she doesn't aggressively focus on their plights and the dangers lurking behind every twist and turn of their journey. it's a moment to breathe and fight off the oppressive weight of voracious lonesomeness; to briefly allow her face to relax from its default of pinched concern, even if no one can see it.

this is clarke griffin compartmentalizing with the admittedly appreciated assistance of alcohol. it's been a laugh-or-cry kind of week. )

If you'd walked through a desert for three days and expected to have to walk through a maze for the next week, you'd be excited too. ( maybe that's not it. compared to running through the woods for three months and foraging for food, an organized march and warm sleeping arrangements hadn't been all that bad. and specifically what's bringing clarke such borrowed joy at the moment is the visual through the windows on either side of them. sifting light clouds, the dusky pink coral canyons below, painted with orange splashes from the setting red sun. objectively it's really quite beautiful, and she's decided to enjoy it. )

I've never seen anything like this.

[detestable]

[ The desert itself had been familiar territory. Seth's spent more than enough time kicking through the desert dust on both sides of the border. Finding similar terrain on an alien planet had made it a little easier to acclimate. The ship they're on, however— ]

Yeah, neither have I.

[ Any awe Seth might have had was trampled on by the endless parade of supernatural bullshit through his life. The ship was nice, sure. The view was great. But it was leading them towards something else that was probably going to be fucked. Knowing that made it hard for Seth to fully appreciate the moment. ]

They got a hell of a budget, I'm guessing.

[ There's a Star Trek joke Seth's barely restraining himself from making. He senses that this isn't the audience for it. With Richie out of earshot, it'd be a waste. ]

What's at the end of this trip? Anyone around here find that out yet?

[skaikru]

More walking, maybe. ( quiet musing, devoid of any bitterness for the callouses already formed on her heel from the strange boots they'd all been given to disguise their species. clarke continues to stare out the window, but her gaze shifts up — up and over the canyons, toward the skyline and whatever distant destination awaits them. )

Or more trials. Our hosts have been pretty secretive about what all this pilgrimage includes, so I don't know. ( it's an awful lot of trust the hyrypian's are demanding, she thinks. but she has the good sense not to say as much aloud in the mixed company of viewing deck. )

[detestable]

Because that's a great sign of things to come.

[ Didn't it bother anyone how little they knew about what they were walking into? People were complaining, sure, but as far as Seth was concerned, no one was focusing on the right things. They were operating without any real safety net. The stakes were incredibly high. It was incredible to Seth that no one was finding any real answers, let alone trying to root out their mark.

But all of that's a lot to drop on Clarke, who is just a kid. A kid who'd apparently been shouldering more of her fair share, but still, a kid. Seth can't pin the entirety of the mission on her. ]

None of you people figured out a way to persuade our hosts to give up some hints about what's coming down the pipe?

[ With all the weird shit people in this group were capable of, there had to be someone with a useful skill for stealing information. ]

[skaikru]

( even if she is not the direct object of his frustration, clarke can feel the telltale prickle of displeasure. the impatience, like a jiggling leg underneath a tabletop or a habitual twitch; someone unsatisfied with how little they knew or how little they were doing. it's a phantom of the twisted feeling of uselessness and idleness that she'd felt in the days leading up to the hunt, the same urge to be in the know and helpful that had led her on top of the cliffs they were so gracefully soaring over now. but death has always been a very effective distraction, and some of the wind has been sucked from her sails.

way to harsh her buzz, seth. but with all seriousness, clarke reaches to contain her hazy thoughts, and speaks quietly, all too aware of the servers and patrons mingling around the deck. )

We can't exactly interrogate them without giving ourselves away. But plenty of us are digging, and if you have a lot of questions, I'll tell you what I can and try to find out who can answer the rest of them.