Naiad
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Posts: 16
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Post by Naiad on May 30, 2017 20:09:03 GMT -5
The mercenary touched her arm. It was a shock to Darya. As the princess of Atlantis, there was always a certain amount of distance between herself and the people she met. Since this was her first time truly leaving the city, everyone she’d met prior to this moment in her life were either subjects or high-profile leaders from other places. This was the first man she’d ever met that didn’t treat her like she was made of glass or something. He still called her ‘princess’, but that was to be expected. He was being respectful, which was appropriate. She doubted that he knew her given name anyway, though, unless he’d overheard her father using it earlier. Had the king called her by name? She couldn’t remember at the moment, and in truth it hardly mattered. When she’d gathered her emotions and put them back in check, she raised her head to nod at him in acknowledgment of his comforting words. They would definitely find her cousin. She had to believe that. Otherwise what was the purpose of her father sending her outside the kingdom? If she could not handle this task, perhaps it would even affect his confidence in her ability to rule. Probably not, but it was definitely something she worried about. Her brow wrinkled as she tried to think of the rumors of Dr. Tyki. It was difficult for her, as he’d been banished quite some time ago. “He was brilliant. Truly took the technology of Atlantis to the next level. I remember he used to make puzzles for me when I was growing up. Anyway, he was supposed to become my father’s head scientist before we discovered the human testing. He’d been taking people from the streets of Atlantis, or even from the surface, and experimenting on them. After he was banished, the rumor was that he established a base at the bottom of the Mariana Trench.” She paused for a moment. “But that’s on the opposite side of the world from here, so I doubt he’d take Jakai there if he was taken from here.” Even if that rumor was true, the mad scientist could easily have established a more local base of operations. Or he may know someone in the area that would be willing to support his cause. “I may be able to get a list of known associates if we contact Atlantis…” Not her father, though. If the king even suspected Dr. Tyki of being involved, he might try to pull her back to the capital and off the case. That was the last thing she wanted.
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Merc
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Posts: 17
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Post by Merc on Sept 22, 2017 17:23:32 GMT -5
Merc knew that he'd gone a little too far there. There was a level of discomfort that physical contact sometimes caused with people. He hadn't meant to do it. He wasn't the type to show any sort of compassion or emotion. He honestly didn't even really read those things that well in people. Usually, when he was around someone the only emotion he got was their fear. But the princess was feeling all sorts of internal discomfort. He found that he was hoping he hadn't added to that. She was hurting to know that her cousin was gone, possibly gone for eternity, but she was still so strong. And that, he respected. She was some kind of tough.
Of course he was going to reassure her that they'd find Jakai. And of course they would find him. That was what the bounty hunter did, and he was damn good at his job. He caught the acknowledgement from her and looked off into the distance, thinking. Though for sure, he didn't exactly know where to go from here. Everything on this crazy planet was foreign to him. His homeworld didn't have water, his people didn't need to hydrate to survive. Hell, they barely needed to eat. That was a perk of being a shapeshifter, malleable organs.
He listened carefully as she explained what she knew of the exiled doctor. From what she said about the human testing, he understood why he'd have been kicked out. Humans did seem to have a hang up about that sort of thing. "The Mariana Trench?" he questioned. That was something he knew nothing of. Hearing that it was on the other side of the world gave him pause. "If he's as intelligent as you say, would it be possible that he's created some form of rapid transport?" It made sense, especially if no one knew the scientist had created such a thing. He could easily get to and from his crime scenes, so to speak. "Known associates would be a good place to check, of course. If you can do that I'll run a scan on the on board computer and see how long it'll take us to get to the trench. If nothing else, at least we could sack the place and find some clues to his whereabouts."
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Naiad
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Posts: 16
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Post by Naiad on Dec 14, 2017 14:32:23 GMT -5
It seemed like he regretted reaching out to her. Darya hoped it wasn’t because of her reaction. She really hadn’t meant to give him any sort of negative reaction from it. She appreciated the gesture, it was just… well… she was used to everyone keeping their distance from her. She was untouchable, a member of royalty. The only people who treated her as equals were her own family, or visiting members of the nobility. Even then, every interaction was incredibly formal. So to have someone like him just casually reach out to comfort her as if she were any other woman in the world… she didn’t really know how to react.
Luckily, the discomfort she’d sensed from him did not last very long. They moved forward, as well they should if they were going to rescue her cousin from Dr. Tyki’s clutches. They needed a plan, a way to find them and then… well… they would have to see what happened then. “Rapid transport? I wouldn’t put it past him, honestly, but I’ve never heard of such a thing.” That didn’t mean it didn’t exist. “I hope he’s not there. We’d never be able to make it down to that depth in this ship, unless it’s a lot tougher than it looks. The pressure would tear it apart.” She might be able to get down to the bottom of the trench herself, but it wasn’t likely that he would be able to follow her and she didn’t think she would be able to rescue Jakai by herself. Plus, once they made it to the other side of the world, it would still take her many precious hours to swim all the way to the bottom.
When he mentioned checking known associates being a good idea, she nodded and went back to his ship to access the comm system. As much as she dreaded the idea of her father finding out about Dr. Tyki’s involvement in all of this, she didn’t have any contacts outside of Atlantis so this was a chance she would have to take. It didn’t take long for her to tell the Atlantean scientists what she needed, and they promised to send her a list of Tyki’s known followers shortly. She sighed softly, leaning back in her seat as she waited for them to compile the information and send back to her.
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Merc
character
Posts: 17
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Post by Merc on May 4, 2018 18:17:06 GMT -5
There was a fine line with royalty that you just didn't cross. Merc didn't have to be from this planet to know that. It was pretty clear regardless of your home's culture and ways. Part of that line was that you didn't touch someone of noble blood. Not without their say so, anyway. By definition, a noble was better than you. The bounty hunter doubted that Darya felt that way, but it was fact nonetheless. Water covered three quarters of this world, and her family held dominion over that. Advanced technology, nearly endless space, what could a royal family want more? Simple, they could want their entire family together. And that was the reason Merc was here.
That's what brought him out of that thought process. The job. The job was everything. And the job was to find Jakai, for good or for bad. "No, this ship couldn't take that kind of pressure. The vacuum of space, sure, but not the pressure of the deep sea. We'd have to find another way. Hopefully that's not where he is though, I can agree with that." He looked away when she went to the ship to contact Atlantis. He'd figured that she wouldn't want to involve them too much. This was her assignment, after all. But there was no shame in needing a little help. And if her father really wanted her cousin back then he'd spare no expense and divulge any secret. Merc hoped that would be the case anyway. Sometimes royalty could be very stubborn with information. Knowledge is power.
During the time Darya was waiting for information, Merc took the time to take in his surroundings. It was strange, all the time that he'd spent on this planet, and he'd never really stayed put long enough to enjoy the inherent beauty it possessed. The waves gently lapped against his ship, a sound that could lull one to sleep rather easily. He could hear the marine life below at play, swimming about beneath him. Such a lovely melody. He appreciated it, being as his home planet had no water. It was a little known fact that Zazarians didn't need hydration to survive. Merc had acquired a taste for various alcohols over his time here, though. He closed his eyes and let the breeze flow around him, and waited until she came back with something.
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Naiad
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Posts: 16
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Post by Naiad on Jun 11, 2018 22:28:24 GMT -5
It didn’t take long for her to get the information she sought. The downside was that now her father knew what they were, possibly, up against. He wasn’t thrilled by the idea of his only daughter taking that on, and damn near ordered her to come home. The majority of the time between when Darya left the mercenary’s side and when she returned was spent arguing with her father, convincing him to allow this mission to continue. She had her powers to protect her. Not only that, but the mercenary would also make sure nothing happened. Without her knowledge, the mercenary would probably never have even suspected Dr. Tyki’s involvement. Maybe he would have found some other information that would eventually lead him in that direction, but there was no proof of that. He knew little about Atlantean culture and history. That meant he would need her help to find Jakai. The king rubbed his temples to express his frustration with the situation, but finally agreed. She was to keep herself out of danger wherever possible, though.
Finally, she left the ship and returned to her escort. “Alright, the list is short so hopefully one of these people will know something.” She showed him a holopad that had a list of names and images. “These are all of Dr. Tyki’s known associates. Only these two at the top live in Sapphire City, so they’re the most likely for him to have gone to if he was involved and had taken prisoners.” The rest of them were scattered all over the world, but there were also a few others living on the east coast of the continent, so they were also possibilities if these first two didn’t work out.
Now that her eyes had adjusted more to the light, Darya took a better look at her surroundings. Many large buildings were close by, so that must be the city itself. She frowned. It was very different from Atlantis. Of course it was. She didn’t know why she would have expected anything else. Surface humans had developed very differently from her people. Their cities would have different technology, different everything. She was curious to see what it was like further in.
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Merc
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Posts: 17
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Post by Merc on Jun 30, 2018 7:42:45 GMT -5
When the princess returned, Merc looked over the list she'd handed to him, listening to her intently. The two that lived in Sapphire City seemed the most likely to him, due to the fact that they were closer. "Might as well start here," he said, pointing to Dr. Henry Michele. "Looks like he's got a lab in the city...." He stopped for a second, something popping into his mind and he gave her a sour look. He didn't like the thought that came to him, and she'd like it even less. But it had to be said. "I know it's not true with all Atlanteans, but some have a vulnerability that they have to keep their skin moist to keep their powers, and it's a torture method for some enemies. Is Jakai one of those that has that vulnerability?" He wasn't sure if the princeling was or not, but he had to know. What if one of these associates of Tykl was torturing the poor kid? Whatever the case, they had to find him quick.
The mercenary waited for an answer, but did so with the haste of getting back in the ship. "We're going to find him," he assured her. It wasn't so much about the money now. She'd grown on him a little bit now. He didn't want to see her suffer from losing anyone. He didn't really know that feeling, being raised in a manner that didn't allow for feelings or even free will for that matter. But he knew that not all were the same. The people of Atlantis were a proud people and they loved one another. It really was a delight for him to see.
The ship moved quickly, and came ashore at a deserted end of the beach. Pressing a few buttons with alien symbols on them, not alien to him, but you know, the ship began to shift a bit and it lifted off the ground, hovering in the air. The bounty hunter put in the location and the ship's navigation tracked out the quickest course. "Ten minutes," he said softly. He'd get them there, and they'd find out what was going on.
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Naiad
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Posts: 16
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Post by Naiad on Aug 4, 2018 17:39:18 GMT -5
Darya recoiled like she’d been struck. That notion hadn’t even occurred to her. There were dark things about this surface world that her father had never told her, if this was really something that had occurred in the past. “...yes,” was her only answer at first. “Jak’s mother tried to keep him from the surface as much as possible for that reason. It was only over the last year or so that he started to get rebellious…” And now, he’d been possibly taken captive by the most evil man in the seven seas. Having that condition used against him to cause him pain. It made the princess sick to her stomach.
They could be wrong, though. Nothing was for sure yet. She was just imagining the worst possible scenario here, and that wouldn’t do anyone any good. All she could do was work with the mercenary at her side to get him back. His presence… gave her comfort. There was no other way to really put it. When he said they would get her cousin back, she believed him. It was a little surprising to her considering the fact that she’d never actually seen him in action, but something about his confident presence soothed her troubled mind. She looked up at him and managed a small nod and smile. “Thank you for your help, by the way. For everything you’ve done so far and whatever happens next. Hopefully I won’t slow you down.”
The strange symbols on Merc’s ship had gone unnoticed by the princess until this point. Was that the writing of surface-dwellers? She spoke several human languages, but didn’t recall ever having seen those kinds of glyphs before. “Which language is that?” she inquired, at least partially in an attempt to learn something about the man in whom she’d not only placed her own life, but also that of her cousin. “I don’t recognize it.”
As they traveled, a thought struck her. “My name is Darya, by the way. It would probably be best if you didn’t have to refer to me as ‘princess’ every time. Dr. Tyki will know either way, but the others might not.” She wasn’t sure how familiar the other followers were with the royal family. Mostly the known associates seemed to be from up here on the surface. And even Tyki hadn’t seen her since she was a small child. It was possible he wouldn’t recognize her. Unless he had followers who were still in Atlantis and were providing him with updates on the royal family. That would be an issue of a completely different sort. For now, she was working under the assumption that very few of who they encountered would know who she was. It would be better that way, just in case things went badly. The last thing she wanted was for her to be taken captive too. Knowing Dr. Tyki, he’d want to experiment on her as well while probably being held ransom. If it came down to death or becoming some kind of mind-controlled puppet ascending to the throne and being under his control, she would rather choose the former.
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Merc
character
Posts: 17
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Post by Merc on Sept 14, 2018 18:38:38 GMT -5
Well into the city it was. The bounty hunter and the princess going after a missing member of the royal family. Merc had no doubt at all that the two of them would find him, but he did have concern for the condition they'd find him in, especially if these men were as evil as he believed them to be. He nodded when she responded to his question. He didn't like the idea that it could be a possibility, but he'd found that the people of this planet were capable of some very unsavory acts. Torture was all but unheard of on Zazara. But then, so was crime for the most part. This world was so much different. He didn't understand it, there was so much randomness, so much greed and selfishness. It was not at all the way he was brought up. But it was part of his life now. And he had to deal with it here instead of back at home. It almost sounded like Zazara was a utopia, but there were still the elements of anarchy and evil. They just weren't as pronounced as they were here.
"You don't have to thank me. And if your father thought you'd slow me down he wouldn't have let you come with me. I don't think that you will either." He continued on in his thoughts about the differences in this planet and his, but her question about the glyphs caught his attention. "It's Zazarian. The language of my people. The glyphs are known as Etchma. Not many would recognize it. It is taught only to the Zazarians. The human tongue can't reproduce the sounds that our language makes. So we've never bothered to try to teach anyone. It can be understood, though, and read. That glyph, that Etchma," he said, pointing to a glyph that looked like a spear caught in a whirlwind. "It means switch. That's the one I press to switch from land vehicle to water vehicle to space ship."
He simply nodded when she told him her given name. Darya. It was fitting, a beautiful name for a beautiful woman. It only made sense to him. "I meant only respect in calling you princess. But you make a valid point. I will call you by name then. Darya." He gave her a slight smile. He knew this had to be a tense situation for her, and he could feel the stress she must be under. Zazarians weren't empaths, but they felt emotion just as much as any human could, and were just as perceptive as any other. "I was on a hunt similar to this once. My employer had lost his Gadstrek. In human terms the closest comparison would be a kitten, but with two rows of teeth, four eyes and three sets of legs. Understand that pets on Zazara are just like family. I found the Gadstrek in the man's back yard after searching for it for nearly a week. It had returned home safely. I can't say that will happen here, but I figured hearing something hopeful like that may help some."
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Naiad
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Posts: 16
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Post by Naiad on Oct 20, 2018 14:22:19 GMT -5
His words did comfort her somewhat. The idea that he had at least enough faith in her to not think she would slow him down was nice. “Well, I don’t think my father could have foreseen that things would take this turn. I am glad I’ve been able to be useful so far.” Darya could only guess what would come next. They could be in for a fight, or maybe they would catch the evil genius completely off-guard. That scenario didn’t seem terribly likely though, just based on what she’d heard about the man in rumors. He was prepared for every eventuality, so they said. Hopefully he wouldn’t see this odd pair, princess and mercenary, coming. Or if he did, hopefully he would underestimate them.
She’d asked the question about the markings on his ship, and got an unexpected answer. Well, not entirely unexpected. She’d known it was most likely some kind of language. The part she hadn’t foreseen was where the language came from. A few guesses had bounced around in her mind, but none of them had been that he was from another planet. He looked so much like a human that it was a little difficult to believe. Then again, her own people had some distinct differences from the humans who lived on the planet’s surface. Atlanteans were stronger and tougher, for starters, but it was the breathing underwater thing that was probably the biggest difference. From what she’d read, in a lot of ways they pretty much were aliens themselves. Strange to think of something like that, considering her father held dominion over two-thirds of the world’s surface. Yet somehow they were the outsiders in this scenario? It was a numbers game, she guessed. The surface-dwellers had gotten way too enthusiastic when it came to procreating, and now the entire planet was feeling the effects of that. She wondered whether she would have more in common with an Earthling, or a Zazarian like Merc.
“Oh, I had no idea you were a… that you weren’t from Earth.” Perhaps the sophistication of the ship should have given her some kind of clue, but this was her first time to the surface. For all she knew, the entire surface population rode around in vessels similar to this one. Her eyes drifted to the button he’d pointed out, memorizing the glyph and its meaning. “So this ship can go into space too? Fascinating.” She had so many questions she wanted to ask him, but restrained herself because of the circumstances. He undoubtedly didn’t want her pestering him, even if he was the first alien she’d ever met.
“Kitten? Oh yes, the little fuzzy ones, right? They’re very cute, but I’ve never seen one in person. Surface animals do not do well away from the sunlight.” Atlantis relied on artificial light, or that created by the plants and animals that called the depths of the ocean its home. “My pets growing up were usually turtles.” She did appreciate that he was trying to make her feel better. “If Jakai ends up wandering his way back home after all this, I’m not sure whether I’ll want to hug him or punch him for making me worry so much.” Not a very princess-y thing to say, probably, but that’s how she felt. She’d never been very good at hiding her emotions. Like now, with the city coming fully into view, Darya’s eyes widened. Everything was so different from home. “Wow…” she found herself sitting up straight, craning her neck to try to get a view of everything all at once. Pictures in holograms did a decent job of portraying this surface world, but there was nothing that compared to seeing it in person.
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Merc
character
Posts: 17
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Post by Merc on Jan 26, 2019 10:06:10 GMT -5
To keep the princess' confidence high was a must. Merc knew that. If she got to the point of self despair, or thinking that it was doing no good to have her here, then she would become a detriment to the mission. Getting emotional about it only meant that she cared. Sure, getting too emotional could mess things up, but somehow the bounty hunter knew that she wouldn't put the mission in jeopardy. Somehow he knew that he could trust her to act as she should when the situations arose. "You've been more than useful. I would have never known about the doctor if if weren't for you. The burn marks on the sub being Atlantean equipment, I might have guessed, but couldn't have confirmed. You did that. You're the reason we're on the right track here."
Merc laughed a bit. "Yeah, I'm an alien. I don't mind the term," he said, thinking that she might believe the term to be insensitive. He noted her looking at the glyph and noted the look of memorization. Few people even tried to remember something from his language. It was a difficult language, damn near impossible, to learn, but the fact that she took the time to even remember one glyph brought a smile to his face. "It can," he answered her question. "Maybe one day, after we find Jakai, of course, I can take you to see space too." He could only laugh at her comment about either hugging him or punching him. He completely understood.
Seeing her reaction to the city made him wonder. Had she never been to the surface? He understood, of course. His reaction when he'd first saw it had been similar. On his planet there were no skyscrapers, no buildings more than three stories tall. So to see buildings that touched the heavens was quite the sight for him as well. "It's beautiful in it's own way, yes?" he asked with a smile. It wouldn't be long now, and they'd reach their destination. He hoped that they could find Jakai safe on the first try, but knew it was unlikely. Still, it didn't hurt to hold out hope.
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Naiad
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Posts: 16
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Post by Naiad on Mar 7, 2019 1:08:07 GMT -5
His statement made Darya disproportionately happy. The mercenary was just stating a fact, yet she couldn’t help but feel pleased by his approval. “I guess you may have had a more difficult time if you’d been doing this alone. That must be why father sent someone along with you. You’re probably used to working alone though, right?” She thought she’d noted some slight disapproval on his face in the palace when he’d first learned that she was going to accompany him. She might have just been projecting that feeling onto him, though, since that was definitely the way she’d been feeling at the time. The princess had wanted to go after Jakai herself, without any assistance. Her father was obviously not going to let his only daughter wander into the human world alone. She’d never really been on her own, and this task might prove dangerous. At first she’d found her father’s lack of faith in her irritating. Now she found herself glad Merc was here with her. Dr. Tyki was no average man.
Just the possibility of travelling into space made her eyes light up. “I would like that. I’ve heard it’s beautiful up there. I mean, I’ve seen pictures of course, but nothing is like seeing the real thing.” Just like her first view of this human city. Seeing a photograph could not even begin to explain the strangeness to her eyes, down to the smells even. They’d managed to cut down a bit on the pollution, but there was still a lot of waste.
He drew her attention back to him with his question, and Darya nodded. “Everything is so different from back home. I might as well be on an alien world already.” She pretty much was. Now that she’d seen it, she could understand why her father hadn’t wanted her to make her first trip up here alone. It would be so easy for her to get lost amid all these tall buildings. And so many people! The ocean covered at least twice as much of the Earth’s surface as the land, but the human population was huge in comparison. Darya had the feeling she might feel a little claustrophobic once she actually got down there, just looking at the number of people and cars on the street below as they flew past. “So what is Zazara like? Apart from having kittens with six legs and four eyes, I mean.”
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Merc
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Posts: 17
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Post by Merc on Mar 9, 2019 11:10:58 GMT -5
"You're absolutely right, I would have," the bounty hunter responded to the princess' statement. It was good to see that she was feeling more optimistic now about her own involvement in this search. "I am used to working alone, but I have to admit that it does get....lonely." That was a term that Merc didn't really understand before. It didn't seem to bother him much that he was the only one of his race on earth, that he knew of anyway. Beyond that, he never felt a need for a connection further than just a job to do. He was no hero, so saving the earth from other invading aliens or super powered weirdos didn't really appeal to him. Do the job, go rest, do another job. It was that simple for him. It was. "Your father is a stern man. But he cares for you deeply. It troubled him to let you go on this mission." That sort of relationship was also uncommon to his race. But seeing it in the Atlantean king made him almost yearn for it.
"In it's own right, yes. Some see it as a vast nothingness. Others like to connect the stars in pictures or revel in the different colors of the planets. All of the blue that your people control truly does make earth that much more beautiful from above." Perhaps one day her father would allow the bounty hunter to at least give her a short 'tour'. Everybody needed some excitement in their life. Sure, the search for Jakai was definitely taking care of that for now. But what about after? Of course she would have to spend some time with her cousin after they found him, after the decision anyway.
She was one hundred percent right about everything being so different from her home. Atlantis was beautiful, and there was no doubting that, but seeing such sights here had to be a bit of a system shock for her. Everything from the people to the building styles to the vehicles and even the animals was different. Not only that but the sheer volume of each of those things was overwhelming. "Zazara is plain in comparison really. It's rigid, both in the planet itself and my people's structure. We're given our occupations at birth, told who to care for and what to do with our lives. There is little to no free will. And as a generalization, my people are just fine with it. It works. Few of us get to travel. We were not here during the battle when the city was destroyed. Our elders wouldn't allow us to intervene."
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Naiad
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Posts: 16
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Post by Naiad on Apr 6, 2019 13:06:56 GMT -5
Her father… Darya frowned slightly when Merc mentioned him. She knew he was a good man, but their relationship had not been simple lately. She’d grown too headstrong, too curious about the world outside Atlantis for his taste. To her, it was just because she was growing up. He needed to accept that and nurture it so she could make a better queen. Letting her come on this mission had been a major step in the right direction, but she knew he was fighting against every instinct when he’d agreed to let her leave the city. “I know he does. He just wants to protect me. But I’m convinced that living my life inside a bubble will not make me a good queen.” She needed to get out into the world, talk to people, get their opinions. Occasionally put herself in danger if necessary. How could she ask others to put their lives on the line for her when she was not willing to fight for herself? Especially with the talent and powers she possessed as someone with royal blood running through her veins.
Hearing more about his people, his world, brought up mixed feelings within Darya. It seemed so different from what she knew, and yet there were some strange similarities. Being told who you were going to be from birth, for example, was something the princess understood all too well. The difference was their attitude toward the situation. “Your people are satisfied with being told what to do all the time? Sometimes I wish I could be like that…” Her life would be happier if she could just do what her father told her without arguing. Wouldn’t it? She assumed as much. There would be far less conflict at any rate, which was normally thought of as a good thing. “And you’re one of the few who was allowed to travel? Were you also assigned a… someone to care for?” She wasn’t sure what made her ask that question, but she was definitely curious about his answer. By the standards of her people, he was incredibly handsome. But here, travelling so far from home, it was hard for her to imagine that he had a mate. He’d also mentioned being lonely sometimes. Maybe that meant he really didn’t have a wife or mate or whatever waiting for him back home on Zazara.
The ship was slowing a little, which Darya took to mean they were nearly at their destination. She swallowed hard, steeling herself for whatever was ahead. If Tyki was involved, Jakai could already be dead. Or worse. One way or another, the princess and the mercenary were going to find out. And if any harm had come to her cousin, she would hunt the offenders down to the depths of the deepest trenches if necessary to see that justice was done.
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Merc
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Posts: 17
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Post by Merc on Apr 20, 2019 9:11:52 GMT -5
The bounty hunter knew that bringing up her father would drudge up some thoughts, but it really wasn't his intent. He could tell that her father loved her with all of his heart. Truth be told, he longed for that. Hearing her talk about it though only confirmed that. "I agree with you," he said softly. "How can you lead your people when you know next to nothing about the world around you? Your father has ventured to the surface world many times, or so he's told me. He finds it condemnable. He sees them as savages and fools, but respects their resourcefulness." Hell, the man ruled three quarters of the earth. Of course he was going to have a low opinion of the inhabitants of the other quarter. But it seemed that Darya was going to be different.
Talking about his home planet, though you might think that it would, didn't bring up any longing. Merc was happy to get off the planet and go adventuring. He'd been one of the lucky few who had been given permission to do so, or rather had been given the job that made it necessary. "Strangely enough they are. We understand that order defeats chaos most of the time. When you know what you're supposed to do it prevents idle hands syndrome. Often we find that people who don't know what they are meant to do end up doing dumb, or even dastardly things, out of boredom." His home world was very interesting in that way. No one got drunk and did stupid things. People just did their job, went home to be with their paired mate, rested and went back to their job. "I am one of the few, yes. There are those, of course, who break away still. No system is perfect." There had been a few renegades, as they were called, who went against the way of his people and ran off to other worlds. "No, no one," he answered slowly. "My occupation is...very dangerous. Pairing me with someone would be equally as dangerous. Should I die, it would illicit an emotional response. Emotions often make people do things that they normally wouldn't." That, he wasn't too fond of, and it would be clear in his voice.
The ship set down on the roof of a building. Before the hatch opened up, Merc looked to her. "I know you're used to the currents and the pressure of the seas, but we're up really high and the winds are just as strong at his altitude. I know you can handle it, but I wanted you to be forewarned." The hatch opened and Merc made his way to the roof access door. Now they were about to find out, or at least get clued in, to what was really going on.
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Naiad
character
Posts: 16
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Post by Naiad on May 19, 2019 12:26:32 GMT -5
At least the mercenary agreed with her. Darya was comforted by that fact, even though her father obviously had much more experience ruling a kingdom than either of them. The princess was convinced though. If she was completely disconnected from the people she ruled, she would make bad decisions. Ones that favored the people whose points of view she knew: the aristocracy. Even if she was trying to be fair, she needed to know what was out there and how people really interacted with each other. All you had to do was read back on some of the great rebellions in the world’s history to figure out that you should never underestimate or ignore the common people.
It continued to surprise her how different his planet and people were from her own. “So your people try to avoid having… emotional responses to things?” That sounded completely insane to her, but then again they were a different species technically. Their brains had to be wired differently, maybe to avoid emotion altogether. No wonder they were so willing to fit into the molds given to them. It did make Darya wonder though, just how far that whole emotionless thing went. Joy? Anger? Sadness? Fear? Love? Merc did seem very stern, but still kind. Remembering his comforting words from earlier made it hard for her to believe he was completely frigid. The ability to feel emotions was necessary for any kind of empathy. He was either incredibly good at pretending, or he did feel things. Just maybe not in the same way she did.
Darya nodded when he warned her about the wind. That made a certain amount of sense. Deep underwater currents could be incredibly powerful. It made sense to think that winds could be much stronger at higher altitudes than they were at ground level. “Thank you for the warning.” She braced herself as she stepped out of the ship. It was immediately obvious why he’d said something. She thought her experience with the ocean currents would help her in this scenario, but unfortunately that was not really the case. Water provided more resistance than air for her to fight against. This was a completely different feeling. “I see what you mean.” She followed him toward the door. “The documents Atlantis sent over said this woman, Hekabe, lives on the top floor of this building. Hopefully she will know something.”
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