Treading New Waters

Neo Arcturus' link to the open water of the Freshwater Sea. Despite it's usage as a modest port, it retains a full breadth of aquatic life beneath the waves thanks for the Conservatory's deliberate effort. That's here and head out on the waves and bring back a souvenir!
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Savaj Vanguard
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Re: Treading New Waters

Post by Savaj Vanguard »

"It's rude to read things not meant for you, you know."
"I will do as I please.."

Savvy's eyes responded with a celestial glow. She honestly hated introductions, so much so that she decided to impart the necessary information Zero needed directly to his brain. Curated of course, but the poignant details of her identity was seamlessly etched into his long term memory.

She didnt even have to unfold her arms. But in the following seconds Zero would be able to recall Savvy's relationship with the Neo-Nightmare as if it were common knowledge. Vivid details of her covert operations. Classfied CORE knowledge shared by only Atra, Cross, Sheng, and other members of the Nightmare's specialized task force. All of it. But, she was sure to highlight the minutiae of the Michio's betrayal against her and her siblings. An illustrious, billion year old saga of conflict and treachery that Savvy consolidated to a generous sound bite.

"There. We are acquainted."

She said dismissively, but in truth, this act alone was a massive show of trust. One she visibly wrestled with, seen by her curling lips. But from what her telepathic scan revealed about the Venkage clan, she couldn't deny their significance to Vescrutia.

"..and you can help me by giving me this artifact."

Still, Savvy was drawn here for a reason. And the matter of whether or not she'd leave the territories with an ally was yet to be determined. Her eyes were dulled blades now. There were no edges of rage or malice behind them, still her dead pan glare conveyed a deeper emotion than bloodlust. Conviction.

"You clearly have no idea what you've just tossed to the ground. It is eldritch in nature, wicked, evil. And from what I understand, you are not.. So hand it over."
Last edited by Savaj Vanguard on Tue Mar 07, 2023 2:04 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Zero Venkage
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Re: Treading New Waters

Post by Zero Venkage »

She didnt even have to unfold her arms. But in the following seconds Zero would be able to recall Savvy's relationship with the Neo-Nightmare as if it were common knowledge. Vivid details of her covert operations. Classfied CORE knowledge shared by only Atra, Cross, Sheng, and other members of the Nightmare's specialized task force. All of it. But, she was sure to highlight the minutiae of the Michio's betrayal against her and her siblings. An illustrious, billion year old saga of conflict and treachery that Savvy consolidated to a generous sound bite.

"There. We are acquainted."

She said dismissively, but in truth, this act alone was a massive show of trust. One she visibly wrestled with, seen by her curling lips. But from what her telepathic scan revealed about the Venkage clan, she couldn't deny their significance to Vescrutia.
"Acquainted? Violated is more like it."

A deluge of memories spilled into Zero's mind, some of them reminded him of Kham, others were so old he didn't recognize a thing but the sadness the people endured. It was depressing, an extended moment of sadness he would rather not have experienced so intimately. He weathered enough trauma on his own that he felt it just to give consent for such a story to be uploaded directly into his dome. But it did acquaint him with Savaj before him, a singular point through which eons of treachery would come to unfold in what he assumed she assumed would be righteous vengeance.

He didn't know what craving vengeance felt like until very recently, coming face to face with the results of his actions. He fashioned himself a man of action, a boy of playfulness shaped by the massive amounts of freedom his prodigal ability allowed him on the Marlborough Archipelago. The only thing that held him back turned out to be the elders in the Venkage Clos who handed down all sorts of ancient rules and regulations on how they should act, be, be perceived in the world. He hated it, especially when there was no reason for such strictness in adherence to laws of old. Zero saw a bit of himself in the judgmental stare Savaj trained on him, a resentment not of himself or any particular person, but for the circumstances that brought them together. Unfortunately, he could only realize that after flipping her a casual bird and crossing his arms, standing between her and the object of her attention.

"..and you can help me by giving me this artifact."

"You clearly have no idea what you've just tossed to the ground. It is eldritch in nature, wicked, evil. And from what I understand, you are not.. So hand it over."
"You really think you're just gonna order me around on my property in front of my guests? You might need to reassess your position before you leave here disappointed."

Zeik never poured thoughts into my head without asking first.

Zero took a deep breath, unsure of how the next few seconds would unfold. No matter what, he knew trouble was afoot, just was unsure of exactly how and where it would come from. Q arrived with the tablet in hand, wondering what could come of it. Then, another woman, just as fearsome in a completely different manner appeared and demanded the artifact for herself. With a single touch, Zero saw carnage stretching as far as the eye could see, even further than Q's own insatiable hunger. Savaj came with a load of baggage, did she really have room for the extra trouble?

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Savaj Vanguard
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Re: Treading New Waters

Post by Savaj Vanguard »

Zeik never poured thoughts into my head without asking first.
"..I am not Zeik.. And I will not ask you again."

She warned. Her face didnt seem to move an inch. Just a stale glare burning through the center of Zero's skull as she closed the distance between them. Floating ever so slowly.

"This is not a matter of pride. You know what I am capable of, and you are smart enough to infer what I am willing to do. Do not make an enemy out of me."

Savaj stopped just in front of him, maybe a meter or so with her arms now hanging at her sides. After her cataclysmic catharsis in Akavjjr, Savah had matured beyond that anger driven young woman with a hairline trigger attached her wrath. The demand of being constantly in control of her emotions drew out a more focused personality. Poised. Cold.

Before this conversation Savaj returned to the Territories with everymind of crushing the village into the mantle of the planet. Just as her predecessors would have intended. And not much was keeping her from exacting those vicarious desires in the name of righteous justice. But instead she held out her hand, anticipating Zero would understand the severity of this situation. This was not a game. This was the calm before a storm the Nightmare would never recover. Zero's diplomatic prowess was the determining factor on whether or not he'd have a war on his hands. He held no discernible telepathic caveats. His speed was accounted for, as well as his quasi-infinite volume of power. But there were no avenues or paths that les to her not leaving his property without what she wanted. The question was would it be in tact, or sundered to rubble.

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Zero Venkage
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Re: Treading New Waters

Post by Zero Venkage »

"You need to work on your negotiation skills. You came for the tablet but you're fixing to leave with a busted lip."

Zero quickly assessed his options, knowing that she wasn't here for much more banter. He specialized in it, dispelling any logical response with a snippy one liner whenever he found the moment. Sometimes it incensed his conversations to violence, most others he talked his way out of with a coy laugh.

"Your beef is with Kham so you can take all that edgy brooding his way. I am sorry what happened to you and your people though, I know what it feels like to be lied to about your family's history."

Being able to relate was the last tool in his kit and his most unfamiliar one. As easygoing as he carried himself, Zero rarely leveled with his opponents without trying to sound condescending. The Vumoi who taught him the ways of the Arbiter also taught him the power empathy and connection had to bring about a true connection between individuals. That connection and empathy is what afforded him the skills to be the Ambassador for the Conservatory, yielding partnerships all over Vescrutia.

"You wanna scrap? That's cool, but I'm not fighting you over this tablet. You don't understand boundaries and I have a second to help you draw some."

Savaj didn't seem to be in the mood for a chuckle, yet also not necessarily in the mood to test her luck. Zero stood firm, standing directly between his new acquaintance, Savaj, and the object of her desire. Not one to negotiate with terrorists, especially those who would force themselves upon their victims, Zero crossed his arms and huffed a tired grunt.

Or you me and Q can catch a drink down the coast and see what we can make of the tablet's mystery.

He narrated the thought as a scream, hoping the psion had sensitive psychic ears. Of course she listened in, he knew it was hard for arrogant psychics to resist trying to do everything with their abilities, listening, predicting, deciding their next actions with a misinterpreted idea of 'intuition'. If she could curb her rage, cynicism, and selfishness, maybe they could get a bit further in the conversation.

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Savaj Vanguard
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Re: Treading New Waters

Post by Savaj Vanguard »

"..."
"Or you me and Q can catch a drink down the coast and see what we can make of the tablet's mystery."

He narrated the thought as a scream, hoping the psion had sensitive psychic ears. Of course she listened in, he knew it was hard for arrogant psychics to resist trying to do everything with their abilities, listening, predicting, deciding their next actions with a misinterpreted idea of 'intuition.
Savaj took a moment before she withdrew her hand and responded. His defiant scream was noted.

"The Horsemen are coming.. You've faced them before and I look forward to seeing you face them again.. but let me be clear, human. Between you and me, there would be no fight. There would be no clash, there would be no battle. You would struggle. Then you would die. You don't seem to understand the concept of your mortality.. but use the knowledge I gave you to try and cope. We are not the same."

She began to float from the ground, back into the air from which she came. Despite the rather in-depth reel into Djouvik history, Zero seemed to underestimate what the paradigm of their conclave was capable of. It was true, arrogance was a distinguishing quality among the draconic deities, but it stemmed from their otherworldly displays of power. The Djouvik were the forerunners of most of Vescrutian creation. Often their arbitrary, effortless acts would ignite cataclysms that terraformed the planet. The bat of their wings would sculpt the surface beneath it. The weight of their breath sundering what remained.

Even now, trapped in this prison of flesh and bone, a wayward thought is all it would take for Savaj to decimate the minds of every creature Zero was charged with defending, and he'd be powerless to stop her.

But despite her caustic words, the in unconventional diplomat called her bluff. Savaj couldn't bother herself to misdirect her anger on those who didn't deserve it, not when there were those far more deserving on the horizon.

"..keep it. I already know what the tablet is capable of. The energies its occilating will function sort of like a beacon to those powerful enough to understand its frequency. If you do manage to decode its message I'd be surprised. But you won't.. So I guess, try to keep it away from those can? .. don't just throw it in the ocean."

She turned her nose up at Zero, causing her eyes to glow white and returning the world around him back to normal. Qarinah would have been given all function and sensory abilities instantly. The waters woukd begin crashing around them. Even the cool breeze from the salty sea returned.

"You might disrupt an entire subaquatic ecosystem being so reckless and rash.."

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Zero Venkage
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Re: Treading New Waters

Post by Zero Venkage »

Savaj Vanguard wrote:
Tue Mar 07, 2023 1:46 am
"The Horsemen are coming.. You've faced them before and I look forward to seeing you face them again.. but let me be clear, human. Between you and me, there would be no fight. There would be no clash, there would be no battle. You would struggle. Then you would die. You don't seem to understand the concept of your mortality.. but use the knowledge I gave you to try and cope. We are not the same."
"Kinda hard to think mortality when you're fighting off a timeless force of malevolence, but go on about yourself. I'll take my chances anyway."

Zero received more than his fair share of death threats in his life, rising to infamy Castille Ocean, so her promise failed to shake his resolve.

"The tablet isn't mine to give and I can't just let you rob my new friend."

Zero scoffed addressing Savaj's assumptions of ownership. Zero got rid of the tablet once already, hoping the Delven would keep it far from the prying eyes of the world. He knew it was bad news then and the circumstances surrounding its return to him only signaled more trouble brewing on the horizon.
Savaj Vanguard wrote:
Tue Mar 07, 2023 1:46 am
"Keep it. I already know what the tablet is capable of. The energies its oscillating will function sort of like a beacon to those powerful enough to understand its frequency. If you do manage to decode its message I'd be surprised. But you won't.. So I guess, try to keep it away from those can? .. don't just throw it in the ocean."

"You might disrupt an entire subaquatic ecosystem being so reckless and rash.."
"That's why I left it with the Delven, they're the best linguistic translators on this hemisphere. Maybe I'll pay them another visit in a bit. Thanks for the tip, I'll keep it in mind."

And he instinctively reclaimed ownership of it. She reminded Zero of his most recent run in with an underwater ecosystem, one he made a quest of repentance for. His relationship with the Ulthrazeen definitely could have started off in better graces, but as this evening would prove, building a house in the beach attracted lively attention. With two chances to stone for ignorant foolishness, Zero committed to understanding the nature of the tablet for himself, for the Delven Trolls and for Vescrutia.

When time resumed, Zero looked back at Qarinah standing in the surf, hair whipping in the night, foreboding frame more imposing and contrasting his average height. With Savaj calm and collected, he figured she might introduce herself in a similar fashion. Mostly, he wanted to see if Q would make a face while it happened, she came off very strong minded and he appreciated the stoicism.

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