Player Plot: It's Die Hard on a Ship

[desertbloomed]

Who: Closed to those who (before this posting) signed up for the plot. Feel free to comment to the Job Interview thread even if you haven't!
When: On or around early-mid November.
Where: In the sky! On the Pravoka Interviews take place at Ashelia's apartment in Lavode.
What: It's Die Hard on a ship.
Warnings/Notes: Violence, cussing. Okay, all done! Tag in, y'all! Please reemeber to tag yourselves :) Yippie ki-yay, mofos!

Loading up the ship seems to be going smoothly enough, despite the harried look on Lady-Captain Ashelia’s face. She walks to and fro, Kupozencrantz struggling to stay by her side, as she refers once, twice, three, four, more times to her iMog slate. She makes a call - and after a short discussion, appears to acquiesce. Loading and boarding seems to proceed apace. The crew is signed in, inventory is checked and double checked, and the maiden voyage of the Pravoka under Lady-Captain Ashelia B’nargin Dalmasca is on her way.

The atmosphere on the ship is calm and easygoing; there’s a lot of cargo to guard, but a lot of people to guard it. The meals are generous, just on this side of lavish, the mattresses in the (albeit cramped) bunks are surprisingly soft and fluffy (is that memory foam? Does memory foam exist on Vaikuntha?) and the air circulation would put some spas to shame. It’s a more or less pleasant time. Until it isn’t.



Shortly before midnight, with the crew scattered about the ship, the lights are cut. Radar and monitoring equipment just shuts down. The ship shakes and groans and, depending on where you are, footsteps can be heard. Hushed voices. Then, you smell something. Or do you? Before you can react, everything goes black. Blacker. More black.

When you come to, you have no idea where you are for a good couple minutes. The room spins around you. You try to move, but find you can’t move your arms. They’re tied behind you, or to the arms of another one of your companions, or above you...are you in the brig? No, you realize as you feel yourself sinking into the plush mattress beneath you. Not the brig at all. Regardless, your next course of action is clear: get free, figure out who did this, and make them pay.

Comments

JOB INTERVIEWS

[desertbloomed]

“Her Majesty will see you now,” says Kupozencrantz as you wait outside the apartment to be let in. When you enter, the door pulled open juuuust enough for you to squeeze by, you’re greeted by a somewhat smaller dwelling than you might suspect.

The Queen of Dalmasca subsists in a bachelor apartment twenty floors up. The view is serviceable enough, and the countertops are marble and the floor is a pleasingly cool-to-the-touch tile, but still...it’s small. There is, however, still enough room for a small desk, and it’s to the empty office chair opposite the seated noblewoman that the moogle directs you to.

Ashelia stands to greet you, offering one hand. “Well met. Thank you for coming all this way to meet. Have a seat, we’ve much to discuss.” She makes sure to brush her skirt underneath her thighs as she takes a seat again. She pulls a pad of paper in front of her, quill and inkpot at the ready. “How long have you been here on Vaikintha?”

[sassafrisk]

Frisk has to admit, they were expecting something a bit... well, a bit more ostentatious, considering the company that she kept and the reverence Kupozencrantz showed for her. But if Kuja could live in a humble farmhouse in the middle of Bumpkinland, Ashelia could probably also make do with a tiny apartment. They give Ashelia a small wave when they enter, and although they're curious about the level of paranoia that Kupozencrantz is displaying, they put it down to normal moogle eccentricity.

Returning Ashelia's firm handshake, Frisk sits down at her desk, legs crossed. They've come dressed in their best attire, some sort of dress... suit... tux... thing that looks good despite the confusion it often causes. "Nice to see you again after all that craziness in the Dream Width. I've been here for... five months now. Arrived in June, just when things started getting weird."

[desertbloomed]

Craziness. That's a word for it. But here they are now, hale and whole and, as ever, stronger for it all.

Ashelia nods along with Frisk, making notes. "Five months, all right. And your jobs?" What was it, some sort of File Mage?

[bladeofconquest]

[Corrin appreciates the modesty of the apartment; she's never met this Queen Ashelia before, but the apartment's spartan interior speaks well of her to Corrin. This is not a woman who wastes time on frivolities or luxuries, especially not when there's work to be done. Corrin already thinks well of her.]

[She takes Ashelia's hand and returns the handshake with a smile.] "It's no trouble at all, Queen Ashelia. Thank you for agreeing to meet with me." [She too takes her seat across from Ashelia as the interview gets down to brass tacks.] "A little over one month. I was part of the last batch of new arrivals."

[desertbloomed]

"I see, I see," Ashelia nods as she writes, though her tone seems a little...thin. "And your jobs?"

She looks up from her desk as Kupozencrantz flits back from the kitchenette. "H-hello, miss, I, uh..."

"Wine for me, Kupozencrantz. And for yourself, Miss Corrin?"

[charming_jerk]

Despite being a musician and regular performer, Johnny is nervous for an interview. Having the spotlight on himself always made him self-conscious. He'd managed to rustle up a halfway decent outfit, which took some work as he was never one much for dressing up, no matter what the occasion was.

This whole thing would be made worse by the fancy surroundings and the fact that he was told to see "her Majesty", but Ashelia was someone from Crystallis, just like Johnny. Something about that made him relax a little. It made it feel like the playing field was a little more level.

"Um, well, I got here when the first group got here. So, May, I guess? Six months already..."

Where did the time go?

[desertbloomed]

Ashelia greets Johnny with a warm smile, and a hand over his in their handshake.

"The first group?" She writes it down, but doesn't seem very interested in making notes. She waves Kupozencrantz over almost immediately. "Wine." The moogle squeaks and flits off to the kitchenette.

"How...how have you been, Johnny? How was...how was everyone, at the end?"

[garyoutensei]

When Baiken sat herself down, she immediately pulled out her pipe, stuffing and lighting it with the same relative ease as usual. Which was probably incredibly rude to do in someone else's house, much less during an interview, but... It probably wasn't worth kicking up too much fuss over either. Baiken was Baiken, after all.

"Since the first batch."

[desertbloomed]

Which is exactly why Ashelia doesn't say anything about it. Instead, she motions to Kupozencrantz, who flits over to the window and slides it open.

"And your jobs?"

(I guess we'll have to say this is at some point after Mad'ni, before the mission?)

[neverbeamemory]

No rest for the wicked.

Sephiroth had just about had enough of group shenanigans after the excursion into the Mad'ni Shrine - indeed they hadn't been back long before the next excursion of interest had come up. He'd groaned loudly at the prospect at getting out there again so soon, and then Jennifer had been warned never to bring it up. He knew he needed to get out there, he knew he needed to do all in his power -and then more besides- if he were going to get himself into a position of strength within all of this. Making necessary allies, however short- or long-term, was all a part of that.

Needs must, he reminded himself as he was finally let into the apartment.

Clad in his customary black leather and silver armor, Sephiroth let nothing of his natural presence be held back from filling the room before him as he crossed the small room without much more than a cursory look around; the surroundings didn't matter that much to him at all.

Sharp pale-green eyes met the Queen's easily as he took her hand, offered hardly a squeeze before looking back and carefully swinging himself into the offered seat. He managed it so that not a single lock of his long silver hair, nor an inch of his leather trenchcoat might get caught awkwardly under his weight. It was clear that he didn't feel much of a need to sell himself, at all.

"For what it's worth, coming up to a month."

He offered something of a smile, knowing full well right up to his higher consciousness that she'd asked him that specifically before and he'd seemed to ignore the question.

(Yep!)

[desertbloomed]

Ashelia returns the smile, trying to fill it with warmth, but is concerned when it isn't quite returned. The Sephiroth she knows was never the warmest, but there was a camaraderie there. This is not the same man. She vaguely remembered Sephiroth mentioning this or that about his homeworld, but it was so long ago...who is this man?

"I see. " Scribble scribble. "And your jobs?"

[sullenstallion]

Dylas awkwardly coils around the chair and he awkwardly shakes her hand. Shit. The last time he saw this person, he threw a lizard at her, his summoned monster attacked her, and she called him an imbecile?

This isn't looking good for him.

"You know what? I can just...leave. If that's easier. I can guess how this is going to go."

He looks to the side. He'd been confident this might've been a good side gig for him, but now he just feels awkward.

[desertbloomed]

Ashelia's face might as well be a stone wall when Dylas shakes her hand. She clears her throat before beginning, motioning quickly for Kupozencrantz to bring her some wine.

"You may as well stay. I made time for this appointment; 'twould be a shame to waste even more of my time," she quips, though there is an edge there. "Now. How long have you been here?"

[mech_and_mutt]

It may not have been much for a queen, but it was a lot more pomp and circumstance than Red was accustomed to for taking jobs. Whatever happened to the tried and true come-back-when-it's-done-and-get-your-money method of work?

Well, it wasn't like he could hold it against her for wanting to check out who she was bringing onboard for it. And fortunately for her, he was the right Dog for the job. One handshake later, he was seated.

"Been here since April." His feet kicked up on the table. "So... six months or so? Wow, six months already..."

[desertbloomed]

"All right. A good amount of time to amass some experience in your jobs. Which are?" She keeps her head down, writing quickly.

belated

[shinra_dog]

"Yer Majesty." Reno smirked, grasping Ashe's hand firmly in a friendly handshake. "More 'n happy to help. Been meaning to meet with you for awhile anyway."

He sat comfortably across from her. "Arrived with the first batch. April, I think."

[desertbloomed]

"Glad to have you on board, Reno," Ashelia answers as she sits, waving Kupozencrantz over. She gives the moogle a you-shouldn't-have-to-be-told-at-this-point look before he squeaks and flies off to the kitchenette.

"And that was from Crystallis itself, correct? Johnny told me you'd decided to stay." Her tone is softer than Reno's likely ever heard it. This is what she sounds like, talking to people she considers actual friends.

THE MAIN EVENT

[desertbloomed]

GROUP 1: FUTABA, KUJA, RENO, JOHNNY, DYLAS

[desertbloomed]

You come to slowly. The lights are dim, but they’re on. You foggily realize they must be the emergency lights. You can hear breathing around you. You try to move, but can’t really; you’re tied up, from head to toe. Or maybe it’s just your hands, to the metal slats of the bunk above you. Or maybe you’re tied back to back with one of the other crew members, a fellow Hero of Light. Where is everyone? Did everyone get tied up? Well, everyone here in the bunkroom seems to be.

Except Futaba. The ropes are laid over her, but not tied. Well, that’s lucky.

Good luck.

[charming_jerk]

Anyone withing range of Johnny probably wouldn't be asleep for long. Once awake, the disorientation makes him panic, and he starts thrashing. It's times like this he really misses his extra strength, even if he hasn't had it for years now. He's tied up to a bunk, and can't get any leverage to loosen his hands. Panic sets in fast.

"H-Hey! What the fuck! What the hell happened!?"

GROUP 2: MADHURI, RED, VAX'ILDAN, FRISK, ANGEAL, SEPHIROTH

[desertbloomed]

You come to slowly. The lights are dim, but they’re on. You foggily realize they must be the emergency lights. You can hear breathing around you. You try to move, but can’t really; you’re tied up, from head to toe. Or maybe it’s just your hands, to the metal slats of the bunk above you. Or maybe you’re tied back to back with one of the other crew members, a fellow Hero of Light. Where is everyone? Did everyone get tied up? Well, everyone here in the bunkroom seems to be.

Except Frisk. The ropes are laid over them, but not tied. Well, that’s lucky.

Good luck.

[sassafrisk]

Frisk awakens to a throbbing headache, which pulses in synch with the flickering lights. Their mind immediately jumps to, "hangover," then to, Wait a minute, I don't drink, and that's a stupid cliche anyways, and as the memories flood back into their foggy mind, they finally arrive at, Correction: chloroform hangover. Groaning, they roll to their feet, saying, "Alright, anybody else not unconscious? Sound off." They look around the room, doing a quick headcount of who they got stuck with. Maddi, the furry, elf-looking dude, and two slightly-bishie guys. One of their names was Sephiroth, probably? At least they know Maddi pretty well.

GROUP 3: KLONOA, KANJI, ADRIEN, GLADIOLUS, ANN

[desertbloomed]

You come to slowly. The lights are dim, but they’re on. You foggily realize they must be the emergency lights. You can hear breathing around you. You try to move, but can’t really; you’re tied up, from head to toe. Or maybe it’s just your hands, to the metal slats of the bunk above you. Or maybe you’re tied back to back with one of the other crew members, a fellow Hero of Light. Where is everyone? Did everyone get tied up? Well, everyone here in the bunkroom seems to be.

Except Ann. The ropes are laid over them, but not tied. Well, that’s lucky.

Good luck.

GROUP 4: NAOMI, CASTOR, NOZOMI, COR, TERRA, DANTE

[desertbloomed]

You come to slowly. The lights are dim, but they’re on. You foggily realize they must be the emergency lights. You can hear breathing around you. You try to move, but can’t really; you’re tied up, from head to toe. Or maybe it’s just your hands, to the metal slats of the bunk above you. Or maybe you’re tied back to back with one of the other crew members, a fellow Hero of Light. Where is everyone? Did everyone get tied up? Well, everyone here in the bunkroom seems to be.

Except Nozomi. The ropes are laid over her, but not tied. Well, that’s lucky.

Good luck.

GROUP 5: AZUSA, BAIKEN, SERGE, CORRIN, PAPYRUS, MATILDA

[desertbloomed]

You come to slowly. The lights are dim, but they’re on. You foggily realize they must be the emergency lights. You can hear breathing around you. You try to move, but can’t really; you’re tied up, from head to toe. Or maybe it’s just your hands, to the metal slats of the bunk above you. Or maybe you’re tied back to back with one of the other crew members, a fellow Hero of Light. Where is everyone? Did everyone get tied up? Well, everyone here in the bunkroom seems to be.

Except Azusa. The ropes are laid over them, but not tied. Well, that’s lucky.

Good luck.