second jive ⚛ video ⚛ open to both courts (backdated to approx Feb 20)

[stickseller]

(Howard hadn’t been much use during the battle, and that was something he wasn’t particularly proud of. But then again, he had only just arrived when it suddenly came down on them, and he’d never been much of a fighter. Because of this he had stayed behind to assist with the evacuation of Caer Scima, choosing to help with the library, trying to save as much of the knowledge from there as possible. He remembered similar work being done during the war, the Nazis had tried to destroy so much so that the world could be shaped in their own image. Stealing art from museums and homes and those they didn’t think worthy of them, destroying books and art by artists so called “unpure” races. To this day they were still working to uncover art and relics that had been hidden away in homes of Nazi generals, or in underground or mountainous locations. And then of course there was the historical part, the burning of the great Library in Alexandria that he remembered reading about when he was a boy. How much knowledge of the world had been lost during that, and how many centuries had it set humankind back?

He didn’t know how much of the information that was found in the library would be available anywhere else. He’d only gotten to just touch the surface of what could exist within it, and already he’d found dozens of books that looked to be hand penned. Those were likely unique, and so they needed to be taken somewhere safe. So it was in the library he was when the walls started to come down. He’d been organising manageable stacks to be carried, others to be loaded onto horse drawn carts. Then there was a crash, and he remembers seeing fire begin to take a bookcase, and that he was moving to try to put it out, and blackness. The next thing he remembers is waking up with a freezing arm, it had burned and they were using some sort of cooling magic to heal it, and being told that he was in Spire 3, having been set on one of the carts he’d helped load on top of the books.

Shame wasn’t something most people thought of when they thought of Howard Stark, but for this he was ashamed that he hadn’t been able to do more. He’d try to tell them that he was in good enough shape to go out and fight, when he learned of the Jabberwock attack, he wanted to help, but they had forced him to stay put against his will. Of course, he won’t admit to any sense of shame, but it’d be noticeable around those who had fought, a reluctance to talk about what he had done, and what had happened. But he had survived, he’d saved some books, so at least he had that.

But he needed to get out of there, too. He needed some time to himself. He wanted to see if there was any way to recover some of the information that had been lost. Some sort of backup system in place, and the most likely place for that seemed to be this Station that he’d heard mentions of, which was where he had now decided to head. If nothing else, at least he’s been promised that it’s the sole place where technology works, and he wants to see what the future of it all holds.

He’s still unsure about the fairy rings, and whether or not he should trust them. He’s looked at the one here at the spire, walked around it, tried to see if there was anything secretly powering other than magic, but there doesn’t seem to be anything that he can see. So he wants to find out about other methods of transportation, if there are any. Walking would just take too long, but he’s not sure he trusts horses either.

Before he goes, however, he has some information he wants to ask about, maybe it’ll cut out some of the work for him.)
 
 
(The video feed clicks on, and while Howard looks tired and worn out, it could be a lot worse. There’s a bruise healing on his forehead, a cut on his cheek that’s almost disappeared thanks to a salve he was given to put on it, but in the right light you can see the light pink tightness of new skin. The smile that had been so easy going the first time he had come across the screen seems tighter now, more forced, but he’s always been one to try to maintain the façade of cool, calm and collected. He’s going to do that, now too.)

I have a couple of questions.

(He feels like maybe he should say more. Comment on the battles that occurred, that he hopes no one lost anyone close to them, but so much has already been said, and he still feels shame. He doesn’t want to be questioned of where he was and what he did.)

First of all: these fairy rings. How much is actually known about how they work? Have there ever been any ill effects caused by them? (Namely death, but he won’t say that out loud. Onto the next topic.) I want to go to the Station, and horseback just isn’t my style.

(Onto the next topic.)

I know that there are blacksmiths responsible for forging the weaponry here, and from what I understand, the metal they use comes from the dwarves. Is there any type of order form that’s used? Maybe a list of what kind of metals they have in their mines, and the corresponding prices? Or maybe in general just a list of what’s been found naturally in this place, I’ve been looking for information, but it’s been a bit of a struggle.

Lastly, to end on a high note: what do people do for fun around here? Does this place have a Vegas or Monaco or Riviera?

[private to Steve Rogers & James Barnes]

You guys make it through?

Comments

video

[wipedclean]

Yes. Fine.

[Eloquent as ever.]

video

[stickseller]

(Hey now, it's all he needs, really. Some of the worry seems to wash away immediately.)

All your limbs intact?

video; i am so bad at being on hiatus

[boutant]

You're not supposed to be out of bed yet, are you?

video; l m a o. don't worry i know this feel too well. slowatus lyf

[stickseller]

I'm fine. No broken limbs, no serious injuries, I don't know why I need to stay in it.

(aka no.)

video;

[desperate_times]

The rings are as safe as any unknown magic. Everyone's used them and I haven't heard of any ill effects. No second heads or missing limbs, if that's what you're worried about.

I'd offer you a ride to the Station, but my airship was destroyed during the battle. [Which really sucks.]

[As for the other things.]

I suppose you could send word and order metal, but dwarves are shrewd negotiators. You might lose your pants in the process. [Chloe has had some dealings with them during her merchant time. She did keep her pants.]

Looking to build something special?

video;

[stickseller]

I guess I'll have to give it a go, then. If I end up losing an important part of myself in it, I'm going to hold you accountable for it.

(He grins, just a bit. She can take it as she pleases, but then there's mention of an airship and he's distracted from that thought.)

How fast did that thing go? I'm sorry it got destroyed -- will it take you a long time to fix it?

Ah - The thing is, so am I, and I've been negotiating business deals for years now. Mostly I'm just curious to what they have. If it's just the standard metals or anything, special.

Not necessarily, just something to remind me of home.

video.

[metalica]

I've never had any trouble with them.

[ The fairy rings, that is, when he uses them. ]

And I've felt their metal. It must go back to the dwarven lands, but I don't know how you could contact them. They're rather insular.

video.

[stickseller]

Another person to hold accountable if something happens to me, then. (Lame jokes are lame.

But then there's a curious brow quirk.)

Felt it? (He thoughtfully clicks his tongue, and nods.) They probably don't have a telegram system in place, if that's the case.

Text, permaprivate

[gordianknots]

The assumption is the rings work on magic, and from there, fuck if anyone's done an investigation. No ill effects though from use have ever been reported, so your need to haul ass down to the Station shouldn't be a problem.

Be careful when you get there though. The Jabberwock destroyed a lot according to reports.

As far as a Vegas goes, you'd want Mair. Down south is closer to the Mediterranean climate, but I don't believe there's any direct parallels to the French or Italian Riviera.

Text

[stickseller]

That's kind of what I figured. So far most people I've encountered seem to just take the magic tale without really questioning it, but I'm not sure. I just don't fully trust what can't be explained, but if there haven't been any reports, I'll test it out. No one has disappeared in them, either?

So I've heard, but it seems a lot in general has been destroyed, and I need to get some information.

Someone should look into that. A nice town on the coast with good docking for sailing yachts. Mair sounds like a start, I see it on the map. I can stop by when I come back from the Station.

video;

[glacio]

I'm not sure anyone has looked into the magic of the rings. It seems to be a stable part of this world just as much as anything else that was here when we all arrived.

[ but she's more curious about something else ]

Although I'm not sure I understand your last question, exactly - what is a Vegas?

video;

[stickseller]

(He nods, so far, that seems to be what everyone is saying. They're safe, stable, nothing has ever gone wrong. He's still not going to trust them completely, everything always works until it suddenly doesn't, but he's more amused by her other question.)

You've never heard of Las Vegas? It's...(He clicks his tongue against his teeth, trying to find an apt description for it.) It's like a carnival for adults.

video;

[vaccinations]

Dude.

The rings are magic. Magic isn't supposed to be explained, that's why it's magic.

[Gosh. Don't you know anything? Then she shrugs.]

The station is supposed to be the best place here. They've got television and video games and all that cool shit.

[There's a deep sound of longing in her voice.]

video;

[stickseller]

But what makes the magic?

(Squint.)

What are video games?

video;

[writeswrongs]

[Castle comes on the screen because magic, sure, let's talk about it.]

Ill effects like... half your body ending up in one place and half your body in another? [He'd read about that in a book about wizards once.] It's never happened to me, but who knows? I use a teleportation ring and a flying carpet most of the time.

[Because the rings are far and you still have to walk and walking is the worst.]

As far as Vegas, I've heard that Mair is kind of like that, though I haven't been there. Yet.

video;

[stickseller]

Yeah, that kind of thing. Which I would definitely like to avoid, if possible. I like myself fully attached and all accounted for. (Narrowing his eyes a little. Fry squint, basically.) A carpet? That's a good one. Funny.

(Wait is he being serious :|)

What's stopping you?

video;

[semiurge]

I've used the rings a few times and nothing bad happened.

[ He'll shake his head and grin, like he's just remembered something. ] Trying to avoid something like The Fly?

video;

[stickseller]

I may just have to trust them.

(Fry squint.)

What's 'The Fly'?

[private]

[starspangled]

I guess you could call it that. You okay?

[private]

[stickseller]

You're alive, at least.

(Thank god.)

I've been a lot worse. Never got a chance to go out on the battle field. (Words laced with guilt right here.)

video »

[indomitably]

If I knew what a Vegas or a Monaco was, I would try to answer that for you.

video »

[stickseller]

Lands of magic, where all your dreams and desires could come true. Or be crushed. It all depends on how much you have at stake.

video!

[greenies]

All we know about the fairy rings is that they work on magic, like everything else. It's frustrating, but there's no science or anything behind it. I've been hoping to maybe harness that in order to make it more portable, but I can't find anything besides people just shrugging their shoulders and saying it works.

[ this whole magic over engineering and science thing is THE WORST if you ask thomas. ]

But, they're pretty safe. Nobody's lost an arm or anything.

video!

[stickseller]

Same as I'm getting from everyone then. That's not exactly helpful.

(it is the worst. 8|)

And no one has died, or gotten lost?

voice;

[zerotohiro]

[Hey Howard, glad to hear you're still alive at least.]

I literally just stepped out of the ring at the Station. [Which is true. He just hopped from Spire 10 to the Station for a training session with Lemina, but Howard doesn't have to know what he's doing.] I've been using them on and off for the last week and they seem pretty stable even though...you know. Magic. [The way he says magic seems to suggest he still can't quite wrap his head around it.

But metal. That's a good question.] That's the first time I've heard about metal coming from the dwarves. You think it's any different than normal metal?

voice;

[stickseller]

(Hey, little bro. What's up, kiddo? Howard's glad to see you made it, too.)

And you're alive and well, that's good to see. What's it like? Going through it? (Is it like being sucked through a tube? Howard should know what he's doing. He is very interested.) Yeah. Exactly. Magic

Wouldn't it, though? In the faerie tales, they always lived in mines, worked in metal. (He's read The Hobbit o k a y.) I don't know if theirs is. What I want is, it wasn't abundant back home, it might be here.

video;

[cinnamoned]

I haven't used the fairy rings myself but I suppose I had a hand in that with my new mount. That and I guess I'm still a little wary of magic. Or I was more initially when I first arrived before finding this magic is different to back home. I gather most everyone has used the fairy rings without any issues though. I could offer a lift or some lessons if you change your mind about horseback too.

Can't say I can help much regarding the blacksmiths though. I just found a bow and some arrows in the Seelie armory.

[Hey, never hurts to at least offer, right? Whether he actually might take her up on that in teaching him or getting a lift from a stranger is another story.]

video;

[stickseller]

So you're from somewhere magic is normal? (Oh hey it's a pretty dame, he'll pay more attention to the video now, than from the book he'd been bent over, multitasking like a boss.) But different. Do you have science?

(He snorts, it's gentle, and he makes a slight face.) Animals have never really agreed with me. (They're a little too unpredictable.

And then - ah.) We might be a little far apart, too, for you to give me lessons. Unless you can do them over this thing.

video;;

[detoxifying]

If you do not use horses, how else do you expect to travel?

[ There was something that... oddly reminded him of a friend back home about this man. It was almost certainly the mustache. ]

As for the fairy rings, as you've no doubt heard, the magic around them appears to be stable enough, though it is unlike any that I've ever seen.

video;;

[stickseller]

Planes, trains and automobiles? Maybe a ship if you have to go across the water, but I still prefer flying.

(Moustaches are pretty bad ass, Howard would probably dig them.)

Do you come from a land of magic or science?