[WORLD ONE] SPEED DATING EXTRAVAGANZA

[spellbindmods]

Who: Participating coven members
Where: The Palai marketplace
When: Day 49
Open/Closed: OTA

[ Any and all who are in the marketplace will find that there is suddenly a mysterious barrier around the marketplace (that may be eerily familiar to some) -- specifically one large portion of the marketplace with a large number of tables and chairs, perhaps purposefully set out for nefarious reasons.

A few Palai are ushering coven members to chairs, and everything seems about normal. As normal as the Palai can be when they're putting on a show anyway. It's not until a sizable portion of the coven members are seated (and also supplied with breadsticks and small shrimp), that things get a bit more bizarre.

Thanks to the power of the Eltos, a small band of energy keeps coven members stuck to the chair (magic can interfere, of course), but that's not the end of it. On each table, next to those delicious smelling breadsticks and shrimp, is a bowl of scraps of papers. Every five minutes, a strip of paper will pop out from the bowl.

If you ask the Palai, they'll be inclined to explain speed dating to you. Asking questions, getting to know a person, then being shimmied off to the next potential mate -- this is made possible by Elto magic yet again, through flying chairs that transport their holder to a new table at standard intervals.

The Palai are extremely invested in this exercise? Will you let them down? ]

[ OOC: In the spirit of speed dating, each character will have a top level. All who want to respond to this top level can with questions from this post, but the threads have to end at 10 comments from each character. After this last tag, the characters can be assumed to have been whisked to a different potential match. You're free to have characters make up their own questions, interact with Palai serving food, etc. ]

Comments

[drizzle]

[She did notice the change in his demeanor and expression. It was difficult to explain the look on his face to be other than he was trying her hardest to do something or he wasn’t feeling well. For a single moment, she almost rejoice at the possibility of it being the latter, believing it could be their possible ticket to escape, but she mentally scolded herself for even wishing for it. Even if it could become the possibility behind the return of her freedom, she should never rejoice or use people in that way.

With concern and slight guilt etched on her face, Nike will raise her hand a bit.]

H-Hey, are you…?

[Before the final word could escape her lips, Nike will notice a new pull connecting onto her mind. A different one compare to the already many sensations she can sense. There was something there, taking some space in her mind, which will leave her curious to figure it out. Fortunately, a very clear image will appear in front of her, a bright world with clear blue skies filled with clouds, birds, odd looking items, and floating pieces of ground too.

Nike’s expression will change to one of pure delight and amazement by the clear visual she was viewing. It was the first time she has been able such a clear image of a memory. Normally, the memories her rain partner’s share with her are a little blurry. It was sometimes difficult to notice significant details like other people’s faces, but this was different.]

Amazing! Simply amazing! This world is so beautiful! [Pointing up to the sky, in which there may be nothing except the Palai’s sky (and barrier) above them.] Are those airships? They don’t look much like ships, but they’re so cool!

[If only she could feel and hear his world’s voice, but alas she couldn’t be selfish. Her attention will quickly turn from the sky to below her to find a city. Not just that, but there was movement too from the natives of his world. They were all animals too. But what amaze Nike the most was:]

Not everyone in that city are dogs! There are other species too!

[It was an interesting and delightful scene too. She couldn’t help have so many questions about it; however she knew it could wait -- there was something, or rather, someone, she should feel both concern and gratitude to.]

Red, are you okay? Do you need water? I can serve you some, if you like!

[mech_and_mutt]

Feels like there's a nail in my head and my brain is tryin' to push it back out... [Or was it in his mind? either way, it was a a heck of a feeling- and it took a little while for that vivid recollection to settle back into his OWN head afterwards. He's not used to working his brain quite so hard.

And particularly with this telepathic mumbo-jumbo.]

Drink'd be nice though.

[A palm smacked against the side of his head a couple times as if to beat that headache back from whence it came. A squint and a wince, and he was at least able to be coherent again.]

...But yeah. Those're airships. Just think- if we had one'a those here, that's half'a our problems in this place gone already. We could just cut right to that island up above us.

'specially if it had cannons.

[drizzle]

T-That's a pretty vivid way to describe it...

[It was always interesting to overhear other people's remarks concerning the telepathy powers everyone was given. She couldn't help remember her own first experience with it when her grandmother tried to connect her mind and heart with her older sister as part of her training as a rain summoner. She can only smile at the nostalgic feeling....which wasn't the best time to.]

Hold on, I'll get you something. [She'll take the flask of water that was on left side of the center of their table to pour water to his glass.] Here. Drink this. It may help with your headache.

[She didn't have any pills or dust to offer him to help him further. Hopefully the Palai will decide to help out because otherwise her hands were full on this one. All she can do was listen to his idea on getting an airship to hover to the island above them. It made her wonder.]

The salt water won't get in the way of the airship?

[Rain water, or rather any type of moisture found in the atmosphere, was different compare to the salt water of the sea; even thought the ocean water can be used for water vapor. Even so, she was curious at the thought of an airship going through the sea to reach their destination.]

Why would you need cannons for? [She'll look a little worried.] You aren't planning on attacking the Uvi, are you?

[mech_and_mutt]

You think it sounds bad? I'm the one feelin' it. [But he was quick to take the water and gulp it hurriedly-- that's supposed to be a good way to get rid of a headache, right? He slammed the empty glass back onto the table with a relieved sigh.]

Thanks.

[...But that relief quickly vanished with Nike's questions. Right; that whole 'water' thing he only just recently had to actually start considering.]

...Right. That whole 'ocean' thing. Maybe not.

But I ain't some kinda warlord. Just figure the Uvi might think twice about tryin' to attack us if they saw we had a bigger way of fightin' back, right?

[drizzle]

[She'll shake her head to show that he had no reason to show his gratitude. It was the least she can do for him after showing her such a beautiful image of his world. An image she'll do her utmost to not forget. Just in case they find themselves in a world similar to his.]

It won't work? The whole airship going into the ocean idea? [It was a little disappointing to hear it wouldn't be able to go through the sea. She can't help wonder if there was a way to go through water and be able to fly all at the same time. An invention that can multi-task, maybe?] Um, but you did mention having metal ships in your world, right? Do they look like airships or continue to hold the same style as the ships used to sail in my world? Does the ocean still exist in your world?

[Since she didn't see any signs of it. All she saw was floating islands in the sky alongside the city filled with people and airships. Nike can't help wonder about that and other details, but she'll leave those out for now.]

I-I guess? I wouldn't really know. The Uvi may seem wild, but they could have their own way of communicating. I mean, if I saw someone sorta threatening me like that, I would want to show them a lesson in never underestimating me and my country.

[......in which has happen. In the past. In way of destroying three different countries in a single night without that relative leaving their island home.]

[mech_and_mutt]

Probably not. I can't imagine somethin' that's built to go through air would hold up well in water. I couldn't even pilot my mecha through water when I still had it. Besides, the ocean... uh. Hang on.

[The emptied glass was set back between them once more, but this time a couple of the breadsticks were placed across the top of it.]

Okay, so we all live above a sea of clouds, right? The thing is, that sea of clouds is one big, deadly storm layer, and it makes it so we can't just fly down below it in an airship. [One of the small cocktail shrimp was delicately pressed down atop the breadsticks for emphasis.]

So all that old land and ocean is down there, we just can't really... get down there to it, or even look past the clouds to see it. Just like the water in the glass.

[...well, like it would be if he didn't drink it all, anyway. After letting it sink in for a beat he quickly disassembled his bizarre diorama.]

Guess you're right about the cannons, though. We'd be flying into their backyard with it, and that's a bit different.

Y'almost sound like you've seen your share of that kinda thing, too.

[drizzle]

[The presentation using bread-sticks, shrimp, and glass was very helpful in explaining his situation back home. She couldn't help watch with interest about it. A world separated by a dangerous storm that is forcing those living within it to take refuge in the sky above it. She can imagine there was an interesting story behind it. Depending if he was already born in a system like it, living in the sky rather than having once lived on the "old" ground.]

A deadly storm layer, huh? That's interesting. So you're saying your entire world is surrounded by it?

[Her tone of voice will be more matter-of-fact as she can't help feel a sense of responsibility over it. Not that she is response for his world to have become this way, but his description of it -- a dead and active storm layer -- will remind her of her responsibility as a Rain Summoner. Learning to control the weather was her responsibility as the direct descendant of her family.

With a nod of her head, all she can admit was.]

None of us know what they have in their territory too. Who knows what we may find up there. Just having us there, checking them out, would be intimidating enough, I think.

[As for his next question, she'll look down, some silence before admitting.]

...you can say that. I come from an island nation back home. Our borders are closed off to everyone that isn't a natural born citizen. There has been a good portion of people who've tried to find our location. We're kinda a legend back home, you see. [Almost everyone knew their country's name, and yet do not believe of their existence due to extraordinary story tied to it.]