Author Topic: We are our Avatars  (Read 11731 times)

JetSet

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Re: We are our Avatars
« Reply #15 on: September 30, 2016, 08:59:27 PM »
Spoiler: show
(Sorry about no posts in the last couple days. Life hit me over the head.)


Jack, on the other hand, was completely at ease when the strange things started happening. When the skull fell out of the vent, he was less afraid and more curious. "Huh. That's something I haven't seen since I left home. Talking skull." He chuckled, walking over to the skull and picking it up. "Allas poor Yorick,  I knew him, Horatio." He said before setting the skull down on the island counter, taking a cloth and putting it under some water before rubbing the cider off the skull.

"Man, you need to take care of yourself skull boy." He said and whistled to himself. "I knew skeletons who would turn the remains of their nose at a skull in this conditions." He said and finished cleaning the cider off the skull. Totally normal.

Nayt

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Re: We are our Avatars
« Reply #16 on: October 01, 2016, 05:38:39 PM »
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It's okay!


For what felt like forever, Emma remained totally still, staring down at this talking skull until Jack did something about it. Clean it, mostly. Which seemed to be what it was after, since Emma spilled cider all over it. Him? It seemed to have a male voice.

It took a lot of steeling her nerves to calm down. At least enough to no longer seem quite as frightened. She relaxed her posture a little bit, lowered her hands from covering her lips, and made the conscious effort to lose her wide-eyed look. Stupid, stupid skeletons. Why did they have to come out of nowhere? Why did they have to be so damn spooky? Ugh. Whatever! It was just a harmless talking skull. Nothing threatening. Nothing that was actually going to hurt her. Just a talking unknown. The food and rooms were infinite, perhaps, but they did not speak.

That Emma knew of, anyhow.

"Is that . . ." Emma took a deep breath, "Something common where you come from, Jack?"
. o O (I think I must agree with Sliss. The "Fat Chance" would have been a perfect name for our ship.)

Syn

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Re: We are our Avatars
« Reply #17 on: October 02, 2016, 12:47:53 AM »
.

Sabwones

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Re: We are our Avatars
« Reply #18 on: October 02, 2016, 02:44:48 AM »
He's cribbing the Bard. God help me.

Sab let himself be carried, mostly because he really didn't have any means of resisting, to the sink, where he happily gargled and rinsed his way through Jack's casual explanation of his easy nature around talking skulls. On being admonished for being in such a state, he perked up for a moment.

"Oi. Normally I take my beverages internally, not externally, son. Cheers for the spritz."

He settled on the drip tray, facing into the room. Pitted and scuffed from who-knows-how-many incursions with blunt objects, the skull had a rough kind of charm to it, albiet the kind more normally associated with a better class of tramp.

"Name's Sabwones. Or Sab. I think. Y'all right?"
Oi.

JetSet

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Re: We are our Avatars
« Reply #19 on: October 02, 2016, 07:00:49 PM »
"Normal? Heh, remind me to tell you the stories of the Friday the thirteenth wars." He said and laughed at the memories. "Those were a wild ride." The man smiled, looking down to the skull and nodding. He looked to Emma for a second, wondering if she was going to introduce them, or if he would have too. When he got silence, he simply spoke. "Nice to meet you Sab. I'm Jack, and this is Emma."

Nayt

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Re: We are our Avatars
« Reply #20 on: October 02, 2016, 07:19:47 PM »
"It's, uhm, nice to meet you, Sabwones, I suppose," Emma said once Jack had introduced them.

Okay, this was still real creepy. And now she was reminded of Jack's disconnect from what reality she thought she knew (which was quite minimal at the moment). That said, she couldn't help but at least be a little curious about these Friday the 13th Wars. Maybe digesting some history lessons would help her cope. Eventually. For now, she could think of a few ways to loosen herself up to all this. Only one of them seemed worthwhile.

Somewhere in the haze of memory, Emma was certain she'd done this before, and that it was mostly positive. Or maybe it was someone else she'd been around. Either way . . .

"So . . . yeah," she turned her attention back to Jack, "I am now suddenly not joking about that good drink comment. 'Cause I think I would like one right about now."
. o O (I think I must agree with Sliss. The "Fat Chance" would have been a perfect name for our ship.)

Sabwones

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Re: We are our Avatars
« Reply #21 on: October 03, 2016, 01:35:01 AM »
If it involves that weird bugger in the hockey mask, I think I'd rather not, all things considered.

Sab did his best attempt at a deferential nod, but only succeeded in levering his head backwards against his chin. "Evening. Or morning. Whichever."

The girl, now without the cider clouding his vision, and not in the fun way, definitely looked peturbed. The way she dressed seemed to try and put out the image of maturity in an almost forceful, challenge-me way, but she hadn't been able to lock down her emotions just yet. A lot of kids who tried that either failed miserably, or did it all too well. A sudden pang shot through where he thought his chest might be, some residue from another time, perhaps.

That said, when she raised the subject of drinks, Sab's train of thought was swiftly dynamited off' the tracks.

"Drinks? Genius." He rolled his eye up for a moment in thought. "I'd murder a rum and ginger beer right now. Ice, straw. Twist of lime. Cheers, matey."
Oi.

Nayt

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Re: We are our Avatars
« Reply #22 on: October 03, 2016, 09:08:47 AM »
How a skull could drink anything was baffling. Enough that a little of Emma's fear siphoned away. She could only imagine that Sabwones was going to leave a mess where his neck was supposed to be. That was too ridiculous for her to take completely seriously.

"Uhm, what about something strawberry? For me, that is," Emma asked, "Or something like coffee? There are drinks like that, right?"

Emma remembered that she liked coffee flavored things and also strawberry flavored things. Lattes, mochas, strawberry smoothies, things along those lines. She remembered that some people called them sickly sweet, but those sorts of drinks never made her sick (to her knowledge), and were absolutely delicious. She could only assume that if alcohol was added, they would only be improved. And that, in turn, may improve her ability to take all of this insanity in at once.
. o O (I think I must agree with Sliss. The "Fat Chance" would have been a perfect name for our ship.)

JetSet

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Re: We are our Avatars
« Reply #23 on: October 04, 2016, 01:32:16 AM »
Jack shrugged at the comment for drinks, figuring that it would be better to take the edge off and help everyone relax. He walked over to the bar built into a window that led out to the lounge, taking one mug and a pair of small glass cups. He put the mug under one of the taps and pulled the lever, letting it a stream of cranberry colored liquid fill the glass. As the mug filled, he took other items from the nearby cabinets. As soon as his mug was full with the steaming red liquid, he shut off the tap and started mixing up the drinks for the others. And by mixing up the drinks, he mostly just poured them from different bottles. For Emma, he gave a mix of coffee and a shot of coffee liquor. For the skull, he made a mix of rum and ginger beer with ice, a straw, and some lime.

"Drink up!" He smiled and gave them each their drinks. Jack wasn't one who cared for things like 'drinking age' as he happened to be from a place where alcohol was rather common for everyone. Sometimes more common than drinkable, or not enchanted water.

Sabwones

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Re: We are our Avatars
« Reply #24 on: October 04, 2016, 09:05:55 AM »
"Muchas gracias, mate." Sab chirped, his teeth clacking hungrily as he wiggled closer to the glass, launched his chin upwards with a flick of the jaw and landed with it balanced on the lip of the glass. A moment's careful rocking brought the straw to his side, caught it between his teeth, then he began to drink.

Contrary to what the laws of physics would have like to have happen, Sab considered such things like a working digestive system to be more of a state of mind than an anatomical requirement. After all, if a man can speak without lungs, vocal chords or a tongue, why not drink without a stomach? Only stood to reason, if he could survive not having a body, then everything else after that should be a cakewalk.

That was actually a fair point. Lack of skin and vital signs notwithstanding, he could recall being a bit taller than this not long ago. His recollection wasn't getting any better, it seemed, but he could begin to feel a lingering sense of pressure...not here, but somehow here. Like a phantom limb.

Sab concentrated for a minute and went inside his skull.

Alright. So maybe my body's somewhere 'round here. How do you go about finding something you can feel, but can't see?

A knotty one, that.

Let's try something basic. Right hand. I know I've got a right hand. Wiggle-wiggle, Mr Right.

Somewhere, like a second-hand retelling of an old joke, Sab felt something coarse drum up against a hand. His hand. More pressure. Harder.

Give it a whack!

CLONK

"Ow!" Sab yelped, lost his place and flipped over onto one side. "Buggeration."
Oi.

Nayt

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Re: We are our Avatars
« Reply #25 on: October 04, 2016, 09:10:43 AM »
"Thanks," Emma said as she took the drink.

It was sweet and warm, the coffee hot and bitter, but the liquor cool and sweet. Emma couldn't help but smile broadly at the taste. It definitely reminded her of other things. Lattes. Not mocha or cappuccinos, but lattes. With a lot of cream. Before the haze, those were her favorite drinks. They probably weren't alcoholic, but it was good to know at least one preference. The warmth wasn't exclusive to the coffee, though. The liquor sat hot in her belly, which was kind of like the cider--

Oh crap. The cider was also alcoholic. It didn't taste like it. It was just delicious and refreshing. Whoooops. Oh well. What should I care? It's just me, some guy from some other . . . world? Or something? And a skull.

Speaking of, she was really curious how drinking liquids was going to go for Sabwones. She sipped her beverage whilst watching intently, baffled by how no liquid spilled from him, as if he were somehow able to digest it. She'd been watching intently enough that when the skull fell over, she jumped back a little, but giggled it off this time and took another--albeit longer--drink. Either as a show of solidarity or an expression of liquid courage, Emma walked over to him, picked up the skull, and put it back into his prime drinking position.
. o O (I think I must agree with Sliss. The "Fat Chance" would have been a perfect name for our ship.)

Sabwones

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Re: We are our Avatars
« Reply #26 on: October 04, 2016, 09:25:21 AM »
Righted once again, Sab contemplated the pinched tip of his straw for a second, then eyed the girl again.

"Right. Emma, yes? Think you could do me a favour?" His eye cast about the room. "Contrary to what you might believe, I think my body might be knocking around here someplace. Unfortunately, not being connected to it means I can't exactly go off looking for the bloody thing, so I was wondering...could I get a lift? Just 'til I'm back on my feet. So to speak."

He attempted a charming grin.

He hadn't quite grasped that 'rictus grin' was all he could reliably manage.
Oi.

Nayt

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Re: We are our Avatars
« Reply #27 on: October 04, 2016, 09:53:52 AM »
"Uhhh . . ."

Oh, God. She shouldn't have helped him out. Emma regretted it immediately. Yep, it was definitely liquid courage. And she clearly didn't have enough of it. She took a larger gulp of her drink, drowned herself in the calming feeling that followed, the smile she couldn't suppress, and the lightness of her body.

"Suuure," she finally said, "Like, right now? Or do you wanna finish your drink first?"

'Cause she was absolutely all right putting this off for as long as possible. Maybe she'd be done with her drink by then, which would be more than enough preparation for . . . showing Jack her scars or carrying a skull around or whatever other things to come that she'd otherwise be uncomfortable with.
. o O (I think I must agree with Sliss. The "Fat Chance" would have been a perfect name for our ship.)

Sabwones

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Re: We are our Avatars
« Reply #28 on: October 04, 2016, 10:13:51 AM »
"I can do that. Sure."

So that felt like it'd struck a nerve. Hm. The girl was good at deflecting. Diverting the channel of conversation. Buying time. Hiding. No point in trying to press the issue. Not everyone was comfortable around the undead, for a variety of reasons, and someone this young? Could be anything.

Sab settled back down to his drink. Took a sip, enjoyed the sweet-sour taste and the burn of a proper ginger ale, not that carbonated arse-water.

"So...what's the story here, anyway? Can't be Hell. Too quiet. Can't be Heaven, 'cause the bar's too good." He thought about it for a bit, then added, "might be Purgatory. Place is weird like that. Though that'd mean you're both dead, which I suppose you both probably would rather not be the case. Although...might be some allegorial Dante Alighieri bullshit, in which case I don't have the first fucking clue other than follow the Roman poet."
Oi.

Nayt

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Re: We are our Avatars
« Reply #29 on: October 04, 2016, 01:03:25 PM »
Dead.

The idea didn't sit well with her, but it was nothing she could comment on. Of all parties present, she knew the least about what was going on--and what happened before, for that matter. That personally bothered her. That overwhelming feeling of knowing absolutely nothing, of having no anchor of education with which to relate her experiences.

Dead.

Again the word struck her. Purgatory, heaven, hell--God. No. Please, no. She was too young to be dead. Hadn't done nearly enough with her life. She had . . . what, she was still in school, right? She hadn't graduated already, right? She remembered being smart. Brilliant, even. Took some kind of pride in it. But what good would that do her if she were dead? Emma looked to Jack for this one. She said nothing, but refused to let her expression betray her. Just look bored and somewhat intrigued. Jack had more experience with this place. Even though he'd told her right when she first met him that he knew as little as she did, he'd experienced more of this place than her.

The thought did prompt her to take yet another long drink, though.
. o O (I think I must agree with Sliss. The "Fat Chance" would have been a perfect name for our ship.)