2149/The Moon Bridge

The Moon Bridge
Date of Scene:	02 May 2015
Location:	Sixth Age Earth <SAE>
Synopsis:	Laine takes people to the moon in search of Silver.
Cast of Characters:	151, 152, 253, 255, 383, Riva Banari, 591, 626, 759

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Laine (383) has posed:
    Evening in the world of the Sixth Age. Moonrise, to be specific. The Lunar Forest is not too far from a warpgate, so there's no real need to do anything special to arrive. Of course, large vehicles will be warned away by Laine anyway, as the Lunar Forest is a very primitive, intentionally so. It's quite a pretty forest, tall and wild, with few paths... but Laine being here, she can lead the group to the large glen in the middle.

    This is where she... sits and scratches at an ear with a hindleg, waiting for the others to follow the trail she blazed. It will fade at the dawn, but for now it's free. Animals watch, but unless the group is aggressive, will do nothing. The moon is huge above, just starting to get full... which is why the shimmering foundations of a bridgehead are forming, glimmering silvery and translucent. It's solidifying and growing upwards by the minute, a fascinating look of making a gleaming silvery road.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber opts to come along with Laine for numerous reasons, many of them private. He has no need for Moonsilver, but one of his friends does and that is reason enough for him to come. He also enjoys any excuse to visit Sixth Age Earth after its rebirth, finding the world beautiful in its own way. And finally, after the immense stress he had been under for months, being around Laine in any given context had a relaxing sort of effect on him which he direly needs, though he won't admit it.

    This is why he's hovering around not too far away from Laine. He has one hand in the pocket of his coat and the other is smoking a cigarette as he loiters.

Ainsley (151) has posed:
    It's unlikely that Ainsley used any form of vehicle to reach the Lunar Forest, and she got there a great deal earlier than the rest of the party. She floated in to land near Laine, finding a place to sit down and look around at their surroundings. The animals get wary looks, because the lizard girl isn't entirely sure what level of hostility she should be expecting here. Considering that nothing is immediately ruining her day, she grows accustomed to it very quickly.

    Which just leaves her looking at Laine curiously. She has no questions, she just watches the volunteer guide that she had never met before the offer was made to find this magical material on a completely uncharted moon world. Psyber gets a similar look, for a while, silent observation, because she barely knows the guy and has hardly seen him in action except when in missions they've both had some investment in. His presence draws a smile to her face, briefly, before she turns her attention away and to the distracting sight of the Moonlight Bridge.

    Mostly, Ainsley seems quiet and not really in a socializing mood. This is fairly normal for her.

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    In the case of Kyra Hyral, today there are no large vehicles to warn about. She's perfectly fine with arriving on foot or by Chocobo though today she elects to come by foot, hauling her gear with her despite its weight. Though since taking on the burden known as the CURE-ALL, an incredibly pimp looking grenade-launcher healing gun, she has been able to take on a little extra weight. Like Arthur said, she's getting SWOLE. For a mage.

    This mission seemed like a straightforward one: walk on a bridge to the moon, dealing with Random Encounters, to find Moonsilver for Ainsley. It's probably one of the more "normal" missions she's undergone lately but despite this, she's actively streaming the mission to her Galiandan Light Warriors Mogtube channel if only to show her world that, hey, there are other places out there with bridges to the Moon.

    Kyra's lingering on the formation of the bridge, awed by the spectacle. "Whoaaaah."

Aoko Aozaki (591) has posed:
    Aoko has been to a LOT of places.
    Not the Moon.
    The closest she has been to that is meeting the True Ancestor, and hanging out with a man who once punched the Moon back into orbit because it was getting uppity and kind of dickish.
    The Moon, that is, not the man.

    That's why there's a red-haired completely normal magus tagging along with a big grin, whistling something or another, hands in her jeans, and a bland white t-shirt to make her look like she's nobody. And really, she is! Just a boring magus, she'd insist, and she does pretty much look the part.

    "Oh! Oh! So we're just sort of... going to WALK to the Moon? This is awesome! I mean that looks a bit steep to walk on right now but psht, details!"

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    While it's Setsuko's habit not to rely on her flight in general, Sixth Age Earth is one place where she tries not to bring in more technology than she absolutely must. And given that the demigod can now fly under her own power, she has no need to bring in her usual hoverbike.

    So flight under her own power is the order of the day, until they arrive at the Lunar Forest. After that, it's on foot, at a calm and steady pace. She hasn't had opportunity to come here in a while, and it's a gorgeous, wonderfully primal place. And she doesn't have anything in particular to say to Laine; she trusts that the route will be obvious, or that she'll explain it to them if need be. So instead, she follows near Psyber, slightly behind.

    Her reaction to the silvery moon bridge isn't as pronounced as Aoko or Kyra's, but she does widen her eyes just a little, then allow the faintest of smiles onto her face.

Faruja (152) has posed:
Faruja Senra can't help it. He's arrived here with Ainsley, arm crossed, as he /peers/ at that magical moon bridge that's forming. The Burmecian is utterly /fascinated/ by the construct, plucking at every time-mage bone in his body.

"Lady...Laine, was it not? How /ever/ is such a thing accomplished? What of the lack of oxygen? Some form of magic-gravity generation?" Cough. Right, manners.

Bow! He'll go through his usual introductions to those not aware of him, notably Lain, and politely bless those he knows.

Aoko in particular gets a smile. "Lord's blessings Lady Aozaki! Truly, the wonders of the Lord's magic are great, art they not!? A shame we cannot study it more. Another time, mayhaps!"

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva has basically a dozen reasons to be here, from helping Ainsley (the obvious reason) to other, less obvious reasons involving other people present. Riva arrives in Sixth Age Earth with a spring in her step and a happy, wordless song on her lips as she practically skips through the area. The primal purity of this area is almost... invigorating to Riva for some reason, but she just enjoys it for what it is, ambushing Kyra from behind with a laugh as she ruffles her hair. "Hey, chekc it out, Kyra! A moonbridge!"

She does step away from Kyra to look up at the bridge as it forms with a sort of awe in her gaze, however. "It's beautiful!" She exclaims as she approaches, turning to Laine and Psyber as she claps in anticipatory glee. "Today we're gonna have ANOTHER Moon Landing! It's going to be awesome!"

God, did she down a brick of sugar before coming?

Valka (759) has posed:
     Valka has never been anywhere, really, besides the islands that she called home. Ever since arriving here in the Multiverse, her boundaries have been expanded a thousandfold - potentially more, if she really sat down and thought about it. The chance to go to the moon, to actually set foot on the surface? Well, that's a tale that could be shared around campfires for dozens of years!

     The coordinates given were fairly easy to find - she's been practicing, after all - and her arrival on the back of Cloudjumper, her Stormchaser dragon, is a bit...well...dramatic. Her usual method of entry. She slips from his back with a graceful twist, bowing to the gathered people before straightening. "Good evening, one and all. I hope you don't mind my accompanying you on this journey. I am Valka, Dragonmistress of Berk." She smiles. "I'm...ah...quite new, actually."

     Looking to the gathered throng, then the moon bridge itself, Valka gets a pensive look before asking. "Will I need to bring Cloudjumper along, miss Laine, or will it be advisable for me to accompany you on my own two feet? Having a dragon could be quite useful, for scouting, tracking, or otherwise defense against things susceptible to flame or large gnashing teeth."

Laine (383) has posed:
    Okaaaay. Riva's a little hyper, but everyone else seems a mixture of apprehensive and excited. The only one getting really awkward is Faruja, who asks a lot of questions that Laine can only answer with a blank stare, the wolf just tilting her head more and more. The rat does get a reply though, growled out in the lupine language of the Garou. <<Is bridge. Walk.>> That... seems to be the answer to all of them? She doesn't seem worried about air or the like.

    Of course it takes a few more minutes for the bridge to coalesce, forming that shimmering arch up toward the moon. It does indeed look quite steep, so it's probably a little awkward to watch Laine walk up toward it as the arch finishes forming, placing a paw on it.

    The tiny wolf looks back toward Valka, tail wagging. <<Bring dragon. Can fly with.>> Apparently she expects Valka to ride the dragon to the moon... but maybe that's possible here, because Laine walks right up to the bridge and starts walking up it, the steep angle making it look like she's walking up a wall. Anyone who bothers trying to place their foot on the bridge will find that walking 'up' it is disorienting but easy, not requiring any special balance. Despite being glimmering and translucent, it feels as solid as stone.

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    "Wah!" Kyra exclaims as her hood is ruffled off of her head, exposing her hair. Thankfully, since it's evening out in this world she doesn't have to worry about being exposed to INFERNAL DAYSTARS that would make her pale, almost gray-ish skin burn. "I know, right, Riva? My world is not alone! But this one is completely different. It IS beautiful." she agrees with the Templar.

    She's certain to capture the entire formation of the moonbridge until it has mostly finished forming. Mostly, for it seems that Laine in her wolf form is eager to go.

    Faruja gets a cheerful wave from the white mage, who does not bother to replace her hood. With it down, people can see her 'camera' a bit more clearly, which appears to be a headband with the camera apature flat and smack against the center of her forehead. "Hi Faruja! It's a moon bridge! Like she says, just walk on it!" As if to demonstrate, Kyra, completely undaunted, follows after Laine onto the translucent, steep structure. There is no concern about things like 'lack of air.'

Faruja (152) has posed:
Faruja visibly deflates. /Sigh/. Exalts and their cheating! He'll have to pester Finna some time about the whole matter.

"Yes, yes, let us walk the bloody thing."

But he doesn't forget the newcomer and her dragon! It's been a while since the rat has seen one that isn't Rhapsody or Bahamut.

"Lord's blessings, Lady Valka, and...Ser Cloudjumper?" He's not too sure on that one. Bow!

"Inquisitor Senra, Holy Church of Saint Ajora Glabados at thine service! Come then! We hath a heathen moonbridge to cross." Mutter. Yes, he's a little salty here.

There's a Kyra though! Oh Thank Faram.

"Lady Hyral, blessings mine dear! Ye make that sound /trustworthy/. Forgive me if I am just a touch concerned...oh bloody abyss, why not?" Shrug. He's not going to let the white mage of the party show him up. TO THE MOON BRIDGE!

The rat has a teleport spell ready to go, just in case however.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Ainsley gets a polite nod of Psyber's head as he smokes the cigarette he was carrying. Valka gets a more descriptive greeting, "Greetings. I'm a Union Reserve Colonel. People call me Psyber," He says, eschewing most description of what he does at the moment. He nods his head slightly, "A pleasure to meet you."

    Oh hey, Aoko's here as well. That always makes things funner, or at least more interesting, for him, "Hey hey, it's my favorite boring Magus. Where've you been lately, Aoko?" He asks in a casual tone. Most others just get a polite nod of his head in terms of greeting.

    And then, when Laine takes off to walking, Psyber will try to follow behind her.

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    "A pleasure to meet you, Valka," Setsuko replies, regarding the girl and her dragon with a formal bow. "Major Setsuko Kaminagi, swordswoman and soldier. I apologize in advance if my presence causes any issues with your dragon. I... can have that effect," she admits. Her divine presence has caused trouble with animals in the past; hopefully Cloudjumper won't be put off by her.

    Laine's reply to all the questioning very nearly gets a laugh out of her, but she manages to (just barely) maintain a calm expression as they start up the bridge.

Ainsley (151) has posed:
    Ainsley watches the bridge as it manifests before everyone, her lightly-feathered brows raising in silent thought at the sight. She gets up from her seat soon after Laine approaches the bridge, preparing to follow after. She doesn't seem at all bothered by how steep it is... at first. Once she looks UP, she frowns at the journey ahead of them.

    "Thank you, all of you, for coming to help with this," she says to the group at large, and then begins to progress up the bridge, squeaking from the disorientation of being turned practically 90 degrees and walking toward the surface of what is essentially a completely different planet.

    She frets with her hands in front of her chest, extremely nervous about this bridge. Especially because it's transparent.

Faruja (152) has posed:
Faruja also notes Ainsley's nervousness. He hardly blames her. He walks over, offering a tail to her own! Squeeze. His smile, despite his previous words, are all reassurances.

Riva Banari has posed:
When the time comes, Riva rushes towards the bridge. "Last one on the bridge is full of stinky cheese!" She calls, playfully, as she leaps towards the bridge to attempt a TOTALLY SWEET acrobatic maneuver to roll up the bridge.

She slips, falling over with a short yell. Given she's falling 'down' onto the nearly vertical bridge, it looks like she's almost splatting into a wall comedically and hanging there.

Riva quickly scrambles to her feet and laughs. "Don't worry about it, Ainsley! I wouldn't miss this for the world. Come on, it'll be an awesome adventure!" Riva says, moving along quickly. This might not be entirely reassuring.

Valka (759) has posed:
     Well, that answers that. Valka gives the large fringe-faced Dragon a nod and another motion of her fingers, beckoning him closer, before hoisting herself up onto his back by hooking her curved staff around the base of one of his four wings, standing astride him in the middle of his back. She watches the bridge come into view, like fog being wiped away from reality to reveal the spirit world behind. It's the thing out of legends, really. Something that she never thought she'd see. Her lips move in quiet prayer to her Gods, if they are in this world.

     Faruja gets a smile, the woman sitting cross-legged on the back of the dragon, peering over his ruff of fringe, patting him lightly to calm him. After all, it is an interesting experience, walking on a bridge of light. "Oh, just Cloudjumper is fine. And please, just Valka. I've not earned a title yet, but that's not to say I won't in time." Her position on Cloudjumper's back soothes the beast, despite Setsuko's divine presence. Apparently the pair have a rather strong bond and, if Valka's not nervous, it seems Cloudjumper isn't either. Before the dragon begins up the bridge, though? Valka does offer. "If anyone else would like a lift, I've got room for one or two more." If there are no takers? The dragon starts up the bridge, giving a growf of surprise as his massive weight held easily by the moonbeams.

Aoko Aozaki (591) has posed:
    "Yo, Faru! Psy. Uuuh, places!"

    Aoko reaches into a pocket, producing her cellphone. She swipes, looks into the gallery, and produces a slideshow of pictures.

    "I went to Paris!" <Blue fire, Eifel Tower in background.>
    "Oh, I had to drop by London after that." <Clock Tower, blue fire in background.>
    "Then I went to Venice!" <Blue fire on water next to boat.>
    "And London again!" <Clock Tower, magi putting a blue fire out.>
    "I wanted to go to Egypt, see a pyramid, but." <Magi at airport. They look angry.>
    "So I just went to Italy again instead." <Nero Gundam, as seen from the head of the Shining Gundam.>
    "Oh, Len came along for that one!" <White Len chewing on an arm.>
    "... I still dunno where she found that arm."

    Well.
    That's Aoko for you.

Laine (383) has posed:
    Laine lets out a small wuff... and it may be a little hard for some to tell that she's chuckling to herself in amusement. The jackal-wolf is padding ahead of everyone, glancing over with a lupine grin now and then, while walking toward the steadily-approaching moon. <<Luna not settled,>> she reminds. <<Is wolf land, not for humans.>> Just a note of caution, apparently, for she doesn't seem too concerned with the current group.

    Once actually on the bridge, the vertigo from those who realized that they were at a 90 degree angle will likely pass... because it feels like the bridge has its own gravity. Glancing behind will show that after only a few minutes of walking(or flying along the path of the glimmering, ethereal bridge) results in a much more distant forest behind than would be expected... and that the moon is rapidly approaching. It's getting very easy to see now that the features of the moon are made up of blue, silver, and grey foliage of strange sorts, and the bridge lands in the middle of a large basin with a forest on one side, a shining river nearby, and some low mountains opposite.

    Laine explains, <<Can choose which way?>>

Ainsley (151) has posed:
    Ainsley receives comfort and a rather comical display from Faruja and Riva, respectively, which certainly help her mood a great deal. The whole journey is made less horribly frightening by the properties of the Moon Bridge... She looks behind the group and marvels at the distance they had made in such a short period of time, then turns to look toward Luna with a bright smile on her face.

    "The mountains," Ainsley suggests, "I have no idea how Moonsilver collects or where it would, but it seems more likely to find anything approaching a mineral or metal in a mountainous area, as opposed to a forest." She shrugs her shoulders. She's not even sure Luna follows basic logic, she's just spitballing here.

    She looks to the others, and asks, "What do you think?"

Faruja (152) has posed:
Faruja smiles just a bit. "Valka, 'tis then!"

To Aoko, he peeks at her pictures briefly. Famous place. Burning. Famous place. Burning. He gives an entirely too wide grin there, with plenty of teeth.

"If the Mage's Association ever becomes a burden, Lady Aozaki, the Inquisition couldst well find a woman of your particular...enthusiasm...most useful! Keep it in mind if ye ever hath a sudden religious epiphany." /Smile/.

To Ainsley and Laine, the rat mmm's.

"Makes sense. I aught hath brought a bloody pickaxe. Mayhaps Titan can lead us to a source of it if we arrive at a suitable mountain." It helps to have earth-spirits at your beck-and-call.

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    "So your moon is complete wilderness." Kyra concludes to Laine's words, "Like back-" Kyra turns around to look at the forest they came from, only to be surprised to see how far away it now seems. There was a similar effect on the Great Span to speed along travel but this one was much, much faster, "-whoah. Back there. Does that mean the humans are going to get attacked?"

    Meanwhile, Kyra's attention drifts between Faruja and Valka upon Cloudjumper. She lets out a low whistle at the sight of the dragon, which reminded her of an owl for some reason. "Hey miss Valka?" she speaks up, waving to the older woman, "I don't need a ride now, but if we get into a fight, can I get up on the dragon's back? Turns out that's a pretty safe spot for a healer." Well, barring vampires shadow-teleporting in and removing her from the dragon's back at least.

    Laughing, she gives Faruja a grin, "Oh, it's normal, right? I mean the see-throughness might be a little unsettling but it seems solid to me. C'mon Faruja, don't lag behind~!"

Valka (759) has posed:
     The reorientation of gravity is a little odd, but when you spend a large portion of your life on the back of a dragon, up becoming some other direction in an instant kind of comes with the territory. Still, it's kind of weird seeing a dragon step on the bridge, push up and then turn 90 degrees to head up the bridge, with Valka standing the whole way. Cloudjumper, once everyone is past, does take to the air with a beat of his wings, giving Valka an overview of the landscape.

     "Could you give us some insight, Laine, on where we might be likely to find such a thing? My son uses a strange substance he calls quicksilver for some of his experiments. If moonsilver is the same, it will flow like water, but is as heavy as lead. If we go to the mountains, might I suggest lower areas where it may collect in pools?" Valka's voice is clear, easily heard over the beating of wings in the calm air surrounding the moon bridge, her attention moving from one person to the other as they speak. Any oddities - reptilian women, for example - are simply chalked up as 'different from me, but on the same team.' "Of course, Miss Kyra. If things get interesting, just raise your arms. We'll snatch you up before you know it."

Valka (759) has posed:
     Valka adds one more thing. "Cloudjumper's breath can melt rock and steel, but we might set the forest alight if we're not careful."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "You know, if you ever want to leave Len in my care, she's probably one of the only cats I've ever actually been able to tolerate," Of course leave it to Psyber to actually like the cat-familiar-slash-Wallachia. He shrugs a bit as he watches the pictures scroll by, "Fun journey! Good to have you back around."

    He scratches the side of his cheek as he wanders along after Laine. He doesn't have a strong opinion on which way to go, instead opting to let the others take point as he looks around the crazy landscape of the moon. This is one of the only times he's ever been to space. He tries to recall the others and the only other one he can think of was when he brough the ISS out of orbit before this world was recreated.

    As he walks, he looks down at Laine, keeping a careful eye on the jackal. And then he looks back over to Valka and comments loud enough to hear (he hopes), "Your dragon is quite impressive. It is rare to see one which is clearly of such fine health."

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva isn't too worried about this being Wolf Country. We can stop here.

What she's not prepared for is the dragon. She looks up at Valka and Cloudjumper, causing her to 'oooooh'. "Man, that is so cool! You're riding a dragon! That's the most awesome thing ever!" When Valka offers to give other people rides, Riva passes for the moment. Clearly, she's too into just absorbing the unsual surroundings to pay enough attention to the offer. She'll catch Valka later. Wheee, dragons!

However, the ydraw closer to the actual surface, and Riva looks around. "Amazing!" She does lean over and ask Laine, though, "I know we're looking for Moonsilver, but is part of the moon made of cheese? I gotta know if there is and what it tastes like." She couldn't resist asking.

Aoko Aozaki (591) has posed:
    The fact the bridge has its own gravity explains how they're going to walk up. Aoko's previous queries are now answered! Well, less queries, and more curiosity. All the same.

    "This place has really bright colors. It's kind of pretty! A bit creepy too, but not past the uncomfortable point. Moonsilver! It's like silver. But from the Mooooon~" She makes hand gestures. WoooOOooOooo. Okay, that sounded better in her head. Hm.

    To Faruja, she grins. "Nah, nah! No worries. Detouring to Italy turned out way more fun than seeing a pyramid, I got to ride a Gundam." It really did work out for her. Now if only she could have piloted it instead of standing on its head.

    "Dibs on Mooncheese if it's a real thing."

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    Transitioning from one gravitational pull to another is not the /strangest/ thing Setsuko's ever had to do, but it certainly /feels/ pretty weird. She's silent for the entirety of the trip, though she does watch Cloudjumper with curiosity. Once they arrive, however, her silence is of a different nature; she's closing her eyes, sinking herself into her other senses. Hearing, smell. Even touch, feeling the breeze on her skin, if there is such a thing. And reaching out with her magical senses, getting a feel for the place besides. It's a rare chance, so while a direction is decided, she simply drinks it all in.

Riva Banari has posed:
"See? She totally wants to try moon cheese too!" Riva points over to Aoko. "Look, we can bring some home and make some moon cheeseburgers. Or a Mooncheese pizza. Mooncheesesticks?" She's got food on the brain right now, it seems.

Ainsley (151) has posed:
    If anyone is looking at Ainsley while Riva goes on about moon cheese, they will see the lizard woman with her hands on her face, absolutely embarrassed about Riva's antics. "Riva..." she complains, vaguely.

Aoko Aozaki (591) has posed:
    "Len's already at your office right now! I tend to leave her there. She camps the elevator with Death." Let it not be said Aoko does not contribute to Heaven or Hell in any way, she literally furnishes the elevator with a vampire succubus fear-phenomenon cat and the Grim Reaper itself.

    "She left me something too, let's see." She digs into a pocket. Pulls a finger out. Looks like it was chewed off the hand it belongs to. "Oh. That's why she said she wasn't hungry anymore. I really should find who that belongs to." Back in the pocket it goes.

Riva Banari has posed:
"What?" Riva pauses. "Oh, of course we'll have some for you too! Gawd, we're not going to be stingy." She smiles and gives a gesture towards Ainsley, clearly missing that the lizard is heavily embarassed.

Laine (383) has posed:
    Laine nods her head at what Valka says, which seems to be agreeing with Ainsley. Riva gets another weird look before Laine explains further, <<Is not same, Luna having own... ways. Own life.>> It's clearly hard to explain, even without the laziness of Laine's speech. She can talk more clearly than that, she just doesn't feel it would help.

    It's pretty obvious what she means when the moon bridge ends, only about 20 minutes after the trek started. It looks more solid now, but there are hours of moonlight left. The actual lunar ground is a faint silvery green from a kind of grass, but the shrubs and trees are utterly alien, and strange bright green berries are on some of them. Odd birds are watching the group, with some rather tropical-looking plumage. There are no paths, and a loud roaring cry can be heard somewhere in the distance. At least the mountains seem... like mountains, it's true. Laine herself glances at the group, <<Never looked for Moonsilver. Know here.>>

Faruja (152) has posed:
Faruja frowns, casts a haste spell on himself and Ainsley, and is all but yanking her along now if she doesn't let go of his tail!

"Right bloody behind ye, Dame Hyral!" If nothing else, the White Mage is good at getting the rat in gear.

Though clealry dissappointed that Aoko isn't leaping into the Inquisition, the rat manages to mask it with a smile.

"Ye aught visit Lindblum some time! Lovely city, 'tis a capitol of industry and art!" Pause. Right. Fire.

"...Just be careful with the magic, hmm?"

The finger just gets a fuzzy raised brow from Faruja. The /hell/, Aoko!

Faruja tamps down the desire to admonish Aoko about proper burials, but he'll leave it with a dissapproving Priest Look (tm).

Then, they're on the moon. Trying to ignore Riva and her hyper antics, Faruja focuses on casting. Magic flows around him, and the ground in front of him splits. The hyper-muscled form of the Esper Titan appears, before the ground re-knits itself at the Esper's will. Towering over the rat, Titan leans down to him.

And offers a knuckle. Faruja, after a sigh of letting out all of his dignity, bro-fists Titan. Titan grins, and flexes before plucking Faruja atop his shoulders.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber idly side-comments to Aoko, "Maybe you can use it to open someone's fingerprint safe and find some cool secret shit like a spy." He seems pretty casual about the fact Len ate a dude. Then again, look at the crazy menagerie he hires on the average mission-to-mission basis, "You should ask her if she ate a spy. Or a mage spy."

    Still, the elevator. How had he missed that? She was getting smarter, "Hmm. The elevator. She must be mastering the sneaking, I haven't noticed her. Unsettling."

    To Laine's comment about not knowing where to look for Moonsilver, Psyber snuffs out his cigarette on a rock and muses, "Maybe in a cave. Or underground. Or it could be sap from one of the moon-trees. Maybe the moon is like Canada and its silverstandard is tree sap. Space Canada or something. Everyone keep your eyes open for a Moon Tim Horton's or something."

    Normally he'd flick the cigarette but away, but since Psyber knows about Laine's spiritual attachment to the moon and he's not a huge dick, he then crumples the leftover cigarette up and shoves it in his pocket to throw away later. He's still somewhat ill-at-ease on the alien landscape.

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva doesn't seem to quite understand Laine's response, but she nods, smiling regardless. It kind of makes sense. "Well, we'll see what happens! You'd know best!" She says cheerily.

When they land on the moon, she looks around with surprise. "Wow, this is amazing! One small step for Heaven or Hell, one giant leap for people who don't know how to walk to the moon!" She cheers, thrusting a hand up into the air in almost a victory pose, before she hops forward through the grassy area, looking up at the birds. "The wildlife is so pretty!" She exclaims, before she sees those green berries. She hums for a moment, and then shrugs as she promptly picks a few of them and absently pops them into her mouth, chowing down.

What's the worst that could happen?

"Hahahaha, Moon Tim Horton's." Riva laughs in response to Psyber's joking.

Valka (759) has posed:
     Valka, from her perch on Cloudchaser's back, looks down and, to be honest, the grin can be seen from up where she is. "I can teach people, if they are interested and don't mind a little work with the dragons." Her attention turns to Psyber and she shifts a little, maintaining her balance as easily as one would on a rolling ship. "Thank you, Mister Psyber. It's taken quite a while to get him to become comfortable around such interesting and varied people but," She bends her knees to scratch behind one of Cloudjumper's horns. "learning the ins and outs of diet and exercise took years. Are the dragons in your world not as...." What is the word? "Harmonious with the people? Do they not get along well?" When Laine stops, though? Valka waves a hand and, with a tap of her foot, the large dragon lands. "Another time."
     It hits Valka then, turning and looking the way they came, the bridge stretching back to the blue marble that they all call home. Gods, they're really on the moon. Really and truly. Cloudjumper settles down and looks around, alert, his large yellow eyes moving from place to place, his ears (hidden under frills) working overtime to make sure they're not going to be ambushed and eaten by creatures. He does skitter back at the summoning and rumbling of the titan, alarmed, but a soft word from Valka soothes the dragon. "I...I don't suppose anyone has a pair of sticks we can use as a dowsing rod?" Only thing that she can come up with for the time being. The finger, though? That does get a bit of an odd look. It must be a talisman, for luck. The other things, like that smoky, flaming stick Psyber is sucking on, or Tim Hortons, is kind of left....well...we'll not talk about that just now.

     "We should have brought Toph....or a badgermole. They could have found it easily. Probably, if the moon wouldn't mind getting earth bent."

Ainsley (151) has posed:
    Ainsley, once she recovers from having her tail tugged by Faruja's overzealous Haste spell and hurrying, stands on Luna's ground and looks around with a look of... disorientation. The whole world just feels different to her, and the birds get a distracted look. While she waits for everyone to gather, she steps over to gather a few berries curiously because they're just THERE. She considers them, and then turns to start hovering toward the mountains. She glances behind to give an uncomfortable frown at Riva and Aoko because of that Moon Cheese nonsense, and a glance at Faruja, in case Titan can sense any caves or pools in the mountains.

    Nom. Berries.

    "Moonsilver as maple syrup. A funny thought," she remarks, absently, agreeing with Riva's opinion of Psyber's humor without paying much attention to it.

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    "Thank you, Valka." Kyra grins, giving her a double thumbs up without realizing that she might not recognize the meaning of the gesture at all. "I'll do just that in case things get hairy."

    Of course, excited to be on the moon, Kyra's happily taking all the sights of the Lunar landscape in. The nice part about her camera stream means she didn't have to fuss with her phone to get pictures. Being the curious person she is looking all around at the plants, eyeing up the berries. "Silver out of a tree like sap. Now THAT would be cool! Riva-" she watches as the older redhead scoops up the berries growing here and pops them into her mouth-actually something Kyra would not blunder into without running a basic poison test first. She takes some of the berries for herself but does not eat them, watching Riva's reaction to them first.

    If Riva falls over dead, she probably won't eat them but Kyra will happily save some for later. For science. And poison making.

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    It's a very strange place indeed. Very alien.

    Very /alive/.

    Setsuko opens her eyes again and looks around briefly, brow furrowed. "I wouldn't know the first thing about finding any kind of ore, I'm afraid, or I'd help. I..." She looks up skyward - earthward? - and makes a thoughtful noise. "...Laine, would it be a bad idea to go flying?"

Aoko Aozaki (591) has posed:
    "I think it was a thug. Like, evil henchman criminal sort." Maybe more than one. She was kind of distracted at the time! Oh well. It's not that she doesn't respect the poor people Len must have devoured, but they were kind of attacking civilians and wrecking a place, so past a point you kind of lie in the bed you made. Lay? One of the two. She shrugs.

    They are ON THE MOON, though.

    Aoko reaches down to grab a fistful of dirt. Dust. Whatever the ground here is. She will stuff it in her pocket, without remorse. No way is she missing out on a spell component like this.

    "I have no idea what Moonsilver feels like, sorry. Or I'd try to feel for it. I think I'm just happy tagging along! Hm, maybe I should try bringing Len a moonbird back." On the other hand that'd be a lot of work. Eeeeehn.

    "Say, what's the metal for anyway? I missed the briefing."

Ainsley (151) has posed:
    "Making a magic mirror that can view the soul," Ainsley tells Aoko with absolutely no other explanation. "Because I want to try it." Besides that. She shrugs at Aoko and smiles lightly.

    She might not be telling the whole truth here.

Laine (383) has posed:
    Laine glances at Setsuko, then gives a lupine shrug. A moment later she's fluttering in owl form, hooting softly and flying off toward the mountains. She doesn't go far, more just acting as a guide to something someone said, but without comment. A Lupus has never been the sort to be very talkative anyway. She only says something when that distant roar sounds again. <<Is bad to stay long. Things here can hunt. Like the hunt.>> Those familiar with Creation's Luna may... have an idea of why.

    Those not eating the berries will rapidly realize that pathways and the like are few and far between... so going to the mountains might have been a good idea. Approaching the foothills is easier, despite the rough terrain, because vegetation is more sparse. With anyone taking to the air, and the extra height of a Titan, it's likely that anything approaching can be seen first, and the eyes in the sky can note the rougher patches to avoid trouble. It doesn't look like many of the animals are large here, at least, though that roar sounds pretty big.

    The berries taste a little sour, but not bad. It might be hard to notice the difference at first... but gradually, the area becomes even brighter, as if the earth above were giving off as much light as the sun. It is not immediately evident that the berries make sunlight seem as dim as moonlight.

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    Well, that's as close an answer as any she's going to get. Satisfied, Setsuko looks upwards and lifts off without another word, floating up until she can get a good look at the landscape. Lacking any further direction, she'll follow along with Laine, though higher and a little further back.

    She's also not above calling down directions from above, if she can. She's got the superhuman vision to do that, especially from here. Of course, whenever she has a chance, she'll look in the direction of that loud roar - if she can get a glimpse of what's causing it, all the better.

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva hmmms as she munches on a couple berries... And then she looks around with a squint. "Oh, don't worry about it, Kyra!" Riva waves. "If these were bad I'm sure Laine would have said something!" At least she has a foundation for just immediately putting them in her mouth like some kind of adventuring six year old.

"It's kind of bright around here." She comments. She takes another bunch of berries and hangs onto them, bouncing them in the palm of her hand as she picks her way through the strangely bright woods. It doesn't seem to quite dawn on her why this is the case. "So, does anyone have any idea of what we're looking for?" She asks, starting to thread her way towards the hilly, mountainous terrtain. "I've got a pickaxe if we need it, but where do we go from here? Just wander around until we find something promising? Not that I'm against that, this place is amazing." She doesn't seem too worried about the apparent hunters here.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber gives a shrug to both Riva and Ainsley, "The Canada parts are obviously a joke, but considering the strange landscape and the weird way Laine's world has always acted, it's possible it will be in some unorthodox location. Tree sap, waterfall, fruit. Could also just be mineral deposits in the ground."

    He looks to Valka a moment later, "It's an unfortunate fact that in my world, the vast majority of dragons were overtly evil or harmful to humans. The few surviving ones are neutral or good, but live in hermitage. So they're largely non-present on my home world," He somewhat furrows his brow at this.

    Hands in the pocket of his coat, Psyber sets off to walking after the flying owl. The roar causes him to lift his head a bit. He carefully rests a hand on his holster as they go, careful of what that might be.

Faruja (152) has posed:
Faruja watches, a little concerned as Riva and Ainsley eat the berries. He peers down from atop Titan.

"Be careful ye both." He jangles an antidote he has with him.

Other than that? The Burmecian is quiet for the most part, fuelling Titan with magic as the great Esper walks along and hunts for the odd metal that they're after.

Faruja squints over to Ainsley, however.

"...I /still/ say this is something of a bad idea, mine dear." Cautions the rat like a proper priest.

Valka (759) has posed:
     Psyber's comments about his dragons give the red-haired woman a grim expression - her dragons were misunderstood, not evil. She doesn't answer just yet. From Cloudjumper's back, she watches as green berries are sampled, rocks and dirt are pocketed, and Setsuko, without the aid of a dragon, takes flight. She joins the divine-aura-bearing woman on the back of her dragon - after all, three sets of eyes watching for danger are far better than one, and the fact that there's a dragon hovering over the group may end up dissuading anything that may seek to cause them trouble...unless something is actively seeking a challenge.

     "We may not have that much time to explore." Valka calls, responding to Riva's suggestion of wandering. "If the bridge home was powered by moonlight, we might want to return before night is over." Falling into space is not something that Valka would like to experience - made more so with the lack of air up there. Not that she knows, but still.

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    Kyra still doesn't eat anything until she sees Riva continuing to live and Ainsley doesn't need immediate medical care. A few moments pass and neither do and Kyra looks relieved. After a few moments, she picks a few more of the berries and slips them into one of the pouches on her belt. One of them gets popped into her mouth to taste.

    "Why don't we tap a tree then? You could use your pickaxe, Riva." Kyra suggests, blinking as her eyes seem to accomodate to the new light as an effect from the berries.

Aoko Aozaki (591) has posed:
    Aoko has been mostly following! Not eating strange berries. This is UNUSUALLY CONTROLLED for her. Normally she'd stuff her mouth full of strange plantlife if it seemed even remotely like a decent idea. And we're talking very remotely, here.

    "Actually, that's a good question, how do you even collect Moonsilver? Like you get regular silver? Geez, we don't have a mining rig. If only we had drilling lasers handy!"

    Alas.

    "Hey, hey, can we talk to Luna? I want to ask her what she thinks about Gaia. Just curious." Says the completely normal magus with a doom aura that explicitely marks her as an enemy of Gaia. Whoops.

Ainsley (151) has posed:
    "That makes sense," Ainsley agrees, smiling mildly over in Psyber's direction. "I was thinking it would collect as a pool, like suggested earlier, perhaps as part of a secluded glade. Maybe it would be easy to track down where it is, or maybe the stuff is sacred to Luna in some way and a local will know where it is." She looks around at a squint, her eyes slowly adjusting to the change. She looks up -- and looks away from the planet that looks like a star. She blinks a few times, and looks down at the berries in her hand.

    "I'll call these... moonsight berries," she remarks, "Maybe there's a better name."

    She turns her head to look at Faruja, and lets out a pronounced siiigh. "We have been over this," she tells him, gently, "I will be doing a controlled test, there will be people there to help if things get out of hand. I am sure it will be fine." Because nothing bad ever happened when someone looked at their own soul. Nope.

Riva Banari has posed:
"Uhhhhh..." Riva says in response to Kyra's suggestion. "I don't actually know how to properly tap a tree. I don't think that would /actually/ work though."

She pauses. "Would it?"

She doesn't seem to have any ideas, looking to the smarter and more knowledgable people to perhaps give some kind of direction on what they want her to apply her inventory on, adventure-game style.

Valka (759) has posed:
     From her vantage point high above, Valka looks for anything that may resemble metal shining in the earthlight, while Cloudjumper keeps his attention for anything that may cause problems for the people that Valka is currently hanging out with. "Let's worry about finding it before collecting it." Valka calls from on high. "If it's in a tree, easy enough to pull it up by the roots, push it over, burn it down, use whatever metal gizmos or magic we have available. If it's in the ground, Cloudjumper can dig or melt his way to it, though the landscape might be a little singed afterwards."

Laine (383) has posed:
    Oh darn, it looks like Laine will have to answer people. But first, the flyers will be looking out for issues... which include the massive rustling of the forest behind. Whatever is out there is heading this way. It's not super fast, but it may make the trip home awkward! There appear to be two major areas of interest. One is a large ledge on the side of a mountain, like a massive an intricate garden.

    The other option is what looks like an unnatural cave mouth that is fashioned into a gateway, with pillars on either side. Both are up a treacherous, narrow path, but the garden looks easier to get to... if guarded by massive wolves prowling up and down the trail.

    Laine lands atop Cloudjumper and hoots with a faintly angry scowl, but her mental speech flows out a moment later. <<Can ask for Moonsilver, can make Moonsilver. Either.>> So apparently she had options coming here and just... didn't tell anyone. Oops.

    Those down on the ground will get some pretty obvious signs of animals moving about. Some are normal, and visible. Others have some truly bizarre tracks. Oddly... none are in the way. Most of the animals seem to be fleeing the area, with barely a glance at the invading humans.

Faruja (152) has posed:
Faruja /peers/ right back at his favorite lizard. He doesn't need words. It's his inbuilt paranoia at the Heretical and 'unclean'. It lasts for five seconds, and he flicks his tail.

'Just be careful', his expression screams.

Then Faruja's back to scouting atop Titan.

"It seems we hath two possible areas, Sers and Dames." Squint! Thankfully Titan's eyesight is far better than Faru's.

"A cave, or a mountain-side if Lord Titan is true. ...And both contain guardians it seems. Oh. And we hath a guest behind us."

Ainsley (151) has posed:
    Ainsley flits through the air, turning her attention back to where... something is moving through the forest. The creature seems to be moving slowly, but she does notice that it's going to become a problem at the Moon Bridge. She frowns at the thought, and floats in to try to make a landing in plain sight of the wolves, but not close enough for any of them to lunge at her out of reflex. She was told to ask, and so that's what she's going to do.

    "I was told there is a material called Moonsilver here," she explains to them, lowering her head respectfully to them. "I am willing to negotiate for some of it, if that is what is being guarded near here, or negotiate for information on where to find it. I am not clear on how rare it is or even what it is..."

    Hopefully these massive wolves are intelligent enough to, well, actually reply to her.

    "I do not require much, for what it will go into," she assures.

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    "Well we don't know until we try. But I don't know how to do it either." Kyra points out with a sheepish look on her face. She knows tapping a tree involves putting a hole in a tree and then milking it with a pipe. But how to do it correctly...

    "-wait, a guest behind us?" Kyra stops in her tracks and whirls to stare into the forest where they came. Slowly, she reaches under her hoodie to produce her needlegun. Then she reaches under her hoodie to start procuring tranquilizer rounds from one of the bandoliers wrapped around her. "Faruja, I think some of us should stick around back here to make sure we don't get snuck up on." she sounds nervous. As if she really, really doesn't want to be the only person doing this. She doesn't go in the woods after it but she does wait, hearing the noises, knowing that whatever it is...

    ...it'll catch up with them eventually.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber, feeling Laine capable of handling things on her own terms, lifts up a hand and shouts, "Laine. Hoot or howl if you need me. I'll be around." He notes with a flick of his hand towards the scowling owl. And then he takes to walking.

    It's not hard to tell where he's walking, either. He has turned around entirely and is heading back towards whatever is meandering towards them through the woods behind them. He figures there's two ways it can ideally work out: He can catch up with it and if it's hostile he'll fight it. Or he can catch up with it and maybe it's something cool that remembers him from a few years ago. Either way, it gives him something to do.

Valka (759) has posed:
     While flying lower, Cloudjumper is boarded by the four-legged leader of the party. Valka looks, pushing her hair out of her face. "How did you get up here?" Valka seems to have been surprised by Laine's dramatic appearance on Cloudjumper's back, the dragon's head swiveling to look at the new weight resting atop him, the woman shuffling slightly to the side to balance the load - an automatic movement when there are multiple riders on the dragon's back. Laine's assertion that she can find moonsilver or make it....that just gets a frown.

     "Not that I mind questing for rare and exotic items, Miss Laine, but wouldn't it be wise to do that so we can face whatever is currently causing panic with the local wildlife and, in addition, blocks our return trip to the bridge?" Ainsley plucking one of the wolves up gets an arced eyebrow, as does Kyra's arming herself. She kneels to whisper something to the Dragon who takes in a deep breath, his insides warming up for a potential fracas. "Ready for your lift, Miss Kyra?" Valka and the dragon get low and actually hover near Kyra, wings stirring the air around them, ready to snatch her and burn whatever it is might be there.

Riva Banari has posed:
Ainsley is the reason why they're all here, so Riva follows the Lizardbrarian along. She simply smiles and waves at the wolves.

This doesn't mean she doesn't have that giant Ajoran-cross mace on her back potentially ready in case she might need to intercept wolves trying to eat Ainsley, but for now she's super friendly!

Ish.

"Do wolves even speak English?" She asides quietly to Ainsley.

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    Psyber decides to just go right off in the woods to confront the mysterious stalker instead of waiting for it. Kyra starts after him when Valka calls out to her from above. "Actually, yes, that would be a good idea." Unzipping the front of her hoodie gives her better access to her materials and holsters so she can stow her needlegun again for a second.

Ainsley (151) has posed:
    Ainsley turns to look at Riva and raises her brows in silent thought. Then she just shrugs at Riva. "I figured the translation effect would kick in," she remarks, "It usually does. I can work around it, if not." She smiles confidently on that front.

Laine (383) has posed:
    So Ainsley makes the choice for people! That's fine. The wolves whirl about, but when Ainsley immediately makes overtures for negotiation and the like, it becomes a little easier. There is the problem of the language barrier, though! Or is there?

    Okay, yes, there is. Sort of. Those of the group who have some kind of 'spirit sight' or have eaten the berries will see the wolves more clearly. Others will see them as ephemeral wolves, shimmering and not quite there. None of them say anything, but those who follow Ainsley will find the wolves wait for them before turning around and padding upward, escorting the group into the garden. We'll get to the garden in a moment.

    Those who stay behind with Psyber will hear creaking and rustling, then a louder roar! A few minutes later, a large /dragon/ crashes out from the forest, shaking itself and stretching wings. It appears to be a western dragon, sky blue in color, and not anything like the sort of being that's normally in Laine's world.

    It coughs, then lifts a pair of broken spectacles up toward its muzzle to squint through them at the humans. "Ah, pardon me. I keep missing the bridge. Been stuck here dreadfully long, you know. Can anyone direct me toward the bridge? If my calculations are correct, it should be manifesting again tonight."

Riva Banari has posed:
Yay! Negotiation works! Riva looks to the wolves and then to Ainsly, nodding happily. "Hey, this is working out well! Maybe everything will go smoothly!"

Hope springs eternal.

Laine (383) has posed:
    Faruja should probably dismount the titan for this. Those going into the garden will find it... wild, overgrown. Any botanist will see many extinct species of earthen flora, and many new ones, all crawling over everything. Nonetheless, there is a path inward, leading to a clear glade with... nobody in it.

    Except that somehow, the thoughts still form. It's as if remembering a conversation, only in real time. A being, not manifest but feminine in nature, requests to know who everyone is, and why they need this precious material.

Faruja (152) has posed:
There's a swift nod to Kyra! But before the rat can coax Titan into a rear-guard position, Psyber is off running! Faruja grips his cross.

"Ye better remain /alive/, Ser Psyber! Someone must file the paperwork for all of this!"

When in doubt, encourage survival through beauracracy.

Faru dismounts Titan, and desummons him. Faruja calls upon all of his oratory skill, and bows.

"Blessings, mine dear Lady! Inquisitor Faruja Senra...ahh, but let us skip titles." Faruja, can, actually be self-aware sometimes.

"Quite simply put, we wish to construct a mirror to peer into our own souls. We require the mineral for such a craft. Best to ensure purity through self-contemplation, mm? Shall ye allow such a thing, dear guardian?"

Ainsley (151) has posed:
    Ainsley follows up to the glade, happy to be guided up there and through the plant life, taking note of the exotic species in particular. She is quite delighted upon seeing all of it... when she steps into there, and a force just... impresses upon her its words with a manifest sensation, she finds a place to sit at a kneel before giving her answer. She glances at Faruja, and then around the empty glade. Her eyes lid shut.

    "I am Ainsley, though that is not my true name." She opens her eyes, and smiles into the air, focusing on something she can't really see in front of her. "The Moonsilver is a component, part of four different components to make the mirror. It is an ideal material for this. This tool could provide a level of insight that mortal creatures crave more than any other physical possession in the world."

    "I am willing to work for it," she says, "To trade or to convince you. I had a hunch that it would be sacred to this world... to you, so I had no intention of stealing it."

    Honesty is the best policy. She indirectly said her real reasons for it somewhere in there, so she definitely isn't lying. And she wants to be cooperative.

Valka (759) has posed:
     Cloudjumper is ready, already flaring out his frills, his wings beating the air. Thing is, when another dragon makes an appearance, the Stormchaser (breed of dragon, y'see) looks rather surprised, more at the talking than at the actual sight of a spectacled dragon. And it has been a night of surprises, hasn't it? Valka nudges Cloudchaser and, obediently, he settles to the ground, Valka sliding off his back with a practiced movement. Approaching the dragon, she bows lowly, one knee to the ground, arms outstretched before straightening, her staff held close, but not threatening in the least. "It has manifested, sir. We'll be going back there shortly, if you'd care to wait for a few moments for us to finish our...um...mission."

     Go go, diplomatic Dragon-lady!

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber boredly waves his hand at Faruja, dismissing the comment as if him dying her not a feasibility.

    As the dragon comes out of the forest, Psyber has several thoughts go through his head. 'Huh, a dragon' is one of them. Another is 'I wonder if I can teach Laine to turn into a dragon'. And finally 'Oh, it's lost."

    "Yes, as my companions said, we will be returning shortly. If you wish to accompany us, we can help you find the proper location. It must have been very inconvenient."

Riva Banari has posed:
The garden is beautiful. Riva picks her way through it carefully (figuratively, not literally), making sure to not harm the rare plantlife. She doesn't really recognize it, but she's never seen such a riot of color and natural beauty in some time. It feels... wrong to mess with it.

Unlike those berries. Berries exist to be eaten. Mmm, berries.

"Hello!" Riva says brightly to the unknown presence. "I am Riva Banari! It's nice to meet you. I never thought I would be getting a chance to speak with you like this." She is cheery as ever, it seems. "I'm sorry to interrupt your work. This is a wonderful place."

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    Kyra does just that when presented the opportunity to climb onto Cloudjumper's back. Of course, she is excited by this since dragons are rare and secretive creatures on her world. Meeting others was always a special delight to the white mage. She starts to reach for the CURE-ALL, expecting the need to support Psyber against a mysterious, deadly creature!

    But it turns out to be another dragon-a lost dragon. Though Valka dismounts, Kyra remains on Cloudjumper's back. Cheerfully, she waves to the dragon, the creature's question answered by Valka and Psyber.

Laine (383) has posed:
    "Oh... oh really?" The dragon replies. He squints, trying to line up his spectacles. "I know it's around here somewhere. Hmph. Rather... trying little place. Relax in the frontier, get away for a little while, he said. Really now. Though I suppose not bringing a spare was my own fault. Really, I don't think the frontier life is for me. This 'thrill of the hunt' thing just isn't my sort of... oh hello there."

    Looks like the 'beast' has finally noticed Cloudjumper and by extension, taking a better look at the others. "Hmm. Not one of ours, for sure. Not magical enough. Still, nice to see visitors. Don't see many of those around here, especially from other worlds. Eheh... bit of a hard to reach spot for most, I guess. And the giant wolves discourage casual mapping. Much appreciated if you'd show me the way." He squints at Psyber. "You look familiar..." But otherwise he lowers his head, sniffing and peering at the others in turn, if Valka or Kyra wants to get friendly.

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    "Setsuko Kaminagi," the demigod answers to the unseen presence, as her feet touch down on the edge of the glade. She speaks aloud, but answers with her heart as much as with her voice. "I have come to see the beauty of the Moon, and to keep Ainsley safe from danger."

Valka (759) has posed:
     Valka is the friendly sort. Even with the dragon that talks, she lets him sniff and peer at her all he wants - after all, it's kind of the thing she does. "I can honestly sympathize with your plight. I've only just become aware of the multiverse and, even now, it's a lot to take in." Cloudchaser rumbles, settling down with Kyra on his back, watching the dragon and Valka have what seems to be, for all intents and purposes, a civilized conversation. "I do not see that being a problem but, like I said, our companions need to complete their mission or, at least, figure out where to go next before we can leave."

Laine (383) has posed:
    The impression that Ainsley and Riva and Faruja get is one of whimsical laughter. Apparently Luna is in a good mood, of late. Playful. Yet the impressions she passes on through that odd means of communication is curious, at the same time. There's the impression of consideration, along with wariness... though more FOR the group than anything else.

    There's the distinct impression that Luna actually LIKES Ainsley, in some way, and has a vaguely positive opinion of Riva. Faruja's impression is more complex, as if uncertain and wary. And Setsuko... is like a fascination to Luna, that presence moving in, then out, as if afraid to touch but staring.

    Finally, the 'request' comes through. A tale or concept of each traveller's world is all she will ask today. A brief image of burning pillars, of shrieking and then disintegrating vampires, of the light of the sun blazing across a dusty, dead moon, then of a shimmering mirror. Luna remembers the end of the last Age, and that some of those walking upon her aided.

Ainsley (151) has posed:
    Ainsley smiles peacefully when Luna seems to approve of her, shutting her eyes bashfully for a moment. She tries to fight the urge to blush, the weight of such a being approving of her is much more than she's used to hearing. She opens her eyes and looks around at the plant life, considering for a while. She thinks, and her smile slowly starts to fade.

    "There once was a prince who only wanted to be acknowledged by his family," she begins, in a soft tone of voice. "Even in his youth, his was wrathful and stubborn, and his decisions eventually alienated him from his family, forever separating him from any chance of becoming a king. He became a general of his family's army, trying to find their approval that way, but they feared him, feared his wrath and eventually they feared how effective he was at conquest. He would never get his name back, and slowly fell to madness, losing anything that he once was. His name, his identity, his hope. And just when he would have destroyed a people who did not deserve it, after helping to cripple their home... Someone stopped him."

    "He would never be acknowledged as a prince or a king again, his anger having long since burned that all away. The only thing left was his desire to fight, and his desire to die fighting."

    "So that is what I gave to him... And to this day I wonder if it was better for me to do it, someone who at least understood why it needed to be done, and would mourn what had happened to him. Or if it would have been better to try to save him, despite what he became."

    She smiles gently after that. "He doesn't have to suffer anymore."

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva nods, happily. "I'll be happy to help!" She says, and then closes her eyes. They want a concept? Riva can supply a concept. But Luna has been speaking to them wordlessly, and Riva is going to try to supply it to the same way. It feels the most pure that way.

In her mind, she builds the idea: A vast, seemingly infinite empty space shining with golden light, Within it, a great Tree twists and wends, branches forming pathways and platforms. Pools of space and time twist and shimmer, the great Tree spanning places and times across the world while great clockwork keepers move among the branches, protecting the great Tree from threats.

The air is heavy with the scent of life and honey, the faint sound of innumerable bees always audible in the distancezzzz-

a thousand buzzing voices drip sweet, burning, liquid knowledge, bubbling to the urface of the mindscape from vestigal, hidden places. they overlay each other in a chorus-cipher that boggles the mortal mind. Their wisdom flows so sweet. Taste and see.

Agartha's heart is the tree. The wisdom tree. The world tree. The connection between all points. It grew before the First Age, branches and roots burrowing into all possibilities. The pumping blood that is the sap flows in luminescent gold. The tree is the divine bio-tech computer, her palpitating hand.

Come see the immaculate machine. You know her name. It rests on your tongue, a comforting weight, when you walk in the dark. "Gaia."

She called you. She woke you from your somnambulist life. She filled your brainpan with anima, which flows from agartha, from the Tree. She gave you strength to rend the lion and eat its honeyed entrails. You are the anti-body. The sickness spreads, and you must keep running.

Riva's eyes fly open with a gasp and she staggers, holding a hand to her head as she almost falls over, breathing heavily as her heart pounds in her chest. But she seems all right. Ish.

A moment of revelation is not always pleasant.

Setsuko Kaminagi (255) has posed:
    As if sensing the indecision, Setsuko closes her eyes, and allows herself just a faint smile. "It's alright. I don't mind." If Luna is curious about her, the least the demigod can do is let Her investigate on Her home turf.

    And a tale is requested. So the demigod indulges, and sinks into memory.

    A snowy, desolate canyon. Light, just starting to creep in from the slow approach of sunrise. A desperate battle, fought between a small and well-trained mercenary group and a much larger army. Swords, spears, bows and arrows, traps, tactics. The small mercenary group bleeds, giving ground, but also demands a price of blood for each foot given. They fight to protect a village. The enemy fights, quite literally, for the sake of ending the swordswoman. They do not care how many of them fall.

    The sun rises. The battle rages on. Men and women die. Setsuko is the last. Even in the end, they fear her. She drops to her knees, and they keep their distance. She collapses, and they look between each other hesitantly. Her world fades to black. And then a distant blue light calls to her. Offers her a chance to rise again, to claim vengeance for past wrongs. She takes it. She stands again, reborn as neither human nor god. With just herself and her blade, she turns back the army and ensures the safety of a people.

    'My world is not a kind one. There is much injustice and cruelty in it, and my hands are not clean. But I strive to hold myself and my blade to a high standard. And some day, I hope to set things right. To make life for those in my homeland just a little less cruel.'

Faruja (152) has posed:
Complicated. That /feeling/ alone is enough to have Faruja chuckling bitterly. So many strange beings, holy and heretical, has the rodent come across. Some have ended allies, others enemies. Faruja gives the smile of the long suffering, a priest amidst conflicting forces of absolute faith and the contradictions of worlds far beyond himself.

The inner light of a good person flares, and the inner conflict of a battered zealot flares in his eye as he gazes at the creature that inhabits the garden.

It's story time. Faruja's features soften. He has a /ton/ of those.

Hands reach wide imploringly.

"Listen ye well! To the story of Disciple Joseph! The third of Saint Ajora's disciples. He was born a simple man, the son of a merchant in olde Goug. His was a quiet life, of coin and food traded equally. He learned his craft quietly, until one day, the great Saint himself stood upon his Father's doorstep."

"Joseph's Father thrice denied the Saint! You have no coin, you have no birthright of nobility, you have no goods upon the market! AWay, you useless clod! Joseph saw this man, the Saint in the clothes of a beggar, and took pity!"

At night he came, and took hold of the Saint's dirty cloak and said, "Take shelter in the hay of our stables! And take with you my blanket, for winter is nigh! For I love my Father, and obey. But he has not denied you the stables, and I would not have a traveller to freeze!"

Faruja takes a breath.

"The Saint lived, for this simple act of mercy. Betrayal of his Father never considered, and yet cunning he held to help the traveller unknown, didst the good Disciple Joseph hold! The great Saint Ajora took the young man into his flock for this deed, offering up the Stone of kindness and cunning upon him. Forever more would the Disciple be he of holiness and bearer of the law so twisted in mortal minds."

A bow at the performance, and Faruja straightens.

Kyra Hyral (626) has posed:
    Likewise, Kyra gets really still when the other dragon comes over to curiously investigate them. After some sniffling, Kyra waves at the other dragon cheerfully. "We can all go back togeher so you won't be lost here for any longer. Don't worry!" Still cheerful, she leans forward while on Cloudjumper's back, seemingly at home there now. "So do you have a name? Mine's Kyra Hyral. That's Psyber, that's Valka, and this is Cloudjumper." she goes right ahead to introduce everyone for them.

Laine (383) has posed:
    Luna cares not about the truth or fiction of a story, only that it is about other realms, other places, other dreams and situations. That strange presence seems to laugh at each tale, no matter how serious, but it becomes clear that she is interested because of one facet only.

    Luna embodies change.

    She recognizes allies of those who helped ease her into a new age, who helped prevent her own death. Thus the 'cheap' price of this, and the resultant shard that shimmers into being upon the ground.

    Yes, shard. It's rather large, capable of being cut into a proper shape or melted down. It's a fragment of the mirror used to kill Tzimisce, now shining brightly with a layer of silvery metal brighter than silver itself. A faint warning is given that misuse of this will lead to a Chosen. Whatever that means.

Laine (383) has posed:
    The dragon nods quickly. "Yes, yes! A pleasure, a pleasure. You'll pardon me, I'm not really used to... being me! It's been what, a year? Sometimes I wonder if this is the right me. You can call me Fred! No, wait... don't call me Fred. That is a nickname that he calls me." Nodnod.

    "Right! The Fantastical Reader Eternal in Dreams, that is me. A bit of a flowery name, but I do like it. Pleasure meeting you all, you should stop by and visit! In the Rogue Land, we pass by the Spire every month or so. Appreciate the help, very much. I'm making a library!"

    He'll continue to ramble.

Ainsley (151) has posed:
    Ainsley gently picks up the shard of Moonsilver, regarding it with a gentle appreciation. "Thank you very much," she says to Luna, glowing with appreciation at her generosity. Then she looks to the others and breathes a soft sigh.

    "Let's go home."

    She stands up, and does a little curtsey to the air, with a bow of her head. "Thank you for you time." And then she turns to leave, humming the Moonlight Sonata to herself gently, just for how appropriate it is. Maybe Luna would like hearing it. Maybe it's just to express her good mood at not running into any huge obstacles in the process.

    "This will work perfectly. I wonder what a Chosen is...?" she murmurs to herself. Not that it matters, she thinks, because she doesn't plan on misusing it.

Faruja (152) has posed:
Faruja Senra /shudders/ at the worning. At the same time, his zealous heart leaps in fury. Teeth grit. It's like he's deciding whether he should summon Bahamut, or offer teatime to the being in their general area.

Complicated. Well, Luna was right about that bit.

"...Until next we meet, dear Lady." Ye filthy bloody Heretical garbage. Hmph!

Then he's after Ainsley.

"Best to forget such things. 'Tis the words of a spirit. Naught more." Riiiiiight.

Ainsley (151) has posed:
    "Oh hush," Ainsley tells Faruja, frowning over at him, "When you speak to the spirit of an entire celestial body, it is best to heed her words. Being rude to her is like being rude to Bahamut," and then she shrugs at Faruja.