Not as calm before the storm?

[allegedprisoner]

Characters: Luca Balsa [Edmond Dantes] and everyone else
Campaign: Break
Format: Either. Written in prose, but willing to do brackets.
Open or Closed Open, with one closed for close CR.
Summary: Luca attempts to find an airship, goes to check on his friends, and goes through forgotten documents.

Forgotten Disasters (CW: mention of manslaughter, electrical accidents, memory issues)
After the disaster that was that last story, Luca was more than ready for a break from it all. Maybe he could finally get to working on that invention of his... Something new, really? Though he felt he left something behind in that story, something important...

It looked like he tried to remind himself to ask the catalogue for some documents back, and it's a blessing it understood what he was trying to say... Did it?

He's settled down in a cafe, somewhere in a corner where he doesn't think he'll be disturbed as he goes through what he thinks are blueprints... But alas, the only scientific documents he has in his hands are two experiment logs, one full of failed tests and one that isn't even finished. The rest of the papers consist of an old flyer, a page from some journal in his own hand writing and... Police... Reports....

"Th... Three people... Dead?" He stares at one report in particular as his heart starts to race... No, that couldn't have... He and Lorenz were the only ones in the room, right??? Who was with them when the machine--

"Eek!" The tiniest sound catches him off guard. He glances up from the papers like a frightened deer in the cross-hairs of a shotgun... It's just another aspect, but he's hugging the papers to his chest as he attempts a friendly smile.

"Ah- H-Hello, I didn't see you there. Heh-heh... Don't mind me..." His hands are trembling, though...

Where's the Wellerman When You Need Him?
That.... Left more questions than answers. But if he wants anything else, he'll have to go fix another story... Maybe he'll try those experiments from the unfinished log? That might get his mind off things?

Alas, it seems he can't catch a break. He lives on an island here, and he noticed the seas are looking particularly rough at the moment... Which means he's stranded in the Index proper until things calm down. Unless...

He's counting the coins and gems he's got in his bag as he wanders through the market, making sure not to lose any of those damning papers he's got stored in there, or that buzzing orb of electricity he also got from the catalogue. Important things he's having to take with him along with everything else as he goes from vendor to vendor asking for help.

"Excuse me? Is there any sort of airship service here? I can't get to my house, you see, and I'm wondering if air travel was an option..."

Anybody Out There?(Closed to close CR)
Hm... He also left a note to himself to check on three different people... But where are they? He only knows about Alice's home, but he's forgotten where it exactly is. Maybe it's time to take advantage of the Journal's messenger function here...

Sender: Edmond Dantes (The Count of Monte Cristo) | Luca Balsa

Recipient: Sun Wukong (Journey to the West ) | Karkat Vantas, Dorothy Gale (Wizard of Oz) | Alice Liddell, Gretel (Hansel and Gretel) | Mabel Pines

Good afternoon, everyone.

Just checking in after the previous story and giving a bit of a warning. The seas seem to be turbulent at the moment, so we might be landlocked for the time being.

How are you faring?

WILDCARD!
[ Feel free to hit me up if you have other ideas! ]

Comments

Dorothy Gale (Wizard of OZ) | Alice Liddell

[madventure]

A tad troubling, turbulent seas never mean anything good if any tales are anything to go by. Hopefully it is nothing other than perhaps something with how the last story was coming apart at the seams- even if that bodes even less well, thinking about it.

Nevertheless, I am faring well despite how terribly things turned.

What of you, Luca?

[allegedprisoner]

It's a rather troubling thought. That, and the weather. I think it might start raining any minute.

Physically, I'm fine, but due to the weather situation it seems I can't get back to my home here at the moment. It's looking like I might need to find some inn to stay at until things clear up.

[madventure]

Something to keep an eye on, if nothing else. All we need is some other dreadful surprise.

That may get quite expensive if this keeps up for a while, quite a bit of bad luck at that.

[allegedprisoner]

Good point. I do have a good deal of valuables with me, but it probably wouldn't be a good idea for the long term.

I hate to ask, but you don't have an extra room at your farm I could stay for a while, do you?

[ He... Kind of forgot if she had a guest room or not. ]

[madventure]

I do, if you'd like to take advantage of it. It might not be an awful lot of space, but it is perhaps safe for somethin temporary.

This place seems to have room for a small family, and t is simply me here.

[Outside of Toto and perhaps a "new" cat.]

[allegedprisoner]

[ There's a slight pause before the reply. ]

Better than nothing at all. You'll have to write down the address for me again, I think it got lost in my notes.

Thank you.

[madventure]

[There was an address and very easy to follow directions clearly written-]

You can come and go as you please, of course. It will be a downstairs room since the one I've taken is on the second floor.

Sender: Mabel Pines | Gretel

[meowbel]

Eh I'm doing fine.

If anything, all this water just means we need to be prepared for what's to come. I'm not complaining, we all need a break after what we went through.

[allegedprisoner]

I couldn't agree more. The problem is, what is going on and what must we prepare for?

[meowbel]

I'm not sure but whatever it is?

All I can do is hope nothing will go bad. That and I can't worry about it for too long because I'm planning something anyway!

[allegedprisoner]

You are? What might you be working on, then?

[meowbel]

A karaoke party!

Where you get to sing a bunch of random songs and hope the person next to you doesn't question your singing ability!

[allegedprisoner]

That sounds like a fun and novel idea! When do you plan on hosting?

Sun Wukong (Journey to the West ) | Karkat Vantas

[cancercarcino]

OH GOOD, SO IT'S NOT JUST THE STUPID WATERFALL MY OWN HIVE IS BEHIND THAT'S ACTING UP.
IT STARTED SPRAYING *INWARDS*, TO THE POINT WHERE I HAD TO LEAVE IT BE OR RISK GETTING FLOODED.
SERIOUSLY, WHAT THE FUCK IS THE POINT OF HAVING A HIVE THAT EVEN A HIGHBLOOD WOULD BE JEALOUS OF IF SHIT LIKE THIS KEEPS HAPPENING?
IF IT WASN'T FOR THESE ANNOYING MAMMALS, I WOULD HAVE PROBABLY BEEN SWEPT DOWNRIVER OR SOMETHING WORSE.
I'M DOING ALRIGHT BUT I'LL PROBABLY HAVE TO FIND SOMEWHERE ELSE TO SLEEP.

[allegedprisoner]

Are waterfalls capable of doing that in nature? That sounds scientifically implausible.

Nonetheless, I regret to inform you I'm in a similar situation. I live on an island, you see, and in these conditions I can't sail to it without putting my life at risk. Because of that, I can't do much about your living situation myself. However, I did have a few gems in my bag you could use to pay an innkeeper for now?

[cancercarcino]

THE LAST TIME I CHECKED, NO, WATERFALLS AREN'T SUPPOSED TO DO THAT SORT OF SHIT.
IT'S CALLED A WATERFALL. AS IN WATER FALLS FROM A HIGHER PLACE TO A LOWER PLACE. RIGHT NOW IT'S ACTING LIKE A WATER-FUCK-THE-LAWS-OF-PHYSICS-I-GO-WHEREVER-THE-HELL-I-WANT.

SHIT.
WELL UNLESS YOU CAN SPONTANEOUSLY TURN INTO A SEADWELLER, IT'S PROBABLY BEST TO NOT RISK YOUR LIFE.
IT'S ALRIGHT, I HAVE SOME GEMS TOO.
I THINK ALL OF US GET SOME? WHICH IS PRETTY DAMN CONVENIENT.
BUT IT DOES SUCK. LIKE, WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON?? I THOUGHT WE LEFT THE CRAZINESS BACK IN THE STORY!

[allegedprisoner]

I'm glad you have some cash on hand, but this is incredibly alarming! Makes you wonder if that person from the Journal and the cat woman were right about their hunches.

[cancercarcino]

HUH?
WHAT DO YOU MEAN HUNCHES?

[allegedprisoner]

I don't remember exactly what they said, but they thought the Story Eating thing might have something to do with this mess.

[cookingmechanic]

[Fuuka didn't usually stick her nose into strangers' business, given how impolite it was and that there was always a pit of anxiety in her stomach when she approached someone new. But when she was returning to her seat in the café, her eyes caught what looked like some kind of scientific papers? She knew more about electronics, but she hadn't really seen anyone else interested in such things. There were other papers she didn't understand, and she furrowed her brow as she started to focus on them.]

[It wasn't until the young man holding the papers squeaked in surprise--causing Fuuka to make a similar noise--that she realized she had been all but leaning over his table, examining his notes! Forgotten that he was right there! Her face went bright red from embarrassment, and she hopped back waving her hands, noting only in passing how he was trembling.]

"I-I-I'm so sorry! I got caught up looking at your notes! O-oh, I wasn't...um, trying to spy! Or anything, I just, um...oh, dear, I'm so sorry, that was really rude and invasive of me. I am so sorry!"

[She gave a full bow from her waist, hands clasped in front of her, feeling just about ready to die from shame.]

[allegedprisoner]

[ Luca's still holding one police report tightly to his chest and fumbling around for the other with his free hand. Thankfully it's mostly obscured by the flyer for that exposition at the moment, but he can't quite tell while he's still staring wide eyed at the girl and fumbling for the right words. ]

I... That's.... It's fine! Y-You could have just asked me if... You had an interest in technology... Too? I would have been glad to--

[ Here he looks down and attempts to properly organize these notes, hastily shoving the police reports to the bottom of the stack while attempting to keep the experiment logs on top. ]

I would have... [ He looks back at the girl. ] I don't mind discussing machinery and the like, if that's what you were looking at.

[cookingmechanic]

[Fuuka stayed in her bow, certain she'd be scolded or chewed out--as she rightfully should be--but was instead reassured, if not a bit awkwardly. Raising her head, she saw the young man organizing his papers, and quickly averted her eyes as she straightened up again.]

"W-well...yes I am. Interested in tech, I mean. I-I also...h-haven't seen anyone else who does anything with it...so I got too curious seeing your papers, and overstepped..."

[Though she still felt embarrassed and guilty, she relaxed some as he offered to talk to her about technology and machinery. Giving a small smile she bobbed her head a bit.]

"I-I'm Fuuka. Fuuka Yamagishi, by the way. Back home, I built my own computer...and some headphones. Nothing too fancy. But I haven't been able to tinker here, really. How...how about you?"

[allegedprisoner]

Oh... That's... Well, it's easy to get curious, right? You're fine.

[ He's really, really hoping she didn't see something he didn't want to show her. He sets the stack to the side and rests his arms on it. ]

My name's Luca Balsa. Pleasure to meet you... Miss. [ Whoops, her name went through one ear and out the other. At least you don't see too many people running around in frog pajamas. ] Care to take a seat?

[ He motions to the other side of the booth he's sitting in. ] I don't bite, promise.

[cookingmechanic]

[Fuuka was far too self conscious to even attempt a peek at those stack of papers. She took him putting his arms on the stack as 'protecting' them, and she respected that. As he motioned to the other side of the booth she hesitated, unsure if he was just being polite. But he made a small joke, and she smiled, carefully slipping into the booth.]

"T-thank you Mr. Balsa. What world or time are you from? I've learned recently that some people can come from the same place but different times. Or timelines, even."

[allegedprisoner]

[ He nods and smiles, feeling a little more comfortable since her immediate response was not "what are those papers?" ]

Ah- Well, I know I'm from Earth, year... What year was it? 1880? 90? I know we had harnessed the power of electricity and all, but I think you mentioned a few things I'm unfamiliar with, which means you would be from the future as well?