01. Reflections upon the waves.

[knitwit]

[ Ah, another game and another chance to lose. It was all tugging at Rose Lalonde's cloaked collar; an obvious weight that nearly caused the collected and refined girl to lose her cool. As she had traversed through Mac Anu, learning as much as she could and memorizing the intricate pathways leading to each specific shop, she continued to seek out more.

At the very most, Rose refused to be 'lost' here.

Tugging her over sized book upon a thin silk strap against her shoulder, the pale girl continues onward. A moment or two passed until her bright eyes landed upon the docked ship.

She would glance around, seek an answer for a question she hadn't even asked yet. With a soft clear of her voice, among the few strangers that lurked the area, she spoke. ]

Pardon me for the intrusion, but does anyone have a clue of if this ship is set to sail or is it merely a decorative piece?

[ She noticed the rust upon the spikes that dug into the chain links which held the ship in place. It looked as if it hadn't left the dock in quite sometime. ]

Or at the very least, where it leads to on its voyage?

[ Curiosity killed the cat, it seemed, or perhaps it would give it some proper closure or allies. ]

Comments

[eightofseven]

I'm afraid I have answers to neither of your questions. Perhaps the answer will only reveal itself at the proper time.

[knitwit]

Your answers seem a bit cryptic, don't you think?

Thank you for taking the time to answer me, but consider my interest piqued.

Is there some significance to this ship or is your curiosity luring you here as well?

[eightofseven]

I merely present the information. It is up to the listener to decide how it is interpreted.

My curiosity rests not with the ship, but with you.

[knitwit]

[ Rose pauses a moment, perking a thin blonde brow upwards. This was rather tense, she'd note, but why? ]

I see. I'm not use to being the listener, more so the seer.

[ Crossing her arms, she feels a sense of satisfaction upon her hesitance moments before. ]

Hm, I don't believe I have anything worthy of being sought after. Merely a girl passing by with dreams of sailing away.

[eightofseven]

And what is it that you see?

What do you think would await you, if your dream were to come to pass?

[lookslikemomo]

Hmm...

[takeshi stares at the ship for a moment.]

Decorative, probably. I don't think you can actually leave town on that ship. You'd really have to use the Gates. But there's probably a buncha NPCs on there... Maybe.

[knitwit]

As I figured. It's almost a tease, but I figured it was worth an ask.

[ Rose strokes at her cheek a bit, watching as the waves crash against the wood siding. ]

Perhaps you're right. Maybe quest starters? Seems like a typical place. Large, like a monument, and human nature just brings us there naturally.

[ She sighs. There goes that plan. ]

[lookslikemomo]

Could be!

[takeshi crosses his arms and just... looks at the ship for a while. then back at her.]

I haven't really checked it out, now that you mention it. Maybe there's a secret NPC there, just hiding rare items, or... Well, I've never really thought about it before, like I said!

[knitwit]

[ She focuses her eyes towards the ship and how so many just seemed to set up their current where-abouts around it. ]

I see. There is that possibility, but also one that could begin a series of quests that can be rather challenging.

Here I was simply assuming a nice ride upon the bay would be serene.

And then I hit up all my castmates because I'm cool.

[hoperaider]

[Jake frowns at the boat in question before saying anything.]

My guess is that it's decoration, considering there's nobody manning it and I haven't seen a single soul get on board.

[He turns toward the speaker and blinks. She looks like a younger version of Roxy's famous author mom, but maybe he's mistaken?]

ALL THE CASTMATES

[knitwit]

Noted. Judging by the rust that lines the chains and the anchor's line, I assumed as such.

[ Who knew, beautiful blondes were plentiful, after all. ]

It's just a bit odd that out of all the ports, only one ship is docked and presumably, for an extended period of time.

ALL OF THEM

[hoperaider]

That's certainly true, though I wouldn't know if you even could get it out of the harbor. I'm not sure if anybody has tried, if only for lack of people with the experience for ships.

[Okay, he's going to come out and ask since his curiosity can't be abided much longer.]

This might sound like a strange inquiry, and I'm going to feel extremely embarrassed if I've mistaken you for someone else, but, uh, are you perchance Rose Lalonde?

all da butts to honk

[knitwit]

I'm not a sailor. Don't let my stylish sea-wear give you the wrong impression.

[ Her voice dripped in sarcasm. The cloaks, collars, and fancy attire in general was obviously akin to magic casters. ]

Yes, if there is no bounty on my head. If so, then I'm afraid you have the wrong person.

[ Her arms crossed and she felt a bit confused. He did seem a bit... hm, similar. Even with her visions of foresight to some extent in the past, clear gazes were a rarity. ]

Could you tell me how you know of me?

[lavenderglasses]

[he stops and looks up at her question, half because it was just so politely worded, and half because he was curious about that too.]

I'm not sure. I tried asking the thing on deck about it on my first day here, but those things never seem to give any decent answers. [NPCs or whatever they are called. game-based entities and abstractions are still pretty confusing, given the total lack of technology in his world.]

[knitwit]

Hm. Assuming you've been here a while, you've never found an answer, huh?

[ A fingertip rises to press against her cheek, tapping it as she examined the lumbering rig in the distance. ]

I really have no interest or gain in riding upon a ship, but it just seems so... oddly placed. As if it was meant to garner attention.

[lavenderglasses]

[he looks over the girl while her gaze is elsewhere, careful to be discreet if only for the sake of manners. she's a few years younger than he is, definitely, but between her words and her stance he could easily mistake her for someone far older. more mature than the gossipy two-faced noblewomen he was used to back home, certainly.]

I haven't found a definite answer, but it did sound like there was a purpose to it. Perhaps for some special occasion? And then there's that. [he points out to the sea, indicating a spot in the distance where there was unmistakably an island, a building out on the water.] It's possible that they're both for decorative purposes, but I couldn't see across the water from anywhere else in the city. It seems a little too coincidental for them to have placed both transportation and a possible destination without reason beyond aesthetics.

[knitwit]

[ It wasn't as if she was purposely attempting to ignore the company. There was just something about the ship, she'd note, that made her focus on it. ]

Perhaps you're right. A future event location is commonly always empty and unused until said event is needed. Or, at least, that's what most games ensure.

[ She was basically confirming that she understood his explanation. ]

In any case, I hope this is soon. As quaint as the town is, there isn't really a challenge anywhere near and it would be more of an obvious gathering for my friends, if they arrive.

[ladieswhodresslikemen]

[Maybe someone skilled in such matters could help.]

The way it is now, it's goin' nowhere, lass.

[knitwit]

[ She taps her chin a bit, sighing. ]

I somehow gathered that. Wishful thinking, I suppose.

Do you know what lies inside of the vessel?

[ladieswhodresslikemen]

Haven't looked. Want me to find out?

[knitwit]

Find out?
Please let me be ignorant enough to assume you're not planning on waltzing in there?

[ For some reason, knowing Rose's luck the ship would lead to some kind of dungeon. So she was very hesitant on leaving. ]

[adarable]

I've never seen it set sail..

Perhaps it's for decoration, then?

[knitwit]

It seems so. No one has exited or entered.

The entrance plank itself looks as if it has been decayed and ill-managed over some time.

[adarable]

Even so, it's very beautiful..!

[knitwit]

Beautiful, yes, but it seems just as useless as it is beautiful.

A lot of this seems extraneous, as a matter of fact.

If I'm here to play a game, I'd rather just level up and tend to a possible guild than seek ship mysteries.