Opening Phase (backdated to Fairy Park)

[emorangerpink]

1.
[Late on the last evening before the Chalice departs from Fairy Park, a new face appears aboard - a pale, petite young woman with long red hair and the look of someone who isn't sure where they're supposed to be headed but doesn't want to admit it. It doesn't help that she appears to be steering around whatever concentrations of people exist at this hour, with the side effect of routing her away from most interesting locations. After a while of fruitless wandering on the Promenade, she gives up and hesitantly approaches the nearest person.]

Um, hello... I'm new aboard, and I need to see the captain, or whoever's in charge... do you know where I can find them?

Ah, I'm Laura, Laura Ericks. I'm here to join the crew, so I guess that means we'll be teammates - it's nice to meet you.

[Her left hand is tightly grasping a sealed envelope, while her right fidgets with a metal wristwatch on her left arm. Is this girl afraid of you, or just afraid of everything?

Laura's looking for the Captain - does she turn to you for help, or do you run in to her on her way there?]

2.
Hello... Dan?

[Laura pokes at the terminal uncertainly - she knows how to use a terminal, but not where a ship's AI might be found on one.]

Comments

[thestrayhawk.livejournal.com]

[Now he had to confirm it.]

...and you worked for SECT correct.

[emorangerpink]

...Yes. Back in the day.

[Laura smiles, but if it's meant to look genuine then she's doing a terrible job.]

[thestrayhawk.livejournal.com]

[So it's like Devon's laugh then.]

Ah then you must be the 7th unaccounted for one then.

[emorangerpink]

Unaccounted...

What do you know about SECT?

[Laura's whipped right around from uncomfortable with the topic to intensely focused on you. It's hard to tell if you've made her curious, or angry...]

[thestrayhawk.livejournal.com]

Let's see, 4 year ago there was a group of 7 teenage Shifters gathered from around the planet to join SECT. The reason they were gathered was to combat SEs who could only be killed by Shifters.

I think that covers the basics.

[emorangerpink]

...And you knew what had become of six of us, but not about me.

I'm sorry. It's just... the other Shifters were my friends, and most of them are dead now. It's not nice to hear them described as being "accounted for".

But I shouldn't have snapped at you. I'm sorry.

Yes - I was one of those seven. Laura Ericks. You are...?

[thestrayhawk.livejournal.com]

Argh

[Slamming his fist against his forehead he realized what he said.]

I'm so sorry I didn't mean it like that...I wasn't thinking of what I was saying.

Ichitaka Nagumo, friend of Frank and occasional friend of Devon.

[Somehow he wished that he was saying that sarcastically.]

[emorangerpink]

It's okay. It's just a sensitive topic for me.

Well, any friend of Frank's is a friend of mine. Or at least someone I'm glad to know.

[thestrayhawk.livejournal.com]

The same to you, and thanks for being forgiving about it...Devon would have thrown me off the ship if she heard what I said.

[emorangerpink]

I find people can often be nice if you just let them know they've upset you. Devon... disagrees.

So thanks for being one of the nice ones.