[He'd certainly been thoroughly preoccupied ever since returning to Grand Chokmah with Guy, really, his involvement over the course of the many incidents surrounding Luke and Van and the overall Outer Lands already compounding on top of the various roles both official and not that Jade had indeed ended up juggling by that point in his life. In a military capacity alone there were easily hundreds of reports that needed filing and verifying, in the aftermath of...well, everything. On top of needing to be a helping hand in a less professional capacity, where advising and filling in Peony on the dozens of pieces involved in the entire course of recent events and their impacts were concerned. ...Not to mention the preparations he wanted to start taking, in putting together an argument case for initiating the research of human fomicry once more. This time in order to help the remaining human replicas, carve out a place for them in a society that yet knows so little about them...
But Jade wasn't the only one to become terribly busy in Eldrant's aftermath, no. They all had their respective duties to attend to, long-term problems that will be bound to take a great deal of time. --And Jade certainly wouldn't call Tear's current role as a liaison of Yulia City something amiss, or lesser, than everyone else's tasks. Hers is evidently a much quieter interim in many ways...but it was also perhaps what she needed most; after all, surely, she deserves the lull and time to find a new path more than anyone. The loss of Luke had stricken all of them terribly...but Tear most of all, plain as day, a loss right on the heels of the true death of her brother. ...Yet still, her options in life going forward...are quite open now, with all said and done. She's an excellent soldier, and her skill as a Melodist with the Seventh fonon is by now practically unparalleled. ...She's also a smart girl, with a steady head and even steadier heart. If ever she should set herself on a direction once more, she'd surely find fulfilment in whatever it might be; Jade would vouch for her in just this way, at least, if the matter were ever to actually reach spoken word.
...But that would mean talking about feelings. Confiding in vulnerabilities--very difficult tall order for the both of them, that. Slightly more likely in this strange circumstance they find themselves in now, perhaps...but not happening anytime soon, and definitely not at the moment.
No, for the moment, the topic of their imprisonment aboard an eldritch vessel is now at hand. And Tear's dry joke is earning a slight shift on Jade's part, of his position at the railing; a slight closing of his posture, as his attention briefly drifts back to the sea. Even as his tone remains even enough.]
...Almost a bit karmic, isn't it? --This is well beyond fomicry, though. A replication of personalities and souls...practically unheard of.
[Goodness knows he'd spent over a decade trying. And yes, he most assuredly has some feelings about this--but they're not talking about that right now, either. (Not yet.) For the meantime the dry joke is met with a dryness in turn, and then they're moving on. After all, Tear's also reaching the most salient point about this situation as she continues, and Jade's humorless smile is returning as he hears it. He does have an answer to that particular question--just what the captain actually wants from them, exactly. But the answer's also rather...well...]
You're correct; it's not for a ransom at all. From what information we've gathered, and according to the captain himself...we are in fact here as batteries. Allegedly, the captain draws upon suffering to fuel the mechanics of this ship and this overall space...and plans to eventually find some means of ascending to godhood, in using all this.
[So, you know. Yeah. Needless to say, the dryness in Jade's tone persists in this part...but the words remain completely free of any actual sarcasm. It's about as blunt as he can get, really, while having to use this utterly ridiculous phrasing. Because it is utterly ridiculous, on a fundamental level.....and the captain is also, unfortunately, rather distressingly serious about it.
...As passengers they sure haven't had much to show for spending six Earth-months upon this vessel so far, either. It's certainly not for a lack of trying, on Jade's part and many others. But perhaps that explanation in itself might start giving Tear an inkling on why that is...though her inquiries about the current shape of the passenger manifest are quite valid too.]
No, so far as I am aware--you're the first other person I've met from Auldrant; up to now I've been the only representative, so to speak. Mm, I'd rather hoped that would... [...stay that way. That he'd never see a familiar face, in this place, where even death offers nothing in the way of actual escape. It's not to say that a part of Jade hasn't been sorely missing Auldrant and...the friends there, all the same. That there isn't a part of him even right now, that continues drinking in the sight of Tear standing right there beside him, solid and real and same as she was--a person he trusts implicitly, by now, someone who knows who he is and what home was. But no, the thought of the terrible things she'll likely have to suffer alongside him now...that dismay remains stronger still. If he had the choice, right now, Jade would send her back in a heartbeat. ...But he can't, and there's no use in saying it aloud; in the end, Jade lets that earlier sentence trail off, with a shake of his head.] --No matter. Either way...now it is just us two, from Auldrant. And as to the rest...I'd say there are roughly sixty to seventy other passengers, currently? The number fluctuates frequently--there doesn't seem to be much consistency, as to when newcomers are pulled here. By my current impressions of more established passengers so far, though...the ratio of civilians is rather higher than ideal. Nearly half, perhaps? Capabilities are highly varied, but extent of formal training where combat or emergencies might be concerned tends to be another story...
nooo this is such good rambling though...aw tear..... ðŸ˜
But Jade wasn't the only one to become terribly busy in Eldrant's aftermath, no. They all had their respective duties to attend to, long-term problems that will be bound to take a great deal of time. --And Jade certainly wouldn't call Tear's current role as a liaison of Yulia City something amiss, or lesser, than everyone else's tasks. Hers is evidently a much quieter interim in many ways...but it was also perhaps what she needed most; after all, surely, she deserves the lull and time to find a new path more than anyone. The loss of Luke had stricken all of them terribly...but Tear most of all, plain as day, a loss right on the heels of the true death of her brother. ...Yet still, her options in life going forward...are quite open now, with all said and done. She's an excellent soldier, and her skill as a Melodist with the Seventh fonon is by now practically unparalleled. ...She's also a smart girl, with a steady head and even steadier heart. If ever she should set herself on a direction once more, she'd surely find fulfilment in whatever it might be; Jade would vouch for her in just this way, at least, if the matter were ever to actually reach spoken word.
...But that would mean talking about feelings. Confiding in vulnerabilities--very difficult tall order for the both of them, that. Slightly more likely in this strange circumstance they find themselves in now, perhaps...but not happening anytime soon, and definitely not at the moment.
No, for the moment, the topic of their imprisonment aboard an eldritch vessel is now at hand. And Tear's dry joke is earning a slight shift on Jade's part, of his position at the railing; a slight closing of his posture, as his attention briefly drifts back to the sea. Even as his tone remains even enough.]
...Almost a bit karmic, isn't it? --This is well beyond fomicry, though. A replication of personalities and souls...practically unheard of.
[Goodness knows he'd spent over a decade trying. And yes, he most assuredly has some feelings about this--but they're not talking about that right now, either. (Not yet.) For the meantime the dry joke is met with a dryness in turn, and then they're moving on. After all, Tear's also reaching the most salient point about this situation as she continues, and Jade's humorless smile is returning as he hears it. He does have an answer to that particular question--just what the captain actually wants from them, exactly. But the answer's also rather...well...]
You're correct; it's not for a ransom at all. From what information we've gathered, and according to the captain himself...we are in fact here as batteries. Allegedly, the captain draws upon suffering to fuel the mechanics of this ship and this overall space...and plans to eventually find some means of ascending to godhood, in using all this.
[So, you know. Yeah. Needless to say, the dryness in Jade's tone persists in this part...but the words remain completely free of any actual sarcasm. It's about as blunt as he can get, really, while having to use this utterly ridiculous phrasing. Because it is utterly ridiculous, on a fundamental level.....and the captain is also, unfortunately, rather distressingly serious about it.
...As passengers they sure haven't had much to show for spending six Earth-months upon this vessel so far, either. It's certainly not for a lack of trying, on Jade's part and many others. But perhaps that explanation in itself might start giving Tear an inkling on why that is...though her inquiries about the current shape of the passenger manifest are quite valid too.]
No, so far as I am aware--you're the first other person I've met from Auldrant; up to now I've been the only representative, so to speak. Mm, I'd rather hoped that would... [...stay that way. That he'd never see a familiar face, in this place, where even death offers nothing in the way of actual escape. It's not to say that a part of Jade hasn't been sorely missing Auldrant and...the friends there, all the same. That there isn't a part of him even right now, that continues drinking in the sight of Tear standing right there beside him, solid and real and same as she was--a person he trusts implicitly, by now, someone who knows who he is and what home was. But no, the thought of the terrible things she'll likely have to suffer alongside him now...that dismay remains stronger still. If he had the choice, right now, Jade would send her back in a heartbeat. ...But he can't, and there's no use in saying it aloud; in the end, Jade lets that earlier sentence trail off, with a shake of his head.] --No matter. Either way...now it is just us two, from Auldrant. And as to the rest...I'd say there are roughly sixty to seventy other passengers, currently? The number fluctuates frequently--there doesn't seem to be much consistency, as to when newcomers are pulled here. By my current impressions of more established passengers so far, though...the ratio of civilians is rather higher than ideal. Nearly half, perhaps? Capabilities are highly varied, but extent of formal training where combat or emergencies might be concerned tends to be another story...