( NPC LOG ) WORLD JUMP # 4: THE HOROLOGIUM.

[anessa]

V I O L E T

within a few days, every circle member will find that the small square panels hovering over their cots have been activated. they flicker green for a moment, and an interface gradually manifests before you. it looks a little like a computer terminal at first...

before the words slowly begin to form.

during your time on the horologium, this screen will change accordingly. your repairs and modifications to the ship will be logged for all to see. and by who, exactly?

well....

🠖 NETWORK

[ all of your watches come to a static halt. there's a crackle before a message begins to appear on the screen. ]

did it
work
u guys see this?
kk
i was the one who turned on your screens
should probs introduce myself
call me violet
bottom line is
i got no idea who the hell any of you are
but THAT'S working again
and this ship is hanging by a thread
damn it i shouldnt have sent all of you this at the same time
my watch is totes gonna blow up in 1..2...3

🠖 MESS HALL

[ violet is seated at a table — her hands are folded but her eyes are flitting from side to side as though she's taking in her surroundings. there's a notable scar that slashes across her face, and she's fitted in a jumpsuit much like your own. ]

Oh, hey. It's your favorite stranger: Violet.

[ there's a silence. ]

...I'm guessing you guys have got questions.

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Comments

[anessa]

At the time...

[ violet leans back into her seat, a hand moving to rub at her forehead. ]

We were attacked. That's the last thing I remember. I'm guessing...everyone either got to safety or...

[ a tired sigh escapes her. ]

You can guess. I don't know how long it's been since then. We used to have people who kept track of the time but—

Mm.

[elegant_and_proud]

[So the distress call was due to an attack rather than mechanical failure.]

Can you tell me more about your attackers? Who they are, why they were attacking, and what they look like?

[She has both a combat suited power and combat experience. If there's potentially combat to engage in, it's likely that she'll get involved. The more she knows ahead of time, the better.

Besides, she's not completely trusting of Violet. While she could very well be a lone survivor who happened to lose consciousness in a good hiding place, there's also the possibility of betrayal.]

[anessa]

[ she slumps back into her seat — there's a sharp intake of breath before her shoulders lower.

violet deliberates for a moment, eyes squeezing shut. ]

They didn't...come in a team. It wasn't your average attack. We were equipped to deal with things like that — not...whatever this was.

It...was bigger than the ship itself. It almost felt like it was going to swallow us whole — hell, it might've been tryna' to.

[ idly, she fiddles with her watch — before looking directly into the eyes of the woman before her. ]

Any chance you're familiar with Lovecraft?

[elegant_and_proud]

[It's at this point that Ikaruga takes a seat across from Violet, shifting her sheathed sword so that she can sit comfortably.]

I am not, but I am familiar with large monsters. Not quite so big as being larger than this ship, but substantially larger than houses. Part of my former career before joining this group involved fighting them.

[Admittedly, her magic was stronger than, but she at least has some experience. Enough to not be shocked by the description, in any case. She hasn't been around long enough to know a lot about Astoria or even her fellow Circle members, but one thing bears mentioning.]

The woman who sent us here sensed a great darkness, as she put it. Do you think that has anything to do with this massive creature?

[anessa]

Huh. Lovecraft was a philosopher of ours, but the guy died maybe 20...30 years ago? He came up with this theory that these allmighty tentacle monsters existed all the way out here. They could mess with your head and drive you to insanity. Whatever this thing was, it reminded me of those creatures he used to talk about.

[ she fiddles with her watch a bit before looking back up. ]

A lot of were adept fighters. But this thing...it was something else. Something we've never seen before. [ for a moment, however, she smirks. ] If y'need a sparring partner you know who to call, though.

[ violent leans forward. there's another silence as she deliberates. ]

Yeah...that's — that's a good word for it. Who's the woman that sent you here and how did she manage to do it?

[elegant_and_proud]

I will look forward to sparring with you. But first, I want to know as much about the attack as possible. What happened when your crew first detected the creature, and how did it attack you?

[She thinks a good sparring match would be beneficial to both of them. In isolation, physical things are good for keeping one's mind healthy. Something that seems to be especially important now.]

Her name is Astoria, and she possesses teleportation magic to a degree that I have only seen in one other being.