[There's a moderate delay on Jade's own part, here, as he squints a bit at the cluster of messages that trickle in. Alright, time to do some extrapolating, as tenuous as the value of the effort kind of feels about now. "Morning"--probably actually means mourning, what with the talk of haunting and graves considered. Though the context is still rather...
Well, Rita clearly values her blastia to a high degree, and as an absolute cornerstone of her means to cast spells of any kind it's a reasonable sort of investment. But, yet again, the bizarre humanizing is coming into play?? --Although. It's also getting very clear very quickly, that Rita is perhaps........not fully possessed of her faculties, at the moment. Considering. All of this.
So.]
You know, I must say, "we can make a grave for you" actually makes for a remarkably interesting sort of threat. I get a feeling that's not how you mean it, but I'm making note of this for future use, so I ought to thank you for that much.
I won't thank you for the actual offer, however, as I don't plan to be occupying a grave of any kind at any point in the near future 💀
[SO...LET'S TABLE THAT......]
Are blastia conventionally capable of hauntings? For that matter, last I understood, we're not completely certain it's been disabled for good, yes? A means of repair may yet one day appear. 'Partially dead' is not quite grounds for ghost-hood even for normal human beings, I don't think.
Additionally, fonons are not grown. They compose all matter around us. [But actually--] Are you actually asking about fon slots? The answer to that question is still "no", if so.
and this is how pal and natsuno make their death schedule...
that wasn't supposed to be a thread! imM making sure you won;t be threadend
threadent
these stupid letters won't stay still, you know how annoying they are??
the point is that you need to not die because you're not wllowed to got it!
[She can't have anyone else she cares about disappear, even if she knows she doesn't have that kind of control over it. It just...makes her really desperate to try things to keep them alive and not-nothing.]
so we make the grave to stop it. see?? genius at work!! Appreciate it!
[She spent a while on the grave and haunting thing still, but oh, he replied to her other stuff too? She squints.]
I dont' know, all this ghost stuff is weird and nonsencial so how the hell are we supposed to even know what happens when a poor blastia is destroyed here? are you a ghost expert?? you have to tell me if you are you know, you can't just just not tell
[Oh, that's--actually. Kind of, heartwarming?? Well, ever since those...particular things, that the ghost in her that brought up back during that confrontation--it's not as if Jade has figured Rita doesn't care in the least or something, by this point. But her putting it so (relatively) plainly like this is rather...huh.]
Well, I'm not very eager to die again anytime soon either, so we can certainly be in agreement there. [In fact, the sentiment is appreciated enough that he won't even put a smiling or heart emoji after that, nor make some sort of joke about it! ...Doesn't mean the rest of this isn't free game, though--] Still not sure how a grave factors into the art of not-dying, however...
I'm afraid I'm not a ghost expert either, it's true. Though it sounds like you've recently spoken to someone who might be?
[Where else are all these weird ghost thoughts coming from suddenly.....well, not that this covers the biggest question of them all, though. Seeing as Jade already has his suspicions as to--where this whole text debacle, in general, is coming from...
......]
For that matter, who was it that gave you drinks, Rita?
but I know you can't actually be held to it even if you promise
[Natsuno promised, and she promised back, but there's still only so much control they have. And Jade, too... There's still a sort of...need to have him stay here. Just one that feels very different compared to Natsuno.
Anyway, that sure was a little foray into unhappier feelings that has her losing focus for a little while, but that last question ends up registering. And she doesn't even think to ask how he somehow knew she'd had drinks. Ugh...spelling Shi Qingxuan's name right now, though is...]
[Yeah, that...really is the crux of the issue in a place like this, isn't it? That Rita would acknowledge this even through her clear intoxication at the moment, is...
Well, 'sobering' is a word for it.]
That doesn't mean I can't at least promise as much all the same, hm? There may be circumstances we can't prevent, but that still doesn't mean we shouldn't exercise caution over the aspects that can be controlled.
[..........But anyway. Yes. To step away from that distinctly depressing tangent, now--]
"That guy"? ❓️❓️❓️❓️
[THE EMOJIS ARE NOT HELPING ACTUALLY RITA (but they're still very important, thank you for adding them anyway)]
I believe it was called a "rover" vehicle, if I'm not mistaken.
[And that's all he's going to say about that, because it's not like that first line there actually is an extremely valid call-out or anything...! (Honestly, you'd think he'd aged out of being reckless by now, and yet. Yeah, that sure was a thing...to say nothing of his distinctly foolish actions towards the end of October as well. Trying to confront Tear by himself, as he had...)
But we're not unpacking all that!! After all, much more importantly:]
You know, I wonder if this is how archeologists feel trying to decipher hieroglyphs from before the Dawn Age... [Which is to say--] Unfortunately this string of symbols means nothing to me. Don't tell me you accepted drinks from someone whose name you don't even know?
You'll have to take that up what counts as a dog nane versus a vehicle name with Clarke, I'm afraid.
[Shi whatever, though...oh. Oh, actually, perhaps he did meet someone with a name along those lines...
Going to have to mull over these apparent connections sometime later, though. The most pressing issue is coming to a head about now, after all!]
Presumably you were not drinking simple water, however, going by the quality of these texts you're sending presently. Alcohol, wasn't it? [...Hmmmmm.......] Must have been one of the sweeter kinds. Oh dear.
[You know, just extrapolating off the sweet tooth Rita has rather clearly shown to have in the past. It's easy enough to imagine her turning up her nose at most sorts of drinks, but now.....]
Oh, but of course, how could I have possibly mistakenly assumed that rITa modrio would possibly ever get drunk?
[Alright now he's just being rude but well, they were bound to reach this point eventually let's be real........ (Also what even is that last emote--? Well, not important.)]
Quite the protracted taste, in any case. Undoubtedly to your liking, I can only assume...well, we can have this argument again tomorrow morning, if you're feeling lively enough for it by that time.
Are you somewhere with ready access to drinking water currently, at the very least? [Actually....] Where are you right now in general, for that matter? Not too close to the deck railings, I hope...
suddenly realizing I gotta make up for the lack of embarrassing in these texts
[She doesn't even fully notice that he's intentionally spelled her name wrong (it's not like she noticed that she just did the same thing either, after all!) but it's even harder to tell how sincere he's being over text than in-person...
Well, whatever, he's clearly going on to fret for some reason. She knows what a worrywart he is by now; he can't fool her! Also she is, in fact, halfway into beddy at this point and getting sleepier...]
There you go worrying again, and i told you it's fine too
I'mnot a child
Look after myself just fine
But i i guess who you ares not that bad even if you always do that
If you were in Aspio
[She gets too distracted to finish that thought, her mind wandering. The other mages would probably be as jealous of him as they were of her... Not that she's even really sure why she's trying to picture Jade in Aspio. Maybe because of the little magic collaborations they've been doing together here...]
Can we still do research together? never thoight of it before but your;e better than the other adults
its like you don't have too much...bride maybe so you're easier to trust
something like that
maybe look it's hard to explain but you're ok okay?? so stay around
[She really wants to work on repairing Theodora...but for once, she's too tired to tinker...her pillow is looking more and more inviting.]
[Well, her reply starts out predictably enough. Jade would have had some ribbing retort about trying to spare her the embarrassment of falling into the sea over the rail or something, more than anything else, but...as it turns out, that isn't all she has to say, it seems. ...And more messages keep trickling in. ...And they're.....
There's quite a protracted delay on Jade's end, as he stares at these messages and finds himself briefly at a loss as to how to actually respond. It's certainly been pretty clear that Rita's very much in an alcohol-based altered state, and so...it's not hard to figure. That this exchange has consisted of entirely unfiltered thoughts on her part. Which makes all this now...quite...
..."Better than the other adults", is he? ...Easier to trust? Someone who ought to stay around? .....It really doesn't feel as if he's done half enough, to earn such disproportionately warm impressions.
(Yet now, despite himself, he's remembering again those bitter words that the ghost possessing Rita body had said....)]
Aspio is your hometown, yes? I certainly don't recall saying we ever shouldn't continue our joint research ventures, wherever they might be done. You're hardly an objectionable mind to work with, after all.
And I suppose I've no choice but to at least try to live up to these flattering assessments you've made here, now haven't I? You're being almost too generous, perhaps. [...] But rest assured, I'm not going anywhere.
You still haven't told me where you are at the moment, though. If not on the decks, then perhaps in your quarters? [Hard to tell through text alone, but Rita getting some sleep really would be the best outcome here...]
["Hardly objectionable" of course he has to word it so strangely, but more importantly, it solidifies how differently she can see him compared to the mages she grew up around, who were apathetic at best and severely jealous or resentful--or both--at worst. The Rita who one day finds out otherwise, who's called the pride of Aspio by the other mages, belongs to a different world now, so all this one's left with is a painful emptiness--or she would be, if she hadn't found people here to trust. Like Jade, despite all his obnoxious traits...and it's not like she needed the reassurance, but--it is still nice to hear. Read. To know that he doesn't mind working alongside her, either.
Oh, she needs to actually type a reply here. Eventually...]
And you should know that just becaus my magic isnt' working doesnt' mind my mind doesn't work doesnt [Whoops, almost nodded off for a moment there.] Good couldn't stand if anoyne else leftf
[Where is she, he asks? Ehh...how to tell him she's about to cuddle her pillow and sleep very shortly...]
ppiillzz 🐱👤
[Look, she typed each letter twice...and added a cat...ha, genius.]
[The delay is long enough that Jade does actually wonder if she hasn't fallen asleep already--though the texts that do come in, at length, indicate pretty strongly that she's about on the verge anyhow. As it generally goes, with alcohol...
Goodness, at some point he really would like to find out who even let her drink this much.
Still, at least this provides a perfect out by which to cleanly dodge having to directly address any other...extremely gross and weird feelings, which may or may not have been brought about by Rita's surprising level of frankness about now. There will be time to mull over the Implications of all this at some point...later. Plenty of time, indeed, to logic his way out of accepting that the ghost possessing her might have been anywhere near actually on point about any particular thoughts it might have found in her memories that one time. And after all this, undoubtedly, they'll both be trying their level best to pretend this conversation never actually happened. So...!
Yes. This works just fine, actually.]
Good night to you too, Rita. [I'd quite prefer if nobody else disappeared from this ship going forward either, much less myself--he doesn't say, or type. Though the thought drifts past, all the same. And even if there really doesn't seem to be any way at all to truly prevent such a thing suddenly happening, to any of them...Jade still meant what he said. About wanting to avoid such a thing if at all possible.
After all, Rita would surely do something incredibly ill-thought and dangerous in his absence...an unacceptable notion, by now.]
Do be sure to get as hydrated as you can, tomorrow morning. 😊 You'll be full of boundless regret, no doubt, but that's simply another essential part of the alcohol experience as well!
[As long as she isn't actually out and about, which she doesn't seem to be...hm. He'll have to surreptitiously check in next door at some point to make sure she's approximately alive, tomorrow. After allowing for several hours for the hangover to ease a bit, anyway...]
[She quickly falls into a heavy sleep pretty much as soon as she lays her head down, so Jade's messages go unanswered tonight--and, indeed, for several hours the next day too, for reasons he can likely imagine.
Eventually, and still too cotton-headed and gross-feeling to scroll back and be grossed out by a bunch of sappiness, she texts a simple reply that sums up everything she feels this very moment:]
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![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
come_sailaway
well...no............AT LEAST TAKE IT IN TURNS YOU GREMLINS--
Well, Rita clearly values her blastia to a high degree, and as an absolute cornerstone of her means to cast spells of any kind it's a reasonable sort of investment. But, yet again, the bizarre humanizing is coming into play?? --Although. It's also getting very clear very quickly, that Rita is perhaps........not fully possessed of her faculties, at the moment. Considering. All of this.
So.]
You know, I must say, "we can make a grave for you" actually makes for a remarkably interesting sort of threat. I get a feeling that's not how you mean it, but I'm making note of this for future use, so I ought to thank you for that much.
I won't thank you for the actual offer, however, as I don't plan to be occupying a grave of any kind at any point in the near future 💀
[SO...LET'S TABLE THAT......]
Are blastia conventionally capable of hauntings? For that matter, last I understood, we're not completely certain it's been disabled for good, yes? A means of repair may yet one day appear. 'Partially dead' is not quite grounds for ghost-hood even for normal human beings, I don't think.
Additionally, fonons are not grown. They compose all matter around us. [But actually--] Are you actually asking about fon slots? The answer to that question is still "no", if so.
and this is how pal and natsuno make their death schedule...
threadent
these stupid letters won't stay still, you know how annoying they are??
the point is that you need to not die because you're not wllowed to got it!
[She can't have anyone else she cares about disappear, even if she knows she doesn't have that kind of control over it. It just...makes her really desperate to try things to keep them alive and not-nothing.]
so we make the grave to stop it. see?? genius at work!! Appreciate it!
[She spent a while on the grave and haunting thing still, but oh, he replied to her other stuff too? She squints.]
I dont' know, all this ghost stuff is weird and nonsencial so how the hell are we supposed to even know what happens when a poor blastia is destroyed here? are you a ghost expert?? you have to tell me if you are you know, you can't just just not tell
Fon slots are stupid
no subject
Well, I'm not very eager to die again anytime soon either, so we can certainly be in agreement there. [In fact, the sentiment is appreciated enough that he won't even put a smiling or heart emoji after that, nor make some sort of joke about it! ...Doesn't mean the rest of this isn't free game, though--] Still not sure how a grave factors into the art of not-dying, however...
I'm afraid I'm not a ghost expert either, it's true. Though it sounds like you've recently spoken to someone who might be?
[Where else are all these weird ghost thoughts coming from suddenly.....well, not that this covers the biggest question of them all, though. Seeing as Jade already has his suspicions as to--where this whole text debacle, in general, is coming from...
......]
For that matter, who was it that gave you drinks, Rita?
no subject
don't die ok
but I know you can't actually be held to it even if you promise
[Natsuno promised, and she promised back, but there's still only so much control they have. And Jade, too... There's still a sort of...need to have him stay here. Just one that feels very different compared to Natsuno.
Anyway, that sure was a little foray into unhappier feelings that has her losing focus for a little while, but that last question ends up registering. And she doesn't even think to ask how he somehow knew she'd had drinks. Ugh...spelling Shi Qingxuan's name right now, though is...]
she
you know
that guy
🥳🐱🐉🦚
[Nailed it???]
no subject
Well, 'sobering' is a word for it.]
That doesn't mean I can't at least promise as much all the same, hm? There may be circumstances we can't prevent, but that still doesn't mean we shouldn't exercise caution over the aspects that can be controlled.
[..........But anyway. Yes. To step away from that distinctly depressing tangent, now--]
"That guy"?
❓️❓️❓️❓️
[THE EMOJIS ARE NOT HELPING ACTUALLY RITA (but they're still very important, thank you for adding them anyway)]
no subject
whatever it was
["Rover"? ...No, that sounds like a dumb name. The car thing but bigger and bulkier. He'd better promise to not do that again!!
Also, huff, she thought that was totally clear enough?!]
yeah, don't you know??
the 💨💦💫🎆 guy
[Being drunk, she chooses that last one because she thinks it kinda resembles his fan...if she squints.]
no subject
[And that's all he's going to say about that, because it's not like that first line there actually is an extremely valid call-out or anything...! (Honestly, you'd think he'd aged out of being reckless by now, and yet. Yeah, that sure was a thing...to say nothing of his distinctly foolish actions towards the end of October as well. Trying to confront Tear by himself, as he had...)
But we're not unpacking all that!! After all, much more importantly:]
You know, I wonder if this is how archeologists feel trying to decipher hieroglyphs from before the Dawn Age... [Which is to say--] Unfortunately this string of symbols means nothing to me. Don't tell me you accepted drinks from someone whose name you don't even know?
Just how many of them have you had today?
no subject
[Anyway, how can he say the symbols mean nothing!! Oh, maybe Jade hasn't met him? He stands out so much, though...]
Of course I know his name it's just stupid and a pain and these letter keys are annoyying
She
Shi? Shi whatever
[Yeah close enough. How many, though...]
Why would i count?? Itwas just drunks
no subject
[Shi whatever, though...oh. Oh, actually, perhaps he did meet someone with a name along those lines...
Going to have to mull over these apparent connections sometime later, though. The most pressing issue is coming to a head about now, after all!]
Presumably you were not drinking simple water, however, going by the quality of these texts you're sending presently. Alcohol, wasn't it? [...Hmmmmm.......] Must have been one of the sweeter kinds. Oh dear.
[You know, just extrapolating off the sweet tooth Rita has rather clearly shown to have in the past. It's easy enough to imagine her turning up her nose at most sorts of drinks, but now.....]
no subject
What ypu think iM drunk?? Haa get real, rITa modrio doesnt get drunk, i just gave it a taste so he'd stop pestering
😾😾🐱🏍
[And then she very quickly lost track of how much she was tasting, but whatever! She's clearly not drunk.]
no subject
[Alright now he's just being rude but well, they were bound to reach this point eventually let's be real........ (Also what even is that last emote--? Well, not important.)]
Quite the protracted taste, in any case. Undoubtedly to your liking, I can only assume...well, we can have this argument again tomorrow morning, if you're feeling lively enough for it by that time.
Are you somewhere with ready access to drinking water currently, at the very least? [Actually....] Where are you right now in general, for that matter? Not too close to the deck railings, I hope...
suddenly realizing I gotta make up for the lack of embarrassing in these texts
Well, whatever, he's clearly going on to fret for some reason. She knows what a worrywart he is by now; he can't fool her! Also she is, in fact, halfway into beddy at this point and getting sleepier...]
There you go worrying again, and i told you it's fine too
I'mnot a child
Look after myself just fine
But i i guess who you ares not that bad even if you always do that
If you were in Aspio
[She gets too distracted to finish that thought, her mind wandering. The other mages would probably be as jealous of him as they were of her... Not that she's even really sure why she's trying to picture Jade in Aspio. Maybe because of the little magic collaborations they've been doing together here...]
Can we still do research together? never thoight of it before but your;e better than the other adults
its like you don't have too much...bride maybe so you're easier to trust
something like that
maybe look it's hard to explain but you're ok okay?? so stay around
[She really wants to work on repairing Theodora...but for once, she's too tired to tinker...her pillow is looking more and more inviting.]
OH NO
There's quite a protracted delay on Jade's end, as he stares at these messages and finds himself briefly at a loss as to how to actually respond. It's certainly been pretty clear that Rita's very much in an alcohol-based altered state, and so...it's not hard to figure. That this exchange has consisted of entirely unfiltered thoughts on her part. Which makes all this now...quite...
..."Better than the other adults", is he? ...Easier to trust? Someone who ought to stay around? .....It really doesn't feel as if he's done half enough, to earn such disproportionately warm impressions.
(Yet now, despite himself, he's remembering again those bitter words that the ghost possessing Rita body had said....)]
Aspio is your hometown, yes? I certainly don't recall saying we ever shouldn't continue our joint research ventures, wherever they might be done. You're hardly an objectionable mind to work with, after all.
And I suppose I've no choice but to at least try to live up to these flattering assessments you've made here, now haven't I? You're being almost too generous, perhaps. [...] But rest assured, I'm not going anywhere.
You still haven't told me where you are at the moment, though. If not on the decks, then perhaps in your quarters? [Hard to tell through text alone, but Rita getting some sleep really would be the best outcome here...]
#1 dad...
Oh, she needs to actually type a reply here. Eventually...]
And you should know that just becaus my magic isnt' working doesnt' mind my mind doesn't work doesnt [Whoops, almost nodded off for a moment there.] Good couldn't stand if anoyne else leftf
[Where is she, he asks? Ehh...how to tell him she's about to cuddle her pillow and sleep very shortly...]
ppiillzz 🐱👤
[Look, she typed each letter twice...and added a cat...ha, genius.]
no subject
Goodness, at some point he really would like to find out who even let her drink this much.
Still, at least this provides a perfect out by which to cleanly dodge having to directly address any other...extremely gross and weird feelings, which may or may not have been brought about by Rita's surprising level of frankness about now. There will be time to mull over the Implications of all this at some point...later. Plenty of time, indeed, to logic his way out of accepting that the ghost possessing her might have been anywhere near actually on point about any particular thoughts it might have found in her memories that one time. And after all this, undoubtedly, they'll both be trying their level best to pretend this conversation never actually happened. So...!
Yes. This works just fine, actually.]
Good night to you too, Rita. [I'd quite prefer if nobody else disappeared from this ship going forward either, much less myself--he doesn't say, or type. Though the thought drifts past, all the same. And even if there really doesn't seem to be any way at all to truly prevent such a thing suddenly happening, to any of them...Jade still meant what he said. About wanting to avoid such a thing if at all possible.
After all, Rita would surely do something incredibly ill-thought and dangerous in his absence...an unacceptable notion, by now.]
Do be sure to get as hydrated as you can, tomorrow morning. 😊 You'll be full of boundless regret, no doubt, but that's simply another essential part of the alcohol experience as well!
[As long as she isn't actually out and about, which she doesn't seem to be...hm. He'll have to surreptitiously check in next door at some point to make sure she's approximately alive, tomorrow. After allowing for several hours for the hangover to ease a bit, anyway...]
no subject
Eventually, and still too cotton-headed and gross-feeling to scroll back and be grossed out by a bunch of sappiness, she texts a simple reply that sums up everything she feels this very moment:]
bleh