fonomena | INBOX for come

Colonel Curtiss, I hope this note finds you well. This is Flynn Scifo.

I wanted to thank you for raising my spirits at the party. It was sorely-needed and entirely unlooked-for, and a pleasure speaking another soldier.

If you're interested, I also wanted to extend an invitation to join me for morning drills and training. Maintaining a routine is helpful, particularly in a situation like this, and it has been very useful for me. We meet at 06:30 every morning beside the tennis courts on the top deck and training lasts roughly an hour.

I would be honored if you would join us.

Sincerely,
Flynn Scifo

Do you know of any doctors or healers on board? It's urgent. Rita Mordio has been severely injured.

[Huh, the good-natured enthusiasm sure is just....seeping from this note, now isn't it? This being the first message Jade has ever actually received on this phone, there are probably worse kinds he could have gotten. But it's still a bit...hm....surprising? Is that the word? Not quite. ...Bemusing, maybe...hm.]

Edited 2022-04-10 04:24 (UTC)

[The response is fairly prompt, as Jade has started making it a habit of taking the phone around with him ever since he discovered its actual surprisingly useful functions over the course of the recent icebreaker party. Typing out a response ends up being a longer affair at least initially, though, as the touchscreen keyboard interface is still a bit new. At length......!]

This note does indeed find me well, thank you Flynn. Do feel free to call me simply Jade if you're so inclined, though! Or at least some variant of Colonel, or Colonel Jade, if foregoing title is difficult. I'm sometimes slower to respond to just my family name, you see. I'm sure you could understand 🙂

[Yes, he was also taught about emojis, incidentally! ~~This was a mistake, it's a terrible power that he is absolutely going to abuse rip....~~ He was almost going to match the formality of a letter in turn, but now...ah well. Getting this typed out is taking enough time as it is!]

It is agreeable to hear your spirits were raised in such a way during the party, and flattering that you would contribute such a thing to me. I would hope your spirits remain at a good elevation currently, as well. [Even if it's a bit surprising to read, all things considered; really, he'd felt a bit more like a sounding board to an unfortunate revelation getting kind of accidentally unearthed, at the time. Is this also worth typing out in a text, though--or even ever mentioning aloud, for that matter? Probably not. If Flynn thought that was helpful...well, then that's fine. Startling, but. Fine?] I suppose this offer is a sort extended from one soldier to another in itself, yes? Quite prescient of you, to have structured such a schedule already in this place. I must confess I have grown lax in my own usual training routines, but I suppose an impromptu "vacation" is still no excuse. Oh, though you'll keep that bit about me getting lax between ourselves, won't you? It's a bit embarrassing really 😉 Thank you for your secrecy in this matter!

But before I accept this invitation, I do wonder. Who is "we"?

[Well now, here's a message from a familiar sender--containing a name he also knows. But the phrasing, and the context--

He's gotten much faster at typing by now, at least, a response promptly within the minute.]

I do know of a doctor. His name is John Watson. I can contact him through this device momentarily. [But, details, for the doctor...] How severely is she injured? Has she been stabilized? Where is she currently, and are you with her?

Edited (just spams your inbox lmao IM SORRY......) 2022-04-10 04:33 (UTC)

Jade,

My lips are sealed. 🤐 Your lax schedule is more than understandable, considering our surroundings, and you are not the only one. "We" in this case means myself and Yuri Lowell, my friend, who can only be counted on to show up about half the time if I'm diligent about dragging him out of bed. I had hoped to expand these to anyone else who could use a little brisk exercise to wake up, but I wasn't sure about the best way to gauge interest. Perhaps a flier?

We are currently in the spa & massage rooms. I am with her. She's stable and not in imminent danger. An encounter with the captain has rendered her right hand useless. Healing artes were enough to save her arm but seemingly not her hand.

A confidentiality most appreciated! 💖 [YOU TWO...PLEASE....] Though I see your friend Yuri doesn't have such a luxury of confidentiality himself, truly a shame for him 😢 Really, 6:30 isn't even that early at all! Quite a late sleeper, is he?

Your intentions on this matter do become clear, though. I suppose that is not such a terrible idea. I'm not yet certain how many passengers here actually have combat training, but this might be a good way to bring the more diligent ones out of the woodwork. [Which evidently wasn't Flynn's original intent, all told, but Jade's already weighing this sort of benefit in it all the same. Getting to know the lay of the land where fellow passengers are concerned in general...well, it certainly couldn't hurt anything, if it might mean an easier attempt at collaboration to get off this boat somewhere down the line. ......But it is a nice little community activity as an idea, too. What a very earnest sort of idea in general...] Fliers could work, I think, though the question lies in where you might put them. There are aspects of this ship that appear frequently cleaned and repaired, likely by the ghostly crew members present. So, you'd want to find a spot that wouldn't be attended in such a way. I don't suppose these sorts of vessels normally have a designated bulletin board of some kind? 🤔

[A right hand now rendered useless? --An encounter with the captain?

Good heavens, Rita, what did you do?]

It's well that she's stable, but it seems that time will be of the essence. I shall contact him now. Dr. Watson is a former army surgeon with, I would assume, the experiences intrinsic in such a field. He should be able to determine the correct method of amputation, if it's necessary.

[...]

And it likely will be, by the sound of it. I am sorry.

[But you know, the actual worst part of this is that Jade can already hazard a guess--that Rita is probably still incredibly lucky, to be suffering only this. "Only", as if the loss of one's hand is any sort of trivial affair...and yet, compared to other things he's heard--hm.]

Do you think she is stable enough to be moved? She'll need to be taken to the infirmary sooner rather than later; most of the medical supplies required will likely be there. If you wish to wait on transporting her until the doctor assesses her condition first, however, I can direct him to the spa first.

She might be. The wound isn't bleeding, but I don't want to risk something happening to her hand in transit. The doctor would likely know the risks better than I. Please direct him to the spa. Thank you, Jade. We will wait here and do what we can.

Edited (subject line no) 2022-04-13 02:12 (UTC)

I wouldn't say thanks are needed for measures this obligate, considering the circumstances. At any rate, he should be on his way shortly. Keeping an eye on her in the meantime is the best sort of thing you could be doing about now.

I should hope the process is a swift and efficient one, and that her condition is at least somewhat improved in time.

[......And for a little while he leaves it at that, really. There's not much else to say; Jade isn't terribly well-versed in platitudes in this sort of vein even for those he knows fairly well, and while Flynn are Rita are both fairly established acquaintances...that's still only about as far as the relations extend for now, he's pretty sure. Honestly, with the retrospect of some thought on it after the fact, Jade's a bit surprised Flynn even thought to contact him at all with a question like this in the first place?

--Well, though surely he'd probably queried several other people too. It's a sensible measure. And Jade does remain confident in his recommendation of Watson either way; the man has struck him as someone steady in character, with an established air of medical experience in his claims and mannerisms alike. Rita will be alright in the end, most likely. ...Or at least, as 'alright' as a person could be, considering...

Hm.

A subsequent text arrives about half an hour later.]

There is no obligation to reply to this message until the situation is more stable. In fact, I'd prefer you take your time to return to this, until Miss Mordio is confirmed to be medically secured. I hope the doctor has found success in assisting her.

If you might be eventually inclined, however, I do confess to be curious as to exactly how this came about for her. Though I'm also aware it's not necessarily my place to ask; in that sense, answering this at all is not obligate either. Feel free to ignore this if you would rather.

He resents the sun most mornings even though it's good for him rise with it. ☀️

I have been searching for just such a pin board, but so far nothing has seemed like it would stick in any meaningful way. It would be helpful if I knew anything else about ships like this one, but the only ships I've been on prior to this were definitively not for leisure and had no need for things like that anyway. For a moment I thought perhaps Friday would help me spread the word but it didn't seem prudent to let her or the Captain get too clear an idea about all this.

[ Flynn's own reply comes nearly half an hour after Jade's second text. Rita is transferred, and he is exhausted and sick with worry, his stomach flipping over and over in careless knots. A vigil won't do Rita any good, but Flynn sits against the wall outside the infirmary with strong coffee anyway, staring down at the message. ]

One Dr. Watson did arrive and was able to transport her to the infirmary. She's stable and sleeping.

I am of the opinion that it's best not to keep information from each other, given that we're all working toward the same goal.

[ That, he thinks ruefully, and it's gotten him into a great deal of trouble in the past. Better to get everything out there into hands who might deal with it better. ]

Which is to say, it's always your place to ask. Rita and Yuri were attempting to draw out the Captain. They thought if they caused enough damage, he would be forced to make an appearance.

He did. First as black smoke, and then as a person. He is more powerful than we could have known. Apparently he bound them both in place with a kind of smoke and turned Rita's fire artes back on her, holding the spell in place until it burnt her hand, long past when she should have been able to release it. Yuri tried to slash him and his sword simply went through what appeared to be a human form, but must not have been.

That is the situation as best I know it.

[ She's checking up on a few of the people that she can via ShipTalk. There might be some sounds of objects shifting from all the swaying and faint rain battering against her cabin window in the background... ]

Mr. Specs? I hope you're safe...

More of a nocturnal sort, is he? 🌙🦇 I suppose you've already told him the sun won't melt him even if it does touch his bed on the odd occasion? Some people do just get so terribly fussed about this kind of thing!

[Has Jade been that person who opens the curtains directly in a sleeping somebody else's very unwilling face at ungodly early hours of the morning, before? Probably, on at least one or two occasions.....this is extremely easy to pull on inn roommates sometimes, incidentally. Guy could likely attest to this, most unfortunately.]

I fear my own experience with boats is much the same as yours. Never was much for pleasure sailing back home, even if the concept isn't an entirely unfamiliar one...the ship I knew best was a Malkuth dreadnought landship. Which was a far more impressive vessel than this one, I'd say! At the risk of being utterly biased, naturally.

Your note about Friday is indeed a wise one, however. This does make things trickier. I suppose you could always try the old-fashioned means of distributing fliers by hand instead...perhaps recruit a group to help. The dining area with the buffet setup seems to be one of the most frequently trafficked areas of this ship...

Transparency does go a long way on many occasions, it's true.

[Not that he'd begrudge Flynn if he did opt out of talking about this anyway, though. That'd be the absolute height of hypocrisy on Jade's part, after all, so much so that even he'd be quite aware of it. How many times has he withheld rather important information until it really can't be ignored any longer? ...More times than he probably really should have, all told...

But at least here and now this doesn't pan out to be the case, as Flynn establishes the need for collaboration in a plenty strong enough sort of argument. Jade scans the subsequent messages carefully, and sits mulling them over for a little while after Flynn has sent them, several minutes past before a reply finally does return.]

Is it odd, to claim to be surprised and yet not at the same time? This is a remarkable turn of events, though not necessarily in the "good" sort of sense...

I suppose this firmly takes any form of conventional attack tactics entirely off the table. Power at an extent like this...it may be callous of me to say this, but both Yuri and Rita have emerged from this in an incredibly fortunate fashion. I've been told that Jenny, at the very least, claims the Captain could easily manipulate souls in themselves on a whim. Rita's hand was her primary ailment? And Yuri received no physical injury himself? [Well, though there was probably a considerable amount of damage dealt to less-physical aspects of pride and confidence, no doubt...but still...]

[The line picks up to the sound of rattling rain striking wooden planks, offset by the occasional puffy gust of wind and a distant clatter of deck chairs sliding into each other in new and interesting ways. There are other muffled voices, somewhere off in the background and too indistinct to decipher under the constant rumble of thunder. But then:]

This is--Fio? [There's Jade's voice, too, much closer to the receiver! And maybe rather a lot more breathless than usual, but you know, that's probably fine. More importantly, the normal constant underlying humor in his tone is also gone, an audible sort of concern taking its place as the caller's ID registers in full.] Miss Fio! Where are you right now, are you taking shelter?

[Whoops, he might have completely forgotten to answer her actual implied question already, but ah well...]

Edited 2022-04-16 03:13 (UTC)

[ Fio listens closely to hear the commotion in the background... well, wherever Jade is right now, it sounds very concerning. She brightens a little, when she eventually hears his voice. ]

I'm still in my cabin. It's kind of scary... but I'm okay. [ She takes a breath, seeming to try assuring herself. Trying to be brave! ] I'm okay!

[ ~~Let's say this is before Jinx comes to get her.~~ The waves crashing against the ship really woke her up. Alone at the moment too, which she would rather not be. Going out into the hall to look for someone is tempting. The rocking of the ship might easily sweep the small girl off her feet though. ]

Are you outside?

Well, so long as you're alright...that's good. [It is good--very good--and Jade would be a bit startled at just how acute the brief flicker of relief actually is, somewhere in the back of his head, if he had any presence of mind to examine it at the moment. No time and no need to fuss about that right now, though; there's a damp rustle of fabric, and the clunk of a couple booted steps on a wooden deck, as Jade shifts and regathers such scattered thoughts.] I--yes, I suppose that'd be right...I'm near the deck myself, for the moment. But I'd very much not recommend going outside right now. The weather is positively horrendous, I'm afraid!

[And here, a brighter lilt in the tone of his voice, as that last sentence is announced with a cheerful and utterly sardonic sort of humor. Jade isn't particularly great at things like assurances, all told, but he can hear the little breath she takes as if to compose herself, and--well, the least he can do is try not to make all this sound like an impending funeral, or something...]

Your cabin is probably one of the safer places to be, right now. There's enough turbulence that some furniture may be moving about, however--you're not injured, are you?

What an excellent idea! I'll have to draft something up immediately. I'm sure the rest of the ship could benefit from a little discipline and training, and Yuri can make up for his poor attendance by helping to distribute them.

Out of curiousity, what sorts of weapons do you use? I wouldn't want to only run sword drills.

Correct. Her hand and her arm, which is now healed, thankfully. Yuri is fine, though his pride is a bit bruised. That part surprises me the most, that he was unable to do anything. It isn't exaggeration to say that Yuri is one of the best fighters I know. That he was so easily overpowered doesn't bode well for us.

We also must contend with the fact that clearly, we are not up against something human? What do you suppose manipulating a soul means?

I'm hardly about to doubt your assessment of his combat prowess, considering you would likely know him best. Miss Mordio, as well, strikes me as a sort of person who should be well-versed in the limits and mechanics of the artes she utilizes...which makes it clear that the turning of her spell upon her own hand was not at all any matter of shortcoming on her part.

We are certainly dealing with an enemy with access to capabilities we know far too little of, one way or another. If he was ever human once, it would seem he has somehow found a way to surpass what either of us would consider to be "normal" human limitations. [A daunting sort of thing to wrap one's head around; even viewing it as objectively as Jade tries to, this sort of thing remains very unfamiliar ground for him to tread. The greatest display of feats "beyond humanity" he's ever witnessed himself would probably fall along the lines of Lorelei's power, forcibly stolen by Van in the last confrontation they'd had...and all this seems, well. Several magnitudes beyond, to say the least; perhaps another category of power altogether. Wonderful!] I am afraid your guess on what 'soul manipulation' might entail is as good as my own. There are no fonic artes or other means back in my own home that ever could manage to reach such a domain. I suppose the same could be said for your own world as well?

The first step is probably seeking out someone here who could be familiar with such a thing, first and foremost...

There's an idea! I can already guess that Yuri is going to be positively overjoyed at this chance to redeem himself, no doubt 😊

[Rip Yuri, have fun with that.......! Anyway--]

As to weapons: I personally prefer polearms myself, and have my own spear on hand currently. [(In hand, even, more literally...but let's not split hairs here!)] I do have the sort of very basic training in other arms that they tend to impress upon you during proper initial enlistment to the military...but I never could get the hang of swords, I'll admit. My actual specialty also lies in fonic artes, truth be told. But every now and then an enemy decides they want to get too close, you know?

Edited 2022-04-19 20:55 (UTC)

[ Bumped into a few furniture here and after getting thrown out of her bed. Aside from the furniture, she doesn't keep many belongings in her room besides the daily needs and a few picture books. If anything, she's mostly disoriented by the swaying of the ship. ]

I'm not hurt... a bunch of my stuff fell, but- ah!

[ A little yelp as she nearly stumbles from a bit of the boat tilting. There's a small thud as she catches herself by pressing against the wall. ]

I-I'm fine! [ Surely she's in a much safer position than he is at this moment! ] You really should get inside too, Mr. Specs...

INBOX for come_sailaway

text; quite early in april

double whammy text; later in april after rita & yuri's no-good bad time

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the mood whiplash from a cute formal letter to this, already...ah..... :(

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from emojis to pain: the rp story

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voice; during midnight april 13th event

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