voice- un: brightness_kholin

[veristitalian]

People have been vanishing. Not many, not often, not at a volume where we've noticed quickly, but a small number of the ones who initially arrived here have simply disappeared. They've been vanishing since before the doors into space opened, and at enough of a rate that we'd notice the diminishing number of suits if they were all falling off the station into the black.

Initially I had assumed it must be because this place is dangerous. If that were the case we should be tripping over the corpses by now. We clearly aren't.

Comments

[why_me]

An ability I've used on occasion.

[veristitalian]

They're creatures that are called to various things, like emotion, weather, or actions. Swiftspren chasing anything that moves quickly. Angerspren bubbling up around a person feeling rage. Fearspren fluttering around the heads of young soldiers. Windspren flitting through the quick air and flamespren in the hearth.

[veristitalian]

I don't know how to begin to slot that kind of capability into the schema I've been developing.

[veristitalian]

That's actually an interesting point.

[She says, because;]

They're trying to, and for some reason they cannot. Despite the raw power they've exhibited in other ways, something seemingly prevents them.

[veristitalian]

If I find a corpse, I will call you.

[why_me]

Please do. As much as I hope you don't find one.

[oddbod]

Oh, that's fascinating.

[If she could see Clara, she'd be faced with two very large, very interested eyes.]

What do they look like?

[veristitalian]

Each spren has a different shape. Gloryspren are a glowing golden aura. Rotspren appear from a wound as red worms. Creationspren, summoned when someone creates something particularly beautiful, pop into the air in small copies mundane objects in the room where they manifest, like a pen, a chair, a glove.

[aequoreal]

What does the schema say?

[veristitalian]

That the thing that brought us here is powerful, but has limitations. It wants something from us, but struggles to articulate it. It made the station habitable, but not pleasant. It brought us here from afar, but it loses grip on us.

And now it can raise the dead?

[donkeyballs]

[ He swallows, trying to figure out how to correct her in a way that won't make him sound like an utter asshole, when she changes the subject. He's still not sure he should just leave that misconception there, but at the same time, he's thankful for the topic change. He shakes his head. ]

Nah. I can fire a gun, alright, and I'm a mean shot with a ship's guns, but - I ain't never even held a sword.

[veristitalian]

People talk about guns, but I'm not very clear on what they are.

[Admits Jasnah, starting in on her food at last, as they move on to slightly less fraught conversation.]

[onlydoubts]

Dunno... suppose it could have to do with whatever brought us here? It'd be my guess.

[veristitalian]

You're likely right. But what, then, might they want us for?

[If only it were a rhetorical question. Jasnah has absolutely less than no idea.]

[creatio]

he wouldn't stay away this long.

( A restraining order wouldn't stop him, so the continued silence is worrying. )

[aequoreal]

You make it sound sentient. I am not sure it is. ( a pause. admittedly: ) I am also not sure that it isn't.

[veristitalian]

Then let us hope his disappearance means he has been returned home.

[veristitalian]

Someone sentient must be behind it, if not now, then once, in writing the instructions.

No naturally occurring phenomenon would pause and take a moment to give everyone clothes.

[onlydoubts]

Maybe it's an accidental side effect, as well. Maybe this is all one big accident.

[ ... ]

But, honestly, I doubt that.

[veristitalian]

[She gives him a thin smile, and pinches the bridge of her nose.

He's not wrong.]

Be in touch if you learn anything new.

[onlydoubts]

[ he sighs ]

Yeah, you got it. Hopefully I'll have more than just guesswork, then.

[aequoreal]

I agree. We know the station was inhabited before us.

[veristitalian]

And that the clothing is tailored to us.

[She lifts both hands, so they display in the feed. Her left one is gloved.]

Vorin women cover their safehand. I found this when I arrived.

[creatio]

i don't know if that's comforting.

i'd probably be happier knowing he's fallen out of an airlock.

( ... Best first impression ... )

[veristitalian]

Who was he?

[Jasnah isn't a woman to be flustered by a little casual imaginary violence. She definitely understands that some people would simply do better floating out into space.]