[Oh, the wonderful world of research. That neither of you are actively taking part in because you can't read crazy. Sheila and, asumedly, Taki, are in a black stone room with a few nice tapestries and, of course, some fantastic candlabras. And sleek stone chairs that don't feel like giant rock on the ass.] (Good. I'm rather tired of assrocks.) [Julie, of course, is reading through the crystal tablets. Arisa might be with her! Or not. The heroines will no doubt pose that in short moments. A good few hours has passed since we last focused on anyone, which is by the graces of the Fast Forward Fairy (FFFairy for short). So Taki can let out the hat, and Arisa can... uh... sharpen her ears, and poses go and stuff.] * Taki paces up and down the black stone room, and has been doing so for a while, each time she gets to the door she glares at it for a moment and then goes on. She has also been ignoring Sheila for the most part and giving short, sharp answers when prodded verbaly. * Arisa is sitting some place away from Julie, though still in her vicinity. She has her legs crossed as she pores pver a few of the tablets she's assembled. She isn't able to read them (unless Julie took some time to go over the basics with her, and even then can't do it well) but that doesn't seem to stop her from scanning over the symbols. [They are symbols! The hard part, Arisa, is that there seem to be symbols-buried in the crystal in a non-2D fashion. It's very unhelpful.] [Julie, for her part, has been going through the tablets... taking special notes in most of them but, mainly, the big part is walkig around with her fire on and just reading. She also talks to herself quietly some of the time when she does.] [Sheila has been intermittently trying to chat with Taki and carve patterns into wood she has. Probably some spare 'clothes'.] * Taki reaches to door again, and stops pacing for a moment to glare at it, and then she starts walking again. As she passes Sheila she speaks. "I'm giving them five more, and then I'm going to go ask the source." * Arisa nods a little and tries to copy some of the symbols as she goes through her journal. The ones she can at least. She seems to be taking her time on each of them, making sure to get the intricate details down. [Julie mumbles, "Elemental Balance..." as she runs her lit hand over one, and then says, with exasperation, "By the crystal, did they have to write them in this style?"] * Arisa pipes up at that statement. Although the response shows she wasn't really paying attention, pointing at her journal. "What does this symbol mean?" [Sheila says, cheerily, "I thought the books were the source?"] * Taki glares at Sheila. "Yes, but the former king of this place should know where everything they need to know is, and shaking it out of him should take less time than Julie reading the entire library by herself." [Julie runs her hand over her forehead as she walks over to Arisa. "Why do you bother trying... uhf, that's a combination of 'god' and 'white'." She looks back at the tablets. "Everything's a combination, becaue they're buried at multiple levels." She stretches. "It's an old code method."] [Sheila goes, "Ohhhhhhh. I bet it would!"] * Arisa smiles at Julie. "My mother always said that there's no use if you never try." [A pause, then, "Maybe."] (From Sheila or Julie?) (Sheila.) It's better than waiting in here while nothing happens. * Taki turns a corner and starts walking down another side of the room. (INTENSE PACING ACTION!) * Arisa pokes the page a couple times, then goes back, pointing to another page. "And this one?" [Julie shrugs slightly, herself, "I guess not." Eyes. "Green atop stone." She looks back to the tablets. "I think I'm getting back to the important things... everything's talking about the elements now." She walks back over to 'em. "I'm glad, too. Gy'rou'mak was depressing enough to learn about. Reading detailed accounts was... unpleasant."] The elements? *scribble scribble without looking up* [Sheila watches Taki, then giggles. "Takishimiru, you do a lot of moving for nothing."] [Julie says idly, "Elements. They're talking about the nature of the elements making up the world, and the crystals... it's a third-hand account, though, due to the Gy'rou'mak."] The who? * Arisa peers at the crystal slab again and starts sketching the next interesting symbol she sees. * Taki turns another corner. "It keeps me from thinking." [She sighs. "The what. It was a war. Worse than this one."] [She runs her hand over the next one and suddenly frowns, musing to herself, "Who is this person... I know I've heard the name before..."] I'd be hard pressed to believe there something worse than a war that destroys two species...buut... [Sheila blinks. "What? That's silly. Walking doesn't stop thinking."] * Arisa looks up at Julie for a second. "Hmm? Who?" ( For me, talking stops thinking!) (Snerk.) Then you arn't concentrating hard enough. [Julie replies, to Arisa, "Brn'ral'ska. The author seems... pretty unhappy about the guy. Brn'ral'ska and Url'go'nam..."] The author is this Earlgonim? [Sheila blinks. "Um... okay?"] * Taki passes the door. "Four." [Julie shakes her head, continuing to scan the tablet, "No, no... it's an account of the order Url'go'nam was the head of before the Gy'rou'mak... and its downfall, and... oh." She pauses. "Oh! Yes, this is it. These tablets are it."] * Arisa blinks and looks up from her tablet again. "Are what?" ["They're how my father must have gotten all his information..." she runs her hand over her forehead. "I didn't--" she stops herself. "This is gonna take a bit to explain." A faint smirk as she turns to Arisa. "You wanna see if Taki and the human are awake? I could use the time to, uh, remember some ancient history."] * RowynSleepyn (rowyn2001@adsl-69-107-151-83.dsl.pltn13.pacbell.net) has joined #wnn * Arisa (rowyn2001@adsl-69-107-151-83.dsl.pltn13.pacbell.net) Quit (Ping timeout) * RowynSleepyn is now known as Arisa * Arisa blinks again at Julie and stands again. "Um. Okay. But I'll never learn this if I keep getting interrupted." * Arisa starts to walk towards the door. [Julie murmurs, "You're not gonna learn it anyway."] * Arisa calls out as she opens the door. "What was that?" * Taki passes Sheila without a word. [Sheila continues watching. "If you walked faster, I might get dizzy."] [Julie 's eyes widen. "Ah? Thinking out loud again."] * Taki ignores Sheila! [She's good at that.] (You'd better belive it!) * Arisa finishes opening the door and looks out and around for Taki. "Miss Shimiru? Miss Shiela? Are you around here still?" (are we?) (You're, uh, around, as in, down the hall in another room.) * Taki turns the corner in some other room. [Sheila doesn't have elf ears to hear either, pouting slightly.] * Arisa pouts and puts her hands on her hips. "I swore we told them not to wander too far." She sighs and starts to walking, looking down the hallway. [The hallway is inviting. For a while. Then you get the 'leftward' twinge as you get near a door.] [Sheila gets up and looks out the window, still looking pouty.] * Arisa perks up slightly and peeks in the doorway. "Hello?" * Taki turns twords the door shortly after Arisa looks in. "Please tell me she found something." [Sheila glances back over her shoulder. "Yes! Please tell her she found something."] (Darn it!) (... God is here with me and a woman!) (Oh baby.) [Sheila does that talking thing. Not me. I'm eating ice cream sandwiches.] Well, she thinks so. She seems excited. Also, she said to "give her time to remember ancient history." Whatever that means. [Sheiila looks to Taki cautiously. "Is that something?"] * Taki eyes Arisa. "Does she want you to come back tomarrow then? Perhaps her father or one of his assitants could be more helpful." Actually, she asked me to gather you now. So hopefully, that meant she has it. If not, well, will it really make all that much of a difference in the long run? I don't care about the long run with the exception of one, very specific case. Now let's go find out what she has to say for herself. * Arisa nods and looks to Sheila. "Are you coming?" [Sheila nods, the poutines all gone. "Sure!"] (Don't say poutine. It makes me think of those gravy fries they have up in Canada.) (Soviergnity-Association Girl Nanami!) (... Does that mean that there are going to be people chanting about trilobites next time Taki fights somebody?) (... no. And by no I mean maybe. And by maybe I mean, "I wonder if they speak Latin in this crazy place.") (Check.) * Arisa leads the way. * Taki follows Arisa back to the library. [Sheila follows too! The library is where Arisa left it, provinng she is not a monk that likes to strip. Julie's standing next to the tablet, scanning it over again.] * Arisa waves to Julie as she enters. "Did you remember yet?" ( Wait, when did Saldin ever take his robe off? When did you ever have the balls to come anywhere near me? ohshit. *poof*) Well? [She looks up from the tablet. "Huh? Er... yes. Yes, it's just been a while." She turns toward them all. "Um... have a seat, I guess?"] (There are some of the oddly comfortable stone chairs in here, right?) (Yeah.) [She sets her hand on her hip and steps away from the tablet, towards a cluster of the chairs.] * Taki walks to the chairs and sits down heavily on one of them. * Arisa tilts her head to look at Julie. "You sound oddly indecisive." She makes her way to a chair anyhow. [Sheila goes over too, with a bounce in her step. Even being ignored doesn't knock this girl out!] (But this will! *boot2theHEAD!*) [Julie says, a bit defensively, "Well, it's difficult to remember these things when your father didn't want anyone READING about them. If I weren't an Op'Kahn'sa, I wouldn't know a whit." She joins everyone in the chairs.] Aren't there any others? * Mechalink shrugs. "A few, but... father wasn't interested in many people knowing details. He liked all this ancient code." She rubs her forehead again. "Okay.. you remember Ru'Wrg'Klu'Pio, correct? Va'bul's Arm?" (Agh. Julie sub. >_<) (And as an assist, she's the big religious type matronly Ru'Hak that Julie did the funny burn dance with.) Yes, it's only been a few hours. We met her at that festival, right? (... Okay, wait, if I'm confused about when that happend and Taki didn't meet her, I need to change that line.) (*checks* You weren't around, actually.) (You were busy getting to know the natives.) (Ahh, right.) * Taki actualy says, "No, no I don't." [She nods slightly, saying with a slight smile. "Yes..." then she looks at Taki. "She is... the head of the religious part of the Ru'Hak. The important thing is that she, and my father, and the others... a long, long, long, LONG time ago, were part of the same order. Back before everyone split off into their own countries, the religions were all part of one order."] * Arisa looks at Taki. "That's right. You weren't there." * Arisa tsks and shakes her finger at Taki, chidingly. "See what happens when you go wandering off?" Yes, I get nice hot baths and you get religion. [Sheila giggles happily.] (Also I'm slipping back into Keika snark instead of angry Taki.) (You do that a lot.) (You need to get your Keika out so you can have pure Taki.) (YES) (Kiku can help!) [She also adds, "And met me! That's important too."] * Arisa smiles at Taki. "You could have beaten up some stubborn Ru'Hak. That might have made you feel better. Although, admittedly, probably not the best outlet." * Taki snorts. "I can do that after we get back and before I get my answer." There's little point now. *she turns to Julie* I'm sorry. Continue, Jul'pmak'guby. [Julie says, with a suspicious note, "... right. Anyway. The order was headed, before everyone split up, by a Yu'Kan named Url'go'nam. And one of her most important disciples was Brn'ral'ska, according to the tablet." She frowns. "Brn'ral'ska was the one who twisted everything, and caused the split and the disasterous war that followed." Beat. "Most of the pre-war knowledge became oral tradition..."] And? Yu'Kan being the...water people, right? [She nods at Arisa. "Yes." She points over at the tablet. "And that is a record, of sorts, of what happened. And some of the knowledge that was, supposedly lost. Locked up nice and tight by my father." She says the last with anger and annoyance.] But why bother to hide it? Because if nobody knew, nobody could stop him. [Julie nods slightly. "Yes." She sighs. "When anyone talks about 'religion' or 'powers', here, it's all relalted to the crystals, in some form or fashion."] * Arisa looks blankly at Julie, then rubs her cheek idly. "So this is an account of how the crystals were created? [She shakes her head. "No... but it does talk about how Brn'ral'ska tried to use them to destroy eachother." Beat. "Just like my father."] * Taki snorts. "All that changes is the names." * Arisa taps a freckle on her cheek. "But then...how does that help us? All that it tells us is that history repeats. Anyone could tell you that." [She looks between the two of them. "It's the only type of record that could talk about this sort of thing... Something from Brn'ral'ska. But I can't find it anywhere."] * Arisa frowns slightly. "Then...does the knowledge even exist? Is it even possible?" * Arisa stops herself. "Wait. This..Brn'ral'ska was it? Does it mention them being successful in their destruction of the crystals?" * Taki eyes Arisa. "That would be convienient." [She nods slightly. "It would... but no, no, it doesn't. There were terrible imbalances of power during the war, as we were all taught, but no crystals shattered."] So we still do not know. * Arisa hesitates for a short while, still thinking at the table, then replies, "Well, what *does* it say then?" [She shakes her head, then says, "A lot about the history... but the important thing is that it says one person was behind the disaster war... and I know I'd heard the name beforee." She leans back in her chair and exhales noisily. "I was hoping explaining it would remind me again..."] Well, is that the only thing that isn't common knowledge? Nothing else stands out? * Taki waits. ["Well, the knowledge that anyone knew how to destroy the crystals before... or might have. That took everyone by surprise, back when..." she trails off purposefully.] When? [She finishes, after a moment's more hesitation, "When the Yu'Kan were obliterated. It surprised everyone."] Even your father? [She shakes her head. "Not that I saw. I figured... that was his plan all along." She stands up quickly, turning her back and crossing her arms. "Of course that was his plan."] [She heads to a thin tower window, to look out of.] * Arisa replies softly. "Even knowing the consequences...?" Why should they have mattered to him? [She says, a bit bitterly, "Why indeed."] This is true. And if he did not intend it, why continue to do it a second time? Once a fault, twice an accusation. [Sheila has looked somewhat uncomfortable this whole time.] But he was getting what he wanted, and that's all that mattered. * Taki looks up at the ceiling. "I used to hate people like that." * Arisa looks at Taki. "Used to?" [Sheila blinks at that too.] * Taki smirks at Arisa. "Then I turned into one and now I loath them. Moving on?" * Arisa smiles at Taki. "It is not healthy to loathe yourself, Miss Shimiru." [Julie is still looking out the window. She replies, "I don't know. It has its place."] * Arisa turns to Julie, ignoring any reply. "So where could we find more information on this religious sect?" [She glances over her shoulder. "The ancient one? Perhaps Ru'Wrg'Klu'Pio."] ["Brn'ral'ska... I don't know. If anyone knew anything, it would be..."] I won't be around forever to provoke you into finishing your thoughts. (Darn. I was hoping you'd finish it.) (There's only onoe person that can fill in that blank. ^_^;) * Arisa keeps staring at Julie, waiting for her to continue." (I'm drawing a total blank at the moment. ^^;) [She turns back to them. "My father. If he broke the crystals, then he has to know more about Brn'ral'ska."] (Oh, duh) (I knew it. Arisa wouldn't answer that though. :P) (I was expecting it from Taki.) (After all, she wanted to deliver a savage beating!) * Taki grins. "What are we waiting around here for then? [Julie eyes that grin. "... you can be terrifying sometimes, Taki."] * Arisa tilts her head to the side and leans to the side. "I highly doubt he would be too talkative." I mean, what good are threats when the person knows, or at least suspects, he is the only one left alive with that information?" [Sheila says, helpfully, "They're something!"] * Taki continues to grin. "I'm curious, does your peoples blood contain as much water as a humans? Or any at all?" * Arisa has to stare at Taki for that. [She shakes her head, slightly. "No. It would be... very weird if we did."] Ahh, that's too bad... There's someone I wanted to try freezing to death from the feet up, but now, of course, I can't get to her... ever. [Julie and Sheila both stare a bit at that, although Sheila is the far more shocked one.] * Arisa stares at Taki too, then just shakes her head. "There has to be someone else. Think, Julie, think." * Taki looks down. "There are some things that I cannot forgive or forget." [Julie nods slightly after Taki's statement, then steps away from the window. "I didn't know about this person until today... I can't imagine any human would know, and nobody else read these but my father. Va'bul's arm or my father. Those are the only two."] ["Unless you wanted to see Yu'ho'lrak still today, I'm not sure there's anywhere else to go but back."] * Arisa sighs and flicks her locks back as she tilts her head to look upward. "Isn't there a step we can take without backtracking?" It is what we came all the way out here to do, and the longer we stay away from the city of stone, the more likely there is to be an answer when I get there. Yu'ho'lrak... It might be best to see it for ourselves. [She quirks a faint smile. "Not sure what you mean there, but Yu'ho'lrak is part of why we left..."] [Sheila smiles moreso. "I bet it will be beautiful."] I bet it isn't anymore. [Sheila pouts at Taki the downer.] * Arisa looks at Sheila and starts, then stares at Taki. "Taki! Quiet!" * Taki snorts. "You're planning on fixing it, remember?" [Julie shakes her head and says, "It'll always be beautiful. In a way." Beat. "It's about lunch, perhaps we should have a little to eat before going."] Still, that is no reason to be so... so... (Cold? *cough*) I find it helps to spread the pain. * Arisa huffs but doesn't comment anymore, turning away from Taki. [Julie crosses to the chairs. "Well?"] I don't care if we eat here or there. * Arisa then blinks at Julie. "Um. What is it, exactly, that your people eat?" [She shrugs. "Food? Not unlike... some of the things the Ru'Hak eat." She makes a face. "Fewer dead plants, though."] Then there should be something we can stomach. * Arisa frowns a little. "No fruit?" [Julie blinks, and says, in a tone to mollify, "Some... fruit." Beat. "I'll get something brought up to us."] * Arisa breathes a sigh of relief. "Good." (And I would like to believe I can get to bed for work sometime tonight. When is the next solid time we can continue?) (Tomorrow!_ (Maybe tomorrow, but I'll more than likely be quite dead. The day after is good for me and there's no Arcana.) (Heh. No really. Might be hard on Gryph, but I can pretty much do it any time.) (I can see Wednesday fine.) (okay then!) (Try to be as close to 9 (or earlier) as possible! I like being awake when running. ^_~) [And so they, uh, go to eat food! So exciting that the FFFairy will probably save us from it. Next time, on the Game... WITH NO NAME. Dun dun dun. And stuff.]