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 Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2016 7:05 pm
"You have to be able to be your own center," Jordan said, gently. He knew this pain, and it still threw him, some days. It sucked.
At the request for a subject change, he nodded equably. "What've you been doing at work?" he asked. That should be a safe enough thing to talk about.
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Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2016 7:08 pm
He looked up and was glad for the change and to something that felt more solid than what his life was or wasn't doing right now.
"Basically just learning to be better at runics and doing whatever work they bring in or I get called over to do. I've actually been wondering a bit about the caves under Deus a lot and exploring them out a bit more, but the current equipment I borrow from Sun isn't top tier. I also don't know how to best map the area under Deus or if it's possible. For all I know, it could be just like the haunted house."
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Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2016 7:13 pm
Jordan listened and nodded, sipping at his coffee. "The underwater caves?" he asked. "Do you know if anyone's ever tried mapping them? There's not a whole lot of reliable information about the layout, in spite of how often people go down for runestones. Have you noticed a pattern, or does it seem to change?"
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Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2016 7:27 pm
"Hmm. Generally the caves don't seem to stay the same. However, there is clearly places the mermaids are coming out of, and the rest just seem like decoy entrances. There is also caves that are actually mouths - which I haven't been able to figure out if that is just sentient rock or a creature that's pressed into the face of the walls. What I'm curious is that minipets can't live outside their tanks on Deus' surface, but the mermaids are capable of living without any deterioration. It's like there is more Fear below Deus than on top, or the water somehow affects it. I'm not sure."
He took another long drink. "I'd need better equipment for it, but I'd also need more knowledge on how to map underwater areas. I just...haven't exactly had the time." He had so much to handle back home that he was usually tired. However, he did have funding for such an adventure.
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Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2016 7:35 pm
"Maybe it's degree of sentience," Jordan guessed. "You see the sea monsters from the fishtank and the titans on land, and those seem to be sturdier than the minipets. As I understand it minipets are a kind of fragmentary Fear? It could have something to do with what kind of existence is being expressed. Or maybe it's the environment. The caves are where the runestones come from, after all. That's got to have some kind of impact on what's living down there, I'd think." He gestured with the coffee cup. "You'd know better than I would, though."
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "You're using Sun's equipment for this, right? I'm in pretty good standing, I could check whether that gets me any priovileges on that sort of thing."
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Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2016 7:57 pm
"If there are any experts in underwater exploration or missions, I would love to hear their advice. I've wondered if there were any other Deus bases in island areas that might specialize in this kind of environment or even have similar kinds of creatures."
He tapped his fingertips of one hand against the mug. "It would be amazing if we could even capture a mermaid for a short time."
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Posted: Thu Dec 22, 2016 12:43 pm
"I'll ask around and see if there's anyone who can tell you something," Jordan promised. "I'm more knowledgeable about terrestrial creatures, but I'm sure someone's got to be specializing in aquatic. It sounds like an interesting project."
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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2016 7:49 pm
"Yeah.........it's....something I can do at least." Work to get his mind off things - even though working wouldn't take his mind off of everything.
I'm cut off without a outlet. This is going to be horrible. Work can only take so much of an edge off.
He stared out before blinking back and smiling at Jordan. "What about you? Big projects or plans? Up to any goals in your life?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2016 7:56 pm
"Not much. I've been just keeping busy with whatever comes up, volunteering for standard missions and the like." Jordan shrugged, his eyes sliding away as he sipped at his coffee again. "I've got a new lead on the artifact I've been trying to track down. I might actually have a location for the damn thing this time."
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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2016 8:00 pm
"Oh? How did you manage to track it down? Have you been visiting a few locations since?"
He tapped his fingers against the mug, trying not to think about what Mik had said and what he said in return to him before coming here.
"Do you need any help?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2016 8:04 pm
"I've tried a few locations, but so far nothing's panned out. The information's pretty scattershot. Different sources give different location data, but I found three sources all pointing at an island in Greece this time, and that's promising, especially since the source myth is Greek." Jordan nodded. "I'll need to find someone to go with me if this one seems like it's more than just rumor."
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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2016 8:17 pm
"I remember going to a few artifact missions years back. They were all pretty dangerous to go on your own, and involved plenty of deadly traps. Halloween creatures seem just as creative with keeping thieves out as humans are, even if the owner probably isn't around anymore to enjoy them. Then again, if it's anything like that winged titan we saw in the jungle, you probably will want someone around to drag you out of a bag situation or call for help."
"So if you want someone, my schedule is - a lot more free than it has been in months and I could honestly use as much distractions and work as possible. If not, I might completely overhaul your already spotless apartment out of boredom."
That wasn't saying he still might do that, and take delight in seeing how much attention Jordan took into his cleaning.
He took another sip of his coffee before he suddenly realized something. "I never asked, but why such a connoisseur of coffee beans? Were you a barista or something before coming here?"
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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2016 8:43 pm
"Yeah, it's better to have backup for artifact missions. I don't want to risk that kind of trap without anyone to rescue me if I ******** it up." Jordan smiled sheepishly. "I'll let you know when I'm ready to go find out." A soft laugh. "You can clean if you want to, but I try to keep it clean. Just leave the files on the desk where they are. I've got a system."
He shrugged at the question. "Nope. I just really appreciate a good cup of coffee, and I'm picky with what I like to drink, so I got into the habit of acquiring the good stuff and teaching myself how to do it right, since we haven't exactly got a coffee shop around here. I'm not sure I'd trust it if we did, to be honest. Unless it was an independent venture."
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2016 10:51 am
"Deus Starbucks would be a very scary thing." They had a hard enough time tricking people to drink unattended coffee pots back in the labs. He'd been deceived a few times and came out with effects like a furry tongue and nails that didn't stop growing. All were very miserable days.
"I mean if it's like the bar and they could trust the people there, a cafe actually might be a good place to have. Another place to maybe just chat with people without drinking, though I'm not sure if the bar serves coffee now too. It would be nice to see more...places to go in towns when you can't go on leave. Maybe just get a projector and make a theater would be easy enough to do."
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2016 3:34 pm
"Starbucks burns their coffee anyway," Jordan said, with a touch of disdain in his voice. "We could use a decent independent place, though, if someone felt like running one. That'd be a nice place to go." He laced his fingers around his coffee mug thoughtfully. "You'd have to have a big enough building for a theater. It'd be interesting fixing that up."
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