#[ stella sarasvati ! ]

[ageofpiracyrp]

PLOT DROP 29: DESTINY

Are there coincidences? Or is something bigger than ourselves driving our stories along?

The Engineering team (mechanics, electrotechnical and engineers alike) on Prosperity eventually figure out how to install the new Gravity Engine Exploiter on the ship. These things are seriously rare and take a special kind of quirky crew to make work. While the GEE came with instructions, they were not the most intuitive. For such a strange and sophisticated piece of technology, only an engineering team like this could stand to make it work so perfectly.

So on the equivalent of February 10, 2024, the crew tested out the GEE with Derros on board (and with one less crew member, Gwen). Time dilates strangely between Touchpoints. While travel isn't exactly instantaneous, crossing the galaxy in a few hours or so with only the longer journey from the Touchpoint to Merris to worry about it is quite impressive.

Everything goes according to plan to start until the ship starts to reach top speed and Theo notices that Ian (newly human) is glowing. And not just any kind of glowing, but identically to the ship's physician and surgeon, Samira. Regardless of how much of her glow Samira is containing, Ian is glowing as brightly as an uninhibited djayyar might in the exact coloration of Samira's moods. Samira notices something unusual too. The counting.

The same thing happens to Stella and Ali. Stella full-body glowing the same colors as Ali does and Ali hearing the counting. But it isn't just any counting- it's the same counting that Stella experiences all day ,every day.

Nothing else seems to have changed. This strange change does not turn off the entire time while using the GEE. Any medical examinations do not indicate any other changes or problems with the damartrekt or djayyar. All bodily functions are normal. It's just the glow matching the djayyar's mood and the counting matching the damartrekt's age.

The strange changes end as soon as the GEE is turned off upon getting to the other side of the Touchpoint (which only takes a few hours, and cannot be aborted after starting).

How strange.

The crew will enjoy a nice (if somewhat boring to many- except Derros) trip to the Crystalline Port, which is quite literally a spaceship and boat port overlooking some very dangerous-looking crystal stalagmites. It's pretty, but there's not much else to do here besides look at the water and crystals.

And to ponder what just happened.

[amara-marino]

Status: Closed for @stellasarasvati​ Location: The Lighthouse

Amara didn't fully understand what was going on with these volunteers to stay at the lighthouse but even in her confusion she signed up anyway. She had been holed up at the inn most of the time and thought a change of scenery could be fun. She liked when she got to hang out or crash at the other selkies apartments which always felt so different from her room at the inn but she wasn't sure what looked more suspicious, staying at the inn or suddenly having an apartment of her own. Staying at the lighthouse for a bit to keep watch during the late night hours seemed like a good middle ground.

While she did have friends in her shift, she ended up inviting Stella to join her on exploring the place one evening. Give the others some time to rest while the two girls went on a little adventure to see what this place was all about. The inside of the lighthouse did not at all reflect how she imagined it would look based off the outside. Especially thanks to stories others in town had told her, she was expecting the place to be a lot more run down.

"So I heard from this one kid who was told by their friend, who was told by their brother, who heard from his friend that this place is actually haunted." She explained to Stella, flashlight in hand as she braced both of them for this exploration. "They say that's why the Moray guy left, cause he couldn't handle the spirits that are here. I don't know how much of the stories are true but it all sounds pretty spooky, doesn't it? And I thought it would be fun to see what's going on but I think I need moral support."

[sarasvati-avatar]

Stella Lucia

[robinastrea]

Date: October 26, 2022 Location: Ergo, Twarvu, Kor’Sel’Koo Description: Robin has a talk with his mother at the wedding. Characters Mentioned: Ryder Astrea, Salem Ilmari, Stella Sarasvati, Ali Iz’an

I can run, but I can't hide From my family line

Robin spotted his mother on the edge of the trees, overlooking the party.  She had a glass of wine in hand and was swaying to the beat, but Robin knew these were only things to distract from what she was really doing: taking in information.  His legs made the decision to approach her before his mind could catch up, and then he was standing next to her.  Alisz didn’t look over at him, but she did move in closer.  “You and Ryder did an excellent job with the wedding,” she said as if it were a fact instead of a compliment.

“Thanks, mum,” Robin said anyway, offering her a smile.

“It really shows that you two have an eye for designing.  For planning.”  She adjusted the shoulder on her dress.  This was also a compliment, sure, but it still gave Robin pause.

“You should be out having fun with dad,” Robin suggested, looking over and seeing Henry was doing some moves on the dance floor.  He didn’t get to dance very often, and it was really sweet to see.  He deeply wished his dad had more opportunities to do what he loved.

“Maybe in a little while,” Alisz answered as she watched her husband.  “I was getting away from the action to think.”

Oh.  “Think about what?”

“You.  And Ryder,” she said simply.  “There’s been a lot going on that the two of you haven’t shared, and I’m trying to catch up on all of it.”

Robin had a sinking feeling, getting an idea of at least partly what she was talking about.

“This Salem,” she started, casting her violet gaze over to the vanneer, “He seems different than your other boyfriends.  I doubt I need to spell it out to you,” Alisz took a sip of her wine in potential contemplation.  Robin didn’t need her to spell it out to him.

“He…” Robin tried to choose his words carefully here.  “He is a lot different.  I suppose for one thing, I have feelings for him.”  That was a major way to distinguish his boyfriend from his exes. 

This information didn’t seem to surprise her.  “You were looking at each other during the ceremony.”  This wasn’t a question. “Oh.  Yeah, I guess so,” he shrugged noncommittally to disguise his own uncomfortable emotions about her catching on.  Robin should have known that his mother would be watching him.  “But I looked at a lot of people during the ceremony, not just Salem.  I was in the front, after all,” he said as a cover, and then wanted to take it back when Alisz’s eyes narrowed, even more than slightly.

“You know what I mean,” she bit back, and he flinched.  “Do you love him?”

Robin’s mouth went dry.  

“You seem different too,” Alisz went on, apparently not needing an answer to that, and she reached up to hold onto his upper arm.  “Much softer.  I wouldn’t have thought that would be possible, when you’re the first mate aboard a pirate ship, but perhaps it’s the company...”  She trailed off and looked around at the assembly of people, and settled her eyes on the tables with people talking.  “I would be very careful, Bin.  These connections—they will be a great asset to you.  But it’s best not to get too close.  They’re making you…emotional.  Much too dependent.”  Alisz looked into his eyes and tightened her grip, and Robin badly wanted to pull away.  Instead, he kept the same stoic expression and tried to ignore that she was hurting him in more ways than one.

“Noted,” Robin said stiffly, because he did understand, and because he wanted this conversation to be over.  He briefly thought about using the Stella excuse she’d suggested in a message to him earlier, but the last thing he wanted to do was bring his friend into this.  If Alisz had focused on that Ali was a djayyar, and looked into Salem from just one phone call on Molfaun with her, who was to say she wouldn’t try to do the same with Stella.  “I’d better get back to the party,” he mumbled instead, pulling on his arm.

Alisz sighed, and relinquished her hold.  “Hey.  Come here,” she opened her arms for him to hug her.  He wanted to run away, but he knew better than to say no.  Robin gave her a reluctant hug back.  “I just want you to be the best I know you can be,” Alisz said, murmuring into his shoulder.  “I know I’m tough on you, but you have such an incredible amount of potential that I hate to see you lose it.  I’m so proud of all you’ve accomplished so far,” she finished, pulling away and looking up at him.  “I’ll let you get back to the party,” she reached up and ran her finger along the ear cuff he was wearing.  The ear cuff Salem gave him.  “A wing,” she described it in a flat undertone, before dropping her hand and turning away to watch the assembly once more.

It took every ounce of energy not to run as fast as he could, but he settled for a fast walk and headed straight towards the alcohol.

[salem-ilmari]

Happy birthday, Salem! These are wishing stars that I made! Who’s to say whether there is magic in them, but I think you’re really neat, so I hope you like them. – Stella Sarasvati

[portvalehq]

PLOT DROP 004 - THE VALENTINE’S BANQUET 

eagerly the town filtered into the banquet hall, surprisingly cleaned of all threat of cobwebs, with the promise of dinner and the lingering curiosity spurring them on. it was decorated beautifully, with glimmering hearts hanging from the ceiling and trays of sweet treats in the corner of the room. victoria wolfgang had clearly worked hard on the event; and she was present from the beginning, behaving oddly social, and making a point of greeting each guest... personally. in secret, the city council president had been making a list of those she had her suspicions on - victoria believed mermaids were real, and in port vale. but she had to be sure, and she needed proof... 

before the dinner officially started, while the locals were chatting and filling up on bonbons before the call to begin the meal (and hopefully for victoria to reveal her intentions), she gathered a small group in a corner of the room. some were people she knew well, and others were near strangers; not total, because victoria made it a point to know of everyone. mike thompson, walter perez-moralez, lena derya, theo seong, and karina hutchensen were the little rag-tag group that she’d assembled, and for them, she had a secret; an inside scoop. victoria wolfgang requested for each of them to help her, and more would be explained at dinner, but she had her eyes on specific people in town who she suspected were involved in shady dealing in town. in whispers, she asked them to keep their eyes and ears out, and let her know if anything does seem amiss. the people who have sparked concern under victoria’s radar? ronan delgado, stella sarasvati, amara marino, and nereida malik, and silas waters. especially silas waters. 

FINALLY... It Was Time For Dinner To Be Served

across four long, wide tables, the locals took their seats, still whispering and carrying on conversation from before victoria’s interruption. she was stood at the front of the room, arms crossed, and waiting for the attention to be directed her way. “thank you, everyone, for coming tonight. i thought this would be a good time to remember how close we all are, as a town, and how for many of us... this has been our home from the beginning of our lives. port vale is haven, not to mermaids, but to all of us-” her smile was cool, and icy, as she looked out across the town of faces she’d seen everyday... and then, all the rest of the new faces. “and to also ensure that you heard it from me first. the case of our former mayor, samuel blackmore’s, death has been reopened and investigation has resumed. unfortunately i have no other information except that, so please, enjoy your dinner, and make some good memories.” 

and then, in typical blunt wolfgang fashion, victoria took her leave and sat down next to stephanie anand, and began to make small talk with the circle of friends seated with the librarian. she leaned in to shake someone’s hand, and as she withdrew, to whispered to steph “i hope you have information for me, soon.” 

But during the dinner, another scene unfolded....

having stepped outside for some air after victoria’s sudden announcement, siobhan waters realized that she wasn’t alone. maya chan had already beaten her outside, and before siobhan could go back inside; she was spotted. the mayor’s fiancé was crying, but refused to tell maya what was wrong. “i think something bad might happen,” was all she would admit. “victoria is making a big, big mistake....” but unfortunately, before she could spill more of her thoughts, lumi north came outside and caught siobhan and maya talking. the selkie ran off, back inside to xander blackmore, before anything more could be said; and the mermaids were left alone. 

inside, at the bar, ronan delgado and xander blackmore were unexpectedly talking. the mayor himself had been drinking, and in search of a friend; so he was buying drinks for the hippocampi, and rambling on as he did- without much care for what he said, or who may overhear. “everyone has secrets, you know,” xander told ronan, with a wistful sigh. “even my fiancé has her secrets. she told me her mom knew my dad... isn’t that crazy, man? and now the investigation... you know, i think i want to just get away for awhile.”

the mayor was overheard by emilia acosta, renzie anand, and gabi drake, and the topic soon changed to something lighter. it was then siobhan returned from inside, and the mayor as his future bride left the banquet to go home. 

The worst was yet to come... 

that night, long after the banquet ended and everyone had headed home or to after-parties; more news came. the mayor’s brother, moray blackmore, was not at home, and the lighthouse had not been lit. xander blackmore was hesitant to declare his brother, the lightkeeper, missing, and told everyone not to panic. he would be back soon, xander promised, so no official report was made, but the town took no time in spreading it through whispers. 

xander blackmore is asking for volunteers to stay and help operate the north star lighthouse. if you would like to stay at the lighthouse temporarily, please contact the main. 

[stellasarasvati]

Name: Stella Sarasvati Nicknames: Stel, S, idk she’s good with whatever Gender: Female Pronouns: She/her Birthday: August 25, 1919 Age: 102 Orientation: Bisexual (more interested in women) Title: Princess of the South Pacific Ocean Length of time in port vale: recent arrival Occupation: Mermaid Inn front desk

THE OCEAN

For mermaids, mothers were not born but made and Stella adored hers. She was lucky enough to have the Princess of the Indian Ocean, already a legend in her own right, as her mentor. Stella dutifully learned diplomacy, history, patterns of weather, and resource management, itching for any sign of approval. With all of her education, she never truly learned to fight, which she considered a deep sore spot. Fighting was for the royal guard, the soldiers, and those mermaids well-trained in the art of battle. Stella came of age and into her own throne, and did everything that she could to prove that she would be a good princess. Unfortunately, the position of her ocean and her youth made her an apparently easy target for would-be usurpers. Throughout the war against the sirens, her advisors repeatedly told her that she was not ready, and that she needed to focus on her strengths. She wanted to be well-renowned and approved of more than anything else, so she listened, and stuck to her numbers and communication. With Stella safely out of the way, the war was fought, and she hardly got to see any of it.

The war ended, and Stella realized that she was somewhere around the same age as the mermaid that she saw as a mother had been upon taking her in. The idea made her pause, and she truly wondered for the first time if she should seek independence further than fun little nights out. Stella tried to mimic her mother’s dynamic for herself- mentoring other, younger mermaids within her ocean. Unfortunately, this did not amount to much more than teaching them potentially tiresome facts about the weather. This left her horribly disheartened, and even more apt to rebel for herself.

Stella had always had a bit of a wild streak- never enough to cause any lasting damage, but certainly enough to get her into trouble. She wondered sometimes why she allowed her mother to hold so much power over her when Stella was a princess in her own right, but her fears of rejection made that an impossibility. So Stella ruled using her strengths, and from her own perspective, she was good at it- if only because she had expended so much of her efforts on trying to impress the best. She was a charismatic and accommodating host to any visiting dignitaries (trying very, very hard to cater to the interests of each), and created some inspired natural disaster recovery plans.

ON LAND

It took Stella longer than she would have liked to realize that something was wrong in Assyria. All of her good planning and careful relations did nothing against the darkness. Her advisors waited a long time before explaining the situation to her. She never saw this horrible force for herself, but hearing of the awful passing of so many others inspired more than enough fear. Of course her mother wanted to keep her safe, and Stella withdrew before even needing to be asked. For months, she stayed secluded– scared, and unable to do anything.

Eventually, Stella could not take the fear of not knowing, and she snuck away in the night once without telling any of her guards or advisors. She made her way to Port Vale, where she had received word that her beloved mentor and many of the other mermaids were staying. 

Stella has no idea why so much of Assyria is in Port Vale, but it is the place to be. For once, she has no guards to tell her what to do, and all of these intriguing people to meet. She has made very little preparation to come on land, but she has her skills, and she is determined to do a good job here. She has taken a job at the front desk of the local inn, and she loves this job more than anything. Placing people in the correct rooms, getting to welcome interesting people, and having a peek at what’s sticking out of their luggage? It couldn’t be better! If Stella can do good in this funny little town, maybe she can support the cause of fixing Assyria. 

PERSONALITY

Stella can be almost painfully naïve. This makes her susceptible to anything from pranks to conspiracy theories. She is attention-seeking, and her recent escape to land has provided her with ample opportunity for new people to pay attention to her. More than attention, she craves approval, and will go to impractical lengths to gain that from someone she perceives as admirable. While Stella is not very skillful at rebelling, she has certainly tried her hand at it. Despite being relatively obedient, she is absolutely starving for adventure. These two things are at odds, and can make her behavior appear erratic. Usually, being the good, picture-perfect mermaid princess wins out, but it has become tiresome of late with no outlet for intrigue.

FUN INFO

When Stella doesn’t know what to do, she relies heavily on her advisors, so her rule is a little tenuous. Some of the restrictions were brought upon by herself and she’s never been quite as limited as the North Pacific princess, but she’s definitely not supposed to be in town.

Really likes boats as a concept but will soon find out that she gets seasick on them easily

Excited about learning more about how humans study weather. Expect her to have like five different weather apps when she gets a cell phone.

Way more intellectual than you would think she is based on how she acts. Ronan is her ride-or-die best friend, if that gives context.

She’s very scared of sirens at this point, but will probably come to think they’re not so bad once she actually gets to know them.

Loooooves attention. Just talk to her and she’ll adore you. It’s not necessarily (or even most often) romantic attention she’s seeking. Stella wants to be liked so badly.

While she wants to be treated like an adult, she can act quite immature. V sweet, but can be a little bratty.

You can see the full spectrum of emotions that go through her mind on her face.

[pencopanko]

2020 TAG GAME LET'S GO

Whoo... what a year huh? I hope everyone's doing fine! Don't forget to wash those grabby grabbers of yours and stay inside if possible! I'm lucky enough to have the privilege of having my classes online and being able to do my final thesis at home and being able to see the stars more at night but a lot of people out there aren't as lucky. I salute y'all. You guys are doing the best you can and I am proud of you!

ANYWAYS OKAY LET'S GO THIS IS A LONG ONE AAA

1. Tagged by @alreadyinmotion

Name: Penco, Pen, Pen-pen (a nickname I acquired from my Japanese friends)

Zodiac: Gemini (and apparently my moon is Sagittarius??)

Favourite musicians or bands: ABBA, MAMAMOO (I have no bias, I love them all), GOT7 (I don't have a particular bias but I do think Jinyoung is very pretty uwu), Perfume, Fleet Foxes, Mili, Dua Lipa (her newest album is so good y'all ;;;;;), Shikata Akiko, Saint-Saëns, NonaRia, Chrisye, Erwin Gutawa, Isyana Sarasvati, Michael Jackson, La Flor De Toloache, Anthony Ramos, Hon Jin-young, Stella Jang, Coldplay, Resolved Dissonance, Pogo, and many more!

Favorite sports team: I don't really care much but I do support the national soccer team!

Other blogs: pencokun-arts and petalcookies (the latter has semi-NSFW stuff reblogged to it so be careful)!

Do I get asks: Not really :0

How many blogs do I follow: ....5000. Most of these are probably dead...

What I'm wearing:

Dream vacation: Somewhere quiet and cool... the mountains, basically. But I'd love to visit Japan and various spots in Europe! A world tour would be nice too uwu

Dream car: I honestly don't want to own a private vehicle but... an RV would be very, very nice.

Drinks of choice: Black sesame/tahini milkshake, water, milk tea of any kind particularly rose and classic, white coffee, any kind of latte, milk of any kind, honey with lemon and cinnamon, mojito mocktail etc. Oh, and Sprite too.

Celebrity crushes: JULIE ANDREWS, Princess Diana, Isyana Sarasvati, Hafthor Björnsson (this is somewhat embarrassing as I'm not interested in watching GOT but boy does he look handsome (；´∀｀) ), Benny Andersson, Kim Young-chul, Jack Black, and David Harbour.

Random fact: Akutagawa Ryūnosuke once wrote his rendition of Momotarō in 1927 because he was sick of the "South Sea Fever" that was common in writing circles then and also because he hated Sazanami Iwaya's version of the same story that was written in the 1890's as a form of pro-Emperor propaganda targeted towards fourth grader boys. In his version, Akutagawa also extended the story by telling the reader how the peach came to be and he also added a bonus ending in which both the monkey and pheasant died at the hands of the vengeful monster children, leaving Momotarō with the dog, a symbol of blind loyalty.

2. I got tagged for real this time and it was by @heyheyitsjuju !

1. Current top 3 ships:

Rafael x Rosita uwu (for those of you who aren't familiar, it's an OC X canon pairing from Coco that Juju kickstarted!)

Senpai x Otome from The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl

Agatsuma Zenitsu x Kamado Nezuko from Kimetsu no Yaiba

2. Last song: Eagle by ABBA

3. Lipstick or chapstick?: Chapstick underneath lipstick uwu And tinted lip balms!

4. Last movie: The Night Is Short, Walk On Girl for my final thesis

5. Reading/Playing:

The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion

Cookie Run: OvenBreak

6. Things that make me happy:

Lately it's been makeup and skincare! I've been having fun experimenting with colours, being my own beauty editor a la Matilda (aka matildaonvideo on Instagram), and such!

Good music! I've been listening to a lot of MAMAMOO and ABBA lately ^^

Rose water! I just love the scent~ I also use it as toner alongside my homemade apple cider vinegar toner

Drawing! I've been experimenting with my latest piece for a zine and I cannot wait to share it with y'all!

Baking! Looking forward to baking that banana bread this week ლ(´ڡ`ლ)

Tagging: You

[shuheiohmori]

Tyding up Information!!

Hinduism

As creating the podcast, I realised I have not organised the basic information of Hinduism yet, which does not allow me to put information naturally on the podcast. So, I did spend a half day to organise, add new concise information about Hinduism/Kali/Ramdao!

Do not want to imagine I might have to do it on a storyboard tomorrow... As it requires me a lot of effort... wanna cry!!!

Hindu views of four destinations of life

-        Dharma

-        Artha (righteous living)

-        Kama (wealth acquired through the pursuit of a profession/human and sexual love)

-        Moksha (spiritual salvation)

Hinduism: no single founder, no single spokesman, no single prophet

Origin of Hinduism is complicated. Can be traced back to 1) the sacred Snaskrit literature of the Aryans, the Vedas (literally means “kowledge”) (it is like a collection of hymns in praise of deitie who were often personificatinos of the natural elements)

2) moreover, strand drew on the beliefs prevalent among groups of indigenous people

(i.e. faith in power of the mother goddess and in the efficacy of fertility symbols)

 Hinduism emerged at about the start of the Christian era, with an emphasis on the supremacy of the god Vishnu, the god Shiva, and the goddess shakti (literally, “Power”)

 Hinduism: The three most popular deities of present-day in Hinduism

Goddess Shakti, (literaly “Power”)

The God Shiva,

The god Vishnu

 Goddess Durga: created by Vishnu and Shiva

-        Her first mythological function is to combat demons who threaten the stability of the cosmos. Against Mahisa, the buffalo demon.

-        At a certain point in her history Durga becomes associated with the god Siva* as his wife. In this role Durga assumes domestic characteristics and is often identified with the goddess Parvati*. She also takes on the role of mother in her later history. At her most important festival, Durga Puja*, she is shown flanked by four deities identified as her children: Karttikeya*, Ganesa*, Sarasvati*, and Laksmi*.

-        The creation of the goddess Durga thus takes place in the context of a cosmic crisis precipitated by a demon whom the male gods are unable to subdue. She is created because the situation calls for a woman, a superior warrior, a peculiar power possessed by the goddess with which the demon may be deluded, or a combination of all three. Invariably Durga defeats the demon handily, demonstrating both superior martial ability and superior power.

-        Creates female helpers; the most famous one is Goddess Kali

-        Doesn’t have any male allies, always female allies (fierce, bloodthirsty, wild, fury)

-        Combat to male demons, always wins

 Goddess Kali: sprung from Durga

-        Appearance: always dark/black, naked, disheveled hair, She is adorned with severed arms as a girdle, freshly cut heads as a necklace, children's corpses as earrings, and serpents as bracelets. She has long, sharp fangs, is often depicted as having clawlike hands with long nails, and is often said to have blood smeared on her lips. Her favorite haunts heighten her fearsome nature. She is usually shown on the battlefield, where she is a furious combatant who gets drunk on the hot blood of her victims, or in a cremation ground, where she sits on a corpse surrounded by jackals and goblins.

-        Kali is particularly popular in Bengal, although she is known and worshiped throughout India. In Bengal she is worshiped on Dipavali*. In this festival, and throughout the year at many of her permanent temples, she receives blood offerings. She is also the recipient of ardent devotion from countless devotees, who approach her as their mother.

-        Kali's association with the periphery of Hindu society (she is worshiped by tribal or low-caste people in uncivilized or wild places) is also seen in an architectural work of the sixth to eighth centuries, the Manasara-silpa-sastra *. There it is said that Kali's* temples should be built far from villages and towns, near the cremation grounds and the dwellings of Candalas* (very low-caste people) (9.289).

 Most famous episode of Kali: Devi-mahatmya

In the third episode, which features Durga's* defeat of Sumbha* and Nisumbha* and their allies, Kali* appears twice. Early in the battle the demons Canda* and Munda* approach Durga* with readied weapons. Seeing them prepared to attack her, Durga becomes angry, her face becoming dark as ink. Suddenly the goddess Kali springs from her forehead. She is black, wears a garland of human heads and a tiger skin, and wields a skull-topped staff. She is gaunt, with sunken eyes, gaping mouth, and lolling tongue. She roars loudly and leaps into the battle, where she tears demons apart with her hands and crushes them in her jaws. She grasps the two demon generals and in one furious blow decapitates them both with her sword (7.322). Later in the battle Kali is summoned by Durga to help defeat the demon Raktabija*.

-        Kali as a personified wrath/fury of Durga.

Kali as a feminism symbol of the West in 21st century

In the third episode, which features Durga's* defeat of Sumbha* and Nisumbha* and their allies, Kali* appears twice. Early in the battle the demons Canda* and Munda* approach Durga* with readied weapons. Seeing them prepared to attack her, Durga becomes angry, her face becoming dark as ink. Suddenly the goddess Kali springs from her forehead. She is black, wears a garland of human heads and a tiger skin, and wields a skull-topped staff. She is gaunt, with sunken eyes, gaping mouth, and lolling tongue. She roars loudly and leaps into the battle, where she tears demons apart with her hands and crushes them in her jaws. She grasps the two demon generals and in one furious blow decapitates them both with her sword (7.322). Later in the battle Kali is summoned by Durga to help defeat the demon Raktabija*.

-        Cannibalism

-        Sacrifice

-        Praised by 19th Thuggee (thug), the group who sacrifice people, swept by British general, William Henry Sleeman (around 1835-1840)

 Plastic arts, philosophy, literature, music and dance: important components of Hinduism

 Hindu deities: Why they have so many arms?

The multiplicity of arms emphasises the immense power of the deity and their ability to perform several feats at the same time.

Hindu deities: why they sometimes have multiple heads?

Indicating that they have multiple characteristics

(i.e. Shiva has triple heads)

Central face: his essential character

Flanking faces: his fierce and blissful aspects

 Demons in Hinduism: Why they have so many heads?

To indicate their superhuman power.

References:

Eck, Diana L. Darsan: Seeing the Divine Image in India. 2d ed. Chamberburg, Pa.: Anima Books, 1985. 

Skelton, Robert. "The Heritage of Bangladesh and Eastern India: an exhibition." In Arts of Bengal. [London]: Whitechapel Gallery, 1979. nos. 230, 231.

Kramrisch, Stella. Manifestations of Shiva. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 1981. nos. P-46–49, P-54. Kinsley, David. Hindu Goddesses: Visions of the Divine Feminine in the Hindu Religious Tradition. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1988. pp. 116-131.

https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/hind/hd_hind.htm

https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/sasa/hd_sasa.htm

[thanksforthedinosaur]

december 2019

1. dsps - folk song for you 2. plastic plastic - ฮัม 3. 宇宙ネコ子 - 君のように生きれたら 4. pomplamoose - a vizsla in a tesla in ibiza 5. kate bollinger - untitled 6. rae spoon - again + again + again 7. mindy gledhill - lines 8. sorcha richardson - high in the garden 9. nada surf - something i should do 10. ratboys - alien with a sleep mask on 11. namdose - all that you have 12. modest mouse - ice cream party 13. varsity - still apart 14. keren ann - odessa, odyssée (patchworks remix) 15. michelle blades - kiss me on the mouth 16. sarah jaffe - all my friends are pretty 17. tristen - red lava 18. myzica - can't come back 19. christelle bofale - origami dreams 20. lorelle meets the obsolete - acción vaciar 21. overcoats - leave if you wanna 22. and the kids - the final free 23. methyl ethel - real tight 24. blood cultures - uncertainty - an anthem 25. dori freeman - like i do 26. sparrows - gold in the tide 27. wild pink - how's the tap here 28. romantic states - ballerina 29. emily yacina - bleachers 30. aldous harding - fixture picture 31. paula cole - all or nothing 32. jenny owen youngs - living room 33. ings - if not you 34. harmony woods - swing 35. soccer mommy - yellow is the color of her eyes 36. yumi zouma - bruise 37. barrie - human nature 38. starover blue - anemone 39. lost film - enough 40. hazel english - shaking 41. gabrielle papillon - don't want to go to bed 42. she her her hers - floating city 43. adoy - lemon 44. the radio dept. - pulling our weight 45. siamese cats - billion light years 46. brightness - midnight mass 47. mint julep - stranger 48. wildlife - follower (lala) 49. lightning bug - vision scraps 50. whimsical - i always dream of you 51. horsebeach - trust 52. temple of angels - cerise dream 53. spool - tip of a finger 54. me not you - i should know better 55. ardency - stress dreams 56. holy holy - frida 57. sidewave - return 58. cafuné - friction 59. twin limb - see you in the warm light 60. space above - stolen days 61. bora york - too soon, too cold 62. prune deer - by air 63. night tempo - new dawn 64. stan forebee - serene 65. ødyssee - how we feel 66. another silent weekend - falling apart 67. luvbird - without u 68. cocabona - howl 69. goosetaf - upstream 70. baechulgi - thanks 71. oatmello - yakisoba 72. chief. - into sleep 73. rook1e - we'll stay inside when it rains 74. leaf beach - mirage 75. meltycanon - jolyne 76. lordsun - last time 77. avery sennin - watch me 78. easy life - sangria 79. basick - oohooh 80. manon - winter lil life 81. meisterbeatz - masters of the humanverse 82. leikeli47 - bad gyal flex 83. keke palmer - twerk n flirt 84. chynna - mood 85. princess nokia - balenciaga 86. kodie shane - 2 many 87. 2 chainz - threat 2 society 88. frank ocean - in my room 89. the midnight hour - harmony 90. kari faux - in the air 91. fka twigs - holy terrain 92. be steadwell - witch 93. qveen herby - confetti 94. kehlani - you know wassup 95. diamond white - love songs 4 96. queen naija - good morning text 97. dounia - lowkey grl 98. michaela - 111 99. cautious clay - saturday morning cartoons 100. quin - calling 101. mcclenney - love in the sky 102. sevyn streeter - whatchusay 103. cassie - excuses 104. syd - getting late 105. deaton chris anthony - racecar 106. cuco - feelings 107. miraa may - fwm 108. tinashe - save room for us 109. luna shadows - practice 110. bea miller - feel something 111. kaina - waiting on a day 112. rationale - hurts the most 113. masego - big girls 114. ecco2k - fragile 115. ari mason - pangaea 116. tennyson - collapse 117. exes - burnout 118. hope tala - d.t.m. 119. love x stereo - zero one 120. rén with the mane - burnin 121. reddish blu - waste my time 122. bülow - boys will be boys 123. madge - bonedeep 124. honeycraft - circles 125. friday night plans - antiquities 126. ider - body love 127. lusine - not alone 128. cehryl - home video 129. baths - wistful (fata morgana) 130. pale blue - a heart whose love is innocent 131. keep shelly in athens - caryatid 132. alex lustig - stardust 133. briana marela - there is value in you 134. mija - sweat it out 135. bella boo - way chill 136. direct - give and take 137. kozoro - girl of the sky 138. cloudnone - wish 139. attom - follow me 140. nvdes - bump it 141. lisel - digital light field 142. com truise - gaussian 143. little boots - infrared 144. the fin. - cold 145. dan mason ダン·メイソン - everytime i cry 146. liz - bubblegum 147. blackbird blackbird - myself 148. luxxury - another lifetime 149. ducktails - catch a rising star 150. marsheaux - alone (all alone) 151. nora van elken - needed you 152. louise burns - over you 153. genes - give it away 154. yota - limelight 155. the griswolds - aliens 156. cristina quesada - love at third sight 157. jessie ware - mirage (don’t stop) 158. l.e.j - pas l'time 159. madelin - monarch (hot fun remix) 160. pink skies - looking back 161. twinkids - psycho 162. gloss - blah blah blah 163. telex telexs - june 164. cheat codes - i feel ya 165. melanie c - high heels 166. ciara - thinkin bout you 167. joy. - diamond 168. tatiana hazel - can't help but notice 169. ralph - last time 170. litany - love letter 171. gabrielle aplin - like you say you do 172. misterwives - find my way home 173. kate nash - bad lieutenant 174. ellie goulding - sixteen 175. charli xcx - porsche 176. bts - make it right 177. sofi de la torre - pero no 178. hayley kiyoko - l.o.v.e. me 179. millie turner - swimming pool 180. fleurie - sway 181. harry styles - watermelon sugar 182. fractures - chains 183. madeline - di bale na lang 184. middle kids - real thing 185. hikes - mahal kita 186. elephant gym - gaze at blue 187. mol-74 - playback 188. delta sleep - sultans of ping 189. sore eyelids - everything's a waste 190. microwave - mirrors 191. hawthorne heights - hard to breathe 192. pohgoh - repeat exchanges 193. upset - brighton 194. honeyblood - gibberish 195. liza anne - devotion 196. dressy bessy - what do i get? 197. holiday ghosts - slipstream 198. the regrettes - here you go 199. tsunami bomb - sinkhole 200. beach slang - tommy in the 80s 201. this is fantastic for you - skullduggery 202. loma prieta - continuum 203. andrea von kampen - crossing the bar 204. chelsea cutler - please 205. shannon lay - november 206. mount eerie - love without possession 207. shannon wright - these present arms 208. fromm - with you 209. stella jang - how could a person always be lovely 210. ikimonogakari - we do 211. cheeze - blue champagne 212. oohyo - pizza 213. perfume - 再生 214. asoboism - uchoten 215. key - i wanna be 216. wasuta - デデスパボン! 217. eill - one last time 218. isyana sarasvati - feel so right 219. asako toki - that summer 220. kolme - repeat 221. dia - woowa 222. got7 - run away 223. cream - mvp 224. exid - how you doin' 225. twice - fake & true 226. gfriend - wish 227. azki - reflection 228. kirara magic - moka 229. p19 - infinitymoflity 230. b3lla - akihabara 231. wisp x - faeth 232. sanaas - leaving me (freezer remix) 233. pleeg - breath 234. colate - 三日月ランデヴー 235. ハレトキドキ - テルミー (smooth rap) 236. fujifire - cafè delight 237. nanahira - doki doki virus 238. cute girls doing cute things - too spicy 239. d-real - disco night 240. mélonade - extra 241. uno - バーチャルワールドが僕らの町にやってきた  242. nyarons - because of youth 243. club2tokyo - drlng 244. ohey - forgiveness 245. yukiyanagi - tourbillon 246. wave meow - in love 247. ducky - my flower, your garden 248. slushii - i'd do anything 249. magic circuit - quiet rooms 250. anamanaguchi - on my own 251. sweet dove - perches in the soul 252. akisai - allemande 253. ★star guitar - part of me 254. teen daze - open 255. [.que] - happily 256. hiromi - sepia effect 257. albert karch - celestially light iv 258. satomoka - 雨の日のストール 259. hana - cowgirl bebop

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6ytRUSMsjPtZ3VIzc7z9V6?si=Hr1OrcTiSQWtR27m_luShQ

[ageofpiracyrp]

PLOT DROP 25: PEAK ENTERTAINMENT

After an enjoyable excursion on Pryft, Prosperity docks on the planet Sturn outside of the town of Ustust. The landing pad is a half mile from an extremely large dormant volcano- almost 3/4 of a mile high! This volcano is Ustust. Almost as soon as Kjeuk steps foot on the planet, he starts talking much more than he has the entire journey. He explains that the "locals" say that the volcano hasn't erupted in thousands of years and it is perfectly safe- and that's where the group will be going. A lengthy afternoon is spent unloading a large portion of the cargo bay's contents into a rented amphibious vehicle- think a longer and taller DUKW with a one way viewing window enclosing the top. The pilot (Beck) and new navigator (Stella) are asked to take on driving/navigation duties. In the cozy bench seats back of the vehicle, Kjeuk chatters excitedly to whoever on the rest of the crew will listen about volcano facts the whole way to the clubhouse the Sturn branch of the Tarrk Theme Park Club.

Kjeuk's native planet is indeed Sturn, but Kjeuk only moved out to Ustust eight years ago when the area started to become more attractive. Sturn is a large planet- one and a half times the size of Earth with a proportionately greater population. Overall, Sturn is also a rather warm planet with a variety of climates. Ustust is surrounded by lush rainforests. While the volcano itself is not particularly green, the people that have lived on it over the course of many years have terraced the rich soil to provide them with what they need. Objectively, this is a beautiful area, and the drive through the rainforest border up the mountain is enjoyable if you like that sort of thing. The truck took a very winding path- avoiding the more convenient elevator/lift and slide systems that most of the "locals" (as Kjeuk calls them without malice but somewhat carelessly) use.

Three very excited and socially awkward carreki greet the crew upon arrival at the clubhouse... which is halfway up the mountain. The clubhouse and some other local businesses on this part of the volcano seem to be newer and more polished than on much of the rest of the mountain.

The three new carreki (Junyi, club president Oplo, and club secretary Qjun) gravitate immediately to the hybrids on the crew, and explain that they have never met any before. They become distracted from hybrids after Kjeuk reminds them how they managed to get so many great things from the club's wishlist! The carreki that it would be great to see some of those things. Also Junyi says offhandedly that the air conditioning is broken. She seems unbothered and unconcerned about how this will affect the guests' experience.

Anyway, the wishlist items that were explicitly for Junyi, Oplo, and Qjun are located and distributed. Qjun heard about "tips" when researching certain Earth customs, and tips the crewmembers twice as much as what he thinks the goods are worth because he is so happy to have real Legoland legos.

Oplo, while wearing the large souvenir sunglasses someone purchased at an obscure park, explains to the crew that there are beds for Prosperity to stay in Ustust for the distribution of goods. However, Oplo says, flipping the sunglasses upside down to see if they are more comfortable to wear that way, not everyone wanted to come all the way to the clubhouse to get their goods. Qjun insists that he will make everyone promise to tip well, but Prosperity is going to have to make deliveries directly to the club members on Sturn... and also the rest of the planetary system.

Daphne sighs, and says that this will at least give her, Robin, and Muffy time to interview the two local Communications position candidates before leaving Tarrk.

Kjeuk persuades Junyi to order takeout from the new Sour Jehk-style restaurant that opened up a year ago in the local "cool" part of Ustust, and shows Prosperity the dormitories. The lofted, full-size bunk beds feature bedding that is completely white because that is what research says theme park hotels like to use. There is a large, non-chlorinated pool intended for leisurely soaks (unfortunately for some of the crew, the water is quite warm) and an elegant communal restroom connected to the dorms. There are also some random rooms in the clubhouse that do not have a specific purpose which can be used for meetings or hanging out. The clubhouse is set up for many members to be able to visit comfortably if needed. It would all be quite lovely if the air conditioning wasn't broken. The crew of Prosperity is encouraged to use the facilities, and is welcome to take as long as they need to deliver the goods. Kjeuk does not seem sorry about the delay, but states that this mission means a lot to his club.

For at least the next month, the crew will take missions around Sturn in large or small groups to deliver goods to some potentially obscure places. The group will be fed, and is free to come and go as they please. Oplo pops out of nowhere at some point to explain that the members won't be upset if things take a while or if Prosperity needs to take a detour for a few months for any reason because many of them don't even remember ordering or asking for anything and will only be excited to have new toys delivered.

It will certainly be an interesting excursion in the Tarrk system.

[ageofpiracyrp]

PLOT DROP 24: CHECKPOINT

Interplanetary sanctions have put increasing pressure on pirate crews operating throughout the galaxy. Unfortunately for Prosperity, that means that the four space cops monitoring them have a little more funding than usual and the crew struggled to depart safely. It took a little longer than usual to safely go off world and head to Sturn. So far, everyone is safe and sound, and the technical crew members of the ship do not believe they are being followed/tracked by Ayshena and her groupies.

The Prosperity makes a stop on the way to the star system of Tarrk (where Sturn is located) at a fun little detour: Pryft. The outpost planet of Pryft has a notable but not extreme population of around 2 million people. Most of those residents moved to Pryft because of their fanaticism for old Earth movies, as all of the major cities of Pryft are zoned so that the buildings and clothing sold are all in sepia-toned. The composition of Pryft's air gives it a unique but refreshing sandy color for most species to breathe, although it does tend to have a stimulating effect (think being on a sugar or caffeine high) on Vanniree if they don't hydrate more than usual. Pryft has a bustling trade of older films, television shows, comics, and music (anything through the 1950s is fair game) without a market for much else. Black and white and sepia films are beloved, and anything newer that does make its way to Pryft tends to be filtered through a nice sepia-tone on their customized tech.

Pryft isn't backwards in terms of technology, although it can feel a bit like living in an alternate reality if you aren't careful. It's a fun place to visit for most tourists, and the residents have begun to build up a nice place to live over the last thirty years.

The crew of Prosperity will regroup on Pryft for about a week, look out for cops, and then depart for Tarrk soon!

--

On a different note, Stella's transfer/promotion to Navigator will be completed once the crew arrives on Tarrk, where they will pick up a new Communications team member.

--

There will be a text-based group chat this week for this light-hearted detour. As the admin, I can assure you that your characters will be safe in Pryft and on the voyage to Tarrk, but feel free to have your characters worry about their safety!

As always, please feel free to continue old threads and pick up new ones.

[ageofpiracyrp]

PLOT DROP 38: FREEDOM 2025

Daphne Rux did not typically like to get jobs through Clause Mazrinon, but she needed something straightforward that paid well to test her crew and bring morale up. It would be helpful to bring in some cash too.

Prosperity's crew would be doing quick runs between Earth and a tiny, barely-inhabited outpost planet called Dolnoh not terribly far from Kraysha over the course of January. An impressive amount of set pieces from a variety of Canadian-filmed television programs were just sitting in a massive warehouse, begging to have a purpose again. Clause's business associates had purchased the warehouse's contents for a steal, and it was just a matter of getting everything off Earth and over to Dolnoh.

What Clause's associates wanted to do with giant setpieces from mediocre and television programs was a mystery... but the GEE engine would make doing a series of big trips a piece of cake. The gunners and close combat officers would be quite necessary because one of the reasons everything was so cheap was the assortment of semi-scary wild animals that had been encroaching on the area of greater (barely suburban) Vancouver lately. Wolves were one thing, but moose? Nobody wanted to actually take down the things, but some agile people and others with good aim and warning shots were quite necessary.

Mark boasted that he could take down any threatening meese solo. Stella gently explained to Mark that they were just called moose, and were rather large. After some consideration, Mark still thought that he could take down a moose... with help from the rest of the team.

The only real trouble was... Clause mentioned casually that he found out a year or two back that Ayshena seemed to spend a lot of time lurking around Canada. Why Canada? It wasn't really clear. But it was a big country, right? As long as everyone proceeded with caution and used clever disguises as much as possible, things should go smoothly enough.

The crew would arrive on Earth for the first time on January 4th. The entire shuttling process from Earth to Dolnoh and back to Earth (allowing for loading and unloading times) would take about a week each.

Dolnoh has a population of 218. While the small planet's air is breathable, the planet is for lack of a better term ugly and the weather is simultaneously chilly and humid. The barren landscape and constant threat of rain make it an ideal hideout for a community of rich people that hate going outside and want to do... something with those setpieces.

A Discord group chat will take place on Saturday, January 4th to document when the crew first arrives in Canada.

[ageofpiracyrp]

PLOT DROP 17: HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF

The event on the KBW was moderately successful for the Prosperity. While the ship did manage to pick up three new crew members (Theo, Ian, and Daniel), there were also some very uncomfortable revelations. Perhaps the most dramatic was the reveal that Gwen Volnal was married to (of all people) Mark Espionage from The Bat Ray. A lesser-known revelation that influenced the Gwen reveal is actually known only to only Daphne Rux: that her secret ex-girlfriend Makhaira Espionage (yes, the very same Espionage family) wanted her back and it was at least partly for a promotion! The only person that has any information about Daphne and Makhaira’s past relationship outside of the Espionage family is actually Stella Sarasvati, whom was only given this information due to being in gerbil form at the time. Stella swore herself to secrecy, but Daphne does not trust Stella (or anyone else) to vent about this issue. Stella had her own strange drama when she and Ian, another member of her rare species, ran into Bucket again, who is in denial about being that same species. Bucket was essentially threatened by Laurie (reeling from first I-love-yous and almost sucking her boss Skylar’s blood) into backing off. Ryder Astrea experienced a deeply uncomfortable situation where all of his past hook-ups were in the same place at the same time, and Robin Astrea had a less uncomfortable but still odd experience when his ex-boyfriend Theo Seong took up the invitation to join the ship.

Needless to say, the crew was excited to accomplish a collective dream of seeing the band My Chemical Romance in concert. The Sydney, Australia performance on March 20th went great until mate Greg decided to (completely platonically) bring a new friend on board the ship to show off his rock collection. Greg (beloved, but not known for good judgment) lost track of dates and times and who was supposed to be crew, and HJ Violet was many miles away from Earth before anyone realized what was wrong.

With a human not in the know of aliens aboard, the Prosperity was seriously at risk of further Galactic Union scrutiny. Daphne recommended that the group pretend that HJ was a descendant of the colony of Tarryville, perhaps related to one of the crew members. Which one could be decided later. For now, though, the ship is going to need to take a detour to somewhere less scrutinized  before heading to somewhere else. Robin and Daphne discussed the situation, and decided that the KBW would be the best place to regroup. After some debate by the crew and what to do, the ship will arrive back on the KBW early on March 24 to do some group bonding and figure out what is even happening with HJ. The KBW will be much emptier than it was during the event, so we should all have more privacy.

To make things more complicated... Karmel has been hinting that she has other news (we can only assume regarding her weird immortality mission) to dispense before leaving the KBW.

[ageofpiracyrp]

Makhaira Espionage

Pronouns: She/her

Position: Senior Director of Smuggler Relations at DAMGR

Age: 45

Romantic and/or Sexual Preference: Sapphic

Species: Erkuss

Home Planet: Kor’Sel’Koo

Faceclaim/Humanoid Appearance: Amy Adams

True Appearance: Makhaira has particularly vibrant violet eyes. She prefers to use a DayPowerZurp sformer to make her eyes blue rather than relying on color contacts.

Information:

DAMGR is the abbreviation for Danger Adjunct Mercenary Group Residency, which is owned and operated by the Espionage family. Makhaira is a first cousin once removed of Marked Danger “Mark” Espionage IV. Mark and Makhaira are both descendants of DAMGR’s founder, Marked Espionage I.

Unusually for an apparently competent member of the Espionage family, Makhaira has never married. She has also not received a promotion to Vice President like her younger sibling, and most of her similar-aged cousins.

While she isn’t an expert markswoman like Mark (a marks...man), she is competent with firearms and deadly in hand-to-hand combat.

Makhaira’s job within DAMGR is to meet with pirate crews directly to try sell them contract mercenary services, direct hire crew placement services, and brokered connections to other vendors. While the contract mercenary services are the most lucrative, and the brokered services have given her the most sales, Makhaira has had the most success with crew placement services. For instance, a significant portion of Tyrannosaurus Pecs hires came from DAMGR. Think of her department as like the staffing agency for hitmen and assassins.

Makhaira knows many of the captains, first mates, and quartermasters of smuggler crews relatively well by this point, and she is moderately well-received by the smuggler world because she isn’t too pushy. They also respect that she can hold her own in combat.

She is Daphne Rux’s ex-girlfriend, but this is not information that is known to anyone on the Prosperity... except (oddly) Stella Sarasvati, who found out by accident when Daphne was ranting to a gerbil. It has become recently apparent to Daphne that Makhaira never received a promotion to VP because a marriage to Daphne would mean the Espionage family would have some claim to Rux Enterprises’ fortune and connections.

[ageofpiracyrp]

PLOT DROP 15: MY IMMORTAL

“Have you ever desired immortality, Daphne?”

“I’d be lying if I say I hadn’t, but that isn’t something I want now. I’m not sure if I believe in some divine purpose, and I don’t believe the specific lengths of our lifetimes make it better or worse, but I have more to do with my time than try to take efforts to prolong my lifetime, Karmel. Why?”

Karmel might have looked slightly disappointed by that answer. “This is a topic that has possessed me for a long time. My particular family line of Ly’Daesun, we have an unpredictable lifespan. The lower and upper extremes of our species seem about equally as likely, and any time in between is perfectly reasonable as well. I could expire within several years, or I could see sixty or more. I like to make my own odds, and there is only so much that even advanced medicine can do to prolong my life.”

Daphne pursed her lips and pretended to close her office door. She left it a crack open “We have had an affable relationship for quite some time, but I don‘t understand why you are telling me this.”

“I’d like to stay on your ship for a little longer after we return to my home planet, and I am asking this now in case I need to make other arrangements. Much of your crew was formerly resident to Kraysha, yes? I would like for you to take me to Kraysha after Kor’Sel’Koo, and I would like to hire the services of your Earth Expert for four days.”

Daphne furrowed her brow. “My... Earth Expert? Ali is his own person, Karmel. I will give him the leave if he makes the decision himself. Could you tell why would you want his services on Kraysha?”

Tapping her lip, Karmel gave a noncommittal expression. “And... I would also like to have your Pilot.”

“Again, Beck can make the decision for herself, but can I have some details as to what you are doing with my crew?”

Tutting, Karmel waved a hand. “I have great interest in what it takes to prolong my lifespan. Out of your crew, those are the two that I need to accompany me directly on the mission. There are others I might want to bring along. The Communications girl who always seems surprised by things that should not be surprising would be the most useful out of those. But I am only asking for the bare minimum.”

Daphne exhaled slowly. “You can ask Stella along if that would be helpful to you as well. If you are going to delay us for four days and you need the Earth Expert, being down two crew members is about the same as three.”

Karmel leaned forward and ran a thumb along Daphne’s cheek in a dangerous way. “Those you ask will be paid handsomely, of course. And you will be compensated for your time. You know that I am good for my money.“

Daphne clenched her jaw. “I know. Let’s review the plans again for Japan. Let’s not bother with your immortality quest now- Ali was obviously more focused on other things this week, and I don’t want to deal with this for the others.”

Making an agreeable noise, Karmel went back to run-of-the-mill owrk

Daphne (nor Karmel) knew it at the time, but there were two people outside of the door that did manage to overhear the conversation completely unnoticed: Gwen Volnal and Robin Astrea.