Harlock's Palace - The Endless Orbit of Solitude

[freearcadia]

Who: Lechter, Zenkichi, Stoat, Moon
What: Harlock's Palace Part one
When:
Content Warnings: Death, Dead Things, Death Wish/Passive Suicide stuff, Alcoholism and scars/grevious injuries may come up

When the teams enters the Pirate's heart, there is a moment of choking darkness, threatening to strangle the life out of people, but it soon ebbs and a wailing wind shatters the silence.

You find yourselves on a vast, dry rubble-strewn wasteland being battered by winds that alternated between needle-sharp, wet cold and dry, furnace-like blasts of heat. There's a sense despite how extremely unpleasant it is that it will not harm the group, but it is trying to discourage them from exploring too thoroughly within the heart.

Above the wasteland is a dark sky utterly devoid of celestial bodies, and of such a uniform blackness that it strains the eyes to stare too long, and would no doubt incite artists into feuds over it's unnatural hue.

The only thing that broke the stark black sky is a long, ash-gray ship with a skull upon it's bow, bristling with cannons that swivel and pivot, searching for something.

The wind changes again, the lilting sound of music coming from one direction, and the sound of creaking from another.

Comments

[freearcadia]

"This way!" A voice hisses at the group from behind a collapsed wall, a flick of dove-gray feathers can be seen as wine-colored eyes peek over, then a hand, gesturing to come to her side. "If you're spotted, it'll attack,"

[lemiserable]

Zenkichi wants to say something about the ship, the heat (and what it is doing to his hair) and how it looks like Skulls dream boat, but that is quickly squashed by the fact that something else catches his attention and he quickly runs over to proper shelter before they are seen.

"How much firepower is on that thing?!"

[freearcadia]

"Far more than enough," The woman - the siren answers grimly. "Fortunately, it's sight seems to be rather limited."

[lemiserable]

Far more than enough. Great. What he wouldn't do for an entire team of Phantom Thieves right now, and Oracle's navigational powers.

"So, do we need to try and board it, or should we go looking nearby and make sure we aren't spotted?"

[freearcadia]

"Yes - I believe, given my beloved's connection that he must be somewhere on that ship. However, I think there must be something here, it's almost like it's searching..."

[lemiserable]

"Makes sense for the palace owner to be there."

He does have some experience with these things. That being said, he'd never done it alone.

"Maybe things that were important to him." It's just a guess at that point however. "What do you want to do? Stay here and hide, or come with me?" He doesn't mean it as a barb either. It might be safer for her.

[eggstinction]

[Skitters over towards the feathered figure, glancing back towards the strange ship and the empty sky.]

What is it?

[freearcadia]

That... should be Harlock's Arcadia - but it has twisted into that ugly form - around the same time as the moons and stars vanished.

[She clasps her hands together, exhaling]

There is someone on board, that much I can tell you, but he is not friendly.

[eggstinction]

It is certainly not what I imagined when he said he had a ship...

Who else is here? Where is Harlock, do you know?

[freearcadia]

I believe he might be somewhere up in there, that's the only place I can imagine he will be...

[Her wings tremble]

There were others - aspects, ancestral memory, but that twisted Arcadia hunted them down. I think some might be here, but keeping low...

[totalmisplay]

[Stoat is pretty small, and not overly worried, but it creeps over to the voice to hide behind the wall.]

Hey. What's up?

[freearcadia]

Good, people did come.

[She puts a hand on her chest]

Getting up to the Arcadia is what we might need to do to get Harlock back, though it will be dangerous with how it is.

There might be something down here - but I'm not sure if anything is still standing after the attacks.

[totalmisplay]

So let's get up to the Arcadia. Is there a back entrance or something?

[freearcadia]

There's the main way in but it would need to land to open it, there are other doors along the sides might be possible to enter from the air, though you have to avoid being seen.

[redheaded_menace]

[Lechter takes a look around. It's just another day for him, desolate scenery and all. Still, he follows the directive and crouches behind the wall]

Honestly, this wasn't what I was expecting when I woke up this morning.

[freearcadia]

Well it's not how it should be.

[redheaded_menace]

Clearly.

[He sighs]

You okay? I mean, you don't seem it, but y'know. A guy's gotta ask.

[freearcadia]

I - well, I'm worried, but I'm not hurt.

FOR THOSE BOARDING

[freearcadia]

The winds didn't help with getting up there, changing directions constantly but by wing, drone or other means - they would find themselves at a circular entrance on the Arcadia's flank.

It would take some strength - or careful application of physics to pry it open, but once opened, it's time to board and face what is inside.

[eggstinction]

[slithers through the hole with a scrabbling dig of his claws, hackles raised and teeth bared for whatever's on the other side]

[totalmisplay]

[You know what, Stoat is just going to piggy back off of Moon's strength here and fly in after him.]

All right, we're in.

[AS IF IT WAS A COORDINATED TEAMWORK MISSION FROM THE START]

[freearcadia]

[Well going up seem to be the popular option. Passing through what looked to be a short, steel tunnel would get the group into a long corridor made entirely of metal - looking like it had been through some great fire judging from the scorched and sooty-looking interior.

It's only lit up with dim emergency lights that just reveals several doors along the far wall and a path to the elevator, and is eerily silent. No alarms seem to ring out - yet - but there's a sensation almost like the ship is holding it's breath.

waiting.]

[totalmisplay]

[quietly:]

...We're not going to get burned alive in here... Are we?

[But it will walk forward quietly, looking to see if any of the doors are labeled.]

[redheaded_menace]

[Well, this guy managed to board. Don't judge him by his looks; he's pretty damn strong and he's a master of artes]

Well, this isn't awful. I guess.

[freearcadia]

[The siren follows after him, looking over]

I can assure you, as messy and chaotic as the real one is - it's better than what this is. It looks like the others already found places to look - I hope we don't run into trouble.