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

[totalmisplay]

Yeah, okay... I'll count on you to do that.

If you mess up you owe me big big big time, okay?

[NEVER MIND THAT MOON ALREADY HELPED SAVE ITS LIFE EARLIER]

[freearcadia]

[With that the teenager and older man starts fading. The rest of the screens covering the supercomputer brightens, a mishmash pattern of the man with cables and wires entwined and under his translucent skin, and black screens with lines of code - rapidly moving, before it pauses, a question rolling on the screen]

Who are you?

[The Shadow scowls darkly at the warning - though he doesn't seem quick to act, perhaps he was too wounded or he's simply biding his time.]

[eggstinction]

I am not going to mess up.

[he's got six arms on this guy!!]

Is that question for us or for him?

[totalmisplay]

[Stoat ignores Moon, just answering the computer directly, digitally, using the same methods it used before to try and override the ship.

Though the text does show up on the screen for Moon to see too.]

I'm with Phoenix. Harlock's current team. We're on an operation to get him back.

Who are YOU?

[freearcadia]

I am.

Harlock.

Phoenix... rising from ashes, that - sounds... familiar

[The man's eye slowly opens, dazed and out of it. The Shadow hisses]

There's no damn point in waking up!

[totalmisplay]

To ME there is, so shut up already!

[is what it says aloud before digitally continuing:]

So rise from the ashes NOW. It's rising time!

[eggstinction]

Shh.

[covers the shadow's mouth]

[freearcadia]

[The shadow struggle, and even tries to bite down on Moon.

Harlock - the one projected onto the scattered screens - seem to come into focus, the fog clearing from his eye.]


What am I... no. I can't just lay down and die. Not now.

[Every single screen covering the computer flares brightly along with the sound of a gasp.

When the light and the inevitable spots behind the eyes clear, the monitors are blank, and a familiar man is now standing in a tattered blue jumpsuit, still looking transparent as he stumbles to his knees, gasping for air.

Harlock has woken up]

[totalmisplay]

Exactly...! Ha ha ha!! We did it!!

...Did we do it?

[SOMEONE CONFIRM WE DID IT,]

[eggstinction]

[His hand is armored AND it tastes like salt, too bad shadow!!]

Did we? —Harlock, do you feel okay? Are you hurt? I can see through you...

[freearcadia]

[The man looks up, unlike the shadow and the memory figments, his eye is a familiar brown-hazel]

Moon... Stoat...?

[He held his head, as if fighting off a migraine, glancing to them, then at his Shadow]

[totalmisplay]

Yeah, hi. Can you tell your violent depression to cool it for a while?

[eggstinction]

He is also partly your ship.

[freearcadia]

[Carefully, he rises to his full height, his eye widening on seeing Stoat's injury, his expression growing dark as he approaches Moon and the Shadow]

As Captain, it's my duty to right my ship. Hold him still.

You can't deny me - I'm doing exactly what you truly want.

Sorry you got dragged into my mess.

[totalmisplay]

Haha, that's right... of course a Captain would have a bonus against his own ship. Sucks for you, faker.

[eggstinction]

[holds the Shadow EXTRA TIGHT and stands up straight to his full 7-ft height. rude shadows have to go on tip-toe.]

We volunteered. We were not dragged.

[freearcadia]

I'll have to pay you back.

[The Shadow struggles as he's forced up on his tiptoes, while he is a tall man - he's not near Moon's height. Harlock moves within arm's length before firing a hard right hook against the shadow, his translucent skin slowly solidifying]

Why...

I won't deny that those feelings and thoughts are mine. But like hell am I giving up so easily. The flag of the Arcadia means we fight until there is nothing left of us but bone!

[eggstinction]

It will be enough that you come back.

[and to the shadow,]

The "we" part of that is important. You wanted all of us away, but he is not alone.

[freearcadia]

[the Shadow sags in Moon's grip, the black ichor he was bleeding and clung to his body starts dissipating, the ship letting out a low rumble - the fight seeming to have gone out of it's golden eye]

It's true that had been lonely since Tochiro's death all those years ago, but to say I am alone is to ignore everyone around me - both on the ship he built and in this damnable prison.

[He glances to Stoat]

Now the ship is mine, we should get you treated before you leave.

[totalmisplay]

[having been spacing out on the control panel due to pain and exhaustion:]

Yeah, that'd be... that'd be nice.

[eggstinction]

Does your ship have a healer? —or, we are in your mind. Will you imagine him better?

[that's how moon heals his own injuries anyways!]

[freearcadia]

A doctor actually - a damn good one. What you're describing is a little too close to magic for me.

[The man touches the skull pin on his collar, and a man in white medical scrubs and a sleepy expression appears with a small ginger tabby on his shoulder, his voice had an equally sonorous quality to it as he examines Stoat, soon applying something of antiseptic that would sting before making it numb, wrapping a bandage as he idly made observations.

Harlock in the meantime picks up and pets the cat.]

You can be a pretty good motivator when you want to be, Stoat.

[totalmisplay]

[It makes a high-pitched whining noise as the antiseptic goes on, squirming a little, but finally staying still.]

Well, good. Because I do want to be right now! So it had better work!

[eggstinction]

[startles when the doctor appears, baring his fangs on reflex before backing down]

That is good...

And the ship is not firing anymore, yes? Himerope is still outside.

[freearcadia]

[The tiny cat hisses right back at moon - but relaxes into Harlock's pet]

There we go, all done Captain.

It's not, thankfully he was too focused on tracking you two down to keep firing... I'll have to thank her as well. I think I can clean up here.