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

[eggstinction]

Yes!

[whisking his tail across the floor to sweep the weapons away and hurridly shuffling to put himself between harlock and ??BABY EGG??]

So let us all go downstairs before anyone else has to bleed more. Please?

[freearcadia]

[Even Harlock seem momentarily taken aback by the talking egg - the young man goes to restrain the man, who starts to struggle]

[totalmisplay]

[It turns into an ant next. So from everyone's perspective, it may as well have just disappeared.

—until it grabs control of itself and shifts back into the Stoat form again. Sure it's still bleeding from a bullet wound, but at least it's bigger than a bullet and feels like it has some chance of surviving that, oh my god.]

—Okay. That's. Clearly not working out for me anymore... Nnnng...

[The drone floats down, using its claw to grab onto Harlock's Shadow, trying to keep him still.]

[eggstinction]

[Shifting his scythes back to arms to help grapple Harlock. to the younger man,]

I can hold him. Can you carry Stoat?

[freearcadia]

Of course!

[Harlock tries to break free, but the drone and too many limbs kept him from being able to get away as Tadashi picks up stoat, being careful not to aggravate the wound]

Damn... you... this is my ship - I am doing what is needed.

[totalmisplay]

...Nice play.

[To both Tadashi and Moon. It's not quite thanks, but it is a grudging acknowledgment. Stoat huddles in Tadashi's arms.]

No. We know better than you. You're not thinking straight.

[eggstinction]

[starts for the door to go downstairs to the engine room. Harlock can walk or Moon will carry him if he has to.]

You should know that a ship this large should have a greater crew. Alone you are as a ghost in a haunted wreck.

[freearcadia]

[Something about Moon's words seem to change something, the man's struggle ceases, his shoulders trembling]

...even alone the Arcadia can still sail...

but he... he was suppose to be there...

[totalmisplay]

What, are we still missing someone? You can look for them like normal people. There's a bunch of people hidden in here.

[eggstinction]

The person I found was a woman.

[freearcadia]

You won't... find him here...

[His voice is barely above a whisper - the young man purses his lips as if to say something but thought better of it as he carefully staunches Stoat's wound to keep it from bleeding it]

...it'll make sense once we're at the heart

[totalmisplay]

Sure. Fine. So we can just keep going...

[eggstinction]

The heart is the engine. That is where the woman I found is waiting.

[down down down to the hourglass machine room]

[freearcadia]

[Harlock dragged his feet, and attempted to break away at least once until they reached the room.

Miime was fading, upon seeing the group, her hands flew over her face - her entire body glowing a brilliant gold as she let out a horrified gasp. Tadashi sets Stoat on the supercomputer's counter before heading to the controls, rapidly typing - more monitors light up - the image of the other Harlock started to solidify, becoming less transparent]

Looks like we got here in time, just... a little more...

Stop it... there's no point in continuing...

[totalmisplay]

Whoa—

[It's still in pain, but it looks up at all these monitors with curiosity, parsing the information in them.]

Just sit back and let us do this. So do you need me to do something?

[eggstinction]

It will be alright, Miime.

[makes a soothing gesture towards her with one free hand, but he doesn't let go of the Harlock]

Stoat, do you understand these machines?

[totalmisplay]

If you know what you want them to do, I can figure out how to get them to do that thing easy, yeah.

...

Being shot might make it harder. But generally. So what do you want the machines to do?

[freearcadia]

I can't do anything once I'm returning my memories back to him - so I'll need you to execute some code to get him out here and whole.

[Tadashi explains, as the third speck finally regains a human shape - a very short, rotund man wearing a skull-emblazoned bandana and glasses. Miime gives a final nod as she dissipates, flecks entering the monitors]

You'll probably have to fill in some blanks, but our Captain's shadow may try to stop it.

[eggstinction]

[silenty mouths "execute some code" to himself, what does that mean, are we killing something]

I can keep Harlock out of the way.

[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!