The tension on Dark Horse lessened considerably once the masked marauders left with the Titanians. That didn't mean anyone relaxed, though, as there was a semi-frantic effort to check everything to see what might have been taken. It didn't help that the Kavi slightly moved everything that wasn't attached to the floor, wall or crewmember - although many claimed to have had their pockets gone through.
There was also the issue of the newest crew member, currently stashed in Liza and Aaron's room, much to Yue's discomfort.
And so Tasha lays on a couch in the Lounge, one cloven hoof dangling to the side, her hands folded on her chest as she stares up at the ceiling. Katherine and Hakeber are seated around her as they chose, with Lacci having been given an invitation to join as well, but Tasha isn't at all sure if she'll come. "So I've collected a Kavi," she says out of nowhere, breaking the long silence.
"Is that what those things are?" Katie asks. Hakeber hangs over the back of a couch and wags her tail. "I saw some on Sinai, but not close up. I think they're cute if you don't look at their hands too closely."
The elevator chimes and then Lacci enters, wearing her armor and looking around suspiciously. "I heard that we're keeping one of the pirates," she says. "Is it part of a hostage exchange? I haven't done a headcount if we gave them one of our own.."
"I thought they were one of the previous castaways, on the Primus System worlds, but they're actually Titanian clients," Tasha notes. She glances over at Katherine for some reason, studying her, then looks back up at the ceiling with the lost expression of someone collecting their thoughts, which are as much of a mess as the ship had been. She's about to comment more when Lacci arrives.
Tasha pats the couch she's on for Lacci to sit, though she expects the woman to sit farther away. "No hostages. Bumper wanted me to keep one. That one got caught, so she seemed like the safest one to keep. I'd she integrate than become a problem to manage. We don't have the personnel to dedicate anyone to escorting her."
Instead of ruining the upholstery with her armor, Lacci drags a barstool over and sits on that instead. With her legs up, it looks like she's perching. "So.. you don't need me to police her? How dangerous is she?"
"I'm really not sure." Tasha studies the ceiling a moment more, than slaps her hands down on the seat and sits up. "Lets find out. I'll go get her." And then she rises and is off, just like that.
It's not far to the door of the Lapi Lair (now with two supposed captives). Aaron answers the door, opening it just a crack. "Which crazy female are you here for?" he asks.
"The new addition, our little Kavi friend," Tasha answers, holding her hands rut and making a grabby motion. "It's time for interrogation and integration."
"Ooookay," Aaron says. "You may want to stand a little further back from the door though." He then closes it without seeing if Tasha took his suggestion.
Tasha has been around Aaron long enough to not second-guess his warnings, and so stands well back. She also readies her hands, having been around Kavis long enough, as well. At least this time she doesn't have a purse to steal; on the other hand, nearly everything on board is her's.
The door opens a minute later, and a golden-brown blur explodes out of it and tries to climb right up and over Tasha.
And so Tasha, ready for exactly this result, reaches out to snatch the blur. She might not be as strong as she used to be, and certainly not as intimidating, but she is stronger then a Kavi. "Ah-ha!"
She manages to grab the Kavi at the hips, which are one of the few non-tube-shaped parts of it. But there's still a lot of it going over her shoulder, which is overbalancing her backwards!
This causes Tasha to begin flapping rapidly; even her new tail shifts forward in a move more appropriate to a monkey than whatever she happens to be. Her grip gets even tighter, and as she totters on the verge of falling on her butt, she takes on her best Titanian voice and utter-growls, "SQUIRM MORE AND BITE OR MELT BRAIN WITH EYE!"
Tasha isn't exactly sure if she can melt brains with her 'demon eye', but then she's not exactly sure she can't, either. Which means no one has any idea if she can or not, either!
The Kavi responds in a rapid-fire chittering that sounds insulting, but does calm down. Slightly. It's possibly that Titanian Kavi are never calm.
Tasha takes this opportunity to adjust her grip, remaining unruffled from the insults. Just as with the rest, it's hardly her first time. Once that's done she steadies herself, turns, and then begins walking back to the lounge still holding the Kavi like an overfull sack of trade goods. "You speak Standard? I Rustpuppy, she own-" She briefly considers if Titanian-raised beings even understand ship ownership, and so corrects with, "Admiral? Clan leader. Scary witch!" While she's more like 'bumbling would-be witch', she's trying very hard.
The Kavi girl keeps complaining, and Lacci and Katie stare with wide eyes. It's Lacci that finally asks, "Why is she naked and angry?"
Tasha doesn't answer until she plops herself down on the couch, makes a great show of getting comfortable, then begins petting the Kavi in slow, equally deliberate strokes. "Well," she begins, easing back, "She just got left behind, she seems to be captured by 'the enemy', she failed to steal anything good, and Bumper handed her over to us. As for the naked ... " Tasha looks down, then up again, "I'm not sure they usually wear clothes? Yue must have divested her of her space suit, anyway."
"We didn't want her hiding stuff," Liza claims as she intrudes. "Her name is: Reeka, Master Baiter and Conquerer of Teeka and Taavi, Bane of Pantries, Biter of Ankles. As best as it translates, anyway. It might been 'Decimator of Ankles' though. Kavi isn't a super-nuanced language."
"Hello Reeka," Tasha greets the Kavi, all over again. She gives the girl a hug, but doesn't let go. "I'm Aldara Tasha Argentine, Winged-Gift Tasha Silverspear, owner of this vessel, slayer of Luk'thu-hem, Urgo-hem, and other things besides. Walker with gods and demon. I've even met Atum." Her tail shoots up like a snake suddenly ready to bite, then points at Katie. "Katherine Vesuvius, spy and star, Abaddon." Hakeber. "Hakeber, scholar." Lacci. "Lacci, teacher and warrior." Then back at Liza. "Liza, my assistant."
Reeka points accusingly at Liza, and stutters, "Ch-ch-cheater! Thief!"
"Like I said, my assistant." Reeka gets pattered some more before Tasha glances back. "So what did you cheat and steal, Liza?"
The Lapi shrugs. "I think she means I understood what they were saying to one another," she says. "But I didn't steal her spacesuit. She took it off to try on clothes, and since they were my clothes I claimed her suit. It has a lot of pockets. It's not like I let Yue wear clothes either."
Tasha's eats flick. "I feel like there's a lot going on in your quarters I'm ill-informed about," she notes, glancing between the others assembled and shrugging in a 'it's not my fault this time' sort of manner. "But she did try and steal your clothes, so I think that's fair. If she wants her space suit back she'll have to earn it back, if you wish to give it to her. Otherwise she'll need new clothes. I would appreciate if we kept general nakedness to a minimum and in the assigned spaces."
"You can barely tell that she's got anything to hide though," Hakeber notes. "I think one of Gabriel's T-shirts would work for her, if she ties it off a the waist.
The Kavi is eyeing Lacci's armor though, which is making the Vartan uncomfortable.
"Maybe Modo have an extra pair of coveralls," Katie suggests.
"Would anyone like to volunteer to fetch Reeka some clothes, then?" Tasha arches her brows and looks around.
The Karnors and Vartan keep quiet, until Liza says, "I'll go do it. Does anyone need anything else while I'm out?"
"I think my hands are full enough as it is," Tasha answers as she begins the process of trying to turn the Kavi around to face the others and sit in her lap rather than be draped over her shoulder like a sack. "Now Reeka, Bumper has assigned you to us. You heard her. You're with us, at least for the time being. Fighting us or trying to escape somewhere isn't going to make this any easier on any of us. Please calm down."
The Kavi crosses her arms. "Won't steal ship," she grudgingly promises.
"That would be difficult considering this vessel is powered by an Ogdru-hem that responds to me and that the AI is ... also complicated." Having nowhere else to put it, Tasha rests her head on the Kavi's. "Maybe you heard Bumper say I'm an 'honorary' Titanian. That's why they came to check on us and didn't blast us out of space, and why Bumper was worried. We fight the Ogdru-hem, we explore, and we do other things. Don't think we're boring because this isn't a standard Titanian vessel."
"Steal stuff?" the Kavi asks. "Not pirates? But have pirate ship. Confusing."
"We're tricky. Appear one way, be another. Don't steal -- um, usually -- but still get what we want. Seem civilized, do other thing. Look like yacht, fight like warship. Look like Galactics, so Galactics happy and not shoot us, and we happy because we not get shot. Extra-sneaky ship, take without taking, fight without looking like fighter, part of everything, everyone's friend, less enemies." Pink, as Old Ma or Samael might describe it. A ship without easy definition, flitting to one thing and the next, as needed. Adapting. Growing.
The dive klaxon sounds and Dark Horse 'submerges' into the Maelstrom. A moment later there's a bit of turbulence, and then Kaa calls over the intercom, "We're back in the c-c-current I found. Making best time."
At least living on a Titanian ship has made Reeka loud-noise-proof.
"So, you want me to steal stuff?" she asks.
"Thank you Kaa," Tasha offers, feeling like she should respond to her subordinates effort with increasing effort of her own, moving ahead. That done, she looks down at Reeka. "That may be exactly what we need you to do, but it won't happen often enough for you to keep busy. So, what can you do when you're not stealing?"
"Take stuff apart!" the Kavi claims. "Put it back together better. With less pieces."
"Sounds like what I do with sandwiches sometimes," Hakeber says.
"Is she a saboteur then?" Lacci asks.
"Engineering," Tasha decides, after a long pause. She glances at Hakeber and smiles, then smiles at Lacci. "I think so. Saboteur, thief. That will come in handy against House Khomen, should we need to do that. We'll need to have answers to dealing with Galactic and independent sentient problems, and she can be another person to handle that puzzle."
"And one from an unknown species that can't be traced to any Galactic civilization," Katie notes.
Liza returns, bearing one of Modo's extra pair of coveralls. They have hardly any grease on them. "Modo is teaching Rock how to use a wrench," she warns, before set the coveralls down next to Tasha.
"Yes, that's it. Plausible deniability. We can probably develop a team for just such a thing, even consider using our 'old style' Karnors in the guise of Titanians to assist the new team. If I can learn more about my Eye, I can help in the field, too." She accepts the coveralls with her tail, offering them to the girl. "If I let go, you won't run off? It'd be best for everyone if you didn't. This is your chance to show us we can trust you."
"Rrrrrr," Reeka agrees(?) and reaches out for the coveralls, making grabby motions with her double-thumbed hands.
Tasha finds herself both amused and heartened to see she and Reeka both make the same gesture, it's a point of shared playful covetousness she hopes she can build on. She releases her grip and settles back, making no show of being about to grab anything, and if it comes to it, making an internal show of deciding someone else can deal with it if Reeka does escape. "Well now that we have a tentative role for you and clothes, do you have preferences for your quarters? An actual room, or would you like to hide somewhere in the ship?"
The coveralls are made for neo-chimpanzee proportions, so bunch up in a lot of places on the Kavi and hang loose in others. It makes her look like a little girl though. "Good spots to hide?" she asks.
"There's my quarters, since.. well nobody is actually using them right now," Hakeber says. "All of the disturbing stuff has been packed away."
"I think we have some," Tasha replies, tilting her head. "I'd suggest the Core but that space will be taken soon. The Hangars are probably the best choice, followed by the Cargo Bay. The Cargo Bay is equipped with heavily automated packing systems and is not safe to enter while the system is running, except at the receiving and control area, with the main area being unpressurized. We can probably arrange something through the system to hide you, or I can adjust the superstructure to include a space somewhere."
"I like big drawers full of socks," Reeka claims. "Or kitchen."
"The Galley is a little busy but ... I think we can arrange something." Tasha makes a mental note to have the Niss restructure the faux-matter bulkheads between the Galley and the neighboring areas to include a crawl space and room to hang and store things. Then she holds up a finger. "Food is rationed, so you have to listen to orders on what we're allowed to eat and when. I'll make sure meals are left for you so you can come get them when you want to."
"I'm in charge of the rationing," Liza warns.
The Kavi grumbles. "Nuthin' to hunt?" she asks.
"Nothing," Tasha confirms. "We have a lot of different kinds of people on this ship so we have to be respectful of everyone's culture and needs, and really the ship isn't very big so where would we put the animals?" Her head shakes. "I'm sure if you're bored you can try sneaking up on Samael. I'm sure he'd enjoy having someone to sneak up on people with."
"You can't hunt the cats," Katie points out. "And if you see any fish, you'd better leave them alone too or the Phins will get upset."
"Yes no hunting my cats. They're my pets. I will be very cross if something happens to either of them. And the Phins will be very cross if their fish disappear." And so Tasha shrugs. "But you'll figure everyone out in time. No killing anything, no stealing from crew, don't go where you're asked not to. Some areas can be quite dangerous, and others are restricted. You may say hi to our little ship and exercise in he cargo bays. If you need anything, ask the Captain -- that's the big male Karnor -- or someone else. Shojo, the black Vartan, runs the kitchen, I know a little about everything on board, and you can ask anyone here as well. Try to avoid the older Human male, he's had a difficult time, and the bird-headed robot man doesn't like interruptions either."
"Can't bite the mean rabbits or angry little hoo-man?" Reeka asks, just to be certain.
"We bite back and have bigger teeth," Liza notes.
"Only if they bite you first," Tasha confirms. "And the angry 'hoo-man' is a lot scarier than she looks." Tasha gives Reeka a pat on the head, then resumes lounging like an overworked noble. "Anything else? I need to see about other matters. Liza, can you find her an out of the way spot to set up in until I can arrange for her quarters?"
"I can ask Modo to build her a box or something," Liza says, then gestures for the Kavi to follow her. "You'll like Modo, so long as you don't try to steal his tools."
Soon enough, it's back to just the original four women again.
"It's nice to make new friends," Tasha, once again breaking the silence, says from her once-again position of laying down with her leg off the side, hands folded, eyes-t-the-ceiling arrangement. "And now we're that much closer to having an answer to more conventional problems. That was a good idea about letting her deal with matters we can't be caught at. I'd like to follow up on that and arrange a more dedicated team for such things. And Hake, after talking to Old Ma, I've decided to begin design and assembly of a place for us to begin studying what I'm going to keep calling 'magic' even if people tell me not to. Old Ma suggested I make my own implements, due to the memetic nature of expression of will, so I plan to do that as well. Maybe you should also consider doing so? Will you be focusing on the Shadow side of things, or Thoth's alchemy?"
"I think the demonic side is what I'd be most familiar with," Hakeber says. "And I have a vested interest in understanding it as well."
"Magic?" Lacci asks. "Normal people can't do that! Can they?"
"I thought so," agrees Tasha, sounding unsurprised. She flicks her tail in to her hands and runs a thumb along the tip, frowning, briefly at how mussed up it's become, and smoothing it down. She then glances to Lacci. "Magic. We now have the resources and educators needed to pursue a greater understanding of the power the Ogdru-hem and the Vril-ya utilize. That's sorcery and alchemy, if you need to give them a names. Chaos and Order, Stasis and Entropy, and so on. The distortion of realities through will, th expression of the personal domain." She then stiffens her tail, shaking it at Lacci wand-like. "Thoth once taught ancient Humans alchemy, the attempt to create Vril-energy and refine substances. Entire civilizations have discovered how to hybridize the Shadow with their own technologies, or bring such creatures here and use their powers by that proxy. There are rules that can be manipulated, and many areas of study and specialization within each side of things. You," more tail-wand pointing, " ... should talk to Thoth if you're interested. I think you'd be most suited to his style of things."
And then Tasha drops her tail and touches her forehead. "And as you've probably noticed, many of us aren't exactly normal people, Lacci. Hake and I are both touched by Shadow, and I don't believe Thoth needed special people to teach them alchemy. We should ask him."
"I claim that Miss Necessity works magic with my fur," Katie says. "It's not the same thing though. Unless these things require singing and some dancing for the rituals, I don't know what I can contribute. I might be able to charm demons. I haven't tried yet."
Lacci seems to be thinking things over. Galactic Vartans (or the Clan ones at least) don't seem to have any religious objections to magic like the Sanai ones do.
"So what is it for?" the Vartan finally asks.
"Both you and he respect order to some degree, and I think you have the capacity to be respectful and attentive. Being taught by Thoth himself would be a great honor for anyone. I also plan to learn from him. There's an answer somewhere between the two catagories -- between Vril and Shadow -- that I mean to understand." Tasha rests her hands back on her stomach and nods slowly. "But I understand more about the Shadow than I do about Vril, so that will need to change. I also plan to using this knowledge to update my Titan and understand the spore that is part of me."
Tasha pauses a moment to gather her thoughts, then answers, "Many reasons. The most immediate one is to understand who and what we fight against and to use this knowledge and power to safeguard ourselves and achieve success. The knowledge is it's own reason, as I haven't given up on being an explorer, and I can only go so far as I am and with what I know. The Shadow is also now part of me, so it helps me understand myself, and what plots and societies came before me and lead to me being where I am. The same is true for Hake, she appreciates knowing the truth and herself. For you ... It's as I say, but magic is about self and will, so you'll have to decide on your own why you value it." Tasha then nods again, seemingly satisfied. "It is not a pursuit for the passive, that much has been made obvious to me."
"I may have to learn it just so I can nag you two about it," Katie claims. "You need help with discipline."
"Sorceress Kaboom?" Tasha sits up at this possibility. Her mind is immediately drawn to the Winged Gift comic and some of the characters therein. "We may not need any other weapons with a Sorceress Kaboom." She looks to Hakeber, tail doing a little spin. "I think I'm already defeated, how about you, Hake?"
"I don't know, I'm pretty comfortable draping over the back of the couch.. but Katie is more intimidating than Liza. She wouldn't have to practice any of it, just be our trainer I think."
"Someone to make us focus. Well, I did say I needed more discipline," Tasha admits. She settles back down, wriggling until comfortable and then fluffing up her neck ruff. "Then it will be so. Samael will teach the Shadow-side and Thoth the Vril-side. For our workshop, I'll be creating a space around the Bridle, which will also give us proximity to Tatha-hem. Access will be restricted to certain personnel only, for obvious reasons. We should gather everyone together in the new area and make things formal, then decide how to proceed from there."
"Together we will be the Cabal of the Rose. The Order of the Rose will constitute the alchemical side of things, that is, Vril. The Coven of the Rose will form the Shadow-side. There will be nice little pins," Tasha adds.
"And code names," Katie suggests.
"Everyone likes code names. I should change my old one, I'm not exactly a moving castle anymore." Tasha looks around, twists her muzzle, then suggests, "Since we're dealing with magic, we could use names taken from that mythology. It's been traditional to use mythology from Terra and I know we all have some familiarity with that, as does Thoth and, I think, Sam. We can use that. For me and my kind, faeries seem the most obvious choice."
"Although that may be too obvious," Tasha notes, in hindsight. She points to her obviously fae-like face.
"Thoth came up with the name, so he probably has some sort of symbolic code name catalog too," Hakeber suggests.
"Then we'll ask him. I'm sure Sam will have input, as well. My 'little brother' could use some camaraderie, I think." Tasha sits up again, looks around, then asks, "Do we have time now? We won't be able to begin building anything, but we can at least get their input."
"I'm not going to knock on Thoth's door," Hakeber says. "He's still creepy."
"Remember it's just a vessel he wears. Thoth -- the core of Thoth -- is orange flame of questionable reality. If they're as similar to Shadow as I think they are, they're like solidified memetics. Conceptual manifestations. But for some reason they don't need to consume and destroy to be what they are. The bodies they wear are like space suits, to survive our universe." Tasha fishes under the couch until she finds her datapad, then punches in a communication to both Samael and Thoth. "This is Tasha, would you both care to join us? We'd like your opinion on the forming Cabal of the Rose, if you don't mind."
It takes some time, and it become clear that both Thoth and Samael are waiting to arrive at the same time, since they can sense each other. Neither responded to the missive otherwise, and neither says anything first.
"'Be respectful and direct to immortals,'" Tasha repeats, sitting up straight and, after standing, moving to one of the tables and sitting properly down in a chair. She waves the others to join her and nods for both Samael and Thoth to sit across from them. Since it's a square table, there's no 'head' to occupy, leaving everyone even. Mortals on one side, immortals to the other.
Samael and Thoth sit as far apart from one another as they can manage. Finally, Thoth asks, "What is it you wish to discuss."
Tasha, who is roughly mortal-center, claps her hands together. "the four of us desire to be your students. That is, Hakeber would learn from Samael, Lacci from you, I from both of you, and Katie ... do you have a preference? Or are you offering to be a teacher's aid?" She looks to the woman for confirmation.
"She has a specific role to play," Thoth claims before Katie can answer. "Katherine is the Magician. Lacci is the Fool, Tasha the Hermit, Hakeber the High Priestess, Samael the Devil and I am the Heirophant."
"It looks like you were correct," Tasha tells Hakeber. She looks between the others and nods. "Then that part is settled. Sam, do you have a contribution to the naming scheme?"
"I don't know what it signifies, but I suppose I can accept 'The Devil' as my secret society name.
"Your first tasks as initiates will be to discover what your names signify," Thoth says.
"Then that is what we will do. I also had it suggested to me by the Titanians I learn about and create an implement, made form my own hand, conveying my will and self as part of the construction. I'd like to do this as well, and I will also be drafting plans for our sanctuary in the core of the ship. You'll both be happy to know I'll be separate the two 'departments' better so we needn't have as many awkward meetings." And so Tasha smiles.