[Raw, hardly edited stuff.]
arcangel pages: One wonders what Mallory thought of the course-book listings for the College of Temporal Happenstance, Ultimate Lies, and Historical Undertakings. In particular, "Applied History."
You paged arcangel with 'One wonders what Mallory thought of the course-book listings for the College of Temporal Happenstance, Ultimate Lies, and Historical Undertakings. In particular, "Applied History."'.
Mallory thought it was interesting, although there's lying, and there's lying honorably.
You say "Would Mallory be inclined to use one of the breaks between his classes to... sneak into the back of the classroom and observe?"
Mallory might, sure.
<<OOC>> arcangel ponders setting the "in scene" toggle. O:>
Liz has a meeting in about 5 minutes for about 30 mins. After that, sure.
arcangel dunno if she's going to be able to keep ze baby asleep that long, but if she can... O:>
Mallory says "All right."
<<Scene Start>>
<<OOC>> arcangel says "I believe Mallory was slipping into C.T.H.U.L.H.U.'s "Applied History" class, to see what it was all about?"
<<OOC>> Mallory nods.
The classroom is relatively full, and the professor is so absent-minded looking that Mallory might wonder about Vapulans. After puttering into the room, mumbling about taking roll, passing along a paper and not bothering to see if anyone signs it, she (probably -- lack of beard suggests it, though the white lab coat conceals everything) scrawls something on the blackboard.
The scrawl, if peered at a moment, resolves into "FIELD TRIP."
<<OOC>> Mallory tests carefully.
<<OOC>> Mallory aha. Good.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Whew."
<<OOC>> Maya says "Good."
Mallory blinks curiously. Field trip?
Mallory snags the paper as it comes by, for a look.
The paper is just a list of student names. Presumably checking to see who's signed up. Several of the names have the same handwriting, suggesting that students are covering for friends who have skipped class. Either that, or split personalities can join separately.
<<OOC>> Maya laughs.
For some reason, the professor is handing out bundles of things that look rather like old-fashioned (i.e., proper ones, from Mal's point of view) watches. Shiny, bulky, and with a chain and clip to attach somewhere. Students take the bundles, take one, and pass them along.
Mallory passes the paper on, but grabs a watch.
It is quite heavy, and slightly warm. The cover over its face is closed.
Mallory looks at it suspiciously, and checks to see if it is ticking.
Mallory has clearly had his fill of technology of late.
It has a very soft, gentle tick.
The professor is mumbling something about the class setting it to their previously-designated coordinates, per assignment group.
Around Mallory, students are opening their watches and moving the hands of the (rather complex, what with two additional mini-dials and various lunar-stage displays) clock-faces.
<<OOC>> Maya says "Are these secret Soldiers of Fate?"
<<OOC>> arcangel says "One could be suspicious!"
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Indeed, make a Perception+CelForces roll, Mallory."
<<GAME>> Mallory rolls the d666 and gets 4 2 CHECK: 5.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Indeed! Mallory holds a relic!"
Mallory picks a likely looking assignment group to mimic. One with the highest number of attractive females.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Unfortunately, the group of females (who are, as it happens, all dressed in tight jumpsuits) are a ways away -- Mallory has to squint to mimic their watch-settings."
<<OOC>> arcangel gloats at finding the character sheets. She da GM!
<<OOC>> arcangel suggests Mallory make an Int roll or a Per roll, to duplicate the settings properly. Just for grins.
<<GAME>> Mallory rolls the d666 and gets 5 6 CHECK: 4.
Mallory does, ah, poorly.
Surely it's not important what that little unmarked dial is pointing at, so long as it's close?
<<OOC>> Maya | Consistency is the hobgoblin of tiny minds!
The professor waits for everyone to set their watches, then holds up her own, which has several buttons on it. "Now, if everyone's ready...?" A pause, during which no one shouts anything to the contrary. "Group one." She presses the button.
Several of the class fade away, with little Symphonic bongs.
Mallory waits for the attractive females to activate their relics.
"Group two." The professor presses another button.
The world fades away, with a little Symphonic bong.
...sky...
There's a blue sky overhead, a fuzzy feeling behind Mallory's eyes, and he appears to be lying in grass.
Mallory blinks. Normally this would be a ripple-blink, but.
Mallory sits up carefully, and looks around for the attractive females.
There are trees around. And very, _very_ tall, spindly buildings. And a woman in body-paint and a bikini jogging along a path a little ways away. And some birds in the trees. The attractive female students are not present.
Maya pages: 10,000 Years BC?
<<OOC>> arcangel says "The woman in body-paint is interesting, though."
You paged Maya with 'Who said anything about Mallory managing the _past_ with his erronious setting? O:>'.
Maya pages: Oh dear. ;)
Long distance to Maya: arcangel smirks.
Maya pages: After The Bomb? :)
Mallory mutters a small curse in Helltongue under his breath, and brings out the relic to examine it for what might have gone wrong.
Mallory does appreciate the woman jogging by, however.
The relic ticks cheerfully enough, and does not appear to be broken. Perhaps it did matter what that little teeny dial was set to, after all?
The woman glances at Mallory and smiles, apparently appreciating him back, but jogs on without comment.
High overhead, something ovoid and large flies by, with a faint hum.
Mallory mutters another something, and then gets up, and walks after the woman, towards whatever locally passes for civilization.
Mallory idly wishes for something more 'civilized' to be dressed in.
Along the way, he passes a couple with a small child, who are wearing shorts and vests (all three of them), and then two women and a man with about seven children in tow. One of the women is in bodypaint and shorts, while the other has a thin sundress on, and the man wears a kilt. The children have similiarly ecclectic garb.
He can soon tell that he is in some kind of park.
Civilization hovers around the edges of it, from the tall buildings, but it appears to be a large park, with various winding paths. Occasionally slides and swings appear, doubtless for the entertainment of children.
From afar, Maya snickers, imagining if Mallory had gone forward into the Stella Inquisitoris future, and he was on either a Heaven-dominated world... no, wait, the girl's in a bikini. Has to be one of the Princes' worlds. :)
Long distance to Maya: arcangel snickers. No, no, can't do SI stuff easily. Don't know the setting well enough to run it off the top of my head.
From afar, Maya grins.
Maya pages: Well... hm, there was a girl in a bikini, there's high-tech, and there's some forest. This cuts down the number of Princes it could be...
Long distance to Maya: arcangel giggles.
Maya pages: But I suspect you have something else in mind. ;)
Long distance to Maya: arcangel whistles innocently.
From afar, Maya laughs.
Mallory hmms.
Mallory ponders his own garb, which is not completely unlike the 'shorts and vest' which seems to be common. Perhaps he can find a vest soon. He continues on, towards the edge.
Almost abruptly, he follows the path around a hedge, and is out upon a street. It looks vaguely plastic-like, with an attractive black-on-black mosaic effect, and wends its way into the city-scape, between the low buildings that seem to be built higher and higher as they get farther from the park.
Some bus-like vehicles can be seen on this road.
Across this street, there is a parking lot, with various vehicles. The jogging woman can be glimpsed somewhere in the second row.
Mallory says "Some 'history', this looks even more in the future than does the university."
Mallory follows the jogging woman, for lack of anything better to do.
WIth a little hastening, he can catch up nicely, and sees her swinging onto what looks vaguely like a motorcycle. With, however, no wheels, and with a large, flattish "pedestal" incorporated into the base.
<<GAME>> Arcangel rolls the d666 and gets 1 4 CHECK: 2.
The woman glances up at Mallory, and waits to see if he's going to approach.
Mallory walks over, summoning what savoir faire he can muster under the circumstances.
The woman grins, relaxing back on the seat of the "motorcycle." This displays that she is decently endowed (though not overblown), with the blue and green body-paint coiling irridescently around on her like waves. (The sineous, snakey appearance is quite attractive to one of Mallory's type, as it happens, but we digress.) She has indigo-black hair, and her eyes are either blue or green -- they seem to shift like bird-feathers in the sun. The bikini is, upon closer examination, a snakeskin print, in a slightly deeper blue-green than her eyes.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "To put it in more blunt terms, she's fairly attractive, but more _exotic_ and striking than actually drop-dead gorgeous. O:>"
Mallory nods, almost a bow. "Good day to you."
The woman smiles and nods back. "Hi. How'ya doing?"
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Mallory has a very strange feeling that the words she's saying and what he's hearing don't _quite_ sync."
Mallory says "I'm well, thank you."
Mallory, slightly intrigued, contines in French, "And how are you this day?"
Apparently not noticing anything odd in Mallory's speech, the woman replies, "Hot 'n sweaty, and on my way for a shower after a good jog." She grins. "Angling to hitch a ride?"
Mallory shrugs sinuously. "I've no place I need to be at the moment. I am, if you will, taking in the view."
Mallory says "A ride to some place else would be as good a place to take in the view as here."
She chuckles. "Sure. If nothing else, I can drop you off at my apartment. Hop on." She scoots forwards a little so that he can get onto the seat behind her.
Mallory mounts the machine much like he would mount a particularly low-slung horse.
This seems to work. The woman indicates a couple of thigh-straps (which Mallory would have sworn weren't there a moment ago), and clips a couple of them around her own legs, before leaning forwards and starting the machine.
It hums.
And lifts off the ground.
Mallory keeps his weight centered and slightly forward, expecting acceleration. Unless there's a seat-back. He does not wrap his arms around the woman unless instructed to. (Yes, this could be construed as not expecting that much accelration.)
<<OOC>> arcangel says "No seat-back."
As it happens, the acceleration is, indeed, very mild. A little disconcerting, since the ground drops away for quite some time, but otherwise almost anti-climactic.
The woman asks over her shoulder, "Did you walk the whole way to the park, or hitch a ride?"
Mallory looks down somewhat nervously, but since he's historically had wings, heights aren't a major problem.
Mallory says "I sort of dropped in."
She laughs. "Gotta watch out for those starpilot jocks. If the traffic cops catch 'em in grav..."
Mallory makes noises appropriate to 'yes, you're correct, do go on' without actually giving an opinion.
Mallory looks round, enjoying the view.
The "motorcycle" is severeal stories up now, and humming along at a fair clip. The various buildings below (and coming up on "beside") seem to have landing ledges and rooftop parking lots. A few, looking more like homes, sprawl across the landscape in mansion-esque glory. Ahead, other flying vehicles can be seen, including one bright speck which slowly floats up and up and up until it is lost to view.
Mallory says "Do you have much trouble with these 'starpilot jocks', then?"
The woman cheerfully says, "Me? Nah. But some of 'em, well... News said that there'd been a rash of sensor blips recently, and anyone spotting a stealthed starship outside of proper landing pads should report it to the cops. I'll bet that the traffic control folks are having nervous breakdowns!"
Mallory says "I see. One hopes the hooliganism does not get out of hand."
She alters course slightly, turning slightly away from what was apparently the middle of this tall-building'ed town. Buildings are passed.
Mallory is all for law and order, so long as it works to his advantage.
Mallory says "How long have you had this vehicle?"
She giggles at the hooligan comment and leans back against Mallory a little. "Oh, I dunno -- eight, ten years now? Not much on the gees, but it gets me where I need to go. You should have seen my first one -- it could barely get off the _ground_."
Mallory doesn't pull away, though he hopes the body-paint does not transfer to his clothing.
Mallory says "You would prefer a faster model, then?"
The paint, Mallory can observe with a glance, does not seem to be coming off on his clothes.
The woman shrugs. "Sometimes -- but really, the cops are more likely to harass people on the speedy grav-cycles, y'know? And I'd have to wear protective gear, or get a full-bubble model, which'd mean no wind through my hair. Why? You like speed?" She grins over her shoulder at him, seeming to pay little heed to her steering.
A flock of birds -- looking startlingly like eagles crossed with peacocks -- passes by underneath. They seem completely oblivious to their unwinged companions of the air.
Mallory says "I have a certain fondness for fast and responsive horses, though more for the pleasure of riding a well trained beast as opposed for the pure speed of it."
The woman says, "Eek! Couldn't get _me_ on one of those things -- they're so unpredictable!"
She adds, "Hey, I didn't ask your name, did I? I'm Amberlynn Lee."
Mallory says "Mallory. Plasir."
Amberlynn says, "Glad to meet'cha!"
With another turn, Amberlynn seems to be angling for a tall, rather organic-looking building. Only a tree-like spray of... landing pads? saves it from a somewhat disturbing phallic shape.
Mallory says "I've not been into that building before. Do you live there, or has it another purpose?"
Mallory has shifted his position slightly so that Mademoiselle Lee is neatly along his back, with as much body contact as is possible without being lewd about it.
Amberlynn (who seems quite agreeable about contact) says, "What, you've never heard of Castille Condos? The management'd have a fit. Yup, it's home. Not the fanciest, but it's good for a starveling student."
She is definitely angling down to one of the flat landing pads, where a few other "motorcycle" things are already parked. One of them is entirely enclosed; perhaps that "bubble style."
<<OOC>> arcangel says "phone"
<<OOC>> arcangel done. May have waking baby soon, though.
Landing is accomplished by moving over the area to be landed upon, rocking back slightly, and settling to the ground with all the softness of a falling leaf and none of the fluttering.
Mallory waits for Amberlynn to pull herself away from him, then dismounts smoothly.
Amberlynn presses a button as she gets off, and the vehicle's faint hum quiets. Then she leads the way to the tallish, rounded bump in the middle of the landing pad, which opens up to reveal a stairway.
Mallory follows along, reflecting on the changed meaning of 'starving' in this society.
Amberlynn leads the way into this stairway, which promptly turns into an escalator, humming downwards.
The escalator's passage is opaque, but has various murals painted upon it. One appears to be of some strange Marches scene, with feline-bodied centaurs bounding after a six-legged deer.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "eeks! Awake baby!"
<<OOC>> arcangel idles here, she fears, for if she tries to continue, she will have someone either pulling down the radio, or trying to mess with the keyboard.
<<Scene Stop>>
Mallory has connected.
You say "Everyone ready?"
Mallory nods. We were just going into her building, as he recalls.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "phone"
<<Scene Start>>
<<OOC>> arcangel recaps. | The escalator's passage is opaque, but has various murals painted upon it. One appears to be of some strange Marches scene, with feline-bodied centaurs bounding after a six-legged deer.
Maya pages: Someone is mining a certain space-related game in which she played for details, me suspecteth. :)
You paged Maya with 'Hush, you. O:>'.
Mallory looks curiously at the marches scene. "Hmm. Strange. Slightly familiar too..."
Amberlynn goes, "Hm?" curiously over her shoulder at Mallory.
From afar, Maya says nuzzink. ;)
Long distance to Maya: arcangel can do spacegame stuff in her _sleep_. Eez perfek for braindead GMing!
From afar, Maya admires!
From afar, Maya | Amberlynn says, "As long as I'm free to meet my boyfriend Miles in half an hour. Lovely chap. Miles Vorkosigan -- know him?"
The escalator slips past that scene, to something with reptilian beings in a laboratory; a crowd of smaller reptilian bipeds clustered around an older one who holds a test tube that bubbles. All wear lab coats of pale lavender.
Long distance to Maya: arcangel beats Maya with a teddy bear!
Maya pages: Owie. ;)
Long distance to Maya: arcangel | Miles' Girlfriends: Be all that you can be -- and then some!
Mallory says "Where are these pictures from?"
From afar, Maya chuckles
Amberlynn says, "Oh, we've got a few starveling artists here, and they did the murals. I dunno about the lavender on the Unars. It's a little off."
<<OOC>> arcangel says "As a note, Amberlynn's "starveling" does indeed sound that way, rather than starving."
At the bottom, there is a hallway, and Amberlynn leads the way (with just a bit of an interesting sway for those who have an appreciation for the human form) to a door which has "Amberlynn Lee" on its doorplate.
Mallory says "I see."
Mallory follows along, bemused at the turn of things.
She reaches out and pats the doorplate, and the door opens onto a smallish apartment. From the doors, it would appear to be a 3-room dwelling. A living room-kitchenette, and what would presumably be a bedroom and bathroom. Of course, there is also the chance that local architecture prefers long chains of rooms rather than a central layout...
Mallory says "Starveling, hmm?"
Amberlynn nods. "Yup. The place is a little drab if you've actually got a job, so it's full of starvelings." She grins. "What, you've never seen government housing?"
(She is, as it happens, starting to undo her bikini top as she heads for one of the doors. Presumably to take that shower she was talking about.)
Mallory ponders Versailles, and chuckles. "Under somewhat different circumstances, I assure you."
Amberlynn actually pauses a bit. "Say, when you said you kinda dropped in -- do you mean dropped in, as in you're not from around here?"
Mallory says "That would not be inaccurate."
The woman blinks. "Wow. Where'd you come from, then? Station? Byte?"
Mallory says "An excursion from a university. Sort of to see the sights, cultural acclimation, that sort of thing."
She tilts her head. "Only human universitites I know of are here and Byte, and Byte's kind of a special case..." She pauses. "Unless you're from the other side of that stargate? GCS Federation?"
<<OOC>> arcangel | Mallory . o O (Help! I've fallen into a Star Trek episode!)
Mallory chuckles. "Let's just keep it with 'another university', and leave it at that. I'm here to observe for a bit."
Amberlynn goes "hmmmm" curiously, then shrugs. "Okay. Do you want to get something to eat, or do you need a shower too?" She resumes untying the back strings of her bikini.
<<OOC>> Maya chuckles.
Mallory says "I would be interested to try the local food, yes. As for a shower, I had one earlier today, and I've yet to exert myself."
Mallory looks around the apartment, not staring at the woman, but not ignoring her, either. If she wishes to show off, he's willing to appreciate.
Amberlynn nods. She points to the kitchen, bikini hanging from neck-strings just enough to preserve a PG-13 rating. "Sandwiches in the fridge, popcorn in one of the cabinets, and ice-cream in the freezer. Help yourself -- it's gov-food, but they've gotten better syntha-stuff lately."
Then she turns, discarding the bikini top and working on the bottom as she vanishs into the door. (Beyond which, Mallory can see, is a white-tiled room that suggests a bathroom.)
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Mallory... Hm. This is something that you'd probably figure out with a moment's thought. Gimme an Int roll + EthForces roll."
<<GAME>> Mallory rolls the d666 and gets 4 5 CHECK: 3.
<<OOC>> Mallory thinks that makes it.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Yup. After a moment to think about it, you'll realize that she... wasn't really showing off much. Her body-language seemed to indicate that while she _was_ posing a bit, the casual undressing was just that: casual. Sort of like someone wearing a nice dress and posing a little in it."
Mallory takes that for what it's worth then, and goes to pull out the closest thing he can find to decent food from the 'fridge'.
Mallory sighs at the lack of servants to set the table, and treats it as he might an informal outing for brunch.
There are sandwiches, something that looks like a bowl of cheese spheres, and various containers of juice. They all have little lables on them. The freezer does, indeed, have containers of ice cream, as well as ice-cubes and some "frozen dinner" things.
One of the sandwiches is in the back of the fridge, and may have been there for a while.
Mallory picks things out carefully, and sneers at the sandwich in the back of the fridge. Peasant food. At best.
With a bit of peering, Mallory can decipher the lables (though the way the letters seem to waver and have shadowimages is a bit unsettling). Some of the bottles say, "Kintaran-Brew Beer," while others are "Orange Juice" and "Cranberry Nectar." The sandwiches say things like, "Salmon," "Vegan," "Pizza," and in the case of the discarded one, "Merfah."
Mallory calls out, "Is there anything you'd prefer for yourself?"
<<OOC>> Mallory waves a tailtip.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Lemme recap..."
<<OOC>> arcangel | Mallory picks things out carefully, and sneers at the sandwich in the back of the fridge. Peasant food. At best.
<<OOC>> arcangel | With a bit of peering, Mallory can decipher the lables (though the way the letters seem to waver and have shadowimages is a bit unsettling). Some of the bottles say, "Kintaran-Brew Beer," while others are "Orange Juice" and "Cranberry Nectar." The sandwiches say things like, "Salmon," "Vegan," "Pizza," and in the case of the discarded one, "Merfah."
<<OOC>> arcangel | Mallory calls out, "Is there anything you'd prefer for yourself?"
<<OOC>> arcangel then does the one that never got through because the connection went down _just_ then... | From the direction of the bathroom, Amberlynn calls back, "Nah, thanks. I'll take pot-luck if you want to get me something. Be out in about five!"
Mallory sets various things out on the table as the modest circumstances allow, and carefully tastes a bit of each food for suitability.
The food isn't bad -- unspoiled, not soggy, etc. -- though it's perhaps a little bland. It's around the quality of the various food stands Mallory has encountered around campus.
Plates and napkins can be discovered in some of the cabinets, along with glasses and eating utensils.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Is Mal checking the juices/beers? The beers and some of the juices are in individual containers, which might not do well with opening re-closing."
<<OOC>> Mallory has probably figured out the non-reclosable stuff by now, and so leaves those alone.
Mallory then composes himself, relaxing.
<<OOC>> arcangel nods.
The apartment is sparsely appointed, but everything there seems to be of good quality. Everything is in "neutral" tones of green and cream. One wall, strangely enough, is totally blank, as if it were intended to be a window. The other wall areas have some pictures on them -- scantily-clad human forms, apparently dancing.
At about five minutes, Amberlynn emerges, towel around her hair and a bathrobe around her freshly-showered self. The body-paint appears to be unaffected by the moisture upon it.
Mallory looks over the figures, then. Appreciation of art and all that.
Mallory indicates the set-out food, without being so gauche as to 'offer' her own food to her.
The people in the photos (for they do seem to be such, and not paintings) are all quite attractive, of both genders, and clad in tight and translucent flowing materials (sometimes translucent tight ones, too) so as to emphasize that.
Amberlynn says, "Great! Thanks!" She briefly rummages in the fridge for a bottle of Cranberry Nectar before pulling up a seat, and then addresses herself to eating.
After a moment, she pauses, swallows, and says, "Room, music, please. And view."
Soft flute music starts up, and the blank wall slowly opens out to become a window. The view is about what one could expect from the ride over. Green landscape, some tall buildings, blue sky... The hint of something yellow-red swirled on the horizon like a very big moon.
Mallory blinks, and sighs. Humans and their Technology.
Amberlynn tilts her head at Mallory's sigh. "Something wrong?"
Mallory says "Nothing. It's a nice view, for an image."
Amberlynn grins. "Not an image -- it's piped in live from an outer camera. Prefer a different view? I can change the channel."
Mallory says "This is the closest thing to what is outside?"
Amberlynn says, "Well, technically this is the side that gets Soltoo-rise. The wall faces north, so I wouldn't be able to see it at all with a straightline feed."
Mallory chuckles. "One must make allowances. It is a fine view."
Amberlynn replies, "Thanks! My great-great-grandparents picked it themselves, or so I hear."
<<OOC>> arcangel has an awake baby who will soon be out of sleepy quiescent stage and into yell and pound keyboard stage. *sigh*
<<OOC>> Mallory nods, and will submerge back into work.
<<OOC>> arcangel hugs and will idle to death here, and idle hard elsewhere...
Mallory believes we were about to eat?
arcangel believes so. A moment...
<<Scene Start>>
<<OOC>> arcangel recaps.
<<OOC>> arcangel | Amberlynn says, "Well, technically this is the side that gets Soltoo-rise. The wall faces north, so I wouldn't be able to see it at all with a straightline feed."
<<OOC>> arcangel | Mallory chuckles. "One must make allowances. It is a fine view."
<<OOC>> arcangel | Amberlynn replies, "Thanks! My great-great-grandparents picked it themselves, or so I hear."
Maya has connected.
<<OOC>> arcangel idly curses herself for coming up with a long name for Amberlynn, but what the hey.
Mallory says "Your family has held this space for generations, then?"
Amberlynn says, "About, um..." She starts counting on her fingers.
Amberlynn finishes up with, "A hundred fifty and some. Great-grandad's always iffy about his age."
Mallory says "I see. A tolerably long time then."
Mallory munches on some popcorn, which is decently tasty, if lacking in culinary sophistication.
Mallory says "And yourself?"
Amberlynn nods. "Well, that's the colony founding, anyway, give or take a few years. I was never all that great with history class... Me? Oh, I've been her the last seven years or so, trying to figure out what I wanted to do with myself."
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Her=here."
Mallory says "Ah."
Mallory mutters 'humans' under his breath. So short lived, and yet still indecisive. Though if the grandfather is still about...
Amberlynn munches food enegetically. "Not to mention that being a professional takes a lot more work these days than on Earth. All those psych classes, aie."
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Great-grandfather, even. O:>"
Mallory says "Does it? Curious."
Daimon has connected.
<<OOC>> arcangel waves to Dai.
Amberlynn asks, "They don't have professionals over in your sector?"
Mallory says, in extremely obsure french, "That would depend on what one means by professionals," with strong classist overtones.
Amberlynn giggles. "Oh, that's right. It's local slang. Professional courtesans. At least, that's what the introductory course said the term was derived from."
Mallory says "One might argue that there is no such thing as a non-professional courtesan, but such is semantics. I am amused that such a thing requires such...extensive...training."
<<OOC>> Daimon settles in a corner and stares at the wall.
Amberlynn nods. "Oh, quite. Psych classes, pem tests, general world affairs, research, and then you have to have a secondary speciality, of course. I'm minoring in dance."
<<OOC>> arcangel pats Dai. It's fluff. Fluffy fluff, even.
Mallory says "Mmmhmm. And when do you actually complete training and begin your 'work'?"
Mallory looks highly amused by now. Humans.
<<OOC>> Daimon says "I'm totally stoned."
Bluejeans multipages (arcangel Maya): Bluejeans waves.
<<OOC>> Maya puts a quilt over Damien soothingly.
<<OOC>> Daimon says "And, sadly, it's not making me feel better."
Long distance to Bluejeans: arcangel waves. Is GMing. O:>
<<OOC>> Maya hugs. Poor thing.
From afar, Bluejeans ahs and will leave you be, then. :)
Amberlynn finishes off her sandwich and makes filching gestures towards Mallory's popcorn. "Oh, another 2-3 years before I get the degree. I've got a training license right now. Which means about nothing except that if anyone catches me violating the ethics code, I'll never work in the system again."
<<OOC>> Daimon says "Now I just feel ill and stoned instead of ill."
<<OOC>> arcangel hugs. Ew.
Mallory politely moves the popcorn to where it can be shared.
Mallory says "I see. And are you similarly restricted in your recreational activities?"
Amberlynn says, "Well, for a professional, there's no such thing as 'unethical sex.' At least, that's the theory. Client, lover, it's the same thing."
She also filches some popcorn with a "thank-you" nod.
Mallory chuckles. "The difference between a romantic and a courtesan is that a romantic is pleasantly surprised when someone pays for it after?"
Amberlynn giggles a little. "I guess. It'd be nice to be _that_ good, though. I'm not sure I've got the body-structure for that, though, and I'd need to get some real funds to get a sculpt."
Mallory accepts the implicit invitation, and gives Amberlynn a thorough looking-over.
Maya has reconnected.
Amberlynn poses a little.
Mallory whispers "And...? ;;:>"
<<OOC>> arcangel says "To Mallory's trained eye, she's attractive and exotic. Not drop-dead stunning, but probably bouncy."
<<OOC>> arcangel says "The curvy lines of her body paint (tattoos?) don't harm her attractiveness to a Balseraph, either. O;>"
Mallory says, amicably enough, "There's nothing wrong with you in the least, and some of the best courtesans I've known were neither particularly well educated nor stunningly attractive.
Amberlynn smiles. "Flattery, it's said, can get one _almost_ anywhere. I suppose I like me like I am, really. But it might be neat to get some of the joints modified -- erotic dancing and all that."
<<OOC>> arcangel says "To Mallory's experienced ear, she does sound quite pleased by the praise."
Mallory chuckles. "Perhaps. Though one should keep in mind that novelty is the refuge of those who lack talent."
Amberlynn nods. "But then there's the ones who have talent _and_... Oh, here, lemme show you." She gets up and goes poking in a table, coming back with a flat, blank object that looks like a picture of the Marches without the dreamscapes. Gray, gray, gray.
Sitting down again, she pokes at it for a few moments, tracing arcane runes upon its surface. The "picture" lights up, and after flickering through a few images of people dancing, settles on a woman dressed in fishnets and some strategically placed jewelry.
The woman in the image has wrapped herself around a pair of parallel bars (such as Mallory has seen in the gym from time to time) in a way that would suggest that the joints in her limbs are only for show.
Maya has partially disconnected.
Amberlynn pokes at the image again and it begins to move, going through something that's half gymnastic workout and half erotic dance.
Mallory says "Hmm. Intriguing."
Mallory doesn't mention that he's seen such things in Hell before, though obviously not by humans.
Amberlynn sighs. "Bootleg tape; she doesn't allow vids, usually. That's why it's not a holo. Things like that, I wonder if I should change my minor to body painting."
Mallory says "Perhaps. Though she seems more a performer than a courtesan. Unless her performances have a very...select...audiences."
Amberlynn says, "Her secondary is dancing as well. Dance, mingle after, make appointments. Dance is a great ice-breaker. It's why I picked it instead of massage or body painting or singing. Well, that and I like being active."
Mallory says "I see."
Mallory adds, again in french, "If you wish to dance, dance. If you wish to please men, please men. If you do either well enough, it will do."
Amberlynn laughs. "Being a professional means being able to break the ice. It's not the old Earth custom of, what was it, pavement stalking?" She adds, teasingly, "And what's wrong with pleasing women, eh?"
Mallory says "On 'old Earth', a woman who performed pavement stalking was a prostitute, not a courtesan."
Mallory gives Amberlynn a rather direct look. "And there's nothing wrong with pleasing women."
Amberlynn grins. "Good. Like I say, pem scores."
Mallory says "Mmmhmm."
Amberlynn gives him a slightly squinting look. "They don't have pem scores in your sector, and they're letting you run around here without briefing you on 'em?"
Mallory says "I have had an unusual education."
Mallory says "And I do not subscribe to people 'letting' me do anything."
<<OOC>> Mallory says "Princes, of course, are not people."
Amberlynn says, "Ahhh! Got _smuggled_ out! No wonder you were dropped off like that." She then assumes the air of one who is copying a teacher and orates, "The Psychological-Emotional Maturity tests are designed to promote harmony and tolerance in the population, ensuring that no one is unfairly deprived of the rights and responsibilities of their maturity level, based on the rough and often disenfranchising guide of temporal age."
Amberlynn adds, "I can go on like that for another hour. One of the professors _harps_ on the stuff. You'd think he'd designed the pem tests himself."
Mallory says "Or, perhaps, he has input into the way such scores are modified."
Mallory says "Such things are not unknown."
Amberlynn looks horrified. "You've _got_ to be kidding! He's not a professional, or a comp-psych, or a counselor! He can't access the things!"
Mallory says "There is 'access', and there is 'input'."
Mallory says "Whatever the system, there are people who design the system, and those who set the goals for the designers."
Amberlynn looks blank. "But he's not on those boards."
Mallory says "And those who lunch with those who set the goals."
Amberlynn says, "Well, maybe back when the social engineers were setting up the colony, but not anymore."
Mallory shrugs. "Alternately he may identify sufficiently with the system to the point where its success or failure dictates his perception of his own success or failure."
Mallory is, frankly, appalled by all of this, but it's not his problem. So not his problem.
Amberlynn nods. "That's possible. Or maybe he's just obsessive about explaining how fortunate we are to live here, where there are pem tests, instead of Alardin or Resort.
<<OOC>> arcangel grins at Mallory. Appalled?
<<OOC>> Mallory says "Appalled. Position is based on results and inherent talents, not some arbitrary number arrived at by some Technologist with no idea of reality."
<<OOC>> arcangel grins. Maybe you should get her talking about what her pem scores need to be.
<<OOC>> Mallory says "Strange for you to mention this."
<<OOC>> arcangel chuckles.
Mallory says "I take it that your own scores will not rise until you've decided on your own direction."
Amberlynn blinks. "Huh? Oh, no, that doesn't matter. I just need to make sure I don't have any unexpected squickpoints that would interfere, well, unexpectedly. And I'd like to move my Kinsey a few percents toward the middle, but some people are just wired more het than others, so that's not a big deal."
Mallory raises an eyebrow. "Your score is based on your willingness to engage in a variety of types of sex, with a variety of partners?"
<<OOC>> Maya says "Clearly this is a world where Andrealphus has gained dominance."
<<OOC>> Mallory is increasingly of the opinion that Humans will do anything to themselves, whether or not the demons help.
Amberlynn shakes her head. "No, no, no, no. Well, sort of. The results indicate where people's comfort levels are in various areas. Typically sex, violence, and ethicality, as well as some stuff about authority figures that I just totally ignore whenever anyone explains why it's on the tests at all. To be a professional, you need to _know_ where your squickpoints are, so you don't freak in the middle of something, or agree to do something a client wants that you discover you can't stand."
She adds, "The ethicality stuff, though, has to be at a minimum level. Those, I take Ethics classes for."
Mallory says "Ah."
Mallory looks amused again. "The stuff about authority figures is very important."
Amberlynn rolls her eyes. "Okay, okay, you can make a stab at explaining it to me if you want."
Mallory says "Very well."
Mallory invokes his essense. "You wish to undress completely, and present yourself to me for my pleasure, regardless of your usual tastes."
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Roll 'em."
<<GAME>> Mallory rolls the d666 and gets 1 1 CHECK: 2.
<<OOC>> arcangel says "WOO!"
<<OOC>> Mallory says "Damn."
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Close, close."
<<GAME>> Arcangel rolls the d666 and gets 5 3 CHECK: 5.
<<OOC>> Mallory says "Unless she's an uncommon human, that's a failure."
Amberlynn giggles and bounces up, shrugging off her bathrobe. "What, you think I don't take advantage of random people I pick up _normally_?"
Mallory says "Do you? Name several instances."
<<OOC>> arcangel has a spouse home, which is likely to draw a curtain upon this scene rather soon. O:>
Mallory thinks this could be instructional. He's never attempted to disjoint someone's reality, then force them to perceive the disjoint.
<<OOC>> Maya grins, hugs arcangel.
Amberlynn, curling up against Mallory's leg with reasonable grace, for a human, ticks off on her fingers, "Josh, who moved in across the hall, and Ren from the starport who needed a lift, and then there was that time I got _really_ drunk at Flare's -- but I didn't do much then, 'cause I haven't taken the courses about Kintarans and they're not usually customers anyway 'cause they're all amature professionals, basically. And Marcia, who needed a lift from Basic Ethics last week."
Mallory says "And these were all complete strangers to you at the time?"
Amberlynn nods. "Well, I talked to them during the ride, and they didn't set off my bioguard, and if I can't spot danger-signs early on then what business do I have being a professional?"
Amberlynn says, "Well, Flare's was an exception. Kintaran beer's got a real kick to it."
Daimon has disconnected.
Mallory says "And your intentions five minutes ago were?"
Amberlynn thinks about it. "See if I could drag you down to the gym and go through a dance-routine for you, to see if you were interested."
Amberlynn adds, grinning with just a trace of embarassment, "Told you I needed to take Ethics classes."
Mallory chuckles. "And now?"
Amberlynn says, "Well, I could skip the dancing routine as the appetizer and try out some of the other stuff from yesterday's class..."
Mallory says "Strange how that changed, almost instantly."
Amberlynn tilts her head. "Nah -- I mean, I didn't have to _work_ to get you interested. You said you wanted me, right?"
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Amusing how humans interpret things sometimes."
Mallory says "Did I?"
Amberlynn nods. "That's what it sounded like." She pouts slightly and clasps her hands around his leg. (Then she realizes she's pouting and stops, assuming a look of interest instead.)
Mallory has an almost cruel glint in his eye now. Honor prevents him from actually taking advantage of the woman, but in some ways this is more interesting.
<<OOC>> arcangel giggles.
<<OOC>> Maya says "Well, he is a demon..."
<<OOC>> arcangel needs to go to dinner very soon -- cooking is hard with baby, and baby is with the cook right now...
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Oh, quite!"
<<OOC>> arcangel says "And a Balseraph, even!"
<<OOC>> Maya says "Yup."
Mallory says "What's the thing that would normally be 'most squickful' for you?"
<<OOC>> Mallory preens.
Amberlynn thinks about this. "Unars and hive beetles and, um... Hurricanians."
Mallory says "And if I told you to get some hive beetles right now?"
Amberlynn thinks. "I'd have to do a computer search and see if any were in-system."
Mallory says "But this is not offensive to you."
Amberlynn thinks about this as well, frowning. "Looking them up isn't."
Mallory says "Imagine yourself, in the act, with them involved. You would do this with me, would you not?"
Amberlynn says, very seriously, "You wouldn't like it."
Mallory says "But you would do it."
Amberlynn chews her lip. "It's good to do things to please the client. But trust me, you wouldn't like it."
Amberlynn is clearly becoming a bit uncomfortable.
Mallory says "But you would do it. Yes, or no?"
Mallory says "And I am not a client."
Mallory says "I would not pay you, nor to see to any necessary care, medical or otherwise, after."
Amberlynn says, very reluctantly, "If you really, really wanted that, yeah... And you might as well be a client, since I need the practice."
Amberlynn adds, "Not paying, or anything, but practice."
Mallory says "Think, then. For 'practice', you would do something for me you would not normally dream of doing. Because I told you to."
Amberlynn says, "Because you'd _like_ it."
Mallory says "Yet you told me I would not, and I believe you. Yet you'd do it."
Amberlynn says, "If... if you didn't like it, then I'd safeword."
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Mallory did say "present yourself to me for my pleasure"."
<<OOC>> Mallory says "'Pleasure' is such a malleable term."
<<OOC>> arcangel says "If he wasn't pleased, then the command wouldn't apply."
<<OOC>> Mallory says "Fair enough."
<<OOC>> arcangel says "Mind, she'd _start_ on his say-so. Which is a bit extreme."
<<OOC>> arcangel hears wails from downstairs. O:<
<<OOC>> Mallory says "I'd best let you go. We'll continue another time, when I'm feeling Demonic."
<<OOC>> arcangel hugs and grins.
<<Scene Stop>>