Brave Galaxy is set in a world loosely based on Hiro Mashima’s Fairy Tail and Eden’s Zero. It is a PG-13 or so rated space fantasy RP, and uses a combination of character statistics, which can be acquired via roleplaying and events, and creative freedom to help direct players’ characters. While there is a main storyline, which can be found in the events section, characters are free to interact with others and their environment however they see fit.
Explore the galaxy. Overcome the obstacles in your path. Shape the future of humanity.
Post by fairchild.txt on Nov 23, 2020 22:49:36 GMT
Jak let out a sigh, her finger hovering over the doorbell. It wasn't a big deal, right? People invited friends over all the time! I mean... could Jak really call them friends, though? Allies? Sure. Occasional companions? Definitely? Hell, Leo was even a pretty good drinking buddy, all things considered. But...
Her eyes wandered as she took a step back, catching a rather large patch of grass that looked to be still growing in. Judging by the mound of dirt it sat on, she could guess what had happened. Someone made a crater here, not that long ago, and Leo and Eris were left dealing with the clean-up. After a few more rainfalls, the dirt would slowly compress and start to match the surrounding yard... for a moment, she wondered what could have caused it, before realizing what she was actually doing: distracting herself. That didn't concern her. Why would it?
"Right!" she asserted, turning back to the door.
She just needed to ring the doorbell. That's it. Then, she would invite Leo and Eris. They could get a nice meal, some good company, and, maybe... Maybe that would be it. She could hope, right? But... she also knew that hope, in this instance, wasn't exactly fair to hold onto. After last year, Jak definitely could expect trouble. Just how far it would go? Well... Jak wasn't really wanting to find out, alone. It wasn't like they'd kill her. At the end of the day, her dad ensured her safety, at least that much... But still, in-fighting was a favorite pastime of the Rousseau clan. And to that end, broken bones, deep scars and even a severed limb wasn't exactly uncommon... And if she was outnumbered, she wouldn't stand a chance.
Jak sucked in a big gulp of crisp, cold air. She could practically taste the season in the air. For the Rousseau's, it was a very important time.... for a fairly morbid reason. It wasn't about the harvesting of crops, but that of souls. The cursed luck of the Rousseau's led many of them to a young and tragic end... And it was at this time of year that the family would gather together with their closest family and celebrate those who had left before them. Though, it was never a time of sadness. More than anything, it was a celebration of life for those cruelly taken away... And maybe, just maybe, a time for reconnection, during the weakening of the veil between worlds. But thanks to her status as a pariah, even this time for celebration was tainted for Jak.
Jak turned around, slowly walking away from Leo and Eris' home, her face becoming tomato-red as she chastised herself in her mind. This was stupid. They probably had plans. She was just gonna go.
But surprising herself, she spun back charging up to the door and jamming her finger into the button, not allowing herself to back down. Silence fell for longer than Jak would have expected as her heart beat practically out of her chest. She could go toe-to-toe with a vicious immortal psychopath with powerful magicks at his disposal... but inviting friends to dinner was what was about to give her a panic attack. She was about to just run away when she saw the knob shift. She was stuck in it now. Just had to grin and bear it.
Post by Reya Starlyght on Nov 25, 2020 22:15:23 GMT
Clouds hung over the sky above, the thick, white drapes characteristic of a coming storm. What light that filtered in from the sun above was muted that day, casting faded shadows across the city nested within the crevices of warmth, a bastion of light and life despite the harsh overtones of much of Trillium. There was something utterly serene about staring out the window in the late morning, his visage practically pressed against the cold, thick glass. Perhaps it was the quiet in spite of the vehicles roaring past each other in the distance, or maybe it was his coffee, its steam fogging up the glass and making him use his sleeve to clear the pane every so often. It was peaceful yet clarifying, and Leo found himself awake, he supposed that was the word. Which was strange, almost disconcerting even, because the seat he was at was more often than not one he found himself falling asleep in thanks to a deprivation of such the night previous.
He didn't sense Eris's approach until she was ruffling his hair, however, attention hyper-focused on the outside landscape and yet paradoxically not. "Whatcha thinking about?" she asked, sitting down next to him.
"Mmm, nothing much," he responded with a smile.
She laughed. "Oh, come on. You're not dozing off here for once."
"Funnily enough, that was what I was thinking about," Leo said. "So, what were you thinking about do-" His speech was cut off by the distinct ring of the doorbell, which was quite a surprise given the fact that he hadn't see any ship pass overhead in a manner that would suggest they were trying to park nearby, nor had anyone previously informed them that they would be stopping by. Leo even briefly checked his phone, nothing. "Huh," he muttered, before rising from the seat. Eris gave him a shrug, communicating that she also had no idea who would be visiting at such an hour. With that, Leo approached the entrance of their home, while she watched from behind.
The sight that greeted him was quite surprising. In all honesty, he hadn't been sure what to expect, but grass growing outside was most certainly not it. With a cursory glance back, he could see Eris grinning, well that was one mystery solved. As to their visitor, well, that would require opening the door, although he most certainly had glanced out the adjacent window beforehand just to make sure there wasn't some malicious entourage. But no, he didn't see a crowd, and thus he unlocked the wooden entryway, letting in the brisk wind.
Leo certainly did a double take when he recognized the individual standing outside, however. Out of all people, he would have expected Cecil, or maybe even someone like Laelynn... but most certainly not Lieutenant Rousseau. "Ah, hey Jak," he said calmly regardless, before blinking, recognizing there was no vehicle outside except for the remnants of an impact long since hauled away. "Wait, how did you get up here? For that matter, why?" Leo paused, just then realizing he was still in what were essentially pajamas, flannel pants and a plain, gray sweater. He glanced down for a moment, the embarrassment clear on his face, before sighing and stepping out of the doorway.
"Sorry, where are my manners? You can come in, if you'd like."
Post by fairchild.txt on Nov 28, 2020 21:21:46 GMT
Jak quickly followed Leo's lead, being ushered into their home, though not quite managing to address any of his statements before she did. Meanwhile, she awkwardly clasped her scraped hands to her side, attempting to hide the results of how she had managed to find her way to their little plateau without announcing herself. Now that she had a moment to think about it, it all kind of felt silly. She debated on telling them at all, but she doubted she could get away with that. Instead, Jak sheepishly responded.
"Yeah, about that... I, uh... Know you don't really like... people?"
Jak kind of motioned around as she talked, as she often did. Though, the Lieutenant was wearing much less armor than either of them might have expected of her, normally. In fact, at the moment, she was completely devoid of any of her normal armaments or weapons. Instead, she was wearing a lightweight, flexible pair of dark pants, a white tank top and a jacket over that. Civilian clothes, as it were. And something that, now that she thought of it, Jak almost never had chance to put on. Still, her badge was clipped to her waist, ready to exquip her gear to her at a moment's notice.
"And, uh, I woulda called, but I had to get a new phone after- not important."
This is what she had been afraid of. Or, maybe not specifically, but honestly, it wasn't that far off. She was wringing the back of her neck with one hand as she stumbled through the explanation to her waiting hosts. Meanwhile, Jak found herself pacing awkwardly, still hovering just inside the threshold of their front door, seemingly ready to bolt at a moment's notice. Much of her hair was tied back, though her bangs still hung around her face and forehead, swaying slightly as Jak motioned around.
"So, yeah. Long story short, I told them to drop me off about a mile from here... then I climbed?" She shrugged, accidentally showing off her bruised and battered palms in the process.
"No big deal, let's not talk about it? Yeah?" she blurted, face resembling a ripe tomato, "Yeah. Cool! Anyways, wanna come to a Harvest Feast tomorrow? Food, Fun, Fights?"
last edited Nov 28, 2020 23:50:44 GMT by fairchild.txt
Debating on whether or not it would be more awkward to change his entire outfit right in front of her - with magic, of course - or just remain in his current attire, Leo almost missed out on Jak's nervous meanderings, key word being almost. That being said, the presence the lieutenant commanded, or really the lack of it, while clearly out of her comfort zone was almost impressively terrible. It was enough so that he couldn't help but pay attention, almost dumbfounded by how roundabout her words were. She didn't usually possess such social ineptitude, but then again they had typically only ever met each other in public before, and, come to think of it, he had never seen her in civilian clothes either. Well, there was a first time for everything, he supposed, and at least her embarrassment made him feel less subconscious himself.
"I'm definitely a bit wary when it comes to strangers showing up at the house in the middle of the morning, but you're not a stranger," Leo said, a tinge of a laugh held in his voice. It seemed like her nervous introduction wasn't going to end any time soon, though, as the lieutenant continued to stumble through her words, first mentioning something about her phone - what, Leo had no idea - and then.... "I'm sorry, what? You climbed? I'm from a place like this and even I wouldn't- oh dear." In all his years, that was a new one. He didn't doubt Jak's ability to do so, but why the hell would she decide to scale the canyon wall that led to their home, out of all things? For crying out loud, many of Trillium's skyscrapers didn't make it past the height of the ravine they sat in, how long must it have taken her?
Calculating a time, as well as being thoroughly flabbergasted, Leo barely registered the invitation Jak offered, and he certainly didn't process it right away. Luckily, Eris was to his rescue, as she had decided to join in on the conversation. It was at about that point in time that he recognized the lieutenant's scabbed palms... well if she were lying she certainly had the dedication to go full circle. Evidently, Eris noted the same, as she snapped her fingers and cast a spell, although it was done with a sort of subtly that perhaps Jak wouldn't notice at first, or if she did it would be too late to protest.
"A harvest feast, you say? It sounds intriguing, although I do have to ask why you're inviting us out of all people, though that's not a bad thing."
Valerianse - 4 Eris's primary healing technique, Valerianse has the capability of transferring life force from one individual to another. While she can heal anyone with this technique, and it has an AoE radius of 4 meters that only affects those she wishes the technique to, it also debuffs the person she is transferring life force from by 5 Magical Fortitude for 2 posts. This debuff does not follow the 2/3rds rule, and it must be consented to by the one receiving the debuff. Eris can apply the debuff to herself, however the individual that is more or less assisting the healing process cannot be healed during it, and must be within a 20 meter radius of Eris at the start of the technique. The spell can also be cast by touch, however in this case it can only affect up to three targets. Valerianse itself is capable of healing up to one serious wound, and has a duration of 1 post with a cooldown of 4 posts. Debuffed applied to Eris.[/spoiler[
Jak didn't notice the spell until she felt the effect, a tinge of unease creeping across her body. While she wasn't sure if she'd ever actually shared with Eris her aversion to being affected by another person's magic, she was sure it didn't go unnoticed. Even when she was bleeding out, when they first met, Jak only accepted Eris' aid because there was... really no choice. And while she did trust Eris to not take advantage of whatever effect her magic might have over her, Jak would still have preferred to handle it her own way. Even if Eris was just trying to help.
"Uh, um. Really, I'm- I'm fine, you don't have-" but obviously, it was too late, as the scrapes and bruises ablated, and the aches in her fingers drifted away.
"Um... Yeah. Harvest Feast. Right." she righted herself, squirming a bit, "So, that's, the uh... That's why it's kind of awkward? I sorta need... bodyguards?"
"-Not that I wou'n't want ta invite you, regardless! It's jus'-" Jak cut herself off, clasping her hands in a motion akin to a prayer, her fingertips resting on her lip for a moment while she tried to compose herself. This was awkward. She could handle chatting over a few drinks. She easily maneuvered through combat situations. And when she was acting as an officer of the law, Jak felt more resolute than she ever did when alone... And that fire... That steadiness... It was within her. She just needed to access it. She just needed to relax. Or tighten up. Or whatever it was that Lieutenant Jak did that Jacqueline, right now, could not. After a moment, she let out deep breath before continuing.
"My family... are not nice people. And they don't like what I've chosen to do with my life." she explained, her demeanor becoming more focused and confident, enunciating each word clearly as she spoke. "And while I may be a capable fighter... They all have magic."
"But... family is very important to me. Even if most of them are assholes." she continued, catching he stride, "And... I want to be there. Even if they don't want me to be there."
Jak hesitated a moment before continuing, "We're still family. And it's not like they're gonna try to kill me... They wouldn't dare. But I just want to be on top of any trouble that might arise."
"And having a few friendly faces on my side would really help with that."
last edited Dec 2, 2020 6:00:46 GMT by fairchild.txt
Post by Reya Starlyght on Dec 2, 2020 18:31:20 GMT
Eris didn't register Jak's obvious discomfort with her use of magic until too late, the truth was she had barely even thought about what she had done, much the same as when she glanced past flora in the supermarket and decided to give the poor plants a bit of help. "Ah, my apologies," she said with a slight nod and smile, not exactly flustered in the traditional sense but making a mental note in her mind that the lieutenant was not a fan of magic. It swiftly became evident why that was not the case, as Jak explained to them both why exactly she had decided to face the twin perils of heights and temperature to give them an invitation, out of all things. At least, she did so after taking a moment to... meditate, was it? Damn, this really was difficult for her, then.
Her words certainly did make sense though, given what he knew about the lieutenant. The first time they had met, after all, was when her cousin had spilled Leo's coffee and had shortly thereafter revealed himself to be a criminal, and the interaction between the two Rousseaus hadn't exactly been on pleasant terms. A whole family of them, well, he completely understood why Jak was anxious to attend such a gathering alone. As she spoke, he nodded along, though it was a far more genuine sentiment than one would likely expect, given the scenario. In his visage there was empathy, more than the sliver of sentiment he normally restricted himself to. At the same time, Eris had glanced away, staring at a particularly eye-catching swirl in the marble floors.
And it's not like they're gonna try to kill me..., the phrase echoed in his mind. A throwaway line, a reassurance that they would not be walking into some sort of death trap, that was likely what Jak had intended it to be, nothing more, nothing less. But... family was a touchy subject for Leo and Eris, and he found himself swallowing down particularly hard, brushing up against and then grasping Eris's hand as her eyes glazed over, intensely studying the interaction between white and gray, drawing particular attention to the specks of quartz caught between the veins. It took him a bit of time to find his words, a clearer sign than any that something Jak had spoken of had disturbed him, but eventually Leo did speak, though his voice was unusually hoarse. "I understand."
Soon after, Eris snapped out of her trance, a shred of confusion found on her face as she shook her head slightly, letting go of Leo's hand. She gave him a look that more or less equated to what do you think? and upon a shrug in response gave a smile in Jak's direction. "We'd be honored to be your 'bodyguards'," Eris said, expression morphing into a smirk. "So, is your family more into wine or hard liquor?"
When Jak had shared how she got here, she immediately recognized the look on Leo's face. It was the same one the pair had when they'd found Jak loitering at the Marquis' front door. And she'd even lied to them about exactly how long she'd been waiting. But it was their response to her family that really made a mark on Jak.
"I-" Jak wasn't completely feckless. She could see that... maybe she'd made the pair uncomfortable. "I'm sorry to spring this all on you like this-"
But it was then that Eris spoke, setting Jak almost at-ease... If not for the thousand yard stare she had been sporting just moments before. But still, it was clear that Eris was being genuine... Or, at least, as genuine as the pair ever were. Jak knew they had secrets in their past. Hell, who didn't. And she knew they didn't like to talk about it, either. If it were really a problem, honestly and truly, she had no doubt that they would flat-out refuse her invitation. And when Eris asked about her family's preferences, well... it was clear that they were more than happy to accompany her. Or, at the very least, not vehemently opposed to the idea.
"Yeah... I'm fairly sure they've got enough liquor to put down even Leo... But hey, a Rousseau never turns down a bottle!" She chuckled.
Jak's tone was more casual, now. A lot more blithe, now that the hard part was out of the way. And it was at this point that it occurred to her that there were still a few things she needed to address. First and foremost, the layer of sweat that separated Jak from her clothing.
"I have just... one more request of you? Could I borrow your shower?" Jak inquired, sheepishly, "I kinda... worked up a sweat on the way here."
Jak clasped her hands together, pointing to the pair and giving a sort of half-nod-half-bow to them as she continued to thank them for their hospitality and good graces. Jak reached one arm off to the side, her fingertips touching the badge on her hip as a light shone for a moment, a worn gym bag materializing in her hand. Slinging it over her shoulder, she was pointed on her way. The steaming-hot water pelted her skin, as all the stress and the few remaining aches melted away. After drying off, Jak got dressed in an outfit similar to the one she had arrived in: Charcoal gray pants over a maroon tank-top. Though, rather than her sweat-infused leather jacket, Jak was wearing a clean, denim one, instead. And instead of the big, clonking boots she had arrived in, Jak instead sported a pair of high-top sneakers.
Jak looked over herself in the mirror for a moment, moving her still-damp bangs this way and that in an attempt to cover up her forehead. Well, less to cover up her forehead, and more to cover up the small protrusions which peeked through the matted-down strands at the base of her hairline. After significantly longer than she would have admitted, Jak crammed her dirty clothes into her bag, sending it back to the ISC lockers with a press of a button. Then, she exited, feeling refreshed. And grateful for Leo and Eris.
last edited Dec 2, 2020 20:00:35 GMT by fairchild.txt
Post by Reya Starlyght on Dec 5, 2020 21:10:34 GMT
His eyes flashed with glee for a moment as Jak mentioned her family's preferences, well if nothing else it seemed like that party would at least be intriguing. Alcohol and drama never seemed to pair well, or rather, unoffensively. Granted, Leo himself was more of a happy drunk than the typical partygoer, but the lieutenant had definitely asked for them for a reason, and generally attendees of social gatherings tended on the polite side until the drinks came out. Which was to say that was promptly when all hell broke loose. Ah, but he wouldn't mind that, to be honest, a spectacle to spice up the day, or rather weekend, and one that apparently wouldn't result in too much bloodshed if Jak's words were to be trusted.
"Sure. There's a shower in that bathroom," Leo said, pointing at the door to the right of the foyer. "I should probably get dressed myself." After finally letting out a bout of nervous laughter, he subconsciously rubbed the back of his neck and then turned away from the entryway, toward their bedroom. It didn't taken Leo long to sort himself, generally he didn't take all that long getting ready in the first place, and most certainly not when somebody else was already in the house, dawdling would just be plain rude. Had the family gathering been that day, he probably would have put a bit more attention into the details of his appearance, but according to Jak she had arrived a day in advanced on purpose, maybe it was her weekend? Regardless, there was no need to get all dressed up quite yet, although whether or not her family even prescribed to such niceties was another question that begged to be answered.
Thus, he picked out a pink sweater that was more obviously an actual shirt, as well as a pair of gray jeans, and called it good. Returning to the main living space of their home, he discovered that the lieutenant was not yet back, although Eris was sorting through what could be described as their wine cellar although it was neither a cellar nor exclusive to that particular type of alcohol. Soon enough, though, Jak did return, and with it he offered a smile, although when Eris glanced over the lieutenant she couldn't help but notice something oddly peculiar, familiar even. However, she knew better than to mention it.
Something about being on a ship like the Blackjack spoke to Jak on a fundamental level. It wasn't just some shuttle to get from Point A to Point B like the cruisers many of her peers used... it was a home. And a damn sight better than the Discovalente had been. This... this was what Jak was looking for in a new home. And as much as she hated to admit it, she figured that little brat had actually done her a favor by stealing everything she owned. It didn't exactly make up for how much she had inconvenienced her, sure, but dammit, she just... needed a win right now. Besides, it wasn't like she actually kept much of anything important on the ship. Hell, even the key she'd found when the trio had taken down that ancient psychopath wasn't stored in the ship, but in her ISC equipment locker, along with about a third of her clothing and most of her personal effects. It was a shame she'd have to buy a new dining set, but honestly, it could have gone worse. She was just glad she'd been carrying Julie's drive when that punk had fleeced her.
The drive that was currently plugged into the navi-computer: a bulky, encrypted device which had the initials "J.J." imprinted on the side. The device was actually part flight planner, part tracking device. And according to Julie, the only way to actually activate it was through a thumb scan, blood sample, and a 20 character alphanumeric passkey, which Jak had already input before they took off. And also according to Julie, the device was hack-proof... though like many Rousseau's her own pride got the better of her in that assertion. Still, it was the only way that Jak had to find her family, outside of events being held at Rousseau Manor. Or, more accurately, thanks to the transient nature of the Rousseau Clan, it was her only way to find Julie, herself: the device keyed to Julie's ship, and, generally, only to be used in the case of emergencies... But Jak was sure she wouldn't mind.
According to the navi-computer's readout, they'd be coming into range of their goal shortly, and already, Jak was getting nervous. Last year hadn't been great. But Jak had managed to pull through fine. And this year, she had friends beside her. Though... well, she just had to hope that he wasn't there. Him or Drake. They were both trouble-makers... though one of them was Julie's dad, so it was fairly likely he would be around. And normally Drake came as a packaged deal, thanks to being Dav's little protege. At least Dav wasn't the type to instantly start a fight the moment he felt like it... but again... Drake was.
"So... alright. Final Briefing: We're going into no-man's land. So everyone's going to be on their best behavior... or should be."
"Just, if you see a guy with bright red hair-" Jak warned, "Just- Just don't engage with him? He's always looking for a reason to start trouble."
"Julie is gonna be on our side. And generally, she does her best to keep the peace. So just stick to my side. Follow my lead... and everything should be fine!"
He hadn't expected Jak to produce a bulky device as their map to get to the destination, nor could he have guessed its purpose until the drive had been plugged into Blackjack. Then again, Leo really was an amateur when it came to technology, and Eris knew how to pilot the ship better than he could ever dream to do, so that wasn't a bad thing, right? That being said, he was fairly certain that having a location saved to a specific item, and one so terribly weighty at that, was a bit strange. And though that alone he probably would have dismissed, well Eris herself had given Jak an odd look when it had been handed to her after asking where exactly they were headed, which told Leo all he needed to know. No wonder why the lieutenant had come to them, if her family gathering in itself was secretive he couldn't imagine the chaos that would have unfolded if she had brought a fellow ISC officer to the scene of the crime. Well, Leo could imagine it, it just wasn't a pretty picture in the minds of most. Personally, he thought it would be quite entertaining, if not for the fact that in that scenario Jak probably would have actually ended up dead, so he was pretty glad she had decided to contact them instead.
Before, the lieutenant's explanation of her rank in the family had been... satisfactory. As soon as he heard the word briefing come out of her mouth, though, it was clear just what they were getting themselves into. Nobody prefaced a light-hearted get-together with a briefing, that much was for certain, and to be honest for a moment Leo wondered why she had even bothered. Then again, blood ties did generally cause people to do irrational, ridiculous things. It had been quite some time since he had been able to express such, due to reasons that may or may not have been outside of his control, but that had nothing to do with Jak, and she was why they were there. It would be best to focus on the present.
"Right, Julie. And what does she look like?" he asked, having at least paid some attention to what the lieutenant had said. It had been something about a man with... bright red hair? Given Jak's own color, he would have thought that to be a common occurrence in her family, but maybe that wasn't the case. Regardless, Leo continued to sip his... umpteenth coffee, deciding to sit out the liquor cabinet for the moment. Not that it would matter, but he had a feeling Jak wouldn't exactly appreciate that even though he would be nothing less than completely sober anyway. That being said, he did have a sudden urge to do exactly the opposite of what she had suggested when it came to the 'guy with bright red hair', but that would be unbecoming. Besides, Leo hadn't seen the man, hadn't met any of the lieutenant's relatives, for that matter. Except... well maybe Callahan? But that was a questionable relation at best, and it was entirely possible he had just been reading her thoughts.
As the alarm for the navicomputer was set off, Leo and Eris wasted no time getting to the cockpit, his hands resting casually on the gun controls, just in case. Wouldn't that be hilarious, to think one was heading to a family reunion and end up straight in the middle of a dogfight? But alas, the sight that soon befell three pairs of eyes was not that, nor was it something Leo or Eris were expecting.