Take what is lovely, leave before the rain hits [OPEN]

[cosmompolitan]

[The short version is: free yacht!

The long version, for the narratively curious, is that this time the Joyous Nerd Convention made the mistake of trying their summoning ritual on a boat. When Dr. Lalonde's confused, but affable attempts at conversation led to the appearance of chains, she promptly noped out of that non-consensual clusterfuck and threw her summoners overboard.

She left them a life raft, but she took their champagne and other victuals. A woman has needs.

Now, after a day spent lounging on a deck chair in Pearl Rock Bay sipping bubbly right out of the bottle, Dr. Lalonde's making harbor in the port of Arcrion. She's not terribly fussed, winking and flirting outrageously with any sailors who come to help her tie her new boat (to be rechristened The Rosie once she gets some paint) and paying for their trouble with the cash she found aboard, but it's also clear the woman knows her way around a boat.

No, it's stepping onto the dock that's a problem. She is super drunk. Giggling and somehow still the picture of class in her lab coat/dress and heels, she staggers her way towards the city proper, holding onto various passersby's shoulders and smiling brightly up at them.]

Thanksh, sailor! Hic!

[She laughs and pats their backs and continues on her merry way. After all, what port city doesn't put their finest drinking establishments close to the docks? Brawny seamen and abundant booze. This must be her eternal reward.]

Comments

[planetary_bonds]

[Bar...mom pls]

Ah. I'm finding the inner workings of these machines a bit strange. They seem to run on as much magic as they do technology.

[cosmompolitan]

[Gasp.]

Tell me more.

[planetary_bonds]

[Ah.]

They seem to regard magic as its own individual force of nature here, and can be used accordingly-like electricity. It has its own laws and everything-fascinating, really.

[cosmompolitan]

Ooh. That's positively fascinating! Though of course, makes a whole lotta sense, if society grew up around magic as a given.

[As another scientist in another major nerd canon might exclaim, this is the most scientifically interesting community in America spacetime!]

Hey, hey. Is it a particle or a wave, do you know?

[planetary_bonds]

[Yuusei frowns speculatively, trying to remember himself. Amateur physicist, this one, even if he prefers mechanics. It's in the blood, it seems.]

I think there's sound theory for it being both-like light.

[cosmompolitan]

[She muffles a squeal into her hand.]

Yes! Perf! Aw, man, I wonder if they'd let me study it! Pain in the tuchus, though, trying to break into the scientific community without my papers...

[planetary_bonds]

Well, I can't think of any place better than here to try.

[Biggest city and all that.]

[cosmompolitan]

Guess I might have to go back to my lab tech days, since I can't just pull the Dr. SkaiaNET card when I don't have the card on me. Oh well.

[...]

Oooooooorrr, I could set a lab up on my shiny new boat.

[planetary_bonds]

[This is also a viable option and Yuusei sees no problem with this. Somehow.]

That could work...I'm looking for a place to set up some kind of workshop myself, so I know this boat wouldn't work for that.

[The Doctor gets a half-smile.] Perhaps if I make any headway in figuring the mechanics of this world's magic out, I can share my findings.

[cosmompolitan]

Please do! I...

[She reaches for a purse that isn't there and deflates when her fingers touch air.]

Ohhh. I musta left my phone in another dimension. Nuts!

[planetary_bonds]

Ah...

[Hold up, give him a second. He's...going to one of the couches. Apparently he'd left a small bundle of cloth there. (Please tell him this ship has a rucksack or something he can steal. this is getting tedious.)]

[cosmompolitan]

[No rucksack, but he might be able to find a stylish tote if he sticks around.]

? Yuus?

[Congrats, Yuusei, you have a nickname.]

[planetary_bonds]

[At least it has handles.]

Someone had the idea of getting phones so we could all keep in touch. I've been...acquiring...some used ones.

[Hope you don't mind trash phones, mom, cause that's what's being unwrapped. But at least they're fixed up nice. Some of them look barely used, even!]

[cosmompolitan]

[Narrowed eyes.]

Son. [Uh-oh, that's a mom voice.] You din't steal these, did you?

[planetary_bonds]

No.

[His marker's for trespassing, not stealing.]

I got these out of a scrapyard. It didn't take long to figure out how they worked and to reactivate them.

[So he's not stealing...but he sure is hacking. Oh dear.]

[cosmompolitan]

Oh, that's fine, then! [MOM. She comes over to pat his cheek and inspect the goods.] Boy after my own heart. Good use of resources, that's the ticket.

[With an expert eye, she selects what looks like the newest one of the batch.]

What's your number, dear? [She giggles to herself.] Mama Lalonde, asking for a teenager's digits...

[planetary_bonds]

[Aww, mooooooom.]

I've found that nothing can truly be useless.

[He'll rattle off his number to her, though, once she's figured the phone out.]

[cosmompolitan]

[It doesn't take long. She may not be a millennial herself, but she's pretty darn close, and clever, besides.]

A-a-and, presto! [She sends him a text to confirm she typed the number correctly (which, you know. drunk. it's a concern.) and to make sure he has hers.]

Hey yuusie! *Yuusei. Surprise surprie, it's doc laolleond! *Lalonde.

[Aloud, she says:] That should do it. You can always call me if you ever have a problem, okay, darling?

[planetary_bonds]

[He nods in confirmation.]

Alright. [Let's see if he actually does call up people when he's in trouble though.] I'll be sure to include you in any group discussions about our situation.

[cosmompolitan]

[She smiles, big and bright, and goes ahead and hugs this brilliant, smelly teenager. She's drunk. She can do what she wants.]

Thanks, Yuus. [When she backs up, it's with a laugh.] Take it from me, though: you reeeeeally need a bath.

[planetary_bonds]

[You're not Martha, but you can give him a mom hug. It's fine.

Hell, you even get a bit of a laugh out of him.]

I'll...be sure to try and wash up as best I can here.

[An actual bath? will come later. probably. maybe.]