abraxaslogs | ( open ) an informal family dinner

Entry tags:

( open ) an informal family dinner

Who: the summoned of cadens
When: beginning of august
Where: the sarstina inn and tavern
What: the welcome committee (sam wilson, hilda, jesper) has come back together again for another cadens welcome event! everyone might remember the last event and this one will be much of the same. Including, but not limited to, another invite by hilda! | sam art credit!
Warnings: will update as needed!

THE DINNER

Just as before, this is kicked off with Hilda's invitation, and if any of the Summoned come by Sarstina's that evening, they will find it set up a little differently than usual, but very similar to last time.

There is a long table set up near the bar that has a whole party-spread, a ye-old-southern-party kind of set-up, if you will. There are dips, charcuterie plates, sandwiches, drinks, a pastry/dessert bar and almost anything else that Sam could get his hands on. It is all, of course, limited by what’s available in Cadens, but thankfully he’s been here long enough to figure his way around the food options. Behind the bar is Mag (because no one else is getting their hands on the alcohol stash, thank you very much) and she will serve whoever it is that comes up to ask for a drink and will refuse any sort of payment - it appears someone is covering the tab tonight.

The rest of the tavern is set up for a party, with tables and chairs scattered around, a stage set up in the corner, and a decently sized space in front of the stage for dancing if the night gets to that point. There may or may not be some live music later in the evening, no promises have been made, but if anyone else wants to get up on the stage they are more than welcome.

Nadine has been kind enough to provide little apothecary bags filled with a mild sleeping tonic and things to help settle the nerves that new (and old) Summoned can take with them. There’s a table near the door and by the bar that have these bags in wicker baskets with a small sign that reads: Visit Salves and Stitches for all your medical needs!

The vibes are definitely low-key and casual – come get an ale, come eat some food, and if you're new there is a very good chance you'll end up (gently and in the most friendly way) cornered by either Sam, Hilda, Jesper, or any of the other Summoned. They are here to help answer questions and give a bit more background on what the hell is going on. And also let you know about the deal that has been going with Mag and the Inn for almost two years now. Aka, if you're looking for a room, there is one here for you in exchange for work. You can leave whenever you have a job, or you can stay as long as you like. It’s all about helping Summoned get more settled, and as long as you’re good at taking instruction and picking up after yourself, Mag hasn’t had any issues. Not a bad gig, right?

And if being social isn't your thing, or you’re just not the party kind of person, the Welcome Committee understands. But also, really, who is going to turn down free drinks and free food? The Cities work on coin and commerce, so turning down a free meal isn’t really the smartest thing. Plus - there’s alcohol. And the food is pretty damn good.

OOC INFO

- this is a totally open post! There will be some TL’s below from the Committee Members, but otherwise, have fun, meet some people, and put up a TL of your own! there are various places to run into people around the tavern, and if you find someone who is willing to help you into the Horizon (Sam is happy to help, but he’s helping Host), Sam's been letting people know they can use his room upstairs.

- the only Rule is there will be no fighting. You want to duke it out? Take it somewhere else. There will not be warnings or second chances, so don't be an ass. Summoned have lived in this Inn since they were all portaled here ages go, this is their home. and if ANYONE is seen giving Mag a hard time, there are a few people here who will not hesitate and who are not afraid of squaring up. Also, you cause problems, and you will not be invited back :)

- The whole purpose of the Welcome Committee is going to be going overboard to be welcoming, especially to new faces. Even if your character didn't see the big invitation, feel free to have them invited by word of mouth, or chased down by any of the members. Some Summoned may have also checked the barracks for any new Summoned to bring them into town.

- Mag is an NPC who you can read a little more about in the NPC section of the Cadens setting page. Feel free to have her come in and out of your tags as needed!

THE INN

Magmara (or Mag) has run the inn for years and has been a familiar face in that neighborhood as a woman who always made ends meet, almost in spite of the way she took care of her friends and neighbors above all else. Most weren't always sure how she managed to run the place on her own, but she made due, though she always seemed a bit overwhelmed and exhausted. When the Summoned arrived in the Cadens through that first portal, Sam managed to stumble in and make quick friends with Mag. In exchange for manual labor, fixing up and cleaning up the inn, as well as whatever other various tasks Mag needed to be done around, Sam would be given free room and board (a deal she now offers to any Summoned that arrives in the city for as long as they need it).

The inn itself is 4 floors tall, with the top three floors making up the 15 or so rooms (around five rooms per floor), and the entire bottom floor reserved for the restaurant area. The tavern makes up the entire first floor and is a large open floorplan, with a small stage in the corner, a walled-off area for the decently sized kitchen, and a large wooden bar where Mag does all her business for both the inn and tavern (where can almost always be found standing behind). It serves drinks of some variety (though not nearly as large a selection as some of the more well-known taverns) and some food (usually a single, large meal that will be served to the tenants and whoever comes in throughout the night for a moderate price). It can be busy some evenings, but in general tends to keep a more 'dive-bar' kind of feel, filled with more locals and regulars than a casual dinner-going crowd.

The rooms themselves vary from fairly simple, single-bed inn-style rooms with a small bathroom and little else, up to a two 'bedroom' suite style with small kitchenettes and spaces for sitting rooms. Each bedroom has its own small bathroom for the tenants, with cleaning, washing, and chores left to those who live there. What used to be more of a working inn now serves as a kind of boarding house for newly arrived Summoned (or simply those who won't leave), and Mag has found herself quite okay with that.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

There’s no shame in being self-taught. I was.

[From a very early age. And, yes, Viktor had the benefit of a formal education later in life, but he knows that he was a special case, especially when it came to even being allowed the opportunity. He’ll never begrudge anyone who has to learn on their own.

But there’s something else that gets his attention—-it’s no secret that Viktor is fascinated by technology that vastly outpaces his own. He has words, now for things like artificial intelligence and computers and space travel. The internet! Telephones! Viktor brightens immediately, enough to breeze right past the mention of weapons.]

You’re spacefaring?

[ It's not shame so much as it is... well, he'd never in a million standard years call himself an engineer. Not like Toa is an archaeologist or Moran an accountant—actually, let's not use Moran as an example. But the kinds of professions that require schooling and study and high level math, probably?

Cal just knows machines and how they work—or he can figure it out. His psychometry helps, letting him see how they were built or maintained, but he also just likes to tinker. It gives his hands something to do and his mind something to occupy itself with.

But he understands what Viktor is saying, and his expression relaxes. It's not quite a smile, but it's close.

He's a little caught off guard by the next question, though, if only because he still isn't used to the idea of places where the technology is less—or much less—advanced than in his galaxy. Traveling through space is as mundane as breathing to him. It just seems like it should be that way for everyone? ]

Uh—yeah. Have to be, considering how big the galaxy is. [ He's being a little cheeky, so he tones it down a bit. ] Is that not how it is where you come from?

No, we managed near-instantaneous travel over land, where I'm from, but we never set our sights on the stars. I'm interested in hearing about it, regardless.

[And understands it, to some degree--to the point where Cal will find that he picks it up quickly. Viktor seems to have perked up, clearly invested in what he has to say. If he's at all worried about being outclassed, he doesn't show it.]

You'll find that there are others here from worlds with less advanced technology.

I noticed.

[ The people here from worlds with less advanced technology, that is. Even this world, with its mixture of magic and technology, is behind his galaxy, and it's been weird to get used to. Not that everything hasn't been weird to get used to, but—you know.

He nods, clocking Viktor's genuine interest in space travel, even though he feels pretty underqualified to talk about it. ]

I don't know how good I am at explaining how sublight engines and hyperdrives work, but I can try. [ A beat. ] Might take a while, though.

It’s an adjustment.

[Even Viktor, who can barely dream of interstellar travel, is often frustrated by the lack of technology and over-reliance on New Magic in the Free Cities. He can’t imagine what this might be like for someone used to so much more.

He’s sympathetic, to say the least.]

I have time. But I understand if you’d rather focus on the matter of employment.

I don't know, does how well I explain it determine the matter of employment?

[ He's kidding. Don't take him seriously. In any case, he doesn't wait for an answer before launching into things. As he talks, he tends to gesture with his hands a lot and rub the side of his neck. ]

The starships where I come from all have sublight engines and hyperdrives. The sublight engines are for going less than the speed of light, mostly just getting you out of atmo and around realspace. They, uh, use a fusion reaction—I'm sure you know how an engine works. Most ships use ion engines, which is nice—no moving parts or high temp components, so they're easy to maintain.

[ He likes it when they're easy to maintain! But he digresses, probably. ]

The hyperdrive is for FTL—faster than light—so you can travel between systems in a reasonable amount of time. Those use hypermatter to, uh, basically charge the ions in your ion engine to generate enough propulsion for the jump to lightspeed. They also have a navicomputer to calculate your route so you don't, you know. Crash connfirst into any asteroids or anything.

[ Does science in a galaxy far, far away make any sense? Probably not. Just go with it. ]

It does not. This is an indulgence of my own curiosity.

[Viktor has learned many things that he could barely conceive of, before arriving here. Cal is already hired, basically, so none of this will affect his decision. He's simply interested in hearing about it.

Some of this makes sense to him--some if it uses terminology he doesn't understand. It's tempting to ask follow up questions (a fusion reaction sounds highly intriguing, to him), but for now he lets Cal talk.]

You will have to show me in the Horizon. [He's been there, right?] There is something to be said for a visual demonstration.

[ Cal has already been told about the Horizon, at least, even if he hasn't actually been there yet—more importantly, he's been told that he can create BD-1 there, which is the very first thing he's going to try to do. (He misses his little buddy.)

Somehow, it hasn't occurred to him to think beyond Beedee just yet, so a look of surprise crosses his face at the idea of creating a starship. ]

I can do that?

[ But he's already thinking about it, judging by his suddenly thoughtful expression. He knows the Mantis in and out, including everything under its hood, so it shouldn't be hard to conjure up. Probably. Even if the Mantis is a little... unconventional for a starship, it still has all the conventional parts.

And... well, it's the closest thing he has to home, at the moment, so that's nice too. ]

Yeah, okay. I've got just the ship in mind.

Certainly.

[Viktor won't begrudge Cal not knowing everything about the Horizon--it's not exactly in the welcome primer, though the ability to create anything one likes is the appeal, if you ask him. It's going to allow him to experience spacefaring technology, so. He's not complaining.]

I didn't mean to presume. [Maybe it's a bit rude, to just invite himself into a domain Cal hasn't even built yet, but there are spaceships on the line.] Once you're settled, though. I'd like to see it.

It's all right.

[ It's not like he understands the concept of having a "domain" in the Horizon that belongs to him, at the moment. And Cal is a pretty easygoing type, if nothing else, so he doesn't think anything of Viktor essentially helping himself to the starship Cal can create with his mind.

He does smile, though, one side of his mouth quirking up, and inclines his head as if he's just remembered something funny. ]

You'll have to meet BD-1, though. He's coming before the Mantis.

[Viktor is absolutely going to help himself to this starship. How can he not? Besides, he's giving Cal a job. He gets to see the spaceship in return.]

Who's that?

[He has his own Horizon companion, so this is not an unusual proposal, though Viktor notes that it seems to be a strange name for a pet.]

[ Seems like a fair enough trade-off! Cal is broke broke. And while this isn't his first serious brush with poverty, it would be nice if he didn't have to resort to the same survival tactics he employed on Bracca—namely, weeks of instant noodles and ration bars. ]

An old friend. [ Without really realizing it, his tone becomes fond when he talks about Beedee. ] He's a BD-series explorer droid I picked up a few years back. Haven't gone anywhere without him since.

[ Well— ] Except here, I guess.

[ He shrugs his shoulders, playing it off like he actually isn't absolutely crushed not to have his best bud with him. But y'know. ]

[If Viktor was enthralled by the idea of a spaceship, he seems extra enthralled by the idea of a little robot. Something intelligent, even! He knows that whatever Cal produces in the Horizon will just be his remembrance of it, but that’s good enough for him.]

An automaton?

[His frame of reference for such is a bit antiquated, but he was friends with Tony Stark, while he was here. He has an idea, now, of wha artificial intelligence really means, and it sounds like this BD-droid was Cal’s friend.]

I’m sorry. You must miss him.

Yeah. [ It's a little subdued, but warm and sincere. ] He keeps an eye out for me. And I need it, trust me.

[ He lets out a small laugh, shrugging his shoulders as if to say what are you gonna do? The amount of times BD-1 has saved Cal from imminent death is nigh unknowable, at this point. But to get back on track— ]

You could call them automatons, yeah. Or robots. Mechanical beings with artificial intelligence. Where I come from, they're everywhere.

[Viktor makes a sound that might be a laugh in turn, though there's some sadness in it too. It's unfair, that this place would rip them away from the familiar and not even provide them the comfort of a constant companion. There's the Horizon, yes, but it's not quite the same.

A whole world where automatons are everywhere. The thought brings a fond smile to his face.]

I can scarcely imagine it. That level of technology...it must be incredible.

[ Cal notices the discordant laugh, though he isn't sure exactly what he said that could've caused it—or even if it was something he said. But he doesn't know the other man well enough to feel comfortable in his assessment, or calling it out, so. He doesn't, just tucking the observation away.

Instead, he says: ] I guess so. I'm probably just used to it.

[ Incredible? He doesn't know. Even with all that incredible technology, his galaxy is still a dark place. He can't help but feel a little cynical, though he's trying not to let it show. ]

It must've been tough for you. Getting used to a place like this.

We always take what we know for granted.

[So he doesn't begrudge Cal. Everything is relative, and what's impressive to him might not be to others. What he appreciates is the willingness to share knowledge, which Cal seems amenable to.

To his question, Viktor offers a shrug.]

Much of my work involves the technological applications of arcane forces--that is, magic. The Free Cities uses a similar system. If anything, I had an advantage here.

Really?

[ Given how technologically inclined Viktor seems to be, Cal just thought... well, maybe he shouldn't have assumed that magick and technology have to be mutually exclusive, especially since he landed in a place that proves him wrong right off the bat.

It might take him some time to get used to the idea. Magick—everywhere. In everything. And no one fears it—hunts it. Hunts him. ]

What... kind of arcane forces? [ He's stuck on that word: forces. ]

[Viktor nods, as if to say yes, really. It's not so different than the New Magic practiced in the Free Cities, but he can imagine even the thought of it might be impressive to someone unaccustomed to magic at all. He's more than willing to talk about his own experience in the matter.]

Those that naturally occur in the environment.

[Everything is magic, apparently.]

Where I'm from, we developed a way to harness it via a conduit. From there, we could give it instructions--using a runic system--to execute all manner of tasks.

[What he doesn't say is that the government stymied any tasks that weren't considered beneficial to the economy. So they'd made it to teleportation for trading purposes, and not much further.]

Edited 2023-09-22 21:29 (UTC)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( open ) an informal family dinner

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject