open ☾ an arrival

[noch]

WHO: Merrin and YOU
WHERE: All over Temba
WHAT: One (1) very confused space witch makes her debut
WHEN: Right now?
WARNINGS: None yet, but will update if anything comes up!

A. YOU'VE GOTTA BE KITTEN ME

Despite the fact that Merrin is absolutely the type to hold grudges, she's somehow made peace with Voroka and the other mothkittens in spite of the terrible crime against her—at least judging by the fact that she's currently sitting cross-legged in the grass near the library while the kittens nap, lounge, and play in the sunshine around her.

A few bolder ones have already approached her, and she extends her hand towards one of them to let it curiously sniff her fingers. She's learned her lesson from last time, however, and she keeps her talisman, a palm-sized, halfmoon-shaped white rock, gripped tightly in her other hand to prevent another theft. That's the last thing she needs, now or ever.

"Hello, Voroka," she says to the mothkitten, though her voice doesn't sound welcoming so much as stern, like a disappointed parent. "Did you think I would not recognize you?"

B. LIFE'S A BEACH

It takes her a little while to find the path to the beach, but she eventually stumbles across it and—well, her home planet, Dathomir, is essentially a dry, harsh wasteland, and the largest body of water that exists there is a swamp, maybe a pond.

So nothing really prepares her for the sight of the ocean stretching out in front of her. It appears almost infinite to her, and she stands there on the beach for a long time, staring out across the water in wonder, her lips slightly parted. Her gaze keeps darting to the waves lapping against the shore as if she's... contemplating something.

(In fact, she's contemplating putting her feet in the water, though she doesn't know how safe it is, if at all. A lifetime on Dathomir has made her wary of everything, even if it looks harmless.)

C. SURPRISE! AT THE DISCO

After a few days of exploring, Merrin has finally started to get the lay of this place, and so she feels comfortable enough using her magick to teleport around—at least in the town center, where she's most familiarized, whether there are other people around or not.

The only thing that heralds her imminent arrival is a thick green fog that she materializes into, and then she's suddenly there, looking completely unperturbed, like she just stepped off a lift instead of blinking into existence halfway across the city.

D. WILDCARD

Of course, Merrin is still exploring. She can also be found in the hangar, inspecting all of the ships, including exploring her own assigned ship, the First Breath, at the inn, contemplating her food options and wishing she could eat Greez's steak, in the hotel, staking out an empty room (or not?) to claim, or pretty much anywhere else, seriously. Jedi and anyone who can sense Jedi will also be able to sense her—she feels pretty similar, actually, but definitively more... dark. Or sinister.

Or feel free to use any of her TDM prompts, if those speak to you more.

Comments

[noch]

Kidnapped and held against his will—she hasn't heard that assessment of their situation yet, which might be evident by the way her eyebrows raise, but she won't disagree. It does make her wonder if she'd more readily agree, under different circumstances—but it helps that she considers herself part of Cal's crew, and since Cal is here, she isn't actually separated from her purpose, and that counts for a lot.

She does appreciate his bluntness, though—they have that in common.

"Often enough," she says dryly, knowing it's not really an answer to his question, and then pauses to consider him. "You have not met a Nightsister of Dathomir before." It's phrased like a statement, but her tone is curious enough to turn it into a sort of question.

[demjiin]

Kaz shook his head, both hands settled on his cane.

"I have not. Though I wonder if this order you speak of can all use that traveling trick."

His eyes glittered with curiosity sharp as a knife's blade.

"And the better question is whether or not you can take someone with you when you do it?"

[noch]

Ah, this one is sharp. This is a lot closer to what she expects from strangers who aren't familiar with her kind, instead of the other, much friendlier reactions she's been getting from everyone else. So in a very strange way, she feels a little more relaxed, even if she's still guarded.

"It is possible, but they may not survive the trip." Believe it or not, she's... kidding, but it might be impossible to tell from her completely deadpan tone.

Her eyes narrow, but again it isn't hostile—just direct. "You ask many questions."

[demjiin]

Kaz wasn't much good at 'friendly' and tended to be suspicious of it if it got directed at him. That was probably why so few people have tried to be friendly to him. He also totally missed the 'kidding' part and took Merrin as being completely serious.

"I question everyone and everything, it's nothing personal. Is there a way to tell if someone would survive just by seeing them?"

[noch]

At least he's honest about it, which she appreciates. Nightsisters and their magick are well-known for trickery and deception, but Merrin has always been the more straightforward type of Nightsister.

"You should not be so serious," she says lightly, and there it is—humor alight in her eyes, the corners of them crinkling slightly. Her lips purse a little as if she's holding back a smile. "I can take others with me, but it is a more complicated ritual. It takes time," she adds, because she feels like she owes him at least the truth.

[demjiin]

Katz's expression was unsmiling and unimpressed in return. How could he possibly have known that was a joke? They were being thrown together from across space and time. For all he knew she could summon an army or turn herself into a little bird and fly away.

But she was also talking about a possibility that he had not yet asked her about. So while his speech was dry as dust he didn't say anything but the question;

"That begs the question then off how far can you take another person?"

[noch]

She can do at least one of those things, but who knows if she tell him which one? But please excuse her sense of humor—she amuses herself, at least, and that's all the really matters to her. But fine, she'll cooperate.

"I could not tell you," she says matter-of-factly. "I have not yet met my limit, but that was on my home planet of Dathomir. My magick is strongest there."

She pauses, her head tilting to the side. "Traveling this way intrigues you. You wish to make use of my skills?" Nightsisters were mercenaries during the war, so the idea isn't entirely foreign to her. Mostly, she's fishing for his angle.

[demjiin]

"I do want to make use of your skill. Given that there are places around Temba that are inaccessible, it would be very useful to just simply be there."

It was common where he was from for grisha to hire themselves out as expensive mercenaries and their powers were similar enough to be compared to the Jedi. His eyes went back to the same flat black as a shark's eyes, giving nothing of his thoughts away.

"And since this is not Dathomir, have you seen how similar or different it would be to do that?"

[noch]

Ah, so that's what he had in mind.

"That is a more difficult ritual," she explains. "It is much simpler to transport yourself to a place already known to you." On Dathomir, where she was familiar with every nook and cranny, she barely had to think about teleporting herself around. But if it's someplace she's never been to before, then she would have to use more spells to scope out the place, to extend the travel time, to make sure she doesn't land directly over a lake or into a tree.

"But that would still be possible. I would have to attempt it carefully, so you do survive the trip." She's teasing again, a little bit, but this time she means it.

[demjiin]

"Then. so that I am fully clear; you are able to use that green smoke to travel with another person to a place you have never seen before?"

Kaz wanted to know if this was possible before he went any further.

[noch]

The green smoke description gets the tiniest of amused smiles out of her, just a twitch, but she doesn't comment. He seems to be serious about this idea of his, and she can appreciate that.

"Yes, I can," she answers plainly.