LadyAnnaLee

A New Light Amongst The Stars (CitrusArms and LadyAnnaLee)

I'm glad you like it. I wasn't sure it would work.

A New Light Amongst The Stars (CitrusArms and LadyAnnaLee)

Trazie Map

Trazie Map Legend

1. Mountain Lake
2. North Lake
3. West Lake
4. East Lake
5. South Lake
6. Island Lake
7. Northwest Point
8. Northeast Point
9. Switchback Point
10. Cliffs of Insanity
11. Reef Island
12. Bracket Reef
13. Centerpoint Volcano
14. Centerpoint Mountain
15. Southern Cove
16. Quartet Islands
17. Duet Islands
18. Harmony Island
19. Volcano Island
20. Lake Island
21. Solo Island
22. Quintet Islands
23. Rainforest Island
24. Trio Islands
25. Northwest Range
26. Northern Range
27. Northeast Range
28. Circle Range
29. Southern Range

Trazie Map Notes

1. I am no good at drawing maps
2. I’m really no good at drawing maps.
3. The best drawing program I have is MS Paint so I did this analog style the best I could on the only paper I had. Please forgive any mishaps or mistakes.
4. First real note. Centerpoint Mountain is the highest point of Trazie at 9,000 meters above sea level. The rest of Trazie slopes down in a set of graudly descending mountains, then hills, then plains.
5. Anything blue is water. I did not fill in the ocean.
6. Anything green is a forest. Most of it is temperate deciduous forests, but Rainforest Island is a rainforest. I know I said Trazie didn’t have a rainforest, but I changed my mind. There is a reason I promise.
7. Anything brown is a plain.
8. Anything yellow is beach/coastal areas.
9. The red brown (10) is the Cliffs of Insainty. This is a sheer cliff face with a waterfall cascading down it.
10. None of the rivers have names. I’m not creative enough to think of names for all of them in one sitting. I’ll come back to this. If I remember.
11. The Mountain Lake are located on the eastern bank of Mountain Lake
12. This is not to scale. This is so not to scale.
13. I think that’s it. I may amend this as I think of more.

Trazie

The planet Trazie orbits a yellow star at the far end of the habitable zone. The gravity is 0.95 Terran Standard. The First Terran Empire terraformed it and created a single continent, also called Trazie, in the Western Hemisphere. The atmosphere is 0.03 trace elements, 1.02 percent argon, 23.62 percent oxygen, 75.33 percent nitrogen. The continent of Trazie is approximately 8500 kilometers north to south and 2000 kilometers east to west. There is a strip of mountains roughly in the center of the continent. Near the eastern most point there is a cove with a series of islands in it. Trazie lacks a desert, a rainforest, and artic. It is mostly plains and Temperate deciduous forests. There are four roughly equal seasons. Trazie has one tidally locked moon so the moon always appears quarter full. The year is 259 days long and the days are 28 hours long.

Trazie was terraformed in the last peaceful years before the arrival of the Scourge. The fighting was limited there, but the people’s survival was mainly due to the fact that there was no prominent military presence. At one point most technology failed. Now, close to a thousand years later, the people have developed an agrarian tribal society. There is no real centralized government and a few different calendars. Right now, it is agreed that it is the 50 years from the eclipse. There are several tribes including four major tribes, Southern, Northern, Coastal, and Mountain. There are also countless midsize and smaller tribes. There is a rough agreement of peace and mutual survival.

Trazie History

Trazie was terraformed as a resort planet. This included mountains for things such as hiking, skiing, and nature walks, beaches and lakes for lounging, swimming, and exploring, cliffs for cliff jumping, a single rainforest, volcano, and tropical reef for exploring and plains and forests for hunting, camping and being one with nature. Trazie was meant to be a place for the rich and famous to come and play. Then the Scourge came. A single military unit was dispatched to help visitors flee. The corporate employees were abandoned and all current citizens of Trazie are their descendants. Trazie didn’t not completely escape the Scourge’s attention but was largely ignored as it had no military or political value.

There is no real war in Trazie’s history. Most people were focused on surviving and reinventing fire after most technology suddenly stopped working. They quickly lost track of the Terran Empire’s calendar and adopted their own and altered it whenever and however they saw fit. It wasn’t long until the earliest tribes began to form. There are currently four major Tribes. The Northern Tribe is a semi stationary tribe located between the v created by the Northwestern Range and Northeastern Range. The Mountain Tribe is a stationary tribe located in higher elevation of the Northern Range and Circle Ranges. The Coastal Tribe is a wandering tribe that circles Trazie along the coastline in a counterclockwise fashion. The Southern Tribe is the largest and oldest Tribe located below the southern tip on the Southern Range and down towards the southern point of South Lake. There are several midsize Tribes and well as countless smaller ones. Each tribe has their own variation of culture, but Terran Standard is the common language.

Once during their history, they were stuck by plague that decimated their population. Currently their population hovers just under five million. Over the years Trazies adapted to the higher oxygen content and lower gravity. When compared to a standard human Trazies have longer limbs, bigger craniums, smaller hearts, and smaller lungs. They are less resistant to illness but tend to avoid getting the bends or altitude sickness. They get drunk faster. They have also adapted to the 28-hour day. Most Trazies required 9 to 11 hours’ worth of sleep though this can range from 6 to 12. Sunlight only last for 12 hours in summer and at some points in the winter only last for 4. As such Trazies have wider pupils to allow for better night vision.

While there is a sizable and diverse animal population the biggest threat is bandits. Most Tribes agree to hunt bandits when they are found. Most Tribes also try to avoid conflict. It is generally agreed that as they all have at least one ancestor in common, there are plenty of resources, and it easy to start a new Tribe, should a person wish, there is no need for war. There are a few border squabbles from time to time, but most Trazies prefer to trade for goods and services. There a few rules that are consistent Tribe to Tribe, but for the most part Tribes have their own form of government and rules. There are some people who wander Trazie without being part of a Tribe.

While most of these wanderers are would be bandits some are what called Mechanics. During the Scourge higher technology failed. After the Scourge it was possible to get some of it working. Over the years, most people forgot how the now called Old Tech worked. Mechanics are people who attempt to make a living by making Old Tech work to make peoples’ lives easier. Some have an easier time than others at this. A skilled Mechanic who can make Old Tech do exactly what it is supposed to do can travel Trazie or settle down without having to worry about making a living. There are old Tech sites where visitor cabins, administration buildings, and resort attractions used to be. They have not all been found.

The Trazie year is 289 days. Turning Day serves as both the last day of the old year and the first day of the new year. This happens in midwinter. Then there are 12 months of 24 days. The months are as follows: Jan, Feb, March, Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, and Dec. Each month has fourth weeks of six days. The days are as follows: M-day, T-day, W-day, R-day, F-day, and S-day. Winter is roughly Dec, Jan, and Feb. Spring is roughly March, Apr, and May. Summer is roughly Jun, Jul, and Aug. Fall is roughly Sept, Oct, and Nov. While each Tribe has its own holidays all of Trazie celebrates the equinoxes, solstices, and Turning Day.

I hope this all makes sense. Let me know what you think or if you have any questions.

A New Light Amongst The Stars (CitrusArms and LadyAnnaLee)

Zarah Jameson was 19 and beloved by her family and her Tribe. How could she not be? She was intelligent, bright, kind, and nice to everyone! She willingly helped out on her family farm and around the town. She was bright smile and cheerful laughter that was so genuine that when she spoke for one brief moment you had to believe that nothing in the world, in all the galaxy, could possibly go wrong. Yes, she was still young. Yes, she was a scatterbrained chatterbox. Yes, she could constantly be found have run off to yet another Old Tech site. Yet she was so eager and so optimistic that you wanted to do everything you could to protect her, to protect her wide smile. This was all before you knew what she could do. Once you knew that you had to do everything you could to protect her.

The Jameson family and the Mountain Lake Tribe valued Zarah’s skill as a Mechanic, which was why, over the years, her running off to the Old Tech sites became less annoying and more essential. Zarah got all of the Old Tech she touched to work. She had come back from one journey with a device that allowed the blacksmith to control and know exactly what temperature his forge was at. Another trip yielded a pair of flying things history said was called drones to help herd the cattle and find dear in the forest. There was the scale that helped Mikala Jameson with her baking, the device that had been a wedding present for Jacob and Lilla Jameson that would sew a straight line in practically no time at all, the kettle that boiled water for you that every member of the Tribe took turns using. While the Mountain Lake Tribe didn’t want more power, Zarah’s skill with Old Tech was going to bring them stability and safety.

Which was why Zarah didn’t know how to tell the Elders of the Tribe or her mother that she wanted to travel Trazie. She wanted to see the twin points up north. She wanted to see Canterpoint Volcano and Rainforest Island. She wanted to visit all six of Trazie’s lakes. She wanted to see how high she could make it up Centerpoint Mountain. She wanted to go diving off the Cliffs of Insanity. She wanted to walk the coastlines and swim near Bracket Reef. But most importantly, Zarah want to scour the continent for lost Old Tech Sites. She wanted to find the lost Administration Building or get the Chairlifts working again. She wanted stories of Zarah Jameson and her Mechanical genius to spread across Trazie like a blaze. Somehow, she didn’t think her mother would be okay with that.

Luckily Zarah had Zigma on her side. Zarah wasn’t sure what Zigma was. Zigma wasn’t sure what Zigma was. Once, when she was ten, Zarah had found a geode after tripping over a tree branch on her way back home from a nearby Old Tech Site. She wasn’t sure why, but she kept it even though it looked ordinary. After that wherever Zarah went the geode went too. Though every scrape and every adventure and every, well, every everything, the geode was there. Then one day it broke and out came Zigma. At first Zarah had freaked out. Zigma was a glowing ball of neon green light. Who wouldn’t be freaked out? Then, slowly but surely, Zigma and Zarah were always together. Zigma’s earliest memories were of Zarah freaking out over her broken geode, but he knew his name and he knew that he loved Zarah just as much as she loved him. Soon he was just as much a member of the Mountain Lake Tribe as anyone else. The Elders scowled and called him a prankster, but at least he could be counted on to listen to Zarah chatter so she would leave others alone.

Which brought them today. Zarah was nineteen, which made her an adult. While it was true that she was a baby adult, she was still an adult. She didn’t want to live in her parents’ house forever. Granted, no one expected her to leave home for another year or two, but she wasn’t going to find the Administration Building while helping to water crops. Not that watering crops was a bad thing. She liked being to eat, but Zarah was a Mechanic. She wanted to be doing Mechanic things. Though everyone in the Tribe supported her desire to do Mechanic things, but they rather her stay close and help support the Tribe. And it wasn’t that she didn’t love her family and Tribe. She would totally bring all her really good finds home and she wasn’t going to find anything really good if the longest she was allowed to be gone was 2 months. Zarah nodded as she decided that was how she was going to word it to her mother tonight. Tomorrow. W-Day at the latest. She stood up from wear she had been sitting on the edge of the bed. With that decided it was time to get ready for the day.

“Zarah?”

Zarah’s head snapped around to look at Zigma where he was hovering by the screened window, “What? Is everything okay?”

One of the things that she and Zigma could do was communicate telepathically with each other. While Zigma wasn’t doing that now she still got a vague sense of unease from him, “I don’t know. I’m being pulled towards something near mountains east of here. I don’t know what it is.”

Thanks to the telepathic bond Zarah immediately knew what Zigma wanted to do and he immediately knew she was on board, “Let me get packed.”

It wasn’t long before Zarah was dressed in her linen pants with the leather kneepads sewn in. Her leather vest was tied tight over her undyed shirt and the pockets in her sleeves were stuffed full of crackers and small screwdrivers. Her boots were laced up and had wood wrapped charcoal stuffed in the side. As an aside she desperately needed new ones. The soles were getting thin. Zarah double checked her bag for her small blowtorch, wrenches, bigger screwdrivers, her spanner, her Old Tech tablet, her journal, and other tools before swinging it on her back. She made a trip to the kitchen to grab her lunch kit to stuff with a sandwich from the pile her mother had made earlier and to fill her metal water bottle that wasn’t technically Old Tech but had come from an Old Tech Site. Both the lunch kit and the water bottle clipped to the bottom. of her bag and would bump her shins as she walked and hiked. Zarah readjusted the bandana over her hair before putting her goggles on her forehead to pull down if she needed to. Then she grabbed the walking stick her youngest brother had made her for her last birthday and she and Zigma were out the door and on their way.

It was easy enough to get to the mountains east of the Mountain Lake Tribe’s town. They were technically part of the Circle Range, but the Tribe just called them the “mountains east of here.” Once there Zarah started hiking, following Zigma as he led the way. Occasionally he seemed to forget he was leading Zarah and he bobbed too far ahead only to come back when Zarah mentally called to him. It wasn’t long before the sun started to rise. It almost the end of Nov and sunlight didn’t last long in winter on Trazie. Most people got up before dawn just because they had to. Zarah was no exception.

Suddenly Zigma mentally called, “Zarah! Look!”

Zarah looked in the direction Zigma indicated, which was down a shallow ravine, to see a person. That in an of itself was not unusual. What was unusual was the woman’s ears. They looked like fox ears on the top of her head and if Zarah looked close enough she could tell that the woman had a tail as well. In just their few seconds of observation Zigma and Zarah could tell that she had some sort of control of these appendages. A few more seconds told them that the technology pack that she was using to bounce from rock to rock was not Old Tech, but they didn’t know what else it could be. The last thing they realized was that the strange woman was with a bird sized woman that hovered the same way Zigma did.

Zarah whispered, “They’re not from around here. She then repeated it loud enough for the woman to hear.“You’re not from Trazie, are you? She scrabbled down the steep path only to stop right in front of the stranger with a look of manic glee on her face, “Are you from space? Do you have a spaceship? Can we see your spaceship? Can we touch your spaceship? Can we learn how your spaceship works?” She then paused to take a breath, “Sorry! Sorry. That was rude.” She then used her palm to tap her chest, ”I’m Zarah.” She jerk at thumb towards Zigma who had followed her down, “That’s Zigma.” She held out a hand for a hand shake, ““It’s nice to meet you.”

This was incredible! This was so exciting! Now that Zarah was closer she could see that the woman’s technology was based on some sort of crystal. She had never seen anything like that! If the woman wasn’t from space, Zarah would have to go to wherever on Trazie was making it. She wondered if she could make it work the way she made Old Tech work, that magic way that she and Zigma seemed to be able to do together. She wanted to be this woman’s friend. Zarah lived for tech. Well, she lived for Old Tech, but that was only because she didn’t realize other kinds existed. She had to know more!

A New Light Amongst The Stars (CitrusArms and LadyAnnaLee)

Zarah Jameson

NIckname: Family and close friends call her Zar or Zars. Only her mother is permitted to call her Zarah-dear or Zarah-love.

Age: 19

Height: 1.8 meters

Weight: 64 kilograms

Description: Zarah has a muscular frame that comes from climbing over hills and up trees in pursuit of tech sites. She has an open face that betrays a lack of guile. Her pale grey eyes (#c2be89) are round, wide, and framed in a plethora of lashes. Her nose use to be angular and straight, but it broke when she was 15 and it healed crooked. She has rounded cheeks and a pointed chin. She turns bright pink when embarrassed or flustered. Every emotion that she feels can be seen on her face as she is feeling them Her curly hair is a soft brown color that ends at her chin. When she pulls the curls out it extends to her chest to bounce back when released. She holds it back with an oversized undyed bandana. She wears basic pants with knees that have been reinforced with leather. They are big at the waist, so she cinches it tight with a length of rope. She has three shirts that follow the same pattern that hug her upper arms and billow out at her elbows with pockets on the inside. She wears a leather vest over the top. Her boots have thick soles and come to just above her ankles. She has a pair of goggle scanners that she managed to get to work that she places on top of her head if she isn’t using them.

Personality: Zarah is a cheerful woman with a ferocious curiosity. She is incredibly intelligent with the ability to talk a mile a minute and an inability to sit still. She will sit and listen to new information with rapt attention until she starts asking questions in order to understand. She is kind and considerate and is always willing to lend a helping hand whenever and wherever she can. She does possess a lack of patience for people she considers annoying or unintelligent and is perfectly willing to make her distain know. However, she also readily lets people know when she is grateful for then and showers people with compliments at a moment’s notice. She is a dedicated worker who takes pride in her work and makes sure to do her best. She can be lazy from time to time and often berates herself for taking breaks. She is seen as a bright spot in the Mountain Lake Tribe.

Abilities and Skills: Zarah has a technical mind that is capable of making the Old Tech do exactly what it’s supposed to do. She is also stronger than she appears as she spent most of her childhood either helping on her family farm or traversing over rocky terrain in hunt of Old Tech. She has an astounding ability to be honest and can’t seem to lie at all. She is an excellent artist when it comes to technical drawing and diagrams. She can take anything apart and put it together again just as easily. She can also communicate telepathically with Zigma.

Relationships: Samuel Jameson is her father. Her mother is Mikala. Samuel and Mikala have been married for close to 27 years. She has two older brothers, Jacob is 24, Everett is 21. Her younger brother, Kade, is 16. Jacob is married to Lilla and they have a set of two-year-old twin boys, Samuel, or Sammy, and Fredrick, or Freddie. The Jameson family, while not perfect, is loving, kind, and supportive. Zarah has a plethora of friends her age. She is especially fond of George Reasons, the blacksmith’s apprentice, and Harper, the best huntress their age. She clumsily tries to flirt with both. However, her closest friend is Zigma.

Zigma

Nicknames: Only Zarah is allowed to call him Zig. He allows (Lost the fight) Mikala to call him Zigma-dear or Zigma-love.

Circumference: 40 centimeters

Weight: Tests are inconclusive

Description: Zigma is a ball of pure light that is neon green in color. (#63e42d) He is roughly 40 centimeters around but as he shoots of streamers of light it makes it difficult to measure. He with grow and shrink slightly in time with his emotions.

Personality: For lack of better words Zigma is a prankster. While none of his pranks are malicious or deliberately cause harm, he is fond of jump scares and causing people to stumble or trip. On the other hand, he is always willing to listen and dispense advice. He actively encourages Zarah to be decent and strongly encourages her. He gives similar advice to others who ask. He doesn’t speak just to chatter and keeps his own council. He is capable of lying, but only does so with great cause. The Mountain Lake Tribe views him as essential even if only they can escape from listening to Zarah’s chatter for just a moment because he is always willing to do so.

Abilities and Skills: Zigma can emit light and seems to speak even with out vocal cords or a mouth. He floats about 2 meters off the ground though he can go lower and higher. He uses this ability to scout out short distances for Zarah when they go exploring. He can also brighten and dim his light though he cannot go out completely. He can also amplify Zarah’s natural ability to work with technology to a level that can only be described as magical. Her eyes softly glow the same color as Zigma when this happens.

Relationships: Zigma is a dearly loved member of the Jameson Family. He is respectful to Zarah’s friends, but he relates better to the elders of the tribe. Zarah is his nearest and dearest and he is rarely far from her side.

Combined History

As young as ten Zarah was sneaking away from her home to go exploring looking for Old Tech and fiddle with it. On one of these journeys she tripped and discovered a geode that she was just drawn to. For the next three years she took it everywhere. This included her schooling, her chores, her friends’ get togethers, and her less than allowed trips to Old Tech sites. By the time she was 12 her parents and the leaders of the Tribe realized just how good she was with the Old Tech and began to encourage it. When she was thirteen her geode broke and Zarah freaked out. She was less freaked out when Zigma introduced himself. For a little bit the Mountain Lake Tribe was leery of Zigma. It wasn’t long that his prankster yet respectful nature was revealed, and he was at least tolerated. Zigma followed Zarah everywhere and acted as a listening friend. On one of her trips to a Tech site she was surprised when Zigma did … something and she fixed a tablet that had been struggling with for months. After that the two of them practiced and the only way to describe what they are capable of doing now is magic. They decided not to discuss it with anyone besides Mikala. By the time Zarah was sixteen the Mountain Tribe Lake was using her skill with Old Tech to barter for protection, goods, and other services with other tribes. Zarah and Zigma were thrilled with being useful. They managed to use their usefulness in order to leverage going on longer trips to further Old Tech sites. Now at nineteen Zarah makes a living for her and Zigma. They support the Mountain Lake Tribe, but their trips to Tech Sites are getting longer. They would like to one day go off and travel the continent looking for Old Tech as a pair of wanderers. They have not told anyone this. Sometimes they look at the stars and wonder what it would have been like when space travel was possible. They sometimes wish they could go to space, but they don’t dwell on that since, to the best of their knowledge, it is impossible.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Darin paused for a moment when Ajoran did and turned, slightly pulling Ridahne with her to watch. She couldn’t hear what the Taja said to the Eija, but she did catch the words Red Hand. The Seed-Bearer narrowed her eyes as she looked back towards the market. It wouldn’t surprise her if the Red Hand was here. If they were here, they had a description of her now. She wouldn’t even be surprised if they had a picture of her as well. If they did decide to cause trouble, they wouldn’t risk everyone. How long would it be before every member of the Red Hand knew they were looking for a human girl that looked ordinary except for the eyes which were greener than green and the fact that she wore pants rather than skirts. There was no longer a point to traveling in secret. They would now have to travel with discretion instead. If that was the case Darin had things to do to make things right.

Darin turned back to walking towards the building, “I would like to come with you to see this archivist. We need to record the marks for Seed-Honored and Seed-Friend at the same time. So, let’s check on Talbot and Tsura, grab something quick to eat, and then go see them.” She sighed as she continued to make plans, “Tomorrow I will need to write a letter to Ravi at The Farm. I plan to include a letter for my mother with the one to Ravi and I would like her to know has my face has changed. Is there someone that can do a small colored portrait of me?” She was directing her questions to both Ridahne and Ajoran, “I will also need someone to carry my letters to The Farm, will I be able to arrange that?” She sighed again, “Also, I rather suspect that I will bawl while writing my letters I will need somewhere a little more secluded than my room where I will not be disturbed. Do either of you have any suggestions.”

Once upon a time Darin had told a boy that just wanted to grieve that she wouldn’t let him. She had kept him from traveling to her home to preserve her anonymity. He had not been happy with that answer, yet he had accepted it. Now that she was shifting from secretiveness to discretion, he had a right to the same option. She had no idea if he would take it, but she had to give him the chance. Then, if she was allowing people from The Farm to her home one of them might as well take a message to her mother and to Thomas and to Milla and to others for her. She had no idea how long it would take for the letters to get to her home. Darin was just anxious for one small connection to home. The sooner she sent the letters off the sooner they would get to where they needed to be. She just hoped that the Sols helped make it happen, discretely of course.

A New Light Amongst The Stars (CitrusArms and LadyAnnaLee)

I'm working on a map for Trazie as well as a better history. Just FYI

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Darin could see how Ridahne and Ajoran worked as a unit as they walked though the market. It was little eerie to have more than one set of eyes on the look out for danger. Well, Darin knew the obvious signs, but she rarely devoted herself to being on the lookout for it. Ridahne was more than willing to do that which left her time to learn and to grow. Absently she wondered if just once she could return the favor to let Ridahne learn while she kept lookout. It wouldn’t be in Azurei. There would be no point, but maybe once they got to land Darin was familiar with, like Lively and home. It was funny as she kept thinking about home now that she had been further from home then she had ever been. Could she get further from home? She didn’t think so.

Darin looked up from the red clay jar she had been looking at as Ridahne directed her comments to the human, “What? Oh! Leaving.” She looked up at the sun, “It is getting late. Perhaps we should head back.” She placed the jar back down, “I am getting tired.”

As she said it she realized it was true. She was exhausted. She supposed that it was to be expected. She had done two major things with Astra’s help today. While she no longer collapsed from holding the rain talking with Astra still taxed her energy. While the creation of a pillar and the discussion with The Sea weren’t too exhausting, she had been talking to Astra all day as The Sky sent winds to dance playfully around her ankles and hair. The Stone had been vibrating against her feet and though her bones in a way Darin could only describe as similar to a way a cat purred. She could hear The Sea beat against the shore with gentle waves. The Seed-Bearer laughed back with stunning ease, but she could still use a nap.

Darin was starving as well. She hadn’t expected that. Ridahne had been pushing treats into her hands all day and food vendors seemed more than eager to provide The Seed-Bearer with samples all day. Most of it had been good, but more than one child laughed as her face screwed up at certain things she just didn’t like. Still, Darin felt like she could eat an actual meal. She wanted to eat, clean up, and rest. It was about time for that anyways. The sun was kissing the horizon. The human had been awake as the sun peeked above the horizon. From dawn to dusk was how most of her days went if they didn’t go longer. Still, the market would be here tomorrow. She might as well try to get some rest.

She linked arms with Ridahne, “Come along. I can here the seductive call of my bed calling my name, and I need to check on Talbot before too much longer. He’s probably upset I ignored him for so long.” She reached out to Ajoran, “So let’s return to our lodgings. Perhaps I can wash the salt off my arms and face.”

Grayscale : A World in Black & White

@Dr Lovecraft

Good to know. Thank you.

Grayscale : A World in Black & White

I did not have Fritz tell a secret but I can change that if I need to.

Grayscale : A World in Black & White

Fritz

Each of the individuals took a seat. It was crowded at the table, or maybe it just felt crowded to Fritz who never dealt well with crowds of strangers. He looked around at the group. There was a woman that looked like a scientist, a woman that looked like a bedraggled queen, a see-through boy with an umbrella, and a boy dyed hair and headphones. Then there was him, some sort of doll. This had to be a dream or hell or something. None of this made any sort of sense. Maybe it was some sort of drug induced hallucination. That could be it.

He didn't have much time to think about it before the laws of physics flew out the window. The possessed table barely whispered a request, or maybe it was a demand, for a secret when the ceiling fan moved or changed or something. Fritz wasn't sure. Suddenly they weren't on the floor and he found himself looking down from his chair at the floor beneath the table now on the ceiling. He gripped the table's edge so tightly his knuckles turned white, well, whiter. He didn't want to fall but they didn't appear to be falling. How could they be on the ceiling looking down at the floor without falling? Fritz was seconds away from a full blown panic attack; if he wasn’t in the middle of one now.

Fritz no longer wanted to be here. Well, he had never wanted to be here, but now he really didn't want to be here. From the corner of his eyes he saw a pair of doors. The white one was on the ceiling with them. The black one was on the floor. Would Fritz fall if he let go of the table and got out of his seat? That would let him know what door he should aim for. Then again, he wasn't sure he wanted to try. Maybe this was a hallucination happening while ... what was happening was happening and if he started falling again it would finish. Did he want it to finish? He wasn't sure. He might not have a choice. It might have to finish. Did he regret it? Fritz still wasn't sure about that.

He spoke, "A secret? A secret from all of us or just one secret. There is a difference."

Frtiz wasn't even sure that he had a secret to tell. Did the possessed table, the ghost, want a secret he had never told anyone? Or did it want a secret that these people didn't know? The first might be okay. Fritz could tell these people that he liked this dress. He could tell them that he wanted to be a model or designer. If it got them out of this mess, he could even tell them that he struggled with anorexia. The first one might be a problem. At the very least Marta knew most everything about him. Fritz wasn’t sure what he could tell that she didn't know. Then again, he could wait for an answer to his question. Though he had to wonder. Something strange had happened when they all followed the first request to sit down. Who knew what would happen if they kept giving into demands? He wasn’t sure he wanted to find out.