World Tree MUSH

    Peep peep.

    Incoming hail from MARY CONTRARY.

    "Hi, Justina. Can we come over to visit? Master hasn't been feeling well and I thought seeing a friend might cheer her up."

    That was the message from the little shinki- who then proceeded to hound and dog said master into visiting. 
    "Okay, okay FINE. We'll see Justina." Morrigan relents to all the tugging on her hair and sleeve.
    So Morrigan is on the Sanctuary; having waited for a teleport up into a secure part of the ship where she won't accidentally kill Justina by breathing.
    Adjusting her robes, she at least works quickly to make herself presentable, dirt, dust, and shmutz suddenly vanishing from her clothing with a quick spell.

    "Mary? Ah yes. I will section off a comfortable area for this. Stand by." Minerva replies, then much like Mary, hounds and dogs Justina to accept the visitors. "... Fine."

    And that's how the two half-elves are now sitting on different sides of a sealed glass wall with cups of tea and mirrored selections of snacks on two halves of a table set-up so it looks like a single piece of furniture.

    This is Morrigan's first time seeing Justina 'in the flesh', though her hologram has made the rounds a few times in various places. Justina looks more dour and subdued in person, a carefully composed mask of indifference on her soft features.

    Two half-elves walk into a partitioned part of a magical spaceship.
    It's not a joke. This is actually happening.
    Actually... It's a little awkward. Morrigan is so used to seeing Justina astral projecting into some various Doll of one kind or another or as a hologram, that seeing her in person is almost a shock to the Warlock.
    To Morrigan's credit, she plays it off with her own mask as she flashes a sharp-fanged grin and shoots the silver-haired half-elf a wave through the glass.
    "Justinaaaa, glad you could take the time to see me. Mary was *dyyyying* to visit and I thought it would be nice."
    "Master is lying, she's been miserable ever since the incident in Veldora."
    Morrigan's eyebrow twitches.
    "Ha! Ha ha ha, isn't she adorable?"

    Justina sips from her cup, looking into the liquid within for a moment or two. Then Morrigan speaks up and those shocking blue eyes glance over. "We're calibrating our subspace sensor array. Navigation via the Radial Drive is impossible while the array is offline... so we're literally sat here twiddling our thumbs." says the scientist, tilting her head to one side and half-hiding behind her teacup.

    "Justina was actually talking about inviting people to visit if we could make it safe. She was happy you called, actually." announces Minerva.

    Justina just frowns slightly but says nothing on the issue.

    Well, Morrigan heaves a sigh, settling into her seat as she rubs at a temple. Mary just dropped what she's been trying to hide SINCE the Veldora incident.
    Sigh.
    "Well. My van's sitting at the edge of a desert and camp is boring as hell while Neviah fusses with translating ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs." She admits. "So I wasn't going anywhere either."
    Blowing her bangs out of her eyes with a little huff, the Warlock munches on a scone thoughtfully.
    "You know, this might be less awkward if we didn't have our babysitters around."
    Mary pouts but takes the hint, flitting off her Master's shoulder.
    "This is the first time we've met 'in person', huh." Morrigan muses, eldritch green eyes meeting blue.
    "... Funny... I mean I've seen you in hologram before but..." She trails off.

    Justina gives a meaningful look at a camera suspended in one corner of the divided room. It seems to jolt as if surprised, then the red 'active' light winks out.

    "The science is facinating, the historionics is beyond me, however." admits Justina once the 'babysitters' are gone. Mary is allowed through the various 'non-living' spaces of the ship. The cargo area, the emergency medical center and such. Places Justina doesn't go and are a little less unabashedly sterile. There's not much to do, though Minerva does try to hold some conversation with the Shinki-Familiar.

    "It feels nice, helping to uncover the origins of someone else's home, give them back something that's been lost." Justina reaches for a sealed ration bar and unwraps it to take a bite. "Things you've lost..." she muses quietly.

    To be fair, Mary was always an outgoing little thing. Surprisingly friendly considering her Master is...
    Somewhat unhinged.
    So Minerva will have a chipper little conversation partner while the half-elves have their privacy.
    "Mmm." The Warlock muses at first, sitting back in her seat. "You know, I'm something of a scholar, myself." Morrigan admits. "Not on the same level as you or Neviah- there are parts of the history that fascinate me and parts where things get so muddy... This dig is very much Neviah's baby, she's been hunting for the origin of our world probably since she could walk." She pauses there to consider.
    "I must have been knee deep in studying the arcane when she was born hah... But."
    But.
    "Sometimes I think there are things that should stay lost." Morrigan considers, staring down into her tea with a thoughtful look.
    "I'm not sure what's going to be on the other side of that vine but I get a tingle thinking about it. A feeling in my gut I can't explain. And I'm just hoping it won't be like Veldora or anything like it all over again."

    Justina nods slowly, "I'm relatively young, by comparrison, a 'child prodigy' as it were... and you say some things should stay lost? I do agree... some things were lost for a reason, buried for a reason."

    She shakes her head, leaning back in her seat and adjusting her jacket as if suddenly cold. "Some things are stolen, though. Ripped untimely from your grasp. It's all about perspective, I suppose."

    She straightens again, finishing the ration bar and folding her legs up onto the chair, an almost childish gesture. "Hey so... getting off that subject, what's your favorite thing to do in the Tree?"

    Those eldritch green eyes fall half-lidded for a beat.
    "Mn. And it hurts when they're stolen huh?" She murmurs sympathetically, pausing to sip slowly at her tea. When Justina tucks her legs up, Morrigan crosses one over the other.
    Moving on to a new subject may be best.
    But getting asked what's her favorite thing on the Tree? That earns a slight chuckle from the witchy woman.
    "... I like to drive." She says after moment. "Just... Get out there, hit the road with Mary on my shoulder and the radio playing something light, and just go wherever the Tree leads us, GPS-be-damned. Let me tell you that van was the best investment of my life. ... Would be nice if we had someone in the passenger seat with us but."
    She shrugs. "Okay so I guess I like to road-trip." She chuckles. "What about you?"

    There's a flash of something across Justina's face when her question is turned back on her. It might be familiar to Morrigan from looking in the mirror since the debacle... but this one is less fresh, it's had time to ferment, become bittersweet rather than raw and painful.

    "I... used to love walking through the campus gardens at the academy." she says softly, looking down at the deck and starting to gently rock back and forth. "They had a grove of Blade Lilies, the scent is something you just can't simulate. I never made friends during my studies. I thought I'd have plenty of time afterwards... then." she looks up, spreading her arms to gesture to the ship.

    Ah yes. Morrigan knows that look. She knows that look well, even if it's had the time to simmer into something bit more subdued than so raw.
    "Mm, mmh..." She murmurs affirmatively at first, taking one last ip of her tea before setting it aside and rising from her seat.
    "It's never too late though." She says. "I mean you still have time now." She points out.
    "Back when I was studying... I never thought I'd ever have any friends at all." She admits, setting her hand lightly on the nearby glass pane.
    "Heh... Sometimes life has a weird way, you know? I never pictured myself on a spaceship having tea like this with anyone. Let alone a friend."

    Justina looks to the hand on the glass, and places her own palm against it. "There's a disconnect, though. I'll never have those lazy nights, curled up watching bad movies with someone..." she says, removing her hand again. "This disease, this curse..." she shakes her head and sighs. "Sorry, I've only had Minerva to talk to about this, and she is endlessly optimistic.. just like she was designed, I guess."

    A disconnect, Justina says as she takes her hand off the glass.
    But Morrigan keeps hers right where it is.
    "You won't?" She asks curiously. "Because of that?"
    "Justina..." She starts to speak but trails off, lips tugging into a wan smile.
    "I'm a Warlock. It's written in a grungy old tome somewhere in an ancient pact signed and sealed by blood that I'm supposed to be one of the most negative people you can meet. You're only as doomed as you think you are and..." She says. But then pauses. But then lifts her shoulders in a lazy shrug.
    "Camp's pretty boring." She decides to point out. "I wouldn't mind sticking around to watch a bad movie or two if you've got some lined up."

    Justina looks back, "Negative, or insufferable?" she shoots back lightly, a small smile tugging at her lips. "You know what I mean... even if we're here, together..." she places her hand back, slightly off from Morrigan's own. "That disconnect still exists... There'll always be this distance.. and there's no way to change it."

    She looks toward the camera. "Minerva, set up the holoscreen and load 'Punish Me Kindly' playlist from the movie database."

    "Why not both?" Morrigan replies, cheeky.
    But then the hand comes back, even a little off.
    "I'm okay with that, if you are." She does say after a beat. Before settling back into her chair.
    Oh this series sounds like it'll be a *treat*.
    And Morrigan can't fall asleep, so she'll have to sit through it all until Justina passes out or gets bored or the movies end.
    ... And that's okay.