And the station opens...

[sanctuaryrpgmods]

There were no flashing lights, no alarms. The doors to the quarantine chambers simply opened, the whoosh of seals breaking was the only fanfare.

Quarantine was on a quiet level of the station, a gently pulsing light set into the wall leading the chamber's temporary residents out into the station proper. Outside, station officials wandered by but paid no particular attention to the newcomers; new arrivals were nothing new to them, just a fact of life on Sanctuary. New people arrived in the chambers, station staff logged them, and the computers arranged everything else. So they went about their business, eyes glued to the screens they held.

Of course the newcomers weren't aware of any of this. Anyone who called out to the station staff was greeted with a wan smile and directed toward one of the many terminal screens lining the walls of the large open space between the central tower and the rest of the station.

The terminal screens asked for a fingerprint before offering any additional information. Their names flashed up with a map to their new home in the living quarters and some basic information on the currency contained in the chip in their hand and what it might buy them. A brief explanation of the silver communication unit followed, and then the news of the past twenty-four hours played. War on planets in a neighbouring system, the weather on a vacation world, sports scores for a game that seems a cross between lacrosse, hockey, and quidditch. Nothing of use, of course, nothing that could get them off the planet.

The quiet entrance to the living quarters was on one side of the atrium, and the sounds of a bustling marketplace that could not be contained came from a much wider opening on the other. People of all shapes, colours, and species walked through the space along with station officials and technicians using their tablet like screens, dark uniformed security officers chatting as they strolled their patrols.

The station carried on obliviously while the newcomers watched, each with only their credit chip, a place to live, and a basic outfit. Clearly that was all the welcome they were to expect; what happened next would be up to them.

[[Gathering post and opening of Sanctuary RPG. Put in your characters coming out their quarantine]]

Comments

[rememory]

At the word necromancer, Sabine made a moue of distaste and all but shuddered. "And call spirits from their well-earned rest to attend to me? Not unless I have no other choice." Or her powers ran wild because someone did something stupid to her mind while she was using them. Fabian Cortez and Exodus being the notable, and much loathed, examples.

Of course, none of that was Molly's fault, so she checked her attitude and explained, "I'm a psychopomp. I help spirits finish their earthly business so they can rest. Some choose to stay with me, rather than cross over."

[thewinterlady]

"That's a new one on me. I'm a psychomancer. I have nothing to do with spirits though." She smiled. "Necromancers in my world do what you do, for the most part. But they're a little more grey by necessity. I know a few and they're good people." She said with a shrug of her shoulder. Good was relative. After all, her power was mental based and it was destructive by it's nature, but she'd turned it to the good.

[rememory]

Sabine settled a little at Molly's remarks. "I tend to make a hard distinction, because although I might be able to reanimate the dead, I wouldn't. Whenever possible, I seek a spirit's consent before asking it to do anything other than stop haunting or hurting people." She glanced around to see if anyone paid the slightest attention to them, but no one seemed to, so far. So she asked, "I'm not familiar with psychomancy. Is it another term for empathy?"

[thewinterlady]

"Not...not really. That's a part of it, for me, but the term literally means mental magic." She sighed and huffed a laugh. "Where I'm from, most psychomancers become Warlocks. If I wanted to I could change the way you think, the way you behave, the memories in your head. And that's just the stuff I could do without, training. For me training was about using my magic for good things. Repairing memories, helping people find their way out after magic had trapped them in their own mind...that kind of thing." Molly shrugged. "There's more than that. Shields, veils, illusions, lights and sounds...I'm kind of a jack of all mental trades." She didn't mention the other side. Winter wasn't something you discussed with someone you didn't know, even as much as she felt she could trust Sabine.

[rememory]

"So you're more of a telepath than an empath," Sabine mused, happy for something to think about that didn't engage memory or emotion overmuch. "But with magic. I wonder..." Could Molly heal the tears in her mind or would the magic and psi-mutations conflict? In a last resort, it might be worth a try, but the torn psi-bonds would heal of their own accord. Maybe if she was still here in a few days and still having considerable trouble with them, she'd ask if Molly could help suppress the symptoms. That could work, since it would be more like taking aspirin than direct manipulation...but later. First she'd see if there were spirits on the station who knew things...when she could safely reach out again.

"I'm familiar with the power-set," she said finally, ending her own runaway train of thoughts. "I can only affect living beings when possession's involved--" Or when she was overtaxed and needed additional resources, but that didn't feel like something to talk about with a stranger, even if she suspected she'd end up telling her someday if they were really stuck here. "Theoretically, there are other possibilities, but they haven't manifested yet."

[thewinterlady]

"Mine were late blooming too." Molly said, understanding the need to keep some of the details of someones capabilities to themselves. She was fairly open about hers, but she had Winter always lurking in the background to contend with. "I was in my late teens when they manifested. That's about a decade later than most." She said, shrugging. "But no...I'm not a telepath. I can't actively read your mind. I can sense your emotions, get swept away with them sometimes if the psyche is powerful enough. If you let me in or can't keep me out though...all bets are off." Molly gave Sabine a contemplative look. "Do your spirits have a choice? Can they ignore you?"

[rememory]

"I wonder if my shields can keep you out?" Sabine mused aloud. Dani and Nathan had insisted on her learning, at a bare minimum, several techniques for deflecting intrusions, and after Exodus, she'd been the one insisting they teach her more.

She recalled after a moment that Molly had asked her a specific question. That it took that long told her the damage to her mind was significant and she would need to rest before too terribly long. "Sorry, you asked if they can ignore me. That's a complicated question. Technically, no. Spirits can and often do resist me, particularly those who are angry, or misbehaving already, like poltergeists. They can make things very difficult for me, if they choose, but if I need to, I can always overrule them." She focused her gaze on Molly, willing her to understand all the various nuances in what she was about to say. "I very rarely need to." Because, among other things, she was very skilled at talking them through transitions. "Those that choose to accompany me, they actually can ignore me, primarily because the link between us allows me to invest them with more 'life' and 'will'. However, because of that link, they very rarely do, except, for example, when Mimi's singing and I wish she'd choose another song."

[thewinterlady]

Molly gave the explanation some consideration. It actually sounded like a decent arrangement for everyone. "I think I get it." She said and smiled. "In as much as I can." She admitted. "But I'd like to learn more about it if you wanted to share." It was a little selfish, she knew, but Molly was fascinated by magic in all it's forms. Not to mention that Harry would never have let her live it down if she hadn't taken every opportunity to learn more.

[rememory]

"I feel the same way about your magic," Sabine offered with a smile dimmed only by the searing pain that ripped through her skull at odd intervals. Now being one of them, she closed her eyes, focused on her meditative pattern, and waited for it to pass. When it did, she let out a long, slow breath and waiting a few beats before taking another.

"It will have to wait, though, for another day." Apology in eyes flecked with gold, blue and green, she tapped her temple. "The transition to wherever we are hasn't agreed with me. I need rest. Shall we exchange information and catch up if we're both still here in a day or so?"

[thewinterlady]

Molly hadn't been expecting the pain. She'd tried to avoid Sabine's mind once she knew the woman was a sensitive too, but sudden sharp emotions and sensations always got through. It stole her breath for a second until she shored up her defenses and pushed the pain away.

She waited for Sabine to gather herself and finish talking and then nodded. "And you can tell me what that was just now, if you'd like. That might be in my ballpark." She offered gently. "But yes. Let's get together." She smiled.

[rememory]

Sabine started to shake her head but the pain stopped her. She felt sure Molly would understand when she waggled her finger instead. "Nothing personal--" And it truly wasn't. Sabine felt confident Molly would turn out to be someone she could trust. "--but the last time I was taken captive and someone got in my head, I spent about six months--" Batshit, broken, and mourning. "--dealing with the damage. There's time. If we're still here in a few weeks, maybe then." The psi-bond would stabilize in a few days, enough that the pain would be bearable as long as she didn't suffer any other emotional stings. But it wouldn't heal completely for at least a month. "Thank you for offering. It isn't easy on my friends who can do what you do."

[thewinterlady]

Molly nodded. "I understand. Just...the offers there if you want it." She said, smiling gently. There were some things that couldn't be rushed. Psychic damage healed slowly, she knew that intimately enough, but if Sabine wanted her help, Molly would make it easy for her to ask.

In the meantime they both had their bearings to find and this place to figure out how to fit into. Molly smiled and nodded at Sabine and headed off to do just that.