RP Log: In Progress w/ Lazlo

[capn_subala]

Who: Subala and seacaptainlazlo
Where: By and on the lake
When: After Subala nearly tears down half the festival decorations starts her fishing pole project, a few days before the fishing contest

Comments

[capn_subala]

"Oh? Like who?" Subala slows her rowing and twists the oars, letting the boat calm its movement into a lazy drift.

She smiles back at him. "Thanks!" She says brightly, always wanting to feel useful. "I hope so. Some folks seemed to want a contest, so seems like there should be enough for all. I haven't made a rod like that in a real long time though. Guy named Logg taught me how."

[seacaptainlazlo]

"Hmm..." Which story to tell first? "Well, all of the pirates we sailed with were funny, except Kika and Sigurd - they were more serious. But there was this young boy, Nalleo, he could out-climb anyone on the rigging. Oh! And Wendel and Nico - they were always running around making trouble. Nico was our lookout, he was good at it."

Lazlo nods enthusiastically. "I like the idea of a contest. I don't know if I'll win, but I'll sure try. So...who's Logg, then?"

[capn_subala]

"Sounds like a good crew. Don't know what it is about topsmen that makes them good troublemakers. Maybe they just look down on everyone else." Subala laughs at her own horrible joke. "These all with Kika, or folks you picked up at other ports

[seacaptainlazlo]

Fortunately, Lazlo is not immune to lame jokes, and laughs. "That's a good one. Ah...no, actually. Nico was native to Obel, the king hired him. I did pick up a lot of the crew from other places, though - pretty much every Island. Even Iluya, though there wasn't much left of it at the time."

He smiles warmly at her description. "He sounds like a neat person. It would be nice to meet him." Now that the boat has drifted into position, he flicks his line into the water again, eager to see what else they can catch.

[capn_subala]

"What happened to Iluya? I don't know much of my Island Nations history. Don't know much history at all, to be honest."

After Lazlo casts his line, Subala follows suit with her own as well on the other side of the boat. Her eyes flicker as she tries to catch sight of shapes swimming about beneath the water.

[seacaptainlazlo]

"Well..." Lazlo gives a little sigh before beginning the story, his eyes on the ripples on the water. "The Kooluk built this huge Rune cannon, big enough to destroy whole cities in one burst. They tested it on Iluya, since it was the closest island." His voice quieted with the raw memory, even if it was two years ago now. "It completely incinerated half the island. So many people died, in one instant. The ground was turned to ash, the trees and buildings just vaporized. It's coming back - it was already green again when I was last there, but there's some scars that might never be healed."

He musters up a sort of smile as he turns his head her way. "Some of the people here from my future tell me it's the most beautiful island, now. It's such a relief."

[capn_subala]

She pales as Lazlo describes what happened to Iluya. "Wow. I had... I had no idea. That's like... that's like when Queen Arshtat hit Lordlake with the Sun Rune. The whole sky lit up. And then it was ash and ruin." She shakes her head. "It's well rebuilding now... I mean, I was only 14 when it happened, but..." She blinks. "I've been to Iluya. It is a gorgeous place, with flowers all over. I wonder, though. Something like that... shouldn't be forgotten." She frowns. "That's why there ain't rune cannons in the navy, I guess. I remember a fella in the Prince's army talking about makin' sure they didn't come back into use. Good thing. Hope we never see the likes again. Wish I could say the same of Arshtat." She frowns at the water sullenly.

[seacaptainlazlo]

Lazlo's smile fades as he listens. The final muttered statement makes him pale a little. "Uh...Subala? Has anyone told you...about what happened here a few months ago? With the Queen...a-and the Sun Rune..."

[capn_subala]

She shakes her head to answer his question. "No, no one's said anything..." Her eyes widen, a childhood fear behind her eyes. "Lazlo... please... please don't tell me she actually has that thing here..."

[seacaptainlazlo]

There's a small tug on his line, but Lazlo ignores it, shifting to face Subala. "She did. Not long after I arrived here, she lost control and created a second sun over the castle. A lot of the others from Falena were upset, so I heard some things about the Sun Rune, from them. But, it's been taken care of. The queen was stopped and the rune isn't with her anymore."

[capn_subala]

Subala is silent for a moment as she attempts to gather her thoughts (and is only partially successful). "Somehow, I have a feelin', 'been taken care of' is an understatement. That rune's got two other runes that exist just to keep it in line. I ain't an expert, but it's the most powerful rune I've ever seen, by far. I don't know what you all went through to get that thing away from her but it musta been..." She shakes her head. "I'm glad to hear that it's outta her. You have no idea. Look, I don't know Arshtat. She died before I met the prince. I ain't talked to her here, because she should be dead, and because a Queen ain't gonna bother with an ex-pat, 'specially not a Raftfleet-born ex-pat. Who's just a fisherwoman. I know the story of Arshtat and the rune is complicated, and I know how hard his mother's death hit the Prince, so she musta been a good ma at some point. But it's hard not to think of her as anything but the bucknutz crazy woman who destroyed Lordlake

[seacaptainlazlo]

Lazlo glances briefly to his left hand (sitting in his lap with the fishing pole), at the thought of "most powerful runes" known to anyone. "I haven't spoken much to her either," he admits, "but she seems...well. Proud, but sad, sometimes. Even without the Sun Rune, she seems to have a great weight on her shoulders."

He pulls in the line, only to see that whatever had been tugging at it had successfully gotten away with the bait. Time for a fresh lure. "I wasn't involved when a group finally stood up to her to stop her, but I heard about the outcome later. Both of her knights, who tried to protect her, were hurt - one of them worse for turning on her. A couple other people were banged up, but..." He blinks, remembering one thing that seemed to have been mostly forgotten. "One person was...they say the Rune got her..."

[capn_subala]

Subala frowns in consideration of Lazlo mentioning the weight on Arshtat's shoulders. "I suppose she does," she replies, and seems almost about to add something, then closes her mouth.

She furrows her brow. "The rune 'got' someone... someone was killed?" She shakes her head. "I'm sorry to hear that." She pulls in her line and re-casts it with some force. "So this place isn't the always paradise it seems to be." She turns to look at Lazlo. "Sounds like you've been through your own rough times, more'n your fair share." She twists her mouth, trying to find words for the muddled ideas in her mind, but all she says in the end is, "I don't know..."

[seacaptainlazlo]

Lazlo quickly shakes his head. "I don't know how easy it is to say that. She apparently disappeared...right in front of a bunch of people. So it isn't as though she was killed outright." His voice holds a note of hesitation that suggests he hopes that isn't true, that something other than a death took place in that moment.

"Well..." He hedges his words, while tossing his freshly-baited line out toward where the last one got eaten. "You could say that. I captained the ship and led the fleet during the Liberation war, against Kooluk. It wasn't all fun and games, I admit."

[capn_subala]

"Hmm. I don't know. Anyone asked a rune expert about this?" She thinks. "Surprised the one we had durin' the war didn't get teleported in. She knew her stuff. Even if she dressed like a tenpenny... well, never mind. She was nice enough, and could probably zot the whole army with lightning if she wanted to, so best not to say anything bad

[seacaptainlazlo]

"I don't think there is one, to be honest," Lazlo realizes, lifting his eyes from the water to the sky. "Not that I've seen. No one like Jeane...she would know..." As he trails off, his line also jerks, and he fights it a bit - this could be good! He pulls in another speckled fish like the lake trout, just big enough to be edible. No trophy fish yet, alas.

Subala's awe makes him blush. "It was two years ago...I was nineteen," he says to clarify, not that that makes it any less impressive. "Yeah, that's kind of what King Lino said. That it wasn't just about the Islands, even though that was important. A weapon like that could have been turned on Scarlet Moon, or anybody really." He sighs as he casts his line again. At least coming this far into the future has allowed him to see the fruits of their sometimes tragic labor.