One Day at the Crescent Academy

Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade is out on the grounds of her academy, pushing a wagon-load of bricks into a shed in one corner of the practice field. A largish kiln-type furnace has been set up in one corner, maybe fifteen feet tall and built of unfinished stone. Smoke rises from the top, and the front is open, inside can be seen stacks and stacks of what are almost certainly the world's only modern bricks. Not a -lot- of them. But more with every run. Next to this is a small workstation where mud and such is mixed into a great cauldron, where it can be spooned out into wooden frames, in which it can sit and be baked. Goldenblade is clearly serious about masonry.
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann wanders onto the grounds and looks around a bit curiously, pirate like hat upon his head and a sash tied around his forehead. Hand upon his custom made cutlass his jacket billowing out behind him as his boots clap against the ground. "Interestin' place this be." He says before spotting Goldenblade. "This be yer places lass?" He asks with a bright grin. "So whatcha be doin' with all these stones and such?" Brann asks with a curious look before he takes in the rest of whats around.
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade looks up as Brann arrives, looking confused for a moment, then smirking. But as to the place being interesting, she shrugs. "It is whtat it is," she says. "And while it's my Crescent Academy at the moment, it's also a brickyard. And as to what I'm doing, I'm getting ready to do some building for a friend of mine who's got a big construction project going. And I thought brick would make a good biulding material. Easier to work with brick than stone for large projects, though it's a pain to ship out there. If I'd thought it through, I probably would have set up a kiln out there, but I had this one already, and I figured a single load of bricks wouldn't be awful."
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann grins looking around as he approaches Goldenblade. "I see I assume that what you wish to transport be heavy aye?" He asks looking at the stone and brick and such. "Iffin ya' be transportin' via sea I may be able ta be 'elpin ye' with that." He says with a grin. "Me names Brann, by the way. I forgot me manners for a moment there." Chuckling Brann looks at Goldenblade's work as he stops beside her. "So what be ye' teachin' at this here academy, iffin ye' dont mind me askin'?"
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade looks Brann up and down, squinting for a moment as she probably does an inspect before replying, "Nice to meet you, Brann. Just call me Goldenblade." If one inspects her, they will see her own name is so long that it spills out of the box. But 'Goldenblade' is indeed part of it. "I am indeed shipping them by sea," she says. "To Takamatsu," in Fourland, "and then inland to Eas."

As to what she teaches here, she says, "I had intended it as something like a military academy for Landers, but I haven't got them interested yet. But I do teach various skills and moves to adventurers also. It's a short list so far, but some of the techniques are useful."
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann looks at her and grins. "Well yer bein' in luck than Lass, Im actually from Fourland meself. Goldenblade its a pleasure ta meetcha." He says as he leans back a bit fingers tapping the hilt of his cutlass. "Lengthy name ye' be 'avin' there isn't it I can see why ye' be goin by Goldenblade instead." Chuckling he takes a moment to think before speaking again. "Ye' be wantin' ta teach the Landers ta be a military? Isn't tha' what we are here for ta be protectin' them and stuff." Brann takes his hat off and runs his fingers through his blue hair before looking back at Goldenblade.
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade arches a brow at Brann being a Fourlander. "If you can ship a ton of bricks, then that's good luck indeed," she says. "Though getting them to Eas from Takamatsu will be the rough part. That's a few days overland by peko, it'd be a week by wagon train. Probably need to use grunties rather than pekos, too." As to teaching the Landers to be a military, she explains, "Back in the day, a military academy was more like a general college that also taught strategy and tactics. That's a bit more like what I was aiming at. But the Landers all have their own military traditions, and they don't want to farm out their young cadets to be indoctrinated by someone else, it seems."
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann grins. "Ill have ta be lookin' into how much my cargo hold can be carryin for ye'." He says simply before he goes into thought. "Aye I agree that the land travel portion I agree is going to be the more difficult part. Those options are both viable and can be done, but I think we should focus on the sea crossing first than figure out the land crossing later." He says smiling. "One thing at a time ya know!" Now he moves to look her full in the face. "What they want aint necessarily what they be needin' ye' know sometimes we be better equipped ta teach them wha' they need ta know ta survive more than they do."
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade chuckles and says to Brann, "I'm sure I can ballast all your ships by the time I'm done." She nods about the land travel, though she says, "I suppose we /are/ making strides in automating that. And it doesn't hurt that it's the best road in Yamato." She chuckles at focusing on the oceanic part of the trip, and says, "If you've got a suitable galleon, that might do the trick. Not too many sea monsters out beyond the breakers, then?"

As to what the Landers may need or want, she can only speculate. "That's so, but they're not going to take anyone else's word for that. And being from there doesn't bump up my credibility much. Though I -have- wrangled an appointment into their military for myself. Maybe that will get me some more credibility with them."
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann chuckles a bit at her as he finds a place to take a seat. "Well than Im sure I can be of some assistance to ye' bu' than again who am I ta turn down a beautiful lass." Brann says with a playful wink before nodding his head a bit. "Aye we be making strides in a lot of areas dont we? Well not that I be seein' but ya never know when those big ol' sea beasties be comin' out again." He says with a serious note. "Well lets just hope that yer commission is something that brings ye' enough credibility. As fer me I like stickin' ta me life of bein free."
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade laughs at a life of being free. "My son used to listen to an American who sang a song that went, 'You've got to serve /somebody/.' She laughs again at the beautiful lass comment. "I keep forgetting." As to what her commission may bring, she can only shrug. "Hopefully it works out, yeah." She's shoveled enough mud into her brick molds and tamped out any air bubbles, so she hauls the tray of mud molds into the furnace, laying in a dozen rows, with separation between them for airflow, then pushes shut the heavy door. Moving around to the side, she starts heaving on the bellows, pumping the fire back up. The heat rises noticably right away, and by the time she's done, it's pretty hot in the immediate vicinity of the oven. "These bricks are a stride, too, I suppose."
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann blinks in confusion for a moment. "Yer son? And an American huh? Im an American, or at least I was now I guess Im an Fourlander." He says with a chuckle. "Ye' keep fergettin' what lass?" He asks chuckling as he turns to look at her full in the face again. "Aye yer tryin' ta get the old worlds bricks here its definitely a great idea lass." He says thoughtfully. "I do hope all works out fer ye'. But yes these bricks are indeed a stride forward."
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade laughs again, Brann's clearly not in on the joke she's laughing at. "I keep forgetting who knows and who doesn't," she explains. "I'm /seventy five/, back in the real world, my son's /fifty/, or fifty one, now, I guess. Back in the day, he listened to American rock and roll, all the kids did, though his English was much better than theirs. Not that I taught him so he could listen to the hippie junk he listened to, but he grew out of it, at least." She shrugs.

She nods about the bricks being aa step forward, locally. "I was a bricklayer in Japan, so I figured I could help them build up as solidly as possible. No glass skyscrapers yet, but one day..."
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann nods his head a bit and chuckles. "Well seventy five and into a full dive vrmmorpg damn ye' must be an inspiration." He says with a laugh before lookin about. "Yer son has me by a few years and by that I mean like eighteen." Laughing he nods his head a bit. "American rock and roll was always a great genre. So are yall a japanese family like from Japan?" He asks with a smile. "A bricklayer were ye' I was a Chief Petty Officer in the US Navy, I did Search and Rescue Swimming."
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade admits, "I only joined the game because my grandson said it'd be easier than driving back and forth whenever I wanted to visit. And they were going to join me, I just got started a bit early to get to know the game a bit beforehand." She nods, though, about being a Japanese family from Japan, though she says belatedly, "Though I guess technically I'm American, too, but I came to Japan in 57, so I've been there longer than most of the players here have been alive." She chuckles.
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann nods his head a bit. "Aye it would be easier and he had a point. I never thought of using this game as a means of keeping in touch with ones family." He says thoughtfully and than nods. "Im straight American, but got stationed at Sasebo Naval Station out near Nagasaki. Id been there for a few years before the game got set to release, I bought my rig and set up for an early birthday gift for myself."
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade nods about a way to keep in touch. "Yeah, a few old-timers joined up because it was easier than spending an hour or three on the train to see your grandkids. Look what we got ourselves into, eh?" She snorts, nodding about an American out of Sasebo. "I knew a few fellows out of Yokusuka, back in the sixties, but I guess they're all retired now," she muses. She smirks about the rig as an early birthday gift, and she winces. "Congratulations, you've given yourself UA and missing ship's movement. I wonder how they feel about that?"
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann grins and nods. "Ive been to Yokusuka myself out there in Okinawa." And than hes nodding again to the it being easier. "Aye an hour or three on a train doesnt sound fun at all." Brann says as he draws the cutlass and starts to polish it with a rag from his pocket. "As fer a UA and missing ships movements, missing ships movements yes, but given that Im trapped here and my body out there is Im sure basically in a coma theres no UA theyll declare it an AA due to illness or injury."
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade ahhhs, "It's different now, I guess. Back in the day, the guys I know said if you couldn't drag yourself out of your rack and up to quarters, you'd get written up the same as if you hadn't come back from Rappongi." She shrugs, eyes the cutlass. "Starter sword?" she asks curiously. She's got a pretty good eye for weapons, anyhow. "What's your profession, then?" she wonders.
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann shakes his head with a laugh. "The old timers over exaggerate sometimes. Ive never heard of it being that bad in any type of reality. If youre injured or really sick they tend to understand but you have to have plenty of proof and documentation to show them." Laughing he looks down at his cutlass. "Well yea I guess, I had it made for me specifically when I first started." To her next question he laughs and taps his chin for a moment. "I procure and transport rare and in demand items over the ocean." Laughing he rolls his eyes. "Im a pirate in other words."
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade ahhhs as she learns that sailors exaggerated something. Who'd have guessed! "Well, hopefully nothing too bad has happened to your meat body back in real life," she says. As to the sword, she nods, explaining, "One of the many things I do here is crafting." She draws one of the two swords on her hip. The blade has a slightly golden sheen, and is imbued with elemental fire, it seems. Handcrafted and a bit above a starter blade as well. "So, if you ever need anything, you can come see me." As to piracy, she says, "Not what you do for a living. I mean the game skill. You don't have to say if you don't want. I just like knowing who does what, in case I need to ask a favor."
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann nods his head and taps his chin a bit. "Ah yes yes Sailors are known to spin a tall tale or ten to make things look better or worse than what they are or where or what have ye'." He nods at Goldenblade looking at her sword as well before he things for a moment. "Im a Mystic and a Craftsman."
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade hrms, nods about the craftsman thing. "That's more what I was asking, yeah," she explains. "Well, good on you for joining NWA, then, they've needed a builder for a while. Scale has been building without one, at least until recently, and I'm the Olympus builder, I suppose. Though /technically/ I'm a Blacksmith, and I know building because I've done it in real life."
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann nods his head a bit. "Yea well I feel the way a lot of those in the NWA feel." He says with a grin. "That at this point there is no guarantee were ever gonna get out of here and that this world aint all that bad. I actually love it and find it to be really freeing ya know?"
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade ehs, wonders, "There's no one you want to get out and see? I'm hoping I can hang on long enough to get out of here and see my kids and grandkids. I don't know how much longer I've got left, but I don't want to waste it trapped in a game, you know? But if you've got nothing much on the outside, then I guess it's not bad here. I know a lot of people that are like injured or worse in real life, they're ecstatic to be here, freed from the machines and the pain and all. It's a great place, yeah, but I'd rather not be stuck here."
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann shakes his head. "Nah not really my parents well we dont get on so well these days. My little sister passed a few years back and so did my best friend." He says with a shrug. "No girlfriend, or wife, no kids. Hell not even a weekend FWB regular booty call. So no I aint really got much on the outside." Smiling he nods. "But I can understand why some of yall may want to get back. I just know that I dont."
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade's parents are almost certainly gone if she's seventy-five, as she claims. But she boggles at a sailor with no wife and/or side piece. "I see," is what she says, though. "I guess things were different back in the day. Less distractions, so you focused on what there was. Nowadays, kids have a million things they can do. Back in the day, it was basically drinking and women. But I guess you can do that here."
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann laughs. "Oh trust me Ive had my fair share of drinkin' and women, and fer me there werent as many distractions as some of the younger players have." He shrugs his shoulders again as he finally sheathes his cutlass again finally after finishing up the polishing of his cutlass. "But since I have none of that, this is what I have right now this is all I have and Im happy with it.
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade nods, smirking as she considers how much is in a fair share. "Well, then, if you've had both and your decision is to come here, then .... well, I guess the women weren't very good. Or had other issues, I guess?" She shrugs. "I married a Japanese girl in 62, never really wanted for anything, so I guess anything else is just speculating. But anyhow, did you need anything in particular, or are you just exploring?"
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann smiles nodding a bit. "Well not that they werent very good. But none of them had that /it/ factor for me the thing that I really wanted. Well none outside my high school sweet heart but we went our separate ways after we graduated since she was going to college and I was enlisting, and she didnt think she could handle that and the distance and shit." He says with a grin. "She got married five years or so back. And I needed nothing I'm just exploring and lookin' around but the offer still stands that if you need help Ill be happy to assist in any way I can."
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade nods about the girlfriends not working out. "I understand it's tough on sailors," she agrees. "But anyhow, glad to have you here. It's good to meet you, and glad you've got a sane attitude. There's a few players that have flipped out." She makes a few notes and will pass over a piece of paper. "So, here's my delivery plan. If you can get it to Takamatsu, that'd help a ton."
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann nods a bit here. "That was only a small part of the problem." He says with a laugh he leans back a bit. "Keeping yourself in the right frame of mind is well some say haugh I say its more like three quarters of the battle." He takes the paper and looks at it. "Im sure I can help ya out with this."
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade smiles widely. "Well, that's that taken care of," she says, satisfied. "I was dreading having to convince some Lander to ship a load of bricks, or ballast, really, and I'm not very social." She smirks, then gets back to pumping up the bellows. There's an ingot hanging free in the oven, and she heats the fires until it's glowing a dull red. That's her temperature guage.
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann nods his head a bit. "Everything is definitely taken care of. I too am not the most social of folks either but I do what I must as the situation calls for it." He grins as he looks down to his cutlass again. "So howdja know that this was a starter blade?"
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade chuckles and says, "I /did/ mention I was a weaponsmith, right? I have a pretty good eye for these things." She nods about things taken care of. "Good, good. Glad that more and more people are joining in the big leagues, so to speak. I spent a fair amount of time on one of the farm teams, myself but I've been playing up in the big leagues for about nine months now."
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann laughs. "I guess you did mention that. Though I didnt think crafting them meant that you could tell just from looking at the blade itself that it was a starter blade or not." He says simply. "Joining in the big leagues? What do you consider the big leagues, and what do you consider the minors?" Brann asks with a raised brow. "Im not exactly sure what you mean by that honestly."
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade chuckles, admits, "I've been making blades for nine months, I've developed a pretty good eye for it." As to the big leagues, she says, "You're in one of the big three alliances now, and you're doing the more advanced game content. You'll be doing floor bosses, or the waves soon, I imagine. That's the big leagues that I'm talking about. No more fetch three flowers for the Lander, bring the box of supplies to my friend in Mac Anu kind of thing."
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann nods. "I see I see. Yea well I just went and did what I was comfortable with you know?" He asks with a chuckle. "Floor bosses highly unlikely we dont want to clear the game after all but waves if they attack us we will defend." He says smirking a bit. "Yea I get that now, I totally understand your meaning now as to the big leagues versus the minors."
Goldenblade
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Goldenblade nods about the floor bosses. "I did a couple, just to see what it was like, but lately I've been busy with other projects, and Scale seems to have it under control." She shrugs about the waves, "Yeah, they're pretty bad, but some people lose their minds about them. Just keep it together and you'll be fine."
Brann
Carmina Gadelica Marina - Crescent Academy

Brann chuckles. "Im a Sailor as we say the Only Easy Day Was Yesterday." He smirks before he pops his neck as he thinks for a moment or two. "I wont be losing my cool since you know Ive been taught how to stay calm under pressure."