Sloth's sitting by herself, her back straight and her posture perfectly prim and proper, taking small bites of her food. She's not here to eat, though; she's here for information, and she keeps her ears open for any interesting or useful snippets of conversation. And if someone decides to take a seat, well, she certainly won't chase them off. She generally prefers to keep to herself when possible, but with all the strange malfunctions going on, she can't exactly trust these journals for information. Until they clear up she'll just have to grin and bear it.

...if they do clear up, that is.

When Sloth first arrived, the first thing she attempted was to turn to liquid so she could slip out of her room and slink around unnoticed. However, there was a problem: she was stuck, trapped in this clumsy, useless shape. Her talents weren't completely gone, and after some practice, she found that she was still able to make some changes to her appearance. Other than that, though, her body was completely immutable.

If it was simply a matter of being solid, that would be one thing. She had, after all, spent long periods of time in her disguise (thought it was disconcerting that she didn't have the option to slip out of it), and could remain so if needed. However, she also felt slower and more sluggish. While this might be acceptable for a mere human, it was stifling for one such as herself.

However, sulking about it wouldn't do her any good. She needed to get used to her predicament, and fast. There was only one way to do this: physical training. So, she wandered around the floors until she found a place she had heard about, the gymnasium. Unfortunately, she wasn't exactly dressed for a workout; her cabin had been a perfect replication of her plain, barely lived in bedroom, and that included the closet and all its clothes. Most of her wardrobe had consisted of modest skirts and dresses, which, while convenient when she had a more fluid body (all the easier to slip in and out of), were impractical for her current purposes.

No matter, she'd ask around for new clothes later. For now, though, she could at least take a look around and see what she could expect.

Sloth glanced over him quickly when he approached, and she couldn't tell if he worked here or if he was simply a helpful guest. She doubted it mattered either way.

"Yes, actually." She tilted her head and said, "I'm interested in the facilities, but...well, as you can see, I don't really have anything appropriate for the occasion. I don't suppose you know where I can find a spare set of clothes around here."

To an outside observer, it might appear as if Sloth was wandering around aimlessly. However, she did have a purpose: memorization. She disliked being thrust into an unfamiliar place, and the sooner she got used to where everything was, the better.

Then, all of a sudden, she felt a chill down her neck and heard a voice whispering in her ear. She spun around immediately, and while she scanned the area for signs of her would be "friend", the lights flickered out. Sloth felt a brief surge of adrenaline, but steeled herself. The hauntings. It must be one of those strange, foolish, idiotic hauntings. She frowned at herself for getting caught off guard like this.

Her body remains tense and her senses are on high alert. While nobody had gotten hurt (that she knew of), there was still a first time for everything. Besides, she still wasn't sure if she could trust everyone else on this damn ship, ghost or not. It wasn't a good situation; without her abilities, she was more vulnerable than ever. If something did happen, than staying to fight would be suicidal. It would be best to strike as hard and quick as she could and make a run for it.

For now, though, she remained perfectly still and alert, and waited for either the sound of another or for the lights to flicker back on, whichever came first.

Sloth catches the shape out of the corner of her eyes, and her only movement is her turning her head to catch a better look. Instead of bolting she forces herself to stay and observe. Just who is this?

When he spoke, Sloth straightened up, but still remained tense. He'd get her trust once he earned it.

"I'm well enough," she said, her voice cooler than intended. "Though you can never be too sure what you'll run into here."

Sloth gave him a small, grateful smile, and said, "Yes, actually. Do you happen to know where the stairs are? I'd like to get to some place with real light, if you don't mind."

Meanwhile, her mind filed away what he said about their "ghosts". Though she had yet to actually see them herself, it matched what was said by...what was his name again? K-something-or-another. Perhaps she could see if her new acquaintance knew anything more.

Her smile fades as she looks into his eyes. So it wasn't her imagination or a trick of this place - his eyes were actually glowing. This man was most definitely not human. Either this could be very good or very bad.

She follows quickly after him, listening intently to the sound of his voice.

"Not yet - I'm afraid I haven't even heard of him." Her voice is distracted, and she takes one step forward but hesitates at the threshold. Here the light flickers in and out, and threatens to go black any minute now - the perfect excuse to keep an eye on her guest, in case he isn't as helpful as he appears.

"...I'm sorry," she says as she walks in, before she turns around to face him. "But could you lead the way? Just in case the lights go out - I think you'll have less trouble navigating than I will."

Ah, madame. She'll keep that in mind if they ever speak. However, if Sloth is embarrassed by her misstep, she doesn't show it. She simply nods and says, "Thank you - I'll look at it in more detail when I return to my cabin."

When he steps forward she follows after him, not so close that she's on his heels but not so far that they can't hold a conversation. She keeps her hand on the fail and walks slowly on the narrow steps, and tries to memorize the position should the lights go out for good.

"So I see," she said, her voice relaxed for someone who just found out her guide was inhuman. "And does the resemblance end there, or do you have other talents?"

"We don't have them by that name, no." She gives him a knowing glance, and says, "But we do have creatures with...unusual talents."

A faint smile crossed her lips, and she said, "I don't mind, but I'm afraid I wouldn't know where to begin. Is there anything in particular you'd like to know about?"

"If you mean humans and nonhumans," she say, "Then I'm afraid they don't. Humans are very much in the majority, and anything else...well, as far as most people know, they're nothing more than urban legends. Bogeymen who lurk underneath sewers and in old, abandoned buildings. Experiments conducted in secret and behind closed doors. Warped mockeries of humanity that aren't even supposed to exist, created by those who think they can tread upon God's domain."

She tucks a strand of hair behind her ear, and adds, "As you can imagine, there's not much room for friendly conversation."

...learn to live peaceably with humans...

Is that the lesson she's supposed to learn, or is it his alone? She can't say for certain. Sloth tries to shove the thoughts out of her mind and focus on the conversation at hand.

"There's no reason to apologize," she says calmly. "It's been informative. Besides, it's ...useful to know what people think of those different than themselves."

"So I take it that they're similarly openminded?"

"That's certainly encouraging," she replied. "But, the more ignorant crewmembers...how dangerous are they?"

"I agree wholeheartedly - at least, when it comes to banding together. After all, you know what they say about power in numbers. But, I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with this Rayne figure. Is there anything I should know about him or her?"

While she waited for an answer, Sloth thought over everything her guide had said so far. If everything he said was true, then she might be able to gain some more allies than she anticipated. However, before she could let herself get comfortable, she still had to make herself aware of any threats that might lurk around the corner.

Not to mention incredibly helpful. Though, I'm afraid I've forgotten my own manners - we haven't even introduced ourselves yet.

[Doesn't recognize the name - while her world has many similarities to Earth, Bram Stoker apparently isn't one of them.]

I'm Juliet Douglas, and it's a pleasure to meet you. I have to say, this is the first time I've met with nobility.

[Raises her brow] And how do you plan on doing that from the ship? As near as I can tell, escape's not exactly an option around here.

But from what I understand, it isn't quite as simple as just biding your time. Don't the wardens have some say in this?

She had heard that the deck was in bad condition, so she came up to see for herself. Dear lord, it was as bad as everyone said it was. The floor creaked as she walked across it and the smell of rust permeated the air, while ash and dead leaves fell like snowflakes. She couldn't have envisioned a cheerier afterlife.

...assuming this was the afterlife. Such a thing probably isn't meant for creatures like her. However, before her train of thought could get very far, she was interrupted by a leaf landing on her hair and tangling itself. Sloth frowns and tries her best to brush it out with her fingers.