beleos: (Default)
beleos ([personal profile] beleos) wrote in [community profile] kenosooc2024-01-12 02:07 pm

JANUARY TDM + SETTING UPDATES


BEARING FRUIT (NEW CHARACTERS ONLY)
It starts out as a pleasant dream. You’re in your favorite place, with your favorite people. It’s a moment of idyllic comfort.
And then, it goes wrong. The sky turns dark above, and as you look up, you see the black expanse of space spotted with faraway pinprick lights of stars. Yet, they’re not stars. You’re certain. They’re watching you. A billion eyes all looked down, and they spilled forth as if the sky itself was a dam holding back those dark waters. You reach back to the people you’re with, but they’re frozen in place. Their eyes are black, reflecting only the expanse of dark eyes. Their bodies jerk, and convulse, as if controlled by puppet strings, reaching out to try to grip your hand, your shoulder, your wrist, but you know you should pull away. Something iswrong. If fingers or appendages meet your skin, there is a chill, that runs up your body, from the tips of your toes, up your spine, a full-body experience of wrongness. Would your loved ones feel like this, when they reach out?

So you run, even though you know you won’t escape it. You glance back and see it not overtaking, but consuming. The landscape around you is being devoured, and you can see it cracking apart. The world itself is breaking, and it cracks under your feet. You fall, and the billion eyes chase after you until the darkness swallows you whole. It's coming for you, it will not stop, it will not relent, and there is nothing that can be done. What a fool you were, for ever thinking you could escape. There’s agony as if you’re being ripped apart, and then—

You cannot see. You cannot feel. You simply are. Yet even so, impossibly, a woman’s voice speaks gently.

I’m sorry it couldn’t be saved. But, come, it’s time to wake.
Your senses come to you slowly. Are you here for days? Weeks? Longer? It is difficult to say. All that you are is inert, and still. You can feel parts of you that form, but they hurt, like your body is fighting through a layer of...something. Something that keeps you from a gentle regrowth. You feel a chill, next to your heart, and while your form grows, it also fights, trying to both find a form and fight against some darkness that clings to you, like it's trying even now to consume your soul. It has a taste of it, you can tell, though not enough to take from you. Enough to know you, and while your body grows, this darkness slowly, slowly ebbs away, as if it can no longer touch you when you are whole. Something protects you, a presence. You can sense it, just like you can start to sense the presence of others. Some are close by, you can tell, winking in and out of existence just like you are. Falling in and out of consciousness like you do, as you are all collectively regrown. A groaning, creaky voice hums in your ear, with breaths that thrum and hum, like a gentle summer breeze through the leaves, and it tells you: Try to reach them. Welcome their calls. Can you hear them? Through communion. Your emotions are laid bare, in this space. Will you allow them to project? Will you try to control them? Will you reach out to your fellow new bearers, and soothe their own worries, or exacerbate their fears?

Eventually, after a long time, you wake with a start, cradled by soft, velvety plants, and sticky with a sap that smells faintly of honey and iron, an acrid scent lingers, like the edge of rot that has been swept away. You can see the veins of the leaves that hold you, lit warmly and gently by what looks like a crystal embedded above you. Yet, it’s odd, because that crystal calls to you. When you reach out to touch it, it’s warm. Familiar. Important. You don’t know why, but you know you must hold onto this because now it feels wrong for it to be suspended in these leaves. So, you pull it out.

The light starts to fade, but only in time to see as the leaves cradling you immediately start to soften and crumble, and with it comes a torrent of dirt. Soft, loamy soil starts to fill the space around you in the dark as you’re buried. Or, rather, you already were. You reach out through the dirt desperately, and your hands finds a root, so you pull while you clutch that precious crystal so close that it almost feels like it sinks into you (in your panic, you don’t notice that it does). You reach out again, and this time, your hand hits open air, and plenty of sturdy roots around to grab.

From a seed you’re born, and like a sprout, you make your way out of the ground.

And once you’ve clawed your way out of the soft earth and the roots, nearby, you see the soil shift. Another hand comes up to grasp desperately for something, anything, just as you had been.


A LITTLE ISLAND HOPPING
With the new Shard-Bearers present or en route, it is Kathova and Cetina who approach the established ones, requesting that they form mentorships with the new souls to assist them with the integration process. To this end, they have both provided a centralized zone in both Highstorm and Springstar for a series of small, seemingly casual gatherings, they happen over the span of a week, so new visitors can get the chance to spend time in both cities before they make a decision.

Additionally, as Springstar and Highstorm are holding their events over multiple days, the knowledge-hungry can participate in both informational sessions -- the tones and opinions held by both cities are doubtless to differ.

For those established bearers of the opposite faction, however, your faces are known amongst the populations of our sister cities, especially the administrators of both Meridian and Zenith, and if you try to attend the parties of either city, you will be turned away, with varying levels of aggression, depending on your tier of harmonization. New bearers are free to notice if someone tries! It seems you've stumbled your way into an escalating war.

SPRINGSTAR, αιώνιος ήλιος

In Springstar, the seat of the Tribune becomes available for such an event. While a section of the building itself has been reserved for the meeting between fresh faces and experienced Shard-Bearers alike, the hustle and bustle of Heliopolis continues around them -- acolytes still gather their robes and tomes, hurrying from their quarters to lessons. A score of young militants march in step across the yard to the training grounds. The higher-ups amongst Meridian have taken it upon themselves to wrap up their Year's End and New Year's festivities with a celebration of their recent victory over the Harbinger Oracle, as well as a celebration of the possibility of new shard-bearers. One does not have to attend every day, but Springstar's celebrations do tend to be multi-day affairs, and everyone from the scholars to the titled nobility seems keen on greeting new bearers. The tribune himself, Cyrus, welcomes bearers with a rousing speech at midday each day, speaking of their victories and their battle to stand for the worlds now lost. His speeches are met with polite applause, but is it a bit lacking in enthusiasm? Cyrus seems to brush it off with little offense, but perhaps you notice, that his eyes crinkle slightly, and he may look a touch... sad.

The celebrations are in the Seat of the Tribune, with tables draped in white-and-gold-trimmed fabrics fare filled with fare typical to Springstar's slowly brightening summer -- platters of hard crumbly cheeses and stuffed doulmades, roasted meats and fish, like souvlaki and psari plaki. There are plenty of grains and other dishes that elude to the abundance of both Springstar and Alenroux, and bearer efforts there.. The atmosphere is ambient with informality and friendliness, though topics will inevitably stray towards philosophic or political, Springstar's meeting grounds are decorated with handsome chaise lounges and slouching klismos chairs in small, intimate groupings. This is a forum in the classical sense, where people are encouraged to speak freely, no matter the topic. Though excitement charges the air, the gathering at the Seat is much more muted than what transpires outside the center of the city.

The church, too, celebrates the victory. Now that the Year's End celebrations have passed, the head of the church, Hieropoios Natalia Theodora Vaso Helios offers proclamations daily to those who will attend. Her tone has turned in tone toward driving forward, for now, that they have two Oracles of 3, Meridian's light is in favor, and she offers blessings and venerations toward the bearers who support their efforts to restore worlds. Bearers who attend these masses will feel their discord ebb from her words alone, and their shards will feel warm to the touch for some time afterward, even if they are not harmonized. If they ask anyone within the church, they will be told that it is Meridian's light filling them.

One would assume after a victory, that the mood elsewhere in Springstar is jubilant, but while there is still the occasional party outside in the summer sun in the Psychagogía district, there is a hushed tenseness to the city of eternal-sun. Stay too long, and you will eventually find the reason why, when scared locals speak of disappearing friends or family members, and there are whispered rumors of attacks. Some accuse the denizens of the Below, and others whisper about monsters in the dark. Though they have captured the latest oracle, the hope that normally follows such excitement is... tentative, at best.

HIGHSTORM, луны-близнецы

Eternally in opposition, Highstorm uses the manor's courtyard as the location for a series of events over the next week, inviting bearers new and old to join them in celebration. The members of the Highstorm council have set the small gathering in the court beneath Yima's tree, and next to the reflecting pools. The Lady Yima herself is in attendance and oversees the gathering from the balcony of her manor above. She will visit the grounds sparingly, generally when a new bearer is afoot, but she will direct any questions to either Kathova, or her more established Zenites, as she has many people to greet. Though she will take the moment to hold each new bearer's hand that visits and tell them each: "You have the potential to hold the key to a new, and better world. We believe in what you can do, and what strength you will find in Kenos. Let the memories of your loved ones, and your world, guide you to the right path, and know that your loss will be honored when we achieve our new world," before she glides away.

There are few places to be seated in the Manor's courtyard, resulting in bodies milling about as they flow and ebb between smaller gatherings, clustering in small-to-large groups with small platters and shimmering flutes of drink held in their hands. Yet, as you look, you’ll see that the selection is also quite interesting. The foods and drinks on offer are from a multitude of worlds, and so you may find a new favorite! Or something not suited to your palate at all. It’s at least a chance to be adventurous. If you try something and don’t like it, might not want to say that out loud, lest you insult someone who’s from that world. More established Zenites are encouraged to attend to help draw in new Zenites, and both new and old inductees alike are encouraged to speak about what their vision of a new world would look like. The reflecting pool itself is at the center of the courtyard, and if one looks in, they can see their memories reflected back at them. Though... if you look for too long, something seems to try and reach out for you. Can you feel the allure of dark fingertips, ready to brush against your face? If you stare too long, an attendant will pull the bearer back, just before they land right in the pool, offering unsettling remarks of “that has been happening more lately, the last person it happened to disappear. We even drained the pool, but couldn’t find them!

Further into Highstorm, the Greenwood Yards attracts many visitors during the dead of Highstorm's winter. The doors are (proverbially, we can't let the heat out!) open, to bearers new and old alike. Attendants there will explain that this season is the best for starting some of the seeds that will grow well into early and mid-spring, but most seeds need warmth to grow. They will ask visitors to find a partner, to hold their combined hands together, and to offer shared warmth to the seed, and they will explain that seeds grow best when they come from the combined care of more than one individual. Bearers will eventually have to separate, but they will notice that the small seed in their palms has started to sprout. Visitors will also be welcome to turn fertilizer with the laborers at the yards (What's in it? Don't worry about it!) and there will be sessions held by the staff on the local flora and fauna, so consider this your primer on the native plants and animals of Kenos!

The denizens of Highstorm are putting out their bells and whistles for the new bearers, as they have less to fear in the streets (or do they...?) so feel free to stop by Benny's -- watch out for any fights, or participate, I'm not your mom -- or feel free to visit the Tomes, where a certain coffee shop has opened up a cart in the largest library in the district, offering drinks to comers and goers, which are becoming quite popular. This particular barista often offers drinks based on their shards, but as a little winter pick-me-up for the denizens of Highstorm, there are several new drinks offered for visitors! They even have a menu on display for bearers to select from!
CHEERS TO A NEW YEAR

  • Springstar Sunrise - One using the crushed vines that populate Springstar in their warm season, which makes bearers want to reach out and hold hands.
  • Scorching Slowdown - One using water from the Scorching Isles that makes bearers grow cold, and time seems to warp around them. (This one DOES contain a modified touch of the Blight that bearers once healed, but if brought up, an attendant will shake their head, and impress upon the patron a sense of calm. It will not hurt you.)
  • Xanadu Xing - that makes bearers feel warm and totally relaxed. A spa in a cup, and you’ll feel like you had a therapy session afterward!
  • Worlds Edging - A drink that makes bearers start to feel...amorous. (The Aphro Drink)
  • Highstorm Hiccup - A whimsical drink that gives the bearer hiccups! Do they float a little? Yeah, but there’s no fans over your heads, don’t worry
  • Pastoral Punch - A fruity concoction, it’s made from the crops in Alenroux (think a Sangria) and when drank, it fills bearers with warm memories, and reverie comes easy.
  • Yima Yammer - a tongue-in-cheek drink, it fills a bearer with the uncontrollable urge to talk
  • Cyrus Concussion - This drink puts bearers into a deep sleep. They have pleasant, warm dreams.

ALENROUX

The pastoral farmlands of Alenroux are seeing a resurgence of life and community, since the establishment of combined Meridian and Zenith forces, and the subsequent attempts to eliminate or displace the monsters that ravaged the island at night. With a more stable population, some of the workers have established homes, and have started opening their doors in the sunny, lush farmland, which is reachable by cornerstone, and oddly? Alenroux has taken to advertising their new interest in tourism. The small farming village has started establishing shops with wares, crafts, cooking classes, and wine tastings, pretty much an agro-tourist's dream! Drink beverages crafted by refugees from distant worlds, or dishes from other worlds! Bearers are encouraged to visit, and stay the night with a multitude of Alenroux's homes opening their doors for bearers to stay in their Bed and Breakfasts.

However, while the days are 24 hours long, so are the nights. Alenroux natives do not leave their homes, and staying in for a full day's time can feel like an eternity. You'll have time to get to know your hosts, but the night is haunted by the cries and howls of monsters in the distance, particularly on the north end of the island. Should a bearer step outdoors, they will find monsters still roaming. Take one on, if you dare, but watch out! Shadow creatures lurk until you least expect it, and may try to lure you in with a familiar voice, a soft promise, the lingering scent of a loved one. What you find in the woods might be just a run-of-the-mill big monster to fight, or it might be something deadlier, a shadow, mimicking a loved one, trying to draw you into the darkness.

KOWLOON

Though Kowloon is something of an open secret amongst those in Springstar, it was normally left to lay in the belly underneath the sunsoaked city topside, like an afterthought. Only those who already knew where it was, could make their way through the dangerous maze of tunnels and corridors that leads from the Springstar sewers, down into the Below, and then further into Kowloon. The Below is dangerous to all but the most powerful, as in the dark corridors, creatures lurk, and people make dens and nests within. Some will warn new bearers away, citing that there are Dark Things within the tunnels and that they don’t encourage anyone to stay down there for long. If you remain unharmonized, it's recommended that a guide assists you on the way down. Fellow shard-bearers who visit frequently are recommended, but particularly savvy types can find their way down on their own.

Kowloon itself is a thriving little beating heart underground, and much like its namesake, it truly is just a built-up city within a scant few blocks, the buildings are densely packed, and ascend to over 14 stories high. It’s massive, enough to occupy a large number of oddities, such as a hunting ground for monsters, and there are bars, clubs, casinos, and shops with wares from very nearly anywhere. Though if you ask where they get them, the owners of said establishments will dodge the question, or outright threaten you when pressed. Bearers will find that there are varying degrees of openness in Kowloon, after all. Don't ask too many questions, or you may not like how they answer. Kowloon is a place where you can satisfy your every vice, and that is meant truly. There are weapons dealers, drug halls, exotic liquors, and substances that could fill innumerable universes. Every world has its shadowy elements, and every world's shady types have made their way down here.

SETTING UPDATES
In both locations, information passes between all in a forum, spread and disseminated among the masses - it's a good opportunity for city residents, faction loyalists, and interested new parties to share and share alike. Once a day, after the meet-and-greets have concluded, twin missives from both faction leads are read out -- invitations for all present to explore the cities to their heart's content, and warnings about stumbling ill-prepared ( or at all ) into the Below, or worse yet, the Beyond. As Shard-Bearers new and old take in their cities, they'll all see it change throughout the month...

OOC, these are all updates to the setting at large that players both new and old are free to interact with as little or as much as they wish! Feel free to use them as prompts on this post, in your characters' on-going lives and arcs, or just let them go "That's none of my business" and ignore it. The world of Kenos is shaped by our playerbase, and these are some of the wider-reaching effects of various player plots and actions.

TRY TO JOT DOWN A FEW NOTES

As part of New Year's gifts to everybody, Yima and Cyrus gifted bearers with an enchanted notebook. They are embossed with your characters' names, and have some unusual properties. Bearers can now send each other little letters or notes, or they can address the group at large, should they wish to! This essentially serves as a network function. Please check out the AC requirements for more information about these special new gifts.

FRONT PAGE NEWS

After the last Oracle, both cities are abuzz with gossip. Normally, the oracle appearances were wrapped in secrecy, only the bearers themselves were privy to the internal happenings, and accounts tend to be scattered, as it's always relied on what the bearers can share. This time, the oracles were broadcast to the population at large, and bearer opinions have shifted wildly, based on how successful a bearer was. New bearers may hear the off-the-cuff snide comment about some bearers here and there, and they'll notice that the cities are not very welcoming to bearers of the opposite faction. The public opinion seems to be shifting as half of the oracles are captured, and their fates are being written by bearers new and old.

DON'T LOOK TOO CLOSE TO THE SHADOWS

Be wary, bearers. Whatever patches of darkness and shadow you encountered in the Harbinger's Labyrinth, seems to be making its way across Kenos. Things like patches of shadow against a building, the slightest flash of a familiar face rounding a corner, or even hearing your name called by a name long gone. Something is trying to reach you and tempt you to find it. The shadows are hungry. For something, and bearers new and old alike will be fine feasting for whatever reaches from the shadows. Step carefully, and watch your backs.

AAH! REAL MONSTERS

If the cities didn't have enough to deal with, Springstar is taking the most hits. The city of sun may not be dealing with as many patches of darkness (for truly, Meridian's light touches all) but that does not mean that there is no danger within the city of eternal sun. Attacks by people such as vampires, ghouls, and other intelligent, people-eating races are on the rise, and fearful whispers hint that they are coming from the Below, some even suggest that this is the hint that the balance is shifting. Kowloon has always existed with relatively little strife toward Springstar, but that seems to be changing. Be wary on the streets of Springstar, bearers, you may find that lurking around the corner are hungry murderers of varying levels of danger. The attacks are not... constant, but they have begun to increase in frequency. By this time in the month, they are moving to several times a day, and the legionnaires are having difficulty keeping up with the attacks. Even one of the more well-known Meridian higher-ups, Agapitos Voreen, has been seen fighting in the streets, flanked by his second, a large, emerald dragon-born woman. All of these combined efforts have not yet been able to turn the tide, and it's clear that Kowloon was always a threat, but one that until recently, had been kept well in hand.
OOC NOTES
  • Welcome to Kenos! As a reminder, all new players need to submit a request, and proceed through player screening to apply to the game. Apps are now open!
  • This log is Game Canon. Any characters who are not apped to the game will disappear. If Cyrus or Yima are asked, they’ll explain that this sometimes happens since not every soul has a strong tether to Kenos and sometimes return to the Timestream. They may return to Kenos one day, but for now, weren’t able to make the full journey.
  • As a note primarily for current players, closed toplevels/prompts are not allowed in this log. If you would like to interact with the setting changes in a way that isn't open to all characters (new and old), we ask that you instead make a log in [community profile] kenoslogs.

  • FOR NEW PLAYERS:

  • When characters emerge from their cocoon/the ground, they may be wearing their normal clothes or nude. Up to you!
  • At some point in the days after leaving the Tree of Life, new Shard-Bearers will have a dream, even if they're usually not capable of sleeping. All new players should read this post since this details how they'll learn about both factions and their goals and should help them make a decision about which Faction they'd be drawn to.
  • Characters who arrive and harmonize to Zenith will receive a bonus token!
  • When meeting with either Cetina or Kathova, along with their shard or sunbeam, they will be given a Kenotebook! Think of this as your text-based comm. (This is also opt-out, so if you want it to not be ready/lost, go for it!) Any AC with the Kenotebook must be doubled, so make sure you are aware of that!
  • As a reminder, your character has a Shard somewhere on their body that encompasses their soul, so keep note of where you're sticking it on their person for reference! Additionally, they have a tattoo of their Aspect somewhere on their body. Please be mindful this Aspect will be assigned to you upon approval and whatever you choose for the TDM may be temporary (for new characters)!
  • For the Island Hopping prompts, all locations will be fully open and accessible to all characters once they are freed from their rather harrowing ordeal at the Tree of Life. For prompt ideas and any general information about the cities and what you can find there, please see the Locations section of our Wiki!
  • New characters will not have access to any canon abilities on the TDM until they Harmonize, AKA make a choice of which faction they choose to support. For some characters, this may be an easy decision, but it make take others time. We just ask you keep this in mind!

  • CODING
    diegeticmusic: (but if i build a sail)

    [personal profile] diegeticmusic 2024-01-18 04:34 am (UTC)(link)
    I'm a Muse. We're gods of art - I'm personally tied most to music, but I dabble in a little bit of everything.

    [With the other muses gone, she has to.]

    It's a relatively new thing. I'm still getting used to it, if I'm honest.

    [Six months isn't enough time to fully get used to having a god's memories slowly filter into your head, who knew?]
    tresemme: (🍼7)

    [personal profile] tresemme 2024-01-18 04:36 am (UTC)(link)
    They’re gonna be dead!

    [ tony turns his shoulder defensively, tucking himself in like he cannot believe he’s getting this pushback. ]
    diegeticmusic: (will i know where to go)

    [personal profile] diegeticmusic 2024-01-18 04:36 am (UTC)(link)
    [Oh, so this is like... some kind of discrimination happening. Wow.]

    So it wasn't always this... blatant?

    [She hasn't really had time to gauge the hostility levels between the two camps. The fact that they're allowed to comingle at all had given her too much faith, she supposes.]
    diegeticmusic: (theyve all turned away)

    [personal profile] diegeticmusic 2024-01-18 04:39 am (UTC)(link)
    [Oh, so he's just gonna... stick around. Okay then.

    Grace spears some kind of vegetable up from her plate, just to have something to do. She feels like if she stares at this guy just standing there, then she'll start being motionless, too.]


    Uh, yeah. A few days ago.
    settingup: (don't give up)

    [personal profile] settingup 2024-01-18 04:42 am (UTC)(link)
    [ It's a shocking turn of events, but seeing that he seems to be on the offensive now just bolsters Atsumu and keeps him going. ]

    You don't think they might have a problem or two before that point, huh?
    diegeticmusic: (you will find your way)

    [personal profile] diegeticmusic 2024-01-18 04:47 am (UTC)(link)
    [Set, god of war. The name rings a bell, but she isn't quite able to place it right off the bad. He's not a Greek god, she knows that much. He doesn't really look like a Norse god. So...

    Egyptian? Probably Egyptian? Should she even bother to ask?

    What's more interesting is the name, Church of Helios. She knows who her Helios is: embodiment of the sun, pulls a chariot through the sky, or so the stories say. But could it really be the same here?

    Something worth investigating.]


    Oh. Good to meet you, Set. I'm Grace, from the line of Calliope.

    [Whether that means anything to him, well, she'll just have to see.]

    Not really. It's just interesting. [She smirks.] Most of my own brothers and sisters would be too proud to do something like that. Even for practical reasons.

    [She doesn't necessarily agree with that viewpoint.]
    diegeticmusic: (i have burned my tongue)

    [personal profile] diegeticmusic 2024-01-18 04:49 am (UTC)(link)
    [She doesn't mind explaining if he wants to ask. She just gets the feeling he's less interested in what she's saying and more confused why she's talking to herself in the food line.

    Which... is pretty fair, actually!]


    What way do you like to eat them?

    [Asked as she moves on down the line to the next tray.]
    diegeticmusic: (who doesnt know how)

    [personal profile] diegeticmusic 2024-01-18 04:53 am (UTC)(link)
    [Wow. That... sure did feel kind of forced. Hm.

    Grace smiles to try and smooth over this situation, quick to wave it off.]


    Yeah, I'm fine. Just wasn't paying enough attention, I guess.

    [She gestures at the alley.]

    I was just seeing what's down here. Trying to find the local spots.

    [Is the more crowded square a "tourist area" when there seems to be no real way for outsiders to get here? Whatever, it's all about the same.]
    diegeticmusic: (but if i build a sail)

    [personal profile] diegeticmusic 2024-01-18 04:56 am (UTC)(link)
    [Oh, someone who actually knows the name! Grace wonders if they're from the same world, or if Apollo is a name that has made it somewhere else.

    Still, she can't help but laugh at the clear skepticism. Apollo probably would have agreed with her, if he were here.]


    You know, he'd probably be saying the same thing.

    [She notoriously had to twist his arm to get his help when they first met.]

    He just knows more than me about this kind of stuff. [She nods at the shard.] Souls and stuff.
    diegeticmusic: (youre not alone)

    [personal profile] diegeticmusic 2024-01-18 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
    [Uh?

    Who asks for food at a banquet? Who asks for food when they're already laden down with it to begin with?

    Grace stares at this guy like he's weird, putting her shard back into her body at the same time. And she does think he's weird, but she's met her fair share of weirdos, so...]


    Do you... need it for something?
    settingup: (but what came first?)

    [personal profile] settingup 2024-01-18 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
    [ She may be right about that, though if he was better versed in Greek traditions, he might be more curious about figures from its past. At least he knows who the big named gods are if she ever decides to suddenly start calling on their names!

    For the time being, he seems content to talk about food, a topic of conversation that he used to engage in a lot more when his perpetually hungry twin brother was conscious, and not just a rock he currently keeps in his pocket at all times.
    ]

    Soaked in a nice tangy marinade overnight, and grilled up after they got all that locked in 'em. Just like my--

    [ He cuts himself off, brows furrowing as if he's having trouble remembering something. ]

    Just like someone from back home used to make.
    diegeticmusic: (am i alone)

    [personal profile] diegeticmusic 2024-01-18 05:25 am (UTC)(link)
    [Maybe she'll talk out loud to herself about Persephone or Aphrodite sometime soon.

    Dang, he's right, that does sound pretty good. She's nodding along to that, when...

    Hm. That was... well, she guesses it wasn't any more odd than what she just did, but still.]


    ...That sounds really good, too. They must have been a good cook.
    hauntedking: (17)

    [personal profile] hauntedking 2024-01-18 05:47 am (UTC)(link)
    They do, apparently. They want us to choose - Meridian or Zenith - to help them attain their power.

    [ He frowns. ]

    And they tell us that this is the only way to either create a new world or save what has been lost. And there is only one way forward. I don't begrudge them this. But... I do wonder.
    tresemme: (🍼9)

    [personal profile] tresemme 2024-01-18 05:51 am (UTC)(link)
    Ugh!

    [ the problem with still being unharmonized, and also perhaps deep down knowing he’s in the wrong, is that he can’t take this fight as far as he wants to. if he were fully capable, he would have no qualms about psionically blasting amos to death here in the middle of everything—so he thinks, at least.

    instead, he’s left with the ultimate defense: he claps his hands over his ears and turns away from amos, raising the volume of his voice.
    ]

    Like I care about all that!
    kaientai: (160)

    springstar;

    [personal profile] kaientai 2024-01-18 06:25 am (UTC)(link)
    What makes you say that?

    [ ryouma — sitting nearby with his big plate of cheese and seasonal wine — couldn't help but overhear. ]

    Victory can mean different things to people, after all.
    salvageable: (pic#15552897)

    ii!!

    [personal profile] salvageable 2024-01-18 07:27 am (UTC)(link)
    [ It's not often that Dokja finds himself wandering into the seat of the Tribune, but all the activity surrounding the area wins over his curiosity. He doesn't plan to stay very long, quiet as he listens to Cyrus's speech, then pulling himself away from the crowds as soon as it's over. He doesn't participate in the conversations surrounding him, and while Dokja doesn't match in the festive energy of the partygoers, he doesn't especially stick out either.

    He just appears like a spectator, and like a spectator, he turns to leave now that the speech has concluded. But before he does that, he stops by the tables of food laid out, his thoughts of how much he can squirrel away into his pockets interrupted when he hears a voice beside him. ]


    ... Uh?

    [ Dokja glances at the stranger for a moment, confusion evident on his face before he turns back to the contents of the table. ]

    Did you mean the food?
    salvageable: (pic#15552891)

    iia :3

    [personal profile] salvageable 2024-01-18 07:33 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Help. And the people do hear Tony, eyes suddenly turning that way when the comment is made, and Dokja just happens to be standing next to the guy. While the abrupt attention isn't aimed directly at him, it's still in his general vicinity, and so he mildly panics as he laughs a little awkwardly, then waves a hand to dismiss the onlookers. ]

    He's had too much to drink.

    [ Dokja making excuses for this STRANGER... But at least that seems to work as a good enough excuse, causing the nearby crowd to shrug their shoulders and go back to much of their own conversations. ]
    clockpunk: (040)

    [personal profile] clockpunk 2024-01-18 07:48 am (UTC)(link)
    [ with a pita full of meat and sauce in his hand, chrono blinks in equal confusion at being addressed. he looks from dokja to the souvlaki and back again, barely remembering what he had muttered to himself in the moment. ]

    Uh, yeah? The food. It's Mediterranean - at least this is.

    [ he holds up the souvlaki. y'know, for emphasis. chrono hadn't cooked much like this back home, but he was confident in identifying it. ]

    I guess sunny places everywhere grow similar stuff.
    salvageable: (pic#15563162)

    [personal profile] salvageable 2024-01-18 07:55 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Oh! Dokja had spoken out of surprise but looks like this is going to be an actual conversation. He eases into it with little grace, awkwardly shifting his attention to the food in front of him, and then to the souvlaki being shown as an example. ]

    I'm not too familiar with it.

    [ He usually sticks to what he knows, and he can be picky about what he eats (if he decides to eat at all), so. Having lived in Springstar for as long as he has, it should be strange to be learning about its foods now of all times. He gives the so-called Mediterranean food a good look before he returns his attention to the stranger next to him. ]

    I hope you enjoy it. You're new here?
    clockpunk: (026)

    [personal profile] clockpunk 2024-01-18 08:13 am (UTC)(link)
    It's pretty good. [ he takes a small bite, considering. ] Some it this tastes kinda odd, but it's probably just my taste adjusting.

    [ better not tell him you don't remember to eat, dokja. he'll tell you off and then find some way to cook for you.

    he shoves another bite into his mouth. ]


    Mm, thanks. I'm trying to ignore the whole apocalypse thing for now.
    Edited 2024-01-18 08:14 (UTC)
    umurice: (106)

    II-A

    [personal profile] umurice 2024-01-18 08:16 am (UTC)(link)
    [The attack had been unexpected, but Hiiro had grown up in an environment that mean that the level of hostility he received was impossible to notice even from a distance. Humans are very likely to be both predator and prey, and this time, Hiiro knows better than to be the prey.

    He'd dodged at that time, fingers twitching as he thinks about grabbing a knife. Except he did not wake up with his luggage, and the city was even more unfamiliar than the last. The creature, a beast he's never seen, looked ferocious-- dangerous to anyone who could not react in time to dodge its vicious bite.

    If he had a weapon, it would be easy enough to fight it. He's already taking account the shape of its body, a sort of sapient, and mapping out its weak points when someone barges in from nowhere and slams into it.

    He pauses in his assessment, caught by surprise, especially when the beast backs off and runs away. Physically, his savior didn't look strong at all, feeble and weak, as though the wind could blow him away. It tugs at Hiiro's conscience, makes him want to protect him-- like the children back home-- and he gets on his feet with that thought in mind.

    He needed to check on him.]


    Is your body all right, sir?

    [personal profile] ex_fend346 2024-01-18 08:34 am (UTC)(link)
    [ It should have been a simple matter, fending off a predator. Under normal conditions, Subaru imagines that his presence alone would have fended off anything with keen senses and survival instincts. As it stands, however, he'd dug his way out of the earth to find himself weakened in too many ways.

    The extent goes beyond what Subaru had gauged previously, something he only realizes after he's intervened. It's fortunate, then, that he is at his most intimidating when provoked. For his own sake, such a thing might never prove the case. When protecting another, however, Subaru had all the motivation he required.

    Yet his drive exceeded his present ability. He was only lucky the attacker was an opportunist and not desperate.

    Subaru flexes gloved fingers as he considers how different the feeling of impact had been from what he anticipated. The thought is immediately chased off by pain as he winces, biting back a strained noise. Only when he has smoothed out his expression does he turn to face Hiiro properly. ]


    I will be fine.

    [ Under normal conditions, this would be true. As it stands, he recognizes that he's injured himself, but he hopes present company hadn't noticed. He'd sooner not burden someone he'd meant to help. ]
    tresemme: (🍼10)

    [personal profile] tresemme 2024-01-18 09:10 am (UTC)(link)
    I’m a Mu.

    [ he says it like that’s something she should obviously recognize. ]
    umurice: (116)

    [personal profile] umurice 2024-01-18 09:55 am (UTC)(link)
    [Clawing out of the ground had been a nightmare in itself, and his mind is still abuzz with the information that he had learned upon waking. It was hard to believe it, if he were honest, because his memory is fuzzy and unclear. Perhaps he had woken up from a nightmare, one with too many eyes, as fatigue, hunger, and thirst had been at the brink of collapse. The city had been too bright, too shining, for the bitterness in his soul after months of searching fruitlessly.

    There was no way his journey had been for naught, not when he hadn't even found his brother yet.

    So he had been in a daze as he had walked around the city, the shape, sound, and size of it so unfamiliar that it intimidated him, but it was still better than the lingering taste of dirt and the scent of the earth that permeated his sense.

    That is, until he sees the child collapse. It makes something inside of him snap momentarily, making his mind clear, even as he makes a beeline towards him in concern.]


    Hey! Are you all right?

    [Immediately, he gets on his knees to examine him, perhaps check for a pulse to be sure.]
    umurice: (95)

    highstorm

    [personal profile] umurice 2024-01-18 10:02 am (UTC)(link)
    [Hiiro had avoided the reflection after seeing the familiar face of his brother, younger than he should be now, having almost fallen in due to his haste. The danger had been lost on him, a rookie mistake, one his father would have disapproved severely after all the training he went through. His brother would not have made the same mistake, surely.

    He had been lucky. He'd been saved before he had jumped in, feeling unsettled still in a place so unfamiliar. He had thought journeying out of his village had been frightening, but even the city did not compare to this place. Then again, this is his new city, isn't it?

    However, because of that encounter, he had been watching people from afar, trying to soothe himself by making sure others don't make the same mistake. When the girl walks away from the pool, looking shaken, he comes up to her, hoping to be of help.

    Her words just has him pausing though, silent as he was in coming up to her.]


    ...? Who do you speak of?