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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
    fursuit: (Default)

    i

    [personal profile] fursuit 2024-01-21 05:50 am (UTC)(link)
    [ This isn’t Tezcatlipoca’s first time here.

    Personally, he thinks this world must really have its claws in him and really wants him to manifest here. But it’s gonna have a hell of a time fighting against his. The way things work, the World isn’t keen to let go of the Divine Spirits that oversee it, so fair enough. He figures he’ll probably disappear again, but hey, might as well enjoy the ride while it’s here, right?

    So, he’s much more relaxed here in the roots than any other, most likely. He’s found himself a bit of a seat in a room that’s clearly meant for letting more people claw their way out of the dirt. And eventually, he sees the earth stir, and with a bit of a laugh to himself, he reaches into his jacket to pull out his cigarettes and lighter so that he can at least have a smoke while he waits.

    Not that it takes long, of course. So, by the time Matt crawls his way out, he has an audience waiting for him. And actually, it’s not a bad question to ask, which is why it immediately makes him laugh. He’s as relaxed and casual as if this were perfectly ordinary, and there is a bit of an impression of authority. Even Unharmonized (mostly out of neutral laziness), he carries some of the weight of his divinity naturally. ]


    Ha— Nah, not me, but good guess. This whole schtick ain’t my style.

    [ What kind of an answer is that… Don’t worry about it is what. He gives Matt a pretty obvious once over from behind the orange-tinted lens of his sunglasses, shrugs, then reaches into his pocket to pull out the cigarettes and lighter. They’re balanced on his leg as he starts to take off his jacket (which shows tattoos of his own on his upper arms). ]

    Shit luck, though. You’re the first one that’s showed up nude. Guess the Tree hated your drip.
    semicharmed: (GREATEST FACE)

    [personal profile] semicharmed 2024-01-21 05:57 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Matt has a natural tendency to lose himself in the process of focusing. Through meditation, attraction to a single detail of a skyline, hooking onto a thought or phrase. Then there's that phenomenon where crisis mode can literally, physiologically make human beings worse at seeing and hearing.

    All of which is to say, there are many factors that go into Matt's 10-foot jump when Yuri speaks.

    (Okay, it's not literally 10 feet.) ]


    Christ, [ he exclaims, whirling to face the guy who's suddenly right next to him. His initial startlement begins to recede, replaced by a sheepish, baffled smile. ] Ah ...

    As well as it can be going, I guess. I feel about a century behind.
    fursuit: (Default)

    [personal profile] fursuit 2024-01-21 06:02 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Tezcatlipoca gives Flat a, well. Rather flat look. He's mostly just a bit perplexed, though, since the fact that he pointed it out makes it obvious, right? ]

    Eh? That a trick question...?

    [ And honestly, Flat's a bit lucky that Tezcatlipoca has already gone through his own personal feelings on being here—on what that meant for Daybit's goals. If there was more of a chance that this was more connected to the Lostbelt, then he'd feel obliged to be aggressive. Clearly, this kid ain't with Chaldea, but still. ]

    Well, a mage, first of all, Master second. I know Command Seals when I see 'em.
    wolfish: (regard)

    [personal profile] wolfish 2024-01-21 06:10 am (UTC)(link)
    [ His lips twitch, pulled by nothing more or less than amusement at just how much of a response he'd gotten out of the fellow, but he reigns it in. This wouldn't be the first time he'd caught someone off guard, but this one certainly is lively.

    The smile he offers is a casual, amiable thing. ]


    Multiply that a few times or so and I was the same when I got here.

    [ He pauses, smile giving way to something more thoughtful. Yuri doesn't know everyone in this place, but... ]

    Assuming you're new around here, that is.

    [ It's something between question and invitation. ]
    semicharmed: (sleeping with the enemy)

    [personal profile] semicharmed 2024-01-21 06:14 am (UTC)(link)
    [ There's a lot to take in here, so please pardon Matt for staring while he gets his breath back. It takes him a few more coughs before he manages it, and all the while he struggles to reconcile beautiful ancient star-tree place with guy in sunglasses.

    Later on, "you’re the first one that’s showed up nude" will return to haunt him. But for now-- ]


    The tree ... hated my ...

    [ --a constellation of questions is cauldroning up in his brain. What or when is this place? Did I just turn into a crystal? Did I turn into a mushroom?? Did you see those people just now, the ones who said the world is-- ]

    I'm sorry, [ Matt says, partly a reflex because he doesn't know what to do. Partly because despite the abundant tree roots, there don't appear to be any handy fallen leaves he could use to cover himself. He drags a hand through his hair; it comes away sticky with weird sap. ] Um, I had an extremely bad dream, or possibly a psychic experience of some kind, and now I ...

    You're not a psychopomp, are you?

    [ His eyes narrow, as if he's about to say, You have to tell me if you're a psychopomp. ]
    semicharmed: (work and or magic to do)

    [personal profile] semicharmed 2024-01-21 06:23 am (UTC)(link)
    I just got here. [ Matt's posture is a little easier now that he's not actively being surprised, his expression and gestures more muted. But he takes to the overture like it's a life raft, if the immediacy of his answer is anything to go by. ] I mean, it's hard to know exactly when I did, because the astrological cues are ...

    [ His fingers flick vaguely in the direction of the daytime sky. ]

    Not what I'm used to.

    So maybe I'm also two thousand years ahead and a couple decades to the side.
    fursuit: (Default)

    [personal profile] fursuit 2024-01-21 06:27 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Tezcatlipoca laughs again, and he nods. ]

    Got it in one. Here—

    [ With the jacket shrugged off, he tosses it to Matt. They're at least similar enough in build that it'll fit, since Tezcatlipoca is more muscular, but still lithe overall. Now, granted, it's a jacket that's more about style than, like, being useful, so it doesn't have closures, but. Beggars can't be choosers. ]

    Not here, though. Like I said, the whole tree thing ain't my style. [ He reaches up to grab the cigarette that he'd had dangling between his lips as he took off the jacket and taps off some ash. ] I'm just a guy that's been through it before. The world gettin' eaten up, some chatty fuckers explainin' the deal, poppin' up like a daisy— Overkill, if you ask me, but I hung around to at least see if anyone else popped out.

    [ He gestures with the hand holding the cigarette towards Matt. ]

    So, welcome to Kenos. Good news is that you ain't dead.
    wolfish: (say)

    [personal profile] wolfish 2024-01-21 06:36 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Yuri's eyes follow the gesture, squinting at the eternal brightness of endless day with a soft hum. Time certainly does blur together in this place, there's no denying. ]

    There's a little place called Alenroux that enjoys proper day and night, save that each is too long by my reckoning.

    [ At least it gets both, he supposes. His attention drifts back to the new arrival, not keen to hurt his eyes lingering on what's above for too long. ]

    As far as I've seen, no one's entirely used to this. So you're right in step where that's concerned.
    kinaesthesia: (38)

    [personal profile] kinaesthesia 2024-01-21 06:44 am (UTC)(link)
    [If Gavial is good for anything, it’s for comedically escalating things like the jock she is.

    So man-handling a complete stranger for being a little mouthy with her? It’s a no brainer. The tried-and-true shoulder carry? Also a no-brainer.

    Unfortunately the plan needs a little bit more thought into the follow-through than she’s really putting in. There’s an undignified grunt from the startled bystander as suddenly there’s two people plowing their way with flailing limbs, this rude little shit’s shout of surprise—and a yelp from Gavial herself as she suddenly gets a warm and unpleasant splash of coffee poured directly onto her head as she starts hoisting him up.]


    Ugh, are you kidding me—

    [She sputters and squints as the coffee starts running down onto her face, reeling into a bit of a half-spin as she tries to fumble a better hold onto her unruly—and impromptu—foe.]
    kinaesthesia: (84)

    II

    [personal profile] kinaesthesia 2024-01-21 07:47 am (UTC)(link)
    [Gavial has never exactly enjoyed these little get-togethers thrown in front of the manor whenever a new batch of fortunate (or unfortunate, depending on how you look at it) souls start popping up from amidst the roots of the Tree en masse. Free food’s always great, sure, but the atmosphere is always way too stuffy for her tastes.

    Things are a little different this time around. She’s been getting used to keeping a keener eye on the surroundings than she used to, considering the way the shadows are still doing the whole spooky nonsense thing they’ve been doing since the last Oracle contest came to an end. Just another thing to get her real annoyed with the perpetual darkness around Highstorm—way more hiding spots for those than out in Meridian’s territory.

    But the extra vigilance means she’s noticed the way Yima’s attendants have been far too mindful about those drifting beside the reflecting pools for too long. All it takes is seeing the careful but insistent explanations they give a few times to get the idea in her head to stick around for a while and make sure any wayward folks don’t go poking a little too deeply around the pools. It beats trying to make small-talk with most of the party-goers; a lot of them aren’t exactly happy about hearing her help out with things in Springstar recently.

    And honestly, she doesn’t really expect that she’ll actually have to herd anyone away from the enticing pull of the waters, and yet here she is, yanking someone back none too gently and parroting the spiel she’s heard the attendants patiently give again and again. And—yeah, she can’t exactly blame him for the incredulity there. It sounds a little more insane when she’s saying it out loud herself.]


    Yeah, there’s been all kinds of weird nonsense going on around here lately.

    [She sits back down along rustic stone bordering along the edge of the pool, careful to let her crocodilian tail settle along her side away from the water.]

    Thing with the water’s new, as far as I know. But I wouldn’t go pushing your luck.
    gravings: (005b)

    [personal profile] gravings 2024-01-21 08:08 am (UTC)(link)
    ... No, only that. But by the measure of this world, the Oracles are everything.

    [ A bit apologetically. She should probably be trying to sell the virtues of Meridian's noble cause loudly and proudly, but that just isn't her thing.

    Of more interest to her is this bug of a feeling. ]


    Um, by the way... May I have your name? Mine is Gray.
    kinaesthesia: (81)

    [personal profile] kinaesthesia 2024-01-21 08:22 am (UTC)(link)
    [Alright, she’s raising an eyebrow… blinking a little in surprise… and then letting out a bark of a laugh.

    She’s not sure what she’d been expecting, but this probably wasn’t it. This guy sure just does not have a filter at all, huh? (Says the woman who doesn’t have a terribly great one herself.)]


    Uh-huh, sure. We’ll call it a work in progress, then.

    [Another pat on the shoulder for him, and then she’s gonna try to steer him a little toward the doorway.]

    Might wanna add some more ferocity to it if you plan on scaring off the monsters when we get out there, though.
    baltimores: (095)

    [personal profile] baltimores 2024-01-21 10:50 am (UTC)(link)
    [ <3~

    Therion asked, and a comprehensive answer he was going to get. Gotta pump up all of the benefits Highstorm has to offer to the new guys. It's also all true. And as far as Amos knows, he really is just inquiring about good drinking spots for the purpose of drinking — it's something he would have done, were their positions reversed.

    Hell, he probably would have gotten tired of the crowd, too. As much as he loves the place, is pleased to call it home, a gathering like this isn't quite his speed. More pomp and circumstance than he'll indulge, even under the best of circumstances — technically wearing all black counts as formal, but that's as far as he's gone.

    So he's absently nodding along, trying to think of the closest tavern near here, when Therion continues — he sounds like a local.

    A blink. And then he still isn't really smiling, but his eyes crinkle a little more. It's a... really nice thing to say? ]


    I guess you could call me that. [ He brings up a hand to rub at the back of his neck, a little sheepish at the notion, but it is accurate. ] I've been living here for over a year now. Figure that's plenty of time for me to be naturalized, yeah. Or at least means I know where everything is.

    [ Like, well, taverns. Just inadvertently selling his own tour guide abilities now though. ]
    baltimores: (063)

    [personal profile] baltimores 2024-01-21 10:51 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Blink.

    Okay, well, you know what? Respect for honesty at least, though Amos is not sure what to make of the details of said honesty, because they're... a little out there. Particularly antithetical to what he just said he wanted. It's all he can do but furrow his brow as she searches Yuber's eyes, as if searching for signs that he was joking, but... nope.

    Just that it probably can't be everything he wants. But he isn't one to pry, and instead the gears in his head are turning. Because — Amos would love a lack of worry. Has no problem with a comfortable, stagnant life. But... ]


    I dunno about things being tedious in a new world. If it's perfect it won't be tedious, right? [ Just basic logic. But. ] But that ain't where we're at right now. I mean... yeah, it's nice right now, but we're also at war with Springstar.

    [ If this guy wants war, then he's arrived at a good time — but which side is he going to be on is a pretty pivotal question, so it's time for Amos to test the waters. ]
    baltimores: (083)

    [personal profile] baltimores 2024-01-21 10:53 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Honestly, it's a relief that the kid doesn't have a death wish. Amos' shoulders visibly sag as some previously-unknown-to-him tension releases; this just made his life a whole lot easier. Especially since Flat already has a friend here who will look after him... (If he knew it was Gray, he would be further emphatic that Flat absolutely not stress her out...)

    But the idea of asking someone else to go out instead? The kid who wants this so badly wouldn't even be going himself?? Amos' eyes narrow a touch in response to the boldness of it all. ]


    What, you want someone else to do it for you? Head out into danger and commune back with you like they're your personal camera? [ This would be a great idea if it was something necessary, but since Flat seems more bored than anything else, it definitely isn't. ] That doesn't make any sense.

    [ ... is he about to say what he thinks he's about to say, ]

    If you wanted to step outside for like, ten minutes. And stay within sight of the lodge the entire time. With an escort, [ himself, of course he means himself. ] Would that do it for you?

    [ ... yes, yes he is. ]
    baltimores: (077)

    i

    [personal profile] baltimores 2024-01-21 11:20 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Amos has middling luck whenever he comes to visiting the Tree of Life — which is to say, most of the time it's a decent and quiet meditative spot, and every now and then there is a hand attached to a body trying to dig its way out.

    There is a hand. He is too far away to offer immediate assistance; still, he comes up just in time to see Matt haul himself out of the dirt, and then he stops.

    Stares.

    Stares some more.

    Were this another time and were he capable of reading thoughts, Amos could point out — they've had that sort of conversation before. Approximately two years and one universe away, they'd discussed the nature of space and time, the way they could converge to send them back to the dark ages — and then the cheery notion that their worlds had just died, and that maybe their brains were playing out an elaborate immediately-pre-death scenario before they finally properly kicked it.

    But by now, Amos knows that was not actually the case. The case is that their worlds are dead. It isn't any more complicated than that.

    And yet for some reason, he looks like he's staring at a ghost.

    He steps up to meet Matt, properly. And, after taking far too long to reasonably answer: ]
    Not for a while.

    [ He has not said anything to Matt in. A long while.

    Softer, gentler, he reaches out for him — his shoulder, above where his shard now rests. Slides his palm up a little bit, closer to his neck, a touch light and delicate as though he's ensuring that Matt is both physically here, and not about to dispel under his hand. ]


    Are you okay?
    umurice: (117)

    I

    [personal profile] umurice 2024-01-21 11:50 am (UTC)(link)
    [He had come out the same way earlier, after all, even if Hiiro isn't quite sure what he had been doing at the time. All he knew was there was too much feedback in his mind, from the horrors of the stars blinking like billions of eyes, to the voices that said words that made no sense to him. His world had been too small, and there had been so much he had not known-- stories he's never read, ideas he's never considered-- that it all just sounded confusing and unintelligible to him. So when he had come out of the cocoon, he hadn't really truly understood what was happening.

    So he did what he thought was the best idea at that moment, dazed and confused as he was. He watched another strangely shaped object move, much like the one he had emerged from, to see what it was like from the outside. Maybe, if he was lucky, that person would understand what is going on more than he did.

    So when Andy finally calms down, Hiiro makes his way over, looming over him curiously from above.]


    Hi there!

    [He looks very curious.]
    umurice: (Default)

    [personal profile] umurice 2024-01-21 12:12 pm (UTC)(link)
    [I'm glad he is practicing the use of protection.]

    Umu! I understand. Since he went that way, let us go the opposite direction.

    [He will take his uninjured hand in his, leading him like one leads a little child. It's fine.]

    I am Amagi Hiiro, by the way. I was not able to introduce myself earlier. What's your name?
    umurice: (116)

    into the whorld....

    [personal profile] umurice 2024-01-21 12:17 pm (UTC)(link)
    [He jumps in surprise, not having expected that, and gives him the saddest kicked puppy look one could muster. It wasn't Chrono's fault, but he definitely is a kicked puppy now.]

    You do not need to apologize! Did I scare you? Sorry, I was told I am not very good at reading others.

    [The natural way he goes for it probably speaks volumes of how common it is for him to just go for it, really.]
    clockpunk: (059)

    its just ito junji uzumaki in there

    [personal profile] clockpunk 2024-01-21 02:16 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ he'd probably feel more guilty if he wasn't suddenly blinking away tears, arm still slightly raised, fingers curled inward. with a panicked look at hiiro, chrono shakes his head to clear his mind.

    poor hiiro, he's just trying to be helpful. ]


    S'fine. Just... remembered something.

    [ someone.

    he keeps walking. ]


    Amagi, what's the last thing you can think of from before you woke up here?
    fishfearme: (gentle neutral)

    [personal profile] fishfearme 2024-01-21 02:30 pm (UTC)(link)
    [The young lady's disgust rolled off Byleth like water from a duck's back, and he shrugged carelessly, as if to say 'your loss'.]

    No one will miss out. The food at these parties is... obscenely abundant.

    [Even after spending months here, Byleth was still taken aback at how food was so readily available, even when Springstar hit its 'lean periods'. This food security didn't do anything to suppress his compulsion to horde food whenever he could, though. Better to have and not need, then need and not have, after all.]

    And free, which is more important. It'd be wise to stock up on what you can while you can. You never know when you'll find yourself without, and it's best to be prepared.
    escardos: (pic#13478938)

    [personal profile] escardos 2024-01-21 02:35 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ ........................... ]

    Oh.

    [ from the the way that flat looks genuinely shocked to have been discovered for both things in one false swoop, this clearly was not meant to make fun of the other man. in flat's eyes, this was a genuine attempt at hiding himself.

    he laughs awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. ]


    Well, I didn't need to hide that at all, huh. I'm really sorry, sir, I was just trying to keep up with the whole "concealment of Mystery" thing! It'd be really bad if I caused my Professor any more trouble than I already did. That's why I tried to hide it from you!

    [ with that apology said, he straightens up, all awkwardness and hesitation gone from his face. there's nothing to worry about anymore, so he can be as open as he wants! ]

    If I could have a better look at you, then I probably would have been able to tell what you are, but I can't right now. So, are you a mage? Or maybe a Servant? Or something completely different? [ he pauses for a moment, and then continues with the same light-hearted expression: ] Oh, and to answer your earlier question, yep, it's my blood! I was shot dead by some snipers. They really made a mess, didn't they?
    lockedon: <user name=heysho_souko site=twitter.com> (136)

    [personal profile] lockedon 2024-01-21 02:38 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ ................




    That's his idea of a utopia?? Whether or not people have to stand in line for hours to put up with government bureaucracy? Well, it's not like Flat is entirely wrong, but.

    There's already plenty of space between them, but Eustace glances over anyway, as if thinking about moving away to minimize the chance of catching whatever stupidity disease this guy has. He doesn't actually move though, because if stupidity were in fact catching then he'd be a very stupid man by now. Though maybe he should keep his time here at a minimum anyway.... ]


    It's nothing like what you're talking about. [ So there's that, at least! ] This place is just like any other city. There are laws and then there are those who break the laws and are punished for it. There are people who live in comfort and those who struggle to make a living. The only utopia here is the one in your head.
    eightfoldfiend: (I know a murder when I see one)

    [personal profile] eightfoldfiend 2024-01-21 02:45 pm (UTC)(link)
    So I've noticed. I've arrived at a fun time.

    [He tilts his head slightly and looks side-long at Amos with a snake-like grin.]

    I was there, you know. At Springstar. They're winning the war but they're not confident about victory. Are you worried about them?
    damnpire: (pic#15946972)

    🧍‍♂️...

    [personal profile] damnpire 2024-01-21 03:06 pm (UTC)(link)
    [SOMEONE is down in Kowloon where they aren't supposed to be!! Which is very funny considering the person Therion speaks to looks like the epitome of someone who would, in fact, live in Kowloon.

    A very tall--man?--head to toe in black. Black fitted leather, a long black cape, a black HAT! The only thing visible about him is his unnaturally beautiful and equally as unnaturally pale face beneath the hat and between the curtain of dark hair.

    A pair of rust-colored eyes regard the dagger with a surprisingly clinical glance. It isn't anything like the long sword hanging from his own back.

    In a soft, deep voice oddly unfitting for some beautiful DND goth, he says:]


    They're marked up, but you will need it here.