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
    slashing: (37)

    💖

    [personal profile] slashing 2024-01-21 08:02 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ this is the second time now someone has approached to give therion some kind of warning about this place. who knows if its out of the kindness of their hearts, or the nosiness of their business, or the gods only know what else, but one thing is clear: they don't know him at all.

    and that's fine. he doesn't think he really gives off any aura besides "street rat", from the moth-bitten poncho and the clothing holding on by threads to the cadence and attitude he carries himself with when he's not pretending to be someone else, but here we are. in reality: therion's been more 'comfortable' in kowloon so far than any of the cities topside.

    so he regards this warning for a long moment and fixes d with a look, like he's garnering a full understanding of him and his bearings before he snorts. warn him, he says. ]
    Oh yeah? Why's that?
    gravings: (099)

    [personal profile] gravings 2024-01-21 08:03 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ It's a double whammy. Instant wonder touches her face when Howl says his name, followed by flat-out amazement when he begins to speak Welsh. ]

    You speak... oh!

    [ She responds in the common tongue reflexively before switching to Welsh herself. She's fluent as well, though by 21st century standards her dialect is antiquated, and a bit of an anomaly besides; so it goes when her birthplace was a 1500-year-old time capsule, only grudgingly towed into the modern age by the few merchants and mobile libraries willing to make the long trek up. ]

    I'm from Wales. [ As he can probably guess. ] My village had no name, but it was in the mountains of the south. Mr. Howl, would you happen to be from there too?

    [ The strangeness of meeting a Howl different to the one she knew of is, at least for now, gently blanketed by the novelty of speaking to someone in Welsh again. Even when she was in London, it was a rarity. ]
    slashing: (37)

    😘

    [personal profile] slashing 2024-01-21 08:11 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ well. yeah, the vibes on this guy sure are something, but it's not like he's unused to dealing with this kind of thing. and besides, therion's on his guard every waking moment of his life. he's got twenty two years of practice.

    so, he listens. some kind of lawless wastepit, huh? aside from the consuming flesh bit, it's really not that different sounding from the seedier parts of home. there's no laws anywhere when the guards are paid off, after all. and besides, it connects to some of the information he's heard topside, some of the murmurs around the meridian city.

    therion flips the dagger he was testing in his hand with the sheath on, once or twice, the motion practiced and professional. silent, as he ponders this, and then, eventually: ]


    So, what are you, its advertising committee? [ dry as a desert. ] Or just trying to catch free entertainment from an 'over eager fool' or two?
    hauntedking: (06)

    [personal profile] hauntedking 2024-01-21 08:55 pm (UTC)(link)
    I do agree it would be much more productive to actually work with one another... unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way. And some simply see it as for the best if they're in charge, without regard for the thoughts of others.

    [ He sighs. ]

    It's probably something that will plague us for as long as humans live.
    picketship: (talk2)

    II

    [personal profile] picketship 2024-01-21 09:05 pm (UTC)(link)
    [The grip that jerks him back is not rough, and the hand seems human enough, but there is an implacable solidity to it that is reminiscent of iron, or old, unbending trees. Matt is not released until he has steadied and his attention is fully on his friendly assailant, instead of on the water. Only then does the hand on his shoulder relax, retreating without fanfare.

    Standing casually next to him, a tall, thin man observes him without obvious expression—at least until his reply. That earns a small shrug, a quirk of an eyebrow.
    ]

    Not me, personally. Manor staff. Probably some of those burly, horned fellows.

    [The minotaurs look well-suited to dredging pond bottoms, don’t they? They certainly seem dutiful enough for the task.]

    Anyway; the pool’s developed an appetite, apparently—along with the rest of the city. Best not to doze off around it.
    alliterating: (021)

    [personal profile] alliterating 2024-01-21 09:06 pm (UTC)(link)
    I guess not, just kinda curious about why you don't know what a cow is.
    damnpire: (pic#12094812)

    [personal profile] damnpire 2024-01-21 09:09 pm (UTC)(link)
    [me picking this little fucker up by the scuff of the neck royce? royce mcroyceson? this icon makes him look like gojo im sorry]

    Creatures who feed on others once could only do so in a section of Kowloon.

    [The sliver of D's eyes below the hat make it clear he is watchfully keeping tabs on the merchant who isn't paying them too much attention right now.]

    But now they seem to be free to do so here and up into Springstar.
    alliterating: (016)

    [personal profile] alliterating 2024-01-21 09:10 pm (UTC)(link)
    I mean, I don't know a whole lot more about it than you do right now. There's... shadows around. Hungry ones. That's all we really know right now. I think they mighta followed us from the last Oracle thing...

    [ Ehhh... she rubs the back of her head and then shrugs. ]

    I mean, if people get drowned that's a little on them but... I guess a sign couldn't hurt?

    [ Not that she's in charge or anything. ]
    damnpire: (pic#12040373)

    [personal profile] damnpire 2024-01-21 09:16 pm (UTC)(link)
    [D's face does not change; it's unnervingly too placid. Something about him is distinctly too inhuman.

    However, his voice sounds surprisingly earnest in how simply he delivers such harrowing news.]


    That's right. You woke with something you felt you had to keep. It's called a Shard. It's a part of you, like a soul.

    When you align it with Zenith or Meridian, it will also awaken some of what's been taken from you, and offer you something more. It uses the energy of the Harmonization to function.

    But it also can cause you to accumulate Discord. You'll understand as you experience it.
    lapdogged: (look back)

    [personal profile] lapdogged 2024-01-21 09:18 pm (UTC)(link)
    [Andy hadn't really expected someone to respond to him - he was used to being ignored or regarded as part of the furniture or something - so spent a solid two seconds staring at Yuri like he had been the one muttering cryptically to himself in the middle of a crowded party.

    But he overcame his confusion, and his expression became solemn and bitterly resigned.]


    ...I wouldn't call it 'good news', exactly. The fact that a whole bunch of people have been- I dunno, dimensionally kidnapped against their will is definitely screwed up.

    [Beat.]

    Provided this isn't some really vivid illusion dream we're all trapped in while all our brains are stuffed in jars or whatever.
    lapdogged: (pouty...)

    [personal profile] lapdogged 2024-01-21 09:22 pm (UTC)(link)
    [Andy stared up at Hiiro and his curiosity tiredly.]

    ...hi.

    [Who the hell was this... oh, god. If this was the afterlife or something, was this his assigned death guide? To lead him to wherever he was meant to spend the rest of his miserable non-existence after royally screwing up his life and the lives of many other people who didn't deserve it (well, some of them deserved it but most didn't!)

    This weirdo didn't look like a demon though, and there was definitely no halo or wings there. Purgatory? He just sank a ship full of innocent children (well, unintentionally aided and abetted it, but, same thing really, if you looked at it from the lens of eternal damnation), so he definitely wasn't going to be in heaven, that was for sure...]


    You an angel or a demon?
    lapdogged: (Default)

    3

    [personal profile] lapdogged 2024-01-21 09:28 pm (UTC)(link)
    [He didn't mean to stop and stare, really, but this level of euphoric gutso at devouring a plate of waffles would put even a Comerican to shame. Hell, it put even him to shame, and he loved waffles!]

    Uh, did they not feed you where you came from...

    [You're really packing that away, lady!]
    lapdogged: (gorm)

    i

    [personal profile] lapdogged 2024-01-21 09:43 pm (UTC)(link)
    [By this point Andy had overcome his 'I think (?) I am alive (??) and not dead (???)' realisation and progressed from lying despondantly on the loamy soil to standing up and exploring his surroundings.

    It was a decision he deeply regretted where only after a few staggering steps, an arm came thrusting out of the soil, followed by the very naked body of a man, hacking and wheezing like Frankstein's monster rising from its operating table. Andy reeled back, hand over his heart, as he waited for the flash of dramatic lightning and for someone to wail off screen: 'HE LIIIIIIIIIIIVES!'

    Instead, the naked zombie (?!?) man (??) stood up and stared at him. Andy stared back.]




    ...

    [Then the shameless exhibitionist spoke, snapping Andy out of his shocked gawping and straight into flustered outrage.]



    Where are your pants?!
    slashing: (5)

    [personal profile] slashing 2024-01-21 09:43 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ STOP YOU'RE NOT WRONG "about which part" yes

    anyway!!!!!! hmmm. again with this creatures who feed on others thing - this is now the third time he's heard it since his arrival. frankly, it's... okay, vampires (literal) are not orsterra natives, but, whatever. therion has seen worse. have you fought a ratking? they're vicious. ]


    Scary. [ deadpan, again. ] Aren't you just a good Samaritan, wandering around giving advice to strangers.

    [ whats your angle weirdo ]
    siriusly: (oh my God please don't hit me)

    [personal profile] siriusly 2024-01-21 10:01 pm (UTC)(link)
    Manabu laughs weakly. "So somewhere this laced-up looking must be a bit stifling? Do people hassle you a lot with rules and such?"
    siriusly: (um. well uh. i. uhhhhHHHHHHHH........)

    [personal profile] siriusly 2024-01-21 10:02 pm (UTC)(link)
    "Ye-yeah...I mean, there was no better choice, right? To save the galaxy...I'd be a real jerk to not try. And I guess...if another way crops up that's better, I'll have to reach for that instead. But since I'm kind of in over my head here..."
    siriusly: (do i get any say in this at all.)

    [personal profile] siriusly 2024-01-21 10:03 pm (UTC)(link)
    Right...

    [the staring continues.]

    A...are you from Heavy Melder? Where the machine people come from?
    annmorous: (007)

    [personal profile] annmorous 2024-01-21 10:04 pm (UTC)(link)
    But that's messed up...

    [Being raised for war? No kid should have to go through that, but maybe if she grew up in a war she didn't get to pick and choose, who knows. Ann can't really judge circumstances without knowing the full story.

    She stabs the strawberry with her fork.]


    Don't you get scared sometimes? Or tired of fighting?
    lapdogged: (siiigh)

    i.b

    [personal profile] lapdogged 2024-01-21 10:08 pm (UTC)(link)
    [A Benny's of all things survived the apocalypse and got sucked into this world with him. What were the odds (he was expecting Waffle House, if anything).

    But it was the jarring sight of something so mundanely familiar that drew Andy in, and it was the rundown interior that convinced him to stay despite his common sense. It was almost homely, really, similar to the hole-in-the-wall bars he had drifted between, looking for odd jobs from any who'd tolerate his presence for more than a few weeks, untethered and adrift in a world that didn't hide how little it wanted him. In these kind of establishment, no one really cared who you were... just sit down, lower your head, and drink, and you could stay as long as you wanted, or until closing.

    Which sounded... depressing, but to Andy it was also a strange source of comforting security. This should function the same as back on Earth, right? He can just sit here and sulk over his circumstances without needing to put up a mask or anything.

    So, he slid onto a spare seat and picked up the menu, skimming it and finding he knew none of these drinks. They didn't even list their ingredients... ugh, he hoped none of these had vodkas in them...

    But he was snapped from his examination when his neighbour turned to engage in conversation, and Andy internally sighed. So much for some peace and quiet. But, he obligingly pasted on his 'Friendly But Dumb Protag' mask and turned to his neighbour with a guileless expression, blinking his mismatched eyes at him.]


    Oh, uh, I haven't been to this Benny's before, so I couldn't really tell you. But, uh- [He quickly glanced over the menu, latching onto the first drink he registered] 'Cyrus Concussion' sounds good, I think.

    [...wait.]

    Cyrus Concussion? I didn't know he was a pro-wrestler...

    [What! It sounded like a stage name!]
    hauntedking: (13)

    [personal profile] hauntedking 2024-01-21 10:20 pm (UTC)(link)
    "Well... welcome aboard, in that case - I'm a part of Meridian myself. I know that no welcome I can give you will ease your concern, but... you're welcome, all the same," Dimitri offers a warm smile.

    "We're all dedicated in our own ways to saving what's been lost."
    siriusly: (i think he's dead.)

    [personal profile] siriusly 2024-01-21 10:33 pm (UTC)(link)
    Manabu nods, hesitating, giving Dimitri a more considering look.

    "...What ways are you helping?" he asks, the question devoid of scrutiny. "I mean, I still haven't seen any arsenal or trains or anything, so I'm not sure how I'm expected to help, myself."
    settingup: (is another man's chore)

    [personal profile] settingup 2024-01-21 10:45 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ Now there are some legends that Atsumu will immediately be able to place!

    He'd be happier to chat about them than whatever the hell it was that just happened a second ago with him. Though it may be more accurate to say whatever is still happening to him, his brows staying furrowed until it's like something occurs to him, and his face smooths out into a more subtle frustration.

    He'll shrug with a fake heir of casual disinterest at her comment.
    ]

    The prawns were good anyway.
    hauntedking: (09)

    [personal profile] hauntedking 2024-01-21 10:51 pm (UTC)(link)
    "Well... I've been doing some monster hunting on Alenroux and for a while, I was helping with some rebuilding efforts in the city after a disaster. And as a shard-bearer I'm one of those who gets thrown into competitions for an oracle..." Dimitri considers this for a moment, "...there are weapons, but they're not as extensive as you might be used to."

    settingup: (easy go)

    [personal profile] settingup 2024-01-21 11:02 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ This random human already suspects that's the case given the fact that this guy was just spitballing what kind of world he would want. Seems like he hasn't signed on board with Zenith yet.

    It doesn't make it any less stupid for Atsumu to take that risk and goad him on, but goad he does.
    ]

    Couldja? I'd like to see you try something similar right now then.
    kinaesthesia: (81)

    [personal profile] kinaesthesia 2024-01-21 11:15 pm (UTC)(link)
    [There’s a flash of a smile at the thanks, her posture seemingly relaxed for someone doling out friendly warnings of dangers in the water and other weird phenomena. Well, that and she might seem to be a little cold; winter has never much agreed with her—perhaps unsurprisingly, considering her reptilian appendage—and Highstorm’s winter is in full swing around this time of year.

    It’s getting close to a year since she first arrived here herself, so she’s getting pretty good at reading unfamiliar faces as new arrivals. Probably helps that a lot of them tend to look lost, sure. But even if he hadn’t outright stated it, the questions sure hammer the point home.]


    Yeah, I feel you. You’ll get used to it, but a lot of it still feels pretty odd when you think about it.

    [She points up at the sky where twin moons shine with subdued brightness over the courtyard.]

    The perpetual night here in Highstorm? Cities on floating islands and people sprouting out of the dirt at an enormous tree? Weird, but normal.

    [Fingers tap along the stone near the water then, and she pauses for a moment as she looks out over the mingling crowds nearby.]

    Aside from this… shadows have been acting a little spooky lately and it only seems to be increasing. [Golden eyes drift back over to him.] Like, they’ll try to grab at you. Might give you a glimpse of someone from back home. If you start seeing any of that stuff, it’s best to turn around and get the hell out.

    [And after a beat, she laughs.]

    Okay, I know it sounds like bullshit campfire stories or something, but I promise I’m not pulling your leg here.