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
    clockpunk: (041)

    [personal profile] clockpunk 2024-01-22 03:23 am (UTC)(link)
    [ chrono responds to her dry laugh with an equally wry smirk, then a deep sigh. it was exhausting, trying to keep up with every angle being presented. ]

    I'm tired of being given a bunch of vague instructions and then expected to piece things together. If the answers are so damn important, the questions shouldn't have to be asked.

    [ his eyes skim the seat of the tribune again, its scholarly locals more than happy to continue avoiding the shardbearers who look so lost. nebula doesn't have to say it; he can read between the lines. ]

    Who are you, anyway?
    semicharmed: (spirit world)

    [personal profile] semicharmed 2024-01-22 03:27 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Hungry shadows.

    That does strike him as familiar.

    Not that it's good policy to jump to conclusions. He can feel himself doing that more and more: trying to grab onto something solid within the gargantuan unknowns of their circumstances. He tries to resist the urge. But it'd be hilarious, he thinks, in some twisted, fairytale way, if the only other entity to escape the destruction of planet earth was the demon he summoned at eighteen.

    ... He decides not to push back on whose fault it is if someone drowns. ]


    The last oracle thing? [ he seizes on instead. ] I keep hearing about oracles, but I haven't exactly figured out what they are, except ... like us? Beings that are supposed to act as vessels or avatars for power?
    furibund: (pic#16590204)

    [personal profile] furibund 2024-01-22 03:38 am (UTC)(link)
    Then you'll fit right in. They'll tell you we're needed to fight the Oracles and we're the only ones who can do it.

    But no one knows when they'll happen or what they'll entail. Hell, if they have information none of us are privy to it. We're just expected to show up when i t happens.

    [ This much is the truth. It's the answer to all of them, no matter how new. Newer ones may not be privy to much more in answers - scared they'd run off to Zenith with secrets or something of the like. ]

    [ But if there's secrets there's barely any to share. The lack of expectation and waiting around is what bothers her. She doesn't need to say that, however, instead she answers: ]

    Nebula.
    semicharmed: (studying up)

    [personal profile] semicharmed 2024-01-22 03:45 am (UTC)(link)
    Wouldn't surprise me either, [ Matt allows ruefully. ] We can be pretty monstrous.

    [ On the one hand, it's a bit of a relief that his companion doesn't tense up when Matt mentions picking sides. On the other, he seems awfully ... blase, maybe, for someone who's agreed to take part in a cosmic war.

    Though Krishna always seemed to be having a good time in the stories. Rolling in milkmaids. Can an avatar be astounded by their own power? Their own awesome obligations? It's not like Matt can point fingers about unruffled exteriors; he woke up to a dead world and he hasn't even cried. ]


    I have to admit, [ he says, ] I think they're both making good points. If you don't mind my asking-- [ Delicate, now. Matt remembers the Lady Yima invoking the souls of lost loved ones. ] Why'd you choose the way you did?
    alliterating: (018)

    [personal profile] alliterating 2024-01-22 03:58 am (UTC)(link)
    Look, I still don't have a clear answer on that myself and I've been here for months. They're powerful and they're not exactly... objects. They're creatures or something and they've got a ton of power and they'll give it to a certain side if us shard-bearers impress them enough.

    [ She folds her arms with a scowl. ]

    Of course, they're usually asking for really weird things. Sacrifices... real creepy stuff.
    wolfish: (mull)

    [personal profile] wolfish 2024-01-22 04:10 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Yuri can only agree with his first comment, offering a soft hum in response. People can be monstrous. It's a reality he's known, accepted, and at times exemplified since he was young. He may not forgive himself for it, but it doesn't change what he's done.

    Always for survival, sure, but even so. ]


    I'd say the choice wasn't a choice at all.

    [ Cavalierly, as he did attempt to join Zenith for subterfuge and failed, something he's long since reconciled with. ]

    Can't quite buy into my world just vanishing into thin air, and even if it did, I can't abandon my people to build some newer, better world. But then, I've spent my life wanting to make it better for them. There's the trouble, you see.

    [ Ultimately, his heart lies with his people. It'd take a hell of a lot of convincing to make him believe all that remains of his world are the people here. ]
    tresemme: (🍼10)

    [personal profile] tresemme 2024-01-22 04:26 am (UTC)(link)
    [ well, unfortunately, it is mere words and impression.

    the truth is that tony just has no one left—his parents died a few short weeks ago, and the only person who shows him any respect or kindness is a man who isn’t even technically related to him. jomy reached out beyond fear and doubt to see tony as he is, and for that, tony would do anything in return.

    what he will not say is all that. in his mind, there’s a much more impressive answer to give.
    ]

    He’s taking us back to our homeland.
    kinaesthesia: (1)

    [personal profile] kinaesthesia 2024-01-22 04:31 am (UTC)(link)
    [There's a little bit of a surprised raise of her eyebrows when he alludes to the idea of similar happenings in his own home. Ah, so he’s actually got some familiarity with this sort of thing, then. At least that means he might not have such a hard time getting used to the way things work around here. Better to have one less struggling newbie, especially with the uptick of danger lately on all three of the main islands.

    As for whatever people know about why this is happening… she shifts one shoulder in a half-shrug.]


    No one’s really got a clue. If Yima or Meridian’s leader know anything, they haven’t said. Which leads me to think that they really don’t, because it doesn’t do anyone any good to let this stuff keep happening, as dangerous as it’s getting.

    [And she’s a little more inclined now to put some trust in Yima than she had been in the past, so it’s worth taking her at her word—or lack thereof, as it may be.]

    But… [Another thought occurs to her, one that draws her brows a little closer to match the slight downturn of her lips.] There’s this mage guy. Sketchy as hell, but they know things and have supposedly been around here a long time, if we can take them at their word. Maybe nearly as long as Yima?

    [Fuzzy details that don’t much matter right now. She gives a dismissive wave of her hand as she continues, though her tail flicks in agitation at her side in contrast of the easy gesture.]

    Anyway, when the sightings of familiar faces first started happening a few months back, they said it was something they’d never seen before.
    kinaesthesia: (49)

    [personal profile] kinaesthesia 2024-01-22 04:43 am (UTC)(link)
    Alright. Just shout if you need me.

    [And she’ll let the mental connection easily sever for the moment, focusing on heading over to their destination.

    What he’ll eventually find if he gets there without much trouble is Gavial standing alert alongside one of the gazebos (conveniently vacated thanks to the presence of this troublesome Zenite) not far off from a main pathway, healing staff held in hand and idly tapping against one shoulder. She’s keeping a lookout for anyone with any obvious injuries—or obviously trying to hide injuries. He mentioned the hand, so that’s the main focus she takes as golden eyes search about.]
    tresemme: (🍼9)

    [personal profile] tresemme 2024-01-22 04:46 am (UTC)(link)
    Tch…

    [ despite being an alien himself, he’s not really used to seeing People Who Are Blue, and the fact that she’s not apparently human sets him on edge. he doesn’t know how to deal with this. ]

    It’s not like you’re doing anything useful either.
    clockpunk: (068)

    [personal profile] clockpunk 2024-01-22 04:47 am (UTC)(link)
    I'm Chrono.

    [ there's a neutral nod of acknowledgement, but he doesn't offer anything more. she doesn't seem at all the introductory pleasantries type.

    of course, there are so many things he could and should ask. but one more revelation about his current situation and it feels like his head might explode, so he decides to try something else. ]


    You... ever been to space?
    tresemme: (🍼30)

    [personal profile] tresemme 2024-01-22 05:14 am (UTC)(link)
    [ okay… ]

    So what’s their purpose? Making more babies?

    [ he sounds a bit bored, or perhaps exasperated by this topic; he doesn’t understand what flat is getting at, but this is the best thing he can think of. thanks to his preschool education and the context of his own growth, he at least knows when a mommy and daddy love each other very much… ]
    tresemme: (🍼26)

    [personal profile] tresemme 2024-01-22 05:24 am (UTC)(link)
    [ tony is well aware that humans will do anything, considering they aimed a giant laser at his planet and successfully destroyed it. the only thing that kept anyone alive was tony’s cohort and the brave sacrifice of their leader prior to grandpa.

    but since all that would be revealing weakness to someone he’s already decided he doesn’t like, he rolls his eyes and flips his hair over his shoulder.
    ]

    So?

    [ looking down on others is very much his thing, and the dismissive, single-syllable question is his smirking defense. ]

    You’d die like anyone else if I flew you, what, seven hundred kilometers in the air?
    furibund: (pic#16530201)

    [personal profile] furibund 2024-01-22 05:45 am (UTC)(link)
    [ For a moment, a brief blink and you'd miss it moment there's amusement and then in the same drawl: ]

    What do you think?
    tresemme: (🍼18)

    [personal profile] tresemme 2024-01-22 05:51 am (UTC)(link)
    Why would I waste my time? I’m not an animal.

    [ obviously he’s deflecting because he can’t do it, but that doesn’t mean he can’t make atsumu feel bad about asking. ]

    [personal profile] ex_fend346 2024-01-22 05:55 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Guess who ended up being an Advocate, so Gavial got a nice strong impression of how bad his booboo hurts oops...

    Subaru may well spot Gavial first, if only because he steps out from the cover of a cluster of trees and has the good fortune of immediately spotting her tail at a distance. He veers right in her direction, dressed as though he were on his way to some formal event, full suit and beyond ground-length cape making his approach very easy to spot. It's a lot of black amidst the sun-drenched greenery.

    He has, as casually as he might manage, tucked his injured hand in the obscuring folds of that cape, for it drapes more heavily on that side. ]
    furibund: (pic#16530232)

    [personal profile] furibund 2024-01-22 05:57 am (UTC)(link)
    [ You would think he'd be glad she's not human after his kill all humans speeches!! ]

    Oh. I'm doing plenty.

    [ Biting amusement, ] I'm playing nice and that's more than enough from me.


    [ Well, okay, she's also supposed to help integrate new Shardbearers but... Nebula's version of nice is not resorting to violence most days. ]
    tresemme: (🍼7)

    [personal profile] tresemme 2024-01-22 06:05 am (UTC)(link)
    [ pouting now, ]

    I’ve never seen one. Maybe it’s only on your dumb planet.
    kinaesthesia: (81)

    [personal profile] kinaesthesia 2024-01-22 06:08 am (UTC)(link)
    [How handy, for a doctor to know exactly where on the pain scale her patient is…

    His approach after spotting her is what gets her attention; footsteps on grass are an easy thing to notice when on alert. So she whirls to seek out the source and… well, she might be smirking a little when she gets a load of his getup there. Extremely dressy, and extremely warm, considering the summer months here in Springstar. But at the very least she can say that the cape is good for keeping wandering eyes from lingering on an injury.

    And she’s confident she’s got the right guy even so, thanks to that familiar mental feeling of one Advocate brushing up against another. Gavial gives a half-wave half-salute with her staff to make sure she’s got his attention, then motions back toward the gazebo behind her with her other hand.]


    Hey there! Let’s grab a seat in the shade, yeah? Lemme get a look at you.

    [personal profile] ex_fend346 2024-01-22 06:29 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Subaru follows her indication, noting the odd, pronounced mental impression of her presence. It's something that will take adjusting to, accustomed to his twin being the only comparable experience. Things were simply like that, due to what they both are. In this place, that distinction seems to be gone altogether. ]

    Sorry to keep you waiting.

    [ He dips his head politely when he reaches her before stepping into the gazebo. The shade comes as an immediate relief. Though he and Kamui had last been in a desert world, Subaru had spent most of his stay beneath the surface. Underwater, for that matter.

    Once he halts, he lifts his arm, and the source of his pain is obvious. Fingers bent at unnatural angles, the black leather of his glove quite possibly the only thing preventing them from looking worse. Subaru hadn't dared attempt to peel it off, lest he somehow exacerbate the problem.

    All things considered, it should be a feat that he maintains his composure, but that's just how Subaru is. ]


    Normally using the amount of force I did, or more, wouldn't have harmed me.
    Edited 2024-01-22 06:30 (UTC)
    tresemme: (🍼29)

    [personal profile] tresemme 2024-01-22 06:45 am (UTC)(link)
    Four months?!

    [ although D cannot possibly know how old tony is, that seems like an eternity to someone with less than a few years’ experience being alive at all. ]

    What have you even been doing this whole time? Why haven’t you left this stupid place yet?!
    kinaesthesia: (34)

    [personal profile] kinaesthesia 2024-01-22 06:56 am (UTC)(link)
    [His apologies garner a dismissive wave of her free hand as she follows alongside him into the shade. No use for saying sorry about time taken to travel, particularly when nursing a painful injury. He’s gone out of his way to seek her out rather than running in the opposite direction, so he’s already earned himself more points than quite a few of the operators she used to work with back home.

    And as soon as he reveals the beat up state of his hand, she can’t help the impressed whistle she automatically gives in response. Yeah, alright, he really wrecked that thing good. She reaches out without preamble to quite firmly grab him by the forearm to get a closer look, glancing up his way when he explains that enough force to get this result typically wasn’t a big deal for him.]


    Guessing since you’re new, you haven’t thrown your lot in with either side here yet, yeah? [The newness itself isn’t even in question; she’d instinctively recognized him as an Advocate, while simultaneously knowing he’s one she’s never seen before.] Can’t tap into your full power until you attune to the forces running things around here, annoying as it is.

    [personal profile] ex_fend346 2024-01-22 07:04 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Subaru offers no resistance, allowing his arm to be tugged or maneuvered whichever way so she can better assess his injury. At the least, he knows it doesn't look pretty. High as his tolerance for pain is, usually he'd be healing on his own by now. ]

    Is that so...? [ He considers the notion, frowning in thought. ] I've never been affected that way in other worlds.

    [ The words come easily enough. Subaru has no reason to be secretive regarding the fact that he did travel to other worlds before all this, given that everyone's made aware others exist by virtue of arriving here. Of all those worlds, none had purported to be the very last, nor had they tried to conscript him into a war. ]

    That's one way to force someone's hand, I suppose.

    [ No pun intended. ]
    salvageable: (pic#16166586)

    [personal profile] salvageable 2024-01-22 07:19 am (UTC)(link)
    [ As long as he's here, Dokja may as well partake in something now that a conversation's been struck between them. He grabs a drink, sipping at it while he listens to Chrono talk. And then he lowers his glass at the question, his eyebrows scrunching together in mild confusion. ]

    Awake?

    [ His mind works to contextualize the meaning behind the question, and once he realizes that Chrono means the Tree, Dokja can't help the small laugh that slips out of him. ]

    It's almost been two years for me.
    salvageable: (pic#15563162)

    [personal profile] salvageable 2024-01-22 07:23 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Dokja mentally files away that this guy really likes mentioning his grandpa. ]

    Shangri-la... Is that a planet?

    [ He's trying to put a genre to Tony. Feels very space. ]