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
    recordless: (Default)

    [personal profile] recordless 2024-02-14 12:44 pm (UTC)(link)
    'Regenerate'? [ Can y'all stop using such big words. ] I guess, but it's not that quick. You have to get your rock planted first, like some kind of giant seed, and then wait a week to for everything to regrow.

    [ Again, she's only heard it via hearsay. The brain thinks not being able to die is kind of cool but the heart is still terrified of the pain that comes with dying. ]

    Kind of like the plants we're supposed to be helping grow here. [ She frowns. ] Except I'm pretty sure you can't make that one go faster by holding hands.

    [ But he can go ask Reiji to kill him and find out himself. ]
    tattooism: (化け「南の魔女」)

    ii.

    [personal profile] tattooism 2024-02-14 08:30 pm (UTC)(link)
    [When a certain newly arrived prophetess is exploring Springstar, a certain tanuki in disguise is establishing herself in the identity of a woman who, even now, is tied up waiting to be disposed of in the safe house of a Zenite demon. As the Tribune's speech winds down in the courtyard, a dark-haired beauty in the sort of garb favored by Springstar citizens, loose and layered with a simple tie, tries to make her way through the crowds. Her arms are full of scrolls and other paraphernalia, overflowing with them, actually, and when she tries to navigate the dispersing crowds, giving a little smile and nod as she tries to move around a certain Jade-

    That is precisely when someone else bumps into her and she seems to lose her tight grip on her things, a soft "oh-" beginning to form on her lips as some of the scroll tubes go clattering to the cobblestone ground at their feet.]
    redsoil: (pic#16220638)

    wildcardi b HI NU IM HERE FINALLY

    [personal profile] redsoil 2024-02-14 09:35 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ After observing the debacle of a guy doing "homework" with multiple other people, trying to grow little sprouts into youthful plants that will survive being thrust into the ground, it becomes obvious that someone has grown a little impatient with the whole thing. Within the the Greenwood Yards, there is a low whistle that echoes across the street — the figure of a pale man in a dark shendyt, his hair unbound, is the one who has fingers between his lips. Whistling.

    As if Sho were an animal to grab the attention of. He's seated at one of the little tea tables, the wrought iron table laden with mulled wines and finger goods. ]
    Did you have fun with their pitiable attempts at performing labor they are not meant for?

    [ The man radiates heat, a scalding sort of dry atmosphere around him that sees the ends of his hair curling brightly and golden jewelry catching the light around him. The city is bathed in cool moonlight, but he stands out — sunny, in the way that a wildfire might be, or the defiance of two middle fingers thrust to the authorities might be. Bare chested, he twirls a finger through hair, jostling one of the long golden earrings he wears. ]

    Highstorm is the seat of Zenith. Zenith is the antithesis of creation and growth, yet they pretend they still can eat their cake and have it too. If you want your cute little sproutlings to grow...

    [ Baring bright, sharp teeth in a smile, the brash-voiced man wiggles his fingers at Sho. ]

    Well, it is why they need Meridian to tend their gardens and grow their food.
    a_noble_flame: (009)

    [personal profile] a_noble_flame 2024-02-14 10:45 pm (UTC)(link)
    [At that Alice gives a bright smile.]

    I like to think there is always room for hope. I work with the war relief section of the Imperial Army at home. Hope is one of the things people need the most. True hope, something more than food or clothing or promises can provide. To give them the strength to fight future battles!

    [Thankfully Alice doesn't go into full justice and war relief rant for now.]
    a_noble_flame: (073)

    [personal profile] a_noble_flame 2024-02-14 10:53 pm (UTC)(link)
    [At that Alice's expression flickers some. She does from something more casual to a sharply contemplative look, a switch flipped between casual and serious in a way.]

    Mm, it does. Did you heard the speech earlier? From Cyrus?

    [She looks grimly down at her own drink now.]

    The crowd wasn't very enthusiastic about it but more importantly Cyrus himself ... he looked sad. Not disappointed in the speech but ...
    dreamflowers: (im not really fine)

    [personal profile] dreamflowers 2024-02-15 03:04 am (UTC)(link)
    [Still somewhat reeling after exiting the Highstorm manor in a bit of a huff, Jade wasn't paying close attention to where she was going. And that's a dangerous combination for someone who's basically a walking tree. She barely notices when someone is trying to move around her.

    [What doesn't go beyond her notice is when that very person gets bumped into her. Jade stumbles back with a grunt, but catches herself before she could fall over completely.]


    Watch it--!

    [Promptly stopping herself from what was about to be a string of expletives, Jade looks down and balks at the woman who'd been pushed into her. She's... pretty, and probably doesn't deserve to be subjected to one's dour mood.]

    Er, sorry. I didn't see... Lemme help with that.

    [The tall half-Aeterna woman kneels down and starts helps to pick up the scrolls, curious but not caring what could be in their contents.]
    dreamflowers: that you can eat your young (seven new ways)

    [personal profile] dreamflowers 2024-02-15 03:09 am (UTC)(link)
    [Expression neutral, Jade takes a long sip of her coffee. She's still trying to decide whether she cares for the sweetness or not, but her thoughts are occupied elsewhere.]

    Heard some of it, but didn't really understand all of it. Feels like I'm missing a good deal of context as to what's been going on here, but...

    [Her gaze falls down at her cup, as if trying to make sense of it as much as the situation she's found herself in.]

    Ah, well. Wouldn't be the first time I've come to a new place in the middle of a bloody crisis.

    [It's almost expected at this point.]
    Edited 2024-02-15 03:10 (UTC)
    damnpire: (pic#12040373)

    [personal profile] damnpire 2024-02-15 04:54 am (UTC)(link)
    [NOT THE ONEITIS. Just like Francy now!! Twins...]

    The cities were relatively safe before. Lately, they have been almost as dangerous sometimes as Kowloon, or the Below. Light began infiltrating Highstorm, and darkness has appeared in Springstar. I wouldn't touch them if I were you.

    [He allows Sho to check the panel, too. The horse gives a little, idle clop of its leg and hoof, like it's working a muscle of some kind even though no muscle had been in the leg.]

    You'll see people you know who aren't truly here. Sometimes, we're able to touch them. You should make sure your superior is actually here. We're not sure if these cases have something to do with the timestream.
    sterngaze: (neutral: pensive)

    [personal profile] sterngaze 2024-02-15 06:53 pm (UTC)(link)
    [Liem’s brows rise fractionally as Jade rises to her feet, going from being collapsed on the ground to almost towering. If she was standing straight, he thinks she’d have a good foot on him, which is something he can’t recall thinking about anyone other than Hayame.

    But her obviously weak- and sick-looking appearance does rather prevent the newcomer from looking actively intimidating, at least at the moment. And, despite his unassuming stature, Liem is no weakling. His intention to escort her to Heliopolis’s housing area doesn’t waver so much as an iota.
    ]

    No, you’ll have privacy.

    [He wonders for a moment if the accommodations might be a little small for her, but people in Kenos are used to accommodating people of all shapes and sizes. Probably Cetina can find this woman a room that, at the very least, has a bed long enough to accommodate her height.]

    We can go whenever you’re ready. And you may ask me whatever you like; I was brought here much as you’ve been, but that was over a year ago now, so I’m familiar with this place’s goings-on.
    erbe: Flash and the sunlight bursts (039)

    [personal profile] erbe 2024-02-15 07:05 pm (UTC)(link)
    There aren't. And there is a distinction to be made that there are some people here capable of fighting — and winning, but choose pacifism.
    sheezit: (s24)

    [personal profile] sheezit 2024-02-15 08:00 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ Well, he hadn't really intended to buy her a drink -- mercenaries are very careful with their finances, whenever an obscene amount of alcohol isn't involved -- but sure, it's not like a cup of coffee will bleed him dry. Although if he's going to make a habit out of treating newcomers, he should take this to Springstar where Meridian Shardbearers are given certain privileges... ]

    Eh, I wouldn't be too sure about the cuddles part. I've only been through one so far, but I hear the Oracles can get pretty creative with their trials.

    [ In fact, since their last trial has been publicly broadcast, he's heard enough talk of Shardbearers being, well, erotically charged and carrying out the act right there in the maze so a bit of cuddling sure sounds like the tamer alternative... ]

    That aside, you'll probably wind up getting involved with all kinds of dangerous stuff in this place, too, so your experience will come in handy. What kinda work did you use to do?
    a_noble_flame: (004)

    [personal profile] a_noble_flame 2024-02-16 04:06 am (UTC)(link)
    ... This is common for you?

    [Ah, wait. Alice goes to scratch at her cheek but finds the hand not holding her cup weighed down somehow.]

    I suppose it isn't that odd for me either. Though usually I'm going to those places on assignments. ... Most of the time.

    [personal profile] ex_fend346 2024-02-16 05:33 am (UTC)(link)
    Of course.

    [ Subaru is such a person, after all. He hasn't ever been one to do harm unless absolutely necessary, and even then, with reluctance. ]

    But people like that...they aren't compelled to fight?
    baltimores: (096)

    [personal profile] baltimores 2024-02-16 11:09 am (UTC)(link)
    [ He huffs a little laugh at the eternal night observation. ]

    You get used to it. Moonlight's nice, though. And you can pick up a bit of magic that'll help you brighten things up a little more.

    [ And at the suggestion of the two of them sitting to enjoy their food together, Amos perks up a little, small smile gracing his features. ]

    But hey, yeah. We can find a spot with two empty chairs. I'd be happy to tell you anything you want to know.
    dreamflowers: (16888729)

    [personal profile] dreamflowers 2024-02-16 04:58 pm (UTC)(link)
    [Funny enough, Jade should be fine with normal human accomodations. She'd spent most of her life with poor posture, trying to make herself appear smaller to conceal her non-human nature. All those nights spent sleeping curled up in a ball became more of a habit than anything else -- and that's assuming she could even get to sleep on the first place. If the dark rings around her eyes are any indication, it's that this woman doesn't look like someone who's had a decent night's rest in decades.

    [Maybe it's that fatigue that led to her lapse in judgement, as Jade doesn't immediately think of the implications of trusting the first stranger she sees. After all, it's not the first time she's come to a new country (Eventuality?) and had little choice but to begrudgingly accept the aid of the first people she meets. But back then she had at least some ways of protecting herself.

    [Now... She has no weapons, no magic -- just an imposing stature that probably would be intimidating if she didn't look like she was already halfway to passing out again. Willpower alone is the only thing keeping her on her feet at this point.

    [There are a lot of things on her mind that she could say, rather than addressing the issues at hand. "Why should I trust you?" "Where are you gonna take me?" "Who do you work for?" But none of them would likely yield the answers she could accept at face value. Rather than immediately moving to welcome the generous offer, Jade just presses her shoulder against the tree, holding her head in one hand while her gaze sizes down the man.]


    A year's a pretty long time. That why you just happened to be conveniently hanging around the parameter here? Folks grow outta the ground often?

    [There is a slow, wary mistrust in her words. Jade doesn't want to be cagey, but she didn't live for as long as she did in a world like Vyn because she trusted everyone she saw. She's been burnt by fake kindness before -- figuratively and literally.]
    dreamflowers: if there's something to be gained (i won't lie)

    [personal profile] dreamflowers 2024-02-16 05:29 pm (UTC)(link)
    [Despite not being particularly impressed with Yima's speech, Jade still isn't sure what to make of this whole situation yet, and for now it doesn't seem like she has gained or loss any favor with the locals. She imagined that'll change if she were to ever pick a side, but it's a bridge she'll cross when she gets to it.

    [For now, she'll idly sip her coffee, studying the man as he speaks. The rest is interesting, but one particular word is what catches her attention more:]


    Oracles, huh?

    [Her being the "Prophetess" from her world probably won't have the same weight in this one. Considering how people reacted back then when she talked about her visions, however, it's better to err on the side of caution with that information for now...

    [Especially when he then asks her about the nature of her "work". There's a contemplative moment in which Jade pretends to be busy drinking her coffee before formulating an answer.]


    Guess you could call it freelance mercenary work. If there was ever anyone who needed somebody willing to hazard deadly ruins, retrieve shit like missing research or artifacts, or even deliver a message... I was usually willing to do it for some kinda price.

    ["Not always monetary" would be the implication there, but that would imply she offers her services willy nilly for peanuts. Which... she kinda does, but she sure as heck doesn't advertise it.]
    erbe: (074)

    [personal profile] erbe 2024-02-16 06:16 pm (UTC)(link)
    [Tohsaka provides an unhelpful shrug. Unfortunately.]

    I wouldn't know. I harmonized pretty quickly because I know what I want and I refuse to be powerless and rely on the kindness of others in the face of danger.
    picketship: (hm2)

    sorry about the wait!

    [personal profile] picketship 2024-02-16 07:06 pm (UTC)(link)
    Oh?

    [Demeisen raises a brow, not especially impressed by what sounds—to him—like a real podunk planet. He is, however, at least a little interested by the fact that this young man seems privy to information that the majority of people in his home weren’t—and the fact that he says “most extraterrestrials,” as though this backwater was nonetheless a common spot for higher civilizations to visit. Curious.]

    To these people, shard-bearers are their saviours—or their enemies, depending on which way their allegiances lie.

    [He strolls closer, eliminating the barrier of distance and milling marketplace bodies between them.]

    Though, perhaps not to these people in particular. Fellas in Kowloon don’t seem to concern themselves with all that.
    corvidant: (pic#14663379)

    [personal profile] corvidant 2024-02-16 09:39 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ Well. One should hope this, indeed, isn't a case of My Little Shardbearer: Friendship is Magic, otherwise any seeds nestled between Akechi's palms will wither and rot before they're even given the chance to bloom. Can't they just feast upon his contempt for most other humans instead??

    In any case! Akechi isn't the type to carry out any tasks half-heartedly, and a little (indirect?) hand-holding is nothing compared to what he's put himself through for the sake of revenge, and his siding with Zenith is an extension of his justice. ]


    When it comes to this place, very little is. [ Said as he tries to hold his cupped hands as still as possible, so none of the dirt and seeds may slip through his fingers. ] For what it's worth, we should consider this preparation for the Oracle trial. I hear there's no end to the type of demands they'll make of us.

    [ Rumor has it a few Shardbearers have had to engage in sexual intercourse during the last trial, which is... something he'd rather not think about, yet a possibility to keep in mind regardless. ]
    gravings: (031)

    [personal profile] gravings 2024-02-17 06:26 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Gray follows readily. She doesn't have much love for bureaucratic grandstanding either. ]

    There are only a few people I'm willing to go this far for. There are only a few people I need to see again, no matter what.

    [ The rest are beyond her ability to put on a scale. Her imagination isn't so grand; it's much easier for her to care about the people right in front of her than the hypothetical billions of strangers on her Earth. ]

    If those few people managed to make their way here... my reasoning might be a little different.
    dreamflowers: (skinning the children for  a war drum)

    [personal profile] dreamflowers 2024-02-17 07:13 am (UTC)(link)
    Hm. I wouldn't necessarily say that it's common. But if I had a penny for every time I woke up one day in a country on the brink of catastrophe and war... I'd have two pennies.

    [And it would still be strange that it happened twice. Though not unexpected -- her world was already in a state of constant turmoil. Wars and conflict were as commonplace as crusty bread.

    [Doesn't make the prospect of this world any more inviting.]


    Assignments... Were you sent to places like that often by someone?

    [Because that's something Jade could relate to an extent.

    [Perhaps so much so that she's gotten a little too relaxed during this conversation. She doesn't seem to pay much notice that the hand Alice had started to move is in her own now, with Jade herself just casually unawares.

    [What.]
    tattooism: (化け「南の魔女」)

    [personal profile] tattooism 2024-02-17 09:03 am (UTC)(link)
    [Just barely, the woman who has lost her balance also manages not to fall to the cobblestones like her many scrolls have, though it does take a bit of pinwheeling and bracing a moment on the other woman's hips. Oops. Though she flinches slightly at the initial tone of voice, as if knowing she was at fault, but...

    It softens? and when she manages to straighten up her eyes (a gorgeous, doe-like dark hazel) look up at her wronged-party-turned-help-offerer a bit surprised... before her own expression softens in turn as it melts into a nervous, relieved little laugh.]


    Oh, I- I am so sorry, miss...

    [A terribly tall miss... ! She is looking up... then down, as she moves to grab at the scrolls, and she moves to do so as well, seemingly trying to do so quick enough that she doesn't allow the other woman to pick up more than her, that is hardly proper...]

    It's so crowded out these days, isn't it? I don't know what I was thinking trying to pass through the courtyards when the Tribune is to give a speech, I knew I should have taken the Kokian Way...

    [She talks casually, as if she has simply encountered a fellow citizen of Springstar, dropping references to street names and events that one would simply be expected to know.]
    dreamflowers: (16970411)

    [personal profile] dreamflowers 2024-02-17 10:58 am (UTC)(link)
    [Oops. Jade doesn't make too much of where the other woman braces her hands at first, and instead is trying to compose herself after her own initial outburst. While her emotions might still be somewhat charged after what she was told in the manor, this person is innocent...

    [Well. As innocent as anyone on Team New World could possibly be in Jade's eyes. But she'd never get anywhere if she always wasted her time snapping at everyone whose ideologies don't align with her own.]


    Hey, no worries. It wasn't your fault.

    [As she attempts to pick up the remaining scrolls, Jade's expression glazes over a bit at the dropped references.

    [The tactic works, as she doesn't make an effort to try to blend in with the locals. Why should she? There would be no point in pretending. Jade just manages a tight-lipped smile as she hands the scrolls over.]


    Ah, well. I wouldn't know. I'm just trying to get the lay of the land here. [She pauses. Maybe not a good choice of words to use in an environment where so many people already seem to be on edge. Paranoia is likely high enough as it is.] I mean, I'm new. To this, uh... world, I guess. Yeah.

    [Whenever her shard is, it's not visible under her current attire, but this woman likely sussed that out accordingly.]
    tattooism: (化け「南の魔女」)

    [personal profile] tattooism 2024-02-17 12:35 pm (UTC)(link)
    [A little look, a little smile, says "thank you" for the other woman releasing her from the need to apologize, and then the woman is back to picking up scrolls herself, trying to arrange them in her arms so that they won't fall again, but-

    Oops, one rolls back out of her hold, drat... But she does not pick this one up. Instead, she seems surprised by the words she hears, her hands pausing in their work in order to look back at Jade, blinking.]


    ... You are a Shard-bearer?

    [Her head cocks slightly, lustrous dark hair spilling over her shoulder. For a moment, there is a moment where it seems difficult to guess what reaction she might have but, her eyes light up in the next moment, one hand coming to splay over her heart.]

    My grandmother was a Shard-bearer... Or, so I heard! What an honor this is!
    Edited 2024-02-17 12:36 (UTC)
    dreamflowers: (16886076)

    [personal profile] dreamflowers 2024-02-17 05:03 pm (UTC)(link)
    [Though Jade has had time to get familiar with terms like "Shard-bearer" by now -- among other things -- the question still catches her off guard.]

    I... guess. Though I'm not...

    [Jade cuts herself off before she can say any more, admitting that she doesn't know where this telltale "Shard" of hers is on her body, or that she hasn't even looked for it yet. And she sure as heck isn't about to ask anyone else to find it for her, either.

    [There's a moment where she just stands there, towering over the woman, before she realizes there's been a forgotten stray scroll. Better get that thing.

    [But just as she's in the process of bending over to retrieve the fallen scroll... she pauses again, brows furrowing.]


    Your grandmother...? As in... somebody who also came from another world?

    [Strangely, the mere notion of ever staying in this place had never occurred to her before.]