JANUARY TDM + SETTING UPDATES

[beleos]

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 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

Comments

percy jackson, pjo, exalt

[audacity]

bearing fruit

[ dragging himself out of the earth definitely hadn't been on percy's to do list for today, and he isn't too thrilled about the last-minute addition.

not that the nightmare hadn't been horrible, even by demigod standards. not that he enjoyed the feeling of being torn apart or put back together. not that he loves the implications of i'm sorry it couldn't be saved. but he's had bad past experiences with being buried alive, and it's panicked, animal instinct that has him scrambling for the surface. he's breathing hard as his head breaks the surface, but the fresh air goes a long way towards calming his nerves. as he pulls himself clear of the roots, he gets to his feet, brushing dirt off his clothes and out of his hair. he's dressed like any normal, modern day teen: all worn jeans and long-sleeved shirt, sneakers that have served him as well in gym classes as running for his life from monsters. it dawns on him that 1) he has no idea where he is, but 2) nothing's tried to kill him yet, and he frowns, finally turning to take a look at his surroundings. his head tips upwards — and up, and up, as he looks for the summit of the huge tree. ]

Okay, [ he admits aloud, ] I'm impressed. [ and then, ] But if a giant squirrel busts out of those branches and tries to eat me, I'm going to get seriously annoyed.

[ this just. this seems like the kind of thing that would happen to him. ]

island hopping

[ in springstar, there's a lot that's weirdly familiar for him, like, vibes-wise. the familiarity doesn't make him any more comfortable with the gathering, though, nor does that make it even easier for him to focus on cyrus's speech. still, he's not unobservant; or at least, he isn't so unobservant that he misses the lukewarm reception to cyrus. with a frown, he asks a nearby bearer, ]

The speech wasn't that bad, was it?

[ or, more to the point: is it just him, or is the tribune not as popular around here as you'd expect?

the food, at least, looks pretty good. and despite some reservations, percy's happy to chow down, trying some of the grains and stuffed doulmades. truth is, while he's worried about the food — a little story about persephone comes to mind — he can't very well avoid everything, not when it's looking like it could be days before he gets home. (days, he thinks, and a bitter taste settles in his mouth. but he can't think any further out than that right now.)

in highstorm, he — nods politely when he's greeted by the lady yima, swallowing hard, as his hand is taken and he's told about strength, and memories, and loss. and after she glides away, he mutters too loudly, ]

She always this friendly?

[ the way his tone twists around the word friendly, it's clear he was tempted to say something else entirely.

call him stereotypical, but he's drawn to the reflecting pool. making himself aware of sources of water in his vicinity is a long-time habit after years of dealing with murderous gods, hungry monsters, and other mythological creatures really determined to ruin his day. he sits by the water, looking into it rather than listen to another round of speeches, and finds himself trying, by force of habit, to sense anything about it. he's heard about the need to harmonize, how powers don't come back till you do, but it still feels weird. like he's had a limb cut off. he's lost memories, he's lost senses, but he's never lost his connection to the sea.

and this water is mesmerizing, strangely, drags at his attention and shows him glimpses of things it shouldn't be able to. he leans forward, almost too far — then jerks backwards, so hard he bumps straight into another bearer. ]

Sorry! Sorry. I wasn't looking. [ which feels like a lie as soon as he says it. he grimaces, amends, ] I didn't see you there.

real monsters

[ it's impossible to miss how spooked the locals are. percy spends time talking to them when he's in springstar because, honestly? he trusts what he hears from them more than he trusts these faction heads. it's nothing personal; he's just known enough powerful, mysterious, magical types who are being super reasonable, really! that he isn't inclined to take either cyrus or yima at their word. cyrus, admittedly, does sound a lot more normal, and yima more like the kinds of goddesses he's met before (and he's met a lot of them), but — call him careful.

okay, anyone who knows him would laugh themselves sick if they heard the words percy jackson and careful in the same sentence. that doesn't mean he's never careful. he can be, sometimes. every once in a while. occasionally. at least once in his life.

so, naturally, he's wandering a side alley of springstar alone, even after hearing the whispered dangers. it's not like he'd been given a lot to go on, and mysterious monster attacks is such a normal problem compared to everything else around here — for him, anyway — that he's kind of drawn to it despite himself. maybe factions and crystals and strange wars are a lot to take in, but monsters terrorizing mortals? now that's a problem he understands. besides, he's faced a lot of monsters in his life. he isn't about to go hiding behind strangers to protect him from the hypothetical of running into one.

this definitely doesn't count as looking for trouble.

but then he hears a high-pitched scream from a nearby road — and the unmistakable sound of a roar and things crashing. he's running before he's aware of making the decision, throwing himself around the corner and vaulting over a random cart without missing a beat, rapidly closing the distance between himself and...well, trouble.

so much for careful.

he skids to a stop as he takes in the scene: a monster that's mostly human-shaped, if bigger and more muscular than most mortals, and completely covered in fur. their face is wolfish — literally — and angry, their growls baring nasty fangs. cowering beneath it is a child, her basket of food scattered across the ground, her arms thrown up over her face as she cries. the choice of target is so astonishingly unfair that it leaves percy breathless with rage. ]

Hey, ugly! [ he calls loudly. some local fruit had rolled nearly to his feet from the girl's upended basket; he picks it up and throws it directly at the monster for good measure, impacting nicely against the thing's nose. ] Why not try picking on someone your own size?

[ the good: the wolfish monster completely forgets about the girl in its irritation at percy. it rounds on him, advancing menacingly.

the bad: percy abruptly remembers that he's got no sword, no powers, and no friends to back him up.

he could probably use some assistance. ]

wildcard

[ here for funsies, mainly! feel free to hit me up for something more personalized or to drop me a wildcard. percy's from the books, somewhere circa his more recent appearances (so ~ 17 years old). any character sensitive to that kind of thing can feel free to notice there's something distinctly magical/sea god adjacent about him. ]

island hopping | meridian

[narsinssist]

[ It's a good question, Raphael has to admit. Cyrus is an affable fellow, after all, but it seems like things have been... difficult, and the fact that there have been increased attacks more and more lately certainly does not help his position, doesn't it. The devil in a human guise looked down at the boy, and shrugged with this sort of general "what can you do" sort of gesture, and looked back at Cyrus. ]

Ah, well. Perhaps this speech was not bad, but that does not mean that they have noted some failings, hm? To be a good wordsmith, one must be able to deliver.

[ And that, Raphael suggests with just a word, is the problem for Cyrus. Or perhaps, truly, it was the fact that the man wanted to let this pass without too much strife, when all around them was strife. It was unavoidable, after all. ]

I'm afraid with the current... climate, men like Cyrus must act quickly, and decisively, which are two things that most hesitate to do.

After all, the consequences of doing so can be great.

bearing fruit

[cyfaredd]

[ A tall man in his late twenties is sitting nearby with a blanket wrapped around is body at just the right time to witness this boy emerge from the ground. It's fascinating to watch, even as he realizes that he'd emerged in the exact same way just a short while ago. It seems this one got to arrive in this place with the benefit of clothes — unlike himself. If one of the Tree's attendants had not come to drape the blanket around his shoulders, he'd be sitting here as naked as the day he was born.

The boy's opening remarks are interesting enough, at least, to make the man laugh. A small relief, considering how unenthused he is to be here. ]

Eat you? Ratatoskr is a gossiper, not a man-eater.

island hopping, highstorm

[baltimores]

[ There is a kid by the pool.

Amos has never really known what to do with the pool itself. It's one of the few parts of Highstorm he genuinely doesn't understand — looking back? Reminiscing? — but more than once he's found a newcomer by it, and he's gone to approach them before, even if he probably can't say shit to help them.

But this one is a kid. Older, yeah, but with an obvious youthfulness to him that immediately activates those take him under your wing instincts, even if he isn't going to be so obvious about it. Probably.

Instead, a raised eyebrow. ]

Well, yeah. [ Of course Percy didn't see him there. ] You were looking at the pool.

[ A beat; a tilt of his head. ]

Kinda looked like you were going to dive in. Was that the plan?

[ It's part mocking, part genuine; delivered with equal hints curiosity and teasing. Did the kid just want to go to a swim or something?? There are better places for that. ]

island hopping

[kaientai]

[ ryouma is also partaking of the free food, happy to see it after a month of getting by on his own. he's done pretty well for himself so far, but there had been no fanfare and welcoming parties when he'd shown up. he glances over when someone speaks up and can't help but chuckle a little at the question. ]

Well, no, it was a fine speech; it just wasn't what they wanted to hear. He must've done something that shook their confidence in him at some point.

[ he's only been here about a month, so he's hardly on the up and up about everything in Springstar politics, but he has a good sense about these things. he'd come up during turbulent times and had seen how the actions and inactions of well-placed men drastically altered people's opinions of them by the day.

more importantly, he spots a weird-looking cheese he hasn't tried yet on a serving plate nearby and reaches for it. ryouma is confident he'll enjoy it a lot more than politics. ]

real monsters

[kinaesthesia]

[Lucky for Percy, there’s been someone else poking around Springstar this past week totally not looking for trouble.

Well, okay, it’s true in a relative sense. Is she hoping to find any more of these attacks happening around the city? No, of course not; too many people have already gotten hurt. That’s kind of the whole reason she’s in the city despite the bad vibes. Does she expect that there’s been anything done to make sure they definitively stop happening? Also no, which is why she is technically looking for that trouble. If it’s gonna happen, she wants to be on hand to either fight the damn things off or make sure she can patch up the wounded before they can go dying there in the streets.

So far, it’s been hard to pinpoint how or where an attack might take place. Springstar’s a big place, and big places have a lot of hiding places for smart things on the hunt for innocent people. Gavial can’t be everywhere at once, and it’s a lot easier to stumble onto the scene after the fact, following the worried chatter and signs of commotion to their sources.

Springstar might be growing increasingly more weary of the boisterous Zenite’s presence in the city, but she’s determined to help regardless of their attitude. And despite all their complaints, it’s probably a good thing that she is when the time comes where she finally does catch a tell-tale scream of an attack in progress. She turns on her heel and reaches up to pull her healing staff from its loop in the bag over her shoulder, breaking out into a sprint along half-remembered streets to seek out the source before it’s too late.

And it seems that she’s not the only interloper stepping in. She knows she’s on the right track when she hears a shout and another booming growl fill the air in response as she turns a corner—and finds a young man valiantly facing down the wolfish creature. And maybe in a bit of trouble himself when the beast moves to close that gap between them.

Gavial curses and hurries forward, reaching out with her empty hand to grab him by the back of the shirt and unceremoniously yank him to the side just as the creature makes an abrupt lunge for him. It stumbles in the wake of the unexpected whiff of its attack, giving her the opportune moment to try to drag him alongside the nearest cart for cover to look him over.]

Think you made it mad.

[She might be grinning? Good job kid! You saved the girl, but now you’ve got a fight on your hands. Good thing the croc doc is here to help.]

island hopping | highstorm

[settingup]

[ Atsumu wasn't there to hear Percy's barely veiled comment about Yima, and that might be for the best. She's a big part of the reason that he's part of Zenith in the first place, and as time marches on he finds himself getting just a touch more... protective of a woman who probably doesn't need that much protection.

He is there for that reflecting pool run in though, and grunts in mild surprise when he feels someone bump into him, turning to look at someone who is clearly a new arrival given the fact that Atsumu has never seen him before, and he's got that sort of fresh meat look about him. ]

No kiddin'.

[ Not that Atsumu was looking where he was going either, otherwise he would have noticed the guy backing up. He does glance in the direction that Percy was backing away from though, and makes an idle comment without a lot of thought behind it. ]

Freaked out by something you saw in that, or what?

Island hopping | Springstar

[fishfearme]

[While Cyrus had conducted his speech, Byleth hadn't really been listening that much. He'd been busy figuring out the logistics of stuffing his ill-gotten gains (read: the free food) into his already full to bursting satchel, one hand balancing a plate overflowing with food, and the other attempting to delicately shove a roasted fish hastily wrapped in napkins in the thin sliver of space that barely remained.

So, of course, he's rather distracted when someone abruptly directed a question towards him. He looked up in surprise, blinking at Percy in mild confusion as if only just realising he was in public where other people, y'know, existed.]

Speech? [Oh, wait-] Did you make one? Apologies, I wasn't listening. You can start over, if you like.