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

[escardos]

Gray...?

[ the moment that flat hears that voice, the rest of the world seems to come to a complete stop. whatever comments he had about cyrus are swiftly forgotten as he stares wide-eyed at the image of his classmate and his professor's loyal apprentice.

if he could see it, then confirming gray's existence would be as easy as blinking, easier than breathing. but with a sight that is no different than any other person's, that sort of thing becomes more complicated. perhaps it's an illusion. maybe it's some sort of mind control?

nonetheless he has to confirm.

gray, too, may notice a curious shape on the back of his right hand, with only one stroke left-- he has made no effort of hiding it, after all. ]

What's the nickname that I made up for the Professor!?

[ he yells it out, and it probably earns him a couple nasty looks from people who might be focused on whatever nonsense that guy is saying. none of it matters to flat. he just wants to know if his eyes aren't deceiving him. ]

[gravings]

[ She'll notice the mark on his hand once things have calmed, surely. For now, she's having a hard enough time fighting off an ominous stinging in her eyes, a harbinger of the inevitable.

Predictably, Flat says something unfathomable. Gray is jarred slightly by the intensity of his question, especially knowing the absurdity of the answer. A tight ball of disbelief, hope, and longing whirls in her heart; she struggles to right herself for a proper response.

Flat's nickname for her mentor. It's been years, but how could she ever forget it? ]

I-It was... Great Big Ben... London☆Star.

[ Her voice is failing before she's had a chance to finish. The delivery of the intangibly cheerful ☆ is debatable.

Looking at Flat, Gray feels she's gone back in time, back to an age where she felt ignorant but content. She takes a breath and soldiers on. ]

But sir—

[ It really takes that little for a first tear to fall free like lead. Her expression folds around the eyes. ]

Sir isn't here. Or he hasn't been... for as long as I've been here.

[escardos]

[ the moment that one initial tear overflows and runs down gray's cheek, flat wastes no time in taking the steps required to close the distance between them. he opens his arms, embracing the grave keeper in a tight hug.

it's gray. it's really gray! even if she says that the professor isn't here, and he hasn't seen anyone else from the classroom since his arrival, the fact that gray is there... is already more than enough.

it's far beyond anything that flat would have ever asked for. ]

I'm so glad to see you, Gray. [ if his voice cracks, it's fine. don't worry about it. he follows it up with an chuckle that's equal amounts awkward and happy. ] I thought I'd never see you again!

[gravings]

[ Gray goes still with surprise, but after a second, relaxes into Flat's hold. There's a lot that's strange about this situation, but there will be time to unpack those things. For now — normally she might ride out Flat's hug as if she were an oversized teddy bear, but this time she has more than enough cause to return the gesture. Her arms come up around his middle, soon tightening nearly as hard as his hold on her. The tears that continue unchecked soak into his shoulder. It's a relief to know that he's solid, not just an apparition from her memory. ]

I should be saying the same thing...

[ She could probably stay here for a long while, just being weepy over the miracle of seeing someone from the El-Melloi classroom again. And if Flat is here, then maybe......

Maybe it's a few seconds, maybe it's many, but eventually she remembers that they're in the middle of the crowd — and as of late, there's been a huge spotlight on the private affairs of Shard-Bearers.

Gray draws back gently, wiping her eyes on a knuckle, and looks again at Flat. If he feels awkward about being emotional, she might be a little too used to it. ]

Um. But have you been here for very long..?

[ He makes it sound like he hasn't seen her in ages. Weird! ]

[escardos]

[ ah, right. the people. gray pulls back and so does flat, who similarly rubs the tears in his eyes with the back of his hand and a single sniffle. other than that, he seems to be doing just fine, lips curled upwards into his usual smile.

though fine doesn't last long, as he registers her question. he replays the last few things that he said, and realizes that he might have slipped up just a bit. ]

Oh, uh-- no! Don't worry about it. I'm just saying stuff, haha.

[ he waves his palms in front of his chest, a nervous laugh bubbling out. sorry gray, maybe some other time! and, in an attempt to both push the subject away and also genuine concern, he switches the conversation up, eyes focused on the scar on her face. ]

What's that scar from? Did you get it from a fight?

[gravings]

[ Luckily for Flat, if someone says strange things all the time, then one more strange thing won't trip any alarms. Gray's head tilts slightly but she doesn't pursue further, letting Flat steer the conversation away.

At mention of her scar, something that most young women would probably hate to draw attention to, Gray smiles. ]

Yes. There was a dragon... It turned, and I wasn't able to avoid its tail.

[ She can't keep herself from sounding a little pleased. Something on her face she can call her own — how novel, and how wonderful.

Of course, one lash of the tail only accounts for one stroke of her scar. But she moves on. ]

It's been a year since then. And I think... almost two years since I was in London.

[escardos]

Wait, a dragon-- actually, hold up, two years?!

[ flat is equal parts shocked and amazed by the information. even with all the shocking things he had seen in the holy grail war, a living breathing dragon was definitely something that didn't happen every day...or ever, aside from that one servant that destroyed their campus.

but also two years without the classroom... flat is more than aware of the measures that they had to take for her after the events during the grand roll, but the idea of being fully separated from a place as dear as the el melloi classroom is something that's a little difficult to think about, especially in such a new place. he has no doubts about gray's survival skills, but he hopes that it wasn't too lonely. ]

Well, when you're back, I'm sure everyone's gonna be waiting for you, so hopefully you haven't forgotten the Professor's lectures. [ he grins, a small laugh escaping him. ] And now that I'm here, we can start our own El Melloi Classroom! El Melloi Classroom 2.0! New but not improved!

[gravings]

[ Gray's eyes tighten, her throat clenching. She could start crying again. Out of old grief, longing, nostalgia, and unexpectedly, a thread of hope. Flat is only one mage, but one so extraordinary that the word "impossible" only becomes "improbable" in his presence. When he speaks of an El-Melloi Classroom 2.0, she can believe in it. When he speaks of everyone waiting for their return, she can begin to see it -- someday, somehow.

In lieu of speaking, which she fears will pulverize an already broken dam, she only nods. And then she reaches for Flat's wrist so that she can start to pull him away from the crowd. If people were giving Flat dirty looks before, they're only getting filthier the longer he and Gray talk over Cyrus's speech.

But then she pauses. As she reaches for Flat's wrist, she sees it: even if it's an unfamiliar shape, it's unmistakably a set of Command Spells. ]

F-Flat. This is...

[escardos]

Ah.

[ ah.

he really didn't take any measures to hide it, huh?

flat freezes the moment that gray points the command spell on his hand, eyes wide as plates as he looks between his hand and gray as if the mark were going to disappear with this. when it clearly doesn't, all he can do is stammer a quick excuse: ]

L-listen! I can explain--

[ wait a second. wait a second. from the corner of his eye, he spots the strange marks on gray's hand as well. ]

Wait, why do you have them, too?!

[gravings]

[ Ah.

Gray blinks. Well, that is true, isn't it. She does have them too. In contrast to Flat, she doesn't think much of her possession of them; they were just incidental to another purpose. It's strikes her as a bit strange that Flat felt a need to get defensive about his.

But first things first. The eyes of the people around them are getting a bit too painful. ]

Let's talk a little bit away...

[ She resumes reaching for his wrist, though she only grips his sleeve by the fabric and begins to tug him back through the crowd by that tenuous grasp. The people in the crowd at least part politely for her when they recognize her, and soon they'll break free of the masses.

As the space around them becomes quiet again, Gray turns back to Flat. ]

Um. You were saying?

[ She isn't trying to be tricky here, he said he could explain?? ]

[escardos]

[ flat lets himself get dragged away, neither fussing or complaining as they move through the crowds of people. all he does is take in the sights-- of the people, of cyrus, and of gray's familiar form.

once they're in a quieter area and she asks him to resume, flat dons a sheepish grin as he starts telling the story. ]

W-well, it technically started as a huge misunderstanding! You see, I wanted to go participate in the Holy Grail War in the USA, and I thought that the Professor had prepared a catalyst for me because he gave me this really cool looking knife that was signed by Jack the Ripper.

[ maybe gray can chew on the absurdity of jack the ripper signing one of his own weapons, because flat sure didn't even consider it at the time. ]

So I went to Snowfield, Nevada, and I summoned them! Jack the Ripper! But turns out, that the Professor didn't want me there at all and, in fact, the gift that I thought was a cool catalyst was actually a toy. Can you believe that? [ he is still so genuinely shocked about it. ] But anyways, I think uh... three days had passed before I came here! Oh man, I got to see so many cool Servants-- I met Alexandre Dumas père--you know, the one who made The Three Musketeers-- and everything!

[gravings]

[ Gray's expression as she listens to his story is a journey to find out how round her eyes can get and how long her mouth can gape for. Starting right from "Holy Grail War in the USA" to her mentor preparing a catalyst (surely he wouldn't encourage any of this, she thinks), to a knife signed by the infamous Jack the Ripper...

And so on. A couple startled noises later, Gray stands there and tries to absorb the magnitude of what she's just heard. At the very least, she can feel assured that Flat is still Flat.

The wonder is naked in Gray's voice when she finally speaks again. ]

So you really did become a Master... That's very like you, Flat.

[ Causing headaches for Gray's mentor in as spectacular a fashion as one could imagine. As worried as she'd get for his health (her mentor's, but also to a lesser extent Flat's), she looks back on those chaotic moments fondly.

And since Flat seems so excited about it, she naturally feels a need to ask, ]

What was Mr. Dumas like?

[ That seems safer than asking about Jack the Ripper, which she isn't sure she wants to know much about. ]

[escardos]

Ehehe, thank you!

[ with that same sheepish smile, flat rubs the back of his neck, taking her comment as nothing but a compliment.

but his eyes light up with excitement the moment that she inquires about dumas. he puffs his chest pridefully, more than happy to talk about the author as if he were flat's close friend. and in a way, he kind of was. ]

He was super cool! He has this Noble Phantasm that can power up other things! And then he has another one that can kind of remake things. Like for example, for a while, Jack and I were kind of the same person. Isn't that cool? [ of course, he sees nothing strange about saying that it's cool to be the same as the infamous jack the ripper. ] He was the Servant for the police chief, and the two of them were totally different-- they would have been a perfect comedy duo if they had met outside of the Holy Grail War!

[gravings]

[ Gray smiles to hear Flat gush about Dumas. While she has to take his account with a grain of salt (he did come up with Great Big Ben London☆Star), his enthusiasm is cause enough for comfort. Watching him is like seeing a faded photograph flooded again with color, her nostalgia realized. Gray's soft heart is so overrun with gratitude that she really could start crying again. ]

Becoming one with Jack the Ripper... That sounds a little scary.

[ She probably has a skewed stance on the matter. Fusing with a Servant has a very different meaning to her, after all.

Ah. But if they're putting Servants on pedestals, Gray feels she should put up a bit of a fight. ]

I didn't participate in a Holy Grail War, but I formed a contract with a Servant too. It was Mordred, from the Round Table.

[ Mordred who committed crimes against Britain, but you know what. Gray still manages to sound quietly pleased about it. ]

[escardos]

Wait, you mean the Sir Mordred, who betrayed and killed King Arthur? That one?

[ sure, mordred committed crimes against britain. but if flat's servant and friend is an agglomeration of theories about a serial killer, then naturally his opinion of mordred will be— ]

That's incredible! Way to go, Gray! That's so cool. [ knowing that gray not only made friends while away from the classroom, but made friends with one of the most well known members of the Round Table, is something that makes flat genuinely happy. he's practically buzzing with excitement. ] And you're telling me that Sir Mordred is here right now? I would love to meet him! What are they like? How did you meet them? Tell me everything.

[gravings]

[ Count on Flat to be supportive through thick and thin. Respectfully, as someone who managed to be very fond of her, Gray can't imagine anyone else who would be this excited about Mordred the Servant. ]

How we met isn't really an exciting story. We met by chance, and she didn't like me very much. But she talked about King Arthur a lot.

[ There was some manhandling and mild bullying involved, but just a little. Naturally, much of it revolved around their shared visage — but that isn't something Gray feels she needs to bring up.

She grows somber as she adds belatedly, ]

No one knew she was a woman when she was alive because she always had her armor on. And... she actually isn't here anymore. You've just missed her.

[ Probably for the best. Gray isn't sure she'd have the power to moderate Flat's antics around Mordred, and Mordred tried to moderate other people's antics via threats of violence. (But Gray supposes that's what Command Spells are for.) ]

She isn't the only Servant who's appeared here. But they all arrive without Masters, as far as I know.

[escardos]

Oh…

[ the smile on flat’s face dims slightly when he hears that gray is without her servant. he’s reminded of jack, and…

well, maybe it’s better if he focuses on gray and her story. ]

So it sounds like you were good friends! Even if she’s no longer here, you can keep her memory alive. Maybe Mordred will appreciate that too!

[ he pauses, considers something for a second, and then beams: ]

That sounded pretty cool, didn’t I? Pretty upperclassman-like, right?

[gravings]

[ Gray's sobriety pops like a bubble as she laughs lightly. ]

You've always been a good upperclassman to me, Flat.

[ In a school structure that didn't require or even encourage students to be actively helpful toward one another, Flat was a priceless help to her in her early days at the Clock Tower, when she was at her most lost and timid. ]

Though now, maybe I'm your upperclassman too. As far as this world goes... I hope you'll let me help you with anything you need.

[ Finally, her chance to return his kindness!! ]

[escardos]

Oh, you're right!

[ there's a small sense of pride in flat's chest, both from the praise and from the sight of seeing gray so confident in herself. it looks like two years away from the classroom has done a lot for her, and he's glad. overjoyed, even! considering the situation at hand, things could not be going any better.

he grins, natural and without any need of magecraft as he gives her an energetic nod in return. ]

Then I'll be counting on you! I'll try not to bring you too much trouble.

[ because flat escardos, not bringing trouble? impossible. the most he can do is try to diminish the amount as much as possible, but even that is a long shot. ]

[gravings]

[ She knows the trouble is coming either way... but that's okay. It's hard for her to quantify what the El-Melloi Classroom meant to her; any amount of troublemaking from its students will be worth dealing with. Not just because she's sentimental, but because her mentor would undoubtedly wish for her to look out for them in his absence.

She might as well start fussing right away. ]

Are you already staying somewhere?

[escardos]

Oh, well, I was kind of staying in the housing that they were providing...but that's for limited time and stuff.... and I still don't really know who to choose.

[ really, the need to pick a side has been like a pebble in flat's shoe since he arrived. he'd been trying to get the perspective of others, trying to figure out what the more efficient solution would be, but... ]

Well, I guess I know which one I'd go for, but... [ well, you know what, flat has just enough tact to know that he should drop his volume just a bit for this: ] How necessary is this war?

[ this is no holy grail war. this, to flat, is not that different from the power struggles within the clock tower, but on a bigger scale. therefore flat can't help but think that there must be a better way outside of just war. ]

[gravings]

[ She enhances her hearing a bit to pick up his lowered volume. And... he has a very valid question. She's asked it plenty of times herself, and had plenty of time to think on it. She lowers her voice to match his as she replies slowly, trying to make her answer cogent. ]

I guess you could say... if you're happy with staying here forever, it isn't necessary at all. But because there are so many people who come from other worlds, they aren't willing to settle here. They would rather fight to escape, whether to their old homes or to a new world of their making.

[ She can't say she doesn't understand. The grief of losing an entire world is sharp, and it drives most people to extremes. For a long time, she'd been caught in that despair, and let herself be complacent to much she wishes she hadn't. ]

It's a bit like a Holy Grail War. Those aren't necessary either. There are probably other ways to achieve the power the Grail can offer, but people still choose to fight in them anyway.

[escardos]

Haha, are you reading my mind, Gray?

[ flat falters, always unsure about what to do when his own thoughts are seen through. what expression should he make? he picks a smile, as usual, but it looks mildly uneasy as he quickly falls deeper in thought.

in a way, flat figures that this is just another piece of evidence of his differences with the rest of humanity. truth be told, this whole concept of a war can sway one way or the other and the end result won’t be that different to him. the grief had washed over like water off his back, leaving little but a vague, bitter aftertaste in his mouth if he thinks about it too hard. ]

This isn’t anything like the Holy Grail War I was in… though maybe that’s because it wasn’t real? [ hm. file that thought for later. ] But I get what you’re saying. It’s a battle of ideals— do we fight for the what’s been lost or do we fight for what could be?

[ and for this mage, he knows that either side has their selling points. remaking the world doesn’t sound all that bad, as rin’s words come to mind. some would say that he has more than enough of a reason to curse the old world. however— ]

I think the Professor would probably want to fight to bring back everyone. [ while grumbling and complaining, having to depend on everyone who is far stronger than he is, but fighting all the way. and that, is the most important thing for flat escardos.

he grins. ] I think so, at least!

[gravings]

[ His Holy Grail War wasn't real?? Things she definitely needs to ask him about... later.

For now, a surge of — relief? pride? — swells in her when Flat brings up her mentor. She agrees with his opinion, but anyone from that classroom would. She's struck suddenly with the realization that for the first time since she parted from him, her mentor no longer lives in her memory alone. It's a fact of no consequence, its value purely sentimental, but the lightness in her chest feels like a world of difference. ]

I think so too.

[ Elaborating more would just be preaching to the choir. Once, Gray had entertained what it would be like to make a world where her mentor could be as powerful a mage as he wanted to be, but concluded perhaps a bit harshly that he wouldn't be himself. His struggles were what made him brilliant. ]

Then... does that mean you're considering Meridian?

[ A simple question, but one she'd been a little afraid to ask. ]

[escardos]

Yup. [ he nods, no hesitation in his voice. it’s not necessary when it’s with gray, someone who’s as core to the classroom as their professor himself. ] Do you get a referral bonus if I say it was thanks to you?

[ might as well help out gray where he can, even if she might not need it anymore. like svin and many others in the classroom, she clearly has found her own strength and started walking on her own. there’s nothing wrong with that—quite the opposite, in fact—he likes to see the progress of humanity more than anything else.

with a self-derisive smile, he continues. ]

To be honest, I don’t know if I’d even be that good for this sort of thing, but at the very least I’ll be great emotional support!