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

a. tumbles in!!

[gravings]

[ Gray can't imagine that this stranger is addressing her, but just in case, she looks up... to find that it really does seem like he's leaning her way to talk to her. As an extra just in case, she glances the other way to make sure the man isn't talking to someone over her head. But no, alas. It wasn't like she was enthralled by Cyrus's speech anyway, but even after all this time, she's a bit shy about striking up conversation with strangers.

A few little somethings nag at her. First of all, his accent — though that doesn't necessarily mean anything on its own. Second, he seems familiar, though she thinks she must be mistaken. ]

Ah... Actually, Meridian has the advantage at the moment.

[ Her own Welsh accent is light, tone polite. Maybe she should feel a bit more defensive on Cyrus's behalf, but she mostly just feels sorry for the guy. ]

GASP!!!! 💖

[cyfaredd]

[ That accent certainly catches Howl's attention. The only other time he's heard someone speak that way is when he's visiting home, as he'd discovered early in his time in Ingary that it had no equivalent of Wales, despite having several countries roughly similar to England. ]

Do they indeed? [ He asks, making no attempt at hiding his natural pronunciation. Should he ask? Could this girl be from Earth? He's considering it, but maybe not yet. ] Are you referring to something other than their lead in Oracles?

[gravings]

... No, only that. But by the measure of this world, the Oracles are everything.

[ A bit apologetically. She should probably be trying to sell the virtues of Meridian's noble cause loudly and proudly, but that just isn't her thing.

Of more interest to her is this bug of a feeling. ]

Um, by the way... May I have your name? Mine is Gray.

[cyfaredd]

[ Perhaps their lead in Oracles is all that matters — he's sure there's many people who feel that way, and not without reason — but with three Oracles remaining, there is more than enough opportunity for an increasingly desperate Zenith to retake the lead.

But, he can hear that faint note of apology in her voice. Howl isn't about to aggressively argue with such a timid girl, especially when she sounds just as uninterested in pressing the issue. Rather, they might both be occupied with the same question about the other. ]

Call me Howl. [ And after a pause, he abandons Yima's common tongue and intentionally addresses her in fluent Welsh. ] Where are you from, lass?

[ It's a bit of a test. While it's not impossible for a young Welsh girl not to speak Welsh, if she understands the question at all, that alone would be a confirmation, wouldn't it? ]

[gravings]

[ It's a double whammy. Instant wonder touches her face when Howl says his name, followed by flat-out amazement when he begins to speak Welsh. ]

You speak... oh!

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

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

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

[cyfaredd]

Yes, I am. Right around the same area, no less.

[ To be speaking Welsh so far away from home... it's a pleasant surprise for him, too. He isn't buying any of this "dead worlds" talk, but it is clear that he's stuck here for the time being, so he wasn't expecting any reminders of home — either of them — while trapped here. And here is Gray, doing exactly that, just by talking to him... although, it is a bit odd, isn't it? ]

Which makes it odd that you sound a bit unusual to my ears? I'd ask if your village is more in the east or the west, but your accent doesn't match either.

[ His tone isn't accusatory — she can't be lying if she's speaking Welsh — but what could explain that odd dialect of hers...? It almost reminds him of some very, very old spellbooks and tomes he studied in college. But... that's surely impossible? ]

[gravings]

[ Her enthusiasm mellows a bit. His observation is valid, and she doesn't mind explaining, but it's an odd circumstance that still gives her mixed feelings. ]

That doesn't surprise me. My village was very high in the mountains, and very remote. The people there were proud of never leaving and never changing, and only saw visitors from the outside world on rare occasion. It was a relic in a true sense.

[ Though she knows she can't help it, she feels like a bit of a disappointment. ]

[cyfaredd]

[ She's far from a disappointment — Howl finds himself more intrigued by her than ever. There are some very quaint villages in Wales, but he can't say he's ever been to one quite like what she's describing. ]

And you said your name is Gray? [ She's so young. Or at least, she looks young. Far too young to be away from home, fighting in some strange cosmic war. Just like that, the thought begins to rustle Howl's big brother instincts. ] How long have you been in this world, Miss Gray? Have they treated you well?

[gravings]

[ Have they treated her well? It's a natural question, but somehow it feels surprising to her, if only because she's become so used to being treated a certain kind of way by the populace since she started bearing a Shard. ]

It's been... a year and then some. And yes, the people place very high hopes on us, so they support us as best they can.

[ The people here are actually a bit less fanatical than the last world she was in, so it's an improvement by her estimation. But wherever she goes, she's always benefited from the better natures of the people around her, usually older folks sympathetic to her youth and timid nature. She really has no room to complain about anything. ]

Um, do you also hail from the mountains, Mr. Howl?

[ He seems more like a city man to her, if only because of his aplomb. For a long time, being in a bustling city constantly overwhelmed her — and even when she became used to it, she never lost her country mouse nature. In the end, maybe that was just a her problem. ]

[cyfaredd]

I'm from the valleys.

[ Which is in the same area, just... at the bottom, between the mountains, not at the tops of them. The question makes Howl tip his head at her, curiosity piqued further. She ought to have known that from his accent, right? Her village couldn't have been that remote, could it? Or perhaps it's because she's been here so long...? ]

But, I haven't lived there in a long time. I love Wales, but it doesn't love me. So after my university days, I left. I still visit my niece and nephew from time to time, but I'll probably never live there again.

[ He stops himself, as it occurs to him — ] Well... Going by the logic of this place, that might already be a forgone conclusion, hm?

[ But he says that so casually that he clearly doesn't take the whole "your world has been destroyed" thing seriously. ]

[gravings]

[ Wales doesn't love him? What a curious thing to say... and something that she can relate to in her own way. But asking for details probably wouldn't make for pleasant conversation, so she leaves it for now.

As to never living there again... ]

I suppose that depends on which side you ask. Would you like to go back, Mr. Howl?

[cyfaredd]

Of course. Even if I were to go back to Wales, instead of my new home. Nobody asked me if I was interested in a non-negotiable, non-refundable, involuntary vacation to a world on the brink of all-out war, did they.

[ A bitter, almost humorless joke, but he smiles at her reassuringly to dampen it. ]

But I must admit... the idea of creating a new world isn't such a bad one either. Who wouldn't be intrigued by the possibility of a newer, better place for all to live the rest of their days?

[ But judging from where they are right now, Gray didn't opt for that one. Smart girl, Howl thinks to himself. ]

Of course, it's not an original idea either. History is replete with men with the same ambitions. And most of them are famous for having failed.

[gravings]

[ It seems he has a balanced view of the situation. He's really taking things well as a recent arrival. He seems like the type who prefers to be aloof, observing the errors of the foolhardy before committing. It's probably a wiser way to live. ]

I think... many of the Zenite Shard-Bearers aren't looking to make a perfect world. They've just lost hope in their old worlds, and making a new one is their way of moving forward.

[ She understands, of course. She was of that mindset once too. ]

It's difficult to think of which side might be "correct" in a logical way. I think you just have to listen to where your heart wants to be.

[cyfaredd]

Such is life.

[ Smiling, he shrugs his shoulders in light, effervescent agreement. Gray's impression of Howl is quite accurate, for better or for worse. Having experienced different worlds before coming to Kenos, he isn't thrown off by the mere fact of being here, the way most others are. And having intentionally removed himself from the demands of kingdoms and wars in the past, he doesn't think twice about doing it here, either.

Some of it is just copium, though. Things can and will change when he realizes his world really is gone, and it's not just some lie that Yima and Cyrus have agreed to sell to them. But those matters are for future Howl to have a meltdown over, not current Howl. ]

You must have chosen the Meridian, then. But you don't seem to have the same... [ making an effort to choose his words delicately. ] Fervor as some of your allies.

[gravings]

[ His observation could be taken as a barb by some people, but Gray knows it to be a fair one. ]

I used to hold a position similar to the Zenites'. I was so certain my world was gone... I thought the people clinging to the idea of reviving their worlds were trying to bring corpses back to life.

[ She pitied them with the severity of a gravekeeper tasked with enforcing the boundary of life and death. She's loosened up a bit since then... but only a bit. ]

In any case, my reason for wanting my world back is a bit selfish, so I can't judge the Zenites too harshly.

[cyfaredd]

Is it?

[ With his question, Howl steps forward, swooping his arm out in a wordless invitation for Gray to follow him out of the Tribune courtyard. The speech and ceremony is continuing on as they talk, and Howl is much more interested in hearing Gray's opinion than listening to stuffy bureaucrats talk. ]

By bringing your world back, you'd be bringing all the people in it back too, correct? That doesn't sound selfish to me.

[gravings]

[ 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.

[cyfaredd]

Most people wouldn't be willing to admit that, you know. [ He gives her a sidelong half-smile before looking forward again as they walk. ] But I think it's true for most people, too, whether they'd admit it or not.

[ It's certainly true for Howl. The loss of billions is easily understood in concept, but virtually all of those people are equally as conceptual. ]

Yima doesn't drive much of a bargain for people like us, does she? If she were willing to save, say, ten souls from home, maybe there'd be something to consider... but who would want to choose between their loved ones?

[gravings]

[ She knows it isn't a good look to say that her motivations are so narrow, but she's nothing if not honest. ]

In the end, nothing is guaranteed because neither side has ever won. All of us are just gambling on what we're willing to lose.

[ It's a little "what are we even here for" of her, but she's just trying to keep it real. Especially for recent arrivals -- she likes to be balanced, rather than rally too hard for Meridian at the risk of being misleading. ]

What are you trying to save the most, Mr. Howl?

[cyfaredd]

[ Neither side... has ever won? That's not something that's been mentioned to him yet. And that fact certainly doesn't make him feel any more eager to commit to one side over the other. Do they really expect people who just got here to pick a side, just like that, without thinking about it or having all the information?

He hums thoughtfully, a slight frown betraying his thoughts. ]

Oh, me? I'm not convinced of any of this. [ He'd mentioned that before, and it's still what be believes. ] I'm quite sure none of our worlds are really gone, or even if they were, that any of us would be able to harness the kind of power you'd need to bring them back.

But I am convinced that a great many of our colleagues who are here with us are convinced of it. And that's the larger problem.

[gravings]

[ His skepticism sounds familiar, and she can't blame him for it. Anyone would be skeptical if two representatives of two religions started waving holy texts at them, professing to be right because their own book told them so. ]

If you don't choose a side, it becomes very difficult to fight... to defend yourself. It will also mean that no one will listen to you.

[ No power and no voice. She's sure there are some people willing to live that way in the name of peace. ]

That's just the reality of how this world works. Not everyone chooses a side because they believe strongly at first, but they still find reasons to choose.

[cyfaredd]

And what if I'd prefer nobody to listen to me?

[ He laughs, with a slight shrug. His posture is relaxed and his demeanor is light... but there's a sense of resignation in his voice, tarnished with age and deeply embedded. ]

I understand. The powers that be always find a way of making people comply in some way or another. Not even a wizard can get away from that sort of thing forever. But it doesn't mean I won't make it difficult for them.

[gravings]

[ Very roguish of him. It's a curious comment, not wanting to be listened to...

But one of the comments that follow pings her much more strongly. She does recall that the Howl of Kenoma knew magic, but she regrets that she didn't know him well enough to properly compare and contrast him with the Howl in front of her. Are they even the same person? From different timelines or universes perhaps...?

In any case, the wizards of her world were from a particular age and far removed from the Britain she knew. So naturally she must ask, ]

You're a wizard, Mr. Howl?

[cyfaredd]

Indeed, I am.

[ And from the way she asks, he senses that it doesn't sound that outlandish to her. But is it because she's familiar with magic from home, or because she's grown accustomed to it in this world? ]

Have you met any wizards before me?

[gravings]

Oh — no, not that I know of.

[ His question manages to surprise her even though wizards are probably populating the streets of Kenos at this very moment (Howl aside). ]

I've met a lot of mages, but wizards... I think of them as the very old and powerful ones, like Merlin.

[ There are always exceptions, of course, but according to the rules of her world, Howl would have to exist under very special circumstances if he came from the same general time period as she did. Much like the aforementioned Merlin. ]