JANUARY TDM + SETTING UPDATES
BEARING FRUIT (NEW CHARACTERS ONLY)
It starts out as a pleasant dream. You’re in your favorite place, with your favorite people. It’s a moment of idyllic comfort.
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.
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?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.
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.
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.
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!
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 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.
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.
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
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tenkubashi sho / tokyo aliens / unharmonised exalt / new player
That all makes a little less sense. ]
A. Springstar
Since there are people trying to "mentor" new souls, he'll stop loading up on his plate of food for a moment to ask a simple, softspoken question. ]
Do you like it here?
B. Highstorm
Please help me with this assignment. [ Serious handholding hours. ]
C. Alenroux
(ii.) Though, at night—it's easier to get involved. For those also out and about, fighting or about to get ambushed by a creature, he's light on his feet and leashed by no hesitation. ]
Look out—!
[ He will throw himself into the path of any monster available. He also doesn't have any abilities right now though, so this might be stupid? Wowee. He's eager to help, at least. (iii.) Or, in the space after a fight—he watches one of the shadow creatures ooze back into the darkness. He stares hard at its fading outline, then at the blood dripping down to his elbow from a cut on his arm. His expression—usually stoic, about as exuberant as plain oatmeal, is perturbed. ]
It's true then? We have to choose a side for power?
[ (iv.) Or! Maybe he's the one plunging forward after a monster, but for different, less violent reasons, lured in after a shadow with a sense of very stark, very obvious urgency that's taking him too far from safety, out deeper into the woods. ]
D. Kowloon
Or he would be, if he didn't seem a little distracted by one of the non-humans. A ghoul, or otherwise. He stares for a moment too long, studious. ] An alien...?
*. Wildcard
B :3
It's difficult to identify Reiji from the back, considering he's not wearing his usual attire of a (closes my eyes) purple trench coat, so when he turns around, Sho is met with a surprisingly familiar face. One that looks a little flabbergasted at recognizing someone for once?? ]
Sho-kun?
[ Just stands there with a pile of dirt held carefully in both hands. Hello. ]
no subject
He should've known that in their universe, for all its vastness and species diversity, Reiji would still be the one who survives. Of course even the apocalypse couldn't keep him down for very long. Still, having spent the past few days trying to process the disappearance of... everyone, ever, this is strange. ]
A... Amamiya-san?
[ he. drops his dirt on him in shock. ]
no subject
You're okay. What a relief.
[ His precious weap... dent. Student. ]
You just got here, then?
no subject
Yes. Recently.
[ Upon the slow realization that his manners have lapsed, he brushes some of the dirt off Reiji's shirt. Even upon reuniting like this, even if this is someone he should probably be happy to see, touching him borders on over-familiar, so it's very light taps with the back of his fingers. ]
And you?
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A
(They'd do the same for him, after all.)
So he angles his head in the direction of an unfamiliar face, curious and birdlike, then hums as he considers it. ]
Can't say I'm a sunshine kind of guy.
[ And yet he's here, plopping pastries onto his plate just the same. ]
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Still, he doesn't know the strings attached to it all. Maybe it's unkind to assume there are strings, but—generosity rarely comes for free. It's why he needs to familiarize himself with these other shard-bearers, see what they're like. He ignores a plate of savory breads to look at Yuri, curious. ]
Yet you're here.
[ He speaks in a soft, near monotone, but there's the lilt of a question there. Why? ]
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[ He echoes, still scrutinizing a platter as he debates which little sandwiches may suit his housemates' tastes best. Neither is picky, but that doesn't detract from his motivation.
This fellow beside him must be new. It's strange to think that now, he's the one noticing fresh faces. Some time back, he was one of those new arrivals himself. ]
It's not about like or dislike for me. I can handle a little — hell, a lot of sun, if it's for my people.
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So that's a sentiment he can relate to, one that draws his attention quickly as he goes from giving Yuri polite side-glances to an outright stare. ]
Your people—do you know others here? [ People from his home? Does that mean they're not sole survivors? Or—maybe that's overeager. He tempers his expectations, shoulders shrugging down from where they've hiked up a little. ] ...Ah. Or friends that you've made.
[ It's not outrageous to think that some people have been around long enough to have a Gang of friends they'd met in Kenos. ]
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b.
Assignment? What assignment? [ FTR her voice is annoyingly British. ] I don't remember anyone giving us homework...
[ i didn't read the tdm so i have no idea what you are talking about so thank god ignorance is ic here ]
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He looks her directly in the eye, not deliberately unfriendly but his face and demeanor is just often stuck that way. ]
Then why are you here?
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Unfortunately for Regulus, all her experience in committing acts of piracy and lawbreaking and probably also tax evasion have somehow not provided her with any skill in smoothly lying her way out of sticky situations. He looks down at her, unimpressed, and she stares back up at him, defiant. ]
Sightseeing? This is a free city, you know. [ One small hand lifts to point accusingly at him. ] And you never answered my question. What assignment? Are you supposed to be weeding out here or something?
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Though they're no closer to finishing their work. She genuinely doesn't seem to have gotten the memo. ]
We're supposed to help prepare next season's plantings.
[ He holds out his hand to her, without explanation. ]
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🧍♂️🫳 wildcards you
Out front in the yard by the street, Sho can see.... a nightmarishly tall, black horse. It has red eyes, it has horns. It is a horse Satan might ride. Upon closer inspection, the horse's body seems to be... made up of plates of steel, fitted together by sturdy craftmanship. The horse notices him, but does little more than snort through its nose in acknowledgement.
Something else is here! Someone...? They are seated on a low stool by one of the horse's back legs, and one of the panels of metal has been opened to reveal a tapestry of wires. They're in a fitted leather suit which covers them from neck to wrist to booted feet completely. They have a funny hat... but also a mass of long, wavy black hair spilling down their back. A woman...
The woman is missing half of her left arm from the elbow down, but is utilizing the rounded stump to help with the other long fingers digging in the panel opening. She pauses and glances over a shoulder around the hair at Sho. The face does nothing to dispel this illusion: she is deathly pale and very beautiful, but the beauty is extremely unnatural in its perfection.
Then a shockingly low and soft voice says:] Do you need something?
[IT ISN'T A WOMAN!!!!]
hate these emoji
He's surveying everywhere while he still can, increasingly aware of how troublesome that may be once he attunes himself one way or the other, and it's hard not to be drawn in by this cool nightmare creature. He nods back at the horse politely when it greets him with a snort, before he notices a person there. ]
...No.
[ D is distinctly beautiful, in that otherworldly way he's seen sometimes—like when an alien wears a skinsuit that's so immaculate and lovely that it feels manufactured, crafted rather than human. Sho isn't the type to get distracted by appearance, gorgeous or grotesque, but it's something he notices. Just like his missing arm? What happened here. ]
Would you like some help?
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Sho receives a gentle appraisal from the two rust-colored eyes hovering between thick lashes. A kind of clinical survey. Sho does not have the prickly aggression Gen has, and D is thankful for that.]
Are you mechanically inclined?
[Or maybe Sho just felt bad about the arm and is offering. If D minds, it doesn't show on his face. It's probably the willingness to help at all. Sometimes, you have a past where no one ever wants to help you because you're a freak of nature. He's trying to get used to it.]
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He doesn't mind being appraised. Under normal circumstances, Sho's energy is too muted to read as aggro—lacking warmth, maybe, but mostly via distance. He's just quiet and passive and gently unapproachable unless he's doing the approaching, like he is now.
He crouches down to where D's sitting, looking over his tools. ]
Enough that I won't be a hindrance.
[ He's no engineer, but he's used to this level of technology from maintaining his AMO gear. ]
Is it a robot? [ A... cyborg? Horseborg. ]
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D
Even some metres away in the crowded space, though, he appears to hear Sho’s muttered remark. He turns his head to look down at him, one eyebrow raised.]
All shard-bearers are aliens, kid. [He’s assuming any local resident would be more used to weird-looking people, given the diversity in Kenos’s population.] Including you.
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But it all has him more curious than alarmed. He eventually nods. ]
...That's true.
[ He studies Demeisen, then the rest of the crowd, quiet. ]
I'm used to people hiding it more. [ No one walks around with their otherworldly features in full view, where he's from. ]
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But then, this newly arrived kid managed to find his way down here, and from where Demeisen’s standing he doesn’t seem particularly shady either.]
Place you’re from must not be very cosmopolitan.
[Demeisen has met a number of people from Earth now, and none of them had ever seen a living alien before, much less known that extraterrestrial civilizations even existed. He’s guessing this kid’s situation is similar.]
Nothing strange about it here.
[He’s surely seen the elves and orcs and other, far stranger people wandering around Kenos since his arrival. No one finds their way down to Kowloon on day one.]
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sorry about the wait!
LIKEWISE sorry i went on vacay!!
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B
So imagine how thrilled he is to come to the gardens only to be forced to pair up with some rando. Just his luck, really... ]
I suppose I have no other choice.
[ He does, but he doesn't plan on running like a loser, and he doubts he could find a more preferable partner because, well, there's no one he would want to do this forced hand-holding with, anyway. So, he holds his palms out together, cupped and primed for some seed growing. The things he'll do for his chosen faction... ]
Let's get this over with.
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...Probably? Actually, he has no idea how magic seeds work. Guess they'll see. ]
I'll try to be an amenable partner.
[ Handholding gardening partner. He says so flatly, but without any snark, professional despite the menial task of sprinkling a little mound of dirt and seed into Akechi's palms, before gently resting his hands atop that. He has a light touch—maybe moreso than is best for growing plants, but, baby steps. ]
...This isn't the sort of work I'd expected. [ He's not complaining, though. ]
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In any case! Akechi isn't the type to carry out any tasks half-heartedly, and a little (indirect?) hand-holding is nothing compared to what he's put himself through for the sake of revenge, and his siding with Zenith is an extension of his justice. ]
When it comes to this place, very little is. [ Said as he tries to hold his cupped hands as still as possible, so none of the dirt and seeds may slip through his fingers. ] For what it's worth, we should consider this preparation for the Oracle trial. I hear there's no end to the type of demands they'll make of us.
[ Rumor has it a few Shardbearers have had to engage in sexual intercourse during the last trial, which is... something he'd rather not think about, yet a possibility to keep in mind regardless. ]
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wildcardi b HI NU IM HERE FINALLY
As if Sho were an animal to grab the attention of. He's seated at one of the little tea tables, the wrought iron table laden with mulled wines and finger goods. ] Did you have fun with their pitiable attempts at performing labor they are not meant for?
[ The man radiates heat, a scalding sort of dry atmosphere around him that sees the ends of his hair curling brightly and golden jewelry catching the light around him. The city is bathed in cool moonlight, but he stands out — sunny, in the way that a wildfire might be, or the defiance of two middle fingers thrust to the authorities might be. Bare chested, he twirls a finger through hair, jostling one of the long golden earrings he wears. ]
Highstorm is the seat of Zenith. Zenith is the antithesis of creation and growth, yet they pretend they still can eat their cake and have it too. If you want your cute little sproutlings to grow...
[ Baring bright, sharp teeth in a smile, the brash-voiced man wiggles his fingers at Sho. ]
Well, it is why they need Meridian to tend their gardens and grow their food.
RIGHT WHEN MY VACATION STARTED tears in my eyes i'm sorry
Because, mostly, he doesn't mind the naturally provocative tone. His is a small and quiet presence, or so he tries to make it—a larger personality just makes it easier to blend in the background and focus on work. At least it did, until Set's focus is turned on him. He answers calmly, considering if he ought to reach out for those wiggling fingers to grow some more plants. ]
Any civilization needs trade to prosper.
[ He doesn't sound argumentative, too flat in his intonation, but he's used to collaboration between countries—planets, even. It isn't a weakness for any nation to lack for something so much as an inevitability. But despite the places for neutral mingling, the conflict here is obvious; that must put a damper on things like... hand-hold-friendship-gardening.
He hasn't paused in his laboring, moving sacks of earth and seed, but he sends a pensive gaze to Set. ]
Though they're practically at war, aren't they?