SEPTEMBER 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 looking down, and they spill forth as if 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.

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. 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.

You wake with a start, cradled by soft, velvety plants, and sticky with a sap that smells faintly of honey and iron. 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.

TWO CITIES, ALIKE IN DIGNITY

With the new Shard-Bearers present or en route, it is Kathova and Cetina that 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 small, casual meet-and-greet to be held before the new Shard-Bearers are unleashed upon Kenos as a whole.

Additionally, as Springstar and Highstorm are holding their events on different days, it is possible for the knowledge-hungry to participate in both informational sessions -- the tones and opinions held by both cities are doubtless to differ, and some Shard-Bearers who have chosen to harmonize with either faction may even find their way to the opposing faction's session as well.

However, for those who have attended such events in the past, they'll note a marked difference—Only newly arrived Shard-Bearers and members of the faction are welcome. If you're a member of the opposite faction, you'll be questioned and ultimately turned away. If you want to join the party, you'll have to be a little sneakier, it seems.

SPRINGSTAR, αιώνιος ήλιος

In Springstar, the seat of the Tribune becomes available for such a forum. 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 welcoming party is in the Seat of the Tribune, with tables draped in white-and-gold-trimmed fabrics fare filled with fare typical to Springstar's slowly fading winter -- fruits and wines, savory smoked meats and roasted vegetables, and large bowls of soups like youvarlakia and fasoalda have been lain out to encourage forum participants to snack as they speak. There are plenty of grains and other dishes that elude to an abundant harvest from Alenroux. 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 mood in Springstar as a whole is jubilant, with not just a party at the seat of the tribune, but elsewhere, including the Psychagogía district. Parties line the streets, establishments that overflow with bodies, drink, and libations of all sorts. There is a sense of excitement in capturing the latest oracle, and the people seem to treat the shard-bearers of Meridian somewhat reverently, and new ones, they will pull aside and explain with excitement about how the Shard-Bearers captured the oracle (with varying degrees of accuracy) and how it is because of them that they will be seen to victory. Cyrus’s name, however, still comes with notes of disdain. It’s clear that the Tribune has not bought much good favor by their victory, and instead, if any ask, or follow the threads, they will hear the names Desmond Ó Ruadháin and Agapitos Voreen as likely successors to the Tribune. However if one asks how that happens… details become a bit more muddy. Apparently, the role of the Tribune is for life. And apparently, the denizens of Springstar trust the Shard-Bearers to see the oracles through, and still see Cyrus as a weak link in their chain.

HIGHSTORM, луны-близнецы

Eternally in opposition, Highstorm provides the Manor's courtyard as the setting for their informational meeting. Formality is of utmost importance here, with attending Zenith loyalists and residents dressed in beautiful, albeit austere attire -- they are, after all, standing before Lady Yima's home. A buffet-style luncheon is spread alongside one of the largest reflecting pools, wherein you may gaze and find your memories revealed in retrospect upon the water's surface. Soft tunes filter over the courtyard, and if the sounds of them sound familiar – perhaps remind one of home? That’s because they are! Yima’s musicians seem to be able to pilfer strings and strands of music, and weave it all together expertly, to give both new arrivals and old friends reminders of their home.

There are few places to be seated in the Manor's courtyard, resulting in a milling of bodies 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.

The city itself is more muted than usual. The last dregs of Highstorm’s chill summer are coming to an end, and the cold is an opportunity for Highstorm’s denizens to batter in more frequently, and the chill may have something to do with the lost oracle. Though, if asked, they’ll say nothing of the sort, of course! In opposition to Springstar’s mixed jubilation and doubt, Highstorm’s denizens seem determined that lady Yima will see them through, and that one loss is no reason to fall into despair. Though they are still disappointed, and will say so. Though blame does not seem to have a target, mere disappointment filters through the city, as they start preparing for winter. The prices seem higher, whether one is looking for potions, supplies, or even small trinkets from the The Antiques & Baubles Market. Things seem… leaner in a sense. There’s nobody starving on the streets in Highstorm, but the control of Alenroux continues to lead to tense relations, even though a compromise seems to have been recently reached between the two factions.

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 the meet-and-greet has 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.

THE BLIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL

Since the Blight’s conclusion, both cities have undergone a fair bit of effort to reconstruct the districts and buildings that were destroyed in the Blight, though Springstar seems a touch further along than Highstorm, due to Shard-bearer efforts. The unusual weather pockets present previously have very nearly all disappeared, though there are some patches still present, lingering in the areas still somewhat ravaged by the Blight. The pockets seem to be losing their effects now, and if one finds themself within, will experience a mild slowing down or speeding up of time. Visions still appear within the small bubbles, reflections of dear ones or important events, though they seem to be only memory, though anyone within the bubble can bear witness.

FURTHER DETAILS

OOCly, characters can still stumble into small bubbles of time, though they are fewer and far between than they were 3 months ago! These time bubbles still have some time-warping energy, and will continue to allow characters to either speed up or slow down, depending on player preference! In addition, the time bubbles are no longer bringing back remnants of Kenosians past, but there is still the chance of some memory reflections to briefly manifest in the bubble. They will come from player characters as a whole, and are purely up to whatever is fun for you! Think of it as brief flickers of memory sharing, they can be as brief or as distorted as you like! Think of this as the last gasp of the Blight, as it withers away thanks to the concentrated efforts of all shard bearers!

CHECKS AND BALANCES

Alenroux continues to improve, and with the new balance between both Springstar and Highstorm, the separate island is safer than ever! The tensions between both factions seem to have reduced over the island, thanks to the efforts of several shard bearers, and the populace seems to be warming to both factions once again.

FURTHER DETAILS

After the resolution of the first Kenos Ambassador agreement, the balance of power in Alenroux is already starting to shift. The island already has a much more evenly-matched number of military forces from both Springstar and Highstorm, the number of troops in the area has reduced significantly. The number of monsters does not seem to have increased at this time, which bodes well for the area. The uptick of Highstorm locals has certainly led to more food flowing into Highstorm than had before, and the people seem pleased with the arrangement – for the moment! The small murmurs of discontent and unrest seem to have alleviated at this time. Though some still seem uncomfortable with the amount of troops, they seem less willing to say that out loud. Though nights in Alenroux will possibly never be wholly safe, the threats seem more manageable, though nobody will ever turn down Shard-Bearer assistance in a pinch!

TO INFINITY – AND BEYOND

Rumbling about temples being erected in the Beyond, which lies outside of Highstorm’s city limits, close to another that had been erected previously. Not one shrine out there, but two it seems. It shines like the sun when the moonlight catches it just right, and it’s visible over the line of trees that marks the edge of the Beyond. The more brave and curious of Highstorm’s denizens have started making more treks into the Beyond for both shrines, and the fact that most come back unharmed seems to encourage others to follow. And for those that may not be able to make the trek safely, there's an opportunity to make a bit of money by leading the way to the shrines and offering the curious pilgrims protection from the Beyond's dangers. There’s rumbling amongst them – Quetzalcoatl – Set – the names of gods of worlds long past, and though there are not many that will stray from Highstorm’s resident deified figure – Lady Yima – there are enough that it’s easy to catch pilgrimages out to the temple, and to visit them yourselves, as well!

FURTHER DETAILS

Quetzalcoatl erected a bright and gigantic temple right next to Set's in the Beyond! Right next to Highstorm! I'm sure that's fine and will not have any diplomatic consequences in the future! Both gods have been drawing in new curious individuals – some who may be worshippers with time – and it's drawn the curiosity of many.

SMALLER CHANGES

GRAND LARCENY

An uptick in crime between both Springstar and Highstorm has both the Legion and Yima’s own private guard scrambling as they struggle to find rhyme or reason behind the latest crime spree taken up in both cities. Though there doesn’t seem to be a specific source, local chatter suggests that it might be coming from a mysterious underground, though most can’t say where... there’s vague gestures, and remarks about Below, without any concrete details. Those who are familiar with – or find out about – Kowloon, may find plenty of stolen items within Kowloon’s markets, though if asked, the keeper will simply shrug and say they retrieved it from a reputable source. Who? Well, they don’t know, they don’t remember their face. I’m sure this is fine and won’t lead to trouble later down the line!

Completely unrelated, those who are known to be or obviously affiliated with Springstar continue to encounter difficulty in Kowloon. It’s become a touch more brazen – more pickpocketing, even higher prices, or even some outright derisiveness from some businesses, although they seem to be centered more around Draumahol, and the further one gets from the business in the underground city (or as far as one can get) the more willing businesses seem to engage with those from Springstar, and the more… apologetic they are about higher prices, though they do still seem to be across the board.

FAE MISCHEIF

It’s not just the underground that seems to be reeling from a spike of theft, though this one seems more obvious – and innocuous! Faeries from the Greenwood Yard seem to still be reeling from recent Shard-Bearer intrusions, so bearers new and old may find small items of varying importance are missing. They’ll generally come with a calling card; a small note that is part threat and part invitation for a game, to come find them within the Greenwood Yards. After hearing about the issue, a certain potion shop owner sets up a small stall by the yards, and will offer to help the shard bearer with their predicament – for a price, of course! Better have a few gold coins on you!

The owner will offer bearers a round-trip to tiny town yet again, to retrieve whatever was stolen, though this time it comes with no visions, and generally the fairies will consider things to be even, if bearers come to retrieve it with politeness and a request for it to be returned. If a bearer threatens them… well. Let’s hope you brought a friend along to help with this fae threat, then!

OOC NOTES

Welcome to Kenos! As a reminder, all new players need an invite to apply to the game, which 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.

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 Highstorm and Springstar prompts, both cities 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 Navigation page and check out the locations!

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

[fursuit]

[ Tezcatlipoca’s first reaction is to laugh, soft and incredulous. He believes Amos’s version here completely. That sounds just like Quetzalcoatl. He’d gotten the domain of wisdom, but honestly, Tezcatlipoca never really got why. Dumb shit like this was kind of Quetzalcoatl’s thing, and that’s why he was also incredibly easy to trick. Maybe it was a joke. Who knows. ]

That’s bold. I might have just stumbled into all of this, but broadly speaking? Establishing something huge like that right inside enemy lines, that’s usually a big “fuck you” gesture. But I’ll take your word for it about it being careless. Can’t exactly comment definitively on that.

[ However, the fact that someone was able to just put it into place one day isn’t odd to Tezcatlipoca. Where most people would probably stumble over that piece of it, he doesn’t say a thing about it. He taps the ash off his cigarette, then looks back out to the temple with a little shrug. ]

Do you think it's a problem? I heard there's two of them out there, but I only see the one from up here.

[baltimores]

[ The laugh is... kind of a surprise. Amos blinks in response, giving Tezcatlipoca a quick up-and-down — he seems remarkably relaxed considering how bizarre all of this is, but then again, he probably just woke up in the dirt on a floating tree-island not too long ago, so, fair enough — before shrugging it off and looking back out the window beside him, a slight tilt to his head. ]

Not sure. I mean, Sunny doesn't have a "fuck you" bone in her body — well. Other than in the literal sense, [ because he is the type to just outright say that; he is an expert there, after all — ] so I don't think she's being malicious or anything. Yeah, she's on the other side, but she has helped the people here before. I don't think she's really a threat.

[ A beat. A deeper frown, now, accompanied with a slight curling of the lip, teeth beginning to be bared in disgust. ]

The other one's a problem. Some fuckhole named Set took it over, and he's dangerous. I'm not entirely sure why we aren't tearing down his shit and banning his ass from here right now.

[ So, not a fan. ]

[fursuit]

[ Ah. Quetzalcoatl has been busy in multiple senses, he sees. What a shock (absolutely not at all). Also sounds like he got saddled with some kind of restriction like his own as well, if this guy knows him as, well, her. It’s not a total surprise, since he imagines it’s a similar enough loophole to how he’d been able to manifest in the mortal planes, so he’ll roll with it.

Though the other god catches his attention too. As much as he’d like to dig into what Birdie has been up to, his curiosity is piqued by the clear distaste. Considering his own domains as a god, it’s something he almost reflexively latches onto. ]

Set, huh? It was across the globe from my neck of the woods, but I’ve heard of a god by that name. Ancient Egypt’s, I think.

[ He knows, but not with any particularly sharp insight. It’s the equivalent of having read a book of the subject maybe once and half remembering it, because their cultures were two that had never even had a chance to cross paths. But still. He knows enough to know that they shared several primary domains. So, naturally, he’s dangerous. It comes with the territory. But he’s more curious how it’s expressed. ]

I assume he moved in more than put up a place of his own from the sounds of it. [ He didn’t miss the way Amos put it, after all. “Took it over” is a little different than “put it up”. ] So, I can make a guess, but what makes him dangerous?

[baltimores]

[ The whole ancient Egypt thing makes sense, considering the desert motif Set is always wrapped around in, but Amos is just. Sick of the whole gods nonsense. They weren't a thing where he came from, and it just seems like some whole fucked up arrogance thing. Quetzalcoatl doesn't embody that at least, but she still saw it fit to put up a giant temple in his backyard, and it's weird at best...

And also not his priority, the way Tezcatlipoca steers the conversation towards Set exclusively — an easy subject to get him to talk about, considering how it feels like nobody here actually takes the threat Set poses seriously. It's annoying, but maybe he can start to chip away at it.

Gonna have to be more controlled to get anyone to listen, though. Amos inhales, deep; when he exhales some of the frustration is purged from his voice. More clinical, though it's not like he can cover up his annoyance entirely. ]

He's a psycho. [ Off to such a great start, right out of the gate! ] One of those people who doesn't care who he uses, who he hurts... People like that are only ever thinking about themselves, and they won't stop at anything to get what they want. Usually it's power. But someone uncontrolled and unchecked like that? Right in our backyard? I don't like it. Seems like it's only inviting trouble.

[ He shakes his head, once, looks back Tezcatlipoca's way. ]

Now, someone like Sunny, I know she cares about other people. She's not going to go hurting anyone here. But Set? The only thing you can do with a rabid animal is put them down before they hurt anyone else.

[fursuit]

[ Bluntly calling Set a psycho gets Tezcatlipoca to laugh first, but he otherwise doesn’t interrupt as Amos explains it. He keeps his cigarette dangling from his lips and seems to casually take in the information like he doesn’t have too much investment in it. It’s true, in a sense. He hasn’t picked his side here, so he doesn’t have any. But that’s a very big yet. He’s going to throw his power and influence behind one of these two sides. Zenith, if he had to guess, but so far that’s really only because he and Quetzalcoatl couldn’t be on the same side. ]

Hm. Well, gotta point out that you’re not quite right about Quetzalcoatl. She cares, but it won’t stop her from wiping this city out if she felt like that’s what needed to be done.

[ He also switches pronouns at this point since, sure. He’ll roll with that. But the point is one he says simply. It’s not something she would do casually, sure, and maybe that’s what Amos means. But he still feels the need to call attention to the distinction. She’s not a god of peace, exactly. ]

As for Set? Taking your word for things, I don’t disagree. When someone starts to muscle their way into your territory? Crush them at first sight. Don’t leave any room for ‘em to take an inch. They ain’t gonna be your friends.

[ It’s an old lesson, but it’s one that the people of the Fifth Sun hadn’t taken seriously enough. It’s the trial that he’d want Izcalli to experience. He doesn’t have the same kind of stake in the game here, though, so he can be more direct than he ever was with the teixiptla he’d chosen in the Lostbelt. He shrugs as he taps off the ash again, but he doesn’t bring it immediately back to his mouth. ]

Just a matter of when you want to deal with trouble. You want him to be the one bringing it, or do you want to go cause it?

[baltimores]

[ Amos frowns at Tezcatlipoca's laugh, a tilt of his head and raised eyebrow accompanying it. That eyebrow only climbs further when he says Quetzalcoatl, because not like Amos had been avoiding saying her name to test him — he just hadn't said her name because he's the nicknaming type, simple little things — but for Tezcatlipoca to be playing dumb when it turns out he might know her already...

Does know her, if his declaration of her nature is anything to go by. Sus!

But he's also actually paying attention to his warnings on Set, and that's the far bigger priority here. Okay, so Sunny might kill people, but if she felt like that's what needed to be done. He can get that. Forgive it, to an extent. Not enough to not try to kill her in retaliation, but at least it's not psychotic unlike a certain somebody, so Amos blinks, his expression reverting to something more neutral. Forgive him if he's eyeing Tezcatlipoca that much more intently, though. ]

Is it really trouble if you're kicking out an invader? He already brought it by setting up shop here. Just because he hasn't done anything else yet doesn't mean he won't. You already said it — he's started muscling in on our territory.

[ He huffs, crossing his arms over his chest as he stares out the window, book still dangling from one of his hands. ]

Things're going to come to blows eventually. Might as well get the first punch in. Better chance of it being the last punch if you do.

[fursuit]

[ Forgiven! Tezcatlipoca notices that his gaze is more intense, and he gives a crooked little smile in return, though it’s brief. It is just enough to show a small peek of his feline fangs, but it’s not meant as a threat or anything like it. He really is just amused to be given the kind of suspicion, warranted though it may be. He’ll get to it, at least now. But the topic at hand is one he takes more seriously. It’s personal, though it’s for a conflict now long past. ]

Bingo. The longer an invader has the chance to get comfy, the more problem it’s gonna be. More time they have to dig in and make it a hell of a lot harder to kick ‘em out too. The longer they linger, the more trouble it’s gonna be.

[ He shrugs as he pops the cigarette back into his mouth, but he lets it just dangle between his lips. It’s about done anyways, but it’s been a good smoke if it came with a chat like this. ]

At least, that’s my opinion. Professional or not. Went through something like it a long time ago, so I know how it goes.

[ And now he can swing back around to addressing that suspicion. Trickster he may be, but he’d gotten the information he was ultimately looking for by playing dumb about the temple and about Quetzalcoatl. He wants to know how the people see his brother and that temple here where it shouldn’t be, and those were answers that were more honestly given when someone doesn’t know who he is. ]

Name’s Tezcatlipoca. [ Just from the structure of the name, it’s easy to guess that it’s from the same language as Quetzalcoatl, but he doesn’t bother to keep it vague. ] Quetzalcoatl’s older brother. More or less. “Family” gets real fuckin’ complicated, but that’s the closest analogy.

[baltimores]

[ Amos' eyes stay narrowed for a bit at first, but as Tezcatlipoca goes on — as Amos agrees with him — he loosens up, expression reverting to something more neutral, but for the ever-present annoyance he feels at Set's general existence. By the time he's introduced himself, he figures they're probably square. ]

Amos. [ And he had, indeed, been figuring that the two of them were related in some way, but hearing the clear confirmation doesn't hurt. ] Didn't know Sunny had a brother. Or, you know, family. Guess there was no reason for you to come up if you weren't here, huh.

[ A light shrug. The past is in the past, who cares until it becomes relevant again!! ]

I'd say you're right, though. Where I'm hooped is I don't know how long Set has been out there. Sunny's temple popping up was pretty obvious on its own, but he co-opted a shrine already out there. Makes it tough to tell how long he's been there. What he's benefited from learning.

[ Since, you know, there's no reason for Set to be out in the Beyond unless it's for sabotaging Zenith in some way, obviously. Life is very simple when you're a binary thinker.

He lifts his chin in his direction, not so much posturing as asserting himself, because... ]

So, Sunny's your sister. She's Meridian, but you're out here questioning what she's doing. What side are you landing on?

[fursuit]

[ On one hand, he’s a little surprised that he hadn’t come up, considering their rivalry, but on the other… He wouldn’t be surprised at all if it was “out of sight, out of mind” for her. He almost envies the simplistic way she thinks. Ironic, considering who he’s talking to, but. He doesn’t know that (yet)!

He takes in the information about Set with a sharp, attentive gaze as he forms hypotheses about what another god of war might be up to. He thinks to himself that he’ll have to go drop by a library and see what he can find out about Egypt’s pantheon, since his knowledge was pretty basic, but that kind of strategic thought is interrupted by the question. That sharp gaze softens as he laughs. ]

Fair question.

[ And can answer two questions at once, he figures. Both what Amos is directly asking and the unsaid one of why Quetzalcoatl hadn’t mentioned family at all. ]

If Quetzalcoatl is here and Meridian, it’s easy. Zenith. Don’t need to get into the whole story, but we’re meant to be opposed. We’re each other’s opposites—night and day, black and white, that kinda thing. Or putting it simply? We fuckin’ hate each other. We’ve got grudges going back eons, and the fate of the world isn’t exactly new for us.

[ The cigarette is done with at this point, so after tapping off the last of the ash, he flicks it off the balcony. ]

Besides. The world was just about done with before I got here anyways. If I went Meridian and brought it back, it’d just be wiped out in a week. Something else beat that inevitability, so I just call that efficiency. It’s time to start something new, so Zenith fits real nice with that.

[baltimores]

[ On the one hand, the direct, straightforward answer is appreciated. No games, no bullshit, even if Tezcatlipoca also seems to subscribe to the whole... god... thing. On the other hand, who the fuck hates Quetzalcoatl?

... Okay, who else hates Quetzalcoatl? Apparently there can be two people. No wonder why Tezcatlipoca was so interested in her temple, though — and, maybe, no wonder why he indulged Amos' complaints about Set. They're of a similar mind, just about different people.

He accepts all of this easily enough, relaxing at Tezcatlipoca's explanation — though flicking his cigarette off the balcony earns slightly narrowed eyes, a tilt of his head. Really, dude? Littering? — but it's just a blip before his body language eases again, regarding Tezcatlipoca with a gaze that could be considered friendly. ]

Y'know, I've kinda lived through the end of a world before. Felt like that, at least; it really dragged on for a couple of months. There were still other places to go, but it was a bitch to try to get to them — [ to say nothing of how his canon point is passing out on the rocket out of Winnipesaukee, so, not like getting out of there had done him any good — ] but I'd never really thought of it that way before. [ More than a year and a half later; it's fine. ] That it's more efficient to get a head start on the next thing. I just figured it felt right.

[ And maybe that's why — no sense in fighting the inevitable, after all.

Amos takes another glance out at the Beyond before turning back to his new companion. ]

Well, I'm not gonna lie; I'm a pretty big fan of your sister. [ She just helped him so much; maybe more than Tezcatlipoca could know — or anyone outside of Yima, for that matter. Still, he unfolds his arms, sticks out his free hand for Tezcatlipoca to shake. ] But if you're gonna be with us then that's pretty much that, isn't it? Never a bad thing to have more people.

how you really know that tezca is a bad dude: LITTERER!!

[fursuit]

[ He does not react to the judgement though, alas. Instead, he just listens, then gives a little nod as Amos says that he’s a fan of Quetzalcoatl. There’s a sense that this isn’t a surprise to him.

It does make it a little surprise when Amos offers his hand, but with a little smile, Tezcatlipoca reaches back to shake it. His handshake itself is unremarkable, confident but not overly so, but his hands are more calloused than might be expected from his appearance and stated divinity. Even for all of the wrestling and working out that Quetzalcoatl does, her hands don’t have any roughness to them. ]

No worries there. The problems that me and Quetzalcoatl got, that’s between us, so I ain’t gonna hold it against anyone that’s a fan of her. So, good to work with you.

[ He laughs amiably as he withdraws his hand, since truly, he gets it. Amos has essentially already figured it out—Everyone does love Quetzalcoatl, after all. And it’s not like it doesn’t make sense. A god of wind and sunshine with a personality to match is more likeable than a god of conflict and darkness. He doesn’t take it personally. ]

—And dunno how much she’s mentioned it. [ Probably nothing, if he had to guess, ] But making the “next thing”, that’s kind of our thing, cosmologically speaking. So, I’m probably a little jaded about it, I admit, but sounds like you get it too. You go through one end of the world, you go through ‘em all.

[ …Not exactly, or not if this was two normal people, surely. Even Tezcatlipoca knows that, since he’s not so ignorant of humanity as some, but honestly? It’s better to be a little jaded, in his opinion. He’s not sure if a mortal that wasn’t jaded would really be able to do it. ]

So in that respect, the whole Meridian thing doesn’t appeal anyways, even if Quetzalcoatl ended up in Zenith somehow. I think it’s better to look forward than back, personally.

i hope mom cat-shames him at some point

[baltimores]

[ Amos' grip is, probably unsurprisingly, firmer — but he matches Tezcatlipoca in calluses, and there's a small lifting of his eyebrows there. Approval.

Especially since he and Tezcatlipoca really seem to be on the same page, which sure makes the initial camaraderie a hell of a lot easier. He doesn't need to be involved in anyone else's personal grudges. It's nice to hear that someone else already gets that.

He lets his hand fall back to his side, some sense of skepticism to him — making the next thing, cosmologically speaking — but other than that weird blip, they really are speaking the same language. And to that end, Amos offers a little nod. ]

Never really is any point in looking back. Not like you can do anything about what already happened. [ Yes, there are very isolated incidents here and there when it comes to time magic, but that's exactly what they are — isolated. Not anything meaningful to go off of. ] I've been through two ends of the world, I guess. And you're right, they weren't all that different from one another. Really don't get why some people keep insisting on going backwards. Same thing's just gonna happen all over again.

[ It actually is entirely possible that Tezcatlipoca might have more empathy here than the normal human man. But will they have time to unpack all of that, maybe later, who knows, ]

At a certain point it's almost like you gotta step in to save them from themselves, isn't it.

[ And there it is — that good ol' Zenite condescension he's taken to like a fish to water. ]