kenoslogs | april event, phase one: seeds of unrest 🌱

Entry tags:

april event, phase one: seeds of unrest 🌱

THE BEGINNING

Summertime in Springstar has been on its way out, heralding the arrival of fall; winter has likewise given way to spring in Highstorm - at least, according to the calendar. Yet there is an unseasonable bite on the breeze - one growing as frigid as the mood among Meris and Zenites in their cities. Between Alenroux’s occupation and talk of ‘the Blight,’ worries have been on the lips of the citizens with increasing frequency - and with good reason. The reports of plant life dying, of objects crumbling, of people whose bodies are deteriorating are dominating the rumor mills and local papers.

Everything comes to a head early in the second half of Pelu.

After an unusual pocket of commotion in the Seat of the Tribune and the courtyard of Yima’s manor, an urgent announcement is made on behalf of both cities: both Great Trees have been quarantined, and no one is permitted in either location without clearance. New rumors spread of an ‘incident’ that saw those in the immediate vicinity of the Trees rapidly demonstrating symptoms of an illness that was becoming all too easy to identify. It had stricken with frightening speed; not long afterward…

The unrest had spread into the streets, and it wasn’t just about the Blight anymore.

Cetina and Kathova wasted no time in reaching out to the Bearers via Communion to offer them guidance from their leaders and incite them to action.

SPRINGSTAR: THE ROOT OF THE ISSUE

Day by day, changes unfold that render the city increasingly dangerous...

ROOTS:

Vine-like roots have begun to thread the streets, creeping upon and over buildings, spreading outward from the Tree in Heliopolis. Over the next two weeks, they will continue to grow in size and become more troublesome, slowly blooming ice-like leaves that radiate a sickly glow.

GROWTH: Contrary to the Blight’s normal behaviors, some people and things around clusters of vines or leaves can experience a burst of vitality, growth, and splendor as if transforming to beyond peak condition. In a normal citizen, this may result in an almost manic level of energy, reckless behaviors, and aggression. In objects, they become more durable and efficient, but dangerously so - for example, a stovetop cooks faster but burns uncontrollably hot. In plant life, this results in overgrowth that can overwhelm and choke nearby flora, objects, or even people. Then, they burn out an hour after exposure and immediately succumb to a dire state of Blighted.

CHILL: The temperatures will continue to drop throughout the next two weeks. It will be coldest where vines have clustered and outright dangerously so near where flowers have budded or bloomed in great numbers. This will force some people from their homes.

TIME POCKETS:

In seemingly random parts of the city, areas referred to as ‘time pockets’ have populated. There is no way to identify a time pocket but to stumble into one.

REGRESSION: NPC’s in these areas will appear to freeze in time once a Bearer has breached the pocket’s radius but appear normal from the outside. Time within has halted at the point the pocket manifested ( typically covering an area like a city street or inside a single large building that sees regular use ). Objects can be freely manipulated but will not fall if thrown, etc.
- The pocket cannot be left until the Bearer has achieved their objective. Attempting to exit the way they entered, they’ll run into an unseen barrier that is painful to the touch, a sensation of frigidity that travels to their Shard.
- Their goal will be to locate a past version of themselves hidden from immediate view. This past version of themselves can be from any point in their lives but must be from a moment when they felt extremely vulnerable, isolated, wounded, or fearful.
- Once finding this past version, they will feel the compulsion to either find a way to reassure their past selves somehow or kill them. Whether it is the Bearer themselves who performs these acts or another Bearer in their company does it for them, as long as their past selves are pacified enough ( to player satisfaction ) or dead, they will gain immunity to the pocket and may leave. The immediate area will remain frozen, however, and the past version will be revealed to be made of roots that will shrivel and die.
- Note: Bearers will be able to see other Bearer’s past selves, even after they have been freed. Whether the past reflections are capable of speech while functional is up to player discretion.

HIGHSTORM: THE ROOTS OF CHANGE

The snows continue to fall over the city, feeling brittle against your skin...

ROOTS:

Vine-like roots have begun to thread the streets, creeping upon and over buildings, spreading outward from the Great Tree in Yima’s manor. Over the next two weeks, they will continue to grow in size and become more troublesome, slowly blooming ice-like leaves that radiate a sickly glow.

SACRIFICIAL: [ CW: self-harm ] Where the roots snake and gather throughout the city, NPC’s in several locations are falling victim to the quiet, slow pulse of the flowers and their buds. They will sit and stare at the flowers for hours, unblinkingly, as their body begins to succumb to the Blight. If they are disturbed in any way - a loud noise, an attempt to move their person, etc - they will calmly look up from their worship and crack off a piece of their brittle body before returning to their reverie.

In order to save them, a pair (or more) of Bearers must sneak up on the NPC - one using a pacifying spell given by one of the faction leaders while the other crushes the flower. If the NPC is not pacified before the flower is crushed, they will become hysterical and the Blight will rapidly consume them, causing them to perish. If they are pacified and the flower is not crushed, the spell will wear off within ten seconds with the same result.

CHILL: The temperatures will continue to drop throughout the next two weeks. It will be coldest where vines have clustered and outright dangerously so near where flowers have budded or bloomed in great numbers. This will force some people from their homes.

TIME POCKETS:

In seemingly random parts of the city, areas referred to as ‘time pockets’ have populated. There is no way to identify a time pocket but to stumble into one.

REFLECTIONS: NPC’s in these pockets are moving in surreal blurs, pieces of them moving forward as others move backward, some changing as if time were rapidly passing as others remain frozen still. The Bearers’ surroundings are distorted as if reflecting multiple realities simultaneously.
- Their goal will be to locate a tall standing mirror situated alone in the center of the time pocket’s radius. The Bearer who first touches their reflection ( henceforth called “mirror-Bearer” ) will cause the world inside the pocket to suddenly stop, reflecting a comforting environment they have fond or pleasant associations with. The mirror will be gone.

Something or someone the mirror-Bearer highly values, deeply misses, or sees as imperative to their character, goals, or desires will be present. If they make contact with this object or person, the Time Pocket loops and sends them back to searching for the mirror - but they will have no memory of this occurring. Their partner, however, will recall everything.

Both Bearers will be released if five loops occur without the mirror-Bearer being stopped from causing the loop or if the mirror-Bearer is stopped from reaching their goal for five minutes ( willingly or otherwise ). The longer they refuse to make contact with this object or person, the more tempting and dire the need becomes inside of them.

Once the Bearers are released, the Time Pocket disappears. If they manage to avoid contact with the temptation inside the Pocket, the roots and flowers in this area will be withered and dying, buying the NPC’s and buildings in this location some time. Otherwise, they will be thriving and dangerously blooming.

Note: the mirror will not respond to the non-mirror-Bearer once it has been touched the first time.

ENTREE-TING HELP

The Tree of Life is in danger, and you know it. Both Yima and Cyrus have directed all Bearers who might listen to increase visitation to the Tree and monitor it for signs of the Blight - of its leaves changing color, of any frostbitten bark, of its roots withering.

And then, during a moment in which you find your mind at ease, at rest... you dream, even if dreaming is unnatural for you. You dream of yourself sitting beneath the massive bows of the Tree's breadth, at peace. The perpetual dawn's glow warms your skin in a way that seeps into your bones, leaving you certain you are safe from harm. The Tree reaches out, and though it cannot speak to you in words, you feel it is trying to convey a message: one of urgency. One of plea.

But you cannot understand...

Soon, the branches of the Tree are reaching out to others. You cannot see them, but you know they're there; a spiritual tether connects your Shards together, bringing you all into a place of wordless unity. And once your fellows have been summoned, you know what you are here for.

You feel it rather than see it: some meager, barely-there brush of something cold in the warmth of the island's comfort. The Tree is already infected, and the clock is running down for all of you.

When you wake to yourself, a feeling of dread not entirely your own will chase you, and you will find a single violet leaf in your hand.

MISC NOTES

Bearers start with immunity to the Blight. They will not succumb to the effects of the Blight even if they handle the vines and flowers directly without precautions or care.
The above effects will occur in small clusters and are not yet spread city-wide during phase one. The escalation of frequency characters will come across problematic clusters or Time Pockets will be slow building.
For context, it takes about a month from infection to death or dissolution for the average person or object to succumb to the Blight. By the 21st, it will be three days to a week.
Bearers will be directed by Cetina or Kathova to make efforts to protect the civilians and investigate the manifesting changes around both cities. Both factions are working on their own methods to attempt to counteract the Blight, but neither has produced a failsafe solution.
The roots will remain mostly outdoors, for the most part, these first two weeks.
Tensions will slowly ramp up in Alenroux, and there are checkpoints for any non-PC visitors to screen for signs of infection.
Player characters who die inside the Time Pockets are dead and need their Shards brought to the Tree of Life for revival.
HAVE FUN!! ♥

CODING

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Amos watches her as she gets to work, grateful for the ease with which she approaches this. Uncertain or not — and they both are — there's something to be said for just getting down to business rather than wringing their hands and accomplishing nothing, and her leap right into action is appreciated.

In the general darkness that is Highstorm, the glow of her palms stands out, and that's... weird. Not overly so, not like he doesn't have a lighting spell of his own; still, it's an indication of something.

Something that is decidedly not important right now, as Amos can see the spell beginning to work on the person, and that means he's gotta make his way over to the flower they'd been staring up at. It's a little out of his reach, so he has to levitate — which, at least, isn't a problem for him — angling himself just right as it looks like she's finishing.

At Quetzalcoatl's prompting he nods before reaching out to the flower, bracing himself before it makes contact with his gloved hand — before he crushes it in his fist, feeling it shatter in his palm. (Feeling nothing bad starting to happen to him, which is a subtle relief of its own.)

Amos stays up where he is, looking down as the person... He thinks they're coming back to life, anyway. But since she's the one right there, ] Anything happening?

[ Quetzalcoatl watches intently as Amos crushes the flower, and then looks back to the person with worry that’s sharp enough to guess that she may know what happens if you crush a flower too soon. They blearily start to blink as if waking from a nap, but there’s no sign of the Blight. Quetzalcoatl makes a relieved, happy sound, then reaches out to take both of their hands into hers. She wants to confirm that this, too, doesn’t hurt them. ]

Oh!! It worked!

[ Or, she thinks so? They’re looking at this large, half-naked woman with bewilderment, and she just gives their hands a testing squeeze, which they seem even more confused by. She looks up to Amos, positively beaming at this point. Also still not letting go of their hands. ]

Hey, señor, what do you think about being my pareja? There’s lots of people that are—I don’t know, really, but they’re stuck with these flowers, right?

[ He knows that's not what this is, but she almost sounds kinda Belter-ish.

Amos exhales at her confirmation that it worked, that the person's getting back to normal after all, and then looks down at her with a light smile on his face. Gently lowers himself back to the ground to see for himself, to come up to the two of them again. ]

Sure thing, sésata. [ When's the last time he said that word? He's just gonna roll with it. ] Yeah, there're a lot here who need help, and I dunno if there're enough of us around to actually help them. I'm game to go for as long as possible if you are.

[ Since, you know. Gotta save the people living on Yima's land. Speaking of, he looks over at the person they just rescued, the (confused) life in their eyes. ]

Hey. You okay? [ Who wouldn't be with Quetz holding onto their hands like that?? Anyway, because they might appreciate a bit of context, ] Stay away from these plants. Tell everyone you know to stay away, too. It's gonna take time to clear them out, so the fewer people caught up in this, the better for all of us.

[ Sésata may not be familiar to her, but she’s easily and immediately delighted by someone responding to her Spanish that it almost doesn’t matter. She can guess (or, more accurately, assumes) the context, so her expression blooms into a warm smile at both that and how Amos agrees to work together.

She gives the person another little squeeze of their hands and an encouraging “Esta bien” as Amos explains further, but with that, she stands back up. She waits until he’s finished, then nods towards the offending flowers remaining. ]

And what about these, do you think? Should we cut them down?

[ She’s definitely asking because she’s not sure, but also because she’s well aware that she’s almost a stereotypical Meridian in looks and aura alone, and chopping down some of these… Might not look the best. That being said, it's not like she seems to have anything capable of doing so, at least not at hand. ]

[ Her warmth towards him — towards the person they've just rescued — is noted. Appreciated. Can only be a good thing, so yeah, they'll work well together. They both care and they're both capable; what more do they need?

Amos follows her look to the remaining flowers, how fucking creepy they look and how deadly they have the potential to be, and nods. It's lost on him how out of place she should be, how this is decidedly his turf and not hers — it's more important that they do something about this, optics be damned. ]

Yeah. I... shit, all I got is this. [ He withdraws the dagger Yima gave him from the last time he had to deal with plant bullshit from its sheath; it's a nice blade, but that's all it is — one small blade. ] I can cut the flowers off at their stems, maybe get some of the smaller vines, but the big shit... fuck. Don't suppose you got an axe nearby, do you.

[ He huffs, because of course she does not. If she did he probably would have seen it by now.

... Or, maybe... ]

You know any fire magic? [ That earlier glow to her hands... Maybe they go together, somehow?? ] Maybe we could do a controlled burn.

[ But that's just spitballing. Otherwise, it's really going to take too long to clear these things out, and this is only one portion of Highstorm... ]

Oh, sí, sort of!

[ To both the axe and the fire magic, technically… She walks closer to the flowers to take a better look, but as she does so, that golden glow reappears and coalesces in her hand to form a rather odd-looking weapon. Its shape is definitely closest to a sword, but with the jagged pieces of rock on its edge, there’s definitely an axe-like quality to it. She puts a hand against one of the woody vines as she seems to try and determine how it’ll fare, but she’ll explain the other part as she does. ]

I can— Well, I can make fire, sure, but it would be way too much! I might bring down the whole building with it… [ She laughs sheepishly like that’s normal? Or embarrassing? Don’t worry about it!! ] But, if we can make just a little bit, then I can control it! It’s something I learned here with Meridian.

[ So, a spellbook spell rather than something innate to her is what she means, presumably. ]

But my macuahuitl can definitely hack at them! It's simple, but it'll work!

[ Okay whaaaat the fuck.

Not that Amos isn't appreciative of the sudden axe-sword that just appeared out of nowhere, but he does have to do a double take at its appearance. He was not expecting that, a much bigger surprise than when she casually confirms she is, indeed, Meri.

But she just helped him save one of his people. Seems determined to help save as many as possible, judging by the way she just offers shit up to make Highstorm better amidst this plague. So it doesn't really matter what her affiliation is; only matters that she's here to help.

Amos blinks his way out of his stupor, shifting to actually properly appraise her weapon. ]

If you can cut 'em up into chunks I can move them over here, away from the buildings. [ Avoiding property damage! So there won't be anything to worry about after all. ] Shit, we could get a bonfire going. Warm things up a bit while we're at it; kill two birds with one stone.

[ It seems ideal. Although, a beat as he looks at her again. ]

You aren't cold?

[ Maybe some people just run a higher internal temperature, but he... didn't think that was a Meridian thing... ]

[ His surprise is noted, and it’s adding to the mental tally of “maybe things she should consider not doing so casually”, but honestly? She’ll also probably still do it… Any time she’s been around humans, her divinity had been so obvious that no one had even really looked twice when she’d done such things. Kenos is a big adjustment in that way!

As Amos starts to take a look at the sword, she holds it out for him to inspect with a soft acá since she at least knows that it’s fairly unique! It’s all gold inlaid with a zigzag of greenstone, and along the edges of the blade are razor sharp pieces of what looks like obsidian. It’s definitely unusual as far as weapons go, but even just with passing familiarity, Amos might recognize the style of the symbols towards the hilt of the blade as Aztec or Mayan. The artwork of her region is at least distinct! But as he speaks, she nods enthusiastically, at least until… the question. That gets her to laugh, half-sheepish. ]

People keep asking that! [ Because you’re BARELY DRESSED, quetz!!! ] But, no, I’m fine, I’m fine! Here—

[ She reaches out towards Amos with her free hand, and assuming he doesn’t pull away, she’ll gently set her hand against whatever skin he might have exposed. It’s a quick way to explain since she is quite warm to the touch. Yet, it’s not exactly feverishly warm—It’s more pleasant than that. ]

I run hot, so cold doesn't really bother me! It’s part of my divinity. [ She drops that so casually as she pulls back and starts to head to the offending set of branches as she hefts the sword into both hands to prepare to chop at it. ] Some people have heard of me, some haven’t, but I’m Quetzalcoatl! It’s nice to meet you!

[ Looking at the sword, it's safe to say he's never seen one like it before — certainly not from his original universe, and not back in the year-plus he's spent in worlds where swords are more commonplace either. Not quite one with a mind for art or different cultures (at least not ones from well before his time), the style means nothing to him; just that in some way, somehow, it seems to fit her.

That and it looks like it can get the job done, which is the most important part.

Amos' eyes flick up from the sword to hers at her laugh, an eyebrow quirked at her initial answer — really? — and remaining up as she reaches for his exposed skin.

Which would be where his neck meets his jaw, because he is keeping the weather in mind. (That, and he doesn't want to leave himself too exposed to these plants, either.)

But he lets her, both eyebrows rising as he processes what he's feeling; that she is, indeed, her own personal furnace. ]

Welp, don't know shit about divinity, but can't argue with facts. [ The fact that she very clearly has the temperature under control, at least as far as she's concerned. ] Name's Amos. Sure is good fortune to have you around so we can clear these things out.

[ So, nice to meet her, too. And he'll be behind her, off to the side — ready to collect the bits of plant she chops down, gather them up and start constructing a pile of them where they won't be in range for anything else to catch on fire. ]

Mm, they’re everywhere in Springstar too, but they’re not as bad as this…!

[ She pauses in speaking to give a big swing of her sword. Her sword is sharp, but also magically so, so she doesn’t have to worry about the obsidian edges dulling. The rocks sink into the wood and she wrenches it back towards her in a strong, fluid motion, and like the teeth of a saw, it’s able to cut through the vines. With a pleased noise that it’s working well, she’ll just continue to hack at what she can. ]

I wasn’t sure if it would be okay for me to help out, but I’m glad it is! War is one thing, but this Blight doesn’t have anything to do with that, yes?

[ There is a note in her voice that makes it clear that she’s genuinely asking. She’d only heard a bit about the Blight, so she doesn’t know about its connection to the Scorching Isles. It at least wouldn’t change her attitude even if she did know. As far as she sees it, Springstar is fine for now, relative to Highstorm, and people are people. It’s as simple as that. ]

[ She's got good form; consider his traversing back and forth between collecting the plants she chops off and stacking them in a safer location a short distance away an implicit approval of the work she's doing. ]

Yeah? I was in Springstar for a minute a bit ago. Saw some people being nutty, but nothing like what we got here.

[ It's a casual musing thrown over his shoulder back at her, not something he's putting a whole lot of stock into. After all, it's not like it's a big deal or means anything, right? Just the way things are sometimes.

He does take a moment to stop when he comes back to gather his next round of plant matter she's cut down, though. It's the question in her voice, the sincerity that comes with it that makes him feel that this shouldn't be a throwaway answer he gives her while working. He can afford to stop for a minute. Give her the distance she needs to keep working, since he isn't keen on losing any body parts in a workplace accident, but really give her all of his attention, too. ]

But yeah, 'course it's okay. This ain't got anything to do with war, it's just... [ he stops, vaguely gestures towards the roots still off to his side, ] some shit. Not like any of us are getting off easy here anyway, so.

[ He can start collecting his next pile of detritus. Pause again from where he's leaned down, looking back up at her. ]

Not that I think anyone's gonna give you shit for being here, but anyone does, feel free to namedrop me. I dunno if that'll actually do anything, but it might. But I mean, you're helping. Who's gonna have a problem with that?

[ Sociopaths?? Probably sociopaths, so fuck those guys anyway. ]

[ She doesn’t stop her work as she listens to his answer, but it’s clear that it’s something she takes seriously and to heart with how a warmer smile blooms on her face. It’s the answer she was hoping for since she’s someone who wants to help people in need. It’s how she came to be a Creator god, after all, since she had journeyed through Mictlan, her underword, to gather the bones of the creatures of previous Suns and create humanity from them. She loves people, deeply.

…But there’s also not so much of an internal conflict for her when it came to the war of Meridian and Zenith. The way a god’s mind operated was, uh, unique. ]

Good! Then I’ll help as long as I can until I get tired out!

[ Which will take a good, long while at this point, thankfully. In a few weeks, though… As it turns out, the Blight is a bitch, who could have predicted, ]

But I’ll keep your name in mind! Hopefully it won’t be a problem—I was asking because I really don’t know. [ She laughs as she shrugs ] Some wars, people are really tirarse los trastos, fighting so much they can’t get along over anything, yes? I only got here to Kenos pretty recently, so I’m still learning about all of that!

[ Hey, if any mortal was ever gonna understand a god, it'd probably be this one. Maybe it just makes them that better of a team for the moment, because it's not like they disagree on a lot. Just semantics, maybe. Of, you know. Which faction to be a part of. Insignificant stuff, really.

But if she's good to keep working, then so is he. Amos goes right back to transporting plant matter from where she's cutting it down to where it's supposed to go, listening to her all the while. ]

Actually hasn't been a ton of fighting around here. I'd pop into Springstar fairly often; nobody ever gave me shit there. [ He'd probably earned some stink-eyes in the aftermath of returning from the Scorching Isles, but nobody fought him. So everything was clearly fine. ] I got some people there I get along with. Just... I dunno. This shit's a little different, so I gotta stay here now. At least until it's under control.

[ Because clearly it's just going to be a matter of really putting the elbow grease into clearing out these plants, right? At least then the crisis situation will be over, and things can go a bit more back to normal, when it isn't a war so much as...

Well, shit, he doesn't know; he's also yet to be on a losing side, so it really hasn't crossed his mind at all. ]

[ When the conflict in Kenos has been explained to her in such terms, she thought she understood it easily! Though, naturally, once she had seen how the two cities got along relatively well, it was clear that it wasn’t quite the case. It’s interesting to hear that it’s been like that for a while. ]

I’m surprised! I, well! I definitely had an idea in mind when I got here and was told it was a thing about two sides at war, yes? So, I thought it would be very bloody right away!

[ She says, just as brightly… It’s very clear that this isn’t a prospect that bothers her, and yet here she is helping with the side that she would presumably be bloodying all the same. ]

Ah, but this is better, of course! [ She laughs brightly as she just continues slashing away at the thick vines, but at the very least, she’s making a solid dent. ] I hope that I’ll be one of the people you get along with, Señor Amos.

Don't see why you wouldn't be; you're helping us out, ain't ya? [ Considering the situation at hand he's in a relatively good mood working alongside her. They're doing something productive, her spirits are high, what's not to love? Rising tides and boats and all that. ] Which, thanks for this. I'd've probably had to have taken a break by now, but you got stamina for days.

[ Because he has slowed down some as he's worked to gather plant matter in its own little soon-to-be-flammable pile, the notion of walking back and forth and gathering and transporting starting to get a little taxing. That and he's less a god, more a regular human, so he can only keep up so much. Still, no complaints from him. Just a bit of a slower pace is all. ]

Shit, I dunno if I've ever seen any bloodshed here. Don't get me wrong, I've only been here a handful of months myself, but everyone's been getting along just fine as far as I know. Springstar's got a good bar and brothel selection. It'd be weird if I had to fight my way over there just to spend some coin.

[ Like, let him contribute to the economy in peace, you know? Why would it matter that he's a Zenite and ultimately working to ensure Meridian doesn't get what they want? No skin off his nose.

He huffs a sigh as he sets his latest carry down, takes a second to remove a glove to wipe sweat off his brow. Shit, this is good for a workout. Helps beat the cold, too.

And, getting right back to it as he goes over to collect the next debris she's got waiting for him (and as she continues to create more), ] Should probably get a drink when this is all under control.

[ What do ya say, Quetz?? ]

Oh, de nada! It’s exactly why I wanted to help. It’s kind of my duty!

[ “Kind of” only because this is something Quetzalcoatl had decided herself more than being something she was more divinely tied to or anything of that sort. She’d had her ups and downs through the Suns, but at least with this one, she’s firmly settled into wanting to be as warm and helpful as possible to humanity. Or, well, just “mortals” when she’s here in Kenos, she guesses!

It does make her happy to hear that there hasn’t been bloodshed in the cities as a result, though. It definitely makes it a stranger conflict to her experience, but it’s nothing she’ll complain about either. Much like Amos, her thoughts are very straightforward in thinking of Meridian and its goal as a simple, straightforward thing that must be achieved. So, it’s far better if that conflict wasn’t super bloody.

Though she thinks about responding to that surprising peace between the cities, she immediately brightens (further, somehow) at the prospect of drinking. Whoops, distracted. ]

¡Sería maravilloso! There’s nothing better than a good drink after hard work! [ …just don’t let her get too drunk, temples burn down, etc, don’t worry about it,,, ] Ah, I’ve been doing all my drinking over in Springstar, but are there good places here too?

[ It's her duty? Well alright then; that earns her both a look of respect and a nod of acknowledgment. They're almost one and the same there, in that for Amos, it is his duty — he is a protector, these are his people — and not because these aren't her people, and yet she's doing it anyway.

Definitely the mark of a good person. (He wouldn't even care all that much if there was bloodshed, it's just easier for him that there isn't any.)

His back straightens at that cry of joy, posture correcting itself as he looks up proper. (Up, towards her eyes, her beaming face, because he is indeed the shorter party here.) And after a beat, he offers a small smile, because kindred spirits and whatnot. And because she's fun. ]

Yeah, there're a couple here. They're usually a bit higher class, less great for slamming drinks back and fucking around, [ and getting into bar brawls, which is also fun, and in Highstorm only ever really seems to happen at the arena, ] but after this workout, I could probably do with something more relaxing.

[ Let him ease into taking the edge off with something refined and expensive. The cheap shit has its place (and it is a good place), but that's not gonna be for him in the midst of an active crisis situation.

His voice turns playful. ]

If you can even handle that speed, Sunny.

[ She can save the burning down temples thing for when she's back in Springstar?? He'd have no problem with that. ]

[ Sunny…! Being granted a nickname is a surprise, but it quickly blooms into a delighted smile. She may be someone with many titles and epithets (too many, in her opinion), but a nickname is something much better. It’s cute! ]

Hehe, of course! Not every time out needs to be one where you get drunk on pulque.

[ She laughs merrily, even though. Yeah, when she did, it didn’t end well. She absolutely blames her shithead brother for that one, though! Never mind the fact that she’s the one that kept deciding to drink…

Anyways! With another solid swing of her sword, it cuts through the last, thick vine that was here. There are still some smaller ones that remain, but she doesn’t see those bearing unopened buds in the way that the primary ones were, so she thinks they’re probably safe. Besides, without the big “trunks” to feed them, they’ll probably die off on their own anyways. ]

¡Menos mal! Those were harder to cut down than I thought. I guess they’re probably special to avoid that… [ But not special enough, ha!! Take that, evil flowers, etc ] But we’re an efficient team, at least! Hopefully this will at least make sure no one else around here gets caught up, yes!

[ His smile broadens, both at her obvious delight (at what specifically, he's not entirely sure, but does it matter as long as she's happy?) and the part where she confirms she'll go at the speed he wants to. That she's flexible that way.

Also, the part where the hard work is done? (The hard work that she did almost all of, but that's just semantics.) That's as good a reason as any to smile, too. Amos steps in to gather up those last chunks of vine, heading back over to the pile he's got assembled to get ready for proper disposal, shooting her a look over his shoulder first. ]

Fuck, I hope so. It'd probably take at least a couple days to clear the city out proper, but this ain't a bad start at all. [ Because that's what it is — a start, with more work sure to be on the way. Amos exhales, crouching down to finish arranging everything. ] Really can't thank you enough for this.

[ Because yes, it's technically only a start — but it really is a damn good one, judging by the pile of plant matter assembled. With a grunt Amos rightens himself and steps back, a loose, sweeping gesture indicating what should soon become kindling. At least he's still smiling a little. ]

If you wanna do the honours.

[ Because only one of them has any fire magic, and it's not him! Besides, she deserves the reward of setting stuff on fire after all of this. At least it sure feels like it'd be a reward; fucking plants, man. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

april event, phase one: seeds of unrest 🌱

ROOTS:

TIME POCKETS:

ROOTS:

TIME POCKETS:

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject