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Entry tags:
- arcane: vander,
- arknights: gavial,
- bastard!!: dark schneider,
- expanse (the): amos burton,
- fire emblem: dimitri a. blaiddyd,
- genshin impact: kaeya alberich,
- genshin impact: zhongli,
- granblue fantasy: eustace,
- legend of zelda (the): link,
- oc: liem talbott,
- orv: dokja kim,
- practical guide to evil: akua sahelian,
- snotgirl: lottie person,
- star wars: cassian andor,
- star wars: jyn erso,
- trigun maximum: vash the stampede
april event, phase one: seeds of unrest π±
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 Alenrouxβs occupation and talk of βthe Blight,β 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 Yimaβs 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 βincidentβ 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 afterwardβ¦
The unrest had spread into the streets, and it wasnβt 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.
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 Yimaβs 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 βincidentβ 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 afterwardβ¦
The unrest had spread into the streets, and it wasnβt 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 Blightβs 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 βtime pocketsβ have populated. There is no way to identify a time pocket but to stumble into one.- REGRESSION: NPCβs in these areas will appear to freeze in time once a Bearer has breached the pocketβs 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, theyβll 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 Bearerβs 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 Yimaβs 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, NPCβs 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 βtime pocketsβ have populated. There is no way to identify a time pocket but to stumble into one.- REFLECTIONS: NPCβs 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 Bearersβ 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 pocketβs radius. The Bearer who first touches their reflection ( henceforth called βmirror-Bearerβ ) 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 NPCβs 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.
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!! β₯
2/2
Instead of diving between her legs and throwing his face around between her boobs, Dark Schneider stands there awkwardly, looking around for a tissue box or something that might help tidy Lottie up. ]
Are you, uh, okay?
[ This is better asked than the more instinctive phrases also surfacing to mind: "What the hell happened then?" "You look different." "Damn, your snot is really green." etcetera. ]
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And, she smells fine, her perfume still wafting about her, but now she's angry that she's worried about how she looks to Dark when he should be worried about her.
Which, she sniffles, he was, technically, but not in the way she wants him to be. She doesn't need someone ogling her, or shouting about blue dicks (blue balls, even). And somehow, he just gets it β he asks her the one thing she's been waiting for someone, anyone, to say all day and her lips wobble. She gives a watery sigh, her body slouching in defeat. She doesn't know what to say at first, her eyes too busy watering once more. ]
...No. [ She looks up at him, ] No, I'm not okay. I am really, really, upset and angry and I'm sad!
[ (Also, there is a tissue box in the corner, located on top of the desk where the register is.) ]
no subject
Truthfully, even 2,000 and however many of them later, he still feels uncomfortable and stressed when women cry. It's like a permanent itch that nags at him, and he struggles to relax until it's finished. Had that feeling always been there, or had it been new? Dark can't distinguish his feelings now from what he'd felt before the resurrection, but he knows for certain that he doesn't want Lottie to keep crying.
He pulls the tissue box off the desk, making his way to Lottie and lowering down to her level where she's laid herself and her things. Dark hooks some tissues between his fingers with one hand, pulling them out and reaching to coax her into placing the side of her face in his other. ]
Shh, shh. It's okay.
[ In his defense, he's got the soothing tone of voice down. Dark is like an alien that's learned how to mimic human behavior though, as it'd be a lie to say that he understands what Lottie is feeling as he comforts her. That bit is hard to read. Practice over many catty disputes between his harem members and roleplaying as a father to Arshes Nei has seemingly caused him to master what helps calm others down. ]
Let me see you.
[ Dark is careful, first wiping Lottie's tears with the tissues and then letting her blow her nose. ]
no subject
She releases a shaky breath, feels his fingertips against her skin and she's suddenly crying harder. Shaking, ever so slightly. There's a whine that sits at the back of her throat, one that just barely makes it as he shushes her. Tends to her 'wounds', her tears. He wipes them away and all she can do is look down towards his thighs, unsure if she should even look at him with how hard she's crying.
But then she feels the tissue touch at her nose, and she stills. Looks up at him instantly, the emotion in her eyes telling him that there's a good chance she might run away and hide. It's tense the seconds that follow, but in the end she gives in β brings a hand to grasp at his wrist as she blows her nose properly. An achey groan leaves her lips after, familiarity at the action taking over as she wipes her nose one final time.
And when she pulls away, the tips of her ears, her cheeks, and most importantly: her nose, are all tinged red. Half from her crying, her allergies, half from the fact somebody else is doing the job she has deemed dirty enough for only herself to take care of. And then she's crying again, soft tears tracking down her face, as she gently β timidly β reaches out towards his shirt to grasp at. ]
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Dark wads the dirtied tissue from before into a ball, lazily setting it aside before he strokes Lottie's hair, combing gently over her roots. ]
There, there...
[ He does the motion over and over like a character from a Sims 4 savefile, unsure of when to stop looping until he gets the desired outcome of calming her down. Should he ask her to be more specific? Will it just add salt to the wound? ]
We can still get repairs. Or just build a new one.
[ Context clues come in handy. Dark seems to piece the puzzle together as he eyes the boutique, where the interior has been broken or otherwise destroyed. Hard to tell whether it's by the foliage outside or by people, though... ]
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...Right?! Maybe. Eventually, she, too, gives up on figuring this out. She needs to get back into wallowing immediately. Which she does, sighing into his frame because it's easier to be held than to think.
But thenβ her sniffling comes to a slow stop, a noise of confusion slipping past her lips. ]
W.. 'We'?
[ Reluctantly, she pulls away, something like hope and bewilderment overtaking her features (and, mildly, suspicion, a thought that Dark must be either very selfless or insane to help her with her problems). ]
You'd help me? With.. With this??
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Uh, yeah?
[ Was he not supposed to say so? ]
It's easy enough if it's me.
[ Repairs are easy, especially if you can manipulate matter! To show Lottie just what he means, Dark pulls her upright a little more against him, extending his arm open palmed towards the other end of the room and adjusting, despite the distance, some unsightly dents left in the shop's walls to demonstrate. They snap up and back in place from an invisible force, repairing themselves to their original state.
All of Dark's magic takes more stamina than it normally would, but it just means he'll have to take time to recharge more frequently. ]
See? Not a big deal, right? You don't have to cry anymore.
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And when he finally demonstrates his magic, she immediately becomes silent. It takes her back to the moment she first saw him, all the killing and the blood and the grandeur of it all escaping her memory until she sees him doing.. The exact opposite with it?! Dumbly, her gaze moves from the wall, to his hand, then back to the wall, then back to his hand. The swing of her head shows all the movement, how hard it is for her to take it all in. ]
I.. [ Oh god he's being serious. He really can fix all this! ] Are you sure?
[ She says, giving him an out, despite very much wanting him to say yes and make all her problems go away. Her voice says as much, ]
It's kinda shitty in here..
weirdly cute scene happening rn help
[ The excuse of a protest bounces off of him, and he keeps Lottie seated close despite how she collects herself from her earlier theatrics. Without even realizing it, her wide-eyed gawking strokes his ego. He, egomaniac that he is, now feels that much more compelled to help her, because she's presented a hero's role in contrast to her own damsel in distress role for him to play into. It's an easy task, too. One that's as easy as tidying up the shop.
Only bad part is that, while the damages are simple enough to tend to, the Blight blossoms themselves are not. He'll have to shape the room around them. ]
Just cook me a nice meal after this.
[ Cuteness of the request aside, he will actually need to recover his magical stamina that way. Before she can answer, Dark adjusts Lottie to the side and rises to his feet. Splaying out his fingers to command the boutique back to its prior state, it bends slowly into a more aesthetically pleasing appearance under the influence of a foreign pentagram that manifests in thin air. He has to make adjustments, and he hides the weirdly shaped parts of the room with cute furnishings he makes up based on the rest of the room's look. Lottie has clearly thought out the interior. ]
You like the pink or purple curtains better?
[ Dark swaps between them, pausing a couple of seconds between each color of the newly created decor. It's like an Instagram story filter but in real life. ]
RIGHT LIKE..HELP they're being wholesome??
(When was the last time she cooked anything??)
There's no time for her to openly ponder if this is some excuse for a date, because he's promptly showing her why he's going to earn that meal. It is impossibly overwhelming, how he shifts and paints a fresh coat of glamour over the destruction that's accumulated inside her building. Lottie mumbles something like 'wow', breath stolen as he adds pieces to her collection she didn't have before. She spent an absurd amount of time picking out everything in her boutiqueβ no detail was left untouched, even the hangers, were so heavily considered she lost sleep over itβ and it is so surreal to see Dark just.. Seemingly pick up where she left off. Casually restoring everything to the way it was before the chaos of this blight, when the only thing she was worried about was embarrassing herself by even opening this store, like it's no big deal.
He flips between the two different shades and she wonders if this is what it feels like to be in a Disney movie. There is something like unadulterated awe at his magic fluttering in her chest when she timidly pipes upβ ]
Can it.. Can it be blue? [ She stands with him, wants to cry for an entirely different reason than before. ] Like.. A shade a little darker than your eyes?
no subject
How's that? Good?
[ He sits on the color for a while. ]
Could add a little more green or purple tint if you need a different hue, let me know which way to slide if you want.
[ He's using simple magic to help Lottie, but Dark is sincerely having fun with it. Besides, her reactions are adorable. How could he not enjoy seeing them?! ]