open | meanwhile, in alenroux...

[sterngaze]

Who: Liem, various, and YOU
What: Meridian-wide communion, community service, scouting and camping, and building a house!
Where: Alenroux
When: All throughout April, in between All That Other Nonsense
Warnings: None (yet…?)

It’s here: the open log for Meridian-PR Alenroux activities! Liem will be spending time in Alenroux to work on various jobs, and if YOU, TOO would like to participate in such activities, he would welcome the help! Feel free to top-level here as well. The more, the Meri-er!

Comments

Activities with PR Man Liem

[sterngaze]

I. COMMUNION — Meridian only

[Part-way through the second half of Pelu, when things with the Great Trees have only just begun to go amiss, a message goes out to all of Meridian’s shard-bearers:]

Hello, shard-bearers of Meridian.

You may know me already, but if you do not: I am Liem Talbott, of Abadar's church in Oppara, Taldor. I will get right to the point: Meridian's presence in Alenroux will never be seen as anything but a yolk and a threat unless we as a group make sure that our presence is a boon to those we would see under our jurisdiction. Therefore, I am putting together a report for Cetina on how best to achieve this, and in the meantime I would ask for the collaboration of anyone with the ability and time to contribute.

First, any public assistance we can lend to Alenroux's working communities in the short term will be valuable. Repairs and improvements to public infrastructure, assistance with the farmers' work, help repairing or building on private property with the land-owner's permission, or any other civic works that can benefit the daytime residents will show that Springstar's presence is not simply exploitative. Showing support for the Zenith-aligned workers is especially important, as they represent a potential vocal minority against Springstar's occupation, so we want to make it clear that they remain a valued part of the Alenroux community.

Second, I am looking for volunteers to help me survey and map some of Alenroux's undeveloped areas. The majority of this work will be done during the day, but I am also intending to overnight there, to observe the nighttime activity. Assistance in this endeavour would be most welcome, especially for the overnight portions of these excursions.

Finally, as a sort of experiment, I've been asked to oversee the construction of a full-time residence in an undeveloped part of the island. Volunteers with any skill or experience in this area would be greatly appreciated. Meals will be provided on-site.

Thank you for your time and attention. Please direct any questions to me at your earliest convenience. May this benefit us all.

II. COMMUNITY SERVICE — OTA

[When he isn't busy roaming Alenroux's uninhabited regions, Liem can be found mingling with the local population, talking with farmwives and assisting workers in the fields. He moves methodically from property to property, visiting farms in a spaced-out grid that allows him to visit a thorough cross-section of farms without getting bogged down at every single property in a given region — and he asks questions about whatever the locals will willingly talk to him about.

He asks about the surrounding lands, the communities and the wilds; what they like about Alenroux and what about it they'd like to see changed; feelings about Highstorm and Springstar, and about the Meridian occupation. He asks if the forest monsters ever cause property damage, or take animals, or cause sicknesses or blights. Do they know anyone who was ever attacked by one, or who disappeared here overnight? What would it take for them to feel confident about moving to Alenroux full-time? What kinds of things do they miss having access to while they're working here, that they enjoy when they're in the city?

Sometimes, when he's met his daily quota for answered surveys, Liem can be found simply working instead. He might be seen with an axe in hand, heading toward the forest to gather firewood with a child in tow, or perched atop a ladder with a bucket and brush, putting a new coat of paint on a neglected barn, or with a rake and shovel, sweating over a wheelbarrow full of grit as he works at filling in potholes and levelling a stretch of road. As always, he is shrouded by what seems to be a cloak of permanent shadow, but weariness is still visible around his eyes and in the slope of his shoulders. He could probably use a hand.]

III. CAMPING — Meridian only

[When he has a partner to collaborate with, Liem heads away from the farms and fields of Alenroux's civilized regions to survey its wilder reaches. It is slow work, made less tedious with the presence of agreeable company: long hours spent noting the region's topography, soil type, sources of water, degree of forestation, and wildlife density, and noting everything down in writing or in maps. At some point a camp has to be set up for daytime resting, given the island's doubly long day–night cycle; at these times, a shady tent with a cozy fire outside makes for a pleasant setting in which to enjoy a fresh-caught meal and a little nap in preparation for night.

Map-making stops when night falls in earnest, but that doesn't mean there's no work to be done. Liem still needs help doing rounds in order to observe the nighttime activity — of both nocturnal wildlife and dangerous monsters. Fortunately, although Alenroux's nights are far too long to comfortably endure without a chance to rest, Liem's newly learned tiny hut spell provides a ten-foot-radius hemisphere of warmth and comfort that, most importantly, is opaque and impenetrable from the outside. While camping in complete safety might not be possible, a quiet rest at the day's campsite becomes much more achievable with the use of magic.]

IV. CONSTRUCTION — Meridian only

[The site that Liem ends up choosing for building is tucked within one of the regions he'd surveyed for potential development, a short walk away from both running water and shady woodland. The plans for the home — drawn up professionally; he wants the thing to be properly sound — are for a wide, single-story residence, with spacious doorways and a high ceiling. The attentive or experienced might judge it strangely proportioned for human inhabitance, which Liem insists is simply to be inclusive, considering that Kenos's diverse population includes some larger species. Officially, the home isn't meant for anyone in particular.

Though a certain jinba might be spotted throughout the project, appearing with freshly-hunted game in hand only to deliver it and disappear back into the woods.

Liem's contribution to the building effort itself is mostly limited to management of the volunteers, or assistance with simple tasks where all that's required is an extra pair of steady hands. He lets the volunteers do most of the actual labour, and concerns himself with making sure that people stay on-task and meals are ready on time. After all, it would be inconvenient to trek all the way back to Springstar just for a bite to eat. Water is in plentiful supply; for those who distrust the nearby river, Liem keeps a cask full of water freshly conjured, for anyone's use. Just don't expect him to provide anything with more of a kick; there's still work to be done.]

V. CWILDCARD

[Most of the prompts above are pretty general, so feel free to hit me up so we can hammer out a more tailored idea for what we'd like our thread to involve and/or achieve. As always, you can find me on Discord, or on Plurk at Sporelett.]

COMMUNION.

[redsoil]

[ One great, great big yawn. Leonine and indulgent, as he fondly(?) reviews Liem's missive. ]

Such a dutiful man, Liem Talbott. I, too, would like to ensure we hold Alenroux.

What of other information, for your report? Such as - a Zenite Shard-bearer slaughtered a number of Springstar's guards, and for no reason. I bore witness, and defeated him. We could use this. And so much more, that I know. That I observe.

[sterngaze]

[Liem’s air of quiet industry remains unshaken in the face of the irreverent tone of Set’s contact. From him, he’d hardly expect otherwise.]

That could also be pertinent, yes.

[Even if most of Liem’s own experience with swaying public opinion toward a specific political group is weighted largely towards assisting the locals in his employer’s name — particularly locals who are willing to be friendly towards them, of course — there is also the matter of bringing any misdeeds their opponents make fully to light. The unprovoked slaughter of Springstar soldiers, soldiers who had risked their lives to keep the monsters of both Alenroux and the Beyond in check, should not be allowed to slip by unnoticed.]

If Zenith’s shard-bearers are bold enough to initiate such hostile action, those who live and work there should at least be made aware.

[It wouldn’t do for those Zenites to not be awarded due credit for their actions, after all.]

[redsoil]

Zenith has begun to prove that their only interests lie with their own. They are clever-tongued and readily belligerent, and will hand-craft stories of us based on our louder, bolder actions. They did this at the debates, and will continue to wage information wars and levy propaganda at us.

Ensuring Highstorm citizens become and remain sympathetic to us is key. I believe spreading mention of the indiscriminate slaughter as counter-intelligence ought to be useful. Put it in Highstorm's head that any action that seems sympathetic to Springstar and Meridian will result in their alienation.

For example.

Amos Burton speaks in black-and-white terms, only. Either you are his people, or not. He affirmed directly to me that he 'cannot look out for everyone equally', and being that Manon was a traitor to Zenith ideals and thus Yima, it is very likely that he can be used as a weapon against his own people. If they doubt, if they question, he may become the very thing that judges and executes them. Even if he does nothing more than look the other way from those who are not 'his'.

Need you more?

[sterngaze]

[How good it is, and how useful, that Set is not simply a god of battle, but one of war. How convenient to have such a man as an ally during a conflict such as this.]

I agree; Highstorm lacks a standing military, so it is important that its citizens are not motivated to take up arms against us. Any doubt we can cast on Yima’s shard-bearers will be to our benefit.

Counter-intelligence aimed at Highstorm’s citizens does not strictly fall within the purview of the report I am writing, which is truthfully more focused on the potential for further development of the island as a full-time place of work and residence, but it is nonetheless something worthy of our efforts and our attention.

But words are slippery things, without anything to support them. Casting doubt upon a man’s character is much easier when there are actual deeds you can attribute to him.

[Making people wary of the guy who slaughtered those members of the Helios’ Legionary? That should be straightforward. Casting doubt on Amos based only on statements made in conversation held in a private space may be seen only as rumour-mongering.]

iii

[bakedapple]

[ The lengthy communion message comes at just the right time. Following a few days of odd jobs and overnights at the Tribute dormitories, Link has refilled both his coin purse and got some much-needed rest. The mysterious roots and leafy vines that will plague the two cities in just a few weeks' time being nothing more than scattered rumors at this point, he reaches out to Liem in response to his call for help, and a day later, he finds himself among the dhampir and the other volunteers, tending to the senior Meridian's various duties in Alenroux.

This work is agreeable to Link. He is as happy following someone else's lead as he is working independently. There are certain advantages to helping others with their goals, to being provided with specific tasks that need doing. The simplicity, the clarity of purpose... at a time when Link's life has become as complicated and unclear as it has ever been, it's... kinda nice.

On the second night, Link has volunteered to stand guard outside the strange magicked dome that Liem constructs for their nighttime comfort. He's used to staying up late, sometimes for days at a time, but today had been a particularly exhausting, physically demanding day of traversing woods and steep hills. So he finds himself... nodding off. And he might have slept for real if a familiar sound hadn't suddenly jolted him to attention again.

Maybe it was just the start of a dream, but... that sounded like wolves.

Link half-steps inside the opaque outer wall of the dome, his eyes searching for Liem. His eyes are wide with urgency, but whatever has him excited, it isn't out of fear. He still has one foot in the grass. ]

Liem! [ when he speaks, it's with forced quiet, just above a whisper. ] Are you still awake? There's... I heard something.

[sterngaze]

[So far, what Liem has learned from the project that he has undertaken on behalf of the Meridian faction is that surveying land for potential development can be quite engaging and even pleasant, at least when there aren't any monsters to worry about — but it does take rather a long time when one is working with the kind of experience, equipment, and manpower that he is, which is "not very much." After a couple days of it, he's all but vibrating out of his skin with thoughts about different potential settlement sites, with their different resources, land types, nearby farms, even vistas.

He is also, at the same time, physically exhausted. The combination of busy thoughts and a potentially unsafe overnight situation, even allowing for the protection of his spell, has made his sleep rather restless, especially considering Liem's tendency towards being a light sleeper to begin with. He accepts Link's offer, lets him take first watch and attempts to catch at least a couple hours' worth of shut-eye, but he isn't hopeful that he'll actually end up feeling well rested.

When he peels his eyes open an indeterminate length of time later to stare out into the late-night dimness, he decides that he was right.]

I'm awake.

[His answer is little more than a groggy murmur, but he's upright almost before the words have left his mouth, shedding a blanket and reaching for the crossbow sitting nearby. Seeing nothing obviously amiss in their general vicinity, Liem glances over at his companion.]

What is it?

[bakedapple]

[ Link raises a finger to his lips, still gazing meaningfully at Liem as he does. Like he said, he heard something, but there's no better explanation than for Liem to hear it himself. Almost on cue, it takes only a few seconds for the sound to happen again: low and long and mournful, the howl of a creature of some kind. Distant, but clearly quite loud at wherever its point of origin is.

Blinking as it happens again, he looks to Liem to gauge his reaction. But there's a slight smile playing on his lips. Instead of being afraid of the prospect of wolves nearby, he seems... excited. ]

[sterngaze]

[Obediently, Liem falls silent again when Link puts a finger to his lips, waiting to hear what it is that his companion woke him for. It doesn’t take long for him to be rewarded; a distant, lupine howl filters to them through the cool night air, carried along on the breeze. The sound is familiar to him, and to Link as well, if his expression is anything to go by.]

Wolves?

[As the last vestiges of sleep leave Liem’s expression, so too does the hint of startled tension. The call is coming from a fair distance away; it’s nothing they need to be immediately concerned about. And, while there are wolf-like creatures that prefer to hunt people, he has no particular fear of the mundane, animal variety. Unless they discover signs that there are worgs or werewolves haunting these woods, he expects the howls won’t herald any real threats.]

That’s a good sign, if they’re indeed just wolves. It means monster activity in the area is low enough for them to frequent it.

communion!

[muchalucha]

[ The way that Quetzalcoatl's communion presents comes with a brightness, and it's not something she's really able to control. She's a god with a heavy association to the sun, so... It can't be helped, in part! But at least rather than the sort that might be troublesome for Liem, it's more the warmth of the sun rather than the light itself. It's also easy to see why, since her actual words and tone are very warm and friendly. ]

Oh, you're really on top of things, Señor Talbott~!

[ She has to give praise first, and it's all earnest. ]

But I'd love to help, sí! I helped some of the farmers when I first got here since I'm very strong! If they have a cart, I'm just as good at moving it around as any of their oxen!

[ Or whatever animals they use in Alenroux. It's probably varied, honestly, but. Whatever! The analogy stands. ]

So if you need help at night, I'm happy to help with that too! The little creatures that run around Alenroux are a good challenge, but they're a nuisance from what I've heard, right? So I can clear them out of the way for you! Scouting may not be something I'm good at, but clearing the way is no problem!

[sterngaze]

[The warm, cheerful individual who makes contact is vaguely familiar to Liem from the mingle they’d both been involved in earlier in the month, but the opportunity to work with Quetzalcoatl more closely is one he’d certainly be interested in, despite her sunny associations. Probably especially at night, given the almost fond way she speaks of the deadly monsters that live in the woods.]

Thank you. I would welcome such assistance. The nighttime excursions would not be extermination missions exactly — observation is the main goal — but certainly it will be necessary to take care of any monsters that emerge to pose a threat while we are so engaged.

You’ve hunted the creatures here previously?

[muchalucha]

Sí, just a little bit after I got here! If Meridian wants to have Alenroux and protect the farms, I can help with that!

[ That's the sort of thing that feels more like her "duty", though she doesn't get into it. Considering how people have responded to her divinity and explaining it so far, she's at least learning that it's probably best to not jump right into that one... It's confusing, who knew? ]

But if observation is what you're wanting, I can definitely keep us safe! Oh, and if you want to get around more quickly, I have a little friend that could help with that too! It could help to look at a lot of different areas, right?

ii

[fishfearme]

[When Byleth wasn't loitering near the encampments at night to fend off the monster attacks, he found himself meandering aimlessly throughout the island - the wilderness and the populated parts both. There wasn't any rhyme or reason to it. His sleeping schedule had always been rather unpredictable and broken into segmented catnaps, so it left him with a lot of free time during the daylight hours to occupy himself with little errands or tasks... or failing that, just walking around until he eventually stumbled across something.

That something ended up being Liem pushing along a wheelbarrow.

Byleth's step audibly slowed on the gravel road he'd been walking along, his innate instinct to help perking up at what seemed to be a lone worker struggling with a heavy burden. After a split second of thought, he adjusted his trajectory, heading towards Liem - and politely ignoring the shadowy cloak that seemed to hang around him.]

Hello. Do you need help?

[sterngaze]

[Strictly speaking, Liem doesn't have to do this kind of work himself. It would be much quicker and easier for him to go around Alenroux's outlying roads, mark the areas that needed maintenance, and simply hire people from Springstar to come and do the repairs. And, in some places, where the need for repair was extensive, he actually did just that. After all, he doesn't have the time or the energy to tend to all of Alenroux's infrastructure all by himself.

But although he's set out to see any local needs properly met, the effect on Meridian's reputation will be greater if he's seen pitching in himself. Springstar's newest generation of shard-bearers has a bit of a wild reputation, so it's important, he thinks, to demonstrate that they're good for more than just violence.

Thus, he had fallen in with the crew of workers that his own coin brought to Alenroux, and now is pushing a wheelbarrow of material down the road, looking for a new patch to get started on while the rest of the crew finish with a larger section. A rake and shovel poke out of the wheelbarrow, resting atop the gravel, as he hauls the entire thing along, looking slightly bedraggled and out of breath.

The look he aims at Byleth is pleasant, but unmistakably weary.]

Good day. [He recognizes Byleth, having seen him around the Meridian camps before, and relaxes by a small degree. At least he's not a local he has to try making conversation with while he labours down the road.]

Help would be much appreciated, actually. How do you feel about road work?

[fishfearme]

[Byleth tilted his head slightly, like a curious puppy.]

...I have no strong feelings regarding road work. At least, it's not a passion of mine.

[It wasn't something he was experienced in either. The menial labour he tended to do on the regular was tending to weapons, or mucking out stalls, organising food supplies, things like that, but... he felt like road work wouldn't be all that difficult to learn. From what he could guess, it was just filling in holes and ensuring the ground was level. Easy.]

But the maintenance of infrastructure is important. So, consider me at your disposal...

[He trailed off, scrutinising the worker's face with his usual dead-eyed, thousand yard stare.]

I don't know your name.

iv

[epiprocta]

Hey Liem.

[ For better or for worse (probably worse), Liem is interrupted in his diligent overseeing of the volunteers by the scuff of approaching footsteps and the sound of a familiar voice calling out to him at a deadpan. Of course it's Gen slinking over to bother him, a copy of the building plans in hand and a pointy ear flicking as he frowns at it. ]

Are you sure these plans are right? These specs are all sorts of messed up.

[ To his meager credit, Gen seems like he's mentioning this as a legitimate question instead of an aimless gripe. In fact -- despite acting intolerably smug for a moment when Liem had first asked for his help, he's been (relatively) remarkably well-behaved since getting to work on this construction job, showing up properly dressed for manual labor and handling the work with obvious familiarity.

That is, right until this moment, where he ducks his head aside to wipe the sweat off his jaw on the shoulder of his shirt, then gives Liem a squint. ]

And why aren't you doing any of the heavy lifting when this is your project, huh?

[ C'mon, Liem. They all have to suffer equally in the balmy Springstar heat. ]

[sterngaze]

[As he has been spending most of the last month in Alenroux, wandering the farms, fields and forests to make himself useful during the Meridian occupation, Liem hasn't been seen much of late in his array of well-tailored suits. He's switched back to serviceable clothing meant for physical activity, which is what he's wearing now, although Liem has spent most of his time during the building efforts labouring with cooking implements rather than construction tools. It's no easy feat to feed a swarm of hungry construction workers, even with Hayame's assistance in acquiring game to accompany the supplies brought over from Springstar. He has to devote a fair bit of time to it.

But he still has time in between meals to manage the workers themselves, answering questions and generally making sure everybody has what they need to do their jobs. He does pitch in sometimes, during his idle moments, but it's true that he has not been contributing all that much on the manual labour front.]

I'm delegating. And cooking.

[They're both important jobs that need to be done by someone, after all. And he's worn himself out enough from pitching in around Alenroux; he doesn't feel guilty about taking a slightly more hands-off position here. Liem leans over slightly to eye the plans in Gen's hand, although he's the one who commissioned them to begin with, so he knows perfectly well what they look like.]

Those are the correct specifications. As you know, construction is not my area, so I made sure to have them drawn up by a professional.

[A well-regarded one, too. He asked around quite a bit before finding an architect who was familiar with the kind of homes that centaurs tend to live in, and what requirements such dwellings had.]

[epiprocta]

[ In the face of Liem's perfectly reasonable response, Gen just gives a long 'hmmmm.' The sort of noncommittal noise that makes it extremely obvious that he doesn't really think Liem's telling the full story about this messed-up building plan, but also, like, whatever. ]

You know back home, whenever we had an inspector or some other delegator looking over the worksite, all of us actually doing the work'd be making fun of'em.

[ Gen gives a quietly dismissive huff as he looks Liem over. Then he reaches forward to steal Liem's pencil off his clipboard. Instead of, you know, asking for it like a normal person. ]

So your cooking better be damn good. Don't slack off from your usual stuff just 'cause you’re cooking for more people, or some lame excuse like that.

[ One rude gesture evidently requires another, because Gen had been stepping around Liem as he spoke, and he promptly starts using Liem's back as a flat surface to write on, jotting down some notes on the back of his copy of the building plans. He speaks casually as he goes about it, like this is a perfectly normal way of treating people. (I am so sorry Liem.) ]

But if you're delegating, then get someone to get me some supplies. Over there -- [ he gestures over Liem's shoulder with the pencil, pointing at a part of the building where the framework of a chimney's just barely been started. ] -- it'll go faster if I can set up an extra pulley system to haul stuff up. I know how to set it up, I just need the parts. And a few other things, too -- it'll be worth it to make things go smoother.

II-ish

[eyesite]

( he believes himself well aware of the risk of wandering the roads and trails of alenroux alone. when it comes to types of risk, that to himself has always been the type that john can accept most readily — many times in the past he has recklessly bid his own life and well-being even on shaky possibilities that what he might do would help someone else he felt deserving (and it didn't take much for him to think another's deserving enough to outstrip his self-preservation). on one hand, he's quite cognizant of how durable his connection to the Eye makes him. the Fears don't have many living footholds in the physical world, so they try to make their avatars nigh-indestructible. on the other... there is always a part of him that is willing to take that risk because he doesn't think the worst case scenario is of much concern. when you think yourself monstrous, how do you think of your own demise? the world suddenly containing one less monster.

all of that, and the state of alenroux is a precarious one. any Meridian troops or Shard-Bearers attacking an unarmed man might raise some eyebrows and draw some ire. he spends as little time as he can in settlements and avoids the outposts altogether, but his path is like a pebble skipped across the surface of the water, never straying for too long from where the wandering eye of a stranger might not notice a lone traveler.

it's these circumstances that bring john and liem together: john travels the roads and liem labors on them, working to repair where the gouges left behind in the ground by the constant track of heavily-laden wheels had eroded further into a sizable pit. for a moment john's reminded of another enormous pit which had opened up in the center of a road, into which the entire population of a town had crowded one night as the Buried had tried to manifest into physicality — a ritual foiled when his predecessor had cut the corpse of an individual touched by the Vast and tossed each individual piece in.

he blinks away the half-memory of the statement, focusing instead on the individual which works on the road. he would think in retrospect that perhaps he should have recognized him more readily, but maybe the Eye was too busy focusing instead on the pool of shadow that seemed to collect around him — by the time recognition snaps into place, he is at a distance where it would be rather awkward to turn the other way and leave.

so he slows to a halt, frozen for a long moment before raising both hands — empty, of course — up somewhat in a rather half-hearted placating gesture. )

I'm not here to cause trouble.

( usually he would not go to such lengths, but since the last time he had seen this man he'd had a crossbow trained on him (not to mention he seemed associated with that centaur that'd shot him), he'd rather err on the side of caution. )

[sterngaze]

[Dripping with shadow and stripped down to his shirt sleeves, his long, protective coat slung over a nearby fence, Liem cuts a rather different figure than he had some weeks earlier, during Manon’s questioning. He seems smaller without the extra layers, and less confident wielding a rake than he did with a bow. It’s not surprising that he wouldn’t be immediately recognizable.

He’s aware of the approaching figure long before John stops and speaks to him, but Jonathan Sims had not made for an especially threatening presence back at the Tree of Life, and Liem is not in the habit of assaulting near-strangers on the road for the simple crime of taking a walk. He would shame both himself and his god to restrict legitimate travel so.

When he sees the other man slow to a stop in his peripherals, Liem pauses in his work, leaning slightly on his short-toothed rake as a concession to his fatigue. He regards him with an even look that is, today, hidden behind a pair of round-rimmed sunglasses.]

I’m pleased to hear it, Mister Sims. This would be a rather unwarranted place for mischief.

[A quiet bit of road traversing a stretch of peaceful farmland; Liem didn’t take him for someone so bent on senseless discord.]

What then brings you to Alenroux?

[eyesite]

( john cares far more for an individual's ability and willingness to engage in violence far more than their clear and present equipment to do so. when the Archive had been under attack from creatures of the Flesh that had pressed and forced their bodies up through pipes and grates to take them by surprise in his absence, they had largely been repelled by an infuriated melanie, equipped with nothing but a sharp knife. well, that, and the red-hot riot of wild violence that that Slaughter-touched bullet lodged in her leg had been loosing into her bloodstream.

john looks at liem even in this moment, and he remembers the taut lines of potential bloodshed that his body had been pulled into in the caverns beneath the Tree of Life. the rake in his hand does little to diffuse that memory — inscribed somewhere on the substance of his soul, of what he is as a person, was a statement of a crofter community in the highlands that had gone into the fever pitch of sudden, inexplicable violence after coming across a book that should never have been opened. those that had come to the aftermath of that massacre knew just as well as he did, having read the statement, what horrors simple tools could wreak.

he smiles thinly. ) Yes, I would agree.

( does unwarranted invasion and occupation not count as mischief? he thinks dryly, but he keeps it to himself.

but no, he's right. john doesn't pose much of a threat by himself, or at least not to their physical well-being or as far as a potential battlefield is concerned. but to write him off entirely would be a mistake, and liem is one of the few who would know that best in kenos, having witnessed first-hand what he'd helped pull out of manon weeks prior.

but, no, he's not here to compel anything out of liem. not at the moment, anyway. though... it might increasingly become a temptation.

he speaks truthfully. there's no reason to try to lie in front of him; he'd seemed to speak with authority on the veracity of his words in their previous encounter. )

One thing that I strive to avoid above all others is ignorance. ( he'd said something along those lines before. ) I don't know much about this place, and I worry that will increasingly become an inconvenience and a danger to myself and others. So I've been taking time to travel throughout Alenroux, learning what I can of the situation here.

( he's Zenith. too much information in his hands could directly be a problem to Meridian and their designs for this island. he's curious to know what opposition he might face, given that — liem is the first Meridian he's run into directly here. )

I'm afraid I didn't have the opportunity to learn your name, last we encountered one another. ( hayame might have shouted it once manon had made his bolt for freedom, but too much had been going on in that moment for john to have drawn the connection. ) Can I ask for it now?

iv

[exhound]

[Work like this is a frankly welcome distraction. Vander hasn’t given himself much idle time since returning from his unintended little “vacation,” though to be fair to himself, it’s only partially because he doesn’t want to be left alone with idle thoughts after that whole mess. No, between the rising responsibilities stemming from the occupation here in Alenroux, rumblings down in the undercity, and the increasing tension in the cities topside, there’s no shortage of work that needs to be done.

Doing something productive, something that isn’t involved with potential conflict, is a breath of fresh air. Vander might not have a lot of know-how when it comes to things like this, but he’s a big man with deft hands who can follow directions. It's easy enough to find tasks in need of a hand out here.

It’s been a productive couple of hours helping haul materials and getting things in place. The skeletal frame of the building is now getting substantial additions to it, giving a better glimpse of what the finished product might look like.

It’s on a much needed break that he joins Liem where he’s managing the meals. He downs a hearty swig of water before he motions toward the building-in-progress with a tilt of his head.]

Looks like it’s coming along nicely.

[sterngaze]

[In the grand scheme of things, most of Liem’s contribution to this building project has been monetary or managerial in nature. He has no intimate knowledge of construction work; all of his prior experience with building projects has been in hiring and arranging for the work to be done. Such is still mostly the case with the building of this home; Liem himself ensures the necessary tools are provided, along with any supplies that can’t be sourced directly from the neighbouring forest. But the purpose of the exercise means that it is fairly cost efficient, since part of the goal in building the home is to determine how feasible it would be to build in Alenroux using the surrounding resources. All they really need for the job is equipment and labour.

And food — most of which is indeed locally sourced, be it hunted from the nearby forest or bought from local farmers. Given the season, that means a lot of wild game, paired with grains and vegetables left over from fall: anything that stores well and travels easily. It's exactly the sort of food he's used to preparing for himself while travelling through the countryside, so even though the quantities are larger now, Liem goes about meal preparation with an easy familiarity. Stew simmers in a large pot while he lingers nearby, tending the fire and making sure the cask of water doesn't run low.]

It is, [he agrees, looking up at the larger man from his perch on an upended log currently serving him as a makeshift stool.] So far, I'm willing to call this experiment a cautious success. Setting up to build here has been fairly straightforward, even given the atypical nightly conditions.

I wonder how long it will be before we might actually make this place safe for full-time residents.

[exhound]

Hopefully sooner, rather than later.

[Whether the requirements for safety be finally ridding the forests of the lingering monsters or preventing this occupation of Meridian’s from devolving into something more violent than the current standoff. Ideally both, but the latter certainly has more of an air of uncertainty to it at this point.

He watches the handful of volunteers still moving around the construction site for just a moment, seemingly thoughtful.]

But I think it will be good. Certainly would make things easier for the locals.

[He glances back Liem’s way with a slightly appraising look.]

Seems like you’ve got quite the head for organizing tasks like this.

[It’s easy enough to see with how smoothly this project has been running so far, but Vander’s got enough experience himself keeping the moving parts of a collective going to spot it from that angle too.]

dextera • meridian (exalt)

[passio]

I. photo ops (OTA)

[ now that the dust has settled from their initial occupation, dextera is surprised—somehow—to find that not everyone is happy with meridian forces coming in to change the status quo. some farmers are pleased with it, as are some townsfolk from springstar, but there’s a clear sense of unrest that he hadn’t seen coming from the other side.

with most of his efforts, up to now, having been put toward the military aspects, he’s been gently encouraged to put his efforts toward the people. the farmers are working and there’s no helping that, but there’s a hesitant return to the natural parks in an attempt to reclaim normalcy. it’s there that dextera is doing his best to bond with the local population.

A. on the one hand, for anyone who would like to, dextera has set up a little place to play—or learn to play—chess. as a visible face of the meridian effort, he understands the value of making himself approachable, even though he can’t speak… he’s willing to play with other shardbearers, too, with the assumption that they’re all going to be nice on this contested territory.

B. on the other, dextera is specifically focusing some efforts on children—or rather, they’re focusing their efforts on him, because he’s somehow been roped into catching bugs. maybe help him find the coolest bug to win favor with the kids? or if you’re unlucky, maybe he accidentally whacks you with the net while focused on getting that shiny beetle that’s landed on your back… ]

regardless of how you find him, he’s dressed up a bit nicer than usual, clearly trying to look proper for PR. ]


II. talk to your local representative (OTA)

[ in addition to looking good, dextera is also just genuinely trying to help. this manifests as dextera making an effort to get out into the small shops and restaurants that surround the cornerstone, but his muteness means that it’s quite hard for him to interview people the way he would like. it seems, though, that he’s trying to survey a list of comments and concerns from the people whose livelihood depends on alenroux, regardless of their alignment.

just standing near the cornerstone with some pen and paper doesn’t seem to be cutting it, though, with most people walking by and trying not to engage him. this lasts up to a particularly disgruntled highstorm resident engaging him, with demands he’s not sure how to answer.

“What was wrong with the way things were before?” she wants to know. “Look what you’ve done!”

perhaps you’d like to help defuse the situation by interpreting for him… or maybe you want to make it worse. ]

Um…