festivals and mur--ahem, investigations 🎊🔍

[beleos]

COMMUNION WITH YIMA

After given some time for recovery and for Yima to hear reports of what transpired at the Tree of Life last month, a Communion message gently flows through the minds of each Shard-Bearer. They will have to choose to accept this message, and once they do, they will be greeted by Yima’s voice resonating pleasantly in their heads. She first apologizes for their harrowing experience with the Dryad, and that she hadn’t anticipated such a violent reaction from the Tree; she believes that their experiences point to an imbalance within the Tree itself, most likely brought about by the soon-to-come arrival of the Oracles.

She has spoken with Cyrus, and they have jointly decided that an investigation into the matter - and potentially the destruction of the Dryad - may be required to purge its influence from the Tree. Yima requests that any who would willingly seek out the Dryad volunteer to do so and will be outfitted with a ward against any tampering to prevent them from falling into the creature’s clutches a second time. It will take her a bit to fashion enough of these wards - but she anticipates being ready toward the end of the month.

She concludes her message with another heartfelt apology for your suffering, that she would not have sent any into such a situation she believed were truly dangerous. That being said, she takes responsibility for your ordeal and asks that if there is anything she can do in recompense, you have but to ask.

Yima will be available for Communion chatter here!

FESTIVAL OF REMEMBRANCE - HIGHSTORM

Takiltu is a month cycle the natives of Kenos regard with some amount of reverence and a hearty helping of excitement: the first part of the month (November) is spent reflecting on and celebrating the differing cultures and worlds each Kenosian represents. The second part of the month (December) is spent celebrating unity and togetherness, to come together with friends and family, to be kind to others and share in one’s wealth - whether that comes in the form of knowledge, monetary gains, or the exchange of gifts and one’s time.

Each city celebrates differently, the flavor of their festivals a reflection of their people.

In Highstorm, the first thirty days of Takiltu are spent in Remembrance. The city is decorated with string lights, paper lanterns, candles, and torches to illuminate the streets in beautiful colors and shimmering magical illusory shapes. The focal point of the festival takes place in The Court, where the reflecting pool has been especially decorated with arrangements of flowers and lights. Festival stands erected around the Courtyard peddle paper lanterns as well as refreshments, fanciful decorative items, and enchanted jewelry that is said to make one’s recollections of the past temporarily clearer.

The pool itself is the main attraction, here; citizens who approach its waters and gaze into its depths will find its normal abilities to reflect memories enhanced. The images are surreal for their clarity, vivid - and normally, one is requested to look into the eyes of those most precious to them whose souls remain lost, to pay homage to their memory and sacrifices, and to wish them rebirth in the new world to come. A purchased lantern is then lit and sent skyward where it floats into the moonlight, joining the others hovering above.

But this year, there is an addition to the usual fanfare. Emet-Selch has been asked to assist with the festival; as long as he is given permission, he can recreate the memory displayed in the reflecting pool. Yima has granted him a temporary blessing which enhances his natural creation abilities - a gift for their people she is grateful for. Your character can choose what it is they see in the water - whether it’s a place, a person, or the feelings of a certain point and time, he will temporarily recreate it around you. Everyone will be able to see this conjuring and interact with it while it is functional. It will last between 15 to 30 minutes before dissolving into beads of light that slowly trickle skyward before disappearing. You’ll be told to light a lantern, send it adrift, and that this will give peace to the part of you and your Shard that surely aches. But does it…?

Elsewhere in Highstorm, the High Theater has been painstakingly decorated and aglow with magical floating motes of light; the interior has been transformed into something of an Art Gallery. The pieces within are dedications to parts of worlds long gone, as well as the people in them; some are beautifully painted landscapes of exquisite, far-away places beyond the imagination. Some are more mundane and familiar snapshots of life in a home world not too different from your own. There are portraits of families, loved ones, and those the Zenites long for most. This is their time to mourn, to grieve, and to appreciate their pasts - the pasts that will lead them to a brighter future, one day. They must move on into the future, but treasuring that which came before is equally important to them.

Should you touch any of the motes of light that are around the art pieces decorating the Gallery, you will find yourself able to feel, hear, see, and taste a piece of the world the piece represents. Some of these are warm gatherings over a dinner table with family; others are heart-wrenching expressions of loss and bitterness and pain. Be cautious which you choose. Oh, and do be careful not to stand too closely with someone else when you touch one, or one accidentally touches you - the experience is absolutely contagious through Communion.

CELEBRATION OF CHERISHMENT - SPRINGSTAR

While Highstorm’s Festival of Remembrance is a more demure and reflective time, Springstar takes a much different approach to the season. In true Meri nature, the Celebration of Cherishment encapsulates celebrating life in all forms - and that means parties! The Psychagogía is the main hub of excitement considering, but festivities can be found in almost every single district of Springstar. Wherever you go, something is happening and someone is trying to rope you into having a good time.

The city has been decorated with bright and colorful multi-purpose magical ivy-like vines that sprouts buds that bloom over the course of the month into gorgeous flowers. These flowers are considered sacred, and their blooming is a momentous time of joy and good fortune. Each flower is left intact; disturbing one is tantamount to a war crime by the natives, so don’t get observed if you try to pluck one!

The Psychagogía is incredibly lively, teeming with people and events; almost every venue is peddling some kind of ‘Cherishment’ celebratory sale or discount. The first portion of the month includes what the locals call “the meri-ment” (and seem quite chuffed about that pun), in which Kenosians are encouraged to go bar hopping and taste the wide variety of specialty ales and liquor unkegged only around this time of year. Participants are highly encouraged to share stories of their worlds and cultures, to tell those they mingle with tales of the worlds they will one day return to and why they’re special, unique - to celebrate their one-day return.

Alongside this comes a great deal of outdoor grilling, fresh meats and vegetables sending tantalizing scents everywhere you go once the evening hours arrive. Some of these food and drinks can cause… interesting… effects if you consume them in excess, especially at the Emotional Damage - so try to show restraint. It would be a bit embarrassing to find yourself strangely infatuated with the first person you lay eyes on after your fifth night out on the town, or feeling compelled to express warm feelings aloud you wouldn’t normally commit to another. Luckily, it only lasts a short period of time - but beware the wicked hangover afterward. Strangely enough, if you’re suffering, you feel oddly compelled to seek out a little TLC from someone else - someone with whom you might have some unresolved feelings toward, positive or negative. Is it longing? Anger? Jealousy? Unspoken affections? Love? Whatever it is, you're more likely to seek them out for some care.

At the Coliseum, nightly brawls between Meris take place and the usual assortment of monsters are temporarily taken out of offer. This part of the festivities is one where each Kenosian is encouraged to settle any differences or misgivings with others and to get it out of their system, cleansing them of bad mojo - “leave it in the ring,” as it were. Despite beating each other bloody at times, most combatants willingly stop before it gets too serious and fighting to the death is not permitted. You must embrace your adversary before you leave, and your ‘bad blood’ will be considered purged and settled so you can start anew.

The Empório district is celebrating consumerism, because of course it is! All the usual goods are on a considerable discount, and for a brief time, gardening tools and supplies are free! The reason for this is that Springstar’s citizens are encouraged to plant one seedling in the gardens in Katoikitikós once the flowers lining the city have gone into full bloom. It is said this honors gods across cultures and time as well as invites good fortune. You are encouraged to plant a seedling in a group or pairing, as space is limited - and there are superstitions regarding this togetherness resulting in more favorable results. Should you plant a seedling with someone else, you might indeed find that something is beginning to blossom between you… Based on your Aspects, you might find yourselves feeling closer and more connected - or repulsed depending on your compatibility. This effect will last through the month after planting. Should you check on the seedling later, its health will be reflected in the state of your relationship. Friends will find the little plant thriving; enemies will find it is sickly and dying.

For those Shard-Bearers who have already harmonized with the Meridian or who have quarters in Heliopolis, you will find the communal meals much more lavish and indulgent than usual. There may even be a taste of home waiting for you among the spreads on offer, or some comfort food you haven’t had in a while. It is encouraged to share anything to your taste - or even to share why it is meaningful to you via Communion. Or you can just eat. You do you, man.

Once the flowers have bloomed and the festivities reach their peak, one might find the city loud and boisterous and sleep a little more difficult to come by. Springstar is absolutely thriving and alive - and you, too, feel more invigorated and energetic despite any lack of zzz’s. Should you leave the city, however, this effect will vanish and you might find yourself unnaturally fatigued and in need of more rest than is customary. Returning to Springstar will slowly build up your stamina again. This effect lasts until the end of the month.

THE MYSTERY OF ALENROUX

Once celebrations are in full-swing in the cities, some characters (i.e., any characters that choose to participate in this prompt) will be contacted by Cyrus or Yima, depending on their faction or whichever they feel a stronger inclination towards if they are currently Unharmonized. Both will explain that there’s something that they’d like you to investigate, but also to prepare and be careful, since this request doesn’t come without danger… A Shard has been lost in Alenroux, and they both hope you’ll be able to retrieve it.

MERIDIAN

“I’ve gotten word that a Zenith Shard-Bearer was sent to Alenroux a little bit before you arrived, and they haven’t come back yet. Normally, none of our business, but based on what some of the farmers have been saying, I think they’ve gotten hit by Discord. If it gets high enough, well… You don’t really have your mind anymore. We can help them through Purification. Even if it’s just for long enough to calm them down, it’s better than them being trapped in madness. It might be easier to dissipate them first, though, then Purify their Shard. They were last seen heading to the Northern forests. Let me know what I can give you to help, and make sure to help each other. Good luck.”

ZENITH

"Please heed my request, though I do not ask this of you lightly... One of the Zenith's children has been lost among the fields of Alenroux come nightfall and I fear the worst has befallen them. There are dangerous elements attracted to the presence of a soul, and the likelihood our brethren has been lost... it is great. Seek out the Shard - and if you are able to retrieve it, please do so. If it has suffered corruption too great to be saved or would place you in too great a danger to take back, then... I trust you to make the merciful choice. I place this in your hands and will give you whatever you require to see it through. Look out for your fellow Zenith and work together, as I do not want to lose more of you. Be well."

Both factions will offer their recruits access to standard weaponry and armor/protective clothing. If a character asks for more, they’ll be given a weapon or a piece of armor with minor magical properties which would normally cost 1 AC token to purchase. Magical weapons are on loan however. If your character takes these and/or chooses to keep it, please note this in your Committed Actions! If they choose to keep standard weaponry, Cyrus/Yima will just be disappointed in your dishonesty. :(

When you arrive during the day cycle, you’ll also find horses and magic hoverboards to use (they go the same speed tbh), because heading North to the forests is a bit of a trek, and you might not make it there in time on foot! As the sun starts to set, you’ll see the people in Alenroux start to leave, going clearly your opposite direction. Once night falls (Nov. 9th OOC), it doesn’t take long for things to change.

There’s just a sliver of a crescent moon in the sky, which makes the rolling hills and forests much more ominous than they were during the day. And as the stories say, it only takes an hour or two before you start to run into strange creatures. Closer to the Cornerstone, there are indeed strange creatures, and while they may not all look scary, they might present different kinds of dangers such as…

• A light in the dark looks like a fairy, but stare at it too long and you’ll find yourself hypnotized by a ghastly fish will lead you to a body of water to drown you.
• An innocuous puddle may form up into a mass of corrosive goo, complete with the bones and items of the last person it came across. When you slice it, it simply creates a copy of itself, so hopefully you realize this before you’re surrounded.
• A strange straw poppet (sans pins, of course) that possesses you once you touch it and will use your body to try and fight anyone else while your consciousness is trapped inside the doll. To be freed, you only have to destroy the doll, but you’ll feel the pain of how its destroyed even if you don’t bear any injuries from it.

However, as you get closer to the Northern forests, they become significantly more fearsome…

• With a roar, a massive, multiheaded beast descends, and each of its mouths is perfectly capable of taking a bite out of you. Watch out for the snake’s head in particular, since its venom will cause you to hallucinate your worst fears.
• As you come face to face with an odd creature, bioluminescence lights up on its skin, and the spins on its back quiver with a sound like a rattlesnake’s. As the spines quiver, you find it exceptionally difficult to take your eyes off them and move as it stalks closer slowly. You can fight blind, right?
• Diving in and out of larger shadows like its water is a slimy beast that’s incredibly fast. Its teeth may be small, but its tail is a razor-sharp whip that could remove a limb if you’re not careful.

These are just examples, however. There are many creatures lurking the wilds of Alenroux, so feel free to create your own monsters with unique effects.

It's a difficult trek North, and you may be tired from hours of running, fighting, or both… But eventually, a few people do find what they were looking for. They might have even missed it, if not for how their Shards suddenly felt like they were burning. From the shadows, a twisted creature of roots and lights which what looks like many crystals in a glowing mass appears and one of its eyes locks on you. It looks like now is your chance.

NOTES

Weather summary for the first 30 days of Takiltu (NOV & DEC):

Highstorm is in late fall, early winter season. Some flurries may occasionally fall and it is getting considerably cold out there! Bundle up!

Springstar is in the throes of early summer; the weather is climate and pleasantly warm for outdoor celebrations (but not sweltering). There are occasional afternoon showers, but they don’t last very long.

Notable city changes:

If you wander the Markets in Highstorm, you might notice some of the peddlers seem a bit wary of you. Hm, guess something happened around here! Probably totally unrelated, but Silco and Vander (or anyone with them) will be treated with nervous suspicion.

Similarly, if you're traveling with Set (or you're Set) in Springstar, you might occasionally find yourself getting strange looks. Ask Set why.

Faction updates:

There are no explicit changes in faction behavior at this time. This will be a staple in all future event write-ups to catalogue the fluidity of the conflict as it progresses, though, so we're including it here for posterity!

Event Notes:

The Reflecting Pool in the Courts of Highstorm can be observed normally with no addtional effects or can bring your memory to vivid life thanks to the help of Emet-Selch (and Yima). If you grant him permission (which can be handwaved), he will breathe life into whichever memory you have chosen to view! If this includes any NPC’s or interactive elements, you will be responsible for playing them out in any tags until they disappear. Please see Emet’s toplevel for any interactions you’d like to thread out with him as a part of this.

For the Gallery in Highstorm, the art depicted in and scenes experienced through the pieces are up to you to create! Feel free to go wild with any associated NPC's in the scene and worldbuild as you see fit. Highstorm holds a variety of citizens from across the multiverse, so you could feasibly go fantastical places, or experience something distinctly profound and beyond your imagination...

The drinks and refreshments in Springstar can be enchanted in just about any way you’d like, including bringing upon minor physical changes of the cute, fun, and flirty variety! Feel free to get creative (as long as you get permission from your thread partner), the Meris would also merrily insist growing extra fluffy, scaly, etc bits during the celebration will only help you party harder! 🥳

As reminders for Alenroux, once night falls, a character is not able to leave until sunrise, which is 24 hours later. If your character is dissipated, you can have a PC retrieve their Shard or the respective Faction they're allied with will send out a search party to find it. Remember to report character deaths!

CODING

Comments

[cutlery]

[ To say that his interest is piqued is a bit of an understatement. He’s curious in general about how what she’ll show is proof of her incredible friendship prowess, but the fact that he’s apparently the only one is an especially intriguing surprise. Based on that, he has a guess, but… He’s also just a little nosy when it comes down to it.

Sebastian breathes out a little laugh as he’s endeared by her playfulness and nods. He brings a hand to his chest first as a gesture of sincerity. ]

You have my word. Whatever you share will not leave my lips again, as it is an honor to be granted your trust.

[ There’s a formality to it that might imply that it’s some sort of magically binding contract, like some kind of demon’s rule of honor or something, but it’s just Sebastian being Sebastian, really. He does mean it, though, which is also why he reaches out to add the pinky promise on top of it with a more playful smile. ]

So, I do promise. It shall be our secret.

[lifespanned]

[ There's a beat where she continues considering him, as if looking for some sign of dishonesty, but when none comes, she simply curls her pinky around his a bit more tightly and shakes their hands to and fro in a cutesy sign of affection. Then, quick as it had come, she lets go, tugging him to their final destination of the man at the helm of all this.

Briefly, she speaks with Emet, briefly describing the day she wants to see: I want to see Tokyo, Japan, outside To-oh University, on May 28th, 2004. Why this specific date, one might wonder? Well, as the vision comes to life around them, they'll find themselves on a very busy street, with many, many people hustling and bustling about. It's a crowd that rivals or exceeds those that are surrounded around the pool, in a way that's almost disorienting. But once they're fully immersed, Misa turns a little over her shoulder to give a cursory glance, before returning her gaze forward, looking only at the busy city streets when she speaks. ]

Nice to see you again, Rem.

[ Should Sebastian look behind where Misa has appeared in this vision, he'll see Rem, in all her glory, flying gently right above and behind Misa herself. No one else in the vision seems to even notice her presence - and Misa, too, seems knowledgeable of this, keeping herself from looking at the shinigami directly, so long as they're walking in "public." Still, she nudges Sebastian in the side with her elbow, using the arm that's still linked with his, prompting him to take a look behind her. ]

Go on, say hi to her. She's really nice.

[ Should he take a look at her, Rem actually seems rather suspicious of the man Misa has brought in tow, evident in a pensive frown written all over her bony features... though she doesn't say anything to speak those feelings into reality just yet. ]

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian smiles pleasantly as he watches Misa go speak with Emet-Selch, and probably even gives the man a little nod of greeting if they make eye contact. But! This is his time with Misa, so his attention remains focused on her and what she wishes to share.

At first, he’s impressed by the parts of the vision that are ordinary to Misa. Just the everyday fixtures of a modern city get him to make a lightly impressed noise, even though it’s not at all that will end up being most interesting. There’s just a glimmer of small delight since truly, he’ll always be impressed with what humans can manage. A century makes it almost look like a different world entirely.

Though naturally, that quiet, ordinary wonder slips away as Sebastian looks over to Misa and sees someone who is very much out of place in this quiet vision. His eyes widen in surprise, and, yes. He very much understands quite sharply why Misa wasn’t bothered at all by meeting a demon. ]

Why, good day, Ms. Rem. [ She does give the impression of a “Miss”, anyways… With a genial smile, Sebastian takes a step forward, though it’s to be within polite distance. Not quite sure of whether to offer a handshake or a bow, he goes for the more formal. He brings a hand to his chest and dips forward into a small one. It’s certainly not fully deferential, but it’s respectful. ]

My name is Sebastian Michaelis. A recent friend of Miss Amane.

[ he did it… he said the f-word… ]

[lifespanned]

[ Rem's eye only narrows at him, made more suspicious by his polite behavior and the obvious discrepancy between the name he introduces himself with and the one floating above his head. That, and the fact that his lifespan likely looks nothing like a regular human's. In return, she offers no such polite gesture, merely raising a single skeletal claw at him, her voice dry and a gravelly when she speaks. I see that you are not the typical human, 'Sebastian Michaelis.' ]

That's because he's a demon, [ Misa interjects, finding it likely fine to just blurt it out since this Rem isn't even real - and no one around is paying attention to the three of them, anyway. Besides, her mood is brightening by the moment, so she finds she doesn't have a care in the world - he said the f-word after all. Giving Sebastian a glance from the side, the memory around them continues moving forward even without them physically walking, bringing them closer to the very university that Misa had been talking about. ] And Rem here is a shinigami. A god of death. They're sort of like demons... I mean, they come from the shinigami realm, which is kind of like hell. That's what I guess it's like, anyway.

Oh, except, one big difference is you guys don't look anything alike. She looks more like a demon than you, hee hee.

[cutlery]

[ As Rem points it out first, Sebastian’s smile increases with a mischievous glint, but Misa explains it well enough for him. He shrugs and nods, but it’s still with a smile. Luckily, keeping his existence a secret isn’t really necessary here in Kenos. It’s a change he finds refreshing, so he’s not bothered in the slightest by being beat to the reveal.

He does hear her doubt in his name, though it’s a point… Well. It’s not forgotten, exactly, but it’s set aside as Misa also reveals what Rem is. His expression lifts in a genuine surprise, and he looks to Misa and then back to Rem. ]

My, my! I have encountered Shinigami before, in fact… Though I do call them Grim Reapers among English company, I shall say. [ He makes a light noise of interest, then bows his head politely as if in apology for staring. ] Do pardon my surprise, though. The Reapers I have met are…

[ He thinks of the ones he’d met just while serving Ciel, which is far too many, all of which were irritating creatures… He’s not sure how to best sum it up, in part, so he settles on the most basic. ]

They all lived mortal lives, though, so they also looked very human. [ Which, since they’re on the subject, he does look to Misa again to give her a little nod. ] This is merely a form I take for convenience, actually. I bear a bit more resemblance to Ms. Rem than you may think.

[lifespanned]

Oh, right! You said people couldn't find out you were a demon all willy-nilly. Of course you have some secret form...

[ It makes perfect sense that he'd look more like Rem - she'd thought Rem was a demon at first, too. In truth, she's pretty bewildered to hear that he's crossed paths with Shinigami before, especially because the ones he described sound so different than the ones she's familiar with. It makes her put a single finger under her chin in thought, pushing her head up until her nose is tilted up towards the fabricated Tokyo sky. ]

Sooo, then, what does a demon look like for real? I'm dying to know, now. Can I see sometime?

[ Rem follows up with a stern Misa, clearly disapproving of her airheaded, fun-seeking suggestion. It's plain curiosity that fuels it, as well as a genuine wonder as to how far Sebastian will let her poke into his demon business. Misa has to wonder if that border will get changed after he sees all that she's used to being around. Then again, she's used to a supernatural companion like Rem who would tell her anything if she asked, but if she's learned anything about him, it's that he can be a little more on the stingy side than she's used to.

As the trio of them walk, in the distance away from them just out of earshot, they'll be able to see a pair of boys around Misa's age, as well as another tall, dark, grotesque looking figure, with a sharp toothed smile and a vacant stare. Just as none of the people around them seem to notice Rem, no one around seems to be able to even see the ghastly figure - not even either of the boys chatting together. ]

[cutlery]

[ He does glance to Rem as she gives the lightly scolding response since it’s not…unfamiliar, but it’s unexpected. Perhaps Reapers—well, Shinigami, he decides to keep them separate—are closer to demons in her world. A supernatural creature taking a human as their charge because they want something from the human doesn’t surprise him, but he still wonders what it might be. It may still be the soul, but that feels so at odds with the Reapers he knows. ]

Well, we can look quite different from each other, generally… It is especially true for me, since I am not a minor demon, and so I am a bit more unique, shall we say?

[ It’s nothing all that new from what he’d mentioned in the library in terms of his actual identity, or at least so he thinks. For the question itself, he hums out a thoughtful noise, but his answer might be a surprise. ]

I will consider it, at least? Though it is still one that you may consider a bit unsightly…

[ Of course, he’s then surprised to see another Shinigami appear, though it’s expressed with little more than a light noise of surprise. He leans a bit closer to Misa to lower his voice gently, since based on the other boys, he has a guess that it might be best. ]

My, you do indeed have a bit more experience with the supernatural than I thought.

[lifespanned]

[ Oh— consider seems like a good stepping stone to a yes, to her ears. She claps her hands once in delight, not bothered by his warning that he may be unsightly - she can't imagine he could be that much more creepy to look at than Ryuk. Even Ryuk is a little cute, after the initial shock of seeing him, and she's certain Sebastian is the same.

At his comment, though, she leans in to talk with him in quiet, too, though it's more the energy of a person whispering a secret at a slumber party than from a serious desire or need to be stealthy. ]

Well, it's a secret for a reason, silly. On Earth, only me and a few other people could see them. So I couldn't go around letting anybody know. Besides, when I first got to Horos — and now that I'm here, too — I didn't want anyone thinking I was any trouble. Pretty smart, right?

[ In an unfamiliar place, surrounded by terrifyingly powerful individuals and a cruel leader, she'd reasoned that the more normal, weak, and unassuming she came off, the safer she'd be. It was just business as usual to pretend she had no idea about the supernatural - that's the part she was playing in her everyday life preceding getting drawn into a cosmic war. She shrugs, giving her companion a friendly pat on his shoulder, beaming. ]

But now you know that Misa can keep a secret, and I'm just at good as being friendly with your types as with humans. Rem and I were... partners, I guess you could say! She helped me with all kinds of things. [ which is a purposefully vague way of putting it, even if she does offer the Shinigami a little smile as she says it. ] And Ryuk, over there... he's just sort of a goofy friend.

[ Kinda like you, she almost says, but holds back at the last second. A giggle, bright and mirthful, as the genuine entertainment of seeing Ryuk again washes over her. ]

Since you're a demon who works for humans and all, I figured you'd be the only one who'd get this stuff. Everyone else would probably freak out if they saw Rem... and get all weird and suspicious of me. But you don't feel that way, do you?

[cutlery]

[ Ah. He gets the difference in her whispering tone immediately, but he’ll also continue to play along. He has his own whimsy, and clearly, whispering the not-quite-secret secrets is well within that.

Though as she explains, he is a bit surprised by her plan when she first arrived in Horos, but the look quickly turns to a smile of approval. With that and the rest of what she says, he nods, though it also comes with a gentle little laugh. ]

Not at all, no. It is surprising, of course, but I believe I will always be a bit surprised to run into people that have encountered more… supernatural things. Though I admit, your friendliness with us is especially so. Even my previous master was not so friendly as you are. [ but not for like. Unfair reasons. ]

[ And because he does feel it’s worth pointing out, he does add: ]

It is clever, by the way. It is something I think you should continue, actually. If people do not think you are any trouble, it is much easier to do as you please, is it not?