kenoslogs | NOVEMBER EVENT | THE HARBINGER ORACLE

NOVEMBER EVENT | THE HARBINGER ORACLE

HEDGING YOUR BETS

Bearers feel it. Similar to when the Scorching Isles was opened, there is the same tug, from somewhere in the distance. Those who are in springstar feel it from closer, like a blossom of warmth in your heart, you feel the Oracle spring to life. Those in Highstorm feel it too, but distant. Far away. You remember Cyrus’s words, that it would come to life in Springstar, and you know, just from the relative distance, from how far away it feels – He was probably right.

So bearers must make their way to the center of Springstar’s residential district. Finding one’s way to Springstar will be difficult, in fact. Preparations have been underway since Cyrus’s announcement, and Springstar leaps into action. The Legionnaires are already marching by the time the first bearers start moving throughout the city. In addition to any of Meridian’s own preparations, the Legionnaires establish choke points and start organizing evacuations. It will be difficult to make your way through Springstar, but the closer bearers make it to the hedge maze, and what seems to be the oracle at the center, the warmer their chests feel. Throughout the city, it feels warm, like small wicks of heat. The closer bearers become, the more it feels like a torrent. It is burning them to their center and igniting them to their cores. Like the fire of drive, is what it feels like. Like the hunger for something more than just food, or anything else, like the anticipation of victory.

The maze itself is where it is the most intense as bearers start to make their way through the hedge maze. Vines and brambles lie within a neat hedge, and it looks like it is safe to jump, or scale, but the moment a bearer tries to jump it, cut through it, or even go beneath it, roots, brambles, and vines lash out to entrap bearers, and start to drag them down and into the hedges. You will have to figure out a way out – lest you be stuck for seemingly the near future.

Of course, when Dimitri’s hand touches the stone statue in the middle, it all goes dark, and wherever you were, whoever you were fighting –

Every bearer collapses at the same time.

YOU'D BETTER BE A-MAZE-ING!

In the dark, there is that fiery impression of the Harbinger. Competition, drive, disdain for even those that best them. It is clear, in the dark, with your eyes closed, that the Harbinger does not see the Bearers as worthy to obtain it. You feel ghostly hands on your mind, into you, as if it is delving for more, trying to pluck and pull out the right memory. It looks for victories, triumphs, defeats, or betrayals. Something that shows the mettle of the bearer, what it is looking for. When it finds what it is looking for – or is this just a dream? – after the bearer experiences the dream, they will get the distinct impression that it is not enough. That the Harbinger wants more. It wants to see what this bearer can do. It wants to see you rise to the challenge, bearer! Will you do as it wishes, and show it the scope of your mettle, or will you capitulate and let the Harbinger know that it was right – you aren’t enough?

The Harbinger wants you to prove them wrong. Can you do that? Will you use spite to convince it that it is wrong? The Harbinger at the center of this labyrinth imparts to bearers, that it will not allow the weak to succeed, that nobody who cannot reach it, would ever be able to protect them. They look down on bearers, and it is up to you, to convince them that you are worth their attention.

When bearers wake, they will be stuck in a foyer. The walls seem blank, and there is a door, leading further into the maze. It is not… fully dark, everything here seems to be lit just enough to move around without trouble, but it is not bright. Bearers can look left, and right, and see others beside them. They are not alone, but nor are they with others of their faction. No, you can feel it, between all of you, gathered here in one space. The humming of your shared aspect fills the room, as if all of you together in one space feels right.

You will not be able to stay. The foyer lasts only until the last person leaves, and if any try to stay behind and stationary, they will find that eventually a door appears, and the room begins to shrink. You had better get moving!

You must move further into the maze. You will find that grouping up for long periods of time becomes impossible, and moving from one door to the next can find foes, allies, or even neutral parties. Every door you open within this maze, leads to new and unusual locations. You may both walk in, from opposite ends, only to find that the doors are gone when you turn your back. Do you end up on a precarious path over spikes, lava, or even water? Do you walk into a room with your greatest desire, a hunger that can now never be sated? Will you do anything to find your way through the corridors? Will bearers help each other, and resist the call of the Harbinger, or will you push over even your treasured ones to win?

MADE IN THE SHADE

And even further in, as you start to catch sight of them, patches of darkness seep into the corners, into everything. They may be hidden, at first. They may lurk underneath patches of leaves, or in shadowed corners. But the longer bearers are within this labyrinth, the longer the shadows seem. They start to reach out, to pull bearers into their shadowy depths. You may feel malaise, or an unwillingness to continue, once you first step within these patches. The longer you are there, the harder it is to get out. You will need help from your friends or dear ones, or sheer strength of will – but can you fight on, as you start to lose the things that motivate you?

And then there are the visions. People you know, love, or trust, they round corners, just ahead. They seem just out of range, and at first, it is difficult to tell if they are there or not. But they happen to reappear, and then disappear around a corner. Try and chase them, if you dare. When your fingers touch their arm, or grab their clothing, or heaven forbid, if you pull them into a hug – it seems impossible to pull away. They were treasured, weren’t they? There is a reason they appear here, to you. Why would you want to pull them away? Why would you –

They reach out, their fingers seem long, as they reach toward your shard – they will not be deterred by clothing or armor, their fingers seem to bend and twist around the junctions – before they find purchase on your shard. They rip it from you, and it feels like you are being separated from something. It’s painful, it hurts, but the last thing you see, as they hold your shard in your hand, is someone you care very deeply for, placing the shard in the same place on their own body, and your own face smiles back at you, and it all goes black. You are gone. Into… nothing.

NOTES

Here are some prompts to set the scene and foundation of the Exalt Oracle! Please refer to the ooc post for more details about what’s happening in the labyrinth! Feel free to direct questions here.

If your character gets killed by a shadow-copy, please let us know in the reporting post that goes up on November 20th if they touch the effigy. If they do not, please let us know on the deaths page! Don't forget to report any dissipations as a whole! Please also let us know if your character is saved by another bearer, or if your character’s shard is taken by the shadow copy for the entire duration of the event. This will not result in any permadeath, but you might get some cool lore! Teehee! If your character defeats a shadow creature, please let us know [HERE]

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[ Gray, always too sensitive, shivers at the closeness of Rin's voice. She's conscious as well of the hands working gingerly at the straps of her equipment, but still she needs a moment to gather herself.

She doesn't think Rin is intentionally trying to hurt her. But Rin usually tries to be guarded as a mage — and tellingly, these probably aren't things Rin would say to her outside of this room. Gray has to think that this flattery is an influence of the labyrinth, intended as pretty bullets rather than voluntary sentiments. (Or maybe that's just what Gray needs to believe if she wants to stand a chance.)

Gray's sheathed knife sags to the floor with a dull thump, and soon after, Add's cage joins with a metallic rattle. They spur Gray to raise her face from Rin's shoulder, so that they're an inch apart again. At least for now, her desire to communicate overrides her discomfort.

She thinks about saying, You're kinder than you think you are, even if you don't want to admit it, but knows better. ]

You'll find it hard to believe, but if not for the kindness of mages, I wouldn't have come this far. Even this...

[ Well. Gray can't exactly call this kind, but she can feel the consideration in Rin's touch, even if it isn't completely altrustic.

One of her hands raises, tentative, to touch Rin's cheek. ]

You shouldn't speak so ill of yourself.

[While Gray's hands may be worked and hardened from the grip of a weapon or the activities of the household, her touch... her intent... is soft. Lighter and kinder than Rin would ever be to herself. More than she expected anyone to ever be with her. Even Dark, in all his manic affection, was hard pressed to be so gentle with her. The surprise on Rin's face is clear, and the contact has her advance pausing.]

You... you really give people more credit than they deserve, Gray.

[The little "mouse," (as Mordred would call her) was kind to Dark, too. Or at least much more quietly tolerant than most people. Rin can't image Gray's words here are much more special than anything she happened to give Kenos' "favorite" loud-mouth.

Even so, Rin allows her face to tilt into Gray's gentle palm.]

[ Even though she's the one who initiated this contact, Gray's heart flutters with surprise when Rin's cheek fills her palm. Rin's face is warm and soft, and Gray forgets to respond in the moment as she wonders at that tender sensation. In the haze of their mingling breaths, Gray suddenly feels as if she's in a daydream.

She finally responds with a shake of her head, a movement of centimeters. Rather than reply in words, she isn't sure what possesses her to tip up again to carefully kiss Rin. This time there's no desperate rush. Her lips are mindful of the shape of Rin's as they ply for permission. Her fingers curl gently across Rin's jaw, pulling with the subtle friction of their skin to have the taller girl lean in for her. Much of this is still foreign to her, but now, not as unnatural as she might have feared. ]

[How cute. A thought she'll have after this is a question if all Advocates are this cute. Eventually Rin responds in kind. The permission Gray seeks is granted, and Tohsaka parts her lips to invite the other young woman to explore further.

Meanwhile her hands roam against Gray's body once more. Focusing in on any button, zipper, or fastening that feels like it was specifically meant to keep her out. Her mission is to expose Gray. To reveal that small frame under all those self-imposed layers. She wants to touch and taste and to claim. To know that Gray will be hers and hers alone even if only for a few moments.

How funny, though, that Rin would find such a thrill in the conquest of another girl. She didn't think she swung this way.]

[ The kissing thing is becoming something approaching comfortable. (Maybe even enjoyable.) Rin has been patient with Gray's inexperience, and in that allowance Gray has managed to grow a bit of confidence.

This undressing thing, on the other hand, is a different dimension. Though Rin has felt Gray's bare body before, the questing hands now at the thresholds of Gray's clothing manage to feel more incendiary. She allows her layers of defence to loosen, buttons and clasps giving way one by one. Each small exposure feels like new ground trod. A countdown in touches. She dreads it and doesn't. Urgency hammers quietly in her chest.

If this is a battle, then Gray should fight fire with fire. She cuts to the chase. Her free hand moves blindly to Rin's waist, finding the edge of her clothing, and from there finds a way to slip through and up to the bare warmth of Rin's skin. She inadvertently pushes Rin's top up with the soft roam of her hand — a part of her distantly curious to know if scales still speckle Rin's body. ]

[Under Rin's sweater Gray will feel the soft, viscose fabric of a camisole that has an extra band of fabric to double as Rin's bra. If, perhaps, she sneaks her fingers up under that... there won't be any scales. Her discord isn't that high yet, and instead all Gray will feel is the warm touch of flesh, the peach fuzz of vellus hairs, and the smooth line of scars spanning her stomach. One cuts from her lower rib to her navel, and the other — slightly offset because they're claw marks — begins around the navel and curves to her hipbone.

As Gray touches these Rin flinches. Breaking away from the kiss and almost looking offended by the audacity of the other young woman to touch such ugly parts of herself. However, despite the sour look Gray nets from Rin, the dark haired girl just grabs her own top for herself (sweater AND undershirt) and yanks it all off. Leaving herself topless before Gray.

Her frame is slender, her chest modest but slowly filling out as the march of time continues to pass. Rin's dark locks contrast with her normally porcelain skin — yet even that is slightly different. A flush of excitement blooms across her. It leaves her cheeks and chest in gradients of pink and red.]

Is this what you wanted?

[ Despite the supposedly adversarial nature of this interaction, Gray readies an apology on her lips when Rin flinches... but it dies when Rin abruptly flings off both layers of her top, and like a stage magician, makes a grand reveal.

Gray has seen Rin naked before. The impact might be even harder this time. Gray's eyes fly wide, an uncontrollable flush exploding onto her face and ears. With Rin's scales gone, her perfect form is uninterrupted. Even those scars can't tarnish Rin's natural appeal. Not for the first time, Gray can't help admiring her chest, which may be modest by some standards but still prouder than Gray's own. ]

Uh...

[ She scrambles to remember the question and drags her eyes back up to Rin's face. Was this what she wanted? She doesn't even know. She responds faintly on some sort of well-mannered autopilot. ]

Y-Yes, thank you.

[ In a way, Rin has called Gray's bluff. Now that Rin is half-naked, Gray isn't sure what she's supposed to do about it. She hadn't thought this far ahead.

One thing she knows: she feels awkward being fully clothed while Rin is like this. She blinks hard, looks past Rin. And then she slowly lowers her hood, revealing her rough new haircut. Shorn close, angled up steep from the nape of her neck, it's clear that Gray tried to cut off as much as she could in one slice.

Since Rin has so helpfully undone its buttons already, it's simple for Gray to shed her cloak, which falls thickly over the rest of her equipment. She focuses on this to distract herself from whatever Rin's reaction must be, shrugs off her jacket as well. She still has a soft blouse, her skirt, her undergarments... and yet she already feels so naked. ]

How lovely.

[A gentle hand reaches out to drag a finger along the ends of Gray's hair. Like a child pulling their hand across a fence or a privacy bush for no other reason than to indulge in the tactile response. Gray's hair is feather light. Uneven in places and clearly a recent cut. Rin can easily figure what had happened, and her palm cups Grays soft cheek.]

I like your new style. It's fresh.

[The thumb at Gray's face seeks to distract her by allowing its soft pad to glide along the curve of her cheek. Back and forth in a soothing motion akin to waves lapping at the shore. Meanwhile Rin's free hand attempts to undo that little blouse of Gray's.]

[ Lovely? Coming from the ever-immaculate Rin, that flattery feels somehow cruel. Gray's skepticism runs up rough against the seductive pass of Rin's fingertips along her hair and cheek. She still doesn't know what to do about these new sensations both alarming and pleasant; she could flee or sink in equal measure.

But fleeing isn't a real option. With a small shiver she sinks, closing her eyes as she lowers her forehead to rest against Rin's cheek. Even if she doesn't know how to process her feelings, she doesn't have the luxury of stopping. As her blouse parts under Rin's fingers, revealing a modest bra over an even more modest chest, it settles in that there's no going back from here. ]

Rin...

[ She begins to speak into Rin's shoulder. But she isn't sure what she means to say. "Is this really okay?" "Can things still be normal after this?" Knowing that these are pointless questions, she swallows a sigh and feels her way up Rin's waist again, careful to avoid the scars as her fingers trace a path up the graceful curve of Rin's back. She's always known that Rin is pretty, but there's a different beauty in the subtle strength of her body.

Meanwhile, with Gray's face lowered, Rin's neck is right there. A bit shy, wondering if it isn't too untoward for her to do such a thing, Gray kisses lightly at the curve of Rin's neck. ]

[Ah, the gentle flutter of lips against her neck tickles. Rin cannot hold back the light, reflexive laugh that bubbles up briefly from her. Meanwhile her own hands trace delicately along the band-line of Gray's bra. Following the fabric around her torso and to the back where she'll carefully undo the little hook-eye latches.]

Mm, hearing my name in your voice is quite sweet. Is it the same for you, Gray?

[While waiting for a response, Rin makes it so that Gray's bra goes slack. Hanging loos from her shoulders so that Rin's hands can circle back to the front. The soft pads of her fingers exploring warm skin and searching for those gentle mounds of flesh to rest comfortably in her small palms.]

[ Even if Gray feels like an impostor acting like she has any clue about what she's doing, Rin's laughter is a pleasant reward. Though it's also possible that Rin is laughing at rather than with her...

Gray's heart edges into her throat as Rin's hands slide to more sensitive ground. Her breath is hot on Rin's neck as she momentarily forgets herself, and she lets her bra slip down her arms to the floor. ]

... You're too much.

[ She says in lieu of a direct answer. In truth, she feels her name is a mismatch to those pretty lips. She tastes the skin of Rin's neck again, kisses walking a careful trail up to the base of her jaw. At the same time, she presses the barest inch into Rin's palms, unable to stop herself from hoping for more. ]

[There is a moment where she misinterprets "too much" and almost pulls her hands away from Gray's chest. However when the other young woman leans in, Rin doubles down. Gently she begins massaging the soft, pliant mounds of flesh in her hands. Savoring the warmth and dainty curve of them.]

Do you think you could use your cloak like a blanket? You should lay down. I want to make you feel better.

[With the arch of her neck Rin tilts her head back. Not only to give Gray more space, but also to avoid locking lips. She doesn't want to be distracted from her end-goal.]

[ It isn't the first time Rin has touched her breasts, but Gray is finding what a difference intent makes. A small noise escapes the base of her throat that she's immediately embarrassed about... and yet Rin's administrations are so pleasant that all embarrassment is starting to fall to the wayside.

The promise of more is tempting. Of course. Gray is only human. But she hasn't forgotten that this is supposed to be a battle either, and after a breathy release from Rin's neck, she pauses to reply. ]

If I do, then I want the same chance... to make you feel better too.

[ A blow for a blow, or a favor for a favor. In any case, it wouldn't sit well with Gray if Rin did all the work. ]

I suppose... if you still have energy left in those bones when I am done with you, then turnabout is fair play.

[A devilish grin finds its way back to her lips once more. Tohsaka peels away from Gray to find her cloak, and spread it out like an inviting picnic blanket. Though while the intent may still be to devour, there isn't the same wholesomeness to it.

Rin beckons Gray over. She wants the young woman undressed and on her back. She wants to part her slender thighs and expose her delicate slit. She hungers for Gray, in a way that almost seems predatory as her eyes glint.]

I promise not to bite... unless you'd like that.

[ ... There's really no way for Gray to keep up with this kind of talk. She swallows, Rin's "threats" rich in the imagination, but a deal is a deal. She lowers herself slowly onto her own cloak, feeling somehow like bait laid out for an animal.

Even so, her expectations aren't nearly strong enough to match Rin's intentions. As inexperienced as Gray is, she couldn't begin to suspect — and so she carefully lies down without removing the rest of her clothing, feeling terribly vulnerable already, conscious of the raised peaks of her chest. Trepidation flutters at her throat. And something else... is a bit impatient, a sense of cold that misses Rin's raw heat.

She looks up high to find Rin's predatory gaze. ]

Biting? Um, n-no. Probably not, thank you.

[ Getting bit doesn't sound... pleasant?? But she's also never been bit before, so how can she really say. ]

[Rin giggles quite a bit. Soft and warm as she settles beside Gray and rests her palm on the other girl's stomach. Silken fingers explore the gentle curves and dips of Gray's figure before trailing downward to the waist of her bottoms.]

Only probably? Would you like a little preview before you completely reject it?

[If anything could bait Rin, it would be Gray. Certainly she was drawn in by the young woman's looks at first, but that for certain gave way into something else. She feels so much more beyond what Gray looks like. So unlike Rin in every way, the young mage can't help but be enticed. Drawn to her like a moth to the flame.]

[ A surprised breath escapes her as Rin's hand wanders downward, her leg twitching upward in a ticklish sort of response. All at once, Rin's intentions become devilishly clear even to sheltered Gray.

Confronted with the startling new future in store for her, it's hard to think. This is something she'd ruled out for herself long ago, convinced that there would be no will or reason for either herself or any other party. But as Rin's fingers find Gray's waistband, she finds no compulsion to stop their advance. Instead, anticipation -- unexpected, insistent. Only self-consciousness keeps her from nudging closer to Rin, or undoing her waistband herself.

She watches Rin's face, tracks the touch of her hand. After a pause too long to count toward a lighthearted response, Gray answers quietly. ]

If you want to, then I'm willing to try it.

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NOVEMBER EVENT | THE HARBINGER ORACLE

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