kenoslogs | THE SOOT OF IGNORANCE: RISING ACTION

THE SOOT OF IGNORANCE: RISING ACTION

BETWEEN UNCONTROLLED ESCALATION & UNENDING PASSIVITY

The moonlit city of Highstorm has always been a tranquil location.

Its people, passionate about the steady leadership of Zenith's leader — Lady Yima — begin their movements slowly and deliberately. Following the lead of their most trusted Shard-Bearers and the word of their Lady, activity in Highstorm begins to increase in the vicinity of Yima's Manor. The Court, the town square outside of it, becomes a hotbed of bustle and voices. Personnel and attendants rush around with documentation, stirring others to action. A select few figures gather the full force of their long-standing houses, calling on family bonds and their own castellans to assist the efforts that build over the course of a few days.

For the tranquility of Highstorm is only ever punctuated by its decisiveness, its faith that their path is the correct one — and now, they will prove it.

In a trickle-down effort, from the most loyal Zenites to the newest, the news unfolds for them: Amos Burton has been tasked by Lady Yima herself to turn the tides back in Zenith's favor. He is to end the life of the 34th Tribune, Cyrus Marcius Germanus Kokkinos, alongside the fortune who have found their way into Zenith's graces. In the earliest hours of the invasion, the figure of Yima herself steps out onto the balcony of her quarters — the highest point of the Manor — with her robes soft around her body and hands extended to her people. Her silence is punctuated by glowing feelings of pride that flow through the hearts and minds of every last sworn Zenite, bolstering their resolve and encouraging them with the cool, ever-flowing might of the people who look to Zenith's Shard-Bearers for their victory.

She sees them off with unspoken sentiments of love, confidence in them — the whispered promises that she knows they are ready to see the war through. And perhaps none of them will know that it is the last time they see her.

For in the sun-dappled sprawl of Springstar, their target awaits them.

The bustle of the city has always been without reservation; the bright and airy attitudes of militant citizenry look on with confidence and celebratory warmth as their Shard-Bearers have brought them to a marginal advancement over their enemies. While Tribune Cyrus's popularity has waned, there are alternative avenues they have begun to explore — the figure of Agapitos Voreen has become deeply popular, with savvy statements, an easy confidence and a willingness to deny Zenith any room to breathe, he is a shoe-in for future Tribune, whenever the next elections are held.

Which is why, in between one moment and the next, the city is rocked by the efforts of their opposition. Zenite-aligned Shard-Bearers and the small house armies of Yima's most loyal core families fill the streets with chaotic distractions, ranging from duels with the Helios Legionnaire to direct attacks on civilians. ( Where does your character draw the line, if they care to? Will it matter in the long run, do they believe? ) Appearing from several Cornerstones hidden within the city's confines from missions long past, tracking the movements of Legionnaires and Shard-Bearers alike from the placement of listening gems and tracking spells, even rising from the bowels of Kowloon to trap the city in a pincer movement — Highstorm goes on the offensive.

Springstar puts up a valiant resistance in return; however, within twenty-four hours, Zenite Shard-Bearers will have hunted down, cornered and slain the Tribune. In that moment, Meridian-aligned Shard-Bearers will feel a splitting pain: the suddenness of having an integral element of their power ripped from them, the sensation akin to being crushed, gasping under the weight of Zenith's swell. The last trickle of emotion from Cyrus for them is a gentle warmth, fondness and forgiveness and the purity of his confidence in them. He believes in them, he always has, and he prays and hopes for their victory even though he will not be around to see it become reality, now.

His death is announced the following day by his assistant Cetina, the deer-morph girl choking back angry tears as she — with a furious and tearful General Ayo Zaman and the somber, mournful figure of Hieropoios Natalia at her side — lambasts Highstorm for the act of aggression, attempts to rouse the city and Meridian's hope, and pledges that she will not let her best friend's murderers escape her vengeance.

Hours after Cetina's message, in the far corner of Highstorm — following the people's celebrations and rejoicing in their strike, the delight in the might of their Shard-Bearers and the renewed passions of their people in pursuit of their victory — a brilliant, golden beam of sunlight pierces the eternal night of the city.

In an instant, the balcony upon which Yima had stood and the rooms beyond it — in fact, the entirety of the Manor, is engulfed in fire and light. The Manor falls, crumbling in upon itself as debris cascades into the living quarters of Shard-bearers and partially topples into the Court beyond. While the Tree of Life, the Reflecting Pools and many businesses around the Court escape extensive damage, the Manor itself is in shambles. And in the wake, many Zenite Shard-Bearers will feel the suddenness of having an integral element of their power ripped from them, the sensation akin to being crushed, gasping under the weight of Meridian's swell. In the wake of the strike, there is a deep silence within them.

Any attempts to contact Yima are met with the same silence a Shard-Bearer feels when reaching out to another who has left the world entirely. And with that, both sides are left to pick up the pieces and weigh the consequences of their actions.

ADDITIONAL MATTERS

During ( and in the wake of both assaults ), there is plenty for any Unharmonized Shard-Bearers and more moderate Meris/Zenites to partake in. Damage has been wrought to both cities at differing times, and there is a degree of life lost no matter the best efforts of those who value innocents over the price enacted by acts of war.

In Springstar, the citizenry has been ravaged by attacks stemming from the depths of Kowloon: as monsters in the form of both individuals with unusual appetites (cannibals and vampires, for example) and heavily-drugged, superpowered addicts have been finding their way into the city, slaughtering civilians indiscreetly, picking fights with the Legionary, and engaging in general criminal mischief and violence. Following Zenith's assault and subsequent assassination, the city will be on high alert and be deeply hostile toward Zenith-aligned Shard-Bearers, as well as mistrustful towards any Unharmonized ( for good reason: they might still Harmonize with Zenith! ). After the day of the attack, the attacks drop off significantly, but do not vanish entirely, for now that some have gotten a taste, it will take time for Yura to reign them in once more.

The people of the city turn to their Shard-Bearers in the wake of their Tribune's murder; even though his popularity had waned, it isn't as though his death doesn't affect them! Deeply concerned and frightened for their future, they demand information about what will be done to protect the city from another assault like this? Some civilians will turn to the church, or perhaps community leaders, but it seems very few turn to the legionary, after they were so focused on the attacks that they missed the forest for the trees. Their trust in their military leaders is waning, and they’re looking for answer. Some community leaders have tried to soften the hurt and anger of Springstar’s people, but they look toward those whom were not a part of the current establishment to answers.

In Highstorm, Yima's Manor lays in shambles, but the rest of the city is unharmed. Shard-Bearers who were living in the Manor will find that their living quarters suffered from the collapse and subsequent fires, but any precious items/belongings they had in their rooms can be recovered after sifting through the rubble. One of Yima’s most trusted, Florence, seems to be taking the reigns of control, and while there are still pockets of the manor that remain on the outskirts of the building itself, she encourages any Zenites who had not moved out to move on quickly, since what is left should be used by any newcomers who need shelter, and not those whom have had the opportunity to make bonds, and have allies that they can rely on.

The main issue now plaguing Zenites is the sudden, overwhelming crowd that begins to gather in the Court, demanding information from them about Yima's safety — they are frantic, and rightfully concerned about further assaults of that incendiary degree from Meridian. The city will be on high alert and be deeply hostile toward Meridian-aligned Shard-Bearers, as well as mistrustful towards any Unharmonized ( for good reason: they might still Harmonize with Meridian! ). The Manor itself is almost entirely destroyed, with only a shell of the outskirts left, and though those who are left are already trying to sift through the rubble, they are often overcome by their sorrow, and it is not uncommon in the wake of Meridian’s destruction to find some of Yima’s most loyal in distress, for the loss of their leader.

A LIGHTHOUSE AGAINST THE ENCROACHING STORM

A few months ago, all current Shard-Bearers experienced a mass dreaming event, full of teeming darkness and a pervasive sense of terror. Following the death of Cyrus and the "presumed loss" of Yima, all Shard-Bearers will receive yet another dream.

This one is a simple, direct thing: rife with a haunting sense of being watched, observed as if from the reeds and brush by a hunter. Whatever your power level, however skilled you are and confident you are in your place, your decisions, your heart will quake before the severe impression of something prowling at your heels. Just out of sight, but never out of mind. Every Shard-Bearer's shard will wrench free of their body upon waking, falling from their physical form as if to flee this sensation of something waiting, patient, for the right moment to pounce.

Echoing in the back of their mind, a wordless, shapeless promise lingers: Forward, or back. Back, or forward. Dart and weave, flit and flutter, scamper and scurry. We are here, now. In the back of every mind, what was in the process of coming before is — it is here, now. Looming right above, waiting for the outcome, watching for which way the last lives at the end of existence will flee.

Upon awakening from the mass dream-become-nightmare, Shard-bearers will slowly become aware of the exacerbation of previous events that have been persisting since October. These events are no longer subtle, and will impact everyone regardless of faction allegiance, with purposefully targeted strikes:

— Darkness has spread within Springstar. Wherever there is shadow cast by person, object or building, it has deepened, darkened, and grown in size. Walking through any shadowed area or touching a darkened shadow will fill a Shard-bearer who enters that area with feelings of dread, of something lingering just out of sight, of danger prickling along their spine, and entice them to run and flee. If they are not quick enough, an unseen entity savages them — aiming directly for wherever their Shard is hidden and held. They are being hunted.

— Light has spread within Highstorm. Starlight and moonlight seem to sear what they touch, leaving patches of bleached-white scars upon person, object or building. Being touched by the light or coming into contact with a white-scarred entity will fill a Shard-bearer with feelings of malaise, like they should simply lay down and accept what comes next. Suffocating hands waiting to pin them down. Even in the safety of the shadows, the scourging glow of any light reaches for them and rakes across their bodies, seeking the place where their Shard is hidden or held. Ravaging them with hot-and-cold burns. They are being sacrificed.

— Shard-bearers readily become lost in familiar places, as if their homes and bastions of safety and security have become strange ( estranged? ) from their minds. The route to that favorite haunt ( perhaps even their own place of business ) eludes them, and searching for it alone becomes an impossibility. It takes another Shard-bearer, at times, to aid them in breaking free of the mild befuddlement. You're just tired. It's just the strain getting to you.

— Citizens of both Springstar and Highstorm continue to speak about neighbors who have 'suddenly moved away', or the disappearance of a favored shop or cafe. Some mention favorite, useful landmarks vanishing, causing them to forget where they are coming from, or where they are going. When directly asked about this circumstance, they shrug and declare that it happens all the time these days. In fact, there's nothing to really be done about it. And if pressed, the citizenry's eyes go glassy and expressions become confused as they ask who, what, where, and why their Shard-Bearer has begun asking them such strange questions. None seem bothered by this strange occurrence, as if all is well and normal.

— Shard-bearers will begin to see familiar faces in crowds, standing on street corners, peering through their private windows, waving them down at their familiar haunts. People from their own worlds, loved and hated alike rush for them — adoring and hostile alike. Family members and friends who seem to attempt to meet their eyes before the crowd swallows them up; loved ones who should be captured in Shards try to flag them down, calling their names and asking them where have you been? what's going on?; enemies and abusers seem to advance upon them, pushing their way forth hungrily. And then they are gone, but not before leaving behind the impression, the strange sensation that, they are real. Really there. If only for a moment.

OOC & (IMMEDIATE) WORLD CHANGES

The full document for this event can be found here!

So, what does the world look like now that this has all gone down?

The world of Kenos ripples from the effects of our players!

Springstar is (mostly) physically unharmed, though the population has been reduced thanks to the number of murders and criminal mischief that has taken place during the attack. Damage seems constrained to things like broken doors and windows, looted property, and murdered civilians, though the severity is up to how many defend Springstar from the concentrated might of Ryad’s regulars, and a practical army of addicts rising from the depths below the city.

The leadership of Springstar is also shaken, though there are procedures in place for this – if one is particularly studious, they will recall that this is not the first Tribune that has been assassinated, though it is the first in a long while – and the Church and the Legionary have stepped in to maintain the peace while elections begin to be arranged.

Cyrus’s body is interred publically at the Church in Heliopolis for a week after his passing, before his body is immolated during a service, his soul returned to the Tree of Life. Those who attend will feel the light of Meridian fill them, and their Discord may be reduced by one level thanks to the warm hope that fills them, even as they despair at the loss of their leadership. Meridian calls to its most loyal, and asks them to do what they do best, show hope and unending resolve, when things look to be their most hopeless.

Highstorm is another story. The destruction wrought is more property, but the number of people who were within the manor is difficult to count until a week or two after the destruction has been evaluated, and cleanup has begun. The loss of life is not devastating compared to what was leveled upon Springstar, but perhaps the most distressing is that Yima is not present. Florence reassures those in Highstorm with her calming, but firm presence.

With few of Yima’s softer adorations to be found, Florence instead pushes the faithful to muster their will and begin the recovery efforts. After all, they have long proven to have faith in Yima’s guidance, and they should believe in it now when it is difficult. It is not the first time their fortitude has been tested, after all.

Her words fill those in Zenith with a sense of calm resolve, and they may feel their distress and discord from this destruction alleviating slightly. Highstorm’s government works smoothly without Yima, and those who are interested in history will be able to see Florence’s name throughout the annals, as one that would guide Yima’s faithful when the matron was in convalescence, or respite. What Zenith does best, after all, is build something new when faced with destruction. Consider this a primer for your new world, to help bring the faithful back from the brink of their despair.

The unharmonized have a choice, as they so often do. This time, however, the stakes appear even higher than before. The cities are not as welcoming as they once were, and those that have not chosen are beseeched by the civilians of both Highstorm and Springstar. ‘Do you not understand what they’ve taken from us, and what they will in days to come? You cannot let this continue, standing on the sidelines. Imagine the ways in which you could help us,’ they beg, and it feels as though your neutrality will become increasingly inconvenient, as time goes on.

What can we expect next?

As the month of Pelu ( aka March ) dawns, you will begin to feel it. Something tugs at you.

Those who have lived through more than one will feel that anticipatory anxiety rise, as the next oracle is coming. Are you ready to fight to claim it, even when it feels so dark, and even when everything feels different, and harder? Do you look to the stars, and dream of your home? Or do you gaze outward, into nothing, and dream of what you will make from the ashes?

Anticipate the oracle in the coming month of Pelu, and to learn more about those that will step into the voids left by Cyrus and Yima.

And as always!

Questions can be directed here!

Individuals less-inclined to busy themselves with either effort, or looking for a way to gain a foothold/explore the world can report here for exploration attempts. We recommend examining the Kenos Wiki's Locations for ideas, if you don't know where to start. Or! Ask someone in the Discord Server for a recommendation, we have long-time players eager to help.

Lastly, remember that Cyrus and Yima will be a little occupied this time around, but anyone who might ICly have reason to contact them regarding the brewing troubles can do so here!

CODING

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ It's almost deja vu.

Subaru's slim, dark form, again accosted by one of the fiends preying on Springstar — but this time, the fiend hasn't fled, and the hard small of blood fills the air.

And this time, Gray lacks a friendly apron. Instead she bears a weapon: a huge, elaborate scythe that introduces itself in a lightning array of slashes that splits the flesh of the aggressor vampire into red canyons up and down his torso.

The vampire shouts in a rage, leaping backward to gather his wits and reassess. Gray plants herself in front of Subaru. She readies her scythe in two hands, facing the enemy with a hard vigilance that belies her small stature. The fact that the vampire is still standing is evidence enough that she can't let her guard down.

Without turning, Gray addresses Subaru in a low voice. ]

Are you alright?

[ Thanks to their shared Advocate nature, she can get a sense of his state of mind, but it never hurts to ask. ]

[ The weapon is new, large compared with Gray's stature — and with his own. Subaru takes in the sight in an instant of wide-eyed surprise, something that flickers between them before he can quite catch himself.

New as he is, he isn't quite accustomed to his emotions being conveyed to others without him first willing it. However, he does have the presence of mind to respond. ]

It isn't as bad as it looks.

[ He's simply gone a long time without feeding, and it makes his recovery sluggish. It's a poor combination with his weakened, unharmonized state... But Subaru still knows how to fight, which is more than can be said of the general population. ]

...But it seems I'm troubling you once again.

[ As polite as ever. It's a good sign, or at least enough of one to convince her that he isn't going to keel over and die while she isn't looking. ]

It's okay. If it wasn't you, it would be someone else.

[ The attacks are more than just spurts of aggression now. It's an all-out invasion, and the invaders will take as much as they can possibly get.

Gray lowers her stance, legs bunching, and then she bursts forward like a cannonshot with the disruptive force to match. This time, it's a single harsh strike that cleaves into the vampire like a stake driven the wrong way: the long blade of her scythe forces itself though a gap in his ribs, seeking to penetrate his heart from the side. She can hope that it's enough, but she's learned that vampires can be surprisingly tough. ]

[ Subaru opens his mouth to comment on her assertion, only to close it wordlessly instead. Predators are opportunists, Gray is right. It's an unfortunate truth that those who don't value the lives of others, when presented with a great many potential targets, will doubtless find one.

Gray's attacks are swift and sure, leaving the vampire's body to lurch unsteadily forward as legs struggle to support a punctured torso. Though he has observed that the local vampires aren't quite like himself and Kamui, across worlds some things are consistent.

If the heart doesn't work— ]

I...doubt the head can grow back.

[ His soft voice is still audible as the vampire stumbles, attempting to jerk the scythe out from where it has lodged between ribs. ]

[ Fighting vampires is grim work, she finds. They're too close to human to count them as monsters, but defy death in a way that makes them seem ungodly. Gray dislikes the feeling of butchery that can be necessary to ensure a vampire is dead, but as of late she hasn't had the luxury of an alternative.

At Subaru's suggestion, Gray sets her jaw and rips her scythe out of the (enemy) vampire's side. As he stumbles with the pull of it, Gray spins with the momentum of her scythe to deliver a hard, cleaving blow to his neck. ]

[ It's a deeply unfortunate thing, seeing the vampires here hunt and kill people, seemingly for the sport of it. Subaru can't say what is normal or average, but it isn't so in his world. Their prey is cultivated, soulless, but they don't kill them. What would be the point of such unnecessary brutality?

The vampire's head is cleaved free and it flies, tumbling into the debris-strewn street below moments later. Subaru's gaze lingers on it until it comes to rest, and the body collapses into more detritus littering the street. ]

So that much is the same here, then.

[ Subaru hadn't the strenght to use lethal force unharmonized, but he knew how and where to strike to make another vampire think better of attacking. ]

...Are you alright, Miss Gray?

[ Gray watches the vampire return to the earth with no satisfaction. There's still plenty of work to be done in the city. She turns back to Subaru, lowering her scythe as she approaches. ]

I'm okay. But you...

[ He's bleeding. But just as with his hand before, he doesn't seem to mind it. Again Gray is reminded of Liem and D -- the former's tolerance of pain, the latter's outward stoicism toward... well, everything. She might be able to write it off as Subaru just having a strong constitution, but there's something about him that keeps nagging at her. ~~It's the gothcore aesthetic.~~ ]

Subaru, I hope this isn't too forward, but... would you happen to be part vampire?

I—

[ Subaru blinks at her in wide-eyed surprise, and that might be an answer in its own right, albeit an incomplete one. It takes him the span of several moments to process the question, having never heard of being part-vampire and mentally wandering down the winding avenue of what that would even look like.

Apparently, it could look like him. While he'd met D, with his senses effectively dulled, Subaru couldn't discern what he was, save that he's both familiar with and wary of vampires. ]

Actually I'm a pureblood vampire, though none would know it to look at me now.

[ Except, of course, the aesthetic.

There isn't any particular sense of shame or reservation to his admission. Subaru has never reviled what he is, even though he must necessarily feed at some point. He and Kamui aren't like the monsters that attack people in the streets here, and he knows it. ]

I couldn't be certain of what the vampires here were vulnerable to, but in all my travels, I've known few creatures survive beheading.

[ It surprises her to hear that he's pureblooded; the full vampires she's met have been either highly thirsty for blood (Bloody Marie's) and/or rampaging across Springstar. There was also one more she met in her own world, but he was a special case...

Either way, it doesn't change her estimation of him being a nice and polite man. Just something to keep in mind, maybe even a relief given that it means he'll be more resilient than your average human. ]

I see... Um, there are accounts of vampires in my world being able to regrow their heads, so I suppose it depends.

[ More importantly-- ]

Is there something we should do about your bleeding?

[ Could he or Kamui regrow their heads...? Subaru doubts it, and he doesn't want to find out, for that matter. At least in the case of their attacker, the strategy had worked. He'd rather nothing happen to Gray when she had so kindly come to his rescue yet again. It would be difficult to bear such a thing.

It's a fleeting thought before he's reminded of his present state, green eyes flicking down toward his injuries. His lips form a pensive line as he considers the wounds. While superficial, they're nevertheless debilitating if untreated.

His priority, however— ]

I should bandage them. Were someone to consume my blood, they would change.

[ Kamui would doubtless disagree with Subaru confiding this given their history, but it's better that Gray be aware of that concern. There is no process to being turned by a born vampire. One need only ingest even a drop of their blood. No biting or draining or burying them — that was all as fictitious as being vulnerable to sunshine or garlic. ]

That being the case, I don't want to leave any lying around.

[ His priorities... Nevermind the way his vision swims when he tries to straighten. ]

[ Consuming vampire blood converts other people...? That's a surprising tidbit. She'd thought it the other way the around. She's beginning to think that she'll never know the straight facts on vampires (and dhampirs for that matter). ]

Then we'll also need to cleanse the blood you'd already spilled?

[ On the wall, that is. This is becoming a whole deal... But one step at a time. Gray hovers near Subaru when she sees his uncertain rise, just in case he tips over, and fishes out a handkerchief (plain except for a small embroidered flower in one corner) from inside her cloak. She offers its meager square foot of material, figuring it's better than nothing for now. ]

If you don't mind waiting, I can bring some water and something to wrap your wound.

[ It may be small, but Subaru accepts the handkerchief with a small, grateful smile. Gray's kindness is something he doesn't take for granted, and she's come to his rescue more than once now. And here she is, offering to bring supplies to help yet more.

Truly, he owes her a debt. As much as he's loath to impose, Subaru has to admit that he hasn't the means to tend to all of this himself. Knowing there are predators beyond vampires here as well, he can't even assure himself that no one would take interest in the blood he's shed. ]

I'm sorry for the trouble...but yes, I can wait.

[ He hesitates, however, when he considers the chaos around them. ]

Though if you see someone else in need, please prioritize them.

[ Of course he'd say that. She wonders why the vampire-blooded Shard-Bearers are all like this. ]

I will. Then, I'll be back soon!

[ With that, she hops right off. With apologies to the evacuated businesses in the idea, she gathers up a first aid kit, a small stack of towels, and a whole bucket of water. The water makes her return journey slower and more precarious, but her freakish balance and natural athleticism are as such that she hardly spills a drop as she jogs on back. How improbable, and how anime.

She does pause to intervene on the behalf of a harassed citizen, but she waves off their thanks so that she can keep on. It's about twenty minutes before she comes back into Subaru's view with towels and first aid kit bundled under one arm, and the bucket in her other hand. ]

I'm back...!

[ In the intervening time, it appears Subaru had one more would-be assailant, some creature he wouldn't know how to name. He hates to have to use lethal force, but in this case, the attacker ran headlong into a pipe he'd picked up in haste. He'd hardly done anything at all, and it speaks to the frenzied nature of those who have beset Springstar.

Or it could be that this was an addict overtaken by the effects of drugs, but Subaru doesn't know about those just yet.

The body is inert on the ground when he looks away from it toward Gray, and he offers her a wan smile. It's a relief to see her no more worse for wear than before, and it appears she had no trouble retrieving supplies. ]

You're quicker than I'd have expected, amid all this.

[ He'd approach her to help, but as it stands, he's endeavoring not to bleed on his surroundings more than he already has. ]

[ Even though it makes no difference, Gray hurries over in double time when she sees the body at Subaru's feet. ]

Someone else tried to attack you?! Goodness...

[ He's a magnet for trouble... but Gray can sympathize as a fellow easy-looking target. With internal apologies to Subaru, his fair looks and mild demeanor probably don't intimidate most people.

She glances at the body as she stops in front of Subaru, but swiftly turns her attention to the matter at hand. She tries offering the towels first...? ]

Would it help you to have a weapon?

[ She is remembering how he broke his hand when he tried to punch something last time. ]

I'm sure I must seem like easy prey...

[ Were he his normal self, Subaru would expect these creatures would sense that he's dangerous. Most beings with sensitivity to another's strength would pick that up about him or Kamui even at a distance, but right now he's small and enfeebled. It's a small wonder then that he'd be attacked.

At least he had managed to defend himself again, albeit by sheer luck.

He accepts the towel and... Immediately moves to dunk a corner of it in the bucket. The blood he'd left on the wall is his first concern. Priorities. ]

I always fought with my body before, but I have some familiarity with weapons.

[ Priorities?? Gray watches with surprise and a tiny amount of dismay as Subaru chooses to tend to the wall before himself. She would help, but it sounds like it would be bad news if she were to get some blood on herself and then accidentally ingest it somehow...

So all she can do is stand by. She sets the bucket down and stays on the lookout for any more attackers. ]

Then... maybe a weapon would be a good idea until you decide which side you'd like to Harmonize with? It might only get more dangerous from now on.

[ His priorities are terrible but usually that's what his twin's there to curb... Instead here Subaru is, swabbing his blood off of the wall with one hand while the other presses that poor handkerchief over the worst of his wounds. He's trying, really. ]

It may be for the best. That last attacker felled himself, rather than me doing much of anything.

[ All he'd done was hastily pick up an iron pipe so he could try to defend himself, and that creature's momentum had truly done the rest. It was lucky for him, but it goes to Gray's point: at this juncture, arming himself was likely the only way forward. ]

I'd gotten some fighting gloves, so at least I stopped breaking my hand [ it happened a handful of times, oops ] where it was avoidable, but without my regeneration, close combat is...messy.

[ He softens the nature of it, though the evidence is there and seeping into his clothes. ]

[ The last attacker... felled himself? Gray isn't sure how to interpret that. Even if accidents happen, it would be embarrassing beyond belief for someone to try to attack, only to trip and brain himself across the floor. But, she supposes, sometimes reality is stranger than fiction. ]

Would it help if you had some blood to drink?

[ She asks as if she were talking about a shot of espresso. She does have a bit of experience with vampire kin by now... ]

[ ~~Don't do drugs while on homicidal rampages, kids.~~

The suggestion makes him freeze, almost entirely too still. It actually isn't the first time someone has offered (because Flat is Flat), but Subaru has no better answer than he did then. ]

Under normal conditions it would, but... I can't say for certain in my current state.

[ It's a cautious answer, since he has no frame of reference for being altered this way. ]

[ I guess the El-Melloi Classroom is just this way...............

Gray studies his reaction, thinks of how hesitant Liem was as well. ]

I'm sorry if it was a strange suggestion.

No, not strange... It would be practical if I were as I normally am.

[ Subaru can admit this, even if he's terrible about potentially imposing upon others. He does his best to muster a reassuring smile, though it's brittle around the edges. ]

Normally I would be stronger that way, for a time.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

THE SOOT OF IGNORANCE: RISING ACTION

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