beleos: (Default)
beleos ([personal profile] beleos) wrote in [community profile] kenoslogs2023-01-13 05:00 pm

⏳ THE SCORCHING ISLE: Oracle Event One ⏳


ARRIVAL
All Bearers have heard whispers of them - the Oracles. Mysterious and unknown entities of an abstract nature, they serve as the heart of each faction’s cause - both as a means to an end and a very real stepping stone in achieving their objectives. To claim an Oracle means growing ever closer to victory: to see your homes restored as they were, or to herald in a new one of your making.

So you go.

A Cornerstone has been set up for each faction; one for the Zenith and one for the Meridian in Yima’s manor and Heliopolis, respectively. They warn you that upon transportation, your safety cannot be guaranteed and there is no telling what waits for you beyond - to be prepared. To make sure you have whatever you deem necessary with you before you go, as there is no telling when - or how - you will be coming back. CONTINUED HERE...

NOTES

  • Upon your arrival, you woke up with an HOURGLASS NECKLACE. Please refer to the Time Mechanics on the OOC Summary and bottom of this post for details on its usage.
  • The COURTYARD is frozen in time. Player Characters and the Great Tree are the only signs of moving, free life in the courtyard. During the intro, time magic does not work.
  • Characters are free to investigate but cannot move beyond the courtyard if you choose a prompt during the intro. You may mingle among your fellow Bearers or speak with [MR. TIBBS] if you so choose. (Also? LOOK AT HIM HELP)
  • Iconoclasts and Stargazers will notice Aspect benefits/detriments now.
  • All characters will be weak for the 24 hours - think like mild flu - and unable to leave until Mr. Tibbs has dispersed them. This is the time in which any threads with the NPC will be carried out.
  • The INTRO concludes with said dispersal of PC’s once interactions concluded. They will be sent to a location around the castle of your choosing; they are free to move about freely from here. Your prompts can start with you waking alone or in the presence of others - whatever you’d like!
  • Your character will innately understand how to use time magic from this point forward. It will come naturally to them, like a skill they were born with.


  • CASTLE: OVERVIEW (p a s t)
    The Scorching Isles is home to the Atirat, a people of sea-dwellers who have the ability to walk on land. (Think mermaids with the ability to shift back and forth between human and mermaid forms.) As such, much of the Scorching Isles is covered in large bodies of blue water and glistening pieces of ice to accommodate their lifestyle.

    THE CASTLE, however, is what dominates the landscape and it's where the Shard-Bearers will be spending their time. The white castle with colorful glass windows is obscured by a thick layer of clouds and fog. Nearly every location on the island has a thin layer of fog that rolls through it, which gives the entire Island an inescapable chill. The castle has artfully built rooms with a CAVALCADE OF DECORATIVE ICE, lavish mirrors, and white plants accented with blue decorations. Several portions of the castle are submerged due to the aquatic nature of the native residents.

    And everywhere you go, you find them - STATUESQUE BODIES FROZEN mid-movement. They are haunting reminders of the power in your Hourglass - the very real power to decide their fates.

    The castle has many winding paths to explore, as castles often do. There are sleeping quarters, HALLWAYS, a wine cellar, and a few large rooms presumably for diplomatic affairs. Players can use these rooms at their own leisure for whatever purposes they see fit. (Exploration, combat, or supply gathering.)

    However, many of these rooms will require some strategy to access their full potential! Atirat were much more comfortable being underwater than many Kenosians may be. Therefore, rooms of higher importance may be COMPLETELY SUBMERGED or require swimming through an underwater pathway to reach them. Very minimal supplies will be kept out in the open for all to reach. More desirable supplies - such as warm clothing, small weapons, treasure, and the like - will be located past or within one of these flooded areas.

    Players may gather supplies within and preserve their Sand or use their Sand to make other rooms accessible and gather whatever lies within! The larger the asset you attempt to unfreeze, the more Sand it costs - and the more drained/vulnerable you will be as a consequence, so choose your path ahead wisely.

    Currently, a pervasive fog is preventing you from wandering beyond the Castle's limits. Should you try to venture past it, your Sand will rapidly be stolen and you will find yourself suffering the same fate as the islanders if you don't move back to safety quickly... However, if you ask Mr. Tibbs what lays beyond the mist - he will tell you about the thriving farmland, the once-bustling village surrounding the castle, and the beautiful coral reefs beneath it. Sadly, they're beyond your reach - but maybe if the Bearers decide to unfreeze them when the week is up...

    LIBRARY (s a f e z o n e)
    The ROYAL LIBRARY - A treasure trove of knowledge, history, and glimpses of a fractured past scattered throughout. The lower floor of the Library is void of much reading material and contains several intricate-looking art pieces on decorative pedestals.

    A spiral staircase dominates the center of the room, with its once delicate structure overtaken by sheets of formidable ice; it leads you toward the upper levels where a sea of books awaits. There are isles and isles of books, most perched on intricately carved shelves. Many books lay in piles or are discarded onto the floor, and scattered papers are common throughout.

    Curious Kenosians may pick out books from the shelves and read on various topics, but players may also pass through this room on their way elsewhere. This area will function as a safe haven where violence and the taking of others' Sand is not allowed; do not disturb the books or Mr. Tibbs won’t be happy!

    NOTES

  • Characters who wish to receive a book with lore specific to the island may comment [HERE]. You will be RNGed a book from a pre-written list of topics. The books may give you a deeper look into the island, its inhabitants, and its history! (Only 1 book per player! Please assume all other books they read are about commonly-available topics.)


  • THE EATING PARLOR (p a s t)
    There are no basic amenities on the island. No hot water, no warm beds, and no salacious magazines (that you know of. heh heh). That would make the Eating Parlour a wise stop for anyone. After all, this could be the perfect chance to procure some provisions!

    The EATING PARLOUR has all the equipment one would need for meal preparation. Dried plants hang from the ceiling, and the walls are lined with mason jars filled with every strange manner of presumably edible thing (Is that a head over there? Hmm… maybe you should check).

    The parlour also comes with a garden under a massive windowed dome so that the inhabitants could have fresh produce at hand. Many plants have withered, but there are some salvageable plants if you know how to look for them. But beware… Some of the plants have a strange blue glow. These plants can spell potential disaster.

    If someone should make contact with these glowing plants, they will crumble into glass shards - glass that will quickly burrow its way under the skin and curse that person with Blight. Blight will make all resources within that person's vicinity slowly age and eventually crumble to dust. (Which I relate to on a personal level tbh.) Iconoclasts will be immune to its effects.

    NOTES

  • Please see the "Blight" section below for more information on its effects.


  • TREASURE ROOM (f u t u r e)
    Faint singing can be heard coming from this room. Once you hear the song, it dulls your senses and leaves you in a haze. There is no stopping your feet from guiding you to it through the doors and into the Treasure room. The door slams shut at your back, sealed with a wall of ice and magic.

    Players will find themselves lured to an icy chamber bordered by a ring of cold blue fire. There is a deep pond that surrounds the platform you’ve found yourself standing on. Beyond its glassy surface and crystal clear water, one can glimpse all manner of treasures - from crowns, jewels, ornate statues in various statues of repair, scepters, spears, and books that seem impervious to the water's cold chill.

    As you come to your senses, you will find yourself frozen in place and at the mercy of a large statuesque being before you. This beautiful and horrifying figure in a perpetual song is the SIREN, the only Atirat you’ve seen in person. She measures nearly 20 feet (6 meters) from her head to the tip of her long-finned tail. She cradles an icy shard in her arms, singing to it as if it were a child.

    She sits serenely in front of a large hourglass filled with white sand, which is bordered by a spear and a lance. Emblazoned in faint text at the base of where she sits reads: “The future lies in our hands.”

    NOTES


    Welcome to the Siren’s Chamber! Players must use their wit, charisma, or some good ol' fashioned elbow grease to escape the room or break the Siren’s magic. The Shard that the Siren holds contains dormant time magic that players may activate by using the Sand within their necklace. Players can access the future in 5-second intervals and use whatever they find in that time period to escape their predicament.

    For example, if they activate the shard by using their time magic, that shard will begin to glow blue. The room around them will shift, and it could change to a point in the future where there is a sword nearby. If you can grab it, now you have a weapon! When the 5 seconds are up and time returns to the present, you will still have that weapon on your person. You may also try verbal communication if you’d like. If your character is someone who would try and talk their way out of a situation diplomatically, they may give it a try!

    It is up to player discretion/creativity to think of a scenario you’d like. Each “future" does not have to be the same across player encounters! What one group experiences may be tailored to the player wants (because branching timelines exist). Let your imagination run free!

    HALL OF MIRRORS (p r e s e n t)
    Should you reach the rightmost wing of the massive castle Library, you will find a door hidden in the very back of one aisle against a wall; it looks as though the door used to be concealed by magicks that have since dissolved.

    The stairwell leads down and into darkness. Once you reach the bottom, shimmering light cast from an unknown source beneath sheets of glistening ice will illuminate your new surroundings; you are in a maze of mirror-like ice. This labyrinth is silent save for the quiet creaking of shifting ice that may disquiet you and leave you uneasy regarding the stability of this area… but it holds beneath your feet.

    Mr. Tibbs had told you that the “Kaleidoscope” - where your Sand is counted - rests through here, so eventually, you must brave the journey. Is it a trick of the light? Maybe the product of an especially active imagination…?

    Did you just see one of your reflections move without you?

    NOTES

  • Please refer to the OOC Summary for details on the Hall of Mirrors!


  • THE BLIGHT and TIME MECHANICS

    BLIGHT

  • Blight is an infliction that will age supplies and infect people with a creeping disease that steals their Sand. For objects, this includes weapons, food, and items like cloth. It will take a few days to deteriorate things beyond use - so watching your supplies and acting accordingly is in your best interest. Generally, it will make it more difficult for PC's to get by given that their already scarce resources will dwindle and deteriorate - especially since it's 'contagious' through touch.
  • The Blight will not act quickly enough to severely hamper infected persons, but repeated exposure will cause effects to a person's body - notedly protruding VEINS in the face and extremities, a lower body temperature, and increased agitation. These effects start out mild and grow more severe with each 'dose.'
  • Characters must touch an object/person that is Blighted to become inflicted with Blight themselves. When that happens, it will become easily identifiable as Blighted from the faint blue, shimmering outline around the infected subject, as well as the WITHERED, FROSTBITTEN or ashy appearance it takes as it progresses.
  • However, there is one single perk with Blight. (Or is it a perk?) Players will feel reduced impact by the cold surroundings, making the climate around them somewhat more hospitable. Beware of falling victim to a chill you can't feel...
  • TIME

  • To use your Sand, each character is granted access to and innate knowledge of a spell they channel from their Shard that automatically manipulates their Hourglass. This allows the remote control of Sand (aka gathering and dispersing), as well as the ability to pull Fragments of time from Shards.
  • Fragments are literal pieces of you taken from your Shard. They manifest as memories or images displayed on little shards of broken glass (think of the memory being played out in real-time on the mirror's surface), and can be crushed to convert into Sand automatically, either voluntarily or by force. The only stipulation is that the parties must be close to one another, and the Fragment must be exchanged while both Bearers are still. This means someone has to give it to you, or you need to immobilize them before you take it - one way or another.
  • Once the Fragment is crushed, the memory and associated time of that person's life is lost and your character will suffer amnesia until the Oracle is claimed. How deep this goes is up to you; they could lose a large chunk of time - even all their memories surrounding a person or place for a big payload of Sand, or they could lose very little for a meager net gain.
  • Sand is automatically gathered or distributed by your Hourglass and added/subtracted to your running total. No need to micromanage. Convenient!
  • Please note that using Sand to unfreeze anything (resources, a door which can be then opened, etc) is an unpleasant experience. Each time you use Sand in this way, your character will be left feeling weakened and flu-like for an hour or two, which will leave them vulnerable. This effect stacks and scales up to outright KO-ing them for a few hours if they go crazy, so unfreezing too large of an area is off the table!

  • NOTES
    • An OOC POST will be coming shortly explaining how Sand is going to be tallied and the Oracle claimed.
    • Should your character attempt to unfreeze any NPC's, please respond [HERE]. NOTE: unfreezing NPC's may result in physical violence with CW's for severe mental instability/illness and a potential reference to self-harm.
    • HAVE FUN!!!
    CODING
    shisho: (pic#16114626)

    RHGHGD IT WOULD BE THIS PROMPT

    [personal profile] shisho 2023-01-15 04:38 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ The room must have nearly two dozen Atirat in it, the majority of them clustered in the far side of the room; small, young figures he's tucked pilfered blankets around. On the backs of several of the Atirat's hands, are dark marks made by some sort of marker or paint -- corresponding marks are on one, maybe two other Atirat. An estimation of relationship, maybe? The faces of at least one of the adolescent fish-people and an adult strongly resemble one another, after all. Who's to say they're not related, until the moment they're awoken from their time locked state.

    Reigen stands in the midst of them, expression flicking between mild exasperation ( damn, someone did follow him -- no, it would have happened eventually ) and something makeshift and genial building in the corners of a neutral smile. It would be one of the other Zenith-loyalists who found their way to him, and he's feeling pretty upset that Amos didn't get stuck in the section of crumpled wall like P**H Bear. He could have dealt with that, but instead he's staring down a guy who might as well be a tank, and one he doesn't know the priorities of.

    So, he does what he does, and shifts his grip on the pot as he strolls forward. Closer to Amos, but not too close, only so that he's the closest individual to the guy, and not one of the scattered Atirat forms. ]


    They're going to be hungry once they're free.

    [ And he tilts the steaming pot. He's gonna feed all these fish bitches, Amos. ]

    I asked you something, too. You gonna' rat me out for this?
    kenosevents: (Default)

    [personal profile] kenosevents 2023-01-15 04:52 pm (UTC)(link)
    As it so happens, when you turn the page there will be a little note on the bottom right:

    Bah! Just you wait until I perfect my hair tonic.

    You understand that I see through time and you decide to squabble with me. No useful questions? Nothing?
    hauntedking: (09)

    iia

    [personal profile] hauntedking 2023-01-15 05:11 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ Dimitri's week could be better, but he's still trying. He's never one to just quit. He's on his way toward the hall of mirrors when he hears a commotion and hurries forward - just in time to see the two come rolling out in a full on fight! ]

    Matsui-!

    [ He gapes for a moment and then tries to lunge forward to try and separate the two. What on earth is going on? ]
    hauntedking: (06)

    2

    [personal profile] hauntedking 2023-01-15 05:13 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ Dimitri notices Teacher as he passes through the courtyard. He knows the other, if only barely, and he pauses to watch him. He's still, like a statue, like one of those others frozen in time. It's odd to think about. But - is he alright? Dimitri approaches after a moment and is slightly relieved to see the other stir. ]

    Business? The same as everyone else here, I imagine. I saw you and you seemed... very still. So I thought I would check in on you.
    hauntedking: (15)

    [personal profile] hauntedking 2023-01-15 05:15 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ Dimitri knows this is going to be a strange, different sort of situation. The two factions are competing now, but he hopes it won't come to violence or anything of the sort. At least not yet. He's deep in his own thoughts and so he almost misses a familiar face as he comes into the library, his cloak wound tightly about him. Then he pauses, mid-stride, his good eye wide.

    He turns toward him with a beaming smile and a sense of immense relief and joy in his voice.
    ]

    Professor! You're here!
    prizeneck: (2)

    [personal profile] prizeneck 2023-01-15 05:17 pm (UTC)(link)
    Oh, he's going to put that info in his back pocket.

    Can he unlock or find some sort of medical logs lying about? Or the medical tools that had been used just before everything went Elsa?
    subsist: (pic#15626859)

    i.

    [personal profile] subsist 2023-01-15 05:23 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ Kaeya is just going to let him go on and on and on. It's funny, okay!! ]

    My, what a convenient thing to find. I'm sure many others will appreciate the increase in stamina.
    fishfearme: (Default)

    [personal profile] fishfearme 2023-01-15 05:27 pm (UTC)(link)
    [Byleth had been observing the blond man that had passed him surreptitiously, feeling a strange sort of familiarity. He looked a lot like King Dimitri - if King Dimitri had lived in the woods as an isolated hermit for several years, and picked a fight with a bear and skinned it at some point - and that familiarity in an otherwise unfamiliar world had him, embarrassingly, somewhat fixated. While he had been in Kenos for only a short while, he could admit he felt a little adrift in this strange place. He had never been anywhere without Jeralt nearby to guide him, or tell him who their client was, or their next mission.

    So, he saw the exact moment the possible-King Dimitri spotted him and... looked strangely overjoyed?

    ......ah. This was the situation with Claude again, wasn't it? Byleth internally floundered for a moment, wondering how to navigate this situation, before deciding simply diving in and letting it all sort itself out eventually would be best. The man looked so happy to see him, he'd feel bad if he blurted 'wrong Byleth' to him right off the bat. He had enough social tact to know that would go down poorly.]


    Dimitri. [he was guessing??? Please let this be Dimitri and not his feral-looking twin brother who somehow knew him.] You're here.

    [Yes, he just parrrotted his words back, go easy on him he's still paging through Socialising With Your Peers 101]
    subsist: (pic#15626813)

    wildcard.

    [personal profile] subsist 2023-01-15 05:34 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ A piece of him is missing, he knows.

    Kaeya has spent a considerable amount of time wondering what it could be. He's searched every corner of his mind, looking through all the fragments of the past, but both the precious things and the worst things seem intact. Nothing appears to be out of place. Despite confirming this, he knows that something is wrong. Gone. Out of his reach and unable to be returned.

    (What is it about this place? It reminds him so much of Mondstadt's shores, but thinking so makes his heart ache in ways he can't understand—)

    To distract himself from this, he peruses the library's impressive collection of books. There's something wrong on this island, a secret unlocked somewhere that is waiting to be discovered, and he wants to know what it is. If it would help them with the Oracle's retrieval, then he'll do whatever it takes to get it.

    Of course, thinking so is quite different from acting upon it. It will surprise him more if he doesn't hesitate when the time comes to finally draw the line in the sand. ]
    kenosevents: (Default)

    [personal profile] kenosevents 2023-01-15 05:46 pm (UTC)(link)
    The scattered pages are from a variety of different sources. They're not going to be anything too fantastical since we wanna keep the lore-specific unlocks one per person, but assume they are innocuous things like blank paper, food wrappers (?), or single pages that you could find from books on common subjects.

    As for a book of your very own...

    Claude will wander the aisles of books with colorful backings and splendid lettering. Which one is he to choose? The book that looks beat-up and old seems like a good place to start. Surely that has a history to it.

    Upon opening this leather-bound book, Claude will find notes written by a neat hand. They catalog food production around the kingdom on certain dates. The beginning of the notebook looks extremely dire. There is no way that the amounts here could sustain a large population. All of a sudden, as if by magic, the amounts increase exponentially. It's enough to support a kingdom and then some.

    At the divide, there is a note that mentions some "trial" with "time magic" to increase crop yields. It seems as though the creator of this document would like to use this to prove that the time magic trials were successful.
    liuli: (293)

    [personal profile] liuli 2023-01-15 05:48 pm (UTC)(link)
    holy shit im screaming i cant believe that worked oKAY

    he will write back!!

    Shouldn't you know that already?
    Kidding.

    I do agree with you; the future is too malleable, so a question from the past.
    The little otter creature said this place has been frozen like this for some time.
    Do you know why that is, Mimsy?
    kenosevents: (Default)

    [personal profile] kenosevents 2023-01-15 05:54 pm (UTC)(link)
    HELLO

    Purifying food and drink will work on the island according to the description in the ability info. However, it doesn't seem to be able to cure the Blight here. :(
    kenosevents: (Default)

    [personal profile] kenosevents 2023-01-15 06:01 pm (UTC)(link)
    1.) The Hall of Mirrors will have mirrors that stretch from floor to ceiling, yes. They are in odd shapes sometimes, with some bowing a little at the top or bottom. Ultimately a bird could not fly over them.

    2.) I don't think there is a limitation on magic, but there may be some difficulties within the safe zone. I'll have to clarify and get back to you on this one.

    3.) Ask Mr. Tibbs about whatever you want! Live your best life.
    oomfies: (✨ giveaways.)

    mirror mirror

    [personal profile] oomfies 2023-01-15 06:02 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ There's one knock, then two. Lottie hears it faintly in the distance — close enough for her to pursue the sound but far enough for her to happily ignore it. Which, she does, at first. It's easy for her to tune out things she doesn't want to deal with when she's got a mirror in front of her, her one best friend across all universes (yes, she is indeed checking out how her ass looks). Then she hears a voice she's mostly heard in her head and perks up, tears her eyes away from her reflection.

    She's easily torn away, devoid of her usual heels and wearing an outfit that's stupidly practical (pants, she's wearing pants with lots of pockets, if only Esther could see her now..). And when she turns the corner, she sees Mamoru on the tail end of that 'fuck', remembering: oh yeah.. He can't see his reflection.

    ..He can't see, she thinks gleefully, as she takes out her glasses and perches them on the bridge of her nose. He lingers in front of the ice longer, and she catches his reflection smile. Aw, how cute! He's probably just.. She doesn't know, imagining how to be friendly, maybe. Sadly, Lottie's decision to follow straight after Mamoru means she doesn't quite catch how his reflection lingers. Or how it travels alongside her, shifting along the ice with practiced ease. ]


    Behind you.

    [ She figures speaking out loud would be kinda weird, since it's so quiet. And he probably already knows she's there, anyway, so she decides he can definitely deal with a teeny, tiny, communion. She picks at the stray ends of her braid, keeping her eyes on the back of his head — oh, wait, no, she's definitely looking at her reflection again, gaze clearer with her glasses on. She tugs the collar of her turtleneck higher, ]

    Not in a spooky way or anything!
    joyd: (✝ what have we done to each other?)

    [personal profile] joyd 2023-01-15 06:12 pm (UTC)(link)
    [It is incredibly cold. Tyki had not expected the chill, and while he's resilient to most elements by a matter of nature and self-will, this is different. It doesn't seem to carry the same worldly impact he's used to; it's almost unnatural how it bleeds beneath skin, solidifying in muscle and bone. Worse, he can feel the presence of Joyd shifting restlessly beneath the barrier of his mind, clearly agitated — and his scars are burning in direct protest to the heavy burden of moving around in this place.

    It's not an ideal situation in which to find himself.

    Perhaps that's why he's in a bad mood. Or a reckless mood. It's a game they've been cast into, that much is clear to Tyki, and he's competitive enough to wish to win it. So when he enters the room and sees the hourglass, crowned by several hands frozen in time, the goal sets itself.

    Yet he's not alone. Tyki's eyes flicker over to the other man, surveying, unable to quite mask the dark smirk that warps his lips. An opponent at last? The Pleasure in him is almost consumptive, overwhelming, at the thought.]


    Finders keepers, eh? You sound pretty confident you can stop me. [It's only then that he notices the ice in that hand, calling to mind a couple of conversations now, as well as a familiar voice. Tyki's brow arches.] ... Hold on. Are you that frosty one? In that case, it seems we're on the same side.
    prizeneck: (30)

    Library

    [personal profile] prizeneck 2023-01-15 06:20 pm (UTC)(link)
    [With a book in his hand, he goes searching for this magical otter who he had spotted floating about before. The way he introduces himself is with a scoff:]

    So, should I be calling you Sir Tibbs, instead?
    oomfies: 𝑜𝑜𝓂𝒻𝒾𝑒𝓈 (🧨 glamping.)

    iia!!!

    [personal profile] oomfies 2023-01-15 06:42 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ It's hissed through clenched teeth — ]

    I'm wondering why you aren't wearing any pants..

    [ Lottie may look especially upset, but it's only because the bruise blooming at her abdomen is being poked and prodded at by Caren's cold fingers (it feels kinda nice, cold instead of warm, but it still makes her squirm in her seat). She's fresh from a particularly messy scuffle in the Hall of Mirrors, body idly shaking and fingers throbbing on her bad hand (the one with all her nails still growing back — that might take longer, now). She's got a couple of scratches, some tiny punctures into her skin, and an achy head.. Sure would explain the blood drying into one of her braids! ]

    And how you aren't wearing any pants!
    wolof: (Kneel)

    [personal profile] wolof 2023-01-15 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ The heel of her boot echoed along the hall, in this chill hall of ice and light, she stepped toward the sound of...commotion. Well, not quite commotion, it was... sound. As she walked -- as her reflection started to join in the repeated ones here -- she took stock of the myriad of lives stretched out before her. It was pure instinct, of course, that led her to look at these lives before her, like she could divine a story from it. The young man from humble beginnings, the noble in a fine robe, and the shrouded one who spoke to the boy on this side. The real side.

    She wondered if he noticed her? She stopped, some meters away, and listened, for the mirror was not wrong, but neither was the boy. After all, where would a pattern come from, if not repeated history?
    ]

    Neither of you are truly wrong, you know.

    [ She said, with all of the confidence of a woman who went where she wished and said what she wished. She looked toward the mirror, her own golden eyes flashed in the dim light, and the red of her chevalier's jacket nearly glowed in the reflected light. ]

    But really, it's only been a few weeks, dear. Even I, resolute in my direction, took that long to harmonize. Could we not give him a little slack?

    [ She says it, but she waits, coiled. Would this one lash out too, like her own had? ]
    cutlery: ('stralian etiquette)

    [personal profile] cutlery 2023-01-15 06:45 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ There’s a displeased little frown as Anders brushes him off and ranks him with the common variety of demon… But the displeasure shifts to a little sigh instead as he continues. He nods simply, and it comes with a half shrug. ]

    …Well, I shall not deny that. It is not possible for me to manifest in the realm of man without a sacrifice first being given. It is the fare for the crossing, though that is not a toll I personally collect.

    [ He waves a hand dismissively since while here in Kenos it’s not any problem to get into the specifics behind summoning demons as it would have been at “home”, he has a guess that this man isn’t exactly interested. And besides, it’s not as interesting as it seems. It amounts to demonic tax collection. ]

    Though it is not relevant here, I shall say. My former master paid the price a few years ago at this point, and clearly the powers that be do not particularly mind if I am unbound so.
    subsist: (pic#15626827)

    [personal profile] subsist 2023-01-15 06:47 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ Kaeya is ready to fight tooth and nail for the Hourglass if he must. It hardly matters to him if his opponent is powerful. He's faced a terrible dragon once before— little else can faze him. If it's a matter of losing the Oracle to the Meridian, then it's obvious what his next actions will entail, regardless of how much of a disadvantage he's in.

    However, upon the revelation that this man is Tyki Mikk, his demeanour shifts minutely. An amused smile blooms carefully on his lips. ]


    Is that so? Then, you better make yourself useful.

    [ He isn't about to let his guard down just because he's with an ally. Trust is a precious commodity that he isn't willing to give up, especially when he knows little else about the motivations of other Zenites. There's no telling when one will stab him in the back so he gets right to work before the other can say much else.

    A bright, blue hue gathers around the ice in his hand, forming a bigger spike. He approaches the clustered group, and without warning, he drives the spike right through the shoulder of one of them. It's there that the ice spreads outwards, a slow crawl that will gradually freeze the helpless Atirat and those right next to him.

    He's just making it easier to break those hands, okay? ]
    cutlery: (suddenly i'm a satanist...)

    me too it's my fav side chapter bc it's so stupid,

    [personal profile] cutlery 2023-01-15 06:53 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ oh then matsui is not going to love the answer to his question, ]

    …Well, I do not know? I do not believe it is literally my blood being heavy. [ Though it’s said with a questioning tone since between not understanding human physiology all that well and ~magic~, sure, maybe it is. Who knows. ] I certainly do not feel thirst or hunger. Human food has done nothing for me in the past since this form is not subject to their limitations, luckily.
    sharmat: ▸ NEVER KNOWING WHAT THEY DEMANDED (pic#12926450)

    @ emet-selch

    [personal profile] sharmat 2023-01-15 06:53 pm (UTC)(link)
    With the library off-limits to quarrelling beyond verbal disputes growing more and more likely to occur with every passing day, this is where Voryn spends most of his time. While he would never shy away from battles, a sorcerer and swordsman of influence in his home province, they are far from his specialty. He would prefer to be left alone with a compelling book; to hell with the doppelgangers and the courtyard brawling when there are mysteries to uncover.

    So, he stands alone in warm robes and reads.

    Emet-Selch isn't recognized as being from one faction or the other but is instead picked out as the best-dressed Shard-Bearer among a small but growing group of Shard-Bearers. They're intent on resting; the day has been long and he supposes they deserve it for making it back here. As long as they don't interrupt his private conversations, they may do as they please.

    "I don't suppose you've found anything interesting," Voryn comments over his shoulder, filing one tome away to pick another whose spine is written in indecipherable text. "While I've found common scrawlings about this and that, they aren't as useful as they would be with context."
    zauneyete: (You called it a What?)

    [personal profile] zauneyete 2023-01-15 06:57 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ Silco's invisible steps were silent. It is... infuriating that no matter how quiet, how untraceable he is, these mirrors seem to know where he is. Even if there is no reflection there, even if there is no sign of him, he is still found. What good is the sneaking around, what good is an ability that should give him this advantage, if there are so many who can see him? As if he were striding down the Lanes with not a care in the world?

    His steps paused, as he looked about, for the mad creature -- the one that had dramatically tried to save the tree, and that would be what he was talking about, wasn't it? That hatred in his heart?

    Heh. It would be something, if he could instill such hatred. But then again... perhaps he could, with the right nudge, hm? He stepped deeper into this place, pulled out his knife -- the one that he'd retrieved invisibly from the tree a day later -- and flicked the blade open.
    ]

    Why would I help you allieve it? Why not let that fester, for what is hatred if not motivation?

    [ He continued forward, invisible. He did not drop it, even if he thought it useless at the moment. ]
    cutlery: (smoke brisket not crack.)

    [personal profile] cutlery 2023-01-15 07:03 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ His smile increases by just a touch as she says his “name”. He’s honestly a little surprised that she’s still using it since he doubts she hadn’t heard what his “real” one was at this point. He won’t correct her, though. It’s an amusing little habit, and besides, there’s an extra layer of delightful irony considering that name’s usual association. ]

    A lie? Goodness, it is nothing of the sort. It is always a pleasure to see you. [ His gaze turns purposefully towards her hands as he looks at her tense knuckles. ] Though clearly, not a sentiment returned. I am hurt.

    [ That’s the lie, and it’s obvious with the cloying sweetness of how he says it. And, well. The fact that even with their limited interactions, it’s probably obvious that he’s not a creature that exactly feels “hurt”. Sebastian looks back to her face as he folds his hands neatly and primly behind his back. ]

    We have not spoken since our thoughts were forcibly joined. [ As far as she knows, at least. ] How have you been faring?
    zauneyete: (Put threaten children on my schedule)

    [personal profile] zauneyete 2023-01-15 07:13 pm (UTC)(link)
    Sure does.

    [ He says, even as the sole of Heine's boot caught him in his middle mass, but he shrugged it off. He may be older, but he was still a kid from the undercity, where back-alley brawls had been commonplace, and the man took it like a champ. His body materialized out of nowhere, coming into view. Silco looked... really much the same as he had that day in the Below. The white streak in his hair, makeup that covered the worse of his scars, a long trenchcoat and fine clothing, gloves to cover both his contract mark and to keep from getting too close -- the only difference was the soft pair of leather boots, in contrast to the finger ones he'd worn before.

    His lips curled in a tight smile.
    ]

    No offense, but I'm going to need your sand. [ A beat, he took several steps back to get out of the way of that boot. ] Oh, I'll leave you enough to function, don't fret too much.

    [ He started to move in a circle, waiting, more a coiled viper than someone trying to make a deal. ]