⏳ THE SCORCHING ISLE: Oracle Event One ⏳

[beleos]

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

Comments

[ragou]

[ The sheer power Matsui would have if he walked around demanding they let him hug them to save their lives. Douman, on the heels of considering the pros and cons of tipping Matsui into the water, debates the pros and cons of letting Matsui believe that this is a viable option.

Conclusion: Let's Not. Not because it's just a stupid idea in general, but because Douman can foresee people actually benefiting from this. Gross.

What Matsui comes up with is better, anyway, because it is both absolutely banal and incredibly absurd???? Again, Matsui is Douman's favorite person. It's like watching an alien amongst them...or, perhaps, like communing with a mountain spirit when he was actually a decent onmyouji. When he laughs this time around, it actually sounds genuinely bemused and amused. ]

Ahー calisthenics! [ Clapping... patronizingly.............. ] Mmm, mmm, what a fantastic idea! [ IS IT??? ] Please, do demonstrate, this ill-informed monk hasn't the faintest idea of what something like that would entail!

[ then why dID YOU SAY IT WAS A GOOD IDEA, douman is whack ]

[youngprodigy]

Whatever else the false specter would say is cut off with the shattering of the mirrors. The noise is enough to snap Cid out of his stupor, hands going up protectively around the back of his neck. There's a silence after the spell is cast, and Cid looks around him pensively. "Did... did you break the enchantment?"

The mirrors around them look cracked and broken, with pieces of ice scattered about the hall.

Emet-Selch's double had been as vicious as his, and Cid casts the other man a hard to read look before he slowly stands, visibly shaken.

[ragou]

[ Wary and lupineー those are the words Douman attributes to Amos, once the stranger opens his mouth again. The rapidfire rundown of their current situation (freezing, starving, being humored by an animal) inspires something twisted and amused; it really is so ridiculous, isn't it, the situation they've found themselves in.

This is what they are: lucky enough to have survived the apocalypse, stupid enough to have accepted the terms of their salvation, and pathetic enough to have scrambled here for their lives.

It's all a farce. Them, the gods, the universe. ]

Ah, of courseー a moment, if you will.

[ The paper doll glides smoothly from Douman's palm to the scatter of fractured glass, and releases a gust of wind that rolls the pieces to an inconspicuous edge, away from immediate contact. A magnanimous thing for Douman to have done, he thinks; it might've been another experiment in itself, hiding and waiting for someone to chance upon those shards, to see what happens when glass meets skin.

Oh well. He turns on his heels to face Amos properly, and smiles. ]

I find it all very interesting, how calm most of us Shard-Bearers seem to be. Most trials like this would drive one to the brink of insanity, and yetー it seems so banal to most.

fog

[exhound]

[Having had enough of scouring the hallways of the castle for a while, Vander turns his attention back to the outer grounds for a change of pace. Not that there’s much to find out there, really—aside from the courtyard they’d all woken up in, all that fog is doing a great job of keeping the place boxed in. He has half a mind to do a lap around the place, just to be thorough, when he catches a glimpse of someone making a foolhardy—and loud—attempt at climbing up to the roof.

By the time Vander hits the staircase to get himself to the upper wall and close enough to get a look, the mystery climber has already made his way to the top. He doesn’t even notice the book at first, only realizes the thing had nearly gotten stepped on when that call gets him to take a glance around. He bends down to pick the book up, tapping the spine of it against his other palm idly as he turns his attention up to its owner.

There’s a flash of recognition on his face when he finally gets a look at the kid. The ‘choom’ really should have tipped him off.]

Got yourself a good view up there?

[ragou]

Hm? Hmmm?

[ Bureaucrats are freaks, Douman agrees, but Sebastian's easy transition into offering his own hide for the sake of juicy desk-warmer gossip is slightly unexpected. He doesn't doubt that Sebastian isn't quite normal, in the conventional sense (still trying to feel out if the "s" in "servant" is lowercase or capital), but for him to bring it to light in this context is...

...surprising? Mm, not quite. Maybe Sebastian really is the altruistic type. Douman's brow hikes, but his smile remains largely amiable. ]

My, my! Would you truly risk your comfort for the sake of my curiosity, Sebastian-dono?

[ A hand flies up to his mouth, a perfect picture of theatrical scandal. ]

your wish is my command

[gravings]

[ Atsumu's flailing happens to lightly smack Doppelgray in the face, thus engaging her enemy sensor. She immediately switches gears and pounces on him as he tries to get away, trying to get him in a headlock.

Meanwhile, Gray notices and is forced to drop her impractically large scythe so that she can try to pry Doppelgray's arms away from Atsumu's neck. Given how strong Gray (and thus Doppelgray) is capable of being, she knows instinctively that it's truly a matter of life or death; she has no breath to waste on explaining things to Atsumu as any slip in concentration, even a second's worth, could mean a snapped neck. Though given her inability to put an immediate stop to Doppelgray's efforts, maybe it will feel like she's trying to strangle Atsumu too......... ]

[lachtara]

"Never did I think that there would come a time in which I would be the 'spry' one between us." At least he can have some humor about the situation. Even if the sudden onset of exhaustion has made him nothing but concerned since their arrival.

Emet-Selch reaches into the breast pocket of his warm jacket and offers his friend some bread he'd managed to retrieve from the Eating Parlour. "I don't imagine it will make much of a difference in your condition, but we should not tempt fate into making it worse."

[passio]

[ not once has dextera ever seen him like this.

gen has been many things in dextera’s presence, and dextera in kind, but that fading desperation is an unwelcome novelty. he had seemed willing, once, to die, but dextera knows that dying alone is far from the way either of them would want to go. ]

…—

[ dextera probably wouldn’t say anything even if he could. the doppelgänger clearly already knows he’s here and dismissed any concern about it. the best thing he can do now is to just go.

he’s not going to use his sword on the doppelgänger, at least not until it seems necessary. he barely wants to use his hands, knowing that it’s gen, but he’s been on the receiving end of gen’s strength and he knows what he can do. he’ll treat this like any other encounter and hope the mirrors haven’t enhanced anything.

closing the distance, he grabs the false gen by the back of his collar, yanking hard. the slight gap of height between them means it’s not the most comfortable angle for his arm, but what it is is proof that someone has come for gen. ]

[ragou]

Mmmm...

[ SOOYOUNG... Douman was prepared to make a comment on the benefits of being well-read, and is hit with this blindside. Damn.

Confusion first, and then: ] The "Strongest Onmyouji"... who exactly was it, if I may ask?

[ Pathetic Beta Male Question ]

[sanguinary]

[No one should ever have to worry about being normal in the presence of Matsui Gou, resident alien, but the effort would probably be appreciated if he knew about it...

For now, he just nods in agreement because yeah! He's seen what happens when one person or a group of people hold too much of that kind of power and it always ends in [redacted]. Bad. He would very much like to not be a part of any wildass experiment about timestreams or time magic or collective consciences or anything else, thanks.

As for Anders' surprise party full of spirits:]

I have been a spirit since the day I was forged, yes. [Said with yet another blink-and-you-miss-it smile, before he dips his head a little in Proper Greeting.] I am the blade forged by Gou no Yoshihiro, Matsui Gou. I am what you would call a tsukumogami - an object spirit, if you have anything similar where you come from.

[salvageable]

[ Even wounded like this, Dokja is in high-spirits as he makes his way over to the chair so he can take a seat. Once he's settled in, he takes a moment to look around at what's been built in this corner of the library. There's definitely something reassuring about having a makeshift clinic and he tucks this location away in his mind for whatever may happen in the future.

And then he's returning to the present, shifting a bit to make it easier for Anders to take a better look at his arm. ]

Make a scene about magic?

[ He echoes the words with a tilt of his head, confusion clearly written across his face. ]

Was someone giving you a hard time before I strolled in here?

[sanguinary]

[i personally would throw him into the nearest pool of frozen water if he got it into his head that that was a good idea

Fortunately for both of them, because Douman is a maniac who wants to deprive the world of warmth, this doesn't happen. He stands back up again a moment later, rubbing his hands together to stave off the cold that he's brought upon himself by dipping his stupid hand in the water...]

You must have more faith in me than I deserve, offering such kind words without even knowing what it is.

[He delivers this punkass statement with the same sort of deadpan flavor that he says most things... Genuinely he has no idea if Douman actually knows and thinks it's a terrible idea, or if he really doesn't and is just clapping and cheering him on to be a bozo about it.

But that's neither here nor there because the important thing is Matsui is now going to drag him into some MORNING STRETCHES.]

If I am to demonstrate, then you should follow along so you may warm your blood, too.

HELP no worries can any of us really type..i sure cant

[sanguinary]

[Sometimes everyone is really into dodgeball on sports day and you and your one buddy who think it's ridiculous just sit off on the sidelines eating everyone's snacks while they're distracted.

Except in this case, Matsui's distracted by the injury - and takes note of the strange appearance of it, naturally. Not even a sword bleeds black, after all, so it doesn't even occur to him to think that it's blood just yet.]

If you wish, I'll help you search for a weapon. You should take care of that first, though... Human bodies are incredibly fragile. Staying wet and cold for too long will upset your blood health, and you could easily get infected if you don't treat any open wounds.

[There's a note of vague exasperation in his voice as he lists off all the TERRIBLE THINGS that could go wrong with a squishy human body... He is, as always, of the opinion that it (the wholeass human body) was a terrible design choice.]

I have supplies, if you need any.

wildcard!

[exhound]

[Despite how eager Vander is to help out the people stuck in a frozen eternity in this castle, he knows it’s not something he can do entirely on his own. And with how precious a commodity that Sand they’ve been given is, he’s held off on trying to use it on someone to free them of their stasis. But there’s only one way to find out how well it would really work, and if the locals have any useful information for them…

His explorations lead him into some kind of sitting room, tastefully decorated and boasting access to a small, garden-focused balcony. The decorations here certainly make the place look like something that would fit right into one of the topside manors he’d pilfered from way back when he was a kid—not really a surprise considering this is a castle. But what’s most important in the room is the Atirat sitting there, frozen with a cup of tea sitting on their lap.

So Vander decides to give this Sand magic a shot, expending some portion of it to free them from their stasis. Annnnd… it hardly seems make a difference. No amount of questions or prodding seems to get a reaction from them, so he decides to take a different tactic. Propping one of the double-doors leading into the room open with a frozen vase, he steps back out into the hallway and keeps watch to see if maybe a little solitude might get them to shake off their stupor.

And as big of a man as he is, he’s kind of… taking up a lot of space there in the hallway, becoming almost something of a roadblock as he stands there peering into the room with eyes narrowed.]

[salvageable]

There was no mention of sand. The person who wrote those notes I found simply referred to it as "time magic" and seemed interested in testing what they were doing to people rather than the creatures they were using.

[ And then, almost a little too abruptly, ]

Have you spoken to our host yet? The otter?

[salvageable]

[ Honestly, yeah, that little otter had been kind of a jerk taking something from all of them. Dokja remembers the hollow feeling that had followed soon after bits of his Sand had been taken, and he frowns now at the reminder.

As if he can afford more lost memories.

Well, they can return to that in a moment. For now, he considers Matsui's interesting theory. Too bad that trying to check seems impossible after the experiences Dokja has had with the unfrozen. ]

Have you tried unfreezing anyone yet?

[baltimores]

[ He hates this otter so damn much.

Hates him, but is listening to him, even if Amos' body language remains static. Based on his expression it'd be fair to say that there isn't much going on up there, but he follows Mr. Tibbs perfectly — probably only evidenced when he actually opens his mouth to respond. ]

Do you even care what happens here?

[ He's got something of a better understanding of what's going on now, but he still just can't get past the attitude. ]

[wolof]

Interesting. [ She noted, and her eyes flicked toward the cover, and the buckles on the book. It almost gives the impression that the knowledge is dangerous, or perhaps should be locked away, with a cover like that, doesn't it? She leaned forward slightly, as if the secrets of what they could and could not eat were forbidden knowledge, or something that they should hide away, to be found later. ]

I wonder if there's a reason the information was kept in this library. Do you think the people in this castle needed to know this for their own safety, or if it was mere... intrigue?

[ Her fingers tapped at her own book. ] From what I've read, the royalty here did not seem to want for much. [ Her eyes slid around the library. ] Well.

Before all of this.

[exhound]

[Vander was a damn fool for thinking he could snatch a moment for himself and it would be as simple as that. The tone of this trip had already begun on the wrong foot after that large-scale Communion event. There were bloodthirsty fools on both sides of the divide, he’d come to learn, and that could only spell trouble on the first real moment that put the two factions in true opposition.

And he knew Silco had to be around here somewhere. The man was too opportunistic to let the first chance at nabbing the oracle for Zenith slip through his fingers. Yet there had been no sight of him lingering in the castle halls or conversing with anyone even within the library’s safe haven. (That right there wasn’t too surprising itself; showing up in a hub like that wasn’t his style, not unless he was making it into a statement.) But it all meant that he was keeping out of sight intentionally, and there would be no good at all to come from that.

So he sits up in surprise at the sudden sound of his voice—the motion jerking suddenly with the abrupt blossom of pain in his back—and internally he’s already cursing himself for letting his guard down in this moment, though all he can really do is heave a grunt of pain in reaction.

This is bad, because he’s already at a disadvantage and Silco wouldn’t initiate a strike like this without a plan lending him confidence. Not after the results of their first unexpected clash.

But there was no time to formulate a plan of his own, only the urgent and pressing need to retaliate. So he extends one arm out and swings his whole body around, hoping to catch his assailant with the back of his hand—even as the motion causes the wound in his back to scream anew.]

[sanguinary]

[HELP NOT ANOTHER AMNESIAC. The otter is not doing them any favors here... Or doing himself any favors apparently, if this murderous bookmark is anything to go by.

As for the question, he shakes his head.]

Not yet. If we need our sand for even basic necessities, it seemed like a risk to spend it on those who are frozen.

[He's not heartless, but he's definitely not out here prioritizing the frozen before the people from Kenos.]

Have you?

it's perfect!!!

[wolof]

[ Akua didn't even jump -- more of the cool demeanor, but she was Far too used to things coming out of nowhere these days -- and she tipped her head, and smiled. One hand pulled away from the working, and a few slippery-looking words floated in the air. If Misa tried to look at them, they would simply... not stay. Like learning them is impossible, if one just tries to look at them, they seem to vanish from one's mind like dark, odd fish, that dart back beneath the surface as quickly as they appeared.

She placed her free hand to her lips, and her other remained locked on the working. She didn't need to hold it -- that was for amateurs -- but she had always been one for deception over raw power. ]

If one is to find an advantage, is a trap not a useful tool? I can hardly be expected to not use every advantage in my arsenal, can I?

[ Her lips curled into a serene smile, and she winked. ]

Would you like me to make an exception for you?

[sharethememory]

Perhaps if it came from another. I am not nearly so clever with words.

[ Since it seems Mr. Tibbs doesn't seem opposed to the idea of tea, Zhongli will offer the cup and saucer to the otter with a quick remark on the type of leaves that he used from the eating parlor. ]

I have a couple questions, much like many around here. You seemed quite surprised by our arrival but were able to organize us rather quickly in spite of that. And for that guidance, I am grateful. But I must ask - were you expecting us? And do you know of the those who sent us here to this castle?

[baltimores]

[ Amos huffs, something between amused and exasperated, at the idea that he's enjoying himself. They're all just doing peachy here, aren't they?

But at the sound of Archangel's stomach — the fact that he's looking around for something to eat — Amos pushes his jar slightly in his direction. Here, have some of mine, because he knows Archangel, knows he's a good person, so it's okay to gift him some of his food. They're each other's people. It's just what you do.

(Though he'd probably keep a more watchful eye on him if he knew what he intended to use his sand for, because saving these people who are already as good as dead is a stupid thing to do. As it stands, he just trusts Archangel is doing the right thing — collecting as many resources as he possibly can — because he trusts him in general.) ]

I'm alright. Kinda wish it wasn't so survivalist here. That'll show me for getting used to the way things are back home. [ In Highstorm, he means. ] But eh, it's only a week. We'll get by.

[ It had better only be a week, but he really doesn't trust that otter.

Though for any annoyance that creeps into his tone, he's being emotionally honest — he is fine, and not trying to play off any suffering on his end. It's just one foot in front of the other, one day after another, same as just about anywhere else. ]

[baltimores]

[ Amos returns the nod before resuming digging into his own jar for another bite. Some kind of spicy tempeh; he doesn't hate it.

He watches Emet-Selch as he peruses the shelves, chewing passively as he does; perks up a little more as he comes to sit by him. Hey, bud. Wouldn't say no to good company.

Amos finishes chewing, swallowing before he reaches out to take the proffered jar. With one good twist — one that took a noticeable amount of effort, because it really was lodged on very tight — the lid pops right off. He takes a peek into the jar's contents before passing it back to Emet-Selch. ]

Nope. Had to eat like this in space more often than not. [ The shrug is in his voice; he's not thrilled about the food situation, but eh, it is what it is. ] Spice usually does the trick to make it more edible. Might need a lot of it, though.

Childe and Zhongli

[sharethememory]

[ Water and ice - two of his least favorite elements to deal with.

Zhongli does not remember how he arrived in this place. Normally such a revelation would be alarming, but as days and places and people slip through his fingers with every grain of sand used - well, perhaps he should not be surprise he wandered here upon the comforting melody of a practiced songstress. What is more alarming is that closing thud more felt than heard as all the exits are sealed. That and a familiar presence that Zhongli doesn't even have turn to see who has been locked in here with him.

(He really hopes he didn't call for Childe's help while in his addled state and sealed him to a similar fate of whatever this is. Even if he knows that Childe is probably eager to trade blows with such a powerful being.)

When Zhongli finally comes to his senses, his first priority is to properly size up their host. Her visage scratches an itch in his brain - that of a book found in the library of his current companion. Ah, but what could be used here when the critic had more negative things to say than good. Perhaps playing to her pride was the best choice. So in between one verse and the next, he calls out: ]

You are the famous singer Siren, are you not?

For what reason have you been locked inside this house of treasures, voice and song unable to reach your adoring fans?

[ It is a hastily put together diplomatic approach, all things considered. One he would have been embarrassed of back home, honestly. But thinking on his feet was never a forte of Zhongli's. So instead he must rely on tossing a few ideas at the wall and see what sticks.

(Or see if Childe's charm or blade was better suited for the task.)

As he speaks, Zhongli clutches his own sand hourglass in his fist, hoping the thick gloves he is wearing will hide its activation even as the shard in the siren's embrace begins to glow a soft blue. The edges of the room start to shimmer around them like a mirage melting in the sun, perhaps too late for Zhongli to do anything before the next note rings out but perhaps Tartaglia can--- ]