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
    salvageable: (pic#15331595)

    [personal profile] salvageable 2023-02-02 07:34 am (UTC)(link)
    If I'm being completely honest with you, yeah, actually. I do.

    [ Both from enemies and allies :sadcat:

    But whew, that's enough about him! Back to you, Matsui, because Dokja is averse to talking about himself. He frowns, then lowers his voice to an almost whisper for some reason? ]


    Are you that strong?
    sanguinary: (pendulum)

    [personal profile] sanguinary 2023-02-02 07:47 am (UTC)(link)
    [HELP. THIS IS TRULY :SADCAT: oh my god. There's just the faintest look of concern like. Are you okay. Are You Going To Be Okay. Should he be worried. Someone help Dokja.]

    Then you are in greater need of assistance than I am. [THIS IS WHY HE'S OFFERING TO HELP!!

    Anyway now he's just looking confused, why are you whispering DOKJA!! A man of many weird eccentricities, it seems. He also completely pretzels the question around so he doesn't have to answer it, and instead just asks:]


    Are you interested in strength?
    ragou: (23.)

    [personal profile] ragou 2023-02-02 08:00 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Things Douman could say: "I want to burn this entire place to the ground, because the continued state of my existence demands it."

    Things Douman doesn't say: That.

    Everyone is bound to something, to someone else, inescapably. Douman understands, and acknowledges, and hates the truth of it; he knows how he's shaped to the image of the man he'll never surpass, and it burns him to know that that shape won't budge.

    Things Douman doesn't say, either: That.
    ]

    Mmmm... an interesting question! This humble monk has only ever wanted to better himself, I suppose.

    [ Not entirely a lie. The truth is that even in his heresy, Douman is earnest; he's never done anything by halves. ]

    To prove my mettle, to spite the stars.
    salvageable: (pic#16166607)

    [personal profile] salvageable 2023-02-02 08:14 am (UTC)(link)
    [ He dies all the time don't disrupt his routine.

    Anyway, raising his hand, he waves aside that concern and steps a little closer. They're really going back and forth in trying to seize control of this conversation, huh. ]


    I'm interested in you.

    [ Dokja leans forward once he thinks he's invaded enough of Matsui's personal space, his eyes narrowing as if trying to get a better look (up) at this guy. ]

    So no one's helped you? Ever?
    baltimores: (021)

    [personal profile] baltimores 2023-02-02 08:20 am (UTC)(link)
    ((<3!!))

    [ All Amos can do after swinging is watch — and listen. The latter very well could have presented itself a problem, but the sound of choking is a relief, and he exhales a breath he hadn't been aware he'd been holding.

    He's left to continue to drift back towards one of the walls of the chambers, keeping the greatsword at the ready in case she's still able to fight. But no — she falls, and he can see the blood pooling out from her neck. The way she doesn't move again.

    Amos hits the wall, uses his free hand to brace himself against it. Another beat as he waits to make sure nothing's going to happen, and then, calling out towards Vander from his elevated position, ]
    You okay?

    [ His voice is calm, if only a little concerned just in case Vander isn't. But as far as he cares, that's all that matters right now. ]
    sanguinary: (tell me your motive)

    [personal profile] sanguinary 2023-02-02 08:24 am (UTC)(link)
    [SOMEONE SHOULD DISRUPT THIS ROUTINE PROBABLY.

    In any case yeah wow they really are. Uwah, Dokja is so forward... Matsui doesn't seem to react to his space being invaded, though. He doesn't lean forward or away, simply continuing to study Dokja with his freaky all-seeing (no) alien eyes.]


    It's not something that I have ever required. I am a sword, after all. [A beat, and then, since he's more or less used to the questions that tend to follow:] An object-spirit. Tsukumogami. Matsui Gou, forged by Gou no Yoshihiro.

    [A little inclination of his head follows, as if in proper greeting.]
    gravings: (117)

    [personal profile] gravings 2023-02-02 08:57 am (UTC)(link)
    [ His reply cements it: there's no reasoning with him, especially not with words. So be it. He isn't the first being she's met driven by a seemingly mindless force. In this moment he's like a spirit, a ghost, a single dogged feeling given supernatural form. There's no begging a ghost for mercy, and in the same vein she gives up on words with him so that she can commit to meeting him in battle.

    He attacks too soon for her to bring her weapon to bear. For all its portability, it needs seconds to assemble that she doesn't have. And for all of Gray's proficiency in a variety of weaponry, unarmed combat is her weakness — but she's forced to rely on it as she narrowly bends away from the thrust of the man's trident and avoids a hearty skewering.

    She's only studied the haphazard brawling of the Coliseum fighters, and so their example guides her instinct now: she rushes at the man. Her short-ranged limbs are a mismatch with his trident, but she makes up for it in speed and aggression, all darting fists and forward pressure that attempt to keep the trident out of play.

    Physically, she punches high above her weight, but for all her gumption and magical strengthening, her technique remains undisciplined. ]
    ragou: (42.)

    no worries at all!!!! speed's never an issue ♥️

    [personal profile] ragou 2023-02-02 09:05 am (UTC)(link)
    [ "Not much for reading" is fair; it hasn't done Douman any good thus far, to his chagrin. It rankles to think that others who have charged headfirst into action may have yielded more meaningful results, but. Once a nerd, always a nerd.

    He hums under his breath when Johnny delivers his verdict, low and amused.
    ]

    Oh? If so, they chose the least forgiving season of them all.

    [ Fire this court wizard immediately, tbh. Douman's lips hike a centimeter higher. ]

    And beyond that, it would take an entity with Godlike power to maintain such influence over the seasons... something above a mere court wizard's paygrade, I would think.

    Though, if this was your first instinctー would you happen to know anyone who'd be capable of something like this, Mister Johnny?
    baltimores: (019)

    [personal profile] baltimores 2023-02-02 09:47 am (UTC)(link)
    [ It's a quick retreat for Amos; stab, then fall back, which means he doesn't actually get to draw blood. The price he pays for being cautious, but so far, nothing's actually the matter. Mild blows have been traded, but that's all.

    Even if Amos is the one who has actually gotten hurt here so far, his teeth gritting as he remembers that sensation against his back. Fuck this, actually.

    He continues to circle him still looking for an opening. His eyes are fixed at a point on Dextera's throat, not even bothering to look him in the eye as he responds. ]


    These people are as good as dead. Cut your losses and move on.

    [ His tone is harsh, cold, closed off. Maybe it's a warning to Dextera, too — Walk away and you won't end up dead. ]
    baltimores: (109)

    [personal profile] baltimores 2023-02-02 09:52 am (UTC)(link)
    [ The doppelganger is still trying to free its good arm from Amos' grasp when Sebastian's claw digs into it. With a roar of furious pain it whips its gaze over in his direction, trying to angle its body to throw Sebastian out, but, nope, the demon has firmly dug himself in. He'll also be met with wide, incensed eyes, pools of nothing but fury as teeth start to elongate into fangs, hands sharpen into claws. ]

    Oh, fuck me.

    [ Amos' voice comes out muttered to himself, a hint of unease to his tone. It's his first time watching himself — a version of himself — start to slide into a berserk state, and there's a part of him that just wants to watch, see if he can learn anything from this, apply it to himself for later. Keep himself under control the next time it happens to him.

    Then there's the more realistic part of himself that actually does not want to die. He starts trying to wrench the good arm backwards but to no avail as the doppelganger's weight and bodily structure become too solid, Amos starting to find himself the weaker party here. On the plus side, the doppelganger is losing its faculties to keep them weightless; on the minus side, it has enough strength to dislodge Amos from its good arm and use it to dig its own claw into Sebastian's arm. Try to forcibly remove him, throw him away, chase him down after if he's still in sight to rip him limb from limb, because that's the only thing it can think to do.

    It's a mindset Amos can comprehend perfectly, and he doesn't like it. He's sent skidding backwards a short distance away from the scene as the doppelganger's focus narrows in on Sebastian, making him the sole target of all of its increasing rage. ]


    If you have a shot take it now!

    [ There's a sharp urgency to Amos' voice, a barked out order as he prepares to try to help out by making his doppelganger heavy enough to be immobile — but with it trying to find purchase into Sebastian's very being and the distance now between them, there's only so much he can do at the moment but hope for the immediate best. ]
    baltimores: (077)

    [personal profile] baltimores 2023-02-02 10:15 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Amos simply tilts his head in the direction of the pile of shit he'd been rummaging through, now with a sizeable gap in its centre thanks to his liberation of the blanket. Like, he got it from there, dude. ]

    Arright. [ He can't help but pull the blanket a little tighter around himself, trying to soak up every bit of warmth he can get here, but the fact that Atsumu has abandoned his side of the room and is scrambling his way over to him...

    Amos opens up one side of the blanket, letting the cold air blast his damp skin again, but also creating an opening for Atsumu if he wants in. Kid looks like he could use it. (Shit, if Amos needs it, then so does anyone else with him.) ]


    Gonna have to roll this thing up real fucking tight to squeeze it in, but should be able to manage. [ A beat. ] After we're done going through everything else here first.

    [ Look, when they're packing up it'll be one of the first things he does to make sure they'll still have room for all of the other stuff, but until then... ]
    baltimores: (128)

    [personal profile] baltimores 2023-02-02 10:28 am (UTC)(link)
    [ Amos' expression brightens slightly, a soft sort of happiness crossing his features at Douman's acceptance. Well, of course he'd accept it, right? They're both Zenites. They're both here for Yima. That's how this all works — and Douman's already got it figured out. ]

    Yup, that's what I figure. [ He turns his head to follow Douman's hand on his person before looking right back up at him, small twitch of his lips upwards for a moment. Yeah, this is basically friendship right here. ] Don't think you've got anything to worry about, though. You got your head on straight, right? You know exactly what you're doing here? Then there's no weakness. We keep our sand, get more of it if we can, spend it on resources for our people when it's time. Easy.

    [ Is it actually that easy? Nothing about Amos' demeanour indicates he believes otherwise, so solid is his faith in himself; in Zenith; in Douman here and now, too, because it's clear that he gets it.

    A beat as he tilts his head somewhat thoughtfully, wry smile crossing his features. ]


    'course, other side's probably thinking that, too. Or at least the smart ones should be, but who knows how many of them there are.

    [ if they were so smart why would they go meridian amirite ]
    cutlery: please do not take! (gotta love the double 2pac)

    [personal profile] cutlery 2023-02-02 05:54 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ Sebastian listens with interest as Teacher thinks aloud about Shiva, though it does ring strangely to him. There’s a definite irony in the fact that the more demonic looking of the pair is certainly the one with more care for their charge. It feels plain to see that Teacher had cared for the girl. It’s not a sentiment Sebastian shares for his own, but it’s useful to at least pretend it is and make the motions of it. So, he nods understandingly, and he’s about to speak to it when Teacher asks his question. ]

    Ah. Well—

    [ Sebastian cants his head thoughtfully as he considers it, but ends up shrugging. ]

    Essentially, no, but I do not think I will be very understandable if we were to continue this way. [ He explains it with a laugh, but then reaches out with Communion to speak instead with a nod. ] But luckily, we have another at our disposal.
    cutlery: (bitch I might be)

    [personal profile] cutlery 2023-02-02 06:09 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ Sebastian’s expression lightens with interest as Set pulls out the cards, then further still when he recognizes them as tarot. Naturally, Sebastian delights in divinations and superstition of all sorts, so he’s immediately intrigued by the game. The rules are familiar to him as Set explains, and he nods along. ]

    A delightful game of chance. Even more so with fate behind it… If you find the mystique of tarot appealing, that is.

    [ From Sebastian’s easy smile, he clearly does. It feels fitting, and so with the stakes being a curiosity rather than anything dire, he’s willing to truly put it in fate’s hands. ]

    So, a single game, of course. I think with either outcome, we will both be satisfied in part, after all.
    cutlery: please do not take! (you mean bear piñata)

    [personal profile] cutlery 2023-02-02 06:18 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ There’s definitely a little knit that forms at Sebastian’s brow as Matsui explains what he is in part since it’s a confusing description for him. He had been curious, of course, but he had also never asked because he had felt Matsui would elaborate at this own pace. He had seemed rather hesitant in their first meeting, after all, but it had been adamantly clear from his mannerisms that Matsui wasn’t human. For Sebastian, that was understanding enough.

    The answer itself, though— ]


    Mm, indeed. They are nearly mired in tragedy.

    [ It’s something he can agree with easily and without hesitation. It’s something he’s explained to a few people in Kenos, though the framing tends to differ from person to person depending on how Sebastian postures himself with them. It’s a fundamental part of humanity that caught his interest so, and thus it could be expressed in many shades. Here, it’s easy to stick with the more detached and distant perspective of an observer. ]

    I find it to be the natural result of their mortality. They are incredibly fragile things, at least compared to most, having but a few decades of life if they are lucky. Yet, despite that, it is rare that they feel the weight of such a short period of time. It is tragic for that. But also rather lovely.
    hauntedking: (12)

    [personal profile] hauntedking 2023-02-02 06:29 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ Ha. Well. There it is. He hears the footsteps and he cocks his head, listening for a moment. Then he draws his lance back, preparing to shatter the mirror once and for all... ]
    redsoil: (pic#16220706)

    [personal profile] redsoil 2023-02-02 06:46 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ The vicious part of him, the dark part of him that seeks dominance, thinks to tell her no amount of desire would ever allow anyone not born of the divine to become divine themselves. Such was the way, among the Ennead; you were born to maat, to the order of the world, and thus entirely divorced from the freedoms allotted to mortals, individualism and passion. Hayame's passion was a thing that could free her from her shackles, for those shackles were put in place by equally fallible people. Set was bound by the very fabric of reality, and thus -- never to be freed from his fate.

    ( You don't want to be a goddess, he wants to tell her, low and sullen. You would never dream again. )

    Instead, he works to roll up the strip of cloth he'd made from his undershirt, tucking it into the palm of his hand so that it did not trail while he worked. The rest of her body will be fine, she is sturdy and powerful in form; it is the laceration across her breasts he wants to attend to. That is where her soul is, her world. It must be safeguarded from sharp eyes, minds that will eke out every advantage. ]


    You are desirous as a mortal, Hayame. It has been eons since I met someone quite like you.

    [ To be able to grace her with a war god's blessing was -- infinitely strange to him, who did not grow attached to others easily. His family, yes. And even then, after so many betrayals -- the love he had for them was so darkly poisoned, soured.

    He presses his fingers to the midline of her body, just below where the rend in her bindings begins. Hold that, he murmurs to her, waiting for her hand to pin it in place before he leans in, closer still, and begins to wind the cloth around her chest once more, cinching it tightly against the swell of her breasts and the wound there. ]


    Did you know I was not born into full divinity? To become a god, one must acquire a perfect mind and body, before the ascension may begin. We must shed all weakness, all indecision, all right to freedom -- and we are taken in by maat, the order of the world. We shed our former lives, and we are made anew. Born, and then remade.

    [ He thinks of her, pausing with his arms passing around the width of her shoulders, his own arms tucked below hers -- so close, he can smell the sweat gathered at the nape of her neck. He can feel the thud of her heart. To say nothing of the intimacy of it, he is a creature of broad appetites and ruthless desires. ]

    Only the children of gods can become gods, where I am from. Though, it is different throughout the world. I travel so very much, I have seen so many different things. I yearn for new knowledge, new sights, new experiences regardless of what it costs others. My appetites are horrendous and selfish. That is the kind of god I was made into, and I wonder what we are fated to become to one another.
    youngprodigy: (∉ on a never-ending quest)

    [personal profile] youngprodigy 2023-02-02 09:31 pm (UTC)(link)
    [Cid frowns. It's not quite anger, but it doesn't seem to be too far from it.]

    I'm not the sort to insist on people following me blindly.
    sharmat: ▸ CURSED TO LIVE ON (pic#15677114)

    [personal profile] sharmat 2023-02-02 09:42 pm (UTC)(link)
    Indeed, I only have so much magicka to share afore it is exhausted totally. (voryn doesn't share that this is only until he drinks a restorative potion or rests because it isn't necessary. he is still the opposition, and if this small omission will both curry favour and mask a weakness, he chooses to stay silent.)

    It is, of course, in exchange for your generosity. (the honourable man in him, however, realizes that this is already due to sebastian. voryn's hand squeezes and then falls away.) A course of meals all my own, to be shared with you in your home. I look forward to tasting what you intend to design for me.

    (it's that easy.

    in an almost childish crouch, robes spreading at his feet, the lip of the water is reached for so that his fingers may test its chill. bitter, absolutely bitter, which confirms what he already knew: there's no fucking way he's going swimming.
    )

    When you are ready to enter the water, I will cast these spells on you.
    lockedon: pid 13807506 (b033)

    [personal profile] lockedon 2023-02-02 10:32 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ ONLY ONE.........................I see.

    I will not be guessing at this time and neither will Eustace, who will instead look at Yoo Joonghyuk with a curious expression on his face. It's not an untrue statement by any means, but also not one that most people make.

    Then again, most people don't live through being transported to multiple worlds one after another. ]


    Are you speaking from experience?

    [ Why is YJH actually the least annoying of the three so far.... ]
    lockedon: (b037)

    [personal profile] lockedon 2023-02-02 11:02 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ i buy a power that lets eustace the dogman transform into douman the clown (no)

    He can respect the other man for wanting to keep all the paths in front of him open even at the cost of more work. And while he could choose to play devil's advocate and continue trying to argue the other side, that's never been his style, and it'd never been the point of the conversation to begin with. So he simply nods again in agreement. ]


    Good luck.

    [ Don't die out there, swordman.


    —Ah, but hang on. He digs into his jacket and pulls out his Hourglass, and from it withdraws a small amount of sand, which he offers out to Matsui.

    is this how it works, i am pretending this is how it works ]


    Payment for your services.

    [ Matsui may not have asked, but Eustace is going to offer anyway because that's just what he does. And also because he hates owing people anything. ]
    lockedon: <user name=yoza_kana site=twitter.com> (107)

    [personal profile] lockedon 2023-02-02 11:07 pm (UTC)(link)
    [ The shots prove to be enough of a distraction, pitch black feathers scattering into the air as the doppelganger shrieks - and then convulses once before going still, an arm driven straight through its core without mercy. Eustace doesn't lower his gun the entire time it takes for the thing to die (is that even the right word, when it had only been a reflection in the first place?), only letting his hands drop an inch when the enemy finally dissipates and Dokja - the real one - hobbles his way back onto his feet.

    But just because one reflection is dead doesn't mean more won't come, and his head swings this way and that, trying to catch sight of potential enemy number two—though he's momentarily distracted by the compliment (??) sent his way, brows furrowing as he looks back at Dokja. ]


    I don't carry this gun around for show.

    [ What is he, an American??

    His own skills aren't the issue here anyway, his attention already shifting to Dokja's injury. It looks much worse than his own, crimson blood staining Dokja's white coat an ugly red, and without thinking he lowers his gun the rest of the way, reaching out to grasp Dokja's wrist in his fingers so he can get a better look. The importance of proper medical care trumps the need for personal space right now, and whatever relief he might have felt over their victory goes buried under another surge of concern, this time radiating from him. ]


    We should get this treated.

    [ Does Dokja need CPR??? ]
    sharmat: ▸ THE UNIVERSE (pic#16175186)

    [personal profile] sharmat 2023-02-02 11:23 pm (UTC)(link)
    "The coldest places have a much more pressing need for fire, though I understand what you're saying. I wonder if this place was always as icy as it is currently... It certainly seems that way."

    The pages of the book are also burnt, making it unreadable. Perhaps there was an attempted purging, or perhaps a candle was held too close to very old bindings.

    He makes a more open attempt to fish for Emet-Selch's faction. "If you do not wish to be here, would you prefer to be returned to your world?"
    sharmat: ▸ IGNORE ALL THE BURDENS THAT YOU KEEP (pic#12921172)

    [personal profile] sharmat 2023-02-02 11:39 pm (UTC)(link)
    (voryn parts with a rare laugh, short but genuine.) Hah, indeed they are. In this instance "realm" should mean "plane." It is a myth in my land that the architect god who designed the mortal plane, Mundus, fled from his final duty of becoming a piece of it. His escape tore this hole in the sky, creating the sun.

    (thinking of the placement of his own shard at the centre of his forehead, voryn wonders if the garlean "third eye" has similar myths surrounding it.)

    It is wise to fear magic. While it can do endless good, it can also do endless bad... It is coveted by those without natural talent for it and hoarded by those who were born with strong aptitude. Wars have been waged over it, and they will be again. (while he speaks, he scans a selection of books, grey hands clasping at the small of his back.) Is it your belief that this "third eye" gives you something that others do not? They offer extraordinary sight or some degree of enlightenment, do they not?
    youngprodigy: (∉ the future’s unknown)

    [personal profile] youngprodigy 2023-02-03 12:17 am (UTC)(link)
    A hole in the sky?

    [It's obvious that's well beyond something he can comprehend.

    As for the question about his third eye, he shakes his head.]


    Nay, nothing so extravagant. It's difficult to explain, as I've no way to compare, but third eyes allow Garleans to detect movement the other races might not. Something lurking in shadows, for instance. For the most part, it just makes it clear I'm no hyur.

    [Though he doesn't seem like he's trying to make it a big deal, it's obvious there's a lot more to it than that, though maybe not about the eye in particular.]

    The Eorzeans have a creation myth, but recently the truth about how the star came into being was revealed, and it's quite different.
    Edited 2023-02-03 00:21 (UTC)