agentlelog | event: a gentle explosion

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event: a gentle explosion

I see a world just out of reach
With shoulders of giants at my feet
There’s not a challenge I’m afraid to meet

► The OOC plotting post for this event can be found here.

► Direct all questions to the mods at this link.

STRANGERS IN A STRANGE LAND
You wake, warm and comfortable, and realize that you’re no longer where you were when you went to sleep. The dream was real. As you clamber out of bed and open your door, an impassive footman greets you and leads you to breakfast in a large hall filled with many, many people. They sit around a hodgepodge of tables in a mishmash of furniture—nothing matches anything else, and no two chairs are the same.

The woman from your dream catches your eyes. She stares at you with open shock. “Well,” she says, as a number of males turn to her with withering looks. “This wasn’t supposed to happen.” She smiles at you. “Welcome to Draega, Stranger. Please, join us.”

Join them at the table and have your breakfast, Stranger. There isn’t much to offer: porridge, water, a bit of milk, some wrinkled fruits, and bread. Coffee, thankfully, is not in short supply. Meet your fellow Strangers, both the ones choosing to live at the Queen’s Residence and those who arrived in the night with you.

As breakfast draws to a close, the Queen’s Steward, Prince Loren Sorey, explains that you may choose to find your own home or stay in the residence for as long as you please. Those who stay will receive a modest stipend but are required to participate in Allairavar’s morning trainings every day. At dawn. Before breakfast. Those who go will need to find their own homes among the ruined buildings of the city and make their own money.

The court begins filtering out of the Great Hall, dispersing to attend their many duties. Linger, Stranger, and overhear…

“What did you mean?” The man leaning over the Queen is Prince Allairavar. His membranous wings flare around him, and his expression is menacing. “This wasn’t supposed to happen?”

Queen Fayura doesn’t look at all alarmed by the massive man caging her against a wall. “It was a one-time spell,” she says. “The web was—” Her eyes go wide. “I need to go look at the web.” She ducks under Allairavar’s arm, which could put a tree trunk to shame, really, grabs Prince Verim, and drags him from the hall.

Allairavar bares his teeth at the wall and snarls. The sound rumbles through the room, and dark temper washes briefly through the residence before all the tangled webs tucked in corners absorb it, leaving the building peaceful and clean of psychic feeling once more.

A TALE OF TWO IDEALS
At exactly 5:46pm, an explosion rocks the city of Draega. Black clouds belch fire to the northwest of the city. Concurrently, in Old Town, a mob of landens armed with Breakers and Muters descends on The Last Meal. They surround an older, Blood woman.

i. Black Out
The power plant maintained by the Tinkers and the Elektrics has exploded. Across Draega, e-line appliances shut down and the city plunges into darkness—the sun set some 45 minutes ago.

Prince Loren reaches out to approximately half the Strangers, asking them to go to the power plant. He shares a mental map with them so they know how to reach the building, as well as the Craft used for air-walking. The tutorial is quick and hardly complete, but now you’ll be able to run above the city to reach your destination.

The power plant burns. Black smoke pours into the air. Master Elektric Doriah organizes the Tinkers and Elektrics who were able to escape on their own. A quick glance reveals how absolutely exhausted she is. When Strangers approach, she sneers but isn’t about to turn away good help.

“There are still people inside. The Blood who did this trapped us in shields.” She hesitates only a moment before collecting Breakers from guildmembers carrying them. “Take these. Your Jewel may not be able to break through the shields.”

Inside, well-ordered building is a mess of fire and melting steel. Airwalking protects your feet, and shields can keep out the heat, but you’ll need something more to protect your lungs. Put out fires, stop systems from overloading, save the machines from complete destruction, and rescue missing workers who are suffocating and cooking inside shields. The guildmembers trapped in the power plant will assist the Strangers who free them, helping mitigate the damage done to the plant and keep it from exploding the rest of the way.

ii. Death of a Councilwoman
Councilwoman Vera enjoys dinners at The Last Meal, and this is well known by everyone in the city. Today, public knowledge of her schedule doesn’t work so well in her favor.

As she approaches the restaurant with her family, a group of landens descends on them. Muters prevent the Blood from taking any action that isn’t purely physical, and this is enough to throw most of them off their stride; they’re used to relying on Craft to fight. The landens separate Vera from her family in a short-lived brawl. She shouts and screams—“Let me go! Don’t you know who I am? The Queen will have you executed for this! Your families will be thrown out of the city! You’re making a mis—”

A shot rings through the air.

The landens peel away from one of their own, a young man gripping a Breaker in both hands. He trembles as he stands over Councilwoman Vera, whose expression is frozen forever in shocked disbelief. Her body crumples to the ground, blood from a gunshot wound on her chest staining the white fabric of her blouse.

In the silence that follows the shot, Allairavar shoves free of the crowd. “Go home!” he snarled, Craft powering his voice.

No one moves.

Except the young landen man. He takes off at a run, and the crowd is still too horrified to do much to stop him. Allairavar wastes no time. He plunges after the young man. At the same time, he reaches out to the minds of the Strangers closest to Old Town. *The Ebon Council is, collectively, a sack of reeking shit, and Lady Vera was a bitch,* Allairavar tells the Strangers. *But if we don’t get between the Blood and the landens, we’ll have another war. We can’t afford another war. Keep them from killing each other while I deal with this idiot.*

AIR TIME
Whether you catch the news on a Far-caster in the city or you’re spinning the dial on your own device, you’ll hear…

the news
…angered local landen families by her hard-line position that Blood homes should receive priority as the city continues to recover from the fires set by the Hunter Guild last month. [The man speaks at a brisk pace, hurried and harried as though he has too much to say and not enough time to say it.]

Councilwoman Vera is known for her vocal disdain for the landen Guilds, isn’t that right, Garret? [Another man, nasally in tone. He doesn’t sound rushed so much as put upon.]

[Garret:] Correct, Wilt. She—excuse the interruption, but we are just now hearing— [The feed abruptly cuts off. Static pours from the Far-caster regardless of what local channel it is tuned to.]

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[Alex sighs and rolls her eyes.]

Loki. Unfortunately.

Well, you're wrong, but that's not a surprise. Hardly anyone goes to school.

[Only gold star brainiacs like Emil go to school, obviously.]

Of course, it's a miserable waste of time, but that's beside the point.

[Sitting-- well. It doesn't sound good, but it does seem to be what's happening. Horatio's legs don't seem to be responding well to his mind's insistence that they continue to struggle him forward.

There aren't quite words for a moment like this. There's just a rough, guttural snarl of frustration to accompany the last ineffectual tug of not-quite-escaping.

Emil hasn't won. Horatio just needs to... sit for a few seconds before his next reckless attempt. Tactically speaking.]

[There's a long, long pause. Finally he sighs. In the end, it's food, and turning down free food is stupid. ]

All right. I've got a place not too far from here. Nothing fancy. [Or completely intact] But it's a place to sit and eat.

[ ...which... part... spins. ]

Um.

[ ...which part spins ]

It... doesn't spin. It's - different technology.

[ ...you know what, she really, really doesn't want to have to try to explain this. ] It's one of those things that everyone does, but no one really knows how it works.

[ Except if you're Leo. Who'd probably start building him a cell phone right now to demonstrate. ]

[ There's still an uneasy edge to Haein as he watches Lalli drop the apple, but then he feels eyes on him and when he turns to look, sees Loren survey them in a way that prickles at his skin uncomfortably.

No thanks at having his face memorized. So much for flying under the radar... Rather than blame himself for it, he channels all his anger at their situation toward Lalli, whipping back around to glare at him with everything he has once Loren departs. ]

You did this.

[ Just had to start it by dumping that coffee back into the carafe, huh!! Buddy!! Well, Haein is just gonna angrily gather his things so he can storm out of there. ]

[Horatio, for his own part, couldn't begin to tell a good cup of coffee from a bad one. He can, however, tell actual coffee from burned breadcrumbs in boiling water--and coffee is decidedly better.]

A little-- kick, ma'am?

[What's peppier than actual coffee first thing in the morning?]

[Breakfast victory: achieved!! Emil is a little surprised, despite himself, just because his social overtures are not always... well-received. But: nice!!]

Don't worry, nothing can be worse than some of the places I've had to stay in before this place. Unless you want me to sit in an ancient trash can full of holes all morning.

[It's a weirdly specific example for a reason.]

[Emil might be the smaller one here, but he's got a stronger grip than he looks like he has, so if he has to physically lift Horatio and toss him somewhere safer, he will do that. Don't test him!]

Stop that, you look like a dolt. I'm making you sit down and at least get some water whether you like it or not!

[ She blinks again. I thought Loki was a...

And wasn't he also the bad guy?

And... ]

I don't know a lot about Norse mythology. I just saw those superhero movies. [ Piper hesitates for a moment before she decides to take the risk. Because if Loki was Alex's mother, then she could only imagine how lonely and weird that would be, and... she doesn't just want to assume someone is an enemy because of who their parents are. That would be the same, worse, than all the times other people had assumed things about her, because of who her dad was, because of how she looked, because of her Cherokee blood. ] I'm - a lot more familiar with Greek gods.

[which part spins]

Oh. That's... soooo weird, but okay. No offense.

[No one understanding their technology sounds just like how people live in Emil's modern day Iceland, so he can recognize "one of those things" as possible, but.

Surely something spins.]

At least there's something. I met someone who didn't know what a radio was! That was remarkable.

[ It's more information than they had before, at least. Mary is appreciative of the girls speaking with them. When they leave, she turns to Sansa. ]

Knowing that may come in handy if Allairavar is not able to capture the suspect. Meanwhile, I think we ought to continue to calm the crowd - and also try to keep anyone who was at the restaurant from leaving.

[ That might be easier said than done. Chaos still electrifies the air. ]

[ Piper shrugs. ]

I don't know very much about it. How long have you been working on it?

[ true- daylight is a ten feet tall mechanoid robot-human hybrid, but like that's going to stop daylight from trying to help someone who is in clearly in need of some form of aid. if someone is in need of help and daylight can help? he's going to stop at nothing to do what he can for them.

his winglets springing up behind him with an audible 'sproing!' and his jaw set in a determined fashion, it looks like daylight is still going to look for a way to help the grieving person out. but, first, he's going to need help- ]

Which is why I need you to come with me! I need you to help me to find somewhere to hide. I've gotta switch over to my avaform.

[ switch over to his what now? ]

--work?

[In fairness, that's a question Horatio has spent a good deal of time asking lately. How an infinite number of things around him work has been a matter of absolute fascination. It's quite something to have the thought turned back around.

But surely the best thing to do, as he sits again, is to begin spreading the deck face-up across the table. The designs aren't entirely familiar, but the numbers are an easy comfort.]

[Molly waits until they're almost completely out the door before he gives them a two-finger salute that suspiciously involves a v-shape. Speaking of rude gestures. He's grateful for the masses helping them, but he's not one to not have the proper last word in a fight.

He drops his hands onto her shoulders and pats her. He's barely shaken by the whole thing, like this happens daily and he's more relieved that it didn't turn into a brawl than he is upset that it happened at all.] They would have smashed up the fucking place, and then I would've had to have found another place to have lunch. Are you hungry? 'Cause I am, and I'm not about to let some arsehole with a dick two sizes too small wreck my appetite.

[Yes, yes, and probably yes. Alex will be the first to admit it's complicated]

They're not exactly accurate. Then again, that's probably for the best. [Her mouth quirks up in a sardonic smile] Their Loki's better looking.

[She nods to the comment about the Greek gods]

I've met some demigods from there.

[In an ideal world, of course, a brief greeting would have been sufficient. In a slightly less ideal but better than nothing world, Horatio would be able to sink through the floor whenever a posh voice and arched brow were this close at hand.

But this is the world they're in, and all there is to do is clear his throat.]

Lieutenant Hornblower, ma'am. I'm-- sure the pleasure is mine.

Allairavar gave a loose shrug. His task was simple: keep the man alive until the Queen figured out what to do with him. He'd keep to that task because it was the one his Lady needed of him.

"It's likely the first time he's killed anyone." Allairavar vanished his long knives and called his warblade instead. The weapon was a better choice to guard. "Plenty of people aren't prepared for the first time they've spilled blood. No matter how much they've crowed about it otherwise."

[His legs are certainly on Team Emil. Frankly, his lungs seem to be as well. Really, the number of votes against rushing back into the burning building far outweigh the shouting in Horatio's brain.

It helps bring a certain stillness, but it doesn't stop Horatio from keeping his attention fixed on the bodies still rushing past.]

And-- then?

[Maybe it will just be a minute. Maybe it will just be sitting for a few heartbeats to gulp down some water and then he'll be allowed on his feet again.

It's doubtful, but it's a good lie to tell himself.]

Aithne did not entirely disagree with the man. "I agree, there was more. It is hard to explain and I have seen enough deal with dealing a killing blow for the first time and this seemed different."

She shrugged slightly, it was something that had wound through her brain and would not let go.

"Though I admit to reading into things that need no reading into."

Daylight looks relieved and happy to get approval for his choice, a sort of tension he didn't realise he was holding now melting away. "Not yet- This is going to be my first time meeting them. I've heard a bit about them when I talked to some folks-"

And they didn't simply gawk at him or ran away.

"-and it sounds like some of them could help me out in turn." Because he's going to need all the help he can get, should his worries be justified at the thought of being the only mechanoid here. "Unless you happen to see someone like me walking around?"

He's trying to joke but he sure wouldn't complain to find it if someone else is hanging around somewhere.

Then— we'll see.

[It's most likely going to be Horatio on the bench for the rest of this, but if it'll get him to cooperate a little more, Emil can give him a maybe. He understands, really, he does - he's, ah, usually not the one holding someone back from running headlong into danger. Being on this side of the equation is different!

Or, being the responsible one is hard and he's not enjoying it, so please cooperate for his sake.]

Did you get burned in there? You smell like a bonfire and right now that's saying something.

( The numbers match what Sansa is used to even if the faces are different. She touches a few cards and gives Horatio a bit of a smile; he's so kind that she cannot really help herself. )

If you'd like, you can teach me one of your games and I can teach you one of mine? Then we have two to play together instead of simply one.

R-Right!

[ switching out his arc gun for the breaker, daylight attempts to start the thing up. it isn't long before he runs into an issue:

the breaker is too small for his servos.

in the shield, the people in it are trying to show the motions of turning the darn thing on but daylight is just too big for the thing. he can follow their instructions surprisingly well, but his fingers won't press the right buttons or switches for it to work.

eventually, they turn their attention to emil and desperately gesture to him to take it from daylight and use it. since he's their size, they can only hope he can get it to work faster. ]

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