agentlelog | event: a gentle explosion

Entry tags:

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.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'll consider that. [He's the worst influence, but he's also a literal two year old who has been in some bad situations and survived them, so he's not going to admit to being terrible while he has results to back him up.

He steeples his fingers under his chin and observes with wide, yet entirely red from corner to corner, eyes, and a bright teeth-bared smile.] Go ahead. I'm rooting for you.

[ She can't help but roll her eyes a little, shaking her head as she walks back toward the park bench. At least Molly seems to be a friendly sort of troll? She can deal with that.

She climbs on top of the bench and then gives him a glance. ]

...didn't you see this was something you were working on too?

[ Piper does hate having an audience. ]

[Called out. He blinks at her, opens his mouth to spew some bullshit, but she's already caught him, and he's honestly fairly decent at it now, anyway.

Probably.

Well, he doesn't get embarrassed, so fair enough.]

Fair enough. I didn't want to intimidate you, but if you insist... [He unfolds his long legs again as he gets back onto his feet. He doesn't use the bench, and instead he focuses on stepping up in midair as if he's taking an invisible stair. It's a lot of visualization and focusing on his Jewel- green and shaped like an upside down crescent moon with silver filigree around it to make it almost resemble a bow- but he does manage to pull himself up a foot off the ground and hold there, which is the bare minimum needed to be even a little bit impressive.

He gives a flamboyant little bow at her to indicate "and now you."]

[ ...it is very impressive to see someone bowing while standing in the air. Piper focuses on the power of her Opal jewel, so alike and yet so different than the power she is accustomed to. If she imagines that it resonates... she can imagine that it hums.

She leans into that sweet, clear note, feels the power of it surrounding her and then, trusting, plants her foot down on thin air.

An image of Wile E Coyotte flashes in her mind and she determines not to look down, but to take her other step, leaning in to the power of the jewel again. She can almost hear the magic hum. She stands - don't look down - and starts to walk over to Molly. ]

Did you have anything like this in your world?

[ Don't look down, don't look down... ]

[Molly remains on his one invisible step, a comfortable distance from the ground where if he were to suddenly drop, he wouldn't turn an ankle, at the very least, and puffs out his cheeks, exhaling.] Not quite like this, no. I've seen people fly with magic, but I've only really met one proper wizard and he can't do that or anything like this. He'll be delighted if he ever turns up here.

[But Molly doesn't think he will. Caleb has a hunger, but he can't imagine him trying to get himself indebted to someone like Fayura to achieve anything. Little does he know.]

[ So his world has wizards and demons and magic and... all kinds of things that she is further sure Leo would eat right up.

Don't look down.

Piper makes face. ]

It'd help if the air felt... squishy or something. This just feels like I'm holding my breath, waiting until I look down...

I don't know if it'll help, but... I don't know if you're really supposed to use it for just standing there. The only time I've seen it in action was Blood doing a dead sprint to get to a place. I'd say you've got better shit on your mind than looking down if you've got a place to be.

[On the other hand... Standing above the ground, high above everyone else so you can see what's going on? Fucking nice.]

[ ...if you're not supposed to stand on air, then screw 'supposed to be.'

She gives a quick smile, and is more herself and inside her own skin in that moment that she has been since Molly showed up. It's a mischievous, almost reckless flash of teeth. ]

It'd be a shame not to use this to appreciate the view.

[ And she takes a step up, as if she's climbing a stair, and ascends a foot higher. ]

[Molly does the same.] There is that. I figure once I get really good at this, the performance art possibilities are gonna be endless. [He spreads his hands.] Mid-air somersaults. I'd just need a spot with good reflexes.

[Note to self- ask Jon.]

[ Piper also wants to show off, but to a more select audience. When your boyfriend can ride the winds like Superman, it'd be kind of nice to join him while remaining on your own two feet... metaphorically speaking.

She climbs another 'stair', but stops there, just wanting to get comfortable with... not falling.

She recognizes all the signs of an entertainer talking about his craft. Her dad could get like this - any experience could feed into his acting. ]

How long have you been a performer?

As long as I can remember. [He spreads his arms and pivots his wrist to bow in the most grandiose manner one can- the mid-air aspect really sells it, too.] I used to be in a circus before things took sort of a bad turn, but all things being equal... One never really stops being a performer. It's just instinct. I can't exactly turn it off, nor do I really want to.

[And that is probably the first thing he's said that explains everything.]

[ It truly is an impressive bow. The midair aspect combined with the flare of that coat definitely makes a statement. ]

I know people like that.

[ Her dad didn't work that way, Tristin lost himself in his performances, kept himself tightly wrapped when he wasn't acting... but some of his friends were as Molly described. Everything was a show. ]

What did you do in the circus?

I was an intermediary, mostly. [He takes a step backwards, experimenting with the idea of walking an invisible tightrope without looking behind him. The fact that he's standing on nothing means that trying to look at nothing and walk is more taxing to the imagination. Walking backwards and looking straight at her, he might as well be balancing on a fence or something.]

I juggled swords, read fortunes... But mostly I was just there to get the crowd worked up for the big acts. Never landed one myself before the winds changed.

[ That's a little disorienting to watch; Molly manages to give the impression that he is balancing without actually... being on anything.

Ugh, magic is so weird.

At least she is getting used to the purple. ]

Did you read fortunes? [ A quick grin. ] Or people?

[He balances on one foot, grabbing his ankle and pulling it up to his back. He feels a slight dip in his position, but he stabilizes as soon as he "plants" both feet again. All the while, he's been looking particularly mischievous.] Care to take a run at it? Find out for yourself?

[ Piper considers this for a moment. She kind of... hates prophecy.

But she's also not one to turn her back on a dare. So. ]

You know what? [ Another quick flash of a grin. ] Sure.

That's what I like to hear.

[He's not doing a mid-air reading for obvious reasons so he takes a few steps down so he's just a few feet off the ground and lets himself drop with a careful thud, all while pulling a set of well-used Tarot cards out of his coat pocket.] And I promise you won't be disappointed.

[ ...oh, he uses cards?

Piper closes her eyes and imagines the power of the jewel slowly - slowly - becoming thinner and thinner so that she can, while standing straight, begin to just descend as if she was standing on a thin rope and the rope was bending underneath her weight.

It works, to her astonishment and pleasure, and she's flush with the excitement of it when her feet touch the ground.

Still smiling, she approaches. ] Alright, Molly. Let's see what you've got.

[Molly flips his coattails out and plops on the ground so he can dig through the sequined pouch dangling at his belt alongside the golden and ornate scimitar he carries in sharp contrast to the plain one on his left that was taken from the armory. The Tarot deck he produces is well worn and he shuffles it with the ease of a professional, eyeing her without looking at the cards as if he's reading her, showing care in not revealing any sleight of hand tricks. He actively considers it for a moment- cheating and doing a cold read based entirely on pulling cards as he likes them, but he hasn't done that once since he got here and he's learned a lot from that.]

It's your lucky day. I normally charge for this. I do three cards, usually. Near past, present, and near future. [He keeps shuffling until finally he's separated the deck into three separate piles and from there deals three more cards face down. He looks up at her, a sense of mysticism that only comes from a seasoned showman bullshitting his way to glory in his presence.] Time to back out if you want. Not everyone's prepared for what the cards have to say.

[ ...uh-huh. ]

And miss out on getting them for free?

[ Piper sits with effective and innate grace across from him, crossing her legs casually and tucking unevenly chopped hair behind her ears, including a few small braids. Fresh callouses from a sword, a knife, are on her fingers. Her kaleidoscope eyes change from brown to green to a light blue as she watches Molly shuffle the cards closely. She is very obviously a mix of two different ethnicities, and though the Native American might be easy to place for those who are familiar, the other is a little bit more difficult. There is an ancient and yet still effective knife tucked into a sheath on her belt; her face is bare of make-up.

There is a bit of nerves as she glances at the cards. Things of power... they have a way of... influencing things. But this wasn't a prophecy and she wasn't afraid of learning more about herself. ]

[He's taken aback by her eyes for a moment as he shuffles, fascinated by how they change color, but he's swept back into the comforting feel of the cards as he turns the first one over. It's a depiction of the Wildmother, a goddess of long red hair, crowned in verdant leaves and dressed simply in druidic attire, a staff with two heads in her hand, and a snake circling around her waist and up her shoulders like a living sash. The corners of the card bear a man's face, an eagle, a bull, and a lion.]

The World. [Molly's voice cants into theatrics again.] You have encountered the Divine in some form or fashion, and have just recently undergone a transformation. You've ended a cycle and started on a new one. You have found happiness and are ready for the next part of your journey.

[The second card depicts a man in heavy robes standing alone on a cliff where three long rods have been embedded in the ground.] The Three of Wands. You have support in your life, and while you can accomplish many things on your own, you know you don't have to. You have people to lean against as your next journey unfolds before you.

[And finally, the last card: another goddess- the Lawbearer herself with a crown of stars. She is a severe woman dressed in austere robes, but there is an oddly matronly expression on her face.] The Empress. The world around you might be new and strange, and things might not go your way, but you must remain open to the idea of love. Be generous and affectionate and inspire others, and your future will be full of all the beauty of creation.

[ The world. Gaea. Ugh. That... resonated, and Piper doesn't bother to hide her astonishment -- encountered the Divine, yeah, you could say that, but... ugh.

Defensively, her expression shutters as he continues, but she isn't putting enough effort into it to keep from Molly the fact that some things hit home.

Rationally speaking, she could say that there are some obvious things here -- like obviously they're ended a cycle and started a new one and obviously the journey is unfolding, but...

...all the beauty of creation, huh?

Piper stares at the cards for a moment and then leans back to grin at him. ]

You're very good.

[Molly snaps his fingers rhythmically and grins like a preening cat.]

Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all week and... probably for an indeterminate amount of time afterwards.

[ His delight in having his showmanship appreciated is oddly infectious... and honestly just odd, look at those blank red eyes, the curve of his horns. Piper's gaze flickers over him before focusing on the cards again. She hadn't sensed any magic, but that... didn't really mean anything.

She reaches out as if to touch the Lawbearer, but she does not. She looks back up to him. ]

I haven't seen cards like these before.

[ She hasn't decided yet what Molly was reading, exactly, the cards or her, but there were some things he said she didn't know if anyone would be able to know by looking at her... at least, not with normal senses. ]

These? They're just Tarot cards, passed down from my mum, but there's a spark of power in them. They bear the icons of the gods and thus contain a sliver of their divinity, she used to say.

[In truth, he found them at a secondhand shop from a seller who was desperate to be rid of them out of paranoia given how many illegal gods within the Empire were depicted in the deck. He paid a silver when she was asking for mere coppers.

But that's not a good story.]

Edited 2019-04-24 18:02 (UTC)

event: a gentle explosion

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

lmk if you need me to put anything into meta that will help him out

bless you. that would be awesome. i usually stalk apps.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)

(no subject)