agentlelog | event: a gentle arrival

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event: a gentle arrival

I won't give up so don't give in
You've fallen down but you can rise again

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

► Direct all questions to the mods at this link.

SWEET DREAMS AREN'T MADE OF THIS
The dream isn't unpleasant, just strange. Mist curls around you long after the woman fades. You hold a Jewel in your hand, marveling at its multifaceted surface and feeling the thrill of new, untapped power. Anticipation surges in you: that feeling of wrongness that so often accompanies a nightmare you can't wake from. Anticipation becomes fear. You look up, certain that at any moment the mist will pull back and reveal something gruesome and terrible.

A scream. A piercing wail, that sound that accompanies a violent death. The sound doesn't come from your dream, and it jolts you awake. You…

i. Are alone in your room, and have a moment to gather yourself. Wherever you laid down to rest, you've woken up somewhere different. Somewhere strange. There's a comforting weight in the air—a feeling of welcome, of belonging. Then another scream pierces the night. In your dream, the woman asked for a hero. Maybe you already consider yourself a hero or maybe you don't, but now seems as good a time as any to either be one or start pretending.

ii. See a dark shape looming over you. You have no time to assess the place you've woken up, though you have a quick flash of insight that your dream must have been more than a dream and the woman to whom you spoke has brought you to her world and her home. There's no time to marvel at this. The shadow above you draws back, a pistol Breaker in their hand. Even if you've never seen a gun before, you can somehow taste their malice and hatred. They're pointing a weapon at you, and your scream might be the next to tear through the midnight darkness.

Landen Hunters have infiltrated the Queen's Residence. How stalwartly you choose to fight them off is up to you, but you'll quickly encounter members of Fayura's First Circle defending against the attackers. Allairavar rallies the people of the court, ensuring the most vulnerable are well guarded in the massive dining hall. Loren maintains a Green shield around the room, and only those of the court or the Strangers can enter. There, Healers tend to the wounded, and the children who live at the residence are kept safe.

Amidst the turmoil, you overhear snippets of conversation:

A Healer, quietly, to her patient: If the Lady isn't here, she and Prince Verim must be working some spell to protect us. Rest easy, Prince.

Lord August, speaking quickly to Prince Lachlan as they rush by: —monsters find out the Queen would be bringing help to us tonight? Who told the Hunters—

An injured footman, worried: —see the flames through the window. Landens live in Old Town. How unsurprising that the Guilds would come up with a distraction that hurts their own, too.

FLAME AND FURY
Beyond the Queen's Residence, the Old Town Bazaar burns. Horrified faces gather at the east-facing dining hall windows, and distraught whispers fill the air. Someone cries out that their sister lives in Old Town.

Loren reacts first. He calls for volunteers from the Strangers, and you have the distinct impression that he measures you by your response. "The Hunters—" He grimaces, realizing the Strangers probably don't know what he means. "—landen assassins came in the night to kill you. They've lit part of our city on fire to prevent us from following them. We don't know who, specifically, came for you, but we know where they've gone to ground, so we don't need to chase them down. What we do need to do is stop the fire from spreading. The First Circle will stay here and defend the residence. Who among you Strangers, those of you who came here tonight, will help with the fires?"

Those who agree to help are sent with Allairavar to put out the flames. As you travel with him, Allairavar provides a crash-course in creative application of Craft.

*You wear the Jewels, so you can shield. You should know how, if the Lady's spell worked. Shield yourselves to protect from the flames. Use Craft to shield the buildings and starve out the fires,* he says on a psychic thread so that everyone can hear him and he doesn't need to waste his breath by shouting. *Rescue anyone trapped in the buildings regardless of who they are. Be on the look out for Hunters—the assassins Loren mentioned. They're sneaky bastards, and they'll use our focus on helping the people to put knives in our backs if they can.*

Put out fires, use your powers or Craft to support buildings before they collapse, and rescue landens and Blood alike from the damage done by the Hunter Guild. Be wary and alert, and try not to damage the city more than the fires already have should you encounter Hunters. Blood families will go with the Strangers more easily than landen families, but Allairavar makes it clear that if you have to physically remove someone from a burning home or one that is about to collapse then that is exactly what you should do.

REST FOR THE WEARY
Dawn breaks on the horizon, painting the city of Draega a hazy red. With little wind, the smoke hovers around the city. In Old Town, even buildings that didn't burn begin to smell like the fire.

A somber weight falls on the Queen's Residence. In the aftermath of the night's events, Loren introduces himself to each of the Strangers individually if possible but to groups if he must: He is the Queen's Steward, and his Queen was the one who worked the spell to bring them to Draega. He apologizes for the circumstance of their arrival and that the Queen is currently indisposed. Everyone, he explains, can stay in the residence for as long as they would like, and he makes it clear that by no means are the Strangers required to remain in the residence nor will they be viewed with suspicion or distrust by the court if they decide to find their own homes.

Those with medical skills or healing powers are brought to the dining hall to help the Healers. The Healer in charge is a young, Yellow Jeweled woman who has exhausted her Craft and desperately needs assistance. Anyone who inquires about her position within the court, either to her or others, learns that she is highly skilled and spent her childhood in the landen Medico Guild before taking a chance on her half-Blood heritage and making an Offering. While she wears one of the lightest Jewels in the residence, even Allairavar submits silently to her attentions and he offers no excuse when she chastises him for getting injured.

Midway through the day, Allairavar and Loren make the mistake of having an unshielded conversation near the dining hall. Anyone nearby can overhear…

"I spoke briefly to Verim," Loren says, voice low and urgent. "They weren't caught in the fire, but Allairavar…"

A muscle in Allairavar's jaw ticks. His massive, membranous wings fan out to fill the hall before he pulls them tight to his back. "She's injured."

Loren nods. "Badly. The backlash of power struck her hard, and Verim couldn't help her absorb it." Tension lines Allairavar's body, and Loren quickly adds, "You can't kill them. She brought them here to help us—"

"Our Queen is vulnerable," Allairavar hisses. "There are strangers in our home." A dangerous, wild look fills his eyes. "Does she plan on doing this again? We're not letting her." He rocks back and forth on his feet with the nervous energy of a man contained and about to explode.

"So we'll strand these people here?" Gentle concern fills Loren's eyes. "She'll need to do this once more to send them home."

All that nervous energy abruptly vanishes, and Allairavar bends a sleepy-eyed, malevolent look on Loren. "Would you ask our Queen to destroy herself for these people?"

Violence cloaks both men, but the threat of action rests solely on Allairavar. Loren keeps his voice gentle. Soothing. "Do you really think she would have made the offer if she couldn't send them home? Do you think she would truly be so cruel as to demand they come here with no chance of ever returning home?"

Allairavar is quiet for a long moment. The tension slowly flows out of him, leaving him looking weary and exhausted. "Yes," he finally says, tone grim. "Because to her, the price is worth it to save the world. And she would accept it for any of them if they asked." He runs a hand over his head and sighs heavily. Without another word, he turns and walks away. Loren does not call after him.

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…

etiquette with evandra and aren
[Evandra's voice is a little bit rough and a little bit husky, the kind of voice that gives bad ideas to young men and headaches to fathers.] Just because the Blood have no law against murder doesn't mean you can kill anyone on the street—or in their homes, isn't that right, Lord Aren?

[Aren's voice is chipper and bright. He sounds more like an eager boy than the full-grown man he is.] Quite true, Evandra! Unless someone has done something to merit execution, wanton murder is generally frowned upon. A Queen can demand a price for the death of someone in her Territory or court.

[A thoughtful hum from Evandra.] So, the Hunter Guild's attack on the Queen's Residence last night isn't illegal, but it was incredibly gauche. And now they face possible retaliation from her and her court. How ghastly!

[Aren agrees.] A dreadful affair. Remember: just because you can doesn't mean you should.

[Evandra:] Quite so. Something for us all to consider. As always, I'm Evandra.

[With solemn dignity, Lord Aren says:] I'm Aren, and you've been listening to…

[Together:] Etiquette with Evandra and Aren. [Jaunty outro music plays. Perhaps they should reconsider this particular tune on dark occassions.]

the weather
[A soft-spoken man's voice rumbles out of the Far-caster. He's pleasant to listen to, with a soothing cadence to his voice.] …overcast and snowy days with temperatures hovering around freezing during the day and dropping at night. Need to tune up your e-line heaters? The Elektriline Guild is offering a limited-time discount this week to ensure you stay warm around the clock.

the news
…distressed to hear of the incident at the Queen's Residence. [The man speaks in a slow, smooth voice. His words ring with heartfelt sincerity.] Though Lady Fayura and I don't often see eye-to-eye— [He chuckles at this, as though he's made a joke. Another man, presumably an interviewer, chuckles along with the air of someone who isn't sure this is a joke they should be laughing at.] —I condemn the actions taken by the Hunter Guild. Destroying people's homes is simply unacceptable.

But one wonders what that surge of power was just prior to midnight. Craft, surely, but to what end? Was that the spell the Queen used to summon these… Strangers from other Realms? Surely we can agree that such action, taken independently of the Guilds and the Ebon Council, much as we don't get along, is cause for concern. I believe the Lady has overstepped, and it is my firm hope that Lord Grejor issues an injunction against her for such flagrant disregard for the law.

[The interviewer speaks, and his voice is faintly strained.] Thank you, Grand Master Niall, for talking to us on this issue.

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[ With the city a wreck, it makes sense that people have been going out of their way to assist in any way they can. Haein has been silently observing from a distance and learning for himself what he needs to do in order to survive here. He's found himself in the middle of unfamiliar places before, so that's not new. But being dropped into a city in the midst of an attack? Specifically an attack on him and the other newcomers? New.

It calls for being careful, watchful, and his quick sensibility to adapt to strange environments needs to be even quicker in this foreign land. He's here for a reason after all, and he needs to see this through.

That's why he's in the city now, helping to rebuild not out of the kindness of his heart, but a need to blend in.

He's a good distance away from most of the hustle and bustle of the others, clearing out debris and the burned remnants of a home, when he hears something resembling scratching come from under a pile of rubble before it abruptly stops. He doesn't immediately investigate, just keeps an eye on the pile until the sound starts up again. This time, it's a faint knocking that quietly fades once more, and then he's turning away to find the nearest person. ]

Hey. [ That's not a greeting, just a call for attention. ] I think someone's trapped over there.

[ Motions with his hand where. He probably should have checked and made sure, but it seemed like a better idea to get someone else to do it. Besides, he can't exactly lift all that rubble by himself. ]

[ when a battle quiets, there's always the aftermath.

the healing of the injured; the recovery and mourning of the dead; the cleaning up, always, that seems to last forever. percy isn't unfamiliar with this, and so after getting some rest he's back out in the city. his first thought had been just to see where he can help, but -- help is needed everywhere, and there at still people who need to be saved, so he's at work before long.

he comes over when he hears haein call, frowning with concern. ]

How do you k -- [ and then there it is, knocking once again. ] Okay, I heard that too.

[ percy approaches the pile of rubble carefully, not wanting to cause, say, a mini-landslide that could bury this person even more, and kneels down by the source of the sounds. ]

We hear you. [ he speaks up loudly, though there's no way of knowing if the person can hear him or not. ] Sit tight, okay? We're going to help.

[ "we," because he assumes haein's gonna come over here and help too. ]

[ Haein trails after Percy, and when they reach the pile, he hangs back to watch the exchange.

It's not much of an exchange, though, and with the fires, Haein imagines the person buried underneath the rubble would have difficulty replying with words after inhaling so much smoke. Even the sounds they'd made before seemed faint, and this time, there's no scratching or knocking to answer Percy's assurances.

He does send the other boy a sidelong glance when Haein gets grouped into that pledge. Uh, excuse him, but hasn't he done enough just by calling this to attention?

With a sigh, Haein steps forward to assess the damage, gaze critical as he eyes how precarious and unstable the entire thing appears. ]

... Without knowing exactly where they are, you could do more harm than good.

[ "You," because what's having a single helpful bone in his body? ]

[ percy frowns at that glance, because it's not like...he can....do this alone. what he wouldn't give to have hazel here; underground's her specialty much more than his, even if poseidon's also called the earthshaker.

he's quiet a long moment at that observation but, truth is, he can't argue with that. ]

Do you have any suggestions?

[ the words could sound combative, but his voice is level. they have to do something, and he's not sure he has any good ideas. ]

[ Haein does have suggestions. A number of them, actually! But they're all along the lines of "let's just leave" so probably not very helpful.

Alright, okay. He agreed to come to this land for a reason. This is just one of those things he's going to have to suck up and deal with. There are worse things than helping someone out of a pile of rubble and hey, if the person trapped underneath dies, at least he could say he tried?

He crouches down next to Percy, mindful of where he leans his weight so as not to cause a collapse, then takes a closer look. ]

I might... be able to lift some of this. [ Hesitantly glances at Percy, then back at the pile. ] Not all of it. You'd have to crawl into whatever space I make.

[ Fuck, he really doesn't want to do this, and he's never used his telekinesis for something this large before. ]

[ percy looks back at haein curiously, but he tamps down any questions. haein seems pretty unsure about suggesting this at all, and percy doesn't want to make him more uncomfortable. ]

That'd help a lot. [ percy doesn't have any powers that'd actually be helpful here right about now, but this? would really make a difference. ] I can do that. It won't be a problem.

[ you know, crawling into a small space and hoping this guy he just met doesn't accidentally crush him. ]

[ It's great that they just met because had they met sooner and not gotten along, Haein would have absolutely dropped the pile on Percy and bounced. For now, at least, they're still strangers and so there aren't any murder attempts yet.

Haein's slightly surprised by the willingness Percy shows in this sketchy and very makeshift plan, but that's mostly because he can't relate at all. If anyone had suggested this same idea to him and told him to go crawling in for a random person, Haein would have left so fast.

But hey, this works. ]

Let's not waste any time, then.

[ Straightens back up and concentrates on lifting up a small section of the pile from the ground. Haein's found it more difficult to use his abilities ever since coming here, something to do with his jewel, so the effort really shows as he strains against the pressure as an opening is made. ]

[ YET................HAEIN WHY.

the strain haein feels shows, but percy doesn't draw attention to it. if haein says he can do it, then he can do it. and if he can't...well, there's no point worrying about it right now. someone else's life is in the balance, and percy can't not try to help. he'd rather die trying than walk away.

though, uh, he'd really prefer not dying.

he doesn't waste time; once the opening is visible, percy moves to crawl his way down and try to find the person. all this commotion with the rocks moving galvanizes the buried guy -- he calls out more clearly, and percy responds, moving in his direction. ]

[ Wow, sure would be nice if Percy could hurry this up.

Haein's breathing becomes labored, and he feels sweat on his brow as he keeps the debris from falling back into place. His gaze shifts from the opening, to the part he has lifted, then back to the opening for any sign of Percy's return. He doesn't think he can keep this up for long, and he grits his teeth as his muscles scream in protest.

It's like the pressure gets heavier with each passing second, and Haein's tempted to yell at Percy to hurry. That brief moment of distraction cuts in and he falters, some of the rubble crumbling and falling into the opening. Haein snaps his attention back into place, abandoning all distractions to continue holding up the pile.

Holy shit, he's never doing this again. ]

[ he'S DOING HIS BEST, GEEZ!!!

especially considering (1) he really doesn't love tight spaces, (2) he really doesn't love being under the earth, especially after getting done waging war on gaea herself. this isn't muskeg or anything, and thank all the gods for that, but he's woken up enough times in a cold sweat from dreams about sinking into the earth that....potentially being buried under rubble sets him on edge.

(more on edge than, you know, otherwise. because again: burIED UNDER RUBBLE.)

but he finds the guy and starts pulling him out, hoping he doesn't make any injuries worse, when haein falters. the lucky thing is that the rocks fall back towards the opening, so it's mostly percy who gets hit by any. the bad thing is, ow. but eventually, haein will catch sight of some movement, and then percy will emerge, pulling the guy out. ]

[ HIS BEST ISN'T ENOUGH!! For Haein... it'll never be enough... Sorry, Percy.

It feels like an eternity on Haein's end, and just when he thinks he should call it a day and just let the whole pile drop back down then head on back to the Queen's Residence, he spots movement at the entrance.

So okay, maybe he'll keep it up for just a little while longer as Percy and the injured person emerge from the opening. Once they're clear of the pile, Haein releases his hold and the small section he had lifted collapses into place. Haein isn't too far behind, dropping first to his knees before falling heavily on his backside as he closes his eyes and tries to catch his breath. ]

[ STOP TRYING TO MURDER HIM JFC!!!!!!

but it's not too quickly that percy's able to check in on haein. for one thing, he needs a moment to breathe himself at that close call, especially after having to climb through the rubble like that. for another, his next priority is the guy they saved. he's hurt, of course, but it's not as bad as it could be -- and thank the gods for that. percy promises to get him to some healers soon, and that is when he remembers (with a stab of guilt) to turn to haein.

he stumbles to his feet, covered from hair to shoes in dust and trampled ashes from the rubble, and makes his way to where haein's sitting. ]

Hey, [ he says, then, ] We did it. Thank you. Are you okay?

[ Wow, thanks for the afterthought!!

No, but actually, Haein would not have given two shits if Percy just completely forgot about him. He'd kind of prefer that, to be honest? That way at least Haein would be able to pass out in peace, but now that he's being checked up on, he has to pull himself together and act like he's totally cool. ]

Fine.

[ The answer is clipped, and he pushes himself up to stand on wobbly legs. Yup, totally the picture of health here. Don't mind how pale and sweaty he looks.

And while he doesn't care, he figures the best way to get the attention off of him is to point to and ask about the other guy. ]

He needs to see someone.

[ YOU DON'T...LOOK FINE......

but haein also doesn't look like he'd appreciate someone pointing that out, so percy frowns but avoids stating the obvious. besides, haein isn't wrong. ]

I'll find him a healer. [ and then, okay, he can't stop himself: ] Are you sure you're okay?

[ WHAT DOES HE KNOW.

For showing such open concern, Percy gets a withering glare as thanks. Haein really doesn't want to be fussed at, and he's already exhausted and kind of seriously regretting going out of his way for a total stranger, so his mood isn't all that great either. ]

I said I was fine.

[ Okay, that's definitely Haein snapping now. Look, he'll even throw in a dismissive wave. Free of charge. ]

Go find him a healer.

[ GEEZ HAEIN!!!

percy puts up his hands, palms facing haein. ]

I was just checking, dude. [ g o s h ] I'm on it.

[ and off he goes to help out the other guy with finding a healer! ]

[ Maybe don't try to be such a stand up guy next time, Percy!!

But oh thank the gods. Now Haein can pass out in peace. ]

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event: a gentle arrival

HOPE'S AN EMBER - for percy jackson.

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