OPEN ★ ARRIVAL LOG

[futurologists]

ARRIVALS ( OCT 2 ) The dragons are taken from you, sent off to a safe haven. You're back in Oska for less than a day when you hear the announcement and head to the rendezvous point. You blink, step through the portal, there's a loud crack, and... You're thrown into darkness. You taste copper and, for a moment, your ears won't stop ringing. All common side-effects of portal travel. The entire crew arrives just beyond the city gates, so you might also be feeling a little bit claustrophobic. It takes a second for the eyes to adjust, but one can make out buildings and the cobblestone beneath their feet. To the right is the Trade District, where all the vendors are gathered to sell their wares. Up ahead is the City Square, where the rest of the citizens out and about seem to be gathered. To the left of the square is the Commoners' District, and to the right of it is the Nobles' District, the two main residential areas. Further travel west will come to the outskirts, a makeshift residential area, this one densely populated with goblins. Many of the people are holding candles or lanterns. You might want to try getting your hands on one of those. If you have not already done so, your enchanted jewelry will manifest words in front of your very eyes — or sounds in your ear, if you're illiterate — asking you to identify yourself. A quick look around shows that you seem to be the only one able to see it. All you have to do is think or say how you wish to be identified. After that, you're immediately given a message. Those who participated in the dragon mission at Anwick will first receive this: We appreciate your help at Anwick. The wyrmlings will live to grow up and bring about the world's natural end. Thank you. -- ALASTAIR Afterwards, the crew will be given an abridged version of this, then told to familiarize themselves with the city and natives, report all information gathered back to ALASTAIR, and wait for further instruction. At the end of the night, wherever they may be, everyone will receive a letter with the royal seal thanking them for their efforts to end the goblins' defiance and inviting them to the Festival of Illumination on the 4th. FESTIVAL OF ILLUMINATION ( OCT 4 ) Candles are sitting on windowsills throughout the entire city, but the main event is in the city square. In the fountain float lit lotuses, and people all around are holding lanterns, waiting to light them. There's a minstrel playing songs, and several of the vendors have pulled their carts up to the square in the hopes of making a sale. Many sweets are for sale, including baked apples, gingerbread, cherry tarts, pudding, and more. There's also some drinks for sale. Some children are playing games in the corner, and others are dancing to the music or writing wishes on slips of paper to be sent into the sky with their lanterns. Everyone seems merry for once, but you'd better be careful. This is an ideal place for a pickpocket. About an hour and a half into the festival, the lanterns are sent into the sky. They're sent flying, the sky becoming filled with bright lights, until... A strong gust of wind sends all the lights out. At least, you think it was a gust of wind. What else could have done that? On closer inspection, however, you'll see that even the candles sitting on windowsills inside have gone out. For a minute or so, there's only darkness and chaos. Suddenly, the flames begin to burn again, revealing a message in the cobblestone in the center of the square. It almost looks as if it's been burned into the ground: IT IS COMING, followed by a symbol of a creature with a lion's head, goat's body, and serpent's tail. [MOD NOTE: This is a catch-all log for the first few days. For the sake of organization, all arrival threads should be posted under the subheader ARRIVALS and all festival threads should be posted under FESTIVAL. Threads that don't fall under either of those categories can be top-levels. Also, please remember to add your character's tag to the post! Thank you, and have fun!]

Comments

Sieglinde Sullivan | Kuroshitsuji | OPEN

[grunehexe]

C ⚝ RING AROUND THE ROSIE

[She's never seen anything like this.

Sieglinde will later be embarrassed to think of how much time she's spent dumbstruck, but growing up in a single, isolated village, burdened with the responsibility of lordship and the creation of the ultimate magic... there are still so many things that are "firsts".

This sort of frolicking... merrymaking... even with the oppressive threat hanging over the heads of the human population, they can have something like this...

Sieglinde's gaze lingers somewhat covetously on a ring of local children dancing together, dropping down to her long dress hem and then back up to the paper she'd been given, writing utensil in hand and trying to think of what to write- it was only proper to participate when she'd been invited to...

But her gaze keeps moving back to the other children, even though she doesn't make any movement to try and join them.]

D ⚝ PASS THE GROG

[Sieglinde is not used to being treated like a child (no matter how she sometimes longed to be). Which might explain why she looks very put upon, straining to try and look over the counter of a street stall properly, weak ankles trembling with the effort of tip-toes, mouth comically down in a frown and cheeks puffed out slightly in an unintended pout.

Overheard-]

I do not understand. If you have beer, why will you not sell it to me?

[Said the small girl clutching a large pie that she... surely wasn't planning on eating alone. Right?]

E ⚝ BLINDED BY THE LIGHT

[It's beautiful.

Sieglinde's gaze is transfixed on the sky, eyes wide in wonder as she takes in the sight of the lanterns rising slowly towards the heavens- until the lights go out.

The wind almost blew her hennin from her head, and Sieglinde clutched at it while ducking down to try and stay out of the way, avoid the stampede of movement, panicked voices, screams-

She clutches at the nearest steady thing, but then the lights are back on, but there are words and an image- one she immediately recognizes from her tomes, the depictions of the supernatural beasts and creatures of the world.]

Chimera...

c

[munechika]

[ the laughter of the children dancing is quite distracting. mostly because it's a similar laughter that used to ring across the citadel during their downtime, when there's no need to fight wars and kill corpses. and it's with this thought that mikazuki watches them with a calm smile like a grandfather watching his grandchildren.

only he notices another young girl standing on the sidelines, clearly watching the same spectacle but not joining. he approaches her then, stands right beside her just as another child hands him a slip of paper.

for his wishes, apparently. like tanabata. ]

They seem rather friendly. Do you not wish to join their merrymaking?

[ probably not the case, given her expression. ]

[grunehexe]

[Not expecting to be spoken to, Sieglinde seemed startled at first, bright green eyes blinking owlishly up at the man, (who was... quite handsome, really), who had asked her a question.

But once said question actually registers her gaze slowly falls, darts back to the children, down to the unnaturally tiny heels peeking out from the hem of her gown, then away in a vague direction.]

- I am quite too old for such things, I am sure you can see.

[Yes, that was it.]

[munechika]

[ her expression totally contradicts her words but mikazuki doesn't point it out. instead he focuses on the paper in his hand, head tilting slightly. ]

Goodness, I was never informed that participating in festivals has an age limit. I suppose that I may need to escort myself out soon.

[grunehexe]

It isn't festivals so much as certain parts of it-

[Of course adults participated in festivals and rituals... after all, the women of her village had. But they had always been somber, serious affairs- no rings of childish laughter or cheer because she had been the only child present.

But it gives her something else to think about, to talk about, so even though she suspects he may be trying to be humorous, she obliges by looking at him out of the corner of her eye, trying to guess his age. Younger than Wolfram? Almost as handsome as a certain butler, with delicate looking features-]

How old are you?

[munechika]

Let's see ... [ cue him trying to count on his fingers and failing. ] Over a thousand years if my numbers are to be trusted? The years admittedly become a blur after a first few hundred or so.

[ getting stuck inside a collection does that ]

D

[selfimage]

[ that sure is a pie.

and that sure is someone denying a perfectly good patron some booze.

there's no punch to spike for the unsuspecting, and there's nothing that's going to make this festival any less Dull (that earns its capital D). being the ever nosy god of chaos that he is, he decides in favor of the loud girl with the pie. who's anyone to deny anyone else good drink? his opinion was of the Asgardian variety, of course, of whom put mead in baby bottles. ]

Two of your largest and finest please. [ when the stall owner gives him a look he gives him a look back. ] They're both for me.

[ they both weren't for him. ]

[grunehexe]

[At the sound of the approach of someone she could only assume might be another patron Sieglinde had stood strong, continuing to try and stare down the stall owner with her most intimidating look.

At the voice, she puffed up further, about to launch into a tirade at the injustice of it all that simply because someone was taller than her they could be served perfectly fine... when she actually looks up.

Looks almost comically between the dashing newcomer and the shopkeeper, and one can almost see the lightbulb switch on above her head as she looks down at the pie in her hands.

More than monetary exchange, Sieglinde understands bartering.

Surely she could make an offer-]

Do get on with it, if you would.

[She can't help herself a bit of dramatics, however, putting on an exaggerated huff.]

[selfimage]

[ the pints slide across the flat counter of the stall, and Loki reaches dark nailed fingers to weave them seamlessly around the two cups. the next time he looks down at her, he's definitely looking at that pie. pie for booze seemed like a decent trade-off, and Loki, who'd already eaten both gingerbread and pudding, would never have his fill of desserts.

his brows lift and his expression screams we have to help each other out in a way that doesn't include the pie that he may be getting shortly.

there's a part of him that's enjoying their little show. ]

Ah, yes. I'll be getting on with it. This one. [ he tips one glass. ] And this one. [ and the other. ] I seem to have two.

What ever will I do with two?

[ and he slides back on his heels (which shouldn't be possible), does a half spin and flares out his jacket with a satisfying smile and heads off out of sight of the stall owner at a trot. ]

[grunehexe]

[There was something very exciting about all this to Sieglinde in a way she couldn't really explain. Having lived her short life as a lord, she had never wanted for anything when it came to her meals, (freedom was another matter, but). This sort of... Trick? Was entirely new to her, and it made her momentarily forget the misfortune of the situation, being stuck in this place, far from home, away from those few she knew.

It was... sort of naughty. Fun, to pretend to still be quite cross and huff and toss her head dismissively with a wave of her hand.]

It seems I will have to take my business elsewhere. What a pity.

[Though she admired the other's rather stylish exit, she definitely couldn't replicate it herself, having to settle for the bow-legged (largely hidden by her long gown at least), mincing steps that came of careful steps in bound feet, being mindful of the curve of cobblestone with a barely suppressed mischievous smile on her face, almost able to forget the pain of it as she tottered off after the man with two beers and a seemed williness to enter in to a trade.]

[selfimage]

[ the best part of a trick was the satisfaction during the trick itself, and he was the most tricksy of them all. it was a gift that no one else quite understood because they were always on the wrong side of the trick, and no one liked being duped. he doesn't feel bad about it, but he never really feels bad about much that he does.

she seemed to catch on, and when she finds him around one of the nearest corners, he looks both pleased that she did, as well as pleased at the outcome of the little charade. ]

Hello again. We make for quite the team.

[ his voice is smooth, and there's a cadence to way that he weaves his words together. ]

c

[hardtohandle]

[Kashuu has been taking in the sights of the festival bit by bit. The food stands are nice, but he needs to save his limited pile of coins. So, instead, it's been time to enjoy the people. The people from the town are suspicious, but it's been easy enough to pick out the members of their expedition. The clothes are usually a giveaway.]

[Now, if the humans of the village were suspicious of them, the children could be moreso. It could be hard to meld in. While they didn't need to befriend the villagers, there was always a certain... benefit to being friendly. And being lonely had no benefits whatsoever.]

Hey, little miss. [Kashuu leans down a bit to be at Sieglinde's level.] If you don't write your wish, it can't be granted, you know?

[grunehexe]

[For a moment, it sounded familiar- "little miss". She had been the lord of the Green Manor, the Green Witch promised to devote herself to saving the lives of the villagers who lived in fear of werewolf attack. "Lord Sullivan", "Mistress"... those had always been what she had been called.

But here...

Sieglinde fails to hide the initial surge of loneliness that question brought out in her, the frustrating pull between the childish desire to play and the learned behavior of maturity beyond her years. - Or the initial surprise at who was talking to her.]

... I am quite too old to believe in such things anymore, sir.

[Says the obvious child.]

[hardtohandle]

[He hadn't intended to make things worse, she just seemed worthy of something better than "hey you," for an address. Ah, well, he'll just have to make a little effort.]

Nooooonsense. [He taps the paper with his delicately painted nails,] Ladies can get their wishes granted at any age.

[grunehexe]

[Sieglinde has never seen a good look at painted nails in her life, and she blinks almost comically when looking at his hand. One of her own moves as if to simply snatch hold of him to get a better look, but at the last minute she remembers her manners and pulls her hand back, instead trying to make herself look at the blank paper before she turns back to his face.

Oh, it was close-

How did those stories go? She remembered them all.]

By princes or some such... ?

[He sort of fit the image.]

[hardtohandle]

[She's more than welcome to look, if she wants. Kashuu chuckles a little, his voice warm.] Or some such. Can I hear your wish?

E

[ushahin]

Is that what it is called?

[He turns his ruined face towards the girl as she says the word, his good eye looking her over. Ushahin's world has many things, but monsters out of Greek mythology aren't one of them.]

[grunehexe]

Yes-

[Having been physically handicapped to prevent her from roaming freely, Sieglinde had spent the majority of her life within her manor, in her study and the library pouring over the histories and stories of her world- and book learning stayed with her no matter he volume, imprinted clearly in her mind.

Though she had not yet torn her gaze from the burned message to face the person who had addressed her, fingers tightening nervously on her lantern.]

Spawn of monsters born of gods...

[ushahin]

Gods. It always comes back to them in the end. Hmmm. I wonder....

[He doesn't finish the thought. He wonders if the drawing represents the literal monster that is to come or if it is merely a symbol for a group. Both seem equally possible in a place where the sun has ceased to rise.]

[grunehexe]

[Sieglinde has drawn similar thoughts, wondering if the beast was a symbol or a caricature of its actual form. It was said to have breathed fire... Could that have some relation? But as the words hung in the air, she tightened her hold on her lantern and turned slightly.]

What do you wonder?

[If she was taken back by the speaker's appearance, (and she was slightly), she hid it well, merely startled for a moment with a few rapid blinks at the sight of his face- but her own mother had been horribly disfigured by poison gas, and in the end she knows well that those sorts of appearances mean little when it came to the person themselves.]

[ushahin]

[Ushahin is gratified by the lack of response from Sieglinde when she turns to face him. One would think after a thousand and some odd years, it would be easier to bear people's reactions...but it never was, not really.]

Oh, many things. Would you happen to know what this chimera's weaknesses are?

[It was clear that this was a warning of what was to come. The better prepared they were, the less surprised they would be the next time the beast or the equivalent thereof showed up.]

c

[unoradinary]

[Ranmaru spots Sieg by her lonesome and wants to suggest she go play with the other kids, but there was always the possibility of her being shy, or having some other reason for isolating herself. If that was the case, forcing her to go through with it wouldn't help much.

So rather than say anything, she stops by Sieg and exhales in a contented manner, looking to her with a grin.]

Boy, it sure is busy, huh? I can barely keep up.

[grunehexe]

[Though she was somewhat startled out of her revelry, Sieglinde looked around at first, sure that it wasn't her being addressed until... It became obvious. At that level of volume only she was close enough, so it had to be-

Oh. She should- say something.]

Is it your first time at something like this... ?

[Because having lived her life in a somber village made only of adult women, herself, and her manservant... It sure was for her.]

[unoradinary]

Mmhm! Never had anyone to go with before back home.

[Despite how friendly she was, she only got some real friends very recently back home. Guys in her old school had been too intimidated by her and none of the girls could relate to her. Things just picked up after she transferred, but no festivals had happened yet. She was really looking forward to bringing Ichiko and everyone else to something they could all hang out at.]

I'm really diggin' this energy though, y'know? It's contagious.

[grunehexe]

Is it required to attend these sorts of events with someone?

[Spoken as someone who honestly had no experience. Shoulders hunched and curled slightly in on herself as she was Sieglinde probably couldn't make herself appear any smaller than she already did, but the comment did make her look about to see if anyone appeared to be attending solo. Indeed, most people seemed to be with family, lovers, children... With the exception of those who stood out as employees of ALASTAIR.

So perhaps they were exempt by necessity.]

It is... Alright, I suppose. Though quite loud...

[The awkward, stubborn expression of a child saying negative things as if doing so would make them appear more mature.]