epidemiology | PLAYER EVENT ★ HELIOLOGY

PLAYER EVENT ★ HELIOLOGY

INTRODUCTION.

It's difficult to tell time without the presence of a sun or moon. There are no stars. The world is in constant blackness, the heavens barely visible from below and the only light artificial. It's been like this for months.

Suddenly, those who expressed interest in observing the sun (or lack thereof) will all at once receive a text message on their ALASTAIR jewellery from 82736775:

Get your shit and go look at the sky. Now's the time. If you need me, I'm around.

It's time to get to work.

OBSERVATION.

Find the highest point you can and point the telescopes at the sky. Should be easy, right?

Be mindful that there are still guards patrolling the city, looking for escaped prisoners, and some citizens would be very happy to tip them off to your presence. There are still animals in the forests to contend with, and there are still nosey citizens who may ask you too many questions. There are also your fellow ALASTAIR agents, who may not be very willing to share the spot they already staked out before you just showed up.

People and animals aren't all you need to look out for, either. Seven hours after the observation starts, there is a lightning storm. It lasts for 30 minutes, bolts of electricity arcing across the sky. It might be a good idea to scurry down someplace lower when this happens -- you know what they say about lightning and height.

82736775 doesn't contact anyone after the initial text, so observers are free to give up whenever they decide they've been sitting out in the freezing dark for long enough.

[ note: even if you didn't sign up, feel free to tag in! your character won't have a telescope but that doesn't mean they can't mingle. ]

[ previously: ic info | ooc info ]
[ direct questions here! ]

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[ is it possible to die from words alone? olivia can't be too sure, but she has a feeling her body may be trying for it in that very moment. ]

M-Me?

[ goodness, olivia's voice had never been that particularly deep to begin with but she's fairly certain she hasn't reached an octave that high since she was a little girl! ]

Oh — gosh, no, I — I mean I'm —

[ it's a surreal sort of experience, somewhat out of body. in her mind, she is a fluttery mess, but her body moves with an unspoken, innate grace. clumsy like a ham rolling off a stage, she'd always say, or something to that effect, yet she never once loses her footing as they climb, or fall out of step with him. it's almost like her body is moving on its own, instinctively following the gentle rhythm he's set out for them.

she attempts to steady her words with a deep breath. ]

I'm fine, sir. I promise. I've got this nice coat, see? [ it isn't all that much, but it's got sleeves and a hood and reaches down to her toes. ]

[ Like any good yacht, Korra really leaves a wake.

Asami shakes her head and smiles fondly at the long staircase, earthbent right in the sloping ground, leading up to the top of the butte. If she had any doubts where Korra had gone... she starts to climb the stairs, carefully adjusting the basket hooked over her elbow so that it's covered by her cloak—a handy purchase, as it turned out, considering nobody here had ever heard of umbrellas.

The rain is just starting to sprinkle when she makes it to the top of the butte and finds Korra tucked away under an outcropping of rock. ]

Hey, Korra! [ She smiles brightly and ducks underneath the overhang, pushing her hood down from over her head. As usual, her hair looks perfect despite the hood and rain. ] I brought some tea and food. Are you thirsty?

[ she's got a leg up! ]

Oh, I'm sure you're very nice, of course!

[ wait, now she's mixing it up. ]

[ she puffs up at that, so it's a good thing he can't see and make fun of her for it. ]

Only good, smart boys get kisses!

[ pause. ]

Or a prince!

Even if it's small, I haven't the faintest idea of what I'm doing.

[ Before she could really overwhelm Shiki, Alice sheepishly held out her telescope before even thinking about approaching him. ]

Not only that, I'm not fortunate as some of you to come from a world filled with technology such as this. Telescopes this size cannot pick up on such crystal clear images.

They're a strange color too, aren't they?
But then again maybe that's how stars are supposed to look here!
I wish we could ask an expert...

[ olivia isn't offended by the flinch, but she does feel instantly guilty for it. she adjusts her hold on the other, keeping it more of a presence along the girl's shoulder than any actual grip or weight. ]

Give it a moment, [ she instructs gently, keeping her eyes turned skyward. ]

You'll see.

[ She's hit him. She's gone well and far enough as to take her hand against his arm, and though she could never truly hope to hurt him, he finds himself playing the part of wounded accordingly with a wince, pout, and widening of golden eyes all. It's all theatrics, really—he hadn't so much as flinched when he sliced his palm clean and open, and surely that must sting worse than any blow—but Sion sells it well, up until the point when he...!

Rolls his shoulders, first the right and then the left, arches his back, then pays mind to his hand, fashioning Alice's handkerchief into a bandage by way of a careful knot before dismounting the ledge with a soft, airy sigh. ]

I know. [ That she hadn't been trying to. That she meant him no sleight. That she would never believe in the title which he'd bestowed upon her, regardless of how, in that moment, his words had been earnest, guileless, and true.] I must confess, I was only biding time until the storm passed us by.

[ And now that it has, they can make their way to the Abel Inn, and perhaps Sion himself will for once take the lead...? ]

Now then, will you follow, or will I have to sweep you clean off your feet, and carry you over the threshold of the inn?

[ He'd do it, too, given proper opportunity and chance. But that is the extent of how much he'd force himself upon her—Sion is chaste, as pure as the driven snow and the color of his hair.

C o m p l e t e l y innocent. ]

Edited 2016-01-16 02:40 (UTC)

[ olivia's laugh is muffled behind a hand once she's greeted at her heels, though it's quick to drop down and ruffle over the wolf's ears as she's wont to. yes, of course, she's brought enough of a snack for them all, even though she's well aware graham had packed enough to be safe. the basket is full of rolls she'd baked up earlier in the day, so she's making something of a day of it by wandering around gifting them to whomever might need the sustenance. ]

Hello! [ she murmurs a kind greeting to the wolf, stooping down to give him a small roll that she'd stuffed with leftover meat from a few nights ago, before crossing the distance between them to move closer. ]

You must be Sakura. [ she kind of butchers the pronunciation, but she definitely tries.

she holds out one of the sweeter rolls for the young girl. ] Here — snack for you!

[ she smiles then, reaching up to curl her hands around her warmed cheeks. ]

That's true, [ she concedes, ] I didn't really think of it that way. I didn't realize you were so optimistic, Mr. Keats!

No, idiot. I mean Diamonds, the most supreme beings in the entire universe, capable of powers you can only imagine!! The diamonds you're thinking of might as well be geoforms made in their image.

I don't think anyone will be able to find the sun today. I have a feeling it will take a bit longer.

[ Naturally, it's going to be like pulling teeth to get a boy back inside. ]

Aren't you tired?

Erm. I guess we don't have those kind of diam— sorry I mean Diamonds in my world...!
What are your Diamonds like?

You wouldn't. No Diamond would set foot on any Earth. It's beneath them.

Diamonds- they're perfect and flawless beings. Literally no weaknesses, ever! But my Diamond... Her name is Yellow Diamond. She's the best of them all. She's calm, and balanced, and rational, and efficient! She knows the best use for everyone and everything! Nothing is ever out of place!

[ She knew it, he was teasing her. The way she crosses her arms exudes the words of "I thought so". Sion reacts in such a way that Alice snaps her gaze back to him, already to gear up protesting his reaction that she didn't hit that hard and she very well could have. It doesn't stop Alice from heaving out an exasperated sigh- ]

Honestly, if you're that insistent to be that theatrical, perhaps you should consider the theater.

[ Alice in her stubbornness was insistent on not budging from her spot. She wanted to drive home the point she could, again, handle herself, but also it was a way to spite him for flustering her so much. She sat there, looking up at him while lightly swinging her feet. Because he's teased her so much already, Alice actually doubts his words. Surely he wouldn't dare think of it.

But regardless of her spite and stubbornness, Alice's reasons to resist sleep were still the same in the end: she didn't want to deal with the nightmares. Of course her response would be to shake her head, her dark hair falling on her face. ]

I'm sorry, it's still too early; I didn't have plans to go back inside after the storm let up.

She sounds a little like Frederick
I mean. Ah...
You must love her a lot.

The most astounding and stubborn woman I've ever met, I think I'll amend. [ There is a degree of fondness to those words, the warmth of familiarity, and...! Could that be??? Acceptance. ] You needn't retire, after I've seen you to your room. It was only my thought that, if we are to stay awake, we should do so in comfort, rather than tarry out here, in the cold. Your blanket will only fend off the elements for so long, for the temperature always dips sharply after a storm.

[ Besides, he's curious to see it, the place where she resides—is it a quiet space? A well-kept one? Meticulously arranged and styled to her liking, or not so? ]

Or if you'd rather not return to the inn, I've a house all to my own. Those whom I'd shared it with, Lady Clarke and two others from her home, have...

[ Disappeared. And while he hadn't known the other two well, he'd asked Clarke to wait for him, and she'd promised him that she would. She said she'd wait until he might be able to show her a world full of light and gentle warmth, and though he'd wished that it might, the bindings of a promise alone hadn't been enough to tether them together. He wonders, now, if Clarke will ever find it, the peace which she'd wanted so, so very desperately that she'd given up all hope of attaining it in order to protect herself, for each and every time she'd reached for it, it had only ended in despair.

It had wounded her deeply, but her smile had been beautiful when he'd the chance to glimpse it, and perhaps she waits for him still, somewhere in a realm far away from here. ]

They've gone.

[ And in a way, it had been better when she'd been captured—at least he'd known where to look for her, then. He'd known, without a doubt, that he would be able to free her. ]

And I am on my lonesome again.

_{[ Gintoki is the one to be a risk-taker in some circumstances without the beat of a lash or any sweat from his brow. It’s probably why he spent so much money on gambling and has numbed himself to any sort of shocking result or rejection; it was the thrill of the moment that kept him coming back and wasting more. A risk, even toying with his life, body and soul was something he could do if it meant for protecting another person. He could physically take the blow for another person and seek out divine punishment to deliver to another person if they were in the wrong by his standards. He was not, however, a risk-taker with his heart, nor anybody else’s heart on the line.. especially if their heart was more valuable than his by his perspective; his, which was scarred of the wrong doings of his past.

He eases closer to her, closing the space between them and pushing the envelope like a child dipping their fingers in the cookie jar. He eases a breath out, feeling a small spark jumping through his chest— he knew damn well he was getting away with something that he shouldn’t and it was exciting, but he knew he didn’t deserve it either. Just a little more, which he’ll undoubtedly regret later when he’s trying to go to sleep at night. An unreadable gaze fixates into Olivia’s eyes, flickering back and forth as if they were trying to tear her apart, taking in each uncertain feeling that pulsated through the fibers of her being without even knowing it.

Gintoki made a promise to her— to protect her, and he is never going to forget that. ]}

It’s daring— adventurous.

_{[—to so easily admit such a feeling right here and there for him. Heck, to so easily develop feelings for him to start with. She had made it so painstakingly obvious, though, and Gintoki was also one to so boldly jump the gun and assume everything about a person after a couple of meetings. The haunting truth was, in fact, he was correct on most occasions.
Gintoki doesn’t answer her question, though. She can piece together whatever kind of compliment he just gave her through her own interpretation; it won’t exactly matter to him whatever she draws from it. It hurt, slightly, to think that somebody like her was the type he fell so head-over-heels for when she is exactly the type that shouldn’t be digging and prying into him for something like a stable relationship.

She needs somebody more.

His hand lifts and he doesn’t have too much more nerve to continue to admire her but to simply hold her chin between his calloused fingers and dip in to grace his lips against hers in a kiss. It’s a little cumbersome and awkward before he retreats back, keeping his gaze locked on the ground as he pulls away. ]}

I’ll only corrupt you.
_{[ Which is why you’re adventurous, evidently. Corruption was something he didn’t go into details with, but he meant anything from something sexual, to something moral, to something emotional— all of the above and then some. Gintoki huffs out a flustered breath, completely turning away to hide the red that made itself more prominent in his cheeks and spreading all the way to his ears.

He’s pushing you away, Olivia, but you are more than welcome to continue to struggle for his affections that he had concealed with much effort seeing as he felt something for her too.
After all, he has done his part and he isn’t going to break his promises.

Especially if it meant to protect another person. ]}

Edited 2016-01-16 03:52 (UTC)

A house by yourself...?

[ She tried to find a place with Gintoki and get him indoors, out of worry that he may be suffering from the cold. It seems like such a bold thing to consider, but Alice wonders if he would take any pity on Gintoki and herself. She watches him, watching that thoughtful shift of thoughts overcome him. What he says next has Alice concerned for him. Alice reluctantly rises, her body even more exhausted than she thought possible. With the hallucinations tormenting her mind and Alice insistence on staying awake, she sways, just a little, bracing herself to stay on her feet so that she doesn't teeter over. ]

You're not by your lonesome, you know.

[ She gently chided him, willing herself with all of the strength she could muster to move forward. She can't really blaze past him as she did so many times, so she slowly walks, waiting for him. She thinks of his wound and the color of his blood. It was a brave thing to do, she thinks, he had to have been afraid of what she thought of him. Alice turns back to Sion- ]

Shall I tell you a secret since you showed yours?

[ It only seemed fair as she waited to catch for him to catch up with her, even if they hadn't good few feet. ]

I'm afraid to go sleep, I can't bare with the nightmares right now. I don't want to sleep. It wouldn't make a difference where I went, I don't want to sleep. The inn, I suppose, lest Mr. Gin looks for me and I am not there.

[ Alice glances at the sky, back to Olivia, and back to the sky once more, hoping for a better explanation. ]

What am I looking for?

[ Oh, goodness. She's never used a machine this advanced before. Apprehensive but curious, she scoots over, placing her eye at the lens.

It's dark--there isn't much to see. Lightning arcs occasionally. Distantly, pinpricks of light, but not as great a number as the myriad stars she saw in Anwick. The more she looks, the more the blackness seems to press on her, and eventually she stops, pulling away from the telescope. ]

There are so few stars, but surely they should not be visible with the storm?

[ She considers the sky for a moment, then has to look away when thunder booms. ]

I am sorry I cannot be more helpful to you. I have never... [ She purses her lips, looking for the word. ] Experienced a lightning storm before.

Good. It means I'm doing something right.

[A ninja who sticks out is just failing hard at life.]

Sure, hang on.

[It takes a moment to find the right function. He's not the techie type. But he does find it without much mishap.]

- that should do it, I think?

They are.

[Leo's not a nerd for most things, but for swords?

Total weeaboo. He draws one of them, flipping it to hold parallel to the ground between them.]

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PLAYER EVENT ★ HELIOLOGY

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it might sound crazy

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it's all good!

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