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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[Lea snorts a laugh.]

For the record, I very rarely mind a distraction when I'm on the job. Keeps things interesting.

[When she questions his cooking preferences, though, he just looks appalled, almost comically so.]

Wha--? You've never roasted a marshmallow? Seriously? [He gets to his feet and moves toward a couple of trees, shuffling his feet against the ground for a moment, until he finds another long, thin stick. Returning to the fireside, he sits back down and fishes a couple of marshmallows from the bag, then leans over and offers the stick to Hawke.] Here, hold it over the fire, but not in the flames. When one side gets a little brown, turn it, and keep doing that 'til the whole thing is kinda golden brown. [He grins.] It's awesome, so much better than eating them raw. They're a little crispy on the outside, and hot 'n gooey on the inside.

[Well, a char-broiled marshmallow won't kill you. Some failed cooking attempts, though... those might. He can certainly understand her being cautious about that. He gives a weak laugh.]

Hey, they were expensive--I'm gonna make sure I get my money's worth, even if that means eating some soot.

[He watches as she moves closer to the fire, smiling a little and shaking his head.]

Ah, it's nothin'. A good fire's better shared, right? [He looks thoughtful then. Without stars or the moon, it's a bit hard to tell just how long he's been out here, honestly.] Not certain, for sure... Prolly three, four hours? I moved a couple times; figured I might as well get information from a few different spots.

What about you? Just out for a walk?

[Lea looks up when someone approaches the fire, and he fixes the young woman with a wry sort of smile as she just waltzes right up to it and helps herself to the warmth. Well, he doesn't mind--he probably would have invited her to stay and warm up a bit anyway--but she's just so... brazen about it that he's kind of amused. He snorts a bit of a laugh and gestures at the fire.]

No, by all means! Can't have people walking around without asses, after all, that sounds like it would cause all sorts of trouble.

...Uh.

Maybe?

...

I think I'll stay in this cave until it stops...

[ Aqua... takes his joke a bit to seriously, which probably answers the question itself. ]

I try to be... [ (While she believes in foresight and discretion and tries to emulate the tranquil disposition of her late Master, in actuality she's the kind to charge in with Keyblade blazing...)

She recovers from whatever disgrace she's suffered when Sion mentions the bracelet, and a smile warms her face like a candle. She's relieved somehow, and certainly lighter at heart to hear it. (His hope becomes hers in a way, too.) ]

No need to thank me. It's enough to know you're faring well yourself. [ Or at the very least, it sounds as if he's faring better...

And of course she's generous enough to pass over half of the onesie—can't leave her friend in the cold after condemning a fire. (It's strange how much closer they've become within such a short span of time—not only in obvious proximity—; though perhaps they're just keen to realize how ironically similar their differences are.) ]

In this particular spot? Only a few hours, though I've spent most of the day outdoors.

[ She gestures to her telescope, her hand then hovering over her face in attempt to stifle a yawn. ] Pardon me...

[crap]

It’s probably too late to relocate. If the wind’s hitting it before hitting you then you should be okay. Did you bring any food with you? They love cabbages.

Well, platypus bears do anyway...

That's sufficient, thank you.

I can pin point where you are with more accuracy. You seem to be looking at it from a much lower angle. Do you think you can try reaching a higher location?

It's nothing you should apologize for. You're being helpful enough as it is, Kida. Don't worry.

I received a lot of information from your summary. [Julius has seen plenty of storms back in the Far East. He's thinks about what kind of time and place Kida lived in and how often they even saw things like rain.]

This is your first time viewing a storm? What are your thoughts on it?

I remember you said that alchemy was the act of equivalent exchange. [It's been a while did he recall that correctly? Julius doesn't sound entirely certain for that matter.]

If that's the case then I wonder what kind of exchange was being made. It must have been big enough to destroy the city no less. Lieutenant, what did you think of it when you heard the story?

I'm at a loss of words. That's due to my lack of knowledge on alchemy.

[ she's not entirely sure when it was the planet stood still, but she thinks it might have happened sometime after her heart burst in her chest.

she had hoped, though she hadn't dared to do so loud enough that her own mind had heard it, but she'd hoped for some kind of favorable response. something, anything, even something tiny that wouldn't automatically dissuade her, or put a stop to these feelings that she knew, simultaneously, were happening far too quickly yet stalling too much to be painless. a nod, perhaps, or even a gentle acquiescence. she didn't need the feelings to be returned, especially not when she's still struggling to define them herself, but just something to tell her it was okay. it's okay to feel what she feels and, maybe, it's even okay to let them grow. she would have been happy with that. she would have been thrilled to simply admire him from a distance, and stay quiet about it for as long as it lasts. so long as it was okay.

she never actually thought it wouldn't be.

i'll only corrupt you, he says. looking away from her, as if he were ashamed, as if the brush of their lips wasn't supposed to happen, but the tingling on her skin tells her it had, it was real, and whatever it is he's keeping back — that's real too.

isn't it?

but just because something is real, doesn't mean it should be pursued.

i'll only corrupt you. corrupt her? is she so pure? he must think so, but she knows better. she is nothing — just a dancer, a nobody. not untouchable, not a deity, just a human. painfully, pitifully human, if only because she can only ever wonder at her rotten luck. ]

Don't think I don't know what you're doing—

[ she isn't quite like him, able to read people so naturally, so easily. but she can still read them, and try as he might to close himself off to her— she's seen enough.

his heart isn't quite so far from the surface as he'd like to believe.

in a way, it's touching. even if it is incredibly disappointing. if he means to do this for her... then isn't it the least she could do to let him? ]

...thanks.

[ and despite the heaviness of her words, the way it weighs on her shoulders like a failure, like a loss — she is thankful. grateful that he would care enough to protect her even from herself.

(if he hadn't stopped her now, who knows how far she would have fallen? there's no getting up from that kind of height.)

she'll stand now, busying her hands with the motions of fixing her coat, taking up her basket. she presses her tingling lips into a firm line, it even almost looks like a smile. ]

I think I heard your telescope beeping earlier. Maybe it found something special.

[ and on that hopeful note, she'll take her leave. ]

I'm not mad. I'm just annoyed, is all. You would feel that way too if I barged into your spot.

[He says, peering through the telescope with a renewed determination to find something before she does.]

Aw...

[One day, ONE DAY.

Still, while they've got a moment.]

...mind showing off some cool moves? If that's not too much to ask, that is.

A necessity...

[ Surely there's something he enjoys in this world other than brawling... Though, his question (even if rhetorical) gives a little perspective to his situation. (He's immortal, she reminds herself...) ] ...Have you been alive for a very long time?

[ The way he speaks, it seems he may have weathered more than a few noisy thunderstorms. She's seen him catch arrows with flesh and bone, proof of how indestructible he is, but it only occurs to her now that it's possible he's much older than he appears.

They're interrupted by an arc of lightning and a loud boom overhead, and Aqua gives silent thanks to be sheltered under a sturdy tree. (She'd dropped—and completely forgotten about—her telescope when Ban had caught her, but she spies it near the base of the tree trunk, mercifully in one piece.) She bends briefly to retrieve it off the grass, checks to make sure each bit of uneven wiring is still in place.

Glancing toward the angry skies, ] I wonder how long it'll go on for.

[ No Olivia... That is definitely Not the purpose of this kigu, at least not for Aqua... (She'll be sure to leave it home next time, or at least in her hammerspace...) ]

Of course.

[ She smiles at the dancer's enthusiasm, feeling a sense of added fulfillment for the long hours she's hauled for this particular project. (She's been struck by lightning, chased by guards, etc. etc. with very little to show for it, up until now that is.) ]

It's fascinating, isn't it? I never thought stars would be that red...

[ ALSO SHE NOTICES OLIVIA, SUGOI OLIVIA!!! (Of course she doesn't realize Olivia's putting on a little extra for show.) ]

...Do you do this very often? You're quite good at it.

[ (It had take Aqua quite a few tries to get any reliable readings, though luckily she's had an entire day to learn.) ]

_{[ Gintoki doesn't show any sign of disappointment, as he often does when he does something like this. He rolls his shoulder and rubs it with one of his hands firmly, pressing into it. His gaze finally pulls from the ground when he senses her movement, his hand still clasped on his shoulder as he watches her take her leave, tipping his head upward and face carrying a vacant expression.

He doesn't regret what he has done and said— though he thinks it probably was better if he hadn't kissed her. Too late for that; the tip of his tongue traces through the line of his lips, catching any remnants of her as she turns to leave, saying absolutely nothing to her.

She's out of ear shot, but he still says to himself as he puts his attention back on the telescope. ]}

I did find something special.
_{[ He adjusts the telescope and takes another peek in it. ]}

—I just wish you would believe it.

[ Aqua's own telescope has been safely stowed away from the time being (how she manages to fit anything under her odd outfit is truly magic at its finest), and she plans on keeping it there until they're in the clear. It's a miracle it had survived the fall in the first place, and she doesn't dare risk any broken components as they try to exit the place. ]

Unfortunately, no... I'd been flying earlier when my Glider was struck by lightning. [ That probably sounds like mumbo-jumbo to Hide, but she can give him a demonstration later. (She's not a particularly articulate individual when it comes to these things, but he's clever enough to parse through her brief explanations with impressive speed.)

...Clever by accident too, the way he springs the trap door without realizing. ] Are you sure about this...?

[ She could just use more magic to muscle their way down the staircase... But she supposes it'll only get messier the further they go. She slips in after him, and no sooner does she clear the top than the stone door slides back in place with a low groan.

...Silence, save for their breathing which echoes faintly in the hollow darkness. Aqua secures her Wayfinder charm to her hip to cast a bit of light on the two of them, and whispers at Hide, ] Can you see all right?

[ Either way they'll mostly be navigating by the feel of the feeble wooden planks beneath their hands and feet... The passage they're in has clearly been forgotten over time, judging from the state of the ladder and the ignorance of their pursuers.

As they climb down, she can hear the chatter of mice somewhere far below, the scuttle of whatever other unpleasant things as well. Partway through, the path abruptly curves at a strange diagonal, and the ladder ends at closet-sized enclosure that barely fits the two of them.

Holding her breath, Aqua gently nudges at the wall in front of them... Which slowly rotates outward, leading to a dark hallway... ]

Huh? This?

[ She eyes the spear she's leaning on, then looks up again, nodding. She never really thought of them as anything particularly noteworthy, no more than Lesser Dog's sword or Asgore's trident, but she's kind of intrigued, and maybe just a little proud. ]

Yeah. I got them when I joined the Royal Guard. You like 'em?

[ In your own time, Hide. He's got a telescope to carry, sure, fair, but Sigma lets out a little tut under his breath as he glances away to survey the street. It's only when the guy hanging over him pipes up again does his attention snap back to where it should be. ]

Uh-oh? What're you— [ Shouting over him apparently. And now leaping on him, okay. ]

[ His reflexes aren't good enough to jump out of the way; first instinct wouldn't have that anyhow. Instead, it manages to throw his arms around the incoming body's midriff and stop him potentially busting his ankles. And so the guards rounding the corner are treated to the sight of their quarry locked in the firm embrace of another man. ]

[ For one reason or another, they don't look particularly pleased. (And neither does Sigma.) In the midst of their pointing and that's him!-ing and subsequent charging, he flings his hands back and springs away, favorably in the opposite direction of the oncoming cops. ]

[ Presuming Hide tags along, ] Hey, do I at least get an explanation if I'm gonna be an accomplice?!

... Huh. that does sound pretty purrplexing.

Well you'd think a lady who's lived here this long would have her directions down pretty well. but I guess if she was too old...
I mean it's pretty obvious that this isn't earth, or at least not any kinda earth I'm from, it's not out of the question it goes around the other way is it??

[yeah, that still sounds really far fetched.]

Pray tell, what is so special about this particular evening to have aspired you to create such a ruckus?

[ Once the coast is clear and Alice has willfully led him to a safer spot, she slides it back into her dress, throwing her blanket over her cloak much more securely,as if nothing happened. It was an odd place to perch one's self, at the castle, but Alice couldn't fault them for that. The organizer of this data collection didn't seem like a rational fellow, by the sounds of it. ]

I taught myself. [ Maybe for other people, that was impressive, not for Alice. She wasn't exactly proud of the ways she had to learn or her reasons for it. Nothing she did was right in her eyes. ]

It's a matter of listening, I suppose. How one walks indicates how they're going to move.

[ Maybe, perhaps. She learned a great deal about human interaction while mute in the asylum. Most of it, unkind. ]

The sound of their weight in their footsteps, the rustle of what they wear, and the way they breathe. Well, I react accordingly.

[ She had a knack for it, but hadn't really considered how she gone about learning how to fight. But out of all her senses, Alice hadn't considered hearing was the most prominent one she used, next to sight. That didn't matter; above all, Alice was modest and hate to take any sense of pride in anything she did. ]

My reflexes aren't anything special, however, there are many talented people amongst us, far better and more composed than I ever will be.

[she eases closer, stopping once she's reached the telescope as he suggested she should. her gaze lingers on Sion a moment longer before she turns to cast her sight on the foreign device.]

Such an odd contraption... it looks more akin to that of a canon built for warfare than a tool used to survey the stars.

[she's clearly uncertain of the telescope, with not the slightest idea of how to attempt to use it. she tilts her head back, looking skyward for the moment... the entire concept seems far fetched to her. how could one possibly lessen the distance between the earth and stars without physically changing their position?

that line of thought is interrupted, however, as Sion proceeds to explain his 'condition' in more detail.]

You are a Mage.

[it's more of a statement than a question per say, that much she'd already determined prior to scaling his tower. but something in the way he talks about it, makes him seem almost melancholy, despite the playful air about him.

there are a great deal of magic users in this realm, including herself, but surely he's already aware of that if what he says is indeed the truth.]

I'm not a robot. My body is mostly organic. [ he says, robotically. ] But you are otherwise correct. I am a living weapon.

[ it's not bragging, nor regretful: it's simply an explanatory statement. He is what he is. ]

[Saber finds herself hesitant in deciding how best to answer that question, though she gives no outward sign of this.]

I lived in the southern hemisphere of Britannia. [it's difficult to name any one town or stretch of land when as King of England she ruled over them all.] In my time, we referred to it as Logres.

[would Alice recall any land known by such a title? Saber doubted it, while she couldn't be sure of precisely what era she hailed from, it still seemed unlikely.]

I was raised in a place known as The Forest Sauvage.

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PLAYER EVENT ★ HELIOLOGY

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