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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I agree. Any organisation calling itself The Order, you ought to wonder who's the one actually issuing the orders to make whatever they think 'order' is. I wouldn't trust them with any kind of power until we actually knew. ( she pauses a moment to give it some consideration. ) Though their goals are predictable enough maybe we can find something that'd make them more willing to compromise.

( she smiles, then shrugs. ) That's kind of what we're doing now, isn't it? Though Rick wouldn't put it in such heathen terms. Don't know anyone myself. I take it you don't either?

[He thought it was valuable. As someone who could scarcely see himself making friends, the fact that it was clearly difficult for Alice to express herself was fair proof that she had her own share of difficulties.

He saw too many parallels and didn't like it at all. For someone who felt they were worthless, looking into a mirror wasn't a pleasant experience.]

It's never too early to teach kids not to take things for granted.

[He added, a bit flatly--]

It's also never too late to teach scrawny, kid-like women that fact, too. At least have the decency to brag about your good friend, brat.

[Cosmic? Woah. So they were symbolic beings, not necessarily living beings who were among them physically. Pearl tries to wrap her mind around the concept. They had actually beings in which they worshiped. Or, at least in pearl's case, previously worshiped.

Pearl lifts her head back up at the church and smiles a little.]

I should invest a little more in their beliefs. I'm more of a bookworm, searching for facts and research but... I'm sure they have a rich history within the walls of their church.

[She rubs at her arm.]

Funny to think that I thought about having my stake out atop this building.

Ohhhh. Sorry about thaaat.

[As if it was a proper apology, Ban reached down to pat Sakura's head. He found a good way to space his feet--distributing his weight a little more so it wouldn't be as strenuous a burden as before.]

I'm just bored and curious, missy.

Hmph. [Keats and Shiki could put each other off all day, but what truly spiced up their relationship had been new forms of spite.]

Anyway, shouldn't you hide a bit from the rain? I've heard water dissolves witches.

[ Alice was turning to the children, pulling further away from Ban. She wasn't sure what he wanted or if he was truly trying to rile her up. For now, she wanted to make as much distance from him and keep cordial as much as possible. ]

Then you're more of a hypocrite than you realize. I know you that you care in some capacity.

[ She would hoist the same familiar freckle-faced boy on the edge of her hip, laying him carefully with a look. Thank goodness the rest of the children were too energetic to care. ]

If you're that incapable of keeping a civil conversation with me then leave. At this point, it's clear whatever I say to you is something that you don't like. I'm not going to fight with you, not around them.

Oh. [He hadn't really thought of it. As far as Shiki knew, English accents as thick and rustic as Alice's were just normal for everyone. The idea that she was further back in the past or even from an entirely different world never occurred to him.]

S-Sorry, I didn't mean to sound cryptic...

[He cleared his throat, lifting up the port of the telescope to show Alice the dials he used to make adjustments.]

I can explain a bit of it, I think.

Hmmm. [Sitting up, Shiki adjusted his glasses. Once he felt a bit more awake--it was easier to brush past being flat out rude.

He recognized Olivia a bit more, which...

Did nothing to dissuade him from teasing.]

'Boys'? You know, you sounded fairly earnest for a bit, but that last part sounded a little shallow. Is that fine by you?

It's fine, I'm sure it's a lot to explain.

[ And she didn't mind in the least; there was only so much loitering she could take before she wanted to jump in and help others. ]

Anything helps, really, it wasn't as if... Mr. Sanchez, was it? Explained it well.

Fight meee~?

[Ban snickered at that, preparing himself to jump out the window.

He did.

If anyone looked to see if he was alright, they would see him on the ground, waving up with a sneer.]

Nah. I just like bullying you is all.

[Shiki may have interjected a little too quickly as Alice brought up 'Mr. Sanchez'.]

I'd rather not talk about Rick.

[He knew he sounded rude, but--]

Alright? I'm in a good mood at the moment and I'm not excited to change that.

[ The children force Alice to follow suit to the window, clamoring near the window seal, over each other. Unlike Alice, they're more concerned. Alice knows he'll survive the fall and in the end, it's a good thing that they'll see.

She worries far too much about their minds and feigning of nightmares.

It's not a surprise he wants to bully her. Alice still maintains the level of being a respectable adult, crossing her arms as she looks down, frowning at Ban. ]

Until then.

[ She's doing so well, but it's taking a lot for her not to chuck something at Ban. If the children weren't here, she would be far more aggressive. ]

[ With the faintest raise of an eyebrow, Alice looked at Shiki, slightly confused, maybe even a little miffed. It's rude, but nothing Alice questions him over. ]

Very well.

[ If he's in a good mood, it's best not to ruin it, especially if he's showing her something. ]

Then, please, continue.

[Shiki cleared his throat. He showed Alice the dials that were most important to magnification.]

Okay, so--this controls magnification and this controls the scope. The scope handles how far you want to look and magnification helps you focus on different distances you're already looking at.

You know how, if you hold up a finger in front of your face and focus on it--everything else gets blurry? You can control how the telescope does that, when your own eyes do that naturally.

I hadn't considered that.

[ Alice was pretty attentive to follow the dials, watching him carefully and mirroring every little detail. ]

I kept twisting and turning it... I suppose that's why I wasn't able to see much of anything. I thought if I could mess with it more, I could see something.

( she hesitates for a second, genuinely surprised that he'd actually hand it over after her first attempt to get it from him. either he's really trusting, super bleas, super gullible, or just kind of slow on the uptake. regardless she takes the telescope from him and points it where previously had it aimed. )

That's--well, that's certainly something. Not quite the same as what my neighbours regularly put on display. ( not that she's complaining. if it were a couple she'd have looked away immediately; as it is, she appreciates a beautiful woman's body. and is convinced that this lady is letting them have a show if their looks have been able to linger this long. eventually she lowers it but doesn't pass the instrument back just yet. )

Are you feeling hungry?

[In earnest, Shiki came up with an idea when Alice said that.]

Well, it's tough to calibrate it when you have no reference. That sky isn't really handy to let you know if it's focusing. Try focusing on something you can actually see.

[He had honest intentions.]

Alright.

[ Just as innocent as hers; Alice was a good girl, she didn't get into that much trouble, outside of her adventures. So, she took it to heart and started to look around the Chantes for anything she could focus on.

But, unfortunately, that ended up being a window of a resident, who was already in the process of disrobing herself. ]

[ Which is followed by a yelp from Alice, who promptly turns around and shoves her telescope at Shiki, so roughly, she could have knocked the wind out of him if she tried enough. ]

[ But, for good measure, Alice ends up smacking Shiki in the arm, deciding she is going to blame him for this. ]

How could you?!

[He clasps her hand with his, still so tiny.]

Sounds like a good idea! I like me some rock formations. [He smiles right up at her, inviting her to lead the way.]

[Shiki recoiled a little when Alice yelped--getting the breath knocked out of him when the telescope's weight did the work and hit him square in the stomach.

Then, she smacked him. It was all shaping up terribly. Fixing his glasses, Shiki glowered at Alice.]

Gah! What's the big deal!?

I didn't want to see someone undressing!

[ Alice is already scolding him. Oh, god, it was true what Gintoki said, wasn't it? All of that nonsense how they didn't think about anything else but- ]

Gross.

[ How could she miss such a simple thing? Alice stops altogether, listening to the sound of the raindrops and the thunder. She pulls her blanket tighter and throws up her hood as a result, not wanting to have any raindrops hit her hair. ]

Oh.

[ Oh is probably the least bit eloquent thing Alice can say right now, as the sound of thunder falls in after the soft raindrops. It's enough to make her shiver. ]

I do hear it, I promise that I do.

Wh-- [Sputtering, Shiki held his hands up in protest.]

I wasn't telling you to do that! What about a street lamp or a store sign!?

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PLAYER EVENT ★ HELIOLOGY

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1/3 - no, sorry, still getting smacked

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bahaha

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