PLAYER EVENT ★ HELIOLOGY

[ricksybusiness]

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! ]

Comments

Lea | 2 Closed 2 Open!

[promises_to_keep]

A: Closed to Riku
[Science has never been Lea's strong suit, but stargazing is something he can get behind. Granted, it would help if there were actually stars to gaze at, but it seems like even the stars are hidden with magic here, which is disappointing. That won't stop Lea from seeing if there's anything worth looking at out there, though. Finding a good vantage point will be a bit challenging, he thinks, so maybe it's time to see about recruiting some assistance. Making his way to the fourth floor of the Abel Inn, Lea raps on one of the doors and leans in.]

Yo, Riku, you home?


B: Closed to Olivia
[He's glad no one else has staked out this clock tower--after watching all those sunsets from the ledge of a clock tower, it's kind of nostalgic to be here again, looking up at the sky for something else. It's a long way down to the ground, but if she happens to be looking up, Olivia might just spot a familiar shock of bright red hair as Lea fiddles with the telescope a moment, trying to get it set up to look toward the sky.


C: Open to all!
[It's about four hours into the night--er... well, okay, it's always night, but four hours into stargazing, in any case--and Lea has relocated to an open hilltop near the edge of town. No sense spending the whole time in one spot, after all. It's still pretty cold, so he's got a little fire going nearby, and wouldn't you know, he just happened to bring some marshmallows. ... Well, okay, they're not quite the same as the marshmallows he's used to; these aren't as fluffy, and they'd cost a fortune (something about being a food only fit for royalty and gods, the vendor had said? Lea really isn't sure what that was all about), but hey, worth it. Holding a long, thin stick on one hand with a marshmallow on the end, Lea sits beside the fire, staring through the telescope lens, waiting for... something. Anything. Maybe some company?]


Wildcard
[Feel free to write up your own prompt and I'll respond accordingly! Lea is free at any point during the evening except during the lightning storm!]

C

[satsujinki]

[Shiki had gotten bored enough having his tea and bread alone--looking over across the hill towards another part of the plain. In the distance, he spotted Lea along another hill--though, the campfire he had going was primarily what caught his attention. It didn't seem like there was a group over there rather than one person, so Shiki made his way over.

He hunched his shoulders and slipped his gloves back on--slipping one hand down to carry his tea kettle with him while his free hand hefted his bag onto his shoulder. He could have cared less if Rick's telescope were stolen, so he didn't bother bringing it with him. His results were already sent in, after all.

So, Shiki made his way over to Lea, not knowing who it was until he got close. He was determined to make a good impression, though, which had been the reason for him bringing his tea kettle with him. When he grew closer and saw who it was--Shiki raised his hand up high to wave to him.]

[promises_to_keep]

[Lea glances up when a shift of movement catches his eye in the dark, and for half an instant he's on-guard, ready to attack if necessary. As the figure moves closer, though, he sees them lift a hand to wave, and he recognizes Shiki, relaxing a bit. He's still not entirely sure what to think about this kid, but he seems friendly enough.]

Hey, Shiki. What brings you to my hilltop? [He gestures to the little fire.] Siddown, if ya want, take a load off.

[satsujinki]

[Lea made a good first impression, at the very least. He made his way over to the other young man, bowing his head in his greeting before pulling off his pack to set down on the ground.]

Hey. I was getting bored looking at a blackened lens for so long by myself--so, I figured it would be easier with someone else.

[It was a bit of luck, he supposed. Lea had powers, but he didn't seem at all arrogant about it. Referring to it as if it was normal and not something special made him a bit closer to a proper teenager in his eyes than one might have assumed--even if Shiki was sure he was quite older.]

I brought tea, by the way--if you want some.

[promises_to_keep]

Heh, I guess there's really not a lot to see, huh? It's a bit of a shame.

[Lea is quite confident in his abilities, but reserves bravado for when he's up against the bad guys. Magic isn't exactly common back home, but he thinks anybody could do it, if they had the right teacher, so he prefers to check the hubris at the door in most cases. (He also would have laughed a little, if he knew Shiki was thinking of him as a teenager. He might be twelve years behind emotionally, but he's in his late twenties, even if he doesn't really act like it.)

[Eyeing the teapot, Lea smiles a bit.]

Sure, I'll have some. I'm no connoisseur, but what teas I've tried I've liked. [He reaches for the bag of marshmallows and holds it out toward him.] Want a marshmallow? They're... not quite the fluffy stay-puff kind, but they're not bad, anyway.

C.

[grunehexe]

[Looking for the best vantage point was a task in and of itself- but thankfully, Sieglinde's temporary butler has many talents. Including jumping, running, and moving... a bit too fast for a human, perhaps. Sieglinde is left to clutch the telescope two-handed, occasionally peaking to catch sight of the blurring scenery.

The fire catches her eye, but more than that, its the silhouette- a rather distinctive one.]

Sebastian, wait-

[She sits up straighter in the butler's arms, tugging with her fingers on his jacket.]

Go over there-

[ooc; Sebastian (cutlery) will be tagging after me!]

[cutlery]

[ It's distinct to Sieglinde, but of course, not so much to Sebastian. He pauses in his own thoughts of looking for a suitable place to set up, and he instead turns his attention towards the light and subsequent silhouette. He doesn't quite hear curiosity in her voice, so she must know who that is, right? ]

Of course, Master Sullivan.

[ Wherever he was going is quickly diverted, since he obediently starts to head where Sieglinde indicates. Which means that the odd pair will be coming up to meet Lea rather quickly! ]

[promises_to_keep]

[He barely hears them before he sees them, and for half an instant he's startled--well, they just sort of appeared out of nowhere! He doesn't recognize the dark-haired man, but he ventures a thin smile when he spots Sieglinde in his arms. Well, she doesn't appear to be in distress, so apparently she isn't being randomly kidnapped, which means this man is a colleague of hers?

[He lifts one hand to wave in greeting.]

Yo, Sieglinde. Traded your dog for tall dark and stealthy?

[grunehexe]

[So her guess hadn't been incorrect! She hadn't been planning on startling him- but Sebastian truly was light-footed! It occurs to her that she could have given him quite a good scare in revenge for his snowballs... too late...

Instead, she returns the gesture, one hand still kept securely around the telescope in her arms.]

Greetings!

[She almost seems confused for a moment, (traded them, of course not?), before she simply brushes past it for an introduction.]

Nonsense- this is Sebastian, my temporary butler. Sebastian, this is the knave with the snowballs I told you about.

[Okay, so she maybe held tiny grudges sometimes.]

b

[winces]

[ after a long day of delivering bread rolls to people, she finally decides to get started on her own project. lugging her own telescope around, she has to pause every now and then just from fear of breaking it. it's at just that moment that she happens to glance up and spot him, supposedly getting set up with his telescope.

she calls out to him instinctively: ]

Oh — Lea! Lea! [ she waves her hand around, hoping to get his attention. ]

[promises_to_keep]

[Getting the telescope to stand up straight on this ledge is a bit harder than he expected. The ledge isn't quite wide enough for the tripod, so he has to have one of the legs longer than the other two and resting on the lower part of the floor. Which means he has to keep adjusting the height to get it pointed at the sky. After a moment of fiddling, he hears someone call his name, and glances down. Way down. Shading his eyes (though why, we're just not sure, it's not like it's sunny), he spots Olivia down below, and breaks into a smile.]

Yo, Olivia! [He waves back.] Care to join me? You can see the whole town from up here! [He points around to one side of the tower building.] There's stairs around the side!

[winces]

[ she follows the direction of his gesture, and temptation immediately grips her. ]

Are you sure you don't mind? [ it's a bit weird to carry on a conversation when you're shouting at each other, but she'd hate to intrude.

she lifts the bundle of machinery (??) in her arms. ] Do you know how to use one of these things...?

[promises_to_keep]

[He shakes his head, though he isn't sure she can see from way down there.]

I wouldn't have invited ya if I minded, you goof. [He waves again, a beckoning gesture this time.] Come on up here, I think I've got it figured out.

a)

[darkbarrage]

[ riku had known about this little excursion, and while it'd interested him, there was one problem with it.

the stars had been bothering him from day one. he'd tried to ignore them, because ignoring the problem always works, but nothing happened, and now that there's a science-y way (he loves science!) to go about it, he's.

scared.

of falling short.

funny.

when lea knocks on his door, he gives a moment of pause (should he really answer...?) before he opens the door with an exhale. ]

Something wrong?

[promises_to_keep]

[He waits patiently by the door--he knows you're in there, Riku, he can feel you. While he may not be made of Darkness himself anymore, he still has that sense about it. It's nothing like the way Zexion could literally smell the Darkness and identify individuals by their scent alone, but he can still feel that thread of Darkness in any heart, and he's gotten to know what Riku's feels like. It's stronger than most, actually, but he guesses he's not surprised by that, knowing Riku's history.

[He grins at him when he opens the door.]

Hey! You busy? Wondered if you'd gimme a hand with something.

[darkbarrage]

[ he answers the door and leans against the doorframe as he does so, looking unimpressed. ]

What is it? If it's breaking and entering, I'm not helping.

c.

[bougy]

( although she's got a telescope of her own, the best potential use of her time this evening has definitely been wandering around seeing if there's anything else for her to do, and the best potential use of her telescope has been to serve as a backup on-call for anyone who might've accidentally broken their ostensible hunk of junk. it's obviously not rubbish, but still, you never know with shoddy materials.

it's easy enough to spot the light coming from the hummock. it's alive and bright enough to tell her it's a fire, so Hawke is expecting an ally, sure as she is that no human or goblin would be out and about and signalling their position in such a way. she's friendly when she approaches Lea. what she has in mind is a passing check-in with a companion, and a quick chance to warm herself by a natural fire. )

Hey. ( loudly, as she sees he's got his eye on the sky and something in his hands. ) You've got the right idea there, multi-tasking.

[promises_to_keep]

[He can hear footsteps approaching, but the pace is easy and he isn't getting any aggressive vibes, so his gaze stays on the sky through the telescope. When a voice calls out to him, though, he glances toward it, and smiles a bit when the familiar face is illuminated by the fire.]

Hey! [He gives a bit of a laugh, lifting the stick and marshmallow.] Gotta do something to keep busy. Not much going on up there. [He jerks a thumb toward the empty heavens, then gestures toward the fire.] Have a seat, if ya like. Want a marshmallow?

[bougy]

( it's always pleasant to be surrounded by a fairly relaxed aura. even if she's not one to be particularly affected by another's general self-presentation--overly empathetic, in a word--she smiles at the greeting and gives a smile right back in return. ) At least it's consistent, so I don't even have to feel bad for distracting you.

( quite gratefully, she plants herself down well within the glow and warmth of the fire. she gives a small little sigh of appreciation in being given the chance to take her weight off her feet with company. ) Don't mind if I do, but I'm going to have to ask the obvious question first, why in the world are you grilling one? ( she points to his own one held over the fire, obviously amused. )

c, god sdfsdf hi

[avantguard]

[ The lightning is what finally prompted Asuna to go outside, to see what in the world was happening. After that, she decided since she doesn't sleep well anyway she'll head out and find out what was going on, walking around until she makes it to that hilltop. The fire attracts Asuna like it might for a moth.

Lea might be too preoccupied with his gazing because his marshmallow catches on fire. ]

Excuse me. Your food is burning.

[ Asuna tells him. ]

hiiii~

[promises_to_keep]

[He's still searching the sky for anything other than inky blackness when he hears footsteps approach. As he shifts to try and squint in the darkness to see who it is, a voice pipes up.]

Huh?

[His food is--? He glances toward the fire.]

Oh--crap! [He waves the stick back and forth frantically, extinguishing the marshmallow and then reaching out to try and pull it off the stick, hissing when it burns his fingers.] A-ahhh, I think it's still good. Little charcoal never hurt anybody, right?

[avantguard]

If you like your food extremely well done.

[ The fire seems to crackle loudly in agreement as Asuna finally walks close enough to be illuminated by the flames -- her face a strange mixture of amusement and something else. ]

I wouldn't recommend it for marshmallows, though.

C

[lumberpuncture]

[Well, if he wanted company, he's got it.]

[(Doesn't mean it's good company.)]

[Despite her consistent bitching, Johanna does want to know what's up with the sun and had volunteered for this expedition. She'd spent a good few hours staring up at the blackness (which was unnerving, by the way), and finally had started to move to a different spot. And, lo and behold, there's someone there, near a fire. With food.]

[Johanna's just going to invite herself over.]

Ugh, that's better. I was freezing my ass off.

[promises_to_keep]

[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.

[lumberpuncture]

[Yeah, brazen. Johanna's known to waltz right up and take what she wants, she's pretty special that way.]

[For her part, she looks the man up and down - the hair and make up (she assumes) are odd, but she's seen stranger from the Capitol's fashion. And, more importantly, he's got a sense of humor, which means Johanna's initial tolerance for him is slightly higher than with most people.]

I happen to like my ass. And I wouldn't want to deprive ALISTAIR of such an important commodity.

[And now, for Brazeness Part 2: She is sure is going to help herself to some of his food]

So: you got suckered into this little field trip, too?