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

[headlining]

[You're welcome, large....person with a strange blue suit...]

[Keats just stares for half a minute, blinking behind his large glasses.]

Uh. No. [The confusion gets pushed aside - he's seen jumping scarecrows and monsters and tall Faery Lords (all of which were totally in his own mind), so clearly, this is just another hallucination his brain has served him on a silver plate. No biggie. Just deal with it the way he deals with everything else: casual talk with a hint of skepticism.]

I don't live here. [He bends down to pick up his telescope.] I'm here to do some telescope work, actually. You're, not, uh, doing that too, are you?

[ninmu]

[ um excuse you, he's not magic, he's 100% genuine Science Bullshit okay!!

the staring doesn't bother Melan; he's used to it. IN fact, he's grateful that it doesn't end with yelling or hitting. Why this man was getting upset about him being on the roof when it wasn't his house and he's apparently not perturbed by his appearance, he doesn't know, but he decides it's not pertinent information, gently shaking his head. ]

No. But there isn't much to see in the sky. You will have a difficult time.

[headlining]

Ah, we'll see about that, won't we?

[He holds the telescope up to show to the other, before glancing around for a suitable place to put it. Ah. That corner should do. He walks over and starts setting it up.]

Perhaps I'll get lucky.

[ninmu]

[ not budging from his spot, Melan just watches as Keat sets up his stargazing station. While he'd been staring at the sky for a bit, himself, it had been more for introspective purposes than anything productive. He hadn't seen anything at all. ]

Are you looking for something?

[headlining]

Well, a sun would be nice...but I don't think I'm going to find that, no.

[He looks over at Melan, giving him a smirk.]

At the moment, I don't know exactly what I'm looking for. Perhaps I'll see a UFO. Who knows.

[ninmu]

Then you are looking for some kind of unusual atmospheric phenomenon.

[ an understandable goal, considering their current situation. He doesn't have a clue what's up there, either. Judging by what he's been told, it's a magical problem, and thus, totally beyond his comprehension. ]

I haven't detected any anomalies. However, I wasn't created to monitor the skies.

[headlining]

Indeed I am. You're right on the money.

[In Keats' mind, it's totally not a magical problem, and therefore the only way to go at it is treat as logically as anything else. He won't stand for some mystic mumbo jumbo explanation.]

Created? [He says, raising an eyebrow.] What the hell is that supposed to mean? What, you weren't trained to look up at skies, or something?

[ninmu]

[ he shakes his head. The rudeness doesn't even offend him! It's an understandable thing for humans to be confused about, as far as he can tell - Marin had asked him about it way back then, too. ]

I am a Monomakia. A synthetic organism. As a Gun-Swordsman, I was designed mainly for combat and support purposes.

[ beat. ]

But I don't mind looking at the sky.

[headlining]

Synthetic. [Made. Created. Not born, necessarily. His first instinct is to scoff, but if there's anything that Keats could call his weakness, it's his curiosity. His skepticism gets pushed back for a moment all because he's interested in what, exactly, a Monomakia is.]

So, you're some kind of robot made for fighting, then?

[ninmu]

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. ]

[headlining]

Organic, huh? So do you bleed if you get hurt? Do you need to eat or sleep?

[He's still dubious, it's evident by his light tone.]

Who created you?

[ninmu]

[ so many questions. Melan stares at him quietly for a second before responding. ]

Yes. [ to all of the above. ] Gun-Swordsmen Monomakia were originally designed by Chairman of the Ecological Control Committee Lala.

[headlining]

[Sorry, Melan. He's a curious guy who has about twenty different articles he needs to write at some point about this place, and he's not going to cut corners when it comes to finding out information. Even if he doesn't believe in the stuff he's reporting on.]

[None of what Melan says rings a bell, though, and he lets out a disappointed sigh.]

Hm. Never heard of it. Ecological control though, huh? In what regard does "ecological" mean?

[ninmu]

[ oh boy, detailed questions. Melan makes a small noise of thought. ]

She is in charge of operations keeping the planet safe and healthy. Most Monomakia are created for that purpose.

[ he's here to keep Brigadoon and Earth from smashing into each other, for example. ]

[headlining]

So you're a warrior made to keep the planet healthy and safe from all the big bad things that might come and try to destroy it.

[He smirks.]

You practically sound like a comic book superhero.

[ninmu]

[ he senses some sort of derision in Keats' response, but he's not sure why or if it's actually any sort of threat. All he's done is explain himself; he doesn't see any reason for hostility!! Also he doesn't know what that means other than "hero." ]

I'm just fulfilling my duty. I'm not a hero. [ most people on his world thought he was a villain, really... ]

[headlining]

Ah, that's what all the heroes say. In tales and myths, I mean.

[He's...just going to ignore the fact that he's said multiple times he's not a hero, himself, because hahaha IT DOESN'T APPLY TO HIM.]

Besides, what about saving the world isn't heroic?

[ninmu]

[ GOOD THING MELAN DOESN'T KNOW OR HE'D CALL HIM OUT ON IT.

this logic puzzle presented by Keats seems to confuse Melan for a few moments; he glances down at the roof, appearing in deep thought. ]

... It is something I was made to do. I'm a living weapon, not a hero.

[headlining]

You were made to do something, but that doesn't mean that you shouldn't do what you want to do.

[He sounds surprisingly earnest.]

I mean, if what you say is true, then people's lives are just decided for them when they're born, right? But that isn't right. The world doesn't work that way.

[ninmu]

People and Monomakia are different.

[ when Keats says "people's lives," he assumes he's referring to humans. ]

Your world does not work that way. However, the organisms of Brigadoon have defined purposes.