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! ]

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[sunderings]

[ And how mad must he seem, having taken a blade to himself? Even now, he holds the dagger in his free hand. ]

I do not mind it, being the one to get hurt. [ —he says the words on automatic, for he's been reciting them since childhood. If others had battles to fight, he would take them upon himself. If a wall had to be brought down for the sake of change, he would break it. And if there were a void, a great chasm which required a sacrifice for it to be filled, then...

Without a doubt, he would be the one to plummet into its depths. ]

And I would do it again in a heartbeat, if it meant proving that your eyes are trustworthy. That you can have faith in yourself. [ What's more, the wound is nothing but a scratch, something hardly worthy of Alice's attentions. Yet, she would give them all the same, and where she'd once flinched away from him, she'd covered the gash with a square of cloth, applying pressure to staunch the flow of blood as she holds his hand. ] Your handkerchief...

[ It'll not cover up the fact that his inhumanity is ugly, altering his body in ways which would frighten anyone. But not her, she's said, and her response is no different than it had been before (why would I fear you, sir?), and Sion can only shake his head with a flash of a self-loathing smile, relenting as he finally sets the dagger down, upon the surface of the ledge. ]

You'll ruin it, your handkerchief. You should not have wasted it upon so small a thing. [ Sighing with a gentle slope of his shoulder, he turns his eyes skyward, noticing how the storm's activity has lessened in so short a period of time. ] You should not worry about your imagination besting you, either.

If you are so stubborn that you'd ward away even sleep itself, you'd not lose the fight.

[digophelia]

Then I'll ruin my handkerchief, I don't care.

[ It doesn't matter if it's a small cut or not, it's the gesture more than anything else at this rate. Alice keeps a firm but gentle hand over it to stop the bleeding from progressing. There are plenty of questions in her head, most of all"what are you?" is the top of that list. It should take a few moments, she hopes, if he's healthy enough from bleeding profusely from a small cut.

"And I would do it again in a heartbeat, if it meant proving that your eyes are trustworthy. That you can have faith in yourself."

Alice, on the other hand, bites her lip and keeps her thoughts to herself. She disagrees, of course, and still will insist that she's well beyond a cure to alleviate her from her visions. Just as well, Alice felt the same way, she would risk being hurt to protect another, especially a friend. It may not do anything to soothe whatever worries or fears he has, but it's the thought that counts to Alice, who finds herself quietly holding his hand in hers. Another person is telling her to have faith in herself. ]

I'm certain if I tell you anymore, you'll think of me mad. But-

[ Two times through Wonderland and the looking glass and Alice was able to trudge through her worst hallucinations. Those times, she never lost, not even when things seemed like it was impossible to escape. Yet, it may never be completely gone, for Alice. All she ever wanted was to be normal and a full-functioning adult. ]

There have been worse things, I suppose it may take longer to work through. [ Telling him not to worry seemed like it wouldn't work whatsoever -- if anything, Sion wold have worried over her, regardless. Exhausted, Alice heaves a sigh, gently pulling her hand away with her handkerchief. ]

You can have it, as a reminder you shouldn't do that again, You Majesty. For now, I'm still going to try and enjoy the company of my friend, no matter what color his blood is and no matter what he thinks of me or himself. Maybe I'll sleep better when I do that way.

[ She sways, just a little, turning back to throw up the hood of her cloak and nestles herself back in her blue bundle, stubborn as ever. Alice regains her bravado in her voice, canting her head to the side as she shrugs. Even then, it's tempting for her just to rest her eyes at that moment, if only to drive out whatever has been crawling into her vision. ]

I'll be in just as much gratitude as you, for not turning away from me.

[sunderings]

[ He deserves the sentiment no more than he had Fiole's worry or Eslina's care—they'd been gentle and they'd been kind, and where Fiole had perished because of it, Eslina had taken up the mantle of her brother, scolding him with please, your Majesty, take you rest, for my brother in heaven wouldn't be able to bear seeing you as you are now. Alice's touch is... warm, her small, slender fingers holding holding his hand in her own, and Sion cannot remember the last time when someone reached out to him; always, he'd been the one to take hold of others and lead them through the dark.

There's no doubt in his mind that she'd recoil from him, if he were to reciprocate the gesture, and so he doesn't—instead, he merely hovers his free hand over her own (it's the thought which counts, isn't that right?), his eyes falling shut for a moment, perhaps two, as he listens to the sound of her voice. ]

Then that gratitude will be the end of you. [ And with a shake of his head, he opens his eyes, considering her with a veiled glance, a bewitching smile. ] Do you not realize it, what you've done? With a gift of a handkerchief...

[ The laugh which spills from his lips is cathartic and yet so very light of heart as he leans back, shifting his eyes once more toward the stars. ]

You've given me your favor, Lady Alice. [ Is he blushing? Perhaps, because he's happy, and there's just a small part of him which is unable to bear it. ] You've returned my kiss.

I'll not harm myself again, I promise you, and I'll not ask that you tell me more than what you are at ease with, but you are not mad, Alice, no more than I am. To turn away from you would be unthinkable.

[ Because they are more alike than she knows; her penchant for forgetting is so too his own, though where he suspects that she hadn't asked for the hole in her memory, he'd accepted power knowing full well that its accompaniment would be a curse. ]

Besides, you've yet to read to me, after all. And however much you may disagree, someone needs to look after you.

[digophelia]

[ At this point, Alice was half-listening to him, huddled up in her blanket, sleepier than before. She was nodding at what he said, in an effort to make it look like she was being polite. Of course, of course, she's even muttered in between, settling herself with a bit of a sigh. It's only about a minute later Alice opens her eyes and fully understands what he says. Sion should be given some credit, Alice doesn't bother to correct him on the fact that she still thinks she's beyond a cure for sanity.

No, what she says has her recalling each and every flowery story her older sister would prattle on about fluffy gestures of affection and at her age, she remembered ribbons and handkerchiefs were apart of that.

That was not her intention. Blink her eyes open, it took quite a bit for Alice not to turn around and shove him off the ledge. There was blood on it, for goodness sake, what was she going to do with it after that, especially after he declared he ruined it? She puffs up, now more than accustomed to the warm feeling in her cheeks. Yes, yes, he's said he will not hurt himself, she's got that.

But, for once, Alice is acting like any other nineteen year old girl, turning back to him and pulling up her blanket. ]

Don't misconstrue, it wasn't my intention.

[ Calmly and coolly as ever. He seems kind, intelligent, and polite, but no, the thought is stuffed down and Alice's inward response a kiss of a hand doesn't count. ]

I wasn't going to keep it if there's blood on it, of any color. [ He's blushing? She's blushing. Alice promptly turns her gaze away from him. Did he say something about looking after her? What is that supposed to mean? ]

I was simply trying to be nice, I wouldn't ever think of it. [ That sounds a tad too mean, and Alice promptly corrects herself- ] That is to say, not because of you, it's not like that, I was just trying to be cordial.

[ Even in her culture, it's the same equivalent. Poor Alice, she was far too tired to realize or even consider it, and drops her head in her face and groans at herself. She'll just... pull the blanket over her head even more. ]

[sunderings]

Aah, aah, you were being cordial, Lady Alice? [ Sion twitters and he laughs and oh, oh, he really can't—though her demeanor hasn't changed in the slightest (truly, the Lady is unflappable! she is the winter's frost which has settled across the land in the absence of the sun, unwilling and unable to be melted without the tender warmth of many someones!), she betrays herself. Not only has she returned his kiss, but so too has she returned his blush, and where she'd been quick to tell him not to misconstrue, she's swifter to amend the sentiment not once, but twice, and Sion must be terribly mean, because he's flustered her so, so many times and...!

He is entirely unwilling to cease and desist, not now, not on this night. ]

Could you be letting me down gently, then?

[ That isn't to say he's invested—he's having fun!—and yet he can't help but imagine a scenario where it were different. Where he could entertain the thought. Taking a Queen, as his attendants asked and his advisors implored, had always (and will always) be too unthinkable a thing. There is too much work to be done, a war which would span the whole of the Menoris continent to be waged, and a curse to be broken; these things were no one's burden but his own. To take another's hand, and lead them into the dark... Sion quite simply refused to do such a thing.

And yet, despite all his reservations, it's rather nice to imagine, isn't it? To pretend? ]

There is scarcely a Lady who might so boldly refuse the opportunity to become Queen of any country, much less my Empire, and so you, Alice...

[ With a shake of his head, he leans toward the neatly bundled blanket which is his friend, his hand (bloodied, still bound by Alice's handkerchief) pressed over his heart. ]

You may very well be the most astounding woman I've ever met.

[digophelia]

You're not serious, you're only teasing me.

[ He's worked up Alice enough to where she's waken up a little more. How can she rest her eyes when he's saying things like that? He's not serious, there's no way anyone would think of her like that. Fluster aside, Alice sharply turns to him with her blanket sliding off her shoulders. Letting him gently down...? ]

But I wasn't trying to--!

[ Compliments like this from Sion are a bit more bearable than they are from Gilgamesh, if only a little. Glancing at Sion's display, Alice can't help but let her fluster, frustration, and confusion overtake her. Alice promptly raises a hand to hit him against his arm, but not hard enough to actually hurt him, only to get her point across she didn't appreciate being teased. Besides, no one would really even entertain the idea of her in such a way.

He should be grateful he isn't standing, Alice wouldn't have hesitated kicking him in his shin. Teasing aside, Sion is relatively harmless and hasn't made any attempts to force himself on her and is far from lecherous to where he could earn a much more serious and painful outburst from Alice. Only Alice smacking his arm, muttering indignantly to herself and turning her gaze away. It's shame the thunder has stopped; there goes her excuse to stay out longer. ]

[sunderings]

[ 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. ]

[digophelia]

[ 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.

[sunderings]

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.

[digophelia]

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.

[sunderings]

[ He sees himself in her.

She's tired (he's always tired), precariously swaying though she keeps her step, chiding him (as he would tease her) with energy she's summoned forth through sheer will alone. And even though he'd the advantage of a lead, she's caught up with him quickly, and so happens to be brazen enough to walk forward still (it's impossible for you to stop moving, Sion, lest you break and shatter the whole of your country along with you). But she's not going to last. She'll not make it through the trek home, and so Sion will listen to her secret and become its keeper (as she already keeps one of his own), if only to allow her to think that he'd abandoned his previous notion of sweeping her up, off of her feet, and into the bassinet of his arms.

This, he accomplishes seamlessly—one step, then two, and in a precise economy of motion he's lifted her (and her blanket all!), her back supported by one arm, her legs neatly draped over the other as he carries her, making certain that she is secure, before beginning to walk—and should any protest arise, he will sooner silence it (and perhaps silence her) than relinquish his hold. ]

Will it not worsen them, the nightmares, if you do not take your rest? You are strong, but weariness will take its toll upon anyone, given chance. [ He understands. He understands more than he is willing to say, and that in itself feels akin to a small betrayal. How often has he stayed awake until the point of collapse, thoroughly unwilling to sleep despite the concerns voiced by his attendants? ] Though I might take the sound from any enclosure, I cannot take your nightmares; I cannot stay them.

But if you would allow such a thing, I will help you to weather them. If you should need for someone by your side as you sleep, I will gladly keep watch.

[ Because she's not on her lonesome, either. ]

And you should know, the practice of trading secrets is a rather sordid, dangerous affair. [ He peers down at her, his smile soft, but edged with a need to protect her. ] To think that it wasn't your stubbornness which placed you in my arms, but something else entirely is ...nothing short of a surprise.

[ Should he thank his lucky stars, which had been just visible over the course of the night? ]

I'll tell you of the house another time, for now... please be at ease. You are safe with me.

[digophelia]

[ Alice wasn't watching him as he swept in, rubbing the corner of one of her eyes as if it would rub the sleep from it. The movement still startles her, Alice letting out a small gasp as she's hoisted up with a small flail, accidentally pulling at whatever loose strands of hair that rested on his shoulder. Even at one point out of mild anxiety and bewilderment, she finds herself clinging to his shoulders and grasping at any of his clothing to stabilize herself. She was already feeling a little dizzy and his swift movement seems to have compounded that. There's been plenty times Alice has been hoisted up and carried, though, in less gentle ways by hospital staff.

Her past has traumatized her enough that touch startles her. Wide eyed, she looks up at him, pressing her lips into a small line. Drawing a breath, the rational part of Alice assures herself that he's not going to do anything to hurt her, but he's not free from anger protests. ]

What are you doing? This isn't necessary, I can fend for myself!

[ She is light, a little too light, even for her height. It's hard for her not to squirm and so she does, pushing against his chest, but even that's too close for comfort. Rationalizing her fears and nightmares is one way to take the wind out of her sails, preventing her from out right pulling his hair and yelling at him for picking her up. Avoiding sleep never worked to fend off her nightmares, it only offered a temporary solution and usually resulted in a very exhausted Alice. It even made her hallucinations worse, something that was actually the main source of Alice's exhaustion now, not so much her nightmares.

She takes a breath to calm herself and to settle her nerves with her hands still pressed against him. No, she would still squirm, though thankfully, not violently, though the possibility was still there. She would scoff at his suggestion to be by her side as she slept. Such a thing was very immodest. ]

I don't need anyone beside me to sleep, I'm not afraid of anyone. On the contrary -- you should be more concerned for another who would dare to be brazen enough to bother me.

[ Seriously, she's little and she may be tired, but angering her is the last thing anyone should do. He's insistent, isn't he? Alice isn't sure what to think of it. When he glances down to look at her, Alice promptly turns her head away from him. ]

I only shared my secret because there was never a need for you to hurt yourself.

[ She squirmed again, drawing more of an exasperated breath as he declared he would be safe with him. ]

[sunderings]

You mean to say I should be concerned for myself?

[ Hmph, what a thought. Sion, the Hero King, may or may not be sulking—he is brazen and he is bothersome, but surely Alice would never turn the brunt of her ire upon him. But then again, even if she were to do such a thing in the present, he doubts her attempts to assail him could amount to more than her squirming. And squirm she does, pressing herself to his chest, then upon being struck by their close proximity, drawing back as though she'd been scalded. Sion, of course, had accounted for such an attempt, had been prepared to endure, and so he does, walking on. Though his build is lithe, he possesses the Hero's strength, and once upon a time, he'd hoisted a traitorous nobleman three times his own size into the air with but one arm alone...!

But that is a story best told another time, for he must mind his present captive if he's to keep her safe within his arms (even if that means he should subject himself to further pulls and tugs upon his hair!). ]

I did not make the offer of keeping watch over your rest on account of any such fear, Lady Alice, but because I know it's a rather troublesome thing to wake from dreams. It helps if there is a familiar presence near. [ So often did he, himself, dream of other realities and other lives that his connection to the world around blurred, went thin. Each and every time he wakes, he sorts it out himself: his location, his purpose, who and what he is. ] When I was a boy, I often kept watch over my mother's fitful periods of sleep, and it eased her.

[ But not enough, in the end, for he couldn't keep her with him.

(And then, then the darkest part of him would say that when his mother took her own life, it had been because of him. So he would not be chained to her bedside.) ]

What I do now is not because you are in need of a rescuer, a knight, but because it is something which I wish to do for you. [ And he'll echo her own words back: ] You're not by your lonesome, you know.

[digophelia]

[ After a few moments, Alice isn't squirming, awkwardly resting her hands over her chest, if only because what he says puts her in a silence. So insistent Sion is, she's not sure what to make of it. He keeps calling her stubborn, but her stubbornness is matched. A knight, he says! Briefly she is reminded of the White knight rescuing her from the Red Knight, who escorted her over to the next square safely back in the looking glass. Struck with the memory of the White Knight, Alice takes a hand to her face, groaning at him. Of all the things to think of at that moment, she had to think of that poor, pitiful man. Truthfully, in that moment, with her hallucinations becoming progressively worse with her fatigue, she couldn't really look at him without his face being distorted. ]

Oh, please, I don't need a knight for any of that. Then you can stay, if only for a small while.

[ Frankly, she's too tired to argue and believes that she'll be fine and keep him company for a while, contrary to what he's offering. ]

But don't be silly, I can weather out the rest of the night and read to you. So there won't be a need for any of that, I can manage, I have plenty of tea to keep me going. Then you can continue on your merry way. It will be fine.

[ Alice's hand was still resting atop her face as he carries her so that she couldn't look at him. But being bundled up, not sitting upright, and being exhausted mentally and physically was starting to mount on her; the threat of falling asleep was becoming real. She kept her mouth firmly shut, knowing that she was capable of rambling on in her state. Thankfully, she was just tired, and not truly psychotic. ]

[sunderings]

[ It'd be a marvelous contest, he thinks, if he and Alice were to battle with sheer obstinacy alone—where Alice is willful, single-minded in her belief that her troubles should be hers alone, Sion is a King, one a little too addled with the concept of kindness and good, and made tenacious because of it. If Alice is in need of assistance, he will provide it, regardless of her approval. Much like the bumbling, sleepy-headed man and the fathomless, dumpling-minded beauty he'd left behind in his castle, Alice requires only a helping hand—someone to stay her, when she should be so stubborn that she believes herself to be beyond the limitations of her body, and someone to pull her up; to walk on where she cannot.

Sion says nothing, of course, when she goes on about him being silly, how she believes tea might be able to sustain her through the night. And what's this, she thinks she might be able to read to him, in her present state...? ]

I do not think my way would be merry, if there were no slip of a girl to lead the way, granting me the leisure and freedom to tarry on behind.

[ But then she's gone quiet, at long last. And while Sion is certain that if Alice were not so very tired, this battle would have been a loss, his victory is made no less sweet for it. There's no more squirming, only his even, measured step, and even if her rest should be fitful, it will still be rest. Alice, after all, is human—she needs her sleep, where he does not. He has hours, yet, perhaps another full day before he will allow for sleep to take him. ]

Forgive me, but... [ His voice is soft, so much so that the words following might be lost to Alice's ears: ] ...I'll not leave you, Alice.

[ He won't. ]