epidemiology | OPEN ★ ARRIVAL LOG

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OPEN ★ ARRIVAL LOG

ARRIVALS ( OCT 2 )
The dragons are taken from you, sent off to a safe haven. You're back in Oska for less than a day when you hear the announcement and head to the rendezvous point. You blink, step through the portal, there's a loud crack, and...

You're thrown into darkness. You taste copper and, for a moment, your ears won't stop ringing. All common side-effects of portal travel. The entire crew arrives just beyond the city gates, so you might also be feeling a little bit claustrophobic.

It takes a second for the eyes to adjust, but one can make out buildings and the cobblestone beneath their feet. To the right is the Trade District, where all the vendors are gathered to sell their wares. Up ahead is the City Square, where the rest of the citizens out and about seem to be gathered. To the left of the square is the Commoners' District, and to the right of it is the Nobles' District, the two main residential areas. Further travel west will come to the outskirts, a makeshift residential area, this one densely populated with goblins. Many of the people are holding candles or lanterns. You might want to try getting your hands on one of those.

If you have not already done so, your enchanted jewelry will manifest words in front of your very eyes — or sounds in your ear, if you're illiterate — asking you to identify yourself. A quick look around shows that you seem to be the only one able to see it. All you have to do is think or say how you wish to be identified. After that, you're immediately given a message.

Those who participated in the dragon mission at Anwick will first receive this:

We appreciate your help at Anwick. The wyrmlings will live to grow up and bring about the world's natural end. Thank you.

-- ALASTAIR

Afterwards, the crew will be given an abridged version of this, then told to familiarize themselves with the city and natives, report all information gathered back to ALASTAIR, and wait for further instruction.

At the end of the night, wherever they may be, everyone will receive a letter with the royal seal thanking them for their efforts to end the goblins' defiance and inviting them to the Festival of Illumination on the 4th.

FESTIVAL OF ILLUMINATION ( OCT 4 )
Candles are sitting on windowsills throughout the entire city, but the main event is in the city square. In the fountain float lit lotuses, and people all around are holding lanterns, waiting to light them.

There's a minstrel playing songs, and several of the vendors have pulled their carts up to the square in the hopes of making a sale. Many sweets are for sale, including baked apples, gingerbread, cherry tarts, pudding, and more. There's also some drinks for sale.

Some children are playing games in the corner, and others are dancing to the music or writing wishes on slips of paper to be sent into the sky with their lanterns. Everyone seems merry for once, but you'd better be careful. This is an ideal place for a pickpocket.

About an hour and a half into the festival, the lanterns are sent into the sky. They're sent flying, the sky becoming filled with bright lights, until...

A strong gust of wind sends all the lights out. At least, you think it was a gust of wind. What else could have done that? On closer inspection, however, you'll see that even the candles sitting on windowsills inside have gone out. For a minute or so, there's only darkness and chaos.

Suddenly, the flames begin to burn again, revealing a message in the cobblestone in the center of the square. It almost looks as if it's been burned into the ground: IT IS COMING, followed by a symbol of a creature with a lion's head, goat's body, and serpent's tail.

[MOD NOTE: This is a catch-all log for the first few days. For the sake of organization, all arrival threads should be posted under the subheader ARRIVALS and all festival threads should be posted under FESTIVAL. Threads that don't fall under either of those categories can be top-levels. Also, please remember to add your character's tag to the post! Thank you, and have fun!]

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[ Sick and hungry?

At least Alice looks the part, who just innocently strolled up, looking at the cake. Alice has really no idea what is going on, but if she had to guess, it almost comes off as begging.

Alice has many objections to this -- she doesn't like to lie and doesn't have much experience in bartering. As she's nudged, she seems to nearly teeter over. Daughter? Her? Alice passes a look at him, doubtful. They don't look that much different in age and there's the fact they're different nationalities.

She's flabbergasted. This is lying and Alice hates to lie. ]

( the way she's dressed, the way she behaves, it's more than just a bit unsettling. if she's aware, she doesn't care. he doesn't get closer, and that's an intentional choice. if he'd shown up covered in blood, he'd have cleaned himself off. that she didn't doesn't say anything good, though he wonders. )

No, suppose it isn't. ( he watches her closely, and then shakes his head. ) I suppose it's not my place to say, but you don't seem well.

( he's at least slightly worried she's going to use that blade on someone. who, he's not sure. herself, or someone else, it's not a hopeful thought. )

Should I wish you luck?

[ They're likely going to need it. ]

I don't remember the last time I ate.

[ Alice admits sheepishly, dropping her gaze to her boots and keeping her hands firmly on her bloody apron. That isn't a lie; outside of the pastry, she doesn't remember how much she ate. She's small and slight from lack of food, that should count, right? ]

Ah, but, this is-

[ She looks up at Gin, almost giving him a look of "this is wrong, I feel terrible". ]

Ah, and yet I remain doubtful.

[ Again, the statement is open to interpretation. Joking or mildly insulting? Dean gets to decide. ]

[ He'll shrug and wave a dismissive hand. ] It's a matter of scale. The memories are not pleasant, but they are by no means my worst.

[ But a change of subject isn't unwelcome. ]

Are you training to become a physician yourself? [ Because that seems a somewhat odd arrangement. ]

_{[ Gintoki glances at Alice. Ah, right. She is younger than him, but she's not as young as Kagura— she isn't Kagura. Kagura knows what it's like to not eat for awhile too; all three of them do. Yet, he and the rest of the Yorozuya know they are in everything together...
... except now, when Kagura and Shinpachi aren't here.

Ah.

He hadn't realized what he was doing until now. If this were Kagura, she would be pleading and lying even further. This is part of what they all do together; not what Gintoki does on his own.

Apologetically, he looks at the vendor: ]}

I'm sorry. I suppose.. since it's my dying meal.. I don't have any need for the money I have anyway.
_{[ here, he'll drop the full amount on the vendor's table. It wasn't the cheapest thing to buy, but who the fuck cares.

He can't continue acting like this if it makes Alice uncomfortable, so he'll pay up. ]}

Not at all. But if you're deferring the choice to me, then why don't you go find out the goblin's side of the story?

[ It's probably the harder of the two options, but she wants to try something different this time. She wants to show that she trusts Riku with the job, just like she believed in Terra and Ven... even though they didn't always see it that way. Her motherly nature, and the fact that she outranked them played a small part in the strain of their friendship after all. ]

You can do that, right?

[ She flinches a little at his sudden vigor. ]

Y-Yes, I think I do. Why don't you come with me?

[ She still owes him a restroom to discover, too. ]

[ Kida makes a soft click of disapproval, and Ban is welcome to read her entirely. She hides none of her thoughts, not for a simple conversation like this one; she's confident in a way that flirts with arrogance, sometimes, though she's oblivious to the effect she has. ]

I can see how. [ She knocks on one of the metal studs in his red leather jacket, one brow arched in interest. ] Is this meant to...protect you?

I don't know what the right thing is yet, but I intend to find out. You're not wrong about asking more questions, though. We need to find out more about this world than what the report tells us, and I'd like to help you do that.

I have some experience with it. [ For a moment it sounds like he might leave it there, before he shrugs and continues. Knowing the situation won't help here, but it won't hurt anything either. ] It was a warning. A few of my siblings had been murdered, and one of our [ there's a barely perceptible pause here ] parents covered the sun in their rage. The sun 'returned' once the culprits were found.

[ Well, that's a switch.

Alice glances down at the coins and back to Gin, with an unsure look. She isn't sure what to make of this, seeing how quick he changed like that to pay full up. Alice offers a timid "thank you" to the vendor.

In the end, she would say they were earning a living, as much as they were. Turning her back slightly to the vendor, she looks up at him. ]

Are you alright?

[ Will he keep pouting, once Ahad hands over his drink?

At least Ahad's amused. Well, as amused as he can be under these circumstances. ]

_{[ Meanwhile, Gin has cake. Nothing else matters. Not the fact he just tried to rip off a vendor; not the fact he is worried about his kids; not the fact he almost bamboozled a near-stranger into scamming with him.

Immediately, there is cake in Gin's mouth as he walks away, holding the whole fucking thing like it's a baby. ]}

Ah, it's good. Why wouldn't I be okay?
_{[ he's eating with one hand. A HAND. ]}

[ How weird is this? This is very weird. Alice walking with him and trying to ignore that. Eventually, she has to say something- ]

The next time, you should consider investing in a plate and fork, not your own hands.

[ If she had access to a napkin right now, you bet she would have tied it around his neck. ]

It's nothing.

It's not entirely the same, but close to it. Darkness is a force, much like Light. They coexist. But it's dangerous a lot of the time... it promises people power at the expense of a part of themselves. It consumes you.

With how desperate this town is, you can imagine how it would be a prime location for some to abuse it, should they gain access to it.

_{[ He's a little mad he couldn't get this cake at a discount cost but.. that's usually how he haggles or tries to squeeze money out of people.. by guilt tripping them. Gin's a pretty good actor when it comes down to it.

He ignores her comment and stops once they are out of a crowd of people to offer the plate to her.
His cheeks are puffed out and filled with too much cake to talk, but a wordless 'aaa?' passes through his lips.

Hopefully she understands he is offering her some. ]}

[Ushahin shakes her hand with his left hand, the whole, undamaged one. People here have such unusual names.]

I have many titles, but you may call me Ushahin Dreamspinner.

Me? [ The declaration of friendship surprises Aqua more than it should. While she is all about forming connections, it's been a long time since she's made any new friends. It's a nice feeling, just as it was back then. ]

I'm glad to be your friend, Honey Lemon. Please don't ever feel alone as long as I'm here.

[ Alice is no dummy. She graciously accepts the offer, despite having less than a sweet tooth as an adult than she did as a child. ]

You look like a chipmunk like that.

[ She'll just have to deal with not eating with a fork and it feels a little weird. Same same as before, small bites, very delicate, compared to him. But she means it when she says it. ]

Thank you, Mr. Gin.

[ Kida's head tilts towards him in a sharp nod. She agrees wholeheartedly with his sentiment.

As they breach the town gates the people, thankfully, seem little inclined to do much more than stare, but the newcomers are obviously eyed with little trust--wise, given the situation. ]

We will certainly need to be earning trust, yes. [ She looks to her companion; he's a surface-dweller, right? He should know this stuff. ] If you went to market, and wished to socialize, who would you speak to?

[ In Atlantis, the fishmonger has all the news, but, well. New place, new mores, best be ready. ]

_{[ He swallows and licks his lips. ]}

I guess a chipmunk isn't that bad.
Yadda, yadda. It's not a problem. That guy really didn't want to bargain, so you get what you can take.
_{[ ????
he was the one who gave up haggling with the guy, but alright.
Gintoki finds a nice little bench to sit at and he's just going to park it there. There's a small lantern on either side of them, so they have some light.

He'll just casually eat this thing here, glancing over at Alice. ]}

Oi.
Do you need a new apron?

It is alright.

[He brushes a bit of hair out of his eyes. It is the farthest thing from alright.]

All things must be as they are.

[ she’s milling through the city square, watching people go about with their lanterns, trying to fit in the best she can with the crowd of them— look as if she belongs because people tend to trust their own over what they deem strange. it’s in her mind to pull people aside, ask questions, but a part of her feels a bit of guilt for ruining the happiness here. turning it into an inquisition when it doesn’t have to be. but. she supposes it has to be done, and scans the crowd for a target. when she spots someone familiar, and the name is breathed out with palpable relief. that she can escape the press of duty for at least a minute. ]

Malia. [ and she doesn’t jog over to the other girl, not exactly, she would describe it more as a brisk walk, alright. ] Hey.

[ and then she lowers her gaze to malia’s arms, which she hadn’t done before and blinks once. ]

Are you stocking up?

[ incredulous, but layered with a subtle amusement. she could have said hoarding, but that would have a different connotation to it.

though, she privately thinks it wouldn’t be any less true. ]

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a + you better share or else