OPEN ★ ARRIVAL LOG

[futurologists]

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!]

Comments

[babbylon]

Ah—

[She's fast. Faster than he expects, and he gets tripped up as a result, backpedaling quickly to try and regain his footing. For all those weapons he's got, he's hardly skilled wielding any of them, and it shows. A master of close-handed combat Gilgamesh was certainly not.

Still, he recovers with admirable poise and goes for another stab, this one aimed at Pearl's hip.]

Don't talk like that! You'll take all the fun out of it. Who knows what's in store?!

[beyourrock]

[Oh he's fast this time around, and she was not expecting him to recover so quickly. She winces as the spear nicks her hip, slicking through her clothing. She stumbles back, holding her hip for a moment before she glares daggers at him. A small cut is apparent on her hip.]

All that's in store, is a way for me and-- [No, don't get him involved in this.] the rest of us to get home!

[babbylon]

[Surprisingly, Gilgamesh stops.]

Hey, you...

[...you weren't supposed to get hit. You're not supposed to be hurt. Gems couldn't bleed, could they? And treasure was meant to remain pure and beautiful and untouched. Seeing that cut brings him back down from the beginnings of a frenzy, and while he doesn't look sorry, he does look a little sheepish.

Gilgamesh stows his spear again and asks, quietly:]

Why did you not retaliate? You had the advantage.

[beyourrock]

[Pearl blinks at his sudden change in demeanor and lowers her spear slightly. Confused, she furrows her brow.]

I had the advantage? Those weapons you had before hand say differently. [She laughs lightly.]

I'm not going to hurt someone I just met. [While she was proficient in the sword and spear, she was never made for fighting in the first place. Besides, the Crystal Gems would frown upon it. She would frown upon it.]

[babbylon]

I would not pit treasure against treasure! What sort of unseemly man do you take me for?!

[Never mind the fact he'd already drawn a weapon. But if anyone thought Pearl could kick up a flustered storm... oh, boy. Here comes Hurricane Gilgamesh, and he's embarrassingly red in the face.]

And don't assume such a pitiful attitude! When facing the King of Heroes, you should bring nothing short of your best! It does me great insult otherwise!

[He folds his arms and huffs, adding under his breath:]

It does no good to tarnish beauty. I was only playing.

[beyourrock]

[Pearl watches him curiously, letting her spear disappear in a flurry of sparkles. Was he... blushing? Flustered? After how he carried himself thus far. So regal. And now this? Pearl bites back a giggle, covering her hand over her mouth.]

Perhaps some other time we can do a real sparing match, without so many people around. [With her spear, and it's wide close range, she'd be worried about harming someone if they were to expand their 'battle field'.] I apologize for insulting you.

[She bows slightly before she hears his last comment. Or, thought she did.]

What's that?

[babbylon]

[Grumbling.]

Heal yourself immediately.

[...that's it. That's all she gets. Gilgamesh holds his ground, insistent.]

[beyourrock]

[Pearl is taken aback by that and frowns.]

I can't, it has to heal on it's own.

[Or unless Steven was around, but even then, Pearl wouldn't bother him with such a small injury.]

[babbylon]

It's bothersome and unsightly.

[Gilgamesh turns away, though it's not exactly from disgust. He's just being stubborn and refusing to fess up to what may have been his mistake.]

Regardless, don't approach battle so carelessly the next time. Even if it's a mere spar, you can't fall complacent. To become too trusting, to act on sparing whims... it will end your life someday. It will endanger yourself and others.

[His eyes flicker back over his shoulder. They are a little softer. Just a little.]

It will bring you great pain, embracing mercy as you have.

[beyourrock]

[Her shoulders slump a fraction, listening to his words. She lets the words sink in.

It will endanger yourself.... it will bring you great pain...

Rose.

Pearl lowers her gaze and laughs quietly, with a harsh bitter edge to it as she rubs her arms. Absentmindedly, she covers her injury with a hand and stares down at her ballet flats.]

You have no idea.

[Forcing a weak smile, she looks back up at Gilgamesh.]

Of course, I'll keep that in mind. [She says, as if brushing off what she had just said.]

[babbylon]

You are a great treasure.

[Gilgamesh announces this out of the blue, cutting through that dismal air with confidence. It seems he was never really mad at all, or rather was mad at himself for pushing things a bit too far. Either way, he brushes past it all to look at her as she is.

As something valuable. As something worthwhile. Gilgamesh could not see treasure as anything less.]

Remember that and look after yourself better. It is the will of the King, so you cannot refuse it.

[Before she can even think to, Gilgamesh walks off. He disappears into dust, leaving Pearl alone with her thoughts and him to tend that lingering embarrassment.]