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

[keystaff]

Just Korra? Ah, okay. Hopefully I won't slip up.

[Though she might. She's just so used to using titles with most everyone, given she lives in Japan. But the least she can do is try, if Korra prefers that. She's aware others don't use titles to mark their relationships as such, let alone the use of someone's first name being a rather defining characteristic in that.]

But...I guess so. Still, they wouldn't have brought us here if they didn't need help. So I'll do my best!

[Of course, Sakura being Sakura, and her age, chances are most will try find any means necessary to stop her doing just that out of instinct in protecting her, but she isn't quite realizing that yet.]

[alphatar]

[Who is she to not encourage this little girl? Korra gives a smile with an approving nod.]

I will too. If we try hard enough, maybe we can get back to Oska that much sooner. [Tasking herself with picking up Sakura’s work load is a given, something Korra’s not thinking twice about, or once for that matter. It’s instinctual.]

Have you thought about where you’re staying? I know they said there’s a few places we can rent out. [While she’s not sure how far their stipend will stretch, Korra’s not willing to bet on ALISTAIR sending more.]

[keystaff]

And the sooner we get back home! Or, in theory....

[Still, it's how they are getting home. Assuming that ALASTAIR are true to their word. But Sakura has little to no intention of letting others pick up the slack, still intending on doing her best to help out somehow. Whether this might be in using her Clow Cards or in some other way.]

Hm? Oh. Well, not really. But, Fai-san and Kurogane-san said I could stay with them.

[alphatar]

Friends of yours?

[Guardians would be the best situation, but she's just making sure. Hard not to feel overly protective of someone so young in such a crazy place.

Still, she does have someone from her world here so there's a chance Sakura's in luck too.]

[keystaff]

Sort of? I met them when we got here and they asked if I had anywhere to stay yet. I didn't, so....

[So she took them up on the offer. Even with the usual stranger warnings, she's not sure if that counts when literally everyone around here is a stranger. Technically, even those she met with the dragon mission. Nobody here is someone familiar from home, in Sakura's case. And she wasn't sure just where to go to figure accommodation given her age, so things worked out, more or less.]

So it's worked out. More or less.

[alphatar]

[That's a little too simple for Korra's tastes, but she knows how kids feel to have their judgment questioned. Heck, she's been dealing with that treatment for the first seventeen years of her life.]

All right. You know how to use yours, right? [She reaches into the collar of her shirt around her neck to pull out the necklace under her top.]

[keystaff]

[It's a decision she would have had to make at some point. Who to stay with. If anything, more a question of who asked and offered first, since it is unlikely everyone would have been okay with letting her figure things on her own. Even if she is rather independent for her age.]

Oh, those. Um, I think I get the idea? They're...they are like a phone, you can talk to people using them. Or like writing a letter. Right?

[She pulls her own out from her own dress, holding it in her hand and looking down at it.]

[alphatar]

Yeah. Just, no phone or paper. [Way too new of a concept for her. That might take some time to wrap her head around.]

I'm still getting used to having it around my neck. But if you ever think you might need something you can use it and I'll see if I can help.

[If it does work like the ancient phones in her world? Korra's definitely going to give someone this young a hotline for emergencies.]

Is that alright?

[keystaff]

I think it'll take a bit for me to get used to it too. But okay! That's all right with me.

[A pause as she considers for a moment, before issuing a condition.]

But! But only if you do the same and let me know if I can help too!

[Not that Korra necessarily has any idea on just how Sakura intends to try help out, with the Clow Cards. Yet.]

[alphatar]

[Okay, that is too cute for Korra to just simply agree to. She puts her hands on her knees so she's eye level with Sakura.]

You have a deal. Think you can throw a good punch or kick?

[Korra, no.]

[keystaff]

[Well, she isn't unused to that, given her height and the time she spends around her brother and Yukito, people towering over her and sometimes adjusting their height as a result. But the question does take her by surprise a little.]

Um, no. I mean, my brother learned some martial arts, but I didn't. I was on the cheerleading team. But I guess I could try?

[Even being athletic, she's still kind of a klutz though. Sorry, Korra.]

[alphatar]

[Korra chuckles.]

It's okay if you don't want to. Martial arts isn't for everyone, neither is cheerleading. But if you feel like trying it out I can always show you the basics.

[It's k, Sakura. Korra can be... less graceful at times.]

I'll be at the Abel Inn. It's at the city square, okay?

[keystaff]

You could teach me? Really? Then my dumb brother wouldn't be able to tease me nearly so much!

[Okay, Toya probably still would. Because it's Toya. But still. The idea isn't entirely scary, at least. Better to know something and not need it than to need it and not know, right?]

At the square, okay. Got it!