epidemiology | EVENT ★ BACK TO THE FUTURE

BENDED TIME

As outlined in the OOC post, things start to slow down and grow quiet in Oska for a few days as the bugs crawl away and slowly disappear. But then the cocoons hatch. Fully grown temporal insects claw their way out of them, each about the size and temperament of raging bulls.

They come out far more aggressive and eager to fight, are are willing to take on anything that moves with jaws and claws alike. Except, of course, another insect — when two of them encounter each other, they enter into a mating dance and then slip away into another dimension, leaving behind only the temporary ghosts of years gone by. If you can’t find a way to pierce that thick shell to take one down, better find another one to pair it off with instead. Just try not to get bit while leading them around and find yourself suddenly 5 years old again.

The insects aren’t the only thing going on in Oska, though. As it turns out, unicorns really hate this adult form of the temporal insects, and will start kicking their way out of their stalls in the stables to get at the insects in an attempt to impale or trample them. According to Uruz they’re gallant warriors, but not always quite cut out to take on a bug, and can easily get themselves hurt or killed. She would really appreciate recruits taking a moment to recapture any stray unicorns they may come across and leading them back to the stables. Try to avoid any insects on the way, or you’ll find yourself suddenly fighting insect and irate unicorn, which is no one’s idea of a good time.

The lake is getting more active, too. All the fighting has woken up something in the depths of it. Dark red tentacles sometimes creep up onto shore — and don’t worry, this time they don’t belong to a sea goddess. The tentacles don’t attack unless attacked, and can in fact be quite agreeable. Nodes along the length of them act as primitive eyes, which see well enough to interact with anyone nearby. They’re also all a little peckish. Toss a tentacle a bit of food and watch it curl around and ingest it using tiny mouths on the underside. It might even be willing to play a few rounds of fetch or slap a bug into the sky for you if you put it in a good mood with a morsel of food.

The senior ALASTAIR members can be seen out and about and doing their part, too. Uruz and Dagny fight as a team, centaur and elf, sometimes fighting back to back and sometimes as mount and rider. They’ll stop and lend a hand, but the cats are a little less generous. Cherenkov and Crowley fight inseparably and use magic and science in deadly combination to ward off and destroy the bugs, but can usually only be seen darting on their way from one place to another. They have a lot of magitek to repair in the destructive wake of the insects. Pomarr, neither as senior nor as invested in actively picking off the bugs, offers shelter near a tentacle-free portion of the lake, calling down storms to toss away bugs for her and anyone in the vicinity.

OOC NOTES

This log spans a week ICly. Characters will find themselves beginning to understand each other again as the bugs first vanish, as the effects of the cats’ work on the magitek pays off. The translation problem will be completely fixed by the time the cocoons hatch. All of the bugs will have been killed or shipped off by the sixth day, leaving the last day before their departure to the next mission blissfully relaxing. Any temporally misplaced recruits will be back to normal by the last day, as well.

A reminder to anyone still texting: the texting feature of magitek jewelry operates based on thought! There are no physical keyboards, recruits merely think the message that they’d like to send to another recruit.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Then you know me better than most.

[ he says easily in reply, as if it had been an easy motion to fall into. ]

Usually Lords do something, what do you do that makes you a Lord?

I make no claim to that.

[ He's more stiff during this conversation than he needs to be, but Ahad can't seem to help but find it disturbing. The child is not what he expected, and it brings him no comfort to see this Loki here. ]

In the eyes of mortals? Money and godhood do well enough to make one a lord.

[ that's odd, and somehow, it gets odder still. in fact, he's not entirely sure how to take it; he's never sure how to take it when someone knows of his infamous reputation.

the focus shifts to something that he does know. ]

I suppose that would make me Lord Loki.

[ a pause. ]

So, you're a god. From where do you hail?

Perhaps, if you insist upon it.

[ Not that Ahad is likely to call him by any title. He wouldn't have bothered himself, if 'mister' did not grate on him. ]

From the ruins of Shadow. If one can be said to hail from a city that no longer exists.

[ who knows, it's him, he might insist on it. ]

I've never heard of it. [ it could be rude, but from the curiosity in his voice, he sounds more interested than dismissive. ] Does it reflect its namesake?

The ruins or the city, when it stood?

[ He sounds almost bored, but it's more of a mask than he'd like to admit. Discussing the end of the universe was not what he intended to do today. ]

[ he clears his throat, as if he's rectifying an error. ]

Did it reflect its namesake at one time?

Yes. [ He nearly leaves it there. The silence stretches out, while he stares at Loki without blinking. ]

The city was once called Sky, until the great tree grew and left most of the city in shadow.

[ this is really, really strange, and it keeps getting more strange. as if to make up for Ahad not blinking, Loki blinks. ]

Was Sky in the sky? [ his brows knit a little bit, as if he's trying to work out the familiarity in his head. ]

The city was named after the place Sky. It was held in the air by a small support pillar, but relied on magic to stay aloft.

[ There's a tone of finality here. Loki will do as he wills, but Ahad's bearing does not encourage further discussion of Sky. ]

[ he's catching on, but it's not like him to not keep pressing. regardless, he knows when inquiries aren't wanted.

another pause, and he debates. ]

You see, Asgardia's in the sky too. While nothing holds it up aside from some curious mortal technology, there's a tree as well.

The World Ash.

The tree that once stood in Shadow had no official name.

[ It truly did not need one. If someone spoke of the Tree, there was only one possibility. ]

I suppose it's more that trees and divinity seem to create the most curious metaphors, even when used literally.

[ he starting to stalk out from around Ahad, taking a little walk to the first corner and peeking around it as if something may come to try and bite him. ]

[ Ahad watches him, but makes no move to either stop or follow. If Loki wishes to move on, perhaps that would be for the best. ]

Whatever.

[ Loki does look back at him to see if there's any sign of disapproval, when there's just a whatever, he moves to slip around the corner, waving. ]

My thanks again! Perhaps we'll meet again! I've people to save and tricks to scheme!

[ and he disappears, his feet silent against the ground as he heads into the depths of Oska. ]

EVENT ★ BACK TO THE FUTURE

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject