EVENT ▸ WELCOME TO HANABIRA

[futurologists]

LAND OF CELESTIAL MOUNTAINS Following guild Ophelia's first mission, after which the temporal shard was found and safely disposed of back on Headquarters, Guild Master Imogen informs them they've received a contract to help ease tensions in a land known as Hanabira, on an unnamed planet designated as Hathaway-484. However, the contract is from a third party and the Hanabirans themselves do not know about interdimensional travel, she explains, so it'll be best to announce Ophelia as visitors from a foreign land. Any strange appearances or abilities will be able to be brushed off as magic, as the Hanabirans are no strangers to things such as ogres and imps. They're given five days to look over the dossier, and then it's through the rift they go. Those who are new to rift travel may find themselves a bit dizzy on the way out, but overall, everything seems to have gone according to plan. Upon arrival, their magitek projects words in front of their eyes that only they can see: Location reached: HANABIRA. No events scheduled. You may wish to survey the surrounding area. » LAND OF CELESTIAL MOUNTAINS A militaristic society that values strength. Main sources of income: mining, foresting, hunting, blacksmithing. Heavy matriarchal ideals. Empress NAMA resides at the HEAVENLY SUMMIT. Those who attempt to reach the Heavenly Summit, which turns out to be the name of a castle situated on the tallest mountain peak, will not make it very far. Empress Nama's guards have no time for foreign strangers attempting to enter the castle without an audience, and there are plenty of them. It looks like that plan of action is going to take some time to rethink. There's still much more to look at, though. In the Merchant's District, you can stock up on everything you'll need to blend in. A cursory look at all the clothing and it's clear that the Mountain Clan style focuses on a more powerful look, with broad shoulder accents and thick fabrics. Both men and women wear kimonos, but it seems men's fashion changes depending on their age and marital status. Time to figure out those backstories! There are several more items for sale as well, as long as you're willing to pay -- or if you're particularly good at sleight of hand. The Commoner's District, derogatorily called the Slums by some, is where many of the lower class Mountain Clan work and live. Those who don't have the coin to buy a space in the Merchant's District sell their wares here; they are at a lower price, but often of lower quality as well, unless you're particularly lucky. This is the most densely populated area of the Celestial Mountains, and also the most egalitarian. Here, both men and women must do the same work to provide for their families. However, you will still find that the prevailing cultural attitude supports the matriarchy. On the other side of town is the Noble's District, which is patrolled by guards on regular routes. Men on their own will arouse suspicion in this area, as will anyone in any garb but the noble disguise. Troublemakers will be asked to leave and unceremoniously escorted out. Those who manage to stay will be able to find conversation with the nobility, many of whom are high-ranking military leaders. The rest of the town belongs to the lower to upper middle class, who are friendliest to women or groups with at least one woman in them. Women's reactions to sole men may range from dismissive to awkward, although men alone are not in any danger of angry or violent reactions (as long as they don't provoke anyone). ▸ SPRING FESTIVAL After a bit of time for exploring, a new message flashes in front of recruits' eyes. New event scheduled: MOUNTAIN CLAN FESTIVAL. » INFORMATION: Analysis of all mentions of 'festival' since the arrival of OPHELIA suggests heavy HANABIRAN presence at this time, during which guild members may wish to gather intel. It appears as though Ophelia has arrived just in time for the Spring Festival, a yearly celebration in honor of the changing of seasons. Plum and cherry trees throughout the Celestial Mountains flower in white and pink blossoms, creating a cheerful atmosphere as the population goes about their daily business during the day. Workers view the flowers during their lunch and tea times, and nobles can be found strolling through gardens in the Noble's District at all times. In the early afternoon, food stalls begin to appear in the Merchant's District, and by the late afternoon, the festival is in full swing: dumplings, noodles, persimmons, and skewered meat are available at various stalls, as well as plenty of sake. Other stalls sell beautifully designed kites, fans, and kimonos, and as the sun begins to sink down, some stalls begin to sell incense-stick fireworks. There are also games to take part in, from the light-hearted collaborative ball game kemari, to an archery competition, the winners of which are rewarded with plums and sake. An old man near the archery competition invites any passersby to join him in a game of Go, and he'll even offer to teach foreigners the rules of the game. There is also a falconry competition for the nobles, but unless you have a disguise, you'll just have to content yourself with watching. With so many people milling around, it's a good time to ask questions and try to get a feel for the political opinions of the people of the mountain clan. They are all in favor of their empress ruling Hanabira, supporting the spread of their traditional culture over the more lax culture of the sea clan. If asked their opinions on how to ensure there is no war, suggestions will range from preemptively killing the sea empress and her army, to banishing them across the sea. It should be noted that the mountain clan is not especially known for their expertise in diplomacy. As the sky darkens, fireworks light up the sky. It's very beautiful, but also very distracting -- the perfect time for something to go wrong. ▸ AN AMBUSH The fireworks are loud, and everyone -- even guards milling around -- are looking skyward toward the display. No one notices the danger until it's too late. A scream pierces the air, and everything after that happens quick and sudden: people are running in all directions, panicked, trying to escape. Stands are knocked over and food goes flying through the air. A merchant struggles to reach her wife, caught across the fearful throng of festivalgoers. It's chaos. As the panicked crowd begins to thin, those of Ophelia who stay behind to help will see the cause -- women wearing clothes of the sea clan and masks covering their faces are laying waste to the festival ground. They begin to set stalls ablaze, and though they aren't targeting any civilians, a handful lay dead or injured, crushed by the panicked stampede. Guards rush in to stop the women, and they could probably use help; they will be trying to capture them, but if your character is killing an ambusher instead, please let the mods know with a link to the thread. For those who aren't the fighting type, there are plenty of other things to do -- direct traffic, try to rescue civilians from the stampede, or go find someplace to hide yourself. Once the immediate trouble is dealt with, the festival unceremoniously ended, the civilians drift back to their homes to begin a restless sleep. If your character hasn't found lodgings for the night yet, they'd better get that matter settled soon. The morning after the ambush, there is tension and unease in the air. The people of the mountain clan mutter about taking revenge or continuing peaceably; the ambush and its effect on their relations with the sea clan is the topic of the day. Was this an attack sanctioned by the Empress of the Crashing Wave? Were these sea people acting of their own volition? Does it matter? The festival grounds could use cleaning up, and tending to the injured can be a good way to ingratiate foreigners (that's you) to the mountain clan. Otherwise, the forests of the Celestial Mountains are open for exploration, or the Flowerlands and its farms below. ▸ OOC NOTES Welcome to the first mission of the season! Apps are now closed and will remain closed until the mission is over. If you have questions about this log or the overall mission, please ask them on the dossier. Questions about Futurology in general should be directed to the FAQ. ▸ The festival and ambush lasts one IC day, after which characters may continue to explore. Areas currently open are the Land of Celestial Mountains or the Flowerlands. The Empire of the Crashing Wave will be introduced in the next log on 3 February. ▸ The Bounty Board is now live, as well as an items page. The February calendar will go live in late January. ▸ January AC will go up on 1 February. You will only need to supply one proof. February AC will require full activity.

Comments

vaughn | borderlands | ota

[moneyman]

one | the empress is in another castle

[ actually, she isn't. no, this is definitely the one. he's pretty sure that's why he's only made pitiful progress up the mountain, despite his intense curiosity driving him ever forward. one careful step at a time, until a woman much bigger than him makes her disapproval known with the point of her spear.

he promptly raises his hands in deference, taking a few steps back. ]

Okay, okay, point taken... [ he grimaces. ] Uh, pun... not intended. Wow.

[ no one saw that, right? ah, shit. he reaches back to rub the back of his neck, just a little embarrassed. ]

I guess this is kinda like trying to go fight the endboss when you're still on the first level, huh? [ his eyes widen suddenly, and he glances around, wary of anyone who may be in earshot. ] —Uh, not that I'm wanting to fight her, I definitely... no. This isn't sketchy, I swear.

[ it's a little sketchy. ]


two | i'm a dangerous man with some money in my pocket

[ he gets the boring part out of the way first. you know, the whole "blending in" thing. been there, done that, got the flannel shirt in Woodhurst. too bad that wouldn't fly here; he kind of misses it, almost. but he misses a lot of things. let's just concentrate on the now, shall we?

once the necessities are taken care of, it's time to look at fun stuff. for some definition of "fun." one might run into him eyeing one of the following:

a) a kakute, which he's already slipped onto his finger to try on. it's too big, but he doesn't seem very upset about it. in fact, he looks pretty excited. ]

This is so subtly badass. Like, if you're gonna punch someone in the face, might as well add an exclamation point, right?

[ ...or b), a book of poetry, which he is examining studiously for some reason. ]

"In the cicada's cry, no sign can foretell how soon it must die." [ he tilts his head thoughtfully. ] Geez, that's dark. Is it weird that I kinda want this book of tiny depressing stories?

[ surely not. ]


three | don't worry my friends, i am your shield

[ sooo, the party got crashed. that sucks. you know what sucks more, though? getting skewered by a lance, or an arrow. at first he's at a loss—no guns, just a ring with spikes on it to fight with—but then it hits him. he has a job now. one that doesn't involve crunching numbers or even shooting things, necessarily: he's a Sentinel. he's got a new trick up his sleeve.

though the chaos has died down a little, some fighting still remains. maybe you're one of the ones still fighting? maybe you're just there looting? it doesn't matter, because now, suddenly, you are surrounded by a magic shield.

he throws up his arms in triumph. ]

Yes! Oh, my god, it works!

[ he always did want to be a wizard. ]


four | whatever the hell you want

[ what it says on the tin. i can be reached at clickboom! come at me, bro. ]

one

[dbag]

[ "A woman much bigger than him" — you mean... every woman? And every person? Just in general? Luckily, the only one in earshot is someone who knows Vaughn is just a tiny teddy bear. He grimaces, though, sucking in air through his teeth. ]

Okay, well, it didn't sound that sketchy until you said it wasn't sketchy. And then it sounded really sketchy.

[ That's kind of the rule of sketchiness. ]

Sooo... is it closed? [ Like the home of the ruler of the people is an amusement park. ] Come on, not even, like, an intercom?

[moneyman]

[ uhh, excuse me, there are... some people smaller than him. most of them are children but that totally still counts. ]

Yeah, yeah... [ he shakes his head. when will he learn. ] Prooobably just as well they didn't make me a negotiator.

[ he likes to talk, but even he knows that doesn't necessarily mean he's good at it. ]

It looks pretty closed. Unless you're like, really good at stealth. Which you're not. I mean, no offense.

[dbag]

Thanks. [ Thanks for believing in him, Vaughn. With you by his side, he can do anything. ]

I could send Dumpy in, but um, they might notice a screaming drone. [ Maybe. ] And besides, it's not like he can do much besides... I don't know, give the empress a scroll or something. That says 'Please meet with us, we're desperate.'

[ He shrugs. ] Let's call that Plan B.

three

[refashioned]

[If only sharp words that actually cause pain could help her here. She knows that she has every intention of using them in scenarios that call for it. Unfortunately, it's very apparent that this isn't one of them. That leads her to trying to avoid all of the destruction and the people rampaging through and the weapons and the—

Look, the list goes on.

She's just about to clamber in a different direction when the shield turns up around her. There's less fighting and more "you're getting stabbed because you're in the wrong place at the wrong time." If she had gotten hurt from that, it would suck. Majorly.]

I am so glad it worked. So glad. [The relief on her face makes it clear that this is a genuine sentiment.]

[moneyman]

[ yesss. he beams proudly. fortunately, he has just enough dignity to prevent him from striking a heroic pose. ]

Hey, me too! And not just 'cause it was my first time giving it a shot! Looks like that actually coulda been really bad. I think I'm gonna like this whole sentinel thing.

[ he got stabbed one time. it sucked. if he can prevent other people from getting stabbed, he'll consider it a job well done. ]

[refashioned]

The good news is I wasn't expecting any help. [The bad news is that she wasn't expecting any help. Her nose wrinkles at that realization. She doesn't vocalize it, however, as it would be a Debbie Downer of a point.

So, carrying on!]

You can do that for yourself, right? [A beat. Another beat.] I didn't get an instruction manual for my own ability. Sorry if that's a no brainer.

2b (not the robot)

[healstaffs]

[ #yikes

Lissa can't help but look over in alarm at that Very Ominous Sentence. Her own hands, wrapped around a pretty mirror, freeze a moment. ]

Are you reading some kind of death poetry or something?

[ Could be worse, could be a whole book of poems about something boring like draperies. Anyway. ]

I don't think it's that weird, but you better not be buying it for your girlfriend or something. It's not romantic at all!

[moneyman]

[ might as well just stamp "#yikes" on his forehead, honestly. ]

Huh? Oh, no, it's... haiku. Actually, most of these aren't so bad. It's mostly just nature and stuff. I just happened to land on the one about dead bugs.

[ he shrugs and closes the book. he doesn't put it back, though. he's legitimately considering buying it. for some reason. ]

—But yeah, no, definitely not romantic. I mean, maybe some of them are, but...

[ he makes a vague, noncommittal sound. it doesn't really matter now. ]

[healstaffs]

Dead bugs?

[ Her voice cracks slightly on the last word and she visibly leans away from Vaughn. Never mind that there isn't a single dead bug in sight, just the thought alone's enough to give her the heebie jeebies. ]

I definitely don't want to hear the one about dead bugs. [ Gross. ] Aren't there any happy haikus or whatever in that book?

[ Though she has been camping through nature before and she has to agree, most of nature sucks. ]

3

[polarising]

[ Having super cool mutant powers in a world that frowns on magic isn't exactly Lorna's idea of a great time. She can fight hand to hand if she has to, but she's no trained soldier. Regardless, she's still in the fighting, having stayed behind to make sure all the civilians could get away, and wanting to know everything she could about this sea clan attack.

She's a little wobbly on her feet, bleeding from a split lip when she finally straightens up after - breaking a wooden stool across the back of a sea clan warrior? It's fine, it doesn't matter. When the bubble goes around her she's alert for a moment, wary as a cornered animal.

Then his excitement happens and her aura of danger disappears as she wipes the blood from her mouth.

Greetings, fellow Hathaway member. ]

Nice trick.

[moneyman]

Thanks, I just—

[ oh. blood. the prideful grin on his face drops immediately, and he takes another few steps forward. ]

Wow, uh, are you okay? I mean, obviously you "won," but...

[ clearly he needs to work on his timing a little. ]

[polarising]

[ The expression on his face might be a worried one, but Lorna's still grinning, Reeling a little from the high of battle, even. So much so that it takes her a second to figure out what he's talking about. ]

Huh? Oh. [ She nods, pushing her hair out of her eyes. ] I'm all right. Guess I gotta learn how to fight with a sword or something though.

[ This was a little more than she was prepared for. ]

You?

2b

[ofobedience]

[It might surprise him to find that it's Giovanni of all people - you know, terrifying hound of war and all that jazz - pausing at his shoulder as he reads the poem aloud. Giovanni leans in a little, endeavouring to get a look at the page Vaughn is reading from.]

Do they have more than one copy?

[Apparently he doesn't find it strange that one might want it, at all.]

[moneyman]

Huh?

[ he looks up over his shoulder to find... that guy who helped him in Woodhurst! the one who can regenerate and stuff. he turns around and hands his book over. ]

Oh hey, man! Here, you can have this one. [ he'll just grab another one off the stack. ] How are you? You into poetry?

[ that seems like a weird question to ask someone like Giovanni, but... sometimes badasses have a soft side? whatever, he doesn't know. ]

[ofobedience]

[He takes it readily enough, no hint of self-consciousness in the act.]

I'm quite all right. It's been a little while, hasn't it? And I haven't read much of it, to be honest. My preference is plays, revenge tragedies, to be exact, but...

[And he shrugs, smiles a small, sharp smile.]

,,,one can always branch out.

[He's still getting the hang of doing this purely for personal enjoyment, after all.]

2a

[opensup]

[ rohan is nearby at the moment, examining the same kakutes. not for any desire to purchase, but to examine them with a fine eye and memorize the subtle details for any possible illustration work later on. a small thing like this would be interesting to include in a character work...

then vaughn makes his comment, which makes him glance over in curiosity, with a frown. ]

Punch someone? Really? Already resorting to violence here?

[ someone is a judgy person... constantly so... ]

[moneyman]

—What? No, I...

[ shit. now he looks like a tool. he throws up his hands in a vaguely-placating manner, pulling the ring off just to emphasize what he's about to say. ]

I mean, only in self-defense! Punching people in the face isn't my preferred method of communication, trust me. But like, if I really needed to...

[ he grins uneasily. so much for not looking suspicious. ]

[opensup]

[ rohan is silent for a moment, but then when that moment passes he returns vaughn's uneasy grin with a sly one of his own. ]

That's fair. Would you make it a hard punch out of revenge, or a softer one as a warning? Picking up that ring makes me think the former - you would want to make it hurt.

2a

[cachemoney]

[Fiona's out shopping too, though she's already got the important purchase out of the way; she sidles up next to Vaughn, dressed in an elaborately embroidered kimono and geta sandals (sorry, now she's even taller than him than she was before).]

Oh my god, nooo, I want one. [She rummages around in her purse -- which matches the kimono, naturally -- and huffs.] I spent all my money on this get-up.

[moneyman]

Oh!

[ he turns to get a good look at Fiona in her fancy new outfit. it earns her two enthusiastic thumbs up. ]

Very nice! You totally look like you're from this planet. [ pause. oh, shit. ] —I mean, because you are. From this planet. As am I. Obviously.

[ he coughs. good thing Fiona's the negotiator, here. ]

[cachemoney]

[Laughing at the double thumbs-up, Fiona does a little twirl, though she's giving him A Look when she finishes. Good thing she's the negotiator indeed.]

Yeah, we're a couple of locals. [Just glossing over the slip-up like a bro.

She leans in to peer at the spiked ring he was looking over.]

So, are you gonna get one?

i.

[eyedrop]

[ He's only ever met one other person who babbled this much about gamifying their life, but--fortunately--Vaughn doesn't seem anything like him. Even so, Aizawa shakes his head. ]

You're babbling.

[ Probably not impressing the guard, either. Aizawa lifts a hand at her, suggesting all is fine, all is well, and he'll just lead this other guy away, now. ]

Come on.

[moneyman]

Wh—

[ fortunately, despite being heavier than he looks, he is small and easy to drag around. it takes him a second to register that he's being dragged away by a stranger, but it's obviously a teammate.

hopefully. ]

...Oh. [ babbling. yeah, he does that a lot. ] Uh, sorry. It was worth a shot, though, right?

[ not really. ]

[eyedrop]

No.

[ Did literally anyone read the dossier? He's ambling towards the merchant district, which seems safe enough. ]

Though I doubt they would have understood that gibberish even if you weren't a man.