EVENT ▸ EMPIRE OF THE CRASHING WAVE

[futurologists]

EMPIRE OF THE CRASHING WAVE The royalty of Guild Ophelia has managed to hold an audience with Empress Nama of the Celestial Mountains, urging her to meet with the Empress of the Crashing Wave in the interest of finding an accord between their clans. In return, Nama requests that Ophelia take two letters to the Crashing Wave's court, where, as foreigners, they should be received better than any of her own people. The Empire of the Crashing Wave is a week's travel by foot from the Land of Celestial Mountains, through the forests and farms of the Flowerlands. There is no visible indication that this universe was once two, with even the road leading through the Flowerlands heading seamlessly toward the sea. The farms and villages in the outskirts of the Empire of the Crashing Wave are decorated in seashells and motifs of the sea, and the closer one gets to the city, the stronger the scent of the ocean becomes. Once the city proper is reached, Ophelia's magitek projects words in front of their eyes that only they can see: Location reached: » EMPIRE OF THE CRASHING WAVE A progressive society that values innovation. Main sources of income: fishing, pearl diving, jewelry crafting, shipbuilding. Politically matriarchal; socially egalitarian. Empress YOUMI resides at the PEACEFUL TIDE. No events scheduled. You may wish to survey the surrounding area. The city is built right on the ocean's edge, with some parts of it even jutting out into the sea on bridges and piers. The castle, Peaceful Tide, is built high above the rest; guards will stop anyone at the gates and, if shown the correspondence from Empress Nama, will deliver the letters directly to Empress Youmi. Attempts to seek an audience with Youmi will be rebuffed for the time being, so you may as well take in the sights... ▸ A PROMISING DEVELOPMENT Unlike the Land of Celestial Mountains, men may move freely here, the matriarchal rules of the land only extending to politics. Men and women work alongside each other in all sections of the city, nobles and commoners alike, and even the guards have men among their ranks. In the Artisan District, potters, musicians, and artists line the streets and sell their wares, work, or discuss their craft with each other. Closer to the Beach, there is a boardwalk where young couples stroll alongside grandparents chasing after their grandchildren, electric lamps bathing the wooden planks in a warm glow at night. Fishermen haul in their daily catch in buckets and nets, trailed by a gaggle of hopeful cats. Beachcombers and pearl divers populate the beach as well, making it a clear place for work instead of play. A few days after Ophelia's arrival in sea clan territory, a bell rings loudly in the late afternoon, drawing citizens toward the castle. Guards stop anyone from getting too close, though the populace seems to know what to expect -- soon, a beautiful woman in an elaborate blue kimono appears in an upper balcony. When viewing the woman, Ophelia's magitek will tell them: » EMPRESS YOUMI Leader of the EMPIRE OF THE CRASHING WAVE. 30 years old. SPECIES: Human. MEDICAL CONCERNS: Lactose intolerant. The crowd cheers at Youmi's arrival, only quieting once she raises her hand. She speaks clearly and confidently, her voice carrying easily across the assembly. "I have received a letter from Her Imperial Majesty Nama of the Land of Celestial Mountains. She informs me that their spring festival was interrupted by an attack from our own people, working without my knowledge or consent," Youmi begins, holding her hand up again when a displeased rumble begins to ripple through the crowd. It's unclear if they're perturbed by the ambush or by Nama herself. Once all is silent again, she continues. "She has detained the criminals, for that is what they are, and assures me she will not bring this to the battlefield. I will send her an agreement to the terms, but hear this: any who escalate this further will be slain by my order. I have spoken. The spirits of the sea watch over us all." Youmi then retreats back into the castle. While some citizens cheer their empress's decree, others mutter unhappily amongst themselves as they disperse and go about their business. ▸ BUT TROUBLE CONTINUES The rest of the day following Youmi's decree goes by without incident, leaving time for Ophelia to stop by the sake breweries near the sea or travel back through the forests of the Flowerlands for hunting, hot springs, or simply enjoying the nature of Hanabira. With war averted and the empresses in communication, it seems as though Ophelia's time in this universe will draw to a close soon. As the sun sinks down, finding a place to sleep might be a good idea. There are hotels in the city, but for those who are trying to be a little more frugal, the Flowerlands is a good place to set up camp for free. Doro, the Lord of the Flowerlands, has heard of Ophelia's efforts in starting communication between the empresses as well, and offers rooms in his castle in thanks; if war were to start between the two, his land would suffer for it. During the night, those who accept Doro's invitation will hear a commotion very nearby, steel clashing against steel. Doro and his daughters rush out, weapons drawn, and straight into a skirmish between sea and mountain clan ronin. The warriors are fighting to kill, and in their fervor, someone's fire arrow alights a farmhouse on Doro's property. The farmers need to be rescued and the fire put out, and while the warriors will likely kill each other, they could also be subdued to prevent further damage. Please let the mods know with a link to the thread if your character is killing or capturing any of the ronin. After the skirmish, Doro must be brought back inside his castle, having been wounded during the battle. He pleads with Ophelia to continue to help, as it looks like a tentative truce by the empresses is not enough to calm the citizens. Since they were so successful in receiving an audience with Nama, he believes they can propose a way the two empires can live in harmony. Throughout the next two weeks, skirmishes between the clans are peppered throughout the Flowerlands, some leaving bodies behind and some leaving damage to farms and forest. It looks like Ophelia's peacekeeping mission just became a lot more hands-on: keep the skirmishes from getting out of control while still working toward a way to end the conflict once and for all. ▸ OOC NOTES This log will last for two IC weeks: the first three days will be free exploration, and day four is Youmi's proclamation and the skirmish in the Flowerlands. Your characters are free to explore for the next ten days, during which further skirmishes will occur. 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. ▸ Coming next log: Peace proposals! Get your brainstorming started now. ▸ Activity Check is due on 5 February 23:59 UTC. We do not accept late submissions, so make sure you fill it out! ▸ Uniform Design Contest is open! Submissions are due 28 February 23:59 UTC. Gamewide voting will be in March. ▸ Bounty Board ▸ Items Page ▸ Exploration Group Planning ▸ General Plotting ▸ February Calendar

Comments

[justbeingknife]

Not directly. He was the master at a bar... so it was his job to know the trade. Can't make your customers happy if ya don't know anything about your product, right?

[ At least, that was Majima's take on it. ]

[opensup]

Exactly. [ bravo tommy. ] Have you ever thought about the first storm you ever experienced? When I look at this painting, I ask myself "did ocean waves really tower as high as buildings, or is it for drama?" The person who painted this had a vision and applied fiction to reality. That's what art is - a dramatization of reality.

[evenslimmer]

[ Her thoughts— it's a bit like trying to find a radio station, static and jumbled bits of meaning. Not like she's blocking him; like she doesn't quite know how to put her thoughts out there.

Scott's given a lot of thought to how he'd handle dealing with telepaths of all stripes and strengths. And he's spent a lot of time with them, spent a lot of time trying to do this exact thing. Practicing for a moment like this. Practicing for this kind of singular focus, where the strategy takes place somewhere deep in the subconscious and he can just pull out a decision and put it forth.

If she can hear him, he'll trust that maybe she can figure out how to make him hear her properly. When she needs to. They can work as is. ]

Trust me. Don't be bait. Just don't let them get too close or get away.

[ Scott steps back against the wall, making room for her to get ahead of him. He puts a finger to his lips, and then gives her a thumbs up. Agreed? ]

[soldiersminute]

[Tommy sighs a little, mumbling a course not to himself.]

Even if they knew, not likely they'd breathe a word of it to anyone who didn't already know themselves.

[tolight]

It's hardly anything. [ Because it isn't — her words, as genuine as they may be, are nothing more than that: words. There is little they can do here, for the time being, while the issues and affairs of other worlds have become their priority.

There's a small silence, and then — ] ... Thank you for telling me, all the same.

[reposing]

I felt that, maybe, you would understand.

[To what degree, he doesn't say.]

For now, perhaps we should rest and plan our next move.

[tolight]

Perhaps we're not so different, despite the worlds we hail from. [ And that kind of camaraderie is nice, she realizes.

With that however, she straightens her back. ] I suppose there's no better time to ... investigate the area.

Shall we?

[notthatjason]

[Jason's reasons for coming were multifaceted, but he would be honest about all of them. Jason wasn't exactly known for his skill at lying. What most of them boiled down to was curiosity and a desire to help others.]

A team? I guess camping could help with that...usually we didn't have much of a choice in the matter. Or was the team-building exercise more a requirement than anything?

[So it seemed Scott wasn't the only one with abilities from where he was from. Jason started to wonder if perhaps they had more in common than just powers then.]

I mean, I had a friend who was usually the one in charge of the camp fire because he could set himself on fire...so I think I understand.

[wyvil]

Maybe quiet's the wrong word. [Wylan is aware that they're likely not out of the woods when it comes to danger. The tensions between the clans only seem to be rising, and he wouldn't be surprised if there was another attack. He shrugs awkwardly.] I meant that here there's less noise than back in Ketterdam... [Which Wylan only realizes is another way to say quiet after the words are said and there's no taking them back. He frowns slightly, frustrated with his own inability to find the right word.] Sorry. I'm not explaining the difference well...

[reposing]

[A clean cloth is pressed against a clear bottle, the smell of alcohol distinct in the air -- none of which anyone should or want to drink.]

My mother was. I learned much from her and my father both.

I would not declare myself a doctor, though.

[The alcohol is dabbed along the open gashes that he can see. Though he comes from another time, his methods are ahead of it significantly.]

[reposing]

I would be honored to join you.

[tolight]

[ 30 years — it's hard to imagine what an entire galaxy would look like at the hands of anarchy. Lucina's only dealt in countries, continents at most; an entire galaxy at the risk of collapsing in itself is ... hard to imagine, at best. Overwhelming, at worst.

But she still nods, nonetheless — her world would have been doomed the moment she was taken out of the equation ( it was doomed, but that had been a conscious decision ), but the sentiment is still there. The need to fight for one's home, the wish to protect it; the good, the bad, everything else in between. ] I understand. [ ( She doesn't. ) ]

... Thank you for confiding in me.

[mitthrawnaruto]

And you will stand as a barrier against this. [His tone isn't sharp or questioning, there's no sign of skepticism in his expression— though that isn't saying much when he's hardly shifted his browline by anything more than a centimeter or two throughout the entirety of their conversation thus far.]

For what purpose?

[sololoquy]

[He has absolutely no idea what to do with Lucina as a person. Her thanks has him glancing down at her again, with that same puzzled sort of expression. He knows it is because she doesn’t have all the information about the war itself, or the First Order, but —

Well, there is something nice about having someone who gives a shit about his problems. Even just a shadow of them.

And yet...thanking him for telling her something he would have told anyone else has him short-circuiting a bit.]

If I kept it a secret, I might never speak.

[That would probably make a lot of people very happy tbh.]

[healstaffs]

[ She hums as she thinks, her brow furrowing as she tries to make a distinction she's never really had to think about before. ]

I guess it comes from the staff? But not anyone can just use a staff, you have to learn!

[ Though it's never been too hard to learn, in her opinion. She's about to say more when a glint catches her eye and she halts. ]

Wait, what about those?

[ Those look closer to what Sieglinde had been talking about earlier! ]

[refashioned]

As far as we can tell, it seems like they're just angry about what's happened to them. It isn't revenge so much as ... some twisted sense of honor. They want to feel like something is being done.

[But she may be wrong.]

[refashioned]

The type who shouldn't be rescuing your stomach from terrible sake. Frankly, I don't know why I'm supposed to try these all myself.

[That's a pointed remark.]

[tolight]

[ Was it a joke? It certainly sounds like a joke. Whether or not it is, she finds it hard to keep a straight face. Quiet laughter bubbles up her throat, nearly spilling past her lips. Something about the image of Kylo Ren never speaking again is extremely hilarious, okay. ]

I suppose it's good that you don't, then. [ She didn't laugh, but her voice is lighter than before. ] Still, not everyone wishes to speak of the worlds they hail from.

[secondnature]

Just—be his friend. I think—I think that's what I'd prefer, anyway. Maybe it's what he'd prefer, too. [Wait. Keith realizes how that sounds. He shakes his head after a moment, awkwardly turning his small dagger in his hand.]

I—I mean, don't stop being my friend. But I think it's gonna be a bit of a shock for him.

[sololoquy]

[He picks up on her mirth easily. He hadn’t been joking, but he also has the social skills of a dying womprat.]

Why do you think that is?

[He half-turns to reengage in the conversation. He couldn’t imagine not speaking of his galaxy — there was so much happening, so much that was different from everywhere he had been with ALASTAIR. Even two years later, he still catches himself pining for something more familiar.

That feeling is less common, now that Rey, Finn, and Poe have joined them again.]

[secondnature]

[The nuance behind how she delivered it had been lost on Keith until Rey had said it outright. His eyebrows raise and lower, but he doesn't disapprove. He remembers doing something like this before.]

I agree. Though I wish we could get her to keep more of them from fighting.

[secondnature]

We'll see when we get them to the castle. [The idea of Hayame killing them after they've finished their interrogation is deeply uncomfortable for him. He understands going out in a blaze of glory, of making the greater sacrifice. He'd do that.

This ... what she's offering isn't a sacrifice on any level.]

[tolight]

[ lbr it wasn't that funny.

The question gives her pause. She's not part of the reticent by any means, yet she's familiar with plenty that are. Hearing their stories felt like an accomplishment in itself, in some ways. It had taken time, certainly, but —

She speaks after a beat of silence. ] The story is their's to tell — but if I were to hazard a guess...

In many cases, it will be some time before they are at peace with ... events in their lives. [ Not to say that she is, or he is. But that's another matter entirely. ] I suppose it's strange, to share something with a near-stranger. [ Teammate or otherwise. ]

Re: ilu jaybo...sorry this is lame

[tolight]

[ The stand-off doesn't last for long. Even between two warriors, Lucina notes the hesitation in the ronin's actions, the split-second pause. It's all the opening she needs to deliver a similar enough blow using the flat side of her blade.

The third body falls without ceremony, and Lucina straightens. Looks around the trees while her shoulders heave from the exertion. ] That should be all.

[ Presuming he doesn't answer immediately — ] ... Connor?

[sololoquy]

Interesting. I was never afforded such luxury.

[He gives that some thought privately before elaborating.]

You spoke with some familiarity to my situation. Would you care to elaborate yourself?

[It was only fair.]