epidemiology | EVENT ▸ EMPIRE OF THE CRASHING WAVE

EVENT ▸ EMPIRE OF THE CRASHING WAVE

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[At some point in that, Keith had turned back around to try to figure out what the heck was happening. Given the villages just outside of the town, he couldn't go far, lest he accidentally trespass on someone else's land. Right now, land seems like a tricky thing. They probably wouldn't want to be guilty of that. They've already caused themselves enough trouble by getting here first.

But in returning, albeit briefly, Keith heard her talking to someone. And she sure wasn't talking to the magitek, because he knows the difference.

He only really returns when she shouts for him, though. Keith's sitting down against a tree, arms crossed.]

I'm over here! [he calls back. Because he's sulking, and she has to come to him. So there!]

[ yeah guess who wasn't thinking about the possibility of being overheard in any of that? this girl. and she wasn't quiet about it either. in point of fact, she slows down as keith comes into view, sighing her relief that he hasn't gone that far.

approaching, she crouches down beside him — not sitting, as she hasn't been invited, but resting her chin on her bent knees all the same with her feet still under her. ]

People keep running off on me lately. [ she says it with only a fraction of the self pity she feels. ] I'm sorry that I upset you.

Why do you think they're running off? You've been acting weirdly since we started this mission. [The good thing about Keith is that when he's irritated, he won't beat around the bush. Rey's supposed to be his best friend, and right now, he feels like he barely knows what's going on with her.]

And don't try to use that I didn't tell you something against me. I didn't like it the first time.

I was telling you the truth when I said that I don't know how to explain it.

[ she insists upon that first, looking altogether despondent and … scolded? yeah let's go with that. ]

I'm not trying to shut you out. [ but she realizes that she's doing a pretty good job of it all the same, so … ] A lot changed when I went home. More than just Luke.

[ she nods to the spot next to him. ]

Can I sit?

[Keith motions for her to sit. It doesn't matter if she crouches or sits—she's still there, and this is going to be a difficult conversation regardless. He doesn't think he's going to understand. He doesn't like the weird tumultuous turn their friendship has taken. He's not good at this stuff, and Rey is making it harder on him.

Does she realize that?]

Luke's here, you know. He came back again. ["Again," making it clear that they spoke long enough for Keith to learn about the previous time.]

You're not gonna make his future into a bad thing for him now, are you?

[ it's a good thing she's already in the process of sitting when he drops that because otherwise she might have been too slack-jawed and defensive to do it. coming up with an answer takes a long moment because she's … pretty hurt that he'd reach for that.

but then she reflects it inward, internalizes it, and decides it hurts her only because she's put keith in a position where he thinks the worst of her. after all, she's been behaving the worst lately. how's he supposed to know better? this is her fault. ]

Of course not.

[ she sets her own conflicted feelings about luke being here aside. about the fact that keith dropped that news on her like that, knowing what luke represents to her, aside. these aren't the point.

this is happening because she's held herself at a distance from him. and she values him enough to try to own that and bridge it instead of making it worse, so she's going to … skip over the hurt. ]

Nothing would make me happier than Luke going back and choosing to be better than he was. I would never set him up to expect darkness and regret. That's never helped anybody.

[ it's certainly not helping her lmao. ]

But no matter what, they aren't his mistakes yet. It wouldn't be fair. And even if they were his mistakes, I'm not interested in ... in punishing him for them. I just wish he would be willing to try to make it right.

Edited 2018-02-07 19:04 (UTC)

You've been so—[What's the word for it? Keith actually falls into silence as he struggles to find a way to adequately describe her behavior. Saying that she was acting like him wasn't right. Her behavior was far more mercurial than that. He was the pessimist. She was the optimist.

Emphasis on was.]

Look, you told me that because Luke failed, you'd go ahead and do what he couldn't do. But when we first met, when we started talking, you ... believed in people. You believed in me. It doesn't seem like you're doing a lot of that anymore. I just want to know why.

[It's not his way of saying "there's something wrong with you." Keith doesn't think that's it. He's just worried about whatever's driving her toward this reckless mindset, where she's acting this way.

He just doesn't really get that it can be interpreted as "there's something wrong with you," so whoops.]

[ that's pretty much the most savage thing he could have said, so there's that. which makes sense. i mean, keith isn't known for his delicacy. but it's a pretty crushing blow to rey for him to just come out with 'this thing i always admired about you isn't true anymore.'

but he wouldn't say it if he didn't think she needed to hear it. if he didn't think she cared enough to hear it. so rey draws glances away, lets the emotional reaction come, and swallows it.

it's hard not to be defensive and reactive. not to just erupt with all of it. but it's not just keith she needs to do right by here; she's trying to do right by ben, too. it's pretty evident now that ben isn't just protecting her by withholding information about what's going on between them, but rather that he doesn't want people to know more than they have to either.

it's not entirely hers to say. that's the hardest part. even if she had the language for it, she doesn't feel like she owns the narrative.

so she tries to focus on the part that she does own: her intentions. her experience with luke. maybe she just hadn't explained it well enough, in enough depth, the first time. she draws a deep breath before she starts. this is going to be a Story. ]

I went to Luke believing that he was the key to winning the war that's waging in our galaxy. I believed that he could help the Resistance defeat Kylo Ren and the First Order. Luke was a war hero, a legend, who brought his father back from the Dark Side. He's the last Jedi. Our only hope.

But he refused. [ that seems to be the crux of it, judging by the way she looks down and away. the disappointment is … immeasurable. she had invested so much into the myth of luke skywalker. dreamed so hard. he had been her proof that there was always light in the galaxy. ] Not only that, I found out he was the one responsible for what became of Ben in the first place.

[ ben hadn't been happy that she had told keith this the first time. again, she can't blame him. beyond this much, it's not her story to tell. he had confided it in her, that night on ahch-to. it's not her narrative. it never has been, so she doesn't expound on it further now. but … the rest, it is hers. ]

I tried to convince him to come back and make it right, that he could bring Ben back to the Light, as he had with his father. [ the belief is there, clear and bright and — god, she feels like a fool for that even now. ] He wouldn't.

I'm not the one who stopped believing in people, Keith. Luke stopped believing in himself. He stopped believing in the Resistance, and he wouldn't believe in me. He gave up on Ben, on all of us. [ she looks back at keith then. ] But I haven't. Luke won't help Ben return from the Dark, but I still can. I know there's Light in him. I've felt it.

You can't make someone do something that they don't want to do, especially if they're the one that made the mistake in the first place. What if he made it worse? [It's not that he's arguing with her about Luke Skywalker. He's not even projecting as much here, so much as actually empathizing with the other side of it. Rey has been so ... hurt by Luke that she's been losing sight of other perspectives and viewpoints. She used to be better at that. He believes he can help her again. Maybe. Hopefully.]

I think you were right to decide to try to save Ben when he wouldn't. I don't think it's a good idea to do it because he won't. You can't make a decision based on what someone else can't or won't do. I think—Loki would say you're tying them down and yourself down. You can't do that to yourself. It's hurting you.

[ she softens, as if she were expecting some impact that never came. honestly, what he says, it makes sense. she's just pushing herself into something that she couldn't succeed at pushing luke into. but it needs to be done. the resistance needs hope.

how does she just shrug that responsibility off?

more to the point, why doesn't responsibility feel like the right word? rey frowns a little, looking down at her hands. no, keith's right. or he's close enough to right to make her think. there's something in there that …

ah. she's been so conflicted, split down the middle, feeling like she has competing loyalties to her friends and to ben. like she needs to justify that what she's doing is just the mission she was sent on. tying to that, in a way, is feeding her own conflict about it. so — ]

I'm not just doing it because Luke wouldn't. [ admitting that makes her chest feel a little bit lighter. and she feels heartened that keith is obviously just trying to talk it through with her, help her, not judge her, like poe had. ] I asked Luke to teach me. These abilities that I have, I don't understand them. He refused. He told me that there should be no more Jedi.

I'm alone, Keith. [ when she meets his gaze again, the tears in her eyes are more pronounced. that's the part that scares her. that, and the awareness that keith might just hold this against her most of all. it's terribly selfish, and it puts a lot of expectations on ben. ] But I don't have to be.

I get it. [Keith recalls entering the Blade of Marmora base with his blade on hand. He knew he wasn't supposed to have his weapon. Even then, he still had it. He hadn't shut down being brought there partly because of the selfish need to know where he came from. Even Shiro's baffled and confused reaction to the source of his blade had been something that stung at the time, but he hadn't turned back.

In the end, Keith figured out a part of himself in the process, even if he didn't get the full picture.]

I almost sacrificed my entire mission to figure out who I was. I know what it's like to need that. [Of course, there's a difference: Keith had turned his back on those answers because being a Voltron paladin and fighting with the Blade had proved to be more important. He doesn't regret it. He just also knows he can't push Rey in that direction.

It's weird, to have made peace with something that she's still figuring out.]

I'd tell you that you're not alone, but it's not the same. I know that. [Keith does know that.] I just don't get why you're acting the way that you are. You're lashing out at people around you. Is it because you feel bad because he's the enemy? Or because you're afraid that you're going to become exactly the person you were in that future we both experienced?

[ things that aren't fair 1) that he's being so understanding when she'd thought this was Hard and Scary and Confusing all this time, 2) that he's being so blunt. she draws a sharp breath, feeling for a moment like there's an accusation there. like poe had said, you're on his side.

except that's not how keith is saying it at all. it's not about sides. it's about what she's willing to forgive, and he's not asking to judge, but to understand. in fact, seeing keith ask in this way, even with the keen accuracy he has, throws into total relief why she had felt so devastated by poe and so open now.

so she looks down at her hands, thinking it over. then she starts digging her fingers into the dirt of the forest floor, feeling it grind beneath her nails. it's life. it's light. it's … her lungs expand and she shuts her eyes. peace. ]

Both.

[ it comes to her when she closes her eyes, the memory of the person that she became. ]

I saw a vision of the future, of Ben and I fighting side-by-side. But … [ she shakes her head. ] I'm not sure which side we're on.

Finn tells me he's heading to the First Order's flagship, as am I. If I can help Ben return to the Light, we can save him. But if I'm not there in time, or if I can't turn Ben, and something happens to Finn, that future the insects showed us could mean I'm the one who turns.

[ she opens her eyes again and looks at him. getting it off of her chest has a calming effect on her. it's less scary, now that it's out in the open. ]

And … even if it works, and we save Finn, Ben hurt all of us terribly. I believe in the Light inside of him, but I don't think they'd ever be able to understand how I feel about him. That's what Poe was talking about, you know. It had nothing to do with the mission at all. He was talking about Ben.

[Right now, Keith's opinion of Poe is pretty low. But he also has mixed, confusing feelings about Ben. It doesn't have anything to do with his power, but instead the way he seemed to imply that he and Rey had no relationship at all. It's weird, but if she's trying to keep all of that a secret, then it makes sense.]

Rey, that future isn't going to happen. Not unless you push everyone away. That's what we both did, remember? [Both Rey and Keith thought they knew better than their friends and allies at the time. They thought they needed to go it alone.]

I don't really know Finn or Poe. [Bad impressions aside of the latter.] But if you're really good friends, you have to tell them the truth. Ben won't be able to do any good if everyone treats him like an enemy. And he wants to do good, right?

[Keith is assuming as much on that last part. Otherwise, why would Rey be trying?]

[ it makes sense. stupid keith. making sense. but, no, she appreciates it. it's unbelievable, what a difference it makes to be able to talk this out with someone who offers more than single-syllable sentences and advice about repressing everything.

when he asks that question — yikes, she thinks of urahara. you can't force a person to come back to the light. you can only give them a reason to want to. no. she wasn't trying to force him. she was just trying to give him that reason.

it becomes super apparent in the slow decay of her ease into confusion and conflict that, no, he has not expressed such a want. what does ben want? she thinks of the night of the festival. what do you want to be, she'd asked him, and he'd pushed her away. but then, later, after she had fought with poe, when she touched him—

she sighs. he's confusing. ]

I don't know what Ben wants. I don't know that Ben knows what Ben wants.

[ sometimes, it's like she can see the light in him as clear as day, close enough to touch. and then it's like he flinches away from it, and his fear makes him drive it away, and then he's just … kylo ren, again. even she knows these thoughts don't make any coherent kind of sense and sound vaguely schizophrenic, so she holds them back. ]

He's so moody. I've talked to Kisuke-san about it. [ this is almost like trying to give herself a pat on the back. she has talked to keith, and to urahara. maybe not to finn and poe because they're close to it, but she's trying to talk to people and not push them away because he's right. isolating herself is the path to the dark, too. ] He says all I can do is give him a reason to want to. And I'm trying. But it's like what you said, about our futures? Every time I get close, he pushes me away.

It sounds like you're spending all your time worrying about Ben and not talking to your other friends. That includes me. I get more than anyone about how terrifying failure is. But if you're trying to do nothing but figure him out, or what he wants, you're going to do exactly what you shouldn't be doing.

[It's hard for Keith to say "you hurt me," but she did at one point. That's part of why this conversation is even happening. If she had just talked to him sooner.

Then again, he's keeping a secret, too. Isn't it hypocritical to tell her one thing, and not the other?

Keith decides he has to get to that. But he's not giving her a reason to get off track. She already failed to acknowledge talking to Poe and Finn. He's not going to let her get by that again.]

Edited 2018-02-07 23:56 (UTC)

[ she deflates a little, there. she's … been pretty hyper-focused, hasn't she? it's hard to disagree, and suddenly, she feels a little ashamed.

it occurs to her in a pretty substantial way that this exact situation is what she has repeatedly tried to convince keith he's good at and qualified at and what he keeps rejecting as something forced and affected for him, some imposter syndrome about his own leadership skills.

but if she segues to that, she's pretty sure he'll just get up and walk away again. ]

You mean Finn and Poe. [ this is said sort of flatly, like she's been caught out. the earnest optimism and idealism just evaporates. this is the hard work and self-reflection hour. ] I'm talking to you now.

[ not said to shove it in his face, but rather to demonstrate that she understands that she's been fucking up in a big way there. weird how having two people turn around and walk away on her gets that message home. ]

I'm not sure Poe wants to talk to me. [ she knows this won't get her out of the dog house, and she knows it shouldn't, so— ] I'll think on how to approach it with Finn. Okay? This has ... helped. [ go figure ]

Edited (adds like a sentence) 2018-02-08 00:03 (UTC)

You weren't talking to me before today. Not really. [It feels important to point that out. Rey sounds as if she's out of touch with the reality of how she's been acting. Keith isn't the best at getting across how to change that. Shiro's mantra about patience and focus wouldn't really help. She's capable of managing those things, but she's been so caught up that she hasn't really thought about it.

Or that's what he thinks. Hopefully ... hopefully he's helped here. Like she says it has.]

Look, there's something I need to tell you, too. About me and Lance. I wanted to act like it never happened because he didn't remember, but I do. After you left, we were together for a while. We broke up because I wasn't really all that good at it.

[ she's getting whiplash here. ]

You— Lance — [ ? ? ???

actually that makes a lot of sense. so her confusion abates pretty much as soon as she has embraced the topic change. and like, it makes sense. keith and lance are both Attractive Boys and despite keith's gross emotional problems, rey is learning that just about everyone has those.

and, well, she'd probably have thought about it herself, at one point or another. so it's not like either of them isn't ~romantic material.~ it's just … weird to have been so out of it. ]

Why didn't you tell me before? After I came back from reassignment.

[ it sounds like there's a Lot Going On there. so it's not just lance returning that makes it relevant to her interests. ]

I didn't want to talk about it. [What else is he supposed to say? There were more important things to cover with her, and he had since decided that he'd prefer to act like it never happened. Only Loki, Peter and Stiles know, as far as he knows, and he knows they won't go and tell Lance. (In the case of Loki, Keith had talked to him to make sure.)]

There's one other thing. Lance can't know. There's a lot that he just wouldn't understand.

[Which is unfair to Lance. And ... exactly counter to all the advice Keith just gave ...

And he seems entirely unaware of it.]

[ luckily rey is super fucking aware of it. especially because, from her perspective, this is WAY MORE LANCE'S BUSINESS than her problems are finn's business. ]

That's not fair!

[ she sits up straighter suddenly. viewers at home will take this opportunity to remember that rey was lance's friend before she was keith's — even if she has since become much better friends with keith. ]

You don't get to decide what he'd understand. And even if he doesn't, he still deserves to — [ … oh. he deserves to feel whatever he's going to feel about it because it's still his business and he deserves to be informed and

yeah she's thinking about finn and poe and that part is making a lot more sense now too. it's weird how sometimes you just need to stumble upon things in your own self-righteous monologue. she deflates a little, humbled by the comparison, but still finishes insistently. ] Whether he's understand or not isn't the point. It affects him, and he deserves to know what's going on. You don't get to choose for him.

Edited (minor dialogue change) 2018-02-08 00:35 (UTC)

I guess you're right. [Not just "I guess." The reality is this: Rey is absolutely correct. His voice is soft when he admits as much, because Rey's direct approach to it isn't so different from his direct approach with her problems. It occurs to him that Loki had wanted him to figure this out for himself, but he wasn't budging.]

It seems like we both have stuff to tell our friends.

[Unfortunately, he just needs to figure out how first.]

[ watching him look like a kicked puppy about it, reluctantly but immediately backing off, rey sighs a little. she glances aside, then leans her shoulder over to nudge him and smiles. ]

I think this counts as a step in the right direction. We told each other.

[ that smile drops a little. ]

I hope you can forgive me for being afraid to do it sooner.

You don't have to be afraid. I'm Galra, remember? It might not be the same, but it's not that different.

[Trying to make that clear to her is difficult, but he chooses not to provide anymore information unless she asks. Keith thinks she does get it, though. At least ... by now.]

Yeah.

[ she sort of nods, accepting it. at the very least, based on everything she's seen of him, he understands being caught in the middle. and that's … a lot of it. ]

Keith ... You don't have to tell me if you don't want to, but ... What makes you think you were bad at being with Lance?

["He told me." They're the first words that come to mind, but Keith doesn't say them. That's not fair to Lance at all.]

I wasn't ready. [That's the answer he gave Lance at the time. The fact of the matter is that that's not all of it.] I thought just being his boyfriend would be enough. It wasn't.

[There's more to it, like he both knows there's more but isn't any good at saying it.]

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here's the plot of the last jedi i'm sorry

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