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futurologists) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
epidemiology2018-02-17 04:33 am
futurologists) wrote in epidemiology2018-02-17 04:33 am
Entry tags:
- ! plot,
- aloy (horizon zero dawn),
- bellamy blake (the 100),
- daenerys targaryen (asoiaf),
- fiona (borderlands),
- giovanni (dogs: bullets & carnage),
- hayame (jinba),
- jason grace (camp half-blood chronicles),
- jin kung (mortal kombat),
- keith (voltron),
- khada jhin (league of legends),
- laphicet (tales of berseria),
- lucina (fire emblem: awakening),
- rey (star wars),
- rhys (borderlands),
- scott summers (marvel comics),
- shouta aizawa (my hero academia),
- simon jarrett (soma),
- veronica lodge (riverdale),
- wylan van eck (grishaverse),
- yusuke urameshi (yu yu hakusho)
EVENT ▸ DIPLOMACY
DIPLOMACY  As the skirmishes between wandering Mountain and Sea Clan groups continue in the Flowerlands, by this point enough attackers have been interrogated by Guild Ophelia to paint a compelling picture of unorganized chaos. Each time a skirmish is interrupted, both sides blame the other for starting the impromptu fight, claiming no knowledge of or participation in an organized cabal; the conflicts are entirely coincidental, they say, just a situation where enemies clash in neutral territory. The Flowerlands are suffering, crops trampled and livestock traumatized, and more and more Mountain and Sea Clan people are terrified to leave their cities, lest they be set upon by warriors from the opposing clan. Under this type of political strain, Hanabira threatens to erupt into full-out civil war at any moment, with or without the sanction of the empresses. Two weeks after Ophelia's arrival in the Empire of the Crashing Wave, Doro sends word: Empress Nama and Empress Youmi have agreed to meet and discuss the term of an alliance. Doro's castle will serve as a meeting place, but the difficult part is bringing the empresses there safely. You foreigners have already proven yourselves to be capable and invested in seeing the conflict to a peaceful conclusion, so Doro contracts Ophelia to act as escorts and guards. This might just be the perfect opportunity to whisper proposed solutions to advisors or, if you're lucky, to the empresses themselves. ▸ THE RETINUE Ophelia has a few different options if they choose to take Doro's contract: escort Nama or escort Youmi and/or guard the Flowerlands castle.  It's a week's worth of travel to return to the Land of Celestial Mountains from the Empire of the Crashing Wave, so the sooner Ophelia starts out, the better. Skirmishes between clans still dot the forests and farms of the Flowerlands, and each time the retinue encounters one, they must decide if they have the time to interfere or if they must push on. After all, the longer there is no peace in Hanabira, the more dire the situation becomes. When the group finally reaches the Land of Celestial Mountains, they'll find that the entire city is locked down. Guards bar the gates, but upon seeing Doro's seal, they'll let the guild members inside and explain the situation: Mountain Clan rebels have stormed Heavenly Summit, cutting a large swath through the castle. Much of Nama's court and guards lay dead inside, with the rebels holding the remainder hostage -- including Empress Nama herself -- unless war is declared against the Sea Clan. The city guards are afraid to approach, worried that this will only anger the rebels further and cause Nama's death, and have directed all townsfolk to stay in their homes until the situation has been resolved. The guards caution Ophelia not to try any rescue efforts themselves, and instead ask them to either find a building to barricade themselves in or leave the city. Of course, it's not like they're keeping a close watch on everyone. Those who choose to slip into Heavenly Summit Castle will find guards surrounding it, trying to stop anyone from coming in as well as keeping arrows trained on all windows in case a rebel shows her face. Stealth is the name of the game, or at least enough brute strength to knock a guard out in one blow before she sounds the alarm. Inside the castle, rebels stalk the halls of every floor, masked in the green color of the Mountain Clan. Some are heavily armored and some only wear peasants' clothes, carrying farmers' sickles; it seems as though the attack on the castle was planned very quickly, too quickly to evenly distribute armor and weapons. There are corpses left where they were killed, with splashes of bright red blood beside them; there are hostages huddled in the corners of rooms, wide-eyed but silent at the sight of foreigners ostensibly here to save them; and, in the heavily-guarded throne room, Empress Nama herself. Fight through the rebel guards with Nama's help, or find a back door and snatch her up before the rebels notice. Either way, once Ophelia lays eyes on her, the magitek will project words in front of them that only they can see: » EMPRESS NAMANama doesn't ask questions, recognizing the foreigners of Ophelia as those who were meddling after the festival attack and trusting they're here to help her escape. Longbow in hand, she leads the group through secret passageways in the castle, insisting they rescue the nobility on the way out. From there, Nama suggests stealthily escaping the castle and quickly riding out of the city to the safety of Doro's castle, unsure who she can still trust in her own empire. With Empress Nama and her surviving courtiers added to the retinue, it's time to ride back to the Flowerlands -- and hope you aren't chased by rebels along the way.  It takes half a week to travel from the Empire of the Crashing Wave to Doro's castle in the Flowerlands. Youmi and two advisors ride in a carriage, with an entourage of royal guards on horseback in front and behind; those in Ophelia who choose to escort this group will either be on foot or must find a mount themselves. The journey is peaceful, allowing for time to make camp by forested hot springs and in farmhouses (in which case Ophelia might need to sleep outside, depending on the size) along the way. The Sea Clan guards are open to idle chatter with the foreigners, curiously discussing cultural differences and indulging in quick lessons in archery. Everything seems to be going smoothly until the entourage enters Flowerlands territory and is confronted by a winged spirit of the forest, angered by all the recent bloodshed in his home. There is no time to talk; the spirit does not wish to negotiate, only to stop the crew from moving any further into his territory by any means possible.  Once he is finally defeated, his spell on the forest animals is broken, and even the most aggressive of them scatter. His feathers are black, but up close, seem iridescent in the light, differentiating them from a common bird's. Youmi's guards suggest everyone take a feather to prove they felled a legendary beast. GUARD ▸ FLOWERLANDS CASTLE. Until the empresses and their escorts arrive, it's very uneventful at Doro's castle. It's a smart idea to keep an eye out in case someone hears about the summit and tries to interfere, but so far, things seem to be peaceful. Take the time to bolster defenses, relieve a guildmate of guard duty, or explore the castle. ▸ THE SUMMIT Youmi and her entourage reach Doro's castle first, her royal guards immediately making a sweep of the castle and the grounds to ensure there is no danger lying in wait. Once the castle is cleared, Doro and Youmi disappear into a guarded room to begin discussions. Youmi's advisors are left out of this initial meeting, making now the perfect time to start some discussions of your own. Days later, Nama's retinue arrives, and Doro and Youmi (and the rest of her entourage) meet her at the castle gates. The two empresses step cautiously forward to meet each other, bowing politely. Moments later, Doro steps forward to gather Nama into a hug, which she gladly returns, giggling like the young girl she is. She's had a rough time, which she quickly explains to Doro, and asks if she can first have a bath and a moment to breathe. Doro and Youmi are more than willing to give it to her after hearing her experience. Doro tells Ophelia they have their run of the castle until dinner tonight, when Doro, Youmi, and Nama will all be together in the same room with the team. Sounds like the perfect time to propose a plan, so you'd better finish up discussions about what to do! There's a bit of a time limit. ▸ OOC NOTES 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. ▸ Up now:
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Are we?
[Honestly, he's more than a little tired of it. Not that he particularly likes Dameron, but he's had a much longer period of time to come to terms with what had to be done here. He lacks the patience it will likely take for him to catch up.]
That does not bother me.
[It definitely bothers him, but he isn't going to let it get the better of him here, surrounded by witnesses.]
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Oh? Huh. Guess I'll stop trying to stay out of your way, then.
[he's calling him out. trying it. because he can't not. see above: who he is as a person.]
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[You want to play the call out game? He's has a lot of practice with a certain insufferable ginger, you're child's play Dameron.]
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That's what I've been doing the whole time. I ran into you, once. But you know what? You're right. I was going about it all wrong. I could stand to change. Be the bigger person. Maybe not literally, that's never gonna happen, but metaphorically.
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I'm listening.
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There's not much else to listen to. I was in the wrong. I was waiting for you to screw up, and that's a self-fulfilling prophecy or whatever, isn't it? I'm not saying we need to be best friends, but I could stand to be better.
So, I'm sorry.
[it's almost like he ... thought about some of the stuff rey said ... and applied it in a healthy way ... ]
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Sure, he could trip him and make it look like an accident when nobody is looking on a mission probably, but for now? Like this?
There's no other real option. He imagines Dameron knows that as well.]
Apology accepted.
[You didn't think he was going to say sorry too, did you?]
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and when kylo ren slips up and tries to murder him no one will be able to say "well poe dameron started it because he was kind of a dick." already learned that lesson. mark that one off his checklist.]Yeah? Good.
[he's gonna fuckin try it. he wants to be the star wars protag to lose a hand in this trilogy. he reaches over to clap kylo ren on the shoulder. rip.]
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But you bet your ass he is grabbing Poe's wrist the second it makes contact with his shoulder, fingertips finding the weakest bones they can--
Fortunately, he does not snap them or even squeeze them very hard. That's an automatic loss in the 'you laugh you lose' game they currently seem to be playing.]
Let's not get carried away.
[Slowly, he unfurls his fingers to give Poe his hand back.]
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My mistake.
[his face was fuckin worth it tho. seeing kylo ren shit a brick was worth coming terrifyingly close to getting a broken hand and/or wrist. it's the little things in life.]
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[There's only half of a warning in that demand, coupled with the very slight narrowing of his eyes. Nobody better understands the need to fall in line more than Kylo Ren -- if he didn't give Poe an inch, then they'd never get anything done. And his incentive is presently more important than the war between the Resistance and the First Order.
But now that the deed is done, he has to relocate his horse, which he suddenly realizes has wandered off somewhere.]
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[poe is like okay i guess we're just gonna go our separate ways ... the same way???? and is content to walk away and not talk to him again...
until he notices kylo walking less with purpose and more like he's
oh yeah the horse that hates him. that's been some great in-flight entertainment.]
Looking for something? [you know what. he's just gonna go for it.] I could help you, if you wanted...
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I didn't take you for a stablehand sort.
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[he says it so plainly, like, duh kylo ren. i am very qualified. did/does that ranch have horses??? no. but guess what: animals like him. a cat sat in his lap earlier. and he has practical knowledge. he clearly has this
or at least has it more than kylo does.]no subject
And then, there was also the fact that he wanted to see Poe fail just as hard as he did.]
There is only one of them that doesn't shy from me.
[Good luck finding it in the herd.]
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Do you have food?
[fact: animals like treats.]
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Just this.
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Okay, yeah, that's good. You're trying to get it to come to you, right? So, you gotta go up to it, give it a treat, and then walk away. Don't make it feel cornered. It'll go after you because it wants more treats. It's like ... you gotta reward good behavior.
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Sure enough, the herd turns his way when they hear the rustling of paper. A few of them turn and walk away once they pick up on Kylo Ren's aura. A majority of them stay where they are. But one larger mare eventually steps out to inspect the pair of them.
Ren extends his arm with a piece of jerky, which is snapped up almost instantly. He takes a moment to glance at Poe, as if expecting some sort of punch line to occur before he turns and walks away from the horse.]
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Give her another treat, and then be nice. [don't be an asshole poe. you be nice. that's the struggle here. he wants to make a pithy comment like ~i know how hard that must be for you~ but stops himself. that almost broken wrist is still pretty fresh in his mind.] Like ... pet her. Scratch her. That kind of thing.
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And then Poe will bare witness to just now foreign being nice is to him. The pats he gives the horse are awkward, spaced, and end up in like five different spots on her neck. But thankfully, she is more interested in his bag of rice than she is in being offended at how she's being pet.]
You make a better stablehand than a pilot.
[And before Poe can comment on his snark, he mounts the horse he's managed to coax over.]
No, I suppose that is not a fair statement. I've not had ample opportunity to test that theory myself.
[He'd blown up the hanger and Poe's X-wing before they could properly dogfight, after all.]
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anyway THEN kylo ren makes the stablehand comment. his expression reads as annoyed, at the very least. his next remark just piles on to it. blown up so many first order tie fighters and this it what he gets.]
There's still time for that.
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[He glances down from the back of his horse. It would be easier to make a starship explosion look like an accident. But he doesn’t doubt Poe is thinking sometthing sinilar. They’ve cooperated enough for one day.]
Let us hope the rest of this mission continues without incident. The sooner we wed the empresses, the sooner we can leave.
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walking next to a horse is not as cool as riding one, but that's fine. whatever. and now he's distracted again.]
So you think they should get married?
[1: this is a better conversation topic than how he's pretty sure kylo ren is just waiting for the perfect opportunity to push him down a flight of stairs
2: of course kylo ren supports the stupid idea ]
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[He isn't going to ask why Poe isn't bothering with a horse himself 1. because being even taller than Poe is great and 2. because he doesn't care all that much.]
This is a traditionalist nation. A political marriage will demonstrate mutual interest in one another's success.
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