❪ event ❫ khalo? can you hear me?

[natha]

In normal circumstances, this would have been near the time in which you're called upon to greet the newly awakened. Unfortunately, I speak to you to inform that we must postpone that — there is trouble on your horizon. What, I cannot see for sure. We shall continue to monitor the situation, however — we - ... we — [feed cuts off.] OLYMPIAN PRESERVATION     The city of Olympia is preparing the send-off of its most prized artifact: the heart of the ancient dragon, Ysverai. In doing this, they've transformed the palace court into an exhibition detailing the centuries-old war between Wyver and Olympia. Sculptures of Nithor the Exalted and his men and women in clean, white marble, while their armors are polished in perfect gold. Among Nithor are the sculptures of stallions in all shapes and sizes that also aided in the great war. Further in the exhibition, one may also find other artifacts of much older weaponry, rusted by its time in the earth, and items found from a time when humans feared the dragons. The Royal Guard has increased its numbers in wake of such a public event, particularly because the heart will be in display also. The heart is not what one might expect it to be: about the size of an average human, the heart's core is surrounded in stone, a red glow emitting from its still beating core. If that were not unsettling enough, one might also find that lingering around this particular exhibit will have undue affects on one's inhibitions. You'll notice your heart has fallen into sync with the organ, and your more selfish desires will come forth. Things that have long been buried will rise up and place you in a state of unease, encouraging paranoia about your companions intentions. Allow it to fester, and one will carry this feeling with them long after you've left the scene. It's probably a good thing this is leaving Olympia — perhaps it's a source of so much conflict you've endured. It's easy to become mesmerized by all the historical artifacts that are present in Olympia's exhibition. Some even seem mystical or, like Ysverai’s heart, to hold unspeakable powers. Others are just a little eerie. Either way, Olympia prides itself in its generosity and their grand displays, and so refugees are urged to learn more about their artifacts by spending the night in Palace Court. Though, someone should probably mention that there are rumors of strange, almost occult things happening around these relics at night. People speak of armored soldiers casting shadows that have the ability to walk on their own, or gemstones that catch the moonlight in a certain way and show you visions. But those are just silly ghost stories, right? TALL TALES OF KHALO VILLAGE     Because of Khalo's proximity to Wyver, it's no surprise that they would catch wind of the peace talks between Wyver and Olympia. In response, for the first time in centuries, Khalo Village has willingly granted passage to outsiders — but visitors will immediately find out that one cannot just simply walk into the village. Visitors will need to inhale the smoke of a fyrra herb in order to enter the premises without falling into slumber. Khalo is notably different than what refugees are used to. Visitors, specifically refugees, will find that they are exceedingly accommodating. The Khali are very intrigued by the outsiders, thus they're treated with much respect and given instant access to some of the best lounges and fyrra the village has to offer. In exchange, the village is interested in hearing about your journey thus far. Whether it be through a conversation with another individual or the Khali themselves, they'll very likely to have been eavesdropping and recording the tales of their exploits. Why, exactly? Perhaps it will not be immediately clear, but if you happened upon a venasou, a tamed Khali creature, it may have guided you to their Enchanted Library. Upon entering the library, visitors will notice that it is quite the happening place — but not because it's occupied by the Khali, but because there seems to be an assembly of magical quills seemingly writing on their own. The quills are mostly undisturbed by the intrusion and will not stop writing even if parchment is taken from it; it will simply produce another piece of paper and continue its tales. If you happen to read the parchment, you may notice that there is a daunting similarity between your story and the ones being written here. Tales of Thesa birthing new races and sending them from the sky, for example, are very popular in Khalo Village. They mark July 15th as the day in which the Moon Goddess, Thesa, created more people in her image and brought them to El Nysa as saviors. The coincidences don't end there: specifics about your home world might be found in the writings if you search deeply enough — but it's not without its exaggerations. These stories are given all sorts of poetic and literary forms, from short stories to limericks, biographies to something similar to haiku. If asked, the Khali will inform visitors that the enchanted library has access to vague parts of your memories, and thus it is duty-bound to record. The Khali have not seen stories as strange as the ones being made by refugees, which is largely why they are interested in them. NOTE: This is entirely optional! You may make up your own "stories" (fanfiction) and it could be as accurate or inaccurate, or as serious or silly as you'd like. While tales of the Thesa's descendants are still being written, visitors of the Enchanted Library might find intrigue in the more complete works — KING AND KIN. If one is willing to delve deep, they may also find parts of Wyver's past that have been removed from their own archives. These pages will recount the tales of Shanrian and Rasyc. Though a lot of the narrative seems to divide at certain points in the story, it becomes obvious with some quick reading that Rasyc is not only the son of Shanrian, but that he glorifies the Wyver of old, more bloodthirsty and brutal than it is today. Unlike his father, he does not take kindly to Olympia and the threat they will always pose for their people. He has not forgotten Olympia's past sins and he believes that, in his foolish quest for peace, the king has gone soft and no longer possesses the real will to fight. His present voice in affairs of state is not a loud one, as he chooses to speak in whispers and move in the dead of silence. In these quiet murmurings, he boasts of his unwavering belief in the power and dignity of his people. Of how they should all return to what they once were — the kingdom, its citizens, and naturally the father who he had once admired greatly. Though perhaps it can be argued that any estranged son would wish the same. It's difficult to pinpoint what becomes political and what is and always will be more personal for him. But, it hardly matters. It's clear that Rasyc will stop at nothing to achieve his objectives, even if it means never returning to place he calls home. Even if it means turning his back on his own father, Shanrian, King of Wyver... DRAGONFIRE. While tales of the Thesa's descendants are still being written, visitors to the Enchanted Library might find intrigue in the more complete works. In particular, tales of Ysverai, the last of Wyver's great high dragons. Ysverai is most commonly known for being slain by Olympia’s past king and legendary hero, Nithor, but here in Khalo he is depicted in another light. Ysverai is known to the Khali people as a wise being, old as the first inhabitants that walked El Nysa. The creature spoke in the common tongue to the early settlers, guiding them to refuge when his kin began to dominate the land at the cost of its own isolation. It ultimately becomes a tale of sacrifice, for its stand with Nithor became a testament against the Olympian Empire's long reaching influence. At the bottom, there is a quotation: Your hearts will fill with greed and malice the moment my own stops beating. Take care in the Eye of the Storm. Find strength in one another, before it is too late. It seems to end there. Refugees are naturally allowed to question the natives. However, keep in mind that many of their replies will seem more like speculation than fact. But maybe that can be fun too? If you have no interest in the library and the tales they've woven, feel free to explore any of the other areas of interest. Khalo Village is thrilled to be open for you all. THOSE THAT SEEK PEACE, AND THOSE THAT SEEK --     The morning of the 20th is marked by fairly dismal weather. The sky is overcast and a downpour seems imminent. Regardless of the poor forecast, those who signed up to assist in this mission will be required to come early in order to receive their briefing. Members of Group A: ▸ Jon Snow (song_of_ice) ▸ Daenerys Targaryen (dorzalta) ▸ Loras Tyrell (triplerose) ▸ Terra (earthy) ▸ Alisaie Leveilleur (adelphoi) ▸ Solider: 76 (personalwar) ▸ Ardyn Izunia (daemonized) ▸ Mai(maipokerface) ▸ Olivier Armstrong (wallsofbriggs) ▸ Atsushi Nakajima (gekkajuu) Members of Group B: ▸ Kale (kaleorbekaled) ▸ Diana Prince (wondie) ▸ Pheonix Wright (objectionattourney) ▸ Revolver Ocelot (shashka) ▸ Frederick (pebblestone) ▸ John Sheppard (impavid ▸ Ianto Jones (torchwoodteaboy) ▸ Lena Oxton (quevarly) ▸ Allura (quintessent) Due to the rain, members of Group A will have to immediately stop by the checkpoint at the East Watchtower. Additionally, the Royal Guard and Knightryders are well-prepared with extra cloaks for those who may require it. They also will provide basic refreshments such as water and bread. People are encouraged to take what they need prior to their departure on this mission. The checkpoints are a bit far between, after all. Members of the envoy will also be encouraged to utilize this time to become familiar with one another. Maybe some introductions are in order? You never know who will end up having your back... For both groups, the paths will be relatively straightforward with evenly spaced checkpoints along the way. The only issue seems to be the downpour, really. The rain is unforgiving and the roads easily become unstable and increasingly difficult for the carriage to be drawn through. Hence, there may be more than one occasion where you will be expected to lend a hand in prying out its wheels from a particularly pesky (and muddy) pothole. Or perhaps you will be called upon by a fellow guard to assist in getting a particularly stubborn creature out of the path ahead of you. Seems like it may be a longer journey than you expected. Dirtier, too. While weathering the conditions may have been a bit tiring, this journey isn't too bad, right? Well, maybe not. GROUP A. Once the carriage gets through the worst of the terrain and finally manages to depart from the watchtower, it won't be long until the group is met with a physical roadblock. A large tree trunk will be set down the center of the road, acting as a blockade. But, before the group can react or begin crafting a plan around this obstruction, the carriage will be attacked without warning. At first, it's unclear where the attack comes from or from whom, but you don't have the leisure to deliberate this. You hear one of your fellow guards mention something about bandits frequenting these parts, but maybe there's more to it? Either way, your task is clear: protect the artifact, Nithor's skull, and fight the bandits off. You'll be encouraged to try and capture them so that they may later be turned and questioned by the authorities. GROUP B. With clear motives to restock and collect a few more materials for the carriage, it's evident that the envoy will appear restless to arrive at the second checkpoint. However, despite their unspoken delight at seeing the South Outpost from a distance, it's clear something has gone awry. There will be several hooded figures awaiting them right where the mud path meets the cobblestone of the Outpost's road. Soon, several more of these figures will come to flank them from both sides. While they seem like bandits, at least from their physical appearance, there is something far more polished in their movements. They will be attacking the envoy in concise, practiced formations. For those who are more perceptive, it becomes obvious that they are moving around and acting as decoy to one central figure. This member is likely the "leader" of their group, but no matter how one may try to close the distance between themselves and this mysterious leader, someone will constantly get in the way of that. The fighting also seems to act as a distraction since by the time everything is cleared up... only two things are missing. The leader of this group of bandits and more importantly — Ysverai's heart. NOTE: Those RNG'd to thread out the capture and questioning of the bandits will have starters below. For everyone else that signed up, you will still have the opportunity to capture the assailants even though they were not selected to thread the interrogation; you are free to make up your NPCs with the same basic guideline: they will not reveal their motive or their organization. You may turn them in to authorities (Wyver or Olympia or otherwise) or find creative ways to get rid of them. FINAL OOC NOTE     To reiterate: you may use this log as a general mingle for everything from the May Outline, including all Khalo Village activities. In other words, your top-levels don't necessarily have to be related to the prompts written here. An AC-eligible thread in which your character participates in anything mentioned in the May Outline and/or Khalo Village location page may be submitted for 2 REP POINT FOR EITHER OLYMPIA OR WYVER. SUBMIT THE THREAD FOR OLYMPIA OR WYVER HERE OR HERE RESPECTIVELY BY June 10th 11:59 PM EST. For those who participated in this month's plot-related portion, to receive IC recognition for it, a summary of the thread must be submitted HERE by June 8th 11:59 PM EST. Please direct all queries to the question thread below. Thank you, and have fun! QUICK NAV premise ● faq ● lore ● map ● npcs ● bestiary taken ● atp/emp ● application ● rep/acp ● quest bulletin calendar ● hiatus/drops ● modbox [ FULL NAVIGATION ] elnysa nysalogs nysaisles nysaooc elnyan

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soldier: 76 | overwatch | ota

[personalwar]

I. KHALO VILLAGE

a. library
[ 76 does what he can to avoid the questioning of the Khali people, not particularly interested in telling them his life story or even about the time he's spent here on El Nysa. He can understand why they're curious, if they've been isolated for so long, but that had also been their choice. He wants to see what this village has to offer, though, and so after dodging enough of the inquisitive Khali, he makes it to the library.

He's expecting to find more of the Khali here, hard at work or organizing their impressive collection, but instead he's met by quills that seem to be writing on their own. 76 stalks up to one, snatching the paper away to give it a read.

The neat writing speaks of offerings sent down by Thesa, about people created in the image of the goddess that so much of El Nysa's worships. 76 frowns to himself, before crumpling up the paper and tossing it aside. The quill seems undeterred by this; it just manifests a new piece of paper to continue writing.

When he hears someone coming up behind him, 76 turns around and heaves out a weary breath. ]

There's a lot to go through here. I could use the help.

[ This is a treasure trove of possible new information, about this planet and its history. It's not something he can just ignore. ]

b. taming fields
[ Since arriving in Khalo, 76 has seen signs that there's wildlife here that he hasn't seen anywhere else in El Nysa. He doesn't know if the translucent, jellyfish like things that are floating around are some sort of sacred beast, but they seem peaceful enough. When his exploring takes him to the outskirts of the village where there's a large open area, that's when he finds the Mossleys and Eighrei.

He approaches with care, not sure what might set them off or make them aggressive. Despite 76's intimidating nature, he knows how to handle animals, and so it isn't long before he's gotten close to a Mossley, who is friendly enough to nudge up against him, sniffing in interest. He doesn't try to detach any of its flowers, not sure whether or not that would hurt it.

He sees that some of the Khali are riding the Eighrei, but when he makes an attempt to mount one, it snorts at him and aims to kick at his chest. 76 is able to jump back quickly enough to avoid any damage, but he knows better than to make another attempt.

He sighs and rubs at the back of his neck. ]

Maybe they don't like humans.

II. TRANSPORTING THE SKULL (GROUP A)

a. pre-departure
[ While everyone had been hoping for clear weather for the journey, the Knightryders came prepared, so that's something. As one of the refugees who's also a member of the Ryders, 76 is tasked with bridging the gap, as a pile of cloaks is dumped into his arms and he's told to distribute them.

That's fine by him. He doesn't know a good number of the other refugees who've been picked for this job personally, and it's a good chance to at least exchange names before they get moving. He's not the most social person (hence not knowing a lot of them), but it's good to learn who'll be watching your back when you're undertaking a mission like this.

Because you'd better believe he's expecting some sort of trouble on this trip.

So whether or not he knows one of the refugees, he walks up to them and shoves a cloak their way. He's already wearing one himself, the hood pulled up to shield him at least a little from the rain. Which might look kind of odd, given that he's wearing his visor still. ]

Here. It's better than nothing.

b. pesky potholes
[ Now that they've been traveling for a while, 76 almost wishes that the task of transporting the skull to Olympia could have been limited to just a few people. While he understands the need for extra security and protection, it also means that they're moving a lot slower over the muddy roads, and the carriage gets that much more difficult to maneuver. If it had just been a handful of people on horseback, they could have been a lot more subtle, taking backroads to avoid detection.

There's no point in dwelling on it now, though. The situation is that the carriage's back wheels have gotten stuck in a pothole, and no matter how the horses pull, it isn't coming free. They're going to need to lift it out, and 76 knows all too well when he's the right person for a job. ]

I've got it.

[ He pushes past to walk up to the back end of the carriage, then crouches down in the mud to take hold. It looks like he's intending to lift it free all on his own. ]

III. WILDCARD

[ Anything else you'd like to do? Go for it! You can PM me or hit me up at demonology for plotting. ]

a.

[beatupgrass]

[Honestly, the library is the last place Rocket wanted to be- he's hyper intelligent and doesn't mind reading and researching, but this is so... archaic. That being said, he did come for the same reason that 76 did (more information means safety), but he was sort of hoping these drugged out little bastards were somehow hiding the secret technology all along.]

You mean to tell me that we're gonna have to go through all this crap on our own the slow way?

[personalwar]

[ Rocket's indignant response earns a brief chuckle out of 76. He's actually capable of laughing, who knew? But also, there's not much reason to remain stiff around someone like Rocket, given some of the crap that they've been through together.

Good thing that both of them know better than to talk too much about their experience in those icy caves. ]

Hoping for an easily searchable database? [ Yeah, him too. Not that he'd really been expecting to get that lucky. ] The more pairs of eyes we've got, the better.

[beatupgrass]

Evras and Cree have got some tech that don't jive with the aesthetic of this place. I was hopin' maybe things were different here, but it turns out it's just even more magic.

[He tries to grab at one of the quills, but it flits out of his reach and continues writing. Dissatisfied, he turns back to 76.]

What're you hopin' to find anyway?

[personalwar]

[ Rocket's point is well taken, but 76 isn't shocked to see that a village that's remained in isolation for so many years is rooted in the more traditional aspects of this planet. Both of them will just have to accept that 'magic' is a part of that.

He's curious to know how the quills work. Do the Khali control them, or do they just enchant them with some spell and leave them to do their thing? Not that he expects Rocket to know. ]

Any more information about Wyver or Olympia's past might be worth knowing. Maybe something on Thesa, like some solid numbers as far as how long the station has been here.

I-a

[summertimeblues]

[The man that had stooped to gather the crumpled paper looks up from his reading, one brow rising.]

Are you going to make paper wads out of all of them? There are easier ways to litter, pal.

[Less wasteful ones too.]

[personalwar]

[ Now that 76 can see that there's little point in stopping the quills from writing things down, there's no point in trying to stop them. He shrugs. ]

You can go look for a trash can, if you want.

[ Somehow he doubts there are any around here. ]

Or you can be useful.

[summertimeblues]

Useful how? [Richie makes small work of smoothing out the rumples in the paper. He does remember this man. Humorless and trigger happy, but not someone to be written off altogether. He'd had a good head about him, gun-blazing aside. So long as he doesn't start blasting the quills Richie's willing to give him a stamp of relative sanity and hop on board. Provided the idea's good, of course.]

What's the plan, my man?

[personalwar]

[ It's true that 76 doesn't seem like the bookish type, with the combat gear that he wears on his person even in this quiet, tucked-away place of learning. Don't judge a book by its cover, apparently, because he's ready to devote a good chunk of time to reading through the offerings here. ]

We comb through, read as much as we can, keep a look out for anything relevant to us. You find anything worth knowing, you share it, and I'll do the same.

[ It's not that complicated. 76 approaches the nearest towering bookshelf and begins to scan the spines for anything that jumps out at him. ]

What was your name again?

[ Their interaction had been brief, but 76 remembers this guy too. ]

i-b.

[arcane]

[ it makes sense that people would be curious to these new creatures. they're unique, even against a lot of arjuna's own personal experiences. hence, he also discovers himself a little curious. though, unlike most, he remains at a careful distance, mostly observing how others interact with them than any direct contact himself. so far, it's been giving him a lot of working tidbits of knowledge. and... well.

he sees this may have been a fairly good call on his end as he watches this particular individual attempt to mount the eighrei. at the comment, he gives a small hint of sympathy as he gives a brief shake of his head. ] I'm not certain if that's the case.

[ as if to prove the theory, he comes in closer... the creature doesn't seem to enthused about it, either. its leg obviously tensing. ]

As you can see for yourself. [ he isn't human, after all. ]

[personalwar]

[ 76 glances over his shoulder when a voice cuts in. He gives the stranger a quick once-over, then watches as he approaches the Eighrei. Given that the creature is already on-edge, it isn't that surprising that it reacts that way that it does. More interesting is the implication made by the stranger that he's not human.

Maybe that's opening enough for 76 to ask what he is, but he sits on it for now, eyeing the Eighrei for a few more seconds. ]

Maybe just nervous around anyone it's not familiar with, then.

[ He takes a few steps back, not wanting to throw any of the other animals into a frenzy. ] It's fine. I already have a horse back in Wyver. [ He'd just been curious to see how domesticated the wildlife here might be. ]

[arcane]

[ the concept of throwing them into a state of disarray doesn't seem to bother arjuna too much. but he does keep a careful eye on them. the eighrei moves, placing a little more distance between them. it isn't that arjuna disliked intelligent, albeit slightly moody creatures like these, but sometimes he didn't appreciate the way that they seemed like they could look into you, despite not being able to communicate it. maybe the latter is their only saving grace.

regardless— ] Yes. They don't seem too keen to people they aren't used to. The opposite of their keepers. [ the khali people seemed nothing short of intrigued by them, after all. enthusiastic even. ] ... a horse? If I didn't know better... [ it sounds like the man was comforting himself? or so arjuna words seem to imply, a brief touch of amusement on his features. ]

Do you enjoy riding in general?

[personalwar]

[ It had been pretty unexpected, the way that the Khali flocked to all of them with such interest. If they'd been so curious about them, 76 has to wonder why they hadn't opened their proverbial doors before now. Granted, with the way that Olympia and Wyver seem to be at each other's throats half the time, maybe the Khali had figured the easiest way to stay out of it was by hiding themselves.

No, 76 definitely isn't comforting himself, and he doesn't think there's anything amusing about this either. He frowns at the stranger for a few seconds before he shrugs. ]

I have some experience working with them. [ Dated as that experience might be, there are some things you don't forget. ] That, and having a reliable mode of transportation around here can be useful.

[ Walking everywhere gets old, so he has Apollo for those times when he leaves Wyver for one reason or another. ]

i-a;

[nostalgiabomb]

[ Listen, Peter isn't usually the literary type, but for reasons that are entirely his own, he somehow ends up here.

The novelty of it all has kept him around, at least. It's like something straight out of "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," and Peter watches as a nearby quill writes out some story he has no familiarity with.

He recognizes the voice, and Peter straightens to attention, catching sight of— oh. Hey. Visor Dude. Although maybe Visor Dude won't recognize Peter without his mask on? Which might be for the best, considering that night was just. Embarrassing. Considering he got his ass kidnapped. ]

... Uh. Sure.

[ with undisguised uncertainty. Peter and libraries don't mix. He barely remembers what the Dewey Decimal System is, so he hopes the guy doesn't ask him to, like, use it. ]

What do you need?

[personalwar]

[ For the moment, 76 doesn't recognize the other refugee. Their interaction in the labyrinth had been brief, not to mention visibility had been limited and Peter had been wearing a mask. So for the moment 76 doesn't think of it, although when the stranger talks up, he is struck with the sense that they've spoken before.

He assumes it's just that he's heard this guy talk over the network before, and moves to focus on the task at hand.

No one seems to be that willing to do the hard work here, but sometimes a mission doesn't involve running around shooting a gun or swinging a sword. ]

It'd be impossible for two people to search this whole place in one day. [ Not that he expects even a day of work from this guy. He'll be lucky if he gets a couple of hours. ] Just read through what you can. If it doesn't seem relevant, skip it. If it does, then we make a note of it.

[nostalgiabomb]

Um. Sure.

[ When given the option for it, Peter has the capacity to be nosy – which means he was intending to read whatever the quills were writing, at least until it got boring. So it's not difficult to agree to this, considering he was going to do it anyway.

But it still begs the question, ]

Relevant to what, though? What am I looking for, exactly?

[ there's some context Peter feels he's missing. ]

1-a

[punshots]

[ Libraries aren't exactly Prompto's hangout of choice, and honestly, the only reason he's still in here is because the self-writing quills are fascinating enough to keep him engaged. He doesn't pay as much attention to what they're writing as the quills themselves, but the sound of crumpling paper from the next aisle over is enough to grab his attention.

Prompto steps around and over towards 76 just as the other lifts his head to acknowledge him. It's been awhile since they last talked, but Prompto trusts this guy, and with a little wave of his hand, he nods, eager to make himself helpful however he can. ]

Sure thing. But...what exactly are we lookin' for? Secret histories? Magic spells? [ A beat. ] New recipes?

[ That's one he hasn't heard for awhile. ]

[personalwar]

[ It has been a while since the two of them have spoken, but that doesn't mean that 76 didn't hear some news about what Prompto has been up to lately. That is, getting married. It'd been a pretty shocking piece of news, since 76 didn't usually keep track of the other refugee's personal matters.

Prompto and Alisaie both seem pretty young, and getting married on the brink of a war seems like it could only end badly. But given that he'd only ever been married to his work, 76 can also understand that if you wait for the 'right time,' that might never come. It's not his place to judge, either.

Instead of bringing any of that up, he just nods to Prompto in greeting, and then addresses his question. ]

Secret histories, if you want to call it that. I'd like to know more about Wyver and Olympia, along with any other parts of El Nysa they haven't wanted to tell us about. Anything that you think might be useful.

[ For him, this all seems pretty intuitive. He raises an eyebrow at Prompto. ]

Didn't really take you for the bookish type.

[punshots]

[ 76's shrewd observation gets an immediate laugh out of Prompto, and one that is perhaps a bit to boisterous for the general acceptable volume level inside a library. He clamps a hand over his mouth to stifle the rest, and through it he nods. ]

You can say that again! I'm here for the musty book smell.

[ But then he leans a little closer, lowering his voice so as to not be overheard. Hey, look, he can be tactful! ]

Heard some wacky rumors about the collection, too. Wanted to check it out for myself.

potholes!!

[adelphoi]

[ okay, now alisaie is certainly not one to judge anyone's strength or ability based on their size or age, but it is still nonetheless troubling to watch him attempt it all on his own. that carriage is heavy! he could very easily hurt himself or worse, slip in the mud and be crushed under the weight of it, should it topple.

so alisaie is quick to join him, planting her feet firmly in the mud and bracing both hands against the back of the carriage, leaning her weight into it. she's not.. particularly big, but strong, at least, for her size. ]

Allow me to help.

[personalwar]

[ All that 76 can think when Alisaie comes to join him is that she's going to hurt herself. He realizes that a normal human couldn't do this solo, but it really isn't something he's insisting on out of pride. ]

I've got it. Really.

[ That being said, he doesn't make any move to actually stop her or shoo her away. He simply puts all of his weight and strength into lifting the carriage, shifting under it as soon as it's high enough so that he has the leverage to push it up and out the rest of the way. Then it's a matter of exerting pressure forward, to get it onto solid, dry ground.

There is some grunting and heavy breathing involved, but all things considered? He makes it look easy, whether she helps or not. ]

[adelphoi]

[ it's a good thing he makes no attempt to shoo, because it wouldn't work, anyway, and even if she can't contribute much it nonetheless makes her feel better to help in what ways she can, if only for her peace of mind.

mostly, she simply keeps her weight braced against it for support, so that if it slips it hopefully won't be able to land on him. nevertheless, none of these worse case scenarios occur, and soon enough the carriage is free, and they are both of them sweaty and muddy and rained on. exhaling hard, alisaie steps back and dusts off her hands, glancing toward the carriage, then back to him again. ]

You're quite strong.

i - b

[unprays]

[ she's not there to tame any of the creatures — one direwolf is plenty for her, she has no desire to try any of these things; if she needs a ride, she'll get a horse.

mostly, she's there out of curiosity, her careful exploration having brought her there, her inquisitive nature having led to her staying. she stands there and watches people try... and fail, mostly.

which is why she says, wryly, ]

I'm not sure they like anyone.

[personalwar]

Sansa. [ It's been a long time since 76 has seen her, and they'd only interacted the one time. All the same, their conversation had been memorable. He has to wonder how her aim has improved since then, and if she's had any reason to fire her gun. ]

Probably not without getting used to us, no. [ 76 shakes his head. He doesn't intend on staying here too long, or at least not long enough to get on the good side of one of these animals. It's fine -- he already has his horse.

Since Sansa doesn't seem to have any interest in befriending the creatures either, 76 moves off to the side so they can speak more easily. ]

Been a while. How've you been holding up?

[unprays]

[ she smiles in greeting, pleased that he remembers her — though if their conversation has stuck in his mind as well as in hers, perhaps there wasn't a need to fear him forgetting. ]

Well, someone else will have to get them used to us, in that case.

[ because she definitely has no interest in that. ]

Alright, I suppose... as well as can be expected. [ it's a vague answer, but then, enough has happened between their meeting that it likely makes sense. it hasn't been exactly easy, here, for the past months. ] I hope it is the same for you, ser.