❪ 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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QUESTIONS

[natha]

CLOSED STARTERS

[natha]

Justice

[whatisright]

The Station

[Justice doesn't like how that broadcast cut off, so he goes to the Station to check on it.

Everything is empty. It puts him on edge. Of course he goes straight for the pods, a part of him afraid that something has gone wrong.

But everyone is still sleeping quietly, undisturbed. He counts off his friends before settling at Aura's pod. He hesitates, but he puts a hand on her pod.] I understand that I am not the one you wish to see, but I am glad you are alive. [He doesn't know if she can hear him, but he hopes.]

Khalo Library

[It feels a little like stepping back into the Fade, seeing all these things books writing themselves. Justice finds a quill writing about Thedas and he sits besides it, watching as it goes, before turning towards it with his permanent frown deeper than normal.] That is not what happened.

Smoking sexy space weed - Closed to CR, liable to get smutty

[Justice feels out of place in the lounge covered head to toe in lush fabric and laden with cushions, but the locals seem very insistent on showing him the comforts their town has to offer. And part of that includes giving him more fyrra to smoke.]

I am still uncertain how this is different from the fyrra I used to arrive here. [He says it as he breathes in a long drag. It's a weird thing to breathe when he doesn't have to talk. He's not used to it.]

Nude Baths

[Well, this is something Justice has zero problem with.

Don't mind him as he strips down immediately to his birthday suit, neatly folding his clothes next to the pool before sliding into the water, taking a moment to admire the world around him.

If he just got into the pool nude far too close to you, it was entirely unintentional. He doesn't seem to really care that everyone is naked right now.] This seems like an ideal social space. I wonder why they do not have baths like this elsewhere.

jim kirk | ota ( khalo and & thesa station )

[willrevile]

► ( khalo village | drug use cw? )

a - enchanted library )

[ Following a friendly, corporeal ghosty jellyfish feels a whole lot like something Spock would do and subsequently Jim would yell loudly into a communicator about being a bad idea (the patented 'I Know You're A Scientist But Stop Touching Things On Alien Worlds Haven't You Seen A Single Horror Movie' rant, seriously, everyone thinks Jim's the worst one, but no). And yet here he is, doing it anyway, because he's slightly high, and because he figures he's acclimated to this alien world well enough after several months. It's fiiiiine.

Not only is it fine, it pays off, and very well. Jim's polite with the Khali people - practiced at interacting with 'new' cultures, at listening, at gently questioning. Mostly, though, he's in the library just reading. Totally engrossed in the fictionalized (?) history records, as well as finding himself occasionally distracted by the increasingly silly tales of .. familiar-sounding figures. Huh. ]

b - taming fields )

[ This is turning out to be a bigger undertaking than he'd anticipated when he first curiously approached the subject, but that's alright. Jim's not strictly a 'good with animals' person, but learning something new and experiencing the creatures takes his mind off of everything going on, and it feels more like what he should be doing. Exploring, building cultural bridges, the whole altruist Starfleet thing. Even though these methods are as far from anything he'd be doing in the 'fleet as can be.

'Taming magic lessons' leave him a little skeptical - he just flat-out doesn't think he's capable of using magic - but he'll stick with it. And can be observed being nosed and nearly toppled by an affectionate Mossley. Oof. ]

c - accommodations | nsfw ok! )

[ Jim's living quarters in Wyver scrape the bottom of the barrel for acceptably functional, and so this, far more than Flona's somewhat blinding beaches, feels like a vacation. A genuine one-- has Jim ever been on a vacation before? Did that time he and Bones went on a roadtrip and ended up nearly arrested for drunk and disorderly in Oregon in their second academy year count? --and it's surreal.

He makes the climb to the mid-level of the forest homes, and accepts the fyrra offered, because why the heck not. No wonder these people have kept themselves closed off; who would want to risk the peace here being interrupted by morons threatening war? Everyone should just be chill, like this, f o r e v e r. ]

► ( thesa station )

d - arrival & exploration )

[ ANYWAY back to everything being terrible. Jim doesn't rush off to check the transporters the second Darma's ominous message goes out and ends up cut off, but he begins making preparations to. Contacts a few people, makes sure he's properly outfitted with whatever he thinks might be useful in the event he has to try and jury-rig a way up there. Fortunately, the transporter's still working, but unfortunately, the flashlight and tools he brought up wit him end up being useful after all with the way the power keeps cutting out, plunging him - and anyone he might have run into at the transporter or joined up with inside - into darkness, or jamming doors, and so on.

He messes with his communicator to try and only hit a network-like spread of any other active communicators on the station: ] Anybody else up here? Any signs of the Natha?

[ Jim's determined to check out as much of the station as possible, in search of any clue as to what's going on. Every footstep is haunted by the echo of Darma's message, repeating over and over. Trouble on your horizon. ]

e - stasis chambers )

[ It is an enormous relief to find the stasis units functioning still, and seemingly untouched by the power fluctuations the rest of Thesa is experiencing. ]

At least whoever designed this thing's power grid made sure to keep this on its own closed circuit, [ he observes, though there's nothing pleased about his tone. This is still a mess, and there's nothing even halfway close to an answer about what's going on here.

But he can walk the halls and check faces and make sure everyone's small lights are green and that's--

It's something. ]

► ( wildcard )

( ooc: hit me up if you'd like something specific or if we have plans elsewhere, like wyver or the beach! also feel free to switch to prose if you prefer. )

Phoenix Wright | Ace Attorney

[objectionattorney]

A. Tall Tales of Khalo Village

[Phoenix could not lie, he was mostly looking for a reason to take a break from Olympia. Having spent much of his time within the city over the last couple of months left him feeling a bit stir-crazy. So upon hearing that a city which initially kept its boarders closed was suddenly opening itself to the world, he could not lie to himself, he grew quite excited! What better way to live life than to vacation at a place that no man had been allowed to explore up until now?

Or at least, that was what he had thought when he first joined in for the expedition. Standing before the dark, muggy, overgrown forest that lead into Khalo Village though had left him with his doubts.

So much for being a prime vacation spot. It looked more like the type of place you'd accidentally wander into during a horror movie. And as the small green fairy-looking-thing passed him with what appeared to be a pipe he couldn't help but look somewhat confused and worried.]

Ah-um, Sorry. I'm not really much of a smoker. Never really could get into the habit.

[Besides. It smelled funny. What was this stuff?]

B. Olympian Preservation

[The halls were beautifully stocked and polished with gleaming statues and strange looking artifacts. Truthfully, the overall feel of the building seemed more akin to that of a museum than to a palace. Not that Phoenix could judge. Despite living in Olympia for nine months now he had not once stood within the grand building before now.

Amazing how quickly that changed for him. Within the month that he had signed up for the coalition it seemed his life on El Nysa had taken a 360 turn in direction. He was no longer a gambler at a dive bar, he could now afford more than just the small hovel of an apartment that he owned, and even the way he dressed (A wonderfully tailored thin cut suit much more fitting in style to what could be found upon the nobles of Olympia) was much more put together than his old lawyering wardrobe from his life back home.

At the end though, it only solidified how this was his new home. That there really was no going back to the life he once knew.

He had been standing before Ysverai's heart. Taking in the sheer sight of the glowing warm organ which once was within one of the most feared dragons in history. To think that soon he'd be overseeing its transportation.]

It's quite a surreal sight, isn't it? Almost as if it's still beating in hopes to be reconnected with the creature it came from.

C. Those That Seek Peace And Those That Seek-- (Group B Only)

[It was still odd to think about. That he of all people was chosen for such an important mission between the two countries. He had no combat experience, so he want much protection, but he was primarily meant to be an overseer of the exchange. His talents were in matters of diplomacy after all. And this required more delicacy in its exchange than anything he had experienced so far during his time on El Nysa.

The carriage shook somewhat as the heavy pounding of the rain outside continued to bear down on them. It was a crowded situation to say the least. Seven people crammed together with a centuries-old artifact that was just as big as the rest of them. And, although covered and packaged for hand-off, you could still see the feint red pulsating light that emitted from it.]

It's kind of strange... A few months ago we were all being threatened with riots and kidnappings and now here we are tying the bonds between two major countries. You could almost say our actions with this will not only directly impact the countries of Olympia and Wyver, but also their view on us refugees as a whole. I can't be the only one feeling tense over this...

[Was that a crash of thunder in the distance? Goodness they certainly chose the best weather to travel in.]

D. Wildcard!

((Wish to throw a starter to some other scenario at me? Please do! I am open to pretty much playing out anything! Questions of comments? Feel free to message me or hit me up on my plurk at chohakkaifan.))

Cain | Granblue Fantasy | OTA

[baguablade]

( a : tell-tale heart - olympia )
[ A chance to see this heart that everyone's making such a fuss over? Of course Cain couldn't pass it up; he's making his way through the exhibit, one of those people who's actually interested in everything on display, reading the little pamphlets and informative plaques set out as he meanders along. But really, in the end, there's only one reason he's really here, and eventually, he winds up in front of it, head tilted back to stare at it: Ysevrai's heart, still beating even after all these years.

Just staring at the thing gives him the creeps, has a shiver running down his spine. He lets out a low whistle. ]

Seems like the sort of artifact that's a bit too malevolent to have out on display like this, if you ask me.

[ Of course, he's also taking up the offer to spend the night in the court. And it's in the dead of the night, the moonlight streaming in through the windows, that Cain makes a return visit to see if any of those rumors are true. Surely he's not the only one...? Surely he happens upon someone he can meet and ask: ]

Did you see that? [ Was it only a trick of the light, Cain teasing a little? Or is there something a bit more supernatural going on...? ]

( b : real life fiction - khalo )
[ As soon as he heard there was a library, Cain made a beeline for it. He's been there for hours — if you're someone who knows him, he may need you to come fetch him out and make sure he does other things, like remember to eat and sleep instead of pouring over the books all night.

He can be found thoroughly ensconced in the library, at a table surrounded by parchments, watching the quills busily scribbling away. He reads from one aloud, the tale of Ysevrai or of Shanrian and Raysc, murmuring: ]

That's certainly informative... and ominous.

[ Or you might find him reading another story, one that sounds oddly familiar, a tale of your life, as you happen to be passing by—

Or you might find him balanced on tiptoes on the top of a stepladder, stretching up for a book, just barely out of his reach, not quite able to grab it, wobbling, seemingly moments away from toppling in his pursuit of the book— ]

( c : up, up, and away - khalo )
[ Watching Skyball is exciting enough, but Cain's not one to sit back and let others have all the fun. He's taken one of the flight potions and fully intends to try his hand at the game.

After a bit of practice, that is. He likes to win, after all.

And he can't practice without a partner! ]

Over here! Pass!

[ He waves an arm to make sure he has your attention; seeing as he's not used to being airborne, it may send him spinning, or maybe he's just being loud enough that you feel like pelting the ball at his face. Or maybe you want to team up and actually win a game? ]

( d : desolation station - thesa station )
[ After a message like that, how could Cain not go check out the station? It's too ominous, too worrying, when the Orbiters are their link to the remnants of their world, their bulwark against the Storm.

And yet the corridors of Thesa Station are empty, the lights flicker, and Darma's message plays on repeat over and over again, a terrible, oppressive recording.

Cain's face is grim; it's horribly obvious that something's gone wrong.

When he happens upon someone else, he asks anyway, even though he knows there's not much hope. ]

Any sign of them? Of what happened?

[ He hasn't found anything, he knows it's unlikely anyone else has, and yet... And yet he still has to ask. He still has to hope there's answers somewhere to be found. ]

( e : wildcard )
[ Any other scenario you'd like to do! I'm available at idelva for plotting. ]

mikazuki augus | khalo mingle | ota

[sparsity]

I. ENTERING KHALO | d...rugs

[ It's impossible to escape the buzz surrounding the city at the exchange that's slated to take place soon. A heart for a skull. Mikazuki has no interest in the act of goodwill and diplomacy, so his attention fast moved to the news of nearby Khalo openings its doors instead. He lives on Wyver's outskirts, closer to Namarak than to Khalo. Still, in the jungles, he often sees paths overgrown in their disuse leading that direction.

It's just that now there's an actual destination at the end. Granted, it's shrouded in literal smoke that an eager native Khali had to so kindly help him with, and the trek through the fungi is a little — vivid. And weird.

Not weirder than Mikazuki though, who's made a pit stop to, what, eat? He looks pretty relaxed for someone sitting so close to the giant man-eating mushroom. In fact, he has a piece of it in his hand and he's munching away on it. Luckily there aren't any fleshy bits on it, mostly because he dislikes meat in general.

Whoever passes by, he knows what it looks like, BUT TO BE FAIR: ]

It tried to eat me first.

II. TREE GUARDIANS

[ Even Khalo's ground level is something to behold. It's lively and everything smells slightly sweet and earthy, like the thick vegetation surrounding his home. And the villagers are in no shortage of hospitality and high spirits. Mikazuki is hungrier than usual and they're quick on the uptake, which is how he's managed to get sandwiched between a bunch of rambunctious Khali kids enjoying an outdoor picnic while a storyteller goes on in the background. Maybe he's not the only one?

Whatever the case, his attention is only torn away from wolfing down food when a heavy rumble and thud shakes the ground they sit on. A few natives break away and go fluttering and laughing into the woods. Overhead, a giant appears from the canopy, benevolent footsteps booming through the village. Its limbs are woven with vines, moss, and bark, full of light. Khali and various birds flit alongside it, hitching a ride.

Mikazuki is starstruck for a long moment. ]

Amazing... [ 3, 2, 1, aaand ] Do you think we can catch up with it?

III. ENCHANTED LIBRARY

[ At some point, he finds himself in the library. Because following the incandescent jellyfish creature seemed like a sound thing to do when he encountered it. But it doesn't lead him astray — he's actually pretty taken with the vision of the library, ghost quills and all. Writing, real ink and real paper, is still something of a novelty to him, having gone without all his life. It's only when he finds one of the ancient texts that he approaches another refugee, blunt fingertips trailing down the title: Dragonfire. ]

Can you read this?

[ He doesn't know if he's a fair enough reader to get through it on his own. ]

IV. CRESCENT

[ All things lead to the water, it seems like. Truthfully, Mikazuki just likes the name of communal pond crowning the village because he's simple like that, but the sight is another thing entirely. Blue, crystalline waters full of flowers and reflective of the starry canopy above, just like another sky.

You know, despite the fact that it's also covered in naked Khali. And Mikazuki's gonna join them, stripping down with no reservation, because he's not a coward. ]

What? [ Don't give him that look. ] They said this is how you do it.

[ #culture ]

V. ACCOMMODATIONS | possible nsfw

[ His own home is cozy, but pared down to essentials when it comes to comfort. So being treated to one of the lounges is a whole different level of excess for him, when he's used to so little in the first place. Everything is soft, for one. The carpets beneath his bare feet, the clothes that pool at his harsh angles, the draped fabrics catching and holding the light in the room. His metabolism works at high speeds, but the cure for the enduring sleepiness in the air had been to burn it away with the fyrra.

Though now it just feels like he's burning when he sits among things that are almost too soft for someone like him, arms squishing around one of the large decorative pillows. Strips of muscle highlight on him, slightly strained. ]

This feels really... [ how to put it... ] Rich.

VI. TAMING FIELDS

[ Strangely enough, he's most comfortable out here. Mikazuki does this kind of thing every day now in the Fields of the Exalted, more or less. Granted, the creatures are pretty different this time: a whole field of lumbering beasts coated in moss and flowers, sunning themselves happily. Giving a low hum, Mikazuki rubs his fingers over a dragon scale pendant looped around his neck, his other hand perched on his hip. ]

Well, this works on the dragons. We should be fine. Probably.

WILDCARD

[ want to do something else or get a personalized starter? grab me here or at rivalry! ]

Peter Nureyev

[rosebyanyother]

On The Way
[The road to the village isn't easy, but that's what makes it all the more interesting. After partaking of the necessary herb that will allow him access through the barrier, Peter sets off on his walk towards Khalo through the swamp.

The colors are fascinating. Especially the fungi, once he reaches the protective ring that circles the village proper. On the best of days, Peter is a deeply curious creature. He likes a bit of exploration, a bit of danger. For some reason - it may well be the fyrra, he suspects - that curiosity is heightened now. He wants to get to the village, sure. But he's also content to traverse the mushroom ring. Not through to Khalo, but around a little. Looking at the various specimens, watching other travelers he finds. Something tells him that this area isn't all it might seem. After all, wasn't that one of the functions of bright colors in nature? Warning signs.

Peter isn't only feeling more curious, though. He finds himself just generally more content. Maybe that's what leads him to intervene just before a fellow traveler - not a Khali, another visitor - takes an unfortunate step towards the wrong kind of mushroom.

A quick hand reaches out to tug them back, Peter smiling at them with much less sharpness than usual.]

Ah, I wouldn't step that way if I were you.

Nude Baths (nsfw possible!)
[If the path into Khalo was interesting, it's nothing compared to the village itself. Peter is charmed by it. He's been to a lot of different cities in all his time hopping from planet to planet and while he wouldn't say that Khalo is the most bizarre he's ever seen, it certainly has a different sort of atmosphere. He likes it here.

The baths seem like an excellent place to socialize and Peter...has very little shame in participating in the way that the Khali encourage people to participate. Fully. (It also doesn't hurt that he notices that another visitor who does the same right before him is met with more smiles and chatter than the ones who don't.) Without having to be asked twice, he strips down out of all his clothes and steps down into the bath.

If anyone looks his way - even if they don't, maybe - he'll grin at them as he sinks down into the water.]

Enjoying yourself?

Smoking Lounge (nsfw highly likely)
[Eventually, he'll find his way to one of the lounges on the ground floor of the village. It was fairly inevitable, given their opulence and the opportunity to gather information inside them.

And when he's given to opportunity to try a different kind of fyrra to the one he used to enter the village...well, the first time was a pleasant enough experience. He's told that this strain will make him feel even better. They're only a little bit coy about what that means exactly, and Peter is sharp enough to pick up on the rest. He knows what he's getting into and...well, he doesn't mind much. One of his hosts urges him to try, and Peter really does want to make good connections here. He likes Khalo and especially likes the option of escaping Olympia from time to time. Wants to have somewhere else to go, somewhere welcoming.

He's currently lounging against a few cushions with a pipe next to him. Not currently indulging, but watching people pass by his little alcove with a sort of lazy interest. If - when - someone walks by who is of particular interest to him (either because he knows them or they are...well, perhaps just male) he may just lean forward with a warm smile.]

Are you interested in partaking? It's a very pleasant experience, I promise you.

[He...technically means the fyrra. But there's a faint flush to his cheeks and a languid invitation in the way that he moves. So...it's kind of the smoke and kind of something else he's offering. Why not?]

vane / granblue fantasy / ota + closed starters!

[defenses]

▌OLYMPIAN PRESERVATION
NIGHT AT THE MUSEUM

[ the occult, the creepy, the weird... all of these have never been topics that vane was particularly well-versed in. while he loved the idea of halloween and treat giving, maybe even smaller mischief making, the actually scary? not so much. he's definitely got a lifetime full of memories from his youth where he's been pranked enough times to know what fear is like, but is he really good at dealing with it?

definitely leaning towards a firm "probably not." ]

A. [ but well these had to be the olympian style of joke, right?? there's no way they'd let them sleep around ghosts, right? besides, if these ghosts were anybody, they probably were their people, right? or so he tries to take solace in. though, it's kind of hard when he's managed to lose his way from the main hall.

he walks near some of the statues on display, and he swears he sees a shadow moving on the opposite end. wasn't the museum lady earlier talking about this? he finds himself freezing up. ] No, Vane... there's no way. [ he's whispering to himself, that is before he takes another step...

and maybe you're there as he totally shouts (in fear) in your face. he nearly knocks over a vase behind him too. how did that saying go again?

... like a dog in a fine china store? ]

B. [ maybe you're sitting down to rest or taking a break from all the sights at night. maybe it's all that adrenaline catching up to you from running from the shadows and all the strange haunting noises of the palace halls. either way, whether you're expecting the company or not, vane plops down right next to you. ]

Want to sleep together? [ this was ... a sleepover, right?? this place was kinda creepy, too. ]

▌TALL TALES OF KHALO VILLAGE
PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO READ & REVIEW

VENASOU. [ it's no surprise that vane finds himself intrigued by these mystical looking creatures. according to the natives they're charmed by the power of music? which isn't something vane completely understand, but he does his best to adapt to! they apparently maker great guides and well that's perfect considering he's kind of lost his way to the mid-level shops. he was really looking forward to there food there too!

hence, he does his best to try and charm the creature. perhaps, you walk in on him in the middle of trying to give it snacks from his pocket, or even ... while he tries to sing. his singing is probably more comical than anything else. he ever said he was a great singer okay. on the bright side is he's pretty loud. the creature doesn't seem to take the bait, though... ] Ah~ Feendrache! ♪ [ this probably looks really embarrassing considering he's "alone"... ]

STORY. [ it's kind of nice to kick back and read sometimes. while many would think he's more of an outdoorsy type, and he definitely is, some of the books here are nostalgic somehow. stories even about knights and kingdoms. vane finds himself smiling a little as he skims the pages.

... that is until he comes across an interesting line or verse in poem. he reads them aloud.

and maybe it's oddly familiar? or not? vane also doesn't seem to realize the harm in it and he continues to read onwards. that is, before he turns upwards, a small smile. ] Do you think they get their happy ending? [ it'd be nice if they did, right? ]

MUSHROOMS. [ while vane has learned to be a little more cautious than the times before, it doesn't mean he isn't (blindly) interested in seeing all the fresh flora that khalo village has to offer. hence, he's constantly kneeling by the various mushrooms, almost a sparkle in his eyes as he turns his head back. ] Haha, this little guy looks a little funny. What do you think he doe— [ vane's nose wrinkles a little, before he throws his head back and...

he sneezes. the spores of the mushroom begin to slowly rise into the air, clouding the immediate area around him, or maybe you? what do you know... looks like they'll find out what it is very soon. idk this is a wildcard magic mushroom prompt. ]

▌WILDCARD.

[ hit me with anything! or if you'd like a personal starter, lmk and i'd be happy to provide! ♥ also, if you have a preferred effect for the mushroom prompt, please let me know and i can pretty much run with anything. if you'd like to plot something specific out, feel free to reach me at cages! ]

Venom | Guilty Gear | OTA!

[poolhall_killer]

A. The Assassin at the Library

[Exploring a new area has always proven beneficial to an assassin. New places for information, hiding spots, potential allies and safe houses, etc. And even though Venom's put that past far behind him, old habits die hard. When he elects to travel to Khalo, he's in his leader mode, scoping out pubs and other information sources.

But there's one that will forever speak to his inner child: the library.

One of the venasou floats by Venom, as if silently guiding him to the entrance. And the former assassin isn't disappointed. He marvels at the self-writing quills, curious as to who or what's controlling them. More importantly, what are they writing? Gently, he pulls a random parchment out from under one quill, reading what appears to be a series of poems.]

The Dashing Vampire
Making a great leap
His followers mourn

His actions were brave
Fighting that bedman
A robot looked on

What...? That's not what happened at all. Why would it write this?

[It's like Lord Slayer was playing a prank on him, had the vampire not been sleeping in the pods. He reads another parchment, but it only went over Thesa and new races. How utterly bizarre. Another one is just plain silly.]

I'm not married to a king...

B. It's not billiards, but it'll suffice. (Skyball!)

[Training regularly has been tougher than it should. Most of Venom's options are confined to either running or private sessions. There are hushed things about the fight ring, but he's yet to investigate fully. And speaking of rings...

He comes across a wondrous arena, where people are flying about and playing what appears to be a type of football. Now his interest is piqued because he's never been able to fly consistently, only glide. After a little asking, he's up in the air with the other players, ready for the next match.]

If you'll have me, I'd like to join in.

C. Do these mushrooms offer extra lives?

[Being a novice healer means learning the ropes of natural remedies. It also means possibly collecting samples of dangerous items in order to make a salve or potion. Perhaps Venom can aid the Sanctuary by recovering small samples from the protective fungi ring. With swabs and scissors in hand (and his trusted gloves, of course), he walks the area, being mindful of where he steps.]

I don't even know where to start...

[Maybe snip a tiny piece off of a pink mushroom that almost looks like a rose. Or perhaps that bright green lichen?]

D. Wildcard!

[PP me at dominoman if you'd like to plot something!]

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. ]

Linneus Teahouse | OTA

[inaurare]

Khalo? Is it me you're looking for?

[A - 'pon the left-hand side]
[The Fyrra is... new. Smoking anything is new for Linneus, but while it does make him cough and splutter a bit, the experience... is not actually unpleasant.

At least at first.

It hits him about a third of the way into the walk to the village, a slight, buzzing haziness in his head and mind, but he tries not to pay it any attention. After all, there is so much strange, beautiful scenery to take in. Outside of a stop along the way to rest their legs, there is no opportunity to pause to sketch, to leave the path briefly for flowers and leaves to press, lest he hold up the group.

But the more he walks, the worse it gets. Perhaps the colours are brighter than usual, and more plentiful - so many, too many - too many to take in properly. Looking away, even following his own feet, seems to just make his disorientation worse. Has his vision always jogged like that with every step...? Since when has the movement of his legs reverberated through his body so? Oh, he has to sit down...

And it is about this moment thankfully, blessedly, the guides lead the group to a small rest area. It might just be a few rocks and logs in the shade, but Linneus is quite happy to take the moment to gather himself. He should get some water from his pack or something but for the time being Linneus is slumped uncharacteristically, elbows resting on his knees, his head hanging while he tries to will his vision to settle.]


[B - now in technicolour]
[but a little rest has him right as rain and ready to explore; perhaps backtracking to the forests again with his sketchbook and watercolours to draw out some of the strange things growing there.

Looking, but not touching - he knows better than to go around poking strange plants when he's by himself, he's seen others run afoul of that mistake before. It is certainly reassuring to know that the brightness of the colours was not a mere trick of his mind, but he has to mix and re-mix his colours to try to get them just right and he is absorbed in the task, settled against a tree, seated on the mossy ground.

He is only here for a short time - best to record as much as he can.]


[C - wildcard (NSFW possible)]
[the rest of his stay is filled with trying to absorb as much of the new area as he can - visiting the museums, or discussing his studies with the locals to learn the correct names and properties of the plants he found... picking - and perhaps even partaking - of the fyrra again, albeit with trusted company and in the more comfortable environment of the parlours.

It is, after all, local custom.]

Diana Cavendish | OTA

[fiendennor]

[A: The Library]

[Of course the first place Diana goes upon entering an incredibly fascinating new place is the library. Of course it is. The library isn't any less interesting, and she wanders around, paying careful attention to the enchanted quills. They're not dissimilar to things that existed back at Luna Nova, but seeing them here is intriguing, and she tries to work out how the magic functions.

She takes a look at one of the pages, and her eyes go wide.] ...and they restored the World Tree?

I... how is this possible? [That sure is what she and Akko did, right there, on the page.]

[B: Baths]

[When in Rome...

Diana isn't going full native, no. She's a little too self-conscious for that, and even seeing other people walk around fully naked makes her blush. But she is trying to respect the people's customs as best she can.

She's opted for a compromise. She walks around with a towel wrapped around her chest, only otherwise wearing a bikini bottom. When she slides into the water, she leaves the towel on the shore. It's fine to go topless as long as she stays below the water, really.

Honestly, she feels self-conscious about feeling self-conscious, but she's making an effort.] It's interesting, their custom... much of their society revolves around this pond, from what I can see.

Do you think it's always been here? [She asks the nearest person who doesn't look like they're from around here. Which is you.]

[B-2]

[All of the above happens, except at the end of her bath, Diana goes to where she left her towel.

And it's not there.

Perhaps someone stole it? (Perhaps you stole it?) Perhaps someone thought it was theirs and walked off? Either way, she's in a bind. So you'll see a young woman with fair hair, keeping in the water up to her neck, looking rather distressed.] Ah-- excuse me! Would you happen to have, er, something I can drape over myself?

[C: Accommodations (Open to NSFW, women only)]

[The lodgings here are beautiful, she can't help but think, and for once, Diana genuinely allows herself to relax, to be a little hedonistic and indulgent as she lounges back on the colorful, silken pillows that line the various rooms in the inn.

One of their hosts brings by a tall device that resembles a hookah on a wheeled table.] This is... the special fyrra you'd mentioned earlier? [She says, to the host; they'd discussed the fragrant substance necessary to enter the city earlier, and Diana had expressed interest.] Thank you for bringing this by.

[It's lit by the host who then walks away, and she takes the long hose and puts the pipe in her mouth, hesitantly inhaling the fragrant smoke.

She immediately starts coughing.] Oh-- that's more-- it's hotter than I'd-- give me a moment, please! [She says between her coughs, holding the hose out for you to take, if you'd like.]

(ooc: Prior CR only for NSFW options, please!)

You Watanabe | OTA

[ayes]

[A: Skyball]

[Okay. Okay, this sport is so cool. You watches from the stands, enraptured, as the competitors dart through the air, tossing, running, and kicking the ball to each other as best they can. It's really neat, and when offered the chance to participate herself, even her diminished mood can't make her turn it down.

Flight is amazing, and You spends some time just zipping around the arena seeing how it feels to fly-- like swimming, except faster and you don't need to hold your breath-- before she's kindly asked to, you know, participate in the game.] Oh, right, sure!

So... so I fly over there, and you throw it to me? Is that the rule? [She picks things up quickly.

And critically, she seems to have completely forgotten her malaise.]

[B: Hookah (NSFW possible)]

[Distracting herself with athletics and sports is one way to cope.

Distracting herself with substances is another.

It's nice, to be like this. Her mind feels like it's floating away on a gentle sense of euphoria, and You nestles deep into the pillows of the lounge, holding the smoking pipe out for anyone who wants to hit it next.] So, like...

...when you think about it, isn't the sky, just like... an ocean without water?

[She doesn't do this a lot, so it's hitting her hard.]

(ooc: Can be the sexy fyrra or the regular type! PM or plurk me if you want to do a NSFW scene, ideally with people she knows well.)

Richie Tozier | Khalo/Olympia/Thesa | OTA

[summertimeblues]

i) THESA - LIGHTS OUT

[The sudden break in the broadcast puts his heart in a bind. He sits and replays it twice, dread mounting. Paces. Snatches himself a small flask, still swishing with scotch, and the knife Steve got him for Christmas. Too small to stick much anything but a rat, but better than nothing. The idea of walking around with a chef knife, poised like he's Norman Bates in his mother's nightgown, doesn't sit too well with him.

Besides, any blade would be a moot point if his fears are realized now.

He teleports to the station immediately. Lights are flickering. The speakers keep iterating the same shit on repeat. "We shall continue to monitor the situation, however —" He takes a deep breath and beelines for Stasis.

Oh sweet Lordy, if there is a God let His wonders be known now, and keep everything sleeping.]


ii) OLYMPIA

a) Be Still My Beating Heart

[The exhibit is something to behold. Richie takes his time at each stand, moving in silence. The heart itself, fabled and glowing as if with pride in its own power, holds his gaze like a flickering flame. He stands, stupefied. The fine hairs at the back of his neck rise. There's that eerie sensation of being watched.

He catches your eye, startled and uncharacteristically wordless.]

b) Night at the Museum

[The locals were all so gung ho about their old trinkets and curios. And Richie, who was trying his best to learn and adapt as best as an old fart could, wanted to know more about this world he was cursed to live in. So in spite of feeling like he was playing at being fourteen and all too green again, he opts to spend the night at the exhibit.

Ignorance isn't bliss, but buddy, knowledge don't let nobody sleep at night. Case in point: here he is, jolting awake from his sleep by an unearthly whisper. Something something...the words were gone. But he'd heard it. Richie turns to the sleeping bag next to his.]

Hey — did you hear that?


iii) KHALO VILLAGE

a) Honey I Shrunk the DJ

[Expecting a smooth trek in when he'd already had to blow a joint just to pass the borders was, as he feared, an exercise in futility. As if the mushrooms at Murkwell Hollow weren't bad enough, he takes a wrong step and squishes some blooming purple offshoot underfoot. One minute he's regular, jiving at five foot nine.

The next he's squeaked down to an inch high and tumbling off that soggy violet fungal mess, landing in the grasses with the world's tiniest yelp.]

WHAT THE FUCK?!

b-i) Tall Tall Tales

[He'd been a little skinchy with the details of his time here. Not much of it was pleasant, after all, but he'd been affable as possible when getting grilled by a fairy person. (His initial balking had toned down some, he just had to remember Gamora and Rocket and Koltira — he had met stranger folk and everything would be a-okay.)

But getting to the library had him thinking it was all for naught. The moving quills held his attention hostage for a good ten minutes. Then he'd wandered a bit. Cosmic coincidences could never cease, for a tome he pulls out on a whim (freshly printed, too) spills open to a page with a ballad running along one side and a grim wood-cut illustration on the other. Seven children with their backs to the viewer stand dwarfed at the bottom, the silhouettes of thatched houses and trees (wrong details, wrong era, just like how the kids are dressed like Olympian tykes), all of which are engulfed in the shadow of the wicked djinn above. The face is painted in all the wrong ways, and the costume is jester-like with diamonds painting the sleeves and a jingle-belled cap sitting atop its head. But the smile is the same, shark-toothed and bright even rendered in ink.

Richie blanches at the sight. Starts murmuring the words.]

Beneath a town in the Valley of Maine
There lives a daemon, called by no name.
The folks above never have to think twice
With the gift of a year long sacrifice...

b-ii) Sing Me the Song of Your People

[Or perhaps the story he picks up is your own. Maybe you catch him reading a limerick from over his shoulder, or he could be holding up the book and comparing the illustration against the real thing from across the room.]

Oh — is this one you? Snoopy little fuckers, aren't they?

c) Smoke Gets in Your Eyes (Gen OTA + Possible NSFW for previous CR age 29+ only)

[He'd really gone done a terrible rabbit hole, picking up smoking again. First came the smokes, which was right before the apocalypse. Then came the weed after. Then there came the pills and the lines after the resurrection, though Richie has stayed his hand there soon after. Sorted himself mostly out, settled back into his usual discomfort instead of seeking absolute oblivion.

The stuff they offer here is kinder. It goes down sweetly, plumes out in pleasing clouds. He takes a puff before offering a round to the chum next to him, grin already going lazy as he sinks into the plush pillows.]

Feels a bit like Morocco. I've missed shishah, it's been ages since I've done the lounge stint like this.


iv) WILDCARD

((If there's anything else you'd like, hit me with a surprise prompt or pm me to discuss things!))

Rocket | ota

[beatupgrass]

ｉ． ＴＡＬＬ ＴＡＬＥＳ

[A person wandering through the library may overhear a drawling, heavily-accented voice speaking to seemingly no one, and were they to investigate, they'd find Rocket sprawled on a chair, dictating to a hastily writing quill.]

Okay, but make sure you spell that right, okay? I need the full brunt of how stupid this guy's name was on paper. T-A-S-E-R-F-A-C-E.

[For those of you who thought Rocket was going to let that die... You really don't know him. But that story seems to be finished and he stretches his arms over his head, clearly enjoying the hell out of this. ] Okay, one more.


ｉｉ． ＨＡＬＦ－ＰＲＩＣＥ ＦＬＹＩＮＧ

[A hundred silver for a short term flying potion? That's cute, but he doubts the Khal are going to be making a ton of money like that. As for Rocket, he has a better way of making money off their poor business skills.

He still has one extra aero-rig from when Ermes duplicated him a few to give to his friends, and it's that little disc he's passing from hand to hand as he sits in a tree casually, looking for disappointed passers-by as they stare up at the higher levels of the village.]

Hey. You wanna see the top of this place? Play a little skyball for half the price and none of the embarrassment?


ｉｉｉ． ＧＩＡＮＴ ＴＲＥＥＳ

[Rocket spends most of the day goofing off and making quick money, and he's about to retire to his accommodations for an evenings rest when he notices the two tree guardians moving about the village. He's instantly struck dumb by the sight of them, having never seen two of them at once, much less having never seen one that wasn't Groot.

Well, besides Manley, but that bastard doesn't count.

There's a weirdly nostalgic part of him that wants to get up on one's shoulder and ride for a bit, just to remember, but that's ridiculous and stupid and he is neither of those things... But he sure did take several pointed steps towards them, and then promptly try and turn around and walk away.

Oh hi, random bystander who probably observed all of this.]


ｉｖ． ＷＩＬＤＣＡＲＤ

[Available for any prompts you may want to toss at me except for the NSFW options, unless your definition of NSFW is "Give Rocket a fucking bath." You can PM me if you want a custom starter for something or catch me on plurk at tricksterwind]

John Sheppard | Semi-Open (Group B) & (Thesa Station)

[impavid]

THESA STATION (OTA)

This is not good.

Seeing the station the way it is makes John's skin prickle. Ominous messages are bad enough, but ominous messages combined with flickering power and a deserted ship make his heart speed up uneasily. The Station never really responded to him properly when he first turned up, but there's always a chance it... might, now. Anything is worth trying, even if he's on a time limit. Which is more important? Getting this place running, or the exchange? John has no idea, no doubt the Natha would know -- but they're not here.

He's doing laps of the ship: the mess hall, the hangers, the stasis pods, anywhere he might find someone or some kind of answer and muttering uneasily under his breath.

"Come on, come on you gotta help me out here! I don't know how any of this works!"

As far as anyone might be able to tell, he's either talking to himself or the walls of the ship. If he's expecting an answer or not is a toss up -- but, every so often John steps in front of a screen and squints at it pleadingly. After a moment, an undecipherable piece of audio plays to him. He bangs the wall in agitation, braces his hands against it and takes a slow breath. Rodney. Why didn't they wake up Rodney? Rodney was better at this. Rodney would know what to do.

Group B
i)
John is no stranger to terrible weather, nor to escort missions. He's focused, tactical, and carries himself with the air of someone who knows what they're doing.

At the same time, though, he has an oddly casual and irreverent air in conversation once they get started. If you didn't know him, you might not be sure he's taking this seriously -- although close attention would spot that his eyes are always tracking their surroundings.

If you do know him, you're probably more aware that he's just like this all the time.

He chooses to walk beside the carriage, since the roads are wet and slow going anyway, which means he can stop and dig out the wheels whenever it gets stuck.

Unsticking wheels is a two person job, though.

He's wrapped up reasonably warm, and the cloaks are coated to keep most of the water off, but he's still got water running onto his face and neck and hands. Finishing up he straightens, turns to whoever is at the back of he carriage this time.

"All right," he yells, hoping they can hear over the rain. "Push on three! Ready?"

His hands move to the side of the carriage to help move it.

"One..."

Hopefully you're strong enough to help push.

ii)

Hooded figures in the road are never a good sign.

At first, John has some distant hope that maybe their welcoming party at the outpost just mixed up the 'heroic attire' handbook with 'ominous villain'. That any moment they'd pull down the hoods and set off some streamers, break out some beer and cupcakes.

It doesn't happen. It doesn't happen and they've clearly walked into a trap, and he doesn't even have a gun. What he wouldn't give for a gun.

"Protect the carriage!"

Just in case anyone had any ideas of doing anything else. He draws the blade he has on him and slams himself bodily into a bandit lunging for someone nearby, glances quickly to make sure they're unhurt before moving to engage another.

[ ooc; if you prefer to switch to brackets I'll match ]

Olivier Armstrong | ota (more or less)

[wallofbriggs]

❚ Group A

[She doesn't mind the trek on foot or the rain - together it's a right pain in the ass however. Why had no one come up with actual roads that didn't dissolve into mud and potholes on this planet?

After the cart fell into a particularly large one, comes the suggestion.]

Why can't we just carry the damn thing?

❚❚ When in Khalo...part 1 (gen or nsfw (characters over 30 please for the second)

[After too much time spent on the road soaking wet and covered in mud, a distraction is in order. The smoking lounges and their promises of new experiences is a good place to start. The smoke smells a hell of a lot better than some of the crap her men used to end up smoking between supply runs.

There's a relaxed hum of pleasure after she lets out a cloud of smoke.]

You know, I can think of a few people I'd like to fumigate with this stuff.

❚❚❚ When in Khalo...part 2

[Nudity is one thing. Public nudity in front of a crowd is something else. Public bathing bathing?

Olivier is still relaxed after the smoking lounge and honestly couldn't care less. She has her hair pinned up to keep it dry as she slips into the water.]

The only thing missing is a temperature setting.

❚❚❚❚ Wild Card

((OOC: generic offer of make your own prompt if these don't work or feel free to PM me or hit me up at purkle))

Waver Velvet | Khalo | OTA

[chickenhearted]

A - Entering Khalo cw drug use

[ Waver has been having doubts about Wyver lately, so what better way to explore those doubts than to go somewhere new? He gets swept up in the excitement about the village opening and decides to check it out for himself. What could possibly go wrong when you're Waver Velvet, right. He ventures to the South Outpost and is given the fyrra, which he thinks nothing of. If he has to smoke something to get in, that's the least of his worries.

It's easy for him to light up and get to puffing, perhaps a nod to his future of cigar smoking, but after a while, he starts to feel a bit...loopy. Lighthearted, definitely. Like all his cares are dissolving and the weight he forces himself to carry on his shoulders drifts away. ] Ah...this is quite nice, actually...

[ He expects something nice to follow, but is only met by more swamp to walk through. ] Seriously? [ And yet, he can't find himself getting upset the way he might normally. He just shrugs and begins to walk, turning to the closest person. ] Come on. It's probably not far. [ Little does he know. ]

B - Enchanted Library

[ Of course the nerd would end up in the library at some point. It's in his blood, his genetic make-up, to just find books and plant himself down to read them. As he enters, he looks around in awe at all the moving quills. Eventually he steps closer to see what they're writing about. He's careful not to upset them, despite the growing curiosity of wondering what would happen if he did.

That's when he spots some familiar words. They're writing about Fuyuki, though it doesn't blatantly say so. He would recognize the "tale" anywhere. It's his own! Blinking wide eyed at it, he steps closer, reading through the lines. Then it dawns on him what specific part they're writing about, and he turns a bright beet red.

"The gigantic man stood, crossing his arms, but he was not wearing any pants. So his equally gigantic—" Waver quickly yanks the page out of the way. But another takes its place. "— slapped against the smaller man's face—"] That's not... THAT'S NOT WHAT HAPPENED!!!!

[ It is what happened. (nsfwish) ]

C - Accommodations nsfw ok!

[ Currently Waver lives the hoboish life in Wyver. He's on the very bottom of the food chain, and so coming to Khalo village, where they're treated to rooms fit for sultans? It's very, very different. And very, very welcome. Waver kicks off his shoes and quietly eases into the many soft cushions in the room, letting out a great sigh of relief. This is heavenly, really. Fan him with a leaf and feed him grapes and he'd be in paradise.

But he'll just have to make do with an offering of fyrra instead. While not one to really recreationally use drugs or anything like that, he remembers the pleasant feeling it left him with before, and so he ventures to try it again. What's the harm, right? He's in good company ... probably.

Once he's smoked some and relaxes back against the cushions again, he sighs once more, kind of unconsciously leaning toward the nearest person sharing his accommodations. ] Mm, this is nice. If only we could stay here...

D - Nude baths

[ It's not the first time Waver has stripped down to bathe somewhere in this world, so he's a little less apprehensive about it than in the past. Still, he's keeping to himself, trying to go unnoticed as he exposes his scrawny little body by removing his clothing. Hopefully no one's looking at him until he gets down in the water, where it obscures things. It sure is nice though, the moment the water envelops him. It's crisp and refreshing, and he's needed this a lot more than he's realized.

Clearly he's a little too content, and needs his space to be invaded. ]

Yusei Fudo | Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's

[planetary_bonds]

[a. skyball]

[Yusei's always been a thrillseeker at heart. It doesn't seem like it, considering how reserved he acts, but there's a reason why he joined a gang at fourteen, challenges authority on the regular and mods his own motorcycles.

A sport like Skyball? Sign him up.

It's a rare sight for most people to see Yusei laughing openly, especially these past few months, but that's exactly what he's doing once he gets into the swing of things. He's not the most athletic person around, but he's definitely fit and healthy, and being able to fly certainly helps him keep up once he learns the rules.

At least until his dose runs out mid-flight.

Oddly enough, Yusei doesn't react with much shock, instead grinning as he continues to hurtle towards the ground while fishing through his pockets. Somehow, he manages to take out a second dose of the flight potion (when did you get that, Yusei? Did you just ask for all of them at once or something? stole seconds? honey...) and gulp it down, and it takes effect mere seconds from him landing messily on the field. The surprise it causes lets him steal the ball from a Khalian opponent and kick it away towards his team, still reeling from the rush.]

Haaah...so it really does take effect quickly...

[That's said while grinning wildly (okay...it's a small smirk, but it's a pretty wild grin for him, okay), just barely having swooped back up a few feet off the ground in time. What a ridiculous stunt...reckless, highly reliant on chance, slightly suicidal...

Yep, that's Yusei.]

[b. library]
[i. it's been almost a year?]

[July 15th? That can't be right. Has it really been already almost a year? And yet, the dates match up. But - wait - if these people have been so isolated, how have they managed to keep up with all these happenings, and collecting all these stories? How strange.

He looks out for the closest person he can find, face serious.]

Don't you find something strange about all this?

[ii. fanfiction]

[Yusei's face is a mix between confusion and grief. What sort of mockery is this? The first piece of parchment with a vague description of a card game similar to Duel Monsters had piqued his interest, but another one with a somewhat inaccurate sketch of the Crimson Dragon's symbol gave him pause and caused him to look over the card game's description again.

And now in his hands is this:]

There once were warriors five
To fight against darkness revived.
Won with dragons and cards
And the power of stars,
But in the end, the world didn't survive.

[Who wrote this? Yusei glares at the small venasou that guided him here, as if it's somehow responsible for this.

It simply floats in place, uncaring.]

[c. wildcard]

[feel free to make your own prompt or contact me at emexceedschangezearu to plot!]

Mephisto Pheles | Olympia/Khalo/Thesa | OTA

[meinwaifu]

1. Obligatory Night at the Museum Joke
A rather curious thing, don't you think?

[Mephisto gestures at the heart to whoever is standing nearby. The ever-present beating is starting to bother him a way he can't quite place, and to be left with it alone in silence has him feeling strangely antsy. Sure, he could just leave, but then he wouldn't learn anything about it! But as a demon who already actively relishes his own selfish wants and desires, the actual effects of the heart won't be too apparent on him. Unfortunately, the same probably can't be said for his companion...]

How long do you suppose it's continued to beat like this?


2. Mushroom Madness
[The strange forest of fungi is probably weird enough without having the silence of suddenly broken by the sound of someone sneezing. But that's exactly what's going to happen, and coming over to investigate the source will reveal Mephisto sitting on top of a rather large mushroom, handkerchief in hand and looking a tad bit miserable. But when he spots someone else standing in the area, he seems to perk up a little! Of course, he sounds awful too -- does he have a cold??]

Ah, excellent timing! Do excuse the abruptness-- but would you mind helping me with something?


3. FanFiction.nysa
[As soon as Mephisto found the Enchanted Library, he more or less set up shop there in terms of reading just about anything he can get his hands on. The sheer amount of information being recorded is overwhelming, even if (as he discovers rather quickly) it's not always accurate. He can be found here:]

A - Reading Rainbow
[--lounging with his boots propped up on the desk in front of him, leaning back in his chair rather precariously. It looks like it would only take a slight shove to make the chair fall out from under him, for any troublemakers in the area. For anyone else, he doesn't seem to be paying much attention outside of the book he's reading through. Curious to see what he's reading? If someone gets too close and tries to peek over his shoulder, he'll speak up without even turning to look.] It's rather rude to read over one's shoulder, you know.

B - Local Man Yells at Book
[--staring in ABSOLUTE HORROR at something being actively written by a rather eager little quill floating in the air. There's a group of khali women standing nearby giggling -- having seen all too well what was being written there, clearly recording the memories of the man yelling at the quill to stop it.] --if it has to be embarrassing, at least make it accurate!! That's entirely out of character for me, you know!


4. Paranormal Activity
[Thesa station has certainly seen better days, what with the creepy looping track of Darma speaking over the intercom despite no trace of her or her companions to be found, and the flickering lights adding a bit of spookiness too it all. The passageway Mephisto happens to be in right now is entirely shrouded in darkness, save for the light of the stars visible outside a nearby viewing window. But naturally, for a demon like Mephisto, this means nothing. He can see just fine regardless.]

[But the person standing in the middle of the darkness who clearly can't? Well now, this looks like it could be fun...]

[And so he pulls a piece of silver out of his pocket and throws it over into a corner -- creating a nice loud clatter to try and spook them while he's still unseen.]


4. Wildcard
[Hit me up on plurk at randomsnarfle if you wanna plot out something specific!]

Setsuna F. Seiei | Gundam 00

[jesus_is_gundam]

I. Kahlo Village - Taming Fields

[Setsuna isn't used to working with wild animals, and it shows. While he's managed to understand the training he's received, putting it into action has proven difficult, and the eighrei he's chosen as his temporary mount doesn't seem to want to cooperate with him. The beast doesn't seem to mind his presence, and is fine with eating out of his hand, but every attempt to mount it ends with Setsuna being shrugged off. After his latest try sent him tumbling to the grass, he can only pick himself, dust himself off, and stare at the creature who hasn't moved off, almost as if its daring him to try again.]

I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Do you have any ideas?


II. TFLN, 4:20 Edition, un:iamgundam

[Whether the message is meant for you or not, whether you even know the sender or not, you get a strange text sent to your device.]

a. I'm in the back of the lounge, it looks like outer space and everything feels like rice.

b. Time is starting to glow.

c. There's glitter everywhere but no one is naked this time.

d. I feel bad for the whales, they'll never experience outer space.

[Respond if you dare]


III. Khalo - Accommodations | Potentially NSFW | Potential Telepathy (opt-in if you wish if you want him to get a sense of your character's thoughts)

[For once, Setsuna looks relaxed. He's laying back against a large pillow, his hands resting behind his head as he stares up at a patch of the night sky. If anyone takes a closer look, they may notice that his eyes are glowing slightly. He isn't smoking any fyrra, but there's plenty around should anyone want some. It isn't a concern at the moment.]

This place is peaceful. I don't know if it will stay that way.


IV. Thesa Station - Observation Room

[That message from Darna, being played back on an endless loop, it was less than comforting. Setsuna's been in the observation room for some time, trying to get some information out of the computers, but nothing there is responding to any of his input.]

This console isn't working. Are you able to get a response from over there?

Ianto Jones | Torchwood | OTA, semi-closed, & closed

[torchwoodteaboy]

OLYMPIAN PRESERVATION
Ianto is a researcher. An archivist. He works with historical alien artifacts himself, or at least he had, back on Earth. So the thought of getting to peruse the exhibition that Olympia has put together is almost too good to be true. He spends as much time as he can strolling between row after row of sculpture and statue, weapon and suit of armor, reading every plaque he can locate and trying to place its historical significance. Soaking up as much information as he can on this new city he's settled into, in case for some reason it should come in useful one day. One never knows...

A.
So this is the Heart of Ysverai. Ianto wonders if it shouldn't be bigger, but then he doesn't know the first thing about dragons other than what he's heard or read so who can say. It appears to be glowing, and moreover beating, even though it has been separated from its body for more time than Ianto really wants to consider, since organs aren't supposed to function on their own period. There's no wonder it's a priceless artifact. Just looking at it gives him goosebumps, though perhaps it is for the wrong reasons.

"The Heart of the great dragon," he reads aloud. "And the Skull of the Hero Nithor, wasn't it? Seems rather morbid, if you ask me."

B.
The whole business with encouraging the visitors to spend the night in the Palace Court seems like a red flag, as far as Ianto is concerned. Especially when they are given no reason other than for the experience. He supposes there must be some special event or another, and so he returns after dark to wander the spaces between the artifacts once more, trying to gleam something that he might have missed the first go around.

He's just found himself in yet another row of racks of weaponry when there comes a sound from behind him. He turns, meaning to excuse himself out of the way of another visitor, and --

the sounds of metal ring all around and in the distance there comes the cry of a creature he has never heard before. an arrow spins through the air towards him and he raises his shield to deflect it easily. the arrow distracts him from the dagger in his neighbor's hand, which he does not see before it is too late and--

Ianto gasps, raising a hand to his chest and expecting to find blood there but there is nothing. No wound, no pain, no battle around him. What the hell?

THOSE THAT SEEK PEACE, AND THOSE THAT SEEK--; group b
Ianto really doesn't know why he's along for this journey. Well, that's a lie. It's because he's a member of the Diplomatic Council, at least in principle, because they need support staff and that's what he does, that's what he's good at. But he's no guard, and he's no diplomat. He's just there to make certain all the t's are crossed and the i's are dotted and everyone important enough to make this mission a success isn't wanting for anything.

Which is easier said than done considering he's still trying to get a feeling of the lay of the land himself. It would be easier if they weren't traveling by carriage, for a starter. And if it would just stop raining, for another.

"It's worse than bloody Wales, this is," Ianto mutters to himself, as he pulls his cloak tighter around himself and realizes that the party has, for the larger part, stopped moving. "Is there a problem?"

((ooc: could be potholes or bandits, open to either possibility!))

AFTERMATH; closed to jim
The party's arrival to Wyver was supposed to be a more celebratory event. The trade of Nithor's skull for Ysverai's heart, it was supposed to signal a gesture of goodwill between the two cultures, strengthen their trust. And instead here they have arrived, no Heart, tired, beaten, and bedraggled, and god only knows what's become of the other group.

So far, at least, it doesn't seem as though they're pointing the blame at the party themselves. They had tried their best, after all. It still doesn't help Ianto feel any better. They'd failed their mission, and he can see it in their faces, they all feel terrible for it. A priceless artifact, stolen from their watch.

It's no use turning around to head back now. No use trying to pick up the pieces and form some other plan of attack, not so run down as they all are. Ianto spends a little time wandering around the city with his roommate, John, but he can tell that their failure is bothering him as well and when he hands Ianto some money and begs off to meet up with other friends, Ianto lets him go. He finds himself something to eat and waits the appropriate amount of time to know that John isn't going to meet back up with him that night after all. And then he pulls out his mobile to make a call.

"Jim? It's Ianto." He sounds exhausted. "Are you there?"

((ooc: prose or brackets, will match style))

[milesedgelord]

Library:

[Miles was absolutely amazed by the large library that he was lead to. He was even more perplexed by the quills that were busy writing amongst themselves. Even though he logically knew that things like magic existed it was still hard for him to grasp on an intellectual level. He may have been gaping a little bit. He exclaimed in wonder.]

Do these things just know what to put down on their own or is there someone dictating what to write somewhere?

This is incredible.

[He squinted through his glasses at what was being written and was even more surprised when it all sounded so familiar. He scoffed.]

These are glaringly inaccurate! If half my staff were this efficient, there would be no crime in Los Angeles.

Who do I speak to for corrections?!

[He wanted to speak to the manager.]

Accomadations: [NSFW likely]

[The setting was something out of a fantasy movie, from back in his own world. Miles was impressed by the lush cushions and thick carpeting that the lounges had. There were people all about in different states of relaxation, smoking, and laughing, amongst other activities. It was strange to say but he was starting to get used to this type of scene.

He made himself comfortable with a drink in hand, one of the hosts offered him some fyrra, going on about its restorative qualities. Indeed his muscles were sore and strained, so he complied without much complaint.]

Have you had the chance to try this before?


Wildcard:

(If none of these are working are working for you, hit me up on peacockdance and I'll be happy to set something up. Smut options available to CR only.)

Shell Overlord | Khalo | OTA!

[steponme]

1. Fanfact-or-fiction
[Within the Enchanted Library, it's easy enough to spot Shell wandering around the archives, staring at the enchanted quills with a look of wonder. But eventually, he's going to wind up finding something that hits a little too close to home... because it's about his home. But how exactly do you find him?]

[He can either be found (A) sitting in a corner and clutching a book in his shaking hands as he tries very hard not to cry, (B) looking flustered in front of a quill that's actively writing something and trying in vain to steal away the paper it's writing on to make it stop, or (C) reading a book with a completely disgusted look on his face... and yet he keeps turning the pages.]


2. Skinny Dip
[For anyone hoping to avoid the eyes of any natives and steal a quick dip in the Crescent late at night will find that they aren't the only one with that idea. As the twin moons peek out from behind the treetops, illuminating the water, Shell can be easily seen standing in a spot where the water is only up to his waist. Between his pale skin and bright green eyes that seem to flash whenever they catch the light, there's definitely a certain ethereal quality to him right now...]

[But let's be real, y'all gonna be distracted by the fact that his skin is goddamn littered in bite marks, and certainly not the sort caused by a dog or something. Goddammit Chuuya.]

[He doesn't realize he's not alone just yet, talking quietly to himself.] It feels cooler now... maybe the wind is helping...


3. A Vampire in the Sun
[Shell hasn't been sleeping too well as of late, between the heat and the need for strange hours (or at least, strange for him, seeing as he's usually nocturnal). So it's no surprise that he's been catching naps here and there to make up for it. But while he planned for a little nap outside in the shade, he was asleep long enough for the sunlight to have shifted, now blanketing him in it.... or at least it would be, if not for the large mossley that's decided to curl up beside him, shielding him from the sun. Did it sense he was looking a little overheated? It looks pretty content either way.]

[Shell will instinctively cuddle up against the side of anyone who sits next to him -- but only for a little while. Because if someone doesn't try and wake him up, he might just get rudely awoken by a nightmare instead...]


4. Is that a Weed?? | nsfw (ota 18+, but m/m only for smut if it happens)
[While most of the smoking lounges smelled of fyrra, one in particular has a rather different scent coming out it. The distinct scent of roses can be smelled wafting in from a little secluded corner in one of the fancier lounges. And as the source of the smell, Shell can be found laying in a large pile of pillows, arms stretched out on either side of him and a very relaxed expression on his face. He's taken quite a liking to the fyrra, having never really indulged in anything quite like this at home. He's spent more time than he'd care to admit here.]

[But the effect it has on him is pretty notable -- namely, that is encourages him to use his pheromones, which always seem to malfunction with all the fyrra in the air. Rather than the usual effect of forcing anyone around him into submission, the pheromones only leave a faint rosey smell in the air. But there is one additional (ooc: and completely optional) side effect -- the rosey scent acting as a sort of aphrodisiac. Shell's aware of it, but at the moment, unconcerned with it. And so, he'll just smile warmly at anyone who comes by curious as to why there's seemingly an invisible rose garden over here.]

Say... would you like to sit and talk for a while? It's a little lonely over here by myself.


5. Wildcard
[Hit me up on plurk at randomsnarfle if you wanna plot something else out!]