Day 8: Morning

[wizardseason]

Morning: 6:00am - 12:00noon

[ IRL Timeframe: February 10th, 2020 - February 19th 26th, 2020 ]

After the events of Day 7 and the chaos that it brought, the heroes have learned a number of things that most of them still aren't sure they're ready to know. What will they do with their knowledge? How will they share it with each other? How will--

At about 6AM, everyone receives a text from Garrot. Anyone who saw him the evening before may be surprised to see him forming complete sentences and, uh, threatening everyone? Is he okay? Anyone brave enough to want to text him back?

What a great start to the day, an early text. But that's... surprisingly the only shake-up? It's eerily calm.

The Protector had been knocked out to sea by the Wizard, spawning a number of serious worried conversations on social media. Is he okay? Was he dead? Is it time to panic? There were plenty of memes, too. Like the wizard in the foreground with sunglasses, a golf club, and a wide smile with the protector in the background and the words "time to go golfing" memed accross the image. At least some people were still in a joking mood.

The Wizard, too, had a collection of social media posts about her current circumstances. The overall opinion was that she was way scarier than before, was she a terminator? Wizardinator?

To make matters worse, Sxicq was missing. The hashtag #childlookout was trending with almost hourly updates of the island. Sxicq didn't make themselves difficult to find, which meant that spotting them even from distant photos or drone snaps was pretty straightforward. But there was no sign of their characteristic glow or disruptions anywhere. No bigfoot-esque sightings in the back of other photos. No panic that they were eating entire restaurants' stocks of food.

Nothing.

Talk about a calm before the storm, especially since Eight had alluded to several of the heroes that there was still going to be a fight today.

It turns out to be another opportunity for the heroes to collect themselves, gather information, and get themselves on stable ground. It's warmer today, and there are passing waves of light rain all over the island. Little drizzle showers that stick around just long enough to make you seek shelter, but not so long that you wonder when it'll let up. The sun dares to peek through every now and then, occasionally at the same time as the drizzling rain.

Eighth Morning Event: None.

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The Weather

• Light rain.
• 68°F / 20°C
• A gentle breeze.

---

Prompts:

• 6:00am The Text, All Cities: "Mandatory medical exams today at 8AM at Far Haven General. The front desk will see you're escorted. You will be frisked, multiple times. Hospital staff says no weapons, no chaos. We can't piss them off.
  
  That means nobody gets their animal companions, since some of you are idiots. They'll be left at the front door before going off on a guided tour. If you or yours don't cooperate, it will be assumed that you want to harm the Princess and you will die.
  
  See you then!"
  
  At about 6AM, everyone receives that text from Garrot. Anyone who saw him the evening before may be surprised to see him forming complete sentences and, uh, threatening everyone? Is he okay? Anyone brave enough to want to text him back?


• 8:08am Eight, All Cities: Anyone who decides they're going to text Eight to make a plan will find that he doesn't answer any of his texts until 8:08am. He replies to everyone all at once, at exactly 8:08 and 8 seconds. Whether your hero sent one text at 6am, or eight texts between 6 and 8am, all the answers come at exactly the same time. If anyone asks to go to the garden, they'll be deposited on the landing pad in the garden... at 8:08am. Predictable.


• 9:00am The Wizard, The Garden: The Wizard can be found in the vegetable section of the garden for any heroes who go looking for her. She's tending to the plants, picking weeds, watering the beds, and preparing new sprouts to grow in the empty spaces.


• ?:00am Anywhere, All Cities: Surely your character has to be getting up to something this morning, somewhere. This is a general catchall post for any threads among heroes that occurs. Whatever your character is getting up to, however they're preparing, or however they're coping. This is the place for it. Eight said there was going to be a fight this afternoon, after all, so there's something on the horizon at least!

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Procedure:

Reply to the appropriate toplevel comments for events below. Indicate if a post is a private conversation with "Private" in the subject otherwise all threads should be open to interaction with others. Plan OOCly how you'd like to toss everyone around.

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Activity Check: February 2020

[ IRL Timeframe: February 1st - February 29th, 2020 ]

Comments

Luka infodump

[eutychia]

Luka leaves that text firmly on 'read' status. He listened, half-awake, as the screen reader rattled out Garrot's message. Garrot's planning something, he thinks. It doesn't sound like an emergency. Those precautions technically don't apply to the Princess anyway. And it's 6 AM, far too early to be 'thinking about things' after the events of the previous day. So Luka drops his phone back onto the bed beside him unceremoniously and sleeps in for awhile longer.

When Luka finally does arrive to the meeting, he's late. Not terrible late, but noticeably so. He's carrying a large iced coffee with an excessive amount of whipped cream on top, and wearing one of his signature pairs of ridiculously expensive sunglasses.

He'll use Gyre's presentation as a segue into his own sharing of information.

"I'll take any questions." He says flatly after finishing, flourished with a long sip from his coffee. "But that's about all I know."

[daddykong]

"What pieces of shit." The words are about as even and cool as Garrot can manage in his current state. His arms are crossed, and he's looking towards but past Luka and scowling.

"You're telling me they have a one-in-four success rate when things go well, and they made a bet?!" The last word is hissed, swimming in rage. "Stupid, reckless fucking idiots." He groans, rolling his eyes and planting his face in his palm as he loses anything resembling respect for either of the alleged scientists. You do not make jokes and bets when there are countless lives at stake! But the facepalm gesture seems to pacify the eruption Garrot seemed close to letting loose, if only for now.

"What do you think it means, power for a contract?"

[eutychia]

"Yep, that's what he said. It was on the first night I spoke to him." He takes a sip of his drink before continuing. "I think they made that deal with Sxicq, but he didn't say anything about them at that time."

His hand that isn't holding a frappe drums its fingers on the table audibly while Luka rolls through the memory in his mind.

"It's an annoying phrase, isn't it? I think Sxicq might have wanted power. The contract is this whole affair of fighting to save the world. Every year they buy another year of safety - must be part of the contract."

[daddykong]

"Sxicq?" There's a sharp emphasis on the name, and suddenly Garrot scoffs. He's looking down on you for that leap in logic, Princess. "No, I think this was between the two of them. They're colleagues, and they're not great at their job." He crosses his arms, though of course Luka can't see it. Pouty jerk!

"Sxicq's stronger than both of them." The words are matter-of-fact, but it's the sort of thing that's pretty obvious to anyone who goes near the child. "The bet was probably a way to keep them from having a shittier track record once things went sour." Garrot takes a second to grumble and sigh. Pouty jerk!

"Do you really think Sxicq would agree to being trapped in that mountain?" That'd be a whole different situation altogether, if Sxicq was cooperative forty years ago.

[eutychia]

“The way he phrased it,” Luka starts, a clear and growing agitation with Garrot’s contempt in his voice. Who does this guy think he is! “It sounded like a contract he and the Wizard made with someone else. Setting up a stupid contract like this for no reason is ridiculous and nonsensical, beyond even what I think they’re capable of.”

Though Luka can’t see Garrot, his own body language sours in a way that mirrors the man’s.

“And maybe Sxicq is so powerful because they asked for power. I don’t think Sxicq expected or knew they’d be sealed away. That’s something the Protector did to them against their will.”

[daddykong]

There's just this... annoyed grunt from Garrot once Luka finishes talking. They don't actually know the terms of the bet, or even who was involved. If Luka's so sure that Sxicq could be an active party, it's absolutely a possibility.

"So why don't we just ask them?" Garrot says it like it's the most obvious thing in the world, like everyone in the room but him should feel stupid for not suggesting it first. "The Protector won't say shit, but Sxicq and the Wizard might. Unless they're both planning on lying about it."

Part of Garrot wants to tell Luka to talk to the Protector, but... uh... no. Fuck that? He's supposed to keep the Princess out of danger, and he can't do that if he has to stop himself from going rabid and getting himself killed.

[eutychia]

"I'll try." Luka doesn't hesitate to agree to the proposition. "I have some other burning questions for the Protector, anyway. Just... don't get your hopes too high for any clear answers. All three of them can obfuscate the facts like their lives depend on it."

He pauses.

"Well, they kind of do."

[daddykong]

"They kind of don't." Garrot scoffs at the notion. "If the monsters can decide not to die, then why can't they?" It's an obvious option, at least to him, but he also knows that it's complicated because there's some, uh, tension between those three.

"What are you thinking about asking him?" The question is a stark departure from gruff and grumpy grumbling. There's a hint of actual interest! And... hesitation. "Should I come with you?"

[eutychia]

"I don't think the monsters decide not to die. Some of them, like Ten, can choose not to fight - but that doesn't preclude them from experiencing death." Luka corrects him, somewhat pedantically. "But well, if either the Protector or Sxicq had their way I think the other two would be six feet under by now."

His answer for Garrot's next question is simple.

"I want to ask him why he killed Zafika and Joanna."

[daddykong]

Garrot looks unconvinced that the monsters are unable to choose. Those were Ten's direct words, after all! But there's a lot he doesn't know about the monsters and how they work.

Luka's question stops all of that dead in its tracks though.

"Why do you think he did it?" The insight might not matter, but with what Gyre and Luka shared and what Garrot knows, no motive will bode well for them all.

[eutychia]

"Those wounds on their bodies. Seth had one much the same." Luka says solemnly. Its imagery he's loathe to dredge up, but necessary. "Gyre said they were precise, just over each of their hearts. Monsters like Seven don't kill like that."

It's possible the Wizard may have done it, but unlikely in Luka's eyes. The Protector said that she could only kill in declared duels. Why and when would those two have dueled her? And isn't her weapon a hammer?

"I have no idea. Maybe they walked into something they shouldn't have, like Seth did." He sighs. "That's why I want to ask him. I want to hear his justification."

[daddykong]

Garrot's memory of their trek into the mountain wasn't the best, but he absolutely remembers being with Gyre and Luka as they were right next to Seth's body. The rest was a blur, but there were obvious similarities between the three Knights' wounds.

"What if you don't like his explanation?" Garrot's words are pointed, almost like he's trying to hurt the Princess. "What if he doesn't like you questioning him and he decides to kill you?"

Wouldn't be the first time the Protector has done that in the last day or so.

[eutychia]

"I probably won't like his explanation." Luka says, dryly. "He's never been good at explaining."

Luka takes a moment to consider Garrot's second question. It was a natural possibility to consider, and Luka had considered it before.

"I want to think his first reaction wouldn't be to skewer me but... I don't know - if he's responsible for killing the Knights in the cave, then it's clearly not off the table. Maybe I'll confront him in public so he can't pull anything. I'll post where I'm going online so there will surely be a crowd."

There was strength in numbers, after all. And strength in desperate paparazzi and adoring fans all with their cameras out.

[sustainer]

Gyre sits in stunned silence for several moments. Most of what Luka said, he can fit in with what he already knew, but there are two pieces that make his mind go blank each time he tries to think about them.

"There were..." he starts, hesitating for a second. Which side of this should he ask about first? The more hopeful one, probably, right? "Did he say how they were able to save the three that they saved?"

[eutychia]

Luka shakes his head. “Not specifically... I think they must have been doing the same method they tried to do here. If it worked on three planets. Sxicq was a variable they hadn’t accounted for, which got them wrapped up in all of this.”

He half-shrugs, gesturing with a free hand.

“But that begs the question of what the cause of the other planets’ destruction was. If Sxicq is unique to our planet, it can’t just be them wanting to leave that’s the root cause, right?”

[sustainer]

"They might be," he says, glancing upwards as he thinks back to this conversation. He had gotten the impression that they had done this a few times, but knowing that Sxicq might be the one difference feels important. If they're going to figure this out, they need all those pieces.

"She told me about one. The one before this. She said something in the center was wrong, and they were trying to change it when it failed. Here, the fact that Sxicq was alive meant they had to seal it, seal them inside instead of change them." He sounds unsure the entire time he's speaking, wondering if he should go back to the Wizard and ask more about the past. It hadn't seemed important at the time since she'd said their world was so different than the others.

[eutychia]

Luka's equally unsure, taking a long pause as he tries to sort out exactly what Gyre's explaining.

"So... it wasn't so much the concept of Sxicq that's unique, but the fact that they're alive? Like, the previous planet had some similar energy, but it wasn't in the form of a sentient being. Makes sense deciding on how to deal with something like that might cause a schism."

This is definitely something that requires more research. It feels like encountering the tiny sliver of an iceberg above sea level and knowing just how much more is unseen beyond the surface.

"The Protector said that he 'adapted' the plan when things went off track, and that the Wizard resisted. I'll bet she didn't want to kill Sxicq."

[sustainer]

"Mmm," he murmurs pensively, biting the inside of his lip nervously. He can imagine the Protector making an immediate decision and refusing to back off of it. He can imagine that awful man deciding that their life was worth keeping imprisoned if it meant he could pretend to be the hero.

For a moment, he wonders if they told the worlds they saved that they had saved them. Are they worshiped as gods in other parts of that dark expanse?

"Or maybe she was fine with it until the ritual broke. Maybe once the companions and the monsters were born, it was too much for her to continue." He knows the Wizard did not start as some kind of morally superior person. Much as he hates to imagine it, he would believe that she'd throw one life away in order to solve the problem she saw. He can only hope she's learned, that she's better now.

[eutychia]

"That could be true. You know her better than I do, and it might explain why Sxicq isn't too fond of her. Of course, they don't have as much vitriol toward her as they do the Protector, but that makes sense."

Luka uses a hand to stir his coffee with the straw, taking the moment to think.

"I wonder what was so different about our planet to make Sxicq take the form that they do? It's interesting."

[sustainer]

He nods, glancing out one of the cracks in the wall. It puts a different weight on things to know that it was all a result of that little being. He's still not entirely sure what to think about it, especially after they made such a bad first impression on him.

"Maybe there are other places like this one. Other people like Sxicq," he muses, running a hand through his hair and scratching at his scalp. "Do you think the reason they want to leave is to go find more of their own?" This is pure speculation, of course, but it's a reminder to himself that he really needs to talk to them again.

[eutychia]

"It didn't sound like it to me. They said they'd go back to the Protector's home planet and fix it... so, I doubt they think they'll find anyone else there."

Luka's not sure why they'd specified that planet in particular, though. Maybe there was something special about these afflicted planets that made them inhabitable for beings like Sxicq.

"It sounded to me like Sxicq just wants somewhere to live in peace and freedom. Whether or not anyone else was there with them seemed negligible."

[sustainer]

It had felt not right as he was saying it, but hearing Luka confirm that they really just want to get away regardless of whether other people are going to be with them makes him that much more certain.

"Mm, that sounds more likely," he says, pausing a moment to consider. He wonders how different his impression of Sxicq might have been if he'd been able to just understand what they were saying without filtering it through Fen.

"How often have you been able to talk to them?"

[eutychia]

"Just the once, in the cafe a few days ago. I'd love to chat again but they're kind of elusive." Luka shrugs. It felt like he had hardly a free moment the past couple of days, and finding Sxicq was indeed no simple task.

"It sounded like you two didn't get along too well. But they love to eat. Maybe we should host a dinner for them?" Luka laughs, but he's not entirely joking. It wouldn't be the worst idea for getting a moment of Sxicq's time.

[sustainer]

"Hm," he grunts back, sounding immediately displeased with the idea. He can't deny that they like eating, but...

"When I met them the second time, they destroyed part of the building where they were eating," he says, and it's clear that this is the thing that left such a bad impression on him. When they'd destroyed the hospital, they'd been scared. The restaurant had felt like an act of pure disregard.

"If we're going to eat with them, we need to do it outside." He pauses a beat... "And I can't cook."

[eutychia]

Why did it seem like everyone else's encounters with Sxicq ended up leading to something being destroyed? Sure, Sxicq was a little volatile but they'd only been frustrating and rude at most with Luka.

"Well, me neither." Luka folds his arms. "We could hire catering? Or... Garrot can cook."

Luka recalls his conversation with Garrot on the mountain the other day, where Garrot claimed he could cook a meal worthy of introducing to Ten. He figures a cookout for Sxicq would be similar.

"We'd just need a lot of food."