Day 8: Morning

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.

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!

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.

Activity Check: February 2020

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

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Garrot has had an absolutely harrowing morning. He's had less-than-ideal sleep, organized a hopefully-black-box hospital meeting, and amassing all the knowledge that the others know. Then he shared his own, named his father's killer, had it out with Gyre, and left in an overly dramatic huff. And then he went to go question the Wizard while completely and regrettably sober.

The man needs a break! And as he gets that break, the others may find him in one of two places, doing one of two things.

They may catch him while he's still in his black suit in Twelve's Garden, near the lake. The suit's jacket and black shirt are hung conscientiously atop a nearby guidepost, his socks and shoes neatly at the base. Garrot himself is nearby, wearing a gray t-shirt and those suit pants.

He may be meditating, sitting cross-legged and breathing deeply with... a large pile of used tissues just next to a nearly-depleted box. Despite some sniffling, he seems pretty relaxed. On the other hand, he may be training, his breathing and movements deep and slow and deliberate as he runs through forms with his fists and staff like they're automatic.

Island-side, Garrot can be found in Craydon, doing much the same. His entire suit has been delicately folded and placed into a box nearby, and he's spending this time in that same t-shirt and a pair of workout shorts.

If he's found meditating, he's doing so on a fishing pier. As it's the middle of the morning, the way the fishers step around him and the way he remains utterly unflinching as they work probably warrants some questions. But if he's not meditating on the pier, he's taken to the beach for more intensive practice. Whether it's two swords, a kusarigama and gauntlet, or a sword and shield, he's clearly putting the Protector's gift to good use. His breathing is forceful, his movements are precise, and the force of the strikes is undeniable, whether due to the weapons whistling through the air or the heavy impacts against the sand. Try not to get sand in your eyes, spectators...

For the first time in maybe a week, Garrot seems to have found a few moments of peace. But even he knows that all peace is bound to end... when someone says hello.

Edited 2020-02-24 20:27 (UTC)

That 'hello', fortunately or unfortunately for Garrot, is coming in the form of Luka Eutychia.

Despite the weather, Luka's changed to a much lighter outfit suited for the beach. He kicks his shoes off into the sand and steps toward Garrot, careful not to come within range of his swings.

"I heard I might find you here." He announces himself, just in case Garrot failed to notice his approach. "Nice day for the beach."

It's not sarcastic, though Luka's fully aware of how ironic it sounds. The wind and bouts of rain reminds him of home, and the scent of ocean air was among his favorites. He couldn't feel more relaxed as he walks into a possibly precarious conversation.

Unfortunately for Luka, Garrot's right in the middle of running a form, and he's not going to just stop halfway. He needs to be at the top of his game, after all. The Monkey Knight definitely picked up on Luka before he announced himself, and the closest thing to an acknowledgement is that he... starts to curve the trajectory of his steps away from where he knows Luka is. The way that kusarigama is swinging, it's a basic courtesy. But suddenly, as soon as the Princess finishes bringing up the weather...

"Hah!" He lets out a forceful shout and Luka will definitely feel some sand flying through the air at him as the weapon thuds into the ground a good ten feet away. A moment later, there's a grunt, and suddenly the sound of two metal objects, in this case his gauntlet and the bladed weapon, scraping against each other.

And then... a dry, slightly exasperated laugh.

"I can't imagine you're here to observe, Princess." Then there's the faintest of sighs. Garrot was really, really enjoying this bit of uninterrupted private time filled with exercise and recalibration. But it had to end eventually, and better this than a stop for more troublesome reasons... or people. "How can I help you?"

In contrast to the drearier weather and his behavior earlier in the morning, Garrot's demeanor is surprisingly... warm. Hopefully it lasts.

Luka startles, nearly jumping back as he's unexpectedly sprayed with the sand knocked into the air by Garrot's swing. After it settles in what exactly just happened, he's gingerly wiping it from his hair and clothing.

"I can't say I am, though I'm sure you put on an excellent show." He smirks, shifting in place and putting a hand to his hip. "I'm here to more or less... touch base with you."

Luka cringes internally at his own use of the dreaded boardroom lingo - so uncool. But it was, for lack of a better phrase, what he intended with his visit.

"A lot has happened. Way too much to process, and with this morning, uh... I just wanted to see how you're doing." Luka explains. "Maybe I can help you unwind a bit."

"Are you coming onto me, Princess? Already?" Garrot scoffs, but it quickly slides into more of a chuckle as he eyes up the poor guy. Covered in sand, boardroom lingo, awkward flirting... the most graceful and articulate of international superstars. If he weren't so tired, he'd push that a little further, maybe start seriously flirting himself. Distractions are good. However...

"Exercise has countless physiological and psychological benefits, and meditation helps to balance the mind and the spirit. I've been doing both since I left." The words are surprisingly restrained and even from someone so often shouting and laughing. His volume is... bizarrely normal. There's a slight pulse of magic, and suddenly his weapons have disappeared and Garrot's... walking towards Luka. Loudly, like he's consciously driving his toes into the sand to telegraph his movements. He exhales forcefully through his nose, and the Princess will definitely feel his gaze locking right onto his face.

"I'm not going to just start crying about grief and trauma that you don't understand." There's an undeniable edge of annoyance and frustration in his voice as he asks that question, and the sound of his steps stop a good five feet from Luka. It's not helpful for morale to say that he'd be better off processing everything on his own as he gets his emotions back in check. If Luka's worried, the others probably are too. But every moment that Luka's distracting him is another moment he's not practicing or meditating or processing.

"I don't have the time or energy to deal with you being vague and cowardly." The words sound cold, but they're spoken with that encouraging confidence and force that proves he's not completely dead inside. "What's the biggest thing on your mind that had you track me down?"

Even when he's rebuilding from burnout, he's still controlling things...

Edited 2020-02-28 04:22 (UTC)

"If that's how you want to read into my approach, who am I to stop you?" He shrugs, his tone lighthearted and impish despite Garrot's initial scoff of judgement.

He's still brushing off stray sand as Garrot stops his training and makes his approach. Luka's about to open his mouth and respond to his exercise explanation when Garrot stops short in front of him and drops some pretty heavy assumptions.

"I-," he begins, and Luka feels his face flush with embarrassment. He wasn't used to being so boldly called out like this! "I didn't expect you to just sob into my shoulder like a baby, you know. But maybe you should try it, because it might be cathartic for you."

He folds his arms defensively, and then Garrot uses the word 'cowardly' to describe him and Luka feels himself boiling over as the rest of Garrot's question melts away unnoticed.

"Oh, I apologize that my concern for your well-being is irritating to you." He says through clenched teeth, one foot digging into the sand beneath him. "I wanted to cheer you up, that's why I came out here. I didn't want you to be angry and alone when all of the Knights seem to be dropping dead like flies. But fine, keep being stubborn and obstinate if you really want to end up in that cave like the rest of them!"

His last words are nearly shouted, and when Luka finishes he's breathing heavy with his hands balled into fists at his side. This definitely didn't go the way he was hoping it to, oops.

Garrot has been fiercely regaining control of his emotions for most of this morning. Contemplating how betrayed he feels by the world and his father, how scared he is of the Protector, and how much his loved ones will hate him if the world has to die. This is nothing by comparison. So he watches and waits as Luka reacts and lashes out and raises his voice. And Garrot just sighs.

"There it is." The words are just a little condescending, as if Luka's concerns were trivial. "There's your true colors." Then he chuckles, condescending and goading, like he wants nothing more than to piss Luka off, to get his emotions out in the open.

But then he's moving, masterfully quick and surgically precise. He steps forward and snakes his arms around Luka's waist and ribcage, his hands resting on the Princess's shoulder and the small of his back. His hands begin to pull, and the Princess is brought into a powerful hug, his face gently meeting Garrot's chest.

"I'm sorry I worried you." His voice is warm and soothing, as if Luka was his son who just scraped his knee. Garrot is more experienced than most at coping with the dangers of Harsen Island. "Do you want to sit down and be not-okay together?" And the hug loosens a bit, enough for Luka to break it if desired.

Your move, Princess.

Garrot's condescending tone makes Luka want to burst, and his hackles are fully raised as he hears the man moving closer. He's absolutely braced for some kind of aggressive physical reaction - but what he is not expecting is a hug.

He's not sure what to make of this. His body is still rigid when Garrot pulls him in, but as he apologizes in that particularly soft voice Luka feels himself give in and releases all the tension building up inside him. He lifts his arms around Garrot's back and squeezes him tight, fully burying his face in Garrot's chest.

"We need to work together. We need to do what hurts the least amount of people." He says, barely audible. "I know its easier said than done. I know you think I don't understand anything, because I don't. I'm just trying to keep everyone alive."

Garrot, naturally, wasn't worried about Luka's temper. He was, if necessary, restrained. But as the Princess relaxes and lets his guard down, that hug comes back in full force. So he listens and waits, Luka seems to have a lot going on. Maybe they can meditate together tonight. That might be nice.

"You took the words right out of my mouth. Every single one." Garrot even laughs with the remark as he takes a moment to run a hand gently through Luka's hair. He takes a moment to shift his weight, and then suddenly there's a third hand resting briefly on Luka's other shoulder.

"The vast majority of us are on the same page." The voice comes from behind Luka, making it abundantly obvious Garrot has conjured a clone. Garrot's never alone, Luka. "He'll be convinced if we find something that works."

And it isn't until he says it that he realizes Luka could think he's talking about the Protector and not Gyre. If only...

"We're on the same page," he says, still making no effort to move. "In different books. And we're at the mercy of beings a thousand times stronger than any of us."

Luka stops himself, taking a few deep breaths. He came here to raise Garrot's spirits, and this was perhaps the exact opposite of that.

"Uh..." He suddenly changes the subject, pulling himself away from Garrot's hug despite how comforting it is. "Will you show me how to do... that stuff you were doing? With the weapons?"

It was easier than thinking about their dilemma ad nauseam. And if there were physiological benefits to be had, Luka wanted to reap them too.

Luka prompts two whimpering little sighs from Garrot. The first, when he says they're on the same page in different books. Damn, dude. The second, when he pulls away from that hug. And he... asks for training? Huh.

"Why do you want to learn a weapon?" Garrot isn't so much defensive as... casually surprised. "If we're up against people a thousand times stronger than us, wouldn't it make sense to get better with fire instead?"

Given how easily angered Luka was before, Garrot's braced for Seth-tier pushback. But the question is honest, because, well, he still thinks Luka's fire was his own...

"That fire wasn't even my magic. It was the monsters... and I haven't felt that feeling since Four." He sighs. "Every other weapon I've had has been from the Protector."

Nothing good had come from the Protector's weapons. They had all only killed innocents, after all. And then there was the whole situation of the sword in Luka's head.

"If I don't have his weapons I'm useless in all this. I don't want to be."

He's not sure how useful Garrot's training would make him. He'd always be at a disadvantage due to his blindness, with no magic weapon to always strike true. But it was better than being completely untrained, right?

The fact that Luka lied about the fire, and that he's so reliant on the Protector, it... well, it sucks. Garrot manages a soft little whimper as he keeps listening to how useless the Princess feels.

"There's gotta be something else you can do, though. You don't even-" And Garrot stops mid-sentence. He's reminded of Seth's eagerness despite inability... and how the Rat Knight is dead. Maybe he could've done more for the kid. He exhales forcefully from his nose, and suddenly there's a couple faint puff sounds and the undeniable cloud of golden-bronze magic dust.

"Show me the best footwork you got, Princess." And Garrot's voice is a good fifteen feet further away, oozing with the same powerful authority he's had in the past. He's watching you real close, Luka...

Garrot is likely about to be quite disappointed, as Luka has no idea what he's being asked to do here, exactly.

"'Footwork'?" He tilts his head slightly, feeling put on the spot as Garrot watches him expectantly. "You mean like, dancing?"

"I- Yeah??" Garrot's clearly caught off-guard by Luka's, well, lack of awareness. In fact, it's managed to drag him entirely out of being stern and authoritative. He cups his hands around his mouth, going from projecting his voice to just, uh, a casual shout.

"Yeah." He sounds a little more confident! "Your ability to move your feet around and maintain balance and momentum." And then suddenly Garrot starts shuffling his feet around in the sand, as if he were a boxer.

"You don't just stand around and sing, do you?" That's a challenge, Luka, that's absolutely a challenge. Do an acrobatic fucking pirouette right into combat class.

He's about as caught off-guard as Garrot is in the moment. Luka didn't actually expect Garrot to ask him to dance, right there on the beach. It takes a few seconds of loading time for Luka's brain to catch up before he responds.

"Well, usually I just play my guitar." He says. "Buuut, I think I could recall some of the routines I've learned for special performances! Maybe you've seen some before?"

Luka's not nearly as skilled at dancing, but he's happy to show off some of the moves he'd practiced. He goes through several highly precise and choreographed steps, the motions coming to him as easily as they had the day they were debuted, including a spinning flourish that ultimately lands him in the sand ungracefully. Turns out, dancing on sand isn't quite the same as in a studio! Who would have thought.

At least they got the chance to be confused together. Garrot doesn't mind waiting, and he finds himself crossing his arms authoritatively as Luka goes through the motions. But when the Princess ends up in the sand at the end, there's another volley of puff sounds and golden-bronze dust. The Monkey Knight's presence is undeniable, now looming over poor Luka.

"Not bad." Garrot's restraining a little laugh, trying not to poke fun at the master performer taking a stumble as he casually offers an arm. "If you're not willing to move around in a fight, you're dead." The emphasis comes with his voice taking a darker, more dire tone. "You're easier to trip up, you're not putting your body into your swings, and your movements are more predictable." Sounds like that's your first lesson, Luka.

"Does that make sense?"

The Weather

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