Day 8: Evening

Evening: 5:00pm - Midnight

[ IRL Timeframe: April 1st - April 15th, 2020 ]

The light rain has changed into a downpour, coating the island, its forests, and its people in a constant barrage of water. After the events of the afternoon, it's like it's all being washed away.

Except it isn't, because the events of the day all happened. They're all real. And social media is abuzz about the loss of Harsen Island's mountain. Now, it's all just flat. There are forests, but Craydon is no longer a mountain-side town. Instead, they have a cog train that rolls horizontally across the flat ground from the main train station and over into their very flat town in the woods. Bamborough's hillside hotels with dozens of floors higher up for an ocean view are now down with the rest of the buildings, and only the highest floors can see out over the touristy area to the water. Far Haven, in contrast, has barely changed. You can't flatten something that's already flat. The only textures left on the island are the silver humps of two ships, one near Far Haven and the other near Bamborough. There's also a hump at the center, the cave entrance, leading down into the cave where the bodies were. For anyone who goes to look, there's a new body there now.

- [1] -

The participants in the fight against "Eight" put up a valiant fight, eventually defeating it in a show of heroic justice somewhere along the tracks. In all the rain, its yellowed body is disappearing away into the ground as it washes away.

- [2] -

#childlost

Sxicq is... somewhere. The internet lost them again. Wherever they're at, it's not out on the surface of the island.

- [3] -

The monsters, meanwhile, have returned back to their home in the garden. At least, the ones who seem to live there.

Five and Six are in their rooms on the main floor with the doors open. Five is laying on her bed, tacking away on her flip phone. Six is in his room, sitting on the edge of the bed, also on his phone. If there's anyone in Four's room, it's unknown due to the closed door. Also on the main floor is the Wizard. She's casually sitting in one of the more plain of the thirteen chairs, reading an unnamed book. There's a steaming mug of cocoa on the coffee table in front of her.

On the second floor, Ten's room is the only one open. The doors for Seven, Nine, and Twelve are all shut. If anyone heads in to look for Ten, they'll find him writing in a small notebook with the title "Chef Notes" on the front.

On the top floor, Eight's door is shut but has a small "Text me" sign dangling off of the handle.

- [4] -

If anyone goes looking for the newly surfaced space ships, all they'll find is the smooth metallic surfaces of them rounding out of the terrain. If there's a way in, it's not obvious to others

The Weather
Heavy rain.
59°F / 15°C
A constant wind.

Prompts:

5:00pm Onward: Monster House, The Garden: For any heroes who are up for meeting any of the monsters, this is their opportunity. Some closed doors will have no one behind them, but the open doors are a guaranteed someone to talk to. Will they talk to the monsters, each other, or the Wizard downstairs in the sitting area?

5:00pm Train Station, All cities: All trains have been suspended, citing the "unknown conditions of the island's tracks" after the events of the day. No one is allowed to ride the rails, no one is allowed to go anywhere. Is your hero trapped at a train station waiting for an uber? Does another hero come to their rescue? What's the deal?

?:00pm General Post, Anywhere: Does your character go to investigate things around the island? Do they meet with other heroes somewhere over coffee? How are they handling being cut off from the world? Their family? Their loved ones? How do they feel seemingly being made the enemy of all people of the world?

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.

OOC Mortality Warning: Any hero who actively seeks out the Protector IC will be at a high risk of death in some manner. He is on the move, tread carefully!

Activity Check: April 2020

[ IRL Timeframe: April 1st - April 30th, 2020 ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ The Wizard gives a small thumbs-up in response to Olivia mentioning bringing her cat, because then she's listening to the knight talking aloud about her thoughts for more than a moments. ]

Gyre wants to keep him alive. [ She answers after all the things that Olivia had thought out loud. She isn't going to say as much while Olivia has so much on her mind, instead opting to answer questions. ]

I won't be able to beat him alone.

He does? [Olivia tilts her head, surprised.] I would've thought... I mean, he has a lot of reasons to want him gone. He tried to stab him in the back and everything. I'd sure want some payback if I were in his shoes... well, I still want payback. [She's thoughtful for a moment, a frown forming in her features.] For the ones he killed, I mean.

[She purses her lips.] Do you know... well, there's a few Knights we were sure got killed by the monsters but... is that true? Or was it him?

[ She nods along with what Olivia's saying, pondering exactly how she can respond to those words. It takes her a moment before she responds and also answers that other question. ]

A lot has happened, mostly bad. Some deaths have been accidents, some have been more complicated circumstances. [ She answers, uh, pretty vaguely. She can try to clarify at least a little by adding: ]

Your friends and the bridge have more answers to those questions.

Complicated is a word for it, I suppose. [Olivia knows by now that being cryptic is part of both the Protector and the Wizard's nature so, although she's disappointed, she doesn't press the subject.

She gives the Wizard a nod when she suggests searching for answers elsewhere, perking up a little when the bridge is mentioned.] I haven't explored that option at all yet. All that stuff makes me a little nervous, to be honest. Do you go there often?

[ The Wizard shakes her head at Olivia's new question, she hates to give such a short answer but-- ]

It's a safe place, but I haven't been back in forty years. Nine and Eleven spend the most time there.

Oh, are they the tech experts, then? I thought that might be Eight, with the texting and... well, the dummy thing. I guess I should probably introduce myself soon, to them and the others.

[There's a small pause before she turns to the Wizard again, a gleam of curiosity in her eyes again.] Is there any reason you haven't gone back? A rule against it, or something? Too many memories, maybe?

I'm sure they're all eager to meet you. [ She follows up, pausing a moment as she pops a mug of cocoa into existence for herself. Another one pops into existence near Olivia's head, just waiting to be picked up. The cocoa summoning gives her a moment to consider her answer. ]

I would only go back if we were getting ready to leave. Otherwise there's no reason for me to be there when there's so much to do out here.

[When the mug suddenly appears in her personal space, Olivia freezes up for a few seconds before reaching out to take it. The Wizard doesn't need to know that her generous cocoa offering caused a short internal battle between Olivia's body, which was trying to jump out of the chair in a kind of cat-suddenly-noticing-a-cucumber instinctual reaction, and her mind, which had been chanting don't embarrass yourself in front of the Wizard constantly since their conversation started.

She gives the Wizard a tense smile as she brings the mug closer to herself, taking a moment to smell the drink.]

That's a fair point. [She answers after a moment.] I suppose this has been your busiest year here so far, huh? I mean, I imagine you had been planning this for a long time, but... hm. Did you know this year was gonna be... the one?

[ Fortunately there's nothing suspicious or scary about the mug or cocoa once they've been acknowledged and taken. If the Wizard had known it was going to prove spooky, she wouldn't have made it appear so close. But what was done was done. ]

It had to be the one. [ She nods, giving her own cocoa a swirl in the mug. ]

I didn't know at the beginning what would happen, but it didn't take long for it to become clear. Most of the plans aren't mine, though.

No? I was under the impression you were in charge of everything around here. [It's nice to know everyone contributes their own grain of sand, though. She sips her cocoa, making a pleased sound at the taste.

A thought crosses her mind, and she tilts her head in curiosity as she lowers her mug.] What about... the Knights, though? Is it true that you're the one that chooses us each year? How do you choose? [She watches the Wizard expectantly. These question have been in her mind ever since she'd found out she'd be a Knight herself, but she never really thought she'd get to ask them directly.]

All of you have more control than I do. [ She offers in response to Olivia's assumption about her being in charge. ]

The magic chooses. Sxicq chooses. I find out who you are the first time I meet all of you. Sometimes I never really meet a knight before they're gone. [ She says before shaking her head, her characteristic smirk nowhere in sight. ]

[She nods, mulling over the Wizard's words. She's a little disappointed that the Wizard doesn't have all the answers, as she was led to believe all her life. The world's magic choosing the Knights makes much more sense though, although she supposes she won't be able to get answers as to why she was chosen from Sxicq.

She takes another sip of her cocoa, then offers the Wizard a little smile.] Well, this isn't an interrogation, you know? If you're at all curious about me, you can ask.

Ah, although, there is something I've been wondering for a while. [She says, pursing her lips in thought.] What do you call them, the monsters? It seems rather unfair to keep referring to them as such... especially given what we know now.

I call them by their names. [ Her answer comes immediately, without a hint of hesitation. It was just the polite thing to do, and they hadn't ever wanted to be called anything else. Maybe someday, when all of this blew over, they could. But it would take a lot. ]

What do you want to do, when this is all over? [ She decides to counter with a question, deciding to take Olivia's offer for her to ask questions too. It was a fairly open-ended question, but maybe Olivia would share something she wasn't expecting. ]

Huh. That's fair. [She says, with a blink of surprise at the simple answer.

She thinks about how to answer the question. It's a little hard, as her mind wanders through all the posibilites of what the future holds, depending on what happens in these coming days.] Well... assuming everything goes well and we don't all die horribly... I'm not sure actually. Definitively not what I was doing before coming here. Not that I didn't like my life before, quite the opposite, but... I just feel like I should do more. For people. Maybe. You know? [Her face twists, unsure. She hadn't given this much thought.] Although, if we move out of the planet, we might have to start, uh, dividing ourselves into hunter-gatherers and farmers again. In which case I think I'll learn how to farm. Maybe start a pretty garden like yours, huh?

What about you?

[ The Wizard nods along with Olivia's answer, curious to see the knight working through her thoughts and plans. ]

Everything here will act as the beginning for starting over, but the world will need more hands to craft gardens. I look forward to seeing yours. [ She answers, encouraging, before she moves on to that other answer: ]

Some rest, I think. Then... [ She gains back that same small smirk, seemingly considering the answer. ]

I might try teaching others.

[She gives the Wizard nod and can't help but smile at her encouragement.]

What would you like to teach? [She asks, her curious eyes watching her as if she was trying to imagine her in a classroom. She tries to guess,] About the tech? Or, history maybe?

[ She seems thoughtful for several moments here, looking the knight over as she decides on an answer. It's with a sudden finality that she gives a nod as she answers: ]

Magic. [ A little smirk here! What did she mean by teaching magic? Why is she leaving it vague? It's like she's left it out, begging to be questioned, but then she follows with: ]

I wouldn't have much teaching competition.

[Her eyebrows raise, and she gives the Wizard a smirk of her own at her little joke.

She drinks her cocoa, waiting for the Wizard to elaborate on that teaching magic idea - which sounds AWESOME, in her humble opinion - and when she doesn't, Olivia leans in.] Magic, huh? I'd definitely sign up for that class.

What would it be like? I mean, would you teach magic? [She asks, thoughtful. It may seem silly, but she'd never considered that magic could be taught. It could be trained, for sure, but at least in her case, getting the hang of her powers had always been an individual task.] And... what kind of magic? I just realized I'm not actually sure what your repertoire is.

[ In response, the Wizard raises a finger and causes the cocoa to start slowly floating up out of Olivia's mug. ]

I don't know how to convey it, not yet. [ She admits, twirling her finger to make the orb of cocoa start slowly spinning in the air. ]

I would have to start simple, small object manipulation. [ She considers, before answering that last, incredibly complicated question: ]

If you can control objects, you can create objects. So long as I imagine it, there aren't limits.

[Olivia watches the cocoa as the Wizard speaks, a small smile on her lips.] That sounds incredible, honestly.

Have you always been able to do these things? Or are your powers related to Sxicq's magic, too?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Day 8: Evening

Evening: 5:00pm - Midnight

The Weather

Prompts:

Procedure:

Activity Check: April 2020

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject