WEEK 1

[umbralant]

WEEK 1

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Your hosts have come and gone, and have left you with nothing but more questions and a key. Regardless of how you reacted or what you decided to do soon after that, it’s a fact that the day must end eventually.

And so it does, with the striking of the clock. As the twelve gongs reverberate and disappear into the night, the rest of the city is left silent save for a chilly wind that skims the streets. Those who have retired to their assigned rooms will find that the furnishings are decent enough to get a good night’s sleep, while those who wander the city will only continue to see empty streets and fog. But regardless of how you spend the night, eventually it will become readily apparent that dawn will not be coming any time soon as the waxing moon continues to hang in the sky even as the clock strikes six or seven or eight.

No one’s stopping you from wallowing in bed or holing up in a building during this perpetual night, but there’s a whole city out there to check out and some interesting additions to the Opera House decor; don’t forget though, a cage is a cage and every good cage needs its bars. While a portion of the streets and buildings are clear, any intrepid explorers won’t find themselves able to get very far through the fog that surrounds them; anyone who tries to venture through will end up getting turned around and end up right back where they started. Still, there’s plenty of other places to check, even if the fog-shrouded buildings are more or less off limits. Fortune favors the bold, after all.

[[Welcome to Week 1! Feel free to make top levels at your discretion, and remember to note it in your header if you plan on investigating any locations. You can also now privately contact The Lady or Rembrandt at your leisure!]]

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[ortion]

[Dist flinches in response, not expecting such a response at all. But given today's incentive, he doesn't fault Cumore for it. It was just very unexpected, given how collected Cumore had been up until this point. Seeing the person who talked him up in this state...it's rough.]

I- I did not intend to barge in on you, and for that I am very sorry. I came to make something to eat.

[He ventures closer to Cumore. Hesitantly, like he's walking on eggshells.]

But now I'm checking up on you.

[drydrown]

[Just. Give him a moment to breathe a bit, and after he s done that he'll take his hands back through his hair a bit as though to smooth it down (it really doesn't need it, but the gesture is centering) and he still seems agitated but his voice is decidedly more even when he replies.]

I'm...fine, at least for the time being. It's certainly been worse.

[ortion]

[...

He takes a look at what Cumore has going on food-wise to see if he can take over. He's not at all good at cooking either, but hey, it might be helpful.]

Their little incentive got to you too, I take it.

[drydrown]

[He hasn't like...properly started anything, thankfully, though he looks like he was very strongly considering making something incomprehensible. Was this cooking or was this an excuse to slam doors and possibly try to set the milk bar on fire, who fucking knows. There's probably method to the madness here but that is probably lost to the annals of rage and screaming to himself.]

I'll move past it. It's just frustrating right now.

[ortion]

[Entirely fair and understandable, man. In that case, it is shitty omelette time. This is like...one of the few things Dist can't completely ruin- he's eaten so many of them in his life.]

If I can distract you, I am willing to do so. I...came here to distract myself in the first place.

[Mutual screaming? Mutual screaming.]

[drydrown]

[Okay. Okay, we can do this, he'll just kind of let Dist take over from here because that seems most prudent for the time being.

...He is sort of aware of the absolute Quality of the omelettes that are going to ensue, given yesterday morning, but he's not complaining. If Dist wants to make stuff he's not going to stop him.

For the time being he'll just be trying to calm himself down, and the result is sort of weird and subdued but at least it's an attempt.]

I wouldn't mind that. Usually I have too many things to attend to, I don't dwell on things for very long, but here things are a bit different.

[ortion]

[The important thing is that the omelettes will be edible. That's...something.

He nods from his place at the stove, preparing the oil and eggs in a pan.]

There isn't much in the way of things to channel our frustrations into. Usually I have my machines to work on, but of course the electricity in this world decided it doesn't feel like cooperating in the slightest.

[He's still pissed about all of that nonsense, so the incentive was just the icing on the cake.]

[drydrown]

Of course.

[Usually he has his own share of distractions, or at least people to take his frustrations out on, but that's...unwise here, unfortunately.]

They're threatening my sister. She's all the family I have, so I can't say I'm surprised, but that doesn't make it any less irritating.

[ortion]

[He was kind of tiptoeing around the subject, but since Cumore brought it up...]

Of course they did.

[His tone is aggravated on Cumore's behalf, but also sympathetic because Yulia, they sure knew exactly the right buttons to push with this incentive.]

...What is she like?

[Would it help to talk about her? Dist isn't great at this sort of thing, but he throws it out there.]

[drydrown]

[Oh. Well... He actually doesn't seem to mind that at all? At the very least it doesn't seem to be an unpleasant reminder, which is surely a good thing.]

She's a bit of a firebrand, really - very strong, very opinionated. Let's say she probably turned right around and told Rembrandt off for stalking her immediately after they created those images.

[His sister is such a bitch and he loves her.]

[ortion]

[That gets a laugh out of Dist.]

That is exactly what he deserves. I do so hope he got plenty of similar interactions. If they're going to do this to us and people close to us, they deserve every bit of retaliation in return.

[He can't help but wonder how Jade would've reacted to Rembrandt now. He definitely would've noticed his presence well before the photo was taken, so...]

[drydrown]

Oh, I hope they received a bit more than a telling-off in at least a few circumstances. Mimura is unfortunately one that doesn't fight; she isn't involved with the Knights like I am. But I've no doubt she at least made a spectacle of him in the middle of the square.

[ortion]

A verbal lashing is as good as any, I'd say.

[N-Not that he has been a victim of a lot of those or anything...]

But no, I can say for certain that the person they chose for me would be among those fighting back. Jade would have been a massive annoyance for Rembrandt, just as he is for me.

[drydrown]

...Might I ask what he's like? This...Jade individual.

[He's suspecting a rival of some sort, but who knows.]

[ortion]

[Ah... Well, why not.]

Awful, really. Snide, sarcastic, obnoxious and terrible with commitment. [...] But he is also incredibly brilliant and talented with magic. Rembrandt would have his hands full, dealing with him.

[He's quiet for a moment...and then he sighs.]

We are enemies, but we were very close when we were children. Something occurred that turned our lives upside down and our friendship did not survive it. If I had my way...I would like to go back to the days before it all went downhill.

[drydrown]

I see... That is a shame, really.

[He isn't sure what to do with that, but in a weird way, it's...mm.]

...I do appreciate that you've told me.

[ortion]

Likewise with your sister.

[He doesn't blame Cumore for not knowing what to do with all the Jade stuff. Their relationship is the very definition of It's Complicated. But it does feel better having talked about Jade with someone. More than he thought it would, actually.]

If nothing else, I am counting on Jade to survive. Because if anyone is going to kill him, it's me. Not that I want to resort to that, mind...

[Is...this his attempt at lightening the mood... Maybe he should stop.

Anyway, one extremely basic omelette has been finished! He puts it in front of Cumore with some salt and pepper to season at his preference.]

[drydrown]

[bless you, dist, you're trying.

The remark actually does get a light sound out of him, though.]

I do know the feeling, though it's not quite as complicated - I would be offended if they did anything to a certain man I know back where I'm from, simply because I want the honor if anyone is going to have it.

[ortion]

[Oh, this should be good. Dist sits across from Cumore and leans in.]

I take it this man has severely wronged you?

[drydrown]

Please. If he had wronged me so badly, I'd at least enjoy hating him - no, he's just a weak-willed fool. Deeply incompetent at what he does, and with no business having a leadership position like he does.

He needs to die simply because he's worthless. We're certainly not benefiting from his presence.

[ortion]

[Holy shit, Cumore? Just coming right out and saying it, huh?

...not that it bothers Dist any. He totally gets it.]

Let me guess, your Commandant? [He's read Cumore's profile, so...] By all means, do go on. I would love to hear examples of his gross incompetence.

[drydrown]

He would be the one I'm thinking of, yes. His name is Alexei, and he quite enjoys being in my way, if nothing else.

[good fucking lord.]

Most of what he does isn't particularly anything I'd like to get into in public - but rest assured, I'm not entirely unwilling to tell you, either.

[Just kind of. Not right now, let's not bitch in front of god and everyone about this particular thing, lest people think he's truly the pettiest thing alive. he is going to stop caring about this within the next three days but you know what...]

[ortion]

[Alexei Dionia: Professional Obstacle for Cumore Being Commandant.]

That is entirely fair. I think I can put my imagination to good use until another time. I also serve under a Commandant, you see, and just like your Alexei, Van has gotten in the way of my personal progress on many occasions.

[One day, they can be petty bitches together.]