TEST DRIVE #001 : FALLING INTO BONDS WITH YOU

[restoriamods]

TEST DRIVE #001 : FALLING INTO BONDS WITH YOU

I. Greetings, Travelers.

You heard the voice, the song, the Call. You turned toward that voice and are falling, tripping through time and space, colors swirling all around you. You blinked.

You open your eyes to the great sprawling roots and unbending branches of the Tree of Harmony above you. You look around to find yourself in an open roof auditorium. And you are not alone. Others are there, waking up just as you are when figures step from around the tall stark columns circling the center of the room.

”Greetings Travelers. The Sentinels of Restoria welcome you to our Greenhouse of Unity. The Devourer comes for us all and we must bond our worlds to save them. We cannot save your worlds without your help.”

Your guide will lead you down a long staircase to another area of the Greenhouse’s compound: The Hall of Travelers. There you will be told what to expect of your time in Restoria, and then you will select a House: Stone or Cloud. Your House will provide benefits to you to help you in your new role, should you choose to accept it, including your choice of communication device and Housing.

If you need additional time to consider, you will be given leave to rest there in the Hall itself on one of the many comfortable cots provided for the night and simple meals will be provided. Maybe others will need time just as you do to think about the serious decision you would be undertaking. By the dawn, you must have your answer.

What will you do now, Traveler?

II. Getting Your Hands Dirty

Those who select House of Stone will be led by a member of the House to the Traveler Port leading directly to the center of the City of Stones for Orientation. There, Guides will take newcomers through the City, showing them important locations, such as the local groceries, restaurants, and entertainment. You may notice a lot of Stones’s entertainment involves outdoor activities or contact sport games. It is a city of physicality, but also camaraderie and group engagement. They may not talk a lot, but don’t be surprised if you are offered hugs and friendly arm holds wherever you go. Travelers are encouraged to greet each other similarly.

You will be shown your Housing, where basic supplies have been readied for you, and may be surprised to find that up to two items from home have also arrived with you and were already taken to your assigned room (unless they are too large to fit and you find a note instead of where they have been stored elsewhere). The Guides will give you time to greet any neighbors you have and take stock of what you might still need in your room, but before long they will be ushering you back out into the tunnels and through the canyon to the Sanctuary. It is a very busy day in the City of Stones with the Clay Exhibition taking place!

Entering through the Glimmering Gymnasium, you’ll be taken all the way to the other side to a wide set of stairs leading down a area depressed into the ground like a court that is used for outdoor games and other competitions has been filled with a thick layer of a deep red brown watery mush: The Gravel Pit, as it is affectionately called by the citizens of the City. The clay is a special mix just for this occasion. Coat your body in the clay, and you’ll find yourself wearing protective armor that moves just as smoothly as your typical clothing - but you can’t wear much underneath it. Too much clothing means it’s hard for the clay to set, so it's best to wear as little as possible.

And from there you’ll be encouraged to join in on the various exhibition matches: mud wrestling, mixed martial arts, gymnastics, and much more is open for any newcomer who would like to take part. What better way to start bonding with those around you?

III. Head in the Stars

Those who select House of Cloud will be led by a member of the House to the Traveler Port leading directly to the center of the City of Clouds for Orientation. There, Guides will take newcomers through the City, showing them important locations, such as the local eateries, museums, galleries and theaters. You may notice a lot of Cloud’s entertainment involves more creative pursuits and educational engagement. It is a city of knowledge, but also of culture and art. The people love to talk, to debate and challenge preconceptions, whether those of others or even their own. They will greet newcomers openly and without reservation, but they all have that assessing eye, looking to see what they can judge of your character.

You will be shown your Housing, and may be surprised to find that up to two items from home have also arrived with you and were already taken to your assigned area (unless they are too large to fit and you find a note instead of where they have been stored elsewhere). The Guides will give you time to greet any neighbors you have and take stock of what you might still need in your room, but not long as there is still so much left to do. Please keep up as they hurry you off to the Sanctuary of Clouds where they show off the Grand Library and give a waved hand of respect to the Watchtower before moving up into the mountains just outside of it. The air thins and the snow on the mountain side is cold, but it does not take long to reach the Observatory.

The Observatory is filled with tables and desks covered in star charts and books filled with various annotations and theories about space, time, and the laws of the universe. Some may even seem like familiar titles from your own world, and you are told that you are welcome to study them. Follow the winding staircase up to a large platform with various couches and cushy chairs for comfortable lounging and a large, obviously advanced telescope. Maybe you can sit back and relax for a brief moment.

The platform begins to raise itself up more and more as the sun fades and night falls over Restoria. The ceiling of the Observatory will open up to allow the platform to rise out over the mountain - the perfect location for stargazing and space-viewing. The air is quite frigid up here, which doesn't seem to bother the natives of Cloud. Newcomers, however, may find it necessary to cozy up together with blankets and hot drinks.

IV. Herb-a-Reore

As explained during Orientation, all Travelers will have opportunities to earn funds of their own. They do understand that not everyone will be satisfied with the basic free amenities that the Houses will provide them and may want to have capital of their own to purchase luxury items or anything else. Between larger Quests, taking jobs in their Cities and helping out around their respective Houses, the Sentinels also provide monetary missions to earn Reore on a regular basis.

With the large influx of Travelers, so comes the Merging, where the worlds of the visitors and Restoria begin to mesh and mix. The Sentinels take care to catalog many of these changes, including the new flora that show up around the cities, which they carefully cultivate in the large Conservatory. With the Travelers available, they request assistance in cataloging all of these new arrivals, offering each Traveler a reward of Reore for their time and expertise. Who better to help them make sure they don't miss a single herb or flower?

Travelers may recognize various plants from their own world, some benign, some less so. Some might even seem to have minds of their own: tendrils that reach out and poke, sticky webs designed to capture the unobservant, or sweet smells that make one sleepy. Please make sure to label them properly.

V. All Soulstice Day

The people of Restoria are friendly and welcoming in general to newcomers, but you may find them even more so today. They will greet you with smiles, offer their hands or even come in for a quick hug. Others may stare deeply into your eyes as if looking for some recognition, an understanding.

It may seem confusing, until you touch someone or look into their eyes yourself and feel a soothing sensation, as if you have known this person your entire life and couldn’t think of a reason to be wary of them. You can feel them almost as if you can sense their emotions in a distant way. Best friend? Family? Whatever this feeling is, you just know that you care about them and want to spend time with them.

What could be going on? Will you choose to ask?

If you do, you will be told what a fortuitous time it is for Travelers to arrive in Restoria with the celebration of Soulstice Day taking place. A day when the magic of Restoria is at its strongest and compatible bonds are even more likely! A wonderful day for new friendships and the strengthening of long held camaraderie.

Native Restorians and Travelers alike will feel themselves drawn to people as their auras react to heightened compatibility. Those friendly auras will almost sing to each other, bringing about happy, content feelings and a sense of understanding that might feel rare to you for someone you’ve only just met. Nothing is forced, but the possibilities are open for all who choose to lean into them.

People who meet someone with a compatible aura will find the effects of the Soulstice last for a couple days after the fact. A strong motivator for making new friends.

NAVIGATION

PREMISE ➤ RULES ➤ TAKEN ➤ FAQ ➤ APPLICATION ➤ HOUSES ➤ LOCATIONS ➤ QUESTS ➤ ACTIVITY ➤ REWARDS ➤ MERGING ➤ SUGGESTIONS ➤ CALENDAR ➤ MOD CONTACT

Comments

QUESTIONS

[restoriamods]

larus — cloud ( ota )

[mislay]

i. under the tree.

[ He wakes up to darkness.

Not unusual, really, but everything else that comes after it... Larus doesn't particularly care for any of it. Naturally, it still doesn't stop him from learning what this place has to offer, following along quietly as he absorbs everything and takes in the people around him—what few there actually are. Perhaps there are more elsewhere, as he's informed, and with that information comes a choice he isn't entirely ready to make. Help this world to help his own? How do they even know what's going on back home? How could they possibly understand what he needs to do before he can feel some modicum of peace? (If that's even a thing for him to feel.) How do they know anything at all?

It's a lot of questions with surprisingly few answers, yet. So, he declines to decide right away and is shown to a place with several cots where some others also remain. A place to wait, think about it and figure it out. If he says no, will he be sent home again? Will he even remember this place? And what if he says yes? Larus doesn't feel he's a significant fighter by any means, only by necessity and by what nature dictates that he is. Still —

He loiters around the entrance for a while, taking note of who's inside and what they're doing, and before long, he knows the best way to get information is to ask around. So, he makes his way almost casually through the few who are just as restless as he is and approaches someone close by. ]

Are you undecided because you don't know if this is real or not? [ Sorry, he's not good with introductions when he's after something. ]

iii. head in the stars.

[ Choosing had felt easy to him after he'd agreed to stay.

While strength is something that should be coveted, there's nothing more precious than knowledge, and what he craves, more than anything, is to always know more. To garner connections from somewhere, with someone and use those to his advantage. It's what he'd done back home, and it's easier to focus on his own skills rather than seek something that might lie beyond him. But in the city, it's not the stars or the maps that interest him, though he takes note to come back and sort through those later (and possibly take some of them with him). It's the people here. What could they give to this place? What could he give to them? Always more thoughts, more distractions.

Larus finds himself on the platform just as the sun sinks, bracing himself against the movement, and once it's settled, once he can overlook the lights below, he seems more comfortable. The cold doesn't bother him, never has since he's always usually cool to the touch himself, but he stands with his hands in his jacket for the longest time, thoughts wandering until a brief movement out of the corner of his eye catches his attention. He turns, perplexed. ]

Are you cold?

[ He can't tell if this person needs a blanket – do they have those somewhere close by? – or is thinking about leaping off the platform. ]

vi. network.

[ it's taken some time to navigate the device, but it doesn't seem too difficult with practice. ]

is anyone else reading this?
it's mostly just a test, but introductions might be good since we're all strangers here.
at least a name and what kind of place you come from.

i'm larus, and that's really all you need to know.

vii. wildcard.

[ Hit me up with whatever prompt from above if you're interested! Feel free to PM me to discuss things if you'd like; I'm happy to write a starter. Info about Larus can be found here! Will also match style – either prose or brackets. ]

i

[breakaleginhalf]

[Bold of him to approach this guy: he's practically rectangular, five foot five and barrel chested with borderline unrealistic muscle definition - and scars, of every length and description, crisscrossing and encircling his form like a sewing project fell victim to Freddy Krueger.

His eyes are red (the irises, but they're also bloodshot for some reason) when they flick up to look at the intruder on his thoughts: and when he speaks, his voice is husky, almost a growl.]

I'm undecided because I'm worried it is - doesn't all of this shit seem way too good to be true?

Kohaku Yuhara | Still trying to decide but lets go with Stone for this

[infestedcouncilpresident]

-1: Getting your hands dirty-

Kohaku wasn't really sure whether they considered themself a physical person or an intellectual person. It felt like an odd way to split people up, honestly.

But they had ended up in Stone, for lack of a better option, and now they were in the gymnasium staring at the mud pit while someone was offering to help take their clothes off.

"Um. No. No I don't think I'll be doing that, thanks. I'll pass on the mud wrestling." They took a big step backwards, and went on, more quietly. "What the fuck?"

-2: Herb-a-reore-

Kohaku wandered through a bed of iridescent flowers of some kind. They didn't look like anything from Earth, but they were undeniably beautiful. They looked soft to the touch, almost velvety even. Everything about them seemed designed to make her feel at ease. She reached up to touch one...

Every single flower surrounding her belched out a cloud of some kind of purple gas in unison. Kohaku came staggering out of the flower bed, coughing and trying to wave away the clouds of gas.

"Important-" cough cough "-note. Don't touch those. Oh shit I feel weird..."

What does the gas do if you breath it in? Tag her and find out! It'll have a different effect for each thread!

-3: All Soulstice Day-

Someone grabbed Kohaku unexpectedly and she reacted by immediately throwing a punch, sending them reeling back. She didn't take well to personal space invasions, most of the time. That brief moment of contact worked it's magic, however, and she felt now like she had overreacted. "Oh shit I'm sorry! You just surprised me! Are you okay?"

-4: Wildcard!-

[Kohaku is infested by an alien parasite that gives her superhuman reflexes and senses. All she's a bit genderfluid, and sometimes goes by they/them instead of she/her. Feel free to make up your own prompt or PM me if you wanna plot something out specifically!

Also, I went with prose here, but if you prefer brackets then go for brackets by all means. I'll match your tagging style!]

2, do your worst

[breakaleginhalf]

Gil's nose catches the scent automatically, making his muzzle wrinkle; before his ears catch up and hear Kohaku coughing, and he turns in quick surprise.

...well, whatever that plant is, he doesn't recognise it as a Hedge plant, so. "Weird how? You're not dying, are you?"

Courtney "King" Barker | Stone

[silentmonarch]

-1: Greetings, Travelers-

King opened her eyes to a canopy of green. It was a very peaceful moment that she let stretch out.

Not for very long, though. She quickly started to feel bored and clambered to her feet to look around. Nothing here looked TOO unusual, but she also didn't recognize any of it, which set off alarm bells. Had OMOIKONE dropped ANOTHER cursed content patch? Was this zone in the actual game, or was it something built by the half-insane AI?

Well, whatever it was she wasn't going to find any answer just standing around. King set off to explore her new environment. At least there were other people here, it looked like. Even if she couldn't talk, she could probably get some information out of them with some pantomime.

Everyone else, King was over 6'6", built like a brick shithouse, dressed up in what looked like a combination of tactical riot gear, fantasy armor, and what you might wear to a rave, and totally silent. She tended to grab people's attention just by being there.

-2: Herb-a-reore- cw: drug mention

There WAS a plant here she recognized, tucked away between a mass of angry looking spike covered vines and a bunch of trees that regularly spat out bubbles. It was plain and green and if you didn't know better you might have overlooked it entirely.

King DID know what it was, though, and she was currently trying to decide if she should let someone know about it or if she should steal it.

-3: Network thingamabob-

Oh thank fuck there's a text option. I don't have to pantomime everything forever.

If any of the following sounds familiar, give me a ring:
- Infinity Frontier
- The Alliance of Awesome
- OMOIKONE
- Lightbringer47
- Inferno Citadel
- VRMMO

If that sounds like a bunch of rubbish to you, then hi I'm King. This whole situation is pretty fucked, huh?

-4: Wildcard!-

[King is an AI based on the brainscan of a human and trapped in an MMO VR game. She's also mute. I don't know exactly what her circumstances would be if I end up apping her, but for this TDM I'm assuming her AI was downloaded into cloned body based on her avatar.

Also, I went with prose here, but if you prefer brackets then go for brackets by all means. I'll match your tagging style!]

3

[altriana]

=sounds lIke one of tactas's eastern alternIan anImatIons honestly=

=your lIfe back home must've been pretty wIld=

=i'm altrIa vIvIan by the way=

Passion Flare | House of Stone | OTA

[passionade]

✨ on emp
✨ will match any format, I just write TLs in prose to be lazy.

---

I. Greetings, Travelers.

The transportation to the land of Restoria is not terribly disorienting to Passion Flare. It reminds her of the sensation she feels when she is summoned into the hands of a new wielder. Drawn across time and space by a brightly shining dedication. While she is quite comfortable with such an experience, she knows it might not be so familiar to others.

If you look particularly disoriented, you may find yourself with a little white-gloved hand on your shoulder. The young woman has pink eyes, as clear and glittering as gemstones. Full of friendly compassion.

"Hello. Would you like to sit down and rest?"

II. Getting Your Hands Dirty

The City of Stones suits Passion Flare to a tee. In a way... it almost reminds her of the pink kingdom where she had been created. It's been a long time since she thought about Empress Philomella. It's a pleasant recollection, and it adds a particular tenderness to her interactions with everyone. She's all but glowing with confidence, affection, friendship. She's in here element.

She is equally as confident about participating in the Clay Exhibition. She takes in the description of the exhibition and then nods assertively, stripping down to the white bandeau and underwear beneath her uniform. She's a very fit and athletic young woman, this brief glimpse of her body before she covers it in clay shows that she's well-suited to for the events to come.

She has more strength and stamina than a normal human, but she'll take it easy on you if you don't have such advantages. She'd rather provide you a bit of fun and challenge than show off for now reason. She would, of course, prefer to be a bit challenged herself... She'll be on the lookout for a challenge.

If you seem reluctant or too shy, she'll come to talk to you.

"Are you coming to compete?"

V. All Soulstice Day

How interesting. She is very familiar with feeling this sensation with her potential wielders, but Passion Flare has never been somewhere where she could feel such connection with so many different individuals at one time. She isn't complaining, she wants to give this feeling to anyone who will accept it from her.

Passion Flare's aura is clear: a vibrant pink that speaks about love, conviction, and connection.

She's more than happy to reach out and take your hand, gaze deeply into your eyes with a gentle smile.

"I am Passion Flare, the Enduring Blade."

v

[mondhexe]

Theo is so distracted by everything going on that she startles with a little squeak when Passion Flare takes her hand. She glances down at their joined hands for a moment, blinking widely in surprise, before she bursts into delighted laughter.

Her other hand comes up to clasp their joined hands and she gives them a little shake.

"I'm Theo." Theo's aura is as delighted as her laughter, excited and bright. "It's lovely to meet you - may I call you Passion? Or would you prefer the whole thing?"

She will absolutely address her by the whole thing if she wants her to, happily.

Auditi Blyght | Stone

[piercinggaze]

II.A - Stone Housing

[Auditi's still more than a little nervy from the strange surroundings and the number of aliens, many of them adult aliens at that, around her, but on the other hand the explanation of why she was here had tickled her sense of importance, and she's eager to make the best of a very interesting situation. She'd wasted no time in choosing the House of Stone - Auditi's not quite so much of a physical person as some trolls her color, more interested in the body as a performance space than as a tool of brute force, but she's still perfectly comfortable saying she falls on this side of the divide.

The dorm she's been shown to is a lovely space - small, but cozy, she tells herself firmly. She kind of rattles around her hive back home anyway, and there's plenty of communal space out in the city proper. The complete lack of a recuperacoon is... concerning, though. How does anyone get restful sleep around here? Or is that... dang, maybe it's an alien thing. Maybe she ought to try and scope out whether it's an alien thing.

Which is why the horned, grey-skinned teenager with the multiple facial piercings is now hanging around in the cave-hallway outside, greeting anyone else moving in and not so subtly trying to get a glimpse into their rooms.]

Hi! I'm Auditi. What do you think of the respiteblocks? Weird, huh?

II.B - Clay Exhibition

[When in Rome, is probably how Auditi would view this, except that of course she has no idea what Rome is. Still, as soon as the mud is explained to her, she's pulling off her overshirt. As she raises her hands to pull it free, the camisole underneath rides up in the back, and tattoo of a snarling creature of some kind, hoofed but with a pointy face and far too wide of a mouth, is visible on her lower back.

She hesitates a moment, though, raising a hand to the bar through her right eyebrow. She sounds legitimately disappointed as she voices her realization.] Oh, shit. Wait. I just got this done a couple weeks ago, I probably shouldn't get magic mud in it.

IV. Herb-A-Reore

Ah, careful! Careful!

[Were you just about to touch that plant with the coiling vine and broad purple leaves? Apparently Auditi thought you were - she reaches over to grab your wrist and pull you back. Her grip is very firm for what appears to be a girl in her mid teens. She grins a little sheepishly, showing teeth that are even and white but definitely more sharply pointed than a human's.]

That one must'a followed me here. We better put a warning label on it or something, it gives most people a real painful rash.

?? - Wildcard
[Want to do something else with Auditi? Throw me a starter, or hit me up at bramblepatch to plan something. Also happy to match preferred tagging style, if you'd rather use prose.]

IV

[altriana]

[On Alternia, it's rare for almost anyone to look at indigobloods with anything other than deference and a health dose of fear. Indigos were about the highest blood color most trolls had a chance of meeting and, well, surviving at all.

But as Altria gets up and turns around, the look she gives Auditi is downright withering... as she steps aside and reveals that she's placed down a sign in very bright red with very large letters that reads, "WARNING: DO NOT APPROACH WITHIN 11 FEET UNLESS YOU ARE A TRAINED EXPERT. DO NOT APPROACH WITHIN 6 FEET IF YOU ARE A TRAINED EXPERT."]

You think?

Altria Vivian | House of Stone (Allegedly) | OTA

[altriana]

I. chronic isekaitis (cw: gender dysphoria)
[Really, Altria would've been all too happy to help the Sentinels if they actually asked first. Being a knight-errant was her thing, after all; sure, getting sidetracked from finding Sav for the umpteenth time was starting to get kind of irritating, but she can't exactly leave these people all to die.

Especially when entire universes are apparently at stake.

So Altria is more mildly bemused by the imposition than anything else. As convenient as all her powers were, they weren't exactly part of her... identity...

...fuck.

In the middle of the garden, Altria's hands awkwardly pat around the small of her back, looking for the telltale signs of wings. Nothing. There was even less on her chest, she could feel the beginnings of stubble on her chin again for the first time in half a sweep-]

Shit. Shit. Shit.

[Breathe in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. Come on, she could do this. She's been through a lot worse, right? Really.

With the way that the pit in the bottom of her stomach was opening up, taking all the air out of her lungs with it, she wouldn't have thought otherwise.

And now she's having a minor panic attack in the garden. God damn it.]

II. what are you, emo or something?
[After being politely forced to choose a House in the same way that museums politely force visitors to make a donation, Altria had resigned herself to the House of Stone. Really, she didn't see any way this sort or arbitrary division into the idealization of the physical and the idealization of the mental would do anyone any good. In addition to this sort of division being a setup for some serious "Two Houses, both alike in dignity," inanity, in her experience, holding one as supreme only the other only brought disaster.

Just look at what happened to the Black King, all caught up in his tower.

But, at the very least, a bunch of muscleheads were less likely to be as dangerously passive as people whose thinkpans were permanently lodged up their rectums, so that's what Altria went with. And now here she was, in the middle of a delightfully quaint underground bunker at the end of a very, very tiring day.

A delightfully quaint underground bunker that also apparently had her guitar on the bed along with the Streetking's Grasp, neatly folded.

At least Altria has an outlet for all her newly resurfaced teen angst now.

She sets up shop in the canyon, facing the sky as she idly tunes the guitar and begins gently strumming it.]

Well, as long as we're feeling nostalgic...

[Gentle strumming quickly turns into aggressive strumming that carries into the mountain passages behind her as she begins singing in a contralto.]

I hear voices,
In my dreams at night
They don't hear me
They just
Fantasize
I just close my eyes
About the life I don't live

III. when in cloud rome, (visitor)
[It was inevitable that Altria would visit the City of Clouds at some point. Even if it wasn't the most likely place to have what she needed, the description of the city reminded her of the moons, and apart from everything else... Altria really needed a slice of home right now.

Plus, cities were cool! Even after a half sweep since she ventured beyond Lawclaw, Altria couldn't get over how big they were. And so lively, and so full of people and culture and sound and... so... big...

It was a lot easier to navigate these places when she had a bird's eye view of everything, honestly.

So Altria is standing on a street corner, scowling as she stares at the massive map of the city in her hands. Pauses. Turns it around. Finds the endeavor as fruitless as ever. Sighs.

She's about as much of a stereotypical country squeakbeast as you can get, if you ignore the sharp fangs, the grey skin, and the horns.]

Hey, you mind helping me out here? Can't for the life of me figure out how to get around this place. I swear, it's so much easier finding your way around cities when you can fly.

VI. moving out (network)
=so, anybody else plannIng on movIng to the lost cIty asap? seems lIke they need us a lot more over there than they do over here=

VII. wildcard
[Hit me up on Plurk at TheDoomkitten if you want to plot something else out, or surprise me!]

network

[yachtrock]

No.

Usually if a place is called a "lost city," it's lost for a reason.

ben douglass | cloud (ota!)

[privateeyed]

I. greetings, traveler;

[while waking up in front of a giant tree is pretty peaceful, Ben still startles once he awakens, sitting up and burying his head in his knees with a hissed "Jesus christ." He really wasn't expecting the psychedelic trip he experienced on the way here, okay, his reaction is completely normal.

He'll calm down just in time to hear the first initial greeting, where once again he'll be muttering commentary to himself, but this time loud enough for others to enjoy, should they overhear:] Oh, the Devourer, of course, must be a fuckin' Friday.

III. head in the stars (Cloud);

[assessing eyes mean nothing to Ben, not when you lack the fucks to give about it. Honestly, he's in a better mood now than earlier, now that it's set in that he's off on some world-saving mission - ha! - and the panic that should follow that very thought hasn't quite set in. It's all super novel to him, this otherwordly stuff - given that he's from a place where this is the stuff movies and fairytales are made of, it's hard not to be very obviously interested in almost everything.

The housing itself doesn't bother him, given that his place back home is just about as sparsely furnished as this one, and it has the basics - that's all he needs, though you might catch him peering around, muttering about energy sources until he gives up and moves on.

The observatory is cool, though, and he'll happily snag an unfamiliar book and take a corner, seemingly unbothered by the cold. Except for how he technically is, but, minor details]

You can't buy this kind of view in Detroit, that's for sure.

v. all soulstice day;

[he lasts all of five seconds before he turns on the first person who touches him and scowls]

Do not touch me.

[maybe this holiday isn't for him]

vi. network;

hey so is anyone else severely underqualified for this?
asking for a friend

name's ben btw sup

vii. wildcard

[info on ben. i'm game for anything else you have in mind and will happily match if you wanna prose instead! feel free to PM or hmu at sociologize for plotting/anything else! ♥

(tho pls bear with me i am slow)]

network.

[apocultypse]

I'd think it's natural to feel underqualified about this. That doesn't mean you're lacking, just means you're taking it seriously.

the singer of shattered hope's last requiem | cloud, probably

[lastrequiem]

i. greetings, travelers.

Hope is trying, very hard, not to panic.

It's not that she's especially worried about home, or what's going on there. Creation doesn't have much left for her now, not since Sparrow won't take her back. What worries her is what she's meant to do here.

Save this world? Save her world? She can't save anything; the Veiled Queen taught her that. All must fall into the Void in the end -- and she's seen what happens if she tries to step out of line. The Neverborn have ways of punishing those of their servants who disobey. In the end, she's meant to destroy, nothing more or less.

She manages, for a little while, to distract herself with something to eat -- she doesn't strictly need it right now but the simple meal of meat and vegetables gives her something to occupy her time. But given her current state of mind the food doesn't seem to have much taste; eventually she pushes her plate away and rests her forehead on one hand. A passerby or table-mate might mistake her for looking ill, especially with her natural (or unnatural) pallor; truthfully, they wouldn't be far wrong.

ii. head in the stars

The air up here is thin in a way Hope's never experienced, like the way she imagines it must be in the North; she has a little bit of difficulty at first with breathing too fast. It doesn't last, her Exalted metabolism adjusting quickly, but it's been long enough since the last time she had the pleasure of a new experience like this.

She doesn't spend much time on the books, at least not yet, but eventually she goes up to the platform and stops, looking up at the sky. These aren't the stars of Creation, she doesn't see any constellations she recognizes, and the sight is terrifying and wondrous all at once.

There's someone next to her, she notices after a moment, and though she's not normally one to engage with strangers she supposes it might be awkward to stand here and say nothing.

Eventually she takes a cup of a steaming sweet-smelling drink she doesn't recognize off a nearby tray (hot chocolate, but the notion is foreign to a woman from a hot tropical coastal town), and offers it out to the stranger. "Here. You look cold."

Not her most articulate, but forgive her, everything about this is throwing her off.

iii. all soulstice day

Hope is not exactly a touchy, friendly, huggy sort of person, which makes today extremely awkward. She's been doing her best to avoid people all day long -- suggesting that she's hiding would be absurd, of course, but can't she just go about her day in peace without someone trying to invade her personal space?

Except circumstances conspire to have her bump into someone just as she's attempting to avoid someone else; she gasps a little, turns around, and just... stops.

She doesn't even know this stranger. What--

"Sorry," she manages, and she ought to be walking away but she's not. Without even thinking about it she's reached out to touch the other person's elbow, as if to steady them -- then at the last second snatches her hand away.

She is not blushing. (Spoilers: She is. This is strange.)

iv. wildcard!

( Hit me up! Hope is an OC from the Exalted tabletop setting, and her info is right over here. If you have any questions or want to plot something, I'm at curagas or you can throw me a PM. c: )

i. (i can't believe there's an exalted oc here AAAA)

[altriana]

[Altria, to be frank, doesn't look too hot either. In fact, it looks like she's just barely pulled herself together to somewhere south of functional moments beforehand. Getting slammed into your good old regular mortal body without all the fancy quality-of-life upgrades, such as "pseudo-immortality," "wings," and "the right characteristics," will do that to her.

Still, misery loves company, so she sits down next to Hope and just... stares off into space for a few moments. Or minutes. Maybe an hour.

Then,]

...I'd offer you a smoke or a drink or something, but I don't have anything on me.

Plus I'm technically "underage" for that, according to Aaron. Which is apparently a pretty serious offense, and spending my first few nights here in a cell doesn't sound too appealing.

[She offers a small, strained smile. It's a start. at least.]

Vander Reighn | Stone | OTA

[semidemonic]

[ooc: I'll match format!]

I. The Choosing

He'd been half-convinced he was dreaming at first. He'd dreamt some pretty wild things before, and there was plenty of fuel for his imagination. But waking up under the branches of the tree? Vander wasn't dreaming this.

He followed his guide quietly, taking in the information he was presented with and trying to commit it all to memory. That was easier said than done though, and he felt certain that at least some information was going to slip through the cracks. That was okay though; he could just...ask again, right?

It was enough to make his head spin, and when he was presented with the choice of a House, he found he couldn't make a decision right away. He declined deciding politely, leaning against the wall once he was left on his own. He took a deep breath. And then another. He might have jumped at the opportunity to save his world, but why him? Out of all the people, he was sure there were plenty who were better suited for this. Smarter people, better fighters, people with more fortitude. Or maybe this meant that he was special, that he wasn't giving himself enough credit. The possibility felt unlikely, but he wasn't sure if it was the truth or just how he viewed himself.

Scrubbing a hand through his hair, he took another deep breath. The easiest way to go about this was to tackle one thing at a time, right? Try to figure out why he'd been chosen later, figure out what House to join now. He didn't feel tired in the slightest; he was too anxious and hyped up from being brought to...wherever here was. It wasn't the first time he'd had to start fresh, but it was the first time he had to do it without any familiar faces around. Also, was this technically kidnapping? Was this the second time he'd been kidnapped?

He pushed away from the wall, approaching a cot and debating whether or not he wanted to sit down. "Too bad they don't have a gym or something," he muttered, mostly to himself.

II. Down and Dirty

He wasn't sure he was about this. He'd never encountered any kind of sport before that involved stripping down and covering yourself in mud-like substances--beyond mud wrestling. Looking from the Pit to the people participating, he hesitated for a long minute. While he didn't hate his body in any way, he felt self-conscious about the idea of slathering clay all over himself. On the plus side, he might come away from it with beautiful, exfoliated skin. On the downside he could make a fool of himself and spend five years trying to wash all of the clay off.

Taking a deep breath, he started shucking clothing until he was down to his boxers, piling his clothes up neatly somewhere out of the way where they wouldn't be covered in clay, hopefully. Avoiding making eye contact with anyone, he scooped up a handful of clay and tentatively smeared it across his skin. It felt...not as gross as he'd been expecting, actually.

"Now I know how pigs feel," he said as he smeared more clay on.

III. Herb-a-Reore

Vander'd never had anything against plants. Plants hadn't invaded his world and started slaughtering people. But when a plant moved and poked him in the arm with a tendril while he examined another plant? He jumped and immediately backed away, eyeing the plant suspiciously. He didn't trust flora that could move on its own like that; what if it had some kind of terrible ulterior motive, like venus fly traps?

While he was busy staring at the waving tendrils, a plant behind him fired a sticky web at him that wrapped around his upper arms, pinning them to his torso. He yelped in surprise, almost teetering over, and decided to step away from the plants altogether, trying to wrestle the web off of himself. He could use some help.

IV. All Soulstice Day

Vander was used to camaraderie. He was used to people being friendly and a little physical. What he wasn't used to was complete strangers trying to touch him every five minutes. Or people trying to stare into his eyes like in some kind of rom-com. He didn't exactly hate it, but he'd taken to side-stepping quickly whenever another local came at him with outstretched arms, resulting in him bumping into other people now and then.

"Sorry," he apologized, side-stepping again to put whoever he'd bumped into between him and the local. "This whole thing feels like it's getting out of hand, you know?"

V. Network

so anyone else feel like the people here chose the wrong person for this mission?
not shitting on anyone, just myself.
I'm sure there's a lot of other people who are more cut out to be heroes than me.
but I guess it has to be me, huh?

so how's everyone settling in?

iv.

[mislay]

Larus, on the other hand, was not used to any sort of camaraderie like this. He avoided it at all costs, disliking how friendly these people had become after having invited them there. So, he'd managed to stare down anyone even thinking about getting close enough to touch him, taking up a spot nearby to observe. And distracted enough not to realize someone was so close, he glared a little in the direction of the person bumping into him before realizing why.

He was trying to escape too. Or, at the very least, make a quick exit.

Larus sighed. "They won't stop. Come with me." Which happened to be his cue to grab this guy by the arm and drag him off down the street like they were suddenly interested in something else that was not being embraced.

Nicolai Kuznetsov | Stone | OTA

[dreamsofpeace]

[ooc: I'll match format!]

I. Choosing a House

Nico was prone to jumping into situations without fully thinking them through. That was how he'd ended up here, of all places, trying to be a hero for his world, apparently. He had a lot of worries, a lot of concerns, just a lot of things on his mind in general, and that was partly why he didn't immediately leap into a decision about which House to join. It sounded like a serious decision, one he might not be able to change later, and he didn't want to screw it up.

He needed to take some time to think about what the hell was going on and what he'd gotten himself into. Perched on the edge of a cot, he took a deep breath. Blaine would say he was insane if he saw him right now, but Nico thought it would be more insane to not do something when things needed to be done. Was he supposed to sit by and be idle when potentially the entire world was in danger? He couldn't do that. He'd never been that kind of person, and he wasn't about to change now.

Standing up again, he squared his shoulders, looked around the hall, and approached whoever happened to be nearby. "So, which House were you thinking about?" he asked. "It's a little weird that they're making us choose, but I guess it's better than having them decide for us."

II. House of Stone

It was a good thing that Nico wasn't claustrophobic, because his room was a little small, and the idea of living under rock was a little unsettling. But he took it all in stride, making mental notes about his room for things he wanted to do to personalize it if he could. Honestly, he was surprised that they weren't sharing rooms, but he wasn't going to dare open his mouth and complain. Aside from living with Blaine, he hadn't shared a room with anyone since college. It was easier to be himself when he lived alone and had space for himself, and he had to admit that the lights embedded into the walls were pretty nice.

Stepping out of his room, he closed the door behind him, looking up when he heard the footsteps of someone else in the hall. Perking up, he smiled. "Hey. Pretty nice that we get our own rooms, isn't it?"

III. Clay Exhibition

"Nope." He shook his head as he backed away, eyeing the pit of clay and the participants who'd stripped down to almost nothing to slather themselves with clay. "I'm not usually a quitter but I think I'm going to have to pass on this one."

He took another step back, glancing over his shoulder to make sure he wasn't about to trip over anything. "Someone else can tell me all about how being covered in this stuff goes."

IV. All Soulstice Day

To say he was confused was an understatement. All day people had been shaking his hand or hugging him and he didn't understand why. Did they know something he didn't? Was something awful about to happen to him? He was naturally a friendly person, but this was a little much even for him, though he never turned anyone away.

Eventually, he found himself next to someone who wasn't a local, which meant--he hoped--that he wasn't about to be accosted with friendliness again. "What the hell's going on around here?" he asked, absolutely bemused.

IV.

[piercinggaze]

Auditi certainly didn't look like a local. She didn't look like most of the other newcomers, either - a stocky teenage girl with grey skin and curved orange horns. She also had quite a few piercings in her face, but to be fair a determined and not particularly wise human kid could probably manage to acquire similar.

She grinned at the question, showing teeth that were notably more sharply pointed than a human's, although she made a point of not exactly meeting his eyes and she didn't seek out physical contact with him. "Some kind of... magical event, I guess?" she answered with a shrug. "Apparently there's something about today that makes it really easy to tell if you're compatible with other people."

ciro / cloud

[demology]

I. A R R I V A L
"Greenhouse of Unity?"

That's a first. Ciro doesn't recognize anything around him when he appears in the strange new place. All he has are his million questions and no single person with all of the answers. He wants to know why he's there, but his gut tells him it was some sort of magic, unfortunately the air doesn't carry the scent of any magic familiar to him in his own world.

He knows interdimensional travel is possible through magic, but besides his partner trying to tear an entry into another world in search of fae that one time, he doesn't think he'd heard anything about anyone else who could pull that off.

Still, without the sounds of the city and all the light pollution at night, he thinks this might not be so bad in the grand scheme of things. Ciro prides himself on his ability to adapt and remain flexible in otherwise alarming situations, and whether or not he's managing well at it is still up for debate because he's being forced to make a choice. He has no idea what to choose, and opts to take some time to think on it while he rests. If anyone else joins him, he's seated alone in silence, arms folded, and eyes closed, trying to focus on what the people around him seem to be feeling.

"Are you having a hard time making up your mind, too?" He asks, not yet opening his eyes to see who he's speaking to.

II. C L O U D S
Ciro ended up having to sleep on the decision, and, like many other decisions he's made, it comes to him in a dream in the middle of a short nap. He's in the sky, looking down to the earth and wanting to land somewhere familiar, but there are clouds blocking him from making his descent to the familiarity of the Earth, her soil, and the lush flora he loves so much.

It's what drives him to pick the thing he finds he fears subconsciously, but he finds pretty quickly he's pleased with the choice he's made. Being surrounded by art and culture feels right, and he's curious enough about it all that he loses hours from his day just roaming around and collecting this and that to study later--or plant in the garden he intends to start. While he doesn't imagine much will grow in the cold, it isn't something his magic can't help with.

So if he's approached, he'll happily explain the spell he's using to bring life and color to a wilting flower. "You'd think there'd be more plants in a place called a Greenhouse.."

III. N E T W O R K
Has anyone seen any interesting plants?
I'm going to start a garden once I find the space, and the plants of this world are fascinating.
Send me photos. All the photos.

IV. W I L D C A R D
(I'm open to anything! Ciro is a witch and and empath. He can't read minds but he can read emotions very well. He likes plants and is 100% friendlier than he seems. ALSO, I MATCH FORMAT!)

I.

[kurobakeneko]

[ A quiet "meow" is the only reply the witch receives for a curious black and white feline is sitting at his feet. The cat stares up at him with a quizzical gaze. While cats are nothing out of the usual, this particular feline is quite strange since it has such a long shadow. That and the fact there's no other strays here. For the most part, cats are not commonplace. ]

Mew?

[ It meows again as if to get the stranger's attention. Maybe the cat is hungry or something? Most cats are always hungry for something whether it be food or attention. ]

benedict dearborn — academic, demonologist (exorcist) — cloud

[fumitory]

✦ Greetings, Travelers.
[ the Hall of Travelers | open to all]

Steel yourself, Benny, I am still here with you.

( it probably isn't Ben's proudest moment, half-sitting, half-laying in the open auditorium looking damn near frightened from his stricken expression alone, and...hyperventilating. it's definitely a look for a man in his mid-thirties (who's nearly dressed as if he is from the Thirties, though if you have an eye for fashion, you'll probably note all the ways in which this man hails from the twenty-first century, if the dimensions of your respective worlds are at all adjacent.)

the Sentinels weren't wrong to approach him — Ben's entire existence is driven to better the world around him, caring for those he shares that world with the way a parent wants better for their child, 'I don't want you to have to endure the things I have. I've touched fire, I don't want to see you be burned, too.' though he knows being burned is necessary to comprehending the threat... where the analogy deviates from the logic is that in his instance, the fire is immaterial psychic entities made of malice in opposition to the building blocks of material essence. or, maybe it's just cooler to say demons. that's a type of burn you don't easily survive.

Ben doesn't know how to reconcile the staggering change from his flat in Lambeth to this not-really-so-impossible place, does what he can to not make an overt scene in front of the rest that have come in this wave. it's so much — so much to take in, to keep up with, and this coming from a man that has witnessed demons and angels manifest into the material plane, necromancy, and more. honestly...it's the fact that he was ripped from his very cherished, secure little home without much notice. (without any, if you ask him.)

he doesn't even remember how he reached the Hall of Travelers, but that's certainly not important — he's being given a choice, and he doesn't even know what he's choosing on. he's heard it explained to him, but the concepts don't immediately connect through the white noise blaring over his mind. he's given an offer to think about it.

so in the hall Ben stays, stunned in silence and reeling with the sudden hit from this wild news as he stares out at scenery he can't fully appreciate through knowing how absolutely alien it is to him. Devourer, end of worlds, must be stopped. help them.

there may not a world to return to otherwise.

he can appreciate the ultimatum because he knows that it really isn't. still...light is dying out on the horizon, and Ben hasn't said a word in hours, sitting on this simple little cot. he knows Peter hasn't left him — that's nice, honestly — but he already knows the connection feels different.

Ben is weighing the choice — to stay here in some sudden and foreign world, or... or, what?

a sound occurs, not that he even knows what it is; Ben jumps at whatever it is his nervous system (emphasis on the nervous) has just picked up on. a hollow and choked "Jesus wept—" is strangled out of his throat involuntarily; he's pretty sure a few cervical vertebrae crackle with the force and swiftness of how fast his head jerks. if you've been here the entire time, well, Ben never noticed...no offense. until now, that is.

and if you've just entered, then you're greeted to a grown man looking as if he's just seen a ghost. (for how many he has seen in his life, he sure is acting like this is the first time anything has been so startling.) )

✦ Head in the stars.
[ City of Clouds | open to you cloudy people ]

( to stay, or to go? well, you probably know where this story goes. there wouldn't be much more to write about if Ben went running back home.

it's painful to leave it so suddenly, but he's as much an intellect as he is a bleed-heart, which might explain the choice behind the house he finally aligns himself to. he's a man of deep reasoning and altruism, and with such a great calling to save a literal countless amount of beings in this universe they're sharing being served before him, Ben knows he can't go home and leave the guilt of abandoning such an incredible cause here. (he's far too paranoid to go back home and hope that this Devourer thing won't just appear in the sky one day, smacking its dreadful lips.)

so Ben is here — in the City of Clouds. the quarters he is given is a blank slate, but it is not yet feeling like home, a concept he strives for, his anchor. curious to know what this place provides, he winds up in the Sanctuary soon enough. )


option a.

( quickly, as if he could smell it on the air, Ben finds the Grand Library. because of course he did.

it's everything an academic Virgo could want while here in a completely alien world — reference books. it feels like an aha moment when Ben sees their recorded history bound like text books in a college library spread through bookcases aplenty, accessible by anyone with the reach, or one of these convenient rolling ladders.

fun fact about Ben Dearborn: his luck stat runs on a deficit. it's been a pensive silence perfect for a library this entire time, perhaps since its original erection, however long this building has been standing here, during Ben's visit...

until Ben's pulling out the second book that has caught his attention, enough to have him slip the tome out from its designated place...though it doesn't come free alone. the cascading sound of books tumbling from a shelf and onto carpeted floor shouldn't seem so loud — maybe it's due to the sheer crime it feels like he's committed, as if the library itself has made the accident an alarm to all in the vicinity that there is a traitor in their midst, one so careless as to cause such important records an indignity.

when you round the corner of this bookshelf, he's just noticing that he isn't alone. he twists and presses his back up against the shelf, stifling the very much barely-placed books in the very narrow space and fretfully crossing his arms over his chest. there is absolutely no eye contact. he murmurs moreso with desperation than library etiquette. ) Good afternoon. ( this first impression is the antithesis to everything he is and stands for...so, naturally, it's exactly the hand that fate deals him today. )


option b.

( well, Ben survived the peculiar horror of committing a social faux pas before a stranger, and he's managed to move on...only physically. the embarrassment will continue to haunt, because what else do you expect from someone as culturally Catholic as this?

curious and always in need of mapping out his surroundings, he eventually makes it to the top of the Sanctuary, eager to see the lookout point from this high into the sky where the air feels...so very different, almost thin, but not enough that he has to question it. there's something more than just jarring, but downright unnerving to see the expanse of the city and the surrounding environment here on this mountain cliff side, putting the wide scope of this world into perspective. a normal person might feel small enough, but now to realize he's a staggering distance from home...

it's a poignant moment, until Ben pans his gaze left and sees... ) It even has a bloody pool. ( it's so especially luxurious...in such a strangely mundane way, as if to mimic what random little ways he might be able to recognize or relate. it's funny to him, somehow; his expression bends with mirth that concedes, his breath hiccuping a small rhythm that might qualify as a laugh, even if only in spirit. ) I'm not sure if much else can surprise me anymore.

( oh, Ben... don't worry — someone, somewhere, will find a way. )

✦ All Soulstice Day
[ literally where ever | open ]

( the people of Restoria have been alarmingly pleasant in greeting and hosting Travelers these past few days...but Ben wonders just what is going on when he can't even make it to the Sanctuary without being stopped by hand to endure the most intense eye contact he's ever been given in his life.

Ben wouldn't even know what his aura looks or feels like (then again, if you were to ask him, he might make some guesses...not many of them very optimistic.) he's a protector at heart, altruistic and virtuous even if he is quite a bit reserved. being so internally-oriented means his focus goes within, matching how fitting he is here in the City of Clouds, but his heart goes as deep as his mind... which isn't a good long-term environment for someone who's kept such a distance from people in life.

good think no one has directly told him about this little Bonding Day just yet. he's already overthinking so many things today.

perhaps auras are like magnets — certain sides repel, or attract. maybe paths just keep getting crossed, and the two of you keep noticing with a glance, attentions catching longer and longer each time they make contact. maybe this is the first time they've been around each other at all.

this time, close enough now, it feels like a welcoming, something opening up and intentional. it feels like...his name being called, so intuitively, that Ben casts his full attention over to yours, surprise a neutral light on his face, almost dazed as he's now looking at the other. ) Sorry, did you just—? ( call his name? except that now, hearing his own voice, he realizes that he heard...nothing. didn't he? he's looking at yours now, and it feels like being on a hook, and he's helpless to the confusion now blooming on his own face. )

✧ Wildcard.

open to any wildcard prompts, especially collecting plant stuff for money. uwu would love to plot for those ones, so don't be shy to contact me via PM, discord @ ghoulette#8643, or find me on plurk @ plasticlove. that, or for any other ideas you might have for Ben! info post is here with permissions here.

greetings!

[junctured]

[ Benedict isn't the only one who looks frightened. Arliss, her arms clasped hard around her chest like it will protect herself against reality, has had her head bowed for a little while, breathing hard and trying to gather herself. Her breathing is harsh-sounding, from a combination of fear and from breathing in unfiltered air instead of air from a ship's regulator.

She's just gotten done talking, in a harsh whisper, to what appears to be her reflection in the floor of the Hall. A woman who looks similar, but is wearing a mish-mashed and odd-looking outfit and who has chunks of pink where Arliss' hair is simply black. Her reflection, Epigone, is moving on her own and pacing next to her, untouched by Arliss' attempts to get her to still.

Noticing that she appears to have startled the man on the cot next to her, Arliss looks up, brown eyes wide before she forces herself to speak. She sounds as unsteady as she looks. ...and actually, this guy looks to be in worse shape than she is, if she can focus herself and actually notice. ]

I'm— sorry. That was loud. ...are you okay?

Chauncy Morior | House of Cloud

[yachtrock]

III.

[It was simple to pick which “house” to be a part of- a house of physicality, of warriors and sweat?

No thanks. He sweats enough without the extra exertion.

Unfortunately, neither house is exactly suitable him, but at least he isn’t living out of a cave. Yes, he’s aware that they quickly want him to be escorted to this “Observatory,” but just as quickly as he’s shown the tour of that highest peak, he makes his way to go back down those many steps, heading back to the city with the kind of urgency one might see on someone who’s trying to make it into a store five minutes before they close.

If he bumps into you in his urgency back down, he’ll glance back to apologize… sort of.]

Consider walking to one side of a path instead of dead center next time, the flow of traffic will thank you.

[Actually that’s not an apology at all, is it.]

IV.

Ah ha. Ha ha… Ah, oh, you meant it. You really want me to catalogue plants for you?

[The look of him says it all- styled hair, parted perfectly to the side, a militaresque outfit that some might recognize as more for a show of royalty than of an actual soldier. To top it all off, white gloves, unsuitable to digging through dirt. He looks to the plants with a hint of disgust, and continues to speak to the poor Sentinel on Conservatory duty with something of a “can I speak to your manager” tone.]

I thought you said you needed our help in saving our worlds, and I’m failing to see how telling you what a plant looks like is going to resolve this.

text

Is this like Sending? Am I limited to twenty-five words? No? Good. That would be irritating.

Greetings and salutations to all who can see this message. My name is Prince Chauncy Morior of House Deneb, although presently of the House of Cloud. I am reaching out to everyone here about a great concern of mine that I’ve encountered in my so far brief time here.

I have no money. I tried to buy a single croissant from a bakery and had no currency with which to buy it. Worst of all, the only “jobs” I found available involve physical labor.

I would greatly appreciate if someone found a solution to this.

WILDCARD

[ or we can just do whatever lol ]

Network

[dralchemist]

sending scrolls are limited by words where you're from? that seems like such a weird cramp.

i'm used to 140 characters.

Isabella "Izzy" d'Oro | Cloud

[dralchemist]

[I. so you're telling me this is a high druid focused campaign?]

[At first, the overwhelming mood for Izzy was "sure, this might as well be happening". Coming off of the high of being a capital-A Adventurer, it was almost arrogant of her to think that there would be, y'know. Moments of peace. Downtime. The world she knew, it knew her right back. So of course, of course she was chosen. To save it, again, from some unknown, unseen threat. This time, though, she didn't even get the chance to consult with her friends about it. In her home in one moment. Underneath the boughs of a massive tree the next.]

Augh... fuck, wasn't expecting that. G, you catch anything on the way down?

[She speaks to the air as if expecting a response, and furrows her brow when she doesn't get one.] G? You there? Shit, don't tell me that fall knocked you out. [Sigh. Might as well pick herself up and take a look around, try to get her bearings. This place... didn't seem like anywhere she'd ever seen in the Dragon Empire. And she was pretty sure she had seen a lot of it.]

[III. head in the overworld]

......

[Transfixed by the skyline. That's where Izzy's at once she's been taken up to the City of Clouds. Even beyond the architecture, the magitech, the layout of the city, even her housing... this is what catches her. On a rail on the outer edge of the Observatory, she's just... watching the sky, scanning the mountains, charting the stars in her own way. By the naked eye.]

No views like this back home...

[IV. like a kid in the candy... greenhouse.]

[Herbology! Botanics! Her specialty! And she's getting paid for herbal identification? Hells yes! Even better when there's this multitude of plants that she's never seen before, enticing in the way that they sway, unfurl, shift colors in the light.

At some point, though, she spots something in between her sketching and cataloguing that she recognizes. A tall vine with deep crimson fruits that sprout out of it in gnarled crescents. Famed for its alchemical uses, as well as the extreme inhospitability of the biome in which it grows.]

Hellpeppers. Right here. Actual hellpeppers that I can just. Harvest. And use.

[... maybe she can figure out a way to harvest them later, though; right now it's cataloguing time. HELLPEPPER. ORIGIN: HELL MARSH, DRAGON EMPIRE. INCREDIBLY SPICY (MEASURED AT 3M+ SCOVILLE). INGEST WITH EXTREME CAUTION.]

[V. touch-range spellcaster]

[This day... Soulstice Day, the whole idea of it and culture surrounding it... doesn't sit right with Izzy. Even the soothing sensations are causing friction with her ingrained paranoia. Empathy was something she had to learn the hard way, over the course of months in close and dangerous proximity with a select few people. The fact that random strangers on the street are trying to initiate that same connection, that same empathic link... not to mention all of the touchy-feeliness, it's overwhelming. Despite the festivities going on around her, Izzy is trying her best not to have a panic attack while sitting on a park bench. Steadying her breathing, trying to focus on her thoughts, keeping herself grounded, and looking entirely out of place.]

[VI. networking]

so i noticed that there a bunch of restaurants around here, right? but if the whole conceit is that everybody's here from different worlds, then that's got me thinking.

what kinda food from your world do you want other people to experience? local specialties, stuff you don't think anybody else here would know about.

[VII. wild card, bitches! yee-haw!]

[So, Izzy here is a chef/alchemist from The Dragon Empire, a high fantasy and magitech setting that the 13th Age RPG runs in. Her basic profile is over here, though I'm taking her from a point after this app. Notable feature departures from her portrait include a broken horn fitted with a screw-on prosthesis, and her left arm fully black from the fingertips to the shoulder with runic writing tattooed in her scales past that. If you have any further questions, feel free to hit me up at kaosblaze, or on Discord at Izzy#6915!]

V

[slidesrightoff]

[A giant blond man collapses dramatically onto a bench across from her, blue metal glinting in the sun from underneath his loose t-shirt. In fact, everything about him, aside from his head, seems to be made of the same gleaming blue metal.

Somehow he manages to take up most of the bench, all gangly metal limbs, before seemingly snapping to attention when he notices someone across from him, finally sitting on the bench like a civilized person.]

Staring into other people's eyes is one way to get to know them, I guess. Crazy, right?

zivis (cloud) | ota

[mutesiren]

[ I ]

It was a sandstorm that blinded her, swirling up out of no where probably because some Djinn got its panties in a twist probably got territorial when someone wandered too close to its home. She heard a voice dimly calling towards her left and she turned, the world falling away into the stars that reminded her of the mounts that she'd befriended in the past few months. Shifting without actually shifting, she was the one moving...falling.

And then...not...

The branches are the first thing that comes into focus, leading to a heavy look of confusion on her face.

"Mother...?"

The words are soft, hesitant, and the voice that says them is horribly rough with disuse, pale pink eyes search the boughs, looking for something familiar in them. But there's nothing there. It couldn't possibly be the other Tree, even her own couldn't teleport her children out of danger like that. A voice nearby distracted her from digging any further into that thought, leading her down the stairs.

"I don't understand... I'm not the Commander..." She'd heard of their stories, the legend that has grown under that moniker. But she was nothing compared to them and definitely didn't want to live that kind of life. It didn't sound like...this was a solitary one at least.

Still...

Zivis will be sitting on a cot when found, hugging herself as she looks down at her bare feet. It's not that she's cold. It's that she's never been involved before. And the thought of that is...daunting.

[ III ]

The platform of the Observatory has risen at this point, the air getting colder, but the Sylvari seems to be refusing any sort of offerings of coverings or hot drinks by the natives. Sure, the stars are all sorts of interesting, especially with how they're not the stars of her home. (Not that she ever really paid attention to those in the first place—being under water makes them wiggly anyway.)

Instead the blue plant person is leaning over the edge of the railing with what looks to be absolutely no fear of falling. She even crouches after a few moments, holding onto a staff that seems to generate its own wind.

"Everything looks so tiny from here! Like little dolls!" She sounds very enthusiastic about this, moving to a sitting position with legs cast over. "Do you think anyone can see us from up here?"

Now is probably when you'll notice that she's glowing pink, the color getting stronger and then fading out in various places on her skin. "Or do you think they're not even looking up if this is normal for them?" She turns, looking up at the poor soul (you) that she's started talking to out of no where.

[ IV ]

Now while outwardly she looks like a plant, Zivis doesn't normally have a connection to the earthbound variety. Instead she prefers the variety that they seem to be cultivating in shallow water tanks for the moment. The blue lady has her face pressed to one of these tanks, looking at a pink colored plant.

"This isn't nearly big enough for this one..." She sounds a little sad by this, "They can grow at least as tall as me."

She straightens and looks around for someone who perhaps works in the conservatory, "Do you think they have a tank bigger than this one for it?"

Another pause from her as she tilts her head towards the tank, "And it seems to want more tank mates," pink eyes turn towards it, "Are you sure?" Another pause, "I suppose it would be easier to make friends that way."

Why yes, she is talking to the plant. She is a plant.

[ V ]

Sure, everyone around her is mingling like they're all long lost family and whatnot. But honestly she just feels strongly...disconnected. So she crouches in the shadows—it's daytime so she's not glowing—just simply watching the interactions.

Zivis shifts to chinpalm with her elbows on her knees as she watches with a soft frown, "It's like...the Dream. But I don't sense anything like the Dream."

Sure, it sounds weird to you, if you happen to overhear. But the innate connection that Sylvari have to one another at Awakening can be strong, especially then. She'd been Soundless for so long that she couldn't even remember what it felt like, but there was a deep absence of that connection here. Worse than it had been with her pushing that bond as far away from herself as possible. Even with Tryalae's influence she still didn't reach out...

Now she wish she had.

[ WILDCARD ]

[Don't see anything you like here? Feel free to hit me up in Zivis' inbox or discord is gloryfalling#0443 and plurk is just plain old gloryfalling.]

iii.

[junctured]

Settled into a chair, Arliss is as comfortable-looking as she's been all day. More than a day, in fact. She can't say with certainty when she was last out of danger. And it does really appear that they're safe here, for the moment, which is incredible. There aren't even any reflective surfaces near her to glimpse Epigone. Instead, Epigone is her shadow, noticeably standing whereas Arliss is sitting. She's mercifully silent, however.

Arliss is holding her sketchbook and putting down the shape of the telescope when the voice calls her attention to the person she'd noticed on the way up to the observatory. Zivis is so different from the beings she knows, and yet she's still much more normal to her than the beings she can glimpse in (or that cross over from) the Copper Layer. She starts sketching her silhouette, blinking up when she's addressed squarely.

Or seems to be. But no one else is in their immediate vicinity. The feeling of not wanting to be rude, and being curious, overrides any fear of speaking to someone who wasn't actually addressing her.

"They probably look up sometimes," Arliss says quietly. "Or I would, if I lived near something this pretty."

arliss joshi / epigone | cloud | ota

[junctured]

█ I. Arrival.

[ This isn't too unusual for Arliss — the sensation of being twisted and pulled through time and space. But that's also a problem. Too much, too much. Arliss stares with wide eyes at the group of people around her, wishing instead briefly for the more familiar walls of the ship around her. She yanks herself to her feet with a rough, panicky movement, rate of breathing increasing until she's nearly gasping. At this point, she manages to get somewhat of a grip around the well of panic, but it doesn't decrease. She blinks hard, listening with rapt attention to the voice of her Guide and everything they have to say to her, but still breathing harshly. Almost wheezing, now.

By the time she reaches the Hall of Travelers, she can't even fully appreciate it like she normally would. Instead she finds one of the cots and, still near-wheezing, sits down, closing her eyes and visibly trying to gather herself. Every time she opens her eyes, she sees grey tendrils trying to wrap around her throat, or one of the people around her being reduced to a bloody skeleton. Memories.

Keen-eyed people around her might notice that her reflection in the shiny floor doesn't look like her. And the movements of her shadow don't match, either. Close, but with dashes of pink in the hair and a different, mish-mashed outfit, carrying what appears to be a thick length of pipe. Her reflection, Epigone, turns to look at her. Her rougher voice is audible for those who are in the normal hearing range of Arliss' own words. ]

For fuck's sake. Calm down. It's not even coated in mucus like the cot over here.

Not. Helping, [ Arliss stage-whispers, not trying to bring any attention to her weird... friend. ]


█ III. Bright-Eyed.

[ Later, Arliss looks almost composed. Almost, because she's still struggling to grasp the fact that she appears to be safe. It's a new sensation, though it wasn't always for her. She smiles with visible discomfort when any citizens of the City of Clouds study her or speak to her, wanting to put a brave face forward but also disturbed by the assessing that appears to be going on. There are a lot of reflective surfaces around for Epigone to be visible, though Stabby — her nickname for her — appears to be behaving herself. Arliss clutches her large blue pleather-bound sketchbook close to her chest as she's shown around, like it's armor that will protect her. If any of her fellow arrivals look at her pose, she'll smile that same stiff smile at them. ]

Hi. How's... it going.

[ The mountains are better. More removed from the many citizens of the city, with less reflection and a colder temperature that agrees with someone who's become accustomed to space. Arliss breathes more easily on the journey there. By the time the observatory is reached, though, Arliss' eyes are practically shining. She smiles. Maybe this won't be so bad, if the people here love the stars as much as she does. She settles in a chair and starts to sketch immediately — the observatory itself, and also the people gathered here. Maybe even one of her fellow arrivals, and if she's spotted she'll offer — finally — a natural-looking, if shy smile. ]

Is it okay if I draw you?

[ ooc: Will match formats! ]

III

[demology]

[Ciro is happy that he had cigarettes on him when he showed up here, and was doubly happy that they were among the personal items that showed up in his room from home. He decided to explore the grounds and the area he moves into seems so sparsely populated that he doesn't think twice about lighting up as he continues his walk.

Back home the cold like this would have bothered him, but it feels like his skin has grown accustomed to it. Like he's under the protection of some spell to keep him from being subjected to the extremes of temperature. He enjoys his walk until he spots someone else. As he approaches his speed slows as he tries to take in what she might be doing, and whether or not she's in the mood for company. After all, most people don't stay this far from other people if they wanted to make friends. Fortunately, she speaks to Ciro before he can convince himself to give her space.]

Me? [As if there were anyone else around, he glances over his shoulder before looking back, nodding.]

I suppose so. [He returns that smile as he approaches, putting out his cigarette before he gets any closer to her.] How do you want me?

hojoon | stone

[hojoon]

[i. arrival.]

[he arrives the same way as everyone else, but hojoon might not feel the same way. he sees it in the faces of some of the other travelers, the initial fear and confusion of being taken away from their homes so suddenly. anyone having too hard a time of it might even find him sitting close by, though silent and never looking in their direction. he's clearly not bothered by any of this. home is a place that he lost a long time ago.

hojoon follows the guide along with everyone else, staying at the rear of the group, listening attentively without question or protest. but when the time to choose comes-

well, he's one of the few left there on one of the cots. it's been hours since he arrived when he finally speaks his first words.]

By dawn, huh.

[ii. getting your hands dirty.]

[at just over five feet tall, hojoon isn't among the largest people of his house. he looks even smaller knelt down, where he seems to almost be enjoying rubbing the mud on his skin.]

I remember when I had to travel all the way to Kyushu for this. Want me to smear some across your back?

[iv. herb-a-reore]

[for the first time, something seems to have taken hojoon by surprise. maybe it's just the sheer beauty of the flowers around him: pure white chrysanthemums, bright orange tiger lilies, gentle lavender hydrangeas....

he looks like a man in a daze, slowly turning his head to take it all in. but once he snaps out of it, he immediately kneels and starts weeding around them, pausing only long enough to wipe a hand across his eye or cheek from time to time, leaving a smear of dirt in its place.]

I have to find the vegetables next. They've been neglected for too long. Do you see any tomatoes?

i.

[ceremonious]

[ rune already knew moments in that he would stay. there's not much to the world he calls home, not when he's already had his fill of it, and this one? it's full of potential, full of interesting people he wants to take advantage of. it's one of the only real reasons why he loiters in the hall, watching others sit and decide and ultimately leave the room. he himself isn't in any sort of hurry, and he's only (almost) a little surprised when one of the few remaining people actually speaks up.

his initial response is to frown, staring at him with a mostly disinterested look. ]

You're running out of time. [ if he hasn't decided already. ]

clemens -- stone

[saltiness]

[ɢʀᴇᴇᴛɪɴɢꜱ, ᴛʀᴀᴠᴇʟʟᴇʀꜱ]

( It's difficult to choose which house and unlike others who seem to have made their choice straight away, Clemens is still there dithering for most of the night as he rests on one of the cots. Feet up, hands behind his head he can't help but mull it all over. Stone or Cloud? Each one had it's own merits of course but that made it all the more difficult to choose. From what Clemens can tell, Stone is more physical and Cloud is for the intelligent ones. He's neither smart or strong, just average if not a little on the taller side. Houses are not a new concept to Clemens, back home the elements are represented in their own global scale families. On a person's eighteenth birthday a brand appears on their wrist, allocating them to a House chosen for them by the Gods. Everyone had expected Clemens to be in the water-based family, House L'eau just like his father, his grandfather and so on.

But no, life had thrown a curveball and Clemens had found himself marked with that of the lightning-based family, House Foudre and that alone had been all over the internet in a matter of minutes. Absolute scandal! Clemens knows he's not as smart as those in House Foudre, nor quick and the most contact he's come into with lightning is a static shock or two.

Choosing a house is a novelty and Clemens knows it's not going to be a choice taken lightly. A part of him leans towards Stone if only because it offers the chance of understanding oneself. Maybe that would help?

The whole thing is an agonizing decision and Clemens knows he has to choose by dawn. Perhaps a stroke of chance or luck will help out? He'd flip a coin if he had one on him but a quick search of his back pocket only brings out paper notes, great for spending but not so hot for flipping. So when someone walks by Clemens simply calls out to them, completely unabashed by the whole thing.)

Hey you. Quick, you choosing stone or cloud?

[ɢᴇᴛᴛɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʜᴀɴᴅꜱ ᴅɪʀᴛʏ]

( Clemens had eventually chosen Stone when it came to a House, the opportunity of finding and understanding himself winning out over the enticement of further knowledge. When he'd been shown his quarters he couldn't help but appreciate the fact it was quite private. Privacy in his own world was never an option and maybe for once he can sit down and have five minutes to himself! He even thanks the person showing him the room, ultimately tripping over the doorstep and only just managing to keep himself upright.

Did anyone warn the house of Stone that an absolutely accident prone young man was headed their way? Clemens has two left feet and it's almost as if accidents simply follow him. Luckily it's only restricted to himself and doesn't extend to others, though it doesn't mean they're safe when standing next to the guy....

The clay pit is eyed with some trepidation. They weren't expecting him to strip down and do that were they? It seemed so and Clemens takes a few steps back, holding his hands up at chest level as he does his best to get out of it without looking rude, barely keeping his balance when he misses a step.)

No, not for me, I'm totally fine watching thanks —

( In his haste to get away (backwards), Clemens feels his back colliding with someone and he's already turning around to apologize, almost knocking a random passer-by out with an elbow as he does so.) — Sorry!

[ʜᴇʀʙ-ᴀ-ʀᴇᴏʀᴇ]

( Clemens is eyeballing some of the plants, noting how some look the same as back home. It's strange how that's a thing but in the end if people can come here then maybe other things can too. He's doing his best to catalogue what he can, asking others when he's not sure of what he's meant to be doing. Clemens knows he's not the most intelligent, those of the ocean families were supposed to be the most loyal and unbending, the kind who patiently changed the course of things over time. He'd been brought up that way with the expectation he'd fall into that house like the rest of his biological family. At least he has patience going for him!

Patience is something others will need though when Clemens accidentally nudges a nearby plant pot, catching it before it smashes on the floor.)

Anyone recognize where this plant comes from?

[ᴛᴇxᴛ]

do you think they'll give us replacement communication things if we break ours?

asking for a friend.

though really that friend is me; clemens.

anyone here reading this actually from this place?

[ᴡɪʟᴅᴄᴀʀᴅ/ᴏᴏᴄ]

( Down with anything, basically Clemens is an accident prone incident waiting to happen. Feel free to have him bump into/trip over/something your character! Will match prose and more than happy to talk via PM on this journal.)

ɢʀᴇᴇᴛɪɴɢꜱ, ᴛʀᴀᴠᴇʟʟᴇʀꜱ

[demology]

[Ciro is having an equally difficult time in deciding between the two. He's of two minds on the issue and the more he considers, the less he thinks he's capable of making the decision on his own. It makes sleep a little difficult and maybe his tossing and turning on the cot is his response to the restlessness inside. Eventually he gets up to have a walk around to clear his mind when he walks right into the very same conversation he's been having with himself.]

Don't know.

[He answers immediately, stopping in his tracks as he takes a seat in a nearby unoccupied cot.]

What about you?

Evangeline Minet | Cloud

[daebutante]

I. Greetings, Hall of Travelers
[She was taken aback at first after opening her eyes and finding herself in a world that is not her own. Confusion, anger, offense, she felt it all. Considering the numbers of times she had come back to herself to find that she was in a location she did not know for reasons she could not explain, it only left her feeling almost beside herself.

She listened to these "Sentinels" and followed after them, listening as they explained why they had been brought to this place. Save their worlds? It seemed almost unbelievable. Not that some powerful being was out there trying to destroy worlds, but that such a small group of people were expected to do anything against it. The limits of the Sentinels' power was not inspiring confidence.

The cots are small, but at least they were comfortable. What was not so comfortable was the fact there were other people all around her. She'd never done "sleepovers" as a child, nor had she gone to summer camp, or boarding school. The idea of being expected to sleep with so many other people around was certainly not sweetening her to the thought of remaining in this place and helping them. Neither was the fact her skills seemed so much weaker here. Her senses felt dulled and the shadows took more effort to reach.

But then...she also feels like herself in a way she hasn't in several days. The flickers of a life not her own are gone. Evangeline has almost forgotten in recent months what it feels like to be so alone with her own thoughts that are undeniably hers. To have it now was a stark, surprising contrast. A welcome one.

So here she sits on one of those cots, a tray of food she hasn't bothered to touch beside her. She rubs her fingers against themselves, feeling the palm of her hands, the soft, thick fabric of her winter dress. Things feel so real. After a moment she straightens herself up, looking to see who might be nearest to her.]

Excuse me, would you like any of this? [She motions to the tray of food.] I would be happy to share.

[Not that she needs it in the first place.]


III. Head in the Stars
[Shops filled with instruments she knows well and others she's never seen before immediately catch Evangeline's attention on her tour of the City of Clouds. The theater also caught her eye, but they hadn't the chance to step inside there either. Her guide was very quick, never staying still and expecting them to keep up with them. She managed, but it was also rather frustrating. Why allow her to see the city if she wasn't yet allowed to experience it? Tours were much better when they were immersive, in her opinion. Hopefully whoever was with her on this tour was able to keep moving at the brisk pace their guide had set throughout the city.

They slowed down when they traversed the mountain and Evangeline found herself having to lift her skirts as high as possible to avoid them being weighted down by the snow. Thankfully she was wearing her winter boots.]

I do hope there is one of those Travel Ports for the return trip, considering how late it already is.

[For all her displeasure, the Observatory was beautiful and the stars were captivating above them. She had not expected the platform to move and would have lost her balance if not for the tendril she extended to catch herself on the railing. Should she see anyone else under threat of falling she'll extend another shadowy hand out to keep them from tumbling over the edge, but she'll find the effort much harder than it shold have been.]

A little warning would not be remiss, I would think.

[Their guide doesn't seem to have heard or perhaps doesn't care for her criticism.]


IV. Herb-a-Reore
[Using her hands to play piano or to help her mother in her garden were common activities for Evangeline so she didn't mind in the least going into the Conservatory to look over the plants and find any that might be from her own world. And there were a few of them.]

I would be careful with that Blue Antiqua to your right. Any cuts on your fingers will turn it red and we really would be best to avoid that.

[The flower may smell very enticing now but a hint of blood--easy to happen with it's razor-sharp leaves--will cause it turn to turn into a very different type of scent, one likely to cause temporary paralysis. It was one of her mother's favorites.]


V. All Soulstice Day
[Evangeline is trying so very hard not to lose her temper. Having people welcome her and wanting to be her friend? That is lovely and she is more than willing to engage in these bonds that the Sentinels have told her are so important. How could anyone had a problem with people wanting to love them? Only people who have a problem with being loved, certainly, of which Evangeline has no problem whatsoever.

But accepting love, admiration, and companionship is not the same as accepting other people constantly seeking to touch her. That is a breach of her personal space and boundaries that goes a step too far.

Thankfully, she does have the shadows to help her, providing handshakes and hugs that feel solid despite the distance from her actual body, but just as before, it is not as easy to call upon them and she's only managed to draw out two tendrils at one time. It should not be as exhausting as it is. Perhaps her agreement to stay and assist them was premature, not realizing the full extent to her limitations here in Restoria...but she had already agreed to it, so endure she must.

But is making her feel rather hungry. Far sooner than she anticipated.

The shadows let her know someone else is nearby and Evangeline turns with a strained smile, trying to maintain some cordial propriety.]

A very affectionate culture, here. I'm almost envious.

[Will you be one of those that is compatible to her? Someone who will create that sense of belonging and understanding? Or will you be yet another person far too close to her that she needs to politely keep at a distance?]


VI. Wildcard
[OOC: I am open to a lot of things, including Evangeline taking a visit to the City of Stones if that's more your interest. If you'd like to hash something else first just PP me over at chocolateisbrainfood.]

[hispeedchase]

[Chase throws himself onto a nearby bench, glancing over at Evangeline half in surprise when she says something. His expression quickly changes from surprise to a brilliant grin as he half turns to better talk to her.]

I dunno, I think half of these people could buy me drinks first. It's only polite.

Ulari Orakos | Stone

[seenicroute]

I. Greetings!
[Ulari knew he was going to agree even before they had finished speaking. He knew much like how he knew when the future was too concrete to be broken down. He didn't know why he was going to agree, at least not in a way he would willingly acknowledge, but he knew it would happen.

To pretend at least to himself that he was not as predictable as this made him seem, he took the night that the Sentinels offered and stretched himself out on the cot, arms behind his head and his glasses twirling between his fingers. It might make people think he's not paying attention, how casual and unconcerned he looks, but he's noting every person near him and listening to what he can of their conversations--with others and themselves. As someone used to getting what he needs out of people, he's become adept at listening well while ignoring everything.

And then just as casually he rolls onto his stomach, kicking his feet in the air like a schoolgirl at a slumber party.]

It's quite hard to argue with this level of hospitality, isn't it? I wonder if they'll give us a full course breakfast in the morning even if we choose to return home.


II. Getting Your Hands Dirty
[Ulari, one might be surprised to know, doesn't actually like getting dirty. Not covered in mud and clay caked to his hair type of dirty. He's more than up for plenty of other forms of filthy, but he spends a lot of time perfecting his impeccable hair, thank you. He'd rather not ruin it.

Now, he does get to enjoy watching other people--other adults, that is--get dirty. And mostly naked. If it wasn't for that, he might be rethinking his choice of House of Stone.

So Ulari takes his pleasure watching from a distance as people wrestling and fight, bodies crashing into each other, skin slipping and sliding in the mud. He'll encourage other Travelers like himself to take part, but conveniently never say he'll do it himself. Maybe later after he trains a little more. Obviously these people are more equipped for the festive combat than he is. Do you see these thing arms? Couldn't possibly manage any grappling with them.]

Did you see that strapping fellow over by the dismount horse? I'm certain he's looking in your direction. There! He's waving.

[That might actually be a friendly hand raised in challenge, but what difference is there? Ulari just wants to see what everyone else has to offer. If someone tries to press him into it, maybe he'll continue to refuse...unless the right motivation comes along.]


IV. Herb-a-Reore
[Ulari wanders around the Conservatory with little care, pointing at various herbs and plants with a pencil he procured from somewhere. Couldn't do any cataloging without a pencil and paper could he?]

I'm almost certain that one might be from my world, but I couldn't tell you what it is or does. Oh and that one over there. I think it is meant to help with constipation.

[So many of these plants look like they could be from anywhere, so Ulari is just going to have fun with it and hope that he does help just enough for the Sentinels to pay him for it.]


V. All Soulstice Day
[Oh well, aren't these people so friendly? Normally Ulari would be feeling very displeased by all the touching, but with his Sight currently out of sight, he's enjoying the attention being so unfettered and without the expectations he's used to back home. Thankfully, he's yet to encounter that pesky "aura bonding" thing that feels a bit invasive if you ask him, but he won't say no to physical affection. So anyone who comes up to him seeking a hug or a hand shake will get one in return and if you look like you don't want that hug or handshake?

He's gonna try to hug you anyway. When in Restoria do as the Restorians do, as they might say. If asked to stay back he'll listen, but he might tease you just a bit.]

Oh I'm sorry. I was under the impression this was how we were meant to greet each other here. Hugging to save the universe, wasn't it?


VI. WILDCARD
{OOC: Up for just about anything! Ulari might even take a quick trip to City of Clouds if that's up your alley. If you want to plot anything hit me up at chocolateisbrainfood.}

I.

[kurobakeneko]

Perhaps but are you truly the type to spurn such hospitality?

[ So asks the dark-haired woman sitting on the bed across from them as she combs her fingers through her unruly hair. Nao was present when the Sentinels welcomed them earlier but they probably didn't notice her there. Why? That's because she's a ninja. A shinobi, actually. Nao knows how to hide within the shadows undetected. She's been trained since birth to be as inconspicuous as possible. Even now, she managed to sneak into the lodgings here unnoticed. That's because no one noticed the little black and white stray that climbed in through the windows.

Instead of immediately seeking lodgings for the evening, Nao opted for exploration. She combed through the twisting and winding halls of the Greenhouse taking note of its breathtaking beauty. While she couldn't sense anything amidst here, she couldn't help but feel oddly out of place thank to all the human-like travelers wandering about. She eventually grew tired and wandered over here to claim a cot for the night.

That's when she espied this curious creature here with the goat-like horns. ]

You seem quite carefree despite our...predicament.

[ Just an observation on her part. Most of the other travelers seem quite fretful. ]

Arha Masaari | House Cloud | OTA

[lightsider]

I. She stayed within reach of the tree for a long while, content to feel its life and the freshness of her surroundings rather than range a little more. But eventually, she moved to talk with other or the Guides until she had enough information to make her choice of House. In the end, it was Cloud that won out.

She gently touched someone on the elbow.

"Do you need any help?" she asked quietly, her eyes bright and her smile ready.

III. The white room is enough space for her, she notes, stopping to snag her lightsabers and clip them to her belt. Those must be her items from home--Master Masaari said they were her life and here they are waiting for her, one she thought had been lost.

The cool Observatory makes her pull at her robes a little in an attempt to find a little more warmth. She shivers a moment more before taking a breath and letting the physical sensations ease away, instead, finding someone else to divert her attention to.

"Can I get you a blanket or...there must be tea I can make somewhere around here," she offers to anyone who might need to offer.


V. Soulstice Day! What a lovely thing to bond with someone and share warm feelings. This is truly a day Arha will treasure because it reflects so strongly on personality. She is full of hugs and light, all brilliant smiles as she reaches out looking for compatible bonds with ease.

"Hello!" she says, her eyes fairly twinkling. "How are you?"

Wildcard. Hit me up at Discord; Mageling#0007 or Plurk at lightbirbs if you like and we can hash something out!

Viridescent Agate | RWBY OC | Stone

[getgecked]

I. Greetings, Greenhouse
[She probably shouldn't have agreed to this at all, even if all she did agree to was not making a decision until tomorrow. SABL's upcoming missions were important, they had shit to do. But being told that you could save the universe was a heavy thing and despite her typical impulsivity, she was taking some time to work through it.

What do you do when they tell you that your world is gonna end if you don't do something about it?

She's kind of skeptical, not sure she believes all of this, but it's pretty clear this isn't Remnant. This "Restoria" is a weird place full of shit she doesn't understand.

So maybe she tries to sneak out of the Hall of Travelers to visit other areas of the Greenhouse of Unity (Brothers, that name is so on the nose, Viri doesn't know what to even say about it), and see what this other world has to offer. Turns out that they don't seem to stop you, but it's hard not to notice the eyes that are on her...so she instead tucks herself around a corner, reading to find the nearest shadow to walk into and take her...nowhere. She has no idea where she is. Maybe she'll go back to the Tree?

And maybe she'll run into someone else who had the same intentions of getting out of the Hall and all the people who were mulling about there, not sure what they were doing with themselves. Her large eyes assesses whoever she might come across.]

Find anything interesting down this way?


II. Getting Your Hands Dirty
[Now this is Viri's type of entertainment. The Sanctuary for Stone is just one huge gym and training facility. Best shit. She is more than willing to strip down some of her clothes and slather herself in clay. The armor feels...a lot lighter than she expected and not nearly as cakey. Yeah, she can work with this. Now to find someone willing to wrestle with her.

She's not the shortest, but she's not the tallest either and comes across smaller than she really is. But she's got a lot of muscle on that body and she's not afraid to challenge someone bigger than her.]

Come on, two drops out of three wins.


IV. Herb-a-Reore
[Viri doesn't know anything about plants, but they offered money so she figured she could at least give it a try. Turns out that was not her best idea. Because she is really bad at this. So she'll be looking around and asking anyone who comes by while pointing at one plant or another.]

This plant look familiar to you?


V. All Soulstice Day
Look, you're not staring soulfully into my eyes and finding anything, so just go on about yourself.

[Viri is okay with the heart hand shakes and people who are a little more affectionate, but do stop trying to look for a soulmate in her eyes, it's just plain uncomfortable. People who usually stare at her eyes too closely are doing it for completely different reasons most of the time.

It's also just plain weird to think that you could find something like that just from a touch or a look.]

Why don't we go get some food or something instead? [She's not a big talker, but food. She can do food with some stranger.]


VI. WILDCARD
{OOC: Up for almost anything! Viri is a Faunus, with large gecko style eyes. If you want to do something, you can throw it up or we can talk it out. Hit me up at chocolateisbrainfood}

xama « cloud

[xama]

[travelers.

Honestly, at this point, she's no longer surprised. Save our world, help us fight against this evil, we need you. Always was how it worked with being a keeper of the balance, wasn't it? This has to be the umpteenth time she's been subconsciously dragged somewhere- though thank the gods it wasn't by Qukais this time. No sudden dropping into an ocean, no instantly waking up to be a sacrifice for some odd ritual... this is almost too tame for her to believe, in some ways. Her god may be an asshole, but he at least makes sure she lives through most of her work. Most of it.

Xamã stands in the hall, eyes looking over the environment, before elbowing the nearest person and speaking.]

So, on a scale of one to absolutely sucks, where are you at the moment?

[clouds.

The accommodations, though? They kinda suck. Like, she's grateful and all that, but she can do without all the stares and judgement right from the get-go. Not to mention their actual rooms are sparsely decorated or useable beyond basic needs. Xamã doesn't need much, but she at least prefers a bit of style in terms of living.

The Observatory at least soothes her, in some ways, even if she doesn't recognize the constellations at all. It's not so uncommon, really, with how she is back home. She prefers the outdoors and the sky to anything close and claustrophobic, though that's something she's grown used to also as the years have gone by.

Entering the room while she's looking upwards will only get a bit of a nod, eyes flicking to the newcomer before going back upwards.]

Don't let me bother you, I'm just here to try and memorize the patterns.

[Has to, in order to catalogue this realm in a report whenever she gets back home, right?

soulstice.

For once, she doesn't honestly try to stand off on her own in the crowd, and the familiar lazily flying around her makes for quite a spectacle. Yes, that's a dinobird, and he can talk- though really, it's better he doesn't.

Still, Xamã moves along with the crowd- sometimes being stopped to be stared at, other times to be the one to return the gaze. It isn't a hostile motion, and she seems pretty much at ease, compared to how sassy and cynical she can sound at times.

Still, if you're stopping to stare at her or her bird, she'll give a slight grin.]

Hey, estranho, don't hold up the line.

[She's kidding, really. Theo is rather unique like that.

wildcard.

Wanna do something different? Fun? Xamã is an immortal shaman, so feel free to get creative, I can probably run with it.]

travelers

[slidesrightoff]

[Eddie blinks a few times at the question, glancing from Zama's eyes to her elbow, then back again.]

Um... 3? [He pauses.] I mean, I guess it would really depend on if "absolutely sucks" was supposed to represent a 5 or a 10.

[He glances down at her elbow again.]

...Are you okay, by the way? I, uh, really hope I didn't hurt you.

[His concern seems a little out of place... until you get a good look at him. While Eddie's face is perfectly human, anything from the neck down not hidden by his baggy clothes is made of hard, glimmering blue metal. Eddie's lived in this body for a long time--he knows how many people have accidentally hurt themselves forgetting he's not fleshy like most everyone else.]

Devika Gadhavi House of Stone

[atshaba]

I.

Well. This is not what she expected when she 'ported through the campfire to bop back to her mother's place to find some damned salt for the fish that she'd cooked for dinner. She still cannot believe she forgot salt, but her mother always has a fire burning, so that she can come home if needed.

She looks around and shivers. The air in here is far colder than what she'd had while camping. She listens as the person tells her about houses and about how she's there to help prevent her world from falling to the Void Monsters or whatever they were called. Right. She's going to back away from the crazy people, and go see what's up by herself.

Is there fire? If there's fire, she'll be fine.

II.

They want to coat her in mud. Nope nuhuh, not happening. She wouldn't be able to access her powers and while she likes a bit of mud wrestling like any warm blooded female, she likes to be the observer, not the male-gazed female participant!

But the dancers she sees. Now that is more her speed. She doesn't coat herself in clay, but she does join the activity. It's more gymnastics set to music, but hey, she can get into that! She moves and tumbles right along with the others, her belly dancing lessons coming back to the fore as she continues moving.

"Bit of a party, yeah?" She asks, someone close by. But, she's enjoying herself.

IV.

While botany is not her area of expertise, Devika is sure to write down all her careful observations. Now, she isn't human, so some of those observations are a bit different than say, a normal human would come up with.

Her hair is up in a messy bun, and there's a smear of dirt on her nose and one on the back of her neck, but she doesn't mind the physical activity of cataloging all these plants.

"Oh, pop that one right here, if you don't mind?" She says, looking at the new flower that had been brought over close to her. She can feel the heat radiating off the thing, and it turns to look at her as it's brought closer. Oh, this one's going to be fun.

"Having fun?" She asks, starting to make her observations.