catch-all open log!

[rebells]

Who: Anyone and everyone!
Where: On the beach, and various other places throughout the hub island
When: Day 80, and the next couple days after
Open/Closed: open log for hub shenanigans!

[This evening, someone has placed an old, rusted-over camp stove on the beach near the coven's row of huts--anyone examining it in detail will see that it's not operational at the moment, but that could potentially be changed, couldn't it? If someone was handy with mechanical things . . . .

Next to it is a crate (which, from the weight of it is empty) and pinned to that crate is a sheet of paper with a map on it, something like a much cruder, black-and-white version of this:



with the following key:

1 - crags. Contain snakes which may be poisonous. Watch out.
2 - ocean, going about one mile out from the coast.
3 - lagoon. Contains thick reeds (could be woven or shaped into tools) and frogs (edibility uncertain).
4 - abandoned campsite.
5 - orchard. Currently, trees are diseased and bare. Plant healer needed.
6 - abandoned house. A family used to live here, from the looks of it. Still contains some useful supplies.

And there should be a 7 north of base camp with the notation "graveyard. Graves unused." but the player forgot and is too lazy to go back and fix it right now. Observant individuals will note that the map looks like a more detailed version of one hanging on the door to a certain coven member's cabin, one that has a note on the bottom: "Have information? Ask for Jay."

Other than that, it's a quiet night on the hub island. We've been here for a couple days; maybe you're getting restless? Want to check out that ocean, or lagoon, or even those crags? Maybe just go door-to-door in the beach huts? Maybe you're sick of shrimp and looking for other things to eat . . . hopefully someone's got a fire going tonight, and thought to kill a boar . . . .

What are you doing tonight?]


((here or here for place descriptions))

Comments

ota

[talim]

orchard.

[ jude is knelt in the dead grass, holding a wilted flower in his hand and glancing all around at his surroundings with a forlorn look clouding his eyes, a frown pulling at his lips. ]

It's almost like a mirror image of Elympios...

[ jude murmurs to himself. feel free to creep up and startle him. ]

wildcard.

just toss something here, or feel free to contact me to plot something out!

wildcard!!

[actus]

[ to be honest, akira prefers the dull tranquility of the hub. which is funny, considering how much he loved tokyo over his own quiet hometown. the hub had its charm and it had a lot less existential crises about warring species. that, and there were selfish reasons in not being able to use certain powers back here.

he passes a hub but then notices a familiar mess of hair behind the mostly closed door. oh. that's the doctor, right? haru already scolded him for being a dork and asking for illegal medicine after just meeting someone, so maybe he should try and make a better second impression?

maybe? ]

Knock knock. [ he deadpans it instead of actually knocking - what is this a fucking joke? ]

[talim]

[ jude glances over his shoulder and turns around, somewhat startled at first but not at all displeased. he offers akira an amicable smile, gesturing for him to come inside. jude didn't expect to see him again so soon, but it's a nice surprise. ]

Door's open.

[ jude's smile widens into something almost sinister. jude mathis tier sinister, anyway. there's no such thing as a real sinister jude mathis smile. ]

It's good to see you again, Akki.

[ without missing a beat. he'd been waiting to bust that out and he held back last time!!! ]

[actus]

[ that was unexpected? he blinks, his hand curled up in a fist, lingering against the door, because he had intended to knock as a follow-up. but wow. points for jude for catching him off guard. again. he's losing his swagger. ]

Ah... that's reserved for at least the third date, you know.

[ his expression resumes its neutral coolness as he shrugs and heads inside the hut. ]

[talim]

[ jude chuckles into his hand. ]

He told me using it would make you blush. What a shame...

[actus]

[ WHY DOES HE KEEP TELLING HIM ALL THESE DETAILS. akira isn't used to it - he's only used to people talking abut him negatively - so he can't help the sheepish clasp to the back of his neck. ]

That makes sense. [ a beat. ] Don't tell him I didn't. I don't want to ruin his image of me as a blushing maiden.

[talim]

[ that makes jude laugh out loud. he doesn't even bother to stifle it this time. ]

You're a pretty funny guy, you know that?

[ a pause. ]

Okay, okay. I won't tell him. After all, it sounds like this is incredibly important to you, and who am I to come between young love?

[ jude hibiki (and possibly akira?) is older than you just stop. ]

orchard.

[hydrostorm]

[ flowers, huh? she's a lot less animated, her arms crossed to her chest. it's partly due to the lack of magical powers, and partly because they're flowers. dead flowers. that doesn't strike a chord at all.

so she'll stand behind jude for a solid minute before speaking up. ]

Don't tell me you're getting all sentimental over flowers.

[ it seems more wistful - muted - than her usual chipper teasing. ]

[talim]

[ jude had been too lost in his own thoughts to even notice her presence until her voice rings in his ear. there's a slight jump before he turns around, peering up at her without making any sort of move to stand.

perhaps anyone else would be annoyed, but he isn't. not at all. he doesn't mind the company. ]

No, not in particular. Why? I didn't think you'd be interested in boring things like sentimentality.

[hydrostorm]

Me? Please.

[ she waves her hand dismissively, the fingers ending up in her hair to brush back her bangs. it's not exactly a nervous tick, given her bangs usually do fall in her face and get in her way, but well. she can't quite find the words she wants right now. which is odd. ]

It's just not everyday you see someone so enamored by flowers. [ there's a loftiness to her voice, as usual, but it sounds a bit... tired. ]

[talim]

[ jude doesn't know magilou well enough yet to really notice the difference, let alone point it out, but he does get the distinct feeling that something is Off. it might just be his imagination — or it might just be his mood overall. ]

There's nothing to be enamored with when they're no longer alive, is there?

[ jude is much more easy to read. the sadness is evident in his voice, his eyes. ]

wildcard!!

[secrowtary]

[ It's been a while since they arrived at the island for the first time. Even if he doesn't understand everything that is going on inside him right now, Hibiki's life has changed so much since then.

One thing hasn't changed, though. He's still prone to sneak into other huts mistaking it for his own, and today's victim is Jude, no less. If only Hibiki used door...if only. He enters through an opened window and jumps onto the floor gracefully and realizes his mistake as soon as he sees his friend. ]

Oh, it happened again.

[ At least he hasn't stolen Jude's bed like he did in the past with Gokotai. ]

Hello.

[ Hibiki show some remorse for barging in like this?? ]

[talim]

[ jude jumps when hibiki greets him, startled, but when he sees who it is he just sort of gives him a look as deadpan as hibiki's tone. ]

Your boyfriend just waltzed right in, too, but at least he used the door. What is it with you two?

[secrowtary]

[ Did he say YOUR BOYFRIEND ]

[secrowtary]

[ HE DID. For how long Hibiki will have to deal with the consequences of That Night? He might have broken a new record—it took exactly one second for the blush to spread across his cheeks. Who would've thought that it's possible...

It's time to conveniently skip Jude's question and change the subject. ]

I didn't know you claimed this hut.

[ Of course he didn't. ]

[talim]

[ he sure did. jude raises an eyebrow at the brief silence that follows, but instead of prying, he just replies. ]

It seemed up for grabs, and I have roommates, so... uh. Yeah.

[ this is kind of awkward. ]

[secrowtary]

Roommates? I suppose someone should be keeping an eye on you.

[ Hibiki doesn't really mean that, he's just teasing. Let's be real, it's probably the other way round and Jude's keeping an eye on his roommates. Because he's a total mom. ]

[talim]

[ and hibiki would be exactly right. ]

More like I'm keeping an eye on them...

orchard!

[heartkey]

[ Well that's an interesting line to hear in a place like this. In a sad way, at least. But Sora can't help but be a bit curious. ]

That where you're from?

[ It sounds like it to him at least? Hopefully Sora suddenly speaking up from behind him isn't too startling. ]

[talim]

Hm?

[ jude turns around and gazes up at sora, looking him up and down. there's a face he's never seen before. ]

It's... a little more complicated than that. I'm actually from a place called Rieze Maxia, but there's another world connected to it called Elympios. To say they're different is an understatement.

[ jude's smile is a little strained, but he manages it. ]

I know two worlds might sound a little strange, but... Well, I'd say this place is stranger.

[heartkey]

[ You're talking to a certified world hopper, friend, so his response to that is to casually put his hands behind his head, leaning his weight back a little. ]

I think I can handle the idea of it. [ Of there being two worlds like that. He says this rather casually, with a bit of amusement in his voice. Granted, that sort of situation isn't something Sora is familiar with, and it sounds pretty cool to him, but he's already viewing this entire thing as another world hopping experience anyway. ]

So the people there can just go between them whenever they want?

[talim]

For a long time, there used to be something called a schism separating them. Elympions were trapped in Rieze Maxia with no way to get back. But since then, the schism has been broken, and travel has been implemented to go back and forth. It's pretty neat, actually.

[heartkey]

Whoa ... [ That sounds kinda complicated but also pretty neat. He's never heard of a schism but it's opening his eyes to maybe more types of worlds and situations out there. He likes it. ] Glad you guys figured out how to get between 'em then. [ He doesn't know how the schism broke or how they figured out travel between them but he can't imagine that being easy. ]

But it doesn't sound like Elympios is doing so well. If it looks like a place like this.

[ From how he spoke about it a moment ago. ]

orchard

[outofplace]

[creeping up on people is alvin's specialty. but then, that may be why it's not all that surprising when he's suddenly down there next to him, clapping jude's shoulder with his hand.]

Hey, why the long face?

[he knows. but this is alvin.]

[talim]

[ jude jumps and shoots alvin a startled look, almost like he's been caught doing something wrong. he didn't expect him to just... show up.

but it doesn't take long for jude to give him a nod of acknowledgment and cast his gaze back down. ]

Back home, I was... I was making some real progress on spyrite research. I even thought I might have been coming close to a breakthrough.

But there's nothing I can do about it from here. Elympios is still suffering.