spellbinders | [HUB ISLAND | NOVEMBER IC INTRO LOG]

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[HUB ISLAND | NOVEMBER IC INTRO LOG]

Who: The new coven members and old blood
Where: In and around the hub island, especially the mansion
When: Day 122
Open/Closed: Open to All

IMPORTANT This IC intro log is different in that all characters can tag it! If your character is new, please put [new] or some variant of it in the subject of your top level. New characters can also tag around to old coven members in order to branch out and get as much CR as possible!

All characters are told briefly what their powers are by Genette -- no extemporaneous details. For instance, if your character has the ability to detect lies, they'll be told as such -- no warning about limitations, repercussions or the like. They'll also be given a variant of this letter so they aren't totally ignorant of the situation -- though of course adapt this letter to the current setting and surroundings of the game.

This setting may be familiar to you -- maybe you caught a glimpse of it when you first visited. Maybe this is your first time experiencing this weird world and the panic is setting in. If you're totally lost, a tall human woman with a long scroll of paper will eventually pass by to give you a rundown. She'll also give you a letter, which may give you more questions than answers since the information is a wee out of date. (Maybe someone else can fill in some gaps for you).

What is at first painfully obvious is that you're ill-equipped. Any magic or powers you had previously are suddenly replaced with an empty hole in your being. That's not all that's gone, but perhaps that's what's most pressing.

Another thing you may notice is that there are others just like you, wandering around and just as confused. If you feel so inclined, you may want to ask around and see if anyone else knows what's up.

For those that are lucky enough to spawn in the mansion -- or those who eventually find their way there, soaking wet -- there's a lot of fun stuff happening here! It's warm, inviting, smells like food...don't feel awkward. You can join the fun too!

Brie has set up a few party ideas, even though it's not technically a party, in order to keep things light during the storm (which, coincidentally, she isn't very fond of). There's a lot to do, but also everyone has the ability to just chill and hang out in the warm shelter of the mansion for now.

may

someone

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[ in retrospect, using his military barking voice was probably not needed or warranted, but it got his attention -- and once roy makes his way over and looks up at al, narrowing his eyes slightly, to make sure, he sort of . . . well. stares.

his first thought, immediately, is what did they take from him? was it his body, again? roy's watch is missing, and he honestly hadn't thought much of it -- and hawkeye hadn't told him of anything that was missing on her person, but -- being granted new abilities has to come at a cost. roy had assumed it was his alchemy, but --

shut that line of thought down. it's irrelevant, at the moment. because another issue at hand -- colonel, he hasn't been that in nearly two years, and while literally no one calls him by his proper title, and roy honestly doesn't place much stock or emphasis in such things, alphonse elric would remember.

for the first time since arriving in this world, roy feels uneasy. ]

. . . impeccable timing has always been my strong suit, but I'd prefer visiting you two at home rather than in a natural disaster.

[ finally, and he draws in a quick breath, about to ask al to follow him inside, before he hesitates. hawkeye had found him in this world, which doesn't really surprise him (to hell, and all that) -- but if alphonse is here, then surely: ]

Is Edward here, too?

[At home is a weird phrase to use in reference to the Elric brothers--if Ed were standing there, he'd probably have something dramatic to say about them being wanderers. It's particularly strange coupled with the staring, but with the rain pouring down a little confusion isn't Al's primary concern.]

Yeah, he's been out helping too.

[Al hesitates then, just a little, because he isn't sure how much about their situation Mustang has already picked up on. Ultimately, though, the telepathy is too useful not to mention, especially if anyone else from Amestris was pulled in alongside him.]

Because of the signets, we can communicate from a distance. You can talk to anyone else in the coven just by thinking about it hard enough. [He gestures to where his neck would be if the armor were an actual human body, even though it isn't where his own signet is located.] It's kind of creepy and pretty hard to get used to at first, but it's helpful at times like this.

[He still worries about his brother, of course, but it's mitigated a bit by the knowledge that help is never more than a thought away.]

[ the telepathy has been jarring, indeed, and roy has done his best to ignore it -- but confirmation that edward is here is definitely a good thing, though the knowledge that someone can waltz in and out of his head is . . . uncomfortable, to say the least.

that being said, roy hesitates before reaching out to touch alphonse's arm, almost to make sure that he's definitely a suit of armor, and hollow -- before he decides this conversation best happen inside, and he uses the touch to kind of prod al toward the door, pushing his own hair out of his face with his free hand. ]

Come on, inside. We can talk once we're out of this damn monsoon. [ because, naturally, on roy's arrival day, there would be a fucking flood. ] You probably shouldn't be out in the rain anyway, and Hawkeye is already inside. [ bless her, honestly, because he probably would have drowned if she hadn't found him. ] We can find Fullmetal later, I'm sure he'll survive.

[Al lets himself be guided pretty easily, and once they're inside he snatches one of the blankets from the pillow fort to offer Mustang until they can find him some dry clothes.]

The Lieutenant's here too?

[That's... well, maybe he shouldn't be glad about it, but at least neither of them were dragged here alone. And he has to admit, the fight against Qri is suddenly looking a lot more winnable.

Al grabs a second blanket for himself, mostly to cut down on the amount of water pouring off of him onto the floor. There's a lot he probably needs to catch Mustang up on, but first...]

Colonel, there's something I need to ask you. [The question that's been driving him crazy since the first day he got here. There's never going to be a perfect time for it, so for his own peace of mind it's better to just get it over with now.] Back home, has anyone noticed that Brother and I have been gone?

[ lieutenant. but riza has been promoted, with him, for at least two years too. and when roy is unceremoniously handed a blanket, he set s it aside for the time being to shrug out of his long black overcoat, to hang it on . . . something. it is a complete mess. ]

We have something of an agreement that transcends traveling to other worlds, apparently.

[ into hell, and all that. it's said dryly, as he takes off his gloves next, sighing to himself as he shakes them a little. they're sopping wet. but roy pauses, at al's next question, before he turns to the boy, frowning slightly at the question. ]

I haven't seen you, or Edward, in some time, but I know you're both in Amestris. I receive updates. [ roy checks on them, from time to time, to make sure they're staying out of trouble. ] I would have been notified if either of you vanished.

[By all rights that should be one of the most comforting things Al's ever heard in his life, but at the same time it's just vague enough to not entirely reassure him. That's what he gets for getting ahead of himself, he supposes. The smart--and simplest--thing to do is to clearly explain his side of the situation and let Mustang fill in any gaps. Carefully rubbing the blanket over the armor to mop up excess water, he opts to do just that.]

We're all cut off from our homes here, so no one's been sure if time is passing at the same rate in other worlds. I've been with the coven for about three months now, and Brother showed up a few weeks after me. We've been pretty worried about everyone back in Amestris, considering... [Well. No need to spell that one out. They may be among friends and literally worlds away from the homunculi, but old paranoia dies hard.] Before I left, I was trying to get messages to you and the others about what I learned from my dad. Were they able to contact you without me?

[ that . . .

it takes a long moment, for roy to place what al is talking about, because it's so far removed. edward and alphonse's father, whatever his name was -- hohenheim? neither of the elrics spoke at great length to roy about him, and roy never pried, so for all intents and purposes, he's just sort of . . . there. but once roy places what al is talking about, his brow furrows, because that . . . is really largely unimportant faced with roy's biggest difficulty, right now. which is: ]

All of that happened over two years ago, Alphonse. We're all fine, and we succeeded. The Homunculi are dead -- that isn't important.

[ is this really a question of the messing of timelines, rather than prices to be paid? is that why alphonse is in his armor, instead of himself, whole? because if that's the case, roy is less inclined to burn qri to the ground in an effort to recover what the elrics rightfully obtained, and more inclined to do this the political way. ]

What I want to know is why you're in a suit of armor, and who needs to be held accountable for it. Is Edward the same, does he have automail?

[ because timelines or not, this is bullshit. ]

We're both fine.

[Said quickly, because the need to reassure is urgent now that some of that concern from earlier is starting to fall into place. No wonder the Colonel reacted to him like that if he had reason to suspect the Elrics had somehow been unfortunate enough to lose their human bodies for a second time.]

It hasn't been two years for us.

[Ed being a few weeks worth of memories behind Al has been hard enough to reconcile, but at least in that case it still felt like they were coming from basically the same place. Two years, though, and the homunculi dead--that's so far off it's downright alien, and as such doesn't quite sink in the way it should. For all that to be true then Ed and Al would have to... what, go back to Amestris like none of this ever happened and never mention it to anyone? Qri's interference really comes without any lasting consequences?]

None of this makes any sense.

[So much for helpful commentary.]

[ initially, this had been an annoyance. now, it is far more than that, it's downright violating. and while roy isn't going to vent to alphonse or edward about that specific portion of it, one (1) riza hawkeye is definitely going to have to listen to an irate roy mustang complain about how, for once, they all deserve a normal enemy with a normal amount of power instead some psychotic supernatural force from hell.

but alphonse doesn't need to know any of that, and instead, roy releases a massive sigh, and he brushes some of the wet hair out of his face, letting his shoulders slump slightly. ]

The only part that makes any sense is that we've all found ourselves in another mess.

[ that being said: ]

I owe both of you a lengthy story, apparently. [ what an exhausting notion, and roy glances around, both to get his bearings and to keep an eye out for the rest of their motley crew. ] Because I know you both won't be satisfied with a simple 'we won and went home.'

[ he pauses. ]

But before we get into that, tell me more about this world. Who's in charge?

[ read: who does roy need to befriend in order to get answers. ]

[It isn't easy to make himself temporarily shelve the many, many questions he wants to ask, but Mustang is right on all counts. Al manages a nod.]

Brother will be back soon. You can explain everything to us then.

[And hopefully avoid interrupting that lengthy story to ask the same thing over and over. Maybe some time will give Al a chance to get his head together too, to think of the future Mustang's describing as something actually real.

Talking about the coven is an easy enough distraction for the moment, though Al's sorely lacking in satisfying answers.]

I don't know if I'd really say anyone is. I mean, Qri's the witch who kidnapped everyone, but she's supposedly too weak to talk to us directly.

[But not so weak that it stops her from, you know, interdimensional mass abduction. Sounds legit.]

Then there's Brie and Genette, the people who've been with her about a year longer than everyone else. Qri usually uses Genette to communicate her orders, and they've got some useful information, but neither of them are all that interested in being in charge either. They say they're in the same situation as the rest of us, and so far that's the one part of the story I haven't seen a reason to disbelieve.

As for the rest of the coven... [Oh boy.] We've organized when we've had to, but there hasn't been anything formal. Most of the others are about my age.

[Congratulations on being the coven grandpa by default. Al really, really wasn't kidding about being glad to see him.]

[ there's silence, as roy listens to al's analysis, all the while attempting to dry himself off -- and he's toweling off his hair with a blanket when al finishes up the last part -- most of the others ar about my age -- when roy sighs, pulling the blanket off of his head, his hair just sort of ... falling wherever it falls. ]

Excellent.

[ judging from roy's tone, it is Not Excellent, but it's either be annoyed over the lack of resources or do something about them, and roy tends to act rather than complain. he lets the information settle for a moment, to try and figure out where to begin . . . ]

So this Qri can't speak with us, but she's capable of manipulating our memories, your bodies, and bringing us here without our consent or knowledge? [ bullshit. ] And, assuming she controls who she brings to this world, she's selected children rather than capable people who know how to organize and effectively fight back.

[ roy lets that hang in the air for a moment before sighing. ]

I imagine my first step would be to find the people within the city or . . . wherever we are who can handle themselves -- what about the climate of the world itself? Has any violence broken out? Conflict? Or is this the worst thing that's happened, a quick flood with no infrastructure?

There was a lot of fighting in the last world, but other than a lack of resources, this is the biggest problem we've ran into here.

[Aimintas is a story in and of itself. He'll get to that soon enough.

Before Al continues, there's another one of those you're really not going to like this pauses. It stands to reason that Mustang hasn't ventured out to the edge of the island yet, but has he tried transmuting?]

This place is... weird. From what I understand, it's where Qri brings everyone between missions. There's evidence that other people used to live here, but for now it's just us. I don't know if you've tried using alchemy, but it isn't going to work as long as we're here.

[He's not going to mention "frequency" since that still sounds like nonsense to him, not when there's a perfectly valid--yet way more unsettling--reason reason the correct energy can't be produced.]

We're on an island floating in the middle of space.

[He's deadly serious.]

[ in response to being asked about whether or not he's used his alchemy, roy gives him the most deadpan stare, and simply points outside, to the whirling utter monsoon nightmare that is happening just outside of the entrance of the mansion.

what do you think, alphonse. what do you think happened when he attempted to use alchemy. ]

[ . . . but that being said, that isn't the only type of alchemy that roy now has access to, which he never uses. but after being told by multiple people that his "powers" would not work here, he had attempted, privately, by himself, to utilize alchemy at all. and it had failed. nothing had happened.

alphonse doesn't need to know that, though, and instead he continues just. looking really done. ]

An island floating in the middle of space.

[ are you fucking kidding me rn kid. and he exhales, annoyed and tired, and idly extraordinarily grateful that qri left riza her guns. because, as per usual, without her, they'll probably die.

great. ]

And here I thought I was en route to retirement. [ which is a joke in and of itself. ] How is it possible that something like this exists, yet no one knows about it?

[Look, he's trying to be sensitive here. Keyword: trying.

Al matches that tired annoyance as much as a suit of armor is able to. This ridiculousness is about as fun to explain as it is to hear, and sometimes he's not completely convinced he hasn't just gone crazy.]

I think we're supposed to be satisfied with it's magic as an answer.

[Take one guess to how he feels about that one. Dismissively, he shakes his head with a sigh. Mustang might be kidding about retirement, but the whole thing strikes Al as profoundly unfair anyway. Risk everything to save one country only to find the entire multiverse in danger. It really never ends.]

That's something you'll hear around here a lot. Like with those weird abilities Qri gives everyone.

[He'd might as well go all in and demonstrate. Al sets his blanket down and activates his magic, then proceeds to walk through the wall into another room before stepping back out and returning to normal.]

I have no idea how that works either.

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[HUB ISLAND | NOVEMBER IC INTRO LOG]

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