spellbinders | [WORLD TWO

Who: All coven members
Where: In and around the new world’s apartment building where the coven is staying
When: Day (the calendar isn’t syncing for me hELP)
Open/Closed: Open to All

You’re in a room. It’s pretty bright — blindingly so, even. There’s something very stark and very clean about the place, and also the person you’re sitting in front of. You’re sitting? You’re sitting. There’s also a pane of very powerful plexiglass separating you from the uniform-clad person who is now speaking to you.

It’s impossible to transcribe what they say verbatim, but here’s the gist of it:

- You’re being welcomed to a city called Shehui. Depending on who you are, the level of technology may be light years ahead of you or child’s play.
- There’s a very strict policy about magic. While there are measures put in place to prevent magic from happening, this is still something that they reiterate over and over. They don’t want to take chances.
- Crime is also frowned upon. Small infractions will result in credit deductions, while major crimes will get you banned. Antisocial behavior is also looked down upon. You’re locked in the city for your initial eight weeks. You can leave afterwards, but trying to break out of the city or cause social unrest will result in monitoring and a potential ban.
- This city is supposed to be somewhat relaxing. Is it a free pleasure cruise? No. Is it a self-contained society that runs on community and indulgence? Yes.
- You’re being given an allotment of credits in order to stay in the city, which is what the economy there runs on. This goes on for quite some time.
- You’re being moved to a housing location. Despite the slotted speaker in the middle of the plexiglass, the only time you have a chance to ask questions is when a small slit opens in the bottom and a package is slid towards you.
- What’s in the package? There’s a credit card-like apparatus that has apparently taken a picture of you. It contains a place to write your name, an identification number and barcode. It also has a thin strip near the top that has scrolling script floating by. It states “WELCOME TO SHEHUI. YOUR ID WILL UPDATE WITH COMMUNITY NOTICES AND PERSONAL PINGS FOR JOBS AND VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES RELATED TO YOUR INTEREST.” It’s a lot to take in, but that’s the long and short of it.

Have questions? The person will reiterate a few times that there are information desks around the city. That’s all for now…now you’ll be traveling to your next destination: your new home.

The floor slowly lowers as if you’ve been in an elevator the whole time. It connects to several other glass containers, much like your own, all suddenly clanking together in a chain. After a short wait, the chain begins to move — quickly. Faster, maybe, than you’ve ever gone before. It’s hard to even make out the scenery when you’re zipping past everything so quickly.

Where does this trip lead you? The ground floor of your new apartment building. The plexiglass cases open up and you’re in a hotel lobby. There’s a flashing board on the wall — NEW ARRIVALS, COME HERE.

The apartment building is locked up tight for three hours in order to let new arrivals get their bearings. After that, the ground floor lobby doors open into the city of Shehui. There’s a lot to take in, but let’s cover the biggest bases:

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ His name, one of three. The open door tells him that either Jumin or Terezi, or both, arrived first. Intent on ensuring his meager belonging had been placed within his assigned room, Gaelio steps inside. His eyes would sweep to find the right bedroom, but he stops short.

Hard to overlook all that red. Or the small, grey girl expanding it.

Gaelio blinks. In moving closer, as she walks back, they stand almost side by side. ]

Is it supposed to look that bad?

[ Or is she a terrible artist? ]

[ Jumin follows almost immediately. Although he may have to chide someone about closing the door next time, the man who just entered their apartment can't possibly that tiring to deal with.

He sees Terezi and oh, he is so wrong.

He flanks Terezi with Gaelio, arms crossed as he gives the wall a look of confusion and disapproval. ]

You don't insult a blind girl. Only those who lack artistic sense could scrawl such a thing and call it a Michelangelo.

[ Of course, Jumin thinks he is incorrect in his first assumption, which is why he has the gall to say it in the first place. And of course, no one is encouraging Terezi to keep drawing the damn thing. ]

Rude!

[She finishes the wing she's working on with a chalky flourish and turns to face the two men, a grin firmly plastered to her face. It may be notable that she is not actually blind--thanks, Aranea Serket--those are two perfectly good, if yellow-and-black, eyes sitting behind those shades.]

Think before you so callously insult the artistic imaginings of a poor, blind girl! You are being very insensitive towards my disability.

[She looks pleased with herself for a moment before something makes her jerk her gaze up, where a ball of water hangs above her head. She steps to the side a split second before it crashes down, splashing onto Terezi, the chalk-covered wall, and perhaps Gaelio and Jumin, if they're standing in blast range. Terezi lets out a put-upon sigh, brushes her wet hair back, and blows a raspberry at the ceiling.]

I suppose I will have to redo the smudged portions later.

[ As unconcerned as Gaelio generally is about being rude, the thought that he had insulted a blind girl gives him pause. Even when she turns, palpably pleased with herself, he's uncertain of how to judge those eyes. Some sort of alien, did the color indicate her ability to see?

But she seems to see. Gaelio casts a doubting glance at Jumin.

He's not convinced. She could be joking, sounds like it, but --

and as he deliberates, abruptly, water. Terezi takes the brunt of it, but a good amount splashes onto Gaelio. His hair's still short enough that there's not much he can do but blink and try to claw his way out of the deepening pit of total flummox that entering this room pitched him into.

She didn't look surprised by that, so.... ]

Is that something we should expect with some frequency?

[ Note to self: keep your distance. In fact, he takes a few steps back. ]

If you're blind, why are you defacing the wall?

[ Meanwhile, Jumin is drenched and unimpressed. Terezi speaks in the same kind of tone used by a certain hacker he knows. Although the man is fond of telling jokes and spinning tales, Jumin never really did understand his humor.

He wipes his face with a handkerchief before he answers. ]

She's not blind. [ He gestures at the artistic abomination. ] Look, the... arms are still attached.

[ Are those arms? God, he hopes so. ]

Questions!

[She gives Gaelio and Jumin a toothy grin, although it's a bit strained.]

The water is due to my stupid power, which I will try to control in the interest of not flooding the apartment. [She pauses, and then adds:] Maybe.

I-- [She looks back up at the ceiling for some reason, and sighs.] I am not currently blind, but I was until very recently. And I am drawing a dragon because I like drawing, and dragons.

[ Now, his glance to Jumin comes with arched eyebrows. ]

Do you think the blind can't draw carefully?

[ Not having seen the process, he's assuming she never lifted the chalk from the wall, thus assuring continuity. Though, if he looks carefully, he might be able to see breaks in what remains of the lines, and no evidence of fingers smudging to gauge her progress.

The point's soon moot. She isn't blind, but was. Had she liked drawing before? It doesn't matter. ]

If you like dragons, you should visit Geir.

[ And spare their walls. ]

Can we help you not flood the apartment?

[ That's what he's saying: it's too perfect. Too clean. But if she's not blind after all, there's no reason to answer Gaelio with more than a pointed look. He'll have to ask Terezi more about her blindness later, though. His friend has a condition and cures are hard to find. ]

Yes, I'm sure Geir would love the company. [ Jumin has never met or spoken to Geir personally, mostly because he's having trouble believing dragons are real animal he can speak to, but that's a matter neither here nor there. He genuinely does think Geir would like her company.

It should be noted that he cares more about a creature he barely knows than a girl who is literally his roommate. Then again, maybe he'd care more if she didn't scribble all over their wallpaper. ]

How does your power work, Miss...?

[Terezi looks between the two men and smiles, apparently not seeing (or choosing not to comment on) the interplay going on between them.]

I have met Geir! We get along. I like him.

[The mention of her power, on the other hand, gets a annoyed look, though it's not directed at either Gaelio or Jumin.]

My power is to make water fall from the sky by uttering untruthful statements. Or sometimes statements which are evasive about the nature of my power. It is not very fun. [Except then she smiles, as if remembering something.] Well, mostly.

[ Nothing terribly novel in that -- either the look exchanged, or that Terezi and Geir get along. Having spoken with the dragon, Gaelio suspects he could make friends, or at least keep amicable, with a stone.

Whether because Geir is exhaustively earnest, or because no one could possibly be foolish enough to be unkind to a dragon.

In any case, the key to keeping dry apparently lies in her capacity for honesty. Gaelio glances above her head, noting the dry ceiling, except for small, drying blotches, marking whatever had splashed up.

But really, that power... ]

Fun, huh.

[ A story in that smile. But... ]

Is it as useless as it sounds?

[ Not that Gaelio intends to be so persistently rude, but it's a bit startling. Conceivable from the start, especially if Qri did not choose the power, but awakened something. Because what creature, seeking utility by granting power, would choose that? If she couldn't even manipulate the water? Just in case of impromptu fire? ]

[WORLD TWO | INTRO LOG]

a.

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GOD I'M SORRY THIS IS LATE...

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discreetly tags from finals hell hiatus

good luck with everything holy shit

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i'm so so so so sorry