Fantasy Come Winter's Light

[Esbilon]

"I can make really good coffee," Sophia offers, "but I have no clue as to how to make it magical, or what that even means."

 

[FeMChara]

Bran rubbed a wrist. "I've seen them used." He stated plainly. "A few times."


Jiji took a moment to answer. "I advised. You cannot understand what sort of troubles we were having with the restless dead and undead-Sijan was the premier city of mortitians and necromancers for a reason; it was utterly necessary."

 

[Arynne]

Trina looks around her with a sigh at the delicate semi-precious-stone floral inlays and marble screen carvings, fine as lace.


The Shining Star Ascendant is one of the "Seven Wonders of the Ancient World", more than half of which are now lost, destroyed or simply hidden from view. Most visitors can only see the towering outer wall and catch a glimpse of the white domes floating like clouds in the center; antiquarians and students of art can only imagine what the inner buildings look like. Well, now she knows. And almost as enchanting as the exquisite calligraphy and geometrically perfect designs are the broad blank surfaces, made of limestone rather than marble like the rest of the structure, waiting like empty canvases for the artist's vision.


"I'll come back as soon as I can," she promises, working to finish the fresco she's painting. "Right now there's some sort of mess with undead vampire-Exalted, very annoying...do you prefer the light shade of green right here, or the dark?"

 

[FeMChara]

"The lighter shade, please. Be careful-do not rush, dearest." The voice pleaded.


When Trina leaves, to her, the wall of the arches may as well not be there at all... yet it would be impossible for any other who was not of the Manse to get through.

 

[Mei]

Morena abruptly removes herself from the group, rather disgusted. She raises her hands up and just walks towards the door. "Nope. I'm out. Not going to deal with this. You guys talk about this without me, I'm going to find an apartment and get my living situation sorted out."

 

[Flowing Ink Words]

"Hey Morena? Be back by about noon would you? Your one of the ones I'm introducing for a interview, remember?" Mizu offers sweetly.

 

[FeMChara]

Kip fussed with his phones, picking one up when it buzzes. He speaks in some sort of code-apparently a deal. "Gotta go do a pickup. My supplier got in some of the weirder shit I sell. Claims something I gotta check on. Later. Too hungry right now." He studies his hands. "The ugly bitch. She said how I can do agreements. They are backed by heaven or something." He mentions. "Maybe we can offer a meeting place, one of the construction sites and see what's on the table. I can get everyone there to swear an oath and seal it with the light."

 

[FeMChara]

Season of Descending Fate

Continued!


Kip fussed with his phones, picking one up when it buzzes. He speaks in some sort of code-apparently a deal. "Gotta go do a pickup. My supplier got in some of the weirder shit I sell. Claims something I gotta check on. Later. Too hungry right now." He studies his hands. "The ugly bitch. She said how I can do agreements. They are backed by heaven or something." He mentions. "Maybe we can offer a meeting place, one of the construction sites and see what's on the table. I can get everyone there to swear an oath and seal it with the light."

 

[Arynne]

Trina doesn't hurry; at least, she doesn't feel like she's hurrying. Yet her hands move faster than they ever have, doing the work of days in a fraction of that time. From the bare line drawing on the wall an entire landscape sprouts and spreads, putting forth branch and leaf and filling the flat surface with exuberant life.

Stepping back, Trina is at first stunned at what she has accomplished. Yet, after a moment, she feels a nagging sense of letdown. This painting is technically perfect, and so realistic the sunlight almost seems to give off warmth. But it's not truly alive, like her other recent works.


"What's wrong with me?" she murmurs. "Why can't I bring this one to life? If I can make a wolf or a swarm of butterflies, why not a whole forest?"

 

[FeMChara]

"Because at your current strength, that forest is beyond you. It will come. Give it time. The secrets are still within you, dearest Catty." The manse whispered back. "Your soul has to grow as well as your talents-the way you were when you died last far eclipses the way you stand now-but you have the potential to meet and exceed even that status."


Such encouraging words.

 

[Arynne]

"Then I will learn as much and as quickly as I may, so that I may be worthy of you once again," says Trina with a smile. She kisses her fingertips and presses them to the patterned tiles, rejoicing in the intricate carvings.


"I go only to return."


***


As she heads towards the blank archway that serves as a hidden exit, her mind returns to her dream of working here, of Five Moons' pride in the last and greatest of his creations--one never finished. Instead of his workshop, it had become his final resting place.


She remembers that last day here only in snippets and fragments of time, but she remembers one bit very well..perhaps because it was something Five Moons did every evening as he finished work. She remembers carefully cleaning her brushes, sealing them into a block of stone, and tucking them into...

 

[FeMChara]

...one of the walls of a stairwell she used every day. A fourth of the way up. Touching each brick, they each feel the same-yet she knows the one she seeks right when she gets to it. Pulling it out is no issue-nor is seeing into it, seeing the collection of curious paintbrushes-her old ones-and quickly being able to grab them. No traps here.


They were each finely engraved, with a jewel at each end, the bristles looking like silver. They feel heavier than they should for their construction. A bit of memory told her that oricalchum was in the core, providing them with their 'ink' source.

 

[Arynne]

Filled with delight, Trina spins impulsively around in a circle at the base of the stairs before putting them into her haversack. Wait until the others see this!


A few moments later she has slipped out through the wall, which shimmers briefly as she passes though it underneath the inscription that reads:


The sight of this manse creates sorrowing sighs;


And the sun and the moon shed tears from their eyes.


In Creation has this edifice been made;


To commemorate a creator’s shade.

 

[FeMChara]

(After session)


The woman looked cautious at that. "Now why would you think I want that jerkoff off his mildering throne? Seems more to my preference to see him suffer there-but it'll be Breath-Destroying Bodhissatva who may be wanting that. Just maybe."


The putrid woman might look like she's falling apart, but she isn't stupid, it seems.

 

[Epiphany]

"You think the throne's mildering?" Anne chuckles and shakes her head. "Think again. The top dogs in this world have never been stronger. We're facing an uphill fight, both of us. Me and mine? We have to play it safe or get stepped on by a big fucking boot. We're outnumbered, outgunned and the people up top have managed to trick millions...billions of people into buying their bullshit."


"Your position isn't any better, and I don't just mean because you got yourselves captured. You have a classic supply line issue; your home base is inaccessible, you can only carry limited supplies with you and reprovisioning is a bitch. You've got a bit of a stalemate situation going on, them and you, because neither can really invade the other. But their side has Exalts thousands of years old, plus the original creators of this world, all on their side."


"Seems to me like you could use all the help you can get. And maybe we could use the help too. So work with us. Even if our goals our different, our enemies aren't. You don't want your mission to end in failure, embarrassed before your Breath-Destroying Bodhissatva, and we don't want to have to kill you or keep you locked up. We have everything to gain by tolerating each other, even helping each other out, and nothing to lose. What do you say?"


OOC: Charisma 5 + Presence 5 + Giving Orders Specialty 2 + 1st Presence Excellency 10 = 22 dice. Irresistible Salesman Spirit doubles 4 successes to 8 successes before hitting MDV.


[dice]1196[/dice]

 

[FeMChara]

The woman looked dubious. "I don't doubt your sincerity, young lady-but it is still my lady you will have to convince-I am a grunt, understand? And she has my monstrance. Frankly, I am not ready to die. I would die by inches, even so with that." The woman states.


(Continue from Saturday's game here)

 

[FeMChara]

(As a reminder, people had decided to let them go and arrange for a meeting on neutral ground after questioning Mourn.)

 

[Flowing Ink Words]

After the questioning had been completed, Mizu had gone up to talk briefly with Jiji. "Old Man, it seems they are looking for Gentle Repose."


"So's everyone else since it went missing." He deadpans as he sips at tea.


"Oh? They think they know where to look for it."


The sound of an old man nearly choking on his tea is heard briefly. "Fuck."


"Oh, it gets better," Mizu continues. "They think you can get into where it's stored. Which is awkward."


"I doubt that. Kosche maybe. It is more her right then ours." Jiji continues as Mizu tilts her head. "Now, Mizu, what is Gentle Repose?"


Mizu tilts her head and feels words tumble out of her mouth without her really thinking about it. "A starmetal daikalaive, made from the ends of many pieces of starmetal because that is part of its nature. It -is- an ending of whatever it is directed against." Mizu frowns. "I... have no idea how I know that. I also know that while its made of starmetal, it wasn't made for the likes of you, or me, or even Kosche per se, was it?"


"No, it was Saturn's personal weapon, though she did loan it out from time to time." He grins. "You might have more stuck in your head then you know from that brief moment. Jupiter always did like her jokes." Jiji continues, "and, I believe it is currently on loan to someone. Now, my student, if you are one of the twenty greatest secrets ever to exist... what is Kosche?"


"One of ... ohhhhhhh." Things snap into place with almost frightening clarity. "I need a drink."


Jiji pulls a bottle out. "Last one of these. They never made any more."


Mizu eyes the old old bottle up, and sets it aside. "For a much worse day." She walks over to the fridge and pulls out a rather plain bottle of red wine, and pours a glass for herself and the old man.


Jiji laughs. "To Fate leading us into danger and worse things: Awkward conversations."


Mizu just grins. "And to the sunshine that leads to all of them."

 

[Epiphany]

Meanwhile, Anne sees to it that the Abyssals are properly bound by Oath via Kip not to harm the party or set up the party for harm. Assuming they're more or less willing, she puts blindfolds on them, escorts them up the stairs with that artifact assault rifle handy and even drives them somewhere innocuous to drop them off.


Making her returns, the green-haired Zenith looks a bit bewildered and scratches the back of her head while she thinks over their options. Seeing Mizu preoccupied with the other Sidereals, Anne points at Bran and asks him to get Trina, Mei and Sophia together if they're all around. Whoever she finds will find her drinking more coffee in the kitchen and looking pensively at the assault rifle she left on the table.


"So we need some focus, something to commit to. As it happens, we ran into those Abyssals and they may or may not have goals that will work with ours. Time will tell on that one, after we meet up with their boss. But I think we're all somewhat nervous about the prospect of teaming up with the Undead."


"That said, I don't think any of us have a clear vision for our next steps either. We're not strong enough or informed enough to try toppling the government, much less overthrowing their Exalted. If nothing else, we need more intel. And I have some thoughts about how to get it."


"I'd like to go look for these Lunars. Get some first-hand knowledge with them rather than what each of us has heard or read about. If they're a bunch of shapeshifters, there won't be anyone better at infiltrating Meruiva and finding out what's really going on, who the power players are, what their weaknesses are and so on. In fact, my hunch is there's Lunar insurgents who've probably already done this. We just need to find them."


Anne smiles and adds: "Not that I have a clue how to do this. Do any of you? And if you have a better idea, I'm all ears."

 

[Esbilon]

"I have some intel," Sophia says, idly fingering a thumb drive, "using Bran's password, I made my way into their online message board. It has good security, to they're pretty free with what they say," she smiles, "I'm better though, and had a way in. They seem a rather complacent bunch, most of them content to live the good life, rather than shake up the world order. I didn't see anything concrete about getting into contact with these Lunars, but I can certainly take another look."

 

[Arynne]

Trina bites her lip. She actually has little problem with the world as it is--now that she has both magic and true love. She does not particularly want to overthrow civilization, and then deal with the consequences for billions of innocent people. If they would only promise to leave her and Amalion in peace…


But they won’t, will they? says a small cold voice in the back of her head. They didn’t leave Wu-Quèqíu alone.


Aloud, she says, “Are those our only alternatives? Toppling the government or doing nothing?”

 

[Esbilon]

"Depends what you mean by 'nothing,'" Sophia says with a slight shrug, "obviously we can do a lot of things without going toe to toe with the semi-secret masters of the world, some of them probably meaningful. But if we want to effect real change and real improvements, we will eventually have to deal with those in charge. We don't need to do so now. In fact, trying to do so now will probably get us killed."

 

[Mei]

"So we're looking for these Lunars with no leads whatsoever?" Morena lets out a long sigh.

 

[Esbilon]

Sophia shrugs, "looking for something you have no idea where is, is generally best done by keeping eyes and ears open while doing something else worthwhile. But I can take a look at their online files, which are now safely copied onto here," she holds up the thumb drive she has been playing with, "and that might give a clue and/or a starting point."

 

[Mei]

The frown on Morena's face grows. She shakes her head and lets out another ragged sigh. "Well, looks like I'm useless. Again. I'm not good at this kind of thing at all."