Fantasy Come Winter's Light

[Flowing Ink Words]

Mizu stops at the door as the old man speaks, and turns around to listen... but looks confused. She tilts her head as she just stares a moment. At which point she slips into the pantry to find a bottle of soda she kept hidden in the back which she comes back with. "I'd go for the booze," She mentions, "but I think having a clear head is likely more important right now... and the stuff I was going to do tonight can wait, given the other things I just got done... So... someone tell me what -they- are seeing, because I'm afraid if I say what I'm seeing, you'll be disappointed."

 

[Mei]

"...To me he looks like a young guy." Morena answers in a rather confused manner.

 

[Flowing Ink Words]

"... So, if me and Kosche see one thing, and the others see another, odds are we're dealing with someone using one of these...Resplendant Destinies. Interesting." Mizu sips at her soda. "And the differences can apparently be very very dramatic."

 

[Arynne]

"Um..." Trina blinks several times, trying to reconcile her senses with her memory and her instincts with her knowledge.


"OK...the old man went away. There's a young man here now, my age. Ponytail, Brooks Brothers suit, southwest district accent. Wh--" She stops. Part of her brain wants to ask How did you do that? and the other part wants to know Where did you come from?

 

[FeMChara]

Aryanne: Take a 2-die stunt for your next roll.


Mizu's phone goes bzzt.

DDandyman

left

shit shit shit. i cant tell where im at. still got the backup phone. stupid shadow punk ganked me but someone wrapped me up. some southwestern lady. speaks Meruv good. leg shot to shit. she got real mad at that prick for bringing me. she dont got the traitor sun light. she got the dragon water.

 

[Flowing Ink Words]

DDandyman

left

shit shit shit. i cant tell where im at. still got the backup phone. stupid shadow punk ganked me but someone wrapped me up. some southwestern lady. speaks Meruv good. leg shot to shit. she got real mad at that prick for bringing me. she dont got the traitor sun light. she got the dragon water.

right

Don't worry bout shadow-jerk at this point. He got his just reward. Can you describe where your at?

"Well, good news. Kip apparently woke up." She headtilts and reads part of the message outloud. "Don't got the traitor sun light, she got the dragon water..." She blinks. "I'm guessing that there's a story behind -that- comment." She offers blandly.

 

[Mei]

"Dragon water?" Morena raises a brow at that descriptor. "Well."

 

[FeMChara]

"Dragonblood. They have one of five elemental aspect-sounds like a Water-Aspect Princess of the Earth." Kosche reasons. "It does... sound like his rambling from before. But so did whoever it was that wore his face. I got the feeling he actually wanted to die." Kosche rubbed the bridge of her nose.

 

[Arynne]

"That doesn't sound good. What if he had some kind of, I don't know, escape hatch? Like a glass ball that was supposed to catch his soul or something like that?" Trina blushes, knowing how dumb that sounds.

 

[Mei]

Morena looks towards Trina and pats her on the back. "No need to be embarrassed for throwing ideas around. No one is going to make fun of you. Any ideas is better than none."

 

[FeMChara]

"In a sense, that is true-but it isn't likely to be happening. When an Infernal or Solar dies, the second breath moves onto a new host-reincarnation. Those... crystals you spoke of are inferior and changed versions of something else and only work once. A newly made one could-but..." He closed his eyes. "No, I do not think he can or would do that. It would have to be on his body."


And that was gone. He pulled out a jade mask, placing it on. To the Solars, the form they saw seems to melt back into Jiji.


"We all shall die one day. Even me. No training today. Do as you will. Those who are intending to stay can find their rooms. Mizu. Kosche. Come to the meditation room when you are ready." He stalked off, walking stiffly towards said meditation room.


"So uh. Who has plans?" Kosche asks awkwardly.


A phone goes off.

Caw Caw MFs

left

Are you ready, hot stuff? Six o'clock sharp! I got an announcement for ya. It'll explain a lot of shit, promise.

 

[Arynne]

"Well...I was going to go back to my apartment and boil up ramen for dinner."

 

[Mei]

"I don't have any plans at the moment. Except for getting my job." The tall tanned woman crosses her arms and smirks. "Sounds like my normal dinner."

 

[Arynne]

"Tomorrow night, though..." The young artist frowns slightly.


"I'm supposed to be having dinner with someone. One of my professors from college. She, she was kind of my mentor when I was there, and we still keep in touch."


And I bet she knows what a tight budget I'm on, and that's why she insists on treating me, Trina thinks. It's humiliating to keep accepting charity that way, but I can't really afford to be proud.


Or at least I couldn't before...

 

[Flowing Ink Words]

Mizu shrugs and heads into the meditation room first, as she has little to comment on at this point. As soon as the door is shut though, she lets a question out that likely has been floating there a long while. "... So, the man brought back in chains was you, and I'm guessing you knew, somehow, that I'd hit a point in my life where this was going to happen, right? How long back did you know?"

 

[Esbilon]

Sophia frowns at the young man who entered right after the old man told them he'd put on an illusion. "Well, that's certainly an impressive display. And something that will make me question the identity of everyone I meet from now on. Can you use it to fake being a specific person?"


"Yeah," she agrees with Kosche's estimation, "that sounds like how he'd describe a Water Aspect. I guess we should try and help him out," she says, not sounding enthusiastic about the prospect, "but if he was abducted by a powerful, paranoid conspiracy hours ago, he could be pretty much anywhere in Creation, so it seems kind of futile to just go looking. Maybe if he could give us some actual details on his location." She frows and pulls her tablet out of her messenger bag, "actually, what's his phone number? I may be able to trace him through it."


"As for dinner," she says while apparently occupied doing something on the handheld computer, "I think we still have things to talk about so dining together sounds like a good idea, warmed-up ramen, however, less so. What about grabbing a load of take out and bringing it somewhere, here or your place," she continues, nodding at Trina without looking up, "if money's an issue, I'd be happy to pay."

 

[Epiphany]

"So, I already have dinner plans," Anne mentions at last, having mostly been stunned into silence by the sudden appearance/identity change of the group's mentor. It's one thing to have received visions from the Conquered Sun or seen the cute redhead conjure a sword out of thin air. It's another to suddenly realize that Heck wasn't a fluke; that there were multiple people who could look radically different from how they actually looked. How could she trust anyone she met anymore?


"But yeah, I'm meeting my friend Bran at 6pm at the Red Dragon. I was hoping I could get a volunteer to tag along. Mostly because I practice what I preach and I think it's smarter for all of us in the future to always go in pairs. Though if the whole group of you want to come, I seriously doubt Bran will mind. He'd like the eye candy almost as much as me!"


Chuckling, Anne punches out a text message back.

Caw Caw MFs

left

Are you ready, hot stuff? Six o'clock sharp! I got an announcement for ya. It'll explain a lot of shit, promise.

right

Just about, handsome. So you're finally coming out! It's big that you can admit that you love boys. I'll be there with bells on!

"So, anyone in the mood to get a free meal out of keeping me out of trouble?"

 

[Esbilon]

"Who's your friend?" Sophia asks, having spared a moment to look at the message.

 

[Mei]

"A... Volunteer?" Morena tilts her head to the side. "So who would you like to bring, Anne?"

 

[Epiphany]

"My friend?" Anne chuckles. "Bran and I go way back, to when we were kids. He's got a good heart and he's been through enough shit in his life for me to know he'll stick by me. Not that I exactly plan on telling him anything about what happened to us. As for who I bring, that's up to you guys. I don't know who already has dinner plans or not. I know not all of us are all that hot in a fight, as far as I know, so I think it makes sense that each group have at least one combat-capable person in it. And I do consider myself combat capable so I'm up for anyone who wants to tag along."

 

[Mei]

"I'll go with whoever really wants to feel safe, then. I don't have any plans." Morena finds a seat and plops down.

 

[FeMChara]

Kosche smiled mildly. "Takeout sounds great to me. I think I will stay here for now or stick with you, Sophia if that's okay with you. As much as Jiji is doing for us... it's always good to have a fallback-if he gets compromised, turns out to be an enemy, dies-those sort of possibilities should be planned for. Mostly if he dies or if we have to run. Who knows what could happen? In any case... Green Seraph, I am up for the biggest plate of meat." She groans, smiling crookedly.


================] The High Priest


The wiley Sidereal was sitting lotus-style on a mat, eyes closed. Emerald eyes opened. "I suspected when I met you that you would be important in some way. Five years is when I knew. Sidereals have always been found before they Exalt. Unlike the true Solars and the Lunars, Sidereals are chosen at birth. They just don't know it. Yu Shan makes a point of finding and arranging their future fellow's life to make them most useful Viziers. I arranged not to make you useful-but to survive and thrive outside of the Fellowship. That you may one day tear this mask from my face and prove your readiness-but there isn't the time anymore. Two-thousand, nine-hundred sixty-six are the years I have lived and experienced-but I was born one year shy of three thousand years ago. I do not know if I have less than a year or thirty-four. The Maidens ordained the oldest our kind gets is three thousand years old. I have, however made arrangements for either eventuality and others as well." He sighs. "I have been hard on you as your sifu, your caretaker."


He tosses a bundle to her. "That is five years of a junior's income for a Sidereal. Kosche shall get her own salary as well. I have arranged through shenanigans for you to never know want. Only one other knows the details of what I have done and Nara-O is infamously shut-mouthed. That one told me once his having charge of Jupiter's library sits like ashes in their mouth."


"Just hold the ambrosia and will for the sort of money you want. In Meruvian dollars, you have I believe-" he named an astonishing amount of money. Enough to ruin the economy of Creation as a whole. "Do try not to upset large-scale economies with it." He advised in a droll manner.


He took off the jade mask. "You have much to learn yet-that is true of even myself but I shall teach you a new style. It is called Violet Bier of Sorrow Style and without weapon, your hands will strike as if they were metal. Without armor, you will find blows blocked as if in a full suit of metal armor. And you will sense the danger before it comes to you in a fight. You can learn how to subdue the light of your anima and much more besides. You will be able to shoot rocks from your bow and hatred. To fight five arrows at once will be easy for you-as will shooting a target around corners. You will steal places and wear names like clothes. You will be no one and everyone-yet within that heart and soul of yours will live Mizu. You will live thousands of lives and impact more than that. You are a Starborn. A Vizier. A Seer. One day, you will take your rightful place-if you survive it."


He paused. Looking into her eyes. "Yes. I was the one in chains. The one who regretted everything, the one who failed. I am Chejop Kejak, head of the secret Gold Faction. I know who you were the life prior and who Kosche may have been. And possibly who your artist may have been-but in the end, you may be weaker than they-but it is your hands that will guide them. The soldier may lead-but your words will shape the options. Your hands may someday place a wreath on her head-if you survive long enough."


And yet, he was still holding back something from her. Never the whole truth woth him and a hole in his story remained-why did he trust her with this much?


What else was there to tell?

 

[Flowing Ink Words]

Mizu looked at the package. She just stood there, stunned for a few moments. Finally, she spoke, in a soft, subdued tone"... I'll try not to disappoint, Old Man." She pauses a moment, then offers a sly bit of a smile. "The... more practical demonstrations can wait, I think. I think right now, a more important question." She looks towards the door, then back to Chejop. "Were young Solars like this group when you were young?" She sits down quietly... then adds. "And knowing me, I won't snatch it from your face... You'll just find it missing one day." She grins ever so slightly.

 

[Esbilon]

"Of course, Kosche," Sophia replies, injecting a bit more warmth into her smile, "what else are friends for?"


"As for where we go from here," she says, addressing the room with a lingering look on the door the Old Man and Mizu disappeared behind, "I'm in favor of sticking together, unless that'll call too much attention to us, or freak out your friend, Anne. If we're splitting up, Kosche and I could go with you, since we don't have any ties to the city."

 

[Mei]

Morena looks to Anne, Singhit and Trina. "That means each of us can pair off, since I'm pretty sure Mizu's going to bouncing between each of us. I know Anne says she's combat-trained, so she can take either Singhit or Trina... But I'm going to be working at the same place as Trina, so it might be easier for me to be in the same place as her. You okay with pairing with Singhit, Anne?"