12-31-2019, 11:25 PM
[font=trebuchet ms]The cold permeated every inch of her form.
Rin opened her eyes, and found herself- underwater? No, she couldn't be underwater, as she could still breathe, but she floated in an expanse of azure blue. Furrowing her brows, she turned her head to look around. She was the only living thing for what had to be miles around.
She looked up. Glimmers of sunlight barely reached the depth she was submerged at, but at least she had some indication that the surface was visible. Not that it mattered, as long as she could breathe.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a shadow. Turning to look at it, she watched as it grew larger, closer, more defined. Its gargantuan form loomed over her as it approached, every stroke of its tail displacing enough water to drown an entire clan.
Blue whale, her brain supplied helpfully.
"Neptune, I presume?" Rin asked, her voice only slightly distorted by the megatons of water separating the two of them. It was a fair guess, considering the surroundings. Instinctively, she unsheathed her claws, though she knew they would do little good.
The whale gazed down at her. "AYE," he boomed, the sheer amplitude of his voice nearly shattering her eardrums, eliciting a shudder from her. Apparently cognizant of her discomfort, he closed his eyes, and his form shrank bit by bit- until the creature before her was an orca, slightly more manageable, significantly less likely to damage her hearing. She got the feeling she would see his blue whale form again soon enough, though.
With a flap of his fins, the orca said, "I'm the Captain. Fallen god o' the sea." Displaying his teeth in a way vaguely resembling a smile, he went on, "Sent four o' me mates down to the locker, have ye, lass? Thought ye'd be tougher, after almost three years."
Rin scoffed, twitching her ears. "Can't take credit for the Ferryman," she said, with a shrug. "The Elysites did all the work." Quirking a brow, she added, "And I suspect they'd do the same to you, if you decided to show up at the docks."
The Captain laughed, a high-pitched chirp that seemed to come from all directions at once. "Feisty! I like it," he bellowed, his tail swishing through the water. As his laughter subsided, he bared his teeth in a grin. "Best watch yerself. Wouldn't want any more o' yer crew blown down, would ye?"
Narrowing her eyes, Rin lashed her tail. So he would dare to threaten Elysium, too? "What do you want?" she growled, tugging at her scarf. He had to be here looking to gain something. "Let me guess- you've come to ask me to surrender?"
"Aye, ye got me," the Captain replied, raising his fins in a gesture reminiscent of a shrug. "Simple trade, really- raise the white flag, and yer crew's got smooth sailing from then on. No more curses." Leaning in closer, he added, "Got time to think it over, too. I'll give ye 'til January's end."
January's end? That was a lot of advance notice- suspiciously so. "Awfully patient of you," she commented, swishing her tail. "Well, I think I will think it over." She wouldn't be thinking over it alone, of course, but she and the rest of Elysium would consider his offer, though she didn't foresee them accepting it.
The Captain nodded, then slowly turned to leave. "Just remember," he said, a degree of seriousness in his voice, far removed from his previously casual tone. "If they end up in the locker because o' ye... there's only yerself to blame."
With a powerful strike of his tail, the water washed Rin away-
-and she awoke, the ceiling of the house slowly coming into focus.
They were due for an assembly. It seemed strange to worry about political affairs, after the mess she'd found herself in, but if she was to remain Magna she had to fulfill her duties as such. Even if they hadn't been due, a new threat had made itself clear to her- and she had to let them know, for their safety.
Getting to her feet, she walked out of the house and towards the town square. She didn't feel up to going all the way up the mountain just yet. The other Elysites would appear either way. Standing in the center, she glanced around at the passersby, who met her gaze with curiosity.
"Assembly time," Rin called out, twitching an ear. "Everyone get over here." She had missed being able to raise her voice to its normal maximum volume without her ribcage exploding in pain. As the first few residents settled in, she continued, "Regarding events, the market festival is still ongoing. There will be first-aid and combat trainings sometime in the next two weeks, along with checkups later this week. There will also be a game starting this next week- signups and instructions will be posted both in the mountain camp and in the town." Best to start with the lighthearted things, while everyone was arriving.
Glancing towards the mountain, she said, "I want to welcome both Sanzu and Nemhain to Elysium. It's good to have you here." She wasn't entirely sure how to handle welcoming a part of herself that gained sentience- there was no protocol for such a thing- but given how different Nemhain was from her, they might as well have been two separate people.
With a heavy sigh, she shook her head. With the positive things out of the way, that left the elephant in the room.
"I've been meaning to apologize for all of this mess, really," she began, tugging at her scarf. "I didn't intend to get Elysium involved with my own problems, but that doesn't change the fact that I did anyway. Even then, I should have at least let you all know much sooner." Looking down at the ground, she continued, "I also shouldn't have been so defensive when I was explaining myself. All of you had a right to be angry, regardless of the reason." She was sorely tempted to add on that it had been wrong for her to bring past trauma into the argument, but... considering that it had apparently summoned Nemhain, maybe mentioning it had been beneficial after all.
She lifted her head. "All of you protected me from the Ferryman, at risk to your own lives," she remarked. "I owe you a debt that I could never fully repay, but... I'm still going to try." Looking up towards the sky, she heaved a sigh. "I can't ask you all to put your lives on the line for me after what I've done, but since it seems like you're going to do it anyway... I'll just have to do the same for all of you."
She briefly considered promising to do better, but... what good was her word now? She still had something she could do, though. "I received another message last night, while I was asleep," Rin stated, adopting a more business-like tone. "Another god- this one calling himself the Captain- informed me that I have until the end of January to surrender myself to him, and in turn, he would break the curse." Now that they knew she wasn't making up the whole "gods" mess, there was no reason to hide.
"I can't say I trust him to break the curse, but... either way, I leave it up to all of you." She straightened up. "Considering the last god's defeat, we may stand a chance against this one, but it may still be risky. If he speaks the truth about us having until the end of January, we don't have to decide today- but in case he decides not to wait, I and anyone else who wishes to can keep an eye on the coast." Given that he'd appeared in the forms of an orca and a blue whale, she doubted he could approach stealthily enough to not catch her eye. If Elysium was worried about it, they could assign additional members to watch for him as well.
Glancing towards the water, she added, "He appeared to me in the forms of a blue whale and an orca. I don't know if either of those are how he will manifest in the mortal plane, but a blue whale could potentially do some damage to the town. We should set up an evacuation plan for such a situation- I can host a meeting for that later." Really, they ought to have evacuation plans for multiple situations, not just floods, but this was just a start.
Of course, it might not even come to that. "If you decide to take him up on his offer, I understand," Rin said, looking back at those gathered. "But if you decide to fight, we will need to be prepared."
Allowing the words to ring out for a few moments, she remained still, appearing as sturdy as she could. The Captain's words remained in the back of her mind, chewing away at her composure slowly but surely. She was giving them an out, giving them a chance to preserve their own lives... it wasn't enough, it would never be enough, but it was better than she had done before. At least now they knew the danger.
Finally, she said, "That's all I have. Tomorrow's the beginning of a new year, so... happy new year, I suppose."
/OOC notes + tl;dr:
-welcome to [member=9480]nemhain.[/member] and welcome back to [member=7001]Sanzu[/member] ^^
-first-aid and combat trainings, checkups, evacuation drills, and a game are all upcoming- they'll be linked here and in the OOC board when they're posted
-the market festival is still happening
-Rin's apologized for some things, and thanked Elysium for protecting her from the Ferryman
-a new god called the Captain is giving Elysium until the end of January to surrender Rin- Rin told Elysium about this and gave them a choice
-Rin didn't mention this, but if anyone wants to swear themselves into Elysium they can step forward in their reply
-Happy New Year! ^^
Rin opened her eyes, and found herself- underwater? No, she couldn't be underwater, as she could still breathe, but she floated in an expanse of azure blue. Furrowing her brows, she turned her head to look around. She was the only living thing for what had to be miles around.
She looked up. Glimmers of sunlight barely reached the depth she was submerged at, but at least she had some indication that the surface was visible. Not that it mattered, as long as she could breathe.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed a shadow. Turning to look at it, she watched as it grew larger, closer, more defined. Its gargantuan form loomed over her as it approached, every stroke of its tail displacing enough water to drown an entire clan.
Blue whale, her brain supplied helpfully.
"Neptune, I presume?" Rin asked, her voice only slightly distorted by the megatons of water separating the two of them. It was a fair guess, considering the surroundings. Instinctively, she unsheathed her claws, though she knew they would do little good.
The whale gazed down at her. "AYE," he boomed, the sheer amplitude of his voice nearly shattering her eardrums, eliciting a shudder from her. Apparently cognizant of her discomfort, he closed his eyes, and his form shrank bit by bit- until the creature before her was an orca, slightly more manageable, significantly less likely to damage her hearing. She got the feeling she would see his blue whale form again soon enough, though.
With a flap of his fins, the orca said, "I'm the Captain. Fallen god o' the sea." Displaying his teeth in a way vaguely resembling a smile, he went on, "Sent four o' me mates down to the locker, have ye, lass? Thought ye'd be tougher, after almost three years."
Rin scoffed, twitching her ears. "Can't take credit for the Ferryman," she said, with a shrug. "The Elysites did all the work." Quirking a brow, she added, "And I suspect they'd do the same to you, if you decided to show up at the docks."
The Captain laughed, a high-pitched chirp that seemed to come from all directions at once. "Feisty! I like it," he bellowed, his tail swishing through the water. As his laughter subsided, he bared his teeth in a grin. "Best watch yerself. Wouldn't want any more o' yer crew blown down, would ye?"
Narrowing her eyes, Rin lashed her tail. So he would dare to threaten Elysium, too? "What do you want?" she growled, tugging at her scarf. He had to be here looking to gain something. "Let me guess- you've come to ask me to surrender?"
"Aye, ye got me," the Captain replied, raising his fins in a gesture reminiscent of a shrug. "Simple trade, really- raise the white flag, and yer crew's got smooth sailing from then on. No more curses." Leaning in closer, he added, "Got time to think it over, too. I'll give ye 'til January's end."
January's end? That was a lot of advance notice- suspiciously so. "Awfully patient of you," she commented, swishing her tail. "Well, I think I will think it over." She wouldn't be thinking over it alone, of course, but she and the rest of Elysium would consider his offer, though she didn't foresee them accepting it.
The Captain nodded, then slowly turned to leave. "Just remember," he said, a degree of seriousness in his voice, far removed from his previously casual tone. "If they end up in the locker because o' ye... there's only yerself to blame."
With a powerful strike of his tail, the water washed Rin away-
-and she awoke, the ceiling of the house slowly coming into focus.
They were due for an assembly. It seemed strange to worry about political affairs, after the mess she'd found herself in, but if she was to remain Magna she had to fulfill her duties as such. Even if they hadn't been due, a new threat had made itself clear to her- and she had to let them know, for their safety.
Getting to her feet, she walked out of the house and towards the town square. She didn't feel up to going all the way up the mountain just yet. The other Elysites would appear either way. Standing in the center, she glanced around at the passersby, who met her gaze with curiosity.
"Assembly time," Rin called out, twitching an ear. "Everyone get over here." She had missed being able to raise her voice to its normal maximum volume without her ribcage exploding in pain. As the first few residents settled in, she continued, "Regarding events, the market festival is still ongoing. There will be first-aid and combat trainings sometime in the next two weeks, along with checkups later this week. There will also be a game starting this next week- signups and instructions will be posted both in the mountain camp and in the town." Best to start with the lighthearted things, while everyone was arriving.
Glancing towards the mountain, she said, "I want to welcome both Sanzu and Nemhain to Elysium. It's good to have you here." She wasn't entirely sure how to handle welcoming a part of herself that gained sentience- there was no protocol for such a thing- but given how different Nemhain was from her, they might as well have been two separate people.
With a heavy sigh, she shook her head. With the positive things out of the way, that left the elephant in the room.
"I've been meaning to apologize for all of this mess, really," she began, tugging at her scarf. "I didn't intend to get Elysium involved with my own problems, but that doesn't change the fact that I did anyway. Even then, I should have at least let you all know much sooner." Looking down at the ground, she continued, "I also shouldn't have been so defensive when I was explaining myself. All of you had a right to be angry, regardless of the reason." She was sorely tempted to add on that it had been wrong for her to bring past trauma into the argument, but... considering that it had apparently summoned Nemhain, maybe mentioning it had been beneficial after all.
She lifted her head. "All of you protected me from the Ferryman, at risk to your own lives," she remarked. "I owe you a debt that I could never fully repay, but... I'm still going to try." Looking up towards the sky, she heaved a sigh. "I can't ask you all to put your lives on the line for me after what I've done, but since it seems like you're going to do it anyway... I'll just have to do the same for all of you."
She briefly considered promising to do better, but... what good was her word now? She still had something she could do, though. "I received another message last night, while I was asleep," Rin stated, adopting a more business-like tone. "Another god- this one calling himself the Captain- informed me that I have until the end of January to surrender myself to him, and in turn, he would break the curse." Now that they knew she wasn't making up the whole "gods" mess, there was no reason to hide.
"I can't say I trust him to break the curse, but... either way, I leave it up to all of you." She straightened up. "Considering the last god's defeat, we may stand a chance against this one, but it may still be risky. If he speaks the truth about us having until the end of January, we don't have to decide today- but in case he decides not to wait, I and anyone else who wishes to can keep an eye on the coast." Given that he'd appeared in the forms of an orca and a blue whale, she doubted he could approach stealthily enough to not catch her eye. If Elysium was worried about it, they could assign additional members to watch for him as well.
Glancing towards the water, she added, "He appeared to me in the forms of a blue whale and an orca. I don't know if either of those are how he will manifest in the mortal plane, but a blue whale could potentially do some damage to the town. We should set up an evacuation plan for such a situation- I can host a meeting for that later." Really, they ought to have evacuation plans for multiple situations, not just floods, but this was just a start.
Of course, it might not even come to that. "If you decide to take him up on his offer, I understand," Rin said, looking back at those gathered. "But if you decide to fight, we will need to be prepared."
Allowing the words to ring out for a few moments, she remained still, appearing as sturdy as she could. The Captain's words remained in the back of her mind, chewing away at her composure slowly but surely. She was giving them an out, giving them a chance to preserve their own lives... it wasn't enough, it would never be enough, but it was better than she had done before. At least now they knew the danger.
Finally, she said, "That's all I have. Tomorrow's the beginning of a new year, so... happy new year, I suppose."
/OOC notes + tl;dr:
-welcome to [member=9480]nemhain.[/member] and welcome back to [member=7001]Sanzu[/member] ^^
-first-aid and combat trainings, checkups, evacuation drills, and a game are all upcoming- they'll be linked here and in the OOC board when they're posted
-the market festival is still happening
-Rin's apologized for some things, and thanked Elysium for protecting her from the Ferryman
-a new god called the Captain is giving Elysium until the end of January to surrender Rin- Rin told Elysium about this and gave them a choice
-Rin didn't mention this, but if anyone wants to swear themselves into Elysium they can step forward in their reply
-Happy New Year! ^^
tags (06/13/20):
