EVENT | ZUGZWANG | SEPTEMBER 21-28

[ironwood]

Characters: ALL!
Date: September 21-28, 2014
Location: Keeliai
Situation: Something in the city has caused the Foreigner's powers to go off the charts, affecting even those who wouldn't possess any. Things pretty much go downhill from there...
Warnings/Rating: Add warnings as needed.

The state of affairs in Keeliai has been tense since the incident at the Midnight Hotel with Evandau, and the aftereffects have put a touch of pall on the city. Kedan look at each other distrustfully, wondering who among their number might be possessed by Malicant's essence and that suspicion carries to the Foreigners as well. How can they fight for us? they seem to be asking. They can't even stop fighting amongst themselves and the Emperor. Of course, the kedan's opinion of Evandau is likewise not exactly stellar any longer, as whether through inevitability or design, his cold actions of killing those who cross him has come to light. While there's no open dissent in the ranks (and likely, it seems, more due to fear of repercussion than loyalty) there are certainly looks and whispers.

The turtle hatchlings have also picked up on it, and they've become quieter than normal. Especially those who are suffering under shedding the remainders of Malicant's taint if they were injured by the poisoned weapons, they'll seem hesitant to bother their parents for minor things, or if possible will ask a parent who isn't afflicted first.

It feels like the calm before a storm.

---

LINKS
Powers Going Haywire (Sept 21-25) | Powers Nullified (Sept 26-27) | PART 2 TBA (Sept 28) | OOC Plot Post

OOC NOTE
Reactions to the Part 2 plot reveal will also be threaded on this post and the comment will be unfrozen when the other posts are made. Event questions can be directed to this comment. Have fun!

Comments

I hope I'm doing this right... >__>

[oceanblue]

Katara still wasn't entirely sure what had happened, nor why exactly she had chosen to follow her brother after he had explicitly told her to stay home after the broadcast had woken them in such a horrific way.

She was in no condition to handle this--the girl was still healing from the wounds her poison inflicted friend had cast on her, no doubt delayed from the sudden disappearance of her own waterbending, and in extension, healing skills-- but while her already stubborn desire to aid those in need had pushed her to her feet, something else tugged in the back of her mind. It wasn't too unfamiliar; the tugging had begun even before the attack had happened, but she had simply dismissed it as getting used to the idea of being in such a strange new place. However, the moment she had seen the gruesome display on her console, the sensation had grown exponentially, and she somehow found herself approaching the scene, the devastation heavy on her shoulders and clear in her eyes.

Inexplicably drawn to a particular turtle the moment arrived, the girl did her best to clear her throat by swallowing hard before she addressed Marcelon with a gentle touch at the side of her neck. Words, for once, didn't come easily to the wounded waterbender, but comfort...she could at least offer that much, and as she knelt carefully beside the turtle, she knew this was her place for now.

Once kneeling, she noticed the man sitting at Marcy's opposite side, and after a few moments hesitation, she spoke. "What's happening...?"

[peacefullywreathed]

Solomon watched the girl approach with something approaching idle curiosity, but the moment she came near enough Marcelon turned her head and buried it in the girl's lap. "Bad things."

"We're at war," Solomon said simply. "In war, there are casualties. Marcelon, who is this?"

"Katara," Marcelon mumbled. "I've been, what's the word you used, wooing her--" Solomon laughed in spite of himself and Marcelon's flipper flicked up to whap him across the thigh. "You use it!"

"In a different context," said Solomon, stroking the rugged skin just under the shell, where no turtle could reach. "A new parent?"

He was surprised Marcelon had taken so long about it, but then again Solomon had had a difficult month; Skulduggery's taint on top of the skeleton's undead status, among other things, had left the Necromancer somewhat in need of distraction. Perhaps Marcelon had put off the meeting because of that.

"Solomon Wreath." Solomon inclined his head toward the girl.

[oceanblue]

When the turtle pressed its face into her lap, Katara immediately hugged to her, brushing a gentle hand over its neck as she pressed her cheek to the top of its head. Solomon's reply made her brow furrow in slight frustration, but she said nothing, instead listening to Marcelon as she explained who she was. Surprised at the sudden voice in her head, Katara blinked, but didn't question it; despite everything here that felt wrong, the turtle's recognition somehow felt right, and she had already heard Zuko's turtle speak to her. With a jolt of pain in her chest, she wondered if his turtle had been one of the others lying broken around them.

Dismissing the unwelcome thought, she lifted her head, her gaze moving between the man and the turtle. "Katara," she repeated, realizing only a second later she was only offering what he had just been told. "It's... nice to meet you." Though, of course, she wished they had been meeting in happier circumstances. "So, I'm one of your parents now?" she asked Marcelon gently, still brushing her hand reassuringly over her neck.

[peacefullywreathed]

"Already were," Marcelon mumbled, and snuggled more deeply into Katara's lap. Solomon watched thoughtfully and with hidden unease; far be it for him to choose a child's maturity for them, but something seemed unfair about lumping such a burden upon people who were children themselves.

Caring for a youngling was difficult enough, without the threat of murder and pain hanging over them.

"How old are you, Katara?" he asked, but matter-of-factly. Life wasn't fair, and it was what it was. But he still wanted to know just what he'd be dealing with, if Katara was as young as she looked. Children made rash decisions.

[oceanblue]

A slight smile pulled at her lips as the turtle mumbled and continued to demand the cuddles Katara was more than happy to give. "Right... Sorry..." she apologized.

His question drew her gaze to the man again, and her borw furrowed. "I'm fifteen. Why do you ask?" Though she didn't know of it, Solomon need not worry; Katara had seen plenty, and though she was young, she certainly wasn't immature for her age.

[peacefullywreathed]

Young. Not so young as Solomon had seen--Cain had been, what, fourteen?--and not so young as Solomon himself had been when he first saw unjust slaughter. Still, young enough, and she looked even younger.

"I'm taking a survey," Solomon answered almost blithely, but he was regarding her with consideration. "There are a great number of young people who were brought here. You've some manner of unusual, probably magical, talent, yes?"

[oceanblue]

She frowned, clearly unsatisfied with his answer, but brushed it off, not willing to further upset the turtle in her arms with a dispute between parents, no matter how small. "I'm a waterbender? A master waterbender," she explained simply, still petting Marcelon's head. "I can use it to heal, too."

[peacefullywreathed]

Solomon thought he'd heard of bending before--but only as if secondhand, not directly related to any of his conversations but one he'd overheard. "I'm not sure what that is," he admitted, "though we've a dearth of healers, currently, so I'm sure it's welcomed."

That actually tallied with his observations besides. Most of the children in Keeliai were magically or mentally powerful. They'd been brought in for a reason as much as anyone else--for the power and the determination, rather than experience or wisdom.

[oceanblue]

"I can manipulate water with my chi," she explained. "Ice, water, steam... I can control it. Lots of people where I'm from can do that with the different elements. One of my best friends is the avatar and can control all four."

But that wasn't what was important right then. She turned her attention back to the turtle. "Is there anything I can do, Marcelon?" she asked her softly.

[peacefullywreathed]

Marcelon opened one eye to peer up at her from what wasn't so very great a distance at all. "Are you going to leave?"

"Interesting," Solomon murmured, and tweaked a fold of Marcelon's skin. "At least you won't have trouble with needing a place to swim in future."

"Emily-Helen won't," Marcelon mumbled.

[oceanblue]

The turtle's look and question drew her in again, and she shook her head. "Of course not," she assured her, hugging her neck a little tighter for a moment. Katara would stay right there with her as long as she possibly could.

Solomon's comment drew a nod against the top of Marcelon's head, until she heard the turtle's retort. "Emily-Helen...?" she asked quietly, gentle and curious.

[peacefullywreathed]

Marcelon let out a warbling little cry and buried her head more deeply into Katara's lap. Solomon put his hand back on the unmoving turtle beside them.

"This is Emily-Helen," he said, equally quietly. "Was. She and Marcelon bonded over having difficult parents." And Solomon had been a difficult parent, at first, not because he couldn't spare the time but because he'd been convinced he was the wrong person for the job. He still wasn't entirely convinced even now, but he hadn't done too badly yet and it was a responsibility he couldn't just ignore either way.

Emily-Helen had had to fight tooth and nail just to get Bakura to accept her. She had been one of the few things he had in his life that was worthwhile. She still was--but now he was going to deny it with every fiber of his being just because of how much it hurt.