EVENT | GUIDING LIGHT

[alderwood]

Characters: ALL!
Date: June 1st-5th, 2014
Location: Keeliai, all sectors
Situation: Following Evandau's announcement about the soul lanterns and new housing, the Foreigners are shuffled around while Malicant's agents try to complicate this as much as possible!
Warnings/Rating: Possible mentions of violence from the cultists, plus various characters' reactions to moving.

LINKS
Fire Sector | Earth Sector | Metal Sector | Water Sector | Wood Sector | Cultist Shenanigans | Speak with Eva & Celaunn | OOC Plot Post

The new Basswood Commander, Celaunn, stands watch outside of the building with one ready hand resting on the hilt of her sword while her protectorate goes inside. A prodigy of magic as she is, liberating all the Foreigners' souls right out from under Malicant has left Evastelei far more expended than any of them care to admit. She looks as tired and worn as Evandau sounded on the radio post, but she tries to cover it with good humour, much as can be mustered given the situation. Eva's sent out messages to the ones whose essence she's felt resonate for each address and upon arriving, carries the lanterns into the new units whether they're all present or not... she's a busy lady and when this is all done she might just sleep for a week.

"Couldn't rightly explain some of these set-downs," Eva says as she goes about hanging the lamps up in the central part of the house. For most of the units, this equates to the main living area, though sometimes in the kitchen or unfinished room -- the layouts on each building has variations, after all. "One of those things you just have to feel, I reckon. Never figured Evandau much for leaving new bottles of wine on the pillows after all, so this will have to do."

While she's in the buildings, she'll run her hands over the wards built into the walls, letting them light briefly with various colours of light depending on the purpose, a symbol-based language not unlike runic illuminating at her touch and then fading to invisibility again.

"Now for these," she'll continue once she's sure she has all their attentions. "These are the best I could do on short notice, what with the Creature throwing all his resource at breaking Eshai's spells. That's why none of you could get into the Throne Room few weeks back-- that was a right bold move on your parts, by the way. See if you can't talk tall and smileless up there," she jerks her head toward the front of the building to indicate Celaunn, "into learning something from it. Chilu's are too by the book."

She'll explain how the lanterns are strengthened by proximity of those whose soul they house, and the dangers of staying away from them (particularly in a Dreaming state) for too long. "You don't want the Creature coming to rip you out of here," she says, jabbing them in the chest for emphasis, a deep frown distorting the burned scar on the one side of her face. "Be something like putting your insides through a wind shearer. Don't recommend it, that's for certain. Are you paying attention? Don't be moving these anywhere. With the power of these, I can understand why Eshai wanted to keep them close but keeping them from you... well, it wasn't the only thing she and I disagreed on."

Once she's satisfied that they've got as much information as she can provide at this time, she'll remind them as Evandau did: these lanterns are their Keeliai anchors and should they be destroyed, it won't be a trip back to their worlds that they can look forward to. "Without these, I can't keep you from being lost for good," she'll add seriously. "Good luck with them."

Comments

[strategisch]

Jack... Frost? [Armin furrows his brow a little in thought.] I have to say, the name sounds familiar, but I don't think we've met.

[Armin definitely wouldn't be able to see him at first, but, he can be convinced to believe most anything after living on the back of a giant island turtle for nearly a year.]

In the correct environment, yes. It's unfortunately useless on flat ground, since you need something to grapple onto initially. And since it runs on fuel that isn't available on Tu Vishan, I can only use it during appropriate emergencies.

[He sighs.] I've become more and more out of practice as I have to ration the gas. I was never very good at using it to begin with, but I still hate to get so soft.

[backwordscompatible]

You'll like him. He's a really cool guy.

[Of course, Zatanna was like the most biased person ever. Who also snuck a little pun in there without Armin being any the wiser, seeing as how he had admitted to not even knowing the Winter Spirit. Yet.]

If it's training you need, I could help with that.

I happen to know a thing or two about flying.

[strategisch]

I'm sure if you can get along with him, I can get along with him.

[He blinks in surprise.] You can do that too? More magic?

[backwordscompatible]

[She nodded, and cast another spell that levitated her into the air. Just a couple of inches--not enough to show off, per say, but enough for him to get the idea--before returning to the ground.]

It comes in handy every now and again.

I could do it to you, too, if you want.

[strategisch]

I would call that more than just handy. [All you guys and your incredibly useful powers. He spent years of training to learn how to use a tool, poorly, and you just say a few words backwards and fly in the like poof.] Is it difficult to control? The main problem with becoming out of practice with my gear is that it requires an incredibly strong core and leg muscles to stay upright while operating it, and not just be flung about like a ragdoll.

[backwordscompatible]

For me, not really, no. But then, I've been doing this sort of thing my whole life, so that'd be like asking you if you had difficulty putting one foot in front of the other and managing not to fall over.

[So, really, it was a little more than just say words, poof, you're flying. She had to train too. A different kind of training, but training nevertheless.]

Did you want to try?

[strategisch]

[Of course, all that Armin sees is the immediate result of a, to him, arcane procedure, and will probably never understand the equal exchange that's going on in Zatanna's corner as well.]

C-can I really? [Flying is a simple dream, shared by many of his peers-- Even the power of the 3DMG can't free him from the shackles of gravity.] I mean, would it even work? I'm not magical at all, I assure you.

[backwordscompatible]

No, you're not. But I am.

I can't guarantee it'll be the smoothest flight ever. Especially if you've never done it before. But I could easily get you off the ground.

[A thought came to her, however:]

We...uh...might want to go outside to try this, though. Just in case.

[strategisch]

Well, of course. If you say you can, there's no way I'd turn down such an offer.

[backwordscompatible]

[The expression that appeared may or may not have seemed a bit too cheerful...and might have drawn a suspicious gaze to anybody who knew the young magician well enough...but she hardly gave Armin the chance to think such thoughts before reaching out to grab him by the hand, leading him towards the stairs.]

[They had to circumvent his cart, of course, and she barely gave the rest of his suit another glance. Where they were going, he wouldn't be needing it.]

And just in case you were going to ask...yes, I have done this before.

[strategisch]

[He does catch a certain manic gleam in her eye, but he's too excited about the prospect of flying to be too concerned.]

And your last subject is still alive, I hope? [Said with about as much sarcasm Armin can manage.]

[backwordscompatible]

Umm...

[That...probably wasn't the most reassuring sound. But the pause wasn't for the reason one might think. It's not that she'd ever caused anybody hard. It's just that...well...did it really count if they were technically never alive in the first place.]

Let me put it this way: one the most recent people I went flying with? It was Jack. And he's obviously still here, isn't he?

[strategisch]

I have your word that he is.

[He smiles a little.]

I trust you. And besides, I'm used to being flung about this way and that, crashing into walls, trees, buildings...

[backwordscompatible]

It won't be that bad, promise.

Although it's nice to know the bar's being set so low. Less pressure.

[strategisch]

I'm sure you're better at magic than I am at using the 3DMG.

[This clearing looks like a rather nice spot to practice.]

[backwordscompatible]

Only one way to find out.

I'd say hold on to something, but...well...

[Once she was sure he was ready, she stepped back and lifted a hand. A simple spell--Etativel--would gradually lift him into the air. But that was all it would do. It would be up to Armin to maintain his balance and sense of direction once his feet no longer touched ground.]

[strategisch]

[The sensation hits him immediately-- of lifting into the air, but out of weightlessness, and not through force. It's extremely curious. He knows how to remain calm and maintain his balance from training, but...]

This-- This is magic! [It's the most inane, but wonderfully uttered statement that's ever escaped his lips. Armin looks around himself and flutters his legs with a smile that tugs on muscles he hasn't used in forever.] I don't know how to explain it! Usually it feels like I'm working against something when I used the 3DMG, but this is like that barrier has been lifted!

[backwordscompatible]

Told you.

[The urge to add a duh was strong, but she forgave him because this was obviously his first time. She would go easy on him.]

I don't suppose that something would be Gravity, would it?

[strategisch]

Yes, that's it! Gravity. Oh, I remember the calculations from training, something I was actually good at-- This must be what it's like to take the constants out of the equation! My numbers aren't adding up anymore at all, haha.

[He seems really, really pleased with just this, like a baby having their first romp in the kiddie pool.]

[backwordscompatible]

Do me a favor? Don't even bother trying to talk math to me.

There was only one boy who could ever get away with that, and even then, he was pushing it a lot.

[But she never minded, because that was one of his many ways of flirting.]

[strategisch]

I won't. I find people tend to get sick of theories after long enough too. Can you really do this whenever you want?

[backwordscompatible]

So long as I'm not sick or drained of energy, yeah.

[Or managed to catch laryngitis.]

[strategisch]

Amazing. If only we could-- No, if only one person had this ability, we could kill the Titans for good. Oh, it's so vexing!

[backwordscompatible]

I'd volunteer my services, but I think we both know it's a lot more complicated than that.

[If she could choose to go anywhere, and had the power to do so, she would return home, of course. He friends were there. Her father was there. And even if, for whatever reason, her home world was out...there were other options that topped her list long before a trip to Armin's world.]

[strategisch]

Oh, no. No, I don't mean that at all. I don't think it's possible, and even if it were, I couldn't ask that of anyone. [He shakes his head.] I'm sorry. I can't help but think of what-ifs when I'm presented with these situations.