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

[garou]

You really think that's a good idea?

[ He doesn't like it, this new place with too many people. It smells weird, and there's too many noises he doesn't recognize. It's putting him on edge. The whole 'your soul is now trapped in a lamp' thing isn't helping, either, and if Derek was actually a dog, his fur would be standing up right now. It just doesn't settle well with him.

He's poking his head into Stiles' room, watching his boyfriend prod at the lamp warily. ]

[skybluejeep]

When has anything being a 'bad idea' ever stopped me?

[He smirks at Derek, and goes back to his inspection of the lantern.]

I mean, they say this thing holds our souls? But I feel like my soul is just fine in my bod, you know? Not that I'm a big believer in soul business or god bothering. This is all getting way too metaphysical for my poor little brain.

[garou]

[ Derek snorts. ] I guess it depends on what your definition of a soul is, or whether or not you even think you have one. Still...

[ And Derek reaches forward, gently tugging him away. ] I'm pretty sure we should have learned our lessons regarding poking the weird supernatural thing that we don't understand?

[ And by 'we' he means 'you', Stiles. ]

[skybluejeep]

Oh, I don't know. I've gotten pretty good at poking at least one weird supernatural thing.

[He waggles his eyebrows at Derek, hoping he'll get the double entendre.]

[garou]

[ He set himself up for that. ] Why do I date you?

[skybluejeep]

Because you loooooooove me.

[He pretends to fawn all over Derek, bending over slightly backwards and fluttering his eyelashes at him.]

[garou]

Sometimes I wonder. [ It's flat, but clearly a joke, staring down at Stiles. ] Stop that, you look like you're convulsing.

[skybluejeep]

You're just grumpy because I'm right.

[He deliberately pokes Derek with one finger, in the fleshy part of his bicep, and then goes back to inspecting his lantern.]

Hey, can I see your lantern? I promise I won't poke at it. I wanna see if it's a different color or something.

[garou]

[ Surprisingly enough, there's little, if any, hesitation on Derek's part. ] Just don't poke it. It's over here.

[skybluejeep]

I said I promise!

[He lets Derek lead him over to the lantern in question, and he stares up at it. It's pretty. And he feels a weird little surge of protectiveness toward it, and Derek. He's going to do everything he can to make sure nothing happens to it.]

I half expected it to have a little frowny face drawn on it in sharpie.

[garou]

[ Derek hugs him from behind, resting his chin on Stiles' shoulder. ] Don't you dare.

[skybluejeep]

Not even a little one? With fangs on it?

[He rests his hands over Derek's, leaning back into him.]

I wonder what would happen if we put our lanterns side by side?

[garou]

Probably nothing. It's just light.

[skybluejeep]

Derek, sometimes I wonder if I should slip a book of poetry in with your other books. C'mon, man, where's your sense of romance?

[garou]

[ SIGH. ] Stiles, I don't need a pair of lamps next to one another to know, okay? My soul isn't in that thing. It's in me.

[skybluejeep]

Well...okay, I agree with you there. But it's the symbolism of it. Because Turtle Magic.

[garou]

In that case, [ he says, turning Stiles around so they're facing one another. ] Probably the same thing that happens when you're near me.

[skybluejeep]

Ah, there's the romance! I knew it was hiding in there somewhere.

[He loops his arms around Derek's waist, grinning up at him.]

How you doing? You okay with all these strangers around?

[garou]

I'm not a recluse, Stiles, I can handle other people just fine. [ Even if he prefers not to. ] As long as they don't touch my stuff.

[ He squeezes Stiles' butt gently, just to make a point. ]

[skybluejeep]

Oh, well, if anybody else touches that, I'll be the first to complain, don't you worry.

Hey. Did you see that posting to the network the other day? The guy who revealed his secret identity?

[garou]

No, why?

[skybluejeep]

Just got me thinking, is all.

[He's been meaning to broach this topic for a while, so this is a big plunge for him.]

I mean, he made some great points. About how we're all in this together, and we should all use all our powers and not keep secrets from each other.

[garou]

[ Derek stills, and then pulls away from Stiles slightly, eyes narrowed. ] You want me to tell people.

[skybluejeep]

I think it would help if you told people. Starting with our new roommates?

[garou]

[ Flatly: ] You want me to tell people the thing that will probably get me hunted down and killed if I tell the wrong person.