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

[wintershepherd]

[ The way Armin jumps is enough to catch his attention and Jack stops midair, returning on a similar breeze. ]

Whoops, sorry about that. Didn't mean to snow you a little bit there. I think I'm over-compensating a little for the warm weather.

[strategisch]

Oh-- hello.

[Today seems to be meet people flying about day. Armin recoils in surprise as a snowflake melts on his nose. The boy with the shepard's crook is emanating a cold aura.]

You mean, you're doing this?

[wintershepherd]

Doing what?

[ Jack didn't think of those trailing snowflakes as something he consciously did, so it took him a moment. ]

Wait, the cold? Yeah, that's me. I don't think we've met, right?

[ He's seen Armin around, because Armin has been on the turtle for a while now, but their paths have simply never crossed. But at least the blond can see him, so that saves a whole level of complicated right off the bat. ]

I'm Jack.

[strategisch]

Oh-- would you happen to be Jack Frost?

[With a name like that and abilities like this, it naturally clicks together.]

I'm Armin. I've known you to be around, I've heard your name before, but Zatanna told me today that we're going to be roommates.

[wintershepherd]

[ The spirit grins, sketching a quick bow. ]

That's me, one Guardian of Fun and Spirit of Winter. It's nice to meet you, Armin.

Guess this whole roommate thing is going to take some getting used to, huh?

[strategisch]

Guardian of... Fun?

[Armin gives him a quizzical look. Spirit of Winter, he can understand, but what does Guardian of Fun mean? As someone who pretty much never experiences that, Jack might have a lot to teach him.]

Oh, I'm actually kind of glad. I've lived alone for a long time, and I'm more used to dormitories from my world, so I was looking forward to the change, really.

[wintershepherd]

It's... a thing, in my world. For spirits. It doesn't really have any context here, it's just habit for me to say.

[ Teach Armin? Well, Jack does love a challenge! ]

Dormitories, huh? You in school?

[strategisch]

Oh. [The kind of "oh" someone says when they still don't understand something, but just accept it as truth anyways.]

No, um. I've heard someone my age should be in school in most worlds, but I'm in the military.

[wintershepherd]

Depends on the time frame.

[ Jack has seen teens younger than Armin drafted into wars he's had to watch over the centuries. ]

By choice, or...?

[strategisch]

By choice. [He gives a solid nod.] I've given up my heart to humanity's revival.

[wintershepherd]

[ Jack's about to say "good", because choice is better than conscription even if the war part is terrible, but Armin throws that out there and he's left momentarily fumbling for a reply. ]

I... sorry, what?

[strategisch]

I-- erm. [Shoot, he really has to stop doing that. And he'd just weaned himself out of throwing salutes too.] In my world, the military, we fight... monsters. Humanity has been pushed back by them for a long time, in both territory and numbers. So when I say "humanity's revival," I mean the defeat of those monsters.

[wintershepherd]

That sounds like a really important cause... and a good one.

[ He couldn't say he had anything similar to compare it to, except in the abstract perhaps it was a little like the others had described the Dark Ages, with Pitch. ]

You're pretty brave for doing that.

[strategisch]

There is no cause more important.

[He scuff his boot in the dirt a little, embarrassed.]

If brave means doing things even though you are terrified... Then yes, I suppose I am brave.

[wintershepherd]

That's... pretty much exactly what bravery is, yeah. Trust me, I've got kind of an inside line of having dealt with it before.

[strategisch]

Is being a Winter Spirit a scary job?

[wintershepherd]

Being the Spirit of Winter was the easy part, actually. I mean, once I figured out what I was supposed to be doing, there's a lot of freedom in it and that's what I'd wanted. Other spirits pretty well left me alone.

[ Seeing that Armin was interested enough to make this more of a conversation than just passing in the street, Jack nodded towards a nearby cafe where there were outdoor tables and seats in silent offer. ]

Being a Guardian on the other hand... that part was scary.

[strategisch]

[Armin willingly follows him, easily led along by an interesting conversation. The cafe is very pleasant.]

I would have assumed that would be easy. I mean. "Guardian of Fun".

[wintershepherd]

[ Jack laughed, bobbing his head in agreement. ]

You'd think, right? But being a Guardian, people are counting on you. The kids you protect and the other Guardians... I didn't think I was ready for that at first. I was sure I wasn't, actually.

[strategisch]

So you protect children, somehow? I mean, I get the feeling that you mean all children when you say that.

[wintershepherd]

[ Jack nodded again, though this time with a more serious expression. ]

All kids, exactly. It's what the Guardians do... have always done. When they believe in who we are... that gives us power.

[strategisch]

[Armin mulls over that thought for a second.]

I can't claim to know much about gods, but you sound an awful lot like one. Isn't it belief, and faith, that gives any god power amongst people? Children, even.

I don't mean to be presumptuous, I'm just drawing random conclusions.

[wintershepherd]

[ Jack actually took a step backward, shaking his head. ]

No no, nothing like that! We're more like... well, patrons kind of? Representatives or-- it's hard to explain. But definitely not gods.

[strategisch]

Oh-- [Armin sees Jack's discomfort, and flushes in embarrassment.] Oh, I'm sorry. I understand. Something you'll find about me is that I just... Go at the mouth sometimes...

[wintershepherd]

Don't be, it's all right. It's just kind of... I don't want people to get the wrong impression, that's all.

[ He flashes Armin a grin, letting him know that he's not upset or anything. ]

I mean, imagine if people went around calling you a great leader or a hero just because you were in the military, without you having done anything to earn it. It'd be weird, right? Not saying you couldn't be, but it makes people think a certain way about you.