tushanshu_logs | [EVENT] A NEW WORLD ORDER

[EVENT] A NEW WORLD ORDER

Characters: ALL!
Date: December 8, 2015 (with some starters for the following weeks)
Location: Keeliai, the Midnight Hotel, others
Situation: The Foreigners have awakened.
Warnings/Rating: Add warnings as needed.

They've been in the Dreaming for so long that when they wake up their bodies feel more like automatons, alien and ill-fitting. They haven’t atrophied, thanks to Milyn, but they’re stiff and a little bedsore, and the solidity of the Life Plane is jarring. Here, the surroundings don’t move on a whim. Here the world is more stable, almost harsh and unyielding in spite of the homey surrounds.

It’s been a year, says the clock on the mantle and on the second floor. Says Milyn, too, when she’s able to stop hugging them long enough to speak.

Nothing much has changed in the Midnight Hotel. There are dishes out of place, objects belonging to either Milyn or Eva in evidence, the diorama exactly where it had been but now brightly-painted thanks to Milyn's boredom. Milyn and Eva took a room each, in the time the Foreigners were sleeping, though neither used them much.

Eva’s upstairs, Milyn will tell anyone who asks. In her room.

Eva hasn't left that room in three days. She hasn't spoken in three days, either, or walked, or moved, or breathed. Her effects are neatly arranged around her bed, and the sheet has been pulled up. There is heavy incense in the room and Milyn has managed to preserve the body enough to remove the risk of too much mess (and other things). In a way, that makes it worse: as though Eva is sleeping. It’s difficult to tell whether Milyn is in denial or whether spending three days with no one to talk to other than sleeping Foreigners and a corpse has had its influence.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Raine waited for Valdis' focus to shift, patient enough, and gave her words due consideration. "But it has happened, so it cannot therefore be impossible," she pointed out. "If souls don't change to that degree, then something else has. Perhaps..."

She trailed off there, blinked, and looked at Valdis with renewed interest. Whatever was doing the suppressing was the obvious answer. Some kind of influence by Malicant, or whatever Eshai had done to their species? The timing suggested the former, but what she knew about the kedan made her suspect the latter. "Can you tell me anything more specific about the difference between their states?"

Valdis considered Raine's observation. It was true that if their souls had changed, then such a thing had to be possible, but she agreed that it had to be due to some outside influence and not the Kedan themselves. She shook her head at Raine's question.

"Unfortunately, I cannot tell you much more without walking into their soul and I'm pretty sure that they would strongly object to such an invasion. But..." she trailed off, uncertain, "During our possession attempt of the turtle I was forced to reap some of the cultists in defense of Wan..."Another pause, "Before they were lost to the Void, I felt anger, hatred...the normal feelings you would get from an enemy trying to kill you. But the souls were weak and the power they gave me was minimal.They didn't feel damaged, just...incomplete."

"Incomplete," Raine echoed. She tapped her fingers against her staff absently, her focus on Valdis. "Interesting that you should say that. Bakura reached a very similar conclusion, independently. That it felt like the kedan had been missing something. I would guess that some kind of dampening external influence has been removed, rather than that they've truly gained something, given the most likely actors."

She would have to study the phenomenon to reach any kind of surety, and there was no real practical way for her to do that; regrettably, it was best left to Valdis, and those others with a grasp of the soul itself.

Valdis frowned at the mention of Bakura. It wasn't as if she wasn't used to having enemies, and it was true that she deserved at least some of the negativity displayed by the man at the time, but it was partly his fault too, for judging too quickly and challenging her.

"It is possible," she replied, her body tensing, "But even if he was still here, he probably wouldn't help me to figure out what exactly has changed." In fact, he'd probably try to kill her if she got too close to him and his ghosts ever again. "Your boyfriend probably wouldn't either, he and I aren't exactly on the best of terms."

She was definitely better at making enemies than friends.

"I'd offer my own assistance, but... there's not much I can offer on this particular topic." No need to ask exactly why the frown, at the mention of Bakura. "However, I do think it's worth looking into, if you find some way to learn more." Raine was more than aware it wasn't a simple proposition, nor was she under any illusions that Valdis would get results in anything like a timely manner, but understanding the changes made in the kedan might prove very useful later.

"Without risking anyone's safety, of course."

Valdis nodded, contemplating trying to take a closer look at the souls as she had with Solomon. But Solomon had had some level of control over his soul and had even been able to pull its essence out into visible form. Perhaps she just needed more practice.

"I will look into it," She replied, "I may need to learn more about the soul and it's parts as well as the spiritual plane."

But of course the only two that could help her with that were either gone or not interested.

"That may help, yes." Raine held off offering any of what she'd learned; most of it she'd picked up from interacting with Bakura, whether explicit explanation or observation. A primary source was better, and there was a chance she'd simply muddle things, especially not precisely knowing the range of Valdis' own perceptions. "You may wish to speak to Solomon in any case. Even if you're not on the best of terms, the matter of learning exactly how and why things have changed may yet be important later."

Valdis crossed her arms and cocked a hip, staring down the mage with a look of pure skepticism. "You know Solomon Wreath better than I, but I think you underestimate the depth of my ability to alienate people."

She was partly kidding, but she knew deep down that it was the truth, even if it wasn't on purpose.

"But if you think he may help," She continued, "then I will ask."

They needed to understand the change that had taken place, that much was certain, but the next question was how they would even begin.

With no knowledge of what might have passed between the two to cause that, Raine could only raise her eyebrows in return, wondering. "Perhaps I do," she said at length. "Though it's equally possible that you overestimate that ability, yourself. How much of an understatement was 'not exactly on the best of terms'?" The phrase Valdis had used earlier had suggested something a bit less serious than utter alienation.

"I can't say for sure," Raine added eventually, "but I believe it's worth asking, yes."

Valdis hesitated, not wanting to give Raine a reason to hate her, but she had been attempting to maintain honesty with the woman.

"He told me that he could bring Malicant back to this world if he wanted to, and I told him that should he try, I would kill him. As you might guess, he did not take kindly to that."

The memory of what had occurred made her quite certain that Solomon Wreath was not an option.

Warned by Valdis' hesitation that she might not be best pleased, Raine bit off her initial response, which would have leaned to the loudly protective, and instead examined Valdis with a cool eye, silent. At length, when that quiet was at risk of becoming uncomfortable and she had full control of her impulses, Raine spoke. "Without knowing exactly what passed between you, I can't offer any explanation. However, based on my observations, I believe that to be one of the last things he would want."

Raine was not going to offer the specifics of those observations, either, not to Valdis. There was a beat, and then she added, "You're a smart woman, Valdis. I trust you won't do anything rash, and that you can accurately predict my reaction if you do."

Valdis could feel the woman's anger and knew instantly that Raine was far more compromised than she had previously believed. Her expression grew to match Raine's and her anger began to simmer at the woman's threat.

"I respect you," Valdis replied, her voice icy, "Your coldness, your logic, your power. When I entrusted you with my weakness, it was so that you could save lives should I turn against life itself, not so that you could threaten me when I speak to you honestly."

Her chin raised, her eyes glittering with anger, "You selfishly threaten my life because you are blinded to the danger he poses. You think your feelings will be enough, but they are not. I have seen his soul, Raine Sage, and it is darkening."

She waited for Valdis to be done, then one beat more, then another. Her heart pounded, the cold thrill that said she needed to be ready to fight echoing down her spine. Valdis was a threat.

Raine remained perfectly still.

"I said," she enunciated, crisp and cold, "anything rash." She lifted her chin then, overriding every fighting instinct she had in favor of cool defiance. "We have misjudged each other, it seems. I assumed your previous erratic behavior was only a result of Malicant's influence; you believe emotional compromise automatically translates to blindness."

She would be the first to admit she was not wholly rational where Solomon was concerned; thus, she had to give all her actions a more critical eye. Raine shook her head, and took a deep, even breath. "Believe me, I am intimately aware of the danger Solomon has the potential to pose." Waking where she had fallen, precious seconds gone with her soul in his grasp. The distant, uncomprehending regard of a man who had forgotten what death meant. "I'm not ignoring that. Nor am I under the illusion that care alone will be enough to sway someone consumed by their own power. However, with Malicant's influence gone, the situation is presently under control."

Raine raised her brows a little with that last, meaningful. Valdis' own words said she could not pretend she did not know what it was to struggle with control, nor that there were not people who would try their best to save her even should the worst appear to happen. "Understand that I would have this same faith in any of my friends," Raine added. "The fact that I am -- courting him -- means only that should worst come to worst, I will be either the first casualty or the one who ends the threat."

Perhaps both, depending. She didn't like to think about the idea; therefore, she had dragged her mind to it at length, determined not to shy away from what might be necessary.

"Therefore," Raine continued, "let me be perfectly clear. I am aware and have acknowledged what might be necessary. What I intend is to be sure no one acts in foolish haste, on the basis of fear alone. Someday, the situation, such as it is, may well require your intervention. But not now, and not while there is any strength left in me to fight. Can you pretend your own friend would not be of much the same opinion, should he know what you'd asked of me?"

"You have made yourself very clear," Valdis replied, her voice frigid, "And yes, you have misjudged me if you think that after what Malicant has done I would stand for anyone threatening to bring him back. You have also misjudged me in that you have suddenly decided that I would kill a man merely because there is a possibility of him going wrong. I may be a hypocrite in many ways, but that is not one of them."

"And, unlike that man, at least I do not have the audacity to implicate someone I care about in planning my own destruction. I would not burden them with such a thing, nor expect them to carry the weight of my death for the entirety of their lives. That is why I chose you, because you are cold-hearted and would not hesitate, nor do I suspect at this point that you would care." A beat, and then another, "To kill a man on a possibility is far different than killing a man who has taken action. You have blown this far out of proportion, further proof that you have been emotionally compromised."

Raine shook her head once more, a diagonal sort of a motion, not outright contradiction but rather frustration. "I never denied that I had been. Yes, I care very much for him. At least I am conscious of it."

She sighed then, and leaned on her staff, giving her weight to it in a conscious gesture to indicate she was by no means preparing for hostility. "As to -- blowing this out of proportion -- perhaps." That was all the concession she would allow aloud. She had reacted more strongly than perhaps objectively merited, even despite her initial tempering. "However, not two minutes ago you were talking as though it was a foregone conclusion. I believe you do not have all the relevant information, and your summary is in near-direct contradiction with my own personal experience." Her tone was still cool, but quieter now, since she'd established they were on more or less the same page, and what remained was a matter of personal conflict.

"And, simply for the sake of clarity: I know something of that weight, and if necessary would rather carry it myself, than pass the burden to another."

Valdis relaxed, completely aware that she had won, and slightly confused as to how such a thing had occurred, but the important thing was that Raine understood. But there was more there, a heavy weight, a thick emotion that Valdis could feel. It was almost sickening, the amount of emotion that was pouring off the woman.

"There is no contradiction," Valdis replied, keying off of the emotions, "I believe that we are seeing the same man, just through different eyes." Her voice was softer now, "But you also have the privilege of seeing the man that Solomon wants to be, and yet..." She paused, and then shook her head. "I cannot think straight, your emotions are too overbearing."

She'd meant the contradiction regarding facts, not individual perceptions, but clarifying that fell by the wayside in favor of Valdis' other words. The privilege of seeing the man Solomon wanted to be, hm? An interesting way to put it, and one that made her wonder, but later. Not with Valdis right there. "My emotions?" Raine said instead, caught by that point of curiosity. "You can feel other peoples' emotions?"

Both concerning and intriguing. Perhaps, too, this explained some of the last few minutes, if Valdis had experienced what Raine was feeling, what she'd been trying not to let show. It also meant that perhaps this wasn't the best moment. Raine straightened, watching Valdis carefully. It might be wiser to simply leave then; she couldn't see the conversation improving much.

Valdis sighed. Even though they weren't hers, she hated that these emotions were so foreign when she felt that they shouldn't be. It was incredibly frustrating to feel something and not understand it.

"If the emotion is strong enough," She answered, "Then yes, I can feel it." She paused, trying to think of a way to describe it, "I suppose that you could describe it as empathy. Yet the flaw in this...ability, is that the emotions you feel are foreign to me. Anger, hatred, sorrow, all the negative emotions come naturally, the positive ones are harder to grasp."

Raine's eyes were narrow again, but this time in speculative curiosity, rather than the previous anger. "Fascinating," she said, and genuinely meant it. "And you're forced to experience the emotion, not solely perceive it? Thus how I was able to affect your ability to think clearly. What was it, may I ask, that you received from me? The last few minutes have had both strongly negative and positive emotions." Even as she spoke she was dissecting the way she'd been feeling, how it might affect someone else with no concrete cause to feel such things, and the new and intriguing mental exercise had drawn her attention far away from the emotions that had caused Valdis such trouble.

Valdis was unsurprised at Raine's curiosity, but she disliked having to explain such a thing, especially after her fight with the woman.

"Hunters must be in tune their their prey," She replied, "But you must remember that my kind are not supposed to possess their own souls. My soul seems to mess with my natural senses."

She took a deep breath, trying to decipher the fading emotions.

"Anger," She replied, "The brief flash of hatred, a moment of fear, an extreme sense of protectiveness..."

Taking apart the feelings and putting names to them seemed to help some.

Also fascinating that Valdis kept explaining, putting up with her questions, despite where they'd been scant minutes ago. Raine studied the other woman openly, just watching, trying to discern a why without actually asking.

Any longer and she was going to be forced to acknowledge that she had been the less rational one in this conversation. "As you said. I see." Raine folded her free arm across her chest, unconsciously closing herself off. Valdis had missed one, by her calculations, but Raine was by no means going to point it out. Protective was close enough, and already told Valdis all she needed to know.

She weighed sating her curiosity against continued interaction with Valdis, and decided against the first. One more thing, to perhaps guard against complete alienation, and then she needed to find time to sort through her emotions herself. "In answer to your earlier point: I wouldn't hesitate, you're correct. But I would regret it." Raine inclined her head, slowly, the most Valdis was getting from her at the moment. "Good day, Valdis." And, should the woman not stop her, Raine very deliberately turned her back -- despite instincts that still told her not to -- and made to leave.

Valdis saw the hesitation and uncertainty in Raine's demeanor, felt the woman's emotions come back under control and released the tension she had been holding as her own feelings balanced out. She didn't try to stop Raine when she turned away, did not react to her words. The most foreign emotion, the one she couldn't put a name to, still lingered. She knew it was the strongest one that the woman had felt, but it had to remain nameless for now.

"Goodbye, Raine," Valdis replied quietly, relieved when the last emotion finally faded.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[EVENT] A NEW WORLD ORDER

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject