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.

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[It must have been one hell of a hangover, Arno finds himself deciding, groaning a little as he rolls to a sitting position, finding himself stuck in a, rather disgusting stable of sorts, though somehow, it doesn't smell like horse.]

Ugh...

[The moan goes unnoticed by whatever it is nosing his hair and breathing on him, and slowly, the last several hours find themselves rushing over Arno and he groans, raising a hand to slap it away when a heavy weight settled on his ring finger takes him a little by surprise.]

Thought they took everything.

[That's muttered, at best, until he opens his eyes, glancing at his hand, which bears, not the ring of his order after all, but an unfamiliar ring, its blood-red stone darker than anything he's seen before. Garnet, maybe? But no, not an exact match for anything.]

I hate to ask it, [He's muttering to the possibly very smelly horse beside him] seeing as you aren't my type, but what is it we did last...

[The words cut off as Arno gets a good look at the animal in question, rather strange, and certainly no animal that comes from Earth. And that's when he is trying to stand, rather abruptly, managing to back his way out of the stall, no matter how bad the hangover is. At least, thankfully, enough, he's making his way out into what seems to be a city, with a lot of scowling people that he's also never seen.

Clearly it's time to find some higher ground, and, as odd as he feels, as much as the ground's shifting under him, he does get a foothold on an abandoned window, pulling himself up using that and a few others, and then makes his way across, hood falling over his head as he moves through what looks to be a town, stopping when he sees what seem to be a few more humans walking around, and then, when he's sure that it will be safe, he's taking a quick leap off of the roof, quite confident in his ability to tuck, and roll and not get hurt.

Fortunately, he's managing fairly well, although he'd not anticipated sprawling at the feet of someone passing by. Straightening, or trying to and smiling, he staggers to his feet, the hangover taking control at first, when he finds he can't make it on his own. Well, time to turn on the charm there, right?]

Bonjour, [ he greets, hand flailing a bit pathetically.]

Can someone tell me what the hell is going on?

Edited 2014-12-28 08:02 (UTC)

[Okay, they beat Malicant, so why the hell are people still showing up? New foreigners are literally falling from the sky now.

Tony stops mid-stride to stare at the drunk guy staggering around in front of him. Totally deadpan, he replies:] Well, it looks to me like it's raining men. Hallelujah.

Edited 2014-12-28 08:26 (UTC)

I wouldn't wonder if it were.

[Arno quips back, even while he's struggling to keep his balance. His tone matches Tony's somewhat, even though the reference, of course, passes him by completely.]

Can I ask where it is I've managed to rain into, then? I did see demons [That must be what the other beings are. And he knows enough to know that is not a good sign.] but I'd have bet on good old fashioned fire and brimstone if we were in Hell. I am a traditionalist at heart that way.

Budget cuts. [Tony's poker face would impress even Gene.] Gas prices are up and the Fires of Hell just weren't cost-effective anymore. You still get a complimentary sulfur-scented candle, though.

[Yeah, he knows the guy is new. He'll take pity and give him the real rundown in a second. When this stops being funny.]

Ahh, that would explain it.

[Arno could match Tony by way of expression and tone. This is one of those moments where it's better to rely on hiding in the vaguely funny moments because he's got the feeling the actual truth is going to be both complicated and incredibly screwed up. He'll take refuge where he can get it.]

And that is very nice of whoever's in charge. I'd assume that Satan delegates.

No, actually, he's an awful micromanager. Always poking his horns into everyone's projects and interfering with the chain of command. The bureaucracy down here is a mess.

[But on a more serious note:] I don't usually do the orientation course, honestly. How about I take you to the Hotel? People there can give you the full run-down and get you settled in. [He eyes the new arrival, considering his obviously inebriated and/or hungover state.] And maybe get you some coffee, if you want.

[There's a moment where Arno just clicks his tongue rather reproachfully at that.]

Oh that sounds inconvenient. How can anyone steal the throne?

[Yeah, it probably did have to get there eventually, didn't it? Much as Arno likes this pretending everything is fine, it probably isn't the best idea, long term. And he's heard 'coffee' pretty clearly.]

Considering that I woke up here with a...whatever that was nosing my face, I have to say I'm sold on something better.

Arno Dorian. [He adds this, extending a hand.] And thank you. I could use it.

[Tony chuckles.] "Whatever it was" sounds about right. The wildlife around here is... probably not what you're used to. It's mostly harmless, though. It's the people you have to watch out for.

[He shakes Arno's hand.] Tony Stark. Nice to meet you, Arno. Come on, I'll show you the Hotel.

[He starts walking, making conversation as they go.] So, where are you from?

Ah, the people. This is just like home! I'll be wary.

[It's a bright note to cover up everything else, smacking only the smallest bit of desperation.]

Strange animals falling in love with me is brand new territory, mind you, not everything in France is out for chasing lovers every chance they get.

Tony, then. I wish that we were meeting under other circumstances, but we take what we can get, no?

[He's following along, squinting blearily from time to time as he attempts to mark the way, a little tempted to launch into using his enhanced vision to remember things and people for later.]

Lately, I've been in Paris, though I grew up in Versailles.

If you're polite, they'll usually leave you alone, they just give you dirty looks and overcharge you for everything.

[Tony watches Arno out of the corner of his eye, making sure he doesn't drunkenly stumble and faceplant into the gutter or something. Raine will give him a Look if he brings a new arrival back to the hotel with a concussion.]

So, France, huh? What year? We've got another French guy here, Enj, he's from the eighteen... thirties, I think. I'm from New York, Earth, early twenty-first century.

Ah, well, that's quite the courtesy they do us here.

[Arno is taking a moment to be really pleased that he's so good with his hands, and making stealthy exists and entrances, along with the showier sort.]

Sounds a bit like my old Pharoh partners, there, although Victor and Hugo are so slow it usually doesn't matter very much if they can't manage to catch up to me. How are these ...kedan? when it comes to running?

[Arno certainly appreciates that help, and finds himself swaying a little while he tries to sidestep around a puddle that he's very narrowly avoided.]

Eurgh. Remind me not to drown my sorrows when even the universe decides it's time to let me go.

[At the mentions of the dates, he's raising an eyebrow. Oh, certainly, Arno might have lived to the date mentioned there, but Tony's own time period is almost shocking. Granted, Arno's trying to play that off a little as something else entirely.]

The twenty first century? Then you can tell me something else. What comes of the Great French Republic and our Revolution? 1793 has put me rather in the midst of that, and it might be nice to know whether or not we've won.

Well... They're shapeshifters. You probably don't want to get into a sprinting race with somebody who can suddenly make their legs twice as long. [So play nice, Arno. If Tony can manage it, I'm sure you can.

Tony snickers quietly at Arno's distress.] Noted. I guess I won't introduce you to the Waterbender, then. [Thanks to Extremis, Tony could drink Arno under the table and the guy would never know what hit him. But that would be mean. Funny, yes, but mean.]

If you want details on French history, you should talk to Enj. He's big on all that revolution stuff. But France is a democracy in my time, if that's all you want to know. So is a lot of the rest of the world. Except China. And Latveria. [Actually he doesn't know what Latveria is, now that Doom is gone.]

Well, damn, there goes my chance at picking pockets, I expect.

[That said, he's rather more fascinated than not.]

Shape shifters. But that seems to be a thing of... [Obscure rituals, perhaps, but even before that, a few ideas come to mind.] Of stories of the fantastic, not reality.

[Well, it would depend on the circumstances. There are times, Arno will admit, when all he wants is someone who can carry him home after too much drinking, but in terms of things like contests, no, not a good idea.]

Water...Bender? [He's raising an eyebrow here, but then forgetting that in the wake of the other information.]

That bears looking into, then, yes. Democracies...Republics. Then France, by some miracle, managed to get through. And so many more. I don't know what I was expecting but. There's a relief. Perhaps the temp...Perhaps those who would oppose free thought and will have mostly been laid to rest.

I don't know. The twenty first century isn't exactly perfect. People just found new things to fight about. [Tony shrugs. Not to rain on your parade, Arno, but a little bit more democracy didn't quite turn the world into a free thought utopia.]

And, uh, I should warn you: those shapeshifters? There's a lot of stuff like that in this place. The shapeshifters are the locals, but there's a people like us, too - they call us foreigners. We're... Some of us are from Earth, just from different time periods, like you and me and Enj. And some foreigners are from Earth, but alternate versions, basically. Usually it's different because there's some kind of magic. And then there's foreigners who are from completely different planets or universes. All of us got pulled here, to this universe, to help the kedan fight a war.

Long story short? Don't take anything for granted, and don't assume anything's impossible. You spend your first couple weeks here thinking there's no way you could be surprised by anything else, and then finding something new to be surprised by.

Well, perfection would get boring, wouldn't it? And we are only humans. [So long as the templars haven't won, or haven't won for good, he can handle that sort of disappointment.] What WOULD we do if we weren't fighting?

[That's getting a long start and blink as far as explanations go. And then Tony mentions something else and he is pausing.]

Magic...could you give me a moment to check something?

[It's not magic that Arno does, exactly, but he does want to make sure of something, and turns for a moment, focusing on a kedan across the street while he makes use of his abilities here. His expression becomes more intent and serious as he stares across the street, a moment, watching said kedan carefully. When the world around him becomes grey in his mind's eye, Arno gets a better look at the kedan's yellow aura.]

Good. Not a problem yet. [He's muttering to himself before turning back to Tony.]

Well, that must have looked odd. It's not exactly magic but I can see things if I concentrate. I'd hoped it stuck around after all this. So, many universes, and this place does strange things, that's the gist of it?

[Tony doesn't even blink. Whatever Arno just did ranks so low on his Weird-O-Meter that it barely registers.]

Whatever magic you had back home sticks around, usually. What does that let you see? [Do you see dead people, Arno?] But yeah, that's the gist of it. Multiverse, weird people, weird magic, weird tech that looks like magic, aliens, a talking skeleton, humanoid turtles... You learn to just roll with it.

[Honestly, Arno's mostly concerned he looks...well, insane when he tunes into it. As long as it passes, though.]

Well it is not EXACTLY magic. It...well is complicated, I suppose. But it allows me to see if anyone is coming around a corner or through a building, perhaps. AND I can usually tell if someone is going to create a problem later.

Skeletons and humaniod turtles. [He repeats that one, starring a little.]

ON a turtle. Oh this is going to get interesting.

[Tony shrugs.] Okay. Whatever you want to call it. [That definitely sounds like it would fall under Tony's definition of magic, but he's not too fussed anymore about what people call all their weird powers.] Sounds pretty cool, anyway.

[He looks thoughtful for a moment as he considers the implications of Arno's magic trick.] So, when you say people who are going to "create a problem" - does it show you the future, or... people's intent, I guess? Can you tell when somebody has it out for you?

Or, there's the chance it feels too ordinary to me to be called that. But no one's exactly running around shooting fire out of their hands or anything at home either.

[Arno returns the shrug, then blinks.]

Cool? I take it in something other than temperature?

[Sorry, Tony. You kind of brought that question on yourself.]

Intent, and in relation to me and my own safety. I couldn't tell you if anyone was looking to attack...say anyone over there.

[Arno jerks his head toward a group of a few kedan up ahead.]

But yes, if any of them were particularly hostile towards me personally...I could definitely tell.

[Oh, whoops. Modern slang, right.] Uh, yeah, it means... something's really great, or interesting. That power? That's definitely cool. And I hate to say it, but it might come in handy a lot around here.

Did you learn it, or were you born with it?

[If it can be learned, it would be a good thing for more of the foreigners to pick up. Tony knows that there are some cases where people can pick up magic that's not from their world (like how anybody can use Anton's sigils), and it would be a big asset if Murder-O-Vision was one of those cases.]

Are there a lot of cool things here then?

[Arno tries out the word, not giving it any particular new inflection, just adding it to his vocabulary. As for the question...]

That gets a little complicated, but the short answer is both. I had the ability, but I didn't know I did, or how to use it. Eagle Vision is a gift. But, and this is one of those really BIG buts, there are other ways to see what might be going on in someone's head. Those are things anyone can train in, but it takes a lot of skill to make that work. Still, it can be useful.

There are, [Tony says with a smile.] It's not all bad. There's enough to make the stay worthwhile. [It's not home, but Tony isn't eager to ditch Keeliai the first chance he gets, anymore. There's a lot that he'll hate to leave behind - and a lot of people he'll really miss.]

How do you know if you have it? And there are other ways to do it? [Well, heck, if anybody can be a mind-reader, why isn't everyone? ...Actually that sounds kind of horrifying, now that he's thinking about it.]

Good enough. I shouldn't be away from Paris right now, But I wasn't exactly spending much time there as it was... I could use a break, selfish as that is. It seems like a nice enough place to get my head on straight.

[He's maudlin and hungover. Arno's allowed to admit to wanting that much, he should think. And then he's turning back to the question instead. It's easier than thinking about leaving Elise at the height of insanity and a LOT easier than thinking about any possibile redemption he could maybe even HOPE to find in Paris. Maudlin makes him think about Bellec, and he snorts, considering, in a way, that the other assassin did contribute to Arno's understanding of his gifts a little.]

I never knew it wasn't something normal." Arno admits, "Honestly, it all felt pretty natural up until I ended up in the Bastille with the first assassin that I actually knew. Turns out, Bellec had tried to get arrested, often, so he could make sense of some hidden marks other assassins put there. I could see them pretty easily, didn't know they weren't something that others saw...

It got a little interesting, there. I'd GUESS to know, you'd need the potential, if I knew how anybody tried to work that out.

I don't know about that... ["Nice enough place to get your head on straight" would not have been Tony's first choice for Keeliai's tourism tagline, since its niceness is frequently questionable and it's full of enough surprises to send anyone's head spinning.] But if you're worried about what you're supposed to be doing back home, this is the place to be. Time stops in your universe when you get pulled here. When you go back, you go back to the same instant that you left.

[Then Tony chuckles, and says,] Okay, wait, how many assassins do you know? Is there a big French assassins club or something?

[Oh, Tony. You have no idea.]

[To be fair, Arno's just watched the execution of the king, had to kill a lot of people, and been betrayed a few times. Keeliai's...well, comparatively speaking, a better alternative to somewhere you can at least try to deal with your myriad issues. That said he also hasn't been here long enough to have many surprises to roll with, so there's that, too.]

Time stops entirely? [That actually has Arno sighing with...well he's not sure yet.]

I DID leave a lot of shit behind me. [Which is followed by a snort at Tony's question.]

Chief among those, the Paris branch of our big assassin's... Well, we're more like a cult with world wide influence than a club by NOW.

[EVENT] A NEW WORLD ORDER

Arrival: OPEN

it's 3:30 am and I'm not sure if this is a gag tag or not

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take my keyboard away from me

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going for the gold in Denial and Rationalization

Re: going for the gold in Denial and Rationalization

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