|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2025 8:54 pm
Quote: In Tribute (12) : In the days leading up to the Star Festival, small stone shrines began to appear randomly throughout Destiny City–on rooftops, in alleyways, hidden down long forest paths. They’re small, altar-like platforms with a little bowl in the center and a single glowing stone inside. There’s something peaceful, refreshing, about the shrine, even if no one seems to know who is setting them. However, if the stone is removed, the glow vanishes–along with your sense of peace. This was not your offering to take. Immediately, you feel something breathing on the back of your neck but there’s nothing to be seen. Returning the stone returns the area to an uneasy stillness, but if you attempt to leave without returning the stone, a mounting pressure and anxiety will grow within you. You never make it far from the shrine before some unseen force overtakes you. It feels like a great force collides into your back, and unconsciousness is quick to follow. When you awaken, the shrine is gone. All that remains is pain and fear. If you are tempted to leave an offering of your own, however small, you will find yourself feeling as though you have received the protection of something greater than you can understand. This strange blanket of security will last for the remainder of the day. A shrine never stays in the same place for long but no one ever sees who is setting them up or taking them down.
Well, to be honest, she didn’t get a very good look for something felt…off from the moment she did it, and she put the thing back where it came from without much delay…but. The small charm that was on the ground next to the stone was also picked up, and it was a lovely dark blue color. Nothing made her feel wrong when she did so, and it disappeared into subspace.
She hadn’t left the area after that, walking slowly around the pile? It was a strange little thing. But.
The feeling of another presence made her lift her head, the wings on it fluttering softly as she looked around. “Good evening.” She said into the darkness, pleased that this wasn’t a Chaos aura, and hopeful that whoever it was was willing to talk…and…maybe they would even know what this was.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 13, 2025 9:14 pm
Karakorum hadn't exactly spent a ton of time poking at the weird shrines around Destiny City. Disturbing what felt like grave goods felt..wrong, and she didn't want to mess them up and didn't have anything to offer, so even though she'd paused once or twice to bask in the peaceful feeling, she didn't ever really stay long. Generally, she wasn't superstitious, but becoming Literally Magic had changed that to some degree, so....here they were.
Was it really superstition if you were well aware magic was real? Karakorum thought not. It was just being super practical and not ******** with things you couldn't be sure about. Wise ways to behave.
Still, this time there was a person near the glowing shrine--a pretty girl, goddammit why were all the alien sever stupid hot and why did this keep happening to her when she maybe kinda had a boyfriend sort of it was complicated but mostly because they had not Defined Terms of the Relationship Or Whatever--and so she stepped forward, smiling and maybe fluffing her hair just a little. You know, for reasons.
"Good evening," she said, trying to sound formal and fancy, not that she could maintain it for long. "Find anything neat? Those little shrines seem to be all over the place this summer. A little early for the Ghost Festival, but I guess respect for the dead is never super amiss?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 6:20 pm
“Ah…one of the star charms that seem to be everywhere during this time…and this strange…”
Kemi gestured to the rock and shrugged. “I…It’s glowing.” The words were said as an excuse. A plea. A reason. “I picked it up and it…I felt horrid. I don’t…reccommend picking the rocks up. No matter how soft the glow is…”
She held a hand out, pleased that she was so good with Earth customs now. She’d been here long enough to be proficient. “I am Kemi, Senshi of Deception, and it’s lovely to meet you. Have you found anything neat tonight?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 6:34 pm
Well, at least this alien was friendly, too.
"Yeah, I can understand wanting to touch it, it's definitely eye-catching," she said, and she took the offered hand, giving a brief shake. "Karakorum of Cybele. Pleasure to meet you, Miss Kemi," she said, politely.
She glanced over at the shrine, and then moved closer, kneeling down to look at it from nearer in. No, she certainly couldn't hold it against Miss Kemi that she picked it up; the glowing rock was alluring and attention grabbing.
"Are you okay?" She asked. "There's lots of stories on Earth about bad things happening because someone disturbed something like this. I don't know if they're all true, and you'll probably be okay since you put it back, but...no lingering bad feelings?"
Not that she could do anything about a haunting, but ti seemed prudent to at least ask.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 6:51 pm
Kemi blinked. “Wait. Really? This is something common on this planet? It’s not just a strange…um. Choice...that this city makes? For, Karakorum, this city makes strange choices, I’ve been here long enough to know that…”
Choice may not be the correct word, but she hoped that it got her point across. It seemed as though it did, it sounded right to her own ears at least. “I think I’m all right. The feeling ebbed after I put the stone back…but it felt as though someone was watching me, I wasn’t a fan of it, at the very least there were no bad auras around. And then you showed up, so that helped a lot.”
Kemi gave a smile, feeling better about this whole interaction. There had been no negative reaction when she gave her sphere, and that…
Well. That was just lovely. “Tell me about yourself? Have you been a Knight long?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 7:06 pm
"What, shrines for the departed? With memorial items? Yeah, that's pretty common," Karakorum said. "These are a little weird since they're so basic and anonymous, but we do things like that all over." She laughed, a little. "Can't deny that this city is weird, though. Usually the grave goods aren't glowy stones that make you feel weird and bad when you pick them up. That's more of a, like, moral thing."
She stood back up and dusted off her skirt, smiling broadly. "Well, I'll be sure to protect you from anything that might be cranky about you disturbing that shrine," she said. "It was an honest mistake, after all."
A brief shrug. "I've been doing this for about...seven or eight months? December last year, I got attacked by this weird snake monster and got magical powers out of it. What about you? I know you're one of our new neighbors from off world; I've met a few other Senshi like you. My brother's dating one, I'm sort of in a thing with another...good times. Anyway, other than the weird stuff, are you mostly liking Earth so far?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 7:14 pm
“Interesting…” Maybe that would be something to do some research on, and maybe she could figure out why there were so many around right now but.
“Oh, I’ve…been here…it will be two years this holiday season? I came to the planet when it was cold and the festive lights were up…but. It’s. Lovely. I enjoy it here…your brother is dating a Senshi? And you are too? I…hm.”
She understood dating, but thus far…it hadn’t really appealed to her, not much. She could appreciate that people were attractive but.
“I don’t have anyone that I wish to form that type of a bond with at the moment, but I know this world is…very big on it. I’ve learned that quite…” Her cheeks flushed slightly. “...Well. The people of Earth are not subtle about it. Humans are...truly pushed to breed.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 7:43 pm
"Two years, wow," Karakorum said. "At least you got here when it was so pretty. I love the holiday lights," she said. Her family had never really celebrated, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy how pretty the decorations were.
"Anyway, uh, yeah," she said, even if "dating" felt like a very minimizing word to describe whatever the hell Belial and Shuangxu had going on. Oh well. Poor Kemi sure as hell hadn't asked for the tea.
And the comment made her cheeks flush, and she scuffed her foot against the ground, embarrassed.
"I mean, I'm not planning to...uh, breed, any time soon," she said. "I just...like spending time with this guy, and. Anyway," she waved a hand, "if it's not for you it's not for you!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 7:55 pm
“I’m simply not sure if it’s for me…I don’t know though. I’ve never…really thought about it. It’s…my time here has been mostly for making new allies and friends…and it’s been going well, but. If and when you decide to breed,” Kemi gave a grin, hoping to convey that now she was teasing. Just a bit.
“I hope that it’s painless and you make lovely offspring.”
She laughed and then gave a slight grimace. “They kept trying to get me to find a partner. I had forgotten that. I never. Enjoyed those meetings. My little sister though…she always wanted romance. She was…much more…adept than I was.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 14, 2025 8:23 pm
Karakorum nodded. "I've always been...kinda casual about that sort of thing, I guess," she said. "I mean, I'm really young still, I don't see why I need to take it super seriously."
Even if things with Achird felt...very..serious. No matter how little she wanted them to.
"But, uh, thanks." Even if it was a joke, one didn't scoff on a blessing.
"What was your sister like? Besides really wanting romance, I mean." She paused, briefly. "Um, if you want to talk about it, obviously." Belle had lost everyone. Had Kemi, too?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2025 4:28 pm
“Lylian was so much better than I ever was or could ever be. If she had been the senshi. If she. None of this would have happened. She was so good with people. Good at making friendships. Good at keeping them. I let my sphere take over my life. I always have and…thought I always would assume the fact that what I am meant that I wasn’t to be trusted. It was what I was used to. What made sense...but she.”
Kemi sighed, giving a small smile. “She was just so good. It sounds so stupid. But. I miss her more than anything or anyone else. I know if the Wellspring would have been…if she would have…well. She would have found the right people to help. I’m trying to do that now, but. I’m still. Stuck on the idea that I’m…untrustworthy. It’s. Wow, this all sounds so stupid. I apologize for droning on.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2025 5:42 pm
Oh. Oh, no. This poor Senshi.
"Is that really how it used to be? People thought that your sphere determined woh you were?" She asked, and she stepped over, extending a hand to gently rest on Kemi's shoulder. "Because I think that sounds pretty crazy. And if that's what people used to expect of you...maybe now's the time to change things. You're in a new place, right? And it's been a thousand years, so..."
She shrugged, a little self-deprecatingly. "I don't know much, myself. But I think maybe if you lived how you wanted to, you might make your sister proud. And make a better life for yourself, too."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2025 5:48 pm
“To be fair. I. Didn’t do much to assist my reputation, but. You’re right. I have been trying to change things. I’ve been making allies. Making friends and I…I’ve been enjoying myself.” To a point. She had been enjoying herself, and maybe she had to start…doing more than that but.
“I hope that…I can count you as one of my allies…or possibly a friend? If you would be interested. No pressure if you don’t want to, I would understand if you don’t want to but. I would like that. Maybe. You can show me things that you enjoy about the Earth. Teach me some new things?”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2025 5:54 pm
"That's good," Karakroum said. Everyone deserved a new start. A new chance. She was beginning to get the impression that, in a lot of places, things had been pretty ******** shitty a thousand years ago--but now wasn't then.
"I'd be glad to call you a friend," she said. "And also glad to show you some of the fun stuff about Earth. Our planet's pretty great," she said. "Maybe we can find each other again?"
It was a fun time of year to find things to do, anyway.
"Maybe we can check out the lantern festival," she suggested. "It's really pretty, and I'd enjoy showing you around."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 15, 2025 6:01 pm
Kemi nodded. “Yes please! Tell me when and I can meet you there, either as Kemi or…if you wanted me to blend in, I can.” She took a moment, powering down and allowing her glamour to pull over her, the tail and the head wings vanishing. “See, I can be a normal human, my name is Sylvie, and I have a phone. I’m pretty good with all of this, and the more I learn…”
Withdrawing her phone, Sylvie opened up the contacts list and held it out in case Karakorum wished to put her information in.
“The lantern festival sounds amazing.”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
