Where We Are: Vaiport, the Defender’s Town (Initiating Time Skip)
Weather: The storm that ravaged through our seaside town has, at long last, begun to fade, reduced to little more than a heavy rain and the occasional upraise in wind. Thunder still rumbles faintly in the distance, lightning flashing in the clouds at the horizon, but it is still moving away from the city, and now virtually harmless to Vaiport. The damage the storm has wreaked is large, especially after it reached its peak: power lines have been knocked out, sending much of the city into darkness; many streets close to the waterline have either been completely flooded, or suffered no small amount of water damage; trees blown over by wind block roadways; and many buildings have lost their fair share of roofing materials. With the cleanup only beginning to be initialized, emergency vehicles are still hindered in many parts of the town, so, as most of the inhabitants know and as it was broadcasted to those still with power, if anyone were to have an emergency, they are to call the town’s alternate emergency services (119), but only in the event of a true, dire emergency.
Time: 12:42 in the morning.
Day of the Week: Wednesday.
If anyone has any questions, comments, or concerns regarding this time skip, PM me and we’ll work it out. Thanks!
Karinda laid on the mattress of the room the Clarions had graciously granted her. Saiirin slept beside her, curled in a ball like a silvery cat. The glow caused by the mushroom the dragon had eaten had all but faded, making her look like a ghostly specter in the darkness, her warm scales touching Karinda’s side.
Karinda had long since excused herself from the others, claiming to be tired from the long day, and hoping to get a short bit of sleep in before the storm passed. Instead, she laid there in the dark, listening. Thinking. It was always easier, with the din of others and the excitement of new things, to not think on the bad of the day. But once the night falls, and only the noise of the mind remains, it is neigh impossible to escape it.
Here, in a century she knew nothing about, where nearly everyone she had ever known was long since dead, and any familiar cities and towns torn down to make way for the new, nothing felt quite right. She had made a few friends, even found a mission to keep her preoccupied, yet, staring at the ceiling above her, she felt alone. Only the sounds of a storm were as she remembered them, but even the angry thunder and furious wind did not grant her any comfort in their familiarity.
When, at long last, the sounds of the storm receded into the distance, and the wind no longer battered the library like a rampaging beast, Karinda inhaled slowly.
It was time.
Trying to not disturb her sleeping companion, Karinda stood and went to a vanity where she had unpacked and placed her few possessions. She took her hoodie from the chair placed in front of vanity, but paused. Her mouth and nose twisted in anger as she caught her reflection in the mirror, her face just visible in Saiirin’s glow. The black rose vines stared back at her mockingly, entwining with the silvery swirls already adorning her face. Slowly, she pulled up the black sleeve of her shirt to see how much further it had gone. In the couple hours since she last looked, it had creeped ever closer to her wrist. She needed to find out what, exactly, the marks meant.
With a snort, she tore her fiercely blue gaze from the mirror, and slipped on the black and red hoodie, fumbling for a moment with the zipper. She scowled at the foreign closure, but managed to zip it up. Strapping her belt on over it and making sure both her sword and chain whip were well secured to it, she turned back toward the bed.
Saiirin’s golden gaze met Karinda’s. Though the dragon was still partially curled on the mattress, she had her head raised, watching Karinda’s every move.
You’re going, then? The dragon’s disapproving tone echoed in Karinda’s mind.
Karinda nodded. Aye. She pulled the hood of her garment over her head, and grabbed the slip of paper Willow had left her from the desk.
Though the address meant little to her, she had made a point to ask Rodger about it and its location before retiring to her room. It had, regrettably, taken more effort than she would have liked to convince him she was merely curious, and had no intention of actually going there, especially alone.
Saiirin yawned, and stood, stretching her wings. Then what are we waiting for?
Karinda crossed her arms and stared down at the dragon. I want you to stay here. It’s safer for you.
The dragon snorted, sending a small plume of gray smoke billowing from her nostrils. You’re a fool to believe I’d obey that. I’m accompanying you. As I always do, and always will.
Karinda gave a sigh of defeat as, with a flurry of leathery wings, Saiirin flew to her shoulders. The dragon peered out from one side of Karinda’s neck, and wrapped her tail around the other, its tip curling slightly just below the girl’s chin.
Prepare to get wet, Karinda strode to the only window in the room. And hold tight. ‘Tis impossible to know how much the wind has died down.
Saiirin nodded with another snort. Her wings tucked tightly into her body as Karinda opened the window, and carefully removed its screen. The dragon gripped the fabric of Karinda’s jacket as firmly as she could without her claws fully piercing through it and into Karinda’s skin.
Karinda easily slipped out the window, feet first. She let herself fall a couple feet down from the fifth-floor apartment before she commanded the air to condense enough to suspend her weight.
Though it had died down significantly, the natural wind battered against her, blowing her further down the street. She quickly commanded the air to bring her to a rooftop missing patches of shingles, then ran along it as quietly as she could, setting off in the direction she was sure would lead to the address.
It took Karinda a bit longer than she had expected to reach her destination. People had begun work on restoring damages, from severed power lines to fallen trees, each resident using any of his or her more supernatural powers. Alas, that meant more people than Karinda would have liked to have to be careful to avoid. But, on the bright side, with most of the electric lights out, she swooped from one rooftop to the next unnoticed.
As she neared the edge of the city, the buildings grew into larger warehouses and factories with tall chimneys along streets left to rot. Debris from the storm joined in the litter already strewn through the cracked roads below Karina and Saiirin, and each of her steps became slower, more cautious for fear of the rooftops caving in beneath her weight.
As she passed, she searched for the numbers on each building until she came to a large factory with a rusted, “36” hanging over a large, decrepit door. Like all the others around it, its windows had all been boarded up, and graffiti colored the deteriorating walls.
Karinda knelt down on the nearest rooftop, her form hidden in shadows. Drenched from the rain, her brown hair clung to her face, water dripping from the strands into the already wet fabric of her hoodie.
This is where she wants you to go? Saiirin’s eyes narrowed in suspicion at the building. Droplets dripped down her scales, glistening in her barely noticeable glow as they rolled off and onto her perch. No one who means well would live in a place like this. Do you know what you are supposed to do if we find this, ‘Alexander?’
If I did, you would know as well, Saiirin
Saiirin growled in her ear, the sound nearly drowned out by the patter of the rain splashing on the rooftop around them. I am making a point! You know naught about him, nor what he may be! He could well be expecting you.
Karinda scowled. If you don’t want to go, then wait outside. Whatever this may be, whoever Alexander Green is, this at least may bring some answers. She fingered the marked side of her face.
With that, she stood and went to the side of the building, stepping around many holes that had worn their way through the rooftop. Without a second thought, she jumped from the tall building to the alleyway, the air thickening around her and slowing her descent.
She landed silently on the broken concrete below, shattered bottles and various other garbage cluttering the alleyway. Picking her way around the trash and thankful for the momentary reprieve from the sporadic bursts of wind, she went to the end of the alley and peered cautiously around the corner.
Despite the darkness of the night, and the lack of working streetlights, her enhanced sight made out the ominous form of the factory looming ahead of her. Doing her best to listen for any signs of anything living lurking about among the ardent whispers of the rain, she drew her sword from its sheath. Keeping to the deepest shadows, she crept toward the building, Saiirin on as diligent of a watch for danger as the girl.
Rikku Wood
BlissfulCalamity
Siaya Dragalorn
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BlissfulCalamity
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Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 9:46 pm
Loki did not take the news as well as she would have wished to. She was frightened. She was suddenly reminded of all the awful things that had already happened and that could happen in the world, even during her short life so far. Possibilities that perhaps were far worse than any in the human world she had immersed herself and her son in these past few years.
Loki remained quiet for most of the talk. She wanted to speak, to ask questions, but felt herself getting so emotional that she thought it best to focus on maintaining her composure as best she could and wait. Loki waited until the end of the talk and expressed that she would have to think about Chaim’s request.
She managed to hold on until they went to their room. She managed to hold on until Jarod was asleep, and then… she cried. She cried in silence because she did not know what to do, but she did know that she did not want to her son to be frightened or hurt. It was too soon for him to see things so scary as those that probably waited for them if they went. It was too soon for him to see things so scary as those that Agrona likely would bring to the world. Loki cried because she felt trapped in a way she had not felt in a long time.
Jarod was confused. He didn’t know how to feel. He was happy, because Chaim asked him and his mom to help keep humans safe! It was like someone heard his wishes and was making things he had hoped for come true. He was so excited and so beyond happy. However, he made sure to stay quiet during the talk with Chaim, because he had promised to be good. His mother hadn't spoken much afterward.
Jarod was also kind of… scared? His mom was scared. It’s okay for people to be scared. Everyone got scared sometimes, even his mom. Even Chaim looked like he could be scared, when he was telling them about all the stuff he and his friends found. But this was different. Jarod couldn’t remember his mom being scared like this before. It made him feel spooky, like… like when you’re alone in the dark and you hear a noise, and it doesn’t sound like anything you’ve heard before, and you can’t see anything, and you don’t know what to do.
Jarod couldn’t sleep. After waking up for the third time, he decided to go to the bathroom. He turned to his mother, who was asleep. The sheets felt damp beside her head, he realized. He was too groggy to bother to check her face through the dark, but he was sure she must have been crying. Mom did that sometimes. It was kind of okay, because good feelings made her cry too, not just bad ones, and she always felt better after. Crying always made her tired, though. Jarod climbed out of the bed as carefully as he could in his weary state, then quietly made his way to the bathroom.
Once he entered, turned on the light and quietly shut the door behind him, Jarod began to think about the talk with Chaim. He had said to talk to Rodger. Maybe Rodger could help him. With a yawn, Jarod tried to remember the last place he had seen Rodger before his mother had decided they should retire to their room for the night. What if he was downstairs? It was still dark… maybe he was already in bed. Where was the nearest clock?
Siaya Dragalorn
Rikku Wood
Posted: Mon May 15, 2017 7:02 pm
•Plushy&Oberon•
Plushy went to the school fire class he took long ago (and still finds new students for) to speak to professor Lava about Jarod taking his fire class. The professor look up from his class, hearing a dragon walking through the cave door. He looks at the red dragon's tail and sees it go off out much longer than other tails, he knew only one like this... "Plushy, what brings you here?" "Plushy? what do you mean plushy?" the students look at plushy nervous. Plushy answer, "Plushy has found you new student, his name is Jarod, he use fire, and can shape shift some, but his fire use is stronger, you will teach him how to use the fire." Lava always love Plushy finds, they train so much better than the kid dragons he had now. "Yes Plushy! Bring Jarod here tomorrow, after you bus run should be fine." "Why do you keep calling him plushy?" "Because he is the Plushy, Plushy is a dragon." "But that not possible, you can't balance plushy is a dragon..." "Yes, Plushy broke the scale, there is no fixing it, dragons have been trying for years. You will find this Jarod to be better at fire than you are. Plushy is good like that." "No, is not fair!" Plushy wraps his tail around the blue dragon, "You can't talk fair till after you balance Plushy is a dragon, you can't, so you have no just to make Plushy worse than the broken Plushy already is." Lava reports the Plushy touchy. The guards come and take the jealous mad student away, Lava then takes his class on field trip, they follow the guard with the blue dragon to the Plushy insaneasylum, where all the Plushy touchy dragons who have been contaminated by the Plushy are kept. There they see their friend locked up with other mad dragons. Plushy go with them and meets with some of his old friends, Plushy is only dragon allowed to visit with the mad dragons inside, and not all Plushy touchy gets reported, Plushy like to have free dragons to help him, is how Lava got stuck training Plushy's first find, the fire wizard learn so well, Lava not question any of Plushy's finds again, he was looking forward to teaching this Jarod, and he didn't need his other students making trouble for him, so he instructed them that they would also come here if they too got fussy jealous. Plushy went to see his doctor, stuffed in the insaneasylum for Plushy touchy, though most of it happened before Plushy was named. The doctor noted that Plushy had been attuned to a portal, as to where he couldn't tell, the attunement was new, who could say about the portal. Plushy wonder if this was what Chaim wanted to talk to him about.
((my occ))
((sorry we have been gone so long, but you did ask to slow things down some.....do you want plushy back now???))
Chaim’s kind gaze settled on Loki, taking in her expression to the news with a look of sorrowful compassion, and understanding.
“Of course,” he responded with an elegant nod to her request of thinking on it. “As I said. This is not something to take lightly. No one would think any less of you should you reject my request, and you will still be just as welcome here, as well as in Templum.” He took a deep breath and glanced between her and her son. “I give you both my deepest apologies for throwing this burden on shoulders as young and heavy as yours. And to you as well, Karinda. Saiirin.”
Karinda only shrugged. “The adventure will be a welcomed one.”
Chaim gave her a small smile and looked back to Loki and Jarod. “But I must ask that you report your answer before the weekend. Time is not a luxury we have.” He cast a sideways glance to Rodger. “Agrona may already have someone inside. Since there is strength in numbers, I will contact you should anyone else capable of entering the dimension come to light.” He straightened regally, a royal, yet approachable air ever coming from him as he surveyed those at the table once more. “I thank you all for everything you have done for me and my cause. No matter how small something may seem, it can make the largest of impacts. I bid you all good night.”
Chaim raised a hand, and a gentle green glow emanated around his palm. The barrier that had draped itself over them turned into a visible, soft green sheen surrounding them and blocking the exit. A burst of glittering emerald waves rushed over the barrier, consuming it until it and the barrier disappeared at the carpet by the door.
Rodger got to his feet as Chaim strode toward the arched doorway, his cloak flaring slightly behind him. “Until next time,” he offered with a respectful bow as Chaim disappeared around the corner to the apartment’s exit.
Rodger straightened. “I still have duties to attend to in the library, but hopefully I won't be too long.” He stepped to the open doorway leading out into the entrance living room, and turned toward the group remaining around the table. A loud clap of thunder sounded through the apartment and the whistle of the wind battering outside blew past the windows, both no longer diluted by Chaim’s barrier. “If you’re still hungry, help yourselves to anything in the kitchen. There’re extra blankets and towels in the hall closet if you want a bit more warmth or to get cleaned up. As a reminder, the bathroom’s the last door on the right at the end of the hall. If I don’t see you tonight, see you for breakfast!” He gave Loki and and Jarod a quick wink, then disappeared in Chaim’s footsteps.
After descending the many stairs to the back storage room, he paused at the wall near the door as a flash of lightning lit the sky outside the windows behind him, competing with the warm, comforting glow of the library’s lights. He gently placed his fingertips on a blank spot on the wall, and a small portion of it lit up.
“Alright, Libby,” he addressed the library with his favored nickname for the all but sentient building. “What’s left? Chaim remember to lock the door behind him?”
An image of the front door flashed over the screen, and a large green check mark drew itself over it, followed by the other exits and windows. Everything seemed to be in order, there. A couple aisles of books on the upper floors flashed orange, indicating books out of place. Then, the screen flickered.
Rodger blinked at it, taken aback.
That’s new, he thought as it flashed to show a 3D rendering of the building. It highlighted a route someone had taken through the library afterhours, walking the floors, starting by coming down from the apartment. The blue lines darkened where steps had overlapped or the someone had paused. It grew steadily darker as it returned up the back staircase to the apartment.
“Noci,” he deducted. “She’s a guest here. The one with the strange eyes?” he informed the library, unsure if it would understand the reference. A pencil illustration of Karinda with Saiirin on her shoulder sketched itself out quickly on the screen before a green question mark flashed over it, then an X as it registered an incorrect weight between those two and the girl it had tracked. The library did not always see things the way most people did, but it had had a knack for picking out and honing in on the supernatural creatures who came through. If not by name or even appearance, then by other factors.
“That’d be Karinda and Saiirin.” Rodger crossed his arms, watching as another sketch replaced the first, this one of the right girl. “Yep, that’s her.”
His brows knitted together when the screen flickered once more, then multiple small red dots formed in a few places where Noci had stayed for a longer period of time.
“Okay, what’s that all about? Did she step too hard or something and bruise your ego?”
In response, the screen shifted in disgruntlement, then then turned itself off.
“Touchy, touchy.” His lips quirked up. “You watch Vanessa too much.” His expression sobered. “I’ll take a look, okay? I can’t afford not to right now.”
The light of the screen cracked open like an eye peeking out, then closed again.
“Thanks for telling me, Libby.” He patted the wall above the screen. "Don't know what I'd do without you." He left the back office to finish putting away books and check out the spots the library had indicated. Ignoring the library's elevator that accessed the first four floors, he headed instead to the public staircase that led to the same places.
Presently: A Little Before One A.M., Wednesday
It took Rodger only a short few minutes to finish up chores, and check the spots the library had indicated. Either it had a misreading, or Rodger had not looked in the right places; he had found nothing immediately out of the ordinary.
Now, after spending a couple hours of trying to make a dent in the stockpile of books waiting to be shelved in the back room, he lounged in the white sofa facing the massive windows looking out into the street below the apartment with the fireplace between them. Vanessa had yet to return, but had texted him, letting him know she was helping with the cleanup around town. After reassuring her that all was well on his end, he went about his normal nightly routine of winding down: changing out into a loose pair of slacks and a plain white t-shirt, making himself a cup of tea, and sitting down to read.
Unlike most nights, tonight, the living room had held enough of a chill from the wind and rain still pattering gently against the windows for him to start a fire. It crackled inside the fireplace, shedding its warmth and light over its surrounding tiles and the carpet beyond. The lamp on an end table beside him shone on the book resting open in his lap as he sat there, legs crossed, his cup of spiced tea warming his hands. The exotic aroma of tea, welcoming scent of paper and ink that always filled the apartment, and woodsy smell of the fire combined into what Rodger thought heaven must smell like.
He cocked his head toward the hall as his sensitive ears picked up the sound of one of the doors opening and shutting quietly, but did not fully take his eyes from the page. Realizing it was just someone using the bathroom, he took a sip of his steaming tea, and returned his attention to the book.
Should Jarod look down the darkened hall toward the entrance living room, he would be greeted by the flicker of contained firelight and the low, shaded lamp glowing gently, but not quite making it into the hallway. The firelight made a large shadow stretch from the small table visible from the hall where it always sat beside the door, the darkness dancing to the same music as the fire, their movements almost seeming to beckon him to join them.
BlissfulCalamity
Rikku Wood
me know it all
Posted: Thu May 18, 2017 2:09 pm
Noci
It had been a restless night for Noci, her lidless eyes had itched more than usual in the night, it often happened when she cried, she assumed it was the salt. Something seemed off though, she knew she was forgetting something very, very important. Getting out of the bed slowly she girl made to walk over to the desk near the window when a burning pain ripped along her back sending her to her knees, biting her lip to stop herself from screaming she reached for her mobile on the bed-stand. "Ten to one!? Miss Harriet needs to explain how to use this proper-AARGH!!" the phone dropped to the floor as she arched her back in pain, the burning intensifying, running a quick mental map of the building she rose wobbly to her feet and sprinted towards the bathroom, only to wind up stumbling through the door and landing on the floor in front of the young boy from last night, screaming.
Willow
"You know for an awfully careful women your sense of presence is severely lacking ma petite" The dark haired women sighed walking beside Karinda seemingly out of no where, her nose in her black leather-bound book.
Harriet & Segmon
"Wanna tell me why we're still following this women around?" Harriet asked, sipping from a can of lemonade, Segmon sat opposite her, a beer in hand and his eyes glued to a small tablet in his hand. "Because the only bug I could slip on her was short range" he replied bluntly. "Yeah, getting that, but why are WE following her?" she watched a few joggers go past, rolling her eyes at the mere thought of having to wear Lycra, let alone jogging this early, "I could be sleeping, you know, that thing people do that's not work" she turned to glare at him but he was still watching the screen. "I was bored" "Well I was SLEEPING!" she put her can down and shuffled round to sit next to him, "The yellow blip is her right?" Segmon nodded "Right, Vanessa". Harriet giggled "Bit of an old name, still, aren't you meeting with her in a few days? Why follow her still?" She only got a shrug in return.
Siaya Dragalorn
BlissfulCalamity
me know it all
Rikku Wood
Dapper Explorer
Offline
BlissfulCalamity
Offline
Posted: Sun May 21, 2017 11:04 pm
Jarod had halfway turned the knob on the bathroom door when Noci stumbled in, inducing a quivering yell from him as he was startled and pushed by the door, leading him to stumble backwards into the bathtub.
Not a moment later Loki was by his side, barefoot and somewhat disheveled but alert. She had jumped over Noci, and wasted no time lifting Jarod and positioning herself between him and the screaming girl. Cautiously she stood with her son clinging to her back, her gaze sternly focused on Noci and the exit.
"What's wrong?" Jarod whimpered, his eyes glued to Noci. The rise and fall of his chest grew quicker, and he fought the urge to put his hands over his ears; doing so would mean releasing his mother.
"I-I don't know, I think she's hurt." Loki shouted for Rodger and Karinda, and debated moving around the girl to find help. If someone else had caused her pain, that someone could still be out there.
