kaisou | action; times are changing

Entry tags:

action; times are changing

WHO: Mikleo, Sorey, Jun, and Eizen
WHERE: Blue Fish Park, near the outdoor café
WHEN: 7/1. Not long after this.
WHAT: The Zestiria cast and the Berseria cast are about to find out all the darkest family secrets probably.
WARNINGS: None as of yet but watch this space.

[action]

[Mikleo is fine orbing inside Jun until they get to the park. Then he insists on walking on his own. It's not too far, and besides that, he wants to... prove a point. That these are his partners, his friends, not his prison guards. All of that determination settles in the pit of his stomach and the straightness of his back and shoulders.

He's definitely tense, and a bit solemn, but he tries to keep the mood bearable.]

Why don't we order something and find a table? [Well.] By we, I mean you two, obviously... An iced chai would be good. [Four shots of espresso isn't good for his nerves.] And a coffee for Eizen, whenever he gets here.

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[Jun is a little nervous about this meeting, but probably not nearly as nervous as the other two. Sure, maybe he was under suspicion of doing something as awful as enslaving Seraph but....well, when you're a Seal Knight, you're pretty used to suspicion being piled on you. At least no one's accusing him of being a grim reaper today.

He's in casual wear as he comes into the park with the other two. Best to look as non-threatening as possible. He does note that this is the same place that him and Mikleo met and discussed their pact. He wonders if that was on purpose on Mikleo's part. ]

Alright, I can take care of the coffee orders. [And since he knows two of them are invisible-] Maybe we should set up a device so it looks like Sorey and I are on a zoom call.

[That should stop them from looking too crazy, at least]

[Sorey is absolutely nervous about all of this, but he's hiding it well for Mikleo and Jun's sakes. He has casual clothes on as well, since he has a feeling Eizen might take a look at him dressed like a therapist and flee the scene. All of the supposedly mentally fine types do that in Kaisou, and it seems even worse for Guardians.

At Jun's proposal, the brunet smiles and nods.]

I did bring my laptop and charger from work, so we can use that. I just need to get it from the car.

[Everyone dressed casually and Mikleo's wearing the same clothes he did in his past life because he likes feeling a little epic. Also the pants are the softest fabric ever and he's really fond of the corset even if a certain person complains about taking it off.

Certainly there will be no question he's from a Tales game, anyway.]

That's a good idea. It looks like he's not here yet, so we have some time.

[He looks at the few people hanging out, and then his gaze drifts to the path heading further into the park. He's thinking about the time he met Jun here, and how he had this whole speech about the dangers of the pact that he'd rehearsed... and Jun didn't really need or want to hear it.

That such a pact could mean something else entirely... Just what the hell was going on in Eizen's time? He's afraid to find out, but he knows they need to ask.

He glances at Jun.]

I'll keep an eye out while you order.

Alright. I'll be right back then.

[He'll head to the counter to order for all of them: an iced chai for mikleo, a tea for Sorey, a black coffee for Eizen, and a caramel cold brew for himself (it's one of those days).

It takes a bit to get them all ready, but soon enough he's walking back to the table the others have picked with the four drinks in a carry tray. He'll give each one to the associated party, and the coffee at the spot for Eizen, before sitting down himself]

Any sign of him yet?

[Sorey gives Jun a wave and heads back out to his car to retrieve his laptop. When he comes back in, he'll take a seat with Mikleo so he can get it all set up. The brunet will gently take the water seraph's hand under the table. Sorey just hopes he can be helpful as a pillar for his partner to lean against. This is... going to be quite the conversation.

When Jun comes back, he smiles brightly at him and then takes a look around for Eizen.]

Hm, not—oh, wait, there he is!

[The man looks like the spitting image of Edna, so it's harder to not recognize him, really.]

[ eizen, for his part, isn't so much nervous as he is apprehensive. the initial move alone had been enough to set him on edge, but the discovery of another malak (seraph) in the city and one that in a pact was enough to nearly tip him over entirely. it had only been the mention of edna that spurred the desire for this meeting, and the underlying desire to believe everything mikleo said in regard to his pact.

finding them doesn't prove to be that difficult, given that 99% of the people currently occupying the cafe don't look in his direction when he arrives - except for that one table sitting the brunette, the guy with blue hair, and the guy with green hair. by process of elimination that has to be who he is looking for.

eizen makes his way over, dodging a couple who stare right through him, before reaching their table, blue eyes narrowed slightly. ]

Mikleo I take it. [ he nods towards the other seraph, before shooting an almost expectant look toward the other two. ]

[Mikleo is surprised by the hand under the table, but he holds it gratefully. Sorey and Jun both being here is such a blessing for him. It keeps him grounded. He looks up when Sorey spots Eizen, following the line of his sight-- yep, that has to be Eizen. Seraphim aren't really related since they just spontaneously pop into existence whenever there's an abundance of mana somewhere, so it's striking that the siblings look so much alike, right down to their eye color. They must have been born from the same earth pulse.

Mikleo hasn't met Edna in this life, and she got on his nerves a lot, but he misses her all the same.]

That's right. It's nice to meet you finally, Eizen.

[Right, his companions. He gestures with his free hand.]

This is Jun, who helped me when I first got to Kaisou, and this is Sorey-- the other person I told you about.

[This is so awkward. Please smite him from existence.]

[Mikleo is the only Seraph he knows, so he's not sure what to expect with Eizen. When he gets pointed out, Jun notices that the guy is a lot bigger than Mikleo. And he certainly has a much more imposing air about him. As for his energy signature...well it was certainly an Earth Spirit, but there was something else to it that Jun couldn't put his finger on.

Whatever, he can sort it out later. He'll give a nod as Mikleo introduces him]

We spoke briefly on the app. It's nice to meet you.

[Sorey smiles cheerfully. It's awkward, for sure, but he's going to do his best to power through it.]

It's a pleasure to meet you! I wasn't expecting it quite so soon, but I appreciate you taking the time to meet with us.

[He is perhaps the only British person in this coffee shop, but it's fine. Sorey's gotten used to the looks he gets.]

[ for a moment all eizen does is observe them; looking between mikleo, jun, and sorey, until some of the tension in his shoulders seems to simply melt and he breathes out, uncrossing his arms. he remembers the sight of a malak without will, remembers clearly how laphicet first acted when he came across velvet's party - it seems, at the very least, that the water seraph is by no means enslaved by the pact that binds him. ]

There are things I wanted to make sure of, knowing there is another in my situation within in the city. [ questions that have only birthed confusion and more questions. ] Better to clear the air now while there is still time than let them fester.

[Mikleo watches Eizen's body language unwind, and he figures they've done their part of soothing his worries about the consent involved in the pact. But there are still a lot of unanswered questions on both sides. Where do they even begin?]

You're right. I think it was a good idea anyway, since I haven't met any other seraphim in this life. [If he's being honest, even though this is Eizen and they know how tragically his story ends, a not-insignificant part of Mikleo is relieved that he's not the only one anymore... And he appreciates that Eizen is big-brothering him, even if it's unnecessary. It reminds him of Dezel and Zaveid...] I was starting to think I never would. Maybe if I had been born a few hundred years earlier when spirits like us were more commonplace... but I'm getting off-topic.

Sorey and I studied ruins in our past lives. While we were still amateurs for the most part, I think figuring out just how far apart our experiences are will help add context to the different things we remember. Like... continental shifts, and so on.

[So he'll just come out and say it.]

Do you remember if there any kings or generals that stand out in your memories? Or high-profile knights? Even if you never met them personally, they would have the most effect on the world, and likely find their way into the books.

[He sees someone's abandoned water on an adjacent table and gets an idea. He squeezes Sorey's hand in apology and lets go. Trust Mikleo to go a little extra when it comes to explaining anything: he weaves his fingers in the air like a conductor in front of an orchestra and summons a thin stream of ice water over to the table. He does not drop it anywhere near Sorey's laptop, but instead gathers it in the center of the table, then touches it and turns it to ice.

It's a frosted replica of the Glenwood continent, with some vague topographical details.]

This is what the continent we explored looked like. Sorey, if you spot any inconsistencies, let me know. [Mikleo doesn't have his eidetic memory, but it sure would be useful for something like this.] My memory is pretty fuzzy on the other parts of the world, even if I'm fairly sure I ended up seeing them towards the end of my previous life.

And here, [he says, highlighting the craggy bits of a mountain range with his fingertips,] is Rayfalke, since we know that landmark ties things together.

[Christ Mikleo that's one of the nerdiest uses of powers Jun's ever seen and that's coming from a guy that fashion his spells from stuff he's seen in anime.

But he has nothing to add and he's a quiet person, so he won't say anything. Instead he's just going to quietly move the laptop a bit further away - just in case.

None here can blame you for wanting tangible evidence. Thank you for looking out for Mikleo.

[Sorey lets Mikleo's hand go, of course. He thinks this is a cool use of water and ice magic! It demonstrates a high level of control over the element. At the comment of inconsistencies, he takes a closer look at the map and compares it to his memory of Glenwood.]

Nothing sticks out to me from what I remember. This is a very accurate representation.

Aye, there are a few I'd wager found their way into the history books. [ one, the chance is incredibly high, but the second? hmm, as much as he is certain that artorius made his way into the history books he would wager the depiction of him would be wildly different from the man himself. ]

Artorius Collbrande, head exorcist of the Church of Midgand. He was considered a savior of the people, and even given the title of Shepherd. [ in this moment he is glad velvet did not even suggest coming along with him. ] There was also Percival Yil Mid Asgard, although I am uncertain how much history would remember of him.

[ he watches the water seraph's display of power, his gaze focused on the map as it begins to form and is frozen in place above their table. he recognizes the similarities immediately, years of pouring over maps and plotting routes coming to the surface with very little resistance. he would be a poor pirate if he did not recognize the map even with its glaring differences. at least something close to a thousand years must have passed between his last clear memories and the beginning of theirs, enough time for seas to have both raised and fallen, for land to have emerged from the deep and connected what was once never joined. nostalgia hits like a rock, causing fingers to curl tightly into fists as he shoves his hands inside his pockets. ]

It is as good a landmark as any.

That's a relief. Thanks, Sorey.

[Mikleo's eyes widen at the term Shepherd.]

Shepherd? [Oh. Oh dear. Suddenly he's really glad they didn't go all in on the sudden Shepherd news because it sounds like anyone with a pact is enslaving seraphim in Eizen's time.] So he was the head of the church. I see... In our time, the Church wasn't a single, centralized power. Worship of the seraphim fell out of favor and the churches became isolated. Shepherds were... also very rare. Let's come back to that, though.

I don't recall anything specific about this Artorius. It sounds familiar, though-- maybe a landmark? Though where is the question.

There were Shepherds all throughout history, so maybe... [He's mumbling to himself as he looks at the map.] Though—no, with the Asgard royal family named as such, that would put this definitely after the conclusion of the dark period and the initial reunification. Then that means...

[...]

You must have been living in the era of Asgard, which itself can be divided into separate periods. So roughly a thousand years ago. There was a lot of bitterness and war after King Claudin's death, and the royal family's infighting completely undid all of the unification he'd worked towards; this was the early Asgard period. Hyland and Lohgrin both came to power for a time, though not permanently. Eventually there was another reunification by the Asgardian royal family, and a hundred years of supposed peace, which was referred to as the Asgard Unification period in the books... And then... It was a scion of House Dragonia that would found Rolance towards the end of the latter era of Asgard... signaling the beginning of the Era of Prosperity.

[He's still going I'm so sorry.]

Do you remember anything about a new calendar? That came after the hundred years of peace. It was essentially where proper history-keeping began for Glenwood.

Edited 2023-07-07 05:23 (UTC)

[Christ Mikleo, Jun's starting to get flashbacks to his past self's history lessons just listening to you go on about all this. It's certainly as dense as hearing about the power struggles between the Pope and the Holy Roman Emperor through the dark ages.

He pauses to rub his temple, trying to ease the growing headache, before he decides maybe he should speak up and point out the thing that's actually relevant.]

...From the sound of it, the role of the Shepherd has change over the years. Nothing of the stories Mikleo or Sorey have told me indicate that the Shepherd is the head of the church. A important public figure, yes, but I can't imagine they'd be effective at running the church while also traveling.

Edited 2023-07-07 05:46 (UTC)

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OUTSIDE THE CAFE

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