kaisou | September Event Log

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September Event Log

September Event
Dominant Element: Wind
Waning Element: Earth

Full Moon: September 28th - September 30th

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As August and all of its chaos leaves Kaisou, September comes in with cooler weather. The Spirit Vein in the sky will turn to hues of green, indicating the shift towards the Wind element. In fact, there's so much wind, it frankly isn't funny. No tornadoes (that was a few months ago), but more than half the month will have windy weather, and a day or two of high wind warnings from the local weather people. Try not to get blown away!

Rosemary and Thyme

It's September, and you know what that means: school, school, and more school. For the seniors in high school, it's their last year, and soon it'll be time to start looking into secondary education and making plans for the future. Everyone else... enjoy a week of syllabi and ice breakers!

If you're looking for an education that's a bit more magical, there's a whole different school you can attend. While Cygnus Academy has had classes all summer, now that it's fall, they're really kicking it into gear. Several of the faculty will be offering more regular classes on various magical or practical skills, and they're even offering homework help for the younger students as well as college prep for those who looking for it.

September also means that Kaisou's renaissance faire, Sherwood Festival, is back in town! Located near Blue Fish Park, the renaissance faire is full of the usual things one might expect to find at a ren faire. If you're looking for activities, there's all manner of things; from jousting, magic shows, bard performances, visiting a "royal court", and so on! Meanwhile, if you're looking to spend money, there's many vendors selling their handmade goods, such as soaps and or potteries, as well as all sorts of "old timey" foods to try, such as mutton or turkey legs (and of course, beers and ciders for those old enough). Or perhaps you're just interested in the new attractions, which include a fairy circle within the forest, or the mermaid cove that's been set up in the Blue Fish Lake.

However, it's not all just simple gimmicks in this year's faire. App users may notice a few things different about some of the performers this year. That faerie having fun dancing with the kids? That's an actual Fae, likely one that stayed behind after the incursion in March. That "magician" performing around the food stalls? She's performing actual magic, not just illusions and sleight of hand. Even in the mermaid cove, a few of the "mermaid actors" are actual mermaids, and the forest where the Fae circle is located is still heavy with traces of fae magic from last March. There's a couple more strange sightings like that, and though they're not the majority by any stretch it is perhaps a bit concerning that there's as many as there are.

It's up to you if you call these people out or not. Leave it be, and you'll be able to enjoy a good time. If you approach one of these more magical folks, they will try to deny anything strange going on - they're just running a nice faire! Should you take it far enough to piss off one of the fae, you may find yourself cursed into becoming a monster.

Bad Moon Rising

The full moon usually passes through Kaisou with very little fanfare. There are certainly people with monster changes who have to deal with it for the few nights it hangs around each month, forcing them into their monster forms until daybreak. Until now, though, it's always only affected a very small selection of the population - feline and canine monsters, specifically. A few individuals, most of whom have figured out how to manage their condition by now, nothing to cause a panic.

Not so for this month... and for all months following. Thanks to the damage done by the spirit vein, all monster types will feel the full moon's effects. This means that once night falls and the full moon rises, you will have a harder time maintaining your normal form in the city, while your monster side gets significantly stronger. Retaining your humanity will be extremely difficult unless you have some serious control over your monster self. Perhaps you will be fortunate and be able to keep your stable mind, or perhaps you will find your monster thoughts overpowering you and you'll find yourself going a little feral, which is rather unfortunate if you happen to be in a populated area when night falls. This effect will last until sunrise, when you will regain normal form again. Best find a way to handle your abrupt changes, as this certainly isn't going away and the full moon lasts for three nights. You will either need to get better control over your monster form, or seek out other means to manage yourself through the full moon nights. Every month following this one will be the same- it seems like these changes are very much here to stay.

The Stable Gates

Full moon chaos aside, this quiet time in Kaisou might be a good opportunity to check up on how the stable realms are doing. Hyrule, newly freed from the grips of Calamity Ganon, has begun the slow effort to rebuild. Even better, with the Calamity gone, weapons will no longer decay as quickly. Besides Princess Zelda, the Hudson Construction Company is building new structures and is working on infrastructure around various communities in Hyrule. Curiously, every member of the Hudson Construction Company has a name that ends in "son". But that quirk aside, they are the ones to go to if you, too, are interested in having any structures built within Hyrule. Otherwise, you can help them with gathering resources or fighting off any monsters still around.

It's not all peaceful in Hyrule, though. If you're unlucky, you might run into the Yiga clan. They're a clan of Hyruleans that, despite the Calamity's goal of wiping out all life in Hyrule, thought it was a good idea to side with the Calamity. With it gone, they've now taken to attacking the folks that were responsible of destroying Ganon. They'll often be at roadsides, pretending to be travelers in distress before attacking. Besides dressing like red clothed ninjas, they seem to carry a weird amount of bananas with them. They should be easy enough to fend off if you're a skilled fighter, but maybe it's best not to travel alone for awhile.

Meanwhile, in Stardew Valley, the autumn season has fully set in. Crops like pumpkins, cranberries, and apples are all the rage in the small community. At the end of the month, the townsfolk will hold a festival to showcase the harvests for the year and have small community activities. If you're looking for a simple life or want to do some simple farm work without getting attacked by monsters, this might be a good place to spend some time.

A New Job

On the morning of September 4th, Zodiac will send out an alert message.

ALERT: SPIRIT REALM GATE DETECTED IN UNIVERSITY DISTRICT.
Element Classification: Wind
Danger Level: Low
Designation: Great Library of Alexandria
Zodiac has detected a spirit realm gate appearing in the University district, and confirmed it to be the Great Library of Alexandria. We have also has received a message from the Muses. It reads: "We the Muses, goddesses of the arts, have decided to take some time off due to some recent events. As such, you shall be charged with watching our library this month. Failure to do so competently will incur our wrath. Thanks!"

No pressure, huh.

The atmosphere of the Zodiac office is calmer compared to last month, as dealing with the Great Library is much easier than everything that was happening last month. The Zodiac employee will tell you the most important thing is to make sure to bring a piece of knowledge to share, as that's the admission fee of the library. They aren't sure what watching the library entails, but surely it can't be that bad, right?

That said, while the Zodiac employees are relaxed, the Professor (fuzzy) is anything but. He's talking a mile a minute about how excited he is to see the Great Library of Alexandria. He even has a little suitcase with him that's full of notebooks and gear in case he wants to say overnight. Because of course he's coming with this time! He wouldn't miss the great library for the world!

To find the gate, one simply has to head out to Kaisou University's main campus. Among all the class buildings and libraries, there's a new building front that seems to have appeared. White columns and stone stairs are hardly unusual among a college campus, so it might be easy to overlook, except that the entryway is glowing with a bright energy. No doubt about it, this is the gate.

The Great Library of Alexandria

Stepping through the gate, characters will find themselves in a grand marble hall that would put most to shame. Around the hall are statues of the nine muses, posing in different fashions with objects associated with each one. There are signs with the rules of the library. Even though it's written in Ancient Greek, you find yourself able to read what it says like it was perfect English:

I. Take nothing out of the Great Library, leave it all as you found it.
II. Damage nothing in these halls.
III. To obtain knowledge, you must share knowledge.

In the center of the hall is a pedestal that stands four feet tall. It is here that you place the knowledge that you've brought to share. Books, movies, comics, art pieces, fact sheets, personal notes - anything that could technically be considered either knowledge or art are accepted. Once you place your item on the pedestal, it will disappear and a bracelet made of olive tree wood will appear around their wrist. This is their proof that they are allowed entrance into the rest of the library. Anyone who tries to go into the halls without donating a piece of knowledge will find the entryways into the other wings magically blocked.

Once the admission fee has been paid, it's off to explore the rest of the library! There are several wings to explore, each of them chock full of knowledge. A person could easily spend a lifetime in a single wing and not see everything there is to offer. Even though it offers works written and created in countless languages, you'll find yourself able to understand all of them as if they were written in your native language. That said, any cameras will not work while within the hall, so if you want to remember the things you read- you'll have to take notes. Any character with fire magic will find their fire powers do not work while in this realm either - the library has a bad history with fire, okay.

The wings are as followed:

The Literature Wing

This wing is devoted entirely to any work of literature that's ever been written. Novels, poems, short stories, comics, fables - anything that counts as a story would be found within this wing. There's even a section devoted to fanfictions throughout the ages, if that's what you're really about. There are braille and audiobooks with headphones, for those who get their reading through that way. Throughout the wing, there are comfortable chairs and window seats to sit in. The wing is managed by a legion of cats, who are clever enough to understand human language. They will carry books to and from their shelves, bring book recommendations, bring snacks and drinks as refreshments on a little push cart, or just curl up on your lap as you read.

The Knowledge Wing

Next to the Literature Wing, the Knowledge wing contains any non-fiction texts or documents that have ever been written. Any topic of non-fiction is covered here: history, science, mathematics, cookbooks - the list goes on. Interestingly, there are more than just books about this Earth found in these halls. It's possible to find textbooks detailing events or information about other worlds as well - so long as it covers events already taken place (meaning before any OU's canon point). Unlike the literature wing, the seating are set up more as study tables and chairs, but are still comfortable enough to sit in for hours on end. This wing is managed by a bunch of owls, who will fly up and down the aisles with books in their talons. The fuzzy Professor can be found here, basically acting like a tiny child at Christmas as he piles on all the history books and shares every interesting fact he learns ("this is going to make such great material for my classes!!"). There are several puppets with him helping out. Where did the puppets come from? Maybe it's best you don't ask, because they'll start to sing and annoy the owls.

The Music Wing

A wing designed to have perfect acoustics, no matter where you go within the hall. Here, you can find every music piece ever composed, as well as any type of instrument ever created. There's plenty of practice rooms for any size group, all of which are soundproofed. In the back of the wing, there is a concert hall where you can either perform your own shows, or watch astral recordings of any concert that's ever taken place. Want to see Beethoven perform his famous 9th symphony? You can do that! All the musicians past will appear as ghostly apparitions as they perform. Songbirds are the maintainer of these halls, who will fly by on errands or maybe even stop by to sing along with your performances.

The Theatre Wing

Next to the music wing, there is the theater wing. This area has play stages and movie theaters all set up. You can either watch any movie or show in existence (no worries about streaming rights here!), or rewatch any theater performance that's happened in history in the form of ghostly visages. Find out how Hamlet was performed when Shakespeare was still alive (in fact Shakespeare's visage himself might look... familiar), or see the first Greek tragedy. Mice and rats are the maintainers of this wing, they will help out pick out movies and also run a concession stand with any movie snacks you'd like to consume during the show.

Of course, not all shows are ones that we passively spectate. Besides the theaters, there is a room devoted to be a fighting simulator. Take any kind of weapon you'd like, and fight spectral foes from history and legend. Trade blows with the greatest samurai or battle a beast of legend. While it feels real, no actual injuries will come from these fights. And for those who prefer their battles to take place in the digital plane, there is a relatively newly added room with all the video games you could possibly want.

The Planetarium Wing

The planetarium is the wing devoted to astronomy and the heavens. While there's plenty of shelves of books here with information about space, the main event in this hall is a planetarium. A massive dome that can be set to display the night sky as it appeared at any time or day- and not just on Earth either. You can find out what the sky looks like on any number of worlds. All of them feel hyper-realistic, like you're looking at the real night sky. Bats help run this part of the library, the dark starry skies doing nothing to hinder their assistance with visitors.

Should anyone use this room to investigate the moon, they will find that the moon itself? Is still a perfectly normal moon. No, really. It's normal. However much like it affects the tide, the moon will also affect the magical energies of Spirit Veins. And the higher level of concentration of magical energy, the larger the effect. So the reason the full moon is affecting more monsters? Is less about the moon and more the increasing spirit energy that is ever growing in Kaisou.

The Museum Wing

The museum wing covers all artifacts that relate to knowledge, but wouldn't quite fit in the other wings. Dinosaur fossils, vases, paintings, tapestries, all of them are carefully displayed with information about each item. These items have been collected across different worlds and throughout history, with all of them carefully preserved. One room of the museum is devoted to divine donations - donations given by deities when they came once came to visit, and clearly the shining gem of the museum. Items such as a Dharma Wheel, an apple from the Tree of Knowledge, an actual eye (thanks Odin), and other items relating to knowledge have all been carefully put on pedestals. While trying to steal from the other wings will have magic measures that simply prevent you from doing so, the consequences of trying to steal from this part of the library will lead to much more dire consequences. To reflect that, this wing is patrolled by crocodiles who will guide you to exhibits, but will also snap their jaws anytime they feel you're getting too close to an artifact.

The Mess Hall

With so much to see in this library, it'd be a shame if hunger got in the way. Just head down into the basement, where an expansive dining hall and kitchen await you. The goats that run this part of the library will be happy to cook you up any kind of meal that has ever existed. Or, if you're the type to want to cook for yourself, you'll have free access to the kitchen, which is full of any ingredients you could possibly want. The walls are lined with cooking tools and cookbooks to help you along, as well. Cooking is a form of art, after all.

The Records Wing

The final wing contains records of every person who has ever lived and died. Each person's life is recorded in a hardcover book that is decorated in ways to reflect the person. The length of a book will depend on how long the person has lived, and it will cover events that happened throughout their lives. While you can access records of people that live in different worlds, you can only access records of people who have died (the permanent kind). Not only that, but the keepers of this wing (ghostly apparitions of scholars) will only allow you access to the records of people that are part of your family or somehow related to you.

Hauntingly, AU characters will be able to find books of their past selves among these shelves, as well as the records of their past selves relatives. It will detail their lives in their previous worlds, the events described lining up with memories you've experienced. The causes of death will vary. Some will go on to live long lives before dying of old age, while others will be killed abruptly by something either within or out of their control. Either way, it's probably rather unsettling to read about how your life once came to an end.

Watching Over the Library

For those who have agreed to care for the library, when you enter the library and pay your admission, a special key will appear in your pocket the same time the wristband does. This key will allow you to enter the backrooms of the library. The backrooms of the library are expansive, split into two main areas. The first area is clearly the living areas for both the Muses and their animal helpers. There's a bathing area that's full of rejuvenating water, a greenhouse full of plants found in Ancient Greece, and nine apartment-style homes that belong to each of the muses. While you're free to use the public bath or look through the greenhouse, going into the apartments is a good way to get yourself cursed in new and horrible ways.

The second area? Well, that's where your work as the library's caretaker begins. There are a couple important tasks that must be done. First, the animal caretakers must be fed. There are large storage containers full of the different kinds of foods the animals like to eat and food troughs assigned to each group of animals. Make sure they get fed regularly, unless you want them to start to turn on each other. You can also help the animals by playing with them, grooming them, or just giving them some nice pets.

Not quite an animal person? Well then, you can head into the next room where the Sorting takes place. The Library of Alexandria is getting new material all the time, and all the newest items appear here. There's a pile of books and media that need to be sorted into their proper wings. Each of the wings have a drop chute that you can throw items into, or you can hand them off to an animal attendant. Try to keep up with this task as much as you can, before the piles grow out of control.

If neither of those jobs sound appealing to you, there's always patrolling the library and making sure everything remains in order. Keep things from getting out of control, or help clean up messes that get made by other patrons. Remember, you want to make sure the Muses don't come back to a sight that angers them.

Finding Closure (POKEGO Mission)

"This is a selfish request from a selfish old man, I know. But in every way but blood, he was my son. So please... help me understand his reasons. If it was my fault, or if there was something I could've done. I just... I need to know. Thank you."

It's not typical that Professor Oak asks personal requests, usually preferring to allow his associates to follow their own interests and goals. But it seems the memory of Willow's actions were haunting him more than he was letting on. And for those who were familiar with Willow's case file... this realm was the place where he had gotten his idea to go after Ra, so if there was any place to search for answers...

There are two wings within the library that will yield some findings. In the Knowledge Wing, shoved away amongst the other books about Ancient Egypt, you can find Professor Willow's notebook lodged into the bookshelf. The notes are a mixture of research and observations, as well as his own personal log. At the start, it reads much like the man many of them were familiar with; an easy-going and curious man who truly did think well of his fellow colleagues. Persephone was like a mother, Abasi was so intelligent (even if a bit prickly), and he felt pride watching Sorey and Mikleo grow and come into their own as POKEGO members.

But as the notes and logs go on, the tone slowly slips into something darker and eventually... desperate. Life setbacks (usually described in vague terms, if at all) eat at him more and more. And more and more, he begins romanticizing his past life, his past world. Not wanting to trouble anyone, he never speaks to anyone about it, allowing it to fester until idle daydreams manifest into dangerous plots. His notes and observations become less careful, more unhinged. But even as he continues his plans, his logs continue to reflect a man who is torn by his actions and whether they are the right thing to do. Even in his final log, the one written on the night he found the way to get to Set, he writes: "I know I'm going to cause a lot of pain, but this is the only way. I just... I'll try to make things right, somehow."

The other finding POKEGO can find is within the Records Wing. Willow had long considered the members of POKEGO as his family, so they'll be allowed to view his records. These will shed some light and give context to his background from an outside perspective. In the final pages, it mentions that he's currently serving his life sentence in Florida under the Order's watch. He doesn't know if he deserves to live, after so many lost their lives through his actions. Frequently, he'll try to write letters to various POKEGO members - but can never bring himself to send them. Each one of them has the same kind of message: I'm sorry. It's not your fault. Maybe you can use what you learn to help give Professor Oak (and yourselves) some closure.

Speaking of Professor Oak, for those who are curious enough to look up his records, POKEGO members will be able to access them as well. Reading his record might learn some interesting information about the old man, even if you'll have to own up to grandma that you were snooping.

To Be Forgotten (Black Order Mission)

While everyone else has the library or their own matters to attend to, the Black Order has their own mission to follow. "Locate Rukkhadevata" was the message that the Order had left them with. Strangely enough, there's no records of any Rukkhadevata anywhere in the public areas of the library. Looking through any records relevant to the name turns up empty, and even the animal keepers of the wings seem puzzled at the mention. If no one named Rukkhadevata exists, then why does the Order seers keep hearing that name?

The answer lies in the backroom of the library. Past the sorting room, there is another room hidden away. This is the forbidden part of the library, books that have been intentionally removed from the main collection. Most of these books are sealed and marked, with clear labels indicating that attempting to break the seal will result madness or death.

However, there is one book that sits on the table that has no such warning label, looking more like a normal book that got placed in this room by mistake: a life record book on Rukkhadevata.

Should you read the book, her life story becomes clear: Rukkhadevata was a former member of the Black Order, a recent former member. She was recruited after she began getting memories of being the Dendro Archon, the god of wisdom of Teyvat, in her previous life. Wise beyond her years and deeply kind, she did her best to help her fellow comrade through missions. Alarmingly, these comrades include Black Order members that are present in Kaisou today, with specific stories of their time together being detailed in this text. None of these stories are ones the Black Order members remember as they are written. Only as they hold the book in your hand, do the memories of her existence begin to come back to you.

Its only at the end of her record book does it become clearer what's going on. Three years ago, Rukkhadevata decided to leave the Order. Her reasons aren't discernible, with the lines being intentionally blotted out. But it took her time to figure out the best way to leave. In the end, she found two feasible options: the first was giving up all her powers by striking a bargain with a "bargaining horned spirit", which would render her useless to the Order. As for the other option...

"The Great Library of Alexandria is the realm that maintains all the knowledge in the world, as well as all the world's memories. Even for those who have faded into obscurity among the living still have records within the Record Wing, so the gods and seers are able to draw upon them. So in theory, if one removes their own records from the library, then the world itself will have no memories of them to draw upon, and thus will forget them. To maintain normalcy, any records of my existence will be eradicated or repurposed. Even the Order itself will have no knowledge that I exist. The Muses say doing such an act will consume about half of my soul's power to pull this off. They also caution me how difficult it'll be to be truly forgotten, but if this is the best way to achieve what I need to do...

World, forget me."

The record book ends there, with no further recordings to what happened to her. Rukkhadevata must have placed the book back here, thinking it'll be enough to erase her from the world's memories. However if the seers in the Order are still able to get her name...that's clearly not enough. The book itself needs to be destroyed.

So, the Order is now left with two options. They can return the book back to the Records Wing, which will reinstate the world's memories of Rukkhadevata. Or... there's a single fireplace within the forbidden part of the library, the only fireplace within the entire building. Should you throw it in there... all memories tied to Rukkhadevata will be permanently erased with no hope of regaining them. Decide amongst yourselves what the best course of action is.

Aftermath

The library will be around all month. At the end of the month, it will vanish once it came. If you've done a good job with looking after the library, you will be blessed with new inspiration for your creative endeavors. Should you have done something to harm the library on the other hand... well, depending on the severity, you'll certainly find yourself with some curses to attend to.

As for the Black Order, whether or not you remember Rukkhadevata, you are now equipped with knowledge that could help you leave the Order yourself, if you choose. Erase yourself from the world by burning your own books in the record wing, or seek out this bargaining horned spirit that the notes mentioned. Even after the library leaves this month, you'll just need to ask the shopkeeper of the Gacha Goodwill for the means to return to the library. He'll take you... but only if the stars are right.

OOC Notes

The dominant element this month is Wind! Anyone with an affinity to the fire element will find themselves boosted throughout the month. This could mean a boost to their power, having more energy, feeling more inspired with creativity, having better luck on different attempts -- the boost can manifest in all sorts of different ways. By contrast, anyone with an affinity for Earth will be experiencing the opposite. Perhaps their powers will be weaker, they have less energy, they're having a creative block or general worse luck - again it can manifest in all sorts of way and players are free to play with this mechanic as they'd like.

The original OOC plotting post for this event can be found here. Another Zodiac Post will be going up September 15th to serve as an intro post for new characters and allow characters to react to developments over the network.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

i. __literature wing // OTA

[ he's never been huge into reading or writing, truth be told. he was an actor, in this life, and the price he'd even paid to get inside the library to look around--for reasons other than reading, as a base--had been a boxed set of the very TV show he'd been famous for before he had to fake his own death.

He'd stopped to rest his feet and his eyes in the literature wing, and that's where he sits now... a pile of books slowly starting to grow around him as a number of cats have decided he's their favorite person.

It's worth noting that Jinwoo, as he is now, is covered in black cats. There's two in his lap, one curled up at his feet, one in the half-down hood of his usual black cloak, and one sitting on the arm of the chair he's currently sunk into, while flipping the page of a book called 'The Necromancer's Companion.'

Upon approach, he's definitely going to cast your character a look that is halfway between 'help me good god' and 'i dont know why this is happening.'

What can he say. He's found his kind in the library. ]

They'll bring tea or cookies if you ask...

ii. __record wing // OTA

[ once he'd finally escaped the cats that wanted so badly for their kin to stay, jinwoo finally makes his way to the wing that his main goal had been: the records hall. both for his job with the order, and, honestly... for his own curiosity.

There's a... part of him that knows this is dishonest. That he absolutely should not be reading a story based on his own life, his life before this one--the 'Sung Jinwoo' that he'd taken his current alias from.

But there's always a part of him that wanted to know more. Shun--the person he was born as--was always a little resentful of the man he'd been remembering for the last ten years. Sung Jinwoo was such an impressive figure. A strong man who led an army 30, 40 strong--shadows like his own Tank and Igris who kept getting stronger the more he fought and the more he trained.

This was a mistake.

He should not have started reading.

Maybe if he'd focused on the mission, finding out about the things the Order talked about, rather than his own previous life, he'd not have a look of terror on his face, as line after line, it becomes apparent that the man he used to be wasn't merely a man who was a strong monster-bounty hunter.
No, he was much more than that. Dangerously. An army of 30 to 40 behind him was a joke. The man led an army in the millions. He stood at the head of the shadow army, as a man known as the Second Shadow Monarch, a godlike being with two hearts--fighting alone with his army of the undead to protect the world from those who sought to turn in into a battleground where they could devour all life on it for their own purposes.

Maybe you'll find him while he's mid-reading, feverishly turning page after page.

Maybe you'll find him when he slams the heavy tome shut--shoving it away from himself as if continuing to read it would burn his eyes.

The pale man seems paler than usual, and he's up and pacing. A deep, unsteady fear in his gut as a dozen questions batter up on the sides of his skull.

This isn't good. ]

iii. __bad moon rising // closed to Lapis

[ he doesn't want to call. He has that same feeling he did, weeks ago, when he'd called Zhongli--that fear that he was asking for something so, so unreasonable, disgusting.
But he remembers the sound of Lapis' voice, the smile on her face as she assured him it was okay. They were friends, she'd not see him suffer.

The moon outside his apartment reflects in glow-purple eyes as he turns his face towards it. Feeling hungrier than he had when the sun was in the sky.

And he's sure.
he's sure it's the fault of that large, taunting orb in the sky.
His teeth... itch.

He's calling Lapis without another thought to run through his mind. Quietly apologising already, before she answers. ]

...Lapis.
I am sorry if it is a bad hour. Shameful a call as this is, I.

...I need your help.
I fear the moon is ... causing some sort of upset with me. [ hungry. He's really... really hungry. and pig's blood wasn't cutting it. ]

[Ayato usually isn't one to tackle something like this- to go into a place that holds something so personal, right out in the open. There had only ever been a vague mention of the library itself showing up last year, and the fact that it's come around once again causes both a nervousness and a curiosity that plagues him deeply in his mind.

Still, he manages to at least give the library one of his favorite haiku composition books, making his way in and taking his time in visiting each wing. Naturally, the literature wing draws him first as his love for haiku and other Japanese poetry are always prominent in the back of his mind. He's scanned several bookshelves and found at least one cover that isn't familiar to him, carrying it by his side.

And then he spots Jinwoo.

There's a bit of a soft laugh at the entire scene in front of him, Ayato's arm still around Back Roads to Far Towns: Bashō's Oku-no-hosomichi, but his smile is light.]

Will they, now? I wasn't aware we could make requests.

[Some of the cats turn to look at the newcomer, one or two actually plopping to the floor and beginning to weave in between his legs in a sort of greeting.]

[ he gives ayato a sort of crooked, sheepish grin as the other laughs gently at him. sinking a little deeper into his own embarrassment, he raises a hand to flap his fingers a little--which only spurs one of the cats to donk their fuzzy head into his hand, as if he'd offered it.

A tail of another flips and hits him in the side of his face. ]

Neither did I, until they started talking. Then I sat for a little too long.... and now they've trapped me.

[ said, as if he couldn't just teleport out at any time. There's rules with cats: moving them when they're settled is a crime. ]

But if you ask, they'll bring you tea, or biscuits...

[Surprisingly, there's no egging on of any of the cat's antics- instead, Ayato finds a nearby chair, and now some of Jinwoo's cats have begun to take a keen interest in this stranger joining them. He's different.]

Mm, I see. Somehow, that isn't surprising. [A beat, and he huffs, more out of amusement then anything else.] While my home did serve as a sort of safe haven for the supernatural, I can't say I know how to take care of an entire group of cats such as this.

[One of the cats sits right at Ayato's feet at this, and asks him if he does want anything. There's a softness in his reply, saying he'll have whatever sort of tea and biscuits they'd like to bring.]

But I'd like to think you've found something to keep your interest for now. [He means the book, obviously.] It's been some time since I've discovered a book I haven't read yet on haiku.

[In some ways, it's odd- he hasn't been this open with people in years. But this is his team, so he doesn't feel the need to be so guarded as he once was.]

I've never really been able to keep a pet before, truth be told. [ he gestures at one of the creatures on his lap. ]

Here I thought they needed time and a gentle hand to warm up to people. And yet....

[ he gives a small, nervous laugh. ]

I have to admit. I'm not really much of a reader...
Unless it's a script or a stageplay, I'm more of a. Television and movies guy, you know...?

[Ayato offers a bit of a laugh, but it's clear it's not directed at Jinwoo at all.] Back home, I would say the family is far too busy to allow pets. It's both for our safety as well as our guests.

[There's a moment and he thinks, a hand to his chin.]

Some cats are wary of strangers, yes. Especially if they've made loud noises or the cat feels threatened. But not all. I suppose these ones are familiar with people as they pass through.

[However, the smile Ayato gives in return is a light one, a bit gentle as well.]

There isn't anything wrong with that- but I'm more than willing to teach the basics, if you'd like. It's much easier than it looks.

[ The sound of her phone makes her tense in brief surprise, hands stilling where shes flipping through a book, but a look at the ID has her answering without hesitation.

While her heart sinks to hear the moon has pushed him so far and he's clearly not having a good time about it, there's relief that he reached out. At least now she has a chance to help ]

Don't apologise. I told you to ask me, remember? [ Her tone is gentle and calm, amidst some rustling in the background - obviously getting herself ready to head out. ]

I'll be there as quickly as I can, I promise.

Edited 2023-09-05 09:52 (UTC)

You did. Which is why I decided to call, despite... how shameful it feels.

I wonder... if there are others in my predicament, due to the moon. Every time I look at it, I feel as if my blood is running wilder.

[ maybe it's best to close the window. He'll cross the room, phone still pressed to his ear. ]

I will leave the door open for you. Just come inside when you arrive.

...And I know I need not worry about you. But all the same.
Be careful in your travels.

Others may well be affected by the moon, as well.

From the looks of things, it seems like the full moon is doing... something.

[ So much for it not being haunted.

But there's the jingle of keys in the background now, a door opening and closing as she adjusts her boots. She'll take her bike, that'll be quicker - ]

Okay, I'll let myself in. I'll be coming on my bike, so you should hear me before I get there anyway. [ Putting on a jacket and balancing a phone on her shoulder is a bit awkward, but she can manage. And there's a slight huff at his concern, her voice reassuring all the same. ]

I'll be careful. Not a lot of things are faster than me when I'm on my bike.

[ True to her word, she's quick - the rattling of her bike soon echoes outside, followed by footsteps as she makes her way to his apartment. And since he said to come in, she'll give a polite knock before pushing the door open; a little out of breath from rushing over. ]

It's Lapis... How're you, Jinwoo?

[ he will wait patiently, of course. The hunger isn't patient--it's nothing like human hunger, after all. Human hunger was simple, the stomach churned, you could feel an ache in your ribs, you knew you wanted food and getting food was normally not difficult in this day and age.

For a vampire? It was different. There was still that ache, deep in your body, certainly, but it came with an odd hyperawareness of your surroundings. The sound of other people living in the same apartment complex of him. He could hear them walking around, moving. The sounds of their voices were something much closer--

And his teeth itched. He had the desire to knock on their doors, to ask to be let inside--

The sound of the motorcycle wakes him up from where he's pacing: he'd left the door open so she could enter, but. Her entering made the itching worse. ...He'll curse the moon for it, later.

Sorry, Lapis, you're faced with a Jinwoo who is missing his usually soft, quiet gaze. His eyes are wide, glowing in the shadows of his home--he'd forgotten to turn all of the lights on. The kitchen one illuminating the livingroom as best it could.

He lets out a breath, and it's a shaky, quiet thing as he forces himself to be rooted in place. ]

If this happens every full moon... I'm going to go crazy, I think. [ he can SEE her heartbeat. ]

[ The glowing gold of her eyes meets the glow of his, and for a moment she freezes in place. Everything about this screams danger, but Lapis wouldn't be where she is today if she listened to that little warning - and she trusts Jinwoo, above everything else. There is nothing to fear, and so she's calm as always as she closes the door behind her and reaches to pull her boots off. Luckily she has some decent night vision... ]

We'll figure something out if it happens again, don't worry.

[ We, because he's not going to deal with this alone, absolutely not. But they'll deal with the issue at hand first.

So she steps further in as she shrugs her jacket off, folding it over an arm as she pulls off her gloves as well. She's dressed simply enough, opting for biker shorts under a plain white dress for driving, but otherwise it's something that won't need much fussing depending on where he wants to take blood from. Something tells her he may not have patience for that... ]

How would you... like to do this? What would you be most comfortable with?

[ Sure she's given blood before, medically and in negotiations with demons and such, but not something like this. At the very least, she seems to be relaxed about this. ]

[ he's really not used to 'we'. Both in this life and the past life, Going Solo had seemed to be a running theme. Now that there was someone in his wheelhouse--people willing to support and help him, he feels if he asks too much, he'll lose them, too.

And yet, here Lapis is, knowing full well of the danger she's walking into--and she's looking calm. peaceful, even--as if this wasn't a big deal; like he'd asked her to come over to help him move a couch. not... you know. the fact that she's come to let him drink her blood.

it's still partway embarrassing for him; but tonight it felt less so. He'll blame the moon for the fact that his teeth itch and the reason why Lapis smells nicer than usual. Because that has to be it.

He lets out a quiet, slow breath. Trying to center himself before he crosses the room and just --- { the image of pinning her to the door is so loud in his mind. } ]

When Zhongli last aided me. [ he speaks quietly, each word deliberate. ] He offered me his wrist.

He seemed uncomfortable with it. I believe a bite there is very painful.

...And of course. If you aren't comfortable with me biting you, I suppose. We. Could use a ... glass, or. Something.

[ he's trying very hard

not to stare at her neck. ]

[ Meanwhile Lapis is stubborn in this. He's had to deal with so much alone, that the last thing she wants is for him to keep feeling like that. If she can support him, she will - even if that includes offering him her blood. If there's a way she can help, she won't hesitate to take it.

Of course there's some lingering nerves underneath all the calm, something that makes it tempting to fidget, but she chalks it up to this being something entirely new. She's not exactly sure what to expect, but she knows she can trust him - so for now she places her jacket and gloves aside, putting them onto a table as she listens. Right, the wrist would be a painful spot and he seems worried about that... And a glass? ]

A glass would take too long, and it would just get messy. [ Getting blood all over the place sounds like an awful idea.

Which does leave one option. She hesitates, before shifting to move her hair to one side, out of the way; it's enough of an invitation as any, but she still speaks up after a moment. ]

I trust you, so... I don't mind you biting me.

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sung jinwoo - solo leveling - ota

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