September Event Log

[kaisoumods]

September Event
Dominant Element: Wind
Waning Element: Earth

Full Moon: September 28th - September 30th

※

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.

Comments

Blade | Honkai: Star Rail | Paranormal AU | ota!

[unreachableside]

[I. blade abracadabra]
[In Hyrule, Blade has spent the last couple weeks getting established-- first as a blacksmith borrowing the nearest town's forge, and then having one built himself, courtesy of the Hudson Construction Company, with an adjacent building. He's brought in several machines and tools used in other adjacent crafting disciplines, though unfortunately he doesn't have electricity in here just yet. Traditional only for now.

Not that it's stopped him. He's hard at work with his first prototyping, a jagged glaive made of lightning-charged crystal. He takes it outside where he has a training dummy set up. He runs his fingers over the pole, then tiptoes them along the top of the blade, testing its flexibility. A twirl of the glaive, and then he stabs at the training dummy, which explodes in a shower of sparks.

He inspects what's left.]

The blade is too thin and not wide enough. It's too brittle at one end, and too flexible in the other... Need to do it again.

[He sticks the glaive blade side down into the ground, then kicks it in the center of the pole until it breaks in half. The whole thing dissolves into sparkles afterward.]

Back to the drawing board.

[II. demiseless existence]
[Blade spends the first part of the month heavily invested in the knowledge wing, looking up various blacksmithing techniques, weapon designs, and the handling of magical materials. He's taking so many notes that his little lined moleskin notebook is practically bursting when he's finished.

But one day he wanders into the records wing, and his curiosity gets the best of him. He takes out the record of his own life, which is surprisingly thick, and begins to read. He hopes that his faulty memory will somehow piece together after doing some reading...

But the more he reads, the worse it gets. Blade is not a particularly expressive man but there are signs even he is disturbed by the events recounted in the text, like the way his hands tremble. He eventually throws down the book and gets up. He tears out the hair stick he'd used to tie his hair up and hurls it at the floor, too. Thankfully neither book nor hair decoration are hurt, but it's not for lack of trying. He looks disgusted.

After a minute, Blade rolls up his right sleeve and looks at the bracer he's wearing underneath it.]

Why did it have to end like this...?

[III. wildcard]
[Your choice!]

II

[venti_late]

[Venti's here in the records wing out of mild curiosity. There are a couple of questions he wants answered, but he kind of doubts he'll find those even here. Still, it can't hurt to try.

However, when he comes into the wing, he's greeted by the sight of Blade having an emotional outburst. His eyes catch on the bracer that the man's been hiding as well as the question. This greatly worries him, though he doesn't let that show just yet. Venti walks over to Blade and keeps a respectful distance.]

Blade? [Venti pauses, looking his friend over.] ... You wanna talk about it?

[unreachableside]

[Blade is drawn out of his thoughts by Venti. Though he doesn't look at him immediately, his body language is obviously on edge.]

Venti.

[His demon isn't helping things. He wants to rip all the pages out of this book. He wants to scream and cry and cut everything apart. He wants to lay down and not exist. He wants to...]

Talking about it won't do anything. It won't change anything.

... This was a mistake.

[venti_late]

[Venti looks at him for a long moment before sitting down next to his friend.]

Maybe it won't, but it might help you get your head and heart in order. Sometimes, it's less about change and more about getting the words or thoughts out of a loop.

[Although he gives Blade a smile, it doesn't reach his eyes. It's not a smile of joy, but one of empathy.]

But I'm not gonna force you. Goodness knows there's parts of my past I don't wanna talk about! I can just sit here and play my lyre quietly if that's what you need most.

[unreachableside]

[Blade doesn't say anything for little while, but eventually, he sits down on the floor next to Venti. Not close enough to be alarming, but... a tentative sign of trust.]

It's... difficult to explain, [he says finally.] I am not sure I understand the entirety of it myself.

[He runs his other hand over the bracer. He can't detect anything from the other one, which means it probably doesn't exist. Maybe it's better that way. But part of him is... almost hopeful, every time he does. He never even met the owner of the other bracer until a few days ago. It isn't like he wants to live in a past he doesn't recall either.

... It's all a big soupy mess in there and he's aware of it. And underneath it all, the demon waits. Give in, it says with more feeling than words—it rarely ever uses words. Give in to the violence.

He ignores it.]

In my past life, there was someone I... [No, he won't sugarcoat it.] We were engaged. We knew it would not end well. He was immortal, and I was not, but that didn't stop us.

[...]

I died protecting him. After that... there was no saving either of us from whatever atrocity we committed. What we became.

I died and came back a thousand times, unable to rest. As for him... we met again with new names. New faces. I pursued him endlessly, and he killed me over and over to defend himself.

[He recounts all of this with such resignation, as if he's narrating someone else's life. And in a way, he is.]

I did not break the cycle in this life. I nearly continued it. How much of it was the beast, and how much of it was me? I do not know.

[venti_late]

[Venti simply treats it like he's earning the trust of a feral dog with an unfortunate past. He listens in silence as Blade tries his best to tell him the story. It's... a sad one of star-crossed lovers.

There's no judgment from the bard. The couple's situation was a tragedy that almost played out beat for beat a second time.]

In a way, our current lives sometimes echo what we had been through in the past. I've been in rebellions, I've lost my first and best friend... and I've slept for long periods of time.

[He looks over to Blade.]

You nearly continued it, but you were stopped, I presume. You don't want to have it repeat, right?

[unreachableside]

[Hearing that... he's not sure it makes him feel better, but it does make Blade glance over at Venti, as much as he can see him from behind his messy fringe.]

... I'm sorry about your friend.

[He knows from reading that he also lost a good friend. Maybe that was the key to everything. Maybe not.]

I was. [Dan Heng managed to stop Blade himself, a feat of strength for sure.] Of course I don't want it to be repeated... [He's almost vehement about this, and then he realizes he's getting emotional and takes a breath. Lets it out slowly. Tries again.]

Even in that other life... I remember... wanting to see him again. Wanting to be with him again. I didn't want to kill him. Not really. I was just... uncontrollable. The beast—the mara—took everything from me.

[He wants to fix it, he realizes. He wants to break the cycle and start anew.

... But what if Dan Heng doesn't? He would be right to refuse him. He'd be right to be scared and push him away. Blade did all sorts of horrible things, and he won't pretend otherwise. He remembers how terrified Dan Heng looked on the camera and feels his stomach churn.]

[venti_late]

[Venti smiles at him. It's not fully cheerful, but it's bittersweet.]

It was a long time ago, but the grief hits in some of the quiet moments. For what it's worth, I'm sorry about you and your fiancé.

[The bard nods, and his calm doesn't break as Blade gets more emotional. It takes courage and strength of character to break a cycle like this.]

Does that answer your question? The one from earlier about you or the beast.

[He hums softly.]

The way I see it, if you want to break the cycle in this life and reconcile with him, it doesn't hurt to ask if he's open to talking it through first. Who knows? Maybe he's waiting for you to take the first step.

[unreachableside]

[The quiet moments... Blade thinks he understands. It's part of why he doesn't stop for anything.]

We knew what we were getting into, [he murmurs.] But we never thought it would go the way it did.

[He won't say it right now, but he appreciates Venti's calm. He's like a light breeze off a mountain, cool and just strong enough to feel like he's being held. It's... new.]

Hahah... I guess it does.

[He takes a deep breath.]

... You're right.

If there's one thing I have on my past life, it's that I can have a conversation.

[He holds his temple, ignoring the throb.]

And this... all of this... it's too important not to share with him. I don't have any expectations, but it's something that I can't ignore. It would be... dishonest.

2

[adtendo]

[It would be...difficult to say if Kafka was capable of worry. But if she had such an emotion, or even a facsimile of it, that would be what drew her to the library.]

[She knew Blade. Her Blade, at least. And for her Bladie, memories were a poison. She saw what happened when Blade encountered Dan Heng the last time. It's not a situation that she wants to repeat. And, given that the library holds his history--his memory of everything, it's only natural that she'd want to follow him. To make sure she's there if something happens.]

[Kafka keeps to the shadows, trying to avoid detection. When she's content that he's seen everything he could, she steps out. Who is she to stop him from trying? No, she's here to mitigate damage, if it comes to that.]

Well, it seems like you handle memories better than your past life, at least.

[It could easily be mistaken for contempt, but there's an actual underscore of care in her voice. She's relieved.]

[unreachableside]

[Blade... actually looks surprised to see her. He's younger, here, and not battle-tested. Not really. He lacks the ability to sense the presence of others, and he's not expecting it.]

Kafka.

[Maybe it isn't so weird she followed him. They were... close? For certain values of close. Blade's past life is confusing like that. The obsession clouds everything.

He feels the demon lurking beneath his consciousness, biding its time, waiting for him to slip. Thinking of this, he rubs at the bracer as if it might grant him some comfort.]

I'm barely holding it together. The beast takes everything.

[He frowns deeply.]

I swear it feeds on my memories along with my blood.

As for this? I don't remember half of what is in this book. As long as I do not force it, I should remain in control.

[He's got a whole system for figuring this out. Since it's only very recently he even got a method to help, this is how he's survived these past few months. Minimizing the collateral damage, and cleaning up after the fallout.] ... For now.

[He looks down at her.]

My regeneration is strong. If I cannot be called back to myself, then kill me without regret. I will be as good as dead if the demon wins.

[adtendo]

Listen. Relax. I'm here.

[Unfortunately, without her powers, she doesn't have the same sway she's used to. She tries to make up for it with a nice touch on the shoulder. It's...comforting, probably?]

Your past life was like this, as well. You may not believe me, but that you're able to be in control now at all is a huge step.

[Every word she says sounds like a lie, but none of it is.]

Let's pray it doesn't come to that, Bladie.

[unreachableside]

[She may not have her powers here, but her voice is familiar, and it's associated with enough calmness deep down inside of him that it actually does help. She doesn't sound like she's lying to him. She sounds like she has always wanted someone to listen...

He closes his eyes and takes a deep breath, then another. Physical touch isn't his strong point and were it anyone else, he's sure he would have flinched. But his body remembers, somehow.]

... You plucked me from my wandering. I remember. [Arms pinning his own. Armor with a soul, a voice. And her voice, whispering something in his ear.] I was... so broken.

[It isn't much different from now, but at least he didn't inherit a sword and... whatever the hell Jingliu did to him. He doesn't remember half of it, but he read about it.]

A monster. A corpse. But you were never frightened by it.

[Why is that? Maybe it doesn't matter. He feels the echoes of something. He thinks that perhaps in his previous life he didn't allow himself to feel anything, or he didn't want to. But Blade, being relatively more socialized, can tell this is some kind of... safety? He feels safe.

What a weird feeling.]

I am living on borrowed time. I survived something that no one should be able to live through, and I've cheated death countless times since.

[He smiles wryly.]

I don't intend to make it easy for the beast, however. I can promise you that.

[adtendo]

[When it's clear her words are having an effect on him, she smiles. Contrary to her usual demeanor, however, this one comes effortlessly. It's not part of a plan or a ploy.]

Perhaps, but we're all monsters, in one way or another. You were simply a special case. I've encountered worse.

[Why does she care? Is she trying to make him feel better? In this world full of strangers, even Kafka is comforted by a friendly face.]

We're all living on borrowed time, Bladie.

[Just as even the most riveting opera must one day come to an end, so to will they. In the grand scheme of things, she doubts the distinction Blade is imagining makes much of a difference.]

I'm sure you won't. And honestly, after the curse I saw you under in your past life, I'd say that demon doesn't stand much of a chance. You were once cursed with immortality, I can't imagine you'd find such a creature daunting.

[unreachableside]

Hmm. Maybe so. [It seems like all of them have done things they disliked in order to survive. Blade feels like he did things just to die, which is a strange realization, too. Even Dan Heng had to kill Blade multiple times in their past lives to save himself, but Blade felt in the depths of his heart he could not blame him for that. Not after the truth had been laid bare between them.]

Should I be concerned about the kind of company you keep?

[This is a joke. He knows the company she kept, and it was Blade.]

You're right. I don't find the beast intimidating. [He looks at his left hand.] Nor am I afraid to die. It's all just...

... an inconvenience.

[Blade is Blade after all.]

touches this again hello I live

[adtendo]

Concerned? You're welcome to be as concerned as you like, but I'm afraid it will be useless here. None of my company has followed me.

[For good or for ill. On the one hand Kafka misses--well and truly misses--the Trailblazer. Though she may not show it outwardly, there are people that are important to her.]

[On the other, the space cops are annoying, and it's nice to have freedom to move.]

Besides, there's not much that would change anyway. You and I are connected--I doubt you'd leave me for the same reason that I won't leave you.

[she cares you]

[Not that she'd ever say that out loud. Let it sound like a threat. It's much, much easier that way.]

Inconvenience is one way to put it, I suppose. Do remember, though, it's not just an inconvenience to you.

[unreachableside]

[He chuckles at that.] That's true. So you're stuck with the company you have.

[He... remembers, vaguely, someone with silver hair.]

... Perhaps you'll meet them again, too.

[He looks at her for a long moment, and then he nods, closing his eyes.]

That's right. [He knows what you're saying, Kafka. And he feels the same way, even if he didn't meet her until recently... The memories are clear. They are fond, or what passes for fondness in Blade's fucked up mara memories.]

If there was a way to get rid of it...

I would take it in an instant.

I

[crisantemo]

[ After some... unpleasant discoveries, Lapis has decided she's had enough of the library - at least for now. She can explore further later, when she has sorted through the maelstrom of thoughts and feelings digging up past life secrets had brought.

So for now she opts to go into one of the other gates, the fresh air of Hyrule a relief and the sight of a familiar face getting her to perk up. There's little hesitation as she approaches, watching as Blade snaps the failed prototype. ]

Not having much luck?

[ Yeah she's not gonna leave anytime soon, sorry Blade. ]

[unreachableside]

[Blade glances over at the sound of the voice.] Lapis? [He... isn't expecting to see her here, admittedly, but then again... she is part of the Black Order. Maybe she needs her weapons looked at.

He figures she'll be staying a while, so he dusts his hands off and starts back toward the forge proper. He's expecting her to follow.]

It's less about luck and more about trial and error. I don't want to waste materials on a design I haven't proofed yet, which is where the elemental prototypes come in.

Do you need something? [A look that he would never admit is very curious.] ... Did you bring your scythe?

[crisantemo]

[ The glance over gets a way, before she clasps her hands behind her back - not hesitating to follow as he heads back towards the forge. While she may not... entirely get what he means, she still listens attentively, humming with a nod. Weapons aren't something she's thought about much; she uses them and she's good at using them, but she has to admit this is a little interesting.

And she sees that look, amusement flashing across her expression briefly. He never did get a look at her scythe, did he. ]

I just wanted to get away from the library for a bit. And I always have it with me. [ Those words make a little more sense as she holds a hand out to her side, the scythe solidifying into existence from her shadow. All black with white flowers decorating where the blade attaches, a single chain wrapped around the handle - honestly she can't say why the chain is there, but it's been useful for some improvisation. ]

Here, you can take a look. [ And now she'll be offering it to him. It's not particularly heavy; she tends to use speed and the momentum of the blade rather than brute strength. ]

lmk if this isn't ok!

[unreachableside]

[Blade can go on for hours about the importance of fullers on sword edges. Don't mind him.]

Hmm. That must be convenient. [Did he have something similar in his past life? He's not sure, but he doesn't want to try to remember. That always ends poorly.

When she offers her weapon to him, he visibly brightens, like the stars coming out from behind the clouds. Subtle, but there. He takes it carefully and gives it a thorough inspection. From the thickness of the blade (which he tests with a flick of his finger against the flat) to the length of the chain, which he checks to make sure there aren't any deformities that could indicate it's about to break or fall apart... He also checks the length of the pole, and finally tests the balance on it.]

This is some impressive work.

[He offers it back to her handle first.]

It's in good shape, so all it needs is a small amount of routine maintenance. A little polish and sharpening on the edge of the blade will keep it keen. The chain could also use a little oil. That will prevent the moisture from corroding the metal, and it also cuts down on the wear and tear of the joints rubbing against one another.

I can take care of it while you're here. I don't mind showing you how if you've never done it yourself.

totally fine!!

[crisantemo]

[ Lapis suppresses the giggle when she sees how he just... brightens, when he takes a look at her scythe. It's almost cute, especially considering his usual tired and sullen demeanour, but she'll keep that to herself - for now, she's simply content to watch and listen. It's actually... rather interesting, the kind of things that go into caring for a weapon. She had never done it herself, if only because time was so restricted for her. But she has time now.

She holds her scythe and looks over it as he explains the maintenance, the tilt of her head making it clear she is listening. Then he offers to show her, and she perks up; not hesitating to nod as she offers the weapon back. ]

I would like to see how it's done, please. [ It's something new! So she's absolutely interested. ]

[unreachableside]

[Blade looks vaguely pleased as she acquiesces. He really doesn't mind showing her, which is also why he'll eventually get a Ralts out here apprenticing... But for now, it's just them.

He takes the scythe back.]

Knowledge is power, as the saying goes. If you're ever in a bind and can't see a blacksmith about your weapon, it's important to know how to take care of it on your own. Your weapon is your life as a warrior—treat it well and it won't let you down.

[Blade carefully sets the scythe on one of the work tables with the blade propped up with some wood. He fumbles around behind one of the counters for a moment, then brings out a big metal crate full of what appear to be differently-shaped stones. It looks heavy. Blade's just a guy, but the fact he's lifting this without an issue says that rather than superpowers he's just fucking blacksmith built. Lord. He sets it next to the table and drags out a bucket as well as a can of oil, and some cloths... This looks kind of involved.]

The first thing we're going to do is wipe off any existing grime. It looks fine to me, but you can never be too sure. [He slips some leather gloves on, then grabs one of the cloths and begins wiping it down.] About how much fighting does this thing see in a month? A few days or so?

[crisantemo]

[ Lapis is attentive as she listens, especially since he is right - it would do well to learn how to take care of her weapon, especially since her missions have taken her to remote locations in the past. So she stands back a bit as she watches and listens, blinking a little in surprise at how he's able to just... lift that crate. Considering his general diet and looking like a tired emo 90% of the time, she didn't expect him to have that kind of strength.

As he wipes down the the weapon, she lets herself creep a little closer to watch - not enough that she's crowding him, but just so she can better see what he's doing. The question snaps her out of observation mode, and she takes a moment to think about it. ]

A few days, at the very least. It depends on the kind of missions I've been assigned to at the time.

[ She's very much one of the more fight-focused Guardians, even if things have eased off since being assigned to Kaisou. No hunting nasty Spirit Realm creatures here. ]

[unreachableside]

[Most people aren't expecting him to be covered in scars either, to be fair. But he's nothing if not resilient, and it was important to him that he build his muscles back up after getting out of the hospital.]

Hmm. Understood.

[He reaches down to the side of the work table to find his file. It's far bigger than the kind you'd use on your hands.]

The next thing you want to do is file the blade at around a 30 degree angle, with equal strokes on each side. This is so when you sharpen it, it does so evenly. If you take a whetstone to the blade as it is, you're just battering the blade and making it brittle. We don't want that. Since this one is curved, think of it as three parts... Here, here, and here. We'll do one section at a time.

[He counts the strokes of the file as he goes.] ... And ten, and we move onto the second part... [He does this a little longer, until he flips the scythe around and repeats what he did on this new side, too.] Now that we've brought back the natural edge of the blade, we can work on the actual sharpening.

Are you following so far?