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

Waver Velvet | fate/ servantswap au | ota

[fionnuisce]

[i; records wing]

[It had, at some point, occurred to Waver that he'd been in this library before. And following that observation came a second semi-related one: excepting the relatively brief trip back home and to Fuyuki, he had been in this city for at least a full year now. Which was certainly a long time to be gone with no definite end in sight, but...well, could he really complain about it?]

[Sighing to himself, Waver closed the book in his hand--a tome with Sylvia Velvet written along the cover and spine--and shrugged as if dismissing a concern left unvoiced. The situation was what it was, and all he could do was make the best of it.]

[ii; music wing]

[...The concert hall was, for the moment, empty. And while that shouldn't have caught his attention, an idle thought crossed Waver's mind in a way he couldn't quite ignore completely. Sure, if (almost certainly when) anyone happened to catch him, it would be critically embarrassing. But on the other hand...well, it couldn't hurt. Just for a second, to see if he still remembered how to do it. For curiosity's sake, and what was this place for if not to satisfy curiosity?]

[Hesitantly, he leaned his cane against the side of a piano, sat down in front of the keys...and began to play a simple melody.]

[iii; wildcard]

[anything else! he'll be helping out around the library as well as teachingat cygnus and the university both, so i'm good for wherever/whenever]

II;

[doubledollar]

[ it's difficult for a now-seven-foot-tall tube man to do anything stealthily, but. He, too, had been wandering the library with a rapt interest--and of course, music being part of his genetics, he's attracted to this place easily.

he sees waver before the man starts to play, and there's a ...memory, bubbling up, easily in his mind.
Vash isn't anything but whimsical, so it's as natural as leaves on a vine that he comes up next to the other. Hands shifting to hover over the keys right at Waver's side...

and gently start playing as well--but not his own song, rather, choosing notes that compliment waver's own simple melody. filling in the paced keys with the a matching melody that keeps pace with waver's own slow and gentle pace. ]

[fionnuisce]

Huh-?

[He was startled by the sudden presence and accompaniment, missing a note or two...then settling back into the same rhythm, progression of one note to the next returning to a simple, fluid motion.]

Edward Kenway | Assassin’s Creed | tw grief

[jackdawvision]

[one: the literature wing]

[Edward had known a little bit about the modern-day popular conception of pirates. He works for Zulius, he’s heard the fellow talk a bit about Hollywood pirates. Still, he hadn’t run into any depiction of them himself, so out of curiosity he digs up a few fictional titles about pirates, just to see what the fuss is all about.]

Blackbeard’s what now.

[He’s having a bad time so far. There’s a whole stack of novels on his table that vary from “classic” (Treasure Island, On Stranger Tides) to “good” (Daughter of the Pirate King, Pirate Latitudes) to…well. This.]

Who wrote this? Blackbeard’s Bride—this isn’t right. I knew Thatch, he wasn’t the sort of man who would whisk some woman away just like that. And—during Charles-Towne, at that! I was at Charles-Towne, all he wanted were some fucking medicines—he didn’t even kill anyone there, I did.

[He slams the offending book shut and pushes it off to the side away from him, shaking his head and pinching the bridge of his nose with a clear disdain. And…grief. He’s grieving the man, like he knew him personally and actually liked him a lot.]

That’s how people see Thatch today? Bloody hell.

[two: the nonfiction wing]

[Well, if he hated that, now he’s got a copy of Johnson’s A General History of Pyrates and is leafing through the pages with a look of deep and utter annoyance. Then:]

He didn’t even bother to get some of the names right. If this is what passes for a history of pirates, no wonder the books on us are so unbelievably wrong. [Flip, flip, flip.] Where am I in all of this, anyway? I knew all these people he writes about. This has Vane, this has Rackham of all people—oh, he even wrote about Mary.

[He sounds noticeably sadder when he mentions Mary, and he stays on her entry for a little while longer before giving a tired laugh.]

Whoever wrote this didn’t know her very well. [Hadn’t known her fire, or her dedication to her cause.] Or Anne neither. [He pushes the book back into its slot, his heart sore from the reminder of those he’s lost, his mind a little troubled by his own lack of mention.

Might as well hit the records wing, he thinks.]

[three: the records wing || closed to Jinwoo]

[There are a lot of records on various pirates. Blackbeard’s here, along with Vane and Rackham and Bonny and Read and even Stede fuckin’ Bonnet of all people. None of it he has access to, though, so he spends a couple of hours poking around and looking up records belonging to his parents—farmers who’d lived a hard life, then died in Bristol. Well, his father died, but his mother still lives, and he knows after reading she won’t be happy to see him again.

Then, on a whim, he picks out a record for a Caroline Scott Kenway.

Reads it through, end to end. It’s when he comes to a certain page that his pencil drops.]

No. She— [His voice cracks on the pronoun, and his breath hitches in his throat.

They have a daughter. They have a daughter. Oh god, he’s a father, to a young girl who lives in England that he’s never even met.]

Jennifer. [He says her name, whisper-soft, tries to imagine her. Does she have his hair? Does she have Caroline’s eyes? Did she get the Kenway nose? He must apologize to her if she did, that’s his fault. Oh, he has a little girl, a daughter, he has—

He has to know what happens next. He starts reading, further and further, and the hitch in his throat turns into a full-blown lump when he realizes that Caroline caught a disease, and her lout of a father, that bastard, let her—

He let her—]

No. No, no, no. [She’s dead. She’s dead. She died and he never even knew. She’d been trying to send him letters and he never got one. He buries his face into his hands and just stays there at the table for a long while, surrounded by the records of the dead, grieving them all, grieving a wife he had loved and left behind. God, he’d only ever wanted to make her happy. Oh, god, she’s gone.

Save for this record of her—her name, her life, her death. Their daughter, god, they have a child. His head spins to think of it: a little girl, who probably has his eyes. Or hers. Caroline, he thinks, and makes a choice.

The library said not to take anything out but—but surely. Surely they won’t begrudge him this. Surely they won’t mind if Caroline’s grieving husband takes her record with him. Surely.

He takes her record, and slides it into his bag. Then he gets up, and turns, and starts to walk away.

He doesn’t get far.]

[four: wildcard]

[have an idea that’s not in here? this option is for you! outside the library, Edward will be working at the Vogue Theater and also running around Kaisou’s rooftops at night, if not hitting up the stable gates to see what’s going on there, so you can easily find him anywhere. hmu at mollymauktealeaf or at foggytealeafs on Discord if you want to hash something out!]

[doubledollar]

[ vash casts Waver a sidelong look--a calm expression in seafoam-blue eyes as a smile settles across his features. He doesn't say anything, not yet, but his fingers continue to dance across the keys, accompanying Waver's notes with his own, letting his head sway a little as the professor returns to the gentle, pretty melody.

Vash will continue as well--adding contrasting notes in, lifting the music up to something a little faster, a little more playful, as if challenging waver to pick up the pace, to play along.

His smile becoming a look of mischief. ]

[fionnuisce]

[Ilya might have appreciated the change of pace, he thought. Vash certainly would have liked her, that much was certain.]

[A little out of practice in front of a piano, he missed a note or two in his attempts to keep up--but the resulting melody still came out clear all the same.]

[doubledollar]

[ it's true, he'd have liked the little chaos gremlin, probably. they'd have gotten along like a house on fire.

Vash doesn't draw any attention to any missed notes, following along naturally--until he finally bumps his shoulder against waver's as the song comes to what feels like a natural end. ]

What other instruments do you know how to play? Or is it just Piano?
You're pretty good.

[fionnuisce]

Just the piano, but it's been years since I had any interest in trying.

[He turned slightly red, rubbing the back of his neck.]

What about you?

Ritsuka Fujimaru | Fate/Grand Order | Open!

[prunedworlds]

[I. Book Browsing]

While she might not be the most studious sort of person in the world, Ritsuka does possess a healthy amount of curiosity, which means she can be found at various points investigating the different wings of the library. Most of the time, it's just idle browsing to see if anything catches her eye. No particularly goal in mind, really. But if you happen to catch her in the Knowledge wing and show interest, she might be able to direct you to some information on Chaldea. On the other hand, catch her in the Records wing, and one might notice that, for all there might well be a record she recognizes the name of, it seems it's not one she's allowed access to...


[II. Simulator Shenanigans]

Ritsuka's been in Kaisou all of two months, and yet somehow, the first thing to really remind her of 'home' in the form of Chaldea?

The combat simulator.

Not that she's stopping to dwell on that, seeing as instead she's flagging down anyone who looks like a good potential candidate with a "hey, wanna give it a try?"


[III. Library-sitting]

Naturally, Ritsuka is quick to volunteer to assist with the library. Fortunately, she doesn't at all mind doing what's probably somewhat tedious or menial labor, so she can most likely be found helping with feeding the animals or sorting materials, whatever needs to be done most. Feel free to help her, ask her help, or even distract her!


[IV. Huzzah!]

Of course, exploring and helping out at the library isn't the only thing going on this month. There's a renaissance festival in town and, well, Ritsuka's never actually been to one, so of course she's curious. You can find her enjoying the shows put on by various acts with odd-sounding names like The Danger Council or Alfonse's Flame Carnival. Or wandering around and checking out the various booths, from fancy glass sculptures to high quality (and very sharp) swords to--is that a steampunk leather shop?--and, well, anything that happens to catch her eye.

Or you might even catch her paused in front of one of the official merchandise stands, chuckling at the sight of a tshirt that reads 'once a king, always a king, but once a knight is never enough'.


[Wildcard]

Have another idea? Feel free to throw something at me, or poke me in PM or Discord (Altocumulus) if you'd like to plot!

iii; closed

[lowestclass]

[ he's here for his own reasons. the mission with the Black Order this month was a ... complicated one. the order wasn't by any means a kind organization, there were plenty in it, like himself, who had joined due to being put in a corner, having little other choice.

But it raised so many questions in his mind. If one order member could erase the memory of their entire existence from the world; it'd beg to the reason that it could be done by anyone.

He's been lingering in the hall for a while now. A few of the people he knows coming and going, but the vampire himself was sticking to the shadows for now. assessing how he should act. if he should look up his own files. learn his own secrets.

and that's when he catches a sight of his new friend(?), the pirate who had done him a solid. the man with a playful disposition who Jinwoo was, somehow, somewhat endeared to, already. But the smile the pirate usually wears is not on his face. No, the man seems... stricken, and maybe it's dishonest of him to watch from the shadows, quiet and unseen, but.

Old habits die hard.
And he probably would have been contented to stay there until Edward left...

up until his eyes catch what the man did. That book, put into his bag. And his attempt to leave.
There's a... feeling of fear rumbling up in his stomach as he watches him go, and the very fresh memory of Edward chanting a quiet 'no' into the air told him two things:whatever he'd read had not been good. and it had driven him to the mad decision to take the book, as what he read had dug in too deeply.

Fingers find Edward Kenway's wrist. And while he isn't a strong man, the ice-cold grip of a vampire's hand is hard to ignore, isn't it?

Especially when it's followed by a quiet voice that pleads, very quietly. ]

...Trust me when I say. You do not want to do that, Edward-ssi.

Please.

[doubledollar]

It takes a long time to learn an instrument, so it's a commitment.

[ he grins a little wider. he sees that flush, professor. ]

Nah, just Piano.
It's been a long time since I've properly practiced, truth be told.
I used to play with my brother, when we were kids.

[fionnuisce]

My father taught me, when I was nine or ten or something. [A shrug.] One of those 'don't get into magecraft, please pick up a normal fucking career' kind of things. Some of it even stuck.

Gilgamesh | fate/grand order au | ota

[throwmoreswords]

i. in the library; reading is fun-damental

[ if there's knowledge to attain, then of course, Gilgamesh wants it.

he is all over the place in the library, partaking of its amenities; he is in the planetarium, he is in the music wing, he is becoming at least one crocodile guard's personal nightmare with how much he keeps going through the stuff in the museum wing. he finds a transcribed copy of the Epic's tablets and probably spends a good long time reading the poetry about--himself, and not himself; the man who inspired the legend in another life, in another time, as Gilgamesh as he is remains the ghost of a ghost, a memory of a king and a hero carved into the World itself for good or for ill.

his stupid golden face is going to be most everywhere, so feel free to set your encounter rating to high--except, strangely, when it comes to the Records room.

there's really only two records that Gilgamesh takes in--his own (read with a sort of... odd detachment, as if reading a biography about one's life that they hadn't authorized; the words are clinical and true, even if they feel so strange and distant. the tyrant king truly cared for nothing but himself) and one other's.

the other record is what will take him from the library in a pensive storm, memories brewing in the back of his mind, and it'll be a cold day in hell before Gilgamesh allows anyone to see him feeling emotions, especially emotions over a--over a mere weapon

(a brother, a soulmate, a friend ) ]

ii. battle simulations; he's gonna figure out throwing shit someday

[ he'd been meaning to talk to Dante, of course, but Gilgamesh isn't really--good? at asking for things that he's lacking in? he likes new experiences, of course, but using a sword doesn't feel like a new experience

it feels like Gilgamesh knew something and then forgot to continue practicing, like an errant child losing command over his piano scales because he's too lazy to practice, and Gilgamesh hates feeling like he's not good at something that he's previously been very, very good at. it's a whole different animal than running face first into nonsense is; something irritating and under the skin that almost, almost humbles him, but it will once again be the coldest of days in hell before Gilgamesh admits that he's having trouble picking up something.

he's watching the simulated battles with a voracious intensity, and occasionally trying them out himself--and if someone that he's not too suspicious of comes up and offers to show him a thing or too, he might just accept the tutelage without too much posturing and playing at being too disaffected and cool for everything.

he may also try out a wholly different technique, when he thinks he's fairly alone (though whether he is or not is an entirely different animal), an odd combination of launching his chain(s) at targets and angling some strange, glimmering golden portals to better shoot a gleaming sword out of--because if he's honest, swordplay itself feels... overrated. like he shouldn't need to try that hard to get a similar result.

so he's gonna try a new thing. a lobbier thing. ]

iii. hyrule; this ya-ha-hole was made for me

[ after reading the Enkidu stuff and probably getting a good workout or three (read: somebody taking advantage of kicking the shit out of him), Gilgamesh is going to head back out to Hyrule because somebody needs inventory spaces, and also because let's be real, for several years there, the happiest years of Gilgamesh's life were spent wandering around with his feral homunculus BFF while they camped and fought monsters and were just two dudes being guys.

the king is exploring nature and all it's glories, looking for weird little vegetable guys in their super difficult puzzle allotments. he's getting good at spotting strange and suspicious "nature" formations. ]

[jackdawvision]

[It is a mad decision, and some part of him is already regretting it. But if Caroline is dead and he's three hundred years into the future then there's nothing left of her but this record, and his memories, and—

He stops in place when he feels cold fingers wrap around his wrist. Even for a man such as Edward, who's dealt out death to so many and who's seen quite a lot recently, the icy feel of a vampire's fingers is still a shock to the system. He looks at Jinwoo, then lets out a breath.

He could deny it. He's sure of that. He could talk his way through. He could fight and force his way through, if needs must, but he'd...rather not.

The book sits heavy in his bag. The grief sits heavy on his shoulders.]

...it's my wife's. Does that not mean something? [She'd been pregnant when she left. She'd been pregnant when he'd come to speak to her for that last time. If he had known, he would've—he would've—

Would you have stayed, even then? a voice asks. It sounds like Caroline herself.] Give me a good reason why I shouldn't just walk out of here, with the last bit of her left in this world, in any world.

Zulius | Centaurworld | OTA

[bebest]

The Theatre Wing

[Naturally, Zulius is here. Theatre is his lifeblood and the chance to see some of the best theatre shows that ever was like he was there when it happened? He'd not miss out on that for ANYTHING. Sure trying to get through every theatre production that ever existed is PROBABLY an impossible task but he's chugged four red bulls and he's ready to GO!

For the most part, he's pretty quiet- he respects the theatre a lot and will only stop to talk to anyone sitting with him during the interval. Though at one point, you might find yourself in a production of Cats, where the guy playing Rum Tum Tugger might look a little...familiar. Naturally, once he opens his mouth to sing, it's clear that's Zulius - a decade younger and still human, to be sure, but Zulius all the same. This is one of the few times Zulius will actually speak during a production, but he's only interrupting himself, so it's fine. ]

Ugh, I can't believe that backstabbing tigress took this from me. I was SO good!! [He turns to look at you.] I was so good, right?

[Think super fucking carefully about your answer. And later on, he goes through some Shakespeare plays and notices someone very familiar to him. He squints at the stage.]

...What the actual fuck? [He's absolutely sending out a text because SIR?!!!]

The Records Wing

[Zulius isn't JUST here for the theatre wing, though. And eventually, he can be found standing at a table in the records wing, many, many books piled on the table beside him. He has a few notebooks where he's diligently copying things across. There's a framed polaroid in front of him, upon which are a baffling assortment of magical beings, Zulius amongst them. If he notices you watching him, he will look up with a snort of amusement. ]

Can you believe the little lizard dude with the knife in his back is called Stabby? [He clears his throat, squinting at the notes.] No, sorry, Phillip J. Bonecrunch but like literally everything is "Stabby this, Stabby that". It's a little on the nose isn't it? [He flicks a few pages.] ...I think he was like. A P.O.W or something?? Or the giraffe guy kidnapped him? Maybe both? It's SUPER unclear.

Wildcard

[Want something else? Let me know!]

[poisontippedcure]

[Zulius gets a genuine clap from Rose. She's only mildly offended by this musical, but it's okay. She's more confused than anything. What is the plot? Why are they all cats? Is it necessary they be cats?]

The very best.

[conquester]

Hello everyone! I did up an Introduction/September event log over here! I wanted to do at least one prompt with Iskandar's Labyrinth so I decided to combine the two. :3

Records Wing, aka sorry for the skeleton jumpscare Zules

[end_singer]

[Nito wasn't really watching Zulius so much as sort of spacing out in his general vicinity, so he startles slightly at being addressed. Give him... a moment to process the Everything about the situation so he can actually form a response.]

...Is he called Stabby because he is prone to stabbing, or because he had been stabbed? [a pause] ...And for that matter, what is a "P.O.W"? Or a giraffe?

Danny Fenton | Danny Phantom | OTA

[schrodingersghost]

Renaissance Fair:
Danny shivers slightly as he walks into the festival grounds, wishing that he'd thought to bring a heavier sweater. Who would have thought that September would be this chilly.

But he wasn't going to let a little cold weather get in the way of this. He'd never been to a Renaissance Fair before, and he'd been looking forward to checking it out.

And it was a fun, for a short time. He walks around, trying out some of the food and checking out the vendors. And then he almost walks right past a Fae. Danny blanches and hastily dodges behind a tree, hoping he hadn't been spotted.

Full Moon:
Deep in the park, Danny was perched on a tree with his wings spread out. Even with his heaviest winter coat on, he was shaking from the cold. But not even that was enough to distract him from mischief.

"Hey!" Danny calls out to the first person he sees passing below. "Did you ever hear that good things come in trees?"

He doesn't notice the frost spreading across the tree branch from where he is sitting.

Library:
At any other time, Danny would have been delighted to explore the library. He remembered the planetarium wing from last year, and he'd been excited to see it again.

But no. Something was terribly wrong, and he only knew one place he could get answers. Danny arrives at the record wing bundled up in three coats and his heaviest winter gloves. Even with that, he can't get warm. His skin is tinged blue from the cold and ice is beginning to spread through his hair.

He needed his book.

Quickly finding it, he turns through the pages as he desperately searches for some mention of ice. And he finds it.

"I control the ice," he says aloud. "I control it." Danny groans. "But how do I control it? Thanks book, super helpful."

[lowestclass]

[ he understands it. He does. He absolutely does. He'd love to grab up a book or two about the people in the library of those from his past life. Of Ha Chae-in, of Go Gunhee--but knowing what he knows due to his mission, due to how he knows someone had deleted their existence from the world once before, doing the exact thing Edward is...

His heart is breaking for him.
His heart is breaking for a man he barely knows, because he can't stand here and let the man make a mistake that'll hurt him more than he's hurting right now.

Jinwoo readjusts his grip on Edward's wrist. Not loosening it, but rather, fixing how his fingers hold him almost to try to coax him to slow down. ]

It means more than I'm sure that I know, Edward-ssi. A book like that isn't just a book, it is a treasure. [ he isn't about to act as if edward's action was even wrong; just... not a good idea. He tries, so hard, to give him a look that's soft.

But given his eyes are glowing a bright violet, and he's half hidden in shadow, it's difficult. ]

Even if it's the last part of her that exists.

If you take that out of here.
The world--and even you--will forget she ever existed.

Taking her story out of here... will make it as if she never existed.
That's how this place works.

sung jinwoo - solo leveling - ota

[lowestclass]

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. ]

Alhaitham | Genshin Impact / POKEGO AU | ota (minus pokego prompt)

[admonishinginstruction]

Rosemary and Thyme

[It had been years since Abasi had been to a Renaissance faire, but he'd decided to attend this one... partially to keep an eye out for any strange happenings while it was going on. He fully recognizes that some of the 'actors' aren't actors at all, and can be found checking out their events and games a little longer than others as he's wandering about.

And yes, he's in costume, a pirate costume, to be exact, and when he's done side eyeing the events, he can be found watching some of the jousts with a stein of cider in his hand.]

Bad Moon Rising

[This is the obligatory 'come see Alhaitham as a snow leopard' prompt. You know, these floofy cats that like to catch their own tail. He's one of those, and was probably caught downtown when he couldn't stay human.

So he's probably running from normies because they think he's escaped from who knows where, and probably animal control.

Help, anyone?]

Library of Alexandria, includes Finding Closure (PokeGo Mission)

[After donating some of his notes regarding his past life, Abasi finds himself within the halls of the Library of Alexandria... So many of his college classmates would probably give their right hand to be where he was standing right then, so he pauses to take a look around before exploring for a while.

At a certain point though, he can be found in the Knowledge Wing poking through the books about Egypt. Ra was an Egyptian god, was he not? Anyone watching will see him pause his hand on one book spine, before slowly pulling it from the shelf and opening just the cover.]

....Shit.

[He walks to a nearby table and sets the notebook next to a second book he had selected. One has Willow's name on the cover, and the second has the Akademiya Haravatat logo on the front, along with an odd green symbol next to it. He sits down, looking at both books sitting in front of him.

One is Willow's notes. One is his own record (he'll put it back when he's done).]

Have you ever been scared to read the contents of a book?

Wildcard

[I love me a Wildcard, so hit me up with anything. He can be found anywhere in the Library or around the Ren Faire for the month! Or around town. look, I want more CR for him. So please, hit me up!

two

[prunedworlds]

"I think it's pretty normal for a lot of history books to be wrong? People write what they think happened, or what they want to think happened, even if that's not entirely true..."

Yes, she heard some of that rant. And she's also rather familiar with this whole concept, herself.

i

[kanka]

[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.]

iii

[crisantemo]

[ 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.