kaisou | January Event Log

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January Event Log

January Event
Dominant Element: Water
Waning Element: Fire

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As December comes to an end, it's time to head into the true depths of winter. Throughout the month of January, it will be extremely cold. Temperatures either below zero or in the single digits will be typical throughout the month. Every few days, another round of snowfall comes, constantly blanketing the city in fresh blankets of snow. It's best to bundle up this month and find ways to keep warm.

Kaisou Winter Carnival

The holidays may be over, but that doesn't mean this is a month without celebration! Over in Blue Fish Lake Park, Kaisou's Annual Winter Carnival is in full swing! Scattered across the snowy park, magnificent ice sculptures have been set up as part of the yearly sculpture competition. The crown jewel of the ice sculptures is an extensive ice castle maze, which visitors are welcomed to venture through. Different games and activities will be found throughout the maze, consisting of the usual carnival fare like throwing snowballs at a target or answering winter trivia. The prizes for completing these events range from candy to small toys to winter-themed plushies. Not a bad way to kill some time!

The winter carnival is more than just ice sculptures of course. A section of the lake has been set up with holes to do ice fishing, while another section is reserved for any ice skating you want to do with a ice skate rental plate included. The skateboard park has been converted into a spot for snowboarding and cross-country skiing. The park restaurant is serving lots of warm foods and drinks to help stave off the cold. Hot chocolate, funnel cake, fried cheese curds, poutine, mulled ciders, and a whole host of other items. And for those seeking something more combat-aligned, one of the soccer fields has been transformed into a battlefield for snowball fights. Build a fort and trench and hunker down, it's gonna be a long war.

If you're looking for activities that get you out of the cold, you should head to Undertown. The entire area of Undertown is being kept nice and warm thanks to a combination of electric heaters and fire enchantments. To celebrate the new year, red decorations have been hung up all over with a theme of tigers and rabbits. If you want to know how this new year will pan out for you, there's a vendor offering fortune stick readings. Pulling one of these sticks will give the character a fortune ranging from small to large luck or misfortune. Whatever your fortune ends up being, it seems to really follow you around for the rest of the day. Someone with great luck might find a $100 on the ground or land that promotion they wanted, while someone with great misfortune may trip down a flight of stairs or have their pipes burst. [mod note: the fortune sticks results will have no effect on gacha or side quest results. You can decide which stick they pull, though if you want it RNG then I suggest using the (draw) mechanic on plurk].

The First Full Moon

When one lives in the city, it's easy to not pay attention to the night sky. And in Kaisou, if anything in the sky gets attention, it's that bright and beautiful Spirit Vein. However on the nights of January 5th through January 7th, it'll be the moon that some will realize they need to pay attention to. For on the nights of the full moon, those with certain monstrous changes will find themselves struggling to hold onto their human mind. Bestial instincts will become deafeningly loud inside your mind, demanding to be listened to. It'll take a great amount of willpower to keep oneself from giving in completely, especially for those who never dealt with something like this before. Those who fail will find themselves going completely feral, leaving it up to other people to keep you in check. Once dawn breaks following the long night, they'll be able to regain control of themselves once more. Those who went feral may or may not remember what happened the night before, depending on the person.

Concerningly, it's not just the app users who are experiencing these effects. Throughout the three nights, there are cases of other city residents also succumbing to monstrous instincts. Someone will need to patrol the city and help keep these folks in check before they hurt other people or themselves. While there's not a great number of these cases - the signs are clear. Whatever is going on with these new monstrous changes, they aren't just limited to the app users.

The Other Zodiac

On January 9th, a message will be sent out by Zodiac on the Libra app.

ALERT: SHIFTING GATE LOCATED ON CATHEDRAL HILL.
Element Classification: Water
Danger Level: Medium to High
Designation: Celestial Race
A new spirit gate has been detected upon Cathedral Hill. Initial investigations indicate that this gate leads to the location of the famous Zodiac race. Due to a recent demon infestation, we've been invited to perform security detail for the race participants so they can complete their annual race. Those who help complete the race will be allowed to join the Zodiac Banquet, receive a gift from the Jade Emperor, and make sure the concept of time doesn't collapse on us all.

If you head to the Zodiac offices, the atmosphere has returned mostly to normal. The fuzzy professor is back and has made himself comfortable with a puppet-size armchair. He's happy to tell you what he knows, that according to legend the Chinese Zodiac was created as a result of a race that the Jade Emperor, a ruler of heaven, held. During the original race, the first twelve animals that finished were made part of Zodiac that's used all over the world today. He will also have a bit of a tangent about how the cat was left out because he got told the wrong day, and maybe that's a good thing because cats freak him out. As for the race they're being asked to help with now, the Professor isn't entirely sure, but he surmises it's a tradition done in order to uphold the power of the Zodiac and make sure the concept of time doesn't get out of whack - so pretty important!

If you talk to the Zodiac staff, they will explain that your job will be to escort the animals of the Zodiac through the race course and make sure no demons get them. They also caution that since the upcoming year is a water year, the race track will be cold and snowy on top of being dangerous and long, so they REALLY recommend bringing cold weather gear and and plenty of supplies. As usual, they are willing to rent out any supplies or weapons that your character needs. And for those they know are looking for extra income, they will mention that if you could bring back a peach from the banquet...they'll pay very generously.

Once you're finished with the Zodiac offices, it's time to gear up and head to Cathedral Hill. While the area is named for the cathedral that sits atop the hill, it's not the only place of worship around. Per Zodiac's instructions, you're to head to the Buddhist temple that's located nearby. Once there, it'll be easy enough to ask access to the gardens. It's normally a modest garden, so the massive and ornate spirit gate being guarded by two large guardian lion statues will certainly stick out. No doubt about it, this has to be the gate.

The Zodiac Race

When you pass through the gate, you'll find yourself up in a snowy mountain range with steep mountains that resemble the mountains of Asia rather than anything on North America. Once you're done surveying the scenery, you'll be waved over by a man dressed in finely made court robes. He introduces himself as an attendant of the Jade Emperor's Court, and assumes that you're here to be the security detail for the Zodiac race. Once it's confirmed, the attendant will begin to explain that it's your job to escort a zodiac animal through the mountain passes and across the river. The animals will know the way, but you'll need to make sure to protect them from any demons that try to attack. Apparently the demons seem under the impression that consuming those involved in the race will grant them immortality, which isn't true, but good luck explaining that to hordes of demons.

If you ask why they needed to get outside help for assistance, the attendant will give the most exasperated look on his face and simply say "You can thank Sun Wukong for that. Again." and not elaborate further, as if that explanation alone is self-explanatory and should not be pressed further. That said, some may hear the attendant grumbling under his breath that he hopes Buddha drops another mountain on that sha bī.

After the basic explanations you'll be escorted to the zodiac animals and their corrals. There's a whole lot of them, as they wanted to make sure at least one of each animal type makes it to the finish line. Characters will be assigned the animal the corresponds with their birth year. If your character is a special case who was born under a different calendar system or before the concept of time, the attendant will sigh and assign you an animal at random. Each animal assigned will come with their own quirks, that may help or hinder the journey ahead. The animals are:

Rat: Will ride upon you during the race. Clever and on high alert, the rat will warn you of any ambushes and potential shortcuts.
Ox: Can be ridden or pull a sled. An animal with high endurance, it'll need to rest less than other animals.
Tiger: It's a tiger. It'll help fighting any demons and may even pull a sled. For your own safety, keep it well fed.
Rabbit: Can be carried, ride in a sled or hop along. You seem to be luckier in small ways throughout the trip.
Dragon: An eastern dragon about the size of a tiger. Cannot breathe fire and can only fly short distances. It'll help with fighting any demons and may pull the sled, will not allow you to ride it and tends to be prideful.
Snake: Unfortunately due to the cold weather, the snake is useless and will try to hibernate the whole time. Using your own body to warm the snake will bring luck though.
Horse: Can be ridden or pull a sled. Faster than the ox, but needs to rest more often.
Ram: Has a very easy-going temperament. Can pull the sled and has horns it'll headbutt into demons. Also fluffy.
Monkey: A monkey that'll ride on you or in a sled, and can use tools to help out. Unfortunately, it gets easily bored and is prone to pulling pranks.
Rooster: It's a chicken. However if you hold onto its feet, it can fly you short distances. Will always wake you up early.
Dog: A good boy. Can do all the things dogs can do, including helping with demon fights and pulling the sled.
Boar: While more stubborn, the boar can also pull the sled and do many things that dogs can do. Will charge at demons.

The animals while more intelligent than many of their species counterpart, are still animals. So they will behave as such, and respond to characters accordingly. Characters that are good with animals will have an easy time bonding with their new companion, while others will struggle. Once all the animals have been assigned, characters will be given a bag of feed for the animals (though the dragons and tigers will need to have food hunted for them). They also are allowed access to a sled painted red if they have access to an animal that can pull one. Those with animal that can't pull a sled are encouraged to team up with others if they want, otherwise they'll be expected to go on foot. Finally, they'll be offered a pack of fireworks and firecrackers, but cautions them to be careful where they set them off.

Once everyone is ready, it's time to being the race! You all will be brought to a starting line, and once everyone is there, a gong will ring out! The race is on!

Challenge One: The Elements

As the race goes underway, it soon becomes clear that it's less a race of speed and more a race of endurance. The trip is a long one, lasting several days. While there are paths through the mountains, they are numerous and all winding. You will either have to get along well enough your animal to show you the way, or you'll be left up to your best judgment. Being in the mountains in winter, it's freezing cold. You'll have to make sure you don't succumb to the elements: keep warm, rest often, and keep yourself hydrated. Once and while, you'll find mountain lodges that have been set up to be used to warm up from the elements and restock your supplies. Be sure to take advantage of these. As for those accompanied by a dragon or tiger, make sure to let them hunt once and awhile- before they turn on you to feed.

Of course, these are the challenges if everything goes well. There are plenty of things that can go wrong. Many of the paths you travel on will be narrow passages over a steep cliff. One wrong step could make you fall to your doom. And some areas, marked with small warning signs that are easily missed, are prone to avalanches. In those areas, be careful not to do anything big enough that could set one of those off and bury you under a thick layer of snow.

Challenge Two: The Demons

The elements were bad enough, but remember you were brought on to act as security from demons. So throughout the trip, your party will be attacked and ambushed by various types of demons. These demons are less the classical residents of hell that western cultures are familiar with, but rather closer to anthropormophic animals beings. These "demons" vary in their intelligence level, elemental alignments, and skills- but overall seem to be more interested in eating you for the sake of their own benefit rather than some great evil plan. As such, any holy relics won't have any stronger effect on them.

It'll be up to you to make sure the demons don't harm you or your companion. While some demons can be persuaded that eating you won't actually bring immortality, many will not listen and will have to be battled. Whether you incapacitate them or kill them is up to you, though the dragons and tigers sure won't hold back their own predatory urges, and the boar will certainly try to consume any demon body that is left lying around. Lovely.

While many demons will try to attack you outright, or make simple ambushes- there is one foe that is extra dangerous. On some paths, characters will find come across a cave with a beautiful woman that is wearing very little despite the weather. She'll act friendly and charming, even flirtatious to those who'd seem interested, inviting the characters into the cave to escape the cold and share a meal with her. While she is being truthful about the food, turning your back to her is a dangerous mistake as that's when she'll strike. Her true form is that of a massive scorpion, with a stinger full of powerful venom. She'll proclaim that she is so powerful she managed to injure even the Buddha. And while that claim is a bit of an overstatement, she'll still be a tough opponent to fight. Do your best not to be caught off-guard.

The Final Challenge: Nian

After a few days of travel, the characters will finally make their ways out of the mountains. As they come down the mountainside, they'll see the frozen river that's meant to be the finish line of this race. The ice on the river looks thick enough to cross with ease. However as soon as they step out onto the ice, there'll be a deep rumbling before a gigantic beast bursts out from the ice below, landing on the ice. Standing twenty feet tall, it'll lunge at the party. This is none other than the legendary beast Nian, looking to feed itself during the new year season.

Characters will have a number of options. They can choose to fight the beast, though it'll be a dangerous fight and you run the risk of breaking the ice beneath you. You can also try to outrun it and hope it'll stop chasing once you make it to the other side. Finally, you can attempt to scare it off by using the firecrackers and fireworks given to you earlier, if you haven't used them up already. Nian also seems to avoid anything that's the color red, so maybe something can be done about that. Though no matter what you do, you'll need to be mindful of the ice beneath you. Do anything that breaks the ice, and you'll find yourself being plunged into freezing cold waters and having a whole new problem to contend with.

Whatever choices you make, you'll have to do your best to make sure you and your companion survive this encounter, as it'd be a shame to lose the race so close to the finish line.

Aftermath

Once you survive that final challenge, it's time to cross the river. Once you do, you'll no longer be in a wintery landscape but a beautiful courtyard that's warm and full of blooming plant life. You have reached the true destination of the race: the Heavenly Palace. More friendly demons and other celestial beings are there to welcome and cheer your arrival, and you'll be invited to join in a massive new years feast full of the finest Chinese cuisine. At this point, your animal companions will part ways with you, as they are off to have a private banquet with the Jade Emperor as is tradition.

Once you are fed and warmed, you'll be given rewards for all your work by attendants of the palace. The first will be a small charm of the animal you helped. This charm will allow you to summon your animal companion within the Spirit Realm, should you ever want to see them again. You will then be offered one of two choices: the first choice is a bright red envelope with about 8,000 dollars within. The other choice is to have a peach of immortality. Anyone who eats the peach will become immortal and unable to die, however it will come at the cost of being forever tied to the spirit realm. This means unless you travel through the spirit realm, you'd never be able to leave the boundaries of Kaisou as you need to stay near the spirit vein. And for otherworlders ... well, you'd never return home. Though they say you don't have to consume right right away, so people may choose to take the peach with them and save it for later. Still you can only choose one option, so choose wisely.

Whichever you choose, once the feast winds down, they will open a gate that'll allow you to return directly back to Kaisou without going through the mountain again. Once you return home, the rest of the month shall prove relatively peaceful. As for anyone who actually heeds Zodiac's request to hand over a peach. Well...they will hold up their offer to pay handsomely and hand over 40,000 dollars for your work. Surely they're just feeling extra generous and this shouldn't leave you with a feeling of dread, right?

OOC Notes

The dominant element this month is Water! Anyone with an affinity to the water 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 Fire 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 January 15th to serve as an intro post for new characters and allow characters to react to developments over the network.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yep, I'm fine.

[ why wouldn't he be? just to show that, he turns back towards waver, shrugging. don't perceive him so much.

anyways-- ]

Also, you shouldn't dismiss the power of a random event. Taking out a random stick could cause a huge event to happen in the far future! You might even be set on the path of becoming an anime protagonist.

[As someone whose main vocabulary consisted of the words 'I'm fine', Waver at least knew that was a load of shit when he heard it. But he didn't push the issue, not yet. He wasn't quite confident enough to try, with this Flat-but-not-quite-Flat that he did and didn't know. So for now, it was just filed away in his mind as a concerning insistence.]

That's definitely not going to happen. Least of all over something as minor as this.

What do you mean? Do you always have this low of a self-esteem? You should believe in yourself more. [ and, making a ridiculous fighting pose by pumping his fist into the air— ] Fight-o!

Flat.

[dear god.]

I'm saying that something this inconsequential is not going to radically alter anyone's life or circumstances, regardless of prophecy, predestination, or anything of the sort.

[ …

flat, for a second, looks like he’s ready to continue debating, but after a few seconds, he shrugs his shoulders. it’s not like he’s so into the topic that he would argue about it for hours—he’d barely argue it for more than a few minutes. he maintains the smile on his face, continuing.

(there’s something about waver calling him by his nickname in such a tone that almost feels like a deja vu— he’s still unsure how to feel about this, behind his grin.) ]

But let’s say that, because of this, you lose some money. And because you lose money, you can’t buy lunch. And because you can’t buy lunch, you don’t go to the stand. But because you’re not by the stand, you end up missing a plane falling from the sky and crashing. So now you survived getting crushed under a plane simply because your magical twig said you had bad luck!

[ this makes perfect sense to flat]

You're talking about the butterfly effect--the concept that a small change can result in a larger shift down the line.

[Predestination was a strange thing, which Waver found he only believed in conditionally. Some things were set in stone enough that they could be foreseen by those with the ability, this he had already seen in Kaisou multiple times. Countless stories and legends relied on the same: prophecies of death, of prosperity, of both at once. There was a grain of truth in the concept of fate, one he'd tried very hard not to acknowledge the wider implications of. What little he comprehended of Second Magic combined with that to make the world feel far more infinite than it had ever seemed before.]

For example, because of the fortune telling, we are both standing here right now as if by chance.

[In some world, he thought, maybe Waver Velvet had listened to his mother and chosen not to become a mage.]

[In some world, maybe he hadn't been so foolish as to steal a catalyst from its intended recipient, and wasn't that a concept that made his blood run cold in a way the winter air could only aspire to.]

[In still another, he heavily suspected, a man named Hansa Cervantes had spoken to a teacher asking for his student's protection, and it terrified Waver to think there was a world where Flat Escardos might suffer through the same ritual that his own professor had narrowly survived.]

And as a result, because we're standing here wondering about the nature of luck and predestination, I'm going to say something to you. As a result of that, you're going to react however you will, and one or both of us might just consider that a fulfilled prophecy of our own misfortune.

[What he could not possibly ever know or have the capacity to understand was that neither of them were cosmically insignificant. Even in worlds where the Fuyuki Grail War never transpired, Sylvia Velvet's warnings would fall on deaf and rebellious ears. Her son would walk into a lion's den of bloodthirsty mages, and he would become Lord El-Melloi II in almost enough of them to make Zelretch's head spin.]

[In most if not all such worlds, he would meet a child made of untempered chaos.]

What I'm going to say is this:

[And without exception, in however many worlds and timelines, he would do anything and everything it took to protect him.]

Don't give me that fake smile. Someone your age shouldn't have to force themselves to look happy if they aren't.

[ that’s right, the butterfly effect. flat had looked over it once when he was younger, looking for any sort of consolation in the form of knowledge. the absorption of information was a past time for him and continues to be to this day— the list of things he finds compelling dwindling with each 2 am wikipedia deep dive, however.

but flat has no chance to come up with any sort of retort. the bombshell drops, and the young man feels like he has been kicked in the chest as he remembers that feels almost like his

but not quite—

knocked breathless by both waver’s plea and the strange memory that isn’t his, flat is left undeniably speechless, anxiety and confusion filling his mind. slowly the smile falls and he feels small and see through. the glasses are the only protection left, but even behind the tinted lenses, waver might tell how flat’s eyes are as wide as plates. ]

That’s not… [ "true"— it is. "my memory"— debatable. perhaps it wasn’t his but of… ] How…? What…?

...That's better.

[It wasn't insincere, and that was what counted. This conversation--or one like it--was one he could remember having before, and having to repeat himself was needling at the part of his mind that only knew how to worry about the child in front of him. Whatever kind of life Flat Escardos had led in this world (he wasn't sure, but he knew he didn't like it) had caused him to wear the same fake smile as ever, and that bothered Waver immeasurably.]

I'm not your enemy, Escardos. So you don't have to bullshit me by hiding behind a smile like that, and you shouldn't feel like you do.

It’s not— I’m not bullshitting you.

[ don’t consider yourself so special, waver. flat bites out the words like a cornered animal, defenseless without his main armor. even if waver says that he’s not an enemy, the real question is why he concerns himself so much with someone that he doesn’t really know.

to tell the truth, he’s probably trying to bullshit everyone— including himself. fake it till you make it, no?

his hands are shaking. he wants to sit down. he wants to go home. flat can’t seem to do either, so all he does is look down and away from the lights and, most importantly, waver. ]

Haha… I knew that stick would be right. [ losing the bite from earlier, flat’s voice has lost most of its energy. behind the slight tremble of his voice, he sounds mostly… tired. ] Is that all you came here to do? Or is there something else?

I know you aren't. I just think it's a miserable way to live, making yourself into what others want to see rather than being who you are.

[It was never just him, after all. Waver knew what it was like, even if his reasons and approach were wildly different. The mask of a competent professional Lord suffocated the reckless and sentimental human who wore it, every day of his life.]

[Though his eyes were sharp and focused behind his own sunglasses, the hand on his cane held a tense white-knuckled grip to stop from trembling. Something about this Flat felt wrong by two degrees to the left, a note of something just unknown enough in the familiar to leave him shaken and unsure how to navigate.]

[But Flat was still Flat. That was, at the absolute core, what mattered.]

...No. I'll leave you to it, if that's what you'd prefer. [for now, went the unstated implication.] You know how to get in contact with me, and I live in the university district.

What difference does it make?

[ to be himself. to do what he prefers. he hasn’t done either of those things in years, having repressed those parts of himself in order to become someone that people liked. when that didn’t happen, he became a fool that people could laugh at. and if that didn’t work, then he would just be the eccentric.

in any case, he had long forgotten just who was the person inside his body. he might as well be no more than an empty vessel for others to fill. ]

Whether I’m faking my smile or not, it doesn’t make a difference to anyone but you. No one else… no one else has noticed.

[ which means it would be fine for him to keep pretending. it’d be far easier, at least. he looks up at the mage, removing his sunglasses to give him a better look, eyes like dark holes. ]

Besides, you’re not one to talk either. Pot calling the kettle black much?

...Fair enough. [He took off his own sunglasses in turn, placing them on his head as usual. Eyes sharp but not cold; analyzing, trying to comprehend, trying to understand.]

But I've well and truly screwed myself into being someone else so that children like you don't have to. People are meant to learn from others' mistakes, not take them as encouragement.

If no one else has noticed the real you under that smile, then that's their own failing, not yours.

I’m nineteen, you know?

[ that’s hardly a “child”, in anyone’s eyes. but, perhaps, flat hasn’t felt like a child for far longer than that. hardly even human.

no normal human would see the way that he does, after all.

he maintains his stance, poker face set as well as possible. he’s been seen through once, but flat will do his best to not repeat that mistake again.

(because for someone to know how empty he is— that’s too scary, even for himself) ]

I saw a vision of you. Maybe it was a memory from the “Flat Escardos” that you know? [ a pause. no, that’s not right. ] Or, no, not really you. It was someone like you, but just a bit different. I can tell.

[ the signature on both are just ever so slightly different. ]

I was pretty young. Is that why you feel like you need to do this? Responsibility?

...Not in the way you think.

[Alright. He wanted (needed?) that fake persona to disappear? Waver let out a quiet breath and spoke with calm sincerity--eyes still focused on Flat unflinchingly.]

There was once an arrogant student about your age who presented himself like he was god's gift to magecraft, demanding attention and acknowledgement from a world where he was less than mediocre. The student came to hate himself for his weakness, and everyone around him cursed him as a failure. But still he continued, determined to hold to the idea that he could be stronger than anyone if he just worked harder, if he made himself fit into that world and become exceptional within it no matter the cost. He even risked his own life like it was worthless, because as far as he was concerned? It may as well have been.

[I'm nineteen, he'd once snapped at someone who could murder him at a thought. Not a child, but so very, very stupid. Careless, reckless, arrogant Waver Velvet yet to understand anything of the world or what lay within it.]

One day, the student met someone who praised his meager abilities and found value in what the world of mages saw as trash. The student's limited skills were unconventional and unrefined, but he saw that they attained results all the same. He advised the weak student that his strength did not lie in attaining others' standards, but in excelling as himself, by his own methods and with his own skills.

[And he'd scratched and clawed for every inch he could attain ever since, dragging his worthless strength onward to claim the stars themselves.]

That day, when I saw Flat Escardos standing in front of me faking a smile, it really pissed me off. All I could see was another nineteen year old kid trying to be who they weren't, trying to meet others' standards.

I became a teacher in part because my responsibility is to do what that person did for me; make sure kids like you can exist as themselves, and live up to their full potential not giving a fuck about anyone else's standards.

Edited (redundant lmao) 2023-01-06 17:01 (UTC)

…

[ this is…definitely a story.

flat can’t empathize with most of it, though he can logically put the pieces together with what he has. when the boy sees waver, he sees a weak man who has scraped by with luck and stubbornness.

and while he can’t empathize, the tale does leave him… just a bit curious. similar to every time that he has talked to this man.

his gaze softens at the edges, and speaks up in a softer tone. ]

You… called me—no, that Flat, brilliant. [ a pause. ] Did you really mean that?

Of course I meant it. He's as talented as he is reckless, well beyond me or damn near anyone I can think of given a little discipline. [which, easier said than done.]

[That white-knuckled grip had changed to restlessly drumming on a silver handle, Waver scowling in a way that seemed more 'mildly put out' than genuinely upset.]

And I have a hard time believing that could change in any universe or timeline, probability be damned.

Edited (missed a sentence) 2023-01-06 17:29 (UTC)

[ flat nods, his expression trained, though he keeps an eye on the tapping on the handle.

maybe waver’s tired of him. no, he definitely is. it’d be understandable, after a—

wait, what was that last sentence again? ]

Huh?

What? I said 'I have a hard time believing that could change in any universe or timeline'. Did you not hear me?

I—

[ “heard you perfectly.”

but even so… ]

You don’t know anything about me, though.

[ there’s no sharpness to these words. only mild confusion and disbelief. clearly that can’t include him, right? he shouldn’t put hopes up like that, much less over a stranger. ]

You, specifically? Sure, I'll grant you that we've only just met. But if I trust anything, I trust my student isn't the kind of person to vary all that much no matter the incarnation.

What, do you seriously think any of that makes a difference to me? You're enough like him that anything I say in that regard applies to you, or so I'm choosing to believe.

Edited 2023-01-06 18:11 (UTC)

…

[ flat stares up at waver for a few seconds, looking for anything that might tell for a lie.

but after those moments, his shoulders drop in defeat. he has seen many adults lie to his face before, but this one is not.

he looks down, as the world is still too bright for him, a small, tired smile on his lips— at least this one is honest. ]

Why did that Flat have to do that as well?

...He had his reasons and his circumstances. What I know of either is not my place to share.

He's a good kid. Lacking in common sense and completely absent of impulse control, but uniquely talented and unfortunately for me, too clever by half.

I see.

[ maybe he’ll have another vision like the one he just had. the thought of it is daunting, but there’s nothing he can do about it.

he rubs the back the back of his neck, chuckling sheepishly. ]

“Lacking common sense and absent of impulse control”, huh… that sounds more like the stuff my teachers would say.

Well, it's true. He's a guaranteed headache damn near every day.

...But that's just the kind of person he is naturally, so I can't very well hate him for it.

Wow… he really is lucky to have you.

[ flat sighs. waver says he can’t hate flat for how he is, but many teachers that he had before him sure were able to do that exact thing.

idly, he looks at the pair of sunglasses he’s holding. ]

Do you know why I wear these, mister Waver?

Edited (keyboard wtf) 2023-01-06 19:23 (UTC)

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