october mingle

[stellafortunamods]

October Mingle
Welcome to Teyvat - a vast magical world of adventure.
The Miko of the Grand Narukami Shrine has arranged for your passage out of Ritou and into the Inazuma islands at large. The nation has been gripped by an oppressive atmosphere ever since the enactment of the Vision Hunt Decree, and only someone unyoked by the Electro Archon can hope to break this stalemate.

Konda Village sits on the outskirts of Inazuma city. A pillar of its community now seeks to move out after losing his Vision. A samurai employed by the Shogunate is being accosted of hiding rations by his neighbours, and he has no recollection of ever dealing in such matters. Forgetting something seems to be the thread that links every former Vision holder's story together, yet their tragedies differ greatly in circumstance. Is the loss of a Vision truly so profound? If so, then why did the gods deliver such a poisoned gift to their people?

A mysterious priestess approaches you with a sincere request - Kazari seeks your aid in purifying the Thunder Sakura around Inazuma, as well as the Sacred Sakura on Mount Yougou. She tells you that these trees absorb the evil from the very land, but cannot dispel it without outside intervention. Here's where you come in: you need to dispel the sealing sigils around the holy trees, so that the filth accumulated within their roots can take form and then be swiftly cut down.

The seals, the trees, and Kazari herself are relics from the olden days - the mystical Inazuma, where kitsune and tengu lived and worked alongside humans and their god. But those days have since ended, and all that is left is a stifling eternity.

State of the World

The Land of Eternity is not without failings. By pursuing 'Eternity' and closing the doors of her nation, the Raiden Shogun has only made the lives of her people more difficult. Exploring the country may give you some clues as to how you can break her enforced stasis. You must first understand the situation of the nation, and then find the natives who also wish to change their world.


Please direct all questions to October's OOC post!

Comments

[sufferean]

[Rean pops his head up and smiles back at August.]

Is "yes" an answer? But I had been talking more about the shrine, just now.

I see you got yourself a new outfit?

[drewthetower]

Yeah.

[He sort of gestures to his...everything: the white-blond hair, the raven, the fact that he doesn't look anything like the locals.]

I figured different clothes would make the rest of me stand out a little less. Unfortunately--[he looks at Julian]--bird.

[sufferean]

Haha... yeah, I get it. Our features are going to make a lot of us stand out no matter what we do, so at least you're not alone on that front.

[Rean glances at Julian.]

But, yeah, you've got it a little harder than anyone else with a whole familiar to worry about, besides.

I haven't gotten anything clothing-wise from here yet, myself... I'm a bit afraid of messing it up somehow if I try to wear traditional clothing.

[MUST RESPECT THE CULTURE!!!

Honestly, Rean pretty much looks something like a mashup between his normal clothes and like someone who walked straight out of Mondstadt. So... yeah, he stands out just a tad.]

[drewthetower]

The woman running the kimono shop offered to show me how to wear it, before I said I just wanted the silk. She'd probably do the same? Or...

[Yeah, he's giving Rean a very judging once over.]

Or I could literally just make you something. Anything. Something more coherent than...this.

[He gestures to Rean's everything.]

[sufferean]

[...?]

Um... I mean, I certainly wouldn't turn you down, but...

[He looks down at himself, confused.]

I don't see anything wrong with this...?

[It's terminal.]

[drewthetower]

[Oh God. August looks more than a little horrified as he reaches out to grip Rean by the shoulders.]

Rean. Rean, Rean, Rean. [A pause.] You look like someone took all the fashion of 19th century Europe, every generic "cool guy in a trenchcoat" Pinterest board--which you actually could probably pull off--stuck it in a blender, painted that unholy slurry on you, and you just let them. The only thing that is saving you is your good looks.

[It's a nice face.]

Also? You have a katana. A katana. And you're dressed like this.

1/2

[sufferean]

[Rean just looks at him like a deer in headlights.]

I'm— I have no idea what half of the things you just said even are? [...] A-and it's not even like I have that much to write home about, looks-wise—

[Rean, is now the time to be humble?]

2/2

[sufferean]

[What's probably even sadder, though, is the one whole comeback he actually has to any of this, and the only thing that's said with any amount of conviction:]

And it's a tachi!

[drewthetower]

Okay, first? As a useless bisexual disaster I am here to tell you that you are very good-looking and if anyone says otherwise they're blind or just not into guys. Honestly a little jealous, I look like a very pretty bird.

[Just getting that out of the way first.]

Second, I don't know swords I know stitches. Either way, you need a new outfit or ten.

[sufferean]

A-ah— I mean, thank you, but— you look just fine, you know, there's nothing to be jealous of—

Wait. There's a word for that?

[Bisexual, he means. It's not like anyone really talks about anything like that in Erebonia! Mostly, they talk about swords!

Regardless:]

...mgh. Well, I can tell when I'm in a battle I'm not going to win, so if you insist, I'll cooperate.

[drewthetower]

Good.

[Because August is now going to drag Rean off to find a teleporter and get this idiot back to the kimono shop.]

And there's a word for what? [A pause as he runs over what he said that might prompt that response.] Bisexual? Yeah, surprise, people can like more than one type of person.

[sufferean]

[He's coming along, yeesh! August doesn't need to drag him!

(Please continue dragging him.)]

I mean, I knew that part. I do like both guys and girls. It's just... not something anyone ever brought up back home.

Everyone just kind of... assumes, and no one talks about it, really.

[drewthetower]

Because it's shameful or because literally why does it matter?

[sufferean]

Kind of both. I mean, I'm on the side of "literally why does it matter," but there's a lot of expectation that you're going to produce an heir for your family someday. Especially if you come from a noble house.

You're allowed to mess around with the same gender, no one seems to care about that, but once it comes time to "settle down," the expectations change.

[drewthetower]

That's still a thing where you're from? Nobility and that shit?

[sufferean]

Yeah.

Technically, I'm a noble, but I stay out of it as much as I can. Works out well enough, since most of the nobility wants about as much to do with me as I do with them.

[drewthetower]

[That makes August snort as he finally spots a teleporter and heads for it.]

Sounds like me and the dumbasses back in school. There is no hell worse than being the weird kid in a small town, lemme tell ya.

[sufferean]

[Oh, thank goodness. Maybe August will let him go sometime soon. (No.)]

Haha, tell me about it. There weren't a whole lot of kids in Ymir. My sister and mostly just hung out together for most of the time I was growing up.

[drewthetower]

[Absolutely the fuck not. He keeping his (admittedly weak) grip on Rean all the way to the teleporter and even when they touch it to teleport. He does not trust you not to bolt, and he is a skinny wimp like this.]

Did she ever talk you into doing stupid shit? I'm an only child, but the two friends I had were either talking me into stupid shit or wondering why we were doing the stupid shit.

[sufferean]

[Rean is just going to keep following along, then, not unlike an obedient puppy.]

Yeah, sometimes!

She's always been better at acting the part of a noble, but she would egg us on to press on further into the valley outside of town than we were supposed to just as often as I would. And she and I both liked to snowboard. We definitely got ourselves hurt more than once trying to race each other down the courses.

[He laughs.]

What did you and your friends get into? I'm sure there's a lot I wouldn't understand, your world seems pretty far ahead of mine, but...

[drewthetower]

[A beat as they teleport (and August figures out how to explain this).]

Okay, first of all, you have you understand that I have a really strong regen factor back home. Like, fell-out-of-a-tree-sprained-my-ankle-was-walking-just-fine-next-day strong. I have always had this regen factor, even when we didn't know it was a regen factor and just thought I was like, made of rubber or something.

[Another beat.]

So Alexandre talked me into hooking up his skateboard behind his dad's truck and seeing how well I could stay on it when he went sixty miles an hour when we were teenagers. Answer: not very well but boy was it fun for the two seconds I was upright.

[sufferean]

Oh, really? Wow, that really is strong.

[And you would think Rean would immediately scold August for doing something so dangerous. And, well, partially he does, but also:]

Okay, wow, if you didn't have that regen factor that could have been so dangerous.

...But I have to admit, it sounds like a lot of fun. It's a shame I don't heal anywhere close to that well, because if I did I'd want to try it out myself.

[drewthetower]

Oh it absolutely would've been, and we only did it because by that point we figured nothing short of a bullet was gonna do me in, and even then it was fifty-fifty odds.

[Just saying.]

If you can get a car that goes way slower, it's doable probably.

[sufferean]

Yeah, that's fair enough. I've probably [read: definitely] done stupider things with even less certainty, so I don't think I'm really allowed to get on your case.

Haha, that might just be doable where I'm from. Cars aren't too common throughout the Empire, and certainly nothing that goes all that quickly.

The bike I inherited from a friend can go pretty fast, but that was kind of an experimental thing. They're only just rolling out onto the market for regular consumers now.

[drewthetower]

Like motorcycles? That can probably go fast enough for at least a short ride, but don't ask me how you're gonna tie the skateboard to it--here we are.

[August finally lets go of Rean's arm, only for Julian to sit on Rean's head. It is very, very clear that Rean is not escaping this.]

Any preferences on color or whatever, or can I go nuts?