JANUARY MINGLE

[stellafortunamods]

January Mingle: A Ballad in Goblets
Welcome to Teyvat - a vast magical world of adventure.
You open your eyes to an unfamiliar sight. A cool breeze flits through rustic buildings and sunny streets, carrying the smell of flowers and wine. The very air itself seems charged with mana, the warm pulse of the land palpable beneath your feet. This is a new world, a world where the elements compose all of reality. Before you is a bubbling fountain, and a key is entwined between your fingers. And that weight on your hip? A sparkling bauble that you've never seen before, yet it feels natural, as if it had always been there.

Asking around nets you the name of this world - Teyvat - and the name of this city - Mondstadt, blessed by the Anemo Archon, Barbatos. Your new home is accessible with the key placed in your hands, though this also brings to mind another question. How will you get money? Food isn't free, after all.

Luckily for you, there's plenty of jobs available for the enterprising Traveler. Be it taking requests from the Adventurers' Guild, or working part-time at one of Mondstadt's many food establishments, Mora is to be had when hard work is involved. The cuisine of Mondstadt is best paired with its wine, served at bars or enjoyed in private with a few friends.

And about that shining gem. locals will tell you that it is a Vision, a sign of favour from Teyvat's elemental gods. With the Vision on hand, you find yourself capable of commanding one of the seven elements. What will you do with this newfound blessing? Use it for good... or for evil?

Mondstadt's liveliness doesn't diminish when night falls. Bards sing through the wee hours of the night, and the lights of the city help keep most evildoers at bay. All seems peaceful, a pastoral idyll of a life that seems more at home in a storybook. Yet for those Travelers who venture out beyond the city's walls and into the ruins dotting the landscape, they may discover hints of a bloodier past now forgotten.

Glancing at any of the calendars in the city will tell you the current date. August 10th was the day you arrived. As soon as the last minute of August 16th slips away, the world around you changes. A blink, and time itself rewinds by seven days. Looking outside, the mown lawns have regrown, the windmill needs fixing again, and the well is once again full. Just what is happening here? It seems only you, Traveler, remembers the week that never was.

State of the World

For the first two weeks of the game, IC time will be looping from August 10th to August 16th. It's currently late summer in Mondstadt, and the trees are just beginning to turn out their autumn colours. The weather is cool and pleasant, with light showers on Tuesday (11th) and Friday (14th). It's also a good time to go out gathering berries and nature's bounty from Mondstadt's forests and valleys.

These two weeks will let us trial out our commissions and regains system and craft improvements for February onwards. There will be no activity requirements for January, so all threads started during this time period can be used for regains!

For all questions regarding January's mingle and events, please head over to our OOC post.

Comments

commission w/ sandalphon

[extinctive]

[ link ]

[ gathering chicken shouldn't be too hard. figaro has done little odd jobs like this back at southern country, where humans would ask the wizards for mundane help. so on one hand he already feels at home with this simple commission.

the problem, however, is getting them to trust him. somehow the chickens knew that he's up to no good? and they seem to flock over towards sandalphon instead. ]

Ahaha. Looks like they've taken a liking to you already.

[ birdbrains do think alike, huh... ]

[unnecessities]

I can't for the life of me understand why...

[It's not like he can even bring out his wings as he is right now?! Why is this happening to him.]

...It makes it easier to keep track of them, but...

[Since the chickens they've found so far seem to stick to him like glue, instinctively knowing which of them hasn't committed bird extinction before.]

...In any case, we'd better get a move on. We've found a few, but there are still some missing...I won't rest until they're all returned to their owner.

[He's trying to sound cool but

a chicken is playing with his ahoge the whole time he's saying it.]

[extinctive]

[ maybe they just don't want the Nice and Reliable Doctor Figaro to give them checkups? because obviously that's what's up here. figaro gives himself a moment to stifle another giggle at sandalphon's feathery predicament before moving on. ]

Either those chickens have strayed too far, or someone had taken them. We should take the ones we've found to Miss Adeline...

[ wait hold on, his brain just hatched an idea. ]

Or maybe we should freeze them in place! You have a Hydro vision, right?

[ the chickens in sandalphon's possession start clucking uncontrollably at figaro's idea like what the FUCK ]

[unnecessities]

[Sandalphon visibly grimaces at the suggestion, looking at Figaro with all the unease of someone who's just realized that he's in a lot more shit than he thought.]

Of course we shouldn't do that! We can't just bring her dead birds!

[He clutches the chicken in his arms a little bit protectively.]

[extinctive]

But they'll end up on someone's silver platter at dinner anyway, it wouldn't make a difference! [ he laughs, waving sandalphon off. ] I'm sorry, I was just joking. Of course I wouldn't think of it.

[ is it no wonder the birds were actively avoiding him, ]

Anyway, we should really get a move on... Do you know how to use your elemental sight? Maybe the chicken-napper had left some traces of a certain element on some of them...

[unnecessities]

[Sandalphon levels him with the most distrusting look he's managed since his arrival here, which is impressive even for him. Joke or not, these are good chickens that haven't done anything wrong...........]

I'm...still getting used to it, but it's worth a try...and it's better than running around like a headless...ah.

[The chickens are looking up at him, eyes full of apprehension. He can't say it. He can't.

He hasn't tried elemental sight very much just yet, but it shouldn't be that hard. He is, after all, acquainted with suddenly having to get acquainted to powers that didn't always belong to him. :)]

...Actually, I am picking up something. Do you see it too?

[extinctive]

[ damn, for chickens they sure are brave enough to throw the dirtiest looks at an angel and a wizard capable of toppling mountains. but they can no longer do that while they're here, aren't they...

figaro blinks, and focuses his eyes on the chicken hoard. some of them seem to be emitting translucent light-blue energy, making a trail heading towards the nearby wood. ]

It's Cryo energy, and it seems to be heading that way. Come on.

[ sandalphon will have to leave the chickens behind if he doesn't want figaro to get to them, before heading towards the trees. at the bottom of the cliff lay some sort of portal - a domain, that's rippling with more cold energy. ]

Some sort of pocket space? Interesting. [ hmm. ] Are you ready to go? I'm not one for combat, but I can heal you if you ever decide on taking them head-on.

[unnecessities]

[There are still downy chicken feathers occasionally slipping out from underneath his armor where the birds had been snuggling against Sandalphon even as they arrive at the domain.]

Fortunately, combat is my specialty. My Vision may not be the most potent here, but...

[He hefts his sword with the practiced ease of a warrior. You don't need magic if you've got a big enough stick.]

I'll be relying on you for backup, then. Let's go.

[Sandalphon will take the lead as they head into the domain.]

What on earth could something that lives here want with chickens, though? Surely there are sources of food that are easier to find.

[He's banking on it being some kind of creature that happens to be associated with Cryo—that it could be something more intelligent hasn't yet crossed his mind.]

[extinctive]

Maybe they're just in the mood for chicken today? You can keep them around much longer in chilled temperatures as well - perfect for the Cryo thief to take what they can get and save the rest for later.

[ he trails after sandalphon, his doctor's coat flapping behind him like a cape as they make their way through the domain. the green diamonds in his eyes seem to glow as he uses his elemental sight once more to keep them on the right track, and once he can feel the temperature dropping the deeper they go in -- ]

It's right around the corner. Let's hurry.

[ and once they reach the end of the domain they'll find a cryo abyss mage cackling to itself, twirling its wand around the missing chicken as it's about to turn it into frozen goods. ]

I wouldn't do that if I were you. [ figaro muses, catching the abyss mage's attention. ] That chicken still looks underfed. Are you sure you're satisfied with that?

[ the abyss mage starts cursing them off, speaking in its annoyingly high-pitched voice that it's none of their business! this chicken is free real estate!! and the battle begins with it shielding itself with a cryo shield and shooting some ice crystals right towards sandalphon. ]

[unnecessities]

Why do you want to freeze those chickens so badly?

[He's bringing up freezing them again...

But he doesn't have time to worry about that, not when a feathery life is on the line.]

Tch...that doesn't belong to you!

[He knocks away the first crystal with his sword, but the second is a square hit. It's a lot more effective now, without his powers, but his sheer determination leaves him reeling for only a short time. With his Vision being the element it is, it won't be much use, just as likely to end up freezing himself if the Cryo Mage gets crafty, so he does what he can to close the distance between himself and the mage.]

Grab the bird and get out of here!

[If he can at least keep it busy long enough for them to retreat, that's mission accomplished...at least, that's his line of thinking.]

[extinctive]

You think I'd just leave here without you?

[ foolish. but maybe sandalphon's the type to just sacrifice himself just so the mission can be accomplished without a hitch? why even bother when this mission is hilarious easy?

figaro brings out his catalyst weapon - some generic book he'd purchased back in the city is a loud cry from his orb but it'll have to do - and promptly heals sandalphon up. the abyss magic vanishes with a pop!, filling the air with its irritating cackles.

god, how he'd love to kick the ever-living shit out of that puny mage until it cries uncle. but they gotta regroup first. ]

If that's how it wants the play, we'll just have to do the same. [ his eyes seem to gleam with excitement as he relays his plan to his companion. ] Once it appears again, attack it with water then I'll throw some ice at it. It might be enough to freeze it in place and for you to chip away at the shield until it's gone.

[ if he had his powers back, he would've possideo'd it out of existence. but he supposes that using their brains and what they have in hand can be fine too. ]

[unnecessities]

[He's worried about the chicken! The chicken, Figaro!!!]

Fine. We'll do it your way.

[Sandalphon's just carefully gonna. Put the chicken under an overturned crate for now. It's not that he doesn't trust Figaro to not freeze it after this is the exact plan he proposed for the chickens but...

...No, that's exactly what it is. He doubts he'd do it on purpose in a situation like this, but he still doesn't want to have to bring a dead chicken back to the client.

In any case, as soon as the mage reappears, Sandalphon follows the plan, hurling a bubble of water at it.]

Now!

[extinctive]

[ IT'S JUST ONE (1) CHICKEN but no he's right, they've got to bring everyone back alive. miss adeline would be upset and wouldn't want to ask for doctor figaro's help anymore i mean --

figaro hurls a sharp block of ice towards the abyss mage, effectively trapping it in place! ]

There, got 'em. Normally we should just take the chicken and run, but... If you could slice at its shield and shutt it down, I'll take care of the rest.

[ he has more plans up his sleeve but this is also a way to gauge sandalphon's swordwork. for a human(?), he sure knows how to handle one unlike anything he's seen before... but then again figaro doesn't know a lot of knights outside of cain, who's also a wizard. ]

[unnecessities]

Giving it a good scare might discourage it from trying a stunt like this again. It's not a bad idea.

[Granted, he's probably not envisioning the same thing Figaro is right now.

Regardless, Sandalphon hacks away at the shield as stylishly as ever. It should be obvious to Figaro just by looking that he's much more skilled with it than he is with water—he's had millennia of experience, after all. He doesn't have the finesse of someone who's dedicated their life to swordcraft, but what is there is complete confidence in very strong abilities.

As such, it doesn't take a lot of time to break the shield.]

I'll go get the bird.

[extinctive]

[ yep, those are the skills of a man who's obviously seen war and has participated in it, not unlike lennox. not all of them can master the usage of magic in such short time upon arriving in this world, after all.

which is why figaro'll take this abyss mage and use it as target practice for a while. while sandalphon goes off to rescue the bird, said mage staggers onto its feet, not quite done with its nefarious plans to take that chicken from that birdbrain, and scrambles for its wand -- ]

Did you think you could escape? [ figaro's smiling, his eyes gleaming as he walks over to crush its wand under his feet. ] Seems like it hasn't sunk into your brain yet. Here, let me help you with that - Possideo.

[ uttering his magic spell is more out of habit than anything, since his magic here can function without it anyway. he snaps his fingers, and a pointy ice crystal manifests on top of the mage and crashes right onto its head. and another, and another, and another, until the abyss mage starts begging for its poor life while cursing at this terrible doctor and his godawful bedside manner.

yet figaro continues standing there with his all-too serene smile. ]

[unnecessities]

[Sandalphon spends some time with his back turned, flipping the crate over and carefully hoisting the chicken into his arms. By the time he turns around to see the scene of Figaro torturing the mage, it's been going on for some time.

Sandalphon grimaces, looking uneasy. Is that what it looked like when he...?]

...I think you've made your point, Doctor.

[Sandalphon tilts his head down slightly in the direction of the bird.]

Don't you think we should be going?

[extinctive]

Hm? [ figaro turns to his companion, belatedly realizing what he'd just done. ah, crap. ] Oh, yes. I almost got carried away.

[ the abyss mage staggers on its feet, cursing in a high-pitched voice that it's because of humans like figaro that the Order wishes to annihilate their kind. "are you even human in the first place?! it seethes.

its insults have yet to make a dent in figaro's smile, however. if anything he's just amused, like he's heard this before. ]

You sure have tallied up a whole bunch of mistakes here. Assuming that I'm human is one of them. And even then, I'll always choose to protect humanity from things like you.

[ and with that, he drops the last block of ice onto the mage, effectively knocking it out. figaro dusts off his hands and stashes them to his pocket, looking over to sandalphon once more. ]

...Sorry you had to see it. [ he sounds a little apologetic, at least. ]

[unnecessities]

[Sandalphon side-eyes him the whole time, giving the abyss mage a once-over before gesturing to leave. It doesn't look like he killed it, at any rate.]

...Not that I don't understand wanting to protect humans, but...

[He shifts the chicken slightly in his arms.]

...If you distance yourself from them too much, it'll be hard to live with them. You're fortunate you ended up partnered with me this time, if that's how you handle this sort of thing. That's...the sort of behavior that humans need to be protected from, more often than not.

[Maybe that advice isn't his to give, but...well. He was that thing humans needed to be protected from, once.]

[extinctive]

[ he would've killed it on the spot, but he's already shown too much of his true colors here. the abyss mage probably would spit out a weak ass mana stone too if they were back in his world, so there's not even a point in eating it... :/

he looks over at sandalphon, ruminating over his words with a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. ]

Are you perhaps speaking from experience, then? In that case, I am fortunate that I'm partnered up with you. I don't think anyone else would understand why I had to do that, and I did spare its life in the end, didn't I?

[ Hopefully that'll teach it a lesson about getting up to no good next time. see? isn't he merciful? such a good doctor, this figaro guy. ]

And for the record, I have been living with humans for quite a while now. It's just that a huge majority of them would just fade away like raindrops on windowpanes, and that's barely my fault. [ ... ] Anyway, let's call it a day. Miss Adeline must be worried sick by now.

[unnecessities]

[What Sandalphon wants to say is that taking out his frustrations with the pain that comes with a long life on other things isn't helpful.

But he's not sure that's what he'd want to hear if he were in that situation, even if it's true. More than anyone else, he knows that there's a time and a place to drop difficult truths.]

...Of course.

[Sandalphon's grip on the chicken is gentle but firm as they leave the domain.]

...Just be wary. One or two raindrops knowing something unpleasant isn't a problem, but too many raindrops is a puddle. And a big enough puddle is a lake.

[There's an ocean's worth of humans out there who will never see Sandalphon as anything but a villain, no matter what he does—it's no less than he deserves, but it's wretched. He'd prefer it if Figaro doesn't have to deal with that, too.]

You don't need to worry about me saying anything, though. Because I understand where the feeling comes from.