May Event

[asgardmods]

something new inside & the storm something new inside may 11th-13th ↴ something new inside It's been a few days since the kite festival ended, and Wanderers and locals alike seem pleased to have passed time together in such a lovely festival. The weather is mild and the smell of flowers on the air sweet, and it seems that for once, Asgard might enjoy a spell of peace. On the morning of the 11th, some of you wake with a new itch beneath your skin. It's a sensation not unlike the one you felt when your god first granted you powers, and indeed, those of you who flew a runed kite during the festival discover that you have new abilities at your disposal! These new abilities start small, but each time a you use your power you find that your abilities grow in strength. Soon you can do more, and for longer before growing tired. In fact, you soon find that using your power is so fascinating that you don't want to stop. As you use them more and more, you might even find you can't stop, not for food, for sleep, or even to see the dear faces of your friends. And, hidden away in the clutches of the children who found them, the rune stones begin to pulse with a strange, blue light, one that grows in intensity the longer each of you uses your newfound powers. More information about the runes and their associated powers can be found in the infopost here! the storm may 14th-20th ↴ the storm As each of you use your rune granted powers more and more, the stones glow brighter and brighter, until at last they're nearly blinding to look at, and the air around them crackles with new energy that spreads outward and up. The children who found the runes grow fearful and hide them in the woods, but the damage is done. The storm summoned by all who used the runes has begun. With the storm now born, you no longer feel compelled to use your new power, but it sure would be helpful of you to use it to combat the intensity of the storm! Like the rune powers themselves, the storm starts small, with rain and occasional thunder, but it's clearly growing in strength. Wanders and locals like take shelter indoors, hoping for it to pass, but it soon becomes clear that the storm isn't going anywhere anytime soon. In fact, after several days, strange weather events begin taking place. Rain suddenly seems to flow upward, snowflakes begin to fall in otherwise warm air, and lightning springs up from the ground. As each day passes, the storm grows more violent, sending the local wildlife into a frenzy as the animals try to shelter from the sudden and unpredictable storm. Though you no longer feel the runes' pull, many of you soon realize that not only can your powers aid in weathering the storm, even those without powers can help to stop it. If runes brought the storm about, then destroying the runes will surely end it. Now where did those children put those stones, and how can they be convinced to show you for the good of all? It will surely take someone skilled in coaxing unwilling individuals - perhaps one of Tyr's ambassadors is up to the task... If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to refer to the infopost and the questions section below!

Comments

[lethechained]

[ The girl let out a regretful sigh as she set her umbrella down, about as dry and neat as she could get it. ]

We are, aren't we?

[ When the rain flowed upward, it kind of tended to take some dirt with it. Moving to catch up with Terezi, Naminé faltered at the revelation. ]

What - really? You've been by yourself for that long?

[mindseer]

Almost completely since Turgon left. Barely anyone here. It's... been surprising. I'd have taken the joint over if you guys could stay over more.

[She was leading her back, grateful that at least they weren't muddy and grimey, just wet from head to toe. nothing a good towel-off wouldn't start, and she could loan her some of her... uh... black pants and black t-shirts. She really needed to work on her variety.]

We were always kind of a quiet house. Heimdall, Honir and Sigyn are kinda hero houses ya know?

[lethechained]

I would have come over to visit more often if I'd known...

[ Not that she was ever neglectful of her moirail, but still. Naminé looked rather contrite about it, though she kept close to Terezi all the same. ]

It never felt like there were that many of us. But I guess-- it's hard to know how things compare when you don't spend very much time at any of the other Houses.

[ Naminé was not exactly a social butterfly, despite getting along relatively well with most people she met. ]

[mindseer]

I think... for the first six months or so, before we got into the last big battles, there were a lot more. Whatever they did? It's fading a little bit. But the city's getting stable too, so maybe they're figuring things out?

[She wasn't going to imagine that it might also mean that the magic holding them here was fading. That was a less pleasant thought, one that they'd get to address later on. For now, she offered her a towel and grinned over at her.]

And don't worry. We spend plenty of time together. I can be a lot to handle in heavy doses. We know that.

[lethechained]

Maybe they are.

[ Which was a bittersweet possibility to consider, and one that filled her chest with more dread than it ought to have. Before she could let her mind wander that direction, however, there was a towel being held out to her. Using that to distract herself, she murmured a 'thank you' as she took it. ]

Well, yes - we do see each other a lot. But I've never thought that about you.

[ Looking contemplative, she took a moment to pat at the ends of her hair with the towel in the hopes of stopping some of the rainwater still dripping from them. ]

I just don't like the idea of you being stuck somewhere all alone. Not unless you want to be alone, that is.

[mindseer]

Hehe, I'm a bit of a social creature, aren't I? I only think I ever knew two trolls who were always ok being alone. You didn't meet them. One's ok, and the other's... weeeeeeeird. even by troll standards.

[Man, Equius... She laughed and started to towel off and shook her head some.]

But I'm glad I've grown on you enough not to worry too much about too much of me.

[lethechained]

[ Naminé continued drying off the best she could, giving a thoughtful hum. ]

Humans are that way, too. Friendship seems to be very important to a lot of them. [ Especially Sora. Goodness could that boy make friends. ] But what do you mean by... weeeird?

[ She didn't stretch it out quite long enough, although at least there was An Attempt. Nodding to that other comment, ]

Of course. It didn't take long...! [ A little shyer; ] You're always fun to be around.

[mindseer]

[Uuuuuugh Equius.... maaaan. well, tehre were worse trolls.]

Oh, well, he gets sweaty very easily. Always talking about proper relationships, and when he sees something he doesn't think is proper, he sweats and asks for a towel. Obsessed with horses and being strong...

We kinda think he was a closet perv? [She laughed.] But weird thing was that he was actually usually harmless if you weren't a bow.

Heh, I try to keep myself entertaining.

[lethechained]

[ The girl went through a few different expressions as the explanation went on, opening her mouth at one point before shutting it. Her movements grew still for a moment, then began again, her face registering mild concern. ]

… I'm not really sure which questions to ask first, [ she said after a beat. Inevitably deciding on something, however, she added before long, ]

What did he think was-- proper? Or... not proper, I suppose.

[mindseer]

So.... he had kind of a massive, raging hard-on for everything related to the caste system. Part of it was that he was nobility, being a dark blue blood, but I think he really was just fascinated with everyone keeping to their own kind, low-bloods behaving properly.

[She snorted.]

Irony was, he had the sweetest, most playful olive-blooded troll as his moirail, and she usually kept him in line pretty good as long as Aradia wasn't involved. She was a rust blood, lowest of the low for the castes. So, he always thought it was blasphemous to be attracted to her and got real weird about it.

If folks could have ever gotten him to admit how stupid he was? He might have turned out ok. But he croaked before that ever had the chance to happen.

[Ironic, given that in another version of Asgard, Nepeta did indeed finaly get him to stop being quite so... Equius. It just took a year away from troll society.]

[lethechained]

[ Well, starting off with that description had Naminé wrinkling her nose almost immediately, brows coming together in a way that suggested she was at least half sorry she asked. The rest of it didn't change that feeling much, except of course the mention of a moirail, which clearly piqued her curiosity. At the end, ]

… Oh. I guess-- I should have expected that, after everything that happened in your world.

[ She wilted very slightly, but seemed to think better of lingering on the subject. Instead, though she was tentative about it, ]

Did they have a... pretty good moirallegiance? [ There was a hint of shyness in the question; despite herself, of course she wondered sometimes if she was living up to expectations. ] I mean, it-- sounds like it was... successful.

[ Goodness, how was she supposed to ask for details? It wasn't as though someone else's relationship was any of her business anyhow. ]

[mindseer]

Hmmm. [There was a pause and a thought.] I think... of all my friends back home, Naminé, theirs was the only moirallegiance that actually worked properly. He protected her when she got uppity and took too many risks. She kept him from getting angry about things he shouldn't, and kept him from all but one really bad mistake that he was gonna make eventually anyway.

It's weird. He was kind of a creepy headcase but when Nepeta was around, he was normal, even helpful. I think most of our relationships were cocked up because we were young and stupid, but they were good for each other.

[She shrugged and smiled over at her, patting her on the shoulder. Yeah, Equius was ... a thing.]

Honestly, until you came along, I kind of thought they were the only ones I'd ever see make it work. Trolls can be a handful and a half, as you've noticed.

[lethechained]

[ Still holding the towel, Naminé unconsciously adjusted her grip on it as she listened. Brows knitting, she had to resist the urge to echo, 'The only one?' Her eyes shifted toward the pat as it was coming, and the gesture seemed to encourage an unintentional softening at the edges of her mouth despite her preoccupation. ]

I... didn't realize it was so rare for a moirallegiance to work out.

[ And that was even between people who grew up, you know, knowing what one was. But Terezi seemed to be sure enough in the relationship, and that was what Naminé tried to focus on. ]

Mm - you're not so bad. [ There was a hint of amusement in her tone, a very light teasing. More honestly; ] I think... whatever you were like before, you've grown up a lot since then. [ Not so young and stupid anymore, to put it as Terezi claimed. ] So I've had it pretty easy...!

[mindseer]

well, what it is, it's usually a split. Either one half really isn't good at papping or lazy about it, or the other half is way too much of a handful. If you remember that clown I talked about? McShouty Karkat was his moirail. Drove him absolutely nuts trying to keep him under control.

[She chuckled a little while toweling off and grinned over at Naminé.]

Yeaaaaaah... you kinda caught me after I grew out of my gameplaying phase, which is probably for the best. I'm not sure how easily you would have handled our roleplaying.

It got a little stabby.

[lethechained]

[ Naminé nodded at the mention of the clown in question, only to scrunch her face up slightly at the rest of what was said about him. Perhaps it was the fact that she was viewing it in hindsight, but that certainly didn't seem like a healthy relationship. ]

But... why? If it was really that bad for them...

[ It sounded emotionally draining. (Not that she wasn't given to trying to help people against impossible odds, herself, but it was much harder to hear about someone else going to the same trouble.) Holding her towel, Naminé slowed slightly, looking somewhere between thoughtful and concerned. At least until something humorous occurred to her, and she lifted the corners of her mouth slightly in a hint of a smile. ]

Well, I am a healer.

[ Of course, that was making light of it; less stabbing seemed preferable to her. ]

[mindseer]

Honestly? The problem was Gamzee. I know that sounds like I put a lot on him, but it was the truth. He was screwed up in the think-pan. When he was younger, he fried it with some of the stuff he used to eat and it didn't do him favors. When he got off the stuff, he just... changed.

He went hyper violent, hyper manipulative, and he had us all fooled. Karkat was his moirail in the old days, and he tried to help him, but when Gam flipped the script he was too much for anyone to handle. I actually feel bad, because he tried not to give up on him. Even longer than me... but it was too much. He was just... too much.

But, I mean take me and Vris. We'd try to tone it down, but we usually just ended up enabling each other's worst behavior. It's why we were terrible for each other that way. I think, to this day, that maybe we would have been better in a hateship. [She laughed.] But that's how it goes. When you're young you make silly choices.

[She blinked and laughed almost uproariously.]

Oh man... Uh... Naminé, seriously, we would have given you a run for your money. Those days are why I went bind, Vris lost an eye and an arm, Aradia ended up a ghost and Tavros got his legs broken. Trust me, we really would have had you working. It's a miracle we were still friends in the end.

[lethechained]

[ With a narrow shake of her head, ]

Sometimes it really is all one person.

[ Like Master Xehanort, for instance. That guy was responsible for... well, everything, one way or another. So it wasn't such a stretch for Naminé to believe that one troll caused so much trouble. She was silent thereafter, but her face displayed a mix of sadness and sympathy; as terrible as that situation was, she felt bad for all parties involved, including Gamzee. ]

Not everyone is willing to change, even if they have all of the help they can get.

[ Naminé did wonder about that Vriska character, enough so to contemplate asking - but it felt a bit like an intrusion. It was far easier to try to stifle her own laugh at Terezi's cackling. ]

Oh…! [ the blonde exclaimed, somewhere between horrified and appreciating the rather dark humor of it. (Terezi taught her a thing or two about that, over time.) ] Then it sounds like you could have used someone like me around, if all of you kept getting into so much trouble.