asgardchrysalis | AUGUST INTRO LOG: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

AUGUST INTRO LOG: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

Who: EVERYONE
What: the August intro log and first god house competition, More Than Meets the Eye
When: August 8
Where: Gladsheim Palace for breakfast, around Asgard for the game/curse
Rating: PG-13; please take anything higher than this to a private log!

morning: a warm invitation

Everyone wakes up to a friendly invitation to breakfast at the castle with the gods. For most of you, this comes as a message on your bracelet, reading:

Join us at the castle today to welcome some new Wanderers into our midst. Breakfast will be served and a lively game will be available to all of our guests, both new and old.

New Wanderers are curious on their own, and this is the first there's ever been mention of a game. Perhaps it's enough for you to make the trek to the castle, to see what all the fuss is about, or maybe even to see if there's someone you know. Perhaps you want to learn more about the game, or maybe you just want the food.

For our new guests, this comes as a bit more of a surprise. Wherever you were before in your world, without even realizing it, you wake up in a strange new place. No time or space inbetween, just an awareness of There and then Here. A matronly figure tries to explain your circumstances with a sympathetic smile, but ultimately invites you meet them all for yourselves: the Gods of Asgard, and the Wanderers that arrived before you.

The sight that greets you on the castle grounds is a rather festive one, regardless of where you're coming from. Colorful streamers and flags are draped above large tables with room for several guests. Natives bustle about, cheerfully offering food and drinks to anyone that wants some. Everyone is welcomed to mingle and greet the new Wanderers on this bright summer morning.

the game: a friendly competition

Among the brightly decorated tables are ones highlighted in a specific color for a specific god house, and most of the gods themselves can be found sitting behind it with a few of their district's natives. They are here to welcome the new Wanderers into Asgard - but they're also here to explain the rules of today's game. There are coins hidden throughout the city and disguised as mundane items, and the god house that returns the most of their coins will win an upgrade to their god housing! No hints will be given, but the natives are excited to help facilitate the activity and happily invite you to wander through their districts to find what you can.

But you don't have to know about the rules to be playing the game! The coins are already hidden throughout the city, and no one knows what they are until they've been picked up. Whether you're banding together with friends to find as many coins as you can or blindly stumbling over an unpleasant surprise, the game and the curse are in full swing!

evening: a fair prize

At sundown, all of the coins in the city disappear at once, whether they're in your pocket or still disguised as a bowl. Points will be tallied and a winner will be announced (OOCly, on August 17) - but Asgardians are keen to celebrate regardless of who wins a rather inconsequential game. The same colorful display of tables and chairs is still spread across the castle grounds, although now they twinkle with fairy lights haphazardly blinking throughout the air. Snacks and drinks are made available, as well as more dinner-shaped meals for those that request it. Mostly the natives simply want to bask in the strangeness of these Wanderers from other worlds for a moment longer - but they're also eagerly listening to any stories from the day's mischievous game. Relax, enjoy yourself, or again, just stock up on some freely served food. Whatever suits your needs today. Welcome to Asgard, dear Wanderers.

[ OOC NOTE: This is the intro log for August, as well as our first god house competition/curse: More Than Meets the Eye. You are free to play with the curse prompts and searching the city in any way you want! If you would like to submit a map to earn points for your god house, please check out the rules to learn what to do. We will accept maps until August 17, at which point a winner will be announced and members of that god house will be allowed to vote for an upgrade to their god housing. As always, please let us know if you have any questions or need any help on the mod contact page. Enjoy, friends! ]

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[ reynir drew so many of those little protection runes back when they were all out in the silent world that the shape of it comes naturally to him, to the point that he doesn't even really notice that he's still doing it at this point.

he smiles askance at klaus when he promises to share the story with reynir someday, taking that as a promise of future meetings, of a continued status of familiarity with each other. the ghosts are practically a distant memory for him now, nothing of its presence lingering around the edges of his awareness. only the fluttering sensation of moths wings left behind. ]

Sure, and I can tell you about how I left home for the first time and hid myself in a potato crate. [ he promises in return. ]

What was that? [the question just. sort of comes without warning, but for whatever it's worth, at least klaus has the decency to look a little sheepish afterward.] My bad, I just, uh, didn't recognize anything you drew? So I was curious. [since klaus noticed, he noticed a whole lot.

with how quiet it is both inside and outside, there's a likely chance they could flee the building whenever they feel up for moving again, but as it stands, he's more than content to sit, let reynir draw whatever shapes he wants on his hand, allow himself to be lulled by the gentle sensations.]

A potato crate, huh? [he can't help the faint chuckle.] Sounds like a good story. I'll be holding you to that.

[ reynir takes a moment to glance down at their hands and confirm with his own eyes the shape he's been tracing before answering. ] Oh, it's a protection rune. Something I figured out when we were all out in the Silent World to help keep the ghosts away.

[ his expression turns slightly sheepish as his fingers pause in their tracing and curl up against his own palm instead. ] I don't think it's really working here, but I got really used to making the runes near the end of our trip and I guess it's sort of become a habit?

Anyway, the story is mostly embarrassing. Even if I wound up meeting some really great people.

Oh, okay. That's probably why I didn't recognize it. I don't know anything about runes. [nothing helpful, anyway.] The ‘Silent World?’ Ooo. Sounds kinda spooky. [even sends a little chill up his spine— or maybe that's from the mention of ghosts. haha, how about if they don't?

as soon as reynir's hand withdraws, klaus lowers his own slightly, rubs his thumb across his other fingertips then drops it into his lap.] So, you were casting some protection on me? Even if it doesn't work, that's still super sweet of you.

No worries. You're talking to the king of embarrassing stories. I've got so many I could share— [yet he stops, adjusts his position against the wall and leans his head back, lets his eyes sink shut momentarily. hold up, waitaminute!] ...who did you meet?

It was kind of spooky. [ reynir affirms for klaus, bobbing is head lightly. ]

Sometimes it was very beautiful too, though. Sort of... untouched? As long as you could avoid waking up any trolls, anyway. [ something their team hadn't been especially good at, but at least there had been plenty of combat capable people to handle it.

he ducks his head a little sheepish, but the motion does nothing to hide his smile at the compliment. a smile which only grows in size as klaus plays up his own experience with embarrassing stories. ]

Who? Well, there's Tuuri, Sigrun, Mikkel, Emil, and Lalli. [ as reynir begins to list names, he counts them out on his hand, and though he does his best to hide it, it's quiet clear that reynir is a touch more happy to be listing some names than others.

that, actually despite calling them great people, he only really smiles when he says tuuri's name, and even that smile is a touch bittersweet. ] Oh, and Onni a bit later, I guess.

[ there's also no denying that his smile is the brightest for that last name. ]

Trolls, [klaus repeats immediately, wrinkling his nose with contemplation.] It's weird to think about and not imagine some weird cave-dwelling, ogre-looking thing... but I'm sure they didn't look at all like that.

I'm more curious about the untouched stuff you're talking about, anyhow. [life's full of monsters already, why add more nightmare fuel to the fire?

his teeth fleetingly flash, a mischievous grin that could rival the cheshire cat, although it's gone as quickly as it'd come once reynir starts listing off names. oh my god, i knew it! tuuri, emil, lalli— all names he recognizes without effort because they're here and he knows them.

he knows onni as well and god, reynir's adorable little smile after the more melancholic gesture begs to be addressed, but klaus still has one burning question to ask:] And where are you from again, Reynir? Can't remember if I asked this already, so my bad if I have.

Well I'm not exactly and expert... [ reynir admits, wrinkling his nose slightly. ] But I'm sure some of them are! You usually find them in old abandoned houses though since... well. [ he looks away and shrugs awkwardly. the infection isn't exactly a fun topic of conversation under even the best of circumstances and this is not that.

the plantlife though, now that he can talk about. ] With all the big cities and towns left empty for so long the plants just sort of start to grow over and around things. And you have to get special permission to go out to those places so a lot of the time you're walking in places that nobody has walked in ages.

[ reynir isn't sure what it is about his friend's names that has klaus smiling like that, but he doesn't hesitate to answer him either. ] Oh, Iceland.

Wait, really? [noting how reynir shrugs though, klaus changes his mind.] You know what? Nevermind, forget I said anything. We can focus on something else.

[and imagining all the overgrowth of the plants is definitely better. special privileges to go see it sounds less exciting, klaus can't help letting his expression falter. that, coupled with the revelation of what country reynir's from, he might look a bit wrier than he means.] It all sounds great, but...

I think I just realized: you're the Icelander Lalli's always bitching about. [he shakes his head with disbelief, unsurprised by the fact this guy of all people is who lalli dislikes. how in the hell?]

[ reynir wants to be surprised to find out that lalli has complained about him (when he wasn't even here!) to more than one person, but at this point he's just sort of. tired instead.

his shoulders drop and he sighs wearily. ] That sounds like him, yeah.

Woah, hey! [both of klaus's hands lift in a defensive manner.] Don't think I've let him color my opinion of you, okay? Because I haven't.

[in fact, he's pretty sure any assumption he might have had before (and there honestly hadn't been much of one) is completely correct now.] I'd already guessed Lalli was just being hard on you.

Really?

[ a light of hope enters his eyes as he looks back up at klaus as if he's just told him that he won the lottery or something instead. ]

But you met him before you met me. How would you even know if he was?

You don't talk about someone the way he does with you unless you've got some kind of grudge. Or, like, a particular sort of disdain.

[his shoulders lift and then his palms upturn in the most easygoing shrug he can manage.] Besides, I like meeting people and deciding for myself what kinda person they are.

[ reynir's mouth twitches pretty explicitly downward when klaus says the word 'disdain'. it's not that he isn't aware of lalli and emil's feelings about him, no matter how much he might try to act like it around them, but hearing the word said aloud still hurts.

he forces it back up into a small smile at klaus' insistence on forming his own opinions on people. ]

And what sort of person do you think I am? [ he's fishing, sure, but he'd just. really like to hear something nice about him right now, if possible. ]

[oof. way to go, dumbass.] Sorry, uh. I've got a bad case of foot-in-mouth syndrome. [particularly in moments where he's trying to be perceptive and understanding.

but hey, at least he's being given a second chance to correct his mistake, regardless if reynir's fishing or not. klaus doesn't mind, and should he have, he would've had to call himself a hypocrite since he's done it before, too.]

So far? [he hums thoughtfully, like he has to think about it, even though he doesn't.] I think you're a ridiculously kind person who's trying to do his best.

[ klaus more than makes up for it with his own observation of reynir. in fact, his words manage to prompt a smile so wide and heartfelt from reynir that he actually starts to tear up a bit. ]

Thank you. You're a... I think you're a really nice person too.

[oh no, he didn't mean to make him cry of all things!]

Aw, gosh, don't do that! [yanking his sleeve down on his arm, klaus reaches up, rubs the fuzzy fabric across one of reynir's eyes.] Thanks, and you're welcome, yeah? It's just the truth.

[ reynir laughs a bit at klaus trying to dry his eyes with a sleeve and squirms away, swiping the back of his hand across his face with a look of quiet, soft determination that he sends klaus' way after. ]

Is it weird if I'm glad that ghost decided to attack me?

[whenever reynir pulls away, he stops reaching for him instantly, wrinkling his nose with feigned bafflement. too bad the slight curve at the edges of his mouth likely gives him away.]

Nah, it's not as weird as it sounds. Might've started out bad, but we're ending on a good note.

[ the smile reynir directs at klaus is bright and warm. ]

I'm glad I met you.

[look at this fucking sunshine child. how is klaus supposed to resist smiling back?]

Same here, Reynir.

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AUGUST INTRO LOG: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

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