Entry tags:

may mod plot log

Who: Everyone
When: May 7 to May 31th
Where: Thisavrou + New Worlds
Warnings: none in the description; please label your headers where appropriate!

thisavrou monthly info ( the tmi )

⋆ All information is current as of day 27 (May 7). There are 100 days in a cycle, and the current cycle started on April 11.

⋆ Storm Update: On day 29 (May 9), the typical structure of the storm surrounding Thisavrou seems to shift visually with the clouds and intermittent flashes of lightning forming new patterns. At the same time, Ingress technicians detect a strange energy signature emanating from the facility at low levels, almost like a leak. There is no obvious effect at first, but by the end of the day, that energy begins to flow across Kauto and Chioni with curious results.

Residents of the planet will soon discover that they have acquired strange superhuman (or superbeing, for those who aren't human) powers. Those who are particularly social or who have been around for a long time may realize that these powers resemble abilities wielded by those who have come through the Ingress in the past, or even those who have never set foot on Thisavrou but are from the same world as someone who has.

Effects of the odd energy vary – people may discover they can read minds, cast magical spells, or have become invulnerable. These powers may also replace ones they already have. The level of control is just as unpredictable—someone may be a natural with their new abilities, or be in great need of a tutor!

By day 33 (May 13 OOC), the effect has faded, and the technicians soon decide to restrict the days that the Ingress is active going forward.

[[For more information, check out this OOC post!]]

⋆ While Kauto has always been known for its temperate climate, the slow changes have accelerated as the onslaught of the storm around Thisavrou shifts. A noticeable drop in temperature from the norm finds the planet settling at an alarming 54° F / 12° C during the day. And at night, temperatures fluctuate between this and 40° F / 4° C. All residents who tend crops will discover that some plants and other vegetation have withered without the warmer temperatures. An evacuation of all scientists and researchers on Chioni will be announced within the month due to its incredibly unstable surface temperature of -60° F / -51 C during the day and -150° F / -101° C at night. Access to some of the furthest burgs have been restricted until further notice because of this.

⋆ Savrii Notices:

As recently made public in Deputy TOD’s broadcast, a foreign presence has infiltrated Thisavrou using the bodies of its recent travelers. Presumed both intelligent and hostile, the contaminant has prompted a rapid response from the Savrii. Testing and Decontamination Centers have been established on Kauto and Chioni, and all persons who have traveled off-world in the last two cycles are called to present themselves for examination.

The basic procedure will last about six hours: medical tests, technical analysis, and a high-powered chemical wash designed to “make any stowaways run screaming”. All of this in addition to prolonged questioning as to their recent points of contact both on Thisavrou and outside. Parties who demonstrate cause for concern (including, of course, acknowledged contact with the contaminant) will be flagged in the Savrii’s database and required to return for twice-weekly visits to continue the procedures. Other than the phantom emptiness described previously, characters will feel no side effects of their exposure at this time. They may, however, find casual passerby avoiding them after a visit. Medical secrecy only goes so far against fear of plague, and that chemical wash also stains most creatures a cheery yellow-green.

Whatever its effect on your life personally, the social effects of the incursion are difficult to miss. Whispers and fear turn to paranoia and full-blown fights, and Thisavrou's population centers are packed with heated debates about safety versus exploration-- or sometimes, versus the explorers themselves. A small black-market trade in preventative medicine (real or otherwise) has sprung up, and rumors claim that the full list of infected persons can be bought too: by those who have the right connections and a lot of cash to pay.

Combating this upswing of violence and disorder? Thisavrou's intermediaries. Combination police force and negotiators, the intermediaries have always been crucial to the rule of law on Thisavrou. Recent events, however, have seen them advertising their presence more: some wearing a strip of silver cloth to mark their status and availability to help. If approached by one, characters will experience a supernatural sense of calm. They will find their concerns met with sympathy and understanding... but somehow also the exact right words to talk all parties down. Whether that means persuading your neighbor to leave you out of his conspiracy theories or explaining why you need to report in for testing... well, that depends on you.

Following the opening of travel to the planet Deslora, an unscrupulous individual smuggled back clownbee larvae. In the weeks since, the clownbees have become a mildly invasive species in certain areas of Region 3. Victims of clownbee stings report an irresistible urge to smear garish makeup across their faces and the need to consume as much sugar as possible. Citizens are cautioned to listen for telltale sounds of buzzing and honking, and be wary.

An organization that purchased samples from the planet Aueia several months ago is opening an exhibit at a museum in Region 1. Those who participated in gathering objects from the planet, as well as any who care to attend, are invited to attend a small opening reception for the exhibit, where they will be presented with a small gift from an ardent lover of that world's wildlife: a small whale carving made of stone with mild psychic properties. When touched with bare hands, the holder will receive a mental picture of someone who means a great deal to them, with perfect clarity, as if they saw them just a moment ago.

⋆ Mission notices have been posted to TABs for anyone interested in earning a little extra cash. Available missions are listed below:

Day 28 (May 8th) - While recent events have been difficult, the Department of Ingress Contingency Coordination is impressed by the rapid response of all Savrii in coming together to ensure public safety. A few holdouts, however, are rumored to be hiding their conditions-- and thereby putting not only themselves, but the entire population at risk. The department will therefore offer a reward of 100 sencs to citizens willing to report these cases, with an additional 200 senc bonus if the persons involved have been directly exposed to the contaminants. As Deputy TOD puts it, "you're only SAVING EVERYONE'S LIVES".
Day 36 (May 16th) - EN-Line systems throughout Thisavrou have begun to suffer a strange outbreak of mechanical failures that are leaving commuters by the wayside. Rumor claims some of Chioni's insectoid residents might be to blame. The Savrii will pay 50 sencs to anyone capable of confirming the problem, and 300 to anyone who solves it.

ingress travel info

⋆ Signatures are the base reason for traveling through the Ingress (aside from general exploration and monetary gain) and are used to discover the correct world visitors on Thisavrou wish to return to. Every visit through a different Ingress brings the technicians a little closer to finding it.

⋆ Missions are jobs or specific tasks listed on the TAB once new worlds are open for exploration. Be sure to check if Clearance Levels are required to accept some of these missions.

⋆ Clearance Levels are given to visitors for the length of time they have been on Thisavrou (or traveling on the Moira). Each CL offers access to certain things or incentives that others will not have. As of this month, security will be in place outside the Ingress to ensure no clearance violations occur.

⋆ The Ingress powers Thisavrou in every way: economically, socially, and as a literal source of light and heat. However, between the biohazard incident and the recent escalation of the storms, the hazards of free travel can no longer be ignored. As a result, on May 10, the Ingress will be sealed against intrusion.

While sealed, Ingress travel must be directly controlled by the technicians. Instead of directing the open channel of the Ingress, technicians will be opening access to specific worlds, and closing it immediately after. As a result, traveling parties will have certain timeframes to leave and to return. Missing your schedule can result in being stranded offworld until the next travel period comes. Additionally, no new arrivals will be able to appear while Thisavrou's Ingress remains sealed. ((For OOC ramifications, check out the new app schedule!))

* Due to the closure and a recent push for regulation, no new worlds will be opened for exploration at this time. However, travel to established worlds will still be permitted, especially by individuals who have made contact there before. This opens up the opportunity for...

Revisiting Old Haunts

⋆ Although the visit to Escoria was brief, wet, and unpleasant for most, others found new inspiration-- or old ties. A group of Region Four's Gorgóna have spent the last month researching their long and complicated family history and believe they have traced their ancestors directly to a clan of Escoria's more aggressive waterfolk. The Gorgóna are willing to pay 100 sencs to every individual who will assist in escorting them to their lost kin-- and making sure all parties survive the reunion long enough to celebrate. As their last encounter with the Savrii was strictly hostile, this is both a security mission and an opportunity for diplomacy-- and consequently, all travel groups require one member of Clearance Level 2 or higher to come with.

⋆ As many concerns have been brought up about the risks of their own Ingress travel, the Savrii are united in one certainty: that manipulation of the Ingress by other parties poses a far greater risk. A colony buried in the ruins of Thiri has been discovered engaging in their own in-depth studies on the use of Ingress energy. The Savrii consider this behavior to be a threat to the stability of all universes, and as with the Midway Hub, intervention is required at any cost.

A team is being sent to destroy all research data and technology onsite, along with anyone who interferes. As the colony's population is expected to interfere in its entirety, full combat gear will be provided to all volunteers. The mission will be supervised by high-clearance Savrii, and pay 250 sencs to each volunteer. All volunteers must be of at least Clearance Level 3, or personally vouched for by someone who is.

⋆ A year ago (by their local calendar), one of Thisavrou's established trade partners was approached by a pirate ship, one that had stolen from their world before. When the ruse was discovered, they attempted to force out the invaders, and in doing so, suffered a tragedy beyond proportion: the loss of an entire world.

Caducus Primary is no more. The mission announcement also notes that their sister planet, Caducus Secondary, also suffered massive losses in their efforts to force reparations from the murderers. On Day 35 of the current cycle (May 25th), a gathering is being held in the field of shattered glass where Caducus Primary was, to piece together a monument to the fallen. Thisavrou has pledged to send a delegation to assist. The pay will be minimal (30 sencs, to cover a missed workday), but this mission is open to all clearance levels.

[[ooc: For questions, comments, or additional information, check out the OOC post here.]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Hermione can feel it all like a slap in the face, like there's something dangerous rushing over her - and she doesn't know what to do. Her magic - back, a little - mixed with the Grace from Katsa's world means that she has no idea how to handle herself, no idea how to make this right, and she chokes off a noise as she moves closer, almost stumbling as she reaches out for Lavellan. She barely knows him but her heart is aching, desperate to help him in any way she can.

Moving forward, her arms move to rest near him, her hands on his shoulders - not crowding him, but offering a gentle support. She understands. She does. She's never felt the same kind of intense misunderstanding of who she is, but she's been out of place, she's felt on edge, not herself, as if she doesn't fit or make sense or anything like it, and it's certainly not as intense or real as the thing that Lavellan is feeling...

She empathises, and she wants to help.

All of her anger slips away as she breathes out, lifting a hand to push hair away from his eyes, gently, feeling suddenly maternal despite her youth. ]

She's not you. [ She's sure of that. ] There are a thousand different worlds out there. Maybe a million. I saw them all in the Drbawurld, each world with a person with a shard, and I felt them. I saw them come together. You... Your world isn't her world. It's just as good, just as real.

[ His desire to be real, to be valid, to have his existence mean something - she can feel it all. Hermione breathes out a sharp noise. She can't help with this. She can't make this better, and panic floods her. ]

I'm sorry. I didn't mean...

[He flinches at her touch but he doesn't pull away. He can't hear what she's saying, all sound is crowded out by his own ragged breathing and his own heartbeat. All he knows his own mantra of keep it together keep it together keepittogether and the mounting panic that he can't and now this girl, Hermione, she knows that he's weak and a fraud and can't handle pressure he'll fail he's failed he's a failure he's keepittogetherkeepittogether

And then, as suddenly as it began, it starts to pass. His breathing is still short and harried but it begins to even out, his head stops pounding and he can think again. He becomes aware of Hermione's hands on his shoulder and on his face, looking at him with naked concern, and doesn't quite know how she got there.]

S-Sorry.

[It comes out weak and breathy and he doesn't even know why he says it, but it's all he can think of. Sorry for making her witness this, maybe. Sorry for pulling at her shirt. Sorry for being such a fucking disaster.]

Don't.

[ Hermione is set and firm when it comes to that. She doesn't want to hear an apology, she doesn't want to hear him thinking he has to feel ashamed or - or anything else for what he's feeling. If her guesses are right - she's fairly sure they are - then it's all down to the very idea of Nasrin existing, down to the fact that she was real and she gave people tattoos and she wasn't this man.

She can't imagine what it must be like, to feel like an imposter.

(But she can. In her own way, she can. She had been a Marchioness, wrong for the position but trying anyway, desperate and doing whatever she could, cursed and cursed and cursed, loved for the persona she gave herself over to, cherished for her mistakes, and she had tried so hard-)

Careful, she wraps her arms around Lavellan, holding him gently, offering comfort and tenderness all at once. ]

You have nothing to apologise for. Not to me.

[He wants to pull away but he can't bring himself to, somehow, he's overwhelmed by the whirlwind of the past few minutes and his hands are still shaking and he's so tired. He doesn't quite crumple, but he lets himself lean into her, as much as he's able. He can't relax entirely: he doesn't know how to.

It's not long before discomfort and embarrassment rear their heads again, though, and he gently pushes on her waist to give her the hint.]

Thank you, but--you didn't deserve to have this unloaded on you, especially after I treated you so badly. I am sorry for that.

[And there's still that old doubt, that feeling of but she doesn't know him, where is this sympathy coming from? There must be something hidden here that he's not seeing.]

I usually have a bit more self-control than this. [He laughs, and it's weak and forced, but he tries.]

[ The thing is that Hermione is used to this. As Marchioness she had been caught up in drama after drama, forced to play the gentle caretaker to so many people that this is now second nature to her. It's what she does, and it's almost a relief to be given the chance to slip into a role so familiar and recognisable even if it had started out so terribly for the both of them, her back itching from the memory of bared tattoos.

She knows this feeling, and she chases it - needing to be useful, to be wanted, to be necessary, to be able to help. ]

Would you believe me if I told you it wasn't the first time something like this has happened to me?

[ She leans back, ever so slightly, and her fingers lift to brush at his hair again. She doesn't know this man but she's gentle all the same, his desires swirling in her mind and making it easier for her to connect. ]

Maybe I just have that effect on people. It's okay. Are you okay? Better?

[The problem is he's used to being in a similar position to Hermione--not the same, but similar. He was never a caretaker but he was a pillar, something for others to lean on and trust to never waver, always willing to help regardless of history or circumstance, always looking to the greater good without bias. Strong and constant.

This isn't that, and he's more uncomfortable with it every moment.

He pushes her more insistently this time and leans back away from the hand in his hair, squaring his shoulders into the more authoritative front he's so used to projecting. It's too little, too late, of course, but it gives him some semblance of normalcy. It helps him numb the anxiety, calm his breathing the rest of the way, school his hands into fists well enough that you can hardly tell they're shaking. His face rearranges automatically to an expression more amiable. More distant.]

Yes, thank you. I hope I haven't made too terrible an impression. I hardly meant to distract you from your book.

[It's not his best deflection, but if he can smoothly change the subject and excuse himself, he can leave this disaster safely behind him.]

[ It's only when he pushes her back that Hermione realises just how unfairly intimate she's being with a relative stranger and she feels a twinge of her own discomfort. The urge to take care of someone, to make sure they're happy and okay, shouldn't overwhelm her to the point where it makes someone else feel on edge or uneasy. She shifts away, giving Lavellan some space, shifting back to make sure that he has a little room to himself.

She's a touch flushed, but there's not much she can do about that, her eyes searching his face for a moment before she relaxes. ]

No, no, you haven't, trust me. I've had worst first impressions.

[ And she's given worse ones, too, considering her history. Looking down at her book she pauses before she glances back up, smile still in place. ]

It wasn't that interesting, really. Are you feeling better?

[He's feeling more normal by the second, if not entirely stable. Having some distance between them helps. There's a twinge of guilt that he's doing this when she clearly just wants to help him, but not enough to make him change his mind.]

Yes, perfectly, thank you.

[But he can offer her more of a branch than that, at least, and there are a few things he's curious about, now. And he's finding that talking is a good distraction.]

If you know... [He trails off, with a flush of embarrassment, but he stumbles at using his own name to refer to a stranger. Hopefully Hermione will infer enough.] Would you happen to know a Katsa?

I'm glad to hear it.

[ Hermione doesn't want him to suffer, of course, or to feel uncomfortable, and there's a moment's hesitation before she turns her attention back to Lavellan and focusses on the conversation at hand.

Still, the question makes her eyes widen and she shifts, moving a little closer in her excitement, unable to help herself. ]

I do. She and I were in the Drabwurld together for years. She's one of my - she's... A good friend.

[ Closest friends, despite their argument, and the sadness of that still hangs over her a little bit, uncertain and possibly a little dangerous. ]

[Lavellan notices the hesitation, but he doesn't comment. Not his business, and also not what he's after, even if his old curiosity prickles at the back of his mind.

He's done solving other people's problems for them. Let it go, Neriel.]

She's here as well, if you haven't encountered her yet. She's... interesting. [And he's not going to elaborate. Mostly he's trying to work out if he can offer any subtle form of repayment, this way.]

Oh, I know. I found her in the first few days of arriving.

[ Hermione is well aware of just how wonderful her friend is, and the way that her face softens betrays it a little more than she might be able to express with words. Even so, there's something gentle about how she continues, a softness in her words. ]

She's wonderful, isn't she? Incredibly strong and so very brave.

[ One of her best friends. ]

[...Sure.]

She's certainly headstrong. [Yes, that's the best he could do.] I haven't had much chance to speak with her. I'm afraid we didn't get off on the right foot.

[His hands fist in the fabric of his trousers uncertainly.] I was just curious, that's all. You have similar stories.

[ Rude. ]

No, I can imagine that. [ Both Katsa and Lavellan seem to be... Intense, in their own ways, as they go. ] But you should get to know her! She's wonderful, really.

[ But then - ah. She hesitates before she nods her head. ]

We're from different worlds, but we were in the Drabwurld together.

[He nods at the ground.]

Yes, it... it seems...

[He trails off, because he doesn't actually have a response, he's just casting about for something to say. And his mind still isn't working quite right.

He rakes a hand through his hair, down his face, and forces himself to voice the real thought that's still plaguing him. Because all he's doing now is stalling.]

I... really, I can't apologize enough. I shouldn't have--I don't know what came over me.

[Which is true. This woman seems... sensible, endlessly empathetic, kinder to him than he deserves. And it seems like all he can do is make a mess of things.]

[ Hermione watches him for a moment, considering, for a moment, before she breathes out a soft noise. ]

It's alright. I understand, really.

[ His mind seems like... A misty plain of things, crying out in confusion, and it makes Hermione feel as though she has a headache. Her stomach turns a little and she stares, blinking her attention to one side before she softens. ]

You're completely forgiven. I... I do understand.

[ Her eyes blink and she breathes out gently. ]

I just hope you're okay.

[Something about that rings strange to him, and he looks at her sidelong, with renewed interest and suspicion. For all he knows, from her perspective, he's just nearly attacked her without provocation, and then proceeded to have some kind of fit when she defended herself. And now, without him explaining a thing, she... understands and forgives him?

What?

Lavellan's met inordinately forgiving people before, but how he acted really isn't the kind of behavior people just dismiss out of hand. She doesn't even want an explanation? Really?]

You do? How?

[ Hermione blinks for a moment before she realises, obviously, that this man has no idea what's going on with her or anything about the loss of her powers or her sudden gift of new ones. All he can see is a strangely empathetic young woman responding to cues that aren't actually there. ]

Something happened to my magic and, instead, I have something from Katsa's world. It's why my eyes have changed colour.

[ She opens them a little wider, offering something like a nervous smile. ]

It's like... I can read what you want. In your mind. Not telepathy, exactly, but... I know you just... Want to be real. To be sure. Something like that.

[Oh.

Fuck.

His eyes widen with horror instead, the blood draining from his face. Those were thoughts he'd never admitted to anyone, and now this girl he doesn't even know just... pulled them from his head.

And hearing them spoken aloud... it's too much. It makes it all a reality. Now his problems have turned from worries into fact.

He'd never used to fold this easily; his composure could outlast anyone's. That was his role. What happened to that? What happened to people across Thedas just being intimidated by the sound of his name?

Well, that had never been real. But he'd done better at acting the part.]

You just... you read... all of that.

[He doesn't even have a response. The idea is just too much to process. All he can do is lean back and close his eyes.]

Shit.

Not on purpose! I don't mean to do it, it's not my power and it's all a bit of a jumbled mess, really, and I'm trying not to, really, am!

[ She's panicked, more than anything else, and her eyes widen as she leans just a little bit closer to Lavellan. She doesn't want him to be uncomfortable, but she realises just how violating this is, just how out of sorts someone might feel as a result; she's practically reading his mind, even if it's a little strange, not really his thoughts but his emotions and desires and, oh, Hermione feels a knot twist in her stomach.

Slowly, she shifts back, moving away and giving him space, holding up her hands and fighting back the nausea that settles in her chest. She had learned to be okay with telepathy, to trust it, but she can't even think that it's the same for everyone.

It's not fair. ]

I'm sorry. I - I should go, then you don't have to worry about anyone being in your mind or - or anything, really.

No!

[He holds up a hand, like he can stopper the stream of her words that way. The few minutes he's had to speak with Hermione have already proven to him that she is nothing short of endlessly compassionate, and he can be very capable of being selfish, but not at the expense of someone so giving. The last thing he wants is for her to think she's done nothing wrong, when she's already given him more than he deserves.]

No. That isn't what I meant. I know it's not your fault, it's just... a discomforting idea.

[He grins at her wryly, some of his darker humor coming back.]

I'm sure you wouldn't have wanted all that in your own head, if you had the choice, but here we are anyway and we can't change that. But you don't need to worry. My problems are my own, and I'm capable of handling them.

[Yyyyyyyeah, because he's been doing so well at that so far.]

[ Hermione watches him, speechless for a moment, and she stares at him before her shoulders slump into something more relaxed. She understands, now, how Charles must have felt, and it leaves an echo of something sad in her heart, wishing she could see him again to tell him just how much she empathised. ]

I understand that. One of my best friends was a telepath and it took a little while to get used to the idea - and that was permanent.

[ But at least Lavellan is smiling now, and Hermione tilts her head up, expression just a touch softer. She doesn't want to alienate people, after all, and she doesn't want anyone to feel uncomfortable around her; she wants to be friendly, to make friends, to feel as though she can be comfortable here. ]

That doesn't mean you have to do them on your own, though, does it? I mean, if you wanted someone to talk to...

[ She's always there to lend an ear. ]

[She is sweet, isn't she? He doesn't understand how he keeps finding these people, why the people who least deserve his mess are the ones he keeps inflicting it on. He laughs and shakes his head.]

Thank you for the offer, but it isn't necessary. As I said, I'm quite capable of handling them on my own.

[He folds his arms and settles back, like he's sizing her up.] I think it's past time we exchanged names, don't you? Though I have a feeling you've already guessed mine.

[ At least... Well, she thinks, at least he's smiling a little now, and that makes her tilt her head up and offer her own in return. ]

Alright. Well, I'm not going to push. [ This time. She'd done quite enough damage for one day, hasn't she? ] But the offer stands.

[ Shifting, she reaches out and offers a hand for him to shake. ]

Hermione Granger. It's really nice to meet you.

[He does. Warily, but he does.]

Lavellan. [It comes out a little bitter; he's still not really in a good mood. And he deliberately doesn't give her his first name.

She'll have to call him by her friend's and deal with her own cognitive disconnect, so there.]

[ It's a step forward, even if it is awkward. ]

Lavellan.

[ She repeats it and nods her head. She's aware, of course, that it's a clan name and not his name, but it doesn't matter too much. It's what he wants.

She just doesn't know what to say now. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

may mod plot log

thisavrou monthly info ( the tmi )

ingress travel info

Revisiting Old Haunts

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