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We blamed it on our youth - Kaisel - 02-03-2026
Kaisel has been eager to make his way out here and see the remnants of his home for himself. There'd been an initial disbelief that anything had survived, then a quiet gratitude that now splits and sparks into an anxious energy to see it for himself. [say]"So you said the Tower is still intact?"[/say] he glances over at Sohalia as they step into the Celestine.
[say]"Wild,"[/say] he remarks with wide eyes, impressed and a touch amused. [say]"Of everything, I would have bet that would have fallen again. Third times and all that."[/say] Not that he'd been hoping it would, per say, not having expected anything to survive. Now that it has though, he can't help but lament some other losses, and as someone not overly studious, he's swap the Silk Houses for the Archive any day. Although yeah, yeah, important records and shit are obviously way better than the seedy halls of debauchery. Not to mention, without the ties to the city, the Silk Houses would likely be little more than a skeleton of tents and buildings.
[say]"Wow, this got reworked a bit,"[/say] he notes, stepping across foliage that's taken over a bit more than he recalls, looking a bit too similar to Mateo's back rooms of his shop. A bit less deadly, perhaps, given all the teeth wrapped up inside the enclosures within. Twilight envelopes them once they pass the threshold, and the various cries of creatures rise up, the animals unbothered by the new location.
RE: We blamed it on our youth - Sohalia - 02-04-2026
[say]"Yeah,"[/say] Soh said, stepping into the Celestine alongside Kaisel. [say]"It's on an island over that way. It's being overtaken by nature, though - it's weird."[/say] She winced at the memory of the once pristine and imposing Tower, now covered in vines and moss, its windows gaping open as shattered glass crunched beneath her feet. [say]"But, yeah, it is pretty incredible that it's still standing, even if it's not the same as it was."[/say]
Twilight enveloped them as they walked further along the overgrown path, and Soh looked around with a mixture of interest and nostalgia. Animals called, seemingly unbothered by their new location; Soh wondered if Grimm had made it here to continue caring for them. She hadn't seen him since she'd arranged the camp in the Celestine for any stragglers - though she wasn't sure it had been used, given that Safrin had spirited them all away to safety. Maybe that was for the best. The Caretaker hadn't seemed like he was too keen about the idea of people amongst his precious animals.
[say]"It's so quiet,"[/say] Soh said, frowning into the dim light. She had never realized that the Celestine before had had a background hum of city noise; now it was silent save for the animals, and she wasn't sure she liked the change.
RE: We blamed it on our youth - Kaisel - 02-05-2026
He supposes of all the places for nature to creep in and lay claim to brickwork, this place makes the most sense. It's already half wild, overflowing with as much vegetation as beast, and the haunting melodies of animal cries rise alongside the veil of dusk they step into. [say]"Yeah,"[/say] he agrees softly to her claim, knowing at once she doesn't mean the hum of life still vibrating through the enclosures, but all that outside of it that's gone silent and is nothing more than sea and surf now. [say]"It's almost weird...that so much is the same, but also so different?"[/say] His gaze coasts back to her from its wandering inspection around them. [say]"It feels like a dream, almost. That thing that's half real, half not."[/say] It's his best attempt at describing what otherwise feels like the clash of a memory and its present day shadow.
[say]"How have you been Soh, after...everything?"[/say] She's been staying at Wildering house, and he hopes she means to find some peace there at long last. Genuinely he watches her, knowing that for as strong as he feels his roots curl around Stormbreak, she has tied so much of herself to it, and likely carries the weight of this collapse in ways she shouldn't. [say]"I mean, obviously, I know it's hard. I just know, sometimes it's nice to be asked, and not just assumed that you're managing. Although I have found, ice cream cures a lot of things. Maybe not region-sized ailments, but city at least."[/say]
RE: We blamed it on our youth - Sohalia - 02-06-2026
Soh nodded along with Kaisel's explanation. She knew exactly what he meant. The enclosures snuck up out of the twilight, holding various animals in different states of wellness. Soh paused to look in at some mata mata - possibly all that remained of the once thriving population of Stormbreak - and sighed heavily. It wasn't just the people who had been displaced. It was everything that had made their home... home.
She turned to Kaisel, realizing not for the first time that he was wiser than she'd given him credit for. She could understand a little better each time they spoke how he and Flora had come to be what they were. [say]"I'm managing,"[/say] she said, short but not unkind. [say]"It's been a challenge, and I want to make sure everyone finds somewhere to settle, so in a way it's like I'm still the Ambassador until then. But... outside of that, it's just... weird. I feel like I'm not sure what to do now, because I could do anything, and it's just... a lot."[/say]
RE: We blamed it on our youth - Serendipity - 02-06-2026
A deep, foreboding growl draws you to an enclosure that resembles a dark, rocky shoreline. There, a Sea Panther prowls with silent grace, its webbed paws leaving no trace on the enchanted sands. Its sleek, fur-less body glistens under the twilight, and its piercing eyes seem to see right through you. The creature's horns add to its otherworldly appearance. As it moves, you feel a chill run down your spine, as if the very air carries whispers of the sea and the souls it gathers. The Sea Panther’s presence is both majestic and ominous, a reminder of the mysteries and dangers of the deep.
You’ve encountered a Sea Panther. This counts as a rare creature encounter for the purposes of levelling, but does not count as a Random Event for levelling or MP. There will be no further admin/re intervention.
Sea PantherAreas Found: Torchline — Rare Sea Panthers are rare creatures of monstrous size. As one might think, they have many feline features, including a long tail, paws, fangs, and eyes with vertical pupils. But per their aquatic nature their paws are webbed and wide, everything streamlined and without fur. Their most notable features are their horns, one on each side in front of their ears. Lore has it these were created by Mort as a gift for Ludo, and as such Sea Panthers are thought to gather the souls of sailors lost at sea. Encountering one is considered either an omen of death to come or a blessing from Ludo, depending on circumstance.
Challenge Rating: Brutal | Mythical | Admin approval needed HP: 3,951 | To Hit: +116 | Dmg: 435 Movement: Swim 70 ft.; Dive 60 ft.; Walk 25 ft.; Surface Glide 40 ft. (riding the wake) SPECIAL SKILLS Soul Gatherer: drawn to the dying and the drowned, guiding their spirits toward Ludo’s care; Omen of the Tide: sightings foreshadow death or deliverance, often amid storms and wrecks; Mort’s Gift: a sacred hush surrounds it; lesser spirits balk at approaching; Stillwater Mantle: can briefly calm nearby waves and wind when circling, or rouse them in defense |
TRAITS Streamlined Build: furless hide and wide, webbed paws cut through heavy seas; Feline Grace: long tail acts as a rudder for tight turns and sudden bursts; Nightpiercing Eyes: vertical pupils see cleanly through moonlit chop and glare; Double Horns: paired horns ahead of the ears for ramming and warding; Abyss-Tolerant: comfortable in deep, cold water and can hold breath for long spans ACTIONS Horn Ram: surges from below to smash prey or batter a hull; Riptide Pounce: erupts from depth to seize a target and drag it beneath or bear it skyward in a spray; Tail Sweep: a sweeping, rudderlike strike that knocks swimmers or skiffs aside; Requiem Call: a low, carrying bellow that summons or quiets nearby spirits and chills mortal hearts; Undertow Drag: pulls an enemy under...or, when so inclined, ferries a chosen survivor safely toward shore |
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RE: We blamed it on our youth - Kaisel - 02-07-2026
Maybe subconsciously he's walking them towards the Torchline section, or what beachy likeness there is here, always finding himself missing home. It hadn't felt like it at first, that it could really own that name when Stormbreak always has. What had once belonged to the city though, is now irrevocably at Flora's side. Torchline or the Climb, with her is home, just so happens to be a beach paradise backdrop for the time being. Not to say that the brick lay of childhood memories and family bonds have crumbled as surely as the region has, but they're places he visits now, not where he stays.
The deep growl pulls his attention towards one particular enclosure, and as they talk his gaze scans through the fencing to the impressive beast within—a sea panther. His breath curls in, never having seen one before, not for real. After hearing about Lena too, it feels, almost wrong in a way he knows it shouldn't, but finds the wiggle room to anyway. He hurries away from it's enclosure.
Glancing back to Soh to find relief there, even if it's the plight of her identity now and the weight of taking off a mantle she's carried so long. [say]"You're doing a great job,"[/say] he reassures with a soft smile. [say]"Pretty sure there's no guidebook on what to do when a city falls out of a sky, so you have been a nice lighthouse for people to look to through all this."[/say] Familiar faces are worth a lot in times of crises, especially welcome ones. [say]"Anything?"[/say] he edges in with a smirk. [say]"If you could turn into stars, that'd be pretty cool."[/say]
RE: We blamed it on our youth - Sohalia - 02-07-2026
They wandered along the overgrown path, passing this creature and that - but before long, a foreboding growl echoed from one enclosure, and - despite her better judgment - Soh drew closer to see what it was. A sea panther stared back at her, and Soh barely resisted the urge to bare her teeth in a snarl of her own. While she had nothing against most animals, it had been one of these that had killed Lena, and she wasn't sure she would ever view them with the same awe that she once had. [say]"Come on,"[/say] she muttered, and they hurried away from the enclosure.
With the sea panther out of sight, they managed to relax back into conversation, but Soh took a moment to partially shift her eyes and ears. Kaisel might not notice much of a difference, but with her tide jaguar shift's senses, she'd be able to keep track of any wayward animals that might be a threat.
[say]"Thanks, Kai,"[/say] she said, offering a shy smile his direction. [say]"I dunno about turning into stars - that seems like Safrin territory, and I'm not sure that I'd make the cut for that particular ability."[/say] She paused, thinking. [say]"But I could go back to doing cartography, or pick up a new hobby, or travel the world, or, I dunno... like I said, anything. Or, I guess, almost anything."[/say]
RE: We blamed it on our youth - Kaisel - 02-08-2026
He bites back his smile as she rather seriously answers his purposefully outlandish claim, only trying to offer her a slightly narrower field of view. He knows that too many choices can be daunting. He’d felt uncertain before about next steps, and finding ways to cross choices off had been helpful. [say]”Oh, no becoming starlight then. Bummer,”[/say] he chuckles lowly, bumping her shoulder with his in a brief drift of closeness and reassurance before he straightens back out.
She didn’t miss the point, but she still keeps the seriousness of it all. [say]”Almost anything sounds a lot easier to work with,”[/say] he admits, gaze drifting past an enclosure of Tumsea. He slows a little to admire them fully. [say]”You ever think they worry about what they’re gonna do?”[/say] he wonders, glancing over at her. She is an attuned, after all, so maybe she does know. He shrugs a little, continuing on. [say]”I think, sometimes less thought and planning is better.”[/say] He is well known for running headlong into things, and so far he seems to be having a lot more fun with things than she is.
[say]”I mean, look at you Soh.”[/say] He flicks his attention towards her, hand rolling over a few times in gesture. [say]”You’ve done so much in such a short amount of time. When was the last time you had regular fun though?”[/say] Not just a fleeting moment, but some actual enjoyment in her life. [say]”What’s the point if you’re not having fun? I don’t think you should consider so much what’s next as just, going out and doing it all. Cartography, new hobbies, travel. Do it all girl.”[/say]
RE: We blamed it on our youth - Sohalia - 02-12-2026
The way Kai bumped her shoulder with his took her by surprise. It was a gesture of friendship and camaraderie, one that she hadn't expected from him because she hadn't realized that she knew him well enough. And yet... hadn't he tried to be there for her before, and she'd dismissed him because, what? He was just Flora's boyfriend? Or just Koa's cousin?
Couldn't he be her friend, too, independent of all that?
They passed by an enclosure of tumsea, and Soh looked at them thoughtfully. The logical side of her brain knew that the tumsea probably didn't think much past their next meal, their next clutch of eggs, and their migratory patterns, but she didn't think that was what Kai meant. Snorting as he made his point, she shot a sidelong glance at him, a sly smile on her lips. [say]"I'll have you know I played tag with Deimos. I was a tide jaguar, he was a hellhound, and we played with a group of Ancient kids in the Grounds."[/say] Then she softened, her grin fading into something more understanding. [say]"But I think I get what you mean. I've always been a planner, you know? The few times I didn't plan things out, it... didn't end well for me."[/say] Or for those around her.
RE: We blamed it on our youth - Kaisel - 02-12-2026
He is genuinely shocked, brows lifting and mouth falling ajar before finding words as he looks at her. [say]"Deimos plays tag?"[/say] Admittedly he does not know the Resurrected Sword well beyond the legends, only having met with him a time or two. Kaisel imagines him as a very stoic and serious man sequestered in the cold mountains, so the idea of him running around, giggling potentially, draws a sharp smile now. [say]"Well, good,"[/say] he asserts, supposing that a game of tag is as good as anywhere to start.
[say]"I'm sure you and Flora could find something to top that though,"[/say] he suggests, then seeming to catch himself, tacks on. [say]"Or, all three of us maybe. Now that you're at the house, maybe we do game nights or find ways to prank Mateo. He's very particular about his plants."[/say] That's a can of worms that might turn out to be vipers. Mateo might wear outfits the same colors as cotton candy, but he's by no means as soft or as sweet, especially if his things are involved. They'd just not have to get caught then, simple.
He hears her, and he's not trying to make her do anything in the end except consider his words. [say]"I've got a plan for you!"[/say] he exclaims suddenly, turning towards her and starting to walk backwards down the Celestine. He glances back every so often to stay mostly straight and upright, but otherwise he's looking straight at herm, hands leading the discussion with enthusiasm as he beams like a lamp without shade. [say]"Help me plan Flora's birthday party next season! I wanna invite everyone, I was thinking the house. Oh, which also reminds me."[/say]
He fishes around inside his pocket for a second, body tilting away with the effort. When he withdraws his hand, he's grasping a glass orb, which he extends out to Soh. [say]"This is the present I'm giving her, although I need your help with it. Y'see, it can store and replay memories, so I've been asking her friends and family to hold it, and think of their happiest memory with her, or of her. That way, everyone she loves, and all of them loving her, is stored inside it."[/say] He offers it out, careful with the transfer. [say]"I can go hang out with the glotters over there to give you space,"[/say] he offers.
RE: We blamed it on our youth - Sohalia - 02-13-2026
At the look on Kaisel's face, Soh laughed aloud, delighted to have shocked him so thoroughly. [say]"Apparently,"[/say] she said, leaning in conspiratorially. [say]"I think I even saw him wag his tail once."[/say] Then, shifting her gaze to look back out at a new exhibit, she added, [say]"Game nights sound fun - I've never really done any pranks, though, so I'm not sure how much use I'll be in that department."[/say] Besides, Mateo was her friend, too, and she didn't want to mess up any of his precious plants.
At Kaisel's exclamation, Soh's eyes lit up. [say]"Oooo, say less!"[/say] she squealed. [say]"I'd love to help. You know, I bet if we bribe the spirits, they'll even help decorate."[/say] Had she ever planned a party before? No. Was she going to take over and plan everything down to the smallest detail? Maybe. Time would tell.
But for now, she listened as Kai explained his gift, then took it carefully to inspect. [say]"Wow, Kai,"[/say] she said, impressed in spite of herself. [say]"That's super sweet."[/say] Holding the orb, she considered her options. Many of the first memories that came to mind involved one or both of them lamenting their love lives, and she wasn't sure that qualified for "favorite memory" status. Finally, she settled on one: it was just a random day out on the Sugar Tide, where she and Flora had been talking about flying. She could have picked anything, she supposed - like the time Flora had calmed her down after she'd lost her virginity, or the time they'd trained together in Stormbreak - but this memory was one day where nothing had come up to derail their good times. It had been just them, and the Sugar Tide, and good drinks, and tanning, and gods if Soh didn't wish for more days exactly like that.
When she was done, she realized that she'd never answered Kai about needing privacy, but she found him by the glotters and carefully handed the orb back. [say]"Here you go,"[/say] she said. [say]"So, now what? Party planning?"[/say]
---
Memory from rockabye
RE: We blamed it on our youth - Kaisel - 02-14-2026
The confession that he'd wagged his tail earns a short, bright laugh from Kaisel and a shake of his head. [say]"The world is full of surprises,"[/say] he hums, lips pressed back together in an effort to regain composure. A small shrug tilts out in reply to her never having pranked, and it's a reminder of how else Koa has clearly failed her. [say]"We'll definitely have to get at least one prank under your belt. I dunno how you even became an adult without one, pretty sure it's a required right of passage."[/say] They clearly ran in different circles when they were younger. He'd show her the ropes though.
The party earns a much more favorable response, and it's a relief too because Kaisel might have many grand plans, but executing them isn't always easy, and he's definitely got some questionable talents with color matching and interior decorating. [say]"Phew, I'm so glad,"[/say] he chimes, [say]"I know you'll help keep it all on track."[/say] As for the spirits, he gives a firm nod. [say]"Oh yes. Help or harm, depending on the offerings. I had both the other day and had to distract them all with candy until they relaxed."[/say] It had taken less getting used to than he first thought it would, living in a house that's as alive and full of force as Flora herself tended to be. The thought now puts a fond smile on his face.
With the orb handed over, he murmurs a chipper, [say]"thanks!"[/say] It should maybe be more wounding at this point, hearing so many people surprised by his explanation of the gift, but he doesn't look past the sprinkles and takes it all for the face value of the sentiment and no deeper commentary on him as a person. Leaving her to it, she slides back beside him at the glotter enclosure, the animals immediately drawn to the border of the exhibit as the shiny orb in her hands catches their eyes. [say]"Not for you lot,"[/say] he tuts, retrieving the item from Soh and carefully pocketing it again.
[say]"Yes! Ronin is going to come over and help too, but I was thinking we begin as soon as the season starts. She's always got so many queenly duties at season change, so she should be out of the house and busy. I don't have a theme, per say, just things she would like. Balloons, streamers, and invite everyone. Amazing food and drinks, of course. Maybe even a cake someone pops out of?"[/say] He chatters over ideas as they walk, taking her input in stride and slowly shaping the idea for their future Decorating Day.
[FIN]