Event Twenty-Five.

[awashmods]

I'd like to creep into the wood And see the bonnets blue, And hear the bluebells ringing loud, I wish I could -- don't you?

t's another day, another month, and another time for people to show up in the well. You'd better go rescue them! Never mind the fact that you woke up with a flower in your hands. It's probably fine. Don't mind it at all. It's not like it's hard to ignore a little flower. (At least, not until the effects start to kick in. Better go rescue the people in the well before they do.) Oh, right. Even the people in the well have flowers, so... things are going to be a little ridiculous very quickly, when all of those side effects kick in. Have fun! Welcome to Awash's Twenty-fifth event log, everyone! Further information on this event can be found here at the OOC post. You are welcome to make your own logs and posts for this event! If there are any questions, please ask them here. Thank you!

Comments

[deathscyther]

[There's no complaint about his task, so Duo continues on unhindered. It seems to be something he's used to because it doesn't conflict with speaking at the same time.]

I guess I meant... does the reason need to be stated for it to matter?

[meridio]

How else will the people accept it?

[deathscyther]

"The people"?

[Another eyebrow raise, and a more pointed look this time. He's asking a question without speaking it fully aloud, but Somnus has his curiosity piqued now.]

[meridio]

[He waves vaguely.]

I speak as a former king. Your priorities would lie elsewhere.

[deathscyther]

Aha. That's it.

[He was absolutely getting that sort of vibe from Somnus. He's not bothered, of course, but it does get a bit of a chuckle.]

You might want to be careful then. It's one thing to speak what your actions are for when you're ruling, but another thing entirely if you do that when simply trying to be generous or kind to another person or small group of people. You go around telling them why, you'll just come off haughty and self important.

[meridio]

[Neither generous nor kind is how he would describe himself. Still, he nods.]

It has been some time since I mingled with other people. I'll remember those words.

[deathscyther]

[Hey, Duo is absolutely willing to give the benefit of the doubt here. He doesn't know Somnus from Bob so it's not like he has any reason to prematurely judge.]

Glad to hear it.

[A grin now, warm and friendly.]

I'm Duo, by the way. Did you just get here? I know we had some arrivals recently.

[meridio]

I did.

[He rises then, putting weight on his damp sandals. Perhaps he'll have a more thorough look around the church.]

I am Somnus Lucis Caelum. [Feel free to call him Bob, though.] How long have these arrivals been taking place?

[The people here greet newcomers with such ease. Will he end up doing the same?]

[deathscyther]

[That sure is a name.

The church isn't very large, but there's enough to poke around at that might keep him occupied for a bit. As for Duo, he's content to focus on his own task.]

Since the beginning, however long ago that was now. I've been here... [a pause to tick off the months in his head.] about nine months? And its about every eight weeks when we get new people in.

[meridio]

[Somnus starts with the nearest pews by studying their detail work. It's something he does in passing, perhaps to ground himself to this world while he listens to Duo.]

What have you done in those nine months?

[deathscyther]

Honestly? Not as much as I could have been.

[Which is why he's so damn intent on getting some form of electricity going in Chroma now. He feels as though he hasn't done enough for the people here, spending too much time lamenting his situation.

The same situation they're all in.]

Others would probably have a better answer to that.

[meridio]

[Duo's answer, though truthful, is underwhelming. But Somnus wasn't asking the others, so he doesn't comment.]

You work on the fixtures here. Is it for the restoration of Chroma?

[deathscyther]

[Look, sometimes people rebel actively against their captors with violence and anger. Sometimes people just refuse to do anything at all in silent protest.

Duo was the latter, at least before now.]

Mhm. I'm trying to get some electricity going here in case of any more major emergencies, and to maybe get some other tech actually running in this place.

[Duo avoids using any real specific terms, figuring Somnus to be from a world where technology isn't really available or even that big of a deal, if it even exists at all. He could go on and on about being a former mecha pilot and whatnot but it would likely fly over the guy's head.]

[meridio]

Electricity powers machinery, but the laptops do not seem to require it.

[So what will it run through once it's available? Street lanterns, perhaps.

What piques Somnus' interest the most, however, is the mention of major emergencies.]

How will that technology assist us during times of crisis?

[deathscyther]

[One place at a time. It's going to take a lot to get things started beyond a single building, and his supplies are limited currently.]

Light would help for a lot of things, don't you think? Treating injuries, being a beacon for people to come to...

[meridio]

[So the emergencies are like that.]

Do monsters roam the land?

[deathscyther]

Yup.

[Right to the point.]

We were attacked by dragons recently. Almost kicked the bucket that time. And that's to say nothing of the mutated animals wandering the forest and the creatures that come up on the quest page of the forum...

[meridio]

[Monsters beyond those targeted by the quests exist in abundance, it seems. Well, that's no different Eos.]

I noticed the forest is a part of town.

[Considering that, it's nothing short of a miracle that monsters have yet to infest the town itself.]

[deathscyther]

It's pushing in...

[There's a resigned tone, one of reluctant acceptance that they've likely done all they can to keep it from doing so.]

It wasn't always like that. Even when I got here it hadn't started yet.

[meridio]

[It's only natural for nature to grow unimpeded; Duo's tone, however, suggests that there's more to the forest than this. Somnus doesn't recall being told much about the encroaching trees.]

What does its advance herald?

[deathscyther]

[If it were natural there wouldn't be such worry.

Duo sighed and set his project down, taking a moment to recall the story that had been unfolding on the quest page, specifically the last few entries.]

"But the forest appeared to have crept closer to the town, and the town itself began to lose the color it had treasured for so long. More and more of the townsfolk began to succumb to the curse that the young man had unleashed, and as more of them disappeared, the forest drew closer still.

Until there was no one left and the town was silent and drab."

[meridio]

[Somnus drops his gaze, staring at a spot on the church floor as he listens to Duo and commits the details of the story to memory. One man had told him that the cause of color loss in Chroma was shrouded in mystery. Is this not the answer, or do they know too little to reach an educated conclusion?]

The forest had stopped. What caused it to resume its march?

[deathscyther]

[A mystery if they weren't paying attention maybe.]

A curse, I think. I'd have to re-read the story again. The last part was added pretty recently so that's why I remember it so clearly.

[meridio]

[Lifting his head, Somnus rounds the pew to look elsewhere around the church. He catches a glimpse of Duo as he walks by.

Questions and thoughts run through his mind. Can naught be done about the forest, and is it actively stealing color from the surroundings? If fewer arrivals are emerging from the well, will the restoration of color manage to rival the speed of its loss? Is the story credible? What happened to the people who vanished; does a similar end await the people here now? Once so informed of the world's fate, Somnus finds himself at a loss now. ]

Chroma is in a far more dire state than I had first believed.

[deathscyther]

[Again, welcome to Chroma.

We're all screwed!

Duo seems to feel the weight of it, too, though not for the first time and likely not for the last. His motivation to continue with his task withers away, seeming futile when they were facing such a daunting fate.]

Yeah...