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A lot had happened since he'd been gone. Apparently, along with the illusions that had trapped the echoes in their false lives, another far broader illusion had also shattered.
The people of this world now knew that others lay beyond it-- others which might just be reachable.
Now, this was enough to pique his curiosity. This was not the first time he'd known of those who tried to breach the sky and find what lay beyond. And so, though he didn't participate himself, he spent a good many hours hovering near the landing, watching the construction of the new airships.
When the announcement went out seeking people to join the first expedition, it was a given that Harukaze would go along with it. How could he resist seeking out what lay beyond this world's boundaries, amid the distant, intertwining aether?
Then, he had another thought, and took out his phone, snapping a picture of the announcement.
[TXT to: Captain Sunshine] [attachment: image.png]
[TXT to: Captain Sunshine] This seems like something you would be interested in.
[TXT to: Captain Sunshine] Want to join me?
...
He didn't even need to wonder if Steven would accept the invitation. The very next day, they were climbing aboard the airship, bags packed and ready for the voyage ahead.
It seemed like there was always something going on here, keeping Steven and many others busy always regardless of how things looked to the natives. Turbulence under the smooth surface.
Steven was achingly glad that his friend had returned in one piece again, even though he was distinctly angry with himself for not having helped more. He'd just have to make up for it somehow, now that he was back with them.
The Captain knew of the airships being assembled to breach the boundary of the Isle, had gone and admired them many time when he had moments to spare but hadn't thought more about them. He hadn't been expecting the notice that civilians, in particular the adventurer's guild, were invited to join the expedition.
He also wasn't expecting the text with an offer from Harukaze. Indeed, before a minute had passed, he'd already replied with a picture of himself holding a sign-up sheet in the guild, grinning brightly.
On the day of the launch, he's predictably bouncing on his toes as they climb aboard, grin and eyes bright, a simple bag slung over his shoulder more for show than function.
"Man I'm so glad that we're not going by actual ship in the sea, you wouldn't think so but I get awfully seasick when I have to stay out too long on the ocean. Turns out, being born and raised in space makes it really hard to adjust to being on the ocean. Much easier to swim. At least an airship won't bob up and down all the time."
Of course he knew that already. Whether strength, wisdom, or renown, there was no true limit. If he surpassed the gods that walked the earth, there were those in the heavens, if he even conquered the Heavenly Principles, there was... whatever lay beyond the false sky. This world, too, had powers more vast than he knew, and still too many secrets...
Even in Teyvat, to become Shouki no Kami was a near impossible feat.
His hands curled into fists.
"So what?" he asked. "What happens if I come up against something stronger? I'll be unmade? Heh... good. So far, nothing has managed it."
He narrowed his eyes at Steven's little "gotcha" moment, then shook his head. "It's not like that's the name I want. It's just... let's say, good enough for now, considering the circumstances. Eventually, only my divine name will need to be known. Not whole?" His lips twisted into a mirthless grin, head tilting to the side. "Well, so what? I've never been whole to begin with, anyway. What's a few more missing pieces?"
Steven took a step forward, and Scaramouche held his ground, though a part of him wished to retreat. This was... just a waste of time, after all. He'd be better off finding out another way to go about this, since wiping out his other segments didn't seem so simple as just destroying them.
"And that's what I'm doing. Last time, my ascension failed. This time, I won't make the same mistakes as before. I may be starting from even less, and I may be on my own, but that's simply the price I must pay for my previous failures," he replied. He interlaced his fingers behind his back, tipping his head up to stare at the skies above. "Who says I can't learn from my failures? They've shown me my weak points-- and why would I want to keep those?"
"Balladeer...." Steven sighed, suddenly feeling a lot more tired than he had any right to be. How did he get through to him? Could even do it? Something must have at some point, if this was a part of Maof, someone he used to be. Something had touched him at one point or another.
Right?
"Learning from your mistakes doesn't mean cutting out the pieces of yourself you don't like. You'll lose too much if you do that." He hesitates before stepping within arms reach, expression worried and aching. A hand reaches carefully, the tips of his fingers curling over the other's shoulder.
"You'll really end up nothing but a puppet if you carve out everything inside. And I'd miss you."
— 𝐀 𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏 𝐂𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍 . 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 , rand lifted his gaze from the task at hand and offered steven his attention . a ship captain , but . . . from the sounds of it , there was evidently a gap in between what rand knew and what steven did . then again . rand was not a ship's captain , nor did he ever intend to be . before rand could ask him about it , the conversation shifted once again to whatever had first held steven's attention . a shrill noise had almost seemed to have answered , but the Light help him , rand could not make sense of any of it . there was most certainly nothing there save the furnishings when he looked .
rand watched him carefully , trying hard to veil his cringe . it would be just his luck to be settled with a madman for a house - mate . that creature at the tower must have thought it some sort of ill - mannered joke , no doubt . the wheel spins slower , it said ! that didn't stop it from sticking him with a man that quite possibly talked to lounge chairs , like a taunt . i'm NOT mad yet . even if he may well be .
how rand did hope he was wrong .
❝ . . . have . . . you misplaced some sort of a pet ? ❞ rand asked , prompting gently . benefit of the doubt first . ❝ between the two of us , we could lift the couch . if it scrambled under there . ❞
Steven sighed and went to dump his bundle of parts onto the coffee table with a clatter, eyeing the couch as he did so. He could probably fish Bip out of it if he really tried, but the robot was inside the thing and not just under it so that was more of a pain than it was worth. Still...
"Bip is my friend, not my pet. He's a robot that developed intelligence on his own and I may have accidentally given him a soul. He's just as alive as we are." He hums, standing and crossing his arms as he weighs his options with the couch and thus, the stubborn robot inside.
"If I lift it up, he should be inside. If he won't come out, I'll just stick my arm in there and grab him. I just don't want to do more damage to the couch then I know he's already done." A series of indignant little beeps sound from the couch but the young man only rolls his eyes.
With a crook of his fingers, unnecessary but others tended to be calmer when they saw that he was the one causing things to happen and Rand was eyeing him like he might bolt at any moment, the couch rose smoothly into the air. Only high enough for Steven to drop to his knees and scoot under to peer at the hole in the fabric underside.
"Bip," he orders firmly. Reluctantly, the robot slinks out of the hole and drops to the floor with a clatter. Steven picks him up and moves, then the couch settles gently where it was.
"Say hello and then go clean up wherever you hid the other pieces." The robot makes a morose whistle and waves one leg at Rand before he's set down and scuttles off. Steven sighs.
"Usually he's better behaved, sorry again. I promise he won't mess with your things, but he'll probably find another way to get attention."
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Good evening Mods! I'd like to buy back two powers for Steven (OC)! Both his Astral "Skipping" ability, and his Regeneration, please! His emblems can be found here, and his stats right here! Thank you very much!
When you awaken, you feel rekindled. As though some small piece of you has assembled itself back together….
You have regained your ability to ASTRAL SKIP and REGENERATE.
ABILITY UNLOCK
500 Emblems
ALL Abilities and Items listed on a Muse’s application can be bought back at any time. Application unlocks are limited to two (2) abilities/items per Activity Check without exception.
ORIGINAL EMBLEM BALANCE: 2,100
TRANSACTION: 1,000 Emblems
CURRENT EMBLEM BALANCE: 1,100
— 𝐀 𝐅𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐃 ? 𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐂𝐄𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐋𝐘 did not see any person around that would be the probable cause of — well . all of this . he eyed the mess warily , although he did his best to keep his mouth shut on the matter . i just hope he isn't mad , rand thought . i've had more than enough strokes of madness to last my whole lifetime .
it wouldn't do to be impolite to someone he was evidently meant to share a house with , though , so rand simply nodded , and knelt to pick up the bits and bobbles around the floor . he recognized only some of whatever it was strewn about the place . metal fastenings of a fashion . probably perrin would know better than he of whatever they'd be used for . he was a sheepherder , not a blacksmith .
anyways , he hoped this steven fellow wasn't mad .
❝ rand al'thor , ❞ he offered , along with a slight nod , and an even slighter smile . no , it wouldn't do to be impolite . and even if this was a very strange and altogether wild dream , IT WAS NICE to be only rand again . not a man who could Channel . not a lord , either . steven would know him as just rand .
❝ and i may just take you up on that offer , if you truly don't mind my asking now and again . ❞ for one thing , he'd just have to ask him about the rhymes and reasons of this place . the way he spoke — did that creature appear and did that garden have visitors often ? rand didn't much like the thought . if it was a dream , he'd wake up eventually . but he usually knew when it was a dream of his . . . and this was nothing like that . rand pivoted his attention to another thought .
❝ you said you are a captain ? ❞ he asked instead . ❝ of a ship ? or of an army ? ❞ he didn't exactly seem the second type , if the men of fal dara were any basis , but anybody could be anything without you ever knowing it , if that is what they wanted .
"Yeah, any time. I've taught a few people before, and I wouldn't want to leave my new roomie hanging if you have questions. This world can be kind of tricky to navigate if you're used to something different."
Most people seem to come from worlds with less technology, so Steven wouldn't be surprised if Rand had quite a few questions indeed. Unless he was one of the few who came from somewhere similar...
"Oh, I'm a ship captain," he grins a little, leaving Bip be for the moment in favor of also bending to pick up the bits and pieces of microwave his robot had strewn everywhere. Unless Bip decided to put the thing back together, it was a complete wash, he'd have to buy a new one. He was many things, but a cook was not one of them.
"I have a ship that travels through space and my crew and I visit distant places and help people and study the flora and fauna and environments we find there. I'd be a terrible army captain, I don't have the focus for it, and I don't kill anything, ever."
He sighs at the mess, piling bits and pieces in his shirt to hold them all for the moment.
"I'm gonna have to get a new microwave. This is not the way I'd have wanted to meet a new roommate. Bip, get out here and apologize for making us look bad!" There's a muffled, sad sounding whistle from the couch and Steven shoots a glare in it's direction. "It's your fault, not mine, you don't get to whine about it!"
A new dawn rises beyond the horizon, but even as the morning stillness waxes and wanes, the aether stirs evermore. Crowds gather around the loading docks of Moonlight Landing. Some with packs and suitcases, others bidding their loved ones safe travels.
The Aetheric Class airships wait in their docks, proud and tall, glistening bronze and emeralite glass.
Second Star to the Right.
News of the Aetheric Class airships has made the rounds from the shores of the Lunar Coast to Fanlea's valleys. They are the E.T.C.'s first wave of travel-class airships, meant to travel long distances across the Lunar Seas. Such a feat has not been accomplished in a long time.
Their destination? The coordinates of The Summula's star point — a new Isle — successfully determined by the coordinated efforts of the Archives, the Observatory, and the E.T.C.'s own research teams.
Now, scientists, archivists, and members of the Adventurer's Guild alike flock to the ships, hoping to walk in the footsteps of their ancestors.
Will you join them?
A Journey Through the Skies.
You board your airship with your arms full of supplies and are escorted to your personal cabin in the passenger deck. The accommodations are designed with efficiency in mind, but remain snug and homely. When the airship rumbles to life, you can hear the roar of the engines, and feel their power beneath your feet no matter where you stand.
If you're quick enough to bound to the promenade deck, you catch sight of Arcanus Isle while the winds whip around you. The crowds cheer for the ships and their maiden voyage.
Terminus Tower shines in the sunlight, standing against the sky like a pale crystalline beacon, prepared to guide you home.
Turbulence.
According to the crew, travel aboard your ship will take about one week to reach the star point, after which potential landings on the rediscovered Isle will be considered and acted upon if appropriate before the return trip on the twelfth day.
On the seventh day, you see it. It is a bleary thing, no more than a hazy blue-grey blot on the horizon. As the ship draws nearer to it, however, word gets out amongst passengers and crew. The Isle is clearly densely forested, with its shoreline quickly retreating into a wild jungle. Tall mountain peaks stand in the middle of the forest, abruptly disrupting the skyline in places.
A thick cloud layer radiates from deep inside the jungle forest, creating a thick dividing line above the treetops. The crew ushers you back inside the airship when it seems clear that the smog layer is some kind of storm.
The Obsidian Smog.
From inside your cabin, the dark smog seems to reach out for your ship, even when it had slowed to a crawl across the airspace. It envelops you into its fold, making every light seem dim and hazy.
Looking out, blue-white lights streak through the smog, and the sudden scraping metal-on-metal clack, scratch and whine across the windows, roofs and walls of your ship. It shudders, but the engines continue to roar steadily.
Overhead, you hear the Captain urge passengers to remain in their cabins and to stay seated, as ship navigates through the sudden turbulence.
Does your airship fly above the smog? Or descend below?
Welcome to Kinohtala Isle.
Kinohtala Isle is a jungle isle, featuring two new races, destinations, and threats respective to the two new locations.
For full information on the Isle's inhabitants, please see the (Kinohtala Isle Page).
QUESTLINE.
Discover the Source of the Obsidian Smog.
The two clans, Cuzamil and Ariduff, have been separated for months prior to your crew's landing. When it is not the Obsidian Smog barring the way through the canopy, then there are frightening constructs - known to the clans people as Ohui - that mitigate any attempts to travel far from the clan's territories.
All of this leaves one question: what exactly has caused the smog that forced your ship to land?
Track Down the Missing Solstone and Luunstones.
The Clan's sacred stones, the Solstone and the Luunstone have gone missing!
For the Ariduff Clan, this means that most technology has begun to deteriorate and malfunction, leaving its people in the dark when night falls.
For the Cuzamil Clan, the people are unable to gain access either to their sacred grounds due to losing control of the Sky-Keepers (See below), nor are they able to pierce through the Obsidian Smog that bars them from their sister clan, which they fear is in danger.
SIDE-QUESTS:
Encounter an Ohui (A Construct) in The Jungle Smog or The Roost's Airspace.
The Ohui are stone-and-metal constructs built by the two clans in order to protect their homes and temples. They were once known as Keepers (see "Obsidian Smog" below.) but have become known as Ohui for their aggressive natures. What once protected the clans now pens them into their own territories.
Investigate The Ariduff Clan or The Cuzamil Clan.
The two clans of Kinohtala Isle each have their own territories, cultures and customs. Since you are visitors to their lands, even those who are not scholarly may find it in their best interests to learn more about their hosts.
Research the Clan's Aether.
Each of the clans has their own unique interpretation of the Aether, including new runes! You can find this information on the Kinohtala Isle Page.
Keep an eye out on @aevumdaily for more information!
How Do Echoes Get to Kinohtala Isle?
Echoes may travel to Kinohtala Isle by airship, aboard any number of ships dedicated to the Aetheric Class. A one-way trip takes about seven days. This journey will be disrupted by a sudden storm layer (known as the Obsidian Smog by Kinohtalan locals) filled with Technic Ticks, which have partially damaged your ship.
The Obsidian Smog?
The name for the dark cloud layer separating the cliffs from the jungle floor, and therefore separating the two clans from convening with one another. This smog is pitch dark, wit blue-white light from Techinc Ticks streaking through it. A shrill scratching sound, like metal scraping on metal, can be heard from the smog whenever an Echo gets close to it.
The smog is dense, and difficult to breathe in. The abundance of techic ticks may also mean small cuts and wounds to any Echo who tries to traverse the smog without natural or worn protection from serrations.
Travel into (or above) the smog is possible, but runs the risk of encounters with the OHUI, metal-and-stone constructs that were once guardians of the two clans, and have now become aggressive. Even towards their makers and their allies.
THE OHUI: CORRUPTED SKY-KEEPERS AND EARTH-KEEPERS.
The Ohui were not always aggressive. In fact, these constructs were built to protect the two clans and their sacred grounds. When docile and in working order, the Ohui are known as KEEPERS. Sky-Keepers and Earth-Keepers respectively.
Sky-Keepers take the following animalistic forms:
Dragonflies
Fish
Serpents
Earth-Keepers take the following animalistic forms:
Eels
Lemurs
Jaguars
The Solstone? The Luunstone?
Each of the two clans have a sacred stone that is important to that clan's culture and/or well-being.
The Ariduff's LUUNSTONE is a bright violet stone that is used not only as a sacred object for ceremonies, but has been the main source of power in the Ariduff Clan's city for generations.
During a sudden onslaught from corrupted Earth-Keepers, the Luunstone has gone missing, and was last seen in the grasp of an erratic Sky-Keeper before the Obsidian Smog set in.
The Cuzamil's SOLSTONE is a golden sphere said to have been made in the image of the sun. Much of the Cuzamil Clan's power can be attributed to the Solstone, which is held at the Solstone Perch.
The Sky-Keepers were last seen in a docile state when they were attacked by a swarm of white-blue insectoid. In keeping with their intended purpose, the Keepers initially protected the Solstone when the Obsidian Smog set in, but besides a teardrop of gold that briefly split the Obsidian Smog, no one has been able to gain access to the Solstone's Perch to check on it.
Does My Muse Have to Choose A Clan?
Yes! Full information on the two clans, their territories, and their respective information and resources can be found on the Kinohtala Isle Page, linked at the top of this document.
CAN THE ECHOES TRAVEL BETWEEN THE TWO CLANS?
Not yet! From August 1st - August 15th, the Echoes will be divided between the two territories and unable to go above or below the smog.
Save the Date!
There will be a Campaign Chapter Update posted on August 15th, 2025. Please keep an eye on @aevumdaily for further details.
Do all Muses have to Participate?
No! Campaigns, like their Blue Moon counterparts, are optional. But they are a fun introduction to new set pieces to Aevum Isle's setting.
Is there a Participation Bonus?
Yes! Aevum Isles awards 500 Emblems for participation in Campaigns. They can also be counted for rank ups requirements.
FAQ:
CAN I ROLEPLAY MY CHARACTER TRAVELING ON THE AIRSHIP?
Yes! Your character is free to have threads based on the initial travel on the airship, and so long as they are tagged appropriately, they will count towards event participation.
DOES MY CHARACTER HAVE TO BE ON THE S.S. AETHER ROSE?
No! You are welcome to create your own name for your muse's airship, as well as names for captain and crew. Any questions regarding the limits or interiors of the Aetheric Airships may be directed to the Masterlist Blog for consideration.
DOES MY CHARACTER HAVE TO ENGAGE WITH THE AIRSHIPS OR THE SMOG?
To gain access into Kinohtala Isle, yes. The airships are the only way to travel to the new territory, and for the length of the campaign, the Obsidian Smog will force your ship into one of the new territories. (Please see above for more details.)
WHAT HAPPENS IF MY CHARACTER BLIPS? ARE THEY SENT BACK TO THE TOWER?
If your character blips during Campaign Participation, they will not be sent back to the tower. Instead, depending on which Clan you have decided to explore for the first chapter, they will Blip back to their respective clan, reforming in either a Sundial or Moonsdial, respectively.
CAN I COME UP WITH MY OWN NPCS?
Yes! This is highly encouraged throughout all of Aevum Isles.
General descriptions of the two new races can be found on the (Kinohtala Isle Page), as well as the most relevant culture and customs of the two respective clans. You can utilize the named NPCs to your discretion, and make up NPCs to your hearts content.
This includes aerconi travelers.
CAN I USE THE NAMED NPCS IN THREADS?
Yes!
You can use the ALL named NPCs in threads. Remember that there is no "wrong way" to play an NPC. Our guidelines for named NPC personalities are exactly that: guidelines to help your writing go much more smoothly.
I HAVE ANOTHER QUESTION BUT IT’S NOT ON HERE.
Please let us know by asking your question in the Aevum Isles Masterlist’s Ask Box!
Questions sent elsewhere (such as the Aevum Isles FAQ discord channel) will not be accepted, and instead Staff will ask to transfer your question to the Masterlist at this time.
You can find the Aevum Isles Event FAQ tag (HERE), the Aevum Worldbuilding FAQ tag (HERE), and the general FAQ tag (HERE).
Of course, he knew Steven's whole "power of friendship" rhetoric well enough. It was just, quite frankly, drivel. At least as far as Scaramouche was concerned-- so he just rolled his eyes.
In a world full of conflict, 'friends' were little more than a liability. A risk of betrayal. Anyone would stab you in the back if they had the right motivation, even the one who called you his most trusted companion. People used one another, turned on one another... it was just human nature.
"Friends and allies are for weaklings, and fools who put their trust in the integrity of others," Scaramouche shrugged his shoulders, raising a hand and flexing jointed fingers. "The only way to ensure your position is to become powerful enough that none can stand against you-- only when the worms that once crossed you are crawling at your feet, and their cries for mercy reach your divine ears as you hold their lives in your hands... only then, when they truly fear you, can you be certain they won't betray you."
This argument would go nowhere, though-- that much, he already knew. This person was too stuck in his foolish ways... and Scaramouche didn't care to be a mentor. But he was still too prodding, not leaving well enough alone... and he might not be someone that could just be killed and done with.
A sigh escaped him, and he tilted his hat lower over his eyes. In truth, he didn't really know what he needed to do. It was just a hypothesis... but Steven didn't need to know that. "The ebb and flow of this world's powers caused my consciousness to fracture, creating segments from various points in my life. I merely wish to eradicate all weakness from myself, to avoid some... mistakes."
His lip curled. There was something about the whole ordeal that left a sour taste in his mouth. Too much like the farce that doctor played with... like this world was mocking him.
"I never said you could give me a name. In this present state, I was called 'Balladeer,' but once I have ascended, only my divine name will need to be known."
Steven snorted, not bothering to hide his own disdain for that opinion any more than the piece of his friend had hidden his own.
"And once you've got them being worms at your feet, you'll find all the other birds that were too big for you to notice before. You'll never be the biggest and strongest thing in existence, there is always, always something bigger. The more powerful you get, the more attention you'll draw from things that can and will unmake you with a thought. It doesn't end." Regardless of his position on having friends and allies, this was a universal truth of the universe. There was always a bigger fish, always a stronger entity, always something with a larger mouth to eat you up. And the bigger you are, the more likely you are to be a target. Sharks don't go after minnows, after all.
... Okay, most sharks don't. It's a metaphor after all.
"You may not have said I could give you a name, but it got you to give me the one you want." He grins a little before it curves into a frown again and he rubs his forehead with a sigh.
"Eradicate all weakness? You can't. Not like, you're not allowed, you physically can't. Weakness is inherent to existence. And besides that, you're not whole. Breaking off pieces of yourself will only make you completely imbalanced, you can see that, can't you?" Or maybe he couldn't. Balladeer is clearly running on a different kind of logic that ignores inconvenient universal truths. And like, common sense.
But that one can be forgiven, since he's a divinely powered puppet and doesn't always get the common sense stuff when he's in one piece either.
Cautiously, Steven takes a couple of steps toward him.
"Look, mistakes are how we grow and develop. You have to make them, accept what went wrong, and learn from it. Erasing it only means you'll make the same one over and over and over and you won't learn. Your other parts are the same; if you erase them you won't learn from them and you'll stagnate, and you can't get to be powerful if you stagnate. Even full born gods have to learn and develop, and they usually do that with their worshipers pushing them and changing them."
— 𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐃 . . . 𝐌𝐀𝐘 𝐎𝐑 𝐌𝐀𝐘 𝐍𝐎𝐓 have let his mouth drop agape , from the moment he'd seen the building . and then again when the key he'd been given fit into the door . rand could say he was traveled now . he had been to caemlyn , and had seen with his own two eyes a city that had sprawled along , larger and grander than anything he could have ever imagined in two rivers — and those fancies felt lifetimes ago .
even still , this one house was as big as the wine spring inn alone ! the whole block had houses as big , and it wasn't a city like caemlyn , so far as he could tell . light , it was near as big as any inn ! rand closed his mouth , thinking again about how that - creature - wanted him to actually stay here , and eventually his eyes landed on the man in the room with him . rand stiffened , instinctively reaching for the void — but it was gone again before he could grasp it .
. . . and rand immediately felt foolish for it anyways . the man was about his own age by the looks of him , with pale hair and brown eyes . slight , too . a bad wind could knock him over . and it was just as well that he hadn't noticed him right away . rand was taller than most men twice his age in two rivers . it wasn't that which was so surprising , but even if rand was considered TALL , he'd wager this man hardly broke even of average height . he had to drop his own gaze LOW to meet his .
❝ ah . ❞ he breathed . ❝ sorry . i didn't mean to intrude . ❞ he gestured to the door he had closed behind him . ❝ i'm afraid this whole place has me turned around . but this is the place on the key , i think . ❞ or it was according to the man he'd asked , at least . he looked at the key to double check . 105 . definitely the place .
Steven had fully intended to go out to the Tower today, to see if anyone new and interesting came through. Not that anyone is really uninteresting! Just... some are catchier than others, especially with the drastic differences in evidence between all the different echoes now living here.
So... he was going to go out and greet people, if there were any. He was. But unfortunately, his menace of a robot had other ideas.
Apparently, Bip was convinced Steven hadn't been paying enough attention to him. Which is how he'd just spent the last two hours chasing the thing around after he'd cheerfully disassembled the microwave and scattered parts all over the house.
The Captain stood in the front room scowling, fists on his hips, waiting for Bip to come out from under the couch to make a break for it. He'd somehow managed to get up inside it, and Steven didn't particularly care to break the thing to get his wayward robot out.
So really, he wasn't in the mood for random giants to come poking into his house, and the fact that the door was locked and now isn't doesn't register immediately. He turns his scowl on the intruder, not threatened, only annoyed, but the look of dumbfounded shock on the man's face tugs the annoyance free a bit.
Ah, a newbie. Which would mean he had a new roommate again.
"If this house is the one on your key, then it's where you're supposed to be," he says, sighing a little and shaking out his hands so they're not so clenched. "You must be new here today. Sorry for the mess, my friend got bored and decided it would be fun to make me chase him around everywhere after he broke stuff for attention." He eyes the couch one more time, but Bip is silent and still up inside of it still, so he circles around to give the newcomer a (only slightly strained) smile and offer his hand.
"Captain Steven Gobair, your new roommate, nice to meet you. There's an empty bedroom for you on this floor, mine's on the second. If you're not familiar with anything here, or in this world, feel free to ask me about it. I've been here for a while now, and I'm previously accustomed to a lot of the things you'll find around."
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٠ ࣪⭑ Cucumber looked down at the card in his hand. The lamination was just gorgeous; it really enhanced the wonderfully detailed artwork of all the possible fish to spy. He'd done this last year, but maybe this year he'd be able to find just a few more!
Then again, it would be better to do this with someone else. He quickly glanced around the pier, looking for anyone else who might be participating in the occasion. Or at the very least, might be able to get him out into the reef.
He wandered around, eyes shifting this way and that, looking for anyone who could help. Trouble was, every time he saw someone, he felt himself getting shy and looking away before hurrying on to the next area.
Fish were undeniably Steven's favorite creatures. Well, maybe not fish specifically, but sea creatures in general fascinated him. Things that swam and twisted through the water were absolutely amazing, so of course he was going to play the game that involves finding them! He whistled cheerfully as he walked down the pier, already kitted out with his swim suit, flippers and snorkel in one hand.
His fish card was twirled through the other hand, idly spinning through his fingers as he meandered down the wooden walkway, waving occasionally to various aercons he knew or even vaguely recognized.
It was nice to be known, even if it was safer to be a nobody, a shadow. Being known left a strange feeling on his skin, but warmed him up inside, like tea on a cold day, so really it was worth it. He was just sitting down on the edge of the pier to put on his fins when he saw someone else looking around, apparently shy. Steven, naturally, waved the moment the kid looked his way.
"Hey there! I remember you from the Archives. Cucumber, right? Are you playing the fish finding game too?"
"Spikey? Spikey? How am I spikey? Is it may hair? I always thought it was fluffy, not spikey." He pouts, patting down his nigh untamable hair.
"I'm assuming you don't mean my personality because that would be a very weird statement to make. I mean, it's kinda a weird statement in the first place, but yanno."
Scaramouche would rather not think about the fracturing, how it had occured-- the weakness that led to it-- but if nothing else, it made things clearer. No more confusion, no more conflict-- at least, internally. And he had no interest in talking it over.
"You're a fool, you know," he muttered, shaking his head with an expression of mock sympathy on his face. "We don't have any need for friends. Whether that was before, or now-- just give up, won't you? It'll be easier for both of us that way."
Behind him, Kunikuzushi managed to slip free from his bindings, quickly scrambling to his feet and bolting off into the dark alleyways.
That's fine. Let him run... Scaramouche would be able to find him again when he needed him. By far the smartest of the fragments, he had already figured out how this 'linked consciousness' thing worked. It wasn't all that dissimilar from that Doctor's method of creating segments. Damn him.
"So, what now?" he crossed his arms, tilting his chin up slightly, arrogance practically seeping out from every visible joint in his body, wrapping around him like a cloud of mist. "You say you want to help me-- fine. I'll humor you, if it'll get you to leave me alone. How exactly do you plan on helping, hm?"
"Everyone has need of friends," he hums, hopeful that the other fragment hears him too, knows that he'll help. Then again, if he's busy dealing with this one, it might not be exactly safe for the other one to hang around.
"Even gods need friends and allies. Thinking that you can make it alone in a world full of conflict, that's the foolish thing. There will always be people willing and eager to help and support you, and not taking advantage of that is the height of foolishness."
At least the other one runs for now. It frees Steven up to focus his full attention on this one.
"Well, that depends. You'd have to tell me what happened, where Maof is and why you're fractured into pieces. And what exactly your plan is now, considering you're already trying to kill at least one part of yourself." Last one standing wins the body? But why? It doesn't make any sense to Steven, but then he's never been broken up into diseperate pieces. Clearly, there's some logic there to this one's mind.
He cocks his head and his grin turns just a teeny bit sly.
"If you don't want to give me a name, I'll just call you Daar. It suits you."
It's been a long time since Steven has been able to use his very favorite trick, and right now is the perfect time for it. It's spring, so there's a lot of little critters out and about, it's warm, the breeze is nice, and there's lots to explore. Plenty for a couple of canopy lindwyrms to poke their noses into.
He’d made friends with one of the creatures some months ago and named him Noodle, but liked for him to stay nice and cozy in his own environment amid the treetops rather than trying to convince him to come stay with him in the city. There was too much noise, too much movement, too many people around to gawk and point and want to touch. Better to stay in the quiet of the forest, where Steven could join him with treats and scratches right where his scales itched than to be expected to hide in Steven’s home when the town became overwhelming. Perhaps if or when Steven acquired his own place, but for not, this was perfect. Even better now that the human could properly join his friend.
Steven drifts on the air currents, enjoying stretching his wings and looping through the branches of the trees. Noodle nips at his tail as they play chase in and out of the boughs, and he rumbles a laugh.
Being a canopy lindwyrm is pretty fantastic, one of the best forms he's tried thus far. From the time he'd made friends with Noodle, Steven had been practically vibrating to try out being one himself. Noodle was enjoying having someone to play with who could keep up with him, even though Steven wouldn't help him hunt. A change of form did not change the human’s mind, and he remained exactly as he was before, with only a faint whisper of instincts that went with his new body. The things that told him how to fly, how to ride air currents, how to wind between the tree branches without catching against them. The other things weren’t important to him, and were summarily ignored.
It wasn’t as though this body had a mind and soul to fight him over it. Not when Steven had created it himself. Much easier that way, and there was no guilt for taking the body of something else to use for himself.
He draped over a sturdy branch, listening to Noodle hunting in the distance. Birds, a rabbit, small, fast prey that was more interesting for the lindwyrm to chase and pounce at. Circle of life and all that. Steven didn’t object; it wasn’t his place to halt the turning of the cycle even if he might want to. Instead, he turns his attention away, to the rest of the forest they’ve been playing in. So much more alive and bright with souls and life energy than space ever is. Warm and radiant and honestly it’s making him sleepy. Maybe he’ll just take a nap while Noodle hunts and wait for the other lindwyrm to come back and poke him awake. Or drape on him for a shared nap, either or.
But there’s something a bit bigger stirring in the forest, setting the smaller creatures off. Either a predator or a person, maybe, something big enough to make smaller creatures wary. Steven is neither quite so small nor quite so wary, and slides down so he hangs from the branch above, turning his snout this way and that to catch a whiff of what’s stirred everything up.
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Just when he was about to see whether or not these puppet bodies of theirs could reform from mere ashes, Scaramouche was interrupted.
"Of course it just had to be you, didn't it?" he rolled his eyes upon seeing that familiar face. Why had he even bothered giving this puny thing a second glance? The creature was a mockery of divinity, stubbornly clinging to pathetic ideals rather than embracing his destiny...
Truly, out of all of the "friends" that his future self had made in this place, this one was the one he disliked most.
Still, he knew very well that in his current state he wouldn't be able to stand up to Steven if it came to a fight, so he simply cast the bound Kunikuzushi aside into a corner of the alleyway. It wasn't as though he wouldn't be able to find the copies again later, after all.
"You don't have any idea what's going on here, but you're still showing up to play hero, aren't you?" he scoffed. "Ridiculous. Oh-- and don't call me by that pathetic nickname of yours. I've always hated it, you know? As for what I'm doing... ha. Why should I tell you? I have no interest in fraternizing with a worthless god who doesn't value his divinity."
He intertwined his fingers together behind his back, leaving the discarded puppet to struggle against his bindings in the background as he approached Steven, nonchalantly, head tilted, gaze filled with disdain.
"You shouldn't interfere in matters that have nothing to do with you."
"Ah, but you see, that's kind of my job," he chuckles, keeping one eye on the bound one who has the same flicker of his friend while most of his attention rests on this one circling him like a shark. It's a little bit unnerving, to have the face of a friend on a possible foe, but Steven firmly pushes his misgivings aside for the moment. They won't help him here.
"Poking my nose into situations and playing hero, that's exactly what I do back home. So thinking that I won't come to try to help you is ridiculous; you're part of my friend after all. I can sense that, even if it wasn't obvious from looking at you." Steven keeps his stance relaxed, nonthreatening, but on his toes and ready to move the moment this piece of Maof made a threatening move.
His friend was in there, at least partly, but that didn't make this part less hostile right now.
"Come on now, you don't like the language of dragons? One of my crew taught me how to speak it. Maybe I could have come up with something a little more noble, but I still think it suits you. Besides, you haven't ever given me another name to use." Disdain is met with a bright, teasing grin, very little of his wariness reflected in his expression.
For the moment, the mocking of his status and his refusal to fully embrace that is ignored. He doesn't care for it, doesn't see it as relevant. Whether or not he wants to become a god has no bearing on anything he does or can do here, as far as he's concerned.
Eradication of those other segments had seemed like it would be a simple task, at first. After all, were they not shadows of his younger, weaker self? The naive child, the aimlessly destructive vagrant... it should have been the easiest thing in the world for Scaramouche to dispatch them.
And yet... and yet...
Finding them wasn't the issue. With just a bit of focus and meditation, he was able to pinpoint their locations. The youngest was out among the crowds, so that wouldn't do, but the other one was slinking through the shadows of Rosewood, stirring up trouble...
Kunikuzushi was the most chaotic of them all, but also predictable in his unpredictability.
Of course, he hadn't shied away from a fight with the superior version of himself, and of course, even though their physical strength was limited by the simple wooden forms they found themselves in, Scaramouche had gained the upper hand. From there, it should have been rather simple to dispatch this "flaw" of his, but not once, not twice, but three times already Scaramouche had attempted to destroy Kunikuzushi, only for the broken pieces to form back together almost immediately.
"Aren't you tired of this yet?" his own voice mocked him from Kunikuzushi's lips. "This is boring... there are so many better things we could be doing, you know?"
"Shut up!" Scaramouche hissed, twisting Kunikuzushi's arm around until he heard a sharp snap!
It only drew out another bitter laugh. After all, they couldn't truly feel pain-- so really, Kunikuzushi was right. Boredom was the only consequence.
Though, even if what was broken could be mended, could the same be said for that which was completely destroyed? It was their second encounter now-- this time, Scaramouche had prepared a more thorough method. At the back of the alley, an oil drum burned with a hot flame, casting red and gold light across the narrow space. It wasn't elegant, but it would be enough for an experiment. He'd restrained his copy tightly, bound up in wire ropes that Scaramouche couldn't snap with his own strength, and gagged his mouth to quiet his mocking tongue.
There was only one true "body," after all. If any one of them would claim it, it would be him-- perhaps in the end, this was the 'refining' that he needed.
Indeed, even the brazen Kunikuzushi seemed a bit frightened as Scaramouche dragged him toward the makeshift furnace. His fear was palpable, radiating across the tenuous connection between them.
Ever since the blue moon had rewritten their lives and minds and then vanished, Steven had been on high alert. Things were on a much more delicate balance than he'd originally believed, and that could tip at any moment. More importantly, the whole event had thrown off everyone he'd come to know here.
He'd caught up with some, but others...
Maof had all but vanished.
Steven would have assumed he'd simply disappeared like others did, except he was still registering in Steven's contacts. Greyed out, but not vanished. There was still a thread of his presence here, somewhere, but Steven couldn't reach him. Not still blocked as he was.
Manual searching was much more of a pain and far less efficient, but at least he had access to other forms to do it with now. Birds were overlooked and much better for scanning quickly and quietly. Also good for picking up rumors and hearsay.
Great for flying over alleys in search of the pale reflections of his friend's energy.
The scene he finds isn't particularly encouraging. But frankly, he's worked with and won with worse.
An owl swoops down soundlessly, and with a flicker of thought and the snap of displaced air, is replaced by the young Captain mid fall. He lands and rolls, popping up between the two and the fire.
"Hey, Maof. I'd say it's a nice night for a barbecue, but I don't think that's a great idea, really." He smiles, reaching out and focusing on the heat and light energy of the fire. Pointedly, he closes his fist at the same time he steals the energy and deprives the fire of heat, snuffing it.
"It's usually bad form to kill your twin, at least from the stories I've read. At the very least, it never seems to work out right. So. Why don't you tell me what's up instead?