3184/ICoT: A Man Who's Seen Too Much

ICoT: A Man Who's Seen Too Much
Date of Scene:	10 October 2015
Location:	The Bastion
Synopsis:	He's a proper gentleman, that man.
Cast of Characters:	Kotone Yamakawa, 619, 673, The Kid, 804, 822
Tinyplot:	In Case of Trouble

---

The Kid has posed:
    The dead welcome them with open arms.

    The first thing seen after exiting the warpgate is a statue. No, a crumbling fossil. It was a person, a woman. Dressed in what was once fine robes, now coated in filth and ash, wrapped around a three-dimensional silhouette. Her arms outspread, vague contours of their face suggesting a happy smile. Once someone opening their arms for an embrace, when the Calamity hit. And now, a grim reminder that these quiet, adrift hunks of earth were once a populated city. If touched, the point of contact will immediately crumble away to nothing, grit and cinders snatched away by the wind.

    They stand on a chunk of floating land, the ground consisting of cobblestone worn by years of treading feet. Stone arches hang overhead, ivy creeping up them and lanterns strung between them. They are extinguished, but a giant lantern of stone and glass continues to burn nearby, casting dull light all about. It barely illuminates the spilled wagon, the small patio with two more ashen statue who looked to be deep in conversation when it happened.

    But dull light is better than none at all. Night has fallen over this ruined land, starlight and a waning moon glinting between columns of smoke and ash unleashed from the ground far below. The wind is even more cutting with the chill of midnight behind it.

The Kid has posed:
    A dull whistle comes from far above, getting louder and louder... eventually resolving into a 'THUMP' as The Kid comes crashing down on the two aforementioned fossils on the patio. He faceplants, their remains cascading down on him, but he quickly takes a knee and stands. He's quiet, standing among the detritus of his people before flailing, moving out of the cloud and dusting it from himself, brown eyes narrowed to pinpricks of pure horror.

    Soon, someone else descends, landing with more grace than the young man currently breathing hard. A far older gentleman, sharing The Kid's bronze skin, but with far more lines and wrinkles. His hair, eyebrows and curled moustache are white too, but the white of experience and age which matches his deep brown eyes that look as if they've seen much. He wears a white long-sleeves silk shirt with a neatly folded collar and a red cravat, tucked into a brown sleeveless robe. Brass buttons line the lapels and a massive grey gear-shaped patch is sewn around the left leg. The hem is black and grey, the grey having raised points to resemble a gear once more. A black belt wraps around his waist, and a brown satchel bag hands on his left, the strap crossing his chest. He clutches in his right hand a brass cane with glowing blue sections around the middle and just short of the tip.

    He approaches, leaning on the cane to support his steps. "Good to meet all of you. You can call me Rucks... some of you already knew that."

Project MORDRED (804) has posed:
A tall, conventionally handsome, man comes walking out of the warpgate dressed in expensive finery. Silk, custom tailored, white tie, with a red knightly sash. A rapier on his hip, and a smile on his face. "Nice to meet you, Rucks. I am Sir MORDRED, how do you do?" He sounds calm and collected, and his Armour is nowhere to be seen. Possibly for the best. "Fascinating scenery, I must say."

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
    It had been a few days since Sanae had made contact with a certain Rucks, also having an amusing misunderstanding about the nature of 'the Kid', and when the chance arrived she had to take it! Able to squeeze her way out of some busy work that her boss had prepared, she had found the free time, at the right time. She was thoroughly uncertain of what to expect, besides a place where presumably some 'bad things happened', but that is part of the thrill of multiversal exploration. This unpreparedness is made more obvious by the fact that she arrives not by foot, but by motorbike, the puttering of the small displacement gasoline engine announcing her arrival via the warp gate. She's wearing her old school uniform, today, despite descriptions, and she has on a bike helmet and knee and elbow pads. Safety first.

    As she comes to a stop, considering at least on this bit of land, there isn't much of anywhere else she could drive to, she bashfully glances around, self-consciousness overriding the other details of the scenery, for the moment. "Ah..." Parking it and shutting off the engine, accordingly, she hops off and pulls off her helmet, "Mr. Rucks! And I presume this is the Kid you mentioned?" She glances over to his younger companion, and flashes a broad smile. MORDRED also does not go unnoticed, as she gives a look of realization, "You were the knight from that Lost Logia incident. Hello again, Sir MORDRED!" She gives a light bow at the waist, before mentions of the scenery finally draws her proper attention to it. As a priestess of the wind, herself, the nature of what remains of this world is somehow, simultaneously beautiful and unsettling. "Ah, somehow I wasn't expecting it to be quite this..." She hesitates, noticing the 'statue' nearby to where she had warped in, and her normally broad smile fades, though she distracts herself by removing the other bits of safety equipment.

Rory White (673) has posed:
    Another foray to 'Caelondia' it is. Rory's been due to have another meeting, so this is a fine opportunity to catch up and maybe sort this mess out without more blood and tears. Maybe!

    Cautiously emerging from the warp gate, the first thing the robed bluenette does is... wince. Statues of ash, torn to pieces by an impromptu entrance by the Kid. how messy. how sad.

    she actually frowns a bit, but cares little for the detritus left behind when life has left. it's nothing more than... "... reminders of what was lost..." She unwittingly mumbles in a rare loss of self control.

    Very quickly her attention focuses on Rucks, however. It's so rare for her to encounter anyone who looks OLD back home. Especially this old. It takes her by surprise.

    "Good evening, sir! Rory White of the Argonauts. We're... inventors and researchers, among other things. I'm glad to see another person who didn't share... fates like these..." She casts an uncomfortable glance at some of the remaining ashen figures...

    Then takes a moment to take stock of the others arriving.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa is far more reay this time than last as she steps out of the gate after Rory does, again clad in her optic cameo as she's found the stealth it offers may be far better than the heavy protection of other armor she has access to. She looks to Rory for a moment.

"Makes me think of what almost happend to my world...."

It oesn't take long however she smiles at Rucks. She seems a bit off nothing bad just something about the way her body and face are. She seems good natured enough however untill she takes notices of the ashen remains. She mutters something that one could make out if they listened.

"It's like ... the footage of Berlin..."

She snaps out of and tries to not look again, she focuses on Rucks.

"Kotone Yamakawa I'm an mechcanic and a few other things, I'm sorry about my actions when I first came to your word, it took me a while to ... figure out which way I should go."

The Kid has posed:
    Rucks bows his head to the gathered, placing both hands on his cane as he peers at them all. Looking from MORDRED's suit to Sanae's miko outfit (plus safety gear) to Rory's armour to Kotone's sneaking suit. "Bizarre garb you all wear. Not a single similarity..." MORDRED's comment draws his eye, and he manages a dry chuckle. "You should have seen it before it was undone. Caelondia was a marvel."

    A glance at Sanae, followed by a grandfatherly smile. "I ain't much for pleasantries. You can just call me Rucks." He nods sadly, and follows up with. "It's good that you didn't. Horrors like the fate of kindly Mrs. Beckley shouldn't be thought up by the young." He gestures at the statue, the lines in his face deepening.

    Though, he does seem to brighten up when Rory mentions her profession. "Always good to meet an inventor. It was our Mancers that really made Caelondia what it was." He gives a single, grim nod and clutches his cane a little tighter. "Doesn't seem like many of us made it. Myself, the Kid, and that murderous Ura girl. And any friends she may have." He taps the tip of the cane against the cobblestone, lost in thought for a moment.

    Kotone's arrival also draws a nod. "Well, misery loves company. You'll have to tell me of 'Berlin.' And don't worry about it. Even natives like us need time to plan where to go these days."

The Kid has posed:
    By now, The Kid has finally calmed down. He can't get all the ash out of his hair, but it's off his face and clothes at least. He clutches that great wooden hammer in his hands, but has swapped out that fishy rifle for a bow and a quiver of arrows slung across his back. "We should go," he says quietly, not looking to anyone in particular. Too transfixed on 'Mrs. Beckley.'

    "Kid's right. We're looking for this." Reaching into that satchel, he pulls out a roll of parchment, unfurling it to reveal a drawing of a great chunk of blue stone. "It's called a Core. Once, they made Caelondia thrive. Now, we need them to finish The Bastion. There was one in this City section. Just gotta follow the path."

    And with that, he sets off. Hunks of land rise up from far below to reconstitute the path as best it can. Chunks of turf mix with metal tiles and more cobblestone, floating underfoot. The Kid however, hangs back. Still staring at the statue, his hands clutching the handle of the hammer, knuckles shining white through the skin.

Project MORDRED (804) has posed:
"Nice to meet you again, miss Kochiya and Yamakawa. And a pleasure to make your acquaintance, miss White, Kid. I'm not much of an inventor, but I do respect those who can make technology sing." He follows with firm, measured steps. His eyes are scanning the surroundings in an orderly pattern, careful but not afraid. "I've been told many of the great cities of Earth have come to ruin after the rise of the Emergent, but I've never seen this devastation firsthand, however, that's a topic perhaps more suited to discuss over a nice warm beer than while looking for a power source." He looks at the parchment again, "So let's try focusing on this core."

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
    There is just a trace of a fidget. Especially after certain events in the past, Sanae always does her best to address everyone in respect, especially her elders. Yet, something about his voice is disarming, and puts her at ease, in addition to his manners, so she gives a light nod of her head, with the smile returning, "Okay then, Rucks. We talked before, but call me Sanae. It's nice to meet you in person!" She just can't remain that upbeat, though, when surrounded by those reminders of the nature of this world. When Rucks indicates 'Mrs. Beckley', putting a name to her, it really makes her uneasy. Not in a way that she would be avoiding this; it just further frames the contrasts in the environment, as well as solidifying the will to help what remains of this world, in whatever small way she can.

    "Ah, of course. It's hard to get anything done without a power source," she reflects, briefly remembering all the trouble that had been caused over a certain power source back home. She will leave the motorbike where it is, placing her helmet and safety pads on the handlebars like an impromptu clothing rack, and gives a light stretch. She can't be certain of what physics might be in play here, so she will opt to walk, this time, aiming to pace behind the ones that would know this world far better than her. She remains alert, though she can't help but be drawn into some of the structures that are still standing, floating in the emptiness. "You were from a version of Earth, Sir Mordred," she wonders? Though certainly, there are many variations on it. "Mine was still mostly intact when I left it. Ah -- sorry." She stops being a distraction, as well as hoping she didn't offend anyone with that, focusing on the road ahead.

Rory White (673) has posed:
    "And quickly, lest the Ura group interfere again. Although I really shouldn't take anyone's side..." She commits the image to memory, LITERALLY, startled at the use of actual paper drawings. Who would've expected it?

    but before she starts walking, she casta a look at the Kid.

    "... All we can do is move forward." She says to him.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa says "Sounds like it was, even from the ruins of Caelondia, seems to have quite the story to tell even before it feel to ruin."

She pauses at the mention of Berlin and she looks a bit embrassed for a moment.

"If you want it's not ... en entirely happy story I warn you."

She falls in with everyone else and she bows slightly to Mordred.

"A pleassure sir, and yes such topics might be better over food and drink."

She looks to Sanae for a moment and she tilts her head a little bit.

"I am from one as ... well. Earth seems to be very common oddly, it's concerning honestly."

She falls in and makes herself ready.

"You can't go back and change the past, as much as you want to, no."

The Kid has posed:
    "Sanae, I remember." He's still a little bit taken aback by her, especially the whole 'green hair' issue, but he's still nice enough. As he leads the way, he smiles back at MORDRED and Kotone. "If there's one thing we Masons know, its drinks. C'mon back to the Bastion when all this is over, we'll treat you right."

    Rory gets a look, and a tired sigh. "That's why we're here this late. In case they're watching us." Down a flight of cracked stone stairs, as the Kid flinches at Rory and Kotone's words, snapped out of his funk. "No. But we can honour it properly. Can't bear to see them like this."

    With that, he raises the hammer and brings it down on Mrs. Beckley's head, the statue instantly crumbling to dust and ash, snatched away by the wind.

    Rucks pauses, and looks back. "... keep your chin up Kid," is all he says, before continuing on. The young man takes a steeling breath, in and out, breath stinking of booze, and rejoins the group. At the bottom of the stairs, more path is pulled up, leaving everyone levelled with another floating island, separated by a wide gap.

    Said island is brightly lit by a monument in the centre, of a hand clutching a massive gear. And standing on it is a man. An Ura.

Zen (822) has posed:
    Light filters down the sky as though it were a spotlight situated on the statue. It looks a terribly lonely stage in the midst of that ever-stretching, ever-growing field of debris, and somehow even the statue fails to look triumphant with all that desolation at its flanks. Still, nothing in all the world could look quite so hollow, quite so bleak as the expression on that boy's face.

    This Ura seems ill-inclined to lash out at the group -- or rather, he seems ill-inclined to do anything at all. It's easy enough to glean by his complete stillness and the vacant look in his eyes that he's in a state of profound shock. Even as the group closes around him he does not move but to open the palm of his hand, allowing a tuft of ash to scatter with the breeze. It may just be his natural complexion, but in that eerie light he looks quite ghostly. At the least, those, his flesh isn't stone. That alone may be enough to fill the Kid, Rucks, and all the rest with hope.

    It's some time yet before he finally brings his eyes to level with the world again, but he squeezes his eyelids shut just as soon. He closes his fist just so in tandem before raising it, his mouth emitting a hiss of air. He looks as though he's ready to pound at the statue; to thrust all his desperation, all his lament into its stone. But then...

    ... then he sees you.

    There's a redness around his eyes, but no tears, and the moment he realizes that there -is- still life, that there -are- other people, it seems to bring a renewed, human gentility to his face. The strain of his expression gradually eases into an awed circle, then into a gentle smile. He maintains his silence for but a moment more, sniffling once as he brings a hand to his waist. Then he inclines his body in the form of a bow -- the proper bow of a Caelondian gentleman. When he rises again, the kid would recognize his clothing as those of a diplomat. The others, too, would quickly garner the impression that this boy, however young, is indeed quite cultured.

    Nor do his words betray this expectation. "H-Hello," He says, swallowing to contain the noticeable shake in his voice. "I... I'm sorry, I wasn't... I didn't know that there was anyone else left." His eyes briefly meander off to the side as his hands fold again at his midsection, as if out of respect for the lost. For lack of anything else to say, he soon adds, "I'm Zulf. It's... it's good to meet you."

    Were it only under better circumstances.

Project MORDRED (804) has posed:
"I'd love to discuss it over drinks after we have achieved our objective." MORDRED informs the others before they encounter Zulf, when they do, he addresses the Ura. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Zulf. I am Prince MORDRED of Earth." It's uncommon for him to use the Prince title, "We are on an exploratory venture to find some materials to support a ... I believe 'safe haven' is an appropriate choice of words?" He sounds somewhat uncertain whether that is appropriate, but he makes a small bow, one that acknowledges the other side as worthy of respect but not as a social equal. "I believe my companions can better inform you as to what we need."

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
    "What's this about Ura," Sanae wonders? For what it's worth, she doesn't seem to pay any mind to any unsettlement her vibrantly green hair might cause. On some worlds it's weird, on some it isn't -- she's used to it. She also hadn't gotten all the particulars about this world, in kind, but from the sounds of what she's hearing, Rucks and the Kid aren't alone here, and their other company might not be friendly. Regardless of whether she gets an answer, she gives a smile to Kotone, on the subject of Earth: "I would normally say it's a cosmic coincidence, but it's probably similar to the humanoid form. It tends to happen that way because it suits the purpose."

    She gives a light shake of her head, apologetically. This isn't the time to be discussing that sort of thing, really. This certainly isn't Earth they're on now, so it's not of much use to talk about that kind of thing. "Ah. I need to focus," she chides herself. With her doing so, she thankfully doesn't see the Kid finally free Mrs. Beckley's memory with a hammer swing, though she gives a light jump at the aftermath. C'mon Sanae, it's just ash, now.

    The walking is a welcome distraction from that kind of thing. She will just have to keep in mind that there was likely nothing that could have been done for these people, in this state. The Core they're seeking, that's what is important now. A spark of life for an apparently dead world. The monument ahead catches her eye, especially the gear. She wonders, in that non-demanding way a wanderer might, "Is this related to those Mancers you've mentioned?" The fact that there is another person standing there is even more curious, since all she knows of, besides those Ura, is Rucks and the Kid. "That's another person, isn't it," she wonders as they close the distance, "Do you know them?"

    He doesn't *seem* threatening, though, and honestly seems to be in anguish, so as long as the others continue forward, she will also. "Hello, Zulf," she says, her voice kind and trying to put him at ease. "My name is Sanae. Ah...like Sir MORDRED," Prince MORDRED, "I am not native to this world, but I'm here to help." While they can no doubt defer to the Kid and Rucks for more detail, she does confirm, and wonder, "Yes, that seems to be it. Do you know of something called a Core?"

Zen (822) has posed:
    Zulf's eyes widen in such a way that makes it far easier to notice the glossy, moist coating on his eyes. His expression when he hears that there is such such an effort in progress, though, is absolutely anything but displeased. In fact, his smile begins to widen at once. "Truly? There are so many survivors, and they've begun to band together?" Finally collecting himself with a long, deep breath, he returns this revelation with a resolute nod. "I see. I'm incredibly glad to hear of it." And he is! It seems that, unlike last time, this stranger doesn't immediately interpret the Bastion as competition; just another of many, many hints that he is very far removed from Zen. Looking to Sanae as well, now, he gives her a nod. "Prince Mordred, Miss Sanae," He gives each of them a nod of the head. "Really, I cannot overstate how relieved I am to see you."

    Earth, though? The mention of being a 'Prince of Earth' gets a cant of Zulf's head. "Earth? I'm afraid I wouldn't know where --" 'That is,' He almost finishes, but he's stopped by something else. Sanae says that they've come not from another settlement, but another -world-. Zulf had always known that magnificent things must lie beyond the wilds, but even he never anticipated -this-. He slowly begins to straighten his posture at the thought. "I... beg your pardon? Did you say you've come from another world?" That is, admittedly, a bit of a hit to his morale. That means that many of these people may not even be surviviors, just... people who have come to survey the damage. In fact, if they're capable of travel between worlds, could they be -responsible- for the calamity? All of a sudden, his expression seems to dip. Not noticeably so, but enough to make his atmosphere far less warm.

Rory White (673) has posed:
    "The Ura are another nation of people apart from Caelondia... what's left of Caelondia." Rory explains a little while after watching the Kid smash the woman's remains. She finds this a strange way of showing respect, but maybe the Kid has a point.

    Humans are just strange to her period, when you get right down to it.

    "I'm not too qualified to speak of them. They appear to be fiercely nationalistic and the survivors we encountered are not inclined to diplomacy. Such a shame..."

    She releases a Saucer to float around above the group, pulling it out of her robes. the little thing's no bigger than a Frisbee but it's equipped with a full range of scanners that continue to map the area and try to predict pathways by observing chunks flying from below.

    And when the path takes them to a floating island with a statue VERY much worth recording... Rory ignores it entirely, in favor of... "Look! That's one-- ah, he's friendly!" She's quick to hurry over and immediately get within conversation distance! "Rory White, and likewise. Many of us are from other nations, but we've come to help in the wake of this calamity. It looks like we found another survivor. Are you faring alright?"

    of course, it's pretty obvious NOBODY is faring well here, but she's a bit dense to these notions.

Zen (822) has posed:
    Then immediately after he's had the wind knocked out of his sails, someone asks him if he's 'faring well'. There's a faint, well-disguised twitch at Zulf's left eye. Oh, he could say that the woman to whom he had been engaged just a day before the advent of the calamity was dead, couldn't he? Or he could say that this entire city and all the friends he had made over the course of the past few years were dead, their likenesses encased in stone as if to chide him. He could talk about the rage he flew into when he initially awoke to explain why so much dust litters the ground nearby, enumerate all the statues he destroyed just so he wouldn't have to look at them, tell them how he might've begun to contemplate whether it would be worthwhile to try to continue living in light of it all -- but. But that would be terribly rude, wouldn't it? So instead of clarifying any of that, he just... he just smiles.

    "As well as could be expected, I suppose," He says with a pleasant, conversational shrug.

    If only, for once in his life, he could speak frankly. But not now.

The Kid has posed:
    Unfortunately, there is a vast gap of air between the path and where Zulf stands, the long drop to the ground below stretched between them. It's too far to jump for most people too. "Well now, you are a sight for sore eyes Zulf," Rucks says, his voice filling slightly more with warmth. Even Kid seems slightly less gloomy than ususal.

    "We've been holed up at The Bastion. But considering the state of things, I'm not surprised you couldn't make it," Rucks says. He gestures towards a Skyway panel that sits on the island with Zulf, looking heavily damaged. "Don't you worry, we'll get over to you."

    The Kid finally chips in now. "If I remember right, the Core should be beyond those gates..." He gestures at the other island, towards a set of bull-headed brass gates that are firmly closed. "With the path gone and the gate closed, he can't reach it... maybe we should go around, follow the path until we reach him?"

    Rucks runs a finger along his moustache, considering the problem. "Maybe, Kid. Unless..." He looks to the assorted Elites, appealing to them. "Don't suppose any of you got means to bridge this gap? We could just bypass the whole path if you could."

Zen (822) has posed:
    The Bastion, right. Zulf's heard the name, but he's never been there himself. He's not as familiar with that part of town as Kid and Rucks might be, so if the group hadn't found him here it might've taken him some time to make way. Still, that makes the concern over the cores make sense. "-- ah, yes," He nods to them. "cores. I believe there might be one over there." He stretches his arm, his sleeves slumping somewhat as a finger points to a gentle glow far, far on the horizon. Though the path to it can't be seen, there is certainly some land remaining in the vicinity of the light, and there's just enough debris around it to obscure the likeness of the core. "That might be one," He says.

    As for finding a way to bridge the gap? ... he hasn't got anything. He'll be leaving that to the rest of the group.

Project MORDRED (804) has posed:
"Unfortunately I didn't bring my Armour with me. I could call it forth but that might take a while. It will, however, be able to fly across if we're willing to wait." MORDRED focuses on the immediately practical considering he feels something off is with the guy across the gap, then he adds on. "We are looking both for survivors and for the tools needed to make this safe haven both lasting and functional. That's why we need the core."

Rory White (673) has posed:
    "My ship could take us across, but it would take about fifteen minutes to safely reach this altitude..." Rory shakes her head, but gives Zulf a warm look. The most comforting she can manage. "I'll do anything I can to help the survivors... if you need anything, sir, just ask. Although I can't offer much until we're somewhere stable!"

    yeah, stability is a problem around here.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa :likes the idea of going to check out a bastion and then gets a bit more serious at the kid. She keeps moving and doesseem to keep her spirits up as much as she can. she keeps however alert as there might be trouble and there does seem to be an URa ahead. She doesn't move to raise her weapon at this point there's not need to she looks the young man over.

"Zulf? I'm Kotone and we're not looking for a fight either."

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
    Body language betrays at least some of what the Uran man truly wants to say, even though Sanae could not possibly know the depths of his torment. Nor could she know how far he had been lifted in that moment, only to be forced to settle back down on what's left of the ground. Poor guy. Rucks noticed their unusual manner of dress immediately, but this Zulf fellow was so hinging on the moment that he looked right beyond it. "Ah, sorry...but it's better to be honest with you, right?" False hope can be more cruel than none at all. "But, Rucks has a plan! Keep that confidence you had, okay?" It's easy to say when she's on this side of the air gap.

    On an earlier topic, she wonders to Rory, "Ah, so he is an Ura? I see..." She will have to assume that not all are as nice as he is, then, from the mixed messages she is receiving. Though really, that's no different than any manner of people. Her voice doesn't seem to hold any prejudice to it, on the situation. "I'll have to learn more about this situation some other time. I don't want to make things any worse by saying the wrong thing." Or having the wrong hair color. There are more immediate concerns, like getting across, freeing Zulf - or at least allowing him to leave, and of course securing the Core, which remains the conspicuous goal.

    To Rucks' appeal, she considers, tapping a finger against a cheek. "I can fly across just fine, assuming physics here work like I'm used to. I'm not sure I could carry anyone with me, though." The winds here 'feel' a bit different than what she is accustomed to, and it's probably not just that it's an alien realm. She finally concludes, "Taking the long way around sounds safer, in any case, if we're going to be waiting anyway. Though if you like, I could keep Zulf company until you can make the trip?"

Zen (822) has posed:
    Zulf appraises both Mordred and Rory again, giving each of them nods. "I understand." Then to Rory, he adds, "And after all, I've made it on my own this long. I suppose that I can survive for several more moments." His expression and appearance have recovered some of their luster by now, but that odd sensation Mordred is picking up on likely won't vanish completely...

    As for Kotone, she gets another small bow. "A pleasure, Dame Kotone."

Zen (822) has posed:
    Sanae's response wins back just about as many points with Zulf as any could have, and suddenly that grin of his is radiating genuine goodwill again. "Indeed," He asserts, "and I'm grateful that you're willing to invest such trust in a stranger as to divulge information of that sort. Really, don't mistake my words for disappointment! It's heartening to know that there are other people out there, and people who have taken an interest in our plight besides." After another moment of pause so that he can showcase his smile in demonstration of his sincerity, he concludes, "So for now, yes. I'll put my faith in you, Rucks, and the promise of the Bastion. Ah, and if you'll have me, I would like to lend myself - or whatever I have to give, at least - to the cause as well."

    Still listening to the conversation across the gap, something seems to make Zulf perk up again. It's Sanae's mention of the 'Ura'. "Oh!" His countenance beams, and he takes an immediate interest when he hears the word. "It would be my pleasure to share more information about my people if you would like to learn! If you do elect to stay with me, I'm sure that that would make for good conversation. To pass the time, you know."

The Kid has posed:
    When it's clear that they have no means of immediately bridging the gap, Rucks shakes his head. "Not much point in waiting. In that time, we'll have walked around to him," he says to MORDRED and Rory. But, as Sanae volunteers to stick with Zulf, Rucks nods his appreciation. "It would be appreciated." To everyone else, he says, "Looks like we'll be the last to see the Hanging Gardens. Make sure you get a good look."

    Should Sanae take to the air, the winds do indeed feel wrong. Blowing every which way with no rhyme or reason to them. But to make it worse, as she is tapping into that blessing, she feels eyes on her. Similar to how it feels when her own goddesses are regarding her, but... harsher. More judgemental. She is not smote in any way, nor does she suddenly drop like a rock, but the gods of this world are making it clear: they have their eyes on her.

    Meanwhile, Rucks and the Kid lead MORDRED, Rory and Kotone along the path that uproots itself from far below. It carried up with it more statues of those who were once alive. As they go along, Rucks seems to have names for every one of them.

    "The Tunder brothers. They always wanted to see what it was like beyond the Walls."

    "Nordy the bird boy. Came by every day with crumbs from his parent's bakery."

    "The Jawsons. Direct descendants from the founder of the Slingers."

    "Grady Senior and Grady Junior. A legacy of Cinders, reduced to ash themselves."

    Each one, the Kid stares at for a long moment before bringing his hammer to bear on them, casting their remains to the strange winds. Along the way, he finds something unusual. A sigil, one that resembled the blade of a shovel. "Ura sigil. No doubt that Zulf ain't from around here, if it's his."

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
    "I think I will, then!" As Rucks and Zulf both seem to find it a good idea, that's Sanae's self-assured and confident reply. She isn't certain whether there are any 'other things' that might have to be worried about, but the least thing they would want is for something to happen to a survivor, this close to getting to him. Regardless of those considerations, seeing him in that condition that they found him in, he looks like he could use the company. With that, even though she isn't in her normal shrine maiden attire, she begins to gather her divine energies, and exerting some control over the air around her. At the edge of the chasm separating the group from that island, she takes a step off.

    And, if only for a moment, it looks like she is having some difficulty, and might have to abandon this idea altogether. However, after that period, she seems to regain her balance, and begins to laboriously hover over, with a good degree less elegance than she would normally manage. Then she realizes, subconsciously at first -- that's right, just because the people disappear, doesn't mean that the faith does. If there are other divinities here, it is probably their way of reminding her of the pecking order here, as they would have sensed her own nature. "Relax," she whispers seemingly to the wind, "I'm not here to displace you or your order." As gods tend to be set in their ways, however, she doubts that assurance will make significant short-term inroads. It's enough that they'll allow her to cross, for now, and not volunteering to carry anyone or anything else is seeming like a great choice.

    Setting down across from Zulf, she beams a broad smile, and waves to the others she left as they begin making their way around, to let them know that everything went okay. The gusts die down around her body, as well. "Seems like we have some time, so you can tell me anything you want to, Zulf," she allows, looking for a non-precarious place to settle in. Hopefully the others won't encounter anything unsavory, but it is hard to imagine anything like a monster surviving in this world, where most of the humans didn't.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa seems flattered a fair bit but she's also got her mind on making sure everyone gets out of this. Even with all her changes she knows she's one of the weakest links on this team.

"At this point anyone left int his world seems more focused on saving what can still be saved right? Any help I think would be welcome. I would be curious to learn more about this world and it's people in general when we make it back there. Don't worry I can ... access anything see and share it. There will at least be a final record of this place."

It's a sobering thing now that she thinks about it. She reaches into a pocket and folds a small machine which takes flight to start mappin things to help keep her promise.

She shudders at the ash remants of the people here.

The names are noted and paused as she's finding herself somehow to be the last docmentation of many lifes. She does her best to not disturb it as she moves out.

"Just keep frosty and it's strange the creatures who attacked us surived but whatever this was it seemed to have been targeted at the people directly."

Zen (822) has posed:
    Something about Zulf changes when there are fewer people around. He almost seems... relieved? Just more relaxed? Something along those lines, anyway. Regardless, he certainly -acts- more casual, finally allowing himself a seat at the base of the statue. He keeps his arms and his legs wrapped in more conservative placements, but at the very least this can be considered him 'letting his guard down', and by extension, a show of trust.

    That said, where he might've sounded eager to get talking before, he actually falls quiet for some time when they're alone. He opens his mouth several times before he finally speaks, therefore, as if uncertain about what exactly he wants the focus of the conversation to be. Ultimately, he still defaults to the subject of the Ura.

    "The Ura have a long history," He says, "but much of it was lost about fifty years ago. So while I would rather talk to you about our art, or our poetry, or our architecture, there's just not a lot to say. In fact, these days it's hard to even understand the Ura without talking about the war we had with the Caels. You might not be surprised to hear," He shoots her a meaningful look, "that that happened fifty years ago, too. That's when everything changed."

    "I don't know how long ago the Caels and the Ura split into two distinct groups," He goes on, "but they did. The Caels carved themselves a clear patch in the wilds, putting a wall between themselves and the rough outlands. The Ura, on the other hand, tried to embrace the land. They went further and further into the wilds until, instead of building up, they built down. 'I dig my hole, you build a wall'." He gives a small, almost somber smile. "Part of an old war mantra that was written a few years after the war."

    "But eventually, the Caels decided that what they had wasn't enough. They had to go further into the wilds, and that had been Ura turf for years. Story goes, the Caels found the cores underneath a place called 'Point Lamaign'. So that's where they set up their drills and started chopping down the trees... until, one day," He closes his eyes softly, "there was a cave-in. One of the drills rattled the ground, and so a big part of one of the main tunnels fell down. Not a lot of people died, so the Ura swallowed their pride and just asked the Caels to leave. No, the trouble wasn't really that they were there. It's that they wouldn't leave."

    "That's when the Ura started to get upset... and I don't care to talk about the rest. The rest is history. But long story short, the Ura got pushed back even further to the North. A lot of people died, so we got bitter. There were shortages of food, and supplies, and just about everything for a while. A long while." With only the faintest hint of anger in his voice, now, one of his fists starts to ball. "... and that's why I had to steal food when I was younger." Thinking better of drawing attention to himself, though, he's very careful going forward -- he takes a breath, uncurls his hand, and is sure to give Sanae a reassuring smile.

    "I won't get into more of my past," He says. "Not interesting enough to bore you with. But that is why I'm living here, now: a missionary came from Caelondia to the Tazal Terminals one day. I tried to steal from him, but instead of getting angry, he... he took me in. He raised me. He taught me how to be a gentleman. He showed me what happiness really was. He's gone now, but I wanted to follow in his footsteps. To, you know," He gestures to the air nearby, "bridge the gap. I can't help feeling like I - we - were so close, but..." He winces.

    "... not close enough."

Rory White (673) has posed:
    As usual, walking is the only way forward. Rory sticks near Kotone, traipsing with the group the long wy around... but another attention-thread's jammed the Saucer drone, which happens to have a speaker. The strange frisbee-like device has floated over to Zulf... and has been listening listening to his story about things.

    And what a tale it is.

    Her voice, coming from the floating contraption, might startle him too!

    "Always preying upon one another, thinking that by drawing invisible lines called names between each other it justifies callous exploitation and abuse against their own species." An odd way to say something. As if she isn't human. Well she isn't.

    "Although competition is often just as fierce in the animal kingdom. For territory, for food, for mates... it's a habit I hate seeing cause such tragedy. If we can just find some stability though... somewhere to rebuild and enough survivors to unify, it may be none will ever have to steal for food or fight for territory and resources again."

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
    For her part, Sanae listens patiently, after Zulf feels like talking. It's initially out of interest of letting him have an outlet, but she is interested to hear more about how it came to this, as well. Somehow, she wasn't expecting to hear quite this depth of things, though, and as the depths of Zulf's investment in all of this, of something that is - especially now, old history, her eyebrows furrow slightly. The smile never leaves her face, as she doesn't want to discourage the seemingly young man from speaking of his experiences, or of his people, though, and when he concludes, she takes a few moments of her own to digest it. How best to approach something like this?

    "I see, so it was like that," she speaks, crossing her arms across her knees and leaning forward slightly, gazing off at the isolated structures in the nightscape. "It would have been nice if everyone could get along, but with people, it's never that simple, is it?" Her voice is understanding, and her eyes shift back over to Zulf, again with an encouraging smile, "But that you were able to look past that, and your own troubled past, to try and make things better. That takes strength." She also glances off after where the Kid and Rucks had lead the rest of the group off and around, though they are likely out of unenhanced sight, by now. "So the Core they're looking for. It's from that time? ...are you okay with that? Even if the goal is to help people."

The Kid has posed:
    Sanae's whispers receive no answer, but once her feet are on the ground, they eyes move off of her, one by one. As for the other group, it's just a little bit further past that to find where the Core lies, beyond another set of those brass bull-themed gates. The blue stone floats gently in the air, casting light.

    It's surrounded by statues, all reaching for it, grasping, pleading. Wanting to be saved from the Calamity.

    "Quite a crowd..." Rucks murmurs. They're so tightly packed that there's no way of reaching the Core without going through them. The old man looks to the others, his face crestfallen. "Would you mind giving the Kid a hand?"

    The younger man is already moving, cutting down the remains of men, women and children with that hammer of his. But there's so, so many. The air becomes thick with their remains, but he's barely made a dent in it.

    But, with everyone's help, the Core is finally claimed. A ripple runs through the ground as the area loses its protection, chunks already starting to break free and plummet. Another gate opens, the reforming path leading to the little island on which Zulf and Sanae have occupied. Rucks breaths a little sigh, now covered in the dust of his people too. "Well now, finally made it to you." Kid meanwhile, simply goes up to him, and offers the lost sigil. His bangs hang over his eyes, but the choked tone of his voice betrays what he's feeling.

    "We have to go. Please."

Zen (822) has posed:
    Zulf stares dumbly at the saucer for several moments, batting his eyelashes. He immediately recognizes where the voice is coming from, but that's what confuses him; why would a little heap of metal be able to talk like this? He knows Caelondians sometimes used things called 'radios'. Was it like that? He can only muse because, for now, he's not inclined to ask. It's all he can manage not to let his astonishment show in earnest. Here's hoping that the saucer has some visual feed, though, because Zulf can't really muster words to respond with; rather, he only nods in silence. He doesn't really know what to make of such a, er... disconnected account of the issue. It's fitting for a voice coming from a little metal saucer, no doubt, but it's not something Zulf can parse very well. After all, it's a diplomat's responsibility to understand things through the aperture of emotion and background, first. What do you do when commentary gives no hint of either? ... and moreover, when that commentary comes from a source whose background you cannot know?

    The only answer he can fathom for that question is 'respectful silence', alas.

    In stark contrast with before, Zulf is rather reticent in his response to Sanae as well. It seems that he spent himself on his initial account, and now he's floundering for anything to add. Sanae... does pay him something like a compliment, though, to which he can only raise his hand in denial. "Strength," He says, "or just guidance. In my case, I was only emulating someone I admired. I don't know that I've decided what the value of tolerance is for me quite yet, or if... if that tolerance has any value at all. Still," He smiles, "it's easier to be more impartial when you've lived in both places. After being in Caelondia as long as I have - after visiting the bakery every day, waving to the bird boy - I don't... I don't think I could ever condemn Caelondia as a whole again. In fact, I even --" Fell in love with one of them. It all comes rushing back in that moment, and immediately his words cease to flow.

    It takes a moment for him to recover, and he's just in time to be able to hear Sanae's question. 'Are you okay with that?' He blinks several times, his eyes meandering as though dazed. Does he even have an opinion? Can he even care? "Yes," He offers, blandly. It takes some time before he adds, "Like I said, Caelondia... is as much my home now as the Terminals. It's just as well that the cores stay here, and far better that they be put to some use instead of just rotting in these ruins."

Sanae Kochiya (619) has posed:
    That the gods of this world don't feel like speaking to her is to be expected. But that they'll allow her to co-exist, for now, is okay. The voice from the device floating nearby isn't ignored, either. Though she doesn't speak on the misfortune of people scraping for limited resources, a condition some worlds can't really avoid, the hope at the end is nice to consider: "That's what Rucks is working on, right? A stable place for everyone." That's what she's assumed, from his strong and relaxing voice, at least. Somewhat mirroring Zulf's last statement, she continues hopefully, "If something like those Cores can be used for that, then maybe any other survivors can also look past their old differences." Oh, naive priestess.

    She will have more confidence in Zulf than he apparently does himself, though, standing up to pace over toward him and even moves to place a reassuring hand on his shoulder, should he not pull it away, that is. "Strength can come from many places, even if it is someone that left an impression on you. I've also been influenced by many people." She was thinking of what to try and say to help him gain confidence, when the connections form into place, and the Kid enters with the others, looking a bit anxious to leave, and expressing as much. "...ah, we'd better talk about this later," she supposes. "So you found it?" Something about the look on the Kid's face tells her she's better off not asking the circumstances. As well as all the ash on them.

Zen (822) has posed:
    Unfortunately, Sanae's enthusiasm doesn't quite rub off on Zulf in this case. "A stable place for everyone," He echoes. "I can only hope so." He doesn't know Rucks, but he isn't stupid. Rucks is a Cael, and his first priority has to be the preservation of Caelondia and its people. He's kidding himself if he thinks that Rucks is enough of an idealist to work with a goal like that in mind while the world is in turmoil. It's not impossible, but it's not very likely. Even if the younger generation of Caels are a bit more accessible, Rucks' generation... well. The less said about Zulf's feelings of them, the better. For everyone. And when she speaks of 'looking past old differences'? Finally, Zulf lets out a laugh. It's not a malicious one, but it's still a scoff -- one that he clarifies for her shortly. "To think it would take the literal end of the world to bring about that," He says.

    He can only sigh.

    When prompted, though, he looks up to see the Kid. He begins to smile, ready to greet him with more pleasantry and banter, but the needfulness of that is quickly overridden by urgency. He's not complaining, though he might still want some explanation -- explanation that soon comes in the form of a churning at the ground. After that, Zulf only nods, standing and making way for the Kid.

    He's not going to let his life go to waste; this is his responsibility to the rest of them. The rest of the world. He stops for but a moment to look back at one of the statues. Still, he can't help thinking: will he find her out there?

    That alone is enough to keep him going.

Kotone Yamakawa has posed:
Kotone Yamakawa says "Humans on many worlds have advanced so fast our minds are still wired for the Stone age and being tribal and we can't seem to get away from it."

She seems sad about it however Rory does stir some hope they seen a few people left maybe they can find more enough to keep this world's people going in some fashion.

She pushes on taking in everyting still as she looks about and just starts to shudder. It's not just like Berlin it's also like the horror that her Father's people. She forces her self to look at this point as they make for the core and eveyrthing starts breaking up. She's going to make hest to get out of here, she does look sympathically at the yong man as he regals the poeople whop have bene lost.

Rory White (673) has posed:
    "... My apologies. I forgot that devices like this Saucer aren't widespread." Rory-thought speaks over the Saucer's speaker.

    Her tone does turn a bit chagrined though. "It seems no matter where I go I step on social landmines. This is no time to be overly philosophical, is it?"

    She falls quiet afterwards, unsure how to deal with his explosion of emotion and instead hoping someone less emotionally clumsy can get to it. Like Kotone or Sanae maybe. Or better yet, Rucks, she thinks.

    Coincidentally, the 'real' Rory doesn't contribute at all to the 'slaughter' of ashen statues. Something in her revolts at the idea and by the time she's over the hesitation... the path is cleared. Very dusty and choking, but cleared. She frowns. Once again shes not really accomplishing anything.

    Near Zulf and Sanae, the Saucer floats skyward again the moment the core is grabbed, keeping an eye out for things! ... Like what paths are safer than others. Having an overhead view of this is SO much better than two eyes.

    Rory's real body can only frown. She's starting to understand what the Kid's expressions mean. What Rucks is going through. What Zulf is bottling.

    These are all signs of intense emotional distress. What to DO about it though?

    It might be better to simply shut up and try this again when they've reached this vaunted bastion, but...

    As her REAL body hurries through the ash clouds, face shielded by a robe (how she is managing to run with her face shielded and not run into anything, only Kotone is likely to figure out.

    Once she's near Zulf, then the voice that had been coming from the Saucer comes from the blue-haired young woman instead. "there, I hope that's better. Nice to meet you in the flesh, Zulf, so to speak. These Cores are amazing power sources! I wonder if their output is sufficient to power a Cornucopia Machine..."

Zen (822) has posed:
    Zulf is trained in social nuance; that's to say, he can easily see that his silence is making Rory a bit restless. That said, he's never considered himself very 'nice' -- even if he can, he's not wont to coddle people. So he doesn't offer any reply whatsoever as Rory acknowledges the 'social landmine', preferring instead to maintain his silence. Likewise, he only answers her apology regarding the surprise of the saucer by tersely muttering, "I suppose I'll have to get used to it." He's an odd one! He may in fact be a bit more gruff than he makes himself out to be. Given that, it seems like he and Rucks will either get along well... or not at all.

    Once she appears to him in person, though, he feels somehow obligated to demonstrate greater tact. As before, he offers her a small bow. "Likewise," He says, his voice still tempered by his preoccupation. Again, he refrains from comment portents the 'Cornucopia Machine' -- if it's something that will matter to him, he presumes it will come up again later anyway.

The Kid has posed:
    As the place shakes, Rucks wanders over to the busted Skyway panel. Rolling up his sleeves, he takes some tools from his satchel and kneels down next to it. "You engineering folk mind givin' me a hand? I'll need some steady hands to put this back together."

    The Kid meanwhile, rubs at his face with the back of his hand and raises his head to look at Zulf properly. "You'll like it at the Bastion," is all he says, his voice a little clearer.

Zen (822) has posed:
    The Kid.

    Now -this- is certainly a local, or otherwise an alien that looks bizzarely similar to a Cael. He can tell by that tanned skin and that pearly white hair that this boy, bar none, is going to be one of the people he's sharing a roof - or at the least, sharing a home - with for the time being. Then his words prove it for him. 'You'll like the Bastion,' He says, tacitly reminding him of what a spiteful Uran colleague had said to him moments before he departed for Caelondia years ago. 'You'll like it in Caelondia,' they had said. 'It's a good place for traitors.'

    But this is the present, not the past, and the intonation in his voice was distinctly positive. So Zulf does his best to smile, holding out his hand for The Kid to shake. "Can't be worse than here." Maybe, he begins to think, this won't be so bad after all. If things keep going this way, maybe... maybe he'll finally have found a place where he belongs.