♥ August (Achtom) Event Log

[hugtopiamods]

August (Achtom) Event Log

The time and day are nothing special; while most native and offworlders may be expecting something strange to happen, a slurry of bizarre circumstances, transformations or adjustment of attitudes and behaviour... instead, what arrives is a rush of warm weather, clear skies, and a rallying cry from the southern part of town: All Aboard!

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❥ PROMPT I: All Aboard!

The corridor is completed, and after a month and a half of steady work progressing well beyond the barrier, and the sound of tools hammering away above the rumbling southern storm has finally lulled as well. An invitation is sent out across the network:

Residents of Havenwell,

You are cordially and enthusiastically invited to partake in the maiden voyage of the Crystallight Rapids. We are to depart at 0900 on the 15th of Achtom from the temporary southern station. Our journey will take us into the storms beyond the city barrier in search of what else may exist beyond our borders. We intend to journey as long as the tracks are viable, barring any danger too great for the train or our staff to endure. We cannot guarantee the safety of our passengers, but those with great strength or the ability to defend themselves and those around them are especially welcome. If your spirit of adventure is high, please join us!

Those who venture out to the address provided will find an extended track (looped around to meet itself, to allow for it to turn around) through the corridor and into the edges of the city proper, and a small building set up as a much smaller version of the restored station out in the wilds. Resting at the edge of the track is the Crystallight Rapids. Sparsely decorated and built to be structurally sound more than beautiful, it is nonetheless standing out amidst the familiar architecture of the city. The front engine has numerous gleaming crystals embedded throughout its construction, and a line of crystals can be seen across each side and along the top. They are the same type of crystals that built the corridor, of course, pulsing with a soft light and built to create a protective, breathable atmosphere within the train as it journeys beyond the barrier, which means that for the first time, protective exosuits aren't required. It isn't a huge train- just an engine, a handful of passenger cars, and two storage cars. Functional and safe, with room for improvements and luxuries later, if all goes well. Being something of a test drive, this return-trip journey is free for any who wants to come aboard, but space is limited, so be sure to arrive on time!

The train will depart and venture first through the crystal corridor, and then into the grim landscape beyond with little fanfare. The tracks are in surprisingly good shape, all things considered, and those watching the windows might notice a handful of grimy robotic forms scuttling slowly in and out of underground shelters, poking at the tracks before and after the train passes by. It seems that whatever ancient technology existed ages ago had a high commitment to automated railway maintenance, and the shelters were equally well-built, so they're quite durable. Sections where those robots are not found, however, require a bit of extra work. The secondary storage container includes a set of extra pre-built railway tracks, and if the tracks ahead appear to be in disrepair, the train will stop and request volunteers to help out. There are a few options on how to proceed:

1. if you can't or won't help, swing by the dining area of the 1st passenger car. A few replicators are available for self-serve, and if you're feeling generous, maybe put together some lunch for everyone hard at work outside. You can get food, mingle with your friends, and admire the... gruesome wasteland out there. Maybe keep an eye out for whatever might be lurking outside.
   
   
2. assist with track repair. Brute strength and gentle mechanic hands are the combination they're looking for. Can you hold that tool for a minute? Can you hammer that metal bit into place? Shine that light a little closer? Oh, perfect, thank you for your help.
   
   
3. search for the automated repair bots. For them to not be mending the tracks, something must have happened, and the train staff will ask for volunteers to do some search and rescue. A group will be handed a decent-sized crystal that one person will need to carry (they have backpacks available, don't worry); the carrier of the crystal should stay in the center of the group, so the light and the purifying magic covers everyone. The bots themselves are quite large, perhaps the size of a horse, so you'll likely need help to drag one back with you. Locals will be on hand to help with repairs at the train site. If all goes well, the automated bot will be fixable. If not, the map will be marked, the bot will be stored, and it'll be mended as soon as possible and returned to its duty. Be sure not to venture out too far while searching, though. It's quite dangerous still, and you wouldn't want to be left behind. When you hear the train calliope, it's time to go. Two toots, and the train's rolling!
   
   
4. guard the train. It's a wild and angry world out there still, and plenty of danger can sneak up on those at work while the train has stopped. The usual suspects can still be found out and about, but the further south the train goes, the harsher the storm, and with it brings the occasional miniature tornado, carrying within some odd-looking large shellwalkers that, when thrown loose, scuttle around in angry confusion and lash out at anyone (or anything, be it train or track or that crucial steam vent required to run your transportation) they come across with their huge claws. Sometimes they fall out of the tornadoes. Sometimes they'll try to snap you as it spins by. Sometimes, if you're unlucky, you might be picked up and carried off, in need of a rescue from an unexpected crab tornado. A crabnado, if you will. Where in the world are these things coming from? Either way, it would really help everyone else if you'd fight some crabs.

Overall, the journey will take most of the day, and in the last hour or so, those watching the sky will see something begin to shine through the storm: tiny glimmers of a bright white light, shining upwards and arcing like a rainbow, fighting its way through the clouds.

❥ PROMPT II: Welcome to Shoremere

After a good 6-or-so hours of train riding (full of stop-and-start for the nonsense going on above), the storm begins to clear, and a lull at last arrives. Entering the eye of the storm, the skies part, the clouds turn from black to grey to white, and at last your destination appears: a large rocky range, curved at the edges, tall enough to resemble a mountain. The tracks lead through a tunnel at the base of the stone, a dark passageway that at last opens up into a... city? Could it be? Above the tracks is an overhanging gateway with a barricade beneath (which is of course what causes the Crystallight Rapids to stop its movement). The gateway reads, in somewhat rusty and disused lettering: SHOREMERE.


(click here for full version)

The town of Shoremere is a moon-shaped cove, with a smattering of housing on the main shore that looks surprisingly like Havenwell's central. The buildings cluster together in collective neighbourhoods, like small creatures huddled for safety and warmth. One huge building rests in the back, opposite the train tunnel, bright blue and gleaming in the light of the open sun. A familiar statue can be seen in the town center, but instead of four figures, there stands only one: a soft-featured woman with finned arms and legs, gills on her neck, reaching joyfully towards the sea.

Ah, yes, the sea. It won't take long for new arrivals to notice it: a long stretch of yellow and blue along the inner curve of the town's crescent, where a beautiful beach of sand and stone meets open water, clean and blue for miles. On one side, a walkway stretches out into the sea, where houses have been built on sets of stilts or floating docks, Maldives-style. The other side has rows upon rows of trees meticulously planted, and a long building of semi-transparent viridian material is nearby, giving the whole area a visage of green. At the very tip of the south crescent stands a magnificent lighthouse, a windmill on one side spinning lazily in the sea breeze, the light of its peak shining for miles- those perceptive enough to have seen it through the train windows can now recognize this to be the source. The air smells of salt and sweet potential. Overall, it's lovely.

Of course, it isn't perfect. On the edge of that miles-long beachfront, the continuation of the storm outside looms loud and ugly, pressed up against the same sort of magical barrier that exists in Havenwell, ready to smother the town as soon as its protection drops. Flashes of lightning occasionally tear through the storm, giving the town something of a violent backlight that everyone tries their best to ignore. And the barricade at the end of the train tracks implies that the residents here were not expecting pleasant company any time soon.

Speaking of residents, the arrival of a noisy train at the edge of their home of course brings the Shoremere locals out of their homes to investigate with dread and curiosity, mixed. Visitors will find a mismatch greeting them: some are fully robotic like their Havenwell neighbours, but others are hybrid/cyborg adjacent. They possess the kind of animalistic features that the Havenwell natives have imagined recently, but with metallic limbs, whirring hearts, implanted eyes, hands that can interchange between fingers, tools, or weapons like swiss army knives. They keep at a distance and watch warily while their city's leader - a priestly-looking cyborg with avian-feathered hair and clawed fingers, one mechanical leg peeking out beneath his robes - meets with the lead conductor, and they speak quietly for a little while. When they part, he steps up to greet the newcomers and his own citizens alike, welcoming everyone to Shoremere and recognizing that, no doubt, they will all have plenty of questions, but so long as everyone treats one another with respect and courtesy, everyone will be free to explore and ask whatever they please. Shoremere is at their disposal, and unless someone causes trouble, they'll share and help in whatever way they can. Understandably, the conductor and the priest will have an awful lot of discussing to do, and the two of them wander off towards the center of town, leaving citizens and newcomers to fend for themselves. Maybe... go say hello?

Speaking with the residents of Shoremere will earn you plenty of questions. What is Havenwell like? Are the people doing well? How long have you been here? Are you all so squishy, still with all your limbs? Likewise, asking questions of the people here will net both similar and very different answers to what you'd get in Havenwell. Here is a shortlist of basic information about Shoremere:

• Most of the architecture is built through stone from beneath the mountain (which they mostly leave untouched ground-up as it acts as the perfect barricade protecting them from the storm) and driftwood from the sea, albeit after a round of purification and preservation techniques. However, there are some buildings made entirely from wood, thanks to the availability of swift-growing trees along the shore.
  
  
• The days begin with a dusky morning fog coming off the water, petering off into warm and sunny afternoons, and end with the cool breeze of the sea in the evenings. It's very balmy most of the time, the perfect vacation zone.
  
  
• Main industries and work done here includes sea fishing, produce growing at the greenhouse (that big translucent building to the southwest), preservation of aquatic life, and weaving from natural materials and the various plant life they've managed to keep growing here. Try not to faint at the concept of finding a real cotton shirt after so long using only synthetic…
  
  
• The people here struggle with long-term memory and history in a similar manner but for a different reason; at least half the residents opted not to go fully automated, and thus have retained their flesh bodies, outside of cyborg implants or replacements to reduce their consumption of biomaterial and keep their bodies working in top shape for longer. As such, they live and die mostly natural lives, and some parts of history are just lost to time. Most significantly: there are children, tiny flesh-and-blood creatures with adorable animalistic traits clinging to the legs of their parents and staring at the newcomers. The children, once brave enough to greet anyone, will have approximately eight million questions, so good luck getting a word edgewise.
  
  
• The lighthouse is the hub of spirituality in Shoremere, rather than any temples, and it houses the story of the demi-goddess featured in the center of town. The story goes that Shoremere struggled with violent storms for so long, that once upon a time there were essentially at death's door. One resident of town who was perfect and devout in all ways of life had over time developed the strongest relationship one could imagine with the Winged Lord, and for the sake of her people, she prayed that He might deliver their home from the darkness of the stormy seas. The two of them formed a pact, and through His blessing, she was consumed by the sea. (There is a good deal of philosophical debate revolving around whether this means she drowned herself, or was eaten by a giant fish, amongst other theories but none can say for sure which is true.) Through her sacrifice, the lighthouse was powered with a protective magic, and she was granted immortality as a demi-goddess subservient to the Winged Lord. While her actual name has been lost to history, the locals refer to her as Lady of the Lighthouse (or LoL for short). The temple lighthouse is maintained in honour of her gift to Shoremere, and it is the source of their town's magic barrier.
  
  In line with the above, the lighthouse acts as a protective tower, museum, and temple all at once. At the base of the tower sits an open basin adjacent to the main construction, where the water of the sea flows freely. It is equipped with polished stone seats where adherents can sit and commune or pray to the Winged Lord and the demi-goddess who protect their town, who wish to do so while resting in their aquatic element. The locals say that they don't exactly worship either for the most part, as the Winged Lord is long-deceased and the demi-goddess is not a proper god, but it is polite to be thankful to their benefactor, and many people have private in-house shrines devoted to other gods of their choice, so Havenwell's main four also have a place here.
  
  
• The tall blue building in the southeastern part of the arc is a vast aquarium, housing Shoremere's equivalent of Havenwell's zoo and botanical garden. Within is a preservation facility of the various species of aquatic life that once lived aplenty in their world. Large tanks house a multitude of species, some of which may seem familiar, others completely alien. There is also an outdoor area with an observation area above, and sections where visitors can walk down and interact with the aquatic creatures that venture close enough to touch. Particular species of note in the facility are:
  
  • Baemodus: resembling tiny sharks about the size of an oven tray, these are small and gentle carnivores whose unique feature is essentially "mood ring" skin, smooth grey flesh that is splashed with a sudden tie-dye effect of colour when touched. One can always tell which of them has been petted or handled recently, as they are varying shades of rainbow.
    
  • Guyro: large disc-shaped creatures that spin through water like frisbies, using intake/outtake water pressure valves to propel themselves. Once in a while they'll propel themselves right out of the water and hit visitors in the face; if that happens, their tenders politely ask that you frisbie-fling them right back into the water where they belong, thank you.
    
  • Nootjar: they are basically penguins. They have goat eyes and they shriek like potoos, but they're penguins. They waddle around wherever they want, including between your legs, onto your lap, into your luggage...
    
  • Thalassii:oh hey, it's those giant crabs. They live in the basement which there is an underground open water cove, and are very carefully contained behind reinforced iron fences. Do not pet these.
  
  Another portion of the facility of note is one section of the basement which features an exhibit of deep-sea creatures; these include pictures but no life example, most of which are about as terrifying as you imagine the words "deep sea" might conjure. On the other hand, the aquarium's whale-angler fish hybrid mascot is... unexpectedly adorable? Which is good, because his visage is plastered all over the place. There's even a cut-out to take pictures with him. Kids seem to love him, anyway.
  
  
• The northern greenhouse section of town is pretty vegetarian, as their primary source of meat in town comes from fishing. Lettuce, root vegetables (potato-adjacent), and corn-like stalks grow all seasons within the carefully cultivated greenhouse atmosphere. Outside, a subset of tree rows are devoted to the prime local fruits: Dika, the Aellyn form of mango, sweet and juicy in vibrant citrus shades, Gooba, which have a sour peeling exterior and a sweet milk-like pulp within, and Zaibe, which are heavy, hairy white shells that can be cracked open to access the fruit within. They smell like absolute death once opened, so generally their harvest is handled by the wholly robotic types who have no sense of smell, but the syrup inside is sweet as spun sugar and the soft fruit surrounding it tastes wonderfully lush either as shavings or in fruit cubes. It is encouraged that you handle with gloves or utensils, however, lest your hands smell for days.

Shoremere as a whole is quite active and easygoing, and everyone works hard day after day, but they'd be the first to admit that things have been awfully routine for a very long time. The shake-up of new arrivals is a welcome change, to be sure.

❥ PROMPT III: Let's Go to the Beach-each, Let's Go Get a Wave

If all of the above isn't enough to keep you busy in Shoremere, here's something left only briefly mentioned: the beach. The sun and sand call to everyone who ventures out of the train, and sooner or later you're bound to end up on the shore. If you neglected to or did not own a bathing suit, those can be easily purchased or commissioned by one of the weavers in town. Turns out the Zaibe outer shell fibers make for fantastic stretchy thread materials, and can be bleached and dyed to practically any shade. Swimsuits are also designed for the Shoremerans who have all manner of unusual body features, so they're used to quick custom orders and tail-or-wing based designs. The beach features a few miles of balmy, tropical water temperatures, and mostly smooth waves. Some things to do outside of swimming or sunbathing:

• Surfing: while the water is mostly calm and relaxing, there will be periodic bouts of large waves that loom on the horizon and sweep through the outer rim of the water within the barrier, and when those moments occur (generally for up to an hour each day), there is usually a rush of activity on the sand. Parents will bring their children into shore to wait it out or have lunch, while a handful of adventurous locals will grab some surfboards and rush out to enjoy the ride. Offworlders are welcome to join in the fun, and many of the locals would be happy to give instructions to those who don't know how to surf yet. Maybe you'll find your new passion?
  
  
• Fishing: a pond is all well and good, but there's something special about ocean fishing. The town has a very active fishery on the residential side, so if you're keen on giving it a shot, there's always a spare rod available somewhere amongst the community. Toss a lure off the shore, or join one of the fishing boats as they take their nets further offshore for the hardier prey. There are all kinds of strange alien fish to be captured, and the locals can teach you which are safe to eat and which are used for other things (such as lantern oil or armor scales). Those who join one of the net crew will be awarded their share of the catch, as long as they put in the work to earn it.
  
  
• Sweets: a Shoremere special! Since the beach fruits are so beloved and grow so well, they're very common in cooking, and they make for great desserts. The beachfront has a stand that is always open with a series of wonderful fruit cups, juices, and parfaits available for the thirsty beach-goers. However... well, it is the latter half of the month, so completely at random, the sweets may have some strange effects:
  
  • Dried Dika Sugar Slices: self-explanatory. for some reason, you may feel compelled to run dramatically through the waves a la Baywatch. Are you on camera? Whatever, you deserve to be on camera. Strut your best stuff.
    
    
  • Gooba Milkshake: a lovely citrus foam mixture with crushed ice. You suddenly really want to visit the aquarium and play frisbee with the Guyro. The Guyro would love it if you did. The aquarium staff would love it if you didn't. Only you can decide who wins that battle of wills.
    
    
  • Sweet & Stinky: Dika and Zaibe fresh cut bricks in sweet syrup. Nothing actually happens with this one, turns out. But the paranoia of something changing after you drink it will stick with you for like an hour afterwards, so you might be insufferable to be around for a while.
    
    
  • Trio Parfait: all three fruits mixed together with a sweet ice cream formed from Gooba's milk. You gain the ability to transform into one of the aquatic creatures of the region. That's pretty cool, right? Downside is, you can't really control it or pick which one. Maybe you'll be a badass shark. Maybe you'll be a seal. Maybe you'll be the potoo penguin and just wail annoyingly at people until someone throws you in the water. Thankfully it only lasts like an hour, so you can try another parfait to see if your luck improves. That shark is definitely gonna come to you eventually.
  
  
  If anyone questions the Shoremerans about these weird effects, they are most likely to sigh, "Does that not happen in Havenwell? Must be nice. The flavour's worth it, though." And really, it is. They're all delightful.
  
  
• Sleepovers: if you'd rather spend the night in town instead of returning to Havenwell, the locals don't exactly have a plethora of extra housing or hotels, but they do have a wealth of hospitality. Visitors will have a few choices in where to sleep.
        One: You can bunk with one of the local families (who would become your 'host' and be responsible for feeding you dinner and housing you for the night), which would be the warmest and most comfortable option, and will most likely net you a delicious meal, but can theoretically also come with a) gawking, fascinated children or doting grandma-types who talk your ear off until midnight, and b) the cultural expectation that when they come visiting in Havenwell, you'll return the favour for a night as well. This is a voluntary gesture, so no one will be housed with a local who resents their invasion, at least.
        Two: pitch up a tent, grab some blankets, and spend the night on the beach. Not the comfiest of ways to take shelter, but for those who like more privacy and don't mind the outdoors-y life, the ocean breeze and the sound of the waves can lull you to sleep quite effectively, and the night bonfires make for good storytelling or the toasting of s'mores.
        Three: have a sleepover at the aquarium! the least private, because it's still very much a public building, and there are no accommodations so you'll all be bundled together in a pile with pillows and blankets on the floor somewhere. But hey, the place has bathrooms, and wouldn't it be charming to sleep underneath the overhead tank tunnels, counting fish and imagining you're sleeping underwater?

❥ PROMPT IV: Tourist Exchange

Now that a safe route has been established, and once they manage to remove the barricade and fix the track so the darn thing can turn around again, the Crystallight Rapids will be making periodic journeys to and from Shoremere every day, once in the morning and once near sundown. The journey takes several hours, and may be subject to the occasional brief stop due to ongoing repairs (or the occasional crab crossing). Over time the journey will go more smoothly and safely, and by month's end will be at most 2 hours each way. Passengers from both towns are welcome, and after the maiden journey, are subject to a nominal dora fee for service and upkeep.

Since passage will be going both ways, that means that Shoremere locals will be visiting Havenwell, too! It will take some time for them to brave leaving town to a whole other city, but a slow trickle of visitors will gradually become the norm. Unlike Shoremere, Havenwell has plenty of spare housing, so there's lots of room for them to take up a temporary residence while they explore. Their focus will be trade for materials and tools they can't easily get in Shoremere (proper metal and metal-related tools, for example), exploring the zoo (their home has a shortage of land animals, comparatively), visiting the temples (many have never seen a full-sized temple to the gods!) and the entertainment district, which is significantly more muted back home. In short, Havenwell is being invaded by a lot of homebody furry tourists, and local businesses will see a substantial uptick in customers. It's going to be lively for a while.

Residents of Havenwell are absolutely fascinated (and smitten, let's be real) by the appearance of real physical bodies, and especially children, when some of the Shoremere families finally come calling. Some are rather grumpy about the noise and the mess, but plenty seem to activate their "doting auntie" programming and begin to spoil the kids. Said kids learn very quickly to take advantage of this generosity. Raise a glass for their poor parents. (The grumbling about noise and mess only gets louder.) The researchers in particular will be sent into a tizzy because the ancestors of their old physical forms will be here! In the literal flesh! And will probably be very annoying to the tourists, asking for samples and to study them. Their requests for research materials probably won't go over too well until they calm the heck down, though, so there won't be much progress on that front for a while.

Characters will be able to trade their resources with Shoremere in both cities- those who get apples from their replicators can trade for mangos, those who do mining or smithing can trade metalworks for wood, etc. This is a great opportunity to experience new things and gain access to resources you might have been missing within Havenwell.

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Comments

[iii;]

[kingkingcxiii]

[Ever since arriving in Shoremere, Regis has found it hard to stay away from the shore. Not only is the lure of fishing there, the mere sound--let alone the sight of the crashing waves--reminds him of home and how long it has been since he has been able to enjoy the ocean. Despite the urge to go straight to the beach, he holds off until he can learn more of the city and its people. As a result, it's night before he makes it there, which isn't entirely a bad thing since it means the shore should be quieter, something he will greatly appreciate after the chaos that learning a new city and people has brought.

He calls his new Carbuncle out so he can continue practicing with it, letting it run along the beach in front of him. It's bright colors catch what little light there is like a prism, casting it back out around it. All in all, it's not a bad way to spend the night.

It's several moment before he realizes that the Carbuncle has found a familiar face and now is trying to get a certain redhead to pet it. Regis can't help but chuckle as he continues forward to join his summon and his uncle.

Sorry for the fur in advance, Ardyn.]

[scourgingstars]

Oh--hello there.

[Whether that was meant for Regis or his carbuncle, the latter got a light scratch behind the ears along with the greeting.]

It's a bit late, isn't it? Are you having trouble sleeping?

[kingkingcxiii]

For a setting like this, sometimes "late" is the best time to enjoy it.

[Regis smiles when he sees Ardyn giving the carbuncle scratches.]

I hope you don't mind having another creature around the house. May we join you?

[scourgingstars]

Of course I don't mind. [especially since it was cute] And your company is always welcome.

[kingkingcxiii]

[As Regis settles into the sand next to Ardyn, the carbuncle yips happily and starts to play around in the sand in front of them like an excited child. Is it showing a bit of how Regis feels internally? Perhaps. He takes a deep breath and looks out over the sea, obviously having missed it.]

It's been so long since I last saw the ocean. I didn't realize how much I yearned for it.

[scourgingstars]

I have to confess I don't care for the ocean quite so much anymore. The sound grates on me terribly.

[Ardyn shrugged before pulling his knees to his chest, resting his head on folded arms.]

...But it isn't so bad here. It's...vibrant. More alive than I'm used to.

[kingkingcxiii]

[Regis nods in understand, his question of why Ardyn would be here if the water bothered him so much answered before it can even be asked.]

Life and vibrance make a great difference. It is part of the reason why we always made sure to keep the gardens in the Citadel well-tended. I was not the only one who spent most of their time there. It's amazing how just a little break in a place like that can bring life back to a person's spirit as well.

[scourgingstars]

I can remember having gone to the courtyard often. The sylleblossoms always grew in abundance there, and it was a calming place to simply rest at times.

[He sighed quietly, staring out at the ocean.]

I've never seen a place like this before. It's exciting, no matter my own distaste for the open water itself.

[kingkingcxiii]

This is certainly the last place I expected to find beyond the wall. Even with the bits and pieces of information we were finding, part of me was afraid that Havenwell was the last bastion of life on this whole world. I am truly gladdened to find that I was very, very wrong.

[scourgingstars]

There used to be a fishing village not unlike this on the southeastern coast. [Ardyn leaned back slightly, with the look of someone trying to recall a distant dream.] It was quite a journey to get to, far enough that one risked being out on the road for one or several nights if not cautious.

...In that regard, now that I think upon it, this world is very much like home after all.

[kingkingcxiii]

[Regis looks out of the corner of his eyes at Ardyn as he thinks back on his memory. He knows how hard it is for Ardyn to remember the past, so if the resemblance is enough to jog his memory it must be great indeed.]

This place reminds me of home as well. The island of Galahd had many villages such as you mentioned. I was only able to visit a couple of times, but the visits I was able to make always stuck with me.

[scourgingstars]

It was certainly something. I can't remember what it was called, but it was quite a lively place. The shoreline's abundance of sunlight and warmth made it impractical for daemons to manifest, even at night. I would imagine islands would be much the same, with the right amount of caution.

[kingkingcxiii]

Daemons or no, those of Galahd knew well how to value life and its fleetingness. The whole island is filled with coeurls which are as dangerous as any daemon. Many of the greatest hunters known in Lucis came from that island because that is how they survived.

[Regis pauses a moment and then gives Ardyn a questioning look.]

Did you meet Nyx Ulric during the short time he was here? Galahd was his home.

[scourgingstars]

Oh, I've seen my share of coeurls in Lucis, in the right places. Or the wrong ones, depending on how one looks at it. I would imagine a place full of them would need people with sharp eyes and sharper blades.

[ardyn, please.]

Just briefly, I think. I quite liked him, though I doubt the feeling was mutual. [understandable have a nice day]

[kingkingcxiii]

[A frown flashes across Regis' face for a moment, but then vanishes. Ardyn is right, of course. There is no arguing that. Instead, he merely nods in understanding of that sad truth.]

I mention him in specific because he was an accomplished hunter even at the age he was when Galahd fell. I wonder if this place has any specialized hunters like the island did. Imagine what we could learn of these strange animals from them. It might even be helpful as we continue to connect to new areas.

[scourgingstars]

Hm...you do have a good point. At the very least one would presume them skilled at fishing, so gods know Noctis will more than likely be thrilled. I was never much of a hunter myself, but surely someone here must be.

[kingkingcxiii]

I was talking to people about general things today while I explored the city, but I think I will ask some more pointed questions tomorrow.

[An amused grin crosses his face.]

Besides, with a certain boy's birthday coming up so soon, I need to do some shopping and only the best will do for him.

[scourgingstars]

Oh--goodness, is it that time of year already? It really is difficult to keep track of time around here.

[kingkingcxiii]

It is.

[Which is actually part of the reason Regis mentioned it when their conversation moved that way. He knows how hard it is for Ardyn to keep track of time sometimes.]

Would you like to join me tomorrow when I go hunting?

[They might not be plotting a surprise party, but that doesn't mean they can't plot against the birthday boy a little bit.]

[scourgingstars]

I think I may just have an opening in my horribly busy schedule for that, in fact. How fortunate.

[kingkingcxiii]

Fortunate for me. You can keep me from buying so much that I embarrass myself and him.

[He has so many missed birthdays to make up for.]

[scourgingstars]

I am both hurt and insulted that you think me capable of that kind of restraint.

[kingkingcxiii]

[Regis can't help but raise an eyebrow at Ardyn, even as a mischevious grin crosses his face.]

So it would be better to believe that Noctis is about to be embarrassed silly by both his father and uncle? I can't say I mind adjusting my thinking to that.

[scourgingstars]

If he doesn't expect as much by now, he really should know better.

[kingkingcxiii]

It doesn't hurt to remind him now and again. After all, I do have some catching up to do.

[And Noctis still has trouble remembering he is worthy of having good things happen to him. It doesn't hurt to give him a little nudge to help with that.]