⇨ EDEN

[ringleaders]

Who: Everyone!
When: Day 79 - Day 85
Where: Eden
What: Everyone arrives in Eden with their new animals forms - unfortunately, the welcoming party is a bit more intense than expected, with a ritual called 'The Anointment.' Better get this place figured out before anything gets any crazier.
Warnings: Hopefully no ritual sacrifice!

FLAME OF INSPIRATION↴ So it begins. After everyone has been given their new animal form and have had about an hour to readjust to it, the Ringmaster begins the infiltration. You don't see a lot of the specifics of the magic - all you know is that Pru's sword, the Hand of God, is somehow involved. It alone can tear through the wardings of Eden's realm, and once that entrance is made, the teleportation is instant. Everyone will find themselves in an open grassland overlooking a dense forest, with buildings and lights poking up out of the leaves. Behind you, there is a darker place - the barrens, the Ringmaster has explained. It's were the Outcasts are sent after they're banished. You are scattered across the area as if you've been dropped in with nothing. You've been given specific instructions - act as if you have no memory besides the vague life of being an animal. None of you know each other. You don't know how you got here, you've just been suddenly found yourself enlightened. Hopefully feigning ignorance will be what the residents are expecting, as what information the Ringmaster could find suggests it should be. Before the beasts of Eden come to claim you, you'll see the Ringmaster once last time, in the form of a giant serpent. With a nod of her head, she slithers away towards the barrens - she'll be in touch. ► THE WELCOMING: It's not long until you're discovered. The first to find you is a pigeon, who seems rather surprised. She'll ask the first few new arrivals she sees a couple questions - 'did you just get here?' 'did you meet the great Lilith?' Regardless of your answers, she'll hurriedly say she's going to go get help, and will fly away back into the forest. A short while later, an entire welcoming party of different animals will have come to greet you, sweeping out to find every straggler and explaining that you are the newest of the chosen. After they are sure that nobody is being left behind, they will invite you into Eden. ► THE GARDEN: Eden is a beautiful place. Every street, every structure, is surrounded by flowers and vibrant plant life - every bit as idyllic as its mythos would imply. The architecture is ambitious and creative, as if the residents have been perfecting the art for thousands of years, which they almost certainly have. There is the sweet smell of perfumes and incense on the other animals are you are led into the city. This is your home now, the locals will explain. You have been chosen by the Creator to serve Her cause. You will become one of the Honorable, one of Her artisans working towards the Divine Clarity. But first, of course, you must be sanctified. ► THE ANOINTMENT: On that first night, everyone is brought to a vast cathedral, covered in unknowable writings in a shining script. You are brought in through several gorgeous hallways lit with shining crystals and blue flame torches, only to emerge in a great hall built around a circular, sparkling pool of water. There are several braziers around its circumference blazing with fire, with sets of tools hanging out of them, like iron pokers. All of the new arrivals are gathered into the grand hall, and scriptures are read in the background that you can't really make out the specifics of. You will all be made to stand around the outside of the pool, and the local animals will gently explain to you what needs to be done. To become a new Honorable, you must be Anointed with the Flame of Inspiration - that is, they are going to brand you with the metal pokers they have heating up. If you go along with it, they will burn the mark into a highly visible part of your person (they have smaller brands for smaller animals), and then cool it off in the pool of water, where you are encouraged to bask until you are comfortable again. There are obviously a couple concerns with this. The biggest one is that it's sketchy as hell. The second one is that the brand is definitely made of medium grade iron. While the painful difference it makes won't be super obvious from the outside, long-term veterans and those with superlative fae qualities will find it very uncomfortable, and it will blister for a fair while afterward, which is seen as unusual. If your character refuses, or tries to get around it somehow, please explain in reply to the post down below. ► THE DAYS AFTER: After everyone is branded (or isn't, as the case may be), you'll be given the opportunity to dry off and head back into town. All of the fancy structures here are communal, they will explain, and you can choose wherever you'd like to sleep. There are a few buildings that are mostly empty that newbies seem welcome to hole up in, though the locals assure everyone they will be nearby in case they need help. In the days that follow, everyone will be welcome to explore Eden and find their bearings, and begin to discover what gifts the Anointment has bestowed on them. Whether or not you were good at a creative pursuit before, you will find yourself filled with inspiration for something - any artistic talent will do. It's like a creative talent will have been born in you overnight, or like an existing talent of yours has been boosted to near perfection. This effect will last as long as the characters are in Eden unless you are told otherwise. You won't feel the need to eat, but there is breakfast available, if you'd like it. The locals are very courteous, though they seem a bit confused. Something about your entry seems to strike them as different than usual.

Comments

[atouts]

Dogs just don't have the range of expressions that Childermass feels the need to use right now, with an answer like that. Dancing. Strange, as a raven, has a talent for dancing?

"No," he doesn't believe it and even stops to look up, which is absolutely useless, seeing how Strange is on his damn head. "That can't be true. You're making that up."

[kingsroads]

Strange makes a low, chittering sort of noise, like what might pass for the raven equivalent of a laugh or a chuckle. He didn't believe it either, not at first. But after actually giving into the inspiration and the thoughts lingering in the back of his head, Strange has accepted the fact that he's a dancing bird now, this is his life.

"Care for a demonstration?" Strange continues. He doesn't seem offended by the fact that Childermass doesn't believe it, mostly because Strange thinks a dancing bird is dumb as hell as well. And yet, here we are.

[atouts]

Well, Childermass already knows he'll regret saying yes and that he'll also regret saying no. With someone like Strange, there's no real option of just saying nothing at all and carrying on, either. That means that, ultimately, he takes the road of what's most incriminating to bring up again much, much later.

Which is to say, "If you must. I admit I'm curious to see how a raven, of all birds, can dance."

[kingsroads]

"They dance badly," Strange responds, as he flits off of Childermass's head. He lands a few feet in front of the dog before bending his wings in a pose reminiscent of a waltz. And so, Strange does a weird little bird dance. He's on the ground for the first thirty seconds or so, moving his wings and feet in a bizarre interpretation of the waltz by someone who doesn't have fingers or elbows.

But after that thirty seconds, Strange launches himself into the air and starts a series of aerial acrobatics. They're still all vaguely dance-line in form, but it's obvious that at least for this part, Strange isn't thinking too much about the form or concept of things: he's just inspired by whatever music he's got playing in his head.

The weird bird dance lasts for another minute or so before Strange lands on the ground and takes a bow. His expression is a bit confused, in the 'wow I did not expect myself to do that' sort of way he gets whenever he bullshits a new spell.

[atouts]

And for his part, Childermass doesn't decide to just leave when Strange launches himself into the air. That's right, he'll actually watch, even though it's fairly perplexing from his own point of view. He supposes that can count as dancing but he's hardly an expert on that kind of thing. Then Strange is landing and bowing and all he gets is a dog staring blankly at him. Like, he could probably clap with paws, but why would he?

"That was..." What's a good word? "Interesting."

Not at all a lie.

[kingsroads]

"You don't have to sugar coat your words," Strange remarks. Birds can't smile but the tone of his voice plainly tells Childermass that Strange would be giving the other magician his ironic little smile if he actually had lips. "It's odd."

There's no way around it: bird dancing is weird by default. Limbs don't bend that way! Still, Strange is taking all of this fairly well, much better than he'd take it if someone criticized his magic or his other talents.

[atouts]

"Maybe only to you and me," Childermass says, shrug as evident in his voice as he can possibly make it without, you know, actually shrugging. "Could be that's how birds are meant to dance in Eden. I wouldn't know, would I? I'm only a dog."

Yes, only a dog, no experience flying whatsoever over here.

"Flying looks a bit like dancing anyway, doesn't it? Just in the air."

[kingsroads]

No experience flying at all, nope, not for Childermass.

"That is a good way of thinking about it," Strange admits, with a little nod. Flying like dancing? Maybe! He hasn't really thought of it that way before, probably because he hasn't flown before this week. "Though I wouldn't know either. I haven't found myself a partner yet—and don't worry, I won't ask you."

Partly because Childermass is far too big compared to Strange, partly because Childermass is Childermass.

[atouts]

"And why not?" Childermass knows exactly why not but it's an easy place to poke fun at the entire situation. "Don't I look graceful enough for it?"

At which point he streeeeetches out those super long wolfhound legs before him, making a mockery of a low doggy bow of sorts in Strange's direction. Surely a borzoi could dance. The fact that the borzoi is indeed Childermass means he absolutely won't, but whatever.

"Or maybe..." And rather than drawing himself back up, he flops down to lay on the ground. "You're just waiting for a prettier bird to flap along?"

[kingsroads]

If Childermass is going to give him shit, Strange is going to give him shit in return. He makes a noise in the back of his throat, like the bird equivalent of laughing, before he shakes his head slightly.

"I thought you wouldn't be interested. But since I might be wrong, would you care to dance with me?"

And it's Strange's turn to do a low little raven bow (more like a nod of his head) before he offers Childermass a wing. Yeah, he's pretty certain that Childermass won't take him up on his offer, but you never know.

[atouts]

Strange is all too right about that. His efforts earn him a snort of dog breath in the face and then Childermass is pulling himself back up to stand properly. That was probably a laugh but who even knows with this guy.

"I'll have to pass for today," he inevitably says, "But maybe another time." Unlikely. "Graceful or not, I may still trip on you. You are rather scrawny, after all."

[kingsroads]

And now it's Strange's turn to have his feathers literally ruffle. Scrawny? How on earth is he scrawny?

"I'll have you know, I'm the proper size for a bird of my kind!" At least, he thinks he is. Strange honestly doesn't know the average size of a raven, just that he thinks he's about average size. "You're the scrawny one. Look at those legs!"

Said as he reaches over to try and nudge one of Childermass's paws with his beak. Borzois are weird horse dogs, Childermass, you're the scrawny one.

[atouts]

Childermass moves the aforementioned paw and raises it just enough to reach over and pat, pat, pat Mr. Bird Strange on his feathery little head. Gently, of course. Always gently.

"Only from your perspective," he replies, "Why, I don't think you'd even make half a meal. I bet you're almost all feathers!"

Of course, they don't even eat other animals in Eden, so that's a joke in itself.

[kingsroads]

By the time there's the third pat, Strange reaches up to try and gently nip at Childermass's paw. Stop patronizing him! Just because he can be patted on the head doesn't mean he should!

"Considering you're all skin and bones, I think you'd take any meal available!" He says, also knowing full well that they don't eat other animals in Eden and Childermass wouldn't even eat him to begin with.

[atouts]

It absolutely does mean that, though he'll pull his paw back at the nip.

"I'm a domestic," he points out, "I get to be picky."

Even though his own experiences at dog ownership does find Baker to be absolutely unbiased in what he decides is edible and what is not. Then again, there are probably some differences between an Arcanine and a Russian wolfhound. In any case, he won't be staying for a dance, which means he's getting back up, preparing to leave.

"Not that you'd have to worry about that here. Anyway... Unless you care to act as a hat while I take a walk around Eden, I think I shall leave you to your dance practice now."

[kingsroads]

"I'd make a worse hat than a meal," Strange responds, with a little shake of his head. Besides, he knows that 'Strange as a hat' or 'bird hanging around the dog in a general manner' would last around five minutes tops before Strange inevitably annoys Childermass too much.

So, he'll leave Childermass to his walk and return to his awkward bird dance practice.

"Enjoy your walk!" he continues, cheery tone in his voice.