⇨ 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

[kingsroads]

Be obnoxiously persistent and never stop bothering the ladies, got it, he can do this.

Strange is assuming that 'remember what you used to do', Tyki means 'try and apply some human movements to dancing as a bird.' And hey, he can definitely do that. It's not like any of these animals know what a waltz is, after all.

"I'll have to ask around to see if any other birds want to partner. I'm managing well on my own, but these things are always better with someone else." He looks over at Tyki, tilting his head slightly, before he teases, "I'd ask you, but you're too big! I'd worry you'd step on me!"

[prazerbutterfly]

Tyki sometimes forgets that Strange is focused on one lady for more than just politics and gain of family reputation. If he had known what he did to gain her he would've been a little more upfront with his advice.

Or at least none of them should know what a waltz is. Even gallivanting around in dance with his wings flared out like a cape or two should do the trick.

"It's not as if I've ever had the luxury to dance in front of you," he says noncommittally to the point. The manor had screwed that over and he never got to dance in the actual ball nor give lessons to those he had promised.

[kingsroads]

"We'll have to change that then," Strange continues to tease. "Sometime later, of course, when all this is done." And by that, Strange means when everybody's back to their normal selves and proper human(ish) forms. The teasing continues as Strange chirps, "After all, I'm certain you're quite graceful while dancing. I want to see you prove it."

This isn't the sort of 'teasing because they can't do something' sort of tease that Strange occasionally gives Rita or 9S. He's absolutely confident that Tyki can dance and can probably dance well. This is just Strange teasing in a friendly manner, giving Tyki grief mostly for the sake of giving him grief.

[prazerbutterfly]

His ears crane to the side at how he's talking to ensure that no one was stalling too much around him or paying him any attention. Usually his Tease were his eyes and ears but they were all locked away except for one that was well placed within Eden. "You'll have to find me a suitable partner unless you do plan on filling the required role. I'll even let you dance on my feet."

It's almost unfortunate that Tyki and Strange were hard to haze because they often gave each other grief on purpose just because they could. He sneers, showing a little teeth in the process, "That's if you survive at this rate. You seem to be attracting the attention of all the ladies here." In a bad way.

[kingsroads]

"I attract the attention of women no matter where I go," Strange teases, grinning at Tyki. He's picked up on the fact that an odd amount of npcs have either kissed him or think he's cute. "I have a feeling our journeys and some of my friendships would be different if I wasn't—" wait, do birds marry? "If I wasn't partnered."

It's not bragging, its telling the truth. Strange knows that things would be different if he wasn't married: for one, he'd probably have shown a bit of a different interest in Shimmer that wasn't just platonic drunkenness and Strange holding her hair back when she barfs. But he has Arabella, something which he's quite pleased with, so any hypothetical dalliances will remain just that: hypothetical.

[prazerbutterfly]

Sorry Strange. It might not be bragging but with his ego in the way it certainly sounds like it. He raises a paw and waves it a little in his direction, still not trying to appear overly friendly with this wayward bird, with some discretion, "You should avoid committing to such a 'partnership' while you are just a newborn, little raven." His polite way of saying he should avoid of such talk while here. "You might find your opportunities are more endless that way."

But he can't knock down someone else's happiness. If Arabella truly was for Strange then he had no reason to persuade him otherwise. She was quite a catch and from all he talked about her, to have such high praise and talk less about himself for once, she had to mean something.

[kingsroads]

"I'm afraid it's too late for that as well," Strange idly remarks, like he's privy to an inside joke only he knows the story of. "My opportunities here are already more limited than the rest."

After all, he has a skink to babysit. He'd like to explore Eden a bit more, to dip his metaphorical toe into all sorts of things, or even just to enjoy what time he has as a bird. And he'd love to poke around and try and find more information on the Mirror: or, he hopes, eventually the Mirror itself. But as long as he has Ignatius to watch over and Ignatius to take care of, that would severely limit the things he could do while here.

Not that Strange minds, of course. He likes Ignatius. It's just that's what's going to happen.

[prazerbutterfly]

"What an unfortunate bird you are," he says with a careful speech as not to say 'man' on accident. "Mine aren't but it's been a good while since I've had a 'dream' like that. A city full of sparkling lights." Wismuth to be exact. Early Wismuth. Every other stop after that pretty much came with non existent changes.

Whether he is or isn't privy to any information about babysitting a skink, he certainly saw the way Strange practically worried over him at the branding ceremony. It's still odd to see it even if Strange was putting on a front. To him, this was the enemy and while he wasn't going to treat him with any real disrespect, he didn't really have any set opinion on him, not yet anyway. This was war. This is how things went. At least Strange was getting something out of this.

[kingsroads]

"I don't know if I'm unfortunate or not. What might be limiting to one creature, another might find it as a blessing. After all, I know what I am to do and know that though I want to, I cannot help out in other ways."

A round-about way of saying sorry Tyki, Strange expects he won't be much help with regards to the Mirror. He knows that it would probably be dangerous should Ignatius get anywhere near the thing, so he's resolving to keep that skink as far away from the Mirror as humanly possible.

[prazerbutterfly]

"At least you seem persistent," he remarks, mostly hinting at him trying to do a good job. He's already pegged Strange as Ignatius' personal babysitter. That poor skink, sort of. Mostly, Strange just seems stressed earlier. He hadn't paid attention after the branding.

His words also convey a sense of understanding. In truth, he knows that all Strange wants to do is help but he can't. "I wouldn't worry about it too much. You have other things to consider." Like keeping a lower profile perhaps or not harassing geese.

[kingsroads]

"I do," Strange responds, with a little sigh. This...this was going to be tough. He isn't the sort to keep a low profile or be responsible in the first place. But the Ringmaster gave him this, he's got to do it, and he's got to keep Ignatius safe.

Strange hops back from Tyki a little, fluttering his wings as he turns to look at the wolf.

"And now that we've brought it up, I probably should go check on one of those things to consider himself. I'll see you around?"

[prazerbutterfly]

"Everything ends with time," he responds with his usual grace and charm. It's just lost on him given he's speaking a little more seriously than usual. Tyki adored Strange and he trusted and respected him to do certain things. It was just the odd stuff out that made him doubt.

He snorts, like his old self, and takes a step forward when Strange hops back. "It's not as if I'm going anywhere. I'll be around."