acatalepsy_logs | PHASE TWO of AKVOS (Log #2)

PHASE TWO of AKVOS (Log #2)

I ▫ main	IV ▫ premise			XI ▫ applications	XIV ▫ activity
II ▫ logs	V ▫ rules	VII ▫ bestiary	IX ▫ canon updates	XII ▫ taken	XV ▫ drop/hiatus
III ▫ ooc	VI ▫ faq	VIII ▫ setting	X ▫ mods	XIII ▫ reserves	XVI ▫ players

the tides shift.

Darkness has begun to spread, rapidly, throughout the entirety of Akvos. Different areas of the Kingdom are plagued by different instances of terror, but one thing remains clear: the Circle does have the available tools to help . . . of sorts. Many of you have discovered different areas of Akvos to focus on, but by and large? There are no shortage of people to help, of people to fight, and of creatures to save.

Hurry quickly, Circle members. Akvos needs your aid.

SHADOWS IN THE DARK.

Shadow creatures have begun to multiple en masse in the Depths of Markolos, and are spreading to every which corner of Akvos. They will be at their highest density in the Depths, and take the form of terrifying creatures with massive claws and gnashing teeth. They seem to be impervious to non-magical damage, so some unique tag-team action may be necessary in order to actually kill the things.

As the monsters multiply, mermaids from across Akvos will fall prey to their attacks, drifting listlessly in the currents of the sea as they fall unconscious, the life-force drained from them by a shadow creature. In order to wake them again, the shadow creature that drained them of their energy must be killed. Act quickly, and you may be able to rally the native forces necessary to stage a proper fight back. But the more you fight, the more exhausted you begin to get.

Those who cannot fight will not find themselves of a shortage of ways to help, though. Shelters are being set up within the Palace of Wahine, a fortress unto itself. Children are corralled there, the injured are kept in the impromptu hospital beds that are guarded by the Royal Guard that are still conscious from the onslaught. They will desperately accept help to care for the children whose parents are unconscious, or to console parents who have lost their children in the mayhem of the sudden attack upon their city.

Food still needs to be gathered, supplies still need to be run from door to door. People need to be evacuated. And from each area of Akvos, there are "runners" of powerful merfolk who have set up caravans drawn by dolphins to quickly whisk people from place to place. Each caravan is under threat of attack from shadows, though -- sign up for the evacuation committee, keep your heads down, and fight back as much as you can to protect these people from whatever the hell is going on.

THE SEVEN SEAS OF WHY.

In addition to the shadow creatures, each area is plagued by a different onslaught of dark magic. Each area has different needs, and each area will require your attention. Focus your energies where able, and do your best to stem the flow of chaos before it is too late. (Check here for a breakdown of types of effective magic.)

The Palace of Wahine is facing an onset of red algae, blooming through the alleyways and infecting mermaids rushing to seek cover. Inhaling the algae doesn't seem to do much to you, in small doses, but it causes violent coughing fits with the mermaids, preventing them from breathing properly underwater. Getting into contact with the red algae will turn your own skin a brilliant shade of pink, and it will cause it to itch uncontrollably (something that is, apparently, impossible to alleviate under the water). It will wear off within a few hours, but the same does not hold true for the mermaids. The healers in the community say that certain herbs in the Fields of Akvosia can be harvested in order to help cure the illness, but they are notoriously hard to find . . . and in the middle of the sharpest parts of the coral reef, naturally. Tread carefully, and be careful not to anger the shadow creatures in your quest.

The Depths of Markolos is the hotbed of chaos, and seems to be where the majority of the shadow monsters are lurking. In addition to the shadow monsters, ice is cascading out of control from the western wall of the depths. Melting it will do the trick, or controlling it to move it out of the way, but it seems to persist. Some of you may find your way to the far back wall, to discover what appears to be the source of whatever this ice seems to be . . . but it will be tough going, and will require some teamwork to make it there. The ice, too, seems to fight back against your forces, and may curl its way around your legs, your legs, to freeze you into place. Hopefully you have a buddy that can get you out of there, before you become a frozen popsicle under the sea.

The Fields of Akvosia's beautiful coral reef is quickly dying, and the mermaids are working as hard as they can to curb the death by harvesting the essential food sources they can before it is too late. Schools of fish desperately flock from reef to reef in search of shelter and food, and soon meet their demise the moment they settle in to a new habitat. Working to cure and reinvigorate the coral reef will be met with great relief from the merfolk, who are desperately trying to cure what they can. Beware the shadow monsters, here, and be on the hunt for herbs that can assist the merfolk falling ill in the Palace of Wahine. Caravans of dolphin-pulled carriages will be whipping by to refill supplies, too -- jump in and help guard them on their way back to civilization.

The Thunderdome has a fresh stock of weaponry that is particularly effective against the shadow monsters, electrified with old runes that the merfolk will happily give to the Circle free of charge to fight back against the monsters. In addition, the jellyfish of the Thunderdome are darkening at a rapid pace. Electricity seems to do the trick in reinvigorating them, but touching them will still turn you a brilliant shade of blue . . . so tread lightly, in that regard. The electrified weapons will do the trick to jab the jellyfish into feeble light in addition to magic already gifted by Astoria, but the mermaids are a bit busy trying to fight off the shadows that are growing increasingly prevalent in the Thunderdome. Help wanted?

THE WHISPERS OF KEA.

Throughout the duration of this battle, investigations taking place by members of the Circle will begin to unveil certain . . . clues. The Princess is still missing, but members of the Circle are getting close to unlocking where she is. King Kathashun, at the beginning of this journey, indicated that she was the key to stopping all of this, and while most of you have no idea who that guy is, he seems to be genuine. (Right? Right.)

But where is she? The Queen is unavailable, for the duration of this event, and who knows where this mysterious "King." is. But as the Circle battles for the life of Akvos, certain messages begin to pop up through your magical watches. Riddles, if you will -- pleas of assistance, begin to trickle through, popping up on your watches in a series of nonsensical words.

The only problem is that the messages seem to be all scrambled up.

lktmohidionl.

hsdpepelgnyeiaior.

herywaeoleeahhthpyveneto.

ehdtetirviarcaeshrasmaohmitnrn

Additionally, please feel free to write up and work with your own prompts! These are presented as jumping off points for your characters, not limitations. The idea of this world- as with all the others- is to explore. If you have any other questions, please feel free to ask them back on the various threads back in the OOC post from before!

NOTE: The Princess' messages will unlock a hint to their meaning (if they aren't solved by the time this happens) once this log hits over 750 comments. :) We are pretty sure this will happen well before the End Log for Akvos happens in January, so we won't be putting a time limit on it. ;) Have fun!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

You don’t need to apologize. It’s fine.

[It’s endlessly unpleasant each time, but it’s fine. It’s necessary. Connor keeps the mermaid steady in his arms, hooking them under her shoulders and tail, then pushing forward with a swim.]

Actually, I... [He wonders if this would be a good time to reiterate a singular point he made once before.] This is a prime example of why I suggested we practice. That when a situation like this presents itself, neither of us would be so caught off guard by the usage of your power when necessary. Do you understand that now?

[Hank frowns, looking more worried than he realizes..]

You weren’t that caught off guard, right? I mean, you killed it. And you said you’d be fine.

[Which in his head Hank knows Connor will be. Connor shook it off before, the nasty, clutching touch of all the shit inside Hank’s head. But the rest of Hank’s maybe not so convinced.]

I hadn’t expected it. I had issue recognizing it at first, and though it wasn’t detrimental this time, who’s to say we’ll be as lucky the next altercation we find ourselves in?

[He doesn’t want to instill guilt, but he wants to make his point clarified in the wake of felling a shadow creature. The two fight each other as he tries to find a middle ground and tweak his rhetoric to match.]

It would be a precaution, nothing more. So that neither of us risk getting hurt.

[Hank thinks about it, troubled, but shakes his head.]

I’ll just be more careful. There’s not enough reason to- you know. Do all that weird shit.

You’re wrong. There is.

[Trying to keep pace with Hank, while keeping his arms occupied with the mermaid, is rather difficult. But he tries, wanting to press his point forward.]

Your ability aided us today. If applied in the right way, it’s a help, not a hindrance. And if nothing else, it gave me extra... motivation near the end.

[Motivation to tear its head off.]

I should thank you for stepping in, actually, because of it. Even if I preferred that you stayed away.

[Hank frowns at him, obviously confused and too distracted by that to think about whether he's going too fast for Connor, tired as he must be, and dragging along the weight of a whole other person like he is. No, Hank's just confused. It's just weird, the one-two punch of framing this bullshit invasive prison of a superpower as a positive thing, and then telling Hank - who's made most of a life out of parking his fat ass right in the middle of situations where angels would fear to tread - that he should have stayed away, for no real apparent reason. Hank takes a couple seconds to get his mind around all of it. He can't argue with the first part, but he can at least ask about the second.]

Yeah, why's that? You said yourself that I helped.

[There’s nothing at all confusing about it to Connor. The ease of his reply is proof of that.]

Because I didn’t want you to get hurt.

So...

[Hank eyes Connor. This slows his swimming down a little - he's really not great at it, still - but at the moment Hank feels like Connor getting a searching, kind of judgemental look is more important than moving fast.]

All that stuff about being partners, and being built to work with humans, that was bullshit, then? I didn't know you guys could lie.

[He slows when Hank slows, and the words are like stones that sink to the pit of his chest, one by one. Connor frowns, looking at Hank, catching his gaze, searching.]

No, that’s not… that’s not how I meant it.

[Hank is confusing, all conflicting words and action. Their last conversation, in which he was doing all he could to avoid working together. The constant questioning of the reasoning why behind Connor’s self-proclaimed friendship with him.

And then this. The term of “partners” being applied as if it were some fundamental truth that Connor’s gone out of his way to shake. His LED flickers with straining thought, before he looks away, vaguely abashed.]

I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to imply that I don’t want to work with you, or that I don’t appreciate or want your aid. It’s not a lie — I do consider us partners.

But I also want you to be safe.

Edited 2018-12-07 14:50 (UTC)

You can be friends with your partner.

[Hank looks where he’s going again. It’s hard swimming without paying attention to it, and he still can’t decide what the fuck to do with his arms.]

That’s how it usually is. But you’ve got to remember, Connor - fuck, I used to give this speech to rookies all the time.

[Hank makes a disgruntled face. That’s weird. It’s a sprinkle of weird on top of the already huge, heaping pile of it. Hank takes a second to shake it off.]

But, uh- You got to remember, partners first. Unless you are actually out to replace me, I’m not someone you have to protect. I’m your backup. When you told me to go, were you thinking I was gonna just haul ass and leave you dealing with that-

[With that nightmare thing, the thing that can’t exist and just dissolves like it never did once you kill it. Hank coughs, then clears his throat.]

Fighting, I mean. Or whatever. All on your own? What kinda partner do you think that’d make me?

[Connor, always having something to say, for a moment has nothing to say at all. You can be friends with your partner, spoken so concisely, like it’s a fundamental, obvious truth. Was that confirmation of it, then? As Connor’s status as a partner and a friend? Something in his chest feels like it’s tightening, even if it makes no sense to be visited with that kind of physical sensation.

He realizes that it’s a lecture, indicative of a mistake made on his part. This would bother him in any other circumstance, unsatisfied with anything short of perfection. But now Connor can only nod, listening, feeling the ebb of appreciation and self-reproach as he continues swimming with the mermaid slung in his arms.]

I understand. And I should apologize, because I don’t wish to give you the impression that I didn’t trust you to protect me or yourself. It was just…

[He was worried, he rushed in, he acted even if it was at his own expense . He did what Connor does best.]

I haven’t seen you in a while, Lieutenant. Finally finding you in person, and being attacked, I was quick to make my priority your safety. Maybe that was a… miscalculation on my part, to not give you your due credit.

[Maybe all the other weird shit around him - inside him, in more than one sense, and boy is Hank not thinking about that - should make the loose thread of Connor's behavior, his statements that don't quite match up, maybe it should all make that feel small and pointless. Maybe being here like this should make his previous attention to whatever mysterious cogs and wheels make Connor's little android insides tick seem about as important as a fart in the wind. But it kind of does the opposite.

It's familiar, the niggling little pull he feels when Connor says something like that, the need to tug on that loose thread and see what might unravel. It's familiar, and- and he likes Connor. God help him. He wants to like Connor. Which makes the urge to push at that mechanical metal outside until he finds something in there - well, still terrible and nerve wracking, but a safer kind of terrible than the stuff that boy is Hank not thinking about. So Hank glances at Connor, his expression searching, and he pushes at Connor, at least verbally, his tone calm and mild, just interested.]

So. Your logic was skewed, that's what you're saying. Because you've been worrying about me.

Edited (a really minor edit i should have made sooner) 2018-12-08 00:40 (UTC)

[He casts a look at Hank, uncertain once more. The apology was misconstrued, and he wonders if it was a willful or purposeful thing. But Hank doesn’t sound like he’s at his usual level of irritation, though the remark feels oddly prodding.

He pauses for half a second, gauging how to reply.]

No. Not that. Not that at all.

[An actuator in his jawline works.]

Maybe I’m not articulating well enough. I meant I should trust that you know what you’re doing, and that you have my back. Like what you said.

Connor-

[He purses his lips, containing his frustration.]

One of these days I'm gonna figure out how to make this watch thing record you. Play it back. Watch the steam come outta your ears.

[He shakes the wrist with the watch on it at Connor, takes a second to fix what that did to the path he's trying to swim in, then evens his voice a little better. Sometimes bitching gets you the info you want; sometimes it doesn't. Hank's betting right now on the latter.]

So when you said you hadn't seen me in a while, what was that? You just decided to string some random words together, tell me somethin we both already knew? 'Finally finding me in person' wasn't relevant to your miscalculation at all?

[The steam coming out of his ears would be a very real thing if CyberLife had enough of a sense of humor to provide him with that function. Because Hank is always doing this. Always tearing apart his rhetoric when all he wishes to do is say thank you, and sorry for thinking that you should’ve stayed back, Lieutenant.

Instead, they’re running his gladness to see Hank through the wringer, and he’s not sure what the other man’s intentions are.]

I’m... having difficulties seeing what the problem is, I think.

[If Hank wants to take the reins of this conversation, then Connor won’t resist. It might provide some clarification.]

It was good to see you again after such a long departure. But tainted, I guess, by how quickly you found yourself in danger. I wanted to make sure our meeting wasn’t... unduly cut short by a shadow creature.

[Maybe next time he gets the fucking dumbshit urge to dig for evidence of real emotion in Connor he'll remind himself it'll end up like this; both of them confused, Hank doubting himself, feeling like an ungrateful shithead. He sighs, coughs, and frowns at the water ahead of him for a moment.]

I'm sorry, Connor. I just...

[I just want to hear you say you were actually goddamn worried about me. Actually feeling an emotion. Fuck, while he's at it he wants to be aboveground, breathing air. He wants to switch his power with Konoha's and then upgrade it so he can cook underwater and sit all this mermaid shit out, just lay around shoving nauseatingly greasy cheeseburgers into his face while Konoha goes around spreading gentle, friendly confusion to everyone she fuckin touches.

He slows down again so he can study Connor's face. The guy's just a machine, doing the best he can, and all Hank did was confuse him.]

I'm being an ass. It's just- It's probably just the monster thing. And the wolf thing. And- everything else. You know. Sorry. How are you doing carrying her, uh, need any help?

[Something unsatisfactory hangs in the air between them, Connor observant enough to know that something still sticks in Hank's mind. That it isn't wiped away so cleanly by an apology from either party.

He wanted the man to be safe. That should be proof enough of his worry, if that's the single grain of truth that Hank is trying so hard to loosen from Connor's tight grip on how he presents his wording, always so carefully instructed. But unaware that's what Hank is fishing for, it goes unspoken.]

I'm sorry, Lieutenant- [It's going to be a dance of apologies at this rate, but such is Connor's nature if he perceives it as a mistake on his end.] Did I say or do something that's bothering you?

[The monster thing. The wolf thing. No, he doesn't believe so. Hank would be far more straightforward about that if something so blatant were the case.]

[He just flat out ignored Hank's attempt at a distraction. Cool. Hank will obviously have to do better.]

No, no. You're good, you're golden. It's just, it's a lot, you know? The kidnapped royalty, people going into magic comas left and right, false Dmitry in Atlantis, and I haven't even figured out how to stop trying to breathe air yet.

[At that last part Hank's voice starts to shake, just a little, and it's not fake. None of it's fake. It's all true. True and, if he's lucky, more interesting. Of course, bringing up the air thing makes him think about it so he holds off on breathing for a good few seconds and then eases back into it, trying to stop thinking too hard about how it feels, pulling all that water down in through the wrong tube. Still, he has to clear his throat before he goes on.]

It's just- a lot. All the crazy shit going down right now. You're not the first poor fuck I've been a dick to since we got here. [That part, by the way? Also true.] Besides, did you forget you saved my ass back there? You think I'm gonna get mad at you for that?

[Distractions have to be giant, imposing things for Connor to be waylaid by them, so intent is he on unravelling what the issue might be. But Hank’s explanation is… satisfactory at best. It aligns with his discontent of being transplanted into an underwater world that doesn’t make sense, and so a lingering pause follows while he decides whether or not that’ll fly.

It does, apparently. Just barely.]

…All right. I just wanted to make sure. I know this hasn’t been easy on you, and what with the attacks happening on the city… it isn’t much better now than it was before.

[But apparently Connor didn’t ignore the question completely, because he loops back around to it—]

I’m fine, though, Hank. Don’t worry about me, I can carry her easily enough.

[A beat, so very telling.]

May I ask you something?

Oh, jesus.

[It comes out before Hank even thinks about it and he grimaces, feeling guilty, just as soon as it does.]

Uh, okay, yeah. Go on. Ask away.

[wow heckin rude

Especially since his question was going to be nothing more than—]

...Do you feel like we make a good team? When we work together. I know I’ve said as much, but I would like to hear your own opinion on it, Hank.

[Yeah cool now Hank feels doubly guilty. He takes a moment to work his mind around the question, trying to figure out where it's coming from and why, working out just what kind of opinion it is that the little android that could wants to hear.

Not that he doesn't want them to be partners or anything - although, fuck, the less he thinks about that little factoid the better. It's just that Connor's so damned persistent. Bafflingly persistent.

Okay. Answering his question, here we go. Time to answer it in about as android a way as he can manage, make up for being an ass about what sounds like a totally legitimate question.]

Well, do you want a, uh, performance review? Some kinda operational report? Let's see, uh- you were pretty good in the water, maneuvered okay, handled yourself and your uh, weapons well. I'm not really a great swimmer and uh, kind of misfired by grabbin both of you back there, so. I don't know. I could use some improvement, but you did good. And we killed it, and no one got hurt. So. I'd say we worked together okay. Couldn't say more than that though, I mean, you've been doing all rest of the, uh... whatever it is you've been doing about this kidnapping on your own, or at least with someone else, so. It's kind of too soon to make a judgement call on that.

I don’t mean that. Not exactly.

[He should clarify. He should tell him that he doesn’t mean in this specific instance, that he means it in a broader scope, in ways that are a little harder to quantify than that. Gut feeling.

An odd request for an android so focused on visible results, on evidence produced.]

Though I appreciate the specificity, I meant in general. A cop can generally get a good “feeling” on how well they mesh with their partner, correct?

[Hank has to frown at Connor for a second, kind of confused, and then he has to hurriedly fix his fucking swimming again, and after a few seconds he gets back into the groove of doing both, glancing at Connor as he talks.]

Well, yeah, usually. But that's a weird question to ask now, Connor, after you spent so much time insisting that we are actually partners, no matter what I think about it. What's wrong, having second thoughts about me?

[Hank smiles a little, rueful. His own performance review just now did kind of paint him as the weak link, didn't it? Wouldn't blame you, buddy.]

Edited 2018-12-12 13:02 (UTC)

[If Hank is fishing for a certain kind of confirmation, this one is easy enough for Connor to give. He doesn't want to grant a wrong impression — he doesn’t want to undo the work he’s put in, by misinforming Hank about wanting to be partners.]

No. Of course not. We are partners.

[Fingers press gently into the shoulder of the unconscious mermaid, tensing just slightly.]

But what we are can still stand independently of your opinion of me; of how well we work together. I know your experiences are more limited than mine— [Given their differences in timeline.] —but I still would like to know.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject