The Terrifying Sound of Still Waters

[shatteredlenses]

Who: Ignis Scientia (shatteredlenses ) and OPEN
What: Strategy Session Mingle! (Pretend Ignis put a very messy announcement on the Rock O' Communication, but as he is, you know, blind and won't be responding to anything, I'm not going to waste a post with it.) Oh! And there will be food, because stress cooking is a thing, even if supplies are limited.
When: Starting the evening of 3/17
Where: Islet 4, in the area of Shack 1. Just look for the HUGE tent (and the grumpy hobo who wants you off his lawn).
Warnings: None to start with. Please mark if anything pops up!

New trial. New island. New monster of the day. New danger. All these things aside, there are routines that Ignis has become used to. Certain people visit. To talk. To share food. To share information. As time passes since Ai'tuoh appeared, though, these routines become disrupted. People don't appear. Stories pass through those who remain. Rules--nonsensical as they may be--take their toll. Whatever is going on over there, it's obvious their individual skills and knowledge are not enough to keep them safe.

It's one night, near the end of the week, that Ignis stands near the shoreline not far from the cottage listening to the waves that roll into the shore. His friend and prince is once more missing, and he is only one of many. Is it Ai'tuoh to blame or is it the whims of the unknown which have taken him so many times for the kind of naps that even Noctis can't enjoy? Does it matter? Whatever the cause, something has to be done. This can't continue, his mind tells him. Something has to shift. How long until the citizens of Ai'touh decide to find out where all these strangers have come from?

What happens if they do find the mana pool considering the Storyteller's warnings?

May those who violate our law be cleansed in the Standing Water.

The first time Ignis heard that, unease tightened in his stomach and that unease has only grown with each new instance that has come to his hearing. Now as he stands--water rolling over his shoes--and tries to once more figure out why that is, terror washes over him more powerful than the water at his feet. As it does, sound fades and a forgotten dream once more comes to memory.

It was so still.  So quiet.  He was so helpless.  So alone...

Are they?  Was that...?

When Ignis finally shakes free of the memory, he's on his knees, breathing hard, hands clenching in wet sand.  He stays there only long enough to catch his breath and then pulls himself to his feet. He has no way of knowing if that was the Standing Water or just a reflection of all the water he encountered in Altissia, but either way, something needs to be done.

Now.

Prompto showed Ignis where the announcement stone was not long after the floating islands vanished and while it takes time, he makes his way back and scrawls a messy, but ultimately mostly legible--if the scan of the resulting words through his bracelet is correct--note asking for those remaining to meet at the tent on Islet 4 that evening.  It isn't much time and he risks Ardyn's ire by drawing so many to a location so near his home, but the Chancellor can just deal with it.  Right now, Ignis' concern is not for his comfort, but those currently held captive.  They need to plan.  Organize.  Form a strategy for rescue.

It just so happens he's pretty good at doing just that, vision or no.

Comments

Ignis Scientia | Final Fantasy XV | OTA

[shatteredlenses]

[Unsure how many will heed his call--uncertain of how many are left to heed it--Ignis does his best to arrange the tent to welcome them. Simple food is set out on whatever he can find. Some of it is extra for those who haven't arrived to meals as he expected and some is a result of him cooking to give his hands something to do while his mind turns over what he knows of the current situation. There is only so much he can piece together, though, as he hasn't been anywhere near the new island. Some have gone and returned, and he can only hope they come so they can share whatever firsthand knowledge they have.

Every so often peeping comes from the satchel at his hip and he stops to run his fingers oh so lightly over the head of the small bird nested there. Rory can tell he's tense, but she's young and can only do so much to calm him. Fortunately, sometimes it's the smallest things that can set one's mind at ease.

Ignis has no idea if he will need to take charge of this gathering to get anything done, but he is prepared to do so. In the past he's had to call entire councils to attention and focus. It will be no different here.

Too many are relaying on them for that.]

[prettypurpleparlor]

[Muffet arrives more-or-less immediately, having already been worried herself, and greets her host with a polite but weary:]

Hello, dearie.

[It's been a bit of a day for her, Ignis. Or perhaps a bit of a week. Even if you're not vividly purple, trying to blend in on Ai'tuoh long enough to gather information is exhausting.]

[shatteredlenses]

Muffet, it's good to hear you're still with us.

[It's a sign, perhaps, of his own worry that Ignis bypasses the chance for an easy joke about 'seeing' her instead of 'hearing' her. Sometimes worries run so deep that not even bad jokes bring him comfort. This is one of those times.

He holds a coconut shell containing some dried fish and greens out to her. It's not much, but it's all he's got right now.]

Have you been able to learn anything?

[power_of_dominance]

[When Ignis's tension seems at its highest, a cool hand rests on his arm, a familiar gentle squeeze of his fingers. Soma is his personal ghost, a solid, pale presence when the advisor needs it. He rests his forehead against Ignis's temple, murmuring words of reassurance in his ear.]

Don't forget, I'm here when you need me.

[shatteredlenses]

I'll always need you.

[Ignis' voice is soft as he wraps an arm around Soma's waist, letting just how tired he feels show only for an instant. He hasn't slept since he remembered the dream and started planning all this. Granted, back home, he used to run on far too little sleep regularly, but he also had several cans of Ebony in his system to keep him going.]

I'm glad you're safe.

[want_to_belong]

Iggy, do you happen to know if Noct went to the city?

[They didn't babysit the prince 24/7, probably to Ignis' chagrin, and Prompto was concerned when their prince didn't show up again. He was at least smart enough to get in and out of the city quickly himself, not up to meeting new civilizations at the moment, but had Noctis also gone to do something there? He hadn't asked what his plans were and he was worried.

For his part, he showed up at the tent and found himself a nook to get comfortable in to watch this meeting.]

I haven't seen him anywhere.

[shatteredlenses]

[Ignis frowns when he hears the blonde's voice, pausing only long enough to offer him a bowl of food before settling nearby.]

I was honestly hoping you would have the answer to that. I haven't seen him since before the island appeared and I can raise no answer when I try to reach him with the communication stones.

[He has a bad feeling about this, Prom, old buddy. A really bad feeling.]

[encircling]

[ She's been somewhat of a recluse, since Karin left. The house is so empty now, and Mira should be reaching out to the people still here. But no one ever said she made good decisions.

Regardless, she is here now, and she seeks out Ignis the moment she sees him. ]

A rescue mission, Ignis?

[covertizer]

[ I mean.

You can't put free food out and expect him not to show up and sneak a handful. Honestly, he's shocked he hasn't been caught and thrown into the jail by now already, but he's not going to knock the fact.

But for the people who have been caught... it's worth being here. To see what he can do. ]

Do you have a starting point for this, or do you need some assistance planning an infiltration mission?

[ Says the teenager, stuffing bites of food in his mouth between sentences. ]

Aster (Xion) | Kingdom Hearts | OTA (also threadjacks encouraged)

[attheclocktower]

[ To say Aster's been regretting her vote is an understatement. The Storyteller had urged caution, and it had very quickly become apparent that it was warranted. And that it would not become the place of information-gathering that she'd hoped it would be. She should have trusted Shion's judgement more.

But there'd been no use wallowing in guilt. She'd moved on to doing one of the things she did best - recon. The uniformity of the city made it hard to sneak into anywhere too noteworthy undetected - except, as it happened, the library. The place had been deserted, and it didn't take much to guess why. It also didn't take much to guess that with dozens upon dozens of copies of the exact same book - most of them not even touched for years, probably, slipping one off the shelf and spiriting it back to the mana pool.

Thus, even if your character hadn't had the chance to see Laurent's message outside Ai'tuoh's mana pool, a complete transcript of Aster's pilfered prize had appeared on the communal rock by the 12th or so of the month. Which had seemed like a pretty decent achievement considering her contribution to this mess.

Until the disappearances had started. Keith's was one of the first she noticed. Then there were several others who she knew on sight and a passing conversation or two.

Then, Shion had vanished.

The message to plan about what to do about... everything... well. The more logical part of her mind, the part that Reno would probably rather she listen to, she knew was a good idea and that she should do all she could to help. But Aster had always been a lot of heart over head. Something she got from Sora, probably.

So she'll be there! If nothing else, it's right outside her own house. But she'll sit near the edge of the tent, facing outward, listening more than talking and clearly upset. Though if your character isn't wont to approach her on their own, they'll find she's not entirely silent, at least: ]

Did anybody else manage to get in and come back?

[ She isn't sure how much she'll reply but it's a good thing to compare notes on, probably. Or something. A conversation-starter, at least. ]

[ ooc; consider this handwaved permission for your characters to know the text of the Ai'tuoh rules in their entirety. I meant to put up a rock post but uh, new job happened. Sorry about that. ]

[shatteredlenses]

[It's thanks to Aster's efforts that Ignis finally was able to 'read' a full copy of the laws. He's heard them piecemeal, but it was only when he went to put up the announcement about the meeting that he got to read them in their full terrible glory.

It did nothing at all to ease the worry running through every cell of his body.

He approaches her now, as the others talk, coconut shell bowl in one hand. Somehow, Ignis doubts she's going to be very hungry, but it would be rude of him not to offer anyway.]

How long has Shion been missing?

[The question is soft as he settles beside her, offering food, but perhaps more importantly, hugs if they are wanted.]

gabe goodman | ota including threadjacking

[ungrieved]

[He's made it in and out without being caught multiple times, now, so adept as he evidently is at blending in. Never before has he seen the merits to being ignored, to being dismissed.]

[It still prickles at him. But for once in his life, he's equipped to be of use.]

[It's more curiosity that pulls him here, coupled with no small amount of an emotion he's yet to recognize as empathy.]

They don't...they don't see me. [It's mumbled softly to whoever might be near, and then - then louder, ventured to the tent at large.] I can sneak in and out. I've been there for days, and no one notices.

[...]

And I think I know where they're being kept. There's only one building that's actually...that they don't let people go near.

[crosslaced]

The barracks near the housing district, right? Have you been inside?

[shatteredlenses]

[This is a voice that Ignis doesn't recognize, but nonetheless, he is glad the man came. Bowl of food in hand, he offers it to the stranger as he asks a question.]

Do you have any idea why you've been so successful at blending in? The laws tell much, but in the end, the way most of us act and think is likely to give us away sooner rather than later.

PLANNING | please threadjack this i don't want to tag

[crosslaced]

[It could be said that Laurent's remarkably calm for someone whose lover got arrested in a dystopian city. Damen took the spot of “ questionable panic management” in the relationship…? No, that's not actually right. Nevermind. The point is, if they don't pull off a rescue he's going to set fire to every island and then himself, so it's time to catherd.]

So. All our friends are in prison.

[He’ll sketch a crude map of the city on some cloth or a leaf I guess.]

We have a pretty good idea where they are, but I don't know anything about the defenses there. We can attempt a rescue there- or wait until they're moved. Eventually they'll have to be. The city executes by some sort of drowning and I somehow doubt their holy pool is indoors. The civilians either don’t know, or won’t talk about where their Water is.

Thoughts?

[Speak now or we'll go with Laurent's pre-thought plan, whatever that is.]

Ardyn Izunia | FFXV | ota

[scourgingstars]

[Ardyn didn't show up out of any obligation--he didn't even really care what was going on, heaven forbid he ever listen to the Storyteller.]

[...But that sure was a group of people milling about the tent he hadn't yet thought to burn down. So, a lanky adolescent black chocobo trailing behind him, Ardyn regarded the scene with faint irritation and hands on his hips.]

And what, may I ask, are all of you doing here.

[ungrieved]

[Said without missing a beat:]

Scheming. What's it look like we're doing? [Gabe probably doesn't know who it is he's sassing, but there's an extremely high probability that he wouldn't care even if he did.]

[shatteredlenses]

I asked them here.

[Ignis knew this was going to happen sooner or later. Oh geez, look at him all but ignoring Ardyn as he reaches passed him to hold some greens out toward his 'daughter.']

No one says you need to be here, so if you aren't going to help, do us all the favor of skipping over the drama and returning to your shack.

[And, as if that is some kind of cue, Rory sticks her head out of the satchel on Ignis' hip and lets out the sassiest peep a chick can make.

So there.]

[prettypurpleparlor]

Hello, dearie, nice to see you well- and you too, Hresvelgr.

[Can we get Muffet to drop the pleasantries? Signs point to no.]

[She means it- honestly, she's surprised and relieved that Ardyn hasn't already gotten himself arrested for various Ai'tuoh crimes. The continued occasional appearance of various meals on Ardyn's doorstep was proof that Muffet hadn't forgotten him, but she'd been politely giving him space instead of forcing him into regular conversations.]

We're just planning how to defy the entire social order of that wretched city and steal their captives away from them.

[As you do.]

Care to join us?

walks in late with starbucks

[covertizer]

Hovering, mostly?

[ He's ... keeping an eye on things from the edges of the discussion for the moment. He's had enough issues with the law as it is, and considering how strict this place is...

If he knows the best places to escape, or best people to find to help him out. Then that'd work. ]

Oh... I see your little friend has grown.

mira | original | ota

[encircling]

[ Well, people are in trouble, and she can't just let them be. She is only vaguely certain of what they might run into when they go, but it's a risk she's willing to take. And she's not exactly a pushover. ]

I have magic--healing, most notably. I am also capable of freezing any water, if it must come to that, and I have some skill with weapons.

[ ... she really would rather not use them, though. ]

give me mira

[covertizer]

Ice abilities, you say?

[ Where has he heard that before, hm? ]

How strong?

Chara | OTA

[achievementhunter]

[They're probably the most cheerful person at the entire gathering. Walking calmly between the remaining islanders, they set themself up in a relatively peaceful area, placing their pack carefully on the ground.

And then, Chara pulls out a bomb.

And another one.]

I do believe excessive force is in order. [The child says cheerfully. Extremely. Cheerfully. Their smile is certainly... something.] To delay and distract. A simpler target would be their vessels, to ensure no pursuit by sea. But there are certainly other places that would look much more pleasant as shrapnel, wouldn't you agree?



[Okay sure aside from multiple people they actually like being in mortal peril? Chara is having a ball.]

[ungrieved]

Like the barracks.

[Gabe regards the explosives with an eagerness that nearly lines up with theirs. Finally the kind of "distraction" on a scale that he can appreciate.]

[lightlessfuture]

[ The Knight can only silently approve of this course of action - there are often times where force is the only answer to a problem - but they've never seen something like these before.

They peer curiously at the explosives, clearly curious as to what the purpose of them are. They know they're supposed to do something loud and disruptive, but what? ]