aterat | (no subject)

Who; Everyone!
What; Pulse log; REMEMBRANCE
Where; Throughout the City
When; August 8th - 15th
Warnings; Will update when and as necessary

In the days leading up to August 8th, the city is abuzz with activity. Businesses in the Merchant district have posted notices they will be closed the following week in observance of something called “Remembrance”. The Aspects are absent this week, though that doesn’t seem particularly out of the ordinary, and it’s easy to get caught up in what is quite a celebratory time in the city. Harvests and meats are being brought in from the outlying farms, the main square is being cordoned into stalls for food, drink, and performances. The guard is more present this week, keeping a close eye on the organization and watching for any miscreants.

As the time of the festival approaches, a quiet excitement seems to thrum through the others here, young and old alike, and on the evening of the 8th, a commencement parade makes its way through the market district.

The procession, filled with musicians, dancers, jugglers, and the like, make their way from the fountain square to the center of the market district, where a crude stage has been erected in the square at the center of the market district, in front of the guard headquarters. It’s nothing fancy, but it does serve the purpose of bringing to the attention of those gathered those who stand atop it.

A tall man in a Guardsman’s blue uniform climbs the stairs, steel plates glittering in the midday sun. He has a stern countenance, and there’s a stiffness through his shoulders that suggests he isn’t overly fond of public speeches. He takes a steadying breath before clearing his throat.

“People of Aterat, those of us who were risen from its ashes and those of us who have been gathered to kindle its flame,” he pauses here for a moment, giving his address an air of gravitas. “Welcome. I am Captain Orson Khannar, of the Aterat City Guard. I was a guardsman before the Fall and I can tell you we stand as a shadow of our former selves, but we do stand. Two years ago, today, the Aspects descended from the Fountain, all that remained of our once proud land, they saw the ruin wrought upon it, and they began to weave. There was little of us left, but what stands was reassembled because we Remembered.” A cheer rises from the collected locals, along with a few scattered cries of ‘bless the Aspects’ and ‘long may Halcyn reign’. Captain Khannar raises a hand to still the crowd and after a moment, their cheers and raised prayers quiet.

“But we did not remember enough. This year, the Creator has provided, and we welcome among us memories from other worlds. This Remembrance, do not forget their sacrifice.” His tone changes then, and his piercing gaze moves across all those who have come here from elsewhere. “Outlanders, I expect nothing of you, but I offer you a warning: we are not your captors but we are your neighbors. As such, we will hold you to the same standards to which we hold ourselves. I am the Captain of your guard, and it is my sworn oath to keep this city safe from miscreants. That said, those of you who are willing and able, I would welcome your aid. Surely by now you have seen our fair city has its share of problems. My office is just there across the square.”

And with that bit of business handled, he directs his attention back to the crowd. “A Happy Remembrance to us all!” The crowd cheers again, though less enthusiastically, as a few look around at those gathered from other worlds, uncertain if they share the Captain’s willingness to welcome the aid of ‘Outlanders’.

The rest of the week is a city-wide party. The taverns are overflowing with merrymakers, there is wine and food for all, music at all hours of the day and night. Performers come out in droves, there are artists, artisans, and the like. If you can think of a festival occurrence, it happens at some point, though all the shops are closed for normal hours. It seems it’s quite the holiday, and you are welcome to invent whatever you'd like for a scene.

The Captain remains true to his word, and the Guard HQ in the Market Square seems to be the only place operating normally. There are regular patrols throughout the events, but Captain Khannar can be found most days in his office, upstairs in the HeadQuarters, should anyone like to question him.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Scents changed when a predator's interest was peaked. It was unavoidable and it was something that Shalimar picked up on in this man. Her head tilted ever so slightly at the change in demeanor and scent. What was he? The question sat on the tip of her tongue but she bit it back. What were the chances she'd even get an honest answer from him anyway?

A flirtatious half-smile touched her lips as his eyes seemed to change and she moved a hand to a strand of her hair and twirled it absentmindedly. "Now, what makes you think I know anything about opening doors?"

"That smile, for one." It was becoming more and more difficult to hold the Hunger back, it reached out toward her, wanting to taste her, tell him all her secrets, how best to lap at her life force. He hid his struggle behind another smile, resisting the urge to reach out and push her hair back behind her ear.

"But maybe I'm way off."

"Way off." She laughed and ran a hand through her hair. "Though I'm sure my track record would disagree." To say that she had a habit of opening doors with the wrong type of men would be an understatement. Somehow she was always drawn to something dangerous.

Enjoying this place's hospitality so far?"

So, she had a history. Who didn't, really? Heaven knew he had a 'track record' a mile long, himself. There was more to this one than simple humanity, though, the Hunger told him as much. He didn't know what to make of it, exactly, but it made him want to stick around, see what surprises she might have in store.

At least he thought it made him want to. Some days it was hard to tell his Hunger's desires from his own.

The change in topic was welcome. "Sure. I woke up thinking I'd love a good visit to an inescapable renaissance fair. What about you?"

Now that was excitement over a topic change if she'd ever seen it. Not that she could blame him. There was definitely nothing about the topic she wanted to go into with a stranger.

"Thought that was everyone's goal every morning," she said with a hint of a smirk and a shake of her head. "Can't tell if I'm just paranoid or if a lot of this stuff just seems really suspect. Feels like everyone's vague with their info sharing."

On that they could agree. If anyone here learned of the Hunger irrevocably entwined with his soul, they'd likely hate him, or at the very least assume he couldn't be trusted. Some days, that was even true, some more so than others. One day, and probably soon, he'd have to deal with the beast within him, but today was not that day. At least...hopefully.

"Hey, now, keep your weird pastimes to yourself." His tone was teasing, but she didn't know how much he actually thought all this was kind of cool. Not that she didn't have a point. "Yeah...you think they're in on it?"

"That's the most normal of all my pasttimes," she said with a light laugh and a shake of her hair. She rolled her shoulders and then gave a shrug. "Not sure. Just doesn't feel like they're telling us everything. Can't tell if it's that they know more than they're saying or they don't want to admit they know less."

"The weird cosmic kidnappers are withholding information from their victims? Say it ain't so." Call him pessimistic, but he always erred on the side of paranoia. When you had as many enemies as he did, it usually kept you alive.

"Maybe they don't anything. Maybe they're just Customer Services."

"Sarcasm really is your language, huh?" She let out a laugh and then shook her head. Not that she could blame him, it was a good defense mechanism. Especially good if you wanted to keep walls up against other people. She couldn't help but wonder if that was exactly what he was doing too.

"Too many maybe's for my liking. And too similar from the shit in my own life. I'm getting really tired of shady organizations."

"Shady organizations are a fact of life, Shalimar." His own family was a big and major part of a big and major one, at least in certain circles. "This one is pretty shiny, considering most of the ones I've had dealings with."

"You don't have to tell me that," she said with a scoff. "Best part is when you realize there's a shady organization controlling a shady organization." That's when shit got real messy and hit the fan. Still, he wasn't wrong. This entire situation seemed sketchy and yet also somehow not nearly as dark as anything else she'd dealt with recently. "Can't tell for sure, but I might lean more towards the Aspects not really knowing too much more than us. Don't get a particularly malicious scent from any of them."

"But what watches the Watchmen, right?" It would almost sound like the plot of a series the author needed to just stop writing already if it weren't true most of the time. Whenever strings were being pulled, it always seemed to be that those strings were attached to other strings and they just kept going.

"Wait. You can actually smell bullshit?"

"Nobody," she said with a scoff and a shake of her head. There was more she could say about the topic, but she chose to hold back on that particular subject. No point in getting too deep here or too dark. At least not right now.

"If it's strong enough," she said with a smirk. "Worried?"

"Creepy." He wasn't even joking about it. Whenever you were surrounded by people above the law, the only option was to just accept it...or become a weird vigilante and that really only worked on fiction.

He chuckled, mischief glittering in his stormy gaze. "I'll try to keep my bullshit to a minimum."

"You brought it up," she said with a quick shrug. Not that she disagreed with him. At least he didn't stay on the subject for too long. Looked like they could both agree to keep things more frivolous for the time being.

"Hope that won't be too much of a challenge for you," she said with a laugh.

"It may be the most difficult thing I've ever done." He gives a look around the place, though, rolling a shoulder in a shrug. "I think I'm going to have a look around." He moves away from his perch near the wall. "Stay out of trouble."

"Feel confident you'll manage," she said with a hint of a flirtatious smile. She gave a nod of her head and when she spoke there was almost a purr to her tone. "See you around." With that she turned to walk off. Something in her instincts stirred as she turned, confirming that this was a deliberate move she was making. There was something predatory about him, that much was clear from the start. Prey would never turn their back on a predator. But she wasn't prey.