strike the flint upon the stone [to all Heroes/backdated to roughly midmonth]

[unyieldingspirit]

[Between one thing and another, K'pandolu thinks it's about time they gathered as much information as they can. After all, if the Sage isn't about to give them anything… maybe one or another of the others brought here has noticed something.

There’s a little part of her that thinks she shouldn’t be too obvious about it, so she adds a few more questions to her list just in case. It’s not- hiding what she’s after, exactly. Just putting it in a field of other options. Who answers what, and how… that’ll reveal something, too.]

To All Heroes:

In the interests of seeing what knowledge we can put together to find a solution to the puzzles of this world, I would like to pose a few questions.

First- to my knowledge, some of our own worlds have undergone catastrophic disasters. Has anyone seen a disaster like this one? Alternatively, what kinds of troubles have befallen your own worlds, if any? [the second is mostly to assuage her own curiosity, but – perhaps in that there may be some commonality that’s drawn them here. She won’t know without asking.]

Regardless of your answer to the first- what do you make of this Calamity? A wall of advancing crystals, that might envelope the world… It sounds incredible, doesn’t it? In fact- does it seem similar to anything else to any of you?

To those of you who shared the vision of the future, I would ask one more thing. The Imperial City of Hera changed – did any of you find a way there? Do you, perhaps, recall any other places that were changed so?

Thank you for your time. With all of our efforts bound together, I hope we will be able to forge a bright future for all of us.

Signed this day by my own hand,
K'pandolu Tohka
of the Scions of the Seventh Dawn

Comments

[unyieldingspirit]

Chiaki,

That certainly sounds as though it would qualify. I imagine in a case like that, people are more likely to draw lines between their groups than bind themselves together. What steps did the people of your world take to address it? [sure, it's not likely to help in this case, but maybe… somewhere, at some point.]

I see. [m… maybe.] Do you have any examples? Though- I don't suppose those are intended as an aid to life, are they?

That's too bad. [she'd have trusted whatever description Chiaki would have had, but alas.] Perhaps one of the others will have something.

We'll see once they're collated.

I've been better. But travelling has helped, as has having some requests to work on. I thought perhaps I would visit, if you've the time.

- K'pandolu

[line_piece]

K'pandolu,

That's... sort of a long story. I don't mind telling it, but I'd rather do it in person. If you want to visit, I can talk about it then.

-Chiaki

[unyieldingspirit]

Chiaki,

No, that's fine. It's different, telling a story face to face and writing it down.

I'll see you soon, then.

- K'pandolu

[Admittedly, not too soon- it's more along the lines of a bit over an hour before she knocks. She made some snacks to bring over, it'll be nice and cooking means she's thinking about that as opposed to falling into circular thoughts.]

[line_piece]

K'pandolu,

Yeah. And this one is long. I'd hate to make Mogomi copy that much down.

-Chiaki

[Chiaki's waiting inside, smiling as she opens the door for her friend.]

Hey.

[unyieldingspirit]

Hi.

[She smiles in return, holding out the honey muffins.]

I thought these might be good to have while we talked. [or… as a kind of thank you for telling her the story to begin with.]

[line_piece]

Thanks. They look good.

[Chiaki smiles, taking one of them and leading K'pandolu into the house proper.]

So... this is probably going to take a while.

[unyieldingspirit]

They ought to taste just as good!

[she follows, remembering to toe her shoes off a little way in.]

We should get comfortable, then.

[line_piece]

Sure. Go ahead and sit wherever you want.

[Chiaki takes a seat on one end of the couch, for her part.]

[unyieldingspirit]

[Once she's put the other muffins down, she goes to settle herself on the other end of the couch, curling her tail around herself.]

I'm ready if you are.

[line_piece]

...Okay. Here it goes. I have to start at the beginning for the answer to your question to make any sense.

[And since it is indeed a long story, Chiaki more or less tells K'pandolu what she covered with Jack in this post.]

[unyieldingspirit]

[K'pandolu nods, attention focused on Chiaki, with a little bit left for her muffin- but that much falls away as the story unfolds. The thought of killing becoming a game makes her stomach clench, and that it ended up spreading so far… War is one thing, but it's not that. But when people are afraid- it's not as much of a stretch as it could be.

But- steps were taken, and Chiaki helped, and while K'pandolu's back is straight and her tail flicking, it's not at the level that screams her need to try and act.]

Thank you. That… it can't be easy. [to think about and retell, she means. She breathes out, glancing down at her hands for a moment, and then looks back up at Chiaki.] That's why you believe in people, isn't it? Because they can hope.

[line_piece]

Yeah. Hope is humanity's best quality. It's a belief in potential, and possibility. If you hold onto it, you can always stand up to impossible odds. Because nothing is really impossible. That's what hope means. I believe that, even now.