[OPEN LOG] Welcome to Cape Beryl!

[theharvestmods]

Who: Everyone!
When: Spring 2nd - all day.
Where: All across Cape Beryl.
What: You've splashed down into the Harvest Goddess's sacred pond, pulled yourself out - or perhaps been pulled out by an out-of-breath and soaking stranger, shaken off the worst of the shock of the cold and the unexpected trip underwater, and likely by now noticed that the little silver piece of jewelry that put you through this seems to have found its way around your neck.

Now you ought to get your bearings. Leave Goddess Grotto whenever you're ready, take the path out along a beach and up the cliffs to a village - see where you are, maybe if you can get directions. No matter what, you're going to realize that you're somewhere new - but maybe some of the Bower Village townspeople will be willing to help you get sorted out. If nothing else, maybe you'll be drawn into talking to anyone else you might catch sight of wandering the village, disoriented, soaked to the skin, and with a silver heart-shaped pendant around their neck. Depending on how you see it, you're not all alone - not any more than everyone else, anyway.

Headers for open interactions in example locations will be posted - but by all means, start threads wherever and with whoever you like!

Rating: Expected K-PG - subject to change as appropriate.



It's a cool, early spring day - the air and the breeze may not agree with anyone with wet clothes. But apart from that, the atmosphere is pleasant and peaceful; distant chirps of birds can be heard from the mouth of Goddess Grotto to Mt. Throne. The trees and grasses are pale green and flowers are budding in the meadows - not to mention the garden at Florist Lilia and de Sainte-Coquille Park.

And the town at the top of the cliffs is somewhat drowsily at peace. It's far from deserted - stabled behind a house on the town's east side is a healthy-looking mule, and a pair of chickens and a goat hang around in a pen behind an inn, the town's brightly-dressed mailwoman is out and about, as is the town watchman, who will likely be ready to approach anyone with an unfamiliar face before they can approach him, if he happens to catch them on his rounds. However, although anyone may freely knock on any of the doors in Bower Village and expect a polite "come in", no one is prepared for company, and whoever is inside might jump at finding themselves talking to a clearly displaced stranger!

Comments

[notsocool]

For each step Kanji took forward, Zed would take back. He tried to take hold of the stick like a proper weapon again, but it wasn't a proper weapon. It felt hideously awkward in his hands, and he knew if it came down to a fight, he was in trouble unless he transformed. He also realized that he was going to run out of room to back up in short order - there were a lot of trees around.

But, bravado was the better part of valor, in his case. If Zed had nothing else, and currently this was the case, he had that.

"H-How should I know how a villain like you thinks?! That is why I am asking! That is only common sense, so stop trying to change the subject!"

[topgun_textiles]

"Common sense, huh? So how 'bout this: If I stole a sword, wouldn't I have the damn thing with me to fight off whoever'd be lookin' for it!?"

He didn't even look like a swordsman, either. The green-haired weirdo in front of him looked the part, and he guessed he'd be hard-pressed to find the thing to be able to defend himself instead of using that stupid tree branch. But that orange scarf was soggy, and his hair was weighed down.

Was this guy dumped into that spring like he was?

"...Whatever. I ain't gonna sit here and have sticks n' fingers pointing at me. Ya probably dropped it when ya fell in that spring."

Uggh, he can't believe he was doing this, but with no way of knowing where he was and with no leads, Kanji had no idea how to figure out where he was and which way he was going to go. And again, this guy was in the same boat he was.

"I'll look in that half. You got the other." He couldn't call his Persona. He'd tried that all ready, but he wasn't totally helpless. However, if there was something out there that was looking for a fight, he'd rather this guy be on equal ground with it than leaving him stranded and unarmed. It's something Senpai would have done, anyway.

[notsocool]

If expressions were words, Zed's expression at this offer could be summed up in two words: "wait, what?"

He replayed Kanji's words in his mind, trying to make sense of things. He finally came to one conclusion - the human who may or may not have kidnapped him here was offering to help him look for Doom Bringer. Any consideration of Kanji's offering of common sense was brushed aside in light of this.

He made to toss the stick away, and thought better of it. It was better than nothing. Instead, smiling now in genuine relief, he saluted to Kanji. "Right!"

And then all but jumped back into his designated side of the spring. The promise of some help gave him back a bit of energy...but, in the end, even swimming as far down to the bottom as he could reach, his search turned up no sign of his sword.

[topgun_textiles]

He had to wonder if it was the best decision, as this guy could change his mind and come after him with that dumb stick at any time screaming 'thief, thief', or 'villain' or whatever. But he'd always been told to calm the hell down and try using that gray matter in his head.

Zed took off and he went to his side of the pool. He wasn't looking forward to going back into the water he'd nearly drowned in, but this was the one place this guy could find his sword. If not, then he'd probably lost it in the tunnels above somewhere, completely out of reach. No force on earth could swim up those waterfalls.

He kicked off his shoes this time, alongside his jacket, and jumped in. Maybe he should have asked what this sword looks like... but then again, all swords had a handle and blade, right? How many swords would be sitting around in here?

But the only gleam would be from that weird silver necklace around his neck as he searched and moved a few algae-covered stones. Something had to be keeping this spring from flooding too, right? But there didn't look to be any tunnels hidden away, either. There had to be some way he could backtrack!

But his lungs rang alarm bells in his head. He needed air. Kanji kicked off the floor and headed for the surface, surprised with how deep this spring was. When he surfaced and wiped his hair from his eyes, he shook his head. Nothing there, either. He went to get his things.

"...Unless you can take on those waterfalls, I think your blade's gone, dude." Well, so much for asking this guy if he knew his way around, but couldn't he let his cell phone dry before he turned it on? Would it still work? He had to try.

[notsocool]

Zed stares up at the waterfalls as though he's actually considering it. For a moment, he is. He actually starts off away from the spring towards them, before a rare mote of common sense stops him cold.

No, he can't take on those waterfalls. Even just falling down this far had been remarkably dangerous - he's actually sore, and he's still breathing heavily because his lungs don't feel like they're taking in enough air. And he's not much of a swimmer. He couldn't even reach the bottom of the lake.

...Zed feels himself start to panic at the thought that Doom Bringer might be lost. He keeps his back to Kanji while he tries to forcibly quash the feelings. He might be weak, right now, but that doesn't mean he has to show weakness. It never has before. If worst comes to worst, he can transform - he always has Monster Zed waiting in reserve.

"P-Perhaps you are merely a fiendishly clever thief, wishing to throw me off your scent. Perhaps you are not such an uncool guy after all. These things are difficult to determine! But whoever you are, you have my thanks for your valiant assistance."

At the least, if it didn't have to come to a fight, he wouldn't push it to one, not least because he suspected Kanji would soundly thrash him as he was now.

[topgun_textiles]

You don't spend years fighting with whatever you could get your hands on in the streets without knowing how to give a proper thrashing.

Without knowing anything about the demons, Monster Zed or anything the guy's endured, Kanji's thinking this guy was either an actor who never really dropped character or somebody Teddie seriously had to meet.

But he made a face as he slung his jacket back across his shoulders. 'Valiant assistance'? Isn't that the kinda thing a knight says to a princess or something? Not wanting to voice that, because he had the feeling the answer would only frustrate or confuse him, he shook his head and let it go.

"If the water can push a heavy person around like it ain't a big deal, then it can push a lighter sword, right? It'll probably fall out or somethin'." He frowned.

"And pipe down about the 'thief' shit! I don't steal, damn it!"

[notsocool]

Kanji was a very, very scary human. Zed caught himself flinching again - he was used to being shouted at, of course, but not like this. It had been a very long day, and if the sun was anything to go by, it was only morning so far.

"...you say as much with such conviction that I am moved to believe you!" In part because, well, Kanji had helped him look. And in part to avoid a fight. "But you must admit, in a situation such as this, even a star like myself would be moved to accuse others unjustly. With the true culprit hidden away like a coward, we have only each other to turn on! Fiendishly clever, fitting for such a fiend!"

Zed paused to take a look around the area surrounding the spring. It was the first time he'd done so. It was a very nice place, all things considered - very pretty, which was strange. And he thought he saw a path, leading away.

"But now that we are united, we should turn our attentions to the matters at hand!"

[topgun_textiles]

To be believed was enough, and so the aggressive body language let up just a little. But this whole situation was starting to give him a headache: Dumped in a spring, bobbing for swords, and talk of stars, fiends and villains.

Y'know what? Maybe he was sleeping next to that pond for some reason. He briefly pinched his bicep to see if that changed and forced everything to make sense. When that also didn't work - he hated running out of options - he rubbed the back of his head and looked out in the direction of the one path out of the spring. This guy still bugged him, but he'd dealt with far worse, and he couldn't be picky when he didn't know where the hell he was.

"Makes sense. S'gotta be a town somewhere around here with a map or a phone or whatever," he said, and started on the path out of the grotto. It was getting chilly in here and he wanted some of that warm sunshine all ready!

"Or somethin' to eat. Tch... Didn't think almost drowning would make me hungry."

[notsocool]

Nearly drowning had been a remarkably tiring experience. And Zed found that he was hungry, as well - hunger was an uncommon sensation, and so all the sharper when he did feel it.

Hm...a town. On the one hand, a town could maybe tell him where he was, or at least give him a map so he could find out where he was in relation to Saint Centaur.

On the other, the fact that Kanji hadn't flipped his lid over Zed being a demon was more than a little baffling - he certainly didn't seem to be blind - and probably due to his own distraction. The rest of the townspeople might be in a fit state to pay attention.

And he didn't want to give Kanji any more reasons to punch him.

"Here is what I propose! We investigate this town! If we have strength enough to survive this attempt on our lives, we have strength enough to gather information!"

On the other other hand, getting punched in the face would hardly be the worst thing he'd ever experienced - as far as Zed could tell, they were both unarmed, and Kanji wasn't a demon, so he probably didn't have a second form under his belt.

"Perhaps we should split up, to cover more ground and investigate more suspicious doings."

[topgun_textiles]

As it stood, he was thinking bigger-picture. Or more specifically, not having a police search party sent for him by an overbearing (in his mind, anyway) mother.

But the idea was sound. "Got it. I was gonna say the same thing."

A second pair of legs and eyes would grab up more info than dashing around on his own. He didn't really mind looking to a complete stranger for that, for lack of any other options. Kanji set off ahead to go through with the plan, and maybe look for a weaponsmith to see about this guy getting a replacement sword and cut a witch-hunt off at the pass.

...But that 'human' bit nagged at him. He'll poke about it later.

"If nothin' turns up, we roll back here and trade info."

[notsocool]

"Away from prying eyes. And perhaps with more unfortunate victims to inform and assist!"

It sounded like a good, solid plan, even to Zed. At the least, it was moving forward. And maybe finding his sword - whoever had left him with this stupid pendant might have taken it away with them. Doom Bringer was a fine sword. He could understand the temptation, even if he'd beat whoever had given into it silly.

Zed saluted to Kanji again, smiling almost happily, all previous ire towards the boy, if not forgotten, then at least pushed into a dark corner of his head.

He set off behind Kanji, a bit behind - maybe far enough for Kanji not to hear Zed pass the distance by humming tunelessly, but maybe not.