Day 151

[bastionmods]

Who: Zia, Zulf + the NPCs Nathaniel, Zanya, Zahi + YOU
Open: Open
When: Day 151
Where: Throughout the Bastion
What: Tension has fallen over the Bastion, and it's time to sort out truth and anger.
Format: Any
Warnings: Drama

A few days ago, some residents of the Bastion might have become aware of a confrontation happening at a certain Ura's humble abode. There was some yelling- although not clear- and the result was a very harried looking Rin Okumura forcibly dragging away resident Mancer Nathaniel. The next couple of days have been quiet, but today... Well, if anyone wants to ask about and see what the deal was, it seems like today is the day.

It seems like Nathaniel has finally quit his own self imposed isolation, if only so that he doesn't starve to death. Apparently anger can only sustain a man for so long. He can be seen storming through the Bastion, a thundercloud practically gathered about him, or at the eating area looking very much like he wants to be left alone.

Zulf has been less of a hermit. Anyone who has seen him since the argument has probably noticed his black eye and sore nose. He seems angry as well, although it's quieter and colder underneath all his civility. More noticeably, he's been hard at work building a few fences near the edges of the Bastion- mostly near his tent but also in other areas as well. They're not the best fences, but they're good enough, hopefully. You can approach him at the shrine, his tent, or anywhere, really... He's as available as he's always been. He might even approach you, just to warn about falling off the edge of the Bastion.

Seriously, this place has needed safety railings for ages now. Who's bright idea was it not to include safety railings? RUCKS...

Anyone wandering by the Kitchens today will notice... Damn, that's a lot of yelling. And slamming of things. Should knives be used to chop that hard...? That's right, Rin is in a bad mood and anyone who comes near will immediately know it. The excess swearing is probably a good clue. Unlike the other two, she's unleashing her temper with wild abandon in the sanctity of her kitchen where no one will bug her. Well. Unless YOU bug her...

Of course, these three aren't the only ones noticeable about the Bastion today! It looks like the Ura residents are just coming out of the woodwork.

Anyone who's talked to either of the latest Ura additions knows that Zulf came in with Zia. While not involved with the row from a few days ago, she seems just as worried as Zulf seems angry. It's possible to see her wandering about with her pet Pecker chick. Might see her coming away after a discussion with Zulf, too... Maybe she knows what's going on?

There's also Zanya and her father Zahi who have been apparently a bit more sociable these last few days. There's apparently a subject they're both interested in which they'll approach people about, although they'll do so differently. Zahi will strike up friendly conversation, but Zanya will simply get right to the point: do you have any idea what happened?

Feel free to strike up conversation with any of them, or even try and talk to everyone if you wish.

[ooc: This is your characters chance to investigate just what the drama is all about! In such a small place as the Bastion, it's a bit hard to miss... Feel free to have your characters speculate or gossip with the Ura NPCs about what may have happened or if they caught onto a sliver of what happened (like Zulf and Nathaniel falling off the edge of the Bastion), or for them to go the more direct route by talking to either Nathaniel, Zulf, Rin, or Zia.]

[Long story short is that Rin went to get Venn's journal from Nathaniel. Upon realizing who exactly wanted it, Nathaniel went to confront Zulf. There was an argument on just who and what caused the Calamity... and then Nat punched Zulf in the face, they rolled off the edge of the Bastion, and Rin separated them after they got blown back up.]

[As a reminder! Mod Mandy plays NPC!Nathaniel and NPC!Zahi. Mod Jeni plays NPC!Zanya and Rin. Birdmod James plays Zulf. Helpful player Courtney plays Zia. We'll all get to you on our own individual time, and as soon as possible! Just make sure it's clear in your post who your character is approaching.]

Comments

To Zulf-

[notduchess]

The knight had been a little preoccupied, and thus didn't notice any messy fighting going on.

At least, until Duke spots Zulf with a black eye. That... usually isn't an accident.

"I can fix that for you." Duke offers, hand rising to the eye that would match Zulf's black one.

[fuckthemancers]

No, it usually isn't, is it?

Zulf had cleaned himself up as soon as the world had stopped spinning, but he knows it's still quite a shiner. He hadn't wanted to impose on anyone. It was just a black eye, after all. It would heal on its own. He's actually more concerned with getting more supplies from the Lost and Found for the fences when Duke approaches.

At the offer, he looks almost somewhat sheepish. "Ah, I wouldn't want to trouble you. Although... May I ask how?"

To Zia

[freedom_engineer]

[Colin hasn't missed the tension, the absence of certain people, and of course, the construction going on around the edges of the Bastion. Something has prompted all of this, and since Zulf's doing the building, a job that Colin would normally be tapped for... Colin's curiosity is piqued. So here he is, trying to track down Zia. She's closest to Zulf right now, she's probably got some information.]

Zia, hey Zia! You got a moment?

(OOC: Just the first of many tags. Colin is the definition of a meddling kid. At 400+ years old.))

[evacuate]

[Zia is lingering about the monument with her Pecker cupped in one hand, eating berries that she's feeding him with the other. The bird makes a squawk that's more like a squeak as Colin approaches, curious about a new presence, and Zia turns.]

Ah, hi, Colin. Yeah, I'm not busy. What's up?

To Rin and Zulf

[kyotoprincess]

[Yeah, he's definitely going to go see what's up with Rin. He wouldn't be a good boyfriend if he just left her to be mad.

And after that, he'll go talk to Zulf too. Might as well see if he's okay.]

[hellpyre]

[It probably doesn't help that she's been mad for days now, too. And hasn't been talking about it. At all. For some one who usually blurts out what's bothering her pretty quickly, this is fairly unusual for her.

But it's also starting to bottle up quite a bit, and whenever Bon comes around the kitchen today he'll find her usually clean work space actually really... trashed. A few things burned. Some things broken. And the ill-tempered half demon herself lashing her tail about with more than one bit of blue flames licking off her skin.

Wow she's really not doing okay...]

To Rin

[aprettyred]

Rin seems... well, angry enough to know what is going on. The swearing and slamming of things doesn't phase Anna that much, but she is holding her camera in an angle that says "I am not recording anything", because she isn't letting go of it quite yet.

"Rin?" She peeks around the door to try to get the girls attention.

[hellpyre]

Boy howdy does she ever seem angry. Even her cooking skills are starting to suffer, as evidenced by several discarded items that were burned or ruined beyond recognition sitting on the counter.

She looks up from the pantry as Anna calls in, tense for a moment but letting out a breath after to try and relax some around the younger girl.

"... hey."

Rin sure is popular today

[fuckthemancers]

[It couldn't be that bad, he'd thought, and then Zulf had tentatively stepped into the kitchen.]

[He takes that back completely.]

[For a moment he just stays back near the door, wondering if maybe this is a bad idea after all. Finally, when she catches a breath from all her swearing, he clears his throat.]

e'erybody loves me

[hellpyre]

[Yeah. It's that bad, Zulf. Rin is not the kind of person to be careless with her job in the kitchen, and yet there's a swath of evidence that she's not at the top of her game today. Namely a bunch of ruined and burned meals that have been discarded on to the counter tops while she tries in vain to find something to replace them with.

Her head snaps up from where she's digging around in the pantry when Zulf clears his throat. Her jaw tenses visibly, but she lets out a breath.]

... what?

Zahi or Zanya

[wayofvoice]

[Paarthurnax certainly isn't one to eavesdrop, but, well... Let's just say Dragonfield had a rather decent view of watching two dumbasses tumble off the Bastion. If anyone had seen or heard anything, well, the giant dragon isn't a bad place to start. When either Ura approaches, he'll give a polite nod to them.]

Drem yol lok. It would seem clouded skies are in our future.

[aka yeah he can tell when shit is getting tense.]

[bastionpc]

[Zahi is the first to approach, because he can appreciate the need for old men to talk. He didn't see the fight, but it's hard to miss the aftermath.]

So I'm not the only one who noticed, then?

Zulf

[blackblooded]

[Oh. Fences. Zulf is building fences.]

That... um... that's a good idea.

[There was a lot of shouting by Zulf's tent before.]

[fuckthemancers]

Thank you.

[Zulf is still working on the fences, really. While not the greatest, at least they're there and are a warning sign if nothing else.]

I'd rather have no one else tumbling over, even if it has been proven that it's not as dangerous as previous thought.

[Sorry if he's a bit... unpleasant in his tone, Crona. He's taking out his frustration over all that shouting on the fences.]

To both Zulf and Nathaniel (just... at different times. For obvious reasons)

[aprettyred]

After bothering Rin, Anna goes to find the people she was told were most of the problem.

Here is a solemn faced small child tugging a sleeve.

(whoever comments first gets to be the one she finds first-)

Nathaniel first, then

[bastionpc]

[For as sour as his mood has been, he instantly covers it up when he sees Anna. It's not so much for saving face as it is that he doesn't want a kid getting mixed up in this argument.

He's smiling, but Anna should be able to see through it pretty easily. He's suppressing anger and self-loathing for her sake.]

Hey, kiddo. What's up?

To Nathaniel!

[freedom_engineer]

[Now that he's got a bit more information, he's going to go tracking down Nathan. And yes, he's totally cheating and using his scanner to find Nathan's biological signature. You can run, but you can't hide.]

Nathan! Hey, Nathan! I need to talk to you!

[bastionpc]

[BUT HE WAS HIDING

Okay he can be found on the far end of the Bastion, well away from anywhere Zulf would have been. Even though he's mad, he has enough sense to at least avoid the guy.

Don't mind him, he's just abrasive because he's in a bad mood. He sounds half-annoyed, half-tired as he speaks]

What do you want, Colin?

Nathaniel

[superdrowningskills]

[Normally Alucard wouldn't have bothered Nathaniel about his awful mood the moment he was sure the boy was eating. It's none of his business if people want to sulk for a few days, after all.

...Or so would be the case if he hadn't been aware of the fight the other day. The details of the fight itself hardly matter; the fact that a resident had been violent with another was. A man doesn't get a black eye like the one Zulf is sporting by accident normally, after all.

Thus the reason he decides to claim the chair across from Nathaniel for himself.]


...You punched the storyteller in the face.

[A statement in and of itself, but the unspoken "why?" is very much present.]

/patpat

[bastionpc]

I did.

[Sorry, he's not going to answer that unspoken 'why' unless specifically asked. In fact, it's kind of a sore subject, and his icy tone probably gives that away.

Currently Nathaniel is busying himself with repairs to the Bastion. Work helps keep his mind off of all the troubling thoughts he has.]

Flamesis - I mean Rin

[amnesiadragon]

[Ryu... Ryu knows all too well what getting too angry can involve, and so he'd given everyone that looked involved space. But fish belong in the kitchen supplies, and to be honest he's worried about Rin.]

[When he peeks in, he's a little surprised at the amount of destruction. Quietly, he sets the fish down to the side and starts picking things up. Some of these broken things have pretty sharp edges. He doesn't want her to get hurt.]

<3

[hellpyre]

[A few minutes after that, Rin slips out from the pantry, though her arms are surprisingly empty for how long she'd been in there. That was sort of a constant today - go to start something, stop, think, get angry again, forget all about it, start the cycle over later.

Seeing Ryu surprises her, and she stops, watching him curiously]

Rin

[evacuate]

[It takes Zia a lot of personal pep-talking to finally approach Rin—and wow, that bad mood is almost tangible. Maybe she should leave and talk to her later...

No, this is too important. She enters the kitchen slowly, like she might approach an animal likely to bolt at any sudden sound. Her voice is soft and hesitant when she speaks.]

Rin..?

[hellpyre]

[Yeaaaah she's not doing so well today, and it is pretty obvious. But she's not going to chase everyone out who wants to talk to her, even if her attitude might feel like she's trying to do just that sometimes.

The voice gets her attention, head lifting from where she was staring blankly at the sink.]

... yeah?

Zulf Zulf Zulf

[astras]

[ She's seen you, Zulf, and seen your injuries. Her immediate reaction is to rush over to the storyteller from the festival and inspect his injuries. ]

Those look painful, sir ...

[ And suddenly, Polka feels helpless. She could heal him, but only on the Skyway. ]

hi hi hi

[fuckthemancers]

Ah-

[He startles a little when Polka suddenly rushes him, nearly dropping the scrap wood he was carrying. Instinctively, he touches his face and grimaces a little.]

I apologize for making you worry. They're not as bad as they look. Just... something that came from a disagreement which got a little heated.

[The unpleasant way his mouth twists at 'disagreement' hints that it was more than a little heated.]

hi Rin

[coolerthansora]

[Honestly Roxas didn't think too much of the yelling a few days ago because, well, sometimes people get into fights. And sometimes it takes them a while to get over it, so he just gives those folks who seem on edge their space.

What tips him off that it might be more of a big deal is that stream of curses emanating from the kitchens today. From his experience with boy!Rin, he knows Rin has more of a temper than he does, but it doesn't flare up for no reason, and Rin usually seems to realize when he/she has just overreacted.

Cautiously Roxas pokes his head into the kitchen. He's not sure what to ask.]

You're... definitely not okay.

[hellpyre]

Y'noticed?

[Wow that was... harsh. Okay, breathe. Roxas isn't to blame for any of this. He doesn't deserve the anger or the lashing out or the vaguely threatening presence of blue flames that keep cropping up today.]

... it's... a long story. You'd probably be better off not worryin' about it.

[Saying that to people never works.]

Anyone in need of scolding, threats, or other. (I'm mid move & job orientation, thus slow)

[earthandpine]

Rosethorn goes about her usual daily business, in the apartment with Tris and Briar, at the farm, and around on any errands. She can't stand sitting still, and she's been itching for a space of her own. Rosethorn is checking out all corners of the Bastion to take note of potential garden plots when sight or sound of angry people reaches her.

If you bump into her, you may not have any choice but to deal with an irritable plant mage with no patience for hysterics or arguments.

[bastionpc]

Luckily not everyone is in a tizzy over what happened. Some people are merely curious, or concerned. Or in a certain young Ura's case, rather blase about the entire thing. It's almost as if she's expected something like this to come to a head sooner or later...

But she's not saying as much, especially to people she doesn't even know.

Zayna avoids the actual altercation itself and keeps herself relatively on the outskirts of things until later in the evening some days later when more talk of what happens begins to crop up again. She doesn't specifically search anyone out, but her casual wanderings do eventually put Rosethorn in her sights. She watches the other woman curiously, hands behind her back as her dark eyes follow movement.

She won't call out, but she's not going to be leaving any time soon either.

Zulf and Zia

[followsthevoice]

[The Kid had been out on an expedition to the Skyway when all the ruckus had been going on, and only now was he finally walking back into the Bastion with his Hammer over his shoulder; his face and arms littered with little cuts and bruises, but overall he just looked a little more dirty and unkempt than his usual. As he strode in he happened to notice Zulf...oddly sporting a black eye, causing The Kid to raise an eyebrow.]

What, the monument fight back this time?

[fuckthemancers]

[It's a relief to see the Kid come back considering the disaster that has been the past few days, and it shows in the way Zulf's shoulders ease up a little even as he sighs at the joke.]

That would be easier to deal with, Lemaign only knows. [He glances back to the rest of the Bastion, gingerly touching at his eye.] But no, once again I have gotten into things with a Mancer.

It's good that you've returned. We... might have to talk about things with the rest of the Bastion sooner than we thought. It turns out that I may have had a reputation in the Mancers, and now Nathaniel believes that the Calamity was my fault.

[Some of his hate creeps back into those last few words, and the Kid ought to be able to figure out why. With the Bastion's original purpose, the very idea of purposefully causing the Calamity is enough to make him sick with rage.]

Zulf

[amphibian]

[Heeeeere's Aoi, with maybe even more of her unreasonable energy than usual. She's been running up and down the Bastion for a while and finally she catches sight of Zulf, working hard on his cute little makeshift fence. She grinds to a clumsy halt, and then sprints off in his direction.]

Zulf! Hey, Zulf! I heard there was a fight! Are you okay?!

him and rin are mr and ms popular today, gosh

[fuckthemancers]

Word spreads faster here than it does in the Tazal Terminals, doesn't it?

[He sounds kind of resigned to that fact and not particularly surprised. The Bastion isn't that big, really. Of course events will become quickly known here. He straightens up, still on the ground.]

I'm fine. It's just a black eye and a somewhat bruised pride. I've had much worse.

zulf

[forhyrule]

[ You spend one week being an introvert in your bedroom and suddenly the whole Bastion seems to have gone crazy. During her session playing the piano earlier in the day, Zelda had heard snatches of conversation concerning some sort of "incident" that had occurred a few days earlier. While wondering if she should stick her nose into what is probably not her business, Zelda happened upon some of Zulf's new fencing. New buildings, new plants, and now fences? Perhaps she had secluded herself too long. ]

[fuckthemancers]

It looks rather dreadful, doesn't it?

[That would be Zulf coming up behind her, some more wood in his arms to help add to the fencing. He's sighing.]

I've never been a Mason, so this is the best I can do. Better to have poor fencing than none at all. At least it might serve as a warning so that no one else goes tumbling over the edge.

nathanial

[thirdoutofthree]

[ Now, this is starting to get tiresome. Nathanial was a nice guy, Viola figured. A little more brainy than she could readily understand, but pretty nice all around. But that hadn't been the case lately, and watching him huffing about all over the place was starting to get on Viola's nerves. ]

How much longer are you gonna keep skulking around like this?

[bastionpc]

I'm not skulking.

[Viola, being one of the ones who had been at the observatory, as well as one of the ones who had helped save his life, has definitely earned Nathaniel's respect. So his words a touch of frustration to them, rather than a touch of anger.]

Zulf, your turn!

[freedom_engineer]

[Just as he wasn't going to approach Nathan all friendly-like, so too was Zulf going to get a little more formal treatment. Colin's just going to come out to the fences that he's working on, and give them a look.]

There's a story here, I'm sure.

can he get a blindfold before the firing squad tho

[fuckthemancers]

[When you spend so much of your life working with people, you learn how to pick up on things immediately. So all it takes is a look before Zulf is getting up to his feet and straightening his shoulders like he's bracing himself.]

As it turns out, if you fall over the edge, the Bastion pushes you back up. There's no grace, however, so better safe than sorry as far as I'm concerned.

[A deep breath, face set like stone and eyes just as hard. He's not sure where this particular conversation will lead, so he's prepared for the worst.]

However, I don't believe you've come over here to critique my rather dreadful carpentry skills. So, who did you speak to: Rin or Nathaniel?

Zulf, then Nathaniel | Also probable X/Y spoilers for those concerned

[gianthobo]

[... AZ isn't the most social person, but even he can tell what's going on. He saw two young men yelling at each other - but it wasn't his business, so he didn't look further. Now one of them is injured and both of them are sulking, and the entire air of the place has changed.]

[Something has to be done. And AZ is actually slightly more presentable now, considering that he's had a good wash and made at least a cursory attempt at cleaning his clothing. His hair is still a mess, but it always is.]

[He has at least a passing acquaintance with Zulf, so he approaches him first - though he intends to talk to Nathaniel later on.]

[fuckthemancers]

[Zulf is inspecting the fence with a critical gaze, knowing it's... rather poor work but at least functional and that's all he really needs right now. AZ's heavy footsteps get his attention, however, and he turns.]

Ah, good day. [There's something slightly off about how he says it- probably because he's had an argument and also has a black eye, so it can't... really be a good day on his end. Still, he's polite.] I should warn you about the edges of the Bastion. It's not... fatal to fall off them, but it can be rather jarring.

[Especially if you land on your face]

Nathaniel

[followsthevoice]

[The Kid had heard all he'd needed to from Zulf and Zia...it was time to go find the other side to this story; they were out of time, and he knew that he wasn't going to be able to brook an argument with Zia or Zulf...so it was best to go this one alone. He was used to alone. He finally found Nathaniel on the outskirts of the Bastion and approached with his Hammer and City Crest held out in front of him; hoping the man would be less hostile towards a fellow Caelondian.]

Heard there was a bit of a scrap while I was gone. Mind tellin' me whatall's goin' on?

[bastionpc]

[The Kid is another person Nathaniel hadn't seen before. After the mess at the Mancer Observatory, Nathaniel had been burying himself in work, and not really paying attention to the new arrivals.

So he is a bit surprised when he sees the Kid. Mostly because he didn't expect to see any other Caels, beyond the ones that were already there.]

I...sure, okay.

[At least someone from Caelondia can understand where he is coming from, or so Nathaniel thinks.]

A few weeks ago- probably before you arrived, I don't remember seeing you before then- me and a group of the survivors here went to the Mancer Observatory. A few of them had brought something suspicious back from one of their treks out to the Skyway, and that something had the mark of Mancer work all over it. With enough people here to at least defend a search party, I figured we might find some answers there.

But instead of finding answers, all we found was a crater, and a journal.

[And a giant plant that had almost eaten Nathaniel and Ryu but DETAILS.]

for Zulf

[bastionpc]

[After talking to grandpadragon, Zahi decides that talking to Zulf directly would be a good idea.

Which means going over and bugging him while he tries to build fences.]

So, word is that you got into a scuffle with one of the locals.

[fuckthemancers]

[There's a slight jolt when he hears Zahi's voice, and Zulf promptly gets up. It just seems proper. As he's made probably painfully apparent after his last conversation with the older man, he holds Zahi in high regard. How couldn't he? Certainly he had gone to Caelondia himself to bring peace, yet he still couldn't help but admire those who dedicated themselves to protecting the homeland.]

Ah, Zahi- [He looks a bit embarrassed at the mention of what happened between him and Nathaniel, glancing away guiltily.] Yes, I'm afraid so... I shouldn't have let my temper get the best of me.

[It's something he feels bad about normally- more because he knows things are going to change now and because he upset Rin than actually fighting Nathaniel since fuck that guy... But in the face of someone he respects, he feels even more foolish.]

EVERYONE, ASSEMBLE

[bastionpc]

[At the Kid's request, Nathaniel has gone around to tell people that they need to meet at the monument, because something important was going to be said. The only people he skipped over were Zulf and Zia, and that was at the Kid's request.

Along with Nathaniel, the other NPCs will be lingering around the area, interested to hear what the Kid has to say.]

[followsthevoice]

[The Kid was sitting with his back against the monument, feeling it's gentle hum radiate through his body; it was a comforting feeling, like having his mother's hand on his back, assuring him that what he was doing was right. His eyes opened, peering around the handle of his hammer as he waited silently for other's to arrive...this wasn't going to be easy, but it was something that needed to be done.]

Nathaniel

[evacuate]

[Zulf had told her to stay away from Nathaniel, of course. He was probably right; being around him is a terrible idea, but Zia has had and acted upon worse ones.

She spends quite a bit of time lingering not too far from the eating area where he's sitting and wallowing in his fury, trying to talk herself into approaching him, figuring out what she's going to say...

Almost expecting him to turn and bolt ant any sudden sound, a deer or a rabbit or a Pecker without a flock, she walks over slowly and speaks in barely a whisper.]

Did you know my father?

Nathaniel

[bastionpc]

[After all the talks he had been having that day, he really hadn't been expecting to have Zia approach him. He glances around quickly, to see if Zulf or the Kid are around (he's sure both would be angry if they saw him talking to her, even if she approached him first), and when he is satisfied that those two are not around, he speaks. He does sound awkward, though, as if he's trying to reign in his anger and frustration to talk nicely with her. Even though she might be involved in this, it's not as easy to blame her as it is to blame Zulf.]

Er...not exactly, no. I'm only- I was only an apprentice, so I never really talked to the other Mancers much, besides the other apprentices and my Master.

But I did meet him, once or twice. He seemed like a good man.