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

[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...]

[kyotoprincess]

[Okay, there's something seriously wrong. Rin never burns food.

Might as well get right to the point, with Rin upset like this, she could be a danger if she loses control of her flames.]

Alright, out with it: what happened?

[He's so caring, isn't he?]

[hellpyre]

[Hey at least he's asking.

She lets out a snort at his question, rubbing her forehead with the sleeve of her shirt at her upper arm, trying and failing to not get any more food stuff on her face.]

A buncha bullshit, that's what happened.

[SO DESCRIPTIVE RIN gosh]

[kyotoprincess]

'A buncha bullshit' isn't exactly that descriptive.

[Whoops he's thinking Rin got in a fight with someone. But to be fair that is a reasonable expectation.]

[hellpyre]

[It is! But for once that wasn't the case. She steps out of the pantry and slams the door closed with her foot a bit too hard.]

No, but what else am I supposed to call it?! That's what it is! [she stops moving, pressing a thumb to her temple as she closed her eyes, more blue flaring up around her]

Nathaniel knew what happened the whole damn time, Bon... he just didn't say anythin' cause he didn't want to admit that it coulda been the Mancers' fault!

[kyotoprincess]

...you skipped over a few steps there. What did Nathaniel know?

[Oh god please don't tell him Rin punched Nathaniel.]

[hellpyre]

[Amazingly enough, no. But punches still happened.]

This! Everythin' that happened to get us stuck in this fuckin' place!

[She gestures her hands a bit wildly, indicating the Bastion as a whole and by extension, the Calamity.

But she pauses, takes a breath in and gets enough mental clarity to back track a few steps.]

Zulf asked me if I could get the journal we found from Nathaniel. It belongs to his friend's father. As soon as I said who was askin' for it though, Nathaniel went after him! There was some... talk about shit I didn't understand but when I finally got some answers it was basically that he at least had some idea that the Mancers were responsible for the Calamity!

... and he kinda punched Zulf and they went off the edge of the Bastion. I dragged him away after that.

[That's right. Rin Okumura actually broke up a fight.]

[kyotoprincess]

[Holy shit there's some kind of conspiracy.

Holy shit there was a fight.

Holy shit Rin was not involved in said fight.]

...

Did he say why he kept it a secret?

[hellpyre]

[Correct on all accounts!]

Not... exactly, no. [a sniffle as she rubs at her face again] Zulf hinted that he... didn't wanna admit to himself that the Mancers had anythin' to do with it.

[kyotoprincess]

Which is probably true. I don't think anyone would want to admit that the group they're with did bad things.

[He's imagining Kyoto, and how certain people did horrible things under the false assumption that they were helping.]

[hellpyre]

[She can tell what he's thinking without him even saying it aloud, and she scowls deeply.]

Exorcists don't destroy entire worlds just to get the winnin' hand in a stupid war.

[kyotoprincess]

[WELL, THEY DO WANT TO DESTROY GEHENNA...

But hearing that surprises Bon.]

Wait, you're saying Nathaniel's friends caused the Calamity, all to win a war?

[hellpyre]

[OKAY YEAH BUT they haven't actually gone that far yet so...]

... [There's a bit of hesitance, but after a moment she does nod.]

Ura and Caelondians have been enemies for a long time...

[kyotoprincess]

But they seemed to be doing pretty well here. I haven't seen any of the others start fights. If the fighting was really that bad, wouldn't they be at each other's throats?

[hellpyre]

Remember... when Night showed up? And how upset she got? But when she tried to threaten me she just sort of... stopped and let go of me?

I think... I think this place does somethin'. That makes it so people can't fight much without it kickin' in and stoppin' it. Even if I hadn't been there I bet Nathaniel and Zulf wouldn't have gone on fightin' for long.

[kyotoprincess]

Like some kind of emotional barrier?

[But no, Rin gets angry all the time. It has to be something else.]

...Or maybe just something to prevent the violence...

[hellpyre]

The last one, I think.

[Because seriously look at this kitchen.]

Caels made it all. They made the Bastion, and they made the weapons.

[kyotoprincess]

[Bon shrugs.]

Weapons themselves aren't a problem. It's how they're used that matters. From the sounds of it, they weren't used for good, either.

[hellpyre]

No, I don't think they were.

[Her fingers curl on her lap, head shaking slowly]

It's one thing to do this kinda shit to your own world, but they've destroyed so much...

[kyotoprincess]

[Bon agrees with Rin. This is just too much.]

We should go ask him directly about it. He's part of that group, he should have answers.

[hellpyre]

D'ya really think he's gonna wanna answer questions after what Zulf did to him?

[Though she'd be lying if she said she didn't want answers...]

[kyotoprincess]

If they just had a fight, they'll be alright after a day or so. We fight all the time, and we've never stayed mad at each other longer than that.

[Even going back to before they were dating, the longest time they ever stayed mad at each other was over the Satan thing, and he still eventually came around about that.]

[hellpyre]

[And that was almost entirely them being mad at Rin, and it was... ironically for the same goddamn thing: not being honest.]

Y'never hated me as much as Zulf hates the Mancers, Bon. Even when I was at my worst...

[kyotoprincess]

I never hated you at all.

[He got angry, yes. But even back when they first met, he had never hated Rin. Not in the angry-hate way, at least. Maybe in the 'totally rivals' kind of way, but that isn't even really hate, just a drive to out-do each other. And as for the Satan thing...he thought it was hate then, but looking back on it, it was more a feeling of betrayal than hate.

But whoops he didn't mean to admit to that MOVING ON]

ANYWAY, after they're cooled off, we should talk to them. They owe everyone answers.

[hellpyre]

[BUT HE DID ADMIT IT and for as upset as she has been this day, him saying that is one giant ray of sunshine in an otherwise miserable overcast of emotional weather. For a moment she just sort of... stares, but after a bit of that her face goes red, and a faint smile twitches on the corner of her lips.]

... yeah. You're right.

[That was, of course, to what he'd said about talking to Nathaniel and Zulf.

But after agreeing, she slips off the stool she'd dropped on to, moving over so she can give Bon a hug.

Shut up, she needs it right now, okay?]

I didn't hate you, either. Even if you were a jerk to me at first.