The full seasonal event can be read here! Below are the main seasonal items for quick reference:
1. A thread reacting to the season's weather in some ways.
2. A thread in the part of the city your character doesn't live in!
3. A thread relating to your vocation.
Of The Season
Quote
"Tell Dr. Nate that Gale sent you, and he still owes me for the mushrooms. Except that it takes you a while to reach the clinic, and by the time you do your fever is spiking, and so instead of the requisite message you instead tell the poor soul who greets you that 'A gale'a m'shrooms sent me cus'a my hands.'" - Zephyr in Oh help me, please doctor, I'm damaged
Even if the sky here is not fully covered by the looming Plates, there isn't much to see when looking up. The rain isn't heavy, but more like a very wet thick fog coming down from the sky above and it's like looking up at a gray mass. It's that type of rain that eventually finds its way into your bones even if you are not directly out in it.
The reason he is out in it is part because he doesn't want to spend the day huddled up in the closet of a room he is currently renting. He had spend some time at a café earlier, but a hot drink only last so long and he didn't feel comfortable taking up space for more hours without ordering things. Money being something he doesn't like spending much of unless he has to. The reason he is not further in under the cover of the Plates is because he is so tired of the dark. Even if Light's Edge is not living up to its name much this day, what light comes down through the fog is at least better than nothing.
He has found a somewhat dry wall to lean against under an overhanging roof next to a currently rather empty street. A part of the river is in view across from where he is standing and he watches the water rush by through half-opened eyes with the back of his head resting against the wall. Today is one of the days where he just feels weary of everything. Some days now, he feels rather okay and manages to take things as they come and not stress over being stuck. It doesn't make him less stuck anyway.
But some days, like this one, the restlessness is back to gnaw at him. The weather is not exactly a great morale booster either and he isn't sure he has ever wished a Drenak to be over this quickly before.
The reader of this text has standing permission for responsible powerplay and to use physical/magical force against this character. Instant killing and permanently maiming not included.
father, father, let me figure it out i'm gonna swim in the thick of it now, i can't even tell the difference now
There are a few things Sunjata’s learned about Drench life from the small amount of time he’s stayed down here: first thing, it’s practically always wet and winding. Second thing, he misses the sun a surprising amount. Third, he’s claustrophobic (a surprise to him). And fourth, he misses having access to all the finer showering options up on the Plates, with the filtered water and such, because regardless of how many times he scrubs he never quite feels clean.
He’s been alone for a while, at least, taking short adventures long before curfew goes into effect, wanting nothing more than to remain safe from the enforcer crack down. Which is why he’s been working on figuring out a map system, to help him figure out how to be less lost down here. Light’s Edge isn’t a spot he’s visited often, mainly because the large amount of people, but today it seems less so with how dreary the weather has become. He remains bundled up, a hat over his head keeping his ears warm, a scarf around his neck and a mask in place to try and keep him from getting the plague that everyone else seemed to have.
He’s simply lucky that it does a good job at hiding his identity too. It still doesn’t help the stress of getting caught, though, and as he sees the pack of enforcers slip down the main alley of Light’s Edge, Sunjat cuts into an overhang by an empty street, guided by the neon lights that glimmer overhead. But it’s a dead end, and he finds himself turning around to come back so that it didn’t seem suspicious, instead picking the first person he sees to ask some stupid question to make it look like he’d done it on purpose. “Hey, do you know where I can find the Drowning Fox?” It was the name of a cheaper motel down here and certainly not where he was intending to go, but as he looks from the prowling enforcers to who he’s asked, he freezes.
During the earlier parts of his time down in the Drench, he too would quickly find an alley to slip into for hiding whenever he spotted enforcers. Eventually, however, that paranoia died down more and more and now he barely spares the patrols a glance. There is still a nervous feeling rising within him at the sight of them, but he keeps it hidden, having learned that the more anxious he seems, the more of a target he might become. If he just minds his own business, he remains safer. Beside, if they really wanted him, he knows it probably won't matter if he acts calm or nervous. They'd go for him before he can react much anyway.
Luckily, this patrol just walks by and turns in on another street and the sound of their boots soon disappear from him. His attention returning to staring absently at the river while his mind once again wanders away somewhere else. Back to tumbling all his thoughts around over and over and over in his head in a loop that just put more weight on his shoulders. He doesn't even register someone coming up to him that isn't just another person walking by, not until said person speaks up.
"Yeah, I th-..." He goes silent when his mind latches on to the voice and he wakes up properly from his own thoughts, head turning to stare at the person in question. Surely he had heard wrong. At first he sort of recognizes the masked person as the one from the bathhouse, but together with the voice he really looks this time and his expression changes to disbelief and confusion. At least he doesn't say the name out loud, but he mouths "Sunjata?" as he continues to stare at the other man while he is trying to figure out what to even say. This still being the very last place he is expecting to see Sunjata at.
The reader of this text has standing permission for responsible powerplay and to use physical/magical force against this character. Instant killing and permanently maiming not included.
father, father, let me figure it out i'm gonna swim in the thick of it now, i can't even tell the difference now
Fuck, fuck, fuck seems to be the sudden running mantra in his head as Cian looks back at him and Sunjata remains equally just as frozen. And when his name is mouthed, silently, he thanks the saints for the luck in the fact that his friend hadn’t just blurted out the Arbiter’s sons existence down here in amongst the pack of wolves.
He tries to exhale, but it’s shaky, and there’s too many people around for him to say anything else — having lucked out so far with nobody recognizing his accent. So in a move precisely Drench like, Sunjata grabs the front of Cian’s shirt and drags him into the alley with him that he’s just emerged from. It’s silent and there’s nobody around to listen in, and the enforcers have passed long enough for Sunjata to have to face the music, right?
He doesn’t say anything immediately, though. Instead, he lets Cian go and smooths out his shirt where he’d grabbed him, looking up at him with a sheepish sort of look and a silent nod. “Taren.” He offers the new undercover name, if only to help Cian not blurt out his real name.
Neither of them seems to know what to say or do at first, other than just staring. One in confusion and the other perhaps closer to panic. Cian isn't even sure how to react. How he wants to react, apart from at least feeling relief over Sunjata seemingly being alright, especially after from what he had heard about dangerous company.
Being grabbed is nothing he was expecting either, but fortunately, his confusion is already spinning his head around so much he doesn't put up any resistance as he is being dragged into the alley. Other than wondering what the fuck is going on?! He remains silent as well and continues to just stare in utter confusion after being let go and Sunjata is trying to smooth out his shirt again.
His mouth opens and closes a few times after the new name is given and eventually, he shakes his head briskly in an attempt to just reset. "What are you doing down here? I thought you were stuck up there until I learned you had disappeared." He points up towards the Plates as he more or less hisses the words out, but not in an angry manner. Everything still in the theme of mild shock and confusion, but he somehow at least manages to think enough to keep his voice down just in case.
The reader of this text has standing permission for responsible powerplay and to use physical/magical force against this character. Instant killing and permanently maiming not included.
father, father, let me figure it out i'm gonna swim in the thick of it now, i can't even tell the difference now
It’s honestly a similar thing for the young Bratena, who’s just had one of the biggest crisis’ that he could think of with Cian recognizing him. But so far, he’s safe, the nickname offered easily as he works his jaw beneath the mask that covers most of his face except for the steel eyes and the smattering of freckles, less prominent now that he isn’t under the sun and sky that often.
“I was… Stuck up there. My father had me on double shifts.” He admits with a slight wince, trying to keep his voice down. “I used the giant toad occurrence to sneak out. I was intending to go see my mother. But I didn’t get that far.” And he certainly didn’t want to go back up Plate side to face the music.
He looks at Cian more fully though, before the lines of a frown can be seen in his gaze. “I’m sorry about what happened up there.” How it had been all his fault to get Cian wrapped up in it.
His mind starts to settle while he listens to Sunjata, frowning for a second as the whole toad hunt is mentioned and when he thinks back, the vague memory of the masked person from that event becomes more familiar and he sighs quietly for himself. Trying to not feel stupid over not recognising Sunjata back then, but at the same time, he really had no reason to assume anything at all.
To the apology, he shakes his head. "Wasn't really your fault. Was just... Wrong place, wrong time an all that." A heavier sigh leaves him and he looks this and that way while trying to gather his thoughts, then shakes his head again and looks back to Sunjata. "You know they are looking for you, right?" It wouldn't surprise him if Sunjata is already aware he is being searched for at this point, but Cian decides to share that part anyway. He had not seen any wanted posters up yet. At least not down in the Drench and he had not exactly been taken a good look around during his brief visit to the Plates.
"I've even been asked if I know where you are. Of course I didn't know, but I don't think I was believed. Kept being told how you are in danger down here, as if that would make me tell the truth." He shrugs and a bit of an unhappy smile tugs at a corner of his mouth. "Guess I will actually have to lie for real if I get asked again now, huh?" Even if in this situation it is probably safest to know as little as possible, he is still glad to know Sunjata is at least alive.
The reader of this text has standing permission for responsible powerplay and to use physical/magical force against this character. Instant killing and permanently maiming not included.
father, father, let me figure it out i'm gonna swim in the thick of it now, i can't even tell the difference now
He shifts on his feet, shoving his hands in his pockets as his apology slips from his lips, his steel gaze almost warily watching Cian to see his reaction – fully understanding if the man would never want to speak with him again. But, it seems that isn’t the case so far as the wrong place, wrong time leaves the other man’s lips. A sentiment Sunjata can agree with as he puffs out a quiet little “yeah.”
Only to be followed up with the abrupt they’re looking for you. A fact he already knew, which is why he’d done his best to try and avoid any and all enforcer patrols – squirreling himself away in that empty space that Nate managed to get him into without any questions asked. “Yeah, I know. I talked to Vera a little while ago.” The only enforcer so far that had cornered him had luckily been his fiancée, and it certainly wasn’t without its large dose of panic and worry as well.
His brows pinch beneath the hat he wears to hear that Cian kept getting harassed by them about his location and Sunjata’s frown deepens, his gaze averting from Cian like a kicked dog would as he stares at some speck on the alley wall. “I’m more in danger up there than I am here. The people down here don’t know what I look like yet.” Which is beneficial, because he’s sure the second Shaju puts out that bounty, people would be on the hunt.
But he does huff a soft, almost sad laugh, the lifting of his cheeks in the smile that blooms beneath the mask still hiding his face. “I’m sorry you’re in the middle of it. It wasn’t my intention. I don’t… Make friends often or easily and I didn’t want you to think I was just ignoring you when I came back Plate side after getting stuck down here the first time.” It was all he’d wanted to say – that he wasn’t going to intentionally ghost Cian. But then the enforcers showed up, dragged them to DEPOT, and the rest… Well.
As he suspected, Sunjata is already aware of being searched for, but Cian had wanted to share that he knew about it anyway. Perhaps to show he is on Sunjata's side. Should he even be on any side? He doesn't really want any part in whatever family conflict is going on here. On a more personal level, however, he does want Sunjata to be alright and perhaps it is just impossible to not be mixed up one way or the other.
A concerned frown forms on his face when Sunjata looks away like that, looking up briefly towards the Plates above when Sunjata mentions he is in more danger there than down in the drench, but Cian refrains from asking why. He is a little bit curious about what is going on, again wanting to ask out of personal care, but still doesn't because he shouldn't be too involved in it. The more he tries to think about it, the more of a tangled struggle it seems to become.
"It's alright. I know it wasn't your intention and I am not blaming you for what happened." He says with yet another sigh and shakes his head once more at the apology. "Might just have been unavoidable no matter what... Unless one wants to stay completely isolated from others, but that doesn't sound like a good solution either." He knows there are some people you just shouldn't get involved with, but he can't count Sunjata to one of those. Even with this family drama going on, he doesn't want to just back away completely. Wanting to hold on to what very few friends he might have in the city, even if it comes with risks.
The reader of this text has standing permission for responsible powerplay and to use physical/magical force against this character. Instant killing and permanently maiming not included.
father, father, let me figure it out i'm gonna swim in the thick of it now, i can't even tell the difference now
Honestly, Sunjata releases a breath of relief to know that Cian hadn’t blamed him – it was part of the reason he’d avoided the other man so much. But given the fact that he was recognized now, well, the cat was out of the bag. And it seems like Cian doesn’t have any intention of sharing his location to anyone else. It’s a welcome respite, to be honest. And all he can offer is a quiet little “thank you” aired in a voice so wispy with his relief.
As for the rest of it – it could have been avoided, had Sunjata simply just gone home instead of making that pitstop. But he has to agree with the idea of isolation – because that was the life he lived. One that Savera was the only one allowed into because of their history, of their connection in school and how promising she could be to the young Bratena’s future.
It’s a fact he doesn’t doubt – but it isn’t one either of them wanted.
Sunjata rubs at the side of his head for a moment as he hums a sound that could be considered agreement. “I just have… Some implicating stuff in how I don’t agree with my father or most Platers about how the Drench is treated. They’d see it as treason.” It was the easiest way to tell Cian what was going on. “Are you down here permanently?” He asks in a sudden shift to get the subject off of the true reasoning.
