Event Log: Dazed and Confused

[hadrielmods]

Who: Everyone participating in the event!
What: The event log for the Dazed and Confused event!
Where: All around the city
When: September 24th-October 2nd
Warnings: None!

On the 24th of September, you wake up and everything seems pretty normal. You've got to head in for your shift at the guard, or at the clinic, or wherever else people go- maybe you're visiting a friend, maybe you're checking out the library, but either way as soon as you step out onto your street, you're in a foreign location.

No, you haven't been transported anywhere weird. Well, not by anything other than your own two feet. And hey, you could recognize a landmark and know your way back from there! But somehow you turn left instead of right and now everything is confusing again. It's not that the city itself is changing, but rather, it's your ability to take direction and move in the way that you think you should.

On top of all that, of course, is the strange inversion of most abilities. Everything is topsy turvy with your various powers or individual skills, so be on the lookout for some odd changes. Maybe you're usually pretty good at reasoning and now you can't think your way out of a paper bag, or maybe you have fire powers that start shooting icicles instead- either way, it's weird. Hopefully you can deal with it without injuring yourself too much, but... well, it's kind of difficult to make any guarantees when you can't even find your way to the clinic when you accidentally break something.

► This log covers September 24th-October 2nd.
► Feel free to make your own logs as well
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► If you walk into the lake and drown or have some other unfortunate mishap, please let us know here!

Comments

[hotspurred]

[Henry shrugs.]

Perhaps one breach makes access easier. Perhaps the Door requires certain conditions to be met. I do not see the value in such speculation before we know more of the Door itself.

[Pushing off the doorframe, he slowly makes his way towards the bathroom.]

I feel like a foal taking its first steps. [He huffs, ctaching his balance with a hand on the wall.] Had you any animals on your farm?

[mismanagement]

It would be better if we could verify the data. [Then, perhaps, some theories might be proven or disputed in turn. Maketh pauses, squeezing Henry's arm briefly.] Your strength will return.

[She's certain of that.

The question, however, gives her pause.]

Animals? Oh. Not many. A few loth-cats to deal with pests. Moisture farming doesn't require them. Most of it was done with machinery.

[She glances up at him.]

Water is a precious thing in the desert.

[hotspurred]

[He smiles at her in response to the squeeze. She is right, of course. Though he is soon puzzled by her answer to his question.]

Moisture farming...? How works that?

[mismanagement]

On planets where wells cannot be dug, we use machinery to draw moisture out of the air itself. [She pauses, considering how best to explain.] All oxygen has some amount of water inside it. In the old days, people would string out large nets in the early morning, to catch the dew that gathered on them. Now we use machinery to do the same thing. Does that make sense?

[hotspurred]

Ah. That makes sense.

[He is, after all, clever enough. It's merely that his base knowledge is medieval. The depths of his scientific and technological ignorance would no doubt horrify her.

When Henry reaches the bathroom he heads to the sink, and braces himself against it. He turns the tap on and splashes his face.]

Felt it strange when you found yourself with an abundance of water at your disposal?

[mismanagement]

[This time Maketh lingers in the doorway, ready to spring into action if needed, but letting Henry stand - momentarily - under his own power. Thus far the experiment hasn't caused either of them to bleed.

She huffs at the question.]

Quite. It seemed...oh, they used it for such foolish things!

[Then she grimaces.]

And I did not know how to swim. That was not a pleasant lesson.

[hotspurred]

No?

[Not that swimming is hugely common in his time. He faintly grimaces at the thought that with his preference for heavy armour, swimming does him little good anyway. He grabs his washcloth and soap and begins to give himself a cursory wash. Cleanliness will help him to feel refreshed.]

It oft rains in Northumberland, and we usually see snow in the winter. In the spring and autumn its green hills are shrouded in mist early morn. 'Tis the coldest part of England, but the chill is reviving. Much unlike Scotland across the border, where it becomes so cold that men die from it.

[mismanagement]

I learned quickly.

[She had wanted an education, after all. That was part of it. Maketh leans forward a little, curious at what he describes.] Truly? You had snow? How did you prevent your armor from freezing?

[hotspurred]

'Twas neither cold enough nor did the snow fall so heavily that it froze over. One wore woollen cloaks outside of fighting. Otherwise, one's movements hindered ice forming. The layers of padding plate requires combined with the heat of one's body as one exerts oneself leaves it very warm inside. That too had impact.

[Setting aside his washcloth, he picks up his razor and pauses, examining the current unsteadiness of his hand. He weighs the risk: light stubble versus the undignified possibility of nicks.]

Though you understand that the difficulties of fighting a war in winter made it a rarer occurrence.

[mismanagement]

[Maketh huffs and moves in to stand beside him, holding her hand out for the razor.] Give met that before you hurt yourself.

[She's shaved men before. Just not for a while. But her hands are steadier than Henry's right now.]

I suppose it would, with your technology. We attempted to avoid it as well, but occasionally there was no choice.

[hotspurred]

I will not.

[He protests. For a brief moment Henry wars with his pride, but thinking of how long she must have sat at his bedside polishing his armour -- of how much he has missed the comfort of having family close -- he passes the razor to her and remains still but pliant, in order to facilitate her self-appointed task.]

[mismanagement]

[Maketh bumps her arm against his with a smile, playful.] What do you use for shaving cream, brother?

[She tests the blade against her thumb with a nod. Sharp enough.]

[hotspurred]

I can lather myself.

[Henry huffs with a laugh, before proceeding to do just that -- by now he is used to the products stocked in the stores, and has an assortment kept nearby. He returns the shaving cream to its place once done.]

[mismanagement]

[Maketh just smiles in return, waiting. It's been years since she's done this for anyone, but like anything involving sharp objects, she remember it well. With anyone else, she'd offer a warning to hold still. Henry, she's sure, already knows that. No need to say foolish things.

She begins slowly, following the curve of his cheek.]

I did this for Kareem, once. Itani's brother. He'd broken his hand doing something foolish. Oh, he'd tried with his other hand, but that was not a pretty sight. I took pity on him.

[She shakes her head a little.]

I don't know if you would have liked him. He was a horrible flirt. Far too handsome for his own good.

[hotspurred]

[Henry listens, amusement in his eyes. He replies only when he no longer feels the press of the razor.]

I imagine not.

[It's little surprise that he lacks patience for irreverence and irresponsibility. There are times when he makes exceptions, of course, but those who would choose it as a way of life?]

[mismanagement]

[Maketh huffs out a laugh, wiping the razor on a cloth before she continues.] Oh, he was always in trouble. I thought he was nothing but a entitled fool in the beginning, but...he was kind to me. Their whole squad was, really, though they had no reason to be...

[She's quiet a moment.]

Their father was an admiral. Great things were expected of them.

[hotspurred]

I am glad they were kind to you.

[That would make him more kindly disposed, he thinks. Still, his brow furrows at her latter comment.]

That was justification...?

[There is a fine thread of incredulity amidst his puzzlement. He knows the weight of legacy, but as far as he is concerned, one simply gets on with upholding it. Honour demands that one tries.

He keeps that to himself, however -- he is not out to insult the people in her past who were important to her.]

[mismanagement]

[No doubt great things were expected of Henry as well, Maketh thinks. She wipes the razor again, then resumes her task. It's calming, in a way. Each stroke must be controlled and just so, else she'll cut him.] They--did not wish to serve the Empire. I don't know what happened. But they saw--the truth of it, I suppose. Long before I did.

[She smiles a little, sadly.]

But the children of an admiral must serve, whether they believe in the cause or not. In that way, I suppose I had a choice. They were never offered one.

[hotspurred]

[Henry makes a wordless noise of understanding in his throat. When she next removes the razor, he says:]

That I better understand. No one should fight for that which they do not believe in. To compromise our honour, to act in opposition to what we know is righteous... it should not be borne.

[mismanagement]

No, [Maketh agrees, softly. There ought to be choices. She's quiet a moment, following the line of his neck and then wiping the razor clean yet again.] May I ask you something, Henry?

[hotspurred]

[He gives her a curious look.]

By all means.

[mismanagement]

Your serve your king without pause. And he seems a good, honorable man.

[That much is clear from the look on Henry's face whenever he mentions Edward. Maketh sighs.]

Did you never have doubts?

[hotspurred]

Edward? I tested his worthiness on our first meeting. I argued with him over his decisions, though his judgement proved right.

[Henry rubs the back of his head.]

...Yet I doubted not that I owed my service. That was my rightful obligation. The difference would be that now I serve foremost out of love.

[In the context of this conversation he means it in the fealty sense.]

[mismanagement]

[Maketh nods just once, wiping the razor clean once again before returning to her task.] A just cause. I think I--wanted that. I believed I served one, or perhaps I simply wanted to believe so badly that...

[Well. What's done was done.]

It's more complicated now. But--better, I think. To know what we do for what it is.

[hotspurred]

[Henry hums his agreement as she works. At the next opportunity, he says:]

If we remain honest with ourselves, we will stray not from our ideals.

[He smiles.]

Not the easiest of tasks, but we do possess one key advantage. We may rely upon each other.