tramitem_log | 2020 June Summer Solstice Plot

Palace Gardens

The gardens draw him in- an oasis of peace, tranquility, and inviting green. Maybe there's something to be said for only having the one job, if it gives him the time to come through and enjoy this other world.

..Not that he should be, if the portals really could close at any given time, but how could he resist the lure of a new world? Just a little break from city life in a universe he feels strangely comfortable in despite growing up in a more modern world.

In spite of the risks, Elliott pops through almost every day and spends an hour or two walking around the gardens or resting by the ponds, chatting up locals until he spots another one of the Different happen by.

He can't help but grin and wave a little. "I see you got Mr. Martin's invitation, too."

The Temple

The moment he hears the word 'temple', Elliott's curiosity is piqued. To his dismay, it's a gaudy thing that appears to pay more homage to wealth than faith. Still, it's something of a holy place and he makes an effort to look past the gilded opulence to the root of whatever mysterious deity is said to be attributed there.

"Well, I guess gold is a rock," he muses, turning over the stone he'd received from a painted egg, then stands on his toes and cranes to see the altar.

"...Maybe it's considered to be especially magical?"

A Tavern

When he asks for a drink, he doesn't expect it to be alcoholic. Almost says something in fact, before catching himself. He'd been old enough to drink in his past life, and who else had to know? ..Well, maybe the smile he tries to stifle into the tankard isn't particularly subtle. It's sweet, almost honeyed, and Elliott decides that he likes it. Paired with some tavern fare, it all actually goes down a treat.

"Mmn, I am coming here every time I'm in town."

Edited 2020-06-21 00:10 (UTC)

Market

There was no way Wei Wuxian was not going through those portals the minute they opened up. He should be more cautious but that has never been how he rolls. This is the kind of stuff sci-fi movies are made out of and he can't wait to check it out.

Ending up in the market, he luckily has his backpack with him with several items worthy of bartering for. He managed to trade for one of the eggs that have rocks in them. His first being a pretty pink stone. He looks forward to getting a few more. There is something oddly familiar about this hustle and bustle of a marketplace but he doesn't quite know why since he's never seen anything like this before.

He stops and looks at another booth, admiring the different items at it.

Taverns

Wei Wuxian is definitely going to check out the drinks and taste the local cuisine. Everything here is so different from NYC and yet he feels just as at home here as he does there. Of course if his dreams are any indication these kind of old time places are closer to what his past life used to live in.

He orders a drink and settles in to enjoy a meal.

Palace Gardens

Meandering through the gardens, he wonders just what this stone festival is going to be like that everyone keeps talking about. The gardens are pretty and relaxing, which is almost exactly what he needs ever since having that second memory. He knows he could easily have a third one any day now and so he's ready for a literal change of scenery.

"I don't see why that guy is so worked up about us coming here."

Jack couldn't help himself. The second the portals opened he wanted to explore. He'd always been fighting this drive to travel. And getting the chance to explore someplace new was just too tempting not to pass up. So Jack can currently be found dressed in jeans and a loose white shirt along with seasonable boots as he looks around the market. He's not planning on buying anything, he just wants to explore and maybe learn something from the people manning the booths.

He feels this odd itch in the back of his head almost like he has done something like this before.

OTA
Stay out of trouble?

Ha!

For the first time since all of this started, Anakin was actually enjoying being one of the Different. Who wouldn’t want to explore a whole new world? He was drawn to the portals like he was drawn to fire – maybe to his own detriment but he would go down spectacularly if it didn’t go well.

His first peak was just to see if he could cross and not die. That achieved, his second adventure he stayed until he was thirsty and then traveled home because he might barrel into the flames, but he knew not to trust the water.

Now, he had a backpack full of water, and a willingness to try everything else out. He loved the market, so many things to see and touch and smell. God the food was amazing, he didn’t know eggs could be made in so many different ways. He gave the Temple a passing glance but really didn’t care about the details, it was all gold, right, what was new about gold? The library- maybe if someone wanted him to go. The Palace grounds, those were interesting because he’d never been to an actual palace before.

If someone wanted to look at something specific with him, he’d follow.

Ben and Anakin
A day of hiking wasn’t a bad way to spend the day. Getting lost? Well, that just made it an adventure. Or that’s what he kept telling Ben. At first it was only mildly frustrating, but as the afternoon bled into the evening and they still hadn’t found their way back to the road leading to the city, tensions rose.

They eventually found the rode, thank god, and were on their way back to the city gate just as the sun was setting. Anakin was mostly looking forward to a good meal. He had water, and candy, and a few ‘hiking’ varieties of snacks in his backpack, but those were just snacks. And moving all day- he was hungry.

As they got closer to the gate, Anakin could see in the last rays of waning light that the gate was shut. It had been fully propped open when they’d left, right?

“How hard do you think we’ll need to pound on the door to get their attention?” he half joked.

Market - Fun

The portal he had foolishly hopped into deposited Anthony in the middle of a bustling market street. He had already stumbled into a group of ladies and just missed taking a tumble into the middle of a basket of some odd mango-like fruit before he had even taken a one full turn to look back at the portal he had popped out out.

This place was amazing! There were people everywhere, stalls overflowing with interesting goods, some one walking by with a tray offered him a free sample of some kind of odd looking deviled egg dish... Pink was an interesting choice but the flavor was magical. It must have been created by some sort of unique spice he had never before tasted.

There was so much to see! Anthony found himself drawn down the street and into the nearest stall, though he did resurface now and then to check the portal to see if anyone he knew arrived. If his temptation was successful Aziraphale might be dropping by at any time or maybe some of the other Different.

The Temple of the Unknowable God - Silly

"HA! I don't believe it!"

Anthony's long legs carried him up the Temple stairs and he beamed boldly at the passersby while he stood at the precipice!

"Look at this!"

Once he had earned the attention he craved he stepped over the threshold and stood there in the doorway, triumphant on the tiled Temple flooring! The first man who had conquered Everest and all he had needed to do was step over a door-jam!!

Bar Hopping - Traditional bar fight

There were as many small pubs and taverns in this world as there were stalls in the marketplace. In the Tavern he found himself in there was a lady with a harp or violin styled device which she plucked or ran her bow across depending on which sort of sound she wanted the instrument to make. It was alien, like so much about this place but the drink he ordered was good. A strange fruity concoction that he really, really hoped didn't have any more egg in it.

It was a concern.

But more worrying was the big guy at the counter. He sat hunched over whatever he was drinking with his back turned to the festivities, harmless, but there was something about him that drew Anthony's eye. A sort of seething... well, wrath, to put a term to it. The funny thing was no one else seemed to have noticed like Anthony was the only one in this whole bar who could sense it. Maybe as he was the only demon in the room.

Anthony gestured toward the big guy and then to the nearest familiar face.

"You think he's alright?"

It seemed wise to check. After all maybe it was all in his head and some one with a clearer view could soothe his concerns or so he thought before the big guy suddenly roared, stood up, and cracked a stool over the bartender's head. He then grabbed another and glared down the rest of the room before swinging it wildly at whomever he came charging up to. Anthony caught a glancing blow at the temple which sent him toppling over backwards to the cold hardwood floor. Really... he should have moved quicker...

The Hills - Unease grows

After his run in with Captain Crazy Bar Fight at the local Tavern Anthony had decided to get away from all the manic city atmosphere by heading out into the countryside. He met some interesting people along his walk but his feeling of unease only grew stronger. It was a similar sort of angry seething like the one he had felt in the bar right before that man had gone WWE on everyone but this was different in a way that was difficult to pin down. It was anger but it felt unique, like it was directed at something other than whatever force had set off that Big Guy at the bar. Whatever it was it sent his new demonic senses tingling.

This he tried to pass off as nerves, though he had never been of a particularly nervous nature. That is until he felt the first tremor.

"Shit!"

His eyes danced frantically around, searching for the source of this unique anger but there was only the grass bouncing along with the tremor and the unlucky person whose shirt had been grabbed at the neckline as soon as the tremors started.

"You have to have felt that! There's no way any one can tell me they didn't feel that! There is something very big and very angry out here!"

“I’ll admit,” Bail said, taking a corner of red fabric woven through with gold and purple threads in his fingers and examining it. “I’m glad you convinced me to join you.”

Bail’s original position about the portals was to leave well enough alone. Movies and TV were not real life, but when did real life involve portals to another universe?

But Ben had been adamant that it was perfectly safe. So Bail had taken a chance.

And the outing so far had been rather pleasant.

“Where did you go when you came here before?”

Market
Clarence was late but that wasn't too surprising. His dinner with Phil and Kris took precedence; they were trying to make him feel more and more at home every day, and he wasn't willing to spit on their kindness. So, knowing he was probably just going to slow any other Different down, he chose to enter Krajina Bozstiev alone on his first day though he doubted he could remain alone for long.

He spent a good portion of his first visit in the market, just gawking at the various stalls and envying the beauty in all the hand-crafted goods. So many things were lovingly crafted; clothing, carvings, even jewelry, and Clarence craved some of it for himself. Unfortunately, he had nothing to trade. However, asking around had given him an interesting idea, particularly after mentioning art. Everyone seemed to think he was mad for thinking a painting or two could be bought at a mere market stall.

Hmm... Perhaps, in time, he would have a chance to trade something after all...

Around various areas
Sometimes while sitting in the garden of the palace, or standing in the corner of a crowded street corner, Clarence would take out his sketchbook and start to draw. He sketched any old thing that caught his eye; an odd pattern in the architecture, a passing stranger, a stall of unfamiliar fruit. At first, the citizens ignored him, happy to go about their business, but then a woman noticed him sketching her and demanded to see. Her demeanor, forceful but with a hint of kindness, gave him a strange feeling of familiarity...

Pretty soon several people had heard of his talents (jeez, what talents? he can't help but mutter, helplessly lost in the river of support suddenly inundating him) and coins and items are practically being thrown at him for a simple sketch. He gets even more recognition the day he brings a few of his old (terrible) watercolor paintings. Sure, his fame is hardly anything compared to the hype of the festivities saturating the city, but he can't help but feel he's finally found out what it feels like to be popular.

He doesn't completely hate it, but he isn't sure how much he likes it. He does catch himself smiling more often however.

The Library
Clarence is very careful with the texts he's been allowed to peruse. He isn't much of a reader but he's very interested to see if he can find out more about the art of the country. Unfortunately there's little to really be seen in the books regarding famous paintings or sculptures.

He does, however, find many beautifully hand-drawn and colored illustrations in many of the books. He may not have cell service here, but that doesn't stop him from snapping a few pictures of the more intricate ones he finds.

Taverns galore
Truth be told, Clarence would be a foodie if his modest budget at home allowed for it. As it is, his hocking of art had granted him more riches than he could have imagined owning. He may not really understand the currency here, but he's been listening while other people buy food from the stalls and before he ordered at his first tavern, so he's trying to still spend thrifty while he can.

Kabobs with unusual veggies skewered along with chicken one day. Rice with a strange minty spice sprinkled on it the next. A variety of local desserts for dinner even on one occasion.

If someone where to pay attention they'll notice he turns down any offer for wine, ale, or alcohol in general. Instead, he buys fresh fruit juice or exotic teas to wash down his variety of meals.

Library

Fell can be found taking extensive notes on whatever the librarian permits him to read, but he's particularly keen on magic (both for himself and to share with Alec), religion and if anything resembles demonology (go ahead and guess why) and the history and culture of the world. Why was this the place the portals opened to, he hopes to discover. And has it happened before?

The library's collection of books stirs something familiar in him, and by the middle/end of the week, that stirring has risen up into a full on covetousness. Getting him to leave the books will be just short of an argument.

Market & Tavern

Fell has been trading for some local textiles, dyes, and food. It's rather enchanting, like going to a farmers market or craft fair, only far more complex, noisy, and bustling. The whole atmosphere feels ancient and strangely not nearly as foreign as he expected it might. He's swept up by the novelty of it all. You'll find him chatting with the vendors about the different delicacies ("Eggs in this one also?!"), and snacking as he goes.

"I really should have brought a bag. You'd think I would remember by now." Plastic carryout bags had been banned in NYC since March, and yet.

Eventually he arrives at the tavern and orders a drink and a meal. He's already been to dine with Anthony at one of these establishments, but he's eager to try new things and he suspects the tavern is a good place to pick up local news. At least it always seems that way in the stories.

A few drinks in and he's giggly and regailing the nearest people with a story, but he's lost the point of the whole thing halfway through.

The Temple of the Unknowable God

Why are gods always unknowable? Or rather, what makes THIS god so unknowable, when readings in the library suggest there are paired off gods that ARE knowable, at least for their thematic attributes. A word teases at his mind, suggestive of something he can't quite place, something to do with unknowable, unfathomable things. It's all very- very- It was right there, on the tip of his tongue... Just give him a moment to think of it and it will surely- No, no, the word whatever it was, is lost.

He looks around, put off and intrigued by the gaudy radiance of it all.

"Is it so lavish, I wonder, because the god is unknowable?" How better to court the approval, he supposes, of a god you do not understand but do not want to anger, than with gilded gifts and a shrine of incredible wealth and spoil. "Or do they favor all the gods so opulently?"

The Hills & The Eastern Gates

"I've been locked out!" Fell has made the mistake of enjoying sundown outside the city. He is not exactly dressed for an evening in the wilderness, and even though he's not freezing, he's not keen on spending the night outside the city walls. It is a bit on the chilly side, and there might be vicious animals out here! Or worse! And he's entirely without the means to make a campfire or any such thing.

And that rumbling ground business has him, pardon the pun, shaken up. What was that, a volcano? An active fault line? A sleeping giant eldritch horror awaiting the summer solstice sacrifice?

Good lord, he's never really liked camping. Grandfather used to say it was where you separated the men from the boys, but all it ever seemed to do for Aziraphale was separate him from a warm shower, good food, and indoor plumbing. He's lucky he had the foresight to buy snacks back at the market.

"Surely there must be another portal around here somewhere..."

Right now York is working two jobs that total about 80 hours a week, but he's perfectly willing to call off and explore this place instead of going to work. He's sure Smith won't mind too much—she's seeing the exact apparition he's seeing, after all. It doesn't take York long to choose a portal and to walk through it. He's interested in exploring and it doesn't matter to him where he shows up at the outset.

a. M A R K E T —

Of course, York is deposited in the market, one of the most crowded places he's ever seen that wasn't a sports venue. The wares here are unlike anything he's ever seen before, too—intricately woven tapestries and linens, the colorful eggs each booth seems to sell, fruits and vegetables of all kinds, stoneware, furniture, on and on and on...

Soon enough he figures out that the residents will trade for objects from home, and he doesn't mean to screw up anyone's timeline, but he zips home to find items he can trade for some of these fascinating objects. Corelle dishes, beer mugs with sports logos, and every piece of clothing he's never worn from his closet, among other things, come along with him in a duffel bag.

After a while he's got quite a collection of scarves around his neck, along with linens and things peeking oiut of his bag. He's starting to get hungry.

b. T A V E R N —

Soon enough York learns how much food and drink costs and he trades some of the coins from his pocket for a delicious meal of roasted turkey and roasted vegetables. These people don't seem to have potatoes, but that's okay. This is tasty enough. He drinks from a flagon at an outdoor table and watches for people he knows. When he sees one of them he might gesture with his flagon.

"You hungry?"

c. B R O T H E L S —

All right, so he has to take advantage of this, right? By the time he arrives he's drunk, chuckling to himself as he weaves his way along. Surely a jovial, more-than-tipsy patron will be welcome?

Turns out he is not. He's disappointed, but not angry. He understands. Especially since he already spent all his coins at the tavern and doesn't have anything else but linens and scarves to trade. He sists out front, waving at passersby occasionally.

"Hey, you wouldn't happen to have a few bucks I could borrow...?"

d. T H E H I L L S —

All right, so eventually he finds the gates of the city and decides to explore outward instead of in. There's a lot of open space here and though it's arid, it's still lovely. Actually, it reminds him of his home back in Texas in some ways.

He doesn't mean to stay out too late, but he does. Once he arrives at the gates and finds them closed, his jaw drops in dismay and he drops his duffel into his hand.

"Well," he says. "I didn't see that coming."

e. W I L D C A R D —

(( Want to do something else with York? Tag it in or hit me up at

texelations! ))

The Temple

Emberto had somewhat expected a building with such a grandiose name as 'The Temple of the Unknowable God' to be impressive, but he couldn't have anticipated what he saw. Gold everywhere, on every available surface. Even the stained glass was tinted to look gold. He wouldn't be surprised to learn that the building had gold toilets somewhere, if those were a common thing in this world.

"Madre mia," he said, "and I thought the cathedral back home was highly decorated." There was quite a difference that he noticed the longer he looked though. While there was certainly an impressive amount of wealth on display, it seemed to lack the artistry and solemnity of the cathedral he'd grown up with. It seemed like decoration for the sake of decoration, everything gilt whether it made sense or not, with the result looking gaudy and faintly absurd rather than regal.

Somehow he doubted that it was this 'Unknowable God' that the priests here really honored.

Market

Though he hadn't had an especially long time to look around the first day, the next day and off and on in the days after, Emberto was eager to explore the market. He'd brought bottled water for his own use and a selection of postcards and other small items of printed material to trade with, plus a few books he'd been meaning to donate to the library in case he found any larger items that he simply had to have. He knew better than to bring unknown fruits and vegetables back through the portal with him, but that didn't stop him from trying all sorts of new foods, both fresh and cooked, and browsing among the various other goods for sale.

He felt oddly at home here in the colorful bustle of the marketplace, wondering if the desert city from his memory was anything like this. If it was, it must have been a fabulous place indeed. But he could never manage to focus on that thought for too long before his gaze was caught by a bolt of delicately embroidered fabric or especially artistic piece of handicraft. Whatever else may be going on in the city, there was very little that could spoil Emberto's enjoyment of his exotic shopping trip.

Palace Gardens

Emberto sighed contentedly as he sat on the stone bench, sheltered from the heat of the day by the shade of a large fruit tree. The scents of exotic flowers drifted on the breeze as he looked out across one of the garden's ponds. The water sparkled in the sunlight, and now and then, colorful ornamental fish could be seen darting about amid the water plants.

The air here wasn't so dry, and he found himself being reminded of his old home in Valencia. Did this land's royal children play in these gardens the way he'd played in his own home's back garden as a boy? Did they toss bits of bread to the fish? Did the little princesses make crowns from the flowers or the princes fight playful duels with sticks or toy swords along the paths?

Who knew? He wasn't even sure if Krajina Božstiev's king even had any children. But it was certainly a lovely day for playing in the garden. Or for relaxing in it.

I. The library
With the portal opening to another realm, and exploring the city, Lan Wangji takes the time to make use of the cities library. He learns much about the deities and their names. Through the week, he studies the general art, music, culture, and recent history of the city. Being a student professor, he studies as much as he can of this city's culture for knowledge.

II. Exploring the city, markets, and taverns
He explores the market, the temples, and around the city at a leisure place. He tried the food at the locals resturants, but the food can be too heavy and hearty for him. Other than exploring, he absorbs the music and entertainment offered as a guest and audience and watch, and trade water bottles.

Other than that, he wanders over grass covered hills near the forest, watching the animals grazing and observing the wildlife, and keeping notes and writing in his journal.

III. Wildcard
[Anything else? Just make up a starter basing on the event or scenarios above! He mostly spend his time at the library or browsing through the marketplace during the day and afternoons]

[market | day 1-7]
Lisa is a shopaholic at heart, along with everything else; she's been roaming the markets every day, looking for anything she can't live without. She's been thinking about picking up baking as a hobby - she'd wanted to anyway but as she gets more memories of her other, she's seen the power of giving people cookies - and the variety of spices seems both exotic and oddly affordable when she can trade things like books and bottled water. She's working on her wardrobe too, though, and she's already wearing a bright red wrap over her shoulders as she collects assorted odds and ends. Really, this is great, she could hang out here all day. And one or two days she does, roaming with a snack in her hands. There's a shopping tote over her arm basically every day, though, and she's loaded down with a whole bunch of stuff.

[the hills | day 5-7, morning to afternoon | corruption: minor]
With the revelation that the local deities seem to be out of balance, Lisa has a sudden, rising feeling that they're here for a reason, and her urge to explore and learn is every stronger. She goes to explore outside the city in the mornings and early afternoons, careful not to get caught outside the gates. She's no fighter, not really, but she can hold her own if something happens long enough to run for cover, or the town guards. But then, she's sure looking over her shoulder a lot. Lisa is used to being a little uneasy, but this is a step up from that. She feels... jumpy. Disconcerted. The tremors aren't helping things, and she isn't quite sure how to handle herself. It probably shows in how she holds herself, a fair bit less composed than usual. She might need a hug.

[tavern | day 6-8, afternoon to late night | corruption: minor to fair]
Something's wrong. That much is clear to her now, even if she doesn't know how to do anything about it. Or have the mental clarity to do anything about it. Lisa drags herself into the tavern for a long dinner break several evenings, feeling like she got hit by a bus. She can't really figure out why she's so tired these last few days; she feels like she's been kinda short with people too, but she's just so wiped out it's hard to string thoughts together sometimes. She knows she needs to eat something, at least, so she's here stuffing her face and attempting to pull herself together. This is important, she can't just give up now, regardless of how she's feeling. People are counting on her. There are still people to talk to, things to investigate...

...but she's still not sure how she's going to manage any of that the way she's feeling. "Ugh, I'm gonna end up drowning in my own tankard at this rate..." Maybe she needs caffeine. Which she's not going to find on this side. So she'd have to go home. That thought is so unpleasant that she lets her head fall forward and bang on the table, forehead first, letting out a low groan.

[wildcard | day 1-8]
[Lisa can be found more or less all over the city; she doesn't wander out until later in the first week, and spends perhaps an inordinate amount of time on this side rather than in New York. Feel free to tag in if you have ideas, or poke me as needed. She'll start to show signs of the corruption later on Wednesday (day 5) and will get progressively worse as the days go on; she'll tend toward exhaustion, despair, and spikes of jealousy and rage as her temper frays. As another day or so passes she'll show visible symptoms too.]

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Jack Harkness l OTA

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OTA