[Voice/Action] backdated to Day 1 of the event until the end!

[dissonates]

[Asch will be leaving a single message on the journal network on the evening of the first day, his voice flat:]

[Voice]

I know that the village is being its usual mad self this week, but Guy Cecil's gone back to his world. With the recent departures, Good Spirits is shorthanded.

[....oh, right.]

Also, considering the bar is in the area where alcohol is apparently prohibited, thieves have been after the stores. Most of the remaining supply's been hidden, but I could use help guarding it.

As far as I know, the journal network has always been for our eyes only, so if you want any for yourself and the staff doesn't recognize you, try to come up with something only one of us would know.

[After that, he won't be doing much exploration. Asch is having none of this silly experiment business; he woke up wearing this, and since his closet seems to be full of clothes either like it or much worse, he just rolls with it. He's been around the block before. He'll be staying in the bar pretty much 24/7 (besides food runs and emergencies) to make sure the collection doesn't get completely depleted; he may be a recently returned staff member himself, now, but the bar was important to Guy, so he can at least protect it for a while. Alcoholic drinks will be served through the back door to villagers only, so if you want some booze, better figure out a way to act convincing.]

Comments

[ action ]

[herotypical]

The men who made us -- [ her answer was suddenly terse. quiet. ] One weapon is supposedly easier to control than a drawerful.

[ action ]

[dissonates]

...That makes sense.

[It's the sort of logic that people with power by way of position rather than physical strength and ability use; it's how most of them seem to stay in power for as long as they do, after all.]

Is that why they chose a woman, as well?

[ action ]

[herotypical]

...Probably. [ and how sad is that? ] Not that it did them much good, in the end. But it's not just about women. It's girls. Young girls. I started when I was barely fifteen.

[ action ]

[dissonates]

I'm not sure I can really criticize that, since children can enter into the service of our religious military at a much younger age than that.

[ action ]

[herotypical]

Wait-wait-wait.

Religious military?

[ action ]

[dissonates]

Right now the only religion in Auldrant revolves around the Score, an ancient, absolute prophecy that covers the future of the entire world, covering everything from the daily weather to the results of world wars. The church that polices and distributes the Score is called the Order of Lorelei, and their military is the Oracle Knights.

[ action ]

[herotypical]

Is it even remotely accurate? The Score? Because I've met a few vague prophecies in my time.

[ action ]

[dissonates]

That depends. Most of the Scores given to people are self-fulfilling prophecies- if the Score says, "eat spaghetti on Remday", devout believers will eat spaghetti, but those who don't aren't penalized for it.

The Closed Score is different. It's meant only for the highest ranking church officials and world leaders, and dictates how the world should be run. The way I understand it, the Score is written into the subatomic structure of the world itself- attempts to deviate from it are either seen as futile or outright blasphemous, because it goes against the very nature of the planet and those living on it. Still, it's not unavoidable. Certain people who should have died one year were still alive in the next, the last time I was there. It's a broken system.

[ action ]

[herotypical]

Prophecies always are. [ her eyes narrow. all her attention, now, is tied rapt to him. ] That's the trouble with writing things down, I guess.

[ action ]

[dissonates]

[Her sudden interest is noteworthy- experience, maybe?

Well, it's not like he's untouched by prophecies, either.]

The people of Auldrant were tied to the Score, though, because it's all they've ever known. It's so much easier to let yourself be led through your own life- you stop worrying.

[ action ]

[herotypical]

But...I'm assuming the Score tells tales of bad things about to happen too, right? And they just swallow that pill?

[ do you swallow that pill? ]

[ action ]

[dissonates]

[Asch snorts faintly, glancing away.]

Depends on how bad. If it's something like a farmer's prediction of a bad crop, they'll usually accept it. But if the Score predicts someone's death, they aren't told about it, because they wouldn't be able to live peacefully up until the day they pass. In the eyes of the Scorers, it's better to let someone die than to risk them preventing their own death.

[ action ]

[herotypical]

What about you? What's better in your eyes?

[ action ]

[dissonates]

Any answer I give is biased- the Score predicted my death two thousand years before I was even born. I was raised with the knowledge that unless the Score was overthrown, I'd never have reached adulthood.

[His gaze drifts to the alcohol they'd just spent the better part of the day hiding, then fetches himself a glass and a bottle. He needs a drink for this conversation now, officially.

He's probably talking too much, but it's mostly harmless anyway, as long as he doesn't... overthink it. Right.]

On the other hand, I had the potential to live a very different life - a good life - under the Score's rule. And I'd have died a hero.

So what's better? A short, happy childhood, or an unpleasant but free existence?

[ action ]

[herotypical]

I dunno if I'm the gal you wanna be asking that. I mean -- I chose death. Both times. I might be a little biased.

[ action ]

[dissonates]

...Why?

[His voice isn't judging, or even particularly confused by her answer. There's been times that he'd have chosen death, too, so he'd be a hypocrite to disagree.]

[ action ]

[herotypical]

Because...

[ she sits back, leaning on the heels of her palms. it's not such an easy question as she might have hoped. it's not enough to simply say that it was required of her. but: ] Because -- prophesied or not -- sometimes there's just more at stake than whether I'm gonna take another breath tomorrow morning.

[ she still believes it. ]

[ action ]

[dissonates]

[....huh.

His brows furrow a little at that, mulling it over. It's not what anyone could call a happy sort of end, but it's something he can agree on, even if he won't say as much. It's why he made the choices he did back home, after all- because if he had to die, he might as well save the damn world in the process.

For the ones who matter.]

...I understand.

[That's all he's gonna say.]

[ action ]

[herotypical]

It's a relief to know that someone does.

[ frank. flip. and friendly. ]

[ action ]

[dissonates]

[Good grief, how can she talk about this in that tone? He's momentarily taken aback.]

If you draw comfort in such things, sure.

[ action ]

[herotypical]

...Where else are we gonna draw comfort?

[ action ]

[dissonates]

I didn't know that comfort was a requirement.

[Can't people just stay angry and miserable like him?]

[ action ]

[herotypical]

[ nah. people must instead stay angry and miserable but under a highly fortified top-layer of sass. ]

Shouldn't it be? I mean -- every Tom, Dick, and Harry has a right to be comforted. Don't they? [ ... ] Minus the really really evil Toms, Dicks, and Harrys.

[ action ]

[dissonates]

[He's still working on the sass part. It was never his forte.

Also:]

...That's kind of vulgar phrasing, isn't it?

[Guess who doesn't have that slang back home.]

[ action ]

[herotypical]

I dunno. It probably could have been vulgarer...

[ this said as she reviews her words and tries to determine just what he thought was-- oh! ]

N-no. I didn't mean...well -- it's just a name. I swear. Lots of names.