The Door Opens

[lachtara]

WHO: Emet and open to any Kenoma
WHAT: After being confined, Emet gets out and explores
WHERE: Various locations around Achamoth
WHEN: Three days after this.
WARNINGS: None right now.

After his exit from the dinner party, Emet-Selch appears in his room amidst a billow of black and purple. He can immediately sense a change in the air, as if there are eyes watching him from some undefined place. The presence is the familiar one from the Dining Hall.

He inhales deeply and sighs. "Oh? Have I earned your attention now? How gracious." He takes a few steps to a luxurious cushioned chair and sits. As if in reply, the bolt on the door to the room clicks shut.


I. Days Later, The Door Opens
It becomes clear that the room is meant to be his prison. With no clear exit, fixtures that are impervious to magic or tampering, no assistance from the outside, and no food or water, the thought does arise on whether it is meant to be a grave as well. 

Three days on and the lack of nourishment has made him weary. Thinking turns difficult, as does all else. He resigns to sitting in the same cushioned chair with his head resting on the back, eyes closed as he tries to gather his thoughts for a viable solution. There is a book on his lap that he has since stopped reading for lack of clear focus.

It's then that the bolt to the door clicks noisily, indicating that it is unlocked. He drearily peeks at it from across the room.

Emet-Selch stands - steadies himself with a hand to his forehead - and makes for the door. Finding some food and water would need to be the utmost priority.

II. The Library
It seems that the natives take particular 'notice' of his presence. People part in an effort to avoid him as he moves through the crowd on his way to find the Library.  Many give the mark on his wrist a disapproving glance. Nevertheless, Emet-Selch can't help but give a small smile of delight. "A true blessing to move about wholly unbothered." He comments. Perhaps the Regent's ire is owed a commendation for this one thing.

He sighs. "Although that does make finding the Library a much more laborious task." So he explores as much as he can in order to find a room filled with books. Perhaps it would have more about this world. Or the meaning behind the sigil he now bore.

III. Magic Lessons
With that excursion out of the way, now comes the matter of looking for a place to work. There must be some open field or facility meant to train individuals - this city has a military, after all. So he sets out to explore the Citadel. 

Once he finds a suitable open area, Emet-Selch begins to work. His magic has been strange to him since arriving and this is a good opportunity to work on it with so few people vying for his attention.
 
He lifts a palm into the air and tries summoning his creation magic to make the smallest of things. Any observers may see him motioning at nothing in the air with his palm, a few glimmers of magic sparking in the air now and again as he tries to conjure. Frustratingly, nothing seems to take form...

IV. Other?
HMU If you'd like another prompt!

Comments

library, i promise he will be more chatty after this tag

[lockedon]

Whenever Emet finally does find his way to the library proper, he'll find another of his fellow Kenoma already there, seated alone at a table with a small books tidily stacked next to him. Eustace looks up from his reading right around when Emet saunters through the archway, his ears sensitive enough to pick up footsteps from outside in the hallway. He expects any of the other Kenoma, or even a servant, so it's enough of a surprise to see Emet - particularly after the fuss that was That Dinner - that his eyes widen ever so slightly, brows lifting up.

It's more surprising to note how the library attendants don't go rushing up to Emet the same way they had for him. There's clearly more to the Regent's disapproval than mere verbal chastisement. He supposes he owes Emet a favor for finding out for the rest of them what defying the Regent entails, intended or otherwise.

Instead of being helpful though, or even concerned, Eustace simply watches from his seat. He's always been more reactive than active, preferring to get a handle on a situation first instead of rushing in straightaway. If Emet addresses him he'll answer, otherwise he'll watch just a little bit longer....

That's Fine!

[lachtara]

Emet-Selch takes his time picking out a few books of his own. They're interesting-sounding titles about the history of the world, the landscape, weather patterns, technology, and basic science. Then he looks for a place to sit.

There are mostly empty tables now that the citizens have all but abandoned the library, save one with a distantly familiar face from the weeks past. Emet-Selch purposely walks past them just so he can catch a glimpse at what they have chosen to read. He takes a seat at the unoccupied table next to them and then he cracks open the first book in the pile that he's gathered.

A long pause follows.

"Have you found anything that piques your interest?" He asks without looking up from what he's reading.

[lockedon]

As Emet goes about his business, Eustace slowly turns his attention back towards his book, though one ear stays swiveled in Emet's direction. His own stack of books is nothing special; most of them (including the book in his hand) are titles regarding the Regent, with one on the history of Achamoth and another on the local religion shuffled in somewhere at the bottom of the pile. He hasn't had a chance to get to those just yet.

For a while, there's nothing but the sound of languid footsteps and pages turning filling the air. Eustace doesn't forget that there's a fellow Kenoma in the room, but he does relax in his seat, focusing back on his current choice of reading material. It's not until Emet speaks some time later that Eustace refocuses his attention, gaze flicking up away from his book.

And then back down, when he notices the other man isn't looking at him. His voice, when he replies, is cool, with almost a touch of (feigned) boredom to it.

"Only history, if that's what you're interested in."

More specifically, history of their beloved new boss, the Regent. Unsurprisingly, most of it's written with a highly positive spin

[lachtara]

"Indeed. We find ourselves as strangers in this world so it would be beneficial for us to learn of it."

Though it may be superfluous to do so, he lifts the book that he's reading up so that the text on the spine may be seen - a clear indicator that he is also reading history as its description is something to that effect. "This one claims to be World History. I gather you have something different, judging from the title on yours."

[lockedon]

Hmmm. Maybe he can borrow that one when Emet's done with it. Though he's not sure how much he'll understand of it; even if the basics are the same (the prevalence of economics, the fervor of religion, to name a few), all the names take some getting used to.

Eustace isn't nearly so forthright as Emet as to openly display his book for the other man to read, but he is at least willing to provide more of a description than he had before.

"A history about the one in charge of all of this." Said with a slight nod of his head towards their surroundings. No guesses as to who he might be referring to. As he says that though, he frowns, looking a little displeased. "Though it's less a history and more a book of praises."

How absolutely shocking.

I

[vapour]

Childe is heading back from his daily training. Since he spends most of his days training throughout, that means he stops by before and after to see if there any progress on Emet-Selch's 's whereabouts . He has started to wonder if he was taken somewhere else with the inability to pull any hint that the elder's room was even occupied the past 70+ hours, but the short detours of exploring the citadel proved fruitless to locate the other. It would be suspicious if he looked too hard.

Which is one reason he is visibility surprised to see Emet-Selch emerging from the room this time and looking kind of like shit. Childe's retainer looks panicked seeing him but Childe quickly shoos them away to continue back to his room with his gear and not wait up for him. He's recently bathed and swung by the kitchen to get some bread, cheese, and water that he insisted on munching on as they walked back to his room rather than having his retainer bring him something more substantial once they returned to his room.

Childe greets Emet-Selch with a casual but chipper "hey." Once he's sure his retainer is gone, though, his expression turns serious.

"What the hell happened to you?" he asks in a quieter voice although it's still well above anything like a whisper. Despite having eaten some of the cheese cuts to not look suspicious, he hasn't touched most of the food or the water at all. Truthfully, he's been getting it daily in case he manages to find the other and if he was being punished by lack of nourishment—a common tactic in Snezhnaya ... which seems pretty obvious to be the case now... along with isolation (also very familiar.)

Despite asking the question, he holds out the plate and mug of water to Emet-Selch in concerned silence, clearly preferring he drink and eat over answering the question first.

[lachtara]

Attempting to search and find what he needs is not ...pleasant. Emet-Selch stalks the unfamiliar halls feeling progressively more faint. Needless to say, it's a welcome respite to have someone offer him food rather than have him continue to search.

Emet-Selch does not bother with an answer at first. He reaches for the mug of water that is offered to him, lifts it to his mouth, and drinks the contents all in one fell swoop. He exhales deeply afterward.

"It seems that my concerns upset our host." He leans against a wall to take some of his own weight from him and breathes in. Eating immediately afterward would only parch him further so he would need to wait before that. "They decided to air their grievances in the form of imprisonment and starvation." Amongst other things.

crawls back here ....

[vapour]

Childe stares, silent for a moment as he absorbs this. It's not that such a thing is unheard of for him, far from it.

"... So, that's the kind of ship that they run, then, huh." Not surprising, but far from the altruistic methods of discipline one would love to be able to say their leader built their empire on.

Fear and helplessness dictates compliance better than anything, they both probably know this better than most. Still, no one ever likes being on the receiving end of that bullshit, especially for attempting to bring attention to something valid. Sure, Emet-Selch could have taken a better approach, but Childe also finds that the Regent could have done exactly the same, especially since the Regent apparently already knows so much about all of them.

"Yeah, well, if it helps any you missed absolutely nothing fantastic other than the Regent airing out everyone's dirty laundry from the cave, with the exception of Ciel, Misa-chan, and Silco." He's sure it doesn't really, not when starving and dangerously dehydrated.

"Want me to get you something else and you stay here with this bit of food and drink? Obviously you can't have anything too heavy but I can get something that'll help you keep down in your stomach better than real solids."

[lachtara]

Though famished, he still makes a note of everything that is said. The cave, the exceptions, all of it would be more of interest if he felt any other way. Self-preservation needs to be the immediate interest.

"Yes, if you would." Emet-Selch says through a sigh. He finds somewhere nearby to sit and practically plops as his lack of energy gives way to gravity. It would be a relief not to have to make the journey all the way to the kitchen.

[vapour]

With a nod, Childe is handing the plate over to Emet-Selch before turning on heel and moving down the hallway back where he has come from. He doesn't run but he does walk like a man on a mission.

Childe returns perhaps ten minutes later, this time with a corked jug of water and a small tray that includes on it a bowl full of some kind of liquid mush that almost resembles porridge but with far less bulk to it. He offers neither nor does he otherwise attempt to hand them over just yet once he's back with Emet-Selch, however.

Glancing around a moment, the young man considers before hesitantly nodding towards his elder's room door.

"...I get you were stuck in there, but we should either go in or go somewhere else to talk. The hallway might be a bad idea unless you feel like using communion, instead."

iii

[epiprocta]

"Oh, you're still alive."

Whether or not that oh-so-friendly observation is enough to get Emet-Selch to look over or not, it's followed by slightly-dragging footsteps as Gen comes meandering over from the direction of one of the other training fields. He'd taken to peeking around the area once in a while, so the appearance of that familiar face had certainly been a surprise.

"Thought they --" The Regent, obviously, though he doesn't respect them enough to say their name. "-- straight up kicked you out at first, after that whole thing. Took me a while to realize it was you the servants were talking about."

A pause before he gives a curious cant of the head. It's as close as he, a surly teenager putting too much value into pretending to be tough and stoic, will get to asking 'are you okay?' when he adds, "You were just locked in there, right? Or was there more to it?"

[lachtara]

Emet-Selch lets his hand fall to his side at the sound of someone's voice and the fragments of his conjuring dissipate as a result. Ah. If it isn't the 'student'.

"Imprisoned, undernourished, superintended, and it seems as though I have earned the ire of most else." He doesn't sound particularly upset by these circumstances, in fact, it is said with almost a sigh in his voice. "All of which will not make what I said any less true."

[epiprocta]

As before, it takes him a moment to parse the hoity-toity style that Emet-Selch always speaks in. But then Gen glances over his shoulder, back towards the grandeur of the Citadel's towering spires, before returning his gaze towards Emet-Selch. His voice is a touch lower when he mutters, "-- yeah, I'm not gonna disagree with you."

Despite how tough he acts, he's scared of punishment from the Regent. Of course he is. Otherwise he'd be more open about his (very modest) respect for Emet-Selch for having the gumption to speak out during that banquet. A pause before he tries to move on from that subject, nodding towards the rapidly-dissipating remains of that conjuring.

"So, what. You're just supposed to act like nothing happened, otherwise? Working towards the same goal?"

[lachtara]

The subtle glance and hushed tone are not beyond his notice - the boy is cautious of being caught voicing his opinion. In sharp contrast, Emet-Selch speaks his mind at normal volume.

"Though I may not agree with the Regent's methods, I still share their motives. I intend to continue working towards that goal regardless of what transpired." Which is part of the reason for being so critical of the execution.

"Although I hope that I may instill some emphasis on preparedness along the way."

[epiprocta]

Predictably, Gen perks up a little bit at that last part. Only slightly, because it's not in his nature to break his stoic facade, and he quickly tries to hide it afterwards. But still, it's there, and Gen fidgets afterward. Looks away, rubbing a hand at the back of his neck for a moment as he hesitates over his words.

Then finally mutters, "-- I'd still want you to teach me. If you can."

God, it's so hard asking for that like a normal person. Still, he's gotten the hint that Emet-Selch isn't the type to budge without at least a cursory show of humility, so he hurries to add, "If it's a give-and-take thing, I get it. I'll do what I can. So."

communion → action

[galdorleod]

[ Three days. It's been three days now, almost to the hour, that Howl has been trying to contact Emet-Selch and receiving nothing in response. Nothing seems to work; when his retainer stared at him with vague horror upon seeing him pound on Emet-Selch's door, he quickly decided that he should stick with communion only.

His frustration is at its peak now, as the fourth day is beginning. Pacing in his room anxiously, he suddenly stops, yanks his Shard from his chest, and holds it out before him with an intense sense of both purpose and irritation. He has to try again. He has to. Who knows what's going on in there! ]

Answer me, you stupid codger. Answer! Answer. I command you to answer!

[ So convinced he is that this attempt will fail like all the others before, Howl doesn't even wait for an answer. ]

Answer me, or I'll never speak to you again. You'll be 'codger' to me forevermore! Come on, you fool! Why are you doing this to me?!

[lachtara]

[ After his ordeal in leaving the room - and the odyssey of obtaining food and drink that followed - Emet-Selch has resigned to his room yet again with the intent of a relaxing bath. He is far from incautious about staying in his room and has brought with him food and water just in case something were to "happen" which results in another prolonged stay. 

A hot bath is drawn and he sinks into it, relaxing, and nearly drifting to sleep after a while. This makes it all the more jarring when he hears a somewhat frantic voice perforate the quiet in his mind. It's Howl, yelling, demanding answers, and barking orders. Emet-Selch pauses for several moments after the tirade has ended, partly to see if there is anything else he seeks to add and partly to purposely irritate him for being so disruptive. 

After a long pause he asks: ]

Would it kill you to say "please"? 

[galdorleod]

[ The delay in response meets with Howl's expectations. Sighing deeply, he flops down onto his bed and is about to spiral into another bout of worry when — ]

...Emet-Selch?

[ He springs up, shocked. It worked this time? It worked this time! With that, Howl's frustration and anger seem to complete dissipate. (For now.) ]

Oh, thank the stars!! I've been trying to talk to you this whole time! Are you alright? Are you hurt?

[lachtara]

[ Emet-selch, meanwhile, sinks down into the bathwater up to his nose. ]

I should think that speaking to you should serve as proof of my welfare.

[ A pause. Then he explains: ]

It seems as if the Regent did not approve of my disagreement. I have not had the means to contact others nor the ability to leave my accommodations since that day.

[galdorleod]

I assure you, I have become well aware of that!

[ As the relief starts to pass, Howl's 'voice' becomes noticeably more terse. He hops off his bed and heads for the door, intent on marching into Emet-Selch's room. ]

What were you thinking, Emet? You're lucky that terrifying man... person... didn't smite you then and there! And more importantly, didn't smite me!

2!!

[zauneyete]

Silco hadn't really thought much about Emet-Selch since his outburst with the Regent. It wasn't malice, but between actually getting to be out and in the city itself, experience the city's vices, and see what they had to offer beyond that, he'd been inundated with excitement. The city was where Silco thrived, after all, and information was more... casual, and real down there in the entertainment district.

Unfortunately, they also weren't really willing to talk to someone who kept their mark and shard underneath their clothes, as Silco did. Even now, walking about the citadel, he'd covered all his signs of aion status up, in an array of clothing that was piece by piece, looking more and more like the clothing he wore back home. At least about the citadel, he didn't wear his coat -- which meant he cut a slim and short figure, without the extra cloth to add a little more weight to his presence.

He'd been considering downtime -- maybe somewhere he could actually get some useful information, when he heard a familiar voice complaining about the library's location, around the corner. Fortuitous, that, as he remembered the outburst during dinner. Emet-Selch certainly made an impression, hadn't he? Silco was curious about how he'd fared. Clearly he wasn't dead, which was encouraging. He wouldn't say so, but he didn't necessarily disagree with him, although Silco certainly wasn't about to put his neck out on the chopping block so early in the game.

"Oh? You don't need an escort, do you?" he asked, rounding the corner. He hadn't been waiting for him, but the effect was there regardless, when he stepped out of the shadows. "I was just considering heading there myself."

Well, no. But it was a good idea, and he wasn't about to turn his nose up at the opportunity.

[lachtara]

Emet-Selch turns in the direction of a vaguely familiar voice. Ah. If it isn't his acquaintance from onboard the ship.

"It seems I am lacking those willing to play escort." The invitation to walk is not verbally accepted. Instead, he waits for Silco to catch up and matches his pace to walk alongside. "Is there anything subject in particular you are looking for?"

[zauneyete]

"Hm, it's almost as if they don't like you," he said, his tone airy, a touch sardonic. He kept walking, at his own leisurely pace. Emet-Selch would or would not take the vague offer, such as it was.

"Many, I suppose. Now that I've had opportunity to see the city below, I thought I would see what I can find about the world at large."

And books were...prized. They didn't have sprawling libraries deep in the bowels beneath Piltover. Silco was educated enough to get by despite that, but it meant he had a larger gap to cover. "Particularly any other locations we might find ourselves in, given that we'll likely have to deal with our new enemies across a battlefield or two."

[lachtara]

"Indeed. We must know our terrain as well as we know our city." On that, they can wholeheartedly agree. It was one of the points of contention he had earlier. Escape routes, proper positioning, the terrain - everything could be valuable in giving them a needed advantage.

"It would benefit us all to learn. Luckily, we have been given some means by which to do so." The library, as it were, although there are other places with more guarded information. What could it hold?

[zauneyete]

Lucky, yes. While Silco certainly was glad to not have drawn the Regent's ire, he didn't necessarily disagree with Emet-Selch's points. It would have been better to have this information earlier. Then again, how could they know who would choose what? If they gave the information to their allies, could they know the same?

"Next time, we may be able to use it to our advantage. Which... I think some of us will need every advantage we can get," he admitted. Without magic, Silco would need to satisfy himself with trickery and tools. He had nothing more than that, after all. That, and a weapon, if he was lucky. He wasn't exactly a quick shot, however, and close range would be...dangerous.

"And what is it you're keen on finding?" his good eye clearly indicated the mark.