ARRIVAL LOG 009

[larkers]

WHO: Everyone
WHERE: New Tokyo
WHEN: October 10
WHAT: The ninth arrival
NOTES OR WARNINGS: Coercion and loss of autonomy. Further notes at end of log.

> ARRIVAL LOG #009

Awareness comes to you in blurred snatches, cloudy fragments of sound and light, color, sensation. Hazy and difficult to grasp on to, but slowly aligning into focus. A series of regular, rhythmic beeps. A sharp, cold breeze that blisters your cheeks as you walk through a thick, cold snow. That soon fades, replaced with warmth. A medicinal, astringent smell. The sensation of movement, a low hum and accompanying vibration under you. Your eyes are heavy, hard to keep open, but in the glimpses between slow, dark blinks you see four people in black body armor seated opposite you, as well as a man in dark gray scrubs.

You realize there are others next to you. All of you in heavy winter coats, water-resistant pants, and snow boots, hair recently cut but at various stages of growth and haphazardly tucked under warm winter hats. You're all restrained by straps across your chests, arms, feet, holding you to the bench under you. To your left, an armored interior door, two more people visible, though due to the storm there's hardly any visibility through the windshield. You try to open your mouth to speak, but it's as if your tongue is coated in tar, and you manage nothing more than an empty parting of lips.

The vehicle stops, landing gingerly in the snow. The guard opposite you stands and comes to unbuckle you from the bench, helping you to your feet. Your limbs feel wooden and heavy, slow to move. One guard opens the back of the vehicle, there's the sound of a high howling wind and that same blast of cold that signals at being somewhere else, combined with a sea of white as far as your eyes can see. The nurse moves to stand at the back, checking each passenger over one by one just before they're helped out of the vehicle, quick and methodical. He doesn't climb out after you, moving to sit as the last passenger is unloaded.

The guards keep their heads down. Their actions are quick, firm, but not entirely unkind. Once all the passengers are out, most of them climb back into the vehicle and close the doors. One stays behind, pointing you and whoever else is near you to one of the closest buildings. "In there," he orders, just before he interfaces with the doors and they slide open. "Stick around until your buddies come to find you. You'll know who they are."

Snow comes up to your knees on this city street, and you're left with no idea of where you are or why you've been brought here. But you'll feel compelled to move toward the building that the guard pointed at and step inside. In fact, you'll have no choice but to follow that order. Once you're in, he closes the doors behind you and hops back inside the vehicle. The engine powers up again, and then the large truck lifts up slowly and flies off.

Inside you'll find the lobby of what seems to be a corporate building. After taking note of the fact that there's a small group of other people dressed in similar clothes who are also confused about how they got to this place, you'll be able to warm up and try to figure out what's going on. For now, it's impossible to exit the building. The same door you came in won't open no matter what you try, so you're all stuck for now.

But don't worry, help is on the way.

◉ Though entirely capable of independent action and thought, new characters will find themselves completely, unquestioningly compliant to any verbal statement which could be taken as a command or request.

> WATANABE CORPORATE BUILDING

The message from El comes the same as usual: insistent, not waiting for any active attempt to open it. Scrolling within your vision as if being written while you're reading it.

I know you all were wondering what would happen if we had a batch of new arrivals while you're all out on your little field trip, but it turns out that they've all landed in New Tokyo too. They're holed up in the lobby of a corporate building, so make your way over and escort them to the PRESERVE dorms. Try for a warm welcome, okay?

At the lobby where the new arrivals have been dumped, they'll find that there's a check-in desk which is currently unmanned, and on the wall behind it there's a logo mounted which reads "Watanabe Corporation." There's no one to be found here and no one to greet them. The good news is that the building is heated, meaning that those heavy coats can probably come off for now. Further in on the ground floor, there's a set of six elevators that presumably lead up to the many floors of the skyscraper, but they're non-functional, and there don't seem to be any accessible stairs either.

For now, all the newcomers can do is make use of the comfortable chairs in the lobby and commiserate among themselves about what's going on. There's a water cooler and some cups to make use of as well, all of it made of biodegradable material, but there's only so much. Try to share.

The Displaced who received a message from El will have also received a GPS pin showing the location of the new arrivals. At this point, the promised supplies (which includes clothing appropriate for the harsh weather, along with additional foodstuffs to stock the dormitory kitchen) have come in compliments of PRESERVE. Everyone will be allowed to leave the dorms where they've been cooped up for the last two days to explore the city or go help out the newcomers.

Getting around a city covered in snow is a little more of a challenge. Going by foot is an option, although most of the streets haven't been shoveled yet and it will be slow-going. It's more feasible to make use of a hover bike. There's a garage connected to the dormitory that's stocked with twenty-some bikes. While they don't function perfectly well over snow and reckless driving with such poor visibility could easily lead to a cold and painful crash, it has to beat walking. If you don't how to drive, guess you'll have to find someone who does. (The bikes can seat two.)

> PRESERVE DORMS

With the help of the current Displaced, the new arrivals will be brought back to a dormitory building managed by PRESERVE. PRESERVE is a world-wide relief organization that focuses on environmental conservation and disaster relief. While a good number of Morningstar agents have joined up with PRESERVE thanks to their charitable activities and because they're UN sanctioned, it is not an organization that's affiliated with Morningstar. As a group, they are entirely pacifistic in their ideals – they believe the world can be saved through being conscientious.

The Displaced are here because they agreed to help PRESERVE with a very different disaster, but that's now a very severe and uncommon snowstorm. This is where they're all staying during the trip, so while this isn't anything close to home, it will have to do for now. A representative from PRESERVE by the name of Nico has been hanging around the dorms, ready to answer any questions from any of the Displaced, new or old. Nico is also a member of Morningstar, as well, though she'll be very hush hush about this fact when around her fellow PRESERVE members.

Newbies will be allowed to pick out additional clothes and gear from a cache of supplies (there's coats, thermal underwear, boots, scarves, hats, gloves, and anything else that would be needed to survive the intense cold), and they'll also need to figure out which of the rooms has an opening where they can sleep. It's four people to a room, with the use of two sets of bunk beds, and space was already limited before the newcomers got added to the mix. Hopefully peace can be maintained and there won't be too much fighting over who gets top bunk.

Other than the rooms, the dorm building has a kitchen, a large common area with comfortable couches and chairs, communal bathrooms, and a small, modestly stocked infirmary. There's also a viewing room which is a large space furnished with bean bag chairs and other comfortable things to lounge on, and a large blank wall that's meant to be used for group viewings of movies, shows, etc. This requires one character to "throw out" their feed from their neural implant onto the wall, and anyone who wanted to watch with them would need to sync up with their ID to watch along. Anyone not synced would just see a blank wall – and unfortunately, that does include anyone new.

There are other PRESERVE volunteers staying in this dormitory and milling about. Many of them already had supplies, so they've been in and out since the Displaced arrived.

◉ The drugs making new characters compliant will remain in their systems for a few hours after their arrival at the dorms before finally beginning to fade. They will be gone entirely after a night's rest. In the meantime, they may want to be careful of what others say to them.

◉ New characters will be given rudimentary access to the network on arrival to the dorms, but will not have their ID set up yet. They will be able to make posts and replies, but their messages will be anonymous and they do not have inboxes yet.

◉ Normally, new characters are confined to a safehouse for 4 days before they can leave and explore the city. Given that these newbies have arrived under unorthodox circumstances, that won't be the case for them. They'll be able to come and go from the dorms, but given that it's a frozen tundra outside, they'll at least want to prep first. At some point during this adjustment period, you can assume that El will contact them and work on setting up their IDs. There is no law enforcement around in these conditions, so anyone wanting to head out can.

◉ New characters won't be able to abscond to somewhere else in the world, as a lack of ID means no tickets or travel papers.

◉ While most businesses in New Tokyo are shuttered, a few convenience shops remain open near PRESERVE's dormitories because they know they can make money off volunteers. New characters won't have any means of paying, as they don't have a registered ID. They'll have to see if a kind soul will spot them the credits if they want something.

> RELIEF EFFORTS

With the new arrivals successfully recovered and supplies delivered to keep everyone warm in the harsh conditions, it's time to set out and fulfill the reason for everyone being here: to offer support and relief to the population affected by the harrowing storm. Nico will provide the Displaced with the information they need to get their boots on the ground and make a difference. There are a number of ways that she'll suggest to help out.

◉ First, she'll deliver a word of caution. While New Tokyo is a large, entirely steel city that runs deep underwater, most of its citizens have evacuated to the upper levels and are huddling down in various locations hoping for some relief. Heading deeper in the large city structure could prove dangerous. In this emergency, heating is centralized on the upper levels of the entire man-made metal city structure, while the lower levels are frigid and dangerous at this time. The only heating revolves around the trains coming and going, and their schedules have been largely delayed thanks to the storm.

◉ Delivering food, clothing, and medical supplies. With power cut off from most homes and all of the citizens having been cautioned to stay indoors and conserve warmth, there are a lot of people running low on food stores. Those who live in impoverished areas are even worse off, with little insulation in their homes. The threat of some people freezing to death is real, so getting the needed supplies to those people could allow them to hold out until power is restored or the storm has passed. Nico encourages people to travel to these neighborhoods in pairs for safety reasons, and again, the hover bikes will come in handy here. Supplies can be carried in heavy-duty backpacks or in a side-car attached to the bike, and all of this is provided by PRESERVE.

◉ Shoveling snow. For those of the Displaced who aren't opposed to grueling manual labor, one of the largest concerns is getting the major streets cleared of snow so that transportation is easier. The train lines also need to be cleared off so public transit can eventually be reinstated, so assuming they're not afraid of heights, the Displaced will get access onto the train tracks that crisscross above the city to clear the snow off. Some homes are also completely snowed in, trapping the residents inside, so those will also need to be cleared. There's no shortage of work to be done. PRESERVE will provide the snow shovels, and they have access to a single snow plow that can be used in shifts by anyone who's got a driver's license (also found in the garage). Nico will also hand out hot packs. Everyone should be bundling up, but in the event that someone takes a fall or ends up with too much snow-to-skin contact, the hot packs will help stave off the cold and prevent frostbite.

◉ Missing persons. There have been multiple reports of missing persons sent into PRESERVE, and the Displaced will be assigned particular people to go look for, if they let Nico know they're interested in this task. She'll give them the description of the missing person and their last known location. This could be anywhere within the city of New Tokyo -- a shopping district, a residential area, a park, etc. If they manage to find the missing person, they'll be instructed to take them to the closest PRESERVE relief center so they can receive medical attention and be reunited with their families.

◉ Restoring power. Turbines are jammed due to ice build-up past any conceivable norm, and need to be carefully thawed and given a jump from a backup battery pack. This is a highly dangerous, but necessary endeavor. The turbines are located offshore due to the fact that New Tokyo primarily generates energy through tidal power. When working correctly, these offshore turbines then feed energy into local sources within the city. For those who have any sort of experience with electrical work, they'll be directed toward areas in the city where covered electrical boards interconnected with the city's branched power source have been buried. They'll need to be cleared of snow, checked, reconnected, and made ready for when the turbines begin to flow again.

While the new arrivals are welcome to help out with these relief efforts if they wish, it certainly won't be expected, given that they're still getting adjusted to everything that's going on. They're allowed to stay in the warm confines of the dormitory building until everyone returns to New Amsterdam, if that's what they would prefer. As for the rest of the Displaced, there will be some expectation that they're going to contribute. That's the whole reason they came all this way, isn't it? And it's not like Nico knows that some of them didn't actually sign up for this.

> FINAL OOC NOTES

Welcome to Meadowlark, newbies! You're now free to post to the network and logs comms. To reiterate, your characters will have no IDs or inboxes until October 14th (OOCly, April 25th). All posts they make on the network until that point will be anonymous. During this time it's expected they'll have gotten a good idea of their new situation from their fellow characters, and will have discussed their background and job potentials with El in order for their false IDs to be set up.

If you have any questions or ideas about how you'd like to get your character involved in the world, please head over to the plot engagement post and drop us a comment! For questions specific to this log, there is a thread below.

Please check out our April/May calendar rundown for a look at things happening this month, as well as some additional notes from the mods.

As a reminder, AC for new characters accepted in April will be 10 comments across 2-4 threads, while current characters will need to provide the full AC of 20 comments across 2-4 threads. AC will be posted on May 1 and close on May 8 at midnight UTC. If you do not reply to AC, you will be considered idled and dropped from the game. We will not post a warning list.

> NAVIGATION

Comments

a

[inherited]

[There's one thing that Riku learned from his previous conversation with Wei Wuxian: he's a bullcrapper. (Crap because the other word isn't Disney Friendly, got it?) Not only that, but he's not really good at knowing what's going on, but he'll say a lot of things that don't matter so you almost forget. The thing is, Riku heard all of that in one go, and Wei Wuxian is still pushing buttons.

With a bit of ... exasperation, he reaches out to still the man's hands, holding them in place.]

You might not be wasting resources, but you look like you're determined to break that thing. Most of those buttons aren't important right now. [Though one or two look like they're giving off a signal. These bikes are pretty old and for standard use, likely so they can use them at all. Renting them out would be a pain.]

Let me see if I can set it right, and then I'll show you the ropes. [It's tempting to make a remark about how there aren't any kids who need cheering up as far as he can see, but ...

He knows that'll be like walking into him being told he's a kid who needs cheering up.]

[laozu]

[ the phrase: fake it until you make it was practically created to describe Wei Wuxian, who is indeed as professional a liar and absolutely full to bursting with bravado. while it works ( sometimes ) on other people, it is not a willful personality that makes a hoverbike run smoothly - but a practiced hand, which his are not. not even in the least, as he clearly jabs at enough buttons to make the bike turn on-and-off and shudder in the middle of the motion. he even kicks it with his heels, like one might a living mount.

at least until Riku stops in, to put an end to this bike-related abuse. ] You're so good to your senior, young master.

[ both Riku and Sora have that fond little title, reserved normally for his petulant and wild-mannered nephew back home; he understands it means something else for the two of them, judging by Sora's reaction, but it's something that persists in his translated vocabulary regardless. ]

Teach me, teach me! I've ridden all sorts of mounts back home - such is the life of a schoolboy of my ilk - but this, by far, is the most fantastic one that I've ever seen. They go so fast, WHOOSH! Almost as fast as my Suíbiàn would fly, before -- well, before I couldn't do that any more. Is the use of this technology something you learned in your travels as well? Are you going to come with me - you should, I think you'd make the kids very happy. It's settled, you can drive the bike for me!

[inherited]

[How is it that he can say so many words and Riku can't get anything in himself? As Wei Wuxian goes on, Riku just ... listens, growing more and more patient. At least his companion at the moment speaks fast enough to put Riku out of his misery. It suits his entire personality: speaking so fast that when there are things that don't make sense, no one can call them on it.

Except Riku, who processes every word.

Wei Wuxian should count himself lucky that Riku doesn't decide to be a pain about it this time. They have more interesting things to manage.]

Can't you at least pretend to ask me?

[laozu]

[ it's funny, how riku's restraint reminds him of one of the gentlemen who has just arrived from his world. the patience that he's shown in the wake of his rambling is something that only the illustrious hanguang-jun and lan sizhui, elegant and young, have ever shown him. it makes him admire riku all the more, for he so resembles a fine adult already - and it makes him want to tease him, mercilessly, because that is who he is at his core.

there are more important things, though; the needs of others have always come before his own, despite his faux lunacy. ]

Would you please show me how to operate the hoverbike, young master Riku?

[ there is sincerity in his voice, as he slips off of the back of it and gestures to the machine. ]

And would you like to come with me to deliver supplies today, if you're not busy with work of your own? I would welcome the help.

[ surprisingly, he sounds like a proper gentleman when he tries....... ]

[inherited]

[The fact that he manages to make Wei Wuxian slow down for a second is incredible to him. Riku has a feeling it won't last that long, but he'll take what he can get. Once they're out doing what they need to be doing, there will be a lot of chatter and attempts to get him to respond. That doesn't mean he will—there's a part of him that enjoys this push and pull. That's just the way he is.

(And honestly? The fact that it's a pretty innocent push and pull is nice. He doesn't have to think too hard about it.)

He still makes an amused sound, low in his throat. A sound that seems to say, "Now was that so hard?" At least he doesn't verbalize it.]

Fine, but we need to make sure that things are stored up and ready to go. Unless you did that already?

[Riku has a feeling that he has, so he slides onto the seat in front of Wei Wuxian, ready to go. But first, he'll give the man an opportunity to respond. These bikes aren't as loud as what he's driven before, but the cold air, combined with the cloth covering his face, would end up making conversation a little difficult.]

[laozu]

Naturally! I've taken stock of what supplies I'll be delivering and signed off on all of the appropriate channels.

[ the inventory is settled in bags, strapped into place along the sides of the bike and between the two of them. when he tucks his legs in alongside the bike, he doesn't have to shove his knees up behind riku's, but he does immediately ( immediately ) slings his arms around his waist. it allows him to lean forward, peering around the other's shoulder to watch how he makes the bike go.

he's asked politely, that must mean he's allowed to slip back into SOME of his more annoying tendencies. ]

We're going, um. Here - I'll share the location with you.

[ flag flag flag, incoming for one (1) @riku.masterson ]

[inherited]

[Riku doesn't mind, exactly—but he's also not the most tactile kid around. That's typically reserved for Sora. And that means, yes: Sora tugs him around and Sora hangs on him from time to time. His jaw shifts ever so slightly, a sign of him trying to adjust. That's all he gives away. He'll be fine anyway. Wei Wuxian wants a demonstration, and Riku isn't about to deny him that experience.

His hands move swiftly and deftly, ensuring certain buttons aren't pressed in, hitting a few switches that were left alone. And that's just setting it back to neutral.]

Okay, fixed what you did ... [Next step: fixing the rest. Or getting them off the ground.

He looks ahead, taking note of the snow. Some of it's been flattened out.]

We need to get out of here a little bit to take off. Good news is that some people got here before us. We can use their work.

[Demonstrations. Teaching!

As the bike's engine spins to life, he rolls it forward over the flattened, frozen ground, getting the beginning acceleration so they can slowly begin to lift up and off the ground to head to the destination in question.]

[laozu]

I didn't do THAT badly with it!

[ a beat, his breath fogging into the air as he considers exactly what it is that he has done with the hoverbike ( which is, at the heart of the matter, press a lot of buttons that he has no idea the purpose of ) -- and what that could have done to the bike had his luck not been so good. with the bike coming to life beneath him, he's only briefly surprised by it, his knees and calves jumping to the ready as though to command an animal to stop. it's a reflexive gesture, the result of years of childhood training in riding various mounts of various temperaments. ]

All right, I didn't do very well either, I'll admit to that.

[ sullenly and as though it pains him

as Riku rolls the bike along, towards the space where they can take off, he does his best to not clutch so tightly, pulling his collar up across his nose and mouth to keep it from freezing. the destination in question is already keyed in to the delivery itself, to ensure inventory is kept properly and finitely, so he doesn't believe they'll be easily lost. the moment that the bike lifts off, he crows: ] Oh, I missed flying! [ which may or may not be lost in the roar of the engine and the winds that pick up once they're skybound and he's lightly thumping Riku on the hip and pointing out things he finds interesting.

it amounts to him being a total nuisance, excitable as ever........ ]

[inherited]

[What if Riku weren't used to Sora? Well, here's one thing: he would likely be more distracted. Like the earth that's his namesake, he's steady and calm as he listens to Wei Wuxian, eyes focused on the buildings ahead. Thankfully, there's little snow coming down as they weave between the tall buildings that make up the base of this part of New Tokyo. Even if there was, there's something about how Riku drives that shows that he could multitask with ease. He's no pilot, not by a long shot ...

... But he is Stupidly Good at Stuff.

He doesn't reply, though. Occasionally, Wei Wuxian will feel the rumble of amusement, even if it's low and lost in the haze of the cool wind and movement.

Here's the thing: Riku could have been showy on this ride, but he's not that type of guy. Or he's not anymore. That's a phase that's long behind him. So he's just good at getting them to where he needs to go with few distractions, touching down and angling his body ever so slightly to glance toward Wei Wuxian.] You've flown before this?

[Very, very delayed. But of course Riku would ask.]

[laozu]

[ he is stupidly good at stuff, and Wei Wuxian is thankful for it. quite honestly, had Riku not come along, he would have carried the supplies where they needed to go on his own back - complaining the entire time, but he would have done it - so, to have an assist when it was really, really needed leaves him grateful. it just so happens that he shows it by being physical, obnoxiously excited and perhaps a little patronizing... young men are still young men, he knows! but, he's always been soft on the juniors, on teenagers, on children. ]

You flew like a champion!

[ he praises Riku gladly, arms tightening around his waist as he gives him a squeeze before slipping off the side of the bike and stretching his legs back out. a lack of activity, while enjoyable, leaves him twitchy and ready to MOVE. ]

Mm-hmm, one of the skills we learn as students is how to take flight while on blade-edge. It's all about dispersal of energy and discipline and all that, but the best part was soaring and following the rivers during night-hunts, ahhh.

[ there's an edge of nostalgia to his words, before he pats the bags and begins to haul them onto his back ]

It's not as though that's something I could do here, though. I'm unable to reach most of my powers, but thankfully I'm still spry as ever!

[inherited]

Huh. [It's more of a thoughtful sound than anything else. The fact that Wei Wuxian mentions a blade edge gets his attention—mostly because it reminds him of what he knows about the keyblade wielders of old. Their power is something that he doesn't have himself, but he knows he'll learn how to wield it someday.] If Sora and I had started out on the right path as keyblade wielders, we'd be able to build a speeder and armor thanks to our power. But we never learned. [Riku remembers seeing that armor encasing Sora—armor that belonged to Ven, apparently. It makes him think that Sora would have a better knack at using it than him. He had a head start.

(It'd be one of the few places where Sora would best Riku.)]

Too bad most of our flying has been elsewhere, and more him than me. [Fairy dust and ships and all of that. Riku never had to be in the air. That's too far away from the shadows he used to keep his friend safe.] I might need to get one of these when we get back. I'm still strong, but not as fast or capable of scaling buildings like I used to be.

[It sucks.]

are you using that icon to exclusively victimize me because it's working

[laozu]

Armor?! You get armor in your sect?

[ "sect".because that's the way he can rationalize what it is to be a keyblade-wielded, a master; the language is familiar to him in the sense that sects have leaders, seniors and juniors - a fairly secure hierarchy of wisdom, bloodlines and sometimes merit. merit, which went hand-in-hand with "charity" as he had been reminded so often in his youth by both peers and social higher-ups. mostly to no avail, he was a difficult one to reach the heart of, in his own way. strong of will, until the very end.

with the bags in hand, he hefts them free of the bike and onto his shoulders. stronger than his far-more slender form ought to be, perhaps. ]

What I trained my body for is still what I have, I've found. My strength, my speed, my flexibility... but, the core I... [ that mo xuanyu, actually ] My core is with me, but I can't reach it without growing ill and weak. I wish I could, that you could -- it'd be fun to see who could reach the top of one of these buildings first. I've never seen skyscrapers before, most buildings in China are only two floors at most. Save for the lookout towers, even if they aren't as smooth.

[ he babbles on while he walks, because if someone speaks to him - he speaks back, often at length ]

What's being a Keyblade master really like, young master Riku?

i keep forgetting his arms are hot or something

[inherited]

[China, huh? That's the part that stands out most to Riku. Not the question, not the statement. Riku wishes he had his power because there is a small part of him that resents not having it and resents the feeling he experiences in not having it. Basically: he resents his resentment, hating that he prefers to have that strength rather than having to live without having it at all. Riku knows it's not bad to want strength to protect his friends. There's just a small part of him that's not at ease with what it means to not be able to.

The final question is a good basis to start beginning his explanation.]

To tell you the truth? I'm not really sure. Sometimes it feels like something that was meant to happen to someone else. [Riku doesn't say it now, but that's Sora. He remembers his feelings the day that Master Yen-Sid had told him he passed. He had always been good at stuff, sure—but there's being good at stuff and then there's being worthy of being a keyblade master. He wasn't sure he was there, and had to accept Master Yen-Sid's judgment. He's more at ease with it now.]

That I can't access most of the powers or do most of what's needed is proof of that. There used to be more of us, and now there's just three. It feels like something I wanna live up to, though. And something I think I can live up to if I'm given the chance. Maybe that's not the answer you're seeking, but that's how I feel about it. And it's something that doesn't stop here. I have to uphold and help this world, because that's what keyblade masters do. Above all else.

strong boy arms

[laozu]

Well, I definitely wasn't looking for the answer an instructor might have taught to you! And, as I don't know anything about Keyblades or their masters, I think your response was a good one -- it makes me feel like your mastery is about more than the skills your mind learns, it's about how your heart has come to understand.

[ he knows what it feels like, to try and live up to something intangible. attempt the impossible, had been the motto of the yunmeng-jiang, and it had been among the first words he had learned to read when they had taken him in; raised him among the sect leader's family as though he were the blood-brother of the heir. the freedoms, the life he had known because of it... he could never repay them in any other way, than to live for what they'd all done for him. infinite in meaning, sinking deeply into every fiber of his being. ]

I think the sects back home could all learn a lot from Keyblade masters. The gravity with which you view that power and prestige, young master, is probably exactly why you have it - you think of how you can use it for the good of others. Mm, as I get to know you, I feel you're the specific type of person who it should have happened to. You're very good!

[ he's stopped by now, to bridge the conversation between himself, riku and the people that need the resources he's carting around; taking some time in the lull to press his hands to their faces, laughing and passing blankets and other essential items to them. for a little while, he's good at checking against inventory --

and then he sort of, forgets it. his mittens end up on the hands of a pair of children, trapping their palms together. his scarf goes around the throat of an older woman, tucked up under her chin with obvious care. the motions are natural, thoughtless. it's easy to give of himself, it seems. ]

[inherited]

[Whereas Wei Wuxian gives of himself, Riku is more reserved and removed. Children smile, taking what they can from Wei Wuxian. They're not selfish in what they ask for: merely eager to get what's come their way. It's astounding, though Riku does worry a bit when he hands over his mittens, having a few ideas about how Wei Wuxian is bound to make up for that.

He chuckles, shaking his head, right until a woman approaches with her daughter, asking if his hair is really that color. He ducks down and tugs off his hat so they can see the hairs growing, silver despite his young age. He smiles up at them, but holds on to the hat. He'd love to give. He also knows they need to get back.

Just as Wei Wuxian's about to hand over his jacket, Riku steps in with one that was left stored in the bike.] Sorry, he forgot he needs to get back, too. This one'll look better on you anyway. [The charitable recipient—an elder man, likely much older than he looks thanks to the world's medical advances—smiles and agrees. He leans close to tell Wei Wuxian that his help is appreciated, but he can't help if he can't bear the cold.

Afterward, Riku strays away again, sitting close to the bike on a piece of wall with cleared off snow. The metal that makes up most of the foundation of this city is cold beneath him, and he holds his arms tight around himself, keeping himself warm until it's time to go.]