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deercountry2022-07-13 07:21 am
likethelight) wrote in deercountry2022-07-13 07:21 am
TANABATA ⟶ July Sanctuary Log
Sanctuary - TANABATA
"SEE YOU AGAIN, MOM"
The "star festival", celebrating the one time of the year when star-crossed lovers could cross over a sea of stars to meet again. One based on hopes, wishes, and the fervent desire to see each other again. Following the departure of Amaterasu back to the sea, wolf momgod of all who is responsible for the Guardian Saplings including the one Sanctuary has been founded around, Sanctuary is hosting the best approximation to a Tanabata celebration as the Trench will allow. Why? Because hope keeps the trees alive and strong, and Tanabata is about people having hope -- and would have been happening around the same time.
And because people miss dogmom and she would have liked it.
The festival is taking place at Sanctuary, but all Guardian Saplings can be paid visits. Paper for wishes and decorations have been set up at each/given to the other caretakers.
A Sea of Stars
The main hall has been transformed into a living night sky, with jars of hope from the moonlit butterflies back in April hung with care high up, each repacked with a single orb of hope per small vial with care, creating a river of starlike glowing lights overhead. The windows have been covered to aid with the nighttime effect, in addition to helping to keep out the light of the Beast Moon after dark. The gentle glow, as they are literally the tactile hopes and dreams of people, provides a small purifying, uplifting effect to everyone underneath. The light ebbs and flows calmly. The hall is cool as well, thanks to the pale/cold bloodstone cooling system that glows like moonstone along the walls and keeps the indoor areas regulated.
In the evening, as the sun sets, the new choir bell will ring out as well, cleansing corruption entirely from all who hear it. The lights gently pulse in time with it.
Wishes and the Guardian Sapling
The sapling is no longer in bloom, but despite the sweltering heat in full glory. Paper wishes are hung in its branches, along with origami streamers in colorful paper of cranes and other shapes. A bustle of activity is in the cloisters around it in particular, with most tables set up there to keep the courtyard itself clear. Origami streamers are hung in all the doorways leading out to it as well, creating the effect of string curtains, and there are paper lanterns as well.
A life-size stone statue of a wolf bearing a striking resemblance to Amaterasu has been erected next to the sapling, with her most radiantly happy canine expression she could sometimes get. There is room to place offerings for her, and people are encouraged that she would like "all the foods."
Colorful strips of paper (tanzaku) have been cut and placed out on a table in the cloisters surrounding the courtyard, where one can write their wishes for the next year down on them and hang them on the guardian sapling. They come in the following colors with a helpful, but... somewhat hard to read note with arcane handwritten note:
Red will help with wishes relating to ancestors and family, and giving thanks.Food and Activities
Yellow is the color of friendship and is the best choice for wishes about relationships.
White is the color for determination and responsibility, and for making personal resolutions.
Blue represents tranquility and trust and will aid wishes aimed at self-improvement.
Purple is the color to choose if you want to improve your brainpower and skills.
Following all of the best creative recreation methods available to them in Trench, the cooks in the kitchens have been trained by Megumi Fushiguro, among others, on how to best serve culturally appropriate dishes. These foods are served free at little vendor booths in the main hall (with people encouraged to help out and help serve!) and include pawprint mochi (the inside is either chocolate or strawberry), pickled sakura mochi, mitarashi and tricolor dango, chilled somen with a yuzu-soy dipping sauce, various types of filled onigiri, and cut watermelon in a variety of shapes including stars, sunbursts, and pawprints. Many have been made with small amounts of the Paleblood jam from June and have mild corruption cleansing effects as well. Various kinds of tea made from the dried or pickled cherry blossoms and/or leaves of the guardian sapling are being served as well, and they have a corruption-cleansing effect and have been noted as tasting "heavenly". Some of the jams have been cut with fruit juice/lemonade and frozen into popsicles as well... you're welcome, CorruptionPops are now a thing.
Various demonstration and activity tables have been set up including origami, with... questionably penned instructions from Palamedes in an arcane style for several shapes including cranes, sunbursts, stars, and wolves. Various Sleepers familiar with the practice have also been encouraged to set up there and help teach people how, and everyone is encouraged to hang their completed crafts in the guardian sapling. Most of the paper is red, white, pink, and gold. Paper lanterns have been made as well and light up various parts of the whole festivities.
A few vendor booths are set up, including one "selling" white yukata, trimmed in red and gold and bearing a distinctive star pattern on the back of it and intricate embroidery. Most Sanctuary members would receive one for free if they expressed interest, and anyone else can receive one for volunteering their time and helping out. People are encouraged to wear them for the celebration if they didn't have their own; these are styled in honor of Amaterasu.
Koz Orphanage has been specially invited as well, and children from it can be found running around during much of the event and given various activities to do or items to play with.
Sparklers are available for individuals as well, also courtesy of Viktor. Perhaps there might even be glowsticks from someone... :)
Fireworks and Closing Celebrations
On the final night, all the wishes will be gathered from the trees and collected in a ceremonial firepit. The wishes are burnt in order to release them to the heavens to be heard—and perhaps by Amaterasu still at sea—and will be ignited by several Sleepers with fire abilities (Shouto Todoroki, Megumi Fushiguro).
As they're burnt a fireworks display will begin overhead, launched from the steeple up high, courtesy of Viktor and anyone else assisting him in the matter. Anyone outside watching them in the courtyard will have the effects of the Beast Moon diminished by the blessing in effect from Moon Presence. The choir bell will toll a final time at the end, to clear the effects of any lingering corruption, and signal an end to the festivities.
WHAT
Sanctuary is about humane beast purification efforts and corruption relief. Renovations began in May 2022 and room clearing and rebuilding is still in progress. Beast patrol efforts and purification started more in earnest in June-July.
All roles are volunteer on an as-you-can basis up to full time, with time reimbursed by food, shelter, care, and community support. And because it's run by people who BLEED SENTIMENTALITY EVERYWHERE in addition to being founded on discovery of a Guardian Sapling, it's hosting a Tanabata celebration in conjunction with honoring the memory of Amaterasu.
All roles are volunteer on an as-you-can basis up to full time, with time reimbursed by food, shelter, care, and community support. And because it's run by people who BLEED SENTIMENTALITY EVERYWHERE in addition to being founded on discovery of a Guardian Sapling, it's hosting a Tanabata celebration in conjunction with honoring the memory of Amaterasu.
WHEN
Starting July 7, ending after a few days in a final celebration and ceremonial burning of the wishes.
THINGS OF NOTE
Tanabata
➢ Please feel free to presume your character could have helped out with setup if they have any ties to Sanctuary or characters here! If they would provide a food, service, or game they are free to have a table set up.
➢ This event is open to the whole of Trench and would have been freely advertised as such, including as a safe place to treat effects from the Beast Moon and corruption.
General / Member Update
➢ Sanctuary has been blessed by Moon Presence for the month of July, thanks to the efforts of Luna and Sansa. All negative effects of July and the Beast Moon are lessened within its walls, and anyone meaning Sanctuary or the people in it will be physically repelled. Lunar flowers have begun growing up the sides of the monastery in earnest like morning glories as a result.
➢ as of June, coordinated efforts to patrol Trench on their own and save Beasts and people both have begun. Members will be on a group chat in order to coordinate with each other and reach out to purification Sleepers when encountering Beasts. Everyone is encouraged to work in teams, especially to partner with someone who can purify Beasts or corruption.
➢ a training facility has opened up, with currently self-defense hand-to-hand combat classes being taught by Jason and others willing to train others encouraged to come forward. Fighters on patrol and wardens will be contacted to let them know about open sparring times so members can coordinate better in fights. There is an indoor room with training dummies (that fight back courtesy of Viktor) that opens up into an outdoor space between two of the long halls that can also be used.
➢ Please feel free to presume your character could have helped out with setup if they have any ties to Sanctuary or characters here! If they would provide a food, service, or game they are free to have a table set up.
➢ This event is open to the whole of Trench and would have been freely advertised as such, including as a safe place to treat effects from the Beast Moon and corruption.
General / Member Update
➢ Sanctuary has been blessed by Moon Presence for the month of July, thanks to the efforts of Luna and Sansa. All negative effects of July and the Beast Moon are lessened within its walls, and anyone meaning Sanctuary or the people in it will be physically repelled. Lunar flowers have begun growing up the sides of the monastery in earnest like morning glories as a result.
➢ as of June, coordinated efforts to patrol Trench on their own and save Beasts and people both have begun. Members will be on a group chat in order to coordinate with each other and reach out to purification Sleepers when encountering Beasts. Everyone is encouraged to work in teams, especially to partner with someone who can purify Beasts or corruption.
➢ a training facility has opened up, with currently self-defense hand-to-hand combat classes being taught by Jason and others willing to train others encouraged to come forward. Fighters on patrol and wardens will be contacted to let them know about open sparring times so members can coordinate better in fights. There is an indoor room with training dummies (that fight back courtesy of Viktor) that opens up into an outdoor space between two of the long halls that can also be used.
➢ with the hidden archives now unlocked, scholarly members of Sanctuary are encouraged to help study them and uncover other artifacts—and especially the strange new locked door discovered within.
➢ there is a family of batcat kittens old enough to be crawling everywhere throughout the building now. They might still be learning manners and latch onto you in an overexcitement to taste your blood from time to time.
➢ the large communal baths have been cleared out and renovated, thank god. They run on being open to male-identifying characters for one set of hours, female-identifying for another, and the rest of the time operate on "nobody cares". Privacy screens are hung between the tubs though—one side is regularly cooled down with ice for the hot months.
➢ with more people needing safe harbor during the Beast Moon and rising violence from natives during July, more actual rooms have been cleared out and are free to use for anyone who will also help work to maintain the place (chores, grounds keeping, etc.). There are always spare beds in the infirmary wing as well.
➢ members who patrol or purify beasts/fight in some way now have access to various relic items that have been donated for use for when they are actively on patrol. These will eventually be tracked in the member spreadsheet... eventually. Just give them back when you're done.
➢ Viktor and K's efforts have resulted in the lunar generator coming online and bringing lunar lighting and cooling throughout the building via a cold-pale bloodstone network. Rejoice!
➢ There is now a small, hidden stash of coffee bartered from Dabi. Someone might have to pry it from Viktor's jittery fingers.
This log is WIDE OPEN for Tanabata festivities and serves as the general log for Sanctuary for the month. Go wild and do whatever you want, have fun with your top levels, etc. :)
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[ Of course he had to try. Ah, a language only those who can speak Palamedes in depth. He looks a little suspicious that the man is suddenly writing something down. ]
Everyone has to start somewhere, why not where you live or spend a lot of time? Old bell?
[ Sometimes old items have a lot of power. Nico looks over at the doodle of probably another door. ]
Mystery Door Number Two, hidden behind Mystery Door Number One. Sign me up.
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But! I don't know; maybe it was. Maybe every structure still standing from those days used to be home to a religious cult.
[Like The Red, but he doesn't need to conspiracy theory about the fancy restaurant right now. He gestures for Nico to follow him, turning to backtrack down this corridor so they can loop around towards what he has been calling the "tapestry door," now without tapestry.]
The bell is old, yes. We found it in this archive, you'll see; it's considerably old, but well-preserved.
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If I find any altars or sense a lot of death happened somewhere, I'll be sure to let you know.
[ He may eventually throw his findings into conspiracy theories as he discovers them. Nico follows Palamedes down the hallway to see these two mystery doors - one no longer a mystery. ]
Does it have some kind of power?
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And— thanks. Maybe no one will go blind. The bell has something to do with corruption, we think; nobody left directions behind.
[Ha ha, fun jokes!! No but really, they could use all the help they can get with sensing something might be off before something else happens or they touch the wrong thing. One general danger-sense among their puzzle crew isn't really a lot...
The stretch of hallway with the doors in the middle does look vaguely like a tapestry once hung there and was removed, the stone a little less worn around the open doors leading into the archive, fundamentally a big library with a few things on display in cases and a lot of dust. There's evidence that Sanctuary members have poked around in here already, but certainly not all of it. Palamedes gestures for Nico to go in first, it's perfectly safe.]
Have a look around. Don't open the glass cases. The door's all the way in the back, can't miss it.
[Surely cannot, as it's kind of extra.]
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Maybe. I usually go with the theory that most things are traps. The age-old problem of no user guides, though that ghost might know a few things.
[ Nico will definitely be able to tell if a lot of people have died in front of a door or something. Or on the other side of it, to prepare for what might be behind it.
In he goes, and stands just sort of inside the door to get the full look of the archives. That's a lot of books and he knows a bunch of demigods who would probably live in here if they could. Then after a moment, moves further in. ]
What's wrong with them?
[ The glass cases, he means. First thought is that they're booby trapped, second is the items inside might be cursed or corrupted.
Nico stops in front of the door. Stares at it for a minute. ]
Are those... Norse runes?
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[But in they go, and Palamedes makes a beeline for the big door in the back, running his hand over the tops of a few of those glass cases as he goes. Not booby trapped, then-]
At least one of these things is obviously corrupted, so we might as well assume the rest are, too. Someone'll give us an earful if we start touching things without enough anti-corruption measures present.
[So maybe next time. He takes a long look at the door, wondering about Norse runes, quiet for just long enough that maybe it seems like he's forgotten the conversation.
Then:]
What's 'Norse'?
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[ When he hears about the fact the items might be corrupted, he feels the cases should be booby trapped somehow. Make sure no one stupidly opens one. ]
Guess it's a good thing I didn't come in here by myself. Without something resembling a tour, sometimes you just got to touch stuff.
[ Honestly, the long silence just makes Nico wonder if Palamedes is checking his internal files for the word "Norse". ]
An old Earth language. Do you think if you take a picture of the door with your omni, it'll translate into a language you understand? Like it did for me.
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About the ghosts: no idea. The old man seems content to tell the same stories again and again like they're new every time, but that could just be what old people are like.
[A shrug! He turns back to the door, already pulling his omni out of his pocket and swiping meticulously to get to the camera, good god, hold on... getting there...]
I don't know if it's going to work, but let's give it a try. It's definitely magical in nature, which will either hinder or help with no in between.
[Ah, here is the camera; he snaps some bigger pictures, then a bunch zoomed in on sets of runes individually, and... waits? It's an old door; maybe the omni needs time to process.]
The other doors we opened needed, [he holds up fingers to count for each,] a paleblood's touch, and a lunar object related to Moon Presence to open at all. If we consider those 'keys,' and the additional features of each door— a poem, the tapestry, these runes— well, there you go. If the runes are a clue, we'll just have to find the key.
And, notably: I'm going to eat my glasses if it's more paleblood.
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Where I'm from, a ghost can lose themselves. So hearing him repeat the stories, maybe he doesn't remember anything else anymore.
[ Nico just stands on by while the man fiddles with his omni, watching the door and those runes. He's no expert in Norse, but if one squints, then one of those squiggles kind of looks Norse. ]
If taking a picture of the magical door doesn't work, we could try writing down the runes and trying that. Otherwise, it's an idea for future doors.
[ While Palamedes is taking pictures, he checks out the area around the door. Looking for items or even something out-of-place with the wall. ]
If you're going to lock a door that's sitting behind another locked door, would you use the same key? That's kind of like giving an intruder a skeleton key, so they can rob you blind. Unless we're just going to pop out in another hallway after going through this door.
[ Though, then why would the two doors look any different if they both led out into a hallway? ]
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But also,] So that's why we call him 'the old man.' I think he likes 'Professor,' if you're talking to him.
[Anyway, time to observe this door while he gives the omni a chance to do whatever to the runes in the pictures; he genuinely does not understand how translation technology works. He leans almost physically up against the wall beside it, peering at the doorframe edgewise, then squints at the runes on the door itself again.]
It's not the same key; we can say that definitively. The door to this room had an inkling of darkblood magic, although I think we can safely say that was for the room, and not the door back there. [This is one of those too-big-for-logic rooms on his map, after all.] Maybe we're up; it could be our turn to be keys.
[Super exciting!! He looks down at the omni, frowns.]
This is nonsense. These runes must be too old for the omni to recognize.
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I'll remember that when talking to him.
[ Nico will always use 'professor'. Translation technology is a mystery for Nico too, just let him be glad it worked for text with his. Maybe it's because the language that exists in his head, so the omni can draw off of it. ]
So probably not a hallway behind here. Something they wanted to keep extremely secure, to put it behind two locked doors with different keys. [ Nico makes a Face at the idea of being a key. ]
Guess we'll have to do it the old-fashioned way. Trying to find some sort of hint in all those books.
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Some people, honestly. Now then, the door. He lifts a hand as if to touch it, but doesn't - not after he was mind-blinded the last time, not without more than just the two of them here, ideally with a plan - and traces in the air the outline of the rune nearest to him, considering it.]
It's not Sleeper blood. Lucky; I've bled on enough wards lately.
[He doesn't share the distaste about being a key; honestly it's a little exciting, if this is the door for darkbloods (tm). Finally, his chance-- but Viktor gets on him about spending too much blood, like, once a week? Biweekly? So.
He turns back to Nico, and if he is actually sparkling at the idea of reading every book here, don't worry about that. A trick of the light.]
A proper investigation? We'll need bigger notebooks.
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Nico won't lie, he kind of wants to touch the door and see if he can make any changes to the glowing stuff. But, he's not that curious and refrains from potentially activating a trap. ]
I always hated having to use blood in the ritual to raise ghosts, so I did regular human food and drink instead.
[ Skirting the "rules" of traditional necromancy, probably only possible due to his lineage. Chances are he won't be bleeding much for the mysteries either, one thing they won't have to worry about him overdoing.
Oh yeah, there it is. The glimmer of an eye at the prospect of having to go through all those books. Just like an Athena kid. ]
I was thinking more along the lines of looking for books with similar runes, you know, on the spine. Not going through every book in the collection.
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Sorry, you did what? Like... poured some milk in a ward circle?
[And it works?? That's some lineage privilege for sure if he ever heard it, although the necromancy he knows works more like a science with strict requirements than anything else. He's figured Nico's own abilities are probably more... loosely defined, given what little he knows of summer camp world. One dad who is also two dads but still technically one dad--
Yeah, that tracks with milk wards, or whatever.
In any case, he is already crossing to the nearest bookshelf, with a scoff - the patented scoff of an academic who can and will go through every book.]
Why, are you busy? You can take a break whenever you want, I won't be offended. I'm already staying here for the forseeable future, so I've plenty of excess time for this.
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Sort of? With hamburgers and soda in a regular dug hole, but it worked. I figure the rules of dead-raising aren't as strict with me.
[ No ward circle, there was chanting though! Nico thought the dead deserved more than blood sacrifices, considering it involves the ghost drinking the selected liquid.
He doesn't know if that would work for anyone else in his world.
The teen shakes his head but follows after ]
Not really, but I've already got a list of books to go look up in the Archives that's going to take me a while to get through. So how about I bring you books that look like they could help us figure out those runes? And, I don't know, maybe we can come up with a system to organize all these books so they're easier to find?
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[And everything close to a hamburger he's ever had has been grown in meat-vats, but at least he knows the general concept. Could a burger summon him, he wonders. Well. No. But if it works, it works.
He drums his fingers on a shelf as he walks alongside it, considering. Homework? Someone gave Nico homework?
...He does respect that.]
You want to come up with an entire card catalog, from scratch? [...] Sure; I'll get started while you investigate your list. Books about what?
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[ Nico is already wanting to find some cows and start a farm - that he doesn't run because animals don't like him. A lot of ghosts came for his Happy Meal and coke.
Yes, someone did and then Nico gave himself homework. It's been a long few days.
Well, he's not going to go to the school offered here, someone should give him homework. ]
I don't remember the dewey decimal system by heart and don't know if you use it in your future library, so why not make a new one suited to this place? [ He nods and looks around to pick a direction. ] The first Sleeper, Cloverfield, native funeral rituals, anything else I find interesting.
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[Just something true of all foods, but maybe one day he can eat a burger and fries with soda, or something like it.]
I memorized the system back home, [he says, waving a hand like that's a normal thing to do,] so it won't be difficult to adapt here. And this archive doesn't move like that incompetent fool Never Mind's does, over in Gaze— I'll work on it.
[He makes it to the end of this particular row of stacks; he considers the topmost shelf and the leftmost book; he takes it out and opens it to read. Book One.]
If you ask me, given all the blood pollution here, they should burn their dead. I've never asked around about it, though.
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[ Palamedes on caffeine could be a scary sight. Nico would happily introduce him to burgers, should that become a thing here. ]
Not surprised. [ Seems like a librarian thing to do. ] I bet you're already building one in your head. Gods, do those books over there really move? I'm never going there, so this library better have everything.
[ He says that, but he will if he can't find the stuff he's looking for in this one. Nico moves the opposite direction, only scanning the book spines. ]
Cremation is pretty popular on Earth, and would help out here. Yeah, I thought it could be something I do, help with native funerals.
[ It's already something he does back home. ]
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It's odd; he'd been thinking of the First as this sprawling, successful, ancient culture that fell pre-Resurrection, but the idea that it wasn't is so...
Well, he's just giving Nico this weird look, so after a moment he says,] Sorry; I've only been the one time, and the calendar wasn't the same.
[And darkly, mostly to himself,] The cremation was, though.
[Anyway, ahem, the Archives! He looks back at his book, skimming a few paragraphs.]
They do move; that's not a joke. Once someone tried to tell me to trust my instincts, and the book I wanted would show up in the last place I expected it, which is bullshit if you've ever been to a library? Never Mind is a hack.
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The way they view the Earth appear to be opposite end of the spectrum. He'll just be glad that he wasn't born even earlier.
A shake of his head at the apology. ] Don't worry about it. It's not like I've ever been to Mercury or know your calendar.
[ Palamedes is getting a look - raised eyebrow and an expression that asks "you want to talk about it?" without saying the words.
Instead, he listens to the man insult the other store of books with an amused snort. ]
Sounds like magical hell for a librarian. Guess we'll have to make ours bigger and better than Never Mind.
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Nico, on the other hand, is just a person asking - sort of - for his opinion, which is more refreshing than it really should be.
Well, give him a moment.]
Are we competing archivists now? I'm all for it; I've never lost a proper challenge of archival ability.
[Meet him behind the Sanctuary for an Ass Kicking, Never Mind!!]
...You can ask, if you're curious, but I didn't bring the snacks.
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The librarian reminds him of a few friends, of Hestia who quietly gave up her seat of power, of Bob who lost his memories and began a new one. Nico was always drawn to the individuals like that over the loud, booming voices of others talking over them. ]
That's the spirit. No way we can lose to that guy.
[ Just forget that Nico hasn't even met Never Mind or spent a lot of time in that Archive. ]
Honestly, I was just going to ask if you had something on your mind.
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[No, really, the baseless and kind of dry support is the best kind. Plus, it's not anyone's weird backstories, which he now has to think about--
Hmm. He does that thing again where he stops to buffer, staring at the book in his hands and even turning the page in silence, like he's just done with this topic. But, of course,]
I was thinking about '21st century'. I thought it'd be more. The First— Earth, or some version of it, at least— is in our distant past. I told you before; no one lives there anymore.
[Another pause, but shorter.]
But, I don't know; I thought there would be more history.
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[ He is here with that kind of support when the situation calls for it. Weird backstories can be a difficult topic.
Nico doesn't press when Palamedes stops to buffer, just piling a couple more books onto his stack while he waits. When the man does speak again, it's the demigod's turn to pause. ]
That's fair. If it helps, there's a lot more to Earth's history than two thousand years. It's just our calendar sort of splits its self. We have AD - After Death - which is the side I live in, and BC - Before Christ that came well... before.
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