The Ancient Ones dream as they wait in R'lyeh

[astudyinviolet]

Who: Sherlock and others
Status: Open
Where: Eltrut, Atnam, Nogard, Elah
What: Catch all for MANTA quests and Sherlock learn his newly gained light magic
Warnings: there are some creepy (but motionless) light projections after he accidentally blinds himself

MANTA general: Perspectives in Pursuit (Elturt)

[ Sherlock pours over the three paintings using his magnifying glass. Jin Ramona's signature tiny man has been discovered, but Sherlock is also using other means to identify the fakes in case Ramona decides to switch his methods. He absolutely doesn't care about the reward. This is a puzzle using purely physical evidence. He is in his element and doing his mother's work, authenticating works and discovering forgeries. ]

Hand me that scalpel. I mean to take a sample of some pigments from each of the paintings.

MANTA general: Beta Testers Wanted (Nogard)

[ Anyone who has known Sherlock for any length of time here knows that he drinks a lot of coffee. Indeed, he seems to need it to function as he never appears to have a good night's rest. It only makes sense that he'd test out the Teacaf. He is also a scientist and could make a thorough report of his testing.

There is just one problem. ]

ExcusemeIneedtogetmorewatertotesttheTeacafwithanewratio.

Excuse me, I need to get more water to test the Teacaf with a new ratio.

[ Sherlock says far too quickly. His hands are trembling, and he's practically bouncing from spot to spot. He can't stay still. This is the most awake and active anyone will see Sherlock until he fixes his sleeping problems.

Dear Lord, just how much coffee did he drink? Someone should probably keep an eye on him and keep him away from consuming any more today. ]

MANTA Paladin Bounty: Disguise and Deliverance (Atnam)

[ There is a maid who is probably doing the worst cleaning job despite being very interested in the dust on the furniture and shoe scuffs on the hardwood floors. After each inspection, the dust and marks remain, and the maid has moved on. Anyone who catches up to the maid will come face to face with a tall, dark-haired beauty with grey eyes holding a magnifying glass.

Wait. That's Sherlock impersonating a maid. He looks similar to when he dressed to be a bride's decoy. The main difference is he's wearing a conservative maid's uniform instead of a wedding gown and veil. ]

May I help you?

[ He says in a tone fitting his disguise. ]

MANTA Paladin Bounty: Dragon Tails (Elah)

[ Sherlock is not afraid of the dragon. When he first arrived in this world, he had been afraid of them because he thought he was going mad. That is not the case this time. Here is a creature who is injured and needing help. He gets along with animals generally, and he once befriended a snarling stray dog as a child. He hopes to do something similar here. ]

Here, drink this. It should help keep any infections from spreading through your body and help with the pain.

[ The dragon sniffs at the medicine laced water Sherlock puts down and places its head next to the basin instead. Sherlock sits down in a chair, pulls out his casebook, and waits for the dragon to make the next move. ]

C'mon, Sherry. Concentrate

[ Somehow, despite everything, Sherlock makes it through the process of getting a tattoo at the Inkwave Tattoo Parlor. He can't tell if anything has really changed besides the ink on his arm. There might be a faint tingle upon his skin, but that could easily be explained by the tattooing process.

The element Sherlock chose was Light. His talk with Lyney and learning about the elements from Cid helped him make his choice. Sherlock is not luminous on his own. He is someone who gets lost in the dark, makes games out of shadows, and fears the Abyss swallowing him up every night. No, like Miriam, he's fighting against his circumstances. John's not here to be his Conductor of Light and guide him forward. Sherlock remains, and despite the dark, to spite the dark, he's going to grasp for his light. He'll try to give himself hope for something better and fight for whatever future he still has. It also has practical uses for investigation as light will allow him to better see clues and evidence, but Sherlock must admit that he's tied to the sentiment more than anything. Not the most logically sound reason.

Now, if only Sherlock could get something to happen in this vacant area, so he knows it worked. He should be able to imagine and then feel something, shouldn't he? He visualizes and recreates crime scenes in his mind palace. He lived with an imaginary friend for most of his life, never having to think hard to see him beside him. If he just concentrates. Sherlock starts to snap his fingers like he does during an investigation or whenever he needs to punctuate a point in his mind.

A young man with a bright smile and playful eyes appears, made completely of shimmering blue-green light. ]

Jon?!

[ Sherlock startles back, and the light projection disappears. It never moved, never spoke. It was there, and now it is gone. ]

Oh.

[ This is unexpected, but now Sherlock has an idea. He thinks of his dear John Watson and snaps his fingers. A John made of light appears before him. He snaps his fingers again, and the image of Jon appears again. Snap. John. Snap. Jon. Snap. John. Snap. Now, there's a bee. Snap. A book. Snap. A violin.

If someone doesn't come across him as he's just figuring things out, maybe they come across Sherlock later as he's actively testing his limits. He finds one such limit when tries to see how many light projections he can create at once. The light bursts brightly around him and especially in his eyes.

Sherlock stands there blinded, eyes having gone completely pale. What had he just done to himself? Is this permanent? (It's not, but he doesn't know that time or a healing spell will fix things.) ]

Is someone there?

[ Sherlock's thoughts drift to another blind man who lead a cult. He trembles and is completely unaware that he's causing other unintentional, images to blink in and out of reality in his barely concealed terror of his condition. Large tentacles and chains emerge from the ground. Large chunks of rock float in the air. There are nondescript, wooden artist mannequin figures posed in worship before a large statue of a monstrous being. ]

Wildcard

[ Want to do something else? Write a prompt or drop me a line at Sherry's journal, aviekokyre, or on Discord @ aviekokyre and we can plot something out. ]

Comments

dragon time

[hasapoint]

Is it because it's bitter?

[Lashan is wary of the dragon. 'Dragon' is a general catchall word for scaled monsters, where she's from, and all monsters are created by mages, intentionally or not, usually warped from animals and with their territorial and predatory drives increased all out of proportion. But she's by no means a stupid person. The Paladins and the skinny boy don't treat it like it's an imminent danger.

She has her longsword sheathed at her hip, but she's got the animal-Gift and is using it to try and connect to the creature, to understand it and be at least somewhat understood. If she doesn't do anything threatening, she doesn't seem like a threat or food. It doesn't work as well on monsters, admittedly.]

Or does it hurt to swallow, do you think?

[She's picking up on various degrees of pain and discomfort but hasn't quite translated them from a long-tailed long-necked six-limbed bodyplan enough to entirely make sense of it.]

[astudyinviolet]

It could be either, but if it is the latter, then it shall have difficulty eating a meal.

[ Of live prey which Sherlock will let other Paladins take care of. He understands it is a necessary part of life. That does not mean he wishes to bear witness to the fact in such close proximity at this time.

He starts flipping through the earliest notes of this world in his casebook. As disoriented as he was then, Sherlock did keep a record. ]

Residents of Ocard had a large quantity of meat on the menu during the festival, but they also had sweets and spicy foods as well. We may be able to mask the taste with something more palatable.

[hasapoint]

Hm.

[She doesn't think it feels particularly hungry just now but loss of appetite is a common aspect of illness too. Lashan is also uninterested in feeding this creature. The protracted experience of live feeding is a far unpleasant prospect than mere butchery, given her Empathy. She could do it but if someone else has that covered, why put herself through unnecessary stress?]

Can these taste either? Cats don't taste sweetness. [And birds don't taste the spice on peppers, not that she knows about that. Lashan's the kind of old-world medieval to whom peppers are on a different continent.]

[Judging that she can get away with it, she goes stiffly to one knee, dips her fingers into the basin, and approaches the beast's face with them. It watches her hand until it has to cross its eyes to do so and she touches its snout, daubing it with the medicated water. It tenses a bit at the contact and when she withdraws her hand it licks its "lips".]

beta testers... or beta teasters 🤔

[airdnd]

[ He is, for better or worse, in similar company. Coffee is something that Sumina does quite enjoy in copious amounts, herself, but something like espresso?

It's been quite a while since she's had it, and needless to say, she's quite missed it. Which is why she's had quite a number of shots... And she's not about to stop. There are other kinds of espresso drinks to experiment with, after all, and she's examining a model with a milk steamer when Sherlock finds her.

She's never seen him quite this animated, to be sure, though he likewise, and likely hasn't seen Sumina quite this talkative in turn: ]

Oh! Mister Sherlock! Glad am I to run into you here. How have you been? Have your nightmares gotten any better?

[ She doesn't appear to require even a moment to parse what he's saying, because she's on his level, talking a mile a minute. ]

Ah, well, I suppose with this machine you would never have to close your eyes again, ahaha...!

caffeinated characters

[astudyinviolet]

[ It is refreshing to have someone keeping up with him. Sherlock's mind is usually abuzz with thoughts, and he doesn't have to push his way through his fatigue like usual. He practically spins as he turns to face Heartleaf. ]

Mynightmareshavenotchanged despiteallattemptstoforcemyselftoconfronttheterrors. Thisisafarmorereliablemethod. Haveyoubeenwell?

My nightmares have not changed despite all attempts to force myself to confront the terrors. This is a far more reliable method. Have you been well?

[ He fills up the water reservoir for the nth time and writes down a new set of variables to test the machine with. Sherlock has no intention of stopping his testing while also speaking to Hearleaf. He can manage both at once. ]

[airdnd]

[ Multi-tasking seems only easier with the power of caffeine... never mind that they may or may not be spreading themselves thin or doing shoddy work by being so damned jittery.

Once again, she's nodding along to his borderline-crazed, caffeinated rambling, even despite the rather concerned twitching of her features that hearing of his continued sleeplessness induces. And then she responds with a bit of her own rambling, even if she doesn't quite manage the same verbal velocity. ]

Oh, dear. That really is quite concerning, Mister Sherlock! I shall keep my ears open for anything else that might help with your terrors. As for myself, ah, I've been well enough, truly! You might say I've been doing a bit of soul-searching...

[ While he continues to fuss over the water and the coffee ratios, Sumina continues considering the milk steamer, testing the ways the steam wand can move this way and that, hand alighting on a lever that she presumes will activate it, but not quite pulling just yet. ]

Fascinating machine, is it not?

concentrate

[ramuhs]

[When Cid got the message, he made his way over as soon as he could. However, upon seeing the strange apparitions surrounding Sherlock, he wished he made it there sooner.]

Bloody hell—Sherlock!

[He rushes in to where he finally spots the man in the center of it all, grabbing his shoulder.]

[astudyinviolet]

[ Lord Rochester was blind, but he claimed vision was even clearer. The stormy weather did not detract from the fact that Lord Rochester could point at Sherlock and know who he was before Sherlock even introduced himself. There was a Light of the Abyss. Had he unintentionally tapped into that somehow by accepting light magic? Does Sherlock have to worry that his blindness might turn into the sight Lord Rochester had? His fears are what brings the light imagery into the world against his will and knowledge.

Sherlock tenses when he feels a hand on his shoulder, but he recognizes the voice. ]

... Cid? I...

[ramuhs]

[Without knowing what exactly was happening, Cid had little he can work from. However, he can tell that Sherlock's magic was out of control, and if it's like anything, it's emotionally involved. And now that he's facing him, he can also see something has happened with his eyes.]

Aye, I'm here lad, just focus on me. Take several steady breaths and count to ten with me, can you do it?

Perspectives in Pursuit

[indispensable]

[Alhaitham, unsurprisingly, has very little interest in art in general, though that does not necessarily mean that he doesn't have knowledge on the subject. His grandmother was an alumnus of the Kshahrewar Darshan, after all, and he inherited her entire collection of books after her passing, so it was always a matter of time before he eventually went through them (which he did, especially after meeting Kaveh).

Of course, Alhaitham would be the first to also say that theoretical knowledge can only go so far, which is why he doesn't say anything when Sherlock asks for the scalpel and simply passes it over as asked. Truthfully, he's mostly here because he's interested to see the way Sherlock works, especially after the conversation they had a while back. What better way to understand than to see it for himself?

But of course, he has no intention to hold anything up, so he's perfectly fine with helping where needed.]

[astudyinviolet]

[ Sherlock is no master of the arts either, and for the most part, he considers himself unmoved by art with music the exception. This is a lie he tells himself because he does appreciate the theater, fashion (at least concerning himself), and poetry... which is a secret he keeps even to himself.

Taking the scalpel, Sherlock turns the paintings on their edges. Each canvas has a little paint which reached the unseen edges when framed. He scrapes off some of that paint and places it onto a small square of paper. Then he wipes off the scalpel completely and repeats the process for the other two. Sherlock peers through his magnifying glass. ]

I could analyze these further if I had my proper chemistry kit or a microscope, but even my magnifying glass brings to light some of the differences. These are all samples of yellow and brown, and you can tell the difference in quality. See?

[ He'll offer his magnifying glass to Alhaitham, and regardless of if Alhaitham looks for himself, Sherlock continues with his explanation. ]

There are varying degrees of grit with each paint. Prolific artists have favored paints because they want the consistency. Even if they make their own, they follow their recipes, so they can make more paint when they run out. The differences suggest that the forger doesn't care what paints they use and probably chooses whatever is cheapest at the time.

[indispensable]

[Alhaitham watches quietly at how Sherlock scrapes off some of the paint from the corners of each paining and proceeds to explain his intentions in doing so. Alhaitham nods as he listens, remembering something like this also having come up in Fontanian mystery novels—and of course, from the cases reported on the Steambird.

...at least those have a lot more credibility compared to the stuff that Yae Publishing House likes to come up with half the time.

He takes the magnifying glass when offered, looking at the paint samples himself using it—and just as Sherlock had described, there are indeed differences between them. Subtle enough that most people would most likely miss, unless one truly peered into it like Sherlock... or is familiar enough with the medium, like Kaveh.]

Mmn. [A hum as he straightens back up, passing the magnifying glass back to Sherlock.] An imitation that is purely for looks and has no true substance within... even as a forgery it doesn't seem at all befitting of the real thing.

[He'd say 'mass produced' if that's a term that can actually be applied, but considering how they are still done by hand, its still pushing against that proverbial boundary a little.]

beta testers!

[garudas]

[A rare sight for Benedikta to be out and about within Nogard's workshop, but given recent developments, she is trying to be more supportive of Cid's endeavours. As much as she hates the crowd and would much rather be locked up in the bedroom with a good book, this is her way of making an... effort. She is not so good at the "testing" part because what the hell does she even keep an eye out for, but she is good at making sure that no one goes where they should not, and people are not so rough with his inventions.

Which is why when a man comes rushing her way trembling like a bloody leaf, and nearly slurring his words, she grabs him by the shoulders and guides him back around in the other direction, all the while looking him over.]

I think not.

[What in the world is wrong with him? Is he okay?????]

You might stop your shaking first before you touch anything else.

[astudyinviolet]

[ In Sherlock's opinion, Cid's endeavor has brought something wonderful into being. He's happy to feel so awake for once. He's also very easily to turn around because he is a twig. ]

I'm fine. I haven't dropped anything yet, and I do not plan too. There are still a number of factors I can test, so I need to get back to it.

[ He says just as rapid fast as before. ]

[garudas]

[No, he definitely is not, and she answers that question for him. She will guide him to a stool and set him down.]

Yes, you may after. Drink.

[And she will point to the jug of water that's been prepared for visitors, and an empty glass.]

... Have you never had coffee before?

[Says the woman who had only just discovered coffee herself a year ago.]

wild card [ into the light ]

[empyrean_mirror]

...Mr. Holmes?

[Kaveh doesn't know what he expected, but Sherlock stumbling through the streets, caffeinated, with phantasmal images flickering around him. But he approaches slowly, head tilted, trying to work out what he's seeing...besides an extremely caffeinated man.]

Mr. Holmes, are you quite alright?

[astudyinviolet]

[ Sherlock would deny that he is stumbling. It's like he's dancing with how light his body feels. He may have crashed after the caffeine left his system (and had another terrifying nightmare which woke him with tears rolling down his cheeks and hugging his Jo(h)n plushies). However, that doesn't stop Sherlock from attempting to achieve the same level of awakeness he had while testing Cid's Teacaf. ]

Hello, Mr. Kaveh. I am perfectly fine. More fine than I have been in months actually.

[ He's speaking rapidly and snapping his fingers. Each snap causes a new image to appear or disappear. They're mostly copies of mundane things around them or artist mannequins, but there's an occasional large tentacle or floating mass of rock connected to the ground by chains or cages hanging from the sky. He's not aware he's making the images appear. (He's not consciously trying to.) ]

[empyrean_mirror]

I...

[Kaveh looks from the snapping fingers, to the images in the air, back to Sherlock and his rapid speech.]

Forgive me for saying so, but I'm not so sure that's true.

disguise and deliverance 🧹

[activatingcombatmode]

[A mission to deal with some suspicious ass looking mansion and rescuing some people that have been locked up inside. Zack is here without a doubt in his mind. This is the kind of paladin work that needs to be done immediately, especially when there are potentially lives on the line.

Which also means that they've got to be as convincing as they can be so they don't blow their cover... Zack is here dressed up in a black suit, and tie and looking very dressed up even though he looks a little too bulky to be a real butler. He's got a broom in hand too.

When he notices the other maid dressed up across the room, he makes some shifty eyes before he wanders over.]

Hey, man. [He whispers.] If you're going to make this convincing... You got to actually clean off some dust every now and then. [Hint hint.]

[astudyinviolet]

[ Sherlock puts on a meeker air at first until he realizes that the butler is none other than Zack Fair. He still maintains the softer voice in case anyone can hear his voice but not understand his words. ]

If the masters of this house were so observant, they would realize the house staff has changed. The dust and marks are evidence as to the comings and goings of the house and can help us narrow down where the hostages are.

[ Despite himself, he gives a small huff. ]

I could have used the cart tracks to give us more information, but there is no way to get there without blowing my cover.

[activatingcombatmode]

[...] Oh, damn. ... Okay. We'll go with that.

[Okay, he forgot for a hot minute how smart Sherlock actually is. But lucky Zack can be pretty clever when he wants to be, too. Or at least clever when he gets some sheer dumb luck. Or a decent idea.]

If we need to get there to check out the cart tracks... Why don't we make a mess that we have to clean out?

[Take out some trash, literally.]

Beta Testers

[brokenlight]

Um...are you okay?

[Ventus looks startled by the sight of this man, eyes wide.

He...can barely understand what he's saying either.]

Maybe you should sit down.

[astudyinviolet]

[ To Sherlock, other people being slow on the uptake is normal. His mind moves too fast and makes connections before others notice the first detail. (Speaking too fast for others to keep up with is abnormal, however.) ]

I am perfectly fine, and I will sit down once I get more ingredients for additional testing. Are you also here to help with testing?

[ His words continue to spill out of his mouth at the same rapid pace as before, and he cannot stand still. ]

disguise and deliverance

[netherese]

[Gale's efforts to pass as a butler have been marginally more convincing than Sherlock's attempts, at least with regards to cleaning, but he quickly finds that the work required to keep up appearances is a little much for him at the moment. The required chores take their toll as he uses them to move about the manor unhindered to investigate, but despite his insisting to himself that he's pushed through far worse, he finally allows himself a brief respite to give his pain time to ease and breath a chance to return to normal.

Well— even if he's resting, he may as well make good use of his time. Questioning other members of the staff seems to be just the thing, and so when he spots a maid in passing, he alters his course to follow behind.]

Excuse me, miss, if I may—

["May I help you?"

He looks taken aback as the maid turns to face him, clearing his throat as he regains himself.]

Sherlock?

[astudyinviolet]

[ Sherlock tilts his head slightly, and to his credit, he does not react to his name despite not expecting it. ]

"Sherlock" would be a strange name for a maid, would it not, sir?

[ Not that Sherlock really came up with a cover name because the masters of the place are so unobservant as to miss the replacement of a lot of help staff, but if he must come up with something on the spot, he could. ]

Is there something needing my attention?