Quest 175

( Private//Hackable by Friends )

"And even the like precurse of fierce events,
As harbingers preceding still the fates
And prologue to the omen coming on,
Have heaven and earth together demonstrated
Unto our climatures and countrymen."

There's an old belief, and one popular in quite a few of Shakespeare's works, that upheavals in nature can serve as warning signs and bad omens of oncoming peril. And I suppose, in a sense, there's some truth to it, too. After all, oncoming peril rarely moves swiftly and silently; rather, it's often like a storm looming over the horizon, where one can see it coming before it ever arrives. And I can't help but wonder if this is one of those moments, when all the trouble going around the City yesterday wasn't a curse in and of itself, but rather a warning sign for worse things to come.

I have a feeling I'm not the only one that's been feeling that way, either.

It was like that last year when the hair monster came, wasn't it? First we had that day where the sun never came up and the City was plunged into darkness for the whole of the day, and then there was an earthquake that opened a chasm in the forest. And then while the monster was wreaking its havoc, his mother came out of the sea to look for him, and then there were two apparitions to deal with, instead of just the one. It wasn't an experience I'd ever be eager to repeat, what with the measures we all had to take to try to keep ourselves safe, and the monster stealing lemon cakes, and his mother appearing out of nowhere at the most inconvenient times to frighten the daylights out of us as she looked for him. And yet, in her own way, she turned out to be one of the nicer powers I've met in my time here, really. Fearsome as she was...I did believe her when she said she cared about us. I still do, in a way. I don't know why, and perhaps I never will...but still, I believe her.

Something hit the barrier last night, that much is clear. But at least it seems to have held; after it came tearing down a few months ago, and we all had to patch it up again with whatever we had lying around, I was a bit worried that it wouldn't be strong enough to withstand the--well, whatever it was. They looked like shooting stars, in a way, except in a whole rainbow of colors. And in and of itself, it was lovely. But in combination with the tides acting up and the earth quaking beneath us and nearly every animal in the City all in a fright? Lovely or not, I don't like the feel of it all.

Perhaps it's only nothing. And believe me, I want so very much for that to be true, and that we're all just being silly by getting concerned over all this. Still...this is the City, and many of us have seen events similar to this one before, and I'd much rather be ready for something that never comes than I would be unprepared for something that does. It's only prudent, after all.

Please be safe, everyone, won't you?