⸻ CASE 02 ⸻
A TETHERED FLIGHT
a clock that has stopped ticking and a past that will never be rewritten.
⸻ 雪花钟针 ⸻
THE ALABASTE DIAL
a mechanical shop that specializes in clockwork repairs, commissions, and products. the English name is derived from (雪花石 - alabaster) and (钟针 - clock hand / dial). its motifs are plum blossoms and alabaster stone.
⸻ 时光飞蛾 ⸻
THE TRANSIENT MOTH
a small and white moth-like form with rounded wings and what looks like a clock face patterned along the veins. it has found a home within a broken pocket watch that it kept affixed in time.
when in contact with the clock, the effects of its presence manifested as:
auditory - muted conversations and whisperings of the past | the fluttering of wings
visual - the faint forms of past objects and people outlined when touching the clock
physical alterations - the dials of the clock has stopped moving and will reset when attempted to be fixed.
non-physical alterations - a single scene that seems to replay, like a memory drawing you in | the impression that time has stopped.
⸻ 郭炼 ⸻
GUO LIAN
the flight of a blue morpho. bringer of good omen. freedom, immense fortune. thrill seeker.outgoing | optimistic | excitable | impulsive | lonely | fearful
BACKGROUND
Having developed Sight at a young age, Guo Lian saw blue butterflies around her mother right before her mother abandoned her at the age of five. Afterwards, she had a tendency to run away from the orphanage and foster homes until she met Ye Wuying, who fostered her for two years before officially adopting her. She currently studies mechanics at Tenpei University while also working part-time at The Alabaste Dial, a clockwork and mechanical repair shop.Seeing the chimeric manifestations of white moths surrounding Ye Wuying kick-started the events that occurred within 'A Tethered Flight.'
TRIVIA
Has a huge sweet tooth; her favorite food is strawberry cake! Being a clockwork apprentice, she sometimes makes little metal toys with the scraps in the shop. Depending on how much time she has in the morning, she'll sometimes braid the front pieces of her hair. Guo Lian tends to try and act more mature than she actually is, but in truth, she's still rather naive.
A BUTTERFLY BURIAL
⸻ 页无朠 ⸻
YE WUYING
a luna moth's departure. renewal, new beginnings. guidance and metamorphosis.erudite | logical | mechanical | reserved | isolated | passive
BACKGROUND
A horologist who now works independently at The Alabaste Dial. He specializes in clockwork and mechanical repairs, and takes on custom commissions from time to time. He fostered Guo Lian for two years before officially adopting the girl and taking her as his apprentice.He opened The Alabaste Dial with a man named Feng Nanyun, the two of which were incredibly close. Eventually, as the years went by, Feng Nanyun's demeanor suddenly shifted and he confessed that he began to feel that the work was stifling. When he left to explore the world, he promised Ye Wuying he would return, and left Ye Wuying with a pocket watch.The watch breaking, along with the remnants of Feng Nanyun's promise and the lack of closure are the catalyst to the events that occurred within 'A Tethered Flight.'
TRIVIA
He prefers savory foods, and his favorite food is radish soup. Has a scar across the palm of his right hand; is ambidextrous. Slightly allergic to cats despite having Meizi, a ragdoll cat, around the shop. The gold earring on his left ear was part of a matching set with Feng Nanyun; while Feng Nanyun was skilled in goldsmithing, Ye Wuying prefers to work with silver and steel.
AN ECLIPSE PURSUIT
⸻ A TETHERED FLIGHT ⸻
CHARACTERS
⸻ A TETHERED FLIGHT ⸻
THE RECORDS
like the draw of a moth that keeps flying towards flame: you know nothing will change, yet you’ll keep revisiting these pockets of the past, over and over and over again.
⸻ A TETHERED FLIGHT ⸻
BEGINNINGS
a horologist's apprentice stumbles into the Jingwei Chimeral Consultancy one early morning with a locked box and an odd request.SYNOPSIS:
The seers were introduced to Guo Lian, a clockwork apprentice who held concerns regarding a box containing a pocketwatch. The watch, as Guo Lian asserts, is extremely important to her mentor. The watch's clock-hand has stopped moving and has been unable to be fixed, and this directly correlates with a sudden change in behavior.Guo Lian left in a rush, but not before leaving behind a business card containing the name and address of the clockwork shop. She has requested that the seers meet her at the shop the next day in the afternoon.KNOWN:
There seem to be visual and auditory hallucinations as a result of chimeral influence surrounding Guo Lian or the box containing the watch. The passcode to the watch seems to be some kind of 4-digit numerical encryption.
⸻ A TETHERED FLIGHT ⸻
ANAMNESIS
the seers of Jingwei Chimeral Consultancy arrive at The Alabaste Dial at the request of Guo Lian, where the investigation will take place.SYNOPSIS:
The seers were given an opportunity to explore The Alabaste Dial under Guo Lian's supervision in order to unlock the box. Unexpectedly, her mentor Ye Wuying had arrived within the shop as well, where seers were able to ask him about the situation and explore his workshop.KNOWN:
WITHIN THE STOREFRONT ⸻
The box was successfully unlocked, after which contact with the watch within the box seemed to manifest chimeral effects.WITHIN THE WORKSHOP ⸻
Traces of someone who used to work with Ye Wuying were found, and a secondary figure seemed to be imprinted within the workshop. Ye Wuying himself seemed distracted and often lost in thought.
⸻ A TETHERED FLIGHT ⸻
EPHEMERALITY
the seers return to The Alabaste Dial the next day in search of a conclusion.