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Entry tags:
TDM #2
TDM #2
DREAMING (new characters)
At first, there is nothing. You are nothing. Whatever existed before ceases to be if for a moment. Then, bit by bit, you start to become aware. Where there was not even darkness now is a dim haze, gentle and almost mist-like. You have limbs again and beneath your feet lays a path of light reaching out like limbs of a great tree beneath you, twisting and climbing out into the horizon.You take a step forward for what else is there to do? As you walk you begin to remember what it was you were doing before the nothingness; maybe something as simple as chatting with a loved one or close friend. Maybe you were just beginning a great journey or facing off against an old foe. Whatever it was, you get the distinct feeling that wherever and whenever that was, it is not here. Not now.
The path of light twists off into different directions. When you look up you can see that it is not a sky above you but the sky of everything, a grand cosmic tapestry littered with not mere stars but galaxies and clusters of galaxies that gleam like crystals against the velvety backdrop of space. Admire it for a moment, if you will. You don't know how long you will drift here, but you are not alone. Other wanderers will come and go as you bask together in the vastness of creation.
It seems to you that there are two paths to walk in this place, the light and dark beckoning in turn.
❖ THE LIGHT AT THE CENTER
One leads you to the center, splintered fragments folding together and colliding until only one thing remains: a light that speaks to you with the voice of all there is and has ever been. It greets you simultaneously as an old friend and as a lost child, both rejoicing in and mourning your arrival. You remember it too, somehow, with a feeling of complex nostalgia, as if returning to a place recalled from your distant childhood.
You’ll feel the same of the other wanderers that join you in the light; you know their faces, their voices, and as you reflect upon the world of your birth, you may witness fragments of theirs as well. You feel a comradery, then, a synchronicity of thought and emotion. Are the lives of others truly so different from your own? Or are you simply two hands of the same, greater being? Though some individualistic part of you may resist, the longer you spend in the light, the more you will find yourself becoming one with it.
Despite this welcoming call, no matter how eagerly your pursue its embrace, before you can fully submerge yourself in this oneness you will find yourself being torn away. As if seized by the impossibly long, cold arm of a creature unseen, you are plucked from the edge of fulfillment. The last thing you will remember is the sensation of your world, and all the others your experienced here, collapsing into nothingness.
❖ THE DARK OUTSIDE (CW: deep despair, ego death)
The other leads towards the outside, where the splintering becomes so great that the vestiges of reality can do nothing but collapse back into the abyss at the end of everything. As you wander to these barren outskirts, your thoughts will not be drawn to familiarity and oneness, but instead to memories of discontent and waste. The darker the path becomes, the more you find yourself dwelling on life’s disappointments and injustices, of the things about yourself and your world you find wanting.
If you see others here, at first they will feel frightening or contemptible, as if representing to you the worst experiences in your life. Even if they are someone you’re certain you know, that familiarity and affection will be stripped away in the face of the great emptiness before you. In the end, you were all the same. In the end, none of this was worth it. If you approach the end together, you may even form a kind of kinship around this acknowledgment, as the need for paranoia and hatred fades.
Slowly, the darkness encroaches, and you can see it devouring all the things you once knew. Memories of your home, of those you loved, dissolve into nothing, and you can only reflect on the barren emptiness in your heart as you see it happen. In your final moments, though, you feel peace with it all, knowing that there was no other way. You step from the edge of the last dwindling fragment of being and are greeted by silence.
❖ THE END
No matter which way you go, you are left with a single impression: you feel the world you came from die. It's a realization that transcends logic or sense; it weighs on your heart and leaves the vestiges of dark memories dancing in your thoughts like motes of ash. It's a memory of your home crumbling away into nothing as if consumed from within by rot. Returned to the void, all that's left to you is to be reborn.
REBIRTH (new characters)
In a new time and place, you awaken. Stirring within a capsule of warmth and isolation your senses will slowly return, only to observe that you are trapped. Your body, as it wakes, is tangled in close, yours eyes unable to open, as if still within the womb. You are held tight in the embrace of something unyielding, so smothering that at first you only have the strength to struggle for moments at a time. Yet, as you persist, the pressure begins to relent in turn; it may take hours, but eventually you will find the purchase to push, to claw, to fight, and it will all give way.The chrysalis surrounding you bends like flesh and cracks like glass. It tears as you force your fingers through, finding liberation one inch at a time, until finally you have emerged. As if having undergone metamorphosis, you feel old and new all at once. You are weak, piteously so, but the markings and scars of your previous life remain. As you slump down upon the smooth cavern stone, you realize that you've just wrenched yourself free of gigantic crystal, though its hollow, shimmering form is now in pieces on account of your passing. Somewhere on your body, a shard of similar material remains embedded.
The cave itself looks almost like the inside of a geode, the walls and ceiling bedazzled with greyish crystal that shines with all the colors of the rainbow. While they vary wildly in size and shape, only a few have grown large enough to hold a form like yours, and you can see the one you just escaped isn't the only one bearing a passenger within. They may have already hatched, or they may still be lingering in stasis. Either way, there's enough time that you may have a chance to speak to yours unexpected peers, or to perhaps to struggle to find something to cover your naked body with. You feel the chill of the open air against your moisture laden skin, a distant light trickling in through the cavern's opening.
Make the most of this time. It won't be long before you're interrupted.
[Mod Note: If you don't want to deal with your character being naked in front of the others at that location, feel free to assume they emerge at a different time than the others of their legacy. Characters will be 'hatching' over a period of several hours.]
DREAMING (OLD CHARACTERS)
For those already in Horos, they will find themselves in the same dreamscape as the new arrivals, only, this time, it's familiar. You'll feel more cognizant of your surroundings as you reawaken in this psychedelic realm, more in control of your emotions. What's more, you recognize that light at the center and the darkness at the edge: it's the Pleroma and Kenoma respectively. The one you are attuned to will call our to your soul, and though you are technically free to wander as you please, the closer you get to the force of your opposite sect, the more it will grate against you spiritually. Pleroma attuned nearing the Kenoma will feel as if its presence is desperately trying to tear them apart, and Kenoma attuned nearing the Pleroma will feel as if its light is burning them from the inside out.
More importantly, you notice that entirely new souls are wandering here with faces you didn't see in the cavern. It gradually becomes clear that they are Aions in the same state you were prior to your rebirth, lost and wandering this stretch of the cosmos with no idea what's to come. Maybe this is your chance to ease the confusion of their arrival, or maybe you'd simply like to scope out what kind of people are on their way. It's also possible for you to run into Aions already in Horos, wandering just like you are. Unfortunately, things are a lot less neutral than they are the last time you shared this realm.
No matter what you do, eventually the cosmos above will begin to burn out, just as it did the first time you were here. As darkness swallows reality itself, you will wake with the visceral memory of your world corrupting and breaking apart.
More importantly, you notice that entirely new souls are wandering here with faces you didn't see in the cavern. It gradually becomes clear that they are Aions in the same state you were prior to your rebirth, lost and wandering this stretch of the cosmos with no idea what's to come. Maybe this is your chance to ease the confusion of their arrival, or maybe you'd simply like to scope out what kind of people are on their way. It's also possible for you to run into Aions already in Horos, wandering just like you are. Unfortunately, things are a lot less neutral than they are the last time you shared this realm.
No matter what you do, eventually the cosmos above will begin to burn out, just as it did the first time you were here. As darkness swallows reality itself, you will wake with the visceral memory of your world corrupting and breaking apart.
SEARCHING (OLD CHARACTERS)
Soon after the dreams begin, it will become clear that the Aion NPCs of either sect are also aware of what's happening. For those in Achamoth and Greentruth, the imminent arrival of new Aions will become a matter of official discussion. All able Aions will be called upon for their aid, in whatever way they can offer. Getting to the shrines themselves will be easily accomplished via teleportation. What's would be more complicated is ferrying any new arrivals back to a secure location. Thankfully, it seems this is something both sects have already prepared for. All characters will have the opportunity to acquire a 'returning stone'. In all cases, this will amount to an amulet made of the same shimmering material as the shrine monuments, though the stylization differs between the Pleroma and the Kenoma. While regular Aion teleportation can bring you to any of the shrines you know the sigil and location of, a returning stone is magically programmed to bring its wearer back to a specific destination to which it is attuned. Normally, these stones will only be able to store enough energy for one 'return' a month, but it turns out that the ambient power created by the shrines being active will temporarily super charge them. Though it's not guaranteed, this means they may generate enough energy to perform multiple returns for TDM purposes.
Spare returning stones will be issued to all Aions so that they can be used to bring back anyone they collect, as it's possible to bring someone alongside you if they are also wearing a returning stone. Where your stone leads will depend on your sect.
❖ PLEROMA
Tehri will be the one to supply returning stones, based out of Greentruth. She will not travel to Godsblood to deliver returning stones to those that have not visited Greentruth, but it can be assumed that Greentruth's visitors can pass them along to anyone who has been staying in the city. The returning stones are apparently set to bring them to a secure location beneath the water of Godsblood's coast. From there, new arrivals will have to be allowed to rest and then brought up into the city when they're ready.
Greentruth is limited in its resources, but it will attempt to send troops to the Innocent, Seeker, Wanderer, and Firebrand shrines, all of which are close to the forest. Meanwhile, while no formal affiliation with the new Aions has been made, bands of guerilla fighters, most likely from Godsblood, will turn up at the Artisan and Sovereign shrines. Whether they have any affiliation with Greentruth will not be clear, but they do seem to have a beef against the Achamites. These reinforcements will struggle against powered Aions, but they might be able to delay any troops sent by Achamoth.
❖ KENOMA
Xishen will be handing out returning stones to all Kenoma the day after the dreams begin. She'll explain how to use them, and state that the Regent expects for them to head to the shrines once they become fully active. The Kenoma will have whatever mundane weapons or supplies they need at their disposal for this mission, along with some modest Achamite reinforcements. She'll warn not to rely too heavily on them however; after all, only the Aions are able to quickly move between the shrines and at the Citadel. The Achamites will have to be deployed by river or by land, and mobilizing them will take time. They will feasible be able to reach all of the shrines to some degree or another, but will more easily populate the shrines of the Martyr, Celebrant, Lover, Champion, Visionary, Sovereign, and Firebrand.
The Hylicians will apparently not be helping this time around, as the capture and holding of the first batch of Aions was already a lengthy venture. Xishen herself says she will be travelling to the shrines, however, while another Aion named Dionys remains in Achamoth to 'keep watch'. All Kenoma Aions will be given a familiar vial of black sludge, and are instructed to feed it to any Aions they capture at the shrines. It will cause the same effects it did in the cavern, though it will resolve in a few days rather than a week.
RETURNED (ALL CHARACTERS)
New characters that are found a the shrines will be brought back to one of two lodestones, depending on which sect they are taken by. This will be accomplished by their escort putting a 'returning stone' around their neck that will enable them to be teleported to a secure area in their sect's territory. It is advised for your character to be taken by whichever sect you'd like them to end up in.
❖ TO THE PLEROMA
In a dazzling flash of psychedelic light, you will find yourself brought to the Pleroma's lodestone: a monolithic rock set in the center of temple-like ruins. The entire cavern is hidden away beneath the ocean waves, just outside of Godsblood, and the ceiling itself is comprised of nothing but a barrier of water, as if held back from filling the space by some unknown force. The waters surrounding the lodestone are exactly body temperature, with swarms of tiny, violently iridescent fish darting through it. Crabs that look as if they're made of pure, clear crystal wander the sparkling, sandy shores.
There isn't much here in the way of accommodations, but it's comfortable enough that the new arrivals brought in by the Pleroma can take a moment to catch their breath. Some relatively plain but assorted new clothing will have been brought to the cavern to make sure they are actually clothed, as well as blankets and basic food items. It's a good time to ask your questions, or if you are an established Pleroma, to help out your freshly arrived peers. After all, their welcome at the shrine may have been a confusing one.
New arrivals will be permitted to leave the lodestone's temple when they are ready. Unfortunately, the only ways out of these place are through your choice of either swimming through pockets of water that eventually lead to the surface, or by spelunking through a series of tunnels to make your way the cliff faces near the city of Godsblood. More information about the city itself can be found on the setting page, though it would be preferable to keep TDM interactions to the lodestone area. As characters emerging from the shrines will start our as Untouched (more info about attunements here) they will not be permitted entry into Greentruth until they have attuned to Pleroma.
❖ TO THE KENOMA
As your returning stone activates, you will feel yourself thrust into a suffocating void, only to emerge just as quickly somewhere else. The most pressing thing on the minds of anyone taken by the Kenoma will be the vial of pitch black sludge they are forced to drink, whether it is before or after their arrival. Maybe their 'escort' from the shrine gave it to them, or perhaps another Kenoma does soon after they arrive. If not, one of the Achamite cultists wandering around definitely will. Dedicated servants to the Regent's will as they are, they are not afraid to gang up on the vulnerable new arrivals and force it down their throats.
Once in your mouth, the potion will slither down your throat as if it's a living thing. The effect takes hold quickly: as this darkness creeps through your insides, it will embolden your darkest and most despair inducing emotions, plaguing your thoughts with the worst sorrows of your life. What's worst, it simultaneously seems to awaken some form of enhanced psychic empathy within you, both projecting your thoughts for others to hear, and allowing you to receive those of the others around you in kind. Black ooze will begin to seep from orifices, or the space around your shard. The effects of this contamination bring out your worst, and its recipients will be forced to live with these effects until they accept the force corrupting them into their souls.
This world is not good enough, a voice speaks to your through the Kenoma. This suffering you feel, the cruelty that has birthed this darkness in you... it is simply the rot that is consuming this existence. A better universe awaits, one forged by your own hand, and all you need do is first bring about this broken reality's end.
How long this goes on will depend on how long the characters is able to fight it. Acceptance of the Kenoma can come as quickly as immediately, if your character is inclined towards it, or it could be drawn out to take a few days. In the meantime, they will have to stay in the barren halls surrounding the Regent's lodestone, and will not be permitted to exit into the greater Citadel as the current Kenoma are. All that will immediately be offered to them down there are stone slabs that can be used as beds and formless white robes that reach down past their knees.
Of course, that doesn't mean the characters that are already of the Kenoma can't do something about that. If they desire it, they will be able to bring food or other supplies to those suffering with their Kenoma infections, and it will be equally within their power to try anything from bullying them into accepting to lovebombing them. Once a character accepts the Kenoma and attunes to it, they will be permitted to leave, but for the sake of the TDM interactions should be kept to the lodestone area.
❖ TO THE PLEROMAIn a dazzling flash of psychedelic light, you will find yourself brought to the Pleroma's lodestone: a monolithic rock set in the center of temple-like ruins. The entire cavern is hidden away beneath the ocean waves, just outside of Godsblood, and the ceiling itself is comprised of nothing but a barrier of water, as if held back from filling the space by some unknown force. The waters surrounding the lodestone are exactly body temperature, with swarms of tiny, violently iridescent fish darting through it. Crabs that look as if they're made of pure, clear crystal wander the sparkling, sandy shores.
There isn't much here in the way of accommodations, but it's comfortable enough that the new arrivals brought in by the Pleroma can take a moment to catch their breath. Some relatively plain but assorted new clothing will have been brought to the cavern to make sure they are actually clothed, as well as blankets and basic food items. It's a good time to ask your questions, or if you are an established Pleroma, to help out your freshly arrived peers. After all, their welcome at the shrine may have been a confusing one.
New arrivals will be permitted to leave the lodestone's temple when they are ready. Unfortunately, the only ways out of these place are through your choice of either swimming through pockets of water that eventually lead to the surface, or by spelunking through a series of tunnels to make your way the cliff faces near the city of Godsblood. More information about the city itself can be found on the setting page, though it would be preferable to keep TDM interactions to the lodestone area. As characters emerging from the shrines will start our as Untouched (more info about attunements here) they will not be permitted entry into Greentruth until they have attuned to Pleroma.
❖ TO THE KENOMAAs your returning stone activates, you will feel yourself thrust into a suffocating void, only to emerge just as quickly somewhere else. The most pressing thing on the minds of anyone taken by the Kenoma will be the vial of pitch black sludge they are forced to drink, whether it is before or after their arrival. Maybe their 'escort' from the shrine gave it to them, or perhaps another Kenoma does soon after they arrive. If not, one of the Achamite cultists wandering around definitely will. Dedicated servants to the Regent's will as they are, they are not afraid to gang up on the vulnerable new arrivals and force it down their throats.
Once in your mouth, the potion will slither down your throat as if it's a living thing. The effect takes hold quickly: as this darkness creeps through your insides, it will embolden your darkest and most despair inducing emotions, plaguing your thoughts with the worst sorrows of your life. What's worst, it simultaneously seems to awaken some form of enhanced psychic empathy within you, both projecting your thoughts for others to hear, and allowing you to receive those of the others around you in kind. Black ooze will begin to seep from orifices, or the space around your shard. The effects of this contamination bring out your worst, and its recipients will be forced to live with these effects until they accept the force corrupting them into their souls.
This world is not good enough, a voice speaks to your through the Kenoma. This suffering you feel, the cruelty that has birthed this darkness in you... it is simply the rot that is consuming this existence. A better universe awaits, one forged by your own hand, and all you need do is first bring about this broken reality's end.
How long this goes on will depend on how long the characters is able to fight it. Acceptance of the Kenoma can come as quickly as immediately, if your character is inclined towards it, or it could be drawn out to take a few days. In the meantime, they will have to stay in the barren halls surrounding the Regent's lodestone, and will not be permitted to exit into the greater Citadel as the current Kenoma are. All that will immediately be offered to them down there are stone slabs that can be used as beds and formless white robes that reach down past their knees.
Of course, that doesn't mean the characters that are already of the Kenoma can't do something about that. If they desire it, they will be able to bring food or other supplies to those suffering with their Kenoma infections, and it will be equally within their power to try anything from bullying them into accepting to lovebombing them. Once a character accepts the Kenoma and attunes to it, they will be permitted to leave, but for the sake of the TDM interactions should be kept to the lodestone area.
QUESTIONS
Is this TDM canon?
Mostly! It's part of an in-game event. However, only threads with new players that app and are accepted will be considered game canon. Threads between old characters will all be canon, but threads involving new characters that don't apply or aren't accepted will either need to be tweaked to remove their involvement or made non-canon. New characters will also be able to decide TDM threads aren't canon if they end up changing directions.
Who can toplevel on this post?
Anyone, whether they are a new character or a current one. However, we do ask for current players to do their best to tag new characters. If you are bringing in a new character and want a current character to bring them into your sect of choice, post your request here! ICly, current characters are fighting to claim new arrivals, but it's up to the player of new characters where they ultimately end up going.
When is this TDM taking place chronologically?
The last few days of April. The shrines will be active and forming Aions during that time. The dreams will start around the 24th. All current Aions will be able to sense when it's time for the new arrivals to start emerging.
What are the shrines like?
Every shrine is comprised of the crystal-filled cavern character emerge inside and then the massive statue symbolizing the relevant Legacy built on top. More information about each shrine can be found in the "Aion Shrine" section of the setting page.
Are everyone's homeworlds really gone?
That's a complicated issue, and while the fate of their world is not without hope, they may certainly get the impression its been destroyed from the dream they had. Alternatively, they may refuse to believe what they felt and attempt to dismiss it as only a vision. More about this situation will be revealed as the game goes on.
Can I only experience one end of the dream sequence prompt?
New characters may experience one ending, both endings, or neither. If they experience both they will struggle to recall which came first or which feels the most 'true' to them, as both will simultaneously be the thought they are reborn with. If your character refuses to pursue either path they can simply linger in the middle until the infinite worlds above them start being extinguished one by one, eventually expelling them into darkness in a similar style to the light prompt. Which dreams they experience will not dictate their initial sect affiliation.
Is it possible to pull another character back from the end of the light or darkness dreams?
Yes! If your character is able to resist the pull of either end, they will have the chance to try to pull another character back from the edge of the abyss or the edge of oneness. Whether or not they succeed is entirely up to the other character, though.
Do you come out of the chrysalis wet?
For most intents and purposes it's the same experience as hatching out of a real butterfly chrysalis, so yes, a bit.
How does attunement to the Pleroma or Kenoma work for new characters?
More information about sect attunements can be read on their dedicated info page, but in summary: when new characters are brought to Horos, they will be in the state of being "Untouched" meaning they are not attuned to either sect. By the end of their first month in game it is expected they will either attune to Pleroma or Kenoma, though for those taken by the Kenoma's forces, the transition will be forced within the first few days. If taken in by the Pleroma, it may take then some time to attune to Pleroma, depending on the strength of their spirit, but it could also happen almost instantly if they are allowed to. How quickly it happens will depend on how strongly they align with the Pleroma's traits. Characters who have been taken by the Pleroma but that remain Untouched will not be allowed into Greentruth until their attunement to Pleroma is complete.
Can a character taken by one side end up attuning to the sect of the opposite one?
This is theoretically possible, yes: a person taken by the Kenoma could potentially resist the Kenoma's call, and someone taken by the Pleroma could end up falling to the Kenoma while staying with them. Generally, though, we recommend that you have your character be taken by whichever sect you want to end up in, as doing a switcheroo will cause narrative complications that might bog their introduction down in plotting that will need to be done with the mods. It can happen, but it is not to be done lightly!
Mostly! It's part of an in-game event. However, only threads with new players that app and are accepted will be considered game canon. Threads between old characters will all be canon, but threads involving new characters that don't apply or aren't accepted will either need to be tweaked to remove their involvement or made non-canon. New characters will also be able to decide TDM threads aren't canon if they end up changing directions.
Who can toplevel on this post?
Anyone, whether they are a new character or a current one. However, we do ask for current players to do their best to tag new characters. If you are bringing in a new character and want a current character to bring them into your sect of choice, post your request here! ICly, current characters are fighting to claim new arrivals, but it's up to the player of new characters where they ultimately end up going.
When is this TDM taking place chronologically?
The last few days of April. The shrines will be active and forming Aions during that time. The dreams will start around the 24th. All current Aions will be able to sense when it's time for the new arrivals to start emerging.
What are the shrines like?
Every shrine is comprised of the crystal-filled cavern character emerge inside and then the massive statue symbolizing the relevant Legacy built on top. More information about each shrine can be found in the "Aion Shrine" section of the setting page.
Are everyone's homeworlds really gone?
That's a complicated issue, and while the fate of their world is not without hope, they may certainly get the impression its been destroyed from the dream they had. Alternatively, they may refuse to believe what they felt and attempt to dismiss it as only a vision. More about this situation will be revealed as the game goes on.
Can I only experience one end of the dream sequence prompt?
New characters may experience one ending, both endings, or neither. If they experience both they will struggle to recall which came first or which feels the most 'true' to them, as both will simultaneously be the thought they are reborn with. If your character refuses to pursue either path they can simply linger in the middle until the infinite worlds above them start being extinguished one by one, eventually expelling them into darkness in a similar style to the light prompt. Which dreams they experience will not dictate their initial sect affiliation.
Is it possible to pull another character back from the end of the light or darkness dreams?
Yes! If your character is able to resist the pull of either end, they will have the chance to try to pull another character back from the edge of the abyss or the edge of oneness. Whether or not they succeed is entirely up to the other character, though.
Do you come out of the chrysalis wet?
For most intents and purposes it's the same experience as hatching out of a real butterfly chrysalis, so yes, a bit.
How does attunement to the Pleroma or Kenoma work for new characters?
More information about sect attunements can be read on their dedicated info page, but in summary: when new characters are brought to Horos, they will be in the state of being "Untouched" meaning they are not attuned to either sect. By the end of their first month in game it is expected they will either attune to Pleroma or Kenoma, though for those taken by the Kenoma's forces, the transition will be forced within the first few days. If taken in by the Pleroma, it may take then some time to attune to Pleroma, depending on the strength of their spirit, but it could also happen almost instantly if they are allowed to. How quickly it happens will depend on how strongly they align with the Pleroma's traits. Characters who have been taken by the Pleroma but that remain Untouched will not be allowed into Greentruth until their attunement to Pleroma is complete.
Can a character taken by one side end up attuning to the sect of the opposite one?
This is theoretically possible, yes: a person taken by the Kenoma could potentially resist the Kenoma's call, and someone taken by the Pleroma could end up falling to the Kenoma while staying with them. Generally, though, we recommend that you have your character be taken by whichever sect you want to end up in, as doing a switcheroo will cause narrative complications that might bog their introduction down in plotting that will need to be done with the mods. It can happen, but it is not to be done lightly!
no subject
Jeez, ask him an easy one. But this stranger has a right to know, he thinks--to know more at least than Matt himself did, when he first arrived here. Matt sucks in a breath, holding it for a moment.
When he speaks, it's slow and precise, as if each word is an artifact he has to inspect before it can pass his lips. ]
I can't think anything else is fair to all the places that are gone. All the lives that meant just as much as mine. The infinite variety.
It isn't fair that I lived and they didn't.
[ Matt pauses. Looks into Kaeya's face. ]
And sometimes, you know ... life isn't fair. But here, we might actually be able to harness the energy that kind of thing would need. So I'm gonna try.
no subject
Life is hardly fair. I understand that. [ a beat. a deep exhale. ] However, what happens if by the end of this, a better world is made, but the ones who are gone don't get to come back.
Is that an outcome you'll be able to live with?
[ he shakes his head, the smile on his lips ever-present. ]
I'm sure you've already considered it. [ weighed the pros and cons. ] No need to answer, if you'd rather not.
no subject
I guess I'll see if I can live with it, [ he murmurs ruefully. ] But you're right. I have thought about it. And I guess where I come down right now is ...
[ Another pause, though this one doesn't last so long. ]
If there is life, and it's good, and it can thrive--
Then I don't know if it matters whether that life belongs to my own world, or one of the others that's gone. I'm not sure you could even make that distinction. But I think it's worth striving for. Maybe then nothing like what's happened to us would have to happen again.
no subject
maybe it will. maybe it won't. ]
If you've considered it, that's good enough, I think. Most wouldn't even consider the consequences of making such a choice.
[ a beat. ]
It isn't an easy one to make, regardless of which one you go with.
no subject
The choice. ]
Yeah, [ he murmurs. ] It's not easy. I don't think it should be.
And ... I'm not here to tell you how to think, or how to choose. But if you're interested, I can take you to a safe place to figure things out. [ Matt fingers the amulet around his neck. ] It's where I've been for the past few weeks.
no subject
I don't suppose you have something I can borrow to cover myself up, do you? As much as I don't mind being in the nude, it is getting a bit chilly.
[ it wouldn't bother him to be brought to someplace safe naked, but... might as well try to be courteous. he can figure out what else he needs once he's there. ]
no subject
[ Realization dawns on Matt's face like a mortified sun breaking through the clouds. He lifts a hand, flicking the buttons of his jacket open with the kind of ease that comes from long practice, and wrestles it from his shoulders. It billows, bell-like, as it drapes across his arm. ]
God, I am so sorry, I got-- [ Distracted with worry Kaeya was gonna put an eye out, for starters. Matt shakes his head, skip it, and steps forward to hold out his jacket. ] Here.
And then, ah, once you're dressed ... we can definitely get out of here.
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Much appreciated. I'll be sure to return this to you as soon as I'm able.
[ it's not much, but it's better than continuing to remain in his birthday suit. ]
If you don't mind me asking, where are we going, exactly?
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[ It feels both inane and like a bit of a humble-brag: Back when Matt was a starving grad student, it would have been a serious financial blow to have to replace a jacket of any kind, much less one this nice.
How things change. ]
We're going to Achamoth. Well, specifically to the Citadel in Achamoth--it's the capital. The head of the local government's been putting us up there.
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"Us"? [ what a curious thing to say. ] There are more like us?
[ too many questions... ]
I suppose I can always ask later, once I've seen this capital for myself.
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You can ask whatever you want, [ Matt assures him. ] But the short version is, yeah. There's more like us.
[ He gives Kaeya a quick, hopeful smile before his gaze drops to the amulet around his neck. Now where did he put the spare returning stone ...?
Matt pats down his pockets before he realizes sheepishly-- ]
Oh, ah. But to get back, you'll need to put on the necklace in my coat pocket, it looks like this one.
[ He taps his own returning stone by way of example. His coat pockets also contain a vial of black ooze, but Matt doesn't really want to bother with that right now. If it really is so ritually important that Kaeya take it, they can at least wait until he's in a safe environment. ]
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the first thing he catches is something definitely not amulet-shaped, but thin and glassy. he doesn't have any reasons to find that odd right now so he keeps searching, and once he finds it, he wastes no time in putting it on his neck. ]
Like this? Are you about to show me a magic trick?
[ he's being ridiculous. he figures they're about to warp away or something close to it, but that isn't a new concept to him at least. ]
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Well, I don't know if I'm about to show you, [ he says modestly, ] but it should be kicking in any second n--
[ Which is the exact moment the pair of them blip out of the shrine
thus ending this moment where Merc forgot how the return stones are supposed to work. The ground reasserts itself beneath them, but now, they're in a cavernous and barren hall. For the moment, they're alone.Matt doesn't know it, but a pair of Achamites is headed their way. equipped with vials of their own. Vials they're more than willing to deploy.
Matt doesn't know a lot of things. ]
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the achamites heading their way are the first ones kaeya notices. his eye narrows by a fraction, and then he turns to look at matt with a questioning look. ]
Friends of yours...?
[ those vials spell out bad news just by the mere sight of them. kaeya can chalk it up to an excess of distrust, but nothing is guaranteed here, after all. neither one appears to be bothered by kaeya taking a step back, intent on making sure he doesn't get out of here without downing the abyssal liquid. ]
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I think of them more like coworkers.
[ Weird coworkers.
Before Matt can move to stop the advancing Achamites, a third robed cultist is at his elbow, putting a firm and knobby-fingered hand on his arm. She's saying something unctuous about "what must be done" and "doing the honors," but all Matt's really tracking is how hard she grips his arm when he tries to step forward.
The Achamites, he's noticed, honor the Aions, but sort of the way you might honor an idol in a niche. You definitely don't take advice from it, much less orders. ]
Wait, [ he protests. ]
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[ the delivery of that word is quite deadpanned, but steady. kaeya does his best to remain calm despite the sinking feeling in his guts. this isn't going to end well for him, he thinks, but he already knew that when he decided to let lumine go on without him. the two achamites stand on either side of him, ensuring that there's no escape.
he wonders if it's worth trying to talk his way out of this— a thought that doesn't make it past inception now that one of them grabs his arms to put them behind his back. weak as he is, he can barely struggle against their grasp. the other one is now offering him a vial, saying things that this must be done, and that it won't hurt once you accept everything the kenoma has to offer.
instead of paying attention to anything they're saying, kaeya fixes his gaze at matt, lone starry eye gradually narrowing. ]
Were you planning this from the start?
[ he tries not to come across as accusatory, but it can't be helped given what he asks. ]
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No. [ Breathed. Though as Matt says it, he wonders if there's ever a time when not having a plan counts as negligence. Even malice. The Achamite with the vial lifts their hand; Matt shakes his head abruptly. ] It's--listen--it's a ritual element, and it sucks, but you'll be fine, okay?
[ He doesn't really believe the sludge makes a difference, because if he did, he'd have to acknowledge that he might have chosen Kenoma out of something other than his own convictions. But that doesn't mean he thinks everyone should be fine with being forcibly administered an unknown substance.
(At least Kaeya doesn't have to watch anyone die.) ]
I don't think we need to do it this way.
[ He says it pointedly, urgently, but the Achamites seem to be ignoring him. ]
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kaeya manages not to drop the act, keeping his eye locked on matt's. ]
Now, now— [ chiding, almost. ] I really don't think you need to go this far. My friend over there most likely forgot that he already has a vial that he was going to give to me. Right?
[ even if matt doesn't play along, kaeya keeps going. ]
If you'd be so kind to let me go, I'll let him be responsible for me, hm?
[ will this work... he sure doesn't know. the achamites appear to be considering it, at the very least. ]
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[ Matt's not a gifted dissembler, to put it mildly. But he's not stupid. He realizes what Kaeya's asking of him, and--okay, there are ethical implications, but they don't have time for Matt to weigh them. He finds himself nodding. ]
Yeah. I have the vial--in my jacket. [ With his free hand, the one not being restrained by a cultist, Matt gestures towards Kaeya. ] I can do it, I'd like to.
[ He doesn't sound particularly convincing. But the Achamite looses her hold, allowing Matt to step forward and fish his vial out of his jacket pocket (that's currently on Kaeya). He uncaps the vial and raises it, the depthless black of it oozing and swirling as if alive.
Matt frowns at Kaeya, searching his face for permission. ]
You'll be okay, [ he promises. ]
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when he smiles, he isn't looking at matt anymore but rather at the swirling abyss trapped in glass. somehow the sight of it doesn't even scare him. ]
You don't have to stay for whatever comes after this, [ he says, ignoring the promise made. ] Go ahead.
[ one deep breath, as if releasing all that tension, and then he lets matt help him drink the sludge. the effects are almost immediate, the kenoma twisting and slithering into every little crack it can find. it's an ugly thing, watching this all go down, and when the achamites let go of kaeya, he can only crumple to the floor.
the last thing he wants is to show weakness in front of others so he's going to fight this until he no longer can. ]
( ooc. thinking after this, we can probs handwave the effects of the sludge, maybe? 🤔 kaeya would just be trying to get matt to leave him be for the time being LMAO. )
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Of course, what is he doing? Betraying Kaeya? That's dramatic. The contents of the vial are mostly religious theater. A hazing process, an initiation ritual--not a big deal, at least not big enough to warrant a word like "betrayal."
But if that's the case, why does he feel like he's done something wrong?
ooc: Aye aye to handwaving! I think Matt will actually leave eventually, but he'll take some convincing and probably come back with blankets/soup/soap. ]
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the worst of it was how chaotic his entire mind was throughout the whole thing. little bits of himself and things that should have remained under lock and key had managed to filter through, but he did his best to weather them all with what he did best: deflection, lies, and more secrecy.
whether or not it convinced anyone is the only thing left for him to find out.
matt certainly isn't, but kaeya knows there's not much he can do there given what happened. still, if he comes across as mildly irritated, he can only hope matt doesn't take it personally. ]
I told you to stop fussing— aren't I doing just fine?
[ "just fine" is pretty subjective here, given the effects of the sludge, but hey. ]
( ooc. feel free to lmk if this doesn't work!! i figure matt could be coming back to check up on him, etc. )
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Eventually, Kaeya does manage to shoo him away, but it's not for long. It's only a matter of hours before Matt's traipsing back into the barren hall, arms full of blankets (which, full disclosure, came from his bed). A tray floats in the air in front of him, laden with a pitcher of water and a board of cheese, cured meats, and dried fruit.
Kaeya's irritation doesn't spark much reaction. Just a twitch of Matt's lips. ]
You'll be more fine after you have some water, [ he says, guiding the tray to clatter gently onto the floor at Kaeya's side. ] And ideally protein.
(ooc: This works great! sorry for the slowness on my end, this week took it OUT of me.)
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he reaches out for one of the cured meats, nibbling on it slowly. ]
Fine. Have it your way.
[ this isn't how he would normally act, but he hasn't gotten over the whole being forced to expose parts of himself that have always been his best kept secrets. it's going to take him some time to rebuild his walls up, to wear that familiar mask once again.
he finishes what he's eating before addressing matt again. ]
... Surely you must have better things to do than stay here.
[ can't a guy be an exhausted piece of shit in peace around here? apparently not, but he knows he'll just feel worse by himself so there's hardly any bite to his words anymore. ]
( ooc. all good, the week also sucked for me so i hope you're recovering well! )
two threads, two bed-on-the-floor situations ...
I truly don't, [ he notes, dry. ] I guess I could be practicing the art of war with some of the others, but that doesn't really speak to me.
[ Matt finds a patch of open floor that's near Kaeya, but out of the way of the tray of food. He sets the bedding down, nudging it into the approximate shape of a sleeping bag, then gently settles to sit on its far end. ]
I'm sorry about all this. I don't know why they do it this way. [ He sighs. ] The Aions are like, revered to an extent, but we're also cultural outsiders. There's a lot I don't understand.
it's coming full circle...
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