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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
[ His shoulders give a little shrug about how well he is taking all of the information. It may be because he has seen the world be destroyed; he's witnessed Meta-Beings tearing through humans and the corpses piling up. There is a lot that he has seen and come to understand about the hideousness of the world.
Knowing -- or rather having that sense -- that his world has been destroyed has left him in a rather euphoric state. He is amicable to any new information that should come his way, if he is honest. ]
I see. [ And of the Sovereign? Apt. ] That makes us quite special, doesn't it? How do you feel about being special? About being unique?
[ She's answered so many questions and been quite useful, but he has not attempted to get to know her beyond "forcing" her to explain everything that is going on. ]
no subject
I still simply feel like myself, to be completely honest. I've heard others call this a new life, so it's a new opportunity to reinvent yourself too, if you want. [She humbly answers back, and the lack of attempt at getting to know each other is quite easy to overlook. It's applicable both ways, after all, she hasn't tried introducing herself or ask him about himself just as he hasn't done the same. That makes them even, the information and minimal necessities she's offered set aside.]
Would that be something you may be interested in, mister?
no subject
[ He clicks his tongue at the idea of reinventing himself to be anyone but who he is. Archangel has already done that before, and while he would like to say he's strong enough to be himself, he knows that he is not. He'll tell himself that he has his schemes to plan, but really, what is there to plan?
In truth, he knows his true self is someone that isn't easily understood or sympathized with; he is someone who will always be betrayed. If this is a new life, he wishes for the chance to be loved, but such a thing is impossible. ]
No... I'm not interested in being anyone but myself. [ Hm. ] I like myself far too much to change who I am.
no subject
[Just a passing remark? Or some strange form of compliment? Ciel's not sure, nor is she interested in finding out. Thus her own comment is non-committal, and she doesn't try to keep that topic up.]
That's a good thing too, to know where you stand and what you want - or rather, what you're already satisfied with. Speaking of which, did you feel like there was a particular path you were more comfortable with taking, right before waking up here like this?
[The light, or the dark. It may sound like an innocuous question, but if he remembers even a fragment of that dream, then surely he must already understand the gravity of the implication...?]
no subject
[ He pauses to think of how to word what he is going to say next. It seems like it's best to just ask it rather than find a way to say it nicely. Archangel wonders if she'll answer honestly -- the question of whether or not she loves herself enough to not want to change.
But just as he is going to ask his question, he is asked about which path that he took. His head cants to the side as he muses over the question. The dream that he had was both vivid and fleeting. ]
I can't say I was more comfortable with taking it, but I took it because I have been in the dark for so long. [ He breathes in, sniffles some and wipes his nose with the back of his hand. ] I chose the light, but I can't say I was happy while I was there.
[ And he hurries on to ask: ]
And which did you choose?
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[She doesn't seem bothered, only tilting her head slightly to continue watching him. Scars do distort the mind, so having seen the size on his chest and back, maybe it's somewhat natural that he openly admits to being more used to the dark? Even though the last person she knew with a terrible scar on his chest was... hm. No, it wouldn't do any good to think about it. Not now, nor ever again.]
I stayed in the dark, the light is too bright for me. [...] But I'm already affiliated, unlike you. If you get a chance to choose again, would you choose differently?
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[ There is a faint smile at her comment that the light is too bright for her, but her affiliation with it. ]
You do have a very -- [ His eyes roll up as he tries to think of a proper word. ] -- you do feel like one that is best suited for the light. [ Yes, putting it that way is best. It doesn't quite sound like an insult, however, but more his somewhat neutral feelings on the matter. ]
Would I choose the dark? Maybe. [ He wonders what he would see. ] I wonder what I would see in the abyss. Would it be anything different than what I've already seen? I wonder...
[ But the question that he meant to ask. ] My dear light-affiliated one, you chose the dark and chose yourself. Might I ask... do you love yourself just as much as this world seems to love you? [ Because they have been reincarnated in this world; should they not take it as being chosen, as being loved?
Archangel doesn't view it that way, honestly. He knows that Gods work in random ways; in ways that do not benefit anyone. Gods do as they do because of chance rather than mercy. However, he can pretend that he thinks this way for the sake of his questions. ]
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[She seems to treat it as an interesting discovery, silly as it may be.
Maybe it's not so different from how he feels either, calling her "light-affiliated" despite her confession that she chose the dark out of her own volition. Insult or compliment? Neither, nothing so dramatic. To be almost 'typecast' in a sense, though... Hah. Surely it can't just be because she's been mild mannered and tried to be helpful? Those are light clichés, certainly, but still.
And then, he asks a question that... doesn't sound human. She wouldn't be able to explain it well herself if asked, but that's the immediate impression that she gets. "Love"...?
Something blank settles in her still smiling face.]
...It's a work in progress, haha. I still don't know what I've done to deserve it, but I do have the chance to find out now, yes.
[She can grasp the general meaning to his question, and thinks it better to play along than get too philosophical about it. This is just... a bad place for it too, yeah.]
That said, asking about me won't help us figure out what to do with you, mister. But since you did say it could have gone either way, would you be willing to come with me if I simply asked politely? Pretty please?
[You miss all the shots you don't take, right?]
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[ It makes it so words flow a little more easily, a little more honestly. To lie is so very tiresome for him. The best he can do is obscure the truth by giving half-truths.
What he wants is to be understood; he wants to actually have a conversation and be heard. It seems like he is getting what he wants and so like any man starving for such a positive experience, he continues to act how he thinks will reward him. ]
A work in progress. I hope you can honestly say that you love yourself one day.
[ And after all his warm thoughts; his kind regards; he can't help but give a passive aggressive remark. It isn't anything that she has done. He just is rather starved for face-to-face conversation that he almost isn't sure how to conduct himself with people that can respond back to him. ]
Come with you? Where?
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Mm, thank you.
[She moves on without further ado.]
...That would explain it, yes. Everyone awakens here from wildly varying worlds, with a just as diverse set of backgrounds and personal experiences. Well then, you'll only continue to meet and speak with more people now that you're here, whether it's fellow Aions from other worlds or the people native to this continent. I would be happy to keep chatting with you, but I'm afraid this location is not entirely safe. That's why it would be best to move elsewhere.
[Which is something she can technically do without his permission, but...
But.]
To Achamoth, where the dark reigns.
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[ He supposes that makes sense. His legs certainly feels weak beneath him, but he would rather keep moving. If he dies here -- whatever. His plans and schemes have been ruined; his world has been destroyed. There is no one waiting for him; there is no one that can betray him anymore.
So, why keep moving? Because he is just that spiteful of a person. ]
The dark reigns? I've been in the dark for so long... it seems only right to go back to it.
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[The quiet laughter doesn't reach her eyes, or much of her face. She can't even say she's joking, so all she can do is offer a small and deprecating smile. This does admittedly feel a little too smooth, but as someone who insists she's no preacher, it's probably the best case scenario she could ever hope for. He DID say himself: "it could've gone either way".
...Onto the last step, then.
She only makes the retrieval from her bag once she's sure she's got his attention, whether he's staring intently or his gaze simply happens to fall her way. Carefully held in her slightly raised left hand is a vial filled with a dark liquid, and an amulet with a strange design is propped up by the flat of her wrist from the same arm. He's free to scrutinize both objects at his leisure, she's not trying to cover any detail now that she's taken them out in the open. Quite the opposite, actually: her deliberate movements belied a silent insistence, that he at least take a look if he would so please...?]
...
[Yet she doesn't elaborate, as if waiting for him to ask something first. Is she being a little too dramatic about this? Hm...]
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Because due to just a couple of words, he begins to fixate on a single person. The darkness to his light; the light to his darkness. How poetic! How much he wishes he could strangle the life out of him. How much he wishes he could adore and worship him.
He breathes out a long, strangled sound as soon as his quiet laughter ends. ]
Hm.
[ His attention is brought to the vial that she has taken out and the necklace. He cocks his head to the side as he looks at both items; she moves slow enough that it seems like she wants him to look at them. ]
And what are those?
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Well then, if he hasn't already given her looks for how suspicious this entire affair had been, she might as well bite the bullet and get this over with.
She starts with the vial.]
Aions who enter the dark have to take this, before joining the Regent's side for the sake of remaking a better world atop the old. Would you be okay with drinking this if I ask nicely, before we get going? ...Pretty please?
[As if making a light and harmless joke. Seeing that the man had already been willing to humor her so far...
Moving on:]
The amulet is a Returning Stone. With this, we can get back to Achamoth directly without further delay. The city is not lacking in luxuries; once you acclimate to the Kenoma, your life in this world will begin in earnest. There's nothing else here, at the shrine of the Sovereign.
(i went meh at my own tag after a bit of thought)
[ Archangel repeats that phrase carefully as he looks at the vial. He wonders what exactly is in it. His frown deepens as he repeats what she said a second time to himself, "Remake a better world atop the old." ]
What does the Regent mean by that? Remaking a better world?
[ He decides to focus on that rather than worrying about the amulet. It seems like he is going to be spirited away quickly and while he accepts this place may not have anything else worth looking into, he is fixated on that first comment. ]
What milquetoast actions do they think they can do to fix what is horribly broken?
np! o7
That's what we're told, yes. You seemed open-minded, and it's only polite to let you know what we'll be getting into first. ["Open-minded" may be putting it mildly, but she does get the impression that he may be more receptive to extreme ideas than most people, humane people.] You could personally ask the Regent that question if you come along, if it's something you take active interest in?
["Horribly broken", he says. Ah, this must be what he means when he said it could've gone either way.]
The other side wants to keep things as they are, it's what those in the light fight to preserve. Does that mean you have a definite answer for yourself, if asked to choose again now?
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[ His smile returns, like the two of them are sharing a joke. He has no reason to show such bravado; he's too weak to do anything and covered only with a towel. What could he hope to achieve in the end if he did become upset? ]
It might be.
[ And his smile fades. ] Keep things as they are? The world as it is? If I had to choose again, yes; I have a definite answer. [ When he says the word 'yes', it is sharper. ] Destroy it all and build something better. [ The vagueness of his dream comes back to him; he remembers saying something like that to someone? Who was it? ]
I want to look around here. I'll take both items and promise to use them both after I look outside. Can I do that? Pretty please?
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[It's still best to avoid ruffled feathers if it can be helped, and she's not entirely lacking in social graces. Force should always be a last resort, after all.]
Your aspirations align so well with that of the Kenoma's, it's almost a little scary, aha. But yes, of course, as long as you don't mind me staying here too until you're finished. There's no telling if the other side may show up to make things difficult for us, so please don't mind me staying on the lookout. [She'll be keeping an eye on him too, naturally, but it sounds much better when framed as staying on guard in case of enemy interference.]
Does that sound okay to you, mister?
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[ Will he really? Yes. This is a minor infraction if one can even call it that; he is willing to overlook it since it seems like they will be colleagues and associates. ]
I don't mind that at all. [ There's no harm in it; none that he can see anyway. He gives her yet another look over and only sees a young maiden in a long dress. ] I only wish to see the sky. [ Archangel makes a gesture, holding his hand out as he gestures to the ceiling of the shrine they find themselves in. ]
I don't think I will be that long. [ He pauses as he turns away from her; his intent is to just walk right out without saying anything more. But she did bring up a good point. The two of them are to be together and he should work a little more on being social and gracious. ]
I am the Archangel, and yet feel blessed to have met you. [ Laying it on thick. Oh well. ]
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[She'll offer a polite bow nevertheless before turning on her heel to accompany him out, seeming keen on taking the lead in consideration of the (meager, but not nonexistent) odds that there may be Pleromas outside. She can be combat ready at a moment's notice, and even if this man is powerful, he DID just awaken. Best to play it safe, though she wouldn't mind either if playing retrieval guide this time ends up being a peaceful and uneventful undertaking.
--Ah. The Archangel? It's immediately obvious from his expression and body language that he's completely serious. It's a little ironic admittedly, considering her own ties to the Church back in her world, but... That was then, and this is now. If she has any opinion about his name, it wouldn't be obvious from looking at her: there's a blink at his introduction, and nothing more. Or well, nothing more than the small and friendly smile she's had since the beginning, anyway.]
My name is Ciel. It's nice to meet you too, Archangel. Well then, shall we get some fresh air?
[After he's seen what he wanted to see, they can get going once she's made sure he's downed the vial's content in its entirety. Something tells her he won't have much trouble adjusting, it didn't take her long to embrace it either. All's well... that ends well?]