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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
Gen has truly resigned himself to seeing this through, hasn't he? the violence glittering in his dark eyes is immensely unnerving, and it might be easy enough to believe this bloodlust came easy to him. it's subtle, the signs of distress; the faint tremble of Gen's fingers as he flexes the muscles in a damaged hand. the slight hoarseness in his voice that betrays how difficult it is to maintain the ruse, the facade, of being unaffected and distant from the sick pit in Gen's stomach. the paleness of his pallor despite the dry twist of a smile at his lips.
as the priest tenses further, preparing to rise to his feet and stop Gen's approach -- there is the uncomfortable sound of Dokja coughing wetly, and Abel's gaze flickers back down to the man prone and trembling as he upends his stomach. his brow knits as that nervous knot in his chest winds tighter; definitely concussed, and if he's vomiting...
bad. this is incredibly bad.
Abel is shrugging the cloak off his shoulders, cautiously draping it around the poor man's body in some meager effort to offer some kind of comfort-- but there is no more time to waste. if he doesn't get medical attention, and soon... this will no longer be a man to comfort. he will sincerely die, and that...
the priest pulls upright, positioning himself plainly between Gen and Dokja in a gesture that cannot be misunderstood as anything but firm opposition. there is a sharpness in his eyes that hadn't been there before; as much as it pangs, aches - there are firm lines in the sand, and Abel cannot let them be crossed. not by him, and not by Gen. ]
I'm taking him out of here. [ it isn't a question, nor is it a request. ] ...There's no more time to waste, so please. Please, turn around-- tend your wounds, go back to Achamoth. I'm begging you!
no subject
Right?
There's an odd chill starting to creep through his nerves, and even if he were cognizant of it, he wouldn't be able to tell if it's from the slow bloodloss, or from the knowledge that maybe now there's a second grave he'll be forever chained to. There's cold sweat beading at his brow, and his next breath comes choked and rasping even as he forces a strangled laugh. ]
You really don't shut up, do you.
[ Abel's incessant yapping rings in his ears. Noisy. Annoying. Sending an anxious roil churning through his nerves. It's all laid atop a familiar feeling prickling at the back of his neck -- the presence of a phantom at his back, the gleam of a knife at the corner of his vision, the sounds of muffled sobbing and screams. Gen abruptly flinches, looking aside as if alerted to the presence of something, but there won't be anything there that Abel can see. Even when Gen looks back to him and starts speaking again, there's something unfocused in his gaze -- like his thoughts aren't all there. ]
... you know there's a weapon right there. [ He nods to where his mace lies beside Dokja's curled up form, blood caked against its jagged head. ] And I don't have anything else. As you can see. [ Gen raises his arms, languid, hands spread empty. He's not really looking at Abel, instead watching the blood drip from his fingertips (a familiar sight, seen over and over in his dreams, for years now) when he continues at a drawl: ] If you really want to stop me, then your answer's right there.
[ It's practically a challenge. 'What will you do, Abel?' Will you remain as self-righteous, nauseatingly pacifist, and noble as before when it's not your own life on the line? -- it's a fair enough trade-off, Gen figures. He'll let Dokja die on his own terms, away from this place and away from his eyes, if Abel will budge from those bullshit principles of his and strike him with that mace. Prove that his beliefs were always right -- strength and violence are ultimately all that matter. ]
Or are you still gonna make excuses for why you won't? Why you're just going to let me kill him right here, right now?
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Gen is lost, some part of himself not truly here in the shrine anymore (if it ever had been); perhaps he and Dokja have more in common than either of them realize for their tentative, delicate hold on reality. Abel is beginning to grasp just how far beneath water both of them must have been - floundering, drowning for a long time, now. not just Gen. not just Dokja.
is that why they've ended up like this...? 'he asked me to kill him.'
... ]
Are you asking me to hurt you...?
[ punishment; a payment; a price for what's been done. consequences. perhaps that word truly is more apt than Gen had ever known.
and not terribly different from the request Dokja had posed to Gen, is it? ]
Would it make any of this easier to swallow for you if I did?
[ they both already know Abel isn't going to pick up the mace. they both know it was never an option, either - but perhaps Gen isn't privy to the knowledge that Abel doesn't need it to achieve his objective. ]
...I am taking him. [ but his hand stretches out - not to strike, or to provoke, but in offer. ] So please... Help me help him, before it's too late. This isn't you, is it...? This isn't who you are, who you want to be. It doesn't have to be, either... you can stop this before it goes any further than this.
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Gen stares blankly at the offered hand, only half-seeing it and completely failing to absorb any meaning or intention behind the gesture. His focus is instead drawn to those gentle words that Abel offers him, his eye twitching when he hears that nauseating question. 'This isn't you, is it?' ]
... what do you think you know about me?
[ It's said softly, but perhaps Abel can feel a twinge in his gut telling him that the low volume of Gen's voice is not an indication of mercy. That uneasy feeling must only be bolstered by the faint tremors in the ground below his feet, the skitter of dirt vibrating against the flooring, the sound of the earth groaning beneath them. ]
Fine. I'll deal with you both.
[ There's a resigned quality to those words, but it might be hard to make out past the sound of something cracking. Hairline fractures in the floor abruptly cobweb outwards from where Gen's standing, and there's a weight to his movements when he begins his slow approach once more. Vaguely, at the back of his mind, Gen recalls Emet-Selch's warning -- that magic uses one's own energy as well as that of the environment -- but he can't bring himself to care. His rage has hit a peak, overflowing from the constraints of his meager self-control, and he needs to get rid of the cause of this anger. Destroy it. Make it so his chest stops hurting like this.
If there was ever a time for Abel to start running with his precious cargo, it would be now. ]
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it isn't necessarily physical - but it has manifested in a tangible way as the ground fractures, cracks, ripples-- and Abel, albeit surprised, does not plan to find out what the boy has in store. (this-- what is this...? back in the cave, he had never utilized these kinds of skills, this pressure, had he? no--)
Abel knows it won't be pleasant, but he cannot hesitate nor account much for Dokja's comfort; he is drawing the man up into his arms in one fluid motion, leaping backward to put distance between him and the boy's approach. even as his boots skid to a halt upon the shrine ground closer to the entryway, his eyes are fixated on his would-be "enemy." --stop... stop this; Gen has to stop this. ]
--I know the look in your eyes. I know that a man who's too far gone doesn't tremble when he has blood on his hands, and... I know you aren't a monster, even if you think it might be easier to make yourself one. And maybe it would be, but... you of all people should understand that nothing comes easy. Isn't that right?!
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[ The command comes soft, breathy, almost a whisper. A far cry from the furious snarls that he'd hurled Abel's way the last time they'd clashed. But perhaps loud words aren't necessary when his surroundings speak for him.
The next step he takes sends a shiver through the ground, and when Gen lunges forth to stomp his boot down, the floor before him fractures. Abel's put enough of a distance between them that Gen's area of influence doesn't extend to him, but that doesn't protect him from the flying shrapnel and crystal shards of when Gen tears up the ground around his feet. And the quick start he got certainly won't be enough to shield him when Gen gives a wide swipe of his hand -- sending a fist-sized chunk of the ground tearing from the floor by his feet, hurtling towards Abel's head.
Maybe Abel can consider it a blessing amidst these wretched circumstances that Gen had already expended himself somewhat while landing the initial blow on Dokja, and as a fledgling magic-user, his control is poor -- his aim is unsteady and there's no way he can sustain this level of ferocity for long. Even now, as he continues to trudge forward in slow but steady pursuit of Abel, ironically forced to limp across the uneven terrain that he wrought himself, it's clear he's starting to flag. Sweat drips from the point of his chin, his breaths coming whistling and ragged, and he's suddenly far more aware of the chill lingering at his fingertips as blood continues to pulse slowly from that stab wound.
... whatever. It's fine. Just a little more. He'll push himself just a little more, and end this whole affair. Add two more graves to the landscape of his nightmares. He has to, right? ]
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He can't focus on all the noise happening around him, can't even open his eyes when his surroundings begin to crack open with loud groans, too distracted with trying to fight off the creeping darkness that sinks its claws into him to inch closer and closer. He has enough of a mind left to wonder if Abel's okay, but other than that, he's battling something else on his own.
When he feels arms slide under him and then the warmth of a body against his, some of his shaking finally manages to cease. His bloodied head lolls against Abel's shoulder, and he grunts as he feels them move, the jostling further exacerbating how much pain he's in. Still, there's something particularly reliable about these arms in particular, and Dokja allows himself to sink into them.
If he dies, at least life gave him one last comfort on his way out. ]
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this power has been at this boy's hands the whole time?
--Abel has no time to contemplate the abilities he has not seen before; instead, he's quickly ducking to shield Dokja's already fragile and vulnerable head from any further injury, the cloak enough to protect his ward from the remaining bits of shrapnel. it's becoming apparent that there's a need for cover; the priest has barely begun moving when that fist-sized projectile is shooting forth and glances, nicks right off his left temple. with a small, calculated burst of acceleration to boost his momentum, he's sliding behind the cover of a pillar in the shrine just wide enough to safely cover his back.
close... too close; he's being careless, too concerned for Dokja's waning vitality and the strained, painful sound of his breathing in Abel's arms. it's feeding the simmering pit of desperation gnawing at his insides. wasting time... this is just wasted time-- is he going to fail this man? the baubles that will take the Pleroma to the Lodestone beneath Godsblood take time to work; he has to stall.
...or Dokja and Gen are in serious danger. the pattering of blood, the scent thick and cloying in the air isn't lost to the priest at all-- neither is the ragged, heavy, shallowing sound of Gen's every inhale before being forced from him weighty and weary. the boy is straining himself, closing in on his limit. Dokja, too, is fading too fast.
but he has to wait; be silent. no provocation. wait, wait it out, give Gen nothing. wait to see how close he is to breaking. and if the boy falters... it's time to make a run for the entrance as quickly as he can, to escape to a safe distance until the spell activates. please let this work...
...please don't let this man-- die. ]
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Ah. His field of vision's swimming. Gen coughs as nausea boils from the pit of his stomach, the sour taste of bile prickling at his back of his throat before he manages to swallow it back. His limbs feel heavy -- this is the same exhaustion from when Emet-Selch had told him to be prudent about his usage of magic, isn't it?
-- but he can't bring himself to care much about it, not right now.
Not when there's something he needs to see through to the end, first. ]
-- come out, you filthy coward. [ It's meant to be a taunt, but Gen's words come hoarse and guttural, almost lost between his ragged breaths as he drags himself forth another step. Trying to squint past the foggy haze coating his vision and focus on where Abel's hidden. ] What was it you said? You'll be there for me? [ A hollow, rasping laugh before he shakes his head to try and clear his thoughts. ] ... you dirty liar. Like you ever meant it!
[ Those last words are punctuated by the crunch of rock ricocheting against that pillar's edge. Another projectile -- though Abel might note this one's significantly smaller, and hurled with significantly less force. If he peers around the edge of the pillar, he might spot where Gen's sunk to one knee, clearly struggling to remain upright even as the ground around him trembles with his seething rage.
He really will drain himself dry trying to destroy Abel and Dokja, regardless of what it might cost him. Unless there's any intervention, probably. ]
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Ultimately, it makes no difference. The boys wouldn't have been able to hear much in ways of footsteps even if they tried, the new set practically flew in once it was obvious even from further out closer to the edge of the lake surrounding the Lovers' shrine that a struggle is taking place. (More than one too, arguably so.) Finding the scene as it is, for the first time since gaining consciousness in Horos, Ciel
almosthesitates.It doesn't last long. She has no right, forfeited it herself out of her own free will. Her priority needs no thinking over, that too had been decided for quite some time now. Thus the dark blur that directly rushes up to Gen with a burst of speed human eyes cannot follow does not bother with courtesies, this is a situation where one will simply have to ask for forgiveness rather than permission. The prickly teen will most likely be angry, but suppose she'll just have to owe him two favors after this - maybe more, she's willing to negotiate. He'd probably see this as a nuisance, after all, no matter how painfully obvious it is to anyone else that if he keeps pushing himself, he'll be the one to burn out.
Within less than a blink, a clean uppercut is administered to Gen's chin with the sole intent to snap him unconscious as swiftly and painlessly as possible. Ciel is at his side the next instant, fully prepared to cushion the weight of his head at her chest before he falls. She catches him, of course, it is simply her duty to take an ally who is injured and in need of medical attention back to base safely. They are Kenoma, and today, their orders were to bring back newly hatched Aions to Achamoth. Getting themselves killed chasing after their sworn enemies is not that, so she has a perfectly legitimate reason to interfere.
Her fellowThe Martyrs will simply have to endure. They're both resilient like cockroaches, right? She's seen and felt it firsthand. So...Yet she couldn't help casting a wary glance towards the pillar, even as she tucks one arm beneath Gen's shoulder to prop him up against her in support. His injured arm won't be difficult to treat, it'll be a quick matter to stop the bleeding. The biting scent of iron she is intimately familiar with remains far too thick here, however, whispering a story she could already chance a guess at even if she hasn't already registered the presence of two kindred souls she's far too attuned to for her own liking.
They need to go. All of them. Whatever that happened here, it's enough. Too much, as is.]
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this situation is going from bad to worse, isn't it...? this woman is an unpredictable force of nature and one he cannot take lightly in his current predicament. the concern for the man so close to collapse who pushed himself beyond his limit while burning on sheer rage; the concern for the man whose life is slowly slipping away in his arms-- it burns bright and hot, piercing, reminding Abel the stakes are so incessantly high. he can't afford to make a wrong step, an ill-founded decision based on personal sentiments. it isn't his well-being on the line, this time.
so the gaze he cautiously casts beyond the safety of cover is a wary one-- only to be greeted with the sight of Ciel turning against her own. the blow is efficient, though not brutal; it gets right to the point of it. all at once... Gen is collapsing, folding like a puppet with its strings cut, his strained body slumping into the Kenoma's awaiting arms. and just like that, Abel understands where his unpredictable force of nature stands on the matter of things.
blue eyes meet blue in a silent exchange. were there any time to feel gratitude - perhaps that is what she'd find in his eyes, but there isn't. all there's room for, time for, is the heavy sit of worry, anxiety for the man whose shallow breathing is the only thing Abel can hear anymore. the jewelry dangling where it's wrapped around his wrist cannot fulfill its intended purpose soon enough, Ciel...
Dokja is barely hanging on. ]
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wolf in sheep's shepherd's clothingpriest had to carry another one of his allies away even as "his" unpredictable force of nature was winding up an offensive magic attack in spite of her torn throat. They stand on opposing ends, nothing will change that. It was why she continued to withhold her name from him despite his earnest attempts at reaching out, she's explained as much herself earlier that very day.Yet the look she finds in mirrored blue this time almost has her wishing it was gratitude instead. Gratitude would have been useless, tepid, and easy to discard. What she sees now is anything but: desperate, distressed, almost pleading. What is he looking at her like that for? They may have sat together not too long ago over something silly and trivial, but that interaction did not have any meaning. It did not change their beliefs, nor who they are at their core. She's withdrawn her own pair of returning stones with one hand, while the other one supporting Gen is tending to the teen's wound; the bleeding had already been stopped.
She averts her gaze to confirm the state of that arm, to look away from the fact that HE won't look away first. (She knows that's not how it works. They are both still there, even if she no longer sees them.) What is he waiting for? Leave. If there's anything more she can do, something within her power to help with whatever he's so restlessly searching for...
...
One shouldn't pray to the devil, hm?]
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Abel is certain that's all she would want him to discern from her interjection in their situation. she spares him no more than a cursory glance, and her purposeful attention to the boy slumped in her arms is further evidence to support that fact. but he knows better, doesn't he...?
...
no time to waste with further trivialities or useless conjecture. no time to waste on meaningless exchanges when everything either of them needed to convey already hangs in the air. so as soon as Ciel's eyes return to the boy hanging unconscious in her grasp - Abel is gone, leaving the shrine and his "enemies" behind him, waiting out the last few moments before the trinkets activate and steal them away to the Lodestone. ]