TDM #1

[aionmods]

TDM #1

DREAMING

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

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.]

CAPTIVITY

It seems that someone was waiting for you to arrive, and not in the most friendly of ways. Though the specifics of who comes to get you will vary according to which legacy shrine your character awakens at, there are certain commonalities: most notably, how they are ostensibly here to capture and imprison you. It's easy for them, all considered. You can barely stand, so fresh out of your chrysalis, and whatever powers or special abilities you may have had will not answer your call. Even worse, your would be captors are well equipped for the job.

Each group arrives with several 'whips' made of unknown materials. What makes them so special only become obvious when one of them inevitable snakes its way around your body. Whether it be your ankle or your neck, being bound by these cords puts you under the influence of whoever is holding the other end of your leash. Your mind remains untouched, but you will find yourself physically incapable of performing physical actions that go against their will. While the possibilities are frightening, thankfully they all just seem to want one thing: for you to come along as a good little prisoner and to not cause any of them too much trouble.

The rest depends on your character's legacy:

❖ THE LOVER
The small island the shrine is built upon is approached by several modest boats with colorful sails. They carry what appears to be a collection of fearful fisherfolk and town guards. They are reluctant to speak with those being pulled out of the shrine or even look them in the eye. If they have their choice, the entire process will be done in silence. If you try too hard to upset them, the guards will sternly bring you to heel.

❖ THE CELEBRANT
The infrastructure of an entire festival ground seems to be built around this shrine, and as a result, there are an usual amount of people present. While most keep their distance, a few will engage with the local guards that arrive to capture the Aions, complaining that this is going to interfere with their preparations for the upcoming Lover’s Festival. They are pushed aside in short order, and the rest of the retrieval will be done in a stern but business-like manner.

❖ THE MARTYR
At first, those arriving to capture the Aions will be hesitant to even enter the barren crater this shrine is held within. Once the presence of the new arrivals becomes clear, however, they will run in as if crossing the no man’s land of a battlefield and complete their work with gusto. It appears to be mostly military folk and they seem to lack any patience or sympathy for those they capture.

❖ THE SOVEREIGN
The captors here seem to be a mixed bag, almost as if two separate squadrons have arrived at the same time. One is a gathering of people who give off the impression of mountain folk, while the others are well armored soldiers. Though it will be hard to make out the specifics, there seems to be some manner of disagreement between these two parties over what should be done, but the ones kitted out in full military attire win out in the end. By then, they are completely out of patience for further resistance.

❖ THE ARTISAN
The people here seem to have mixed feelings about your arrival. On one hand, it seems to be a moment of considerable trepidation, on the other, they seem unbearably curious about your nature. They will ask questions about any unusual features you have, or what your skills are, while others from the group try just as hard to shush them. Ultimately, they don’t seem that enthusiastic about having to capture you, but they also don’t seem to think they have much choice.

❖ THE INNOCENT
Among rolling hills of flowers, at first it seems as if this shrine may not be visited at all. Before the arriving Aions can escape it, though - naked and weakened as they are - a group of fairly normal looking townsfolk will arrive. They pause as they spot you near the shrine, almost like they are hesitating about coming at all. In the end, they will converge upon you and ask for you to please cooperate. They won’t hurt you, as long as you come with them.

❖ THE SEEKER
Armored soldiers are the ones to first pull you from the shrine, but as you arrive outside of it you'll see that it is situated at the edge of a great forest. An ancient observatory is build into the cliff face behind the shrine, and your captors are apparently in the process of negotiating with a series of robed individuals that have emerged from it. According to them, the soldiers kidnapping you are trespassing. Unfortunately, they are not the ones with weapons.

❖ THE WANDERER
When you first emerge from the shrine, it will appear as if you have just missed a skirmish. There are a few bodies scattered about, all wearing woodland armor made of leather and fur. The victors, it seems, come in the form of fully armored soldiers. Thoroughly irritated by the fight that just happened, they will not waste time on niceties. If you try to ask them what just happened, the best you may get is a sneer about ‘those damn forest people.’ You may spot a couple more bodies on the trail leading out of the forest as well.

❖ THE FIREBRAND
The first thing to be seen beyond the cavern entrance is a sheer drop into a raging canyon river far below you, with only a narrow path leading up the steep cliff face. It would be a difficult situation, even without black-cloaked warriors making their way down it to collect you. Struggle too much and you'll be at risk of being thrown into the chasm. These masked assailants are largely unmoved by your protests and will drag you the entire way up the cliff if you force them to. "Your soul will be claimed," they say.

❖ THE VISIONARY
The view from the mouth of the cavern is awe inspiring, revealing the foreign shapes of a world you've never seen before. Unfortunately, the altitude of this shrine means you will also be greeted with sharp wind and biting cold. Fortunately, or not, a party of mountaineers and three black-cloaked warriors will arrive to collect you. Despite their seeming inability to defy the orders of the warriors, the mountaineers will toss you some shoes and blankets for the trek down, even if they are taken away from you later. If the warriors speak at all, it's mostly in the form of ominous utterances.

❖ THE CHAMPION
Even if one were to stagger out of the shrine's cavern before being approached, the Aions arriving here will swiftly find themselves in a hopeless situation. Not only are there soldiers here to collect there is a moderately sized military barracks built around the shrine itself, and this particular squadron is not on your side. You will be swarmed before you can get far at all. There seems to be a mix of two squadrons here, some wearing heavy armor and red accents, while the others wear full face masks and dark cloaks.

Once you've been captured and pulled from the shrine, you will given a formless white gown made of moderately comfortable fabric, with sleeves reaching your elbows and its bottom reaching down past your knees. You will not be given pants or shoes. You're in for a journey, apparently - no matter who plucked you from the cave, most of the heavily armored soldiers in the prompts above will turn out to be 'Hylician soldiers', while the smaller number of black-robed warriors are referred to 'Achamites'. After the initial dealings with the shrines, all prisoners will be passed off to a squadron of Hylicians, though a few Achamites may follow along depending on the location.

Where are you all going? Back to Hylici, apparently.

WAITING

After you've been handed off to the the Hylician military, you have a long road ahead of you. Loaded up onto carts, and then eventually onto river borne boats, the people collected at the shrines will all be brought to a forest in the center of Horos. Along the way, the squadron ferrying you will combine with others from neighboring shrines, more and more captives arriving in your group the closer to your destination you get.

Along the way you will be fed and watered well enough (though only with military rations), and at night you will be given flimsy bedrolls to sleep around the fire with. Captives will be under constant watch by the Hylician guard, and anyone who shows any signs of resistance will be required to be bound by one of those magic whips, usually around the ankle or wrist. The rest of the trip is spent being pulled along in carts or the storage bays of boats. After the groups start converging, captives of the same legacy will not necessarily be kept together.

The final muster point of the Hylicians and their captives will be among forest ruins. For what purpose you have arrived they will not say, but the entire group will be camping there until preparations are complete. Sadly, you won't be allowed much space to explore - not without being bound and under watch. If you've behaved yourself it's possible to move about the central ruins, but only if the guards are confident they'll be able to wrangle you when necessary. It does allow for moderately private conversations along the pillars and walls of the ruins, but venturing out into the forest itself is definitely out of the question.

From beginning to end, characters will spent about two weeks in transit and waiting in the ruins. To what end is yet to be seen, but if you listen closely, you may hear whispers of a 'ritual space' being prepared.

QUESTIONS

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?
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 intial 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.

Can my character resist the influence of the whips?
Those possessed of particularly strong wills may be able to struggle with the whip's control in brief spurts, but not long enough to make a full escape attempt. They may be able to take an impotent swing at one of the guards or fight against being pulled along, though. Naturally, doing this will indicate to the Hylicians that you are a problem, and their handling of you will become harsher the more it occurs.

How cruel will the Hylicians be to the player characters?
The Hylician military are not friendly people and come across as being a bit callous even at the best of times. However, unless you provoke them, they will be primarily focused on just getting the job done with as few interruption as possible. If your character makes a habit of pissing them off, either by constantly fighting back or just by being persistently obnoxious, their treatment will get worse. If driven to it, they may take the opportunity to take out their frustrations on particularly troublesome prisoners, via physical punishment, humiliation, or deprivation.

Comments

Himeka Sui (WoL OC) | Final Fantasy XIV | Wanderer

[aquaveiled]

i. dreaming

[ There's a certain serenity in nothingness, a lack of worry, a gentle repose. Yet even has her wits begin to return to her, the peace she feels in her being does not dissipate. A part of Himeka feels that she's been here before, or something like it. An expanse of stars, a large crystal beckoning her to hear, feel, think. But this is different, isn't it?

For one, she isn't alone.

Himeka stands at the apex where the two paths split. Despite the dreamy reverie about them, she has the distinct feeling that one path is the right one. But she stays still as another comes to stand near her. She watches them for a moment before inclining her head to the side. ]

Does one of these call out to you too?

iii. captivity, the wanderer

[ As unsettling as the situation already is, Himeka isn't inclined to linger inside the caves much longer. That there are others with her is both a boon and a concern, what with little to go off of on just how and why they are there. The remnants of her dream still rings in the back of her head, compounding a list of potential failures despite how hard she and her friends have been working to fight for their star. But one thing at a time...

When she emerges from the caverns, stumbling on uneasy legs, she finds death.

It's sadly a sight she's seen many times over, bodies strewn across the land before them. She doesn't recoil, but she does grimace. Too late, they're too late to do anything for these people, whoever they are. But it isn't the dead she should be concerning herself with... ]

iii-a. [you] are taken

[ The soldiers are waiting, marching forward towards all of those emerging from the caves. There's someone ahead of her by a few yalms, quickly being flanked by the armored figures. It doesn't take much to discern that the soldiers are likely responsible for the bodies around them, though whether that is for their benefit or woe is yet to be seen.

But it's a fair guess that given the way they begin to grab at and shuffle the other person along, they are not there to be kind. That leaves only one option in her mind--

As she tries to straighten and summon up a ball of lightning-aspected aether--....nothing happens. No familiar tingling at her finger tips or through her veins. ]

Shite.

[ Not good. So she does the next best thing she can think of... ]

Hey, tin-head!

[ And tosses a rock at one of the soldiers trying to cart the other recently awakened away. ]

iii-b. she is taken

[ Distracted a moment too long by the fallen, there are soldiers upon her before she has time to even straighten appropriately. Though it begins as a firm hand on her upper arm and shoulder, as she pulls away the grips quickly tighten. She begins to thrash, whipping her long tail at the armored man to her right, aiming for the back of his knees to send him off balance. ]

Let go!

[ A little help? ]

iv. waiting

[ The ruins are a small reprieve from the journey to them, but seeing how many have amassed in this place is a greater cause for worry than it is a comfort. Ever vigilant in the art of people-watching, Himeka sits quietly for a while as more and more in similar slops are filed in. Too many, it feels. Why so many?

Himeka sits perched on the edge of a fallen pillar as she munches quietly on her own rations. Eating is something of a familiar comfort she is glad to take in, even if the rations are bland. Yet she pauses as she watches another, looking just as lost as she has been feeling. Looking at her ration block, Himeka breaks a piece off and holds it out to them. ]

Here.

[ She forces a smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes. ]

A little something never hurts.

xx. wildcard

[ ooc; I am open to anything I have already put up! Feel free to hit me up on plurk too at doggystyle.

Also I default to brackets but am happy to match your style! ]

Dreaming

[fallen_cetra]

You can hear it too, then, can't you?

[There's something hopeful in her voice, even as her gaze is lost, staring down the path. Teetering on unsteady feet with one hand clasped over her heart. Pulse sluggish but there's something in the call that makes her heart thud painfully against her ribs.]

Like...like home somehow? I know that voice, I don't know why, but...I know I do.

[The gentle call, pulling her deeper in, with voices so familiar her whole soul ached with it. It leaves her torn and anxious in a way she hasn't felt in a long time and she can't place exactly why.

Silently, she offers Himeka one battered hand, a tentative smile tugging at her lips.]

Maybe it needs investigating?

[aquaveiled]

[ Himeka nods, her tail swishing gently behind her. Yes, there's an implicit understanding with this other woman and somehow that also feels right. Her gaze shifts out to the path and she feels the beckoning call only grow stronger. ]

It's familiar. But I can't place it...

[ A new old friend indeed.

There's a pause as she looks at that hand before offering a smile of her own and taking it. ]

Yes. And it's better with company.

[ That is something she is sure of.

She begins on the path, feeling renewed confidence with each step. This is right, this is the way. That's what keeps repeating in her mind. When she looks up towards the cosmos above them, she sees a reflection of a town deep in the ocean, the shadows of various fish and sea life flying above them. ]

--I think you're right. It is home.

[fallen_cetra]

Any new adventure is better when you have friends to have it with, right?

[Her smile blooms instantly, lighting up her eyes as she finds the warmth of Himeka's hand a comforting weight. Solid, familiar somehow in an undefinable way, but makes the sense of adventure stronger, the call of this strange voice more familiar somehow.

Her thumb brushes across the pretty pale scales on the back of the other woman's hand out of a sense of comfort.]

You know, it's funny, I spent most of my life scared of the open sky? I never saw the stars properly until a couple years ago...

[A couple years? That was right, wasn't it? She chances a glance upward, afraid to feel that sense of dread, the memories of fire and meteorites scorching the sky, and instead looks to study the way the starlight makes her new friend's scales gleam.]

What was your home like?

Waiting

[hippocarnival]

[Yuya's so lost in his thoughts he doesn't even realize Himika is addressing him under the food is being held by his face. He jumps, twisting to stare at her, wide-eyed, before his brain catches up and he waves his hands.]

No, I already ate mine--you don't have to give up your food for me.

[aquaveiled]

[ Himeka tilts her head to the side, regarding the boy with a hint of amusement. She didn't mean to startle him so, but she figures she's probably not one of the most threatening things he's encountered on this journey so far. ]

Are you sure? I don't mind sharing. Sometimes when I don't have anything else to do I like to eat.

[ Which, of late, she doesn't have much time for recreational snacking. This is far from a vacation, of course. ]

[hippocarnival]

We're not being given much, so... I don't want you to go hungry either. [He's... also not very excited about bland military rations. But he doesn't say that, in case Himika happens to like them.] You don't have anything else to do either, right?

iii-a

[getting_better]

[ There's a lot, too much, going through his mind at once - though whats racing is just emotion trying to chain itself to logic and reason but finding no purchase. He simply pressed on until he was suddenly bound, and his captors didn't look to be particularly in the mood to deal with defiance.

The binds helped sort his thoughts but not his emotions that grew incresingly more frustrated as questions began to form in his head. He would have fought back, but each of his limbs don't feel like his own and that was before the bizzare collar was latched on him - suddenly his limbs weren't his at all.

Then came the rock and the taunting from....what he can only guess is some humanoid creature trying to help, but his mind had only ended up alarming even more, and resigning himself from having a bad time to a worse time. ]

Oh no, I wish you hadn't done that...

[aquaveiled]

[ It was done with the best of intentions, though intentions really don't dictate the outcome, do they? The rock makes contact with the shoulder armor of one of the shoulders, which in turn shifts new attentions to her.

Undeterred, Himeka stands her ground and demands. ]

Let him go!

[ It goes about as well as one would expect.

With her diminish physical strength not matching that of her conviction, Himeka is quickly overwhelmed by the soldiers. She trashes about until the whip wraps around her ankle and then she is on her knees by a volition that is not her own. When she's lined up beside her would be-rescuee, she does have the wherewithal to look sheepish. ]

...I was aiming for his head.

[getting_better]

[ Things played out more or less what he had foreseen, thankfully in a less morbid fashion. One of the few times that he was thankful for being wrong most of the way. ]

I know, I know. Got his shoulder though, so points for trying.

[ Futile as it was, but what hope did they have given their current state. ]

I'm called Bishop, by the way. I thought it'd be prudent to introduce myself before were taken to the mines or something. God it is cold though.

iv

[velvetoversteel]

[ Moiraine glances at the offered food, and then shakes her head a little, with a slight smile she does not feel. ]

No, thank you. I've already eaten.

[ The rations are bland and most certainly not what she would choose to eat, but it is what they have and she will not take from others when she has no need.

Moiraine has been pacing the ruins restlessly, or at least that is what she has appeared to be doing thus far; it is more to test the boundaries of how far their captors will allow her to go. She has been warned back from the edges of the ruins with enough glares and, in one case, a threat to use one of those binding whips on her; she chooses now to pause, to sit in the empty space near the younger woman.

She studies the stranger for a moment -- her eyes catch on horns and tail, though she does her level best not to stare; she has seen things equally as unusual in her own world. ]

I am Moiraine. May I have your name?

[aquaveiled]

[ There's a moment's pause before Himeka nods and withdraws her hand. The sharing is more for a sense of comradery and a little bit of physical comfort, but she understands that not all may feel the same way, or simply just want to make sure their fellow imprisoned are eating well in turn.

But she certainly doesn't mind new company--far from it. Himeka prefers to simply be around others than be left alone with her thoughts for long, so she is quick to return interest in kind to the other woman. ]

Moiraine? [ She tries the name out. ] My name's Himeka.

[ She offers a half smile with a swish of her tail. ]

I'd say it's nice to meet you, though that falls a little flat right now, doesn't it?

[velvetoversteel]

[ Himeka -- the three syllables call to mind raindrops on new leaves, or something equally light and lovely. Moiraine allows a breath of dry, mirthless laughter at those last words. ]

Perhaps in some other circumstance -- but thank you for the sentiment.

[ It's one she returns, if that wasn't clear. Moiraine can be hard to read sometimes, and just now she's trying to keep from displaying too much other than a practiced calm -- it's either that or succumb to fear and worry, and that she will not do in front of someone who is barely an acquaintance. ]

Have you heard anything of what they intend to do with us?

[ Moiraine has herself been listening and watching, but she knows she would do well to have another perspective on the situation. ]

iv!

[lifespanned]

[ Misa finds herself in a great predicament at the offer - she glances over her shoulder, as if she'll find a guard right there waiting for them. ]

Oh! Can I really have that? You might get in trouble if they find out you gave it to me... since they got mad at me earlier.

[ She half-explains, not entirely convinced those guards don't have some magic way of finding out if she does end up taking it. Has she realized it's in her best interest to just play nice and kiss up to the guards as much as possible? Yes. But she's also selfish, and not at all that accustomed to living in a survivalist way. If she can catch a break here and there, then... ]

You're really okay with it?

[aquaveiled]

[ Himeka cocks her head to the side, her tail doing a curious twitch behind her. ]

They got mad? For sharing food?

[ As far as Himeka is concerned, if they gave food to her, then it's her rations to do with what she wants. If she decides not to eat it then they certainly can't for her to! Or, well, they actually good given everything she's seen what those strange magical whips can do on her and others, but that's besides the point.

Surely they wouldn't take this as some act of rebellion, right? ]

Of course. I would think they have much more to be worried...or I hope so.

[lifespanned]

[ At that, Misa's smile twists a little into a pout, darting her eyes up and away. ]

Well, they got mad because I kept asking them stuff on the way here... [ One gets the sense she does not see her fault in doing this, with the way she acts like they totally overreacted. ] They took my ration away as punishment.

[ Which isn't the worst thing to happen in the world, and it more irritates her than anything. It's fine, she can play nice if she has to. But they're allowing them all just enough freedom for her to feel justified in throwing a fit if things really get annoying. If she was held at knifepoint all the time or tied up, then, she'd be less inspired to act out... ]

I guess they do have more important things to be worrying about, [ She hums, a little haughtily, moving a little closer to her. ] So how about a trade? If you let me borrow that, I'll make sure to pay you back for it soon!

iv.

[inutilis]

[ Abel's trying his best to be inobtrusive despite being a rather tall, lanky shape among so many others sadly huddled here. whether it's the morose mood in the air, or simply the weariness after a day's travels -- he's turning over what remains of the rations he's been given instead of eating them, perhaps gotten distracted half-way through his meal.

the offer of company does far more to brighten his spirits than the offer of food-- though, admittedly... he is sort of a glutton for both. the silver-haired man is giving a little start at being addressed, but... it melts into a warm smile that chases away the shadows of whatever had been there a mere moment prior, and he's accepting the ration-corner from his newfound friend with an earnest smile. ]

Ah-- did you hear my stomach growling...? E-embarrassing... I kindly told it to stop, but as it turns out? After feeding it this slop the past few days, we're not on speaking terms, I'm afraid...

[ it's nonsense; something silly, something to grasp for some lightness-- perhaps all he can offer in the way of thanks. ]

[aquaveiled]

[ That is something she can certainly relate to. Though she's a foodie and culinarian at heart, Himeka is willing to try anything once, no matter the state or quality it arrives in. But the rations they have been provided definitely leave them wanting. Basic nutrition at most, if that. ]

Understandably so. I'm fairly certain these are meant to lower morale rather than boost them.

[ She's in good enough humor about it regardless, at least this aspect of their confinement. If for a few minutes she doesn't mind overlooking the rest. ]

...Though in that light my offer seems a little cruel, doesn't it?

[inutilis]

Hm... Maybe suffering a dry mouth around some dry rations is your way of distracting me from-- ah.

[ he sends a tentative glance beyond her shoulder; there's a wide variety of Sad or Stressful things to take in, honestly -- dejected shapes of other 'travelers' slumped and weary from the day's travels, or simply having been beaten into submission at this point. the guards, as cold and closed off as ever, whips all of them understand to be wary of at the ready. ]

...Well-- take your pick, really.

[ and though it's hardly necessary considering there's more than enough space already, Abel's scooting over a bit where he's sat cross-legged on the ground, patting the spot beside him invitingly. ]

Though, honestly... I'd be lying to say I wasn't starving for a smiling face more than rations, if you'd like to humor me for a bit, miss--?

dreaming

[baltimores]

[ It's easy to get lost, stop in the moment, take it all in. Amos feels that same serenity. There's ultimately nothing here, and it's like what he feels inside is finally reflected by his surroundings. Not by the stars, the galaxies, the signs of everything all around them, but by.

Gaze on her at first, he tilts his head towards the path that beckons darkness. Can't help but find his eyes drifting in that direction, too. ]

There. That's what everything is. Where everything's going.

[ He feels like he's lived it. Didn't imagine anyone else had, but if it's here... it can't be just for him. ]

[aquaveiled]

[ Her eyes follow his gaze towards the darkened path. There's a trepidation in her heart when she looks at it, but no small amount of curiosity. Like she knows she ought to step away, yet she cannot help but want to see where it leads. ]

Where everything's going?

[ How can she not be intrigued by that?

There's a pause as she glances towards the lightened path. That feels right, that feels like home. But...

She turns to face the man. ]

Shall we see, then?

IV

[superbshot]

[The food, the journey, all of it's begun to bleed together for Caitlyn. She's reeling from a number of things, mostly information overload. There's entirely too much going through her head at any given point. But, when she's offered food from a stranger, she looks up, head tilting as she studies Himeka. Strange species, but clearly unhostile, perhaps a resident of Ixtal or something?

It doesn't matter, she supposes, because any friendly face is good.]

Thank you.

[Accepting the bread, she dips her head in gratitude.]

I'm Caitlyn.

[aquaveiled]

[ At the acceptance Himeka's smile widens. She knows it isn't much especially considering the lack of appealing flavors or textures, but there isn't a better way to offer an olive branch than sharing food, as far as she's concerned. She nods when the other woman accepts before drawing her own hand back. ]

Caitlyn? I'm Himeka.

[ She shifts so that her legs can dangle off the edge of the fallen pillar she's claimed. ]

To be honest I'm a little surprised they gave us food, but I suppose they need us alive.

dreaming

[dragon_rider]

Yeah... Sort of, anyway.

[ There's really no 'sort of' about it. There's a feeling there, thrumming deep within. The one filled with light beckons — warm and vibrant. Like a feeling of youth, perhaps, which he can't quite parse. Like the first ride on a dragon's back, without worry or haste. ]

[ But for whatever reason, turning down, either way, isn't so easy. He hesitates, just in the middle, leans slightly to the well-lit path rather he realizes it or not. ]

But — isn't there something, you know, foreboding about it all?

[ It's grand and overwhelming. A looming feeling of loss. Well, why wouldn't there be after that after all? But no, some part of him, the part that's always hesitated and doubted himself it doesn't want to make the move forward at all. ]

apologies for the delay!

[aquaveiled]

Foreboding?

[ A curious thought, not one she had considered, either. Everything around her feels...strangely natural. Right. Like she should be heeding to some unheard voice, like a mother ushering her child down the right path.

The lighter path.

Yet as she shifts her gaze to the other... ]

Yes...I think it can be. If it's left unchecked.

[ "It"? She's not sure why she says it that way, but it also feels right. There's a deeper power here--something bigger than them both. ]

Are you afraid?