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TDM #1
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.
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.
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.
no subject
There's another stretch of silence, some handful of seconds, while he deliberates on the best course of action. Then, suddenly: ]
I remember. [ ????? ] The dream. Where everything was destroyed.
[ At least Dokja gets one answer.... ]
no subject
But hm, at least he does get an answer to a previous question, and it must be strange to see a flash of relief cross Dokja's face when the reply is so... dreadful. ]
That's good, [ he says with a sigh, his eyes scanning the rest of the cavern filled with crytals. ] There's no way... Not for all of us...
[ Dokja murmurs to himself now, deep in thought. What could possibly be so powerful to destroy entire worlds? Surely it has to be a lie. It has to be. He'll convince himself if he has to. ]
no subject
In the same way relief flickers onto and vanishes from Dokja's face, disbelief briefly skates across Eustace's face before he shutters it away. In what universe could the destruction of worlds possibly be seen as a good thing?
By now, some of his strength has returned to him, and he's a little more steady on his feet as he hoists himself up in a crouch to match Dokja's own. His voice, at least, rings clear when he asks a question of his own. ]
What do you mean?
no subject
He does belatedly realize what it sounds like he's insinuating, and he quickly shakes his head as if to get rid of the misunderstanding. ]
Well, it's a bit too unbelievable, don't you think?
[ He tries to recall the other faces he'd come across in the same dream. There had been such a large number of them, another lost, wandering soul like his, and as his eyes finish roaming over the cave, he returns his gaze to the stranger crouched before him. ]
That sort of scale... I have to think it's a lie.
no subject
He scoffs, a dismissive sound that echoes a little too loud inside the hollow chamber of the cavern, bouncing off geode walls with ease. ]
There's no way to find out by sitting here.
[ Slowly he stretches, first one arm and then the other, working his way down his body in an orderly fashion. ]
What do you remember before this? Before the dreams.
[ May as well try and wring some answers out while they get their bearings. ]
no subject
It's the harsh sound of his own breathing that pulls him out of it. Trembling fingers reach up to squeeze at his eyes. Fuck, in front of a complete stranger too. He hates how vulnerable he is without the Fourth Wall. ]
I...
[ He'd been talking so well before. Get it together. ]
I was reading. On the subway. I was reading on the subway and then I think I fell asleep.
no subject
If it's any consolation to Dokja, Eustace doesn't seem to give a damn about the abrupt dip in composure, his eyes barely blinking as he waits for the other man to pull himself back together. His fingers itch for his gun but there's only glittering geode walls and the faint reek of slime oozing from his broken chrysalis. He might be physically naked at the moment, not a stitch of clothing on his body, but it's the lack of any weapon at his side whatsoever that makes him feel truly naked. ]
And then you woke up here.
[ Said more as a statement than a question.
It barely answers anything - no, it doesn't answer anything - but at the very least the circumstances are close to his own. If he can't get answers about how he was brought here, he may as well search for answers on where here is.
Carefully, he pushes himself up, legs unfolding as he does his best to stand. It's surprisingly difficult, the sensation of jelly replacing muscle still present, and he's forced to rely on assistance, one palm flat against cold wall. He is still naked as day with his dick hanging right out for god and everyone to see but he doesn't seem to notice as he scans the area they're in.
He also seems to have forgotten Dokja is present, sorry bud. ]
no subject
But that's okay, Dokja is used to being ignored? Why apologize when this is just the natural order placing itself back into balance.
He doesn't seem to mind at all, taking the moment to carefully school his features back into a semblance of calm and to wait for the racing of his heart to even out into a steady rhythm.
Of course, remaining crouched puts him at eye level with more than he wants to see, so he pushes himself up with great effort, his own legs relearning how to support his weight. Politely, he averts his gaze to the side where it lands on another chrysalis, though this one is unhatched. ]
This one's taking their time.
[ He stumbles over to it and eyes the form curled up inside. This is... familiar to him. ]
It's like a disaster, [ he mumbles to himself. ]
no subject
Even as Eustace looks around at the cavern they've found themselves in, he keeps one eye trained on Dokja, just in case he's underestimated the guy and the man makes some sort of sudden move. But his fears continue unfounded; Dokja seems more concerned with the not-yet-hatched than the already hatched. Is he hoping to find a familiar face inside? Or is he the type to care about all those around him regardless of who they might be or what crimes they might have committed? ]
They could be dead.
[ His voice is bizarrely calm given that he's talking about the mortality of human life. But quite frankly, ff this hatching is anything like those of insects or other creatures, not all of them will make it out alive. It's just simple fact. In any case, he's for more interested in the second comment. ]
You've seen something like this before?
no subject
And if Eustace wants to ponder on whether or not Dokja cares about the well-being of the person still trapped inside their chrysalis, here's the answer: ]
Yeah, they could be.
[ His tone is a little too nonchalant as he runs his fingers over the intact crystal, the corners of his mouth turning down into a frown. It's not so dissimilar from the meteorites from back home, though it doesn't invoke the same sort of dread. ]
They look like the disasters of my world. They'd hatch returnees—er, people who traveled to different worlds only to return much later to their homes...
[ He lets the rest of the sentence trail off. But this isn't their home, they're not returning from anywhere. Dokja hesitates for a beat longer than necessary, his eyes shaking as another thought comes to him. ]
But they didn't all hatch disasters.
no subject
He's well aware of how much of a loss he's at right now. If this man knows something - anything - that might be even remotely related, he needs to know. ]
Explain. [ Who gave him the right to order people around?? ] What do you mean, 'disasters'?
[ A shiver runs up his bare skin, the cool air converging around him, but he pays it no mind. ]
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But hey, isn't Dokja showing too much of his hand? He doesn't know what sort of world this is, and he's woken up with a complete stranger whose name still hasn't been told to him. Ah, he's too caught up in the strangeness of it all to keep his head straight, the dream from before still taking up an unreasonable amount of room in his unprotected mind. ]
Tell me your name if you want an explanation.
[ Two can play at the ordering other people around game!! ]
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It shouldn't be surprising that this man might push back, especially after he'd so nonchalantly reacted to Eustace's assertion that the body in the chyrsalis might already be dead. And it's not surprising to ask for a name, especially when such a thing is often the first thing given. There's no particular use in concealing his name here; out of all the information he could choose to withhold, his name is the least valuable of the lot.
Still, giving his name his name means accepting some sort of relationship with this man, however tenuous, and if there's anything he doesn't do, it's invite familiarity. A faint look of irritation passes across his face, here and gone, before he lets out a short exhale and says succinctly: ]
Eustace.
[ Happy?? Now where are his answers. ]
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He turns his attention back to the crystal, brows furrowed as he returns to his previous thoughts. ]
Well, Eustace, [ he says like they're best pals now. ] Disasters are powerful beings sent to certain locations in order to destroy parts of the world.
[ Sounds like bad news, right? It's not what he thinks is happening here. There wouldn't be a reason to rid him of his powers, it's not like there's an active scenario at play, and he's not in that bad of a headspace to want to start destroying anything. ]
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Which might take longer than expected; all of this is unfamiliar territory to him. On the bright side, he has no issue with looking ignorant and asking questions. ]
Sent by whom?
[ Presumably there's some bigger entity at play here, else Dokja would have phrased it differently. ]
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But oh man, isn't that a complicated answer filled with many twists and turns, and he really doesn't have it in him or think it's a great idea to explain the scenarios of his world so guess what? He doesn't.
This is what it's like to deal with Dokja. Time to get used to it. ]
Someone really strong, probably. [ Aaaand we are swerving. ] You don't have anything like this where you're from?
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Not that there's anywhere to go right now, especially not in his current state. He doesn't really give a damn about the embarrassment of having his junk hanging out for everyone to see, but there's no telling what kind of conditions might be waiting for them outside this glittering cavern. No point in risking frostbite or sunburn until he's exhausted all his other options.
Then again, maybe he's risking his sanity by staying around talking to this guy. 'Someone really strong'? Isn't that stating the obvious? Eustace looks deeply unimpressed by the answer but doesn't push it. Technically the guy did answer the question, even if it was an awful answer. Fair's fair. ]
No. Plenty of monsters willing to destroy the world for their own reasons, but nothing as coordinated as what you're describing.
[ If there was, they would all be in big fat trouble. ]
How do you defeat these disasters?
[ He says, still completely naked and without a single weapon to his name. ]
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The vibes are not there, and that makes Dokja want to be difficult. ]
You kill them.
[ How entirely unhelpful, his tone matter-of-fact, but it's clear there's more to it. He wouldn't make it sound so foreboding if a disaster is so easily dealt with. ]
Why? Are you worried about it? You shouldn't be.
[ As if Dokja even knows...??? ]
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Every time this man opens his mouth, Eustace expects an actual answer and every time he's left disappointed. When he dies, he'll ask Dokja to lower him into his grave so he can be let down one more time. Why is he even wasting his time here? He blows out a short breath, fighting the urge to just walk away. ]
Are you saying you can defeat them then?
[ This scrawny-ass man? Not that twinks can't be all-powerful, but he wants to see proof. Pony up the receipts, bud. ]
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And there are no receipts... He's somehow lost all of his skills and abilities, rendering him completely useless. In this state, he wouldn't be able to fight a child much less a disaster.
But who has to know? ]
I have before. [ Dokja with his noodle arms and his too skinny body. ] But I don't think that's what's happening here. It just looks similar to what I know.
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Maybe sooner rather than later. ]
Even if it isn't, it shouldn't be a problem either way for you, right?
[ Does he believe what he's saying or is he just being an asshole....all visual signs point to the latter. ]
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But it's a smile that answers for him. ]
Right. Don't worry, Eustace. If something scares you, I'll come by and frighten it away.
[ Friend!! Buddy!! Pal!!! ]
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Just kidding, Dokja's bright smile doesn't even warrant a response, Eustace once again turning, eyes peeled for anything that isn't a hunk of glittering crystal. Although...before he starts shambling off, he crouches down, fingers running across a particularly sharp shard of crystal.
Is this a threat??? (No.) ]
I can take care of myself.
[ Now go shoo and find someone else to harass. ]
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In a way, it was nice to stew in feelings of annoyance rather than think too deeply on the dream of his world being destroyed. It's a temporary distraction, but it helps him think a bit clearer for now.
He shoots a quick glare over his shoulder at Eustace, then stumbles toward the mouth of the cavern.
Bye, jerk. ]