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Aion Mods ([personal profile] aionmods) wrote in [community profile] aionooc2022-07-30 12:18 pm
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TDM #3

TDM #3
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.

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, this is something both sects have already prepared for.

All characters will have the opportunity to acquire a 'returning stone' if they don't already have one. 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. More information about returning stones can be found on the powers page.

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 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. Compared to the last attempt, these troops are a bit better armored. Meanwhile, bolstered by recent events in Godsblood, bands of Resistance members and guerrilla fighters will turn up at the Artisan and Sovereign shrines. The Resistance members will work willingly alongside with the Pleroma Aions, but the guerrilla fighters seem to have their own priorities and that is mostly that they have a beef with the Achamites. These reinforcements will struggle against powered Aions, but they might be able to delay any troops sent by Achamoth or Hylici.

KENOMA
Xishen will be handing out returning stones to all Kenoma the day after the dreams begin for the Aions that don't already have one. 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 minimal Achamite reinforcements. Due to injuries and death in both Godsblood and Venera, many are in recovery or on their return to Achamoth. She'll reiterate not to rely too heavily on them; after all, only the Aions are able to quickly move between the shrines and at the Citadel. The regular troops 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 be called to fill in the ranks of the diminished Achamite troops. They follow the orders that they are given but are very standoffish otherwise, even more than usual for them. Xishen herself says she will be traveling to the shrines and the Kenoma will be expected to communicate their movements to her as they work. 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.

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 beginning of August. The shrines will be active and forming Aions during that time. The dreams will start around the 29th of July. 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!

heavybreaths: (Sitting)

[personal profile] heavybreaths 2022-07-31 09:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[He needed little prompting. His cybernetics were protesting, and quite a lot, so he sat, taking a position on a heavy stone. Given the apparently lack of reaction to his presence, he was not in a place where the Empire had any sway, which told him a number of things. Firstly, that this Horos was either in Wild Space or in the Uncharted Regions. Secondly, that he could not count upon assistance from any local garrison. And thirdly, that the absence of the Force could likely be blamed upon whatever had conspired to bring him here. It would pass.]

No. But thank you.

[His armor did that well enough, and see? He can be polite.]

This...shrine. What is it dedicated to? Who is the Sovereign?

[Starting with that would make this easier. Understanding the immediate would help him process the rest of this. Reborn...sounds strangely religious, a notion that rankles him.
rosethorns: (04)

ii-a

[personal profile] rosethorns 2022-07-31 09:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[Dorothea would not normally fancy herself much of an explorer, especially in the state she finds herself in now. Yet here she is, exhausted, cold, and naked, carefully picking her way through the eerie quiet of this otherworldly cavern. Once she had manged to rein in some modicum of her composure after clawing her way free of what could best be described as a crystalline womb, she found herself faced with a choice: wait there for some dubious chance at rescue or begin searching for her own way of escape.

And she had certainly tried the waiting at first, knowing full well that stumbling around in this state would simply be foolhardy should she run into anything even mildly dangerous. But it does not take long for the solitude and uncertainty to give way to a building unease, slow and sure. If she has to remain here alone for much longer, she is certain she might just start to go mad.

So she begins to pick her way through the dazzling cavern with careful steps, eyes searching every nook and cranny for signs of life or a means of escape. She passes by a handful of chrysalises much like the one she has crawled out of, but no sign of anyone else lucky enough to break their way free just yet.

At least, until she hears a voice ring out that nearly startles her out of her skin. She whirls to find a man standing not far off, as naked as she is, though seemingly unbothered by the prospect of it. In what she doubts is the most graceful display, she scrambles to place herself behind the nearest crystalline stalagmite she can find, arms moving quickly to cover what she can.

She can feel the heat coloring her cheeks, not quite able to meet his gaze.]


That’s one way to put it, yes.
dendritic: (wilted and faded somewhere in hollywood)

[personal profile] dendritic 2022-07-31 09:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[ childe gives her a pretty good deal, all things considered. clothing and a means to clean off are at a premium for her right now, but she stays planted where she is. with a distrustful gaze, she angles the chunk of crystal in her grip. already, she's white knuckling it with her grip. zero is watching him closely, but armed with weak arms (even if one is a prosthetic outfitted to look like a knight's gauntlet) she can't do much. a heavy silence follows as she refuses to move.

eventually, her deep voice echoes in the shrine. ]


I don't dream.

[ she doesn't give a damn about being naked and dirty; she's going to live through this however she can. ]

Not interested in killing me?
zauneyete: (I'm still around bitches)

I

[personal profile] zauneyete 2022-07-31 09:57 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It should be unsurprising, that Silco lurks and steps within the path of dreams of many. As the Kenoma team lurker, he's stepping in and out of dreams, when he caught the man looking at the vista, between the two, as if he needed to decide which way to go.

And then he spoke, and Silco smiled, as if that was a funny question. He blinked, and only one eye closed, the other -- an eerie black and orange thing to match Sebastian's own odd eyes just stared out, before he spoke.
]

Oh? No, I'm afraid my decision has long been made. [ But this person was new... ]

Have you? I noticed you were...admiring the sight. [ Of the bright light, which often suggested a tendency toward the Pleroma. Silco had barely even bothered. ]
onelifeforlove: (04.)

Spottedleaf | Warriors | Innocent

[personal profile] onelifeforlove 2022-07-31 10:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[I. Dreaming.]

[It's unlike anything she's ever seen before.

She's seen a lot, in the core of her dreams as a medicine cat; she's seen those from StarClan, and the brief messages they try to impart on her before they're lost to her again - but this time she'd closed her eyes, and she'd opened them again, and she'd been greeted with this. With the path, and with the brilliance at its center, and she finds herself trembling - because this is so far beyond Silverpelt's brilliance, this is so far beyond even the all-knowing understanding of StarClan, and it feels like...

It feels like home. It feels like family.

She lies down and rolls onto her back, showing her belly willingly with all its soft insides just beneath the fur, and while it's a dangerous position to be in it doesn't feel so here; she bats openly at the cosmos before her like a kitten at play, like if she just tries hard enough she can reach them...

She wants to be here forever. She can't be here forever.]



[II. Rebirth.]

[There's a broken crystal in this cavern that doesn't seem to have an owner.

There's no human person that climbs out of it, no being appearing naked and wet before you, there's just...a crystal, and it's broken, and its occupant is gone.

Unless, of course, you notice the small dark shape crouched down underneath it, using the broken fragements for cover and hoping that the wet from inside the crystal will help mask her fearsmell; she's trembling and small, a little tortiseshell she-cat with a dappled coat, and she's utterly unremarkable except for the small Shard visible in her right shoulder.

She's one of you.

Of course, you're going to have some difficulty convincing her of that, seeing as she seems to be hunched down in that small space between the crystal and the wall and if she can help it, she's not going anywhere.]
Edited 2022-07-31 22:00 (UTC)
fallingsand: (25;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2022-07-31 10:03 pm (UTC)(link)
"I dunno, that kind of sounds like something a dream dragon would say," Bruno points out with a shrug of his shoulders, although he hardly sounds serious about it. A joke, perhaps. He was right about Earth lacking in dragons, however. If only.

That Wrathion bothers to ask who he is draws his eyes back to the dragon. Huh. One would think people in a dream would already know if it truly was a dream, but some reach of dream logic alone. That was an uncomfortable thought. He preferred this all to be nothing more than a dream as well.

"Me? Oh, I'm Bruno." That's all. Plain old Bruno, nothing of interest here. "And you are...?"
undertheweight: (I'm not certain)

[personal profile] undertheweight 2022-07-31 10:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Wrathion blinks burning eyes and cranes his head down to the woman. He snorts, amused, but allowing no hint of smoke to escape his nostrils. He's also gentle enough to not rustle her clothing.

"I don't think so," he replies in an amused tone. "I like to swim. I'll have even less of a problem if I can shift." He's been resting since he arrived here, but it still feels as if to call his human shape would take more effort than he wants to expend, at the moment.

Of course, he's not letting on. Arrogance. Pride. They were draconic bylaws, practically, and he was no different, even should he not be truly kin to the dragons of her world. Some things were constant.
cutlery: (is japan also the shire?)

[personal profile] cutlery 2022-07-31 10:04 pm (UTC)(link)
[ look............. he knows what he's about ]

[ Sebastian coughs politely into his hand, though it's also very clearly a gesture to try and regain some of his composure. It also helps that they have a bit of back and forth, though it's not as if it's uninteresting. It brings to mind many more questions, since truly, for every piece of information he is getting, it almost feels as if there's ten more to replace it... He's out of sorts in a way that he's honestly not at all used to. ]


Uprooted indeed... [ He responds to that phrase in particular in a way that's almost to himself more than anything, since he finds it to be an understatement. To say nothing of losing his contract with the young master (a point he is very much trying not to dwell on at the moment, lest he lose his temper), it shouldn't be possible for him to be here in the first place. But clearly, such rules no longer apply. He's here without a proper summoning, after all.

That's more the heart of what he wants to ask, but he's also not exactly willing to reveal his nature so casually. So his question is slightly different, though he also expects it to be given an unsatisfying answer. ]


I suppose then I must ask why? Is there a particular reason that we are here?
zauneyete: (wasteful)

iii

[personal profile] zauneyete 2022-07-31 10:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Yeager certainly did choose one of the odder choices to approach. Complete with a dual toned gaze, sour demeanor, and a look of calm disinterest, Silco did, however, look as if he knew what was going on, at the very least. He even dropped his hands from crossed over his chest, and looked him up and down. ]

Well.

That depends on how much you already know. Have you been explained the basics of whom you have signed on with?
snakeandfangs: (pic#15630232)

pleroma

[personal profile] snakeandfangs 2022-07-31 10:09 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he's helping as best as he can. it's the second time that he's been here, but this time toge has the freedom of being attuned to the pleroma. a lot's happened. this is the kind of break that he deserves: to be finally helping those who are in the same position that he was in months ago.

so when the noticeable lump of... person finally does address him as he passes by for the fourth time, toge stops. he turns, walks over, and takes a seat next to her. ]


Konbu.

[ please wait. he has to think about it for a moment or two. though before he gets ahead of himself, he pulls the shard out from below his right collarbone. that way... ]

Anything? Well, I suppose I like pandas.

[ panda would be shocked. 'suppose' would send him into a spiral. better that he speak using his mind instead of give her some wrong assumptions. ]
fallingsand: (70;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2022-07-31 10:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Hopeful wasn't a wrong assumption, even though he felt there wasn't any left at this moment. Bruno was quiet for a moment, turning the thought over in his head as he worked on controlling that endless urge to simply collapse to the stone ground again and weep until something came along to end his suffering.

His family was gone, which meant he desperately wished to be gone, too, but would they agree with that? He balked at pursuing the line of thought further. He knew he would begin crying all over again. He could feel that all too familiar tightness in his chest.
]

How?

[ He asked after that long, silent span of time. There wasn't any real interest or hope in the simple question. It sounded hollow. He hadn't anything to lose by asking but, in that same vein, he wasn't yet sure if he cared to build a world of any kind. ]
cutlery: (too chonk to plonk)

[personal profile] cutlery 2022-07-31 10:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He hadn't quite meant to startle her, though... It's probably a bit unavoidable, all things considered. He at least ducks his head in a light bow of apology, and his eyes stay politely averted, though he's also fairly quick to find a similar means of cover. He may not particularly care for his own state of undress, but he does try and have manners.

Though still, he just sighs heavily in response. It's a bit muted compared to the oddity of the situation, and it's definitely more the sigh he would give in response to discovering that he had been given an (unreasonable) amount of work from Ciel more than anything else. ]


An understatement, perhaps...

[ He'll at least admit it, then shakes his head. ]

My apologies for startling you, Madam. I was hoping perhaps you may know more about this than I.
wolof: (The Girl who (didn't) Climb the Tower)

[personal profile] wolof 2022-07-31 10:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[ She shrugged, and clutched the blanket back against her stomach. She had no idea about the figure, if he was man, naked, or anything else. They all had arrived naked, after all, and most showed a need for modesty. Akua hadn't, but...Akua was Akua, a woman who did not often show shame in any form or fashion.

She laughed, at his question, a bit surprised.
] You are, I'm afraid.

[ She inhaled, then. ] As am I. You will find that there are many...legacies. You have found yourself at the shrine of the Sovereign, as they've found you imbue the traits of one. There are others, such a Visionaries, Innocents, Martyrs... A great many, in fact.

[ A beat, of consideration. ] There is a sovereign of this land, of course, but they are not one of this legacy. We have been brought here, although we know naught by whom -- supposedly, to fight a war.
wolof: (Coy)

[personal profile] wolof 2022-07-31 10:21 pm (UTC)(link)
She doesn't seemed bothered, by the smoke. Mind, there weren't many dragons left where she was from, but Praes did have one of the last dragons as the General of the tenth legion. She only smiled, and nodded. "Mm, then you will be quite lucky. Godsblood has quite the water features," she paused, then.

"You know, I didn't know dragons could swim, let alone liked to," it's said idly, but...

Well, golden eyes peeked out, curiously. She couldn't help herself, from amassing as much knowledge as possible.
undertheweight: (uncertain)

[personal profile] undertheweight 2022-07-31 10:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[He may regret this later. Wrathion allows it, however. If there are questions to be answered, allowing Claude to poke this stone might gain them both the answers they seek.

It's a curious sensation that Wrathion feels as Claude's fingers touch his shard (not that he knows the significance): it is strange, but Wrathion at least trusts Claude a bit, and they do share a Legacy. The dragon tilts his head up and snorts in surprise--surprised he is, but the human didn't seem to appreciate getting blasted with his breath earlier, and Wrathion remembers that much.]


Did you feel that? Is that a thing that's supposed to happen?
undertheweight: (really now?)

[personal profile] undertheweight 2022-07-31 10:28 pm (UTC)(link)
"Humans have a disproportionate way of challenging themselves, I've found." It's a casual observation, but to say it hadn't colored Wrathion's own interactions with most of them was an understatement. He challenged others as a matter of course, but he challenged himself, too.

No one was harder on Wrathion than he was on himself.

"Of course, we could always suggest to them that they could make things easier on newcomers here. They might take it under advisement. Not that I'm certain who the mysterious 'they' are that I speak of. At least, not yet."

Not that that isn't something that he wants to find out. Given time.
rosethorns: (07)

[personal profile] rosethorns 2022-07-31 10:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[She offers a wry turn of her lips.] Well, I don’t much fancy our odds of getting out of here without their help.

[She’d be lying if she said she hadn’t considered it, at least briefly, upon arriving here. The Pleroma have largely been kind to her and thus far haven’t given her any reason to doubt them… yet past experience has made her a tad cynical, to put it mildly.

Either way, Dorothea knows very well the importance of a strategic alliance. Speaking of:]


Quite the turn of events, to find us in league together now, wouldn’t you say?
dragonmount: (🔆 079.)

[personal profile] dragonmount 2022-07-31 10:30 pm (UTC)(link)
I'm sorry.

[ yes, he's been here that long. yes, there are those who have been here longer. and unlike some with the pleroma, he doesn't really think their worlds are still out there either. so he doesn't try offering assurances on that front right now, unsure if they'd ring false in his voice, especially with the next thing she asks him. even more bad news to tell. ]

It's true. [ he exhales. ] They want to destroy everything, including anyone who would get in their way. They've been willing to force people to join them, or to go back with them. Someone even tried to do that to me, when I first woke here.

[ and again recently, come to that. but his point is: this isn't some vague, secondhand knowledge he's offering. ]
cutlery: (now he is drowning in pussy)

[personal profile] cutlery 2022-07-31 10:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[ There's a moment where Sebastian's gaze flickers to Silco's eye, though it is only for a moment, since it's just quite unusual. Nothing more than a glance, and he certainly doesn't speak of it, though he is curious. The only creatures he's met with unusual eyes tended not to be human, after all.

But even so, that curiosity is quickly set aside, since his brow quirks in much clearer interest when Silco indicates that he'd already made his choice. Yet, that's not what Sebastian responds to right away. He ends up directing his gaze back up to the endless sky. ]


Very much so. I have seen nothing like it, so it is quite novel.

[ His tone is warm and genuine, since he really does find it beautiful. Though since he's well aware that he doesn't exactly look completely human at the moment, his voice cools slightly as he's a bit more honest with what he's thinking, though still not completely. ]

I imagine humanity has quite a ways to go before they are able to look up at the sky with such clarity, if ever. So I may as well enjoy the sight for the moment.
undertheweight: (uncertain)

[personal profile] undertheweight 2022-07-31 10:36 pm (UTC)(link)
"You don't need to apologize. I deserved it." Oh, of course his thoughts had likely been elsewhere at the time, what with N'zoth's tendrils attempting to wrap the world in its clutches. As true as that is, Wrathion is aware that he'd been...

Well. He'd been downright callous with throwing Deathwing's demise back in Anduin's face. The Destroyer had deserved nothing more than what he had reaped. What little Wrathion knew of Varian Wrynn indicated that, if rough about the edges, Varian had been a good man. A good father to Anduin, and certainly those assumptions had proven true with the way the young king acted.

Normally. But tensions had been high the day Wrathion had arrived in Stormwind. Even if the specter of an Old One hadn't hung over the city, the loss of a father was not something to be taken lightly. Anduin had loved Varian. It's not as if Wrathion could mourn something he'd never had.

"Let's simply call it a lesson learned and, if it bothers you, we need speak no more of it." Admittedly, Wrathion might like that more, anyway.
coerthantorment: (135)

[personal profile] coerthantorment 2022-07-31 10:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Estinien nods. He wouldn't doubt it - her appearance alone going manage a good deal of intimidating for most.

"Hold back, at first. They may be preparing an assault."

He moves into the tunnel, holding his wings close at first. Unfortunately, though, the general radiance of his appearance mean he doesn't have long until he's noticed. The hail of arrows is almost immediate, showering the mouth of the cave the moment he's seen. He feels them scrape across his legs and pierce his lower wings, but he doesn't stay for long.

Instead, he shoots upwards, much more quickly than could he accomplish by wings alone. It's only from that perspective that he sees them firing what appears to be a ballista. Fearing that the ammunition will fly straight through the mouth of the cave and into his new ward, he targets his dive right on top of it.

The bolt is struck down to the ground before it can reach the cave, exploding in flames beneath him. Fire rises in his throat in the same moment, spit towards the ballista itself. The soldiers aiming it bail out to the sides, rolling in the dirt.
foundheart: (I don’t understand how anyone could look)

i

[personal profile] foundheart 2022-07-31 10:37 pm (UTC)(link)
Oof-

[Sumi stumbles and falls when the boy runs into her, but she's not really mad about it. She sits for a moment to gather herself, shaking her head and offering a sheepish smile]

That's okay, no harm done.

[She pushes herself up and tilts her head, concerned]

Do you need help?
zauneyete: (Shifts Eyes right)

[personal profile] zauneyete 2022-07-31 10:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[ If he had voiced that thought, perhaps, he would have found some kindred spirit in Silco, who more wanted the world to burn in revenge for daring to take away the two things that he would have wanted to preserve, but he didn't so Silco only hummed a note in thought. ]

Well, if we are to remake a world, would that not mean you could prevent others from suffering such a fate?

Perhaps this is a world where families do not need to be separated, or forced apart, or left with one alone, while the rest are destroyed.

[ A wave of his hand. ] It is up to you, to determine how you can make this world better.
ourtomorrow: ([kenzuna] hat)

Ken Ichijouji (& Wormmon) | Digimon Adventure 02 | Seeker

[personal profile] ourtomorrow 2022-07-31 10:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Rebirth ]

Ken-chan!

[ In a cavern, near a forest, there is a bug. That, in and of itself, is nothing unusual.

This bug, however, is about the size of a terrier. And he's crawling over the cracked remains of a split offshoot of crystal, streetching as high as his little nubs can reach, onto the crystal proper. Cracks are forming in its surface, and murkily visible within is a tall young man.

His voice, when he speaks - he is a talking bug - is nasal and worried. ]


Ken-chan, are you okay? Hang on. I'm gonna save you right away.

[ Rearing up, he.....slams his mandibles into the crack along the crystal. Which achieves very little except sending a shiver all the way down his little buggy body and then toppling him over backwards. He rolls, rolls....

Right towards you. ]


[ Rebirth Adventure 02 ]

[ The young man and his many-legged companion are both free of crystal now, and carefully making their way to the cavern's edge. They peer out, the bug climbing up the young man's back until he's propped up on his partner's head. ]

It's big, huh.

It is.

What should we do?

[ A hand goes to the young man's chin. ] Find clothing - perhaps. I don't want to startle anyone we encounter, and the human body needs protection from the elements.

Ken-chan, are you embarrassed to be naked?

....I wouldn't say that.

[ He wouldn't say that, but his cheeks are pink. Someone is trying very hard to keep his mind on the task at hand, but he's also rather Pure. ]

[ Returned (Pleroma) ]

[ Ken is contemplating the available supplies when Wormmon gives a shriek and buries himself against Ken's shoulder. ]

What's wrong?

S-something moved....

Ah.... [ Ken spots a crab, bites back a smile. Carefully, he bends over, retrieves a piece of food, offers it to Wormmon. ]

It's all right. The water's held at bay, and this area seems peaceful. We can catch our breath.

[ Wormmon peeks. ] Really?

Mm.

[ Appeased, Wormmon takes the food and munches it down, with a quick "thank you" for Ken-chan. Ken himself, however, is staring up at the lodestone itself. His expression turns serious, shadowed. Pensive. ]

.....Why.....?
leicesters: academy (142)

[personal profile] leicesters 2022-07-31 11:02 pm (UTC)(link)
[Their empathic connection formed of having the same Legacy means that Claude does, in fact, feel that weird sensation from poking the shard, albeit in a more muted sense than Wrathion does. He's puzzled, scratching his head.]

Yeah, I did feel that. It feels like... it's part of you? I can feel what you just felt, too. Like we're connected...?

[Does it have something to do with that dream, of moving towards the light in the cosmos? He felt like he was connected to everything, there, only to have it torn away before he could fully join it.]

I could try to get it out for you, but I don't know what'll happen.