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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!

fallingsand: (17;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2022-08-01 02:15 am (UTC)(link)
[ Bruno gives a slight jump, startled, and whirls around to see just who's there, answering him. He hadn't exactly expected that. ]

Uh, well. I've seen lots of things die. I mean, I've seen the actual death of. The sun? I think? But I never thought... [ He'd be here, watching so many blink out one by one, so abruptly. ] Of course. Why wouldn't it frighten me? We're, um. Everything alive strives to survive, right? As long as they can?
scythegun: (DISMISSIVE ⇝)

[personal profile] scythegun 2022-08-01 02:17 am (UTC)(link)
Hmm. Well, I thought it best not to waste my time trying to fight!

[Maybe he's the weird one, though... Oh well. It's too late to second guess it now.]

Oh no, it makes sense that you'd be interested in it, then! But if you're really worried about it, you can tell me about this church of yours as an apology.
bloomforyou: (💎22)

[personal profile] bloomforyou 2022-08-01 02:17 am (UTC)(link)
It?

[ ranmaru echoes her, though the vague object means something to him as well. he’s sure that she’s been fighting her own battles, as humans do, but they’re probably thinking of different things as the darkness around them seems to both go on forever and press down on them whenever they stop to think. ]

What are you running from?

[ he doesn’t sound as if he’s accusing her; they’re all running from something in their dreams. they’re allowed to. the emphasis of the question is sympathetic—ranmaru is trying to escape something, too. ]
youngprodigy: (∄ in the schoolyard)

[personal profile] youngprodigy 2022-08-01 02:19 am (UTC)(link)
I... yes, they do.

[It's said honestly.]

I prefer to defend, rather than fight.

[Despite being absurdly muscular, he really isn't all that strong of a fighter. Certainly, he can, but it's never been a strong desire of his.]

Though I'm certain you'll remain unnoticed for a time, it isn't entirely safe here, all the same. Even for someone such as you.
dendritic: (i'm all i want to be)

i'm sorry.

[personal profile] dendritic 2022-08-01 02:19 am (UTC)(link)
[ suspicion is still painting her face, and she's quiet for a moment, listening to him. "acamoth" sounds like it's some kind of important place, but the idea of being taken anywhere at all... ]

Hey, firecrotch. You talk a lot, but none of it's actually making your real point. If you don't get to it soon, I'll rot. Gonna leave you here with a stinky corpse. Sound good?

[ or maybe she isn't listening. he's not wrong, though: she felt it, hated it, and rebelled against it. she always had, always will, and her one eye blinks up at him. for all the vitriol she spits, the way she holds onto the crystal like a lifeline— she's listening. ]
vivificantem: (086.  master grant that i may never seek)

[personal profile] vivificantem 2022-08-01 02:24 am (UTC)(link)
[Oh! Uh.]

It's called Our Dark Regent's Church of the Precious Blood. They believe in sacrifice as a means to bring themselves closer to the Kenoma, and to purify themselves spiritually. Its centered around the notion of loss and death having meaning brought to it through the Kenoma itself.

[And as though he knows what sort of impression he's putting forth...]

It's...one of those places that's not for the faint of heart, let's put it that way.

[...He just goes ahead and confirms it because he doesn't seem to see anything wrong with that.]
wolof: (Always Red and Hearts)

[personal profile] wolof 2022-08-01 02:27 am (UTC)(link)
[ A simple question, and one she can answer, although she smiled, when he asked it. ]

Quite the question. I, for one, think the world still may be wrought into something useful yet.

[ She speaks as if she wants control over the path of it -- then again, she is a sovereign. ]

I joined the Pleroma, but I'm afraid that I have not found it an easy path.
scythegun: (KNIFECAT ⇝)

[personal profile] scythegun 2022-08-01 02:28 am (UTC)(link)
[Did. Did you just confirm that your church sacrifices people. Incredible, what is wrong with everyone here.]

My, it sounds like quite the interesting experience! How did you manage to land a position like that?

[Perhaps unsurprisingly, he doesn't seem even slightly bothered by that and if anything, that seems to have caught his interest. More because that's the most fucked up thing he's ever heard rather than Yeager being interested in human sacrifice for the Kenoma.]
fallingsand: (33;)

returned

[personal profile] fallingsand 2022-08-01 02:29 am (UTC)(link)
[ Bruno has yet to accept the Kenoma, leaving him weak and jittery, but he's pried himself up off the corner he'd been drowning in despair over in long enough to go for a walk around the hall. Stay active, think of something else, anything else, anything besides the whispers reminding him how he's failed his family, over and over— ]

Wh?

[ Road's voice cuts through the abject misery he's projecting and pulls his attention up off the floor directly in front of his feet to her instead. He stares, confused, for all of three seconds before blinking and straightening up. A kid? They would leave a kid down here? For a split second, he feels the cold dread of this happening to any of his nieces or nephews and... no. No, don't dwell on it, Bruno.

He takes a moment to wipe the black ooze from his eyes before answering.
]

I. Yeah? O-okay? What. What do you want to play?
vapour: (pic#15074390)

[personal profile] vapour 2022-08-01 02:30 am (UTC)(link)
[ Childe did come here looking for Lumine, but in no way had he ever imagined a scenario where he'd actually end up finding her. With Himeka unable to do it, he felt he owed it to himself and the Warrior of Light to look for her.

Taking a deep breath, Childe sighs. He's not surprised she doesn't remember, neither did Aerith. What the hell is going on? To avoid it being awkward, he lets it go in favor of letting go of her to go get her a towel from his small pack of stuff he brought. Shaking it out of its folds, he puts it to her head and ruffles get hair a little bit otherwise leaves it to her to clean off.
]

Yeaaaah, hm, I definitely don't have that kind of ability.

Anyway, I brought you some clothes after you dry off, but hopefully you can get a nice bath when you get back to your friends and something better. Even if you don't remember them, there are people who missed you and have been worried.
youngprodigy: (∉ ‘cause i got)

[personal profile] youngprodigy 2022-08-01 02:31 am (UTC)(link)
[The way he straightens up, staring at Paul with what can only be described as anger. He's not in a hurry to attack the man, but it's obvious the last time they spoke was the final time Cid was willing to avoid a confrontation.]

You can't honestly expect me to stand down.

[It is simply no longer an option.]
lachtara: (Finality)

[personal profile] lachtara 2022-08-01 02:33 am (UTC)(link)
Ah, yes. Left to the elements as nature reclaims them. Rotting, festering, slowly picked apart piece by piece until naught but dust remains.

[ He looks to her. Is that what the world had done? Caused her to fester from the inside? ]
scythegun: (KNIFECAT ⇝)

[personal profile] scythegun 2022-08-01 02:37 am (UTC)(link)
[Ooh, now that is the guy from Team Evil. Shame about his presence, Yeager was totally willing to buy it until he opened his mouth.]

Don't let me interrupt you two~

[So yeah, he's not participating, you kids have a good fight!!]
lifespanned: (pic#14152033)

[personal profile] lifespanned 2022-08-01 02:39 am (UTC)(link)
[ While she really feels like continuing to get annoyed and start acting petty, maybe even make him ask nicely for an answer.... she restrains herself, pulling her arm back to herself with a tightening of her lips. There'll be no use in getting into it with a new arrival, especially when she's supposed to be getting them to come to their side. ]

...The Regent. They're the most powerful being on this planet, okay? They brought us all here. There are a lot of us like you, who have hatched from those things.

[ She looks to him for some sign of recognition, before continuing. ]

Now it's my turn to ask something: what do you remember from that vision you had?
regressor: (FURROW)

[personal profile] regressor 2022-08-01 02:39 am (UTC)(link)
[That's what it feels like. What it had felt like, when she stood at the fence around the perimeter of Hell's Gate and tried to answer it's call, hoping that she might be strong enough to answer it's call while still remaining herself... the herself of only five years, the part that still remained somewhat human. The abyss of darkness, a night sky full of false stars, and something distant and consuming reaching out to her.

Within it... there was only the cold, rational motions of a Contractor. Even if she had moved through her years as a Regressor slow and awkward... the idea of giving up those tiny, precious moments, those hints of caring and wanting and feeling something warm flickering to life...

Is that what a soul was? This man asks, and all she can think to say is-]


I don't think... I have one...

[She has heard "soulless" used to describe her more than once, whether it was someone clutching the body of a dead loved one or the government handlers who'd once issued her orders.

Did Contractors, who did not dream and did not feel and did not care for anything but their own life... did they have any more of a soul than a Doll did? If she did...]
dendritic: (no second billing 'cause you're a star n)

[personal profile] dendritic 2022-08-01 02:40 am (UTC)(link)
[ he is, for the record, correct. that is precisely what the world did to zero, but she merely glances over at him from the corner of her eye, barely showing the recognition. still, it's an in. ]

Yyyyyep.

[ if she sounds like she's not listening, it doesn't count. ]
arcaneward: (ANf3Wgz)

[personal profile] arcaneward 2022-08-01 02:43 am (UTC)(link)
[ She smiles a little, more bemused than anything else. ]

No, not really. I was just wondering... isn't it uncomfortable to lie there?
vivificantem: (048. the lord's my shepherd;)

[personal profile] vivificantem 2022-08-01 02:44 am (UTC)(link)
[In fairness, it's not like it's a secret. You could ask literally anyone here what Paul's church does and they would tell you the sorts of things that go on there; he willingly participates in carrying out the worst of it himself. He's a bit beyond shame regarding that.]

They were rather excited to have someone like me in charge; they consider it a great honor having an Aion leading them. The people here practically worship us as it is.

[So, yeah.]
vapour: (pic#15103298)

never be sorry

[personal profile] vapour 2022-08-01 02:48 am (UTC)(link)
Oh ho! At least take me out to dinner before you start referring to me over what's between my legs~. [ it's clear Childe's teasing what with how he can't help but laugh at the nickname even if it's not exactly the most endearing thing he's ever been called. Still, he guesses he can be straight to the point, if that's what she wants. ]

Yeah, all right. So, we've been brought here to fight a war for the fate of this world called Horos. Both sides want the same thing, but have different ideas how they want to do it. Either protect this place as it is, or destroy it to cleanse it of sin and start a cycle of rebirth.

Normally, I'd let you pick. I can't do that, anymore, though, so if you want to play for the other side you're gonna have to defect on your own later.

Not picking a side means you become a sitting duck for both sides to chase after, meaning you'll just prolong the inevitable and gain nothing for your efforts. If you had any abilities that allowed you to handle yourself or take on more than an average human, they're gone until you align with one side or the other.

If you come with me, you can get a place to sleep, all you can eat, and not worry about any of that shit. You'll hate it if you aren't okay with ending this world, but it's definitely the best way to go about dealing with this place.
vivificantem: (075. will surely follow me)

[personal profile] vivificantem 2022-08-01 02:48 am (UTC)(link)
[Based on first impressions alone, he is here solely because he needs a win for the Kenoma, otherwise he would not bother with this one, goddamn.

That said, he's willing to approach, just to see if Cid draws on him or if it's going to be yet another softballed interaction.]


I guess that depends. Are you going to stab me this time?
onelifeforlove: (04.)

[personal profile] onelifeforlove 2022-08-01 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
[Her gaze darts. Nervous.]

What do they fight over? There is nothing here. There are no kits, not enough space to be territory.
cutlery: (hands turned into a fine slurry anxiety)

2b and i am delighted to see a mordred!!

[personal profile] cutlery 2022-08-01 02:51 am (UTC)(link)
[ Sebastian is doing... Not much of anything, actually. Accepting the ichor had been quite easy for him, so he's been taking more interest in watching the proceedings of others doing the same. As far as he's concerned, that's keeping him busy enough, so naturally, being spoken to draws out a look of gentle surprise first and foremost.

...Though the suggestion quickly gets it to flatten. ]


I beg your pardon? [ His accent and manners are extremely polite and formal, which probably makes it not at all surprising that he's a big nerd that's not excited for random destruction. ] Why in the world would breaking anything help?
blackhand: ([not a grave-robber] Wʜᴀᴛ Hᴇ)

2b

[personal profile] blackhand 2022-08-01 02:52 am (UTC)(link)
[The one she finds, of course, is an isolated and rather stingy master thief who definitely does not seem to want company. He's clearly pulled away from the rest of the group, choosing instead to be a people watcher rather than be rambunctious and loud and assuredly annoying.

Unfortunately for him, Mordred has other plans, and as she finishes her statement, his brow shoots right up. Garrett doesn't even bother to look at her as he replies, eyes still focused elsewhere.]


Last I checked, I wasn't wearing a sign that said "pester me." [Get lost is what he means, but he's not about to be so straightforward about it if he can use sass instead.]
zauneyete: (Shifts Eyes right)

[personal profile] zauneyete 2022-08-01 02:52 am (UTC)(link)
Ah. You asked no questions before then, hm?

[ Well, it's not like many of them had been given the opportunity, but... ]

Very well, you find yourself at the Lodestone of the Kenoma, and you have escaped the clutches of the Pleroma. [ He sounds bored, and one eye is half-lidded, as he appraised the man in front of him -- the other, of course, never closes or even has an eyelid -- and he waved at the place, where others were going through their transitions. ]

What you have consumed is that of the Kenoma, and what we have promised is... [ How to make this sound nicer than 'the destruction of everything'? ] The promise of taking all that you saw, and making something better from it.
settingup: (i'm running and i'm just enough)

[personal profile] settingup 2022-08-01 02:55 am (UTC)(link)
[ Stop judging him for that! He didn't ask to be naked!

But wait wait wait--
]

Hold on! You had that weird world dream too? Didja also see that creepy void out in space or whatever that was?!

[ He doesn't know a lot about drugs... in fact, he knows next to nothing about drugs, but he's fairly certainly they don't give you shared hallucinations.

Unless she's part of his trip.
]