aionmods: (Default)
Aion Mods ([personal profile] aionmods) wrote in [community profile] aionooc2022-07-30 12:18 pm
Entry tags:

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!

lovehate: (😈🖤 77)

[personal profile] lovehate 2022-08-02 03:36 am (UTC)(link)
What I truly want has been stolen. Longevity may actually be the opposite. [ It’s a dark thing to say, but after what’s happened, it’s all that he thinks. He doesn’t expect that any immortal creature, regardless of its element, might understand where he’s coming from with this. That alienation is to be expected, though.

Sirius takes a moment to study Sebastian’s face. It’s an attempt to ascertain his character from it, but the other’s handsome, cat-like smile doesn’t leave a lot to work with. Still, though, there is comfort in the butler’s manner of speaking. The butler speaks as if he knows what lies beyond the next stretch ahead. He implies that he’s now past the few millennia of chaos, able to enjoy something as simply as waiting for something new to happen.

The next question feels a little sudden: ]
What do you think of humans?

[ Does something like Sebastian care about them at all? ]

My apologies to think that you aren’t one, based on your energy and not your form. You’re welcome to ignore me if you’d like.

[ His own manners at play, by fairy nobility. Despite the invitation he extends Sebastian's way to pass on an answer, Sirius is curious. It’s interesting to know that fairies aren't alone in living as humans, or in masking themselves as such. ]
definitelynotalich: (Default)

Vaden Tharys | Elder Scrolls Online | Artisan | Pleroma

[personal profile] definitelynotalich 2022-08-02 03:38 am (UTC)(link)
(OOC: I don't currently have icons for him because Ducky talked me into TDMing him so icons are a problem for later me.)

1. Dreaming - Crossroads
This dream differed from the dreams he normally had. There were none of the great sweeping views of Tamriel, none of the dreams of his band of mercenaries he tended to run with. Instead, there was nothing, not even him. Just this worthless awareness, and then his awareness slowly started to piece together and he grew aware of his person and the path that was starting to form before him and lead him to... somehwere.

He was staring to remember now: he'd finally found a port willing to get him back to his home of Morrowind and he'd managed to finally convince himself to ignore the rocking of the ship and coax himself to sleep. Red eyes with yellow centers turned up to the sky and to look up at all of those stars and galaxies and Vaden had to wonder if he was dead. It made the most sense, didn't it? After everything he'd finally met his end in as something as benign as a ship at sea. He'd always hated sailing. Perhaps Nirn was above, glittering in that jewelbox, missing its wayward son so far from home. Perhaps he was putting more value to himself than he deserved.

And if he wasn't dead, what then? Vaden was aware of the growing feeling in his breast that he wouldn't be finding his way home after all, as much as he wished to be among his people again.

"And where is this that I find myself, I wonder," he mused softly to nobody in particular.
2. Rebirth - Artisan
Vaden finally stirred. At first, it was warm and he enjoyed whatever it was he was wrapped up in. As he grew more aware, however, he realized that he was supposed to be on a ship trying to fend off seasickness - but, no, he knew that wasn't right either, so where was he? He would have to find out once he could find it within himself to even consider moving in this comfortable little prison.

He waited until he had enough strength to struggle and then struggle he did. He had to do this once, twice, three times, before his fingers finally found purchase in the thing containing him and managed to push through. His pale body slid onto the stone below and he had to take a few choking breaths before he gathered himself enough to stand. There was no shame as he stood in this cave - even if there had been others here with him Vaden would not feel a need to cover himself. As it was, however, he was alone at this time and he considered that fact as he gathered his hair up and wrung whatever the liquid was in it out of it and tucked the long strands behind his ears.

Vaden then started to examine the crystal that had held him, then the walls made of grey crystal. Pale fingers ran over the crystals as he examined it, slowly walking around the cavern. It wasn't long before he started to mutter his thoughts aloud.

"What is this? In all of my travels across Tamriel I haven't seen formations like this. It would make beautiful jewelry, and I wonder how well it would enchant?"
3. Returned - Pleroma
Truly this place was beautiful - it reminded him of the absolutely enchanting housing that some called home in Betnikh. The ward that was used to keep the water from falling and flooding the area must have been similar to that of what he'd witnessed in those homes - it created this beautiful dark effect where the outer courtyard was lit by the bioluminescent sea life, though here differed somewhat in that regard. There were no crystal crabs in Betnikh either, just the ordinary mud variety.

Regardless, he was glad to have clothes back on his back and he was glad to have the opportunity to sit and rest a bit. He'd been watching the fish, mostly, but it was only a matter of time before a crab scuttled its way to him and he was gently reaching out to fondly pet the thing. There was a knowledge in his movements as if he knew how crabs liked to be petted, and for a moment his resting bitch face softened (as much as is it could, at least - part of it was literally the shape of his face).

"Even I have to admit that this is rather beautiful. Comfortable, even, despite the modesty of the accomodations." He might be willing to admit to all this just because of the fish and the crabs.
4. Wildcard
(OOC: Feel free to throw whatever at me but if you wanna plot then best place to get me is dicsord coopyey#1337 or I'll periodically check plurk throughout the day [plurk.com profile] coopyey.

For those familiar, I'm playing him as champion of the covenant, my hand was forced into playing him vestige, and he was on his way to do the Morrowind dlc. I'm playing him after the end of faction and Coldharbour story; I'll eventually canon update him after I finish the Morrowind dlc.)
Edited 2022-08-02 03:43 (UTC)
undertheweight: (sly grin)

[personal profile] undertheweight 2022-08-02 03:38 am (UTC)(link)
"It's all right. You just described the green flight perfectly, and...well. I was just surprised?" Also Wrathion is a giant predator and sort of reacted accordingly.

"I'm sorry if I frightened you. I'm more given to yelling, I suppose--though I imagine that would be even less of a good thing. It was odd, that's all."

Wrathion pauses then, tilting his head. "If you do that a lot, I'll take it under advisement. Do you have a reason for that, or is it just an odd quirk of your personality? Either way, you are who you are. I only ask because I'm curious."

The perils of the Legacy he doesn't even know he has, yet...
subsist: (pic#15626284)

[personal profile] subsist 2022-08-02 03:39 am (UTC)(link)
[ even if kaeya knows what the lifestream is supposed to be, he can only shake his head in response. ]

You're far away from everything you used to know.

[ she must have felt it too, right? when their worlds are swallowed up by the void. ]

If you're lost, then... [ he gestures over towards the light. ] That's where you need to go. It's the path you chose last time too.
zauneyete: (Shifts eyes left)

[personal profile] zauneyete 2022-08-02 03:39 am (UTC)(link)
[ He smirked, at the comment. At least he didn't want false platitudes, which was better than what others would have asked for. Some wanted it. The empty reassurances, telling them that everything would be okay, and wasn't that just sad? Silco hated it. He didn't want some pretend promise, it's why -- even though he stopped by each of these shrines -- he didn't dare to hope.

Everything got taken away, after all.
]

Yes, of course it's better than here. It's not Achamoth, but... [ A pause. ] Achamoth is a city, by the way. Just in case you accuse me of not providing enough information again. You'll find that it's warmer than here, some clothing is provided, at least until they're ready to take you to the Citadel.

[ Not mentioned: the distilled Kenoma, that he'll have to drink. Oops. ]
cutlery: please do not take! (wtf m8)

[personal profile] cutlery 2022-08-02 03:43 am (UTC)(link)
[ It’s not what she’s looking for (whatever that may be), but his hands aren’t uninteresting, at least. His dark nails look like a fashion choice at a distance, but up close, there’s no polish on them at all. They simply seem to be as naturally black. But much odder if she’s especially sharp-eyed is that he doesn’t seem to have fingerprints. They’re just completely smooth.

Sebastian doesn’t seem to mind the inspection, since he doesn’t pull his hand away or try and stop her, but he’s only growing more confused with this situation. There’s a moment as his hand is released that he just looks at it like it might somehow reveal the mystery of whatever she was looking for there. ]


Is it? My apol— [ He starts an apology, but it’s also quickly cut off as he stumbles over the syllable in his surprise as he’s suddenly renamed. He had just said it? Surely she didn’t forget that fast? ]

…Sebastian, actually. Though it is a pleasure to meet you, Jinx.

[ also come on he’s way too tall and not feral enough to be a charles!! ]
settingup: (uh-oh running now)

returned 2

[personal profile] settingup 2022-08-02 03:45 am (UTC)(link)
[ There's a lot that Atsumu is still trying to wrap his head around here, but he's also feeling a hell of a lot better than he has for a hot second. With the Kenoma fully settled in nice and cozy inside of him, it no longer feels like he's trying to tear himself apart struggling against it, and the relief of that alone is enough to make him feel energized and springy.

But it's been a pretty recent acceptance on his part, so here's hoping that Raven doesn't expect much in the way of answers from the kid.
]

Nah, I've been here...

[ His brow furrows, and he seems to be debating with himself, two fingers go up, then a third, then a fourth, then he folds one to make it three again...

Ah shit.
]

Heck if I know, but I'm new too. If you wanna know something about this place, I ain't the guy to ask.
horniness: (001.)

[personal profile] horniness 2022-08-02 03:48 am (UTC)(link)
[ Malleus catches a few brief hints of fang as the other speaks, enough to make him reevaluate whether or not this really is a human standing across from him or some beast-hybrid. He may even be part fae, yet Malleus is sure he would have sensed it if that were true.

At the very least, he's responding politely rather than scampering away at Malleus' form and stature, which never stops being a refreshing surprise. Malleus had grown so accustomed to no one outside his dorm even wanting to entertain polite conversation with him. ]


An apology is not necessary when I arrived in the same estate, as has everyone else I've encountered among these shrines. Truthfully, I would have never thought I would revisit my time as a hatchling... It was quite peculiar.

[ And it would certainly be a lot less jarring if he hadn't been riddled with terrible nightmares and stripped of his powers at the same time. ]

I also would have expected a written or oral invite weeks prior, as is customary, but our hosts have bypassed all normal formalities. Have you any knowledge of their whereabouts?
ricordi: (015)

[personal profile] ricordi 2022-08-02 03:48 am (UTC)(link)
That is... [well, sleep is meant to have dreams, to ensure brain activity while inert, and also allow the brain to file memories correctly. many moondwellers just don't remember their dreams because they're not important.

he has to wonder if it's true for non-moondwellers, and cassius quickly amends his statement before he says facts that would apply to himself, but not to others.]


An understandable sentiment, I suppose.

The dream was nonsensical. Fascinating, but nonsensical and I still do not know what to think about it other than that.
arcaneward: (aerith-0878)

[personal profile] arcaneward 2022-08-02 03:50 am (UTC)(link)
[ That, out of anything, brings a real smile to her face. Good. She's with like minded people who won't give up on this; if she can save someone else her fate, more the better. ]

Then count me in. I'm not going to let anyone suffer if they don't have to. Even if my world is gone, [ and she hopes it isn't, really, hopes that somehow she can get it back ] it doesn't make it right to just... take other people's away too!
zauneyete: (Get the point across)

[personal profile] zauneyete 2022-08-02 03:51 am (UTC)(link)
Hm, yes. Doors are a much more convenient form of travel.

[ He seems unphased by her statement, and whether it's because he's also used to traveling between universes (he isn't) or if it's because he's incredibly used to rolling with cryptic statements as if they were serious; it doesn't matter. He simply took it as it was, and moved on, with a tip of his head, and a smirk. ]

Well, it's a realm. [ Kind? Silco's been to Runeterra, and here, that's it. ] I'm not sure if I could classify it as anything, but Horos is... the sort of place that has been pulling people into it through the... crystal you just burst from.

A demanding realm, if I had to call it anything.
kablams: (052.)

[personal profile] kablams 2022-08-02 03:53 am (UTC)(link)
[ she doesn't get it. she doesn't understand, gone. what does he mean? is he talking about the dream? he can't be; it was a dream. that's that. her dreams are always vivid and maybe, just maybe, they sometimes bleed into reality - but she can tell the difference, can't she? yes, she can tell. (sometimes.)

but looking into Silco's face, it's never more obvious that he isn't lying to her. he wouldn't. not about something as precious to him as his nation of Zaun, as the future he had been striving for long before that night and the fire and the feeling she'd compare to drowning thanks to a certain someone's influence.

the implications of all of this (--Vi?) will come later (--can't be true. what does he mean, gone? of course they're gone. she's always been GONE. everyone leaves, everything goes, everyone always--)

the brief distance in her eyes jarringly refocuses as he speaks again-- ]


Where are we... [ a hesitation, a twist of her eyes past him into the shrine. ] ...where are we going?

[ she's out of it. understandably so, after hatching from a crystal cocoon, naked and shivering and feeling like she just woke up for the first time in a week; there's a wobble in her voice that speaks to uncertainty. she doesn't like this, but who would? she's frightened. none of this makes sense. she doesn't like when nothing makes sense. she doesn't like everything being upside down and topsy turvy when she didn't make it that way herself.

so she looks to him to guidance, to follow his lead. Silco knows what to do; Silco knows what's going on. he'll tell her, and while it isn't always a guarantee -- this time, she's pretty much assured to listen. ]
Edited (i can do words real good, look) 2022-08-02 03:53 (UTC)
wolof: I craved the taste of it (A poison so sweet)

[personal profile] wolof 2022-08-02 03:55 am (UTC)(link)
[ Her eyes half-close, and she wonders, for just a moment, if she could see the weight of it. It doesn't sound like a name, but a title. Something about it, the cadence, something makes her wish she could see the pattern and network of stories like Catherine had been able to.

Perhaps she would, but here, in this strange land, she cannot. She can only hear the words, and guess, so she does not voice the question.
]

Every few months. I arrived just three months ago, myself, and the others were only a few prior to that. There's not even been enough for there to be an established pattern. [ A roll of her shoulders, an implied shrug. ] As far as I know, you're a part of the third wave, and prior to that, the crystals were dormant for a great deal of time.
stellium: (pic#15846750)

[personal profile] stellium 2022-08-02 03:56 am (UTC)(link)
( lumine takes a moment. takes a longer moment. )

Is that-- could it be? ( a gasp, before-- ) No, that must have been a flash of light instead.
superbshot: <user name=malagraphic> (Worry)

[personal profile] superbshot 2022-08-02 03:58 am (UTC)(link)
Quite alright. These are trying times.

[Releasing the hand, she waves off the apology and sets aside her notepad, giving Dorothea her full attention.]

That is unfortunate, and you have my sympathy, Dorothea. War is...unpleasant. Yet, in this instance, I'm sure you've gathered that it is out of necessity.

[As the enemy has designs against all reality.]

I fear I cannot really offer much solace, but I can offer tea and explain our situation, so you are able to make an informed choice.
settingup: (i'm running and i'm just enough)

Kenoma

[personal profile] settingup 2022-08-02 04:00 am (UTC)(link)
[ Atsumu's own journey with the Kenoma had not been nearly so volatile, though it had also not happened to quickly either. He "hatched" quickly, been taken to the lodestone early, and been struggling for some time after an older timer Kenoma had decided to introduce him to the goop personally.

Theoretically he's had more time to get used to the idea of being in another world where things like teleportation and crystal birthing are common enough occurrences, but considering he's spent most of that time curled up in a small, miserable little ball as he spiraled? He really, really isn't prepared for a man with fairy wings to blast them out, taking out a guy with them, and pop out some new ones just like that.

He's stupefied as he watches Sirius approach the tablets (and incidentally Atsumu himself), and just as shocked into momentary silence as the guy decides to give him a friendly little greeting face touch.

What in the world...?
]

Huh?

[ It should be obvious enough. Sirius is talking about the Kenoma, but give Atsumu a moment. He's not used to people with wings. ]
superbshot: (Softer)

[personal profile] superbshot 2022-08-02 04:01 am (UTC)(link)
Of course.

[She's already holding up a loaf of bread.]

It's not much, but it is filling.

[A smile.]

I'm Caitlyn Kiramman. What are your names?
subsist: (pic#15626275)

[personal profile] subsist 2022-08-02 04:03 am (UTC)(link)
Then, are you craving anything in particular?

[ he'd likely be able to charm the cooks into preparing something specific, but it really depends on what cassius wants. ]

And is that so? That's rather useful... Don't let me hold you up, then. You should rest.
wolof: (The Girl who (didn't) Climb the Tower)

[personal profile] wolof 2022-08-02 04:07 am (UTC)(link)
Ah, and there it was, the question. Akua nodded, almost a touch serene in the way her head moved. She is not a kind woman by trade or by part, but sometimes, even she knew that the flat truth was better than stumbling in the dark.

She may be a Villainess, after all, but that didn't mean that she didn't want the lot of them to make their choices. After all, if one isn't given the opportunity to choose with knowledge, is it even an opportunity after all -- a choice?

"Ah, of course. Some of the lot of them are...overzealous at best, and at worse... Well, they often rush in, and don't explain anything, and leave us newcomers to put the pieces together later. You're on Horos, a world where there are Aions -- that's us -- you'll find that with time your power will begin to grow.

The choice that you have to make, is whether you believe this world -- and possibly all other worlds -- can be saved, and improved -- or if you think it should be...laid barren, burned, and reborn from the ashes of their destruction.

Mind, I am simplifying it a bit.
horniness: (022.)

[personal profile] horniness 2022-08-02 04:07 am (UTC)(link)
[ He cants his head to one side to scrutinize the creature before him with greater care. There is little about him that doesn't read as human (Malleus is far from an expert on humans, so he's the last person who should be making this judgment call), but his skin is excessively pale... almost like those who occupy the Island of Woe. ]

What manner of being are you then? A shapeshifter? Or is this the result of illusory magic?

[ How did this creature keep his magic intact when Malleus lost his own? As much as he'd like to prod him to feel what's under the illusion, that would be terribly rude and might frighten the other off. ]
heavybreaths: (Sitting)

[personal profile] heavybreaths 2022-08-02 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
I see.

[A three month pattern? How strange. The way that she says it makes it seem as though that has been a significant period of time between the hatchings as well. Vader's head dips slightly as he thinks on some of his past experiences, but this situation is almost entirely new. He's awakened into some strange circumstances in the past, but this is new.]

...What do you know of dreams, Akua? I experienced an unusual one...immediately prior to awakening here. Of dark and light.

[He had thought that just a strange ripple in the Force, but the strangers there had stood out in ways dreamwalkers in the Force rarely did.]
settingup: (the greatest alive)

returned

[personal profile] settingup 2022-08-02 04:13 am (UTC)(link)
[ Bruno's not the only one who has been having a rough, drawn out go of this one. Atsumu is fine on the whole wanting to continue existing front, but he doesn't have nearly the same level of existential dread to contend with in his young life. There's no prophecies haunting him or the people he cares about from a young age, no hiding in the walls of his own house to not be a burden on his loved ones.

No, he's honestly pretty fine forcing the people around him to deal with him exactly as he is.

But he had the same vision of his world being destroyed, and he's being ripped through by the same oppressive force that wants him to embrace some form of oblivion too, and that's not been an easy thing to be consumed by for days now.

That's all to say that Atsumu is a little on edge at the moment, and the increased empathetic connection that the Kenoma brings with it means he's been feeling Bruno blasting him with misery and self-loathing, and he finally snaps.

From his own spot against the wall he twists his head towards the suffering man, yelling with a lot more oomph than you'd expected from a guy who'd barely slept or eaten in roughly three days.
]

Knock it off already!!
arcaneward: (aerith-0584)

[personal profile] arcaneward 2022-08-02 04:16 am (UTC)(link)
[ Her scream is both fear and surprise, and she scrambles back as Estinien lets loose, eyes wide, modesty out the window. It's not too far away — but far enough out of the way of Estinien's fire, and far enough that she's closer to Amos than she might like, if she were paying attention.

What are you?

The question dies on her lips — she is, at least, smart enough to know that now is not the time to ask, even if she's never seen anything like it before. Not even Angeal's copy—

No, it's not the time for that, either.

She finally looks at her surroundings, watching Amos. Instead of Estinien, she turns a much more prudent question to him: ]


Why are you here!?
chronosynthesis: (❖ Time Sink)

You're good!

[personal profile] chronosynthesis 2022-08-02 04:23 am (UTC)(link)
You've got the right of it. [Bare nakedness aside, this area isn't secure. What a relief she's more than clever to realize that on her own.] We--

[He stops abruptly, cut off by the sound of Misa's voice. As she goes on, he slowly finds movement again, lowering his hand with the amulet cradles in it.

He turns, to partially look over his shoulder. One of Vaeka's guards, of course.]
That's optimistic, given this is contested territory. You expect to wait for soldiers to crowd the shrine?
ricordi: (012)

[personal profile] ricordi 2022-08-02 04:24 am (UTC)(link)
[such a dangerous thing to say to cassius, who enjoys food so much that many think he should be watched carefully so he doesn't hurt himself over it.]

What is the food? [even if he knows that he should rest now, in order to get to his meal quicker, he can't help it.]