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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!

fisherwife: (Are we just not gonna talk about)

[personal profile] fisherwife 2022-08-02 04:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Please, just Mipha. I doubt such titles hold any sway here. [If they kidnapped a princess, they probably only care about her title for ransom, so it's not like she could command anything here. But she has a feeling this runs a lot deeper and stranger than that.

She carefully avoids looking at him though, wanting to be polite.
] Do you have any idea what might've happened? I felt like I was dreaming, but I can't remember much.
passio: (pic#12160328)

[personal profile] passio 2022-08-02 04:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Dextera nods again at the assumptive question, and then crouches so he’s a bit closer to the crabs. He sweeps his coat, ever-present despite the heat of summer, to get tucked between his legs. Crabs probably aren’t supposed to eat bread, but it seems quite pleased with the treat nonetheless.

Peering closely at the crab’s face, Dextera pauses before nodding a third time. Either yes, it is fascinating, or yes, it’s fine.

He seems to remember something a moment later, though, and reaches in his coat.
undertheweight: (uncertain)

[personal profile] undertheweight 2022-08-02 05:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Wrathion wants to argue. Trust does not come easy to him for so many reasons--being experimented on within the egg because of the Red Dragonflight's fear, his own father's madness. More than that. Anduin has had his own share of adventure--while Wrathion does not doubt that the young man recalls what happened to him in Pandaria, the dragon doesn't want to throw that in the human's face, either. It seems unwise.

"I know you need that," he rumbles, finally. "I know you deserve it. My trust. But that...is hard for me. And..."

There's a bit of teeth-gnashing. Anduin isn't wrong about Wrathion and his pride. But as the priest said, if they're going to work together here...he can't hide things.

"I'm afraid. I know you need to be yourself, and to shelter you would do you no favors. But I'm afraid of you getting hurt."

Or worse, but Wrathion doesn't even want to speak those words.
snakeandfangs: (pic#15630243)

[personal profile] snakeandfangs 2022-08-02 05:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[ he looks at those ears, how they move with a gentle whisper of the wind. it's incredibly peaceful here despite what's been going on, and he appreciates it. that his voice has been sore from use, and that he wants to quell that inner turmoil as soon as he can.

toge doesn't hide the surprise. unable to touch people? then they are similar. as he's about to say something, the question is asked and he's back to looking instead of 'saying'. those hands are worn. they look rough. that doesn't mean anything bad per se, but...

he holds his own up. they, too, have seen work. not to the same extent as hers. carefully he places palm against hers and... ]


Like normal. Is that good?

[personal profile] scienceandmyth 2022-08-02 05:24 pm (UTC)(link)
They're looking at her! Oh no.

She looks down and takes a deep breath. She's never spoken to a human before. It seems like a bad idea but they did try and help her just now. Right?

"I'm-" Her voice catches. "I'm a mouse."
semicharmed: (just another lips and throat icon)

[personal profile] semicharmed 2022-08-02 05:33 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, ah-- [ As Matt realizes that what's in his head has most likely stayed there. ] You totally may. [ He smiles faintly. ] Casting spells.

It's a little different now, but when my world still existed, using magic used to feel like ... channeling the force at the heart of things. The animating germ of creation, the push and pull that held everything in balance. It felt like taking my place as part of something greater.

[ At one time, Matt might have sounded reverent saying this. Maybe a bit bashful, knowing other people weren't likely to understand. Now, he sounds almost embarrassed, like he's recounting a childhood dream of becoming an astronaut-detective-pro soccer player. ]

It's different now. But that something greater, something I'm meant to be part of ... that's what I feel when I look at all this.
vapour: (Default)

[personal profile] vapour 2022-08-02 05:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Because just like back in Teyvat... we're officially enemies, even if you're still my friend. If I couldn't get you to join the Fatui, there's no way I can get you to join the Kenoma.

[ he avoids the part about where he basically initially joined the Kenoma to keep her protected while she fought off its influence. ]

I'm supposed to bring anyone I find here in the shrines back to the Regent ... [ but obviously he's not going to do that with her. ]
vapour: (pic#15046624)

[personal profile] vapour 2022-08-02 05:44 pm (UTC)(link)
That's right.

[ since he has to bring her in to Acamoth regardless of what she wants, there's no sense hashing the details out about how the Regent's idea of saving the world is by first ending it to start it all over.

He turns his full attention to the Digimon, looking apologetic at his little display of displeasure.
] Sorry, Hawkmon. I've never heard of a Digimon before, but you all sound really special and devoted if you wait so long for your partners. Do you know who they are before you meet them?
bythelight: (3)

[personal profile] bythelight 2022-08-02 05:48 pm (UTC)(link)
Frustrating.

That didn't seem a concern of yours before, he wants to say -- but no. That would not help. Wrathion is making himself vulnerable now, something that is clearly difficult for him.

"Wrathion," he begins gently, "you don't need to protect me. You were there in Pandaria. People didn't think I would survive, but I did. I can handle myself."

He's strong, stronger than people expect -- and he can heal himself. If anything, he should be the one protecting other people. It's better he takes he damage and heals himself, given how sturdy he is. Nobody else should suffer when he can bear it. He's borne pain a long time now, he's used to it.
fallingsand: (17;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2022-08-02 05:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Magic. Bruno recognized what it was immediately by the ethereal air it held, interest piqued. He had never seen magic outside of what the miracle had granted his— Ah, the thought caused another pang of despair as his mind drifted yet again to his family, now gone, but he only grimaced rather than burst into another round of tears. ]

It... no, no, it doesn't sound as ridiculous as you, uh, think.
undertheweight: (suspicious)

[personal profile] undertheweight 2022-08-02 05:51 pm (UTC)(link)
There are those who see the world in stark black and white, and then there are those who see it painted in shades of gray. Wrathion is one of the latter; even as he's looking for an angle. (After all, there'd be one with him, he knew.)

Villainess or not, Wrathion would agree with her on choice. He might like to say he's on the side of the angels, but there's a bit more of his 'father' in him than he's willing to admit. (Less destructive tendencies, however...then again, Wrathion isn't corrupted by the Old Gods, either.)

"I'd say that sometimes, simple is best. Harder to find wiggle room or nuance. Still. Allow me to ask you this. Why did you choose this side, then? What is it, Pleroma? Clearly the ones who want to save the world."

Not that Wrathion isn't sure of his choice, but curiosity burns fiercely inside him.
fallingsand: (37;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2022-08-02 05:54 pm (UTC)(link)
A heavy burden to bear? What, has the dragon heard that amazing diss track, too?

Bruno didn't answer that question right away. Rather, his gaze drifts, away, down, anywhere but looking at Wrathion directly, and that immediate urge to avoid might be enough of an answer all on its own. It was complicated, to say the least, and Bruno wasn't sure how to explain it.

Eventually, he does settle on saying, "Well, yeah, that's. Been a thing. It's... just I tend to see bad things? Mostly? Almost always mostly? People weren't too happy with that but it's gotten better now that folks aren't so scared of me."
ktizo: (🎵 and yet our hope remains)

[personal profile] ktizo 2022-08-02 05:59 pm (UTC)(link)
It feels comforting in a way to be here with someone who knows their way around. Even if he can't seem to speak, he could gain valuable knowledge from him he's sure.

Dextera reaches into his coat though, and Hythlodaeus gives him a curious look. He doesn't speak for a short moment, simply waits for whatever the other man seems to have recalled suddenly. In the meantime, he offers the crab more bread, smiling as it nibbles on the treat.

"Have you been here for very long?" He breaks the silence with another question- as long as the question has a simple yes or no answer it seems fine.
apostolus: (pic#15839918)

why would you be nice to dokja though.....

[personal profile] apostolus 2022-08-02 06:00 pm (UTC)(link)
[ What's wrong with children? Everyone loves kids?? Maybe HSY just needs to check her attitude and outlook on life.

And also check how quickly she immediately launches into things, they're really starting already, huh. Not that it bothers Road, even if it would have been nice to pick at this woman's brain a little more instead of having her own brain picked. But it's fine. She can play this game whichever way it goes.

She leans back a little, lacing her hands behind her back and tilting her head to the right, a look of mock disapproval crossing her face. ]


Uh-uhhh, that's not how the game works. You can only ask questions with a yes or no answer, didn't you know?

[ This poor woman, so clueless when it comes to a basic child's game. That's okay. Road will happily enlighten her. Her disappointment fades, replaced by an eerie smile. ]

Here, I'll give you an example! Do you think all humans should die?

[ uh ]
undertheweight: (I think not!)

[personal profile] undertheweight 2022-08-02 06:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Wrathion actually feels as if, strategically, the lodestone beneath the waves is a fair advantage. Though he won't say that, well aware of his companion's sheer disdain for being underwater.

Though it might be nice if there were a quicker way for those who didn't like the two current options to get to the surface, the dragon muses. Maybe he'd ask around about it.

"I get the impression that Godsblood is a...halfway house? And Greentruth is where the operation is actually directed from. Still, they've given out food. I'm not certain about houses. I...tend to make my own accommodations for that."

A nice rooftop, or maybe a little cave up on one of the mountains. Easy to fly to, and then the locals don't stare at you! Win/win.
apostolus: (pic#15828692)

[personal profile] apostolus 2022-08-02 06:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Yeah? Maybe Atsumu should just accept the fact that humans suck and the world needs to be purged??

And maybe he should be a little (a lot) nicer to a cute girl innocently looking for a bit of company. His immediate refusal of her (honestly very politely worded??) request has her frowning, her petulant expression sinking even deeper onto her face. This is why she doesn't like humans, selfish creatures that they are. ]


I don't see you going anywhere. Hasn't anyone told you you should be nice to little kids?

[ Not that she's a child in anything but appearance, but she's chosen this role for herself for the time being. ]
ktizo: (🎵 stories sown along the way)

[personal profile] ktizo 2022-08-02 06:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Hythlodaeus' eyebrows raise for a moment, before he chuckles.

"A talking mouse. I see!" He's unused to creatures that can talk, but it's certainly not the strangest thing he's been subject to. Though critters can't usually talk where he's from, it's not outside the realm of possibility.

"And what brings you here?" Were they brought here the same way he was? How peculiar.
apostolus: (pic#15839920)

[personal profile] apostolus 2022-08-02 06:19 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Pleroma,Kenoma.....she shuffles these unfamiliar names into her mind and what they represent. If Pleroma is life, then Kenoma....

The curious smile on her face changes to something a little more unsettling. ]


So the Kenoma is death, then? That sounds interesting. [ Hm. Is that something a normal child should be saying. ] And does everyone have to pick one while they're here?

[ Wherever here is. ]
bingos: (kizunahawk3)

[personal profile] bingos 2022-08-02 06:20 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Childe's response earns a look from the young woman. It's only half an answer she expects - Something nudges on not right, but she can't say what. Maybe it's just her knee-jerk reaction to arriving in a new world and not... Objectively, she never wants to fight. Isn't it enough one world wants her to fight?! ]

What does it need saving from?

[ It's an immediate question and short of Hawkmon glancing at his partner for a brief moment, the pair mind Childe's own question. Hawkmon giving a slight nod. ] In a sense. Those of us Digimon who are born with human partners know we are waiting to meet someone. I knew Miyako-san's name before we met and that one day she would relieve me from my slumber. I believe humans call that fate, we were fated partners.
gravings: (036)

[personal profile] gravings 2022-08-02 06:44 pm (UTC)(link)
Hello!! If Raven is still up for grabs, would he like a lil baby in a big cloak to escort him? Gray here probably wouldn't actually try very hard to recruit him from an ideological standpoint because (cough) she's going thru something atm but she'll help him get on his feet and to Achamoth if he seems amenable to it.
cutlery: please do not take! (telling Brits to fuck off,apparently.)

[personal profile] cutlery 2022-08-02 06:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Malleus describing himself as once being a hatchling of all things certainly gets Sebastian to question all the more just what sort of creature he's talking to... He can make guesses, certainly, but there's nothing that matches exactly. But naturally, since Malleus isn't exactly questioning his own eyes and teeth that are a bit out of place, it's only polite to do the same. If you're already quite out of place, there's no need to dwell on the details overly much... ]

None at all...

[ It's said with a sigh and a shake of his head, since even with the odd dreams (or visions...?) that had come before, they don't give him any more of an idea for just who would seek to draw him here. It's a troubling thing. ]

But as they have bypassed such formalities, I can say with certainty that they are hardly inconsequential. [ To say the least, in his case. ]

[personal profile] expiera 2022-08-02 06:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[Ah. Tools will never be discarded so long as there's a use for them, especially rare ones capable of incredible feats. (Is it coincidence or as designed, that it always tends to veer towards one's capacity for destruction?) Sinners have no right to rest anyway, no rest for the wicked as the age-old saying goes.

It won't be quiet, and it won't be peaceful.

She did confess as much, and it's the truth. They just met, hardly know a thing about each other. Will Horos be worse than what Carmine went through before, or better? As much as the question itself is merely splitting semantics, the only insurance about this world and its Pleroma vs Kenoma conflict is that it will continue raging. And as long as there will be war, as long as they must continue fighting...]


Would you like to sit up and get dressed, first?

[The question is soft, quiet. She's... stalling, isn't she. Of all the things... Ciel's hold on the other woman is no less careful, as if she's handling something so fragile it could break without a moment's notice. In a way, it's not far from the truth. She doesn't think about how this may be the first embrace she's willingly given since awakening to these strange lands. She doesn't think about how it's been four or five months she's been here, and all the lies she's been telling others including herself have only continued piling up. She doesn't think of the blood and the resentment she's further accumulated either, a few more drops of it all into the bucket would easily blend in with all the rest anyway.

She is going to lie to this woman. She is going to make her suffer more than she's already had. And filing it under "just Kenoma work" would be nothing more than a shallow excuse: she's fully conscious of her actions, she's doing this out of her own free will.

There's no point thinking too hard about it. Only a few more steps, now. She'll... work harder, stay at Carmine's side once they get back for as long as needed, also fetch Charles and introduce him to her. So that after the Kenoma's essence settles, she can at least go meet the children right away. It's the least that she can do, once the toll of giving in to despair has been fully paid.]
apostolus: (pic#15839920)

i cannot believe misa is the only female lover, i'm not letting this injustice stand

[personal profile] apostolus 2022-08-02 07:12 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Oh! A cute girl.....her favorite type. ♥

It makes Road all the more willing to listen to Misa as she chatters on, the bland curiosity on her face changing into something more genuine, a mirror of Misa's own enthusiam and joy. Maybe it's their shared Legacy connection (not that she's fully aware of such a thing yet) or maybe it's because she's simply delighted to have found someone who looks to be someone she can use easily.

Either way, her responding smile looks genuine enough, her own pleasure radiating through their shared bond. ]


Oh, both my daddy and my uncle Tyki are the handsomest men in the world. [ No bias or anything. ] They're both tall and have black hair and a smile that makes all the girls swoon. [ Speaking of girls.... ] I'm sure they wouldn't mind me talking to another cute girl like you!

[ No cute boys though, those are banned. ]

What's this place like? You must know everything about it, since you've been here so long.
vapour: (Default)

[personal profile] vapour 2022-08-02 07:16 pm (UTC)(link)
Itself. Need to get rid of all the rot and evil in the world, that sort of thing.

[ he says in reply to Miyako, but he's a lot more interested in Hawkmon than he is in her. Granted that may just be him giving her the same amount of attention she's giving him back. ]

That's amazing! You're so cute, too. My little siblings would love to meet someone like you and Miss Miyako. If only Digimon were a thing back in our world, I'm sure this would have them hoping a Digimon partner was out for them, too. [ Childe seems happy, but there is some sense of dismay in his eyes as well, because. . . well, it's a daily struggle to convince himself that his world is still there somehow. All he needs to do is get the Regent what they want and then surely he can return home, right? To his family?

Unfortunately, Digimon don't look like they are capable of being souvenirs, either... which is extra unfortunate because then he could have just maybe taken one back with him somehow.
]

Say... when we get back to Acamoth, can we make a plush version of you so my little siblings will get a chance to see what you look like? It's not as great as seeing the real thing, but...!
gravings: (038)

[personal profile] gravings 2022-08-02 07:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Gray manages to dodge again, retreating a wider step back in an effort to buy herself space. This really is an unprecedented situation; she's never had anyone attack her quite like this, as most people hesitate to punch munchkins (but maybe munchkin-on-munchkin violence is different). She can't blame this on Add though, as she gets the feeling that the knight might try to take him and pulverize him, hurl him into voidspace, or both. Nor does she want to injure or kill this person since there's no telling how that might affect them when they emerge from their crystal.

So......... Gray books it.

She starts running toward the darker side, hoping that the knight's armor will slow them down. All the while Add cackles tinnily, his voice small but piercing enough to punch through the heavy fabric of her cloak. ]