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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!

settingup: (running out of breath but i)

[personal profile] settingup 2022-08-03 03:38 am (UTC)(link)
[ Huh...?

HUH?

Atsumu stares at Gen for several long seconds, before turning his attention to the shard he'd just tossed around in a very cavalier manner a moment prior. One can almost see the nervous sweat break out across his skin as he drops to the floor, so he can shove the hand holding the shard under his robe (modesty to keep himself from just pulling the whole thing up in front of everyone), and slap that bad boy back where it belongs.

Right over his solar plexus, where it definitely was this entire time, because the player definitely hasn't been doing a reading refresher after putting up a top level, and remembering some details of how things worked that were previously forgotten.

Definitely not. Haha... ha...

Look, the awkward and embarrassed fourth wall breaking mood here fits Atsumu's own though, as he clears his throat while climbing back to his feet, trying to look like that didn't just happen.

Maybe he should have just dropped the shard and died, to spare himself this humiliation.
]
regression: (pic#15851293)

[personal profile] regression 2022-08-03 03:38 am (UTC)(link)
[ What if you bleed words...? Anyway, he frowns deeply and looks for any other symptoms aside from the black... Blood? He suspects that it must be the same substance as what was in the vial. There are concerns about the reinforcements, but he points this out first. ]

You're sweating.

[ When originally Yoojin He says that in a tone that spells out "that isn't a good sign." Joonghyuk isn't as worried about reinforcements at first until the cultists make it clear it is to bind him. In an instant, he grabs the cultist by the neck and tries to hold them up above the ground.

... In this state, he cannot. Watch him struggle.
]
wavetrain: <user name=animatedwings site=twitter.com> (Default)

[personal profile] wavetrain 2022-08-03 03:39 am (UTC)(link)
[ooc: of course!!!]

Tsunami is a far less mystical entity whose senses encompass only the traditional five, and so when this young man speaks to her she doesn't see anything else. The fact that he's able to speak at all is still the strangest thing about this, in her opinion, but that's also nothing new at this point... At least he has a tail. It makes it a bit less weird.

She tilts her head, taking a quick glance around herself.

"Haahh... I still can't tell who's new or not." She gives him a wry smile. "I'll be honest, I was kinda hoping you might be one of the ones who knows what's going on."
semicharmed: (098)

[personal profile] semicharmed 2022-08-03 03:40 am (UTC)(link)
[ Matt would LOSE HIS MIND if he knew Sebastian had met Agni??? In the meantime, though, he says: ] Are the things you're talking about more like innate abilities?

[ There's a difference, at least in his world, so the potential distinction makes perfect sense to him. ]

For me, it's always been pretty flexible. Finding lost objects, purifying water sources, creating protective shields and wards ... turning invisible. I mean, it's a whole range. And since I got here, certain things have come easier to me.

[ He glances down to the stump at the end of his left arm. He's not sure what he expects to see, even out here--shadowy versions of his absent fingers? Bolts of dark lightning? ]
horniness: (079.)

[personal profile] horniness 2022-08-03 03:42 am (UTC)(link)
[ At least, Malleus is reassured that he didn't accidentally miss some important meeting discussing this impromptu field trip, and this whole ordeal really had been arranged without his permission.

In short, yes, they've likely been kidnapped. To where–? He can't immediately place his surroundings, having come across nothing in his studies that would amount to several crystallized caverns and shrines. If he at least knew who orchestrated this, he'd demand answers or at least share his thoughts on being whisked away from his dorm while he had other matters to attend to for the day.

In the meantime, he fixes his attention back on the only other captive present with him at the moment, hit once more with curiosity at both him and this situation. ]


What world did you come from prior to this one? Certainly, you are no student of Night Raven College, although there are those whose indolence has caused them to be held back several years past their original graduation date.
uproared: (it's time to forget the mistakes)

[personal profile] uproared 2022-08-03 03:43 am (UTC)(link)
This gaudy thing?

[ She turns the amulet over in her hands, tapping at it with a blunt fingernail, before shrugging. ]

Someone with no patience for fools. You're armed, so clearly, this land isn't a peaceful one. That means I'll have no trouble carving out a place for myself.
kablams: (053.)

[personal profile] kablams 2022-08-03 03:43 am (UTC)(link)
Stay here? Stay here? Are you kidding me??

[ as if he had just told her to go and paint her nails while daddy goes and deals with the crazy flaming sword guy, she's taking an indignant step closer as the normal, un-flaming blade is drawn. Silco doesn't do his own dirty work. it isn't that he can't. it's that he shouldn't have to.

this is what Jinx, and Sevika, and like, a bunch of incredibly stupid and usually really fucked up goons are for.

guess they don't have any of those on hand, and guess Jinx just hatched out of a crystal cocoon which, admittedly, isn't her average Tuesday last she checked, but this is still ridiculous, right? is anyone seeing this? (--no? no, of COURSE she isn't going to let him handle this. he isn't-- undermining her. he doesn't think she can't do it, he's just... he's protecting her. he said it himself, she was shaking it off, she's--) ]


Hey! Fire stick boy.

[ Jinx, leaning up and over Silco's left shoulder to gesture past him for Rand in the distance, points toward the sword. ]

Fair's fair, we get one of those too or you forfeit. C'mon, fork it over!
pyojeol: (pic#15850898)

[personal profile] pyojeol 2022-08-03 03:44 am (UTC)(link)
[Sooyoung whips her head up, a flash of indignation mixed with surprise crossing her face -- mostly at the fact that she was surprised in the first place, that she let herself get surprised.

she's never been this sloppy. that's the whole point of grinding, isn't it? so that you're stronger than normal, more alert and fast. maybe she let herself get too distracted, it's that and the absence of all her usual skills, but whatever the reason --

she's still here sticking her arms in goo while a guy with horns is looking down at her.

she glowers up at him.]


Yeah, I can see that. [she shifts, standing up from her crouch. unfortunately, she's 5'2'', so whatever height she gains is probably inconsequential.

still, it's the thought that counts]
Were you just watching this entire time, or did you know that I wouldn't find anything?
regression: (pic#15851287)

[personal profile] regression 2022-08-03 03:47 am (UTC)(link)
[ We are not walking fast. He allows her to walk beside him, though it might have been different years ago. They didn't always get along, but over time they had to, at least to an extent.

Though he hasn't looked at her once during this walk, he can feel her beady eyes on him from time to rime.
]

I'm not going anywhere.

[ Yet. Unfortunately, he goes rogue without warning sometimes, but his word should be trusted unlike someone they both know. Ugh. They really do have to pick, do they? He pauses. ]

You don't think it's a trick?

[ sometimes you overcomplicate a simple puzzle? ]
uproared: (don't spend so much time plotting)

[personal profile] uproared 2022-08-03 03:48 am (UTC)(link)
[ At first, she seems ready to dismiss Sebastian an overly uptight sort... but then she sits up excitedly, the pain in her foot temporarily forgotten. ]

Hah! You're not so uptight after all!

If they don't let us outta here soon, we can just bust out. Serves 'em right for this shitty welcome.
definitelynotalich: (Default)

[personal profile] definitelynotalich 2022-08-03 03:48 am (UTC)(link)
The voice broke his train of thought and he already knew that he was not going to like this next interaction. When he did turn to look at who would dare talk to him in such a manner he admittedly did not expect this squirt. Seriously: where were this kid's parents? Especially with the complete lack of manners this kid had - they were going to get into some serious trouble one of these days.

"I look like more than you, child," he hissed back. His hackles were thoroughly raised - though that was never particularly hard to achieve. When her scorn seemed to dissolve into disappointment he almost seemed to grow smug in it, though his voice still retained a sharp bite to it.

"And how am I to believe that you are not trying to fill my head with lies? Moreover, I don't take orders from a child. If you're part of some regiment and meant to be some welcome committee, then surely your commander is not far. Bring me your commander so the adults may speak."
horniness: (064.)

[personal profile] horniness 2022-08-03 03:53 am (UTC)(link)
It would only be strategically sound for it to be so.

[ There are those who would hunt even the most feral of dragons just to say they had, and the fae are also not immune to the machinations of self-serving outsiders. He can only imagine they've been brought here for study because of their unique traits... or possibly something more nefarious. ]

Someone who could easily transport fairies and dragons across worlds must have unfathomable power. I would have never expected there to be any mage who could outmatch my grandmother and yet...

[ He'd be impressed if he weren't worried how that same power would be used against them. ]

We'll learn nothing if we remain in these shrines. Where were you headed next, Princess of the Sea Kingdom?
fulminations: (pic#15347051)

[personal profile] fulminations 2022-08-03 03:55 am (UTC)(link)
[ Hyunjae's eyelids come down halfway, smile curled ever so slightly as he hums, terribly amused. He continues to hover over him with a watchful, though I guess predatorily protective gaze. ]

It almost sounds like you want me gone.

[ Tilting his head, he observes in a moment of short silence. The brothers are always so intimate, caring so dearly about each other, and it's truly funny to him how blind they are to each other's actions. As much as he liked using Yoojin, he likes watching him and Yoohyun.

They are a soft spot, so...! He takes a gander.
]

Shall we look for him?
scarabwings: (Default)

[personal profile] scarabwings 2022-08-03 03:57 am (UTC)(link)
"Yeah," she says, breath hitching slightly. "I- God. I thought I'd lost you."

She doesn't say again, but it's there in her shuddering relief, in the slightly-bruised look in her eyes. She's still for a moment, poised on the edge of impulse, then rises up on the balls of her feet to kiss him, fierce and slightly wild.
settingup: (i'm running and i'm just enough)

[personal profile] settingup 2022-08-03 03:59 am (UTC)(link)
[ They are, but he's not sure what any of this means. This is his first end of the world event and all, so he hasn't had time to try and pretend he's numb to it. Hopefully she'll be kind to him and give him a little leeway on that one.

Also on the naked thing, because he did just hatch a moment ago.

It's now occurring to him though...
]

It ain't like this thing came with a complimentary set of pants!

[ If she woke up naked too, then also-- ]

And how come you ain't anyway?
kablams: (→020.)

[personal profile] kablams 2022-08-03 03:59 am (UTC)(link)
...So, since we got nothing but time to kill, I guess, [ she taps her fingers lightly against the other arm, thoughtfully, sending a brief bob of her head in the direction of the creeping darkness which is kind of the only foreseeable thing to dwell on here besides small talk, ] gotta ask.

Why don't you just... quit? Or kill them? Or both! You could do one before the other. Both is a TOTALLY valid option, seeing as how they can't fire you if they're dead. ...Can they?

[ ... ]

Nope, dead as a doornail-doornails can't fire you.
cutlery: please do not take! (well I never use any emoticons =/)

[personal profile] cutlery 2022-08-03 04:04 am (UTC)(link)
Ah, no, I am not…

[ He’s drawn from his own musings by the question with a shake of his head. Though, idly, he does think he rather likes the name of his college. ]

I would not know how to describe the whole world, exactly… But I was a butler in the service of an Earl of England.

[ Sebastian’s frown deepens, and his gaze is briefly drawn towards one of his own hands. He looks almost tricked, but shakes his head and dismisses the look with it. ]

Clearly, my contract was terminated rather prematurely.
settingup: (running to the waves below)

[personal profile] settingup 2022-08-03 04:07 am (UTC)(link)
[ There's a few seconds of eying that blanket skeptically, before Atsumu's hand is darting out and snatching it from her, as if she was going to pull it away from him last second in a particularly nasty "PSYCHE!"

The vibe of cornered wild animal is pretty strong with this one right now, even as he unfurls the blanket to wrap it around himself. It'll only do him so much good with the source of the chills he's feeling are coming from inside of him, but it does make things slightly more bearable as he hunches in on himself once more.

Meek and smiling though she may be, he still doesn't look particularly trusting, and for pretty good reason.
]

"Helps out" like the asshole that forced some crap down my throat the other day?
settingup: (don't give up)

[personal profile] settingup 2022-08-03 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
[ He's a human! And maybe he does suck, but he sure doesn't want to be purged!

Also absolutely no one ever tried to teach him this lesson. It's for the best honestly, the probably took one look at his normal behavior and correctly assumed he was a lost cause on this front. He certainly doesn't look any more convinced by her question.
]

That ain't a thing people say.

[ Probably? Maybe... He sure hasn't listened if it is.

Really, if anyone was going to convince Road that humans aren't just selfish assholes, Atsumu is solidly not that guy.
]
tohell: (Default)

Rebirth

[personal profile] tohell 2022-08-03 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
Whoops! Careful, now. [ Before the ground rushes up to greet Anduin, a strong hand grips his elbow. ]

You might want to take some baby steps when it comes to the whole walking again thing.

[ In making his rounds, looking for new recruits to the Kenoma's side, the demon had chosen to take a quick stop at this particular shrine based on a hunch. Turns out his gut instinct pays off. Arriving at the right place and time, down to the moment that Anduin appears at risk of kissing the ground beneath him, in all its crystal-covered glory. ]

I wouldn't want to see your pretty face smashed against the floor.

[ With his considerable height, it's not difficult to offer some support or even hold up the terribly weakened figure of an adult man. But adding a second hand to Anduin's other arm does help steady the fellow as J attempts to ease him into a more dignified position, more befitting of someone with the Sovereign's legacy. It's not much, but kneeling is probably better than crawling about on hands and knees. ]
settingup: (i got stamina)

[personal profile] settingup 2022-08-03 04:13 am (UTC)(link)
I ain't talkin' about that!

[ Then what is he talking about? Gosh it sure would be nice if Atsumu used his own words to explain what he meant here, instead of getting fussy and angry in a very vague way.

Would be, but he's not doing it.
]
cutlery: (room temp IQ on that one)

[personal profile] cutlery 2022-08-03 04:16 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, I would certainly hope they could not. It would be quite an inconvenience.

[ Since by “firing”, he’s reinterpreting that to Ciel somehow getting out of their little agreement… ]

I admit, I have had moments of weakness where I have considered both, but… [ He sighs, and it’s slightly dramatic ] The pay is simply too good.

[ this overly formal butler sure does seem nonchalant about the prospect of killing his master huh ]
scarabwings: (serious)

[personal profile] scarabwings 2022-08-03 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
"You don't look okay." There's more concern than skepticism in her expression, and she shifts slightly so that she's sitting next to him instead of kneeling, shoulder pressed against his in a warm line of contact ending in their interlocked fingers.
powerbills: (And I know I'll be burnt)

I saw this and was like I HAVE to

[personal profile] powerbills 2022-08-03 04:23 am (UTC)(link)
[most crimes take place in places of dining got Lee to smile, something wry and amused, because he could say a lot to that. Mostly horror stories from old cases, really, but who wanted to talk about work here? (Thinking about work meant thinking about his assistants/kids/friends, which meant wondering where they were. He didn't need that now.)

He shrugged.]


Some seem to think so. [Also wry, amused. Was he actually a good chef or was he roundabout suggesting some people he knew couldn't taste shit? Good question.] Me, I think that sort of thing should be left to the people who actually want to do it day in, day out. I like cooking, but that's because I only cook every once in a while, sometimes in a big cafeteria surrounded by a bunch of people applauding me- you've got something like that too, probably. Something you like only as long as you don't have to do it seriously.
chronosynthesis: (❖ Well of Eternity)

[personal profile] chronosynthesis 2022-08-03 04:23 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh, yes. Magic is a fundamental part of Tyria. Everyone is connected to it in some way, and some people hone their ability to control it."

He waves a hand, letting some of that purple-hue magic concentrate around it before waving it away. "Such as myself."