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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!

arcaneward: (2h718EE)

Re: mr wheel of time himself! but also: omg aerith!!

[personal profile] arcaneward 2022-07-30 11:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Aerith takes the offered sandwich with a smile, unwrapping it and biting into it before replying. ]

Definitely not 'think' now.

[ She grins, holding it up. ]

It's delicious, Rand. Did you make it?
mygig: (62)

dante / devil may cry (5) / lover (I am so sorry)

[personal profile] mygig 2022-07-30 11:58 pm (UTC)(link)
1. DREAMING: Steve Jobs did not die for this

[This?

This is hell.

Which, well, it kind of was, but it kind of wasn't. And this particular version of hell doesn't seem to be holding itself together, either.

As some well-worn boots grate the dirt underneath, Dante walks towards an old house with a tree. The last time he saw this, the tree had disappeared, its fruit consumed. Instead, the ghost of an old house flickers in and out of view.
At the front porch, a katana is jammed into the front door.

Dante doesn't like that, frowns. This doesn't add up, and it's evident in how he stretches his gloved hand to brush across it. Yet, across the hinges of that door, there seems to be a light.

He just kind of needs to stop being distracted about the sword stuck on it and actually open the door.

Meanwhile, the firmament above is shattering, of course, cracks through blue and white. But beyond the shards, there isn't a blood-red living thing but a void. Beckoning.
]

Huh, here I thought the end of the world would be original, for once.


2. Rebirth: 'Sup, baby? Take me out to dinner. (Ayooo???)

[Had he ever been stuck in something before?

This particular crystal chrysalis is, despite vibrant, surprisingly still.

At least for a little while.

This guy is counting, inside the thing. Maybe knock on it? See if it budges.

Stabbed, jabbed, stabbed again, motorbike-thrown… Stuck in a labyrinth, seduced by a guitar… Swallowed by a flying whale? Does that count?

Regardless, even if you don't interrupt his mental tally, even if he doesn't seem too bothered by being stuck in some sort of crystal womb, this guy just decides that he's sure that the trial period for this shamanic digital detox camp is over and it's time to get out into the real world.

Whatever that was.

So with firm and —surprisingly— methodic jabs, punches, and elbows, the cocoon does hatch.

And out comes a stinky and very moist (ew) 40-year-old.

If he looks bored, a little disappointed, it's because he's seen a lot.
]

Hey, I thought I'd get a towel after this sauna.


3. Wildcard: BING BONG.

[Even though Dante would eventually tend towards the light and therefore pleroma, he also has a tendency to just feel at ease with the darkness and destruction because [redacted] [redacted] [redacted], and I'd love for him to just be in the wrong place. If anyone would want to engage with him in both pleroma or kenoma town, just leave a comment here and assume he'll be honestly inconvenient regardless of the place, maybe by sitting down somewhere, stretching his legs, and pretending to sleep. He's a big guy and takes up a lot of space. Tell him he's being bothersome.

Any other notes or suggestions, just DM me! I'm definitely down for anything with him.

And again. I'm so, so sorry.
]
subsist: (pic#15626278)

[personal profile] subsist 2022-07-30 11:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[ when it doesn't look like it's going to be possible to get a better look at her other hand without hurting her, kaeya stops his attempt, murmuring quiet apologies for even trying. this is one of those times where he wishes the gods' favour he'd been granted with came with something that can ease the pain, but as it is, he has nothing that can help. all he can give her is company and some fraction of solace until the worst of the kenoma's effects are over.

he brings his other hand to cover the one that's now clinging to his fingers, giving her that anchor she seems so desperate to have. ]


I'm afraid I haven't met anyone with that name just yet. If he's here, I promise you that you'll be the first to know.

[ there are snapshots of something more frantic that keep threatening to blend in with his own thoughts. is that coming from her? he remembers experiencing ambient feedback from others before, when it had been his turn to go through this entire mess, but...

he tries not to dwell on it. ]


... Are you hungry? I've got some food, if you'd like.
coerthantorment: (42)

[personal profile] coerthantorment 2022-07-31 12:00 am (UTC)(link)
[He pauses, his wings folding inward defensively. He hasn't quite realized what her reaction means, but the sense of ill-ease is sinking in. The words don't entirely dispel the chance of familiarity with him, but at the same time...]

...A shrine. The Martyr's shrine. You... You vanished from the wood a short time after you awakened here.

[He wants her to remember, and so he keeps speaking as if he merely needs to fill in the gaps for her. He's already been forced to forget so much himself.]

If your shard had been brought here... mayhap you were finally reborn...

[He takes a step closer, his brow creasing.]

...Forgive me, Aerith, I hadn't realized...
pyojeol: (pic#15727370)

3

[personal profile] pyojeol 2022-07-31 12:04 am (UTC)(link)
[Han Sooyoung follows his gaze, tilting her head up to regard the watery ceiling, and then back down to squint at Claude. Whatever thoughts she has on his question is clearly apparent at her face -- these are thoughts filled with Doubt,]

Can you even make that shot?

[she says, as if she isn't shorter than claude. but you know what this ain't about her]
bythelight: (7)

[personal profile] bythelight 2022-07-31 12:05 am (UTC)(link)
The hot jet of air catches by surprise, and he freezes.

It feels... familiar, in an unpleasant way.

His shoulders hunch, tense, and he recalls --

Dark scales, a cave, the sound of claws on stone.

The voice snaps him out of it.

His name?

Anduin takes a few steadying breaths, turns slowly. The creature he looks at knows him, yet Anduin himself cannot say it is immediately familiar. Last he Wrathion, after all, he was much smaller -- smaller enough to be far less threatening in his true form.

Yet still.

Anduin's brow furrows slowly, fingers loosening a little on his blanket as he takes him in. A black dragon, who calls him by his name. The gold rings about his horns. Something --

"Wrathion?"
bingos: (00_0021_86589508_p4_master1200)

MIYAKO INOUE | DIGIMON ADVENTURE 02 | INNOCENT

[personal profile] bingos 2022-07-31 12:06 am (UTC)(link)
DREAMING
[ Her breath is caught in her chest, much like her heart is caught in her throat. They've faced the potential end of the world before - of worlds. It's not the potentiality that catches her off guard, or the seeming end, but how it happens suddenly - Without so much as giving a whimper. It's like it had been extinguished and all the light with it — And as suddenly as she encroaches that thought is she among the cosmos. ]

...Beautiful.

[ She had meant to think it to herself, but she speaks it instead. The sound is loud in the quiet depth of space, louder even than a whispered reverence. It catches the attention of the partner who's not left her side this entire time: ] Miyako-san, not so loud!

[ Miyako glanced down at the bird. There's no question as to why he's there - they've always been together, it only makes sense now. Still she sighs and raises her arms in a shrug: ] Really? It's not like we're in a library or something — [ She gives a thoughtful exhale before turning her attention back to the fork: ] ... But it really is pretty.

[ In an ethereal way - in a way that somehow weighs on her heart. She thinks to back then, in the darkness that had seeped and covered a whole world. In the light that had broken through by hundreds of children's hopes. It feels the same, but it's not. Because right now it's just them - her. And while she glances to the light and then the dark in equal turn she can't deny a pull to the dark, though the light feels like the warmth of all the bonds she shares.

It's easy to know which way they'll go, but she hesitates - wavers when someone stops nearby (perhaps caught in their own query or yet confused by the pair): ]
It's kind of scary, right?

[ Despite the question, she offers a friendly smile. ]


REBIRTH (INNOCENT)
A
[ The dream ends and a future her would wish it didn't - if only a little. The world feels too small, enclosed - it's suffocating. She's nearly in tears by the time she - they've - broken out of the crystal. It's taken everything out of her just to get out that she doesn't fully pay attention to her surroundings. Not at first. Not towards the place they're in or any nearby people.

She does shriek however at one very immediately noticeable thing: She's very, very naked. And also covered in slime, but mostly naked. ]


Miyako-san?!

Don't look over here!

[ The bird being... You know, a bird, hadn't thought much about his own appearance but upon seeing his partner colors in embarassment. He half covers his eyes with feathers before hearing noise behind them. A quiet cry and he turns around, throwing out his wingspan as far as it can go: ]

Please, divert your eyes.

[ At least he's not a hostile bird (yet) but please consider giving clothes before they have a melt down over here. ]



B
[ Meltdown (hopefully) averted the pair seem surprisingly at east with their situation - or at least, being thrown into a new world isn't really their biggest concern. The little bird sticks close to the young woman but otherwise says nothing unless addressed. It's the woman, now grumbling something about needing a bath and ringing out her hair that takes the forefront.

If she sees someone else, another newbie or someone injured, she shakes her head and presses on: ]
I'm fine. Let's worry about making sure they're safe, okay?

[ If there's no one needing help nearby, she furrows her brows and crosses her arms. She'll turn then to the first semi-friendly face that looks like they might have answers: ] What is — Where are we?

[ She quickly diverts to the where. She's fully upfront here - feeling if she doesn't move straight-forwardly she really will just falter into another panic attack. ]



RETURNING (PLEROMA)

[ The adrenaline that came from their arrival has faded into outright exhaustion. While she was (decently) behaved the whole time until here, she's now found herself sitting in the corner. Hawkmon stands nearby, onguard, and watching the fish swim by above them. Miyako would naturally be inclined to amazement, but for the moment she's really trying to settle in - resolve herself. Not fall into the pit of worry and panic. Why is she the one here? She's by far the least capable of her friends -in her opinion - and she can't imagine being of much use.

And yet, eventually, either after someone talking to her or managing to gather her senses (it may involve hitting her cheeks with her palms)... she gets up and moves to someone who looks like they're in charge - maybe they're a newbie who got voluntold to hand out food or an oldbie trying to helpfully wrangle things together. Her smile is bright, if slightly forced as she offers a wave: ]


Hola! [ She makes a gesture of rolling up her sleeves, rather she has them or not: ] So, where do you need me?

[ She's not giving much choice in the helpfulness there. ]


NOTES
[ Ultimately having her go Pleroma! But I would be interested in forcefeeding Kenoma gloop at the shrine if someone wants to (and a Pleroma coming in for the rescue). ]
Edited 2022-07-31 00:08 (UTC)

[personal profile] scienceandmyth 2022-07-31 12:10 am (UTC)(link)
What...?

She crouches down a little further when they speak. They're definitely talking to her, but humans never spoke to her like that. She dares to peek around the side of the rock and reveal her face as she looks curiously - and fearfully - at the human.

She takes a few cautious steps out toward the open.
bingos: (00_0026_84960581_p4_master1200)

[personal profile] bingos 2022-07-31 12:10 am (UTC)(link)
Miyako will be waking up over at the Innocent shrine here! While I've changed course a bit on my plans, I'd still enjoy if a Kenoma tried picking her up and manages to feed her the grape juice but ultimately a Pleroma swoops in for the save! So if anyone wants some kind of PVP I'm here to help (either way it's okay if not)
undertheweight: (I'm not certain)

[personal profile] undertheweight 2022-07-31 12:11 am (UTC)(link)
Perhaps, but I can't even tell. [He wrinkles his snout in a grimace, baring teeth that look quite capable of defense, if so. Wrathion does not want to admit that the earth here does not offer the barest whisper to him. Though his maddened father had traded earth for fire in the heart of the world, it normally did not lie dead beneath his feet.]

And not because I was growling, either.

[And a very normal looking fellow (likely a researcher who dwells here in the Shrine of the Seeker) pokes his head around the edge of the cave, to be face-to-snout with the dragon, who blinks. Something he did not expect. As for the researcher, that worthy falls on his rump with the realization that that is a dragon, smoke trickling from its nostrils, scrambles to his feet, and takes to the hills, yelling. For his part, Wrathion rumbles, mildly.]

Well. I was not expecting that.
affal: (199)

ii.

[personal profile] affal 2022-07-31 12:14 am (UTC)(link)
( it's customary for makoto to return to the firebrand shrine every once in a while during these few days that every Aion in horos is busy scouring each of the crystalline caverns for newcomers to their war. it's the easiest for him to reach out and teleport to, of course, but it also brings back memories. it gives him perspective. he's standing just outside the cavern's entrance, gazing out into the craggy canyon and down to the turbulent waters of the river far below, when he hears something — not the telltale sound of another Aion teleporting in, or armored boots coming down the switchback pass, but a sound like stone breaking and something falling to the ground.

fortune smiles on him, then, though likely less so on the newly-arrived firebrand.

he turns around and strides back into the cavern, pale eyes scouring his surroundings until he finds the chrysalis that has most recently been rent open, carved apart by the ire of its former inhabitant. the man is pale, thin, and faintly damp from the interior of the crystal — it doesn't take particularly sharp eyes to spy the feline ears plastered against his head, stark against the long tangle of lighter-toned hair, accompanied by the long, sleek tail, moving cautiously across the ground.

there's little warmth or compassion in the demon's appraising eyes as they meet leaks'. when he speaks, it's not necessarily that his voice is cold, per se... just neutral, calculating. )


No need to be tense. I'm not the one who brought you here. ( he shifts his weight to one hip, smiling wryly. ) I'm just the welcoming party.
subsist: (pic#15697778)

dreaming.

[personal profile] subsist 2022-07-31 12:14 am (UTC)(link)
[ dreams don't come so easily to someone like kaeya.

they are so rare, in fact, that whenever they do happen, they affect him in ways that are difficult for him to process. this isn't the first time he finds himself in this particular dream, in this particular pathway, where there is a light in the center of it all rather than the void of darkness that won him over in the end. it burns so brightly that it's almost unbearable, but whatever discomfort he is currently experiencing right now pales in comparison to who he sees standing before him. ]


... Lumine?

[ it wasn't that long ago when he found out that she had vanished into thin air. no amount of hours spent searching for her in the streets of venera had brought him any results, and while thoma claimed that she found her way home, he could scarcely believe it, thinking she was now lost to them too, just like mondstadt. (just like diluc.)

to see her now brings back a traitorous feeling that was once smothered into ashes, but now it's starting to flicker back into life again. ]


Is that really you?
arcaneward: (ZMHjdIc)

Wildcard, pleroma?? what do you wanna tell joe biden RIGHT NOW

[personal profile] arcaneward 2022-07-31 12:18 am (UTC)(link)
Hello? Hello hello?

[ There is... a very large man, legs out, sleeping in the middle of the Lodestone area, and Aerith is— well she's not inconvenienced but that can't be comfortable?? ]

Excuse me, sir?

[ She reaches out with a foot and gently nudges at his knee.

Maybe he's dead?? ]
vapour: (pic#15074485)

rebirth

[personal profile] vapour 2022-07-31 12:19 am (UTC)(link)
You'll get used to it.

[ comes a voice echoing in the cave. If Heizou looks around for the source it won't be hard to find them: Childe is sitting not far from where the crystal he "hatched from" is, a towel and some folded clothes in his lap as if he's been waiting for the other.

And he has! Been waiting for someone— anyone, really— that is. It seems that no one else has yet bothered to make their way to the Firebrand shrine to check for newcomers, but this stop is obligatory for the Harbinger as this shrine belongs to his own legacy.

Getting to his feet, Heizou might notice the glow of a vision at Childe's waist, although not for long as ultimately the cloak he's wearing covers it when he fully straightens. Approaching the other, he offers the towel and set of clothes to Heizou.
]

I think you're going to want these.
arcaneward: (aerith-0731)

[personal profile] arcaneward 2022-07-31 12:21 am (UTC)(link)
Please, stay back—

[ She takes a step back, holding up a hand, glancing around. There's no escape routes other than through him, and she'll go through him if she has to. But he looks... upset. Not threatening, and Aerith takes a deep breath, lowering her hand back to cover her chest. ]

I'm sorry. I don't know what you're talking about. I was... I was on the road with some friends, and then I woke up here after a nightmare. You said this is a shrine?
horniness: (019.)

returned;

[personal profile] horniness 2022-07-31 12:24 am (UTC)(link)
[ For a moment, he thinks he spots the familiar ears of a certain royal thorn in his side, but on further inspection... he was truly off. Or maybe it was wishful thinking that he'd encounter someone recognizable several worlds over (even if that person were to be Kingscholar). He's still in a foul mood after the entire mysterious and off-putting circumstances of his arrival here.

And the fact that the black sludge meal they were presented with had been on par with Lilia's cooking.

However, no one seems to be whispering and pointing at him nor running away from him, which is new. Very new and very strange. He's so used to not blending in that being entirely ignored is an interesting experience, but he is searching for a way back to his companions, which inspires him to actually break out of his usual introversion and approach someone... vaguely familiar. Ish. ]


Are you one of the many beast-men from Savanaclaw?

[ Truthfully, he doesn't spend enough time around most of the other students at school to recognize them all by face or name, so there is a slight possibility this could be one of Kingscholar's housemates. ]
leicesters: academy (146)

[personal profile] leicesters 2022-07-31 12:25 am (UTC)(link)
I can absolutely-- [He puffs up indignantly,] --not make that shot.

[He deflates again. Despite the anticlimax, points for knowing his own limits?]

If I had a bow and arrow that'd be another story, but I was hoping to get the attention of someone with a better throwing arm than me. [Claude looks at Han Sooyoung, considering. She's small, but...] I don't suppose you think you can?
emblazer: (129.)

[personal profile] emblazer 2022-07-31 12:32 am (UTC)(link)
[ Well, if Claude is going to twist his arm... he'd never pass up an opportunity to eat. He sits down cross-legged across from Claude, setting the basket down in between them while grabbing his extra canteen of water. The salted fish will likely make Claude thirsty, and he's suffered enough already waking up naked and covered in goo.

Thoma unwraps one of his rice balls first to start munching on it while he tries to pick where to start... probably at the most important point. ]


Alright, so apparently we regularly arrive in batches to this world to help the locals. I don't know how or who is really picking us. Might be the Regent himself who brought us here. That was probably your first question, right?

[ The rebels certainly don't have the power to ordain it nor control it. ]

I was a housekeeper for the Kamisato Clan back in my own world, so it's not even really strong or important figures, I think.
bloomforyou: (Default)

[personal profile] bloomforyou 2022-07-31 12:33 am (UTC)(link)
if a character has a magical girl transformation that comes complete with new clothes, are they possibly able to call upon their outfit after accepting one side or the other?
bingos: (kizunamiyako36)

3

[personal profile] bingos 2022-07-31 12:33 am (UTC)(link)
[ She's busying herself with helping out - which to anyone who knows her isn't a great sign (good news, no one knows her). But when she's passing by with extra water for anyone who needs it and has the question half on her lips and he asks that. She glances up at the dome and then back down with a raised brow: ]

Let's see you try it.

[ Yes, that's a challenge. ]
coerthantorment: (93)

[personal profile] coerthantorment 2022-07-31 12:33 am (UTC)(link)
[Her words feel like a dagger in his heart. Had her mind been altered, too? Had she been made to forget? What's worse is how she is seemingly afraid of him - afraid of his appearance, afraid of how he is a stranger to her.

She'd been so bold towards him when they first met. He remembers how he had told her of their troubles, handed her his coat to cover up with, and she was already committing to the cause. How she had stood by his side under a Kenoma's attack, despite him imploring her to run.

How much more will be taken from him, he wonders?

As she requests, he doesn't come any closer. He knows there are more important things at hand, but he still finds it difficult to bear. The flinch of pain is clear in his expression. He has to steady himself.

Finally, he reaches into his bag, producing an oversized tunic. He tosses it to the ground at her feet.]


...Aye. There are those that would pursue you here... intending to offer you to this land's tyrannical ruler as a slave. You... are in your home no longer.
leicesters: academy (140)

[personal profile] leicesters 2022-07-31 12:34 am (UTC)(link)
[The sight is so comical, as is the researcher's reaction, that Claude forgets all about his worries for his situation for a second and bursts into laughter.]

The look on his face! He just about died on the spot! [Gods, he's laughing so much he's starting to get a stitch.] Ahaha-- but, um, shouldn't we-- shouldn't we go after him?

[He has to know something about what's going on, after all. Even if he'll be just as confused about some naked kid hanging out in a cave as he was frightened by the dragon, probably, but they need answers somehow.]
shikanoinheizou: (Default)

[personal profile] shikanoinheizou 2022-07-31 12:34 am (UTC)(link)
[He notices the Vision's glow. Notices a few other things, too, in the short amount of time between Childe appearing in front of him and his attention falling to the offered towel and clothes. The timbre and pitch of his voice, the way he holds himself as he stands there, what he's wearing and how, the accent - however faint - that tells him of the other young man's country of origin.

Heizou smiles blithely, easily, holding out a hand for the towel.
]

That's terribly good of you, old chap. Thank you. [There's no embarrassment about him as he stands up and dries off, and he pulls the clothes on without so much as an upwards glance. Then, ruffling the towel over his sticky-damp hair, he finally looks up to meet his would-be saviour's eyes.]

Don't suppose you can clue me in on just what's going on here, can you?
undertheweight: (smolder or simper?)

[personal profile] undertheweight 2022-07-31 12:39 am (UTC)(link)
The dragon's face is suffused with uncharacteristic happiness--as he'd been brought here, he'd been downright grumpy to most of the other people, so there may even be another individual or two who pause to gape as they cross through the lodestone chamber.

"It is you!" The joy is equally diffused through his voice, and though his eyes have sparked to vivid life, he only extends his head very gently to nuzzle the human. He knew the Alliance had just been spewing propaganda...

"I'm glad you're safe here. I had no idea--well. I'm glad," Wrathion says, stopping himself from going overboard. He flattens himself to the ground, lowering his head now so that Anduin doesn't have to crane his head up to look him in the eye.

"You weren't at the shrine I arrived at. Did you come here through a different one?" he asks, curious. Wrathion had heard that there were other shrines, but he hadn't had time to go off and find a library, yet. Nor the inclination.
stellium: (pic#15846752)

[personal profile] stellium 2022-07-31 12:39 am (UTC)(link)
That's more likely than having learned the hard way. ( lumine admits, hands on her hips. ) It's impressive.

( and neat! she'd want to do something similar back in her teapot, given the means to do so. but that, like most everything else, is gone. )

I wonder what else we'll see if this is just the beginning.