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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!

regressor: (RESOLVE)

[personal profile] regressor 2022-08-04 03:10 am (UTC)(link)
[Sebastian Michaelis. What a gentlemanly name.

She has none to give him. Not a proper one. Whatever her name had been once... she'd lost it somewhere along the way, between switching allegiances and governments and jobs, being run through the Memory Extractor whenever required. The one Laura and her family had called her... it is too precious a memory, and she leaves it for just herself. "Carmine" was a Contractor who worked for the Syndicate. "Havoc" was a freelancer who any government who wanted a job done right would hire.

So all she does... is let go of him. Even if he doesn't grant her what she asks...]


... Thank you.

[She mutters the words around another gurgle of the black sludge that spills from the corner of her mouth before she falls back onto the stone clab, curling her broken fingers tight and just... preparing herself for the next wave. The next fight she will have to struggle through, to survive one more pulse of power as a woman who could feel. Maybe not as strongly as a normal person, maybe everything was so new and so overwhelming that she could only bear to take on a fraction of it...

But it was real. And she loved it.

If the man named Sebastian Michaelis does not take her advice, however... If he returns later to those unhallow halls... He will find that she is still there.

But this time... she is sitting up, with little trace of the turmoil or desperation marring her face. It is undoubtedly the same woman, petite and malnourished, bony with her chest splashed with large scars, red hair and green eyes that would be vibrant if she'd lived a better life... but the look in her eyes is different.

Perhaps "cold" is the word... for how she stares down at the broken fingers of her hand, carefully realigning the bone and using a strip from her robe to tie them tightly together.]
horniness: (085.)

[personal profile] horniness 2022-08-04 03:11 am (UTC)(link)
[ Someone actually wants him to fly them around... it's honestly a first for him, but so is waking up naked in another world without a clue as to how he got there. He's almost inclined to think this is a dream, but the cold is too visceral across his skin for him to be fooled. ]

Of course, I can fly. I am one of the dragon-fae. While others rely on brooms, to me, it comes as naturally as breathing.

[ Usually.

Not at the moment, and he's trying hard to temper his irritation over it. ]


When we reach a non-warded area, perhaps I may allow it, but only if you behave.

[ He continues to lead her further from where they had awoken to the outdoor terrain, taking in the unfamiliar land. Though he still can't call up his flames nor breathe them out, he knows there are alternative methods of starting fires using sticks and/or stones. ]

Find two large enough rocks for me. You need not carry them –only point them out, and I will do the rest.

[ Hopefully, his physical strength also hasn't diminished here as well, and he'll be able to strike them together effectively. ]
rosethorns: (11)

[personal profile] rosethorns 2022-08-04 03:14 am (UTC)(link)
“I can’t deny that.” Her thoughts naturally turn to the tales of the Saints and the Heroes, their memories indelibly living on through the centuries as stories every soul in Fódlan knew. She idly wonders what they must think of that, from whatever place in the afterlife they may have found. Dorothea can’t quite reconcile how she would feel, in their place. To be loved and remembered for eternity is a nice thought, but does it truly matter if she can’t be there to enjoy it?

“But tales often find themselves changing with time and with each retelling.” Her gaze drifts back to the darkness of the void surrounding them. In it, she can almost feel the fate of all things to break down and fade away. These stories were no different. “Could a story that has warped so much that it hardly reflects the truth of its subject any longer still hold that implication of immortality?”
vapour: (pic#15709373)

[personal profile] vapour 2022-08-04 03:19 am (UTC)(link)
[ Childe takes his time before he speaks now, a rare occurrence for him. Usually he's spitting things out that are half-truths and white lies at best, so there's no real reason for him to worry about what he speaks about. For dinner reason, he feels he can't do that here. Despite Childe playing it up, they weren't that close before. They were on opposite sides, and they clashed, but Childe spent most of his time trying to get a rise out of the other. This feels so different, and even though he isn't the one going through the Kenoma initation. It's a strange feeling and he'll deny it forever after this, but he feels compelled to be honest as best he can. ]

This world ... it's supposed to cycle itself between times of light and hope and come to an end when too much despair and darkness exist. Then it's reborn to start the cycle over again. The Pleroma, the light and hope, has refused to relinquish power to the Kenoma, despair and darkness, now that the time has come. We, as Kenoma, are fighting to force this cycle back to how it should be as this world has become full of rot.

As for why I yielded... I did it to protect someone. But, also... If my home is gone, this world is somehow responsible. Why should I fight for the Pleroma when it didn't care to fight for my world being swallowed into the void? If this world ends and the cycle of the Kenoma and Pleroma are restored, maybe I can save my home and leave. If I fight for the Pleroma, though... we'll fight forever with no end in sight.

[ ...I really hate this world. ]
cutlery: (breakout your pirate hat)

[personal profile] cutlery 2022-08-04 03:20 am (UTC)(link)
[ Sebastian at least takes the vial without hesitation, though naturally, he does study it for a moment. It's not hesitation so much as curiosity, since looking at the ichor inside the vial feels familiar in a way. It's a darkness that just from a glance gives him a similar impression to the tendrils of his own being that are hidden away from mortal eyes, though that's not exactly surprising. With talk of the abyss, of kenoma, there would be a sort of kinship there, even if it's purely coincidental.

He glances up from the vial, first to Howl and then to Ciel. The thoughtful gaze has cooled to one that's more openly appraising of both of them, and it's not something he bothers to hide in the slightest. The quiet calm they've both taken on doesn't unnerve him, but it does interest him. ]


The terms, certainly. They are not common ones, and all together, it is quite distinct. But the underlying ideas... Less so. At a certain point, all belief tends to find the same subjects, if not the same conclusions.

[ To Ciel's point first, and he thumbs over the cork of the vial thoughtfully. He then looks to Howl and nods, though his attention is more intensely on him than Ciel. The drop of mood is noted, and it seems like Sebastian is trying to piece together why as if it were something visible. ]

What happens if I drink it?
Edited (words) 2022-08-04 03:44 (UTC)
kablams: (vlcsnap-2021-11-17-17h38m04s043)

[personal profile] kablams 2022-08-04 03:21 am (UTC)(link)
[ she winces - softly, just barely - as his hand closes around hers, but it isn't because the gesture itself is painful as much as the fact... it isn't. as if she had been expecting it to be, like she was flinching in preparation of Amos being harsher than he is.

...and soon as their hands are together and she's looking up into his face, it's like something... changes. no - not that it changes, but that she understands something she didn't before. recognizes it as if she were recognizing him, even if she's never met this guy before - never seen him a day in her life. she knows him like he were an old friend (if she had any of those. is this what it's like?).

and he's right. she would yell and scream and shout and pull her hair and howl her throat raw telling the world she didn't need anyone, that she had grown past that, but--

she doesn't like being alone. she doesn't want to be. she never did, she never will.

it makes her feel oddly vulnerable, and she knows she shouldn't like this. she shouldn't like him, shouldn't trust him. (she doesn't, does she? it isn't about liking or trusting, it's something else.) so why... why is she stepping closer to him - and the darkness? ]


I just want it all... [ a pause, a breath; she steels herself. ] All of it to-- stop.

[ her voice wavers at the tail end. he gets it... right? ]
youngprodigy: (∉ we lost our way)

[personal profile] youngprodigy 2022-08-04 03:28 am (UTC)(link)
[The fact that the man doesn't seem the least bit concerned by his predicament means that Cid's rescue mission is very quickly turning into something he is going to need to retreat from. It would be one thing were he actively defending someone who can't fight, but for someone not to care?

This is a losing battle, and he's no Warrior of Light.]


For a priest, you're fixated on oblivion.

[As Paul predicted, he blocks high, using his sword to block as he tries to aim another blow with the shield.]
vapour: (pic#15074514)

[personal profile] vapour 2022-08-04 03:29 am (UTC)(link)
[ ah heh. it's easier to just not explain, he realizes. ]

As you like. I'm definitely know it's you when I hear my name, then. You ready for this adventure?
zauneyete: (Just gonna talk it up)

[personal profile] zauneyete 2022-08-04 03:30 am (UTC)(link)
[ With that, it's quick. Silco's gloved hand offered is simply a link, before the teleporation took hold, and they were brought to the Lodestone with the blink of an eye. Silco thinks it's similar enough to hextech, even though it's more magic than science. He blinked his single eye when they arrived, before he swiveled it to look at Bruno. ]

Do you want something to drink?

[ He asked, even after he was offered a simple robe by a retainer of sorts. Not Silco's obviously, although the retainer gave him a look, before they skittered back away.

Silco holds a vial of a drink in his pocket, that distilled essence of the Kenoma.
]
cutlery: (thats actually just a plane wing)

[personal profile] cutlery 2022-08-04 03:31 am (UTC)(link)
Ah, is it Jeeves now? And here I was, growing fond of Charles.

[ Even though he hasn't exactly corrected her, it clearly hasn't gone without notice, and he's going to be a shit about it. Though it's a sarcastic comment, there's a wry note to it that makes it clear that it's in good humor rather than any genuine offense. ]

But I would disagree.

[ Sebastian pauses as he considers just how far to take his explanation, but... He's getting the sense that he's not exactly going to cause offense. Surprise, perhaps, since his appearance and manners don't quite match, but that's also something he enjoys a bit anyways. ]

I prefer patience, especially with such types. They tend to think quite highly of themselves, so is it not enjoyable to prove them wrong in a way where you can see it clearly? A— [ He chuckles, then mimics her explosion sound and even gestures in a similar, but more muted way ] That is not so bad, but they will usually not have time to even realize their poor manners, you know?
wavetrain: i drew these ones! (pic#15847287)

[personal profile] wavetrain 2022-08-04 03:32 am (UTC)(link)
I can fly, yeah.

[ A pause, though, and then, begrudgingly: ] I don't know if I've got the strength to right now, though. My wings feel really weak.
settingup: (i see another mountain to climb)

[personal profile] settingup 2022-08-04 03:32 am (UTC)(link)
[ Whatever could make her think that about sweet and precious Amos? Who is, by surprising coincidence, 100% who Atsumu is talking about here.

Yes, that asshole, who has "gifted" him with this creepy, negative force that seems determined to hollow Atsumu out of every bit of joy he's ever felt. The sickness and the shivers he could almost handle, but the grief and paranoia have been crushing. That's more responsible for his curled up figure than the chill in the air.

Hell, even the offer of food right now is a lot for him to try and handle. It's a basic necessity of life, but having a food obsessed twin means the sight of a bunch of fruit triggers a howling loneliness and sorrow inside him that has him pulling his legs in tighter, even as he reaches hesitantly for the orange.
]

What's the catch?
epiprocta: (45)

[personal profile] epiprocta 2022-08-04 03:44 am (UTC)(link)
[ Yeah that's right, dumbass, tuck your tail between your legs and put that shard back where it belongs.

Even as a horrible teenager Gen isn't immune to the pain of secondhand embarrassment, and his eyes narrow as he watches that pitiful display. Like, seriously, that's so cringe, bro? But at least that incredibly pathetic first impression helps lower his guard, and Gen huffs a small sigh as he bends down to pick up a blanket. People who he truly doesn't care about leaving any sort of impression on paradoxically get a touch more mercy from him. ]


Guess you've still got some brains left up there, instead of just muscle.

[ Then he tosses the blanket over to Atsumu. ]

I don't care enough about this stuff to give the final word on when you can leave. Just wait a bit longer and someone'll tell you when you're good. Here, have this, too.

[ Headsup Atsumu, there's a paper-wrapped sandwich coming your way, too. ]

[personal profile] expiera 2022-08-04 03:45 am (UTC)(link)
[Better sunfish than squid? Somewhat less likely to get vored...

If the observer is noticed, no one fighting out there shows any signs. The struggle is brief for what it's worth: the woman is clearly skilled in martial arts, her small frame belies the almost superhuman speed and strength she weaves through the soldiers with. Every swing of sword is dodged or parried, it doesn't take long before they are either disarmed or on the ground doubled over in pain. And once they are no longer capable of getting in her way, she resumes sauntering towards the caverns.

Then, and only then, perhaps their gazes may cross. Only if the newly awakened Aion happens to be looking out that way, however; otherwise, her steps are unhurried as she makes her way to the cavern entrance with full intention of entering it.

Where is the newcomer, by then?]
epiprocta: (52)

[personal profile] epiprocta 2022-08-04 03:51 am (UTC)(link)
[ Oh, this bitch. He'd been halfway expecting her to pull some shit, but even so, Gen's surprised that this chick really just goes for it; he's not sure whether he's impressed by her guts or apalled by her stupidity. Either way, he has no qualms about fighting back against girls, naked-and-unwell or not, so --

before Jinx can reach him, the next moment her foot makes contact with the ground, Gen gives a small swipe of his hand. And a square patch of the earth abruptly wipes out sideways from under her. Not enough to fling her around, but just enough to spill her to the floor and maybe wind her a bit. ]


You serious?

[ Gen turns to face her properly once more; his hand hand is held loose at his side, though the way he flexes his fingers makes it clear he's prepared to act if she tries that again. ]

I'm not here to fight you anyway, but at least get dressed before trying that shit. What are you, an animal?
lachtara: (Requiet)

[personal profile] lachtara 2022-08-04 03:55 am (UTC)(link)
The sidelong look he gives Hythlodaeus is skeptical at best, mildly agitated at worst. He was comfortable with being side-by-side looking out at the stars. There was no reason to fuss about when they could have simply changed topics.

So he folds his arms with his characteristic grumpy defiance. If anyone else had asked him he would enthusiastically refuse to placate them with compliance.

Since it's Hythlodaeus, though, an exception is made. He leans into Hythlodaeus with his arms still crossed. It's not a 'hug' by far, but he does submit to tolerating the physical affection without complaint.
ktizo: (🎵 thunder stilled oaths fulfilled)

[personal profile] ktizo 2022-08-04 04:01 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh, don't be like that." He pouts, his hand falling to his hip. "Even now, you will not oblige me?"

He leans in, eyes big as he frowns a little.

"Please, Hades? I have missed you so terribly. It would ease my heart..." His hand drifts over his own chest- he's not lying, he really did miss him and he wants to be close to him. Admittedly he would like to be even closer than a hug, but those are feelings he's carefully put to one side with the belief that Emet-Selch would likely rather remain friends.
superbshot: <user name=malagraphic> (Worry)

[personal profile] superbshot 2022-08-04 04:08 am (UTC)(link)
Well...that's certainly something that we'll put on the table. We've done it before, when the last group came in.

[She gives him a slightly strained smile.]

There's people coming in from all over, of course, and things have taken a turn for the dire recently. We've got a bit more fighting ahead of us, and soon, before we'll have a chance to rest on our laurels. But that chance will come, and I'll join you on the hunt.
definitelynotalich: (Default)

[personal profile] definitelynotalich 2022-08-04 04:09 am (UTC)(link)
"If I see one here, or something similar to it, I shall be sure to point it out."

If he could get his hands on some tools and wood he could even carve one to better illustrate it for the stranger but, alas, that was not the case right now. A trouble for another time, if at all.

In truth, he knew them all quite well, and, in some cases, better than he wished he did. He didn't want to admit it but there were a couple he maybe wished he knew better. That thought he pushed from his mind.

"I somehow doubt that is the case. Regardless, I would need to return home to Tamriel for them to ever have the opportunity," and he just wasn't confident in those odds.

"And what of you? What interesting critters have you seen, then?"
superbshot: (Talk Left)

[personal profile] superbshot 2022-08-04 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
[And it's filled. A simple, but strong dark tea of some local plant.]

I understand. I myself had little wartime experience, but I was working in law enforcement. I've seen enough action to qualify as seasoned, but my experience is admittedly the exception and not the rule.

[That said...]

There are a few professional soldiers and warriors among our number, and I'm certain they'll be glad to have another among their ranks. What sort of weapon do you use? We can scrounge one up for you, I'm sure.
horniness: (094.)

[personal profile] horniness 2022-08-04 04:12 am (UTC)(link)
[ That's what he was afraid of. The wards are capable of even grounding a dragon of such strong proportions as her. He doubts he'll fare much better until he reaches an area that's less prohibitive.

Assuming there even is one. This whole world could be entirely warded. ]


Then we will walk. I'm not unaccustomed to taking strolls, even though I usually reserve them for the evenings.

[ Mostly so he doesn't spook the other students, but he'll adjust. ]

You may tell me more of your world as we do. I am curious to know if it is anything like the Coral Sea and filled with throngs of merfolk.
rosethorns: (07)

[personal profile] rosethorns 2022-08-04 04:15 am (UTC)(link)
It’s a pleasure, Sebastian. [A wry smile paints her lips; these are interesting circumstances to have such a meeting, to say the least, though her words themselves seem genuine enough. Then, more teasing:] I suppose I can forgive you for now.

[The banter is comforting, a familiar habit to fall into that makes this whole situation feel at least marginally less overwhelming. Dorothea will certainly take what she can get.

She follows his lead with careful steps, similarly keeping an eye out at everything they pass. Their immediate surroundings are, as expected, not so quick to divulge anything new. A wondrous sight of colorful crystals remains to be found on all sides, and while beautiful, does nothing to supply answers to their questions. They will have to be resilient in this search.

She stops to eye the crystal that has his attention. Seeing it from this perspective really does cast their awakening in another light.]


No wonder it was so exhausting. [Knowing that another unfortunate soul is trapped within there leaves an unsettling feeling in the pit of her stomach.] I wonder if it would be better to help pull them out, but something tells me it may do more harm than good. [Not to mention that she by no means has the energy to spare for such a feat.]
ktizo: (🎵 and yet our hope remains)

[personal profile] ktizo 2022-08-04 04:21 am (UTC)(link)
"Excellent." He seems pleased that perhaps he might see something similar here- but even if he doesn't, who knows what creatures there will be to find? Especially since he'd never seen crabs such as these ones before. Obviously there are new critters here to behold!

"Ah, so many that it is difficult to articulate. In my line of work, I was presented with a great many. Ah, some examples... giant carnivorous plants, a shark with eight legs, a walking snake with three heads..."

He shrugs, chuckling. He had declined the last two concepts, but the first one- the Malboro- had seemed fine to him!
superbshot: (Unsettled)

Returning

[personal profile] superbshot 2022-08-04 04:27 am (UTC)(link)
For now, right here.

[This girl definitely looks like she's ready to be helpful and all, but Caitlyn could see that she was stressed and exhausted. It doesn't take a detective to figure out that she was probably trying to push through the stress and be useful, when she really should be sitting and dealing.

So, Cait bustled over with a basket of fruit and sits down.]


First, you eat. Then, you help me sort out good from bad. There's some wormy apples in there, and I could use a hand sorting them.

[There aren't any wormy apples. This is just an excuse to get her to stay put for a minute.]
pyojeol: (pic#15854413)

[personal profile] pyojeol 2022-08-04 04:28 am (UTC)(link)
[don't call it mind palace what if it also has feet

Sooyoung immediately looks annoyed at the statement, mostly at the the fact that it's a statement and not even a question, and that it's right. She clicks her tongue,]


I'd have sent one already if I could.

[yeets a clone to kenoma, or to pleroma... if only]

But it's not like we really need it.

[the decision feels pretty clear cut to her? she glares at him again with her beady eyes, suspicious]