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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!

cutlery: (set phasers to stunning.)

thank u expobot

[personal profile] cutlery 2022-08-04 02:48 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Luckily Ciel is... exactly correct in all regards. He listens attentively, but his brow definitely quirks slightly in interest only when she mentions regaining abilities. It's a reaction he would hide normally, but he doesn't get the impression that there's a particular need, though for different reasons with the two of them. The look of interest falls as Howl adds onto the explanation, but it's to one that's more amused than anything else. By comparison, it also feels like the most honest expression of those he's shown so far. ]

Oh? How kind indeed, for I am nothing if not a fan of honesty.

[ There's humor in his voice, but it's chilly. It's only in response to that light threat, though, since his voice warms again with a laugh as he plucks the cork out of the vial. ]

There is no need to be forceful, however. I suspect it will be a relatively simple process, to be quite honest in return.

[ He shrugs, but with no further preamble, he'll drink the vial without complaint. And indeed, it does go quite quickly. And for the sake of being lazy to not retype basically the exact same thing, Ciel and Howl will get the lovely experience of prompt iii-a in my toplevel lmao ]
leicesters: academy (145)

[personal profile] leicesters 2022-08-04 02:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Gotcha. In that case, we can look forward to it as a victory feast.

[But he does notice her strained smile and how seriously she talks of the situation, so he'll rein in his enthusiasm a bit.]

Can you tell me what the situation's like right now? What'll be our next battle?
leicesters: academy (144)

[personal profile] leicesters 2022-08-04 03:02 pm (UTC)(link)
I still need to rest a bit, sorry. If I'm holding you back, you're welcome to go on ahead and explore the area.

[The dragon's no doubt much stronger than a scrawny teenager like him and therefore quicker to recover, so he won't take it personally, should they split up for a while.

Regardless, they're later both taken by Pleroma to the lodestone cavern (and Claude manages to get a set of clothes to change into!) when he's later reunited with the black dragon. He dashes over, waving.]


Hey! So this is where you disappeared to.
cutlery: (smoke brisket not crack.)

[personal profile] cutlery 2022-08-04 03:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[ With the truth of the matter now said, it's almost a relief, in a way. Sebastian loves the game of dancing around the truth and never actually tires of it, but there's also a delightful freedom in being honest about his being, and it's one he's rarely afforded. It's one Ciel never allows, certainly. ]

Oh, very much so. To be collared is the price for me to step into the human realm, and it is not so bad. To bow my head and serve a human master is a very entertaining game. The covenants I offer humanity are very much weighted in my favor, after all.

[ Ah, truly... How nice it is to say aloud. ]

But as such, I would very much appreciate your discretion in the matter. I cannot call it unfair, but mortals do not take kindly to me, even when I am not exactly the sort of pitchfork wielding beast that their stories imagine my kind to be. I much prefer to well-behaved and unseen while I am among them. As I said, chaos for the sake of chaos is not something I am terribly interested in at this point.

[ He's certainly being more direct now, but he's drawing attention to his earlier point to quietly note that he's also not a dishonest creature. Deceptive, absolutely, but he has principles.

So now, rather fittingly with his being known, he looks again at the choice before them, though his eyes go to the abyss and nowhere else. ]


I suspect we may linger until we make our choice. There is nothing that seems to imply a rush, and I shall go straightforward into the forest dark, naturally. [ a shrug ] But to make the choice so quickly means missing out on conversation, hence why I have lingered.
bythelight: (1)

[personal profile] bythelight 2022-08-04 03:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Dormancy.

Implying he might have been here some time.

His grey-blue eyes flit out around the other crystals again, curious, then land on the statue. Somewhat unsteadily, Anduin pushes to his feet. One hand braces against crystal to steady himself, the other adjusting the blanket around himself. He takes a second to make sure he's staying upright this time, then slowly begins making his way over to the statue.

Fellow sovereigns, she had said, showing up based on attributes. Is 'sovereign' an attribute, then? It seems a peculiar thing. As he studies the statue and its crown, he can almost feel the weight settling on his shoulders again. Duty. Expectation.

"There are other shrines?" he prompts, turning back to her. She said 'a shrine', not the.
leicesters: academy (006)

[personal profile] leicesters 2022-08-04 03:19 pm (UTC)(link)
All right. I believe that, coming from you.

[He decides, even if he's still evidently unhappy about it. From an Adrestian noble it'd be a much more bitter pill to swallow, but Dorothea not so much. He just has the feeling she's telling the truth.]

Honestly, I don't want to believe Fódlan -- or anywhere beyond its borders -- is really gone. And no amount of arguing about a war back there is going to get us back any sooner. So... How about we set the past aside and go back to how things were? I still consider you a schoolmate, first and foremost.

[It's much, much fresher in his memory, of course, but he liked that Garreg Mach didn't draw so many dividing lines between people. The peaceful world he wanted will be that much further away, if he holds a grudge about it over here, too.]
bythelight: (3)

[personal profile] bythelight 2022-08-04 03:27 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Re-birthing ordeal?

There's a lot to process quickly in a short amount of time. The three eyes, the horns, the toe beans as J wiggles them to draw his attention.

Anduin tries to stay calm, even if the knowledge that he cannot channel the Light while in the presence of a creature so large is... unnerving.

Still, it hasn't done him any harm. It helped him to his feet. He may well just be tired, from -- whatever stasis this crystal put him in. ]


An old injury. Nothing you could have prevented, your timing was still perfect I assure you.
cutlery: (this is so overly sweet I'm going to vom)

[personal profile] cutlery 2022-08-04 03:40 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, not at all.

[ In fact, hearing that it's difficult work is good news to him. How boring would things be if it were simple? For a creature as ancient as he was, an actual challenge was something that tended to get rarer and rarer, so it had become something he delighted in as a result. It's no small reason in why his contract with Ciel is (was?) one that he was perhaps unusually dedicated to. Which, if they're exchanging professions, Sebastian laughs genially first, since he at least knows that his is a bit unusual. ]

I serve as the head butler to a noble household, myself. Though it is more accurate to call myself a general contract worker. [ ha ha ha ] If someone is able to pay for my services, then I do my utmost to fulfill them, and it just so happens that domestic servitude suited this particular one well.

[ He's tempted for a moment to complain about his "coworkers", since even besides the whole demon portion of it, calling himself a butler didn't cover everything he did... When the rest of your staff is incompetent, you end up just running the whole manor yourself, as it turns out. But he refrains. ]

Regardless, all of this is to say that I would be surprised if such a task were easier. If running a bar or a manor were the challenges, then surely the universe would have been long since swallowed up.
leicesters: academy (148)

[personal profile] leicesters 2022-08-04 03:46 pm (UTC)(link)
"So what did you specialise in, O Mighty Crab Lord? Did you work under this Mitron person?"

It's still hard to imagine a society like that, and for all he knows this stranger is just pulling his leg, but Claude is curious enough to hear where this all leads nonetheless.
galdorleod: ([black] bedroom eyes)

[personal profile] galdorleod 2022-08-04 03:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The new Aion's concession to the Kenoma is one of the fastest he's ever seen. And although the moment is brief, it's rife with tantalizing details — the wide grin showing odd bestial teeth, the way he seems to salivate the darkness just as quickly as he's swallowed it down, and the distinct sense of joy at the rush of feelings that the sludge imparts, which Howl is all too familiar with... feelings that are not pleasant, not meant to be joyful, at least not for the average person.

Howl can already tell that this man is going to be a good addition. For the most part, this fact is comforting. The Kenoma need more power. They need to be able to crush their opponents when the next opportunity arises, with as few people harboring secret doubts as possible. But deeper down in his soul, behind the layers of both native and forced pessimism, a chill runs up his spine. He wasn't as quick as Ciel to suspect that his guy is not normal, but he definitely gets it now.
]

...Delicious, you say?

[ Howl's placid smile stays frozen on his face. The Aion hadn't said anything of that sort aloud, but it came through to Howl as clearly as if he had. Ciel probably picked it up too, thanks to the amplifying effects of the sludge, even though she's of a different Legacy. The wizard looks over his shoulder back at her to gauge her reaction. Looks like they found a good one, doesn't it? ]
cutlery: (now he is drowning in pussy)

[personal profile] cutlery 2022-08-04 03:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It's advice not taken at all.

It's a combination of ignorance and arrogance, since as Sebastian will surely learn eventually, he's not by and far the most powerful creature here. There's some token of that he believes he knows, since even as his natural ability trickles back to him, it does feel like it's slowing, and he knows well that there's a ways to go. He's disappointed by that, though it's mostly directed at this Regent that he's heard of for being foolish in not returning all of it. But even so, he's still to arrogant to have heeded her warning, and especially not when there were such interesting happenings taking place here.

While Havoc had been adjusting (accepting), he's certainly spoken to more people. Some had similarly struggled, but most that drew his interest had not. Like finds like, he supposes.

It's about when he's thinking of finally leaving that he spots Havoc again, and the change in her demeanor is immediately apparent. He watches from afar for a moment as she works at resetting her fingers back in place, but he's drawn back. As he approaches, he gives a polite incline of his head. ]


Hello again, miss. [ The coldness in her eyes is noted, but reflected by an easy, false warmth in his. ] Would you like assistance, perhaps?

[ He nods to her fingers lightly. At least after caring for a human for a few years, he's now not so bad at tending to their injuries. ]
ktizo: (🎵 bound by love)

[personal profile] ktizo 2022-08-04 03:54 pm (UTC)(link)
"Me? I wasn't on the Convocation- but my speciality was soul sight. Nobody could see the density and hue of one's aether better than I could!"

It's the one thing he can be proud of, truly- his innate talent for seeing one's soul. "Indeed, I could pick out a particular soul from a long distance, and it meant that nobody could truly hide from me."

He grins- it had been a blessing, truly, because it meant Emet-Selch could never get away from him if Hythlodaeus wanted to pester him.

"Unfortunately, my soul sight seems to have... well, vanished here. I cannot for the life of me see them, no matter how hard I try." Which pretty quickly wipes the grin off his face, replaced by a sigh. The only thing he could say he was best at, and it's gone!
passio: (pic#15616645)

[personal profile] passio 2022-08-04 03:56 pm (UTC)(link)
[ oh, oops. he hadn’t mean to frighten anyone, but it’s not the first time this has happened. dextera tends to resemble some kind of ghoul when he stands just out of someone’s periphery. ]



[ he looks from the strange creature to the person accompanying it, somewhat flustered, mostly helpless. it’s not his fault! ]
lachtara: (Requiet)

[personal profile] lachtara 2022-08-04 04:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Stop you? My, no. You may tread wherever you see fit.

[ There's a verbal shrug in his voice. ]

I like to watch. As long as those I'm watching make it worth watching, of course. Try not to be boring, would you?
rosethorns: (01)

[personal profile] rosethorns 2022-08-04 04:06 pm (UTC)(link)
[She can feel some of the tension leaving her shoulders, and its simultaneously a welcome and unexpected sensation—the guilty part of her heart hardly believes herself deserving of such magnanimity.

Rationally, she knows he speaks true, however. Circumstances will be trying enough without them counting each other among the new enemies to be found here.]


Well, I’m willing if you are. [She tries for a smile, though it is admittedly a little strained.] Goddess knows, we’ll need all the help we can get if we’re to make it through this.
scythegun: (RELAXED ⇝ hahaha wow)

[personal profile] scythegun 2022-08-04 04:15 pm (UTC)(link)
You could just ask me, you know~

[But since neither of them are paying attention to him at this point, and Yeager isn't particularly inclined to try to stop them, he leans back on his hands, grinning.]

Though I imagine it would be rather anticlimactic to just stop fighting, ja? So don't let me get in your way!
scythegun: (GREETING ⇝ guten tag motherfuckers)

[personal profile] scythegun 2022-08-04 04:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Five months, hmm...

[Long enough to know what's going on, not long enough to say he's been here for "a long time".]

Well, then I ought to know who we're fighting! And why we're fighting, that's rather important too, I'd think.
superbshot: (Reformer)

[personal profile] superbshot 2022-08-04 04:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Not to be dour, but it's...poor. There were battles recently, more serious than in the past. The Regent sent a squad of Aions to murder dissenters in the city of Venera, and sent others to stage a public execution for a resistance member in Godsblood.

[Not happy talk...]

I'm unsure of how many dissenters were rescued, but it wasn't nothing. The execution failed as well, as we managed to free Vaeka. Good news, yes, though coupled with bad. Two of our number were captured by the enemy, and are held in the capitol.

It's likely that we'll be attempting a raid to free Himeka and Abel in the near future.
scythegun: (SHRUG 2 ⇝ the shruggening)

[personal profile] scythegun 2022-08-04 04:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Dreams do have a way of doing that, don't they? Where you feel as though you need to do something. I suppose there's some reason why we're having such a dream and why it seems like we need to make this decision.

[That... actually is entirely accurate and makes perfect sense in his current situation; he's at a crossroads as well, where he needs to make a major decision with how to proceed.

...Which is exactly why he shrugs once that's out there.]


Though I'm rather curious what will happen if I simply don't make that decision!
superbshot: (Talk Left)

[personal profile] superbshot 2022-08-04 04:21 pm (UTC)(link)
I relate completely. This is all beyond the scale of anything I've ever involved myself with.

[But she's putting her best foot forward.]

Still, there are enough of us Aions that can fight that you'll never go unsupported.

[Caitlyn holds out her hand, and from thin air appears a longbarreled rifle, glittering in the light of the cavern.]

You may also develop talents and abilities you didn't have before. In my case...it was being able to create this from nothing.
scythegun: (DECISION ⇝ you're totally fucked)

[personal profile] scythegun 2022-08-04 04:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[That gets him to pause, to cant his head a bit as if he can make out exactly what it is and where it's coming from - but frankly, Yeager has no frame of reference for anything like this, and no way to stop it, even though he would greatly prefer to. The result is a few flickers of something - almost emotional reactions, but tampered down quite a bit. Curiosity is present, but coupled with uncertainty - and then just like that, it's gone and there's... well, almost nothing. Like Yeager isn't feeling a damn thing at all.]

You may call me Yeager. Lead on then, I trust you aren't leading me into some sort of trap?

[It's light, good-natured humor despite the words. His sense of humor just runs dark, it's fine.]
scythegun: (EXPLAIN ⇝)

[personal profile] scythegun 2022-08-04 04:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[Yes and yes!! Give him a weapon and he's good to go.]

Oh, that's far more my style anyway. I'm sure it will be an interesting experience! What have some of the others chosen to do?
undertheweight: (DRAGON)

[personal profile] undertheweight 2022-08-04 05:26 pm (UTC)(link)
That flew over like a lead Horde balloon. Wonderful. Wrathion makes another grumble of distaste deep in his throat, but it's not really directed at anyone. Or if it is, it's self-directed.

Ugh. Yes, Anduin is that clever, and while Wrathion would prefer not to admit it, he'd said he wasn't going to hide things from the priest, now. And lying would be that. So he has to admit it. (Not that Anduin is twisting his forelimb, or anything.)

"I am. I've some sort of choice to make, and you know how well that goes." Making choices for others? Wrathion can do that, all the while keeping up pithy banter. Making choices for himself? He needs to dissect it, come at it from every angle, and make absolutely certain he's fully informed.

He ought to do that for other things (and other people) more often, as well. It might go over better.

"Until I do, many of my talents are...unavailable to me, shall we say?"
lachtara: (Resigning)

[personal profile] lachtara 2022-08-04 05:28 pm (UTC)(link)
There is no reply.

Emet-Selch rests his forehead against his friend's shoulder. After so long of struggling with heartbreak after heartbreak, this makes the possibility of knitting those pieces together again seem possible one day. One day...If he is able to remake it all and return what he loves most to the world.

He can feel the sorrow bubble up within him as he is given such a comforting squeeze, and it's a sentiment he provides in kind. His friend - and world - are gone and this is nothing more than a comforting illusion. Yet he still holds onto him as thought its the last shred of happiness that exists in the world.

Not to say illusions did not have their merits. With being here, he feels like he can gather enough strength to continue walking a lonely road with a burden so heavy. Just a little further until the end of it all.
undertheweight: (sly grin)

[personal profile] undertheweight 2022-08-04 05:35 pm (UTC)(link)
There aren't many other places I could be. Not without terrifying the populace. At least until I can change again.

[It might be a surprise that he hasn't yet, but Wrathion is the type who prefers to be master of his own circumstances. It's not easy to get him to make up his mind--he has to dissect and question and pull things apart, and he's dissatisfied, still. He definitely knows that the Kenoma and destruction is more his father's path--and he'd rather be dead first. If he won't reach for the Pleroma, he's stuck at the lodestone. Still, he's bemused for all of it.]

So, do the clothes make the man? I should hope you're feeling better now!