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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: please do not take! (I can confirm this is how you sports)

[personal profile] cutlery 2022-08-04 11:07 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Her answer surprises him, but it at least gives him a direction for sure. Clearly, she prefers darker tales, which is good news for him, since he has plenty of that sort. However. The specific category she's picked has a slight problem... ]

Ah. Well, I do not dream, so I have never had one...

[ He's barely even slept, actually, since it wasn't necessary for him, and so it felt like a waste of time. He's too much of a busybody to enjoy it at all. ]

But I do know of nightmares. If you do not mind terribly that they are not my own, I have some I can recount.

[ Granted, he could have picked one of those in the first place and borrowed them as if they were his own, but... He's quite certain any follow-up questions about the stories would reveal the same fact that they weren't his own, hence being straightforward upfront. But still, he's aware that he's phrased it oddly enough that his lack of dreaming might draw her attention more anyways. ]
wavetrain: <user name=animatedwings site=twitter.com> (pic#15836489)

[personal profile] wavetrain 2022-08-04 11:17 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh, I may, huh?

[ She laughs. She's not actually offended by this particularly, but she does think this guy is acting more than a little too big for his talons. Or, uh, his paws...? Whichever. ]

I've never heard of a merfolk before, though. What exactly are those, if you've got throngs of them all over the ocean where you're from?
cutlery: please do not take! (people don't think he be like he is)

[personal profile] cutlery 2022-08-04 11:25 pm (UTC)(link)
So indeed. These seems like quite a bit more difficult a process than a standard egg would as well.

[ Sebastian steps closer to the crystal and lightly raps his knuckles against the surface of it. It's quite solid, sounding (and feeling) exactly like he would expect, but that's not quite what he was hoping for. He's still a little perplexed at how the process had worked at all... Maybe it softens from the inside to the outside? Bizarre. ]

I suppose we can only wish this soul luck for now? I can only speak for myself, but I am quite certain I cannot muster the strength to break it any further.

[ He speaks to the same thought she has, though he's also a bit more troubled by it. Normally, it would be trivial for him, as monstrously strong as he is. Though even if he were, he probably wouldn't... If his guess about the process is anywhere close to correct, he's also fairly certain he would accidentally crush them, so, you know, less than ideal. ]
wavetrain: <user name=animatedwings site=twitter.com> (pic#15836494)

[personal profile] wavetrain 2022-08-04 11:25 pm (UTC)(link)
"Huh, so there are different kinds?"

Definitely different from animus magic, then. She peers at his hand, the one that was surrounded by that purple glow just before, as if she'll be able to see any leftovers if she looks hard enough.

"Where I come from, we only have one kind of magic, and... well, you have to be hatched with it, but I don't know if it's what you'd call 'innate' to anybody."
wavetrain: <user name=animatedwings site=twitter.com> (pic#15836495)

[personal profile] wavetrain 2022-08-04 11:35 pm (UTC)(link)
Due to the lack of natural predators in this cavern, these fish are pretty chill, so when Tsunami scoops her webbed talons through the water she just comes up with a handful of them.

"Here," she says, holding up her claws so he can look at them wiggle iridescently. "You want some?"
scythegun: (RELAXED ⇝ hahaha wow)

[personal profile] scythegun 2022-08-04 11:42 pm (UTC)(link)
My, how delightful. I can think of a few interesting things to do with so much freedom!

[Though that just makes your decision to go to church even more baffling. Do you just really like sacrificing people.....]

You have my thanks for the information as well, of course.
wavetrain: <user name=animatedwings site=twitter.com> (pic#15836498)

[personal profile] wavetrain 2022-08-04 11:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Tsunami isn't exactly the world's best dragon at stealth, she'll readily admit, and right now her strength is a long way from reassuring her about that fact. If this guy is willing to help her, then... ]

... Okay. [ A brief pause. ] But if you're lying to me, then I am going to bite you.
vivificantem: (042. there in my savior's love)

[personal profile] vivificantem 2022-08-04 11:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[NO, HE DOESN'T, ACTUALLY...]

Yeah, of course. If there's anything else you'd want to know about, you can ask us. We've all been around for a while.
cutlery: please do not take! (I'm barbeque as fuck)

[personal profile] cutlery 2022-08-04 11:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Sebastian is quick to reach up to his mouth and wipe away at the ichor to smear it on the robe instead. As he feels even a trickle of his abilities return, his appearance is also the first thing to be "fixed". Like they were coming with the motion of wiping away the ichor, his teeth and eyes are quite suddenly perfectly human, with no more of a flourish than if they had been that way the whole time. ]

Ha— Well, I must eat my words slightly, for I would not describe it as simple. [ But also clearly not "uncomfortable", as Ciel had picked ] How intense...

[ He seems to ignore Howl's question at first, and there's a part of him that would pointedly prefer to. Even just a sliver of that truth sneaking out isn't something he particularly likes, and the idea of his thoughts not quite being secretive is unpleasant, to say the least. But he also feels that to avoid it completely would be worse. Sebastian looks at Howl, though it's as he's still wiping at his mouth. Besides being unsightly, he finds the ichor to taste quite unpleasant (somewhat ironically), so he's rather preoccupied with trying to get as much of its remnants out... ]

...My meals tend to run quite a bit lighter than humans', shall we say.

[ He gives that little bit of information hoping that it's a distraction from the main point. Admitting he's not human is much better than admitting the particulars of his diet, he thinks. And besides, as Ciel continues, he nods along, but he does make a light noise in response first. ]

Ah, there is, yes. It is but a trifling matter by comparison, but I believe introductions are in order? Do pardon me for not doing so to start.

[ It's important to him not only because of his sense of manners, but because if these two have seen (and heard) a hint of the monster that's lying underneath the surface, he would very much like to know who they are. He brings a hand to his chest, and in a gesture that seems quite at odds with the situation for its formality and elegance, he dips into a bow. ]

Sebastian Michaelis. It is a pleasure, despite the odd circumstances... You both have my sincerest thanks for your assistance.
Edited (i italicized two verys and i cannot let that stand) 2022-08-04 23:52 (UTC)
devilmancrybaby: <user name=the_sad_gay site=twitter.com> ((therefore you can't call him crazy))

rebirth

[personal profile] devilmancrybaby 2022-08-05 12:03 am (UTC)(link)
Not much peace to be found here, I'm afraid.

[ Binghe can tell that isn't literally what this guy is asking about, but, well, you know.

He smiles. ]


You must have just arrived, hm?
arcaneward: (127)

[personal profile] arcaneward 2022-08-05 12:15 am (UTC)(link)
[ Usually, there's only one thing that means, and Aerith looks to the light and then back to Kaeya, distraught. ]

...Did I die?
definitelynotalich: (Default)

[personal profile] definitelynotalich 2022-08-05 12:24 am (UTC)(link)
Vaden's brows admittedly lifted a little at the mention of a shark with eight legs or a walking snake with three heads. These seemed sort of antithetical to the creatures he was aware of. How interesting this other man's job must be to see such fascinating creatures though.

"If I may ask - what line of work were you in that you would see such fascinating creatures?"

It sounded like the work of rather enterprising mages, really. Such studies, he imagined, would be met with constant discussion of ethics and the like where he was from - he already had to suffer through so many people saying to his face that his own topic of study was something only evil men would do.
definitelynotalich: (Default)

[personal profile] definitelynotalich 2022-08-05 12:47 am (UTC)(link)
For as small stature as this irritating pipsqueak had, she sure was awfully full of hot air. She droned on about how he was a fool (he most certainly was not), she was in some hurry, she didn't trust him, something this, something that, some other thing. He perhaps zoned out and ignored the incessant barrage of squawking spilling out of her mouth. He wished he could feel any of his magic at his fingertips to do something to shut her up but he was too weak to conjure even a magelight, much less probe for long-forgotten bodies that might be remotely nearby. Even his vampiric powers were failing him right now despite the fact that he was fully fed.

He snapped back to attention when a man entered. Vaden reflexively felt his body tense, readied for combat. He was not particularly useful when it came to a physical fight but he would be damned if he didn't at least try. When the bag landed at his feet unceremoniously and the man left he felt himself only slightly relax. Whatever that man was it wasn't alive - it could be the thing was a fresh body raised by a necromantic spell and this girl was like he was, or it could have been a vampire thrall with how the skin was pale enough to match his. It was hard to tell.

Regardless, he kept an eye on the girl as he fished the robe out of the bag and clothed himself. It was a little big - for as much as he had degraded her for her height, he wasn't exactly tall himself. He also specifically avoided the offered food and water - food and drink were worthless to him so if he were to waste the effort on it then he should have food and drink he really enjoyed. Hard bread that was who knows how old and water weren't even worth the consideration.

"Thank you for the clothes," he said tersely. It was clear he didn't mean it but it was something that he had been drilled into saying. He was a rich boy once, with expectations weighing heavy on his shoulders.

"But if I am to be quite frank, I was doing fine up until the moment you showed up and started acting like I am some fool that will listen to the first person who crosses my path. Unless you can give me something more concrete than they're liars, I imagine they will give me more respect than to call me canon fodder to my face."
zauneyete: (drug deal papers)

yeah on what... 💦

[personal profile] zauneyete 2022-08-05 12:52 am (UTC)(link)
[ When Kaeya reached out to offer his sword to Jinx, he actually smirked, a twist of his lips and scars that was half gruesome, but... He didn't say anything, or he couldn't because the boy was already summoning a vast wave that would have drowned them. He didn't quite get in front of Jinx when he pulleder. Enough so, that Silco can sigh, out loud, as he turned away from Rand, outright ignoring him now that Kaeya was here to make sure they could get out, and he spread his hands. ]

If you want an ice sword, we'll find a way to get you an ice sword later, Jinx.

[ Has Silco given anyone anything other than alcohol or a shot of that drugged touch from his gloved fingers? Never. Would he figure out a way to get an ice sword for Jinx? Of course he would. It's not like Silco could deny her every whim that she had, after all.

He stepped a little closer to Jinx, and pulled something out of his vest pocket, a little necklace, with a small stone on it. He held it out to Jinx, fingers quick this time, to make sure that they made it out before the boy moved to attack them again. They weren't safe yet, despite the fact that he had backup. If he could call a wave, then he could do other things that could be even more dangerous.
]

Put this on, Jinx. We're leaving. [ A pause. ] It's like...portable hextech.
zauneyete: (why are you here)

[personal profile] zauneyete 2022-08-05 12:58 am (UTC)(link)
No, I'm not.

[ He tipped his head. ]

Well, if you don't take it willingly, they'll make you.

[ He jutted a finger towards one of the cultist, who had a cup of the liquid that Silco had in a vial in his pocket. He pulled it out, and offered it to him. There was no smile, no cajoling. If he didn't accept it from Silco, after all, one of the cultists would make sure he got it. It didn't matter to him, now that he was here. ]

I'm offering you the...kinder option. Just think of it as...a necessary thing.

When I had to drink it, they forced it down our throats in a ritual. This is a far cry better.
uproared: ▌helmet (when there's no more room in hell)

[personal profile] uproared 2022-08-05 01:04 am (UTC)(link)
[ It's an offhand comment, sure, but just the word dad is enough to cause a brief wave of anger to emanate from her, washing over him like a warning: don't go there. ]

... I'm not interested in stars. [ She falls silent for a few seconds, then: ] My kingdom is — elsewhere, and mine by right of birth and deed. All that remains is the trivial matter of succession.

[ ... So, yeah, she's not actually a king at all. ]
dragonmount: (🔆 exCUSE.)

winks saucily

[personal profile] dragonmount 2022-08-05 01:22 am (UTC)(link)
[ not that this isn't a serious situation and all, but at jinx's OUTRAGE, he can't help reflexively starting to say, ]

Of course I didn't see —

[ HELLO? HE WAS BUSY CHANNELING? the water didn't move itself! (well, technically) but then there's a sudden wall of ice between him and the rest of them. and the truth is,

he isn't sure how much he wants to fight for this. more recruits being taken to achamoth can only be a bad thing, but separating a ??? and a ??? seems — mm. and besides, he isn't interested in taking anyone anywhere, kicking and screaming. this jinx clearly won't want to come with him, and he isn't going to force her. he's not kenoma. so he doesn't try to melt the wall, or tear it apart. but he does step backwards and watch them go, mostly because he isn't interested in turning his back and finding a knife in it. ]
cutlery: please do not take! (definitely do _stuff_ inside)

[personal profile] cutlery 2022-08-05 01:22 am (UTC)(link)
[ He watches her reactions more intently than it might seem. After all, how can he not watch and compare what he sees now to what he had seen before? That dead-eyed stare and the pause strikes him as somewhat familiar. Demons unfamiliar with interacting with humans tended to do something similar, and so surely, he had been the same, at some point. Conveying emotions you don't feel is a process that's learned. It's only a guess, but he happens to be quite close. ]

Of course.

[ He approaches and either kneels before her or sits next to her (whichever ends up being more convenient), and takes her hand with a gentility that might be surprising from a man that had apologized for not killing her earlier. And in fact, he speaks to that with the lightest humor in his voice: ]

Consider it an apology for not answering your wish, perhaps?

[ Before he finishes up the wrapping, he does delicately feel at the bones to see if any are further out of place and need to be realigned. He's quite delicate, so the pain should be minimal, at least, but he does hold a bit of conversation to attempt to distract her from it just in case. Though considering she was taking care of it herself quite neutrally, he's not sure if it's necessary. ]

Fingers aside, how are you feeling now?
lachtara: (Down Scape)

[personal profile] lachtara 2022-08-05 01:25 am (UTC)(link)
There's a slight huff in response for being offered help. He is more than capable of standing on his own two feet. It's only with reluctance - and the awareness that there is no one else watching - that he takes the hand he's offered and stands.

Emet-Selch motions ahead of them. "There are two paths that lie ahead." Two paths whose meaning he is keenly aware of - the light path of the Pleroma and the shaded path of the Kenoma. The Kenoma path veers right and is bordered by all manner of jagged purple crystals as it rolls on and on into the darkness. The Pleroma path veers left, and it's made of pleasant lavender crystals tinged with shades of blue that stretch into an endless light.

He begins to walk. "Fate is cruel." He observes with a sigh. "For though we have only just found ourselves together, here our paths diverge once again. I travel down a path where you cannot follow."

[personal profile] expiera 2022-08-05 01:42 am (UTC)(link)
"It's a little sudden, true." Understatement, really. "Do you remember a dream you may have had before this, with the light in the center and darkness surrounding it? It was a prelude of things to come." She explains, though it may really not explain much at all.

"Still, please be more mindful going forward. You've arrived to Horos at a tense and difficult time, conflict can erupt at any moment." She continues without missing a beat, offering a polite word of warning before moving on to his question. "Aions are what you and I are, we awaken to this world reborn in these shrines. This is the shrine of the Artisan, incidentally. Are you a craftsman of some sort by any chance, if you don't mind me asking?"
uproared: (yeah i am crate trained)

[personal profile] uproared 2022-08-05 01:43 am (UTC)(link)
Does one "enjoy" breathing?

[ Edgy... but she says it with a completely serious expression. She was created to bring about death and destruction; war was the one thing that gave her life meaning. ]

As long as humans exist, war is inevitable. I'm smart enough to use their folly for my own benefit — and I'll cut down as many of them as it takes to get my way.
uproared: ▌helmet | coloured manga icons were comissioned from <user name=keldeo>, please don't take! (only the good die young?)

[personal profile] uproared 2022-08-05 01:57 am (UTC)(link)
[ Mordred's a tiny jester in a big helmet, it's fine... ]

Betrayal and darkness have long been my companions. [ Okay. ] Make them your own, and they can no longer bind you. They become just another tool to wield — contemptible, but familiar. What can the light possibly offer by comparison?
arcaneward: (aerith-0317)

[personal profile] arcaneward 2022-08-05 02:27 am (UTC)(link)
[ Growing up in the slums, safety was a tenuous concept. Promised safety came at a price, if it ever came at all, and while the sentiment was appreciated, the people of the Midgar slums knew better than to trust it.

But being alone? That's something that Aerith has felt keenly her entire life. She had friends as a child, but they knew there was something.. off about her, something strange. She learned quickly to keep her powers to herself, lest she lose friends, and as she grew into an adult, she started keeping people at ever so slightly a distance. Easier to grieve the loss of someone if you kept part of your heart away from them. The few people who she hadn't? Were taken by the sky.

So it means more to her to hear him say that she won't be alone, and she believes him. There's a warmth coming from him that endears her, just a little, and she smiles at him as warm as she feels, nodding once. ]


Thank you, Rand. I appreciate that.

[ She's nearly done with her sandwich, and she pops the last bit into her mouth, hesitating. She needs to wipe her fingers off, but... ]

Do you have a napkin?
regression: (pic#15851291)

[personal profile] regression 2022-08-05 02:30 am (UTC)(link)
[ THERE ARE PLENTY OF FEET HERE Between them two there are four right now. If only Sooyoung can do that... It seems clear cut to her, but not the same for him? He has seen seemingly safe choices go wrong. As his brain whirrs, his nose wrinkles.

When he's about to say something he senses her gaze and looks—
]

Why are you looking at me like that?

[ If you want to say something, say it to his face. ]
arcaneward: (aerith-1114)

[personal profile] arcaneward 2022-08-05 02:31 am (UTC)(link)
[ The flower is left to his care, and Aerith drops her hand, fingers curling as he speaks. Her gaze drops back down to the flowers, so reminiscent of the ones she'd spent weeks cultivating. ]

But now you think it is.

[ It's not a question, just an observation, and her mouth presses into a thin line, brow furrowing. ]

Why did you give up?

[ She looks back up at him. ]