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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!

superbshot: <user name=malagraphic> (Talk Grim)

[personal profile] superbshot 2022-08-08 12:39 am (UTC)(link)
[She looks up.]

As much as I agree with you, there are others that...would not. Some of our number, including one of the strongest fighters, are definitely letting emotions cloud their feelings, but they have a point in some regards.

[She isn't happy about it, at all.]

The trouble is that the enemy doesn't really want to kill them. They want to convert them, and that could jeopardize Greentruth. Our only real stronghold. It's also the kind of action that we need to take. We can teleport, and some of us can create portals. If we can manage to sneak in and break our friends out, there's also a chance we can secret away a portal to make striking the city easier in future.

And there's also something to be said for the resistance carrying out the raid at all. It...is not the wisest move, but if we win, it will certainly rock the Kenoma, and rally more support from the locals. I see it both ways, and I'm inclined to caution myself, but we are...not exactly a military force.
Edited 2022-08-08 00:40 (UTC)
superbshot: <user name=malagraphic> (Gloomy)

[personal profile] superbshot 2022-08-08 12:45 am (UTC)(link)
They made you drink the sludge, didn't they?

[Caitlyn has a feeling. She remembers it all too well, herself. Her hands drop into the basket, deftly beginning to slide along the apples to try and find spots or holes. It's not perfect, but this is something menial and that had been what helped her get through it.]

It will pass. Just...occupy your hands, and your thoughts. Keep your head, and don't let it get to you.
cutlery: please do not take! (soldier finds job after skeleton war)

[personal profile] cutlery 2022-08-08 01:00 am (UTC)(link)
[ Sebastian nods lightly, since he's intrigued enough to do so for sure. He's a bit simple that way where a good conversation is more than enough reason for him to follow up. It's why he liked humans, at least so much as he was able. They were certainly never boring. ]

Then I shall. Hopefully it should not be too difficult. Though...

[ He trails off, but it's only to look back Silco's way with a smile. ]

If I may ask, what sort of reputation is it that proceeds you, Mr. Silco?

[ He's definitely trying to pry a bit, but there's also not a particular push by his words. It's more curiosity than anything else, since he's sure he'll be able to figure it out if he does indeed go asking. But knowing beforehand wouldn't be too bad. ]
lockedon: (b022)

[personal profile] lockedon 2022-08-08 01:31 am (UTC)(link)
[ Okay, first of all: ]

I'm not a mage.

[ Can't use magic to save his goddamn life, please government assign him a different Fate/ role, thanks. Second of all: ]

I didn't summon you. [ Just to reiterate. ] The Regent did. They're the one you'll be serving here. I'm just the escort.

[ An annoyed one, by the way he seems to be tiredly gazing at her. Why......does this woman talk so much................please, he just wants a break. ]
lockedon: (039)

[personal profile] lockedon 2022-08-08 01:47 am (UTC)(link)
[ It's a fair question to ask. For about thirty seconds, it really looks like Eustace might actually acquiese to the request without much fuss, his face contemplative as he continues staring at Joonghyuk.

Then, abruptly, he holds out the bottle of water he'd retracted earlier. ]


Drink some water first. Then we'll talk.

[ Surely that should be a fair trade? ]
devilmancrybaby: official art (the best way to solve problems)

[personal profile] devilmancrybaby 2022-08-08 02:03 am (UTC)(link)
[ Binghe hums in approximate agreement. ]

Well... I'm sorry to say that it's unlikely he's come here with you. That isn't how it usually works, I don't believe—it's just one at a time.

But really, this is no place for a, hm, a child, is it?

[ He smiles a little, electing not to bring up the whole 'homeworlds destroyed' thing. If this guy doesn't seem worried about it right now, no reason to spook him! ]
lockedon: (058)

[personal profile] lockedon 2022-08-08 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
[ Truthfully, even he's not certain of the exact definition of 'Aion'. Some sort of god-like creature, with the potential for unlimited power, and worshipped by so many of the locals for simply existing. (Or, conversely, hated by a good percentage of the locals for simply existing, depending on where one goes.)

None of that is exactly something he can say succinctly though, especially not without context.

So he's grateful to Cassius for amending his question, and for digging for answers that are easier and more concrete to give. ]


It means that we've been brought here to fight a war, one instigated by the Regent, and depending on what side of that war you're on, you'll be seen as either a savior or a villain.

[ ....Never mind, maybe that answer isn't as concise as he would have liked. ]

Wherever we go we leave behind destruction, for better or worse.
rosethorns: (01)

[personal profile] rosethorns 2022-08-08 02:10 am (UTC)(link)
[How intriguing. There is much more to be discovered here than she initially thought. It seems life in Horos will come with a bit of a learning curve, but Dorothea is confident she will be up to the challenge.]

Well, I certainly hope I can get a handle on life here quickly as well.

[What choice does she have, really? A brief attempt at a hopeful half-smile, then she pauses to take a sip of her tea. Speaking of getting a handle on things:]

Ah, you mentioned Greentruth and Godsblood—are they far from here? I merely wonder how much of a trek I should expect once it’s finally time to leave this place.
rosethorns: (03)

[personal profile] rosethorns 2022-08-08 02:12 am (UTC)(link)
The amusement in his voice makes his words all the more chilling. Even past all the unfamiliar terms, his intent is made clear enough, a picture further painted with each word spoken. A stage set for a tragedy, made all the more stark with the emptiness pressing in around them.

Dorothea is gripped by an icy unease as his attention returns to her more sharply. She is not quite convinced that he isn’t something simply conjured up out of the void, a manifestation of the fear he speaks of. He is evidently willing to play the part, at the very least. That earlier contempt and distrust that first compelled her to push him away seizes her once again in earnest.

She takes a step back, then another. But her features sharpen, eyes narrowed and lips turned down into a severe frown.

“Perhaps more spiteful than hopeful.”
rosethorns: (05)

[personal profile] rosethorns 2022-08-08 02:19 am (UTC)(link)
(( i've been playing her here with female byleth in mind thus far, so i hope you don't mind a little identity confusion to start with? ))


[It’s an odd mixture of feelings, to discover that she’s not alone in this place. Finding that she isn’t the only one stumbling around here is a sad sort of comfort, but considering the embarrassing state they are both in, its a trepidatious one at best. She manages a quick glance at the approaching man—primarily to see if he is true to his word about closing his eyes.

She’s struck by an odd sense of familiarity with the man, though she’s almost certain they’ve never met. She can’t quite pinpoint why though—something in his features or his manner of speaking, perhaps?—and it hangs in the back of her mind like an incessant itch.

Was she simply delirious from her frantic escape from that crystalline prison? Perhaps her thoughts are still something of a jumbled mess from that haunting dream she’d found herself having just prior to coming to her senses here.

The dream that she tries to search past in her memories as she considers his question.]


No, I’m afraid I don’t. [She sighs.] Just the haze of an odd dream and then… finding myself here.

[Dorothea pulls her arms tightly against herself, partly to ward off the chill and partly to cover what she can.]

I suppose it’s fair to assume you’re as clueless as I am here, then?
lifespanned: (pic#15725199)

[personal profile] lifespanned 2022-08-08 02:38 am (UTC)(link)
[ Since he starts taking off, she scrambles on after him, scooping up the robes as she goes. What a bizarre person...? ]

Uh— hey, wait! [ Once she manages to catch up to him, shoulder to shoulder, she lightly whaps him in the side with the fabrics in her hands, as a gentle reminder. ] You don't want to meet them going out like that, do you? Aren't you like, embarrassed or anything...

[ Or maybe.... this kind of thing is normal in his home world?! ]
settingup: (i got stamina)

[personal profile] settingup 2022-08-08 02:54 am (UTC)(link)
[ Oh thank god, it's getting quieter, it's starting to be less grating, it's--

Worse than before once the crying starts.

Atsumu grits his teeth and he pushes himself to his feet, brows furrowed as he makes his way over to Bruno. The good news is as much of a jerk as he can be, he's never physically bullied anyone before, and even though the Kenoma inside of him right now is really stretching his patience thin enough that he might be willing to lash out with violence with the right provocation...

A sad grown man crying isn't it. Instead he'll be taking the blanket that he got earlier from a veteran Kenoma, and tossing it down on top of Bruno's head. It's meant to offer some comfort, the same way that it was when Ciel passed it to Atsumu, but the delivery of the comfort item really leaves a lot to be desired.
]

Ain't you too old to be blubberin' like this?
ricordi: (015)

[personal profile] ricordi 2022-08-08 03:23 am (UTC)(link)
Hmm. [cassius is thinking about the answers eustace gives-- typical for the erune, but still carries some ambiguity that he didn't expect eustace to deliver. usually there's no mistaking the meaning of what this skydweller means.

after all, war is always a destructive force, and both he and cassius should know that because they're in a war as well, even if many in the sky realm do not know. but cassius reminding eustace about it again serves no purpose.]


The people are allowed to think what they think because of the war. It should not concern us as soldiers. [which should say a lot of how the moon conducts itself, and cassius' stance on such things.

but there are no civilians on the moon. every single one of them are soldiers, contributing to their society in some way.]
But who is the Regent?
coerthantorment: (105)

[personal profile] coerthantorment 2022-08-08 03:45 am (UTC)(link)
[That's enough. He's been bracing for it this entire time, giving Aerith the chance to hear the opposition and know that he doesn't mean to simply whisk her away without objection. Yet, he knows what it looks like when someone is moving with intent. He can see it in Amos clear as day.

He snarls, finally jolting into action. He practically slithers around Aerith from the side, launching himself at Amos with his taloned feet first, as his wings spread and hold him aloft. He's hoping to ward Amos off, to knock him back, without employing any techniques that might catch Aerith in the blast.

Whether or not his talons strike true, he'll be quick to spiral in the air, lashing out with the saw-like spines of his tail. The message is clear: get the hell out of their space.]
fallingsand: (29;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2022-08-08 03:53 am (UTC)(link)
[ Bruno gives a jump, the touch on his shoulder startling him out of his staring contest with the slowly dying cosmos. He turns towards Jayce. It isn't enough of a movement to dislodge the hand on his shoulder but almost, almost. ]

Wh-what? Why, don't you... don't you see it? [ He waves up towards the sky, all the swirling colors and lights. ] The stars, they're all going dark, like. Like they're dying. That can't be real, right?
semicharmed: (bad idea)

[personal profile] semicharmed 2022-08-08 03:55 am (UTC)(link)
[ Matt's agreeing sound is half a laugh, half a murmur. He has no idea what he's in for, it's true--but you know, when does he ever? The prospect of learning, sharing, and magic dangle before him, three of his very favorite things in the remnants of the universe, and for now, that's enough.

He follows Sebastian's gaze, his own expression softening. ]


I hate to step on anybody's whimsy. But it's true that we do ... need you, over here. So sooner is probably better. [ For a moment, Matt looks somewhere between wistful and sad. But he shakes himself out of it, mustering one more smile. ] I'm gonna stay here for a little while longer. But I'll catch you on the other side.
scarabwings: (Default)

[personal profile] scarabwings 2022-08-08 03:58 am (UTC)(link)
That's almost startlingly optimistic, given the circumstances - but it's a sort of optimism that speaks to the part of her that's prone to wanderlust.

"There is that," she says. "It's always been one of the most fascinating parts of traveling. Everyone has a story. Every place has a history."
fallingsand: (62;)

[personal profile] fallingsand 2022-08-08 03:59 am (UTC)(link)
[ Having a blanket dumped over his head like that is surprising enough to have Bruno trail off into sniffles. The misery abates some, for now, and he raises his head, lifting a hand to push the blanket up and away from his face. Fresh black tears streak his already grime-encrusted face as he peers up at Atsumu. ]

Yeah? And aren't you too young to be s-so serious?

[ Another sniff, although this time it's accompanied by a faint smile. There's something purely ridiculous about this, some kid scolding him for crying like a little child. ]
settingup: (i got stamina)

[personal profile] settingup 2022-08-08 04:07 am (UTC)(link)
[ If he's not dying, then what is happening to him? It certainly feels like he just got poisoned, but he's also saying that from the point of view of a person who has never in his life actually ingested any sort of poison. It feels like what he imagines poisoning would feel like though.

Or... no, maybe that's not entirely true. He could never have imagined something this unpleasant before, but it certainly feels like something is deeply wrong inside of him now, and he just wants it out.

Paradoxically, now that Amos is no longer trying to put a hand on him, Atsumu starts trying to scuttle away from the man, twisting his head to look in confusion at the entrance, trying to see what Amos seems to be looking out for.
]

That's bullshit! Explain it to me now!

[ The scowl on his face is twisted slightly, his anger marred by the pain he's feeling. ]

Or at least lemme go back to my real home!
eightfoldfiend: (move a mass inside my Roche limit)

[personal profile] eightfoldfiend 2022-08-08 04:17 am (UTC)(link)
What?

[He isn't embarrassed. He doesn't have any sense of propriety.

But as his mind slows down from the flood of information he has to acknowledge that naked men don't make much of a first impression.

So he reaches out and snatches the clothes.]


Ah. Right.

[He places the robe at his feet and starts rubbing the damp from his hair.]

Another question...

What world is this?

[That seems like a fact worth knowing.]
lachtara: (Help)

[personal profile] lachtara 2022-08-08 04:27 am (UTC)(link)
Ah. You want a fight, Is that it?
ricordi: (014)

[personal profile] ricordi 2022-08-08 04:54 am (UTC)(link)
From experience, and what I'm told, you cannot get used to it. [cassius straightens, but does not crowd the man, or move closer. he just has his head tilted to the side as he thinks about how he has to phrase this comment.]

Someone put it as "accepting the Kenoma", and I don't have a better term for it, illogical as the phrasing and methods are.

I still don't know how it works, only that it does.
galdorleod: ([black] wince)

[personal profile] galdorleod 2022-08-08 04:56 am (UTC)(link)
[ ...what...the hell was that? That reaction to Ciel's self-introduction? Or was he reacting to some other part of it...? Either way, without having to think about it, Howl decides that he did not like it, whatever it was. Especially not when it was paired with creepy comments about meals and eating. His smile tenses and he takes a step backwards, into his own flank, putting himself between Ciel and Sebastian. ]

...right, then. [ With a flick of his wrists, he lightly tossed the returning stone to Sebastian. ] Put this around your neck, and I'll escort you to Achamoth. [ He turns his head slightly to address Ciel without taking his eyes off Sebastian. ] Unless you have any objections?
theorems: (pic#15347650)

[personal profile] theorems 2022-08-08 05:26 am (UTC)(link)
Perhaps I am from one of your "isolated cultures."

[A dry joke. He's certain now he's from somewhere less advanced, if this man can travel space.]

We have not traveled beyond the atmosphere... as far as I am aware. Piltover- the City of Progress- has only in the past decade come to harness magic into measured use. Instantaneous travel between cities. It would be fascinating to try and apply what we know to the stars.

[But resources. Time. And of course- it's not like traveling to space is going to improve the living conditions on Runeterra. Space travel might as well be a pipe dream, for him.]

But no. No "hyperdrives."
salvageable: (pic#15332068)

we gotta cut him in half again... 24% now

[personal profile] salvageable 2022-08-08 05:32 am (UTC)(link)
[ The sound that comes out of him next is hard to describe, an odd mixture of a choked back sob and a broken laugh. Of course. Of course she had figured out that the Dokja he'd left back with them wasn't all of him. Of course Han Sooyoung would know. He'd taken her ability and tried to deceive her with it and he'd known. But more than anything he had hoped they would understand and learn to accept what they had.

Because it was better than nothing at all.

He raises his hand to swipe at his tears, breath rattling at every inhale and exhale. He's no stranger to crying in front of her, but there's something especially shameful about it now. ]


... The one who stayed behind.

[ His voice is barely above a whisper, almost lost to the distant hustle and bustle of the city surrounding them. He could have lied, the way he always seems to do, but it's honesty that comes forward this time. Doesn't he owe that much to her? ]

I'm sorry.