TDM #3

[aionmods]

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!

Comments

sebastian michaelis - black butler - celebrant

[cutlery]

I. DREAMING

[ There's a new face in the sea of stars, yet this one doesn't seem all that bothered as he stands in the expanse. His gaze is directed upwards, clearly admiring the beauty of what's above. He's a creature that's lived a very long time, but he finds the sight no less beautiful. In fact, he would argue that he finds it to be more beautiful than others might, since with millennia behind you, something truly surprising and lovely becomes rarer and rarer. Not yet making a choice of which path to take, he's drinking it in.

But as someone else comes closer, his attention turns away from the heavens and to you instead. It might be a little startling, since for having a normal (if handsome) appearance otherwise, his eyes are quite different. The irises are a bright, blood red, almost seeming to emit light with their intensity, and his pupils are slit like a cat's, though they're a relaxed calm despite everything before him. ]

Trying to decide which way to go?

[ And though his voice is gentle and pleasant, his teeth are as similarly inhuman as his eyes. They're sharp and dangerous, definitely belonging to a predator far more than anything else. It's quite the contrast. And it's one that he's deeply glad for, all things considered. Maintaining a human appearance takes so much effort that the lie is nearly engraved into his soul at this point. He can't help the slips of the eyes and the teeth, since they were always so much more flexible in his form than the rest, but this look is certainly better for conversation than the ever-shifting darkness that makes up his real face. aka the manga hasn't shown what his true form rly is yet, so I can't either, thanks yana ]

II. REBIRTH

[ What a sensation, being born.

Any demon would find the idea amusing, himself included, if not for the terrible weakness that comes with it. He finds it nothing short of disgusting, since it's how he imagines humans must feel all the time. Were he truly capable of the feeling, he would almost pity them.

Anyone nearby might see an odd gesture as Sebastian suddenly looks at the back of one of his hands, though nothing is there. His still too-red eyes narrow with the briefest flicker of fury, though it's quickly tempered. Again, feeling annoyingly weak, he stands with a heavy sigh. He doesn't seem to be ashamed of his nudity even a little, though. Which of course, why should he be? That was a terribly human thing to worry about, as far as he's concerned. ]

a. fellow newbies

[ Sebastian looks around curiously first to look back to the crystal he had come from with an intense gaze, but ends up breathing out a laugh as he reaches up to touch the shard of it that's now buried itself by his clavicle. But whatever he may be thinking will remain a mystery for now, since hearing you, he turns his attention that way. Perhaps you've just spilled out of your own crystal, or you're waiting for someone to come rescue you with clothes, but regardless, he speaks with an easy calm that absolutely doesn't fit the strangeness of the situation. Or, y'know, the states of undress. ]

My, my. I assume you are feeling as poor as I?

b. everyone else

[ He doesn't linger inside the cave long, and instead heads to its mouth to attempt to get his bearings first. This is all strange—bizarre, even—but Sebastian is nothing if not pragmatic. Even with the strange vision (or more than that, clearly) in his mind of that darkness, it's easily set aside for now. As he sees someone approaching he politely steps by an outcropping of rock to cover his bits, though it doesn't seem to be out of any sense of shame, considering he gives a small wave of greeting before speaking up. ]

Why, pardon me. You would not happen to have anything I may cover myself with, would you?

III. RETURNED (KENOMA)

[ It takes very little convincing, ultimately. Perhaps he should have a bit more caution, being in such a terribly, terribly weak form, but demons weren't exactly known for being cautious. Sebastian looks at the dark vial with interest first, since the pitch black nature of it is amusingly similar to his own shadows. It's because of that familiarity that he can also guess that it won't exactly be pleasant. ]

a. during (briefly)

[ But as it turns out, he's mistaken.

All of those dark, despairing feelings might as well be a balm to his twisted being. Despair may not be something he's prone to, but darkness? Why, he's nothing else but that. They're the exact kinds of feelings that he loves to cultivate in a soul he's contracted (and alas, what a tragedy it was to lose Ciel's exquisite one!), so more than anything, it makes him salivate. He almost laughs, since indeed, that black ichor drips out of his mouth, and what a sight that must be through his vicious teeth.

He doesn't particularly care about forging a new world.

But if it wanted to bring these exquisite feelings to the world that remains? ]

Why, there would be nothing more delicious.

[ It's the only thought that slips out to others (to you), because the prospect is accepted immediately. It may not be a contract, but... This is not so bad, he thinks. If that single soul he had been cultivating had slipped between his fingers, then this was at least an amusing way to pass the time. ]

b. after

[ If you're still hesitating to drink, you might just be approached by Sebastian. You may have seen him earlier, since his brightly red eyes stood out, if nothing else, but they've now faded to a much more human eyes that are a warm amber instead. Similarly, those vicious teeth are gone, if you happened to notice them too. Finding even a sliver of his ability returned to him, of course his first step is to mask those obvious signs that he was anything more.

He gives a short nod to the vial, then gestures to it in a rather elegant way. It comes off as quite formal, oddly enough. ]

As a suggestion, I would go ahead. I do not think the process will get any smoother by waiting, to be honest.

IV. WILDCARD

[ None of these prompts tickle your fancy? Let's do something different! I'm always down for a custom starter, so ask away either through a PM or via runthejewels. Or just go for it?! I'm flexible!

Also as ooc notes, I prefer brackets but will match prose no problem, and if your character is able to sense the fact that Sebastian is a demon (even if it's... a bit obvious here...), absolutely feel free to do so! ]

ii-b

[expiera]

[The flicker of red falls upon cool blue, belonging to a robed woman with short blue hair who looks just as calm and unfettered as he manages within seconds. She offers a small and polite bow of greeting in turn, and holds out a folded bundle of gray fabric to him at his request.]

Of course. Would you like water or food as well?

[The Kenoma's situation doesn't change how she treats newcomers. She'll be happy to provide some basic information next, but as for how this may end...]

[cutlery]

[ ...How surprisingly helpful!

Really, he had been expecting at least some sort of (annoying) question, since his rather... improper state isn't exactly his ideal for meeting someone's acquaintance, but. Naturally, this is much preferred. He takes the bundle with a rather deep but grateful bow of his head. ]

Thank you very much, madam.

[ He thinks that the thanks are important to give, but otherwise wastes no time in quickly tugging on the clothing. Between the number of those odd crystals and the fact she came prepared, he supposes this wasn't unexpected? How odd. These circumstances grow all the stranger, but he's certainly curious. ]

—Ah, but no, thank you to the food or water. I'm well enough.

[ He's ravenous, truthfully, but that's a matter he'll have to resolve on his own. Business first, since even with his fast, he's not exactly hard-pressed to find a meal. ]

I take it that this is not an uncommon occurrence?

[galdorleod]

[ At that moment, the crunch of footsteps comes from Ciel's flank, deep in the brush. Within a few seconds, a thin, black-haired young man can be seen between the trees, sporting a long, unbuttoned black coat and carrying a woven basket in his arms. The young man stops suddenly as he spies Ciel and an unknown individual speaking together, and after some hesitation, he trots through the bushes to join them. Even a stranger would notice that he behind his nice clothing and careful grooming, there's exhaustion on his face. And... feathers on his face, too, along his cheeks and jawline.

Howl keeps his eyes on the unknown man until he reaches Ciel's side, where he gives her a cautious glance. A new Aion, from the Celebrant's shrine...! ]

...I hate to say it, but you were right. [ Howl looks back to the Aion in question and, after looking him up and down, gives a polite nod. ] Greetings, sir. I see we've been fortunate enough to bring clothes of your size?

ii-b.

[subsist]

[ while the shrine of the celebrant shouldn't have been his first choice, since it's not like this is the legacy he belongs to, this is where kaeya ends up nonetheless. venera isn't too far away from here, after all, so of course he'd use any excuse to check up on the surrounding areas. it hasn't been that long ago since the kenoma had been mobilized to sniff out insurgents from a particular list, so if anyone asks, he has the convenient excuse of claiming he's on the lookout for those who were able to escape.

today, however, isn't all about that. they have a very specific objective, and it's one that kaeya intends to follow through with no matter who gets in his way. so far, it doesn't seem like anyone else is around when he pokes his head inside the shrine, but it's not long after that he hears an unfamiliar voice call out to him.

the smile on his face comes easily, one hand lifting up a small bag that seems heavy with what it contains. ]

As a matter of fact, I do.

[ he pulls out the blanket and approaches to carefully drape it over the man's frame, letting go to let him handle how best to cover himself up. ]

How are you feeling? Do you require water?

[cutlery]

Why, thank you very much, sir.

[ He's honestly a little surprised that the young man does indeed have something, but of course he won't be complaining in the slightest. He takes the blanket with a rather deep bow of his head, and he's swift to adjust it for at least a modicum of modesty. Truly, he finds it deeply irritating to find himself in such a state that he can't simply produce clothing himself, but that edge of irritation doesn't show at all. Instead, he just sighs and gives a small shake of his head. ]

...Well, I am certainly feeling a bit out of sorts, to put it mildly. [ extremely mildly ] Ah, but some water would be appreciated, actually, should you have any. My apologies for imposing all the same.

[subsist]

[ kaeya steps back to let the man regain some semblance of decency. while that's happening, he is already rifling through the small bag once more to procure a canister of water. it feels lukewarm for the moment, but there's a brief glow of icy blue coming from the tips of his fingers, so once he passes the canister along, it'll be cold to the touch. ]

Not at all. I was in your position a few months back, so I thought it was best to come prepared in order to spare anyone from the inconvenience.

[ quietly, he glances around the shrine, as if looking for something. or someone. his eye narrows ever so slightly. ]

You haven't encountered anyone else, have you?

[ whether another new aion... or worse, someone from the pleroma. it wouldn't hurt to keep his guard up. ]

III-a

[affal]

( the tickling mental sensation of something alien and yet altogether familiar stops makoto in his tracks; the dull sound of his shoes against the cool stone floor of the lodestone chamber slow and then halt, silence filling in the space for a few heartbeats before he turns and begins to pursue the fragment of thought and feeling to its source.

he hadn't had such an easy time with the illness that the Kenoma had brought upon him (largely self-inflicted). among demons, makoto is unique. he is not so naturally and innately umbrous — after all, he had lived his first fifteen or sixteen years of life as a human, only finding himself transformed into a demon after his death. he hadn't been the first former human in hell, but he had been something of a novelty because he had been the first to bend rather than break — typically the human mind can't survive such an adjustment and they fall to pieces, but makoto... well, it would be incorrect to say he came through his culture shock unscathed, but he had adapted surprisingly (perhaps alarmingly) well. in his version of earth and hell, he is the only creature to have been on both ends of a demonic contract, and so he knew full well the sensation and expectations of either one.

"speak your wish. I will grant anything you desire. the price will be your life." they are the same words that J had told him when he had summoned him as a human, and he had spoken the same every time he had been summoned himself to play the same role. it's a delicate thing, to give a beleaguered and desperate soul its deepest desire and yet fan the flames of its despair in such a way that they grow and metastasize, so that they would make it a worthwhile payout. makoto had developed his own methods when he had thrown himself into this work; it's not easy, and so the feeling of loss and wasted effort that accompanies a contract that has fallen apart due to circumstances outside of your own control... he can sympathize with that.

even if the hunger he had sought to satisfy had been one done so when he was contracted to J, not when others had contracted to him. )

And after all that hard work...

( makoto's strange eyes — pale irises against blood-red sclera, perhaps the only thing to signify him as inhuman besides the noticeable scar and sutures encircling his neck — can see with the True Sight that his attunement grants him; he doesn't have much to worry about with this soul. the Kenoma takes root easily enough. so instead of offering him woeful "encouragement," he instead offers a hand-towel. because, well, as necessary as the process is, it's not the most dignified in the world. )

Such a shame. ( he is right, though. if it's anguish that he's after, there's no shortage to be found in this world, even if it might teeter upon the edge of oblivion. )

[cutlery]

[ The darkness settles in him easily, as natural as if it were simply returning to a place it belonged. It's certainly how he thinks of it, since with it comes the sensation of missing pieces falling back into place. Whatever had happened to strip him of parts of his very being when he clawed out of that rock were being undone, and it would make him sigh in a bit of relief were there not other people around to witness it. Not feeling complete had left him feeling quite a bit more naked than the literal nudity, after all.

The ooze that comes with it tastes acrid on his tongue, and the way it collects on his skin around the shard is unpleasant, but it also doesn't bother him as much as it could. Those raw feelings that had come with it and the desires of a mysterious voice were far, far more interesting, after all. Perhaps it was even nostalgic, in a way, since there was a kind of intensity to the feelings that he hadn't felt in a very long time.

Yet even so, he finds his composure quickly. He hears the young man's voice and looks his way, but in comparison, Sebastian's eyes are markedly less strange than they had been a moment ago. His demonic eyes are already hidden back behind the more human ones the moment he's able to do so. If he takes anything odd about Makoto's appearance, it certainly doesn't show on his face, and he just takes the hand-towel with a light, but grateful bow of his head. He dabs at his face with it to try and get as much of the ooze off as possible (it still tastes terrible in his mouth), and he can't help but think that he's making quite terrible first impressions, at least by his own standards. ]

A shame?

[ He questions it lightly, since his acceptance was so quick that he hadn't exactly realized that his thoughts had slipped out. The intensity from the Kenoma alone was plenty, after all, so if he had taken any other thoughts in, they were quickly lost in the noise of that. ]

[affal]

( horos isn't much of a place for first impressions, or at least not if you arrive to it as an Aion. forcing one's way nude, powerless, and shivering out of a crystalline chrysalis and onto the ground of an alien cave in a foreign world doesn't really lend much to one's perceived dignity or grace. those snatched up in the talons of the Kenoma faced further trials, as sebastian has already experienced, even if his own with that of the Kenoma liquid and the illness that it brought about was brief and relatively painless (if not somewhat unsavory). makoto had spent a few days curled up on the floor of a cavern, oozing and starving and furious, when he'd gone through the same process. in comparison... it might not be to his own standards, but the impression as received on makoto's end is just fine. )

Ah. My apologies.

( he takes a moment to settle down nearby to the other demon. he might have accidentally pried into the interior of his thoughts and feelings for a moment, but that sort of minor invasion of privacy isn't exactly going to deter him from speaking with him about it. after all, they are to be working together, and it's a professional interest of his to keep tabs on whichever other demons they might stumble across.

he taps his temple to illustrate his point as he speaks. ) A side-effect of the liquid Kenoma, I'm afraid. It can cause one's thoughts to "bleed" out a bit somewhat, and I just so happened to chance upon them.

( he heaves a sympathetic sigh. ) I thought to at least offer my condolences, given all the effort that goes into a contract.

( when makoto had been human, J had soldiered through being alternatingly consumed and ignored for about six months. makoto's contracts had all been varying lengths of time, but nothing so long as years — if he had just lost such an investment, he'd take it much worse than sebastian does now. there would probably be a lot of pouting involved. )

III... in between a and b ig

[baaaaka]

[ what a day it's been! what a day, indeed! Auger doesn't entirely understand what's going on, but he's beginning to. Namely: if he wants to be able to take human form again, he needs to drink whatever's in those little vials. The problem is that Auger, having been on the giving and receiving end of several little vials in his life, has plenty of reason to be suspicious of them. Anyone in Weblin would have a hard time poisoning him, at this point - he thinks he's got a bit of every toxic plant and mushroom in the land running through his system - but this is not Weblin, and he's not stupid enough to think he'd have any resistance to whatever they grow here.

He's been assured that it's harmless. But words are cheap. So, instead, he's been lurking around, watching other people drink the concoction. Seeing if they change afterwards. He doesn't think they'll drop dead or anything - that would be counter to the big guy's plans, from what he's heard - but he does think it might have some kind of effect on the brain. ]

Is it that tasty? Hmmm.

[ he's been watching Sebastian for a little bit from a high-up perch, quiet - at least until now. The echo of his thought reaches Auger's mind, though Auger doesn't recognize it as such - more of an off-handed comment. ]

SIGHS HEAVILY

[cutlery]

[ In comparison to... surely everyone else, Sebastian finds the sensation of the Kenoma settling into place almost pleasant. It's like picking up some lost piece of himself again, and so with it, some of that unsettling feeling of being quite less than his actual being was starting to fade. It allows him to relax, to finally take in a little bit more of the state of others with interest, and he's wiping at his mouth to try and rid it of the remainders of the ichor when he hears Auger speak up, and he turns his way.

But, oh. When he sees the source of the voice, his expression turns absolutely deadly serious. He takes a few steps closer so that he has a slightly better vantage point to look up at Auger, since the current angle wasn't quite ideal.

Inwardly though, ]

My goodness! Your coat is absolutely exquisite, sir.

[ Auger's question is, of course, ignored. There are more important things at the moment? ]

I

[lovehate]

[ Sirius sees the other wanderers flickering in and out of his dream. Walking for a moment, then disappearing. All of them in the same direction, until left at a crossroads. At their fork stands a butler with dark energy. Despite his form, the darkness amassed in him is impossible of belonging to a human. Something malignant and immortal: something that's Sirius' very opposite. If Sebastian is a creature that feeds on the misery of mortals, then he should perhaps recognize a fairy— the beings which flourish from their hope and joy.

Despite how Sebastian's energy repels his own elementally, Sirius stops in his path to pass the butler a glance.

Flaxen hair pulled high into a ponytail, Sirius' aristocratic attire is dirty and worn by a battle that'd taken place before dreaming of this place. His soul, despite the thin lining of light that shells it, is in anguish beneath. He now knows the cruelty of both mortal and immortal beings alike, and it reeks of that misery. Some of his suffering is human, and some of it is worse. Intransient, like the magical being that he is.

He's tired. ]

—There is no place for me in the light.

[ This is what Sirius says to Sebastian. Plainly, simply. ]

[cutlery]

[ If Sebastian percieves what this other person is, it certainly doesn't show on his face. His features are an easy calm, as if being here in the first place wasn't odd or unexpected.

As Sirius also pauses, Sebastian's head cants lightly in open curiosity. He genuinely is curious about the decision people would make, since it's one he's invested in, albeit in a bit of an abstract way. It's a rather literal manifestation of the choice his contracts offer, isn't it?

It's why the answer catches his attention more than a little. ]

Ah, not a favored child of God, I take it?

[ There's a little humor in his voice, and it's a bit more direct of a joke than he might make normally... But without being able to hide his being as fully as he'd like, he doesn't see much harm. ]

Though it is a quality we would share, at least. The light has never beckoned for me, I will admit.

[lovehate]

I sensed that about you.

[ Sirius doesn't quite say anything else, should Sebastian not admit. As the darkness itself is a taboo forbidden to his former realm, he can't entirely be sure what Sebastian is exactly. Only that he's of an element opposite of himself, the same very element that the fairy queen tries staving away.

Shafted by her cruelty, Sirius finds himself more inclined to wonder what truths lie in the dark.

He's turning to face it, at the same time. ]

Though I didn't expect you'd have manners. [ That much is revealed belatedly.

Sirius gazes into the void that beckons him. ]

Is there someone you're hoping may arrive?

ii-b;

[horniness]

[ Being reborn again is as disorienting as it had been the first time, as Malleus had relived the strangeness of chipping his way out of his egg in his youth, covered in goo, new to the world, his eyes fighting to crease open. He's still struggling from the remnants of his hazy dream and the fact that he's apparently no longer in his dorm –may not even be in his own world any longer– that he doesn't immediately register his own state of undress. The cold air barely fazes him, but the question posed in his direction does bring the matter to light.

His gaze flicks from the one who asked him to his own body before he shifts just enough for his large draconic tail to take shape behind him and wrap around his own lower extremities, providing himself with some modesty. Were his magic in working order, he'd simply summon one of his usual garments from his closet onto himself and fix the matter quickly for himself and this human(?)-like creature so he doesn't continue to pester him about it, but Malleus has been feeling a strong block from accessing his magic reserves since he'd awoken, so this is the next best alternative. ]

...I am afraid my only means of cover is strictly bound to my own body. This immodest reception had not been expected. Normally, one would greet their guests with food, music, and celebration, yet they have chosen this type of arrival.

[ He has a feeling their presence here is more akin to imprisonment, which does not bode well for the one who orchestrated it. ]

Take comfort in the fact that your bare state means little to me.

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian makes a light noise of polite surprise as the draconic tail catches his eye, and it's quite genuine. Despite what he is, he's actually never run into anyone obviously inhuman, at least outside of his realm. But his glance is quite brief, though inwardly, he half-scolds himself for the slip of politeness. You know, the important things to be concerned about at the moment.

...Except, no, clearly it is? ]

Allow me to give my apologies all the same for being in such a state. It may be one shared, but goodness...

[ Since the other man's response actually resonates with him much more than he would expect, so he sighs rather heavily. At least he seems to be a similarly unaffected sort, he won't bother to pretend with modesty, since it's inconvenient. ]

A proper reception would be much preferred, naturally. Certainly less jarring.

[ Clearly the idea of such a lavish greeting isn't one he's unfamiliar with, which might give the impression that he's from a similar social status, but... Not exactly. When Sebastian is thinking about it, he's thinking about working as a young Earl's butler. ]

ii-a

[rosethorns]

[Dorothea would not normally fancy herself much of an explorer, especially in the state she finds herself in now. Yet here she is, exhausted, cold, and naked, carefully picking her way through the eerie quiet of this otherworldly cavern. Once she had manged to rein in some modicum of her composure after clawing her way free of what could best be described as a crystalline womb, she found herself faced with a choice: wait there for some dubious chance at rescue or begin searching for her own way of escape.

And she had certainly tried the waiting at first, knowing full well that stumbling around in this state would simply be foolhardy should she run into anything even mildly dangerous. But it does not take long for the solitude and uncertainty to give way to a building unease, slow and sure. If she has to remain here alone for much longer, she is certain she might just start to go mad.

So she begins to pick her way through the dazzling cavern with careful steps, eyes searching every nook and cranny for signs of life or a means of escape. She passes by a handful of chrysalises much like the one she has crawled out of, but no sign of anyone else lucky enough to break their way free just yet.

At least, until she hears a voice ring out that nearly startles her out of her skin. She whirls to find a man standing not far off, as naked as she is, though seemingly unbothered by the prospect of it. In what she doubts is the most graceful display, she scrambles to place herself behind the nearest crystalline stalagmite she can find, arms moving quickly to cover what she can.

She can feel the heat coloring her cheeks, not quite able to meet his gaze.]

That’s one way to put it, yes.

[cutlery]

[ He hadn't quite meant to startle her, though... It's probably a bit unavoidable, all things considered. He at least ducks his head in a light bow of apology, and his eyes stay politely averted, though he's also fairly quick to find a similar means of cover. He may not particularly care for his own state of undress, but he does try and have manners.

Though still, he just sighs heavily in response. It's a bit muted compared to the oddity of the situation, and it's definitely more the sigh he would give in response to discovering that he had been given an (unreasonable) amount of work from Ciel more than anything else. ]

An understatement, perhaps...

[ He'll at least admit it, then shakes his head. ]

My apologies for startling you, Madam. I was hoping perhaps you may know more about this than I.

I

[zauneyete]

[ It should be unsurprising, that Silco lurks and steps within the path of dreams of many. As the Kenoma team lurker, he's stepping in and out of dreams, when he caught the man looking at the vista, between the two, as if he needed to decide which way to go.

And then he spoke, and Silco smiled, as if that was a funny question. He blinked, and only one eye closed, the other -- an eerie black and orange thing to match Sebastian's own odd eyes just stared out, before he spoke. ]

Oh? No, I'm afraid my decision has long been made. [ But this person was new... ]

Have you? I noticed you were...admiring the sight. [ Of the bright light, which often suggested a tendency toward the Pleroma. Silco had barely even bothered. ]

[cutlery]

[ There's a moment where Sebastian's gaze flickers to Silco's eye, though it is only for a moment, since it's just quite unusual. Nothing more than a glance, and he certainly doesn't speak of it, though he is curious. The only creatures he's met with unusual eyes tended not to be human, after all.

But even so, that curiosity is quickly set aside, since his brow quirks in much clearer interest when Silco indicates that he'd already made his choice. Yet, that's not what Sebastian responds to right away. He ends up directing his gaze back up to the endless sky. ]

Very much so. I have seen nothing like it, so it is quite novel.

[ His tone is warm and genuine, since he really does find it beautiful. Though since he's well aware that he doesn't exactly look completely human at the moment, his voice cools slightly as he's a bit more honest with what he's thinking, though still not completely. ]

I imagine humanity has quite a ways to go before they are able to look up at the sky with such clarity, if ever. So I may as well enjoy the sight for the moment.

i - sorry hope im not overloading you but i Have To

[semicharmed]

[ Being here, among the swirl of cosmos and entropy, is strangely like a homecoming to Matt. He's always felt most like himself when he's communing with something greater, something vast and unknowable and dangerous for that. Before he'd arrived in Horos, he might have been drawn to the perfect middle of this place, balancing on the knife's edge between bright, blooming light and devouring darkness. Now, the call of the void beckons him more insistently; staring too long at the light reminds him of the Innocence's rage at his presence. Begone begone begone--

He doesn't hold it against her. Beings of the spirit can be so fickle. ]

Hm?

[ Matt smiles slightly at his new companion, not appearing at all put off by the sharp teeth and red eyes. He himself is pretty ordinary: just a slim young man with a nest of dark hair, wearing layers of unremarkable grays and blacks. A waistcoat, fitted trousers, a loose and open-throated shirt. But there are a few details of note. He has a thin, hairline scar on his left cheek, whispering with old demonic energy. There's a chunk of gray crystal embedded in the left side of his throat. And his left hand is missing entirely, his wrist terminating in a smooth stump that just peeks past the cuff of his sleeve. ]

No, [ he answers, pleasantly thoughtful. ] I've made my choice a few times over.

What about you?

NOT AT ALL 💪 always delighted for tags!!!!

[cutlery]

[ As Sebastian looks at him, the details are noted, though he doesn't seem to have a particular reaction to any of them, save for his gaze lingering just a hair longer on the scar than anything else. But his expression is an easy calm, like he's perfectly comfortable here and this isn't one of the stranger things he's experienced in his long, long life. ]

Ah, well, my choice is already well made, I would say.

[ Not that he's inclined to give it so freely, clearly. That could be a hint enough, he knows, since he doubts anyone that would choose the light would feel the need to be cagey about it. ]

If I may, which did you choose?

[ It's polite and still asked with a conversational tone rather than one pushing for an answer. But he'd still very much like to know. ]

REBIRTH - A.

[redsoil]

[ The sky was full of the sign of dark beauty, but he cannot feel his mother here. Nut is absent, in all but his memory of her; even in the darkness of his beginnings, he had known her coolness, her silence -- even removed from the Ennead as he was, he'd still known they shared their substance. In this place, she is nonexistent. He is unmoored from his origins, unable to feel her or any of his siblings. It is an agony, and some horrid part of him whispers gratitude for the unfettering of his heart --

He holds the scraps of the bright structure he had fallen from, pooling crystalline shards in his hand with a tight gaze, scrutinizing them as if their gleam might give away whether what he'd seen was truth or premonition. Isis was the one possessed of visions, not him; he was not touched by magic the way she was, and even if he once was, he had no connection to his divine powers anymore. Even worse, he feels further diminished than he was after his trial concluded. Disgustingly weakened, exhausted in ways that are confusing and foreign -- and naked.

Like Sebastian, he doesn't give a hoot that he's nude, sprawled out on the ground working his thumb over the crystal sliver that sits between the bones of his right wrist. A bright thing to match the dark, miasmatic markings upon his left. ]

You're annoying, [ is his immediate reaction, posture bristling under the too-smooth lilt of Sebastian's voice. He looks up, red eyes narrowed through a curtain of sleek, red hair. ] And assume incorrectly. As if I'd be laid low by this.

[ he feels MISERABLE, but he's not telling YOU that!!! ]

[cutlery]

[ ...How odd.

Sebastian's initial impression is a stark one, since he can tell that this man is no more bothered by his state of nudity than he. Yet, what a hostile response... It's certainly one he would expect more from someone who did have such shame, but he supposes it matters little. A hostile response means playing the meek role, so Sebastian holds up his hands as a placating gesture. ]

Ah... Do pardon me. It is simply quite a... [ He trails off, as if searching for the word, but it's wholly for effect rather than any reality. ] It is quite a shock to be here, I suppose?

[ His eyes are drawn to the shard in his wrist, briefly, but he doesn't let his gaze linger long. Interesting. It seems he had come away with a souvenir as well. ]

I hope I did not offend...