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

[regressor]

[If this were her world... how could she explain it? Most people had been kept by their government so ignorant of what Contractors were that they would be shocked to hear of such things, to learn there might be holes in their memories extracted in a lab or people simply eliminated for having seen too much. But this... No, this had to be a whole other world, like the woman who had picked her off the floor of that crystal cavern had said.

And if she explained... If she could explain...

Hei had understood. But Hei had been human once. Still was all too human, despite somehow being a Contractor. This man... If it truly was a foreign land and she couldn't rely on terms like Hell's Gate, Contractor, Regressor...]

My power...

[The Kenoma feeds the images into her mind more amplified than they'd ever been. The memory of blood on her hands and hot on her face when she released the destructive vacuum field she was capable of summoning with a look and a will, dropping the mangled and swollen corpse of a would-be attacker to the ground. The feel of rubble beneath her feet where she stood on the edge of sheer destruction, dust and screams in the air where a crowded building had once stood before she'd opened up her abilities in the parking garage below the surface.]

I don't want it back...

[The woman who had brought her here had told her there was no Hell's Gate, and she had been so relieved... but ever since she'd swallowed that black sludge...]

The price is- The price is too high...

[She remembers it, just enough to be terrified; What the blood of children had tasted like on her tongue. The same sort of children she'd learned to care for, as a Regressor, to smile at and crouch down to listen, to cook for... She remembers just enough that she suddenly chokes, struggling to swallow and failing as she turns weakly to the side and retches, black Kenoma dribbling out of her throat and gagging her.]

Why...

[Even that, though, was better than her obeisance.]

Why is it back... ?

[subsist]

[ it wouldn't be the first time that he's met someone who is terrified of what they can do. after all, that girl from so many years ago is the same, and she could barely handle the guilt that came with such a terrible power. he doesn't know what to say. comforting others isn't something that comes naturally to him, and even when he does try, it's more than likely that his efforts will be found lacking.

so he falls silent, one hand reaching over to rub against her back slowly while she retches. the kenoma is a vicious thing, vile and unrelenting, much worse when you continue to fight it. he would know since he fought against its influence until he could no longer handle it. it's only a matter of time until it will overwhelm her too. ]

... I don't know.

[ for once, he only has the truth to say. he's not sure he can offer anything that will help. ]

Even if you were to reject the Kenoma now, and go to the other side, it'll come back regardless.

[ thankfully, he remembers the basket he'd brought with him. it has towels that he can use to start cleaning her up, if she'd allow him. ]

If the price is too high, then how do we help you manage it?

[ without killing her, of course, but he hopes he doesn't need to specify. ]

[regressor]

[It's such a simple thing. Just a simple gesture of comfort, a hand on her back, rubbing between the bony shoulder blades of her underweight body, and... she loves it. She loves that she can appreciate the action, that she can see it as just a kindness rather than analyze it for potential threats, hints of manipulation, or hidden motives. Whether it actually was just a kindness or not... She didn't need to know. She was able to believe that it was.

The idea of losing that... The idea that, even if she succeeded here against this "kenoma" that she would still experience this same return of her powers with "the others"...

She has never quite relearned how to cry, but a sound like a small sob escapes her. If he brings the towel to her mouth, attempts to help clean her up, she does not stop him. She couldn't even if she wanted to. Every ounce of her effort is taken up resisting the call.]

Children...

[Her voice is barely audible, it's so quiet, but it grows as she finds the determination, the need to say at least this, at least this one thing... The woman named Ciel had spoken of an orphanage, of letting her help there, and she had been almost happy to think that she could do such a thing, but now- now-]

Don't let me... don't let me near any children...

[subsist]

[ sometimes it's the simplest gestures that can mean a whole lot. kaeya doesn't move away from her when she leans in. if anything, he lets her stay close if she'd like, even more so when it seems like she's about to cry. it's always difficult for someone like him to know what to do at a moment like this. even when diluc grieved over his father's death, he didn't know what to tell him, how to comfort him.

(all he did was feel amused over how fascinating the world was when someone as kind and righteous as master crepus would also seek the help of a dangerous and evil power...)

all he can do is be here. until her words make his focus sharpen even more. ]

Children?

[ is she implying the price to pay is the lives of those who won't even be able to defend themselves? ]

Alright. I'll make sure you don't end up anywhere near them.

[ it's time to speak with some of the citadel's staff just so they're aware havoc can't approach the orphanage here at all. of course, he's planning on keeping an eye on her too but there's only so much he can do on his own. ]

[regressor]

[She means to try and clarify, she does. She has to tell him that she will hurt them if she isn't stopped, that yes, perhaps when she has the luxury of time she will take only what little is required, but if needed, she would just as easily slit their throats and take their lifeblood instead. It wouldn't mean a thing to her, they'd be simply tools to pay off her obeisance-

But thinking of it floods her fractured memory with the Heaven's Gate War and its aftermath both. The young girl in that village outside San Paolo. The boy in the field on the way back from the MI6 job. Laura's children, tugging on her apron springs and begging her to put more dried fruit in the cozonac. All she wanted to do was live quietly. She didn't want to hurt anyone again, let alone-

The sludge fills her mouth.

She chokes, even with Kaeya's kindly attention, his hand rubbing between her bony shoulders.

The call of her contract pulses stronger, stronger in her eyes as the Kenoma seizes it's chance and slips into the cracks of her heart, settling, seizing, rooting... and the Lancelnopt Synchrotron radiation flickering around her body and deep crimson in her eyes... suddenly stops flickering. For a moment, it holds...

And then it dissipates. Along with it, the woman's body sags where she had been retching over the side of the stone slab, her body limp and her face turned to the floor, mostly hidden by the mess of unkempt red hair.

She's still breathing, but... Had she lost consciousness?]

[subsist]

[ it almost feels like there should have been a clarification that came after her request, but it doesn't look like it's something he'll be getting given what happens next. the sudden shift in her eyes and the onslaught of the kenoma prove to be too much for the wavering woman, and all kaeya can do is make sure she doesn't fall face-first into her own vomit.

he does end up thinking she's fallen unconscious when her body sags against him, which isn't all that strange if he considers it as a consequence of succumbing to the abyssal sludge. not everyone takes to it so well, after all. ]

... Hey.

[ carefully, he makes sure the way he's holding onto her will allow for a better position to wake up in. ]

Are you alright?

[ if she doesn't answer, well. he'll take that as a sign to move her someplace else. ]

[regressor]

[A lot happens in the silent depths of Havoc's mind in the course of just a few seconds that she spends limp, eyes glazed over beneath the eerie red glow of her contract and black sludge trickling from her mouth.

Somewhere out in the universe, in some distant false sky... the star with them messier code FN-067 reactivates, whether there was a National Astronomical Observatory remaining in existence to note it or not. The emotions of the woman who had been a Regressor a moment earlier fade away, and the cold, rational mind of a Contractor surges in to replace it. And once it does... it moves quickly through everything from how to breathe to whether to fake unconsciousness to what name she should give, all in the space of time it takes Kaeya to turn her limp body over, make her more comfortable...

Her eyes flutter. She coughs the last of the sludge up onto her chin, either too weak or too shameless to care about decorum. She isn't clutching her broken fingers anymore. No surge of power lights up her eyes. Despite how utterly physically exhausted she seems... She almost looks more peaceful.]

Water...

[A word finally makes it out of her black-coated throat.]

Please... ?

[For now... it made the most sense to remain polite.]

[subsist]

[ it doesn't occur to him that there's a shift that happens, but it's almost impossible to perceive it. right now, all he sees is a woman who nearly lost her consciousness with sludge coating her chin. he is careful not to jostle her when she looks up at him with those eyes.

they seem different, and yet— he can't quite figure out why. ]

Easy now.

[ when she asks for water, it takes some maneuvering to reach the basket he'd brought with him so he can reach in for a small canister filled with water. he changes the way he's holding her to make it easier to drink, but she'll have to lift her head a bit when he presses the rim to her lips. ]

Here— drink slowly.

[ she'll find that the water is cold and refreshing. ]

[regressor]

[She can sense the careful way she is being held, which could perhaps be identified as kindness. He responds in that way, at any rate, and she takes advantage of the moment to keep thinking, disguising the way she reconsiders her situation in an obvious weakness... and she did actually want the water.

Limp in his arms, she weakly lifts her head to obey his instructions, slowly taking in a mouthful of the water and trying to swirl it over her tongue, remembering to grimace as if offended by the foul taste before she chokes it down. The next gulp is cleaner, the next even more so, until she has finally cleared the coating of sludge from her throat. Her voice is still rather low and raspy for a woman's, apparently that hadn't been caused by the Kenoma, but the next quiet words that slip out are,]

Thank you...

[Men liked to feel like protectors. She lets her head loll against him, breathing shallow for a few moments in her sweat and sludge-stained robe as she seemingly tries to gather her wits for the next thing that needed to be addressed. The next question that needed to be asked,]

Is it over... ?

[subsist]

[ other men liked to feel like protectors. when her head lolls against him, kaeya simply takes it as a gesture meant to seek comfort, which he readily gives if only because he knows how tough the kenoma is on someone's well-being. a cursory glance at her person tells him that she appears to be doing much better, but he'll keep a close eye on her regardless.

he's here to stay until he is dismissed. ]

It might be. How are you feeling?

[ it's always hard to say when it comes to these things. he only has his own experiences to go off on, after all, but since she seems less... distraught, maybe she's no longer struggling against it. ]

Do you think you can stand?

[regressor]

[When working with strangers... you have to work off cold reading and averages. It works sometimes... it doesn't work other times. In the times it didn't, Havoc has never been worried. Her powers could neutralize most threats. But until she figures out where this actually is and what is actually expected of her...

She'd rather keep those to herself. At least, as much as she could when she recalled that woman (herself) blabbing about it.]

Ah... Tired. Really... achy...

[As if only taking stock once the question is posed to her and it drags her from her exhaustion, Havoc slowly pulls her bony knees towards her chest and then lets them relax again, tries to curl her fingers and then winces when "reminded" that two of them are broken. But the answer...]

I think I can do it...

[She puts doubt into her tone, but.]

Why... Where are we going... ?

[Is she now to be allowed to leave this temporary holding location? In which case... what awaited her beyond?]

[subsist]

[ sadly, kaeya can't authorize her release. they'll still remain within the lodestone's general vicinity for the time being. ]

I was thinking of having you settle at one of the stone slabs nearby. You'd be able to rest there while we wait for the Regent's word.

[ ... not that it's going to be much more comfortable, but at least she won't be on the floor. he also has to get someone else to clean up the mess they're leaving behind, but he'll do that once this is done. one step at a time, he thinks. ]

Tell me if you can't do it, alright? I don't mind carrying you the whole way through.

[ slowly, he will help her up to a stand, and once he thinks she's steady enough, he'll begin to lead the way over to one of the stone slabs. ]

[regressor]

[At first... she seems to concentrate on just standing. Her legs, much like her arms, are thin from disuse and poor nutrition, but she manages it with his help, leaning heavily against him in the process. She looks a bit out of it still, like the acceptance of the Kenoma has left her drained and a little loopy, but one foot... in front of the other...]

The Regent who... brought us here... ?

[One more foot... in front of the other... a little slip, a tremble, before she continues on.]

Who... wants our help... ?

[What was the mission? That's all she needed to know. ... To start.]

[subsist]

[ kaeya watches her progress silently. one foot after another, rinse and repeat — good. even if she has to lean against him the rest of the way, he doesn't mind as long as they reach the nearest stone slab. it's not the comfiest place to lie down but it won't be much longer before she's allowed to roam the citadel freely.

or so he hopes, anyway. ]

Yes. They are our illustrious leader.

[ how to explain this... despite the topic at hand, he sounds as if he's merely talking about the weather. he'll start with their goal at its simplest form: ]

We, of the Kenoma, were brought here to help this existence reach its destined end so that it can be reborn and begin anew.

[regressor]

[It takes her some time, but with Kaeya's assistance they do eventually make it to the stone slab, and she's able to fold her weak-looking body down into a slump upon it, seemingly one wrong breath away from tipping from a sit to a lay.

"Illustrious leader"... That was a phrase she was only usually familiar with in cult-like admiration or sarcastic commentary. It mattered greatly to her which one was intended here.]

And we... We're supposed to go this new world, too... ?

[Another thing that mattered greatly, despite how she affects more weakness and confusion than the sharp, hyperfocused mind of a Contractor was usually capable of. ... There was no point at all to serving for nothing. But the Kenoma now nesting dark and deep in her "soul"... It wanted to end.]

[subsist]

[ it's really hard to say what implications kaeya intended his words to have, because while he believes that standing by the regent wants is his best shot at bringing back what (who) was lost, he knows full well what kind of being they are. achamoth, after all, can be seen as one big cult, and there are even those amongst the kenoma's ranks who tiptoe that line every so often. it's something that havoc will have to find out for herself because he isn't really going to elaborate much more on that.

with her safely settled on the slab, he moves his hands away, shrugging his shoulders. ]

That's what we were told. The Regent mentioned that we would become gods of this new world, and that we're meant to help guide it so that it doesn't fall apart like it is right now.

[ while he speaks, he does take the time to observe her. the difference in her demeanour now compared to earlier is almost unnerving, but he can't quite put a finger on it why. maybe the kenoma has somehow soothed her anxiety... it can be a comforting presence every now and then, despite it all. ]

If that isn't your thing, that might become a problem later down the line.

[ for her sake, he can only hope she doesn't disagree. ]

[regressor]

Gods...

[Now that she's settled on the slab, she seems to try and take stock of herself, somewhat, thin hands patting absently over her legs, her bony chest, pausing at the crimson shard of crystal embedded in the hollow of her throat that was wet and coated with the sludge that had leaked from around where it embedded in her skin. Before the Kenoma had sunk in and restored her powers (more importantly, restored the mindset of a Contractor), she had not cared who saw her in this state, and who saw the location of that shard in the hollow of her throat. But now... As she thinks, she pulls up the fabric of her plain robe absently to wipe at it.]

I can't say I ever thought about... being a god...

[As different as Contractors could be from humans, the gap in power almost god-like depending on the power... There was a difference between that and "being" a god. For one thing, she'd been sure such things did not exist. Now, waking up in this place... She's had to reconsider things.]

But if the other option is dying...

[She doesn't clarify whether she means herself, intermittently, or the loss of herself along with her entire world. Though it might be too late to pass an act on this man, who the Regressor she'd been had begged for death and warned about things she did not appreciate being public knowledge now... She would salvage what she could. Looking up at him, her eyes somewhat duller than they'd been when he first met them,]

... I'm sorry. For how I acted earlier. You were right, I was scared... but I'll try. To handle my powers.

[subsist]

[ the idea of becoming a god isn't something that sits too well with kaeya either. when he first asked the regent about it, he lacked the foresight to prod for more details, too caught up in wanting to learn about what their illustrious leader had in store for them once this new world has been delivered to their hands. now that he's had the time to digest everything, he isn't sure if the new world they're meant to create is something that has a place for someone like him. of course, he has other factors to take into account, but…

at least it doesn't sound like he isn't the only one who's never considered it as a possibility. it's one of the furthest things he could ever want for himself, especially with how the gods of celestia decided to treat his home nation. ]

Regardless, I wouldn't worry about it right now. I'm sure all will become clear once we reach that end.

[ whenever that will be.

his gaze meets hers, curious versus dull eyes. ]

You don't have to apologize for that. You aren't alone in fearing what you're capable of, but you have us now. You won't need to handle it by yourself anymore.

[ at least this much, he's sure of. ]

… That said, shall I fetch you anything from the kitchens? Something to eat, perhaps? To drink?

[regressor]

[It is difficult to tell, for her, if she has fooled this man at all. Not just because she had been a Regessor three minutes ago, but because, she thinks... This man was tricky. He has very cleverly diverted her questions in ways she doubts others might notice, now he seemingly grants her the thing she asks for...

So for now, she can only go along. He asks if she need anything... and she does. Besides, was it not said the better way to endure someone to you was to get them to give you something?]

... I would really love something to eat. Thank you, Mister... ?

[As if remembering her manners, she asks for his name... and then looks down at her hands, lifting the one with two cleanly snapped fingers like she had to be reminded. Ah. Of course.]

Maybe some splints, also, if you have them....

[Noting abnormal to see here.]

[subsist]

Kaeya. Kaeya Alberich.

[ dodging the right questions is an art, one that kaeya has perfected over the years. whether or not she's managed to trick him is something that will probably make itself known later on, but for the time being, he'll wait until she reciprocates with her name (or not) before responding to the rest. ]

I'll be back with food, and some splints. It won't take me long.

[ the broken fingers haven't escaped his mind, after all. it's a miracle she's managed to handle the pain all this time but... something he'll have to think about later on, after she's been taken care of.

it won't be long before he's back with everything he said he'll bring. time to help with setting her fingers before he offers the food... ]