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TDM #3
TDM #3
DREAMING (new characters)
At first, there is nothing. You are nothing. Whatever existed before ceases to be if for a moment. Then, bit by bit, you start to become aware. Where there was not even darkness now is a dim haze, gentle and almost mist-like. You have limbs again and beneath your feet lays a path of light reaching out like limbs of a great tree beneath you, twisting and climbing out into the horizon.You take a step forward for what else is there to do? As you walk you begin to remember what it was you were doing before the nothingness; maybe something as simple as chatting with a loved one or close friend. Maybe you were just beginning a great journey or facing off against an old foe. Whatever it was, you get the distinct feeling that wherever and whenever that was, it is not here. Not now.
The path of light twists off into different directions. When you look up you can see that it is not a sky above you but the sky of everything, a grand cosmic tapestry littered with not mere stars but galaxies and clusters of galaxies that gleam like crystals against the velvety backdrop of space. Admire it for a moment, if you will. You don't know how long you will drift here, but you are not alone. Other wanderers will come and go as you bask together in the vastness of creation.
It seems to you that there are two paths to walk in this place, the light and dark beckoning in turn.
❖ THE LIGHT AT THE CENTER
One leads you to the center, splintered fragments folding together and colliding until only one thing remains: a light that speaks to you with the voice of all there is and has ever been. It greets you simultaneously as an old friend and as a lost child, both rejoicing in and mourning your arrival. You remember it too, somehow, with a feeling of complex nostalgia, as if returning to a place recalled from your distant childhood.
You’ll feel the same of the other wanderers that join you in the light; you know their faces, their voices, and as you reflect upon the world of your birth, you may witness fragments of theirs as well. You feel a comradery, then, a synchronicity of thought and emotion. Are the lives of others truly so different from your own? Or are you simply two hands of the same, greater being? Though some individualistic part of you may resist, the longer you spend in the light, the more you will find yourself becoming one with it.
Despite this welcoming call, no matter how eagerly your pursue its embrace, before you can fully submerge yourself in this oneness you will find yourself being torn away. As if seized by the impossibly long, cold arm of a creature unseen, you are plucked from the edge of fulfillment. The last thing you will remember is the sensation of your world, and all the others your experienced here, collapsing into nothingness.
❖ THE DARK OUTSIDE (CW: deep despair, ego death)
The other leads towards the outside, where the splintering becomes so great that the vestiges of reality can do nothing but collapse back into the abyss at the end of everything. As you wander to these barren outskirts, your thoughts will not be drawn to familiarity and oneness, but instead to memories of discontent and waste. The darker the path becomes, the more you find yourself dwelling on life’s disappointments and injustices, of the things about yourself and your world you find wanting.
If you see others here, at first they will feel frightening or contemptible, as if representing to you the worst experiences in your life. Even if they are someone you’re certain you know, that familiarity and affection will be stripped away in the face of the great emptiness before you. In the end, you were all the same. In the end, none of this was worth it. If you approach the end together, you may even form a kind of kinship around this acknowledgment, as the need for paranoia and hatred fades.
Slowly, the darkness encroaches, and you can see it devouring all the things you once knew. Memories of your home, of those you loved, dissolve into nothing, and you can only reflect on the barren emptiness in your heart as you see it happen. In your final moments, though, you feel peace with it all, knowing that there was no other way. You step from the edge of the last dwindling fragment of being and are greeted by silence.
❖ THE END
No matter which way you go, you are left with a single impression: you feel the world you came from die. It's a realization that transcends logic or sense; it weighs on your heart and leaves the vestiges of dark memories dancing in your thoughts like motes of ash. It's a memory of your home crumbling away into nothing as if consumed from within by rot. Returned to the void, all that's left to you is to be reborn.
REBIRTH (new characters)
In a new time and place, you awaken. Stirring within a capsule of warmth and isolation your senses will slowly return, only to observe that you are trapped. Your body, as it wakes, is tangled in close, yours eyes unable to open, as if still within the womb. You are held tight in the embrace of something unyielding, so smothering that at first you only have the strength to struggle for moments at a time. Yet, as you persist, the pressure begins to relent in turn; it may take hours, but eventually you will find the purchase to push, to claw, to fight, and it will all give way.The chrysalis surrounding you bends like flesh and cracks like glass. It tears as you force your fingers through, finding liberation one inch at a time, until finally you have emerged. As if having undergone metamorphosis, you feel old and new all at once. You are weak, piteously so, but the markings and scars of your previous life remain. As you slump down upon the smooth cavern stone, you realize that you've just wrenched yourself free of gigantic crystal, though its hollow, shimmering form is now in pieces on account of your passing. Somewhere on your body, a shard of similar material remains embedded.
The cave itself looks almost like the inside of a geode, the walls and ceiling bedazzled with greyish crystal that shines with all the colors of the rainbow. While they vary wildly in size and shape, only a few have grown large enough to hold a form like yours, and you can see the one you just escaped isn't the only one bearing a passenger within. They may have already hatched, or they may still be lingering in stasis. Either way, there's enough time that you may have a chance to speak to yours unexpected peers, or to perhaps to struggle to find something to cover your naked body with. You feel the chill of the open air against your moisture laden skin, a distant light trickling in through the cavern's opening.
Make the most of this time. It won't be long before you're interrupted.
[Mod Note: If you don't want to deal with your character being naked in front of the others at that location, feel free to assume they emerge at a different time than the others of their legacy. Characters will be 'hatching' over a period of several hours.]
DREAMING (OLD CHARACTERS)
For those already in Horos, they will find themselves in the same dreamscape as the new arrivals, only, this time, it's familiar. You'll feel more cognizant of your surroundings as you reawaken in this psychedelic realm, more in control of your emotions. What's more, you recognize that light at the center and the darkness at the edge: it's the Pleroma and Kenoma respectively. The one you are attuned to will call our to your soul, and though you are technically free to wander as you please, the closer you get to the force of your opposite sect, the more it will grate against you spiritually. Pleroma attuned nearing the Kenoma will feel as if its presence is desperately trying to tear them apart, and Kenoma attuned nearing the Pleroma will feel as if its light is burning them from the inside out.
More importantly, you notice that entirely new souls are wandering here with faces you didn't see in the cavern. It gradually becomes clear that they are Aions in the same state you were prior to your rebirth, lost and wandering this stretch of the cosmos with no idea what's to come. Maybe this is your chance to ease the confusion of their arrival, or maybe you'd simply like to scope out what kind of people are on their way. It's also possible for you to run into Aions already in Horos, wandering just like you are. Unfortunately, things are a lot less neutral than they are the last time you shared this realm.
No matter what you do, eventually the cosmos above will begin to burn out, just as it did the first time you were here. As darkness swallows reality itself, you will wake with the visceral memory of your world corrupting and breaking apart.
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.
❖ TO THE PLEROMAIn 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 KENOMAAs 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!
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!
no subject
But did she remember... ?
Her gaze, the eyes that were a vibrant shade of green dulled by exhaustion and experience, unfocus vaguely in the direction of the broken crystal "egg" she had emerged from.]
I remember... it felt like my life was just... scattered about in pieces, all around...
[What she remembered of it, anyway, patches of blood and quiet dinners and vacuums and shucking peas and Hei's hand on her cheek and the cold of the rain.]
There were other people... but I don't recall their faces... and there were... other stars, and worlds...
[She wondered... is that what was beyond the false sky in her own? She didn't know, but-]
But mostly I remember... how warm the light was.
[Her voice sounds... almost fond, the smallest of curls in the corner of her lips as if she almost smiled but just accidentally forgot to finish the action, like she was a bit too weak just now to manage it physically... but if she could, she would.]
no subject
depressiongals here, and Ciel does intend on looking out for her as long as she can. At this shrine, before having to delve into... the rest of the protocol.]Like everything was falling apart, right? That's... an accurate way of putting it, yes. It was a very surreal and out-of-body experience.
[She comments lightly as if they're exchanging opinions about some movie they saw recently, rather than the end of many worlds as it was later explained to them.
And at that quiet admission of being drawn to the light, Ciel can't help but close her eyes. This woman...]
Did you walk into it, Carmine? Did it feel as nice as it looked?
[It was too bright for her, when she first found herself in that space. Now, the light is nothing short of scathing, she may burn up like the very creatures of the night she's dedicated her life to exterminating if she were to take her chance vnturing in. And a monster like her is to be tasked with bringing this Innocent woman back to Achamoth?
Life truly isn't fair. Sorry.]
no subject
[Like everything was falling apart. That was an accurate enough description for it. At the same time... it hadn't felt wrong, in a certain way. Confusing, yes, disorienting, yes, but... What passed as her life had been falling apart for five years time, and even then... She'd enjoyed it so much. Being able to feel it and actually mourn it, being able to struggle against it, to hide and fight and care what the outcome was beyond just surviving...
It had been easy for her, to drift through the fragments. It had felt strangely easy to walk from the lure of shadows towards the light. It almost made her think she was dying, that the talk of the light at the end of the tunnel might be real and not just brain synapses firing upon death...
But no. She's alive now, isn't she... ? Her eyes turn softer. More distant. Remembering.]
... I did. I thought I was dying... but I didn't do that, either... It was warm, and full... comforting, and just... peaceful...
[She doesn't know if she has the words to do it justice, though she tries, swaying slightly as her broken fingers splay over the collar of her robe. But something Ciel says...]
Did you not... ?
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Ciel gives a small shake of her head before blue meets green again.]
No. It's too bright for me, I couldn't even if I wanted to. [Not saying she does.] I'm glad to hear you found some comfort before waking up here, though. You're very much alive, Carmine, just maybe not in the exact way you were used to before. See your shard? [She points at the jewel at the base of her throat, taking care to not touch it and keeping a healthy distance away.] That's the most vital part about you, now.
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There are things that could be assumed from those words... and if she had become the thing she feared, if she were a Contractor then she would analyze everything about what Ciel had just said. The tone, the inference, the nuance, the word choice... So she chooses not to. She doesn't want to be that sort of person (thing) anymore, and if she didn't have to...]
... This?
[The other woman gestures and she mirrors until her fingers brush against... There is something there, embedded in her sallow skin in the bony hollow of her collarbone. Touching it feels...]
... This is what's keeping me alive?
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(A vial she has safely tucked away in her bag, just waiting patiently until it's time.)
...]
Yes, your shard. It's the crystallization of your soul, so please be careful with it. If our physical bodies here sustain too much damage, it would dissipate, but that can still be reformed given time. In other words, death is recoverable for Aions. But there's no fixing a damaged shard, so if one shatters, the person it belongs to will be gone for good.
[Blue eyes watch green ones carefully. How will she take that information...?]
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The woman who had introduced herself as Carmine looks evenly at Ciel, quietly taking in what she says. There is something deeply ironic, in a way, that she was being told that she had a soul, not crystalized and present in an undeniable way in her body. She'd heard plenty of handlers say... Contractors were monsters, soul-less almost as much as a Doll was. And she hadn't bothered to doubt, believe, or even consider it.
So she... smiles, slightly sheepish, rusty with disuse, but-]
... So we can still die? That's good...
[She never wanted to live forever. More importantly, she never wanted to live to be a Contractor again... and though she couldn't imagine a destination for the thing called a soul...]
... Having a soul is nice, too.
[Her fingers trace over the shard one more time, her smile growing just a bit as she warmed to the idea.]
... I'll be careful with it.
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Sebastian is a demon, ergo does NOT count.That seems rather likely, come to think of it: her being a human weapon of some sort, with how she seems used to being mistreated, with all these terrible wounds on her already frail and small body.The way how she sounds happy, being told that she can die.
The only reason why Ciel can keep the distinction between her soul and humanity (or rather, lack of) so cleanly separate is because her soul had very much been a factor in turning her into what she's become. A detail in the big picture; it doesn't change who they are, it doesn't change what they've done.]
Dying is still painful, so let's try to avoid that if we can help it. [She adds quietly in turn, but otherwise opts to let the other woman take the information as she will.] You won't have to face anything alone though, we're allies and all in the same situation.
[They're alone at the shrine of the Innocent, and no Pleroma is coming. She can easily bring Carmine back to the lodestone in Achamoth, and that will be the end to this little interlude.
...]
Please, hold onto this. [Saying that, Ciel withdraws the Returning Stone from her bag to hand to the other woman: just a shiny little trinket on strings, it'll activate shortly and bring them back without interference. She feels the vial brush against her fingers in the process, but willingly chooses to continue leaving it where it waits.] We should head back soon. In the meanwhile, do you have other questions I could try answering for you? I have food and water on me too.
[If she'd like a snack, or a sip of water, just in case? There's the other drink too, but again, setting that aside for the moment. Just... for the moment.]
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She wouldn’t complain. She wouldn’t fight. She would just let herself be swept along, tired of fighting, of running…]
If we can help it…
[How ironic such a thing sounds, now. But she provides it, with that lopsided, rusty little smile.
But if she’s being offered, asked…]
Could I have a bite… ? I thought I ate just earlier, but… now I’m starving again…
[Fried rice. Hei’s friend rice. A taste she supposed she’d never get a chance to savor again.]
Anything you have is fine… I’m not picky…
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[Reaching for her bag, she produces a water skin and a bundle wrapped in brown paper, which holds a loaf of bread faintly seasoned with basil and garlic. There's a couple pieces of jerky enclosed too, a bit fancier than rations while keeping everything compact, dry, and easy to carry. She offers it to the other woman with an encouraging smile, food is nice to have prepared when heading out to greet the newcomers at the shrines.
A snack, a bite, rounded up by administration of the vial. The returning stones should be fully charged and ready for activation by then, which would immediately bring them back to the lodestone safe and sound.
...As 'safe and sound' as one can be with the Kenoma inside them, that is.]
Here. It's seasoned wheat bread and beef jerky. [Will even the tastiest of food do anything to dull all the things that come with the consumption of the abyssal liquid? Ah, she's definitely foolish to hope for something so meaningless and inconsequential.] I hope that's okay?
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["Carmine" wasn't sure what sort of food she was expecting might be produced in a strange crystalline cave such as this, looking like a scene from a fantasy or sci-fi movie... but it's familiar. Home-made bread. Dried meat. Drink.
Still carefully holding the stone she's been given, despite not knowing what it was even for, she gratefully, quietly accepts the food... and brings it to her lips. Still weak, she struggles a moment to rip a bite from the length of the beef jerky, but the bread is easier... and she chews on the both of them together, her gaze dropping in contemplation. The seasoning was good... not too much, not too little... the meat was cured well...]
Did you make this... ?
[As a Contractor, the idea of baking or cooking with love had been a strange, laughable phrase... but she'd learned it, as a Regressor. What it tasted like, when food was made by someone with caring, thoughtful hands. How to try and apply them herself, to make the food Laura's children had tugged on her apron strings and pleaded for.
She swallows... and a small, aching little smile curls her thin lips.]
... It's really good...
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I did make the bread, yes. Thank you, I'm glad you like it. [The smile is genuine, and easily hides any feelings she may have over the remaining item on her agenda.] I've been too busy to bake much back in my world, but it's a different story, here on Horos. We'll have downtime for that sort of thing, visiting the kids and bringing freshly baked goods to them.
[There was no way she could know, the stark difference between a Contractor and a Regressor. But until then...]
There's one more thing I have to ask of you before we get back, Carmine, but that can come after you've eaten and drank your fill. Please go at your own pace, okay?
[The last step, before finalizing this woman's place among the Kenoma.]
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She falls silent as she eats, slow and moving at her own pace as Ciel had said she could. But it isn't an awkward silence, she didn't seem to be uncomfortable at all, just... quiet, as she chews on bites of jerky and bread, occasionally taking a drink.
Perhaps it was strange, that she didn't ask more questions or seem bothered by the odd turn of events. But no matter what she's told now... Just like when MI6 had come for her, when PANDORA had been prepared to experiment on her, when the Syndicate had taken her...
She just allows it to happen. What was she going to do? Run? When she finishes the last bite, each one savored in her subtle way...]
... What's the last thing... ?
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Thus once Carmine is eventually done eating, so ticks away the last second of this terribly brief but also invaluable peace. Ciel has already been feeling the cool, smooth, and indifferent surface of the vial between her fingers beneath the flap of her bag for some time now, and at the other woman's question, finally takes it out into open view. Pinched between her index and thumb, the presented cylinder vial itself is nothing remarkable, but the abyssal liquid inside must be of a color and texture difficult to compare to any known substance on Earth. Like bottled darkness, from that dream of worlds falling apart.]
Please drink this.
[She offers with the same small and patient smile she gave the other woman earlier, over proper food and water. Is it kinder or crueler, to not elaborate further? Not that the verdict would change anything, when everything had already been decided. The Returning Stones will be activated once the vial is drained, and they'll see to the rest somehow one way or another, back at the Achamoth lodestone once the dust settles.
...]
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But the woman who gave the name Carmine simply... takes the vial in her hand.
She looks at it. She slowly tips the vial, watching the dark liquid slowly move from one end to the other, trying to guess what it could be and coming up with nothing beyond the sense that... it isn't anything normal. It isn't anything sweet. Her green eyes, a vibrant color but dull behind them, flick back up to Ciel, looking at her for a moment as if asking if she truly wished her to drink it.
But eventually... her gaze moves back down. What was she going to do? If this was something poisonous, and she died right here... It would be fine. It just meant she didn't die in that dirty alley, but somewhre else. If this was something magical or cursed, and it did something to her... What was she going to do? Scream for help? Run? Fight?
No. She isn't going to do that. She can't muster the will to do that, when she has already seen so much violence, half-remembered with the memories lurking and waiting to swallow her whole.
So she pops the cork on the vial... and she tips the contents of the vial out and on to her tongue instead.]