TDM + GAME OPENING 🎉

[beleos]

Who: Shard-Bearers, new and old
What: Seeds take root
Where: The Tree of Life, Highstorm, Springstar
When: October 14th and onwards
Warnings: Potential for (mild) body horror, death, dismemberment

I. BEARING FRUIT (new characters only)

It starts out as a pleasant dream. You’re in your favorite place, with your favorite people. It’s a moment of idyllic comfort.

And then, it goes wrong.

The sky turns dark above, and as you look up, you see the black expanse of space spotted with faraway pinprick lights of stars. Yet, they’re not stars. You’re certain. They’re watching you. A billion eyes all looking down, and they spill forth as if sky itself was a dam holding back those dark waters. You reach back to the people you’re with, but they’re frozen in place. Their eyes are black, reflecting only the expanse of dark eyes.

So you run, even though you know you won’t escape it. You glance back and see it not overtaking, but consuming. The landscape around you is being devoured, and you can see it cracking apart. The world itself is breaking, and it cracks under your feet. You fall, and the billion eyes chase after you until the darkness swallows you whole. There’s agony as if you’re being ripped apart, and then—

You cannot see. You cannot feel. You simply are. Yet even so, impossibly, a woman’s voice speaks gently.

I’m sorry it couldn’t be saved. But, come, it’s time to wake.

You wake with a start, cradled by soft, velvety plants, and sticky with a sap that smells faintly of honey and iron. You can see the veins of the leaves that hold you, lit warmly and gently by what looks like a crystal embedded above you. Yet, it’s odd, because that crystal calls to you. When you reach out to touch it, it’s warm. Familiar. Important. You don’t know why, but you know you must hold onto this, because now it feels wrong for it to be suspended in these leaves. So, you pull it out.

The light starts to fade, but only in time to see as the leaves cradling you immediately start to soften and crumble, and with it comes a torrent of dirt. Soft, loamy soil starts to fill the space around you in the dark as you’re buried. Or, rather, you already were. You reach out through the dirt desperately, and your hands finds a root, so you pull while you clutch that precious crystal so close that it almost feels like it sinks into you (in your panic, you don’t notice that it does). You reach out again, and this time, your hand hits open air and plenty of sturdy roots around to grab.

From a seed you’re born, and like a sprout, you make your way out of the ground.

And once you’ve clawed your way out of the soft earth and the roots, nearby, you see the soil shift. Another hand comes up to grasp desperately for something, anything, just as you had been.

II. MORAL HAZARD

There are new Shard-Bearers at the Tree of Life, and Yima has asked that the earlier arrivals go to greet them and help them. These aren’t people from Horos, after all, so they’ll have many, many questions. As Yima explains, the roots of the tree rise up to create caverns underneath, and it’s there you’ll find the new Shard-Bearers. And indeed, with careful steps to not slip on the mossy roots, down you go. Perhaps Communion will help you find the new Shard-Bearers, but it might be a confusing process for them.

The roots all start to look the same, to the point that you’re sure that you’ve already been through this passage. You turn around, and most of the people you had come here with are gone, if not all of them. It’s confusing and unsettling, and strangest of all.. You’re starting to feel ill, even if that wasn’t something normally possible for you. But continuing forward, you do eventually find an unfamiliar face of a new Shard-Bearer. They look no better than you feel.

Before introductions, however, roots around you shift suddenly until you’re enclosed in a room together. From the roots, a face forms in the wall. It speaks in a creaking, uneven tone, as if it weren’t used to speaking at all.

Give to take. A sacrifice. To live.

---

LET'S PLAY A GAME...

As the Dryad will explain, characters are now trapped in a room and have been poisoned by the spores that the lichens underfoot release. An antidote lays beyond the roots the dryad has curled around you, but to access it, you must make a sacrifice.

Characters can pick one of the following options, but the decision must be made unanimously. If one character takes a drastic action (such as murdering another), it’s counted as a failure for the group.

• Each of you must offer up a personal/treasured memory. The memory will be shared in Communion with all characters assembled, and then will be destroyed. No character will retain the memory or memory of its Communion.
• Each of you must offer up something physical. A finger, a toe, an ear, it’s your choice. The dryad will offer a knife if this is chosen that will sever the body part of choice cleanly and immediately stop any bleeding.
• Offer up another. Kill one person in the room.
• Refusing is also a valid option. Characters will get more ill as they debate until they start to find it difficult to breathe, and they’ll die quickly after.

The following is OOC knowledge that will not be known IC: The consequences of this game are about intent, and thus are not real. When characters are freed from the tree’s thrall, they’ll have their memories/body parts/life intact.

This can be done in groups of 2 to 4 players, and Loremasters recommend three if you can swing it! It’s more fun when you get in philosophical debates, right? Regardless, when your group comes to a decision, please record it here. These don’t have to be fully threaded out to be recorded, so the conclusion can be discussed OOC if you prefer. Actions can be submitted until October 21st, after which groups will be informed of what comes of their choice…

When a group receives the antidote, they'll be released from the tree's thrall... But will have a hard time waking up. It feels like something has grabbed onto their spine.

III. DREAMING OF HOME

You may wake with a start from your deliberations (or arguments) with a jolt of pain from the base of your spine as something is pulled away rapidly. A dark-haired man who looks to be in his thirties or so holds you carefully, but as soon as you start to regain your senses, he sets you back and holds up his hands.

Woah— Woah there, it’s fine! The tree was, uh, trying to take you back is all. You’re fine now.

As long as you’re not going to attack him, he offers a friendly smile and a hand to shake.

Name’s Cyrus. Sorry about the rude awakening. Let’s get your friend here unhooked too.

And indeed, glancing over, you can see the person you met in that room laying nearby, and it looks like a vine has snaked underneath them to exactly where something had just been pulled from you… Best not to think about it, maybe. Or if you've been unlucky enough to be one of the last people rescued, you might find vines and roots starting to grow into your skin. It's fine!

---

CYRUS, THE TRIBUNE

Cyrus is the NPC heading up the Meridian Faction, and is available to thread with under this header. Cyrus has come to the Tree of Life to help rescue the Shard-Bearer’s from the Tree, so he’s not going to be inclined to explain too much right away, since he’s on a mission, but he’ll stick around once everyone is successfully freed from Prompt 2 to speak with anyone that wants to. The following is just an OOC summary of information in case you do not need to thread with Cyrus:

Cyrus will gladly introduce himself to everyone, and will further explain his position in Meridian and Springstar (see the NPC Page) and the goals of Meridian itself (see the Faction Page, save for the italicized section). But most importantly, he’ll explain that he knows it sounds like something overly optimistic. It’s fair to be skeptical. He’ll produce a small glass bead from a bag he’s carrying. It looks like the necklace he wears, though not lit up. He’ll explain that the force of Meridian is a gift and can be a tether to your home, if you let it. As his fingertips light up, the energy is infused into the bead, which he’ll hand to you.

Taking the bead into your hands, you’ll take a bird’s eye view of your home world as if your consciousness is split, since you’ll still perceive standing in front of Cyrus at the tree. Rather than a vision, the view of your world is absolutely real, you’re certain. It’s a glimpse at the world that you thought destroyed, and if you focus on a particular place or a particular person, you’ll find the view shifting rapidly to it. No one you watch is aware of your presence, but simply continues about their daily life, whatever that is. But after about a minute, the view will fade as the light in the bead also fades.

That’s an iliachtida, a sunbeam, and when infused with Meridian’s light, allows someone Harmonized to it to check in on their world, he explains. It also acts as an anchor that tethers their soul to their world in the Timestream. With it, their world can’t entirely disappear, so eventually, they can go home. It’s a gift he’ll allow anyone that wants it to keep it, but indeed, they’ll be unable to use it again without first Harmonizing to Meridian.

To help manage threadload for the Loremasters playing Cyrus, we ask that you only tag him with the character you are most likely to app. Similarly, new tag-ins will not be accepted after Monday, October 17th.

III. SPRINGSTAR, αιώνιος ήλιος

After your ordeals at the Tree of Life, perhaps you’re drawn to Springstar, the city of eternal sun and the seat of Meridian.

It’s currently (and fittingly) Spring in Springstar, and the bustling city is coming back to life after finishing up winter. It’s not as if the winters are especially harsh here, but you’ll quickly get the sense that the people of Springstar are vivacious and happy to celebrate. You’ll find the Entertainment District to be the liveliest, whether it’s at a rowdy bar or a brothel, but no matter what, you’re welcome with open arms and without question.

Of course, if you’d just like to use the chance to explore the city alongside your fellow Shard-Bearers, that’s fine too. It’s easy to get lost in the crowds of Springstar and see all the city has to offer.

IV. HIGHSTORM, луны-близнецы

Or maybe Highstorm, the city of twin moons and the seat of Zenith is more to your liking. It’s certainly the quieter of the two cities and is a relaxing, meditative place if that’s what you prefer. The chill in the air is constant, since it’s Autumn in Highstorm and the eternal night doesn’t help keep things warm, exactly. Snow isn’t out of the question at this time of the year, but it’s beautiful in the moonlight.

Because of the cooler weather than Highstorm is prone to, you’ll find many of its delights inside rather than outside. Libraries and museums are popular in the more introspective city, though it’s easy enough to find something that might please you. For example, the indoor hot baths are popular at this time of the year too. You’ll find the people are kind, if cool-tempered, though if you mention the fact that you’re a Shard-Bearer or allied with Zenith, they’re more likely to warm up.

Though much like Springstar, it may just be more interesting to explore the city with a fellow Shard-Bearer. And as a resident may warn you, it’s best to stay in the city. Wandering out into the marshes and forests isn’t advised. Of course, if you do, just contact a Loremaster to find out why. ♥

NOTES

Welcome to Kenos! As a reminder, all players are required to fill out an application, which are now open. This does include characters/players from Aion Teleos, so please don’t forget to fill one out! Any character/player that does not submit an application will be swept from the communities and the Discord after applications close.

Activity Check is optional this month, but is highly recommend so Christy can check her fancy program so that you can earn Activity Reward Tokens! Activity will be able to be submitted shortly after applications close. You can find more about how we do AC here.

This log is Game Canon. Any characters who are not apped to the game will disappear. If Cyrus or Yima are asked, they’ll explain that this happens sometimes, since not every soul has a strong tether to Kenos and sometimes return to the Timestream. They’re fine and may even return to Kenos one day, but for now weren’t able to make the full journey.

As a reminder, your character has a Shard somewhere on their body that encompasses their soul, so keep note of where you're sticking it on their person for reference! Additionally, they have a tattoo of their Aspect somewhere on their body. Please be mindful this Aspect will be assigned to you upon approval and whatever you choose for the TDM may be temporary (for new characters)!

For the Highstorm and Springstar prompts, both cities will be fully open and accessible to all characters once they are saved from their rather harrowing ordeal at the Tree of Life. For prompt ideas and any general information about the cities and what you can find there, please see the Navigation page and check out the locations!

FOR NEW PLAYERS:

New players are welcome to join our Discord Server if you haven't already!

When they emerge from their cocoon/the ground, characters may be wearing their normal clothes, or they might be nude. Up to you!

At some point in the days after leaving the Tree of Life, new Shard-Bearers will have a dream, even if they're usually not capable of sleeping. All new players should read this post, since this details how they'll learn about both factions and their goals and should help them make a decision in which Faction they'd be drawn to.

New characters will not have access to any canon abilities on the TDM.

Your character will be offered temporary housing either at the Heliopolis district or Yima's manor for the first few weeks after their arrival. They will also be given a stipend for basic supplies like clothing and personal effects, and food is served in the cantina (Heliopolis) and at regular meal times in the Dining Room (Yima's manor). Once they Harmonize, they will get personal permanent chambers and a fancy retainer in their Faction's city. Wow! 🌈

FOR OLD PLAYERS:

Characters may be Harmonized to their Faction (if that makes sense for the character, of course!) by the time of this log. This is more for IC reference, and just wait until application acceptance to do the OOC paperwork!

General reminder that your character won't have access to their powers until they have Harmonized.

CODING

Comments

i!

[epiprocta]

[ A tree. They're being told what to do by a fucking tree. ]

Are you shitting me?!

[ Gen, predictably, does not take this well. And almost immediately deals a(n honestly fairly impressive) kick to the face in the root-wall -- and reels back the next moment with a grunt when all that earns him is a twinge of pain through the ankle. The dryad, of course, seems not to care at all. ]

The hell is this shit ... [ But even once he's realized that directly attacking their captor(?) isn't going to accomplish much, that doesn't stop Gen from restlessly prowling around the perimeter of the room, looking for some sort of opening they can use to worm their way out of this situation. His fingers trace along the roots, seeking an opening even as he turns to snap at Amos, ] -- are you fucking insane? I'm not just listening to what some plant tells me to do. Especially if it's saying we should kill each other.

[ Yes, he heard that there were other options. But honestly, neither of them are at the forefront of his mind at the moment. Given the members present, he's unpleasantly reminded of what had happened shortly before they'd all ended up in this place, and Gen can't help seeming a little harried -- almost a little panicked as he tugs at a length of root that seems like it might give way. (It doesn't.) ]

There's gotta be a way out of here.

[lifespanned]

Gen is right— there must be something....

[ Her voice shakes, her heart sinking as she realizes just who has been trapped into this room with her. Between everything she'd endured the last time the four of them were together, being dragged from Horos, and purging the Kenoma, she'd just been able to stomach doing what the dryad had asked, in order to spare the life of a friend, and to keep the memories of her beloved safe. But to go through with the request of offering up a bloody sacrifice, only to be forced into the same game again? She's not scared anymore— now she feels pissed off. ]

I already did this, and it didn't even let me go. I mean, what, we're supposed to play this game over and over, for no reason? [ Misa scoffs, haughtily, keeping her hand close to her body— upon closer inspection, several nails from her left hand have been completely torn off, the bare nailbeds darkened with blood. In a fit of frustration, she parks herself right down onto the ground, bringing her knees right up to her chest. ] I'm not doing anything else!

[ Is she saying that to the dryad, or to them all? What does it matter— all that's clear is that at present, she's stubbornly refusing to take part, and would honestly rather throw a tantrum. ]

[subsist]

[ This is the worst round two he'd ever experienced.

Kaeya narrows his eye at the dryad, wondering exactly how it managed to capture him again. The first time was already difficult enough, but now it seems he has to go through this whole ordeal with the ones he's more than willing to do anything just to keep them safe. Of course, that isn't going to go over well, given what happened with Amos — he doubts any of them would accept someone else's sacrifice — so that leaves them with an option that hasn't been tried before. ]

There might not be a way out. [ He glances at Misa. ] This is my second time too. The poison becomes worse the longer we stay here, so if we're opting to find an alternative, we need to think fast.

[ His gaze turns back to the dryad. ]

We could always try to see if there's a way to get at the culprit responsible.

[ Hey. If escape isn't a thing, then surely brute-forcing the one who keeps trapping people is the way to go. Maybe? ]

[baltimores]

[ Who he's ended up with makes his heart sink a little. Kinda pisses him off, too, that this thing would not only have him at its mercy, but three of the people he cares the most about— no.

Amos moves around the walls as his friends talk, grasping at and trying to pull apart the roots, to no avail. He kinda figured at this point, but if they're all trying to find another way out, he might as well give it his all — and that won't be enough.

He turns to face them all again, the picture of a blank sort of calm. ]

If I can't pull these things apart, I don't think we got a choice. It's my second time, too. Had to kill someone to get out. The mute guy? [ Do any of them know Dextera? Eh, it's possible. ] Guess we just gotta make getting out count, and we can't do that if all of us are dead.

[ And these are kind of the last people he wants to see die. Amos steps forward, a sort of earnestness breaking through his otherwise empty expression. He's strictly practical now, but for a strong sense of protectiveness. ]

You guys can kill me. Or I can kill myself. I was just dead, so not like it really matters. You can probably find some way to get my shard back later.

[ It's the easiest solution, so if they're all in agreement... ]

[epiprocta]

[ It's an awful lot of information that he has to try and process at once. The others have already been through this once? And they're trapped again? So beating this thing might not even mean anything? And Amos --

'the mute guy?'

Gen stiffens visibly at that, eyes widening and face paling a shade. So it's probably for the best that what Amos says next snaps him back to attention with a kneejerk burst of sheer, indignant rage. Boots thump across the unevent ground as he lunges forth and, without any further warning, slugs Amos across the face, knuckles making solid impact with his cheekbone. ]

Shut the fuck up. [ Followed by a hard grab into Amos' shirtfront, yanking him close to snarl right into his face: ] We're not killing you again. Say that stupid shit again and I'll break your jaw.

[ He means it, too. It's just too bad his harsh word choice is somewhat undermined by the bead of cold sweat at his brow, and the slight tremor in his hand before he lets go and shoves Amos back. There's a more anxious edge to his movements as he stalks about the perimeter of the room, dragging his hand over the roots and kicking at what looks like an opening, trying to find some weak spot. ]

... what were the other options? A body or ... what, a memory?

[ The only two really viable options. ]

[lifespanned]

[ She can't help the little gasp that escapes her as Gen slams his fist into Amos's face, recoiling a bit from the suddenness of it all. What Amos had said had been unacceptable (and insensitive in a way, especially to Gen's ears, she's sure), but the quick escalation of the situation still puts her on edge. It doesn't help that she can see both sides.

Because a part of what Amos says is right, too. The quickest solution to this puzzle is to kill someone off, then revive them— she's sure that's why he decided on killing Dextera. It's what Misa would have chosen too, if she were able, and had she gotten stuck in rooms with people she didn't know well, or who were hostile to her. Her eyes flick to Kaeya, looking for evidence that he made the same decision that she had, before going forward with her own explanation. ]

Um, you can take off a part of yourself, too. That thing will give us a knife if we choose to do it? So let's stop fighting, please...

[ Misa holds up her left hand for them all to see— the nails have been sliced off with the aforementioned knife, though no blood remains to tell the tale. ]

I tried it, but I still got sent here. I don't think it works! Or maybe...

[ She pauses, hesitating on her next words. ]

Maybe it wasn't enough...?

[subsist]

[ If Gen hadn't gone ahead and socked Amos in the face, Kaeya would have found the way to do the same — anything at all to get Amos to stop talking about himself like that. The only sign that gives away how bothered he is by the words that were said is the way he has to take in a deep breath, followed by a slow exhale. Alright. A neutral expression is back in place.

When he catches Misa looking at him, he simply nods at her to signify that he's done exactly what she's explaining now. ]

If it wasn't enough, then are we saying the sacrificing "the mute guy" wasn't enough either?

[ Because Amos is here too, stuck with the rest of them.

He falls quiet when he starts to think about his previous choice. It was one random body part that wasn't going to matter in the long run. He wonders if that's why it didn't take, because it wasn't a sacrifice that meant anything. Had no impact. ]

... Is it because what we gave up before didn't count as a sacrifice at all? We didn't 'lose' anything with our previous choices.

[ He glances at the other three. ]

I don't suppose there's a body part you're particularly attached to, is there?

[baltimores]

[ Amos' head snaps to the side at Gen's punch, and he has no time to recover — or even consider what really just hit him — before he's being yanked forward, up close and personal with the anger he feels coming off of Gen. He looks up into Gen's eyes, his own empty — but he doesn't doubt him.

And as he's sent stumbling back again he knows, okay, he fucked up pretty bad here.

Everything else washes over him at first — until Misa holds up her hand, and his heart sinks a little further at her injury. His eyes flick to Kaeya, and he can't see anything on him, but the idea that what they all gave up wasn't enough...

It wouldn't have been for him, no. Dextera isn't someone he cares about. He doesn't feel any loss there. Will feel a loss if anything happens to Gen, Misa, or Kaeya, but himself—

And, he's already been thoroughly cowed there. Amos is left staring at his feet, taking in the way his vision starts to waver, the lightheadedness that's starting to come for him.

He shoots his gaze back up, looking around at each of them. ]

I can cut my hand off. My arm. Whatever. [ For as steady as his voice remains, there's some distress in his eyes now — an anxiety that's there that he isn't permitting himself to actually feel. ] Whatever'll help keep you guys safe.

[ Really, just letting him kill himself would do that, but — he won't broach that again. Is going to have to think long and hard about what this all means after, because apparently, he just keeps missing the mark, and he's gotta stop doing that. ]

[epiprocta]

[ One, two restless, halting rounds of the room don't uncover any weak spots, and Gen looks over begrudgingly as Misa holds up her hand. The sight of her raw nailbeds makes his stomach churn, and he's quick to look away once more. Although -- so what if he looks away? It's not like it actually solves the matter at hand. ]

The hell kind of stupid question is that ...

[ At Kaeya's words, Gen finally turns away from where he'd been clawing at a clump of roots; his combative word choice contrasts against his tense tone of voice and nervously clenched jaw. ]

Who has body parts they're not attached to.

[ As he speaks, he can't help the way his hand shifts to grasp at the folds of his cloak where they fall over the remains of his left arm. Adapting to that loss had been difficult, to say the least, and the prospect of losing anything more has a sick feeling settling in the pit of his stomach even as his mind races over the options -- another finger? A toe? Ears? Just hair?

(-- no, surely something that paltry wouldn't work. Dext -- "the mute guy" is worth more than that. Though he wills himself not to think about it.)

He'd gone abruptly silent for a moment, and his face is a little paler when he meets the others' gaze once more. ]

... I can do it. Cut something off. But a memory -- ... [ He sounds clearly reluctant. ] -- I don't know about memories.

[lifespanned]

[ There's an immature spike of annoyance when Kaeya says they hadn't lost anything in their previous choices - were her precious nails worth nothing? This dryad is just a straight up, tasteless asshole, in that case. The conversation that follows doesn't improve her mood either, which results in her staying put where she is, glowering and simmering. Her knuckles press into her forehead, to hide her eyes, and to help herself focus.

She could make the decision to forget— she's done it before, even. Forgetting a single instance is a less steep price than the one she'd paid previously, but even still. How are they supposed to erase these memories? Think of them, share them? It's too risky. Anything precious to her, truly precious, like her time spent with Light, is riddled with secrets that none of these three are privy to. It's not the right time, not the right place. And after everything, after finally getting her hands back on her most precious person, she's not going to erase a second of him. ]

I'm not giving up any of my memory.

[ She huffs, stubbornly, frankly not caring that she may be cutting off anyone else who might want to discuss further on the subject, given the open ended nature of Gen's reluctance. No, she'd rather just kill the idea dead here. Without the option to kill someone, and with deleting memories out, that only leaves the mutilation. If it's for Light's sake, then she can steel herself. It can't be any worse, or any more life changing than cutting her lifespan down to a quarter, can it? If she just makes herself believe that... ]

So unless we agree to kill Amos, [ which definitely won't be happening given the responses in the room, much as Amos seems to be okay with it.... and much as she might be okay with it so long as she knew they could revive him later, tbh, ] Then cutting something off, that's our only option. I really don't want to... but if that's what it takes, then... then fine, I don't care anymore! I just want to live...

[ Her resolve is genuine, and perhaps it's a coping mechanism, the ol' trusty 'don't think about things that are traumatizing' schtick, but she's walked back her refusal to do anything on the account of the poison settling in more. They really will die here if they don't act quickly, and she's nothing if not someone willing to take a giant risk in a spur of the moment decision. So what if she has to live without a hand, without an ear? She can make herself believe that no price is too high for her goals. ]

[subsist]

[ Kaeya is thinking along the same lines as Misa is right now. Any memory that would count as precious is just as bitter as it is sweet, and all of them are tied to his time with Diluc before Master Crepus' untimely death. He doesn't have many of them, but that's exactly why he'd rather not give any of them up — least of all to satisfy some twisted creature who decided to mess with them.

Right now, it seems as if they've all reached an agreement, as tenuous as it might be. Memories are out of the question when there's more than one other person unwilling to give them up. Body parts, however, ones that would count as a loss because they relied on it for one reason or another. He could take out his eye right now and leave the others to pick what they're willing to give up, and that would be the end of it.

But—

He looks towards Misa who is resolved to do whatever it takes just to live, then Gen who has more to lose than the rest of them, and then Amos. His gaze lingers on the man. Amos was willing to die for them again, just to keep them safe. Even if they're familiar with how death is only temporary thanks to the shards, there's no guarantee those rules might apply here. Not when there's a dryad playing around with their lives as if none of them matter at all, as if they all hadn't already sacrificed so much before any of this.

He isn't usually the type to let his emotions get the best of him, but he doesn't have the luxury of thinking this one through. All he knows is that he doesn't want to see any of these people get hurt again, not when he can still do something about it.

It's a risk, he knows that. There's a chance whatever he's about to do will make things worse— he knows. But the longer he hesitates, the higher the risk of dying becomes. So he makes for the knife given by the dryad now that their choice centred around giving up a piece of themselves.

He approaches where the creature is on the wall. ]

Nothing personal. I'm sure you understand.

[ With the knife in his hand, he thinks it's time to put this creature out of its misery so they don't have to deal with giving up more than they already have. ]

[kenosnpcs]

[ wherever Kaeya chooses to strike, the blade will sink into the bark-like skin of the Dryad's half-formed body; it exhales a shuddering, creaking noise that grates the ears and sounds almost like a scream--

the enclosure of thick vines that constitute the walls of their make-shift prison begins undulating as if in an expression of the creature's pain. and then... all at once, everything goes terribly, hauntingly still. sap oozes, bubbles from the wound, dripping down the length of the blade.

yet, their captivity remains intact...

Loremaster note: please continue the thread! A PM will be going out to the necessary party with more details. ]

[baltimores]

[ Amos is almost thankful for a couple of things.

He's thankful that the idea of giving up a memory was shot down so quickly, before he even had so much as a chance to chime in. He isn't someone who keeps secrets — but for a few, and they're monumental for him. The only precious memories he really has are of Lydia. He doesn't want to give that away. And he doesn't want to give up any of her, not when he's only just found Yima, who already reminds him so much of her...

And, surprising as it is, he's thankful that Kaeya just goes for it.

It's not as though he'd been looking forward to cutting off his hand. He relies on them so much — to fight, to build, for anything and everything — but his sacrifice was going to have to mean something, right? His right hand would've meant more, but it'll be easier for him to use it to cut off his left, so that was what he was prepared to do — at least until Kaeya suddenly took that choice away from all of them.

For a second, his mind blinks back to a few days ago. A week ago. Whenever it was; when he'd gone to Kaeya's room to try to make amends for something that couldn't really be amended, and found that he couldn't read him anymore. This is that all over again, but possibly so much more consequential.

He takes a step forward to help when the not-scream fills his ears. When their enclosure shifts without actually releasing them. And then Amos stops, mouth agape, looking up, around at all of them, at everything.

He remembers being trapped in underground ruins some couple of years ago. He'd been blinded then, his body failing him. He's not blinded now; even as he's trapped in some kind of prison, he has all of his faculties about him — and he has people to protect.

So, fuck this.

With a spike of anger, a snarl (it's still him, he's got it under control, or at least he's pretty sure he does), Amos finishes crossing over to where Kaeya is — and, more importantly, the knife. He rips it from the dryad with his right hand, aiming to stab and hack and slash again and again and again, as many times as he can get away with — because if this thing can bleed then it can die. ]

[epiprocta]

[ Selfishly, Gen breathes a tiny sigh of relief when it seems the general consensus is that sacrificing a memory isn't on the table. Because -- what does he even have, in terms of treasured memories? Back when he was younger, maybe. A few tiny, spaced-apart, insignificant little glimpses of back when he was still very young and stupid, back when his relationships hadn't been tainted by the years.

The scant few things that keep him going at times. He'd rather bleed than give those up.

That said, his relief is short-lived.

Mired in his thoughts, Gen doesn't see any of the warning signs before Kaeya lunges for the dryad.

His boots scuff against the uneven ground underfoot as he falls back a startled step, shoulders squared and the hairs on the back of his neck rising as that awful, shuddering not-scream echoes throughout their prison chamber. ]

-- Kaeya! That's -- [ He doesn't know how to finish that sentence. But it doesn't matter anyway. Amos takes over with the knife, and his voice dies in his throat as a choked, uneasy noise. Each slash of the knife makes his skin crawl, the splatter of sap against the ground ringing too-loud in his ears and making a terrible, anxious feeling twist in his gut. ] ... Amos ...

[ Maybe this will be fine. Maybe this will work. Maybe the two of them can kill that creature, and they'll be free without having to pay the near-literal pound of flesh in exchange.

Maybe.

But even as Gen stares as the assault on the dryad, cold sweat starting to beat at his brow and face paling, he finds himself shifting to grab at Misa's forearm. His grip is tight enough to be unpleasant, but there's still something protective about the way he yanks her closer to him and away from the undulating walls of their prison, away from those twisting roots.

Maybe this will be fine, he thinks. But animal instincts keep him alert to the fact that maybe it won't be fine at all -- maybe he should be scrambling to try and guard what he immediately can, in case something bad happens. ]

[lifespanned]

[ It all happens so fast— the knife being brandished, the sap oozing out like blood, to that blood curdling scream that shakes the room. The best she can do at first is flinch, and stare dumbfounded at the scene before her, mouth slightly agape. Yes, she would've done anything to escape, but this? It feels like they're asking for something bad to happen, or for the creature to lash out at them— which would only spell dire consequences for all those in the room with little in the ways of defense.

She's aware of her own strengths, and here, she's viscerally aware of her own frailty. The way things have turned to violence - she feels forced into vulnerability, forced into a situation where much more than a finger off her hand is at risk. It's barely been any time since the last time she was forced to confront just how quickly her own life could end when she's in the thick of bloodshed, and the violence in front of her gives her a sick sense of déjà vu. As the onslaught goes on, dread begins to well up in her, and Gen latching onto her forearm only heightens it— because she knows he feels it too. This doesn't seem like it'll be fine, least of all for the two of them. She goes willingly when Gen yanks her, even if she stumbles from the force of it. Right now, and after everything? She feels it's safer next to him than anywhere else in the room. Her body sticks close to his, already bracing, as if for some kind of impact. ]

What are you guys doing? If we kill it, we still won't have a way out...!

[ There's a frantic note to her words, rushed and pleading, wanting nothing more than for this to just stop, before something they'll really regret comes to fruition. But her eyes don't search out Kaeya's, Gen's, or Amos's. No, she's busy, seeming panicked as she swivels her head around at the enclosure of branches, looking desperately for any signs of an escape route appearing. But there's nothing to be found. They're still fully and wholly trapped, regardless of their efforts. ]

(1/2) cw: mild plant horror, just in case,

[subsist]

[ The blood-curdling scream, the way the roots seem to rattle as if they're in pain, the sap dripping down the length of the blade, crawling towards Kaeya's skin — all signs are pointing towards the possibility that maybe he shouldn't have done that. Not that he gets a chance to rectify it; it's too little, too late. Amos comes in and takes the blade away from him, but he doesn't even realize what the other man is doing.

Something pulses and manifests inside his veins, slithering about in search of someplace to take root, just like a sapling waiting for its turn to grow and bloom. Any attempts from him to move an inch are stopped short by the dryad exploring every nerve and every muscle, paralyzing him from the inside out while it begins to take over.

There might be some panic in his eyes, or so he thinks. If one cares to look his way, he seems normal enough, if not a bit too quiet and way too frozen in place. He is the picture-perfect sight of stillness, but perhaps the silence that comes with it is foreboding enough. He doesn't— he can't react to what's going on anymore. No way for him to warn the others that they should run, even if there's nowhere to go.

Because of what he did, the creature has to take matters into its own hands. Kaeya isn't the only one who has to pay the price. ]

(2/2)

[kenosnpcs]

[ sap splatters like blood from the Dryad's mangled bark and vinery as Amos' onslaught joins the damage already suffered by Kaeya's attack. but everything remains still, quiet.

until all at once, the vines twist, turn - shoot out from the walls like arms, entangling around Amos' wrists and dragging him back against one of the make-shift walls like chains. another pair seek to entrap Gen and Misa's limbs as well. if successful, all the occupants of the room - except Kaeya - will find themselves trapped against the deceptively hard walls of their 'cell.'

Loremaster note: the Dryad's actions will come after Kaeya's in future rounds if necessary! ]

[baltimores]

[ Maybe if they kill it, everything else around them will collapse. Maybe the stillness is a good sign. That it's weakening, that it's near death, a rigor mortis before everything else will wilt away, let them out, free them with no further harm done — not to mention the fact that this thing deserves to die.

Amos is so focused on the task at hand — kill this thing to save his friends — that he doesn't notice anything else. He doesn't notice the way Kaeya has gone impossibly still; he doesn't hear Gen or Misa, doesn't feel their distress, doesn't see the way they've turned to each other for safety. That should be him, but his way of protection has trended towards the path of violence more often than not. Eliminate the threat, and then everyone else will be okay—

He doesn't notice the vines until they're wrapped around his wrists, pressing against his skin and wrenching him away from his onslaught. He loses the knife at some point as he's dragged back against a wall, fighting futilely all the while. He pulls and strains at his binds with every ounce of strength he has, a wild, thrashing animal as panic seeps into every fibre of his being.

He's helpless, he realizes, and a sharp, terrified shout escapes from his throat as his thrashing grows more erratic, more desperate, nonononononononoNoNoNONONO—

The world around him sinks into something he doesn't recognize — a gaping maw of fear that takes over every one of his senses and renders even those in this room that he loves to nothingness — as he continues to desperately, desperately try to free himself. ]

[epiprocta]

[ With his nerves already standing on end with tension and anxiety, and that uneasy feeling boiling away in the pit of his stomach, Gen cottons onto the sense of wrongness just a little quicker than Amos does. Realizes that Kaeya is standing a bit too still, spots the preparatory quiver of those vines, finds himself backing off a half-step at the sight of vines wrenching themselves tight around Amos' forearms. Even as his voice escapes in a startled bark, he automatically backs off with posture lowered defensively, his body responding quicker than his conscious mind for half a second.

Not that that half-second's quickness amounts to much in the end.

It's partly reflex -- the simple, ingrained desire to guard what he considers his on some level -- and partly a furious refusal to go down without a fight when Gen yanks at Misa's arm, placing himself between her and the nearest wall of greenery just in time to interfere with the coils that comes shooting their way. Gen snarls like a rabid dog as those hard fibers catch against his forearm, twisting around ferociously to try and free himself; a sharp lunge serves to place himself between Misa and that second pair of twisting vines, and he hisses as he feels them whip tight around his torso instead, brutally dragging him towards the wall to pin him in place.

Unfortunately, that paltry extent is as far as his ability to protect Misa goes. ]

-- Kaeya!

[ His voice emerges guttural and breathless, his chest still aching from those vines thudding into his ribcage, but he still spits that name with equal parts anger and desperation as he's fixed helplessly against the wall. ]

Do something, you moron!

[ Because surely, he's just frozen in shock, right? It's not that he's actually just going to stand there as this happens, right? ... right? ]

[lifespanned]

[ Wading through the cacophony of sound and sensation that is sharing an empathic bond with the majority of the room during a stressful time - it's starting to feel a bit more familiar than she'd like. Amos's anguish, Gen's fierce protectiveness, and Kaeya's... well, come to think of it, she can't really sense anything from him, much less see any visual sign of him being in the moment. It's just odd, unsettlingly so.

Even in the face of Gen's valiant efforts to fall on the sword for her, she still tries to reach out to him, still tries to yank him free from the roots' hold around his chest, teeth clenched hard as the pressure rebirths the pain in her raw nailbeds. It just isn't fair that this keeps happening, that she keeps having to see the people she cares about in distress, or worse, hurt because they tried to help her. But with the twisting, ever-reaching nature of the vines, which only try to ensnare her too the longer she lingers - she's forced to let go, to fall backwards out of the branches' reach, and scramble, panicked, further towards the center of the room. As far away from the walls as she can manage, while keeping her distance from Kaeya.

The knife. She should really try to go pick it up - it'd clearly fallen from Amos's grip while he'd been dragged to the wall. But that... would only escalate things, right? Her first instinct isn't to keep fighting, it's to try to do damage control. She just saw what happens to people going on the offensive in a room like this. So she stays where she is, kneeling, and not making any kind of an advance. ]

O...Okay, I know you're mad, but I'm not going to hurt you, alright? Let's just talk for a little bit. I'll stay right here, I won't try to get away...

[ Misa does what she can to keep her voice steady, sweet, and unassuming. Scared, yes, but genuine seeming— like she's pleading with the dryad, wherever it is, to listen. She's been here before, really. Negotiating with an unseen aggressor for even a sliver of mercy. It's fine, she doesn't care. It's the only way she can think of to try to protect Amos, who's in very blatant agony, and Gen, who'd afforded her this chance in the first place - to protect them in a way that she can actually realistically do. Everything feels so frantic between the violent struggles to get out, and the erratic beating of all their hearts, that to try to stay calm is nearly impossible. But she doesn't need to really feel calm - she only needs to act like it. ]

Right, Kaeya? [ Is he listening? Or worse... can he not listen? The idea crosses her mind, too many images from similarly themed horror movies coming to the surface. It's not like he needs to be exorcised or something, right? Haha? In a smaller, more hushed voice: ] You're freaking me out...

cw: body horror, intent of self-harm

[subsist]

[ Kaeya remains frighteningly still despite the chaos happening all around him.

It's like none of what's going on reaches him — Amos' distress, Gen's angry and desperate words, Misa's attempt to smooth over the storm — almost as if he either didn't hear or didn't care enough to listen. What doesn't stay frozen are the roots inside of him, forever twisting and pulsing as they spread throughout his body, slithering around muscle and nerve until they've figured out how to make his fingers twitch. He's been frozen in place for so long but now they have their strings wound up around him real tight.

Now, he'll be made to dance and do the dryad's bidding all because he didn't want any of them to pay the price.

When his entire body finally moves, it looks as if something's wrong. It wasn't immediately obvious before but his veins protrude and bulge out whenever the roots snaked under his skin. His head is bowed low as he staggers his way toward where the knife has fallen, every step taken with an incredible amount of effort. Every now and then he might completely freeze up, his limbs trembling under the restraint, but he can't, he won't allow this creature to get what it wants. ]

M... Misa— [ Strangled and strained, he tries to get the words out. ] S... tay... a— away...

[ Despite his efforts, his body continues to move against his will. It's not long before he snatches the knife from the ground and slowly turns to face the one who is closest to him. At least, that was the plan until Kaeya attempts to wrestle back control of his limbs once more, his hands now fighting against each other while the blade comes dangerously close to his own throat.

If he can just take himself out of the picture, then— maybe, just maybe they rest of them can make it out of here unharmed. ]

[epiprocta]

[ Something's wrong.

Something's terribly, terribly wrong.

Even before those strangled, choked words escape Kaeya's lips, Gen knows that something about this situation is desperately wrong, the short hairs at the back of his neck standing on end as he watches Kaeya turns to Misa with the jerky, uneven movements of a dying animal. And though he'd been fighting against his restraints in fruitless fashion, he freezes when he sees that desperate look in Kaeya's eyes, his breath catching in his lungs for a moment before he snarls, ]

-- Misa, get away from him!

[ He almost dislocates his own shoulder with how fiercely he fights to free himself. Not that it amounts to much more than the creak of plant fibers firmly holding him in place.

Gaze wild and spittle flecking from his mouth, Gen looks every inch like a feral animal as he struggles against his restraints despite the way they wind tighter, tighter around his ribcage. And he's barely even thinking about what he says, even as he spits out venomously between ragged breaths, ]

Kaeya, I swear, if you dare -- [ '-- kill yourself.' Those words catch in his throat with a choked noise; his thoughts spiral back to a darker moment from before he'd ended up in Horos. (A knife lying on tatami mats, the blade gleaming with blood. The wheezing breaths of someone desperately injured. A self-inflicted wound.) Speaking any further becomes impossible, his voice petering off to something painfully quiet and breathless. But Gen still rasps, soft and hoarse: ] -- don't ... don't you dare ...

[ Why. Why the hell is everyone around him so eager to die? (He thinks, hypocritically.) ]

[lifespanned]

[ Get away from him, Gen says— but where can she even go? Towards the walls, and just get tangled up in the roots like poor Amos over there, thrashing like a trapped animal? A hot, biting irritation bubbles underneath her attempts to keep herself neutral, at the situation, the dryad for pushing things this far, and truthfully, even a bit at Kaeya and Amos for setting things off to a point of no return. ]

Oh, no you don't. You got us into this mess.

[ She huffs - it's almost comically not befitting of the gravity of the situation considering the childish blame game, and that's her intention: to break even a bit of the tension in the room, to try to elicit a reaction from Kaeya himself, not the dryad. It's obvious he's being controlled in some way - so that means the dryad is here listening, too? Kaeya is still in there, she's sure of it, and whatever she has to do to prevent him from going through with it, and for them all to make it out of this, she's going to do. There's no way in hell she'll let herself die here - so her vision and mental state tunnels into that single focus to survive, throwing away all else. If she has to hurt him to do that, so be it. If she has to hurt herself to do that? So be it. Whatever she has to throw away to get out? That's fine. Even being able to go back on their original agreement to put up some flesh would be a win in this scenario - it's nothing she wasn't prepared to do, anyway. ]

All it wants is a sacrifice, right? [ Kaeya's still standing before her, knife brandished, and she doesn't move to stand - but she does raise out her left hand, holding it palm up. How can she placate a spirit who just got stabbed in the face or whatever 20 times? All she can think to do is try to give it what it wants, and to try to surrender it earnestly - pray that the others will follow suit. ] Tell it that it can have whatever it wants from my hand. Promise. No funny business. So please just stop this...

[ The faster they get it over with, the faster everyone's suffering will end, right...? ]

[subsist]

[ The only reaction Misa gets from Kaeya is a smothered and withering sort of laugh. Even then, the noise doesn't quite come out right, as if it was a struggle to even get that far. None of them can feel what a mess of emotions he is deep down — his panic, his guilt, his regret, all of those amount to nothing and have nowhere to go. One push would have been enough to let everything bubble over, but Kaeya—

Kaeya knows he got them into this mess. He knows he's the only one to blame for making this so much worse than it should have been. He won't allow himself to have the luxury of feeling sorry for himself when he doesn't deserve that much. No. If anything, he's the one who has to keep it together until this is over. He's the one who has to take in every excruciating detail of what's going to happen next just so he'll never make the same mistake again.

(It figures that his attempt to get the other three out of harm's way is exactly what puts them directly in the line of fire. He'd laugh again over the irony if he could.)

He looks towards Amos at first, then at Gen, and then finally at Misa. Although the rest of his face doesn't show it, how sorry he is about this entire mess is as clear as day in the hue of his eye. They don't have to forgive him. They just have to get through this, and then he'll... Who knows. He'll figure that out later.

His struggles die down, and just like that, the hand holding onto the knife moves to offer the blade to Misa. When he speaks, it isn't just his voice that carries through. The dryad speaks through him, blending the noise into a multi-tonal dissonance that's unsettling. ]

Give. Offer. Or we will take.

[ At least Misa has already made up her mind. ]

[baltimores]

[ His body is failing him.

Amos' world had died down to a single speck, a single point of darkness as he'd thrashed, strained, did everything in his power to rip away from the vines holding him in place, useless and trapped and at the mercy of something he doesn't understand. All there was was him, and the binds holding him, and the desperate, desperate need to break free, because he knows what comes next.

But it's not like he can do this forever. Amos fights, because when he stops, when he gives in— But he's exhausting himself, his movements growing weaker by the moment, breaths increasingly haggard as he grunts with lessening and lessening effort.

And then that fucked up voice comes through, and Amos lifts his head — and actually sees what's going on for the first time.

Gen, looking just like him. Misa, who looks like she's okay — and Kaeya—

His blood runs cold.

He's never seen anything like this before, but he knows this isn't right. It's inside of him, inextricably deep, parasitic. It's— we, Kaeya had said—

Amos leans forward, boots scrambling for purchase against the wall of roots, trying to use them as something to push himself off with, give him that extra leverage he needs to wrench himself free. All he has is his strength. All he will ever actually have is his strength, and it is failing him, and he cannot do this, as his efforts begin anew, strained and strained and strained, veins visible under his skin as he tries desperately to push himself forward, rip himself free— ]

Kill him!

[ His shout is loud, panicked, laboured as he continues to try to free himself. He's barely gaining any traction— He has to— ]

You think he wants this? [ He's yelling, his words directed at Misa. This is very much an order on his part now, because Amos knows he wouldn't want this, because he's unable to do anything himself. ] Put him out of his misery and kill him!