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

[cutlery]

Oh, nor am I, and I do feel like Mr. Howl has an excessive amount of them.
[ Sebastian shakes his head with a playful vehemence, since even if it’s not perhaps to its fullest extent, Amos is at least aware of part of it. An emotional person couldn’t offer the casual, if practical murder that Sebastian had. But still, he doesn’t at all dip into that sort of subject, since he’d prefer to keep things light and friendly while at a bar. Naturally. ]

Not to gossip, of course. It is simply one of the more surprising things I had found about possessing a Shard. I suppose I am at least lucky that the Legacy of the Celebrant was a rare one, all things considered.

[ He knows that revealing it also tells a bit about him personally, but considering how Ciel had immediately called him out for it, well. He’s not so sensitive over it, essentially. Sebastian does watch with curiosity as the bartender walks away, but mostly just to see which bottle he picks up. ]

Straight is perfectly acceptable. To be honest, it is really only here in Horos I became aware of other options, really. In my time, the only options were straight or to cut it with water to make it less potent, really.

[baltimores]

[ There's a soft — fond? — sort of laugh at Howl's name again. Yeah, Amos knows the guy. Likes him quite a bit, actually, in part due to the heart he seems to possess, though it's not like he has to experience it firsthand like Sebastian does. Is it too much? Considering how he and Sebastian seem to be on the same wavelength — just a friendly chat in a bar, just a casual discussion of murder, either or there's no real difference — maybe.

Especially if you aren't used to it, which earns a hum of sympathy. Kind of a rare thing for Amos but, well, most people seem to be able to actually put a name to the things they're feeling... ]

You get overwhelmed at all? [ It's easy to just let things go, take them as they come and not think about them again, but actually feeling what others are capable of is a whole other story for him. ] Sometimes I still don't think I'm used to it, and there were a lot of people I shared that Legacy with. Still are here, I think.

[ If Sebastian is sitting to his left, then he might see the tattoo of the Exalt behind his ear. ]

Maybe it's different if you're more in tune with the type that's just here to have a good time.

[ And not the type that gets incredibly devoted to others— anyway.

Amos watches the bartender pick up a bottle as he listens to Sebastian speak, eyes lighting up with approval as they return, fill the glasses. He nods in thanks, and he'll just delay himself a little bit more... ]

Really? We had more selection than that, but not that much in space. The good shit was always on Earth. Makes sense, since that's where it came from and all.

[ Does Sebastian even know what he's talking about? Doesn't matter — Amos throws his shot back in one smooth motion, exhaling sharply upon swallowing.

This is also good shit, he's decided. ]

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian is a little surprised by the question, but it’s quickly followed with a laugh. ]

Why, very nearly every time Mr. Howl and I spoke it was overwhelming… Of no offense to him, of course, but goodness.

[ He’s surprised that Amos understands, since he had simply assumed that his experience was rather unique. His own emotions ran at a rather dull level in truth, and there was almost always some amount of his outward expression of them that was more like acting than reality. It wasn’t even anything deceitful, but just a difference in species more than anything. Demons didn’t feel with the same intensity as humans, and so to properly interact with them, he had learned to adjust. Compared to that, Howl’s easy and open expression of feeling was like shouting in a silent room. ]

I am at least glad that it was only Mr. Howl and I in Horos, at least. Ah, well, and Miss Dorothea, but as she did not consume the Kenoma, our interactions were briefer, naturally… Regardless, you have my sympathies, as I may have gone mad if I were to have to deal with it frequently.

[ Unbeknownst to him, that’s especially true of the disaster lover gang… He would have truly been suffering…

He takes the glass once Amos takes his, though he does pause briefly to give it a nose with the poise that might be expected of a sommelier, but that’s more because of his sharper sense of smell than his pretentious manners, for once. It’s a smell that’s wholly unfamiliar to him, not having any idea about agave, which makes him smile a bit more in a genuine delight. With that determined (or not, in this case), he shoots it as well, and it’s quickly followed by a mild noise of approval. ]

Ah, that is not bad at all! It has a pleasant warmth to it… And I cannot pin what it is made from at all. [ It still has a bit of the rather pungent nature that comes with any alcohol to his tongue, but with the woody flavors like what he enjoys in wines and other aged spirits, it’s decidedly on the better end of the scale than not. ] I assume this is from Earth, but with how you speak of it, I must wonder! Are humans living elsewhere in the 24th century?

[baltimores]

[ Amos nods in understanding. He may just be an ordinary human, nothing inherently special about him, but having spent most of his life cut off from his emotions — only recently coming to believe, to understand, that he really does have them, sharing an empathic bond with others playing a big part in that — he's pretty sure he gets it. It's... a lot, to feel something else for what feels like the first time, and to feel it strongly at that.

Where they would differ is that Amos knows he's broken; that the empathic bonds he shares with others give him a taste of what he knows he should have, and just doesn't. What he would have, if he was normal, but he isn't.

Oh well. He offers up a lopsided shrug, it's not that big a deal, really. ]

Thanks. I mean, it was at least mostly people I liked. Would probably do anything for. That kinda made it nice sometimes. [ A beat. ] You know, once I started getting used to it.

[ And now it's starting to get to the point where it's difficult to imagine life without it, which he never would've guessed, but Exalts gonna Exalt.

Amos almost beams at Sebastian's approval, at the fact that he's been able to share something he likes with someone else. He's already got his hand up signalling for another two shots; he'll get back to his regular beer... soon... but this is more fun right now. ]

Elsewhere? Sure. Pretty sure the drink's from Mexico, but not like I've ever been. Before Horos and all that, I spent the past twenty-something years of my life up in space. [ ... Wait, did Sebastian not recognize what he said before or... ] You know, up the gravity well. Past the atmosphere. Most people were still living on Earth, but all kinds of people were living on stations and moons and shit who never set foot on a planet. Like they had their own society there.

[ A reflective pause, as he waits for their second shots to be poured. ]

I liked it a whole lot more.

[ Kinda like how Springstar can be nice, there's something about Highstorm that calls out to him so much more strongly. He couldn't say if that's due to his early harmonization or the memories both cities can drudge up for him. Maybe both. ]

[cutlery]

[ His first response is no more than a pensive noise as he listens. He can imagine getting used to the process. That’s already happening in some respects with Howl, since indeed, for all their differences, there was just enough where they overlapped that there was at least understanding. In that, it’s more than what Sebastian would have expected, though he still doesn’t know what he feels about that, if anything. So, viewing it as nice… He isn’t sure, but it would feel strange, if nothing else.

It's something he lets go of smoothly, since in the face of Amos wider smile, Sebastian’s own warms again in a distant way, but that’s very short-lived as he listens. It blooms into light surprise as Amos says “space” again, deepens at “gravity well”, but finally, it’s the talk of the atmosphere that gets it to become understanding. ]

Oh! My goodness, forgive me, I did not realize that is what you meant…

[ But he’s the one beaming now, since truly through coincidence, this subject has become one of great, earnest interest to him. Bruno had shared a piece of the story of the moon landing and Emet-Selch had shown Sebastian what it was like to stand on a moon much more directly through Communion. Both were marvels, the sort of thing that Sebastian truly never would have imagined humanity would accomplish at all, but clearly for Amos, it was much more than that. ]

That is incredible! I truly cannot even imagine what it must be like… Why, it had never even occurred to me as a remote possibility that humanity would be able to leave Earth at all until Mr. Madrigal told me about men setting foot on the moon. And it would have not been even a century from my time...

[ There’s countless questions he wants to ask as well, honestly. Uncharacteristically (in his opinion), he’s not even sure where to start. So, he just turns that small statement back to Amos, since it seems as good a point as any. ]

What do you miss about it?

[baltimores]

[ Right — it occurs to Amos to remember that Sebastian is old. Or at least from centuries before him; of course if he'd been dealing with low-tech guns, he probably wouldn't know anything about living in space. Though he was never a history buff, and it's easy for things to get muddled, lost, conflated in the centuries-wide gap between them— anyway.

Sebastian's wonderment feels almost familiar, like an approach he might've taken before he ever made it up the well. Less surprise that humanity managed to make it up that far; more that old, old memory of simply wanting to be there. And then he'd gotten there, and it had become daily life, dull and unremarkable. ]

It was quiet.

[ His answer is a simple one, expression open and honest as he meets Sebastian's eyes head on. Not like he has a problem with loud and bustling, not like he can't blend right in on Springstar's streets, but... ]

There ain't a lot up there. I mean that literally. There's a fuckton of stars, but they're lightyears apart. Far enough that as a regular human, you'd probably only ever be in the proximity of one star your entire life. [ To say nothing of otherworldly pathways that drastically cut down on travel time — but that was still a relatively new phenomenon after the universe Amos had come from died, so, eh, not exactly worth getting into. ] And in between all of 'em is nothing, just darkness that'll swallow you up if you're not careful. If you don't want to be found, nobody would ever find you. Pretty much a mathematical impossibility.

[ He turns to look up at the bartender as his second shot is poured; thanks them, but doesn't drink his quite yet. His hand's wrapped around the shot glass, but his eyes are back on Sebastian's. ]

Turns out all I ever really wanted was to be with my people, and up there, that was pretty easy. Didn't have to be a whole thing. Just that you're there, you got each other, you don't really need anything or anyone else.

[ Amos blinks, then. Shrugs it off, and throws back his second tequila shot. He's probably good to stop there for now — unless Sebastian wants more, that is. He can always deal with any hangovers later. ]

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian’s expression softens from its enthusiasm, but it’s hardly from diminished interest. It’s simply taking a moment to try and imagine what Amos describes and what it would be like. His mental picture is still rather far from the reality of it, but even curious as he naturally is to learn about human innovation, most of the innovations that would take humanity to space were still a few decades away.

Even if his imagining of it isn’t very accurate, he at least has one point of comparison that doesn’t feel like it’s too far off. ]

With how you talk of it, it reminds me a bit of the sea. The oceans are far smaller, of course, but when you are truly in the middle of an ocean, I imagine it must feel similar. I have only been on that kind of ship once, but there was something remarkable about the emptiness of looking out over the water. On a moonless night, I imagine the sky would nearly blend in with the water itself.

[ Sebastian gives an appreciative nod to the bartender as well as the second shot is brought. He takes his, but politely waits for Amos to drink first. Beyond the comparison to something he does know, Sebastian can at least understand the human part of it. Even if they make it to the stars, that part doesn’t change all that much, he imagines. ]

Do you miss the simplicity of that? I imagine that by comparison, Horos was absolutely a “whole thing”, as it were.

[ With a nod to Amos this time, he takes his drink again, nodding appreciatively once more that it doesn’t hit his tongue so sourly as some others. And luckily for Amos’s liver, Sebastian won’t get more… He’ll just drink whatever is put in front of him, which is why no one should try and keep pace ]

[baltimores]

[ He sets his shot glass back down, hand immediately going back to his half-drunk beer, but it just rests around it. Like, he's ready to switch gears back to finishing that off, but the turn their conversation has taken has him more contemplative than ready to immediately go back to drinking his fill.

Amos turns back to Sebastian, looking almost like he's trying to solve a puzzle — an internal one that Sebastian might have just handed him a pretty significant piece of. ]

Yeah, guess I do. Don't get me wrong, I got no problems being in a place like this. Or a place like Horos. But if I had my pick? I'd rather be somewhere simple. I got no fucking clue what people are doing most of the time, and I don't really care. 's not gonna stop me from doing my own thing. But there's something a whole lot easier about not having to factor it in at all.

[ He idly drums his fingers against his glass, once, and then stills again. ]

I've never been out on the ocean, but I grew up by the water. I remember when the water and horizon would meet. Except in space there's no horizon. There's nothing for it to meet. It just goes on forever. Might be more like if you were actually in the water — you can kinda float, and there's no air. Like the environment wants you dead, but. [ He shrugs. ] There you are anyway.

[ Something a lot more simple about being somewhere where the environment itself would kill you first chance it got than if people would. At least the environment doesn't have a reason; it's just something it does. That's a lot more relatable, too.

He throws back some of his beer — starting to run a little low there, but ah well — and cocks his head at Sebastian. ]

That the kind of place you prefer, too?

[ They seem like they're somewhat in sync, but not like Amos has had the chance to be around many like Sebastian before, so doesn't hurt to check. ]

[cutlery]

[ It makes sense that there wouldn’t be a horizon in space once he actually thinks about it for a moment, but the idea still has a little twinkle of delight come to his eyes as he nods. ]

I believe you are correct. I have gone diving deep into the sea before, and that does sound more similar. I suppose up there you float in the aether instead of the water.

[ It was relatively recently where he’d gone deep into the ocean, far deeper than any human could survive, because he didn’t need to breathe, and the pressure was inconsequential. He’d gone that deep at Ciel’s orders so that a horrible weapon could be placed well outside of human hands, but he does remember looking down into the trench as the metal case sank, then into the dark ocean around. He wonders if he could have survived space in the same way.

He hums out a thoughtful noise at the question, but after considering it for a moment, he nods. ]

I believe I do, though likely in an odd way.

[ Sebastian laughs to himself, since it still feels odd to be so open about the place he was truly from, but it doesn’t matter here, does it? It’s dead and gone, for one, but there’s also no higher powers in any sense to frown upon his honesty. ]

Where I am from, truly from, I mean… It is a place of chaos, blood, and war. My kind have no love for each other since they are either someone to be used or someone to be killed. Power is all that speaks. [ A shrug ] Compared to that, my visits to the human realm are much simpler. I am given a wish to grant, and nearly all I do is to manifest it for my master. The wishes may not be simple, but my purpose is. There is something gratifying in that, I find.

[baltimores]

[ Aether...? Aside from a briefly confused look, you know what, he's just gonna let that one slide. Maybe where Sebastian's from there's an Aether; he doesn't know. Doesn't take away from how they seem to have reached an understanding — the rest of it's just splitting hairs.

So he listens, hand still loosely wrapped around his glass, but Sebastian with his full attention. Amos inclines his chin slightly at his laugh, a small — unnecessary — encouragement for him to continue. His eyebrows go up a little, but other than that, he doesn't have much reaction. ]

Your kind, huh? Dunno what that is, but that doesn't sound so different from some humans. I grew up around people that only had love for themselves; to them, everyone else was a tool to be used.

[ Like he was, but Amos skips along, nothing changing about his voice, his body language, anything. Like this is all purely an abstract concept to him — and in some ways, he's divorced himself far enough from it that it is. ]

Dunno about granting wishes — [ is Sebastian a genie???? — ] or having a master, but I guess that's kinda what I go for, too. I mean, I am just a human. [ Or he was. Ever since he woke up with a tangible soul one day it's been a little complicated to think about what he actually is, so he just doesn't. ] But I hear you on finding purpose that way. I'd probably fuck up on my own, but as long as I got someone I trust helping me figure it out? Then yeah. It's gratifying to do things for them if they ask you to.

[ So maybe they are on the same page, after all. ]

[cutlery]

Oh! Do pardon me for making the assumption, but I thought perhaps you knew.

[ His tone lightens immediately from those darker meditations, since he hadn’t told Amos what he was, true, but he had… Just kind of assumed that most people knew. Erroneously, clearly, so he makes a mental note to be sure before speaking presumptively in the future. It’s a slighty shift of topic for the clarification, and it probably shouldn’t be something treated with levity, but… The people he’s met in now two worlds have been remarkably understanding and accepting of what he was. He only treats it with a darker tone when that’s the mood to match. ]

I am a demon, as a matter of fact. [ He says with the same casual air as if he were giving his star sign… ] The wish-granting sort, so I find myself with masters very literally! Horos and Kenos are very unusual in that I do not have them. [ …Yet, anyways. ] So the aimlessness is not bad, since I am still enjoying its novelty!

[baltimores]

Demon, huh? [ Amos reciprocates that casual tone; they really are just two guys chatting in a bar. ] Guess that makes you the first one I've met. Don't think any of the stories I heard about 'em involved granting wishes, but they were just stories, huh? Not like they'd have any basis in reality.

[ So, this is all easy enough to follow, actually! Amos hums in thought; slides his glass a little closer to himself as he leans over the bartop, still facing Sebastian. He really is about one gulp away from finishing off this drink, but first... ]

What're you finding yourself drawn to, since you don't got anyone telling you what to do right now?

[ What do you want to do, Sebastian?? ]

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Oh, it depends entirely on the story! Some are nothing more than imagination, but every once in a while, there’s a truth buried in there. Whether that is from coincidence or knowledge, though… [ He shrugs ] Who could say?

[ That part is easy to answer, so he starts with that. Amos’s question, though… He makes a thoughtful noise that’s soft enough to be lost in the noise of the bar, and there’s a further pause added as the bartender drifts back over their way, and Sebastian does lean forward to catch his attention. They have a brief conversation since as it turns out, he does want to know what it’s like to be drunk, at least a little. So a recommendation is made for something that might affect some of the creatures with stronger constitutions in Kenos, and off they go to fetch the bottle. But it gives him time also to consider the question since it’s a surprisingly difficult one to answer. ]

I believe I am still trying to figure that out, to be honest. I believe I grew very used to my position of power and knowledge in my world. There are lost histories of Earth that I remember clearly simply because I was there to see them made. I was immortal, and there were few things in the realms that could truly harm me. I suppose I grew complacent with that! Yet it is not so here. I had the experience of dying while in the roots of the Tree. It was… interesting.

[ He laughs and gives a little shrug, so clearly this wasn’t anything he was overly concerned with or affected by. ]

I want to experience all of the new things this world has to offer if I were to name something that catches my interest. Yet that also feels so broad as to be a poor answer!

[baltimores]

[ He nods at the idea of different kernels of truth slipping into different stories. Sure, that makes sense; broken clocks and all that. Doesn't really matter now, considering he's sitting with an actual demon, introduced tequila to him and everything.

Amos listens with interest as Sebastian and the bartender talk, tipping his glass a little back and forth and watching the remaining liquid inside before he decides to down what's left. After this and a couple of shots he's definitely not up for whatever it's gonna take to get Sebastian drunk; he'll make a note of it, though. Turn his eyes back to Sebastian as he sets his now-empty glass back down. ]

Well, gotta start somewhere, right? Getting drunk ain't a bad one. Relaxes you, gets rid of your inhibitions. s'nice.

[ Maybe he could do with a standard refill... eh, he'll cross that bridge when the bartender comes back. For now, though, Amos sits up a little straighter, a little tilt to his head. ]

I dunno if you can really call it dying if you just come back though, right? The tree didn't kill me — [ nope, what it did was much worse, but he's just gonna carry on talking like they're comparing wines or some shit. It's no big deal — ] but I died once, back in Horos. It was fine. Better than living at the time.

[ He sighs. ]

Don't know why people keep making a big deal out of it.

[cutlery]

[ Sebastian nods lightly with a soft laugh, though in truth, he’s slightly wary about getting rid of his inhibitions. He’s just particular and controlling, especially when it comes to himself. Luckily the intrigue of a new experience is at least enough for him to relax in those standards. Slightly.

Though rather than touch on that, Amos dips into the subject that’s more interesting to him. It’s probably stereotypical, and he’d even admit that with a laugh, but meditations on death are naturally interesting to him. It is indeed like comparing wines, so far as he’s concerned. ]

I agree. There is a finality with death. Absent of that, what happens in Horos or Kenos both, it is more like… A reprieve, I suppose?

[ The bartender returns with Sebastian’s drink, and it’s served like whiskey, but it’s a deep, dark color. It almost looks black at first and in the lower light of the bar but looking for a moment longer shows a purple tint to it. Sebastian makes a lightly impressed noise as he picks it up and takes a nose of it, which he immediately wrinkles despite himself. It’s strong, though he does catch notes that are more familiar to him. It’s surprising to him, since it seems like this will be palatable to him. In a sense, at least. If it burns on the way down, that might be cancelled out somewhat. ]

What was it like, coming back?

[ And with that said, he finally takes his sip! It does indeed burn right away on his tongue, but he finds that it’s not as unpleasant as he had been anticipating. It does indeed bloom in flavor that he can truly taste, and for that, he smiles enough for it to reach to his eyes. How surprising! ]

[baltimores]

[ Well, a good bar brawl for no reason at all is a pretty fun thing to experience, in Amos' opinion...

He watches as Sebastian is served his drink, picks it up, sniffs at it. Almost smiles at the way his nose wrinkles; what, that's all? Maybe it's a more dressed up kind of moonshine or something.

Though seeing Sebastian's reaction to it, he makes a mental note to try it out next time he's coming in with a clean, sober slate. If it meets his standards, then it's probably good. (And the guy liked tequila, so his standards can't be bad.)

But as for the actual question... Amos' expression turns more contemplative. ]

Like you said, a reprieve. Almost felt like I was waking up from a nap. I mean, I was kinda aware of what was going on, like when you're half-asleep? But I couldn't really hold onto anything. Didn't like that I didn't have a body, but once I got it back it was fine. A little stiff. Really hungry. Not the worst thing in the world.

[ The worst thing in the world — or something close to it — came after, when Horos fell apart and he woke up in a coffin having to purge what felt like hell itself from his system. He'd take death over that any day, permanent or not. ]

Don't get me wrong, not like I'm raring to kick it again, but not like there weren't some benefits to the whole process, either. [ Like having his berserker state being put to an end. Fuck, in hindsight, that actually felt really good. Peaceful. ] Just something where you take the good with the bad.

[ So not all that different from life, really. ]

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[ The explanation is met with a thoughtful noise of interest, because truly, with how Amos explains the process, it doesn’t sound that bad at all. In fact, it just strikes him as more or less a bit of an extra step added to the immortality he possessed. Inconvenient, sure, but that’s a bit of the tradeoff for something as handy as immortality. ]

How interesting. I suppose it technically is not, as there is the danger of a Shard being destroyed, but it is at least a shade of immortality. I wonder if Shard-Bearers age, in fact?

[ He kind of assumes so? But he hasn’t heard mention of it yet, so he has to wonder. ]

Well, I shall not be excited to have that experience, necessarily, though I am sure it will come eventually. I feel somewhat obligated to be at the front of things, as I am a bit tougher than most! [ He says it almost playfully, and it’s also a bit of an understatement, but, ] But having it at least be a little less mysterious is appreciated, so thank you for sharing.

[baltimores]

[ He... actually hadn't thought about that. Aging. Amos frowns in thought, a small twist of his lips. ]

I've only been at this, what, half a year? Something like that, and I dunno of anyone who's been at it longer than that. I guess some of the people in Highstorm are pretty old. They might know.

[ Not like he's aware of how old Sebastian really is or anything; hell, comparatively Amos is pretty young, it's just not so obvious because he's constrained by typical human aging standards. All of this stuff is still relatively new to him.

He blinks, resetting his expression to something neutral as he looks back up at Sebastian. ]

Yeah, no problem. I'm a frontlines kinda guy too, so, [ he shrugs, ] probably gonna end up kicking it again at some point. [ Which is a little difficult to imagine at this time, considering how peaceful everything is, but eventually. Like Sebastian said. Yima had told him she can't protect everybody... ] As long as someone can retrieve your shard again, you don't got anything to worry about.

[ And he hasn't had to experience what it might be like to not have someone, to be left in that helpless, bodiless state forever... Probably just be for the best if someone did permanently kill you in that case. ]

[cutlery]

It is an interesting thing I will have to confirm one way or another, if only for my own curiosity. I spent an evening with someone that had been in Highstorm for many years, but they are also the sort that does not age. Or at least, so I assumed. I had never met a vampire before and she had never met a demon, so we got to chatting.

[ He laughs a little into his drink as he takes another sip, since there’s little more to say than that, ultimately. It had been interesting to chat with her, but it was more like a cultural exchange than anything. Kenos and its ways hadn’t come up very much, so he moves on smoothly. ]

Well, when we inevitably end up on the frontlines together again, I shall keep an eye out for your Shard and would appreciate the consideration for the same. Of course, it is preferred to not come to that, but… [ He shrugs. Sebastian had been confident when he’d arrived in Horos that even as lesser, he could handle any threat thrown his way, but a certain something had at least humbled him a bit. Without dissipation, even! ]

[baltimores]

[ Vampire earns a blink, but that's about it. Hell, being a Shard-Bearer is a weird enough thing on its own, so not like he can really talk there. Vampires, demons, Shard-Bearers — is there really any difference? (Obviously yes, but in the way Amos looks at it, no, not really,)

He takes the moment while Sebastian is having more of his drink to lay both forearms on the bartop, blink at his own empty glass— glasses, actually, considering the earlier shots. Hm. Yeah. He's probably done for the day, actually; he's got a pleasant buzz going, doesn't really need to contribute to it.

Looks back up at Sebastian. ]

Sounds like a deal. [ They're both Zenites after all, aren't they? They're among Yima's people — and that means Sebastian is someone he should also be working to protect. Nevermind the fact that he's a demon, nevermind the fact that he can probably handle himself. Someone's part of your tribe, you help them, and that's kinda that. ] Whatever happens, I'll make sure your shard comes back.

[ For as simple as Amos' acceptance is, there's a certainty, a finality to his voice. He means every word of it. Nevermind any dangers he might befall where Sebastian might have to retrieve his shard for him — it'd be appreciated, of course, but Amos is the one who's supposed to protect people, so he's gonna do just that. ]

[cutlery]

And I for you. And any who have allied themselves with Lady Yima.

[ Sebastian gives Amos a little nod with the same amount of certainty, since his own perception is at least parallel to Amos. There’s an easy, logical practicality to how Sebastian perceives his role in both this world and the last. So long as they’re on the same side, they’ll receive all of Sebastian’s help and protection, and if they’re not, they’ll find out how much of a problem a demon can be. It’s what Lady Yima had essentially paid for, so far as he’s concerned. ]

Though, that said, I shall also hope that I will not need to throw myself in front of great creatures often! It is difficult, even for me…

[ Since they’re on the adjacent subject… He might as well joke about it. Plus, the story is funny to him now, so more people deserve to know about it. ]

And naturally, I cannot guarantee elegant solutions to split second problems. Do you know, I had to throw Mr. Silco to get him out of danger? Certainly inelegant, but effective enough.

[baltimores]

[ And any who have allied themselves with Lady Yima.

Amos would appreciate the practical nature for what it is, no problem. It's just that there's this part of him that cares. It's often buried, sometimes unrecognizable, but always there. Anyone outside his tribe doesn't matter; anyone in it means a lot. Potentially everything.

So... maybe it's something similar for Sebastian. At the very least he's following what Yima practices — you look out for your own. Either way, it doesn't really matter; what matters is Amos gets the sense that he isn't one to mince his words, so that means he can count on him, and vice versa.

That's good.

The thought and all it entails is there and then gone, replaced with a bark of a laugh when Sebastian tells him what he'd done to Silco. ]

Bet he hated that. Maybe he would've preferred you just let him die rather than suffer that indignity. [ The mental visual is hilarious, his grin large and amused. ] Shit, you got permission to throw me if you need to. Dunno what the chances are of any giant creatures popping up here though.

[ He's just not gonna talk about his own experience with such things, since what happened with him after was so much worse than anything it could've thrown at him. ]

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He was not thrilled with it, absolutely… But very luckily, the irritation was nicely offset by saving his life.

[ In fact, all things considered, he has to wonder now if it maybe would have damaged his Shard, if not shattered it? Hm. Nothing to worry about now, at least! ]

I shall at least hope that I needn’t throw any of my other comrades as it is not ideal, but duly noted! At the very least, the landing is not too hard. I cannot promise you will avoid some nasty bruises or maybe a broken bone if you are unlucky, but I at least have an additional trick to soften the landing just a tad.

[ One he demonstrates in a small way by gesturing to the glass he had set back down. Something darkens around its base, but then it’s lifted by odd and completely pitch-black shadows. They shift against the surface of the glass with a rhythm like water, but they’re sharp-edged as they move. Still, despite how thin and ethereal they look, it’s lifted as smoothly and easily as if Sebastian had picked it up himself. ]

Granted, if it is the sort of situation where throwing is necessary, I cannot promise I can maintain them so easily… But they are helpful.

[baltimores]

[ Hey, if you're in the position where you gotta throw someone out of the way to save their life, everything else is kinda secondary. So, yeah, hopefully that sort of thing doesn't need to happen again... although it occurs to Amos that he's fully capable of throwing people out of the way, too.

Huh.

But those are all hypotheticals, and what Sebastian is showing him right now is far more interesting. The shadows draw Amos' eyes immediately as he watches them, leaning in slightly for a closer look. ]

What's that, some kind of shadow manipulation? [ Right: demon. Also, they live somewhere where magic is a thing. His gaze flicks back up to Sebastian. ] Like you can make a pillow out of them? An extra hand or something?

[ Whatever it is, that's cool. ]

adding amos throwing someone to MY bucketlist

[cutlery]

[ The longer Amos looks at them, the stranger they seem. They simply don’t seem to reflect the light in a way that seems correct, smoothing out all detail of what they cover. Like vantablack, it’s almost confusing to look at. But of course, Sebastian just nods and laughs as pleasantly as if this were something normal. ]

In a sense. They are shadows, yes, but they are a bit more than that as well. It is more accurate to call them a part of me. They are far closer to what I truly am than this appearance, but it is much more convenient to take a human shape when I am visiting. Likely more polite as well!

[ Since the real one is, uh, a lot! To answer his questions in part, the shadows around the glass shift to form a dark, clawed hand around the glass that solidifies into something much more solid and real-looking, though it’s still held aloft by tendrils of the odd shadows. ]

And I can use them to create, yes. Pillows included. They are something I am able to form like clay into whatever I'd like. Well, within reason, at least. It has to be something I know very well, and I cannot create especially large or living things, but it is handy all the same.