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

[zauneyete]

Hm. [ That's not... not a laugh at her joke. When she tipped her head, he thought he saw a glint of something -- a shard? He almost didn't realize he'd been holding a breath. ] Yes, and I quite need both of them. I'm certain of it. I watched it, Jinx. It took time, but I saw it regrow.

[ That crystalline regrowth, the way he'd kept his hand hidden for weeks -- nearly a month -- but in the end, it had come back. Nothing was too permanent, he'd learned, and if it got them out of here, it was a price he'd pay. He wanted out, but more than that, he wanted to make sure this wasn't just a sick dream that his mind -- or perhaps someone's cruel magic -- had constructed.

Was that illogical? Yes, of course it was. Nobody knew about Jinx, at least from Silco's own lips, not even Kaeya, who'd probably gotten the closest to that secret, if the hazy memories that lingered in his mind could be believed. ]

Give me your knife. [ Your knife, not his knife. ] I'll do it first.

[ Was the Dryad supposed to give them one? Silco didn't know, he was just going to go at it on his own, and he was focused on Jinx, not... the roots parting, or anything else going on. ]

Then we'll get out of here. Get cleaned up. [ He cleared his throat, fighting off an actual cough himself, this time, before he held out his hand. ]

[kabooming]

[ she seems reluctant to part with the blade, but... inevitably, some of the rigidity in her posture eases in the way that suggests she's resigning to listen to him. it's one of those occasions where the stars align and she will Do The Thing he asks without much in the way of back-talk. ]

You don't want me to do it for you?

[ Jinx holds the knife out, handle first - and she, too, is completely ignoring the existence of the Dryad in the background, which is tragic for both of them seeing as how That Knife that is slowly being pushed to the surface of the vinery in the walls would cauterize the wounds immediately and this one

won't,,,, ]

I can make it quick.

[ and probably less painful than him doing it to himself. but if he wants to... she'll let him handle it alone.

seems she believes him on the regrowth thing. ]

[zauneyete]

Hm.

[ He blinked once, and then looked down at his hand, before he shrugged off one half of his coat, so he could expose the wrist a little easier. He sniffed, the acrid burn of the poison stung the back of his throat, and he cleared it.

It's a real good thing he doesn't have any weird baggage right now about being murdered by his kid or anything. A few days later for him, and this would have been... awkward.

A hand over hers, he wrapped her fingers back over the hilt of the knife, offer accepted. ]

I trust you, Jinx. It's faster if you do it, you're stronger than I am.

[ He actually meant it, too. Even if his speech slurred just slightly in there, the effects starting to take root. ]

[kabooming]

[ haha whaaat, Jinx would never hurt Silco like that... or this? this is with permission and because his hand will totally grow back, it's special circumstances, obviously!!

......😬 anyway,

she reaffixes her hold on the weapon, and his faith in her ability to take care of this seems to satisfy her. never mind that she is agreeing to lopping off an appendage from dear ol' Dad; sometimes you get trapped by a creepy otherworldly Dryad that demands sacrifices under the threat of a slow-acting poison. we've all been there, right? literally every one of us. a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

but she's unfastening one of the belts around her waist - sorry, it's kind of... dirty, and sappy - and winds it around his forearm, jerking it uncomfortably tight. it will, hopefully, staunch some of the bleeding and mitigate blood loss; clearly she doesn't intend to let him die, regrowing hands or not. ]

Silco?

[ she takes his hand in her own, briefly squeezing his fingers. it is both a gesture to impart meager, fleeting comfort in the face of what she's about to do - and also a sign of her growing irritation at the situation.

she doesn't like this. having their backs forced up against the wall like this? being forced to give up parts of themselves for freedom. ]

It feels pain, right?

[ slowly, Jinx releases his fingers. she poises the blade, gripping it firmly. ]

So we can come back and kill it when we get out of here.

[zauneyete]

[ Silco reached out, to touch her forearm -- the one holding the knife -- in response. He had already gritted his teeth, but he stopped, and instead leaned forward. ]

We heard it scream, it must. We'll find a way to destroy it, don't fret.

[ He didn't even look at the Dryad, but was focused on his daughter, before he let go, and held his idle hand above the tourniquet, as if it would help him through this.

He'd gotten experience with dealing with these sorts of entities, and if there'd been someone else here, he would have sent a shimmer-high person after it, but with just the two of them, Silco wouldn't do that to Jinx, and certainly not to himself.

He gritted his teeth, and breathed in, and out, before he shut his one eye. ]

Go ahead. Let's get this over with. The sooner we do, the sooner we can recover -- and kill it.

[ He hated it too. He hated situations like this, but what was worse? He hated that Jinx was in one of these with him. She was strong enough, certainly, but this wasn't the wild freedom he'd always encouraged for his daughter. ]

[kabooming]

[ she doesn't plan to draw this out longer than is necessary. they've made this conscious decision together, and there's nothing left to do but do it; he's right. the longer they wait here, the more she feels the itch in her lungs, can see the way her vision is blurring around the edges.

her knife; her cut; her choice. this is her choice. their choice. (isn't it?)

so Jinx looks into his eyes as if to ensure he's steeled himself as best he's able - and with one decisive, purposeful downward swing and an harsh grunt--

the knife cleanly severs Silco's hand at the wrist, painting the sap-covered blade a bright and vivid red. ]

cw emeto mention

[zauneyete]

[ The moments before she sliced in were long. Too long. Silco very nearly spoke up, told her to do it, but he waited, and his hand tightened into his own arm, teeth gritted -- only one eye looked at Jinx when she cut it.

Silco's grunt is longer, louder, when his hand is severed from his wrist. It's enough to bring tears to his eyes, and he immediately ducked his head, the pain enough to make his vision swim and his entire body to shake. It's shock, he can think, numbly. With the poison already in his lungs, it's no wonder, that his body is shaking, and he's bleeding from the wrist. It's enough that he nearly retched, and passed out, but through gritted teeth, and pain, he's focused on the ground, pointing out a single speck of dust, and forcing it to swim back into vision.

It hurts, but Silco's felt such pain before. He wheezed, this time, the air from his lungs, before he breathed again, and wiped at his face with his free hand, marring the cover on his scar, but he was still there, awake. ]

Is -- Is it done? [ Now they just had to -- do Jinx? His hand shook, but... he tightened it on his thigh, as if it would make it easier to not tremble. ] We just need to do yours now.

daddy daughter bonding you love to see it, 🔪✋

[kabooming]

[ Jinx watches him recoil, watches as his body absorbs the shock of this blow; she has seen people lose body parts before, been the one helping them part ways with those limbs, too - but it was never like this. not Silco. it's never been Silco. it's... different, somehow. she doesn't really understand it, but she feels like it's important to keep her eyes on him, to see the consequences of her actions.

he looks like he's going to go down for a moment and she's ready to catch him and support his weight if he does, but Silco manages to hold onto consciousness. sure, maybe it's by the skin of his teeth... but he does. so she does not make light of his resolve nor his stubborn sort of strength, instead reaching out to tighten the make-shift tourniquet. ]

I got it. I got it; it's fine.

[ she's deceptively calm; it means she's a special sort of angry. livid, in fact - but it's the cold kind of anger, not the white-hot vitriol that usually sparks into flames and inevitably explodes. she wants to kill this thing. she wants to hear it scream. she wants to undo whatever the hell it is it did to them and she wants to make it suffer for this. the feeling of being backed into a corner is one she dislikes - and being made to give a piece of Silco like this?

...

but she doesn't waste any more time, aware of the rapid draining of color from her father's face; between the poison and the bloodloss, he isn't going to be in great shape to sit around and play audience. and it isn't like she's afraid of a little pain; no pain, no gain, right? seems like you always gotta bleed to anything good done.

she doesn't even realize she's been mumbling to herself under her breath, an airy, not-quite-right little monologue punctuated by a bitter, dry little laugh as she ties the belt around her own arm, pulling it taut with her teeth. her eyes have moved from Silco to the Dryad where it sits, an eerie, one-eyed knot in the vines and bark, and she stares at it.

we'll show them.

and with a vicious twist at her lips, she shifts her grip on the knife handle - maintains eye contact with that freakish, god damned face, and brings the blade down with an outcry. ]

some families go to the movies, some give each other a hand, we're built different

[zauneyete]

[ He knows he's bleeding out. How could he not be with this wound, and he dares not look down at it, even when Jinx reached out to tighten the tourniquet around his arm. He didn't dare look at it, knowing that if he did, he might... find himself on the ground, and he wouldn't be able to make sure Jinx made it through. It's really what motivated him, beyond just stubbornness, something that Silco had in spades, but even this was too much for him.

His jaw tightened, but just like Jinx had watched him, he couldn't look away -- wouldn't. Not when they were in this together, not when the both of them were forced with their back against the wall, and had to give something up for this... thing. Yet another thing that dared to make him give something up, show a weakness. He could understand the anger on her face when she turned to look at the Dryad. Even in that hazy moment, he could see it, and understood it. He'd felt such hatred for an entity too, just recently.

If she wanted to kill this thing, Silco would move the entirety of Kenos to make it happen, if only she asked, he would find a way to make it happen.

Jinx speaks to herself, but Silco doesn't comment, he watched, his hand on his own arm, feeling the haze of his head swimming, but he steeled himself, sheer stubbornness keeping him together through the poison, to watch the blade slice through her own arm, made sure to watch her hand flop to the ground too, lifeless. He hated seeing it, hated watching it, but it was important -- she was giving it up, so they could escape, after all.

He stumbled forward, his feet uncontrolled on the ground, but he made it the few steps for her. ] Jinx --

[ It's loud, in the quiet cave, with the roots blocking all other sound. Silco reached out, to put a hand on her shoulder, draw her in, but he gets as far as: ] I'm --

[ Proud of you is what he was going to say, but before he can get another word out, he crumpled to the floor. ]

let's give ourselves a round of applause!! (slaps 2 severed hands 2gether)

[kabooming]

[ she's been in pain before, but she's never been in pain quite like this. suppose it's a lesson that as reckless as she can be, has been - there are thresholds she hasn't passed, yet.

maybe one day.

Jinx comes back to herself cradling her arm to her chest, slumped over and panting raggedly like an animal, hissing through her teeth. she doesn't even realize that noise is coming from her for a moment, ears ringing and feeling the adrenaline and blood pumping through her veins--

but then Silco speaks her name and jolts her back to reality, back into the moment - where she shakily looks up from staring at the hot spill of blood, instead finding Silco's face. but he's...

--ah.

she juts her arm out, barely manages to catch him with her shoulder and a wrenching, choked noise of pain; she can't keep them upright and falls to her knees with Silco's weight slumped into her. he's unconscious-- but he's breathing, isn't he? ]

--Silco? [ his name comes, trembling, as she tries to turn him over and look at his face. the room is spinning, and she doesn't even realize the vines are beginning to retreat, give way to allow access to two small vials laid among the lichen and mossy earth beneath their feet.

is it the poison? is it shock?

maybe it is the buzzing panic in her ears, the sound of familiar voices beginning to reach a peak as they whisper she's losing him, that she's made the wrong choice, that she messed it up again. --always messes it up. can't get it right. always going to end up alone.

Jinx clumsily shakes his shoulder, desperation mounting. ]

Silco. --Silco! No no... no, you...

[ ...can't do this. he can't leave her.

it wasn't supposed to be like this.

their reward - freedom, and antidote - lies within their reach. somehow it's fitting that neither of them seems capable of attaining it. ]

[zauneyete]

[ One eye closed, his jaw slack, Silco had very nearly collapsed onto his daughter, and it was only because of Jinx that he wasn't entirely a solid figure on the ground. He was nearly unconscious, but he was also breathing. Jinx, though, Jinx was starting to panic, and Silco's brain is still somewhat active -- slowed though it may be -- evidenced by the fact that his unblinking eye still moved.

He could really quitehard, harder even than fighting for his life, scrambling and scrounging for every advantage he could find. Even now, he thought he'd seen the hardest thing he'd encountered, but Jinx -- he could fight the encroaching swell of darkness and promise of oblivion for Jinx, couldn't he?

There was a reason, after all, why Finn said his spine was like jelly, when it came to his daughter. ]

Nngh -- [ Well, he's still not very coherent, but his eye still moves, and it's swiveling, looking around, trying to free the haze that's taken over him.

His eye landed on the vials at their feet, and Silco's body can barely move, but he stirred, teeth gritted, fighting through it, but he nudged Jinx, first with a shoulder, and then, if she doesn't respond, with his stump of a wrist -- the other barely supporting himself as he tried to weakly push himself up -- but he can't look away from the vials now, the focus on the prize -- on freedom is all that can keep him awake. ]

[kabooming]

--Silco?

[ it's a little cracked, a bit too soft, his name this time - but it's also filled with the rawness of hope as she feels him stirring. she's moving, immediately trying to support his weight to better accommodate him when she feels him trying to push upright-- and though it takes a moment for her to focus beyond the fuzzy haze of delusions overlaying reality--

she has seen that look in his eye before. it is a fixed, single-minded determination; a cold and final decisiveness. it is the slow realization that he is looking at something that stirs her a bit out of the hole she'd been crawling into... and begins looking at what he's--

--ah.

Silco will have to forgive her for jostling him as she roughly scrambles to collect the little vials the roots have pushed toward their feet. she has only one hand with which to grab them, and it's on the side he's leaning, so-- whoops, he's probably going to end up sliding off of her. that's fine. just lay there, take a lil nap as she hurriedly and possessedly begins unscrewing the cap of one with her teeth.

hopefully Silco's still holding on to that fragile sense of consciousness, else he's liable to choke - cause she's forcing the vial to his lips, pouring it in his mouth without hesitation. ]

[zauneyete]

[ He absolutely did start to fall promptly, when Jinx clambered over to the vials in the ground, her hands moved quick, but gravity was quicker -- Silco's elbow served to be the thing that saved him, but it's with another violent -- sharp twist of pain. It hurts like fire, from a phantom limb that doesn't exist anymore up his arm and throbbed to every other limb he had. He can only hiss from it, his remaining hand dug at the roots, trying to use them to pull himself up, but it's all he can do to stay like that.

The worst part is, that between the pain, bloodloss, and poison, he can't even think. He's awake purely through pure stubbornness, and most of that is because Jinx had shook him enough to shock him back to wakefulness, but it's a dull sort of feeling. He couldn't even do more than look to the vials, and worry about Jinx.

She's faster than him, before he can even say anything, she's already got the medicine open and --

He does choke, more from shock than anything else, but it's not the worst medicine she's given him (but can anything be more painful than injecting shimmer the way he does?) but before she can panic, he cleared his throat, just fine. Was this going to help? He suspected it would at least be better than dying from starving in a tree's roots, or from blood loss. He swallowed, before he could speak, his voice ragged from breathing too hard, the poison, and pain. ]

I'm fine, Jinx. Take yours.

[kabooming]

[ how much Silco is here in the moment seems questionable - but at least it's enough that he gives a little spluttering cough before swallowing the concoction he'd being fed. the relief is mild; she doesn't trust that this stupid talking plant-face is going to hold up to its word, that she isn't just feeding him a more potent sort of poison, that all this wasn't orchestrated just to make them suffer.

but she's reaching for the other vial with a strangled noise of pain, her mangled hand still clutched to her chest and blood spilled over her torso and staining her pants. her hands are clutching the next vial, clumsy but determinedly bringing this one to her lips to uncap it as well. ]

--Don't close your eyes. Don't you-- don't you dare even think about--

[ leaving her. ...she can't finish it. won't. but what she gets out sounds almost accusatory, angry; Silco would hear the note of fear in her voice underneath the cover of pain, rage. being put in this position, being made to dance on someone else's strings -- both of them? and to see Silco this way...?

she can't remember the last time she was so god damn livid.

so she tips the vial back to her lips with trembling fingers, choking back the bitter liquid -- and then tossing away the empty container with an airy exhale of frustration. and though it's futile, she's moving to try and get herself up to her knees as though to push herself all the way upright, tugging at Silco's sleeve as if she intends to drag him with her.

she wants out of here. now. ]

[zauneyete]

[ Now that they've both had the poison, Silco doesn't know whether he feels better, or if he feels... worse. He can feel his eye flutter -- and they almost roll back into his head, before he shook his head, uncoordinated, but Jinx's pleading -- angry though they were on the surface -- Silco could hear that small thread of fear that was laced underneath it all.

He struggled, but he couldn't and wouldn't let Jinx down, even as he bled out deep in these roots, that twinge of fear was enough to make Silco push through enough of it, to grit his teeth, and and struggle to his knees, trying to make his way back up to his feet, although he didn't get quite there. ]

Don't worry, Jinx --

[ His voice is raspy, but he's here, before he got one foot in front of him. His back felt... stuck -- ? Like something was holding onto him, and he looked behind him, trying to make sense of it... but there was nothing there --

He wanted out -- He needed to get them out of here, and he nudged Jinx with his actual hand, to try to get her up, as if when she could get up, he could follow. As if his feet were going to follow, with the way he felt locked, and stuck down here. They needed to get out. ]

Come on, let's find a way out of here.

[ He willed his voice to sound solid, but it's difficult when he can feel each pulse of his heart, and the ooze of blood from his stump. ]

[kabooming]

[ something is happening... something she doesn't fully understand, but feels vaguely familiar in a way - a sense of dissociation, of a loss of control, as if part of her is watching this happen from far away while the rest is left to flounder helplessly in the moment.

is it because she's losing too much blood? the poison? Silco, too, seems... out of it. she doesn't know, but when she tries again to drag Silco up with her to her knees, she finds herself fumbling before making it close to the mark, ending up awkwardly slumping into his side instead. is she going numb? no, it's more like she's being held down by something at her back -- something she can feel with far more clarity than anything else. ]

...Silco?

[ her voice sounds distant to her own ears. tongue is clumsy.

is she passing out--? her fingers tangle in his bloodied sleeve, and things begin to fuzzily fade. ]

[zauneyete]

[ Silco had very nearly faded once. With...whatever was in that vial in him, the blood loss, and the pain, it's hard to stay awake, but he's fighting it, if just because Jinx had asked him. It's a fight, and the longer that tugging settled at the base of his spine, that fought to tug him down, and under. Like he was being pulled beneath the waves.

Everything in him begged him to fall under the spell, go to sleep.

He reached out, instead, and clung to Jinx with one uncoordinated hand, she's at his side right now, and isn't that enough to keep him awake. ]

It's okay, we'll be --

[ He too sounds clumsy, his speech slurred on the tail of it, and he felt his eyes roll up, fading, fading... ]

Jinx -- !?

[ Awakened, free of pain, a tight pinch at his spine, still trying to keep him down. Silco fought to sit up, struggling out of the tangle, he slapped more away, and his head whirled, looking for -- ]

[kabooming]

[ she isn't far from him, as it turns out; Jinx is unconscious where she's laid out upon the grassy bed beneath the Tree's outstretched branches. they're above ground at last, it seems...

and as he catches sight of her, he might realize what it is that is holding him captive: a root from the Tree has snaked beneath her, seeming to disappear at the base of her spine. though her brow is furrowed as if in the throes of a bad dream, she doesn't seem to be waking of her own accord.

sure that won't like, freak him out or anything, ]

[zauneyete]

[ At first, there's a sickening moment, where Silco wondered if this had all been a trick. He didn't hear her voice, and as he struggled to pull himself out, there's a few heartbeats of realization that perhaps this was a deception by the tree. He felt his motions, as he pulled off the vines become less frantic and more angry, but as he started to actually look around, and his eyes --

It wasn't a trick.

Silco, clumsier than he would have liked, practically drug himself out of the pit peeled himself out -- was Cyrus even there? Silco didn't even pay attention, even if he was. He rushed forward, single minded, and he hovered over the tangle of vines, where his daughter lay.

With surprising gentleness, Silco started to pull the vines away, to note the root, slithered beneath her, trying to keep her locked in place. His fingers go frantic, tugging the tangle of vines to the side -- he looked to her face, her brow knitted with a bad dream. It's difficult to assess, when everything screams to just fix it, and Silco doesn't know what to do. Will it hurt her -- or worse? He nudged her body to the side, where he could see the root.

Instinct says to just pull it, but Silco is smarter than that, isn't he? He may not be fully calm, but he looked up, and surveyed the field. Watched as someone down the line reached down to tug one of those out from someone. He waited, long enough to confirm life, see them rise. If someone else could do it, Jinx could do it.

He tugged, at the root, and tried to pull it free. ]

[kabooming]

[ Jinx is still, unmoving save for a slightly deeper breath as she's moved onto her side - until Silco lays his hands on that troublesome root.

and as soon as he begins applying pressure, begins severing the connection between her and the Tree - it's like an electrical wire had been pressed to her instead. her hand juts out, eyes snapping wide open as she grapples with part of his shirt, fingers coiling tightly--

but she seems to realize it's Silco... Silco. with both hands, no longer pale as death and splattered with his own blood, and...

she doesn't even feel the pinch as the root is fully detached. instead, like a child rising from a nightmare, she makes a muffled sound of suppressed distress before reaching for his hand. the one she'd taken the knife to, squeezing it tightly. ]

I-it wasn't... real?

[ she doesn't understand.

but--

he's whole, right? he's whole, and the relief is enough to stop her from worrying about the rest. for now. ]

[zauneyete]

No. [ He confirmed, but he didn't let go of her hand. Jinx might be the one to reach out, but even Silco -- who never reached out -- would hold her hand for a moment, as if he too needed to know it was real.

After all, he remembered now, something that nagged at the back of his mind. Something in Horos, that had never come to pass, and he had forgotten somehow. It had been taken from him, and Jinx had never been there. Perhaps it had been a kindness, that she had not had to live through two worlds ending, but Silco hated it, just like he hated so many things. That he would remember now is the only thing that kept him from burning himself at both ends to raze Horos to the ground beneath his feet. ]

This is real, though. [ As real as anything else, Silco was certain it was reality. He'd seen other faces that he recognized, although he hoped they didn't bother to catch sight of him, trying to pull Jinx out from the tree's roots. He wanted to tug her out of the ground, get her somewhere safe, and away from everyone else here, but...

Despite what Yima had said, he hadn't thought -- hadn't trusted -- that this would happen. That Jinx was safe.

Relatively. ]

I never thought I'd see you again.

[ It isn't saying much, but from Silco? It said more than he usually did, that he was relieved that his daughter was here. ]

[kabooming]

[ it doesn't escape her notice that there is something vulnerable in this. something unusually so, even - something separated from the norm. Silco isn't just saying this; he means it.

her memories of her brief and short-lived experiences in that place are fuzzy at best, but she has the clear recollection of Silco coming to take her from her crystal rebirth, of their travels to the darkened Citadel, of the look in his eyes then as he told her he had been there for months. that look, it resembles this one, now. solidifies for her that he remembers that, and now he's been somewhere else, too, at the whims of whatever forces are responsible for this shitshow. it rankles, doesn't it? she's already pissed, and she can imagine he's had much longer to come to the same conclusion with gusto.

but they're here. together. that seems important, doesn't it? it does to her, because Silco was supposed to be the one who wouldn't abandon her.

and she isn't supposed to be the one to abandon him either. he is the one person who understands what that's really like. he's the only one who accepted her for who she is. took her in when everyone else left her behind.

she's taking his hand and hugging it to her chest; it's both a heartfelt and more playful gesture, something childish and whimsical, the typical sort of action from Jinx - one that leaves the other party wondering how much of it is real and how much is just impulse and flight of fancy. ]

I'm not going to leave you. Just like you're not going to leave me, either.

[ ...right?

seems maybe despite her best efforts to play this off as a non-event, seeing Silco that way... it definitely shook her. he's always been there, always been a steady constant ever since that day years ago. she's never had to worry about this before - not rationally, anyway.

guess losing him... it is a frightening prospect. ]

[zauneyete]

Never. [ An exhale, to collect his thoughts. ] It has always been you and me, Jinx. That will never change.

[ No matter what, as far as Silco thinks. There's nothing that could take him away from Jinx, not that he finally had her with him in this new world. What irony was it, that he -- old, and weak as he was -- had been the one brought to a new world, when his brilliant, strong daughter hadn't been? It was a cruel twist of fate, something that had never settled right with him. He'd never believed it, and hated a world that existed without Jinx in it. He had even looked, time after time, for her, to find his daughter in one of those crystal cocoons, to no avail -- or so he'd thought -- but memory now reflected that it was wrong. He wondered, of course, if Horos and the residents there were lucky that Silco had forgotten it -- or if it was intentional -- that he hadn't known that she'd been so close to coming into Horos... If he'd known, of course, he would have destroyed every last soul, or made very effort to. How could he not?

This is better, he thinks. Zaun is still gone, but... at least the only person Silco had desperately tried to find was here. He had believed in his dream of a real nation of Zaun since he was a boy, but there was someone more important than even that. If he'd had to choose, he would have chosen Jinx. Every time. Even he knew that, even if he'd never been asked made that decision.

Yet. ]

Can you stand? We should get out of here. Soon. I can't guarantee our safety while we're in the open.

[ He'd seen the Enforcer, even if he hadn't spoken with her. He did not want her spouting whatever lies she'd come up with, or threatening them. Especially with nobody nearby to use for defense. ]

[kabooming]

[ it's the certainty in his voice - the surety in it, despite everything - that settles it for her. and just like that, she is able to tuck everything down and away again, to keep moving forward; they had weathered worse. they would in the time to come, certainly. there's no choice but to keep going. to keep proving that they would keep going.

and they sure as fuck aren't going to make it easy for anyone else in the process.

Jinx is finding her feet with only a meager lack of the normal grace, still holding Silco's hand in clear intention to assist him in doing the same. she's already pulling the usual song and dance routine over herself, something not-quite-right about the light in her eyes as she flashes him a smile. ]

I'm thinkin' this is as good a time as any for a woodchipper. Or maybe a flamethrower? Oooh, or a woodchipper that incinerates!

[ it's fine. they're fine. ]

[zauneyete]

[ Silco doesn't have to feel the assurance to project it, and after such a harrowing experience, he has to project the sort of confidence that Jinx relied on. She'd always needed him, after all -- just like he'd always needed Jinx. They were two against the rest of the world, Piltover and the lot of them who thought they could just be abandoned and drowned in the darkness, left to fester and rot.

He straightened, slower than Jinx, but just as eager to get out of here. He looked over his shoulder once, just to make sure they weren't being followed -- he didn't trust any of them out there, and it's a suspicious eye that looked back over the landscape of bodies in the trees roots, and then back at Jinx. ]

We might need someone rather... adept at gadgetry to make that happen. [ He said, with that odd paternal tone he seemed to often take with Jinx. ] You don't happen to know anybody, do you?