Not their surroundings, not the mounting exhaustion, not the constant feeling of being watched -- no, those are new. But a lot else feels awfully familiar. The periodic, breathtaking wrench of despair squeezing tight around his lungs; the red-hot sear of an aimless rage making it impossible to think about anything else; the way his mind is violently overtaken by his darkest memories, blurring the borders between reality and the quagmire of his own thoughts -- all effects he'd endured to some degree or their other since his younger years. It's all terribly familiar.
But maybe that's worse, in a way. After all, their familiarity makes it that much harder for him to fight against them. Why bother, when he knows full well that those influences will win out, in the end? When has he ever been able to maintain his integrity in the face of his own mind twisting itself into knots? ]
i. - the ritual ( talk / communion )
[ He wanders in those moments where he can maintain some semblance of lucidity. Not that he can even wander far, given the place they've all been trapped in, but still -- he's always been restless, and at least moving around helps keep his thoughts at bay for even a few seconds longer. His footsteps drag as he casts about at his surroundings; half-walking, half-dragging himself as he supports himself against the closest wall, Gen draws a listless, wandering path around the chamber.
And maybe someone -- a familiar face, especially someone who might seem especially distressed -- catches his eye during those times. ]
... you still alive? [ That hoarse question is accompanied by a nudge of his boot against his unfortunate subject's shoe or side. He's hardly making the inquiry out of goodwill, more that he's desperate for something to distract himself with, but still -- how is his unlucky victim faring? ]
ii. the ritual + the purge ( talk / trade / corruption )
[ Those exploring the little dead-end corridors branching off from the main chamber might eventually stumble upon Gen -- literally. Because he's decided to hunker down on the ground just around a corner, sitting hunched over with his face buried against his knees.
Though regardless of if someone manages to catch themselves at the last moment, or if anyone's literally stepping on him, Gen still doesn't respond immediately. He's clearly lost in thought, hands tangled in his hair as he rocks back and forth where he sits, muttering something incomprehensible to himself under his breath. It's only after a few more quiet words murmured to himself that he looks up blearily -- eyes hazy, hair kinked out in odd directions, expression drawn and exhausted -- before very abruptly jerking a hand forth to grab at his unfortunate victim. It doesn't really matter if he manages to grab their hand, or their wrist, or even a stray fold of their clothes. Gen simply tightens his grip and yanks hard to try and drag the person a step closer, before they can flee. ]
Stay here.
[ Is it a plea, or a demand, or an order? Maybe something between all three, spat out guttural and hoarse. It's just that -- he might have sought out this quiet spot himself, but as those visions and flashbacks grow more relentless, he can feel himself starting to unravel. He needs something, anything to ground him more in the moment. And if he needs to tolerate the presence of another person for that purpose, then so be it. He'll take whoever this is. ]
iii. the purge ( trade / corrupting )
[ He's so close, he thinks. Or is he there yet? It's hard to tell. Either way, something within him's buckled, and it honestly feels like a huge weight's lifted off his shoulder now that he's given in and acknowledged -- he belongs with Zenith. There was never any other place for him. All this time, he's made attempts to stray from 'where people expect him to be,' but it was a waste of time. How did he ever think that he belonged anywhere else?
And now he just needs to seal the deal. Properly get himself there, entrenched deep with Zenith. (Wouldn't be a bad idea to take someone with him too, would it? Yeah. Sure, why not.)
His footsteps are a little unsteady, but there's still a sense of grim purpose to his movements as he stalks about the main chamber and down those branching corridors, mind abuzz with too many thoughts as he looks for someone to focus on. And whether it's someone's movements, or their demeanor, or just dumb luck that has his sights landing on someone -- ]
Hey. [ His bootsoles scuff against the ground as he lunges forward to grab at their arm, yanking them close. ] Let's talk for a minute, yeah? [ He is absolutely looking for more than just a 'talk.' ]
iv. the purge ( aggression / corrupting )
[ At some point, words feel pointless. His head hurts, his thoughts are a mess, Zenith's influence sings in his veins, and he's sick and tired of the stifling atmosphere in this place. Staying still becomes impossible, and even his listless wanderings of the chamber don't work to vent his roiling thoughts any more -- and as always, his thoughts cycle back to anger and violence.
After all, maybe they'll get out of this wretched place a little faster if everyone is either with Zenith, or death.
With what slivers of conscious thought he has left, he sticks to the side corridors, away from the too-many watchful eyes of the main chamber. But crouched down low as he rocks on his heels, Gen keeps an eye out for anyone who might come wandering his way. Those belonging to Zenith, he ignores, barely giving them a passing glance before looking away. But anyone else -- the moment he manages to think past the roiling haze of his thoughts to recognize them for what they are, he surges to his feet. There's a surprising, manic energy to his movements as he lunges forward to slam them against the nearest wall, hand tangling into their clothes to crowd them back and corner them. ]
v. wildcard
[ If we made plans but the above prompts don't work, or if you'd just like to do something else (e.g. with the exploration section), please feel free to hit me with anything else! If you'd like to make plans before we do anything, or if you'd like a custom starter, please feel free to hit me up on inktrashing#5307, databomb, or through my plotting comment right over here! ]
gen | meridian > zenith , exalt | OTA
Not their surroundings, not the mounting exhaustion, not the constant feeling of being watched -- no, those are new. But a lot else feels awfully familiar. The periodic, breathtaking wrench of despair squeezing tight around his lungs; the red-hot sear of an aimless rage making it impossible to think about anything else; the way his mind is violently overtaken by his darkest memories, blurring the borders between reality and the quagmire of his own thoughts -- all effects he'd endured to some degree or their other since his younger years. It's all terribly familiar.
But maybe that's worse, in a way. After all, their familiarity makes it that much harder for him to fight against them. Why bother, when he knows full well that those influences will win out, in the end? When has he ever been able to maintain his integrity in the face of his own mind twisting itself into knots? ]
i. - the ritual ( talk / communion )
ii. the ritual + the purge ( talk / trade / corruption )
iii. the purge ( trade / corrupting )
iv. the purge ( aggression / corrupting )
v. wildcard
[ If we made plans but the above prompts don't work, or if you'd just like to do something else (e.g. with the exploration section), please feel free to hit me with anything else! If you'd like to make plans before we do anything, or if you'd like a custom starter, please feel free to hit me up on inktrashing#5307,