Toxic Love: The Exalt Oracle

[beleos]

NOTHING GOES OFF WITHOUT A HITCH

You feel it, the moment that the Exalt oracle opens its eyes, like something that rips through your body from head to toe, something that feel like fire, wild. It sears into your veins, like acid and fire, something that triggers something that makes you want to run, or perhaps turn and face something head on. Before you can find what sets you off – if you could find it. Bearers know what this sensation is, it is different but the same at its core. The emotions, the feelings it sparks are different – but in the end, you know it for what it is: An Oracle.

Kenos groans from the awakening, like a part of a whole sparks to life, and though you do not know what it is that they want yet, you understand and know their existence down to your core. That feeling to attack or defend, perhaps even flee, does not leave you, but instead it fills your veins, you feel it thrumming, pulsing, like the beat of a heart – if one has one. With the sense of awakening, bearers know the shape of what comes next, they will be asked to act, to do. You do not know how it will happen, or what the Exalt will ask of you, but the knowledge that it will happen is borne from experience, not from the Oracle itself.

As you begin to move, to… look, you are not long for this day, it clouds your mind, a hazy, drowsy feeling takes over, the encroaching dark that threatens to swarm, crowding from the sides, taking over your vision – until… it fully takes over, and Bearers are put into a deep slumber.

---

When bearers awaken, it’s difficult to make sense of what your sleepy eyes see. Structures begin to swim into view, and they like tall figures looking down upon you. It’s difficult to tell what they are at first, but as you wake up, you begin to see, they are not people, or creatures, but long spore-like stalks. Some have ribbed overgrowths that you can see, and some end in growths that ripple and hang over, but have no “cap”. They tower over the bearers, like towering spires and buildings, on all sides, as if they were trapped in a ring of them. As bearers look around them they will notice tall green spires around them as well, and it takes a moment for things to really settle in. Mushrooms. Blades of grass. The springy moss about them is almost as tall as they are, low to the ground. There are pebbles that appear as boulders, and the thunderous steps nearby indicate an insect or arachnid walking by, far larger than you. There is a stillness to this space, like a held breath, and as the bearers awake, and regard one another, and then to the center of the circle is – a small effigy in the center.

It is here, the Exalt Oracle, and you feel compelled to regard it, before you are given a pang down to your core. It compels you – pleads, asks, begs, and demands, all in one – for what it wishes for. Precious mementos and precious items that they are missing. They have been lost, and they are somewhere within the Liosachán. It beseeches the bearers to return its items, and begs they be returned here to the circle. There are no words, but there is a pleading sensation, a feeling that these items are treasured by this Oracle.

You feel at your sides, your pockets, and find one item on your person, a weapon, a companion, whatever it is you would bring with you to the conflict, shrunk down to a tiny size with you.

Stay steadfast, bearers, and capture the flag Oracle!

SURVIVAL OF THE SMALLEST ( DAYS 1 - 5 )

Unlike the still, stale apocalypse that had been the setting of the Iconoclast Oracle, the greenhouse is lush and vibrant with activity.

The Effigy present within yearns to be reunited with what belongs to it, fixated upon the five items lost within the greenhouse. The swell of its longing fills all Shardbearers, urging them to take action, claim the items and present all five to it to attain victory for that Faction.

Over a period of ten days, Shardbearers of both factions will have to navigate environmental dangers, and the normal procession of time, as the greenhouse is going about its daily routine. Workers plod around like towering goliaths, weeding and watering and pruning the greenhouse's contents. The Liosachán's native population of fae begin to take notice of the newcomers in their midst, emerging from grassy mounds hidden in the natural landscape to spy and pry about the newness surrounding them.

Naturally curious, and equally dangerous, the fae of the Liosachán are Highstorm natives. They range in cool coloration, from soft violet-greys to deep stormy blues, and wear clothes fashioned from of goods pilfered from the pockets of workers, dropped on the ground or handcrafted from the environment itself. Wielding bits of copper tightly wound into blades and spears, they are a ferocious and cunning little people who seek to trick, trap and toy with Shardbearers. Direct violence is anathema to them, but violence that happens as a result of falling to one of their ploys is a badge of honor.

DAY ONE - THREE. The Effigy initially urges Shardbearers to build bases of operation for defense and practicality, as surviving ten days without supporting one another is a surefire way to meet a grisly, tiny little end. Resources must be gathered: gather food and water, prepare shelter, establish unity and organization and prepare to set off into the wilds soon.

For Shardbearers demonstrating particular selflessness, favoring the protection and defense of another, the Effigy responds warmly from the third day onward — rewarding them with a sign of their dutiful nature towards others in the form of fairy wings, the form of which are unique to the Shardbearer themselves.

DAY FOUR. The sudden thunderous sound of a storm begins. No, not a storm, the tumble and crash of water pouring down upon the greenhouse — the workers of the Liosachán perform their routines faithfully, after all. In watering the garden, the danger of the environment threatens to overtake Shardbearers and their work alike. Drops of water fall, their size equal or larger than even the tallest of characters, and trickles of water muddy the ground in the form of raging rapids.

The security of Meridian and Zenith's camps is even called into question, because as simple as the act of watering a garden is, it is a nightmarish situation for such itty bitty Bearers to be in!

DAY FIVE. By day five, the fae of the Liosachán no longer lurk and linger in the corner of one's eye. They make themselves known, having prepared a banquet below one of the mushrooms, within sight of the Effigy. A table draped in spider-silk lace awaits any Bearer who comes near enough, the sagging piece of driftwood polished to a gleam with golden sap, leaving it waterproofed and pretty to behold. A handful of corks serve as seating, with most of the fae draping themselves across scraps of cotton as though they are simply at a picnic.

They invitingly wave to Shardbearers, chattering brightly in their foreign, lilting tongue, waving tiny sandwiches and little clay pots full of jams and honeys, brandishing sugared berries that they bite into with gusto, staining their arms and faces in swathes of blue and red. They clearly are welcoming to whomever comes upon them, urging them to avail themselves to the bounty they have prepared. Perhaps some characters know better than to eat the food of the fae, recalling legends and lore about the mystical properties and implicit bargains made in becoming a guest. Perhaps some have no idea, and are simply hungry enough to dig in!

UNWILLING TEN-ANTS ( DAYS SIX - EIGHT )

The scuttling, scrabbling feet of ants crawling over surfaces, winding their way through this grassy playground, has become normal. Their feet thunder as they go about their business, and it seems to be a normal cadence to life here in the underbrush, in the greenhouse. It is normal, and it is has become nothing to really concern oneself with. They are ants, after all, what do they do, but work? Endlessly, continuously.

That is, until the heavy, loud sounds of their feet draw closer to whatever place that the bearers have found to camp in. Whether solitary or as a group, these workers are no longer content to simply ignore the bearers, but they are a curiosity, perhaps even a bother. You have disrupted their lifestyle. The sleepy pattern of obtain food, return ot the hive, and back out again now has obstacles. Now there are not simply the fairies, who live their own lives and existences, a part of the ecosystem, but now there are these tiny bearers. Fighting, working together, arguing and disagreeing.

You are disruptive to their way of life.

The ants have come to collect on this due, and some bearers that are vulnerable, or perhaps merely caught, are taken away, your weight so light compared to the rest of their burdens that they carry. The strength of these ants is overwhelming, incredible at this size, and try as you might, if you are caught in their strong mandibles, you cannot escape. An ant, after all, carries 1000 times their weight with those powerful jaws. You, bearer, are nothing to them.

They squirrel away the bearers within their hill, a complicated network of tunnels, junctions, and large spaces. Down within, where the air becomes stifling, and stale. The ants guard their pray, and you get the distinct sense that they see you not as people, not even as enemies, but as prey. You will be food – perhaps to the eggs that are gathered within this room, where you can see the stirring of new life, just beneath the surface. You may not have very long to live, if these little larvae get their mouths on you.

Or perhaps, your friends will save you? Once it is discovered that bearers are missing, the trail of ant prints on the ground is apparent – they are not stealthy creatures – and the feet lead from the locations of several kidnapped bearers toward the grainy ant hill that lies not far away. The hill itself swarms with life, with worker ants all over the surface, scuttling about, looking for the next meal for te colony. Or perhaps for more bearers to bring back for their young.

It will be dangerous, bearers, to save your friends. Should you choose to do so, you will be kicking the anthill, and the ants will protect what is theirs. Even if they just took it. Those bearers belong to them, now! Rescuers will find not only your average worker ant, ready to defend, but winged male ants will attack from above, and deeper, within the nest, near where the bearers are kept, lies the strongest ant in the colony: The Queen. Staggeringly large, strong, and vicious, when her subjects begin dying. She will do everything in her power to protect her colony, and that includes killing bearers, if need be. Or trying, at least.

Good luck rescuing your friends, bearers!

IN SMALL PACKAGES ( DAYS NINE - TEN )

The day after the ant-pocalypse brings with it the brush of recognition — the Effigy has foreseen the likely victors, and calls to them to approach it once they have suitably recovered. It judges them the ones whom are most devoted to what binds them, loyal to memory and remembrance, and begins to clamor for them to restore to it what belongs rightfully. Thus begins a full day of resting, locating last-minute items, shoring up defenses and preparing for the sprint to the finish line.

Certainly your rivals will not allow you to simply walk to the Effigy unassailed and unchallenged.

Eat, rest, ensure your fellows are close and bolstered, for tomorrow begins the final rally.

On the morning of the tenth day, Meridian Shardbearers approach the Effigy with its five items in hand. In the midst of the mushroom ring, the Effigy stands as it had in the beginning — arms outstretched and back bowed skyward, gnarled fingers seeking contact with that which has been lost to it. It awaits, it strains, and even as it does, it requires one last test of ability. From the shadows of the towering mushrooms, the rasp of scale and soft hiss of a great beast descends upon the fae ring.

A gleaming garden snake, with glossy black and green stripes, blocks the way between approaching Shardbearers and the Effigy.

Between its bright eyes, pressed upon its brow is a scattering of brighter scales that appear to be in the shape of a delicate, three-leafed plant with spiraling patterns for leaves. It braces itself against the approach, and there is no doubt that to claim victory, the serpent must be subdued. Though Meridian approaches with victory in hand, they have not yet attained it — their rival faction and this beast remain in their way.

MISSING LINKS ( THROUGHOUT )

As the Effigy desires to be reunited with what belongs to it, the swell of its longing stirs something more within all present Shardbearers.

With that foreign longing arrives knowledge: beyond the five items prized by the Effigy itself, there are other lost things within the greenhouse. Like a compass, each Shardbearer's mind points them in direction after direction, urging them to seek and explore. Implicitly, the thrum of comprehension fills your mind: these are things that do not belong to you, per se, but seek to have your hands ferry them home.

Amidst tangled brush, hidden under doffed acorn cap, tucked away in the belly of a fae's glittering den, lost in the depths of a puddle of spilled water that seems an insurmountable lake now, folded secretly into the petals of a towering, skyscraper-like flower, there are three additional items hidden within the tumultuous landscape that each Shardbearer feels a draw towards. Things that belong to someone else, eager to be reunited with them, but subject to whim.

Upon locating and retrieving one, the Shardbearer is filled with a sense of information — they know who this item belongs to, and they will know that they have a choice. Bonds are fragile things after all, and they exist to be enforced or abused, in order to advance a goal or to deepen a connection. How will you treat someone's precious bond? How will they treat yours?

NOTES

Here are some prompts to set the scene and foundation of the Exalt Oracle! — The theme of this Oracle is a loose edition of capture the flag, where the Effigy's items can pass through multiple hands within the ten day allotment.

— For additional ideas and fun, it is known that several Shardbearers have concluded their efforts to fulfill the Greenwood Yards' sidequest request.

— All details of the Exalt Oracle can be found here, and questions for the mods can be submitted here.

CODING

Comments

Dimitri Blaiddyd | Meridian | Open / Closed Starters

[hauntedking]

[ Going to put some open stuff below; if you'd like me to write a starter for something we've plotted, let me know! ]

Open Starters

[hauntedking]

I. Same World, New Perspective

[ Being shrunk down to the size of small insect is... beyond him. But compared to some of the other things that have happened here so far, it's honestly not surprising. Although it does feel like something out of a fairy story, in all honesty. He does his best to get adjusted, even as he finds that he's missing his lance and trying to deal with a whole bunch of plant and wildlife that's suddenly much more troublesome now that he's no longer large. Still, he has his hands and he can use a stick (twig, really) if he needs to defend himself. The first order of business he has is to try and set up a camp-site - probably with other Meridians, first off. He can be found helping to organize that in a variety of ways - selecting a site for it, ideally on some 'higher' ground, shaded by towering plants and leaves. It's out of the way of foot-traffic, too, for good measure (no one wants to get squished).

He takes stock of supplies and likewise tries to make it more defensible, both from potential Zenith incursions (although if a particularly sad looking Zenith tells him they really need help, he'll probably let them in) and from mice, frogs, ants, and other such creatures! The first order of business - at least for him - is to build an impromptu palisade out out of small twigs, bits of plants, and pebbles (which are more like boulders. In fact, visitors can probably be treated to the sight of him (much like an ant) carrying something several times his own body mass to add it to the growing perimeter he's building.

There's also a site for a fire that he puts to use - in this case making a fire-hardened spear to use as a defensive weapon. It's a lot of work in only a few short days, but he manages it - and the light of the fire and the smell of smoke might actually be inviting, depending on who you are and what trouble you're in. ]

II. Downpour

[ This really is unlike any rain he's experienced; the drops are huge in comparison and the impact throws up water and bits of dirt and debris. Dimitri's very glad that he's managed to get his shelter built on high ground and so the rushing torrents that go streaming by seem to be mostly leaving his shelter out of it - but he's also got to go out and make sure people (regardless of their faction) aren't being swept away. He's got strength to spare, so as he dodges raindrops, he calls out into the soggy air, peering into storm waters that seem to be flowing every which way. ]

Anyone out there? Are you alright?

[ Everyone deserves a chance, right? ]

III. The Hunt

[ What would life be like without monsters? Or... ants, in this case. They're huge in comparison, but Dimitri doesn't seem phased by them. Which is probably a good thing, considering said ants are trying to make a meal out of the shard-bearers! He's got his trusty wooden spear in hand and he seems determined to at least try to deter the creatures - he's marching straight through the tangle of undergrowth, following a meandering track back toward the nest. If there's anyone in there, he's absolutely going to do his best to get them out. Whether you're being ant-napped or want to assist in the rescue mission, he'll be there! Fighting ants or prodding his way through the maze of tunnels, unafraid of getting his hands dirty.

Or becoming lunch. Even if the thought does occur to him. ]

IV. In Like A Lion

[ And near the end of the excursion, things have gotten surprisingly interesting for him. He has a pair of wings (someone did some rescuing) - but more than that, Dimitri seems to have changed - if he's recognizable as Dimitri at all! He can be found perched under a large leaf, frowning as he tries to examine his reflection in a pool of water left over from the rain. And it's no wonder - he seems to have become a lion, complete with snout and large, elegant mane, although the eye-patch has remained. Not to mention the tufted tail. He's not sure how this happened, but it's... well. It could be worse.

He glances up when he hears that he has company. ]

Wait - it's me! [ Potentially thinking he may not be recongized as a shard-bearer... ]

V. Wildcard

[ Hit me up with something else or I'll throw up a closed starter! ]

dimilion dimilion-

[wolfish]

[ Yuri is, as has been customary for him, out on one of his patrols in case anyone else is injured and alone. His strides are purposeful as he makes his way along, swift and near-soundless, until a familiar voice catches his attention.

Recognition flits across his face as he follows the sound, only to be chased away by puzzlement as his gaze lands on a winged lion.

A winged lion with an eye patch. ]

...Dimitri?

[ The question of how springs to mind, but doesn't quite reach his lips. ]

[hauntedking]

[ Dimitri glances up with a little smile - or sort of a smile, depending on how this beast's face actually works. ]

Yuri! Yes, it's me - although... I fear I look a little different now.

[ He shrugs, lifting a hand in a half-hearted wave. ]

This place certainly likes to have fun at our expense, doesn't it?

[wolfish]

I can safely say I haven't seen you in such dire need of a shave.

[ A jest, if only to inject some humor into the situation. Surely, being altered so dramatically had to be difficult to bear with. Yuri remembers well how troublesome it was for Rin having sprouted horns, or for Byleth with his hair growing so rapidly.

He saunters right over to take a seat beside Dimitri, deeming it the best demonstration that he believes that it is indeed him, despite alterations. The voice is certainly one he knows. ]

A lion is a little on the nose, I'll grant you. How did this happen?

[hauntedking]

[ At least it earns a laugh from Dimitri. He sighs after a moment and glances down at Yuri as he joins him. He doesn't feel... badly. Just a little different and perhaps a little confused. But it is disturbing. ]

I'm not entirely sure. I think it might have something to do with something I ate.... or maybe something I didn't do? I'm still figuring that out myself. Hopefully it's temporary.

[wolfish]

[ So the cause is unknown. That's troublesome, to say the least. It brings to mind a curse from some children's tale. ]

I'd like to think it won't last... But if it does, we'll just have to find a remedy.

[ Casually as he says it, means it just the same. ]

Did you just wake up this way?

[hauntedking]

Yes, it started this morning.

[ He sighs and rubs a hand through his mane. ]

I don't feel any different mentally, at least, so I suppose I will be thankful for small favors...

III

[settingup]

[ Bless you Dimitri, for not being like SOME MERIS (read: Liem) who would leave a helpless Zenite to his fate at the clutches of giant ants. It's nice that some people out there don't care about party lines when it comes to rescuing those in need.

It's just a little unfortunate that Atsumu has successfully managed to extricate himself from the tunnels on his own, and is now leading a charging line of ants in an ironic beeline to where Dimitri is currently hidden in the undergrowth.

Nothing personal, of course, because even Atsumu doesn't see him there, but he sure is dragging the other man into his troubles with him. It probably doesn't seem to help that he's screaming at the top of his lungs as he charges clumsily on newly furried feet, but fear not! The ants don't have ears, so they can't hear him right now!

They can still feel him galloping like a wild horse away from their tunnels though, so regardless he's kind of giving himself away in his panic. ]

[hauntedking]

[ Dimitri is, admittedly, one of the last people on earth who would ever simply abandon someone to their fate. Especially in this case - he knows Atsumu! Sort of. They've played volleyball (or practiced it) together. He shifts his weight a little, trying to get a better look as he hears that scream coming his way - followed by foot-steps and the hurried crash of foot-steps. He pauses for a long moment. And then comes barrelling out of the undergrowth with a home-made wood spear in hand to challenge the ants and to get a better look at who's in trouble.

There's a momentary pause and he registers surprise before he shakes it off and scowls, leaping forward to set himself in the way. ]

Get behind me!

[ There's no mistaking the seriousness in his tone or the way he draws himself up to his full height. ]

They may simply be doing what comes to them as beasts... but that's no reason to let them do as they like!

[settingup]

[ Between the handful of largely civil conversations they've had, and the fact that Atsumu was out cold during Dimitri's most... unfortunate moments, he's got Atsumu's trust more than most Meris do.

So when Dimitri pops out nowhere and barks that order, Atsumu isn't going to question it for a second. Well, there's the vague thought that flashes through his mind that Dimitri is off his goddamn rocker if he thinks he's going to be taking on those ants with a spear, but he's too desperate right now to turn down an offer of help right now.

He leaps behind Dimitri, kicking into the air briefly-- more than briefly actually, it's like Atsumu is literally dashing through the air over Dimitri's head for a shockingly high and prolonged "jump", before crashing back down into the dirt just behind him. The loud screaming is gone, replaced by loud cursing as Atsumu scrambles to get back onto his feet and hobble away further as the ants keep charging the two boys down. ]

[hauntedking]

[ That's an incredibly prodigious leap - Dimitri's quietly impressed - but his attention is still on the ants. And while he's alone, he has confidence in himself - and his great strength to back him up. With a sharp yell he dashes at the leading ant with a thrust of his wooden spear. Taken by surprise the ant falls back rather than let itself get skewered.

It's not much, but it's some breathing space. ]

Can you keep moving? [ Dimitri calls over his shoulder as he retreats a few steps, trying to keep them at bay. ]

[settingup]

[ He's always been good at jumping, though a few skills he's picked up here and there while staying in Kenos has really expanded that particular ability. Though he's yet to master the ability to make a smooth landing, unfortunately.

Back on his feet now, he takes just a brief second to full body shake like he's some kind of dog, but the dirt seems to cling to his skin and his newer furry parts. The question snaps him back into focus though, and has him skittering forward. ]

Just fine! C'mon! Don't go messin' with those things on your own, there are tons more still comin'!

[ And this would be a brave and noble thing to shout, to encourage Dimitri to come along with him, to not abandon a man to fight off his pursuers alone.

If he wasn't also actively running away while screaming all of that over his shoulder. ]

[hauntedking]

[ Dimitri doesn't really begrudge him continuing to run, although he's a little surprised by it. Then again, maybe he shouldn't be. There are several ants coming and Dimitri can't fight them all. He takes a step back, fending off an attack and then another - and then finally gets an opening and turns to follow. Fortunately enough, he's fast - Dimitri has speed and power to spare and he starts to eat up the distance between them as he glances back over his shoulder. ]

We need to do something to throw them off of the trail, don't we?

[ Although what that might be is a bit... up in the air. ]

i

[bakedapple]

[ Immediately obvious, and encouraging, is how much better the current situation is in comparison to what they went through for the last Oracle. Sure, it's still early, and it's highly plausible — even likely — that the two sides will clash over the coming days, but the simple fact that they aren't trapped in dark tunnels with no food is an enormous boost to morale from the very start.

And both Dimitri and Link are of the same mind: the first and best thing they can do is start to prepare for the time they'll be spending in this place. With both men working towards this same goal, it doesn't take long for them to cross paths.

Link hesitates when he recognizes the bulky form and head of blond hair of the man building a barricade nearby the crackling campfire. It has been a few weeks since Xanadu. The night he spent with Dimitri had been fun in its own right, but they probably wouldn't have done such a thing if they weren't both drunk and Link weren't going insane with Discord. They haven't really spoken to each other since then. An awkward hello here and there, but nothing more. Link still doesn't know what to think about his time at the resort, or the things he did while under the influence, or the fact that his tail and horns and everything else didn't go away, despite doing those things.

Well. It might as well be now, right?

He meanders closer to Dimitri, trying to think of what he should say to spark a conversation without it all feeling too weird. His dragon tail waves slowly and idly behind him, a much less agitated and anxious motion in comparison to its constant swishing last month.

Ugh. Why is this still so hard? Talking to people, that is. He's close enough now that he can see the black elastic of Dimitri's eyepatch pulling on his tresses from within his overgrown hair. He bites at his lower lip for a moment, and deciding that there's no point in trying minimize the potential awkwardness of this, he steps up to Dimitri's side. ]

...here. Let me help you with this.

[hauntedking]

[ Dimitri has been a little curious about Link - they haven't talked much since their encounter in Xanadu. But he supposes that they're both busy and while he has some mixed feelings about it all, he's generally just happy that htey shared something intimate together. It's... different. And he's figuring out what they are (who they are) to one another in his own head. More than that, he's just been busy and trying to keep everything going.

Especially now. He's even found some clothes tucked away out in the 'woods', which is a bit strange, but he has them with the rest of his possessions in the small camp he's working on. He glances over at Link as he approaches and there's a smile from him as he sees who it is. ]

Link! Of course. If you're willing to help, please - grab the other end and help me get this in place.

[bakedapple]

[ The greeting is so... normal. It's not like Link was expecting Dimitri to have a negative reaction to him, but the way he smiles and accepts his help, it's like nothing has changed between them at all. Encouraged by his friendly invitation, Link grabs the other end of the log-sized twig and helps Dimitri slot it in place in silence.

It's when he steps back that he speaks again, as he drags the back of his hand against his damp forehead. ]

...This is a good idea. Fortifications, I mean. If we can, we should set it up all around the Meri's area.

[hauntedking]

[ Dimitri... does have thoughts about that evening, but he's also incredibly determined not to let it drag down his friendship with Link, no matter what else might happen. He likewise steps back to admire their handiwork with a little nod. ]

Yes. If nothing else, it might help against the wildlife. I don't think it will do much against a shard-bearer, though.

[ He glances down at link after a moment. ]

How are you? We haven't spoken in a little while.

[bakedapple]

[ ...Ah. Dimitri is asking about him directly, now. Maybe there's no getting around it after all. The atmosphere between them is still awkward, even if it isn't as awkward as Link feared it would be.

Meeting Dimitri's gaze, he looks away in the next moment, feeling a bit confronted even if it wasn't meant that way. ]

I'm... well, I'm better than I was. [ he can say that much at least. ] But...

[ with a sigh, Link crosses his arms. behind him, his tail sways slowly and thoughtfully. ]

...I'm troubled. About many things, one of them being the... the way I was acting at Xanadu.

Hayame

[hauntedking]

[ The search is on - for both shelter and supplies and for the mysterious objects they've been told they need to recover. Dimitri is working on his own, at least to begin with, picking his way through the 'forest' that to him was once flower and weeds and grass. It's a strange sensation, to look up at towering plants that just the other day he would hardly have given a second glance. It brings an entirely new perspective to it all. It's not always enjoyable, but it's certainly something that he'll carry with him for a long while yet. He's picking his way through the 'undergrowth', such as it is, when he thinks he hears something - and then there very much is something - a call in his head. A tug of assistance from a fellow Meridian.

It takes him a moment to realize who it is on the other end, but-]

I'm on my way, if you need healing - try to hold on a little while longer. I don't think I'm far away...

cw: bone injuries

[warmare]

[In all honesty, when Hayame had weakly reached out for the nearest Meridian who was capable of miraculous healing… she had not expected a reply from the giant of a man named Dimitri. She knew him as a warrior (sometimes a blood-crazed one, apparently), not a medic or a wizard…

But she is in no position to refuse.

She is in no position to meet him anywhere else, either. All she can do is tersely (pained) assure the voice in her head that she wouldn’t be moving, that she awaited him… and that is true. Soon enough, Dimitri will come across a place where the “forest” parts and reveals a cup, half-buried in the soil where it landed after being kicked out of its original place. The rim is half-collapsed, the cup itself partly filled with a mix of gardening soil, fertilizer, and pebbles as big as they were tall… and in that wreckage is a splash of dun coat.

It is Hayame, looking unhealthily pale and strained, sweat beading on her skin and both chests rising and falling far too shallowly. The pupil of her one remaining eye is dilated to a pinprick with pain. She is half-propped upon a pale chunk of fertilizer, struggling to stay upright… but not to move.

Because a shard of bone is sticking out from her back left leg, the limb broken and splayed out bloody and useless behind her.]

[hauntedking]

[ Oh. Dimitri pauses when he spies her and there's a flicker of worry on his features. Then he hurries forward, picking his way through the debris and large 'boulders' that litter his path. She certainly seems to be in poor condition. He has, after all, seen injured horses before and while she's not a horse, he imagines that the a broken leg is still a broken leg. Especially when it's jagged and sticking through the skin and flesh. He sets his home-made spear aside as he comes to a stop next to her, his face a mask of concern. ]

Hayame... what happened? [ He glances at her with a frown and gestures toward the injured limb. ]

May I take a look?

[warmare]

[Hayame has taken more than one person to task since being ripped from her world about comparing jinba to horses, assuming that they might share certain similarities. Even though… they did, on occasion. And one of those occasions was how deadly a broken leg could prove to be. Even if they survived the initial shock… they were often too heavy to survive months of recovery unable to forage, walk, or care for themselves, the weight of their own organs constantly pressing down on each other where they lay in convalescence. And now, in what had essentially become a war zone…

It takes her a moment to even notice Dimitri is approaching, belatedly tensing as if in preparation for attack before it comes back through the pounding pain, the way her own body has begun to betray her by refusing itself the blood and oxygen required to function. Her one eye is unfocused even when she manages to look at his face, doubt written there. Since when had this man been a healer…]

Since when were you a healer… ?

[There is no longer any filter between her mind and mouth, if she ever would have spared him that critique. Despite how ill-advised it was she tried to move, but all it did was make a flush of nauseous pale pass over her skin, hooves twitching uselessly in the rubble. In addition to the leg she is covered with bruises, small scrapes from the rocks, but they are nothing in comparison.]

The cup went flying, somehow… Zenith has the Bell… I could not stop them…

[That’s all that mattered of what happened, at least for now. She had failed. Whether he could take a look or not, she seems to have missed… but it’s not like she’s in any position to stop him.]

[hauntedking]

[ Dimitri isn't typically the best at reading people, but even he can see the pain on her face the way the color has drained out of her. She looks... awful. Like she's in immense pain. He immediately feels a deep upwelling of sympathy as he steps forward. He tries not to think of her as horse, because she isn't, but the similarity certainly looms large in this moment. He knows how bad a broken leg can be for a horse - he can't imagine it's any better for a jinba, no matter the difference in intelligence and personality. He reaches up to settle a hand against her shoulder for a moment and give it a reassuring squeeze before he moves down her body, half crouched to get a look at her leg. ]

I wasn't, before I came here.

[ He admits that with a shrug. ]

But as I've become more attuned to Meridian, they've seen fit to give me access to certain healing magic. I think it will help you...

[ He frowns as he listens to her story. ]

Don't worry about that just yet. We can worry about the object once you're in a position to keep moving. Hold on a moment. And - this might hurt a little-

[ He gently takes her leg and lifts it a little to get a better look at the wound. He does have experience with horses, so at least he's not doing something that's going to wrench her leg into a more painful position. ]

I think I may need to set it before I use this, though. It's the first time I've honestly used it on something this severe...

[warmare]

[If she were not injured as she was, that hand might never have made it to her shoulder. As it was, her reaction times are too dulled, and by the time she manages to weakly slap at the touch he his already moving. The furrow in her brow and the lift of the corner of one lip are hard to distinguish through the pained expression on her face. A Meridian spell, then...

She cannot disparage them. Though she had shunned them for months and months, refusing to stoop to learning them under the guise of pride to cover her discomfort and fear of magic, she had recently been forced to learn an use them... and if it would see her healed from this?]

Do what you nee-

[He had given her warning, but what she was going to say is cut off when she violently bites down on her own tongue, her fingers digging in to the soil in front of her and clenching white-knuckled, a cry of pain turned into a high-pitched, stuttering whimper as he handles her broken leg to examine it. The bone shards saw against each other, blood pooling along the edges of where it has cut through the skin, and despite her intent to allow his examination, her body tries to spasm and jerk the leg back closer to her belly to protect it, her hoof kicking against his thighs where he kneels beside her.

Set it first? Just cast the spell? She didn't know how this worked, she would defer to his decision... and not just because she cannot get a word out past her locked jaw. Her body knew pain, pain... she was supposed to be able to handle, but this-]