THE ADVOCATE ORACLE - A RIP VAN WINKLE IN TIME

[beleos]

Sweet dreams are made of Bliss

As the twilight falls, and bearers begin to tuck in for their evenings on the night of the 15th of March (OOC time) and whether they tuck themselves into bed fully, or simply drift away in the middle of their dinner, work, indulgences, or what have you; bearers will fall into a deep, deep sleep. Perhaps you slump in your chair, or you wrap your arms around a teddy bear, or partner, or cup a precious shard in your sleep, it doesn’t matter, because as you drift away, into a sleep that seems to tug you under like the undertow itself, a question will echo in bearer’s minds: “If given the choice, would you show compassion in the face of adversity?”

It sticks with you, even as you fall into a dreamless sleep. As if it rotates in your mind, over and over, letting you worm over that. You know for certain what it is, that it is the calming, soothing voice of the Oracle, reaching out to you across the ether, telling you – promise you – that if you accept its promise, you will find that the Oracle could be in your hands. That thought leads you to dream of something else – of home, or your loved ones – of what you are fighting this war for. Even as you dream, you feel a presence next to you, and unlike the Harbinger’s winding, rough digging, this is more akin to a friend, who is asking you soft, coaxing questions. Things like: what was your childhood like? What were your friends like? What did you do? You cannot help but think of them, think of your home and your loved ones. Of where you came from, and how it made you what you are.

The advocate seeks to understand you, and where you come from. You can feel it, that overwhelming Acceptance and love from it, even as you reminisce, compelled to answer the multitude of questions, you can feel something building behind you, around you. “Don’t you want them all to understand this?” the impression is given through communion, and you cannot help but answer: yes.

Click your Heels together, Dorothy!

As you awake for the first time, it’s alien, the world that meets you. New smells fill your nostrils, new sights, the gravity is perhaps different than you’ve gotten used to on Kenos, even those slight shifts enough to make the world feel wholly different. You remember the advocate’s words, and it wants you to feel what it feels. Understanding. Compassion, and perhaps there is a sense that doing so would hurt yourself in turn, if you understood too much. That is the advocate’s way, after all, isn’t it?

You feel an inexorable, slight tug in your chest. Something subtle and gentle, the slightest of sensations, that gives you a direction. You know it, your mind only just now comprehending the advocate’s confusing impressions via communion, that there is something of this world’s… Soul/center/heart or whatever word you want to use for it. Something about this world that will help you along your path, and help you with the results you so desire. You know it will not guarantee a victory, but surely it will help. Especially as your numbers dwindle from world to world. You are left with an impression from the Advocate -- if you die, they cannot bring you back. There is apology in this, but alone, one oracle is limited. Only united, can they truly change your fate.

The lingering presence of the advocate starts to fade. You know this is a bearer’s world, if not your own. You look around, to see perhaps a familiar face nearby? Or perhaps you are alone. Does it matter? You know that this place belongs to a bearer, but whether they are a friend or an enemy, one has to begin to determine that. You’ll need your wits, you’ll need your strength and resolve to make it to the end of this, won’t you?

After all, as bearers were recently reminded: this is War. This is not simply the fate of this world, but perhaps all, as it will require you to find the answer to this question. So you start to move, you start to look around, explore, and search. For the soul of each world, for the bearers that lie dreaming within, and your foes that will seek you out. Stay steadfast, for the way out will come, if you make it to the end. The longer you spend in each world, however, the more the shadows look darker, and deeper. Hungrier. The more the spaces seem smaller or compressed. As if there is something gnawing away at the sides, making their way to the heart.

Around the world in 60 seconds 12 hours

When you find yourself at the end, when you close your eyes – only a blink, but it hangs, as if the momentary motion is enough to suspend you into a suspended space before. You can see the two options stretched out before you – metaphysically – the impression of it. A long, long shadow cast over one. As if there is a presence hovering over and above, like waiting jaws, ready to strike. In the other, there remains…nothing. It is not pleasant, it is not comforting, it simply… is. A sense that there is now a lack of anything, almost like it had never existed before.

Does this world have value? You can feel the Advocate ask. Do you want to give them a chance to live? Or does should this world cease, is there nothing here to save?

And though you are compelled, required to answer, you know this question for what it is. Short-sighted. Both, in the end, will lead to its destruction, but which will you choose? Will you allow the world to continue, even with that long shadow cast, like a hungry beast with snapping jaws; or will you erase it from existence and spare it that oncoming apocalypse?

Catch [???] Winks

The last world’s fate decided, bearers float in an endless sea of stars. You can see them all, spread before you. Intermittently, they wink out, swallowed into the darkness, consumed as the shadows, that inky-black nothingness grows ever-larger. It looks upon you, bearers. It is nothing, but you have its attention, and your blood runs cold, your limbs frozen. You cannot move, you cannot speak, you cannot breathe. You feel it, the power of being drawn into it, like it wants to consume you. Like it knows you.

T̸̢̼̯͓̬̘́̀̋̆͊h̷͔̣̱̝͍̬̣͕̄̂͗̆͒͌͜ͅẹ̶̱̩̅͒̿̇͠ ̵̭̹͇͖̔̀ṃ̸̢̧͙̟̼̜͌͆̍͝͝ͅo̴̟̞̓̆̇̐̆͊̽͆̂̀r̶͈̺̮̠͙̗͌ę̸̤̻̈́͐͂̓̊͐̂͆ ̵̡̛͎̩̳̤͔͚̱̼̆̒̓y̴̺̞̹̺̝̤͂ǫ̷̡̣̱̥͊̈́̓͑̕͘ű̵̼͜͜ ̶̨̨̝̟̘̱͇̲̻̪̊͂̽̈̒͊f̴̱̐͌̌̓̋̔́̀͝i̶͖̤͎̬̝̦͒̂g̸̳̰̟̀̓̽̈́̐h̸̼͍̮͎̊̅͗͊̈͋̽̀͘t̴͔͚́̓,̷̨̧̱̠̙̠̙̱̒̍̽̾ ̷̖̰̼̬̟͐̊̂t̶̖̄͂̅̃̍͐̊̑̅͜͝h̴̢̛͙̪̞̫̝̺̋̅̿͛̇̚͝͝ͅͅȩ̶͉̤͍̠́̈͑̏͋̚͘͝ ̸̢̨̧͚̖̤̪̬̪̀̉̐͗̂͆͑̚̕̚c̴̠̩̳͎̲̪͔̟̈́͂̉͑́l̶̡̲̻̣̘̏́ͅo̶̢̧͔͈̬̳̰͈̝̻͌̋̆̃͒͗̏͘ş̴̪̺̣̥̎̽̿͗̒́͛̕̚̚e̴̺͍̤͖͂̇͑͂̋͂̆̾r̴̨̩̈́͋͠ ̷̧͚̲̩̖̋͒̉́͗y̶̘̖̝̑̈͊ǒ̵͚̽u̵͎͍̇̀̏̊̕͝ŕ̷͎̜̘͙̀̋ ̶͇̲̝̞̖̝̣̘̝̬͋d̷͔͈͔̀̿õ̴̝̯͇̹̘̏͗͜ö̵͚͓͆m̵͉̦̫̥̦̞̫͐̆͐̿͊͒͌͋͜.̷̼͈̻̥̜̾̏͐̾̐͆͘͜

You gasp, as you startle awake, and open your eyes for the first time in a long time.

CODING

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5. Guest Rooms | D & Gray

[erbe]

[Exploring the upper levels is something that she'll leave D and Gray alone to do. Despite seeming pretty eager to distract or chase off most Meridian, Tohsaka makes the decision to allow them to linger and meander as they like. It's only when the duo begin heading further down into the dungeon that Rin makes her move. Searching through every room to make sure she can bar them access to the lowest level. It's when she is making those rounds that she finds something... interesting.

She hates the thought of holding onto it, but pockets the little sliver anyway. A gem — no, a shard — of warmth and protection. A bastion of safety for friends. It makes her stomach turn, but she needs to bring it to them. Who else could she ask to do this? Certainly not anyone else she had encountered just yet. She'll make sure to corner them in one of the Guest Rooms. It'll mean they won't be able to harm each other, and she can get a few words out first.

Rin slips in behind them, wearing an outfit chosen by the dungeon. Is it supposed to be herself as a full actualized mage? There's no way of knowing.]

I have a request.

[damnpire]

[THIS OUTFIT? FOR FREE?

The different worlds are interesting to him, and he finds himself willing to more readily haunt the ones belonging to those he's come to know better. Rin had told him once she and Gray were from the same world, and he had thought it ironic one was a Zenith and one a Meridian.

So he opted to join Gray here in this one. He isn't unfamiliar with a dungeon crawl, he's typically just doing it solo most of the time on the Frontier. Forced allyship in Kenos has made him less prone to dive head-first into things alone.]

Be careful.

[Not that he has to warn Gray.

Whatever they had means to do, however, is interrupted by Rin's appearance. When he looks at her, his expression is as neutral as usual, but his gaze does survey her. Briefly, he exchanges a glance with Gray at what she broaches conversation with, and then he offers Rin his full attention..]

[gravings]

[ Being from the same world as Rin, Gray is well familiar with the concept of a mage workshop — and though she hasn't actually spent much time in them, happy to keep her nose out of secrets she wouldn't understand anyway, she knows they're the hub of a mage's research and experimentations. They're inherently suspect environments, and so Gray is cautious as she pokes only at what might conceivably house a Shard, talking quietly to D about the eccentricities of mages as they explore.

When Rin corners them, Gray isn't surprised thanks to her weird fixation on the sounds of people's footsteps, and she looks to her curiously. Rin had warned her before that things would be different now, but Gray doesn't get the feeling thaty Rin would just attack without cause, "enemies" or not.

That said, Rin's outfit... Gray joins D in staring. For free! It looks nice on Rin and ought to be appreciated. ]

Rin... What is it?

[erbe]

[We can all thank Samba Santa Quetz for the gift so that it made it into the dreamscape. As it is, Rin becomes a little bashful at having both sets of eyes fall so intently on her. She had commanded their undivided attention, but... wasn't exactly ready for it. Her hands nervously smooth out the skirt of her Formal Craft dress.]

I wanted to know if either of you would be capable of destroying my shard for me.

[This would shouldn't be the first World they've been to at this point. Will her intent be clear? Probably not. Even so she's incredibly serious. Rin holds no trust in these foreign shards and intends to remove every one she can find. After all... what if the people they've seen, the familiar "visitors" in Kenos that never last very long... What if they are simply Oblivion taking shape and posing as friends or loved ones? What if they intend to replace shard-bearers themselves?]

[damnpire]

[The way the same interest in Rin ping-pongs between Gray and D's aspect sharing pool, yet neither of them realize any difference because it's the same feeling. They just think it's a nice outfit...

The revelry in Rin Hot is short-lived. Fires are quenched. A dip of concern bleeds from him to Gray almost immediately. Rin receives a small frown, but not a rejection yet. He turns his head to glance once more at Gray. He isn't sure if Gray will hand out a reluctant acceptance, or a rejection, and... for some strange reason, he feels it isn't his place to insert himself between them.

He waits on Gray to decide first.]

[gravings]

[ How nice that the Advocates can agree seamlessly and unwittingly about Rin Hot. But shortly thereafter, D's dip of concern to Gray passes in traffic with a blaring spike of concern from Gray to D. She quickly pivots to face Rin accordingly. ]

Your Shard? But why?

[ Whether Rin is referring to her own Shard or her found Shard, both options immediately sound less than fun. It isn't something Gray can agree to right off the bat. ]

[erbe]

[The hesitance in both of them is easy to recognize even though she doesn't share the connection between the two of them. Rin shoves a hand into the pocket of her skirt, and brings out her dreamer shard. Its shape mimics her own shard that rests at the hollow of her neck, but it's clear and without the small cloud of Discord that clouds her own.

Holding out her hand Rin proffers the shard. Palm up with its triangular shape cradled in the middle. Its red hue matching her outfit. If one of them accepts they'll be able to feel that its similar to her, however it seems... gentler. Softer. Without as much sourness or prickliness one may expect from Rin. Its Aspect is Advocate.]

Because I don't trust it. All those people who have become temporary visitors in Kenos... the ones that look like friends and family? I don't trust them either. I'd rather not be replaced by a doppelganger.

[damnpire]

[The explanation is one he can understand. He's too logical of a person to scramble for some kind of rejection, denial. Her worries are founded. Though, of course... like the Shard, he is soft at heart, and he does not like the idea of destroying something all of them have such a reflexive desire to protect.]

It isn't a bad decision.

[Look, he still has not AGREED to this exactly, but he will admit she's right on the ground of caution. His eyes linger on the Shard offered out to them, unaware of the same truth to be for him: a Shard aspected Savant, a thing without a human heart, more cold and logical than he is now. The soul of a Noble.

He looks sidelong at Gray, waiting to see what he thoughts are now that Rin has explained.]

[gravings]

[ The explanation is logical, and probably the safest course of action overall. Having a second Rin around might be a gigantic headache, but an honest-to-god doppelganger would be the absolute worst possibility.

Even so, Gray hesitates. She has D's soft heart without the millenia to thicken its walls. Understanding but not quite accepting, she glances at D a bit helplessly when he maybe-sort-of agrees with Rin's logic, knowing that her own hesitation is mere sentimentalism. ]

If that's what you've decided, then...

[ It isn't like Gray can stop her. This isn't a situation where she can snatch the Shard up and ferret it away for safekeeping. That said, she does reach out to take the Shard, with care even though it's apparently been sentenced to an impending demise. ]

Are you sure you don't want to wait a while longer? We may be able to learn more about these.

[erbe]

The longer we wait the more potentially dangerous these "extra shards" become. I am not particularly looking forward to the possibility of something wearing my face and using it to make more opportunities for a mutual enemy to destroy us all.

[However she cannot destroy it herself. The thought of a "Rin Tohsaka" who is in Advocate, a "Rin Tohsaka" who may have chosen Meridian — that "Rin Tohsaka" would be better than she is. Kinder, and more empathetic. She would be better to people and quite possibly outshine the young woman before them in every way. And so? Rin cannot bear to remove a "better Rin Tohsaka" from the world. To rob the universe of the possibility that she could have been nicer, more compassionate, and loving...

No. She would lose every time. Wither under the brilliance of a version of herself that could better interact with those around her. Someone else has to do this for her.]

[damnpire]

[His head turns just enough he can peer down at the Shard Gray takes into his hands. It really looks like a normal Shard, doesn't it? Like one of theirs, like it could very well belong to Rin.

His eyes lift to Gray's face, studying it. A tendril of concern and sympathy wiggles through their Aspect from him. Gray has a point, too. The innate desire for research and study within him likes that idea. But he isn't sure if they would have time before the Shard became a liability.

Reaching out, he puts one of his hands over the Shard and Gray's own hand. He doesn't squeeze, only rests it there.]

I'll do it if you don't want to.

[gravings]

[ In the end, Gray doesn't consider it her role to pass judgment on these anomalous Shards, good or bad. If Rin wants to destroy her Shard, then so be it.

Still, Gray can't help imagining who this other Rin might be. A Rin of a slightly different timeline, perhaps even a student of the El-Melloi Classroom already — important to the people there, including that Gray, including her mentor. For a moment, D will feel a rare twitch of impulsiveness in Gray to close her hand and withdraw, gently defiant.

Just as gently, D's hand on her palm bars her any further thought, like a barrier at a railroad crossing. His concern wiggles through to her, and then his offer. It feels cowardly, surrendering this Shard to D to let him do the hard part — even if he may not struggle with it in the same way. But Gray knows she doesn't have the heart in the moment to do the deed, and speed is what Rin is looking for. ]

... I'm sorry.

[ She could be speaking to D, Rin, or the Shard. Whatever the case, she waits with a lowered gaze for D to take it. ]

[erbe]

[Rin had come to the two of them because she knew that even if neither of them could do it, she could at least rely on getting the shard back and asking someone else. There is clear relief in the way her posture softens at her shoulders when D offers to do the deed.

It takes all the courage she can muster to get closer to both of them, but even so... she reaches out and puts a hand over top of D's, and brings her other hand up under Gray's. Cradling them both in her gratitude.]

Thank you.

[damnpire]

[For what it's worth, he doesn't judge Gray for the lack of desire in destroying it. He does not move, even when Rin comes to them and cradles their hands together, warm hand and warm hand around a Shard that could have been a better or worse Rin.

His hand shifts between theirs, curling into Gray's to scoop the Shard into his fingers.]

You don't have to stay and watch.

[He does not direct this to Gray or Rin in particular. It's for both. Though he thinks he might understand neither of them would be willing to leave maybe, especially not Rin who is stubborn enough to see things through.]

[gravings]

[ Watch, don't watch, it doesn't matter to Gray at this point. With the decision already made, everything that comes after is incidental. That gloomy acceptance drifts through to D, as well as Gray's muted gratitude as the Shard passes into his care. ]

I'll stay.

[ Rin could probably use the extra support; it's rare for her to reach out for help, and then to show this much straightforward sentiment. Gray looks to her, having a feeling as well that Rin won't opt to leave. ]