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

Comments

[hauntedking]

I'll just have to wait and see.

[ And he's confident he will see, eventually. Although that's a long way off right now, isn't it? ]

...no. But none of it is familiar to me in any case. It's all... very square, isn't it?

[wolfish]

It is. The roads, the buildings... Wonder how often people get lost.

[ It's a far cry from Faerghus for this reason among so many others. ]

Tough to gauge where we'd be best off looking.

[hauntedking]

Too often, I should think.

[ Dimitri frowns. ]

...we could ask for directions. But I don't know where we'd go.

[wolfish]

[ Yuri brings a hand to his chin with a thoughtful hum. They're at a significant disadvantage here. ]

...Let's ask about clinics after all, then. It may not lead us to the world, but it might bring us to something linked to Gavial. Those shards that aren't exactly ours.

[ If they find it, better them than someone inclined to smash first and ask questions never. ]

[hauntedking]

That may be for the best. Perhaps the front desk downstairs...?

[ It's just a thought. ]

[wolfish]

It's decided. Shall we, then?

[ Yuri offers him a hand, not that he expects Dimitri to take it in this case. ]

[hauntedking]

[ Dimitri takes the hand without hesitation. ]

Let's.

[ It is Dimitri. Yuri probably should have expected this. ]

[wolfish]

[ He really should have, but he didn't, and the resulting surprise flits across his features for a beat. Once he catches himself, he leads the way back to the elevator.

Dimitri had asked for his hand before, he really should have known. ]

[hauntedking]

[ Dimitri is blushing a bit, but he's also smiling. Even if they're on a strange world, in a strange place, stuck in a struggle for the fate of their world's... he's happy.

This makes him happy. This simple little gesture. So as he steps back into the elevator, he leans over to hump shoulders with Yuri, feeling a touch giddy. ]

...thank you, again.

[wolfish]

Thanking me again?

[ Something about Dimitri looking pleased is infectious and Yuri can't help but smile himself as the elevator doors close. With no one else having joined them, Yuri presses the button for the lobby.

The lift jerks into motion and down they go. ]

I got something too, you know.

[hauntedking]

...I suppose you did.

[ He glances down at Yuri with an almost shy laugh and then he glances around at the small room as it smoothly descends. Then back. ]

May I...?

[ He asks, voice low. ]

[wolfish]

[ Yuri's gaze flicks over to the illuminated numbers slowly cointing down, then back to Dimitri's face.

He asks him so politely... ]

We've got time.

[ If only a little. ]

[hauntedking]

I know.

[ Dimitri stifles a little laugh and then leans down to steal quick little kiss. Nothing too intense or lingering. But he savors it before pulling back.

His mood feels much more buoyant than it did a few moments ago. Funny that. ]

[wolfish]

[ The small gesture warms him through, and seeing the way Dimitri looks afterward, Yuri can't fend off a smile. It's a little thing, and some part of him is convinced he must look silly, but it's there all the same.

The doors to the elevator open and Yuri saunters into the lobby. ]

You're quite good at that. I don't think I've said so.

[ But it's true...though he's also trying to tease. ]

[hauntedking]

[ Dimitri laughs sheepishly. ]

I don't know how I got any good at it, I haven't exactly had a lot of practice...

[ But that's Dimitri for you. ]

[wolfish]

[ That certainly is very him. ]

Is that so...? Must be natural talent, in that case.

[hauntedking]

I doubt it...

[ Dimitri laughs and then clears his throat as he steps up to the front desk to ask about any nearby clinics. The bored-looking security guard tells him that there's one a few blocks down to the west... and also that he isn't a tourist kiosk. ]

[wolfish]

West, huh...

[ He simply ignores the rest, because of course he does. With their directions set, Yuri will just casually reach over for Dimitri's nearest hand and start toward the doors.

No big deal, right? ]

[hauntedking]

[ Dimitri gently squeezes his hand and follows, back out into the traffick and flow of the pedestrians. Somehow it doesn't feel quite as overwhelming as it did before. And at least they have a direction now. He sets out, threading through the crowd, hoping he'll catch a glimpse of a sign or some other marker... ]

[wolfish]

[ Foreign as this place is, it's less overwhelming when Dimitri is there with him. Yuri keeps a sharp eye on their surroundings, watching for indication of where the clinic is. West is...general enough, but these buildings all look the same. ]

I'd wonder how people sleep with all this light, but considering what we've dealt with...

[hauntedking]

Considering Springstar I can't question the lighting too much. But it certainly is distracting...

[ There's a flickering red cross overhanging the street up ahead. Dimitri isn't quite sure what it stands for, but... ]

Maybe over there? It stands out.

[wolfish]

[ Yuri follows his line of sight. That light does seem to indicate something unique from its surroundings... Surely it's worth checking what that symbol indicates at least. ]

Let's have a closer look then.

[ The traffic thins out somewhat as they near the building, giving them a clear path toward the door. ]

[hauntedking]

[ There are some people waiting around just outside the door and inside the lobby. It's bustling and there's a somewhat frazzled looking receptionist trying to make sure everyone gets seen - but it is a clinic. People come and go and while it's chaotic, at least it doesn't seem like they're overloaded. ]

Well. I'd feel badly if we just started poking into cupboards and drawers...

[wolfish]

We likely would garner some unwanted attention...

[ The locals are odd. From what Yuri has observed, sometimes they react when he'd expect it and on other occasions they wouldn't. He doesn't have a clear idea of what pattern may or may not exist, which makes it a risk to propose that they proceed anyway. ]

Shame I don't have that invisibility trick some others have.

[hauntedking]

Nor I...

[ He purses his lips. ]

We could ask, but like you said... unwanted attention. And I'd feel rather poorly for getting between someone and their medical treatment.