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Entry tags:
- !event,
- arcane: silco,
- arknights: gavial,
- black butler: sebastian michaelis,
- culture (the): demeisen,
- divinity original sin: fane,
- enderal: jade the prophetess,
- expanse (the): amos burton,
- fate grand order: tezcatlipoca,
- fate/: rin tohsaka,
- fate/: sakamoto ryouma,
- fire emblem: shez,
- fire emblem: yuri leclerc,
- forgotten realms: raphael,
- howl's moving castle: howl,
- jinba: hayame,
- legend of zelda (the): link,
- life is strange: chloe price,
- oc: liem talbott,
- oc: matt jamison,
- pumpkin scissors: alice l. malvin,
- suikoden: yuber,
- terra e: tony asuka,
- tsubasa reservoir chronicle: subaru
THE ADVOCATE ORACLE - A RIP VAN WINKLE IN TIME
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.
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.
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?
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.
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.
no subject
[The villagers might be trusting because they were "designed" to be that way. Jade does not extend that level of trust to strangers and people she barely knows, not in this world and not in her own.]
Leave him be. I know that's gonna be a big ask to folks here, but that kid's been through enough.
[She knows he's not the same Rynéus from her Eventuality. That boy is already dead and gone. And it feels as if the Rynéus of this place understands that -- but even in the face of danger, he still seems to want to make others happy. Not because he wants them to be, but because they want to on their own accord.
[Jade sighs, gripping the yellow bottle in hand before absentmindedly taking a drink, making a face, and then corking the sickly sweet liquor again.]
no subject
[ There are those who would make a comment regardless, but Subaru isn't the sort. Had he intended to pursue that shard regardless of who held it, there'd be no purpose in approaching Jade instead. He and Kamui hadn't had the luxury of time in so long that he couldn't imagine choosing a path of greater attrition than necessary.
If this world is one she knows, then he imagines he can leave it to her, besides... Though he wonders whether the difficulty of that reality is part of what finds her here instead of guarding that boy.
Whatever the case may be, he seats himself on a driftwood log, reinforcing that he doesn't have any alternative plans in mind. ]
Others may be as you expect though.
no subject
[The scene would almost be peaceful if not for the eternal sunset that never seemed to get any darker or lighter no matter how much time has passed. Jade had thought it was strange the first time she was here, after spending days, maybe weeks in Silvergrove... She hadn't really been paying much attention to the passage of time back then. Things hadn't ended well with her companions the last time she spoke with them, her mission with the Rhalâta had gone tits up, and Enderal was on the brink of war, being invaded by her former countrymen. Could anyone have really blamed her for wanting a break from her responsibilities? For having a moment of weakness?
[Can anyone blame her for it now?]
Others will. They always do. [Jade finally rips from her thoughts, casting a sidelong glance at Suberu from her one good eye.] Everyone's gonna have their own opinion on these worlds. What makes them worth a damn, whether they're real or not, that it's pointless.
[Of course, Jade doesn't think it matters what's real and what isn't. Even if she can't save Rynéus in this Eventuality, she can at least make sure he's happy. That he's in safe hands with Alice.]
no subject
[ Subaru can't argue that point, nor will he try. Linking his fingerd, he meets her gaze evenly. For all the worlds, he's the picture of serenity, a still lake in a remote forest. Whatever may or may not weigh on him, it doesn't show.
Not until just before he speaks at least, eyebrows knitting together in a troubled line. ]
Yet how can they be worth any less than our own?
[ Subaru hardly remembers his own homeworld with any clarity anymore. Perhaps that's why he didn't recognize it, when it had come and gone. If it had come and gone. It may be a reflection or some image of what could have been, but that makes it no less real to his mind. ]
A dreaming soul is no less real, in my experience.
no subject
Y'know... There was this concept I remember hearing once -- "the last moment that lasts forever", or a "final dream" of sorts.
[As she speaks, she starts pulling out a satchel of Peaceweed that she got at the Silvergrove general store. Even if this all is fake, at least she can indulge in some sense of familiarity while she's here, and she starts preparing a pipe. Might as well take it all in while she still can, after all.]
In my world, one can spend thousands of years in a single dream. But I don't think that makes the time spent in that dream any less valuable than in your waking moments, in a way. It's not about what's "real" -- it's about the experiences. [She pauses.] Doubly so when shared dreams are involved.
[And she isn't a stranger to those, either.]
For instance, I might still be a corpse at the bottom of that Red Sea out there. I've no way of knowing whether or not this all is my "final dream" -- but I've decided some time ago that I just don't give a damn anymore whether I'm alive or dead and dreaming.
no subject
It should come as no surprise that for some peoples, the two aren't mutually exclusive. For Subaru's part, he could no more tell whether this is or isn't a death dream, but he's certain that it is a dream of some kind. ]
I spent somewhere around two years in a magically induced sleep from which I couldn't escape... All of this makes me question whether I woke at all.
[ Has he admitted that to anyone before? Likely not. But being pulled into this particular contest for the Oracle truly does make him question. No matter which way this falls, he isn't with Kamui, and he supposes that's all that really matters in the end. Until he finds his way back to his twin, the conditions don't matter.
He can't leave him all alone again. ]
There was a soul with me, shortly before that sleep was ended. A girl. She too was asleep, but it was far more dangerous for her than me. I think... There's too much about all of this we don't know, yet we're expected to act as arbiters.
no subject
[And it's not like any of her efforts to evade her burdens of saving this sorry excuse of a world ever bore fruit. All things considered, she should be grateful it's gone, that a new, potentially better one could maybe take its place. But that just didn't sit right with her, either.
[It never did.]
I think simply writing it off as a meaningless dream'll be a convenient excuse others are gonna make. That, or solidify that we should let these worlds die.
[Once she finishes packing her pipe with green-colored petals, she lights it up with a firetwig and inhales. Pale smoke releases when she breathes out a heavy relaxed sigh.]
At least the Peaceweed feels real. That's an improvement from banana piss.
[So eloquent.]
no subject
Why would they be here at all if the stakes didn't matter? Why would some strange force be looming over the proceedings if there were no value? But it would make things simpler, easier, to pretend that none of this means anything. ]
To someone else, perhaps our worlds seem like the dreams.
[ He's a dimension-hopping vampire. It's not at all difficult to imagine someone out there would have that perspective. They've no more way of knowing for certain than with anything else, but the possibility remains. ]
But it must make everything simpler, looking at it that way... I don't believe I can. Not when these may be sleeping souls like that girl.
no subject
[For a moment, Jade takes a moment to breathe in the Peaceweed, inhaling the smoke. Even though she should probably stay alert, a little break while on duty never hurt anyone.
[Especially when said smoke oftentimes helps with the symptoms of her Fever, or prevents them from getting any worse. It hasn't been so bad for a while, but she doesn't want to tempt fate.]
Can't speak for anyone else, but where I'm from, it's common knowledge that millions of different realities coexist simultaneously. We call it the Sea of Eventualities.
no subject
[ Subaru can't say they had a particular word for it, only that they'd seen enough that he can imagine what Jade means. He'd not exactly known the concept in his own world, but they did know of Dimensional Witch. She was how they'd been able to evade a certain hunter for so long.
From a different angle, his home might be a dream to someone else. They might think it doesn't exist, or is somehow less real than their own. The more he turns the thought about, the more he thinks it's a great weight of responsibility placed upon them here. ]
A sea though... It's an interesting image.
no subject
[Hearing that someone is capable of traversing whole worlds is not a new and unusual concept concept to Jade. Of course, to her knowledge, it's not something one can easily say they're capable of -- even the most skilled Entropists can reach only so far into other Eventualities.
[But still, she heard something similar from Howl. So maybe it's just something that comes easier for some worlds than others. Which is a shame, really; if there were a way for Jade to seamlessly jump into a different world far-flung from the one she's from, she'd have done it in a heartbeat.
[Just... not like this.]
A sea makes sense. I mean, the human psyche tends to perceive the collective consciousness as a frozen ocean. At least, that's how it is on Vyn -- everyone is... connected, in some way. Only not everyone is capable of feeling it.
[Not much unlike Communion, now that she thinks about it.]
no subject
[ He waves a gloved hand at their surroundings — at the war they've been thrust into in general. Never before had he and his twin ended up in separate worlds entirely. His absence is a constant sense of lack, as though half of his limbs had abruptly been torn away and could not heal as they should.
Subaru would much rather have lost half his limbs than lose Kamui, but he had no say in the matter. None of them do. ]
I'd never given the matter much thought, myself. Connection is a strange thing — you may feel it with one more than any other, or with many, or none... In the universe I came from, if we want to call it that, all that came to pass was fated. Most simply never know what hand they play in it.
no subject
[It was probably why she feels so protective of the child in this little "world" they're in. Knowing what she does, and how he feels, despite what lies underneath it all -- it's just a scared, lonely boy who was abandoned by the ones who were supposed to love and protect him above all else. That's something Jade was all too familiar with.
[She sighs, taking another drag from the pipe. Something Subaru says causes her brow to furrow as she stares at the glittering waters.]
Maybe, but I don't believe in fate. There are too many possibilities, too many... variables in the Sea of Eventualities for me to think that everything is predetermined to happen.