⏳ THE SCORCHING ISLE: Oracle Event One ⏳

[beleos]

ARRIVAL

All Bearers have heard whispers of them - the Oracles. Mysterious and unknown entities of an abstract nature, they serve as the heart of each faction’s cause - both as a means to an end and a very real stepping stone in achieving their objectives. To claim an Oracle means growing ever closer to victory: to see your homes restored as they were, or to herald in a new one of your making.

So you go.

A Cornerstone has been set up for each faction; one for the Zenith and one for the Meridian in Yima’s manor and Heliopolis, respectively. They warn you that upon transportation, your safety cannot be guaranteed and there is no telling what waits for you beyond - to be prepared. To make sure you have whatever you deem necessary with you before you go, as there is no telling when - or how - you will be coming back. CONTINUED HERE...

NOTES

Upon your arrival, you woke up with an HOURGLASS NECKLACE. Please refer to the Time Mechanics on the OOC Summary and bottom of this post for details on its usage.

The COURTYARD is frozen in time. Player Characters and the Great Tree are the only signs of moving, free life in the courtyard. During the intro, time magic does not work.

Characters are free to investigate but cannot move beyond the courtyard if you choose a prompt during the intro. You may mingle among your fellow Bearers or speak with [MR. TIBBS] if you so choose. (Also? LOOK AT HIM HELP)

Iconoclasts and Stargazers will notice Aspect benefits/detriments now.

All characters will be weak for the 24 hours - think like mild flu - and unable to leave until Mr. Tibbs has dispersed them. This is the time in which any threads with the NPC will be carried out.

The INTRO concludes with said dispersal of PC’s once interactions concluded. They will be sent to a location around the castle of your choosing; they are free to move about freely from here. Your prompts can start with you waking alone or in the presence of others - whatever you’d like!

Your character will innately understand how to use time magic from this point forward. It will come naturally to them, like a skill they were born with.

CASTLE: OVERVIEW (p a s t)

The Scorching Isles is home to the Atirat, a people of sea-dwellers who have the ability to walk on land. (Think mermaids with the ability to shift back and forth between human and mermaid forms.) As such, much of the Scorching Isles is covered in large bodies of blue water and glistening pieces of ice to accommodate their lifestyle.

THE CASTLE, however, is what dominates the landscape and it's where the Shard-Bearers will be spending their time. The white castle with colorful glass windows is obscured by a thick layer of clouds and fog. Nearly every location on the island has a thin layer of fog that rolls through it, which gives the entire Island an inescapable chill. The castle has artfully built rooms with a CAVALCADE OF DECORATIVE ICE, lavish mirrors, and white plants accented with blue decorations. Several portions of the castle are submerged due to the aquatic nature of the native residents.

And everywhere you go, you find them - STATUESQUE BODIES FROZEN mid-movement. They are haunting reminders of the power in your Hourglass - the very real power to decide their fates.

The castle has many winding paths to explore, as castles often do. There are sleeping quarters, HALLWAYS, a wine cellar, and a few large rooms presumably for diplomatic affairs. Players can use these rooms at their own leisure for whatever purposes they see fit. (Exploration, combat, or supply gathering.)

However, many of these rooms will require some strategy to access their full potential! Atirat were much more comfortable being underwater than many Kenosians may be. Therefore, rooms of higher importance may be COMPLETELY SUBMERGED or require swimming through an underwater pathway to reach them. Very minimal supplies will be kept out in the open for all to reach. More desirable supplies - such as warm clothing, small weapons, treasure, and the like - will be located past or within one of these flooded areas.

Players may gather supplies within and preserve their Sand or use their Sand to make other rooms accessible and gather whatever lies within! The larger the asset you attempt to unfreeze, the more Sand it costs - and the more drained/vulnerable you will be as a consequence, so choose your path ahead wisely.

Currently, a pervasive fog is preventing you from wandering beyond the Castle's limits. Should you try to venture past it, your Sand will rapidly be stolen and you will find yourself suffering the same fate as the islanders if you don't move back to safety quickly... However, if you ask Mr. Tibbs what lays beyond the mist - he will tell you about the thriving farmland, the once-bustling village surrounding the castle, and the beautiful coral reefs beneath it. Sadly, they're beyond your reach - but maybe if the Bearers decide to unfreeze them when the week is up...

LIBRARY (s a f e z o n e)

The ROYAL LIBRARY - A treasure trove of knowledge, history, and glimpses of a fractured past scattered throughout. The lower floor of the Library is void of much reading material and contains several intricate-looking art pieces on decorative pedestals.

A spiral staircase dominates the center of the room, with its once delicate structure overtaken by sheets of formidable ice; it leads you toward the upper levels where a sea of books awaits. There are isles and isles of books, most perched on intricately carved shelves. Many books lay in piles or are discarded onto the floor, and scattered papers are common throughout.

Curious Kenosians may pick out books from the shelves and read on various topics, but players may also pass through this room on their way elsewhere. This area will function as a safe haven where violence and the taking of others' Sand is not allowed; do not disturb the books or Mr. Tibbs won’t be happy!

NOTES

Characters who wish to receive a book with lore specific to the island may comment [HERE]. You will be RNGed a book from a pre-written list of topics. The books may give you a deeper look into the island, its inhabitants, and its history! (Only 1 book per player! Please assume all other books they read are about commonly-available topics.)

THE EATING PARLOR (p a s t)

There are no basic amenities on the island. No hot water, no warm beds, and no salacious magazines (that you know of. heh heh). That would make the Eating Parlour a wise stop for anyone. After all, this could be the perfect chance to procure some provisions!

The EATING PARLOUR has all the equipment one would need for meal preparation. Dried plants hang from the ceiling, and the walls are lined with mason jars filled with every strange manner of presumably edible thing (Is that a head over there? Hmm… maybe you should check).

The parlour also comes with a garden under a massive windowed dome so that the inhabitants could have fresh produce at hand. Many plants have withered, but there are some salvageable plants if you know how to look for them. But beware… Some of the plants have a strange blue glow. These plants can spell potential disaster.

If someone should make contact with these glowing plants, they will crumble into glass shards - glass that will quickly burrow its way under the skin and curse that person with Blight. Blight will make all resources within that person's vicinity slowly age and eventually crumble to dust. (Which I relate to on a personal level tbh.) Iconoclasts will be immune to its effects.

NOTES

Please see the "Blight" section below for more information on its effects.

TREASURE ROOM (f u t u r e)

Faint singing can be heard coming from this room. Once you hear the song, it dulls your senses and leaves you in a haze. There is no stopping your feet from guiding you to it through the doors and into the Treasure room. The door slams shut at your back, sealed with a wall of ice and magic.

Players will find themselves lured to an icy chamber bordered by a ring of cold blue fire. There is a deep pond that surrounds the platform you’ve found yourself standing on. Beyond its glassy surface and crystal clear water, one can glimpse all manner of treasures - from crowns, jewels, ornate statues in various statues of repair, scepters, spears, and books that seem impervious to the water's cold chill.

As you come to your senses, you will find yourself frozen in place and at the mercy of a large statuesque being before you. This beautiful and horrifying figure in a perpetual song is the SIREN, the only Atirat you’ve seen in person. She measures nearly 20 feet (6 meters) from her head to the tip of her long-finned tail. She cradles an icy shard in her arms, singing to it as if it were a child.

She sits serenely in front of a large hourglass filled with white sand, which is bordered by a spear and a lance. Emblazoned in faint text at the base of where she sits reads: “The future lies in our hands.”

NOTES

Welcome to the Siren’s Chamber! Players must use their wit, charisma, or some good ol' fashioned elbow grease to escape the room or break the Siren’s magic. The Shard that the Siren holds contains dormant time magic that players may activate by using the Sand within their necklace. Players can access the future in 5-second intervals and use whatever they find in that time period to escape their predicament.

For example, if they activate the shard by using their time magic, that shard will begin to glow blue. The room around them will shift, and it could change to a point in the future where there is a sword nearby. If you can grab it, now you have a weapon! When the 5 seconds are up and time returns to the present, you will still have that weapon on your person. You may also try verbal communication if you’d like. If your character is someone who would try and talk their way out of a situation diplomatically, they may give it a try!

It is up to player discretion/creativity to think of a scenario you’d like. Each “future" does not have to be the same across player encounters! What one group experiences may be tailored to the player wants (because branching timelines exist). Let your imagination run free!

HALL OF MIRRORS (p r e s e n t)

Should you reach the rightmost wing of the massive castle Library, you will find a door hidden in the very back of one aisle against a wall; it looks as though the door used to be concealed by magicks that have since dissolved.

The stairwell leads down and into darkness. Once you reach the bottom, shimmering light cast from an unknown source beneath sheets of glistening ice will illuminate your new surroundings; you are in a maze of mirror-like ice. This labyrinth is silent save for the quiet creaking of shifting ice that may disquiet you and leave you uneasy regarding the stability of this area… but it holds beneath your feet.

Mr. Tibbs had told you that the “Kaleidoscope” - where your Sand is counted - rests through here, so eventually, you must brave the journey. Is it a trick of the light? Maybe the product of an especially active imagination…?

Did you just see one of your reflections move without you?

NOTES

Please refer to the OOC Summary for details on the Hall of Mirrors!

THE BLIGHT and TIME MECHANICS

BLIGHT

Blight is an infliction that will age supplies and infect people with a creeping disease that steals their Sand. For objects, this includes weapons, food, and items like cloth. It will take a few days to deteriorate things beyond use - so watching your supplies and acting accordingly is in your best interest. Generally, it will make it more difficult for PC's to get by given that their already scarce resources will dwindle and deteriorate - especially since it's 'contagious' through touch.

The Blight will not act quickly enough to severely hamper infected persons, but repeated exposure will cause effects to a person's body - notedly protruding VEINS in the face and extremities, a lower body temperature, and increased agitation. These effects start out mild and grow more severe with each 'dose.'

Characters must touch an object/person that is Blighted to become inflicted with Blight themselves. When that happens, it will become easily identifiable as Blighted from the faint blue, shimmering outline around the infected subject, as well as the WITHERED, FROSTBITTEN or ashy appearance it takes as it progresses.

However, there is one single perk with Blight. (Or is it a perk?) Players will feel reduced impact by the cold surroundings, making the climate around them somewhat more hospitable. Beware of falling victim to a chill you can't feel...

TIME

To use your Sand, each character is granted access to and innate knowledge of a spell they channel from their Shard that automatically manipulates their Hourglass. This allows the remote control of Sand (aka gathering and dispersing), as well as the ability to pull Fragments of time from Shards.

Fragments are literal pieces of you taken from your Shard. They manifest as memories or images displayed on little shards of broken glass (think of the memory being played out in real-time on the mirror's surface), and can be crushed to convert into Sand automatically, either voluntarily or by force. The only stipulation is that the parties must be close to one another, and the Fragment must be exchanged while both Bearers are still. This means someone has to give it to you, or you need to immobilize them before you take it - one way or another.

Once the Fragment is crushed, the memory and associated time of that person's life is lost and your character will suffer amnesia until the Oracle is claimed. How deep this goes is up to you; they could lose a large chunk of time - even all their memories surrounding a person or place for a big payload of Sand, or they could lose very little for a meager net gain.

Sand is automatically gathered or distributed by your Hourglass and added/subtracted to your running total. No need to micromanage. Convenient!

Please note that using Sand to unfreeze anything (resources, a door which can be then opened, etc) is an unpleasant experience. Each time you use Sand in this way, your character will be left feeling weakened and flu-like for an hour or two, which will leave them vulnerable. This effect stacks and scales up to outright KO-ing them for a few hours if they go crazy, so unfreezing too large of an area is off the table!

NOTES

• An OOC POST will be coming shortly explaining how Sand is going to be tallied and the Oracle claimed.
• Should your character attempt to unfreeze any NPC's, please respond [HERE]. NOTE: unfreezing NPC's may result in physical violence with CW's for severe mental instability/illness and a potential reference to self-harm.
• HAVE FUN!!!

CODING

Comments

[sharethememory]

[ Oh. Oh no. Did Kaeya not realize how long his laundry list of items was? It would hit the floor and drag some if one were to put pen to paper. And while such a thing was not a uncommon trait (Liyue and Mondstadt were full of such people), Zhongli certainly could not give advice without the pot calling the kettle black, so---

There's a bit of fond mirth with that calm as he decides how to answer that question. ]

Far be it for me to tell you what is most important, but I do agree with your assessment. The Oracle is both the most vital and also most mysterious piece on the board. Effort spent in those endeavors may leave you empty handed, so if you have other moew tangible goals, those would be the best to pursue.

Or perhaps the best strategy would be to---

[ He can't believe he's saying this. ]

Let the wind guide you.

[ Barbatos can never know that he never offered this advice; he would lord it over him for two centuries minimum. And worse, Zhongli would also have to admit that he was correct at least once in his life. Absolutely unforgivable. ]

Regardless, Master Kaeya, you must allow me to visit you once we have returned to Highstorm. I shall brew you some tea to help you relax.

[baltimores]

[ Neither of them knows what hit it.

Objectively, Amos knows. He'd locked eyes with Hayame, a silent, desperate plea, and she's delivering. More than he ever could have imagined; he didn't know what he was asking for — anything but what was happening to him in that moment — and he's gotten it.

More than it. Amos is left shocked, breathless as he coughs, suddenly freed. It's all he can do but push himself up to a sitting position, staring at the new scene down the hall.

Because the doppelganger didn't know what hit it, either; it had only had eyes for Amos, the opportunity to take all of his sand and leave him there, and it had been succeeding right before a half ton had slammed herself into it. The wind leaves its body. There are broken ribs, a battered and bruised torso, a leg that feels like it's screaming at it as it's unable to stand — both because it can't put weight on it at the moment to begin with, and because Hayame is right on top of it.

And it, of course, has never had the luxury of fighting a jinba before. Doesn't even know where to begin, so in a rush, it makes the two of them weightless — offering it some relief as they float up into the air, giving it a chance to yell in pain before it's converted into a snarl as it seeks to grab whatever it can of hers and bend it the wrong way. Her front legs. Her arms. Her neck. Something as a hot rage crashes over its face in violent waves, eyes furious and murderous. No time for a biting remark, kill being the only thing on its mind.

And Amos gets that, because it's him, and he would do the same thing in its place — it's just going to take him a couple of extra precious seconds to get down the hall to where they are... ]

[sharethememory]

[ What a novel idea - protecting one's books. Zhongli also leaves his on the table (minus the one referring to Mr. Tibbs) to be perused by any passerbyer who is interested. ]

If you are speaking of luck regarding the objectives laid out to us by our benefactors, then no. Days of searching and I have still yet to determine if the Oracle is a sentient being or a magical artifact. If it's the former, then should they not get a say in which group they wish to support?

[ Claiming people as prizes leaves a bad taste in his mouth, but he can't even prove that the Oracle is a person, so--- ]

It does seem fruitless at the moment, but also I have not delved into the more inaccessible areas of the castle, though I have seen others brave the icy waters. Perhaps there is more to be found there.

[lockedon]

[ WHY WOULD HE NEED CPR? Imagine if he received CPR for every flesh wound he got, he simply wouldn't stop kissing people.

But thanks for the assist (real) Dokja, he owes you one. Add that to the tally of Eustace's evermounting debt he owes Dokja, which he will figure out later. For now, he glances down at the red lines scored across his forearm, assessing how bad the injury might be. ]

It's nothing.

[ Yeah, it's bleeding, and yeah he'll definitely want to get it looked at after this so it doesn't get infected and he doesn't lose his whole arm, but for now it really is nothing. Don't worry about it.

More importantly: ]

Shouldn't you be focusing on that instead?

[ With a nod of his head towards the doppelganger currently being choked by a small whirlwind? Okay. Does he actually need to do anything here, or....? Maybe he'll just be relegated to peanut gallery instead. ]

[hauntedking]

That's all I can ask.

[ Dimitri returns the smile with one of his own. ]

How are you finding this place? Besides cold.

[ He's used to it, at least. ]

[hauntedking]

[ In truth, there's probably not much he could have done to stop this in general. The doppelganger comes forward with rage in its eyes and curses on its lips. The spear and scythe and clash and then part as the doppelganger snarls and circles to find another angle - although it's one good, burning eye seems drawn toward Dimitri. Gray is just in the way. Dimitri hastens to join her, his lance leveled. ]

What is this thing-?

[ Although perhaps there will be time for questions later. ]

[hauntedking]

[ Dimitri hears the noise fade behind him - but he still worries. And why shouldn't he? But his focus is ahead, on the trail of blood and glass and destruction that the pair have left. He continues, footsteps echoing as he tries to find his way through the shattered maze, acutely aware that he likely only has so much time. He can't afford to be turned around. He has to keep going.

Another corner. He has to be getting close now, surely. ]

[gravings]

[ Well, that answers Gray's question. But before she can begin to do anything about it, the largest, eerie face on the scythe in her hands begins to cackle. ]

Gahahaha! Didja hear that, Gray?! This weirdo is asking if I mind!

[ Gray glances to her scythe, a bit surprised at its outburst. Meanwhile, the scythe crows, tickled to the extreme. His tone is incredulous and mocking, yet his follow-up is sincere, if still rough. ]

Since you asked nicely, I'm all yours, brother. What kinda weapon do you fancy?

[consolation]

Yes. [As she agrees, she takes her hand away from the pane.] I think it must not be the walls after all. We'd see the angle of the reflections warp as well.

[She steps back toward her traveling companion, listening after the movement stops for any sound that follows. Nothing. It could be a lost spirit, as in the Zenith bathhouses, or -]

Another bearer? If that's the case, then the one who's in danger depends entirely on their allegiance. Still, it's a little cowardly to approach young women in this way, don't you think?

[She's too calm to be surrounded by shadows and mysterious movement shifting darkly around her. It's likely not her first time against the unknown. She has a lot of composure for someone who's about to eat shit in a couple of minutes.]

[warmare]

[Once, Hayame had prided herself on being more “human” than the bestial members of her kind, reduced to animals and spear fodder by the sickly simple act of flensing off the arms at the shoulder. She used the weapons that humans did, she did not fight with desperate tooth and nail and hoof and kicks like the increasingly dwindling population of jinba born free in the deep mountains. She’d been cold and collected and precise-

But it wasn’t just her icy doppelgängers that had died since she left the only world that made sense to her. Every month spent in a place that she continued to reject, amongst people she largely felt alienated from, encountering magic and happening beyond the scope of what she’d always imagined possible… the woman who’d been able to conceal her true nature had been stripped away time and time again to reveal the worst of her beneath. Before they had been enslaved, before humans realized the power they held last of numbers and tools, jinba had been worshipped as gods, as powerful forces of nature-

And that’s what slams into the copy of Amos now. Bones crack, hooves slip on the slick cold of of them hall floor, and they go skidding, tumbling over the ice in a knot of limbs and muscle and snarling viciousness. Just her weight is enough to injure or kill when brought to bear, either in an intentional kick or an accidental fall, and so on the ground, even frosted, the advantage is overwhelmingly hers, it might be considered pathetic for a human to try, even one as physically tough as Amos-

And then they’re weightless. The split second of confusion as her world turns tipsy turvy is enough for the doppelgänger to find purchase on her thrash of limbs and grappling arms. She feels a wrench, a finger bends and snaps, it goes for a more delicate foreleg-

No, there was no time nor mind for words in the important, frantic first moments, the struggle for the upper hand in a situation whether both parties wanted to kill the other. If a part of her thought to save that honor for Amos himself, it would have to bank on hope… because Hayame can’t find the real Amos in the tumble through the air and she also doesn’t hold back. A hand finds purchase and pushes against a forehead, slamming with the heel of her damaged hand, her legs flail to keep it from finding a space close enough to brace and twist, and the sharp, sharp teeth in her mouth that don’t seem to match well with either human or equine features…

Those dig in and rip, coming away with a gush of blood and the tattered scraps of an ear.]

[liuli]

[ ruby won't know it, but a second pair of eyes is pretty useful here. gu yun stays silent, the light and easy mannerism fading as he walks them forward; his well honed soldiers reflexes shine here, straight backed and prepared for the worst.

right now, he doesn't reach for the sword at his waist. they've been fighting doppelgangers, so far - his own appeared in a mirror just before, and even just a cursory look at ruby tells gu yun plenty. no matter what kind of girl she is, unless she whips out an impressive amount of martial arts skills, she's unarmed, and he's preparing moreso for the psychological than anything especially physical, and he's not wrong when the light female voice speaks up loud enough to be heard.

he turns his head to look briefly at the reflection. takes in her outfit - western - and cocks his head to the side.

his doppelganger reflection does the same, but it's the real gu yun who speaks - and all he does is scoff, lightly, dismissive. ]

Now, that's not very nice. [ ...it's curious, really. it's curious, because these reflections seem to be just that, reflections. something to be learned from. none of that thought process registers on gu yun's face, though; instead, he just lets the flippant remark by.

his own doppelganger puts his hand over ruby's white knuckled hand. curiously, his doppelganger is blindfolded, but it doesn't react much beyond that, just mouthing the words that gu yun does like a true reflection. ] Who put that sort of mentality in your head, the Westerners? I wouldn't trust a man with more hat than brains not to throw stones in glass houses. Or mirrors, so to speak.

[ gu yun glances down to the real girl, frozen at his side, and waits. patient, to let her pull herself together or react, or whatever she needs. ]

[youngprodigy]

[The explanation seems to further confuse him, if anything. But at the very least, his confusion turns to fascination only a moment later.]

I am going to assume our definitions of "realm" are different, and you do not mean there's an enormous hole in the middle of a nation that radiates light.

[At the question, he gestures to the third eye on his forehead.]

I'd say its our third eye that distinguishes us, mayhap more than our inability to manipulate aether. There can be individuals of the other races who are unable, but it's not entirely the same. Most of my people actively fear magic.

[kenosevents]

[ He floats over to take a look at what she's holding. What's this? Hmmmmm. Mr. Tibbs puts a paw to his cheek and smooshes it inward while he thinks.

Then he focuses on the words with a squint. ]

Oh, that is most uncouth.

[ He folds his arm and looks away. ] No mistaking it, no no. It's from the Castle Seer. I have no idea what she would have against me! We rarely ever spoke, I assure you.

[exhound]

((Sorry for the delay, guys! Had a very busy week.))

[It’s daunting to be staring her down now, despite it being the outcome he had hoped for. The anguish painting her words is a hard counter to any sort of reason he might brandish against her. Still, there’s little time to even contemplate that when she’s lashing out at him now.

A swing like that is readable enough to someone who spent countless years fighting face-to-face with his opponents. A fist and a spear are different though, and with her size and desperation putting frantic speed into the swing, a proper side-step feels like it may flirt too close to the more dangerous end of that weapon.

So instead he steps forward as she swings, takes a hit from the spear’s shaft against one side in order to avoid that dangerous point and give himself an opportunity. He braces himself for the impact, but even still, it practically knocks the wind out of him. He grits his teeth, braces his feet as much as he can on the slick ground, and uses his gauntlet-wearing arm to pin the weapon there against his side. His free hand then darts forward to grab at the weapon and pull, aiming to either disarm or distract as Amos’s swing comes down from above.]

[settingup]

[ Stealth and secrecy wasn't the kind of thing a guy like Atsumu needed to learn in the type of world he grew up in. In fact, avoiding attention was about the last thing he wanted to do, given his particular passions and hobbies. So the way Silco happens to be slinking around right now earns him a confused look from Atsumu, before he very unsurreptitiously twists around in the chair to look where Silco was trying to subtly glance.

Seeing nothing of particular note, he sinks back down into the warm chair, and carries on like nothing just happened. ]

Think you can make a bunch more of these then?

[ Heated chairs for all, or maybe some heated beds to actually get some decent sleep in. ]

[consolation]

[The quick correction stirs the smallest of physical reactions in her expression, one eyebrow just slightly raising, a silent literally or figuratively? that goes unasked. Blades are known for drawing blood rather than shedding it, but perhaps the two are not so different.]

Fully? I'm still in contemplation. Not all faith is granted instantaneously, in overnight revelations. [Up until now, allying with Zenith hasn't fully paid off on the promise of purpose that was initially placed at her feet when she harmonized, and she feels a pitying disdain for some of the monstrous opinions espoused by others in the faction.]

...Cyrus did give me a handsome stack of cash. [She clears her throat quietly. This isn't about her fat wad of Christmas money.] But I think he's the face of a pretty dream. I can't believe Meridian will achieve what it promises.

[gravings]

[ While Gray has been possessed before, those were incidents that came and went as a matter of course, not serving any greater purpose. What Caren speaks of sounds more methodical — which makes sense coming from a Church member. Surely, Gray thinks, the Church had more ways to detect spirits than by chucking young girls like herself and Caren at them??

Like a dutiful student, Gray nods. ]

I know that some people are much more sensitive to the presence of spirits than others. In my case, it's why I was chosen to become a gravekeeper. But I don't know how to tell if someone has been possessed other than by just asking them...

[ What are Caren's deep Church secrets... ]

[settingup]

[ "Make her stay still." Atsumu lets out a disbelieving laugh at that. ]

You gotta be kiddin' me...

[ Just ask him to fetch the moon and sun from the sky next, why don'tcha?

But fine, he'll look around the chamber trying to see what he can actually use to "make her stay still." With a sharp breath he's jumping into the cold (and fuuuuck is it cold) pool of water, trying to splash about the piles of treasure for something, anything really, remotely rope-like he can try and tangle up around her.

He's not having much luck finding what he wants, but he is doing a pretty good job further splitting the attention of the giant lady who is currently already struggling with two assailants. ]

[subsist]

[ Yeah, alright. Kaeya can't let his guard down around this guy at all.

Luckily, it looks like the onmyouji is on his side for the time being, attacking the Shadow before it can get out of the way. He takes the opening given to him by casting a burst of ice aimed right at the double. It doesn't matter to him if glass cuts into his skin as long as he can freeze the Shadow in place. Sadly, he only manages to graze the double's hand before it flees the scene.

It flickers in between the surrounding mirrors, making use of the reflection to obscure its position. ]

If you can find the one mirror without a reflection—

And then what? [ The Shadow sneers. ] Do you think once I'm gone, your crimes will be forgotten?

—I'd keep quiet, if I were you.

[ Sometimes you just really need to cut a bitch so excuse him while he starts destroying the mirrors nearby. ]

[epiprocta]

Liar.

[ That prompt, vicious snarl is accompanied by the creak of fabric as Gen tightens his grip on Reigen's shirtfront, knuckling into the folds so he can jerk Reigen forth, then immediately slam him back into the bookshelf. The ceasefire in here means he can't go full-force lest he risk being kicked out, but it should still be enough to jolt and disorient.

He gives Reigen no room to breathe, no room to think, immediately following up that move by leaning in so close that they're almost nose-to-nose; his voice is lowered to a threatening drone. ]

You just squealed like a little bitch 'cause I threw a book at you. If we weren't in here, if I caught you outside this room, I bet you'd be pissing your pants. 'I'm not afraid of you?' [ He mimics Reigen's intonation before giving a humorless laugh. ] Who d'you think you're fooling?

[ Pointedly, he doesn't answer Reigen's questions. ]

[salvageable]

[ does imagine this

The distress that comes out in waves at seeing Eustace's injury is openly displayed via their Aspect, and it's not surprising for the guilt to follow shortly after. But just as quickly as it appears, it almost seems to hesitate, then snap off completely, like Dokja's made up his mind about something.

Or like he's remembered a previous conversation. ]

It's fine, that'll keep it occupied for—

[ A sudden burst of wind that nearly topples Dokja over cuts him off, and he catches himself on the ground before whipping his head over his shoulder to see that the doppelganger's used its own wind powers to remove the vacuum. He barely has any time to react before the mirrored version of himself is throwing itself at him, the speed in which it moves the same as Dokja, covering the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

And then they're grappling around on the floor, claws sinking into his shoulders for the doppelganger to latch itself there, wings beating against the air as it hisses in a distorted voice, ]

Yes, focus on me, Kim Dokja. Didn't you come looking for me for a reason?

[ Claws slice down from his shoulder to his arm, one of its hands releasing its hold to grab him by the throat instead while both of Dokja's hands scrabble at the reflection's wrist to try and pry away from its suffocating grip. ]

Was that boy you imagined to be us not good enough for you?

[appeale]

I've been fortunate so far... Most everyone has been rather kind to me, so I'm grateful.

[ her heart is completely absent of anything that could be considered gratitude. in truth, things have been... about what she expected; not the worst case scenario, but no better than she would have predicted either. the frozen landscape is eerily fitting when Ruby feels like she's walking around on ice and waiting for it to splinter beneath her.

one of her hands goes to the Hourglass at her neck which, as she fidgets with it, is visibly low on Sand: likely a large part of what is contributing to the exhaustion in her face and the way her steps drag. ]

But it certainly is tiring. [ since she's already decided to share a room with this panther and pretend it won't eat her, she pulls out a chair and takes a seat in it, her movements dainty and well-mannered. she sits with a grace that speaks very much of someone who has had etiquette drilled into her all her life: a straight posture, knees together, hands folded neatly in her lap. ] I think I must have slept more these past several days than I would in a whole week... It's dreadfully cold here, too. Winters in the Vatican were always quite mild.

[shisho]

[ The thing is, Gen's not wrong. Reigen is a liar; he's the kind of liar who rewrites his own perception of events in order to change them, adjust them, come out on top or at least at a net-zero. He doesn't lose arguments ( he doesn't choose arguments he can't win, either ).

It's telling, that closer a threat gets to him, the calmer he feels. It's like that thing fighters talk about, where their perception of time begins to slow down -- or like, when people talk about seeing their lives flash before their eyes as they're dying. Reigen works best when he feels like he's dying. ]

Yeah, it surprised me!

[ He feels the shelves bite into his shoulders, and stifles the grunt as he briefly loses his breath. ]

-- I'm not afraid. I'm serious. I've seen some scary shit in my life, and you're not scary at all. You're angry, and upset you're not in control.

[ He pauses and wonders: ] If you lose control, what usually happens to you?

[ ( He thinks of Mob. Of that warm little shard that is all that's left of his apprentice, sitting calm and quiet and protected against him. Mob loses control, and cities are leveled. But what happens to Mob, is that his heart breaks. What happens to Gen? What happened to Gen? ) ]

[regression]

[ Joonghyuk truly had to hear the double say things... There's a wonder if he should completely forget its words and let Matsui keep his peace. The forlorn dagger still on the floor is snatched back up and stowed away back into his coat. ]

You were taking your time.

[ He repeats himself, though less chastising than earlier. He gives Matsui a look over before fishing through his pockets for either a salve or a clean roll of rags for him to use for his wounds. Their reconstructed bodies are different, but risking infection is not apt.

The weight blood, though... Yes. Matsui can see Joonghyuk's blood puddle near the mirror and even some on his hand dripping onto the floor. Its color is the same as any human, but it forms shapes—letters. They make words, string sentences, and it almost seems they wish to tell a story. Who needs a double when your blood tells your tale? And so he suffered at the end of the train... But the rest is difficult to read. ]

[salvageable]

[ Wh... HELLO? Is that any way to respond to a guy just looking to help?? ]

Wait a minute.

[ Dokja's going to call him out on this because it's just so absurd... but also kind of funny, the serious look on his face in contrast with the teasing lilt of his voice. ]

Are you trying to one up me here?