I hope it doesn't cause you too much grief considering all of the things which have appeared for us here already.
[There will be grief. But there will also be food. WHY DID YOU JUST TORMENT ME BY PUTTING ME IN HERE AAAAAAAA. MYEKS YOU as they wander out of the damn peas and milk place.]
They were unexpected, and I wish some of them weren't here.
It's where I ended up dying in hell. [...Amends--] Rather, where I fought Ryo, and got taken out of the drinking competition. It was a pain to fight there.
[Sometimes you slip on soap and fall in a sink to drown.]
Ah, yes. He mentioned he was from the village too. [A little amused--] Not a friend of yours?
[THE FUNNIEST MURDER TO HEAR ABOUT. Don't just try to fight Satan when there is another Satan.]
Oh, I see. I do remember you writing me that you were dead. I'm finding I am running into so many of you like this, though I would rather wish you be alive.
[Now he is dead again.]
He is a headache.
[But it looks like there may be something more (fond) he isn't choosing to say.]
There others aren't so bad. I enjoy speaking to Wriothesley, [lol] Seizaburo is polite and intuitive, and Keith keeps to himself usually.
[ISN'T MEPHISTO ALSO KIND OF SATAN. IT WAS SO FUCKING FUNNY. But he laughs a little, hearing that.]
I can't say I disagree with you there. [Given the choice, he would also prefer to still be alive...] But things can change, so I'm not resigned to my fate just yet.
[Sometimes... it takes longer than a year to resign yourself to being dead in hell forever, because you have a knack for getting out of places and surviving things you shouldn't. It's fine. Also, Esschurin real? This sounds gay. Unfortunately Childe likes Aventurine way more after the meeting today. Funny
For Childe's part, he can't help a soft huff at the sound of Wrio's name, but he doesn't say anything to it.]
This must be so confusing for them. But it works to our benefit, in the end.
[what do you mean you don't want to talk about plot? also, i had to wait until i was on my computer again because i have to type it out, the suffering of ttrpg]
You can't, or I would have made a lot of fun of you. [HE'S HONEST, AT LEAST.] A little here and there. I think Seizaburo is the most up-front about game happenings.
[It's out of the blue normalcy that Childe gets a memory:
Childe is with five others (minus Caleb and Jester), wedged inside an open tunnel made of what looks, smells, and feels like... flesh. Organic. It occasionally undulates, and much of it gives in the way flesh does. Between him and the other seven is a skin-like sort of pool on the floor, separating them.
In the distance, a tabaxi, Cree, injured, is attempting to make an escape. Yasha steps quickly on Cree's long cloak, yanking her back and impaling her along the sharp edge of a blade. Cree chokes on blood and begins to go limp.
Cree calls out, "Lu...cien...!"
Childe does not have one of the red eyes yet to hear, but in Beauregard and Caleb's minds, an Irish-accent voices says, You have done well. I need you to hold them off a little longer. I'm not ready yet. Become a vessel for the pattern, and show them the way.
The five red and magical, stylized eyes on Cree swell into a bright glow, turning half of the present tunnel red. On Yasha's sword, Cree begins to violently convulse, and Yasha shoves the tabaxi away with a boot. Cree falls to the ground with the limpness of a dead body, but as it impacts the ground, it continues to writhe.
Suddenly, the back of her shoulders split open, and tendrils of meat and bone sprout from her body, drawing out more tendrils until she is turned almost inside out and bloomed into a hulking mound of flesh, bones, and teeth. The base of the monstrosity begins to draw in the floor beneath ever so slightly, grounding it, feeding it. It howls an ear-splitting screech. Childe is horrified.
There is no way this is not a battle.
Yasha scrambles back, and the abomination reconfigures the claws on the tendril which was once an arm in a new direction completely to swing at her, slicing her across the front.
Caleb, in another area with Jester, is unsuccessful in his attempt to retrieve the threshold stone now being consumed by some of the flesh of the ceiling above.
Every so often, its body blurs for half a second, revealing holographic symbols, fractals tethering it to the city of Aeor. Fjord dives in with powerful swings, slashing, splitting the former Cree open. In the space of the slash, more flesh rises up, and Cree's face twists by through it, yelling in agony. Spines of bone extend, piercing Fjord for daring to harm it.
Childe is next, having watched this, having felt the depths of rolling fear and apprehension watching this all happen. He shakes what he can off, attempting to focus. He draws his hands in front - Hold Monster - but the abomination is too powerful, or perhaps he doesn't have enough focus. When it fails, he turns and runs for cover behind one of the fleshy stalagmites. Patterns of bizarre red eyes and those same unknown fractals pop up here and there in front of his eyes, muddling his thoughts briefly.
The rest of the fight is a seesaw of unfortunate timing, bad luck, and fortunate hits. Veth spares them any more suffering by destroying the abomination before it can start burrowing beneath the ground. It liquefies onto the ground when a crossbow bolt pierces the head of Cree which swirls by in the flesh.
In the aftermath, gathered, the five realize Veth is now sporting a glowing red eye on her forehead. Worried, everyone begins to check one another: Fjord has one, on the palm of a hand; Childe thinks he's fine, looking over himself to find nothing, but as he pulls the mantle aside, Yasha notices a red eye emblazoned on his right shoulder.
Idk if you care about TTRPG especially the battles of TTRPG, but if you want to watch it, you can here, but it goes on until about 1:18:00. There's a jump list pinned in the comments!!]
[YOUR TTRPG!!!! You are so kind... me who didn't prepare any new memories for this game really, help.
BUT THIS AIN'T ABOUT CHILDE--it's about Essek, and this encounter with a clearly fearsome beast of his own. If he'd watched this from a distance, the way he saw memories in hell, he'd probably perk up with interest, watching with an avid gaze for a glimpse of the power Essek's told him about. Living through it, though, is a very different thing. This horror, this fear, the desperate struggle--they're not his, but at least for now, they feel like they are.
It takes him a minute to come back to himself, when it ends; once it does, he doesn't bother pretending it didn't happen, turning to look at Essek curiously.]
[Didn't you say there are seven of you, childe says--no I'm kidding, He is deeply curious, but he has enough tact not to interrogate Essek about this... monster possession situation when he's clearly reeling from this memory.]
[There's a long pause, for... reasons, and then--]
So, just to be clear... the last thing you remember is going up against a fearsome beast, and then you wound up here, with no idea of how things have been going for your friends in the aftermath?
There was... a bit more after we defeated Cree. We... [A small sigh.] Caleb and I managed to utilize a gem we had found in the city. We were able to use it to give us all a sort of... rest. Rejuvenating us.
That... is the last thing. Our rest before what I can only assume will be a battle with Lucien. He is incredibly powerful, and now... possibly even stronger.
He wants to ask about Lucien sooooooo bad but he has a modicum of self-control despite what everyone has been led to believe, so he sighs instead.
Lightly--] I'm glad you got a moment to rest, and not only because we would've been far too similar otherwise. [WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING.] It's a shame you died here before you could get your hands on one of those items on the other side. They probably would've come in handy.
[SO FUNNY. Please ask about Lucien. Becoming very evil and immensely powerful is right up Childe's alley.
THEY KEEP BEING THE SAME, ALSO FUNNY.]
...I know. We shall... do what we can with what we have. There can be so many branches of reality, but if Laudna is at least a little to go by... I am at least alive in some future.
[Wry.]
You and I have too much in common. Do you know the outcome of your battle, or...?
[MAYBE HE WILL... LATER... but despite his insanity, Childe is not heartless enough to be like "so I know you're clearly worried about your buddies and that vision was super traumatizing just now but you should tell me about this Lucien guy."
Instead, he nods at Essek's response--pleased in his own way, because he also would've given Essek shit for giving up.]
All you need is one, right?
[And... well. It's not really a direct response to the question, but Essek can experience a memory in return. SORRY IF THERE ARE ANY FUCKY TENSES OR PRONOUNS I edited this for this thread. My god]
The first thing he breathlessly says when his own focus returns is,] An Abyssal rift? Like the ones in the temple in Bazzoxan. [Sorry, but this intrigues him immensely!!! He is looking at Childe like WOW!]
It looks like... Rosohna, like Ghor Dranas, but the Abyss plane is full of evil and chaos. Demons. Yet you walk through it as if it's nothing. A home.
[HELPPPP NOT THE INTRIGUE!!!! Imagine if he knew Scaramouche's job in the Fatui was to investigate the Abyss. Scessek would become real in no time. Unfortunately Essek being interested in this is great for him, because it means he has leverage for when he wants to bother Essek about his own power... god. Freaks.
He lifts a finger, quoting.]
"Floods and hurricanes take countless lives too, but if one day you gained the power to control them, what was once a calamity is now just another tool in your arsenal." [Tips his head slightly.] I was there long enough that it made sense to learn how to navigate it--at least where I was. It's extremely vast, so I won't claim to know its every nook and cranny.
[Damn...... He could pick Scaramouche's brain for Abyss investigation. Not that he's a huge fan of Abyssal planes, or anything. Just in their relation to dunamancy.
The intrigue is still there.]
I see.
[That's fair. He is appraising Childe some, though. Sorry, he's got eyes, and he's also got a lot of interest in gravity, reality warping, and the nether reaches of time and space.]
What you've seen and also lived through is... astounding really.
[Sounds like something a huge fan of Abyssal planes would say
But it is very funny, because this is exactly why he felt comfortable enough to tease Yoru about making assumptions. He's human, yes--but not normal. Hasn't been since he was 14 and touched by starlight.
He laughs a little, lifting a hand to the back of his neck.]
It definitely opened my eyes to a lot of things, that's for sure. I'm grateful for it--I never would've discovered my purpose if I hadn't found myself there by chance.
[Even if it made things more complicated than he is willing to acknowledge. It is what it is. He's happy enough with who he's become, and that's what matters.]
To answer your question... no, I don't know how the battle ended. The last thing I remember is my master stepping in once my strength gave out.
I wasn't exactly planning on having nothing to show for my kills. [THERE'S A REVIVAL ITEM IN THAT CASE... DAMN... imagine the timeline where he got to have that. Alas, it was never going to happen.] But it's alright. Alex brought our group back to life once before, which means that power exists somewhere in her realm. She insists she can't bring me back, so I just need to figure out how to access it myself.
[If it was completely impossible, then maybe he'd be a little more resigned to his fate. Childe isn't so naively arrogant as to believe he'll never die for real--indeed, he can't believe himself immortal, or else his endless pursuit of strength will become utterly meaningless. But he's never been quick to accept his own limits, and he's always had a knack for getting out of absurd situations. Maybe someday he'll meet the challenge that truly brings him to his knees, but for now, Essek is right: he's not ready to give in just yet.]
[NOT THIS ICON. Personally, I think Childe deserves to have a prize and be unleashed once more upon the world.]
I don't think that's something you can't accomplish.
[Like, he would be stupid as hell to deny Childe can't do something when Childe puts his mind to it. Honestly. He seems mildly amused by the conviction, though.]
If you have lived among something like the Abyssal plane, there isn't much else you can't do.
[Hmmm. He peers at Childe curiously.]
Do you miss them, or do you still see your family?
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[There will be grief. But there will also be food. WHY DID YOU JUST TORMENT ME BY PUTTING ME IN HERE AAAAAAAA. MYEKS YOU as they wander out of the damn peas and milk place.]
They were unexpected, and I wish some of them weren't here.
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[ODDLY SPECIFIC but he doesn't seem inclined to clarify. Instead--]
Which ones?
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[He has fought ice trolls, and they are big, so this is all he is imagining right now. Their house.]
Aventurine.
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[Sometimes you slip on soap and fall in a sink to drown.]
Ah, yes. He mentioned he was from the village too. [A little amused--] Not a friend of yours?
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Oh, I see. I do remember you writing me that you were dead. I'm finding I am running into so many of you like this, though I would rather wish you be alive.
[Now he is dead again.]
He is a headache.
[But it looks like there may be something more (fond) he isn't choosing to say.]
There others aren't so bad. I enjoy speaking to Wriothesley, [lol] Seizaburo is polite and intuitive, and Keith keeps to himself usually.
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I can't say I disagree with you there. [Given the choice, he would also prefer to still be alive...] But things can change, so I'm not resigned to my fate just yet.
[Sometimes... it takes longer than a year to resign yourself to being dead in hell forever, because you have a knack for getting out of places and surviving things you shouldn't. It's fine. Also, Esschurin real? This sounds gay. Unfortunately Childe likes Aventurine way more after the meeting today. Funny
For Childe's part, he can't help a soft huff at the sound of Wrio's name, but he doesn't say anything to it.]
This must be so confusing for them. But it works to our benefit, in the end.
[More people to brainstorm achievements...]
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Gale of Waterdeep, and I won't accept it from you.
[YOU ARE SO DESPERATE TO GRASP AT STRAWS!!! Don't just like Aventurine after that insane meeting.]
They weren't sure why they were here. Started here no less. I don't know if it's something which should be looked into, or simply a strange anomaly.
But, yes. They offer us a bit of leeway.
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I couldn't very well tell you not to disappoint me only to turn around and disappoint you instead, now can I?
[AMBITIOUS FUCKS!!!! ALSO GIVE ME A MEMSHARE SO THEY STOP TALKING ABOUT PLOT BEATS YOU UP. Starts wandering towards The Cage.]
Have they shared very much about the games they came from?
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You can't, or I would have made a lot of fun of you. [HE'S HONEST, AT LEAST.] A little here and there. I think Seizaburo is the most up-front about game happenings.
[It's out of the blue normalcy that Childe gets a memory:
Idk if you care about TTRPG especially the battles of TTRPG, but if you want to watch it, you can here, but it goes on until about 1:18:00. There's a jump list pinned in the comments!!]
no subject
BUT THIS AIN'T ABOUT CHILDE--it's about Essek, and this encounter with a clearly fearsome beast of his own. If he'd watched this from a distance, the way he saw memories in hell, he'd probably perk up with interest, watching with an avid gaze for a glimpse of the power Essek's told him about. Living through it, though, is a very different thing. This horror, this fear, the desperate struggle--they're not his, but at least for now, they feel like they are.
It takes him a minute to come back to himself, when it ends; once it does, he doesn't bother pretending it didn't happen, turning to look at Essek curiously.]
Those were the companions you mentioned before?
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He swallows gently.]
Yes... Those are the Mighty Nein.
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...How long ago was that?
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...A few hours, probably.
[Guilty by way of going through some shit and then coming here and pretending he hadn't been freaking out.]
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So, just to be clear... the last thing you remember is going up against a fearsome beast, and then you wound up here, with no idea of how things have been going for your friends in the aftermath?
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There was... a bit more after we defeated Cree. We... [A small sigh.] Caleb and I managed to utilize a gem we had found in the city. We were able to use it to give us all a sort of... rest. Rejuvenating us.
That... is the last thing. Our rest before what I can only assume will be a battle with Lucien. He is incredibly powerful, and now... possibly even stronger.
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He wants to ask about Lucien sooooooo bad but he has a modicum of self-control despite what everyone has been led to believe, so he sighs instead.
Lightly--] I'm glad you got a moment to rest, and not only because we would've been far too similar otherwise. [WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING.] It's a shame you died here before you could get your hands on one of those items on the other side. They probably would've come in handy.
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THEY KEEP BEING THE SAME, ALSO FUNNY.]
...I know. We shall... do what we can with what we have. There can be so many branches of reality, but if Laudna is at least a little to go by... I am at least alive in some future.
[Wry.]
You and I have too much in common. Do you know the outcome of your battle, or...?
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Instead, he nods at Essek's response--pleased in his own way, because he also would've given Essek shit for giving up.]
All you need is one, right?
[And... well. It's not really a direct response to the question, but Essek can experience a memory in return. SORRY IF THERE ARE ANY FUCKY TENSES OR PRONOUNS I edited this for this thread. My god]
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The first thing he breathlessly says when his own focus returns is,] An Abyssal rift? Like the ones in the temple in Bazzoxan. [Sorry, but this intrigues him immensely!!! He is looking at Childe like WOW!]
It looks like... Rosohna, like Ghor Dranas, but the Abyss plane is full of evil and chaos. Demons. Yet you walk through it as if it's nothing. A home.
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He lifts a finger, quoting.]
"Floods and hurricanes take countless lives too, but if one day you gained the power to control them, what was once a calamity is now just another tool in your arsenal." [Tips his head slightly.] I was there long enough that it made sense to learn how to navigate it--at least where I was. It's extremely vast, so I won't claim to know its every nook and cranny.
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The intrigue is still there.]
I see.
[That's fair. He is appraising Childe some, though. Sorry, he's got eyes, and he's also got a lot of interest in gravity, reality warping, and the nether reaches of time and space.]
What you've seen and also lived through is... astounding really.
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But it is very funny, because this is exactly why he felt comfortable enough to tease Yoru about making assumptions. He's human, yes--but not normal. Hasn't been since he was 14 and touched by starlight.
He laughs a little, lifting a hand to the back of his neck.]
It definitely opened my eyes to a lot of things, that's for sure. I'm grateful for it--I never would've discovered my purpose if I hadn't found myself there by chance.
[Even if it made things more complicated than he is willing to acknowledge. It is what it is. He's happy enough with who he's become, and that's what matters.]
To answer your question... no, I don't know how the battle ended. The last thing I remember is my master stepping in once my strength gave out.
[And Essek already knows he's dead, so.]
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That's why your pursuit is always becoming stronger.
[Ok, weapon. He is contemplative for a moment or two. No judgment from him really. He understands in a knowledge-pursuing way.]
Are you interested in a chance to return to find out, or... are you... Surely, a man like yourself isn't satisfied by being simply dead?
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I wasn't exactly planning on having nothing to show for my kills. [THERE'S A REVIVAL ITEM IN THAT CASE... DAMN... imagine the timeline where he got to have that. Alas, it was never going to happen.] But it's alright. Alex brought our group back to life once before, which means that power exists somewhere in her realm. She insists she can't bring me back, so I just need to figure out how to access it myself.
[If it was completely impossible, then maybe he'd be a little more resigned to his fate. Childe isn't so naively arrogant as to believe he'll never die for real--indeed, he can't believe himself immortal, or else his endless pursuit of strength will become utterly meaningless. But he's never been quick to accept his own limits, and he's always had a knack for getting out of absurd situations. Maybe someday he'll meet the challenge that truly brings him to his knees, but for now, Essek is right: he's not ready to give in just yet.]
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I don't think that's something you can't accomplish.
[Like, he would be stupid as hell to deny Childe can't do something when Childe puts his mind to it. Honestly. He seems mildly amused by the conviction, though.]
If you have lived among something like the Abyssal plane, there isn't much else you can't do.
[Hmmm. He peers at Childe curiously.]
Do you miss them, or do you still see your family?
(no subject)