EVENT ★ SEASON FINALE

[futurologists]

ZYMANDIS CASTLE The castle -- no, the entire world, small as it is -- is too peaceful. It isn't the atmosphere one would associate with a villain's lair, even with it looking as sinister as it does. Crumbling chunks of earth float in the air, threatening to hit anyone who isn't paying attention to where they're going. It is quiet around them, like the castle is entirely without life. Cassie, Cherenkov, Crowley, Dagny, and Uruz stand beside Audentes, proud that their sister team has come so far. Each of them have offered words of encouragement, even the cats... in their own special way. Cassie is short and sweet: “Give 'em hell.” Cherenkov and Crowley have combined their efforts to create regeneration nanobots that whisper positive messages to one's psyche and gifted them to the entire team. Dagny says, “I couldn't be prouder of you!! You have done much good, and come so far, and your future is so very bright, and -- oh, may I please hug you?? I'm going to hug you now!” and sticks gold star stickers on the foreheads of various team members. Uruz says, “Pull through, Audentes! You've always been brave, headstrong, and united! This will be nothing for you lot, nothing at all. But be careful, if only for me. I want to see you all again after we're through.” The group pushes forward. The moment they do, a loud, brassy sound blares throughout the castle grounds. The world comes alive again. Enemies begin to scale down the castle walls, pop out of windows, and burst through the doors, which slam shut behind them. A dragon circles above, raining fire down upon its enemies. A small squad of goblins brandish swords. Some enemies look human but pale, frenzied, hungry; they're out of control. Others resemble Qorral bandits. The enemies call back to their past missions in some way. A way of letting them know Zymandis had been one step ahead every time. ALASTAIR was simply the cleaning crew, picking up the mess they left in their wake. Halfway through the battle, a small, pale creature with inhumanly large eyes manages to make his way through the crowd (mostly) unscathed, waving a white flag he seems to have fashioned himself out of his own clothes, judging by the large hole in his shirt. He looks too thin and too tired. He falls to his knees. “Please, o Holy Liberators!” he exclaims, kissing the ground near their feet slavishly. “It does not want to be here anymore. It wants to go home. It has information the Liberators must want. It will give it to them.” ALASTAIR strikes a deal with the creature, who reveals his true name to be Edgar, although Arbatel -- the Leader -- refers to all of his servants as nothing but 'it'. Edgar draws a childlike map to a mine entrance not far, and explains that the mine itself connects directly to Arbatel's laboratory. “It has-- I... have cleaned it many times. Master was captivated by the mines. Master had men in the mines day and night.” His voice drops to a whisper. “The Liberators need be careful. The mines claim many lives. Master does not care if they are dangerous.” With that, the group has a new plan. Some of the other teams stay back to distract the rest of the fighters, but Audentes and Kittypaw continue on. After all, Audentes is their little sibling team. Even though Audentes has been a full-fledged team for two years now -- time certainly flies! -- they've still got to look out for them. It's time to head to the mines. THE MINES The trek to the mines is a hard one. The group has to be careful to avoid lava geysers and giant, seemingly bottomless chasms, as well as panicked, violent animals. By the time they finally make it to the mines, there's a good chance their legs are aching, but there's no time to rest. Dagny has brought along a few potions she brewed herself that will help dull the ache, however. Inside the mines, no one has to worry about lava geysers. However, vision is obscured, and there's a feeling of gloom hanging over the area. After all, the mine did claim many lives. Some might even pass some bones, if they're unlucky. Arbatel isn't interested in sending corpse clean-up crews. The danger of the mines becomes apparent when Audentes and Kittypaw meet their first challenge. The twists and turns of the labyrinthine mines begin to break up the group. With the teams separated, Audentes will find themselves feeling... angry. Perhaps vengeful. As if there were spirits influencing them. They will begin to turn on whoever they're with, deciding now is the time to air their grievances. (This can affect all characters in a thread or just one.) Only once characters are aware they're being controlled will they be able to resist, and only once they are able to strongly resist will they be able to break the spirits' hold on them. But be careful: if you stick around too long afterwards, the spirit might try to take vengeance on you. Audentes and Kittypaw finally manage to meet back up when the paths converge once again, but their luck does not last for long. Cassie leads the group fearlessly ahead, but is forced to stop when a shadowy figure crawls in the darkness. And another one... and another one. The large beetles and spiders who live in the mine have come out of hiding, surrounding the team from all angles. Their bites are venomous, and they spit acid that burns to the touch. Their skin is hard, like metal, and nearly impossible to pierce. It's no wonder so many miners lost their lives down here with these monsters preying on them. The numbers are too overwhelming and the creatures too strong. The group has no choice. They have to run if they want any chance to get to Arbatel and the TIMELINE.exe. The creatures follow in fast pursuit, hungry for their next meal now that Arbatel is no longer sending miners to their dooms. The more they run, the more apparent it becomes that escape is futile. It seems there is only one option left: become these monsters' food. At least, that's how it seems; the group stops, barely fighting off their attackers, and Cassie says, “Go, now!” She reaches into her pocket and shouts, “Hey! Over here!” as she runs in the opposite direction, diverting the creatures' attention long enough for the team to get a head start. She takes her hand out of her pocket and raises it, holding an explosive. “Eat rainbows and die!” Flamboyant as ever, her explosion causes a beautiful, swirling rainbow effect, knocking Audentes over. When they regain their bearings, the area where Cassie and the monsters stood is caved in. Cherenkov, Crowley, Dagny, and Uruz are quiet for the rest of the walk. The group finally comes across an area of the mine that is significantly more sculpted than the rest, hollowed out around a large, glowing crystal. Around the crystal is a catwalk, with a ladder leading up to it. On the catwalk are tables containing various arcane items, blueprints for inventions, computer parts, and other strange materials. This is certainly Arbatel's lab. Now it's time to find the man himself. FINDING ARBATEL The castle is falling apart on the inside, too, despite the servants he has put to work. Some of them resemble Edgar, but others seem to belong to other species; some are even human. All of them are pale, malnourished, and cower in Audentes's presence. None of them appear to have any sinister motive or put up any sort of fight, although they're all too afraid to speak as well. The castle is full of oddities: a bookshelf full of books in languages no one has ever heard of, paintings with colors no one has seen before. It's worth it to inspect everything. In fact, one inspection in particular is particularly lucky -- one removal of a book from a bookshelf causes a wall to slide back, revealing a set of stairs that ascend upwards. Hey, all secret lairs need a secret door. Start up the stairs, and a woman in gold and white armor appears at the top. She waves her hand and the wall quickly slides back into place, blocking the staircase again. Except, unfortunately, for the two who happened to be in front: Jon and Loki are now trapped on the other side of the wall with the mysterious woman. No matter how many books are removed, shuffled, or shoved back into the shelves, the wall won't open again. The team will have to find another way to get through. Meanwhile, Jon and Loki are left alone to confront the woman, who introduces herself as Hagith. She is Theodor Arbatel's younger daughter and, unlike her long-dead sister Ophiel, completely loyal to Zymandis. Enhanced with cybernetic bones and organs, she is gifted in magic and is a dangerous foe even for Jon. While they're engaged in battle, an older man appears from a door just beyond the landing. Loki, sure this is the man they've been looking for all this time, wields his sword of truth at the ready... As for the rest of the team, poking through the rest of the castle will eventually find a small passage behind a painting -- it's six feet up and roughly the size of a ventilation shaft, so the only way to get up there is teamwork, and the only way to get through is by crawling, one by one, through the pitch black labyrinth. The passageway conveniently ends right on the other side of the wall, where -- luckily for the claustrophobic on the team -- there is a lever that will make the wall slide back again, revealing the hidden stairs. It's just in time, too: a wounded Jon stands over the dead knight, her windpipe crushed, watching as Loki needles a distinguished-looking man with Gram, the sword of truth. It's a disquieting scene, but it's necessary: the man is Arbatel, the Leader of Zymandis, and he owes ALASTAIR some answers. “This blade is doused in Dragon’s Blood,” Loki says as he turns the sword in Arbatel’s wound; “it forces someone to tell the truth. It always hurts.” Arbatel gazes at his daughter’s body as he answers all questions posed to him, both from Loki and from those shouted from the expedition: His true name is Theodor Arbatel, and that has always been the truth. He comes from a world that he has long since forgotten, his lifetime lengthened to thousands of years by personal experimentation with a sort of proto-magitek. The longer he lived, the more chaos he saw in Zymandis’s attempts at solving the Cataclysm; it would be better, in his eyes, if the entire multiverse were purged and purified, allowed to start anew, instead of simply bandaging an already sick and chaotic thing. And when he updated the TIMELINE.exe machine, its new calculations only proved what he thought: the universe would start again if ushered to a total collapse. As the rest of Zymandis followed his machine’s update, he rose through its ranks to become the Leader; those who didn’t believe in the truth were executed or run out of Zymandis until a faction that would become ALASTAIR stole an earlier version of his creation and fled. Including, he notes with distaste, his daughter Ophiel. His quest to end this tainted universe and usher in a new, better universe had millions -- possibly even billions -- of casualties, he estimates. He recalls all the miners he remorselessly sent to their deaths in the pursuit of the temporal crystal in his laboratory. Arbatel has studied such crystals for centuries; there are many types, he explains, but only one of this particular kind. It is the only one capable of undoing all of Zymandis's work. His life's work. He would send ten times as many miners to die if it meant protecting that crystal. He would have killed his own daughters. As Arbatel’s confession continues, he becomes more and more affected by the blade of Gram, as to suffer this blade is to suffer the truths one has denied. The way he has twisted his own nihilism into being the only truth, refusing to look for other alternatives, ignoring the pleas of his elder daughter. As Loki told him, the truth hurts. And in this case, the truth has killed Theodor Arbatel. He falls to the ground, lifeless. With this bloody business done, there's a few minutes to rest and patch any lingering wounds. The rest of the expedition begins to filter in at this point, missing a few of their number and looking a little rough around the edges. From the ex-Zymandis agents' wristwatches, the Ophiel AI speaks: the TIMELINE.exe is in the next room. TEMPORAL STORM Behind the door, now unguarded, is the Mechanical Room -- a gigantic warehouse stuffed with cables and gigantic computers and hundreds of CRT monitors. The room is warm and there's a constant whirring of machinery, ever present but quiet enough that it can fade into the background like white noise. Upon entering the room, recruits will be greeted by the monitors all flashing threatening messages in unison: GET OUT and INTRUDERS and ALERT, among others. Outside the door, Arbatel and Hagith's jewelcomms beep frantically: the TIMELINE.exe is asking for assistance that will never come. Thankfully, the corrupted TIMELINE.exe machine has no actually effective means of defense, so ALASTAIR is free to do what must be done: upload TIM's new update, the ver. 1.0.03 file. Installing the update is a simple task, but will require every ALASTAIR recruit's participation: extend one's jewelcomm toward the TIMELINE.exe, and the magitek will do the rest. The interfacing is ephemeral and beautiful, strands of visible code streaming through the air like beams of sunlight. It only takes a moment, and once it's done, the TIMELINE.exe's screen go dark. And then, a second later: Hello World ( ´ ▽ ` )ﾉ It's a success: Zymandis's machine has been overwritten by TIM. Without a leader or their destruction-focused TIMELINE.exe, Zymandis is dead. But before there can be much excitement, TIM uses his new monitors to explain that there is still the matter of the impending destruction of this world and its universe, owing to the temporal crystal deep in the mine under the castle. The temporal crystal must be destroyed. The energy it saps simply to sustain its own existence keeps the universe fractured; when all of the research conducted by both ALASTAIR and Zymandis scientists is combined, TIM is able to hypothesize that shattering the crystal and releasing the energy into the universe will cause a surge large enough to charge a merging. After the Cataclysm, each universe continued to split into thousands of fractured universes, all nearly identical save for small differences. The energy meant to sustain one universe was now split across thousands, ebbing and flowing and never quite enough. The merging, however, would combine each of those identical universes into one... allowing them to run on full energy. In short: destroying the crystal should merge the fractured universes, allowing them to sustain themselves without ALASTAIR intervention. The solution is simple, but will require a lot of elbow grease: using materials found throughout Arbatel’s lab, create a positronic bomb and detonate the temporal crystal. The resulting explosion, as Arbatel said, will be the opposite of destruction. Once the bomb is all set, it’s probably a smart thing to head topside before its detonation. Don’t worry about leaving TIM behind -- his consciousness in this machine is linked with the machine in Oska, so he won’t be harmed. The same is not exactly true for the rest of the expedition. When the bomb goes off, there’s a blinding blue flash and a deafening silence. The world -- the universe -- no, the fabric of reality shakes and trembles; the sky swirls; the ground churns. It only lasts a handful of seconds, but the turmoil seems like an endless epoch. And then everything clears; the ravaged, once-crumbling world is still and silent. Though the platforms of earth still sail peacefully through the air, there is no more lava and no more shaking. The destruction of this universe has been halted. More than that, though, the instability of the multiverse has been halted. Instead of a sprawling, infinite multiverse filled with infinite timelines, the minutely different universes have been merged. This may result in some nausea or confusion as the expedition’s own minutely alternate realities meld with their own, though there won’t be any identity crises or conflicting memories. You’re still you. But more importantly, this means the multiversal energy crisis is over. ALASTAIR can use its rift machines without needing to conserve precious energy. You can go home, if you’d like... but you might want to head to Oska first. LATER... After what might have been the longest day of their lives, the group returns to Oska for a well-deserved celebration... after any injuries are tended to. They are, of course, commended by the rest of ALASTAIR for their bravery and dedication. There's a feast, but considering how tired everyone is, there's no wild party. Just quiet contentment. An older ALASTAIR member, a man with dark hair and a prim demeanor, stands up to give a speech. “For thousands of years, we have endeavored to right the wrong caused by the Cataclysm. Tonight, we have finally achieved that goal. ALASTAIR's purpose was solely to maintain order as best we could, even in the face of impossible odds. Now, that is no longer necessary. This is a beginning of a new and better multiverse... but it is an ending, too. I suppose it is time to disband ALASTAIR, once and for all.” The crowd murmurs. It's all a blur of words, but the general gist can be picked up. Should they really disband ALASTAIR? Could they? There isn't anything left for them to do, after all. We could all go home to our families. “This is not a loss. This is a win. I vote that today be ALASTAIR's last official day of operation. Those who agree with me, raise your hands.” A large majority of the crowd raises their hands. “The matter is settled, then. Tonight, we celebrate. Tomorrow... tomorrow, we go home.” He sits and resumes speaking to those sitting beside him, and it seems the discussion is over... until a red-headed girl barges in through the double doors, eyes wild. To say she looks frazzled is to put it kindly. “You guys have to hear this. The merging? It worked. No more energy being drained. But the universes, they're... having trouble adjusting, I guess. Look.” She projects her magitek onto the wall, showing clips of protests, fires, war. In one world, two queens vie for the same crown. In another, dinosaurs seem to roam the earth again. “We've gotta do something, right?” The room quiets. For a moment, it seems no one is going to answer her. Finally, a woman answers. “We've done all we can. It's time to stop interfering with other worlds. I'm returning home.” Others grumble in agreement. A select few disagree. The girl scowls. “Oh, please.” She gestures to Audentes. “You just saved the freakin' multiverse. And it's all gonna turn to crap if we don't fix it. So...” She smiles sheepishly. “What do you say? Partners?” OOC NOTES And that wraps it up for Season 1 of Futurology! The action portion of the log will last roughly five IC hours. If you have any questions about this log, please direct them to the dossier. We know it's a long one, so don't be shy! For those of you who will be staying with us on to Season 2, will be releasing a calendar on what to expect for the next two months sometime in late November. For those of you who are heading off at the conclusion of Season 1 or those who have dropped already, thank you for participating in our game! Futurology is what it is because of every single one of you. NOTE: HMD and AC will be posted on schedule (18 November and 1 December, respectively), so don't forget! Participation is mandatory if you would like to remain in the game.

Comments

Odinson / open

[deemed]

1. MINES: THE SPIRITS WITHIN

[The park passages twist and turn, disturbing Odinson's sense of direction. He dislikes the close quarters, recalling the hordes of creatures which had only recently crawled down the walls of the dragon's lair. He has Toothgnasher at his back and a hammer at his side and knows he could take them in a fight, but there is no time to waste.

At some point he becomes separated from the group. His thoughts turn dark, angry, brooding. This is no place for him, he thinks. Surely there must be some magic at work that keeps him from finding the exit.

Ahead his passageway joins with another- the sound of footsteps approaching has him raise his hammer. With barely concealed anger he calls out-] Make yourself known! Friend or foe?

2. LIBRARY: EXCUSE ME, THAT'S MY BROTHER

[Finding a book in a language he can't read is an oddity for Odinson. The gift of the Alltongue made communicating across cultures a simple thing, so this book that defies translation or comprehension draws his interest. The team are searching a library for anything they can find, and Odinson is doing his best to keep his impatience in check again. He keeps the book, if only to ask his brother's opinion on it.

He spies his brother through a passage in the bookshelves, where a number of the team have been drawn by... something. He's in time to see the bookcase slide back into place with his brother beyond it. The book is forgotten in an instant.]

Loki? [He moves forward to set his hands against the bookcase, hoping that strength alone will force open the passage again. It doesn't move.] Norns damn this place- where have you gone?!

[Quickly, he turns to whoever is closest. It isn't that he fears that Loki won't be able to look after himself. He fears something worse: a trick.] How did this open?

3. STILL SEARCHING: PASSAGEWAYS BEHIND PAINTINGS

Well? I'll not fit, but you might. [The entrance to the passageway is level with Odinson's eyeline, but looking in all he can see is darkness. There's been a lot of darkness today, but it seems they aren't done with it yet.

He looks back to his companion.] Come, I'll aid you in if you like.


[ooc: feel free to PM or hit me up on Plurk if you'd like something else!]

3

[foolishjustice]

[Vent crawling...his favorite part of dungeon diving. Not. But since he is experienced with it, and isn't exactly a stranger to navigating darkness either...he might as well. Still dressed in his loud prince outfit, he nods.]

It doesn't look like there's anything to climb on nearby, so having someone lift me seems to be the only choice.

1.

[selfimage]

[ this is a feeling that he knows all too well; it's a feeling that has sunken into his bones, hardened and deep-set and so heavy that it forces everything else to come to the surface. he's good at hiding himself, both in words and in action, but there are events that he will never forget.

when he hears Thor call he no longer decides to choke on it, and instead lets it spill from his trickster lips. ]

Hasn't it always been foe, brother?

[ it comes out as a hot hiss, the memory of Thor dragging him through the streets of Asgardia while he babbled for forgiveness suddenly feel as if they're still fresh. the wound digs deeper, and it no longer feels like he can burden himself with the dam that stops the flood. ]

(2)

[signifies]

[ He's not the only one. Clark is keeping his distance, but there is one person he checks to make sure is always within hearing range.

Even a library full of books he's planning to memorise at super-speed isn't going to distract him from that. ]

Jon -

[ He nearly bumps into his friend at the speed he was going, trying to get to the door.

But he wouldn't have made it anyway. It's closed fast. Clark flattens his palm against the wall. ]

It was a book. . . which one?

2

[dailydouble]

[ While they are certainly not in each others' constant presence, there's a certain awareness that Ahad has of Loki's movements. They may not always be next to each other during infiltrations like this, but it's easy enough to keep track of approximately where the other is. Ahad separated to stare at the strange colors of the paintings, but when the bookcase closes again, he's very much aware that Loki is trapped on the other side.

Crossing the room happens nearly without Ahad realizing it, as he finds himself next to Odinson. His hand will move to reach for a book, before pausing. ]

This is likely pointless. We waste time looking for the mechanism.

[kisha]

[It is Toothgnasher's scent that tells Hayame who she is approaching before she sees him or hears his voice. As much as she still found it distasteful to share a stable with actual animals (even if they were supposedly as gods of such beasts), she's glad for the familiarity in the moment, using that hint of presence to guide her at a crossroads she was unsure of. At least this direction had someone she knew, though who knew if it was actually the right way.

The mines have her on edge, even without the whispers and stories of curses and spirits. Her bow was unwieldy in the smaller tunnels, she was unwieldy in the smaller tunnels, and the enclosed spaces made her nervous, anxiously sniffing, peering, and listening to try and hear things beyond the echoes of her hoofbeats or the voices of comrades, all while also trying to appear as if she weren't unnerved.]

Friend!

[She calls back, before her shape becomes more visible in the low light as she emerges from the shadows, her bow abandoned across her back in favor of a polearm held in one hand, knuckles white.]

jon lane kent ➤ open

[metacides]

(i) BOSS BATTLE: HAGITH;

( the fight itself is a little too long for his comfort; long and hard and fuck, he knows better than to go toe-to-toe with a magic-based meta for longer than is fully needed. she hits hard, spears him straight through the gut, but he's fought bigger and badder things before. survived through worse shit. it's only a matter of time before he gets his fingers wrapped around her throat, digs them in hard with all the strength he has, and throws her down into the ground, windpipe crushed under his palm.

jon stands, gingerly keeping an arm wrapped around his midsection where the worst blows hit, keeping his innards inside while he plants his foot right at her neck, keeps the pressure on broken bones in case--for some god knows what reason--she decides to get back up.

it's here he stays while he listens to loki interrogate the man, while others start making their way inside. there's no need for him to move, after all: jon catches the full conversation from where he is just fine. and moving is a little difficult when he's busy bleeding all over hagith's corpse. )

(ii) FIN;

( jon is topside when the bomb goes off, but the effects of the multiverse folding in on itself hit him just as hard as anyone else. at least he expects it; it's not the first time something like this has happened to him, so the nausea doesn't catch him too offguard.

a hand presses over his mouth to try and prevent himself from vomiting; jon stumbles forward a single step before he steadies himself and continues on. )

(iii) WILDCARD;

( got another idea? hit me up! )

CLOSED ➤ loki

[metacides]

( he's been keeping exactly one pace in front of loki, mostly because loki pisses him off, partially because keeping in front of him means he's winning. who cares what he's winning, he's still ahead.

there's an immediate sense of regret the moment that wall closes in behind them, separating them from the rest of the group because now he's stuck here, loki beside him and some bitch standing in front of them. whatever snide comment he was about to give stops before he opens his mouth, instead turning his head back towards loki, and raising a loose fist in front of him. )

Rock paper scissors?

(i)

[signifies]

[ The moment Clark's in the room, he ignores all the noise in the chamber, focused on only one sound: Jon's laboured breathing. Then, fully on him. Blood isn't good news. Not for them.

He doesn't push past anybody, but he spares a glance to Arbatel. The man is already dying, condemned by the weight of his own deeds. Even if it's poetic, it's a terrible end. There's never anything joyful about a death. Even that of an enemy.

(He's not doing a good job not thinking about Zod, in this moment.)

Approaching Jon, he looks at the body, then at him, speaking just for their ears. ]

She's dead.

[ She's not getting up. Jon can relax. ]

two

[bestaround]

[ On his end, 9S is fortunate enough that nausea isn't something he can experience. He won't be tossing anything today, although in the few seconds after the bomb goes off, the odd sensation of vertigo still washes over him; even his Pod, floating above him as it always does, wobbles uneasily in the air before settling back into place.

As the multiverse melds together and fixes itself, 9S would have brushed it off as nothing more than a strange feeling. Up until he spots someone close by with a hand up against their face, making an uneasy step. He may not be all that familiar with human(?) sicknesses, but it's evident enough that isn't a good sign.

It's easy for 9S to catch up to them, quickly looking up and down his fellow teammate from behind the blindfold tied over his face. ]

—You okay?

ii.

[ofobedience]

[Lucky him. For Giovanni, on the other hand, the shockwaves of that collapse catch him quite off-guard, have him staggering in an ungainly manner that stands in sharp contrast his usual poise and cocky grace. He ends up careening onto hands and knees, skimming skin from his palms even as the wounds seek to right themselves with taletale plumes of smoke, and quickly he moves to clasp one arm to his abdomen as an intense wave of nausea shudders through him.]

What...

[He chokes the word out, still reeling too sharply from that sudden folding of a multitude of universes to put on an act or right himself before anyone should notice. It's likely the most ruffled that anyone has ever seen him.]

giorno giovanna | ota

[digiorno]

i. even on the darkest night ( servants )

[Giorno's been quiet. He tends to be, before and during a battle, because--it's common sense. He needs to focus. He needs to be as ready as he possibly can for whenever the inevitable other shoe drops.]

[Even Cassie's death doesn't move him. At least, it doesn't move him to speech. His silence is tenser, his jaw locked in the wake of that loss. But he doesn't speak until quite a bit after they've entered the castle. Because there's something in the darkness down a side hall, something small and pale that ducks and presses itself flat against the wall once it realizes it's been spotted.]

[Giorno's head whips around, his eyes narrowed to fix on that faint lighter shadow in the black. He hesitates for a moment, hovering on the precipice of pragmatism and common human decency; then he mutters,] Fuck this, [and turns sharply left, heading down the hall with brisk but quiet steps.]

[. . . Maybe make sure he's not about to do anything stupid(er than usual).]

ii. i will be your sword & shield ( healing )

[The truth of the matter is that Giorno doesn't have much of a place in the infirmary. Even his extraordinary Stand-given skills don't put him on the level of the tech available to ALASTAIR. It would be presumptuous for him to even offer.]

[So it's a good thing he's an incredibly presumptuous person, because the infirmary is a little short-staffed in the aftermath of the climactic battle, and if nothing else Giorno is a quick healer. He's planted himself firmly into a corner of the infirmary, seated primly on a chair and serving effectively as a revolving door for the organic ALASTAIR injured. Sit down on the chair opposite him, hold out whatever part you've fucked up, and he'll lean forward and peer at it critically.]

How the hell did you manage that?

iii. & you will be mine ( aftermath )

[Guess who has two thumbs and is incredibly difficult to find after that eventful feast?]

[It's been a long, long . . . while. A long while. There was a moment when it seemed as though everything was over, actually over, and it was inevitable that this, all of this, would end. He wouldn't have to make a choice. It doesn't count as leaving behind on purpose if everyone's leaving. He would be neither the giver nor the recipient of loss.]

[But of course nothing's that simple. So Giorno just fucks off for a while, because he can't, he doesn't have the energy. He'd like to sleep for, oh, seven million years and then make this stupid decision that should have a very easy answer but, in reality, doesn't at all.]

[And all right, maybe "difficult to find" is a slight exaggeration. He doesn't exactly want to be found, but he's also a little too frazzled to avoid people with perfect efficiency. Most of the time he's in the greenhouse, sitting by the roses, or in the stables, feeding apples to the pegasus. Sometimes he falls asleep in the stables, although if someone catches him at it he'll probably say he was just resting his eyes.]

v. we could change it all ( wildcard )

[Feel free to come up with your own prompt if none of these work! Alternately, if you'd like a private starter, PM me or ping me at passiones.]

★ hayame

[digiorno]

[The loss of Ninurrta has been--well. Call a spade a spade. It's been shit. The worst part of it is that Giorno can't even find it in himself to be appropriately selfish. He knows for a fact that if he's missing Ninurrta, Hayame feels like she's lost a limb. Or her heart.]

[Reaching out to her sometimes seems like shooting himself in the foot. Maybe most of the time. But he's got to try. So, after some thought, he makes appropriate preparations and then sends her a text.]

Do you drink? Because I've mysteriously acquired several bottles of fairly good wine.

★ wylan

[digiorno]

[There are only so many places one might find Wylan van Eck. And Giorno wouldn't go looking, because he hates goodbyes, but . . . it's complicated. Wylan is his last connection to a world he feels a stupidly emotional bond towards; at the same time, Wylan is someone he feels ridiculously strongly about taking care of. He doesn't know why. Some combination of similarity to other people he's cared about and a need to repay a debt that probably doesn't even exist.]

[So he heads to the library. He knows, now, where Wylan usually hides out. Surprising him in the library last time paid off, too, because there Wylan is at the same table, even, and dozing.]

[Familiarity is so comforting. Placing the covered cup of coffee he's been carrying between two of the audiobooks on the table, Giorno slides into the seat next to him and links his arm through Wylan's sleepy one.]

Sorry. I've got to disturb you. I sensed in the air you didn't have any coffee for your study session.

Loki | Open

[selfimage]

i. the mines aka cornered

[ if it's one thing that Loki is good at, it's running.

there's not much time to mourn losses as they break into smaller groups, pursued by insects and arachnids that are too large to crush beneath a boot. unbeknownst to many, in his aggravation he's been using himself as a target, a swirl of self-depreciating thoughts clouding him in an all-too familiar bitter fury. it's the easiest way to be, and the memories of slights both imagined and real come bubbling to the surface, rearing their ugly faces and reminding him of his own anger.

it feels good; it feels terrible.

with his invisible jacket he disappears and reappears, calling out to the multi-legged beasts as he passes. before long, he's talked himself into a corner. he puts a hand on the wall and his face cracks into a wicked grin that doesn't reach his eyes. ]

Damn.

ii. temporal crystal aka meltdown

[ when the rush leaves his body it just feels hollow. all of the anger that had been built up since his rebirth suddenly feels very real; he had been able to juggle it, move it and manipulate it in such a way that he could rationalize it as something else. now he's sitting at the center of a dying multiverse, playing the wicked hero in a story that is coming to an end. the sword of truth had been a fitting end to Arbatel, killed not by any blade but the accumulated horrors of what he had done. it feels less like justice and more like a necessity. with the hunt over and the ending now within sight, there's a discomfort that he doesn't want to face.

freedom had won, and that's what mattered.

there will be more stories to write, more games to play and a hundred of beginnings laid out before him. he reminds himself that King Loki is still out there, planning his own wicked dance as he entices Asgard toward an unfortunate fate. Loki still had his own demons to reconcile. instead of helping, he's watching the team gather what materials to build the bomb that will destroy the temporal crystal.

he raises his StarkPhone and snaps a picture. ]

iii. etc.

Any other ideas? Want a starter? Go ahead and hit me up by messaging this journal or hitting me up on hadal. xoxox

Closed to Ahad.

[selfimage]

[ when the group begins their way to the Mechanical Room, Loki lingers. the sword is still in Arbatel's back, standing tall like a monument. he doesn't reach for it yet, but waits as the beginning of the end stirs in the air. the strands are beginning to roll up into a great tapestry, finishing the script of a long story. two years can be a long time, even for a god. a lot has happened, and a lot more is about to happen.

there's blood on the floor, blood on the sword, and a mess of a man who had plagued the multiverse for so long dead at his feet. he hesitates, suddenly feels as if he isn't ready, the wash of adrenaline mixed with self-depreciating fury softening his hard corners. there's still a dim glow to his eyes, green on brighter green, framed with dark lashes.

it's time to go, but he doesn't move, not yet. ]

lucina / open

[tolight]

1. AFTERMATH.

[ Zymandis is gone, the multiverse is saved. Everything is alright, she can bring this chapter to a close — but the tightness in her chest doesn't disappear. It's over, it's done, she's managed to defy fate a second time, and yet she worries for the future, nonetheless ( somehow, this isn't unfamiliar ). Nothing would change if she went home, and yet—

She's hesitant. The air is loud and celebratory, but she lingers at the edges.

Until, everything pauses. Everyone listens. The red haired girl speaks, uneasiness rolls across the crowd, but Lucina can feel the knots easing away ( she's not one to run away from her problems; but the end will not be as sudden as she had feared ). Her head held a little higher as she finally, finally begins to walk through the crowd, expression easier than before. And if there's anyone she recognizes, anyone she's spoken to before ( friend, or foe, or something in between; tonight, it doesn't matter ), it doesn't take long before she brings up, voice measured— ]

What do you plan to do?

2. WILDCARD.

( despite the single prompt, i'm happy to play anything out!! comment here with an idea and i'll happily write a starter for us. otherwise, hit me up at charred as always. )

i.

[grunehexe]

[Sieglinde didn't know how to feel.

The idea of going back to a world where the only life she had ever known lay in ashes, where every single person but one who had ever cared for her (or at least, pretended to care for her) was dead... it casts a dark veil over her mind, even knowing that she has a duty that must be seen to, a responsibility to bring a solution to the poison she'd brought into the world.

It had been easy when she'd been a member of ALASTAIR against her will, a mere temporal accident landing her there, and little else an option. If it was a choice...

But Lucina is coming towards her, and then asking her so directly that it makes her freeze for what seems like an eternity before she finally manages to croak out,]

- what about you, Lucina?

Hayame | OTA

[kisha]

０１ ↣ 竜狩り ↣ DRAGON HUNTER

[Battle was what she'd expected, and battle was what Hayame had prepared for. She still wears the light armor she'd used in their farce on the Zymandis ship, her quiver is full, her blade and bow are at the ready.

But what she hadn't expected was a creature that she actually somewhat recognized. One that, unlike the tales she was familiar with... has wings. As the beast makes it's first appearance overhead, Hayame looks up in horror as the shadow passes over the battlefield, not even noticing a goblin-like creature slicing at her flanks (it glances off her armor, anyway).

She's transfixed, equine knees trembling in a rush of sheer horror... and then the fire belches out of the beast and hits the ground, and Hayame leaps into action, hooves churning up blood and dirt as she races back towards the vanguard her speed has distanced her from, the whites of her eyes showing with mane and tail streaming out behind her... rounding a bend in the castle mere feet from the stream of fire searing the ground, bellowing,]

Dragon!

[It's all the warning you have before the beast wings into view.]

０２ ↣ 鉱霊 ↣ MINE SPIRITS

[Even without foul rumors of spirits and curses, Hayame hates the mines. She hates the enclosed space, the darkness, the creeping sense of wrong. But this is where they "have" to go, and so she continues on, even through grit teeth and a tense grip on her weapons, tail flicking out behind her in a slight betrayal of her nervousness.

Until that tail flicks against someone in the line behind her, and she turns with a sneer and a snap, rear leg stomping a bit into the stone floor in threat.]

Keep your distance if you don't want to catch the edge of my hoof.

０３ ↣ 乾杯不要 ↣ NOTHING TO TOAST

[It's hard to feel anything in the wake of it all. Hayame has no patriotic swell in her breast for ALASTAIR, no inspiring grudge of a personal nature against Zymandis, no experience in thinking in the grand scale of saving a universe. She has (had) her lord, she has the scars she's gained in ALASTAIR's battles (though at least no fresh wounds, she hadn't been able to fight off the healers this time), and she has only two of her brother's arrows left.

She only came to this table because she had wanted to eat, piling her plate with more food than a woman ought to in one sitting... but she's eating for a system that includes two stomachs. Yet when someone says tomorrow, we go home, her expression slowly darkens even though she raises her hand to vote. But she's unable to hold her tongue any longer after the exchange between the speaker and the intruder to the hall, slamming a hand upon the table.]

And why must we do something?

[When had she ever asked for any of this?]

０４ ↣ 鬼札を引く ↣ WILDCARD

[If there's already 2+ hits on each prompt I would really appreciate if you hit me up for a custom starter! Please feel free to PM, plurk, or even just comment here! Would be glad to supply you with different scenario variations!!]

two

[bestaround]

—Whoa.

[ 9S hadn't realized how distracted he had grown until the thick hairs of a tail swat across his face, snapping him out of his idle thoughts as the team traversed down the mines. Unlike her, he hadn't seemed to mind the atmosphere too much; coming from a world completely abandoned by human society, 9S is rather used to journeying through these old, empty places. It's his first time seeing anything like a mine, though, so his mind had grown more focused on every little thing he passes by, rather than what's in front of him.

Until Hayame happens. ]

S- sorry! [ 9S jerks back, holding both hands in front of him apologetically. ] Kicking won't be necessary—promise.

[bestaround]

ONE
[ The enemies that crawl into the castle grounds may be familiar to most on the team, yet for 9S, they're all unlike anything he's seen before. Still—they're all something he knows they must fight, and he very much hopes he can stand a chance against the large swarm. Nonetheless, he tries; they have everything to lose if they fail here.

Perhaps you've found yourself surrounded by goblins, cornered with little chance to outrun them. Before they can make the situation any worse, suddenly—a sword strikes into one of their backs, like a hunter throwing a spear into their prey. The goblin lets out a pained gasp, doubling over, and as the rest of their comrades lose their focus on their single target, the sword piercing the goblin's back disappears fades off with a golden shimmer, only to reappear in the hands of 9S standing a short distance behind the crew. As always, Pod 153 floats over his shoulder, ready to assist.

The chance to either run or fight back is given. ]

TWO
[ The journey toward the mines is indeed a long one. As an android, 9S has stamina most others lack, however. Maybe they're only halfway there, or almost; no matter the distance, if 9S spots anyone who seems as if they're having difficulty pressing on, he'll catch up to their side. ]

Uh, hey—you need any help there?

THREE
[ All of ALASTAIR has been gathered in Oska in wake of their suscess. Everyone is tired, but relieved with feelings of victory, and 9S is no different; he's as exhausted as everyone else, but opts to save the much needed rest for after he's seen the few faces he knows as familiar in hopes they've all made it through okay. There's food, but he doesn't quite need it; instead, he lingers about, and even manages to strike some conversation with a few strangers.

Then the announcement happens. It comes as no surprise that most—nearly all—desire to return to their home worlds. It's in that moment that 9S realizes he's not one of those people.

A quiet dread swells up within him as the discussion goes on, and the red-headed girl barges in, and conflicting opinions of what actions they should take grow. But 9S does little more than stand back, watching what others do from behind the blindfold that covers his face, listening to the words spoken around him.

Eventually, he speaks up to whoever stands close by, voice quiet and uncertain: ]

... What do you think?

WILDCARD
[ For any other prompts/scenarios you'd rather do! There's a lot going on and I sure didn't make prompts for a lot of it for the sake of not having to write a zillion of 'em, but I'm willing to play with ANY of this stuff so just lay whatever on me! PM or plurk at deltaserver for plotting is good! ]

three

[purrtagonist]

[Tomorrow. . . tomorrow, we go home.]

[there's a sense of proud relief when Akira hears those words. his time with ALASTAIR, with Audentes, had been short, but he can't deny that he feels a sense of accomplishment from what they managed to do during that time period. but he's ready to go home, to return to the friends and family he left behind. to finally return to a sense of normalcy]

[. . .]

[he thinks]

[but then the red-headed girl bursts in, and the images projected for all to see are none too happy. that sense of relief evaporates like water on a hot day. Akira's quiet as people argue around him, but honestly, his own mind was made up the moment he heard that their services may still be needed]

[9S manages to draw him out of his contemplative stupor, his gaze flickering up, arms crossed over his torso. his answer is simple and honest]

I'm staying.

[and that's it. if the universes still need his help? like hell he's going to just ignore them so he can return back to his quiet, normal life again]

Sieglinde Sullivan ⚗ OTA

[grunehexe]

01 ⚗ THE MINES ⚗ ON THE RUN

[Walking slowly Sieglinde can do. It's the whole reason she had Masamune rebreak her feet after Nalawi, why she tortured herself with the pain of recovery, why she even tried to tell herself she deserved to leave the duties of the false world of the Green Witch behind.

And that is fine, at first. She treks through the mines making her way between people and handing out potions, trying to tend to wounds from the battle on the go best she can-

But then they need to run.

And though she makes an attempt as the call goes out, manages a few stumbling steps... she falls with a bit back cry, hitting the dirt as some of the creatures in pursuit begin to hone in on the weaker morsel.]

02 ⚗ THE LAB ⚗ KNOWLEDGE LOOTING

[There is almost nothing Sieglinde can do to be of us in battle. She knows that she can be a liability, that her strengths lay in research, in healing, and in support. But she's still terrified by the feeling of helplessness that descends upon her when she sees Loki disappear behind the staircase. When she sees people strong and clever fail to open the bookcase path once more.

Sieglinde turns instead with a flurry of dirtied skirts, rushing to the lab tables and beginning to rifle through the papers and books laid out, examining the experiments, the notes- and she has her magitech out, taking pictures as fast as she can as she goes through page after page, looking at them only long enough to judge whether they'll be useful or not in trying to figure out what Arbatel has been working on.

And one theme begins to make itself apparent.]

Crystals-

[She shouts to those around her in the lab, gesturing for attention and towards the lab's contents.]

Does anyone see anything about crystals over there?

03 ⚗ OSKA CASTLE ⚗ CONTEMPLATION

[What a choice they were presented with.

Sieglinde makes her way from the crowded banquet hall in a fog, unable to think properly with all the arguing and debate going on there. Part of her thinks she ought to remain, to express herself before the other teams... but instead she finds herself in the courtyard of the castle.

She finds a seat where she can look around freely, bright green eyes taking in the place she has spent the last two years of her life. Though she has longed to see the Outside World... in the end, this world, these worlds, were all she'd been allowed to know. Duty awaits in her own, and she feels the weight of it even now, and yet...

She doesn't know.]

04 ⚗ WILDCARD

[If there's already 2+ hits on each prompt I would really appreciate if you hit me up for a custom starter! Please feel free to PM, plurk, or even just comment here! Would be glad to supply you with different scenario variations or a wildcard!]

1

[purrtagonist]

[the shells of the beetles and spiders that converge on the fallen Sieglinde are too tough for Akira to damage. but he can at least push them back, right?]

Ongyo-Ki!

[the large, impish creature that suddenly leaps between the fallen Audentes agent and those monsters manages to toss a few back with a simple sweep of his blade. and then there's a young man, dressed in a black coat, kneeling in front of Sieglinde and offering her a gloved hand. without his mask, it's pretty easy to recognize him as Akira]

Hey-- are you okay?

Pillsbury Broboy | OTA

[moneyballer]

001, OTA

[And when, exactly, is tomorrow supposed to begin?

Asher's feet lead him back to the foggy shores of the lake, a place he had frequented often in his first few months here when he was feeling upset and had nowhere to go. He holds few slices of bread close to his chest, eyeing the night sky and then the dark water, searching for a creature that has now become something of an old friend. Kneeling amidst mud and dirt and little stones, he breaks the pieces into smaller fragments, setting them on the ground carefully.

It is only just now, when faced with the opportunity to return home, that Asher realizes how far he has come. Before he had been so lonely, this was the only place he had felt safe despite its somewhat eerie atmosphere. At least in isolation, he could weep with no fear of being judged by the strong core of individuals around him, the others who at least had something to their names, accomplishments they could be proud of.

Not soon after the offering is laid out, the surface of the lake ripples, parting and giving way to an onslaught of slimy tentacles that eventually drag the crumbs back into the waves. One reaches out, though, and flops steadily over the top of Asher's right boot, moving back and forth in an an odd pattern.]

Hey there, pal.

[Does this feel like home for you too?]

It's been a while.

[Where are you going to go?]

[bestaround]

[ When tomorrow begins isn't a question 9S believes he could answer, nor does he desire to when it means they may have to potentially depart. With so much uncertainty lingering within Oska's halls, 9S decides it's probably time to pry himself away from the crowds, if only for a little while.

And a nighttime sky is still a new enough novelty to him that he's willing to venture out into the dark. It's not as if he has anything to worry about out here, anyway... There's always Pod, his floating robotic companion, to hover over 9S' shoulder and beam its flashlight ahead of them if needed, too. Which it does; it's a dull light that illuminates just enough to view the outward path 9S takes toward the lake.

He had every intention of simply passing by during his leisurely stroll, too, until he spots someone kneeled down along the shoreline. Curiously, 9S goes to see who it is...

Only to spot the swarm of tentacles stretched out from underneath the water, one by one sinking back underneath, and one in particular laid over the man's shoe. ]

What the— [ 9S interrupts the moment in his surprise, absentmindedly taking a few steps back. ] ... What the heck is that?

[ Sorry for ruining the romantic atmosphere, Asher. ]

fiona / open

[cachemoney]

[ one tag per prompt, please! let me know here if you would like a custom starter. ]

i. MINES LAB.

[The lab is weird and dark, the glowing crystal making it even weirder, and Fiona squints over the blueprints scattered around, trying to focus.

The death of one of their own is sobering, especially when it's so dramatic and selfless. It's something Fiona doesn't think she has in her, and something she didn't think Cassie had in her either, from the conversations she's had with the girl. But when the fate of everything is on the line, maybe sometimes people do unexpected things.

She looks up for someone who might be better at deciphering the blueprints than her, motioning them over.] Hey --
what do you think this is for?

ii. OUTSIDE THE MECHANICAL ROOM.

[Well, the Leader is dead. Isn't that something.

While everyone else busies themselves with being useful and making bombs, Fiona decides to not look a gift horse in the mouth and does some looting. Not from the castle itself, as that would be ridiculous -- where would she put the stuff? They're on a life-or-death mission; she didn't bring big bags for loot -- but she is going over the bodies of the Leader and his daughter, crouched down and seeing if they have anything interesting she can quickly pocket.

If she notices anyone looking at her, she doesn't try to hide what she's doing; instead, she looks up with a flat expression.] What?

for 9S

[cachemoney]

[Being from Pandora, Fiona is used to all kinds of gigantic, disgusting insects. But that doesn't mean she likes them, and she certainly doesn't like them when she's trapped in a small space like this mine. It's hard to run and find cover when you're trapped with so many other people -- and when spiders are pouring in from everywhere. Can't forget that.

She tries to spin around and duck behind a rock or debris or something, but winds up running smack into 9S instead. Stumbling back, she catches herself on the wall -- which is skittery and metallic under her hand, and she jerks back away from the giant spider she just touched.]

Oh my g-- ugh!

[She swings her shotgun around, which is probably the worst idea with so many people down here, but she's disgusted and freaked out, give her a break.]

maya fey / ota

[feytality]

MINES ► who ya gonna call;

[As soon as Audentes enters the mines, the resident spirit medium stiffens. Sure, she may just be in training, but Audentes has provided her with a lot of that, and even a spirit medium in training can recognize spirits when the mine is chock full of them. Maya's very spiritually sensitive, and there are so many of them, angry, vengeful -- their presence is hard to ignore.]

[She taps the closest person's arm --- which happens to be yours---]

Ummm...... not to go with the horror move cliches, but we're not alone.

[She shifts nervously, almost like she's afraid. But that'd be silly! Whoever heard of a spirit medium that's afraid of ghosts?? Anyway, that sounds a little ominous, so she quickly follows up with]

So, um, how in touch with your spiritual side are you....? Got any offerings?

[Which probably doesn't help. Also: she's now clutching onto your arm, feel free to peel her off]

SERVANTS ► dobby has a sock;

[For once, Maya's first instinct isn't to snoop around the library. Sure, the snooping will come, there's plenty of things for her to touch (that she shouldn't be touching), but she's more interested in the cowering servants, for the moment. She crouches (even though some of the servants are human-sized or larger) and slowly crabwalks towards them, digging in her sleeves to pull out the giant bag of jellybeans ALASTAIR had given her (has she had this on her the whole time? Yes, yes she has) and offering the flavors she knows are safe]

Hi! You don't have to be afraid. We're not going to hurt you. We're gonna get you out of here --- here, try this! It's not one of the weird flavors, I promise.

[They remain hesitant and silent, even after she emphatically eats a few herself, so she catches sight of you and gestures for you to come over]

See, look, we're both going to eat these! [come here and accept her jellybean, and you better pretend it's good even if you get an earwax flavored one, or so help her, this twig will come for you] Bottoms up!

PASSAGE ► secret tunnel secret tunnel;

[For all of Maya's talk of crawling through vents during the heist mission and.... any other time she's mentioned it, she doesn't look all that eager to climb in here. But, like it or not, she's the obvious choice to scout it out and crawl on ahead, considering she's physically tiny and that passage doesn't look particularly big.]

[Here's the problem: it's six feet up, and Maya sure isn't six feet tall. She does jump up and down as if that's going to help her get up, but spoiler alert: it totally doesn't. Eventually, she'll turn to you (assuming you're bigger than her, which, let's be real, unless you're a child, you must be) and huff slightly]

C'mon! Give me a boost.

[What could go wrong?]

AFTERMATH ► spongebob meme;

[In an incredible and unexpected turn of events, Maya Fey is not stuffing her face at the feast, or piping up in the discussion. In fact, because she's been so quiet and so much of the food has remained unravaged by the topknotted beast, you might not even notice that she's here. She's even in the Audentes uniform rather than her acolyte uniform, so she stands out far less than she normally would. She stays quiet throughout the meal and the discussion and everything, and a quiet Maya (a very rare unicorn indeed) is frankly a forgettable Maya. Besides, you're probably more preoccupied with your thoughts on the the situation, right? Whether to help fix the worlds, or go home to a deserved rest.]

[You might even be discussing the matter with others, or addressing the group at large, or trying to leave to think to yourself. However, sooner or later, you might get the feeling that you're being watched! Which you are. Hanging back from the crowd, there's Maya, sipping a soda and observing pretty intensely, maybe more intensely than you'd think the girl was capable of. Not just you -- she's been looking at everyone, but she's clearly been watching you for long enough that you can catch her in the act. When caught, she glances away and doesn't say anything, but it's really too late for her to pretend like she wasn't being a little creep]

[Call her out y/n?]

WILDCARD;

[Want to do your own thing? Or want a super special prompt just for you? Hit me, I'll oblige]

what's this about spirits...

[sedulitas]

[ Jude’s already on high alert when they enter the mines—nothing good will come from this but Jude’s not going to be talking back to the people in charge. He isn’t sure if they know best, but they definitely have more experience overall. He’s not as sensitive as Maya is by far, but it’s not hard to feel that there’s just nothing wrong—there’s a lot wrong. It’s a mine after all and Jude wasn’t completely unfamiliar with mines given that Leronde was a town built on mining.

Regardless, the tap on his arm gets his attention and looks down at Maya and tries not to react too much when she mentions spirits. He knows to keep things in perspective and the spirits here are not going to be anything like the spirits that he was used to. ...probably. (Definitely.) ]

I’d say I’m pretty in touch with it but I think my spirits aren’t exactly the same...

[ Given how his have both lesser and greater forms and the greater forms can talk to humans and such… Though at the concept of offerings is more or less the same. ]

But, uh, what are you thinking of? I guess I have some snacks.

[ Food was always a safe offering, right? ]

peter parker / the amazing spider-man

[webdesigned]

how lucky am i to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.

( the battle is over. there's a sense of accomplishment for seeing it as far as he had — for being a part of something so important, even if the bumps along the road had been far from easy. the idea of going home is like a sharp breath in drowned lungs, and for a moment, it seems impossible to consider anything else. his aunt, his city, his place, he's still needed there...

yet the idea of going when there is still a threat out there waiting? it feels impossible. he wants a chance to see his aunt and he'll certainly ask for one, yet the longer he thinks about it, the more he's sure. he wants to see this through. there's more good he can do as a part of this team. he's not the hero he wants to be, yet Peter is starting to come around to the idea he can get there.

it makes this all bittersweet, though, looking around a room of people he cares about. not knowing if they will be going or staying. Peter by his nature struggles with goodbyes, though he's come to learn that a chance to say them is invaluable. he's lost too many without the chance to say goodbye. so no matter what it takes, or how many doors he has to knock on or searching he's got to do, he'll check in with anyone he's called a friend. turns out, there's more of those than he'd have expected.

a — for those that are thinking of staying, there's obvious relief on Peter's face when he hears it. ) Me too, I think, ( he confesses, though it's becoming more concrete in his head by the minute. the melancholy isn't like him, so Peter offers a crooked, if slightly sad smile. ) I guess you're stuck with me. Get it?

( OF COURSE THEY GET IT PETER GOD nevermind, someone ship him home, i cant do this anymore

b — of course, for those who are going home, things are a little different. if the answer is to the affirmative, then even if he wants to put on a strong face? it's a little lacking. Peter's smile is watery, even if he doesn't mean to make anyone feel guilty. ) I get it, ( and it is true, he gets it completely. home is so tempting a part of him is baffled by the idea that he wouldn't immediately head back to the life that is waiting for him. still, his answer is a little different, and he looks at his shoes for a long moment before he admits it. ) I think... I think I'm gonna stay. So I won't say this place is in good hands, but uh, there will at least be one guy holding down the fort. If you're worried. Though maybe... maybe that'd make you more worried.

( he's sad and rambling... please stop him before this gets any worse. )

WILDCARD.

these not work for you? want a more specialized goodbye? we can do that! wildcard me or hit me up via pm or at meowed! THANKS FOR THE WONDERFUL RIDE, FUTUROLOGY!!! i hope to see you in season two. c:

[unholey]

What am I going to do? [Fugo repeats Peter's question back at him, a little puzzled that it's even being asked. The answer just feels so obvious.] Follow Giogio, of course. Napoli or ALASTAIR, wherever we end up, the most important thing to me is that we stick together.

[He made a promise, after all. Wherever Giorno's heart takes and dream takes him, Fugo will duitifully follow him.]

We haven't had a chance to talk yet, though. He's probably still thinking everything over.

Goro Akechi | Persona 5

[foolishjustice]

[I - Let's Clear the Air (Closed to Akira)] - SPOILERS

[Akechi doesn't really know why he's sticking near Akira in the tunnels. Well...technically he does, but he's refusing to acknowledge the fact that he wants to be close enough to help if his former (ex-former, now?) teammate needs it. Instead he tells himself that it's just a habit formed during Sae's Palace, and that there's no real reason to fight it. He'll walk along quietly and ignore the Thief, he tells himself, and hopefully they can finish this mission without any more humiliation.

The further they go, however, the harder it becomes to ignore Akira. His thoughts keep turning to his frustrations, reasons for being angry at the other Persona user that he didn't voice, even back in Shido's Palace. A familiar sense of resentment boils up inside of him, leaving Robin Hood's mask feeling heavy on his face. It would be so easy to lash out, to lay him flat with a Hamaon and finish the job with the pistol holstered at his left hip. Maybe he wouldn't even need the Hamaon, if his aim was good...

But a quick shot to the head without a word has never been how he did things...not for people it was personal with. As easy as it would be to shoot him dead and move on, it wouldn't be satisfying. He needs Akira to know, to understand just what's at the root of this burning hatred. He also doesn't want the rest of Audentes to hear...which is why, as Akira walks past an offshoot tunnel, he'll find Akechi aggressively shoulder checking him, very clearly trying to knock him off course and into the smaller passageway.]

[II - Over Already?]

[By the time of Arbatel's interrogation, Akechi is tired. Though he'd fought his best in the castle, blowing away groups of enemies with pure white explosions of raw magical force, his powers aren't really meant for pitched combat and huge battlefields. The trek through the tunnels had been difficult as well, for entirely different reasons, and he finds himself strongly wanting to take the moment's rest to sit on the floor, still in his Persona user outfit, and maybe doze off for five minutes or so.

He does neither of these things. Despite being low on energy, he still sweeps the group filtering in for any incapacitated ALASTAIR members, offering to rouse them with an ability that will restore them to full health. Due to a quirk of his magic, he unfortunately can't help the injured that can still stand under their own power, and he has to prioritize those in danger of dying over the merely unconscious because he doesn't have enough left in him to cast it a great number of times, but his urge to be of some use firmly overcomes his fatigue.

Once he's done what he can for the injured, he leans his back against a wall and glances around from behind his red mask. If he catches someone's eye, he offers a tired smile and a left handed wave.]

So, are missions always this exciting here?

[III - Or Just the Beginning?]

[By the time he gets back to Oska, Akechi is exhausted. He's so tired that he doesn't even react to the feast with excitement, just filling his plate and sitting down in the emptiest corner he can find. The coffee he gets for himself is, of course, subpar by his standards, but he drinks it without so much as making a face...partly because he's already busy frowning.

He just got here, and already it's over. He didn't even do anything, really. Crawled through a vent-sized passage. Tended to some wounded. Nothing others couldn't have done, instead. In the end, his existence was pointless. Nothing of real value came from his life having been saved, and now he was supposed to just go back to where he came from? He hears someone talking excitedly about family members they've missed, and can't hold back a noise of disgust.

There's too many people here. People he might have been able to make friends among, if he had time...but he doesn't. People excitedly talking about going home, without a care in the world about those who might not have a home to go back to. Who never had one to begin with. He needs...he doesn't know what he needs, but it's not to be here. Before the vote is even called (it's a foregone conclusion, anyway), he stands up, leaving his half full plate and already empty mug of coffee, and stalks toward the door.]

I

[purrtagonist]

[Akechi walks around in Crow's garb as they make their way through the twisted mines, but Akira dons ALASTAIR's purple uniform, hood pulled over his head, hands resting in his pockets. he prefers to save Joker for moments when they're drawn into the thick of battle. . . especially because the constant use of his Persona has left him a little tired, a little off his game. despite his exhaustion, he's on guard, of course, especially now that the large team has been accidentally separated into smaller groups thanks to the winding passageways. but perhaps a little less on guard than he's been with Akechi since his arrival. than he's been since before Niijima's Palace]

[it's a little funny how that works against him, in these circumstances]

[Akechi manages to catch him right in the shoulder, sending him stumbling into the smaller passageway. he only manages to avoid tripping to the ground by bracing himself against the wall, gaze flickering up, brows furrowed]

Akechi? What the hell?

[what was that for!!]

Ahad | ota

[dailydouble]

[ As the feast turns more and more into a debate, Ahad begins to drift toward the door. While he still avoids eating at gatherings like this, he's had enough wine and other spirits to encourage a certain sense of contentment and calm within himself. This rising argument is disturbing it. It's unlikely that anything will be settled tonight, so why bother?

It's his search for a quiet place to think that eventually sends him to the viewing hall. He'll wander among the mirrors, occasionally pausing to stare into their depths. He never lingers in one spot long, apparently content to catch quick glimpses of other words before moving on.

If approached, it may take him a few moments before addressing his new companion. ]

I do not recall asking for company.

[ There's a certain level of amusement in his tone, indicating that his words shouldn't be taken entirely seriously. ]

[selfimage]

[ the taste of victory is still sour in his mouth, and his mood has fluctuated between gratitude and the wistful bitterness of the ending of the game. still, he approaches without hesitation, and his steps are light enough that he hasn't drown completely in his dissatisfaction. yet, he's still somewhat unsettled.

he extends a hand in a playful bow. ]

Would you be so kind?

[ he does, in fact, half mean it. ]