[ he is staring at it like it killed his family, because he's wondering if the vase is going to come alive with spirits and cause some kind of ripple effect. well. it doesn't matter they're here to change the past anyway so he shakes his head ]
We can do supply gathering, yeah. You got a list? Neither of us is big on pottery.
[ probably. he is realizing he does not know what sebastian is into. he feels like... maybe... the law... but they are from a lawless land...? odd. ]
Even if I gave you a list, you probably wouldn't be able to recognize it by sight. However, you could come with me! Problem solved. How about it? I'll try and compensate you for your services too.
[Zin will grab a bag, lean over to kiss his wife on the forehead, before leading Sebastian and Cloud out of the house. He takes them to a cavern not far from the outskirts of the village, its entrance dotted with mushrooms, as a creek runs nearby. Bright blue streaks litter the ground, as though some kind of scar in the earth.]
Oh, there are probably fiends. Allegedly, there've always been a few that lived here, even before the calamity. Speaking of which, did you know that they say that started right here, a hundred years ago? That's what my grandparents told me, at least.
[He points inside the cavern.]
There are some plants and fungi inside the cave that I'll need for my paints. I used to come here with friends, but they've all died or left the village, so...
but ok, cavern time. he glances over at cloud at that comment about the beginning of the calamity. ]
They saw the start of it themselves, you mean?
Um... maybe one of us should go in there with you and one keep watch out here? Though, uh, maybe we should actually make sure there's nothing hiding in there first?
[ this is the second time in a row dw give me sebastian's comment but not jan's. hilarious? anyway, cloud is like oh finally an actual timeline for our stupid time travel adventures and shares that with a glance at sebastian. ]
Did they ever tell you exactly how it happened? [ HOW IT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED, MAYBE. anyway; ] Might as well all go in. Not sure how deeply we'll have to go, and if one of us is outside when something happens in there, we won't be able to communicate.
[ our walkie-talkies... anyway they will accompany the old man inside in exchange for backstory, please. ]
[Zin gestures to what looks like a grave marker near the entrance of the cavern.]
No one's sure, exactly... but from the sound of it, a spirit lost control and became a powerful fiend, back then—now known as ████████. A few dead humans were found on the scene as well, though no one's certain whether they died first, or if ████████ killed them after becoming an evil spirit.
[Anyhow, inside they go! They can see inside, at least, with the cavern lit by glowing mushrooms.]
Watch your step—there are some traps lying around, set up by people who were hoping to take out the fiends.
[ cloud is walking around cautiously, looking every which way for traps or fiends or whatever. and god imagine if the bad guy's name was marshmallow. How wild would that be. ]
It usually happens because of grief or despair—an inability on the spirit's part to let go or move on from something. Any spirit can become consumed, though outright becoming a fiend only happens to those powerful enough to obtain physical form, yes.
[Anyhow, Sebastian and Cloud anxiously watch their step, but these are MAGIC traps where your chance of activating them are determined by someone sitting behind a computer screen rolling dice, and so as they walk along—arrows suddenly coming flying from nowhere at them. And at Zin too, who yells and ducks.]
[ OW? he flexes his arm a little and hisses. owowowow motherfUCKER ]
... I'll be fine for now. [ he's just going to break off part of the arrow with a loud snap. so it is less sticking out of his shoulder! but he leaves some so they can still ... take it out later. ] So long as I don't remove it, it won't bleed much.
[ it'll just FUCKING HURT but he is stoically bearing that because he is embarrassed an old man and sebastian both dodged and he didn't. he missed his reaction command :( "that's the wrong square game" his reaction command ]
Let's just keep going. You said you needed stuff for paints, right?
I'm all right... Don't worry about an old man like me.
[Yikes over Cloud, though.
He points deeper into the cavern, although what lies further ahead is obscured by fog.]
Not much further, now—it's just a little past that fog. However, danger still lurks. Here, give me your hand.
[If Sebastian will let him, Zin will hold one of his hands.]
Hold your friend's hand, too. When we enter the fog, you may see things, but whatever you do, you mustn't let go. As long as we stick together, I can lead you through to the end.
The fog might be the fiends' doing, actually... After all, they have more at their disposal than simple brute force.
[But yay, everyone's holding hands now. Zin will lead them into the fog, until everything around them is obscured.
But as they continue in, memories of their real lives trickle in. Or are they their real lives? Maybe they're just a faraway dream.
Whatever the case, it won't be long before they can all see a woman in the near distance. She likely won't be familiar to any of them—except to Sebastian, who will recognize her as his mother.]
[ those memories mixing in with his... it's confusing, but maybe that's just what the fog does. the figure that shows up there, though, feels too real to be an illusion, and before he even realizes he's saying it— ]
I— Mom?
[ is this his mother? she's different from the one he was remembering when recounting his experience to ren — the one who had abandoned him.
but... this one had done the same, hadn't she? he hasn't seen her in years either. ]
[ he is going ... to tighten his hold on Sebastian, because he does not like this, actually. he remembers sebastian's parents abandoned him! that is definitely a real not-made up thing, just like the fact that they are good travel companions. ]
It has to be. Don't pay attention to her, Sebastian. We have to keep going.
"Is this just the fog?" Don't be foolish, Sebastian. Oh, what am I going to do with a son as useless as you...?
[Then, she turns to walk away. They'll be able to see where she's heading, though: a village, which Cloud may recognize as his hometown. Both Cloud and Sebastian, however, will clearly see that it's up in flames, with people screaming or running about, before collapsing from their injuries.]
Yeah... [ he takes a deep breath, and holds onto both of their hands a little tighter. ] Right.
[ he has to bite his lip and blink back tears when she turns away, and those words feel familiar for a whole other reason...
the sight of the burning village coming into view pulls him away from that, though. he... he doesn't think that's zin's village that they just came from, so does that mean this is coming from cloud's memory...? ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
guestservices) wrote2022-07-10 05:39 pm
no subject
Oh... That's really nice of you. And that one does look really special!
[ are... are you going to put her ashes in it someday... ]
So you're asking us to get the supplies to help you finish it, right?
no subject
[ he is staring at it like it killed his family, because he's wondering if the vase is going to come alive with spirits and cause some kind of ripple effect. well. it doesn't matter they're here to change the past anyway so he shakes his head ]
We can do supply gathering, yeah. You got a list? Neither of us is big on pottery.
[ probably. he is realizing he does not know what sebastian is into. he feels like... maybe... the law... but they are from a lawless land...? odd. ]
no subject
Even if I gave you a list, you probably wouldn't be able to recognize it by sight. However, you could come with me! Problem solved. How about it? I'll try and compensate you for your services too.
no subject
Oh, so just like, protect you while you get the stuff?
[ nods as if this is a thing he is remotely good at ]
That... sounds okay, I think...?
no subject
[ in this timeline. also, wow, someone actually offering to pay him first. incredible. ]
Lead the way. If there are any fiends, Sebastian will take you somewhere safe while I deal with them.
[ this is code for sebastian your job is to protect the old man ]
no subject
[Zin will grab a bag, lean over to kiss his wife on the forehead, before leading Sebastian and Cloud out of the house. He takes them to a cavern not far from the outskirts of the village, its entrance dotted with mushrooms, as a creek runs nearby. Bright blue streaks litter the ground, as though some kind of scar in the earth.]
Oh, there are probably fiends. Allegedly, there've always been a few that lived here, even before the calamity. Speaking of which, did you know that they say that started right here, a hundred years ago? That's what my grandparents told me, at least.
[He points inside the cavern.]
There are some plants and fungi inside the cave that I'll need for my paints. I used to come here with friends, but they've all died or left the village, so...
no subject
but ok, cavern time. he glances over at cloud at that comment about the beginning of the calamity. ]
They saw the start of it themselves, you mean?
Um... maybe one of us should go in there with you and one keep watch out here? Though, uh, maybe we should actually make sure there's nothing hiding in there first?
no subject
Did they ever tell you exactly how it happened? [ HOW IT COULD HAVE BEEN PREVENTED, MAYBE. anyway; ] Might as well all go in. Not sure how deeply we'll have to go, and if one of us is outside when something happens in there, we won't be able to communicate.
[ our walkie-talkies... anyway they will accompany the old man inside in exchange for backstory, please. ]
no subject
No one's sure, exactly... but from the sound of it, a spirit lost control and became a powerful fiend, back then—now known as ████████. A few dead humans were found on the scene as well, though no one's certain whether they died first, or if ████████ killed them after becoming an evil spirit.
[Anyhow, inside they go! They can see inside, at least, with the cavern lit by glowing mushrooms.]
Watch your step—there are some traps lying around, set up by people who were hoping to take out the fiends.
no subject
[ glowing mushrooms is my favorite aesthetic jan thank you ]
Oh, yikes... thanks for the warning.
[ he is now anxiously focused on the ground... am i going to have to roll for not getting caught in a bear trap ]
no subject
Does it only happen to physical spirits?
no subject
[Anyhow, Sebastian and Cloud anxiously watch their step, but these are MAGIC traps where your chance of activating them are determined by someone sitting behind a computer screen rolling dice, and so as they walk along—arrows suddenly coming flying from nowhere at them. And at Zin too, who yells and ducks.]
no subject
[ he wonders what would have hurt that spirit so badly... but doesn't have much time to dwell on that, because hello arrows ]
Whoa!!
[ ALSO DUCKS with a 13 ]
Did we do that?!
no subject
[ cloud is so busy thinking about the plot and only rolls a two when it comes time to dodge. goodbye cloud. eat some fucking arrows ]
--Shit, watch out!
[ he tries to move the old man out of the way but his 2 probably killed him instead ]
no subject
... Oh. Oh dear. Will you be all right?
no subject
Oh jeez... do you want me to try to bandage that [ because they have supplies from the future now!! ], or leave it for now?
[ then to zin: ]
You're okay too, right? [ you're old... ] H-how far in do we need to go to get to the stuff you need?
[ HOW MANY MORE TRAPS WILL THEY ENCOUNTER ]
no subject
... I'll be fine for now. [ he's just going to break off part of the arrow with a loud snap. so it is less sticking out of his shoulder! but he leaves some so they can still ... take it out later. ] So long as I don't remove it, it won't bleed much.
[ it'll just FUCKING HURT but he is stoically bearing that because he is embarrassed an old man and sebastian both dodged and he didn't. he missed his reaction command :( "that's the wrong square game" his reaction command ]
Let's just keep going. You said you needed stuff for paints, right?
no subject
[Yikes over Cloud, though.
He points deeper into the cavern, although what lies further ahead is obscured by fog.]
Not much further, now—it's just a little past that fog. However, danger still lurks. Here, give me your hand.
[If Sebastian will let him, Zin will hold one of his hands.]
Hold your friend's hand, too. When we enter the fog, you may see things, but whatever you do, you mustn't let go. As long as we stick together, I can lead you through to the end.
no subject
W-what? What kind of fog is this?
[ HE THOUGHT YOU WERE JUST GOING LIKE 20 FEET INTO THE CAVE TO SCRAPE SOME MINERALS OFF THE WALL
gives cloud a "what are we doing" look as he tries to reach for his hand... because he guesses this is what they're doing? ]
no subject
Is the fog part of the traps set here? I didn't know fiends had feelings.
[ give them the lore while cloud gets ready to hallucinate... again... except he probably does not constantly hallucinate with this backstory ]
no subject
[But yay, everyone's holding hands now. Zin will lead them into the fog, until everything around them is obscured.
But as they continue in, memories of their real lives trickle in. Or are they their real lives? Maybe they're just a faraway dream.
Whatever the case, it won't be long before they can all see a woman in the near distance. She likely won't be familiar to any of them—except to Sebastian, who will recognize her as his mother.]
Oh, Sebastian...
no subject
I— Mom?
[ is this his mother? she's different from the one he was remembering when recounting his experience to ren — the one who had abandoned him.
but... this one had done the same, hadn't she? he hasn't seen her in years either. ]
Is this... just the fog?
no subject
It has to be. Don't pay attention to her, Sebastian. We have to keep going.
no subject
He's right. Stay strong...
[Meanwhile, Sebastian's mother continues speaking.]
"Is this just the fog?" Don't be foolish, Sebastian. Oh, what am I going to do with a son as useless as you...?
[Then, she turns to walk away. They'll be able to see where she's heading, though: a village, which Cloud may recognize as his hometown. Both Cloud and Sebastian, however, will clearly see that it's up in flames, with people screaming or running about, before collapsing from their injuries.]
no subject
[ he has to bite his lip and blink back tears when she turns away, and those words feel familiar for a whole other reason...
the sight of the burning village coming into view pulls him away from that, though. he... he doesn't think that's zin's village that they just came from, so does that mean this is coming from cloud's memory...? ]
H-hey...
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)