MASKTOURN

Aarni wakes in a dark, square room. The floor is dirt, but he's sitting on a woven rug. The walls are stone brick, and enclose him on every side. There’s no way in, and no way out. The room is suffocatingly warm, dark and dry. Aarni would soon begin to feel thirst clawing at his throat. He'd wake on his side, and soon realize he hasn't been restrained in any way- other than being locked in the room in the first place. Before Aarni, sat a small, low table, covered by a rug similar to the one they sat upon. Two oil lamps flicker at either ends of the table, their small lights the only in the room. The only other objects on the table are three small wooden bowls, all filled with an unidentifiable liquid. The first is white, opaque and creamy. The second is glassy and clear, with a slight cloudy, brownish color to it. The third is just as opaque as the first, but is a deep, muddy red in color. Across from the table is the only other person in the room. A woman. She appears to be middle aged, with warm, pale skin and brown, graying curls spilling over her shoulders. She wears a simple, cream-colored dress, with a long red vest over it. Her gaze is melancholy, almost distant, as she makes eye contact with Aarni. It's Albanes. Of that, he would be able to discern immediately. His best friend, aged about twenty years and a thousand times sadder. She looks at him with a certain, complete grief. Like she had outlived him, and seen him die. The woman takes in a heavy breath, and finally speaks. Her voice is not that of the flaming apparition. “Welcome to the Halcyon Citadel. Aarni, I'm- I'm so sorry.” @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Ah... Albanes...?" Aarni croaked, and hastily tried to sit up, causing himself to feel a dizzying headrush. He put a hand on his forehead, leaned the other against the floor and grunted. He then tried to look up at Albanes again, blinking and trying to discern what he was seeing, what he was experiencing. "What... happened?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"You're not going to believe me but- I'm from the future." Albanes sighed. "You were pulled out of your timeline by, uh, by the first Lifebringer." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni scrunched his eyebrows and blinked slowly. "Wuh... what? Why? Huh?" He eyed the girl-, no, the woman. She did look older. It was impossible, but so was his sudden teleportation. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"They want you to compete in a tournament. I- I'm really sorry. I really am. There was- there was nothing I could do about it." She winced, turning away from Aarni's gaze. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Again?" Yeah. That was the first thing that ran out of his mouth. The boy had gotten a year of break from this, and he was going to be put in another tournament, again? He luffed lightly, shook his head, and put a hand over his eyes, trying to clear his head. He took a few breaths, before looking up and shifting closer to the other. "Albanes... A-Albs, hey, what..." he paused to take another breath and look at the woman seriously, searching her features with concern in his pale eyes. "What happened? Not to me, to you. Are you okay? We just messaged, and everything was fine. You had that surgery, you got it removed, right? So what... what's happening?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes took a moment to take in a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself while also trying to think of the best way to explain everything. "I- for you, it's only been a year since the tournament. But for me, it's been four and a half centuries. I- after Madelyn died, I- I went back. I'm the Lifebringer now." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni's eyes widened. He couldn't talk for a moment. Hundreds of years... that was difficult to believe, though he didn't doubt it was true. Albanes wouldn't lie to him. "I.. I'm sorry..." he finally said, his voice still scratchy and now quiet. He reached his hand towards Albanes, wanting to comfort her. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Don't apologize. It- it was my choice, and I have to live with it. Please don't apologize." She didn't move away from Aarni's touch, but didn't move any closer to him. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

He put his hand on her arm, and tried to reach eye-contact. "Maddy... I thought she was immortal", he said, a little confused, but still as softly and carefully as he could. Touchy subject. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes's gaze was distant. She wrapped her hands together, and Aarni might notice the acid burn scars now covering them, all the way up to her forearms. "I... I did too." She said softly. "Turns out everything can die. Except me, now." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

He watched her sadly, his eyes traveling to the scars, and he frowned, feeling a flinch in his guts. He and Maddy rarely got along, but... he knew how much she had meant to Albanes. This was all hard to grasp. He could hardly believe what he was experiencing. It might just be another tournament nightmare. He was used to having those by now. But even then, compassion and sadness filled his chest, and with them, anger. He looked at Albanes' face again with sharper eyes. "Why didn't anyone stop you? Did nobody help you? Where.. where was I? Did I do nothing to help?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes closed her eyes and winced again. "You tried. You really did. But...." She sighed. "You even went looking for me afterwards." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni's brows knitted together. He shifted closer again and tried to once again find eye-contact. "Albs, hey, it's okay. I'm here now, okay? I'm going to help you now. Just tell me what to do", he spoke, carefully wrapping his arm around her shoulder. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"It's- it's fine. There's nothing that can be done about it now. There's nothing you can do." She sighed. "But that's okay. I want to make sure you stay safe, before... before anything concerning me." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni didn't seem satisfied. "I want to help", he insisted. "You don't seem happy." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"There is nothing you can do to help. Please. It'd- it'd just make things worse." She sighed. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni remained looking at Albanes with worried eyes and a dissatisfied frown. "...Explain me, please. I don't understand... If you are the Lifebringer, then... how is anyone threatening you?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I'm not being threatened, but... I am beholden to my predecessor, the First Lifebringer's, will. My actions exist only in parallel to theirs. There's little I can do." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"I.. I don't get it." Aarni shook his head. He sighed. "I'm.. really confused." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"It's okay. I'm not asking you to understand." Albanes said, and for a brief moment she looked less sad- or at least, more able to mask it. "This situation is... complicated. There's not much any of us can do." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Hmh", Aarni nodded slightly, and took his arm off of Albanes' shoulder, and put his hands in his lap, still looking at her with concern. "So what can we do? What am I gonna do?" For a moment he had forgotten about his own situation, being so confused and worried about Albanes' current state. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"You will be forced to fight. Again." She sighed. "If the losers of the fights do not die within their matches, my predecessor will put them to death itself. I'm... I'm very sorry." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni's stomach sunk. He stared at Albanes with wide eyes, paling. He can't get a word out for a while. "I-, wh-, why?!" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"... that is the nature of the tournament they've designed. They would kill you all outright, but... I think they enjoy the game." She sighed. "They are a cruel, heartless being." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"But-! I'm not a killer, you know that! I'm hardly a fighter.. What kind of Lifebringer brings death like that?" he demanded angrily. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I know. I know you aren't." She winced. "It's- it's more of what we are than not. The Lifebringer has never been a kind god." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"But you are. At least kinder than.. that", he huffed, clenching his fists in his lap. They shook a little. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"..." Albanes didn't reply. "My power is limited here. I can't go against them without hurting myself. And this place cannot exist without the Lifebringer. Even if we were both to die, even if we could die, we'd bring you all with us." She sighed again. "There is just... very little I can do. But I'll do all I can to keep you safe while you're here." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni stared at Albanes with scrunched brows, trying to understand, trying to find comfort and reassurance from her words, but fear was filling his insides like cold water. He let out a light breath as he turned away, head lowered and eyes locked on his knees that he gripped with both hands. His knuckles were almost as pale as his face. It had to be a stupid nightmare... "Vittu..." he hissed and dug his nails against his trousers. "Sssaatana! Helvetin epäjumala! Mitä vittua se miusta tahtoo? Painukoon sinne perseeseen mistä tuliki ja jättäis kaikki rauhaan!" he barked out.

([Cussing]. What the fuck does it want from me? May it go back into the arse where it came from and leave everyone alone!)

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs (edited)

Albanes winced at Aarni's cursing- even if she couldn't understand the specific words she could tell their meaning, at least in part. "I really am sorry. I am." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni shook his head, huffing, and pressed a hand over his eyes. "Fuck..." he grunted and dragged his hand up to his scalp. He took a deep breath, held it for a moment, before sighing. "It's not your fault..." he said bitterly, hollowly, and lowered his hand back to his knee. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs (edited)

"...." Albanes didn't reply. "I feel bad anyways." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"It doesn't help", he wanted to say, but bit back the remark, instead sighing. He tried to think. How did they last time survive? He lifted his head and turned to look at Albanes, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Are there others from the island? Like Persis?" the knight would know what to do. He would help them fight through like last time, surely. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes noticably winced at the mention of Persis. "Not Persis." She shook her head. "But others. Kenji, Enzo..." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Kenji?" Aarni frowned slightly, remembering a rather scary interaction in the garden. "And Enzo... was Sadihak's boyfriend, I think..." he mumbled, trying to think if those two could know a way out, @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm." Albanes nodded, and didn't say anything else for the moment. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni fell silent as well, pulling his knees up to his chest and hugging them, turning his gaze down again. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"If... you don't have any more questions, we should get you out of here...." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"I don't know what to ask. I just.." he paused and huffed in frustration. "I'm too confused and I just want out of here." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm. You'll have to, uh, drink one of these before I can let you go." Albanes gestured to the bowls. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Uh. What?" Aarni turned to look at the bowls, and he couldn't help his face slightly scrunching up at them. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Your body needs to acclimate to being in a separate dimension. This will help." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Huh..." He shifted closer and leaned down to have a closer look. He felt chills looking at the red liquid. "Is that blood?" he asked with a slight edge to his voice. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yes." Albanes answered, with a hint of discomfort beneath her sad tone. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Ew." He pulled a face. "What are the other two? Just water? And... uh", he carefully took the cup and brought it closer to his face. "Milk...?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"The middle one is broth." Albanes explained. "And milk. Yes. You only have to drink a few sips of one of them, whichever you want." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Hm, alright..." Since he already had the bowl in his hand, he carefully brought it to his lips. Still apprehensive, he let only a drop of it in his mouth for a taste test, before taking a proper sip. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Yup, it was milk. Goat's milk! It was creamy, somewhat sweet, pretty inoffensive. Albanes watched Aarni drink, but didn't say anything. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

He had never tasted goat milk before. It was different than cow milk, but not bad. It was thicker than the milk he was used to, and smelled faintly as goat, though. He took a couple more sips. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes waited til Aarni was done... @Twig | Seki / Aarni

After those few sips, Aarni put the bowl back on the table and wiped his mouth on the side of his hand. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes nodded as Aarni set the bowl down. "Now... now I'll have to put you unconscious. It won't hurt, I promise." She began to get up. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni looked up at her, startled. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes made her way around the table, and moved to where she could rest her hand on Aarni's forehead. "I can give you a countdown, if you want." @Twig | Seki / Aarni

His breathing picked up, and his throat felt dry despite just drinking. He stared at Albanes, the old memories clawing at the back of his mind and making his heart race... but this was Albs, his friend. He could trust her. Gulping, he nodded. "...'Kay." He clenched his jaw and straightened his back, putting on a brave face. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Alright. On three, you'll fall asleep." Albanes said, and took in a deep breath. "One... two... three." At the final number, Aarni would fall into a deep, dreamless slumber. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Alright. On three, you'll fall asleep." Albanes said, and took in a deep breath. "One... two... three." At the final number, Aarni would fall into a deep, dreamless slumber. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

Aarni's shallow, quick breaths slowed, as he slumped down limply.