MASKTOURN

A babbling brook cuts through the mossy, rolling fields. It rolls with the rising and falling terrain. Clear, clean freshwater spills over rounded stones and through rocky crevices. The brook is slow in some parts and near rapid in others, deep in some areas while shallow in others, though every part of it is too small and rocky to properly swim in. There are multiple areas with stepping stones across the brook, allowing for easy access to the other side.

A singular statue stands in the brook. The statue stands knee deep in the water, and is of a tall, limber man, though it is difficult to identify him- the statue has been decapitated, with no sign of where his missing head went. The water laps at his sides, eroding the detail of his ornately draped robe. The man has his hands held out, cupped before him as if he is presenting the viewer with a gift. Whatever the statue originally presented is as long gone as his head, and all that remains is a marble fragment, depicting part of a face- an eye, a cheek, and part of a nose. Could this face be his?

To investigate this statue, roll a divine intuition check and notify me.

Grumpily, Cansu made his way away from the pool and found himself wandering. Yet again, the call of the water beckoned him to this new location. He stood at the edge and peered in, taking a look at the statue. He took in the details of it and the ruined state that it was in. For a moment, he simply stood there to take the time to breathe and calm himself down. He was still worked up from his previous interactions, so a moment to himself was greatly appreciated. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji, likewise, had also been wandering. He’d poked around the hallways for a bit, but the lack of anyone around had led him outside. Walking along the brook for a little while, an odd statue had caught his eye—though upon approaching he seems slightly surprised to finally spot someone else nearby. “It’s nice out here, isn’t it?” He says in greeting—it’s difficult to tell with the mask obscuring his upper face, but he seems pretty comfortable with the whole thing. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Cansu raised an eyebrow as Kenji approached. He stared at them for a few moments before he looked back to the statue. "Yes, it's quite-.. Lovely." Cansu responded. "The statue oddly adds to it." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji’s head tilts as he observes the statue. “I could see that,” he agrees after a moment. “But looks like it might need some repairs.” Something about it gives him a strange eerie feeling—not that he says as much. “This is all much bigger than I expected, though. I’m not surprised if Albanes is busy. Speaking of which, what brings you here?” @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"It looks like it may have been done on purpose," Cansu hummed. "That's often how conquerers would ruin statues of deities, by tarnishing their face. It's interesting that the Lifebringer has left it like this rather than remove it entirely." "It's a large realm, there's plenty more to explore," Cansu sighed. "What brings me here? Same as you. I got the invitation to attend, so I did." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Huh. Interesting indeed. “Well, I’m sure she has her reasons,” Kenji shrugs. The mention of an invitation gives him pause, but only briefly. “Oh, the one in my room. I thought that was a bit strange if I’m being honest, but I guess I don’t mind staying longer if it’ll help. I might have to talk to Albanes about it though; I couldn’t find my phone and I don’t want my husband to worry too much.” @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Cansu paused for a moment. He frowned as he turned his gaze back to Kenji. ".. Are you aware that the invitation here is going to lead you to your death?" He asked. "The competitors are meant to die. Was that something you weren't told about?" @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji’s composure cracks, entirely. He tries to hide it behind the mask as best he can, though it…doesn’t seem to work very well. “What..” His head pounds, the dull background ache spiking sharply out of nowhere. “What are you talking about?” @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"Did.. They not mention it to you?" Cansu frowned. "It was stated by the being that teleported us here in the first place." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“I didn’t—“ Kenji shakes his head, mouth open slightly in shock. “I didn’t teleport here— You didn’t come here yourself??” @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Cansu was definitely getting confused. "I accepted the invitation. That's what brought me here. What do you mean that you didn't teleport here?" @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“I mean I didn’t, what else—“ Cansu might be getting confused, but Kenji is very quickly getting freaked out. “I— I don’t understand, I was… I came here for help, Albanes didn’t say— She didn’t—“ He cuts himself off, one hand reaching up to the crystal that hangs around his neck. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Cansu frowned. He glanced around. "Uh, maybe find Albanes and talk to her?" @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Right. That makes sense. Albanes would have an answer. All of this..whatever it was, surely there was a reason. For now, though, Kenji just slowly lowers himself to sit on the ground. “You’re.. You’re sure that’s why you’re here? It doesn’t— That doesn’t make any sense…” @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"That's why I'm here. I don't intend on dying, but that's what the competitors are here for." Cansu nodded. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“Albanes is a healer,” Kenji insists, weakly. “There.. There has to be something else happening here, she wouldn’t— she’s my friend.” @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Are you sure she’s your friend?” Cansu asked. “An ally wouldn’t summon you to face your death.” @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“I’m sure.” He doesn’t sound very sure. “We… We were at each others’ weddings for gods sake.” His headache sharpens a little more, at that. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Are you sure it’s the same Albanes?” Cansu asked as he turned his attention back to the water. “There’s a such thing as different dimensions and the such. Perhaps you spoke with a different Albanes that beckoned you here.” @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

He can’t help but laugh faintly at that—it sounds absolutely insane. “Yes, definitely. She didn’t call me here or anything, she…she gave me the directions years ago. I just never needed to take her up on it until now, because—“ Because… Because…..why? The words escape him for a moment. “It— It doesn’t matter, but it’s definitely her.” @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Well,” Cansu shrugged. “You definitely have plenty of questions you should ask her, then. Hopefully, she’ll give you some answers.” @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“I.. I guess.” From the look on his face, it’s pretty clear that that will not be a fun conversation. “I should go, and..try and find her, I…. Thank you. I think.” @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Of course.” Cansu hummed. “Good luck with finding her in this large place.” @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“..Yes. Thanks.” He already seems distracted, fiddling with the ring on his right hand as he heads back towards the relative direction of the Citadel. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Cansu hummed. That was definitely an interesting individual. Perhaps they could speak more once they got the answers that he needed. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫 Turning back to the statue, Cansu continued to look at it.

(Cansu’s gonna investigate the statue)

Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

used /r

# 15
Details:[d20+6 (9)]

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

As Cansu approached the statue, he'd be able to hear a whispering voice on the wind. The words are incomprehensible, phrases are intercut with what sounds like radio static or distortion of some kind. He can't tell what's being said, at all. The voice is masculine, though, and gentle. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Cansu listened to the words that were spoken, but he couldn't make it out no matter how hard he strained his ears. He found himself getting frustrated with his inability to understand it. "Who are you?" He spoke out loud. "Speak clearly." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

The voice didn't seem to react to his words at all, like it hadn't even heard him in the first place. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Cansu grumbled as he still couldn’t make out the words. He glanced around, wondering if he could perhaps find the other hand of the statue’s face. Maybe that’d make the voice clearer somehow? (Can Cansu try and find the other half of the face?) @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

(Int check)

(Have mercy)

Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

used /r

# 9
Details:[d20 (9)]

(Idiot

)

Cansu finds no more statue remains in or around the creek. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Cansu huffed. Well, so much for his little quest. Not even the water was offering him much support in finding the other half. After looking for a while longer, Cansu gave up. Maybe he’d come back when the water was more willing to help. Glancing at the statue, he analyzed it for a while longer before he made his leave from the brook. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Cansu would notice the shard of stone held in the statue's open palms. It looked like it was made of the same stone as the statue, and displayed the fragment of a face- a downturned eye and part of a high-boned cheek. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

He turned around back to the brook. Maybe he wouldn’t leave just yet. With a hum, he approached the statue. Slowly, he reached out to take the piece of the face. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

As soon as Cansu removed the face shard, the gentle whispers on the wind shifted into pained, sharp groans and screams. It was all in the same voice, and it seemed- distant. He'd suddenly be very compelled to put the shard back. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Cansu looked down at the remains of the face in his hands. He memorized the details of it before he found himself setting the shard back into place. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Once he put the shard back, the voice stopped completely. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Cansu hummed. This was definitely a mystery. He’d definitely have to come back to try and find the other half of the face. Surely, he’d be able to understand the voice once the face was put back together. He wondered if Sadihak knew anything about this statue and who it represented. Just one of the many questions he’d have to ask them. With a sigh, Cansu stepped back from the statue. He listened for a hint of the voice. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

All the could hear was the babbling of the brook and the howling of the wind. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

With a sigh, Cansu turned and started to make his leave. He’d definitely be back later.. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

It's quieter here. Much quieter. It doesn't look like anyone's here, or...been here, either. Ace is still perpetually bleeding gold as they take their leave from the arena, though it's slowed considerably now, out here in the wilderness. They feel sore all over, and the taste of saltwater just continues to get worse. Gross. They now stand at the shore of the brook, where the water just barely reaches the edge of their sandals. Not too far away is a statue, and they feel it'd be...desecration? If they wash their bloody hands in the water. [Maybe the statue's head was in the water. Wouldn't that be eerie?] Nonetheless, they sit on the grass, cursing as they try to wipe the rest of the blood from the corner of their mouth. At least it's quiet here. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱 (edited)

Over time, Roman was wandering and writing on the clay tablet, and his subconscious mind led him on a trail following the golden blood on the ground... He wasn't really paying attention even as he stepped up to the brook, and he ended up walking right in to it. "AH!" Roman yelled, the sudden feeling of the water on his feet frightening him enough to fall face first in to the shallow water. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

They're scrubbing their hands free of the golden residue, so they're not too startled by the footsteps behind them. There were goats around, after all. But the source of those footsteps falling directly into the water next to them certainly does startle them. Ace jolts to their feet quickly with a strained curse of surprise. The bleeding they just managed to stop starts up again as they draw their bow made of mana. Was that a person or another corpse? "Who are you," they sharply ask, shifting backwards slightly. [They look like a contestant. Someone from the birds side, like them.] Drip. Dripping. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Blood ran down the brook as Roman laid in the water.. But he quickly sat up and pushed his hair back, looking over his shoulder at Ace. "Oh! Hey, I'm Roman! And I could smell blood on you.. But I don't see any.. Is that gold stuff your blood?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Roman didn't...look like a corpse, which was a relief. Just a person- though his jacket did throw him off a bit. "...Ace," they bluntly say, lowering their bow just slightly enough. The gold dripping down their chin most certainly looked to be blood. "I- I'm not answering that. You can smell blood on people?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Yeah, I can smell it, and I can especially smell it all over you! Here, you should let me wipe that off for you." Roman extended out the large sleeve of his jacket. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ace steps back at that, a look of absolute confusion and concern clear on their face. "I'm. Fine," he manages out, wiping furiously at their mouth. The bow disappears into nothingness as soon as they release it. "You're. That's. Worrying." [What is this guy's deal??] @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"What? That I can smell blood? It's just my powers, silly!!" Roman laughed and stepped out of the water. The water dripping from his robe and jacket was stained red.. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Hm. Blood powers. It was a good thing he was on their side, they supposed. "That's...reasonable. It makes sense," Ace slowly says, still a bit apprehensive. He watches as he stands up, eyes widening just the slightest more at the red liquid-blood dripping from him. Ah. "Ah, is that...blood," he asks, gesturing slightly with his own gold-bloody hand. "Your. Blood?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Yes, blood, no, not my blood! My blood is all goopy and black." Roman said. "Couldn't really tell ya who's exactly.. A bit a Ryu's, a lotta a lotta people all mixed up." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

[Black blood wasn't...rare when it came to powers. Hell, he bleeds gold when he uses it. There's been records of green, blue, and very commonly, pink. It's not too bizarre.] Ace just stands there, shifting slightly backwards as he asks his next question; "Do you. Collect people's blood." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Only willingly! Or self defense!" Roman assured. "You see, I can tell a few things about you by your blood.. Where you're from, any ailments you have, your age, diet, stuff like that! I can help you out." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Every word and phrase that was leaving Roman's mouth was concerning Ace by the minute. "You're going to doxx me if I give you my blood?" Ace flatly asks. "Thanks, but no thanks. I don't exactly want to give my blood to a stranger who...apparently also just kind of keeps the blood on them. And also would know where I live." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"I don't like know your address, that would be ridiculous! I mean like- the COUNTRY or region, at most." Roman said. "And I don't keep the blood on me, I keep it in my blood dimension!" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"The what dimension." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"You heard me." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Ah, of course. Yes, your Blood Dimension. I should have known," they dryly say. "What is that." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"A vat full of blood that I can access whenever I'd like! And I also put a bunch of junk in it, it's where my jacket was." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Right, so that explained why his jacket was dripping with blood. "So to get things...straight. You have a blood dimension that essentially's just a vat of blood," Ace slowly says. "That acts just as. Storage, and you put people's actual blood in there after...whatever it is that you do." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Close, it usually just appears in there after I consume it. It doesn't pass all the way through my digestive system." Roman said. "I could put it directly in there, but I only get the knowledge benefits if I consume it." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"After you- you. You what?" Ace suddenly sputters. "You eat- you consume the blood." [Was this hygenic? Was this hygenic? Was this hygenic?] @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Yep! Through my mouth hole!" Roman smiled wide, showing off his pointed canines. "I can't catch diseases." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Oh," he exhales, an obvious wince on their face. "Oh., Okay. You consume. People's blood." Never mind the whole diseases...thing. Well. "How can you just not catch diseases? You have an entire blood vat. Dimension." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Well, I'd be dumb as hell to keep a giant pit of stuff that could get ME sick! Every single cell in my body is so messed up from my powers it's inhospitable to viruses, bacteria, and parasites! One of the many perks of my powers.." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"That's...actually very interesting." Despite the complete stranger showing up at the first scent of blood, there were so many things about his powers that he was so very interested in. "So, in a sense, your...abilities overwrote certain aspects of your body?" he asks. "Inhospitable, what exactly do you mean by that? They're unable to thrive, or simply unable to be there in the slightest?"

9:45 PM

@Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Oh, it's all very interesting!" Roman nodded. "And I mean.. hm.. If you had cwovid and sneezed right in my mouth, the germs would be there, but the second that virus tries to get in to a cell it'll die! It's all inhospitable to life. Oh, it also made me infertile so that's made my life easier!" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"I see," Ace muses. "That's incredibly helpful, considering your, ah. Powers. And you said this was a result of your powers, yes? Was it an...instantaneous result of them, or did it take time for this inhospitality?" After a moment, they add, "...I, ah. Didn't need to know about the infertility aspect, though. It- I suppose it's. Part of this category too, but. Ah. Yes." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"No, it wasn't instant. It took a few months for my body to adjust, and I actually got sick a lot in that time. I think my white blood cells died out first. But now it's been a few years!" Roman said. "Buuuuuut yeah, that part is actually very relevant to me. For the past year or so I've been an escort, and before that I was already doing something similar." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

[As expected; while some magic had physical alterations near-instantly, it was more common for these changes to happen progressively over time. Cells were of no exception to them.] "I'd assume that period of time would have been a bit...rough, considering your powers and all," Ace agrees. Questioning end. They were asking a lot of people far too many questions now. Celestials above. "And I could see why that aspect would be important for your line of work. My apologies." He taps the side of his leg as he processes all of this information. They seem a bit less freaked out knowing about the workings of Roman's powers, but there's something still nagging at them. "...Why exactly do you collect people's blood?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Mhm, twas rough, and thank you for your acceptance of my career choices!" Roman smiled. "And why do I collect more blood? Uh, to make my blood drumsticks bigger and to make myself feel better! I don't got a stomach anymore, and blood is just about the only thing that doesn't upset my guts.. That and like- mushy white rice! Only like a little at a time though." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

[It wasn't like he was a stranger to sex work or the like. A job's a job.] ...But the moment they stop talking about magic and powers and the like, it's back to confused Ace again, his brows pinched together as he tries to process Roman's...words. "So...you dom't have a stomach, and you need blood to sustain yourself." He got that much. "And you..H..m. Your blood drumsticks." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Mhm!" Roman pointed up to the aptly described blood drumsticks that were sticking out of his hair. "The more blood I have, the bigger my blood dimension gets. It's pretty small right now." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"I...see," Ace mumbles, still very, very confused about all of this. "...Are you...essentially like a vampire? In the sense of, ah...mostly needing blood to sustain yourself." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Am I a vampire?" Roman laughed. "No- I don't think I'm much like that at all. The only thing in common is the blood drinking thing.. but I can go in to the sun, and I can't turn in to a bat, and I'm not all sparkly.." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

[Sparkly.] "You are...incredibly unsettling," Ace quietly admits, palm slightly pressed against his cheek. "But also very interesting, especially considering your, ah, magic." "...Do you just need to...injest it, or do you need to bite it out of...of someone." [He wasn't considering it. He wasn't. He wasn't.] @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Unsettling? Why thank you! That's how I ought to be perceived.. People like that." He smiled. "And I don't need to bite it out, my mistress used to give it to me in wine glasses before I developed a hankering for it myself. But I do find the act of biting and being bit pretty pleasurable." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

[Not a vampire, drank blood out of wine glasses, wasn't glittery, yeah, it all tracked.] [In all honestly, he wouldn't put it past whatever god (Lifebringer??) was in charge of this place to bring vampires. There was that fox-like competitor back at the pool.] "So what exactly do...both parties get out of this? You get your blood and get to eat, get to feel better, get to increase your blood dimension, and the other party gets...information they probably already know about? It doesn't really feel, ah...even." "What else does your dimension hold aside from...well. Blood." He was not considering it, despite how fascinated he was about his powers. He was not considering. He was not. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱 (edited)

"Oh, darling, what would you get? Of course you'd get something." Roman's smile grew wider, and he placed his hand on Ace's shoulder. "It's usually how people pay for my services instead of cash. Just a little bite at the beginning, and I'm down for anything.." "And what else is in there? Mostly just my things. It's where I store what I need access to easily." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Pale amber eyes quickly shift from scrutinizing Roman's expression to the hand resting on their shoulder. "Hm." Ah, yeah. His career. [Nathan would wring his neck out and call him a loser, and a dork, and laugh at him, and then call him a loser again, and-] "Sst, hm, no, not sex, not at. All," Ace promptly says, shaking his head sharply. "Not in the slightest. Thank you? For offering? But no. Celestials damned, how old are you?" His belongings, then. Did he seem like a smoker type? "...Do you have any...cigarettes in that pit of yours?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

'WHY AM I EVEN HERE!' "How old am I? Twenty-Six, I think.. Though I'm not sure if time here still exists. My birthday was coming up back home." Roman shrugged and took his hand off of Ace. "And cigarettes, hmm? I do believe I have a pack somewhere in there for my clients.. But I'll need some payment up front before I go in and spend all that time looking." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Shit, you're younger than my kids," Ace mutters, just...surprised at all of this. "Ah, no, definitely no." He recovers quickly from that surprise though, lightly adjusting his glasses as he speaks. "Khm, I'm sorry- happy early birthday, I suppose? Hopefully all of...this is over soon enough." Argh. Payment. Fun. "That's...reasonable enough," Ace slowly says. They didn't really need anything else; they were just a freak and morbidly curious about this guy's powers and didn't want to admit they'd do it for free. "How much do you need?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

'HOW OLD IS THIS GUY THAT HE HAS KIDS OVER 26... Not that I'm complaining..

' "Hm.. what means can I get your blood? The amount I get will vary depending on how it's done." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

This guy was younger than Nathan- not that it was much of a difference, really. His birthday was only a few months ago. "Again, just for the cigarettes. Not for anything else," Ace dryly says, doing a quick once-over of himself. Still bleeding, though not as...bad as it was before. "Ah. Uh. Hm. I'm not entirely sure. While you yourself can't exactly host diseases, I'm still not too excited about the idea of someone biting me." "...And I'm not letting you lick the blood off me either," they add. They had a bit of a hunch Roman would ask that, no clue why. "I could, perhaps, nick myself with my arrow? Anywhere that's easiest for you, that is." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

'No biting, no licking, god these people are all lame.' "Well if you don't want me to make contact with you, you'll need to drip it in to my mouth, which is much harder, so anywhere that won't make a mess. Probably your arms or hands." Roman said and got down on to his knees. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Somewhere along there would be best, yes," Ace agrees, starting to produce an arrow- minus the bow. While they didn't entirely have the ability to craft arrows out of thin arrow, the mana was concentrated enough to hurt. Drawing a thin, golden line out of thin air, their concentration was instantly broken by Roman dropping to his knees. Ace squints. [Was this worse? This was worse. He'd take the biting over this.] "...Fine, you can bite me," Ace mutters, and the half-formed arrow disappears into a haze of sparkles. They're starting to bleed again, despite that small fraction of using their powers. They're already shoving their sleeve up and over their shoulder, a bit disappointed at themself for caving so quickly. "It's better than...this." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Finally. Roman grinned and stood up, moving slyly up behind Ace. Gingerly, he slid his fingers up Ace's arm and carefully lifted Ace's forearm to his mouth. "Is this place alright, sir?" Roman asked, making solid eye contact with Ace. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ace presses the back of their hand against their mouth with a quiet hiss, more than a little frustrated that the bleeding's started up this easily again. It'd usually take a little bit longer to continue flowing, no matter how hard he's exerted himself. Did something change? Was it related to his powers? He doesn't have much time to linger on that. While he doesn't seem too startled at the sudden contact, he does feel the hairs on the back of his neck rise. Groaning a bit, they shift to squint at bit at Roman. [He's just staring. Why is he staring?] "...higher, along the arm, please," they say, not quite breaking eye contact with him. "I'd rather keep it hidden until I can get it healed." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Of course." Roman said and gently moved his hands up until he was cradling Ace's bicep now. "Here?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"...That's fine," Ace says. "Just don't be...ah. Too weird about this." He had a hunch he'd be Very Weird about this. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Too weird? What about freaky, offputting, or unnerving?" Roman chuckled and liked Ace's arm over where he was going to bite. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Fucking hells," they hiss, actively shuddering at that. [Hell?? Hell, this was Hell, and if he didn't beat this damn tournament he was going to rot here, too.] "You- you are constantly unnerving and unsettling. Just- just do your thing, and please do not lick me again." Another shudder. "That was absolutely awful." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Roman chuckled again as he felt him shudder. "Of course, anything to please you." Roman continued to grin and sunk his fangs down in to Ace's bicep. He maintained intense eye contact as he sucked the blood out of the wound. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

[So, not a vampire.] Ace manages to bite back their cry of surprise, hissing quietly as his teeth break skin. Ow. It's not as painful as Naiyta's...stunt earlier, but still, ow- it was starting to hurt. And no, not in a fun way, and not in a good way. Just in an 'ow' way. They clutch onto the fabric of their robe, not quite breaking eye contact as Roman just continues to stare, their composure wavering just the slightest. Incredibly unsettling. Incredibly unsettling. The sensation of him sucking his blood out is not helping with the eeriness of it all. "You are...a very interesting man," Ace mutters, slumping slightly. They manage to brace their other hand against their knee, beginning to try to even out their breathing. He doesn't look away from him just yet. Gold continues to drip from the corner of his mouth, though it's starting to slow. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Roman grabbed on tighter as Ace slightly tensed up, not wanting to let his meal go so quickly. After about twenty seconds, Roman moved his head back. Lines of saliva and gold connected them for a moment, before Roman wiped off the wound with his sleeve and held the fabric there. Gold was covering the lower half of his face, and he leaned in closer to Ace. With his free hand, he gently cupped Ace's chin, finally breaking the eye contact to instead look at the blood dripping from his mouth. "Will you.. let me clean that up for you?" Roman said, close enough that his hot breath could be felt on Ace's neck. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

[They've lost large amounts of blood...several times before- not intentionally, unless you counted drawing blood, but he'd gotten used to that lightheaded feeling afterwards. This little...thing should not have had that feeling.] It's over quickly enough, thankfully. With a quiet groan, Ace shifts, pressing his hand against his temple. Cool water wouldn't be a bad idea right now. Faintly aware of fabric being pressed up against his arm, he makes no move to stop Roman. At least he was helpful. And suddenly, someone- wonder who -is cupping his chin, and that fleeting thought goes out the window. Ah, nevermind. Ace blinks a bit, trying to adjust to the mixed combination of sore-nauseous-woozy, before his face twists into an expression of confusion and mild distaste. "I assume you mean with that- that fabric, right." Whoo. Ow. Still stings. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Roman kept the sleeve on the wound with enough pressure to stop the bleeding. Seeing him feeling a bit woozy, he moved his hand from his chin to the back of his head, lightly grasping on to his hair. "Well, don't you think dabbing away all that blood with my jacket would be a bit of a waste, Acey?" He chuckled and stuck out his tongue again. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

He feels a headache coming on again. Why is his hand in his hair? That nauseous feeling only swells, and Ace makes some attempt at getting Roman to unhand his hair. "I- no, no, we are not doing that. I'll wash it off in the water, thanks." "If you want more blood, go ahead, have another bite, but you are not licking my blood off of my face." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

'These people are allergic to fun.

' Roman took his hand out of Ace's hair, but kept his sleeve over the bite wound. "Wow, offering another bite? That's a bit masochistic.. I think you might faint, and I haven't even gotten you what you wanted yet!" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"I'm won't faint," y'know, says the liar, blinking spots out of his eyes, "and I'm not fainting yet. I've been through worse." Whoo. Did drinking blood and having your blood...drank? Essentially cancel each other out? No, it just made double 'ew, nauseous', but at least he didn't feel like he was going to vomit. His cigarettes, yes. "If I get those cigarettes, maybe you can get another bite." Wobble. "But that is a very close maybe. Hff. Let me sit." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"You'm won't faint?" Roman teased and removed the pressure from Ace's arm. The bleeding had slowed to a trickle already. "But fine fine, I'll get you those ciggys, Acey! One moment." He took the drumsticks from his hair and got down on to his knees again. He stabbed the drumsticks in to the dirt and drew a little circle, barely large enough for him to fit through. Once the circle was complete, the inside revealed a portal to.. Well, the blood dimension was an apt name. It was just a pit of blood, surrounded by a convulsing mass of pinkish-red muscle.. "One moment!" Roman said and dove headfirst in to it, only keeping himself from falling in my spreading his legs out to the sides. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Mmhm." The noise only a man who won't faint will make. "I'm won't- I won't. Argh." Maybe a second bite would do this guy in. As Roman releases him, Ace gently eases himself to sit on the grass, examining the bite mark curiously for a moment before starting to watch Roman do...whatever it is that he's doing. When the dimension was complete, however, they shifted a bit closer to see what this blood dimension of his looked like. [Yes, people could manifest dimensions- well, more accurately, access preexisting ones. Not like he'd ever seen it happen before. Maybe he thought Roman was just messing with him to begin with?] "Fascinating," he murmurs, staring at...whatever that was. Blood dimension. It looked more like flesh and whatnot to h- "I, hey, hey." Ace wobbles back to their feet again, grasping at the edge of Roman's jacket in case he falls in. "Take your time, just don't. Fall in, or- or. Something." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Pft, this is my Blood dimension, I can get out if I fall!" Roman called out from inside. He dug around through the blood for a little bit before grabbing on to something. "Mmmkay Acey, pull me up!" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

'Flesh pit', more like. Gritting his teeth, Ace hauls Roman out of his dimension, half-expecting there to be blood and muck everywhere. "'Acey'?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Well, yeah there was kind of blood all over his arms, but he was grasping on to a small ziploc bag.. That uh. Was not sealed properly and it was full of blood. "Yeah, Acey, that's you!" He nodded and opened up the bloody bag. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Jason falters. “Um. See ya, Jason. Jace. Jacey." Right, yes. Yes, that's why 'Acey' felt so familiar. Damn. Shit. "Bye. Take care.” Ace falters- but only for a moment, before he's staring at what's pretty much a blood bag in Roman's hands. A blood bag that did not look like cigarettes. "What is that." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Oh, there's no cigarettes left, but I have something similar! I'm just not good at closing these bags." Roman said. The blood floated out of the bad and plopped back in to the pit, leaving whatever was inside the bag clean.. Yeah, it was weed. "I don't really have any paper to roll it, but if you want it it's yours!" He smiled and held out the bag to him. "I don't get anything out of using it anyway." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Eeugh. That noise was going to live with him forever now, huh? Ace looks back from the little pit-dimension thing as Roman holds out the bag. He takes it instinctively, like someone on a call being handed an item, and takes a moment to examine it. Yeah. It was weed. "...I'm not getting high at a death tournament," Ace quietly says, actually sounding a bit...dismayed? "Like, anywhere else other than this place. I- you- weed?" [I went through that for weed??] "You said you had cigarettes. Maybe- you said you might have cigarettes." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Exactly, I said I'd look! That's why I took the payment ahead of time." Roman shrugged. "I gave the last of my stash out to Ryu, sorry man. I knew I usually only carried one pack on me." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"So- wait." Ace pinches the bridge of his nose, trying his best to get the words going. Ryu. Who was that? Never met, perhaps another contestant here? "You said you'd look. But- did you know there weren't any cigarettes in there." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Well I didn't know for sure, it's kinda messy in there. It's very possible that there was another one hidden away somewhere, but now I know there's not! And I offered you an equivalent! They're both drugs you can smoke, man, that's the best you're gonna get here. They took everyone's shit." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

But nicotine was the better alternative. "Argh," Ace groans, still holding the frickin' weed ziploc. "Well. Thank you for looking, though this isn't...ehh." "I'll do. Something with this, I suppose." It wasn't like he'd get any use out of this, either. "You mentioned this Ryu, yes? Do you have a description of them? What color robe are they wearing?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"She's hot! Like- I dunno the third hottest woman I've ever seen." He chuckled. "She has all these tattoos everywhere and is always tits out, you can't miss her. Got short hair that's shaved blue on the sides, must be a lot of work. She's.. hm. If I remember right she has the white robes." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ah. That woman back at the swimming pool. The woman on the snake side. The woman who could probably crush his ribs in one go. "Mhm," Ace hums, nodding slightly. "I see. I will...keep that in mind." It's at this moment that the announcement- thoughts? -rings through their heads simultaneously. Ace shifts, looking back to where the Citadel is, before returning to Roman. A gala. Ha. "...You heard that, yes?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Roman also paused as the mental announcement played. "Huh. Yeah, I heard that! Hopefully that means I'll actually get to work.. People love me after parties." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Ah- ah? You're." The ziploc bag crinkles a bit as Ace's grip tightens. Man. "There's no harm in. Having fun. But you realize why we're here, yes?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Having fun? Man, I'm not here for the same reason as the rest of you! The leader of my side told me herself, I'm here to be an escort and serve people. I'm not on the same level as you." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

A squint. "...Kairas said that you're here as an escort." On the same level. What was this guy's deal. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱 (edited)

"Well, not in those exact words, but basically yes." He said. "She gave me some guidelines and stuff, and I know better than to ask a whole lot of questions." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"...Right," Ace flatly says, still a bit...confused by this guy's aura. "I see. So you're...generally uninvolved with the whole 'death tournament thing', yes?" "What did that little announcement refer to you as? You know, the announcement we both heard." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

'Well.. that did say contestant.. But if we both got it at the same time it's probably easier to do it all the same.' "Said I was a servant." Roman shrugged. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ace's squint doesn't' let up until after a moment, and they eventually return their attention to the vague direction of the citadel. "...In which case, we should both return to the main area," he says with a sigh, shifting to quickly rinse his hands in the brook. He'd deal with the bite and everything else when he got back to his room. "I'd imagine you'd have a few preparations to do, Mister Roman." Simply calling him a servant felt wrong enough. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Oh, yeah a few!" Roman said and stood up, brushing off the dust from his robes. "Well, have a wonderful night, Acey!" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Yes, have a wonderful night," he says, shaking the water from his hands. The flow of the water carries gold away with it. "I'll...see you around." A bag of weed he won't use, a new bite mark and more dizziness. Fun. ...Eh, he could get back to the citadel on his own. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Roman walked off, humming his own little tune as he went. The portal gradually closed up behind him. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

After a tremendous amount of time traveling around and visiting other locations, Kal brought himself and Asha to the brook. He hummed as he took a look around. “Wanna take a little break here?” Kal asked. He didn’t seem winded or tired after carrying her for so long. “It seems like a pretty nice spot!” @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Oh wow- it's so pretty here! There's not really places like this in Mlipuko.." Asha said as she looked around. Her eyes settled on a certain statue.. That had no head. "Hmm. What do you think's up with that one?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

So no head? “Huh, I dunno,” Kal hummed as he looked at the statue. “Kinda weird!” @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Maybe the rest of it is around here somewhere..?" Asha suggested. "Maybe we can look for it, it's like a scavenger hunt! Remember when that happened at Chen's with the plates? Mine was right under the seat!" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"Oh yeah! I remember that!" Kal grinned as he gently set Asha back down to her feet. "That was a blast- I felt bad breaking the plate, it was so cool. Mine had rocks on it like a rock climbing wall. What did yours look like?" Kal glanced around. "The water doesn't seem that deep, either!" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Mine was like a night sky with a firework going off, I kinda wish I still had it! I don't have too much physical stuff left from that tournament, just a bunch of great friends." Asha hummed and looked at the water. "No, no too deep.. Do you think it's safe to step in?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Well hey, tons of great friends is a great thing to have after a tournament! These things are a nightmare, but good buddies help a lot,” Kal chuckled. He looked at the water. “I could find out, if you want. If it’s safe to step in.” @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"If you wanna.. You don't think there's piranahs or sharks in there, right..?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"I don't think there'll be sharks in this, it's too shallow," Kal chuckled. "Buuuut we'll find out about piranahs!" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Asha still wasn't convinced on the shark thing. "Oh- well, if there could be piranahs be careful.." Asha frowned. "I'm not a big fan of fish.. they're all gross and slimy." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"I think fish are chill! They're neat, just lil' guys swimming around." Kal hummed. He stepped into the water and took a glance around. "Nope! It just looks like there's little fishies in the water. No piranahs!" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Asha took a few careful steps forward and looked around the water as well..

Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

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# 16
Details:[d20 (16)]

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs (anything cool?)

Asha would notice that a few of the rocks in the brook looked like they were from the same paler stone as the statue... She'd also see something gleaming and sparkling in the sunlight- like a piece of metal dropped into the water. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

".. Just some little fish.. Okay." Asha sighed in relief and finally got her sandals in to the water. She shivered just a moment, before she took in a deep breath and crouched down. She picked out a few pieces of the pale stone, and tilted her head a bit as she saw something glittering under it. "Oh- there's something here.." Asha said and put the stones in her pocket. With both hands, she tried to lift up the metal object. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟 @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

She'd very easily be able to lift the metal object, as it was a simple gold ring! Its surface was slightly tarnished by age and unfortunate conditions, but it looked well-made. It looked like a wedding band, and the inside seemed to be engraved with some kind of message... @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

She lifted the ring up to the light to get a closer look at it.. "Aw, someone lost a ring.." Asha frowned.

Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

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# 3
Details:[d20 (3)]

(Nope)

8:00 PM

@Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"Really?" Kal frowned as he stepped closer. "Oh man, that stinks. Does it say anything? Or can I take a look at it?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"I can't see anything too specific on it, but maybe your eyes are better than mine.." Asha said and held out the ring to him. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"Ye! I can take a look." Kal smiled as he took the ring. He took a good look at it..

Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

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# 4
Details:[d20-5 (9)]

(NOPE)

8:08 PM

He stared at it, and stared. "Yeah, I can't see anything on it.." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Maybe the water washed it way.. Dang- oh, Darcy knows a lot about words, maybe he can figure it out." Asha said. She looked at the ring for a bit longer before putting it carefully in to her pocket. "I'll have to go talk to him later about it." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"Oh yeah! If anyone can figure it out, it's Darcy!" Kal grinned. "That's my boy!" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Oh, you know Darcy? I tied his shirt for him. He's nice. I gave him one of my sparklers already- oh! When we're done here I'll get you one too." Asha said. "I got some rocks out that look like they belong to that broken statue up there, so I figured I'd drop em off back up there for whoever is gonna fix it." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"Yeah- That's my boy. He taught me how to read," Kal laughed. "I'd appreciate a sparkler! I bet it'd look real cool." Kal grinned. "Oh snap- You found statue pieces? Maybe I can take a look for some, too. Or- Maybe we can try and put it together ourselves!" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Mhm, they were next to the ring." Asha said and turned back to face the way out. From her position, she could only see a little bit of the statue.. But even then, something about it felt vaguely familiar. ".. does that statue remind you of anything?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Kal hummed as he looked at the statue. ".. Kind of..?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Maybe I'll figure it out when we get up there.." Asha said and crawled back out of the brook.

Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

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# 6
Details:[d20+2 (4)]

(Girl)

8:28 PM

@Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

(Is this another perception or the divine intuition roll?)

8:29 PM

(Either way he's got a -5 modifier so lmao)

Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

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# -2
Details:[d20-5 (3)]

Asha stood in front of the statue, staring at it blankly. ".. Hm. Weird." Asha mumbled. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"I know, right?" Kal spoke. "I kinda wanna take the pieces that it's holding and see if the pieces that you grabbed can, like, connect to it." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Oh, yeah maybe that'd work! Do you think you can get it down for me? I'll start arranging the pieces down here.." Asha crouched down and started sorting through the various debris she had picked up. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"Yeah, yeah! I'll get it down!" Kal grinned. He headed up to the statue and reached up to take the pieces from the statue's hands. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱 @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

(Okay asha.. now that all the pieces are there... please..)

Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

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# 16
Details:[d20+2 (14)]

(Yayyy!!)

8:43 PM

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

(can you both give me divine intuition pls @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱 @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

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# 2
Details:[d20-5 (7)]

(OOF)

Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

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# 15
Details:[d20 (15)]

(Asha come in clutch)

8:56 PM

(YEAHHHH)

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

As Kal removed the shard from the statue's hand, Asha would hear a shrill, distinct cry of pain- not coming from anywhere in particular, but sounding like it was carried on the wind. It'd be in a voice that was somewhat familiar to her... Kal wouldn't be able to hear it at all, though. The pieces of the statue in the water only made up about a third of the head, even when Kal put it all together. Very little of the face was reconstructed, but even with the missing parts, both Asha and Kal would be able to make out a very familiar face. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟 @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Asha flinched at the sound of the cry- and quickly put her hands over her ears. "Jun-" Asha whispered, and glanced over at the pieces as Kal laid the main part down. "Juno.. Juno! It's Juno- he was just over in Mlipuko a few weeks ago! What's this- what's this statue about? Why's it all broken I-" She whimpered a bit to herself and kept her hands over her ears. "D-do you think someone broke it on purpose? Why would th-they do that..?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Kal raised an eyebrow as he looked at the statue face. His eyes widened. "Oh snap- You're right! This looks just like Yeonaixho," Kal nodded. "I know him from a tournament- You're saying he dropped by your place a while ago?" He frowned a little. "Are you.. Hearing something?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱 @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yeo.. nai.. That's too hard to say, he said to just call him Juno.." Asha said. "And yes, when you took that piece out of his hands.. It screamed. Like it was in pain.. you didn't hear it?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"Oh. Mine said to call him Yeonaixho. He was kinda a cultist." Kal hummed as he looked at the statue. "I kinda started to see him as, like, a dad? And then he pinned me down and put needles in my wrists and then took my powers. Crazy time. Your guy sounds different, though, if he's just traveling around." Kal shook his head. "Nah, I didn't hear a thing. Just the wind. Wooooosh." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

.. maybe this Kal was from a universe where Juno wasn't at that tournament. "What he did- he did what?! You can't just skip over that! What happened to you?!" She could care less about the noise. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

(just jumpong in here again-) The pained cries would continue for as long as the face shard was out of the statue's hands, though Kal wouldn't be able to hear it at all. Both Kal and Asha would be very compelled to put the statue pieces back where they had found them. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟 @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Yeah- I got sent to another tournament, because of course I would," Kal laughed a little. "It turned out okay, though! I got out of it just fine!" At the sensation, Kal looked at the pieces with an eyebrow raised. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Asha doubted that heavily, but between the screams and urge to it it back, she was finding it hard to focus on anything else. "Kal please- please put it back. It's still sc-screaming at me.." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"Okay- Okay! I'll put it back." Kal nodded. He quickly went up and put the pieces back.. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱 @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

As the pieces were returned to the water or the statue's hands, the cries would fade, as did any... strange or ghostly compulsions. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱 @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

Even after the pieces were put back, and all supernatural occurrences were done, Asha stayed on the ground with her hands over her ears. She just kept shaking her head.. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

"Hey- Hey, it's okay," Kal quickly scooted back to her, giving her a reassuring smile. "The pieces are back. Everything's okay." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Even if Kal was smiling and calm, Asha had her eyes shut so she couldn't see. "The ring.. It's.. It must be Juno's or.. H-his dead wife. I think her name was Jymaiyri.. Why is it here..?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Well- He had to do with Lifebringer stuff in the tournament I was in,” Kal spoke. “And now we’re in the Lifebringer’s place.. Maybe the Lifebringer likes having statues of its previous hosts?” @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Lifebringer.. Had Juno mentioned that before? "B-but if he was the host or whatever.. Why is the statue all broken? A-and why is his ring here..?" @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Maybe the Lifebringer doesn’t like him?” Kal suggested. “Naiyta seems like they only like very few people.” @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"..." Asha glanced back up at the statue. The missing head was an eerie sight, and even the few pieces that had been piled back on top of the face piece didn't seem to fill in all the gaps.. Where was the rest of him? "I-i think we should get back inside.." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Yeah, we can go,” Kal looked back to the ring. “Can I see that real quick, though? I wanna try putting it on his finger. Maybe something’ll happen?” @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

".. Just.. be careful. I'll tell you if he starts yelling again.." Asha said quietly and held out the ring to him. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“I’ll be careful. Just lemme know if you hear anything.” Kal nodded. He took the ring and clamored back to the statue. Once there, he worked the ring onto Yeonaixho’s ring finger and waited. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱 @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

The statue's fingers were carved together in a way where one couldn't put a ring on any of them. Kal could rest the ring in the statue's open hands, but nothing would happen. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Hmmm.. Anything, Asha?” Kal asked as he turned back to face her. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

".. No.. nothing happened.." Asha said after waiting a few moments. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Oh. Well, least I can say we tried!” Kal headed back to her and held out the ring. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Asha took the ring and put it back in to her pocket. Safe and sound, until she could ask one of the hosts about it.. "Yeah.. We tried.." Asha sighed. "Do you think you can carry me back? I can walk if you don't. I don't wanna put too much on you.." @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Yeah, I’ll carry you back!” Kal grinned. “Not a problem!”

Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

used /r

# 17
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Once more, Kal moved and swept Asha off of her feet. He grinned as he picked her up. “Comfy?” @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Mhm, comfy.." Asha nodded and wrapped her arms around Kal's shoulders again. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Alright, off we go!” Kal chuckled. He took a few steps before he stopped. “Where are we going?” @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"I think I want to go back to my room.. Please.." Asha said quietly. @Vanessa | Cansu🐥+Evan🔩+Kal🌟

“Alrighty! Off to your room!” Kal grinned. He started marching off back to the housing areas. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

After talking with Ace, Kyrie decided to check out that brook statue she'd heard about. She'd gone back to her room first, though, and fashioned one of her spare linens into a little satchel-bag to hold all the lemons she'd gathered. She inspected the statue carefully, though remained on the brook's stony shore instead of wading into the water. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Leaving the refectory, Ryu stepped out for another smoke. She was feeling better after talking to Enya, it genuinely was nice to see her, but the itch to smoke was gnawing at her again. Lighting her smoke, Ryu wandered around a bit. She let herself be carried by the wind, ending at some sort of river. She peered into the water, scanning how deep it went until she noticed someone ahead. Ryu raised a brow and approached with a casual step. "It's an interesting statue, isn't it? Makes you wonder what was going on in it's head. Must of been... mind blowing," she joked. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie became visibly and quickly unsettled as she noticed the smoke, but calmed down when she noticed it was just someone smoking and not the start of a fire. "Ah, yeah, guess you could say that." Kyrie hummed with a light laugh. "Apparently all these are haunted. But, uh, hey, haven't met you before. My name's Kyrie." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

If Ryu noticed anything off about Kyrie, she didn't mention it. She simply smiled and gave the woman a playful wink. "You can call me, Ryu. It's nice to meet ya, Kyrie. What do you mean all the statues are haunted?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Nice to meet you too, Ryu!" Kyrie returned the wink. "Sometimes they talk when you come up to them." Kyrie explained, glancing back to the statue. "I've been trying to investigate them with some others. They're really weird, just in general." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

She took in a whiff of her cigarette and cocked her head at the statue. "They talk? Like.. a ghost comes out of it or..?" Ryu asked with a raised brow. "I met a ghost in the temple earlier. I wouldn't be surprised if they got a spirit or two in them." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"You can hear a weird voice on the wind. No visible ghosts." Kyrie hummed. "You met the ghost too- gonna clarify I didn't, Ace just told be about it. My working theory is that the statues have ghosts in them." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

"Huh," Ryu commented with a small smile. "That's not weird or anything. What other statues have you seen, Ky? What have they said to you?" He curiously asked. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs (edited)

"I saw one in the ruins a bit south of here- a guy with this big violin, and another on the cliffs of a woman." Kyrie hummed in thought. "They don't speak english, or any other language I understand. The one in the ruins played music, though." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

A statue with a violen and a statue of a woman? And neither spoke a language Kyrie knew? Huh. "Interesting. Sounds like they are really haunted then. Well, I guess at this point, what isn't haunted here?" Ryu chuckled. "Anything interesting about this statue? I assume that's what you've been observing." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhmmm." Kyrie hummed in agreement. "Well, this one's got no head. I think that's pretty interesting, in its own right. Ace, the guy I was talking about before, said he'd seen this one, so I wanted to check it out on my own." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Ryu glanced around, but didn't spot anything that could of necessarily been a part of the statue. "Someone must of really hated this guy or something. The way it's head is taken off seems deliberate," Ryu commented. "Have you heard this statue say anything yet..?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yeah, all the other ones have heads." Kyrie hummed idly, and leaned closer to the statue, using her wings for added balance. "WHOA!" She jumped back as she began to hear an indecipherable voice carried on the wind. Kyrie turned to Ryu, "Do you hear that?" Ryu would hear absolutely nothing. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Ryu also leaned in a bit, curious now that Kyrie had said the statues talked. Though, when the winged woman jumped back, she instinctively reached her hands out to possible catch Kyrie. "Wh-? No, I didn't hear anything at all," Ryu said with a raised brow. "What did you hear??" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

If Ryu was trying to catch Kyrie from the back, all she'd get was a face-full of wing. Probably for the best Kyrie ended up landing besides Ryu and not in her arms. "It's so weird- it's a voice, but I can't tell what it's saying at all, like I'm hearing it through something. The other ones weren't like this- they were speaking a different language, but they were clearly saying words." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

"So this one wasn't saying words?" Ryu frowned and tilted her head towards the statue. "..I still don't really hear anything. Like, at all.. are you sure you're not just hearing the river or something?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I'm sure it's a voice, I just... can't really tell what it's saying." Kyrie frowned. "I'm sure it's saying something- it's just all distorted and weird." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Ryu glanced between the statue and Kyrie, before taking a small step closer to the headless figure. "Helllooo?" He asked to the statue. "It'd be cool if you could talk to me too?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

As Ryu approached the statue, she'd be able to hear the voice too- a masculine tone, clearly saying something, though his whispers were incomprehensible and distorted. Phrases were intercut with what sounded like radio static, or distorted, unnatural frequencies. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Ryu didn't react at first. He simply stared at the statue as she finally heard the voice. It was honestly more like noise. Ryu blinked once, then twice. Then his demeanor physically tensed. "I know who this is," Ryu frowned, no, glared at the statue. "And I would of done more than just blast this mother fucker's head off." (edited)

11:42 AM

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie tensed a bit at Ryu's shift in demeanor. "Really? You know this guy? Who is it?" @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

"He's a Lifebringer. Yeonaixho was his name," Ryu explained. "He brought a bunch of people, including me, to one of his own tournaments, and made us fight. Albanes.. Yeonaixho was Albanes' father in my world, and now she's the Lifebringer in this one. What are the fucking chances," she said with a bemused laugh. "Albanes must of been the one to of done this to his statue. I'm surprised it's even up still." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh- wow. Do you know someone named Enya? She said she went to something that sounded like that- but that's off-topic." Kyrie hummed. "Wow- sorry you're back at another of these. I guess it confirms the theory that these are statues of the other Lifebringers." She glanced to the statue. "You think Albanes did this?" @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Ryu's posture relaxed a bit at the mention of Enya. "Yes, I do know her. I just spoke to her, actually. We're buds," she smiled faintly. "You think all of the statues are Lifebringers..? Well, I guess it'd make sense. And Albanes' relationship with her father is turbulent at best. I personally hate that guy." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I met her yesterday- she seems pretty chill." Kyrie nodded. "That's the theory- based mostly on the fact I don't know who else they'd be of." Kyrie shrugged. "Ahhh... makes sense. I haven't actually met Albanes, I spoke to the other guy before I got here." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

"Ah, I see. Yeah, that's my glowstone for ya. She's great," Ryu said about Enya before continuing on. "Ugh, the white-haired one? I hate it too. All the Lifebringers I've met have been unlikable. Even Albanes is different now," she huffed. "Regardless, I still can't tell what the hell this statue is saying. I don't even think it's saying anything. It just sounds like mumbled garbage.. which wasn't too different from what he used to talk about." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yeah... it was a creep to me. Gross." Kyrie hummed. "Guess being awful is part of the job description." "Yeah... the other ones speak in a language I don't know, but this one's different. I can't even really tell what sounds he's making. Weird." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Ryu raised a brow and glanced back towards Kyrie. "What did it do to you when you met them?" He asked, a slight tone of concern in his voice. "It honestly sounds like some sort of radio interference. I wonder if there's some way we can fix it or something.. maybe it has to do with the fact the statues head is missing? Maybe even ghosts need heads to speak." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Ahhh... it just made some weird comments about me being corvi, kinda freaked me out. I'm totally fine." Kyrie hummed. "Yeah.... I do think it's the head. I mean, that's the only difference between this one and the other ones that seem to actually talk." She glanced around, but couldn't find any conveniently placed statue heads in the brook. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

"Corvi..? Is that something to do with your wings?" Ryu asked with light, but curious voice. Though, she looked back at the statue with a sigh and held back to urge to finish the job of destroying it. "I don't really care for what this fucker has to say. I'm glad he's dead. If he somehow comes back, then I'll make sure to punch him again. I don't think it's worth looking for any pieces." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh, yeah, I'm a corvi crow, we're bird people." Kyrie explained. "All-right!" Kyrie hummed in reaction to Ryu's proclamation. "I do wanna figure out whatever the rest of the statues say, mostly out of curiosity, but that's a problem for another day, when we can find someone who knows what language they speak." Kyrie shrugged, and stepped fully out of the brook. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Ryu blinked as she looked over Kyrie's wings. She was getting an odd sense of deja-vu, but she smiled regardless. "That's rad, Ky. I guess you're quite the pretty bird then, huh?" Ryu chuckled. "I imagine the Lifebringers are the only ones who understand the garble the statues say. We could probably ask Albanes about them.. but for some reason, I doubt she'd be interested in translating for us," she hummed. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

A slight flush rose over Kyrie's cheeks. "Ah- yeah, I guess so," She laughed awkwardly. "Yeah.... Gale and I were thinking maybe there's a chance one of the other contestants knows the language they speak? It's a longshot, but I bet anyone else who's here would be more helpful than the Lifebringers." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

"Are there a lot more people like you where you're from..? I don't think I've ever met any Corvi before," he hummed and settled down on a nearby boulder, gesturing for Kyrie to join her. "I see.. Who's Gale? Another one of the contestants?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yeah, there's tons of Corvi- I think my murder has about two or three thousand members, and that's only one family group of crows." Kyrie explained, folding her wings against her back and joining Ryu on the boulder. "Yeah, Gale's another of the contestants, we met at the gala last night. She's the one I've been investigating the statues with, she's... pretty neat." Ryu would be able to very clearly tell Kyrie was blushing again. @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Ryu's eyes slightly widened. "Two or three thousand? That's gotta be one big ass family reunion every year," she chuckled. Though, Ryu's expression became a bit devious as she saw the blush on Kyrie's face. "Ah, is that so. She's 'neat', hm?" She chuckled. "I'd argue you're pretty neat yourself, pretty bird." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Hah- yeah, the majority are very distant relatives. We just like to keep track of each other." Kyrie laughed. "Mhm... thanks," Kyrie's blush deepened, and she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her pointer ear. "Ah, you're pretty good-looking yourself, handsome." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

"Mm.. I couldn't even manage. That's a lot of bodies being together. I have five people in my family, including me, and that's already more than enough," Ryu hummed. She gave Kyrie a charming smile and relaxed into her seat. "That's flattering to hear from someone as cute as yourself. I'm sure you hear that all the time though." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm... our murders are more like clans or small towns than the human familial concept- the actual family I live with is of a normal size, but yeah, I can understand how you feel that way. It is a lot of people." Kyrie laughed. She blushed more, and glanced away from Ryu. "Ahh... not actually that much. At least not from people I'd want to hear it from." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

"Ohhh, okay. That makes a little more sense now," Ryu nodded. She was putting the pieces together. Sorta. "How many people are in the family you live with then?" She asked before giving Kyrie a somewhat smug look. "Awhh.. I don't want to toot my own horn, but I'm hoping I'm one of those guys you like hearing it from." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Back when I actually lived in Corvi society, I lived with my grandparents, my parents, my siblings- I have two siblings from my own clutch and two younger siblings. We used to live with my aunts and some of my nieces and nephews, but they moved out to their own place when I was a teenager." Kyrie explained, quickly and enthusiastically, then drifted off. "Now, ah, I just live on my own." Ryu's comment seemed to cheer her up a bit. "Well... you're definitely not someone I'd dislike hearing it from." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Ryu listened intently to Kyrie, nodding her head as she did so. "Damn, even still, that's a lot of people in my opinion. It sounds like you guys are rather close though. You're just out and exploring the world now, right?" She asked with some optimism. And again, Ryu chuckled. "Awhh, shucks. You flatter me, Ky. If we weren't stuck in some life or death situation, I'd be tempted to ask you for coffee, but I'm not even sure if they have that here," Ryu joked. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"It's actually kinda small for a crow family, honestly." Kyrie laughed. "Yeahh... family's pretty important where I'm from. You kinda have to be close. I've been away for, uh.... extraordinary circumstances." She didn't elaborate what those circumstances were, exactly. "Awww... thanks." She laughed. "If they do have coffee, maybe I could make you something fancy. I work as a barista, I know how to make all sorts of coffees." @Aj | Invo + Ryunoske

Ryu tilted her head in a curious manner. "Extraordinary circumstances..?" She asked, then paused. "If you don't want to talk about it, I won't force you... but I'm a neutral person in anything that may of happened if you would like to say anything. Family can be difficult, I know," Ryu offered with a sympathetic voice. Though, she did smile a bit at the rest of Kyrie's words. "A barista, huh? I'd kill for a taste of your coffee. Whenever we get back from this hellhole, I'll take you up on that. What's your favorite thing to make?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Darcy walked along the brook after leaving the citadel. It was still rainy, but he'd decoded one statue and wanted to figure out the rest, and this was the only place he knew there was another. He couldn't seem to find the statue, though- it wasn't at the first part of the brook he found. So he walked along the stream with his robe done up like a hood, and hoped he'd find something useful at some point. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji didn’t really have a plan in mind after leaving the citadel’s walls, but while getting completely drenched in the rain is irritating enough, having to turn around back inside and walk past Kallum again is possibly more so. There’s really no cover here, so he’s half a mind to follow along the brook to try and find some, but an oddly partially-mysterious figure squinting at the water catches his attention. He comes up alongside them, trying as subtly as possible (read: not very) to get a glimpse at who it is, but he’s still unsure. “Looking for something?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Darcy definitely didn't know who it was- not in the rain, and not without his glasses. Thanks Naiyta. "Oh- uh, not particularly. Who's there?" @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“Ah, it’s.. It’s Kenji,” he says, a little bit surprised to hear Darcy, but mostly playing it off. “Sorry if I’m bothering you, I just didn’t expect to find anyone else outside.” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh, hello, Kenji!" Darcy waved. "You aren't bother me. I wasn't expecting to find anyone else, either- it's quite dismal out." He laughed. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“Good to hear,” Kenji chuckles. “And you could certainly say that again, that’s for sure. Better than stuck inside though I suppose.” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm. Nothing to do inside. At least there's things to look at out here. Take your mind off... everything." Darcy sighed. "How have you been faring?" @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

‘If only’, Kenji’s tempted to sigh. He doesn’t, though; instead carefully adjusting the mask on his face to wipe off some of the raindrops. “I’ve been…better,” he admits, still visibly somewhat tense. “Had some interesting conversations lately. Yourself?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I've... been alright, I guess. I knew both the people in the second fight last night... and one contestant in each of the other ones." Darcy sighed. "I'm really worried about Kal. He's a good friend of mine." A pause. "But I also talked to one of the haunted statues earlier." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Kenji sighs, “but I understand. Aarni was a very good friend of mine as well. I…also knew Asha, or— I guess she knew a different me. …I hope Kal’s alright after all that.” His expression shifts, slightly. “It was rough to watch.” The topic change is abrupt, but welcome. “Haunted statues?” Kenji repeats, frown deepening. “Like.. Actual ghosts??” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm.... I've been meaning to check on him, but... I don't know where he is. He wasn't in his room when I checked last night." Darcy sighed, his expression grim. "Oh, yes, very haunted. When you go up to them, you can hear their voices. Or, most people can. It took a while for me to hear it." Darcy hummed. "Have you seen any of the statues around? I spoke with the one in the ruins a bit north of here." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“They speak??” Kenji seems completely caught off guard by this, shaking his head slightly before continuing. “Okay, that’s… I haven’t really..paid them much attention, I guess, but there’s one around here somewhere I think? I saw it while talking with that tall man with wings but we..didn’t exactly end up talking about it.” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I'm actually looking for that one. Asha thought it was of someone she knew. Someone I know too, actually..." Darcy hummed in thought. "The statue in the north ruins is of Iydelan Dorosi, the third Lifebringer. Seki and I were actually able to have a bit of a conversation with her, or, her ghost, I guess." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“Are all of the statues former Lifebringers, or just that one?” He looks a little unnerved at the idea of talking to ghosts still. “I don’t..really know much about them, but I know Albanes had mentioned her mentor once or twice. She didn’t seem to like bringing it up.” A small pause. “Anyway, it might be a little farther back the way I came,” Kenji suggests. “I didn’t come out this far last time when I saw it.” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I'm not sure, I've only seen the one." Darcy admitted. "You know Albanes?" He began walking in the direction Kenji had come from, hoping he would follow. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji follows, not quite beside Darcy but just a half step behind. “Ah, I see. And yes, I didn’t mention that the first day? I’ve known her for quite a long time.” He seems, strangely, a lot more neutral about her than the first time they’d spoke. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Ah, I think you did mention her." Darcy remembered. "I've been so absentminded lately. She had a mentor, you say?" @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“No worries. I’ve been there,” Kenji chuckles. “But yes, she did. I…think his name started with a G? Or J, maybe. It only came up once or twice that I remember, to be honest—I never really pushed about it—but I do remember her mentioning he’d been around for a long time. Like, hundreds of years long.” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Ah. Hm." Darcy thought. "Longevity is a trait associated with the Lifebringer, though I don't think any of them had G or J names. In my world, Albanes was the daughter of a man named Yeonaixho, who claimed to be the Lifebringer." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“I suppose Albanes will have to deal with that eventually, then,” Kenji sighs. “I just hope it’s not too lonely for her.” The name is..oddly tugging at the back of his mind, but it doesn’t sound right. “Hmm. Maybe the Lifebringer before her was a different one then?” He squints ahead through the rain, a shape in the brook catching his eye. “I think that might be the statue there.” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm." Darcy replied. He had nothing to say about Albanes that was positive, and didn't want to insult her in front of Kenji- for his sake more than hers. "Could be. I think in my world, the last official Lifebringer was Ttakeqeri." "Ah, that does look like it." He peered ahead, having to squint to see it. "Wow, Asha was right. No head." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“Albanes was the only one I knew before this, so that’s possible to my knowledge,” Kenji shrugs. “The Lifebringer wasn’t known where I’m from save for her. Maybe her mentor wasn’t actually one. Or went by another name.” Kenji frowns as they approach, at what looks like a piece of a face in the statue’s hands. “Is that part of the head, do you think?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"The Lifebringer's not well known outside of the Loucari. I only know this much about it because I'm Verendi, and we used to be colonized by them." Darcy admitted. Darcy carefully waded into the water to inspect the statue. "Weird... it might be, it looks like it's made from the same kind of stone. Not that I'm a stone expert, or anything." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“…Ah.” Okay. Maybe he’ll cool it on the excess Lifebringer talk for a bit. Kenji grimaces (despite already being soaking wet from the rain) as Darcy enters the stream, and opts to stay on the edge of the bank for now. “Is it loose? If it’s attached it could’ve been made like that on purpose..” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Hm." Darcy picked up the piece in the statue's hands. A shrill , pained scream rang out as he did so, as if it was carried on the wind. Darcy instantly dropped the shard back into the statue's hands, and the scream stopped. "What was that?" @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji nearly jumps out of his skin, just barely catching himself before he can slip off the bank. “Someone around here?!” He can’t hear anything else, though, after Darcy returns the shard, and ultimately that forces him to consider that yes, it most likely did come from this allegedly-capable-of-speech statue. He looks back to it slowly with a half-hidden frown. “No, that’s. The..The other statue didn’t do anything like that, did it?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs (edited)

Darcy scanned the area as Kenji did. "There's no one else around... it must've been the statue." He looked back to the headless figure. "No, it didn't. I mean... there was nothing to move or take with that one- I guess, except for the sword, but.... nothing like that. Seki and I just heard a voice." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“Can you hear anything like that this time?” If Kenji’d been skeptical before, he’s definitely not now. “Did you..I don’t know, have to ask it something? Or did it just talk?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I can't hear anything..." Darcy frowned, and began looking around the statue. "With the other one, Seki could hear it before I did. It just... started talking, apparently." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“Me neither.” Kenji shifts awkwardly on the bank, half-tempted to get in the water himself and half hating the thought. “Could be this one just..doesn’t want to? Or it can’t? Maybe it needs its head to talk…” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"That's an idea. I remember Asha saying it talked, though... and it definitely didn't need a head to scream." "Hmpf." Darcy faced the statue, and waved where it's head was supposed to be. "Hello? Anyone in there?" @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji can’t help but stifle a small laugh at that. “Maybe no one’s home. Or the voice is just picky. Are you able to tell anything else about the statue at least?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Hm." Darcy frowned. "Well, Asha said it was Yeonaixho. Or, Juno, you might know him as, he apparently goes by that name too." Darcy frowned. "Asha knew him as a good friend, and I knew him as a cult leader who tried to steal my powers." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫 (edited)

That’s a lot of information all at once. “Juno, that’s— That’s what the name was. I’m pretty sure at least,” Kenji hums, head tilting slightly. “I.. don’t really know anything else about him, so I’m not sure how much help I can be if he—if it is him—doesn’t want to talk to us.” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Albanes's mentor?" Darcy asked. "That'd- that'd make a lot of sense actually, in my world Yeonaixho was Albanes's father." He frowned. "He was an awful person. Completely evil." "Hm. Maybe he recognizes us and doesn't want to chat." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji doesn’t really want to think about the implications of Albanes’s mentor being ‘completely evil’. He’s pretty sure he and Darcy are from different universes, though, so there’s that at least. “Maybe,” he chuckles faintly. “I wonder why he’s all the way out here, though? Seems a bit random for a fancy statue.” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"It is weird... the other one was at least in some kind of ruined structure. The brook seems a bit... random." Darcy frowned. "Maybe the people here don't like him, either. I mean, they did cut off his head." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“Yeah, that’s.. that’s pretty strong evidence for disliking him.” Kenji glances around the area with a bit of a more scrutinizing gaze. “I don’t really see anything else around here. Unless we’re missing something?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I don't either..." Darcy began to leave the brook... As he scanned the area, Kenji would begin to hear a soft voice on the wind. It was heavily distorted, intercut with what sounded like radio static, and completely unintelligible. But it was definitely a voice. It sounded deep, somewhat masculine. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji’s about to leave too—when out of nowhere the staticky voice cuts into his mind. It almost burns a little bit in his ears, leaving him stumbling on the slippery edge of the brook and ending up shin deep along the edge. “Wait— wait wait wait, Darcy, hang on—“ He’s already in the brook now, so he might as well… Kenji splashes his way over closer to the statue. “It’s— I can’t really tell but.. Did Asha say what the voice sounded like? There’s—“ He winces, slightly. “There’s something, I think.” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I think she mentioned something about it wailing in pain-" Darcy said, and quickly turned to Kenji. "Do you hear something? Can you tell me what it's saying- I might be able to translate." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“It’s— I have no idea, honestly,” Kenji says with a nervous laugh. It’s starting to poke at his headache again, and he really doesn’t seem to be enjoying that he’s the only one hearing it. “It just kind of sounds like flipping through radio channels. Mostly static?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh- weird." Darcy frowned. "Does it sound like more than one voice?" Kenji would only be able to pinpoint one specific voice. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“I don’t think so?” He’s quiet for a moment, trying to listen deeper, but ultimately to no avail. “I’m pretty sure it’s the same voice, it sounds…deep, I guess? But the static, no words, it.. it makes it so hard to tell..” That along with the headache, but he can deal with that bit later. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Huh. That's weird." Darcy frowned at the statue. "Yeonaixho's voice was a bit deep, I remember... but that's not really a lead." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji sighs. “No, I guess not. I mean…maybe it does have to do with the head missing. I can only hear a fragment of something, and there’s only a fragment left. The other one was whole, right?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"The other one was a complete statue, yes. And she definitely spoke clear words- they were just in Laecrish, the old Loucari language." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“That’s probably it then. I doubt we can get much more out of this one.” Just to cover all their bases, though, Kenji gives the statue and surrounding brook another close look to make sure they didn’t miss anything standing out. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"You're probably right." Darcy nodded, and scanned the brook with Kenji. "Hmm.... some of the rocks in the brook look like they're made of the same stone as the statue." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji squints behind the mask, but it’s hard for him to make out any similarities. “Which ones? Are there more head pieces, maybe?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I can't tell. It could be nothing." Darcy picked up a piece of stone, it looked like it'd been carved to resemble something, but whatever that something was wasn't discernible in just the single weathered shard. "Hm. Can you make anything of this?" He showed it to Kenji. It was patterned with deep, wavy grooves. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji takes the offered stone chunk, looking it over closely. “Ah, hair, maybe?” He guesses. “Or it could be some sort of fabric design, with the waves? I don’t think it really matches anything still on the statue..” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Maybe...." Darcy held the stone up to the statue, but couldn't find any obvious breaking point. "I don't think there's enough left in the brook too make the head, anyways." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“Hmm. Shame,” Kenji sighs, moving towards the edge of the brook. It’s starting to get a little too chilly. “I guess this one might have to stay a mystery… If it really is meant to be Juno, I’m not sure who would be willing to talk about it.” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm.... I think the only person here with anything positive to say about him was Asha, and well..." Darcy scanned the statue and frowned. @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Well indeed. Kenji falls silent for a moment, focused on climbing out of the brook without slipping, then says, “If there’s more statues, maybe those will be more helpful than this one. Or— I’m not sure if helpful is the right word, but maybe interesting, at least.” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"The other one I saw was more interesting." Darcy said, and began to climb out of the brook. "Though, honestly, I think I've had enough of spooky statues for now." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

“Can’t say I disagree with you,” Kenji chuckles. “I think I might go look for some dryer clothes then. I’ll see you around?” @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"... same." Darcy pulled his wet shirt away from his chest and frowned at how sopping it was. "I'll see you around. It was nice talking to you again, Kenji. Thanks for your help with the statues." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"... same." Darcy pulled his wet shirt away from his chest and frowned at how sopping it was. "I'll see you around. It was nice talking to you again, Kenji. Thanks for your help with the statues." @em || enya 💥 + kenji 🌫

Kenji smiles, genuinely. “You too. Let me know if you find anything else out.” He leaves the brook with a small wave as he heads back to the citadel.

... Madelyn walked for a time, her mind instantly going blank as she left Raikal. She had gotten out.. but what was she doing now? She walked and walked and walked, until she ended up by the brook. This seemed nice. She sat down and watched the water go by, looking for any salamanders or frogs that might be swimming along it.

2

After running through every spear formation she knew, ten times each, Kyrie decided more training wasn't going to help her any. Especially if she exhausted herself. She took to the skies, floating above the citadel. She'd always liked doing that- it was almost therapeutic, being able to distance herself from the cause of her worries. She descensended by the brook, the weird statue once again drawing her attention, and landed on the shore. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Seems she wasn't alone by the brook. There was a certain half skeleton half hiker woman sitting on the rocks along the water, scanning the ripples as they went by. She didn't seem to notice the Corvi, too entranced by the flowing water.. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"What the-" Kyrie yelped as she noticed the ghost, jumping back a bit. "UH- hello?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Shhhhhh." The woman scolded, not moving from her position. "You're going to scare them away." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie shut up, and stayed a healthy distance from the ghost woman. "Scare what away?" She whispered back. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"The... the amphibians." She said. "I've been waiting to see them." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie peered into the water. There were just fish and rocks. "There's just fish and rocks." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"You've only been looking for ten seconds. They'll be here. This is the perfect habitat for salamanders." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie narrowed her eyes. "Sure. How long have you been waiting?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"..." The woman paused for a moment. "A while. But they'll be here." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Seems like a long time to wait for some salamanders." Kyrie muttered, but settled down on the shore. She needed to take a break, anyways. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Then you don't understand how to appreciate herping. Sometimes it takes a while. But then you can see something beautiful." The woman stuck her hand in the water, which was not at all disturbed. "Do you like amphibians?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Herping. Hah." Kyrie repeated with a slight chuckle, and watched as the woman's hand went through the water. Weird. "Uh, I'm neutral. Too slimy for me, I guess." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"What's so funny about what I said?" She finally turned her head back to look at Kyrie, revealing her half skeletanized face and missing eye. "And not all amphibians are slimy. Like some toads, for example." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"It's a silly sounding word." Kyrie shrugged. "And all the amphibians I've ever eaten are slimy. And that's the main interaction I've had with them." "Hey, are you a ghost, by chance?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

She glared before looking back down to the water. "Yes. I think so. I was released from the citadel." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs (edited)

"Huh. Do you know the ghosts in the statues?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"... The ghosts in the what?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"The statues. Y'know." Kyrie pointed to the headless statue a ways down in the brook. "Like that guy." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

She spared a glance over at the fancy rock. "I have no clue who that is. It's not an amphibian." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

".... fair enough." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Why is there a ghost in it." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I don't know. Maybe because it's weird and spooky and doesn't have a head?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Well I have a head and I'm a ghost." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"... well, there's a ghost in that statue." Kyrie shrugged. "I've heard it." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"And you think I can talk to it." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs (edited)

"I mean, maybe? I just asked if you knew it." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

".. What did the ghost say?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I couldn't really hear the words. It was like he was talking on the phone and we had a really bad connection." Kyrie hummed. "Maybe you'd be able to make sense of it, since you're a ghost too." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"What do I get out of it. I'm happy to sit right here." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I don't know. I was just saying." Kyrie shrugged. "The other statue ghosts spoke a language I don't know, so that one's probably the same." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"I only remember how to speak English." She said with a neutral tone. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Hm." Kyrie said, sounding equally neutral. "The only other language I know is Corvling. And that's definitely not what the statues are speaking." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"I've never even heard of that language. Does it have something to do with you being half bird." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yeah, Corvling's the corvi language." Kyrie nodded. "I used to speak it more when I lived in actual corvi society." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Can you use it to talk to birds." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Uh.... not really. It's meant to be used in our human forms. I can talk with other crows when I'm in my bird form, though." Kyrie shrugged. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Are the other crows just normal crows. Or people crows like you." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Most of the crows I talk with are other corvi like me. Though, I can also talk with regular crows." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

The ghost glared down at the water, and smacked it with no effect. "Of course you can. It seems like everyone but me can talk to animals... stupid.." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Uh. Sorry?" Kyrie frowned. "I can help you talk to crows if you want." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Are there even crows here." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yeah, I've seen some around. Lots of seagulls too, but I can't talk to those guys." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Birds were just about as far as possible from what she really wanted to talk to. "What do crows talk about." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Crow stuff, I don't know. Food, dangers, cool flying tricks." Kyrie shrugged. "Pretty much what you'd expect crows to talk about." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

".. That's interesting. Crows are pretty smart. You'd think they'd talk about more things than basic survival needs. And flying." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Maybe the ones I've talked to aren't the most chatty." Kyrie shrugged. "Sometimes we talk about different cool rocks we find. I love cool rocks." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"There's cool rocks in the stream. Maybe you can move them for me. Maybe that's where the salamanders are." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie didn't have much to loose by accomplishing this task. "Sure." She waded into the stream a bit, and began moving rocks around carefully. Still no sign of salamanders. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Well, no salamanders.. but Madelyn watched closely to see if any invertebrates came up from the rocks. If there was no bugs, there would be no amphibians either. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

There weren't any bugs either. Weird. Kyrie kept looking around to determine which rock is the coolest. "Weird. There aren't any bugs or worms or anything..." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Hm. Well there's no bugs here. No wonder there's nothing else." Madelyn huffed and stood up. "We need to find the bugs first, that's what's stopping the salamanders from colonizing this section of riffle." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie set all the mostly-boring rocks down and stood. "Yeah.... Hey, maybe I can talk to the local crows and ask them where all the bugs are. They'd probably know that." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Yes.. that may work. And you can tell me what they say." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie stepped back and extended her wings out. "We'll have to go find them. If I fly off, will you be able to follow me? I'll fly slow and low to the ground so you won't loose sight of me." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Hm. I have to walk. And when I'm not with people I usually forget what I'm doing. You'll have to stay close." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Alright. I can work with that." Kyrie hummed. In a dark flash, she transformed into her crow form, and flew a bit towards the fields- making sure not to go too far without Madelyn. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Madelyn watched as she transformed with a slight glare. She should be able to do that!!! Regardless of her petty jealousy, she kept up behind Kyrie.. Most of the time. Occasionally something would catch her attention, and she'd start to veer off course. Usually when she saw another prime salamander spot. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Whenever Madelyn drifted off course, Kyrie would return to her and caw a bit to catch her attention. Eventually, they reached a small rock formation where a group of crows were hanging out. Kyrie approached them, and had some kind of conversation communicated entirely in bird sounds. Sorry Madelyn. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Madelyn stood nearby, and tried to decipher the bird noises.. She would learn their language! If it's the last thing she did here! @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

All Madelyn would be able to make of it were various caws. It'd make absolutely no sense. After a while, Kyrie left the other crows and transformed back into her human form. "Those were weird crows- they talked like robots, or- like someone pretending to be a crow. It was weird. Anyways, they said there aren't any bugs here." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Yeah, she got nothing from that. "Hm. What if you kill one of the crows to study it. Maybe it isn't a real crow." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"What? No! I'm not killing a random crow!" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"But how will you know otherwise?" Madelyn asked. "Sometimes things have to die so we can learn. I'd do it for you if I could. Maybe these birds are spies or whatever." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Then I'll just have to be content without knowing. This isn't information that's worth the life of a crow." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

".. Hmpf. You're so uncurious.." She crossed her arms over her chest. "Do you not kill any birds, or just crows?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I don't like murder, believe it or not." Kyrie crossed her arms, mirroring Madelyn. "Ehh.... I wouldn't kill any corvids, definitely not any crows. Seems a bit too.... violent. Too close to home. But other birds, I'm more neutral on. I'd only kill them if I absolutely had to, though." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Despite all her violence, Madelyn had only ever really killed two people.. and they did have it coming. "Do you ever eat bird meat, or would that be half cannibalism." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Sometimes. From smaller birds. Sparrow meat is actually a delicacy in some of the crow murders." Kyrie hummed. "But I like eggs more than like, full grown birds." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Sparrows are pretty small though. Is that even enough for a meal." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"It is when you're crow sized." Kyrie pointed out. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Hm. When you transform back in to a human- would you be hungry then? Because your crow sized stomach would suddenly be enlarged to a human sized one?" Madelyn reached for a notebook that she didn't have, before sighing and stepping closer to Kyrie. Her eye was sparkling with interest.. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie shifted awkwardly, putting a hand behind her head. "Uh, depends on when I transform. If I transform right after I eat something big I'll feel sick, first of all- but if I wait a few hours I'll feel fine, maybe a bit hungry but otherwise okay." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Interesting.. interesting.." Madelyn hummed. "I was studying amphibs back when I was alive- amphibians that can turn in to people in the right circumstances. I think you be similar. I guess there are more groups of use animal people than I predicted." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Amphibian people, huh..." Kyrie hummed. "Are they born as amphibians or humans?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"They are born as amphibians!" Madelyn smiled and leaned in closer. Kyrie had made a mistake with this active listening. She would never shut up. "They spend the first few years of their lives purely in their amphibian form, and across the different societies there's some different practices, but it's usually about five years old when they finally turn human. But not all of them can- and that also varies by society preferences and their current ruler." "They usually spend their lives mostly in their amphibian forms, but some venture out in to human society! A lot of salamanders do, they've established pretty well in certain countries. The least seen are the caecilians, I only ever met with one." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh, neat!" Kyrie seemed actually interested in this. "That's kinda like us- we're born as birds and then transform when we're toddlers. I was a late bloomer, I didn't transform til I was four." "Caecilian..." Kyrie repeated, the word unfamiliar on her tongue. "What's that?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Did most animal-people societies work like this? "Caecilians are a little-seen group of amphibians that look like worms. They have no legs. They are also blind or have very limited vision, since they live underground." Madelyn explained. "The caecilains as an amphib group also live underground most of the time, and don't interact much with the other groups. They are the most neutral group, having never participated in any wars or ever had branches split off from them.." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh, weird! I didn't know amphibians could live underground." Kyrie said. She seemed interested, if a little lost. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Yes, they're the last group I learned about.. The one I met was certainly peculiar, but nice." Madelyn said. "Every group was so unique.. I wish I spent more time with each one. Most were weary of me being around, and my research trips had to stay short, so I never got to truly live it out." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Ah, yeah..." Kyrie hummed, now a bit awkward. Was it rude to ask a ghost how they died? Probably. "And now you're stuck here too..." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"I don't want to talk about this stupid place, there's not even simple salamanders here." Madelyn huffed. "Do you have any other questions about the amphibs?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Uhh... do they have amphibian traits even in their human forms?" Kyrie asked. "Cause we corvi have our wings and stuff." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Yes!" Madelyn smiled again. "Each group exhibits different traits, which is fascinating since some are very closely related yet have entirely different presentstions.. In each group the eyes look more like their amphibian form if they are frequently in their animal form, but it starts to look more human the longer they keep that form. The skin of the caecilians also matches their base forms, regardless of his long they stay human, and they are blind." "The frogs and toads have necklaces with their amphibian legs on them, have hair that matches their amphibian skin tones, and have internal anatomy similar to their base forms..." "The salamanders and newts have tails in their human forms that match their base ones." "Most interesting are the axolotls, which have their external gills coming out of their heads, despite them being salamanders! I don't quite understand how they differ from the salamanders to cause this change, but they really don't like the salamanders, so they must have done something to separate themselves from it.."

11:53 AM

@innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh, wow...." Kyrie hummed. "All the corvi have the same animal feature- wings and feathers and all that, and our eyes get like this-" she gestured to her own eyes, "when we're blessed by the Nightwatcher when we become adults." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Madelyn wanted to just keep talking about the amphibs, but there was a little voice in the back of her head that was nagging at her. Something about not taking over a conversation. Even if you thought it was not as interesting as what you wanted to talk about. ".. Who is the Nightwatcher?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"The Goddess of the night. And watching. She made the corvi, like, thousands and thousands of years ago." Kyrie explained. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

That felt like it explained nothing. The alien gods the amphibs talked about were simple. "How did one person create all the Corvi." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Well, she's a goddess. They can do that." Kyrie wasn't the most religious bird in the world, so her explanations were pretty vague. "Depending on who you ask, she either turned a bunch of birds into humans or a bunch of humans into birds." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Why though." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Well, the story goes, the Nightwatcher was in some kind of trouble with another god, the god of flame and purity or something like that, and it imprisoned her somehow and tried to take over her domain. But she was saved by her followers, who freed her and helped her defeat the other god. Those who lived were rewarded and turned into the very first Corvi, and all of us now are their descendants." Kyrie explained. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Hm. A lot of gods.." Madelyn mumbled. "How many original Corvi were there?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I'm not sure. I'd think there'd have to be a lot, though." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Yes.. a lot. At least five hundred organisms are needed in a species to keep genetic diversity high. Do the Corvi usually keep to their own smaller groups?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yeah, we usually keep within our own family groups. I'm from one of the larger crow families, the Coalfoot murder. I think there's around two or three thousand of us? Anyways, we very rarely came across crows from other murders unless people were getting intermarried or something. Much less the other kinds of corvi like Ravens and Rooks and whatnot, though their family groups tend to be much smaller." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Two or three thousand... Hm. "Your group is probably fine, but if those smaller groups keep everything in the family, well.. They probably won't be around for much longer. They'd basically all be cousins." Madelyn said. "They should branch out sometimes to keep the populations healthy. Even two to three thousand isn't very high, especially for animals that behave more like humans.." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie's brow furrowed. "Okayyyyy. I haven't seen a raven in like ten years, but the next time I do I'll pass on your... mating advice." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"I'm just saying. From a scientific standpoint.." Madelyn shrugged. "And it wasn't mating advice. That's different. I don't know enough about bird mating to give advice. I know about frog mating though." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Yeah- whatevever." Kyrie crossed her arms. "Can you, like, stop talking about us like we're animals you're trying to study? We're people. We have a society. Most of us live over half our lives in our human forms." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Hm?" Madelyn thought for a moment. She felt like she had had this discussion in the past... With who? "But you are an animal. You're born as a crow." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I'm a crow. I'm also a person. I shouldn't have to defend my sapience to you, especially when it's none of your business." Kyrie's brow furrowed. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"I'm just a curious person." Madelyn shrugged and sat back down along the stream shore. "I can't force you to do anything, I can't even touch you. You've answered all my questions of your own free will." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Kyrie let out a huff, "Well, good luck with your salamanders." She said briskly, and abruptly took off into the sky without another word. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

As soon as she was gone, Madelyn's mind wandered... and settled on staring at the water, waiting for some creature that would never show up. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Eugh. Somehow, trying to find Naiyta was harder than finding- finding basically anything else. It was like it just up and disappeared as soon as they set foot in the dorms. Ace had practically spent the entire day searching for Naiyta- but for some reason, it was like it just up and disappeared as soon as they set foot inside the dorms. They were gone. Completely missing- which would normally be preferred, except for this specific instance. Darcy's punishment had to have been up at this point...right? *Ai, but what if it was still going? Darcy wasn't...fragile by any means, but seeing as they were all in a death tournament? Ah, not the best. They groaned quietly, feeling their back prickle as they stretched. They really were not looking forward to going up to the temple, especially this late at night. ...The water was cooling, though. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Ace would begin to hear the soft playing of a flute, and in the distant, dusky, light, there was a figure. On the other side of the brook, Naiyta sat upon a rock, playing their flute in a light, melancholic melody. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Subconsciously, their fingers twitched at the first quiet notes of the flute, and they tangled their fingers into the fabric of their robe. They were absolutely not taking out their bow now. ...Huh. Did they miss Naiyta sitting there before? Ace stood there, a bit...surprised to see Naiyta out here, and did a brief one-over of the surrounding area. Dark. Unsettling. Not the best place to meet them, but it was either here or up in the temple, so. They were silent for a few moments as it played it's flute, mentally sorting through their words again. After a moment, he began to carefully pick his way across the brook, waiting for a lull in the music to speak. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Naiyta continued playing- it was clear they had noticed Ace, their cold gaze caught his for a few moments- without stopping. It waiting for him to make the social misstep and interrupt. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

They felt the hairs on the back of their neck rise as Naiyta met their gaze, and they nearly- nearly -slipped on the stepping stone. Damn. They were forgetting their words again. Right. Request to take half of Darcy's punishment for himself. It wasn't too hard. It wasn't hard. It really wasn't that hard. Ah. But now, knowing everything that Roman had told him, it was an absolute challenge to be civil and...collected. "Naiyta," Ace finally said, stopping not too far from where it sat. Ah, damn. Social blunder. Absolutely fell for it. "I've been looking for you." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Naiyta lowered their instrument, and smiled. "Can I help you?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"I- yes, actually. Roman informed me of Darcy's punishment, and I was wondering if I could take half of it for myself." They definitely didn't smuggle bread and oranges into their room before they got here. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Oh." Naiyta smiled. "Well, unfortunately, you're a bit too late for that." They shrugged. "Those sorts of things have a time limit. I'm sure Raikal instructed you to be timely, didn't they?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Raikal. Raikal. Right. "I see," Ace simply said, fighting to keep the flatness out of their voice. "That's rather unfortunate." "...They did inform me, yes." They...weren't too keen on getting Roman into any more trouble. Raikal? Roman. "It's my mistake." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm. It is. But Darcy's punishment is complete now. If he stays out of trouble, he won't ever have to go through that again." It smiled. "Is there anything else I can help you with?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"...Understood." They had no intention of tricking Darcy to go back into Roman's blood dimension- it wasn't like they wanted to go back, either. It was a bit relieving to hear that Darcy's punishment was over, especially since they'd been a major reason of why it happened in the first place. "I see that Roman...goes by Raikal now?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Naiyta's smile widened. "Yes. They do. I think the name suits her much better, don't you?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Mm. Unsettling. Bad. Bad. Not good. That smile was making them wildly uncomfortable. "Yes, it does," they lied. Hm. Roman...transitioned...too? Shit. "I don't believe I've heard a name like that before. It's very nice." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"It's a corvi name. A rook name, to be precise." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Corvi. They knew a bit about that. A little bit. "What exactly is a rook, if you don't mind me asking?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"A type of corvid." Naiyta said plainly. "They look a lot like crows, but with white beaks and more bluish feathers." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"I...hm. That makes sense." He certainly hadn't seen them before, especially if he were asking this now. "I, ah, didn't know that...Raikal had transitioned. Or that they were a corvi, either." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Now you do." They shrugged. "And it's forgivable you didn't notice. It's not the most obvious fact- not yet, anyways." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ace paused for a moment, brows furrowed together in immense worry. "Ah...not- not yet?" ...Right. Didn't Roman say it wanted to give him wings? @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I'm helping them.... explore the more physical parts of their heritage." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Mhm," they hummed, lightly tapping a finger against their side. Play dumb. Would Roman get in trouble if he mentioned the wings? "Hm. I had no idea that sort of...physical exploration could be possible. I assume you meant by their talisman, yes?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I am the Lifebringer," Naiyta shrugged. "I can accomplish things impossible for you mortals." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Ace squinted a little bit, more out of disdain than disbelief. "Do these accomplishments include realm-merging and whatnot, or is that past the scope of body modification and power-sealing?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Realm-merging?" Naiyta raised an eyebrow. "And what makes you ask that?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"I spoke with Albanes as she healed me last night," Ace simply said with a little shrug. "I only wanted to know of the motives of each host." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Mhm. I see." Naiyta hummed. "And what, by chance, did she tell you about her motivations?" @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

Eugh. Conversations were normally so easy for him. What gives. "Mm. Albanes said she was here to protect the Fold." And to prevent you from getting into it. "As is her responsibility to protect the souls of the living and the deceased." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Hm. Figures she would describe it that way." Naiyta hummed. "Albanes has made a grave error in making an enemy of me. I will right the errors she's made, no matter what I have to do to do it." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"Was the...'realm-merging' an accurate statement?" they cautiously asked. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"The 'realm-merging' is what's going to happen if she doesn't comply. It's not a threat of mine, it's an inevitability. And it's something I'd like to avoid happening if at all possible. Hence, the tournament." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"...Mm. I believe you briefly mentioned this during the gala," Ace hummed. "From what I've heard, your aim is to retrieve a soul from the Fold, correct?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"A soul that does not belong there." Naiyta nodded. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"And so you're killing us contestants in order to, what. Guilt Albanes into releasing it somehow?" Wait, who told him what information again. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"No. Though, I won't pretend she doesn't deserve to feel guilty about what she's done." It shrugged. "I'm using you all to get into the fold." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

"...You're using us to get into the Fold." They figured Albanes should also feel guilty, though it was probably for a different matter than what Naiyta was talking about. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I am." Naiyta nodded. "You're a clever one, aren't you?" They mocked. @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

,mm. Ace was definitely frowning now. Bristling, almost. "How exactly does killing us lead to retrieving that soul? The contestants are dead." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"Well, I need to get to the fold to retrieve the soul." Naiyta shrugged. "Think of it as... me hitching a ride on your souls." @Kip | Ace 🏹 / Ellie 📷

It made sense that Roman and Naiyta's words lined up- they practically had the same plan. (Almost had the same plan.) "I see. I assume it hasn't been very...fruitful as of now," Ace said after a moment. "May I ask, who exactly is this...soul, that if they remain in the Fold will cause even realms to merge?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Raikal, still unfamiliar in Seki's body, stumbled over to the brook. They kneeled by the water, and cupped some of it in their hands. @Twig | Seki / Aarni

"Good job! You found it! Smells fresh." Seki looked at the reflection in the water. Thank goodness for the mask, or else it would be easy to tell something was wrong with the Eeveon. "One thing I don't quite understand. Why did Naiyta keep you cooped up in the temple all this time? Just for company?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

6:27 AM

(spoilers for Seki's thoughts, no trigger warnings unless specifically mentioned)

Albanes came down to the brook. Her gaze lingered on the statue for only a moment- she was looking for a different dead person today. She scanned the surrounding area for Madelyn... @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Albanes wouldn't have to look long, or maybe the odor that always existed around the ghost led her straight there, but she would find Madelyn sooner than later. She was standing in the brook, feet not disturbing the flow around her at all. Her outfit was dry, besides for the black sludge that seemed to drip from her chest and in to nothing. She was crouched down with her hands around a rock, repeatedly trying to flip it over to no effect. She didn't notice Albanes approaching. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes took in a breath to prepare herself- she was not ready to have this conversation. She made her way to where Madelyn stood in the brook, not minding the odor or the sludge, and crouched down on the bank in front of her. Her hand went to the ring she wore on a chain around her neck. "Uhm. Hey, Madelyn. It's been a while." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

The moment she registered her voice, Madelyn paused in her tracks. The water rushed by her, and the sound of it flowing against the rocks was the only thing that filled the void of silence. Without saying anything else, Madelyn stood and started to speedily walk away down the brook. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes got up- with a bit more effort, and followed Madelyn, still staying on the shore. "Madelyn, please. It's been so long. I just want to talk. I don't know why you're avoiding me." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Madelyn remained silent, but her shoulders did tense a bit. She turned toward the opposite side of the brook from Albanes and crossed to the shore. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes didn't cross the brook yet. "I just want to talk. I'm sorry, Madelyn, I really am. But I just want to talk with you. Please." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

As Madelyn stepped out of the water, she glanced back at Albanes over her right shoulder. "You.. Drop the act with me, Albanes. You know I hate this." Madelyn said quietly, slightly glaring. "The Lifebringer... It disgusts us. Drop it." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"The... act?" Albanes's brow furrowed. "I'm not putting on any act. I want to speak honestly with you." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"The act.. Yes. You.. You're PRETENDING!" Madelyn's glare deepened as she looked over Albanes, and she looked away from her again. "You wouldn't do this. You're not this stupid. You love me. You wouldn't do this. You're pretending to be the Lifebringer for some reason. The Lifebringer hates me. You are supposed to love me." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I do love you, Madelyn! I love you more than I love anyone or anything else in the world!" Albanes put a hand to her chest. "But I- I'm not lying, or pretendending. About anything. I am the Lifebringer now." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Madelyn moved a shaking hand up to her chest as well, over the gaping hole. I am the Lifebringer now. In her mind, flashes of memory were coming through. Things she hadn't contemplated in a long, long time.. A knife, those glowing gold veins, that metallic hum, pacing back and forth in that disgustingly sterile hospital hallway all day because she would be a "contamination hazard" to be too close during the surgery, the first time Albanes had come home after recovery..

"You pathetic, depraved bag of decaying flesh. You will never be anything but the rotting corpse you are now. You will never be good enough to even stand near my host."

"You're so funny." Madelyn said, in a quavering tone. She couldn't stand to face Albanes at this moment. She was scared that what she said may just be true. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I still love you, Madelyn. I'll never stop loving you." Albanes closed her fist over the ring, holding it right. "I just want to talk. Please." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"Talk about what, Lifebringer. Talk about how disgusting I am? How I'll never been good enough for Albanes? That I'll never be more than a rotting corpse?" "I guess it was right about everything it said back then. I wasn't enough for you." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"It's not like that!" Albanes protested. "Madelyn, you don't understand. You were gone. Persis was gone. Everyone I knew was dying and all of it, everything we had built together, was falling apart. Do you know what it felt like? You died in my arms. Do you know what it felt like to lose you? I can't let you go again. Please. I just want to keep you safe. Please, let me keep you safe." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Persis That was a name she hadn't thought about in a while. "Do you know what it feels like now, to see you abandon everything WE worked toward?" Madelyn spun back to face her, anger and sadness contorting her face. "Sorry that I DIED! Sorry that I wasn't good enough to save Persis! He worked so hard for Albanes, he supported you so much... He supported US so much! We were so happy and relieved that we got you back with a real heart, and here you are, ruining EVERYTHING!" "You CAN'T keep me safe as the Lifebringer, the only thing that parasite ever wanted was to destroy me!" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I'm not abandoning anything! I'm-" She took in a heavy breath, and tried to calm herself down. "I'm trying to make things right. I'm really just trying to make things right. I'm sorry! Is that what you want to hear? I'm sorry that I made a stupid, grief-motivated, irreversible decision because I had nothing left! I'm sorry I don't want to lose you again." "I can. I promise I can keep you safe. I'm in control of it now." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"You abandoned everything the moment you accepted the Lifebringer again." Madelyn stated plainly. "I don't want your apologies. We got rid of the Lifebringer once, if you're really you, we can do it again." "I don't want to be 'purified', or repent, or to face your wrath. I want my Albanes back." "That's all I've ever wanted. Just you." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs (edited)

"I never wanted to abadon you. I still love you. I still love you." Albanes repeated. "I don't know if we can go back. I don't know if it's too late. But if I could, I would in a heartbeat." A heartbeat. Of course. "I don't want to purify you, or make you repent- I just want to keep you safe. This place isn't meant for you, Madelyn. You aren't safe here. I want to take you somewhere where you can be safe." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"You said you don't know. So it's possible you can. You just don't know for sure." Madelyn said and took a step backwards from Albanes. "I can't trust anything you say or do. Not as long as you're not Albanes. The Lifebringer would never want to keep me safe." @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

"I am Albanes. I never stopped being myself." Albanes followed Madelyn, stepping into the water to get to her. "This place isn't safe for you. Madelyn, do you really want to be stuck here any longer?" @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

Madelyn stepped back further from the water, shaking her head. "No- get away from me!" She shouted, dark tendrils flaring up at her feet. They curled around her defensively, not that they would be able to affect Albanes at all... "How is this place not safe for me? Shouldn't YOU control it, as Lifebringer? Clearly you can't, or clearly you've changed, because you let that other Lifebringer torture our family. And strangers. I witnessed it so many times while I was STUCK in those STUPID hallways! Was that your smart idea? To keep me cooped up inside for months? Do you think that made me happy?" @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs (edited)

Albanes stalled where she was. "There's only so much I can do here. Naiyta controls everything. Please, just let me take you to the Immaterial Fold." @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

"You're not taking me ANYWHERE, Lifebringer! Just- just leave me alone! At least Naiyta was kind enough to let me outside and leave me alone!" Madelyn shook her head and turned from Albanes fully. "If I can't have my Albanes back, I don't want anyone at all! Especially not YOU!" And with that, she took off running. @innsjo | kyrie🪶+ darcy🖋+npcs

Albanes sighed, and took in a heavy, deep breath. She followed where Madelyn had run off to, though kept a walking pace. @Mads | Roman 🥁 Asha 🎆 ? 🪱

kenji doesn't know shit

cansu investigates the statue

ace's magic blood

is that JUNO?

brook flirting

pathetic men look at the statue

worm and crow women

ace and naiyta chat

raikal says hydrate or diedrate

til death do us part