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erku mods ([personal profile] erkumods) wrote in [community profile] ercookies2021-08-16 05:01 pm
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TDM 016 & 4th WALL EVENT: NO WALLS BETWEEN US

TDM 016 & 4th WALL EVENT: NO WALLS BETWEEN US



00. An Arrival and a Broken Wall?!






You should be coming out of the water, the Nameless Island's own inherent energy drawing people in. It's like being suspended between realities and abruptly pushed from behind through a rift in dimensions. It may make you sick, or that might be the motion of the ocean, lifting you to the surface and carrying you to shore.

Waterlogged and covered in sand, new arrivals should be greeted by robots who welcome them with towels and bracelet devices. The A5 card already loaded up, and if you don’t manage to get away from them quickly enough, they should usher you toward the Laid Bare Spa, where new arrivals will be offered free massages, a sauna, hairstyling, and their clothing may come up permanently missing. But you should be given a complimentary towel to leave with if needed!

Should. That’s how things are for newbies - and maybe today, some newbies will arrive the usual way. Others might be surprised to hear that there is another "you"... already here! If and when you finally meet this other "you," there's simply no way to agree on who the so-called real version is. Your histories may be the same or they may be wildly divergent, but those little differences don't change the fact that you are who you say you are. Some islanders might even find themselves running into a much older or younger version of themselves. Duplicates and doppelgangers, you say? People who look and sound familiar but are just a little bit off? What strange anomalies have washed up from the ocean!

On the other hand, maybe you’re not new here at all, or so you think. You’ve definitely been on this Island for months already. You can't exactly remember what you were doing here before, but you have the modest home and personal effects to prove that you existed. You’ve always been someone who greets new arrivals at the shore. You know very well how things work on the island, and how many of the buildings are abandoned and in dire need of repair. You know that beyond the city lingers a thick fog that obscures much of the wilderness from view. Wander too far into this fog, and you will find yourself mysteriously looping back to where you began, your memories of what you were doing and how you got there erased. You know all of this.

You’ve already claimed a place to live in the now, whether a rundown apartment in the City, a tent on the beach, a bed in the barracks, or your own space at the House of Worship.

You’re a veteran at this by now.

Aren’t you?



I. A WHOLE NEW YOU






The fog has thickened off the shores of the Island and in the areas that have still been obscured. So thick that it looks not unlike the heavy clouds of the recent storm. But late into the night and early into the morning, the fog seems to encroach on the Nameless City even more, blinding and catching Islanders traveling through in areas normally free of its effects. Anyone who gets caught in the especially heavy mist might find themselves suffering from more than just the usual amnesia.

The fog no longer only takes memories, but can also alter your memories... and you. You may forget your time on the Island. You may forget your life before. But you’ll remember something else. You’ll remember a life entirely different as if you lived it yourself: you are a merperson who has always lived here, in the waters around the Island. Those grand underwater cities look like ancient ruins to others, but to you? You still see them as beautiful and palatial as the day they were built. You are a Native whose memories are fuzzy, but you certainly remember living your entire life here in great happiness and luxury. And once you step out of the mist, you might even find yourself physically changed to match what you recall, with fins or tentacles and gills to allow you breathe beneath the waves. You might be completely transformed, or just enough to make life underwater as easy as it's ever been.

Someone else attempting to free you of these delusions will find that the more they try to force you to remember your true life, the more real and convincing your undersea life begins to feel. You must embrace this new (old?) life, embrace this new you in all ways and live it to its fullest. Completing Auspicious Acts will help bring out glimpses, hints, flashes of memory and recognition that perhaps this is not who you once were, and allow you to return to your former self. But the longer you take to embrace this, the harder it might be to let go. Some of these changes could become permanent.



II. LET XXX BE YOUR GUIDE






Things have been strange, not just for the people of the Island, but the robots as well. The typically welcoming robots that offer their assistance in guiding new arrivals or encouraging Islanders to visit the various locations seem to be scarce. There are fewer of them running around the entertainment district and other establishments. To ensure that new arrivals continue to have a pleasant Island experience, robots will be recruiting Islanders as mentors and guides: mentor guides, if you will! Volunteers will lead other Islanders around the Island as a means of helping them become better acquainted with the locations available here for your fun and entertainment, and they will be rewarded with credits for their hard work. Guides and sightseers alike could be someone fresh and new to the Island, someone who insists they’ve been here for years, or even someone that a robot randomly dragged off the street.

Mentor guides will all receive a very form-fitting and revealing uniform - no two are the same! - and, of course, a glossy paper map of all of the available sights on the Island. The pictures are big and detailed, and cute sex toy icons point out various key sights such as the recreation center, the bath house, and the library. There are even suggestions for which Auspicious Acts are the best for each location! Strangely, none of the maps list the same suggestions, so each map encourages its own unique experience.

Mentees will also find that their mentor’s voice is very appealing. So appealing that just listening to them speak is enough to get you feeling some kind of way. The more they talk, the more of a reaction you have. Your body begins to burn or itch and it’s very hard to pay attention to their words when thoughts about all the things you could be doing to them instead keep coming to your mind. The only way to relieve these thoughts might be to make your mentor stop talking altogether, or follow through with some of those helpful map suggestions.

Maybe you need them to mentor you in more ways than one?



III. SITCHES GET GLITCHES






You’re walking down the road, or in your own home, or visiting a friend and suddenly something happens out of the corner of your eye. There’s a soft pfzzzzzzt and the feel of static on the skin. You turn and realize that the wall is suddenly gone. Or, maybe the glass in a store window disappeared. Perhaps someone’s clothes just vanished off of them in the middle of the street, or the chair you were sitting in at the cafe suddenly poofs right from under you.

It’s as if the world around them is malfunctioning - little glitches that can last for seconds, hours, or even days before returning to normal on their own. Nothing that could seriously harm someone, but enough to be quite inconvenient. At least completing an Auspicious Act in the affected area or with the affected person seems to put it to rights immediately. Unfortunately, this doesn’t stop these glitches from happening again. You may be concerned, and the robots understand, but if asked they will insist it’s just the world adjusting as the Augur welcomes so many new people! Nothing to be worried about, obviously. It will take time for fluctuating energy levels to adjust, that’s all.

Some robots might even say it’s the perfect time to enjoy having so few barriers between you. Embrace the open nature of the Island and share yourself and your home with others. Walls are only meant for keeping out what you could be letting in!



OOC Notes:


Enjoy a mini Fourth Wall event, Islanders! As such, this test drive meme is open for anyone to create top levels, not just prospective players. Current player characters, characters you want to play in the setting but can't app full-time, drive-by castmates, duplicates, canon AUs, characters that normally would not be allowed such as fandom AUs and genderswaps (not including characters under 15), formerly dropped characters, etc. are all encouraged to come in and play! As all other test drive memes, this one will be game canon. Characters who fourth wall but do not app will disappear after a few days to a week, along with their home (if applicable) and all of their possessions.

Please label your top levels as to whether you are test driving [TDM] or fourth walling [4W]. (Of course, you are allowed to change your mind! But our rules regarding appable characters will still apply.) Since auspicious acts are an integral part of this event, potential and current players can swap one Auspicious Act on their card for one of their choosing, if needed for any of the prompts. As usual, prospective players can use an Act and swap it onto their card if they choose to app into the game.

If you have any questions, please ask them below.




N A V I G A T I O N

sanc: (And I'll admit that I do not try)

relena darlian-peacecraft [abraxas au][4W]

[personal profile] sanc 2021-08-16 11:12 pm (UTC)(link)
Darlian on the Shore

[ Oh God, her head.

She's almost certain she's dead. She's dead, that whole ordeal killed her. That 'trial' was a sham and she had been helpless the whole time. She's still furious - at the queen and at Grigory and at all of Thorne.

But most of all, at herself when she wakes up here.

There was no ocean near that castle as far as she remembers. This whole place looks wrong and the architecture - wrecked as it seems to mostly be - far too modern. Did they throw her back in the well? Wasn't that supposed to drown her?

She peels herself out of the sand, soggy in her tunic with a symbol stitched into the back and pants, sandals missing. She lets out a sigh and starts walking. Absolute nothing makes sense but moving forward, wobbly like a baby lamb, still absolutely drained of energy and aching from head to toe. ]


iii. Sitches Get Glitches

[ Relena is not sure how long she'll be here or why she's come here, but she's going to take advantage of the chance to go to the cafe while she's here. Who knows when she'll see coffee and muffins again? Certainly not her.

She's sitting at an outside table by herself, trying to get a bit of much needed alone time to dwell on all that she's seen in the past few months of her life.

Until her chair vanishes beneath her butt and her coffee goes flying as she flails her arms up in surprise. She doesn't know where it's gone but... hopefully it's landed on the ground and not on someone else.

She makes a miserable sound from her new spot on the ground where she's landed on her butt, rubbing her lower back. ]


Ah... what on Earth? Was that magic? Is someone playing a prank? It's not very nice, you know!


iii. Gundam Cabin

[ Somehow, by someone (probably Heero), she's found herself at the Gundam cabin. She considers it a temporary stay, having decided being on this island cannot be long term. If she's really not dead, she has to get back. She can't leave behind the people who have helped her so far. She doesn't want them to think she's run away on them or worse, died during her trial.

After a long, long, much needed shower, she sits on the couch in the main area in her towel, face in her hands. She's still trying to process her situation and after months of little privacy around total strangers, she's not worried about modesty in her fatigue.

She's tired, absolutely destroyed. She had cried herself out while she'd had the water running and with all that release out of her, she's feeling boneless. She still hasn't come to terms with what had happened during that trial before she arrived here. She still has to come to terms with what was going to happen to poor Jon.

So she sits, quiet and leaning with her elbows on her knees with her hair still wet, the same symbol from her tunic appearing on her back like a stamp, large and blue. ]
Edited 2021-08-16 23:13 (UTC)
braidedwonder: (go down that road again)

cabin

[personal profile] braidedwonder 2021-08-16 11:31 pm (UTC)(link)

[ Duo... certainly hadn't expected to have company when he came back in for the day. Especially not of the Relena variety.

He pushes the door open with his foot, laughing as Merry yips, tossing a little stick around even as she comes into the house. For his part, Duo is a bit sweaty, carrying a basket of what looks to be vegetables, and definitely a bit red in the face from heat and sun. He's also gained a good bit of gravity weight and some freckles -

... Though the jovial laughter does abruptly stop as he realizes she's there, expression changing to something abruptly and purposefully blank as he sets the basket of produce down from his, Wufei's, and Mika's garden. (Sorry, Relena, you're probably definitely getting harassed by a young pup of a dog who is very proud of the stick she's carrying.) ]


Oh. You're back.
sanc: (I'm so full of doubt)

[personal profile] sanc 2021-08-16 11:42 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Relena startles noticeably at the sudden sound of a person behind her. Color her jumpy, she has been roughed around the past few weeks for one reason or another thanks to the guards. She doesn't lift her head from her hands right away, unsure if she has the energy to speak to anyone. Even talking to Heero had been a challenge. She's not sure what to say.

But she hears him address her and finally turns to look at him. She's not sure what his tone is about, but she's too drained to really let it bother her. She puts on the best smile she can muster as she notices the dog, reaching down to let it sniff her hand. ]


Oh, Duo. Hello. I... guess so? I don't remember this place, but I've been told I was here before.
braidedwonder: (it's all the same)

[personal profile] braidedwonder 2021-08-16 11:49 pm (UTC)(link)
Merry, let 'er be. [ Duo admonishes, half-hearted because he knows that the dog will not back off of Relena now. Merry loves people, even when they're a bit rough around the edges or tend to call her a mangy animal, like Wufei does. He's accepted this fact, as much as he wants to be a petty asshole and pull her away. She's already going to steal Heero, and she certainly wasn't having the dog.

He hums as Relena says she doesn't remember it, though it doesn't change his current intentions. It's either make room or be made to make room, and he's already harshly aware of that much as he sets out produce like he normally does, sighing softly. ]


Well, Quatre will at least be happy. [ To see her, that is. Duo makes himself busy washing his hands next, murmuring to himself : ] Might as well cut myself loose and move my stuff to Wufei's room while I'm in here, then.
sanc: (I get a little warm in my heart)

[personal profile] sanc 2021-08-16 11:57 pm (UTC)(link)
It's alright...

[ Relena doesn't mind the dog's attention. It's been a while since she's been around any animals that... weren't giant cave worms. She'll happily take a fuzzy, little dog's affection right now. ]

Oh, Quatre, too. That's right. I'll be happy to see him.

[ She sits upright when she catches his words, quiet as they are, and turns a bit to look at him, eyebrows raised. Move his stuff? Not for her sake, is he? She shakes her head, lifting a hand to wave it dismissively as she holds her towel in place with the other. ]

No, no, you don't have to. I'm fine sleeping right here, honestly. Anything's better than those cots I was sleeping in. Really, it's okay.
braidedwonder: (who's gon' save me from this hell)

[personal profile] braidedwonder 2021-08-17 12:16 am (UTC)(link)

[ Duo turns a sardonic look Relena's way as she attempts to stop him. Of course, if it was just her he'd say fuck it and not move a damn thing. But he and Heero have fought this same fight too many damn times since he's shown up and Heero's mono-focus has zero'ed on in Relena for him to not just dodge the whole problem altogether.

... And if he moves pre-emptively and Heero ends up in their huge bed alone for a while that's also not completely out of Duo's scope of fuck yous, either. His eyes roll before he even turns to the towel to dry his hands. ]


Please. Heero'll have his head so far up your ass for the foreseeable future he won't even notice I'm gone. [ That's a lie, and Duo partially knows it. ]

I'm just doing myself a favor before it's all blanked out over Her Highness being back.
the_other_brother: (pic#15051234)

Verin Thelyss | Critical Role | OTA [4W]

[personal profile] the_other_brother 2021-08-17 12:20 am (UTC)(link)
The Neinhaus/Wizardhaus
Verin wakes up slowly somewhere comfortable. Better than his bed in Bazzoxan...

Memories swirl and shift into place, forming a picture with a few missing pieces. Not ones that obscure the overall image, though. He sits up and looks around the familiar-but-unfamiliar room, then down a the clothes he's wearing. Essek gave them to him, he remembers that. How long ago? He'd thought that a dream. And time has passed for him since then... or has he been here the whole time?

The drow fighter pushes his fingers into his hair for a moment like he could physically push everything in his mind back into place. It's unnerving and he doesn't understand the shift and pull of what he knows and what he thinks he knows. Is Essek here?

He finally gets up - if in a bed, he peeks out the door. If on a couch? He looks around to see if he's alone. He's not a tentative creature, but maybe caution is better observed.

Let XXX Be Your Guide
Verin waits, quietly amused, for his mentor-guide to appear. A bot said someone would be here to show him around imminently, and that it would be best to way. He feels a bit silly with the black parasol he's been provided, but he's grateful for it on the only day with sun that he's experienced since arriving. He still has to squint somewhat, but it makes being out and about manageable.

He tips his head when someone in a rather tight uniform.

"Are you my guide?"

Sitches Get Glitches
Clothes
While he would rather be wearing his own gear, the clothes that Essek gave him aren't wildly offensive. Tight on him, but serviceable until the bots give his things back. He's grateful for the cloud-cover, at least. Even then, he'd rather have his hood.

He's on his way to the bathhouse to see if there's any chance of rescuing the clothes he arrived in from the bots. He's still reeling and this gives him something concrete and manageable to do.

At least, it would be manageable if the clothes he's wearing didn't suddenly disappear. Verin stops and rolls his eyes skyward, head tipped back for a moment, beseeching.

"Whatever lesson is to be learned in all this, I really wish it didn't involve losing my clothes at every opportunity."

He's well-built, dark skin cut through with faint scars, and while he isn't ashamed of his nakedness, Verin would rather not feel so exposed. He rubs a hand over the back of his neck and glances at the nearest passerby.

"I don't suppose you have some article you could spare. I can at least get a towel at the bath house and I'd rather not cause a scene the entire way there."

Wall
Verin is showering when the wall disappears. He doesn't realize it at first, only feeling a strange and increasingly familiar static buzz over his skin. And then... there is that very distinct feeling of exposure. He looks over his shoulder and actually laughs when he sees the wall is entirely gone. His gaze lifts to meet that of whoever might have been standing on the other side.

"Well, it's not any worse than being in a barracks."

Wildcard
[Find Verin anywhere on the island, either in his own clothes or in some club gear that is too small for him. Or naked, as the case may be. Happy to have him rescue people that fall from disappearing chairs or ladders or what not! OTA for potential smut, would prefer 21+]
Edited 2021-08-17 00:49 (UTC)
sanc: (Bring no passion anymore)

[personal profile] sanc 2021-08-17 12:23 am (UTC)(link)
[ Relena looks at him with confusion before sliding down in her seat, leaning heavily against the back of the couch. Just what had been going on here and why was he so angry? Her brow creases as she crosses her arms, trying to get a read on him. She's too tired for ... whatever this is. But whatever this is is happening, so she'll have to deal with it. It will be much easier to discuss than her conversation with Estinien, she's sure.

Her voice sounds exhausted but intent. ]


Duo, why are you so angry? Please, I didn't come here to cause a problem. I don't think I'll even be here long. There's no way Ambrose would let me slip away with how serious he was about... everything... so I'm sure he'll yank me back soon enough.
recordingends: (pic#14460295)

Jonathan Sims | The Magnus Archives | OTA [4W]

[personal profile] recordingends 2021-08-17 12:32 am (UTC)(link)
Let XXX Be Your Guide

Jon had absolutely no intention of being helpful. And then the robots grabbed him.

Several useless arguments later, he finds himself foisted onto a newcomer while wearing something ridiculous. The shorts are far too short. Maybe it's a small blessing that Jon isn't actually aware of the fact that they say Ceaseless Watcher's Special Boy across the back. The t-shirt, emblazoned with Guide-Mentor, feels two sizes too small. It, too, has a message on the back: Ask me anything!

The only thing that makes any of this even remotely bearable is the fact that he's going to get credits for doing this. He just has to try not to die of embarrassment before that happens.

Some poor soul will find themselves approached by a surly-looking man with odd scars along one arm and the side of his face. There are more on his legs, though fewer. He's clutching the map he's been given and advised to use. Jon adjusts his glasses and takes a deep breath.

"I'm Jon. I'm--supposed to guide you around."

His voice is possibly naturally condescending.

[Happy to match prose or brackets.]
Edited 2021-08-17 00:34 (UTC)
braidedwonder: (government aid ain't relief)

[personal profile] braidedwonder 2021-08-17 12:36 am (UTC)(link)

I'm not in the mood to watch this simpering puppy crap all over again. At the risk of sounding like I spend too much time around Wufei these days, it's pretty gross. [ Evasive, of course, but it's not worth bringing up a fight she doesn't even remember, is it? There's been enough chaos on account of them and Relena, and it's easier to duck out while he's ahead and before his feelings have too long to be involved when it comes to Heero.

Which is why, without missing a beat, he's throwing a door open and beginning by gathering up Merry's things. ]


He forgets everyone else exists when you're around. You'd have to be stupid not to know that.
sanc: (And by the way when I kneel to pray)

[personal profile] sanc 2021-08-17 12:44 am (UTC)(link)
[ Relena shakes her head. She understands how she and Heero can be around each other, but... ]

Duo, if you're that worried he'll be so focused on me, just tell him how you feel. I don't know what's going on between you two and I know Heero and I are attached, but I've had enough upheavals lately and I'm not about to cause one for you.

[ She lets herself flop over onto the couch with a huge sigh, wondering what she's fallen into here. How can they be so tumultuous when they're in a calm place like this. She thought they'd be taking advantage of a place like this, living simply and doing what they want to with their time. ]

I don't know what happened between us, either, but I don't want to fight with you, Duo. I really don't. I'm sorry me being here's upset you so much.
braidedwonder: (who's gon' save me from this hell)

[personal profile] braidedwonder 2021-08-17 01:11 am (UTC)(link)

[ Telling Heero how he feels? Duo gives a scoff of a laugh at that, shaking his head. He might as well beat his head against a wall until his skull splits before he'd see any results from that. How many times does he have to hear they don't replace one another, or something else stupid like that, before it's all in for Relena Peacecraft? ]

That ain't gonna do shit. I might as well bash my head into Deathscythe's armor until I crush my own fucking skull before anything will get through his. Though, that does sound pretty appetizing right about now. [ Dramatic, sure, but he would rather split his skull open than watch all the fawning over that will undoubtedly happen. He could disappear without it being noticed, that he knows of. For someone so sensitive about being left behind... he would rather issue the offending kick first.

Pacing back into the room, Duo comes back out with a blanket and pillow, of course, black in covering, to throw in to Wufei's space next, taking a look with a little huff, though the tone is more fond as he mutters to himself than before. ]


Wufei's basically got my whole closet these days, so I won't bother with that.

Merry - [ Of course Duo's whole demeanor changes when it's to the dog, one of those lopsided smirks crossing his face before he can stop it, gesturing her away. ] - Bring the stick in to 'Fei's room, uh? He'll hate it, it'll be great.
sanc: (I hear a voice)

[personal profile] sanc 2021-08-17 01:20 am (UTC)(link)
[ Relena stares at the ceiling while she listens to Duo ramble on. About half of it actually hits her ears right now. She lets out another sigh, rolling halfway over before pushing herself up onto her weak arms to look across the room at him.

There's no humor in her, but no anger, just a full blown look of fatigue with a touch of guilt. She doesn't care that her towel's fallen open. She doesn't care that her hair is starting to tangle from her rolling around. She just wants to figure out what's wanted of her here. ]


Listen. I've been sitting in a dungeon for two months. I just. Want a damn bed or a couch for a few days while I can. I can find it elsewhere, if this is such a big deal. Just - please, don't cause such a fuss over me. It's not worth it, Duo. It's really not.
sanc: (If I only knew)

[personal profile] sanc 2021-08-17 01:23 am (UTC)(link)
[ ooc: Is it ok if she recognizes him from her game? She'll be happy to see him Not Dead. ]
braidedwonder: (i live by my own law)

[personal profile] braidedwonder 2021-08-17 01:33 am (UTC)(link)

Fun. They try to suffocate you while you’re in there as well? [ or was that just him and Wufei on the moon? Either way, he seems to toss off the dungeon part with that typical Duo Maxwell ‘who cares’ and a smirk.

A smirk that grows dangerous as she says it’s not worth it, nodding to agree. ]


I know you aren’t. But other people haven’t figured that out yet. And probably never will, unfortunately. So here we are.

[ here we are, kicking and screaming and pitching a fit in that classic Maxwell format. If only anyone knew a hint of Duo’s damages to soothe that child who is so ready to be returned that he will just return himself before someone has the chance. ]

So enjoy my grave, I guess.
sanc: (Snow can wait; I forgot my mittens)

[personal profile] sanc 2021-08-17 01:44 am (UTC)(link)
No, they dragged me to a room and performed some kind of experiment on me. And then I found myself here. So you can thank Grigory and the Queen for me being here, I guess.

[ What's the point in this? The others are rotting in some dungeon and here she is, arguing with him. And why? What's the point. She doesn't want to deal with it and she doesn't want to be a part of this. People are going to die. She cares about Heero, but she's not going to squabble over it. She wraps the towel around herself and gets herself onto her feet with the help of the couch, then starts to hobble towards the door. ]

Listen, I don't know much about you. I'm not going to presume anything here and I don't have the energy to deal with any more problems than I have. Just stay here. Put your things down. I'll go. I have to find a way back anyway or to see if anyone else is here and this isn't worth my time. I just -- wah!

[ Her legs give out and she flops over onto the floor with a curse and a huff before pushing herself back up. It's like watching a fresh born deer try to navigate around its mother. She's on the move again as quickly as she can. ]

I do not have time for this place right now when people are waiting for me. I'm sorry. I'll go somewhere else. See you, Duo.
braidedwonder: (i live by my own law)

[personal profile] braidedwonder 2021-08-17 01:54 am (UTC)(link)

I wouldn’t say thank them. [ he won’t comment on experiments. He figures in some way she has to know that all of them had that occur, at some point or another. Granted, Duo more than likely just went to a sort of fight club with larger enemies to avoid by how many punches to the gut he can laugh at outside of Heero “for your own good” Yuy.

He watches as she stands, hobbles, falls to the floor. Impassive all the while, unmoving from the door frame to assist, simply whistling for Merry so she doesn’t accidentally get hurt under foot. ]


My things are already moved. Drag yourself where ever.

[ his tone changes with Merry, suddenly, something more commanding that catches the pup’s attention. ]

Merry, come. I don’t want you getting hurt by accident.

[ he’s content enough in this, it would seem, by the very official way he closes Wufei’s door behind them.

Could he have been better about it? Maybe. Is he a good person?

Definitely not. ]
sanc: (when I think of winter)

[personal profile] sanc 2021-08-17 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
[ Relena looks over at him with an exasperated expression, rolling her eyes. ]

Enjoy feeling sorry for yourself, I guess.

[ She shakes her head. After her time in Thorne so far, she can't imagine having the energy for this. At least when Estinien rails on her, it's for important matters. Not whatever relationship issues she's surmising these two have.

A version of her might have been a part of it, but that's not her and as far as she sees, it's not her issue.

She slams the door behind her. She'd rather go back to the beach. ]
bladerift: (Default)

lord ares | hades game | 4w

[personal profile] bladerift 2021-08-17 03:23 am (UTC)(link)
i. arrival--
poseidon's domain is his least favorite.

not that there aren't any good wars fought at sea. many warriors have fallen to watery graves in ares' rule, left to rest at poseidon's doorstep, but that doesn't mean ares has to enjoy it. he's been behind powerful sailors as they fight, but he's never felt the thrashing of waves that tumble his warriors to their deaths until now. it's extremely disorienting, very unpleasant, he thinks to himself as he's thrown to the shore with a violent abandon. he's a little bruised, but it isn't the worst injury he's ever taken, not by far.

orienting himself isn't hard, and the little automatons that come to assist are an unusually welcome sight. he's assisted with drying off, and upon information that there is a spa nearby, he sets his sights on it. ares settles himself in a warm bath, clothes folded neatly nearby, his head tilting back as he begins to, for once, relax.

he'll worry about the details when he's clean and dry.

ii. let me be your guide--
it's a good hour or so later when ares returns to himself after his bath, rising from the water to dry himself off and prepare to return to the island. his clothes, however, are gone, and replaced with a suit that isn't familiar to him. an automaton informs him that his clothes have been sent to be cleaned, and will be returned in due time.

ares returns to the beach, dressed in the dark, blood red suit that clings to all the right places. there is no undershirt, just the blazer and the tight pants. his biceps stretch the fabric of the jacket, his biceps bulging over the neckline. the button draws attention to the narrowing of his waist, adding to the broadness of his shoulders. while ares takes orders from no one, he sees an opportunity here to manipulate these automatons, or maybe an unsuspecting passerby, by posing as the guide they had so insisted he be. maybe someone on this island can tell him more about where he is.
Edited 2021-08-17 03:23 (UTC)
lonelynotforsaken: art by <user name=everchased site=tumblr.com> (together | lean)

[personal profile] lonelynotforsaken 2021-08-17 03:36 am (UTC)(link)
Martin turns around from where he'd been sort of gawking at one of the robots and starts slightly. "Jon!" Jon is here! Oh, thank goodness. This might be another part of the dreams--it has to be something related to Deerington--but at least they're still in this together. Martin's sporting a few wicked-looking scars that he'd earned in the creepy little horror dreamscape. There's one around his left eye where it looks like something tried to claw said eye out of his head, another as a deep slash across his throat, and still one more that looks like he'd been bitten deeply by human-shaped teeth on his throat.

His clothes are also looking distinctly grubby... and also there's a gaudy Hawaiian shirt he's wearing?

He smiles as he steps forward to wrap the other man in a tight hug if Jon will allow it. "I thought I'd lost you again. I-" It finally dawns on him what Jon's wearing. "Um... How long have you been here?" The thought that this is... oh, god. He'd never wanted to be on the other side of this, coming late when Jon might have needed him.
recordingends: (pic#14008626)

[personal profile] recordingends 2021-08-17 03:45 am (UTC)(link)
"Martin."

Jon doesn't even realize he's said Martin's name out loud. He just stands there, staring, and wondering if this--if this is another hallucination. The scars creep into his awareness, all of them unfamiliar. And the shirt looks like something Tim would've worn.

He closes his mouth when he realizes it's still open, and he doesn't move as Martin sweeps him into a hug. The ridiculous map drops from numb fingers and it takes him another heartbeat before he hugs Martin back, clinging to him as tightly as he can. Even if he looks different, he still feels right.

He doesn't say anything right away, just shoves his face into Martin's chest hard enough that his glasses are pressing uncomfortably against his face. This is--this is a lot. This is something he'd wanted and something he'd hoped would never happen. Jon swallows thickly and pulls back enough to look at Martin again. He reaches up, lightly touching the scar around his eye.

Right. He should... say something.

"A year," he manages. "Martin--"

Jon feels like his brain is about to fizzle out.
recordingends: (Default)

[personal profile] recordingends 2021-08-17 03:45 am (UTC)(link)
[go for it!]
lonelynotforsaken: art by <user name=everchased site=tumblr.com> (srs | look left)

[personal profile] lonelynotforsaken 2021-08-17 04:00 am (UTC)(link)
Jon's glasses dig into Martin's chest, as well, and he winces to himself while the other man's face is buried. When Jon pulls back, Martin reaches up to remove the glasses and set them atop Jon's head. There. Just in case he needs those out of the way for further hugs. It lets him cup Jon's cheek, as well, at the end.

"A year." The words are repeated as Martin's heart sinks into his stomach. "Jon, I-I am so sorry. I never meant to- I thought we were going to wake up. We were supposed to wake up." Another horrible thought occurs. "Deerington. You remember Deerington, right?" Please let him remember Deerington. It's going to kill him to do this a third time where their memories don't match up.
recordingends: (pic#14009943)

[personal profile] recordingends 2021-08-17 04:09 am (UTC)(link)
Jon is still trying to digest what might have happened to cause the injuries when Martin gives him that look. He shakes his head, eyebrows drawing together.

"No," he answers as he veers from the shock of Martin being here to the questions rushing to the surface with this new information. Deerington? We were supposed to wake up. That sounds so ominous and it makes his stomach churn. Jon's fingers brush down along Martin's cheek, then his hand drops to rest on the other man's chest.

"I'm sorry."

He isn't even sure what he's apologizing for, only that he's sure that answer is going to disappoint Martin.

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