[ he doesn't really feel anything different inside himself, and he's not sure if whatever temenos seems to be noticing is supposed to be a good or bad thing. glancing at each of the others... maybe it's better to have the nanites getting interfered with than doing the interfering, considering how that whole scien thing turned out...?
as he's looking around at everyone else, though, he definitely catches the movement of the Something, and tenses up as he looks in that direction. where is this, is it outside the glass or in there with them? ]
[ also whatever it is, it's hidden by the plants right? so they just notice the plants being rustled?
although owner will be more distracted by the shift than the movement as soon as he notices it. he stops walking for just a moment, only really long enough for maybe kazuki to notice since the teen is slightly behind him. he resumes his pace though, just as what is probably the worst smile you have seen to slowly creep onto his face. owner at least has the foresight to quickly cover his expression with his hand, but.
sometimes you have spent since day one complaining on being nerfed.
but other than that he will just keep walking forward, and he will mutter quietly. ]
We may have more help than we previously thought we did. We shall see.
[ he does pause when owner does, giving him a confused, mildly concerned look, but otherwise doesn't notice anything has changed. ]
What do you mean? I still can't really hear them... [ adrastea, that is. he thinks owner means adrastea because what the fuck is magic.
whatever's moving, kazuki is going to. try. to inch away from it if he can. he's not qualified for that. what he is qualified for is parsing that sound - melodic? he's tuning into that as well as he can, trying to see if he can learn anything from it as they head down the tunnel - if it's getting any clearer, if there's any direction to it, etc i personally am not a musician but he's trying to listen in case there are any hints from it. ]
[ aelfric does not smile down on ungrateful sons right now, temenos, sorry. but the door for you two freaks is pried open a bit, giving you an unreliable source of... something, to help protect you and the two less magically oriented with you.
we'll address the resonance before anything else, since you'll all notice the next part as out of place. not that this isn't, either - the next thrum comes through, and it's more low. more rumbling. a bass note instead of the lighter one that rippled through the tunnel originally. it makes a few people jump, not expecting it and already skittish with nerves. the more giddy among you laugh, and hurry forward. it really does feel much like someone tuning their instrument, but this next one rattles the tunnel and sinks into your bones. todomatsu and kazuki, where they lack magic but carry something very, very human instead will feel it in their chests like a sense of dread.
it doesn't overpower, at least. the best way to put it is that it's simply just offputting. temenos and owner will feel it, as well, but are more accuostomed to things being dangerous. freaks.
your steps are still angled downwards, though it starts to level out a little more as a less plant-speckled light can be seen on the upcoming manmade horizon, people emptying out into the atrium.
but, now, for that movement.
at first, it seems like the leaves are just rustled. there's no shadow that intercepts the sunlight filtering through the foliage, so perhaps it was just the wind? it's easy enough to think that, at first, especially when there are so many other things happening all around you. but something moves again.
god does it feel good to have that flowing back in his veins, even if it's not quite there. temenos hears owner's voice and smiles a little himself because yeah. good, it's good to know it's not just him.
the thrumming rattling is now especially worth analyzing, and the vines above his head are equally foreboding. great! great. it reminds temenos, immediately, of manymaws, which was a not-exactly-pleasant fight to have, but he'll feel a lot better about having to face some sort of horrible flower nightmare creature when he has the ability to smite it to death, so. temenos very subtly steps a little larger, putting himself just barely in front of todomatsu as the walk. not overtly so, but protective nonetheless: his gaze tracks upwards to the vines, then back to the crowd. ]
You'll see, Kazuki. Stay close.
[ he could just give him like, an answer, but there's no guarantee it's going to stay. the magical feeling of aelfric's light is flickering, not quite strong enough that he's ready to just assume it will be perfect, so better not to get his hopes up, for now.
is there a light at the end of this tunnel yet? ]
Edited (changes my icon to suit better ) 2024-03-05 19:06 (UTC)
[ looks up at the vines like ugghhhh god is this going to be a man-eating plant situation, he doesn't want to deal with this... hopefully it's not a cannibal and his pretty flowery outfit will make him look less appetizing.
he's definitely going to keep alert to any moving parts as they get closer to the end of the tunnel where they might not be separated from it by glass anymore. ]
[ maybe they can feed the racists to the evil plants yay......
but he will also keep an eye out, keeping an eye on the other guests to see who might be be reacting more to this than others, mostly in case they need to uhhh. watch out for them in particular.
but uhhhh yea between the vines moving and that terrible feeling, he does inch a little closer to the group. do any of the other guests pay attention to the vines... is this normal... ]
[ don't be enigmatic... damn... "you're doing that" damn...
anyways, some of the guests do notice without seeing that you're looking up. it's a subtle movement that doesn't draw too many eyes, but some are paying attention. the more nervous pick up their pace; those on the cusp of excited throes don't see a damn thing, and most are already in the atrium ahead; but there are some that pay it no mind, either because they don't notice or because they don't seem to care.
the announcer doesn't care, because his gaze flicks up, then forward again as he whisks himself and his silks into the atrium ahead. the light at the end of the tunnel embraces him and brings him out into a more open area.
fortunately, it's still enclosed! as you continue forward, you're brought out into a beautiful glass structure that's been built up in the thick of the garden life. it has room enough for two small stages - one is where the announcer is heading, the other is where the harpist is going to set up - and there's those small, if tall, tables for people to stand around. most of the plantlife has been kept back from the glass walls of the atrium, giving an open view into the garden.
you're in a slight valley or overgrown crater, it seems, surrounded by beautiful trees that sway in a wind you can't feel while within the confines of the crystaline cage you've spent maybe thirty minutes walking to. every bough is filled with flower buds, luscious pinks and pure whites and delicate yellows, unbloomed. from every tree around you hang glass and metal terrariums, ivy and vines and unbloomed flowers also spilling out from within. there appear to be pieces of art, statues, placed in each terrarium, though it's hard to get a good look at them as they sway slowly in the wind, dappled light casting obscuring shadows here and there - they seem to be moss covered, and each has a different form. ]
[ well, this would be beautiful if it wasn't so deeply ominous.
as they make it to the main area, temenos immediately starts looking around, taking in the surroundings - keeping his movements small, at least. he follows the announcer's movements with his eyes, watching the harpist settle, and then looks out at the terrariums.
how big are they? what do you mean by different form... im so scared...... those catch his attention, first. is there a table they can stop at that's not too far from the exit, just in case? ]
[ ok, well, the glass is a good thing, probably... unless it's meant to keep them in rather than keep the vines out... hm. definitely still very wary!!!
to be clear, when you say "most of the plantlife" is outside, that means some of it is inside with them? is that the case with the trees with the terrariums or are those still on the other side? ]
Ah! How pretty! Are we going to get to see them all blossom at the same time, do you think?
[ he's pretty sure plants don't usually work like that... maybe the harpist's going to fucking snake charm them or something. ]
is there anything different about here like temperature-wise? more sweaty? also, what is the guard situation over here now? is it still the same amount they have been walking with the whole time, or is it more guarded inside here? ]
[ hm. there's no real centerpiece in here? it's just the hanging terrariums?
kazuki glances over at the stage like. should he be up there. everyone can see he has this guitar, is it too out of place for him to hang out back here with the rest of this group
is there. another exit anywhere. is the tunnel they came out of the only one. ]
[ the trees with the terrariums are outside, yes! there are some decorative plants the same as there were in the gathering hall that you were in before, nothing nearly as fancy but just sort of filling in space where there's not tablets or people.
the atrium is a comfortable temperature, much better than it is outside. it actually causes the lower parts of the glass to fog a bit, but there's something keeping it from fogging the entirety of the windows - it'd ruin the view if that were the case.
guardwise, the situation is... about the same as outside. there are more here than there were before you entered the tunnel, but still fewer than before you entered the building. about ten rather than somewhere just over a dozen. they're not paying too much attention to anyone in particular, just milling around in disguise as guests with a pair standing by the stage that the announcer heads towards.
no centerpiece in the atrium! the hanging terrariums seem to be the main focus, and they're spread out. there are some other exits, but it's hard to tell where they exit out to - they're smaller tunnels that dip into the garden. maybe to let people enjoy the view?
"what about the terrariums?" oh, i didn't forget.
each and every one of them is large enough to house a person, although the size of the person could vary. some of them appear to have glass in a few of their panels still, where others are broken shards of glass or just lacking them completely - very few still have fully intact glass on every frame, which is what allows the plants within to spill out in a mockery of the hanging landscape outside when you arrived.
it also lets you see the contents more clearly, and the... ah, forms that are within.
each and every single "art" installation could very well be a statue! it's certainly an interesting choice, to say the least. faces contorted in agony, begging, clawing at their own faces or bodies, giving up and succumbing to tragedy that you cannot quite guess at when they're hanging so far up above you.
hands reaching out, or dangling out as if they were trying to crawl out in their final moments. flesh has turned to bark, and branches extend out from their bodies, their hands, their fingers and toes.
some of the terrariums are empty, upon closer inspection. but if you look down below them, you'll find misshapen figures reaching out, crawling across the ground, trying to stand, as if they had fallen from their prison and tried to seek salvation below. hair has withered and been replaced by falling strands like a weeping willow on many of them, so long that it very nearly hides their faces, save for the bioluminscent glow of their eyes, their tortured mouths, their noses. some are trying to cover their faces, though whether it's to weep or to protect themselves... who knows.
where their hearts would be is a single, glowing flower, already bloomed in an innocent yellow or pink.
they don't look like statues, but moreso like part of the landscape. they look like - kaldena, really, like twisted, horrifying things gone wrong, like too much magic and darkness overloading the system, leaving behind the remnants of something horrible, something falling apart. the agonized pull of their mouths. the tortured despair of someone trying to run. suddenly, the vines moving from before are twice as concerning.
temenos pauses where he's standing, and makes sure that todomatsu stops, also. they need to look at these from a safe distance, and not overreact. twenty years, the people in the hallway had said, twenty years of this kind of thing. and these are only the newest ones. that brings up the next question - what happens to make them blossom? is that a heartseed?
any relaxation that came from having his magic back is back on guard, though he doesn't outwardly react beyond that. are the other guests looking closer at the terrariums or just waiting for something to happen? they can't get closer to investigate if it feels out of line. they have to be careful. he gazes at the mockery of the gentle glowing flowers, and just sharpens his gaze, white knuckling his staff but saying nothing. how's the magic feeling in here? oppressive? bad? what's the vibe. ]
[ hahahahaha yikesarooni!!!!! okay! it's a good thing he's established that his character doesn't know shit because he just kind of instinctively claps a hand over his mouth while his other arm tightens its hold. ]
Ah...
[ none of these faces seem familiar from what they're able to make out, do they? are these just generic tortured bark people??? ]
his first instinct is to want to go to these poor beings and reach out to them, to try to touch their bark and see if there is anything left inside. but owner knows this is not the time or the place for that, and it would likely out them immediately, so he just looks them over.
is it possible to tell if some look like they've been here longer than others? or is all wood horror people the same. also, for the flower hearts, is there anything that seems off with them or are they simply... glowing... ]
[ kazuki freezes in place, eyes locked on one of the figures as it crawls along the floor. it's like a horror show, something he could have never imagined, and he immediately wants to go back to five minutes ago when he didn't know a thing about it. ]
[ welcome to my fuckhaus! you just had to get to this part. :)
there are three different varieties of guests, currently:
the first is the group that would be on the edge of their seats, if there were any seats in the atrium. they're excitedly gathered the closest to the glass, wanting to see, wanting to get closer and gawk, some of them talking about what Blossoming Ceremony this one was from, or that one, or marveling at the growth of it with an excitement towards what the next prospects will bring. the second are the calmer ones, impassive or even disgusted if you look close enough. the queen bee belongs to this group, and especially the latter, sipping coldly at her champagne.
the third are those that would also like to go back five minutes in time, where they had no idea about this, where they were perfectly naive.
the vibes are terrible here, to the point that even the normies will be able to feel the rolling magic that comes from... beyond the most immediate of the hanging terrariums. from deeper within the gardens.
fortunately for all of you, none of the faces look familiar! wouldn't that be wild if you saw someone that you knew here? some people glance over at todomatsu and kazuki for their reactions, a very kind of first time? reaction that varies from pitying to sympathetic, like they were there, once, too.
some of the wood horror people look like they've been there longer, yes! the further back you go - in the direction of the other, smaller exits - the older their terrariums and growth look. eventually you can't really see anything more than shadows with pinpricks of faint light, though. there is definitely something hinky with the flowers, though it's faint. not very strong. ]
Ahhh, everyone! [ the announcer is talking again. he's the host of the event, maybe? ] We're about to begin. I know many of you are excited for what's to come, and I am, too - we'll be having a very exquisite bloom this Blossoming Ceremony! We're so fortunate to have gotten more prospects this year, more than the Gardens have had in some time. We just can't wait to bring them in.
when todomatsu flinches, temenos bolsters the best that he can, being sure to stay steady for him - in fact, he even adjusts his arm and leans in a little as if soothing his worry like a very good uncle. ]
... I imagine we are about to watch this happen. [ based on the discussions - based on the announcer, too. it's starting to make a lot more sense, now. we just can't wait to bring them in, the announcer says, like this is farce is any kind of normal. a 'blossoming'.
still. maybe with his magic back, there's something to be done. this kind of rot and curse might be too much for the ones that are older. for many of these, really, they may be a lost cause; it might be like rita, where a creature that's still alive might be begging to just be put out of its misery. are they all like. moving? or are they frozen in place or dead. temenos is no apothecary, but a curse is a curse, and maybe...
... well. already, he's starting to make a mental plan, gaze flicking briefly to owner over todomatsu's head (despite the fact that owner is like two feet tall) and then off to kazuki again, shifting his stance just a little to try and block some of the worst of the closest one with his vestments. this is bad. ]
Guess the whole thing about people getting queasy makes sense now...
[ despite the increasingly bad feelings in this nightmare room, he does seem to relax just a tiny bit when temenos leans in, though it's admittedly less because of the gesture and more because it coincides with the announcer's "bring them in" remark, which to him means that at least they're not at any risk of having this done to them. like, he's truly sorry to whatever unfortunate people get chosen for this shit, but he's not going to pretend he's as concerned for a bunch of strangers as he is for himself.
he turns his gaze to the announcer, because he really doesn't want to keep looking at these displays if he can help it. ]
[ well. at the very least it's good to see that not everyone seems thrilled about this, but on the other hand... they're still here? why are they here if they don't approve? he has so many questions about what is going on here and the culture that is making it happen every year, but it's not like they can ask.
he takes a small step in kazuki's direction, just to close the distance between them a bit. even though it doesn't sound like it'll be happening to them, you never know what might happen.
he tries to check if they can hear adrastea, does any noise come through, or is it still nothing? ]
[ despite the sense of dread winding around him, something about that word brings a fierce disgust bubbling up in the pit of kazuki's stomach. he may not understand what's going on, but he doesn't need to to know it's wrong on so many levels. and with no one else to blame, his gaze settles on the announcer, burning with anger, knuckles white from the grip on the guitar case's shoulder strap.
for a quick moment, he glances at owner as if to ask, "do we really have to stay for this?" he would like to leave, actually. this is already too fucked up. ]
[ the tortured souls are... presumably dead! none of them move, save for those gently rocked by the wind that passes through the trees as it sinks into the valley you're cradled in. at the very least, they're frozen, so it's hard to say if rescue is beyond them or if they're still, truly, reaching for it.
every now and then, there's still the crackle of static in their ears when they try to reach out - but, sometimes, adrastea's filtered voice makes it in short bursts. where..you? is the clearest thing that comes through.
the announcer does not feel kazuki's ire, and instead spreads his arms wide as... on the other side of the glass, people in protective suits with rebreathers on their helmets, ushering in figures that have hoods over their heads. there is a person in a suit for each figure, and they arrange the figures in a neat line.
there are eight of them in total. a hush falls over the crowd, a mix of sick excitement and dread fills the air. ]
The guilty are given salvation in the eternity of the Hanging Gardens! Each of them has been accused of grievous crimes, but they will witness their rebirth in the bloom as they become one with the heartseed itself!
temenos can put together two and two, at first, because todomatsu looks like his brothers, and there's this slow, menacing feeling of dread. he's starting to try and calculate, wildly, what he's about to see underneath one of those hoods. throné? ort? one of the other travelers? gods forbid, gods forbid, who of his friends could be considered the sort to commit a 'crime' by these people, and then.
and then the hood comes off.
do you ever see something that's just. that's just so illogical, that you have to laugh? that you have to stare? the noise that escapes temenos' mouth is so quiet it could almost be an exhale, as his entire world bottoms out, half a laugh strangled off into nothing as his breath cuts off.
first of all - it's the sight of him. crick wellsley, golden blonde hair, wide, beseechingly bright blue eyes. crick wellsley, little lamb, godsblade newly anointed, desperate do gooder, his erstwhile sidekick. temenos hasn't seen crick since - (since stormhail) -- and yet, here he is. not only that, but he stands accused of a crime?
crick wellsley?
it's - it's impossible, it is so completely impossible that temenos' brain restarts itself almost violently. two urges crash together. the first is the emotional, gut-wrenching instinct to do something. to stop crick from falling to the fate that rita did, that all these people around them did, to gods damn it to save him like he failed to do the last time. and then there's the part of him that's too clever by half, the part of him that grabs onto this false reality and tears it in half. the reminder that this is impossible, because not only is crick wellsley being accused of a crime,
but crick wellsley is dead. ]
-- This isn't real. [ he says, abruptly, under his breath, a hiss, and grabs tightly at his staff. salvation? give me a break. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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[ he doesn't really feel anything different inside himself, and he's not sure if whatever temenos seems to be noticing is supposed to be a good or bad thing. glancing at each of the others... maybe it's better to have the nanites getting interfered with than doing the interfering, considering how that whole scien thing turned out...?
as he's looking around at everyone else, though, he definitely catches the movement of the Something, and tenses up as he looks in that direction. where is this, is it outside the glass or in there with them? ]
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although owner will be more distracted by the shift than the movement as soon as he notices it. he stops walking for just a moment, only really long enough for maybe kazuki to notice since the teen is slightly behind him. he resumes his pace though, just as what is probably the worst smile you have seen to slowly creep onto his face. owner at least has the foresight to quickly cover his expression with his hand, but.
sometimes you have spent since day one complaining on being nerfed.
but other than that he will just keep walking forward, and he will mutter quietly. ]
We may have more help than we previously thought we did. We shall see.
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What do you mean? I still can't really hear them... [ adrastea, that is. he thinks owner means adrastea because what the fuck is magic.
whatever's moving, kazuki is going to. try. to inch away from it if he can. he's not qualified for that. what he is qualified for is parsing that sound - melodic? he's tuning into that as well as he can, trying to see if he can learn anything from it as they head down the tunnel - if it's getting any clearer, if there's any direction to it, etc i personally am not a musician but he's trying to listen in case there are any hints from it. ]
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we'll address the resonance before anything else, since you'll all notice the next part as out of place. not that this isn't, either - the next thrum comes through, and it's more low. more rumbling. a bass note instead of the lighter one that rippled through the tunnel originally. it makes a few people jump, not expecting it and already skittish with nerves. the more giddy among you laugh, and hurry forward. it really does feel much like someone tuning their instrument, but this next one rattles the tunnel and sinks into your bones. todomatsu and kazuki, where they lack magic but carry something very, very human instead will feel it in their chests like a sense of dread.
it doesn't overpower, at least. the best way to put it is that it's simply just offputting. temenos and owner will feel it, as well, but are more accuostomed to things being dangerous. freaks.
your steps are still angled downwards, though it starts to level out a little more as a less plant-speckled light can be seen on the upcoming manmade horizon, people emptying out into the atrium.
but, now, for that movement.
at first, it seems like the leaves are just rustled. there's no shadow that intercepts the sunlight filtering through the foliage, so perhaps it was just the wind? it's easy enough to think that, at first, especially when there are so many other things happening all around you. but something moves again.
and it constricts.
it's the vines that are moving. ]
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god does it feel good to have that flowing back in his veins, even if it's not quite there. temenos hears owner's voice and smiles a little himself because yeah. good, it's good to know it's not just him.
the thrumming rattling is now especially worth analyzing, and the vines above his head are equally foreboding. great! great. it reminds temenos, immediately, of manymaws, which was a not-exactly-pleasant fight to have, but he'll feel a lot better about having to face some sort of horrible flower nightmare creature when he has the ability to smite it to death, so. temenos very subtly steps a little larger, putting himself just barely in front of todomatsu as the walk. not overtly so, but protective nonetheless: his gaze tracks upwards to the vines, then back to the crowd. ]
You'll see, Kazuki. Stay close.
[ he could just give him like, an answer, but there's no guarantee it's going to stay. the magical feeling of aelfric's light is flickering, not quite strong enough that he's ready to just assume it will be perfect, so better not to get his hopes up, for now.
is there a light at the end of this tunnel yet? ]
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he's definitely going to keep alert to any moving parts as they get closer to the end of the tunnel where they might not be separated from it by glass anymore. ]
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but he will also keep an eye out, keeping an eye on the other guests to see who might be be reacting more to this than others, mostly in case they need to uhhh. watch out for them in particular.
otherwise, it's just keep!! walking!!! ]
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but uhhhh yea between the vines moving and that terrible feeling, he does inch a little closer to the group. do any of the other guests pay attention to the vines... is this normal... ]
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anyways, some of the guests do notice without seeing that you're looking up. it's a subtle movement that doesn't draw too many eyes, but some are paying attention. the more nervous pick up their pace; those on the cusp of excited throes don't see a damn thing, and most are already in the atrium ahead; but there are some that pay it no mind, either because they don't notice or because they don't seem to care.
the announcer doesn't care, because his gaze flicks up, then forward again as he whisks himself and his silks into the atrium ahead. the light at the end of the tunnel embraces him and brings him out into a more open area.
fortunately, it's still enclosed! as you continue forward, you're brought out into a beautiful glass structure that's been built up in the thick of the garden life. it has room enough for two small stages - one is where the announcer is heading, the other is where the harpist is going to set up - and there's those small, if tall, tables for people to stand around. most of the plantlife has been kept back from the glass walls of the atrium, giving an open view into the garden.
you're in a slight valley or overgrown crater, it seems, surrounded by beautiful trees that sway in a wind you can't feel while within the confines of the crystaline cage you've spent maybe thirty minutes walking to. every bough is filled with flower buds, luscious pinks and pure whites and delicate yellows, unbloomed. from every tree around you hang glass and metal terrariums, ivy and vines and unbloomed flowers also spilling out from within. there appear to be pieces of art, statues, placed in each terrarium, though it's hard to get a good look at them as they sway slowly in the wind, dappled light casting obscuring shadows here and there - they seem to be moss covered, and each has a different form. ]
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as they make it to the main area, temenos immediately starts looking around, taking in the surroundings - keeping his movements small, at least. he follows the announcer's movements with his eyes, watching the harpist settle, and then looks out at the terrariums.
how big are they? what do you mean by different form... im so scared...... those catch his attention, first. is there a table they can stop at that's not too far from the exit, just in case? ]
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to be clear, when you say "most of the plantlife" is outside, that means some of it is inside with them? is that the case with the trees with the terrariums or are those still on the other side? ]
Ah! How pretty! Are we going to get to see them all blossom at the same time, do you think?
[ he's pretty sure plants don't usually work like that... maybe the harpist's going to fucking snake charm them or something. ]
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is there anything different about here like temperature-wise? more sweaty? also, what is the guard situation over here now? is it still the same amount they have been walking with the whole time, or is it more guarded inside here? ]
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kazuki glances over at the stage like. should he be up there. everyone can see he has this guitar, is it too out of place for him to hang out back here with the rest of this group
is there. another exit anywhere. is the tunnel they came out of the only one. ]
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the atrium is a comfortable temperature, much better than it is outside. it actually causes the lower parts of the glass to fog a bit, but there's something keeping it from fogging the entirety of the windows - it'd ruin the view if that were the case.
guardwise, the situation is... about the same as outside. there are more here than there were before you entered the tunnel, but still fewer than before you entered the building. about ten rather than somewhere just over a dozen. they're not paying too much attention to anyone in particular, just milling around in disguise as guests with a pair standing by the stage that the announcer heads towards.
no centerpiece in the atrium! the hanging terrariums seem to be the main focus, and they're spread out. there are some other exits, but it's hard to tell where they exit out to - they're smaller tunnels that dip into the garden. maybe to let people enjoy the view?
"what about the terrariums?" oh, i didn't forget.
it also lets you see the contents more clearly, and the... ah, forms that are within.
each and every single "art" installation could very well be a statue! it's certainly an interesting choice, to say the least. faces contorted in agony, begging, clawing at their own faces or bodies, giving up and succumbing to tragedy that you cannot quite guess at when they're hanging so far up above you.
hands reaching out, or dangling out as if they were trying to crawl out in their final moments. flesh has turned to bark, and branches extend out from their bodies, their hands, their fingers and toes.
some of the terrariums are empty, upon closer inspection. but if you look down below them, you'll find misshapen figures reaching out, crawling across the ground, trying to stand, as if they had fallen from their prison and tried to seek salvation below. hair has withered and been replaced by falling strands like a weeping willow on many of them, so long that it very nearly hides their faces, save for the bioluminscent glow of their eyes, their tortured mouths, their noses. some are trying to cover their faces, though whether it's to weep or to protect themselves... who knows.
where their hearts would be is a single, glowing flower, already bloomed in an innocent yellow or pink.
welcome to the Hanging Gardens. ]
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they don't look like statues, but moreso like part of the landscape. they look like - kaldena, really, like twisted, horrifying things gone wrong, like too much magic and darkness overloading the system, leaving behind the remnants of something horrible, something falling apart. the agonized pull of their mouths. the tortured despair of someone trying to run. suddenly, the vines moving from before are twice as concerning.
temenos pauses where he's standing, and makes sure that todomatsu stops, also. they need to look at these from a safe distance, and not overreact. twenty years, the people in the hallway had said, twenty years of this kind of thing. and these are only the newest ones. that brings up the next question - what happens to make them blossom? is that a heartseed?
any relaxation that came from having his magic back is back on guard, though he doesn't outwardly react beyond that. are the other guests looking closer at the terrariums or just waiting for something to happen? they can't get closer to investigate if it feels out of line. they have to be careful. he gazes at the mockery of the gentle glowing flowers, and just sharpens his gaze, white knuckling his staff but saying nothing. how's the magic feeling in here? oppressive? bad? what's the vibe. ]
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Ah...
[ none of these faces seem familiar from what they're able to make out, do they? are these just generic tortured bark people??? ]
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[ gruesome weird it is, then.
his first instinct is to want to go to these poor beings and reach out to them, to try to touch their bark and see if there is anything left inside. but owner knows this is not the time or the place for that, and it would likely out them immediately, so he just looks them over.
is it possible to tell if some look like they've been here longer than others? or is all wood horror people the same. also, for the flower hearts, is there anything that seems off with them or are they simply... glowing... ]
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Wha... What is this...?
[ voice low, trembling just a touch. ]
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there are three different varieties of guests, currently:
the first is the group that would be on the edge of their seats, if there were any seats in the atrium. they're excitedly gathered the closest to the glass, wanting to see, wanting to get closer and gawk, some of them talking about what Blossoming Ceremony this one was from, or that one, or marveling at the growth of it with an excitement towards what the next prospects will bring. the second are the calmer ones, impassive or even disgusted if you look close enough. the queen bee belongs to this group, and especially the latter, sipping coldly at her champagne.
the third are those that would also like to go back five minutes in time, where they had no idea about this, where they were perfectly naive.
the vibes are terrible here, to the point that even the normies will be able to feel the rolling magic that comes from... beyond the most immediate of the hanging terrariums. from deeper within the gardens.
fortunately for all of you, none of the faces look familiar! wouldn't that be wild if you saw someone that you knew here? some people glance over at todomatsu and kazuki for their reactions, a very kind of first time? reaction that varies from pitying to sympathetic, like they were there, once, too.
some of the wood horror people look like they've been there longer, yes! the further back you go - in the direction of the other, smaller exits - the older their terrariums and growth look. eventually you can't really see anything more than shadows with pinpricks of faint light, though. there is definitely something hinky with the flowers, though it's faint. not very strong. ]
Ahhh, everyone! [ the announcer is talking again. he's the host of the event, maybe? ] We're about to begin. I know many of you are excited for what's to come, and I am, too - we'll be having a very exquisite bloom this Blossoming Ceremony! We're so fortunate to have gotten more prospects this year, more than the Gardens have had in some time. We just can't wait to bring them in.
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when todomatsu flinches, temenos bolsters the best that he can, being sure to stay steady for him - in fact, he even adjusts his arm and leans in a little as if soothing his worry like a very good uncle. ]
... I imagine we are about to watch this happen. [ based on the discussions - based on the announcer, too. it's starting to make a lot more sense, now. we just can't wait to bring them in, the announcer says, like this is farce is any kind of normal. a 'blossoming'.
still. maybe with his magic back, there's something to be done. this kind of rot and curse might be too much for the ones that are older. for many of these, really, they may be a lost cause; it might be like rita, where a creature that's still alive might be begging to just be put out of its misery. are they all like. moving? or are they frozen in place or dead. temenos is no apothecary, but a curse is a curse, and maybe...
... well. already, he's starting to make a mental plan, gaze flicking briefly to owner over todomatsu's head (despite the fact that owner is like two feet tall) and then off to kazuki again, shifting his stance just a little to try and block some of the worst of the closest one with his vestments. this is bad. ]
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Guess the whole thing about people getting queasy makes sense now...
[ despite the increasingly bad feelings in this nightmare room, he does seem to relax just a tiny bit when temenos leans in, though it's admittedly less because of the gesture and more because it coincides with the announcer's "bring them in" remark, which to him means that at least they're not at any risk of having this done to them. like, he's truly sorry to whatever unfortunate people get chosen for this shit, but he's not going to pretend he's as concerned for a bunch of strangers as he is for himself.
he turns his gaze to the announcer, because he really doesn't want to keep looking at these displays if he can help it. ]
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he takes a small step in kazuki's direction, just to close the distance between them a bit. even though it doesn't sound like it'll be happening to them, you never know what might happen.
he tries to check if they can hear adrastea, does any noise come through, or is it still nothing? ]
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[ despite the sense of dread winding around him, something about that word brings a fierce disgust bubbling up in the pit of kazuki's stomach. he may not understand what's going on, but he doesn't need to to know it's wrong on so many levels. and with no one else to blame, his gaze settles on the announcer, burning with anger, knuckles white from the grip on the guitar case's shoulder strap.
for a quick moment, he glances at owner as if to ask, "do we really have to stay for this?" he would like to leave, actually. this is already too fucked up. ]
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every now and then, there's still the crackle of static in their ears when they try to reach out - but, sometimes, adrastea's filtered voice makes it in short bursts. where..you? is the clearest thing that comes through.
the announcer does not feel kazuki's ire, and instead spreads his arms wide as... on the other side of the glass, people in protective suits with rebreathers on their helmets, ushering in figures that have hoods over their heads. there is a person in a suit for each figure, and they arrange the figures in a neat line.
there are eight of them in total. a hush falls over the crowd, a mix of sick excitement and dread fills the air. ]
The guilty are given salvation in the eternity of the Hanging Gardens! Each of them has been accused of grievous crimes, but they will witness their rebirth in the bloom as they become one with the heartseed itself!
[ and then, the hoods are all pulled off. ]
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temenos can put together two and two, at first, because todomatsu looks like his brothers, and there's this slow, menacing feeling of dread. he's starting to try and calculate, wildly, what he's about to see underneath one of those hoods. throné? ort? one of the other travelers? gods forbid, gods forbid, who of his friends could be considered the sort to commit a 'crime' by these people, and then.
and then the hood comes off.
do you ever see something that's just. that's just so illogical, that you have to laugh? that you have to stare? the noise that escapes temenos' mouth is so quiet it could almost be an exhale, as his entire world bottoms out, half a laugh strangled off into nothing as his breath cuts off.
first of all - it's the sight of him. crick wellsley, golden blonde hair, wide, beseechingly bright blue eyes. crick wellsley, little lamb, godsblade newly anointed, desperate do gooder, his erstwhile sidekick. temenos hasn't seen crick since - (since stormhail) -- and yet, here he is. not only that, but he stands accused of a crime?
crick wellsley?
it's - it's impossible, it is so completely impossible that temenos' brain restarts itself almost violently. two urges crash together. the first is the emotional, gut-wrenching instinct to do something. to stop crick from falling to the fate that rita did, that all these people around them did, to gods damn it to save him like he failed to do the last time. and then there's the part of him that's too clever by half, the part of him that grabs onto this false reality and tears it in half. the reminder that this is impossible, because not only is crick wellsley being accused of a crime,
but crick wellsley is dead. ]
-- This isn't real. [ he says, abruptly, under his breath, a hiss, and grabs tightly at his staff. salvation? give me a break. ]
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