Amayado Rei (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
groundzeroes) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
isleofavalon2021-01-18 07:53 pm
groundzeroes) wrote in isleofavalon2021-01-18 07:53 pm
001 - open
🧙 WHO: Rei Amayado & Anyone
⚔️️ WHAT: A research stint at the library, or Fear Cave Crystal Conquering
🕒 WHEN: Mid January
🗺️ WHERE: Camelot Public Library & Brave of Soul cave
⚠️ WARNINGS: none ATM. Possible later: language, vague hospital-oriented trauma mentioned (as part of the greatest fear trial)
[Camelot's public library is pretty fancy, in keeping with the royal capital's image. Full of traditional effects like ceiling-tall book stacks and modern amenities like a little cafe, it houses resources for any kind of patron.
While not usually one to step foot in a library, Rei is currently situated at a table tucked away between some of the stacks on the main floor. Using the extant troll quest as explanation, he has commandeered two laptops from the circulation desk (and from some very grateful librarians-- that lewd-spamming troll has been making their lives pretty difficult), and is busy typing on one while the other stands by with an auto-refreshing feed of some kind.
He's also got several books pulled from the shelves and stacked in a few piles beside him. AOL: A Founding History and FaySQL Queries for Mere Mortals are probably programming-related in some capacity, but some others are more broad: Dark Magic and its Nomenclature: A Dissertation on Language, On The Origin of Magical Species, Revised Hexes: A Primer... and it looks like there's a manga volume buried in there, too. He looks like a college student during finals week (although perhaps more well-rested).
Should you pass by looking for a seat, Rei will look up with a smile (and a wink if he knows you) and scoot his stuff aside to make room.]
Oh, 'scuse me.
i. outside
[Rei has made his way to Albion's White Cliffs, intent on entering the eerie cave said to hold the mirror-required crystals. Rei looks ready enough, though his familiar, a large hou-ou with trailing tailfeathers, is perched on a branch nearby with an expression that can only be described as disdainful.
That cave is dark, partly magicless, and most of all dirty. She is NOT going in there, moral support be damned.
Tossing the flashlight in his hand idly, Rei sighs up at the bird.]
All right, princess. You stay there. But if the crystals are nice enough, I'm keeping them instead of handing 'em over.
ii. inside
[The cave IS, in fact, very dark, and the ground damp and cold with seeping seawater; it's a perfect location for a test of nerves. Rei counts himself lucky that he picked up a normal flashlight instead of a magic-powered one; it very well may have shut off once he hit the magic-damping section. Rei is TOO OLD to spend any amount of time wandering around blind in a cave.
Should he encounter someone on his way in, Rei will greet them-- though his smile may be a bit hard to see without the flashlight on it.]
If two people go in at once, do you think the illusion will show some god-awful fear combo?
⚔️️ WHAT: A research stint at the library, or Fear Cave Crystal Conquering
🕒 WHEN: Mid January
🗺️ WHERE: Camelot Public Library & Brave of Soul cave
⚠️ WARNINGS: none ATM. Possible later: language, vague hospital-oriented trauma mentioned (as part of the greatest fear trial)
Internet Trolls
[Camelot's public library is pretty fancy, in keeping with the royal capital's image. Full of traditional effects like ceiling-tall book stacks and modern amenities like a little cafe, it houses resources for any kind of patron.
While not usually one to step foot in a library, Rei is currently situated at a table tucked away between some of the stacks on the main floor. Using the extant troll quest as explanation, he has commandeered two laptops from the circulation desk (and from some very grateful librarians-- that lewd-spamming troll has been making their lives pretty difficult), and is busy typing on one while the other stands by with an auto-refreshing feed of some kind.
He's also got several books pulled from the shelves and stacked in a few piles beside him. AOL: A Founding History and FaySQL Queries for Mere Mortals are probably programming-related in some capacity, but some others are more broad: Dark Magic and its Nomenclature: A Dissertation on Language, On The Origin of Magical Species, Revised Hexes: A Primer... and it looks like there's a manga volume buried in there, too. He looks like a college student during finals week (although perhaps more well-rested).
Should you pass by looking for a seat, Rei will look up with a smile (and a wink if he knows you) and scoot his stuff aside to make room.]
Oh, 'scuse me.
Brave of Soul
i. outside
[Rei has made his way to Albion's White Cliffs, intent on entering the eerie cave said to hold the mirror-required crystals. Rei looks ready enough, though his familiar, a large hou-ou with trailing tailfeathers, is perched on a branch nearby with an expression that can only be described as disdainful.
That cave is dark, partly magicless, and most of all dirty. She is NOT going in there, moral support be damned.
Tossing the flashlight in his hand idly, Rei sighs up at the bird.]
All right, princess. You stay there. But if the crystals are nice enough, I'm keeping them instead of handing 'em over.
ii. inside
[The cave IS, in fact, very dark, and the ground damp and cold with seeping seawater; it's a perfect location for a test of nerves. Rei counts himself lucky that he picked up a normal flashlight instead of a magic-powered one; it very well may have shut off once he hit the magic-damping section. Rei is TOO OLD to spend any amount of time wandering around blind in a cave.
Should he encounter someone on his way in, Rei will greet them-- though his smile may be a bit hard to see without the flashlight on it.]
If two people go in at once, do you think the illusion will show some god-awful fear combo?
no subject
Something about a place like this scares you, too.
[Because... Glass breaking means something, but it means nothing to Kaede. There wasn't any glass when he lost control of himself - it had been the cracking of stone and twisting of metal.]
no subject
[Rei strides ahead, then, hands in his pockets. The completely unconcerned air he put on for Kaede is a bluff, sure, but only halfway so. For all of the trepidation that comes with confronting an unknown, there's also a large amount of curiosity.
After all, maybe the cave overlapped their illusions for a reason.... if this guy is some kind of test subject like Rei thinks he is.]
You coming?
no subject
[Though he can't explain why he's so sure, except for how alien the glass shattering is for what this place means to him. He frowns at Rei, not believing at all that he'll be surprised.
But the man is hard to read, and what does Kaede really know about him? Nothing, so he can't say why this man would be afraid of a place like the facility. He just doubts it's the same thing he's afraid of - of never being able to leave.
He follows after him, keeping quiet. He'll just wait and see what Rei is afraid of in this maze of familiar hallways.]
no subject
Eventually, though, the two come to a door leading to a lab room. It's filled with tubes, brightly lit; inside each one is an identical copy of the same pink-haired boy. Further in, it's obvious what happened to make the crash. Sprawled on the ground is one of the copies, surrounded by the glass of a shattered capsule.]
Ah, hell.
[For what it's worth, Rei does sound surprised!
He approaches the trembling body and kneels down, heedless of the leaking fluid coating the tile. The clone, gathered in his arms, looks up with watery eyes.
"I'm-- I'm scared," the boy whimpers in a raspy, unused voice.]
No kidding. [Rei's voice is incredulous; his gaze slides past the clone, taking in the whole of the scene. How strange, that an illusion can reach so deep.]
no subject
It's obvious what's happening, even if it's not the same.
He's distantly aware of his nails digging into his palms, and when he speaks his voice sounds distant, even to himself.]
What are you going to do?
[It's an illusion, yes, but it's something that Rei is afraid of for some reason...]
What would you do if this was real?
no subject
None of the visuals are scary; the lab is just set dressing, familiar sights. Even the crash was just to guide him. The real fear is the moment the clone spoke and expressed emotion. The moment that Rei failed again and created not a tool but another human. Another little, broken human, soon to die if not at the hands of his users then by the limits of his short-lived body. Rei already has to watch out for the original clone that happened to; for it to happen again would be even further out of his hands.]
...Pretty funny trick this cave's got, huh.
[Rei stands up, supporting the wobbly clone and bringing him to his feet. He doesn't have to hold the boy for much longer-- purpose fulfilled, the illusion begins to dissipate, the facility they're in emptying once more to clean walls and polished floors-- but it seems proper.
He turns to Kaede, finally acknowledging the question. Considering how taboo using human bodies already is, there's little levity to be gained explaining, he thinks; Rei may as well commit to villainy to the last.]
Are you sure you want to know?
no subject
[He stares up at him, and he doesn’t know what the answer could be - but he does know he wants to know it.
He wants to know if Rei is like Salome and the rest. If that boy was just something to throw away when he failed. If he was going to be killed because he had the gall to break out, doing what he wasn’t supposed to do. If he was going to suffer the same fate everyone Kaede ever knew did.
He takes a breath, looking at the familiar walls, before looking back at Rei.]
I’m sure. What would you have done if this was real?
no subject
[Well, sort of.]
Unless my clients don't want him, in which case... [Rei reaches in his pocket for a cigarette and his lighter, trailing off to light it up.] Guess he'd work for me? Was always needing errand boys, back home.
I'd let 'im loose, but he'd probably just die. [Rei takes a drag of his smoke, looking Kaede in the eyes.] Y'know?
no subject
...So he really is just the same, huh. It doesn't matter if he's selling off this boy or if he'd keep him around - he still sees him as an object to be used, doesn't he? He's replaceable, even if he wasn't made for the same reasons Kaede was.]
He's not a thing that can just- just be wasted! You wouldn't even consider what he wants?!
[He doesn't know why he asks when he already has a good feeling what the answer would be. People like Kaede aren't really people, after all. They're things that can be discarded once they've served their purpose, or thrown away to be remade if they can't even do that much.
It's funny, that he's so incensed for this pink-haired boy that wasn't even real, when he'd been passively accepting what he is for so long.]
He's- You- You fucking asshole-
[There's no technique or much strength behind it, skin and bones as Kaede is, but magic is useless here and he's running on instinct. He doubts Rei is expecting a punch to the gut, even if it won't do much.]
no subject
[The fist connects and Rei staggers a step, having seen Kaede's intention too late to do anything but take it. The cigarette in his hand drops, its ash and coals marring the once-spotless facility floor.
It hurts-- a bit. But...]
Hahaha...
[He bends over the fist still at his waist, looming over the shorter boy.]
So you've got a spine in there after all. It's a good look on you.
no subject
You’re lucky there’s no magic here.
[The words come out in a hiss, before he lets go and takes a step back.]
I’m going to get the crystal and get out of here.
no subject
[Rei waits until Kaede has turned around to leave before he speaks again.]
Hit a bit too close to home, did it. Literally, given the looks of this place.
[He steps on his fallen cigarette to put it out, embers ground into the floor. Whether he leaves without answering or not, Rei's got a lock on you, Kaede.]
no subject
...Well.
Mostly because of the physical incapability.]
You don't know anything.
[Like this whole nightmare isn't proof enough of who - what - Kaede is.
Still, it seems to be enough for whatever it is that's testing them, and the illusion falls away. Kaede pauses once they're back in the caves, but he's not going to protest once he catches sight of the small spirit.]
no subject
With a sigh he bends to scoop one of the crystals from the cave's crevices, then-- as they're once more in near-darkness-- flicks his flashlight back on.]
Well. I'm sure you don't care to be escorted any further. Guess I'll be seeing you around, kiddo. [And guess Rei has something to go bug Ramuda with. How fun!]