open mingle post;

[payback]

Who: Everyone on the waystation!
Broadcast: n/a
Action: open to everyone to tag into
When: October 11, 2014

[It sure is a lovely day actually pretty much indeterminate time period out here in the vast darkness of space, isn't it? I bet everyone's enjoying themselves, getting a chance to get off their dinky little ship and stretch their legs. Even on this shitty, empty little waystation.

Where are you, droot flooters? What are you up to? Stay out of trouble, now.]

[ooc: hi everyone! I thought I'd give this a try and see how the game liked it. What we have here is a mass mingle post. Rather than everyone making a bunch of different posts about landing on the station, everyone is invited to post a parent comment with their character out and about, doing something. Everyone else is invited to look at who's posted, tag them, post their own parent comments, thread jack, tag around and generally have a grand old time! It should hopefully be a nice low-pressure way to do some action tagging with each other.

Please tag in if you feel so inclined! Don't be shy to tag around!]

Comments

[aberrant_type]

[Hange looks curiously at Emblica, not interrupting but listening closely as she speaks. It's interesting to see her face! She does look so young, and the freckles are charming - she wonders why Emblica is so shy to show herself, though.]

I suppose it does. Please, go on.

[She'll save her questions until after the story is over.]

[amarant]

[ Nods. ]

After a while, people ended up being so afraid of the witches that they decided to kill them all. And with all their methods, they eventually succeeded. Except for the four remaining immortal children. Because those four were immortal until another was born to take their place, there was no way for them to...stop.

Traveling the world, hiding away, trying to start new lives...they tried different things, and sometimes, they were even happy with the way their lives turned out.

And eventually, people forgot all about their fear of the witches, and it became easier for them to live-- or try to live-- normal lives.

[ She hadn't really been looking at Hange's face for most of this, finding it easier just to disconnect, but she's started trying to read her face by now. ]

[aberrant_type]

[Hange just looks very calm and attentive, nodding along. She doesn't seem to be having a strong reaction, although she can guess where this is going to at least some degree now.]

I see... go on.

[If there's more, that is.]

[amarant]

[ Yeah, she figures that's the case. ]

I've been wearing that--

[ Putting a hand on the skull. ]

Because people won't notice how long I've looked the same, or the marks of a witch that I have.

But that's only when I go out. It's been a while, though.

[aberrant_type]

The "marks of a witch"? What are those?

[amarant]

On my face. It's only people who can use magic without drawing on a god's power that have them like this.

[ It feels weird to have someone who isn't familiar with her actually looking at her face; she wonders how long it's been. ]

[aberrant_type]

Would most people here be able to identify them as those things without you telling them? You could go without the mask.

[amarant]

No, but...I feel more comfortable wearing it, now. As I've said, I'm not good with people.

[aberrant_type]

Well, it's not hurting anyone [Except maybe you, child,] for you to wear a mask. Why a skull, Emblica?

[amarant]

If it looked more human-like, I think it would get more questions. With this, it's strange enough that people don't ask about it.

It's alright if people think I'm strange, or if they're scared of me and don't want to come near me.

[aberrant_type]

[...]

How old are you, Emblica?

[amarant]

[ Deep breath. ]

I'll be 933 next year.

[aberrant_type]

933 years is a long time to lead a lonely existence.

[amarant]

It's true. I'm very tired, Miss Hange.

[ She means of living, but she does look tired too. ]

[aberrant_type]

[She guessed it was the former.]

You must be. [933 years and yet she still comes across so young.]

[amarant]

No one was meant to live this long.

I don't mind the others continuing their lives, if that's what they want. But, it's better if I don't.

[aberrant_type]

[How interesting, part of her is thinking. Comparing Emblica to the titans, to Ymir. Ymir's words Hange didn't hear herself but secondhand: wandering sixty years in a nightmare before she emerged from her titan form. Maybe Emblica wasn't eating people, Hange certainly hopes not, but how much heavier would 933 years weigh?]

Then do you know how you'll end it?

[amarant]

I can't. It's impossible.

[ A slight catch in her voice. ]

[aberrant_type]

[Hange looks at her very carefully and then moves to take a seat closer to Emblica, placing a hand carefully on her shoulder with time allowed for Emblica to move away if she chooses to.]

I'm not sure, with this perspective, if the greater tragedy is dying too young or living too long.

[amarant]

[ She lets her; it's been long enough, after all. ]

...the god underneath my city. It died, because the god that was growing inside it didn't want to wait for its time to be awake. The new god ate the old one from the inside.

It's a crime. The only thing that can kill a god is another god, and consuming a god's flesh caused this god to become corrupted. The land began to suffer. And the people who drew on its power to use magic also became corrupted. Their minds, then their bodies, became warped.

My body can never change, but...

[ She ends up trailing off there. ]

[aberrant_type]

... please tell me clearly, Emblica.

[She can guess, of course. But Hange doesn't like putting words in other people's mouths.]

[amarant]

I can't-- think clearly. Right now, I'm fine, but other times, it's a mess. Like my head is full of noise because of it. The god was violent, ate its own kind. Those desires...it passed on to everyone else.

People changed, they became monsters, real monsters.

Even if I'm not one in body, I know my mind isn't safe. I've already tried to hurt someone, what if I do it again? I know I can't better, and this is all I have waiting for me, for the rest of my life.

[aberrant_type]

[This is a serious conundrum, isn't it? She's curious... who would even deem what a god does a crime? Couldn't a real god do whatever it wanted?

How difficult, to have a god become a monster.

Something that ate its own kind... just like a titan. Or almost just like.]

Can you move to somewhere else? I can teach you more techniques if that will help... for controlling impulses and anger...

[amarant]

Move...where?

[ She feels like she's just woken up after sleeping, again. It's been a long time since she talked this much, especially about something like this. ]

You don't think I should just stay away from everyone else?

[aberrant_type]

No.

[Hmmm.]

The god isn't here now, is it?