singillatim | prelude

prelude

January 1st 2015

Do you remember yesterday? What is tomorrow?
How will you face this quiet apocalypse?
— Raphael van Lierop.

As the old year falls and the new year begins, the skies fill with light. An Aurora comes on the last day of December, and with it the usual signs of it: the ethereal noise, the cracks and pops in the air, the stuttering of electrics as they struggle to power on and then blare and flicker. It is, as Interlopers have come to know, business as usual — in terms of the Auroras within this world. However, something a little different happens this time.

Interlopers will fall asleep all over the town of Milton. Even the ones who fight sleep and try to stay up into the small hours of the night will find themselves drifting off for a short while — as if their eyes just feel too heavy to keep open, and their minds slip into a deep kind of quiet darkness without their realising. And at first, there is nothing — nothing but the quiet dark. Something peaceful, almost.

A dream comes.

The first thing you notice is blood in your mouth, the cold in your bones, the deafening din in your ears — as if you are caught in static and the sound of howling winds through pine trees. You are afraid. At first, you do not know why. You find yourself on your knees in the snow. The skies are filled with green light, the air is thick with smoke. And then the realisation comes:

This is the ending of all things.

You look up, to the sight before you: a huge, shapeless shadow. Towering above you, over you. A head peers down at you: a cluster of three wolf skulls, eye-sockets glowing green and terrible, and their three open maws, dripping with more green. The sound it makes is unnatural, you cannot put it into words. The darkness draws in, you are so cold, so tired.

This is the ending of all things.

It is so hungry. You are so tired. The world falls away, you cannot see the stars, the dark hiding them from view. Were they even there to begin with? Or did they go out? You have forgotten. And you know, you know—

This is the ending of all things.

The skies glimmer, licks of strange, colourful wisps curl above — a voice screams out your name, from the static and winds. Through the noise. A woman’s voice. You have heard this voice before, in the lights and noise. Do you see? What could be? What you could become?

Can you hold on? Please. A hand grips your shoulder, but as you turn — the dream ends.

For some, they snap into waking with a shout or cry. Some will shudder awake to find tears in their eyes. All over Milton, the Interlopers wake: shaken, unsure, afraid. They will awaken to the dark: the Aurora is gone — slowly fading from the night skies into an otherwise calm and clear night.

It is a new year.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

No, thank you for ref- I mean, no problem, truly.

[Touching others without a real necessity is weird, indeed. But he can step out of his comfort zone for others. Sometimes.]

I guess tonight is an awful one for both of us, huh? I also had a nightmare similar to my situation back home and- it was a bit worse than usual. Do you want to tell me more? Maybe sharing what you feel comfortable sharing can he of help?

[He nods.]

Ah...i-it was...um, I saw this huge creature. It had three heads, but they were skulls and kind of glowing green. I-I got the feeling it was the end of all things. A-and....

[He takes a deep breath]

I'm pretty sure I know what it was.

[He is silent for a moment. Erich assumed his end-of-the-world dream was just tied to the fact his world did end from all he knew. Even with Elidibus and the other people's sacrifice, things didn't improve, they were doomed, but-]

That... shuldn't be possible? I had the same dream. I think it was the same, at least. I heard of shared consciousness in sleep, but it's usually a conscious and consensual choice not...

[He vaguely gestures around them. ]

What do you think it was?

You...you had the same...

[Oh, that made this even worse than he'd imagined.]

It, uh, back where I come from there's this god. Gro-goroth. The god of destruction. H-he...the picture of him in his bible has three heads.

Yes. It opened with the familiar and metallic smell of blood in my mouth, the feeling I had been ouside forever and I was so tired even if I was... hunted? Or that thing was hungry at least.

[Silence, then. Gods are still a foreign and alien concept to him, considering his people were the gods of his world.]

Gro-goroth... I can't say I ever heard of such concept being designed. But I also seem to lack plenty of knowledge about this world so... [A small sigh.] From your expression I suppose that's some kind of awful omen?

I-I-I think it can't possibly be good. I've only had dreams when gods in them once--well, multiple times but the same dream--before and it was because the god was there, he and his minions were doing something.

T-this dream is telling us it is the end of all things. And showing the god of destruction.

I-I don't know if there's anything we could do to fight against that.

[His expression shifts and the smile drops, he went through similar talks before even if gods weren't involved.]

Don't say that. Please... don't say that.

[He has to bring both hands to his lap and tuck them under his blanket not to show the fact he's shaking. He's not strong enough to get through yet another end of the world. It's already agonizing knowing he's probably the last one of his kin even if he's trying to be positive and optimistic around others.]

There is always a hope. And even assuming we lack the pwoer to properly fight it? You still fight until the very end.

[It's personal for him, it's easy to tell from the tremor in his voice and how the bright red eyes can't seem to stay on Levi. He can't see the world end again.]

We have one advantagE: you seem to know what we're dealing with so.. let's use that to prepare ourselves. Mh?

R-right...I..w-we didn't give up during Termina. I-I can't give up now. Not ever.

[He sniffs and wipes away the tears forming at his eyes.]

I'm just, I'm just...scared. These things...they're too big for me.

[Despite the fact that he's dealt with gods and their minions supernatural powers before.]

...I'm sorry if I scared you.

[Right. Erichthonios is not the only one dealing with... stuff. Push it down he tells imself, and after a moment he manages to do so. Self ontrol is something he had to learn during the Final Days, at least to push others not to give up.

It still takes him a good moment before he can put up a reassuring expression once more. ]

It's okay to be afraid. I feel like we are into something too big for us anyway and- you have all rights to be scared. What I want to believe is that where we may fail as a person, we may succeed as a group. Remember, it's working together that we stand a chance.

[He shakes his head, forcing another smile on his face. His hands may still be shaking, but he refuses not to try his best.]

It's okay. I just... I will be fine, truly.

Y-yeah...none of us are really alone here. When people work together they can do amazing things.

[He takes a deep breath.]

I...I'll be okay. I promise. I've been through...

[Well, not worse.]

s-some pretty bad stuff and I've come through.

Thank you. I, um, I won't let you do this alone either. We can stand together. I'll support you. P-promise.

[He attempts a smile. Its not very good, but at least there's heart in it.]

Right? Oh, I could tell you stories. In a great time of danger in my world, my best friend and countless other people created an entiry to bring back balance. So many kind souls united by the desire to see a better world...

People can do incredible things when they put their heart into it.

[He can ignore his guilt over ignoring his call for now. He had been selected as one of the many sacrifices, but someone had to stay behind for the monsters of the Pandaemonium, right? He will just.. not mention the fact the creation of Zodiark didn't seem to work and their world kept burning...]

You're very brave. And I'm glad to have you by my side. I'm... certain we will need to address it with others, your knowledge on this god may be incredibly useful, but for now why don't we get a good tea? I think I saw some rose hips left by the main hall and I at least managed to learn how to light a fire.

We will get through this.

[He may not believe it himself, but that's... not for Levi to hear.]

That's amazing. We were trying to do...something like that, I guess. But I ended up here instead.

Yeah. Yeah, that sounds good.

[He stands up and puts the rifle back under his bed. He doesn't need it right now.]

...

[He is silent for a long moment, there, before getting up as well.]

I... I'm sorry. I... was your word also on the brink of destruction when you were brought here?

[He doesn't share much of his world, but Levi's people trying to do the same, the nightmares, an entity of destruction...]

Yeah. Let's go. I'm afraid there isn't much but... I think birch bark can also be used? I think I read it offers beneficial things...

Not the whole world...but a god was still fucking things up. We were hoping some device we found could...I don't know, help or stop him.

[He nods. He doesn't know much about different kinds of tea.]

Okay. Whatever we find.

At least you seem to know what was messing up with your orld. May the device work... I mean, we'll eventually find our way back home, right?

[Not that it's good news for him anyway, since he knows he'll die as soon as he goes bacl but... oh well. He is silent while moving toward the area used for cooking and it takes him a good moment to light up a small fire.]

There isn't much but it's edible. But hey, at least it will be warm.

I don't really know...I don't think about how to go home most days.

[He's not sure he'd want to go anyway. Especially if time has passed between when he disappeared and when he gets back. What if the others were still there after he disappeared? It'd be like he abandoned them.]

Heh. Warm is all that really matters here.

I... almost envy you on that. I can't stop thinking about home.

[There is a long pause, there, as he puts a pot over the fire and starts warming some of the water that was still there. Looks like They'll soon have to go gather some clean snow and make it melt, supplies are running low. Now... what do they even have? A few rose hips, some birch and a musk like thing Erich can't recognize... Eh, if it's there it's probably edible.]

I don't think there is a home I can go back to, so... in case we'll keep each other company for some time. Now... Do you want my blanket? The tea will take a moment, here.

If... there is anything you want to talk about, I'd love to listen. If it can help get your mind off less... pleasant thoughts.

...I still think about it, I just don't worry about how to get back. I'm not sure I want to.

[Most of his nightmares still sprung from his world, after all. And he worries about those he left behind in Prehevil.]

Uh...only if you don't need it. The blanket.

T-there's, uh...

[Nothing to talk about, since he prefers to try and not think of bad things in his past. But something to distract them...]

There's a guy who started, um, farming? rabbits. I haven't really looked in on it much, though.

That's... painfully relatable. I guess we can try to learn how to properly live here, right?

[Yet he feels guilty on surviving. He should be dead like all his friends and people. But that doesnn't matter as he turns back, getting the blanket off his shoulders and wrapping it around Levi's ones.]

Farming rabbits? That's... nice. I wouldn't be able to raise animals with the intent of eating them, as I've read about in this place's books, but I'm glad to hear people are getting organized here.

[Distracting one from bad thoughts is... important, right? He'll focus on his own nightmare and fears once his... friend? Once his friend is more relaxed.]

In my world, I think the closest thing I've seen to rabbits is a Lucky Bunny. Fire aligned elementals that were created as a concept to bring good luck to adventurers kind enough to help them. I am not entirely sure if they were ever implemented in nature. Ah... wouldn't it be lovely to have fire spirits around the place? I would try to befriend one, imagine having a little heater around you that keeps you warm at night.

Yeah. I'm getting used to it here, I think.

[Ah, yeah, he guesses they're pretty cute. Somebody had a rabbit as a pet before coming here, didn't they? He thought he'd overheard something like that.]

You made...elemental animals?

That's good to hear. I think I'm at least getting used to the cold.

[Not to many other aspects of this survival game, but at the same time there is no need to bring that up. And if he can offer some relief, so be it.]

My people did, I always... lacked that kind of talents. To put it simply, where I come from most creatures are made of aether. Energy, if you will. There is balance between the sid elements in bodies, but some creatures lean more toward one side than the others... and since those rabbits were made to survive in a very cold enviorment, they were gifted with fire aether in order to keep warm.

Not that I have ever seen anything more than their project but...

[He does reach for one piece of coal, while waiting for the water to warm up, and starts doodling a rabbit on a cutting board.]

Bringers of extreme good luck, if you are kind to them, or extreme bad luck, if you hurt them. Quite different from the, ah, rabbits we see around here. [A pause] Do you have anything similar back in your world?

Oh...I haven't heard about anything like that happening where I came from.

[But given the Things in Prehevil, they may have been trying something similar.

[He looks at the picture then shakes his head.]

My rabbits looked like the ones here. Their feet are supposed to be lucky but I don't think that's real.

Well, from what I'm learning my world works in a rather... different way. We have six main elements and everything is mostly made with them.

[He offers a small chuckle of disbelief at Levi's sentence.] Only the foot? And what are you supposed to do with the rest of the rabbit?

[Eat it, you dumb kid. He still doesn't think about it, though, getting up to grab some mugs and fill them with the 'tea' after infusing the water a bit. He does walk back, offering Levi the drink and doing his best to smile. The world isn't ending, it can't end again, and... if tht was really the case, then this time Erichthonios will not sit behind and wait.]

Bit better, my friend? [In books he read that touching shoulders is reassuring, but he can only step back at a comfortable distance and sit down with his poor excuse of a warm drink.]

I don't really know how things work in my world but I haven't heard anything about elements. But I don't much, um, science or whatever so I can't really say.

[He shrugs.]

I don't know. Mostly I heard people say it wasn't very lucky for the rabbit.

[He takes the tea and takes a sip, taking a moment to just let it warm him up.]

...yeah. I-I'm sorry. You said you had the dream too? You're probably shook up too, I shouldn't have dropped this on you. I-if you want to talk about it, or anything, I can listen to you too.

[He feels bad for making Erich deal with him while he was still waking up and didn't have things together. He never wants to burden people with his issues.
And he's actually quite glad about the not touching. He'd probably flinch away from it on reflex.]

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prelude

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i want to hug erich so bad <<;

Well, I want to hug Levi, so...

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