January Event: Rejection Rooms

[lifeaftr_mods]

JANUARY EVENT: REJECTION ROOMS

Who: Anyone and everyone!
What: Rejecting your Light comes with dire consequences
When: January 25th - 28th
Where: All over Monsun
Warnings: Violence and possible character death; please note any specific content warnings if they come up!

You're Ruled by the Things You Feel

This log is primarily for the Rejection Room portion of the event, for ease and convenience. To quote our event post:

Characters intent on rejecting their Light will find themselves irrevocably drawn to Monsun's shores. They might not even be aware of it - driven by their rage, their paranoia, their fear, or all of the above, and more. Monsun, for its part, is happy to receive them. Its landscape has become so warped over time...and those parts of Monsun consumed by shadow will start to distort, molding into structures that such characters are only too happy to hide within: Rejection Rooms.

Those who challenge the Rejection Rooms need not worry about death for themselves - damage taken within the rooms will simply translate to exhaustion outside of it, with seemingly mortal wounds leading to expulsion from the room itself, and an inability to re-enter.

The same holds true for the boss of each Room. Failure to beat them into expulsion means that the Room will continue to feed from their wildly catastrophizing mind, until there's nothing left to save at all.

So, simply top-level below with your character if they've signed up for a Rejection Room and prepare for whoever wants to gamble a confrontation. We recommend linking to the comment that details your character's Room, for the benefit of others. Remember to communicate; if your character is still trapped in their Room by the event's end, they will suffer a character death, though characters who merely try and fail to free them will not.

If your Rejection Room opt-in comment did not receive any response or additional discussion from the mod team, consider your Room and moveset approved; we want to allow for retroactive edits to your comments and plans, if those become necessary!

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Some useful links, for reference:

[ ♆ ] OOC Event Post
[ ♆ ] Rejection Room Sign-Ups, for information on what Rejection Rooms look like
[ ♆ ] Deaths Page; death penalties have been reduced for the duration of this event, but remember to let us know if your character is still stuck in their Room by the event's end!

Event Timeline

[ ♆ ] January 20th: The monthly Storytelling occurs.
[ ♆ ] January 21st: Shadows of both initial variants appear.
[ ♆ ] January 23rd: Shadows of both initial variants disappear.
[ ♆ ] January 25th Lights and Rejection Rooms appear.
[ ♆ ] January 28th: Lights and Rejection Rooms dissipate. Those still trapped in their Rejection Rooms by the event's end will suffer a character death.

LOGS ● OOC ● STORIES ● MAIN NAVIGATION

( CODED BY BOOTYCALL )

Comments

[scourgingstars]

This is pointless.

[Ardyn scowled, holding his hand out to draw the Blade of the Mystic from the air.]

Prepare yourself.

[piercetheheart]

I've been ready.

[But as Ardyn finally takes a blade in hand he smirks, adjusting his stance.]

... and raring to go!

[Let's do this!]

[scourgingstars]

[The massive greatsword was thrown as if it were weightless, Ardyn moving in a flash of red light--he warped directly to Gladio and swung it one-handed without an instant of hesitation.]

[piercetheheart]

[It was a blow that would have set even Gladio back a pace or two normally but as the Sword slams against the Prince teal light bursts from Gladio's back, ghostly wings fanning out behind him, beating once as though to stabilize him. He holds his ground for a moment, frowns at Ardyn but he doesn't say anything, not yet.

But after a brief moment he steps forward, putting his shoulder behind the shield and shoving into Ardyn with it.]

[scourgingstars]

[Ardyn glared at the display, strike sending him staggering back a few steps before catching himself. The still-present Armiger realigned itself into wings of his own in shining magenta, his brother's greatsword held out in anticipation of a further attack.]

Is that it?

[piercetheheart]

You're the one bent on destruction here.

[He... yeah he actually shrugs.]

Killing me isn't going to make him love you less y'know. Or make me like you less. Or murder the concept of love in general.

But if it makes you feel better...

[scourgingstars]

What kind of fool do you take me for? Fight back, or I'll just kill you and be done with this nonsense.

[piercetheheart]

[For a moment Gladio considers what Ardyn says, thinks it over and... He sighs heavily.]

You're right. I'm not going to hurt you so there's no reason to draw it out.

[And Gladio takes a step back, bends to set Black Prince on the floor beside him. His hands move to the fastenings of his cloak, releasing it and draping it over his discarded shield.]

Left the uniform at home. Sorry.

[A dark little flicker of humor, a faint smirk, and then he sinks down to one knee, pressing his fist to his chest over the eagle in a proper Lucian salute.

Then he bows his head, eyes closed, prepared for whatever it is Ardyn decides to do.]

[scourgingstars]

...Do...do you think this is a joke?!

[Behind him the Armiger broke formation as though it couldn't quite settle on any one alignment, Ardyn himself somewhere between blinding rage and genuine confusion.]

Don't you dare--don't you dare salute me as if I were your precious damnable king or his worthless ancestors--

[piercetheheart]

We're in the throne room. Seems fitting.

[He looks up at Ardyn but he doesn't move from his place on the floor.]

Or do you not want me saluting you because I'm not him?

[His fingers trace over the beak of the eagle on his chest and it should be quite clear who he means.]

Well too damn bad, Ardyn. I'm not him and I'm not going to turn on you like he did. Even though I know damn well that's what you're trying to get me to do. So kill me or don't but I'm not moving from this spot.

[scourgingstars]

Be silent. You-...you...

[Ardyn's hand shook as he pulled back to prepare to throw the sword again...]

[...and when he did throw it, the blade landed in the floor in front of Gladio, Ardyn following an instant behind.]

I am not your king, you worthless sycophant, and if this is some game to try and get into my head to make me stop you're going to find it a lethal mistake to have made.

[piercetheheart]

[That sword comes flying at him and Gladio is utterly sure for a moment there that it's going straight into his chest.

But it doesn't and he blinks, a little surprised by that, letting out a slow breath before offering Ardyn a sad smile.]

You're not my King, I'm not your Shield. Doesn't mean we can't be friends at least, be something to each other.

Doesn't mean I'm going anywhere.

[scourgingstars]

Friends? You're a damned fool. Only someone unthinkably stupid would ever think something as mad enough as wanting to be friends with a daemon.

[piercetheheart]

Not the first time someone's called me stupid or a fool.

[Is that supposed to be a deterrent? Cause it's really not.]

[scourgingstars]

And why is it you act so adamant about this? Are you just playing along with your precious little spark, or is this little game one of your own design?

[piercetheheart]

It's... complicated? Fuck I'm not even gonna pretend like I understand all of it. Yeah my Spark's the reason I even decided to give you a chance.

But there's so much I didn't know, we didn't know. Couldn't have, really. I'm not making judgments on the fucked up information I've been fed anymore. So I'm here, I'm trying to help and that's not going to change. Even if the best I ever get outta you is tolerance that'll be enough.

[scourgingstars]

Explain yourself.

It doesn't make sense. What I am, all that I've done--to your world, your kingdom, your friends, to your beloved Founder, Tonitrus, and Crepera--what is wrong with you to make you want to care so damn much? Or at least to act like you do.

[piercetheheart]

You are what circumstance made you, that's not fair.

You've been fucked over so hard by everything we were brought up to believe in and it's bullshit. So I chose to care for the person behind the prophecy and not the stupid fucking gods' chess game, okay? You're more than what they made you but the only way you're ever going to be able to learn and accept that is if the people around you can too.

Noct might have been The Chosen One but he was still my friend. A stupid kid who liked video games and fishing and hated veggies and cared so godsdamned much about people it broke his heart. So yeah you're the vessel of the Scourge, sure, but you're still a man who's been hurt, who loves chocobos, and...

[And he's going to trail off there with a shrug. He doesn't need to state that one trait Ardyn and Noctis shared, does he?]

[scourgingstars]

...

That doesn't...change anything. It doesn't change what I am now, and I can never again be what I was.

[piercetheheart]

The fuck it doesn't. You're so caught up in being this... ugh like embodiment of prophecy you're not giving yourself any room to just be. No you can't just go back and be who you were before, there's been way too much pain and no one's asking you to.

But you don't have to "be the Scourge" [Yeah he does the air quotes.] You can just be Ardyn, wherever that ends up being in between. Even if that's scary, even if you don't know who that is yet. We're both here to help you figure out who that is.

[scourgingstars]

...There's no such person that exists anymore. He's dead, and this is just a shell playing at acting human. Nothing more.

[piercetheheart]

No.

[Oh he's going to die one way or the other, what does it matter.

So he shifts up onto his knees so he can grab Ardyn by the shoulders and give him a squeeze if not a shake.]

That's not true.

You've changed but that doesn't fucking invalidate your existence. Fuck the Astrals.

Fuck their prophecy, fuck their expectations. You've got just as much right to be as anyone else. Chosen or Ac- Scourge or whatever you're more than what some douchebag god says.

[scourgingstars]

[Ardyn winced as Gladio gripped his shoulders, cold as a corpse just like always--though it looked like surprise and discomfort rather than outright pain.]

Whether I have that right or not is irrelevant. I cast it aside long ago, and I do not know how to be anything but what's left.

[piercetheheart]

Then be what's left! But don't hold yourself to some fucked up ideal to avoid dealing with what you feel.

[The wince enough to make him ease his grip, let his hands slide lightly down his arms, reassuring as he knows how to be without just crushing him into a bear hug. (Which certain people have informed him recently is not always reassuring)]

No one, no matter how broken they are, is purely evil.

And no one, even the Oracle herself, is pure good. It's not black and white like that, it never has been and we're all blind fools for listening to that version of events. You don't have to justify everything you think and feel and do by "but is that what the Scourge should do".

[scourgingstars]

I don't know how to simply ignore it. You can't understand what it sounds like, how loud and all-encompassing this thing is in my head.

I-...I can't be human anymore. It just isn't possible.