lifeaftr | The Haunted Sound... (2 Closed & 2 OPEN)

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The Haunted Sound... (2 Closed & 2 OPEN)

Who: Ignis and Ardyn, Ignis and Jules, Ignis and OPEN!
What: The aftermath of almost becoming a dragon snack! Treasure, repairs, and napping in no particular order.
When: First couple of weeks in October
Where: Mostly Islet 1 (Cottage 2) and the Farming Islet
Warnings: Mention of injury and violence because of a certain dragon. Watch subjects for warnings should anything else come up.

A.) A priceless glory... (Closed to Ardyn)

[In a way, the severity of Ignis' wounds work to Ardyn's favor. If the advisor is sleeping off his pain, then he is not trying to fight Ahidalga again. It also means there is no one there to be a restraining factor.

RIP Ahidalga.

About the time the looting starts, Ignis is finally starting to regain a little of his strength. Just enough to be annoyed at the fact that both Ardyn and Leo are several steps ahead of him, because he's not going anywhere with a tigerlily's head resting on his chest. Leo might have twitched when the last of the little dragons got too near the cottage, but as none actually attacked it, he never moved from Ignis side and appears bound and determined to remain there until his partner in crime returns to make sure Ignis stays put and rests.

It's really not fair.

Ignis' first clue that Ardyn has returned is when Leo finally lifts his head slightly from his chest, ears turning toward the bedroom door. Ignis huffs softly, trying not to breath too deeply and then calls out to the redhead.]

Have you come to release me from my captivity?

B.) Memento mori... (Closed to Jules)

[If it had not been for Leo, Ignis might have missed the little gifts that start showing up at the cottage. A bit of food here, some supplies there, but the tigerlily seems to enjoy bringing him the little tokens everyday. At first, Ignis is puzzled. Who would be leaving things for him when so many of those he once knew are now gone? Finally, he realizes it can only be one person.

Well, at least that is confirmation that Jules is still around. As much as the man keeps to himself, Ignis had wondered.

Once he feels up to meeting with someone, he sends a very messily written note with Leo in hopes that Jules will come back with the tigerlily to speak with him. He's not really surprised when Leo returns alone, though.

He gives the tigerlily a scratch behind the ears with his right hand, careful not to jolt his injured left side.]

He didn't feel he could trust a note, hu? Maybe in a week or so, I can try to track him down myself. I need to thank him for all he has been leaving.

C.) All for nothing now... (Open!)

[This is a bad idea. Ignis really shouldn't be up and moving around already, but he also needs to now how bad the damage to the resources on the farming islet are. So many people worked so hard to get these resources--Gladio worked so hard to set up so much over there--that he wants to know what will be needed to get things up and running again. He won't be able to fix it all himself. Not with how hurt he is, but someone has to take the first steps. Perhaps another call for help across the crystals is in order? He'll have to see how much damage there is first.

It is going to take days to make note of all the losses, but during those days Ignis can be found leaning heavily on Leo and doing his best to catalog the state of the buildings, fields, and animals Not an easy task when one is blind, but he's determined to do it anyway.]

D.) I know... (Open!)

[Even with Leo and Ardyn trying to make sure Ignis doesn't push himself too hard, it's inevitable that he will over-extend himself. That is why he occasionally will be found outside the cottage, fast asleep with a tigerlily curled around him, both to keep him warm as the temperatures start to drop, but also to make sure no one threatens him while he rests. Whatever his current task is--be it preparing seedlings for replanting, trying to find the best way to cook dragon meat, or maybe working on simple repair tasks--it has been forgotten. Now is time for naps in the sun.

It's not a horrid way to spend the afternoon.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

The battery still works? That's fortunate. Mine went out a month or two after I arrived.

[He chuckles softly.]

Of course, it was fairly waterlogged even before I ended up stranded on a raft in the middle of the ocean.

Mine doesn't really exist in this dimension, unless I bring the interface up. Although some of it seems a little broken anyway. I figure it's just from being ripped from the network.

Oh, that's handy. So you never have to worry about it losing charge.

[He's actually a little envious. He was just getting used to the voice to text feature when his died.]

Most technology is a little broken here. We've never quite been to figure out why. The closest thing we have to an explanation is that the Storyteller doesn't really understand most of it.

People like Legion seem to be doing okay?

[Robots, that is.]

Church and Washington as well, but as far as I know, most technological beings, or at least those who depend on technology to function, have a symbol emblazoned onto that technology be it their body or a suit of armor. It lets them 'recharge' so to speak at the mana pool. The glasses I have that allow me to see for a short period of time have a symbol on them as well, though I can't just recharge them at a mana pool. I have to use stories for that.

What I'm trying to get at is that I suspect whatever technological power that used to fuel them has been replaced by magical power, something the Storyteller understands better.

[It's an idea that makes Ignis rather uneasy because, for beings like Legion, it means changing them on a fundamental level. That's a lot of power and a change made without their permission.]

Seems a little rude.

[But then, all Michael knows in that regard is Janet, and she doesn't rely on anything outside of herself for power.]

Afterlife technology has always been sort of magical anyway. And I do mean that literally, not just because it's so advanced. Angels and demons all have powers to begin with, after all.

That is probably the kindest way you could put it.

[Ignis nods in understanding as Michael continues, clearly understanding the division he's making.]

One might say that divine power is the original 'magic' in the world, so I can't say I am all that surprised to hear it. That would also make it easier for the Storyteller to work with.

Ugh, gods.

[His disdain for them is rather milder, here, but Michael still doesn't really get the god thing.]

We don't have those. There's the eternal Judge, but even she doesn't mess around with living humans.

So humans on your world truly do have free will to do what they wish? At least until they die.

[And then it's all torture from there since the angels are too busy with their committees to care.]

Yeah, do whatever. It's not like it even affects where you end up in the afterlife.

[Michael doesn't, really, believe that you ought to just "do whatever". But he's still sorta bitter that it doesn't affect anything. People ought to be awarded or something someday.]

Why would they not have free will?

One of the gods of my world has spent thousands of years bringing a very specific plan to fruition.

[Now it is Ignis' turn to sound bitter.]

On the surface, it looks as though those involved have free will, but do they really when each time someone steps a little out of line they are pushed, or shoved as the case may be, back into the role created for them?

...good thing I couldn't do that.

[Hey, he spent thousands of years on a super specific plan! He just failed to shoved all the humans into line hard enough!]

See, that's why I don't care for the concept of gods. They're just immortal people - like regular people, but longer. No reason they deserve authority over anyone.

[Ignis tilts his head in thought.]

They...really are, aren't they?

[Shiva and Ifrit had fallen in love. Ifrit had been driven to anger and later madness due to that anger. Titan had been moved to catch and hold the Meteor to protect Eos and Bahamut moved to create his plan out of pride. In a great many ways, they were all human.The only difference was that they possessed a great deal more power than most humans.]

I wonder if the prophecy would have been seen differently if the people of Lucis viewed the gods as merely more powerful humans instead of infallible rulers of all.

Sure. If my powers worked fully here, or on Earth, I could've set up as a god easy.

[He really could have. Any demon could - they can manipulate reality with a snap of their fingers, scramble a human's brain, remove their skinsuit and put it back on. Humans really fall for the appearance of resurrection, Michael knows that much.]

But so could my old cubicle-mate Gerald, and he spent the first three years we were human-shaped wearing all of his pants backwards, because he thought the zipper was meant to be a "poop portal". We are not inherently qualified for leadership.

[For several long seconds, Ignis just stares at Michael; his expression is blank, his body still and then he lifts his hand to cover his mouth and starts laughing hard enough he nearly doubles over. That...is not the kind of story he was expecting to hear about a demon, especially one from Michael's world where they seem to be a lot more intelligent than what he deals with back home.

Once he finally stops laughing, he shakes his head.]

It takes all kinds, I suppose. Humans are rather like that too. I remember this young man who was training to be in the Crownsguard about the same time I was. Noctis had him convinced that the royal line actually drank blood in order to keep their magical abilities strong. The looks I saw on his face anytime time he saw either His Majesty or His Highness with a red drink in had after that were quite a thing. He was legitimately terrified by the time I made Noctis tell him the truth. Even then, I'm not sure he ever stopped believing it.

[Humans are also a lot more intelligent than those daemons, and look at some of them!

As proven by this story - Michael cackles appreciatively.]

Oh, that's fun! Humans really are fascinated with bloodsucking royals, aren't they?

Obviously, they can't be telling the full truth behind their power. There always has to be something else.

[Never mind that the whole line ages rapidly due to the strain their abilities put on their body and that is the very opposite of what a 'vampire' does. The human imagination will always find a way.]

As if our own daemon issues aren't bad enough without adding other monsters to the mix.

You can never have too many monsters. Keeps life interesting!

[He guesses, at least? That's not exactly a part of demon culture.]

We've used practically all of those. There were a lot of new types of suit floating around, the last time I looked - the Internet is making up new monsters.

If you can't explain something, there is obviously a monster behind it.

[Ignis can't help but grin a little at that. There is something, at least, that their worlds have in common.]

Sometimes, I also think it's some kind of strange coping mechanization so they don't have to admit to the horrors that people can do to other people. It's easier when it's a monster. What's the strangest one your Internet has thought up?

Oh, I don't know if my opinion's really the human standard.

[But he'll think about it for a second.]

Lots of blank-men - goatman, Slenderman, things like that. I think the video game ones with the hyper-realistic blood are funny. And the photo-negative mascot suit. Those don't usually work on adults though...

The photo-negative mascot suit?

[Ignis doesn't recognize most of those, though he can piece together why they might be considered frightening based on their names. It's that last one that stumps him for a moment...

...and then he remembers Kenny Crow and can't help but nod.]

Some of those are scary enough just as they are normally. I would hate to think how much worse they could be with someone manipulating the images from there.

It leaks yellow pus! I think the implication is that there's a corpse inside, but honestly that's just so pedestrian.

[Leave the head on, Anti-Mickey!]

Probably less scary than the suit all by itself, you're right.

[Ignis just raises an eyebrow. He is definitely unimpressed.]

I wish I still had Prompto's camera. There most certainly is a picture of Kenny Crow on there. If you saw that, there would be no doubt which was scarier. It doesn't help the people in the suits often stay very still until the moment strikes when they can startle someone quite badly.

[Michael snorts.]

Oh, that's fun. It's not really torture, though. More like a prank. I mean, the mascot suits we've got, they use the penis flattener the same as everyone else.

[That gets a raised eyebrow from Ignis.]

Has torture really not gotten farther than that?

[Why is he asking questions like this again?]

The Haunted Sound... (2 Closed & 2 OPEN)

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