The melody that filled the empty me [OPEN]

[foreversembrace]

Who: Till and YOU!
What: Till has arrived! He's freaking the fuck out, it's probably fine dwbi
When: Early March
Where: The Grove, location fluctuates depending
Warnings: References to death and very slight suicidal ideation

[Despite growing up in a part of the wider reaches of the galaxy, Till's universe has always felt very small. Isolated. Contained. Not allowed to do anything less than what is expected of you. Step out of line, act in a way they don't like...

The last thing he remembers is standing alone on that stage. The lights went out, yet he could still feel the icy cold of the simulated rain pelting his face as he stared at Ivan's still-warm corpse.

He walked out on that stage fully expecting to die. This...felt wrong. He shouldn't be still here. So why...?

He blinks, and suddenly the stage is empty. The body is gone, as are all of the aliens watching him as they cheered when the song ended. It's eerily silent, and as he looks out into the great expanse ahead of him, he sees...

Does he know the word? "Mother"? That isn't what they called her. Provider. He is the Creation. When the aliens took him from her, he never knew what became of her. They ripped him, screaming and crying, from her arms. If he's seeing her now because he did die after all...then all the better, honestly.

He throws himself off the stage, and when he collapses into her arms, it all feels...idyllic. He's met with the true world of humanity. The trees, the grass, the clear blue sky. Was it all...just a bad dream?

...

..

.

Till startles awake to the tune of Rusty licking his face, and though it takes him a few long moment to regain consciousness enough to even realize what's going on...he recoils violently, practically throwing his body back to get away from the dog, only for his limbs to lock up on him in a similar way to the feeling he gets when the aliens set off his collar. Fuck. He has no idea that he's been laying in the Nethersea Brand for X amount of time, but thanks to Rusty he'd been dragged out and able to (mostly) recover enough that he isn't completely paralyzed.

Does that mean he's feeling GREAT? Haha, oh no. Hell no. This man has never seen an Earth dog before, do you think he has any idea what happened to him?

As Rusty tries to come back close to him, Till quickly tries to scramble to his feet- falls and eats shit once in the dirt- then manages to drag himself half-upright as he looks forward beyond where he ended up. Though the Grove isn't exactly your fount of beauty...it's grass. Trees. He's outside, and it doesn't feel real. It can't possibly be. It's either a near-death hallucination, or fake like Anakt Garden was.

Holding one of his upper arms for stability, Till's eyes settle on the Grove in front of him. The multitude of buildings large and small that have been cultivated into a small town...even amidst the sprawling city structures of the alien race, it seems foreign. He is, at least, visible at the tree-line to anyone who might be looking from their window.

Because in a fit of panicked desperation, the light on the choker(???) around his neck flashing red, Till turns and starts to stagger into the trees. If he IS outside...he has to run away. If he's found, he won't be killed. No. They'll capture him, and he will WISH they'd killed him.]

===========

[At some point, when Till has been convinced NOT to try to disappear into the Forest forever and fucking die immediately, he will do whatever he can to isolate himself away from everyone else. This is accomplished by Till finding one of the empty Inn rooms and locking himself up in it. He will go so far as to pull the largest piece of furniture he can find over the door to ensure nobody can come in, at which point he's not seen or hear from for...a while.

...

A post appears on the netbook in scratchy, uneven handwriting.]

if youre looking for me then come get me
i dont care anymore
ill tear apart every last one of you who tries
should have years ago

Comments

at the treeline-

[lilyberation]

( as spring begins it's awakening, white lily cookie has to begin her forraging and soon. the fog could come back any day now, after all. but there's a young man she's never seen before, looking absolutely harrowed... )

... Excuse me. Is... everything alright?

[foreversembrace]

[Till doesn't realize anyone else is around, at least not at first. He's only seen Rusty, who is being a good boy given that Till is clearly alarmed by him. Yet, it seems like the moment he turns to try to run (run to where, he doesn't know), he hears a questioning voice calling out to him. Soft, gentle...concerned.

He whips his head around so fast that it makes his skull throb, his hackles raising the instant he sets his eyes on Lily. He doesn't recognize her, but that doesn't matter. An alien is an alien, be they big or small or bestial or otherwise. Her boons will see to it that he can't see her as anything else.

Fight or flight clash for dominance, and though he'd normally be happy to throw hands, he's already too entrenched in "flight" to change course.

Sorry Lily, he is going to try to run from you if he can.]

[lilyberation]

( admittedly, she was sort of expecting that- the way he stood alone felt like a deer fresh from a chase. but she still makes a '?!' sound and blinks, wondering if she should let him or not.

... wait shoot hes probably- )

Don't go into the forest! It's not safe!

[foreversembrace]

[It's not safe, Lily calls out, and Till feels the back of his neck prickle. He COULD just keep running. No, he wants to. He wants to run and not look back.

But did he do that when it was him and Ivan? No...but he was a child then, and he knew the way back, then. Mizi wasn't missing, then.

This is different. He doesn't know where he is, how he even got here when he was just on stage...and what was that, just before? With...with her. The cabin, the fresh air.

What was any of that?

He comes to a sudden stop, though he doesn't turn around to face her. His hand that's loose at his side balls into a fist.]

What would you care about a human being "safe"?

[Aliens don't particularly have any affection towards another's "pet". Maybe it's because he's a famous face. He couldn't give a fuck.]

[eidxiety]

Yep I'm looking for you ^^






You don't have a proper outfit for spring, after all! ^^

[foreversembrace]

shut up
im NOT yours
not your fucking dress up doll

[He scratches a crude word in...a language that Ain isn't going to recognize. That NOBODY would recognize. It looks completely bizarre, unlike anything put to paper that anyone here will have ever seen.]

[eidxiety]

This is the first time someone's rejected my services :/ Aren't you hot in your winter clothes :O

Btw who is this :O

1

[magicalsplashflare]

Wait!

[ Oh no, wait, new people shouldn't go out into the forest!!! They really need to put, like, signs up! Or something! Police tape?! Ugh, she doesn't know. Doesn't matter, not right now. ]

I-it's real dangerous out there! You shouldn't be going alone, at the very least.

[foreversembrace]

[Till may not have stopped, if it weren't for the voice. It sounds...young. Familiar, despite the fact he knows he's never heard anyone who sounds like that before.

With the edges of his senses still feeling like they're vibrating thanks to the residual effects of the brand, Till looks back...and feels his heart skip a painful beat when he catches a shock of pink hair.

...it isn't her. It aches that it isn't her, but that's even more confusing. He can feel the hand not gripping his arm start to shake as he stares back at Mamika, his pupils trembling.]

...who are you.

[It's more of a statement- a demand to be answered- than a question.]

[magicalsplashflare]

Oh, uh...! [ Instinct almost takes over. Magical Slayer Mamika! Protector of smiles and here to bring love and joy to the world!!

But she supposes that's not even true anymore. She steels herself a bit, taking in a little breath. ] I'm Mamika. Mamika Kirameki. Just Mamika is okay, though.

[ She holds her hand out. ]

It's nice to meet you.

1

[purevanillacookie]

[ It's not hard to spot someone heading for the edge of the woods, and Vanilla is quick to intervene. He doesn't recognize them, which means they must be new, and he doesn't blame them for panicking and going towards what may seem like safety. ]

My friend, please wait. The forest is not safe. Please reconsider.

[foreversembrace]

[It's a damn good thing Pure Vanilla is human in appearance right now, because it is the only thing that saves him from Till ripping a branch off the nearest tree and trying to guard himself with it. Look, he's never had access to much by way of weapons, but he will take anything he can get his hands on. The alien whose face he smashed with a wine bottle hasn't soon forgotten that, he hopes.

His chest is heaving like he's run a marathon, but in reality it's because his body is overwhelmed by panic. He doesn't want to stay here any longer, because that means he will be recaptured. And when that happens...

My friend. It hits Till like a brick to the face, and he visibly recoils.]

Are you making fun of me? [Distracting me. Trying to stall me. He takes a step backwards, further amongst the trees.] Who the hell are you!?

[purevanillacookie]

[ Oh... the panic in the other is so clear he doesn't even need to See it. No, it's sheer terror. Adrenaline fueling it into higher states.

He raises his hands gently and takes a step back, showing the other he's not a threat. ]

My name is Pure Vanilla [ He deliberately leaves off Cookie now, it's just too confusing ] and I would never dream of making fun of you. Forgive me my words, I meant no offense by them.

im helping

[theuniverseleads]

[Before he can make it to the treeline, a bright light appears in his path...

as in, Loop is just talking a nice walk around the Grove and happens to stop because this maniac is running around looking panicked. Huh! Weird!]

Is everything okay over there? [They try to peer behind him, smiling in a vaguely curious manner... are you running from something, what's up stranger you don't seem okay]

[foreversembrace]

[Oh Loop. You won the special prize!

What prize is that, you ask? Why, it's looking so alien that Till does the completely rational thing of finding the tree nearest him and ripping off one of its branches, holding it in front of him like one might a club.]

Don't. Don't fucking come any closer.

[theuniverseleads]

[Oh!

...

They don't feel very threatened. Actually, it's kind of impressive he ripped that branch off so fast, they can only look mildly surprised about it...

But they do, at least, stay where they are. They fold their arms, watching him.]

What, have you never seen a star before? It's okay, I promise I don't bite~

You must be new around here. First time getting kidnapped to another world?

[ichoosefight]

seems like an obvious 'no' but
are you okay?
I'm Steph. I'm pretty new here but if you need help I'll do what I can.

[foreversembrace]

another alien right?
no im not okay what was your first clue

[ichoosefight]

depends what planet you're from? I'm a human from Earth.

tree time

[quirkynote]

[Not everyone is looking from their window.

Some people are returning from this own playtime in the woods. Whether or not he hears the ominous scrapping of something metallic (key, it's a key, but would anyone ever guess giant key???) against the forest floor slooowly getting closer, or if he's too preoccupied eying the Grove, it doesn't matter.

She's suddenly behind him. Hunched over, eyes sunken, body wrapped in bloody bandages, dragon wings, a whipping tail, giant weapon resting on her shoulder, A.B.A isn't exactly the most welcoming looking person in the world. Not the most welcoming in manners, either, because she gives out a huff of annoyance.]

Move. Move out of the way... Move or I'll kill you...

[She could just...GO AROUND, but...y'know.]

oh my GOD A.B.AAA

[foreversembrace]

[He feels her presence before he sees her. It prompts Till to pivot sharply on his heel, and when he sees the way she's hunched over and staring at him, more beast than human, the light on the collar around his neck suddenly beeps a vibrant red.

Cursing under his breath, he scrambles a few paces backwards, still holding onto one of his arms as he tries to steady himself. Being in the brand for some time had done a number to his senses, leaving him feeling disoriented and out of it, even moreso than he had prior to ending up here. But all he has to hear is that threat to be on high fucking alert.

His gaze narrows, eyes becoming slivers.]

I'd like to see you fucking try.

this is just how you say hi in guilty gear

[quirkynote]

[Ugh. The lower eyelid to her eye twitches.]

How irritating. And here I was hoping for an uneventful return...

[She reaches for the giant key slung on her back, swinging it over with surprising ease despite her frail appearance. Despite the bladed end, she actually holds up the decorative bow, signaling her desire to bludgeon her way past him.]

But very well, such vulgar boorishness won't be missed. When your wretched soul crosses over, do try to keep in mind that I gave you the chance.

[She's going to bring that thing down and he should probably move-]

wildcard acshually

[thebladebringstheflame]

[Whenever Till has largely calmed down from the (gestures above)...

He might venture into the greenhouse at the school where all the flowers are. It's not quiiiite planting season yet, and so he hasn't tried to dig outside as much as he wants to. It's near enough to the season, so he's getting the seed starters going, checking tools, doing inventory in here, the works... when someone walks in. He looks up, expecting to see Pure Vanilla or Fern again or someone, aaaaaand it's the new guy.

...

Whomst.]

Hey.

:)

[foreversembrace]

[Till has had...a nebulous, but enough, amount of time to stop freaking out about everyone being an Alien, and also to emerge from his barricaded room at the Inn because turns out he does have to eat at some point. It is his first chance to really wander the Grove, and the more of it he sees, the more it really does feel like a human-made resistance compound, or something of the like. He isn't exactly...comforted by it, but it's feeling less and less like a trap about to be sprung. Mostly.

He'd been trying to get a good look at mostly everything...at least until he comes across the greenhouse. That is where Flamebringer will find him, staring. Just...staring, at all of these many, many plants and flowers, like he's never seen one before.

Which. He hasn't. He really doesn't know what to make of it all, which is exactly why he's holding a little flower crown that he'd inexplicably found crushed in his pocket some time after waking up. Little red flowers, like Peonies, perhaps, all woven into a circlet the size for a small child.

The sound of another unfamiliar voice causes Till to tense and look over quickly, and though his expression tenses even more seeing yet another person who looks non-human, he's able to at least not...open his mouth and immediately say something stupid that might get him killed over it.]

Are...these real?

[thebladebringstheflame]

[Flamebringer himself is also growing flowers on his horns, so y'know that's cool.]

Yeah. [Tail wagging :)] Everyone here works hard on growing them. It's almost planting season, so some of these are gonna be moved outside. I like propagating them, so I've been working throughout the winter to get the baby sprouts ready for spring.

Just don't water or fertilize anything without consulting the chart over there. [He nods toward a space on the wall where he's put a watering timing chart per species.] You'll kill them if you're not careful.