sticksandbones

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Who: Allen + You!
What: Holy clown boy coming to a Grove near you!
When: Beginning of March
Where: ??? Around
Warnings: None yet, will be in headers as the pop up.

I. I've tasted all your sin (Forest entrance)

[ There is, perhaps, not a single person who would say arriving in the Grove isn't jarring. Some woke up here from their own slumber back home, and that is perhaps the smoothest transition you can get, even even that has yet to be graceful. For Allen, one moment he's holding the hand of his friend, trying to wake him up from what he could only assume was a horrific coma, and then next he's... here. His hand clasps in on itself, and he's suddenly looking around in a panic. He knew that the place he'd ended up may very well kick him out of his consciousness. May lend just the right amount of strength for Nea to pull him out of the "driver's seat", so to speak, but... is that what's happening now? Now, when he was so close to saving his friend?

No.

No, no, no.

The panic sets in as he darts from out of the trees, attempting to look for something, anything that might help him figure out how to get back. It's once he gets into the Grove proper that his eye activates. He has his own questions about that - if he's not in control, where is that coming from? What would his eye see... in his own head? Before he can ponder it for too long, he at least gets one of his answers. What does his eye see? Well.

Death.

It's the first time Allen's seeing souls not attached to something else, but Allen doesn't have time to process that part. Rather, he is trying to remember how to breathe again, because as of now, seeing the horrible visions in front of him - death of his friends, of those he loves, of a fire that isn't really there - all has the air he's trying to get out caught in his throat. It's only once his eye deactivates, the sclera turning from black to white and the red of his eye back to a silvery gray, does he finally have some kind of reprieve from the overwhelm. It's not much. The panic has only gotten worse, after all.

He falls to his knees, gasping for air as if he'd been held underwater for too long. ]

II. You've lost your appetite (for sacrifice) (Timcanpy, the Inn)

[ Timcanpy is a little golden golem. He is here! He isn't sure why he's here, but he is! How exciting! He's gonna...! He's...!!!

...

Where is this!!!!!!!!!! He is going to float out of the inn room he Spawned(tm) in and??? chew on the first person he sees. Hello. ]

III. How can we terminate this parasite (Around the Grove)

[ Fortunately, although the panic attack hits Allen like a train, the fact that he's so fucking hungry does as well. Which means... this is definitely his body. He's not stuck in his head. That's?? Good. Probably. Well, it's not good that he doesn't know where he is, but it's good he's still Him. Does this make sense? No. It doesn't. Fuck, he's SO hungry-

He will very hastily try to find the first person he can and catch their attention with a friendly wave of his normal-looking hand, and in a thick, British accent: ] Cheers! Uh, I have a lot of questions, but... most important, do you know where a bloke might find some food? Preferably, a lot of it?

...

Oh, also, what is that? [ He's, uh, pointing at Moder. ]

IV. If you keep digging up the Host? (Wildcard)
HMU if you wanna do something else pls I have such a strong muse for my baby boy I'm gonna be SO annoying-

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...

( somehow, lily smiles. as she begins speaking, she opens the folder after all. )

Not at all.

( the first image is of lily herself, slightly older than as she appears before him now, bedraggled and beaming at the bundle in her arms as she sits up in bed. )

Allen Wilder was born to one Lily Wilder on a warm day when flowers were in bloom. He had one older brother, though I have not verified who the father was yet.

[ He does not flinch when she opens the folder, though his smile does fall pretty quickly. He doesn’t know what’s in there, but if it has anything to do with the stuff she’s been saying…

…

Huh? ] Born to…? [ He repeats, confused. That’s not right. He didn’t have parents. Not really. The closest thing he had was Mana, and the old woman he called “Mother” who “took care” of him with Cross. But even they weren’t really his parents.

… Lily, huh? He looks up at her. There’s a tiny voice in the back of his head saying he should stay upset, that the “brother” part doesn’t bode well, but… ]

You… I had a mom?

You had a mom. And I know that anyone who loved me would not leave you wanting for anything.

( seamus became a necromancer for his friends. that man would spoil these boys rotten. and then pure vanilla, elder faerie... and the friends she's rediscovered in this world. )

I, um. I won't force any relation you don't want. But... I'm really glad that I got to meet you!

[ Once again, this is a joke. He wants to laugh at it. At the very funny joke that there was yet another Allen before the previous Allen that was before THIS Allen. Was he happier? Was it just an increasing despair scale for Allen’s? Each Allen with a more miserable life than the last??

Once again, Allen is the fucking punchline.

And yet, despite that hollow feeling in his stomach, he still wants to know more. Who was he? What is he SUPPOSED to be? Just who is Allen Walker? He still doesn’t have an answer to that, so despite his better judgement, he reaches out to take Lily’s hands. ]

Do you… Do you remember anything about that? Or…?

Not yet, but sometimes- sometimes we get memories back. And I have a lot of photo albums! I... Ah, I hadn't gone through them before, but when one was knocked out of the shelf, I found these.

( she leans in slightly, elbows resting on the table as she keeps a soft, warm voice. believe her, please- she wants nothing more than to know who they were together. )

I want to, though. I- never considered myself as someone who could have a family. But I also want to know you as you are now.

[ Allen winces, and with a gentle squeeze, he will part their hands here. He supposes that would be too easy. It’s not like just having memories flood into your brain like it’s a play you’re forced to watch.

He laughs, though. ] You and me both. [ He’s not bitter. It’s fine. He’s fine. ] We’re a lot alike in that regard, though. I’m not someone who really knows what having a family is like, or… when I do, it doesn’t seem to last.

So, terribly sorry to disappoint, but I’m not really a good suitor for “son”.

As I said, I won't force anything. But... well, to be honest, that doesn't matter to me at all. I've found some uncanny companionship before. You'd hardly be the worst of it.

( she doesn't reach after him, instead folding her hands together on the table. but... )

Besides, before I was forced to stay in one place by a sadistic god, I was a nomad. I don't think I'm really 'mother material' either!

( half the grove just laughed real loud-

but it's also a quiet plea she's not even aware she's making. stay with her, please, if we aren't good moms or sons we can be bad together- )

[ “Sadistic” and “God” are synonymous at this point. ]

…What are the people like here? If you’ve been stuck — if we’re stuck — what… are things I should expect?

( ah- ... she supposes that- that's fair.

lily is quiet for a moment. )

...

They're all rather colorful. But I love them all dearly. Everyone is from different worlds, and so they may appear differently than you expect. Some of the boys your age and younger are very gentle, while others are more fierce. People butt heads a lot, sometimes... but we also care about each other a lot.

It's best to keep an open mind about others, because some of us come from extremely strange circumstances.

There's a few rowdy folk- Akaza and Flamebringer come to mind especially- but there's also community. You'll be welcomed regardless.

... Oh, ah, we do have some people who are called demons. Flamebringer is not one of them, and 'demon' is a racial slur for his people, so please mind your words.

( she should tell him about her world. so he doesn't get surprised. but... somehow it feels too heavy on her tongue. )

Time flows strangely here, so it's hard to keep track of things. Sometimes days last... well, days, and other times, it's too quick to feel real.

Our captor enjoys throwing different trials and 'games' at us approximately every month. These can range from enchanted items that interfere with your mental state to monsters attacking to, ah, being spirited away to other locations for whatever he wants. I'm told he once made people escape an active volcano...? But he also trapped us in an undersea laboratory for a month, too.

I run the clinic, though I have several people who help now. The most prominent will be Joshua, a young man with strawberry blonde hair. Another is Shinobu Kocho, who has a wide variety of specialties... I believe Lodi also helped last month? There's others as well, so if you need help you won't be lacking.

( he can avoid her if he wants. )

[ Allen listens. He seems to be absorbing everything with gentle nods of his head, as if making an internal checklist. It would be easier if Timcanpy were here with him to record this, but… surely his ADHD can work with him long enough to retain this much without needing to write it down. ]

A lot of this sounds like stuff I’m already used to! So at least I won’t have that hard of a transition during my time here.

I’m an- [ Pause. ] Formerly, I was an exorcist. We killed things we called “Akuma”, though “demons” is not too far off. But I’ve met my fair share of those I trust to know not immediately cast judgement on those who bear that blood oil. [ Well- no. He’s got the spirit though. ]

But I am physically very capable, and I heal quite rapidly compared to most humans, so you won’t have to waste any sort of resources on me. I do well in combat situations, and am willing to be part of any sort of guard or similar such here. I… um? I do require quite a lot of food, though. As in I usually eat meals suited more for three people than just one…

[ It sounds like he’s giving a job interview. And maybe he is- ]

I can also- That gateway I summoned outside? It’s called “The Ark”. It’s sort of… it’s own contained… realm? I suppose? But I can make doorways within it to other destinations. I’m not able to use it to get back home, for some reason, but I might be able to make doorways here, if there’s places that take too long to get to usually.

The only caveat is that I have to have been there, first.

Blood oil...? Ah, but, your healing powers and regenerative powers will likely be weakened here. The Fallen Sun is able to dampen our abilities. Even I have certain new struggles because of it...

( pause. )

For clarity's sake, I'm immortal. Or, supposed to be? And that does not matter here. So please, take care of yourself regardless and come to us if you need help.

As for your food intake... ( lily smiles again. ) You're in luck. Most people here love to cook for others. Heimr at the General Store will provide fresh produce and groceries as needed, and while some of the animals here are unusual, they can still be hunted. Oh, and Nene- the little girl with flowers growing in her hair- grows some wonderful vegetables!

( wait. wait wait wait, the ark? it's hard to hide her excitement as he explains more. that must have been what he used earlier- aaaaa! she's practically starry eyed once he finishes- )

I'm almost jealous! That sounds incredible- we can't access many places but there is a beach that's a several-days travel out- but oh, I can just imagine the possibilities!

Bloody brilliant, of course he can. [ Allen huffs. ] I suppose you wouldn't know how he holds a candle to other God stuff, do you? Because, well, for me, it's... [ Oh, how does he explain this. He picks up his arm to flex it. ] This is... God's will, given physical form. It's part of me - a parasite. It also really... really doesn't like if I get hurt. I lost my heart once. It replaced it.

[ And that's just the start of everything wrong with it. But he's not going to get too thick into the weeds of it - he just wants his question answered. If she even knows. It'll be hard to gauge, since it wouldn't be like Lily knows his God or anything. ]

Of course. If it's not useful here, that's... maybe... for the best. I don't really like to use it, if I don't have to.

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