deernet | Impressionable Inquiried | Video

( The young woman's appearance is certainly a bit startling at first, but Rose has plenty of experience with young people who aren't exactly typical.

Which is to say, she has an ever-growing weak spot for those that look or seem inhuman. (...Technically, no one's human in this place anymore, right? Well... the point underlying all of that still stands.) The blonde woman who turns on her video feed with one hand — the other holding a cup of coffee — is smiling gently, but with a friendliness, a warmth. )

Hello, Nil. My name's Rose. I'm sure everyone watching this appreciates you for making it.

( Said in regards to the girl's discomforted awareness of Being Perceived by people. )

Corruption's been causing a lot of problems around here. I can't say I have direct experience with it myself just yet, but I'd like to know more about it, too.

No one's tried to bother you about it, have they? Thinking you're Corrupted? ( That's an immediate concern, that someone might assume the girl's in a bad state and... possibly target her for it. Rose can't help expressing her concerns right away. )

[The lady's warmth and concern reminded her very much of Vanda... or Faloryn: two other members of her party that offered care and aid. As much as she appreciated the concern, a part of her was wary of unwanted mothering.]

Well... [She takes a moment to process Rose's words while addressing her feelings.] ...if I find anything else out, I'll be sure to share what I know.

[She decided that, for now, the concern was appreciated more than a bother.] I am fine. Thank you, Rose. For a mercy, so far has only been questions questions. The concern seems to be cleared up as soon as I prove I am with it enough to answer.

( That's a relief — one that maybe shows in her face, features relaxing slightly. She.... knows too well what can happen to someone that others perceive as... "wrong" somehow. Corrupted, Tainted, there are many words for it, but they can all ultimately mean the same outcome.

Someone being hunted for it....hurt. Rose doesn't know what exactly to make of this Corruption business in Trench just yet, but it feels discomfortingly like something that could easily turn into a witch-hunt of sorts. She absolutely doesn't trust the locals around here. )

I'm glad to hear that. This place can get pretty wild, and I do worry about someone innocent getting hurt because of the Corruption stuff going on.

( But though she doesn't have direct experience herself, she still wants to try and offer some help if she can— )

I have heard some people talking about how Corruption can be linked to... a person's mental state? It's why a lot of people suggest meditation and things like that.

Oh. [WELL SHE'S SCREWED, THEN. Maybe the Trenchies were more right to ask about her than she thought.]

[When she finally does speak up, there's a momentary tremble in her voice.] W-Well... that's... good to know.

[She starts kneading her fingers together.] Um... do you know anything about mental connections and manipulations affecting that? If... if a person or creature were to alter another person's mental state... could... could that also lead to corruption?

( Rose sees, hears, the little shifts to the girl: that tremble to her voice, the nervous movements of her fingers. Empathy tightens her brow, and she's frowning gently as something pinches in her heart. )

I'm afraid I don't know how that might affect things here. ( Her voice is soft and apologetic. She can't help wondering just why this person is asking, what she might have been through or known in her life. Altered...? It does strike home in her, makes her think of her daughter in ways. )

But I'm actually very worried about things like that, too. Not for me, but— for someone I love here. So you're not alone in having questions like that.

( Rose's voice softens; she doesn't want to ask if it's personal or upsetting, but it's hard for her to not try to offer support, if she can. )

That sounds very scary... Being manipulated like that.

[Rose was doing a good job being respectfully concerned. Nil knew she was a mess, and (in her mind) she was a lost cause. The observation more than hit home and she takes a moment feeling very exposed and vulnerable.]

There are... beings that will use others how they want.

I... have that potential too, and if I'm compromised...

[It was one of her greatest fears: to lose control of herself and become a danger to everyone. She's been in that place once and doesn't ever want to do it again.]

( What the girl says continues to touch a certain familiar place, a certain familiar horror, within Rose. She knows how that concept is, too well. What happened to her daughter.... to Alessa...

The woman takes a moment, swallows quietly. )

I'm very sorry that's something you have to worry about, on top of everything else going on here. I may not know much about it yet, but..... I want to learn. To help. Maybe I can help you, too.

[She can understand the sentiment. Understand the desire to help, and, in many ways that is what she wanted. What she used to want. Now, there was no turning back. She knew that once she awoken to realize what she had done. What sins were on her hands.]

[She hated this. Hated being in this place, again. She hated the pity and didn't deserve the compassion. But knew that neither of those things came from malice, or ignorance. The sentiment was real and true and good. But there was nothing for it.]

[When she finally returns to Rose, she looks her image squarely in the eyes. Her tone holding no malice or frustration. A soft and firm question:]

How? How can you help?

( The question draws Rose into silence for a long moment — serious, thinking. It wounds her in a way, to hear it asked directly, simply because it's a reminder of how helpless she really feels. She'd fought as hard as she possibly could for her own daughter, been through literal Hell, but... she was never invincible. She might not even have made it through Silent Hill alive if Cybil hadn't helped her along the way, or if the dark version of her daughter hadn't been giving her clues to follow.

She's not strong, or experienced. Even in this place, for all that it's changed in her, she doesn't have powers like most do. She's essentially just a normal person.

And of course there's no reason for this young woman to trust her words, someone she doesn't even know. But Rose will answer completely honestly nonetheless, looking back up to meet the other's firm gaze. )

I'm not like most people here. I don't have... powers, not even given by this place. But nothing will stop me from trying to protect others here. It's my purpose.

( She firmly believes that. Her daughter, the others here... Rose doesn't have concern about herself, has nothing else she needs. She's meant to help people who need it, and she would relentlessly do whatever it took to try and do that. )

I can help you research, and help you however else you need. The people here are... strange. I'm not sure they can be trusted, especially if they think someone's Corrupted or... a prime candidate for Corruption. If there's any chance they might try to hurt you... I would try to help keep you safe.

[Nil takes a long time, getting the measure of this woman's desires and goals. Were she present she would have taken the chance to get a "feel" for her thoughts -- to understand a little bit more to determine her intentions. Nil was split. On one hand, the appeal seemed genuine, and was an earnest hand to offer care and aid. On the other... the warning to step away from an entire group of people struck poorly. She had felt that sentiment before: 'Do not trust them. They are not of your people. They are not those you can trust. It is okay if they are hurt. It is okay for them to be lost.']

[The word echoes in her mind for a moment and the tension... abates. By Ilmater was she tired... She sighs outwardly loudly.]

I will keep that in mind...

But for my reference... is there any one specifically I should be mindful of?

[There was a second part of that question, for if Rose were to warn to avoid even the sleepers, she's not sure she could be trusted herself.]

( It's her responsibility, she feels. To try and keep the young ones here safe. This girl may not be as young as some of the actual children around here, but in Rose's eyes, she's still deserving of protection. And perhaps she's especially adamant of that fact with how clearly inhuman the girl appears to be on the surface, the fact it could potentially make her a target. Rose has seen what happens to young people who are left without anyone to protect them; it's so achingly fresh in her mind. And she cannot let something like that happen again. She won't let anyone hurt someone the way Alessa was hurt.

So maybe she's coming in a little strong here, but she doesn't mean to be overbearing. Again, there's no reason for this girl to trust someone she doesn't even know. She just.... has to voice how she feels, has to tell this girl that she'd help protect her. That determination persists in her, she nods severely at the girl's question. )

There's this group.... they're known as the Zealots. They'll kidnap people, take them to their tower to.... do horrible things. I haven't seen them around as much as they were a couple of months ago, but I know they haven't just vanished. They could come back.

( They're too, too familiar; they remind her of The Brethren. Those cultists who burned Alessa, and tried to do the same to Sharon. )

They can appear and disappear within seconds. It's impossible to outrun them. It's better to try not to be alone too much. The center of the city is safer, but on the outskirts..... it'd be easy for them to target someone.

[Despite her feelings on the matter, that description got her attention. That was not what she was expecting. An entire group of kidnappers that did who knows what to the people of Trench? That... that was bothersome.]

Zealots? Are they Sleepers? What tower? Can we go there and attack them? They sound dangerous.

[Her mind was racing a mile a minute, trying to identify the nature of this new threat. Though it only took but a few words, Deer Country suddenly seemed to get that much darker and scarier.]

To be honest, I don't know much about them besides what they do. When they first showed up, I thought maybe they had my daughter. So I let them kidnap me, take me into that tower. It.... was like a slaughterhouse.

( She doesn't want to frighten the girl with the gory details, but... it's better she know what degree of danger this place holds. Nil absolutely doesn't need to go there. )

They were... harvesting Sleepers. Parts of them. I'm lucky I survived. ( Rose's expression darkens at the memory. )

I don't think that tower's around right now. Things change very quickly around here. But... it might come back. If it does, you should try to stay away. They're very powerful.

That was very dangerous. [Still, +1 respect. By Ilmater... She won't even chastise her or anything, because all things considered, it sounds like she did what she could to try to find her daughter and was only discovered how dangerous that was afterwards.]

Things... change? Like, move? Is everything shifting around?

It was. ( Rose won't argue that, and gives a soft sound, an exhale. ) But my daughter's been... targeted by people very much like that, before I came here. So if there was any chance they had her.... I had to find her. Save her.

( She's not some hero; she'd been absolutely terrified at the Sleeper Farm. She'd even had to be helped by various other Sleepers, along the way. But nothing could stop her from trying. )

That's what it feels like. Every month, different things happen... and different blood types seem to be affected. ( Speaking of— ) Do you know yours yet? Your blood type?

[Why did that sound familiar...?]

[The malleability of this world made her think that it is indeed very close to the Far Plane. Though how it could get that close without falling into it was anyone's guess. There was a lot of this world that she didn't understand.]

I asked this earlier, and I think I am warm. That's the one that comes out red, right? Its not acidic or sparkly.

[She learned that much with Vira-Lorr!]

Oh— Warmblood, that's right. That's my type, too. ( It's still very strange to think about there being different categories of blood, here. Rose is unsure what that might ultimately mean, but it seems like a good thing to try and keep track of others' blood types in case there's a way she can help with the various things they all go through, here. )

You and I might be affected the same ways, sometimes. I'm still not sure how all of it works, but... I'm going to research more on that, too. ( Rose nods again, resolved. )

I'll let you know what I find out. Or if you'd ever like a partner to go to the Arcane Archives with and do some studying of your own, I'd be happy to.

[Yeah the whole blood thing was weird. She also wondered if maybe there was more to the blood stuff to the actual person containing it.]

[More pressing was that there was a source for this stuff.]

Archives? There’s an archive?

Yes, down somewhere in the school, I think. ( Rose had only explored the School of Mutter in the context of searching for Sharon. She hadn't learned much else about how it functioned or the various types of documents it might have to offer in its research sections. )

A lot of Sleepers here study at the school, and use the archives. I'm not sure if you have to be a student or not to access them, but.... we could always break in.

( Rose.... )

Oh... um. Couldn't we just ask first?

[...a mite impulsive, maybe?]

We could, but... then they'd know we were interested. Could raise some red flags. ( When she said she didn't trust the people here, it definitely extends to wanting to involve them as least as possible. Whomever runs the school and archives could be a threat, too. )

The place I was at before here... it was very similar, in ways. And the people there acted helpful enough towards me, until they found out more about who I was. Who my daughter was. Then they... tried to kill her.

I just think it's better not to trust them at all, or let them know I'm poking around. You know?

[She takes a while to consider her words, noting how familiar they seemed. Why did they seem familiar? But a part of that strikes her as cautious to the point of paranoia. Which is a tall order, because not long before adventuring she had spent two years of her life hiding herself away from any human contact.] I... see... thank you for telling me that. That sounds very hard and difficult...

But, I'm not sure if its right to just... assume that they are going to hurt us. In... a lot of ways they seem kind... far more kinder than I deserved... I... want to trust in them, for now. And though it may lead to trouble later down the line... I don't want to be seen as problematic from the start...

...not yet, at least.

( Rose is careful what she shares about Sharon and their experience in Silent Hill, but there are certain parts of it that she almost feels it's her responsibility to voice. She's been privy to certain horrors, and if she can in any way use that experience to help keep someone safe... she has to try.

But she also knows that as much as she she's known certain horrors, others in this place have known their own. Different horrors, all sorts of them. And she won't claim to know how they should or shouldn't handle something. Her smile softens again, and she gives a little nod. )

I understand. However you need to handle things, that's your right. And I think you sound very wise.

But please know that if you need any help at all, I'd be there. Even if it's just someone to help navigate this place or show you the best shops I've found so far. ( Her smile brightens, friendly. Even nixing the crazy stuff like a little B&E, Rose would be happy to lend a hand. )

And I live in Crenshaw with my daughter, near the orphanage. If you're ever around there and could use a warm meal or something like that.

[The compliment strikes Nil immediately. Despite how hard she tries, she never knows how to feel when somebody offers her praise. Its enough that a pair of tentacles pop out for a moment to form a small wall to cover her face.]

[Horrified and becoming more red from their presence, Nil reaches out and pulls them down. Her face is flush and apologetic.]

Th-thanks. I... wouldn't really consider myself wise, just... perhaps... hopeful... I know trust can be earned but, frankly, I don't think I have any right to expect that anyway.

A-Anyways... um... that part of going to shops sounds... nice... [There is a timid genuine smile as her eyes drift away.]

[ Sharon's seen and heard some about beast hood and corruption but not enough she'd be of any help. Nil probably knows more about it than her if she's gone out of her way to read up on it. ]

Wish I could be some help, Nil. [ She offers the other girl a shy grin, glad to see her again, even if simply on the network. ] No one's been hassling you, have they?

[ Concern is clear in her tone and expression, along with something a little more defensive lingering beneath. ]

[She smiles warmly at the sight of Sharon, her hand curling her hair over her ear awkwardly.]

No, nothing like that. But I mean, it makes sense, right? I look weird, and if there is something happening that turns men into beasts, I... kinda have one foot already above the threshold.

Or maybe I should say tentacle? I barely have feet anymore. [She's putting on a brave face, but the twinge of discomfort at her current state persists.]

You look different, not weird. [ It might seem like such a little difference in the long run, different or weird, but weird always felt worse to Sharon. Different, not weird. ] And you don't act like a beast. If someone makes that assumption just on how you look, there's a problem, and they're it. [ She says it definitively, even though she barely knows what beasthood is.

But then both her tone and expression soften. She can't say she knows Nil so well that she can tell whether or not she's bothered but Sharon knows that she herself would be under the circumstances. To go through changes like that without any choice, it's awful. ]

...are you adjusting all right?

[She hears the words and accepts only that Sharon is the one that is saying them. She is a kind soul cast adrift in a sea of lost ones. Would that she had met her earlier in her life, would things have turned out different?]

I'm doing alright. There's... and adjustment. Trench is weird, and there are places and things I haven't seen. In a lot of ways, I feel like I left Waterdeep and landed right into the realm of mages!

[Blood powered devices. Video. Text feeds. Cappuccinos. There was more to the adjustment than simply getting used to her body.]

And... you? Have any of the bad people come here with you?

There's a lot to go through here, it seems. Just a lot to get used to. [ Even without her body dealing with strange changes, Trench is a lot to deal with. It's overwhelming, even for Sharon. ]

I'm... [ She worries her lower lip a moment and then a breath. ] I'm adjusting, too, I guess. No bad people, thank god, but my... my mom is here. My adoptive mother, Rose. I honestly never thought I'd see her again.

[That was enough to get her to audibly gasp.]

Your mother is here?? Really?!

Sharon, I am so happy for you! That's wonderful news!!

[Never mind how dangerous the world was, and how they may have been displaced in a pocket dimension that is straddling the far plane. Knowing where you family was and that they are safe is fantastic.]

[ The world could be all danger and Sharon would still want Rose by her side. She knows it's selfish of her but she thinks she deserves to be a little selfish these days.

Nil's response makes Sharon smile, her joy almost shy. ]

I—Thank you, Nil. I'm pretty happy for myself if I'm being honest. I never thought I'd see her again. [ She thought she was dead or trapped forever in a nightmare town. The fact she wasn't? It's a pretty great feeling. ] You'll have to meet her sometime. I think you'd like her.

Of course! I would love to! She must be a very special person. I can't wait to have a chance to meet her!

[...she's going to feel very embarrassed when she realizes who Sharon's mother is...]

What does she look like?

You know, I can actually—Uh, hold on a second. [ The video shakes as Sharon shifts around, pulling something from the white vest she wore. There's a brief crinkling sound and then the video focuses on a well-loved photo of a small family. ]

That's her, the blonde woman on the right. [ There's something akin to pride coupled with the adoration in her voice. Rose is truly a special person to Sharon. ]

Oh. [WELP.]

[Her attention focuses on the pictures for a hot minute before she forces herself to smile. Ah... so the woman she had been talking to was Rose...? She... she may have fucked up.]

She seems lovely. Um... I'll have to make sure to make a good first impression. [Mental fidget.] ...who is the other person? The guy on the middle?

She is. [ Sharon affirms before Nil redirects her attention. Her tone shifts, a longing seeping into it. She quickly puts the photo away then and the focus of the video returns to her face. Her expression has fallen slightly but there's still a warmth there. ] That's my adoptive father, Chris. He's, uh... he's not here, though.

[ She knows it's selfish of her but she wishes he was. ]

I see... [She pauses, looking over Sharon's features.] ...you want him to be here too, then.

Of course. [ To Sharon, it doesn't matter what this place may bring, pains or hardships, because it's all conquerable with the people she cares about. She can handle anything, she thinks, with them by her side. ] I mean, don't you want the people you care about to be with you here?

... [She's not sure. There is a certain sense of 'falling' into a place like this, and despite her own feelings of loneliness, she is sure--no, certain--that their home is where they were. Nil was the outlier.]

I... will not be missed. And though I will miss them, I would rather they stay where they belong. I belong here, now. It is better if they stay there.

[ She frowns. Nil really reminds her of Alessa at times and her heart pinches in her chest. ]

You really think you won't be missed?

If they are wise. If they don't want their world in danger. They might miss... me as a person, but... they shouldn't.

And why shouldn't they?

[Her eyes drift toward a horizon, somber and melancholic.]

In the planescape there exists multiple planes of reality. Most know of the material and the heavenly -- the planes beyond. She raises her hands and a parchment with this drawing appears in it.] Some of these planes can be regarded as "good," or "divine." These are the seats of heaven, where the Gods walk and souls are lifted up on death. Others can be regarded as "bad," or "befouled." These are the seats of hell and the abyss, where demons and devils reside, and those corrupted ones fall.

Though they may intersect from time to time, they all have a place, and -- for the most part -- are mostly distinct from one another. True, a demon may appear on the material, or a mortal may visit the divine, but most of these are where they are supposed to be.

[She pauses, gauging Sharon's present understanding of the Great Wheel of Cosmology (tm)]

Edited (fefouled is fefoolish uwu;) 2022-02-13 22:36 (UTC)

[ Sharon listens intently, lips pursing as she processes the information Nil's providing. The concept isn't foreign to her, not between the stories religions like to tell and her own experience with the other realities she'd opened up in Silent Hill. She's not too certain where Nil's going with this but she's got a feeling.

When Nil pauses, Sharon simply nods, letting her know she can continue. ]

[She nods in turn.]

Most of what is known and understood exists in these places. But there is another place. A fourth, fifth, and sixth place.

The far plane.

[She claps her hands together and raises a single hand in front of her. In her hand is a token of a strange creature. She closes her hands again and a few more appear in her palm.]

What I am showing you are the denizens of the far plane. Their very existence is a blight upon the material plane. They have existed before the gods, and seek out to expand their chaos and devastation across all realms.

And I... [Her tentacles raise up into view.] ...I'm one of them.

[ She sighs quietly before she responds. ] If those people you knew cared about you, they're gonna miss you. Regardless of what you are or what you're capable of. It's not something most people can help.

[ Maybe it's because she doesn't fully understand the implications of what Nil is, what it means to the world she comes from, but Sharon can't see it changing how others view her. Because it'd never occur to Sharon to let it change how she views her. ]

N-No... that's... [Ugh, she never knew how to best describe how dangerous these thing were. How could she? Unless one saw the horrors these creatures are and just how terrible they can twist and distort people and reality... and she was... she...]

[She knew Sharon was just trying to help.] ...thank you, Sharon.

What... i was trying to say is that like them, my existence in any plane is a danger to you and everyone else... even should... a person come to like me, as a person... they should always be willing to see me go. It is safer for them. Better.

[She turns away.] That's all. Maybe... maybe I'm not conveying that right... but... if I leave here, too... then don't shed any tears for me...

I get what you're saying, Nil, I do. [ Sharon's not sure what risk Nil truly poses but what she does know is that it doesn't bother her. It doesn't make her question the friendship she feels is blooming there. She can see, however, that this kind of knowledge weighs on the older girl. ]

It just... it's not something that bothers me. If you were to disappear tomorrow, I would miss you, even if you had brought chaos and destruction here. I can't tell you not to let what you are taint how you see yourself because it'd be hypocritical of me, I do the same thing, but I can say I don't think you should.

What you are doesn't need to define what you can be.

[She wants to fight that so badly. Wants so much to share what she knows of the darkness, of the far plane, of the danger. But... there is a warmth in Sharon's words. A kindness so true and pure that she couldn't snuff it out even if she tried.]

[Nor could she fully accept them.]

[Her hands clasp in front of her and her tentacles wrap around her body. She looks on to Susan, pensive if still appreciative. Not knowing what else to say. Susan was a good person. That much was true. She would always be a good person.]

Impressionable Inquiried | Video | UN: forgetmenot

video | un: Da Silva

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