[Oh right - the actual goal of this wasn't to press a blade against their captor's neck and slice their way to freedom.
Right.
The sun is out. The castle inhabitants asleep. They achieved their peaceful goal and a predicted resolution occured.]
You're correct. Our goal was achieved and that can be considered victory enough for now.
It's a pattern to note. The emotional stability of our captor is deeply interwoven with this world in a disturbing way. It almost makes it seem like we're dolls meant to react and appease a toddler.
Agreed. Thankfully, not all here are willing to play the role of a subservient puppet.
[He should add something in there expressing empathy - relaying that Vaeros is pitiable. Relay anything that keeps up his image, but-
Covered in blood, with the stink of a corpse, burning injuries against his palm and an exhaustion brewing under bright, bright light.
There's a small delay in the messages. A pause as he gauges his 'ally' and-]
I have a suspicion about where our captor's power stems from and the nature of this world in its entirety. Though I don't have concrete evidence outside of personal knowledge on the matter.
[Eren's waiting outside on his front porch. The cottage is still standing, and that's what matters. Most of the overgrowth has retreated, at least. It should be no surprise that a little plate of snacks is sitting next to him. Eren's not sure how serious food shortages might be right now, but he still feels he should have some on hand for people while the world recovers.
[For Akechi's greeting, Eren merely nods as he approaches.]
[True to his word, it's about an hour for him to make his way over - free of viscera and blood coating him for some time. His normal attire soaking in a vat of bleach, arm and hand bandaged under his longed sleeved shirt and his gloves rinsed off. The monotony welcome after so much time spent in constant peril.
But whatever - he's here, so is Eren. A plate of snacks beside him. Their relationship is tenuous at the best of times - that's a kindness he didn't expect, but he shouldn't assume that's for this exchange of information. It may be for someone else - this moron does feed everyone.
He settles on the opposite side of the plate.]
As I said over text, I cannot provide concrete proof nor can I confirm this is fact.
[He's exhausted - time to just get into it.]
However, I have suspicions that this is a world inside his own cognition - mind, soul, however you wish to visualize it. A place concocted up from distorted desires run awry. In my world, we call these 'Palaces' and 'Palace Ruler' respectively.
[He stretches his arms against his thighs - catlike.]
To be frank, this is unlike any palace I've ever heard of, though my experience is limited in them. But they all can involve traps, illogical changes, puzzles, or nothing at all. Areas can be blocked off, or opened, depending on the user's cognition. It can be filled with 'inhabitants' that follow the ruler's whims - the townspeople, for example. The only consistency is the 'world' itself remains the source of their distortion.
Of course, this is a gross oversimplification on the matter.
[Straight to business, then. Eren watches Akechi as he talks, gaze cold but focused. Absently, he eats from off the plate as he listens; nudges it toward Akechi.]
Eat something...[He mutters it under his breath once Akechi's done talking. It's going to take him a minute to process all of that information. It has to be the wildest theory he's ever heard, but Akechi has experience with this, and the explanation is both fitting, and too absurd to be made up...]
What about the people brought here from other worlds? Could someone like me get drawn into a "palace" back where you're from?
[The plate pushing closer and eat something prompts something to happen in his body - a reminder that he's, in fact, starving.
The information enough of an exchange to warrant a few bites from the plate, he eat some of the snacks in quick succession. Then a bit slower, because he's not a desperate forest animal looking for handouts. But the food is disappearing at a semi-decent clip, despite the deliberate pauses. The cafes and restaurants closed, he's gonna have to rummage up a goddamn carrot or something later.]
That's the dilemma. People could be drawn in, unprompted, if an application on a phone was activated. Rare because the ability isn't known among the general public. Though it stands to reason given the nature of the Metaverse, the 'cognitive world' these palaces reside in...
[Mementos too. The collective consciousness.]
It's possible. The trigger may be different. Those from other worlds could be drawn in if they hold some ability to access this cognitive world, whether they're aware of it or not. The real issue is what is that trigger. If we find that, it may be a simple solution to reverse it and leave. For example, exiting the application at a certain spot would allow a quick return to the regular world.
[There's so much that lines up - too much to tacit knowledge of such a grim world to explain to someone without a clue.]
Regardless, I find this theory easier swallow than a benevolent deity wanting to grant wishes out of the kindness of his heart.
[Maria, Rose, and Sina, Akechi is fucking starving and it's obvious. He never eats so enthusiastically. Eren doesn't touch the plate again. Eat up, he figures. He still doesn't want to put the guy on his delivery route, but he doesn't want him to starve to death either.]
Crazy as it is, your theory makes a lot more sense than anything else I've been able to come up with. I don't believe for a second that Vaeros is benevolent. [As for whether or not he grants wishes, well...
[Eren can't decide if he's the exception or the rule.]
In ways, the wish I made to Vaeros really did come true. I know that for a fact. But I'm not saying it was his doing. [Still, it's worth mentioning.] As far as I know, I had the ability I was looking for long before I ever came here, but still...
[That's really neither here nor there, is it...]
What do you figure we could utilize that power to move back and forth freely? [There has to be a way, right? Eren hasn't forgotten his priorities. The Dreamers here should have a right to choose.]
[The pity snacks continue to get taken out by [1] Akechi Goro. It's an even exchange in his book.
Vaeros did not grant that wish - that he's assured of. Nothing comes without a price and so far, living in this shitty rural town hasn't been payment enough. If it's a palace, then it truly is the overwhelming grandiosity of a piece of shit and nothing more.]
I'll say this - if my theory is true, that ability has been innate within you. Someone exploiting their knowledge of it is another issue entirely. How he manages to do such things still eludes me. Of course, there are other discrepancies that make it difficult to confirm that this is a palace holding true to my world's rules.
[So many - a hand goes under his chin before falling back to rest on his thigh.]
One of which being your question - frankly, I don't know, but it's neither possible or impossible. So long as the palace ruler remains in distortion, the world shall remain as you see it. The path to it will continue to exist. A prolonged stay in such a place hasn't been researched though.
[He's been in one for long periods, but never for months. Years.]
The emotional effect it's having on the ruler may be one such consequence, but again - it's all conjecture.
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no subject
What did you learn?
no subject
Minimal. The situation was chaotic.
There was no sign of Vaeros either, despite how close he seemed. I got quite far into the area to no avail.
no subject
Did he send you any messages the way Seravo did?
no subject
Regardless, no appearance was made by him or any other coconspirator. It was a rather fruitless affair.
no subject
Whatever you guys did in there, it worked for now. But this has happened before too, and it'll happen again.
cw: violent thoughts
Right.
The sun is out. The castle inhabitants asleep. They achieved their peaceful goal and a predicted resolution occured.]
You're correct. Our goal was achieved and that can be considered victory enough for now.
It's a pattern to note. The emotional stability of our captor is deeply interwoven with this world in a disturbing way. It almost makes it seem like we're dolls meant to react and appease a toddler.
no subject
You know, I’ve been saying that exact thing since I first got here. Never heard anyone else put it that way.
Dolls don’t fight back, though. He’s due for a rude awakening.
[Eren doesn’t love being stuck in the long game, but he knows that sometimes it’s necessary. This was a step…]
no subject
[He should add something in there expressing empathy - relaying that Vaeros is pitiable. Relay anything that keeps up his image, but-
Covered in blood, with the stink of a corpse, burning injuries against his palm and an exhaustion brewing under bright, bright light.
There's a small delay in the messages. A pause as he gauges his 'ally' and-]
I have a suspicion about where our captor's power stems from and the nature of this world in its entirety. Though I don't have concrete evidence outside of personal knowledge on the matter.
Are you interested in hearing?
no subject
Definitely. Where do you want to meet?
no subject
For the moment, I need some time to clean up from that ordeal. It shouldn't take more than an hour.
no subject
no subject
I'll leave that mystery up to you to solve.
Please send where you want to meet.
no subject
no subject
no subject
[For Akechi's greeting, Eren merely nods as he approaches.]
no subject
But whatever - he's here, so is Eren. A plate of snacks beside him. Their relationship is tenuous at the best of times - that's a kindness he didn't expect, but he shouldn't assume that's for this exchange of information. It may be for someone else - this moron does feed everyone.
He settles on the opposite side of the plate.]
As I said over text, I cannot provide concrete proof nor can I confirm this is fact.
[He's exhausted - time to just get into it.]
However, I have suspicions that this is a world inside his own cognition - mind, soul, however you wish to visualize it. A place concocted up from distorted desires run awry. In my world, we call these 'Palaces' and 'Palace Ruler' respectively.
[He stretches his arms against his thighs - catlike.]
To be frank, this is unlike any palace I've ever heard of, though my experience is limited in them. But they all can involve traps, illogical changes, puzzles, or nothing at all. Areas can be blocked off, or opened, depending on the user's cognition. It can be filled with 'inhabitants' that follow the ruler's whims - the townspeople, for example. The only consistency is the 'world' itself remains the source of their distortion.
Of course, this is a gross oversimplification on the matter.
no subject
Eat something...[He mutters it under his breath once Akechi's done talking. It's going to take him a minute to process all of that information. It has to be the wildest theory he's ever heard, but Akechi has experience with this, and the explanation is both fitting, and too absurd to be made up...]
What about the people brought here from other worlds? Could someone like me get drawn into a "palace" back where you're from?
no subject
The information enough of an exchange to warrant a few bites from the plate, he eat some of the snacks in quick succession. Then a bit slower, because he's not a desperate forest animal looking for handouts. But the food is disappearing at a semi-decent clip, despite the deliberate pauses. The cafes and restaurants closed, he's gonna have to rummage up a goddamn carrot or something later.]
That's the dilemma. People could be drawn in, unprompted, if an application on a phone was activated. Rare because the ability isn't known among the general public. Though it stands to reason given the nature of the Metaverse, the 'cognitive world' these palaces reside in...
[Mementos too. The collective consciousness.]
It's possible. The trigger may be different. Those from other worlds could be drawn in if they hold some ability to access this cognitive world, whether they're aware of it or not. The real issue is what is that trigger. If we find that, it may be a simple solution to reverse it and leave. For example, exiting the application at a certain spot would allow a quick return to the regular world.
[There's so much that lines up - too much to tacit knowledge of such a grim world to explain to someone without a clue.]
Regardless, I find this theory easier swallow than a benevolent deity wanting to grant wishes out of the kindness of his heart.
no subject
Crazy as it is, your theory makes a lot more sense than anything else I've been able to come up with. I don't believe for a second that Vaeros is benevolent. [As for whether or not he grants wishes, well...
[Eren can't decide if he's the exception or the rule.]
In ways, the wish I made to Vaeros really did come true. I know that for a fact. But I'm not saying it was his doing. [Still, it's worth mentioning.] As far as I know, I had the ability I was looking for long before I ever came here, but still...
[That's really neither here nor there, is it...]
What do you figure we could utilize that power to move back and forth freely? [There has to be a way, right? Eren hasn't forgotten his priorities. The Dreamers here should have a right to choose.]
no subject
Vaeros did not grant that wish - that he's assured of. Nothing comes without a price and so far, living in this shitty rural town hasn't been payment enough. If it's a palace, then it truly is the overwhelming grandiosity of a piece of shit and nothing more.]
I'll say this - if my theory is true, that ability has been innate within you. Someone exploiting their knowledge of it is another issue entirely. How he manages to do such things still eludes me. Of course, there are other discrepancies that make it difficult to confirm that this is a palace holding true to my world's rules.
[So many - a hand goes under his chin before falling back to rest on his thigh.]
One of which being your question - frankly, I don't know, but it's neither possible or impossible. So long as the palace ruler remains in distortion, the world shall remain as you see it. The path to it will continue to exist. A prolonged stay in such a place hasn't been researched though.
[He's been in one for long periods, but never for months. Years.]
The emotional effect it's having on the ruler may be one such consequence, but again - it's all conjecture.