basilio

[rippled]

nya

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week 3, monday

[rippled]

[ hello. they are together and opening a door and i am just going to yeet us into a memory yippee.

You stand before a mountain.

This mountain houses the god, Ibuki-douji, and you are here to slay them. You have killed countless gods before this and, to you, this is simply another one to add to the pile. There is no fears or nerves inside of you, and instead there is an overabundance of confidence that only someone with your track record could carry.

"I will defeat this god empty handed," you boast, as you leave your sword behind and ascend the mountain.

Your blasphemous remarks greatly angers the god. You eventually encounter them and battle and, for the first time in your life, you lose. The god curses you and fells you with poison, and you are forced to retreat down the mountain to find a place to rest. Your legs feel heavier and heavier. Soon, you can barely move, and you settle down.

You are alone. You cannot remember the last time you weren't alone. Even when you are around others, they cannot look you in the eye out of fear of your father's retribution or of your reputation. You wish to see your home, the one that you have been banished from for so long, the one you have served so loyally for decades. You yearn for your wife, but she rests deep under the ocean's waves, her bones crushed by the waters. You–

You die. Your body transforms into a swan, and you fly away to the heavens.

well. okay. ]

... I apologize that you had to see that.

[berserketype]

[ blinks.



this is very serious, given it’s about life and death and pride and loss— but— ]

So that’s what the swan thing was about last week?

[ the SWAN in the room!! ]

[rippled]

Oh.

Yes, that was me.

[berserketype]

I figured it coulda been when we went to your room — [ he he can’t see uruha as a swan but ]— so you, like. Died. But came back as a swan?

[rippled]

Hm, well... I was still dead... it is more like my spirit turned into one...

[ ... ]

This sounds weird to say out loud.

[berserketype]

[ THINKING ]

Nah, I think I get it— kinda like…soul and body. Part of you’s still around, just… as a swan.

[rippled]

Yes, that's a good description of it!

Thank you for taking care of me as a swan.

[berserketype]

Anytime.

[ he understands nothing. ]

So-- you now, is that like... some kinda illusion?

[rippled]

No, it's...

I am something called a Heroic Spirit... or a Servant. Basically, my spirit was summoned to participate in a tournament many centuries after I died in that memory. That is what I was in the middle of when I died... again... and brought here.

[berserketype]

[ he nods slowly. he kinda... gets it? in a strange way. ]

... Wait, you can die even though you already die-- oh. [ well. ] Wonder if that's the same or different to whatever's happenin' here.

[rippled]

Maybe. It's why I wasn't too confused about it when it first happened.

[ like, they were confused that people were dying, but not about the fact that a death could occur. ]

[berserketype]

The whole dyin' when you're dead?

[ hmm. ]

... Death's usually the end, yeah? For us at least. That's why we were so bloody rattled.

[rippled]

It normally is, yes. Although things like spirits isn't uncommon where I am from, typically once someone dies, that would also be the end... for most people.

[berserketype]

But not you.

[rippled]

Well, that was at least more because of the Ritual than anything I did.

[berserketype]

Yeah, but you’ve had the Ritual thingy so it’s like— [ he shrugs ] Sounds like you were pretty prepared for somethin’ we hadn’t even considered.

[ … ]

Who was it you were fightin’, in that memory of yours?

[rippled]

Ah, the god Ibuki-douji. I had defeated other ones previously, so I suppose I just eventually let it get to my head and wasn't careful enough...

[ they don't sound too sad about this specific part at least. hubris... ]

[berserketype]

-- Wait, a whole god? And you've beaten gods before?

[rippled]

Ah... yes...

[ they would normally want to brag about this but like. the fact that they have been keeping quiet about all of this and it is suddenly coming out now is weirdly embarrassing. ]

[berserketype]

[ luckily for his embarrassment, for now, it's bas's turn to be put on blast. ]

[rippled]

[ i forgot how fucking deep del's voice is this just jumpscared me so fucking badly

but hmmm. there was a lot going on here, and it sounds like there is a lot of politics happening, but. ]

Who was that?

[berserketype]

[ the number of people who have been jumpscared by del’s voice is so funny. ]

Oh, Lady Junah?

[rippled]

Mm. She seems like someone that you looked up to.

[ is she secretly evil?? ]

[berserketype]

[ she’s absolutely perfect and i love her. ]

Yeah!

[ hehe. ] She’s great. We’ve known her… blimey it’s been a while now. ‘Course, we didn’t know she was never part of Louis’ entourage, really. But, that’s probably a good thing in the long run. Her head was always on straight.

[rippled]

[ well, the fact that bas still seems to have positive feelings about her is a good sign. ]

I see. The situation seemed a bit complicated...