Wouldn't you like to use more than words?

[letsplayamod]

The last thing you recall is likely your own death. Whether it was fast or slow, it's over now. And you're... where are you?

One moment, you were among the living. The next - you may be one of the unfortunate ones who actually died. In which case, you've found yourself flowing in the lazy rivers of the river Styx, unfathomably deep underground. Just for a moment, mind you. It's not long before your consciousness is yanked from the waters by some scary monsters, shoved into a healed body, and pushed through a portal.

Or, maybe you were caught red-handed and sentenced to your doom. But, instead of a proper death, you were whisked down into the Veins of Tartarus. And there's really only one place that could lead to... Or is it?


You've been tossed down here by the will of the Titan, but what you find is A helping hand swooping you up - possibly literally, and potentially out of the grasp of the Titan himself.

Not a moment after, you're whisked through another rift, this one a shimmering gold. Into a realm of slightly more stable platforms and a lot more shit to look through. The area is practically littered with the ill-gotten goods of a thieving God (who is happy to note via pop-up illusion that you are touching his stuff). Here, however, you are safe; assured that Typhon cannot find or hurt you here.

For the moment, you can breathe before the next part comes.

Comments

[eeeonetwothree]

[ Omega steps in front of Ferdinand, protectively. ]

I MURDERED HIM.

I AM A MONSTER. YOU MAY DIRECT ALL HATRED AND IRE TOWARDS ME.

[markofnobility]

Oh, stop that.

[he smacks at his back]

[rockymountaindie]

[ ... ]

What...happened?

[markofnobility]

Omega was able to create a weapon that could hurt Typhon... but the only time Typhon would be vulnerable was when dragging someone away for execution. So...

[He sighs and turns to Omega]

How did it go? Is he...?

[Omega being here is not a good sign, but it doesn't necessarily mean that-

[eeeonetwothree]

[ Omega's answer is short, and to the point: ]

HE LIVES.

[markofnobility]

...

[Ferdinand's serenity from his death finally cracks, and he shakes]

... ah.

[raiseyoulikea]

Hey, don't feel bad. That was amazing!

Typhon looked like he'd been put through the wringer! I haven't seen him that badly beaten since the Oympian gods cerberus-piled him all at once.

[markofnobility]

...I wish I could have seen it.

[eeeonetwothree]

[ Still quietly: ]

...Velvet tore a piece from his flesh...

[tailoredfate]

[Along with the other dead, Aglaea is there, a winged helm somewhat similar to Athena's under one arm. She's not smiling, nor awash with grief at seeing more familiar faces in this strange underworld they've been thrown into.

In fact, her eyes narrow.]

Your plan to fight Typhon left him still breathing, and instead you killed one of our own. Your plan put all the others at risk, leaving them in a vulnerable position.

[No scowl. No seething hatred. But her eyes are steely.]

You continue to only cause trouble.

[markofnobility]

[Ferdinand steps in from of Omega]

Do not aim your ire towards him. Omega wished to stop this more than once... I am the one that pushed it.

[tailoredfate]

Who first brought up the idea?

[markofnobility]

He told me about the weapon, but I am the one that said someone would have to die. If I had told him no this would not have happened.

[rockymountaindie]

[ ...... ]

You...

From an execution?

[ Oh. Oh, no. Oh, they didn't. ]

[markofnobility]

And do not let him tell you otherwise. I volunteered, he did not ask me.

[rockymountaindie]

[ Without a single word, Alex stalks forward and punches Ferdinand von Aegir in the face. ]

[markofnobility]

[He is... oddly not surprised by this. His head cracks back, eyes screwed tight. A few breath as his solider training demands he punch back. He does not, of course but it takes a moment]

Fair enough.

[eeeonetwothree]

[ ...

Omega is just going to stand there and not talk for the time being. ]

[necromants]

[Ivilezlei is also here, though you'd be forgiven if you missed him entirely. He's been hanging out far behind the group, mismatched eyes watching Omega in silence as he listens in on the discussions. These two... aren't at all who he was expecting. Granted, someone killing Omega seemed like a difficult task, but he really thought—

Well, it doesn't matter what he thought, so he decides not to focus on it. Instead, he's more immediately interested in the discussion. The idea of a self-sacrificial play to take Typhon out and put a stop to the starvation motive all in one fell swoop certainly is a valid one, but here everyone is acting like it was an idiotic idea.

Would they be saying the same if it had worked, he wonders.]

Omega. A moment of your time, if you would?

[He gestures for Omega to join him over here, slightly out of the general earshot of everyone else. Alex is punching Ferdinand anyway, it's probably fine...]

[eeeonetwothree]

[ Omega just...sort of drifts over to Ivilezlei, like he's sleepwalking, or on autopilot. Or willing to do anything to get away from Ferdinand having to defend him and his desire to cast himself into the fires of judgement. ]

YES?

[ Omega sounds angry; Ivilezlei might be forgiven for thinking Omega is angry at him, considering what the man did, but really, the machine is just pissed at himself for his failure. ]

[necromants]

[Listen, he may be the most selfish man in this murdergame, but even he doesn't think Omega's angry at him right now. The situation, likely. The failed attempt, even. Himself, perhaps.]

For what little it's worth - given that it comes from me - it was a brave attempt. Reckless, yes, but given everything we've seen of this place... it doesn't seem likely we'll be able to free ourselves without getting a little reckless.

[Ivilezlei's views on Typhon are complicated. Though Typhon did kill him, he also held up his end of the bargain and - as far as Ivilezlei knows - has been entirely truthful in what he's said. It also helps(?) that they had something of a camaraderie when he was Zvei; where he felt like only one damn person in this game actually understood him.

But none of the rest of them have any reason to care, nor any reason to expect any mercy. After all, Typhon showed up, enforced the murdergame rules, and has done nothing but antagonize them at every turn. In everyone else's eyes, they have no choice but to play along and hope that they won't become the next victim, or be tempted into committing the next murder. In that respect... what do the others expect to happen? For Athena to show up out of the blue and make this all go away?

Sometimes you need to do something ridiculously reckless and crazy in order to change things. Self-sacrificial or no, he understands that.]

The others will likely remain angry with you both for quite some time, regardless. But should you need someone to talk to, I will be here. Know that I have nothing against you for the attempt.

[He's still a horrid person who killed three people for his own memories. And he's not doing this solely for Omega's benefit, if he's brutally honest with himself. But he puts the offer out there, because the last damn thing he wants is to remain completely alone with his thoughts in this horrid place - and Omega certainly doesn't deserve such a fate.]

[eeeonetwothree]

[ Omega listens to what Ivilezlei has to say, and when he's finished...he. He starts to laugh.

No one has ever heard him laugh before.

It's kind of creepy. ]

YOU KNOW, IVILEZLEI, I MUSED ABOUT TRYING TO FRAME MYSELF FOR YOUR CRIMES. SO FERDINAND WOULD NOT HAVE TO DIE.

YOU HAVE NOTHING AGAINST ME?

I HAVE SOMETHING AGAINST ME.

I FAILED AT MY ONE PURPOSE. MY ONE REASON FOR EXISTING. I FAILED AT DESTROYING MY ENEMY, IN THE MOST SPECTACULAR WAY POSSIBLE.

I...I AM NOT EVEN SURE WHERE I AM GOING WITH THIS-! I ONLY KNOW THAT I DO NOT DESERVE TO BE HERE! I DO NOT DESERVE THIS...THIS FUNCTION-IN-DEATH! I AM A MOCKERY OF MYSELF!

[necromants]

[That first part—

No, he tells himself. No, don't even consider it. Don't think about the what-ifs. It's completely pointless here and now. There isn't a world in which Zvei could have gotten exactly what he wanted.

But this... This he understands.]

Then you aren't alone. How do you think I felt when I remembered that Ivilezlei had spent the remainder of his time trying to become a better person, to help others instead of hurt them? He wanted to help. He was trying to look out for others and learn to be less selfish.

With my memories restored, I have had to face the reality that everything he - I - worked for was for nothing, by my own hand.

Do you deserve to still exist, despite your failures? Do I deserve to exist for killing three innocent people to reclaim memories that would only serve to taunt me?

These questions are out of our hands now. Whether we deserve it or not, here we are.

[tripartites]

Don't try to play the villain when you're so poor at it. The man can speak for himself.

[eeeonetwothree]

...Noted.