#kaliente

[tojaziemniak]

No fajnie. Ja remontuje chatę, a oni się bawią... Gdzie tu sprawiedliwość?!

Tak na marginesie to Nikodem dorósł i jest dobrą dupsą.

[truckreincarnation]

Cut Your Roots || Sakura’s Regeneration

You wake to find yourself laying on a bed of flower petals. A look at the roof confirms you’re once again in Amber’s Heart. The hole in the ceiling wasn’t fixed in the slightest. However, the floor is now completely covered in sakura flowers. As you look at the branches of the tree, it becomes clear why. Most of them are empty. It seems that the tree had died alongside its heart. Or, at least that seems to be the case.

In the center of the room stands a Bound, one who certainly shouldn’t be up and around yet. She’s looking much better now. Rather than thousands of limbs and body parts everywhere, she’s condensed into a mostly human form. Wood and flesh still fuse uncomfortably across her form, but it’s nowhere near as grotesque as it was before. Her limb count, too, is still far from normal, with three arms and two legs. She has three faces now, a main one and one on the left and right sides of her head. As you stir, the three faces speak as one.

“We are deeply sorry for what we did in our Lost form, and are most grateful that you managed to… Well, allow us to settle into a new, more Lucid form. This is a rather uncommon phenomena, so, we are most grateful.” We? Probably a new Bound quirk.

There’s a small pause before she puts one of her three arms to her chest. You can feel the magic well up. It might be enough to make you flinch, remembering the effect of her Equalizing Strike. 

“This is an Order, Sakura Arai/we/Amber Bloom, will speak only the truth until the conclusion of this discussion.” Each of the three heads speaks somewhat differently, but somehow they seem to time it out well enough. You can feel the force of herself. She quickly follows up with, “Don’t worry, we will only use our Order magic on ourself for the time being.”

Straightening up now, she explains. “We do not feel any kind of bitterness to you all for killing us. We understand that this is what had to be done. We are grateful. However, the only reward that we can offer you is our departure. We have come to realize, though we wish to help, that we are incapable of being what your group needs. In our time as Amber, all we ever did was cause you pain. We have not meant for it, but intentions only go so far.”

She pauses for a moment, a wistful expression on her face. “...We did love Calamity once. It was our home, a place that was trying to become better. Not everyone was good. There were cruel people, but things appeared to be getting better. We loved that place. It was our precious home. We wanted it to bloom beautifully. Instead it has rotted. It has become a very terrible place. We still believe there are good people there. They simply are not the ones who make the decisions. We can no longer abide by the decisions of Calamity. Calamity has done so many terrible things to us. They have done horrible things to you as well.

“We will go somewhere else, some little corner of Calamity that we can use our magic to make livable. We will find a place to make home, and make that place into a shelter for those who are running from the war. We will bar entry to those who have feed into this system that harms Incarnates. However, those who only have the potential to cause harm are innocent. People should be judged by their action, not their ability to summon. Those who come to us innocent will be under our protection. We will keep them safe from those who hunt them.” She gives Manami a rather sour look there. “It will be a simple matter for us to verify that these people are not the same ones who committed atrocities. Arrogant as that is, it is the best that we can do.” 

She dips her head, moving toward the exit. “We shall leave now. The tree has enough supplies to keep you alive for a few weeks, and we have placed nine boats out by the summoning circle for you to take to go wherever you wish to. We originally wished to make better arrangements for you, but we both know that the longer we are around, the more likely it is for there to be some conflict between us. Stay or go as you wish. We will do nothing to stop you.”

Kali looks around at you all, then darts to Sakuramber’s side. “I’ll go with you. Even if you’re… different, you’re still my home. Always will be.” She turns back to face the group again, pausing. “Hear that? You get to see the back of me as well! But that doesn’t mean you can slack off. That’ll get you killed in what’s to come! Mark my words!” With that, she turns her back on you and flies to catch up with Sakuramber.

Sakuramber freezes for a moment. “...Are you sure you want to? We are both Amber and Sakura, and also neither. We are changed in ways that may make you unhappy. …You are always welcome by our side, but, we hope you make the right choice in doing this.”

Kali scoffs. “There’s a piece of the woman I loved in you. That’s enough for me.” She exhales shakily and glances down. “And… besides. Where else would I go?” she adds, in a soft and uncommonly vulnerable voice.

“Anywhere you wanted. But… If where you want is by our side, who are we to deny you? Besides, the woman who you loved did love you very much too. We still do.” With that said, she leans down to press a small kiss to the crown of Kali’s helmet. “You are always welcome to join us.”

Kali’s face turns the color of her armor, and she doesn’t say anything more.

At the exit, Sakuramber pauses again, turning to look at the group once more. “We are sorry for all the pain we caused you. You never have to see us again, unless you seek to do so. …Some of you are welcome to come see us in our new place. And Esmée, we are incredibly grateful for your friendship and kindness. You truly did save us.”

Esmée's brows furrow at the words, shifting awkwardly foot from foot. In the end, she was told she did good, but this was too much hardship that she forced on her group with no warning. A bite of her bottom lip to stop it from quivering she gives a nod. 

"...Calamity was never a good place so long as summoning was something used for war...m'sorry they forced this fate on you. Even if you found a home and friends along the way...a-and...and." 

She takes a deep breath in. "I'll find you in that little corner at some point. We...talked of a revolution - about punching that now-dead king and making something better...I still believe in a better; despite it all. So...stay safe until I can make it so. Okay?"

“Of course. You stay safe too. We will meet again.” With a warm smile to Esmee, the newly born Bound makes her exit, her ever-devoted pixie in tow. There is a whole new world for them to see now.

[truckreincarnation]

Out with a Bang | Chapter 5 Start [2/2]

While you’re still recovering, you feel a second shudder, this time from deep within yourself. And with it, the lifting of an agonizing metaphysical weight that you’d become so used to, you didn’t even realize you were carrying. You feel… just the slightest bit more free.

Kali looks around, noting your reactions. “I guess we’re doing this now. Okay.” She clears her throat. “What you just felt was the ritual coming to a close!” she announces. “Seems the Lynchpin has decided enough is enough. And I couldn’t agree more!” She claps her tiny hands together. “So, no more sacrifices. Hopefully that’ll help you sleep a little better. And maybe in the morning, we’ll have some answers for you?”

Amber pipes up, having formed in a corner in the meantime. “It’ll take us a little while to arrange for rides for you all and your belongings out of this place. Give us a bit of time to make sure you are all stable before we send you off. Ah… I’ll try, in that time, to prep the last floor of this place for you all to see, but it’s not quite ready. It should be good to go by tomorrow, though.”

“Okay, well, maybe not right away. But just sit tight. Get some R&R while we figure out where we go from here. Dismissed!” With that, Kali does a loop-the-loop and cackles as she vanishes into a small gap in the ceiling, and you’re left to ponder what just happened for the rest of the night.

[truckreincarnation]

What Goes Around | Chapter 5 Start [1/2]

It’s not even two hours later that you hear that horrible sound. For the manor, it’s the sound of the alarm. For those in the tree, it’s Amber’s insistence that a body has been found. Already? How could this happen? There wasn’t even a motive in place at the moment. 

Whether or not you choose to speculate on who the body could be, you find yourself rushed back to the manor. The manor again… This place is getting pretty tiring. But it’s not the gates you’re sent toward this time, still a little off from the explosion, but to the ballroom. The ballroom seems a terrible place for a murder. But then again, as does every other place. There’s no such thing as a good murder.

[cw: depictions, descriptions of blood and gore]

(image credit: Sketch by Boone, lines by Aster, color & shading by Sunny)

Except maybe this one.

King Calum is splayed on the floor, one leg propped up by a chair. He looks like he was attacked rather viciously, due to the numerous claw marks across his body. Almost as if he was mauled by a large animal. His chest, however, is where the worst of the damage was done. His chest has been carved open and his heart has been removed. Notably, so has his cape, but that’s not really important right now. …You don’t see the heart anywhere? Perhaps someone threw it away or destroyed it? Without the heart, one can not be revived with resurrection magic.

[cw end]

As you’re still getting used to the idea that someone actually managed to kill King Calum, the ballroom doors slam open, and Cap stalks in on her feline steed. She only spares the lot of you a brief glance as she motions you to part ranks, to allow her access to the body. Argante kneels so she can take a close look at the King’s corpse. Her grave expression hardly wavers.

Kali, meanwhile, is poorly disguising a smirk. “Alright, everyone, let’s get out of their way. Wouldn’t want to obstruct the investigation of the most important murder of our time!” She tilts her head. “It’s not like this was a ritual sacrifice. We’ve got no obligation to do anything here.” With expansive hand movements, she shoos the lot of you back out of the ballroom and down the path through the dark thicket.

As you round the corner, you glimpse more figures hurrying in through the suddenly-open gates. “Pick up the pace, you lot!” Kali barks, an almost desperate urgency creeping into her voice. “Back to the tree! Chop chop! No time to waste!”

“What the fuck?” You hear a shout from the trees before Alvarie emerges, in the partial beast form she had used in her fight versus Kali. And she immediately sees Kali leading everyone out suspiciously while guards come on her heels. “Damn it, everyone in the portal or we are leaving you behind!” She goes back around the corner, followed by the sound of crashing metal, and then pops back out again to follow you all. “In in in in in!”

Heeding Kali and Alvarie’s urgency, you don’t waste time making tracks for the basement summoning circle’s portal. You pile through as Alvarie frantically gestures and Kali counts heads. Once the pixie’s sure everyone else is through, she follows. “Close the portal, Amber!” she exclaims.

“On it!” Amber’s voice reverberates off the walls.

The tear in space ripples and smears, its edges destabilizing. Then, it suddenly slams shut, with a bassy thump and a pressure wave that ruffles the hair of everyone still catching their breath in the antechamber.

…That felt decidedly like an escape.

[truckreincarnation]

Phoenix Down | Chapter 4 End

The summoning circle fills with silence, as the end of Theophania’s execution plays. There’s nothing to say and nothing that can be done for her now. Regardless of her intentions, she was treated as harshly as the past murderers had been. The silence, however, does not last long. And of course it’s the worst person possible who interrupts.

“It always is such a pain to kill someone with the Rebirth Domain.” Calum gives a little huff of annoyance. He acts like he was bothered by this, not because someone died, but because the execution took longer than he wanted it to. Doesn’t he normally enjoy these with his friends? It’s this normally a celebration for him? Well, he quickly makes clear why.

“Now, I have a date to get ready for. Tree, make sure none of them follow me, I would hate to get blood on my shoes now.” He begins to walk off, only to realize he’s not received a reply. “Tree, speak when you are spoken to.”

Amber, tense from being directly addressed by him, forces out a weak, “Yes, your Majesty.”

“Good. Now keep them here for a few minutes while I return home.”

Kali bristles and trembles with rage, but bites her tongue to keep herself from speaking.

If you try to follow, if you try to hurt the king, you meet much the same fate that Avery did a few moments before Theophania’s execution. Wrapped in vines and unable to move. But once three minutes have passed, Amber releases you.

You are now free to return to what you were doing before, but do you really want to do that? Everything has soured now. The thought of returning to the manor might even be dreadful to you now, or perhaps you want to get farther from the tree, from this place. But you’re free to go now. If only you had more freedom in other regards.

[truckreincarnation]

The Last Stand || Execution 4 [1/2]

As the appointed time comes to a close, Kali turns her gaze to Theophania once again. “You gonna come quietly, princess?”

“…Fighting this would be pointless,” Theophania levelly replies.

But as she moves toward the center of the circle, someone intercedes. Standing abruptly, Avery places themself between Theophania and the hosts, hackles raised, growling low in their throat.

Kali squints at them. A flicker of something passes across her face, but she kills it as quickly as it appears. “Stand down,” she barks at Avery, inclining her head to break eye contact. “Now’s not the time to be a hero,” she adds, more sullenly.

Theophania grits her teeth and squeezes her eyes shut to keep herself from crying.

“Avery…please don’t. I can’t live with myself if you’re hurt over me too. We can’t fight against this now. We…have to accept it.”

Vines erupt from the ground and drag Avery back to their desk, despite their desperate shouts. Meanwhile, the void opens below Theophania’s feet as she crosses to the center, dragging you down into yet another of your fellow Incarnate’s personal hells.

[truckreincarnation]

Ticking Time Bomb || Trial 4 Results

To avoid staring flaming daggers at the King for the rest of the trial, Kali instead points her razor-sharp glare down at her journal while the final tearful words are said. The votes come in, one by one - and, at last, she’s as satisfied as she can be in this situation. She snaps the book shut.

“Okay, that’s it. Time for the fun part,” she grumbles. “I’ve tallied the votes.

"We have one vote for the Lord of Witches and Master of Summoners, King Calum Calac-Lamity the Fourth.”

She draws out every syllable of the long title, voice dripping with derision. Or perhaps she’s delaying the inevitable, standing on circumstance to give Amber a chance to steel herself for what will inevitably need to be done.

“And nine votes for Theophania Rosette Valentine, also known as Tiffany Violet.”

She glances at the King again, inhaling through her teeth.

“Which is, of course, the correct answer. Good job, heroes. Say your goodbyes, and in fifteen minutes, I guess we’ll find out what it takes to kill a Rebirth Incarnate.”

Her announcement finished, Kali slides down the side of Amber’s drooping head onto her shoulder. She leans against her pink foliage and runs a rueful hand along it, whispering something to her. While she comforts the false dryad, the rest of you are left to your own devices.

[truckreincarnation]

Into the Fire || Kali || Trial 4.2 || RE: Avery

Kali narrows her eyes slightly and huffs.

"Just do the same thing you always do. Vote for whoever you think caused the deaths. If you think there's more than one culprit, write multiple names."

Her eyes flick in the direction of the King for a moment, and she shakes her head.

"And like we went over earlier, the culprit is who most directly caused the death! I know you're not keen on his majesty over here, but you and I both know there's no grounds to argue he's the one that detonated the bomb."

She scowls. If only.