from this old chaos

DEIMOS

Deimos chose to ignore the fact that the Flood was now someone he had to be in confidence with. If he looked too inward he would only feel the primordial, age-old bitterness and indignation, so he opted for neutrality as they maneuvered away from funerals, to along the coast, where there were enough hordes of crowds talking, conversing, laughing, and overall distractions to not seem either out of place or conspicuous. He opted to lean against a nearby railing, eyes flickering out over the city and his jaw firmly clenched, beginning to mull over the possibilities.

If it were Ru, Sunjata hopefully would’ve said something in the first place. The other probabilities ranged from his pragmatic calculations, perhaps things further awry in King’s End (the Refuge?), assaults, multitudes blocking their goals…though his impending topic, perhaps, didn’t stray too far from those leagues either. Watching as a few passed by them, clearly inebriated even though it was only midday, Deimos arched his brow, then shook his head, finally opting to simply ask. What did you want to discuss?

think about this
you have the ability to survive anything

SUNJATA

the flood

anyway, you say you're too busy
saving everybody else to save yourself

Drifting through the crowds to trail after Deimos – it’s a strange turn of events for him as well. And now without him being infected, the ability and want to help more than he has been outweighs everything else from their pasts. Working together, trying to cure Caido, this are things Sunjata can take a front row seat on. And he intends to, even more than he had in the past.

As Deimos leans against a railing, Sunjata’s lightning scarred hand combs through his crop of hair, watching the few stumble past them already clearly too far gone before his steel gaze flits back toward Deimos with the question through the Attuned bond. Last time we talked, I told you Ronin and Remi couldn’t participate in going against the Family anymore, right? He pauses, seeking out the confirmation, before he takes a slow and deep inhale. Well… Ronin’s infected. I’m meeting Remi soon to tell him, too, but maybe that’s why..? He doesn’t want to point fingers at it – he doesn’t know what Dahlia threatened or didn’t threaten. What he does know is that it was going bad fast, and the sooner he can share the information across the better.

Especially now because he knows that the springs are no longer an option. Which means Everest will also remain under the Family’s claws.

and you don't want no help, oh well
that's the story to tell

DEIMOS

The bystanders staggered and faltered, drunkenly and haphazardly causing only a minor scene; but Deimos kept his eyes on everything – waiting for some outstretch of Family patterns or ridiculous stares upon them. When there seemed to be nothing, he kept that inherent focus on the shifting information. The confirmation and understanding of the first statement came with a nod.

The second, however, went entirely unexpected.

His careful, nonchalant mask slipped for a moment – eyes widening, shock and bewilderment settling deep into his ribs, a sudden inhale of air, and then a long, long pause of breath as it extended outwards, trying to be rational and calm in the face of genuine surprise. Perhaps that was the fault of his own mantras and beliefs; that the stretch of all of them, powerful and defiant and just couldn’t have been corrupted so easily. He didn’t know why – Sunjata had been caught. Why couldn’t the rest of them be? You saw it? He glanced elsewhere, sharp gaze pointing towards old stones or distant dunes, trying desperately to find a groundline.

But the connections made sense now. Deimos would’ve always understood their need to protect their families – he did much the same. The further withdrawal, the way they both retreated…he couldn’t imagine Remi’s reaction. There is a chance he could still be healed, even without the springs. The Big Gods could do it. Hadn’t Flora been mended that way?

think about this
you have the ability to survive anything

SUNJATA

the flood

anyway, you say you're too busy
saving everybody else to save yourself

Nodding as his face tightens a bit, he glances over toward those that are making a scene from the amount of alcohol consumed. At the festival in King’s End. And it had ruined his appetite entirely, but he’d had to pretend. And go through the motions of wondering if he was second guessing it — but with Ru’s confirmation, he knew it had to be true.

Looking back at Deimos with a pulse of understanding, he clears his throat. I’ll mention it to Remi.. we might be able to guide him there and help heal him with Mort or Vi, maybe? He works his jaw, the muscles flaring at his temples before he exhales a sigh. “I’m not sure what else to do.” He murmurs quietly so it looks like they’re talking about life choices as opposed to forcing Ronin to go and see Mort or Vi to heal him of the void sickness.

and you don't want no help, oh well
that's the story to tell

DEIMOS

His jaw clenched, muscles contracting in the corners, fighting over that urge of overwhelming probabilities, confusion, and torment; shaking his head, pretending to be amidst the conversation or being disappointed in the antics flowing around them. Perhaps. See what Remi wants to do first, and then we can go from there. Vital lessons had been learned in trying to overstep – and he’d rather hear how the Bastion wanted to go about things initially before they tried anything with Ronin.

Deimos wasn’t certain what to do either though – save for other instances, other volleys, other rallies multiplying one by one in his schemes, in his irritation, in his maddening rage for the parasites slipping their way into their homes and livelihoods. “I have another plan in mind for that,” and he jerked his head in the direction of Starfall, but made it look as though he was describing portions of the nearby market.  I think we need to start making maneuvers on it again. Our regions cannot take much more, especially Halo, though maybe the target was off of them for now, where the springs had been horrifically mauled. If we can get some flowers gathered, then planted there, we might be able to make some headway. And we need a void crystal to complete our regional quest. As there was no other way now. He sighed, then watched for the Flood’s reaction, knowing that this was also another large request in a sea of ridiculous, hazardous notions.

think about this
you have the ability to survive anything

SUNJATA

the flood

anyway, you say you're too busy
saving everybody else to save yourself

Nodding, because it would do little to figure out everything before speaking with the man’s own husband who probably had a better idea of how to get through this, the Flood’s jaw remains set tight as he sighs through his nose, leaning against the rail beside Deimos as casually as can be.

Glancing over as if interested in a bird, he catches onto what Deimos has suggested. That sounds good. I’m attempting to protect a region in King’s End, so I’ll probably need one too.. better to hit it while they don’t have a way to be stronger, yeah? It still felt daunting, uncomfortable and worrying.

And he doesn’t know yet that the Family will harm him more than the others when they strike him. I’m going to be looking for more roses and lilies too, just in case. He murmurs with a small frown, because it felt so daunting.

and you don't want no help, oh well
that's the story to tell

DEIMOS

With the agreement of waiting on Remi solidified, he arched his brow, appearing in either deep conversation or transparency as others continued to persist by. He nodded along, in understanding of striving to protect King’s End, now that he could, as it had been much the same in Halo. That they’d gone an alternate route in striving to assist the entirety of Caido clearly hadn’t gone unnoticed though – and now it was nothing. His jaw clenched again and he kept the spokes and wheels of his anger in check, a cold rage smoldering beneath all the wiles and the plotting. Smothering it so the Flood wouldn’t have any aspect of the chilling malevolence, his features remained a blank canvas, save for people watching. One way to look at it. Do you think anyone else would or could join us?

His first instinct had been Hadama – and though he was carefully neutral about the man, if not partially cynical and irritated with him from the Maea antics and the too little too late apology notice, he had helped when the Citadel had been threatened. Sah mentioned the possibility of rotating teams through, But that means we need enough flowers to do so. Which felt quite daunting, considering how many they’d already used, and how many more might be needed. When I go home, I will send some to search as well. Sighing, trying to dissipate the weight and enormity of the situation away from his shoulders and chest, his head tilted again, watching as more passersby tripped or stumbled their way down the slight knoll. If it comes down to it, we can always quest for them. As Flora had done. As he had once scoffed, believing, thinking, they would’ve had been full of laurels and petals in their pockets by now – and he could admit when he was mistaken and wrong.

think about this
you have the ability to survive anything

SUNJATA

the flood

anyway, you say you're too busy
saving everybody else to save yourself

Thinking about who among them might be strong enough and willing to help out, the Flood’s nose wrinkles a little in thought. It was strange to think of those who were on par with them, especially when some of them he’d known when they were still trying to master their skills. Something he’s sure Deimos feels the burn of, too. Flora? Hadama? Comes the quiet and uncertain response, a small sigh slipping past his nose as he distracts himself with the antics of a seagull in the distance.

Listening through the Attuned bond, at least, the Flood hums a quiet yet audible sound of understanding. Do you think we’d end up that lucky? To find multiple flowers, to quest for them, to spend all of the time to do that because it’s their literal only option?

And unfortunately, they can’t just get a big team together to fight the family face to face. Otherwise, he’d much prefer a more even playing field.

and you don't want no help, oh well
that's the story to tell

DEIMOS

Deimos hesitated in asking anyone to accompany them to Starfall. He could think of multitudes scarred and marred by the Family’s methods and motions – Flora killed, Sah’s child kidnapped and assaulted, streaks of other individuals who knew friends and kin mauled or altered. Only if they were willing, he offered instead, shaking his head as another individual came running by, shrieking and calling out to their fellow drunken compatriots. There could be some with a grudge too. The other leaders may have more ideas. Vengeance and spite had always been one of his main motivators.

As for luck, he snorted. They certainly hadn’t been very fortunate in their past searches. Amhran had planted one, but it wasn’t due to bloom until Leafchange, and by then, if they hadn’t made any headway at all, they might have been far too late. No, he admitted, eternally pragmatic. There was the notion of scores of them settling into Greatwood boundaries and Frey’s Breath, more possibilities, opportunities, and chances, but they could end up with the same results – nothing at all. Maybe we should have a deadline. Or a goal. If something has not been found, then we try another means.

think about this
you have the ability to survive anything

SUNJATA

the flood

anyway, you say you're too busy
saving everybody else to save yourself

Yeah. I’m not gonna force anyone to go. Sunjata agrees, a small huff of a humorless laugh leaving him. It would be dangerous and full of all of the potentials to go wrong. He wouldn’t blame them for saying no, either, even if it made their job more difficult. But, he supposes, that’s what they get for being the gods favored.

And Sunjata, personally, feels as if he has much to atone for despite never having asked to be infected.

We should talk with Danta, too. He murmurs idly in regards to the other leaders, before he settles and shifts his weight from how he leans against the railing, trying to run his mind around the possibilities they could come up with.

He knows before Deimos answers that they weren’t that lucky, but with the mention of a time frame, his gaze perks back toward Deimos with a raise of his scarred brow. How much time do you think we have? What would realistically be a good timeframe for everything to happen before they aimed more drastically?

and you don't want no help, oh well
that's the story to tell

DEIMOS

He was never quite certain on Danta’s parameters and means to involvement with the ongoing Family saga. He’d written hordes of notes and letters over the last few seasons, with little response, save from Kiada, and any mentions were often hand-waved away. I can try again came along a resigned murmur, and another long sigh, as if his hopes weren’t incredibly high.

As far as time, the Sword had been known to let his trepidations take over his plots and machinations. But he was well versed in calculations, in scheming, in understanding the nuances of sedition, rebellion, and revolution; and that time might not be something they had much more of. Instead of giving a direct answer, his eyes went elsewhere, skimming over the fence line, then towards Starfall in the distance, before ending up on the stony ramparts. Do you remember the dream many of us had? When do we expect all of that to come to fruition? The Family had been here for years now – had strived to take over, had found footholds, then missteps, before striking over and over again. I fear, if we do nothing about it, then something far more disastrous is going to occur. Arms crossed over his chest, his fingers drummed restlessly against his biceps. If we have found nothing by mid-Flowerbirth, then perhaps we turn to quests. But he still glanced upwards to the Flood, striving to hear what he thought.

think about this
you have the ability to survive anything

SUNJATA

the flood

anyway, you say you're too busy
saving everybody else to save yourself

I’ll try too. Maybe after hearing about what had happened to him after being healed and his visit to the Grounds they might reconsider — of course he doesn’t know about the loss the Grounds had during LongNight, which might have provided another indicator to helping them all get on the same page.

For now, though, he inclined his chin a touch to confirm that he does recall the vision, even as the tension in his jaw flares with the memory. Something just waiting to arrive is ominous enough. But maybe the more flowers we get will weaken whatever’s inside it? The longer they can hold off the main event, the better they’d all be. At least that’s his hope.

Nodding to hear mid Flowerbirth, the Flood’s jaw still remains tense. Maybe we can start the movement on other plans in mid Flowerbirth but keep having smaller teams go out to search just in case anything pops up. I know they’re magical flowers and all but maybe they’re more likely to bloom in Flowerbirth than other times? I dunno. He hates not knowing, and it’s evident in the frustration still lingering in his face that no one has found anything yet.

and you don't want no help, oh well
that's the story to tell

DEIMOS

Deimos hadn’t received any information on the events of LongNight in the Grounds either, despite sending his own news of their destroyed springs. So it was left to the ether and the unknown, but he’d try for something with Danta again, or Kiada. Both, to see if they could get answers, frameworks, or want to be involved at all – it was understandable either way. Though, sometimes he wondered what it was like to simply be able to take a step back and not be embroiled in every nuance.

Regardless, he nodded along. That is my thought. Or if we place enough around, perhaps it would not be able to escape? All predictions and estimations without much grounding, save for determination.

As for the other portions of flower arrangements, he concurred again. I think that will fine. I do not recall them being this difficult to find in the past. Nor did he feel like he had ample time in his own life to flicker back and forth from Halo to the Greatwood every other day; he was already putting off responsibilities back home to be within Torchline.

think about this
you have the ability to survive anything

SUNJATA

the flood

anyway, you say you're too busy
saving everybody else to save yourself

Nodding to Deimos’ suggestion, the Flood’s jaw still remains just as tense as he runs over the options at hand to see if anything would help prevent what terrible things might be coming their way buried deep within the confines of Starfall’s island. I wonder if we rally the gods if they’d be able to remove it? It would probably take a lot of work, but between them if they could get Safrin, Frey, Ludo, Rae, Mort, and Vi, each with a common goal to eradicate the Void, then perhaps between them all they’d stand a better chance?

It's hard to say, though, and the Flood’s nose wrinkles as he thinks about the difficulties surrounding that potential drawback.

So he focuses on the evasive flowers, the ones seemingly impossible to find. I remember when the blight was around and there were troves of them we could plant. Why can’t Vi do that again? He’s never met the god of life, but after his years with Safrin it wouldn’t surprise him if Vi was just as picky about everything.

and you don't want no help, oh well
that's the story to tell