.:First Party Run, Recreational Runs & More:. [closed]

[ganymed]

Who ⬤ Ganymede and Co.
What ⬤ Dungeon-crawlin', exploring, talking with people. What can go wrong?
Now featuring some potentially cw-worthy memshares, or content involving that.
When ⬤ Following first meetings, and anything related to the below subjects.
Where ⬤ Coiling Friend's Tiny Beast, ΔHidden Forbidden Holy Ground, Root Towns
Content Warnings ⬤ Mentions of drunken behavior.
Further mentions and displays of captivity, kidnapping, stalking, and subjects relating to suicide.


[ Following some enlightening discussions that have more or less blossomed into actual plans, an unlikely band of four adventurers assemble!

Names added to friends' lists, details hashed out, which means one thing and one thing only, that the next point some adventuring is happening. Though, given that it is everyone's (probable?) first time, it seems that there is no way for anybody to choose specific places or areas they might like!

Thankfully, that's what the random Area Exploration mechanic is for.

Ganymede steps forward, and just decides to select a perfect set of coordinates for everyone...



...Not! As if even he can be decisive at this point. He lets everyone know that these are the keywords they'll be working with. "Coiling Friend's Tiny Beast", that is.

So once the Chaos Gate is utilized for them to all cross over...

Welcome to the wonderful location of Coiling Friend's Tiny Beast! Apparently it's an area that has a rocky desert-like appearance that stretches out for miles on end. Not to mention, there is a wonderful-looking flesh wall that is the proper beginning of the dungeon crawling, and entry point into the actual dungeon that is bound to be teeming with treasure and creatures.

But, they're not inside that wall as of yet. ]

RESULTS: Can be viewed here, for our reference!

Comments

[ganymed]

[ ...The reason for that is clear, because Ganymede is turning to face his wonderful party crew members, to make sure everyone is accounted for.

Sadly, Ganymede doesn't quite have his Cherry Blossoms as of yet and is still wielding his Paper Fans on this little fun journey. But, as he's a beginner he's not going to Leeroy Jenkins into the flesh wall dungeon. That's just stupid! ]

Alright, we're here. Everyone ready or did something come up before we start this properly?

[ Look, it's logical to check in with people mmmkay? It's like making sure all actors are ready to go before a theatre production. ]

[tinged]

I'm ready. Everyone, hello!

[ hani takes everyone's hands briefly, giving them all warm squeezes if allowed.

and when they say ready, they're only mentally and visually ready - if no one checks their gear! no one needs to know that they unequipped all of their starter gear for an avocado skin and a splintering rod. shame that their weapon isn't a surfboard like they expected. with a class name like wavemaster, one would think they rode the waves! ]

Gani-kun, I didn't think we'd be dancing together so soon.

[userunfriendly]

[ Winter doesn't actually stop Hani from taking his hands. But he might be looking at them like they've plunged his hands into an entire bucket of mud rather than just giving him a friendly little squeeze.

He gives his hands a surreptitious little shake afterwards. Maybe the ice king over here was slightly melted by that and has to shake off the residue. Definitely too distracting to check anyone's gear again. ]

... ... ...Tank in front. You both stay in the back.

[ And he's going to try to get through the rest of this without talking, until avocado deception is discovered. ]

[tylorific]

[ It is a good thing something gets said before Tylor makes it too far ahead of them. He swivels back toward them only for his hands to be taken up. But there is no thought of resistance. He just smiles and squeezes back just as warmly. ]

Ready!

[ His new and trusty stop sign gets planted when he remembers to change weapons. His armor is still all mismatched across classes, but hidden beneath his pirate skin.

But that order of Winter's pulls his attention. A glance to his stop sign, then to everyone else and their gear before-- ]

So, am I the tank?

Investigation of Special Area: ΔHidden Forbidden Holy Ground.

[ganymed]

[ It appears following their dungeon run, the group has received something like an 'anonymous' notification inside inboxes with the keywords, "ΔHidden Forbidden Holy Ground."

Ganymede immediately sends emails asking for everyone to level up as high as they can and then come straight with him to the area. No ifs buts or coconuts.

When everyone has managed that, Ganymede will set a time and date, and have them go for it. Which is probably at least a couple of days after, but it's fine.

Then he will turn to everyone after briefly marveling at their surroundings, looking right at them and ask: ]

Does everyone have their equipment at the ready?

[tylorific]

[ Tylor is online and in game way too much not to hit level 25 pretty quickly, and he'll also show up on the date Ganymede sets. He intended to be on time, but is probably the last one they're waiting for before entering the area.

By the time Ganymede addresses them all, Tylor's already a few steps away reaching out and about to wave his arms around in the mist. At least he pauses and turns back at the question, mainly to confirm-- ]

I sure do.

[ Well, only now that he's said it he does. He's sporting his flower crown while the rest of his armor hidden beneath his old trusty pirate skin. His new super spear takes some of his weight. ]

[tinged]

[ ok huys, time for another adventure!

after a lengthy lecture over the phone from ganymede, hani has upgraded their party etiquette. probably. this time, hani is equipped with more alcohol, more spells, and a heal! oh, and proper gear. some white flowy robes with matching weapon that seems to give them negative aggro points with it comes to monsters, but strangely has no effect on certain angry individuals.

in any case, they are super duper ready. to mingle!

tbh they're really only here to see everyone. they're all smiles as usual, clasping everyone's hands again. in contrast to their first meeting where they were simply happy to meet new people, there's a bubbling of warmth within them for these three individuals.

which is... new! a pleasant surprise, even to them. ]

Isn't this exciting? It's as if fate has brought us together again. Everyone say cheese for a group selfie!

[ without waiting, they take a screenshot. ]

[userunfriendly]

[ Michel is punctual as ever; despite the mild temptation to wind Ganymede up a little bit to get back at him for being bossy, he's too curious about the new area to actually do that. Or a little too amused in the bargain. ]

Of course...

[ Actually. With all due affection, Michel is double and triple checking Hani's equipment before he chimes in with his own agreement. He's not ruling out the possibility that they've managed to macro some kind of equipment change for mid-dungeon. His expression, immortalized in the selfie-screenshot, is half-distracted. ]

...it seems like we're ready now.

Immediate Post-8/11 Inbox Thread!!

[ganymed]

[ Ganymede is waiting in Mac Anu as promised...at the Chaos Gate because there are probably multiple gondolas and I remember .hack stuff but not how big the town is RIP.

Anyway, once Michel shows up...he will suddenly take off towards the river (is he regretting humoring him yet??), and then stop running so that he can turn around to face him. ]

We're here. Let's get right on the boat.

[ He'll step right into the gondola, not caring that it splashes around a little. ]

I figured...if we're already going to be talking for awhile, it's a little more convenient like this, isn't it?

[userunfriendly]

[ Winter was already regretting humoring him before even loading into Mac Anu, thanks! It's not as exhausting to run in the game as it would be in person... which probably means he has enough extra breath to curse quietly to himself as he hurries after Ganymede.

Still, he follows him onto the boat without hesitation. But he's got no shortage of complaints, and they're not going to wait for him to catch his breath to air them. ]

H-how... is this possibly more convenient?

[ganymed]

[ Ganymede is super helpful like that, nya.

At least here they don't run out of breath easy, huh. ]

Why wouldn't it be?

[ And then Michel learned at that very moment he certainly did not check his recent message. He's going to do that in a few minutes, though. ]

[userunfriendly]

We were already talking.

[ And only consider the benefits. No expressions over email, like the attention Michel has to now split on maintaining his impassive stone face. No strangely realistic water splashes. No worrying about being overheard or tripping over his words... ]

Mirror Memory II ver. 1 (cw: kidnapping, violence)

[ganymed]

[ That someone has blond hair, not as beautiful or wonderful as Ganymede's, but easy to identify all the same; short, and golden. He's standing over Ganymede whose hands are positioned on his own ears.

The time? The clock has struck midnight, a cascading darkness creeping into in a beautiful home barely lit by lights, and now otherwise ruined with shattered windows. Across the pair stands a young male with striking red, beautiful hair, with a face just as captivating, and this man is dressed neatly in a white dress shirt and pants. His eyes are green like emeralds, though they hold a greedy, selfish emotion, and his smile is razor-sharp.

In his right hand is a gun, fired at the remains of those windows. The red head says, "Time's up. So, why don't you come along quietly?"

The man protecting Ganymede takes one of the blond's hands and tells him that everything will be fine. But then he turns to the red head, asking, "Do you really need to take both of us? I'll come with you, I swear."

"But, you're not the one," The male says, tone sing-song, and there is no preamble when he pulls the trigger twice. It's all it takes, no sound escaping Ganymede when the body of the older man falls upon him. No scream, nothing, the weight heavy, sending him to the floor as well.

The red head steps forward, rotten smile on his face, saying, "All vile things should be taken care of. Well, shall we go, Ganymede?

To your lord and master, who has been watching over you for so long. Waiting...for you to be brought to him."

Ganymede doesn't respond to those cruel words, even as figures in black come closer, to roll the body off of the blond. All he can say, are whispered words and hands reaching for his brother, stained in blood. Then, the red head asks, "What about your father? I could finish him off too."

There is no other choice. In the memory, Ganymede doesn't fight back when hands reach for him, forcibly pulling him out of the room, out of the house, and to this foreboding black van—

All the same, outside of the memory, in the game, Ganymede turns on the heel of his foot, running away from this scene. Running down the entire span of mirrored hallway, barely watching where he's going until he stops, staring down at the ground, at his feet.

He can't keep running. His past...it seems it has caught up with him. ]

[userunfriendly]

[ It's... quite a lot to absorb all at once, even with the framework of the context in place. Ganymede's lost brother. "Did Ganymede ever tell you what happened to him?"

It's not the same as the sight, or the memory of the weight of a body falling, the warmth of blood. Michel feels sick. It... hurts, in places of his heart that aren't nearly as hardened as he likes to pretend.

When Ganymede bolts, Winter takes a second to react. And then he runs after him, ignoring the reflections that flash past them both until he finally stumbles to a clumsy halt just behind him. ]

Ganymede...

[ganymed]

[ Isn't it? Ganymede never wanted to dump something like that on anyone! He has done well to keep his mouth shut. What good would it have done to tell anybody about this? They can't change what happened.

It wouldn't bring his brother back. Or change what happened to him. What he had to endure all that time. ]

What?! What is it?!

What could you possibly have to say...after all that?

[ He pounds a hand against one of the nearby glass mirrors, but then lets it slump, head hanging down. ]

[userunfriendly]

I...

[ Michel had let it go, before. Should he have? Even now, he doesn't know what to say.

He opens his mouth and then closes it again, faltering visibly. He's not a gentle person. He's never had the capacity to quiet his own emotions, let along anyone else's. He doesn't know what to do or say in the face of so much raw pain.

But when Ganymede strikes the mirror he reaches out on reflex and covers Ganymede's fist with his hand. ]

Careful. You'll... you'll hurt yourself.

[ It's VR, he reminds himself. Ganymede likely has the pain sensors off to begin with. Another useless reflex — his fingers twitch, on the verge of pulling away again. ]

Mirror Memory II ver. 2 (cw: kidnapping, violence, family death)

[ganymed]

[ "Why?"

There is a small, almost inaudible voice that starts with the memory, which can only be heard by the speaker due to how quiet it is. But it sounds familiar, and therefore can easily be determined to be Ganymede (you, in this memory.) You feel a sense of overwhelming hopelessness at everything that has just happened.

Why wouldn't you?

Your brother...he's dead. The red-haired male was more than happy to have shot him dead right in front of your eyes.

That's right his body is lying on yours, and his blood is staining you all over. Your ears are ringing, and you're in pain. Yet, that red-haired male is speaking, saying things that are nonsense, with a smile you can't see, but can hear in his voice. "All vile things should be taken care of. Well, shall we go, Ganymede?

To your lord and master, who has been watching over you for so long. Waiting...for you to be brought to him."

An anger surges through you amongst the fear and despair. Your brother wasn't vile. But, men in black come out of the shadows, almost immediately, hands reaching immediately to come along and take your brother from you. Your hands are reaching out, calling more whispered words that are incomprehensible in your state. Your blood-stained hands are reaching for your brother, who has been clearly hurt more than your father.

And your father is...hurt. But you haven't seen him at all during all of this.

"What about your father? I could finish him off too."

Ah.

There is no other choice. In the memory, you don't fight back when hands reach for you, forcibly pulling you out of the room, out of the house, and to this foreboding black van...but, you have still something too, even after all of that.

Your life.

...But as for the Ganymede in the game right now, he has to know that Fai saw that, and even though he saw what he did of the other blond's life, he feels himself stepping back. An urge to run compelling him to move, though not too far, caught between a rock and a hard place. ]

Why...? What gave them the right to...?!

[fluorite]

[ ...Ah. It's terrifying and painful—so, so painful that Fai can hardly stand it. It makes him feel sick, thinking of the same thing happening to his own family.

But... they both know how painful this kid of loss is, don't they? To have it ripped from you right before your very eyes.

Before Ganymede can run, Fai grabs onto Ganymede's wrist. ]

I don't know. I wish I knew.

[ganymed]

[ Nothing less than horrifying and painful indeed—the mirror deigns to spit out a portion of their painful pasts before their very eyes. That of which seem happens to be more in common than Ganymede can ever have imagined.

The senseless killing of his own brother seems more whim than an answer. But as to why they have been made to witness it all, like it's something so trivial to be handed out to strangers, and their own eyes—maybe the indignity of all makes it even far worse.

His eyes are like lightning when the other's hand grabs his wrist, but even that spark dims in the face of those words. Like ripped out of his own mouth, spoken into word as if he had commanded it. But nevertheless not his own. ]

...If you could, would you have made those responsible face retribution?

[ His words aren't spoken with a steady voice—they seem to tremble, albeit lightly. ]

Mirror Memory II ver. 3 (cw: kidnapping, violence, family death)

[ganymed]

[ There are no such things as zero complications.

In this memory, as Ganymede, the blond realizes this instantly. Especially once the windows behind him and his brother shatter the moment after they run into the room, almost making it out of the house unscathed. The cause of those glass windows breaking so happens to be a red-haired man with cold emerald eyes and a sharp smile like knives. In his right hand is a gun, the actual 'method' as to how those sharp pieces of glass ended up strewn across the floor.

It's midnight, but it seems that he and his brother are going nowhere. Of course, when Ganymede opens his closed eyes, but still keeps his hands over his ears, he sees that his brother is standing over him, attempting to shield him. Perhaps as a just in case.

The red head says, "Time's up. So, why don't you come along quietly?"

The man protecting Ganymede takes one of the blond's hands and tells him that everything will be fine. Ganymede's brother even turns to the red head, asking, "Do you really need to take both of us? I'll come with you, I swear."

"But, you're not the one," The male declares with a sing-song tone, and there is no preamble when he pulls the trigger twice. It's all it takes, no sound escaping Ganymede when the body of the older man falls upon him. No scream, nothing, the weight heavy, sending him to the floor as well.

The red head steps forward, a twisted but satisfied smile on his face as he says, "All vile things should be taken care of. Well, shall we go, Ganymede?

To your lord and master, who has been watching over you for so long. Waiting...for you to be brought to him."

Ganymede doesn't respond to those cruel words, even as figures in black come closer, to roll the body off of the blond. All he can say are whispered words and his hands reach, in vain, for his brother, stained in blood. Then, the red head dares to make a threat about his father.

There is no other choice. In the memory, Ganymede doesn't fight back when hands reach for him, forcibly pulling him out of the room, out of the house, and to a foreboding black van... ]

No...

[ The blond, in the actual hall of mirrors, steps away from the other, footsteps uneven, stumbling a bit away from all that, until a hand lands against one of the other mirrors. There's nothing he can say, to knowing that this mirror displayed such an important memory of his. Except to get away from looking in the direction as soon as possible; even his gaze is directed towards the floor. ]

I THOUGHT I REPLIED TO THIS AAAAA

[dissimulative]

[ This is the first time when he's seen a memory with the person that it belongs to, so even Oria is a little shocked when he sees Ganymede's reaction. He urgently goes up to him, since he feels like he has to be the calm one--to keep his shit together for the sake of both of them right now. ]

Ganymede, snap out of it.

[ He tries to grip his shoulders and says it firmly, with none of the playlike voice that Ganymede usually hears Oria with. ]

Let's get out of here.

[ Though they're pretty deep in the hall of mirrors at the this point, and it's easy to get lost. Even so, Oria wants to help Ganymede to not focus on that. ]

Come on.

happens to the best of us \o/

[ganymed]

[ Ganymede wants to be able to be that level of calm. He's gotten everything together so far, but to lose himself like this feels ignoble even if it is unreasonable to place such an expectation that he can consider his tolerance to traumatic events herculean.

He almost feels a bit of jealousy stir inside of him, but Ganymede isn't exactly brought to his senses until he feels those fingers gripping his shoulders—and that brings himself out of his head. Back to where he is now, taking a few shuddering breaths. ]

...R-right. I can do that.

[ He closes his eyes tight for a moment, and then opens them again. They're so deep inside. Logging out would be easier, wouldn't it? It's the logical choice of actions—and then he'd be left with his thoughts. In the face of that, he can turn away completely from the glass he was leaning against, taking some steps forward, not at a slow pace. ]

That one, the one I saw before....no, nevermind.

Mirror Memory III (cw: suicidal ideation, captivity mention)

[ganymed]

[ There's a beeping sound.

You're lying in a bed, not saying a single word. What is there to say?

You're safe now. That is a fact.

But, there are voices beyond the curtain; and you turn, opening your eyes to see through a slit in the covering shielding your battered body from sight. There is someone...your mother, talking to the doctor. Right beside her too, your remaining elder brother.

She asks, "How is he?"

The doctor replies, "Alive. It could have been worse. But, you'll have that German agent to thank for. If it wasn't for him..."

That's right. He called himself Heinz. You had told him you were better off dead, and believed it. It's what you had wanted, after being captive for that amount of time. Even now, even with your loved ones beside you, you selfishly can't see the reason to move forward. You're just so tired, and you know...

That not all of those involved suffered what they deserved. You know that you will live in fear, wondering if you will suffer such a fate again. The medicine can dull the hurt in your body, but not the pain in your being.

Your mother, bless her soul, comes on over to where you lay. Maybe she knows you're awake. She calls, "Ganymede? My son, oh my dear son..."

"Wait," Says your older brother, reaching out to grab a hold of your mother's wrist, "Let him rest. Next time we can see him when he's better...for all of our sakes."

She hesitates and turns away. In the afternoon lighting, she can't see through the slit that you do, their blurry images fading into spots of color that are hard to discern as you lose consciousness.

After that, you see some familiar faces. You barely respond, staring blankly, feeling hollow. There's pity, fear, and then finally, judgment concealed behind friendly faces. Ones you see less and less as time goes on, as it is made clear that your long recovery makes you more of a burden than not.

You decide that even if you were in excruciating pain, that even though the world turned its back on you, and allowed you to suffer cruel indignities, you will never show that you can't get up by yourself. You don't need to take anyone's hand, nor to take their kindness given to you, so that you must pay them back in full. As much as possible, because if you're ever in a spot where you can't rely on anyone and you can't see the future...you'll have to move forward.

But, you feel the weight of those feelings and wonder.

Your eyes stare blankly up at the ceiling. Then, the door opens, revealing the final visitor before your release from the hospital.

A glimpse of white, and then words that become indistinct mumbles as the memory fades.

...

With the mirror having shown what it has, Ganymede's reaction is hardly much of one. ]

It looks like I was wrong.

[tinged]

[ at first, hani experiences the memory without any reaction. the only indication that they see anything at all is the brief, lightning quick moment when they squeeze ganymede’s hand. more of an involuntary flex. they don’t turn to look at their cousin.

the memory fades and there’s silence. all at once, hani drops to their knees, clutching their heart. their breathing becomes more and more audible.

they never knew. they never knew.

great gasping breaths and shuddering inhales clash with the ringing in their ears. they think their vision is fuzzy because they’re shaking so hard trying to control their breathing, trying to calm their breaking heart. (it must be broken, it doesn’t feel like they could ever be happy again after this.)

then they blink to clear their vision and realize what falls are not the pieces that make up hani. crystal clear drops, trailing down their cheeks, clinging to their lashes. they fall silently to the ground in an incomprehensible pattern of grief that hani has yet to understand. ]

[ganymed]

[ Ganymede is already lost. Yet, all the same...he isn't expecting that sort of reaction. What kind was he anticipating at all?

He can't say he knows the answer to that either. He never imagined Hani as uncaring. But, all the same, it isn't like he's weighing the actions heavily against them. The remnant feeling of the sensation of touch from the hand squeeze lightly tingles.

The hand that slips from him after the fall to their knees. ]

...

[ Yet, Ganymede can't even cry for himself. But, he's usually been like that, even when younger. He reaches out, a hand to grip the other's shoulder.

Then, kneeling down, one other hand over Hani's, pressed against their heart. But, it isn't just for their sake, he reasons. Those tears feel like the hurt ripping open inside of him, and the last time someone cried for him was his mother. It doesn't erase the pain, but seeing his cousin care so much soothes it a little. ]