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Who: Add, Rin Okumura, Zelda, Oscar, Lenneth... and more TBA!
Where: The depths of Henir's temple
When: October 1st through the 2nd
What: Doing science on the spooky chaos temple core was never a good plan.
Warnings: Various degrees of mind control/manipulation, existential horror, and at least one death. Will update as needed.

Once the formal party is over, Add is already back at his temple making preparations. A pair of messages are sent to his "assistants" to ensure that they're aware of the date—a simple reminder and directions to his temple, along with the slightly ominous "Knock first, I'm not chasing you down if you get lost."

The outside of the temple is looking especially unkempt and overgrown today, but if Add's instructions are followed the door will open up into a wide dark space, blue cubes floating aimlessly about. Star-like lights glitter distantly in the abyss, occasionally blocked out by drifting dark shapes. Even further beyond that is a giant blue orb that never quite seems to stay in the same place. It's hard to miss, at least, but trying to gauge how big or far away it is might give you a headache.

Gravity appears to "stick" to the surface of each cube—any surface—but only as long as you remain in contact with them. So, get used to floating around and jumping between them. The meeting point is at the largest cube near the centre of the cluster, as per Add's directions.

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[Add can be found sitting on his dynamos like a chair, surrounded by an array of purple holoscreens filled with complex equations and energy readings as he floats sideways next to the meeting point. Most of the preparation work is already done, but it doesn't hurt to check through everything one last time before they go. It doesn't look like he's slept at all in a few days, but he has a (cold, half-empty) cup of coffee sitting on a dynamo next to him (don't ask how it stays in there), so he's probably awake enough to be operating advanced machinery to bend the laws of reality. He's also still wearing his formal outfit, though it's not simply out of laziness. Every little bit counts, and it'd be easier to make the temple cooperate with their efforts if Add does a good job of emulating Henir, right? That's what he thinks, anyway. Hopefully this won't be a complete waste of time...

He'll offer a nod of acknowledgement to anyone who approaches, though he'll keep multitasking if they have any questions for him.]

[Truth be told, the Valkyrie is uncertain what she is doing here. Her god power can perhaps be useful? The idea that she has a power is still unfamiliar to her, and she understands very little of what it means.]

[Her confusion, her impatience, and her concern all manifest in a fashion that ought to concern anyone who knows her greatly. The Valkyrie is pacing; walking a dozen steps across the temple, turning, then walking back. Her expression is a mere faint frown, and little in her posture speaks of particular concern, anger, or alarm... but she doesn't pace. Ever.]

[ Rin isn't oblivious to the fact that Add has been working on something big for a while. The shinki has never really asked the other about it. He just figures it's beyond his comprehension, and the scientific jargon alone will give him a headache, so he decides to not even inquire about it. It concerns Rin with how many sleepless nights the scientist's been racking up, and he must have not went to bed after the reception either. How could someone be so absorbed into one project? Rin doesn't get it.

That morning, out of the blue,Add asks him to do a few errands for him. At first, Rin finds it odd since the god is so self-sufficient in most things, he didn't think the other will ever ask for his help. But Rin isn't going to pass up on an opportunity to be helpful, so he quickly goes off to complete his errands.

Midway through his task (after a few hours of running around in circles),he realizes how ludicrous the instructions are. So Rin gathers that this might be another prank of Add's, so he just abandons the completion of his assignment, heading back to the temple. Rin finds upon entry that it's easy to get within the cube space without having to go through another illusion. He ignores it for the moment, returning to the living space they share.

Add is still preoccupied with his work, but it seems as if he's planning to leave somewhere. Either way, he has a bone to pick with the esper!]

Hey!What's with that bullshit errand, huh?!

Huh?

[ Rin is on his way back from Add's bogus task, when he comes across the Valkyrie, pacing back and forth in front of the tower. It's an odd sight, since the temple isn't really known to get many visitors. Especially the indecisive kind of guest. Her expression is unreadable, but that doesn't seem intimidate Rin.

He doesn't want to startle her, so he gives them a fair distance before addressing the goddess.]

Hey, are you lost, or maybe you need some help?

[Add looks up, clearly surprised to see Rin back so soon. That list should've kept him busy for at least another hour! It couldn't have been that long already, could it?

... Well. Then again, maybe he shouldn't have expected a trick like that to work on someone who isn't as stubborn and obsessive as Jakob. He'd been so busy with his plans he kind of reused the same tactic without thinking about it. Add sighs, pushing aside a few windows and turning in his hoverchair to face Rin.]

It was just a joke, don't take it so personally. Why don't you go back outside and find something else to do then? I'm working on something delicate right now, I don't want you messing up my experiment.

[And if something goes wrong, he doesn't want Rin to get hurt. He's a shinki, getting home shouldn't concern him right now when he's dead and missing memories. It'd be better for him to stay out of this completely.]

[Once everyone is gathered and ready, Add has them all move over to stand on one of the smaller cubes. The core is plainly visible in the distance, but getting there is still a bit of a challenge. Since not everyone in their party can fly in zero-gravity, they need some sort of vessel to get them there.

But the lack of gravity means it's also super easy to pull that off, so Add is just using this random cube as a "vessel". His six dynamos are positioned around the back of it, pushing it easily through the void. Once they're on the right path all it needs is a few adjustments here and there to avoid crashing into things. Easy!

The trip through the void is fairly uneventful, though the floating cubes become more and more distorted the deeper they go into the temple. The glowing cube they're riding on barely resembles the twisted, impossible shapes all around them, shrouded in a thick darkness that seems more and more impenetrable the further in they go. There are jagged stones floating around in there as well, forming clusters like asteroid belts that they have to carefully maneuver around. Before long the only lights are their vessel and the ominous blue core before them, ever hanging in the distance.

It's faint at first, but the energy radiating from the core can definitely be felt as they get closer to it. It's an uneasy feeling, like an immense and steady pressure building in the air. A suffocating feeling of dread and uncertainty. Not malicious, nor threatening, but something that demands a certain amount of respect.

The core never actually appears to get closer, but eventually the shapes abruptly thin out to a more open black space. Add has their cube stop at the edge of it, the core waiting before them. The aura of chaos is thick here, radiating powerfully from its source.

Add takes a deep breath to steel himself, moving his dynamos to open up a few scanners. He's been this far before, but the pressure is on since this is the one time it really counts. Don't screw it up.]

... My Dynamo can pick up on the energy from here, but it's too far to access directly. We'll need to get a bit closer.

[She pauses in her steps, turning slowly to look at him. Not with any intent of intimidating or glaring, though her gestures may come off that way simply by nature.]

Neither. I am merely waiting.

[Occasionally, very occasionally, a flicker of a silver-blue energy drifts off the Valkyrie's back, from her shoulder blades, where her wings manifest at need. But beyond that she is still and silent as a statue as they drift, seemingly chiseled out of stone and fastened to the cube by some divine adhesive.]

[At his words, she at last moves, looking over to him.]

What dangers can we expect?

[Zelda, meanwhile, takes a knee during the trip. Their method of travel is certainly unorthodox to Hyrule's Princess, and while the gravity the cube possesses would likely keep her from falling off, she'd still rather not risk it. Her eyes remain on the core, her fingers flickering anxiously with the golden magic that's meant to contain it upon their arrival.

Feeling the aura of chaos itch at her skin, a part of her wonders if she'll really be able to do it, but-- no. There's no time for doubts, now. For the sake of Hyrule, she must.]

Let me know when it is time for us to do our part.

[The gauntlet on her left hand glitters in the strange not-light of the core. It's a bit weird, having Oscar in his vessel form even when the danger is not immediate, but at least this way they can be literally of one mind when the time comes for them to control the darkness, and there's one less body to keep track of in this bizarre space, besides.]

None, hopefully. It's possible the core might have an adverse reaction, but that's why both of you are here.

[As much as he's tried to act like he knows what he's doing... really, this is as far as he can be certain. He dimly recalls the research papers he read so many years ago, detailing what little was recorded of the Henir experiments. He knows that objects from Henir's space contain massive quantities of raw energy, possibly enough to compete with even the original El Stone in its prime, and he's performed enough tests on these deep-space objects to know that they're not quite enough for his needs. Nothing was ever reported on the core itself, besides the fact that it was theorized to exist. The ancient experiments were discontinued without any reason given. His own have stopped before the core, at least for now.

It should be fine since he's Henir, shouldn't it? This is his domain now. There's no reason why he shouldn't be able to tap into its powers. He just has to stay calm and approach this with caution.]

Zelda, Oscar—if something goes wrong or the core starts to resist, do whatever you can to restrain it. Lenneth, you are to assist them with your powers if such a situation occurs. Otherwise, you are to assist me with channelling the core's energy. Once I have control of the energy's flow, Dynamo will handle the rest.

Rin... try to stay out of the way. [if he sounds a bit exasperated, it's because he already regrets letting the shinki come along.]

A joke?

[ Rin hasn't known Add for very long, but he has picked up on certain quirks that his god has. Usually when Rin's been duped (which is not really too hard to do), Add seems to be very proud of himself. Yet, Rin doesn't get a sense of that. It just as if he's just going to push the whole ordeal under the rug.

Something's off, but Rin can't really explain it.]

I just came from outside. If anyone needs some fresh air, it's you. Haven't you been workin' on this thing for a while now?

[ He then frowns at the accusatory tone that he might mess up his experiment. It dawns on Rin that Add might be trying to get rid of him, though he's still clueless of the reason.]

So that's it! You're tryna keep me out so I don't wreck your precious experiment! Where's the trust? I know you've been workin' hard on it, so I wouldn't mess with it.

[ Rin's a little hurt, but he's not going to deny that he's curious of what Add plans to do. He says it's delicate, so does that mean it could be potentially dangerous?]

It's not that I don't trust you, it's...

[He can't accurately predict what might happen. There could be unforeseen effects. It could be dangerous. Most importantly, being at the temple while this is happening... if anything's going to go wrong, it'll hit the rest of the temple first.

Add goes quiet for a moment, a more serious expression falling on his face. How should he word this so Rin can understand...?]

This isn't something that concerns you. You'd just get in the way of things, so stay out of the temple for awhile.

[ Rin has no idea of Add's concerns, or even the major risks he's taking to conduct his experiment. Or even that the temple will take a hit, if things go awry. So without knowing what Add intends, Rin does feel as if the other is pushing him away. He could do as Add wishes and leave him to his experiment, or fight his god tooth and nail.

Though Add manages to strike a cord within Rin. It doesn't concern him? Well that hurts, but it makes Rin even more fired up.]

No, it does concern me. I'm not your roommate, I'm your shinki! You don't want me gettin' in the way?! Well tough shit! It's my job to get in your way, and make sure you're okay!

Waiting?

[Rin looks around him, just to confirm there's nothing here to wait for. Just the same ol' unkempt grounds, and tower. He turns back to the Valkyrie.]

Waiting for what?

[Rin still not sure what Add and his assistants are trying to accomplish here, but he's happy that he's coming along on the adventure. Entering the void and going to the core, just seems like something out of a science fiction manga. So he's blissfully ignorant of how serious the situation is, but he's going to do his best not to embarrass Add.

As they approach the core, Rin notices how their surroundings seem to distort. The air around them feels a little stifling. The feeling seems to intensify the closer they get. It's not enough to scare Rin off, but it does give him an uneasy feeling. His blue eyes continue to gawk at the energy source until Add refers to him. Stay out of the way...shouldn't be too hard.]

Gotcha! [ He gives him a thumbs up, just to hide his own uncertainty. Everything will be okay, right?]

[Add scowls, his own frustration starting to boil at Rin's stubborn refusal to listen. This is absolutely not something that concerns him, no matter what he thinks about himself. And trying to act like being his shinki means he can butt into whatever business of Add's he wants—]

This is something more important than a silly game of gods and shinki. There's nothing you could possibly do to assist with this, and you stand to gain nothing from it. Just because you're my shinki doesn't mean you should put your own life at risk for no reason!

[... and yet, he's reminded of Jakob's stubborn protectiveness, even if he and Rin haven't known eachother for nearly that long. Maybe he's not as dedicated to his job as his predecessor, but he seems like the type to try and meddle no matter what. Add sighs heavily, leaning back into his "chair" with a hand pressed to his temples.

There's one other possibility he's considered... one that he's decided not to bring up with his volunteers, if only not to make them worry or doubt him. He looks Rin over briefly, considering his options. If Rin is likely to try and follow him or get into trouble anyway...]

I may have a job for you, but first you have to promise you'll listen to everything I tell you to do. Is that clear?

[Hopefully no danger...?]

That statement is at odds with my instincts. But your instructions are understood. [Though her own ability to act on them may be another matter entirely. 'Assist with her powers' is far outside her usual scope of behavior...]

To aid in a venture.

[She isn't deliberately obfuscating her presence here, merely being blunt and poorly social, as is her wont.]

I cannot imagine any of us are expecting this expedition to go completely smoothly.

[After all if Add did, then none of them would be here; he'd just be gloating about it somewhere instead.]

But it will be worth any troubles we encounter if we are able to learn something of returning to our own worlds. We just need to stay alert and focused on our objective.

[Expect the worst but hope for the best. It's all they really can do, at this point.]

[Zelda's comment is extremely on point right now. Add nods, looking back at his comrades for a moment before turning back towards the looming core. Everyone seems to understand their roles here, so...

So all that's left is to go forward. Take a chance and hope for success.]

Alright. We'll take this slowly.

[Five of the dynamos resume their position at the back, and the cube gradually starts to move again. The sixth remains at Add's side, projecting a small holoscreen as he continues to monitor the energy levels. They only need to go far enough to tap into the core's power. With the amount it appears to be radiating, that should leave them with plenty of space to keep their distance.

Inches at a time, the cube crawls forward within the endlessly black abyss, stopping every so often for Add to check his scanners. The chaotic aura becomes more and more stifling. But as unnerving as it may be, it hasn't done anything to harm them yet. Clearly whatever dangerous energy the core is radiating is still safely contained within in. Unfortunate, since he intends to use it for himself.

Several minutes pass uneventfully, but the first sign of something wrong comes when Add reaches the next stopping point, carefully calculated and controlled with his machines. They push to cancel the momentum again, but the cube doesn't stop.

Add pauses, confused at first and wondering if his machines might be malfunctioning... but they're responding to him just fine. The cube seems to be moving on its own. He decides not to say anything just yet, attempting to exert more force with Dynamo to cancel the extra movement. He puts the scanner readings aside for now, letting his sixth dynamo join the rest at the front of the cube. For a moment the cube seems to slow to a stop again, albeit clearly further than Add intended to move that time... but he's only able to maintain it for a few seconds before the cube begins to push forward with even greater strength, his tiny machines quivering against the growing force.

This isn't something he's encountered in here before, but it's occurring to him now that the core might have its own gravity.]

Lenneth, I need you to— [and that's as much as he can get out before Dynamo's hold buckles, the cube lurching forward at a far more distressing speed. Add flinches and grabs his head as warning alarms start blaring in the back of his mind.

The core is definitely getting closer now.]

[ Well Add has a point. He doesn't know what his experiment is about, but he probably couldn't assist him. Eleven out of ten, he wouldn't even know the subject matter of the god's research. He couldn't even give valid input or insight, because it's probably a topic beyond his comprehension.So maybe it is unfair of him to ambush Add's affairs, since he can't really contribute anything.

Once more Add is speaking like Rin's putting his life on the line. So the experiment probably is dangerous, and it is reckless of him to involve himself in something that could cost his life. He doesn't want to die again, but if what Add plans to do could be fatal, he couldn't just ignore it.

When Add speaks again, Rin assumes he would forbid his participation, but instead...] You'd let me go?

[ Rin's baffled, but before Add takes back his word, he promises.]

I'll carry out everything you ask me to do, to a T.

[ Rin decides to take a seated position on the surface of the cube. There's not really much for him to do, especially with the conditions he's been given by Add. Though he watches from the sidelines as they start to move closer to the core. It's a delicate maneuver as Add proceeds to move the cube slowly.

At first things seem to be going smoothly, then there's this slight hiccup where the cube doesn't cease it's movement. If Add does manages to make it halt, it's only for a few seconds before the cube starts moving on it's own. Things start to go downhill when the cube lurches forward, causing Rin to fall face forward from the abrupt acceleration.

He lifts his head enough to see them speeding towards the core. What should they do now?! Rin wants to do something, but he remembers that he made a promise to not interfere. Damn it!]

[ Rin's not off put by her response, but it does confuse him even more. A venture, huh?]

That sounds really important, but maybe you'll like to come inside?

[ He gestures to the tower.

If she's here waiting, then maybe she's here to see Add. Maybe venture is another term for getting lost within illusions. It can be a journey depending on if you wish to cure boredom.]

[Well. Add hasn't said as much, but she'll take their sudden acceleration as her cue. Brow furrowed and mouth set in a tight and determined frown, Zelda jumps up, her stance wide and rooted as they speed towards the core. She lifts her hands, palms forward, and then... light erupts from her in a bright, continuous beam, golden and holy and practically the opposite of everything the energy radiating from the core is.

... The oldest stories of Hyrule speak of a primordial darkness, something born from the chaos that existed before the Golden Goddesses brought time and order to the world. An antithesis to all the life and laws born in the Goddesses' light. As the core looms ever closer overhead, she finds herself remembering those ancient stories, and wondering if the primordial darkness they spoke of was anything like this.

It is said Hylia beat back the darkness, though, and Hylia's blood runs through her veins. Not only that, but the very essence of the goddess that gave the world its laws rests literally in the palm of her hand. She has to be able to do this.]

Add!

[Now is not the time to be freezing up in panic!]

Edited (accidentally a word) 2018-01-06 13:14 (UTC)

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PRE-EXPEDITION MINGLE

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THE EXPEDITION

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