video; un: riftdancer

[thavnairian]

WHO: Amal and whoever!
WHERE: The network
WHEN: The last week of May
WHAT: Amal's long nap is finally over.
WARNINGS: Endwalker spoilers in some threads, if you care about that sort of thing. Mind the CWs on Zelos' thread too (abuse, indentured servitude).

[video]

[Amal is dressed a little differently today. Repping Thavnairian weave and a ribbon in his hair, he's seemingly conquered the incredible bedhead he's nursed for several weeks.]

Hey everyone! Did you think you were rid of me? Sorry to disappoint! Being exceptionally difficult to get rid of is one of my many talents, as it turns out.

My birds are acting like I was dead instead of asleep, when I don't even remember going to bed. But I remember a lot of other things—it was like I was home. Like I never left. Maybe... my body was here while my soul was there? I have no idea, but I'm awake now, and I have every reason to believe what I saw happen... uh, happened.

So. What'd I miss?

[A pause.]

Oh, and what's a BBL? I woke up to a bunch of texts from work asking if I'd 'recovered' yet.

Comments

voice | un: fashonti

[thaumewturge]

Nothing good. You missed nothing good, so I honestly would not worry about it in the slightest.

[Look. Look.]

voice;

[thavnairian]

You realize that telling people not to worry about something has the opposite effect, right?

[thaumewturge]

Yes, but it has also been a hell of a month.

[A sigh.]

There was, as others are saying, "death soccer".

[Does she really need to go on?]

voice; un: Litania

[chatterboxing]

Ha. Hahaha. [Lita kind of just laughs for a moment before actually responding, which might be slightly concerning? It'd probably be more concerning if Amal knew her, but.] D'you really wanna know? [What he missed, she means.]

voice;

[thavnairian]

[He can kind of guess, simply because he's done that himself!]

You guys are acting like the world ended or something.

[chatterboxing]

Eeeeeeh, I wouldn't say the world ended, but the last few weeks, to put it in the nicest terms I'm willin' to use, was a fuckin' mess.

There was this murderghost goin' around drowning people because of somethin' to do with the Spirit Realm, and it only stopped cuz a bunch o' people here agreed to go play a game o' death soccer, and the losing team got killed, because of course it did.

Little while after that? Some of the people that either drowned or lost the game started comin' back. Like, as themselves, not zombies or whatever other undead nonsense y'might expect. But, so far it looks like it's only people who were on this dumb app?

So. Yeah.

video: UN: trienemybest

[droptheious]

Wait. Are you saying that you experienced memories from your home world while you were asleep? And you're sure you definitely didn't return through any dimensional rifts?

[Some people say hi first before speaking to a stranger but okay Varian, you do you. ]

video;

[thavnairian]

[Weirdly enough he is not taken aback by this. Normal adventurer stuff.]

I mean, I did traverse a couple of dimensional rifts, but I still woke up here again. In bed. I definitely didn't smell great, and I have it on good authority that I was asleep for almost a month...

All I can think of is that someone tried to summon me back and it only worked halfway, so my soul was running around like nothing was wrong while my body was here. Something like that happened to a couple of my friends before I came to Kaisou.

[droptheious]

[Totally regular, nothing to see here!]

You did? Were you conscious for them? I'm trying to build a portal to get us out of here and any insight you might be able to provide would be really helpful! [Hrmm.] Though it is very strange that it was done while your body remained here.

[How does that even work? Are they tethered to this world now? He has so many questions and not enough answers.]

Oh, so it's something that can happen in your world? I guess that'd make sense - I wonder if that means they noticed your absence and tried to reach out? That's- hopeful? Means there's at least some sort of two-way path between here and where we come from.

Voice; un: ZW🌹

[wilder]

[Oh shit, Amal's awake. How...how does one explain the past month oh lord]

Well, Ana's got the hots for some guy, Bruno still has his rats but one of his nieces left, August's still a furry and started a child watchlist, a mine opened up in Stardew, Ris and I died (but we got better!), I can't eat or sleep, a bunch more people joined the app, Adol's just chilling, there's a weird church order and I fought a nun, and it's almost summer so I hope you're ready for swimsuit season. That's about it!

[NO BIGGIE]

So how's your home?

voice; 1/2

[thavnairian]

[This is precisely what he was asking for. He's glad Zelos is on the same wavelength even if no one else is.]

Nice, glad that the rats are okay—I think I need to catch up on the show, that's smart, okay, glad you're both better, that sucks, glad he's okay, was she hot?, hell yeah you know it.

[Wait.]

2/2; locked to zelos

[thavnairian]

You... weren't joking about the dying part, were you. Or the part after that.

What the hell happened?

Who do I have to kill.

locked to amal

[wilder]

[Ah dang he caught that part. Damn]

Whoa whoa, calm down! No one needs killing right now!

It's...a long story, but it's been handled. Well, that death part.

Video: UN: BRUNO

[wedonttalkabout]

Congrats on the...coma? Waking up from the coma? I don't know if there's an actual proper greeting for this.

Anyway, yeah. This place was awful, again. People died and came back because that's a thing apparently. Existence is a mistake. The usual, you know.

video;

[thavnairian]

Thanks... I think? Oh and, sorry to hear about your niece leaving, but I'm sure she's happier not dealing with all this mess.

[He rubs his temples.]

So, let me get this straight...

I leave for three weeks to deal with the literal apocalypse and the end of the known universe, and in that time a bunch of people somehow decide playing death games is better than trying to, I don't know, punch the gods in charge? They make the damn rules! They can change them!

[crystallinememories]

Oh thank goodness you're alright.

[hey guess who sounds suspicious like he might be about to burst into tears??

a bit like that last time you went unconscious on him???

MAYBE STOP DOING THAT]

video;

[thavnairian]

[That does sound suspiciously familiar and it's enough to make his throat tight. He laughs weakly.]

Sorry to worry you, Raha. [lightly] Next time I'll bring back a proper souvenir, so don't be upset, all right?

Video!

[poisontippedcure]

[Rose wouldn't normally engage with strangers on the internet network, but something about Amal catches her attention. She's lost in a strange land; anyone from home, even if they're a stranger, is a comfort.]

Pardon me, but do those clothes come from Thavnair?

video;

[thavnairian]

[Amal looks delighted, actually.]

Yes! Well, at least the pattern and flourishes, but I believe the labor was done by a friend of mine. A Thavnairian is wearing it, so it's certainly Thavnairian now.

[Plus, he isn't reacting to her ears, so... yeah, he's a local.]

I see the forces that be have brought us another refugee, Eorzean or otherwise. While it's unfortunate to meet under such dire circumstances, I can't complain about the company.

Voice; un: antonio

[speaksanimal]

Um...a lot of things? I know a lot of people got hurt and that they were really upset about it. And that things are slowly getting back to normal.

[Pause]

But I'm glad that you're awake now!

voice; un: riftdancer

[thavnairian]

[A mental sigh of relief. The kid managed not to get too involved...]

That's what I heard, more or less. I'm glad things are returning to normal.

[He would headpat Antonio if he could.]

Thanks! I did some cool things while I was gone, but I'm due for a break. It's just too bad I can't introduce you to the new friends I made.

[Antonio would get a kick out of the Loporrits.]

Video; UN: Rose

[nefilim]

I see Zelos already filled you in, soooo... Welcome back, don't do that shit again.

[As if Amal can control when Sudden Coma hits, but look she was worried. And with everything else that happened she was even more worried!!!]

video; un: riftdancer

[thavnairian]

[Amal visibly brightens.]

Ana! You are ever a welcome sight to sleep-sore eyes.

[He waves dismissively.]

I don't plan on making a habit of astral-projecting to my home world, believe me. Got a nasty scar for a souvenir and 'thanks for saving the universe', and that's about it. Far more trouble than it's worth.

Next time I should make someone sign my ass so I can get another tattoo.

video; un: litnotlaw

[arcanistic]

[Rhel may have warned Amal all about him, but seeing a rather human Alphinaud probably is still a hard pill to swallow.

Still, Alphinaud at least is aware of the whole deal of weirdness, at least, but this is a bit new.]

I’d heard others receiving new things such as powers or memories- but this is the first time I’ve heard of a long coma. Especially with no repercussions. [Despite not knowing this man, a part of him strongly worries for Amal all the same.

…………that is incredibly odd and a but awkward, but he does his best to ignore it.]

Are you sure you’re all right?

video;

[thavnairian]

[It is so strange that he blinks for a moment. When he was a child, he would cover his ears and pretend that he was a full-blooded Hyur, just to see what he looked like. But seeing that on the Elezen boy he had traveled alongside for years is... very jarring.]

If it helps, I hit my head a lot.

[Wait. He should be trying to make him worry less.]

I'm fine, though. Better than when I left in most aspects, actually! Give me a few more days to rest, and I should be back to my usual fighting form.

My name is Amal, by the way. I've been here almost a year now, so if you've any questions, I might be able to help.