Forums » General Roleplay » Summer Soiree: The Blackout Cavern (Closed)

Those instructions were simple enough. The hard part for Apollyon was to get his racing thoughts to stop long enough to actually follow them.

Opting to start with baby steps, Apollyon began by keeping close control over his breathing. In for four seconds, then out for four seconds. Then in for five seconds, then out for five seconds. It was easier to make it a gradual, concentrated process. Intently, he shut off all visual receptors - with the darkness making there little need - and focused intently on Kys'Jarok's voice.

He was indeed plagued by the occasional stray thought. It was mostly the discomfort and distrust of being around strangers, especially while his senses were deprived. No, he had to concentrate. He had to ignore other sensations - but not too hard. He didn't want to distract himself.

This was much harder than he thought it would be. . .

Quietly, he continued to focus on his land-breathing, letting the salty air fill his lungs and be expelled. His network of hearts would eventually slow their beating, just enough to let the thick blood pass.

"I see," he said gently, letting Kys know he was listening.

Kys proceeded to instruct Apollyon through a series of exercises to obtain peace and stillness. Paying close attention to what they could hear, they did their best to make whatever posture correction instructions they could figure out and led Apollyon through a process of finding a good focal point for their concentration that was separate from Kys themselves in case they would become too busy to continue helping at any point. After a few minutes of this, they let Apollyon get by on his own for a moment, as they quietly headed off to check on the status of the food tables.

Thankfully, everything seemed to be up and running and in fine order. As much as they respected their helpers, the two chosen individuals could be a little eccentric at times and were primarily picked for their abilities to navigate unimpeded in the darkness. It also helped that neither had a sense of taste and one didn't even eat solid matter in the first place.

Seeing that everything was in fine order, Kys returned to Apollyon and stood nearby to observe on his progress.

Admittedly, Apollyon wasn't very good at meditating. He was easily distracted by one woe or another, as indicated by a hitch in breathing or an increased heartrate. The latter was especially difficult to make when one happens to have three hearts.

This, however, did not stop him in his quest to try. Distracted as he might occasionally be by past difficulties, he managed to sit still and keep quietly to himself. He was peaceful at some moments where he managed to find respite, even if he felt conflicted by the process. It wasn't any different than something he'd original dealt with, in terms of thought process. In fact, the clearing of the mind helped him. The quiet of the cavern versus the loud bustling of any underwater city was helpful. He felt. . . calmer than before.

Finally, when Kys returned, he instinctively opened his optical organs, even if he could see nothing. Yet he didn't jolt or remove himself from his position. He kept atop of his tentacles, which writhed slowly but otherwise stayed calm.

"Meditating is. . . a more difficult task than I anticipated," he admits. "But I think I understand the process. It will come in time, perhaps. Thank you for instructing me, Kys." He believed they preferred that name, didn't they?

"It comes more easily to some than others," Kys admitted. "You are welcome to keep trying. Or you can simply relax, we can chat, or I can have some snacks taken to you. That is if you have an orifice with which to eat." Kys hadn't found as much on their brief investigation, but that wasn't proof none existed. After all, they weren't exactly thorough; their only goal was to seek Apollyon's posture and general shape for the sake of meditation technique. "My life partner struggles with meditation. And he is as old as I am. It is not like we haven't tried to think of some process that works for him; though I also feel his lack of interest in such endeavours makes him less prone to finding an answer."

Free food was always nice, especially in areas where it was hard to come by due to overfishing. Apollyon was wary of food from strangers, yet he didn't find a reason to refuse. Yet for now, he opts for conversation.

"I would not mind a discussion," he replied honestly. "Especially where it pertains to meditation. I know some are hypersensitive to sensations when they're in a quiet zone like this." A hand raised to the back of his neck. "I am more sensitive to my thoughts. Perhaps I. . . struggle with negativity."

Admitting clinging to a concept was embarrassing. Even worse for a task that should have been easy. Kys' life partner also struggled, but that seemed to be because he wasn't particularly interested to begin with.

"I've never had a previous problem with it," he continued. "What's served me well on the battlefield, however, does not serve me as well away from it. That's just the way it is."

Kys settled back down in their previous seating position, though they took a more casual pose this time, one leg bent on the ground, the other with the knee upright, arms splayed out across their lower limbs, one interlocking fingers with the toes of the horizontally-positioned leg, hands and feet similarly arranged, save for the number of digits and the presence of a heel on their feet.

"You are a warrior?" Kys asked. Though not everyone predisposed toward fighting was technically a warrior - Kys didn't consider themselves a warrior, despite the number of conflicts they had gotten involved in - it was often the warriors who found themselves involved in actions that made their mind difficult to quieten. Soldiers could rarely pick and choose their engagements the way freelancers could. "I have seen my fair share of combat. I may not appear to the naked ear as one who has martial prowess, but I find practising martial technique maintains health and the ability to protect the needy from ill will. Though I admit my place is not on the open battlefield, my combat techniques and meditative practices come hand-in-hand."

Kys paused, not entirely sure what they were getting at. The words flowed out of them, and now they had to find a connection. They decided to change tact, hoping that their change of conversational focus would appear more as the truthful intention of finding an answer for Apollyon's difficulties. Because they realised that their words could have been misinterpreted as belittling Apollyon for a battlefield experience devoid of inner spirituality, which was not their intention in the slightest. "Tell me... what do you mean by struggling with negativity...?"

Apollyon offered but a glimpse into his issue, but felt an alien sensation in trying to explain it. Was it shame? Was is frustration? He couldn't be sure. The most he could be in this moment was truthful to Kys.

"I suppose I struggle with accepting misfortunes," he attempted to explain. "I was a warrior of my own volition, it's true. So that much you can see is why I try to combat injustice. This is because my family and I are serfs to a lord."

It felt wrong to say he 'was' a serf when his family still were. That aside, he deliberately kept the phrase devoid of any location, lest it become too specific. Granted, how do you find anyone similar to a creature like Apollyon? Surely that couldn't rat him out as it was. Besides, this was a peaceful place. It shouldn't be hard to make it a trusting place, right?

Apollyon continued, choosing his next words carefully.

"I became a warrior to serve my superiors." A half-truth. "Ever since, I have trouble clearing my mind. I tend to have. . . uncomfortable thoughts, even when I try not to. Past things that have already happened, things that could be. If that makes any sense?"

"Seems fairly common amongst warriors," Kys said. "And there is no one answer to it. It is something you must come to terms with yourself. There are therapies of course to aid in such endeavours, but from my experience, it is a personally-tailored matter. Everyone has different morals. Different limits. Different worries. Meditation may help you come to peace with a lot of your troubles too, but it appears that to attain a meditative state, you may need to have already begun your journey into comforting your mind. Certainly, meditation helps me - without it, I would perhaps be disquietened as well. As much as I avoid killing and utilise non-lethal weaponry, my past isn't completely clean. It has taken much meditating on my actions to come to peace with the lives I have been forced to take - though even then, part of me will never recover, and it will always be a case of managing my emotions. But perhaps I am lucky. I have not entered service that requires me to put the whims of superiors above my own views. Well... that is not strictly true; but my time as a slave was far away from any battlefield."

Kys sighed. "But I do not think this is the time or the place for a therapy session, so perhaps we should not dwell on such things. Focus on relaxation. Hmm... perhaps we should have included a spa in the venue... maybe next year..."

Perhaps Kys had the right of it to continue to another subject. Their words did worry Apollyon, obviously without intention. However, he brushed it off far too easily.

"It is quite alright," he replied. "I have no need of such a thing. I would not consider myself 'disquieted.' On the contrary, I am at harmony with my new home. I feel much better knowing my family is safe out there and that I am here."

Their reasons for safety were more morbid, but they were better for it, he thought. Even if his newfound home was but a shipwreck. It was quite natural for monsters to lurk there anyhow. It was nothing he couldn't handle.

"I'd lead to believe you have experience in these sorts of things." He moved onto the new topic easily. "I have faith you will succeed henceforth. I quite appreciated this lesson so far. In truth, meditation as a concept was previously lost on me. Perhaps there is a way to truly connect the spiritual with combat, as you say." A beat passed. "But. . . it's nice to take a break from the ceaseless fighting out there. I hear some oceanic territories are becoming more aggressive. Finding neutral ground like this can be rare sometimes."

"Conflict is a fact of the universe," Kys admitted with a shrug that was probably lost amongst the darkness. "Every corner has been touched by it, whether war or the laws of nature itself. But right now, it eludes this place. And we should make the most of it. So... would you like something to eat or drink? I'm sure we can find something suitable to your tastes."

A hand rose to Apollyon's chin, where it was located underneath his lack of a face.

"I suppose it's all we can ask for to enjoy, on the topic of tranquility," he commented. At the mention of food, he perked up. "Ah, perhaps. I do possess a beak, if that is not concerning anyhow."

Admittedly, he was uncertain how much shore-dwellers were comfortable with a sea creature's strange anatomy. However, Kys seemed pretty open-minded about this aspect to him.

"What do you have for meats available?"

"I am not concerned about your method of consuming food, so long as it doesn't cause other problems," Kys assured. "As for meats, we have deli meat sandwiches, cocktail sausages, meatballs, scotch eggs... typical refrigerated party food meat. There's no cooking equipment on site unless you count the hot beverage machines. But what we do have is pre-cooked. Xá considered including raw meat for those species who prefer it, but I decided against it on account of the fact that it would not go well if someone accidentally ate some who wasn't capable; and neither me nor my helper Nil have the capability of sight - and Yll'r doesn't eat solid matter so would struggle to tell the difference, even if their electromagnetic senses give them sufficient vision in the darkness - so there's a chance of potential error. Oh, but don't worry about hygiene - Nil handles all the unpackaged food. So whilst they might need to utilise touch to tell some foods apart, they have surprising control in what matter they choose to consume - including contaminants - and can safely digest near anything, so their mass is generally cleaner than any other being's hands. And unlike more slime-like amorphs, Nil's jelly-like consistency means they won't leave any residue."

Kys realised that some context might have been required. "Nil is an amorphous mass of jelly," they explained.

The octopus creature nodded along with this, even though it couldn't be seen. A force of habit, perhaps. Though, throughout Kys' explanation, his attention was captivated particularly on whatever Nil happened to be.

"Like a cnidarian?" he asked simply. "Or perhaps a pyrosome? Forgive me. . . I don't wish to be rude. Um-" Their fingers raise and tap together at the tips. "What is a. . . 'Scotch egg?' I don't think I've heard of it before."

Then again, Apollyon didn't eat all that many eggs. It wasn't a typical part of his diet for someone of his physiology.

"Perhaps it would be better if I show you." Kys raised their voice for a moment. "Nil? A moment of your time please..."

The sound of jelly slapping around came out from behind the food area, followed by a plethora of different sounds, almost like something changing shape. The pitter-patter of little jelly feet, the splatting of jelly hitting the floor, the squelching of something jelly-like slithering its way along.

"A scotch egg is a boiled chicken egg contained in a layer of pork and coated in breadcrumbs. It's usually baked or deep-fried," Kys explained, turning to face the approaching mass of jelly. "Apollyon here would like to meet you," Kys told it.

The jelly slithered its way over to Apollyon and seemed to 'spill' itself over his lap like someone had dumped a bucket of very viscous liquid on him. The puddle of thick amorphous stuff then seemed to pull itself up into a more coherent shape, balanced atop Apollyon's lap in a rough blob. Then, in the style of a barber-shop quartet, four adult male human voices called out "hello"s at varying melodic pitches. "I'm Nil!" A fifth voice declared, this one bubbly and child-like. Nil's favoured voice, as it put others at ease and seemed to best reflect their size. "Pleased to meet you!" They added in all five voices simultaneously.

"Don't be shy," Kys added. "Nil loves being grabbed and poked. Be as rough as you want, as long as you leave them in one piece. Treat them like a big talking lump of putty. It's when they're happiest."

Apollyon found it better not to admit that he had no idea what chickens or pork were. Aside the fact that this was potentially embarrassing, his attention is captured instantly by the presence of the jelly-like creature. It sounded amorphous, given the near-liquid sound they produced. Especially when they saw fit to plop right into Apollyon's equally squishy lap. A short noise of surprise escaped Apollyon, then he lowered a hand to collect the squidgy creature and lift them up.

"Greetings, Nil. . ."

It almost came out as a question, but he managed to control his tone. His fingers flexed, pressing into Nil's jelly far more gently than probably desired. Upon being given the permission to do otherwise, he folds over Nil, squishing and squashing them as if they were dough.

"Ah. . . it's a bit pleasant," Apollyon admitted. "It's good to meet you. Mayhaps we are not so different, no?" Given Apollyon had no bones and quite stretchy skin, this proved to be a nice point of similarity for them. "From where do you hail, my friend?"

Though Nil was generally content with being manipulated in such ways, they were still quite playful. Occasionally, they would do things such as engulf Apollyon's hands and not let go unless he pulled away firmly. When Apollyon remarked about them not being so different, Nil wobbled thoughtfully, then seemed to collapse like a popped water balloon, starting to spread to engulf Apollyon's body like a second skin. Though they were unwilling to spread themselves thin enough to coat all of Apollyon at once and so had to move around, the speed in which seemed to feel out Apollyon's shape was quite quick. Eventually, a blob of Nil started to accumulate back on Apollyon's lap, pulling in the rest of their mass until Nil was a single lump again.

And that lump continued to change shape. Tentacles formed. A torso. A cartoonish approximation of Apollyon's head. Two stubby arms reached out to complete the shape. An exact replica of Apollyon's voice emerged from the new shape. "Now we are not so different," Nil said. "I am not quite sure where I come from, but I have travelled far and wide with my friends."

The mini-Apollyon slumped against Apollyon's torso and slid down until it was lounging casually on his lap. Nil seemed capable of becoming as slippery or as sticky as they so chose.

"Wha-"

Apollyon raised his arms as Nil swirled around him, only to sink back down and form what felt like. . . a tinier Apollyon. What a novel thing! He took Nil's 'palms' from his tiny Apollyon form and stretched them gently.

"Fascinating," he mused aloud. "I wonder the purpose of this apparent ability. I am glad you have friends to stick by your side. Perhaps a bit literally, but I digress." A tentacle migrated over to his lap to pat Nil's on their Apollyon-like head. "I should like to have a form like yours. Capable. Strong. Yet nonthreatening. Perhaps that is a bit much to ask of a stranger, after all. I only wish to keep those like you safe."

He thought on this for a moment. The sea is growing ever chaotic and he only has so many allies. It would be a good idea to keep the ones he's made here close. If not with physical presence, than at least in his mind.

"Yes, I would like that, I think. Don't worry. I will make sure this cavern is kept safe, even after this little party."

"Purpose?" Nil asked. "Oh, there's no purpose... it's just something I learned how to do as a bit of fun."

The jelly simulacrum started inflating, pulling in the arms and head, until it formed a simple bulbous shape, the tentacles separating fully until what remained was a simplified cartoonish impression of an octopus, with no discernable facial features or even a beak.

"It would be good to know that the cavern will not be threatened," Kys admitted. "Because we won't be sticking around once this soiree has ended. We do a lot of travelling, you see. Sometimes as a group, sometimes separately, sometimes with different groups entirely. Perhaps we will be back next year, or perhaps we will do something else. Who knows?"

Apollyon preoccupied himself with patting the 'mantle' of Nil's little octopus shape, gently raking it with his fingers. Some invertebrate sea creatures apparently liked this, octopuses included, to his knowledge. Granted, Apollyon was no 'octopus'; he was Apollyon.

"I would like to see you all again," Apollyon declared. "Even if, well. . . I didn't quite literally see you. You know what I intend." Following this, he rose, tentacles peeling themselves off of the nearby surfaces. "And I would like to try a 'Scotch egg' sometime. I'm afraid I have to depart, however. I have to go back to guard duty. Still, you know you can find me around here."

More often than not, 'guard duty' entailed brooding around his shipwreck. It was a lonesome sort of duty, but he didn't mind it. At least, he tried not to. It was his home, after all.

"Take it from someone who has never seen anyone," Kys said humorously. "This was an amenable encounter and I share the sentiment. It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"It was a pleasure to make your acquaintance," Nil copied in the exact tones of Kys's voice. The jelly then deflated with an exaggerated rubber balloon noise, melting and running down Apollyon's rising limbs like goo, coalescing into a puddle that oozed its way back to the food tables.