npc || amun [ @ hierarchy ]

[nightnpcs]

( ping ping ping. or, y'know, whatever your phone chime is. the face of a man who looks like he's never smiled once in his entire life appears on your screen. you may have seen him before, while you were busy surviving a storm or battling reapers. no matter. you might as well bask in his impromptu company now, because his appearances are few, and his indulgences even fewer. )

Allow me to make this clear. For those of you who wonder still: I am the Hierarchy. You do not come to us; we summon, invite, and hire. Order is of the utmost importance if you wish to survive, and time is of the essence. Do not waste mine.

( behind him, movement. if you squint, you may notice strands of greying hair near the door, though the person it belongs to remains off-screen. )

Your personal troubles are your own. If you expected us to hold your hand, do think again; there are far greater affairs to attend to, so do yourselves a favor, and look for soulmates. We've prepared an application for you, easily accessible from your device's home page. Should you need additional information, perhaps it's time for you to practice self-reliance.

I will not be answering questions.

( and the feed cuts, abruptly, without greetings or a name. )

ooc note

► Amun will not be responding, though you're absolutely welcome to react, comment and discuss amongst yourselves on this post! Other NPCs might show up!
► This is, more or less, Tinder for Soulmates o/ You'll find the permanent post (aka phone application) right HERE! If you're interested, simply fill out the form and comment on the post, and bam. Browse, swipe left or swipe right, and have fun! This is not mandatory.
► Forms and replies should be posted ICly (yes, even if it's located in the OOC comm -- you may choose one (1) thread for october's AC) .
► Another character may post in your character's stead. Additionally, feel free to have their Shadow influence their blurb!
► The application offers all the information your character needs to know! To recap: All that's required for another Restless to become your Soulmate is for them to enter your home, touch your Tethers upon invitation, and from then on, a piece of their soul will merge with yours, fortifying your Self. As a literal extension of your being, they'll easily gain access to your thoughts if you let them (or if you're careless), they'll experience your pains, fears, and joys on weaker levels, and their voice, touch and overall vicinity can become great soothing weapons against your Shadow. However. If two characters already share a powerful bond and one incidentally touches the other's Tethers, it's an accidental done deal. You may thank Naruto's player for this.
► You may have multiple Soulmates!
► If you have questions regarding the app, redirect them here!

Comments

[coherer]

(oh.

oh.)

Dude, Jesus Christ, you made it... seriously? I was wondering what happened to you after. I mean, everything got more and more insane; I lost track of everyone.

[fallingsand]

Wh... wait, did you think I wouldn't make it?! C'mon, I'm more durable than I look.

[ Kind of? ]

It was hard to track where everyone went once we got to the docks, though, so I. I get it. But yeah, I made it. It's good to know you did, too.

[coherer]

In our defence, I didn't think anyone was gonna make it.

(god's honest truth right there.)

And you... you were a madman. I can't believe you actually went down there. Sometimes I think I'm being brave and then others totally blow me out of the water. It was totally, totally crazy.

[fallingsand]

[ Brave? Him? Oh, Jonas, no. ]

That... that wasn't really. I wasn't being. Anything like that.

[ Because he isn't brave, he's always been a coward, isn't that right? At least, that's what the terrible new voice in his head is reminding him of right off the bat. ]

I just. I didn't want you to have to, uh, do that. It was really awful down there.

[coherer]

Uh, I think what happened was, like, the dictionary definition of "brave," but... I get it. (not believing in yourself? oh, yes. jonas gets it.)

And... thanks. I don't remember if I thanked you on the ship, so once more can't hurt, right? Did you find help after you got ashore?

[fallingsand]

Uh, you're welcome? Really. I'm just glad I could. Could do anything at all.

[ It is the very definition of bravery but good luck ever convincing poor Bruno of that. ]

Find help? W... was there help to find? I. I kinda just wandered off?

[coherer]

(everyone with poor self-esteem gets relegated automatically to the barrows.)

Uh, touché... I actually have no idea. I turned the ol' boyish charm on and, like, begged people on my knees at the pier to help until they begrudgingly did. The arrangement is very temporary, though, then I'm gonna get kicked out, probably.

(what's pride?????)

You find a place for you yet?

[fallingsand]

[ To be fair, if Bruno had any sense, he may have tried that to find an actual real place to rest indoors for a day or two. He, unfortunately, did not. Leaving the docks behind had been surreal as he wandered in a daze and somehow managed to not get eaten by something or dragged off to the Forges by another reaper. ]

I'm not sure. I just... kept walking until I ended up in this part of the city that's mostly ruins falling into a chasm? But I found a rundown chapel. I'm staying there. It's a mess but there's a roof.

[coherer]

...

A chasm? The chapel's far enough away from the chasm to be safe, right?

[fallingsand]

Just don't exit it from the east side and it's fine.

[coherer]

... It's right on the edge, isn't it? (the lack of surprise in his voice right now.

what about earthquakes? or tornadoes? he sighs, perpetually stressed out.)

Can I come check it out? For reasons unrelated to it not passing a safety eval.

[fallingsand]

Well, yeah, but hey, easy place to throw out the trash at.

[ Just chuck it all out the eastern door. There it goes. No environmental consequences whatsoever. Of all the things to be anxious about, this one, strangely, isn't one of them for Bruno. ]

Uh, yeah? Sure? It's, um. A mess, like I said. I might try fixing it up a little later or... or I don't know. I. I really just don't know.

[coherer]

(that comment actually gets a laugh out of him, and jonas nods despite the fact that bruno can't see him. it adds a more three-dimensional aspect to his voice, livelier than he seems.)

Hey, maybe I can help with that. Fixing or, you know, just throwing stuff out. Like you said, there's a perfectly good cliff to just... make mess disappear.

You'll have to guide me, though. It's not very—I'm a bit lost in this place. A GPS pin would work if you know how to send one.

[fallingsand]

[ And there we go, even more words he doesn't understand. Pin, sure, but how would a little metal pin help? That can't be what he means. ]

Look, I'm gonna level with you here, kid. It was at most 1952 where I was when I died? And nothing new technology-wise has gotten into the valley since the place was founded in, like, 1902? So, uh, no. I really, really don't know how.

[ Er, that said... ]

Not to put you off dropping by. I'd love to have a hand with this.

[coherer]

...

Holy crap. (no holds barred on that response.) I am so tired of time getting all—oh, never mind. I don't even know why I react anymore.

(mutters "nineteen-fifty-two" under his breath like it offends him personally.)

I'll ask for directions the good old-fashioned way, and then in the next day or two, you'll probably see me around. Is that okay? I've gotta find a place to live that isn't the Shadowlands... that place is terrifying.

[fallingsand]

[ Bruno nearly asks what that means, what time is he from? But Jonas seems strangely displeased with the idea of what year Bruno himself is from, so...

He just doesn't. ]

I mean, I could just walk back into the city and. Meet you, somewhere central? I don't mind other folks slumming around the chapel if you're having trouble with that but, uh. I'd. Also get if you don't want to live where a strange guy like me lives, so, yeah.

[coherer]

If you're sure, that'd definitely work. I'll hit you up tomorrow to decide on a time or something. That cool?

(meeting a fifty-year-old man in the middle of nowhere might've been strange if they hadn't almost died together on the set of "a perfect storm." day by day, jonas gains more confidence to get curious and go a little farther.

by tomorrow, he'll be barrows-ready. hopefully.)

... Thanks for the offer, man, seriously. I'll see what's up after the tour, I guess. I've got no prospects right now, but if it's seriously rundown out there, I might have to reevaluate. You know how it is.

[fallingsand]

Uh, yeah, sure, that's [ Uncertain pause? Yeah, uncertain pause, then, ] cool.

[ Look at him, he can be hip, he can be down with the youth and their words! Ahem, anyway. ]

I'd get it if you decided against it, though. I'm used to living in a literal hole in a wall. Doesn't mean everyone else can deal with that kind of living.

[coherer]

(you're doing so well, sweetie!!!)

Okay, I know you just said "literal hole in a wall," but, like... how literally?

[fallingsand]

Well, the way you got to it was by going... through... an actual hole in... a wall, so. Um. Very literal?

[coherer]

...

Are you okay? (🥺) Just because you lived that way before doesn't mean you have to live like that again. Things can be... different here.

You know?

[fallingsand]

[ There's an incredibly long pause. Bruno's turning that thought over in his head for a while. Can things be different? ]

I don't. Actually know how that would work?

[coherer]

I think starting small is probably key.

(isn't that the case for everything new?

new is frightening. change is frightening. it doesn't have to be, not if things are taken slowly.)

Like, yeah, totally go live in and around the chapel, because that's what you wanna do, but start introducing... little things. Like, things that make your life easier and, like, things that make you happy. Then before long, you'll look around and realize things are different.

Maybe.

Uh, I don't really know. I'm still—I'm trying, too, sort of.

[fallingsand]

Heh, it's fine. You. You don't gotta really know. You'd think someone my age would already have it all figured out...

[ It's difficult not to sound sad at the thought. He should be the one offering advice but he's never even been to a city before. He's never had to figure out a real place to stay or hold down a job or anything, anything like a normal person from outside the valley must have to do.

He can't bring himself to dump that on Jonas, though. He sounded upset simply from knowing that the whole hole-in-a-wall thing was the real deal. Better to not make it worse. ]

It's... it's fine, though. Really. [ Yes, very believable. ] Anyway, I'm Bruno. I don't think I ever had a chance to actually introduce myself before.

[coherer]

Doesn't actually seem like it'll matter much anymore anyway. Honestly, the short version of what I just said is: I think you should treat yourself. (time to get a midlife crisis ferrari, bruno.) That's what I'm probably gonna wind up doing.

(anyway, he can't wait to cut loose and then cry in bed for days afterward. you know how it is.)

Is your last name Madrigal? I saw your username and wondered what it meant, but I've got context now.

...

Actually, first I read it B-M-A-D, like, "be mad." Heheh.