Twei

Visrii needs better material

[...................................] This time, the bop on the head does not feel like a hug. Because yeah, no. It That Embraces is not impressed by this joke and/or blatant murderhobo-ism. Just look at those eyes. Fourteen eyes, all being incredibly disappointed in Visrii right now. [scolding, lack of amusement]

This seems to interest It That Embraces further - again, better conversation, such as it is, than the vaguely violent strangers. Besides, it might be strategically important, at least against their immediate enemy, and so she speaks to him once more. [Confusion, curiosity. 'Heartless' do not appear to be sentient. Animal intelligence at best. 'Conquest' implies organization, structure; rule/'taking over' requires sentience. Hypothesis: Are 'Heartless' minions of a greater power?]

To be fair, she doesn't even have a mouth. Or make sounds. Of COURSE she's going to speak weird. Given his blatant rudeness, the elder thing feels justified in bopping him on the head. It feels vaguely like a hug. Don't think about it too hard. To be fair, given his irreverence, he's clearly very good at that, so maybe that's not much of an issue.

She gives him The Look. Honestly, she's impressed someone misinterpreted conceptual speech, but it was bound to happen eventually. [Negative. You are thinking of 'existential angst'. Injuries to reality are far more serious.] ...actually, now that she thinks about it... [...amusement. Some realities may also be 'emotion-sick adoloscents' none the less.]

[Amusement: No need to censor yourself.] The Primordial gives the understandably paranoid blood-mage a shrug at his demands/questions. Questions worth answering, at any rate. [Apology, explanation. Location: Designation Hollow Bastion. Purpose: most likely gathered to assist in repair of existential breach. Currently seeking shelter and provisions. Reason for dragon: unknown. Amusement: I am far more exotic than Eon is. Approval for killing book abuser: negative.] Existential breach: A wound in reality itself. That's a frightening concept she's suggesting, there, though perhaps not entirely unfamiliar to some. She looks over him for a moment, releasing him fully from her grip if he didn't already wriggle his way out. Judging by the way her arms move, she could grab him up again in an instant, anyways. [Addendum: I healed some of the scars in your arms. You are welcome.] ((Edited a bunch. Apparently we heard the name earlier, but I forgot. Also addenda. :v ))

Finally, It That Embraces is able to behold the bloodmage as he awakens. And, well, able to pass her comforting, soothing aura around him. [Apology. {Solomon/That one} is an idiot.] He may not be a cannibalistic spider-woman, but surely even he responds well to soothing pats, particularly headpats. (Nevermind that he shoved her. She honestly doesn't seem to be very shovable, anyways.) [Acknowledgement. You were shadowing us in a distinctly unfriendly manner. It is, unfortunately, not that surprising.]

Ah. Thank god someone can deal with these inexplicably violent people. It That Embraces may be all-loving, but sometimes love requires a firm hand, and she can admit she can be slow to present it. [Agreement, exasperation. They are foolish, but they are still people. I do not wish to abandon them, but...] A long, mental sigh, as she picks up both Visrii and Solomon. She turns to topics more interesting and less frustrating as they proceed. [Curiosity. A time before the Heartless?]

...apparently while the Primordial was speaking, her 'friend' has awakened and promptly gotten into a fight. Mother damn it. [Cessation!] And he's already gotten himself knocked out again. ...how....

you know this would be simple enough to handle if people were ever awake at the same time as me ;~; I'm just going to pretend that this entire thing happened during ITE's speech and you can't tell me otherwise. >:v

It That Embraces looks out over the ruined city- and the not so ruined city that it surrounds. This is the fortress where this area's denizens defend themselves from the local monsters? Hmm. For a last bastion, it seems... sub-optimal. An important thing, for it is also their home, if she is not mistaken. She may not be She Who Was, nor a veteran of the war that ended her, but she still knows a thing or two about fortification. With a sharp motion, she turns to Leon and begins to speak. Telepathy worked well with Eon, so she repurposes that particular art, her maternal voice turned into something sharper, like a finely honed blade. (That the others will not hear her is no great loss. Her companions are merely passing through, after all. It is those who live here who must defend it.) "You are under siege, are you not? These defenses, they could be improved. The ruins around you provide shelter for enemies and obstruct your line of sight. As you are already short on manpower, thus precluding moving your defenses further out, I would suggest you clear the ruins out to give better angles for projectiles and artillery. The walls could be reinforced with materials thus gathered, or they could be used to make weapons and armor - or perhaps autonomous defenses?" It is, honestly, a suboptimal speech. She may pretend to be a general, but she is no general; she cannot guide them on the finer details of defensive tactics, or forge them into many times more than the sum of their parts under her unyielding command. She may know of fortification, but she is no siege engineer; she cannot design optimal positions of guards and siege engines, or build living walls of the Mother's near-impenetrable skin. She understands the need for supplies, but she does not study logistics; she cannot show them the best ways to make use of their supplies, she cannot turn water into wine or conjure rations for an army. It will do for now, nonetheless. She hides the unconscious (and definitely not wounded because HEALING) man behind her back while she speaks. It helps preserve her image, which is actually rather important here.

"[Amusement, approval]" Someone's getting lazy, apparently. Or perhaps just testing that she can do it the old way? But, really, what else is she going to say? He's being rather silly, and judging by the mirth in her eyes, she's rather okay with this.

"The fabric of existence may or may not be intelligent at all, so..." She gives something like a mental shrug. It can't be helped. The Primordial's reaction to what she did earlier, though, is... strained. "...no. I do not want to speak of it more than I need to. Not yet. Apologies." ...also, what even. She gives Aurora a pet on the sidelines, at least two of her arms still securing the unconscious man, but seriously. What even, Solomon. Why would you even think that, much less say it?

The Primordial's telepathic voice, as it happens, sounds something like a kindly maternal figure- although most maternal figures aren't nearly so ancient, 'grandmother' perhaps implies less direct comfort and more sage wisdom, so motherly it is. "What we are getting into...? Oh!" Her subject matter, however, is anything but kindly and comforting. A certain thunder rolls into her voice, though it's... somehow more like she's channeling someone else's thunder than actually using her own feelings to sound that way? Making herself more commanding than she naturally is? Odd. It's certainly her own rage by the end, at least. "I was created for this. The fabric of existence - no, Existences, the fabric of all existences tears and shudders and calls for aid. Not just this world, but all worlds are under threat, and I will not allow them to be destroyed as I was. Never again." It That Embraces trails off, her body shuddering with that uncharacteristic righteous fury... which slowly fades, to reveal sheepishness in her eyes. "...though I do not know what this place requires of us in the short term. But I assume we are here for a purpose."

Unfortunately, It That Embraces can't read Solomon's mind, nor any others. Otherwise, she would appreciate the supreme irony of his thoughts. What the Primordial could certainly do, however, was hear Eon's telepathic speech. And indeed, she could respond to it, 'speaking' directly to him instead of blindly broadcasting [Meaning] through the world around her. In fact, if she just... did things slightly differently, then... "Yes! Testing, testing. Hrm. This may be useful for overcoming my lack of vocal chords."