Egress Unveiled - The Caregivers ft. Ga'Morkt n Oremizume

“Another soothing dip in the water, eh, Oremizume?” Ga’Morkt teases his companion, grinning darkly as they stand next to the reflective pool. “You need me to carry you again?”

His teasing is a front. There is something about the idea of facing his own demons that has the large empyrian on edge. He knows his past is full of very dark deeds. Whether he could even manage to conjure up any sort of empathy or kindness is uncertain. 

After all they have been through, though, it would be a shame to fail this task and be denied their final goal of meeting with the Matriarch. And so, he lingers there at the waters edge, looking back at the pair that have been at his side through this journey. Even if he must hold Oremizume while they drift, he knows he will be taking this test alone.. 

Elysion steps into the water first, drifting out over its mirror-like surface, creating barely a ripple as he goes. As a Forgotten, this task holds great meaning for him, as if it would be a sort of healing or closure for him once his soul has been proven ‘good’. The glow of his eyes vanishes as he closes his lids and peacefully floats in waiting.

After the Order, Oremizume relaxed a bit, as they walked away from those weird cultists. He didn't know he was going to see some pretty Haedians, but he soon discovered, thanks to Cailu, that they couldn't mate or have a partner, only working for the matriarch was allowed.

He found that weird. And, as he walkes torward the crystal pools, he wonders if the handmaidens have a say in all that.

Can they choose to go live somewhere else?

Living only to serve someone must be sad.

Those are his thoughts as he stops near the water, grimacing.

"Oh yeah, just what I need."

He answers sarcastic at Ga'Morkt tease. At least... It isn't that dark and deep, he guesses.

"Hm... I must find a shallow spot."

He whispers to himself, as he looks at Ga'Morkt and Elysion. The haedian has already stepped in the water, as if unbothered, while the Empyrian still is on the dry rocks.

Suspicious.

"Not going in, Ga'Morkt?"

He asks, with a bit of sass dripping from his words. He is not sure why the other is hesitating: after all, Oremizume feels like there isn't anything he wouldn't be able to face, in memories at least.

Had it been the Order again, he would have probably said no to the trial.

He puts a paw in the water, testing the temperature.

"Shut your yap," Ga’Morkt hisses, but the Vayron's taunting was enough to get him to finally step into the water. 

He takes a deep breath, trying to get his body to relax and float with ease like he had with Ornaax. It takes a few long minutes to let his tension start to fall away, and he finally closes his eyes. 

"Now come on, let's get this over with," he grumbles.

Oremizume watches Ga'Morkt entering the pool, all tense. The Vayron feels a bit guilty at taunting him like that, since the Handmaids said that the pool is not a normal pool, but something-something that makes memories resurface. Even the bad ones.

He doesn't feel scared, but he knows that he might get some upsetting ones, like when he failed to do some of his jobs as a guard.

Sighing, Oremizume steps in the water.

Well... Just a bit. He is only toes deep in the shiny and bright pool, and he thinks that is enough.

He sits, closing his eyes... And as expected, nothing happens. 

The Vayron is not in the water enough, but he stubbornly tries anyway.

"Come on... Work, stupid water..."

He whispers, in such a low volume that even Ga'Morkt and Elysion have trouble hearing him in a empty cave.


Elysion has fallen quiet and still, already losing himself in the ebb and flow of water and memory. 

All his hopes and fears wash away with the cool water against his smooth body, leaving him as nothing more than just a heartbeat and the passage of breath, in.. and out.. 

Ga'Morkt can sense the ripples caused by Oremizume stepping into the water, and it briefly causes him to open his eyes and peek as the Vayron tries to get settled. At least he isn't the only one struggling with this. 
It's a bit annoying, how Elysion makes everything look so easy. 

He can only thank the Gods that neither of them will be able to see what's coming next. There are no excuses for what he's done, and he wouldn't blame them for hating him.

Mort's lids fall closed once more, darkness surrounding him. He focuses on the feeling of floating, and the depth of his breaths. 

He sinks deeper and deeper...

Until darkness sweeps him under completely.


'The Haedian is completely out. Doesn't seems like he'll move out of the pool soon.'

Oremizume thinks, as he looks at the Haedian. He watches Ga'Morkt too, who looks like a dark half-submerged monster. Had he seen the empyrian somewhere else without knowing it was him, he probably would have tuck tail (metaphorically speaking, since he doesn't have one) and ran.

He sighs, again, as he peeks at the two and then looks back at his half wet paws. He really should get in, but unfortunately, he is still a bit afraid of the water. And now, he can't really ask Ga'Morkt to hold him... It would be awkward, a lot, and probably annoying considering the amount of time he took to get settled in the pond.

Oremizume snorts a curse, and then steps deeper in the small lake.

He is kind of cold, but not for the temperature of the water: he feels dread. There shouldn't be any dark memories in him, right? He can't really recall anything that traumatic or scary.

His back legs push him forward, and he floats, with spread paws like a broken toy, as stiff as a board.

'...I feel like a paralyzed crocodile.'

He thinks, as he floats more to the center of the pool, near Ga'Morkt.