[Video]

[neverfeltthatway]

[The first thing Armin does is stream the unsettling sight in front of him - a shallow pool of water, and inside, the sign of the King in Yellow. After a moment, he turns the camera back on himself, so to speak.]

It's appeared again. I got picked up by one of the... the pinballs, and eventually got dropped into this maze. I thought I'd take a look around, since I was already here, and eventually I came across it.

[He switches perspectives again, briefly, to do a slow pan around him and show enough that someone should be able to recognize the area if they come across it.]

For those who don't know, the King in Yellow is a god, a creature of fear and madness. We stopped him from manifesting an avatar into the world a little more than half a year ago, but his sigil still haunts us. Everyone should try to avoid it, if they can - meddling with it could free the King and his creatures, releasing them into liminal space.

If anyone finds the sign in the future, Leonardo and I both know how to contain it - please let one of us know.


[Private to: Leonardo]

I could use your help. I know the protections, but I don't have any way to physically contain it.

Comments

[what_do_you_see]

Explain further.

[howexciting]

I will happily answer any specific questions about the King in Yellow which are within my power to answer.

[neverfeltthatway]

...What more do you want to know?

[canbebrave]

Where exactly are you?

[neverfeltthatway]

It's a maze, but I didn't see exactly where the entrance was. [Hard to pay attention when stuck in a rolling hamster ball full of rats. Also, he hasn't quite gotten the picture she wants to come join him.]

[canbebrave]

I'll find you.

[abweichend]

[NOTTO DISU SHITTO AGEN.]

The more people who know how to contain it the better. Show me how.

[WOW, BOSSY.

...His heart's in the right place, at least. It's worth a shot??]

[neverfeltthatway]

Yes, sir! Once the sign is properly contained, I'll find you.

[abweichend]

No-- [jfc Levi find your chill] Let me watch you do it first. [A pause.] ...Maybe it'll help.

[With his learning, that is- he's always been a hands on sort of asshole and THERE'S NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT, RIGHT??

R...ight?]

[shesearches]

Okay, wait, can we go back for a minute? [She sounds a little out of breath -- stupid maze -- and incredibly curious. Prepare yourself for an onslaught of questions.]

Meddle with it how, and what do you mean by god? Does the name actually mean something? Should we worry if we run into someone in yellow and a crown? And what was the entrance to your maze like? Maybe they're all the same, so we can have exact directions... to avoid.

[Or go look at, that doesn't count as meddling, right.]

[howexciting]

If the drain is removed, the King in Yellow may rise up from it. That would, of course, be devastating, as he would bring his hordes of monsters and crazed followers with him. He can easily drive us all insane if we let him out, hence why I would appreciate if you do not move, touch, or otherwise interfere with the drain.

The King in Yellow resembles a man in tattered yellow robes, with a horrifying, pallid mask. Should you find this creature, run. Run as fast as you can. Don't look back.

[neverfeltthatway]

Any kind of meddling with it. [Armin's voice is hard, utterly serious. He's gotten better at reading people - he's not fooled by her attempt to pretend at caution.] The first time, someone fired a rocket at it. I don't know how little will dislodge it, but we'd better never find out, or we're all likely to end up insane or dead. I have the scars to show for it, and we were lucky that time.

As for whether it's actually a god... I don't know what that means. But it's the closest word I have that people will actually understand. [Notably, he does not give her the exact directions.]

[callyourname]

[Nope, not this again. Not Armin dealing with it again. Look at this happy face, that's not actually happy at all.]

And what if someone happened to find it while you two are infiltrating?

[howexciting]

I am willing to teach you, as I taught Armin. Simply find me in the workshop, and I will happily show you how to defend against the Old Ones.

[callyourname]

[Things she actually loves to hear right now. And things she hadn't even considered to be at her level because she's still pretty new here.]

I would like to learn it, yes. Right now?

[Like might be an understatement. If right now is good for him, then she'll rush to find him.]

[hakodate]

I want to learn this shit too.

[The more people know, the more people are unlikely to be dead, insane, infiltrating, or otherwise incapacitated next time it becomes a problem.]

[canbebrave]

You're right. Other people need to know. [ they're on the exact same page re: NOT ARMIN AGAIN. ]

[callyourname]

[... ... Hi. She'd object to Sansa coming in on this too but you know, when you are from a military squad where everyone protect each other and know what just waiting for your loved ones to return is like... Well, she'd object if she knew that she wants to just come observe it, maybe, but even then Mikasa knows a lot about waiting herself too.]

Don't worry, I'm not going to just stand here and watch this if I can learn how to do it.

[neverfeltthatway]

I've said before that other people should learn, and now that I know how I'll teach anyone who wants to. But I won't ask anyone to be involved with this who doesn't volunteer for it.

[callyourname]

And those are good -- the knowing how to teach it and still not asking anyone, who doesn't do that. But you can take that as me volunteering then. [More like no one couldn't even make her step back from it but anyway.]

[closetshark]

[Oh hello. Pitch knows that one.]

Of course you'd claim anything with more power than you is a god, which he technically isn't. None of us are.

[neverfeltthatway]

I don't actually believe he's a god. But that's the closest word I have that everyone will actually understand.

[The implications of his statement don't escape Armin's notice, even if he's more worried about the sign right now.] I'm Armin, by the way. Who are you? And what do you know about the King in Yellow?

[shantiprayer]

...Us?

[That's all she asks, at least for now. She'd started taking to actually talking to people using her newly acquired Skill, but this time she chooses to use the standard psychic "voice." It keeps the fear out of it.]

[amadine]

Inside a maze? That's...clever.

[Disturbing. Inconvenient. But also clever.]

I also know how to contain it, if you and the Maestro are both indisposed.

[neverfeltthatway]

If I hadn't been picked up by one of those pinballs, I never would have found it.

[Disturbing indeed. He's reserving his judgement on 'clever', as it's unclear whether there's any intelligence behind the placement of the sigil.]

Oh! All right, that's good to know. It's unlikely all three of us will be indisposed, and there are more people interested in learning.