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ABRAXAS MODS ([personal profile] abraxasmods) wrote in [community profile] abraxaslogs2024-04-17 10:07 am
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EVENT #18: EMERGENCE - IC EVENT LOG

Event #18 - Emergence
Whether voluntary or by force, you find yourself transported to the Singularity's crater. There probably aren't many resistors - officials have taken great pains to convince you to come voluntarily, reserving force as a last resort - but it's clear that everyone is required for this to work. It takes multiple mages to stabilize the portal, but you make it there in one piece. If you cooperate, you'll be asked to walk towards the ancient relic. If you resisted, you might be forced to do so while restrained. Regardless, a heavy fog soon descends around the area, obscuring you and your vision.

If you have thoughts of turning back, it's too late: for some of you, the second you step across the threshold, a force pulls at your chest and absorbs your psyche at once. For others, a mystical call beckons you to walk a little further before the same effect takes hold. And for a rare few, the call brings you to the Singularity itself, where you're compelled to touch it - and are subsequently swallowed up like the others.

The Horizon doesn't greet you like you might expect. Instead, something far stranger awaits.

Please communicate with your fellow players as needed! We also recommend discussing with us if you plan on a major environmental upheaval. As a rule of thumb, you should avoid changes to the landscape that will significantly alter the established map.

We've also posted comment sections for WORLDBUILDING and HANDWAVED submissions. Instructions can be found at the respective links.

Year 20,879
When you open your eyes, it feels like you've only blinked. If your body has transformed or you're someplace that shouldn't exist, it doesn't strike you as odd. You were always here. Everything around you was always here, and your physical alterations and new abilities - while perhaps not originally there - have been a part of you for a long, long time.

The world of Abraxas isn't completely foreign. Familiar territories remain, as well as the familiar faces of those with long lifespans. But a lot has changed in 800 years, too, especially where the Gods are concerned. Alongside the Old Gods of the Ancient Pantheon and the Cardinal Gods of the New Order, a third class of deities formed from you and your fellow Summoned: the Ecesis Gods of the Iterum Pantheon.
Politics, People, & Gods
Abraxas's political landscape remains complex, with continued tensions over land, worship, resources, and power. Nonetheless, since the Free Cities is no longer intent on destroying the Singularity, conflict over the ancient relic has lessened. All territories agree that the Godlands - and the Singularity - belong to the Gods themselves.
Beliefs and Gods
The active presence of the Summoned confirms the existence of the Gods. As a result, most Abraxans turn to the Summoned and other Gods for aid or protection. Extreme reverence exists in certain areas, especially on the Isle of the Lost and in parts of Solvunn. In other places, though, the Gods are merely acknowledged as a facet of life - a force that helps or hinders depending on temperament and should be respected, much like the sea. The Gods play a crucial role, sure, but so do the rain and stars. This is particularly true in the Feywilds, the Nether, and the Free Cities.

Small pockets of non-believers actively denounce the Gods. They claim the Summoned should be wiped from the world and the Singularity destroyed to prevent future invasions. Labeled dangerous heretics by Thorne and Solvunn, and "regressives" by the Free Cities - whose scientists and philosophers liken such thinking to be as foolish as declaring the sun unworthy or the earth to be flat - these people are shunned from society. In Solvunn, the consequences are more severe: heretics are exiled to the Barren, where they are subsumed by the desert, the Maw, or whichever Gods may punish them.

At the other end, some sects revere the Godlands so much that they believe feeding themselves to the relic will enhance Abraxas' good fortune for generations to come. Such cults are quite rare, but there are reports of mortals throwing themselves into the Singularity's crater and disintegrating as a gesture of their devotion to the divine.
International Relations
Due to the combined change in their priorities, Thorne and the Free Cities are less at odds. The Free Cities believes in protecting the Singularity; Thorne no longer seeks to control it. Nonetheless, mistrust flares on occasion.

While things are peaceful during these three months and have been for a few decades, Abraxas hasn't found a cure for war in the Gods. Conflict has broken out in the past and will again. Eyes are on the Nether as it grows in power, and who knows how long Thorne will be content with its losses? Will they convince the Velan Republic to reunite and turn against the Free Cities? For now, though, the territories have found their stride and appear more interested in progress than fighting.
Magic & The Singularity
Magic is relatively unchanged and is a vital part of Abraxan life. The small kingdom of Thorne continues to practice Academic Magic. Meanwhile, Wild Magic plays the same important role in the Velan Republic (formally Nott). Meanwhile, the Free Cities has developed New Magic further. The goal of decoupling magic from technology is less of a focus. Instead, researchers are eager to find new ways to fuse magic and innovation, including aspects of the Gods. Portable shrines, for example, are popular with traveling merchants.

High Magic no longer exists as a specific school of magic now that offerings, pacts, and requests to the Gods are a part of everyday life across Abraxas. Solvunn has returned to its roots, using the ancient Academic Magic practiced by the Lunae for standard tasks while turning to the Gods for greater blessings.

The Singularity has been relatively stable for the past two or three centuries. While occasional disturbances rumble, for the most part, the presence of the Summoned has strengthened it, alleviating its displeasure and ensuring that Abraxas - and possibly the universe itself - continues to exist. Indeed, academic writings from Thorne and the Free Cities across time suggest that the Singularity's devouring of the world has considerably slowed. It is now as much of a threat as the eventual collapse of the sun, something that is bound to occur but not for eons.

Of course, this could quickly change if the Summoned or any other Gods provoke the Singularity by rejecting its connection or denying its magic...so all should take care not to upset the nature of things.
Old World, New World
The map of Abraxas has undergone some notable shifts, although many names and places are the same.

Setting descriptions are HERE for your reference.

Mechapolis, the Witchwood, and the Barren/the Maw contain prompts related to the event itself. Information about those areas can be found under "Exploring the Land" in the section The World as the Divine (Month 1-2).


Month 1-2: Submersion
What do you last remember? Well, that depends. You might recall most things perfectly clearly. You might have new memories that don't feel new at all. Or, you might only remember the most recent year or two. Regardless, there is something missing: an important face, a handful of key events...maybe you don't remember having ever lived anywhere except Abraxas. You might find this unsettling, or you might accept it as just the way things are.

You've transcended those old memories, anyhow. You feel a little distant from the person you were centuries ago, and you most likely look different, too. Perhaps you've sprouted giant wings, become a formless void, or you're now a shapeshifter with no permanent appearance. You've gained a substantial amount of power and influence, the type that people of this world attribute to the Gods.

The first half is a more sandbox-like environment designed for scenarios that emphasize CR and personal character moments. Active conflict between the emergent reality and the world will not arise until the second half.

The World as the Divine
The mortals have bestowed you with a title and possibly a new alias. Do you know your mortal name anymore? Some of you might've taken on a new identity, or you might have held very tightly onto who you were. Regardless, your abilities have grown. Your new powers and appearance are as unique as your dominion, influenced by your interests, subconscious desires, or personal relationships.

While in your full God form, you'll move through the world unperceived. Only when you're sought by a mortal - followers, believers, cultists - can you consciously make your complete divine presence known. To be seen freely by all, you'll have to take on a less overwhelming shape to the mortal gaze. Those who have met the Old Gods or Cardinal Gods in the past finally understand why they seldom reveal their true selves, often arriving in hazy visions or speaking through animals.
Exploring the Land
The Witchwood
As the Summoned continued to ascend, their power began to coalesce, creating a new ecosystem never seen before. The dense woods, originally a temperate climate, warmed and grew into a thriving jungle. The air is humid and heavy with magic, the sky locked into an eternal sunset. Reds and oranges filter through the thick canopy. Birdcall and animal cries echo throughout the jungle. Trees and rocks seemingly move at night, meaning the Witchwood is impossible to map. Foolhardy souls who venture too deep are rarely seen again - unless divine intervention prevents a tragic fate from befalling them. Perhaps one of those intervening Gods is you?

The most dangerous beasts in the Witchwood are the demigod spawns. Creatures born from the Summoned, demigods are powerful enough to affect the world around them should they ever leave the magic-encased forest. See Impact & Consequences for more details on the demigods and how, as the Summoned, you can help maintain Abraxas' ecosystem.
Mechapolis
Heartwood Syndrome persisted in Fomalhaut long after the quarantined population died out. The port city stood as a monument to loss for nearly a century until about 200 years in when the Summoned gained notable influence as Gods. This resulted in a slow but steady acceptance of the Singularity's power as a positive force for potential advancement. New Magic boomed, leading to increased sophistication in technology and the refinement of automatons.

Originally designed to clear and guard Fomalhaut, they were eventually used to rebuild it. Fomalhaut became known as the City of Machines and was renamed Mechapolis. Although humans are barred from entering for safety, the automatons gather soil and air samples for study and perform fishing duties. The clockworks require routine maintenance and must return to a hub city or outpost for recalibration. Clockwork birds are used to communicate with Mechapolis. They can broadcast through the Free Cities's primitive "radio" towers.

You can enhance clockwork performance, boosting the towers or providing additional energy to the automatons. Scientists often have "rituals" when performing maintenance or experiments to earn the Gods' favor, hoping this will prevent their inventions from breaking down.
The Barren/The Badlands
Once contested territory between Thorne and the Free Cities, the Badlands was split into two by a large ravine shortly after Thorne retreated to Hayle. With neither side able to breach the gap, Solvunn naturally laid claim to the western half while the Free Cities retained its eastern half. On the eastern side, the chasm swallowed several well-known bandit camps and the presence of a new entity further drove them away. Bandits now occupy the mountains northeast of Aquila. Due to the entity's threat, the Free Cities increased its military presence in the Badlands to keep careless or foolish travelers from straying too far.

Meanwhile, Solvunn has named its portion of the wasteland the Barren and sought the Gods' assistance to form an enchanted forest. Those who enter are lost forever. Meant for more than just protection, the forest and the Barren serve as a place of exile. Heretics are taken into the woods and left to wander towards the Barren's harsh desert. There, they will face the elements, be devoured by the waiting Maw...or encounter a God.

As a God, you can lead the exiles to their salvation or doom, but choose carefully: the Maw is hungry and must be fed. These exiles want you dead. They don't care for you, and should their lack of faith spread, they might revive attempts to destroy the Singularity - and with it, your home. Is it so wrong to leave them to their fate? On the other hand, saving them might convert them by demonstrating your kindness.
The Maw
The Maw lurks beneath the chasm dividing the Badlands. Named for its gaping jaws, the Maw waits at the widest part of a jagged canyon, mouth open and salivating in the desert heat. Rows and rows of teeth as tall as a man spiral downward into a bloodshot throat. When sated, it retreats deep into the gully, barely visible aside from the shine of a tooth. When hungry, it draws closer to the surface. Hot and heavy winds often carry the putrid scent of its half-digested meals.

Solvunn is not the only territory that uses the Maw. The Free Cities will occasionally march criminals and bandits in that direction, as well, tossing them into the gaping mouth, although this method of execution is much rarer. Desperate exiles from Solvunn will try to cross the chasm despite the danger. None ever make it - at least, not without divine intervention.
Horizon, "Death," and Dormancy
Your domain in the Horizon is no longer constrained by size. How it's changed depends on you. The more detached from your mortality, the more likely it'll have surrealist elements: bizarre statues, physics-defying architecture, odd visual or psychological effects. The Horizon feels like home to all Gods, although you ought to take care not to heed its call beyond reason. Shutting yourself off from the physical world can result in unintended consequences...but completely refusing to enter the Horizon will do the same.

Additionally, Gods are beyond true death, but that doesn't mean you can act with impunity. Engaging in an exhaustive battle with other Gods can weaken you into dormancy. In this state, you will enter an ethereal void inside the Singularity. As you heal, you'll slowly be able to return to your Horizon domain and then the physical world once more. Depending on the extent of the damage, this process could take anywhere from months to decades. For instance, losing your head could take a few months, total dismemberment might take a year, and being vaporized into atoms can take a few decades.

Mortals cannot achieve this level of damage, even if they seemingly "succeed" in striking true. Only a God can weaken another God into dormancy. If a mortal removes your head, you can merely pick it up and put it back on.

Impact & Consequences
In the early years of your ascension, you might've wondered why the existing Gods seemingly intervened so little. Why did they not demonstrate their powers more blatantly over the thousands of years? Is it apathy? A desire to watch rather than act? As you come into your abilities, you realize that the Singularity and the universe are significantly more delicate than you thought. You begin to understand why the Gods have behaved the way they do.

Of course, whether you care to keep the world (and yourself) in balance is another story, but to be sure, some of the other Gods and the Summoned do - and you may have to defend your choices.

The equilibrium mechanic is described in OOC terms HERE. The Singularity and a character's ascension will not inherently sway them one way or the other. Any temptations will result from individual personality and development.

Instability Effects
To maintain the universe's equilibrium, you need to be cautious of when and how you interfere when using your status to alter the state of the world. Conversely, you'll also need to take care not to withdraw entirely. Several Gods have undergone periods of instability, though others haven't. Which category you fall under is up to you. It depends on who you are, your experiences, and your desires.
◎ Should you refuse to ACKNOWLEDGE your Godhood or enter the Horizon, you'll find yourself losing time. You may forget how you got from one place to another, or names you knew yesterday slip your mind. Lapses in memory or time can be temporary or permanent, but one thing they are is certainly confusing. With magic building inside you and nowhere for it to go, your power will begin to spill over, causing the Singularity to exhibit bursts of power that spawn demigods in the Witchwood.

◎ Should you give into the temptation to OVERINDULGE your Godhood or retreat to the Horizon for excessive periods, you'll lose more of yourself and your history. You may make decisions that feel unlike you, forget larger chunks of old memories, or struggle to distinguish what's real. Unrestrained use of magic will cause you to absorb yet more power, causing the Singularity to lose power in brief spurts, which can spawn demigods in the Witchwood.
These effects can be halted or even reversed in some cases. You might need someone's help to bring you back or convince you there's another way, or maybe you're the one seeking others out to assist. What you do soon understand is that your ability to manage your powers and stabilize your connection to the Horizon directly affects the Singularity and Abraxas...something that may have been true the moment you were summoned.
Demigod Spawns
Under the red haze of the Witchwood, monstrous creatures known as demigods or spawns emerge from crimson waterfalls and claw their out through the mossy soil. Born out of instabilities caused by careless actions from all Gods, they're usually contained to the Witchwood. For the most part, the older Gods - and the Summoned, if they choose - keep the demigods from leaving. However, now and again, one or two might escape, damaging towns, destroying villages, or causing ecological destruction in ways that are similar to natural disasters.

Demigods are not sentient. How they look can vary, but their appearances are often corrupted and disturbing: twisted animals, amorphous blobs, or alien-like parasites. They may resemble a monster you recognize from home.

Defeating one is possible but a challenge even for the Gods. Most crucially, you cannot kill your own spawn. Another God must deliver the killing blow, so working together is imperative. Should too many demigod spawns be allowed to invade the Witchwood, they will overwhelm and disrupt the Singularity further. Culling them is the only way to maintain stability.

You can submit demigod spawns you create to the WORLDBUILDING section if you want. Similar to using character powers, just keep the scale of destruction at a reasonable level.

Hearing Echoes
Echoes are a form of prayer that resonates through your connection with the Singularity. Solvunn has dedicated a monument to where the "First Echo" was heard, though the accuracy of this is debatable. Like the Network, you can hear an Echo regardless of where you are and can shut them out with concentration. However, your ties to Godhood may compel you to listen every so often. Mortals can entreat you through more formal methods (rituals, offerings, seasonal ceremonies) or in a moment of duress or desperation. They may seek you specifically or call to any God who will listen.

You can answer or ignore these cries for help as you like, but your choices carry consequences. Answer too many too eagerly, and your increased interference in mortal lives can upset the world's equilibrium - and the Singularity. Ignore your impact on the world, and your refusal to accept your ascension will equally destabilize the land as prayers go unheard.

Interacting with Other Gods
The Old Gods and the Cardinal Gods are an equal part of this world. For the most part, you coexist peacefully, though personal pacts and tensions can play a role. Each of you is aware of the impact of your actions on the Singularity: extreme displays of power are reserved for substantial transgressions, considering the price it carries.

Further, the older Gods have also walked the earth for centuries before you came. To them, you're still young, and rising against one of them won't end well for you. Nonetheless, many older Gods are more interested in giving advice or guiding you, ensuring the health of the Singularity and the universe so as not to doom all of you - Gods and mortals alike - to the void.

You can REQUEST AN INTERACTION with a God. Interactions will be brief but informative.

You will not be able to request a specific God. For logistical reasons, we have curated the list of Gods available ahead of time. However, we'll do our best to pick one from the pool that suits the purpose of your request.


Month 3: Awakening
Over the past 2 months, you've existed in the emergent reality without question. As you enter the third month, however, everything you've known over the past many centuries begins to shift. You might decide to investigate further, wondering if there's more out there that you aren't seeing. Alternatively, you might choose to ignore it, believing that your awakening is damaging the world and your life.
Catalysts
A catalyst can occur at any time through any circumstance. Do you see a familiar face you've forgotten in the eyes of a stranger? Do you recall a moment in your past while watching the mortals? Has a friend approached you specifically to try and remind you of the things you've forgotten?

With each memory returned you'll gain another piece of yourself. Depending on how much you've lost and how hard you'll cling to this reality, the effect may be clarifying or it might cause you distress and confusion. You might begin to encounter temporal cracks: buildings or areas that normally don't exist will flicker in and out of existence, or your reflection will briefly show an image of you from before your transformations took hold.

If you allow yourself to doubt your abilities or divinity, you might have trouble controlling your powers. If you've made alterations to your Horizon domain, it might start to revert to its original design.

These cracks are difficult to ignore, but if you bury your head, you can make them disappear - briefly, at least.
Shattered Skies
The effects go beyond the individual. As more of you and your fellow Gods reawaken, the sky also begins to form cracks that spread like broken glass. Through the fractures, you glimpse flashes of lightning and a swirling fog. The fissures only grow larger.

Soon, you realize you can see the Singularity itself, reflected upside-down in the crater. Disconcerting though it is, it may serve as proof that something is very wrong. Of course, you can also refuse to acknowledge this disturbance, closing your eyes to the crumbling sky. Doing so will let you remain unaware to the very end, but your friends who are seeking the truth might find your denial distressing.

The sky won't hold, though. Eventually, it does shatter completely - and you awaken abruptly, your body and others scattered several feet away from the Singularity's crater as if you were physically thrown out. The fog begins to dissipate. The lightning has stopped, the unrelenting storms fading across Abraxas. Whatever you went through, it seems to have done exactly what the territories hoped: stabilize the Singularity.

Characters will be returned home afterward. They will be thanked for their assistance regardless of if they cooperated.

Resistors will not face any consequences, as long as they don't cause excessive trouble upon their return. Officials will issue an apology for the heavy-handed action, stating that they saw no other way to keep the world safe. With the portals and weather returning to normal, it does seem to have worked...even if characters may not find the method agreeable.



mathmetism: (tumblr_inline_p5gf1ofkY41rvxgyx_100)

[personal profile] mathmetism 2024-05-10 06:14 am (UTC)(link)
What? Ew, gross. [ Jerry’s kneejerk reaction is much like an elementary school boy being accused of having a crush on someone he definitely does have a crush on. The awkward laughter trails off with a high pitched, lame, dying sound in the back of his throat. ] But also, yes.

[ deflated and found out, he lets the closet door swing closed, the exciting sounds of fire alarms and sprinklers and a WalMart descended into delightful chaos silenced. At some point, kid!jerry slumped up the stairs and disappeared into the hallways, leaving the two of them in the aggressively whitewashed, emotionally sterile room. Jerry hops his butt up to sit on the edge of a thin table that probably costs as much as Jack’s car. The expensive wood creaks and whines under his weight as Jerry swings his legs. ]

Dad wanted normal, upper class kids. Good at sports ball and lying, consummate defenders of the patriarchy. Must love money and spit on the poor. He got Simon, at least.

[ flickers of moments and memories play like corrupted film, fuzzy and out of focus, white noise and static. Ghost images projected against the white screen walls. A twenty year old Simon whispers like it’s a scandal, "I looked up programs for de-gaying you. They’ll take you immediately, we’ll tell the others you checked into rehab." jerry shifts, squirms, pops off the table and takes some practice swings with the sword bat, conveniently passing through static shadow box memories playing out. Jerry’s nervous energy, uncomfortable in his skin for maybe the first time in 800 years. ]

I was a clumsy kid. Fell down a lot of stairs, hit a lot of doorknobs with my left eye socket.

[ you know what he means, right? hopefully you know what he means, because he's not angling to explain any further. unfortunately, the nightmare takes it upon itself to illustrate via ghostly projection in the middle of the foyer. a teenage jerry, jaw wired shut, drinking through a straw and unable to interrupt while his father screams obscenities and insults and why can’t you just be normal. present jerry takes aim and swings the sword bat directly into ghost-dad's head. ]

Eventually, I got tall. Asking me to take a knee so he could break my jaw must’ve been a boner kill.

[ jerry can only assume it was the inherent power rush that came from having absolute control over another human being's life that gave his father the thrill from violent abuse. maybe. maybe he'll never know why, and that's probably a good thing. he rolls his shoulders, dips his head, and tries to shake it all off. this isn't the picture of him he ever wanted kyle - someone he respects and admires - to see. ]

Poor little rich boy, right? [ he laughs, and it sounds hollow. hahaha, shoot him. this is peak cringe and he hates it, as air whistles across the sword half of his bat. it's pathetic and he feels pathetic. damn, these nightmares got hands. ] Aaanywho, thanks for coming to my villain origin story.
gynvael: (179)

[personal profile] gynvael 2024-05-10 10:44 am (UTC)(link)
You didn't know.

[ Or perhaps Steve did, deep down—that warning voice one hears only when it's too late—but the point is, Steve did not push him deliberately, and that is as far as they can take it. They could go endlessly about who's to blame: Dean for convincing Geralt to let Steve stay, Geralt for agreeing in the first place, Steve for showing up. It doesn't matter. What happened, happened—and he isn't interested in pointing fingers.

What he does want is to avoid another situation. That's why he's here. Why he's come to talk to Steve. ]


I'm leaving. [ The statement is blunt, but gentle. He glances over. ] It isn't you. These mountains—I can't be here.

[ He can't put his finger on it. His decision to retreat to the snowy ridge was because of the isolation, and because the scenery tugged at old memories he thought could help. But the more he stays, the more he feels flickering at the edges—

Not all of it is...settled. Not all of it brings warmth and camaraderie. One day, he'll need to confront them. But not now, and not with Dean and Steve around. ]
bealufull: (1WLrUOt)

[personal profile] bealufull 2024-05-10 12:23 pm (UTC)(link)
"First impression hold for a long time. Even if we think otherwise," he points out, as if that was where the conversation started. "Even if we pretend otherwise."

Even now Kaz tends towards the theatrics when he reveals himself, and in how he even presents himself to others in the godly realms. Because those are what people will remember down the road.

"My business here in our realm is mostly about this place and Jesper," he admits, not at all bothered by that being his life. Something reminds him in the back of his mind that he knows what's important, and that he can't take the chance of not holding on to that. "Outside of here though..."

He leans forward, resting his elbows on the polished wood countertop. "The business of our words and our promises is what holds my attention. A person is only as good as their word, and if some don't mean to keep that then I'm more than willing to step forward for my supplicants and ensure they pay for that betrayal."

There's a light fierceness to his words, not maniacal but intense. Even his eyes seem to glow slightly as he talks about it. "Luckily I run into it much less in our realm than I do out there."

Some hide their work, the things they do. Kaz sees no reason to go that route. His word, after all, means something as does his business.
bealufull: (5bNPLwg)

[personal profile] bealufull 2024-05-10 12:29 pm (UTC)(link)
Kaz realizes it's a step he should have took sooner. It wasn't that he didn't want more, actually craved it, but that he's enjoyed all the teasing words and playfulness between them and not wanting to lose that.

Except he doubts he will. It's in the nature of one of them, and the most desired traits Kaz seeks in another.

A shame it didn't work for every deal, because sealing those words with that kiss left him aching as if electricity charged through his body and he can't help but groan into the kiss. Already thinking about other things that did keep in theme for the festival, even as he feels that swat, the words somehow managing to penetrate his mind when he's most certainly thinking about something else now.

"If we're late because I drag you somewhere and thoroughly though quickly debauch you, it would be utterly in keeping with the theme of tonight's events, thank you," he says, though he slides his hand along Sylvain's arm, pressing in teasingly against him. "I'm sure Jesper would forgive us, but perhaps that's for later then."
bealufull: (a6WeiiB)

[personal profile] bealufull 2024-05-10 12:47 pm (UTC)(link)
There's no hesitation in shifting so that his thighs spread wide over Jesper's lap, rocking against him with a groan as he feels those skilled hands along his body. Not hiding the sounds he makes as he undulates, loving the way it feels to move against the man he loves. Free and excited, no other thoughts than what he's sharing with Jesper in that moment.

"Bites. Scratches. Dark bruises against your beautiful skin. I can think of so many beautiful things I can do to you... and many that are thoroughly cruel and dangerous, and I can't wait."

Not that they're holding back now.

Easily moving to let his shirt be tossed away, even as his nimble fingers work to open Jesper's shirt. Rocking up his knees, back arching slightly to press himself against Jesper, eyes closing at the heat of his tongue along the sensitive peaks as his nails dig into Jesper's shoulder, letting his thumbnail drag along the side of his throat.

Not thinking about how easily they could be naked; more caught up in all of this. The ways they undid one another physically and emotionally.

"Always yours," he groans, unable and unwilling to imagine a time in all of eternity that he wouldn't be Jesper's. Eager for him. Willing to do anything. "And now that you have me like this, now what?"

Teasing his nails along the back of Jesper's neck, smiling down at him. "Planning to put that perfect mouth to good use?"

Taunting in a way, practically pleading in another. Just needing anything and everything his love would give him and always craving more. He can never have enough of him.

judgmentbolts: (06)

[personal profile] judgmentbolts 2024-05-10 01:14 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Cid, likewise, isn't surprised when Azem opts for keeping mortals out of it. The three of them have agreed to take on this burden together, and while Cid has no doubt that one of his scouts would be eager to aid them, none are as durable as a god. Even with their close supervision, it's better not to take the risk.

He nods at Azem and taps his staff against the ground once. Levin consumes his form, reducing it to that of his mortal self. His beard and hair remain white, his eyes still glowing a bright blue, but otherwise he's far dwarfed by Azem and Aegis.

Cid chuckles at Aegis' good-natured complaints. Azem will be too familiar to it, and between him and Aegis it's Aegis who's skilled with stealth. He doesn't bother saying as much; he knows Aegis will have already come to the same conclusion. Instead, he settles for more teasing. ]
Dinner before dessert, Aegis.

[ As far as being decent bait is concerned... Well, he's 0—2 on that front, Cid thinks, but he has the tact to not say as much aloud. ]

Speaking of... What do you think? Edible enough for our expert? [ He spreads his arms and winks at Himeka. The question is only half-serious; in this form, his power is diminished, hopefully enough to present a tempting target. So long as he holds on to his staff, it shouldn't be a problem to change back once they've lured the thing out. ] Alright, my sanctity is in your hands.

[ He nods at the two of them and sets off toward the pond. The ground beneath his boots is soft and sticky, clinging with every step. It ought to smell as putrid as it feels, but nothing so natural as rot seems to take root here. The bubbles on the surface of the watery slime move closer to the edge as he approaches, before disappearing entirely, because of course.

He stops a few feet from the edge of the pond and digs his staff into the soft ground, keeping a firm grip on it. He doesn't look for Azem or Aegis; he knows that they're there. ]
Come on, then. If you need me to show a bit of ankle —

[ Something lurches out of the pond with a speed that startles even Cid. He darts back from the tendril-like arms lashing for his legs, but the creature begins to haul itself out after him. It's fast even on the sticky ground, and it's all he can do to outpace it until the bulk of it is out of the pool. ]
Edited 2024-05-10 13:16 (UTC)
judgmentbolts: (41)

[personal profile] judgmentbolts 2024-05-10 01:36 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Cid meets his gaze steadily, long accustomed to those eyes that seem to bore right into him. When he answers, his voice is devoid of sarcasm for once, almost soft. ] If you like.

[ An invitation with no expectation of an agreement or even answer, in the moment. The wine needs to be drunk either way.

He almost regrets the feel of Dion's weight leaving his shoulders, even if he does so to take a more agreeable form for the task at hand. Watching Dion shed his scales isn't unlike watching another man remove his armor; something both mundane and oddly intimate at once. Something about this form teases at the back of his mind, like a flash of steel in a long forgotten battle. ]


A memory? Is that what it tickles? [ He bumps Dion's shoulder with his own as he moves ahead of him, more playful than combative.

Cid crouches down to get the cups and blow any sand out of them. (Has he washed these in the last year? Debatable.) When he stands again, he fills Dion's first, holding it out to him. ]


Wouldn't be surprised if you were a little lordling once, the way you carry on. [ Cid waits for him to reach before pulling back, making him move closer if he wants to take the cup. He's forever testing boundaries; it's in his nature. ] Not my lord, mind.
judgmentbolts: (03)

exploration

[personal profile] judgmentbolts 2024-05-10 01:55 pm (UTC)(link)
Cid often takes stock of the Witchwood and its various inhabitants as best he can, what with the village so nearby. Scouts and levin barriers can only do so much against the varied threats that the wood seems to contain. As he moves across the sky, the telltale rumble of thunder follows him, even in his mortal form.

Other gods often appear in or near the wood, but it's a boon when said god is a friend, rather than an acquaintance. He's not surprised that Istredd is enraptured by the creature below; its form is shrouded in a cloud of spores, and everything it touches seems to bloom with bright, thick mushrooms. He holds out his staff a couple of feet in front of Istredd as he begins to drift closer.

"I wouldn't," he says, by way of greeting. "It's an odd one... a sort of parasite, I think. Thought I'd stop by your library soon, see if you knew anything — it's kind of you to save me the trip."

( ooc: sorry dee I know this is super late so if you want to ignore this and pick up post-event that's totally fine too! )
gynvael: (413)

[personal profile] gynvael 2024-05-10 02:57 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Brief annoyance crosses his face. Geralt ignores the suggestion, the implication. There is nothing wrong with him. He does not need a mage fucking about in his head. ]

You're right. [ Long before this world took over, he left his share of memories behind. His mother's face, the boys who huddled with him during their first weeks at Kaer Morhen. The mages that took him—what did they even look like? He can't remember, never tried to. Time takes the images he no longer has use for. ] But they don't come back. These are coming back.

[ Unbidden and clear as day. That is the difference. Memories that fade from the passing years do not return without cause. They sure as hell don't return for several of them within weeks, days, apart. ]

How come you aren't asking more questions? [ The sky is cracking, and he can't be the first to approach Istredd about this. What happened to the man who would risk his life for a fucking book to find his answers? ]
techmaturgy: (pic#15348794)

[personal profile] techmaturgy 2024-05-10 03:03 pm (UTC)(link)
Presumptuous.

[That Viktor would not know how to help those who beseech Anthropos, or that these humans would not seek other options, if they knew they were available. He doesn't believe he can truly turn Anthropos' followers away from him, but he wonders what they would choose, if they were less desperate.

But maybe that's the point.
]

Whether you think I can help or not is irrelevant. You didn't answer my question.
techmaturgy: (pic#15348861)

[personal profile] techmaturgy 2024-05-10 03:22 pm (UTC)(link)
[To that, Viktor responds with little more than an mmm sound, clearly uninterested in continuing discussions about how much he works and how he should maybe not work so much. He rarely goes to the Witchwood--demigod spawn are more readily taken care of by others, who relish being in combat. And he has friends, he's sure, who would tell him if they encountered any of a particular mechanical persuasion.

For now, he continues apace. Viktor knows he should be a bit more appreciative of Istredd's approval, given he's one of the few that does seem to be more impressed and less concerned by the things Viktor has done, even if he doesn't want it for himself.
]

If you ever change your mind...

[He doesn't need to say anything further than that. Istredd knows that the offer has no expiration date, and Viktor does still understand that others may not want this--he will not force anything.]

I have been complete for some time. [He begins, the question about his modifications proving to be an effective distraction from the reason he came here in the first place.] Further modifications are solely to replace obsolete components and improve efficiency.
lightkeeping: (pic#15944723)

[personal profile] lightkeeping 2024-05-10 03:27 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't need thanks.

[Someone has to do it, and Aloy prefers that it's her. She can make sure that it's done right--in the past, her efforts sometimes didn't take. She would have to wipe the slate clean and start over, an action that was never her preference, but sometimes necessary. As the years have gone on, however, she increasingly gets it right the first time.

The trees don't talk to her, but she's become uniquely adept at attuning to the needs of the natural world.
]

Not sure yet. Wherever I'm most needed.

[She says that a bit wistfully, gazing out at the view.]

What have you been up to?
gynvael: (010)

[personal profile] gynvael 2024-05-10 04:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[ They can celebrate its vigour after it stops trying to bite his arm. He does not know if a demigod can maim one of them, but he has no desire to find out.

Geralt rolls to his feet. His sword pierces through the creature's skull in answer, silencing its wild snarls. With a final twitch, the body goes limp. Blood pools into the dirt and grass.

He sighs. Dried pine needles cling to his hair. ]
Is this the only one?

[ Sometimes there's two. He would prefer there not be two. ]
diametrically: (pic#17140995)

[personal profile] diametrically 2024-05-10 04:18 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Even with his less than reliable memory, that has never affected his perceptiveness. The way Viktor looks at him makes him think for a moment that he's reacted in a way that his friend had hoped. Just as he's about to ask if that's the case, Viktor confirms his hunch. ]

Mine?

[ The faint amusement that tinges his confusion is only because he can't tell if this is something that he simply hasn't remembered yet or not. He knows that Viktor has no reason to lie to him. But he doesn't have a domain. He's always drifted through the Horizon much like how he drifts through this plane. ]

I don't have a domain in the Horizon. At least not from what I can remember. [ A pause. ] Is that not the case?
ancunin: (pic#16740603)

[personal profile] ancunin 2024-05-10 04:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh.

[ There's no reason for him to be particularly surprised at the way Jesper molds the different materials beneath his hands with ease into something more suitable to Astarion's tastes. Nevertheless, his eyebrows raise and he immediately looks delighted by the changes.

He's always been a vain creature. Some like Jesper might still remember that the reason for that runs deeper than simple vanity - not to discount that reason. There was once a time when he was weaker, when he was a wretched, cursed thing he couldn't even see his own reflection. Even after he regained the ability to see his face in the mirror again he kept many, many portraits and statues by master artists, and twice as many mirrorrs.

All of them burned and broke with his domain some centuries ago. ]


Oh - [ he sighs again, touching those curls turned soft ] - it's almost too lovely to leave here.

[ Sure, the mortals will appreciate it though. And it's not like he has anywhere to keep these things anymore. He never fixed his domain, the wreckage stopped smoldering a long time ago but it remains a wild meadow of poisonous flowers, nothing particularly habitable. ]
krakened: (017)

[personal profile] krakened 2024-05-10 04:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[ That's Ed for you, thoughtful except when he isn't. He props his head up on a curled tentacle. ]

It's only a job 'cause you made it one. [ He takes the bottle of rum and squirts inky water over it to clean the dust. Then he pops the cork. ] Some of us like to have a little fun. It's not like I've been— [ He makes a vague gesture with his remaining arms. ] —ballooning people's fucking heads and shit.

[ Ed is of the belief that if you can't relax after eight hundred years, you turn into...well, Arthur. Now, don't get him wrong, he loves Artie. But sometimes he worries Arthur is gonna static his way out of existence. ]

I've been working on a project, if you must know. Saving some poor sod's playwriting career. Don't worry, I passed my treasure map talents onto a fellow Ed, so you won't be bored for long.
princessvegas: (251. no no you'll play along)

[personal profile] princessvegas 2024-05-10 05:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The only reason Julie never moved to the coast when she was a mortal was because the others — Ciri included — didn't. And that love of the beach is still very clear in the way she's crafted this piece of the Horizon. While there are whimsical, surreal touches to the fields and the house, the coast remains hyper-realistic, right down to the tiny crabs peeking up through the grains of sand. They'll pinch toes that get too close. She loves the real beach so much that she doesn't see the need to do anything except duplicate it.

(Well, there is the little fish town she put under a cove; a rock and a statue and a pineapple for them to live in. She vaguely recalls the impulse to put it there — she doesn't know why, but she thought it was funny.)

Joined by her unicorn and snake, Julie smiles when Ciri finally looks up. She allows her family to come and go as they please, though she can always feel their presence and location. She leaves Ciri alone for a while before she walks through the cave, but then her curiosity as to what brings her here wins out. Wisps of extremely long pink hair float on the breeze, though most of it is tied up atop her head. Her dress is little more than shimming gauze around her, and it disappears as she walks toward the water.

The unicorn stays in the shallows, splashing around in the waves. The snake seems to check out entirely once Julie is in the water; it dissipates into butterflies that flit above them as she reaches Ciri. She treads water easily now, naturally enough that she could never imagine there was time she had never seen the ocean. The freckles scattered along her shoulders and face glitter in the sun. ]


Hey. [ She spits a mouthful of salty water at Ciri with a grin. ] Soon it'll be warm enough to go to the beach in Abraxas, too. Poke all the humans in the legs so they freak out.
ancunin: (pic#16798770)

[personal profile] ancunin 2024-05-10 05:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[ In the fight or flight mode of battle Astarion very nearly flinches away from the touch. Warmth flows from Sylvain's hand through his body, steadying him, and in one hand appears a light crossbow.

The demigod screeches again when its trajectory sends it directly into a flare of light. Blinded and burning, it crashes against the shield hard, the stink of searing flesh in the air. Claws or teeth scrape against the metal as it mindlessly bashes against it.

Astarion has predictably ducked behind Sylvain's much larger form for cover. ]


Whatever gave you that idea?
assembles: beard (pic#13195922)

[personal profile] assembles 2024-05-10 05:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[ While some gods, Steve among them, have times when they want to retreat from the world and become hermits, it isn't good for them in the long run. That's how these demigods come about. They're bound to do their part with helping the mortals whether they want to or not.

He likes to help where he can, and doesn't buck against the duty entrusted to him the way some others do.

But there's something about that brief exchange, a combination of events that has led him down a dark path in his mind, and he can't help but want to find what's waiting for him at the end of it.

Geralt's voice snaps him out of it, at least slightly. Steve still doesn't step away from the remains of the demigod, but he does turn toward Geralt, and it's easy enough to impose a confused frown onto his unchanging features.

If nothing else, it can be heard in his voice. ]
The White Wolf. Where did that title come from? [ Why does he feel like he'd heard it before he ever met Geralt? ]
princessvegas: (203. she'll turn the knife into your bac)

[personal profile] princessvegas 2024-05-10 05:35 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The truth of the matter is that Eksya mostly feeds the Maw food because she likes to bake and it feels a bit silly to simply get rid of the extras. Sometimes she leaves them for mortals — her magic bakes in and lends them a tiny bit of luck. Which is fine by her, but she also doesn't want them to get spoiled. No one likes a spoiled mortal.

When Azem calls out, she is levitating above the Maw, literally upturning a wicker hamper of baked goods to let them fall into the Maw's gaping maw. Honestly, she's not even sure it can taste what she feeds it; it seems too large to get the actual flavor of a cake or pie. But it... feels grateful. Sort of. ]


Oh, Azem! [ It's impossible to not know her fellow gods by name at this point. They have been together for hundreds of years, their own isolated little group.

Ekysa waves one hand. ]
Just giving some extras to someone who'll appreciate them. You?
restingstitchface: (Ennui [AU])

[personal profile] restingstitchface 2024-05-10 05:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[His head angles left, his eyes stare ahead. But his gaze is focused on nothing in particular. People like to interfere, like to feel significant enough to warrant his attention. Now his expression has finally caught up to the apathy in his voice.]

You have resolved yourself to disputing everything I say. Why should I waste my time when you think you know the answer?

[If this man is starved of an intellectual friend, he is certainly looking for an intellectual enemy.]
assembles: beard (of steve's beard)

[personal profile] assembles 2024-05-10 05:45 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Steve is quiet and attentive as Rocket goes through his explanations, finding each invention fascinating in its own way. It's a collection of human ingenuity, and why wouldn't they want to celebrate that?

He thinks for a moment of the Machinist — Viktor — and wonders if he's ever visited any of these shrines, particularly the ones in the Free Cities closer to his stomping grounds of Mechapolis.

All that aside, Steve glances back over at Rocket's response, nodding in acknowledgment. Demigods, cults — that's all pretty run of the mill, especially around here. ]


The Witchwood is definitely its own animal, yeah. You would have thought we would have figured this out by now and there wouldn't be as many demigod spawns, but...

[ He frankly can't judge his fellow gods for being stubborn about adhering to their duties and answering echoes. Some refuse, others overdo it, and he often finds himself as the one who cleans up the mess. It is what it is.

After a pause, one of his arms seems to lift up in the approximation of a shrug. ]


Guess it's just part of the job. [ As an Avenger. ]
itookashot: (Default)

NSFW

[personal profile] itookashot 2024-05-10 05:53 pm (UTC)(link)
restingstitchface: (Objective [AU])

[personal profile] restingstitchface 2024-05-10 05:56 pm (UTC)(link)
There's nothing specific here that fascinates me.

[His interjection is short and blunt, spoken before the other has finished. His peers consider him rude but he is considerate. He dislikes wasting time. He hopes others who value knowledge, who need time to learn, also dislike wasting theirs.]

But there is the possibility of discovery. Like the saying goes, the journey is it's own reward. My journey just happened to bring me here, that's all.
ushiri: (pic#15839990)

[personal profile] ushiri 2024-05-10 06:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Compartmentalizing, rationalizing the pain and grief he would cause in his life had been part of his training and a matter of survival. He knows that this has to be done. But it's difficult even for him to keep his emotions leashed when he's causing pain like this to anyone, let alone Viktor. That sob tears through him and for a moment he's scared that Viktor will fight him from continuing - and a horrible relief washes over him when he doesn't. He clings to those quick, ragged assurances like a lifeline, in no place to examine whether they are true or not. In the corner of his vision he can see this place coming apart at the seams too, and spares a brief thought for Rio to have found somewhere safe to ride this out.

Viktor's hand covers his, and though it helps steady him - for a second it disturbs him more than comforts with how similar his skin feels to the cable gripped in hand. He closes his eyes again and presses his face into Viktor's hair, probably a good way to get his nose broken or lose some teeth if he starts thrashing, but he doesn't care.

He wishes he had words of encouragement, except he doesn't trust whatever might come out of his mouth right. He wants to tell him he's sorry again, for leaving and for whatever comes next. He wants to tell him he loved him - and right now that feels like something he ought to apologize for too.

So he says nothing, squeezing his hand in warning once more, then pulls. ]