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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.



wiedzminka: (two hundred & eighty-six.)

[personal profile] wiedzminka 2024-05-20 05:49 am (UTC)(link)
[ Pointedly, Ciri literally wrinkles her nose. More than she was before. She looks ridiculous. ]

Just because you say it's natural doesn't mean I have to like it.

[ She's mostly messing with him. They're here to do an actual job, after all. ]

Let's just try to get the mortals out of here. I think... Ah. Here we are. [ She moves through space without any concern for distance; Ciri disappears from her space beside him and reappears a blink of an eye later a hundred feet up the road, crouching to examine some tracks. ] They came through here. Hunting your 'colorful' friend, I'm sure. There are other tracks, slightly older. Hooved...?
thearchangel: (there goes the next shadow broker)

[personal profile] thearchangel 2024-05-20 05:52 am (UTC)(link)
Much appreciated.

[She invites him to sit, and so he does. Inching forward on clawed feet, to perch more than sit, on the tree root beside her. It's almost easier, these days, to move, to sit, to exist this world. Like this body is better suited to it now.]

[Of course, all that internal speculation gets cut off at the root when Nadine drops that statement.]


... I feel like now, I need to know what the hell you're talking about.
wiedzminka: (eighty-four.)

[personal profile] wiedzminka 2024-05-20 05:53 am (UTC)(link)
[ Ciri laughs. ]

No, it's all right. If that's what you want to choose, you can. We hadn't decided what to bet on...

[ She waves a hand vaguely through the air, dismissing and demonstrative at once. ]

You see, I can make a portal. But it can lead wherever the user wishes for it to lead. I can either: make a portal directly to their home, based on their wishes, or make a portal that's an open door and see where it leads.

The latter is a bit more volatile, but...

Well. Don't you think it could be fun?
princeofruin: (049)

[personal profile] princeofruin 2024-05-20 05:54 am (UTC)(link)
Eight hundred years and you've yet to hear me laugh? I'm afraid that says more for your talents in humour than it says anything of myself.

[He's plenty of barbs to share. Whatever he has become, this inherent, caged anger still bubbles beneath the surface, like a creature ready to gnaw at the bars. Something that is not sure where to direct such energy.

Though it isn't anger he feels now -- it simply comes from the same place, where heat and light are always near to bursting through his skin. The place that raises the hackles of him with fingers so close to the most vital points of his body, knowing full well he can no longer die (yet he swears he recalls the memory.)

Some part of it chases it still, does it not?]


Such words could be said of any of us. [But he does recognize -- though does not quite remember why -- that they are a special breed. There is something, has always been something, that set them separate from the rest.

Perhaps it was always poetic that light should give such power to the storm. Their fates entwined long before the current years. Light bleeds through his skin, inviting a burn against the flesh where Ramuh's fingers touch him.]
You've time yet to prove you earned this supposed reputation.
wiedzminka: (two hundred & eighty-three.)

that's ok, same here lmao

[personal profile] wiedzminka 2024-05-20 05:56 am (UTC)(link)
[ Laughing, Ciri leans back into her chair, crossing her legs at the knee. She reaches for her cup, blowing on it before sipping slowly. ]

The tea is a good addition, but the company was the biggest draw.

I had to make sure you weren't getting into any trouble, while Geralt is away. [ It's teasing, in good humor. ]
thearchangel: (Archangel | Like the Bat Signal only not)

[personal profile] thearchangel 2024-05-20 06:10 am (UTC)(link)
He's hot on her tail. Her literal tail. The doges and rolls are always hard to follow - while something in the back of his head wants to compare it to driving, though he doesn't know why. It reminds him, slightly, of what Koby confessed, back in his Domain of the Horizon. But there's no room to think about it now. Not when he's diving at her, trying drive her down, toward the ground, though he knows he won't be able to.

Nothing has ever been able to bring her down.

Has it...?

The thought hits out of nowhere, and he falters in his flight, wavering slightly. But as always, he's quick to catch up. Quick to stay on her six.

Always.
diametrically: (pic#16804007)

[personal profile] diametrically 2024-05-20 06:10 am (UTC)(link)
[ Suddenly the crostata is in immediate need of his attention. He doesn't need to see Serenity's shit-eating grin that comes with the territory of a young sibling besting their older one. To say that his grumbling is a little put on though would be a lie. ]

No comment.

[ Whatever grumpiness that may have existed is worked away as the sound of the banter taking place behind him. This is all so vastly different from the times that they had all lived before this. The chatter and the rhythmic sound of the knife against the cutting board prove excellent distractions from the way his hunger paws at his stomach demanding to be felt. As he tosses the figs into a bowl and reaches for the honey, a similar sweetness lifts his voice. ]

Come on, Aegis. There has to be a standout fig dish that your sister has made for you before.

[ What's a little (impromptu) competition without some light trash talk? ]
cointosser: (Default)

[personal profile] cointosser 2024-05-20 06:39 am (UTC)(link)
[His laugh could almost be a bark.] Oh, very much appreciated.

[His love and dedication to the preservation of classical things isn't relegated only to his human memories and his songs. In that, they are very alike, seeing an intricate, innate importance to the preservation of such things.

Of everything, really, as long as it's possible.]


Have you ever heard the concept of being arrested by choice? [He steals another kiss now that Istredd's leaned down enough to make it easy, spreading his hands across this sky-lit blackness that's become his form.] Somewhere I haven't been for some time. I wonder... I'm so entrenched in the forests. What about the sea? Surely you can make anything we wish.
gynvael: (184)

[personal profile] gynvael 2024-05-20 06:40 am (UTC)(link)
[ His eyes trail down the shine of her steel arm. He was not there when she lost it, when he nearly lost her. When they were separated. He would not have abandoned her, he thinks suddenly. Even without his memories, he would not have let her go for years, no matter what she wanted. (Would he?) It feels wrong. Like he failed her.

He should have protected her better.

He looks back at her. ]
I'm sure. John and Dean...they felt it, as well.

[ Ones who have not suffered as he has. She isn't wrong to ask. Without them, he'd be equally uncertain, but this is different.

He lets her take his hand, lifting his other to her cheek. ]
Don't be. I'm right here, too. But this place is breaking apart. You have to remember where we came from. It's the only way.
cointosser: ([121 - S2])

no worries!

[personal profile] cointosser 2024-05-20 06:45 am (UTC)(link)
[And Jaskier knows he knows. That Verity has seen something, pierced through the veil, and is calm, slow, collected... bringing a horse to water and waiting as it learns that it can drink.

Watching as the horse decides whether the water is poisoned or not.

Jaskier has long been a master of poison and toxins; if he wanted to, he could blight out this entire world in an instant. He's sure of that. And this? Gods, this is toxic even to his kind.

There was a time where the answer to that question would be, what isn't there to fear?]


What all men fear, John. [The name slips, blooming like something sour on his tongue. The toxin invading his body.] Losing what I have.
blackeyedprince: (blood)

[personal profile] blackeyedprince 2024-05-20 11:19 am (UTC)(link)
The place raises all kinds of alarms in him. It shouldn't be here. Mara does not remember it ever being here, and it's so old. He's been to Nott so often he knows the place as well as his own domain. Nott is his city, he always returns here. Its people are most resilient, most stubborn and ambitious against the odds that batter them like nowhere else. No wonder he comes back. But this building? This ancient mass of stone never before registered on his internal map of the city. How could that be? He knows everything about it.

It feels like a trap. To solid to be a mirage, to alien to always have been here,and yet familiar. Like it's always been here, and he's always known it. He cannot resist his curiosity. If anything can be said about Mara is that he is stubborn. Once having made his mind it's difficult to persuade him away. Even if what he plans is dangerous. Danger was never a good enough deterrent to him. With Aegis, he feels even more sure they can deal with anything that appears in this strange place.

The surrounding buildings make sense this one doesn't. It's not abandoned either. There are people coming and going from the large open door, with purpose that can only stem from familiarity. They can easily slip inside unnoticed. They are gods, no mortal can see them until they wish them so.

"No. I'm pretty sure I've never been here. Or rather, it has never been here. Let's see for ourselves what really is inside."

Mara's already climbing the steps leading to the doorway as he speaks. He needs to know what it is, and why this building feels so familiar even if he has no recollection of it.
Edited 2024-05-20 11:19 (UTC)
bealufull: (a8eNruR)

[personal profile] bealufull 2024-05-20 12:31 pm (UTC)(link)
"Isn't that the truth," he sighs, sounding put upon by the way people think they can outwit him or the games already in place. "Of course, thinking that is usually how they end up face to face with me to begin with."

It's all part of the game, and why he enjoys it so much. Watching them thinking right to the very end that somehow, somewhere, they had an upper hand in any of this when they never did. That moment of realization that unfolds like a flower, and he delights in it every time.

A brow arches at the first offer, unwilling to hide his curiosity at that offer though at the rest, he finds himself more than curious.

His hand lifts, instantly intrigued though he hesitates for a moment before running his fingers over the coin. Thinking about that magic and how that would play out when he's facing someone he knows he'll be making answer for what they've done to others.

"Isn't that fun though," he says, looking from the coin to Sidus as he twirls the coin along his fingers. "There's many who should know what they're facing and do like to argue. Giving them a chance, as it were, could be fun. Not as if I'm promising fairness when I meet with them."
bealufull: (3atSQVb)

[personal profile] bealufull 2024-05-20 01:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Kaz knows he could do so much worse, but he has watched over the years of how others have reacted when faced with the error of their ways and he's always done his best to make the punishment not only fit the crime, as it were, but wanting to ensure that the lesson is learned in the long run.

He can't help but to smile at that comment, not feeling merciful at all.

"Oh, I'm not sure he would agree with that in the last. In this moment it might seem merciful because I could do so much worse and in an instant but this? He will live with every day. All the lies he's built his life on are about to start crumbling and decaying until it falls out from beneath him. Lies about who he's slept with, the business he's doing, even the easy lies that he doesn't need to say will be truths now."

That thought only makes his smile grow. "He'll lose his business. His wife. Maybe even his family. If he can't learn to change, and I doubt he can, he'll find himself living in a constant state of anxiety, unable to trust even himself because what he thinks and what he says is never the same. What I do could be crueler, but I admit I like the poetry of it. It will destroy him because he isn't likely to change, and therefor there will come a day when he can trust no one, not even himself, and he'll tell others as much."

And that, truthfully, makes him smile.
seaweedbrain: (027)

[personal profile] seaweedbrain 2024-05-20 03:43 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Percy laughs again. ]

I was only accepting your offer.

[ He gives a performative little kick with one leg, as though giving it a good shake to demonstrate just how in control he is of his own limbs. ]

But you're not wrong — I don't walk around on land as much as I probably should. Not unless it's to come here to meet you.

[ He gives her a quick squeeze with his arm still around her. ]
blackeyedprince: (unsure)

[personal profile] blackeyedprince 2024-05-20 03:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[Now, that's a better question to ask. Mara tilts his said, for the first time, actually listening. He's not big on consistency, but he does appreaciate a good story, and this line of events starts to seem to him a little too predictable.]

You make a good point.

[How little it takes for him to lose interest. ]

Maybe, maybe not.

[There's a quiet, tiniest, voice somewhere in the back of his mind that reminds him what was his original intention. To make people stop spilling blood in his name. Their own as much as others. He very rarely listens to it these days. But when he gets a reminder from other, the little voice grows just a bit stronger.]

Do you think I should not intervene at all?
seaweedbrain: (149)

[personal profile] seaweedbrain 2024-05-20 04:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Again, it's hard to slip his notice, the way the flowers react, reflecting Claire's mood. Despite being a god himself, despite having his own set of impressive powers to display, there's something to still marvel at when he sees the way another god knowingly or unknowingly uses their power.

He settles into the seat across from her, reaching for his drink to take a sip first. Yep, still just as good as it ever was. Still sweet with just the barest hint of the tea it used to be. Her smile is contagious and he finds himself smiling too. Things feel like they belong in another time all together here, a simple, perfect moment captured in this instance.

But he shakes his head. ]


Are you sure you want to know about my smiting? [ He raises his eyebrows. ] I do have nicer stories I can tell.
judgmentbolts: (10)

[personal profile] judgmentbolts 2024-05-20 04:25 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Cid glances at the Doctor; he's well accustomed to the way his mind seems to flit from one thing to the next, but that was unusual even for him. What in Greagor's name is a gumdrop?

He'll have to check in later, when they're done with the present problem.

The Doctor is quick to voice his support, and though Cid had expected perhaps a little bit of sly fanfare, the honesty of the response always seems to catch him off guard. He's not the bashful sort, but the smile he offers in return is faint, and perhaps just as sincere. He hopes he knows what he's on about most of the time, but he's been wrong often enough that it's reassuring when someone else thinks so.

He steps closer as well, releasing his staff so that it remains hanging upright in the air. Cid's form shifts the moment he lets go, a controlled burst of levin shrouding him in his mortal skin once again. It's a bit hard for him to sift through bits and bobs in his other form — a thing that annoys him to no end.

This form also makes it a little bit easier to clap the Doctor on the back as he comes to stand beside him — just something to ground him back in the present. Even without the cheerful rambling, the glow alone could tell anyone from miles around how excited he is by the prospect of invention. Perhaps they'll discuss it later, away from here. There are many gifts that humans aren't yet ready for, and though Cid is well accustomed to controlling that particular enthusiasm in himself, he dreams of them no less fervently.

His hand lingers where it is, a grounding touch so long as it's needed. ]


Clever choices — good to see you've got some sense. [ Aiden nods. If he takes any offense, it doesn't show. Cid does mean it as a compliment; he's taken things that are small and fine enough to command a fee, and common enough to be sold quickly, but nothing overtly magical or dangerous. ]

They're in good shape, too. Either you've a keen interest in taking robots apart and you haven't seen fit to tell us, or you found these in the maintenance bay. [ That's far within the city walls. ]

I didn't break anything. [ Aiden says, still sounding like a child before his parents.

Cid exhales with a huff, returning his attention to the Doctor. ]


Can you tell if they're compromised? [ He means the parts and Aiden both. They'll need to know sooner or later; no sense in putting it off for long. He has an idea, if the Doctor doesn't, but it's not without risk — frankly, he would rather not. ]
Edited 2024-05-20 16:26 (UTC)
falcony: (✓ >> 4)

[personal profile] falcony 2024-05-20 04:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[ there's a nod at the confirmation, whether or not it helps. sam feels like it should, that they've all been around long enough, lived through enough, that being okay at the end of whatever it is is plenty. but he also doesn't need to linger on the fact, either. geralt is moving on, more focused on something else, and sam is content enough to let the direction of the conversation change.

the question is not a surprise, exactly. a familiar, habit-driven part of sam wants to say you know the answer to that. he doesn't, because he also knows that no matter where geralt is on his journey through forgotten memories, it won't help to bring them up. so sam nods, casually. ]


For as long as you're willing to work. [ which sam also knows the answer to, that geralt has no issues with working with his hands for as long as he needs. but it is one way that sam can say of course and for as long as you need without those words having to leave him, specifically.

he gestures out to the courtyard. ]
One of the rooms needs word on the roof tiles. The upstairs has a bed, but I don't think the insulation is finished. You can take your pick. [ sam glances to geralt with a casual smile, welcoming, but also kidding in a small way. joking. sam will always have room, but even in the chaos of this unfinished home, that is made even more evident by how quiet it all is. for having such a large building, numerous rooms, open spaces - it could feel lonely. quiet.

it doesn't, not with all the unfinished projects as companions. but what sam doesn't say is that even he would appreciate the companionship. ]
blackeyedprince: (glasses)

[personal profile] blackeyedprince 2024-05-20 05:42 pm (UTC)(link)
I don't know half of the things you are doing in your workshop, and that's being overly optimistic already, but you know I always want to hear about it.

[This is not a criticism. Just an honest assessment of fact. Mara cannot possibly keep track of all the projects his friend is involved in. Even fewer of those he understands.]

I am flattered by your faith in my gardening skills, but no. I brought it from my last visit to the Feywilds.

[How he found it is another matter. Or how it was cultivated. Given it's him, there's inevitably blood involved.]
judgmentbolts: (14)

[personal profile] judgmentbolts 2024-05-20 06:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Cid nods, taking the words for what they are... an offer to let him back away from this edge. He doesn't say anything in response, just puts a hand on Viktor's shoulder briefly — a silent thanks, not just for this, but for the kindness.

He picks up the Orchestrion roll, tucks it into the machine, and starts it himself with a brush of his fingers and a scattering of levin.

The music starts. There are no words, just the sounds of various instruments picking their way through a familiar tune. He steps back, leaning his hip against a workbench, his arms folded across his chest. His expression is more puzzled than anything. ]


I shouldn't have this. [ He says, after a long moment. ] I left this Orchestrion roll for Midadol. I...

[ Midadol.

All at once, the memories flood back. His gaze snaps to the parts still spread out on the table. ]
...She was ten when she built that. [ The original was bigger, but that hardly seems to matter now. The words seem to come out of him in a rush, like an anecdote he's repeated a thousand times. ] She stole all of the parts, drove everyone mad for weeks trying to find the culprit, then she got me out of bed to see it in the middle of the night. I was so... [ The sound that comes out of him could be called a laugh if there wasn't so much pain in it. ] Proud of her. My brilliant girl.

[ He puts a hand over his mouth, blinking away the blurriness of tears. ]
lightkeeping: (pic#15944694)

[personal profile] lightkeeping 2024-05-20 07:22 pm (UTC)(link)
Big, huh?

[That's fairly exciting. Despite how powerful they've become, Aloy still enjoys a challenge. Maybe something left over from a former life, or years of taking down monsters three times her size.

She nods at the rest of Himeka's assessment. Something that's better taken care of sooner rather than later.
]

Better not waste any time, then.
lightkeeping: (pic#15944711)

[personal profile] lightkeeping 2024-05-20 07:28 pm (UTC)(link)
"That's what this is," she says, gesturing around them both. Aloy spends most of her time by herself, which is how she prefers it, though she knows that Julia doesn't really think it counts.

Aloy studies her carefully, as if trying to garner more information about the demigod in question (and, perhaps, her feelings towards it) from the expression on her face. The little noise says it all, really.

"I'll keep an eye on it. Hopefully it won't come to that."
techmaturgy: (pic#15348796)

[personal profile] techmaturgy 2024-05-20 07:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[Viktor's masked stare probably says it all--no real facial expression needed. The sanctity of his laboratory is not a secret, and it's bad enough that certain individuals keep trying to grow trees or oversized vegetables out of some misguided attempt to green up the place. The last thing Viktor wants is a destructive demigod, even if he knows this is only a joke.]

A call?

[Viktor is here for research, not for this kind of hunting, but that specific phrasing has him curious.]

I'm taking samples. My work is not exclusive to the mechanical, you know.
lightkeeping: (pic#15944736)

[personal profile] lightkeeping 2024-05-20 07:55 pm (UTC)(link)
It's nice to see you too. Out here, that is.

[She's well aware of Serenity's penchant to stay in the Horizon. Aloy goes there, but she much prefers the real world and her tangible effect on it. It has never quite sat right with her, to spend her time on some other plane where there is so much she can be doing here.

That much is understood between them, at least.
]

It's nice to see. I'm glad everything seems to be thriving but...I don't really stay in one place too long.

[So enjoying the fruits of her labor is a bit up for debate. She likes this, though. Likes reclaiming the land from disaster, natural or otherwise.]
lightkeeping: (pic#15695277)

[personal profile] lightkeeping 2024-05-20 08:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Well, at least it was an accident.

[But there's skepticism in her voice, as if she maybe doubts that, or possibly doesn't trust Nanaue to have the best judgement in most situations. She's had some clashes with regards to the oceans, and doesn't exactly have the most charitable opinion, as a result.

Michael is one piece, at least, and he seems to want to move on from it, if the foliage display is any indication. She follows along and takes stock of the plants when she sees them, reserving judgement because she's sure there's more to all this.
]

You made these?