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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.



beautifullies: (нow doeѕ a нedgeнog мaĸe love?)

[personal profile] beautifullies 2024-05-25 06:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Gazing at Sidus thoughtfully, Claire can't help but voice the first thought that pops into her mind.

"When did you get so wise, hmm?"

She smiles, then pulls her gaze away and looks down at the water, trailing her fingers across the surface, just to the side of her face. Still, for a quiet moment or two she reflects on his words before voicing her own.

"I remember what it's like to feel burgeoning hope and happiness that something new and wonderful was about to start. Then it's happening, and the way it's so easy to get caught up in one another is intoxicating." Making Sam laugh was always her favorite, the way she could say a flippant word or two and cause him to toss his head back. She's smiling through the memories, but her smile dims just a touch.

"And I remember wondering what I'd done wrong when we agreed there was love but apparently not enough for me. I questioned for so long whether or not I expected too much. All of this goes back to what you said: it is very human. Perhaps it's universal that beings capable of feeling, want to feel loved at some point. At the very least, cared for."

Ripples blur her reflection, exaggerating the features of her face.

"I'd like to let go of the worry that I'll only be setting myself up to go through it all again. Instead, I've gotten used to the good same."
respiting: (140)

[personal profile] respiting 2024-05-25 06:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[ In a surprising act of emotional display, Rocket squeezes her hand back.

It was a thing that happened a long, long time ago. Most gods forget about the shit that happens even decades before, but Rocket takes special care to remember everything he can because so much of his memory prior to being a god has disappeared, faded away with time and a healthy dose of compartmentalization. ]


And that's why you're gonna be fine, Hilds. [ He gestures to her deadly godly invention, to bring their conversation back around to the point — and to put a stop to all of this emotional mush. It still makes him a little uncomfortable; he can't help it. ] And why your followers are gonna be fine. 'Cause you care about it all, which is a hell of a lot more than a lot of gods do.
sophos: (pic#4583191)

[personal profile] sophos 2024-05-25 06:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[ the look she gives nebula is deeply unimpressed. ]

I get a lot of restoration echoes, you know that. Maybe I avoided this one to avoid you speaking to me like this.

[ she hadn't missed it - but she was in the middle of something, and it hadn't felt as pressing. annabeth knows she probably shouldn't be that way, but it's already become habit. ]

I assume you're not going to leave until I agree to come with you.
respiting: (o17)

[personal profile] respiting 2024-05-25 06:55 pm (UTC)(link)
S'pretty.

[ A small, nonchalant shrug accompanies the (seemingly) nonchalant commentary before Rocket crouches too. He grazes a paw across the fresh grass and little flowers and closes his eyes.

He never came from a place with a proper funereal culture, never really learned how to do it properly. He remembers a flash of coloured lights that explode in a dark, dark sky, and he knows it was in honour of a loved one, now passed on, but he can't recall any of the particulars. He's got no coloured lights now, but he can close his eyes to the darkness and silently think on the creature, acknowledge its troubled life, and let it know it was not for enjoyment or benefit that its life was ended.

A moment more of silence passes and Rocket takes a breath.

Then he gets back to his feet, and turns back to Geralt. ]


Never gets easy, with these things.
respiting: (o31)

[personal profile] respiting 2024-05-25 07:11 pm (UTC)(link)
'Course not.

[ Please. The last thing Nebula could ever be is a minion or a lackey; certainly never one of his. She's one of his oldest friends, if not the oldest — and he might not remember everything about their past in detail, but he remembers that at least. You don't treat your oldest friend like a subordinate, that's for goddamned sure.

Like her, if he'd ever lost her, the world would not know a single drop of peace from him. He would singe the ground and feel no remorse.

So it's probably a good thing they're both here, alive and well, able to speak on stupid shit like stealing from their patrons. ]


Yeah, yeah, sure. I'll be the very definition of acceptance.

[ He snickers, because it's impossible to even utter those words with a straight face. ]
judgmentbolts: (07)

[personal profile] judgmentbolts 2024-05-25 08:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Cid isn't certain that he's young enough for his stomach to agree with that much dessert, but Azem has always been built of sterner stuff than any of them when it comes to her impressive appetite. A trait that her creation seems to share.

Though he's kept busy playing the part of dessert in distress, it's something else to watch the pair of them work together as if they can read each other's thoughts. Azem handles the field, and Aegis deals with the shell in short order.

He's up then, he supposes. ]


Just be grateful it's not an Adamantoise — [ Cid whistles, mostly to warn the others and partly for show, and a bolt of levin from above crashes into the creature, stopping it cold just as it's about to reach him, still mad with hunger. Flesh sizzling, the creature shrieks, yanking itself back and away — but not before it vomits a truly disgusting amount of slime all over him. ]

Fuck.
beautifullies: (Default)

[personal profile] beautifullies 2024-05-25 10:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Claire keeps hold of Wrench's gaze, wondering what he's thinking, but quickly gives him the rest of case's information.

It was her son's echo, I think that's why it went to both Zagreus and I, he was young and confusing the two of us. It worked out though; not so much for the unlucky ex who certainly hadn't planned on divine intervention.

We might've gone too far, bringing her back, but I suppose it keeps the mortals talking about miracles. There won't be—can't be—another resurrection for centuries. Now I feel...not responsible for her, exactly, but I keep an eye on her. Not interfering, perhaps guiding in her dreams, being a soothing voice in her mind every now and again.

Claire's never had a 'pet' human before, but she feels drawn to the woman, and comfortable telling Wrench.
beautifullies: (do тry тo geт нoмe)

[personal profile] beautifullies 2024-05-25 10:39 pm (UTC)(link)
[ She's happy if he is, but it always makes her feel extra warm to see him pleased with comfort things. She's still got it. Laughing into her cup, she takes a sip of her decidedly unsweetened tea. ]

Alright, tell me something nicer, then. Alternatively, tell me how things are with you and Annabeth lately.

[ Her smile warms just mentioning her. It's been easy to love Annabeth; she makes her son happy, and that's enough for Claire. ]
beautifullies: (ѕнe мay noт ĸιll.)

[personal profile] beautifullies 2024-05-25 11:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Claire swallows heavily and shakes her head, whether at his words or at herself, is unclear. She has to pace and gets up, feeling like her corset is too tight. He isn't wrong, she remembers as much as she tries to will away the memories that come with sweeping guilt.

"He isn't here, he never has been."

As if it's an excuse, she knows it isn't, but at least Jon knows there won't be someone waiting when and if their lives go back to what they were.

"I love him, and I love you, Jon," she says with a deep crack in her voice when she says his name. She can't, she shouldn't, but she has centuries of loving him in her mind, and less than five whole years with Jamie. Her back is to Jon as she looks through the window, unsure what to do, if she's supposed to dismiss herself in shame, or continue standing firm for her current marriage, the one she's known the longest.
falcony: (✓ >> 24)

[personal profile] falcony 2024-05-25 11:02 pm (UTC)(link)
That is something that he feels they both have struggled with over the years. What changes, what doesn't. So many parts of Sam feel tied down to a version of himself he barely remembers, and Claire- Claire seemed to be a beacon of change, of finding new ways forward, for adapting to their situation. In a lot of ways, Claire is what a lot of the Summoned should be- comfortable in their position, their powers, their lives.

Still, Sam finds he can't move on quite as easily. Not to say that Claire has moved on from them, but rather, perhaps, what they all used to be.

She says flattered and Sam grins, unashamed. "What can I say? You make it easy." He lets her eye him, check him over, and then when she steps in for the hug his arms go around her shoulders and pull her tight.

"It good to see you too, beautiful. You alright?"
starscollapse: (❖ 37)

sorry this is late! feel free to wrap this here <3

[personal profile] starscollapse 2024-05-25 11:06 pm (UTC)(link)
It is similar for her own memories and she finds comfort in knowing that others have experienced the same with what they recall of their pasts. She has known others to remember more or less than she does, but it seems the nature of being who and what they are now. It is a lonely feeling at times if she centers on it — recalling so little of where she came from, who she loved and connected to, it is as though she has always been untethered to anyone or anything at all. She rarely lets herself dwell in those thoughts, though. There is only this life, and there is a greater purpose in it.

When he asks if she's worried about him, her lower lip flickers for a moment, nearly resembling a smile in return. Yes, she is. But she will accept his assertion as fact, while not entirely letting her guard down as well.

"You are capable, I believe this. I will watch for you, though. It is what we do."

What friends do — at least, in her mind.
wwrench: <lj user=proverbially> (pic#13703938)

[personal profile] wwrench 2024-05-25 11:26 pm (UTC)(link)
He can't pretend he doesn't understand the impulse. Few below have seen Wrench as he appears now to Claire. He has his heralds for that, and the two scavenging animals are no strangers to the places occupied by those who call him. They're even more familiar still with the homes of those who may have crossed Wrench, or those who have sought comfort and protection under his name. But even among the most devoted of his followers, his face is largely a mystery. Theirs aren't, though. There are a few he watches as they go about their business, trying to gauge from a distance if they've found the resolve he's tried to impart on them, or the comfort of finality that is sometimes the only blessing he can give.

It makes it harder to lose them, and if Wrench is certain of one thing, is that they're always going to lose them. One way or another. But he's certain Claire knows that too, so he doesn't mention it to her.

You want me to take care of the husband? Something like bloodlust shifts in him, and Wrench can't quite pretend he wouldn't enjoy it. He might be able to push the desire for divine retribution back for a few decades at a time, but it's always lurking there in the end.

There's someone else who died not long ago. Someone I'd had my own eye on. Only he didn't have anyone to call out for him when it was all over.
beautifullies: ("don'т yoυ wanт тo eaт?")

[personal profile] beautifullies 2024-05-25 11:40 pm (UTC)(link)
His touch makes her gasp, makes her arch, and his name tumbles from her lips, over and over again. As pleasure coils deep in her belly, she can't help holding onto him more tightly, her fingernails creating half-moon marks at his hips. She has been loved before, Jon isn't her first, but he's the one who makes her feel as if she's the goddess of the sun, responsible for the waking of the world every day.

It's his pleasure that finally tips her over, the warmth and feel of him almost too much. Her hips alternately seek him out and pull away, which results in less grace together, and more frantic and uncoordinated movements. One hand slides into his hair and buries itself there as she shatters around him, each cry of pleasure echoing in the room.

She doesn't have any words, she can't say anything as she shudders in residual pleasure, grip loosening on him so that her hands can rest on his back.
starscollapse: (❖ 65)

sorry for the delay with this tag!

[personal profile] starscollapse 2024-05-25 11:41 pm (UTC)(link)
She watches his transformation with curiosity, letting his words settle over her, mulling them over while she thinks back to times when she had gone too far, when the pulse of anger thrumming through her veins felt stronger than the remembrance of who and what she wanted to be. When she might have lost herself somehow entirely.

Though she doesn't quite smile back — such an expression does not come easy for her — Merrin's eyes soften and she responds with a brief, friendly nod of acknowledgment.

"You carry much in yourself," she notes. "We all do, yes, but your abilities run deep. That you must weigh such choices."

Her own abilities are more straightforward, at least by comparison (in her mind). She creates safe passages for people lost and afraid, she can bend and manipulate the ground if an enemy attacks and defensive maneuvers are needed. But for him, there are times he must decide between very hard things.

"Is it heavy, to hold it within?"
seaweedbrain: (051)

[personal profile] seaweedbrain 2024-05-26 12:58 am (UTC)(link)
[ It almost surprises him how little he resists the way that Clarisse has taken control of this situation. She 'buckles' herself in, and while Percy concedes that he had suggested she hold onto him while he takes them across the distance between landmass to landmass, it's the manner of her attitude that continues to be ... different.

He supposes if she really had some nefarious plan in mind, she wouldn't wait until they crossed the ocean to have it come to fruition. Neither of them have ever been terribly good with waiting, or with plans; the fire and the ocean aren't exactly the most controlled elements when allowed freedom.

And he's about halfway in between the mainland and the Isle, cutting through waves of icy-cold saltwater without a drop of it getting either of them wet, before it even occurs to Percy that she'd called him 'Jackson'.

Why didn't that faze him right away? It's not his name.

It's ... not even familiar. ]


Why did you call me that? [ he asks, once they've made it across. He looks towards the little island, studying it for their next move, before he crouches a little to let her down. ]
aquaveiled: (himeka-551)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2024-05-26 01:02 am (UTC)(link)
My kitchen isn't just any kitchen, Sylvain.

[ She says as if that's somehow obvious. And, really, it's just a very big, very expansive kitchen. ]

But I admit I'm curious to see what you'd bring to it.
aquaveiled: (himeka-515)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2024-05-26 01:11 am (UTC)(link)
[ That's one of the many reasons that Aloy is the right ally for this sort of self-imposed mission, rarely deterred by even the most formidable of the spans pitted against them. ]

Let's pick up the pace.

[ Breaking into a sprint isn't as easy in the underbrush, but she can hold her own well enough. It's when the eerie sound of a beastly howl mixed with a woman's scream rings through the trees that Azem pauses, looking towards her companion. ]

...That's it. It sounds close.
inthenameofhades: (Smirk 1)

No worries, it's all good!

[personal profile] inthenameofhades 2024-05-26 01:33 am (UTC)(link)
Being made of nothing more than shadow and rotting flesh, the demigod does indeed taste terrible. But that doesn't stop the bite from doing damage, as the demigod begins to screen and writher and in.

"Or...do that, I suppose," Zagreus says, with a short laugh. And now it's time for Zagreus to take advantage of the beast's distraction, as he slings forth several of his bloodstones. They hit the beast and sink into its flesh - and it begins to slow. Its strength is sapped, and it's strikes don't have the same power behind them anymore.
aquaveiled: (himeka-556)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2024-05-26 01:39 am (UTC)(link)
[ Okay, she does have to glance between Aegis and Serenity with no small amount of suspicion. Her eyes eventually land on Serenity specifically as she has to ask... ]

Are you sure you're not cheating?

[ Well, it could be a lucky guess based on Aegis' answer, so she'll let that one slide. ]

Fig bavarois is correct. As is the dessert. You two really are a terribly formidable team, aren't you?

[ At least on the manner of liquor... ]

If he didn't, we can all judge him together.

[ She's all about indulgence, after all, and not only is liquor the right way to do it, but it's preferable when feasting in her halls. One must go all out. ]

Mayhaps he's been inundated with so many standout dishes that they no longer stand out and all blur together?

[ Is she giving Aegis an out or just boosting her own culinary ego? Mayhaps both. Either way, it's said in a mostly joking manner. Mostly. ]
inthenameofhades: (Serious face)

[personal profile] inthenameofhades 2024-05-26 01:58 am (UTC)(link)
"I have faith that you'll find the most terrible option and run towards it. Which you have! Let's get the mortals to believe in us more by waiting to save them only after a bunch of them have died. Shall we murder their babies while we're at it?"

The words are polite, but they're sharp and clipped - and it's clear than underneath the veneer of friendliness that Zagreus is angry.
restingstitchface: (Serenity [AU])

[personal profile] restingstitchface 2024-05-26 02:29 am (UTC)(link)
[Diana is one of few gods who embraces their likeness with humanity. Others believe they exist apart and above, with no similarities in behaviour, sharing nothing in common. Her outlook is why he engages her in discussion. Intellectual curiosity bringing together two souls with different opinions on how best to help people.

He clasps his hands behind his back and tilts his head.]


Is it really? Our decisions are the result of conditioned responses. All we do is behave according to our environment. Choices and actions are our attempts to meet our basic needs.

[He murmurs in thought.]

In which case, do we really have a choice?
cointosser: ([162 - S2])

[personal profile] cointosser 2024-05-26 02:31 am (UTC)(link)
[Loathe as he is to release her from his hold, he wasn't lying about seeing the mortals line up for just a glimpse of her -- for a chance to be blessed by her. How could any man see such a vision and not want to fall at her feet?

If he were mortal still, he would worship every step she takes.

With her entrance made, a sparrow suddenly appears: it flies several circles around her with a chattering of chirps, then soars several times over the assembled mortals. Several more calls, and a little song of his in clipped notes -- before the sparrow lands on the throne and Cadenza appears, unclothed, his wings spreading out in all directions in the colors of the sparrow's wings. Another cheer as flowers and vines grow over the dais, the grass flourishing under their feet and all around the gathering: a natural bedding for what comes next.

It's a sign that this next harvest, this next year... it'll be more than plentiful. Both their gods have arrived in excessively good moods.

Jaskier holds a hand out to her.]
Where shall I start? On my knees for you, goddess?
restingstitchface: (Severe [AU])

[personal profile] restingstitchface 2024-05-26 02:53 am (UTC)(link)
[Accusatory. Judgemental. His old acquitance has remained unchanged for centuries. Changing him would be like squeezing blood from a stone.]

Must you always believe the worst? I am here to enjoy the scenery.

[Of course he has made observations in the past, but time changes what he needs to observe, and how frequently his observations are needed. He leans forward and sounds throughly done.]

It has been three hundred years. What is there to watch?
satanicpanics: (pic#15737640)

[personal profile] satanicpanics 2024-05-26 02:55 am (UTC)(link)
That is some good ale…But, uh, doesn’t offer quite the same level of drama I’m interested in providing.

[ Which is shivering and “dying” on his doorstep like a Victorian street urchin. Languishing with ale in the Great Hall doesn’t sound like a half bad idea, though, and Jon shouldn’t be surprised if he finds Eddie there in the future taking him up on his offer. ]

Doesn’t mean I won’t consider it in the future, though.

[ And he certainly will! For now, though, his interest is piqued by this festival, and there will be no languishing anywhere. Even if Jon can’t stay for long (and Eddie doesn’t question why; they all have things going on in one way or another), it should still be a nice evening with a friend. ]

Why not? Might make things more interesting.
restingstitchface: (Serenity [AU])

[personal profile] restingstitchface 2024-05-26 03:01 am (UTC)(link)
[Crane tilts his head. Does this man even comprehend psychology? His library suggests his fascination lies with the arcane.]

Responses. Behaviour. Health. Symptoms. Whatever can be measured and studied, really.

[He does not elaborate.]