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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.



aquaveiled: (pic#15849522)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2024-06-08 01:00 am (UTC)(link)
[ The wolf is marginally familiar, but his presence is one that she couldn't forget. Still, when he returns to his normal form, there's a sense of relief in that as well, even though it was Himeka that had undergone the most...starling transformation. ]

I feel leagues better.

[ She smiles and rests her hands on the edge of the portal like a window sill. ]

And that is entirely thanks to you. If you hadn't been there, I might have--

[ Well... ]

...it could have been even worse. I owe you so much.
nadine_he_loves: (smile)

[personal profile] nadine_he_loves 2024-06-08 01:14 am (UTC)(link)
No joke. Actual fruit. Big fruit, though, like...melons. I told you it was the weirdest ritual I've heard of.

[Nadine doesn't even know how it started, she didn't ask. Some things don't need to be that deeply pursued.

She's laughing as she goes on.]


People come up with weird ways to express their worship. Sometimes really, really weird ways.
cryptsleeper: <user name="malagraphic"> (THEY!!!)

aim to wrap in another tag or two?

[personal profile] cryptsleeper 2024-06-08 01:24 am (UTC)(link)
[It looks right, seeing Himeka just leaning on the portal so comfortably. Alucard smiles, his friend the right shape and everything.]

It could have. And the resolution would have been much messier. But that isn't what came to pass, and I'm happy enough with that.

[He exhales softly, offering a hand through the portal.]

Please let me know if something still feels wrong, yes?
aquaveiled: (himeka-606)

sounds good!

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2024-06-08 01:57 am (UTC)(link)
[ She nods, albeit slowly. It could have been worse. It isn't great, but...it could have been worse. ]

...Aye, it could have.

[ She takes the offered hand ]

Fixing myself isn't what I'm worried about. That town...I've destroyed part of it. And their trust.
cryptsleeper: <user name="malagraphic"> (THEY!!!)

[personal profile] cryptsleeper 2024-06-08 02:06 am (UTC)(link)
[Himeka he would have just straight up stabbed you if that's what it took. This could have been way worse.

Such as it is, Alucard simply squeezes her hand. Gentle. Centering.]


I'd give them time to process what's happened and make sense of it before trying to rebuild that trust. It may be a while. You'll find your way back to them in due course. Until then, perhaps the sea may be a good place of respite.
hairington: (299)

[personal profile] hairington 2024-06-08 02:11 am (UTC)(link)
[ he tries to be - and maybe it's because they're his own fault, a physical representation of moments he still feels guilty for, moments he knows he messed up. it's one thing to own up to mistakes, another to know that said mistakes are all but running around hurting people. if he were able to handle this himself, he would go out of his way to make certain no one would even know how many times he's had to come out here, how many times he's returned.

but he can't handle it himself, and while steve knows better to think he has any actual connection to the way things work in this world, it does feel targeted.

and that is where aloy comes in - someone who steve has always, always been able to turn to for help. someone who steve has always had to go to, to lean on. for all that steve might blame himself and carry that guilt around, aloy never ads to it, and steve finds that as the centuries go on, it's a comfort as much as it is a relief.

he nods, and knows aloy is going to let him lead, considering they've gone hunting enough together to be able to read that much about each other. without another word, steve gestures in one particular direction - starting off through the trees at a much faster, much more experienced pace. aloy could easily outrun him, outmaneuver him in the woods, but he has learned from her where this sort of thing is concerned.

they cross miles in no time at all, steve bringing them to a stop just outside of a dark thick collection of trees. he motions towards it, where aloy can see some of the underbrush on the other side shifting subtly, like something has either just come through, or perhaps is standing just out of sight. ]
spiritread: (0135)

[personal profile] spiritread 2024-06-08 02:14 am (UTC)(link)
I don't know.

[ Her answer is as absent as it is thoughtful, like she's trying to figure things out. Then their mother speaks and she pouts - a touch. ]

I know that. [ It's less indignant and more of a quiet whisper, matched with the shake of her head. ] But all I do is feel it, the wind carries it -

[ She shakes her head. Forcing that image of calm serene as she picks up her cup. ] Never mind. You and dad must have gone on some nice journey recently, right?

[Jinora glances at Percy as if to plead following her line of thought. Rather or not she would meddle is not something she'd say here, anyway. ]
diametrically: (pic#17141011)

[personal profile] diametrically 2024-06-08 02:40 am (UTC)(link)
[ He's so consumed by his hunger to not understand that Aegis has likely shielded himself. They've never dueled or fought but the sand and dirt whisper to him, relaying what he needs to know - that and it's impossible for him to ignore the way power radiates off of him. It calls to his hunger, forcing his feet forward like some parasite has taken over his body's faculties.

The sand is unrelenting, forming into fists and claws that hack against the surface of Aegis' forcefield as if that would somehow break it. El Povo is no fool though. He knows it will likely take more than that to break through a god's shield. It's merely a distraction however, something for him to slip quietly away in the maelstrom of debris. His voice carries across the wind, taunting and warped. ]
 

I thought you said you were going to protect them. Is that how? By cowering? I've never known the great Aegis to do something like that.
abraxasnpcs: (Default)

[personal profile] abraxasnpcs 2024-06-08 03:47 am (UTC)(link)
[ Umbvagher glances between Serenity and the mortals, quiet but curious as the pressure in and around her abates. He can feel the shift in her own state of mind. The magic flows out of Serenity effortlessly as he counts each mortal that drops in front of them on a finger, having to repeat several times on both hands until they all have fallen.

From behind his mask, he whistles light-heartedly. ]


Now that is kindness but with style.

[ Holding a hand above his head, a hat materializes just in time for Umbvagher to lift it towards Serenity as he steeps into a bow. ]

Hats off to you.

[ He chuckles at his own joke and straightens. Then he places the hat upon her own head. ]

That will conclude today's lesson in divinity. I'd give you a...B+.
familysucks: (03)

[personal profile] familysucks 2024-06-08 03:53 am (UTC)(link)
Michael is ignorant to how he shakes the cozy inner world she's built, but he doesn't knock again. The attempt at a biting comment is proof he's gotten her attention, which is what he was after.

"I know," he says, matter of fact. He remembers that now, too. He's always known the other Summoned-gods (or just Summoned, now?) were people he'd bestowed with the title of sibling simply because he'd known them long enough to need something closer than friend. He'd thought Wanda was something else. Now, his memories fully restored, he thinks it makes no difference either way. "You have an elder brother of your own and I wouldn't presume to take his place. But you've stood by where my siblings by creation wouldn't have, and you've shown more interest in my well-being than they ever did. So does it matter?"

She still cares, he's certain of it, even in her darkest and most isolationist of moods. So does he. He still wants to be here.

Michael looks up at the sky. The cracks are growing in number, as if they're within a glass dome under increasing pressure the deeper they sink. That might be anxiety-inducing to creatures more capable of emotion than he is. He supposes her desire is not entirely unreasonable.

"I see. Do you suppose I might join you in there, instead?"

If you won't come out, can he come in?
Edited 2024-06-08 03:53 (UTC)
abraxasnpcs: (Default)

[personal profile] abraxasnpcs 2024-06-08 04:05 am (UTC)(link)
The turmoil of Kell's thoughts is palpable. Aldewyrd watches emotionlessly as the younger god struggles to find words to his troubles. A tongue twisting on itself. That is Aldewyrd's domain.

"How?" The voice repeats an octave higher than the last. A figure in red appears behind the Herald, but they move in unison. When they speak again, the voices blend into each other.

"I listen to all who call out to me. Mortals are always toiling with their desires and guilt."

A third figure joins the first two.

"But I only respond to those with conviction to act."
princeofruin: (087)

THIS IS TOUGH LOVE

[personal profile] princeofruin 2024-06-08 07:04 am (UTC)(link)
[Ah. He knows the noise well; he's said the wrong thing, even if it were the truth. He does not correct himself. He only nods, taking that as Cassian means it in the moment.

He is here, for now. That is plenty.]


I should like that.

[He does not know next when Cassian will disappear. Or, in truth, himself. When some melancholy will take him and he will sink under the waves --

It is strange how the memories don't hold him now, like they used to, or perhaps it is simply having company. He is entirely in this moment, as if the times before it do not exist, nor the times ahead of them. The skies are clear, without a sign of darkness in them... the sun grows bright and he revels in its light.

It may be that which emboldens him to cross the space between them, to lean across his table as he kisses against the closest solid point -- or even that which is not anymore. It is a kiss nonetheless.]


Perhaps. I enjoy having you tell me more. [He may be teasing in order to keep the mood light. He... wants that, for both of them. Very much so.

He lays his claws on the second ball of dough. Cassian came prepared.]
Are you certain I can be trusted with a second? [He can. This time, Bahamut is much more careful with it, working it with his knuckles instead of all of his hand. It works much easier, smoothing out.] Ah. Even old dragons can change their scales, it seems.

[He hardly has need of mortal food, but once Azem introduced the creation of it to him -- again -- he has found this to be one of the most sacred acts to bond with others with.

Especially so that it needn't be done at all.]
princeofruin: (069)

[personal profile] princeofruin 2024-06-08 07:10 am (UTC)(link)
[He cannot refute the claim.

Light thrums through him like the vibrating string of a plucked instrument. He is better with company, but he is never better, more alive, more placed in the world than merely passing through it, as he is when he is flying with company.]


Now who is a flatterer?

[Just for that, he dips down quite suddenly -- just enough his friend may need to drop his arms to catch his balance. There's a vibration that runs along the length of his body that is certainly a laugh.] You have never had competition.
godshattering: (pic#15439511)

[personal profile] godshattering 2024-06-08 06:17 pm (UTC)(link)
[ An eyebrow is arched at the mention of doing nothing because of course he hasn't. At first the words fired back at him are only met still with that bored expression, as if this is a lecture he's used to instead of one that smarts. Because despite the act, despite it all - Sidus still knows that Valentine is telling the truth. That while it wasn't only his hand who'd acted to let things fall where they had in the burning wreckage that'd been that fight and the aftermath, it's his which keeps the embers of it alive and ready to ignite.

The weight of it would've cleaved his heart into pieces again if it'd ever mended from its earlier rending, but he's startled by finding himself midair. It's only reflexes quicker to act than his mind still stumbling over his reasons which keep him from tumbling to the ground as the cap to his ire when he whirls around to watch her leave with that final damnation.

Several scathing thoughts come to mind but for all the harsh words which threaten to hiss out from between his teeth, Sidus decides to say nothing. There's no point in responding, anger whispers to him soothingly, when it doesn't matter. When he knows he's right to steep everything in the depths of a part of him that will remain shattered and an ever present agony for as long as he's without them both with only grief as a companion.

Because in the end, he listens to what Valentine tells him when the years call out those truths to him over and over: he doesn't return at all. Not even once, not even on a whim, not even for any time measured in something as short as a blink, and he lets that silence ring with nothing but its own echo to reverberate in the nothingness left behind. ]
thoughts: (7)

[personal profile] thoughts 2024-06-08 06:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[ serenity has lived for over two hundred years now, but his humor and his words bring her back to the child that was summoned to abraxas in a time she can't remember. the joke makes her smile and she warms beneath the hat and his approval. ]

Can't settle for less than an A. I'll do better next time.

[ she has to work hard, the same way she had when she first learned magic. this lesson was... unorthodox, and not at all what she expected when she called for help. but it was still helpful, in his own unique way.

so she adjusts the bowl of kassa's stardust to one hand and tips his hat right back to him as she gives a short bow. ]


Thank you.
itookashot: (KY_31)

[personal profile] itookashot 2024-06-08 07:03 pm (UTC)(link)
"Ooo, look at you." Jesper purrs when Sylvain moves up behind Claude and he has his full attention now. Silver eyes glow a bit. He feeds on this, not always intentionally, but it's impossible to not absorb it when he's as open as he currently is for his night. Because of that there is a bit of a boost in the room of heat and suggestive energy, temptations easier to give in to.

"You know wrinkles never stay for me, so you may as well ruin it." Jesper can fix any torn or wrinkled clothes with a tiny touch of his fingers, something that has been fun to make use of whenever they get in their moods. They know that they can tear each other's clothes apart and that it will be fixable so there's no concern about wasted fabric.

He sits up more properly with his hands behind him, tilting his head curiously to the side, as if he's watching something fascinating. Which to him, it always is. They probably should wait until later but Jesper never lives in the 'should bes' because he is all about the 'nows.' "I'm getting a flashback to our first time together. I appreciate that we've never been shy, have we, my loves?" Jesper loves every person he places a hand on, that's why he ended up in his dominion.
itookashot: (Yisxswy)

Let's wrap on this one!

[personal profile] itookashot 2024-06-08 08:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Jesper holds Mara and kisses the top of his head. "Done." The world shifts around them as Jesper moves them. It's very easy to do with powers like theirs, but he in particular has skill for making his form fluid and crossing boundaries like it's nothing. He's always been adaptable. He takes Mara with him.

They find themselves in Aquila, but not in the main city which is the laidback beach town he's always been fond of. Jesper has been staying mostly within the Free Cities or Feywilds these days, the first as his fake human life, and the latter where he feels most comfortable. But there are several quiet spaces in Aquila in the areas where humans aren't supposed to go, out on the shoreline.

Jesper brings them to one of those private spaces where he gets all of the things he asked for, creating a little blanket for them to sit on in the sand if he wants to, tugging him down. It's a slice of peace. "Just sit with me and relax. Everything will feel better soon."
itookashot: (Default)

[personal profile] itookashot 2024-06-08 08:13 pm (UTC)(link)
[Moved here if you want to continue!]
starscollapse: (❖ 84)

[personal profile] starscollapse 2024-06-08 08:38 pm (UTC)(link)
"If you could know peace, would you choose it?"

Perhaps to some, it might seem like a question with an obvious answer. Who wouldn't want that, right? But for Merrin, it feels similar to the grief that comes from carrying pain. And though one might at times wish not to feel the pain of loss, the alternative would be harder to bear, in her mind — that of forgetting, or of feeling nothing at all.

It might seem like an overly personal question, and if he chose not to answer, she would think nothing of it, but she her curiosity has always manifested in a bold way.
mathmetism: (tumblr_inline_p5gf0dogwK1rvxgyx_100)

[personal profile] mathmetism 2024-06-08 09:50 pm (UTC)(link)
[ jerry does occasiionally make a good point. annoying, isn't it? he pause by a set of schematics, titling his head and try at decoding. sometimes, he gets what viktor's going for, sometimes he gets pieces of it. more often than not, the core of it is humblingly far over his head. which just means he has more to learn, and there's nothing more grippingly exciting than that. ]

Eh. Man comes across something unknown and different, that lizard brain kicks in. Humanity's gonna humanity.

[ logic and rationality goes out the window when fear of the unknown kicks in. it's base and animalistic, an instict from ages passed, and one most humans think they've outgrown. you'll always have your divide of people who come around to curiousity, and some so stalwartly committed to fear they can't allow a single one of their faction to cross the line and offer understanding without labeling them the enemy. sometimes you just need to be louder than the fear, and if jerry's good at anything, it's being loud. ]

I'll look after the little dudes. If we've gotta wait out humanity finding some fucking nuance, well, we've got time.

[ it's not their fault the world they came into is imperfect, and it's not humanity's fault fear is a built survival instinct. ]
wiedzminka: (forty.)

[personal profile] wiedzminka 2024-06-08 10:21 pm (UTC)(link)
I say it's about damn time.

[ Ciri releases him, calling her sword to her hand again instead. It materializes in a flash of light -- along with her, several afterimages blurring in the air all around the beast to confuse it. The real Ciri flanks it, driving the monster toward Claude and keeping it occupied so he can line up his shot. ]
mathmetism: (tumblr_inline_p5gf0dYtgb1rvxgyx_100)

[personal profile] mathmetism 2024-06-08 10:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[ sweet spyglass!! jerry takes about two seconds to check out the island in question, before flipping around to peer out across the rest of the ocean, at the clouds, at that freckle on jack's forehead, and that fish swimming under his float, then flips it around the opposite way and giggle at how far away ed looks.

but, immediately sobers on ed's report of his late father, letting the spyglass fall into his lap. ]


Sounds like a real shitbags mcgee.

[ even when they're gone, it doesn't take the damage they did away. hell, it's almost worse, even when you know, rationally, nothing you could've done would've made them a better person, or convinced them to be any kinder or loving. but there's still that circle you can't close. ]

And look at you know, master of the tides. [ arms abruptly raises, sending a flourishing arch of sea water into the air (sorry for the splash zone, jack). ] Must be pretty fucking embarrassing, your kid being a badass while you're just lazing around being all lame and dead.
thoughts: (83)

[personal profile] thoughts 2024-06-08 10:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[ she resists his pull, twisting out of his grasp and taking a step backward. no excuse will ever be good enough. nothing, absolutely nothing, is worth more than his life. ]

They are always going to need help. They're all the same. You can't eat their pride or swallow their cruelty.

[ no amount of self-sacrifice can change human nature. there's a desperation in her voice as much as it's full of anger - both at him, and at the mortals that he tears himself apart for. it'll never be enough, not for them or his bottomless hunger. ]

It's in the bones. In the blood. You carve out the flesh and wither away into nothingness, and for what? Why? Why can't you just stay?
thedreamer: (0517)

[personal profile] thedreamer 2024-06-08 10:58 pm (UTC)(link)
One last spark, and we're nearly there —

[ His focus is solely on trying to configure a few wires, more intentionally calling upon his magic. But much of his power right now relies more on affecting already sentient creatures, being able to heal ailments both physical and mental. So despite the very cool, totally awesome burst of light from his fingers, nothing at all that they're actually hoping to achieve comes to fruition.

There's only a soft sigh — nothing overly frustrated or defeated — before his hands drop. ]


Or today isn't our day, old friend. Not to worry, though! There's always another. Time gives us an abundance of moments.
thoughts: (95)

[personal profile] thoughts 2024-06-08 11:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[ she's content to watch the stars in silence, wanting for nothing more than his presence at her side. but his words strike at something inside of her that she doesn't know how to name, her brows furrowing as it stirs uncomfortably. ]

I... I don't remember a before.

[ there's a lot she doesn't remember, time and delirium eroding her grasp of things that have or haven't happened. some of it is in the future and the past is a blur; some of it is imaginary, and when she tries to think of their home or their parents or anything else about their history, it feels like a dream she never had.

serenity tears her eyes away from the meteor shower to look at her own hands and mug of hot chocolate between them. ]


I can see a ship. And Bee. An ocean of stars we could almost swim through. But all of it is here.

[ she looks over to him with a frown, confused. ]