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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.



hairington: (055)

covers timestamp....also feel free to handwave/drop if we'd like to move on with them c:

[personal profile] hairington 2024-06-21 02:35 am (UTC)(link)
[ Percy is giving Steve a lot of credit here, which is very nice of him but doesn't necessarily mean it's 100% true. Steve has held onto a lot more of his humanity, comparatively, more of his history and who he used to be before all this. but that has a lot to do with the others he stays around, the fact that he can't really lose sight of who he is when the people he sees day to day never lose sight of him.

there's something to be said about friends, about chosen families, etc etc etc. but if hanging around him helps gods like Percy feel more tied to who they want to be, well. he's not going to say no to that.

Steve nods at the 'not that long ago' answer - aware that the concept of time, of how long ago is long ago. for all that he's retained some semblance of who he is, there are still some things they all share. ]


You know- [ the mention of the witchwood has steve somewhat excited, a small smile tugging at his mouth. because here's the thing - Steve loves the witch wood, loves the feeling that he's doing good, that he's hunting monsters, that it really can be that simply. he's in there often enough, with aloy and others, but it has been some time. ] That idea doesn't sound half bad. Check out these rumors first and then head into the Witchwood?
sophos: (pic#4369084)

[personal profile] sophos 2024-06-21 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
[ their time apart blurs as it's happening, largely because time itself now blurs. she keeps busy in her own domains, happily, angrily, powerfully, and he the same - and if she happens to prefer sticking near the shoreline as a general rule, she can't imagine anyone is surprised. ]

I'd like that. [ not just because of the temples or additions - there's something she always enjoys about being in the ocean with him. maybe because it feels like being surrounded by him in an almost ethereal way. ]

But I don't want to think about next time and parting from you just yet either. Not while I have you again.
seaweedbrain: (010)

[personal profile] seaweedbrain 2024-06-21 04:55 am (UTC)(link)
[ Percy shrugs.

He doesn't like to recount his weaknesses, but Cassian has known him for so, so long now ... had seen him over the decades as he'd changed and became the god that he is today, it's easier somehow to admit to the things he'd tried his best to keep hidden.

Only Annabeth has ever really seen the terrible things he's capable of, and there's a reason for that.

It's not something he's proud of. ]


You've seen me in my ... preferred form. [ And no, this human form is not it. ] I didn't always know my own strength. And I didn't always care either. It's led to a few mistakes, letting my emotions get the better of me.
spiritread: (057)

[personal profile] spiritread 2024-06-21 05:57 am (UTC)(link)
[ Jinora munches with one hand while the other returns to her lap. A part of her wanting to start with it's not that we think he can't do it before quieting. ]

Oh.

[ Oh. ]

When you put it like that... I guess the only thing we can do is cheer him on, right?
judgmentbolts: (31)

[personal profile] judgmentbolts 2024-06-21 01:15 pm (UTC)(link)
Like hell you have. [ Cid's usually gravelly voice is nearly a growl now. He doesn't know how long it's been since he cared to fight Viktor on the subject — perhaps a passing remark on looking after himself here and there, but certainly nothing of substance.

He'd long since decided that it was up to Viktor what he wanted to do with himself, whether Cid liked it or not — but this was something else. This wasn't about anyone's choice. If only he could stall Viktor long enough to sort it out, to explain

Cid stumbles back a few steps when Viktor shoves him, more surprised than anything. It's barely a blink before his gaze narrows and he's closing the distance between them again, clearly meaning to tackle Viktor to the floor. If this is the way it has to be, then so be it. One way or another, he'll get Viktor to listen to him. ]
techmaturgy: (3)

[personal profile] techmaturgy 2024-06-21 03:34 pm (UTC)(link)
[It's possible that Viktor did not expect this to escalate into a physical fight. Perhaps he imagined that he could dismiss Cid, retreat into some darker corner of his workshop, and correct the error that is now surfacing. But he is reminded once again of what a disappointment everyone else is in the moment when Cid bodily tackles him.

Viktor is not light--he is made almost entirely of metal, and the sound they make when they hit the floor is nothing short of horrendous. The impact means it's a moment before he's even able to respond. Cid has both the element of surprise and the advantage of being the one to do the tackling, but Viktor has three arms with which to grapple. He'll make good use of it, grabbing Cid by the shoulder in a bid to throw him off.
]
diametrically: (pic#17142483)

[personal profile] diametrically 2024-06-21 03:57 pm (UTC)(link)
[ When he feels her touch he stops in his tracks, feeling like she were somehow gripping his heart instead. It takes him a moment to bring himself to look at her because the feelings that flash through him root him to the spot. ] 

Yes. It's a galaxy far from here. A planet that doesn't exist anymore.

[ The admission is more difficult than he imagines it to be. For someone so straightforward and certain of his convictions and his plans, why was this so difficult? He has to keep it together. 

Ink black eyes that he knows are not really his stare back at her, a maelstrom of comets falling into eternity conveying the grief and anger at the remembrance of a life that had been ripped from him again

Cassian forces himself to look at her. Annabeth. Sister. Stranger. The dull ache of hurt follows in the wake of that thought, not unlike a piece of his heart being ripped out. But this pain he feels is inconsequential because they can't live like this any longer. He steels himself from the dull ache and pushes forward in spite of the fact that this would destroy his peace, a peace that he had never had the luxury of knowing. And while he's come to terms with it himself he can't help but wonder, is this a kindness for Annabeth? Or is it a cruelty? ]


None of us are from Abraxas, Annabeth. You were right earlier. You didn’t have children with Percy here — because none of this is real. 
Edited 2024-06-21 15:58 (UTC)
diametrically: (pic#17141013)

[personal profile] diametrically 2024-06-21 03:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Are any of them proud of the destruction that they’ve wrought by their own hands? It’s no less shameful to know that they hadn’t been of their right minds either. ]

We all had a learning curve.

[ He empathizes. He understands because although centuries have passed he can still taste the fear and sorrow that he’d sucked out of bone and essence like some taunting, cursed reminder of the creature he could become if left unchecked. ]

What matters is that we learn. You aren’t that version of yourself anymore, Percy.
thedreamer: (0570)

could wrap here and do new event things if you like?

[personal profile] thedreamer 2024-06-22 08:15 am (UTC)(link)
And I'll keep coming back.

[ Where others might see something futile in continuing to try and calculate anything at all, the Doctor can't ever entirely give up. As long as Viktor uses the word 'perhaps,' the Doctor sees it as a world of possibility, even though there's nothing that's been missed. They'll try again. Maybe not for a long while. ]

Otherwise — renewable sources of energy, solar power photo cells. Mind you, I only have the bones of it. And I do mean bones, as in the barest foundation of an idea. But every great venture starts with an idea, eh? That sparks another idea, that leads to creation and progress. Let's work on it together.
thedreamer: (0547)

it's all good!

[personal profile] thedreamer 2024-06-22 08:22 am (UTC)(link)
Her name. The last part of her you had left here. The one thing you could control in all of this — your memories, and her name, and everything that meant. And you let it go.

[ He feels and hears the sharp edge of his own words and while he lets them linger for a moment, he does soften and share something of his own. ]

I forgot, too.

[ He doesn't elaborate on who or what exactly he forgot (in truth, there's so much and so many), but the sentiment is enough, he hopes. Nathan wasn't the only one. ]
seaweedbrain: (034)

[personal profile] seaweedbrain 2024-06-22 03:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Everything smells like garlic — and by the very nature of that, everything smells good. The rich scents take no time at all to waft into the air as steam and smoke and garlic begin to turn their seafood into something palatable for all mouths.

It's hard not to start to pick up a bit of an audience as Himeka gets the ingredients going — or at least a cluster of mortals curious about the smell. Weary travelers and nearby locals alike begin to flock closer but thankfully never too close.

Percy helps to do the menial tasks, the chopping and dicing, and putting certain fresh ingredients to the side to await their turn at the pot, keeping the fires going, and their stations relatively clear. ]


Oh, definitely. This could heal just about anything. It's only making me hungrier though. [ And then, as a small aside: ] Might even pick up a few new patrons along the way. That wouldn't be so bad either, would it?
techmaturgy: (pic#15348817)

[personal profile] techmaturgy 2024-06-22 05:06 pm (UTC)(link)
No, I'll take it.

[Despite his interest in the mechanical, Viktor has never stopped learning from nature. His consternation comes from the idea that Mara might have put himself in danger to get it.

If there's only one, and if the Fey otherwise believe the rest to be gone, well. Viktor can take care of it.
]

I wanted to make sure you weren't risking yourself unnecessarily.
techmaturgy: (pic#15348805)

[personal profile] techmaturgy 2024-06-22 05:10 pm (UTC)(link)
[The definitive way Cassian says it indicates that Viktor has made some kind of breakthrough, bringing him here. What this means for the rest of them, however, he isn't sure. Viktor follows him down the hallway, a step or two back.]

What do you remember?
thedreamer: (0721)

[personal profile] thedreamer 2024-06-22 08:31 pm (UTC)(link)
[ When Jaskier pulls away, the Doctor's hands wring together somewhat aimlessly, helplessly in his lap. The understanding that he's only made this worse, the moment he sees something shift in Jaskier's expression. If it were so simple, he would offer his hand and tug him away from all of this. That they could run to the most distant star together, that he could show him the vast splendor of the universe, and they would never have to stop.

Or, for a time. There's always the inevitable, the pain that's always waiting — a different sort, perhaps. To be the one who has to go, or the one who always has to stay when everyone else leaves.

When the Doctor is most afraid for others, when the situation is most dire, there's a bluntness to his words he doesn't intend, and he softens and nearly deflates. ]


Sorry — I'm sorry, Jaskier. I've made a mess of it, it's only that...I'm afraid for you the longer we stay here. So we're both scared, in different ways. But if we say it out loud, what we're most afraid of, we can hold it together. Take its power away.
familysucks: (13)

cw: gore lol

[personal profile] familysucks 2024-06-23 12:40 am (UTC)(link)
If Lucifer doesn't want to fight him, why is he attacking?

He might think it odd, later, that for all the things he's said here Lucifer still looks at him and sees safety. Maybe he looks like the eye of the storm in this moment, but there's no calm to be found in him. In the moment, Michael isn't thinking much at all. There are arms around him, stronger and more threatening than the vines had been. This is an offensive.

There is no warning roar, no growl. Michael turns on the closest arm and sinks his teeth in. The part of him that is leviathan says chew and this time he doesn't fight it. His teeth cut cleanly through flesh, skin and muscle and tendons, blood and ichor welling up against his tongue. The wound he opens up sings with the shrill ringing of exposed grace. Eight hundred years hasn't given him a sense of taste to either delight in or recoil from the familiar flavour, but there's something alive in his mouth and he swallows back everything his teeth cut loose.

There's bone beneath, too thick and too sturdy to break through in a single bite. Michael grinds his teeth against it, cutting furrows into the bone—a weak spot for a break when he twists his head sharply to the side. The sound of bone snapping is deafening, like an icy meteorite exploding upon atmospheric reentry.

(Was it like this when that other him tore his Lucifer apart? Was it only blind rage, something he reframed as good and righteous in the aftermath? Is there a version of him that would do this and enjoy it?)

Michael lurches to the side. Severed arm still clutched between his teeth, he slams them into the crystallized dune with enough force to send a network of cracks spiderwebbing out from the point of impact. It cracks but doesn't split.

If Lucifer doesn't let go, he'll take another arm.
godshattering: (pic#15439514)

[personal profile] godshattering 2024-06-23 01:56 am (UTC)(link)
[ It's good to hear she's not harmed, but the demigod moving again diverts his attention. Before he can draw an arrow Ciri's sword strikes again, and it's with an impressed low whistle he says the first thing which comes to mind. ]

My mother would admire you.

[ No sooner are those unexpected words out of his mouth, ones he hadn't planned for when he can only sort of picture his mother even despite mentioning her for the first time in centuries, does Sidus know them to be a true statement. But how or why they're coming to mind now he doesn't stop to think about before more words find him. ]

She was known as a demon queen. I think.

[ That last addition is said with far less certainty than the rest, but what preceded it also felt right. Like a memory and not something he'd just invented for the sake of saying something or anything else frivolous, but something stored away he hadn't noticed until now. Unnoticed above him, one of the cracks in the sky grows wider as if in confirmation of a truth. ]
sophos: (pic#4416384)

[personal profile] sophos 2024-06-23 04:25 am (UTC)(link)
[ something in him shifts when she touches him, but annabeth can't place why. it's a gesture she's done a thousand times before and yet he seems to almost startle with it. maybe his memory is getting more faulty than it used to be. ]

[ before she can ask him about this planet that no longer exists, cassian moves on and drops perhaps the strangest thing he's said this entire conversation. it hits her like a block of ice, which is odd enough, and she tries to ignore the way it sends a chill up her spine. ]

[ she looks at him with complete befuddlement. ]


What are you talking about? Are you drunk?

[ she could tease him and say it's because of the way he admits she's right, but it's... more than that. her hand squeezes his arm more sharply, largely without realizing, but it's almost like her own body is just reacting to it. ]
aquaveiled: (himeka-544)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2024-06-23 06:24 pm (UTC)(link)
[ She would expect nothing less of Sidus, a man of impeccable taste in his own right. They are known for throwing some of the best parties in the mortal and divine realms, after all, and she knows that for all her own skills, she couldn't do it without him. ]

Oohh, inside of it as well? There is never enough cheese.

[ She says mimicking his own thoughts, but is that hardly surprising? Azem feels cheese is special though she has never wholly understood why. It feels so wonderfully indulgent but so readily available at the same time. ]

Why not both?

[ And of course he comes prepared with his own sampling. She's all too happy to take a look at the wheel. ]

The entire wheel inside the loaf? Now that is genius! Was there a specific type of bread they were baking it in? Or do you have any preferences?
diametrically: (pic#16867157)

[personal profile] diametrically 2024-06-23 06:47 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Even before this discussion had begun, he had known that he'd be met with resistance. This isn't an easy truth to swallow. Truth so rarely is when the lies and dreams had made life comfortable. But then is that living?

The strength of her grip doesn't draw his gaze away from her. A furrow forms between his brows. Now isn't the time to show annoyance. ]


No, I'm not drunk.

[ There's a quiet urgency in his voice now. A conviction in his belief of her. ]

Something in you knows this isn't true. Once you see the cracks and imperfections, it's impossible to ignore. You are smarter than this, Annabeth. This may be a life you want some day but did you choose this? Do you remember choosing this?
carmesi: <user name="berks"> (Default)

[personal profile] carmesi 2024-06-23 07:39 pm (UTC)(link)
This certainly brings her comfort, in the way that she had forgotten how important to her it was to have this kind of warmth in contact—to be held and to feel protected and to be loved. It has been centuries since for her, but it feels like just yesterday when her family would comfort her by keeping her close.

She will be reluctant to pull away.

"It makes sense if this were something that Singularity orchestrated," she agrees, finding the vague memories of that time pulling front and center onto her mind.

But then, that does beg the question of what to do next.

"Do we just let it all shatter and crumble?"
ordinar: (♛ 028)

[personal profile] ordinar 2024-06-23 08:34 pm (UTC)(link)
As if the memories are catching — a fire or a contagion — things drift up from some forgotten place in Wilhelm. He's listening to Mara, but his mind strays. He's moving fast down a road, the scenery blurring into screaming colors. A song he hasn't heard in a long time is pumping around him. There's someone he can't remember, and suddenly it feels very important that he does.

Something like sadness snags him. The feeling that something is gone and he can never get it back. Wilhelm shakes his head, trying to clear his thoughts.

"It's not an echo?" he asks, though he knows that if his brother is concerned by it then he must have eliminated the possibility.
sketchycharacter: (pic#10737803)

[personal profile] sketchycharacter 2024-06-23 10:33 pm (UTC)(link)
[Each word is like a stab in the heart. Nathan can feel his blood pressure rising, feels the fuck off rising in his throat like bile he can't hold back—

And then it's like cold water's been dumped all over him.]


How much?
aquilus: (hood - regret)

[personal profile] aquilus 2024-06-23 10:34 pm (UTC)(link)
I remember.

[The words come quickly, harshly, as if he's biting them rather than speaking them.

They are not a lie. He does remember. Yet...the memories are smaller, less clear. As if he's viewing them from a great distance. Or maybe they just feel less important when the calls of his followers feel so much more urgent in the here and now.]


That was different.

[He says it. He believes it. But if asked to explain how...Altaïr is not sure he can.]

[ooc - 1000% feel free to let this go for being Old, the last month-ish became a free time tire fire due to both expected and sucky surprise tl;dr life stuff so either way many apologies for a month of flakiness]
aquilus: (modern - scoff)

[personal profile] aquilus 2024-06-23 10:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Then this is pointless.

[As answers go, it's not all that surprising, whether or not he can bring himself to believe it. But part of Altaïr has to wonder — is he disappointed in the answer, or disappointed in himself for the asking?]

I should go.

[It's that or put an end to this. And he doesn't know if he won't or if he can't.]
thedreamer: (0610)

[personal profile] thedreamer 2024-06-23 11:31 pm (UTC)(link)
Everything.

[ And everyone. Now it's all come rushing back — the weight of a thousand years of grief and pain, yes, but so much joy, so many moments he would never, ever let go of, but they were taken. Even the pain — he doesn't want to lose any of it, ever. It belongs to him. They belong to him, every single moment, every single face.

Now let's conveniently not talk about those memories and pivot back to Nathan — ]


Now, come on, come on, remember her and everything you forgot. Remember her face and her name, remember you told me if you ever got back to her, you'd have at least twenty children.

[ Jokes in a time like this? Yes, yes, exactly. ]