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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.



sophos: (pic#4369137)

[personal profile] sophos 2024-06-23 11:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[ annabeth steps back and drops his arm, expression twisting with more bemusement and incredulity. ]

[ there is also a small part of her that is pulled in by what he says, and not because it caters to her. she trusts cassian. cassian wouldn't lie to her. his tone compels her to listen in its urgency. but every word out of his mouth sounds so absurd. ]


Of course I chose this. I make my own choices in everything. [ he has her on one part though - she doesn't remember choosing to be a god, but it's not like that's a surprise. ]

There are a lot of things I don't remember, Cassian. It comes with how long we've been alive.
restingstitchface: (Derisive)

[personal profile] restingstitchface 2024-06-24 12:25 am (UTC)(link)
[Crane smiles and angles his head. This man, who disagrees with him in some respects, remains respectful in others. It is enough to keep him in a pleasant mood.]

Yes I did. I am more interested in how people interpret them psychologically than how they scientifically function. I am curious about how they affect the mind. Of course they offer no answers but it's the meaning we ascribe to them that matters, no?
aquaveiled: battle (himeka-250)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2024-06-24 12:51 am (UTC)(link)
[ Cruel irony that those who spawned these demigods can't be the ones to finish them off, but Azem will do her best to do so in Mythos' honor.

Despite the demigod's initial appearance, its reflexes seem to be on point. But Mythos' initial attack, even though it didn't land, offers enough time for Azem to cast a boulder of ice above it and slams it down onto the fiery beast. The flames hiss and steam, cold battling against heat. ]


Once more!

[ Hopefully it slows it down enough for Mythos to get in to land his next attempt. She begins casting again in the meantime, drawing up vines from the forest floor to enclose their arena and try and slow the creature from any attempts at escape. ]
aquaveiled: (himeka-447)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2024-06-24 01:06 am (UTC)(link)
[ They're subtle shifts in Nebula's expressions, but ones that Azem feels she's become rather adept at reading by now. They make her feel immensely pleased and warm all at the same time.

She gingerly places the crown on top of the other woman's head as if it is something of great weight and importance. Adjusting it slightly until it's right where it needs to be, she slowly lowers her hands. ]


Beautiful.
thedreamer: (0666)

good to wrap here, I think! 🎁

[personal profile] thedreamer 2024-06-24 01:50 am (UTC)(link)
[ Days of dormant and unknown shadows lie ahead, trouble they can't see or predict. Terrible things may happen and the boy that's caught their focus this particular moment might need them for a while longer than they could ever know. But the Doctor it more than up to the task and he believes the same of Cid. This wasn't what either of them could have predicted, nor perhaps what they wanted to happen necessarily, but there's an easy rhythm they've managed to share between them, silent understandings in their interactions with Aiden that have made it all far more seamless than it had any right to be.

There's no relaxing suddenly. There's no job well done, good on us, not entirely, though they have done good things here. It's a bit like holding their breath, but the Doctor is ever the optimist without being blind to the risks still ahead. ]


On our way! To good days and even better ones ahead.

[ Look, he loves a good story. Forgive him his cheesy finish there at the end. He smiles, though, at both of them, and does indeed illuminate the way with a wave of his hand and the light of stars in the palms of his hands to guide them forward. ]
godshattering: (pic#15894888)

[personal profile] godshattering 2024-06-24 02:00 am (UTC)(link)
[ There's another smile on his face that this time Bahamut cannot see. A genuine one at that; one the other god has seen several times over in all that time they've spent together. One Sidus wouldn't normally hesitate to share, but today he keeps it to himself as something private from that confirmation, as something meaningful. Perhaps, even, with an intentional underline to it by not turning it into more teasing as they land and he descends to the ground with one hand trailing along Bahamut's scales with a now clawed hand as he goes.

As always, the temptation to lean down to cradle one of those motes before it blinks out of existence is irresistable. Even though the one in his palm lasts for no longer than a couple of seconds, but it's long enough to admire it before Sidus stands back up and smooths a non-existent wrinkle out of his outfit as he does. ]


Then I think we should dazzle them, don't you? It's not fondness alone which leads me to tell you you cut a striking figure.

[ And with one flutter of his cloak, it's a white wyvern who now remains after Sidus shifts to further the effect as he walks forward towards the mortal kneeling by the shrine. On any other day he'd keep a mortal form to blend in and find out more first, but those repeated requests deserve something a little more - especially with Bahamut behind him. A clawed hand is held out to one side as he goes to stir up a telltale breeze, and before he can truly add more flair it seems that's announcement enough when the man there looks up. It's no less satisfying when he immediately startles.

"You came," is the first thing out of his mouth, to which Sidus merely tilts his head in what will have to substitute for an eyebrow raise. "I didn't know if you would since my request is so small." ]


Perhaps you caught me feeling generous.

[ Someone on guard would hear the warning beneath the cavalier tone, but not this follower who looks grateful. The man goes on to explain something about a family business and how his sibling is set to inherit it but he feels it should go to him - the finer details of which are lost on Sidus since something about this tugs at his memory. Something he can't quite remember, something forgotten about sibling rivalry - something which rubs him the wrong way when it feels like this request isn't quite the truth when it has the distinct air of trying to outsmart a god.

When the man finishes talking, Sidus spends enough time staring at him unblinkingly to get a nervous shuffle of weight from one foot to another, and only after that does he look to Bahamut. ]


Hm. What do you think?
furibund: (pic#17131123)

[personal profile] furibund 2024-06-24 03:19 am (UTC)(link)
[ How has it been 800 years and she's still so damned awkward when it comes to any sign of affection? It's not a lack of trying, she knows this much. Nebula knows that she's grown and changed in ways that wouldn't be conceiveable in the past but there's some part of her - the part that doesn't, can't forget that she was disposable for so long. Never good enough no matter what she did. ]

[ She can't forget no matter how hard she tries, even if it seems more possible at Azem's gentle movements. At the way she speaks and - if this were another time, she'd scoff - but this Nebula worked hard to reclaim her body in the only way she could. She doesn't roll her eyes, doesn't scoff, and only manages an amused cluck of her tongue. The smile is genuine and the heat rising to her cheeks annoyingly prominent: ]

Funny. [ She breathes out, ] I should be saying that to you.

[ She reaches forward with the organic hand, pausing momentarily for approval, to place one of the flowers behind Azem's ear. ]
seaweedbrain: (112)

[personal profile] seaweedbrain 2024-06-24 03:20 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Consider his interest piqued. Percy nods in agreement with Jinora, after all, it sounds like a very personal kind of affair and getting your children involved might seem a little weird.

But he's actually curious about this ritual. Possibly to gather some inspiration for his own marriage. ]


That's a thing? How come you never told us about it?
diametrically: (pic#16867135)

[personal profile] diametrically 2024-06-24 06:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Despite his reminder to himself to keep calm, to not let emotion get in the way, the dust and dirt that settles between and on the planks under their feet begins to stir, moved by his frustration. Noticing that it does doesn’t help his mood and the croissant in his hand goes ignored. ] 

It's more than that. I saw the sky crack in the Horizon. I saw the Singularity turn upside down and I know in my bones that I'm not from here. 

[ He gestures around them. ] 

If the magic here can make this seem real, what is stopping it from making us forget swathes of our personal history? 
blackeyedprince: (gone)

[personal profile] blackeyedprince 2024-06-24 08:39 pm (UTC)(link)
Far. Too far maybe. Kell takes a deep breath, giving himself time to really think through an answer.

"Sometimes, but not often."

Still, what the question shows him, that he already has the answer to his doubts. Whatever it was that held him back from admitting to it melts away now that he sees it.
Is it really that arrogant to feel confident in his judgements? Or is it the small way of thinking that doesn't relate to him now that he surpassed the length of life he could ever have had as powerful, but still mortal Antari magician back home.

"Only when they learn nothing, or forget too easily about the hardship they went through as soon as the waters calm for them."

That's not all, isn't it?

"Mostly if they consciously and deliberately misuse my gifts to elevate themselves, and keep repeating the mistakes that led them down the wrong path. Where at the end of it, they can only ask for my help and forgiveness. If they learned nothing, I cannot help them."

It's the only thing that truly makes him angry. The disrespect and squandering of the second, third and more chances he gives them.

Kell smiles. He bows towards the figures.

"Thank you," he says. "I can see more clearly now."
familysucks: (08)

[personal profile] familysucks 2024-06-24 08:40 pm (UTC)(link)
It's been a long time since anything younger than him has huddled up to him for comfort. Though the hug is a foreign gesture, there's something nostalgic about it anyway. She won't have trouble pulling away whenever she chooses, but Michael won't be shooing her off before she does.

He lifts a hand and pats the back of her head, smoothing her hair down. The real question, he figures, is if they can keep any part of this reality from crumbling.

"Apart from a few people, there's nothing here I'd care to hold onto. Is there something you want to try and save?"

Michael's never been much for hanging onto illusions or material possessions. What he has here can be replaced. People like Wanda are what matter to him. If there is a part of this she wants to preserve, then he will help her try.
diametrically: (pic#17142522)

NOOGIES YOU

[personal profile] diametrically 2024-06-24 10:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Mortals often said that his pitch black eyes were devoid of feeling, a true representation of the hunger that lurked beneath waiting and biding its time to swallow everything around him whole. But there's nothing here but adoration. Care. A desire to not just say but show that his promises weren't as empty as he felt.

If he had the ability to sway that in any way for the god before him, he would. Because as much as the hunger urged him to be selfish - he knew that his powers had never been for him. They were for those around him, those precious heavenly bodies that he orbited and used as guiding lights on his return to consciousness.

And it's perhaps for that reason that before Bahamut can go too far, Cassian takes a hold of his wrist to draw him close to press a kiss of his own to him before letting go. In that brief moment he takes just the tiniest amount of whatever dark clouds may continue to linger and cloud Bahamut's mind. Not enough to be noticed, but enough that would make the next little while lighter for him. ]


I have faith. [ He says it encouragingly, his smile lingering. ] It's not a savoury dish, and it involves pears. [ If that weren't abundantly obvious. ] The other vegetables are for a different dish. I'm sorry for trying to deceive you.
diametrically: (pic#16867169)

FREYA I'M SO SORRY I LITERALLY MISSED THIS IN MY INBOX SCREECH feel free to drop

[personal profile] diametrically 2024-06-24 11:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Surprise shifts across Andor's face like the sand beneath their feet as he regards the offered pie.

And while his hands stay stock still by his side, his stomach betrays him by growling. It's unclear if it has more to do with the pie and its tantalizing smell or the proximity of a god that would satiate him more than normal food would.

After a moment however he takes it like some tentative creature uncertain about what to do in the face of kindness. ]


What else is in it?
diametrically: (pic#16919529)

[personal profile] diametrically 2024-06-24 11:33 pm (UTC)(link)
A galaxy far from here. A jungle.

[ As they pass by the windows in the ship, the landscape outside seems to shift with it. Where there had once been a desolate mountaintop bursts a lush, green landscape with creatures that definitely didn't seem to exist on Abraxas.

The voice of children laughing and chattering in a language that is unfamiliar (and yet so familiar to him at the same time) bounces off the walls around them as he continues deeper inside. ]


A government like the one that used to exist in Thorne before it was toppled.

[ He pauses, turning around to look at his friend. His black eyes are filled with concern. Worry. ]

Viktor, what's happening?
techmaturgy: (pic#15348870)

[personal profile] techmaturgy 2024-06-25 04:13 am (UTC)(link)
[If Viktor realizes that Cassian is entering a crisis, he doesn't show it. Instead, he seems to be entirely intrigued, by this sudden remembrance of another world. Chasing true sentience for the automatons has been one of his major goals here, but he's never lost sight of reaching beyond this world.

He wonders if this might be the key. Awakening these memories of another life in one of their own.
]

I can't be sure.

[But it is, in its own way, thrilling.]

We can stop here. You don't have to learn more, if you don't want to.

[Viktor could take it away again, he's certain.]
seaweedbrain: (061)

wrap soon?

[personal profile] seaweedbrain 2024-06-25 04:44 am (UTC)(link)
[ Percy nods. ]

And that learning curve wasn't easy. [ Sometimes it really did feel just too good, too freeing when you could use your powers without restraint. It meant that the world could bend under the flex of your fingers, and everything that couldn't handle it be damned.

He knows now that that's not always the safest way to approach things, especially when it meant the birth of too many spawn, and the lack of devout followers. It's a fine balance, being a god. ]
But I guess that's my point. I know there's a lot you regret doing while you were getting the hang of your powers, but I did too.

I'd still say you're doing a pretty good job of being a god these days. [ His expression, which had been so serious and so contemplative until now, suddenly breaks into the smallest of teasing smiles. ] Even if you're having a bad streak of luck with the fish today.
seaweedbrain: (018)

[personal profile] seaweedbrain 2024-06-25 04:54 am (UTC)(link)
No, we don't need to think about next time just yet. Only knowing there will be one is enough.

[ Percy leans in to press a quick kiss into her hair as he keeps his arm around her, close and protective — as though there is anything around them that might strike fear in the hearts of the two all-powerful gods who, combined, could do things to bend the world under their whims.

There is a reason their patrons often pray to their joint temples when embarking on a long, complicated journey. They hope for a blessing in having the wisdom of strategy, and the support of the chaotic elements. ]
diametrically: (pic#16804014)

fin! 💕

[personal profile] diametrically 2024-06-25 06:35 am (UTC)(link)
[ Percy is right. Andor always burned too bright and fast to stick around to see the aftermath of any potential demigods that he may have spawned, but he had also missed that he was not alone in his experience. He never had been. And lately, ‘Andor’ feels like a different version of himself that he shrugs on and off when it suits him. On days like this, with the sun bright in the cloudless sky, the tranquil sound of the water lapping against the sides of the dingy little boat, Cassian swears he feels human.

Percy’s comfort is met with a bemused huff and a roll of his eyes. But almost as soon as he opens his mouth to say something there’s a tug on his line. His attention snaps back towards the rod as he begins to reel whatever he’s caught in. It occurs to him that this could very well be Percy’s doing - but even if that is the case, Cassian isn’t about to object.

A wide smile cracks across his face, a rare sight for both mortal and god alike but one that feels like the most natural thing in the world. ]


What was that about bad luck?
sketchycharacter: (pic#10534362)

[personal profile] sketchycharacter 2024-06-25 03:58 pm (UTC)(link)
Fuck.

[Nathan knows instinctively that he's forgotten a lot, more than just her name, without being able to say just how much is gone because he can't identify what's already lost.

But a lot is different from everything. He can't even imagine.

He takes a deep breath and just — collapses, folding down to a crouching position as all the memories flow back into him. It's like a dam has burst. He can't even recognize individual memories as they return, he can only hold on as the torrent flows through him. He doesn't even recognize when the sobs begin.

When Nate looks up again, he feels a little more like his old self. He doesn't know if that's a good thing or not.]


Fuck!
abraxasnpcs: (Default)

[personal profile] abraxasnpcs 2024-06-25 07:49 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Vimorskas beams brightly, emanating a ray of sunshine from his being, his hands planted on his round hips. Small mushrooms bounce and jump about at his feet. Her vision has been well-received. ]

Many thanks! Times have been hard. We thought we'd give the world a bright spring to look forward to. What have you been up to? Has the sea been kind to you?

[ Vimorskas's domain sometimes encroaches the sea floor and its fish, but not often. There are others who take good care of the waters. ]
carmesi: <user name="berks"> (Default)

[personal profile] carmesi 2024-06-25 10:25 pm (UTC)(link)
( vexani isn’t about to say much about what can or cannot be done for ceartais, and is more than happy to move on from the subject, except she can sense that her son’s interest is piqued. how come she never told them? well, the goddess of illusion keeps many things a secret, and that includes from her family, too.

nothing nefarious, at least. )


Well, if you’d like to know more, you should ask him yourself.

( she smiles, gently. )

Couples looking to wed push through this procession, from the Cities to Solvunn, to my shrine. They hope to tie their fates and their love to an everlasting power. I make sure their love lasts eternal.

( or so is the hope, anyway. )
sophos: (pic#4369215)

[personal profile] sophos 2024-06-25 11:59 pm (UTC)(link)
There will always be a next time.

[ because that much will always be true. ]

[ she leans into his kiss, his arms, the strange way he holds her protectively, because even though annabeth doesn't need it, there's always been something comforting about it too. there's a sense of safety that comes from him, even outside the nature of their godhood. ]

[ and, well. there's something else she's starting to think she'd like to lean against him for. they are married. there are a lot of ways to be surrounded by the ocean. ]


But since we're still in this time, I think you should consider taking me under the docks and ravishing me before anything else. [ she has great ideas. ]
sophos: (pic#4324827)

[personal profile] sophos 2024-06-26 02:38 am (UTC)(link)
[ her feet shift, dimly aware of the dust, if only because she is so in tune with cassian beside her right now. ]

[ annabeth frowns, deeply, when he talks of a broken sky, of the singularity, in combination with how utterly resolute his tone. she's gotten very good at picking apart his lies in all these years, and nothing in the way he speaks suggests a lie. he believes it. ]

[ she has a lot to lose, if none of this is real. she feels so attached to this life, to the power and her presence in this world she helped shape. she takes a few steps away from him, trying to ignore the cold that flashes through her. her croissant is also forgotten. ]


It is real. [ perhaps, when all is said and done, cassian will understand why it's so hard for her to let go of this - but in the meantime she falls so readily into the denial. ]

How could magic make up centuries? How could - [ she's struck with the notion that if this is fake, where does that leave her with the people here? with cassian? that can't be fake. she refuses. annabeth shakes her head at him. ] Okay, enough of this. Whatever you're trying to do here isn't funny anymore.
abraxasnpcs: (Default)

[personal profile] abraxasnpcs 2024-06-26 04:23 am (UTC)(link)
As Kell speaks, each figure beings to show a little individuality. The white-cloaked figure on the right steeples their fingers while the one on the left leans to the side to get a better look at the youngling god. The red-cloaked figure in the center remains motionless

But as Kell comes to his own conclusions, they all raise their heads in unison once again.

"Precisely," they say. "If they soil your gifts, then they have earned your judgment. We find that mortals of true conviction don't balk at failure. They learn from it. They might even thrive in it."

The figures do a short bow together in response.

"There is clarity in suffering. May it blind you no more."
diametrically: (pic#17142480)

[personal profile] diametrically 2024-06-26 06:40 am (UTC)(link)
[ Eight hundred years has made him adept at lying. Scarily so. Sometimes he found himself wondering if the memories that came back to him in fragments were truths or a lie made up to comfort him in some way. After so many centuries of blood and destruction on his hands, a part of him didn't think himself capable of having nice things. And that was what made this all the more difficult.

Because why would any sane person try to do away with what he had found? Why would he try to willingly throw away the parts of his life that dulled the aching emptiness inside of him? He knew that this wasn't real. And even if the lives they had hadn't been easy it was still theirs.

The dust and dirt around them flares, and the mortals that share the docks with them being to realize that something is amiss. ]


None of this is real. These stories aren't our lives - we have to wake up. [ His voice rises, timbre and command in an otherwise calm voice. ] Why can't you see that?