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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.



restingstitchface: (Austere [AU])

[personal profile] restingstitchface 2024-04-21 01:19 am (UTC)(link)
[Crane does not ruminate or recoil from touch; not this one so tender that it sends minds racing. He corrects his posture and leaves that hand to fall. On a shoulder, a side or a thigh.]

Well, I find them predictable.

[Gods, Fey, Mankind. The more he experiments upon each, the more he understands their behaviour is the same.]

And where I want to go is hardly a place. But if we indulged my hobbies I fear you would complain.

[Not least about the fact they wouldn't be leaving his realm at all.]
furibund: (whatif15)

— annabeth

[personal profile] furibund 2024-04-21 01:20 am (UTC)(link)
[ Nebula's had a skill for tracking for as long as she could remember — The exact details of how or why she'd need those skills hardly mattered. All that did was that she could keep tabs on her people. She knew when something might be going amiss. Most of the time. Even she's not flawless, though she'd never admit it. Not being able to do a certain task - didn't matter how mundane - had always been something that would make her short. Godhood hadn't changed that, some days it made it worse. ]

[ For better or worse, Annabeth was considered her people. Not close people, but one of those adjacent "you're close to someone I care about, so I guess I have to make sure you're still alive" kind of thing. That and sometimes Echoes get sent in her direction even when she has no interest; The other woman's aspect was about the scholarly side of things, building new and fresh designs. Mostly. That's where they crossed paths in the restoration side because sometimes people updated for the sake of it. ]

[ Today's work - year? - wasn't one of those. Otherwise, she would have ignored it, let Annabeth have the little perfectionists wanting good marks with some superior. She had no interest in it. What she did have interest in was that a massive project was underway and the other one wasn't around. The mortals didn't know, would never know, but her Nebula thought she liked the tough tasks. Yet, she wasn't there.]

[ The mortals couldn't reach her, but she could. It takes no time at all to find the other. Even if she does have the right fortitude to wait - ensure the other knows she's there - before folding her arms and offering a tilt of her head: ]

Come on, there's work to be done.

[ No-nonsense and just as direct as ever. Her voice doesn't lack sharpness even if the note of confusion - worry? - is there. And then as much to goad her as it is to prod her into action (asking after, even) she adds: ]

Don't tell me you've gotten lazy.



Edited 2024-04-21 01:58 (UTC)
respiting: (o30)

a little help from my friends — geralt ;

[personal profile] respiting 2024-04-21 01:25 am (UTC)(link)
[ So, okay — this might've been his own doing.

Yeah, yeah, you ignore the echoes and going into the Horizon and try to spend living your life being huge and powerful and revered by a buncha normies, and these little twisted creatures start popping out of the woodwork like daisies. But oh, if you do a little too much messing around with the Singularity (which, okay, he's done on the rare occasion) you get a bunch more of the little frickin' idiots running around.

This leads us to today, and Rocket (who has remained 'Rocket' even after 800 years — because it's a name he'd chosen for himself, a name that represents what he wants to do, and how he wants to be, and for everything else that had been built into him, piece by painstaking piece without his consent or any of that garbage, this is his) trying to chase his demigod spawn down without much success.

Even gun-arms and crushing them under his feet don't seem to work. ]


Goddamned things — just die already, would you?! I told you, you can't be going around terrorizing people! That's my job!

[ It's not — not actually, and he hasn't actually done a whole lot of terrorizing random villagers for the hilarity of it for a little over a century or two by this point. Even self-proclaimed shit-disturbing gods like himself can change, okay! It's possible.

He groans frustratedly before catching sight of the familiar hulking form drawing near like a slow-moving little mountain made of fur. There's a pause as he sets his right gun arm down, and his demigod spawn snarls in response.

The cloak and head of the figure forms a snout of a wolfish beast, and Rocket knows now exactly who it is hidden beneath the shroud. ]


Hey! [ Hi Geralt, old friend. It's good to see you. ] A little help here?
itookashot: (KY_85)

[personal profile] itookashot 2024-04-21 01:29 am (UTC)(link)
Of course, everyone's predictable. Even you.

[ How fun he was! Why did Jesper get pulled in so easily to someone who was the opposite to his personality? Hard to say. He rolls his eyes and sighs, indeed putting that hand on Crane's side, drawing him closer. ]

Tell me what you want and you might get it.
northerndragon: this is jon. he fights real good and we're proud of him. (right proper lad.)

[personal profile] northerndragon 2024-04-21 01:39 am (UTC)(link)
"My maester lady," he says, affectionately. Some call her a witch, and in some ways, she reminds him of a woods witch. That only means that she tries to heal hurts and help babies come properly. What she is is great enough, but it is often one of his regrets that he could not make her a queen in truth. They had met far too late for that.

He sits on the edge of the bed; he tugs her with him.

"Save any of their pets?"
thedevilwhorose: (float away)

me: no tags must sleep | brain: but okay one tag

[personal profile] thedevilwhorose 2024-04-21 01:42 am (UTC)(link)
"What?" is drawled, its discordance echoed across their minds, "aren't you supposed to be able to handle me at my worst?"

He moves in half a heartbeat of time, slamming Istredd against the nearest wall, one hand clawed into the wall just besides Istredd's head, a feral, beastly move.

Familiar.

Familiar in the act of violence, familiar in the way that he isn't doing this to drive a wedge between them, familiar like "I was just mad and you were there" and trying to avoid dealing with things alone and explosions.

There's a continued cutting response on Lucifer's tongue when another brutal wind gust slams into the castle. With wards and stone it may not leave a mark but it rattles something in Lucifer's nerves regardless, jars his own castle walls, his mental tide rippling out in response to the moving-on winds.

There's a conversation they've already had in those waves, but for a different person. Layers upon layers of that same conversation.

Istredd literally can't say anything new to him that Lucifer hasn't already heard, and Lucifer's wanted to deal with it just as little this time as the last. Because this time. This time Lucifer actually understands why he's upset.

And he doesn't want to hear it.

Any of it.

"Gabriel's gone." The shadow of thought behind those words is that Gabriel has been gone awhile, though Istredd would've remembered seeing him around Ikorr.

The timing of the storm and Istredd's distraction clearly allowed Lucifer to obfuscate his increasing poor behavior and dress it up with a different excuse.
diametrically: (pic#16919449)

[personal profile] diametrically 2024-04-21 01:43 am (UTC)(link)
[ The Machinist should know that if there was a way for him to stop the dust from falling off of him, he'd have found a way by now. Or at the very least, found a way to prevent it from falling in here. But since that hasn't been possible over eight hundred years, Andor has come to appreciate that his friend makes the exception for him. 

Despite the expression on his face often looking tired and somewhat gaunt if he hadn't eaten, a spark of curiosity seems to animate his features. Something in his void-like eyes seems to lighten as he steps closer, closing the space between them and leaving small motes of dust in his wake. ]


That they're unlike anything any other inventor can make. [ His lips twitch slightly as if in anticipation. ] Is this a trick question? 
thedreamer: (0721)

[personal profile] thedreamer 2024-04-21 01:48 am (UTC)(link)
[ It's been so long now, her voice an unfamiliar tether to a life that feels like a distant memory now. Mixed in amongst the joy of all the moments they'd once shared are other memories he can't understand, memories he doesn't want. Things have happened here, and beyond, and he's lost in his grief. The farther he's fallen, the more distant from Julia he's become, the more removed he's grown from this world he loved so much.

He doesn't look at her, either, only the stars that swirl before him. He pinches a beam of light between his fingers, dragging it across the sky that isn't there, until the grip he has on it devours, the dark swallowing the light.

Her voice. She's here, she's right here. He could touch her, he could almost —

But he doesn't look. Selfishly, he's grateful for her presence and he wants the comfort of her embrace, but taking a step closer would be the worst thing he could do and he knows it. She deserves better than any life he could give her. ]


You didn't need to come.

[ He's missed her so much. ]
restingstitchface: (Regret [AU])

[personal profile] restingstitchface 2024-04-21 01:56 am (UTC)(link)
[Resistance meets force, pushing against that hand drawing him close, with minimal intent. Not out of disdain but the urge to be contrary; to create conflict and cause a reaction. He pivots around and leans forward with one of those curious looks he wears too well.]

Back to work. But, like I said, I fear you would complain.

[He looks aside as though fearful they are being heard - but returns his attention to his unwilling partner in crime.]

Which is why I believe we will mix your suggestion with a little fieldwork.

[We will. Not we could. He isn't willing to be controlled; he isn't willing just to observe. Whether Jesper agrees or attempts to persuade him otherwise. Well, that's the surprise he's after, isn't it?]
spiritread: (025)

[personal profile] spiritread 2024-04-21 01:56 am (UTC)(link)
[ Jinora had appeared all those years ago. She waited as long as she could in the dredges of an 'old life'. Her last life, as she called it, even if this part of her felt endless. She would go on, again and again, as all the others did. The others continued their lives as they have, but she's chosen this. Did she choose it? That's the part that felt like a blur. Choosing a new form and life as the ages go by. ]


[ It'd felt natural to take the mantle of the Avatar: Someone was supposed to do it, someone was supposed to bring Balance. And wasn't it easier to be what you need to be, to let go of who you might have been? It's the way she functioned, choosing to stay as close to humans as possible (within their limitations). It's why, since the last time they met, that old life had ended and this new one had begun. It's why a young girl arrives in the temple. Small, agile, and quick on her feet as she smiles at the eager scholars. For a moment, content to recognize Annabeth is there but not approaching. In this form, it's much easier to get around but as she's learned, people aren't interested in the musings of a small girl. ]

[ Humans never really change. A part of her mournfully and resentfully wonders why she bothers as she balls off fists and steps away from one particularly snooty student. There's a million and one things she could do or say and it's that resentful side of her that tells her to act on them. She ignores it, and tells herself there's no reason to bring herself to the level of a bully and turns her attention to look for Annabeth. ]

[ It's not a difficult feat, because in this way the other is predictable: She likes to be lofty and watchful. Ordinarily, air bending would position her with her in seconds, but she takes the long way. Basks in the normalcy, because not all things had to be done with their gifts. ]

[ Folding her hands behind her back as she tilts her head in the other's direction - in the writing in her hand. As if this far away she could read it, but decidedly asks anyway: ]

Did they leave you anything interesting?
respiting: (o26)

sunshine, lollipops and rainbows — nebula ;

[personal profile] respiting 2024-04-21 01:58 am (UTC)(link)
[ Eight hundred years later, and Rocket seems to have mostly shaken the chip(s) wedged deeply onto his shoulders. It's noticeable in the way he seems so much more at ease in his gigantic form, exponentially larger than he'd ever been way back when. He seems relaxed and in control in a way that feels inevitable. Perhaps that's what it is to be a god, and if it is — well despite all of the dick-gods he's known in the past, this chapter of his unexpectedly long, long life ain't half bad because he's different.

He might be a dick, but he's not 100% an asshole.

He barely remembers much of his past, barely remembers what it was like to be so small and helpless and angry and alone (but he remembers the pain of it very well) because his preferred size is as tall as the tallest building, or at the very least, at a match with whomever he's speaking with.

Today he's diminished his size to match Nebula's, and he's brought a couple of tankards of ale (courtesy of one Horizon belonging to Geralt; no some things never change) with him to share. ]


I know we're not supposed to laugh at 'em or nothin' on account of them revering us and all that, but this guy! [ There's a wheezing huff of laughter. ] He had the stupidest name I ever heard. I'll still help him, 'cause of the sheep and the cows, but can I tell him he should change his name too?
magicalarchaeologist: (close serious)

I'm blessed lol

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2024-04-21 02:03 am (UTC)(link)
"That doesn't mean ---"

Istredd is about to say more but he's so utterly shocked by the forced movement that he's shut up. Lucifer is so rarely physical with him, outside of times that they both want it, and he moves with Lucifer without thinking, allowing himself to be slammed back as if this is a joint decision. He isn't afraid although the confusion could easily turn into anger, eyebrows furrowing, back against the wall.

There are times he doesn't entirely understand Lucifer, and normally it means he is missing something. The way he reacts to the storm and the surge of whatever is going on in his head means there is something more than him being cruel going on. Istredd graciously gives Lucifer a minute to decide if he's going to talk or not, because otherwise, they are about to really have a fight.

The truth of what Lucifer reveals is just as surprising, but it does explain, and his instant sadness is genuine. He liked Gabriel a great deal. And he's getting from their bond it didn't happen yesterday, it happened some time ago. Lucifer's been keeping this inside. It does not go by his notice that the 'Jack's gone' dark energy is similar here.

He reaches out to cup Lucifer's face in his hands, gentle. "I'm sorry he's gone, Lucifer." Did the when matter? He's unsure. "Why didn't you tell me?"
beautifullies: (wнaт aren'т yoυ тellιng мe)

[personal profile] beautifullies 2024-04-21 02:11 am (UTC)(link)
"Together, we've given her a chance. And now, I rather want to know who to punish."

She's angry, as angry as she ever is.

"If I ask her, would you be so kind as to come with me to collect him?" Her eyes flash gold for a moment. She hasn't ever made frequent use of sending people to the Barren, but this she cannot abide.
itookashot: (pic#14855148)

[personal profile] itookashot 2024-04-21 02:11 am (UTC)(link)
[ Jesper rolls his eyes when his hand is batted away and he leans back against the railing again, raising his eyebrows. He crosses his arms and waits. ]

We've known each other a long time, which means you know I hate when you don't just say what you mean.

[ Jesper is a very direct person. He almost always says what he means. His flirting is the only time he sometimes dances around what he wants, but in the end, he is right up front about who he is and what he wants. So of course it drives him absolutely insane when someone is obtuse and indirect. This is why they can only ever be lovers and never something more genuine. He'd end up strangling the man. ]

Be clear. What do you mean?
smilefornow: (default)

Near The Lighthouse - Open Month 1-2

[personal profile] smilefornow 2024-04-21 02:17 am (UTC)(link)
[It's become habit of Arthur's to float along the seaside, drifting aimlessly up and down the coast. He's not entirely sure why, he knows he had a reason at one point, but now it's purely habit. Sometimes he makes himself visible, particularly on foggy days. Give some beach combing mortal a story to share later, a fleeting glimpse of the ghost on the shore.

It's very literary.

But most of the time he's unseen by mortals, a silent observer. He likes to watch them live their lives, play out their little dramas. Even the most mundane mortals have entertaining interludes. Squabbles, romances, hijinks, misunderstandings between friends...Arthur enjoys seeing it all. They're so full of life and living. But for them, time means something. They have to live brightly and quickly, as they only had so much time to do it in.

The most interesting or entertaining exchanges and dramas he writes down in a little collection to share with other gods who have any interest. And Ed. Ed gets to hear all about what nearby mortals are up to. He just hovers and watches, or follows after a pair or group of mortals, intent on them and their conversation or activity.

To those few who can see him, it's bound to look suspicious.

On rare occasions he goes into the sea, but he just can't understand the appeal. It's dark and strange and the novelty of it wore off quickly. Fish didn't have much in the way of interesting life stories and the only people down there were dead ones.

But he still might be found drifting out of the ocean with a disappointed expression on his staticky face and seaweed clinging to his flickering, gray shaded form.

On days when he's particularly feeling the weight of ennui, he leaves a wake of screaming fish behind him.

They'll stop....eventually.]
divinityfrompain: (017)

[personal profile] divinityfrompain 2024-04-21 02:19 am (UTC)(link)
[ A part of her wants to get into his space, into his face, scream at him that he should look at her. That this distance between them wasn't all her choice, but it still feels like it was. They pushed so far away from each other that it may as well be an entire star system between them. She wants to kiss him and she wants to hurt him and there is no in-between left for them right now. That's why she left. No middle ground. They could only work this out when there was a middle ground to meet safely.

He's right, she didn't need to come. She could have allowed him to dwell into the darkness so far without a way out. And yet, that is what path Julia is on. She's never wanted to drag him into the dirt with her, at least not actively. He would get lost in the abyss, and she would get lost in her pain. ]


Well, I did.

[ Neither of them are looking at each other on purpose. Julia is pretty sure if she did, if he looked back, if their eyes met, she would rush into his arms and forget all the reasons this broke between them. She has friends who look out for her and she's not alone, yet she feels lonely even in company. She takes in a sharp breath. ]

You can't stay here, you're getting lost.
diametrically: (pic#16867139)

[personal profile] diametrically 2024-04-21 02:22 am (UTC)(link)
[ Andor (as she refers to him when she's cross with him), knows that the gruff and the cold shoulder of the Red Queen is not just an act but because some part of it is well deserved. He always gives and gives until there is nothing more of him to give to those that are not those closest to him, but those most in need. Mortals.

It's a point of contention amongst several of those closest to him. One of them being his Red Queen. Heather.

He's under no illusion that everyone will forgive him in the time that it takes him to remember. There's always the chance that when he arrives at a peaceful lake in a secluded area of the Godlands that she will turn him away for good or not be there at all. But she's here this time.

Relief flicks on his face at her arrival and he reaches for her. Regret tinges his voice. ]


I'm sorry. You know I don't have control over that.
restingstitchface: (Interest [AU])

[personal profile] restingstitchface 2024-04-21 02:28 am (UTC)(link)
[Crane clasps his hands across his stomach; raising his brows to mirror the other's language.]

You came to invite me to one of your festivals, correct?

[He looks up to observe the moon. His face shows wonder and fascination; for the moon always reflects the beauty of another but never seen in their natural light. It is perhaps the only being he feels empathy for. For he understands what it means to want to be seen as yourself.]

I would rather not be a passive observant. Let me enjoy myself a little.

[What happens if you induce mass hysteria at a festival of love? The mind wonders. Jesper is unlikely to say yes; he might even leave. He might even be afraid he'll pull something. But he always comes back and wouldn't that be nice?]
beautifullies: ("ι do noт мaĸe ѕqυeaĸιng noιѕeѕ.")

[personal profile] beautifullies 2024-04-21 02:40 am (UTC)(link)
She doesn't mind being called the White Witch, those who call her that tend to do so with respect, but who matters is Jon. It doesn't matter to her much after that what any mortal thinks, or any of their peers, for that matter.

Effortlessly straddling his hips, her hands casually begin working on the fastenings of his clothing.

"One dog who caught the back leg of an easily spooked horse. The family wanted to reward me with a puppy," she says with a soft laugh. "Would you like me to go back for it?"
itookashot: (kF2vynT)

[personal profile] itookashot 2024-04-21 02:41 am (UTC)(link)
Absolutely not.

[ Crane's assumption about that is correct. Jesper is very protective over his people and would never let anyone harm them. The festival is in a village that he personally keeps an eye on and he is very fond of. There is nothing Crane can dangle at him that would make him say differently. He's been working on this group for generations.

He's not afraid Crane will pull anything though. Jesper may be god of love, but he used to be a rampant murderer. He's not above smashing a god's face into millions of pieces, even one of his lovers, if they cross him.]


But you knew I'd say that.
durge: (pic#16886545)

[personal profile] durge 2024-04-21 02:53 am (UTC)(link)
( It had been a refreshing break from the endless parties that she and Astarion had thrown to have a rather simple affair with just the three of them. Something intimate, less overwhelming, and with far less politicking of simply trying to one up each other with their cuts and slights. That it turned into a regular thing is something she's grateful for, even as she kept to herself in the centuries since.

The ending up with babies that certainly aren't theirs is just a side effect, normally leading to a rather fun time, all told.

Taking the glass, Haelva can tell it's a vintage worth savoring by the smell -- not that Azem would serve them anything less than the best. It's partly why they go to her rathe than leaving it to Valentine or herself.
)

And how many glasses are you planning on plying us with tonight? I'm not complaining, mind you, just preparing.
diametrically: (pic#16867139)

[personal profile] diametrically 2024-04-21 02:53 am (UTC)(link)
[ The arrival of a figure made of stars in front of him halts him in his tracks but it isn't the appearance of the god before him that tugs at something at the back of his brain. Stars are not such an uncommon thing amongst gods. Even from a distance he's seen others with stardust in his veins much like how some of it clings to him in his veins from years of travel amongst the stars with Serenity.

Nor is it hearing his name uttered. It isn't uncommon in his travels for him to come across someone who knows him. Not Andor, not El Povo, but Cassian. It's not the first time he's heard someone utter his name before with the tone of familiarity, nor does he suspect it would be the last.

Rather, it's the utterance of home. Echoes of warmth resonate through it, seeping into his bones, cutting through the aching hunger inside of him. Still, it is a mystery as to why. ]
 

Home? 

[ It's a word laced with confusion. He knows that there is a connection here, but what exactly he doesn't know. ] 

I'm sorry. I don't remember being here before.
kobes: ([star] ugh WHY)

closed | for diana

[personal profile] kobes 2024-04-21 02:55 am (UTC)(link)
[It's been a while -- it's been a while with everyone, and Koby knows that. Part of him is guilty, but another part is just tired. Tired on a deep, unsettling level that he hasn't felt in centuries. Maybe that's what prompts it -- thinking about those early centuries, how when his powers had first grown, they were in tandem with Diana's, how the Abraxans would call on them simultaneously. How it felt to be part of a pantheon, him and the other Summoned whose powers were from the stars.

So that's why he sends the message, his first in years:
]

Are you busy right now?
respiting: (o49)

what a way to make a livin' — steve ;

[personal profile] respiting 2024-04-21 02:58 am (UTC)(link)
[ Truthfully, Rocket probably spends a lot more time wandering around his own temples than any god rightfully should. He doesn't see a problem with it because it means answering prayers and echoes right as they happen and when they happen, and it's all convenient. It's efficient. And he ain't gotta be visible or anything either if he's just casually observing from above — not unless he wants to be — so the worshippers get their privacy, and he gets to be as nosy as he prefers.

Far as he can tell, it's a win-win for everyone.

It does mean fixing his own temples up sometimes, or marveling at some of the accomplished feats because he'd happened to offer a blessing on one of the visiting engineers or something. It's nice.

When Steve comes to visit, Rocket (currently the same height as Steve, so enjoy that uncanny valley nugget) wastes no time to give him the grand tour of one of his favourites. It's a temple near Solvunn, one of the few places still admittedly near and dear to his heart, because despite all these centuries of wandering around, he remembers that a lot had happened here — good and bad. He'd become part of a still tight-knit family here. ]


— and then there's this cool thing I might've added. [ He goes on, gesturing to one of the alcoves now filled up with a complicated control panel system. Security, perhaps? Who knows. ] Yeah, I know we're supposed to leave it up to them to do the dirty work, but you know some of these guys don't know good design if it punched them right in the face.

[ It's only half a lie, of course, because the rest of the temple is impressive and entirely built by his worshippers around year 500. Or maybe it was 550. Eh. ]
kobes: ([star] i still know best)

for clarisse

[personal profile] kobes 2024-04-21 02:58 am (UTC)(link)
[While tending to be more reclusive, only coming out at night or when called on by his petitioners, there are a few things that can get Koby out of his Domain and into some other Summoned's. Usually it's a friendly visit, checking in on one of his friends or allies to make sure they're doing well.

Occasionally it's a little more aggressive, Koby just sort of barging his way in and yelling, in a general way:
] Are you eating my fish guides?!