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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.



ushiri: (pic#15827112)

[personal profile] ushiri 2024-04-24 02:55 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He puffs out a short laugh at that, unbothered by the assumption. One hand rests near Jack's knee, tracing circles there with his thumb. ]

The usual list.

[ Gods he believes are capable of causing actual damage to the land, the balance that holds the Singularity in check. Lucifer, a given. But even his disruptions after the first two centuries have been minor in comparison to what he could be capable of. Still - Kyle watches him, which is hardly a secret from the devil. It's accepted between them.

But assassinating their fellow gods isn't at the forefront of his mind right now.

His thumb stops its circles, tapping lightly just above Jack's kneecap, then stops. ]


I used to be afraid of dying. Now I'm afraid what it means if we can't.

[ If this just... continues. If there's no end. ]
seaweedbrain: (111)

[personal profile] seaweedbrain 2024-04-24 03:02 pm (UTC)(link)
[ By the time the Herald has fully stepped out of the surf and onto the sands, he looks a lot more like the half-human, half-god boy 'Percy' from centuries ago. It's still a form he takes every now and then with the people he's come to call his own: friends, family, loved ones; it's friendlier, and recognizable. ]

Sure.

[ His grin widens a little, and he approaches Steve to offer a hand in friendly greeting first — and a hug, if Steve is still into that kind of thing.

As for the rest of it ... well, he'd be happy to accompany Steve for a little bit in the direction of wherever he's going. It's not like Percy has anywhere specific to be, and there is usually some large body of saltwater close enough for him to get to. ]


Can't get enough of the water. Besides, it's great for cardio.
Edited (ICON) 2024-04-24 15:08 (UTC)
iustise: (45)

[personal profile] iustise 2024-04-24 03:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[She may not be able to smile in such a form, but he smiles for her, ducking his head at himself somewhat bashfully.

He does feel a bit like a child in her presence. It’s an odd sensation, when he has lived so long as it is. He supposes that there is a lesson in there, somewhere. No matter how old he may think he is, how much learning he may think he has done, there will always still be more learning to do, more life to live. It is rather how he has tried to approach this whole immortality bit. Not that he has not had his moments of doubt, now and again.]


I suppose that I am, in truth. This life — my life — has not always been so. And now in godhood, I find myself…

[He trails off, glancing toward the shrine and its offerings. Perhaps this, he thinks wryly, is his purification, of sorts.]

I am content. I go where I am needed, where there are those who need me. I have friends on every corner of the continent, and every path is open before me. But there are times I do wonder if there is a reason I cannot settle. Some part of me longing for a purpose I do not yet understand.

[He smiles again, though the expression now is sad.] I think I had a son once. Though in truth, I cannot quite remember anymore. And that cycle, I think, the years, and years, and years of this. Past and yet to come. I suppose I cannot help but wonder…

[He shakes his head.] Well. But you are an Old God. You were created thus, were you not? I would imagine you did not have such an adjustment period, as this. Stumbling around on new foal legs, as it were.
gynvael: (229)

[personal profile] gynvael 2024-04-24 03:22 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The question makes him blink. Has he told John before? It's possible. They've had hundreds, thousands, of conversations—by campfires, in bed, riding the trails. Geralt is, once he's grown at ease, surprisingly willing to talk. Sometimes. On rare occasions and with enough ale.

The real question is, what is it that's got John asking now? ]


I was imprisoned for a time. Before... [ He waves a hand vaguely. ] ...all this.

[ In Thorne, back when its borders spilled to the edges of the waters. When there were kingdoms he could not enter, when it was still possible for mortals to do things like put him in a cage.

When he'd yet to meet John.

Branches scratch at the windows. He props himself up on an elbow. A weight creeps between his ribs. ]
What's wrong?
lightkeeping: (pic#15944737)

[personal profile] lightkeeping 2024-04-24 03:37 pm (UTC)(link)
This has always been...tenuous. Aloy had come to accept that fact long ago, maybe even before all this. The Earth doesn't maintain balance on its own. She has been its guiding hand, and the work never really stops. Even the slightest disturbance can cause a ripple effect that takes years to right, and Aloy can't help but feel like such a ripple is happening now. It's only a matter of time.

For now, though, there are her friends. Claire's woods have been a source of solace to her over many years, and she'd hate to see them fall victim to the upheaval that seems to be coming.

"I like to think I've gotten pretty good at it."

Aloy's soft smile is the same as ever, and she pulls up a chair in the way she's done hundreds of times now. There's a moment where she seems to recognize that she is safe, and her shoulders relax, slight.

"How are you, Claire?"
iustise: (76)

[personal profile] iustise 2024-04-24 03:47 pm (UTC)(link)
[John joins him back in human form himself. A relief, given how difficult the other is to maintain, now. He has always been better at reading people as well (as much as he does enjoy Jaskier’s beast form), and he can see the tension in him clearer now. A slightly wild look in his eye, even as he offers his arm to walk.

John accepts it gracefully, nevertheless. Even when the sky is falling and reality itself is cracking apart all around them, John’s affect remains remarkably calm. Because, of course, he does remember where they are now. And what was done to them.

He offers his companion a soft smile as they begin to walk.]


Well. I was out and about on a bit of a ramble in the forest, when I happened to run into a dear friend of mine. Quite literally. Although it was rather the other way around, was it not?

[He pets Jaskier’s arm, gently. It’s okay, there’s no harm done.]
vecna: (Default)

CLOSED TO STEVE

[personal profile] vecna 2024-04-24 04:19 pm (UTC)(link)
assembles: beard (pic#13195923)

[personal profile] assembles 2024-04-24 04:27 pm (UTC)(link)
[ This graveyard is a place that Steve can usually go without anyone necessarily knowing about it, although it's not like it's ever completely possible to escape the attention of his fellow gods when they all have powers beyond their mien, allowing them to sense each other's presence if they really wanted to. Jesper finds him with little trouble, and takes the opportunity to once again question why he can't simply kick back and have a good time with his eternal life.

There's no point in explaining it, not when he's tried to more times than he can remember with Jesper, but it's not that simple for him. No doubt Sam has told him the same, that with these powers comes a sense of duty and responsibility. Steve can't be as casual about it as Jesper.

Still, he suspects he knows why he's in the area, and that it has to do with his and Hilda's decision to keep up a business even now. That insistence on retaining some humanity, even if it's only a farce — that he understands.

Steve slowly turns toward Jesper, his attention successfully shifted. It's true, he is drawn to him whenever he's in the vicinity, and that is simply Jesper's way. Steve can't find it in him to hold that against him, not when it's his step-son. ]


Have you considered that the ones who are mourning are the ones who might need our help the most?

[ They can't simply turn their gazes away from the ugly sides of humanity. In fact, that's where their attention should be most focused, but Jesper has always thought otherwise. Then again, Steve hasn't outright denied him either.

He has always been fond of Libertas. ]
theidlemaiden: (pic#16106067)

[personal profile] theidlemaiden 2024-04-24 04:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The days where she might have been a little more vindictive are far behind her. Well, at least most of the time. There are few situations that really draw her ire these days and while she's been known to hold grudges, there's no bad blood between her and Astarion (even if Haelva unofficially won her in the divorce). These days she might even dare to quietly consider him someone that she's friends with. Catty friends. But friends nevertheless. ] 

Flattery will get you nowhere. 

[ And while she knows what he's clearly fishingfor, her feathers flutter all the same at the compliment. ]

Although I suppose I do enjoy collaborative art. [ She gasps, clapping her hands together as she looks at him with bright eyes. ] I know - what would you edit? It is your handsome visage after all. 
assembles: beard (pic#13195921)

[personal profile] assembles 2024-04-24 04:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[ It would hardly be the first time that the Sentinel has found himself used as a perch. In most cases, however, it's a bird that's decided to use him as a place to rest its wings, or a human child climbing all over him while a parent chides them for not showing proper respect.

This is... slightly different.

He knows that this boy with his horns and his tail is a god, if a reborn one, but the specifics of how that all came about are beyond him. Still, Steve has seen him around the Free Cities before, as he's seen all of the pantheon around in various areas over the years. So much time has passed, it would be difficult to have not had brief run-ins here and there.

Still, he doesn't begrudge this oversight. Especially since Yinyue seems focused in on something, his power on the verge of being brought to bear in some way.

Funnily enough, he almost feels bad about interrupting him. But it would probably be more awkward if he simply remained still and said nothing, so—

His head tilts up and to the side, almost imperceptible, to try and meet Yinyue's gaze. ]


Has one of them called for your help?
iustise: (07)

[personal profile] iustise 2024-04-24 04:44 pm (UTC)(link)
[John shakes his head at Geralt’s question, uncertain of the answer himself. He does not know what is wrong. But he will not deny that it is.

Geralt’s movement has shifted John’s touch, such that his hand is now resting on his side, rather than his back where he had been lingering before. But the touch is only an afterthought now, as his attention focuses inward.

Imprisoned. The word invokes the flash of an image in John’s mind. A sorry scrap of patterned fabric. Tartan, he knows it to be called somehow. And a man. Standing on a platform in the rain, stripped to the waist. Raised hands bound to the arms of a whipping post. The feeling of rain, running down the back of his neck, seeping into the wool of his coat as he watches a gag shoved into his mouth…

John inhales sharply, shaking his head again.]
I don’t — was I…? Did I…?

[He feels vaguely ill.]
theidlemaiden: (pic#16006915)

[personal profile] theidlemaiden 2024-04-24 04:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Hubris is a trait that is oftentimes associated with her domain, but this isn't that. She simply knows that she's made a good thing that isn't just a basic sword.

His question is met with a somewhat dubious look, quickly dispelling the bright inquisitive look in her gaze as she watches him get acquainted with his potential new weapon. ]


At least you gave me warning.

[ The soft jingle of a bangle on her arm signals a quiet sphere to appear around her, encasing her in shield that would ensure any accidental blades bounced harmlessly off of her. ]

Don't cut yourself!
philancer: (007)

[personal profile] philancer 2024-04-24 05:16 pm (UTC)(link)
[ He’d felt her, the moment she stepped foot on his mountain. She hadn’t been wrong, he’d been elsewhere at the time, but he’s still aware of her. Aware of anything that happens on his mountain. So when he wraps up his business, he hastens back, finding her easily at the peak.

It’s one of his favorite places, too. Quiet and solitary, it’s a good place to empty yourself of thoughts and concerns. Or maybe just give you the space to put them in order. His head is often a very crowded place, so the wildness of his remote haven had been just the haven he’d needed, on so many occasions. He’s always happy when it serves the same for others.

Stepping up behind her, he makes just enough noise that she’ll hear him approach so he doesn’t startle her. But then he’s sinking down on a fallen tree trunk, having brushed the fresh layer of snow out of his way first. Glancing over to catch her gaze, he offers her a crooked grin of greeting. ]


Am I interrupting?
princessvegas: (253. you'll be sayin' no no)

[personal profile] princessvegas 2024-04-24 05:30 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The spring sun has finally grown warm enough that it's comfortable to lie out in the Singularity's crater. Julie could always exert magic if she really wanted to, make it always a midsummer's day even in the dead of winter, but the seasons are a way to track time. To let the plants rebirth themselves every year. Keep the animals on their natural cycles. To know when each year passes, so that everything isn't just a blur of sameness in her head.

She's been here for a while, it's clear — wisteria and honeysuckle have begun to climb the stony base of the Singularity, taller than she is. Jasmine perfumes the air around the monolith, the smaller white flowers peeking between the more colorful blooms and their crawling vines. Reclining against the side of the Singularity, Julie is lazily weaving tiny flower crowns. A handful to be taken back home, to the Horizon, with her, but also a stack that she is considering putting on the heads of squirrels in the forests closest to the mortals, just to laugh at their confusion. Who is making such small, intricate wreaths? Why are they crowning the squirrels? How many could they have possibly done (answer: a lot)? Perhaps she'll add tiny hats for the crows in autumn.

Everyone has their own hobbies.

When Geralt's mossy undergrowth meets her wildflowers, she rises with a grin and falls easily into the long-established custom; she runs through the grass until she is close enough to throw herself at him, arms wrapped around his neck. Maybe it seems dramatic, after all these years, but her excitement for his returns has never waned, one of the few clear memories she has from her earliest years in Abraxas. He comes and goes, and when he comes, the same flutter has been in her stomach for all the time she can account for, now and then.

Her fingers tangle into his hair when she kisses him with a muffled coo. Her own locks fall far down her back now, past her hips, half tied up with braids and dotted with small strings of pearls gifted to her by Nanaue. Still clinging to Geralt's neck, she breaks away just enough to speak with a soft laugh. ]
Why be jealous when you're the one who gets benefits?

[ With another kiss and her hand on his cheek, she finally releases him to put her feet flat on the ground. She takes the snake with a murmur of adoration, and it's honest — Julie keeps everything her friends give her, and has for centuries. His carvings fill an entire wall of shelves by now, starting with a blocky little wolf she can't even recall receiving now. The snake will join the others once she returns to her domain. ]

Was the Dimming really so long ago? [ Her free hand slides along his arm, laces their fingers together. She has always refused to let the Dimming pass without ensuring he receives a gift, even though it's during his annual retreat into the snow. In the first years she was able to follow him easily, she would leave packages at the door, unsure if he was willing to see even her, and before she could travel that quickly, she would hide the gifts in secret compartments she made in Roach's tack, as if challenging him to find them. But now, she appears at his door on the night she can feel the Singularity most deeply quiet in her mind, crocuses sprouting around her in the snow as she knocks. One night, sometimes two, that she stays, then returns to her own realm of sunshine and vibrant colors for the rest of the winter.

She squeezes his hand, gives a teasing smile. ]
At this rate, I'll barely have time to miss you before you come back down.
godshattering: (pic#15570270)

[personal profile] godshattering 2024-04-24 05:54 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Even if he hadn't been able to feel her annoyance through their bond, it's one of those things he could've recognized even with his eyes closed with how long they've known each other. Intimately known each other at that, and now? It's quite clear in that question he knows she's right to ask - as with the underscoring as to why following right after it.

It's enough to get him to (sort of) fling the blanket back (also sort of) in what's absolutely a dramatic gesture considering it only uncovers his face in the end. Just enough to be visible, but absolutely also enough that he could simply put it back where it was in one quick movement. ]


I didn't say I was going to. It's just an option. [ A technicality at best and he knows it, just as the sullen tone implies. ] At least it'd get this guy to go away.

[ And it does nothing to address the other problem tied to that which Valentine's reminded him of: even if he's currently not speaking to Sylvain, there's no real way to avoid being reminded of him. Now, or before when he'd wanted to burrow into blankets like that'd make all the heartache disappear like it never existed, or any time in the future when he'd least expect it. Irrevocably linked, forever. It'd sounded like such a good idea at the time.

If bitter hurt wasn't intent on convincing him of that last part being a truth, logic would've taken over to remind him it'd never stopped being a gift and never would. Right now, however, it's too difficult for it to break through as Sidus studies Valentine with a discontented furrow between his brows. ]


Fine, no cursing. Surely he can just be doomed to stub his toe on everything from here on out as a completely unrelated turn of events.
philancer: (021)

[personal profile] philancer 2024-04-24 05:56 pm (UTC)(link)
“Well, being as old as we are now should be good for something, right?”

There’s a light note of teasing in his voice as he settles in next to her. Tapping his glass to hers, he brings it to his lips to savor the flavor a moment, but after a swallow, he reaches out to drape an arm around her shoulders. Tucking her comfortably - and warmly - in against his side. He hadn’t missed that waver in her voice and he hates the sound of it.

“Do you want to talk about it? Or would you rather forget for a while instead?”

He offers it gently, because he knows it can often be one or the other. He’d gone through a period of both for a long while, after all. Although he tended to lean far more towards the latter, as a rule. He wasn’t very big on talking about emotions, not when they were his, anyway.
thoughts: (39)

[personal profile] thoughts 2024-04-24 05:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[ her brother is a busy one, that's for sure. the nice thing about his dalliance with mortals is that she can sometimes watch him through their eyes, but even her cognition couldn't have foreseen this. serenity appears before him, brilliant galaxies swirling across her skin as she eyes the trinket in his hand. ]

It's for me?

[ she's very careful not to touch him as she accepts the gift and observes it from up close. ]

A ball-bearing device for suspended propulsion. It was his daughter's, had it in his pocket from cleaning up yesterday.

[ she eyes the symbols of the arcanum and different constellations, then gives jacob a big smile. ]

It's shiny. Thank you.
philancer: (039)

[personal profile] philancer 2024-04-24 06:00 pm (UTC)(link)
No.

[ Said bluntly, but with fondness as his lips twitch in the effort of suppressing a grin.

Still, he gives a sigh as she looks at him expectantly and drags a bowl over in front of him. It does smell delicious, but she’s slain him with her spice levels before.

But he obediently takes a bite, masking his worry that he’s about to have so many regrets. But luckily she was merciful this time and his tongue doesn’t immediately combust. In fact, he takes a few experimental bites, eyes widening as he sifts through the complex flavors.

And then grins at her in delight. ]
Himeka! This is amazing!
philancer: (007)

[personal profile] philancer 2024-04-24 06:04 pm (UTC)(link)
Well. I was ready to test it myself. But then you showed up.

And hey, if something goes wrong, you have wings and likely won’t end up at the bottom of the mountain with a broken neck.

[ Sylvain shoots him a cheerful grin, as if that argument should make everything better. Do you feel reassured, Thancred? ]

Oh, you should definitely not ask questions like that. Now you’re just tempting the fates. Those fuckers.

[ But he holds the board out to Thancred to inspect all the same. ] I had to tweak the width and length a bit. It was too hard to steer at first, so I’m hoping this version will be easier to control.
philancer: (032)

[personal profile] philancer 2024-04-24 06:14 pm (UTC)(link)
I think it’s a little late to be kept young.

[ Even though they’ve long since stopped aging like the mortals.

But he lets his gaze go back to roaming their surroundings all the same. ]


I don’t think he strayed here. I think he was called. By who - or what - I don’t know. Maybe someone or something was fucking with him. But even if they’re not in here looking for a demigod, it doesn’t mean one won’t find him.

[ He glances over at Cid to give him a sharp grin, gold eyes gleaming. ] Feel like going on a hunt, friend?
sketchycharacter: (pic#10737939)

[personal profile] sketchycharacter 2024-04-24 06:17 pm (UTC)(link)
But you never see.

[Bad joke? Yes. Even now, Nathan can't resist the opening — the day he can, it means he's lost a part of himself that even he would never try to wipe away.

(She can see, of course — can see just about everything — but it's still worth saying. At least he thinks so.)]


Oh, don't worry. At least one of the ones who faceplant will find something cool in the dirt.

[His little trick. A small piece of fortune, to go with whatever value they find worshiping Serenity. Nathan could take a guess at that but it would only be a guess. His motivation is different; he comes because he likes being around her. And for other reasons too, he thinks. He doesn't quite remember, but he thinks he knows.]
gynvael: (244)

[personal profile] gynvael 2024-04-24 06:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Geralt joins Alucard without sitting, hands planted on the table's surface. A small corded braid—a more common feature these days than they used to be—falls over his shoulder. ]

When I lost my memories, it was different. They weren't consumed by time. But... [ He pauses. The logic is difficult because he hasn't much of it. Geralt operates through instinct, always has, and explaining where and how his thoughts line up is not his strong suit. ] The recollections that've returned over the past week, they're things I let go of long ago.

[ Not exactly deliberately, but not exactly without choice, either. Kaer Morhen belonged to time and place he no longer looks back on. It no longer shapes him like it once had. He doesn't miss the stone halls or the tree that held the dead for decades. He has a warm cabin instead atop a snowy peak where his family gathers. The ghosts of his past do not haunt those walls. He prefers it that way.

So why would such a vivid memory of it flood his mind again? For what reason? ]
itookashot: (KY_165)

[personal profile] itookashot 2024-04-24 06:41 pm (UTC)(link)
"You gotta be the best host on your own festival day." People from villages nearby often show up to this one, having heard it feels like the blessing of a god is down upon it, so it becomes quite the event. He loves the energy around them which is positive and excitable. Silver eyes spot them finally bringing out supplies to the tables. They put everything underneath the tables for the child-friendly portion of the party.

"Oh you'll find plenty of male company here, my friend." He pats John on the back reassuringly. In part because there are more male options than women amongst the gods, and plenty of humans if that's what people end up leaning toward too. It's a very judgment-free zone here. "I actually know a human who seemed born to be your type, I can point him out to you." Although John will probably figure that out right away on his own. Hard to miss.

"How is everything else going in your life?" Jesper isn't only interested in sex, even on this day, he cares a great deal for all of his people. Especially the ones who come to play with him.
gynvael: (203)

[personal profile] gynvael 2024-04-24 06:47 pm (UTC)(link)
[ This isn't like John, which makes it all the more concerning. John, unlike some of their kind, has never undergone bouts of mania or been subsumed by too much power. Even when Geralt wasn't quite himself, his memories a blank void, he could count on John to be there, unchanged.

And yet—now that the question has arisen, he can't help digging through his recollections. What did happen? He knows Thorne imprisoned him when he first arrived on this world. It wasn't his home then. Not yet. He knows he wasn't the only the only one they held captive, though the faces of his cellmates have faded. But he was alone in the dungeons, too, once. Bleeding. When or how, he can't remember. Does it matter? The people responsible are long gone. (Aren't they?)

He shakes it off. ]


John— [ Geralt sits up altogether. He lifts his hand, cupping John's cheek. Was he what? John couldn't possibly be asking if he was the cause. How could he be? ] What are you saying?
bealufull: (Default)

For Sylvain - closed

[personal profile] bealufull 2024-04-24 06:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Everything before their ascension to a godly state is a blur to Kaz. Barely even that. No thoughts before the Free Cities, nothing about a life where he isn't happy with the life he has. There's something freeing about the life he has, the people in it, and he doesn't think too closely as to why. Why doesn't matter.

All he has does.

It's a few weeks leading up to a festival that celebrates the man Kaz loves. Jesper has earned so much love, such a faithful following, and he loves to see how they're preparing for what's to come. Banners celebrating love and fertility, bright colors that should seem garish and wild but they manages to come together somehow.

Kaz has taken a bird's eye view, flying high over the city in the form of a crow. From a distance he seems all black, but there's fine red lines that course along his body, shimmering like mystical lights even as he swoops for the ground after spying someone familiar.

When he lands he is in closer to human form, though the wings now are as large as he is and settle against his back. The outfit he wears is black still, a long shimmering nearly sheer tunic and trousers that are velvety and laced down the sides to his tall boots.

His gaze is a bit wicked as is his smile as he strolls up alongside Sylvain. He's never questioned that he feels drawn to the other, often likening to the warmth that seemingly radiates from him. As with Jesper it is very much a moth to the flame, he suspects, and those chances of the fire are more than worth it to him. Even as their talks have oft turned playful and flirtatious. Much as the energy around this time before the festival can be.

"You are going to be attending the festival, aren't you?" His tones are coy, almost sullen at the thought of him not being there.
Edited 2024-04-24 18:47 (UTC)