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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.



aquilus: (modern - distance)

[personal profile] aquilus 2024-04-29 01:48 am (UTC)(link)
[Another thing they both know is that he won't accede to a dismissal so easily, so Altaïr doesn't bother to argue. The steps must be taken.

He steps up to the stand parallel to Crane by railing, leaving a respectful — perhaps sensible — distance between them. As domains go, he does appreciate this one. On the surface, it's peaceful.]


After all this time, I'd think you might run out of patients.

[Also patience.]
krakened: (025)

[personal profile] krakened 2024-04-29 01:54 am (UTC)(link)
[ Look, why is it on him that some mortals haven't got any fucking sense of adventure? Or surprise. Or fun. It's not like he's leading them towards an iceberg or a massive fuck-off whirlpool full of teeth. Maybe he just wants to show them something cool like a big pod of dolphins or a bunch of fish with legs that Nanaue unleashed into a small hidden island.

Nobody appreciates the spirit of a good whim these days. ]


A map is only as good as your compass. Not my fault people don't check it before they set sail. [ He flicks a bit of sand off his tentacles and chugs the ever-present bottle of rum in his hands. In his other, he tosses Koby a questionable gift from his equally questionable pile of endless treasure. Impossible to say whether Ed came here with it or it just materialized into his hands. Horizon shit and all that. Either way, it's not a special thing; Ed's been inflicting his weird treasure on nearly everybody who crosses his line of sight for the past seven hundred-odd years. Give or take a couple of decades. ]

Thought you might like a friend. For once. [ He means the gold crabby fellow there, not himself. Obviously. ]
techmaturgy: (pic#15429925)

[personal profile] techmaturgy 2024-04-29 01:57 am (UTC)(link)
You think?

[This is the first time Cid has given a name to it. Viktor files that away, but otherwise begins his usual routine. He takes the music box, gives it a cursory inspection for any obvious changes, and then begins to carefully remove the casing so that he can get at the inner workings. He's meticulous as always, making a show of being especially delicate so as not to worry Cid.

Though, it certainly sounds like other things are on his mind today. Viktor half-listens, content to let him ramble until he starts asking questions about Viktor's own choices, ones he's long-since stopped justifying. He cannot expect most of the others to understand.

When it becomes clear that this is not actually about fixing the music box and more about talking, Viktor sets it aside and gives Cid his attention, though not without an exasperated sigh.
]

The choices I made were my own. I targeted...distractions, and that has worked out well for me, even if you don't think so. [He's clear about the fact that he doesn't regret this, and doesn't seem troubled, even if Cid has given him a slight moment of pause.] But I wonder if your lack of memory regarding this object may be the key to repairing it.
krakened: (ml: 001)

[personal profile] krakened 2024-04-29 02:07 am (UTC)(link)
[ She's right; it did make him happy, mostly because Ed's been oscillating between feeling the horrible crushing weight of eternity and enjoying living in the moment because they've got forever. Why's the future have to matter if they haven't technically got one, yeah?

Anyway, the past few years have got Ed on the live in the moment end of the spectrum, and a lot of that's thanks to Hilda. So, he kinda owes her one, he thinks, even if he doesn't say it often. ]


Artie says we did a good job. Only took him a couple of decades to trim it down. [ He's paraphrasing, and also leaving out the strained look on Arthur's face every time he asked how the editing was coming along.

He props up an ornate gold-trimmed mirror from the things I actually want to keep treasure pile. He polishes the surface a bit. ]
Purple's always been my colour.
lightkeeping: (pic#15737342)

ciri

[personal profile] lightkeeping 2024-04-29 02:09 am (UTC)(link)
[Aloy has always regretted their fight. On the other side of it, she understands that emotions were far too high, and Ciri was under duress, lashing out because she was wounded and didn’t know what else to do. She’s never held a grudge, but her own pride and nomadic nature has made it difficult for her to reconnect. There’s always something to attend to, something that helps her put it off for a few more years.

That is, until she hears about what happened with Sannleikr. It’s difficult to resist the urge to go to Nadine’s immediately, but Aloy takes some time regardless, wrestling with her own feelings and unsure if Ciri even wants to see her in such a state. Eventually, however, her path leads her there.

It’s not in the immediate aftermath of the clash, which is probably good, but concern is written all over Aloy’s face regardless, and she manages to look a little ashamed, for taking so long.
]

It’s okay if you don’t want to see me. [Things have been rough for both of them, to say the least.] I just wanted to make sure you were okay.
Edited 2024-05-03 20:33 (UTC)
areou: (Default)

clarisse la rue | riordanverse | herald of the unbending spear

[personal profile] areou 2024-04-29 02:26 am (UTC)(link)
[plurk.com profile] poohsticks 🐗 mongoliabun (discord) 🐗 PM
( feel free to hit me up if you'd like a closed starter! )
divinityfrompain: (crying)

[personal profile] divinityfrompain 2024-04-29 02:38 am (UTC)(link)
[ Julia looks up at him and holds him close, leaning into the embrace, into holding onto him in the midst of this chaos. They had only just begun their relationship in the real world but he's been the person who helped center her since she arrived in Abraxas. Everything she's been dealing with hits her and she presses her head into his chest, losing all control over herself and starting to sob.

This is different from the crying she did in the TARDIS, when she was trying to keep it together and failing, and closer to how she felt when she got her Shade back and all she could feel was pain. It's the agony of the last two hundred years of bitterness that's now being supplanted with the very real agony she suffered in her actual life. She has to suffer it again so she holds onto him. At least she's not alone. ]


I'm sorry.

[ She mumbles against his chest and she kisses once to where each of his hearts would be, before looking up at him again. Tears streak across her face and she looks a mess, just as she did in the TARDIS, confessing it all to him. Julia hopes there's a time where he doesn't have to deal with her crying too much. There's just been a lot back to back.

She's so mad at herself, at what she turned into. The guilt is going to get her. ]


I don't know how long we've been in the crater. Our bodies can sustain longer than normal humans, but who knows about the others.

[ She means the other Summoned -- they may think they're gods, but many of them are just humans. They've told her that no one can live in the Horizon because your body on the outside can eventually die. ]
Edited 2024-04-29 02:38 (UTC)
krakened: (076)

[personal profile] krakened 2024-04-29 02:46 am (UTC)(link)
[ Ed pats Arthur sympathetically on the shoulder (with his human hand). ]

I could get you a cat. Might make you feel better? I didn't let animals on my ship for a long time, but looking back, I think I was just being a dick. You know? We could have a cat around here. Lots of places for it to climb. Teach it to swim?

[ Ed is clearly forming an Idea, one that may or may not come to fruition in the worst possible way. Will he kidnap a hapless housecat? Rescue an abandoned kitten? Hard to say, and, uh, maybe best not to find out. ]

Well, they see a lot of strange shit. I mean, look at us. [ He waves at the two of them. ] You all fuzzy, me...this.
earthborn: (Default)

[personal profile] earthborn 2024-04-29 03:03 am (UTC)(link)
She doesn't respond, not at first, but there's something of satisfaction in her face, to see him engage fully with the issue at hand. That's the spirit. It'd been a long time since Koby had been anything approximating a child, but Shepard remembered watching him grow into a man. And now look at him.

Right: to work.

The argument comes into focus as they cross the room, a zoo of cluttered human noise, smells, and exhalations. The floor is sticky, and everyone moves across it as if the friction is the only thing keeping them on their feet; even the patrons look tired and impatient. The manager is tersely explaining that he'd hired the woman for a reason, that he needs help, and look at this place, what is he to do? He cannot call on anyone else, there's no one else left to call. And she's here, and he's paying, and...

There's always an excuse.

The barmaid, or waitress, or serving wench, Shepard's never sure what the right term is for any given century, only looks on, dour-eyed and unsympathetic, one hand reaching back to hush the insistent child. He's staring at Koby and Shepard with enormous eyes, tugging at his mother's clothing to get her attention; the mother only glances down, one time, and then goes back to trying to explain to her boss that a day off can't be altered just because of altered circumstances. That plans are plans, and promises are promises, and there's no world where she can simply perch her son in a corner for ten hours and hope for the best. No, not even if she— Koby's fish twine between them, casting white light across her face, but she continues, unseeing, the truth spilling out of her in illuminating cascades: No, not even if she desperately needs the money, not even if she said yes last time, and the time before, and the time before.

"There it is," Shepard says, smoke running a river through her teeth. Yes, oh yes, indeed, "Thanks for coming, Koby. It's easier when you have a good crew."
gynvael: (445)

[personal profile] gynvael 2024-04-29 03:05 am (UTC)(link)
[ Geralt makes an expression akin to a shrug. He doesn't know what the fuck is going on. Neither does everybody else. Something is wrong. It feels like a fog lifting, but what it reveals does not grant any real answers. Any real solutions.

Where do they go from here? What of the ones who continue to turn away from the truth?

What if there is no truth? ]


I'm still working that out myself.

[ But he'd like Alucard to join him. If he can. ]
ordinar: (♛ 056)

[personal profile] ordinar 2024-04-29 03:05 am (UTC)(link)
Truthfully, the exiles prod at his bruises. They, like the demigods who roam the red haze of the Witchwood, remind him of the times he has scraped rock bottom too. The times all his power has come crashing down on his head, and he runs away from it. The thing about living for this long is that you learn from your mistakes, but you make them in all kinds of different ways.

When he is in lower moods, he contemplates the irony of his title, the Herald of Evolution — because how can you change so much, and still have changed so little?

"Why do they have to do it?" Wilhelm challenges. "We're gods. We have the power to do anything. Can't we make somewhere for them to live? Somewhere other than here?"
earthborn: (Default)

[personal profile] earthborn 2024-04-29 03:10 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, he's never far; the temper to her steel, the smoke to her fire. Shepard pulls herself slowly out of the whispers, tilting head and neck and finally shoulders towards him, the sense of duty and need retreating only reluctantly, clinging to her mind with fingers of black soot.

"Oh, you know me," He does, and she smiles to see the way he looks at her— blind or not, she knows he can see her. No one has ever had vision sharper than Archangel, "Can't put it down, when there's something left undone. I'll sleep when I'm dead."

That's a joke, you see. Pheonixes never stay dead for long.

"You finish your thing already?" she asks, letting the smoky aura of him rise and curl, a fond indirect touch, like the brush of feathers. Familiar, old and secure; you'd think they'd have gotten less passionate over time, not more, but it's just the same as ever, "That was quick. It go bad, or...?"

She'd feel bad, if it had been something dramatic, and she'd missed it. Shepard loved watching him work.
earthborn: (Live long and go fuck yourself)

[personal profile] earthborn 2024-04-29 03:19 am (UTC)(link)
She remembers when it used to bother her, the physical changes. When the fire under her skin had started, she'd ignored it for long enough that watching it erupt had been like a diagnosis of cancer; abrupt, horrifying, inevitable, and final. But she'd always told herself that she could face down any challenge a person could take, and this had been no different. Seeing the same reflected in Steve...

...Well, it was all a long time ago, now. She remembered it the way most women remember the challenges of puberty; the blood-soaked horror turned by long years into nothing more threatening than comedic nostalgia. It happened to us all, and together we'll laugh when it's over: no different than ever before.

"Well, I'm always workin'" Shepard replies, canting her head to look down the alleyway, "I'm looking at the least of my problems right there."

It's a couple of kids behind a local bar, kicking a hard little ball back and forth amongst the waning sunlight. The largest of them strongly resembles the smallest, and is noticeably trying not to play with her sibling. No fair! is the repeated refrain.

"Kids, you know? Noisy little bastards, not that it actually matters. You saw the mark?" He had to have done, or else he wouldn't have found her, "That's my actual job, today. Cops around here are in need of a reminder of what the rules are."
techmaturgy: (7)

[personal profile] techmaturgy 2024-04-29 03:22 am (UTC)(link)
[Viktor appreciates the library in his own way. It's certainly impressive, and the vast collection of knowledge has come in handy over the years, but as he becomes more reclusive, he makes time for this less and less. The fact that he's here at all, after so long, should let Istredd know that this is a matter of importance--or, at least, important to Viktor.

The pattern is familiar by now, to the point where he nearly outpaces the leosylph on his way through the many shelves of books. Istredd is waiting for him, which he appreciates. Makes things more expedient.
]

Does it matter? You've probably forgotten them already.

[Perhaps an unkind thing to say, but the whole point of this confrontation is that Istredd is not exactly judicious, when it comes to sharing said knowledge. The library is testament to that--he highly doubts his fellow deity keeps track of who comes in here and reads what, if his dealings with humans are any indication.]

Do you know how hard I work, to keep them all from inventing new ways to destroy each other?
aquaveiled: (himeka-382)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2024-04-29 03:25 am (UTC)(link)
[ Though flying is an ability one could reasonably develop, Azem has ever chosen to do things the old fashioned way. When she's in this form, at least. (Her tiny dragon form would make scuttling about on the ground for great distances exceedingly impractical. She would know, she tried it.) That doesn't mean she can't appreciate it when she gets the chance. There is something freeing about it, though she would likely enjoy it more were there not a mess to clean up.

Magic alone could keep her seated, but Azem makes sure she holds on as she scans the landscape. Seeing the destruction her creation has already wrought makes her stomach churn, even knowing the damage isn't permanent. While she is incapable of dealing the finishing blow, Azem will make concerted efforts to restore the land to what it was before. At least she can promise that much.

When Cid comes to a sudden stop, Azem tightens her grip for a second as she looks wide-eyed over her shoulder at Aegis before turning her attention to the discovery. The road is troubling, but the pond... ]


They've found refuge.

[ She doesn't hesitate to dismount then, recognizing the creature's new abode for what it is. Azem kneels, touching a hand to the scorched earth and wipes some of the chalky residue from her fingers. ]

We'll need to draw it out, which shouldn't be too much of a problem. It will be hungry...animals and people provide greater sustenance than soil.
gynvael: (mg: 003)

[personal profile] gynvael 2024-04-29 03:30 am (UTC)(link)
[ They have been peaceful for a long time. It was good. It's what he wants. And yet.

It isn't that the peace feels out of place or unlike them. It's that it doesn't feel earned. As if...a piece is missing. Now that he remembers and she does not, he recognizes that her feelings, this life, the tight bond between them—she doesn't recall how they got here. The price they paid. The blood and tears they spilled. Everyone they've lost.

If she bears no memory of what she gave up for him and Ciri—and them for her—then what does any of it truly mean? ]


I told her the truth. [ He folds his arms across his chest. ] One you should hear, too.

[ If Yennefer cannot be convinced by him alone, then perhaps they can do it together. He doesn't know if Istredd can see the splintering sky. But considering he's here asking questions, it's clear the mage has yet to understand. ]
areou: (pic#10958472)

THE FORGOTTEN YEARS ;

[personal profile] areou 2024-04-29 03:36 am (UTC)(link)
↤ 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑠𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑒𝑑, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑒𝑟𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑔𝑜𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑙𝑖𝑒 𝑏𝑒𝑐𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑡ℎ ↦
areou: (pic#10958498)

MONTHS 1–2 ;

[personal profile] areou 2024-04-29 03:42 am (UTC)(link)
↤ 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑒 𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑠𝑙𝑜𝑤 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑒 ↦
thedreamer: (0418)

[personal profile] thedreamer 2024-04-29 03:46 am (UTC)(link)
[ For a long moment, all that he really wants is to hold her, particularly when she begins to sob against him, there in his arms. His hold on her tightens, protective, as though he might be able to keep her from all harm, as though he could soothe away the pain of all those memories flooding back to her at once.

As he cradles her, the Doctor's hand moves to rest against the back of her head, stroking her hair tenderly until she pulls back to look up at him. Even then, he can't stop touching her in a desperate attempt to comfort her, his fingers sweeping tousled strands back and away from her eyes, the pad of his thumb catching her tears to brush them away. ]


I'm sorry. I'm with you now, though, promise. Now and always.

[ He's worried about her, about all of them, though she's always his first priority here. He'll deal with the rest of his memories later, they need to get everyone sorted out, and he needs to be as steady for Julia as she's been for him. Reaching for her hands, he kisses her knuckles tenderly, lingering for a moment. ]

We'll have to move quickly. Divide up and double our efforts, but we'll get through this, we will.

[ Reluctant though he is to let go of her now, they need everyone safe and he knows that's at the forefront of her mind, too. ]
areou: (pic#10958506)

MONTH 3 ;

[personal profile] areou 2024-04-29 03:48 am (UTC)(link)
↤ 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒, 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑛, 𝑖𝑡𝑠 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒, 𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑛𝑜 𝑝𝑎𝑡ℎ 𝑢𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑒𝑛 ↦
gynvael: (ml: 034)

[personal profile] gynvael 2024-04-29 03:49 am (UTC)(link)
[ Mm. That kind of month. Year. His life has often undergone turmoil, but this feels—more. Because it isn't the people around him. There is no monster in pursuit. No world-ending threat.

The only thing wrong is him.

He takes the beer, cracking both bottles open—his and Sam's—the way he's done since the dawn of time. Habit. A fond little tradition that isn't necessary, but feels especially important now that it's one of the few memories he's held onto. His gaze roams over the construction work. He likes to see Sam occupied. It hasn't been easy, he knows, this new life of theirs. Geralt has long understood he will outlive many (has outlived many), but Sam began as a human mortal and never expected to be anything else.

He gets it. The double-edged sword of making choices within the bounds of what fate has decided for you. ]


Alucard might have suggestions. [ Fuck knows the dhampir also needs his little projects.

He lets the bottle dangle between his fingers. Geralt rarely comes down from the mountains before the winter is over. The explanation as to why he's here when the northern frost has yet to melt sits on his tongue.

He swallows it down with a sip, then turns the words over in his head again. ]


The more I remember, [ he begins at last, ] the less I know who I am.
gynvael: (276)

[personal profile] gynvael 2024-04-29 04:08 am (UTC)(link)
[ As John leans against him, Geralt rests a hand on his back, holding him close.

The thing is, he recognizes what John is feeling. Thinks he does, at least. The sensation of not being quite in your own head, memories flitting in and out, fucking up everything you thought you knew and dredging deep wounds to the surface. It's exactly what he went through all those centuries ago. Even now, he isn't entirely sure he got every piece of himself back.

But John didn't forget who he was. Didn't lose his life in one fell swoop. So why is such an effect rearing its head?

Perhaps another might know. He can ask, if he must. The last thing he wants is for John to suffer more of this. ]


We'll find the answer. Whatever it is. [ He glances outside their window, where the shadow of a raven darkens the frame. ] But there's no sense in dwelling tonight.
gynvael: (286)

amnesia — ◈ steve harrington.

[personal profile] gynvael 2024-04-29 04:19 am (UTC)(link)
[ His return is a quiet affair, late at night when the half-moon lights the sky and the stars spark through the dense mountain trees. He doesn't know what to say, has thought about it on his ride back, and truthfully, he knows he shouldn't have left in the first place.

Staying had simply not been an option, either.

He feels. Not better, but more in control of himself. He speaks to Dean first. He wants to be sure Steve is all right before he stops in. Shelter is not exactly a necessity for who they are, though the campfire and roughly built cabin are there if either of them want. He tracks down Steve wherever he's gone—not a difficult task for Geralt these days. Even long-erased footprints glimmer across the ground for him.

He approaches from the front, so as not to startle, his eyes peering through the darkness. ]
restingstitchface: (Affirmation [AU])

[personal profile] restingstitchface 2024-04-29 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
By not running away from it.

[Does she wish to flee and hide? She would not subject to his gaze were that the case.]

By accepting your emotions you make the decision to take control of your actions. Then you identify your beliefs and values and control take your thoughts and attitude; of your mind.

[Had he lost his mind back in time? It bears thinking about later.]
restingstitchface: (Curious [AU])

[personal profile] restingstitchface 2024-04-29 04:36 am (UTC)(link)
Well, long as one soul exists I will never find myself without work.

[Crane keeps his distance, physically and emotionally. His gaze flickers towards the water's edge, rolling onto limestone steps, nearly crashing against his feet.

How can he ever run out of patients? There is always his own mind to pick apart, as he has done time and time again.]


But I doubt you are here to assist with that.