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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.



techmaturgy: (pic#15348844)

[personal profile] techmaturgy 2024-05-04 03:42 am (UTC)(link)
[Even with this slow-burning realization, Viktor doesn't hate what he's done to himself. He might even prefer being this way, if not for the fact that he now has to grapple with the fact that it isn't real. That it's all going to end, and he has no control over what might happen next. What is there to go back to? He's not sure he can see a way forward.

Knowing he isn't alone helps, though he's not sure what any of this means for them, either. Something happens to the seam under Kyle's palm, a shifting of metal that feels like an unfastening. Viktor brings his hands to his face and pulls the mask away, though he cannot yet meet Kyle's eyes.
]

I thought about doing it. After you left.

[He doesn't think he needs to say what--the look on Kyle's face when they crossed paths in the Witchwood made it clear that he thought he'd been erased. Viktor can't exactly say why he didn't cut Kyle away, like everything else, but now it feels like the right choice.

Viktor's features are largely unchanged, though made of the same living metal as the rest of him. His eyes, still gold, glow faintly.
]

Do you want to remember this?
ushiri: (pic#16104186)

[personal profile] ushiri 2024-05-04 04:14 am (UTC)(link)
[ The mask comes away, and he's stuck with that odd double-vision that he experienced in his mortal life, that's been happening again all around him - he sees both Viktor as he was and as he is now. He shifts his focus to the now, his thumb tracing over the strange transmuted skin across his cheek that once only covered his arm and leg. He brushes back some of his unruly hair behind his ear, and makes a little sound when it still won't stay in place. ]

I guess you needed to remember why you were angry with me.

[ There's a faint touch of amusement in his tone. Either way, it mattered not to be discarded. It makes him regret all that time spent avoiding him. But - he also knows he could never have convinced him to stop. He doesn't regret leaving, only the way he did it.

Do you want to remember this? At least he can lay claim to this history, mistakes and all. He gently angles Viktor's face toward him, that faint amusement from a moment ago replaced by something heated and determined, leaning in without hesitation to kiss him. ]
satanicpanics: (pic#15853999)

[personal profile] satanicpanics 2024-05-04 06:08 am (UTC)(link)
[ Sure, Eddie has threatened to smite someone before, but after all this time, they’re still empty threats and he’s never actually gone through with it. It’s funnier to just slap someone with an affliction and watch them fall into constant bad luck instead. ]

Hey, nothing wrong with admitting it.

[ He grins and wiggles his fingers in Koby’s direction in a “spooky” manner—which isn’t really spooky at all given that he nearly knocks over a pile of books in the process and has to scramble to upright them before they go crashing to the floor.

He swears under his bereath, manages an apologetic grin, a quick bow, and a chuckle before he continues.
]

To be perfectly straight with you, I don’t even know when the last blue moon was, so, uh...my invitation probably got lost too. Probably for the best for everyone involved.
gynvael: (229)

[personal profile] gynvael 2024-05-04 06:15 am (UTC)(link)
They've all been there. He has more than a few bloody regrets on his hands during the brief period when his memories were obliterated. Time teaches its lessons, he supposes—though they've not all learnt at the same pace.

Things are what they are. If not for the demigods, there would be other threats. No world is wholly at peace.

"Occasionally, I brush my horse." His tone is light. He sheathes his sword. "Winter was quiet. Spent it with Ciri this year."

His days are filled with nothing of note. Time plods along. He trails after it without much hurry. Sometimes, he watches the sunset. Or he rides to the coast and builds a cabin where he lingers until something calls him away. The lack of urgency is a welcome change.
aquaveiled: (himeka-571)

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2024-05-04 07:07 am (UTC)(link)
[ Liquor is, indeed, extremely important. Azem's realm tends to be more on the indulgence of food and drink, though she isn't beyond encouraging it in other forms to her follower's wishes. But mead? Few things can beat home-aged mead.

She will have to see how that goes with the tea concoction she's come up with... ]


I'm glad they fit the standard that your show has set.

[ She means it, too! Subpar snacks for an engaging and entertaining show wouldn't do. If anything, it would distract from the play and take them out of the element. It's an important balance! ]

Truly a labor of love, then. And such an epic one! What was your inspiration?
aquaveiled: (himeka-684)

not me crying over the fistbump

[personal profile] aquaveiled 2024-05-04 07:39 am (UTC)(link)
[ They certainly could. If it weren't for checking in on mortals regularly, Azem feels there is a lot about "normal life" they may end up forgetting, as strange as it feels. It's the concerted effort that they make to be something less than divine that stand out. ]

You won't say that the next time we--...have some sort of stabbing competition.

[ It made perfect sense in her head. Less so aloud. But when has that stopped her?

There is a part of her that feels he won't be on board with her chosen prize. Azem has proven that she's not the most skilled with melee weaponry, though she's always had a fondness Aegis' gunblade. It's just so neat! He's really quite the visionary to have designed something like that for himself. Why wouldn't she want to swing that recklessly around?

So when he does agree, Azem smiles a wide smile and eagerly bumps her brother's fist--their very important "secret" handshake. ]


Then it's done!

[ Azem rubs her hands together, looking down at the water beneath them. ]

On the count of three, then?

[ As usual. She begins the countdown knowing that he knows what to do. ]

One...

[ She waits for his "two"--and subsequent "three" in unison. ]
rookvision: (push the people down low)

[personal profile] rookvision 2024-05-04 12:30 pm (UTC)(link)
"It's not as if I'm trying," he huffs, but goes anyway, kissing back just as sweetly and reaching a thumb up to Jesper's face. "Hold still, you've got something on your face," he adds, brushing his thumb along the line of Jesper's cheekbone before also giving him a gentle little peck on that same area. Jacob has gotten a little bit smoother over the years, at least.

He snorts out a laugh. "Frankly I don't think they could take that blessing," he says, "for I'm certain they'd all rend their garments over how dashing I look. Not a good state to leave a party in, if its purpose wasn't to take those clothes off in the first place." If they do try sneak a nip from him he'll be very annoyingly loud and rude about it, and nobody wants that, that'd ruin the celebratory mood something fierce. Nobody bites him but Jesper and a few other people he can think of.
rookvision: (and yet you don't know)

[personal profile] rookvision 2024-05-04 12:37 pm (UTC)(link)
[Oh, he knows. God, he understands too well. His smile slips a little as memories bubble to the surface, but he stuffs them back down and gives a quick nod.]

Just one of my Rooks. Looked like they'd won a bet—they were whistling a tune I've heard around the pubs, and they had a little more bounce to their step.

[It makes his heart grow a little warm. He likes his Rooks, cares about them. He can't and won't intervene directly in their work, but a gentle nudge here and there, a little hint dropped at the right time...that's not direct interference. That's just giving them information they can choose whether or not to act on.]

If you'd like, I could keep an eye out for more of these little toys.
beautifullies: (oυr worѕт nιgнтмare waѕ coмιng тrυe.)

[personal profile] beautifullies 2024-05-04 02:49 pm (UTC)(link)
He doesn't have to ask twice; Claire reaches out to him, feeling her stomach twist into knots at his expression. Her face presses to his shoulder, breathing deeply in an effort to soothe herself. If she can stay in that hug, in his arms, maybe they can ignore it. Even as that fleeting, pointless thought crosses her mind, she knows things can't be that way. There's no ignoring until later, not this time.

"What happened, Jon?"

She doesn't move, words muffled by his clothing.
beautifullies: (461)

[personal profile] beautifullies 2024-05-04 02:51 pm (UTC)(link)
You quite literally said 'what the hell is it?' so I made a leap. Unless you meant me, in which case I can leave and let you go back to your questioning.

[ Never let it be said that she will impose her presence when and if not wanted. ]
restingstitchface: (Discern [AU])

we can wrap soon if you want idm all's good

[personal profile] restingstitchface 2024-05-04 03:28 pm (UTC)(link)
No. In your case, I am grateful for the company.

[There is a disconnect between his words and the lack of emotion on his face. Is he grateful for the company of a friend? No, because he is a solitary being, isolated from the rest of his pantheon. But he rarely outright lies. Her presence does enliven the monotony of this village.]

Would you like to go for a walk? I would be a terrible host if I didn't allow you the opportunity.

[And maybe it will do him good to get away from this mural.]
areou: (pic#10958476)

[personal profile] areou 2024-05-04 03:47 pm (UTC)(link)
( when koby barges in, clarisse is in her dragon form, curled around some massive tree jutting up from the mountain they call olympus, but as soon as he speaks — accuses her — she suddenly assumes a slightly more human form, mostly so she doesn't accidentally bite his head off, which she had been feeling very inclined to do several seconds ago. )

Oh, you mean these? ( she isn't going to deny it. she's caught two starry little fish by the tails, where they flop uselessly trying to free themselves from her iron grip. traces of starlight line her lips like powder; these are clearly not the first. she throws her head back and swallows the two fish whole, all while staring directly at koby with a sharp, smug smile. ) They taste better fire-roasted, less wriggling on the way down.
beautifullies: (ι waѕn'т on an ιѕland)

[personal profile] beautifullies 2024-05-04 03:49 pm (UTC)(link)
For just a moment, in the brief time spent pushing back her curls, Claire leans into the gesture. She misses that already at home, the tender, familiar touches. She let herself grow comfortable with the idea that as someone who craves connection, she wouldn't want for that again.

"Perhaps we're both fools." She assumed she would be enough for someone who made it clear that his attention was divided from the start.

With her full glass, she toasts him, then stares down into the deep red of her wine. "This won't make it better, but being here with you helps take away the sting of it. The wine helps dull the ache. And you..."

Claire takes a smaller sip of her wine, savoring it this time before turning her gaze back to him. "When the initial fog cleared, I wanted to be alone, and then I thought of you, here on your mountain, the quietness of your solitude." And that's what she wanted. Someone who knew her and would understand. "I hoped you wouldn't mind being alone, together." She offers him a small, grateful smile that doesn't quite reach her eyes, but it still manages to be tinged with warmth.

"I think you and the wine are both what I needed."
sophos: (pic#4369132)

[personal profile] sophos 2024-05-04 03:54 pm (UTC)(link)
It's not just that. It's... all of it. [ it feels so big and so permanent, a fixture in this world that remains in use after all these centuries. the sweeping ceilings, the wealth of knowledge, the frequency of visitors. it all speaks to annabeth in ways she never imagined, knowing she had a hand in its creation and its continued existence. ]

I know. [ she says it a little gently, however much she might disagree. ] It'll never stop me from offering.

[ she pats the space beside her. ] Sit with me? Or are you feeling too restless? We could walk instead.
Edited 2024-05-04 15:54 (UTC)
cryptsleeper: <user name="malagraphic"> (I'll consider it)

[personal profile] cryptsleeper 2024-05-04 04:52 pm (UTC)(link)
[Alucard's greatest discomfort with the whole apotheosis situation has been the cults that resulted in the wake of a new addition to the pantheon. A group that had originally begun as only themselves and their own states and remained as such for a whole generation to know the Summoned as people and not....what they all are now. Most of the cults were fine. Some got violent or stupid or out of control, like all religion eventually did after a time. There was always a need for course correction, and it was always a crapshoot if the individual whose cult it was made the change or someone else had to step in.

He's interfered rarely. Usually it is a matter of responding to a request for assistance from another Summoned rather than enforcing morality upon another. (The whole Viktor situation is different - Alucard's concerns are with the constant move away from humanity on an individual level rather than the man's actual work.) Alucard's seen a few blips in Altaïr's general corner of the world. Usually he's made contact after the incident.

This time, it feels prudent to reach out before.

There's no particularly nice way to roll in unannounced these days. Still, Alucard makes a solid attempt of it, approaching Altaïr from the side as if he's simply strolling through this particular situation like one would a park. Which for all intents and purposes, Alucard is. Just a friendly walk into some weird cult shit about to happen.]
techmaturgy: (1)

[personal profile] techmaturgy 2024-05-04 06:21 pm (UTC)(link)
I can fix this.

[He can fix himself, is what he means. Fix whatever is causing him to have unwanted remembrances and put everything back the way it's supposed to be. So that he can work. He refuses to believe that everything he's done over the last few centuries is not real. That everything he's done has been for nothing.

Viktor doesn't move from his spot, but the slight shifting of weight indicates that Alucard's hold is tenuous--that sheer force of will might cause him to break through. The third arm, with its power core in the center, starts to glow.
]

Please.
ushiri: (pic#16125660)

[personal profile] ushiri 2024-05-04 06:46 pm (UTC)(link)
[ The little mirrored motion gets a flicker of amusement from his own expression.

Kyle looks to the mortal man again, who only a moment ago he'd been thinking about pushing. His hand twitches, and he shakes his head. ]


No, not one of mine.

[ Which seems to answer a question for him - and his hand moves very suddenly, barely touching the man whose eyes widen in surprise as he suddenly loses his balance, falling. He screams very loudly, but it doesn't last long. The other noises, the tearing and grinding, go on for a little while.

Kyle looks over to study Cassian, curious. ]


Would you have taken him?

[ To consume, for his own hunger. ]
cryptsleeper: <user name="malagraphic"> (Hotter and drunker mess)

[personal profile] cryptsleeper 2024-05-04 06:48 pm (UTC)(link)
[Silence is the worst thing in these moments. Alucard knows that, just as he can feel the void that has become a part of his body move from chest to skull and then down his arms, showing bright white bone and brilliant hues coming from the stained glass that is now a part of his insides. There are a few missing bones in his ribcage, some cleanly removed and others broken off at awkward angles. Alucard can feel their contours more keenly now, just as he can feel the way the stained glass has set itself in the pattern of two large buildings as the light shines through his eye sockets for just a moment.

His face breaks into an all too human expression of misery and guilt, all at odds with how he continues to stand there.]


There's nothing to fix, Viktor. [His voice is softer. There's something broken in it, although not the kind of broken that Alucard was when he first was pulled into Abraxas. It's a heartbreak of a very different kind.] All of us have gone through this same awful condensation of faux time. Been able to move beyond things that take ages to come to terms with, and we're being thrown back into the present. It is unfair to all of us, and for all that I have....[He gestures for a moment, indicating the space they stand in as well as Viktor himself] I understand this is an ultimate injustice to you.

[Viktor went and isolated himself. Became too distant, too far from the person Alucard knew, even if a small core part of him was very much in that body he forged over the centuries. Viktor's not turned off every feeling though, because it's clear what is happening. Fear can't be turned off, not in the same way. Not when it is an existential threat.]

Trying to fix anything here is putting off the inevitable, and this time, you can't work around it. Any attempt is going to make it so much worse.
techmaturgy: (pic#15348801)

[personal profile] techmaturgy 2024-05-04 06:54 pm (UTC)(link)
I've always found spite to be an excellent motivator.

[That much about him hasn't changed. There is no animosity, however, in the way that Viktor leans into the kiss, very nearly starving for it. His eyes slide closed and things start to blur.

He is in the apartment above the workshop in Cadens. He is on the back of the motorcycle, watching stars fall. He is on the beach in Aquila with Jayce, and Jayce is promising him a lifetime that he could not give. Viktor wonders, fleetingly, how these past centuries might have been if the Singularity had not separated them. What kind of god Jayce would be. How Viktor himself might have been different. If Jayce could have stopped him where Kyle could not. The pain that he cut out of himself all those years ago--the missing piece that Kyle warned him about--stabs through his chest.

It's unpleasant, to say the least, dredging up a deep sadness from somewhere deep inside of him. When he breaks the kiss, it's with a noise that might be an attempt to cry, though he's long since removed his ability to do so.
]

I'm so sorry.
Edited 2024-05-04 18:55 (UTC)
magicalarchaeologist: (listening)

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2024-05-04 08:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Istredd knows they've been alive almost as long as one another so he need not baby or coddle him, but he is still his son, and that relationship makes him naturally seek to help him. Istredd himself doesn't care much for those who choose to damn themselves. It's somewhat indifference, but it's mostly that he thinks people can make their own fate. If they wish to follow this path, that is their right. Intervening goes against their wishes.

But he does understand the impulse. The wish to fill that gap and show them another way. Istredd keeps a hand on Mara's shoulder, considering the best advice to give in this case.

"Well, I am not going to stop you from trying. But you must be prepared for it not to go anywhere." It's always so confusing to him when they deny what is right in front of them, because he's fairly certain gods have tried before, and they only get more stubborn somehow.

"They do get command over their own lives, son. We would want the same if the positions were reversed." They haven't been mortal in hundreds of years. When none of them aged past a certain point and began to change, they were no longer humans, they became something else. But they were mortals once, and stubborn ones at that.
ancunin: (pic#16691552)

[personal profile] ancunin 2024-05-04 08:34 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Astarion keeps his nails a little long, enough so that they can gently scrape along his scalp. A fond smile plays across his lips when Alucard isn't looking, and as his arm sweeps in a gesture Astarion catches it, gently holding his wrist. ]

Mmmm... [ He hums again, bringing Alucard's wrist to his lips in a playful mood. ]

You would think a civilized society would have laws against such visual atrocities... perhaps we ought to invite our lady Valentine to punish them.

[ As if any of them are truly so vengeful anymore. ]
magicalarchaeologist: (smile to left)

[personal profile] magicalarchaeologist 2024-05-04 08:40 pm (UTC)(link)
"It's the nature of what we are and how long it's been. Memories fade. Our bodies have altered with our minds." Istredd's no longer human. His lifespan was already longer but none of them aged as they should have, the power only growing with time to the point their very cells have changed. But many of them were not built to live so long, and with that, their minds haven't entirely managed to keep up.

Istredd doesn't remember where he came from at all. He knows that it wasn't here and that he's always been magical. He knows that he and Yennefer have been together since childhood, whenever that was, but not any of the details of how they met. She's just always been there, a permanent fixture in his mind. His only family is the one he met here.

He smiles at her. "Are you worried about me, Merrin? That's very sweet. I am stronger than I look, though. Lucifer forced me into combat training long ago." He is a scholar by trade and reluctant to fight, but he knows how, and he's been trained by one of the most dangerous people in their group. His partner is relentless about him being skilled. He feels vaguely like there had been a reason once, the he'd been helpless, but that's long lost.
ordinar: (♛ 049)

[personal profile] ordinar 2024-05-04 08:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Jesper always could light up a room by the sheer force of his charm and confidence. The only difference is that now he can do it even when nobody can see his dazzling grin. Swaying into Jesper's embrace, he traces with gentle fingers the familiar planes of his stomach and chest. His laugh puffs hot against Jesper's ear as he obliquely refers to that long ago time.

Growth, Wilhelm has found, is not a straight line but a spiral. As his power mounted, his mistakes grew in magnitude. Just like the fire in his bones and in his hands used to, it terrified him, what his carelessness could destroy. But the good he could do for others also bloomed. He looked for the ones who feel as powerless as he once felt, and through helping them he cultivated his own fragile confidence.

"We're still growing. It's not something that just stops one day." He rests his forehead against Jesper's. He never did catch up to his towering height. "Dad's fine. Still working on his garden down in the Nether, speaking of never-ending projects."

Wilhelm worries that he'll push his power too far, that he'll start to lose himself — he has always worried. But the day is too beautiful to ruin with darkening thoughts.

"You should invite your dads to the next wedding."
Edited 2024-05-04 20:52 (UTC)
cryptsleeper: <user name="malagraphic"> (ilu u idiot)

[personal profile] cryptsleeper 2024-05-04 08:58 pm (UTC)(link)
I've written down a few suggestions to discuss with her once this work trip is done. Honestly, the choices make me wonder if someone lost a bet and now our eyes are suffering the consequences.

[The caught wrist finally dislodges the focus on deeply questionable color choices and Alucard's feelings on them, and Alucard shifts so he's glancing upwards at Astarion at a better angle. His fingers are close enough to brush against the vampire's cheek, gentle and considering. A soft laugh follows.]

And where would you rather this hand go?
ancunin: (pic#16798676)

[personal profile] ancunin 2024-05-04 09:21 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Astarion tries not to groan as Gale insists on continuing to speak instead of looking, waiting anxiously as the mage finally does rise from his seat. He's not expecting to be teleported, and has to hide his faint alarm when they find themselves on the roof. ]

Not so long before I came here to find you brooding - but it isn't just our realm. It's happening on the mortal's plane as well... and -

[ He grimaces slightly as his gaze follows that trail of tendrils dancing across Gale's skin. ]

- I don't... I don't think we're supposed to be here. You, myself, Haelva -

[ They came from somewhere else, didn't they? His own form shifts suddenly, his proportions more normal and his eyes no longer glowing red, his clothing that of a noble dandy - though that falls apart on closer inspection. But then he switches back, not seeming to notice the change in his appearance, and still grimacing at his own words. ]