EVENT #18: EMERGENCE - IC EVENT LOG

[abraxasmods]

Event #18 - Emergence

OOC Plotting Post ⦁ Pre-Event Info ⦁ Setting Descriptions

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.

---

Comments

[furibund]

[ Nebula is in many ways the opposite of Himeka. She doesn't feel the need to travel more than she has to. She barely remembers a life among the stars; The expanse of space feeling like a cold prison on its own. It's the people that matter. This much they agree on. ]

[ Even if some part of her heart disagrees on others. Like people living here, when they can live in others. Servitude makes her skin itch, though she can't know why. It's why she rolls her shoulders and breathes out a laugh: ]

Sure, but you're the one who does harvesting around here. Not me.

[ She wasn't known for that kind of thing, didn't have the skill for it. Growing things would be something for someone else, always. That didn't mean she didn't help in other ways. ] Come on, they're not going to grow any faster if you're watching them.


[ Okay, so that's incorrect, but she means it in the sense of: you know the rules, can't do more right now. Let's do something else. ]

[aquaveiled]

[ What is growing but building? Sure, they all have their own domains of influence in the world, but Azem believes that they can compliment one another and overlap in more ways than may be immediately obvious. All it takes is just a little will and creativity.

Not at all unlike the village that Nebula dedicated herself to for so long.

Azem purses her lips slightly, but in good humor as she finishes the spell on the land. A Blessing of Bounty, that much she an give. It won't make the crops grow any faster, but their haul will be one to write about. ]

What if you made them a nice little barn or something? With a turtle emblem on it!

[ She offers as she turns to the other woman with a smile, her excess of hair effortlessly swinging around her without causing abject chaos. (The true perks of being a God.) Though she knows the implications here--Nebula wants to do something else and Azem is already stepping away from her project without protest. She's always keen to keep busy. ]

Or did you have something else in mind?

[furibund]

Buildings don't appear out of thin air.

[ A gentle reminder, though cutting through the truth all the same. Some things were too obvious, made their presence too well known. Besides, some part of her thinks, they still need to be able to do some things on their own. ]

[ They're thriving right now, who was she to intervene? ]

You'll have to trust me. It's not far. [ She tilts her head, as cheeky a motion as it is challenging: ] Unless you think I'd lead you astray.

[aquaveiled]

Not usually...

[ Nebula is right, of course--there's something to helping but to overstep and do it all undoes their entire purpose. They exist to find that balance for the Singularity, sure, but also to protect the mortals as far as Azem is concerned. As much as she wants to always step in and intervene even for the kindest of reasons, it's best to wait until called.

It's hard, though. Watching them fills her with such joy that she can't help but want to just give them a little boost...

Thankfully, Nebula is very adept at redirecting her. ]

You haven't thus far.

[ She speaks and smiles easily, falling into step. ]

And I don't think you're ready to break that streak just yet.

[furibund]

[ Nebula huffs the sound of a low-sounding huff. Matches it with a good-natured roll of her eyes as she shrugs a shoulder. ]

You find me on good days.

[ Possibly, because she wants to be good around Azem? Not the at she isn't, really, but some part of her still itches - like saying everything you want is a dangerous tool. ]

[ So she doesn't. Actions speak louder than words anyway. Like now, as she inclines her head in a leading direction before moving forward. ]

You've been busy.

[ An offering: What have you been doing in your long life? Or maybe: It's been too long, I've missed you. ]

[aquaveiled]

Do I? You must be having quite a few of those, then.

[ Whether she intends it or not, Nebula often invites more of her cheeky side. But that she has good days is a boon. As blurry as the far past can be at times, there's a journey that Nebula has been on in terms of self-actualization and Azem feels lucky to have been on board that ship at all.

To her observation, Azem hums lightly. ]

I try to keep busy.

[ Which isn't wrong, she likes having projects! But more so, she just likes to be involved in things. She pauses to hop on top of a rock, then to the next. The string will be her little jumping path as they make their way to whatever it is Nebula has in mind. ]

Though I've been lucky on that front. This time of year there are a lot of festivals and feasts to be had. I admit I may invite myself a bit more than I'm actually extended an invitation...

[furibund]

[ There's a moment of quiet, the other woman choosing to stay her tongue. Most of her memories are long faded, even those ones, but the hint of pain, an ever constant companion, and self-hatred lingered even now. These days, she's beyond it, but she thinks a past her would have continued suffering until she died. If she died. ]

[ She clucks her tongue. ]

With the right company.

[ Hint. ]

[ Her own pace is steady, not over-eager, but she keeps half her attention on the other. Doubts she'll make such a foolish thing happen as slip on a rock, but you never know. Rolls her eyes with a huff as she mutters, loud enough to hear: ]

That's because you've always thought with your stomach more than your head.

[ And sometimes her heart more than her stomach, but she won't say that. Instead she brushes past a low-lying branch and into a section of meadow on the island. Here, colorful flowers bask in the warmth of the sun gleaming down. ]

[aquaveiled]

[ She cannot help but let her smile grow a little wider at that. It's no secret she rather enjoys being that company and she won't soon let Nebula forget it. ]

Then should I consider myself lucky or simply say "you're welcome"?

[ Slipping on a rock is definitely still a possibility. They may be divine, but they are not without flaw and Azem has chosen to do so many things the hard, mortal way. There's a charm to it and she rather likes feeling a connection to the living world. It's the same reason she refuses to wear shoes no matter where she travels--she wants to feel the earth, the water, the snow all beneath her feet. ]

Well that is my job, isn't it?

[ Self-imposed, mayhaps, and then brought to new heights. Thankfully Azem doesn't slip as feared and hops down off of the last rock to follow Nebula past the trees and into a pleasant little meadow. Azem clasps her hands together and takes a deep breath in of the fresh air. ]

It's lovely to see the spring flowers bloom... Do you have a favorite season? Have I ever asked that before?

[furibund]

You tell me.

[ Nebula's responds without missing a beat, as wry as it is teasing. ]

[ Another time, she might have said something along the lines of no one thanks well of meeting her. She doesn't remember those times, only this. And Azem had been there as long as her memory could recollect - a comfort, a constant. Someone those sharp edges had become soft nubs around. ]

[ Even if she'd never admit it aloud. It shows in the casual way she keeps her attention on her. In the way she stops herself from rolling her eyes at the other's declaration even if it earns a huff all the same: ]

And who's fault is that?

[ Azem's fault, that's whose. Azem who loved and fed as easily as she breathed, a fact that still rattles a core part of her. The bubbling emotion of she should try to be more like that; Perhaps, it's why she found this spot. Trying to find the small things in life. There's too much grandiosity now. ]

You haven't. [ She shrugs, then stretches casually. ] I suppose I'm obligated to say Spring and you Fall.

[ Renewal and Harvest and all that. She rotates her neck and adds: ] I don't have one.

[ This sounds like old Nebula. The closed off one, the one who didn't think about likes and dislikes. It's why there's a pause, so brief you could almost miss it. It's there and then it's not because she adds: ] They're all important, I couldn't choose.

[aquaveiled]

You're welcome, then.

[ She doesn't actually believe that thanks are needed, of course. Azem does indeed feel special, but she is also simply happy to see Nebula in her better moments.

Which is also why she'll gladly take any faults in this, though due credit has to be given to Nebula as well--she's the one who slowly opened herself up, bit by bit. And that is no small task especially when half of the walls built around her where of her own making.

Azem doesn't want to keep this softer side all to herself, but she would be lying to say she doesn't fancy to every now and then.

She watches Nebula stretch for a long moment before kneeling down beside a patch of flowers, poking at one of the soft petals. ]

You're right, they are. But I'm with you--I like both quite a bit, actually. They're seasons of change and movement.

[ She plucks the flower and stands. Whatever the bloom was before, it shifts into a white lily in her hand. Azem smiles and offers it to Nebula. ]

Staying stagnant for too long can be dreadfully boring.

[furibund]

[ Letting Azem decide means she can pass off the answer - which she finds she's glad for. That she can ignore the steady thump-thump of her heart's betrayal. Because Azem's right: She has people like her for any change in character she may have had.]

[ The hazy dusk of another time never truly lets her forget the person she once was - never forgives. ]

[ She finishes her stretch before settling arms across her chest as she watches the other woman from beneath her hair. Her nod short and met with the delivery of: ] You can't have one without the other.

[ A truth; Endless life and merciless death one way or another was damaging to all things. ]

I wouldn't call it boring.

[ Even after all this time, boring isn't a word she uses easily. Finds herself constantly at task, but in this case there's more to it. ] I can see why someone would want to see endless fields of this.

[ It's beautiful. More adeptly: ] But it loses it's meaning if all you have is moments like this.

[aquaveiled]

Mayhaps we have different ideas of boring. I can find watching grass grow to be relaxing, but not boring.

[ Azem cants her head to the side as she regards the other woman. ]

But it's nice to see what the grass elsewhere looks like too, doesn't it? You never know how it might have changed.

[ In many ways she can be a restless soul. The itch to move and travel is something she's never shaken and now that they can go basically everywhere, she sees no need to hold back. ]

It's for you.

[ She says more pointedly as she pushes the flower in her hand out further towards Nebula. ]

[furibund]

I didn't call it boring.

[ Did she, by accident? She had said she wouldn't find it stagnant. They'd agreed, but maybe she fumbled the ball in the ways she'd occasionally do. Not so much anymore, but she's not a smooth talker. And Azem is so very Azem, it ties some frustrating part of her into knots. ]

Something tells me you're talking about something other than grass. [ She remarks wryly. Grass isn't all that interesting, after all, but maybe the journey is there. Or the people. ]

[ Especially the people she thinks as she watches the other and the way she cradles the flower she's so pointedly trying to give to her. Flustered she hadn't caught on sooner or perhaps that Azem was giving her one, Nebula gently takes it as she tries to ignore the heat in her cheeks: ]

I didn't bring you here so you'd present me with flowers.

[aquaveiled]

[ Azem shrugs in her knowing way, not confirming or denying Nebula's observation. She's right, of course--Azem just finds pleasure in many ways, including admiring the simple things in life that might not otherwise be reasons for awe. But all those things would not be nearly as enjoyable with people she cared about to share them with.

As such, when Nebula finally accepts the flower, Azem looks immensely pleased with herself and clasps her hands together all too innocently. ]

No? Then what did you bring me here for? Because there are plenty more flowers about.

[furibund]

[ It's the way that Azem looks pleased with herself - and not anything else - that makes Nebula's mouth twitch into what wants to be a frown... and fails to be. Not anything else makes her roll her eyes, like a long-suffering form, before releasing a breath. ]

[ She's never exactly been one to mince words. She's never been one to lie - though the reasons why she finds difficulty in it are now unclear. She does still find certain admissions difficult. If only because she thinks they should be obvious, she tells herself, like now as she huffs it out: ]

Because I thought you would enjoy seeing these specific flowers.

[ Duh! ]

[aquaveiled]

[ She can't help it, Azem doesn't even try to hide the chuckle that escapes at Nebula's somewhat for show exasperated explanation. So she's pleased with them both instead, it seems. ]

Well...you're right! You know me so well, Nebula.

[ She turns back around to give them proper attention once again, since they are a gift of sorts, aren't they? Kneeling down once again, Azem unclasps her hands and reaches out gently stroke one of the petals. ]

Do you know what they're called?

[furibund]

[ ( Don't be more embarrassed. ) Nebula successfully manages to not be a certain cursed word even as she shakes her head. ]

You're not exactly a closed book.

[ Azem's always been giving, for as far back as she can remember. And that memory does go far enough back - putting up with her even at her most ornery. She's a little less so now, but there are days where she's still quick to snap and she's certainly never lost her wry sense of humour. ]

[ The other has a point, even if she'll never admit it, that she does know her simply from paying attention. Trying to remember the details and the what nots. It's why she adds: ]

Not the official name. The nearby village calls them Sun Spears for the way their colors reflect light in the early morning. We've missed them today.

[ And probably would tomorrow, with the way time feels to so many of them, but that doesn't stop her from adding a little more hushedly: ] We should make a point to see them next time.

[aquaveiled]

[ Azem shrugs unapologetically. Yes, she's never made it a habit of hiding what she enjoys and what she doesn't--and luckily, the former is a much larger category than the latter. ]

Sun Spears... That's so creative! Yes, we definitely need to see them in all their glory.

[ What doesn't she love? The sun is something she likes quite a bit--it makes things warm and grow and she's quite fond of taking lazy afternoon naps in it. And flowers? She's always liked flowers, she's not sure why. She likes to make them into hair accessories or little crowns-- ]

--crowns!

[ Azem waves at Nebula to beckon her closer and, hopefully, down to the ground with her. ]

If we make flower crowns we can wear them and then be ready for sunrise no matter where we are.

[ If there's room for argument, Azem isn't acknowledging it as she's already plucking a few and making sure their stems stay nice and long for weaving. ]

[furibund]

They're misleading.

[ Nebula returns off-handedly practically giving away how she heard about them in the first place so long ago: She was looking for a weapon and was sorely disappointed. Not that she matters as much now but... ]

[ "Crowns," the other spurts out and she feels the brow raise in question even as she obliges the closeness. Choosing not to sit next to the other but lay back with a roll of her eyes and a huff that blows the bangs out of her eye. Another Nebula, a different one, would choose to sulk at her meaning being lost. Decide not to put herself out there more than she has. ]

[ Admittedly, she is disappointed, but she breathes out as she glances over at her: ]

Sure. But I was asking you to come back here sometime with me.

[ The long suffering of: could I have made it more obvious? But maybe she's just sort of used to this because she doesn't fully lay back before she's back up - ] You'll have to teach me.

[aquaveiled]

[ Already busying herself with the task at hand, Azem looks quite pleased to be doing a little bit of crafts on their excursion. But she does pause in her ministrations, blinking twice as she looks up from her project and back over to Nebula.

Oh.

She got a little ahead of herself, didn't she? Bless Nebula's patience with her when she gets excited (usually about something mundane). ]

Oh. Well, of course! That goes without saying.

[ Azem offers what she hopes is a reassuring smile and even goes as far as to scoot closer to Nebula. ]

Really. This is much more enjoyable because you're here.

[ She holds up the crown in progress up to Nebula's forehead as if to test the width. ]

It makes me very happy when you want to do something with me. I know it isn't always easy for you to ask.

[furibund]

[ To her credit - if she's allowed any sort of credit in this matter - Nebula doesn't falter as she speaks. Her attention never drops from Azem's and the color in her cheeks never heats up. This kind of admission appears far less a burden than a younger one might - but then after 800 years, things get a little easier. ]

Oh? Does it. It sounded like you wanted to make off with your flowers and go about your traveling.

[ She notes with a touch of teasing, leaning forward so her shoulder knocks with Azem's. Not moving away even as the other puts her work close to her - leave it to her to forget she said she'd need to be taught already. ]

[ Her mouth presses together. ]

I've asked. [ A little too quickly, defensively - not very much, rarely. Her fingers reach out to finger one of the flower's stems with a roll of her eyes: ] How do you know I don't? I could have asked a dozen times and you'd misunderstand, just like now.

[ It's not an accusation, the quirk upwards of a smile that is more teasingly affectionate than not is proof of it: ] You make it difficult. Maybe I should just show up and drag you there, like today.

[aquaveiled]

[ Forget...or learned? As such, Azem is quite pleased and happily leans into the weight against her, also making no efforts to move away. ]

I've said that a journey is best spent with company, haven't I?

[ Though she does often spend that time with her brother, Azem is ever happy to have companions on the road with her. She tries to avoid imposing on Nebula too much, but sometimes it's hard to resist.

Azem continues weaving more flowers together, splitting their stems and slipping the buds through the newly formed openings.

But at that suggestion, she pauses. ]

Oh?

[ And raises a brow with a smirk. ]

Is that a promise or a threat?

[furibund]

[ Another Nebula would be more resistant, to both the touch and the idea this is pleasant, this one isn't. Even if she scoffs and rolls her eyes: ]

Only because that means more hands to carry food for you.

[ Pointedly, in the long suffering way of someone who's had to accompany Azem on many long such adventures - perhaps never having clocked it was all supposed to be for her benefit. ]

[ The other smirks and she pauses - stews for a second before answering: ]

Either way, I never go back on what I say.

[aquaveiled]

[ Azem's head rolls back as she lets out a hearty laugh. It does usually come back to food, yes, and Azem may have made her entire domain one of indulgences and plenty. But they both know that she would be pleased to have Nebula's company even if the two of them did absolutely nothing at all.

That's the nice thing about having people you care about. They're all that's necessary. They do enough simply by existing. ]

No, no you do not.

[ She's all smiles when she settles. Finishing up the crown of flowers, she holds it above Nebula's head. ]

May I?

[furibund]

[ Stop make her feel things, Azem, it's pointedly rude. Which is to say, that in spite of her valiant attempts to roll her eyes, the other softens. Sometimes, no words are needed - ]

[ - She thinks this is the case now as she inclines her head in the other's direction and tries to pointedly not look at her (to avoid looking pleased). ]