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

Months 1-2

[itookashot]

[ ooc: I will be putting OTAs and scenes involving the pre-awakening section of this event! ]

OTA

[itookashot]

As Jesper travels the world, he grants boons left and right, leaving a path of love behind him in such an obvious way that tracking him requires very little effort. He often ends up in the Godlands getting his echoes, taking them seriously enough to linger there and try and remember all of them so he can follow them later. He lies down next to the Singularity, making himself comfortable as he listens to each prayer, humming to a song only he can hear then. He pushes off and heads back into the world.

He can be found most frequently in the Feywilds, participating in their parties and masquerades, a guest that shines bright enough to be clocked as god to even people who are not looking for it. Jesper sometimes walks among them, appearing his old human self as he does remember what that form is, although there is always a healthy glow about him, something otherworldly.

Where he goes, good feelings follow him. Couples become more lovey dovey, friends laugh harder and whack each other's backs, family starts to express their deep affection for each other even if they would ordinarily not say it out loud. Jesper likes to go to weddings of couples he's taken a shine to, although he will most likely be invisible to them, smiling as he sees the joy on their faces. A little influence and it's near euphoric. If someone comes up to him, he'll glance over, taking his eyes briefly off the ceremony. "This one took some prodding. People can be so stubborn."

He visits the demigods area to keep an eye on his own creature, having accidentally created one early on when he didn't know how to regulate his blessings. The beast is not as inclined to fight others as those born of violent minds, bouncing around with more playfulness than violence, although it bears its fangs when threatened. "That one's mine," he says to anyone who joins him. "Purely accidental. Is it strange to feel like a parent, ready to scold their spawn?" He smiles wistfully. "Never had one of my own." A child, he means. Although he might have, when dallying, and never knew about it.

There is a particular festival dedicated to him in Solvunn, the people excitedly chattering about it weeks in advance as they prepare the decorations. Jesper gleefully oversees it, or merely watches, exuding pleasure. "This year may very well be the best," he chatters. "They aren't preparing for the orgy as well as I would like though. On my end, that is already done." Jesper prepares for a god orgy at the same time as the humans, to make the night more complete. Although they have an easier time creating that presence.

Jesper can be spotted in the Free Cities masquerading as a human as a fashion designer with his own shop with Hilda. He cannot downplay the open attraction he appeals to when people meet him and has no shortage of callers who are twirling their hair around their finger or flirting as they look at his work, but he keeps it professional. Their beautiful clothing is considered 'retro' in a way because it nods to their original line all those centuries ago.

In the Godlands, his domain is jointly designed by Kaz and Mat, and it always seems like a fun party to join on. It's a large tavern and music hall, with joyful jigs and perfect music to dance to. No matter what there is a soft beat to it, inspiring someone to want to dance whether they are inclined to usually or not. The booze is always flowing, the vibe is always warm and fun. It is very difficult to come to this place and not end up smiling, the atmosphere made of pure positive energy. It has no modern day rave energy to it though; this is more medieval in vibes.

[iustise]

“Oh?” John asks, tilting his head toward the other god with a hint of wry amusement. “And how would you see them prepare for it then?”

Since apparently these humans are lacking in their orgy-planning capabilities. John cannot say that he’s one to talk, although he has been to a few of them by now. More than several being Jesper’s own, he’d wager. A smile tugs his lips at the thought of it. There being a right and a wrong way to go about such things. Although he supposes that there is. He’d hate to have a boring time at such an event, after all, and given that he has not yet, clearly someone has been doing something right.

[itookashot]

"They don't have all the supplies organized and lined up yet. Something we don't need to worry about." They're gods. Those types of details are mortal-only concerns, so that means they should be more on top of it than he would be up here! Jesper assumes it will all be done by the time they begin. They probably think there is enough time as the feast and dancing comes first. Still, he's always been the 'be prepared' type of person. Very responsible!

He is particularly glowing at the moment; he's being worshipped actively at the moment, and the more they adore him, the more it shows. His beauty gets to blinding levels if he allows their love to take over his own preference, so he has to dim it down. Jesper flashes a grin over at him.

"Veritas, glad to see you've decided to join us again." Jesper eyes him up and down, considering. "Anyone in particular you're looking for tonight? You know me, always trying to make certain everyone gets what they desire." Desire is what he's made of.

[iustise]

John offers the other god a quiet smile in return. He has been known to partake in these sorts of engagements, every now and again, when the mood is right. When a certain regular companion of his is otherwise preoccupied...

"I do know. You are most generous," he replies, unable to help but notice the way that Jesper takes him in. Sizing him up for the offering or for his own benefit, John is never certain.

"I make no demands tonight. Like a moth to the flame, I am here for the company." Male company, specifically. He isn't particularly choosy, otherwise. Though if Jesper knows of his close relationship with The Wolf, then he will understand in which particular direction his tastes lie...

wedding witnessing

[kobes]

Koby doesn't leave much, anymore -- he relies on visits, on other Summoned passing through as he answers Echoes, provides his guidance from afar to keep him abreast on the happenings of Abraxas. But there are sometimes some petitioners who tug at his heartstrings hard enough that Koby makes an exception.

Like now, at the wedding, a broader-shouldered, less anxious version of himself, his stardust dimmed down as much as he can manage, though his body still radiates the heat of a star. Koby smiles a little as he comes up beside Jesper, watching the couple embrace and, specifically, watching the grandmother of one weep with joy. "She called on me every single morning to "guide these two idiots to each other". I'm glad it worked out."

A pause, then he nudges his shoulder gently against Jesper's. "Hi. It's been a little while, I know."

[itookashot]

"Of course she did." Jesper laughs. "She was just as stubborn at their age." They've seen generations come and go at this point but Jesper likes being around people so he remembers them. He does take a shine to one or two family lines, and this is one of them. This is the area in which he is worshipped fairly actively, so he protects them more than most.

That worship and the celebration of love in front of them makes Jesper seem to radiate power and beauty, the inner shine matching the outer when he's surrounded by the cherished. He smiles at Koby and turns toward him, swooping an arm around his waist and tugging him in close. "Is that the way you greet lovers after time apart? I feel as if sailors know better than that."

Jesper leans in to kiss him sweetly, letting it linger but not go on too long, as then they'd get distracted. "It has been a little while, my dear, what have you been up to?"

[kobes]

"--oh, that's right." Koby laughs a little as the memory comes back -- he's been more distant lately, and sometimes the memories get fuzzy. He doesn't really realize it, most of the time, how many months or years are slipping by without him venturing to see what humans are up to.

Perhaps predictably, it takes someone like Jesper to tug him out of his domain, someone with history, who knows Koby better by now than most. The centuries have given Koby quite a bit of confidence in himself, but when Jesper practically scoops him up like this, beautiful and shining and brilliant, he feels like that awkward, wide-eyed boy he'd been when they met, every time.

So the smile on his face is more than a little absurdly smitten, accompanied with a laugh, with his hands coming up to cradle Jesper's face, nearly reverent. "Sorry, sorry, how thoughtless of me," Koby laughs between kisses, resting his forehead against Jesper's for a moment. "I've been -- I-I'm not sure. Thinking, maybe?" Another laugh, fainter, and he leans back, looks up with stardust-bright eyes. "I've let a lot of time slip, I guess? I'm sorry."

[mathmetism]

At Jesper's festival, while he's expressing discontent at the middling orgy preparation, Jerry unceremoniously falls out of a nearby hammock someone strung between a couple of trees. the neon swirl of rainbow fur of his coat floofs up and loses a few fibers to the ground as he does a wonka-style roll up to his feet and shuffles over to Jesper's side.

"Yeah, well, you know humans and their inhibitions. They get shy."

Couldn't be Jerry. Even before godhood, probably before Abraxas (not that he remembers), inhibitions weren't a problem. For as long as he can recall, optimistic nihilism has been his bread and butter and tasty breakfast jam, maybe with some cinnamon sugar sprinkled on top. The neon-rainbow flock of butterflies that follows him around come to rest on his arms, his shoulders, melting in and out of the psychedelic colors of his coat, a couple flitting affectionately onto Jesper's hair. He angles his bespectacled face to his god-friend, waggling eyebrows.

"Want me to give a little confidence boost?"

[itookashot]

"They do this every year. And yet!" There are a few of the villagers that are more like Jerry and Jesper, but he does see the same little bits of nerves each year, as people decide who they want to look for. There is a social aspect and not all offerings end up agreed on, so rejection is possible, and with rejection comes anxiety. He could wave a hand and make everyone say yes, but that's not in any way something he'd consider.

Still though. Nerves aren't as fun as confidence to watch!

He is as colorful as a peacock himself at the moment, although his clothes have shifted several times as he decides what he prefers. Normally his attire is very casual, more so than it ever was as a mortal, but it's his party so he has to have a little flare. Jesper smiles as the butterflies land on his head and allows them to stay there like a small crown. He reaches out to snag Jerry's hand and presses a kiss to the back of it sweetly.

"By all means, if you want to stretch a little influence of your own here. I'll allow it."

As if the area needs any more upping of energy between the two of them, to be honest. Jesper exudes warmth and pleasure and Jerry with his optimism and positivity, this place will be extreme joy soon.

[mathmetism]

Jerry flutters a hand at his face and bites a lip with an exaggerated oh, you display, knees bending in an off-balance curtsey.

"Don't you fret, smooth operator. There's horny people in need - hold my beer."

A large styrofoam(esque) cup filled with five and a half loko is pushed into Jesper's hands. Permission granted, his colorful butterflies swarm and Jerry goes bopping through the masses, dropping a light smattering of euphoria, just enough to edge out the anxiety. But that's not enough. They need motivation. Morphing himself into a common festival worker, the bright clothing fades into drab creams and browns, enough to blend in with the humans as he infiltrates the festival preparation.

Jerry strips his shirt off, finds some laborer's unattended water jug and splashes his hair, arms and bare chest. The man's been on Instagram (in another life), he knows how to thirst trap. He steals a pile of metal tent poles and canvas from the folks setting up the market sector (fuck capitalism), and yakety saxes his way to the center of the set up operation. A short pause while he wiggles his hips and tugs at his shorts until he's a centimeter away from flashing ass crack, and he's ready. Jerry's struggled with many shortcomings in his life, but projection was never one.

"HEY, YALL, WHO'S SETTING UP THE ORGY TENT?"

The whole of the bustling procession jerks to a halt and stares. Excellent. Jerry dramatically flips his hair and lifts the metal bars overhead, idly doing a couple overhead presses, for posterity. He has complete confidence in this plan.

"I'm gonna get started over here in this super sexy field."

And so he does, taking his supplies and begins to erect (heh) the large (stolen) tent, all obvious posturing and bending over ass out to pick things up. Subtly is not his chosen medium. Soon, others meander over to help, and eventually, it builds into a proper project. He tells some there's a new law - "It's illegal to build orgy tents with a shirt on. You don't wanna do time in horny jail, believe me." Miraculously, they do. The construction crew becomes a half-naked construction crew. After hand-writing a poster that reads "ORGY TENT" and attaching it to the front flap of the tent, Jerry finds an opportunity to sneak away and drop the mortal-disguise. He returns to Jesper's side in all his neon glory once more, wearing a self-satisfied grin.

"If we build it, they will come. Heh, get it?"

wedding

[ordinar]

One of the brides is one of his own — that's how Wilhelm thinks of his followers, anyway, like something adjacent to the children he never had. When she was a girl, she'd prayed to him because her whole life was her mother's idea, and she had something else in mind. It was a story close to his bones, although he can't remember why anymore.

For the occasion, his wings are all shades of purple and butterfly delicate. His hair is kissed blonde. He wears flowing white pants that resemble a long skirt and a silk vest that leaves his stomach and arms bare. A smile softens his expression as he comes up beside Jesper to watch the ceremony. The priestess is wrapping the brides' clasped hands in ribbons of every color to symbolize their vow to share every part of their lives with one another.

"Beautiful work, Jes," Wilhelm says, slipping his hand into his.

[itookashot]

Jesper thinks of them that way too, especially in certain villages, the ones who have mirrored his love back at him. He coddles them like his children and they've lived very happy and satisfying lives because of it. He knows there are others of their kind who are less attached to their followers, some who even shun them, and it's beyond him to think that way. When their cute little whispers enter his ears, all he can do is blow some kiss-blessings at them. He does look like something of a proud papa at the moment.

This one he is happy about. The bride and groom were so resistant to admitting their love for one another, childhood rivalry gone wrong, but they found their way back to each other soon enough.

Jesper is in rainbow shades, his usual, with no shirt since why would he hide the marbled brown perfection that is him? His pants and jaunty hat are colorful though and he smiles when Wilhelm's hand slides into his own. Outside of the constant vibration of his positive energy and height of attractiveness, Jesper looks much the same as he always had, since he sees no reason to mess with perfection.

"Thank you. They needed only a small push from fighting to kissing, you know how it goes." Passion can turn on a dime, with a gentle little swish from a cupid. Jesper kisses his hand and then releases it to run his fingers with the smallest of light touches along his wings affectionately. "You look as lovely as always, my love."

[ordinar]

His wings flutter under Jesper's touch. After all this time, these little attentions Jesper bestows on him still sink warm under his skin. Wilhelm curls in closer to him, weaving their fingers together as the priestess, chanting a prayer, continues to wrap ribbons around the brides' hands.

"You look amazing," he whispers, as if the wedding guests lining the benches can hear them anyway. Even the soft breeze rustling the broad leafy tree under which the ceremony takes place is a greater distraction. As the happy couple speaks their vows, Wilhelm settles into silence to listen. Only when the ceremony has concluded, and the guests are showering the couple in flower petals and well wishes and hugs, does he reply, "Yeah, I guess I know how it goes."

His smile is tongue-in-cheek. Wilhelm can't explain what pushed his feelings from friendship into something deeper, something fathomless, after so many years of the same, comfortable pattern. Maybe it was watching him write happy endings — or happy beginnings, really — for so many others. Maybe it was just that his heart, tired of boys who left him alone in the end, couldn't help but take the plunge for the one boy who was always there for him.

Demigod

[blackeyedprince]

Kell, though he goes by Mara now, is no less inclined to pout when something displeases him, then he was centuries ago. So there he is, his expression rather sour at the mere thought of considering the results of their overindulgence as children. He dislikes it even more when thinking about the abhorrent creatures his own neglect has produced.

"I do not share the sentiment. But then mine are not even a fraction as pretty."

They, sure as sun, are not harmless. A major pain for him to deal with whenever he comes back to find another one. Self-control is always a struggle for him.

Jesper's is kind of adorable. The creature bounces around clearly looking for something to amused itself with. It looks like it could be dangerous, but it's just energetic. The way large, very friendly dog could. It does not look anything like a dog, but the impression, the energy is there.

"I can't say I'm not jealous. Everything that comes from your hands is irresistible, or at least pretty. People love it."

People like his roses too, but they fear them just as much as they revere them. Or rather fear what they might represent. A loss, a sacrifice, a hardship. His gifts lack the airy, happy ease of those that Jesper bestows. Only desperate people seek them.

[itookashot]

"Few things are as pretty as me and mine," Jesper jokes. He does know his monster is different from the rest but it also doesn't seem to be hunted by the eithers, so it must be relatively strong enough to survive, but not a fighter. It was created by overindulgence in powers, as Jesper has a very easy way of sinking into worship and attention.

He used to give out every blessing without thinking about it, swanning around basking in the power, and leaning too deeply into it also caused problems. It created an over-excess of power and magic. He is far better at finding that balance now, although he still wants to indulge in absolute freedom, swallowing up anything he desires. It's just within reason now. Jesper is in loose, colorful clothes at the moment, settling on his perfect form with that flare he's known for.

"You have your own power and appeal, my love." Jesper reaches out to drape an arm around Mara's waist, leaning over to kiss his cheek. He is one of the gods who just instantly seemed to gel with their positions, and he knows he is unique that way. Most things don't come as naturally to others as they do to him.

"And your blessings are more necessary, as everyone knows how to love." Jesper really does have it easy!

[blackeyedprince]

"True," Mara agrees easily. A joke it might be, but it makes it no less right. This creature is a manifestation of inevitability. It must have been born at some point. Jesper's beauty is so effortless that it makes loving a natural thing for anyone with a heart and a pair of eyes. So no wonder that even a thing born of his excess has grace and elegance to it.

Mara is clad all in black, with cold gleam of silver stitching on his clothes, the red in his hair and staining his hands the only touch of color. He's a pale tear in the fabric of reality, a shadow to Jesper's lively vibrancy. Winter to his summer.

"I beg to differ," he replies with a hint of amusement. "I'd hear a lot less desperate pleas for help if people truly knew."

Even divine darkness yearns for the brilliance and warmth, Mara is not more immune to his lover's powers than any of the mortals. He leans into the embrace with an easy smile that looks almost out of place, so rare it is for him.

"They're just lucky you're so good at teaching them."

Kaz and Mat

[itookashot]

The festival took weeks to plan like it usually does but it is a well-oiled machine at this point and Jesper enjoyed watching over it, perhaps adding a tiny bit of persuasion either way if he liked one idea instead of another. He does get picky! His end of it is different as he still does put a god party together, but they can change things as they go and much of the time it is enjoying what the humans have put together too.

It is not quite time for their end of the celebration to begin and for now it is instead time to watch the humans as they set up the feast, as they dress in their skimpiest of clothes and laugh together as they whisper about who will find each other later that night. Jesper is already glowing; literally, he exudes a healthy glow as this is a night of constant worship and prayer to him, and this is on top of his natural appeal as his godly self. He suits the celebration wearing little except for white shorts, his hair longer and tousled for this event.

He is lying lazily across a throne of his own design, being the guest of honor, and stretches his lean muscular arms up past his head. The musicians are practicing for their debut and he glances over to his husbands, each with their own throne as honorary guests, and smiles.

They've been associated with his identity long enough that some mortals call upon their names this day too, hoping to get the trifecta of approval.

"I think it will be the best one yet. The younger generation of this group is the most enthusiastic I've seen so far." That's what happens when you grow up with an exciting festival every year.

[bealufull]

These festivals are more Jesper's thing than Kaz, but there's no way he would ever miss the festival for the energy that was given in honor of Jesper. He absolutely deserved it, after all.

While they were not Kaz's typical dress, he had certainly ensured that what he wore suited the event and his partner. Something slinky and yet carried the dark shade he often favoured. He had no hope that he would be called on as more than the partner to the one being honored, but he knew where there was love and sex, there was betrayal as well, and he was most certainly attentive to how things might go.

Sprawled sideways on his throne, his hair tousled and his eyes ethereally bright as he took in the beauty of the god beside him. He was always amazing to withhold, but on these days he was beyond words even for Kaz. Beautiful wasn't strong enough. Even Godly didn't do enough to describe how amazingly sensual and attractive Jesper was in his element, with others honoring him just as Kaz did.

"They've desperately waited for it to be their time, of course they are. Not that I can blame them," he says with an easy smile. "I'm just the one lucky enough to be here beside you."

[a_better_man]

"Don't you say that every time?" Mat's grin is a white crescent moon in the shifting shadow of his face. Even when appearing to mortals, he maintains his cloak of shadow. It just looks neat. And though he can't quite recall why, it's funny. He knows that it's funny for him to have this form and present himself this way. Even if he doesn't understand his own joke anymore, he still appreciates it.

It was probably hilarious.

But the festival is always a good time. Much more liberated and invigorating than his own, but that's hardly surprising. Jesper's dominions were much more fun. The three of them always have a good time when celebration day comes around again.

Not that they need an excuse to have a good time.

"Ah, we're all lucky." He gestures to them all, seated in languid repose to oversee it all, wisps of inky black shadow trailing from his fingers. "They do all the work, and we get to laze here and enjoy it all. Though I concede that we two, who are not the man of the hour, are particularly fortunate to be able to join in."

Not simply that they attend, but that the celebrants include them as well. As they should, the pair of them are married to these people's favored god.

[itookashot]

"I do say that every year, but it's because they keep making it better!" Then again, no one would want to disappoint the Patron of the Cherished on this holy day. They never have so far though, but Jesper is a very forgiving person. He remembers when this started, how it was mostly a pleasant meal, which turned into a feast, which turned into a grand party, and that is why he sees each year as surpassing the last.

Jesper is the sun to Mat's shadow, with Kaz a perfect in-between of gray. He doesn't remember a time when they didn't feel like the perfect balance. "I've been asked to favor fertility this year, many of them have been waiting on purpose." So the explosion of lust and joy will be particularly strong. Of course Jesper's mostly amused because they probably would have succeeded on their own, without help from him, but he thinks it's sweet when he helps begin the next generation.

He flicks a wrist and goblets appear for each of them, with Kaz and Mat's favorite beverages within. Jesper is the host for this on both fronts, and he has everything prepared for the night. There are the yearly gods who show up, some just for the first part, some for all of it. They know better than to disappoint him. Jesper's still very good at pouting!

"Mat, dear, would you help with the music? They've been practicing but I think they could use a little push." A Herald of the Trumpet, for example. "Kaz, they'll be making some parenthood pacts. Let's all be on our best - or worst - behavior."

Hilda

[itookashot]

[ It was a few centuries ago when Jesper and Hilda decided to go back to their roots to chase that high that used to be their hobby and business. Jesper is easily bored and while he has fun answering echoes and wandering around drawing people to him, he missed the creative outlet, and they both have that quality to them. He noticed that that their original designs were showing up in museums as relics of a time past, and no no no, that wouldn't do as their last works. Thus, it began again.

Coming up with human identities is particularly fun. They began a dynasty of a sort, a 'family' business that kept being put down to the next generation, and Jesper is not lazy, he loves to put in the details of each human. This particular one, 'Vance,' is a little snobbier than his father with a taste for classy formal wear over party clothes. It felt like a natural urge to get better at every variety.

This shop is impressive but intentionally middle of the road. Successful enough to have their names known, not so successful they need to spend every waking moment living a normal mortal life. The humans that work for them are adorable and Jesper boops them on the nose occasionally to show his affection. They're all a little in love with him, but it's not a surprise, given that despite pretending to be human, he still has a natural beauty and glow to him that he cannot entirely brush off. He is the god of love. Some things cannot be fixed.

"You will not believe who decided to be rude to me today." This is how he announces himself into their design room, an infinite amount of colorful clothes and swatches around them. Jesper is in a huff, fluffing out his longer hair for this disguise. "Braxton Hughes is still trying to buy us out, as if he has any sense of class." A more successful designer with a superior attitude, as if they didn't intentionally not outshine him. ]

I'm going to afflict him. Turn everyone against him! He deserves it.

[ Jesper is a little dramatic still, what a surprise. ]

[theidlemaiden]

[ Returning to fashion had been a lifeline that she hadn't realized she needed. Not just because her lack of answered echoes had left a sizeable gap in the styles of Abraxaian clothing and she needed something to wear herself - but because she had missed it. She had missed the busyness, the creativity that buzzed and lived in rolls of silky fabrics and jeweled colours.

She had missed working with Jesper.

They had still seen each other of course well before that, but the year she had lost herself to the manic haze of emotions she couldn't control felt blurry. Some of that was forced of course. It was an embarrassment of a century that she compared to puberty and one that she'd rather not recall if she could help it.

Fashion helped that. Creating made up for it. Playing pretend with her friend, business partner and occasional lover, soothed her soul.

Which is why she's more than happy to indulge the pettiness and dramatics. After all, she lives for this on the stage and off of it. Her white hair drapes down her back in a long braid as she sits putting the finishing touches on a hat when he breezes in. Immediately her pink eyes flit to him. She rolls her eyes, pulling a face. ]

Isn't he tired of it yet? This is exhausting. [ Braxton isn't all just bluster either. ] Can't we get him to, I don't know...just forget about us? We're just trying to create not compete!

omg I fucked up the brackets haha oh well

[itookashot]

[ Jesper keeps up with all the other gods, because that is simply the way he is, and it keeps him energized and connected. He is terrible at slowing down or being alone, so this was another way of feeding his needs. He knew about Hilda's situation though, and this is his way of giving her distractions too. They both needed this.

Not that humans are always making it easy for them! Some of them have to be annoying! His own hair is white to match her and his eyes a sliver of silver, rarely changed no matter what form he's taking. He shrugs out of his long jacket and tosses it to perfectly hook around a coat stand, undoing his waistcoat. He favors much more loose and casual clothes these days, but his human self does not. ]

I would, but I'm fairly certain he keeps telling everyone that he's buying us, which would mean erasing many minds.

[ Which they can do, obviously, it would be easy, but he doesn't like taking too many steps that could wave a flag around them. They created these lives because they love it. He isn't letting one 'fashion mob boss' ruin that perfectly curated lifestyle.

He walks by her, placing a sweet kiss on her cheek as he does, and flips up a glass shoe he's been working on. ]

I bet he thinks that we put in a prayer to you to get the new theater contract.

[ Jesper grins at that thought. It would not be inaccurate to say they're getting blessings, but he thinks it's funny every time someone accuses him of something similar. Oh he's blessed alright! They did not have to do anything to get that contract outside of being fantastic.

And Hilda is particularly good at costume clothing, she was long before this too. ]

I would think he's already afflicted by me with how jealous he is. I suppose I could just turn it off.

i saw nothing!!

[theidlemaiden]

[ She appreciates that Jesper's attentiveness hasn't changed over the years even if it spoke to something connected to his godhood than many of them preferred to think too long about. It was selfish perhaps, but if it helped both of them (because the last thing she wanted was for Jesper to feel alone), then she'd gladly do what she could for someone she cared for.

Her humanity, she had come to realize, was important to her and that those from home no longer recalled the place they had come was a wound that still ran deep. That's why this little art of play that she and Jesper indulged in was both a blessing and a necessity in Hilda's mind.

The little kiss to her cheek is met with an affectionate flutter of her lashes towards him before her own goofy grin begins to creep onto her lips. She gives a hum of thought. ]

Hmmm...you're right. That would cause a more than a little confusion amongst the staff too. [ And their staff was quickly becoming family. ] Maybe we can make him lose his voice for the next little while. Someone we know has to be able to inflict a sore throat, right? Don't get me wrong, I think a little competition is healthy but he has no right to be rude to you or anyone else for that matter.