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

[thearchangel]

"It's only funny the first hundred years."

He remembers Koby as he was. As he used to be. Smaller, uncertain, quick to panic and stay in the shadow of himself and Shepard. He chuckles, the puff of air fluttering the feathered blindfold stretched across his face.

"Do you even know what calibrations are?" He asks it idly, hunkering down on his heels at the water's edge.

[kobes]

There's a bit of a shrug, a few bits of stardust coming loose, forming tiny silvery fish that skip across the space to dance around Garrus's shoulders. Koby barely remembers himself, all those centuries ago, but he can remember Garrus and Shepard vividly. He remembers clinging to them, to the security of their presence, like an anchor in his bones.

"Humor is in the eye of the beholder," he intones solemnly, mimicking Garrus's position, warmth radiating from his form. It's unclear how much of him is still human -- he contains the heat of a star, and what mortal form could contain that? Koby usually tries to dim it a bit around the other Summoned, but not for Garrus. He's always liked the stars.

The question gets a thoughtful pause, then a slow headshake. "No, I don't. I never asked. It seemed vague and important, that was enough for me."

[thearchangel]

In response, he picks one of the gleaming blue stones out of the water, in fingers tipped with sharper claws than he'd ever had before. He flicks it at Koby. Playful, teasing. The hows and whys are vague, muddled, over the long stretch of time, but what's important is Koby out of his shell. Koby being stronger, sturdier, in every way. He's proud of him.

"Even I know that's not how the saying goes," he answers. The warmth is welcome. His Domain is balmy, tropical, but he never says no to a little extra heat.

And snorts in response. "It's math." Simplest explanation. "Very, very precise math." Though... he can't really remember what it was for. "Helped me unwind a little, focus on something concrete."

[kobes]

There's a laugh, accompanied by a brighter flare of the starlight that emanates from Koby's being, build into his veins, his flesh and bone. The stardust fish swarm around the stone, catching it midair, forming around it like a second skin. Koby catches it, turns it over in his hand a couple times, then sets it skipping across the surface of the water, leaving silvery streaks in the air to trace each bounce.

"Are you sure? You are getting up there in age, Garrus." The thought of math gets a soft, quiet hum. Koby's explored lots of subjects over the years, theoretical sciences and numbers among them, always trying to stay up on what the people of Abraxas are coming up with. Before, he'd --

No. No, there's no before. There's nothing before.

Scooping out another stone, Koby traces stardust designs onto it's smooth surface with his fingertip, humming thoughtfully. "Does it still?"

[thearchangel]

The starlight doesn't bother him by now. He remembers being unnerved, at first. Worried, mostly, for the kid's sake. But now it's as familiar as the cracks and seams of molten fire in Shepard's skin. This is who they are now. For better or worse.

Garrus snorts. It ruffles the feathers covering his face. "Yeah, yeah. That's what I keep hearing." By now though, he's not sure how old he'd be considered. He's lost track. Maybe he knew once... But now it hardly matters, does it?

"Not really," he admits. He's not sure why. "Toss that, I'll show you what does."

And there's a little note of challenge in that request.

[kobes]

Koby's recollections are more vague -- he can faintly remember being afraid at first, going to Garrus shivering and panicking. He did that a lot more, back in the earlier days. Now he's much calmer, more secure in himself, and there's less fretting. Not that it's disappeared entirely -- even now he's looking at Garrus in faint concern, brow furrowing, starlight dimming.

"Have you been doing all right? I haven't come by in a while, I know." As if it's Koby's concentrated effort alone that keeps everyone he cares about safe and sound. Well, is there any proof it doesn't?

The request gets a quirked eyebrow, then a lopsided grin that's also very, very much like it had been centuries before. Koby pauses, then abruptly whips the stone across the water, with the light-quick speed of someone with stardust in their veins.

[thearchangel]

"Me? I'm fine, kid."

No matter how long it's been, how old they are, that's Koby to him. And Shepard, too. He reaches over again to drag bird talons through Koby's hair. Fluffing it around. Probably tossing up little puffs of light in the process. It's okay. Really. The weird feelings bouncing around in his skull...

They'll pass. They always do.

Koby moves, and so does Garrus. The sharp, abrupt motion of a striking bird. His hands sweep up, cradling something invisible. Something that coalesces into the solid-smoke shape of a rifle. He stays still, motionless. Then squeezes the incorporeal trigger.

The little stone explodes in a shower of biotic blue light.

[kobes]

"Right." Koby huffs softly in mild annoyance at the hair-fluffing -- something only a handful of people can do. It's not very dignified to be ruffled, you see. Stardust scatters in the light, settling on Garrus's smooth feathers so they sparkle. "You're always fine, right?" Just like Koby.

The stone explodes, and when the delighted answering grin comes, it makes Koby seem just like what Garrus calls him -- a kid, youthful and easily amazed and full of awe about everything. He's almost definitely seen Garrus's incorporeal gun trick before, but that doesn't matter. What matters is the wonder of it, the bright pulse of awe.

"Pretty good trick," he says, stooping to pick up another stone. "Can you do two in a row?" He's skipping the stone without waiting for an answer -- he's pretty sure it'll be a "yes".

[thearchangel]

He won't do it where anyone else can see. That seems unfair to the kid. He knows he'd have hated something similar in front of his own peers, growing up. Is he always fine? Debatable. But someone with the weight of human belief on their shoulders has to at least act like it.

"Hey, no one's always fine."

They can admit that. They're in the same league these days.

But there's better things to focus on right now. Like pulling the trigger on the rifle made of smoke. In rapid succession. The answer is, of course, yes. It will always be a "yes".

[kobes]

The funny thing is how well Garrus knows Koby, even this powerful, glowing version of him -- there's a streak of youthful pride he never completely outgrew, a willingness to only be soft and at ease around certain people. The impression he makes is very important. He has a godly persona to uphold, okay?

But he doesn't mind the ruffling, the affection. Sometimes Koby goes months without anyone touching him, even just a hand on his shoulder or a friendly nudge. He doesn't always realize how much he's missed it.

"I've been -- feeling odd lately," he admits, tossing another stone, then another, smooth and unceasing, some of the stones gilded with silver, some not. "Like...restless, inside."

[thearchangel]

"I think I new a guy in that situation, once."

He lines up shot after shot. Following and blasting the stones Koby throws, one after another. Like a machine. Like calibrating. Every movement swift, precise. He doesn't miss.

"But I think you're a little past the... adolescent hormone phase."

That's teasing. That's a joke. Because despite everything, Garrus still resorts to that sort of thing when he's not entirely at ease. When he doesn't know what else to say. When he knows exactly how that feels.

[kobes]

Koby makes a startled, squawking sort of noise, dropping the stone he'd been about to throw, and the machine of their coordinated movements grinds to a stop. The bright, warm starlight he constantly emits takes on an odd pinkish tint, which turns his pale hair the same color it had been when he'd met Archangel.

"I-It isn't puberty, don't be ridiculous." Embarrassingly, Koby's voice cracks right in the middle of the sentence, and he flicks a puff of stardust towards Garrus, splattering silver along his smooth armor. "It's to do with my -- power, I think. Completely different."

Is it? Magic puberty is still puberty, Kobert.

[thearchangel]

The choking noise he makes is probably intended to be a laugh. It's definitely a laugh from how Garrus' shoulders shake and his head bows. His whole body shakes too. Clearly, he's trying not to burst out laughing, for Koby's sake.

"Power puberty?"

Oh that just, set him off again. His feathers rippling white, the eyes along his collar brightening to painfully clear blue.

"It's - It's possible."

[kobes]

"It's not funny." It comes out so whiny, and even Koby can hear it, ears turning bright red as he flicks another puff of starlight Garrus's way, this one gilding his feathers.

But then he laughs, softly, looking down at his palms, at the bright starlight he can see beneath his skin. "Okay, it's -- a little funny. I'm probably worrying over nothing. I've just felt..."

There's a pause, a slight shift then, the pale silver of Koby's ever-present magic twisting and going dark for a fraction of a second. Then it's gone, like it was never there, leaving the faint scent of carbon.

"...different."

[thearchangel]

His grin is as it always is. A half flick of a mandible, the slight cant of his head. The starlight over his feathers igniting the gold collar, brightening its inset eyes. This is good times. All of it. So much better than...

... he shakes his head, sobering as Koby does. Different.

Despite the blindfold of feathers, Garru's attention flicks over Koby. Looking him up and down carefully, Hoping there clarity of his senses are going to make things more obvious. They don't. "Different how?" he asks, carefully. Worried, despite himself.

[kobes]

Better than -- nothing, that's what, there isn't anything before this. Koby's always been as he is, powerful and confident and loyal and honest, all the best aspects of himself. There isn't room for the cracks that are slipping in, starting to pry apart everything he cares about, everything he's worked so hard for--

An inhale, exhale, a gust of carbon-scent, the way space smells. Garrus would know that (why?).

"Sort of -- the opposite of how I normally feel. Whatever the opposite of a star is." Koby says it slowly, looks up, would meet Garrus's eyes if not for the blindfold. He says it like he doesn't know, but they both do. They know what stars become when they die.

[thearchangel]

Overhead, the shadow cruises across the sky. The great ship - the name he knows. Something tied to him and to Shepard, the Normandy. Sleek and strong and perfect. When he looks up at it, sometimes the colors shift. Sometimes it looks different than others, but he just figures it's the Horizon. It's a mood change. Something like that.

He's quiet, looking up at it, while Koby decides what to say. The feathers along his shoulders ripple. Grey and white, banded like a bird of prey's. Uncertainty.

"How long?" he asks, casually enough, though his brain is running through options as fast as it can. What a star becomes when it dies. The opposite of light and warmth - Nothing. And that puts his back up. The thought of Koby becoming nothing...

It's not a thought he wants to allow to grow.

[kobes]

The shadow falls over them and Koby shivers -- not because there's any chill he can feel, not with the youthful stardust in his veins, the light that thrums like a living thing in his chest. He's always warm, always bright, for each star is a sun, right? Especially the North Star, guiding and lighting the way for anyone who calls on him. But what about those who don't -- or those who curse his name for failing them, for letting them wander in the darkness? What aspect of Koby do those people see?

An opposite. Nothingness, a void, a lack of light and heat. Or perhaps a consuming sort of emptiness, a star turned supernova. A black hole. Both thoughts are equally disturbing, as is the fact that Koby doesn't know. He can feel the potential of it, an edge of darkness to all he does, even now, but he hasn't ever let himself explore that, learn what actually lies beyond that edge. He could lose control and he has no clue what'll happen.

Arms crossed, he looks up at the ship, the sight of it tugging threads of memory. The feeling of smallness, of helpless desperation for something to cling to. Perhaps that's worse, then, than either being nothing or a black hole. Being what he once was. "A few years," he replies finally, the time sounding both far too long and infinitesimally short, to someone who's grown accustomed to eternity. "It's slow-growing. But it's not going away."

[thearchangel]

"Damn."

It's not what he wanted to hear. That it doesn't sound like a passing thing. It doesn't sound like a flux of power, or anything like that. It sounds serious. And he doesn't know what the hell to do with something serious like this. Even now, after so many centuries here, so long being a walking, talking, beacon of power - there is so much he doesn't understand.

... it feels like he used to know things. Like he used to be absolutely certain in some aspects. Like things used to be simpler and more complicated all at once.

He scrubs at his face. It's been a habit for as long as he can remember. "We should ask around," he says, finally, and clasps his other hand on Koby's shoulder. "See what other people know. Maybe someone's gone through this before." At least, he hopes so. It has to be something they can fix. Koby is one of their own. He won't let anything happen to one of their own.

Not again whispers some fragmented thought. Something to be pushed away to deal with another day, when he has time to think.

[kobes]

"--I'm scared."

It's quiet, out towards the mirror-still surface of the water. Koby knows in the deepest parts of his soul what it feels like to be afraid, even as his mind shies away from what that fear's been caused by. He doesn't remember what caused it, but he remembers constant fear, a sense of frustrated helplessness that felt cloying, inescapable.

Koby doesn't ever want to return to that feeling.

Garrus's hand clasps his shoulder, and something loosens in Koby's chest. He exhales, smiles upwards, reaching to squeeze at the hand. This had been why he'd come -- Garrus is immovable, solid, safe. Even something as unwieldy and unsure as his powers felt more surmountable with Garrus around. "I though I'd talk to Diana, Nadine, maybe the Doctor, if I can find him. And Shepard and you, of course."

[thearchangel]

If the situation, the confession from Koby, hadn't activated his protective instinct, that quiet admission would have. His feathers rise, like the hackles on another animal. If he wasn't already going to do whatever he could to help - he damn well will now. To look out for someone in trouble, to make a difference...

That immediate urge to move, to fight, to seek out the problem and take care of it, softens a bit when Koby grips his hand back. "Good plan," he says aloud. Grey begins to bleed from the edges of his feathers, fading back to white. A direction. A way forward. "I was going to suggest Nadine, at least. If she doesn't know, she'd know someone who would."

[kobes]

Perhaps it's a good sign that even in the midst of his quiet, fearful confession, Koby has it in him to glance over and smile at Garrus's fluttering feathers. He wiggles his fingers, sending the little silvery stardust fishes up to swim around the slowly-color-changing feathers.

"Yeah. It feels better just to say it out loud. Like there's a solution, now." Like it's all going to be okay. That's been Garrus's effect for years, though -- making the impossibly insurmountable seem like something Koby can tackle. "I'll do some research. You know how I like that."

That's also true, even if Koby can't remember why he likes the act of gathering knowledge so much. It's a part of him still, down to his bones.

[thearchangel]

"There you go."

His hand shifts over to fluff through Koby's hair again. It's not something he's indulged in before meeting the kid. Before they picked him up and decided he was one of them. There's some vague feeling of worry about kids. About parenting. One more thing he doesn't fully understand. One more thing he chalks up to their godhood.

"I'll ask around too. We'll see what we can come up with. Pin it down and handle it."

A task, a problem to solve. Better than nebulous fears.

[kobes]

Again, it's reassuring, the way it had been for centuries now. Koby exhales, closes his eyes, lets the worry slip away like the stones skipping across the surface of the water. It sounds already handled, settled, simply by the tone of Garrus's voice.

"Thank you, Archangel." It's soft but genuine, so genuine. He means it with all that's in him.

[thearchangel]

"Hey, any time, kid."

It feels good to make a difference. It always feels good to make a difference, even a small one. The smallest ones can be huge, for the right people. It's been important to him for a long time. He can't pinpoint when it started, maybe he's always been like that.

But it helped. And that's all that matters.