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

[techmaturgy]

[The world hasn't quite fallen apart yet, not for Viktor, though it's starting to fray at the seams. While the full realization hasn't come (thanks in part to his staunch resistance to it), he's begun to understand that something is not right.

It must be his own augmentations--perfected as they are, Viktor knows he is not without flaw. There are always improvements to be made; so he'll see if it helps, and then go from there.

Viktor does not respond, even as the little chime that alerts him to a guest rings. Alucard will know where to go, deep into the laboratory, where he houses the perfected version of the Hexcore. Viktor stands over it now, arms braced on either side of its containment table, his stillness belying the fact that he's most certainly about to do something unadvisable.]

[cryptsleeper]

[Silence is the worst answer.

Alucard begins his descent into the depths of the workshop, shedding his skin as easily as any of his other transformations. A large void ghosts over his hands, showing bones studded with little pieces of bright blue glass in between every little space available. It passes through his chest, over his face for a moment so that his eye sockets are two rose windows, and then flesh reappears as if nothing has changed at all.

No part of Alucard is surprised to see Viktor near the Hexcore.

No part of Alucard is surprised by his own voice as it lets out a single, all too authoritative:]

Don't.

[He faintly remembers his father using it before, when explaining the human theory that vampires could compel people to do things against their will. If he ever had occasion to use it, it would be now.]

[techmaturgy]

[Despite his increasingly apathetic nature, over the many years, Viktor understands that Alucard hasn't exactly been happy with him. Promises were broken little by little, and then all at once. It's strained their relationship, but Viktor has made it clear that he has no regrets, when it comes to the things he's done to himself. Perhaps this confrontation, then, was inevitable.

Viktor is more machine than man, now, but Alucard's command cuts through him, regardless. He stills, temporarily prevented from going any further, but aware enough to know what's happening. That same resentment from so many years ago cuts through him--that Alucard cannot accept what Viktor is now, even if this is what he wants to be. Cannot understand why he's done these things, and worse, is afraid of it.

But he knows what he has to do to fix things (to fix himself), and he has never let his friends' concern hinder him before.]

Alucard--

[He straightens, slowly, but it seems to be allowed under the conditions of the command--it's moving him away from the Hexcore temporarily, at least.]

You have to let me do this.

[cryptsleeper]

To what end, Viktor?

[Alucard had not expected that to work. Compulsion had never been something he focused on. Thought of. Over the centuries, it drifted from his mind entirely, parts of family history lost if they were ever discussed in the first place.

(It's only been two years and change, not eight hundred.)

Too-sharp gold eyes move from Viktor to the Hexcore. He assumes both will move at the same time and it will be a disaster. But then, this was always going to be a disaster, wasn't it? The minute Viktor started experimenting on himself without rigor, something began changing.

Alucard remains as still as a frozen lake in winter.]

[techmaturgy]

I can fix this.

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

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

Please.

[cryptsleeper]

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

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

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

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

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

[techmaturgy]

You cannot know this for certain.

[There is resentment, in this. Viktor knows that not everyone likes what he's become--might prefer him as he was, even if that someone was fragile and ailing and limited. They cannot ask him to go back, or tell him that all of this was for nothing. He won't accept it, not when he hasn't exhausted every angle.

Alucard is right about one thing. It is an injustice, and Viktor has spent his entire life fighting against all the injustices that the universe has foisted on him. His own body is a testament to that, and he will not let it go without a fight. There's disbelief in his voice, this time.]

How can you accept this?

[cryptsleeper]

For certain? No. But I can look at storm clouds gather on the horizon and hear the rumble of thunder, enabling me to make a few good guesses. If I'm wrong, I'll never bother you again.

[He isn't wrong, Alucard is confident in that much. Geralt would not have gone through the extremes he did in order to prove a point, and Alucard would not be here if he was not genuinely worried about his friend. Even if there's no squishy human bits in him, this sort of refusal? That is so very, very human.

There's a quiet, sobering breath from Alucard at the question.]

Because it isn't a battle I want to fight, Viktor. I'm going back to a time and place where memories of assault and attempts to murder me by people I thought were lovers and confidants are fresh in my mind and continue to deal with how that limits me. The fact that in my terror and grief I impaled them on my front lawn and then took to drink. I'm returning to memories of my father's death that are much too clear. The resentments I feel about certain territories are going to be rawer. Those are what I need to focus on. My denial of the situation removes the energy and capabilities I require to do so. I'm not happy about any of this, and frankly I think there's reasons to start to undermine all of the territories for doing this to us, but again: that requires energy and dedication. I only have so much, and I intend to distribute it where I believe it matters the most.

[techmaturgy]

Meaningless.

[The Singularity has been in flux before, and it will be again. They still barely understand it, or how it made them all to be this way. As always, Viktor will prioritize what he knows he can control--in this case, himself.

In another life, Alucard's logic might have landed, but Viktor is resentful of how this conversation is going, and will not give up so easily. It is an injustice, yes, that Alucard has to relive his pain. He won't deny that--but if he's right, and this isn't real, and Viktor must return to another life that he doesn't want, then he will want to know that he did everything in his power to resist what the universe has prescribed to him. That's how he's always tried to live.]

That is your choice.

[It is his to make, but Viktor will not have a similar will imposed on him without first exhausting his options. He turns away, and that third arm of his reaches for the Hexcore.]

This is mine.

[cryptsleeper]

[Alucard watches the arm carefully. He knows how fast it moves versus how quickly he can make his own way across a room. There are only moments to weigh if there is any point at all to reaching over to snatch the hexcore up. If the fight that follows will be worth it at all.

His stomach lurches at the sudden parallel. Back then, there was an entire country on the line for one man's grief. Now it's what, a false reality for just a few moments longer in a body that has long ago ceased to be human?

The dhampir has no idea if there's any other emotions left in Viktor now besides fear and denial. There's only one means of testing, and that response tells him if it is worth the fight. A soft sigh comes from Alucard's mouth, and his tone does not shy away from a sense of real heartbreak.]

It took you seven centuries to break a promise.

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor braces for contact, but it does not come. It seems Alucard has spared him physical restraint for now, but Viktor knows that it might still happen, depending on what he says next. Unfortunately, he is not feeling particularly magnanimous, especially not when the Hexcore is now in his grasp. It floats an inch above his palm, spinning, and the arcane forces within it light up his living metal arm in turn.]

Which promise? To do what you want? To listen to you, unconditionally, out of some misplaced fear that I will do worse than your father?

[Despite everything he’s cut out of himself over the years, the memories he’s erased, Viktor recalls the conversation from early in his journey. The fear that Viktor might walk the dangerous path that Alucard’s father did. After everything he’s done, both for humanity and for himself, how can anyone say the results are the same?]

[cryptsleeper]

[A very pained, thin smile flashes across Alucard's face. Externally? No, of course not. Viktor's helped the world so much more than anyone might have ever dreamed of. But internally? He did exactly the same thing. Isolated himself and wrapped himself in humanity that there's hardly a person left. No emotional intelligence or empathy from where Alucard stands.

There's no point in the discussion. Even expressing the concern about isolation would be pointless. This is a sunk cost fallacy, and probably one he should have recognized centuries ago.

Still. The words are a low blow, and Alucard can't account for how instantly his sword is hovering over his shoulder. A gift from Hilda, one forge with bone, hair, and blood in it, meant to be an extension of pure will. It moves at the same speed the dhampir does when in a fight. Perhaps it is a low blow (it is absolutely a parallel the dhampir knows better than to indulge in but fuck it), but he doesn't care.

It slices through Viktor's third arm like butter.

Alucard extends his hand and it returns to him. Then all at once, it is sheathed.]

Do as you like. Good bye, Viktor.

[techmaturgy]

[Viktor has long ago stopped feeling white-hot anger. Such rage is counter-productive and distracting, and he'd decided at some point it was better for his efficiency to remove the ability to feel it entirely. Now, however, his augmentations are failing, and he finds himself caring very much that Alucard sees no difference between what Viktor has done and the terror his father has wrought. It's unfair. It's insulting--and then, to ask him to give up what he's made for himself, on top of that?

Just another disappointment, in a long line of them. It is almost a relief, to catch a glimpse of the sword.

His laser cutter hums to life, the beam cutting across the workshop in a bid to stop Alucard from getting any closer. But for as much as Viktor has optimized his body, it has always been with progress in mind, not necessarily combat skills. Alucard is faster, more experienced

There is no pain, when the sword cuts through him--his augmentations have made sure of that. But the force of it causes him to stagger backward into a worktable with a grunt, and it takes him a moment to realize what has happened. Were his face visible, Alucard might imagine a furious expression, though they both seem to realize that he is powerless, and that Alucard turning heel and leaving is what's best for the both of them, in this moment.

Viktor has nothing to say after that.]