abraxaslogs | Singularity Study Sessions

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Singularity Study Sessions

WHO: Castle Thorne residents!
WHAT: A catch-all study room setting for awakening connections to the Singularity through meditation, and all other things Horizon. When not in use for group meditation sessions, the room is kind of Kylo's... office? where he will be working on his own projects.
WHEN: wibbly-wobbly ongoing, sessions began some time after the prison break and will be open for newcomers in the latest app round to join in too. Kylo's more generalised top-level is a catch-all, feel free to come visit at any time.
WHERE: Castle Thorne
WARNINGS: None at present! If something comes up in your thread, please warn in the subject lines and/or let me know so I can add them here.

(This is something of a mingle log, so feel free to use this space for anything you like. I'll be putting up top-levels for interacting with Kylo specifically, please feel free to do the same if your character would be willing to help others get to the Horizon for the first time or would otherwise have use for a relatively private environment in Castle Thorne!)

Accomplishing anything at all here in Abraxas will require better understanding of the Singularity— and if Kylo and the other Summoned brought in during the first wave of Ambrose's project to touch it by proxy have learned anything, it's that the answers to their questions are much more likely to be found beyond the border of the Horizon than in Thorne's library. There's only so much to discover by studying the effects of the Singularity on this world, or even the countless others it touches. Perhaps it's better to go direct to the source.

For this purpose, Kylo has secured one of the castle's many rooms for use by the Summoned— a space where they can gather and explore their shared connection to the Horizon in relative safety, avoiding the potentially hazardous trek to the physical artifact at the very heart of the world. During sessions, the room is open to anyone who would like to visit the Horizon. Outside of them, the room is reserved for Kylo's personal efforts to study the Singularity. Sometimes, the work goes on behind closed doors. A group of Thornean mages — Kylo's recently formed task force — gather here on occasion, but are notably absent unless specifically requested.

Beyond the common architectural notes of high ceilings, intricate stonework and rich (if somewhat faded) tapestries, the main feature of the room is the collection of sumptuous cushions spread across the floor. Drapes cover the tall windows, while the soft illumination of magical lamplight lends the space a still, restful air. Alongside one wall is a table laden with pitchers of water and tall glasses, bowls of fruit and similar light refreshments, while a pair of long couches have been set up along the other.

Meditation is the key to entering the Horizon, and that's far more easily achieved when everyone's comfortable.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

(Closed to Jolene!)

The vast majority of the time, Kylo is perfectly comfortable passing messages through the usual channels: brief notes to be carried to Jolene's desk, simple word of mouth. This time, however, having received some disturbing information about clandestine experiments on prisoners and the involvement of senior figures of the court, it seems prudent to arrange a more secure meeting under the protection of a magical ward.

The door is protected with a temporary charm that will only allow Jolene herself access. Inside, only Kylo waits to receive his visitor, the members of his task force having been dismissed once the ward is securely in place. Despite his usual (and possibly unintentional) aura of vaguely irritable menace, Kylo seems much more comfortable here than he had been in the dungeon— and on sensing the door open, he turns with a smooth, unhurried motion and gestures for Jolene to join him inside.

It seems they have a lot to discuss.

Jolene enters the room with no fanfare, and no outward reaction to Kylo's looming presence hanging heavy about the room. She looks tired, though not excessively so. The faint circles under her eyes have been haphazardly hidden with a combination of magic and cosmetics. She doesn't bother waiting for him to invite her to take a seat — she sits in one of the two chairs with her hands folded in her lap, fixing her gaze on him.

"Hello, Kylo."

"Jolene."

Kylo hardly needs extrasensory abilities today. Greeting delivered, he takes a seat across from her in a smooth sweep of heavy black fabric, his eyes settling on hers with unerring precision.

"You've been busy," he notes. "As have I. I take it you weren't able to find anyone who could tell you what happened to Relena?"

"No, I've been stonewalled by Grigory. I don't think he was involved in the breakout, but I do believe he knows something about Relena." She cocks her head a bit, crosses her ankles. "Additionally, I had to ensure that the continuing treatment of those left in Thorne has taken precedence. Some of my peers believe that anyone we encounter in the country should be locked back up, if not worse, but I happen to think that most people who fled were not running from us specifically so much as running from the threat of imprisonment. If they are treated with mercy and understanding, then perhaps they'll be willing to reengage."

She smiles gently. "And you?"

Kylo's mouth pulls into an answering curve. He looks either very pleased with himself... or with Jolene's response. Possibly both.

"First, I can help you with that. I've made contact with one of the Summoned who fled— but not through either of the portals. Abigail Hobbs. She has no interest in aiding Thorne's enemies, but ran for exactly the reason you mention. I learned of some others hiding within Thorne's borders who might be more of a threat to the Kingdom, but Abigail is in the city of Nott right now, waiting for me to fetch her. Proof you can use in your efforts to convince your peers that at least some of the runaways are willing to return and assist Thorne, if they're offered assurance they won't be imprisoned."

"Wonderful. Whenever you like, have one of your men portal you there and bring her back. Let her know that she'll be safe, as will anyone else who joins her in returning. They only risk imprisonment if they come back and break the law, same as anyone else, Summoned or Abraxan-born. Who remains that you suspect is a threat?"

Jolene is aware that Nott is harboring more than just Abigail, but she hasn't heard that any of them are particularly dangerous. Lyle is obstinate, but he wouldn't put Nott at risk just to stick it to the crown in a minor way.

"I suspect that anyone who chooses to stay in Nott once they have evidence that returnees will be well-treated could become a threat," Kylo offers mildly. "They either fear or resent Thorne. Bitterness allowed to thrive within your borders..."

Well. Does he need to complete the thought?

She can't help but to give a sharp little laugh. "So what, we tell them to trust us not to imprison them... under threat of imprisonment for not doing so? It's a false dichotomy. They'll flee Thorne as soon as possible, and then they'll truly have incentive to give aid to our enemies. Even if they returned under those conditions, wouldn't they just fear and resent us from within? I'd rather they be bitter a week's ride away than next door."

If she sounds dismissive, it's only from weeks of having this argument over and over with Ambrose, with Grigory, with everyone else involved with making the decisions. Jolene does not hide that in her thoughts, though she knows she can.

"Those who remain in Nott need to know that they'll be rewarded for their trust, not punished for their lack of it. What was broken will take time to repair, I fear. Of course, I would hope you'd let me know if anyone was an open threat as of this moment."

"Of course."

Kylo doesn't appear chastened or even really surprised by Jolene's response, nor does he particularly disagree. Imprisonment is no solution. It is a little curious that Jolene clearly considers incarceration as the only alternative to allowing those who remain in Nott to stew in their own resentment, but quite honestly Kylo has never really understood why Thorne suffers any of the willfully rebellious to live when they could just as easily snuff them out.

Or at least he hadn't understood, until he learned the real reason at least some of the various elements of Thorne's political elite considered even an imprisoned offworlder a resource worth holding onto.

"Though regaining trust may be harder to achieve than you imagine. I know who took Relena from her cell. And I know what was done to her, and why. It wasn't Thorne's enemies. If such a thing exists. Thorne. A nation-state being pulled apart from within."

He leans in.

"The threat to Ambrose's project is on the throne. Not in Nott, or Solvunn, or the Free Cities. Your Queen has been experimenting on the Summoned and her own people in an attempt to gain direct control over the Singularity."

There is a moment of silence. Jolene's eyes flash but she doesn't look particularly stunned or upset, not yet. It's a moment pregnant with her processing, her immediate planning of next steps (How quickly can she reach Anastasia? How can she protect those who remain? Why is Ellya doing anything before they've even had a chance to work out how the Summoned are connecting with the Singularity? How much wine will it take to get rid of this burgeoning migraine?), and then she stands and walks back to the door.

She doesn't open it. Instead, she raises both hands and begins moving them rapidly, in very precise gestures, murmuring under her breath. Her hands and the door glow purple, the illumination gradually spreading along the walls until it meets itself on the other side, closing them both in. Only then does she return to her chair and sit back down with a hard exhale.

"Tell me everything. Please."

Kylo's gaze is steady as ever, tracking smoothly with Jolene's movements and settling as she reseats herself, careful and steeled.

"I will. But this arrangement of ours— I am putting myself at risk, now. I need the truth from you. The whole truth. If I am to be your eyes, your reach into places you cannot go, you need to return the favour. I will work with you. I will protect the Summoned and work to further the Kingdom's interests. Your interests. But only if you share the truth of them with me. Fully. We cannot afford any... avoidable surprises. Are we agreed?"

Again, Jolene is quiet for a beat. When she finally speaks, it is with both a heavy resignation and a hint of amusement. She is tired.

"Why do you assume that my interests and the Kingdom's interests are one and the same, Kylo? Have I accidentally given you the impression that I agree with anything that's taken place in recent memory? If so, I'm quite sorry."

It is a stark admission. Jolene does not believe in Ambrose, does not believe in Thorne's goal to dominate the Singularity, does not believe that the Summoned should be in Abraxas, and certainly does not believe they should have been treated as they were. She actually looks a bit relieved to have finally said it.

Kylo's lips twist. There.

"You didn't, and I don't. I know you have your own interests and priorities—" he pauses, lifting a hand to tap a finger to his temple in gentle indication. He's never pushed for Jolene's thoughts, let alone sought to retrieve them against her will, but he rather suspects she's almost been hoping he might brush against them and see her true motivations. It must be impossibly hard, carrying her objections in private to protect her position, while those with the ability to dismiss her maneuver over her head. Frustrating. Isolating.

Very few people could enjoy being treated as if the armour they are forced to wear is the totality of their true self... and Kylo knows more than a little about being trapped in the service of another's ambitions.

"—but I need to know what they are, if I am to help you achieve them. You can speak plainly with me, Jolene. I am a keeper of secrets. And I will keep yours, if you choose to share them with me."

Jolene has never much bothered to conceal her thoughts from him, even knowing that he could listen in at any point. It simply hadn't seemed worth the effort, frankly. But neither did she want to put either of them at risk. Particularly him.

"Unfortunately, I don't know if you can help," she says, tilting her head slightly, "but you can know. As I believe I have told you, I'm from Hayle. It's where I went to university, overseen by Anastasia, the Duchess. She and I are in agreement that this world, our world, occupies a unique position. While the Singularity connects all worlds, yours to ours, we have the... unenviable honor of being its home, and that means we are beholden to it. It's our duty to tend to it. Keep it safe, protect the magic. Not impose our will on it. Ambrose is Anastasia's brother, and he is, if I am frank, a fool of the worst kind. A fool who believes he's a genius, playing with forces he does not understand and cannot correctly manage. Every day he remains High Mage is another day closer to calamity. He has the favor of the crown, but they're both as clueless as he is. The only way out of the nightmare they've plunged this world into is to put Anastasia on the throne instead. I will be her High Mage, and we can finally clean up this mess."

She stops for a moment, seems to consider something. "I just thought we'd have a bit more time. No one actually expected him to succeed in bringing you here, and I do apologize again for that. You don't belong here. None of the Summoned do, and this is not your burden to bear. But I truly thought it would take longer for him to get it right."

Kylo nods, listening carefully. It isn't precisely a surprise, given the information he's been able to put together from their previous conversations and his own experience of the Kingdom, but it's good to hear it spoken aloud. The details fill the shape of the outline, and while Kylo doesn't put much weight on the concept of forgiveness, something in his expression shifts as Jolene offers her apology. He may not be in a position to grant absolution, nor even necessarily inclined to offer it if he were— but it is clear he believes her words. Perhaps that counts for something.

"Ambrose is a man obsessed," he agrees, remembering the impression of the High Mage's feelings as he spoke at the Horizon's edge. "He is consumed by his longing for the Singularity, and it clouds his judgement. But he wasn't present for the... experiment involving Relena— the Queen was aided by Grigory instead. I would have thought Ambrose would have demanded involvement in any such project involving the Singularity, if he had knowledge of it. What do you think?"

She cannot fully suppress a dry chuckle. "There's no way he knows. The Queen is terribly cunning, but she comes from a military family, and as you may know, the military can greatly inflate the egos of those who don't truly understand the machine. She has authority and has always had authority, so it doesn't surprise me that she decided to proceed with an experiment that she has no background with. It's also not a surprise that Grigory is involved. He's a Borrel sycophant. She could tell him to jump off the tower and he would."

Chewing the inside of her lip, she stands to go look out the window, leaning against the wall. "What did she do to poor Relena?"

It's mildly reassuring, Kylo supposes, to hear Jolene's frank assessment on the subject. The Queen will be enough of an obstacle all by herself, and while having both the Queen and Ambrose's ambitions to contend with complicates matters considerably, it's likely better to have them at odds than if the two of them were acting in concert. He leans back in his chair, watching her pace to the window.

"Relena was brought to the Summoning Well. The Queen had Grigory attempt to... transfer her connection to the Singularity to what we assume was a volunteer. A native of this world. The process was agonising, presumably costing the young man his life. He threw himself into the Well. And Relena..."

He pauses.

"Our friend Oliver Abbot rescued her. Apparently."

Wincing when he explains the procedure, Jolene sighs heavily, eyes closing for a minute. "Morons," she whispers, looking out the window again, but her head turns sharply at the mention of Oliver.

"So she's alive, then?" Jolene, notably, does not look particularly concerned about Oliver's involvement. Perhaps it's simply the lesser of two evils at the moment, and thus not worth the focus. You can't put out a house fire from the inside. "Is she still with him, do you know?"

"That would be convenient, wouldn't it?" Kylo offers with a slight smile. "If the rumours I hear about Thorne's ability to track the runaways wherever they should hide are true. But no. Oliver seems to have known enough about what the Queen was doing to save Relena's life, but wasn't inclined to share much more with her than he did during the attack on the castle. His actions have gained him significant favour among the Summoned, however. It wouldn't be difficult for him to gather support, if he decided to launch an assault on Thorne... particularly as news of this experiment spreads."

"No, I imagine it wouldn't, at present. But if he didn't give Relena any information, then it stands to reason that he isn't actively recruiting the Summoned. Yet. If he were at that point, he would have told her more, kept her with him — who better to keep in his orbit than someone with firsthand experience of his... let's call it magnanimity." Her sarcasm is extremely heavy. "But what I wonder is how he knew at all."

Still looking out the window, she grinds her back molars for a moment, thinking. "Either way, he is no longer the most pressing issue at hand. Ellya does not take failure well, and I fear it is only a matter of time before she has another go at it. Before anything else happens, I need to speak with Anastasia. The queen's involvement, and particularly her shutting Ambrose out, makes this much more delicate than it was."

"He'll hear of it eventually," Kylo agrees. "And I think you can assume it won't take long for any of the Summoned with a grudge against Thorne to inform their new hosts about the Queen's personal project. If she doesn't enjoy failure..."

Well. Kylo can only imagine how she'll react, should her experiment become public knowledge. Not to mention how her own people might respond.

"Should we be preparing for reprisal?"

She sighs, crosses her arms and looks back at Kylo. "Reprisal from everyone?" she jokes, voice still dry. "Everyone will be looking to strike now, thanks to this travesty. Even if the other kingdoms decide it's not their business to interfere with, they're still going to use it as ammunition when they do decide to swing. And who will we be to argue? Such mindless cruelty, done without even a thought to the actual practicality..."

Chewing her bottom lip, she returns to her seat. There is a weariness that she does not bother trying to conceal at all.

"For the time being, we need to keep this as quiet as possible. Ambrose can't know, Ellya can't know that we know. I need to discuss this with Anastasia, and I need to get Grigory out. Ellya is much weaker without his mouth permanently attached to... well, anyway. Do you know who is assuming positions of influence among the other groups? In Solvunn and Cadens?"

"I'm not certain about Solvunn— some of the runaways are more suspicious of anyone who chose to remain in Thorne than others. It wouldn't surprise me if Estinien's thirst for vengeance drove him to push for violence against the Kingdom at any cost, though I doubt he has the necessary support even among the formerly imprisoned. He was the only one who chose to attack Ambrose and take a stand against his defenders.

"But the Free Cities... Sam Wilson will be positioning himself as a voice for the Summoned there."

Which could be very fortunate for all of them. He assesses Jolene's weariness thoughtfully, then adds:

"Sam is more concerned with protecting the Summoned from further abuse than taking revenge on Thorne for its misdeeds. A reasonable man, if a little... naïve. Perhaps. But he would listen, if you had a message you wanted me to deliver him."

Nodding, she lets out a breath. "If Estinien does not have the support to stage an attack, then he can be last in the list of priorities. He won't find much support from the council in Solvunn, and if he's not receiving it from the other Summoned either, then I trust in the abilities of you and the others, combined with Thorean military, to take care of him if necessary. Should he become an imminent threat, then we will pull no punches."

She may be at odds with those in power now, but neither will she allow them to be endangered by outside elements.

"Sam Wilson, yes. I remember him." Tapping her cheek with one finger, she purses her lips as she thinks. "The next time you have a chance, please let him know... let him know that he is not the only one concerned with the treatment of the Summoned. And tell him that if he needs anything, I will aid him to the best of my ability."

Kylo nods. While it probably isn't wise to have rumours of Jolene and her patron's ambitions circulating freely among the Summoned, a good many of them could stand to hear there are voices advocating against the Queen's agenda.

"Is there anything else I should be aware of? Is the King likely to support his Queen?"

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Singularity Study Sessions

Private meeting;

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thanks for your patience! this week has been... a lot haha

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