abraxaslogs | [open; July adventures]

That's one way of putting it.

[Kind of poetic, which is probably what he should expect of the man. He's starting to think it's a pity none of his vessels have ever been particularly artistically inclined. The perspective they have is unique.]

Perhaps not so inconvenient as you imagine. They're retractable. They are messy eaters, however.

[Michael knows better than an angel should what that's like, though he doesn't see their fangs as comparable to the teeth the Singularity cursed him with. His blessed jaws, their barbarous maws.]

In the religious sense, yes. Thankfully without the Roman appetite for conquering—for now. I can't say I've ever heard any of the Summoned openly denouncing the gods, so I can't say they wouldn't treat difficult Summoned as Thorne has in the past.

[Are Solvunn and Thorne really so far apart? People are people, wherever one goes. The commune sends its 'delinquent' members to the Tertiary Settlement. It's not a dungeon, but removing undesirable people from the main Settlement is still a forceful relocation. All it would take is a few changes in leadership and one of them saying it's the will of the gods to make a true prison, he thinks.]

It just seems correct. Everyone from the same sphere seems to have generally agreed upon histories, but some have vampires and magic, others don't. Yours has more interactive angels. So far as I know, mine does not.

[Alucard snorts at the fang comment.] That means they're poorly trained. Mine are retractable but if there's mess, it is on purpose.

[There's probably some other commentary to be made, but Alucard doesn't mind moving past it. Vampires are going to vampire and be ever so slightly different. That's just how it is.]

I'd...hm. I imagine that they wouldn't take kindly to it, but I also don't know how far they'd be willing to push their luck since they put such high value on them. I wonder what they'd think if they learned of any of what happened in those 800 years that weren't.

More interactive? [Michael raises his eyebrows at that.] I'm only interacting with you now because I was summoned here and have the benefit of a vessel. We avoided Earth as much as possible.

[Well, at least they did when he was in charge. What his younger siblings got up to while he was imprisoned is another matter. In any case, since he hasn't met any other than those from his world, he's assuming angels across realities are fairly universal; more similar than not.]

I'm not convinced those who claim to come from worlds without magic or monsters know the full truth of their home. They may simply never have come into contact with it. Where I come from, it was more common than not to believe such things were fiction.

[Probably didn't help that any angel interactions that did happen were subject to a snap of the fingers and a mindwipe.

Michael tilts his head, considering Alucard's point. The summoned are more revered in Solvunn than anywhere else, but they're still not gods. Not yet.]

Perhaps, but I don't know anyone who'd care to test that theory themselves. I don't expect the life of one Summoned to be worth as much to them as not offending one of their gods. Knowing we may eventually become gods ourselves might just push them to ensure only those they choose make it that far.

That's still much more than I've heard of or experienced personally. It may be a poor point of comparison or whatever god we have is especially down on Wallachia, if you'd like me to qualify my perspective.

[Then again, it isn't like Earth had a lot going for it these days.]

But as you say, the full true of one's home.

[That's such a nice, neat, concise way of putting it.]

I think you're right that if they knew, they'd be so much more deliberate with who they summon. Which...[there's a small shudder upon the realization.] That could create some kind of horrifying god training program under their watch or some similar thing.

[Michael nods. None of them can be certain they knew everything there was to know about their own homes. Even Michael, who'd existed since just about the very beginning of it, had been wrong about what kind of person his Father was—unaware of how many worlds just like his own were His work.]

Wallachia would be lucky to be free of gods, though nowhere seems to be free of fanatics.

[There's always a trade-off, some other complication. Life, it seems, is never easy. That much is universal.]

If they could, I'm sure they would. They don't seem to have any control over who they summon. If there's a pattern among Solvunn's Summoned, I haven't recognized it. [Everything from humans to goddesses to sharkmen; believers and non-believers alike. Maybe the choices make sense from the perspective of a god. Michael had never considered it during those imagined 800 years.] They do seem to expect us to adopt their ways.

[Not exactly a training program, but now that the thought's out there, Michael will scrutinize their requests twice over.]

[It probably isn't great to feel validated by an angel, but sometimes circumstances are stranger than expected and that is precisely what is happening here. Fanatics indeed, and the word gets a small noise of acknowledgement from the dhampir. He sure as hell isn't wrong.]

They may not have defined that part of the ritual yet. Who are any of us to say, given that the entire process is seemingly random and impossible to make sense of? [Their ways though....yes. That could be an in road.]

Let me know if any of the requests start to feel pointed towards a particular end?

That part of the ritual may be beyond their control entirely. Given a few more years here, I suppose we'll see whether or not they manage to refine it.

[As he understands it the summoning ritual isn't exactly a new thing, though Solvunn doesn't have the experience with it that other territories do. They may not even wish to exert the kind of control that he would, in their place. Leaving the selection of the summoned up to 'the will of the gods' seems just as in-character for them as handpicking fellow worshippers.]

You may be asking to hear from me more often than you realize. Their requests always feel pointed to some end, even if it's not always entirely clear what that is. Regardless, if they seem to be forming an army or looking to summon an old god, sure. I'll let you know.

If the Free Cities ever happens to point its aggression at Solvunn rather than Thorne, I'd appreciate a similar warning.

Let us hope it continues to remain out of their control.

[Alucard doesn't trust any of the powers that be. The best, the best they have now is that the summons are random. It avoids pointed selection towards whatever end may be thought of.]

If I know anything in advance, I'll try to communicate it. The Free Cities being as large as they are makes it harder to anticipate such things, unless one is deeply involved in various goings on.

[Alucard has made himself peripheral at best. He isn't suited for politics. Best to let him play around with buildings instead.] Thank you.

Of course. I won't hold you accountable should the worst come to pass while you're out in the middle of the desert.

[Or baking bread in the Horizon. Being at the centre of the commune's running would mean engaging in the same worship and rituals the locals do, and he's unwilling to do so. He's not connected to Solvunn's politics any more than Alucard is to the Free Cities'. Michael doesn't expect more than he can offer.]

Until then.

[He gives a parting nod and turns towards the street he'd been headed down.]

[open; July adventures]

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