abraxaslogs | Ashes to Ashes

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Ashes to Ashes

WHO: Julia Wicker and Red mac Raith
WHAT: Quest, task 2!
WHERE: Solvunn
WHEN: July
WARNINGS: Nothing!

It's a strange experience, preparing for a funeral in advance. Not an unknown one, it happens sometimes in her world too, when people know they're on their way out. But it's never been so communal in her experience, nothing like this mass mix of grief and pride. They will miss Winifred but also believe in her sacrifice, which is a strange thing to think about, but that is Solvunn for you. Everything is sacred around here in one way or another.

She planned on going out on her own to figure out the trees but frankly, a decent woodchopper is probably for the best, and Red's got the look to him. She could probably handle it herself with magic but Julia's always preferred teamwork whenever possible. After being alone in every possible way, she likes company.

"Okay I thiiiiink this is one of the trees." Her dark hair is up in a sensible bun and she's wearing clothes that are good for potential labor. Despite being very petite, she does have an axe in hand and doesn't seem to be tired of it yet. "We have to do a ritual before cutting it down."

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"Aye." He nods, with a distinct sense of understanding to it, not just agreement.

Red isn't one to underestimate a woman based on her size or sex; he's learned better. There's no comment made to her about the axe she wishes to carry, no gentlemanly attempts to relieve her of it when she's clearly not struggling. He walks beside her, looking around at the forest and taking in the foliage, the odd quiet settled here amongst the trees.

When they stop, he brushes a finger along the marking on the bark.

"The ritual is to ask permission from the gods or summat? So who put these markings here to choose 'em, then?"

See, rituals for the dead, he understands. Even for God or Satan (or a variety of pagan gods he's familiar with from myths). It's the fact Solvunn has a ritual to the gods for every little thing that he's still wrapping his head around. This is what it must have been like living in ancient Greece, perhaps. Asking the god of wood-chopping for very specific blessings.

He's not looking down on it. Only asking questions.

"I assume other Elders did. How they know which tree is sacred and which is not, I have zero idea. They might have gotten a sign. The gods communicate in interesting ways." Julia is getting used to the way the gods do around here. While she doesn't think Endrborrin can be the guidance goddess she needed for her own reasons, she does feel her blessing at all times. And the way she communicates is in a unique way. Maybe they lit up the specific trees they wanted.

"Just so you know, usually this forest can be dangerous at night. It's all pretty now, but newbies should be aware." There are animals and creatures that show up once the sun sets and that's why they have a Summoned hunting party! She just doesn't want a new person wandering out alone. "We had one of us die not that long ago, it's been tense since."

Nero didn't die that way precisely, he was actually killed by a god. It's changed everyone's feelings about how dangerous this is world toward them.

Julia offers him the axe now that they're there, and it's so she can look at the ritual. She figures that's the teamwork they need right now, rather than her doing all of it. She seems very confident as she looks at the explanation for the ritual and then starts it. Praying to the gods for forgiveness of cutting down a tree isn't hard for her. Some people might struggle with faith.

Red nods somberly.

"I heard. I'm sorry for your loss."

He doesn't mean to make light of it, but it does seem relevant to add after a respectful beat: "I'm no stranger to dangers in the woods at night. Nor durin' the day, for that matter. Thanks for the warning. Might ask you to elaborate later on what kinds of dangers in particular, but tha's good to know all the same."

Red takes the axe, hefting it in his palm to feel its weight.

"Right. Let me know when you're ready. I'll follow your lead."

Edited 2024-07-27 04:35 (UTC)

"I didn't know him that well, but he was a good man. I think sometimes the Summoned forget they're mortal too, we're a pretty extraordinary group."

Julia hasn't been thinking much of mortality because her power set is so strong and she's near impervious, but she knows gods can still be killed, she helped kill one herself. It was strange to experience such a grievous loss here though. She has seen his friends barely pick themselves up after it. And he was killed by a god which adds a layer of concern, as they sort of thought of themselves friends of them.

"Monsters, although technically just advanced and dangerous animals. And I guess gods can be worried about now." While she has a bond with Endrborrin, a kind goddess, they can't all be good. She knows more bad ones than good back home.

Julia steps in front of one of the trees and looks at the instructions before setting it down, doing the ritual with the kind of confidence of someone who has done this many times before. It isn't the exact same as her own, but they might as well be equivalent. Different hand gestures and words, but similar in nature. Nothing technically happens when the ritual is over, no glowy light, but she's sure of herself.

"Okay I think we can chop it down."

Monsters, he might be able to handle. Gods, though... That's interesting. He wouldn't be so bold as to confront those thoughtlessly. So far, Red's been able to pick up on some things from the locals, mostly that their pantheon seems large and manifold, not unlike a Greek or Norse model. Their gods, however, he's been told are very real, physical manifestations and all.

Red's not keen to fuck with that.

"...right." He responds when Julia's done with the ritual, stepping forward to do his part.

The actual wood-chopping is mundane work that doesn't take Red much time. They're not very large trees here; all he has to do is strike with his axe a few times, and the trunk begins to tip.

After he fells the first one and moves to the next, Red asks, out of curiosity, "Have you seen any of the gods yourself? What are they like?"

Edited 2024-07-29 06:01 (UTC)

Julia could probably fall a tree on her own but she likes teamwork and he's new here. If he's anything like she was in the start, it's nice to be able to do something when everything is unsettling and new. It'll make him more part of the community too, helping out with the elder's funeral and respecting their customs. Plus she has no problem with letting other people do the chopping. She'll help carry the wood back at least.

"Yes, I met Endrborrin, I worked on a pact with her for many months before she appeared to me. She's the spring goddess here, technically the Guardian of Renewal. She's great. She put a flower by my house so I can communicate with her again if I need to." Julia brightens up when talking about her chosen goddess, because it actually was a whole process for her. She looked over the pantheon closely, made the safest choice she could given her suspicion of gods back home. She's not at all sorry about it.

"I met the Trader in that group hallucination earlier this year but I don't think it was the real one. If it was a good representation though, I know I'd like him. And Nero died protecting the Trader and some others." And for Nero to do that meant a lot since he didn't trust and hated the gods. He technically was protecting Lorelai but the Trader was still there when he did it, and Lorelai trusted that god.

"But there were three Heralds who caused havoc a few years back, so they're a mixed bunch. Are gods real where you come from?"

Edited 2024-07-31 18:39 (UTC)

"What does it mean that you made a pact with her?"

Red waits for Julia to perform the ritual on the next tree, trying to parse what it is she's even talking about. He's heard others talk about some of these things, mostly among themselves; he's observant, and retains information well, though a lot of this is still very confusing.

He decides not to ask for details on the events mentioned at the moment, though he might later. They seem to have left a strong impact. (Group hallucination can't be good.)

To her question, Red doesn't have a particularly satisfying answer. He shakes his head.

"Can't say I've met any I know of. But there're lots of beings we humans cannae truly understand, whole planes of existence beyond the scope of our mortal comprehension. Who am I to say?"

"Basically it's me offering her service in exchange for her blessing. I do actions that would please her, like helping out with the harvests and growing plants and flowers. I help the people of Solvunn and some of them know about her blessing, so it's almost like she's the one helping them."

It becomes more obvious if Julia is seen with the special flowers in her hair, because then she's followed around by unique butterflies and now bees, being extremely obvious marks of Endrborrin's approval. There are very few natives who haven't noticed so far, and it's given her a certain weight and trust because of it.

"The idea being that if I needed her help or advice, I would receive it because of our bargain. It can be really helpful, Himeka and Wanda both have their own gods they do that with."

Now Julia's stepped up with Endrborrin and the flower tells her that the next time she has questions, she can go there. She would never use this trust improperly too. If anyone understands the importance of playing safe with gods, it's another one of them. The ritual is done on a second tree and she gestures for him to go ahead.

Julia nods at his reply, thinking it very true and a mark of someone with an open mind, which will do him well in this world. It's the short-sighted or close-minded that have a harder time here.

"Can I ask, do you know a place called Scotland? I'm not sure if your accent is just similar to it, or you're from there."

He listens closely, nodding along as Julia explains further. Despite the overwhelming presence of Christian religions where he's from -- and largely where he's traveled, too -- he's well enough aware of the older beliefs of his ancestors, and other civilizations as well. Red would probably say he's more agnostic than anything, if asked. After all, he believes in some sort of heaven and hell, salvation or damnation for the souls of the dead, but the details of it... he doesn't profess to know any of that.

So if there are many gods here and one can earn their favor and ask their protection and blessings, he's not scandalized. Just intrigued.

At her question, Red laughs, and there is a measure of relief in it.

"I am indeed from a place called Scotland. Born and bred. I'll say I'm glad to hear you know of it."

"We need to carve Winifred's arcana into the wood once we have enough, it's the last step before we give it back to them." Julia knows a spell or two that can help them with that, although she also has a knife that they can probably use for it. It's all ceremonious. It's weird to be preparing all of this for someone so far in advance, but Winifred's always seemed so kind. The natives are going to miss her.

Julia flashes him a smile. "I do! It's funny how many of us are from some kind of Earth, from all different time periods too. Have you talked to Claire yet? She lived in Scotland." She doesn't have the accent but Julia knows some of her story and the time that she spent there. It's an important distinction for someone relatively new, if they didn't know one of the other Summoned was from his homeland.

"I'm from North America, circa 2018. New York City to be precise."

"I understand," Red agrees somberly. He's got experience carving runes, beyond just cutting the wood, and a sharp knife of his own at his belt. It is a dreadful business, preparing the funeral while the woman yet breathes, but there is also a sort of closure and comfort in it, he thinks. The ritual of passing on is important. Having a say in that is important.

"Is that right? I didn't realize there were many of us. Suppose other places might also be called 'Earth,' though. To be honest, I'm still wrapping my head around it all."

There's a faint surprise when she reveals the information about Claire. "Aye. The doctor with a hobby for antiquities. We've met. Didn't realize she was from my neck of the woods."

His eyebrows shoot up at the mention of when Julia is from. He lets out a low whistle.

"Fascinating. That's three-hundred-odd years ahead of the last I remember before winding up here. I've never had the pleasure of visiting the New York colony. What's it like? Is Boston still around too?"

"I think she married into Scotland, but she was from there, yeah." Claire doesn't have the accent so he might not have picked up on it, but her tale is an interesting one. Maybe he'll hear all of it eventually. They can bond over Scotland, she hopes for them both.

"Let's take the wood back that we have now, we can come back for more." She'll help him carry it and they can carve in the wood the last step once they're back with the others. She wants to be positive she gets the exact details of her arcana right. She gestures for him to start walking in that direction.

"Oh yeah, Boston's still there. New York is far from a colony now, it's a huge city, bigger than you can imagine. With skyscrapers, that's buildings as high as the sky. Millions of people live there, it's an epicenter of business, art, and knowledge." Julia speaks very brightly of the city she loves with all of her heart. She's always lived in Jersey but she couldn't wait to get to New York.

They deliver the wood to the right people and she brushes her hair back. "You okay for a second trip?"

Edited 2024-09-01 02:58 (UTC)

He'd definitely like to have someone to bond with over a familiar place. Red nods and thanks her, and follows Julia's instructions to continue on. They chat while they walk, and he listens with fascination.

"You're joking." His eyebrows are trying to escape into his hairline by the time she finishes. "Buildings as high as the sky? That's a lot of stairs, first of all," he laughs, wonder in his voice more than actual disbelief. People used to build all sorts of huge structures. Just look at the pyramids in Egypt.

He believes her; he's just having some trouble actually imagining it.

"It sounds like London. The New World has really grown to rival its motherland, from the sounds of it."

Letting Julia take the lead when interacting with the locals (Red's never been one to get in the way of a confident woman), he stands back until he's to hand off the wood he's carrying, then waits for Julia to finish up before agreeing to go for a second trip.

"Sure. As many as we need to take. I like being useful."

"We have something called elevators. Oh man how to explain ...." Julia is getting used to people who have different levels of technology but it still doesn't mean it is easy to try and clarify. "It's this metal box that has a bunch of technologically advanced ... pulley system, kind of, and it can bring you up and down multiple floors in seconds." She doesn't know exactly how an elevator works so she's both trying to make sense of it and explain it at the same time.

"New York surpassed London some years ago, it has like eighteen million people who live in the city and surrounding boroughs." That must seem like a crazy high number. "And that's not even the top ten largest cities, we have so much overpopulation in my time." It keeps getting higher too.

They get to keep the axe and head back out. "So what's it like in Scotland in your era?"

The idea of a platform to access heights with pulleys is not entirely foreign to him, though everything in his day is far more... manual. But Red mutters some sort of agreement and nods, and wonders at the sheer number of people and buildings. And he'd thought London was too densely populated already.

Red carries the axe on the way back over his shoulder, keeping in step with her at a steady but not overly quick pace.

"Rather the same it's been for a while, between the wars, the kings and the church." He shrugs. "In truth, I haven't spent much time in the old fatherland in recent years. I was most recently in New England, though it's nothing like what you've described at this point."

New York City is insane and Julia loves it but it is definitely overpopulated. It just has a lot of life to it and she misses it a lot. She knows that Cadens is the closest thing to a 'city' that they have there, or the other Free Cities locations too, but it probably wouldn't stack up. At this point Oleuni Square is impressive to her, compared to the constant nature of Solvunn.

She appreciates he doesn't walk overly fast. She has short legs so she's probably walking twice as much for every one of his strides. She smiles up at him as he talks. His accent is very pretty. She's not so basic bitch she'll get enamored with every accent she hears, but it's still nice.

"Old school New England! That must have been a long ship trek to get there from overseas." It used to be so much harder. "We have things called planes now. They're mechanical transportation that can fly in the air, it gets you across the ocean in a shorter amount of time." Weeks turn into hours. "What were you doing there?"

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Ashes to Ashes

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just to make them officially deliver the wood haha

thumbs up!

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