EVENT #20: ADVENT - IC EVENT LOG

[abraxasmods]

Event #20 - Advent

OOC Event Log ⦁ The Gods ⦁ NPCs

The Badlands has remained contested territory between Thorne and the Free Cities for many years. During a mediation two years ago, a resolution was attempted but fell apart. The Badlands is valued for being the direct route toward the Singularity...meaning it was only a matter of time before conflict broke out over it.

Early in AUGUST, Thorne and the Free Cities begin to march on the Badlands. The clash is bloody and violent, taking place exclusively on the ground. Although the Free Cities military has its share of firearms, such things are still rare and expensive. Most of the fighting, as expected, makes use of horses, swords, arrows, and - of course - magic.

The territories won't call upon Summoned like yourselves. You are meant for something more important. If you insist on joining the fight, they may approve depending on who you are and what you plan to do. Soon, however, a powerful force emerges, one far bigger than just another clash of swords.

This event draws on a previous event involving the Heralds of War. Knowledge of this past event is not necessary, but you may review the information for added context if you wish!

The consequences of Solvunn's choice in Event #18 occur at the end of the event. The result of this act will be further detailed in the Wrap-Up.

Overture

The return of the Heralds might stir familiarity within some of you. You may recall how they whispered in your ears, planted visions of death, or corrupted the Horizon. This time, although their coming spreads across the land, you as the Summoned are remarkably resistant to the Gods' influences. Newer arrivals might be more susceptible, but those of you who have been here for months or years won't find yourselves afflicted much, if at all...until you start to make your choices.

As the Summoned, certain actions may open you up to vulnerabilities. Everything you do carries a weight. If you experienced the emergent reality, you'll likely have learned that lesson. You're not fully one of the Gods yet, but your connection to the Singularity means the magic that flows through you contains both a great capacity to help others and a cost that comes with it which you must consider.

A Taste of Blood

It begins sometime in mid-August, around the 16th onward. Not everyone will experience it at the same time. You might even believe you're spared until days afterward when you're visited by an unusually vivid dream.

The dream starts the same for everyone: you are going somewhere, anywhere, walking to your bedroom, or enjoying a stroll on the beach. You might be driving down a familiar neighborhood. Wherever you're headed, you find that the world around you shifts. Thin red veins spiderweb across nearby surfaces. As you press on, they become engorged with blood until they form a fleshy tunnel. A light at the end beckons you. You can turn around if you want, but aren't you curious?

If you proceed, you eventually come upon a beating human heart with your Arcana painted in gold. A swarm of large mosquitos quickly encase the heart, sucking it dry. As their abdomens become fat with blood, more and more join the swarm until it becomes a whirlwind of insects that gradually take on a large humanoid shape: bright red with blood with horns bent upwards like a lopsided crescent moon.

This is Zorne of Last Blood, the eldest of the Heralds of War.

The veins are pulled in by the insects, connecting one to the next and holding them in place like latticework of sinew. No longer obscured, the world that surrounds you is bleak and gray. A large sword materializes in Zorne's hand. Holding it aloft, he measures your resolve.

◎ If you have spilled blood, the blade begins to drip with it. The steel beneath glows hot, then begins to harden.
◎ If you have not spilled blood, the blade turns brittle, eventually falling to dust.

Zorne accepts you regardless. He sits down on his simple stone throne, laying the sword against the armrest. His eyes are thinly veiled sockets in a skull made of insects, downcast towards where you stand below his form. A thin layer of red skin stretches across his mouth with every word he speaks.

"The path...has been chosen. The snake has found its tail. Each new age rises from the ashes of its grave. It is...as it always has been."

Zorne holds the sword up again. Behind his throne, you glimpse the rays of a rising sun.

"A sword hardens in the fire. In the darkened hearts of mortals. Destruction heralds purification from madness.

All things end before they begin. Mortals, Gods, the smallest insect. And when it ends...we will be there. I will be there. And you...little godling...must find your place in that end."

The sun reaches its apex. It is blazing and fierce, as though it might soon swallow you in its fury - and then it does.

Do you feel at peace from its cleansing fire? Strengthened by it? Or is it purely unimaginable pain and fear that consumes you?

Zorne's sword measures the blood on your character's hands as perceived by them. A character who took only one important life to save the world may see as much blood on that sword as another who killed many to do the same.

Making Your Choices

Whether you believe Zorne or not, you must still do something, even if that something is nothing. As things unfold before your very eyes, you can decide whether you will aid the Heralds for what you may believe is the greater good, help the individuals you can't deny, or decline any involvement at all.

General Effects

Each territory will have a set of circumstances brought forth by a combination of human actions and the Heralds. Those who experienced the afflictions in the past may recognize that the Heralds never implanted or controled your thoughts. Instead, they showed you visions, whispered in your ear, or coaxed you to indulge the darker impulses that live inside you.

The same effect will take hold of the regular citizens now, whose dispositions play a large role in what the Heralds can influence and how much. This is made most obvious by the fact that children are the least impacted. The younger and the fewer their worries, the less vulnerable they are. Of those who are afflicted, the effect might manifest in ways that are more fitting of a child: dreams of a beloved pet dying, bullying a sibling, or giving in to the desire to steal a toy. Adults who are naturally and genuinely carefree may also fail to be affected by Koth's despair or Adlewyrd's poisonous thoughts.

Vulnerabilities

Your status as the Summoned affords you some protection. The longer you've been in Abraxas, the less open you will be to influence. However, depending on what you do, this might change.

◎ If you choose to counter a Herald's influences, you may inadvertently absorb the affliction's effects or experience a "bleedover" from the person you're helping. The more you do this, the more severe the impact will become. You might also be concerned by the new ability you're exhibiting when countering an affliction. Though the ability is small, you feel its power coursing through you. When you try to call on it outside of aiding others, however, nothing comes. It seems this ability only manifests when interacting with an afflicted individual.

◎ If you choose to enhance a Herald's influences, you may inadvertently absorb their abilities as yours and thus, in turn, spread them toward individuals who are nearby. This could occur deliberately or accidentally, depending on how much you desire to act as an extension of the Herald in your chosen territory.

◎ If you choose to ignore a Herald's influences, you'll receive no effects either way...but you might find it difficult to disregard what's going on around you.

For an OOC explanation of the mechanics regarding being a countering, enhancing, or neutral force, please review the Deciding Your Actions section on the OOC Plotting Post.

Patchwork Horizon

Luckily, the Horizon isn't intent on trapping any of you this time. Its instabilities instead manifest in your own domains. It might revert back to a previous state or older elements might resurface that you thought you got rid of. Or, it may take on transformations from a future version - the domain that you had as a God in the emergent reality. The more you've made yourself vulnerable, the more unstable your experience in the Horizon will become.

Further, these instabilities aren't limited to your domains. Effects from other domains might overwrite yours, or perhaps pieces of your domain are showing up in another's.

◎ For some, it might just be a minor inconvenience. Perhaps your flowers have transplanted onto somebody else's yard across the Horizon or your pet keeps teleporting around to everyone's domains except yours.

◎ For others, the effect might be more troubling. You could find private letters surfacing in a stranger's desk or you might open your closet to find another's buried skeletons.

Anything that ends up in someone else's domain will be missing in yours. Rather than a duplication, the effect is more like a jigsaw or a patchwork quilt. You can put it right, of course, with some concentration - but it's best done with a partner, especially someone who knows your domain well enough to help you reform it.

Setting a domain right will also repair any vulnerabilities its owner might've exposed themselves to, so it's a good idea to try and assist each other. Of course, if your concentration's off, attempts to fix a domain might actually make things worse, so be careful!

Arrival

The sections below will contain more specific prompts to help players jumpstart threads, but you may use the broad descriptions of each Herald's impact here to inspire your own ideas and scenarios.

The First Shadow

The arrival of the Heralds of War is subtle. For many citizens, they might not realize that there is a force exerted throughout the world. Indeed, how much of what happens can be attributed to the Heralds, and how much is simply human nature? That's a question even the Heralds can't and won't answer. They are only here to carry out the same task they have done since the dawn of time, each time a war brews.

Koth, the Kingdome of Thorne

Koth of Festering Lands brings with her death and rot. This affects vegetation, wildlife, livestock, the already dead...and the soul itself. She does not bring literal death to living people - she only brings it to the things around them and within them.

◎ Missing Warship
In Borrel, a naval warship on its way home to resupply goes missing. Led by an experienced captain and with no fighting taking place at sea (surely, even the Free Cities can't sail that quickly toward the western coast), the mysterious disappearance has many concerned. Unfortunately, some mages who attempt a common tracking spell report visions of bloated corpses sunk to the bottom while others dream of drowning, an effect so real they must be shaken awake. Many mages refuse to try the spell again, leaving it in your hands instead.

Each tracking spell can only vaguely locate an individual or a part of the ship, so multiple attempts are necessary. If you're not skilled in magic, you can take a more active role and board a rescue ship off the coast of Borrel. This ship will venture out based on the coordinates according to the spell...but take care: the sailors with you are prone to similar visions of drowning when they look into the blackened depths below. Others claim they see the faces of the dead in the ocean's surface. All of this leads to high tensions amongst the men and women on board.

It'll be possible to rescue a few sailors, but others may be lost entirely. The ship itself appears to have broken into pieces. Survivors report a grotesque undead leviathan that cannot be harmed or killed, though it's difficult to tell if this is true or another hallucination.

◎ Dukewood Lumber Mills
Previously a site of a dangerous rift, the lumber mill in the woods by Nott has since returned to normal. Unfortunately, that ends quickly when the trees begin to rot. Workers report a horrible smell that comes from the trees themselves, and that the normally clear sap has turned into a putrid black-blood substance.

To make matters worse, the rotting stores of food and now the dying trees are putting the workers and locals around Nott under great stress. Thoughts of despair are amplified by both the situation and Koth, leading to higher rates of drinking, which in turn has increased the amount of accidents at the mill, including mismanaged safety protocols and mishandled equipment.

Lumber is of great value during wartime, especially for the construction of naval ships, outposts, and weapons, so Castle Thorne is determined to help restore the trees, as well as calm the workers. You can help with everything from checking equipment to ensure they're safe, searching for any missing mill workers, providing first aid where necessary, or confronting beasts that might've been disturbed by all the commotion.

If you happen to fall under Koth's sway, you might also see the dead when looking into the waters as you rescue the other sailors. The bodies might reflect something you fear or they may be a reminder of a death that's already passed. You could also sink into despair or experience haunting dreams as you try to help another recover from their hopelessness.

Adlewyrd, the Free Cities

Adlewyrd of Poisoned Tongues brings with them words that poison the heart and mind. This affects thoughts and emotions, a slow and subtle influence that spreads.

◎ Untold Secrets
In Libertas, where underground networks thrive, sudden slips of the tongue, rising tempers, and impulsive actions have caused the black market to collapse into disarray. Between power struggles, accusations of betrayals, and missing transactions, the violence has spilled into the open.

Preoccupied with the battle, the number of guards and soldiers keeping order is reduced. Venturing into Libertas can be dangerous and those who live there, including artists and orphans, are struggling to go about their day-to-day without disruption. You can help calm tempers or break up fights...or maybe, if you're a bit more vulnerable to the influences yourself, you might become drawn into the chaos yourself.

Because of the limited number of hands, the Summoned are allowed to make an arrest, but you must bring the culprit to a guard outpost for formal processing. Taking matters into your own hands too severely can lead to scrutiny. Given the circumstances, however, a bit of non-fatal violence will be overlooked, especially if it takes place in the darker corners of Libertas.

You don't have to enforce the law, though. In Libertas, this enforcement is rather loose, anyway. Instead, you can mediate as a neutral party, take advantage to make a deal of your own, or simply offer your services to fill in any gaps that might've occurred in these networks. This could involve more illicit activities like transporting underground goods or something more above-board like searching for a missing person. Just be sure you don't draw too much attention if you're acting outside the law.

◎ The Red Path
Previously a site of a dangerous rift, the scenic Red Path leading between Cadens and Libertas has since been restored. Unfortunately, that ends quickly when conflicting reports cause an accident involving merchant wagons carrying silk, spices, and wine. Some claim the merchants are spies while others insist they were bandits in disguise.

Regardless, the accident leads to several fatalities and disturbs a monster nest: that of the dangerous Copper Spine Wyvern. It also draws swarms of hungry Kaskadura, the latter of which are lured by the corpses. While not normally aggressive towards the healthy and living, the Kaskadura seem to be in a frenzy and will bite just about anyone they see - and there's a lot of them, gathering over the area like a black cloud.

To make matters worse, a clerical error has slowed down the cleanup and identification process. If you're not inclined to fight monsters or locate missing bodies, you can help at Portam Hall to manually match names to surviving family members, as well as locate said family members to deliver the somber news. As for Portam Hall, the main hub of government activity might not be under threat from beasts, but isn't calm, either. Gossip, secrets, and missing paperwork plague the various departments and offices.

If you happen to fall under Adlewyrd's sway, you might read too deeply into an innocent comment or mishear a remark that raises your ire, leading you to snap wrongly at a friend or attack an innocent. You might also give into lurking temptations that surface as you try to help others overcome their dark desires.

Sannleikr, the Solvunn Commune

Sannleikr of Many Faces brings with him deception of the soul. This affects faces and minds, causing appearances to become distorted, untrustworthy, or altogether unrecognizable.

◎ Lost Herders
In the Secondary Settlement, a woman named Eydis has lost her prized herding dogs and her flock of sheep. They left one morning as usual to herd the sheep out to graze and never returned. She worries that rumors of livestock sprouting teeth are true and will harm her dogs. She isn't the only one, either. Several other sheep and goat herders have claimed their dogs and flocks have gone missing, too.

The dogs themselves have scattered across Solvunn. There are roughly a dozen dogs and several flocks that failed to return home. Should you run into any livestock, it would appear the rumors are indeed true: the normally fluffy sheep have grown wicked claws or horns while the goats bear their sharp fangs. Despite their fearsome appearance, however, they are not aggressive except when frightened. Keep them calm when herding them lest you provoke them to bite or claw.

As for the dogs, some might be wounded while others will growl at you. They don't recognize familiar toys or faces and will attempt to run away or behave apprehensively. You can use any abilities or techniques you have on hand to try and bring them home. After all, the Solvunn woods are dangerous, and there are many creatures within those dense trees that will strike.

◎ Living Statues
Previously a site of a dangerous rift, the Feintak Ritual Site, located just outside the Primary Settlement, has since returned to normal. Unfortunately, that ends quickly when confused citizens of the Commune begin to wander toward the area at night in search of their "missing" loved ones.

Unable to recognize familiar faces, some begin to see those faces imposed upon the statues at the site instead. You can find children playing with their "mother" or an elderly widow spending time with a "relative." While this would be disturbing enough on its own, the sacred area contains an ancient magic that, should any missteps occur, could be released into the world and spell disaster.

The Council has asked the Summoned to help bring home the lost folk of the Feintak site. They must be guided gently, as any negative energy could be absorbed by the dark power that lives in the earth and the statues. Victims of the affliction might become frightened of you or fail to recognize you even if you've been neighbors for months or years, making your task more difficult.

If you happen to fall under Sannleikr's sway, you might also begin to see faces in the statues at Feintak and forget the real figures around you. The faces might be friendly or they could be adversarial - an enemy or a source of shame. You may also see a twisted reflection of yourself in the mirror, representing something you've been trying to hide from.

The Final Coming

Zorne first spoke to you in your dreams, but his presence is noticeably absent for the first few days. Then, one week later, after one of the most fierce and bloody battles in the Badlands in recent history, a red sun rises over Abraxas. The morning's dawn is cast in a red glow across the territories.

If you met Zorne in your dream, you may recognize this very sun. You remember feeling its heat over your skin and the emotions it stirred in you, whichever they might've been.

By noon, the blood-red hue will fade...but Zorne's coming has only begun.

The Last Affliction

Unrestricted, Zorne's influence travels across the land and joins forces with his siblings.

◎ The Badlands

Forces from the Free Cities introduce a new prototype to the war: a semi-automonous suit of armor armed with a piece of technology derived from something that came through the rifts: a unique firearm that launches explosive discs imbued with New Magic.

The weapon's destructive capabilities wreck havoc on both people and the environment...inadvertently setting loose yet another creature of the rift - the swamp-like creature that researchers had been studying in the Badlands before the war broke out. Its giant mouth is lined with numerous teeth. Its breath can paralyze, blind, poison, and weaken anyone caught in it.

The morbol will move toward the borders of each territory throughout the event, so the Summoned in all locations can encounter it when arriving at the front lines to deliver medicine, supplies, or news. Zorne's influence appears to prevent it from dying. When killed, it respawns in another location - sometimes miles away.

◎ Forging the Soul

Zorne's influence can affect those who are already under the effect of one of the other three Heralds. A shopkeeper angry about a misspoken rumor might begin to have disturbing and violent dreams of confronting the offending gossiper. A soldier who sees his death at the hands of another may start to feel the urge to kill first before his turn comes.

Aggressive wildlife will begin to invade city borders. While most are stopped or killed before they enter a major city, one or two predators might slip through. Trade routes are disrupted. Nearly all caravans are halted except the most critical transports. Hunters and farmers begin to report disturbing sights of deer scavenging on corpses or butterflies biting as mosquitos do.

You, too, may experience similar dreams or desires if you've allowed yourself to become too vulnerable or exposed to the Heralds. The more you entertain such thoughts or let your guard down, the harder they become to ignore. As you move through your days, surrounded by turmoil and conflict, you may have to ask yourself if you're as above it all as you first thought.

And what about your friends? Your neighbors? After all, you might associate frequently with the other Summoned, but you've made connections with the native population, too. Perhaps the kindly innkeeper is now treating you with a suspicion she didn't used to exhibit. Maybe you hear that the baker across the street, who once offered you free sweet rolls, has been gravely injured by his own son.

As Zorne said, this is about forging peace through madness - or so the Heralds believe. Maybe, in the pandemonium and bloodshed around you, you begin to understand something important about yourself, your friends, or the world.

Beyond the Heralds

It's tough to deny that even without the Heralds, this conflict would be ongoing regardless. Neither Thorne nor the Free Cities has demonstrated any desire for peace. Solvunn seems to be considering their role, as well. Despite the war, life must continue for Abraxans: parents have mouths to feed, farmers have fields to sow, and professors continue to lecture and hold classes while they're able.

As the Summoned, you can engage in any of these elements. You can agree to take notes for a fellow student who's suffered an unfortunate attack after being mistaken for someone else. You could babysit for households who need an extra hand while their partner has been sent to fight. You can pack medicine, offer healing abilities, or bring supplies to units stationed by the Badlands.

You can also take on acts of diplomacy. This is not restricted to communicating with the leaders of your territory. Both Nocwich and the Nether have a relationship with the Summoned, which is something you can utilize. You might have to begin by sending a letter instead of meeting them directly, but if you're determined to find a peaceful solution, it's worth trying.

Individualized actions are entirely possible! We will discuss it on a case-by-case basis. You can SUBMIT YOUR REQUEST by replying to the comment with the form.

Please have a concrete goal in mind and try to keep your requests concise. We will do our best to accommodate everyone, but we may have to ask that you hold the request for after the event or ask you to revise it, depending on what you've submitted.

Departure

When the Heralds withdraw, it's quiet and as difficult to notice as their arrival. Did they vanish near the end of one of the battles? Did they leave days ago, the seeds they sowed flourishing without further intervention?

For the Summoned, it may be a bit easier to tell. Steadily, as the month comes to a close, the Horizon begins to stabilize once more. If you have been countering the Heralds, you find your ability no longer triggers, even if there remain those around you who behave as though they are still being influenced. You suppose it's fair to remember that the Heralds don't need to exert their powers for people to behave as they do.

The battle in the Badlands continues to wage...but on AUGUST 30, Thorne's troops receive abrupt orders to return home. It appears that, while the kingdom's forces were occupied on land, her naval warships were dealt a serious blow, handing a sudden victory to the Free Cities - but not by who you might predict.

The Hands of Solvunn

Solvunn has often refused to pledge for one side or another. The Council maintains that they are devoted to protecting their commune and their way of life, nothing more. They certainly have no army or weapons to speak of. Their disinterest in the Badlands conflict is expected, and neither Thorne nor the Free Cities consider it unusual that Solvunn has remained isolated.

What you might've wondered, however, is this: why have the Heralds visited Solvunn twice now when they spare genuinely neutral lands like Nocwich and the Nether?

A Guiding Light

After Thorne's retreat, news begins to travel. It moves through Solvunn and Thorne first, eventually reaching the Free Cities. Multiple stories surface about the sea in Borrel, not about the storm wall or Koth, but something else - a mysterious lighthouse and a thick fog that's obscured the waters for days.

Survivors of one destroyed warship, The Queen's Secret, return telling tale of a light that beckoned them during a heavy storm. But the lighthouse keepers in the western sea swear they saw no ships come their way. The ship itself seems to have crashed into a massive sea stack that should've been easily avoidable. What lighthouse could have drawn them near?

Over the next few days, this happens again and again. Sailors looking out from shore confirm that they can indeed see the flickering beam of a lighthouse. It stands proudly in a spot where no lighthouse was ever built.

Then, on the final day, the lighthouse moves.

Blessings Granted

Citizens gather seaside despite sailors and guards ashore attempting to send them home. They watch as a naval officer and his men are sent to investigate. As the lighthouse grows brighter, its hypnotic pulse begins to pull others forward. Fishermen and noblemen set sail on their own civilian ships. Sailors of the Royal Navy break rank and order, as if under a powerful compulsion, and set forth in Thorne's prized warships. One by one, ships big and small pull out of the harbor in the dead of night.

Witnesses report strange limbs emerging from the base of the lighthouse. The limbs do not strike or attack. Rather, they open up like a waiting embrace. They gently accept each vessel that sails towards the light. Then they enfold the ship and pull it down into the depths. To onlookers, it's a silent but horrifying affair. Each ship disappears until only bits of wreckage are washed ashore the following morning.

A surprising number survive by abandoning ship, though some captains choose to go down with their vessel. Having made a crippling dent in Thorne's Royal Navy, the lighthouse vanishes. Back on shore in the Tertiary Settlement, the storm wall finally vanishes.

The incident above will lead a few changes in Solvunn and to the borders of the Badlands. We'll detail those changes in the Wrap-Up!

---

Comments

[emulsions]

[ That's...alright. Yeah. Not tremendously comforting, but Carmy goes along with it. God knows he's used to ignoring weird, uncomfortable shit, just a completely different sort. For a brief moment, he reflects on the way Jack answered but hadn't really answered when Carmy asked him, Like, flying raccoon bizarre?

Shit. So this is it, huh?

He does a double-take at the sausages (some French andouille that'd promptly vanished as soon as he set it down on the counter) rolling on fucking hotdog rollers like they're some cheap ballpark dogs. He can't help looking back at the violin music again, but he's sticking by Jack's rules and he's not saying a damn word about it.

He opens the freezer door for Jack to get his burritos. ]

I, uh, [ he might be searching for a topic that's not the scurrying he swears he hears, ] never asked where you were from.

[ Jerry's mentioned some vague locations, like the murder B&B, but that's about all. ]

[stations]

( Yep, this is it. Flying raccoon bizarre, gas station violin bizarre, the sensation of someone standing just over your shoulder bizarre. The deep, instinctive feeling bred at the dawn of humanity, buried in the ancestral lizard brain, that something is wrong bizarre. It's only that Jack's brain was ruined from birth, and that lizard brain space developed differently enough that he can accept this, all of it, as normal. Even while knowing, logically, that it isn't. )

Oh- Louisiana, actually. In the middle of nowhere, in a shitty town you've definitely never heard of- ( While he speaks, he pulls out a couple of burritos — and interrupts himself mid-sentence to hold up another in offering. ) You want one?

( You know, since you're here. If Carmy agrees, he'll begin the very mechanical, well-practiced ritual of gas-station quality food prep for them both. If not, he'll put it back, shrug, and carry on with his own anyway. )

What about you? Did you tell me that already? I'm- my brain is, like, slightly very fucked and I forget things, so if you did and I forgot... mea culpa.

[emulsions]

[ Carmy blinks, like he's zoned out in the half-second there between the freezer door opening and Jack pulling out the frozen shit. He takes the rock-hard burrito and lifts it a little in the universal gesture of acknowledging you've been handed something. Printed on the burrito is a blurry picture of beans and beef wrapped in a flour tortilla that's definitely not at all what the thing will look like once it's microwaved. ]

Thanks.

[ Maybe it speaks of the kind of chef Carmy is that he doesn't even glance at the packaging to see what kinda burrito it is. Once he's crossed over into the territory of feeding himself for the sake of not passing out, he can't care less.

He follows Jack to the microwaving station. ] Uh, I dunno, did I? [ Hell if he remembers, either. ] It's Chicago. I only moved back home a few months ago, I was working in New York before that.

[stations]

( And so comes the beeping and subsequent comforting hum that fills the air as one of the microwaves kicks into motion, begrudgingly chugging along in its perpetual circle. Jack turns to put his back to it, settling against the counter and curling his fingers over the lip of it behind him. The classic microwave waiting lean. )

That's cool. I've always wanted to go there. Both places. Not to stay, just- to see what all the hype's about, you know?

( He almost went to New York, once. They kept Sabine at New York Presbyterian. He borrowed Travis's truck after the hospital called to notify him that she'd finally passed, but Roger never even let him leave town limits. )

Which one do you like better? New York or Chicago?

( As though hearing the question, or perhaps simply to mock Carmy, the tune drifting from the bathroom changes. As he is wont to do, Jack ignores it. )

[emulsions]

[ Part of him thinks he shouldn't be so at ease in a VR dream situation? Which he thinks this is what it is, basically, but maybe it's a little less weird to relax when Jack's also relaxed. Are they feeding into each other's desire to pretend like everything's normal? Is that what's happening here?

Maybe he should take Jack's advice and not think too hard about stuff.

He reflects on the question. It's a simple question. A I'm still getting to know you icebreaker sort of question. It's just that nothing's ever that easy with Carmy. Sometimes it feels like you pull on one innocent thread of his life, the rest comes unraveling.

After too long a pause, he licks his lips and scratches his jaw. ]

Chicago's home. I kept thinking I'd go back and then...I didn't. Until... [ He shrugs. In the beat between, the music starts to creep up on him. He fidgets to ignore it. ] But New York's nice. Talented chefs, like. Really fucking incredible. Some real assholes, too, but I learned a lot there.

[ Shit. That's probably not the tourism vibe answer Jack's looking for. Or maybe it is? ]

What about you, you grew up in that town?

[stations]

( It's alright, Carmy — he sometimes has that effect on people. When you normalize the weird, when you don't freak out, the people around you tend to chill the fuck out, too. Well, sometimes they do. Other times they completely ignore your advice and then wind up doing some stupid Protagonist bullshit and promptly die or get abducted by aliens or something, but the smart ones chill the fuck out. The ambiance really isn't so bad, once you do that. It goes from outright creepy to a little weird but maybe in a quirky way?

It's definitely not the tourist-y answer he'd maybe been expecting, but he appreciates the honesty anyway. Something real beats empty small talk, usually, provided he actually likes the person he's talking to. )

Yeah, um- yeah, for the most part. The foster system sent me to a family out of state for a little while, but I- wound up coming back.

( By choice, not because the family didn't want him anymore, for once. But the thing is, he couldn't see Sabine anymore. It's a long story — one he probably won't tell today. )

I always planned to leave, when I got older. It didn't work out for a long time, but I did finally manage to get out right before Thorne brought me here, which is... kind of annoying, now that I think about it.

[emulsions]

[ Foster system, huh? That's heavy. Carmy raises an eyebrow, though he doesn't dig into that bit any more than Jack offers. After a lifetime of kitchens, everybody comes from somewhere, and usually that somewhere is pretty shit. Jack's not exactly a chef, but somehow he feels like working in a shitty gas station in the middle of nowhere takes the same sort of person.

The microwave whirs. He watches the plate spin. ]

I feel that. [ He nods. ] My restaurant, the one that was stealing all your shit, I opened it like...for one night. And then, I wound up here. I mean, I don't even know if it's standing? Like, maybe they sold it off 'cause they thought I [ he throws a hand up in the air ] I dunno, I fucking died or something.

[ So yeah, he gets it, he gets the whole I was just getting somewhere and then it all went to shit. Except if he's being honest with himself, he's the one who fucked it up. ]

[stations]

( It doesn't feel particularly heavy to him; it's just a fact. A thing that happened. The real heaviness happened before the foster system, and during that brief stint in the middle when he convinced his biological father to take him in for a year. Enduring the rampant the alcoholism and relentless abuse was worth it, because it meant being close to Sabine again. That would be too heavy to drop. A story for another time, maybe, if they ever wind up on that level.

It is kind of nice to feel like he's on the same page as somebody again. That weird, deep in the trenches understanding that only comes from hard time served in the service industry. )

I wouldn't worry about it too much. I think you're kind of- out of the time stream right now, you know? It's- I've been sent home from here and I came back a little while after. While I was back home, it was like picking up from exactly where I left off, so... Pretty sure nobody's selling your restaurant or filing for your death certificate.

( He can't offer much by way of comfort, but he can at least offer that.

He studies Carmy quietly for a second, to the soundtrack of a humming microwave and a low, sad song muffled in another room. He is not known for his intuitive people person skills, or for reading between the lines in social interactions, but it's not because he can't. Sometimes it's the brain damage, a lot of the time it's because some years back he made a deliberate decision not to, and he can rarely bring himself to give enough of a shit about strangers to muster the energy to actually try.

It took a while with Jerry. It took a while with Amy. It took a while with Rosa. Progressively less time as he learned to open himself up and let himself feel again, like the practice made it easier. Abraxas has only helped in that regard. He's looking; he's trying to see. For what, exactly, he's not sure, but he's looking. )

It seems cool. Your place. I mean, I was only in there for a minute, but... it seemed really nice. Also... kind of like anything you serve there probably costs my entire paycheck, and the most expensive thing I've ever eaten is probably Texas Roadhouse, so maybe I'm not the best judge, but. It looked really good.

[emulsions]

[ Carmy looks up, not altogether sure how to make of what he's just been told. ] Oh.

[ That's all he's got. He's been here a few months, and he's spent those months burying his head in his work. The only otherworldly research he's done is grab all the books he could find on how the fuck a kitchen works in a place that isn't anything like modern-day Chicago. A part of him's aware this is massive head-in-sand behavior, but look, he doesn't fucking know how to cope any other way. Each time he runs up into something that vaguely breaks his world a little—insane dreams, people whispering about gods and magic—he shuts it out without a second thought.

One day, it's gonna catch up to him, if it hasn't already. Just like it caught up to him in New York. ]

Yeah? Thanks. [ The answer sounds distant, but it's sincere. He scratches the bridge of his nose. ] You wanna know something? It, uh—it wasn't supposed to be that. And, I don't know, I guess...eventually, we were thinking we could get a star. [ He says we, but it's not exactly a we except it feels like it is. Everything about the restaurant feels wrapped up in the we that's become him and Syd. ] Before we rebuilt it, it was this shitty sandwich shop, looked like complete ass. That's what I came back home for.

[ The microwave beeps in the silent. Carmy pops the door automatically, sending a whiff of melted cheese and nuked beans into the air. ]

Anyway, I'm not actually billing anybody in this crazy place, so...you should come by.

[stations]

( Good news, everyone: the microwave dings, and a shitty burrito comes out instead of high quality Beef Wellington or whatever. Objectively, this is a downgrade — unless you're an emotionally damaged customer service worker. He pops the microwave open, secures his burrito, and then nods his head vaguely toward the booth seats just beyond the frozen drink machine. He snags the coffee pot and a couple of cups along the way, for good measure.

This is the finest dining experience you can have in a gas station, so, you know... definitely basically the same thing as a Michelin star restaurant, right? )

Yeah? ( He seems pleasantly surprised at the offer, which is perhaps weird considering he was just bitching about the exact same food winding up in his own shithole store. It's just- different, when you're expecting junk food, and instead you get oysters on a half shell. ) Okay. Cool. I will. Maybe you can tell me what half the stuff that popped up here even was. None of it was in a can or a wrapper, so... kind of out of my area.

( He'd have liked to have seen the sandwich shop, though. It sounds pretty relatable. )

[emulsions]

[ Carmy grabs his own burrito and follows Jack. As an equally emotionally damage service worker, Carmy almost seems more comfortable with the gas station coffee and garbage frozen shit than he might've eating his own dishes, and that's kind of the thing. He almost never eats his dishes. He tastes them, but that's different. If you ask him, the last time he remembers sitting down for actual fine dining...he doesn't. ]

Yeah? Sure, I mean—it doesn't have to be truffles and scallops. Last guy who walked in, he wanted, like, a Twinkie? Just a plain Twinkie. So I gave him one.

[ He plated it up nice, but it was still a Twinkie. Actually, he's been working on a real Twinkie, something in the regular not-dream world, and when he's got something he approves of, Jack's probably gonna be the first one he shows it, too. Mostly because Jack's the only person other than Jerry in that castle he thinks knows what the hell a Twinkie is. ]

What're you jonesing for? If you could have anything for real out there.

[stations]

( A Twinkie? Not that Jack's judging, not in the slightest. Twinkies are great, a man of fine taste, whoever it was. It's just- the interior that he saw earlier seems to contrast even the notion of a Twinkie.

It's cool, though, actually. It seems like it could be easy for Carmy to be a total snob about all of it — crappy food, crappy gas station stuff, people who can't afford to even order his food. But he's not. He's just a... pretty cool, pretty nice guy — if you exclude that time he flipped his absolute shit in the kitchen, but that was totally understandable. Considering how many times Jack has flipped his own shit at a moment of peak stress, he has even fewer legs to stand on than his already low leg count.

The question brings him up short, and it's visible in the way his eyes go a little wide, in the way he settles back against the plasticy booth back a little more. )

Shit. Um. ( As a kid who used to dumpster dive for scraps, who then became a chronically underweight adult that constantly forgets to eat if left to his own devices, it takes maybe a little too long for him to actually come up with a good answer. When it hits him, it comes with an accompanying dull ache in his chest — one he's long since used to ignoring. ) Banana birthday cake?

[emulsions]

[ Tell him about it. He'd hesitated even plating the thing up, then thought why the fuck not and—really, Peter's reaction had been...worth it? If that's the right way to say it.

It was nice, that was all. People liking their food.

He looks back at Jack with the burrito halfway to his mouth, suddenly unsure if he should apologize for accidentally overstepping and triggering what appears to be a more complicated topic than he expected. He gets it; it's happens to him all the time, when people go Do you like cooking? or ask him if he was looking forward to going home for Christmas or—a dozen other conversations Carmy can't fucking have that's normal for everybody else.

Banana birthday cake. He can do that. He thinks. Might need to outsource the bananas. ]

So, you can tell me to fuck off if this isn't cool, but I could see to making it some time. And then...maybe you can tell me more?

i think we can kinda fade 2 burrito eating and wrap this for something fresh if u wanna!

[stations]

( That's really it in a nutshell, isn't it? Conversations that are supposed to be normal and innocuous are, for him — for both of them — more often very loaded topics. Conversations that are probably supposed to be too deep, or too weird, or too stupid, are more normal than normal. Maybe that's part of why he has such a hard time relating to people.

That, or his deep crippling introversion and painful social awkwardness. Who's to say, really? )

You know what? ( He says after a pause spent adjusting his burrito into Optimal Wrapper Holding Position. ) Yeah. That would be cool. Whenever you get around to it, just... you know. Let me know.

( Once upon a time, not all that long ago, the thought of telling anybody the story behind it would've been such a huge nope, he'd have already found a way out of the whole damn room. Now, though?

It's okay, actually. Talking about her, thinking about her, sharing shit with people, opening up... it's okay. It's not so bad. He's better now than he used to be about it, so... yeah. Sure. If Carmy's still interested, and if he ever finds bananas, they can do another round of swapping way too much information and pretending like it's not the weirdest fucking thing of all time. That sounds nice. )