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abraxaslogs2021-06-12 12:13 pm
abraxasmods) wrote in abraxaslogs2021-06-12 12:13 pm
Entry tags:
- !event,
- !intro log,
- !npc,
- !player event,
- abby littman; the lovers,
- abigail hobbs; the hanged man,
- achilles; the hierophant,
- adora; strength,
- adrienne peters; the empress,
- aerith gainsborough; the sun,
- alan wake; the magician,
- alhaitham; the hermit,
- alice elliot; the empress,
- alicent hightower; the tower,
- alina starkov; the hanged man,
- aloy; the hermit,
- altaïr ibn-la'ahad; the magician,
- alucard; the hierophant,
- amos burton; the lovers,
- anakin skywalker; judgement,
- anthony lockwood; the devil,
- apollo; the star,
- arthur hastings; the hanged man,
- astarion ancunín; the wheel of fortune,
- bartimaeus of uruk; the wheel of fortune,
- bay kennish; the star,
- belle; strength,
- benedikta harman; the devil,
- billy kaplan; the hanged man,
- boothill; the hierophant,
- brad bakshi; the wheel of fortune,
- brother cadfael; justice,
- bucky barnes; the hanged man,
- byleth eisner; the devil,
- caitlyn kiramman; strength,
- cal kestis; the hanged man,
- captain jack harkness; the hanged man,
- carl grimes; the empress,
- carmy berzatto; the magician,
- cassandra de rolo; strength,
- cassian andor; the tower,
- castiel; the hanged man,
- catra; the tower,
- cersei lannister; the devil,
- ches fields; the lovers,
- chris halliwell; the tower,
- cidolfus telamon; the hanged man,
- cirilla of cintra; the devil,
- claire fraser; the empress,
- claire novak; the hanged man,
- clarisse la rue; the chariot,
- clarke griffin; strength,
- claude von riegan; the wheel of fortune,
- clive rosfield; the tower,
- cloud strife; the hanged man,
- cole cassidy; the hanged man,
- commander shepard; judgement,
- coraline finch; the tower,
- courtier 6; death,
- daemon targaryen; the tower,
- daenerys targaryen; judgement,
- daisy johnson; strength,
- dan heng; the high priestess,
- dante; the devil,
- dean winchester; the lovers,
- diana prince; the empress,
- dion lesage; the emperor,
- dustin henderson; the sun,
- eddie dean; the sun,
- eddie kaspbrak; the lovers,
- eddie munson; the devil,
- edelgard von hresvelg; the emperor,
- edward teach; the devil,
- eli clark; the empress,
- elias bouchard; the wheel of fortune,
- elidibus; the high priestess,
- eliot waugh; the star,
- elrond; temperance,
- emet-selch; the emperor,
- eponine thenardier; the hanged man,
- erik lehnsherr; the hermit,
- esme frost; the hanged man,
- estinien wyrmblood; the hermit,
- ezra bridger; strength,
- fandaniel; the hanged man,
- father maxwell; the wheel of fortune,
- felix fraldarius; the magician,
- finn; strength,
- frank castle; the hermit,
- g'raha tia; the lovers,
- gabriel; the wheel of fortune,
- galadriel; the hierophant,
- gale dekarios; the lovers,
- garrus vakarian; justice,
- geralt of rivia; the hanged man,
- gideon nav; strength,
- goro; the chariot,
- haelva lueltar; the magician,
- harley quinn; the wheel of fortune,
- harrowhark nonagesimus; the magician,
- heather montgomery; the magician,
- hector; the magician,
- hendrik; death,
- henry creel; the hierophant,
- hilda goneril; the lovers,
- himeka sui; the fool,
- homelander; judgement,
- hornet; strength,
- hythlodaeus; the empress,
- inara serra; temperance,
- inej ghafa; the hierophant,
- iris black; the hanged man,
- istredd; the high priestess,
- jack frost; the fool,
- jack kline; the sun,
- jack skellington; the fool,
- jack townsend; the moon,
- jacob frye; the sun,
- jaime lannister; judgement,
- james sunderland; the hermit,
- james t. kirk; the tower,
- jaskier; the sun,
- jasper; judgement,
- jayce talis; the magician,
- jerry pascal; the sun,
- jesper fahey; the wheel of fortune,
- jessica jones; strength,
- jill warrick; death,
- jinora; the world,
- jo harvelle; strength,
- john blake; the tower,
- jolie ann harmony; justice,
- jon sims; the high priestess,
- jon snow; the emperor,
- jonathan crane; the magician,
- jonathan emmet reid; the empress,
- jordan hennessy; the moon,
- joseph kavinsky; the devil,
- joshua rosfield; death,
- julia wicker; the tower,
- julie lawry; the wheel of fortune,
- jyn erso; the tower,
- kai parker; the fool,
- kaveh; the star,
- kay faraday; the fool,
- kaz brekker; the chariot,
- kell maresh; the magician,
- kelson haldane; the tower,
- kenzo tenma; the empress,
- kiryu kazuma; the tower,
- klaus hargreeves; the fool,
- koby; death,
- kol mikaelson; the hanged man,
- kyle; the hanged man,
- kylo ren; the tower,
- lan wangji; the hierophant,
- laura hawley; death,
- lenore; the lovers,
- leon belmont; the wheel of fortune,
- leonard mccoy; the lovers,
- lestat de lioncourt; judgement,
- lila bard; the fool,
- linhardt von hevring; the high priestess,
- link; strength,
- lloyd henreid; the lovers,
- loki; the devil,
- lord john grey; justice,
- louis de pointe du lac; the lovers,
- louis; death,
- lucifer; the devil,
- lucy maclean; the hierophant,
- majima goro; the hanged man,
- malyen oretsev; strength,
- marc spector; the tower,
- marianne von edmund; the hanged man,
- martin blackwood; the empress,
- marty mcfly; the hanged man,
- mat cauthon; the wheel of fortune,
- matt murdock; the tower,
- matthias helvar; the lovers,
- max mayfield; the hermit,
- merrin; strength,
- michael ralston; death,
- michael; the emperor,
- misty day; the lovers,
- morgana pendragon; the tower,
- nadine cross; the world,
- nanaue; the fool,
- natasha romanoff; the lovers,
- nathan drake; the fool,
- nebula; death,
- nero (dmc); the chariot,
- nero (drakengard); the devil,
- nicholas d. wolfwood; the lovers,
- nico di angelo; death,
- nikolai lantsov; the fool,
- norman jayden; the hermit,
- oberon; the hanged man,
- obi-wan kenobi; death,
- percy jackson; the lovers,
- peter maximoff; the devil,
- peter parker (comics); strength,
- peter parker (mcu); strength,
- petra macneary; strength,
- phoenix wright; the lovers,
- prince wilhelm; the tower,
- princess zelda; the high priestess,
- queen maeve; the hanged man,
- quentin coldwater; death,
- randall flagg; the tower,
- relena peacecraft; death,
- reno; the chariot,
- rey; the star,
- rhaenyra targaryen; the emperor,
- rhy maresh; the lovers,
- richie tozier; the hanged man,
- rinwell; the magician,
- rita farr; the star,
- river tam; the fool,
- robin buckley; the hanged man,
- rocket; the chariot,
- roland deschain; death,
- ronan lynch; the moon,
- rowena macleod; the high priestess,
- ruaidrigh mac raith; the hanged man,
- sabine; the empress,
- sam wilson; justice,
- sam winchester; the hierophant,
- samus aran; strength,
- sandor clegane; strength,
- sansa stark; the high priestess,
- sasarai; judgement,
- satoru gojo; the devil,
- sebille kaleran; the hanged man,
- sephiroth; the tower,
- shione daymore; the hermit,
- shuten-douji; the devil,
- some ovmennet; the empress,
- sophia of yaldabaoth; the world,
- stephen strange; death,
- steve harrington; the lovers,
- steve rogers; the hierophant,
- suguru geto; the hanged man,
- susan delgado; the lovers,
- sylvain gautier; the sun,
- sypha belnades; the tower,
- taylor hebert; death,
- teddy roberts; death,
- thancred waters; strength,
- thane krios; death,
- the commander (syrlya); strength,
- the darkling; death,
- the doctor; the fool,
- the medicine seller; the hierophant,
- theodore blackwell; temperance,
- thor odinson; the fool,
- tifa lockhart; the empress,
- tony stark; the magician,
- travis guidry; the chariot,
- triss merigold; the empress,
- urianger augurelt; death,
- vash the stampede; death,
- vi; the lovers,
- viktor; death,
- wanda maximoff; the hanged man,
- wei wuxian; the tower,
- wen kexing; the tower,
- will solace; the empress,
- wrench; the hanged man,
- wylan van eck; the magician,
- y'shtola rhul; the high priestess,
- yennefer of vengerberg; the chariot,
- yuffie kisaragi; the tower,
- yuri lowell; the tower,
- zagreus; the chariot,
- zelda schiff; the magician,
- zhou zishu; strength,
- zoya nazyalensky; strength
EVENT #1
EVENT #1
Welcome to our very first event! This event will be divided into two parts: one for honored guests, and one for prisoners. There are some opportunities for characters to go to the opposite group's event, so read on below and make sure to check out the accompanying OOC plotting post for extra details!
This event takes place ICly from June 14th to June 19th.
It's June, and that means the annual Summer Festival in Castle Thorne. The newcomers are causing quite a buzz and, for the first time in ten years, a representative from the increasingly independent city of Nott has agreed to attend. The representative, Lyle Vela, has a lot of political sway in Nott and the impression he takes back with him will affect whether Nott begins to repair relations with the rest of Thorne or moves even further towards independence.
But that's not all there is to do here! The residents of the city surrounding Castle Thorne are intensely curious about the newcomers and several of the events at the Summer Festival have been designed by the mages to show them off. At some point you may begin to feel more like a prized pony than an honored guest, but there are rewards and gifts and good food to be had for all, so what's the harm in showing off a little?
The festival runs all week (June 14th-19th) and the list of events are as follows:
If your character has been imprisoned but you want them to attend the Festival, an honored guest may lobby for them to stay behind and help set up. It'll be work, but they can sneak off to have a bit of fun and it won't be as difficult as what's in store for the rest of them. If you wish to have your character stay behind, please post to the OOC plotting post. Because we know that claustrophobic tunnel horror isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, there is no limit to the amount of prisoners who can stay behind.
Good news, prisoners! You get some time away from your cells in the beautiful snow-covered mountains of northern Thorne. A volunteer work opportunity has arisen, and you are all volunteers. If you do well enough at your assigned task, perhaps your prisoner status will be re-evaluated. Or perhaps your supervisor will take all the credit for themselves and throw you right back where you came from. Life's unfair sometimes! You'll at least be given a nice set of boots and heavier clothes to keep you warm.
Your task: to harvest as much crystal as you can from the burrow of a Giant Frostwurm. From June to September, the Frostwurm hibernates and is generally non-aggressive. Huge and territorial, Giant Frostwurms are only rarely encountered and are considered endangered by Thornean biologists. All known Frostwurm habitats are marked and harvested once every few years as the crystals that grow on its body are highly valuable for use in medicine and, erm, recreation although the latter is frowned upon by Thornean authorities. Don't worry, you don't have to touch the Frostwurm itself, it sheds every now and then and leaves a healthy supply of crystals in the tunnels of it burrow.
That's not to say it will be an easy task. There's a reason they're using "volunteer" prison labor, after all. The tunnels are deep and labyrinthine, and it's easy enough to get lost down there and wander in circles until you die of thirst or starvation. The crystals themselves also have a certain disorienting effect that turns hallucinogenic after prolonged exposure and, because of the Frostwurm's unique psychic properties, hallucinations can be shared between individuals. Like a contagion, spending time around someone who is hallucinating can cause it to 'catch'. These hallucinations may be pleasant or frightening, but the only cure is to get out of the tunnels and away from the crystals for a while.
Tunnel cave-ins are also a possibility, in which case you best start digging and hope you choose up. Getting too lost can result in an encounter with the Frostwurm, and while it needs to conserve energy and won't give chase, it'll bite or whip at you with its tail if you get too close. Both prisoners and supervisors are instructed not to kill the Frostwurm under any circumstances, even if it means sacrificing someone in their party. They're endangered, after all!
If your character has been welcomed to Thorne but you still wish to go on the Frostwurm excursion, they can volunteer to be a supervisor. There are currently 24 prisoners and they will be divided into groups of 3, so we will accept a maximum of 8 supervisors (potentially less depending on how many prisoners stay behind to help with the festival). Be aware that supervisors will be in danger as well, and they will be punished if they try to help the prisoners escape, but unlike the prisoners they will be paid for their efforts and seen as having initiative by the Thornean authorities. If you wish to be a supervisor, volunteer on our OOC plotting post.
The timeline for this part of the event is as follows:
Questions
Will there be any mod NPCing during this event?
The three visits with Lyle will be NPCed but other than that, no. Feel free to play random townies, guards, or black market sellers on your own!
Can I try to free the prisoners/can my imprisoned character break out?
Ambrose will be willing to hear cases for prisoner freedom after the event has concluded. You can try to smuggle the prisoners out of town during the festival or escape from the mountain, and prisoners can try to escape, but they will be caught and punished at this stage. Please post to the appropriate header below if you wish to have your character try!
Are the prisoners still powerless?
Yep! Don't worry, inmates, there'll be opportunities to be released for good behavior OR do a prison break soon. More details about the status of the prisoners will be released after this event.
Can my prisoner or supervisor character break away from their assigned group?
Yes, the tunnels are disorienting so individuals may wander off, especially if they are hallucinating. Feel free to interact with anyone and everyone.
What can the hallucinations entail?
Anything! They can think they're being chased, imagine a portal to a green oasis or even scenery from their own homeworld, and anything else you can come up with. They won't be real or tangible so nothing will remain of them once the affected characters are recovered (unless a special mod consequence is given...) but as stated above they can be shared between characters so everyone can see the same thing.
Can my character attend both the Summer Festival and the mission in the tunnels?
Alas, no. Both events will take the whole week, so it's one or the other!
This event takes place ICly from June 14th to June 19th.
The Summer Festival (Honored Guests)
It's June, and that means the annual Summer Festival in Castle Thorne. The newcomers are causing quite a buzz and, for the first time in ten years, a representative from the increasingly independent city of Nott has agreed to attend. The representative, Lyle Vela, has a lot of political sway in Nott and the impression he takes back with him will affect whether Nott begins to repair relations with the rest of Thorne or moves even further towards independence.
But that's not all there is to do here! The residents of the city surrounding Castle Thorne are intensely curious about the newcomers and several of the events at the Summer Festival have been designed by the mages to show them off. At some point you may begin to feel more like a prized pony than an honored guest, but there are rewards and gifts and good food to be had for all, so what's the harm in showing off a little?
The festival runs all week (June 14th-19th) and the list of events are as follows:
Sparring Contest: Honored guests will be asked to spar in front of an audience. Depending on the time of the week the fight takes place in, some guests may have some or most of their powers back, but the audience is here to see a show and just trampling your opponent in seconds won't do much for them. Try to add some spice to it: a good narrative and a close fight are much more enthralling. You may decide the winner of the fight between yourselves or ask the mods to roll for an outcome below. Prisoners who stay behind can sneak into this event but will not have their powers.At the end of the festival on June 19th, there will be a huge feast available with all manner of fancy food and some alcohol if you wish to get a little drunk. Beware, Thornean alcohol is strong! Prisoners who stayed behind to help out with the festival can easily slip in and take some food and drink for themselves.
Magic Demonstration: Show everyone what you can do and demonstrate a Thornean magic spell in front of an audience. This should be a simple beginner spell such as a smaller elemental magic spell, some minor healing, a small illusion, and so on. Feel free to decide what spell you'd like your character to perform and post to the header below so the mods can roll for your character's success when performing it in front of the audience! Regardless of success, your character can learn the chosen spell by the end of the event. Unfortunately, prisoners cannot access this event.
The Black Market: Castle Thorne is much less secure during open festivals than it is during the rest of the year, so it's no surprise that some shady characters have managed to sneak in. They're trading potions and magical items, and luckily enough for the penniless newcomers, they're interested in things other than money. They may ask for some blood, saliva, or the chance to perform a spell on the hapless newcomer. Prisoners are welcome in the black market. Please post to the header below to see what item your character gets from the event (and what spell they'll be subjected to if you choose that option).
Visit with the Representative: Near the end of the Festival, three honored guests will be chosen to have one-on-one audiences with Lyle Vela in the hopes of impressing him. Ambrose hasn't had the time to get to know each guest individually yet, so he's asked that they choose the three candidates among themselves. If you wish you have your character volunteer for this position, please make a case for their suitability under the header below! If your character is not running for this position, have them vote for another character. Prisoners who stay behind may vote as well.
If your character has been imprisoned but you want them to attend the Festival, an honored guest may lobby for them to stay behind and help set up. It'll be work, but they can sneak off to have a bit of fun and it won't be as difficult as what's in store for the rest of them. If you wish to have your character stay behind, please post to the OOC plotting post. Because we know that claustrophobic tunnel horror isn't going to be everyone's cup of tea, there is no limit to the amount of prisoners who can stay behind.
In the Tunnels (Prisoners)
Good news, prisoners! You get some time away from your cells in the beautiful snow-covered mountains of northern Thorne. A volunteer work opportunity has arisen, and you are all volunteers. If you do well enough at your assigned task, perhaps your prisoner status will be re-evaluated. Or perhaps your supervisor will take all the credit for themselves and throw you right back where you came from. Life's unfair sometimes! You'll at least be given a nice set of boots and heavier clothes to keep you warm.
Your task: to harvest as much crystal as you can from the burrow of a Giant Frostwurm. From June to September, the Frostwurm hibernates and is generally non-aggressive. Huge and territorial, Giant Frostwurms are only rarely encountered and are considered endangered by Thornean biologists. All known Frostwurm habitats are marked and harvested once every few years as the crystals that grow on its body are highly valuable for use in medicine and, erm, recreation although the latter is frowned upon by Thornean authorities. Don't worry, you don't have to touch the Frostwurm itself, it sheds every now and then and leaves a healthy supply of crystals in the tunnels of it burrow.
That's not to say it will be an easy task. There's a reason they're using "volunteer" prison labor, after all. The tunnels are deep and labyrinthine, and it's easy enough to get lost down there and wander in circles until you die of thirst or starvation. The crystals themselves also have a certain disorienting effect that turns hallucinogenic after prolonged exposure and, because of the Frostwurm's unique psychic properties, hallucinations can be shared between individuals. Like a contagion, spending time around someone who is hallucinating can cause it to 'catch'. These hallucinations may be pleasant or frightening, but the only cure is to get out of the tunnels and away from the crystals for a while.
Tunnel cave-ins are also a possibility, in which case you best start digging and hope you choose up. Getting too lost can result in an encounter with the Frostwurm, and while it needs to conserve energy and won't give chase, it'll bite or whip at you with its tail if you get too close. Both prisoners and supervisors are instructed not to kill the Frostwurm under any circumstances, even if it means sacrificing someone in their party. They're endangered, after all!
If your character has been welcomed to Thorne but you still wish to go on the Frostwurm excursion, they can volunteer to be a supervisor. There are currently 24 prisoners and they will be divided into groups of 3, so we will accept a maximum of 8 supervisors (potentially less depending on how many prisoners stay behind to help with the festival). Be aware that supervisors will be in danger as well, and they will be punished if they try to help the prisoners escape, but unlike the prisoners they will be paid for their efforts and seen as having initiative by the Thornean authorities. If you wish to be a supervisor, volunteer on our OOC plotting post.
The timeline for this part of the event is as follows:
June 14th: Prisoners will be led from their cells in chains to a Thornean fast-travel portal (a glowing circle of neon light) that will take them about a mile away from the Frostwurm's burrow. It's cold and the air is thin, so they'll be given the rest of the day to rest and acclimate before being sent inside.Please visit the accompanying OOC plotting post to choose your team of three, and a supervisor if your group has one (groups without PC supervisors will be sent off on their own with no NPC supervisor). This event is designed to have some element of risk to it (but no one will die, don't worry!) so while you can plan what happens to your characters out with your group if you like, we also encourage you to post an action or two to our IC Consequences header below and leave it up to chance. Who knows, something awesome might happen.
June 15th-18th: Down in the tunnels with you! Characters are sent into the tunnels and can experience any of the effects listed above. If your party makes it out after sunset they'll be permitted to sleep in a tent, if they're lost then they will sleep in the tunnels. On the 18th, anyone who comes out alive will not have to go back in and the supply of crystals will be counted.
June 19th: Today would be the day of the Summer Festival, if they were back at Castle Thorne, but their captors aren't completely merciless. The prisoners and supervisors will be marched back to the fast-travel portal, where a small feast has been set up for them. It isn't as glamorous as what's back in Thorne, but it's the best meal the prisoners have been served since they arrived. And, as a bonus, the guards might slip you some alcohol if you did a good job in collecting the crystals.
Will there be any mod NPCing during this event?
The three visits with Lyle will be NPCed but other than that, no. Feel free to play random townies, guards, or black market sellers on your own!
Can I try to free the prisoners/can my imprisoned character break out?
Ambrose will be willing to hear cases for prisoner freedom after the event has concluded. You can try to smuggle the prisoners out of town during the festival or escape from the mountain, and prisoners can try to escape, but they will be caught and punished at this stage. Please post to the appropriate header below if you wish to have your character try!
Are the prisoners still powerless?
Yep! Don't worry, inmates, there'll be opportunities to be released for good behavior OR do a prison break soon. More details about the status of the prisoners will be released after this event.
Can my prisoner or supervisor character break away from their assigned group?
Yes, the tunnels are disorienting so individuals may wander off, especially if they are hallucinating. Feel free to interact with anyone and everyone.
What can the hallucinations entail?
Anything! They can think they're being chased, imagine a portal to a green oasis or even scenery from their own homeworld, and anything else you can come up with. They won't be real or tangible so nothing will remain of them once the affected characters are recovered (unless a special mod consequence is given...) but as stated above they can be shared between characters so everyone can see the same thing.
Can my character attend both the Summer Festival and the mission in the tunnels?
Alas, no. Both events will take the whole week, so it's one or the other!
go to the OOC plotting post
no subject
[Both men speak her name nearly in unison, and they've given her much the same look—both frozen for the span of a few breaths, stunned by the prongs jutting from her body where there ought to be only skin—but where Mal is frustrated, growling, Kirigan is softer, edging on plaintive. The impulse to withdraw has nearly reached his hand, in fact, when the tracker wrenches it free himself.
The vulnerable sound he makes is brief. The dreamt-up void behind him shudders with it, pulling away as if to cringe, only to roll forth again in time with the Darkling's recovery, as though pulled by some unseen tide. No sound leaves him when he strikes at Mal's throat with his bloody hand, the great gaping black circle of a wound streaming there as though fresh; his rage is silent but for a surge of effort spat through his teeth. The whites of his eyes flash terribly. Should he catch that neck in his grasp, he will squeeze and drive forward with all his weight until something else stops his momentum.]
no subject
And there is nothing. Not even a spark against the darkness, her chest rattling with a hollow emptiness that that feels deeper and more desperate than the void behind him. Again. Her hands slap together again, the cracking noise of her skin but nothing else.
He has stolen it. In this moment, the mages of Thorne and their incantation are forgotten. She is a desperate cornered animal out of options with a snare around its neck. A feral dog choking as its master yanks its leash. Her light is gone as she watches the life of Mal's face fade.
He has drained all of her but he will not take Mal too.
She throws herself at the two of them, a desperate hand grabbing at his wrist, nails digging into his pale skin as surely this will be what unleashes the light within her, like the Volcra's talons in her back.
It does not come. Instead only a shuddering gasp, a stifled sob. A howling fit of rage as fists beat wildly and ineffectually against his back. ]
no subject
And then it feels like his head is underwater. His vision goes in and out of focus, he can hear Alina beating her hands against the Darkling but she sounds a million miles away (run he tries to tell her, but all that comes out is a choked gasp). One hand tries to pry at the fingers around his throat, the other to shove Kirigan back by his shoulders, but he's growing weaker by the second. His arms start to feel so heavy he can't hold them up anymore to fight back, and eventually he can't even hold his body up anymore.
Everything fades to black. And whenever Kirigan decides to let him go, his body will slide down against the wall until he's slumped like a ragdoll against the ground. Still breathing. Half here and half not.
Eyes closed, hand twitching, mumbled under his breath: ] Alina...
[ But he's of no use to her now. She's on her own. ]
no subject
So focused is the Darkling, so deep in his fury, that none of Alina's panic properly reaches him until her hands find his wrist—and even then, through the sick lurch of that confirmation, he holds fast. Only when he's certain the boy won't immediately rise does he let him fall, and swing around at last to address the fists thumping him and the girl who wields them so fiercely.
And it's still a face raked by black wounds that turns on her, still a pair of bloody hands that reaches out.]
Stop— [This absurd tantrum—he's half fending off her arms, half trying to catch them, all the while backing her away—] Alina, stop.
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It is only now that she is only is able to look upon his face, bloodied and scarred, his teeth wet and black like the shadow is leaking out from him. He looks as if a man returned from the dead. Her mouth fills with an acrid taste, sour and horrific. Her mouth falls open, no words forming she forces herself to rip her eyes away from him, choking as they fall upon Mal's limp body. Her whole body heaves in relief as he manages only a shallow breath.
Pleading, she has nothing to offer but herself. ]
Just let him go.
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[—is probably not how Alina expects him to respond.
Even as he begins to calm he looks half-crazed, like his eyes can't seem to hang on to any one thing without seeing through and just beyond it. It's the mines, the pulverized crystal dust they've all been breathing; it's the palm-sized stone he's hidden somewhere in these borrowed clothes, gently shedding fuel for delirium.
While she looks away, his attention has fallen to her neckline, to the sculpted bone sunken into her flesh. He releases just one of her arms, leaving not a single dark smear behind, to ghost his fingers across the prongs she wears. This can't be.
Softer still,]
Are you real?
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Her brows knit together, features pinching in honest confusion and then tensing as he reaches for a point of her collar. But she does not step back. She refuses to. Her mind reels trying desperately to find purchase in any concrete idea, but everything slips away. The only logical plan her mind can construct is to run, but she cannot leave Mal.
As if there was really anywhere to run. ]
Yes.
[ Voice soft, her head jerks in a shaky nod. A foolish hope rising within her that somehow the connect between them will spark the light awake, holding her breath as he brushes the collar. Her own hand, freed, wraps gently around his wrist, a circle complete.
It can almost be mistaken for something tender.
Eyes shutting tightly, her hand in his grip tightens into a fist. The hallucinogenic dust is thick in the air, edges of reality blurred. She is lost.
Unfurling her hand, a beacon of light slips through her fingers. She is relieved and then disgusted at herself for it. ]
I don't understand.
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Kirigan doesn't need to wait; the instant that light appears, he knows. Alina plays with it, and doesn't understand, and he releases her forearm with a dismissive shove.]
It's a lie. [He pulls his wrist free, too, none too gently.] You— absorbed this amplifier. Took it into yourself. I watched you do it only minutes before you made perfect your betrayal by leaving me there in the Fold.
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You said we'd destroy the fold.
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[It's not a thing in need of revisiting. She's rejected him; she's rejected their people; she's destroyed the designs of a hundred lifetimes. What more is there to say?]
And anyway, what does it matter now? Look where we are. [A listless gesture, blood-streaked hands out by his sides, inviting her to partake in the scenery.] Worlds away, and still enslaved—just like the Ravka you wanted. Your wish followed us here.
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You... [ Her hands slide back over the collar, no longer hiding it. Hissing through gnashed teeth. ] You gave me no choice, Aleksander.
[ Her normal amount of bad decision-making is compounded by the delirium, irrational and desperate, lashing out against him. Goading, she presses her hands forward shoving him in the chest. ]
If this is a lie then cut me down. If I am your jailer then free yourself.
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Cut me down, she says, and his shredded face first goes slack with surprise, then hardens. Painless. All a lie.
(This use of his name, he can brush it aside, but it leaves stinging remnants behind.)]
I intend to.
[Free himself, that is; but his delivery is so grim, one may be forgiven for assuming the other thing.]
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Aleksander.
Mal spots the shovel on the ground a meter away from him.
Cut me down.
Mal stretches his hand towards the handle.
I intend to.
And that's all the motivation he needs to get up, going from ragdoll to attack mode, leaping to his feet with newfound energy. He grabs the back of what Alina's wearing to yank her out of the way, both his hands coming together to grip the handle of his chosen (read: only) weapon, dropped by Alina moments earlier. He swings it back and aims the flat of the broad blade against the side of Kirigan's head. ]
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Thankfully, she doesn't actually have to reckon with her penchant for self-endangerment yet. Every thought she has evaporates with the sickening smack of metal against Kirigan's head.
Stunned, it's through luck alone that she doesn't end up tumbling down with his limp body as it crumples, corralled up against the stone wall. ]
Mal—
[ Her voice is heavy with relief. She lurches forward, grabbing his arm. There is no time to think, just to run. Only once does she turn back to Aleksander's body.
He can stay in the shadows. ]
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What they leave behind is nothing more than a man laid out on the ground. But it could be worse; when he awakens, at least, the little mage-light will be there to hold back the dark.]
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But he can feel Alina dragging him away, so he drops the shovel because it's heavy (sorry, Aleksander) and he can move faster without it. And he runs.
It soon becomes clear when he can't keep up with Alina's running that's something wrong. The back of his head is throbbing, he's lost all sense of direction and eventually he has to stop because he feels like the tunnel is spinning. ]
I'm fine. [ He insists before Alina asks, leaning against the nearest wall for support. ] I just need a second...
[ And in that second - ] Why did you tell him to cut you down like that? [ It was fear of losing her that drove him to stand and fight. He needs to know what possessed her to provoke him. ]
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He didn't ask for this. It's all her fault.
She is about to object, but his question knocks her back. ]
I... [ I didn't think he would do it, is an answer she doesn't want to tell him. A recognition of the fact that there is something greater than just the small sciences that seems to connect them. ]
I really wasn't thinking. [ A fact followed by more: ] I was just trying to keep him away from you.
[ For as many half truths she's been told, it apparently doesn't stop her from telling her own. Closing the distance between them, she tentatively touches her hand to his shoulder, trying to see the back of his head in the dim glow of the mage-light. He isn't bleeding as far as she can see, but that doesn't mean he's okay. ]
You and he... You both said we left him in the Fold. I don't remember that.
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(He still deserved to be hit with that shovel.) ]
Maybe you hit your head too. [ He snorts, only to turn when she touches him, his gaze landing on her collarbone as he looks down at her. Unlike how he looked earlier, he just looks sad now. Did she really not remember becoming powerful enough to absorb the antlers?
It doesn't matter why they've reappeared, or whatever the explanation is to Alina's memory loss, only that she kept it a secret from him. ]
I wish you'd told me sooner. [ He realizes it's probably what she wanted to show him earlier. All that time he was sat with her in the dungeons... ] I knew you were hiding something... You don't have to hide any part of yourself from me, Alina. You should know that.
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She grumbles, looking down at her feet. ]
Sorry. I know.
[ She had wanted this amplifier. Perhaps as much as much as Kirigan had wanted it to lock around her neck. At least hers was borne out of a sense of protection instead of power for power's sake.
Right? ]
It's not like it's even any use now.
[ The self-deprecation is easier. A more familiar cadence between them. Her finger taps at a point, but she still winces. She had thought she was maybe getting used to it, but, nope, still horrifying. Maybe it's her penance; her reminder not to let her loneliness get the best of her.
At once, her face scrunches up with a realization. She curses lightly under her breath. ]
My tunic...
[ Back with the Darkling. Certainly not worth risking going back for, but she's gonna be chilly. ]
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(He does hate that it reminds him of the Darkling though, especially now he's discovered he's alive. He'd like to think he killed him with that shovel but it's highly unlikely.)
At the mention of her missing tunic, Mal immediately starts unbuttoning his coat to give to her. ] It's fine, you need it more. [ He's said the word 'fine' too often for anything about the situation they're in to actually be fine. The fact of the matter is - if she doesn't want anyone staring at her antlers once they rejoin the others, she has to take Mal's coat.
And with it wrapped around her shoulders (he'll let her put her arms through at some point herself, but for now he just holds it together around the collar), he lets out a sigh and just... tips his face forward until his chin is resting against the top of her head, gently slipping an arm around her.
Just give him a moment. He needs this hug. They haven't had a proper one since they got to this world. And as uncomfortable as it might feel at first with the amplifier in the way, it's still Alina he's hugging and that's all that matters. ]
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She wraps her arms around his waist, holding him tight. Here in the circle of his arms, she can almost forget where they are. She can almost ignore the pinch of the antlers between them. It feels like home.
After a long, quiet moment: ]
We should get back. [ She pulls back, slipping her arms through his coat and drawing it around herself. ] Wouldn't want to get you in trouble.
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They should probably talk about the Darkling and what him being in this world means for them (nothing but trouble), but he finds himself falling into a comfortable silence with her instead, not needing to say or do anything but keep each other close. ]