abraxaslogs | [open] stories sown along the way

i. general

[ There's been an additional bustle around the castle, with mages darting to and fro with books or other supplies in hand, setting up spells that are supposedly meant to reinforce the castle's defenses. On top of that, the guards at the borders have been tetchier than usual, fixing Thancred with long assessing looks when he decides to stretch his legs. It feels as if the cage they've been placed in is becoming smaller and smaller. He, at least, has three passes that will grant him trips outside of the city. Now, it feels as if he needs to be even more careful with his use of them.

There's also the fact that Y'shtola has left, her small space in the Horizon confirmed as gone. Of course Thancred knows that it's for the best that she's back home where she belongs, but it had been nice to have a close friend at hand — especially one who was so resourceful.

It's difficult not to feel isolated with all of that in mind, and so when Thancred isn't busying himself with various odd jobs, he stops in on other Summoned in their various haunts, to say hello or discuss their current situation. It might be joining them at a table in the library, bothering them while they're working, falling into step with them in the gardens, or perhaps bringing them a snack from the kitchen — a piece of fresh bread, some cheese, or a bunch of grapes. If he does make a snack delivery, it will come with a warning of sorts. ] Enjoy that. When I stole into the kitchen to grab a little something, I was almost chased out by the servants. It seems they're doing an inventory of sorts.

[ When he is more in the mood to keep to himself, Thancred might be found in the communal bathing chamber attempting to relax, running through sparring exercises in the training yard with his gunblade or a pair of knives, or sitting in one of the game rooms studying or idly shuffling a pair of cards. ]

ii. foreign guests

[ As it turns out, Thancred ends up making use of one of those passes sooner than he might have expected. With all this talk of the Queen making a trip to Borrel, he had decided to travel there, quietly as he could, to investigate for himself. What he learned there is of interest and concern in equal measure, and it's information that he would like to share with those he trusts among the Summoned — with the utmost care and discretion, unlike some.

His trip is brief, barely the span of a day, and it's after he returns to the Castle that he hears chatter and hushed conversation about recent visitors. A vampire and a werewolf, guests from isolated lands far beyond what any of the Summoned have seen. There's no doubt that it's a political move, and it's quite interesting that the delegates from Luna and Ikorr have chosen now of all times to step out into the light.

While there's no means to speak with the visitors himself, Thancred at least wants to inspect the goods that they brought along with them. He wanders the markets of the castle town, listening patiently to the explanations of the wine, ales, and delicacies, though not opting to sample any unless given some convincing encouragement.

It's the shadow lanterns which catch his interest, and he can be found carefully examining one as he chats with the merchant who had been lucky enough to get her hands on such a curious item. ]

It will shroud everything around it in darkness, you say? Might I test it?

[ If you're in the area, you might want to prepare for everything to get very dark. ]

i. his

[ The Horizon serves as a good change of scenery, whether returning Thancred to more familiar sights from home or allowing him to learn of other's worlds in a far more vivid way than what words would provide.

If he has to be confined to such a small area within Thorne, at least he does have this place to "visit," away from the prying eyes and ears of the castle-dwellers.

A good half of the time that he's here he passes in his own domain. Yet whether he is seated under the shade of a tree in Old Sharlayan tossing treats at a nearby nutkin, enjoying a drink in the homey comfort of the Rising Stones, or stoking a fire at a campsite, a flash of something will come to him unbidden, with little warning.

It's been happening day in and day out now, the image becoming clearer with each instance. The perfectly triangular structure set against a blood-red backdrop; the moons and suns positioned at odd angles in the sky; and the strange shapes hanging at either side of the central building, vaguely resembling bodies.

And always, that symbol of the arcana, emblazoned on the building itself, or into the earth, or far overhead.

Thancred might just be recovering from another vision when he realizes someone's come to join him. He blinks, straightens his back and nods to them, or perhaps rises from his seat to give a proper greeting. ]

ii. yours

[ Yet there are times when Thancred even tires of his own domain. He's well aware that he can change it to his whims, and while he might sometimes make small adjustments, he is more interested to see what his fellow Summoned have done with their respective spaces.

And so he sets out on a walk, hands tucked into the pockets of his white coat. It doesn't seem to matter where he goes — he'll eventually see that strange image flash into his field of view for a few seconds.

Something is going on with the Singularity, and no one seems to understand what.

When he doesn't feel like walking or wants to cover more ground, he conjures up a chocobo to ride.

Regardless, if he happens to find someone in their domain when he visits, he'll lift up a hand and call out to announce himself. He's happy to simply pass through, unless it turns out they're interested in some company. ]

Novel, but useful.

[There are times that Alucard takes what he terms the long route to his domain, which is to say he declines to appear in it instantly. He instead walks himself to whatever little blank spot in the Horizon has not been built upon yet and walks, letting the space of others pass by. It is a way of observing the Domains without crossing too heavily into them, and thus avoids trepassing into the hearts of each.

So it goes here. Entering into night is no great shock - Alucard's own domain always has clouds and lightly falling rain - and his eyes adjust easily. There is nothing familiar in these narrow lanes save for the uneven streets. The surprise stairs. And in this series of twists and turns, Alucard recognizes the purpose.

He isn't sure if the alleys will respond to intent voiced internally, so he instead turns to the wall.]

An exit to another Domain would be welcome. I've no desire to travel further.

[And so he keeps walking, now more curious about the response than whoever occupies this space.]

[ It's been some time since Thancred has felt an intrusion of this nature, but he isn't particularly bothered by it. He equates it to someone knocking on the front door of his space, even if he doesn't exactly have a welcome mat placed out.

It doesn't take him long to find his way to the other Summoned who's wandered in, the winding streets easily giving way to his own desires and whims and making a maze turn into a rather linear path. And so Thancred rounds a corner to find a pale man in a dark coat.

The sentiment of the spoken words is still understood, even if Thancred may not have been physically present to hear them. He's come to learn that there are many aspects of the Horizon that must simply be accepted rather than questioned too thoroughly. ]

Had your fill already? There's more I could permit you to see, though I can't promise anything too fascinating. Still, if you needed a spot to rest for a moment...

[ He nods, sweeping an arm to indicate that the stranger is welcome to venture further in. ]

I have similar enough security measures and am inclined to respect them.

[There's a brief incline of Alucard's head. He had not expected anyone to appear. Just to keep wandering until he was finally spat out at the edge of the Horizon, having at least enjoyed the novelty of different city streets to his own.]

And my legs are strong enough to keep moving forward, but thank you for the offer all the same.

[Sasarai is wandering through the vendors, humming as he glances over the goods. Everything looks interesting, but it doesn't compare to what he'd had back at the Circle Palace in Harmonia.

After listening to the hawkers he always moves on. He is passing Thancred when he hears the other man ask to try a lantern.]

If you are about to cast darkness over the area you might want to warn people first.

[He means that to be humorous but his flat delivery might suggest otherwise.]

[ Himeka has made it a point that all of her closest friends are able to find her wherever she happens to be around Horizon. Given the fact that her own Domain is mobile, she wouldn't expect them to be able to track her down given how she tends to follow her whimsy of the moment. So Thancred, naturally, has been gifted a little Aetheryte of his own, allowing him to transport to the large crystal that sits at the center of every iteration of her Domain.

Today, her bubble reflects the Kogane Dori Markets of Kugane at night. The usual shopkeeps one would expect are entirely gone and there is a bit of artistic liberty here, but it looks like right now she is showing a few of her dragonets how to play-run a food stand.

When she hears Thancred's voice, she perks up immediately. ]

Thancred! You're here just in time for a test run.

[ She ushers him over enthusiastically. ]

[Sure, Aloy guesses she could literally will herself from place to place inside the Horizon, but there's an appeal to getting on a machine and seeing it the old-fashioned way. She's curious about what her fellow Summoned conjure up, and the knowledge that so many of them come not only from other versions of Earth, but different worlds entirely piques her natural curiosity.

This guy is certainly curious, or rather, the creature he's riding on, not so dissimilar to her own Clawstrider. The sight of someone else riding a mount is enough for her to slow her machine, but he raises a hand in greeting and she seems amenable to conversation.]

Hey.

[You know, all cool-like, not at all indicative of the fact that she's never seen anything like this before. Well, technically she has--just made of metal and carbon fiber and out to murder her.]

I like your...bird?

[Like a Longleg. But, you know, real. And hopefully tame.]

[ Similar security measures? Now Thancred's curious to know if he's wandered by this stranger's domain in the past, though he imagines it would have stood out to him if so.

The stranger is quite stiff, polite and reserved in this brief interaction, but Thancred views that all more as a challenge than anything else. ]

I didn't meant to call the strength of your legs into question, worry not. [ He sends over a polite smile of his own, falling into step next to the man before much protest can be offered. ] If you weren't intending to visit, then might I ask where you're headed?

A friend's.

[Alucard is indeed, reserved, stiff, and polite enough. It is how he functions without giving too much of himself away, especially around strangers. It is a preference, and a decently honed front at this point.]

There are times I take a longer route, along the edges of others' domains. I believe my foot slipped at some point along the path.

[ It's as the shopkeeper hands over the lantern that the voice cuts in, causing Thancred to pause and glance over. This is a public place and anyone is bound to be listening in, so he isn't particularly surprised by the interruption.

He knows this face, as well. He'd spoken up at the town hall in the Horizon with information about the Singularity, which had spiraled into a long discussion between the Summoned. Thancred had mainly only listened in, gathering as much intel as he could. ]

And what's to say I didn't plan to issue such a warning? [ Granted, it would have been a bit of harmless fun to simply see how the nearby crowd reacted. Thancred doesn't know how large the area of effect will be, but that's why he'd asked to try it out. ] Of course, I'll need to know how to activate it first.

[ "There's a small button on the side that you push in, sir," the merchant explains with a smile.

Thancred nods, then tilts his head back toward Sasarai with a smirk. ] Are you sufficiently warned?

[ While Thancred makes a point of checking in on Himeka regularly with the messages that they're able to send, there is no true replacement for a face-to-face meeting. Even if it is in the Horizon. It's close enough to the real thing that he suspects it takes away some of the sting of them being in different factions.

Even if that is something they both agreed on.

Having a means of locating Himeka no matter where her domain might go is also quite helpful, and shortly after he arrives in the Horizon Thancred makes use of the aether shard to be instantly transported to her space.

In a stroke of luck, she's also here.

Thancred takes a moment to orient himself. He hasn't spent much time in Kugane but he still recognizes it instantly, the distinct architecture making it impossible to mistake for any other location in Etheirys. It does feel rather empty, but the same could be said for his recreation of the Crystarium. Creating people simply doesn't feel right, though Himeka has made an exception for dragonets.

There's a gaggle of them surrounding her, and Thancred raises an eyebrow, half curious and half (already) exasperated. What is he about to get dragged into?

He walks over to meet them all the same. ]

Is that so? Shall I take on the role of a customer, then?

[ The machine that the woman is riding is certainly curious. Thancred would go so far as to term it magitek, but its appearance is slightly more animal than the Empire's designs tend to be. It remains the closest comparison he has, and while the chocobo shifts with some uncertainty under him as he slows up, it doesn't spook.

Of course, it would only spook if he wanted it to because it's a creation of his own mind. Still getting used to that.

The chocobo does seem to preen in response to that compliment, letting out a kweh noise in greeting. ]

And I like your machine. [ Judging from the uncertainty in the stranger's tone, she's never seen a chocobo before. Thancred reaches out to gently pat the bird's head. ] This creature is called a chocobo. They're often used for riding where I'm from. Is that the same for you and your...

[ He nods toward the not-magitek, watching it closely. ]

[ A friend's. It would be the only logical reason that someone might wander about like this, though Thancred would be the last to judge someone for taking a walk simply to clear their head. ]

I will often do the same. Which friend? Mayhap we have them in common.

[ This stranger is not located in Thorne or Thancred would have seen him by now. He has too striking of a visage to have been missed in a crowd. Thancred doesn't mean to keep him, and so he moves forward to fall into step with him, not opposed to going on a little walk of his own, at least until the man reaches his destination. ]

[Alucard isn't inclined to have company, but he's also not in a position to refuse. He did trespass, and this is the most elegant out he's capable of having.]

Do you know that many people in the Free Cities?

[It is the same quiet stranger acknowledgement, phrased as politely as possible.]

Warned, but curious.

[Sasarai shifts and walks up to stand beside Thancred.]

Go ahead. Now that I'm here I'd like to see how this magic works.

Well, I can't take credit for it.

[She says, heading off the most common question she's getting about the machine--did you build it? Aloy, for her part, watches the bird intently. It seems friendly, at least. Domesticated, which Thancred confirms when he says they're often used for riding.]

No, not really. [Though it's becoming more common, given her and Sylens' separate activities.] They're usually...wild?

[That doesn't quite sound like the right word, but she isn't sure how else to describe it.]

[ That answers a question that Thancred had not yet gotten around to answering, and he sees that as reason enough to return the favor. ]

Not as many as I know in Thorne.

[ Still, he has no interest in being insular simply because his captors have decided to keep them close at hand, and so he is quick to add to his statement as they continue their walk, side-by-side now. ]

However, I did attend that town hall in the Horizon, and I was present for the Summit. I have had some opportunities to mingle.

[ Not that Thancred saw this man in either of those places, though in the case of the Summit enough had been going on that they may have simply missed each other.

After a pause, he nods to the stranger. ] Thancred. 'Tis a pleasure to meet you.

Ah.

[It is difficult for Alucard to keep the ice out of his reaction at the mention of the place. He was one of those dragged into Thorne, before the other places copied Ambrose's feat. The bitterness of imprisonment has yet to truly wear off.]

With respect to Sam and his goals, I find the town halls a bit self-selecting. The summit was...[he pauses, trying to figure out the right words. He settles on:] Well, it happened. I kept to myself.

[His general M.O., in truth.]

Alucard. Apologies for the disturbance.

[ Thancred gives a small shrug with one shoulder. There are other people in the area who may be affected by what he's about to do, but he believes there's been sufficient warning for anyone who's been paying attention.

Thus, he slides his finger over the button and presses down. A moment later, the area around them becomes shrouded in darkness. It may not be pitch black, but it's a good deal darker than it was before, as if all the nearby lanterns were snuffed out. ]

... Well, that's one way of setting the mood.

You can take credit for its existence here, I imagine.

[ Granted, building a piece of advanced magitek and simply willing one into being with one's mind are two different things, but Thancred would rather she didn't sell herself short.

But... it's a wild machine? His head cants to one side as he tries to puzzle through that, even as his chocobo shifts around beneath him, somewhat restless in the presence of the magitek beast. ]

Are they not automated? Programmed by their builders to behave a certain way?

[ Clearly this one is following her orders now. Thancred has seen magitek and how it behaves when it is no longer under anyone's control. Some of them will simply keep to their same patrol routes, ready to fire at anyone who comes close. ]

[ yennefer hears through the grapevine of thancred's trip out of the castle, something that doesn't surprise her (knowing his payment for their quest) and knowing enough about thancred to know he would appreciate the chance to get out, to stretch his legs, to explore the places to a further extent.

she finds him some days after, a bit ahead of her in the halls, his back to her as he heads off to some meeting or some place or something. honestly, yennefer does not know what thancred does with his time, but she does find her footsteps quickening until she catches up with him, slipping her hand into his elbow and settling herself to his side, almost as if he is now escorting her...who knows where.

if he looks down to her, he'll find her smiling - only slightly mischievous - her tone light. ] Were you planning on telling me of your trip? Or were you waiting for me to come hunt you down?

Still getting used to that...

[She says it more to herself than anything, her tone of voice implying that she's either uncomfortable with or doesn't like the Horizon. After a moment, however, she seems to return to the conversation at hand. HEPHAESTUS is a little complicated to explain, but Thancred has it more-or-less right. Programmed by their builders to behave a certain way, and then, to evolve once humans started hunting them for parts. Without GAIA to run the terraforming system, and her sub-functions acting on their own, the machines spun out of control.]

Sort of. They have programming. Hostile to humans, but it's there. Back home, I had a device that let me override some of them.

[She gives her Clawstrider a little pat on the carbon fiber neck, as if to emphasize that's what she's conjured up here.]

Edited 2022-08-01 22:33 (UTC)

[ That cold response the moment that Thorne is mentioned does grab Thancred's attention, but he is well aware of all the reasons that someone might not be fond of the kingdom. He isn't there because he particularly enjoys it, but because it's important to have a pair of eyes and ears in a place that means the Summoned ill. ]

The instances where all the Summoned can come together are few and far between, and I was curious to hear what he had to say. [ Thancred does not know Sam well, but he gathers that he is a good man trying to watch over the Summoned as best he can. ] Pertinent information was exchanged as well.

[ But he can gather that this Alucard is one who would rather do things his own way and not be in the center of such crowds. He knows the type. ]

You need not apologize. Now that I've answered your question, might you return the favor?

[ Which friend is he on his way to see? ]

[Thorne is truly, in the immortal words of Jean Ralphio, the woooOOooorst.]

I suppose the latter is the real advantage of it.

[And Thancred is absolutely correct in assuming that Alucard prefers to do things his way and avoid crowds. Especially right now, as he likes to just be left alone to do historical reconstruction and sleep in a graveyard while in the form of a wolf. War will happen with or without him around.]

I might admit I prefer to keep my friends private. [And again, he at least sounds apologetic. His nature is privacy these days.] They deserve that small luxury.

[open] stories sown along the way

thorne

horizon

I

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Re: thorne

ii

chocobobobobobo

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gestures vaguely at backtagging this to blank

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