abraxaslogs | Sep catch all (open)

[ Cal's approach to shaping his own domain was fairly simple. After learning what this place was, exactly, he figured it wouldn't do him well to overcomplicate things. As far as he's concerned, it's just another form of meditation. A tool used for reflection and understanding of oneself, to achieve peace and serenity. Regular meditation in his room wasn't exactly cutting it. Watching helplessly as the Queen made the Free Cities feel her wrath had left him in shock. He felt sad, frightened, but also angry. So angry.

He recognized it was a dangerous road to go down, and so he tried his best to meditate, to reach deep within himself to retain peace.

...There is no passion, only serenity.

It wasn't working. No matter how many times he recited the mantra, it wasn't working.

And that's what brings him to the Horizon.

Bogano had been where it all started. Where Cal found his destiny, or where his destiny found him. Where he started to think about Prauf's words and put them into action, where Cere made him dare to feel the faintest bit of hope that all was not lost. The open, grass and mud laden planes was a beautiful sight when he first laid eyes on it. A place untouched by the Empire. There are cliffs everywhere that drop too far to survive, but it wasn't an issue for Cal. Still, running on walls, swinging on ropes, balancing on rusty pipes, and jumping gaps uncomfortably wide isn't the only way to get around. But, it's definitely the fastest.

He kept the vault in the distance as a constant reminder, and because frankly it wouldn't be Bogano without it. He found himself going inside often to meditate and reflect some more, and he may have made the mud slide leading up to its entrance a little steeper. It's fun to slide down and race "BD" every now and again.

The Mantis ship isn't out in the open where it would normally be. Instead, somewhere in the center, it sits nestled between cliffs with scrap metal and taken apart machines all around it. If it weren't for the ship looking pristine, it would look more like a scrapyard. But it's comfortable, familiar. ]

A

[ Something that always helps Cal clear his head and not give much attention to negative thoughts is tinkering. If you follow the rather intense music it will lead you to the Mantis. Cal is inside the ship, somewhere in the back, messing with a device on his workbench. The music is actually pretty loud once you're inside, so he doesn't notice anyone coming in right away. ]

B

[ At least from outside the Mantis the music is lower, and Cal is less likely to be jumpscared. There's a lot of scrap metal that some may recognize as ship parts either being repaired or broken down, all of it spread around with a sort of controlled chaos. Cal is welding something with a protective mask on the lower half of his face. Is it needed? Probably not. But at least this way he can pretend things are normal. Whatever normal is for him now.

Upon closer approach, Cal looks up and turns off the torch, lowering his mask to address whoever decided to stop by. ]

C

[ You might catch him clearing gaps and running along walls as if he were going somewhere with a purpose, but truthfully he's just trying to keep his reflexes sharp. Also, it's fun, but mostly the reflex thing. He made an area that almost looks like an obstacle course, though he's spending a lot of time on one particular section. Two very high walls somewhere among all the cliffs, only a few feet apart. Cal makes repeated attempts at trying to jump from one wall to the next, going higher and higher in an attempt to reach the top. He hasn't yet, having made the wall obscenely high, mostly so he would have a goal to focus on. There's a vine dangling between the walls that seems to stretch up into infinity so he can grab it if he's too high to just drop. Again, all part of training himself.

At some point, after making it pretty high up, he feels his foot slip and makes a grab for the vine, sliding down to the bottom. ]

Oh. [ He looks surprised to see someone here. The droid casually hanging out on Cal's shoulder makes a series of excited beeps!

Cal laughs sheepishly. ] Uh, wanna give it a go?

[ He gestures to the walls. ]

[Contrary to the entire Normandy crew's belief, Garrus didn't actually spend all of his time in the main battery. Not even when it's conjured in some weird mental Horizon space. He's not entirely sure how this place works yet. He's not the metaphysical sort. Far from it. Hell he barely even believes in Spirits.]

[So maybe it's fitting he literally turns up in the weirdest places of this Horizon by accident.]

[A junkyard? Scrapyard? It looks like ship skeletons - none of which are recognizable to him. Nothing he's seen in Citadel space. Not even during that brief visit to the Flotilla.]

If Tali could see this... [He mutters, scanning the yard - until the human figure comes into view. He holds up a hand.]

Hey! Sorry. Wrong ah - room?

[ Having an idea of what the Horizon is now — in his mind, at least — he's not bothered when others come wandering in. As long as they didn't give him any reason to be wary, or give him any worrying vibes, that is. And he gets none of that at the moment.

He's very much used to other species, what with the Scrapper's Guild being full of many different types of people, so his reaction is a simple nod hello and a small laugh. ]

Don't worry about it. I guess this one can be a little...maze-y?

[ But Bogano is just a maze of cliffs and crevices, and he was trying to be as accurate as possible! ]

This place in general can be confusing. I get lost a lot when I'm not here.

[ We won't talk about the fact that he gets lost a lot in general. ]

You can say that twice...

[It's his first real experience with anything ... mental like this. Any kind of mind-melding crap. At least, that's what it's supposed to be, right? It's been a while, but Garrus still maintains this would be a lot easier with one of their friendly local asari to explain this mess.]

[Garrus steps forward, holds out a hand like humans do in greeting.]

Garrus. Been here a while and still can't get the hang of this Horizon.

[Probably as good an introduction as any.]

[ He'd slipped off to the Horizon mostly for a chance to clear his head and take a step back from the furor escalating in Cadens right now. Not that he didn't understand that - it was more than warranted, in his opinion - but he didn't want to get too caught up in it, either. At least not until he could do something about it. But after poking around his own domain a bit, the emptiness of the Monastery was starting to get to him and proving to be not at all the distraction he was actually needing.

So he set out, wandering through strange and stranger landscapes as he poked his nose in a few nearby locations. None of which he recognized and most of which didn't seem to have many people around in them. So when he catches movement out of the corner of his eye while passing one of them, he pauses before going to investigate.

Of course, then he just stops and stares at the nimble redhead scaling a wall like it was nothing with... something perched on his shoulder that Sylvain didn't even have a name for.

It's only when the guy's foot slips that Sylvain makes a noise to alert anyone to his presence, an alarmed hiss as he takes an instinctive step forward, arms coming up as if he could will the guy to find his handhold again before he plummeted to his death or worse. Luckily, the vine seems there to do just that and when the redhead blinks down at him, Sylvain heaves a deep sigh and crouches over to brace his hands on his knees. ]

Gods. I about had a heart attack. I thought for sure you were a goner.

[ Cal rubs the back of his head, another awkward laugh in place of a response. But no worries! He manages to actually speak words after a moment, holding up his hands as if in placation, looking genuinely apologetic to have caused worry. ]

Sorry, sorry. I thought for sure I had it that time. Guess not.

[ He will definitely, however unwisely, try again at some point. Naturally.]

[ Sylvain knows too many people who would also not let this deter them so he doesn't doubt that for a moment.

Straightening, he studies the sheer rock wall a moment before shooting Cal an inquisitive look. ] Was that some kind of magic of this place? How did you do that?

[ Sure, he knows how to climb, but that was something else entirely. ]

[ Things haven't been super great.

After watching the Queen inflict her rage in the form of a meteor fire shower onto Libertas, marking the beginning of a tense conflict with the Free Cities, Cal's been on edge. More so than usual. War was obviously a constant backdrop to this new world he found himself in, but that doesn't make this any easier to deal with. He was tired of it.

But he could still help people. He could still try to uphold peace. It's his duty as a Jedi, and that's what he is, whether he feels like it most days or not. So, naturally, going into Nott to help stop these fires seemed like the right idea. And he has help, which is always welcome. He thought it best if he controlled the shield, given that his other abilities were conducive to protecting them should something happen and the shield fail. He'd rather not have to use The Force in front of anyone, but it's not as if Kyle or Jack were from his world, so it shouldn't be a problem.

Once they're close enough to the fire, he activates the shield for the three of them, feeling pretty good about things. Sure, it's tricky, but they should be able to handle this, right? ]

The Assistant High Mage said it should last up to about two minutes around all the fire, but I can still protect us in case it goes, uh, wrong? So, don't scatter if it fails.

[ But surely nothing will go wrong??? ]

[ Kahlil nods to Cal, anxious at the proximity of the fire and limited time. Too many memories he doesn't need on his mind right now. He forces them back, his expression remaining neutral in the fire light. ]

Look after Jack. I can get myself out quickly if needed.

[ Cal hasn't seen him enter the Grey Space yet, but Jack will understand what he means.

He's ready to go once Cal starts moving. There's a spare incantation and shield in his pocket. He might've intended to do this on his own, but he could feel Cal's restlessness since the attacks as keenly as his own and with Jack now too, better to watch out for them both. ]

Hey! ( He says, mildly defensive about the insinuation that he needs a babysitter — only to remember that Kyle is a ninja and, with a glance down at his foot, that he's missing a leg. ) Never mind, fair enough.

( Practically the whole castle is up in arms these days, or at the very least vibrating on some subatomic level with a new tension that didn't exist before the bombing. Everyone, that is, except Jack — he's the same steadfast neutral, the same level of apathetic as he's always been.

It's just... it's not like he can do anything about it. All of that stuff is way over his head, and none of his business. Also, he's seen some shit. Like, some mind-bending horrors beyond the human comprehension, Cthulhu type shit. It's hard to faze him unless he's directly in the middle of it anymore.

But he still wants to help when he can, through some strange sense of duty or guilt or weird withdrawal over nothing climactic happening to him personally since that time the prince of darkness Satan himself shoved a fist through Jack's chest.

So, here he is with a ninja and a redhead in the middle of flaming farmland, ready to do a spell like this is Harry fucking Potter or something. Objectively? Kinda cool. )

I'm ready to do The Thing whenever you guys find a good spot.

[ Now, Cal very much comes from a world where people are sometimes missing whole torsos and manage to look after themselves just fine, but he's pretty sure Jack's prosthetic isn't very...cybernetic. Or has attachments that give him extra leg strength, or anything like that. And he doesn't seem like a fighter. So, maybe he'll take Kyle's word and keep an eye on Jack if things go sideways.

He has to give it to him, though. If he's at all affected by the growing tension, he's not showing it. Being apathetic is probably not something a Jedi should strive to be, but damned if he isn't a little bit envious. He's probably the most outwardly nervous of the three. ]

Okay. This spot here looks really out of control.

[ The crops on this particular spot of farm are tall, which means the fires are taller. He can't help but feel awful for the farmers who worked hard to nurture their crops, and everyone who relies on them.

He makes sure to get close enough that the spell should be able to cover a decent amount of fire, wincing the closer they get to the inferno. At least the shield seems to be doing its job already. ]

[ It's different from walking through flame in the Gray Space. There'd be no smell, no wind kicked up, no blinding light. The shield is somehow keeping them from suffocating in what little smoke-filled air hasn't been consumed by the blaze.

If the shield were to suddenly fail at once, he doubts he can actually make it to the Gray Space before his body caught fire.

(it would be faster than how his mother burned, the tinder at her feet catching first - he can't remember her face except within flame, her mouth open and no sound coming out - )

He pulls the spare shield from his pocket, a blank expression across his features. ]

( Imagine Jack as a Jedi. It's an alarming thing to consider. Impossible to tell if he'd be really good at it or really bad at it — after all, what is a lightsaber but a spicy baseball bat, if you really think about it?

Garbage as he is at unpacking people's emotions by their facial expressions ninety percent of the time, he doesn't pick up on the weird Vibe Kyle's putting off yet. To be fair, Kyle always puts off weird vibes.

Time to focus on the matter at hand. This is his moment. He's been reciting the incantation in his head. One dramatic pause later: )

Wingardium Levi-ohh-sa! ( Awkward silence. ) ...Sorry, that was a joke. I forgot you guys wouldn't get it. Okay.

( He clears his throat, and then does it for real this time. Something actually happens almost instantly; clouds begin to form. They said it could span a hundred meters, but it varies with the caster's power level. Jack's spans the full fucking hundred, no question about it, the clouds dark and pregnant, ominous, heavy. A crack of thunder rumbles almost deafeningly around them, and then it begins to rain.

The rain smells... sweet, and upon further consideration, alcoholic. Not strong enough to be flammable, not by a mile — thanks to Jerry, he knows now that requires an eighty proof source of ethanol at least, or sixty if you're okay with it burning itself out in about a second. The colorful liquid falling from the sky is definitely not that.

Hold on.

Wait.

This smells stomach-lurchingly familiar. What is that? Is that bum wine?!

Holy shit no, no it is not. )

Oh my god. It's Five and a Half Lokos. I threw up so much of this stuff one time...

Edited 2022-09-13 16:06 (UTC)

[ To be fair to Jack, the Jedi were already a mess. Not that Cal will ever say this, if he even noticed before the purge. But he does know their ways aren't perfect. They're not perfect. They can always be better.

Cal does, at the very least, notice Kyle's expression. Or lack thereof. It's almost familiar in a way he can't quite work out? To go blank in defiance of feelings you'd rather not dwell on in the moment. It's instinctive for him to want to ask if he's okay, but they're in the middle of a raging fire and Jack is about to cast a spell that may or may not work.

As Jack points out, the joke goes over Cal's head, but he gives a weak pity half chuckle anyway. He's sure it was very funny, buddy.

He's startled with how strong the spell comes in, with the clouds forming and the booming thunder — he briefly hopes that a thunder strike doesn't happen instead, and cause more fires, but fortunately that's not the case! His brows furrow, nostrils flaring as he takes in a whiff of the rain. Rain? Is that rain? Is that alcohol? ]

—Wait, what? [ Jack what are you saying??? ] What's happening?

[ Kyle shoots a glare at Jack, they've got less than a minute and a half to get this done —

And then like the other two, he's staring at dark clouds forming above them, equally surprised at how quickly the spell is able to summon them. Not like he should be surprised by now, Thorne is saturated in magic and witchcraft.

There's a flood of relief, too, when the first droplets hit him, cold against the unrelenting heat just beyond the shield. The fire around them starts to sizzle and hiss as the rain begins in earnest, the fires struggling against the sudden deluge.

But that smell... ]

It's booze. [ He grimaces, already feeling sticky along with wet. ] He summoned gas station liquor rain.

[ To Jack's credit, at least it's extinguishing the flames instead of fueling them. He shouldn't need to activate the second shield. ]

( Jack's keen, astute people-senses suggest Kyle might be being slightly judgmental. He takes a moment or two to decide whether or not he feels defensive about it, but in the end decides he doesn't actually care. It's probably a fair thing to judge. If it had been a nice, vintage Pinot Noir that might be a different story. )

Not on purpose. To be fair, gas station liquor is basically water where I'm from.

( In terms of regularity if not necessarily hydration. )

At least it's working? Also, believe it or not, surprisingly tasty.

[ Cal is grateful that he brought a poncho — though, the odds of him not bringing a poncho were very slim anyway, seeing as they came here with a rain spell. And, well, he rarely travels without one anyway. Still, he's only moderately sticky, at the very least. ]

Well...[ He half shrugs. ] Long as the job gets done.

[ Excuse Cal a moment — his curiosity gets the better of him, and he can't help the urge to lift his head a bit and stick out his tongue. Immediate regret, his face scrunches. ]

—Wow, okay. Maybe it's just not my thing.

[ His taste buds are woefully sheltered, to be fair. Maybe he's just not used to it. ]

[ It's not judgement about the quality of the alcohol, for whatever that's worth.

He sighs, pulling up his own hood a good handful of seconds too late to keep the smell from getting into his hair. ]

It serves a very specific purpose, I think.

Edited 2022-09-25 07:23 (UTC)

( Should Jack feel defensive about Jerry's energy drink bum wine horror concoction being rejected? He probably shouldn't, should he?

Maybe he kind of does, which is why he gestures emphatically to Kyle when he speaks up. )

Yes. Exactly. A very specific purpose.

( That purpose being getting unbelievably fucked up very quickly while maintaining an inability to pass out.

Not that the last part's a problem for Jack, but in hindsight it's kind of nice Jerry tried to match that with him. When you can't sleep, you're always the last one awake after everyone gets blackout drunk and passes out. )

..So, um. Do we... do we do more, or are we like. Done?

Sep catch all (open)

Horizon, post event, OPEN

B

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C!

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Inferno Quest, closed (Kyle and Jack)

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cw: memory of violent death via burning

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