abraxaslogs | A life never lives in peace

A. Sylvain's Domain: Garreg Mach Monastery

[ Sylvin slips off to Horizon quite a few times during the month. Sometimes it's at very odd hours of the day or night, usually when he just needs a few minutes away to clear his head, or perhaps find some privacy to think. He's been working on expanding visible portions of the Monastery each time he comes, so for the first month, one might find him perched on the docks, swishing his bare feet in the little inlet of water that flows in from beyond the walls, eyes closed in concentration as he scours his memories for all the details he can recall.

Or perhaps you could find him in the greenhouse off to the side, diligently trying to recreate what he remembers of the Nightbloom flowers and other blossoms he'd seen in Nocwich in one of the many flower beds. There is evidence of other attempts nearby to recreate flora he remembers from the Monastery itself and his home of Fearghus. One entire section seems to be blooming and overrun with spreading greenery that sports small pink and white blossoms that appear similar to mountain laurel. Stumbling across him here will find him with his sleeves pushed up (or shirt shed entirely, if it's a hot midafternoon) and hands buried deeply in the soil, possibly with some smudged on his cheek or brow, as he's very focused on whichever task is currently holding his attention here.

However, most often visitors to his domain will find him in or near the stables. There are several horses often stabled here and he can occasionally be found tending to them in their stalls and carrying on one-sided conversations with them (some more ridiculous than others) as if they perfectly understand him. But there are two set apart from the others that he takes special care with: a massive black stallion with a bit of a bossy and independent attitude, always eager to cause trouble, and a silvery white gelding who watches everything with a careful eye even while playing at ignoring everything and everyone around him - including Sylvain himself. While these two get a bit more spoiled in the stables, Sylvain can also be found out in the paddock with them more often than not, riding and training mounted maneuvers that he seems to know by heart, drilling moves and routines despite the fact that he's rarely wearing any armor or even holding any sort of training spear - although those do make an appearance on a few rare occasions. When done with training (or playing, as it looks more like some days) he often gives them their head and takes a good long gallop down along the treeline that borders his domain before returning to cool them down.

Should he be anywhere in between these places and spot a visitor, he'll be quick to greet them with an easy smile and a hand lifted in a cheerful wave. ]

B. Wandering

[ But sometimes the quiet and emptiness of his familiar home starts getting the best of him and the itch to wander drives him out the front gates to go exploring. He can be found exploring first the few Domains closest to his own before gradually branching out, curious about what he'll find in the others. Many of them are strange and foreign and there are several he hesitates on the outskirts of, the landscape or architecture so advanced and different to him that he doesn't feel quite right intruding there, even if his eyes do seem to be soaking up everything he can see. There's many places here full of things he doesn't even have a name for and he's a little paranoid still about venturing somewhere he shouldn't, or perhaps breaking something he doesn't know how to use correctly. But should someone stumble across him or invite him in, he'll cheerfully comply, curious to learn all he can about what he finds in this strange place. ]

[ Compared to his own Domain so many others appear sprawling lands like the holdings of a gaunsho. This one catches his eye for the central castle-like structure, its pointed towers like massive spears set to pierce the sky.

When he needs to move fast through Horizon he does so through the Grey Space - or some approximation of it. Kahlil is not entirely sure how it works. He has to remind himself that this is not the physical realm, that each Summoned is connected to their Domain. His attempts to move unseen might be for nothing, or taken the wrong way. These are private places, born of their mind and heart, even though many do not enforce any kind of barrier to defend from intrusion. So when he enters this particular Domain, he walks through the treeline without attempting subterfuge.

Once within he's reminded a bit more of Castle Thorne, though without the sounds of many men and woman going about their day's work. He wanders for a little while, eventually drawn to a house made of glass. From the outside he catches movement, a figure within the building, back turned and hunched over the dirt and surrounded by blooms. A green house. Jath'ibaye's palace had reminded him of one -

It's dangerous to be lost in those memories.

Curious, he opens the door, the metal frame creaking to announce him. The damp scent of greenery and humid air hits him, he'll have to shed his long leather coat if he plans to stay in here for any length of him.

Stepping within he gets a better look at the figure within. ]

Sylvain?

[ His dance partner in Nocwich. ]

[ He'd been immersed in pruning one of the mountain laurel shrubberies but had heard the door creak open behind him. It's a familiar sound, however, so he doesn't immediately turn until a vaguely familiar voice calls his name. Glancing over his shoulder, one eyebrow arches at the sight of one of the people he'd danced with at the Nightbloom Ball standing in his doorway. ]

Kyle? Hey! Come on in. I, uh... Give me a moment, I'm a mess.

[ He grins as he stands, brushes some of the loose dirt off his hands, and moves over to a large barrel that looks like it catches rainwater from a spout down off the roof and rinses off his hands within. ]

Out exploring? [ He's been doing quite a bit of that himself when he's been in Horizon now. ]

[ He stands some meters away, hands clasped behind his back as he gives Sylvain a moment to clean up. At the question he nods: ]

Getting the lay of the land. [ He'd been a little surprised at how many people within Horizon allow open access to their Domains. Then again, he's done the same with his own - and it's only one small area within it that he keeps locked away for himself. It's likely the same for the others.

Kahlil takes a few steps forward, glancing at the shrub Sylvain had been working on with curiosity. ]

Are these all from your home world?

[ Despite the fact that his memory recreated all of this, Sylvain is so used to the Monastery being so full of people, it never occurred to him that others shouldn't just be able to walk into it. Even if there are random guards scattered throughout. That's more from what he remembers being there than any real security or attempts to keep anyone out.

But he smiles at the question as he scrubs the rest of the soil from his hands and wipes it off on a nearby rag left by the barrel. ] Most of them, yeah. I think, anyway. There's some I remember being planted here that were from lands other than my own, even back home, and I don't know all the names of them, but they were pretty enough to stick out in my memory, I guess.

Although those... [ He pauses to point to a different bed he'd been working on earlier this morning. The blooms there are much more familiar to anyone who wandered through Nocwich, and especially those who attended the Nightbloom ball. ] Those I've been trying to recreate from our recent visit. Although I'm not sure I got them quite right.

[ There's a flash of memory - John kneeling beside the flowerbeds in the front yard, and then it's gone. He keeps his gaze on the flowers in front of him, then back to Sylvain with a raised eyebrow, half teasing: ]

Sounds like you're free to give them new names. [ Who can contradict him?

Kahlil steps toward the blooms Sylvain points to, immediate recognizing the centerpiece of the ceremony. He kneels down next to the bed, reaching out almost tentatively to gently touch the bright petals. All things in Horizon feel real, to an extent, and this is no exception. The velvet soft petals are hardier than they appear, but after that light touch he pulls his hand back again. ]

It looks exactly like I remember. [ Nodding at Sylvain. He has a good memory. ] I would've liked to know more about about it. The bloom I took back to Thorne hasn't seemed to change at all.

[ He expected the petals to dry out and wither over time. ]

[ He gets a flicker of something else, but it's so quick, it's easy to dismiss as something he imagined. But he finishes drying off his hands and comes back to join Kyle. ]

I don't think anyone wants me naming things. That wouldn't go well for anyone. [ He chuckles as he says it, spreading his hands in a 'what can you do?' gesture. ] Especially because I'd probably end up giving whatever the most ridiculous name is I could think up off the top my head at any given moment.

And yeah, me too. I really wish there was a way to try and replant it somehow, but I doubt they'd make that easy. I really wanted to try and grow an authentic version, but this will have to hold me over. But I doubt it will work the same way. Maybe? I dunno, do you think we have to understand how it works for the Horizon to recreate it, or it can only create what our memories understand about it?

[ It's a question he's been pondering a lot since he first started recreating these here. ]

[ He grins at that first answer, isn't that the fun of it? But then he stands, still studying the nightbloom - the copy of it, frowning slightly. ]

I'm not sure. [ He crosses his arms over his chest, eyeing Sylvain curiously. ] I guess... well, it's like the way books seem to work here. You have to have read and remembered most of it to be able to recreate it. If you had a book you wanted to read here, but had only seen the cover in the real world - the pages would all be blank, right?

[ He's pretty sure that's how it works. At least that's why Jack needs help from others to get new books in his domain. ]

So it must be the same for something like the nightbloom flower. You have the outside, the cover, but the inside is effectively blank. [ Unless you were to fill it in yourself. ]

Wait.

[ Sylvain is blinking at him in surprise, not having realized any of that. Then again, he's not typically one to spend much time with his nose buried in a book. ]

You mean if we don't know what's in the book, it will just be empty?

[ Huh. ]

....I wonder what happened to the library here then. [ He hasn't actually gone up there, yet. ]

[ Billy hasn't really ventured out too far from his domain, it helps that a few of the summoned from NYC and he have sort of pitched their domains next to each other so he feels like he's wandering through a small version of home even if he leaves his area. He hasn't met all the Avengers here yet but he's met a few of them. Today he was missing the comforts of home; pizza and video games and a crisp fall day. He's walking the outskirts of home, dressed casually, when he sees a familiar head of red hair hovering around the edges of the place. ]

Hey Sylvain!

Edited 2022-09-26 15:44 (UTC)

[ He'd been exploring for some time before he stumbled across the strange buildings of a type of architecture he's never seen before. He'd been poking around them curiously when he hears a voice call his name and his head comes up in surprise.

There's a half second of ??? before his memory kicks in and he grins at Billy, even though he looks quite a bit different like this than when Sylvain last saw him. ]

Billy! Hello! Is this all your Horizon? I'm not intruding, am I?

[ he returns the smile with one of his own, its nice to be able to run into people he had met from other factions here. ]

Yeah, this is me, and no, not at all. Do you want a tour?

[ it might look daunting but it was only a small piece of home. ]

Sure! These buildings are... really impressive. I've never seen anything like any of them before. Is this where you live? When you're not here, I mean?

[ It's a little overwhelming, if he's honest. ]

[ he can imagine a modern city would be overwhelming from the little bit Sylvain has told him about his world. ]

Yeah, this is New York City, but only part of it. It's not very big by my world's standards but it's sort of jam-packed with a lot of buildings and people. I live this way.

[ he leads him to a very impressive high-rise building, taking him into the lobby and into the elevator which will only take someone straight to Billy's apartment. ]

...Is there an old York City?

[ He casts a speculative glance at the ground, just in case it's down under there somewhere.

But for the most part, he's content to follow Billy, although he's looking around with wide-eyed wonder and looking the epitome of a tourist right now. Time a hundred, basically, because he has no idea how they made those buildings so high, first of all, and that's not even touching on half the other stuff he doesn't understand.

And then Billy turns down a hall and the wall moves by itself and he... walks straight into a dead end. Or a box? Sylvain freezes and shoots him a skeptical look. ]

You live... in there? Isn't it a little... small?

[ Is that rude? That's probably rude. ]

Actually yes, but it's in a different country. People from that country came to mine a couple of hundred years ago and established new cities and just reused a lot of the names. So there is just a plain York somewhere else in my world.

[ Billy is sure most of what he's saying isn't really sinking in since Sylvain is looking around in awe. Billy can't imagine what this place must be like for someone now of his era.

He pauses when Sylvain asks his question, and then laughs a little. ]

No, this is an elevator, it takes us up to the top of the building. That's actually where I live.

[ As he's saying this the elevator starts moving and he watches Sylvain for a reaction, that familiar drop in the stomach as they move is probably really weird for someone not used to it. ]

A... what now?

[ You say that like he's supposed to just know what an elevator is, Billy. Hint: he sure does not. But he figures out it's something the moment the doors slide closed behind them and then the whole room seems to jolt and Sylvain curses under his breath and plasters himself against the nearest wall to hold himself upright. ]

By the Goddess, what was that?!

[ Billy can't help the short laugh that escapes him. He forgets sometimes that people just don't know modern technology that he's always taken for granted. ]

Sorry, I should have warned you. The room is moving, it's taking us up the building. It will stop in a minute.

[ And if on queue it does. And the doors open up into Billy's loft. ]

This, is where I live. [ He gestures as he steps out of the elevator. ]

You have moving rooms?!

[ How does that even work?!

The doors slide open again and Billy gestures out to a much larger area, although Sylvain just eyes it suspiciously for a moment. ]

Is that part going to move, too?

Yeah… [ Please don’t ask him how it works, he’s a nerd but he’s not an engineering nerd.

He laughs. ]

No I promise this one won’t move on you. Everything in here is stationary.

[ Sylvain casts it one more suspicious glance, as if not sure he should believe that, but then carefully pushes away from the safety of the wall and steps out of the moving room into the not-moving one. ]

So is this where you live back in your world, too?

[ One of the places, but if Sylvain is that new to elevators he’s not going to talk about living part time in space with his alien husband. ]

Yeah, almost an exact replica, but I added a few things, because why not?

[ Just when he thought he might be adjusting to things in this new city, the attack on Libertas happens and everything gets turned on its head. Sylvain is uncommonly grim and serious for the first few days afterward, even his sense of humor and charm dimmed and subdued in the aftermath. There's a bit of a shadow that seems to haunt his gaze as he goes through the motions around the Inn for the first few days of the attack, helping out wherever Mags needs him, or perhaps volunteering to give another of the inhabitants a hand with one of their chores.

Evenings find him downstairs in the Inn's tavern, perhaps nursing a drink of his own, mulling over a plate of dinner, or casually listening in to the conversations that rise up and float about the place when it's full of locals and Summoned alike. While he doesn't make it obvious that he's eavesdropping and listening in, he doesn't take a great effort to hide his interest, either.

Should he grow too restless with that, he can occasionally be found aimlessly wandering the streets of the city - half exploring new unknown places and half just... needing to get out to stretch his legs and get some fresh air and maybe clear his head. There seems to be a lot on his mind and it seems to have him very distracted from his normal mischief and flirtatious interruptions. ]

[The attack on Libertas has done a great deal to alter Petra's own view of their role in this place, as well— at the start, she had been adamant about not wanting to get involved in a war that was not her own, that she did not see reason to fight for something she did not believe in, but this...

The death of so many innocents changed things, didn't it? She certainly believed in their right to live in peace.

She is somber as she slides into the seat beside Sylvain's at the inn, nodding to the barkeep to bring her what's become her usual.]

May I be joining you?

[ Sylvain had been deeply immersed in his thoughts and hadn't even heard her approach. His plate was still mostly untouched - it looked as though he'd spent more time pushing the food around his plate rather than actually eating any of it.

But her voice has his head coming up in surprise before he shoots her an apologetic smile and shuffles over to make a little room for her beside him. ]

Sure. You always have an open invitation to join me, Petra.

[ Normally, that statement would have had a lot more flirtatious intention behind it, but he doesn't look like he's feeling up to even that tonight. ]

[She does offer him a faint but warm smile as she settles in; she hadn't expected him to answer otherwise, but it's still always nice to hear. Notably, Sylvain is much more subdued than usual— that seems to be going around, for good reason.]

I was thinking so, but did not want to interrupt if you were wanting to be along with your thoughts.

[There has been a whole lot to think about, lately.]

You are not seeming yourself.

[ He makes a face at that. Not to argue or protest her words, but more at the fact in general. ]

It's been pretty hard to be myself with things so grim around here this week. It hit everyone hard. I dunno, maybe it's all rubbing off on me.

[ It's certainly felt that way. The past few days, it's almost felt like he's been drowning under some of it. Which is weird. He doesn't normally have so much trouble keeping his spirits up - even if it's by sheer force of will. ]

I have understanding. You are right, it is being hard on all of us.

[Nobody is quite themselves at the moment, are they? Perhaps the difference is only so stark with Sylvain because she's never had the opportunity to see him affected in such a way. In this situation, she imagines it would be hard not to be.]

Usually you are the type to be keeping up morale. That is harder now, I am sure. There is not being much to go around.

[ He lifts a hand to rub at his temples, trying to ease some of the ache he hasn't been able to banish in days. ]

It's not just that. It feels like... it almost feels like everything is amplified. Like I'm not sure all of what I'm feeling is actually coming from me...

[ Which just sounds even crazier now that he's spoken those words aloud. ]

[She frowns, her brow furrowing as she rests an arm against the bar and leans in a bit closer, studying him. He looks the same as he always does, but something is definitely off.]

There is much magic in this world. Do you think it is a spell?

[She can't imagine why anyone would cast such a thing on Sylvain, unless it was retaliation for some indiscretion, but— with everything that's been going on, has he even had time to get himself into that kind of trouble?]

[ Normally, he would very much have had that sort of time - it's not like he needs a lot of it, after all - but he certainly hasn't been spending the same amount of time and attention on such pursuits so far in this place, other than for idle fun. Which is perhaps odd, considering that there was barely an evening that went by that Sylvain hadn't been out with someone new back home. Or multiple someones.

He really doesn't look in the mood now, though, giving a groan as he leans over and thuds his forehead against the bartop. ]

I have no idea. Maybe? But if it is, I don't know what the spell's actually meant to do. Or who cast it on me. Or why. As far as I know, I haven't irritated anyone to that level since arriving here.

[If the mood were different, it would be far too easy for her to turn his own words back on him in jest, but it's very plain to Petra that this is neither the time nor the place.]

That is troubling, to be saying the least.

[Beyond troubling, to be honest.]

It is a persistent feeling?

No, it's... [ He pauses to shake his head and then lets a puzzled expression flit across his face as he glances around the room surrounding them. ] No. It's been completely random. And abrupt. Which is why I was so confused, because usually I'm pretty aware of why I'm feeling what I'm feeling, but this...

[ His gaze comes back to her face, his eyes a little wide. ] It hadn't occurred to me till now that it might not be my emotions I'm feeling at all. I've never heard of a spell that could do that before but... well. Magic in this world is always so strange anyway. Do you think it's possible? How do I even test this?

I am thinking that anything is possible here.

[She gives him a wistful smile in response; in some regards, this place is wondrous in its own right, but recent events make it hard to focus on the things that she's found to be awe-inspiring.]

If you are wanting to test it... maybe you can try to isolate someone's emotions. If you are trying to feel mine, I can be telling you if they are correct or not.

[ He thinks that over before nodding. But he pushes up from his chair a moment later. ]

Yeah, we can try that, but let's go up to my room. Focusing on one person will probably be easier when I'm not surrounded by people feeling too much as it is.

[ Waiting to see if she agrees, he then turns and leads the way to the stairs and up to the room he usually shares with Claude. ]

Yes... being around so many people cannot be helping.

[She nods in turn, sliding off of her own seat without hesitation. She follows closely, though of course she's quite familiar with where his room is, and waits until they've closed the door behind them to face him with both her hands on her hips.]

Alright. Whenever you are being ready, we can start.

[ Sylvain moves off to sink down on his bed, motioning to invite her to do the same, if she likes. Claude's bed is pretty covered in stuff, as is typical for the other man, so unfortunately her seating options are a little limited at the moment. ]

I think that's gonna require you to start feeling something pretty potent first. [ A pause, before he chuckles, raking his fingers through his already-tousled hair, mussing it even more. ] Normally, I'd be all over that, since I'm uniquely skilled at making people feel all sorts of strong emotions [ both good and bad ] but I think that might be distracting and make it a moot point anyway.

[At his wordless invitation, she simply shakes her head and folds her arms in front of her chest, though a smile pulls at one corner of her mouth.]

I think I will be managing just fine without your help.

[She has plenty of potent emotions she can summon up, despite the fact that she usually keeps them tightly under control.]

All you need to be doing is focusing. I will be doing my part, as well.

[That said, she closes her eyes to center herself, aiming to zero in on a single emotion so that it can be drawn to the forefront of her mind. Her job here is relatively easy, she thinks; she conjures up the fairly recent memory of realizing she had people she knew in this strange place, and immediately relives that flood of relief, of happiness that she'd felt upon finding she wasn't alone.]

Pity. I do so love to be helpful.

[ His lips quirk at that, but he takes a deep breath as he nods. Closing his eyes, he tries to focus, seeing what he could sense.

For a moment, there's nothing. A complete absence of everything.

And then he feels a rush of warmth tingle at the edge of his awareness, light and happy, and his breath hitches as he gives a sharp inhale. ]

Shit. I can feel that.

[Oh. Her eyebrows quirk upwards as she opens her eyes to look at him once more, surprised— the sharp surge of which he should be able to feel, as well.]

You can? What is it feeling like?

[It feels silly to ask, but if they're testing his abilities, they ought to compare, yes?]

[ He makes a face when one strong emotion is quickly chased by a different one. Although he has to focus, since just because he can feel them doesn't mean he can immediately tell what they are. Other than surges of emotion, anyway. ]

The first one... It was warm. Comforting, almost. Relief? Happiness? I'm still trying to decipher what each of them mean because sometimes it's just a rush of sensation, rather than translating directly to one emotion. [ Maybe because she was feeling more than one? Or they're getting tangled with his? He's not certain. ] The second one was cooler, a little sharper... Surprise?

You are having both right, I think.

[She nods, offering him confirmation.]

I was recalling how glad I felt when I learned I was not being alone in this world— and then feeling surprised when it was hitting you so suddenly. You are feeling the emotions of others!

[It seems rather straightforward, which is quite lucky, as emotions rarely are.]

[ Sylvain still looks a little overwhelmed by this discovery in general, scraping his fingers through his hair. ]

It seems so. [ Great. ] What the heck am I supposed to do with something like this? How did it even happen? I'm pretty sure I could never do this before. I think I would have noticed.

[ He'd frequently been in the presence of very strong emotions most of the time back home. ]

Claude was telling me that people are able to be gaining new magic here.

[Her own experience with magic has always been minimal at best; she learned some spells while training as a dancer at the Professor’s recommendation, just in case they were ever necessary, but their potency has always left something to be desired, and she’s never felt particularly called to pursue magic much further.]

I had thought that maybe you would have to be taking the time to learn it yourself if that is something you wanted, but maybe that is not being so.

This wasn't something I learned... [ He shakes his head. If he's honest, he hasn't even known where to start learning magic here, although he's played around a bit with the white and black magic he'd already arrived here knowing. Seeing if it still worked the same way he remembered or if he had to learn how to cast it differently here. ]

If anything, it felt like I just became more aware of it gradually, the more emotions got heightened around here. I can't even pinpoint when or where it started. Or why.

I see. We are finding more questions than answers.

[That seems to be the way of things here, doesn't it?]

Have you mentioned feeling differently to Claude? I wonder if he might be knowing something. He hears a great deal.

[Or goes out of his way to dig it up. Either way, their friend is very well-informed.]

Coming soon.

A life never lives in peace

OTA: Horizon, all month

a. greenhouse, before the attack on Thorne's farmlands

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b. wandering- time to learn what a nerd your new friend is Sylvain

he doesn't know what that means

he will

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wow, not me showing back up a month late???

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OTA: Cadens, early month

inn's tavern

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Libertas: Rescue Efforts