the_archive: (None of this makes sense.)
the_archive ([personal profile] the_archive) wrote in [community profile] abraxaslogs2021-08-01 09:30 pm

Recording #004 | The Voice

WHO: Jonathan Sims et al
WHAT: DOOM
WHERE: The return from the Horizon, and the dungeons.
WHEN: From July 24th to August 12th
WARNING: Body horror, eyes, execution talk, mention of self-harm.
NOTES: Always up to add something more specific for any asker. I'm in the group disco at all hours, or on plurk as TheHats.

 

1.

Jon wakes up outside the rim of the crater with a sense of gentle, falling disappointment, staring up at the sky. He simply lays there for a while in the long grass, hands folded on his stomach, unmoving. It's one of the guards accompanying the mages that first notices he's awake, and they're swift to pull him to his feet. The guard who grabs his wrist to recuff him makes a startled sound when one of the three broad scars across Jon's throat opens and blinks lazily at him, and when another eye winks from the back of his neck, the guard escorting him back to the group pushes harder than necessary, sending him to his knees.

It's there he goes still, frozen, his eyes – all of his eyes, in their dozens now, every scar opening to show a different shade of iris with pinprick pupils – go wide as the voice sounds inside his head, for him alone, a dead language hissing like static between his ears.
 

H̷̨̀͂É̴̩̩͋L̷̘͂͝L̴̳̹͐Ö̴̠͉́ ̴̱̽͝H̴̡̱̎͝E̸̥̻̍̄L̵͈̽͜L̷̙͛͒Ọ̶́̔
̶̬̾Ý̸͓̖͝O̷̦͐U̴͈̿̒ ̷̳̔̀C̴̳̰̚A̸̰̔N̸͎͕̈́ ̸̗̦̂U̶̼̖͌Ṋ̶̛́ͅD̸͌̕͜E̴͖̩̅̽Ȓ̴͔͚̔S̸̘̔T̷͎͔͊͐A̶̰͑̎Ň̴̬͝D̷̙̂̐ ̸̨̦͂̊M̴͖̾Ě̷͔ ̶̹̙͆Y̷̺̱͛E̸̟̓͗S̶͎̀̒ ̸̧̥̆F̵̝̯͗I̷̛̯̔N̶̡̪͠Â̶͙̩Ĺ̸̖̭͝L̵͎̩̇Ý̸̲͈ ̷̙́ͅB̴̻̙́̈́È̶̖͖Ę̴̩͒̄N̴̺̋̑ ̵̛̮͠W̴̻̃A̴̗̞̍̕Í̷̻͝T̷͚͒́Ì̷̙̃͜Ṅ̴͖͖̂G̶̺̩̃


He doesn't answer when he's ordered to his feet,
 

Ç̵̥͗͑Ą̷͖͂N̴̨͈͝'̵̥̇̂T̶͔͍̕ ̶̬́͌T̵̹̔͘Ą̸̲͊͝L̷̺̓̚K̵͖̚ ̴̼̿́M̷̟̉̓Ǘ̵̠͐C̴̖̔H̵̜́ ̸̤͛Ṋ̸̄͝O̸͉̣͒̔W̵̱͐ ̸̱̻̅̚V̸̥͝͠Ẽ̷͚R̸̎͊͜Y̴̠̋̕ ̶̗̎E̵̡͒X̴̟̀H̷̘̀̓Ả̷̪U̸̞̦͊S̸̘̜̍T̶̡͙̀Ȋ̵̘N̵͓̬͂Ğ̵̢
̷͓͈͆I̷̅͜ ̵̯͌̒W̴͓͜͠I̶͔̝̍L̸̨̯̀́L̴̢̟͆͑ ̸̱̿Ș̷͆Ẹ̷͖͝Ṉ̸̼͊̎D̵̦̃ ̷̯̗̇͝M̷̤͐Ẏ̷͎ ̷̬̑Ȩ̵͍̏̏N̸̤͋V̷͚̺̾̇O̴͔̮̍̃Y̷̦͝


or rise when they yank his arm.
 

Ť̵̞̈́R̵̛͉̀Y̴̳͠ ̷̡̹̃N̶̘͆̉O̸̡͕̅T̵̨͗́͜ ̶͉̏́Ṭ̵̋Ȍ̸̺͓̚ ̷̢̬̽L̵̼̱̚O̸͙̾̔O̴͚̠͗͠Ḱ̸̢̕ ̷͉͈̔H̸̙̜͑̾E̶̻͒̈́ ̷̱̭̇̔I̵̻̩͗̾S̷̤̊͂ ̴͓̥̊Ǹ̶͍͇̍Ȍ̶ͅT̵͙̈́̄ ̷͕̎̓M̷͚̗̀E̴̝͛A̸͈̅N̶͓̏T̵͓̒̈́ ̸̰͙͌͌T̶͍̗̑̏O̶̡͙̽̑ ̸̠͆B̷͔͔͠E̸̼̔ ̴͙̍̓ͅS̶͉̽̏Ė̶̠̘̑E̴̪̓́͜N̷̻͍͐͝ ̸̤̉͊Ẉ̵̓̒I̴͍͋T̸̡̾H̴̖͉̎ ̶̗̠̀E̴̞̋Ẏ̴͖E̸͇̔S̴̩̕͜ ̸̀͜Ḁ̶̺̂͑Ṡ̶̯̘ ̸̱̈́͆O̸̝̓̃P̸͍͉͝Ę̶̪̚N̴͓͐ ̴̭͑Ḁ̵̱̆͂S̶̜̭͌̋ ̵̟̽̎Y̷͚̽O̷͔̙̔͒Ü̸̘̎R̸̺̚S̶͔̬̈́̚
̶̪̬̏I̸̢̝̓̀T̴̓ͅ ̸̳̃͛Ẇ̵̫̱Ȋ̶̘͔̇L̷͍͗L̸̦͊́͜ ̷̫̆͠H̶̤͍̾͝Ų̵͂̀R̶̰̳̈́̋Ţ̸͇̓ ̶̢͚̾L̵̳̍͛ͅĪ̸͎̜͝Ķ̴̗̈́̽Ē̴̡ ̷̜̀̚Ś̶̨̮T̸̢̎͜A̶̹̗̾̊R̷̝̄I̵̳̼͐̚Ǹ̴͖̥G̷̼͆̓ ̷̤́͠I̴͎̍N̷̫̻̎T̸̡͆Ỏ̵͔̱ ̷̣̽T̵̮̠̓H̷̦͒̇Ẹ̵̤́̒ ̷̪̔̄Ş̷̑U̴̹̫͆̔N̴̗̱͗̋ ̷͔͚͋̌


He's frozen in horror, listening to something other than their gruff orders,
 

W̴̨͗̈͠Ȃ̴̝̦I̸͍͕͂̿͝T̷̹̫̮͑ ̸̱͇͛̒͒F̴̧͕̬̋̏Ö̵̹͚͒R̵͔̔̃ ̶͉̲̂̂͑H̸̯̪̊Ī̴̳͚̈́̒M̴̢̼͔͊̚
̵̏͜S̶̖͂͝È̸̳̰̥T̷̿͜ ̸̫̮́̅M̵̺̒E̷̦̍͝ ̴͓͙̽̈́F̴̦͊̐̄ͅR̸̯̕Ẽ̵̘̆E̸͎̻̓ͅ ̵̼̊̀͌


and when they finally get him up, he staggers where he's pushed, stands where he's left, numb, pale, and breathing fast.


2.

He's still just as unsettled when they're returned to the cells. He manages to retreat to his bed, although there's no sleep for him. The new eyes don't all shut, not when he wants them too, and he twitches at every voice. Twitches and relaxes again when he realizes they're safe, he's only hearing them with his ears.

It takes him until the next day to begin to breathe easily again, and even then, the equanimity he displayed before the Horizon is gone. Instead of sitting by the bars to see who's coming down the corridor, now he paces, jaw so tense his head aches. It's not the Eye. He knows that much. What it is, what it might be, he doesn't know. And he fears.

not_caroline: (you've got ten seconds)

[personal profile] not_caroline 2021-08-12 07:46 am (UTC)(link)
"I don't make mine lightly, Jonathan," she goads, but her heart's not really in it. It feels weird having his hand in her branching hair, but she lets him for now.
towerjunkie: (And it's thunder)

[personal profile] towerjunkie 2021-08-12 08:35 am (UTC)(link)
Rumour, mostly. You've done something to greatly offend our dear host, Sai Ambrose. And for that you're to die.

[ What exactly had occurred between this man and the mage hadn't been consistent. One scullery maid had sworn there'd been a great magic duel between the two of you.

Roland's tone may suggest he thinks this is highly unlikely. ]


Do the rumours say true? I'd hear what the real event was, if it please you.
towerjunkie: (Shakes the crowd)

[personal profile] towerjunkie 2021-08-12 09:16 am (UTC)(link)
[ Ah, thinks Roland. Questions were, he'd noticed, something the mages and those born to this world seemed loathe to answer. It follows that the heinous crime should involve questions. ]

And he answered your questions?

[ Compelled and based in fear are both statements that have Roland's interest, keen interest in fact-- but if there's the chance this man has found something out from the mage who won't talk, Roland wants to know. ]
towerjunkie: (When it's over)

[personal profile] towerjunkie 2021-08-12 09:52 am (UTC)(link)
[ That's a lot of information-- whether or not it's all useful or relevant doesn't matter right now. These are things Sai Ambrose hadn't decided to share with them, and Sai Jonathan is correct. It's better than an educated guess. And that last point, which Roland can't help catching his breath at, confirms it all for him. ]

Even this world is moving on.

[ The thought distracts him a moment, brings his forehead into a deep wrinkle. His own world was dying, the world of Jake, Eddie, and Susan too. It will be all worlds, before long, if he cannot find a way to save the Tower.

But that isn't why he's here. He came for information, to find out what had made this man dangerous enough to be sentenced to death. He really hadn't expected what he'd found.

It intrigues him all the same. ]


This power to compel others to speak what they think is the truth-- this isn't a spell you learned here in their library, is it? Tell me true once more, I beg.
towerjunkie: (And it's thunder)

[personal profile] towerjunkie 2021-08-12 10:30 am (UTC)(link)
[ An entity. There was no talk of such things in any of the lands Roland had traveled to, not by that name. But gaining power by making deals with higher powers-- that's familiar enough. ]

Absence? This entity is bound by the same thing which keeps all other magic at bay, down in these cells, then.

[ That rules out asking for a demonstration. ]

What else, that you know of, can counteract your power? It must be powerful strong to not allow even Sai Ambrose to resist.
not_caroline: (so the thing is)

[personal profile] not_caroline 2021-08-12 10:46 am (UTC)(link)
Oh, the guards are undoubtedly getting impatient; most of them just aren't bothering to show it. She can sense their irritation like a pale, bothersome stink, not enough to really smell but staining the edge of her senses.

She looks up at him with a small, questioning hum.
rehandle: (pic#12284572)

[personal profile] rehandle 2021-08-12 02:05 pm (UTC)(link)
"Lucky you."

Not just the one he'd seen. Many. Many where many shouldn't be, all acting independently. They're not his - though they are now. But it seems as though he's yet to learn how to use them. He remembers that feeling: struggling to operate a piece of yourself that should be under your own control, fingers shuddering through motions where they once were steady.

"They've not happened before?"

Is it linked, this and that, an entity from elsewhere and the place the Singularity sent them. Was it given strength there?
rehandle: (pic#12484581)

[personal profile] rehandle 2021-08-13 02:41 pm (UTC)(link)
There's a pause here, the memory of a total disconnect from the familiar presence of something other fresh enough to afford it a moment of contemplation. Even if separation from Jon's package deal entity is likely a welcome reprieve, it's indicative of a power Ambrose has that is too great for comfort.

Finally, and with some humour tucked into the dry, wry wording, "So much for not relying on your Eye in the sky."

Because he's assuming that's what happened. Knowledge sought and found and Ambrose unimpressed by the intrusion. There's no judgement. To the contrary. It's only at all funny because they'd spoken about it before Jon went so directly against his own advice and because, given the opportunity, Stephen's sure he'd have done the same thing.
rehandle: (100)

[personal profile] rehandle 2021-08-13 03:58 pm (UTC)(link)
"Informed by our host's courteous charm or his tendency to abduct people from across the multiverse and imprison them in uninhabitable conditions if they don't meet his standards?"

It's not an earnest question. What's done in done and ultimately, they know more than they did because Jon pushed the limits of Ambrose's welcome.

But the price for that knowledge is steep.

"I hope you're not exerting too much energy preparing yourself for an early grave."
rehandle: (pic#12484742)

[personal profile] rehandle 2021-08-13 06:33 pm (UTC)(link)
It's not the most promising response. The subject shifts and, for now, he follows it.

"Fine. As extra-dimensional travel goes, that was about as tame a time as I've had." The Horizon was— something. But he hasn't come out with any extra eyes or arms or toes that he's noticed and that puts him ahead. And if it put a mirror up to his mental state, that's for him to deconstruct when he has the time.

"Can they all see?"

Waking up to that can't have been pleasant.
towerjunkie: (And I see yes I see)

[personal profile] towerjunkie 2021-08-14 02:04 am (UTC)(link)
[ So other, powerful entities and certain people can avoid this, but otherwise-- ]

But outside of here, you can control it. Direct that gaze. Compel answers.

[ He gathers from Sai Jon's demeanour so far that using these powers or having this entity on board isn't something enjoys, but that's only part of it to Roland. A power so terrifying to their hosts that they imprisoned him for using it, that's not something that should just be ignored. ]
rehandle: (pic#12484567)

[personal profile] rehandle 2021-08-14 03:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Oh. It's only now that he realises Jon's earlier hesitance wasn't a misguided attempt at tact for Stephen's sake. He'd asked because he wanted to know, and perhaps because he wasn't sure if he wanted the answer.

There's something more he hasn't said yet. Something that's taking some building up to.

"Are we talking about news, or something else?" He'd heard plenty. The number of people bustling back to that portal, it was inevitable that some of them had had something to say. But he gets the sense that isn't the question here.
moremilkplz: (pic#15019184)

[personal profile] moremilkplz 2021-08-14 03:16 pm (UTC)(link)
"Didn't really plan on coming down here again."

He lies brightly, his own eyes as green as Jon's for the moment. Another reminder that the home in the Singularity had left its mark on him. Aside from his cheery disposition, that is. He leans against the bars, watching Jon's eyes blink. "Why did you do it, Jon? Why would you do something so-" Homelander takes a deep breath, mock-disappointment thick in his voice,"- stupid."

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