EVENT #10: AFFLICTION - IC POST

[abraxasmods]

Event #10 - Affliction

go to the OOC event info & plotting post

---

With tensions heavy across Abraxas and all the destruction that's happened, it's no surprise that the dark shadows which sweep over the land go unnoticed...at first.

Winds initially stir in Solvunn, where the influence of the Old Gods remains the strongest. Slowly each Herald infects Thorne and the Free Cities, as well. The Summoned are the first to feel its effects and are the most heavily impacted.

Though no one will realize it until well afterwards, Nocwich remains unaffected. After all, the Summoned don't reside there.

NOTE: This event will deal with themes of death (people and animal) and horror imagery.

Emergence

It begins sometime in mid-October, around the 18th. Not everyone will experience it at the same time. You might even believe you're spared until days afterwards when you're visited by an unusually vivid dream.

The dream starts the same for everyone: you are going somewhere, anywhere, walking to your bedroom or enjoying a stroll on the beach. You might be driving down a familiar neighborhood. Wherever you're headed, you eventually come upon a stone tablet engraved with your Arcana. Laid on the tablet are three objects:

◎ A dead moth trapped inside a wilted rose, symbolizing Koth of Festering Lands
◎ A teacup inside which sits a single nightshade berry, symbolizing Adlewyrd of Poisoned Tongues
◎ An ornate cracked hand mirror that contains no reflection, symbolizing Sannleikr of Many Faces

Make a choice. Something inside your soul will be drawn towards one of the objects. Maybe you spend hours in the dream deliberating, but sooner or later, you'll pick one of the items up. The moment you do, the other objects vanish and the chosen Herald appears before you. Where one might expect a god to seek subservience, the strange figure instead extends a friendly hand towards you - as though it's greeting you as an equal.

Whispered around you, you hear its name. Then it fades and with it the dream. You awaken.

Affliction

You go about your day as usual. That's when you realize something isn't right. Creatures and people around you behave strangely. You begin to sense that you are the cause.

Depending on your chosen Herald, you'll experience at least one of its afflictions. The effects might start small, then grow. They might rush you all at once. You can't shake what haunts you, though you can try. Spells, potions, and willpower can help keep the afflictions at bay but you won't ever be completely free.

As the afflictions seep into your mind, you start to find shadows of it following you: a dead moth here, a nightshade bloom there, a cracked mirror elsewhere. You may even wonder if it's following you in the first place. What if instead, you are the one leaving these signs behind?

Corruption

The first time you inflict your ability on someone else, you don't mean to. It might be a stranger, some unsuspecting soul, or it might be another Summoned. Regardless, the afflictions that ail you seem to spread through you into another. Someone falls down as if in the throes of an invisible death or secrets spill. You brush by someone and they're suddenly upset and confused.

The more this happens, intentionally or not, the better you feel. You may grow full of life and energy, gain a renewed strength of heart, or radiate a charm that turns heads and garners compliments. The afflictions haunting you could even start to fade or completely vanish. And if you use your newfound power deliberately? You'll feel better even faster for longer. Of course, these boons are temporary, lasting at most an hour or so. When the feeling wanes, you might miss having it.

You are not possessed. You can't control this power that spreads through you, but how you respond or behave is up to you. You could be attracted to the allure of power, enjoy the boons you are granted, or realize you can gain relief from your afflictions if you choose a victim. Not everyone will fall headfirst into the pull. Some are not easily swayed by power, some struggle to overcome their dark impulses, and others would rather endure their suffering than inflict it on someone else. But others still might succumb to temptation and turn on those around them with purpose: once, twice, multiple times. The choice you make is yours alone.

Blight

With the call of the Herald at your fingertips, the world around you twists. No one knows whether this stems from you and your newly imbued afflictions, or if the Heralds are exerting power on their own. It's for sure easier to think of what occurs as the influence of something monstrous beyond your control. No matter the cause, the earth is changed all the same.

Omens

The omens arrive shortly after the initial Summoned receive their dreams, but they don't come to every faction at once. SOLVUNN is first, being home to the Old Gods' shrines, before THORNE and the FREE CITIES follow only days afterwards. Depending on where you are, the omens will affect things a bit differently.

Solvunn

In Solvunn, the ground stirs. A desiccated hand breaks through the grass, a cloven hoof. Human or animal, they crawl forth, animated against their will. Some might attack, but most do not. At the same time, crops around the settlements begin to fail. Some chickens lay rotten eggs while cows produce spoiled milk. Any livestock that perishes overnight will surface in the mornings with empty eye sockets - pecked out by crows or gnawed on by rats. From a distance, the ocean can be seen bubbling as leviathans beneath thrash.

Worth noting is that many of the dead are concentrated around the shrines, especially the ones deep in the woods. They're too decayed to recognize, and some might not even move from the site, as though they are waiting for the earth to take them again...or as though they once chose to give up their life at this very spot.

Summoned can assist by helping to cast spells or place warding charms around shrines, farms, and gardens to protect crops and livestock. As a commune, the Solvunnites will share their resources as much as possible and would appreciate those who might lend a hand bringing supplies, herbs, and offerings to neighbors who are lacking. The Summoned can also brew a common herbal remedy to aid any animals who have fallen ill or to help purify the well water.

Free Cities

In Libertas, the dead buried under the rubble dig themselves out. More crawl forth from graves in Cadens' cemeteries. Beasts and bandits slain in the desert wilds rise, hungry or searching for the ones who killed them. At the same time, dead fish wash up onto the shores of Aquila while birds fall dead from their perch, dropping like flies from an unknown illness. Vultures and other scavengers begin to prey upon the eyes of the dead, leaving behind hollowed-out corpses.

Worth noting is that in the Badlands, a few very old and skeletal corpses rise with a metal plate or two screwed onto their bones, which are also oddly elongated. Only one or two make their way near the city. The army is quick to dispose of them before many can notice. They will not disclose any information about this and will claim these are just monsters like anything else.

Summoned can assist by going on patrol with the soldiers to put down any risen dead. Merchant caravans are also hiring escorts for their journeys. Additionally, they can help look through any received supplies and packages to make sure the food isn't rotting or worse, use a special dissolving compound to purify the waters, and donate staple food items to refugees and the less fortunate who can't afford the rising prices.

Thorne

In Thorne, the dead emerge only from the outskirts of the castle city. Thanks to information from one of their Summoned and their recent monitoring of the Singularity, Thorne was able to act swiftly and was able to ward any royal or otherwise significant burial sites. Graves and tombs of less importance, though, will not be protected in the same way. There are fewer encounters with eyeless corpses, though some animals might appear outside the castle in such a state. Normally extravagant dishes from the Castle's kitchens use simpler ingredients as they struggle to ration their food stores.

Worth noting is that a few unexpected corpses make their way up from deep under the castle in places beyond the dungeons. These are twisted and mangled, missing limbs, heads, fingers. The castle guards are quick to dispose of them before they get too far into the rest of the castle, but one or two may be spotted.

Summoned can assist by contributing to the wards around Castle Thorne and the city, using spells to put down the dead without mangling the corpse, and taking inventory of food stores. Further, in Nott the situation is more dire for anyone who is traveling there to continue assisting with repairs following the attack. Nott will welcome help with any problems caused by the omens. It'll be clear the kingdom has neglected the city somewhat. Thorne will claim the Castle takes priority, of course, due to King and Queen residing there along with the entire royal court.

Apprehensions

Across the factions, locals are beginning to catch on that something isn't right with you, the Summoned. No one will say it outright, but there's an air of caution and wariness around you where you go. Merchants might be quick to hand you your wares so you'll leave or locals give you a bit of space when they walk by. Chatty innkeepers are more reluctant to hold lengthy conversations.

Much of the time, it may not be conscious. The natives might simply sense something off that instinctually makes them want to put some distance between them and you. The only exception? If you've chosen Sannleikr of Many Faces, you'll continue to exude your charm towards people you encounter. At least for as long as you continue to inflict that ability you've been gifted.

Displacement

Everyone responds differently while in the Horizon. You might exert better willpower over your afflictions or you might feel its effects more strongly. It all depends on the individual and their mindset. Regardless, the Heralds are only one part of the equation. There's a much bigger disturbance going on.

It could happen as soon as you enter or it might be as you're stepping over the threshold into another's domain. Whatever the case, you are suddenly not where you're supposed to be. Instead, you're in one of two places depending: transported into a domain you never meant to go into or in a foreign setting altogether.

Visitation

Whether you're the one transported or someone teleports unexpectedly into your space, the Horizon becomes unpredictable for the next little while. Rooms normally locked to strangers, areas you yourself may not even realize exists - you and your fellow Summoned continue to pop in and out despite your intentions.

The effect isn't painful, just disorienting, like missing a step you didn't see or stumbling through a door into a too-bright room. The person whose domain you've inadvertently visited might sense an unwanted presence, whether they're inside the Horizon or not, or they may be completely oblivious. This will depend on the strength of their connection to the Singularity and the Horizon.

Not to worry. You won't be trapped or anything in these cases...unless the domain you land in happens to seal from the inside. You might stumble on secrets you weren't meant to find, though, locked away in someone else's mind.

Ensnared

The less fortunate will be pulled into a space that they've never encountered before. The bizarreness of it resembles the glitchy visions that flashed through a few months ago, but rather than an image flickering by, you are now inside the space itself.

Trapped between minutes to hours, you can't use the Horizon's creation magic as normal. Attempts will falter or go sideways: trying to fly out might cause you to tumble, tools and objects are broken or not quite right, wounds don't vanish or heal completely, etc. More significantly, you can't seem to send or receive messages through your connection. Anything that manages to come through will be garbled and distorted. It's as though the place you are in is just out of the reach of your control.

Luckily, you may not be alone. Someone else may have gotten lost alongside you. They might already be there when you stumble through or they might arrive after you do. They might even fade out sooner than you, unintentionally leaving you behind.

Eventually, you'll be released back into the Horizon proper, spat out in a random place in the Horizon. While you're stuck, though, you can try to survive, explore, sit and wait it out, or make friends with your fellow trapped partner. Each area has its challenges and quirks that you'll need to deal with.

Scenes to Explore

JUSTICE ◎
FULL IMAGE

High in the clouds, these snowy peaks are as cold as they look. Giant marble hands reach out, though their sheer scale means you might not recognize them as hands from up close. You can scale the mountain, but if you try to go down, the hands will flip the mountain, which sends you tumbling to the top again.

It's up to you whether you can be injured when you fall. Maybe the snow will feel like marshmallows, or you'll break a bone on the jagged rocks. No two experiences are the same. If you have a partner, they could end up faring better than you despite being in the same place.

Conjure some warm clothes or a log cabin even if you wish - they might not manifest perfectly, but it'll be better than nothing. At least the view's fairly nice...while the sun is up. A blizzard will come through by nightfall. With it arrives a strange hovering light that entices you or your friend to follow it into the frozen darkness. What draws you out depends on you. It could be a familiar voice, an image, or a simple compulsion. If you're lucky, the person with you is unaffected and can try to stop you. Or maybe you're the one desperately chasing after the other person?

---

THE CHARIOT ◎
FULL IMAGE

From a distance, it's hard to tell if they're shipping containers or houses stacked atop each other. A gooey mess covers the ground below. Oddly, the smell isn't as unpleasant as the goo looks. It smells like bubblegum or cotton candy, artificial and sweet. When you first fall in, you might land inside one of the homes, on top of the stacked structure, or the ground. You can try to reach anyone else who's there with you, but be careful: the ooze is spreading. Climb if you must or move from room to room. If you don't keep moving, you risk getting sucked into its sticky mass.

Each block of a home is different. Some are furnished, whereas others are empty or filled with strange knickknacks. Some might even have subconscious creations spawned by you. Keep ahead of the gloopy substance, and you'll be fine, probably. Or you can try to fight it back or block its path by sealing yourself in a room or otherwise, which can slow it down significantly. Mostly, you'll have to hope you fade out before the pink mass completely consumes the landscape.

---

THE WORLD ◎
FULL IMAGE

The hazy neon glow obscures a nothingness that seems to extend forever. In the middle of the wet ground are several stacked television sets with wires plugged into nothing. Inexplicably, there's also a cat. At first, it appears perfectly normal, but keen observers will notice that its behavior is on a loop where it will walk a certain path, pause at specific intervals to lick its paws, and meow at set points. It does not acknowledge any of its intruders. You can break its loop by picking it up, at which point it'll go limp as a ragdoll. As soon as you set it down, it'll resume its actions as before.

While you can see the same images as someone else on the screens, it's also possible you'll each see something different despite being in the room together. What you see is up to you. It could be an old fuzzy movie, home videos of your childhood, trivia questions you have to answer correctly, or even a memory or vision you wouldn't want to share. Words or faces taunting you could appear between staticky flickers, or maybe your very thoughts are projected onto the screens for anyone with you to read.

Break the televisions if you want, but given a few short minutes, they'll reform between one blink and the next. Looks like you'll have to keep watching until you're released.

---

THE FOOL ◎
FULL IMAGE

Sprawling and massive, you're unlikely to recognize at first that you're trapped in a labyrinth. Stone walls rise around you, and your surroundings are pitchblack. Manifest a torch or a flashlight if you can, though these will be prone to going out at inopportune times. Escaping over the walls will only send you into another section in the maze.

As you navigate the twisting corridors, you'll encounter any variety of trials and troubles: gaps in the ground, spiked traps, haunting whispers, monsters, decaying corpses. Some of these might've formed from your mind, others might've spawned from anyone else who's trapped with you.

If you aren't alone, do your best to locate your fellow Summoned. Voices do carry and echo over the walls, and there could be landmarks that help you find each other. Finding the exit, however, is another matter. Walk and climb all you want. A way out is impossible until the Horizon chooses to set you free.

Players can pick any scenario that interests them from the four choices above. Unlike the visions from before, characters can accidentally be trapped in as many of the scenes as you want, as many times as you want. Another option is that they can stay trapped in only one scene while a variety of characters fade in and out to join them, or some combination of the two. Choose what works best for your plans.

Each scene will once again carry an associated Arcana etched somewhere inside it, which can change from person to person or instance to instance. It might be on a wall, a table, or on the ground. Characters with a stronger connection to the Horizon are likely to be trapped for longer but the extent of this is your choice and it won't ever exceed a few hours. It's also your choice whether the afflictions continue to haunt them or not. If you want characters to deal with both problems while stuck together, you're welcome to!

Generally speaking, there are no restrictions other than that they won't be able to communicate with anyone outside the area, they can't escape it until the Horizon chooses to release them, and their creation magic will go wrong just enough that it'll make things tricky.

Comments

[carmesi]

[something solidifies in her understanding of sylvain here, despite first impressions. he's brave and stalwart due to circumstances around him, but even so in matters that cloud the heart. his words cut sharply at some of her own thoughts, about wanting to make herself forget about the terrible things she's done.

about how everyone here in abraxas seems all too forgiving, all too easy to welcome her back with open arms. nothing would ever change if we just forgot all the hard parts of our past. everything—essentially.

a small smile is returned.]

I'm glad you're here. [perhaps it doesn't need to be said at all, but this has certainly changed her impression of sylvain, and for the better.] I'm glad you did not die that day.

[that, at least, is a genuine offer of friendship, instilled forward by a younger sibling who is just trying to survive in the remnants of a turbulent past.]

[carmesi]

[—that is certainly a relief. the amount of people she's hurt and frightened and put through the worst of things feels like a long list, and she's ashamed to admit that she doesn't recall most of her time upheld in the fog of her mind, in the burgundy mists of sorrow and madness.

wanda lowers her gaze, let's his words sweep through her as another earthquake shakes the structure they stand by. she takes a step closer, and presses her hand against the wall when the moving stops, as if trying to find her own center, too, amidst all the turbulence.

she's appreciative of his words, as it were, thus the small, tight smile on her features before it falls apart.]

Yes. Back in my world.

[twice now— twice she's lost them. once with a heartfelt goodbye, a prayer to meet them again, the smallest of inklings that she could get them back; the second time, utterly and completely, for she had become (has become) the monster any mother would warn their children about. the scary witch in the woods the elderly and her parents in sokovia would tell her and pietro about so that they would behave.

a nightmare become real.]

I can't feel anything. [is what she focuses on instead, drawing her hand back.] But this humming— it's not the first time someone's mentioned it. I've felt it from the Singularity before, but it was more... noise, than anything else.

1/2

[carmesi]

Wanda listens, because Istredd has proven himself someone she can trust, someone wise whom she could rely upon. He knows magic, even if the energies of that which strives in both their worlds are different; there has to be a common ground amidst all this.

Stop fighting, however, goes against every instinct she's ever heard in order to survive. If she stops fighting now, won't she be swallowed by the immensity of it all? Her burst of indecision and fear is felt palpably between their connection, though she knows she needs to find a way to remove her own will from that of her magic.

To stop fighting herself. To stop letting the chaos disrupt the seams between her human soul and the threads that make the Harbinger of Chaos whole—a gap she's been afraid to cross, ever since she saw the fear in the eyes of her boys, sane enough to bring down Wundagore Castle upon her to end it all.

The mirrors break and refract some more, Wanda's own subconscious fear feeding into this. She shakes her head minutely, as if particularly aware of what will happen if she lets her magic grow strong in her.

I can't.

And the world, unfortunately, stirs again. In chaos and corruption, a blast of some kind, smoke and debris and the sudden cold of a winter night where silence reigns, the ringing from the blast catching onto Istredd's hearing.

Until—

2/2

[carmesi]

Istredd finds himself in the middle of an apartment torn to shreds, the cracks of the mirror world on the walls that slowly become solid blocks of brick and mortar. It is deathly still and quiet, but for the shuffling of two children under a bed behind him. The boy speaks but his words are warbled, like they're far-off, dream-like noises never to be discerned; he doesn't even seem to notice the sorcerer that stands there in the middle of the room.

—but, the girl? The girl sees him, makes eye contact.

Are you here to help us?

Comes a familiar voice, though it is the little girl's.

It seems that he and Wanda are in the same plane at last, but not with her completely—with the scared child that she feels at times, left vulnerable and confused amidst a world that is falling apart.

[supersoldier]

[Something shifts, less like a switch and more like a shadow slipping across a threshold. Somewhere between the plaster cracking and falling, or the sieves of dust raining down from the ceiling above, a different sort of want has needled itself into her — no, into him, too. He cannot know if it’s the aftermath of adrenaline, or relief, or the many times of nearness they’ve spent together, crystallizing into one moment of action, but he doesn’t care to overthink it.

Her lips press hard into his, hot and hungry and unlike any he’s experienced thus far, and he returns it in kind, closing his eyes. On his tongue, he tastes blood, and there’s something—

(Thrilling, says the whisper in his head. Something thrilling about that, too. He does not care to disagree.)

Sephiroth’s hands move from her shoulders and glide down the curve of her, finding purchase on opposite sides of her hip. His gloved fingertips press a little harder, almost imploring, suddenly keenly aware of her half-dressed state, while he parts his lips a little amid their kiss. It's as though his body moves on its own, seeking out her warmth, instinct wanting to keep himself close, closer than he's ever been before.]

[godshattering]

[ Some part of Claude had mistakenly thought finally saying this aloud would bring relief like what comes with removing a stubborn and painful splinter or treating a poisoned wound. Instead, he finds it's the opposite. There is a momentary flash of relief when Sylvain doesn't immediately ask the names of who in particular died or whether he's on that list. But then it's replaced - rightfully - by a sinking feeling as the other wilts before his eyes under the weight of this information, and he's not surprised a refill is in quick order.

Still. Before Sylvain can set the bottle down Claude grabs the end of it to get his attention more so than to dissuade any drinking and holds on to keep them paused there with it in mid-air. ]

Hey, look at me for a second.

[ Normally he'd exercise his mile-wide streak of patience here until Sylvain gives him some semblance of eye contact no matter what kind it ends up being, but who knows when that could be? Instead, he shakes his head and continues. ]

We don't know what any of this means when Petra lived something else entirely, and you've already told me you remember things that I don't because they couldn't have happened for me. Maybe this is another difference from... whatever this is. [ He'll sound less confident on that last part because how different can it be with them all at odds no matter how it happens? But it has to mean something; perhaps that's just his own quiet desperation that he's been dragging around for months or longer. ] It doesn't have to mean things always turn out the same if that's what you're thinking.

[wiedzminka]

[ She takes the opening, pressing her tongue between his lips, urging him to kiss her deeper. Her hips press forward beneath his touch, back arching.

It's been months working up the courage. She'd thought they would do this in her bedroom sometime, after an evening of food and drink, playing games and talking, warm and comfortable. That was how she'd imagined it. Made plans, even, with Julie's help.

Not like this, dirty and scratched-up, surrounded by death in an abandoned building that creaks beneath their weight with every step. Urgent, desperate, like they might never get another chance.

So fuck planning. Fuck waiting. Hasn't she waited long enough?

Ciri moans against his mouth, impatient. ]

[carmesi]

[not play the game? wanda had never considered that an option. thankfully, she doesn't have to try and convince lucifer otherwise, following after him the moment he starts walking back. she wonders if the light coming from her scarlet magic bothers him, or if the lord of the darkness does better with the lack of it.

as for herself, she'd like to see what she's stepping on.

conversation, at least, seems to keep her mind from wandering too far into the more paranoid thoughts enabled by the sounds she's been hearing trailing after her.]

I don't know. An hour, maybe?

[it's hard to keep track of time in a place like this.]

Yourself?

[carmesi]

[steve—that's where the thread of familiarity stemmed from. he looks harried, and she can only so much follows his thoughts before she decides there's no point to it, though she remains curious as to why all this darkness is being embraced by someone like him?

is this perhaps one of those shared horizon spaces, like the maze and the building and the mountain she had been to before, trapped with another summoned? those were confined, however, whereas here seems to offer more. the look on her face shows her confusion as she approaches quickly, making sure to avoid any smaller vines along the way.]

What's going on here?

[there is this feeling she just can't rid herself of, and it's unnerving. like something's watching her. them?

into the makeshift bunker she goes, stepping in, and she's reminded of something she's seen in movies and tv shows.]

What is this place?

[carmesi]

[generally, wanda wouldn't need the help, but it's almost reactionary to reach out for the offered hand to help herself upward. her legs swing in the air as her other arm holds onto the floor to push herself upward with ciri's help, all in time for one of the doors below to give way to the pink glob's re-emergence into the room.

hauling herself all the rest of the way, her hands glow red again as she has them pulse over the hole. the ooze extends itself, trying to follow after them, but not fast enough—the solid brick and stone and mortar of the floor appears again, as if growing an extension from what is already there, bringing it back to how it was before.

that done, she's back on her feet, offering a—]

Thanks.

[—for the boost, moving past the furniture to reach the front door of this apartment. it's just like all the other apartments, furbished with touches of people having lived here, but absolutely empty; there are photo frames and bookshelves covered in dust, cobwebs adorning corners, and any plant life wilting in its pots.

wanda's been here before, with steve, and, just as before, there is no sign of any other living person here, just the two of them.]

Last time I was here, the way out was to go up. To the roof.

[she turns to ciri. this should be simple enough—just avoid the pink blob, head up to the roof by whatever means possible, stairs or blasting through roofs or otherwise. it should be simple, but for something completely different. the floor shakes, a roar in the distance—but close enough to them—and something heavy crashing down on what sounds like across the hallway from them.

—that's different.]

[carmesi]

[she agrees with a quiet, short nod of her head; she's seen her fair share of the horrible—as she's sure nero has, too—but in this place? it's hard to ignore something so striking to the carefully curated farm life they've been given in solvunn.

as the path diverts and slowly fades with overgrown grass, it takes their own sense of direction to find the way to where nero is thinking of going. soon enough, they'll cross past the settlement and into more open country.]

It was pointing somewhere, too. A direction.

Perhaps it is trying to tell us where to go and make sense of those stones we got.

[carmesi]

[she does catch onto his thoughts, so it's good that they're on the same page. wanda will trust his use of magic to keep the maze lit, for she cannot trust entirely that her magic may not be a beacon for creatures unknown.

better him than her, either way, as she keeps track of the distance between the two of them and whatever lurks in the dark, trusting him to lead the way, only to find that he's stopped. circling around him reveals what he's seen, the mound of rotting corpses, and wanda does well to cover her mouth and nose with a hand. two options now—to turn back and hope not to run into whatever has been tailing them, or see if they can maneuver forward.

—no matter, the choice is quickly made for them, for the mound starts to move, what was once considered a mound of individual rotting corpses actually a whole entity in and of itself. it raises itself, using the hands and feet of the once-bodies, groaning under the weight of it all, fitting tightly against the narrow path they're on, a giant maw, distended as it gulps for air, moaning in pain, hands in every stage of decomposition clawing at the walls.

wanda raises a hand behind her, a glow of scarlet on the palm of her hand, ready to encapsulate this horrid creature in swathes of magic and shut it up for good. except there's the pinprick of chills on the back of her neck. she turns her head in time to see— hundreds of glazed-out eyes on her, formed beneath the tendrils of a monster that hugs at the walls, all too close for comfort.]

I got this one.

[she casts her hex back at the creature behind them, then floats just out of the way to avoid being caught by one of the tentacles. don't fly too high, she knows that. there's also no telling for how long her magic will respond accordingly, so they just need to get the hell away from all this.

and while the corpses help the blob-like figure with the huge mouth move around awkwardly, it expels some of the corpses to make itself smaller—and these come to life, rushing towards them.]

[carmesi]

Syllables, a compound word, a title—nothing that means anything to her, though it is laced with something more underneath the common tongue. Still, it is the affordance of another name that let's Wanda see what is unknown as familiar. Ronan Lynch. The man from Thorne—the one that can dream things into the waking world.

Somehow, the connection makes sense, between this hungry entity and him.

—and there he is, no longer the shadows and the pulsing of blacks and purples, just Ronan.

"Ronan," because names have power, she insists on calling him by his own in form of greeting. Her hands lowered, no longer at the ready to use magic. "Are you yourself now?"

Granted, it's likely that him as the Greywaren is himself, too.

[carmesi]

[good— that's good. wanda turns around fully in time to make eye contact with him, and now she holds onto both his arms. he still looks like he's trying to get through the brunt of the seeds of what the ghouls tried to plant in his head, all the doubt and fear and any feelings of shame they could dig their metaphorical claws into.

holding tightly onto him, wanda tells herself that whatever damage has taken place can be ascertained later. as of right now, she needs to get him out of the way for any other nefarious creature lurking in the forest from attacking him.

(and at the same time, she's so apologetic for it being her demons and her magic coming to attack him, which is why—)

wanda holds him tight into an embrace, closes her eyes; one arm tight on his back, the other reaching up, allowing her hand to rest against the back of his head. no need for incantations for her, just a thought in her mind, and the world around them swoops in a rush of air, tipping them over and forward, until they land in a part of the forest that has sunlight brimming from above the canopy.

a safe haven she's managed to board up, wanting nothing but to expel the darkness.

her eyes open, but she doesn't pull away from billy, keeping him there, safe, against her. should billy open his eyes, he will see that they are in a graveyard, quiet and alone.]

I'm sorry.

[earthborn]

"No. Sometimes, if uh..." Breathe. Focus. She looks up at him, and feels weight of the need to be alright like a physical force. Still, Shepard has to take a deeper breath before she can manage to shove up on her elbows, and further until she's sitting off the floor itself, at least.

It's fine. It's fine, it's only Garrus. She can talk to Garrus.

"...If there's an EVA, takes a minute," She thinks it's fair, to be faced down with raw vacuum and need to take a breath before stepping out. Shit, why wouldn't she? It was... normal. Almost normal. She might as well just be surveying the lay of the land, it's not like anyone noticed. It's not like he's going to— what, lose respect for her over that much. Probably, "But nothing like that."

Which was true.

"You think this is more of... Singularity bullshit?"

[catholica]

All right.

( matt makes his way closer to steve, stepping over bodies and debris easily enough, moving through the mess with the ease of a man that could see.

he stops in front of steve, taking a breath as he does. )

You prefer staying here or going out to find the kindling?

[assembles]

[ At the question about Thorne, he's quick to nod. Steve also keeps checking himself and slowing his pace as he remembers that despite all of Wanda's magical strength, physiologically she's in many ways a regular human. That, and her magic seems to be on the fritz at the moment.

There's a lot more flights to climb, too. They may need to take a break here and there, if they can afford it.

However, then he also notices that they're essentially trapped now. A globule of the pink gunk falls from far overhead and lands on his shoulder. Steve makes a face and brushes it off, but then it spreads all over his hand. Great.

Before he can suggest any kind of plan, Wanda takes matters into her own hands, opening up a way out of this predicament. He's quick to follow in her footsteps, leaning against the wall as she pauses for a brief rest. ]

I've been doing my best to keep people safe. Ran into your friend, too. [ Steve raises an eyebrow then, catching Wanda's gaze, and quirks a brief smile. He remains coy about that for a moment. ]

I'd heard a few people mention that something like this happened last year, but like you said, this seems to be both more widespread and longer-lasting. Not to mention that way it's affecting all of us. [ Thankfully, Wanda's visage hasn't changed into anything during their time together, but Steve knows it could happen at any moment. He glances down to the apartment's worn floorboards and lets out a sigh. ] If it's not the Singularity, what do you think it could be? Any ideas?

[hextechhead]

If they're born and not turned here, maybe they have their versions of dhampirs. I guess you'd only know if you got closer to the vampires in Nocwich, if that's possible.

[ Not right away, they're all still strangers, and Jayce doesn't know if they would be more forthcoming with time, but maybe. Especially if they found out Alucard is one of their people or at least half like their people. It seems unlikely Alucard is the only dhampir in every world in the multiverse. ]

Do you think it would be helpful? If you did meet other dhampirs.

[funbreaker]

[ If possible, Thancred would like to speak to all three of them about this and judge their responses to it, but with the way the Horizon is right now, it remains to be seen if he'll even find them. ]

Just so. [ He sighs and rubs at his eyes. ] I've seen one of them in a dream, but beyond that, we can't even say how to locate them. I assume they're all physically in Solvunn, but who's to say they can't teleport long distances?

[ None of these gods have physically shown themselves, as far as he's aware. ]

[catholica]

( matt isn't far behind, listening to the direction her footsteps hit and taking off after he. he doesn't have a weapon besides his hands and feet but that's really all he needs.

when something gets close, he buries a fist into their flesh, knocking them down or out, it doesn't matter. he just wants them out of the way.

so, when one hits the ground that she gets, he takes one that slips by because she's got her focus there, grabbing and then throwing them to the ground hard enough to knock some teeth out and keep them there. )

[assembles]

"That seems to be a common thing here." The timeline confusion, that is. It's only recently that Tony actually caught up to him, gaining a whole five years. Steve isn't sure if the Singularity sometimes makes errors in bringing them in and then tries to correct them later or what's behind it, but it seems like nothing about their arrival here can be simple.

He steps in next to Garrus, waiting patiently as he tries to will the Horizon to do his bidding. It hasn't quite been working as expected lately, so Steve's ready for it to fail or do something strange, but it seems that Garrus has a strong enough vision of what he's doing that it all works out.

And what he sees is a familiar sight. Steve had seen something similar to this back when Rocket and the others had been searching for Thanos, all those years ago.

Of course, this isn't quite the same as what he's seen, given that Garrus is from his future. Or a future, anyway.

His gaze shifts over. He's slowly but surely getting used to having a normal conversation with an alien (not that he hasn't been polite this whole time). "Must be strange, being grounded like this."

[funbreaker]

[ While Thancred still has no idea what this thing is supposed to be or why it's manifested in Nero's domain, it's not hard to see that he has little to no control over it. It's going to keep coming at them unless something is done, and so he doesn't need to be told twice as far as how they should handle this. ]

It's Thancred. [ He makes the correction as he jumps to his feet, though is quickly distracted by the weapon that Nero calls forth. It's clearly a sword, but it also has piping on it, almost like... machine parts? It sounds that way too.

Not that he can judge, as his gunblade appears in one hand and he readies himself for a fight. They can compare their armaments after this. ]

Come now, I'm hardly going to let my host do all the work. [ Nero does take the first move against the creature, which almost looks like a coeurl made out of some inky substance. Thancred doesn't hesitate to press the advantage, racing forward to release a cartridge from the chamber of his gunblade right into the beast's face.

At least he doesn't have to worry about conserving ammunition, here. ]

[carmesi]

[because of course steve is. wanda imagines that he's been active since the bombing of libertas, and she only feels a little guilty that she didn't check up with him. she had imagined the last thing anyone there needed was to get bombarded with messages.

she is also sure no one minded.

the smile he gives her, though, has wanda looked at him worriedly for a moment. she could easily read his mind to figure out what that all was about, but she promised him years ago she wouldn't do that without permission. despite it all, despite her not being the same wanda she claimed he knew, she still keeps to this promise.]

I have many friends over there.

[not any being 'hers', but she has an idea of who he meant. ugh. as upset as she is at matt right now, she can't help but worry. capable as he may be, it's still dangerous. she can't ask him, can she?

wanda purses her lips, focusing instead on how he seems to be wanting to pick at her head for her thoughts about what's happening.]

—just... theories, nothing factual. It might have nothing to do with it. I was talking with others before, about the possibility that the attacks were meant to be triggered for some form of sacrifice, outside of the scope of whatever intentions any faction may have. [a third party, so to speak. speaking of sacrifice.] We — sacrificed something big in Solvunn, too.

[not her finest hour, but.]

An arm.

[ushiri]

[ Kahlil lets out a wordless shout of outrage as Claude goes hurtling into a wall. As he moves his own body aches, but either due to luck or the spell nothing seems broken from his own impact. He watches Claude raise his axe to block a sword strike - not from a machine now, but a strange man.

A walking, menacing machine he may not know how to fight. But men bleed.

Concentrating on his right hand he forces the yasi'halaun into existence. His hand grips the hilt, the sword's long, black blade nearly invisible in the darkened corridor, barely reflected by the twinned lights of the clashing weapons ahead. He rushes toward them, leaping to strike at the old man's back as he's bearing down on Claude. In a flash the glowing sword parries his black blade, sparks like static flying out and filling the air with the scent of burning ozone. The yasi'halaun seems alive for that second they connect, time almost stopping as he feels it vibrating beneath his grip, the blade of black bone lengthening in response to the absorbed power.

The force sends him back - he lands with a hard jolt, but on his feet. ]

[carmesi]

[claude's assessment would be correct; they are dealing with something that seems mostly unprecedented to the majority of the summoned, and even then—it seems to go beyond what others have experienced so far. wanda struggles with this thought for a moment, nodding as he thanks her.

near the warmth of the fireplace, it's easy to feel safe and comfortable. to speculate of things that breed horror in the weak minds of those easily influenced by it without the fear of being plagued by it.

—that is, until the wind picks up, bringing by this very real possibility that there is something out there. the door rattles, and she looks over at him again.]

When I was a kid, we had brutal winters like this. Especially farther away from the city. [there's a light smile on her features, trying to emphasize the fact that she's heard some stories as a kid, but that she's equally apologetic to say that she holds some truth to them.] We shouldn't go out. No matter what.