EVENT #10: AFFLICTION - IC POST

[abraxasmods]

Event #10 - Affliction

go to the OOC event info & plotting post

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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?

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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.

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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.

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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]

[wanda needn't be a mind reader to take note of this man's generous hesitation in answering her question. it brings her pause, too, wondering if perhaps he was one of many whom her chaos magic tackled while in the horizon, terrorizing without meaning to, without having coherent thought of it other than a cocoon of grief and shame (and volatile anger)—

nocwich he says, instead, and it brings her some relief. and, despite herself, the dog brings her a sort of anchor, a comfort in her nervousness and anxieties.

she extricates herself from those feelings a bit.]

I — have been unwell. [still is, but less marked by that madness that had touched her mind.] I recently lost my children. [this is very summarized. she helps herself to stand now, hands clasped together.] If I hurt you, or did something— I'm... sorry.

[there is hesitation from her behalf, too, as she says the following (as she seems to plead for an unspoken case),]

I won't hurt you.

[ushiri]

[ There's a stark difference in her between then and now, lending credence to what she says. And then there is the dog tail continuing to slowly wag as it looks up at her when she stands.

After a moment he shakes his head. ]

You didn't hurt me. [ A beat. ] So - no harm, no foul.

[ He believes she's being sincere, that she won't hurt him now. Even if he didn't, they're in his own sacred place. Earthquakes and strange humming aside, he's more protected here.

His eyebrows knit together slightly. ]

I'm sorry. [ She said recently but - ] This was before you were Summoned?

[ The youngest of the Summoned that he knows of is Wilhelm, who is nearly a man. He's never heard of anyone younger than that arriving here. ]

[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.

[ushiri]

[ As the ground shakes again the yellow dog whines, circling twice before lying flat on the floor, head on her paws.

Kahlil is more focused on her expression at the moment, watching it shift as she speaks. If she's a creature like Lucifer, then she's a much more dangerous one - he believes she's telling him the truth, and there's a pang of empathy for her loss.

But she changes the subject before giving details, and so he obliges her in that by not pushing for more personal information. He steps toward the dog, crouching down to pet her flank soothingly as another short earthquake rumbles beneath the stone floor, a flash of guilt briefly appearing across his expression when he looks down at her. ]

You mean the version of it here? [ In Horizon. He glances up at her, frowning thoughtfully. From what he understands there's only a few people here that have been to the physical location of the Singularity. ] I've approached it before. It felt... deeply old.

[ That's the only way to describe it. Then, curiously: ]

It seems alive, in some way. Not like a thinking, breathing creature, but...

[ He trails off. It feels like the yasi'halaun, or the Gates. It responds.

It feels like a piece of a god. ]

[carmesi]

[some of his actions and sentences that feel otherwise incomplete are filled in by the silence—by the ricocheting of his thoughts that bounce off towards her perhaps without his notice. she catches on to names (one she recognizes—lucifer, another she doesn't—yasi'halaun), and certain precaution he seems to hold steadfast to still, around her.

deeply old feels like a correct way to describe the singularity.]

There's a lot of noise in it. Indiscernible. Not a language, nothing singular. [despite its name. like many , thousands, million things in one.] What is that? The yasi— I can't pronounce that.

[this is when kyle may become aware that wanda can read minds.]

[ushiri]

Yasi'halaun.

[ He supplies the word almost automatically, his gaze narrowing as he stands up again, a silent how on his lips. This is the second time in as many days now that someone or something in Horizon has spoken a name they shouldn't have known.

His kneejerk response is defensive, confused, embarrassed for somehow not knowing what she can do. Few people like having their thoughts touched, and he's no exception - though as disconcerting as it is, he supposes she could've continued to hide it...

He pauses again, but it doesn't take long for him to wrestle his indecision when it seems she already has some level of access to his thoughts. Better not to try to lie. ]

It's a bone, taken from a god. A sacred relic. Nowhere near the size of the Singularity, but a piece of an incredibly powerful, living being.

[ Once living. The femur bone had to be taken from a dead Rifter, then carved into the black blade. He continues to eye her, wary again. ]

How much of my mind can you see?

[carmesi]

[it's so normal to wanda now that sometimes she doesn't catch on to how bizarre—how jarring—it is to have her pull at thoughts from others, to respond to things going on in their heads without actually vocalizing them. his reaction is warranted, the way he looks at her, but she's past being apologetic about it.

he doesn't, actually, act all too surprised, and wanda's currently more interested in what he's got to say.

if that is something he's finding synonymous with the singularity—that it is something sacred, a piece of something so powerful... yeah, it would likely make sense to verge onto that kind of supposition.

wanda thinks of the old gods those in solvunn are quick to worship, to make sacrifices and offerings to.]

Hm? [her brow furrows at his question, and she supposes he would have a right to know. everyone's particularly private of their thoughts. so, in return for the slight she may have caused him, wanda is honest.] All of it, if I wanted to.

[—but she shakes her head, expression easing.]

I catch onto thoughts without meaning to — the loudest ones at any given time. [she doesn't sound incredibly sorry, but the sentiment remains akin to that.] This... relic idea. The people in Solvunn believe in Old Gods, and it might not be too wrong to think that they are real, if something like the Singularity is.

[(at least wanda has no intention of weaponizing what she could do to his mind.)]

[ushiri]

[ At the explanation the back of his hands itch, a phantom pain from the sacred tattoos he lost. He hasn't had any need of their protection in two years, and he's left wondering how they might've fared against her probing.

But they're gone, and so it doesn't matter now.

She says part of what she does is out of her control, and he leans again toward believing she's telling the truth along with her intent to do no harm right now. Especially if she has the power to rip whatever she wanted from his head without needing to bother with permission or honesty. He can't help thinking of Lucifer again — not the same exact sensation of being prey in the claws of a bored, caged predator, but rather the power imbalance naturally occurring between them. He doesn't need an apology from her, and in that same vein he won't apologize for his reaction, which continues to manifest as a respectful caution. ]

They claim you when you dreams - [ A forlorn child's voice speaks from somewhere up in the tree branches. The yellow dog remains on the floor, sleeping now. ]

We takes the mirror, even though we don't wants to. We can't gives it back.

[ Peering down is a child-sized skeleton, held together with copper wire in place of muscle and sinew. In its small hand it holds a cracked mirror. She gives off the same signature as the dog, tethered to the domain and its owner. Her thoughts are only erratic flashes of light. Kahlil glances from her to the woman, holding a hand up and speaking quickly in defense of the little skeleton: ]

- she means no harm.

[ She's not real. But it's hard not to think of her as so. ]

[carmesi]

[wanda raises her head at the child's voice, looking up into the tree branches. the words escape her for a moment, any significance to them, something about dreams and a mirror, and wanda can't help but wonder if any of that is meant to reflect back upon her.

the tension is clear in her shoulders, but she doesn't react with the intention to remove the child from her vicinity. wanda doesn't like surprises, in the same way no one else would.

she can see it, though, a child-sized skeleton. it looks horrifying, but it—she—really does not mean any harm. that much wanda can tell, even if the thoughts are erratic and hard to discern.]

What is she talking about?

[her eyes remain fixed on the skeleton, slowly diverting back towards kyle.]

[ushiri]

[ He can't really blame her. Kahlil isn't entirely used to seeing his sister this way either - in his memory she's a girl of five or six, large dark eyes and long dark hair. The nuns wouldn't have let him see her after she was made into an oracle. But he remains in a defensive stance, halfway stepping between them as he approaches the base of the tree]

I had a dream where three objects were set upon a stone tablet. This was one of them - it appeared in my domain after I woke up and finally found my way back here...

[ He motions for Rousma, reaching his hands up: ] It's all right.

[ The skeleton girl sticks the mirror between her teeth and climbs down, skittering along the iron trunk unnaturally until she's close enough to Kahlil to jump into his arms. He carefully sets her down on the ground.

She approaches Wanda, removing the mirror from her jaws and offering it to her. ]

You see?

[ The cracked glass offers no reflection. ]

[carmesi]

[the way the girl moves is decidedly unnatural, but there seems to be a connection between her and this man. she jumps into his arms, and there's a tenderness there, as she's set on the ground. wanda, for her part, doesn't take a step back as the skeleton girl approaches her.

the cracked mirror.

hesitantly, wanda wants to take a hold of it, lest she's considered rude, but even as she reaches for it with her hand — something tells her not to do so. her hand curls into a fist, and she holds it instead in her other hand.]

I— I remember something similar. I chose the rose, so I don't think I should take this one...

[whether there is an adverse effect or not, wanda is not willing to try it out. what she does do, instead, is let her curled hand open, presenting itself a faux wilted rose, with the dead moth trapped inside, for the skeleton girl to see, made of her magic within the horizon; it is not the real one in her own domain.

she gets down at eye level, unfazed by the girl's current form.]

Would you like to keep it?

[ushiri]

[ Something about her reluctance to touch the mirror feels more ominous than even the shaking and humming of his domain. But the way she bends down to speak to Rousma is endearing him to her again. He lets his muscles relax, no longer as ready to jump into action as he was before.

Rousma lowers the mirror in one hand and stares her eyeless sockets at the rose and moth, a sense of curiosity. ]

Thank you. [ She takes the gift in her small hand, careful not to crush it. Looking up at Wanda again there's a distinct sense that she's smiling even though she lacks to muscles in her face to do so. She leans forward, arms out in a little curtsy. ]

I am Rousma. He is my brother Ravishan - but only I gets to calls him that! He tells everyone heres to call him Ky-el. [ She glances back at Kahlil, whose mouth forms a thin line as his eyes narrow slightly at her - the telltale look of an annoyed older sibling who isn't actually going to do anything about said annoyance.

She tilts her head at Wanda. ]

What do they calls you?

[carmesi]

[sometimes, wanda thinks about the fantastical nature of many of the things she has experienced in abraxas—in the horizon itself. many things that don't stem from magic, necessarily, but definitely from imagination and memories. and yet it is so real. her knees against the stone floor ache as she rests her weight on them, smiling lightly as the skeleton of this girl accepts the rose, curtsies, and offers a polite word of thanks.

rousma, then, draws a sense of endearment from wanda. she speaks of her brother, revealing more than she is sure he would like being said about himself to a relative stranger he feels cautious about.]

I also had an older brother. Pietro. [is what she offers, leaning forward a little more, a secret between little sisters.] They're the best kind of person to have, aren't they?

[lightly, she touches one of the skeletal hands that hold onto the rose, just for a small connection, before letting her hands fall back onto her lap.]

You can call me Wanda. It's nice to meet you, Rousma.