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abraxaslogs2022-10-15 10:14 am
abraxasmods) wrote in abraxaslogs2022-10-15 10:14 am
Entry tags:
- !event,
- aloy; the hermit,
- altaïr ibn-la'ahad; the magician,
- alucard; the hierophant,
- castiel; the hanged man,
- cirilla of cintra; the devil,
- claude von riegan; the wheel of fortune,
- dante; the devil,
- dean winchester; the lovers,
- diana prince; the empress,
- eddie munson; the devil,
- garrus vakarian; justice,
- geralt of rivia; the hanged man,
- himeka sui; the fool,
- hythlodaeus; the empress,
- inej ghafa; the hierophant,
- istredd; the high priestess,
- jack townsend; the moon,
- jaskier; the sun,
- jasper; judgement,
- jayce talis; the magician,
- jesper fahey; the wheel of fortune,
- jo harvelle; strength,
- julie lawry; the wheel of fortune,
- kaz brekker; the chariot,
- kell maresh; the magician,
- kyle; the hanged man,
- kylo ren; the tower,
- lucifer; the devil,
- mat cauthon; the wheel of fortune,
- matt murdock; the tower,
- michael; the emperor,
- nadine cross; the world,
- nero (dmc); the chariot,
- petra macneary; strength,
- prince wilhelm; the tower,
- rey; the star,
- rhy maresh; the lovers,
- ronan lynch; the moon,
- sephiroth; the tower,
- stephen strange; death,
- steve harrington; the lovers,
- steve rogers; the hierophant,
- sylvain gautier; the sun,
- thancred waters; strength,
- urianger augurelt; death,
- viktor; death,
- wanda maximoff; the hanged man
EVENT #10: AFFLICTION - IC POST
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.
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.
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:
Whispered around you, you hear its name. Then it fades and with it the dream. You awaken.
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 LandsMake 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.
◎ 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
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?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
2/2
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.
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.
no subject
It isn't her fault, what is going on here is so much larger than them. Istredd cannot pretend like he can control this any more than anyone else. It has driven him off course too, throwing him around the Horizon, his own domain shaking for no given reason. He has times when he sees Stregobor everywhere he turns and then recognizes no one, lost and alone in a castle he knows little of. This is above them, but he struggles to make sense of it anyway, so things do not get worse.
As well shielded as he is, he can still be hit by the chaos around him, he has to push back against it, wrap himself up in his own power. It can't last forever. He is strong but not as strong as she is, she could swallow him whole if she wanted to. He grits his teeth and holds against the hurricane. And then it all stops.
Confused, he looks around at the strange apartment, noticing the cracks so they are still locked inside. Istredd sees the girl and knows who she is instantly. She's regressed, but it makes sense. If she is trying to pull back to something simpler. He kneels before her and gently offers her his hand so she can take it if she's ready.
"Yes, I'm here to help you. I know it is scary in here, but it need not be. You have the peace inside of you. Power doesn't make someone strong, strength is in the heart."
no subject
The girl—Wanda—hears him, but her mind seems undecided. It is like she recognizes him, and recognizes that he also cannot exist in this particular memory. The world has already shattered into thousands of irreparable pieces, here, and she's trying to hold on so tightly to the broken glass that reflect comfort rather than destruction.
She doesn't want to let go of her brother's hand. If she lets him go, what will happen to Pietro? They have to stay together, no matter what, especially now—especially now that their parents are gone—especially now that the bomb tick-tick-ticks in the rubble.
Biting her lip lightly, her free hand moves just so, as if to hold onto Istredd's offered hand.
The echoes across fractured glass, shrill and sharp. Wanda hesitates, looks back at her brother, at how tightly he holds her hand, then back at Istredd.
no subject
While Istredd rarely claims friends, it's not easy for him, he and Wanda's connection has been so strong from day one. They've felt so many things from each other and toward each other. He has shared with her in a way he never has before, and it feels so natural. He will not fail her now when she needs him most.
Her illusion, the magic, is trying to get her through Pietro. If he lets her stay here with it, she won't manage to get out of it any time soon. As hard as it is to lose, and lose all over again, he cannot leave her to this madness. He cannot lie to her though and keep the trust they've earned.
"I truly wish I could."
He was hoping to have her pick it willingly but with the delusion gripping and holding her down, he had to do it the hard way. Istredd moves forward quickly enough to take her hand and he psychically pulls her. Out of where they were hiding, out of the destroyed apartment, out of her brother's hand, and back into reality. Or a version of it, anyway. He uses his telepathic control to add her underneath his shield so that the glowing blue surrounds her as well, even from her own chaos. It can still burst in, but he is hoping that if he holds onto her tight, she may be able to relax into it.
It does mean that he ends up pulling her effectively into his arms, mentally and physically, but they are friends and he has a feeling after what she was just forced to relive, she could use an embrace.
"I'm sorry."
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His hold on her, both mental and physical, keeps her from fluctuating back into the dense platitudes of her magic. Wanda as a child is no more, and as they find themselves landing back inside her house within the Horizon, in the cold and dreary plant nursery, seemingly devoid of any colors brighter than toned-down grays, the surge of lived-in memories bounce from her to him, through their empathic bond.
Wanda gasps, feeling her lungs constricting, trying to breathe in. She hears Istredd's apology, she feels the coldness of the memory ripped from her, but she also feels the warmth of his arms around her. She clings tightly to him, painfully aware that no matter how much others hold her and try to comfort her, it will never be Pietro. Not ever again. Not Vision, not her boys.
She is always fighting her grief, never giving herself enough time to properly work through it.
Tears still streak her face, a sob caught in her throat, as she starts pulling back.
"I have to fix it."
Her magic, is what she means. Never a moment to properly process what she feels.
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The memory is a painful and despairing one and he holds her tightly through it, not being able to give much else right then. This is something that already happened to her and cannot be changed. Grief is constant. He knows he is not Pietro, could never be Pietro, but he tries to offer her support and comfort regardless, even if it isn't his strong suit.
He lets her pull back but holds onto her elbows with his hands, still keeping her close so she doesn't snap away. She needs to hold onto something real or the delusions will come back. Istredd shakes his head.
"Wanda, listen to me. You need to stop and breathe."
He shares with her his feelings, his worry for her, yes, but also a determination, a calm that only comes from years of training and experience, steady despite all the madness going on. He offers her his willpower, his temperance. He cups her face delicately, looking down deeply into her eyes.
"You can't fix it." The magic is her, she would have to fix herself, and that is not something someone can just do. "You can overcome it. You are stronger than the magic, it is feeding off you, not the other way around. It wants you to react. Stay here with me. Just breathe, exist, live."
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When Istredd looks into her eyes, keeps her anchored, he may be able to find through their connection that there is a darkness within—a darkness that is not her own. Borrowed, nurtured, poisoned into her blood, into her psyche, the edges of madness from a book that oozes corruption. It is brief, almost as if it were trying to hide from being seen.
—and then, it's just tears, Wanda crumpling into his arms, letting herself exist; exist under the weight that she cannot fix it, hard lessons she's had to learn the hardest of ways. Her family, her loved ones, a life she was owed, all lost.
But she breathes, despite the pain and the tears, she breathes, because here she is alive, time and time again, despite the odds, and she has to bear with this because it is no one else's pain to bear but her own. What is grief, if not love persevering? So full of love, despite how empty she feels.
Wanda doesn't, then, react, let's the Chaos flow through her, around her, past her—past them—let's it turn the world in puzzle pieces that give up and fall back into the usual. No longer is the world cracked in a mirrorscape; no longer does she fight it, (because she is not truly alone, is she?).
"I'm sorry."
Apologizing is all she can do.
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He holds her during her outpouring of grief and while this is not something he does often, he rarely lets anyone close enough to him to feel they can let go this way, it isn't uncomfortable. Just because close friendships are new to him doesn't mean he dislikes that vulnerability or can't show up for it. No one's really tried to give him the chance.
Istredd is only thankful his words got through and she is letting the chaos flow away from them. He can see it slipping away from her and where they are, and that will make this easier for her too. He remains a steady and constant presence while she cycles through her pain and grief, and she can feel his affection and care through their bond. Perhaps a little awkwardness, as this is new to him, but nothing bad about it. If anything he's somehow ... honored. That she wants to let him in.
"You have nothing to apologize for. We're under the influence of powers far beyond the norm. Very clever ones too."
Istredd has already been able to pinpoint that outside forces have started this, he just doesn't know why or how. Thorne hasn't prepared them at all for possible gods, and clearly is not prepared either. Perhaps that's part of why this is easier on him than others. He doesn't fight them, he just pushes through them.
"I know your powers scare you, but it won't be forever. You'll master them in time, I promise you."
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She manages to look back at him, as he makes a promise to her.
A promise that she will master her powers in time.
"That's what I fear," she replies, hands flat on the floor as she pulls herself up to sit straighter, glancing about. She grips onto a bookshelf, holds fast to it, rises to her feet. "Mastering them might make me — something else entirely."
As we discussed can wrap here
"Or it'll make you who you want to be, on your terms."
Mastery and control can do a lot of things. He is not going to promise her who she'll be though. Hopefully she is surrounded by enough people here that will help focus her.
"I suspect the real world may need you more than you know, I think leaving the Horizon would be best."
By that he means Solvunn, if it is going through what Thorne is. She is the most powerful person there as far as he knows, they would need her help, her power, if it's possible. The Horizon will simply feed on it in the worst way. Being awake may be the safest thing. Istredd reaches out to touch her cheek gently.
"I am your friend and when you need quiet, we can find one another. But for now, try to wake up."