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

Kyle | Thorne | Sannleikr

[ushiri]

( Plotting post found here! General psa that I'll be slow for most of this event due to travel. )

Horizon: THE TEMPLE ☾ OPEN

[ushiri]

[ The temple is located not far from the border of another domain, the gas station. In contrast, the temple stands tall and proud at seven stories. The two massive statues on either side seem to welcome visitors, hands extended out. The one made of white marble always looks on serenely. The one made of black marble has his mouth open, shouting in silence.

If you've been here before you might've already noticed the apple trees around the base of the temple bearing their crystalline fruit. The stream that encircles the structure normally runs clear, but this week the water rushes just a little bit faster.

What has never happened before, though, is the way the stone structure seems to rattle and shake, as if from some unseen earthquake. If you approach close enough, you might also hear the stone itself humming.

Inside nothing seems different. The iron tree still stretches its branches to the glass dome. The smoke that permeated this place during the farmland fires seems to be gone. Some of the fruit from the tree, those same crystal apples, have fallen to the stone floor, splitting open to reveal the soft, sweet fruit flesh inside.

The owner of this domain might not be there when you arrive. There's nothing outright ominous about this place, aside from the shaking and the odd humming. It's quiet, and peaceful. A good place to pray, to any god you believe in. ]

strange humming

[carmesi]

[this place—this temple—it's unlike anywhere she's been before. as she steps inside the horizon, wanda knows that she's taken a wrong turn somewhere, and she could (should) blink her way out of the domain and try again, but...

there's something here. past the massive marble statues, the apple trees, and the seemingly normal stream. it almost beckons to her, this strange feeling, a strange hum coming from the stone. wanda has heard something like this before, but it — it worries her — for reasons she can't quite understand. suddenly, it shakes and rattles, and wanda tries to stabilize it with her magic. she doesn't know if it helps, as scarlet envelops the base of it, but it stops.

and so does the magic she curls around it.

the humming, however, continues, and she moves closer, an arm stretched forward, to place a hand over it.]

[ushiri]

You feel it too?

[ The voice comes from inside the bare space of the temple within, where Kahlil stands at the base of the iron tree. There's a brief flicker of recognition as he makes out her features, or maybe its the scarlet glow of magic.

He's frowning, not at her but the ground between them as it shakes once again. A tea set at the base of the tree rattles on its simple metal tray. One of the fruits from the iron branches falls to the ground, its overripe flesh exploding on impact and glistening on the ground. ]

I wasn't sure if it was only me.

[ He doesn't know what's happening here. ]

[carmesi]

[wanda notices his presence before she hears his words, so she is at least not entirely caught off guard. wanda steps back and, with it, her hand returns to remain close to her chest. she gives him a look—familiarity in his features but she's unable to place him anywhere. instead, she holds herself steady as the ground shakes beneath them once more.

it's definitely real; the horizon around them reacts to the shaking, and only when it stops does wanda direct herself to him.]

This isn't something usual in your domain?

[he needs not answer; she already knows what he'll say.

wanda glances upward at the tree—at the structure of the temple.]

And the humming?

[ushiri]

[ He shakes his head to both of her questions, not willing to approach yet - she's not hostile this time, but he remains slightly cautious. One hand remains touching the tree as he follows her gaze up to the glass dome and the night black sky beyond it. ]

Nothing like this, ever.

[ It's usually more peaceful, quiet. His brow creases again. ]

Yours hasn't been affected?

[ He's only been to Julie's domain so far and that was... different. ]

[carmesi]

[nothing like this—so it's not coming from him? wanda frowns, turning her gaze back at him. she may not be getting any kind of read on the humming itself much as she tries, but she's definitely getting something from him: hesitation, wariness.

has she met him before?

wanda keeps hands to herself, crosses them at the elbows and keeps her hands firmly on them.]

I haven't been there yet. I tried to, but ended up here.

[—and was then distracted by the shaking and this humming.]

But I've never heard of someone's Horizon domain being affected without their own emotional input, unconsciously or otherwise. Are you sure you're not doing this?

i went with the dog version instead of her skeleton form, if that's ok!

[ushiri]

[ He considers the question, lowering his gaze for a second as he seems to go inward. There's no magic to what he's doing, simply internal reflection, and a kind of certainty when after a moment he says: ]

No. I don't think so. [ Whatever is causing the shaking feels like it's below where his domain actual exists. Another pause, then: ] You said you ended up here, first? I was thrown somewhere else first too -

[ As if summoned by that specific thought, something shifts from behind the tree, as though it wasn't there until just this second. A dog, similar to a yellow lab with bright golden eyes walks into view, tail tucked between its legs as it looks at Wanda. This is a creation, tethered to him very noticeably by any kind of other sight. There's something child-like about her rather than beast-like, a quiet intelligence he's manifested in her, as if she's something-someone else wearing a dog's skin. ]

- she came back with me. [ Not literally. But he'd seen her in that strange world with the ooze climbing up the structures, and now she is here too.

The dog approaches warily, sniffing at Wanda's legs. ]

Weird Temple Buddies

[magicalarchaeologist]

When Istredd is not in his own domain he keeps accidentally teleporting around, unintentionally, walking onto domains he doesn't mean to, and it's very frustrating. He usually feels in pretty firm control here in the Horizon, and he keeps trying to visit the Singularity to see if he can sense something is wrong, but it apparently doesn't want to be visited. He's been keeping busy at the castle, making wards and helping the mages, but coming here is usually soothing. Instead he keeps getting caught or shuffled around. Annoying.

And that's when he isn't in his own domain and it decides to quake all around him, buzzing. Istredd has accidentally gone to many different spaces and no one else seems to do that, so that's why when he finds himself here, he actually pauses instead of moving on. He hears that humming noise and approaches the temple. It is interesting looking, as drastic in design as his monolith except quite beautiful. No one would call his monolith beautiful, more foreboding than anything else.

Istredd comes closer because he has no idea where this is or what it means. So far it's the only other place he has felt like this, and when the ground shakes underneath him, it seems certain. He approaches the two large doors and steps inside. It seems calmer in there than in his, with the books all off their shelves and the light dimmed.

"Hello?" He says, reaching down to pick up one of the broken crystal apples, curious.

[ushiri]

"Istredd?"

Kahlil seems to appear from nowhere, a habit of his. He eyes Istredd curiously as he holds one of the broken pieces of apple. In the hand it feels no different than a normal fruit, and is entirely edible - though he's yet to see anyone else actually eat one.

It's only by chance that they're here at the same time. Kahlil hasn't been avoiding his own domain, but he's been limiting his time in Horizon after the last time he'd found himself trapped in one of those strange, unknown landscapes.

The real world feels no safer now, though, after he nearly stabbed Jack...

The ground beneath them rumbles ominously again, and Kahlil shifts his feet apart instinctively. Another overripe apple drops from the tree and smashes on the stone floor with a confusing sound, like a wet splat and a soft shattering of glass layered over one another.

[magicalarchaeologist]

"Hello Kyle. This is yours?"

Istredd nods respectfully to him. It's always interesting to attach a domain to a person, it says something unique about them, always. And this says a great deal, although he's not sure what exactly it is. Just that there are some vast interesting details about Kyle that weren't that obvious to start with. He is intrigued by the sound of an apple that goes splat and also sounds like glass, but turns his attention to the other man.

"This is the first place outside of my own domain I've felt this shaking and humming. I've been to at least a dozen others and they're silent, Lucifer said it was the only one he noticed too."

So it isn't only his experience he is taking into account, which is important as a researcher and making a case study. It could be that there are a few of them, but all the more reason to make a list of them when it is notable. He doesn't understand why theirs though. He rubs a hand against his beard thoughtfully.

"I don't know the connection."

[ushiri]

He nods to the question, glancing distractedly at the glass dome above. For the moment the structure seems sound, but he's not sure what might happen if this earthquakes continue.

His eyebrows lift, and he turns back to Istredd with open interest and curiosity.

"I don't think I've ever been to your domain," he frowns to himself. "I'd started to assume mine was reacting this way because of something to do with it being a temple..."

Something to do with his own god.

[magicalarchaeologist]

"Interesting. Mine isn't related to a religion but ...." He gives it some thought, not jumping right to a conclusion because at this point it's conjecture. It's doubtful they'll get an answer. "It's based on a relic from back home, a giant structure not unlike the Singularity itself. I suppose some people did look at the monoliths as holy in a way."

Not in the strict sense of a religion based around it, but they were thought to be scars or connections to a time long since past. They'd been there as long as humans did, when the Conjunction happened, so they were of great historical significance.

"I suppose I haven't noticed anyone else having domains that are symbolic structures the same way."

[ushiri]

"I haven't found any others either." He's still stuck on the religious aspect. The only other truly faithful soul he knows in Abraxas is Inej, but he hasn't seen her domain yet.

His own temple isn't based on anything in Basawar. Maybe the statues are similar to the ones in Rathal'pesha, beyond that there's no structure that looks exactly like this. It poured from his soul when he first stepped foot in Horizon. A love and devotion to Parfir beyond the constraints of the Payshmura.

"What makes it holy to them?" He doesn't know a more polite way to ask, so he just asks directly.

luficer: closed

[ushiri]

He's been moving between Nott and the castle for his deliveries, so he's quick to hear that the southern city is having issues dispatching of their dead.

These risen dead hardly resemble the Isshusha'im. It's not holy rituals that have brought them back to shamble across the earth. Flesh still clings to some of them, the stench of rot hanging in the air.

He's armed himself with a simple cudgel, better a blunt weapon against them, and sets out from the portal to walk along the outskirts of the old part of the city, close to the lake - with an odd companion today.

"There -" he says quickly to Lucifer, pointing out two of the undead dragging another body into the murky waters. Unconscious or already dead, it's hard for him to say, but whoever it is certainly isn't struggling or fighting back. Without waiting for a response, Kahlil dashes forward, knocking the skull off the decaying shoulders of one of the bloated bodies. The stench is horrific, he swallows back the sudden urge to vomit.

[thedevilwhorose]

Loathe as he is to admit, he's got to practice. Get into the habit of not being at full strength in a fight. What better than a bunch of shambling, nothing-to-concern-himself-with corpses?

He's armed with the small switchblade he had "acquired" from the girl in the woods and his bare hands, popping the blade free when Kyle goes in for a strike. For Lucifer, this is the ideal fighting style. He'd prefer the blade to be a few inches longer, but this is enough to make it work.

The bonus of this excursion is that he gets to see if Kyle's at all worth his salt.

Kyle goes for one; Lucifer goes for the other, pulling an arm away from dragging the body with his open hand, slicing the blade up through what little flesh remains, and then tearing the limb free with his natural brute strength.

Slice, rip, tear. Again and again. Hard to keep moving if all your limbs are in a pile.

The stench only serves to remind him of Hell.

Yaaaay.

He checks on Kyle and then glances at the body they were dragging, leaning away while he spins a severed limb crudely in his grip. "I'm not a medical professional."

Lucifer could, very obviously, tell if someone is dead or not.

It's clear enough that he just wants to make Kyle to it.

cw: fighting zombies is gross

[ushiri]

Somehow with the head gone the body continues to move, and so Kahlil is too distracted this time to observe Lucifer. He gives a sharp kick to the kneecap to the sound of a sickening crunch as the leg bends the wrong direction. Another kick sends it back into the water on its back.

He watches for a moment as it struggles there, headless, his own stomach churning acid. Quickly, he smashes the other kneecap, then the joints at the shoulders, hoping at least that if it continues moving it won't actually be able to get anywhere. He's quick and efficient, and in the setting sun it might be more difficult to tell how he's gone a little pale.

He turns to see Lucifer carelessly handling a severed limb, then suddenly remembers the other body -

The man gives a wretched cough, putrid lake water spilling from his lungs. Alive, then. Kahlil ducks to the man's side, but before he can get in a are you alright? he's already babbling.

"Gods, oh gods - what was that? Are they dead? Thank you, thank you -"

The stranger is on his knees, grabbing and shaking Kahlil by the shoulders first before crawling over to Lucifer, either not having noticed the limb in his hand or not caring, it's difficult to tell - either way he grips Lucifer's leg tightly, sobbing.

The stench of liquor is barely noticeable with all the other smells going on...

[thedevilwhorose]

"Get--get off!" Lucifer hisses, shaking his leg to detach the man.

Is Lucifer having a problem with him more than the undead?

Yes. Yes he is.

When that fails to work he grabs the man by the back of his shirt collar like he's an unruly kitten and drags him back to his feet, pushing him back in the direction of Nott. "Get going or you'll meet the same end as these things!"

Which Lucifer would not be opposed! If the man ends up dead and then rises again, Lucifer will feel vindicated in killing him. But look! You're welcome, Kyle! Lucifer didn't slit the man's throat in this very moment.

(Likely only because Kyle was present.)

"How many more drunks do you think are out this way?" Lucifer gripes to Kyle, moving on and praying they aren't going to be followed. "They're going to be so difficult to tell apart from the dead."

[ushiri]

Kahlil is braced for something more violent, but yes - he's relieved when all Lucifer does is shove the man away with a casual show of strength.

The drunk stumbles back and onto his ass, staring wide-eyed at them and looking like he might protest being abandoned. But after a second thought he pulls himself up, running toward the city with a wet slap, slap, slap of his soaking wet trousers.

"It's easier for people to disappear or be forgotten in this city," he replies, shaking some of the viscera off the cudgel as he walks at Lucifer's side. He imagines they'll run into a few more men like him, and more dead.

[thedevilwhorose]

"It's easier for people to disappear anywhere," he tosses back. The amount of people that can go missing, slipped through the cracks. It doesn't matter the world, it doesn't matter the country. It's that little fact that everyone wants to ignore.

Lucifer could've killed that man and no one would have blinked an eye.

The Summoned could go missing and no one would--

Mmmm.

He's starting to believe, maybe, that there's less truth to that. Interesting.

He keeps his attention peeled, listening for distant sounds, whether it be screaming or unbalanced movement. And then like an animal sighting prey, his gaze snaps to unruly shrubbery climbing up what used to be an old stone building, mostly slabs the this point, broken down and repurposed, pieces left behind.

He moves towards it without a word as to why.

castle thorne.

[londonbound]

(( cw: alcohol & substance abuse, possible nsfw ))

[ He's drunk. Been drunk for days, at this rate, and making short work of his stash of strange little green candies purchased from Oleuni Square what feels like a lifetime ago now. It quells the whispers, if only slightly. Makes his vision pleasantly soft and fuzzy. His words slower to tumble out, even if it doesn't temper them completely. It dulls the nightmares and the guilt.

None of this is new. But he used to be better at handling it. Now, he simply doesn't care.

Giving in to vice is easy. Easier than ever.

He flirts with the castle staff more than usual, bordering on uncomfortable, not realizing the maids are trying to slip away from him because they don't want to attention, or the serving boys are dodging his stares. Never aggressive, Rhy does get a little too enthusiastic these days. Shameless.

When he slips into one of the baths in the castle that's supposed to be private, away from the main bathing hall, and he finds it already occupied--

Rhy simply lets his towel drop anyway and slips right in alongside Kyle. He offers the bottle of wine he's brought with him, perfectly casual, smiling distractedly. ]

Evening.

Water's nice.

Good view.

cw: mentions of homophobia

[ushiri]

[ Kahlil has been dealing with his afflictions with a higher level of avoidance, especially after what happened with Jack. When he's able to sleep he dreams about it: lunging at Fikiri with the Unseen Edge, and as the hot splash of blood hits his face its Jack's eyes staring back at him in surprise and betrayal.

Dayyid watches him in hallways, only for a second glance to reveal a cleaning woman or footman going about their business, oblivious. Some give him odd, wary looks, but that's no surprise given the omens, the living bones that crawl from beneath the castle lately. The guards are quick to dispatch them, and he has yet to see them himself - but whispers persist.

He's relieved the find the bath unoccupied this evening, quickly stripping down to nothing and slipping into the warm water. He's in the middle of scrubbing himself when another figure appears - he's reluctant to turn to look and see who it is (real or imagined), until whoever it is speaks - he has better luck banishing the intrusive face when the voice doesn't match.

It's Rhy that he hears, which under normal circumstances isn't unwelcome. The scent of wine lingers in the air as Rhy slips into the water next to him, and Kahlil takes the bottle with a slight raise of one eyebrow. Good view, gives him a second of confusion, and luckily he stops himself from blurting out what view? like he's looking for a window. He's harmlessly flirted with women in the Lisam house to get information, but this is the first time in a very long time that a man has so openly done the same toward him. He second guesses it, especially with how Rhy seems to have already started that bottle all on his own, but he offers a smile as he takes it from Rhy. ]

You're very generous. [ He says, still trying to gauge the situation - or stalling. Rhy has always been kind to him, and Kahlil would be lying if he tried to claim he didn't find the other man attractive.

He knows this place is not like Basawar. But every temptation he'd ever given in to as a youth had been desperation and alcohol-fueled. The memories remain even if most of the physical scars are gone from his face, from that night Dayyid had caught him - ]

Celebrating something?

[ There's a light teasing quality to his tone, but now he's really stalling, taking another small sip and instead of handing it back to Rhy he places it down farther away. Probably better that he doesn't drink more and both of them end up embarrassed. Rhy is by far one of the most handsome men in the castle, with his pick of equally beautiful companions. Kahlil feels old and damaged in comparison, his body a map of scars and the strange red snake tattoo on his chest that he can't explain. ]

[londonbound]

Not in the slightest!

[ Rhy responds mock-cheerfully. He sinks lower into the water, lazily moving one arm just beneath the surface back and forth to watch the ripples form. If Kahlil were to observe him, he might notice a few scars on Rhy as well, which usually remain beneath his clothes: a small but noticeably raised scar on the right side of his ribs; a mark made up of two concentric circles over his heart, something between a scar and a tattoo; and much less noticeably by now after months of healing, a series of lines down the inside of his left forearm that look like something written there. (The word is sorry, if one were to look closely enough.)

He sinks back on the bench, looking over at Kyle with a shrug. ]

Haven't you noticed? Everything is fucked up. Even the dead don't want to stay dead anymore.

[ He laughs, a short bark of a thing. Not that it's clear, but he's laughing at himself. ]

Not that I can blame them. I certainly have no room to talk.

[ When he looks up, assuming Kyle is handing the bottle back to him soon, Rhy realizes it's been placed aside. He stares at it for a beat too long, as though it might suddenly decide to close the distance. ]

I'm here for a distraction. [ He says finally, and when he closes the distance between them to reach for the bottle, Rhy slides his arm behind Kyle's shoulders almost in an embrace. ]

Care to be one?

[ushiri]

[ They'd shared time in the baths at Nocwich, this isn't the first time he's seen Rhy naked and he shouldn't allow his gaze to wander as much as he finds it doing now suddenly, blatantly as Rhy speaks. He notes the strange scars etched into his skin, wonders a bit at how they came to be - who would hurt Rhy. It causes him to frown a bit, distracted.

Even the dead don't want to stay dead anymore.

The bark of a laugh sounds too harsh and bitter, it has Kahlil's gaze flicking back up to meet Rhy's with a furrowed brow. He's surprised to find how close they are in the seconds before Rhy breaches the rest of the gap. His heart beats rapidly against his ribs, pupils blowing wide in response to wanting and being wanted. Something old and broken within him still tries to resist, speaking in Dayyid's voice: sinful, unclean, abomination. But that voice isn't as strong as it once was, and he remembers that the man who it belonged to is long dead.

Why should he continue to punish himself here, in a place where no one cares who you take to bed?

(he stops thinking about how much Rhy might've had to drink, the difference in their ages, every and all reason he might have to resist, they slip from his mind along with Dayyid)

Care to be one? he's asked, and so he answers by slipping his hands beneath the water around Rhy's waist, pulling him the rest of the way forward and leaning in to press their lips together with a rough, naked desire as he half drags the other man into his lap. ]

nsfw

[londonbound]

[ It's as simple as that.

Kyle might be fending off straight thoughts and anxieties, but Rhy is already beyond that. He is fueled only by want -- want to block everything else out, want for pleasure, want to lose himself because escapism is the only remedy he knows and it's never felt so tempting, or so easy.

When Kyle draws him close, Rhy finishes removing any and all distance between them. He kisses back, open-mouthed and eager, pressing his tongue into the other man's mouth with a loud and shameless moan as he climbs right up into his naked lap beneath the water. ]