january catch-all

[ushiri]

Who: "Kyle" and folks
When: January
Where: Thorne, Horizon, Borrel for the quest later
What: Pre-planned threads and a few open starts tbd
Warnings: General warnings for this character. Will add anything specific as becomes necessary!

Comments

horizon; open to all

[ushiri]

[ Kyle's domain is a welcoming one to well-meaning strangers. The towering building and statues seem to hold their arms out toward anyone who chooses to enter, and if the door isn't already open, then it's almost always unlocked. Kahlil tries not to spend too many days here, preferring to get all of his business done in a single trip maybe once a week.

Early in the month he can be found with a shovel, digging a hole in the grass outside of the temple, a yellow dog furiously digging her own hole next to him.

During the middle of the month he might be kneeling in front of the iron tree, praying or practicing battle forms with a sword.

Toward the end of the month the hole outside will be much, much deeper. It will be impossible to see the bottom, and if any intrepid adventurers decide to climb in, results may vary. ]

( ooc: will match prose or brackets! hmu if you'd like something more specific )

early-ish!

[princessvegas]

[ When she walks up to Kyle's temple, Julie cannot say she was expecting to find a small mountain of dirt and Kyle several feet deep in a hole. She's well aware that she said she'd visit a few weeks ago, but she would have committed harder if she knew that construction was about to commence.

She peers into the hole from a yard away, her arms crossed over her chest, her brow furrowing before she abruptly remembers telling him to dig a hole. When is she going to learn to stop being sarcastic with some people? She sighs. ]

Find anything yet?

[ushiri]

[ From within the hole he straightens, peering at her. Despite none of this being really real, there's dirt smudged across his brow from when he must've wiped it with his bare arm at some point. Because of said dirt he's chosen to do this shirtless, the thin scars across his toned body on display.

Underneath one of the apple trees on the other side of the stream, the yellow dog naps. ]

Not yet. [ He frowns to himself.

For what it's worth, he understood she hadn't meant literally dig. Call it a lack of imagination on his part, this time. It seemed right, anyway. He shakes his head after a moment, a small smile pulling at one side of his lips. ]

How were your holidays?

[princessvegas]

[ It really is a contrast -- Kyle dirty and bare-chested like it's a hot summer day, and Julie dressed for a nonexistent winter, with a cropped jacket in black fur over a skintight black minidress. She has black stockings under her thigh high boots. Yet both perfectly comfortable in a climate that truly matches neither.

She lets out a soft, amused huff. ] Keep goin' and maybe you'll strike oil. But seriously, I don't think you'll find anythin'. I think you'll just find what your mind thinks should be down there. That's how the Horizon works, y'know.

[ As she takes a step back, a pair of oversized wicker chairs appear next to her, and she takes a seat. He doesn't have to climb from his hole if he doesn't want to, but she wants to give him the opportunity. ]

You mean after the part where we got shanghaied to a polar hell? [ She really did not appreciate how fucking cold it was in Nocwich. ] Pretty good. Yours?

[ushiri]

Maybe that's exactly why I will find something. [ Belief that there's something to find, besides dirt. But what, exactly?

As she creates the chairs he looks at them longingly - they look really comfy. After a second he abandons his shovel and climbs out, patting himself down in a way that shouldn't remove all the dirt on his skin, but it disappears beneath his hands. ]

The food was good. And the flying fish were beautiful. [ He starts to answer as he gracefully pulls himself onto the cushy chair. It definitely could've gone worse, all things considered. What was most important was that there wasn't another attack, like in Nocwich. Nothing in the negotiations to further the tensions.

A beat, and he grins at her. ] My roommate liked the journal I got him. And then he felt so guilty for not thinking to get me something that he gave me a whole basket of gifts! [ He circles his arms as if to make the shape of a generous basket, then lets out a laugh. ] I've never gotten so many at once!

[princessvegas]

But is that actually findin' somethin'? If it's only there 'cause you made it be there? [ This is going to get super circular in a moment, and she can tell, but her point remains the steady, she thinks. If the Horizon only puts something there because Kyle wants to unearth something, then does it actually count? That seems inorganic to her.

Watching him, she crosses one leg over the other, leans back in her chair. She agrees that the trip wasn't the worst thing that could have happened -- if she's going to be imprisoned, she'd much prefer a golden cage than a jail cell. She's tried both of them and the cage is infinitely better. But all the same, she'd rather not be imprisoned at all. ] The wine was great, I'll give 'em that much.

[ Julie beams, and she's genuinely happy for Kyle. It seems like he hasn't had a lot of joyful experience with holidays, which is something she has difficulty wrapping her mind around. Even the most somber ones she knew of back home still had a lot of love and community attached to them. ] I'm really glad you had a good first Christmas.

[ She does not know that, in a few days' time, she'll be pointing a shotgun at his roommate. ]

[ushiri]

[ He hums and closes his eyes, fending off an oncoming headache as he parses her words, the ganal or the egg question. ]

That's a question only the mystics can answer - which is to say, I'm not drunk enough to right now. [ He sighs, leaning back as she does. ] The moment I find something besides dirt, though - I'll consider the task finished.

[ Whenever that comes.

She beams at him and he grins again. Aside from one brief incident at the bonfires, he did have a good first 'Christmas'. Her advice had been deeply appreciated. ]

Speaking of alcohol... [ He concentrates for a moment, two clay mugs appearing in his hands. He offers one to her. ] This is from my world. We call it fathi. It's supposed to be used for ceremonies and it's strong enough to loosen your tongue, but here it won't have that effect.

[ If she accepts it, she'll find a warm, deeply golden colored liquid. If she tries some, it tastes like honeyed wine, sweet but not too sweet, and flavored with floral spices. ]

[princessvegas]

[ She chuckles. Sounds like he's setting himself up for failure. And also like he doesn't know what should be in the ground besides pure dirt.

When she takes the mug from him, she immediately takes a sip to get the taste. It's good, and her eyebrows lift appreciatively. Whether or not it's strong is sort of besides the point -- Julie hasn't been fully sober since sometime around Thanksgiving. If she doesn't drink to dim the noise in her head, it quickly begins to overwhelm her. While she looks fine in the Horizon, the noise has begun to visibly affect her in the real world. She's lost weight, become pale. She can never quite hide the dark circles under her eyes. ]

It's good. What kind of ceremonies do you use it for? Most religions I know of only get wine for theirs.

[ushiri]

[ He smile again when she seems to enjoy the drink. It should probably be sacrilegious to share it with someone outside of the religion, only there's no one left but to chastise him. ]

Ah - it depends. Certain ordainings and things like that. [ He scoffs. ] Mostly, though, some of the elder priests would drink it when the rest of us were supposed to be sleeping. [ Another grin, and he takes a drink. ]

The mystics often drank it too. They were like... mages, I guess. [ He waves his hand. ] You're not getting it here, but some people like the way it makes them feel. Like a deep, deep tranquility. No earthly matters could touch you.

[ He cocks his head slightly at the hole and shrugs. ] I never liked drinking it around others.

[ Here, he doesn't have to worry about the side effects. ]

[princessvegas]

[ If Julie has learned anything, it's that the rules of religion don't seem to matter all that much -- gods just do whatever they please in the end. Not that she would have called herself a good Christian, but nothing in the Bible ever lined up with what she'd gone through or seen at the end.

Kyle's further explanation makes her nod, like she understands. ] My religion didn't do it, but there were others where people would take stuff to try and like, separate their mind from their body. Said it got 'em closer to their gods, made it easier to hear and understand.

[ But what he describes isn't exactly the same as those ceremonies, at least not how he's telling it. Those were about tripping balls, basically, hallucinations, and he describes something that sounds much more enjoyable. ]

Why? "Deep tranquility" sounds like a good way to feel around other folks.

[ushiri]

[ She asks him why, and he glances thoughtfully into the cup of fathi as though the answer might be found there. ]

Maybe. [ He admits, though he sounds less than convinced. There's another pause and he frowns to himself. ] The fathi... it makes everyone feel like their you're friend, even if they're not. You might tell them things you wouldn't share with another soul. And - I had no one I trusted that much, to tell them my secrets.

[ He grimaces, and takes another drink. There was another use for fathi that the priests employed. Interrogations.

He'd make enough mistakes drinking too much taye blossom wine. ]

But what you described sounds like something worth trying, sometime. [ He raises his eyebrows and grins a little wickedly. ] At least once. They must have substances like that here.

[ There was the woman, Nadine, and her cannabis experiments. But Julie is talking about something stronger, he thinks. ]

[princessvegas]

[ She looks back into her cup with an incredulous blink. If that's a reliable effect of this stuff, it's insanely dangerous in the wrong hands. And Kyle's religion honestly sounds kind of cult-y to her, so "wrong hands" probably comprises most of them.

For a moment, she considers what he says. No, she doesn't think she had anyone back home she would have trusted enough. But she knows she does now. ] I hope you find someone to trust that much, some day. A few of 'em.

[ And then she takes another drink. She wouldn't in the real world, not with him. But she will here, where there's no danger. ]

Oh, they certainly do have substances like that here. [ Julie says it with a knowing smirk. ] I'm not a fan of their drugs. Nasty hangovers. Good for insomnia and pain, though.

[ushiri]

[ This time he smiles at her warmly, and tips his cup in her direction. ]

I hope you have found the same.

[ They aren't close, but he has a growing fondness for Julie. He would like her to find happiness and peace in this world, at least some version of it in the midst of upheaval and uncertainty.

At nasty hangover he wrinkles his nose. No, that doesn't sound enticing. Insomnia and pain though - his eyebrows raise. ]

Do you mean like what that woman was offering the other day? Nadine? [ He frowns. ] Maybe I shouldn't get that oil after all...

surprise.

[gynvael]

[ Since his semi-rebuilding of Kaer Morhen—or what lies beneath it—Geralt's been drawn a bit more inside the Horizon. Perhaps because there now lies some work to do. Small touches to add, that he's not finished adding. It occupies his time, at least.

He's examining a wall of stained glass—white wolf beside him for company—when a light rumble makes him pause.

That's. Hm. He frowns. Touches his palm to the wall. Then: stone and glass crumble, shattering. Geralt takes several steps back, startled. A hole yawns at him where the wall once stood. An unlit candle flies at him. He catches it on instinct; the rest are strewn upon the ground.

Through the opening, a familiar face looks back. What. ]

The fuck.

hehehlizard.gif

[ushiri]

[ Why this has been going on for over a week, he can't say. Stubbornness, probably. Some of it he's cheated by digging deeper in with his strength of will rather than his shovel, though he inevitably returns to the physical labor. Rousma has been happy with all the little rocks and bones they found, helping him dig in her dog skin. But he was intent on finding something of more substance. How this turned into an actual tunnel is, well - it should've realistically collapsed on itself many, many yards ago, but Horizon doesn't seem to care for physics in that way.

And so, with one more thrust of his shovel, he hits something hard. A large rock, he thinks at first. Behind him Rousma is nosing through the dirt, pulling out a worm. She swallows it and squeals in disgust.

He gives another hard thrust at the wall of dirt, at which point, the whole tunnel starts to shake. There's a breath moment of panic where he thinks the whole damn thing is finally going to collapse, and the air splits to his side - ready to toss Rousma through first.

Instead, he finds himself staring at an opening into somewhere else - where Geralt stands with a candle in his hand, and a wolf at his side. ]

Hello! [ Rousma greets him for them, her mouth wide in a dog-grin. ]

Hello. [ Kahlil echoes, a perturbed and then slightly embarrassed expression on his face as he surveys what looks to be damage... caused by his digging... ] This is, ah, awkward...

[gynvael]

[ Geralt's brows are furrowed the deepest they've been in a while. He's simply. Baffled. Fucking mystified. He expects chaotic bullshit in the Horizon, but something about this having a tangible cause—he can see, crystal clear, that Kyle has dug through—elevates it to a brand new level of absurdity.

The wolf looks at the talking dog with an impassive curiosity. A familiar expression Kyle might have seen once on Geralt's face.

The rubble is granted little attention. Instead, Geralt peers around Kyle. Through the tunnel. It stretches, far enough that he can't tell where it began.

Did Kyle...? No. (Did he?) One: who the fuck would even do that. For two: why.

Additionally. ]

How is this possible?

[ushiri]

[ Geralt peers and Kahlil steps aside a bit to let him see through the opening. It really makes no sense how a single man could've dug a tunnel this size on his own, but look, it's Horizon.

The blond dog tilts her head, and then play bows at the wolf, her tail wagging furiously.

Kahlil glances at the wolf, getting deja vu for a second before flicking his gaze to Geralt, sheepishly rubbing the back of his head. ]

Well, it wouldn't be the first time... ? [ Which actually gives him a grim thought that causes him to frown suddenly. This isn't a sign that the heralds are about to make a reappearance, is it? He grimaces. ]

I didn't mean to come here, anyway. I just thought... I might find something.

[ By digging a massive hole. ]

[gynvael]

[ Kyle is receiving the rare opportunity to observe Geralt truly taken aback. He steps a little into the tunnel, uncertain. It feels real enough. Even the air's a bit stale as he goes a few feet in.

He looks back out. ]

You've been digging through the Horizon?

[ That's. Hm. Admittedly, that is not something he'd have thought to do. His assumption is that, much like how this temple is currently beneath Kaer Morhen, it's constructed as if it were not. Sunlight streaming through the windows; warm weather the complete opposite to the winter above. He doesn't expect anything to be found down here except more blank vastness for their minds to fill in.

Sure as fuck didn't expect to be able to dig right into someone else's place. Is that even what happened? Or did Kyle subconsciously...? (They are both temples. Of a sort. Except this is new. No one knows it's here except Jaskier.) ]

[ushiri]

I - yeah.

[ Yes. Yes he has. Because apparently Horizon is not flat but a series of tubes.

As Geralt steps closer to the tunnel Kahlil steps aside again and forward, finally taking a moment to look at his new surroundings: the play of warm and cold light, the fresh breeze and scent of flowers. And the statue - a woman, he thinks, but he's not entirely sure. He doesn't need to ask what this place is, though he stares curiously at the faceless woman. ]

Do you come here to pray? [ He turns to look at Geralt. It's a question that is oddly innocent in a way, coming from him. A little surprised, too. There are so few amongst the Summoned that have any faith. ]

[gynvael]

[ Well.

The obvious question to follow is Why?, but Kyle asks first. Geralt looks down at the golden dog, then over his shoulder at the statue of Melitele.

He steps back out of the tunnel. ]

No. It's— [ A pause as he bends to gather the scattered candles. ] Witchers are sent to learn Signs. Magic. I lived here for a time. As a boy. Studied under a priestess.

[ He sets the candles down, arranging them again. He doesn't pray. Doesn't believe in their goddess. But for him, it isn't the point. He absorbed the lessons from Nenneke he needed to. The matter of faith doesn't factor. ]

[ushiri]

[ The dog gives up trying to get the wolf to play with her, and sets about sniffing all the nooks and crannies on her own.

It's not disappointment, exactly - he would've been more surprised had it been true. He nods, still looking up at the statue for a moment longer before turning to watch Geralt meticulously replacing the candles. He's quick to join him, finding one that had rolled into a corner where Rousma is inspecting.

He walks over to Geralt and hands it to him. ] Was she a good teacher?

[gynvael]

[ The wolf lacks any concept of playing, but it does follow the dog, padding behind while she explores as though it's looking after her.

Geralt accepts the candle. He could put it right in an instant, true. Just habit to do it by hand. ]

Yes. She was. [ A little more than a teacher to him. There's a wistfulness in his voice, and he's quiet before he moves to patch the tunnelled hole in the wall. It may or may not mean Kyle needs to make the walk back down again from the other end, if he means to keep exploring, but that's. Kyle's problem and not Geralt's. He wants his wall intact. (He just built this place hardly a week ago.)

Speaking of exploring. ]

What were you looking for?

[ushiri]

[ He could have dug his hole without a shovel. Some things make more sense to do yourself, as you would in the real world.

He wonders about the wistfulness, but he lays his imposing questions aside to answer the one posed to him. ]

I don't know. Whatever there might be to find. [ It's the same as he admitted to the others who asked, only a little more sheepish since he didn't bust up their walls. He glances at Geralt, shaking his head. ]

When the heralds arrived, my temple began to hum and the ground beneath it shook. I spoke with others, and wondered what there might be to find beneath.

[ He's glad that Lucifer's suggestion didn't turn out to be true. ]

[gynvael]

[ Mm. That isn't much of an answer, but it's an honest one. He patches up the wall, reforming it solid, and replaces the stained glass window. As though there were not an underground tunnel behind it, sunlight streams through the blue-tinted panes, sending a scattering of colour across the warm ivory tiles.

Wait. He glances over his shoulder. Though he's not explicitly invited Kyle in, the path he's taking suggests Kyle can follow him further inside. If he wants. ] It shook?

[ That's...interesting. Though— ] Are you sure it wasn't just the Horizon fucking with everyone?

[ His own sprouted vines and was besieged by an uncontrollable blizzard, so a quake doesn't seem that out of the ordinary. Though it's evidently struck Kyle as odd enough that he dug through the entire damn Horizon. ]

[ushiri]

[ Kahlil easily decides he likes this place, which isn't surprising, given what his own subconscious created in his domain. He follows behind Geralt and catches up with him, with Rousma at his heels, her nose still fixed to the ground as they walk. ]

I thought so at first. But there was another domain behaving the exact same way, and it was shaped like mine. Like a tower.

[ Like, in a way, the Singularity. Not nearly as tall - despite what Julie suggested he doubts the height had anything to do with it so much as the structure itself, since that's what the two domains had in common. Istredd had said that some people gave religious significance to that monolith of his. ]