aquaveiled | Abraxas IC Inbox

[ Geralt almost never reaches out to anyone via this method, except when needed. He is not, however, keen on going in and out of the Horizon, waiting until circumstances line up just right so he can catch the person he needs to speak to. This is not a pressing matter, exactly. But it is a conversation he'd prefer to have sooner rather than later.

She will find a tidy, bold script shimmering where she next looks: ]

I'd like to talk.

[ Truthfully Himeka hasn't used it much either, only occasionally responding to messages of others if they're interesting enough. She generally prefers face-to-face conversation over written word for many reasons.

Which is why it's even more surprising that Geralt of all people reaches out. Not that she finds him unfriendly--he's been perfect pleasant as far as she's concerned, but it has been a while and she's been made aware that he had some...troubles the month prior.

Her own hand-writing is surprisingly practiced considering how carefree she seems to be about everything else, appearing in kind amiss swirls of blue aether. ]

Hi Geralt. What would you like to talk about?

[ His answer comes without pause, as though he's expecting her question. ]

The Dimming. Name a time and place.

[ The Dimming? That could be a wealth of different things, but she has her suspicions... ]

My crystal in an hour?

One hour.

[ On that hour, precisely, Geralt finds her crystal as expected. He's not sure what will greet him when he steps inside it—he's only been in it once—but the scenery is not his primary concern. (It is pretty, though.)

His stance is relaxed, but he's obviously here for more than a social call. He's already told her what he means to speak to her about; he suspects she can piece it together from there. But it's a bit more than that, too. A broader concern.

That he likes her well enough manifests in the fact that Geralt does not broach the topic immediately. Instead, he greets her with a tip of his head. In his hand is a cheese tart, which he holds out with little ceremony. He's learned a few things both from listening to Jaskier about her and the couple of times they've spoken.

Besides, they've always met over food. Seems no reason to break the pattern now. ] I should ask you first if you were even there.

[ She does have a few things to attend to in town before she can find a place to mediate, cognizant of the time but a little less strict about it. As it turns out she arrives early which is probably for the best given that she's playing the host on this occasion.

What awaits Geralt inside the bubble is a bright lavender vista, the immediate area being a small clearing besides a lake. The shimmering silhouette of the crystal tower sits in the backdrop, not fully defined, more of an idea of it than an attempt at a real recreation. As with all the different lands within her domain, small dragons are seen flitting to and fro from the trees.

She greets him with a welcoming smile and bids Geralt further inside. The cheese tart, of course, is happily accepted. ]

Ohh, thank you.

[ The fact that she doesn't immediately shove it into her mouth is really because he asked a question--or rather posed it as a statement. ]

I was.

[ She motions for him to follow her close towards the lakeside. ]

You were not, at least not that I could tell.

[ But one of his friends was, she knows. ]

[ The small dragons are almost unnerving, not because he's wary of them, but because they're not meant to be so plentiful nor so easily seen. Not in his world. His attention lifts to them for a moment before it returns to Himeka.

He falls into step beside her where she walks. No. He was not. His reasons span more than the fact that he'd only recently recovered. Ciri could not be risked going anywhere near the Singularity, and he wasn't about to leave her alone while the Dimming had her so clearly nervous. Sam said he'd go, under the guise of granting medical aid rather than participating, and that was good enough for Geralt. He trusts Sam to tell him anything important. ]

What did they tell you, that brought you out there?

[ They were all told something. He knows the Free Cities barely masked that they were making an act of aggression; that's only to be expected. But Solvunn is a curiosity, given their claim to neutral ground. He's understood from the start no state is truly neutral. But at least on the outside, that's what Solvunn purports to be. So that they sanctioned the Summoned to intervene is interesting to say the least. Why not let Thorne and the Free Cities do as they will? ]

[ Once they are only a few fulms away from the waterline, she opts to plop down right on the soft purple grass. One really doesn't need chairs in a place like this. She does, however summon a fork so that she can properly poke at the tart. ]

That Thorne was making a concerted effort to bring a surplus of energy to the Singularity and that the Free Cities were likely to intervene.

[ Which proved to be true on both fronts. Whether or not the right thing to do for the Singularity is feed it or destroy it has yet to be seen, and with something that is apparently at the apex of all of existence, a bit of caution is something that even Himeka can think is warranted. ]

They also said the Singularity, like all natural things, waxes and wanes.

[ Geralt sits down alongside her. He hasn't got any idea about the purple grass or why anything is purple at all, but it's striking to look at and he can't say he dislikes the setting. Another time, he'd have asked her about this place she's summoned in her crystal.

He listens quietly. So, what. They wanted to protect the Singularity? Hasn't Thorne been delivering its magic to it for ages now? Is it the excess they were concerned about? There's a lot they don't know. It feels like too many acted with the most minimal information on hand, given by those who clearly have an angle of their own. ]

I know Estinien attacked Yennefer at the crater. And I know she struck back. [ He looks over. In some ways, he gets why so many of Thorne's Summoned were present. They were not asked to fight or intervene in another city's business. They were asked to deliver something important, as was done in the past, and he cannot imagine given the rumours that travel that many at the castle would be keen on being labelled reluctant to cooperate. It's the others that leave him uncertain. ]

I came to you because who he chose to attack is a personal matter, and I've no interest in bullshit posturing and idle threats with another. My concern lies in how easily he was willing to kill over something none of us fully understand.

[ She nods as she takes a fork-full of the cheese tart into her mouth. That is good. If he made it himself then she is impressed. If he simply conjured it up, well, she's still impressed that he got a decent balance of flavors and textures to make it comparable to the real thing. She thinks that creation magicks can't really replace true skill, but she can respect them all the same.

--My concern lies in how easily he was willing to kill over something none of us fully understand.

Himeka stops and blinks at that, fork still resting on her lips. She gives Geralt a quizzical look before finally removing the utensil to speak. ]

We weren't sent there to kill anyone. Did someone die?

[ His eyebrow lifts. He has not exactly ever taken her for naive; her question would be fucking flippant if he didn't know better. Perhaps from anyone else, he'd assume such, but Himeka's not the type. She's a lot of things, but not. An ass. Or an idiot. As far as he's aware. He's been wrong before, but he likes to think he isn't about her.

It is lucky no one died. But it's hardly the point, either. He's already dragged one broken angel in; if Castiel took that much damage, he doubts it was a friendly joust in the middle of the crater.

And Yennefer may have had her reasons, but he also knows she doesn't draw on that much of her chaos unless she felt threatened enough to do so. It would consume her otherwise, if she isn't cautious. So the fact that days later, she still bears some injuries tells him a lot. ]

Himeka. [ He peers at her carefully, scrutinizing but a little uncertain, too. Like he wants to think better of her than what she's implying. ] Do not tell me you truly believe that.

[ There's clearly a disconnect here and she takes a moment, frowning slightly as she rests the fork on her knee. Geralt wasn't there, of course, but he has a very specific idea of what occurred. Truthfully she can only speak for the few battles she was part of, and to say that her face off with Goro wasn't intense would be a lie.

Come to think of it, he had very pointedly said it would be end for her...did he truly mean that in a final sense? She held no ill will against the other summoned upon entering or leaving, but that isn't to say it was the same for anyone. ]

I don't know what the directive given was at Cadens or Thorne, but the latter I doubt was anything lethal.

[ Despite the fact that Thorne is really the only one of the three factions she's seen sentence anyone to death, she's fully aware it was both Solvunn and the Free Cities who were interlopers here. Mission objective and defense makes the most sense for Thorne. Truthfully the Free Cities seems like the wild card and having gone against both an agent of Thorne and the Free Cities, it's definitely not Sasarai who was playing for broke.

Himeka shakes her head. ]

So no, I don't know what to believe of the others. But I can speak for what we were told when the mission was posited to us and what I considered going into it.

[ A long moment passes where he doesn't answer. Somehow, the fact that she seems so incredibly sincere is more baffling than if she were simply deflecting. He would understand the latter. She has her friend to protect. But he can't grasp the idea of acting on the word of those who continue to pull in more of the Summoned even now, and believe it meant to be an innocent excursion that would lead to no lasting consequences.

Besides, it is not just about this one incident. It's about what this says for the future, for what's to come. He doesn't like what he's seeing. Not in the Free Cities with their apprehension over magic, not in Thorne wrapped up in their alarm around the Singularity, and certainly not in how easily some of the Summoned are being swayed by missions taken at face value. He does not care about their politics, their conflicts, about who is in the wrong or right. But he does care about those he's come to consider a friend throwing themselves behind nation states that couldn't give less of a fuck about any them beyond what value to the cause they have to offer. And he cares about the rest getting caught up in that crossfire. ]

This world is kindling waiting to be set alight. If you and yours allow yourselves to be weaponized against those stolen from their homes as you were, then you are only feeding into the fears of these courts and councils.

[ She is willing to share all that happened and her reasonings behind her choices as she offered, but what he says in turn is not something she expects to hear--or rather, something she fears to hear. Geralt may not realize it but he has so directly touched on one of her long-standing insecurities, but it becomes apparent rather readily. She is a terrible liar, after all.

Himeka's brows raise and her eyes widen as the sky that was blue is suddenly bathed in a bright, oppressive light. The dragonets that were happily flying from tree to tree immediately seek cover beneath the boughs.

"If you and yours allow yourselves to be weaponized..."

It cuts in places she has kept safely covered over the years, only ever wanting to be useful and helpful to both friend and stranger alike. How she may have allowed herself to be misdirected even with the best of intentions is...something she has thought much about despite not wanting to. Something she should have been able to figure out for herself. ]

...Is that what you really think?

[ The sharp burst of light makes him squint. He frowns, turns to look because even though they're in the Horizon, instinct tells him the sky illuminating out of nowhere is a bad sign. Only when nothing else comes of it does he return his attention to Himeka.

Frankly, he didn't come here to provoke an epiphany. This was meant only as careful reminder of what should be important. Only now does he sense that it's as though the thought hadn't occurred to her—like she's never looked at it this way. He thinks of Estinien telling him he was trying to decide whether this world was more like his own or the one Geralt is so intimately familiar with. It'd seemed an irrelevant point then. How readily change can be wrought hasn't anything to do with how blind pursuit of duty so often leaves a path of ruin.

But Himeka is different. Not duty, exactly. Faith, innocently misplaced. He wonders, suddenly, despite all the battles and wars she's fought, if she's somehow never found herself astray. Abandoned, alone. Consumed by the kind of bitterness and loathing that threatens to swallow you whole. ]

Yes. [ There's a reason he isn't in Solvunn. He trusts no one who claims neutrality and yet sits so comfortably in the midst of all this fighting: harbouring prisoners, summons of their own, doling out missions. Solvunn has staked their own claim in this war. They just haven't said what it is. A wildcard at best. At least the Free Cities have been upfront about their aims.

He leans forward, his gaze fixed on Himeka. ] How long did it take the others to replicate Thorne's summoning spell? A handful of weeks? Chances are, they were already looking to make their own attempts long before we came. [ The Free Cities, shunning magic, and Solvunn claiming they have no interest in the Singularity. Both far less steeped in Thorne's powerful magics. And they succeeded that fucking fast? A ritual capable of ripping multiple people out of space and time? Hard to believe that it was a path they never considered until Thorne showed its hand. ] We are not their defenders. We are the cost to achieve their ends.

[ That's what he thinks...of everyone who participated? Of Yennefer? Or is she (and her comrades) a special case? She's not so self-centered or naïve to think that it would all be about her, but she can't speak of anything but her own experience. Nor would she want to take the voice away from someone who can speak for themselves.

It just...stings. Bringing up old fears she has been trying to avoid, things she knows that inherently aren't true but sometimes cannot help but feel her only use is on the battlefield, so why not respond where she is pointed? But no matter the setbacks, Himeka is determined to be more than that.

Himeka looks down at the tart in her lap for a moment. A quiet, thoughtful moment. Then she turns he gaze back up to the now too bright sky. ]

I was that foolish once.

[ She waves her hand, bidding the light recede until the dome above them turns into a blanket of stars instead. The sunless sea. ]

I didn't think about who or why I was fighting, only that I was supposedly the only one that could do it--this particular job. So why not? It was the least I could do in turn for the freedoms that were afforded to me otherwise.

[ She settles her gaze on Geralt. ]

And in turn, I was part of a plot that nearly doomed my comrades and undercut the alliances between nations we had strove so hard to achieve.

[ Himeka sighs, dropping her fork to her knee. ]

I have made my mistakes and I want to believe I've learned from them. Or...rather continue to learn from them. We may not have been brought here by choice, but we can still make choices while we're here. I didn't elect to participate on a whim, Geralt...and not simply because fighting seems to be the thing I am best at.

[ Well, cooking aside...she wants to be best at that. ]

It is precisely because Solvunn has decided to start Summoning as well. That they had welcomed us with little to no quarrel was a boon at first and something I thought was just because they are a society of...collective effort? Everyone working together. If they truly have no interest in the Singularity then why bring others here?

[ She shakes her head. ]

I don't buy it. And I have my suspicions about their gods as well--beings they are so devoted to to the degree that they believe they can weather the war by being under their protection. I know not what experience you have with that even though we have done similar work, but...the one thing I am equipped to do above most else is face off against false gods. What that may or may not have to do with the Singularity or their goals here, I can't say. They keep their secrets and I am not particularly sneaky myself, as you likely can tell.

[ At least she's self-aware enough for that. ]

I elected to heed their call because I want to know more and to do that, I need to gain their trust. I will admit I feel some semblance of understanding if it is true that the Singularity does have a natural cycle of waxing and waning given duties I've had in the past, but I can't know if that's true for certain. And moreover, I also don't know if what Thorne or the Free Cities wanted to accomplish would be better or worse, but I'm not able to act on their behalf where I am now.

[ It's more than she ever intended to say or would normally with prompting, but it is something she has put thought into. She may be a creature of moments and whims in many regards, but matters of this import are something she takes seriously. If she were the same person she was five years prior...well, she would have a lot to answer for. ]

I am not here to defend Solvunn, nor did I believe the other Summoned were doing the same. Mayhaps I shouldn't have assumed as much...what I am here to do is try to find out how this affects our stars, our homes. So that we can all return to them someday.

[ Geralt is nothing if not at ease with listening while people talk at length, so that's all he does. If he's misjudged her, it's largely due to her earlier nonchalance. And truthfully, he still isn't certain where that came from in the first place, when she asked him did someone die and insisted Solvunn had not sent anyone there to kill anyone. As if they needed to say it out loud for it to be clear whose lives they did or did not give a shit about. Which is none of the displaced Summoned. Because if she knows the other Summoned were likely also not there to defend their chosen state, then why the careless disregard for the bloodshed?

Fuck knows he has nothing against spilling blood. He's done it too many times to count. But he understands the weight of it, when it is done; it is not so much regret as a simple acknowledgment that you do not do it without an ounce of thought or simply because someone has stood in your way or because you're driven by fear of what may come to pass. That the purpose behind it matters. And while he's not judging Himeka—unlike with Estinien, he doesn't know what Himeka did on that battlefield; it's possible she was only there to search for answers and defend herself, and he can accept that—he still feels like he's. Missing something. He'd come here to gauge whether Estinien will continue to be a concern or not. He's realizing perhaps the matter lies more with Himeka, who seems to have at least considered that there is some nuance behind those who have chosen to remain where they have, Thorne or otherwise.

There's a long moment before he answers. For awhile, it seems he might not say anything at all. Eventually, though, he does speak up. ]

I'm not asking you to turn your back on what's important to you. And your past is your own. Regrets are part of living. [ He hesitates. He'd understand the situation more, if Himeka sees herself as aligned with Solvunn and so views all of them in that light, or if she were actually so naïve that she truly buys into Solvunn's neutrality. She's stated otherwise. A disconnect exists that he isn't sure how to bridge. It says something, how he feels about Himeka, that he's even bothering to attempt to bridge it at all. ] I'm asking how you can believe what you do, and yet answer the matter as you did when I brought up your friend's part.

Edited 2022-01-18 23:00 (UTC)

[ There is a little relief in that, acknowledgment of her own past mistakes. Things that she is still trying to make up for at least by how she moves forward since she knows she cannot undo what is done. She is not so proud to believe that she won't have her own fair share of missteps here too, especially without the support system she has grown so used to having, but that doesn't make her not want to take on the challenge.

His question brings a pause as she tilts her head slightly with a frown. ]

What do--

[ Oh.

Another pause. Her lips form a near perfect "oh". And it dawns on her. ]

That...was a dick-ish way to put it, wasn't it?

[ It's definitely not the first time she's written off things with a callous remark, despite how her overtly friendly nature may make her seem otherwise incapable. She's learned to take a lot in stride and doesn't apply it all appropriately when she does. She takes a moment to gather her thoughts so she can convey them with the gravity he is expecting giving the circumstances. ]

You came here not just because you wanted to know what the other factions may have been up to, but also because people you care about about were part of it, right? I should have considered that fully when I spoke. I'm sorry.

[ Himeka shakes her head. ]

I saw the signs of violence but nothing so dangerous that it would be beyond healing. It's what I would expect, so I...kind of callously jumped to a conclusion I thought was impossible. Truth be told, if someone were in such dire straights and I had the opportunity to help them, then I wouldn't be doing my job--not just as a fellow Summoned, but as a White Mage.

[ A pause as she levels her gaze on Geralt. ]

Is she alright?

[ A long while passes where he studies her in turn. He isn't looking for an apology, nor does he care if all it was is that she said some shit she didn't mean to. Just to understand what it is that's going through her head. Perhaps with her last statement, he's starting to understand what she sees.

He sighs: not dismissive, just accepting of what Himeka is saying. ] She's recovering. [ His fingers curl lightly in the grass, unsure if he wants to get into it further. Himeka continues to speak of the Dimming as though it were in isolation, but he's concerned about more than that. About what it says. About what it sets for what's to come. About how easily things could've turned out far differently.

Ultimately, it's not his place to steer for others. He wouldn't want to, either. She has told him the consequences are not lost on her, and that's enough for things as they are. Where the state of the world is concerned, it's bigger than any one of them. His reasons for wanting to speak with her, for wanting to understand what it is she's doing and why, are more personal: initially to know who he can rly on, but—as they spoke further—also concern for her, for what she might not realize she's becoming entangled in. She's reassured him well enough of the latter; the former, though... ]

I am glad to know that you're aren't acting on anyone's behalf, nor believe the others are. And I didn't mean to presume your intentions. [ His voice is level, phrasing chosen with some care. It's something of an apology of his own, if not in so many words. ] It was hard to know what to think, when your friend appears unwilling to extend the same thought to the other summoned, about why some may have seemingly chosen a side on the surface.

[ There's a reason he'd found it almost conflicting, what she's been trying to tell him. Because if Himeka herself is only alongside Solvunn to gain insight, then would Estinien not consider the same for those in Thorne, as well? Unless he doesn't know, unless he doesn't realize, but that implies Himeka has not made her intentions clear to her own friend or Estinien is that oblivious. He isn't sure about either of those. And Geralt gets the impression Yennefer gives off; in truth, if Estinien simply had a personal vendetta against Yennefer, he'd understand. Fuck if he isn't the first to acknowledge how infuriating she can be. But he also knows Estinien was quick to accuse Sam of allegiances and supporting Thorne, in the man's own home, and Sam—Sam, he does know goes out of his way not to piss people off. So all that rolled together is...more complicated.

If it weren't for Himeka, he wouldn't be here at all. But he does like her. He'd rather not drop her as an ally if he doesn't have to, just because she's close to someone he can't trust to keep a level head. There are things he's yet to tell her, solely because he isn't sure if it'll cause more problems than not should it reach more volatile hands. ]

Edited 2022-01-26 23:50 (UTC)

[ She nods, but doesn't pry further. Himeka knows well enough by now that Geralt is a private person and if he doesn't wish to share much about Yennefer's condition, that's more than enough. She knows the fight had gotten a little out of hand from the state that she saw Estinien in, but she has seen him far, far worse after much more dire battles. Admittedly Himeka had been surprised by that, but the scent of burnt aether had said enough.

What he follows up with is curious, though. Though Himeka opens her mouth to speak, she forces herself to stop and give a moment's pause to reflect. In the end, all she can really do is shake her head. ]

He and I are of the same mind on that, though mayhaps he doesn't express it the same way.

[ Estinien may be more vocal about it, but Himeka doesn't hold any particular love for Thorne either. ]

It is more difficult to imagine tying oneself even for just a while to a power that has treated us poorly, but it also wouldn't be the first time. Even so...Thorne's citizens are not those that wield its power, nor are the Summoned there. I think what he's looking for are the "whys".

[ Himeka gives a half shrug of her shoulder, brows a little heavy. ]

That isn't to say there isn't hope--because I believe there is. I do think there are people there that want to see change there right now. Maybe once we've figured out if the Singularity is either the cause of or answer to all our problems, there will be less need for this war all together.

[ Like Himeka, Geralt doesn't pry beyond that, either. Her answer tells him enough: that Estinien has made a deliberate choice to approach things as he has with all the awareness that he holds, and not out of some misguided notion. There's not much more to discuss, in the face of that. ]

There's never a need for war. It's a symptom, not a solution.

[ It grows out of wounds too deep to heal, catches like fear. Consumes everything in its way. Even without the Singularity, he doubts these territories would not find something else to squabble over for power. What else is new? But it doesn't matter. He's accepted long ago there are those who look towards war as an answer. His only concern is that he and his people are not dragged into the midst of it for the sake of choosing allegiances, and in that, he at least trusts Himeka will not do.

He rises to his feet. ] Take care of yourself, Himeka.

[ She gives the statement a moment's pause--it's one that she's thought about in the past, but hasn't reached a definitive answer to. Himeka would certainly like to live in a world without wars, and for a time that is what her life had been. Secluded, safe, but ignorant of the sufferings of others. Of the need to fight.

Since she left her village, there has always been war. Some long and quiet much as what seems to be brewing in this realm, others short and violent, or anywhere in between. Does she think many could have been avoided? Perhaps. But it is often much more complicated than that.

Needless to say, she would much prefer to live in a world where there never was a need for war. Isn't that what they strive for?

Their conversation is ending on a sour note, but Himeka offers Geralt a nod and a quiet smile all the same. ]

You as well. If there's anything I can do, just let me know.

[ She does believe they're all in this together, no matter how rocky the start may be. ]

[He possesses the unfortunate ailment of all newcomers to the Horizon, the inability to remember so much that would come to define him. Maybe that's a kind of freedom to some; a kind of clean slate in which to express emotion and curiosity freely, dependent upon the shape of their character prior. For Sephiroth, it only manifests as wandering, knowing something has gone missing but unaware and unable to know how or why. Lost, but seeking.

He finds a plaza of stone, illuminated by pink circular-like adornments. Ruins that he cannot hope to recognize linger in the distance, though he is certain that they did not exist before he set foot into this place. The centerpiece appears to be a large, hovering crystal, golden rings circling it lazily. That is a curiosity of its own, but it is the sound of singing and dancing that truly draws his green-eyed attention elsewhere: an assortment of… creatures at a distance, small with little bouncing pom-poms atop their heads.

Sephiroth ambles towards them, and shows no hesitation in bending down just enough to pick one up without preamble. He turns the wiggling little cat-like thing to face him, frowning.]

I’ve seen this before.

[Somewhere— where? A mog? Moogle? The images are far-away but present, gone hazy like that of a dream. But the look of this creature is very distinct, and he is sure his memory does not fail him here.]

[ Himeka's visits to her domain have been infrequent of late. With Estinien and Relena's disappearance, more of her attention has been put to the world beyond. Horizon has become something of a welcome distraction from the realities they must face, a way to hide into memories and places she holds near and ear even if they are presently so far away.

This is one of those times. She's been very busy on the farm and constantly trying to make contact with the newer Summoned in Solvunn, even she can use a break. Which, apparently, means surrounding herself with equally chatty dragonets and Moogles alike. It's a different type of conversation.

She is normally one to gladly welcome any visitors into her Domain, but at the present she's distracted with a lunch that she has conjured up for herself as she enjoys a little aerial show of dragonets above her. It's not until the group of dancing Moogles decides to sound the alarm that Himeka realizes something is amiss. ]

"Alert! Alert! Our brother has been mog-napped, kupo!"

[ Himeka jumps up immediately as the once dancing Moogles now frantically circle the visitor, waving their little hands and pleading in a series of mostly incoherent kupos. It seems she put some effort into making them just as ~~insufferable~~ lovable as they are in her own world.

What she sees, however...doesn't look quite like mog-napping. More like a singular man giving one of her Moogles a close inspection. Himeka raises a brow as she approaches a little more cautiously. ]

Is there something on his face?

[He appears to be unaffected by the group dancing around him in protest, offering them little more than a mild glance downwards where they titter around his feet in a series of harried kupos. Himeka’s approach earns only a similar consideration, quiet as his brows pinch enough to cast a shade across pale features. Sephiroth himself is dressed in clothing with the sign of the Tower embroidered over the heart; tailored in black, the regimented lines of his garb suggest that of a military uniform, though plain and otherwise unmarked.

A beat of silence. Then, in a similar way one might show off a document, or the part of a machine, he holds the little Moogle out, flipping it around a second time to face her for inspection.]

I recognize this. It’s a Moogle.

[Stated plainly, immune to the little creature’s wiggling. The Moogle may as well be trying to slip away from a steel vice, even if his grip lacks real force.]

Why is it here?

[ The Moogle flails, causing its brethren to similarly flitter about in fear and desperation. If it were anything but a gaggle of Moogles, it would certainly be something to be concerned about. Even Himeka doesn't take their alarm too seriously.

Himeka takes in his dress, finding it rather straight-forward for the creativity that Horizon can offer, but she really isn't in a place to judge. Whatever is comfortable, right?

To his question, she nods. ]

Yes, yes it is. That one's name is Moghod.

[ Moghod gives a high-pitched kupo-po! in affirmation. Himeka crosses her arms. ]

He's here because I made him, along with everyone else.

[ There are cries of outrage and rallying to action from the other Moogles...well, you know. The idea of it. No one is actually making a move to attack. They do rather like making it seem like they may, though. ]

...Are you in need of Moogles?

[Is he in need of Moogles? Sephiroth seems to consider that question with the same pause he gives any that are impossible to answer; no, he doesn’t need this creature, but it strikes something in him, like pulling a faraway cord connected to a memory lost.

Finally—]

No.

[With a concession that the Moogles will likely find favorable, Sephiroth bends down and sits Moghod down. Silver hair slips over his shoulders as he straightens again to look at Himeka.]

What good are they?

[Unintentional sick burn directed at said Moogles. But perhaps he better means what good will they do him? He cannot be sure.]

But I know their shape. I’ve seen it before as a mascot, though I don’t recognize anything else here.

[His eyes sweep their surroundings.] You created all of this?

Edited (tmw you notice a repeated icon and you can't abide by it) 2022-02-18 21:54 (UTC)

[ Himeka is patient, if anything, and seems to have no problem giving this visitor the time he needs to consider his options, no matter how much of a ruckus the other Moogles make. If only her calm would rub off on them, but alas, she has made them a little too like their real-world iterations.

As soon as Moghod is free, he immediately flails in a circle before fluttering upwards to join his comrades. The others flock around him and a series of frantic and relieved "kupos" echo like a chorus across the Zenith. ]

They are good companions and entertainers. And excellent craftsmen, when they put their poms to it.

[ On cue one of the Moogles brandishes a hammer, though it seems to be less out of a love for craft and more to make idol threads towards the silver-haired man.

The rest of the area, though...Himeka turns her attention away from their guest to the open stone walls that encircle most of the area. This brings a smile to her face. ]

This is the Zenith--or, well, a recreation of a place from my star. A home to dragons. A place that Moogles helped restore, actually.

[ Turning her attention back to the man, she inclines her head. ]

But Moogles can be found other places...they're part of the postal service, actually. Or seen often in the Shroud. Is that where you call home?

[Good companions? Debatable, he thinks. Entertainers? Dependent upon what one considers entertaining. Craftsmen? For some reason, he cannot seem to give them even glancing credit, finding it difficult to believe, what with their clumsy-looking bodies and noisy exclamations.

Sephiroth will not question it, however. It seem as though this is her creation, and thus the Moogles, as well -- they are what she makes them to be.]

The Shroud?

[Home? Sephiroth's expression scrunches for the first time, casting shadows. He reaches up, pressing the heel of a palm against his face, struggling to recall. But it is like fishing into deep, dark water with nothing willing to surface; he cannot remember what home entails.]

I can't remember. I don't know. It doesn't sound familiar to me.

[ Himeka nods as she crosses her arms. Granted she would understand underestimating their capabilities, that Moogles are rather silly creatures is not something she would ever refute. She wouldn't believe half the things they are capable of had she not seen it herself. ]

The Black Shroud? It's a region in Eastern Eorzea--

[ "I can't remember."

Oh.

Oh.

Well, this is certainly a confusing thing to be introduced to. Moogles rarely make sense even to those who know them well, in her eyes. Himeka's expression turns sympathetic. ]

Did you...just happen to awaken in this strange culmination of lands with no sense of self or purpose?

[ You know. Just an average day. ]

[You know, as one does.

Sephiroth lowers his hand, regarding Himeka a second time. Her assessment of his situation, and most importantly, its accuracy, seems to abate some of the disquiet of his memory loss. The lacking feeling of not being whole, and not exactly knowing why.]

...Yes.

[And how strange it is, to find oneself in such a situation, lost and wandering, but with no reason to even question. So blank-slate that all one can do is try to find purpose in someone else's creations.]

How has this happened?

[ No wonder the sight of Moogles must be troubling. (To some even without forgetting what they are.)

Himeka steps forward and then motions for this guest to follow her towards the large fountain in the middle of the area. ]

Why don't you come and take a seat? We can talk about it and what you may or may not remember. I can at least assure you that we've all been there.

[The Moogles are perhaps only troubling because they tug at a memory that isn’t there — a hole all the more prominent, if only he can see the shape of its outline.

The invite to move the conversation elsewhere is a welcome distraction, brief as it’d be to cross over to the fountain. Sephiroth nods, allowing her to lead the way. Though his curiosity is sharp, as always, now that he’s aware that she’s the host, he’ll only wander where he’s directed.

The Moogles will probably be happy about that.]

What do you mean?

[That they’ve all been there.]

Here.

[ She says as if that answers everything, motioning to the world around them. Which doesn't help, really, but at least he's only left in the dark for a few moments as she summons up some rather large cloud mallows for them to sit on. Soft and comfy.

Himeka plops down on her own as she motions for her guest to take his seat. ]

Or rather--all of here. The first time we come here it seems like we can't remember who we are or why we're here in the first place. But those memories will come back eventually.

[Eyes widen at the cloud mallows. The fact that she can conjure nearly anything she likes out of thin air, apparently, does not abate the surprise that she chose... this, but he eventually sits down, hair pooling around the bottom of his fluffy new seat.]

So we've come from somewhere else? That would make sense. [Why he can sense that there's more beneath the surface, even though he cannot peer past it. This is comforting, knowing that it is the default, rather than a permanent consequence.]

You said this was a recreation of your home. You have dragons?

[ She can think of nothing more comfy when at Zenith. If only he realized how fitting it was! Though as long as he finds them adequate enough it will work for her. Himeka knows the accommodates are likely not what he cares about right now.

Himeka nods to his first statement. ]

Though where you came from before, I can't say. Before...and before that. But the first before is likely one of three places, that's the one that you'll back to when you wake up.

[ Clear as mud, right? ]

Yes, dragons are a part of my home. Or rather they allowed me to be part of theirs.

[ She motions to the sky above them. ]

This is what the Churning Mists look like to the best of my memory. I...don't suppose that sounds familiar to you at all?

[ He did recognize Moogles, after all. ]

[Clear as mud and other very obfuscating materials, and his brows knit accordingly.]

And you're from one of those three places, as well?

[At least his sense of logic has remained intact, though her explanation tells him very little. Why only three places? What should he expect when he returns, when he "wakes up"? Should he equate this place to a shared dream?

At her gesture, his neck cranes up, taking in the vast scope of the sky.]

No. It doesn't. [Seem familiar. His line of thinking seems to follow the same trail.] Is that unexpected? Maybe Moogles are universal.

[ Himeka nods as she rests her hands in the soft fluff of the cloud mallows. ]

Not originally but from the place we all are, yes. I'm in the Solvunn Commune. I'm not sure if you are as well, but it's not a terribly big community so I think we can scratch that one off.

[ A little disappointed that doesn't ring a bell either. Mayhaps Moogles are universal? ]

You know...that would be an odd thing to hold all the shards together, but you may not be wrong. Their postal service has a very wide network.

[ The first day of the Summit has just about come to an end, with booths packing up so that the vendors can find some rest themselves. Most of the Summoned are now headed off to the Neutral section to see what's on offer after hours, and while Thancred would normally be happy to join in, he needs to take care of something first.

The lack of a linkpearl is something he hadn't felt keenly until now, though he's aware that there's another method of instant communication in this world. It isn't quite what he's used to, but it will be faster than tracking down Himeka in person, at least for now.

Thus, he takes a moment to close his eyes and concentrate, mentally penning out a message meant for Himeka's eyes only. ]

Himeka, can you see this? It's Thancred.

[ It's been a successful day thus far, albeit with a number of surprising turns. She wants to believe that these different powers can really settle their differences for the benefit of all, but...she also knows that's wishful thinking.

They're just waiting for the next shoe to drop.

She's making her way to the tavern area (unsurprising) when she catches the sight of familiar handwriting on a nearby surface. Himeka pauses, looking about her, before moving forward to concentrate on her connection. ]

үεs, ι cαη. ιs εvεяүтнιηg αℓяιgнт? αяε үσυ gσιηg тσ мαкε нαρρү нσυя?

[ Thancred has seated himself at a bench in the Solvunn section and while he imagines that soon enough he'll be one of the only people lingering in this area, he does have a small journal in his lap to make it appear as if he's reading or writing rather than simply sitting on his own and staring at nothing.

As much as this area is clearing out, he can never let slip from his mind how he may or may not be perceived by whoever is around him. ]

That's the plan, but there is something we should discuss before that. It might be for the best if we do it this way, strange as it might be.

[ If nothing else, this will be good practice for communicating in this matter when it and the Horizon are their only options. ]

[ Himeka is notably much less subtle about it, but her staring off at something randomly isn't all that odd for those that know her. Right now it appears that a case of some sort of bolts or other machine parts has her attention. Fascinating. ]

ωεℓℓ тнαт вσ∂εs ωεℓℓ cσмιηg ғяσм үσυ... ωнαт ιs ιт?

[ She will always follow his lead when it comes to being secretive, though.

Lay it on her, Thancred. ]

[ Thancred is well aware of how ominous this is, and he isn't meaning to leave her in suspense. He does hope that she's sitting down, wherever she is, but he doesn't delay any further in sending a message. ]

It's possible this is old news for you, but were you aware Fandaniel is here as well?

[ Fandaniel hadn't come up in their prior conversation at all, and Thancred can only imagine he would have, seeing how they'd even spoken of the Telephoroi. ]

[ It's a shame this has to be in...eye-writing, because the look on her face would say more than she can get out in proper text. ]

тнαт's ησт sσмεтнιηg үσυ ωσυℓ∂ jσкε αвσυт, вυт cαη үσυ тεℓℓ мε үσυ'яε jσкιηg? ρℓεαsε?

I wish I could claim it was merely a joke, but given that I had an entire conversation with him, I have to assume his presence here is very much real.

I do apologize for being the bearer of bad news, however.

ωнσ ιη тнειя яιgнт мιη∂ ωσυℓ∂ sυммση нιм? σя εvεη тнειя мσsт ωяσηg мιη∂?

нε's ησт ιη тнσяηε тσσ, ιs нε?

I asked him that very question. He doesn't seem to have any better idea than we do, though I wouldn't put it past him to attempt the same things here that he did back home.

No, he's in the Free Cities. I also didn't mention that you're here.

ησ, тнιs ωσυℓ∂ נυsт вε α ηεω тαяgεт. ωε ∂ση'т кησω мυcн αвσυт тнε sιηgυℓαяιтү αs ιт ιs вυт нε's ∂εғιηιтεℓү σηε σғ тнε ℓαsт ρεσρℓε ι ωαηт мεssιηg ωιтн ιт.

нε ∂σεsη'т кησω?

[ That's good. Right? Interesting...though she doesn't really want him to direct his ire to Thancred instead, Fandaniel's goals do seem to be less specific to the Scions and more to just. Chaos. ]

ι кησω sσмε ρεσρℓε ιη тнε ғяεε cιтιεs. мαүнαρs ι cαη αsк тнεү кεερ тαвs ση нιм?

[ She knows well that Geralt will not want an assignment, but she figures she can ask him to ping her if he sees something amiss. ]

If that's the case, it would do us well to learn more about the Singularity before he does if we can. We can at least attempt to stay a few steps ahead of him.

[ While it is possible that Fandaniel might focus in on Thancred as a denizen of Etheirys, he somehow doesn't think that he'll register very highly on his list of priorities. Time will have to tell with that, and he's prepared to deal with aught that might come his way. Dangling the Warrior of Light in front of an Ascian is never a good idea, however. ]

That might be a good idea, aye. Assuming whoever you ask knows how to employ some amount of discretion.

тнεяε's α тнεσяү тнαт ιт's тнε cεηтεя σғ αℓℓ ωσяℓ∂s. вυт ι нαvε ησ ι∂εα нσω тσ тεsт σя ρяσvε тнαт.

[ She supposes that people from so many stars have been pooled together should be evidence enough, right? ]

ιғ ιт's тяυε, тнεη ғαη∂αηιεℓ cσυℓ∂ sεт нιs sιgнтs вεүση∂ συя sтαя...

[ And take literally everything else with him, were he successful. ]

ι тнιηк sσ. нε gεηεяαℓℓү ρяεғεяs тσ sтαү υηιηvσℓvε∂, sσ ι ∂ση'т тнιηк нε'∂ ιηsεят нιмsεℓғ ιη αηүтнιηg. ι ғιgυяε нε ωσυℓ∂ вε αвℓε тσ ℓεт мε кησω ιғ нε нεαяs sσмεтнιηg, тнσυgн.

I've heard similar. Thorne is the closest to it, is it not? I'll see what I can look into on my end, once this is all done.

[ If Fandaniel is somehow able to sink his claws into the Singularity or harness its power in some way, it could be truly catastrophic. The last thing Thancred wants to do is give the Ascian ideas, but chances are he's already thinking of it.

He's already dealt with one Final Days, the last he needs is another. ]

That would be better than nothing. It would be best to have some eyes on him.

ιт ιs, үεs. тнσυgн ιт's ησт αη εαsү נσυяηεү ғяσм тнε cαsтℓε.

[ One she would take if it were feasible, even from Solvunn. But she's been to the borders and there are watchful scouts even in the more remote regions. They really don't seem to be wanting people going in and out...without permission. ]

ι тнιηк нε'ℓℓ υη∂εяsтαη∂. тнεяε αяε α cσυρℓε σтнεяs ι cαη тяү αs ωεℓℓ, sσ ωε'ℓℓ sεε.

ι ωση∂εя ιғ εмεт-sεℓcн αη∂ нүтнℓσ∂αευs αяε αωαяε...

I am hardly unused to difficult journeys.

[ Which Himeka well knows, but Thancred does not hesitate to remind her. If he could handle sojourns into Garlemald, surely he can manage a trip to the Singularity.

Then Himeka drops those two names and Thancred permits himself a sigh before replying. ]

I find it hard to believe they wouldn't know. The question is, what do they plan to do about it?

ιт ωσυℓ∂ вε ηιcε ιғ тнεү ℓεт υs υsε ρσятαℓs мσяε ғяεεℓү.

[ She really misses aetheryte travel. ]

ι'м ησт sυяε. ι cαη αsк αη∂ sεε ιғ нε's αт αℓℓ ιηcℓιηε∂ тσ αηsωεя. ι cαη'т ιмαgιηε нε's тσσ ғση∂ тнσυgн, αт ℓεαsт вεcαυsε нε ∂σεsη'т ℓιкε вειηg υρsтαgε∂ αη∂ ғαη∂αηιεℓ's gσαℓs αяε тσ ∂εsтяσү ғσя тнε sαкε σғ ∂εsтяυcтιση яαтнεя тнαη яεвυιℓ∂.

[ Not that she agrees with Emet-Selch's methods--far from it, even with clarity after his death. ]

[ Portals would be nice, assuming that such a thing wouldn't involve horrific aetherial sickness. Himeka won't know about any of that, so he refrains from mentioning it for now. ]

You may be right. While I would not wish a conversation with Emet-Selch upon anyone, you seem to be able to handle him better than most. If you do get the chance to ask, feel free to pass along what you learn.

нε яεαℓℓү нαs вεεη ση нιs вεsт вεнαvισя sιηcε нε αяяιvε∂.

[ Which where Emet-Selch is concerned may be a low bar, but she does want to alleviate at least one worry from Thancred's mind. Especially now that Fandaniel is there. ]

That doesn't count for much.

[ While Thancred will take what Himeka's saying into consideration, he is not willing to give Emet-Selch the benefit of the doubt either. She's much more forgiving than him, of course, and always has been.

Will she feel differently toward the Ascians when she has memories of Fandaniel orchestrating her body being stolen by the likes of Zenos? He hasn't had the energy or the heart to tell her about that. It's over and done with and would only upset her. ]

[ Not for Thancred especially and she doesn't expect that to change. He has more reason than most for not trusting Ascians and it was specifically what he went through that really stayed with her.

Even without knowing what she discovers in her future, her standing with Emet-Selch is...complicated. To say the least.

Her main concern is for Thancred, however. He's her family. ]

ι ∂ση'т ωαηт үσυ тσ ωσяяү.

[ As much as Thancred would like to ensure Himeka that he won't worry over her given whose company she must share, it would be a lie, and he owes her the truth. ]

Promise me this. If the situation changes and he crosses any lines, let me know. I will find a way to cross the border and come to your aid.

[ Even if that mainly just consists of punching Emet-Selch in the face. He would relish the opportunity. ]

Is he here at the summit?

ι'ℓℓ ℓεт үσυ кησω.

[ Will she also try and address it herself? Yes, that's also very probable. But she does her best to keep her promises all the same. ]

нε ιs, нε cαмε тняσυgн тнε sαмε ρσятαℓ αs ι ∂ι∂.

[ Notably she's left him to his own devices. Now is not the time to share that she has sought out his company purposefully before this. He has been a helpful, if grumbling companion from time to time. In particular his knowledge of the shards and calamities was information she needed, even if that became a dead end. ]

үσυ'яε ησт gσιηg тσ cσηғяσηт нιм, αяε үσυ?

[ Is this going to be Rak'tika all over again? ]

[ It may have been for the best if Thancred had not asked Himeka this question at all, if he'd simply sought out Emet-Selch on his own. The Ascian is not someone who's particularly easy to miss, though he does so enjoy shirking duties and napping instead of participating in much of anything.

Still, Thancred's already shown Himeka his hand. At this point he may as well be truthful about it. ]

I won't make a scene, don't worry. I would like to establish where we stand, however, and to do so with my memories intact.

[ So he wants to even the playing field. Not something easily done with Emet-Selch even without the, term, tension between the two of them. But Himeka won't stick her nose into that. ]

ι'ℓℓ мαкε sυяε тσ gεт α вσттℓε σғ αℓε яεα∂ү σηcε үσυ'яε тняσυgн.

[ Good luck, Thancred. ]

Edited 2022-04-05 18:07 (UTC)

I will gladly take you up on that.

[ Baffled as Thancred may be about Himeka's relationship with Emet-Selch and how she seems to always give him the benefit of the doubt, he at least understands now that it's complicated, given everything to do with her past life as Azem. He won't push her on it, particularly given that she's never questioned his own inability to forgive the Ascian. ]

In the meantime, we should both endeavor to enjoy aught else the summit has to offer.

[ A chat with Himeka is long overdue. The plan had always been for him to check in with her via the Horizon soon after his return to Castle Thorne, and yet so much more has happened than he ever could have anticipated in the last few suns. First, the mutual sharing of memories between Summoned which started only the day before. Second, the sudden appearance of Y'shtola, who he discovered upon returning to the castle.

He's been keeping Himeka up to date as best he can with their ability to mentally send messages to each other, yet it's hardly a substitute for a face-to-face conversation. Or as face-to-face as the Horizon allows, in any case.

Late into the evening he returns to his room (and gods, he has missed sleeping in a proper bed), sits cross-legged on his mattress, and slips into the Horizon. It's been three weeks since he's done this, but it comes back to him with little resistance, his domain appearing around him bit by bit.

It's the Wandering Stairs. A drink would be nice about now, even if it's not a "real" one.

Yet as Thancred looks around the area, he spots Himeka already there, seated at one of the tables with a plate of coffee biscuits in front of her. He blinks in mild surprise, but then moves over to join her. ]

Just invited yourself in, did you?

[ Yet despite the question, and his exasperated little sigh, his smile is fond. He has security measures in place, but of course Himeka is always welcome. Even if she had found herself in that set of alleyways, she would have been able to navigate her way through and to the rest of his domain with little trouble. ]

[ It had been something of a whim to travel to Thancred's domain. Though she had reflections of their star and the First in her own, she wanted to see what he would come up with. And...it provided a moment's escape from how confusing her life in Solvunn has just become.

To say she's unsettled to see both Wanda and Nero definitely experience Echo visions right in front of her would be an understatement. And when Himeka can't face something head on, she avoids it.

So she's definitely avoiding it while stuffing her face with fantasy cookies right now.

It's mid-stuffing her face that she hears Thancred's voice. She perks up and smiles, cheeks puffed comically as she smiles around them when he takes a seat. ]

Mhh hhrr whhf uhhnn.

[ Thancred should know better than to try to address Himeka in the middle of a meal. He shakes his head to himself as he takes the seat across from her, glancing at the plate of cookies with mild consideration. After a moment, a tankard full of ale appears in front of him. He's more in the mood for a drink than sweets right now. ]

Do you want to try that again? Unlike you, I can't inherently understand every language.

[ Not that "mouth full of coffee biscuits" is a language, but he's allowed a ~~dad~~ joke here or there. He takes a swig of his drink. ]

I'm back at the castle, as you might have guessed. And I returned to another familiar face. [ He pauses for just a moment. He won't leave her in suspense. ] Y'shtola has joined us.

[ Thancred you should be well-versed now, but she'll give him a pass. The right thing to do is to swallow before she speaks, but sometimes Himeak gets excited. She does just that, taking a moment to wash them down with the cup of coffee she'd made sure to acquire along with the biscuits. ]

I said, "the door was open".

[ Metaphorically, at least.

When he says he's back at the castle, she nods and figured as much. Their correspondences while he has been out have been brief messages more than "in person" meetings, so reason would only hold he was somewhere comfortable (and probably alone) to visit his domain properly.

It's the mention of Y'shtola that makes Himeka freeze. ]

Wh--Y'sthola? When?

[ Naturally the door would be open for her. Thancred has no reason to keep her out, his space being as good as hers. He knows the reverse would be true as well, though he has yet to actually find and explore Himeka's Horizon. That will have to change soon, now that he's back.

While he in theory could have come into the Horizon while traveling with Stephen and Yennefer, it had felt more prudent to remain aware of his surroundings at all times. Given the number of monster encounters and other obstacles they'd run into along the way, he believes that was the correct choice. At least he'd still had a means of checking in with Himeka throughout the trip to let her know all was going as planned.

Naturally, she's shocked to hear of yet another Scion arriving. Thancred smiles and nods. ]

She's been here for a few suns now — she arrived while I was still away from the castle. Her magick's currently muted, as with all newly summoned, so she doesn't have her aether-sight. I assured her it would return soon. [ He pauses to take another pull from his tankard. ] I let her know you're here as well, of course. Once she's accustomed to the Horizon I'm certain she'll come find you.

[ There's a great deal for the two of them to discuss. ]

[ For a few suns--and neither of them had known! Not that Y'shtola isn't perfectly capable of handling herself with or without her fellow Scions, but--

--goodness, Y'sthola of all people. Himeka isn't sure why it's a shock when all of the closest Scions were the same ones that were transported to the First, but she knows that summonings here have absolutely nothing to do with her, not with the Warrior of Light. Thorne saw fight to take her...and Thancred.

That may not sit entirely well with her, but it doesn't seem like Thorne has summoned anyone it's regretted for several moons now. Mayhaps they are finally safe there.

It's after a moment Himeka realizes she's done one of those things were all she's doing is sitting there staring at Thancred like she's waiting for some prompt to speak. (She's not sure why she does that.) Himeka takes another drink and finishes off her coffee. ]

Yes, yes--...I imagine she's settling in well enough without us around?

[ It may sound dismissive but it's said with a fond smile. Himeka sets her cup down. ]

It's been so long...for the both of you. And now suddenly you're here.

[ While Thancred will sometimes give Himeka a hard time for the silent smiling and nodding, it's not as if he can blame her either. With the sheer amount that she's had to deal with over the years, the stories she's heard and kept close to her chest, it's only natural that sometimes she lapses into "listening mode."

Besides, some of his fellow Scions do have a tendency to go on and on, Alphinaud and Urianger chief among them. ]

I suppose she couldn't bear to let me go ahead on my own. [ He winks as he continues to nurse his drunk. ] But you know Y'shtola. There isn't much that unsettles her. I suspect she'll have memorized all of Castle Thorne's library ere long.

[ That's a bit of an exaggeration, but not by much. ]

We may not be with you in Solvunn, but we are here. And I'm happy to help Y'shtola make her way there, if she decides to join you. [ Thorne is a bit of a double-edged sword, knowing what they do about its darker practices. It is still a wellspring of knowledge and that might be difficult for Y'shtola to give up. ]

There's something else, however. [ At this, his expression shifts into something a tad more somber as he regards Himeka. ] Have you noticed any effects among the Summoned in Solvunn? [ He does not yet know if the Echo-like symptoms are affecting all Summoned, but he would not be surprised were that the case. ]

[ Alphinaud tends to go on and on, but Urianger gets lost in translation sometimes. She's gotten better at deciphering him over the years, of course, but initially she just enjoyed listening to him because it sounded fun, not because she was actually parsing much of what he was saying. An attentive, if lost, audience.

Thancred is right, though. Y'sthola is the most unflappable of them all and would readily take on Thorne as a new challenge. She wouldn't say she needs the support, but that Thancred can be there with her is a good thing. A good thing for the both of them.

It strikes her that she may be coming off a little lonely on her own--and, well, she is but that's far from the point. Himeka shakes her head, still holding onto her now empty coffee cup. ]

Knowing what I do of Thorne despite not seeing the nicer parts..it does seem like the sort of place she'll be running given time.

[ The thought in and of itself is a little amusing--Ambrose, having to cowtow to Y'shtola's stubborn quest for knowledge--

--humor that's quickly lost as Thancred brings up the very thing she's absolutely been trying to avoid. The way that her face goes from soft bemusement to sudden panic, then to an awkward attempt to smile through it probably says it all. She's never had the best poker face. That's partially why just saying nothing sometimes has been th best option. ]

...A few things?

[ This is important. She won't pretend like it's not happening, but it isn't easy. Her tail twitches behind her. ]

There...aren't as many Summoned in Solvunn.

[ It does feel like between them two of them, Thancred and Y'shtola may be able to make some headway within Thorne, especially when Thancred also has Stephen and Yennefer as trusted contacts. Indeed, it might be worth updating Himeka on some of that as well, but it's ultimately this sharing of memories between the Summoned that has more of his attention at the moment. Particularly when it comes to Himeka.

No, she's not one who can generally hide what she's feeling, and perhaps Thancred had even been banking on that. For all the time they've known each other, she's never quite been able to pick up any of the art of subtlety from him.

Of course, there is something endearing in that too. Spy work is certainly not for everyone.

He taps his fingers on the table a few times, as if sounding out some tune, before pinning Himeka down with his stare. She can't wriggle out of this one, unfortunately. ]

True enough. There may therefore be less instances of this... well, I may as well come out and say it. It's an Echo-like phenomena. I assume you also had a dream about the eclipse?

[ Thus far everyone who he's asked has reported the same dream. Much like the Horizon is a shared vision of sorts, it seems that the Summoned can even share dreams. All of it comes from the Singularity, it must be, and yet it feels like there's still so little that they understand about the monolith. Frustrating, yet true. ]

[ If anyone can do it, it would be them. Himeka believes that whole heartedly. And she wants to believe that this is all just a temporary situation. They will all find a way back. Estinien has, unintentionally or otherwise, so surely they can as well.

But that's for a future conversation, it seems. Thancred comes right out with and honestly that is usually easier for her than beating around the proverbial bush.

The eclipse...it's not quite a star shower, but a shared vision is something to note no matter the circumstances. It's what's followed that's really thrown her--she saw it first with Nero and then with Wanda, two people who have no connection at all to Hydaelyn or their star. Why would they suddenly succumb to the same visions and same side effects?

Himeka bows her head slightly, fingers tightening on the cup. ]

Mhmm.

[ She nods, then exhales slowly. ]

And then it wasn't long after that I saw a friend's past...and then another's. And then they saw mine.

[ As uncomfortable as Himeka may be with discussing this, there is truly no safer place to do so. No one will be walking in on them, not when Thancred's domain has certain security measures in place which make it something of a chore to navigate. ]

That must have been an adjustment. You've seen the memories of so many others, and yet is a rare thing for them to see yours.

[ Rare, or perhaps even unprecedented. Had Minfilia or Krile or anyone else with the Echo ever glimpsed a silver of Himeka's past? If so, news of it had never made it to Thancred.

Following a brief pause, he leans forward, bridging a few ilms of distance between them. There is still the majority of the large table separating them, but the shift is a silent indication that what he's about to say is something he means sincerely, and that he wants Himeka to listen. ]

I know what you're thinking. That somehow, this is your fault. The Singularity is capable of much that until now, we would have thought impossible. [ He lifts one arm to gesture at the facsimile of the Crystarium around them. ] The Horizon, for one, but it also possesses energy that puts the Crystal Tower to shame. Let's heap the blame on it, shall we?

[ She nods again. An adjustment is a kind way to put it. It isn't as if Himeka hasn't realized how invasive it must feel for others when she sees their pasts, their moments of weakness and memories they would prefer not to revisit, but...she hadn't fully understood how it can be. Too used to being on the receiving end. ]

I hadn't realized-...

[ Just how awkward it made one feel? Something like that. But the rest of her thought dies on her tongue as Thancred hits the nail on the head.

Himeka looks up slowly at that. Of course he can see right through her, can't he? IT does feel like her fault. How or why it's happened she doesn't know, but it's much too close to the Echo to ignore. And with no one else seemingly in possession of that ability, it...it has to be coming from her, hasn't it? Somehow... ]

...

[ G'raha had been able to control the Crystal Tower. He was bound to it. If...she were somehow the same with the Singularity, could she control it?

She could send all of them back? ]

...

[ No, he's right. It's so much more powerful, beyond their current understanding. It's a long moment but Himeka finally nods and forces something of a somber smile of her own. ]

Yeah...you're right, Thancred.

[ Looking down at her cup again, it changes from a coffee cup to a tankard, now full of ale. She needs it. ]

It does seem like that whole eyeball dream and the visions are connected, but I don't know how.

[ The shift in Himeka's choice of drink would be difficult to miss, yet it's not as if Thancred can blame her. This sudden bout of memory sharing between the Summoned would be a lot to handle even without the added pressure that Himeka's heaping on herself, regardless of what he might say. He does hope she'll take his words to heart, but he also understand it's easier said than done.

Simply put, he knows a thing or two about guilt and how it eats at you.

Her use of the term "eyeball dream" does bring a small huff of a laugh out of him, mainly because it's so her. ] Yes, that's yet another hint that the Singularity is at the center of all this. We'll need to do more research on the eclipse, it seems. [ Which is not his area of expertise, but he can work with Y'shtola on it.

He'd rather not dwell on this subject overly long, not wanting to make Himeka too uncomfortable, and there's plenty more for them to discuss. ]

Is there aught else I should know of that took place over the course of my trip?

[ It had been three weeks, after all, and while the two of them kept up with each other, it was more checking in than full reports. He has much to tell her as well, but you know what they say. Ladies first. ]

[ She nods in agreement with that. Though she's far from the best notetaker, she does try to wrack her brain if she's seen anything like that before, both in the Horizon and without. But she comes up with nothing to shake out any relevant memories. ]

I don't think I'd seen anything like it before. Though...eyeballs...eclipses--they do kind of look like the same thing, don't they?

[ She looks up from her drink then like she's assuming Thancred will concur. ]

You know...large. Balls that can be hidden by other things?

[ Makes perfect sense right? ]

Ah...I went on somethin of a trip myself.

[ That topic puts her in something of a better mood. ]

The caskets that we'd retrieve in the winter-- [ She had won one herself from Thorne and brought it back to the Commune. ] --myself and another were tasked with delivering it to a shrine in the forest.

[ Thancred braces his elbow on the table and then rests his chin in his open palm, easing up slightly with the drink and the less fraught conversation. ]

I assumed the term 'eye' was more a nickname of sorts for the eclipse, given how it does look a bit like one, yes.

[ As in, they probably shouldn't read into that word too much. Or mayhap they should? But it struck him as a term that the people of Abraxas used for the eclipse, rather than having some deeper meaning.

Again, though, that will require further research. He sees a trip to Thorne's library in his future — one wherein he'll be fetching loads of books for Y'shtola.

Himeka had mentioned her own trip during their correspondence, though she had shied away from including too many details. Which had been the right choice, of course. Thancred's glad that she's picked up on some of his lessons by now. ]

A shrine, eh? To one of the old gods, I'd wager. [ Though there's something he's still confused about, he'll admit. ] What is the significance of these caskets, exactly? I had heard that Summoned squared up against each other to claim them, but what makes them so desirable?

[ She nods several times in succession. Theorizing is the sort of thing she's always preferred to leave up to the other Scions, chiming in only when prompted. But when it was only her and Estinien--arguably two of the absolute worst at it--she's tried to step up to the plate. ]

I can't shake the feeling that it's like...like the Singularity is watching us somehow. That's silly, right?

[ Please tell her that's silly, Thancred.

She takes a moment to take a drink from her tankard before going into the details of her journey. Her nerves are arguably more calmed after moving away from the subject of the Echo. ]

I'm not entirely certain, but I imagine if Y'shtola was close to one she would find something interesting. Even I can sense the aether is different.

[ While naturally sensitive to aether given her proclivity to manipulating it to her will, no one has the sort of aether insight as Y'sthola at this point. All Himeka can feel is that it's special, even if she can't discern why. ]

They came from Thorne. The Council in Solvunn said that they couldn't be trusted with Thorne or the Free Cities. Given the history with Thorne and the reputation of the Free Cities, Estinien and I actually agreed on that point. But...we did so knowing that we would be entrusting this strange energy to the Council.

[ People that have thus far been kind, but truthfully Himeka doesn't know too well. She's used to bumping elbows with nation leaders at this point, so it's a work in progress. ]

They said they would be kept safe and part of me hoped that would be the end of it. Just keep it secret and safe? But when the opportunity came up to transport them...

[ She was curious but also felt responsible given that she had helped deliver some of those caskets to Solvunn. ]

The shrine was remote, Thancred. There are many shrines and altars in the towns proper, but they really sent us out and away from everyone else.

[ While Himeka might want some manner of reassurance on the point of the Singularity, Thancred isn't in a place to offer that. He instead lifts his eyebrows and gives a noncommittal little shrug. It very well could be watching them, particularly their actions within the Horizon. The Singularity being sentient in some way doesn't strike him as particularly farfetched, after all they've seen.

Look at Eden, for example.

The explanation of the caskets that Himeka gives still manages to be rather vague, but Thancred gathers that they are a great source of energy. Naturally he thinks to the large caches of crystals that would be gathered by anyone wishing to perform a primal summoning back home. No, none of this sounds good. His rests both his elbows on the table, lacing his fingers together in front of his face.

Perhaps he could learn more of these caskets from within Thorne, if that is where they originated. Thancred can understand why Himeka would have wanted to take power out of Thorne's hands, having gone through what she did at their whims, but where the casket ended up doesn't sound particularly reassuring either. ]

It's not often that leaders of any nation make a bid for a power source and don't eventually plan to do something with it. [ And so Himeka had felt a personal responsibility to see things through, to know where her actions in taking the casket would lead.

The shrine was remote. He frowns, hands falling away as he straightens and heaves out a sigh. ] They wanted it taken to that particular shrine, then. Or are you implying that they chose that location to ensure the safety of their people? [ Himeka has always wanted to see the best in people, and he is here to temper that. ]

[after taking stock of her inventory—what she has and hasn't sent, or hasn't otherwise given away to family in solvunn—she is left with a fair amount of items that she could very well... give away. she has no desire to keep them anywhere, nor to have a stock of them.

not when magic comes so easily to her.

and so, himeka will find a couple of things waiting for her at the farm. the first are candles, then soaps, and several bottles with scents and lotions and all the hair care a gal could want. additionally, there is a recipe box with her own food additions, that of food found in solvunn, and several blank cards for her to fill in with her own ideas.

there is no sender nor letter to explain the package, but it's probably not necessary. if himeka had been paying attention the past few weeks, she would have known that wanda had been working on this little side project on her own anyway.]

[ Wanda will find that when she comes home the following evening, Himeka is making a meal for everyone from one of the little recipe cards from the box. Out of everything, that is unsurprisingly her favorite, knowing that care has been put into writing all that down, remembering the ingredients...

Cooking is an act of love as far as she's concerned. And she wants to return it in kind.

(Her hair may also start to smell like the new tonics over the weeks. And the lotion really helps her scales!) ]

We have another Scion in our midst.
I came upon Urianger in the communal baths yesterday evening.

[ Wh-what? ]

υяιαηgεя?

gσ∂s! ιт's вεεη αgεs, нσω ιs нε ∂σιηg?

ωαιт, ωαs нε ∂яσωηιηg?

No, not this time.

[ Yet it's a fair question. Thancred doubts that any of them will soon forget the walking-on-water incident.]

He's doing well, all things considered. I'm taking care to ensure he settles in, and I already made him aware of your presence here.

It's interesting that Thorne in particular seems so eager to bring us Scions in.

ιт ωσυℓ∂ sεεм sσ! ι'ℓℓ α∂мιт ι'м α ℓιттℓε נεαℓσυs...

[ She misses her friends, okay? ]

ℓεт мε кησω αs sσση αs нε's яεα∂ү тσ cнαт ιη нσяιzση, тнσυgн. ι αssυмε үσυ'яε gσιηg тσ вε тαкιηg нιм ση нιs ғιяsт נσυяηεү?

[ Thancred does at times wish they could all be in the same place. They can only hope that another opportunity to meet presents itself sooner rather than later. ]

Yes, I suspect so. I have already told him about its existence and the very concept was overwhelming enough in its possibilities that he requested time to think it all over. As you can imagine, he's eager to learn as much as he can about this place as quickly as feasibly possible.

Whatever Himeka is doing at the moment is suddenly interrupted by Inej reaching out to her– hopefully her handwriting is familiar enough that Himeka knows who's contacting her.

Are you busy?

[ It certainly is! Himeka happens to be on the road just outside of the Primary Settlement, heading back to the farm she lives at. So she does pause to respond. ]

ιηεנ! ησρε, ι'м נυsт нεα∂ιηg вαcк нσмε. ιs αυgнт αмιss?

Everything's fine. I was just wondering- how much have you looked into the Old Gods there in Solvunn?

ιт's вεεη α вιт σғ αη σηgσιηg ρяσנεcт σғ мιηε ғσя α ωнιℓε. вυт sσмε sεcяεтs αяε cℓσsεℓү кερт, ιт sεεмs. ι vεηтυяε∂ συт тσ α sняιηε α ғεω мσσηs вαcк.

I thought so. Anything interesting in the shrine?

I can't recall, but did I ever tell you about the cryptic note I found when I was researching in the library when I was still in Solvunn?

[ It's almost too much to process, all at once. The shift from a nice time spent at a luxurious ball to the potential threat had been one thing, and Thancred had made his choice, opting to help Hythlodaeus (and by proxy, Himeka) rather than see to the message from Thorne.

Then, he returned to the castle only to be ushered into the Throne Room and hear a speech from Queen Ellya that is the polar of what she'd uttered at the Summit. Thancred watches her anger, how she spits it out with each word, how her eyes flash with it — so irrational that the danger is clear even before the threat is literally shown to them. Grigory is dead, and Thancred knows that he was even closer to the Queen than most would believe, but he still isn't ready for her to show them a vision of her rage given form, as meteors relentlessly rain down on a desert city.

Which could very well be Cadens.

It feels like the Final Days all over again. He can practically feel the heat of Vanaspati, can almost smell the smoke of burning flesh despite the comforts of the castle.

More than that, Yennefer is hurt and that is at least partially his fault. He sends out a string of mental messages to her first, with no reply, and it's at that point that he pushes through the crowd of Summoned and castle residents alike until he can find a quiet spot in an unattended hallway to catch his breath.

Everyone he knows in the Free Cities (and more) may be ash, but before he faces that, he needs to find out if his choice had been worth it.

He focuses on sending a missive to Himeka. He prays that she responds. His writing as it appears is hastily scribbled. ]

Himeka.
Are you all right?
Thorne's delegate was injured. Please check in as soon as you are able.

[ Truth be told, she's escaped the most unscathed, and as a healer it almost doesn't seem fair. ~~The only HP that matters is the last, after all.~~

The mood in the Commune is...interesting. That she should benefit from the support of others is something that she won't soon forget, but as much as she cares for and feels a part of the community, she doesn't fully trust it's leadership. Ominous energies exist in the world around them and as intertwined with the natural world as the Commune is, she can't believe they exist outside one another.

Still, she's on the mend quickly. And she's never the sort to sit idly, even if she's still recovering. ]

I'm fine.

[ Which is probably the exact answer Thancred anticipated. ]

I know the others were attacked. Yennefer?

[ Both Yennefer and Jaskier were in the carriage with her--she knows who else was sent to ply for their faction. ]

[ The relief of seeing her handwriting appear on the opposite wall has Thancred falling into a seat at one of the benches inlaid into the castle corridor. Himeka's fine, and while that doesn't give him a sense for her injuries, she is at least conscious. The same cannot be said for Yennefer.

There's still many questions left answered, but this was the most important one. He takes a moment, dragging his hands down his face and then up again, through his hair. ]

She isn't awake yet, but she should recover.
I have no idea about Jaskier. The queen just attacked the Free Cities with fire and brimstone.

[ There's no easy way to break that news. Thancred knows that Jaskier and Himeka were friends, and he can only hope and pray that he survived. ]

[ She doesn't know Yennefer all that well, but she does know that she's been something of a friend or at least adventuring companion to Thancred. That in and of itself makes it all the more important.

He's lost plenty. He doesn't need to lose another one. ]

You probably have the best healing magicks there in Thorne. I can reach out to Jaskier...

[ Trying to be helpful? Hopeful?

But that second part...that bodes ill.]

...Literal fire and brimstone?

Yes. She made us watch through some manner of portal, much like the way that G'raha used to watch us through the Crystal Tower. I witnessed massive fireballs raining down on one of the cities there.

[ It's hard not to assume it's Cadens, though he doesn't know for certain. ]

Hopefully we hear word from the Summoned there soon. I would rather not assume the worst, but...

[ He's also trying to be realistic. ]

[ Goodness. Though she supposes it was only a matter of time given the nature of the relationship between the Free Cities and Thorne from what she's gathered, it does bring it all to home, doesn't it? This war that's been ongoing with the frontlines being more metaphorical than literal. Someone would eventually make the first move. ]

The Free Cities have the best military on the star, don't they? Surely they would be prepared...

One would certainly hope. Based on what I was able to see, however, it didn't look promising. There were no shields or reinforcements to keep the attack at bay.

[ Of course he doesn't want to deliver Himeka such awful news. But this is the reality of the situation, and there's no point in trying to downplay it. It's unfortunately nothing they haven't seen before. ]

And we've heard nothing...?

[ Okay, yes. She's definitely worried. And it isn't as if gossip in Solvunn is regular about the outside world. ]

Surely someone has heard something. I'll go out.

[ Bed rest? Nah. ]

Given that it's the middle of the night and any survivors are likely trying to deal with the aftermath of the attack, I can't say I'm surprised there's been no word.

If you learn anything on your end, be sure to let me know.

[ It's not like him insisting she should take it easy will be effective. Himeka's going to do what she wants to do, and so he doesn't waste a thought on it. ]

Of course. I'll get back to you soon. Be safe and sneaky, okay?

I always am.

[ Sent this way by Jayce's suggestion: ]

Hello. My name is Kyle. I've been curious about the gods of this world, and was told you might be a good person to talk to about them.

If you'd rather speak in Horizon, I have a temple there where we can meet.

Oh were you? Well I can share what I know, of course!

You must not be in Solvunn, I feel as if I've met all the Solvunn summoned by now. I'm happy to talk however you would like. What is it that you want to know?

Talking this way is alright, as long as you have time. I was Summoned to Thorne where they don't seem to have much use for gods, so I have more than a few questions in mind.

What gods are worshipped in Solvunn? Are the people there familiar with these signs of the heralds that have appeared?

[ Start with that. ]

I suppose that's not too surprising. The general vibe here is that the rest of the star has fallen out and needs to find the right path or somesuch.

That question isn't as easy to answer as you'd think. There are a myriad of gods and minor deities that are worshipped across the commune, various towns, families, and just...quite a bit! I feel as if I've only just touched the surface.

But I did ask about the heralds since I hadn't heard of them before. They're not beings that are worshipped, at least not that anyone would admit to. People seem to think them a plague than a god.

The star?

That does sound like... a lot. I guess I'd be most interested in any of the more major gods, most commonly worshipped. And what the people of Solvunn think of the Singularity.

A plague sounds about right. Maybe it's only the heralds themselves that consider them gods, then. Did they say anything else about them?

Edited 2022-11-10 05:54 (UTC)

Yes. Or the world. The sphere? However you would like to describe it.

The most popular gods are ones that are tied to nature and the seasons. Like the Lyfbringr, who sounds a lot like their name. They're worshiped heavily in the Spring at the Equinox, sort of symbolizing that switch from the dead of winter to the life giving time of spring. Deities like that don't sound so bad, right?

As for the Singularity, they seem to think that it is what it is and it should be left as is from what I can tell. They do view us Summoned with a sort of reverence. They believe we've been chosen by the gods.

I do think they believe they're greater beings, just not ones worthy of worship. Truth be told they didn't want to talk about them much at all. I'm not sure if it's superstition that it would invite more of their ilk on the land or not. So I figured it would be easier to just go to the source.

The source?

You tried speaking with the heralds?

Yes. I've gotten responses at shrines before at smal levels so I thought it was worth an attempt. It took a while but I believe I did make contact with the one known as "Koth".

Did it deliver you a message?

[ A pause, then he decides to admit: ]

I mentioned before that my domain is a temple shaped like a tower. It's devoted to my own god, not one from Abraxas. When the heralds appeared my domain began acting strangely. The tower would hum and the earth would shake.

I know quite a few domains were affected that week, but I only know of one other that behaved the exact same way.

It was hard to really grasp what it was saying. It felt a lot like... a mass of thoughts and feelings, if that makes sense? Not all of them I could follow. But what I did keep hearing again and again sounded a lot like "mission".

I've not a clue what that refers to, though.

[ Ominous either way.

What Kyle shares though is interesting...curious. Jealous? Could they be jealous? ]

Oh...hmm, mayhaps displeased with another potential deity in its presence? Is the other domain also a place of worship?

Mission? How strange...

The other domain is a tall, stone monolith. He explained that these monoliths are scars on the land from some cataclysmic event. The owner didn't say it's connected to any gods from his world, but some people there do consider them holy.

I didn't find any damage to my own domain after it was all over. But the earthquakes gave the sense of something... beneath the surface.

Strange, yes. Considering everything that's happened once they appeared, I can't imagine their mission is something wholesome.

Beneath the surface?

I wonder...when everything began going haywire here, the Horizon was also going awry. Could these heralds really have power in that place too?

But I thought only the Summoned could?

Do we know for sure that it's always only been Summoned able to affect in Horizon? From what I've been told natives aren't able to make the same connection but

Is it possible that these heralds were not originally native to Abraxas?

That's what we're led to believe, but...

I guess I just assumed. But you're right, I never thought to ask. I'm not sure if the mages would say much otherwise since they weren't very keen in discussing them in the first place.

If we can come from any star at any time, then why can't other beings? Mayhaps they were incidentally summoned...

[ The Rifter is always born in Nayeshi. They only come into their god-power when they are brought through the Gate to Basawar.

It's a sacrilegious thought that sticks like a splinter in his palm. ]

I was really hoping that it was just Thorne keeping us in the dark.

Weren't there others that were summoned long before us? That's what the history texts here say, if little else.

From what it sounds like, yes. Though I don't know how long before. It seems like it was only recently that summoning began again, especially outside of Throne.

There are just a few of us left from that first bout.

I've heard things were more difficult for you all back then. I'm sorry.

It's okay. It's just a little strange to think how much time has passed then. And we still have so many of the same unanswered questions.

Though your Domain...I would like to see it sometime.

Give me a heads up when you have time to come by. It's a tall, circular building between two large statues, next to the gas station.

I shall! And while I've seen my fair share of statues, I'm not sure why you would be stationing gas, so I'd like to see that as well.

It's a convenient shop that sells fuel for vehicles, but also many little treats, like candies and sugar drinks.

You will have to try the nachos and cheese. It tastes nothing like actual cheese, but it's delicious.

Himeka,
Is all well with you?
Urianger has been abducted and taken to some unknown place underground. We have made contact, but the messages are garbled. He did not mention your presence there, but please let me know that you are safe as soon as you can.

Thancred, I'm alright.

Nero is gone too and I can only assume his travelling group is as well.

Not Urianger...is G'raha with you?

[ How many of their friends are missing? ]

[ She hasn't been taken. Thank the gods for that, at least. ]

G'raha is still here, but it sounds as if people have been taken from all three factions.
We will do our best to investigate every possible avenue here in Thorne.

[ He hardly needs to ask if she'll do the same. ]

[ All three...

That's a very bad sign.

She will, of course, further her own investigations. ]

I thought Nero had just fallen into some trouble.

[ Which is something she can absolutely handle. Just run in after him and pull him out if need be. ]

The Singularity, could it be in flux or something?

I have doubts that the Singularity had anything to do with it this time.

[ FOR ONCE. ]

I traced Urianger and Istredd's last steps and found a pile of books they must have had with them, along with signs of a struggle.
They were taken, Himeka.

A struggle...

But the castle is heavily guarded. The whole city, isn't it? Does that mean this is an inside job?

Edited 2023-02-24 02:31 (UTC)

Given that it sounds as if people have been taken from the Free Cities and Solvunn as well, I can only assume there's more to it than that.

Unless the group behind this has spies in all three factions.

[ Which, to be fair, is possible. ]

If only we had three Thancreds to look into that.

There are a few people I want to touch base with but I'll see if the Council will meet with me. I can't imagine they are any more fond of the thought of the Summoned going missing. Nor the locals.

I am confident there are others with my work ethic and skillset to be found in the other factions. Or I hope so, at least.

[ He has Natasha here, but surely not all of the spies ended up in Thorne... ]

If there is any time that we need them to listen, it is now.
I imagine that Stephen will be in touch with Ambrose here as well. I will reach out to him and Yennefer shortly.
Himeka, if there is aught you need from me, I am but a thought away.

They were the ones that you travelled around the kingdom placing surveillance things with, right? Do you think that those would have caught something?

Same to you, Thancred. We won't Urianger and the others be gone for long.

That is one option we will no doubt look into.

[ He hasn't even messaged the two of them yet, but he just knows. They put a lot of work into setting those up, they may as well make use of them. ]

If you are able to get in touch with him in any way, I suspect hearing from you might set his mind at ease.

I'll try. At the very least to tell him that we're coming for him.

It would mean a great deal, hearing it from you.

I hope you're well.
Summoned are going missing here, not the usual way. Have you noticed anything stranger than usual on your side of the world?

As well as one can be. I hope you are too.

Same here, unfortunately. The Commune is aware and prayers are being offered, but who knows if they'll be answered...

Truth be told, people go missing around here regularly, especially in some settlements. But it's never been the Summoned. That's the strangest of all. We're usually revered by the people so I can't imagine this is their doing.

During the Dimming festivities we heard rumors of natives going missing in Thorne. I hoped maybe they had left on their own, there's been tensions around Nott ever since the Free Cities attack and people haven't felt safe...

[ But from the frantic messages he's been receiving it sounds as though some of those people might have been forcibly taken too. ]

I plan on scouting near the border of our factions as soon as Thorne loosens their leash again. I'll let you know if I find anything leading toward your side.

In Thorne as well?

[ Now that is surprising...if only because she just assumed people going missing in Solvunn is related to the fact that they are definitely, definitely part of a larger nation-wide cult. But why would people be going missing in Thorne? ]

Nott has always been something on outs with the rest of the Kingdom, right?

[ Would that make them an easy target? ]

Yes, please do. I'm planning on making a trek myself to a shrine I visited some time ago. The disappearances here have been difficult to track so mayhaps appealing to a higher power will provide some insight.

There's longstanding issues. They don't get the attention or supplies from the throne that Castle Thorne or Borrel do.

Travel safe. Be careful

[ And then he adds: ]

May Parfir protect you in the darkness of his sleep and lavish you with joy upon his waking.

[ A simple blessing. One he's not used in quite some time, even before arriving in this world. ]

( ooc: He will share this with her on the 28th, including the note from Altair. Anything he finds will be posted in this CrossFaction thread so feel free to handwave getting anything from him! )

[ It's heartening, that blessing. Something she takes to heart knowing how important it is to him. She feels it's only fitting to offer him similar well-wishes from her world. ]

You too, Kyle.

May you walk in the Light of the Crystal.

[ ooc; She will, likewise, made contact with one of the gods and describe the two visions she received from it:

Himeka will continue to see more visions, one that portrays an area of decay and corruption in the swamps. The wildlife is also disrupted. This image will come with a feeling of great sorrow and distress, as if Vimorskas is extremely upset at the state of the land. He will show her an image of the swamp before the corruption took hold, suggesting he would like her to help restore it.

Finally, she will see some dying mushrooms trapped inside a clay pot. Though they appear to be no different than common fungi, the vision conveys that they are in a lot of pain. ]

We found an illusion cast with High Magic on the northern coast of Thorne. It invoked a god named Nikodaemus.

I've been given permission to head down your way.

( ooc: I made a quick IC exchange thread here if you want to do a quick meet-up, otherwise no pressure! He would share everything with her on this investigation. )

Nikodaemus? That's not a god I'm familiar with...

You are? Great! Let's discuss more in person.

[ ooc; She would absolutely go see him! ]

Hello, Himeka. We haven't met yet, but Sam mentioned you were a trustworthy person to speak to in Solvunn. My name is Natasha and Sam's delegated me to try and keep information flowing between the Summoned in different factions, so we all have access to all the information people are digging up on these disappearances.

Would you be willing to talk? If so, we can do it this way or meet in the Horizon, whichever is easier for you.

Hi Natasha,

I'd be happy to. Or, well, as happy as anyone can be given what's going on. I think we'd be able to speak more openly in Horizon.

Wonderful. Sam's currently got a sort of base camp set up at his Domain where I've been working out of, if you know where that is. If not, I could always come find you at yours.

I remember where it is, yes. I can meet you there in an hour if that works?

It does, I'll be here.

[ The message that comes through is jumbled and disjointed, since the sender is still in the height of his fever and the vision that had blanked out everything else for its duration has left him shaken and disoriented. But he tries. ]

Himeka! They gave ù̸̹̻s̴͉̈̕ ̵̹̓̕s̷̻̕o̵͔̐m̴͓͒e̸̢̓ṫ̷͔͆ȟ̶̯̱̎i̴̗̓͐n̴̝͍̉g̵̗̦͑͒ ̷̧̻͂͠t̸̩́͑h̶̟̆̈ä̴̠̙́t̵͕̓̋ ̷̥͓̓g̷̪̫͆a̶̢̐̈́v̵̡͆̀ȩ̴̰̇̚ ̵̗͕̆u̴͚̓s̷͙͎̔ visions, after w̸̺͋ḥ̴̔͠ă̶̻̯̔t̶̜͈͐̇ ̶̟͔͗t̶̬̩̔̇h̵̼̾̚e̶͍̒̓y̵̛̲͔ ̷͇́d̶̢̙̑i̴̦͝͝d̵̫͕͂̎ ̵͍̜̏̅t̷͕̺̍o̴͈̗̓̃ ̵̱͚͐͆ṷ̵̈́͜s̸̟̐͛.̷͚̐ Others saw ̷̘͐s̷̨̕͜t̷̹̚r̶͖̺̆͝ă̷̩̲n̷̔̿ͅg̴̱̘͋ê̴̬̐ ̵̬͊͗t̴̙͂̅h̵̪̓i̷̯̠̒n̵̯̭̊g̸͔̏s̵̺̈̉,̴̖̉̆ ̸̣͆ẗ̶̠̗́̒o̵̝̘̓̀o̷͇͓͗,̸͔̇ ̷̙̟̿̋b̶͙̖̑ü̶̬̲̂ẗ̷͜ ̸̛̦̟́ I saw it. The maze! Where w̴͉̥̽͝ę̵̖̿ ̷̨͚̑͊w̴̢̘̓́e̷̥̝͝ṟ̷́e̵̗̽͜ trapped in the horizon! d̵̼̼͆́o̶̟͂̽ ̶͖̅ȳ̷͖o̷̦͑́u̵͈͌̆ remember? İ̴͔̪̽ ̸̙̳͛́t̵̙͕̅h̸͔̿̚i̷̟͖̒͝ň̴̹k̸̬̹̈͛ ̴̧̔͝i̵̝̙͐͠t̵͙͈̿ ̴̲̌͗m̶̗͑̑i̷͉̎g̶̮͑h̴̪͘t̸̛͈̃ ̵̗̾͝b̶̘͂ė̶̲̚ important.

[ She's heard of the strange messages coming through from their missing comrades, but this is the first she's received. She can almost feel the distress in it--although maybe that's projection... ]

Sylvain?

I'm here! Your message isn't full but I think I get it. I remember the maze in horizon! That was when the Harolds were wrecking havoc.

[ Visions...the visions they all began to see? ]

You think they're responsible?

t̴͈̹͠h̴͖̟̀e̵̙͑̽ÿ̷̺̜́͊ ̵͖̲̋̀s̸̽͜a̵̖̳̔̊i̴̗̾d̵̤̀̚ ̶̗͉̈́̊w̶͊̑͜ĕ̸̥̭'̸͚̌̚v̶̡̀̏e̴̯͒ ̵̨̬̇b̶͔̾e̷͔̼͂̚é̶̛̥̼n̸̢̄ chosen. want us t̵̩̍͘o̷̡͐ ̸̲̑̌c̷̜̕o̶̮̭͗m̸̥̤̋m̴̥̹̎̕ũ̶̬̮ṋ̴̈́e̷͎͕͘ ̵̪͐̍w̴̖͠i̸͙̋̈ṭ̶͋ḩ̷̛̃ ̸̙̑t̸̡̢͝h̷͉̰͌e̵̙̚ gods. why we were taken. ț̵͍́h̷̟͇͂e̸͇̤͐̆ỷ̶̤̣̓ ̶͕̈́t̸̰̳̃̓o̵̗̯̍ĺ̸͔͆d̸̺͍͝ ̸͙͆ǘ̷̧͐͜s̷̬͚̓ ̴̞͉̌w̷̤̐́͜ē̸͔͉̕ ̴͚̣́̋n̷̩̓̈́ê̷͈͝ę̸̇͊ď̵͙ ̴͈̈́̿t̷͍̔ͅō̸͉͐ ascend ̷͔̟̊͗a̸̜͑n̷̳͈̑d̷̼͆̚ ̶̭͋́p̶͎͖̓u̵̞̚t̴̮̓̃ ̴͈̀̑u̸̢͍̚s̵̯͉͝ ̶̞̂͠t̴͔͍͋͠h̴̞̔̀r̸̡̙͑o̷̮̾ů̷̳̹͑ĝ̷̝h̷̥̉͂ ̶̠̌̍s̶̭͛ó̶̘͚͂m̸̦̗͆̚e̸̝̱̋ ̴̘͑͂͜ṡ̷̯͝o̷͇̟̔ṛ̴͚̀̈ẗ̵̘̹́ ̵̝̋ǫ̸̩̀f̵̝̖̿ ritual. it gave us visions. ë̵͚̝v̸̳̀͌è̶̖̑r̷͈̰̐y̶͖̐͜ȯ̶̩̼n̸̗͒ė̵̖͝ ̴̜̱͑s̴̱͗a̷̾̈́ͅẅ̸̫́ ̴̩͆d̶̲͗í̴̟͜f̸̟̰́f̶̼̀e̷̩͐̈́ř̴̰e̸̝̣̍͠ň̵͍̫̓t̵͙̳̎ ̵̟̒t̷̢͈̏h̵̦͋̈i̶͎̤͝n̶̻̋͛g̷͓̃ś̷̙̩,̷̠̈́͠ ̵̠̀̋a̶͙͉̔l̵̻̖̃̍l̸̞͛ weird shit. the maze w̷̱̔̄ͅȁ̴̹͉̾ṡ̸͍͊ ̴̧̣͂̄ò̶̪̌n̶̙͒ẻ̸̛͓̯ ̸̞̯̍̏o̴͈͘f̵̖̬̓͐ ̵̱̠͊̈t̴͖̽̓ĥ̵͖̯e̷̛͇͠m̴̻̱̕

[ Chosen. Gods. Ascend. Ritual. Visions...

This is. Bad news. ]

I'll let the others know. We'll all see we can we can remember from those times.

[ And it definitely reeks of Solvunn. ]

The ritual, can you tell me anything about it?

We are for you, okay? Just hang on a little longer.

T̸̙͌ḧ̸̪ẽ̷͚ ̴̬́͝d̴̰̐̋ĩ̵̹͙ḓ̶̀ǹ̷̮̞̎'̴͔̞̔͝ṯ̷͋̍ ̶͇̦̓t̵͙̕ë̶̹̠́l̷̨̑ͅl̷͍̑̂ ̸̱͌̀ủ̶̡̲ş̶̪̆̎ ̵͚̥̽̈́m̸̙̂ǔ̸̢̦č̸͔͝h̷̯̐.̴̧̗̊͝ ̷͇͚̍͗T̷̝͇͂̐ĥ̴͎̜͆ĕ̴̩͂ͅ natives are having a lot more trouble with it. Maybe being Summoned i̵̻͔̍s̶̲̙̀̀ ̶̠͋̚ġ̶̬͠ḯ̸̟̖̊v̵̤̈͠ị̷̬̌ṇ̸̿g̶͙̀ ̶̗̹͗̒u̸̞̠̍s̸̫͙͘͠ ̸̠̼̇̕t̷͙̺̍̈́h̶̨̧͒͛ḙ̷́ ̸̨͑̏a̶̹̝̚d̵̺̜́v̸̩̅à̷̮̪n̸͔̳̋t̷̮͉̊a̵̠͑g̶͇̭̐͠ě̷͍͠ ̸̯͂͊h̶̨͖́e̶̡̫͝r̸̙̄ĕ̸̻?̷̦̝̍ ̸͕͉́̃Ṯ̴̈́ȟ̴̠͕ḛ̸͕̈́ ̵̣͕̀͝r̷̗̃͘i̷̡̝͒͛t̵̠̊́u̸͔͛̀à̸͉͘l̴̺͒ ̵̙͠w̷̡̕͜a̸͉̼̿s̴͓̰͝ terrible. The shrines are bleeding. A̵͈̞̐l̵̩̮̃l̸̘̀͠ ̴͙̖̉t̴̨̮͠h̴̺̥̊ē̸̺̻ỹ̵̱̀ ̵͕̯̚t̵̲̚o̴͈͚͠l̶͚͕̿̚d̸̛̙ ̴̬͔̈́ụ̸͈̈́s̸̺͎̍͊ ̷̟̟͋͋w̷͇͍̌a̵͎͚̎̎s̵̪̮̓ ̵͉͠t̵͓̦̔h̷̘̔͝ḛ̶̇y̵̜̍̈́ ̴̻̽͛͜ẃ̵̛̱̦a̴͖̤̓͒n̴͎̭̔ṱ̷͋e̵̪̺̿̔d̷̨͒͐ ̷̩͗͒ǘ̴͙̻͗s̷̡͛ to ascend, that we have some connection to the gods. Ì̶͓ ̸̙̙̆d̵̫́̔ò̷͍̠n̴͓̍'̴̰̿́t̴̢̼̒͗ ̵̹̠̒̄t̶̢̤́h̴̰͉͌i̸͇̥͐n̶͕͝k̵̥̏̅ ̶̞͝t̸̬͌h̸̻͆͌i̶͙͊͜s̶̪͉̔ ̷̈ͅi̶̛̤̖̓s̷̘͉̉̽ ̸̠̝́̏a̴̤͑̓ ̷̡̛̭g̸̥͐͘ȏ̶̭͘d̵̥͎̑͌ ̴̹͐w̸̟͉͛ḛ̸̈́ ̴̭̍͌w̶̤̻̏ȁ̷̞͝ñ̴͕͚͋n̶̩̖̔͗à̸̹̍ ̶͍̬̿͝m̴̰̬͑ẹ̶̃ẹ̴͛t̴̻̋͝ͅ.̶̭̊

[ They're using the natives...poorly, it sounds like. Something that only the Summoned can withstand. (Powerful magicks?)

Ascend. Ascend. Keeps saying ascend.

Does she believe they can become gods themselves? Or meet one in particular? ]

Okay, I hear you.

There are shrines? Solvunn is full of shrines to all sorts of gods. Can you tell me what they look like?

[ Bleeding isn't good. But Nero bled on a shrine once, Himeka offered a scale to it.

Maybe there's a certain god they're connected to. ]

[ He can feel his grasp on the connection fading rapidly. There's not enough time to recreate an image of the creepy shrines, just to recreate the image that they've found etched into them, hoping it means something to someone outside of this place.

All Himeka will get is the purposeful focus on a single image for several heartbeats before Sylvain's connection is interrupted once more. ]

[ The bright light of the early autumn sun sparkles on the surface of the lake, mirror smooth in a rare windless day. Under the waters, the world is cast in a greenish blue tint, and a dragon kid is looking for water plants to sell, or anything else of note down here at the bottom of the lake. His horns and eyes glow faintly in the shadows between each shaft of light that slants down into the water, and his hair floats loose and long around him as he moves along the sand of the lakebed, careful not to disturb too much sediment and cloud his vision.

(His boots, and coat are safely kept in a basket hidden up in the overgrowth at the side of the lake, the leather not taking to having water removed from it as easily as the fabrics of his clothes.) Though his ears are plenty sensitive to sound, they don't have the same spatial awareness as auri horns, especially in the water. Y'all got the specialized sonar system, down here.

He's busy with a box of something that must have fallen off a boat at some point. The wood is old and has mostly degraded already; it crumbles under light pressure, and Dan Heng sends the fragments away in a small current of cloudhymn as he sifts through the remains. Ah, whatever was inside seems to have decomposed as well, and all that is left are two handfuls of polished bone pieces in different sizes. There were probably clothes in the box, years ago, but judging by the simple (if well made) button shapes, it was nothing special. Probably a lost shipment, and not smuggled goods from Thorne, certainly.

(Little Mermaid-ass situation.) ]

[ There's a reason that her little group chose to settle by the lakes--in part by their convenient placement on the road from the Primary to the Secondary Settlements, but also because Himeka just really wanted to be by the water. It's not the same as the sea or even the coastal shores of the Tertiary Settlement, but it feels right. Whenever she gets that desire to go below, now all she has to do is walk outside the front door.

And go she does--often as well. Mapping the bottom of the lake, familiarizing herself with the variety of creatures that live within it all bring a familiar comfort. It's just her and the fish on most days.

But this doesn't seem to be most days.

Movements that sound too large to be of the fauna she usually finds mulling about this time of day hit her horns. She pauses in her own explorations only a moment before immediately changing direction. Should there be any large new beastie moving in...she'd like to be the first to welcome it! She sees some debris float by (and nearly get caught in her hair) as she gets closer, wondering if it whatever it was has started to make its home in some of the old boats that were laid to rest on the floor.

Her eyes widen when what comes into view is most certainly not a beastie or any fish she's used to seeing in the Black Lakes...it's...someone like her?

Or--well, not quite. They're definitely more people-shaped than fish-shaped though, so she doesn't hesitate a second to swim on over with a few powerful flicks of her tail. Her gaze shifts quickly from person to sunken treasure as a bright smile spreads across her face. ]

What have you got there?

[ Like this is totally a normal thing that people do. (She's not a shark.)

~~She usually swims naked and shameless but can be in some undergarments for his delicate eyes!~~ ]

[~~she's absolutely naked. he can handle it, and it wouldn't be himeka if she weren't, frankly.~~

Dan Heng chose the lake and the rivers that lead to it as his place to gather barterables because he anticipated isolation. Apart from the craggy islands creatures that snap at his hair when he swims past, or the shrimp that try to bite at his hands, nothing here has been so startling as to make him regret the choice.

Until now. Uh. Huh?]

Hime—[ He cuts himself off before that last, ever so important identifying syllable makes it out, as he firmly decides, no. Thats impossible. The Express' navigator wouldn't be underwater, or so.... underdressed. It just wouldn't make sense. This woman, however... he has no frame of reference for high elders other than his tumultuous dreams of his own past lives, or the books in the shackling prison. Elder Bailu is a child-shaped elder, as far as he knows of her, and for the rest of the Xianzhou, he has no clue. At this depth, the newcomer's shock of red hair is still visible, a few strands drifting in front of the pearlescent scales that adorn her face. He stares in shock for a few moments longer, taking in the horns, the scales, the flash of tail as Himeka treads water. Unlike his dreams, the water is clear and languid, sun streaming down in shafts of light that pierce the shallow depths. He can even think for himself. ]

... Buttons. [ Wow. Smooth. So smooth, just like a shark. The freshwater of the lake tastes dull in his mouth as he forms words, cloudhymn carrying the sound through the water towards her. ]

I'm sorry, who are you?

[ pot, kettle. ]

[ Were she anyone else, she would find the long stare and utterance of her nickname to be unsettling--but were she anyone else, she probably wouldn't be swimming around in the damned lake naked to begin with. (Solvunn has yet to master the art of water-faring fabrics.)

She waits patiently, taking in his own distinct features and trying to place them to something familiar. Those ears definitely don't mark him as Auri, but there is still more that is. And, really, more people should get to enjoy having horns to begin with. ]

Buttons!

[ Himeka accepts the answer easily and even comes a little closer. (She should be questioning how he knew her name, but maybe he's just already seen the brochure?) ]

Are they yours? Or did you find them?

[ Sometimes she finds--

--oh. Wait. He doesn't know her? ]

...Didn't you already say? I'm Himeka.

[ A beat. Doth he not know whose lake he swimmeth in? ]

Though I normally take guests at the house. What's your name?

Himeka,
You've some familiarity with the gods of Solvunn, yes? Have you heard of one that calls itself Zalyshyty?

I like to think so but there are a lot. I feel like I'm learning something new every day!

Which leads me to...I think I've heard the name before if I'm pronouncing it correctly, but I can't say I've ever worked with them before. Did you find something?

If by found something you mean met the god themselves, then yes.

What really?

They came to you?? Or did you find them?

I felt myself drawn to their shrine, and met them there.

So they reached out to you? Did you hear them? See them?

Yes, they spoke to me. And I saw them -- a many headed corvid.

Is this unusual? I thought given the propensity of Solvunn towards gods and shrines that such a thing is rather commonplace.

I think it varies from person to person. But it took me several moons before I was able to make true contact with my first god. This one must see something in you!

'Great potential', was the words they used. And who am I to ignore that?

( it's that pride of her's, coming through. )

Edited 2023-11-23 04:33 (UTC)

It would be hard not to! Do you know what their realm of influence is?

[ Should she encourage this? Depends on the answer to the latter question. ]

Death, I presume. Or funerary rites, I'm not certain.

[ That might explain why she hasn't had much experience with them before. Thankfully, she's had little call to attend a funeral. ]

Is that something you worked with back on your star?

Only in that I am a necromancer.

( and has done SO much murder. but she's pretty sure a god of death and perhaps funeral rights isn't coming to her because she's good at killing. there's a god of murder for that.

at least she figures there must be. )

[ Oh. Well.

That.

Makes a lot of sense, actually. Now that she thinks about it. ]

That would make you qualified, I would think...although that's kind of the reverse, isn't it?

Perhaps it was just a matter of being related? Corpses, and all that. The details likely don't matter to the gods here like they do back in my world.

To be honest, I'm not sure what they really believe of the afterlife... They seem to just rely on the gods themselves to carry it out.

But funerary rites and whatnot? That does seem important.

How strange. In my world we know well the afterlife, and how to reach in and take someone from it if need be.

I am not completely certain, to be honest. It... involves putting things to rest. Only one was alive before -- the rest are certainly dead when I am led to them.

Is this when someone's aether can't return to the lifestream?

What?

After they pass...

To the underworld? What do you call where you go after you die?

That depends. To the Fugue Plane, first. There they await the arrival of someone that acts with the authority of one of the gods -- or powers -- of my universe and are then ushered to their final plane of existence in the realm of that power. But even that isn't always the case, for they can never reach the Fugue Plane, or they can be called back. They can be swayed by devils coming to find those they can turn into more of their kind.

It... is strange to think of there only being one destination for the deceased. Limiting, even.

So there are multiple final planes?

Yes. Is that so strange?

Not so much strange as interesting? I feel that every star has a different way things have

arisen? Set up? I'm not sure what the right word is.

[ Left for Himeka at the treehouse is a woven basket with her name crudely written on it. Inside are many dead and badly dried flowers, fish bones, a dried out fish skin, and some... forks? ]

[ Sylvain seeks out Himeka in Nocwich early in December, handing over a very large picnic basket he'd smuggled through the portal, just for her. It's charmed to keep the food inside hot despite the temperature outside, although that will only work for so long. He's not worried about the food inside not getting eaten, however. He's seen what Himeka's appetite can tackle before.

Inside she'll find an arrangement of hearty and savory dishes popular in his homeworld - and in Faerghus specifically, since she'd expressed an interest. It had taken some creative ingredient hunting and some odd substitutions, but most of the dishes came out pretty close to how he remembered. And now she'll have a variety to taste for the next little while.

There are containers holding several types of meat pies, a stack of rabbit skewers and a specialty from his own home territory, Gautier cheese gratin. (Even though there was no real Gautier cheese to be found in the Free Cities, of course, but this was as close as he could get to it.) There's also a couple desserts, namely a fig and honey tart and some berry custard buns.

He hopes that will be enough to hold her over for a while. ;) ]

[wanda sets the package neatly in himeka's room while the other woman takes a dip in the lake (isn't it too cold?), allowing her the perfect opportunity for secrecy. inside, an amount of homemade goods have been stacked atop each other: teas, soaps, and moisturizing lotions. these should be very familiar, as they are often seen around the treehouse.

something else lies wrapped, though, and once opened, it'll reveal itself to be a cooking apron, with a pattern of stitched lizards all over, in a minty green.

a small note sits under the box.]

Happy Winter Solstice.
𝓦anda 𝓜aximoff

Dearest Himeka

I hope this Dimming finds thee hale and hearty, as thou always seemest. I greatly miss thy company — almost as much as I miss thy cooking, which didst inspire this Dimming gift for thee. I hope it brings thee much joy in the kitchen, and that thou art able to share thine exquisite dishes with all who know thee.

Your friend,

Urianger

( Himeka's package contains a set of custom-made measuring cups, plated in something that looks a lot like gold. Is Urianger that ridiculous? Possibly! Happy Dimming! )

Himeka, I need your help. An artifact has been taken and they have a powerful ward on it, with a rune. I need to know if you recognize the rune. I'm asking Wanda too. Hold on I'll draw it.

[ooc: Istredd draws the rune he saw, you can probably ask the mods about this!]

[ The right thing to do would be to respond right away with "of course!" and do a bit of thinking. But upon seeing the rune, it gave her pause.

Curious, curious pause...

It's a bit later that the only reply he gets is: ]

Help I'm drowning

What???? You're what??? Hold on I'm coming!

I tried it

by tent

[ Very descriptive. ]

[ With the storms raging all across the continent, it's no surprise that Thancred would reach out to check on Himeka. He does his best to keep up with her, even with both of them busy in their own territories. And there is quite a lot of work to be done in Nott right now.

But... this message isn't just about that. He's searched all over, even so far as checking in the Horizon — where he'd found Urianger's domain, indistinct and fading. ]

Himeka,
I hope dearly that I'm not adding more to an overflowing plate, but I felt I needed to let you know as soon as I confirmed it with certainty.
Urianger is no longer here.

[ Gone back to Etheirys, or so he hopes. ]

[ It isn't as if they haven't lost companions before--

--no, mayhaps "lost" isn't the right term. Their stay in Abraxas was always meant to be temporary and the hope has always been that to leave meant to return to their own star and their own problems.

But it feels like a loss no matter what. Especially when it's someone who has been around as long as Urianger has. The gut instinct is to ask "are you sure" but even if he hadn't said as much, she would know that Thancred would do his due diligence. ]

He isn't?

But for how long?

[ It's true that this is ultimately a good thing, just as it had been when Y'shtola left, or when Estinien did before that — though Thancred did not experience that himself, only Himeka. He doesn't feel the same about the Ascians or Ancients, of course.

He and Urianger have grown close, not just here in Abraxas but before that, and so yes, it does feel like a loss. Even with the knowledge that Urianger has returned to where he's meant to be. ]

I noticed his absence about a day ago, and he wasn't replying to any of my messages. I wanted to be certain before I told you, however.

[ Their friends, she believes they will meet again. But the ancients? Well, at least after gaining new memories, she is at peace that Emet-Selch and Hytholdaeus will find rest. And that is the best she can hope for them. ]

I know you wouldn't.

Do have time to meet? In the Horizon.

Of course.

[ It would be a gift to be able to see her right now, given all of this. While it stings that they're currently blocked from Nocwich, that was their choice at Epulum and they have to live with it.

The Horizon will do. ]

Mine or yours?

I'll come to yours.

[ Something about that just seems right, mayhaps because Urianger has been with Thancred for so long now. ]

Now?

[ It isn't exactly urgent, but...it feels it. ]

[ Maybe it isn't urgent, but to see the face of a good friend would be nice under these circumstances. Since it appears that Himeka is able to drop what she's doing, Thancred will certainly not turn her down. ]

Give me about ten minutes to return to our flat, and then I'll be there.

[ Naturally, every part of his domain is open to her. ]

[ "Our flat." She doesn't point out how that is different, now. A place that had been a joint refuge for so long. Himeka had always hoped that one day travel between the factions would be open for more than just a request during an emergency, that she could have dinner with them and--

Well.

One thing at a time.

Himeka goes immediately, settling in to the bar that they so often frequented in the Crystarium. The Wandering Stairs had become one of her favorite places and she thinks that maybe a few drinks and coffee biscuits are exactly what they need now.

She's already ordered two steins for them, holding one untouched as she waits. ]

[ As soon as Himeka arrives, Thancred can feel her presence, and he wastes no time finding where in his domain she's decided to settle. Not the Rising Stones, perhaps that's a bit much at a time like this, but the Wandering Stairs are just as good.

Besides, the outdoor setting (even if it's unreal) is welcome right now.

He settles into the seat across from her with a nod, reaching to grab the stein that's meant for him. For once he doesn't have a smirk or some snappy comment with which to greet her. ]

It's good to see you.

[ And there's so much he could say right now, but instead he decides to hold his stein up toward her so that they can knock them together and then take a moment to drown their sorrows in a rather literal sense. ]

[ She waits quietly and patiently as she ever does, offering Thancred a weak smile out of habit. It is good to see him, as always, but they both wish the nature of their meeting was one of celebration than lamentation.

But this ought to be a cause for celebration, shouldn't it? That Urianger has returned to their star--their ultimate goal.

Himeka taps her stein against his, glad for the silent toast to their friend. Whether they are crying his loss or hailing his triumph, she isn't sure. It feels like mostly the former. Himeka takes just a moment to stare at the cup before downing half in one go--the exact sort of thing Urianger could never do. ]

You recreated this beautifully.

[ It should be a cause for celebration, and yet it's an odd feeling that Thancred is saddled with now. To have someone who has become such a constant in his life suddenly gone without so much as a word said on either end had still come as quite the blow.

Especially when their flat is full of things that Urianger had collected to make it his favorite brand of cluttered. Books, herbs, candles, tarot decks — his signature is all over the place.

Thancred also drinks a decent portion from his stein in one go, as he's never struggled to keep up with Himeka in this particular arena. He lets out a breath as he lowers the stein from his mouth, then wipes at his lips with the back of his hand.

He blinks a few times at Himeka's compliment. ]

Ah, well... [ He takes a look around. It would feel more authentic if there were people here, but the night sky can let them pretend that everyone has simple retired to their beds, leaving them alone here to chat. ] It felt important to preserve some memories of Norvrandt. This way my recollection of it won't fade with time.

[ He leaves the rest unsaid. He doesn't want to forget Norvrandt, but it's less about the place and more about who he left there. Of course, Himeka already knows all of that quite well. ]

[ Memories are precious things. When the worst happens, they may be all you have to comfort you in the dark. And the memories they've made as Scions and as friends are some of the most important she can recall.

She's only minutely aware of the discrepancies that sometimes occur with her own recollections, but to Himeka, Thancred's version here is edging perfection. It makes sense, too--he's been trained in mapping out areas as a means for infiltration. She thinks this is likely even better than her own version. ]

It feels like it was ages ago since we were actually here...

[ Although she has made her own forays into the First since then, both for personal and professional reasons. Still, it's never quite the same without the people who journeyed so far ahead of her. ]

I'm sure by the time we get back, Y'shtola will have figured out how to traverse the rift again.

[ Because they will all return one day. Just like Urianger did. ]

[ It does feel like ages, even longer for Thancred than for Himeka for a number of reasons. Naturally he's envious of her ability to still travel to the First as she pleases, but he's never held it against her. At least it means that she can ferry messages back and forth between him and Ryne, though that's hardly the same as seeing her face-to-face.

Now he has to accept that it might be another however-many years before he sees Urianger again as well. Perhaps instead of sulking about it, though, he should instead be grateful for how much time they had together here.

He lets out a snort at Himeka's comment and shakes his head. ]

Isn't the whole point that time doesn't pass while we're here? We should return to the precise point we came from. Then again, I wouldn't put it past her, even so.

[ Y'shtola has shown the seemingly impossible to be possible in the past, quite a number of times. She seems to somehow always have a trick up her sleeve, yet Thancred knows that's simply because of all the time she's dedicated to her scholarly pursuits.

There's a pause, and he takes another sip of his drink before glancing up toward the night sky. ]

I miss her too. There's been a serious dearth of judging comments, hasn't there?

[ They say that absence makes the heart grow fonder and there is certainly some truth to that. But can't one simply grow more fond the more they bask in the presence of those they love?

Yes, she is grateful too for the time they have together. She's grateful for this time with Thancred and part of wonders if he, too, will be next. Estinien left, Y'shtola left--hells, even G'raha was here for a moment.

Who is next?

Is it her? ]

Mhmm. If anyone can figure this out, it will be her, won't it? And then we can visit this realm whenever we want as well. All the friends we've made.

[ That is the trouble with adventuring--the more places you go, the more people you meet, the more you have to say "goodbye" to again and again. Or, well, Himeka prefers an "I'll see you later".

At his appraisal of Y'shotla's usual manner, she chuckles. ]

I can try to fill the void, though I'm not sure if I'll ever be as appropriately scathing.

[ Urianger, on the other hand, always had a way to bring others up. She pauses, following Thancred's gaze to the sky. ]

...He'll be working right alongside her, won't he? To figure this out.

[ It had not yet occurred to Thancred that it might be possible to return home to Etheirys and then figure out a path back to Abraxas, but that would be the dream, wouldn't it? For all their memories of this place and their connections here to be kept intact. He doubts that sort of travel will ever be easy, but they've done it before, haven't they?

Who's to say the Ragnarok couldn't travel to other worlds? ]

I suppose we could, couldn't we? The tricky part is ensuring that we return home with our memories. So long as we have those, I'm confident we could find out where in the cosmos Abraxas is located.

[ Somehow Himeka has found a way to cheer him up, even during this dark moment. He sends her a warm smile when she offers to try and fill Y'shtola's shoes. ]

Aye, and I'm not certain it would suit you. I like you just as you are, Himeka.

[ He doesn't miss a beat at her next question. Those two working together is simply the default, isn't it? ]

Of course he will. And we'll certainly have a whole host of stories for them when we return. I suspect we'll be kept up all night answering their questions.

[ But he wouldn't mind at all. With a glance back down to the table, he plucks a coffee biscuit off the plate and takes a bite. ]

[ Yes, with their memories is certainly the hardest part. Himeka remembered Abraxas as soon as she reawakened in Solvunn once again, but the months she spent back on their own star, she had been none the wiser.

Why is that? Why would the Singularity not want them to know? Especially if they felt they had reason to come back? Mayhaps it would be worth it trying to convince the Singularity that they want to help no matter where they are in the universe.

Not playing the right role is something that troubled her for a while, especially once they began calling her the "Warrior of Light". These days she's much more secure in who she is, but it is nice to hear it from someone she holds in such high regard. It brings a pleased, honest smile to her own face. ]

Thank you. I think she'd kill me if she heard me try to do an impression anyway.

[ Which is partially a joke but also...anyone who knows Y'shtola recognizes the truth threat therein. ]

That's something we can look forward to, then. It's our job to collect as many memories for them as possible. For when we return.

[ She's wholly convinced they will.

Himeka takes another drink, gulping down more than is strictly necessary. ]

Our memories have to just be locked away somewhere in our heads. I remembered everything as soon as I came back, right? So...we just have to find out why that is. Maybe it has to do with being close to the Singularity?

She would certainly glare at you with such intensity you wished for death, if nothing else.

[ It's both warming to the heart and gutting in the same moment to speak of good friends like this, when they have been separated for so long with who knows how much more time left until they are sent home. Thancred takes a swig of his drink to wash some of the bitterness away.

For all his jesting, he does look forward to the possibility of returning to Etheirys with his memories and updating their fellow Scions on all that has happened. Himeka's certainty draws a smile out of him; that's how she is, always managing to balance out his naturally realistic outlook.

And she makes a good point, about the memories. Thancred's brow knits as he stares down into his mug of ale, as if it might have the answers for them. ]

It does feel as if everything comes back to that. If it's a matter of proximity, then that makes it a difficult problem to solve, but it's certainly worth some deeper research.

[ Too bad neither of them are the ideal Scions for that job, as they've already discussed. ]

[ She chuckles at that. Y'shtola's subtle warnings were some of the first things to really keep her in line in those early days, infrequent as they were. She certainly misses such admonishments whether they were true or jesting in their sincerity...

Yes, there are many friends and family they've been separated for some time. While missions can take them away, this does feel different. ]

It would be convenient if we could just take a piece, wouldn't it? Then we could carry it with us and mayhaps never lose our memories...

[ A thoughtful hum follows, a little sing-song as she imagines possibilities well beyond her ability to replicate. ]

...Oh! Wait!

[ She slams her hands down on the table as she turns to Thancred in earnest. ]

The crystals! We could put our memories in crystals like the Ancients did!

[ Breaking a piece off of the Singularity seems like quite the bold suggestion, given that it might cause some sort of political incident given how it's both cherished and mistrusted by the people of Abraxas.

Then again, none of them could actually get close to it to witness such a thing. Perhaps they would need to worry instead about how the Singularity would respond, or any Summoned who feel a strong attachment to it.

But before he can say anything about that idea, Himeka comes up with another. Right, the Ancients. As much as Thancred feels a healthy wariness toward them given what some of them become, he can't ignore the fact that this idea has some weight.

He glances down at Himeka's hand where it slammed on the table, amused by her enthusiasm if nothing else. ]

Are there crystals here that work in the same way as those from our world? That's the question. [ He pauses then, head tilting to one side in a brief moment of contemplation as something occurs to him. ] There is a tunnel made of some sort of crystal here in Thorne where they do some mining, to say nothing of Hayle, which has a great many crystal structures. Mayhap you're onto something.

[ He quirks a smile. As much as he feels Urianger's absence, this does prove that he and Himeka can manage on their own if that's how it must be. ]

A crystal tunnel?

[ Recognition flashes across her face--way back when all this began, getting shoved off to work the mines else waste away in the brig. She had led Estinien on something of a wild wyrm chase, but it did lead to their escape, short as it was. ]

Yes, the worm tunnels! Not wyrm tunnels. They're not very good at making that clear.

[ Thancred can doubtlessly imagine her disappointment when she realized her mistake. ]

Do they let you go there now? Like, when you're not in trouble?

[ Though even if they don't, if someone needs to go in under cover and sneak off with some crystals? Who better to do it than Thancred, Master of Stealth. ]

No, not wyrm tunnels, although a dragon did do damage to the place when those rifts opened. We were tasked with traveling there to clear out the rubble, but I'm unclear on whether we can access it without express permission.

[ Most likely not. Thorne takes a great deal of care with where it lets its Summoned travel, and Thancred's guess is that they only opened up the Frostwurm Tunnels to them because there was work to be done there.

Still, that doesn't mean it isn't possible to access the tunnels by other means.

He pauses for a moment, fingers drumming on the table as he takes a sip of his drink with his other hand. This smells of a task of some sort, and he does so love those. ]

I'll look into it when I can. How does that sound?

So they almost became wyrm tunnels...

[ She mumbles it a bit, smiling and feeling vindicated for her misunderstanding from years past. (It certainly wasn't her fault they weren't clear.)

Still, there were valuable crystals in those tunnels, wyrms or worms besides. If Thancred can gain access to them, then they might have a place to start.

She nods, knowing full well that he will do his best, leaving no stone or crystal unturned. There's a thoughtful pause as she regards him, nursing her own stein. ]

...We'll see him soon. I know it.

[ She holds the cup up in a toast. ]

For Urianger. And the others.

[In the weeks following this post, Himeka will receive an embroidered badge, designating them part of Aloy’s monster hunting crew. There doesn’t seem to be anything special about it—it can be sewn anywhere the wearer likes, and appears to have been stitched with a practiced hand.

If the wearer is incapacitated, a spell woven into the threads by Haelva will activate, allowing the user to send an emergency message to another member of the group—use it wisely.]

[ Himeka is going to wear this SO PROUDLY, Aloy! ]

Azem,

I'm sure you've got no shortage of friends asking after you, but I hope you're well all the same.

Let's have a drink sometime. Dream or not, I owe you more than one.

~ Cid

Cid,

The same to you as well. It's been quite the ride, hasn't it? I hope the after-effects aren't too much to handle.

You owe me nothing but I would never turn down a drink! Mayhaps the next we're in Nocwich?

And you can call me Himeka, that's my real name.

- Himeka

Himeka,

I suppose I can't complain. This is the first such occurrence that I've been a part of, and I hear it won't be the last.

It's good to meet the "real" you, Himeka. I'll look forward to seeing you in Nocwich.

~ Cid

Cid,

Well, it's definitely the first time we've ascended to any sort of godhood, or even a fabrication of it. So in that sense you're right in line with the rest of us. Does that help?

I have to ask...before we meet, if that's alright. I know the name I ended up with was tied to something in my past. Was "Ramuh" also tied to yours?

- Himeka

[ This response takes longer than the others. Cid hesitated over sending it at all. This isn't the world he came from, that's true enough, but he's still weary of letting it be known that he's a Dominant.

In the end however, it's hard to shake 800 years of even false memories. He can't imagine that Himeka is so drastically different from the woman he knew. ]

Himeka,

It does, in fact. I suppose this means I shouldn't expect to be turned into a moogle or somesuch the next time the Singularity has a fit?

That's a curious question. Do you recognize "Ramuh"? I can't say that I've heard anything of "Azem".

~ Cid

Edited 2024-05-23 15:49 (UTC)

[ She doesn't mind. The thought of these specific iterations appearing on other stars hadn't hit her as a possibility until Clive called her Leviathan in the baths.

(To be far, she'd almost thought he was Ardbert.) ]

Cid,

I would never say never when it comes to this place. Though if you're yearning for some Moogley company, I have several in my domain you can chat with if you'd like.

I do, yes. Ramuh is a Primal on my star, a god-like being called to come to the aid of their followers. Azem isn't, it's more of a title from a long, long time ago.

- Himeka

Himeka,

That's less comforting. But perhaps I will stop by your domain sometime.

It sounds like our worlds may be alike in more ways than one. Ramuh is an Eikon, a god of sorts like yours, summoned to the service of a Dominant. The will of the Dominant is the will of the Eikon, though I can't say that there aren't those who believe otherwise.

So to answer your question — I was connected to Ramuh once, but no longer. [ This is not, strictly speaking, true but it's also not exactly a lie. It's more than he's been willing to admit to anyone else. ] I've no desire for godhood or followers, if that's your concern. Even so, if it's all the same to you, I'd appreciate your discretion.

How did you come to posses your title? What does it mean? It seems to me you're far too spry to have picked it up all that long ago.

~ Cid

Edited 2024-05-24 18:18 (UTC)

Cid,

An Eikon! So you're from the same star as Clive and Jill? "Eikon" and "Dominant" were the same words that they used as well.

No, you don't strike me as the sort of person who would. But you do seem like someone who would have others drawn to them anyway regardless of any divine powers. But your secret can be safe with me. For what it's worth, the Ramuh I know was strong but wise with a very impressive beard. And sometimes also part horse with wings.

Oh no, it was the title of my past-self some several thousand years ago before the world was split into fourteen shards to stave off the end of existence.

[ Very simple, very digestible. Like a biscuit. ]

I've actually been wondering if your star might be one of those shards. Ours have so much in common!

- Himeka

Edited (I CAN'T FORMAT SHIT) 2024-05-24 21:26 (UTC)

[ he needs a minute ]

Himeka,

Well, you certainly don't beat around the bush. I suppose it's good to know that much is still true.

I'm from Valisthea, yes. Clive and Jill are friends of mine. As for Ramuh, I'm afraid you'll have to be disappointed on all counts, at least as far as I'm concerned. My back's not made for riding these days. The Ramuh I know is usually more of an old man, less of a horse.

I wonder if this is further evidence to your point that our worlds might be connected somehow.

You'll have to tell me more about this shard business... after I've had significantly more to drink.

~ Cid

[ Maybe she's right. What does he know? NOTHING, APPARENTLY. ]

Edited 2024-05-24 22:54 (UTC)

Cid,

It does seem like there are too many similarities for it to be entirely coincidence. That seems to happen quite a lot around here, but our worlds in particular are very close. More so than others.

Do you happen to like little creatures made of leaves, by chance?

Oh, yes of course. Drinking does usually help clear things up.

- Himeka

[ OR do the exact opposite. ]

Himeka,

What does it mean if our world is a shard? Are they meant to be... rejoined somehow? And for that matter, how did you learn about all of this if it happened so long ago?

[ Maybe there are books. Maybe this will be a very normal explanation.

Despite professing to not want to know more as yet, Cid clearly absolutely does. ]

I like most creatures well enough... although I can't say that many of them have seen fit to return the feeling. Dare I ask what that has to do with anything?

~ Cid

Cid,

Shards are like reflections of the Source, from my understanding. They are all worlds with vast peoples and histories, but all share a common...source? Essential past when they were split from the Source, which includes all the souls of the people in it. Something like that.

Funny you should mention that. There were a group of people who survived the Sundering (when all the worlds were split) who were trying to rejoin everything together to restore their star as they knew it, but in the process it kind of destroys the shard and causes a bunch of bad things to happen to the Source (where I'm from). So we try to stop that from happening.

I learned about it when I went to one of the shards in kind of a weird time loop space thing. Thancred was there as well! It was there we met one of those people who had survived the thousands of years and learned the history of everything, and were able to stop a rejoining from happening which is very good because it saved both the First and the Source! Minimal destruction and death. I also went to the past after that and got to see some of it for myself.

Ancient people were very tall.

The Sylphs are not. They look like children made of leaves but they're not and really enjoy dancing. They just worship Ramuh, which is why I was wondering if maybe you really like salad or something.

- Himeka

Himeka,

Does the name 'Ultima' ring any bells? I believe he had a similar plan, only he proposed to use Valisthea's aether to restore that of his own world.

Let me get this right... you've traveled between worlds and even through time, and saved not one world, but two? You and Thancred both. If you're having me on, now's the time to come clean.

[ He doesn't believe for a second that she's lying, is the worst bit. Himeka was a lot of things, even in the dream, but a good liar just wasn't one of them.

Not that this would be a good lie. It's really terrible, actually. ]

...Himeka, love, are you asking me if I would eat a child?

~ Cid

Cid,

It does, yes. Though I wouldn't call Ultima a "he". It's a person on your star? It sounds an awful lot like someone trying to cause a Rejoining...

We have the "Ultima Weapon", a giant machine monster thing that the Allgans created and the Garlean Empire repurposed. It ate several Primals, specifically Ifrit, Garuda, and Titan, to absorb their power and cast the Ultima spell. It was really another tool to try and cause a Calamity/Rejoining.

Yes, that's correct. To be fair Thancred got to the First first.

Oh, no! You don't eat the Sylphs. They're just very leafy.

- Himeka

[ It all makes perfect sense, Cid, don't worry about it. ]

Himeka,

I don't know anything of Garleans and Allgans, but one of these may very well have been what we call the Fallen. Ultima is... an entity, of sorts. I've seen him myself. He has power over the hearts of men, and used it often to sway them to his own ends. I can't say that I know the details of his plan well enough to tell you if a Rejoining is what he was after, but that may very well have been the case.

[ Eikons being 'eaten' had also been a part of the plan, but Cid is more cautious about confirming that much. He doubts that Himeka is any danger to Clive, but even so -- it isn't Cid's information to reveal. ]

Well, do stop by Valisthea for a cup of tea if you run out of worlds to save. We could always use someone like you.

And speaking of, you and I best find a way to go fishing again sometime soon. I think you owe me a story or four at least.

~ Cid

P.S. I do like plants, and children. Separately. Perhaps you can show me one of these Sylphs of yours in the Horizon.

Cid,

These aren't exactly the commonalities I would have hoped for between our worlds. "Control over the hearts of men"? That sounds almost god-like.

Does he call himself by anything else, by chance? Do you know the term "Ascian"?

I plan to! If there is one thing I'm thankful for about this experience, it's that we get to meet so many people from so many different stars. It creates quite the list of places to visit, but what is more fun than traveling?

That sounds like a plan to me. Though only if you plan on sharing some stories in turn.

- Himeka

P.S. I'd be happy to! I think you'll like them.

[ And thusly Cid adopts a Sylph. ]

Himeka,

Both of our worlds have good wine, so we've got that going for us.

No, I've not heard of an 'Ascian'. Ultima fancied himself our God and creator. Perhaps he truly was — I can't say that I care. Those who succumbed to a surfeit of aether would become as mindless slaves for him to control... but there were yet some who fell more willingly into his thrall. If this is something your Ascian is capable of, they may well be one and the same.

Somehow I had a feeling you'd be keen on travel.

That could be arranged... but if you fall asleep to an old man's ramblings, you'll only have yourself to blame.

~ Cid

[ Adds this to my growing inventory list of stuff to add to the solar. ]

Cid,

That is the most important metric, I agree.

The Ascians did end up summoning a god-like being that may have put many in its thrall. The more we talk about it, the more I feel like they have to be related somehow.

It's my favorite thing to do! Next to cooking and eating and fishing. What about you? Did you travel much on Valisthea?

You are far more understandable than Urianger, so I think we'll be okay.

- Himeka

Himeka,

I knew you would.

I've only hope that such a being can't be summoned here after his demise. I wouldn't see this world ill-used as Valisthea, or your own home.

I'm glad to know your interests have carried through. I already miss your feasts.

I've traveled all throughout Valisthea — though I admit, not often for pleasure. It wasn't without strife even before Ultima's designs on it became clear. I'll tell you of it the next time we meet, or there will be no end of letters for us.

It's best if I quit while I'm ahead of this Urianger. Poor sod.

~ Cid

Cid,

No, though I am sorry that you had to deal with such a threat.

I'll be sure to send you back to the Free Cities with some treats as well, then. It's not quite the same but better than being snackless.

Yes, I would love to hear more about it!

Don't worry, I think it's impossible to take his crown.

- Himeka

Himeka,

The feeling is mutual.

I'll look forward to seeing you, and the snacks.

~ Snackless Cid

Snackless Cid,

You as well! Take care until then.

- Stacked Himeka

[ Stacked with snacks, obviously. ]

[ Everyone in that crater had been in such a shock that it had been all too easy for various authority figures from the three territories to swoop it and escort them back to the portals. When everyone was adjusting to suddenly being so changed, or to reverting as some might perceive it, there wasn't much space to fight back.

Not that Thancred had necessarily wanted to be anywhere near the Singularity after it did all that.

He's ended up back in the flat that he shared with Urianger, having walked here almost in a trance. But seeing all of Urianger's well-worn items, a spike of anger runs through him at the idea that he could ever forget him.

Of course, realizing that is what started the process of "waking up." For both him and Himeka. ]

Himeka,
Are you all right? I feel a bit like my head is wrapped in cotton, if I'm honest. The fact that I had to briefly pause and stop myself from addressing you as Azem is utterly bizarre.

[ To say it had been a lot would be an understatement. A part of her had a longing for a time where other worries were forgotten...and guilt for enjoying it. They had other friends, family, who they forgot for that blissful ignorance. People they had fought so hard for before.

But as she sits on the edge of the lake nearby the tree house, Himeka runs her fingers absently through her now all too long hair--a remnant of what she was there.

And what does that mean?

Thancred's message couldn't have come at a better time. Being inside her own head when she gets like this is the last place she wants to be. ]

Yes, I'm alright. Are you? It feels like it's been ages and yet at the same time it's

I don't know how to put it.

Is this real? This time?

Edited 2024-05-23 03:44 (UTC)

[ There are no words adequate to express what they've been through, Thancred suspects. Perhaps a wordsmith would have some way of describing it, but for all that he'd once posed as a poet, that is not him.

He'd thought of Himeka as his sister for centuries. He'd forgotten about Ryne for centuries. But... ]

This is far more real than what we seem to recall. None of it truly happened, as much as it feels like it did, and that means we're not bound to a future set in stone.

I refuse to believe I would have forgotten them so easily. Forgotten her.

However, the Singularity has deemed to leave me with a gift of sorts, I suspect to make me question if it was in some way real.

Have you changed at all? Physically?

[ He'd only seen her for a flash in the crater. It wasn't long enough to tell if something notable had changed, especially when he'd been so disoriented in that moment, the lines between "Azem" and "Himeka" blurred. ]

Edited 2024-05-23 18:43 (UTC)

[ She knows exactly who he is referring to. While forgetting any of their friends and colleagues feels low, there are a few who hold a special place in Thancred's heart and helped him become who he is today.

Likewise, there are faces burned into her memory and on her hart that she will carry with her until her aether returns to the sea. Himeka, too, finds it hard to believe she would forgo those so easily as well. ]

You wouldn't, no. None of this would have been possible without the Singularity, right? I wonder if it wanted us to forget our past selves so we wouldn't want to leave.

A gift? What sort of gift?

Well...my hair is quite a bit longer than it was before I entered the crater. Other than that, no.

Is it so important that we remain here? And if so, is there not a more straightforward way of telling us?

Your hair did get rather long, didn't it.

I, meanwhile, have found myself with some red scales on my shoulders and upper arms, I assume in reference to the serpent I carried with me. Which supposedly was a gift from Dion, though in retrospect I cannot help but think of Ran'jit.

Edited 2024-06-12 21:12 (UTC)

Has anything regarding the Singularity been so straightforward?

You have scales?

[ Hold on. She knows this is a hallowing conversation. BUT. ]

What? No! But scales are lovely, Thancred! So few here have scales.

If anything, it makes you and I closer together than it ever would with Ran'jit. I have always said we were like family, didn't I?

[ "Waters" and "Sui". Basically the same thing. ]

You earned them. Mayhaps they were always a part of you and now have finally felt fitting to show themselves.

No, though it has grown rather tiresome. How am I to try and puzzle together the motives of a giant obelisk?

[ In truth, he should have known that this would be Himeka's reaction to his new look. The scales are easy enough to hide when he's fully clothed, but it was more the implication that got under his skin. (Literally.)

Himeka finds a way to reframe it, though, and it's difficult to deny her enthusiasm. Especially when he has all too many memories of thinking of her as his sister. ]

I have never heard of a Hyur suddenly sprouting scales, but I take your point. I could hardly be upset about sharing a trait with you, could I?

[ And he'll do his best to shove aside any thoughts of Ran'jit. ]

If only it could speak like the Mother Crystal could.

[ Though she does wonder sometimes if it's inception wasn't too different. ]

Exactly! You are much closer to an Au Ra than anything he was capable of, anyway. Surely a tail will be next?

Oh, and if you need any advice on how to care for them, I'm happy to share my routine. A good clean shed is very important.

Have you ever attempted to speak with it? Not that I am necessarily suggesting you do, mind, but you do have a way with speaking to things that should not be able to speak, as it were.

[ That aside, a tail??? Himeka, don't jinx him. ]

To be entirely honest with you, I had not once considered that they would need care. Yet I suppose you're right. I'd be happy to hear your routine, in that case.

I have not, no. Though Julia has suggest that I try. I have considered it, but...

[ She kind of misses Hydaelyn.

A tail would be an UPGRADE, Thancred! ]

They can dry out quite easily. I'll bring some of my homemade lotion the next we meet in Nocwich. I'm not sure how different it is in Thorne, but I found that I need to do much more once I left the Ruby Sea.

What is it that leaves you uncertain?

[ Himeka is usually the one who jumps into things feet-first; it's rare for her to hesitate like this. Thancred suspects there's something more to it. ]

I see. I assume that is due to the dryness of other climes compared to your home? In that case, I will gladly accept your offering.

[ The last thing he wants is for these scales to end up itchy and flaky. If he has them, they better look decent. ]

It won't be the same.

[ Meeting Venat as she was, as a person before she became a god...could the Singularity be similar? ]

Yes, precisely! And you want a shed to come off in one piece if possible. That shows you that you're good and moisturized.

This is exciting! I'm sure you will come to love them.

It won't, no. Yet perhaps that is for the best.

[ For it to not be familiar. Hydaelyn had been a singular entity, after all, and the Singularity surely could not compare. Perhaps if Himeka accepts that from the start, it will be easier. ]

You are causing me to realize how little I know about this. I'll do my best to be a diligent student, in that case.

Do you think so? She had such a personal stake in our world. What the Singularity wants...IF it wants anything? What could that be?

[ Logically the answer is to ask, but...

Yes, there isn't much that Himeka has any sort of hesitance on. She's a little surprised that this is one of those points, herself. ]

I don't know why I struggle with this. I had no problems throwing myself at the old gods.

I meant more specifically for you. If connecting to the Singularity felt similar to what speaking to Hydaelyn was like, that would perhaps sting even more. Though I might be overstepping by assuming so.

[ His closeness to Himeka has somehow only grown as a result of that shared dream. Perhaps this isn't something a friend could say, but a brother?

Maybe. He'll have to see how she takes it. ]

It might... But I won't know if I don't try, will I?

[ To be frank, she doesn't like feeling hesitance. Not at all. It's not that it makes her feel weak, but that avoidance has caused her problems in the past. She ought to know better by now. ]

You know, for as long as I had the Echo, it wasn't until I saw her face as a person that it really hit me. It's easier when they're distant things.

But we have to move on, yes?

I never had the same connection to her as you, Minfilia, and Krile did. Even so, seeing her face-to-face still had its effect on me.

[ Which means it must have been even more hard-hitting for Himeka. ]

Aye, we do. And so when you feel up to it, I do think it would benefit us if you reached out to the Singularity.
Though I realize I am once again asking you to take everything onto your shoulders. If there is any way I can take on some of that burden, you need only ask.

She wanted the best for all of us. She cared so much.

[ Were her actions the right ones? That could be argued. Neither side seemed to have the right answer, Himeka feels, mayhaps a little too in line with her previous incarnation in abstaining. But inaction isn't acceptable either.

To live is to struggle. To make mistakes.

Venat was right in that. ]

You could buy the next round of drinks when we visit Nocwich. How about that?

She did. Of that I have no doubt.

[ For all that Thancred might have some feelings about Hydaelyn's choices, particularly when it came to Minfila, was it truly his place to judge? How could he know the choices he would have made, in her position?

For all his ire toward the Ascians, Hydaelyn had never been that. ]

That's your price? While I feel like I am most certainly benefiting from the better end of the deal here, I won't protest.

[ If there's one thing she's learned over the years, it's that the world is so very, very gray. It's easy for her to see the best in intentions, but her own actions have led her to hurting others. Mayhaps not to the same cosmic degree, but...

She ought not put those worries onto a rock that may not have them at all. It feels...less aware than Hydaelyn ever did. ]

I'm glad we can come to an agreement, then. You were always difficult.

[ A big fat lie, but hopefully he can read the smile in her script. ]

Thank you, Thancred.

[ Perhaps at one point Thancred would have been sensitive enough that the comment would have crept under his skin, but now his bond with Himeka and his own self-esteem are solid enough that he only laughs to himself over it. ]

You're very welcome.

Himeka,
Change is afoot in Thorne. I know only the scantest of details, but the throne is being seized tonight. I was warned ahead of time and advised to flee the castle.

I am fine, and will continue to be fine, but thought you should be made aware.

Being seized?? By whom?

If anyone could escape this it would be you. But you were warned? Keep me updated when you can, please.

I was not told the details, but I have a guess as to who's behind it. Perhaps it is for the best that I do not share too much with you for now.

[ Thancred hopes she will understand it's for her own safety. ]

Yes, I had more than enough advance notice to leave the castle before it all kicked off.
I am on the road now, and it will be at least a week's travel to reach my destination. There are two other Summoned with me as well.

[ She gets it, even if it's difficult to accept. ]

I understand.

I'm glad you weren't the only one able to escape. It does make me worry about the others left at the castle...

You don't need to tell me where, but do you have a destination in mind?

[ It's Thancred, so she figures that if first step was flee, then second would be to find the safest place they can to hide out. ]

I worry for them too. With any luck, none of them will be directly targeted. If there truly is a coup happening, surely those responsible will have more than enough on their plates as is.

[ While Thancred intends to be careful with who he shares this information with, he thinks it's safe enough to tell Himeka. She's in a neutral territory and it's unlikely anyone would think to question her about such things. ]

We're headed to Nott.
I would take care with who you share that with, if anyone. At least for now.

Abraxas IC Inbox

dec. 23-ish.

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first horizon visit;

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i feel you, i look back at old logs and go OH NO SAME ICON

it's a cardinal sin

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feb 18, after his run-in with fandaniel

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apr 19; horizon, during event

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