[It's the blinding light, not the jump, that makes him squint and turn his face away. Leaping between realms is not an unfamiliar sensation to him. Even the physical realm of humans is one that he's normally had to be summoned into through magical means.
Once they land on the other side he releases Cecelia's fingers and creeps to the edge of the infinite abyss. He peers down, then out at the stars. The eternal sky with its hanging stars feels more dangerous to him than the drop. He feels like he could swept into that void, smothered by its stillness.
After a moment he draws back.]
So, this is what has made the True Runes go so silent that not even I can hear their voices...
[Part of him had wondered if being turned mortal had severed their connection to him but that seemed like too simple an explanation... Surely they wouldn't suddenly leave him alone for such a tawdry reason.]
And humans did this with their machine and the Excalibur, did they? ....Such wonderful, pointless destruction they are capable of.
[while Yuber ruminates (True Runes, hm? something to file away for later), Cecelia's eyes scan the expanse for the true point of concern. it's hard to see with the naked eye, even elf-blooded eyes, but now that she knows what to look for, it's easier to spot.
she suppresses a want to scoff at his remark about being impressed, instead moving from the edge, over to where a telescope and a pair of benches are affixed. it's almost like this was a viewpoint for stargazing of a different sort before things grew dire.]
This way. [she gestures for him to draw near before she bends to peer through and readjust the view within. when she can see the explosion point properly in the lens, she straightens and steps away, giving him chance to look himself.]
There. If you look closely, you can see how some of the edges of the explosion's halo seem to have an unusual quality? Like...pages of a book torn and pulled after being soaked in water. There are other realms in those tears.
[He steps over, brushes his hair from his eyes and looks through the lens. Chaos is what he sees...
Chaos that is now frozen in place before it can surge so violently that it destroys everything in its path then extinguishes itself like a fire with nothing left to burn.
Beautiful, but tragic.
He stares for a long time before he steps away again and looks towards Cecilia with a furrowed brow.]
And if time were start again now that explosion will tear through those realms and many others. Is that correct?
[she has had her eyes fixed on him as he takes all of this in, looking for cues and clues to his inner thinking based on years of seeing such plays across hundreds of other faces. his unpleasant demeanor is only a barrier to conversation, not action, after all, and she has hopes that sharing this will spur him and others to more diligent action where she cannot.]
The magics being cultivated by those of us drawn here are seem to be not only key to securing the barriers keeping us from destruction, but to developing a means to undo it before more damage can be done.
Perhaps to even reverse what damage appears to be done.
[Cecilia will see a hardness in his gaze, a resolute determination.]
I fail to see how my weak magic can resolve this. Nothing Avalon gives me compares to what I have lost...
If I had my true power I could fix everything.
Motion is my purview, after all. I fight for chaos.
[At this he looks meaningfully over at her, arms folding over his broad chest.]
But chaos cannot thrive in this stillness and if the multiverse dies, chaos dies with it.
[He will die with it.]
I've managed to convince a couple from my world to help me seek a way to rescue Excalibur. But, I'll admit without my power I don't know what I can do...
[A heat rises up behind his crimson eye. He won't die like this, he won't.]
though her expression remains stony and neutral, her eyes sharpen as she takes note of that. in better circumstances, she could laugh at that, but not now. one more thing to take note of, table for later.
her lips purse into a thin line at mention of some plan of rescue.]
The pathway to a resolution is not painted in a single stroke, unfortunately. Those of us who knew magic before this land will suffer that loss while trying to cultivate something in its place, as you must do so now. That is to say...whatever ambitions you may have had prior to this may very well have to wait...and chaos may need to bow lower to order than it is keen to.
[Yuber tsks, his lips curl back to show his teeth.]
If you think I am incapable of working with others you are wrong. I've fought alongside humans in their wars a thousand times in the past to spread discord and I'll do so now.
[He lifts a gloved hand and gestures out at the void..]
This time spreading chaos necessitates the rescue of the Excalibur. I will do what I can to start time and survive and thrive once more but...
...I will not kneel to order. You'd might as well ask me not to breathe.
[she gives him a flat look, but does not rise to prod him much further.
instead:] I'd rather ask you to draw upon your experiences and what is available to you now to discern your greatest and most valuable impact. Let this observation of the threat be your continued motivator, if anything.
...I will work with what Avalon provides only because I have no other choice. I have no intention of giving up on finding a way to restore myself meanwhile. If I am restored I am confident I deal with this.
[The lifted hand twirls then drops back to his side.]
I hardly needed more motivation to solve this problem, you know. The death of chaos is motivator enough.
...But I did need to observe it with my own eyes.
[Before now the Calamity had been something he was sure he could feel but which was otherwise vague. It had existed somewhere above and beyond New Camelot; a background threat that far too few people spoke of. Seeing it in person has brought it down to earth, made it knowable... And a threat he can know is one he can defeat.]
You have given a face to my proverbial enemy. For this I thank you.
[that's the thing about such concepts as order and chaos, good and evil...neither side of the scale is all-consuming, or a scale would cease to be. it behooves both sides to coexist just enough to maintain existence, and in that way...
well. Yubel says he won't kneel, but he certainly will bow, just as those who seek order shall to survive. dealing with such devils is not new, it is just the playing field that has changed.
in response to the thanks, she dips her head and gives a courteous curtsy. she then turns away from the viewpoint, toward the seemingly out-of-place little shop and the desert landscape that stretches out to an unknown distance. harrowing, dangerous, the King had warned her...for now, she's keen to believe it. perhaps if she were to bring company more trustworthy in their strength, then...
ah, well. such things can wait for later. she looks over her shoulder]
We shall return when you give the word...or when the limit of time has been reached, whichever comes first. Do tell me when your curiosity has been satisfied.
[He quietly watches her, then looks out at the desert, his own curiosity prickling at his skin. From where he is standing the expanse of dust is as infinite as the sky now at his back. It's a less upsetting sight to him, however.
The stars sent ancient wounds clanging along his sides, stirred emotions so old they almost felt like they came from another lifetime. The sky, bound as it was by the ordering cosmos, could swallow him whole...
The desert, however, is earth. It is as neutral a sight as his own hands.]
[she shakes her head slightly, her attention back on that horizon.]
Nothing in grand detail, citing that the exposure alone would be the killer before any creature or maelstrom could get to you.
[briefly, her gaze flickers down to her feet, where the ever-silent unicorn lingers against her skirts. it lifts its head enough to match her stare, but offers neither insight nor insult.
...it's better at the role of silent aide than she is.
after an exhale:] As with most things of such scope, I'm more apt to believing after seeing, but I'm not yet equipped to survey it myself. And unless something of import crops up or can be detected out there...I'm inclined to leave it be and keep my focus more on what can be seen.
[Yuber walks ahead of her to gaze further out at the desert, mind already buzzing with possibilities.
The current quiet makes him itch but if there are storms and monsters and magic... Well that could be more exciting than spending his days in Camelot preying on the foolish mortals that dared to walk the dark alleys alone at night. Their dying screams were satisfying but none of them had enough magic to be a real challenge... Not that Yuber gave them much of a chance to register his presence before he skewered them on his swords.
Dread monsters, however... A dangerous desert, a new experience... That could make his blood sing.]
If you decide to brave the desert I might come with you.
[airily, lifting her chin a bit:] If you think I'm keen on entrusting my safety to a devotee of chaos, your opinion of me is quite skewed indeed.
Yet even so...should the need arise, consider your interest duly noted. [and most likely ignored because she is not going to corroborate with crazy chaos-people more than necessity dictates.
she smiles blandly, holding her hands out to him.] Let us be off, then. You'll have time to record your impressions with the sight still fresh in your mind.
[The edge of Yuber's wide mouth twitches upward into a cruel smirk.]
Sometimes a little chaos is exactly what is needed to survive the unexpected.
[Which was something a few humans of his world understood. In times of brutal conflict he was not lured to the war by the scent of carnage, it was the humans who sought him out and called on him to fight at their side.
He misses it.
None of this passes his lips but she might notice something wistful in his gaze as he reaches out to grasp her hands.]
[wistful? sure. but she's not keen on picking at it when she's alone with him on the edge of oblivion, given all he's said to now.
she sighsheavily and closes her eyes. again, the glow reignites and just as quickly engulfs them in that same, all-encompassing flash. the bleak expanses of space and sand are swapped with the kinder greens of the fields leading up to the city, and the area once again feels alive...full of far more potential than the bleak abyss.
something to wax poetic on later; right now, Cecelia's hands suddenly twitch and grasp at Yuber's wrists when she feels exhaustion wash over her and nearly steal her balance. her eyes stay shut tight as she acclimates to it, releasing him when she's certain she'll not drop to her knees.
after an exhale:] Ah...unpleasant... But it could be far worse.
[she nods, straightening back up and combing stray hair back behind her ears.]
It was expected. The talisman provides the trajectory, but...the means of getting there relies on its bearer to be able to muster the strength to reach it.
[lightly:] So that will certainly rule out group visits in the futures, mm. Good to know before saddling myself with such a thing.
[her mouth tugs in a grim smirk for the briefest of moments as she lifts her eyes back up to him. she gives him a nod.]
The transaction is concluded; you're free to go along on your way. Take what you've learned to heart.
[For a long moment he just stands there, looking her over with an impassive gaze. When he glances back at the gates to the city he sighs warily, mentally preparing himself for the tedium of another day spent among humans. The anxious excitement of observing the Calamity himself is already wearing off, though he doubts he will soon forget what he's seen.
Maybe he can stir up some trouble in town... Right after he finds something to soothe the hungry growling in his empty stomach.
He turns back to her and bobs his head in a movement that is more than a nod, less than a bow, then he's off walking back along the path to town.]
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eightfoldfiend) wrote2021-03-07 10:15 pm
no subject
Once they land on the other side he releases Cecelia's fingers and creeps to the edge of the infinite abyss. He peers down, then out at the stars. The eternal sky with its hanging stars feels more dangerous to him than the drop. He feels like he could swept into that void, smothered by its stillness.
After a moment he draws back.]
So, this is what has made the True Runes go so silent that not even I can hear their voices...
[Part of him had wondered if being turned mortal had severed their connection to him but that seemed like too simple an explanation... Surely they wouldn't suddenly leave him alone for such a tawdry reason.]
And humans did this with their machine and the Excalibur, did they? ....Such wonderful, pointless destruction they are capable of.
I'm impressed.
no subject
she suppresses a want to scoff at his remark about being impressed, instead moving from the edge, over to where a telescope and a pair of benches are affixed. it's almost like this was a viewpoint for stargazing of a different sort before things grew dire.]
This way. [she gestures for him to draw near before she bends to peer through and readjust the view within. when she can see the explosion point properly in the lens, she straightens and steps away, giving him chance to look himself.]
There. If you look closely, you can see how some of the edges of the explosion's halo seem to have an unusual quality? Like...pages of a book torn and pulled after being soaked in water. There are other realms in those tears.
no subject
Chaos that is now frozen in place before it can surge so violently that it destroys everything in its path then extinguishes itself like a fire with nothing left to burn.
Beautiful, but tragic.
He stares for a long time before he steps away again and looks towards Cecilia with a furrowed brow.]
And if time were start again now that explosion will tear through those realms and many others. Is that correct?
no subject
[she has had her eyes fixed on him as he takes all of this in, looking for cues and clues to his inner thinking based on years of seeing such plays across hundreds of other faces. his unpleasant demeanor is only a barrier to conversation, not action, after all, and she has hopes that sharing this will spur him and others to more diligent action where she cannot.]
The magics being cultivated by those of us drawn here are seem to be not only key to securing the barriers keeping us from destruction, but to developing a means to undo it before more damage can be done.
Perhaps to even reverse what damage appears to be done.
no subject
I fail to see how my weak magic can resolve this. Nothing Avalon gives me compares to what I have lost...
If I had my true power I could fix everything.
Motion is my purview, after all. I fight for chaos.
[At this he looks meaningfully over at her, arms folding over his broad chest.]
But chaos cannot thrive in this stillness and if the multiverse dies, chaos dies with it.
[He will die with it.]
I've managed to convince a couple from my world to help me seek a way to rescue Excalibur. But, I'll admit without my power I don't know what I can do...
[A heat rises up behind his crimson eye. He won't die like this, he won't.]
no subject
though her expression remains stony and neutral, her eyes sharpen as she takes note of that. in better circumstances, she could laugh at that, but not now. one more thing to take note of, table for later.
her lips purse into a thin line at mention of some plan of rescue.]
The pathway to a resolution is not painted in a single stroke, unfortunately. Those of us who knew magic before this land will suffer that loss while trying to cultivate something in its place, as you must do so now. That is to say...whatever ambitions you may have had prior to this may very well have to wait...and chaos may need to bow lower to order than it is keen to.
no subject
[Yuber tsks, his lips curl back to show his teeth.]
If you think I am incapable of working with others you are wrong. I've fought alongside humans in their wars a thousand times in the past to spread discord and I'll do so now.
[He lifts a gloved hand and gestures out at the void..]
This time spreading chaos necessitates the rescue of the Excalibur. I will do what I can to start time and survive and thrive once more but...
...I will not kneel to order. You'd might as well ask me not to breathe.
no subject
instead:] I'd rather ask you to draw upon your experiences and what is available to you now to discern your greatest and most valuable impact. Let this observation of the threat be your continued motivator, if anything.
no subject
...I will work with what Avalon provides only because I have no other choice. I have no intention of giving up on finding a way to restore myself meanwhile. If I am restored I am confident I deal with this.
[The lifted hand twirls then drops back to his side.]
I hardly needed more motivation to solve this problem, you know. The death of chaos is motivator enough.
...But I did need to observe it with my own eyes.
[Before now the Calamity had been something he was sure he could feel but which was otherwise vague. It had existed somewhere above and beyond New Camelot; a background threat that far too few people spoke of. Seeing it in person has brought it down to earth, made it knowable... And a threat he can know is one he can defeat.]
You have given a face to my proverbial enemy. For this I thank you.
no subject
well. Yubel says he won't kneel, but he certainly will bow, just as those who seek order shall to survive. dealing with such devils is not new, it is just the playing field that has changed.
in response to the thanks, she dips her head and gives a courteous curtsy. she then turns away from the viewpoint, toward the seemingly out-of-place little shop and the desert landscape that stretches out to an unknown distance. harrowing, dangerous, the King had warned her...for now, she's keen to believe it. perhaps if she were to bring company more trustworthy in their strength, then...
ah, well. such things can wait for later. she looks over her shoulder]
We shall return when you give the word...or when the limit of time has been reached, whichever comes first. Do tell me when your curiosity has been satisfied.
no subject
The stars sent ancient wounds clanging along his sides, stirred emotions so old they almost felt like they came from another lifetime. The sky, bound as it was by the ordering cosmos, could swallow him whole...
The desert, however, is earth. It is as neutral a sight as his own hands.]
...Did the King tell you what was out there?
no subject
Nothing in grand detail, citing that the exposure alone would be the killer before any creature or maelstrom could get to you.
[briefly, her gaze flickers down to her feet, where the ever-silent unicorn lingers against her skirts. it lifts its head enough to match her stare, but offers neither insight nor insult.
...it's better at the role of silent aide than she is.
after an exhale:] As with most things of such scope, I'm more apt to believing after seeing, but I'm not yet equipped to survey it myself. And unless something of import crops up or can be detected out there...I'm inclined to leave it be and keep my focus more on what can be seen.
cw: references to npc murder
The current quiet makes him itch but if there are storms and monsters and magic... Well that could be more exciting than spending his days in Camelot preying on the foolish mortals that dared to walk the dark alleys alone at night. Their dying screams were satisfying but none of them had enough magic to be a real challenge... Not that Yuber gave them much of a chance to register his presence before he skewered them on his swords.
Dread monsters, however... A dangerous desert, a new experience... That could make his blood sing.]
If you decide to brave the desert I might come with you.
[He twists around to face her again.]
Until then, I am ready to return to the city.
no subject
Yet even so...should the need arise, consider your interest duly noted. [and most likely ignored because she is not going to corroborate with crazy chaos-people more than necessity dictates.
she smiles blandly, holding her hands out to him.] Let us be off, then. You'll have time to record your impressions with the sight still fresh in your mind.
no subject
Sometimes a little chaos is exactly what is needed to survive the unexpected.
[Which was something a few humans of his world understood. In times of brutal conflict he was not lured to the war by the scent of carnage, it was the humans who sought him out and called on him to fight at their side.
He misses it.
None of this passes his lips but she might notice something wistful in his gaze as he reaches out to grasp her hands.]
no subject
she sighs
heavilyand closes her eyes. again, the glow reignites and just as quickly engulfs them in that same, all-encompassing flash. the bleak expanses of space and sand are swapped with the kinder greens of the fields leading up to the city, and the area once again feels alive...full of far more potential than the bleak abyss.something to wax poetic on later; right now, Cecelia's hands suddenly twitch and grasp at Yuber's wrists when she feels exhaustion wash over her and nearly steal her balance. her eyes stay shut tight as she acclimates to it, releasing him when she's certain she'll not drop to her knees.
after an exhale:] Ah...unpleasant... But it could be far worse.
no subject
When she doesn't he lets her go and blows out a breath.]
The crossing taxes you.
[His tone is more curious than accusatory.]
no subject
It was expected. The talisman provides the trajectory, but...the means of getting there relies on its bearer to be able to muster the strength to reach it.
[lightly:] So that will certainly rule out group visits in the futures, mm. Good to know before saddling myself with such a thing.
[her mouth tugs in a grim smirk for the briefest of moments as she lifts her eyes back up to him. she gives him a nod.]
The transaction is concluded; you're free to go along on your way. Take what you've learned to heart.
no subject
Maybe he can stir up some trouble in town... Right after he finds something to soothe the hungry growling in his empty stomach.
He turns back to her and bobs his head in a movement that is more than a nod, less than a bow, then he's off walking back along the path to town.]