aterat | (no subject)

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(no subject)

Who; Everyone!
What; Pulse log; REMEMBRANCE
Where; Throughout the City
When; August 8th - 15th
Warnings; Will update when and as necessary

In the days leading up to August 8th, the city is abuzz with activity. Businesses in the Merchant district have posted notices they will be closed the following week in observance of something called “Remembrance”. The Aspects are absent this week, though that doesn’t seem particularly out of the ordinary, and it’s easy to get caught up in what is quite a celebratory time in the city. Harvests and meats are being brought in from the outlying farms, the main square is being cordoned into stalls for food, drink, and performances. The guard is more present this week, keeping a close eye on the organization and watching for any miscreants.

As the time of the festival approaches, a quiet excitement seems to thrum through the others here, young and old alike, and on the evening of the 8th, a commencement parade makes its way through the market district.

The procession, filled with musicians, dancers, jugglers, and the like, make their way from the fountain square to the center of the market district, where a crude stage has been erected in the square at the center of the market district, in front of the guard headquarters. It’s nothing fancy, but it does serve the purpose of bringing to the attention of those gathered those who stand atop it.

A tall man in a Guardsman’s blue uniform climbs the stairs, steel plates glittering in the midday sun. He has a stern countenance, and there’s a stiffness through his shoulders that suggests he isn’t overly fond of public speeches. He takes a steadying breath before clearing his throat.

“People of Aterat, those of us who were risen from its ashes and those of us who have been gathered to kindle its flame,” he pauses here for a moment, giving his address an air of gravitas. “Welcome. I am Captain Orson Khannar, of the Aterat City Guard. I was a guardsman before the Fall and I can tell you we stand as a shadow of our former selves, but we do stand. Two years ago, today, the Aspects descended from the Fountain, all that remained of our once proud land, they saw the ruin wrought upon it, and they began to weave. There was little of us left, but what stands was reassembled because we Remembered.” A cheer rises from the collected locals, along with a few scattered cries of ‘bless the Aspects’ and ‘long may Halcyn reign’. Captain Khannar raises a hand to still the crowd and after a moment, their cheers and raised prayers quiet.

“But we did not remember enough. This year, the Creator has provided, and we welcome among us memories from other worlds. This Remembrance, do not forget their sacrifice.” His tone changes then, and his piercing gaze moves across all those who have come here from elsewhere. “Outlanders, I expect nothing of you, but I offer you a warning: we are not your captors but we are your neighbors. As such, we will hold you to the same standards to which we hold ourselves. I am the Captain of your guard, and it is my sworn oath to keep this city safe from miscreants. That said, those of you who are willing and able, I would welcome your aid. Surely by now you have seen our fair city has its share of problems. My office is just there across the square.”

And with that bit of business handled, he directs his attention back to the crowd. “A Happy Remembrance to us all!” The crowd cheers again, though less enthusiastically, as a few look around at those gathered from other worlds, uncertain if they share the Captain’s willingness to welcome the aid of ‘Outlanders’.

The rest of the week is a city-wide party. The taverns are overflowing with merrymakers, there is wine and food for all, music at all hours of the day and night. Performers come out in droves, there are artists, artisans, and the like. If you can think of a festival occurrence, it happens at some point, though all the shops are closed for normal hours. It seems it’s quite the holiday, and you are welcome to invent whatever you'd like for a scene.

The Captain remains true to his word, and the Guard HQ in the Market Square seems to be the only place operating normally. There are regular patrols throughout the events, but Captain Khannar can be found most days in his office, upstairs in the HeadQuarters, should anyone like to question him.

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"Mm. Thoughts and emotions can be...difficult," she agreed. For her part when she became overwhelmed by such things she simply ran away to Limbo. There was no escape to that here though and that was a strange realization to make. Where do you run when your only escape is gone? She shook her head to clear those thoughts and turned to face him.

"That just sounds like naivete speaking," she said bluntly. "Most do things like that because they can. Or because they know their target is weak." The strong take advantage of the weak. That was the way of the world and to think otherwise seemed almost innocent to her. She hesitated for a second and then in a much more gentle voice added: "Do you always think of others before yourself?"

Jacob shrugged. "Usually."

"I mean, I take care of myself." Sometimes. "But I don't need a lot. I don't mind giving whatever I have to others. It's probably why I liked fixing things for a living. It's just nice to do something." He knew that it was naive but he didn't care. There wasn't any more of his soul for the world to take and shred apart. He'd already experienced enough pain to encompass several lifetimes.

He felt numb.

"Those with such selfless tendencies rarely actually take care of themselves," she said as she turned away from him and back to the ocean. "Piotr is like that. He would believe a muggers sad tale of woe and hand over all he owned if he thought it would help them. More often than not it did not end well for him." There was a slight edge of resentment in her voice at the comment about her brother. Too often he had left her alone to make some sort of selfless sacrifice.

"What sort of things do you fix?"

"Well," Jacob leaned back on his palms and looked up towards the sky. "How about this? If you catch me not taking care of myself... you have my permission to give me a good punch." He glanced sideways at her and grinned. "I have a feeling that you could beat the crap out of me and it'd be a good incentive to take care of myself."

There were a lot of people who could beat the crap out of him.

"Car's. Though I also fix air conditioning units for my landlord and really anything that breaks. He gives me a discount on my rent when I do." Which he can't really do here. "But I went to a trade school and I learned carpentry as well. So I'll probably fall back on that."

"You should be careful with offers like that. I have lead entire armies," she said with a little smirk. "I may punch much harder than you would expect. But since you've offered..." her smirk grew just a little bit larger. "I will accept. Try not to cry when it happens." Something told her that it would definitely be happening. Jacob already seemed like the type to do something stupid and selfless for someone else.

"Ah, I know who to call on if something breaks now," she said. It occurred to her how strange it was that this place had communication devices but no vehicles at all. How exactly were these aspects deciding on what to bring in? "A carpenter should be useful for the rebuilding."

Jacob felt his mouth twitch into an involuntary smile. "You might be surprised. I think I told you once-" He waved a hand. "When we first spoke on the phones. That was you right?" She hadn't mentioned her name exactly but he recognized the voice. "Everyone I know is super-human in some way."

Except for him.

"I'm used to getting my ass kicked." It's also why he quantified being able to protect himself from a normal human. He had been 'trained' by those who were naturally faster and stronger than a human and while he always lost, it gave him an edge.

"With the exception being you, the ordinary human" she said with a hint of a smirk. They had spoken for some time and yet somehow had left out exchanging of any sort of names. Which, was not entirely unusual for her given her tendency towards secrets. She hesitated for a second and then put a hand to her chest. "I am Illyana," another short pause was taken. "Though I have gone by many other names." She couldn't help but add the ominous last part.

"It does not seem like a good thing to get used to," she tilted her head curiously. "Unless you enjoy it."

"I don't know." He smiled and for the first time since his arrival, felt relaxed. It was like he was back in his apartment with one of his siblings bugging him about his bad habits. It was a good feeling. "I think. I am a pretty ordinary human." At least, compared to those around him.

"You can call me Jake. My name is Jacob." He shrugged. "That's the only name I got." He didn't seem bothered by her collection of names. "I like Illyana. It's a pretty name."

Jacob shrugged again. He didn't have an answer for her. "I think people gain resilience. Eventually."

"Jake the ordinary human," she repeated with a lingering smile on her face. "How boring to only have one name." And yet unsurprising for most. What use did a regular human have for codenames? Or demonic names.

For just a moment she looked slightly confused by his compliment. "I suppose it is better than the Darkchylde." It was an attempt at a joke and yet at the same time there was some truth to it. "Most call me Magik." Though, perhaps it would be nice to just be Illyana.

"Is resilience what you call it?"

"Resilience is better than any other word I could come up with."

He paused for a moment, as if remembering something that he had been happy to forget. "Well, maybe not entirely ordinary.... I sometimes go by Jim or James but I honestly hate that name." It was complicated but it was technically an alas. Not because he had to hide who he was but because James Stevenson had a social security number and Jacob Miller did not.

He looked over at her, his brow furrowed. "What is Darkchylde? Like, what's it mean. It doesn't sound like a good thing."

"Resilience it is then," she said with a shrug. "Ah, so the truth comes out. Perhaps you are not as ordinary as you insist." Just the slightest hint of amusement reflected in her voice at that comment. It intrigued her to think there might be something more to him than he had been insisting.

For just a second a look that reassembled discomfort crossed her expression. Her shoulders tensed before she forced some semblance of relaxation. How was it that after all this time she still found discomfort in speaking of this? Why had she brought it up in the first place?

"It is a name," she said with a forced smile. "It was a name I was given in Limbo."

Jacob laughed but it was a hallow sound. It wasn't really funny but sick and twisted. "Maybe. I'm the most ordinary person I know but that doesn't mean much." He knew a lot of extraordinary people, both human and in-human.

"Limbo?" He saw the change and frowned. "That doesn't sound good."

There was a brief awkward pause before Jacob reached out and placed a hand on her leg with an awkward pat before pulling away again. "Look, I get that things suck. You don't have to tell me. I have a lot of shit I don't talk about too but I'm always here to listen, if you just want someone to listen and confirm that it sucks."

"Ordinary is relative I suppose," she said with a tiny smirk. The touch though was unexpected and she jerked away quickly. It was so unfamiliar to have someone reach out like that and she clearly had no idea how to actually react.

"Limbo is a pocket hell dimension. A nexus between all," she said with a slightly forced calm to her voice. She paused for a second before continuing. It was strange of him to offer that and she found herself oddly confused. What precisely did he want from her? "I was taken there when I was a child and kept as a prisoner." She attempted to give a nonchalant shrug, as if these facts no longer bothered her. It was far from the truth but she felt she had to put on a show. "Now the realm is mine."

Jacob retracted his hand and made a note to not touch her again. He didn't like making people feel uncomfortable and he knew that it took some time to get used to people caring... it had taken him years to get used to both touch and affection. Even now, he didn't forgive himself for what he had done.

"That sucks." He said, his expression open and sympathetic. "I know of the Limbo described in the bible. It says its a place of transition. Not saying that it doesn't suck but maybe you can make it suck less."

"It is not often people reach out to me like that," she said in a strange sort of attempt at an apology for tensing.She lapsed into silence and looked out at the water for a few second before turning to him.

"Transition...." she shook her head. It certainly had caused a transition inside of herself. "It is more akin to the bible's description of Hell. A lawless place populated by numerous demons. It is worrisome that I cannot fully connect to it here. The longer a ruler is away from Limbo the more...unruly it's citizens become. Of course, that goes the opposite way as well." The longer a ruler, or anyone, stayed in Limbo, the more corrupted they became. So perhaps a full break from the realm that had tormented her for so long would not be so horrible.

Jacob just smiled. "It's cool. I get it. It took me awhile too. I was just lucky really. I had a family show up around me and they wouldn't let me fall in on myself; even when I wanted too."

He thought about Hell and its implications daily. Jacob was fairly sure that he was going to go to Hell but as far as he was concerned, it was what he deserved. "Hell has rules. They're just different. But I think I get what you mean. I wonder why you can't reach it here... maybe it's something those Aspect people are doing or the Creator?"

A cold feel slid down Jacob's stomach, sending a chill up his spine. If something cut them off from their worlds then his sister wouldn't be able to come get him.

"Family..." She shook her head and looked away from him. Family was quite the complicated topic for her to go deep into. Not to mention how often it made her remember just how much she missed her brother.

"Have you been to Hell to know of it's rules?" There was a hint of curiosity in her tone and she turned to him with the question. "I would assume it is them. It would take considerable power to lock me away from it."

Family was pretty complicated for him too though he didn't want to shy away from the word or the prospect of family. He'd already lost too much to lose the family he'd recently gained. Even if they were now, literally, worlds appart.

"I haven't. Not technically." He awkwardly scratched the back of his head. "Sometimes it feels like I've been to hell and back but I'm sure I'll end up there at some point. I'll tell you about it after that."

He was half joking.

She tilted her head and looked almost curious at his response. "Why do you believe you will end up there? What have you done?" Nothing about his demeanor or thins he had said gave her the impression he would deserve a sentence to hell. Then again appearances could be deceiving. That she knew all too well.

Jacob's expression fell. "I want to tell you its complicated but that I don't know if that's really true." It was simple to explain but there was too much context to the story and Jake didn't feel like the simple explanation was enough.

He also wasn't sure that he could voice it out loud.

"It's hard to say. It's been harder here. Can't really make anything better when you're literally a world away."

"Everything can be complicated," she said with a shrug. She could understand feeling as though it wasn't worth explaining because it just seemed like too much. "Perhaps it will get easier here."

"Maybe. I doubt it." He gestured with a hand. "I used to use my ipod to cloud my thoughts. Lately I've just been thinking a lot. That's why I came here. I thought the water would make it all easier." Jacob shrugged. "But it didn't, not really."

He looked over at his new semi-friend. "What about you? Does the water help?"

"Perhaps the next upgrade the give us in technology will include music." His question got a shrug from her before she answered. "Being alone used to." Here it had not been nearly as successful in helping her to not dwell as much.

"I thought the water might help me to think less. It has not. I am used to having a...focus...," some might . "I am not certain what to do without one."

Jacob grinned a bit. "I hope so." He felt like he needed his music but for now, he'd have to figure out to survive without out. "And hopefully you can find something to focus on... maybe exploring this weird place."

He scratched the back of his head. "But. I think we should head back. Wanna walk that way together?"

She paused and then gave a nod as she stood. "If you would like." Which was about as close as Illyana would get to saying that she would like to walk back with him.

end?

brotherofagod - 2020-11-01 01:12 (UTC) - Expand

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