[Mini Event] so it has come to this

DEIMOS

It didn’t take long for the vitriol to thicken, toxins dripping between those who should’ve been considered compatriots. He looked back and forth to those involved: Remi and Jigano at first, some insisting on power grabs and things Deimos wasn’t aware of, causing him to raise both brows, Bastien’s dramatic intonations clamoring opinions upon the rise of Zariah’s power – no voting required, apparently, bringing up possibilities of their own leaders. It was authority the Reaper truly bristled against, reveling in more of his own dominion, control, and precision; he’d been part of crusades and sojourns marched and marked, etched and sketched, by those who claimed complete authority, kings and queens, sovereigns and monarchs, who revered wrecking balls and wreaking havoc without a clear plan in the munitions – parts of a play and failed sieges. Something in his blood boiled, seethed, and gnashed, memories and recollections of a time where he had nothing at all – following, following, following down rabbit holes and assault lines, then burying his friends where they’d fallen.

Kiada was a welcome sight, and he breathed a little easier at her appearance, Auni bounding to his side, her vulture descent a bolder, more intrepid tidings. He flashed her a wicked gaze – a roar, a fury, a ferocity of years past, when they’d been audacious, proud things, tearing down walls and promising vengeance. Is that what they’d be now too – demonstrative beasts with vicious claws, vehement, persistent animals carving and aligning their abhorrence with others? He nodded his head at her notion of action, his preferred flavor and flame of eloquence, but how? When? What?

Ronin came to Remi’s aid thereafter, mentioning grievances sent to the newfound queen, pondering if that’s where they should’ve started, voicing their opinions to this Zariah – and then Amalia entered, and he had to take a step back simply to watch her ignite (immensely proud, amused), clawing and ripping apart the notice, as if it were nothing, as if it were dust.

If only it was that easy.

He had flashbacks to the hill by the Spire, the evening where portions of them crashed down, died, and exploded, some of the same individuals involved searing and seething. Would that happen again – come to naught after all – because their rage was too raw, because their vexation was too high, because pride always came before the fall? As Edrei moved in, set to ignite Amalia straight into flames, the Reaper stepped to the baker’s side, awaiting some passing moment to either defend or assault; taut, rigid, pondering how they were supposed to get anything accomplished when they couldn’t even talk civilly ever. Why the hell was he even believing he could anoint peace and repose? It hadn’t gone well before. No one had listened. No one had cared. No one had given a damn.

Wessex arrived – aiming to douse the flames. He could follow suit. “We can bring our opinions to her.” Zariah. The fight was too soon here – no preparation, no calculations, nothing except vehemence and contempt, rage and rancor.

i'm in the mood to dissolve in the sky

”Mmm,” was the only noncommittal Edy received at her quip, the bard’s blue eyes sparkling with secrets and mirth mixed with pride at her confidence – foolish though it may have been in the moment, outnumbered (and quite possibly outgunned, in this company) as she was. ”You made dealing with that fire infinitely easier, Edy,” he agreed with a slight bow. ”And I thank you for it. But that is not the only way to douse a blaze. Or how do you think we’ve dealt with fires when you haven’t been around to help out?” Because deal with them they had, using the resources at hand at the time – which hadn’t included a fire mage, and had involved a lot more sore muscles. ”It’s a mistake to look down on the people of this world,” he said, a fairly mild reproof as he arched a brow at her. ”Wasn’t Northhaven in a little bubble all its own, inside a Wall? Something about being on the losing end of a war and trying to flee to a different world and start a colony there? Not exactly ‘better’ so much as just… different.” His grin sharpened a bit. ”Different as the governments that never tend to last long here. You should do a bit of reading sometime. History repeating itself, and all that. As Maea’s government, so too your cousin’s, I expect.” He shrugged lightly, clearly enjoying the wordplay.

Inside, his mien was far less relaxed, and his thoughts were racing.

Go, Amalia , he urged, disliking that Wessex was the one attempting to lead her away, but for once in agreement with the Ascended. It had not escaped his notice that Edy showed up hot on the heels of the baker’s open display of defiance. ‘Hot’ being the key word, especially given that the fiery Launceleyn had very nearly killed the leopardess once before, albeit under the influence of the Long Night demons.

”Ah, Edrei ,” he murmured sympathetically, shaking his head with mock-sadness. ”Going senile already? You were there when Maea came out vomiting blood and pleading for us to help the others. I went into the Spire, yes, but to try and rescue those who had gotten in over their heads. Set in my ways and stubborn I might be, but I’m not so petty as to let people die over a disagreement.” Actually… he probably was. Or at least, he had been. Amalia and Rory and Sam had certainly been better influences on him, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t occasionally backslide.

Kiada , can you start subtly ushering people out? he thought to his feathered friend. We’ll need to pick this up later, when we aren’t under the eyes of Zariah’s cousin. Perhaps cooler heads would prevail, and a diplomatic solution would be reached. Perhaps rebellion would simmer and stew and eventually boil over into bloody revolution. But for the moment, so long as he kept his gourd-hunting friend’s attention on himself, it lessened the chance of her deciding to make an example of anyone else in the room with her admittedly formidable magics.

”I thought gratitude mattered to you,” he pointed out, sauntering towards the fashionable fire mage – and keeping a weather eye on Lucas, unsure whether the blond was simply stirring chaos into the pot or genuinely supportive of the new regime. ”Or is your cousin going to see about cleaning up the mess she made, as you have so helpfully pointed out, in releasing said godling back into the world to work her mischief anew?”

you and me been catching on like a wildfire

"We?" Edy repeated with a raised brow. "That's precisely the problem. This has been going on for hundreds of years. There should be systems in place to deal with this, not just a cobbled together group running about." The bard's rebuke received only a shrug from the younger woman. "Every world is in a bubble if you think about it. Just depends on how big the borders are. Point is, we actually dealt with our shit. Not saying it was perfectly done, but at least we did something about it. We didn't just accept our fates and bitch and complain all the time. As for reading, I'll leave that to you. I don't need to stick my nose in a book to see that there's a problem and try to fix it. "

The muscles in Edy's jaw tightened at the sight of Wessex. Rather than bringing up their mutual history, the fire-mage merely nodded to the ascended. Maybe this would become personality, but for now—for Edy at least—it was business. Family business to be sure, but she wouldn't begrudge the blonde for doing what she had to do as well.

Looking back at Jigano, Edy merely shrugged again. "All I'm hearing is that you both went in, to try and help the people you cared about." With a light laugh, Edy shook her head with a mischevious scowl. "That's the thing about me and Zariah. We aren't the same person. "

Coding base by Sky!

Amalia

she was afraid of heights

Tearing down the notice may not have been the most diplomatic move, but gods if it didn't feel excellent, wrath made manifest in feral form, the tatters of the parchment falling to the ground. Turning around to face the crowd, Amalia watches Edy approach, her dark eyes alight with furious fire to mirror the blaze ignited that night. "It's not us versus them," she snarls in response, looking defiantly at the taller woman. "It's who's given a damn versus who hasn't, and so far I've seen every person assembled here do more for this community than your self-styled queen."

She might have said more, spat vitriol and venom, but a number of things happen to still her tongue.  First is Jigano's rise to her defense, the bard diverting the firemage's attention away from the fuming baker. Second is Wessex coming to her side, taking the girl by the arm and gently calling she stand down. Third is Deimos, her comfort, her shield, standing beside her like a bulwark against the tide, offering solace as well as support, another instruction for stillness, for patience.

And last, most significant, is Jyoti's song. Distressed by the chaos and rising dissent, the starwhale emits a mournful cry, projecting starlight into the gathering from her place upon the girl's back. At once Amalia feels herself loosen, relax, calmed by the radiant celestial glow, if not for which she might have remained incensed despite the caution of her friends.

Exhaling deeply, Amalia sighs, reaching out to squeeze Deimos' hand before whispering to Wessex in a voice so soft that only the Ascended could possibly hear. She repeats the instruction mentally to the ones she knows are Attuned: Kiada, Remi, and Jigano, desperation giving her an unspoken voice.

With a last glare at Edy, Amalia turns away, knowing that remaining here will only raise her ire. Taking Deimos' hand, she pulls him to come with her, a gentle request for kindness and company as she searches for space to clear her head.

but she was much more afraid

of never flying

Ronin was quiet because if he let loose, he didn't think he'd be able to reel his tongue back in. (My, hadn't he grown as a character person?) To watch Edrei stand shoulder to shoulder with an Ascended who seemed so keen on discord about the whole thing, to see the spark nearly ignite among those he called friends and allies... this whole situation was a powder keg - one that even the slightest lick of flame would ignite. So as tension rippled, roared and then slowly faded again, Ronin gave Remi's arm a gentle squeeze and nodded to indicate he wouldn't be sticking around any longer. He had much to think about, and more to plan. Mainly, though, right now he just wanted to take his frustration out on a training target. {EXIT RONIN} RONIN Darkness is a funny thing. It creeps up on you.

KIADA

i etch my own face
upon my wicked flesh

The Harpy disregards the bickering of the others, eyes only for Deimos and the notice of new rules, and her lip begins to curl. It doesn’t last long, however, as Amalia approaches in a fiery whirlwind that’s enough to make Kiada’s scowl turn into a smug grin – especially as she watches Amalia reach out with a clawed hand and slashes at the notice. She wants to tell Amalia to scream it at the world, to tell everyone to fuck off, and that she’ll support the leopardess in any endeavor she chooses to make.  But then there’s a threat and Kiada’s icy gaze slips to a woman she doesn’t particularly recognize, ready to lash out in flames and a quick wit of a tongue.

Before Jigano can send the words to her mentally, she’s already moved slightly in front of Amalia – prepared to take any blow should the woman decide to bring the fire to the words she’s spitting. But the woman doesn’t. And instead, an Ascended woman reaches for Amalia and begins to tug her away, and Kiada’s bright simmering gaze slips to Deimos to see his response. She hears his rough voice and mentions that they’ll bring the opinions to her, and Kiada’s lip curls again in reaction to the idea of it all. But she says nothing, hearing Jigano’s words again and begins to move before she hears the instructions mentally from Amalia. And with a curt nod, the Harpy stares at those remaining. “Good luck.” Her voice is sharp and to the point, before she follows Amalia and Deimos away.

{Kia out}

i am my own devastating god

everytime you kiss me

Politics was certainly not Remi's area of expertise. Though as Amalia tore down the sign, the alchemist couldn't help but feel a shiver of memory and concern riffle through him. There had been a time not terribly long ago, in another world, where he'd done almost precisely the same thing. With a mental pulse of affection and fidelity towards his feline friend, Remi glanced with blind eyes over his shoulder as Ronin departed.

Biting the inside of his lip, Remi took a breath and softly excused himself as well.

~out

it's like sunshine and whiskey

Coding base by Sky!

”There are systems in place,” he informed her, voice still mild as if they were having a chat at the bar rather than a confrontation in front of the Notice Board. ”Or so I have been told by those that have lived here longer than either of us.” Amalia had told him of them when they had been putting out the fire in the forest. They weren’t perfect, or even ideal, but they existed, at least. Which Zariah might have known if she’d actually gotten out into the community before this blatant grab for power. He could remember seeing her at Remi’s magical test of the barrier, and at the Spire… and hardly ever outside of that.

”Didn’t you?” he asked, raising a brow and continuing the conversation as he felt those behind him beginning to slip away. Amalia and Deimos, along with Kiada were hustled off, though he made no outward sign of having heard Amalia’s message. ”I must have missed the part of the story where you stopped living behind a Wall, hiding from the world around you.” He shrugged lightly, a storyteller always ready to hear the next chapter of a new tale. ”Regardless, a good leader knows when reckless impatience could result in unnecessary loss of life, and when waiting a few more weeks or months could save lives. Both Roana and Zariah—“ And Wessex, he added silently, ”showed an unsettling lack of understanding of that principle. Which makes it difficult to think your cousin is going to be any more likely to respect the lives of any other barrierfolk… and not spend them like coppers to buy herself a selfish bid for even more power.” His tone was dry, but he still gave the fiery girl a courteous bow.

Ronin and Remi made their quiet exits as well, until none were left, of those that mattered to him. Well, maybe Bastien, he supposed – for Rexanna’s sake. But he was hopefully unlikely to spark a fight if left unattended. ”But I am relieved to hear that you aren’t the same as her, my friend. It gives this old man more hope than you know.” He offered the slender firemage a wry smile, acknowledging that though they weren’t in accord, neither was she his enemy.

Yet. And, gods least fortunate, he hoped it didn’t come to that.

”But I think it’s time for this granther’s afternoon nap. You know how cranky I get if I don’t get my naps,” he chuckled, before giving her a jaunty wave and striding away, whistling softly to himself with an actor’s fine display of nonchalance hiding the turmoil that twisted within.

{Jigano exeunt, stage left}

DEIMOS

He was utterly silent, absorbing the play-by-play, the exchanges, the woven calamities somehow never addressed, brought back to the surface under the scalding boil of change. Adversity and alteration had rung its ugly head, and now it courted, changed, transposed things they’d always known and believed. Did they need a ruler? Did they need an army? What were they supposed to be fighting – besides each other? It was a kindled, incited melee, and he narrowed his eyes through it all, remembered days where this was just another hour, another moment in time, personalities clashing, teeth gnashing, and naught coming to fruition. Nothing was going to happen here – that much was clear, not with the brooding predilections, not with the fire and vigor simmering below old, scattered, scabbed over wounds; no one had bothered to heal them along the way. His eyes went to Kiada, silent as the grave but an obvious declaration of no cooling past his chilling depths: not here, not now. Everything was too fresh, too new, too binding and grating; no time to process or think, other than bristling, other than growling, hissing, and threatening to rip each other apart. Couldn’t that come later, after they’d figured everything else out?

Amalia tugged him along, and it seemed the cue to exit, before the world blew apart, before they ripped anything else down. He nodded towards the others, because they were comrades in arms now – and followed the baker.

{Deimos out.}

i'm in the mood to dissolve in the sky