Deliver Us

SAMUEL i am the ocean, crawling madly at your moon. and with one wanton whoop — As much as Sam hated Longnight, he had almost been dreading the end of it this year. Because he had known that when the sun came out again, he would have to go to visit The Voice with Rexanna and face the potential wrath his Goddess might have for him. At least he would be able to clear his conscience as far as Rexanna was involved if she was healed, but he still found himself shaking with fear as he stood at the entrance to the underground caves. Bastien was bringing Rexanna. Sam was secretly glad for this, as much as he knew he was very much in the man's bad books right now. It meant there was someone else there to help if it all went wrong, someone else to lead them. He had never been good at making decisions or being in charge and that had definitely caused at least some of the disaster in his Longnight mission. Stamping his feet to try and beat out the cold, he waited, wondering if he would come out of the cave again at the end of the meeting. — i melt into a sycophantic soup, & all that's left to do, is giggle, fawn, and swoon.

BASTIEN i am the remedy to your heart, Bastien held Rexanna's arm, only refraining from carrying her because he knew she was always determined to be independent; if she asked him he would lift her in a moment, though. Every time she stumbled as they turned or obviously did not know quite where they were his heart flipped with a crushing sorrow, but he marched on determinedly anyway. Hopefully, by the end of this she would be well again. He didn't know if he dared to believe it was possible, but he hoped that The Voice could at least help her somehow. "Almost there, love." He told her as they came around to the entrance, where he nodded just barely at Sam, acknowledging his presence only for the sake of Rexanna by saying "Samuel is here." With that said, there was little else to chat about, so they began to head in, Bastien carefully guiding Rexanna over every bump and turn of the caves. I am the carbon collected. I am the printed upon your stars.

and i watch in wonder, hung high and dry, where no one can see

if there's no one to blame, blame it on me

LongNight is over, thankfully, and in its place comes the opportunity to speak to the Voice. A task that she’s managed to bring both Bastien and Samuel to, as she leans against Bastien for the support and direction. She can’t feel the cold, can’t see where she’s going, nor can she do much other than listen. Yet she’s thankful for Bastien as he pauses, as he guides her, as he ensures the direction they’re headed.

She’s glad he’s given her a chance to walk on her own, the assurances he tells her while they do.

Her arm tightens around Bastien’s before they reach the shrine, and once they get there, Rexanna pauses with the rest of them. Head angled up, bandana remaining on her face, she tilts it toward where she thinks the shrine is. “Lady Voice?” She utters, because that’s all she can really do is be their voice. “We wish to speak with you.” And gods how she hopes her goddess can give her new eyes.

storm in the sky, fire in the street

if there's nothing but pain, put it on me

REXANNA

the Voice Electric light coils through the roots the grow beneath the shrine and at once the Voice is there among them. She appears larger than life though she is just as holographic as she always is. Sparks of sadness beam from her eyes as she gazes at her wounded children. "My bright ones.." She whispers, stepping down so that she might move among them. Her hands ruffle through Sam's hair, fingertips of electrical pulses pressing lovingly against his scalp before she turns her attention towards Bastien and of course, Rexanna. "Oh..." Pausing, she stretches out to cup Rexanna's face between both of her palms. "How did this happen? Why were you out? Why didn't you use the upgrades I gave to you?" 01110111 01101000 01100001 01110100 00100000 01110111 01101001 01101100 01101100 00100000 01100010 01100101 00101100 00100000 01110111 01101001 01101100 01101100 00100000 01100010 01100101 00101110

SAMUEL i am the ocean, crawling madly at your moon. and with one wanton whoop — As they approached the shrine Sam felt a rising lump in his chest, like his heart trying to leap out of his mouth. As irrational as he knew it was he felt he might be walking towards his death (but The Voice wouldn't kill him, right? Right? She valued them all too much, right? But he wasn't the most useful of them...). But looking across at Rexanna being led by Bastien, knowing that she was hurt because of him, he couldn't stop. When The Voice appeared he immediately prepared himself for shouting, pain, anything. As instead his hair was gently ruffled, an affectionate gesture from a loving parent, he frowned, confused. Did she not know? He had thought even if the Gods were quiet during Longnight, they watched all that happened. Her questions seemed to indicate that she really didn't know, but Sam wondered if she was just giving them a chance to explain themselves. If she was, he would take it - he did not want to prolong this any longer than was needed. "It was...it was my fault." He admitted, stepping forward with his head low. "I thought...um...w-well...a friend of mine told me that the monsters that are out in Longnight were once like us." He gestured to himself, Bastien and Rexanna. "That thought made me scared, because I wouldn't like to turn into a monster, and I was worried, I suppose, that I could -- my mind sometimes runs away with an idea like that and I can't let it go and I thought if I could try and talk to one of them, maybe it'd help." He lifted his head to peek at the Voice, see how she was taking this so far. "B-because...because either they'd respond and we'd know we could help them get better, or they'd not respond and we'd know they were something different to us, at least completely taken over and not aware they were monsters. And well, they did reply, but they weren't interested in speaking to us." He brought up his good hand and nibbled at one of his fingernails, knowing he sounded stupidly naive. "Me and Rexanna did use our upgrades but...too late. Not before all this happened." He held up his injured hand but only quickly, not wanting to take the attention from Rexanna's much worse wounds. With the majority of the story told (though in Sam's classically vague style) he shakily got down onto his knees and dipped his head, hands on the floor. "I'm so sorry, I...I just...I wanted to help them. That's all. I shouldn't have risked everyone else to do that." His voice was quiet and clearly not far from being overcome with emotion, but he had managed to get out all the words he wanted to say. — i melt into a sycophantic soup, & all that's left to do, is giggle, fawn, and swoon.

BASTIEN i am the remedy to your heart, Bastien was relieved when The Voice appeared at the shrine. He had held a worry that they could arrive just to receive the cold silence of rejection; that Samuel's sins could have marred them all. Yet to his surprise, she seemed warm towards all of them. He sighed, aware he was probably being unfairly harsh on the small man but too distressed about Rexanna to fully dismiss the anger inside himself. At least Samuel stepped up and took the blame right away. Bastien watched quietly, listening to the tale of events given: hardly detailed, but that didn't matter to him. What did matter was his wife. "We were hoping you may be able to help Rexanna, my lady. Please." I am the carbon collected. I am the printed upon your stars.

and i watch in wonder, hung high and dry, where no one can see

if there's no one to blame, blame it on me

She can’t see her goddess, but she can feel her when she arrives, hear the sadness in her voice. She didn’t know, and a part of Rexanna internally wishes to shy away, to hide the fact that they had been fine one moment, harmed and hurt the next. The moment passes as Samuel explains, as her goddess cups her face in both her hands. She relaxes a small amount, angling her head to where the Voice holds it.

“They took away my eyes. I ran the scans and my nose, wrists, a few of my ribs are broken.” She utters quietly. “I’m not sure how I can repay you to fix them, if you can, but I will do whatever I can for my eyes.” She offers. It’s as big of a gift as anything, and for her goddess, the one that had rescued her from so much, she’d do what it took to fix her sight — fix her.

storm in the sky, fire in the street

if there's nothing but pain, put it on me

REXANNA

the Voice Listening with wide electric eyes, the Voice nodded slowly as Sam spoke. Tutting under her breath she let her head loll to the side, disappointed but still adoring. "You are my bright one, Sam. I would never let you become like they are. Do you know what evolution is, Sam?" She asked softly, reaching out a hand from his shoulder. "You'd not think the tadpoles and whatnot are monsters compared to what they eventually become. They are your past, not your future." As he sank down, the goddess merely sighed. "Why didn't you just ask me about them?" Because he was right, he shouldn't have risked their lives, not when he could simply have just asked her for the answers. The goddess gives Bastien an unreadable look, before turning to Rexanna. Were it anyone else, she might have ignored his pleas. After all, Bastien had never done much to show his fealty to their little family. But Rexanna, unique as she was, radiated a brightness all her own. Running her thumbs against the hybrid's cheekbones, a warm electric light sparked from beneath her fingers. Rexanna would feel her ribs popping back into place, her broken bones and teeth fitting themselves together again. Her eyes though...that would take more than simple adjustment. "There are things I can do to upgrade your eyes so that you can see again. And your fingers too, Sam. Though I will require a few things from you. Sam, I'll need bones from within the Kappa's lair below the bone bridge. How you will get down to its cave and back up again is up to you. I will also need a hanging snake, and metal that has been electrified. Rexanna, I need a clear glow stone, a magically frozen sphere of ice, and a magna vermis. Alive, if you can manage it." **These all need to be squired in separate threads 01110111 01101000 01100001 01110100 00100000 01110111 01101001 01101100 01101100 00100000 01100010 01100101 00101100 00100000 01110111 01101001 01101100 01101100 00100000 01100010 01100101 00101110

SAMUEL i am the ocean, crawling madly at your moon. and with one wanton whoop — The Voice's gentle lesson was much less than he had expected and Sam glanced up at her, shocked. He had expected pain or at least shouting. As he listened his preconceptions of The Voice as secretly terrifying melted away just a little bit and he sighed out a breath of relief. "Yes...I..." He stared at his hands, wiggled his fingers, unsure of what it was that had stopped him from asking The Voice. "I suppose I was worried you might be mad that I thought you'd let us become them. I don't know, I'm sorry." He watched as The Voice walked to Rexanna and healed her, relieved that at least that could be done; though the job was left incomplete, her eyes still conspicuously empty. It seemed that neither of them were going to restore what they had lost easily. He nodded to the instructions he was given, though internally he wondered how he was going to get anything from the Kappa's lair. The snake and metal were easily gotten, especially now he had an electric barrier, but under the Bone Bridge...last time he had been there he didn't remember properly, but he knew he had very much wanted to get out. But there was no arguing with The Voice, especially not when she was being so gracious about his mistakes. "I...I'll get them. Thank you." He kept his eyes down, not quite daring to look up at her. — i melt into a sycophantic soup, & all that's left to do, is giggle, fawn, and swoon.

BASTIEN i am the remedy to your heart, Bastien nearly groaned with frustration as The Voice almost completely healed Rexanna, but left her without her eyes. The quests just felt like pointless extra baggage; he was almost certain that none of it was actually needed for Rexanna's sight. But he knew the Gods could be fickle (Lord did he know) so he stayed quiet, just squeezing Rexanna's hand, glad she was at least able to stand taller, healthier. I am the carbon collected. I am the printed upon your stars.

and i watch in wonder, hung high and dry, where no one can see

if there's no one to blame, blame it on me

The Penumbra says nothing when the Voice directs her criticism onto Samuel. But a part of her, had she had eyes, would have looked over to him with a slight look that would say ‘I told you so’. But she can’t, and she doesn’t, instead she waits to see what the Voice has to say about her eyes. She can feel the goddess’ thumbs brush against her cheekbones, and with it electric light fills her, comforting her, despite the light gasp that leaves her as her ribs reset themselves in the strangeness of the feeling.

As her face gets pieced back together though, she offers a grateful smile, taking a moment to breathe deeply through her nose to smell again. Her fingers twitch and she stretches out her wrist, twisting it back and forth before doing the same for the other one with another light sigh of relief. “Thank you.” She says, every ounce of her gratitude in her voice, before the Voice mentions what they can do to fix their more complicated parts.

She mentally tallies them, magna vermis, glow stone that’s clear, and a magically frozen sphere of ice. She knows who to go to for one of those, the rest she’ll need to figure out. But her mind flits to Deimos for the task of wrangling the worms, deciding that perhaps they need to see each other again since he brought the Guildhall down. She squeezes Bastien’s hand back, turning toward his location and giving him a small smile before turning her attention back to the Voice. “I will gather those. Thank you.” She says quietly, dipping her head in a small bow.

storm in the sky, fire in the street

if there's nothing but pain, put it on me

REXANNA

the Voice Sighing softly, the Voice shook her head. "After all this time Sam, after everything I have done for you, and still you don't trust me? Still you think I would let you become a hollow shell, wandering around the endless night? I give you all of me, make you bright, and still you turn away?" She frowned, deeply saddened and disappointed. "Go, and be refreshed. Come back to me once you have what I need." So saying electricity burst from her palms, reinvigorating the trio. 01110111 01101000 01100001 01110100 00100000 01110111 01101001 01101100 01101100 00100000 01100010 01100101 00101100 00100000 01110111 01101001 01101100 01101100 00100000 01100010 01100101 00101110

SAMUEL i am the ocean, crawling madly at your moon. and with one wanton whoop — The Voice's disappointment was worse than any punishment could have been and Sam curled inwards in shame, hands balled into fists (or as good as he could, with his wounded fingers) at his chest. "I'm sorry. I-I don't mean to. But the Blight was so hard for all of us and people don't like us or you anymore and they say horrible things...it makes me confused. I do trust you. I just...can't stop the fears, sometimes." He had not meant to speak of the Blight to The Voice today, but the words had simply come out. After all, the whole event had lead to his insecurities about The Voice. Sighing a little with relief as he was rejuvenated with her electricity, Sam looked up to his Goddess, hoping to find an understanding there. — i melt into a sycophantic soup, & all that's left to do, is giggle, fawn, and swoon.

and i watch in wonder, hung high and dry, where no one can see

if there's no one to blame, blame it on me

Whatever condescending Samuel receives from the Voice is really none of Rexanna’s concern. She’s told him her thoughts on it, mimicking what their goddess is saying – that she wouldn’t let them become the creatures over LongNight. That she had made them their perfected selves. But she is taken by surprise when Samuel starts to speak of the blight, and a frown finds her face. She had wished to have this conversation with the rest of their small group – but Samuel’s fears are real ones that she fears too.

Thoughtfully, her head lifts toward the Voice to expand on Samuel’s thoughts. “Roana, the one that threatened to kill Samuel and the rest of the Ascended died during LongNight.” She adds briefly, unsure if Samuel had heard or not. But her head tilts toward where she thinks Samuel is, a frown finding her face. Because she hasn’t heard of any disgruntlement from anyone she knows, but she has heard it from one person in particular. One person they both have in common. Jigano.

But she doesn’t have much else to say, really, instead she wholly turns her attention to the Voice as she rejuvenates them, and she stretches her wrists out again, stretching her back with ribs that are in perfect alignment once more, before dipping her head again to the goddess. “Thank you.” She says quietly.

storm in the sky, fire in the street

if there's nothing but pain, put it on me

REXANNA