[Well, having the entire embodiment of yourself strangled by holy just makes him think he's really dead for sure. He raises the lantern, squinting. Liu Shouxue doesn't surprise him, naturally. This place does. Harley definitely does.
He starts at the bottom of the stairs.]
...Harley?
[WH-- It dawns on him that he may not be dead, but only because he knows this has happened before. A strange place, and life and death.
He does not have a crutch or even the stand-in cane, but his walk isn't too bad when he wanders to look, awed, at the statues. His eyes linger on Alephan.]
[ there is a sense of weariness as she walks down these stairs. she has no idea what's going on or happening, but when she sees harley and Viktor, she frowns. she's talked to enough people to have a small inkling.
the comfort and warmth of this sacred place is not lost on shouxue. it is discomfiting in its own way. she glances at the statues and looks away even as she's pulled towards one. ]
None of this is familiar. Do either of you feel as if you should approach one of the statues?
[there's no danger here, it seems - the gods are present, watching, and they so very much want you to be safe. it's a sanctuary, almost violently protective of the three people who have started to make their way down. they will feel the sense that the bright blue flame in the center of the room is what is emulating that warm, comfortable feeling: like a hearth and a torch, it lights the way.
as you make your way down the stairs, you will each feel that you can investigate the statues, but one seems to call to you more than the others. there's a pull, a whisper. a beckoning. draefendi, for shouxue. alephan, for viktor. and sealticge, for harley.
harley is lowkey wondering if she is losing what few marbles she had left or if this is just, you know, just another day ending in y on the eudora. thank you.
a little emotionally sweaty:] ... Hiiii. Long time no see.
[she takes a step forward, squinting at the statue and the bright blue flame in the center, though not quite approaching either yet.]
So, yeah, this is definitely new. Loving the dancer's vibes. Though I get the feeling now that it's less because she looks great and more because some fucked up shit's about to go down.
[He steps up to Alephan, raising the lantern a bit higher so he can see Alephan's very auspicious oooooooooo the wizard face. He is not sure why he has the urge to gravitate toward it, but he accepts it for some reason. Like when you know you have to do what you have to do.
Also, he's too stupid of a curious boy not to reach his free hand out to carefully touch the Alephan statue.
The vibes had been calm, protective, and sanctuary, so sure it's fine if he touches this thing.]
[ does anyone have any of their marbles left after being on the eudora?
she's no stranger to the fierce protective feeling of something holy, of something divine. it is not the same as what she knows, but it's adjacent enough. she knows there is little worth in fighting it, in the end. ]
If only this were a dream, but you are likely right, Harley.
[ there's going to be some fucked up shit that's about to go down.
she walks up to the statue of draefendi, looking it over closely. this may or may not be fine, but it may as well happen. ]
each of you step up towards the statues that seem to be calling your names. the blue flame at the center of the dais flickers, once.
shouxue - when you step up to the statue of draefendi, you hear a voice in your head. it's quiet and cool, like the breeze. it's like standing in the middle of a lush green forest, looking for your prey. it is soft, and wry.]
O chosen hunter... I grant upon you my powers, and my skills. Use them wisely as you traverse through the lands of Solistia. I ask of you, kindle the flame. In your life: what is it that you seek?
[harley - when you step up to the statue of sealticge, you feel a warm presence, and a voice in your head. it feels as if you’ve been embraced: a playful, invisible hand tips your chin up, gentle, and the voice is almost singsong when it speaks.]
O chosen dancer... I grant upon you my powers and my skills. Use them wisely to support your fellow travelers, as you traverse the lands of Solistia. I ask of you, kindle the flame. In your life: what is it that you seek?
[viktor - when you step up to the statue of aelphan, there's the smell of books, old dusty libraries. there's a surge of focus, of the lightning strike before a new idea, the flame of passionate research, the cool icy logic of debate. the voice is rough, short.]
O chosen scholar... I grant you my powers, and my skills. Use them wisely to support your fellow travelers, as you traverse the lands of Solistia. I ask of you, kindle the flame. In your life: what is it that you seek?
[there's a whisper, here. a sense. a one or two word answer would likely suffice.
well. hope this won't become relevant later. because while she's squinting at that second voice in her head, the first thing that comes out of her mouth, without any real thought behind it, is—]
To get back home to Ive without ending up in a casket first? [... mumbled almost, like, duh. this should be obvious!! and then she actually thinks about what she just said and she glances at the other two.] ... Uh, no offense.
He glances briefly in Harley's direction, expression momentarily flat. THANKS, GIRL. Driving home the answer here. He looks back at the statue, thinking it over.]
[ harley is so valid. shouxue isn't offended at all, and she shake her head to indicate that. they already know you want to live, viktor. your dying message is seared into shouxue's memory.
[idk why i did that out of order the first time anyway
that singsong voice that spoke to you, harley, laughs. a trill, sweet and almost performative, like an actor on a stage. power swirls though you, and the voice speaks:]
Home. A wonderful goal. Then... Harley. In search of home, I behold unto thee my powers. I wish you luck, darling. Your choices are yours to make.
[and you'll find that you have the abilities of a dancer! you innately realize that you have learned the abilities allure + entreat. using your charm and charisma, you can convince people to follow you and aid you in times of need, or to give you items you might want from them without much trouble at all.
you have additionally gained proficiency with daggers, and the ability to cast wind magic. you also know instinctively that your dances can be used to support your teammates - to buff them in a variety of manners. however you want to do this, let me know! and also, your outfit has changed - it can either be this, or anything that you might think a dancer would wear.]
--
[viktor - the voice you heard, curt and steady, speaks to you. it seems pleased with your answer.]
Creation of a better world. A lofty goal. Then... Viktor. In search of creation, I behold unto thee my powers. I wish you luck. Your choices are yours to make.
[power swirls through you, and you realize you have been blessed with the power of a scholar. you innately realize that you have learned the abilities scrutinize + mug. by using your quick wits and sharp focus, you can see information about places and people that others might not notice. the other one i feel like is self explanatory. you... you can mug someone. you can steal their items or just knock them the fuck out if you want. how? be creative.
you've gained proficiency with staffs, and the ability to cast fire, ice, and thunder magic. your magic is offensively used, though i'm sure you'll find a way to be creative. additionally, your outfit has changed - you are wearing the outfit on the left (yes the chain included) or something you might think a scholar would wear.]
--
[shouxue - the voice you heard, wise and knowing, whispers:]
Peace. What all hunters desire. Then... Shouxue. In search of peace, I behold unto thee my powers. I wish you luck, apprentice. Your choices are yours to make.
[power swirls through you, and shouxue, it is clear that you have classed into the abilities of a hunter. you realize that you have innately gained the ability: befriend + provoke. using your wisdom (and animal handling), you are able to speak to any and all animals, though not all animals will be immediately friendly to you. you can also use those animals to pick fights with people in order for them to give you stuff, or distract them.
you have also gained the ability to fire a bow with remarkable accuracy; to track animals; and to work with your new animal companion - an animal of your choosing, who can provide an arcane attack in a moment of need. his or her abilities are based in shadow, but her arcane blade can strike any weak point.
additionally, you're now wearing this or anything you might think a hunter would wear. also, you have animal ears and a tail! beastling time.
[THAT OUTFIT IS SO CUTE... sadly i must go with the primrose version of the dancer outfit because it's more on brand.
anyway, i'm sorry to say that her reaction to this is to start shaking her butt, causing the decorations around her hips to start jingling. jingle, jingle, jingle.]
Oh, shit, my ass looks amazing in this. Hey, guys, what d'you— [she looks up to see viktor and shouxue. pauses.] ... Does Shouxue have a tail?
He is wearing the given clothes, except the opposite is happening: instead of everything being too large, they are now, like, one or two inches too short. He looks stupid. The titties are out, and he is too skinny, but has very endearing moles here and there like the ones on his face which he wished no one else could see actually.
The collar is very disconcerting actually, he does not like it.]
........
[He turns around, a bit mortified, to look at the other two probably right around the time Harley decides to twerk, AND THE IMMEDIACY IN WHICH HE AVERTS HIS EYES POLITELY. Oh--he is surprised by Shouxue's furrification, but thankfully he can look at her without getting embarrassed.]
she will wear the given outfit, but it will take getting used to because her clothes don't usually expose that much skin. the ears and the tails are even more disorienting. ]
Why? What?
[ they are now wolf ears and tail because viktor spoke it into existence. ]
Why did we all change like this?
[ why is she the only one who has more changes than clothes??? hello????
she experimentally tries to swish her tail. also, does she still have her human ears or are they gone now? ]
as you figure out your powers and your path actions, the blue flame in the center of the room flickers, and then bursts - burns more hotly than before, like an acceptance of your abilities. it curls down off of the brazier, and blue flame in the shape of footprints lead back up the stairs.
the gods are with you. you are chosen. when you're ready, follow.]
He flinches ever so slightly when the flame just erupts. Yes, thank you, guiding flame. His eyes watch it tip-toe on up the stares, bewildered because this is the magic he has never seen before despite studying its basics.]
The... gods... willed it, I guess?
[WHY DOES HE FEEL THE NEED TO SAY THIS HE THINKS IT'S WEIRD he's an atheist]
[ besides :man_standing: and that'll get them nowhere. back up the stairs, she goes! no hesitation but with some caution and with the gods that are now with them.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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she looks at her hands. looks at them. looks at sealticge's statue.
rubs her eyes and then looks up the staircase she just descended from.]
Oh, Harleen, we're really in it now.
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He starts at the bottom of the stairs.]
...Harley?
[WH-- It dawns on him that he may not be dead, but only because he knows this has happened before. A strange place, and life and death.
He does not have a crutch or even the stand-in cane, but his walk isn't too bad when he wanders to look, awed, at the statues. His eyes linger on Alephan.]
Have you ever seen this place before?
no subject
the comfort and warmth of this sacred place is not lost on shouxue. it is discomfiting in its own way. she glances at the statues and looks away even as she's pulled towards one. ]
None of this is familiar. Do either of you feel as if you should approach one of the statues?
no subject
as you make your way down the stairs, you will each feel that you can investigate the statues, but one seems to call to you more than the others. there's a pull, a whisper. a beckoning. draefendi, for shouxue. alephan, for viktor. and sealticge, for harley.
do you take the invitation?]
no subject
harley is lowkey wondering if she is losing what few marbles she had left or if this is just, you know, just another day ending in y on the eudora. thank you.
a little emotionally sweaty:] ... Hiiii. Long time no see.
[she takes a step forward, squinting at the statue and the bright blue flame in the center, though not quite approaching either yet.]
So, yeah, this is definitely new. Loving the dancer's vibes. Though I get the feeling now that it's less because she looks great and more because some fucked up shit's about to go down.
no subject
[He steps up to Alephan, raising the lantern a bit higher so he can see Alephan's very auspicious oooooooooo the wizard face. He is not sure why he has the urge to gravitate toward it, but he accepts it for some reason. Like when you know you have to do what you have to do.
Also, he's too stupid of a curious boy not to reach his free hand out to carefully touch the Alephan statue.
The vibes had been calm, protective, and sanctuary, so sure it's fine if he touches this thing.]
no subject
she's no stranger to the fierce protective feeling of something holy, of something divine. it is not the same as what she knows, but it's adjacent enough. she knows there is little worth in fighting it, in the end. ]
If only this were a dream, but you are likely right, Harley.
[ there's going to be some fucked up shit that's about to go down.
she walks up to the statue of draefendi, looking it over closely. this may or may not be fine, but it may as well happen. ]
no subject
each of you step up towards the statues that seem to be calling your names. the blue flame at the center of the dais flickers, once.
shouxue - when you step up to the statue of draefendi, you hear a voice in your head. it's quiet and cool, like the breeze. it's like standing in the middle of a lush green forest, looking for your prey. it is soft, and wry.]
O chosen hunter... I grant upon you my powers, and my skills. Use them wisely as you traverse through the lands of Solistia. I ask of you, kindle the flame. In your life: what is it that you seek?
[harley - when you step up to the statue of sealticge, you feel a warm presence, and a voice in your head. it feels as if you’ve been embraced: a playful, invisible hand tips your chin up, gentle, and the voice is almost singsong when it speaks.]
O chosen dancer... I grant upon you my powers and my skills. Use them wisely to support your fellow travelers, as you traverse the lands of Solistia. I ask of you, kindle the flame. In your life: what is it that you seek?
[viktor - when you step up to the statue of aelphan, there's the smell of books, old dusty libraries. there's a surge of focus, of the lightning strike before a new idea, the flame of passionate research, the cool icy logic of debate. the voice is rough, short.]
O chosen scholar... I grant you my powers, and my skills. Use them wisely to support your fellow travelers, as you traverse the lands of Solistia. I ask of you, kindle the flame. In your life: what is it that you seek?
[there's a whisper, here. a sense. a one or two word answer would likely suffice.
what do you want, throné? a voice whispers, behind the voice of the gods.]
no subject
well. hope this won't become relevant later. because while she's squinting at that second voice in her head, the first thing that comes out of her mouth, without any real thought behind it, is—]
To get back home to Ive without ending up in a casket first? [... mumbled almost, like, duh. this should be obvious!! and then she actually thinks about what she just said and she glances at the other two.] ... Uh, no offense.
no subject
His brows furrow at the whispering voice behind the rough and short one bestowing him with philosophical inquiries. Throné? Did he hear that right...? He peers up into Alephan's face. How does he answer this without it immediately being To not die? What person just says that?
...
He glances briefly in Harley's direction, expression momentarily flat. THANKS, GIRL. Driving home the answer here. He looks back at the statue, thinking it over.]
...To create what improves lives.
no subject
hearing throné makes her pause. the voice asking her what she seeks also makes her pause.
she has immediate answers. freedom. atonement. her own life. to save others. ]
Peace for others.
no subject
that singsong voice that spoke to you, harley, laughs. a trill, sweet and almost performative, like an actor on a stage. power swirls though you, and the voice speaks:]
Home. A wonderful goal. Then... Harley. In search of home, I behold unto thee my powers. I wish you luck, darling. Your choices are yours to make.
[and you'll find that you have the abilities of a dancer! you innately realize that you have learned the abilities allure + entreat. using your charm and charisma, you can convince people to follow you and aid you in times of need, or to give you items you might want from them without much trouble at all.
you have additionally gained proficiency with daggers, and the ability to cast wind magic. you also know instinctively that your dances can be used to support your teammates - to buff them in a variety of manners. however you want to do this, let me know! and also, your outfit has changed - it can either be this, or anything that you might think a dancer would wear.]
--
[viktor - the voice you heard, curt and steady, speaks to you. it seems pleased with your answer.]
Creation of a better world. A lofty goal. Then... Viktor. In search of creation, I behold unto thee my powers. I wish you luck. Your choices are yours to make.
[power swirls through you, and you realize you have been blessed with the power of a scholar. you innately realize that you have learned the abilities scrutinize + mug. by using your quick wits and sharp focus, you can see information about places and people that others might not notice. the other one i feel like is self explanatory. you... you can mug someone. you can steal their items or just knock them the fuck out if you want. how? be creative.
you've gained proficiency with staffs, and the ability to cast fire, ice, and thunder magic. your magic is offensively used, though i'm sure you'll find a way to be creative. additionally, your outfit has changed - you are wearing the outfit on the left (yes the chain included) or something you might think a scholar would wear.]
--
[shouxue - the voice you heard, wise and knowing, whispers:]
Peace. What all hunters desire. Then... Shouxue. In search of peace, I behold unto thee my powers. I wish you luck, apprentice. Your choices are yours to make.
[power swirls through you, and shouxue, it is clear that you have classed into the abilities of a hunter. you realize that you have innately gained the ability: befriend + provoke. using your wisdom (and animal handling), you are able to speak to any and all animals, though not all animals will be immediately friendly to you. you can also use those animals to pick fights with people in order for them to give you stuff, or distract them.
you have also gained the ability to fire a bow with remarkable accuracy; to track animals; and to work with your new animal companion - an animal of your choosing, who can provide an arcane attack in a moment of need. his or her abilities are based in shadow, but her arcane blade can strike any weak point.
additionally, you're now wearing this or anything you might think a hunter would wear. also, you have animal ears and a tail! beastling time.
gives you a turn to react to this]
no subject
anyway, i'm sorry to say that her reaction to this is to start shaking her butt, causing the decorations around her hips to start jingling. jingle, jingle, jingle.]
Oh, shit, my ass looks amazing in this. Hey, guys, what d'you— [she looks up to see viktor and shouxue. pauses.] ... Does Shouxue have a tail?
no subject
He is wearing the given clothes, except the opposite is happening: instead of everything being too large, they are now, like, one or two inches too short. He looks stupid. The titties are out, and he is too skinny, but has very endearing moles here and there like the ones on his face which he wished no one else could see actually.
The collar is very disconcerting actually, he does not like it.]
........
[He turns around, a bit mortified, to look at the other two probably right around the time Harley decides to twerk, AND THE IMMEDIACY IN WHICH HE AVERTS HIS EYES POLITELY. Oh--he is surprised by Shouxue's furrification, but thankfully he can look at her without getting embarrassed.]
Wolf girl...
[Don't just say this.]
no subject
she will wear the given outfit, but it will take getting used to because her clothes don't usually expose that much skin. the ears and the tails are even more disorienting. ]
Why? What?
[ they are now wolf ears and tail because viktor spoke it into existence. ]
Why did we all change like this?
[ why is she the only one who has more changes than clothes??? hello????
she experimentally tries to swish her tail. also, does she still have her human ears or are they gone now? ]
no subject
as you figure out your powers and your path actions, the blue flame in the center of the room flickers, and then bursts - burns more hotly than before, like an acceptance of your abilities. it curls down off of the brazier, and blue flame in the shape of footprints lead back up the stairs.
the gods are with you. you are chosen. when you're ready, follow.]
no subject
[don't just repeat it?
while shouxue is subjected to furry purism, harley watches the blue flames creep up the stairs.]
Not very subtle, that blue flame. Should we...?
[she points a thumb at the stairs. once again, this might as well happen.]
no subject
He flinches ever so slightly when the flame just erupts. Yes, thank you, guiding flame. His eyes watch it tip-toe on up the stares, bewildered because this is the magic he has never seen before despite studying its basics.]
The... gods... willed it, I guess?
[WHY DOES HE FEEL THE NEED TO SAY THIS HE THINKS IT'S WEIRD he's an atheist]
Ladies first.
no subject
[ besides :man_standing: and that'll get them nowhere. back up the stairs, she goes! no hesitation but with some caution and with the gods that are now with them.
what's up top? ]
no subject