come_sailaway | JUNE EVENT: CAMP

JUNE EVENT: CAMP

early on June 10th, Friday's morning announcements end with a request for everyone going on the latest excursion to meet her in the atrium. she seems in noticeably better spirits than she had been last time, and she leads them cheerfully to the tender. once they are all aboard, and the door is securely shut, the interior fills with gas, and, perhaps, their last thought before they slip into unconsciousness is "oh shit, not again."

passengers wake up on a rickety old school bus, driving down a dirt road surrounded by woods. what is it that they notice first? that, no matter what they were wearing before, they are now wearing a camp t-shirt and legitimately horrifyingly short shorts? the overstuffed backpack between their knees? the words "take one down and pass it around" dying on their lips? the fact that Friday is absolutely driving the bus?

or, maybe the fact that it's already slowing down, pulling up in front of a massive wooden sign, saying:

CAMP AION

when they get out of the bus, Friday is the one to divide them up into their cabin groups, and she is the one to give the counselors their very official-looking clipboards and whistles. she explains that they are in charge, and that she will be back to pick them up in a week, and... very little else. she responds to nothing outside of whatever is on her unseen little script, and she gets back on the bus shortly after, leaving them there.

welcome to camp. let's make some summer memories!

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[ Ebalon is truly a menace! Mizuki gives a very slight pout when it seems like he's not paying attention. He wasn't about to say anything about it, though, since he knows Ebalon wrote that letter Venti had sent out. More than that, though, that he knows Ebalon doesn't want a repeat of their last excursion. It seems he did listen, though, when his response is uttered against his cheek.

"You know what I meant," he starts to say, but is promptly shut up by his next line. Well now, how is he supposed to argue with that? What a sly fox this moon mage is. A few of Mizuki's tentacles twist around him in response. ]

I'd be upset if you would ever think otherwise... [ Of course he should be the one Ebalon wants most of all! That's just how it should be, in Mizuki's jealous mind. Perhaps even more so now, with the fuckery that's happening now. It's not currently on his mind, but it's perhaps still subconsciously buzzing around in his head. How could it not be? It felt like he was being outright made fun of by being in the same cabin as both Venti and Clarke. ] Will I continue to be the one you want most? For as long as I have you?

You'll have me until the sun no longer burns, my dear. I don't ever foresee myself wanting anyone besides you, and especially not to the degree I always want you.

[The perverse, fucked-up way where he wants Mizuki in the same way a snake wants a meal. An all-consuming desire to sink his fangs in and squeeze, to coil around Mizuki and lash out at anyone who might try to steal from him. While the relationship is no longer quite as predator-and-prey, it evokes the same feral feelings.

He only needs Mizuki and Mizuki should only need him. Others are merely obstacles to be done away with ere long.

No one loves Mizuki as much as Ebalon does. It's something he doesn't dare say aloud yet as long as Venti exists to try and contest that, but as always, it's the truth. He'll bide his time patiently until such time that he can whisper it against Mizuki's lips and claim him completely.]

Hm, do you think the sun going out could even stop me from still keeping you all to myself~?

[ What was it Ebalon had said before about "and even after death"? It was embarrassing at the time he'd brought it up, since they weren't even dating then, but maybe they could revisit the idea now? Though, it still does sound strictly like a marriage proposal, which would fluster Mizuki to no end. Though, really, it's not too unlike his offer of oneness with Ebalon. It's just, you know, sans the wholesomeness, and plus a lot more obsession.

And, obviously, Mizuki is young, and Venti and Ebalon are his first loves, so while his feelings for them are true and completely uninhibited, they are also quite volatile. It's not always apparent, but Venti is getting the tones of his jealous wrath, while Ebalon gets the blatant dose of his need to be dependent on someone. The fact that Ebalon is allowing this obsession sit and grow is definitely not a good thing, but Mizuki doesn't see the problem. ]

You are my moon prince, after all. So that makes me your happily ever after.

[It's fine, Mizuki is Ebalon's first love and that means he would ~~blow up the El for him~~ ~~blow up the entire ship for him also~~ generally commit atrocities in the name of said love (and also science and cult bullshit). It's totally a good thing! Don't sweat the small details.]

Moon prince...? How cute. I'm certainly not royalty, though. [Being a Master is kinda close? And the Ebalons were absolutely fucking loaded, but certainly not royalty.] If I were royalty... hm. I think I would be the sort to run away and elope with the handsome commoner from the next town over. You, if that wasn't obvious.

[Ew.]

[ Please don't blow up the ship for Mizuki, that'll just upset him!! Though, that said, Mizuki is also alarmingly down for committing atrocities for Ebalon. And potentially to Ebalon, if he ever tries to let Mizuki go. This is fine and totally healthy! They are both completely sane and very good at relationships.

Anyway, this is turning out to be a very gay rendition of the prince and the pauper. ]

I know, but… well, you've certainly the air of a prince, right? Elegant and intelligent and with noble prestige. [ Handsome, sweet, skilled… not things inherent to a prince in general, but certainly a fairytale one. "Elope" though… How can Ebalon say things like that so calmly? As if he hasn't already dropped marriage-proposal-esque things in the past… ] Hm~. Well, in that world, I hope they're just as happy together as we are, then.

[How else does he show devotion if not with explosions? And casual wedding vows. Listen, he's very serious about all of this now that his accidental proposal is done. Now they're eloping back to Elrios in unholy matrimony. Or something.]

I should think so. I don't see any reason for our alternate universe selves to be unhappy, do you?

[Casual reminder that alternate timelines are in fact canon in this shitty fucking game, there's definitely a timeline where he got murked early. And... Well, there's also the fact that Noah's probably made a shitton of alternate timelines just by dying a lot, so.]

I imagine they're going on grand adventures to see the sights, huhu. There are so many worlds to explore, after all.

[ … Hm. Mizuki can't help but smile a bit at the thought. He has learned a lot about other worlds since getting here, it's true. And he thought that maybe if Miss Jenny is able to travel around whatever thread of space or void she happens to be in, then perhaps the rest of them on the ship can do the same. He's not entirely sure, but it's a nice thought. At least to be able to see the friends he's made here, and… most importantly, to stay by Ebalon's side.

Though, it does bring up the realization that, at this point, he's promised both his boyfriends/lovers that he'd go back with them to their respective worlds. Or, more accurately, that he'll "stay with them". Unless he splits himself in two, that's not really that possible. Unless he truly does just intend to somehow figure out how to go between worlds? He doesn't think of this as a problem, though. Future Mizuki can deal with it if it becomes one. ]

Is that what you'd want to do? Travel worlds and discover things and such? [ With me? ]

[It's okay. Ebalon can make Mizuki forget all about everyone else. :) But let's not discuss the lengths he'd go to to keep Mizuki his and only his permanently, hm?]

Naturally. I think I told you that discovering the unknown is something of a passion of mine.

[Purposefully blowing up the El (twice) and all that. Henir, human experimentation... Et cetera. Been there done that.]

On that topic... Have I ever told you much about Henir?

[ :) ]

Mmh. I don't think so? [ Admittedly, there's a lot of information that Ebalon's told him, so it's all sort of jumbled in his brain now. He's sort of keeping up, though! ]

[:)]

Well... it'll be somewhat of a long explanation. Henir, effectively, is the God of Space and Time, but we do not know what He looks like. Aside from that, Henir could also refer to the void between worlds. We mark the difference by calling the void simply that or "Henir's Space". It's a space one has to pass through in order to cross between Elrios or the Demon Realm.

[Easy explanation so far, right?]

But, there's much of Henir that is unknown to us. How He influences the world, what his purpose is, what his secrets are... the works.

[ God of Space and Time, huh? Concepts like that exist on Terra in theory, though of the known Gods there, none fit that depiction. But in theory, people have come up with Gods of Space and Gods of Time that may exist somewhere. Always separate entities, though, never connected. Either they're twins or two halves of a whole or simply beings birthed by Creation. Mizuki empathizes with these made-up beings that never truly felt whole more than he knows, so it's a bit soothing, in a sense, to know one — a real one, and not just a theory — exists elsewhere. ]

Do gods… have a purpose? [ Let's give the Elder God in Mizuki's head an existential crisis. Not actually, of course, because Genesezoic's "purpose" to to devour and consume so one day everyone may become one with the cosmos, and Mizuki is, at least, mildly aware of this… but he can't help but wonder about other gods. Gods that don't live within the deepest, darkest parts of the ocean.

Maybe the deepest reaches of space aren't too dissimilar, though. ]

On Elrios, they often do. Elria is the Goddess who created the material world, for example. [And then she fucked right off and no one knows where she went.] Ishmael created the El — what I and the other Masters are in charge of guarding. [What he fucking blew up.] Supposedly, Henir would have created the void and time, perhaps, but can we really say that's true? In a world like this one where there is no particular God that governs time and space, we cannot say that time doesn't exist. It's a phenomenon that would exist without the interference of a deity, isn't it?

[In a... super philosophical way, it is, but when it comes to gods and understanding them, Ebalon actually has a more mortal understanding than he'd like. If a God pauses time, does anyone else know? If time fast forwards, does anyone else feel it?]

We do not know what happened to Elria after she created the material world. Ishmael, however, has been active since antiquity — she takes a human vessel every so often to keep the El stable. [Ebalon is not helping with that!] Henir remains a mystery to us. I should like to know what His entire deal is... why pockets to His domain can open if the El even slightly destabilizes, for example. It's something of a personal project of mine, huhu.

[ As someone who knows a mildly insane demon-angel that has some ability to slow and stop time, it doesn’t feel like anything, actually! It’s more like Mostima is teleporting or super speedy to Mizuki, even if she explains it differently. To relate it to gods is… weird. ]

I… guess it is? I’m really not smart enough to think about things like that… [ Or more like, Mizuki is more of a visual learner. This doesn’t make a whole lot of sense to him just put out there like this. The individual words have meanings, but stringing them together in a way that sort of challenges their meanings in his head just doesn’t compute well. People keep trying to say he’s actually smart, but he truly thinks, with moments like this, he’s just a bit stupid.

He wishes he could understand how people are supposed to think a little better. ]

There aren’t many deities on Terra. The few I know of aren’t exactly… good. Well, except the one my church worshipped, but it was some nameless god no one’s seen before, so admittedly I am not entirely sure he’s real… [ Just kidding! It’s Genesezoic. But Mizuki doesn’t know this. ]

Has anyone spoken to Henir?

That's what I seek to do. Well, me and my Order, anyway.

[Ebalon holds Mizuki close, combing fingers through his hair while he speaks. So romantic to talk about cult bullshit while snuggling, right? Right.]

I'm sure you've parsed this about me by now, but I don't fancy things being unknown to me. I would very much like to learn the secrets of the universe from the mouth of one of the deities who created it. Although, perhaps more than that, one of my goals has been to learn time magic... huhu, doing so would be easier with the aid of Henir.

Regardless, as Henir is still completely unknown to us... that's a bit easier said than done. Therefore, Henir's Order exists to both learn the unknown and harness its dangers. Control them.

[And totally not use them as weapons nope not happening that has never happened. Ebalon did not steal an entire building for this purpose nope he's well-behaved, this is innocent in intent. No one's making Seeds of Life or anything like that.]

The Order is separate from the Masters. The other Masters have different scholarly pursuits than I do. [Ventus for example is trying to set a world record for how many people he can dick down.] Regardless, the Order is like a [dysfunctional] little family.

[ Mizuki knows that gods from other worlds aren't anywhere near like the deities from Terra. Venti is proof of that. However, it's still hard for him to trust any god that hasn't been spoken to, or had proof of being spoken to. Mostly because, well, gods kind of suck! Genesezoic, of course, but also Laterano's deity, "The Law", is pretty shit, too. He doesn't know much about Him, but knows enough to know that He's a fuck. Mizuki mostly hides his face against Ebalon here. Maybe the gods who don't show themselves are better, though? Maybe the reason why they don't interact with people is because they don't want to end up like Terran deities? Oh, but, Venti's fine (lol)??? So??? He doesn't know. It doesn't make sense. ]

Hm… well, if Henir has it's own space, perhaps that is his way of trying to keep whatever dangers he has under check? If I could create my own space as a god, that's what I'd do. Shove all the bad stuff in my metaphorical closet, so to speak.

Not that I'm saying you shouldn't try to keep pursuing time magic. [ Mostima has time bullshit and everything's fine in that regards, so- ] It'd be cool to stop time for a little bit. Naps wouldn't feel so bad then.

[ "Mizuki, is that the only thing you'd use time magic for?" Yes, it is. ]

[No one trusts the Gods on Elrios, to be clear. Let's talk about Ishmael real quick that's a fun one—]

One would hypothesize that that's true, but it actually seems more like the El itself is containing Henir's space in a way — preventing it from bleeding into Elrios. The relationship between the El and Henir is a fascinating one, and mortal understanding has not even scratched the surface of their relationship.

Henir energy has the power to change the body, too. It's possible to use it to develop weaponry or even to change one's form... either permanently or impermanently, as far as I'm aware. [He's pretty sure Titania is like, fine? After that building fell on her mutated fucking head? Shrugs.] All of it is rather interesting, don't you think?

[Ignoring the part about naps because that's not what he's going to use time magic for. At all.]

Hm~, well, it's certainly interesting to hear you talk about it! I love when you talk about things that you care about to this degree. [ It's cute. And this sort of files under "weird magic-y stuff Ebalon likes" in Mizuki's mind, so of course Mizuki finds it somewhat interesting. He's only mildly put off because he's still really iffy about the whole gods business. "But Mizuki, you're dating a god-" Ex-god. ~~And he's kind of the worst, too.~~ ]

Could it be that Henir used the El to do such? Or did it not want the El to contain it?? Ah, nevermind, you just said there's little known about it… Um? What do you think constitutes a "god" where you're from?

It's difficult to say, huhu. That's what we aim to figure out, in addition to many other things. As for what constitutes a God... that's also difficult to say. In the case of Elrios, it seems to be a penchant for creating something from nothing and having powers beyond mortal understanding. A rather typical definition, all things considered. I would say another qualifier would be that their existence is debatable, but we have tangible proof of those that the Elrian Kingdom preached, at least.

[Illipia, Amon, Cronus... no idea about those guys. Totally not because KoG retconned them into oblivion hahaha they would never do that—]

"Non-interference in mortal lives" is also not a qualifier, since Ishmael takes human vessels often.

"Takes"? As in shapeshifts? Or as in, like, literally takes? [ Like, hivemind stuff? Because, he can relate to that, probably. Ishmael 🤝 Genesezoic. ]

... Can they be killed?

Ah... literally takes. Ishmael usually fuses in some manner, the extent of which is unknown, with a young woman who has high affinity for El energy. This woman becomes the El Lady and spends the rest of her life keeping the El stable, with the major caveat being that she will eventually assimilate fully with the El. The process is known as the Illuminous Phenomenon — it begins with the changing of her hair and eye colour, respectively to a stark white and a bright cyan typically associated with the goddess. From there, gradual degrading of the memory and the self occurs, until she is but a shell of her former self. After that is a very slow, emotionless death.

I believe I mentioned Lady Harnier to you, yes? That she is the current El Lady and has these memory problems? [That Ebalon totally was not poking his hands into for fun or anything.] ...It seems to me that Ishmael in particular is a cruel goddess. As far as we know, none of the deities can be killed.

Edited 2022-07-04 20:16 (UTC)

[ Internally, Mizuki is pointing, like "There it is! The Oripathy! I found it!" ]

You have mentioned her! You said you learned mind magic for her. [ There's still mild jealousy pings for this. ] And, um, I have found that most deities tend to be cruel in some capacity. Sans the ones who don't go sticking their fingers into the affairs of people. [ There are A Few wandering gods on Terra that don't have any rule over anything that have some fondness for humans. They give them small gifts like good health and food. ] That sounds miserable, all said. Is… she okay? Like, obviously you don't know now, but last you've seen her, was she alright?

[Ebalon nuzzles his nose into Mizuki's cheek. Shh. No jealous.]

Lady Harnier is very much involved with Master Solace. Don't worry. [~~KoG might not make them canon but I fucking will.~~] The last I saw Lady Harnier, her memory problems had regressed slightly... [That was five hundred years ago. Who knows if she's still alive?] Other than that, she was still as energetic as ever.

[ Less jealous, more affection. It's still a little bit there, though?! He learned a Whole Ass Class Of Magic for the lady. It's very kind of him and Mizuki is very impressed, but also… ]

Oh. Were you able to help with that at all? Do you think you could eventually fix it altogether, or…?

[Yeah he definitely super didn't know it before meeting her obviously he would never do that, he would never be really old and start nuking memories of people for shits and gigs, he's not fascinated with the Illuminous Phenomenon in an unhinged psychopath way. Ebalon is normal!]

I believe I was able to stave off some of the effects, [but only for research purposes] though I doubt this is something that can be fixed. I, unfortunately, have not yet found a way to stand on the pedestal of the Gods.

[...yet.]

[ Well, maybe if Ebalon weren't a heckin' liar, Mizuki wouldn't think that it were true! ]

Are gods really so powerful that people cannot match their ability?

[ Gods on Terra are very powerful and literally immortal to the point nothing can kill them fully, merely put them to sleep or split them into pieces, but still, the fact people are able to do those things just makes Mizuki believe they're not hot shit or anything like that. ]

JUNE EVENT: CAMP

CAMP AION

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