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SHIT, GERALT
AND THERE'S NO OTHER WAY TO GET OUT THERE?
YOU'LL LET ME KNOW TOO IF YOU NEED BACKUP
THAT'S NOT A QUESTION, EITHER
IF YOU OR JULIE NEED IT, I CAN BE OUT THERE
BUT I MEAN- AS LONG AS YOU'RE PREPARED FOR WHAT'LL WAIT FOR YOU
CAUSE I DON'T KNOW IF I'M GONNA BE ABLE TO STEP IN WHEN YOU'RE BACK
ITS NOT LIKE YOU'LL NEED ME WITH JASKIER AND ALL BUT
THIS IS KIND OF DIRECTLY AND OBVIOUSLY CROSSING ONE OF THEIR LINES
[ oh, he's well aware. which may or may not be the exact reason he's not 100% convinced what she's brought with her isn't an incredibly large biscuit. and until he's given direct proof, well, a part of him will still be there sitting on that idea.
and oh, oh, now that is much more hilda. whether or not she means it, the shift in her body language has him so much more prepared than the formalities of before. he eyes the package again before reaching for his cup of tea. ]
A gift. Sorry- a pre-thank you gift. [ he's not...entirely sure what he should be thinking or feeling right now, because while he knows he should be thankful, there is also that nagging this is absolutely a prank digging at the back of his mind. ]
And I can open it now? [ which is perhaps sam walking to his own death, but his curiosity is winning this battle and he takes one more sip of his tea before standing to get closer to it, and yes, to reach for that enormously large ribbon. ] You really shouldn't have, though. Y'all know I would- [ and that, right there, is when he finally gets it open. when he finally gets passed the tissue paper and the ribbon and the outer packaging and oh. ]
Holy shit. [ he says, as a grin threatens to take over his entire face. ] Oh my god. Is this...?
and oh, oh, now that is much more hilda. whether or not she means it, the shift in her body language has him so much more prepared than the formalities of before. he eyes the package again before reaching for his cup of tea. ]
A gift. Sorry- a pre-thank you gift. [ he's not...entirely sure what he should be thinking or feeling right now, because while he knows he should be thankful, there is also that nagging this is absolutely a prank digging at the back of his mind. ]
And I can open it now? [ which is perhaps sam walking to his own death, but his curiosity is winning this battle and he takes one more sip of his tea before standing to get closer to it, and yes, to reach for that enormously large ribbon. ] You really shouldn't have, though. Y'all know I would- [ and that, right there, is when he finally gets it open. when he finally gets passed the tissue paper and the ribbon and the outer packaging and oh. ]
Holy shit. [ he says, as a grin threatens to take over his entire face. ] Oh my god. Is this...?
[ Next time, Sam. Next time she'll plan an elaborate gift that will involve a giant biscuit because frankly, he deserves it. And she'll rope Sylvain into it because she probably doesn't want to bake it herself never mind figure out the measurements and ingredients needed for a biscuit that big.
It should be noted that while Sam begins his humble refusal of her gift she stays remarkably quiet. There's no insistence that he does, in fact deserve gifts, or telling him off for being humble because she's trying incredibly hard to hide the smile (and by that we mean not hard at all) behind her teacup. If there was anything to compare it to, it would be a mother trying hard not to look smug about a present that she knows she did well on on Christmas morning.
But once Sam's own grin begins to break quickly across his own face, there's no point in hiding it anymore. She looks positively pleased with herself. More pleased than she's ever been during her time here in fact. ]
Do you like it? I thought your room could use a little decor. Or Steve's. Whoever you think it's more appropriate for, really.
It should be noted that while Sam begins his humble refusal of her gift she stays remarkably quiet. There's no insistence that he does, in fact deserve gifts, or telling him off for being humble because she's trying incredibly hard to hide the smile (and by that we mean not hard at all) behind her teacup. If there was anything to compare it to, it would be a mother trying hard not to look smug about a present that she knows she did well on on Christmas morning.
But once Sam's own grin begins to break quickly across his own face, there's no point in hiding it anymore. She looks positively pleased with herself. More pleased than she's ever been during her time here in fact. ]
Do you like it? I thought your room could use a little decor. Or Steve's. Whoever you think it's more appropriate for, really.
[the package is left for sam at the sarstina, under the care of mag. it is wrapped in plain brown paper, tied with yellow-dyed twine and adorned with a sprig of flowering fennel. inside is a simple yet elegant dagger and sheath, expertly made, along with a note in a flowing script:]
For one who always keeps the light burning.
-Diana
For one who always keeps the light burning.
-Diana
[the package is non-descript, but it's definitely big enough to pique the curiosity of the recipient as to open it as soon as possible. it's been checked through, tied up back into its box after the fact. inside, an amount of homemade goods have been stacked atop each other: candles, soaps, and moisturizing lotions. this would already spell out who it is from, if a similar package has been received, in the past.
a neat box lies at the bottom, though, and once unwrapped, it'll reveal a pair of boots. who is to say sam ever stops moving? he might be due new shoes.
a small note sits under the box.]
a neat box lies at the bottom, though, and once unwrapped, it'll reveal a pair of boots. who is to say sam ever stops moving? he might be due new shoes.
a small note sits under the box.]
Happy Winter Solstice.
𝓦anda 𝓜aximoff
[Viktor's package arrives in unassuming brown paper with a wax seal that indicates the sender.
Inside is a maintenance kit for the wings assembled into a portable leather clutch, and a reminder that he should bring it by every other month for routine maintenance. Viktor does, at least, seem to understand that's not much of a present, the package also includes a clockwork bird. At first glance, it might be mistaken for a wind-up children's toy, but closer inspection will reveal that a medallion in the middle of its chest is removable--it's one of Viktor's trackers, the same kind that located the kidnapped Summoned, with the bird itself acting as a homing device.
No other notes! He knows who it's from!!!]
Inside is a maintenance kit for the wings assembled into a portable leather clutch, and a reminder that he should bring it by every other month for routine maintenance. Viktor does, at least, seem to understand that's not much of a present, the package also includes a clockwork bird. At first glance, it might be mistaken for a wind-up children's toy, but closer inspection will reveal that a medallion in the middle of its chest is removable--it's one of Viktor's trackers, the same kind that located the kidnapped Summoned, with the bird itself acting as a homing device.
No other notes! He knows who it's from!!!]
Edited 2023-12-30 01:07 (UTC)
[ hilda please, he is not as young as he used to be and his metabolism is NOT what it would need to be to consume a biscuit that size. save him the literal heart attack, and let's just stick with the metaphorical ones.
also, here's the thing - her very self-satisfied quiet is absolutely noted. beyond noted. if anything, it's sparking even more suspicion which - as sam gets to the actual unwrapping of said present, is entirely earned. and deserved. ]
Hilda, girl- [ she says do you like it and sam nearly dives across the table to cover her mouth. does he like it? is the sky blue? do the birds sing? sam's eyes are huge as he looks over the cutout, and after another moment, he erupts into a fit of laughter. ] This is the greatest present I've ever gotten. Ever. You understand that, right?
[ and here's the thing: he's not exaggerating. that's just how much he loves it. he can't even take his eyes off of it. ] Holy shit.
also, here's the thing - her very self-satisfied quiet is absolutely noted. beyond noted. if anything, it's sparking even more suspicion which - as sam gets to the actual unwrapping of said present, is entirely earned. and deserved. ]
Hilda, girl- [ she says do you like it and sam nearly dives across the table to cover her mouth. does he like it? is the sky blue? do the birds sing? sam's eyes are huge as he looks over the cutout, and after another moment, he erupts into a fit of laughter. ] This is the greatest present I've ever gotten. Ever. You understand that, right?
[ and here's the thing: he's not exaggerating. that's just how much he loves it. he can't even take his eyes off of it. ] Holy shit.
Edited 2024-01-20 02:05 (UTC)
[ Ugh, fine. Party pooper. Sometimes all a girl wants is some fun in the form of a giant biscuit baking party.
But she'll take this reaction too. She hadn't quite known what to expect when she had come up with this ridiculous one-brain celled plan to give her large cut out head of Steve to him. If he hadn't liked it well, the next natural step would have been to gift it to Steve because why wouldn't someone want a giant cardboard cutout of themselves?
Needless to say, she's pleased and it shows in the way she wrinkles her little nose and how her eyes crinkle at the corners. She can't help the disbelief that slips into her words. ]
Really? I mean, I definitely meant it to be a bit of a joke but I'm so glad you like it. I figured that if I made one with your face on it, this was only fair.
But she'll take this reaction too. She hadn't quite known what to expect when she had come up with this ridiculous one-brain celled plan to give her large cut out head of Steve to him. If he hadn't liked it well, the next natural step would have been to gift it to Steve because why wouldn't someone want a giant cardboard cutout of themselves?
Needless to say, she's pleased and it shows in the way she wrinkles her little nose and how her eyes crinkle at the corners. She can't help the disbelief that slips into her words. ]
Really? I mean, I definitely meant it to be a bit of a joke but I'm so glad you like it. I figured that if I made one with your face on it, this was only fair.
[ she can make a giant biscuit all she wants!!! just don't make him responsible for it. that's all he asks.
sam is a bit too focused on turning the cutout of steve's head around in his hands to notice just how pleased she is, but that's okay. something tells him that it isn't about to be something that goes away. ]
Oh no, this is great. Steve has been giving me shit for ages because of mine. Now- oh man, you've made me unstoppable. I'm saving this for the perfect moment. C'mere- [ hope hilda is ready, because sam is getting out of his chair to come and give her a big hug. she can't escape it, either, it's happening. ]
sam is a bit too focused on turning the cutout of steve's head around in his hands to notice just how pleased she is, but that's okay. something tells him that it isn't about to be something that goes away. ]
Oh no, this is great. Steve has been giving me shit for ages because of mine. Now- oh man, you've made me unstoppable. I'm saving this for the perfect moment. C'mere- [ hope hilda is ready, because sam is getting out of his chair to come and give her a big hug. she can't escape it, either, it's happening. ]
[ Even if she doesn't make him responsible for it, he's somehow, some way, going to be responsible for it because he's the one who put the idea into her head. And really, would she be her if she didn't put some of that inconsequential, silly blame on him? Earning Hilda's affections weren't a difficult thing to do. But she would be lying if she said that she didn't have a soft spot for the man who was effectively everyone's adoptive dad/big brother/uncle rolled into one.
Musings of biscuits and blame can at least be put aside for now, especially when there's a hug to be addressed. Never one to pass on a hug she immediately goes to meet him partway, smooshing her cheek against his chest with a gleeful laugh as her arms wrap around him. ]
Really though, I'm glad that you're taking a break from at least one thing, Sam. [ The one thing being a Conclave rep. ] I feel like you take on so much. Don't you get tired?
Musings of biscuits and blame can at least be put aside for now, especially when there's a hug to be addressed. Never one to pass on a hug she immediately goes to meet him partway, smooshing her cheek against his chest with a gleeful laugh as her arms wrap around him. ]
Really though, I'm glad that you're taking a break from at least one thing, Sam. [ The one thing being a Conclave rep. ] I feel like you take on so much. Don't you get tired?
[ Steve can hardly believe that he's back in his room in the Sarstina Inn, and yet when he steps in the door he finds it exactly as he remembers it — even if those memories are weirdly faded and fuzzy.
It had been a whirlwind. Steve had been working to help the more reluctant realize that they'd been dragged into some kind of mass hallucination and then finally the cracks in the sky had become so numerous and so great that it all came falling down. It was a hell of a thing to watch the sky shatter, revealing the crater that they'd entered what felt like eight hundred years (or three months?) ago, the Singularity looming over them.
He doesn't know what month, or even day, it is anymore. Some of the Summoned had been nearly catatonic as they were escorted out of the crater and back through the portals, and Steve hadn't had much chance to check in with anyone during the chaos beyond doing a hasty and incomplete headcount. He had found Sam among the crowd though, making eye contact as they silently understood they would find each other as soon as they made it back to Cadens.
Now they're here, back in the privacy of their own room, and Steve finally feels like he can breathe again. He inhales sharply and realizes that he'd temporarily forgotten what it was like to have air fill his lungs.
God, when was the last time he ate something? He knows it hasn't been as long as it feels, but everything is so jumbled up.
As if on autopilot, he moves over to the couch and falls onto it. He looks up at Sam, snippets of arguments and intimate moments and random little details swirling through his head. It's dizzying. ]
That was...
[ He lifts a hand to rub his eyes and then squeeze the bridge of his nose. ]
Shit. I don't even know where to start.
It had been a whirlwind. Steve had been working to help the more reluctant realize that they'd been dragged into some kind of mass hallucination and then finally the cracks in the sky had become so numerous and so great that it all came falling down. It was a hell of a thing to watch the sky shatter, revealing the crater that they'd entered what felt like eight hundred years (or three months?) ago, the Singularity looming over them.
He doesn't know what month, or even day, it is anymore. Some of the Summoned had been nearly catatonic as they were escorted out of the crater and back through the portals, and Steve hadn't had much chance to check in with anyone during the chaos beyond doing a hasty and incomplete headcount. He had found Sam among the crowd though, making eye contact as they silently understood they would find each other as soon as they made it back to Cadens.
Now they're here, back in the privacy of their own room, and Steve finally feels like he can breathe again. He inhales sharply and realizes that he'd temporarily forgotten what it was like to have air fill his lungs.
God, when was the last time he ate something? He knows it hasn't been as long as it feels, but everything is so jumbled up.
As if on autopilot, he moves over to the couch and falls onto it. He looks up at Sam, snippets of arguments and intimate moments and random little details swirling through his head. It's dizzying. ]
That was...
[ He lifts a hand to rub his eyes and then squeeze the bridge of his nose. ]
Shit. I don't even know where to start.
[ when sam's eyes had opened up back on the crater, it had been... well. a relief, in many ways. a weight lifted, like waking up from a dream that had felt a little too real, and hadn't been entirely good. sam remembers, like trying to remember a dream, helping others to see the cracks in the sky. bringing others to the same place he'd been. he remembers believing, with his whole chest, that this wasn't where they were supposed to be, and as he sat up out of the dirt and saw the singularity on the horizon, he feels like he can breathe again.
but he also knows it isn't easy- not for him, and certainly not for anyone else around him. without thinking much about it, sam is on his feet and helping anyone and everyone he can do the same. it feels automatic, it feels familiar, coming into what feels like the aftereffects of a disaster and helping as many people as he can to their feet, safely through portals. he knows there are probably more things he should be doing, more people he should be finding, but after catching steve's eyes across the crowd and understanding, immediately, that they are both okay to talk later - back home - it's easy to flip into help mode.
he doesn't know how long it's been. there are whispers of months, about three, and how they've been unconscious in the crater since. getting back to cadens feels so much like coming home that sam is a bit breathless with it, feels almost like he's wandering without purpose, cause. it takes him even longer to get back up to the room, the sight of mag and the tavern floor shaking him.
but they do get back to their room, he and steve, and it simultaneously feels as alien as it is familiar. everywhere sam looks, he feels like there is a memory, a story, but he blinks and it's falling away. he lets out a long breath as steve moves over to the couch and falls into it, and sam doesn't realize he's staring, that he's watching him, until a moment later.
sam shakes his head, tries to bring himself back to now and not the 800s years of... images? mirages? can he even call them lies? ] You and me both. [ he lets out another breath, a sigh, like his body is also remembering how to breathe - and then sam is stepping forward also towards the couch, but before he turns and collapses into it, he drops to sit on the coffee table in front of it, facing steve. ]
How long do you think it'll take before everything stops feeling weird? [ a pause, and then he's rubbing at his face, the sensation of relaxing feeling a little too much like he's deflating. ]
but he also knows it isn't easy- not for him, and certainly not for anyone else around him. without thinking much about it, sam is on his feet and helping anyone and everyone he can do the same. it feels automatic, it feels familiar, coming into what feels like the aftereffects of a disaster and helping as many people as he can to their feet, safely through portals. he knows there are probably more things he should be doing, more people he should be finding, but after catching steve's eyes across the crowd and understanding, immediately, that they are both okay to talk later - back home - it's easy to flip into help mode.
he doesn't know how long it's been. there are whispers of months, about three, and how they've been unconscious in the crater since. getting back to cadens feels so much like coming home that sam is a bit breathless with it, feels almost like he's wandering without purpose, cause. it takes him even longer to get back up to the room, the sight of mag and the tavern floor shaking him.
but they do get back to their room, he and steve, and it simultaneously feels as alien as it is familiar. everywhere sam looks, he feels like there is a memory, a story, but he blinks and it's falling away. he lets out a long breath as steve moves over to the couch and falls into it, and sam doesn't realize he's staring, that he's watching him, until a moment later.
sam shakes his head, tries to bring himself back to now and not the 800s years of... images? mirages? can he even call them lies? ] You and me both. [ he lets out another breath, a sigh, like his body is also remembering how to breathe - and then sam is stepping forward also towards the couch, but before he turns and collapses into it, he drops to sit on the coffee table in front of it, facing steve. ]
How long do you think it'll take before everything stops feeling weird? [ a pause, and then he's rubbing at his face, the sensation of relaxing feeling a little too much like he's deflating. ]
[ It had been a surreal experience wandering into the inn only to have Mag immediately recognize him and rush over to express her concern and fuss over him. To learn that only a few weeks have passed, not months or years or centuries.
He has memories of when Mag peacefully died of old age. He knows the inn was eventually abandoned, that the building at some point disappeared — or at least, he's pretty sure he remembers that, but everything is a haze, and trying to dig through details that didn't actually happen over such a long span of time feels like wading through a thick, waist-high sludge.
It helps to have Sam here, sitting right in front of him. To be face-to-face. It jerks Steve out of that sludge, and he stares at Sam for a few seconds before he sighs and shakes his head. ]
I guess it depends on how vivid this all feels over time. If we're gonna be haunted by... whatever that was all the time, then I think it'll be a while.
[ Like seeing ghosts in all of their interactions with fellow Summoned. Even with one another.
Steve's brow twitches with a half-formed frown as he looks Sam over again. He remembers their fights, if not every specific reason or the exact words exchanged. He recalls how they had chafed against their transformations into something more than human.
It was even enough to drive them apart for a while. ]
So... what do we think it was? The Singularity trying to show us what the future might hold? Or was something else behind it? We still don't know what caused that storm, just that us going into the crater seems to have fixed it.
[ This is the easier conversation to have right now. ]
He has memories of when Mag peacefully died of old age. He knows the inn was eventually abandoned, that the building at some point disappeared — or at least, he's pretty sure he remembers that, but everything is a haze, and trying to dig through details that didn't actually happen over such a long span of time feels like wading through a thick, waist-high sludge.
It helps to have Sam here, sitting right in front of him. To be face-to-face. It jerks Steve out of that sludge, and he stares at Sam for a few seconds before he sighs and shakes his head. ]
I guess it depends on how vivid this all feels over time. If we're gonna be haunted by... whatever that was all the time, then I think it'll be a while.
[ Like seeing ghosts in all of their interactions with fellow Summoned. Even with one another.
Steve's brow twitches with a half-formed frown as he looks Sam over again. He remembers their fights, if not every specific reason or the exact words exchanged. He recalls how they had chafed against their transformations into something more than human.
It was even enough to drive them apart for a while. ]
So... what do we think it was? The Singularity trying to show us what the future might hold? Or was something else behind it? We still don't know what caused that storm, just that us going into the crater seems to have fixed it.
[ This is the easier conversation to have right now. ]
[ god... it was only a few weeks, wasn't it. sam still feels so disoriented by the whole thing, like even though they've woken up, he's still in part asleep. he filters through memories, tries to place how he felt about them now and separate that from how he feels now. he tries to find his footing in the things he knows are real- no matter how much they'd been real in that dream, in those visions.
seeing mag had been the most difficult, sam things. having lived that life, having watched that life age and pass away and then time consume all that was left, it rocks him further to his core than he thought it would.
what doesn't surprise him is how being here in this room, being here with Steve is the easiest part. their lifetimes together, their relationship up and downs, the way their philosophies and what had happened to them had driven them apart, and what it was that finally brought them back together, all of it feels contained in this single moment, and it is - very much so - one of the few things that sam doesn't find he's all that worried about.
maybe should be. maybe there is more there he's ignoring for the sake of ease, choosing other trains of thought over this one. but they'll have time to get back. ]
800 years is a lot of memories to try and hold onto. [ a beat, and then a sigh. a shrug. ] Chances are most of 'em will fade here soon enough. But the rest of it, I'm not as sure about.
[ sam wonders how the others are faring - what everyone is thinking about this all. their connections, their relationships, those are things sam is comfortable enough with gauging in person. whether or not someone wants to have a connection with someone, that he can suss out.
but the world? their powers? what becomes of them?
and what does become of them? those gods they turned into, what it means for the other gods they already know. sam's thoughts are turning, over and over, and he can't quite decide which path he wants to follow. thankfully, a feeling of being watched takes his attention. he looks up and meets Steve's eyes, catches the complicated, curious look there, and sam offers him a small, questioning smile. you good?
but that's when Steve starts talking, questions weighing heavily between them. ] Unless the whole thing was one of those other gods. Like the one at the Ikorr party- just on a larger scale. But if that's true, then you've gotta think that means that there are gods here who know how to use the Singularity to that level. Or, if it was the Singularity itself, what was it trying to say?
seeing mag had been the most difficult, sam things. having lived that life, having watched that life age and pass away and then time consume all that was left, it rocks him further to his core than he thought it would.
what doesn't surprise him is how being here in this room, being here with Steve is the easiest part. their lifetimes together, their relationship up and downs, the way their philosophies and what had happened to them had driven them apart, and what it was that finally brought them back together, all of it feels contained in this single moment, and it is - very much so - one of the few things that sam doesn't find he's all that worried about.
maybe should be. maybe there is more there he's ignoring for the sake of ease, choosing other trains of thought over this one. but they'll have time to get back. ]
800 years is a lot of memories to try and hold onto. [ a beat, and then a sigh. a shrug. ] Chances are most of 'em will fade here soon enough. But the rest of it, I'm not as sure about.
[ sam wonders how the others are faring - what everyone is thinking about this all. their connections, their relationships, those are things sam is comfortable enough with gauging in person. whether or not someone wants to have a connection with someone, that he can suss out.
but the world? their powers? what becomes of them?
and what does become of them? those gods they turned into, what it means for the other gods they already know. sam's thoughts are turning, over and over, and he can't quite decide which path he wants to follow. thankfully, a feeling of being watched takes his attention. he looks up and meets Steve's eyes, catches the complicated, curious look there, and sam offers him a small, questioning smile. you good?
but that's when Steve starts talking, questions weighing heavily between them. ] Unless the whole thing was one of those other gods. Like the one at the Ikorr party- just on a larger scale. But if that's true, then you've gotta think that means that there are gods here who know how to use the Singularity to that level. Or, if it was the Singularity itself, what was it trying to say?
[ As far as Steve is concerned, there shouldn't be much reason to hold anything that supposedly happened in those eight centuries against someone in the here and now. It would really be the same as being upset with someone because they did something you didn't like in a random dream that you had.
On the other hand, he does wonder if there was a seed of truth in any of it. No doubt someone like Strange would say that if anything, it was a possible future, but only one of many, and they don't have to get hung up on it.
Which Steve agrees with, but he can't just completely ignore that it was something that was done to them either. Sam seems to be agreement on that, and it is nice to confirm in this moment that they remain on the same page, as they almost always have been. Through thick and thin.
Of course even the closest of friends would fight and disagree over a span of time that long, but he doesn't need to get caught up reading into it.
It helps when Sam gives him that small smile, a silent check-in, and Steve nods in response to the unasked question. ]
I wonder... could any one god have that level of power, to essentially put all of us through some sort of mass hallucination? I'm not sure I know enough about them to say anything for sure, even if I have these memories of being one of them.
[ He huffs out a sigh and shakes his head. This feels so above their paygrade.
He crosses his arms over his chest and glances down toward his lap, taking a few seconds to turn things over in his head. ]
... I know that some of the other Summoned have connections with the Singularity or even with one of the gods. We now know that some of them might have been like us once. It's probably the best place to start looking for answers.
On the other hand, he does wonder if there was a seed of truth in any of it. No doubt someone like Strange would say that if anything, it was a possible future, but only one of many, and they don't have to get hung up on it.
Which Steve agrees with, but he can't just completely ignore that it was something that was done to them either. Sam seems to be agreement on that, and it is nice to confirm in this moment that they remain on the same page, as they almost always have been. Through thick and thin.
Of course even the closest of friends would fight and disagree over a span of time that long, but he doesn't need to get caught up reading into it.
It helps when Sam gives him that small smile, a silent check-in, and Steve nods in response to the unasked question. ]
I wonder... could any one god have that level of power, to essentially put all of us through some sort of mass hallucination? I'm not sure I know enough about them to say anything for sure, even if I have these memories of being one of them.
[ He huffs out a sigh and shakes his head. This feels so above their paygrade.
He crosses his arms over his chest and glances down toward his lap, taking a few seconds to turn things over in his head. ]
... I know that some of the other Summoned have connections with the Singularity or even with one of the gods. We now know that some of them might have been like us once. It's probably the best place to start looking for answers.
It's possible. Especially if it's someone who figured out how to use the Singularity to amplify it. But if they do, why haven't we see them before now? Or if we have, what were they trying to say?
[ there's a part of him that's just trying to throw out ideas, mulling over situations, trying to see if they can circle around something more concrete. maybe there's a part of him that just doesn't want to talk about all that happened during those years - what he and Steve went through, what they all saw. the dark, cool, near-haunted feeling of what his home in the horizon turned into still feels too close. too looming.
this is something more tangible, in its own way. a plan, a strategy, a brainstorming of potentials that really, truthfully, are totally out of sam and Steve's wheelhouse, but also aren't so far.
steve nods, confirms, and sam nods back. they might not have answers, but there still is, and in a way always will be, a comfort in knowing that.
now it's sam's turn to nod, because yes, they do know that some summoned have more direct connections to the singularity than others. sam, of course, thinks of Julie. but he wonders if there are more summoned that aren't coming to mind, on top of that. ]
Where do you wanna start?
[ there's a part of him that's just trying to throw out ideas, mulling over situations, trying to see if they can circle around something more concrete. maybe there's a part of him that just doesn't want to talk about all that happened during those years - what he and Steve went through, what they all saw. the dark, cool, near-haunted feeling of what his home in the horizon turned into still feels too close. too looming.
this is something more tangible, in its own way. a plan, a strategy, a brainstorming of potentials that really, truthfully, are totally out of sam and Steve's wheelhouse, but also aren't so far.
steve nods, confirms, and sam nods back. they might not have answers, but there still is, and in a way always will be, a comfort in knowing that.
now it's sam's turn to nod, because yes, they do know that some summoned have more direct connections to the singularity than others. sam, of course, thinks of Julie. but he wonders if there are more summoned that aren't coming to mind, on top of that. ]
Where do you wanna start?
It's hard to imagine it's someone we've had no interaction with before, even if we didn't know it.
[ Not that many of the gods have approached them directly. Steve now knows from his own implanted memories that it was rare for the gods to show themselves to mortals in that way, though. But whoever may have done this, they must have a vested interest in the Summoned in some way. Which is why he wonders if it's a god who used to be just like them, who lived through their own ascension in reality rather than just in a dream.
But this is grounding, to talk it through with the person he trusts more than anyone, to start making a gameplan and considering action items.
Steve glances up to Sam, seeing him just as himself rather than what the dream wanted to tell him. His fingers twitch, wanting to reach out to him for a moment, but he'll wait until they've talked this out. ]
With Wanda. She has a bond with one of the gods. Not sure if it's one who might have once been a Summoned, but... it's possible. I think we should see what she can learn from them.
[ She was definitely the first person to come to mind, at least for him. ]
How about you?
[ Not that many of the gods have approached them directly. Steve now knows from his own implanted memories that it was rare for the gods to show themselves to mortals in that way, though. But whoever may have done this, they must have a vested interest in the Summoned in some way. Which is why he wonders if it's a god who used to be just like them, who lived through their own ascension in reality rather than just in a dream.
But this is grounding, to talk it through with the person he trusts more than anyone, to start making a gameplan and considering action items.
Steve glances up to Sam, seeing him just as himself rather than what the dream wanted to tell him. His fingers twitch, wanting to reach out to him for a moment, but he'll wait until they've talked this out. ]
With Wanda. She has a bond with one of the gods. Not sure if it's one who might have once been a Summoned, but... it's possible. I think we should see what she can learn from them.
[ She was definitely the first person to come to mind, at least for him. ]
How about you?
Hey Sam.
Mining is intense!
Some shit has gone down, I need your advice.
Mining is intense!
Some shit has gone down, I need your advice.
[ Both Steve and Sam had known what would likely come of this plan. There was only a slim chance that Steve would be able to get clear of the base and the mountain area without someone apprehending him (along with Jesper), and he and Sam had discussed that ahead of time.
So, this message shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. ]
The job's done, but they grabbed me and Jesper on our way out. We're being taken to some kind of containment facility now. That's all I know so far.
So, this message shouldn't come as too much of a surprise. ]
The job's done, but they grabbed me and Jesper on our way out. We're being taken to some kind of containment facility now. That's all I know so far.
Edited 2024-09-11 21:55 (UTC)
[ he did know. that was biggest issue about all this. steve had come to him before the plan had been set in motion, which did mean that sam had his own part to play in all of this. his own work to do. some part of him was used to this - splitting goals on a mission, checking in once the worst of it was over. it somehow doesn't make any of it better, and sam's stomach is in knots through it all - eased only marginally when he gets the message.
the groundwork's been set, now it's time for him to go to work. ]
the groundwork's been set, now it's time for him to go to work. ]
HOW'D THE JOB GO? RUN INTO ANYTHING?
RED'LL FOLLOW UNTIL WE KNOW WHERE THEY'RE KEEPING YOU.
NOW- I KNOW I DON'T NEED TO TELL YOU NOT TO DO ANYTHING STUPID.
RIGHT?
[ it's really to jesper's benefit that sam's been keeping pretty constant contact with steve. he knows a lot more of the details he would otherwise, and it also means that he didn't come busting into that mining camp the second he knew where jesper was being kept.
still, it's not like he's relaxed since all this has gone down. far from it. ]
still, it's not like he's relaxed since all this has gone down. far from it. ]
MINING'S NOT FOR THE WEAK OF HEART, NO
BUT WHAT'S UP?
YOU OKAY?
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