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Aonghus

"It works in mysterious ways. Wait, isn't that a song?"

0 · 859 views · located in San Francisco

a character in “Awakenings”, as played by wednesdaysun

Description

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aonghus
( Aengus Γ“g, Mac ind Γ“g, Mac Γ“g, Maccan )
Lennan "Len" Gillespie



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i liek turdles ehuehuehuehue


Pantheon
Celtic
Role
God of love, youth, and beauty associated with
youth

Loyalty
The Awakened
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Asleep
Aonghus usually watches over Caer Ibormeith's
descendants, and finds her reincarnations to woo
in the hopes that part of her may still love him
and remember him.
In his grief upon the most recent reincarnation's
death, he slumbered for 156 years, tired,
disillusioned with the inherent mortality of
humans and not finding much reason to stay
awake.

Awake
He woke up roughly three months ago, and is
still picking up the pieces both from his
slumber and his most recent bereavement.

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Hex Colour
#b03638
Face Claim
Drew Van Acker














































































Divinity
Aonghus is the Celtic god of love, youth, and beauty, and a close approximation of the Greek Eros.* (They are, in fact, aware of each others' presence, owing largely to the battles waged between his people, the Laigains, and Eros', the Firbolgs, and despite the history they get along quite well with each other.*) It is not unexpected that he should have tales of his own conquests. Two notables are Etain and Caer Ibormeith. However, he is not solely a lover; he has been depicted as showing a more violent streak, killing Lugh LΓ‘mhfhada's poet for accusing his brother Ogma an Cermait of having an affair with Lugh's wife, which ultimately led to his death.* It is possible that he had some aptitude with the sword, as he bequeathed two of hisβ€”Moralltach and Beagalltach ('great' and 'little fury', respectively)β€”to his foster son Diarmuid Ua Duibhne.*

He is depicted as being followed around by four birds, singing songs beautiful enough to make people fall in love in their wake. His most of powers are still effective even with the lack of people actually worshipping or telling tales of him, save for the odd modern reference here and there, or at the very least indirectly worshipping him through worshipping love; however, being able to bring people back from the dead is a fair bit of trouble nowadays. Thanks to the spread of major religions in the Celtic regions he once had dominion over, particularly in his native Ireland, he now has significant competition on his hands. The raising of Lazarus bit was a tad more poignant, he'd give their new god that.

Personality
With all the possible ways to fall in love and all the things to fall in love with, it is not unexpected that Aonghus follow this behaviour. He is as benevolent, capricious, and dangerous. One thing is for certain about this divinity: he puts great value on connections, particularly those of kin. He will keep those close to him as close to him as possible, defend their honour and even kill, if necessary. Having engaged in a more immersive experience with humans, however, has certainly mellowed down his mercuriality, allowing him to adjust better to living with humans.

    Quirks/Habits
    Tapping out rhythms to old tunes when bored Β· Tapping out rhythms to new tunes when bored Β· Singing [in the shower] Β· Picking at things (particularly the corners of book pages) Β· Sniffing before eating something Β· Jotting down ideas on anything (including skin) the first time it pops up
    Likes Deriving amusement from Americans going on about their 'Irishness' Β· Trying to amuse children Β· Waves crashing on rocks Β· Quick thinkers Β· Those unafraid to speak their minds Β· Conversations Β· Exploring Β· Mexican food Β· Butterflies Β· Genealogy Β· Four xs
    Dislikes Being constantly reminded of the past Β· Gossips Β· Liars Β· Betrayal Β· Impatient people Β· Reckless drunkenness ('There's always a time, place, and amount.') Β· Any form of abuse Β· Liquorice
    Talents/Skills
    Singing Β· Playing several musical instruments Β· Wordsmith Β· Some fighting experience Β· First Aid
    Flaws/Weaknesses
    Can lash out when offended Β· Trusts fairly easily Β· May fall prey to chicanery if particularly vulnerable
    Fears
    Losing more people Β· Fading into oblivion Β· Being disappointed
History
Aonghus was the product of an affair between the Dagda, a prominent Celtic father god, and Boann, the goddess of the River Boyne and consort to Nechtan, also known as Elcmar. Boann fearing what her consort would do if he were to learn of the affair and find himself cuckolded, the Dagda planned an elaborate ruse. He sent Nechtan away to Bres for nine months, occupying him with arduous tasks and ensuring that he went neither hungry nor thirsty. To make it even more convincing, the Dagda made the sun stand still in the sky as if he had only been gone for a day. The ruse had worked; Nechtan returned to his wife completely unaware of her infidelity and the fact that she had bore the Dagda a son named Aonghus. The infant Aonghus was subsequently placed in the care of Midir, who raised him as his own.

He grew up relatively ignorant of his own heritage, assuming that the great amount of attention he was given as a child was normal for children his age. It wasn't until he was a little older that he discovered that the man he called father wasn't, all thanks to a quarrel with the proud prig of a son of a Firbolg and fellow fosterling. He had come home that day sobbing, lamenting the fact that he did not know who his parents were; it was only then that Midir revealed Aonghus's paternity and, in addition, his relation to him as half-brother. Upon the latter's request, they set out to have the Dagda acknowledge his paternity and claim land rightfully his. It was around that period that he met the MΓ³rrΓ­gan. However, he did not establish much of a relationship with her; it was only during the impending threat of their diminishing powers that he tried to form a reluctant one with the belligerent goddess.

Despite making learning of his divinity, he never stopped thinking of himself as more mortal than divine, which had made transitioning to regular mortal life a bit easier. He maintained ties with Midir, and even aided in winning Γ‰tain for him and countering the spells his jealous first wife Fuamnach cast on her, depicted in Tochmarc Γ‰taine.
It seemed that in the haze of satisfaction with playing matchmaker and interacting with mortals he had forgotten himself. A watershed in his perception of his divinity came with the simplest, and yet the most complicated, of eventsβ€”he had fallen in love.

One night, Aonghus grew fascinated with a woman in his dreams. Initially, he had dismissed it as a one-off and thought little of itβ€”that was until she visited him almost nightly after that. Worse still was that she never told him her name. Again, he dismissed the experiences, this time as merely dreams, and told no one of his pining. No one had really bothered to ask. However, he had not anticipated the illness that followed the loneliness and pining. After confirming that it had indeed stemmed from it, he, Boann, and the Dagda embarked on a search throughout Ireland to find the maiden. He eventually learned that Caer Ibormeith was her name, and warned that it would not be easy to find her. When he did find her at Loch Bel Dragon, she was with 150 more young women who were turned into swans. To test him, he would pick which one of the swans was the most like Caer, and long story short he turned himself into a swan and flew away with her, singing songs that put everyone to sleep for three days.
She remained with him ever sinceβ€”or rather, he was with her throughout her lifetime.

He had centuries enough of deaths of people he knew and loved, and though he was long since weary he continued to watch over Caer Ibormeith's family and, upon finding out the possibility of her reincarnation, sought to find themβ€”at least, within the confines of Ireland. Each did remember their past with him to varying extents, but there was one woman he found whose memories were stronger than the others'. Her name was Fionnuala NΓ­ Caiside. He was known as Diarmuid Mac Giolla Easpaig then.

It was 1847. Many would have considered poor Fionnuala plain and frail, and due for spinsterhood if no one would take her, but what she lacked for physically she made up for in intellect. She was an avid reader, a skilled writer, an advocate for womens' rights and, as he would later discover in the early stages of their acquaintance, a talented illustrator rather fond of drawing swans. Despite her being a Christian, he was drawn to her, although he had only come to know her because her paternal grandfather called on him as he continued to read to her and tell tales of the old pantheon. He was only able to touch her as those very tales had enriched her childhood and adult life.

It took her a while for the memories of her old self to return. When they had returned, it was at the cost of the physical weakening of her reincarnation. They married after 3 years and while their marriage was a successful one, the subject of children became a sensitive one. Aonghus grew wary of her vessel's condition and feared that if she were to conceive it would prove fatal. It took great prodding before he finally agreed to do it. She bore healthy twins after two miscarriages, but their happiness was short-lived when she fell ill and succumbed to puerperal fever. Worse still was that he could not raise her from the dead as he could before, owing to the fact that the Celtic pantheon had weakened significantly due to the rise of Christianity in Ireland. He had tried his best to raise his two new demigod children in his grief but found he could not. Once he was sure that the both of them were in his sister-in-law's good hands, he decided to travel with the droves of immigrants coming into the United States, explored a few states during their travels (particularly Pennsylvania, New York, Illinois and, finally, California) before he slumbered in 1859.

The moment he awakened, the sensation of falling that he had sought to cease when he slumbered only continued, though it took some time to recollect just why he was feeling that way. When he did he decided to start his life anew, he began writing his own songs and busking on the street to bide his time whilst trying to adjust to the 21st century.


So begins...

Aonghus's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: MΓ³rrΓ­gan Character Portrait: Kaito Wakahisa Character Portrait: Loki Character Portrait: Eopsin Character Portrait: Aonghus Character Portrait: SΓ³l
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#, as written by Cloud


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Date:
1st February,
2015


Time:
11.59am


Where:
San Francisco


Weather:
16˚C | 61˚F
Partly Cloudy
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    The mortal residents of San Francisco city were unaware that their city was about to play host to a battle of divine proportions. In fact, one could argue that the gods themselves were unaware of the approaching battle, especially those gods who still considered themselves human. Yet, they are the ones that have brought this war to the streets of the Foggy City, albeit unknowingly.

    Drawn by the feeling that gods are to be found in the city, various factions are arriving in an attempt to wake and persuade these sleeping deities to join their side. There is Loki and his 'friends', whose purpose is largely unknown. Opposing them are those deities who claim allegiance to The Gods as a whole.

    We begin at midday on the 1st day of February. The Trickster and his followers are to be found in the penthouse of a downtown hotel, paid for no doubt through some trickery of the Norse God. The Awakened gods standing against Loki have chosen to meet at Union Square, a central hub of the city and to their minds no better place to start their search. As for the slumbering, they could be anywhere. In a city of over 800,000 finding a sleeping god will be no simple task.




Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Eopsin Character Portrait: Aonghus Character Portrait: SΓ³l Character Portrait: Huallallo-Caruincho
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_________________
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At first, he refused to give himself hope that there were other divinities out there still alive and well. The blue funk that carried on since awakening from his slumber, it seemed, had not been shaken off completely. He would have closed himself off to the idea of such had it not been for his uncle Ogma. Ever the writer that he was, he had sent correspondence in the form of letters to himβ€”unsurprisingly from D.C, and they were enough to nudge him partially out of the pessimism and into the realm of the living, and enough so that he agreed to come to the meeting that was to be held. In fact, though he didn't sleep like humans did, he was sure that if he did like the rest of them, he would have lost quite an amount of it over his excitement. Finally and after so long, he would be able to interact with other divinities and feel their auras make the air positively vibrateβ€”and the best part about it was that only a very few humans were able to feel it too to some extent, thereby maintaining that sense of exclusivity to it as if it were a club of some sort. Oh, if only they knew what it did to him.

He had let a week pass, each night staring at the calendar in his small apartment; however, instead of sitting around and spending his days waiting for it to happen he distracted himselfβ€”and constantly. Money was, regrettably, something he needed and what better way to take down two birds with one stone (that and the distraction) than to work? Energy was of little consequence considering what strength his attenuated powers still afforded him, and that made his situation all the more favorable.

A few weeks into his awakening, Aonghus arranged with Ogma to create Lennan Gillespie: his new identity while here in America. Once they had completed all the detailsβ€”and, surprisingly, he was very thorough with the details. He then took a temporary job working the docks of Pier 80. It was a familiar line of work considering that he had done the same when he had first arrived. It took some time for him to shadow, having absolutely no idea how to operate the heavy machinery at first. For the people involved, more specifically the man he shadowed under while there, it was problematic and he was on the verge of losing his job but after a while of the exertion and the odd bit of harassment here and there, he was able to get used to it. It wasn't until recently that he decided to start busking, not knowing where else to release his anxiety about the meeting.

.....


Once the day of the meeting finally came, Aonghus had somewhat forgotten about it, the only reason for having arrived at all was that he had a gut feeling. He had been performing around Fisherman's Wharf and, somewhat impulsively, headed to Union Square as if it were the place to be. (The tourists seemed to know that much better than he did. He wasn't sure whether or not it was a good or a bad idea, their knowing something thanks to the ease technology brought them through smartphones or 'Google'.)

What he hadn't expected was to seeβ€”or feel three particular individuals in the crowd. He slung his guitar case a bit more over his shoulder and made his way to them, though he hadn't expected the sudden shivers to come over him once he was in their vicinity.

The blonde Scandinavian radiated warmth. Benevolence.

The dark-haired Asian? Straightforward, like she meant business.

The exotic man? He would have to keep an eye out for him in future.

He was distracted from his thoughts until he heard the first woman speak.

"I am Sol, Norse Goddess of the Sun, call me Sol or Sunna. It is a pleasure to finally meet you."

"Is this some sort of model scouting circle? Like that Tyra... Banks show? I doubt I'd be able to stay on for very long," he joked, smiling at the three of them before he gave something of a nervous chuckle. "Ah, right. I'm Aonghus, by the way. Sorry for the delay. Had a bit of a situation over at the wharf."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Eopsin Character Portrait: Aonghus Character Portrait: SΓ³l Character Portrait: Huallallo-Caruincho
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#, as written by Layla
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Β’ Π½ Ρ” Ξ± Ρ‚ ΞΉ Ξ· g.

R O M A N. P A Y N E.
β€œMay a man live well enough and long enough, to leave many joyful widows behind him.”


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A shadow fell over the Goddess of Light before a voice that tinkled like wind chimes and rustling grass drifted over them. "Hate to interrupt your moment," it said in the rise and fall of its lilting pitch. "But uh Eopsin, Goddess of Wealth." It punctuated its introduction with a "hi" that seemed more young woman than ancient Goddess. AndrΓ©s rose to his full height before turning to gaze at the small thing that stood before him. His eyes were dark, his dark brows pulled low, a promise and an invitation sparking in the gold rivulets pulsating from his dilated pupils as she took in the raven hair that spilled past her shoulders. Her eyes curved into an almond slant that emphasised the height of her cheekbones. His eyes drifted lower to find a body that certainly did her face justice before his eyes flicked upwards to catch her gaze.

"Eopsin," he uncoiled the name with his tongue, staring at her past a fringe of achingly long lashes. Eopsin, a Korean name. He'd had one last week, but that one paled against the Goddess whose head scarcely reached his shoulder. A corner of his lips lifted in a smile as he spoke. "AndrΓ©s," he said by way of introduction. "The pleasure is mine."

He shifted away from the Goddess as he heard another approach. "Is this some sort of model scouting circle? Like that Tyra... Banks show? I doubt I'd be able to stay on for very long," the newcomer began. AndrΓ©s raised an eyebrow in reply as "I'm Aonghus" excused himself for his tardiness. The name was a strange one and for a fleeting instant, a spark of hope ignited at the thought that Huallallo-Caruincho might not be the most bizarre name one could possess. Aonghus rang a bell somewhere distant, perhaps he was of the Gaelic pantheon, but AndrΓ©s could not decipher what he was worshipped for or known to be. The man was above average in aesthetics but did not seem to possess astronomical prowess in the charisma department, unless one was mesmerised by young boys who cleaned pools part-time in the Summer. Unless he possessed some ethereal talents in the bedroom or was the God of Love, AndrΓ©s doubted very much that Aonghus would be a threat. Sol - and the women, now that he'd seen Eopsin - were his only reason he was standing there instead of sleeping as he should be after all.

"Tell me, in all your travels around the city since you have woken, have you chanced upon or glimpsed any sleeping gods?" Sol inquired. He turned to her, lifting his head to look thoughtfully at the sky, but really he wanted to give them a good view of his jawline and appear to care. "I can sense four or five sleeping gods, have you any idea of who they might be?"

Pulses past before he spoke. "My contacts" - the word made his little sister's boorish boyfriend greater than he was - "informed me of a recent death that might be of interest. He was the leader of a human trafficking and underground cage fighting circuit based in New York City." AndrΓ©s pivoted his body slightly towards Sol as he spoke to her, capturing her clear jade eyes. He is also in the business of selling quality human organs, he didn't say. Semi-annual clearance: two kidneys for the price of one. Limited time only, he thought with a wry smile. "He was found dangling in his cage last week with his severed head at his feet. Poetic justice, I suppose," he said lightly before taking a step closer, as if the next words were a secret or a whisper of blasphemy. "He called himself Chernobog.

"Before he died, anyway," he said suddenly in the faint silence that followed his proclamation, his voice returning to the casual tone of quite a cloudy day today. "They say his killer was 'Chernobog's' best fighter. They called him the Celt in the cages." At that he spared Aonghus a glance. Perhaps he knew something more. "He is allegedly undefeated," he offered. "Last I garnered, he was seen in Oakland. I doubt he will survive much longer, what with half the American gangs after what they perceive to be retribution." he finished with a shrug. He was aware that it was not much of a lead and it might've been pure coincidence, but the others might gleam something he'd missed. All he knew was that Chernobog was the name of a deity. It was possible that this 'Celt' could be a worshipper who could provide them with a better lead or even a slumbering God. If anything, his intel would serve as a warning that there might be a powerful individual who either disliked his boss or found divine names offensive, and who was hostile enough to decapitate a man.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Eopsin Character Portrait: Aonghus Character Portrait: SΓ³l Character Portrait: Huallallo-Caruincho
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"The pleasure is all mine," Eopsin replied, spreading her attention between the two of them.

No doubt the two gods before her had a friendly relationship. Sol, blushing bashfully and Andres (because she couldn't pronounce his real name) smiling mirthfully. If it weren't for Sol's controlled response Eopsin might have thought that the two were a couple. They had quite the chemistry, even if He was an attractive person for sure with unruly curls of hair to accompany his bronzed complexion. In his full height he stood more than a head above her, but under the San Franciscan sun he seemed even taller. Like Sol was the embodiment of the sun (or at least the Norse version), Andres radiated the heat of a volcano (and perhaps the rest of South America) in his eyes. Where Sol was warm and inviting, Andres was hot. Yes he was objectively, aesthetically pleasing but also alluring. She was all business but she wasn't afraid to admit that one of the fellow gods caught her eye. Were this a different time and place she might have entertained the idea of flirting with him, but alas...They were on a mission to find the awakened.

"Is this some sort of model scouting circle? Like that Tyra... Banks show? I doubt I'd be able to stay on for very long," a new voice asked.

He introduced himself as Aonghus, Celtic god of love, before flashing a smile that let Eopsin. Like everyone else, he had model-good looks and emanated his own sort of attraction but she knew little about what sort of "love" Aonghus was meant to represent. Was it romantic like Aphrodite? Familial like Hestia? He didn't look like a family man. He seemed very young, even compared to the rest of the gods who all took the forms of twenty-somethings. His voice was nervous, as though he'd never met any of them before. His whole visage was strange to her. She couldn't gauge the type of person he was now or even how he might have been in the past. European gods that weren't over saturated in media were outside her realm of knowledge. Honestly, the only reason that she knew about Andres was because she read a few lines of Wikipedia while waiting for the bus.

Was that really everyone though? She had to admit, it was a pretty paltry turn out if it was just going to be the four or five of them. She was hoping for more gods, more who hadn't faded away into nothingness or more that awoke from their slumber. It was possible that there were a few that were unaligned, but siding with Loki was a much more likely explanation. They didn't know how many gods were on his side or even how long everyone had been having their little meetings. For all she knew they could already have a game plan and the locations of all the slumbering gods, or worse! He could have already manipulated them toward his faction.

"Tell me, in all your travels around the city since you have woken, have you chanced upon or glimpsed any sleeping gods?"

"Nothing quite as interesting as murder, but I felt someone particular nearby," her tone became serious, "it has only been in the past few weeks, but I've felt a familiar presence roaming around San Francisco. They aren't a Gasin like me but they aren't like the rest of the slumbering gods. It's possible that they might be from East Asia or close to it."

It was true that there were at least four of five roaming around in San Francisco but many of the sleepers were hazy shadows in the back of her mind. Most of them weren't even Asian, but the one that was made her wonder about his or her lineage. Filipino? Chinese? Japanese? Gods Her she hoped not. Unfortunately, her powers weren't to the point that she could automatically detect others (she was sure no one's was) so the best she could hope to do is recognize them on the street, but they hadn't been lucky enough for that to happen. All those who passed through her bakery had been normal, useless (okay not useless but...) mortals. There wasn't anyone who could have helped her or prepared her for what was to come.

If they couldn't find this god, it would be on her.

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Eopsin Character Portrait: Aonghus Character Portrait: SΓ³l Character Portrait: Huallallo-Caruincho
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#, as written by Cloud


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"People imagine, and people
believe: and it is that belief that
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Had just one god beside herself turned up at the meeting, Sol would have been happy, but to have three other deities appear in support of their cause was enough to have Sol beaming from the first to the last. She welcomes Aonghus with a smile just as warm as what she used to greet Andres and Eopsin, though before she can verbally offer a greeting Sol's attention is caught by the South American god standing beside her.

Andres' words prove unsettling, and Sol listens with avid attention, catching his eye as he informs the company of the find of a dead man who once claimed to be Chernobog. Sol doubts very much that the man in question was the infamous Slavic god himself. Though she has never met Chernobog she knows Belobog, the light to his dark, well. From all she has heard of the Slavic God of Evil he would not be easy to kill. His worshippers used to fear even speaking his name, so she doesn't believe that the man found dead was Chernobog at all. Of course, that still begs the question of who this mysterious cage fighter is. The style of the killing doesn't bode well and Sol can imagine by the sound of Andres' news that the fighter would be just the type of recruit that Loki would be interested in.

Sol thanks Andres for his information with an appreciative look and a smile before shifting her gaze to Eopsin. The Korean goddess offers a tantalising hope of a mysterious god, Asian in origin. No matter how vague, it is a promising lead, and Sol has faith that if they can reach this god before Loki and his collaborators, they might have a chance of gaining the advantage.

It's the thought of Loki and his gang that has Sol eager to begin their search. "Welcome Aonghus, I'm grateful that you made it today." Sol begins, finally verbally greeting the newest addition to their group. Then her warm eyes turn to Andres, "If your contacts pick up any more information on this fighter I would be interested in hearing it. They could prove a valuable asset to our side if we can find them..." What goes unsaid is the fact that the god could also be a dangerous enemy if found first by Loki. Sol shudders at the very thought of such an alliance.

"Eopsin," Sol begins, turning her mind to more immediate matters, "Is there an area of the city where you've felt this god's presence more than the others?" She asks, her voice hopeful. If they could somehow narrow down the area they could make shorter work of finding the deity. Already a plan is forming in Sol's head, albeit a very rudimentary plan. "We should split into pairs and comb the city, starting with the places where you have sensed this god, Eopsin." Sol says. addressing the whole group as she bounces her idea around, "That way we can cover more ground as we search. Andres, perhaps you and Eopsin can search together, and Aonghus and I will take the other half of the city."

Even to her own ears the plan sounds weak, but there's no way their limited powers will let them search the city any faster. Footing it through the streets has proved effective in the past few months, so Sol can only cross her fingers and pray to whatever being answers the prayers of gods that it works this time. "Make sure to keep everyone updated. If you find your god I'm only a cell phone call away." Sol remarks, patting her pocket where her slim cellphone currently resides. It's then that Sol's eyes catch on two people balanced on a bicycle. Despite the distance between them that's a spark of recognition, at least in regards to the male at the front of the bike. Having spent so long walking this earth Sol's mind is a library of faces and names, yet the longer she stares at the couple the more sure she is that the man is a god she's met before. The name is at the tip of her tongue when it suddenly vanishes, and she's left questioning whether it is merely her hopes and the distance playing tricks on her mind. With a shake of her head Sol turns her attention back to the gods immediately in front of her, smiling at them as she waits for their answers to her proposed plan.

Setting

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Character Portrait: Eopsin Character Portrait: Aonghus Character Portrait: SΓ³l Character Portrait: Huallallo-Caruincho
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The moment he arrived, he knew that he was somehow out of place. Of course, he thought to himself as his gaze flickered between the dark man and the Asian woman to take in their reactions. They were expecting a little more bravado.

Quickly, he turned serious, ignoring the lurch in his stomach at the embarrassment as he turned to SΓ³l as she greeted him.

"Welcome Aonghus, I'm grateful that you made it today."

He offered her a warm smile of his own, and shook her hand in greeting. "Pleased to meet you."

"Tell me, in all your travels around the city since you have woken, have you chanced upon or glimpsed any sleeping gods?"

AndrΓ©s cut in before he could open his mouth to speak. "My contacts informed me of a recent death that might be of interest. He was the leader of a human trafficking and underground cage fighting circuit based in New York City. He was found dangling in his cage last week with his severed head at his feet. Poetic justice, I suppose. He called himself Chernobog. Before he died, anyway. They say his killer was 'Chernobog's' best fighter."

He wasn't sure why he found himself cringing at the unfortunate situation. He wasn't one to shy away from violence, especially when absolutely necessary. It was more unsettlement that motivated the gesture. How ironic it was that that 'Chernobog'β€”a malevolent god Slavic god from what he gathered about himβ€”could allow himself to be so easily killed, dying a brutal death as a mortal, convinced of the finality of his situation and, as a result, turned pathetic in the face of death, would. The noted lack of strategy and quickness, foresight and the failure to at least come up with a decent solution to the situation was too lackadaisical was uncharacteristic of a divinity. That was unless he was a mortal himself, taking on the god's name as sobriquet.

While that would have normally been overlooked, that cage fighter had clearly taken great offenceβ€”enough to push them to murder.

"They called him the Celt in the cages."

The 'Celt in the cages'.

"If your contacts pick up any more information on this fighter I would be interested in hearing it. They could prove a valuable asset to our side if we can find them... Eopsin, is there an area of the city where you've felt this god's presence more than the others? We should split into pairs and comb the city, starting with the places where you have sensed this god, Eopsin. That way we can cover more ground as we search. Andres, perhaps you and Eopsin can search together, and Aonghus and I will take the other half of the city."

He nodded in agreement, but his mind was somehow busied with that last sentence. He crossed his arms and thought for a moment. "A Celt, huh? This is being a bit pessimistic but it does sound like a psychopath at worst," Aonghus sighed. "If it is a god, though... Many of the war gods in my pantheon are female... Well, all the war gods in my pantheon are female. It can't have possibly been a man."

As the information sank in, his brows knit together in concern.

"There is one," he said more seriously, shaking off the juvenile façade. "I never quite got along with her. Father was always... We have to be careful. She's—Mórrígan. She's capable of something like this. As for any sleeping gods... There has been this one fellow. I never quite got a good look at his features, but he's always staring off into the sea as if he's going to leap into the water."

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Character Portrait: Eopsin Character Portrait: Aonghus Character Portrait: SΓ³l Character Portrait: Huallallo-Caruincho
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#, as written by Cloud


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Morrigan. The name draws images of bloody wars, ruthless strategies, and the figure of an intimidating woman with victory in her veins. If the Celt of the Cages is truly the war goddess, and Sol has no reason to doubt Andres' information nor Aonghus' knowledge of his own pantheon, than Sol can only hope that Loki Laufeyson does not find her. What he could do with a goddess of her talents frightens Sol, enough that she almost misses Aonghus' next words. Just catching the end of his statement she nods, letting her excitment at the potential lead bury the worry that spiked through her only seconds prior.

"He might be some sort of water divinity." Sol remarks, "Perhaps we should begin our search by the harbour." The Sun goddess glances at the other two gods gathered, smiling as she prepares to bid them farewell for now, "Oshun, a goddess of plants, has offered her home as a base while we're in the city. We will meet there at nightfall if we haven't found any leads, I'll send a text message with the address." The African goddess, for reasons not fully explained to Sol, refused her plea to join the hunt for the sleeping gods. Despite this Sol still considers the goddess an ally, not least because she has given her home over to the cause, offering a roof, a comfortable bed, and a warm meal to any god or goddess who needs one.

With a final nod at Eopsin and Andres, Sol turns towards Aonghus, "Shall we begin?"

Now that he had been designated a particular task, and not simply as a dock worker or some other menial mortal job he had taken, Aonghus felt a sense of his own purpose as divinity returning to him again. He looked at his fellow divinities gathered here in the midst of crowds upon crowds of mortals and felt somehow thankful that he had come and met with them even with so little time to engage in conversation. It had been, after all, far too long since he interacted with someone outside his pantheon.

"Yeah," he nodded in assent, hitching the strap of his guitar case up a bit higher and leaving with SΓ³l.

As they left, he couldn't help the feeling that something amorous was watching them, but that could've easily been the floral perfume wafting from a young woman. Freshly sprayed on, perhaps meeting someone.

He had noticed the trouble expression on SΓ³l's face at the information he gave and let out a sigh as he decided to strike up conversation when they were some distance away from Union Square.

"I assume you've caught wind of her rep," he started sombrely. "Even if you haven't, the beheading's more than enough to put anyone off, really."

Though her pace does not slacken as the two head off to begin their search, Sol’s face gives a hint at the worry this news of Morrigan induces. She finds herself agreeing with what Aonghus says, nodding as their feet take them in the general direction of the harbour. Though she cannot claim to know the San Francisco streets well, one only has to follow your nose to find the sea. All it takes is a glimpse of the wide expanse of water lapping at the city’s shores to tell you you’re on the right track, though Sol is confident that should she take a wrong turn, Aonghus would be able to set them straight.

β€œHer rep and the cold-blooded nature of the killing chill me.” Sol admits, seeing no reason to keep her fear a secret, β€œEspecially because I know what Loki would do should he gain her allegiance.” The Norse goddess turns a worried smile on the Celt, desiring to put the topic behind them in favour of something lighter, β€œBut perhaps he has yet to find her. Loki is not all-seeing, merely all-infuriating.”

Aonghus chuckled softly at her comment. "We do have a trickster god on our hands, after all. I wouldn't be surprised if he threw a practical joke or illusion our way. Let's hope that's the most he can do, and on his own."

He paused after a moment, watching the stretch of harbour ahead of them and closing his eyes to take in the sea breeze. Carried with the breeze was a signature that he recognised as that he could faintly recognise.

"I can sense some level of attachment here." He opened his eyes and turned to SΓ³l with an apologetic look. "It may be a bit hard to discern whether or not it was him with how weak my powers are, but give me a bit of time and I'll try to isolate any traces of him from here."

Sol nods empathetically, knowing that if all they get are a few practical jokes and illusions from her Norse compatriot, than they would have gotten away lightly. From past experiences she knows how malicious Loki can be. It doesn’t do to forget that while he’s a trickster god, chaos is also his realm and he creates more than enough to wreak havoc wherever he goes. She doesn’t need to explain this to Aonghus though, not when he clearly knows just as well as her what Loki is capable of.

She waits as Aonghus pauses, intuitively knowing – though she can’t sense it – that he’s calling on his powers to help in their search. Sol waits with baited breath, hoping that he can sense something more than her limited abilities allow her too. When he speaks Sol nods, expecting no more of her current partner than what he has provided. β€œI miss the days when you could feel another deity a mile off.” She admits. She could barely sense the presence of Eopsin and Andres behind her, and only then because she knew what she was familiar with their particular frequencies now. Finding a foreign god whose aura was barely larger than a normal human’s was like finding a needle in a haystack.

"It wasn't always the best thing, though. If you knew where they were, they knew where you were."

β€œPerhaps we will have a stroke of luck and this god will cross our path.” Sol adds a moment later, punctuating it with a smile as the seemingly eternal optimist in her appears.

Aonghus was not averse to this part of her nature. Reminded of the pleasantness of the sun when the clouds allowed its rays to spread over the vast expanse of lands he and the other divinities in his pantheon he had domain over, he allowed her warmth to seep into him, shaking off some of the gloom that had remained since his awakening. "Yes. Perhaps we will," he said with a nod of the head and a short bow. He held out his arm for her to take and walked with her along the harbour.

There wasn't much to work with as the signatures remained faint and almost indistinguishable from that of humans, so he got to work. Mentally, he divided each part of the path into quadrats and studied them carefully, separating the distinctly human signaturesβ€”assigned white markersβ€”whilst trying to identify which ones were of the deity he had sensedβ€”assigned blue markers. These traces, despite being faint and easily mixed with the flurry of white markers, were more easily identifiable to Aonghus as they contained a consistent strain of a particular feeling of longing and nostalgia. It was almost as if the very thing he was attached to was being kept from him.

"A deity was here," he told SΓ³l, lightly squeezing her arm. "It's a start. We should inform the others."

Sol links arms with the god, keeping pace with him as the two continue their search. Her own powers do not enable her to sense anything beyond what is related to the sun and light. Gods’ auras are usually visible to her as shifting, coloured lights bathing in the all-encompassing glow of the sun’s rays, their colours becoming weaker over the centuries as her own powers diminished. It is one reason why Sol is so thankful to have gods like Aonghus, whose powers enable them to have a slightly better idea where other deities might be than her own skills. Even as Sol watches the passing faces, seeking any familiar feature that might stir her memory, Aonghus draws her attention with a squeeze of her arm. His words gift her with a glimpse of hope. Finally something solid.

β€œCan you sense how recently the deity has been here or where they might have gone?” Sol asks Aonghus, even as she’s retrieving her phone from her pocket. Opening the screen Sol taps open the messages, bringing up the contacts Eopsin and Andres and quickly typing them out Aonghus’ message. β€œCould he or she still be in the area?” She asks, her thumb hitting the send button as she briefly closes her eyes and attempts to see if her own powers can sense something. She gets nothing and her eyes flutter open a moment later, glancing up at Aonghus in the hopes that he’s having better luck.

Aonghus merely shrugged. "I'm not sure. I suppose I could venture a guess and say that the stronger signatures left behind mean that they've been here recently, but that's just a theory." He thought for a moment. "You can only see light and sun, correct?"

Sol nods affirmation, turning a rolling gaze across the scattering of mortals roaming the area as she and Aonghus walk together. The humans might not see it, but Sol can feel the rippling sunlight that ebbs around them. β€œYes, I can see sunlight the way most mortals see solid objects, or in the way you can sense affection." She answers, knowing that her vague answer might not satisfy a mortal with no concept of divine powers, but that Aonghus should understand. Casting light green eyes up at the Celt, Sol waits for him to explain his sudden interest in her abilities.

"Then, there are things you can't see." He stared a moment at the look of confusion on her face, and anyone else privy to that conversation, if there were any, would have laughed at how comical their stances were. "Right. Not clear. There are things you can't see. In a way, what you can't see makes an impression of a person. A shadow." He looked at the railing ahead of them and back to her. "We can use this shadow to have a general idea of the deity's movements."

Sol nods as understanding dawns. Aonghus is quite right, though Sol can see all the light touches in front of her just as any human can, revealing colours, textures, facial features and so on, her sense of the light is vastly different. It may be minute and unintelligible to anyone other than herself, but her sense does, as Aonghus explained, create shadows wherever the light does not reach. β€œYou want to track this deity by his shadow?" She asks, slowly garnering on to what Aonghus might be suggesting.

Aonghus nodded. "It would be an interesting way to find them," he grinned. "Wait. Let me try something." He took her hand and held it firmly. "I need you to concentrate. You can use the sort of map I made as a guide. The deity's signature will appear blue. If you have any difficulty trying to tap in, I'll try to help."

Sol turns into Aonghus, gripping his hand as he does hers. She'd done this sort of thing before, though each time it grew harder and harder as their powers waned. Melding their powers together took concentration and a connection. Their hands provided the connection and as Sol focused on the map Aonghus had created earlier she was able to see blurs of blue and white. It wasn't a perfect art, her vision was hazy and the shadows she gave to their power combination did not always meet with Aonghus' guide, but as the two put in their collective will the picture began to illuminate more of what they wished to see. β€œIt's... almost." Sol says, concentrating harder on their connection as she fights to link their powers.

Aonghus tried to focus all of his attention on simultaneously giving SΓ³l a better image of his vision and seeing what SΓ³l didn't. Slowly, silhouettes of people started to form, walking listlessly as if they were wandering ghosts in limbo. Despite the faintness and flickering of their images they at least managed to lock onto the deity's shadowy image. He saw him stood by the railings, not moving much for a while before wandering away from them, presumably to go elsewhere. Once he left the path, all trace of him disappeared.

He sucked in a breath. "Did you see it? Did you see him?" he said rather excitedly despite knowing that this lead could possibly take them nowhere.

Sol sees it too, the momentary vision of a shadowey figure who, thanks to the combination of their powers, she can sense must be a god. She watches as the deity moves, feeling only a passing disappointment as the last hint of him vanishes beyond their senses. Still, it is a hope and Sol can only return Aonghus' excitement with a smile as she nods, "I saw him." The Sun goddess gives his hand a happy squeeze, pleased beyond measure with this brief glimpse. "Now all we need to do is find him." Her words are spoken as if there is every possibility that they can find the deity, this solid proof of his existance making her optimistic that their efforts will not be in vain.