Announcements: Cutting Costs (2024) » January 2024 Copyfraud Attack » Finding Universes to Join (and making yours more visible!) » Guide To Universes On RPG » Member Shoutout Thread » Starter Locations & Prompts for Newcomers » RPG Chat β€” the official app » Frequently Asked Questions » Suggestions & Requests: THE MASTER THREAD »

Latest Discussions: With Chat currently offline... An alternative » Adapa Adapa's for adapa » To the Rich Men North of Richmond » Shake Senora » Good Morning RPG! » Ramblings of a Madman: American History Unkempt » Site Revitalization » Map Making Resources » Lost Poetry » Wishes » Ring of Invisibility » Seeking Roleplayer for Rumple/Mr. Gold from Once Upon a Time » Some political parody for these trying times » What dinosaur are you? » So, I have an Etsy » Train Poetry I » Joker » D&D Alignment Chart: How To Get A Theorem Named After You » Dungeon23 : Creative Challenge » Returning User - Is it dead? »

Players Wanted: Looking for a long term partner! » JoJo or Mha roleplay » Seeking long-term rp partners for MxM » [MxF] Ruining Beauty / Beauty x Bastard » Minecraft Rp Help Wanted » CALL FOR WITNESSES: The Public v Zosimos » Social Immortal: A Vampire Only Soiree [The Multiverse] » XENOMORPH EDM TOUR Feat. Synthe Gridd: Get Your Tickets! » Aishna: Tower of Desire » Looking for fellow RPGers/Characters » looking for a RP partner (ABO/BL) » Looking for a long term roleplay partner » Explore the World of Boruto with Our Roleplaying Group on FB » More Jedi, Sith, and Imperials needed! » Role-player's Wanted » OSR Armchair Warrior looking for Kin » Friday the 13th Fun, Anyone? » Writers Wanted! » Long term partner to play an older male wanted » DEAD! »

0
followers
follow

Joanna Kurtz

wip

0 · 418 views · located in MusΓ©e De Vries

a character in “Gods Among Us: The Godslayer”, as played by lightningpoint

Description

Image

Image

Edvard Grieg - AriettaxxxxxSilvio RodrΓ­guez - Γ“leo de Mujer Con SombreroxxxxxAurora - Life On Mars

Image

Image Image Image Image


Image

xxxxxImageX
X
X
X
X

x



G O D ─xxxZepar, Major God of Desire

P H Y S I C A LxxA G E ─xxxTwenty-six

G E N D E R ─xxxFemale body, female pronouns

S E X U A L I T Y ─xxxAttracted to anyone and everyone

O R I G I N ─xxxHarrisburg, Pennsylvania, 1993

S P E C I E S ─ xxxEmerged God


Image

Image


Image

xxxxxImageX
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

x
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

x
x


H E I G H T ─xxx5' 9"

W E I G H T ─xxx121 lbs

H A I R ─xxxLight brown

E Y E S ─xxxDark brown


A P P E A R A N C E ─ xxxJoanna's tall and slim body never made her stand out amongst her community, most came from direct German bloodlines and, like her, had the same tall and slim built. But once outside her community, Joanna stood out like a sore thumb. She is tall, carries herself with a graceful and elegant bearing, her body is slim, with long limbs like a ballerina's. She has a very youthful face, full lips, button nose, big and sad eyes, full cheeks. Her blonde, almost white, eyebrows make her face appear more effortless, no wrinkles or lines on her face. She's used to keeping her face bare of almost any makeup, so even though she's closer to 30, she looks more like just a 20-year-old.

Zepar has exploited Joanna's physical body as much as they can. Desire comes in many shapes and sizes, and Joanna is the perfect muse for the job. She looks virginal, passive, innocent, naΓ―ve, ready to be enjoyed and taken advantage of. Clearly Zepar knows what they are doing, and playing the innocent role so they can later switch into dominatrix is their favorite game to play whenever they catch a pray.


Image

Image


Image

Imagexxxxx
Imagexxxxx
Imagexxxxx
Imagexxxxx
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

x
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

x
x
x
x
x
x



P O W E R S ─

Charmspeak ;xxxZepar's voice when they emerge on a human body has a mesmerizing effect, capable of influencing the emotions of others in order to place them in their thrall. They cannot influence others to do whatever they want but they can cloud and manipulate other's feelings and emotions to their advantage, like placing somebody in a slight trance.

Amokinesis ;xxxZepar can sense and manipulate all the aspects of desire, of themselves, people, animals and other creatures, whether by increasing, decreasing, causing or otherwise channeling desire, even manifesting the emotional energy to a physical level. This includes a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes that ranges from interpersonal affection, to pleasure, to an emotion of a strong attraction and personal attachment. It can also include basic kindness, compassion, and affection.

Beauty Allure ;xxxAs the Major God of Desire, Zepar can change the appearance of the physical body they emerged into slightly, depending on the perception of beauty of the person they are in the presence of. Maybe someone is more attracted to femininity, or masculinity, bigger boobs or bigger noses, they make those slight, almost unnoticeable, changes to appear more desirable.

Semi Inmortality ;xxxLike all Gods, Zepar is semi-immortal.


S T R E N G H T S ─xxx

+xxCharming ;xxxOf course Zepar cannot rely only on looks to be desirable, they have to be charming as well and play their cards right if they want to seduce somebody. Joanna had always been a very kind and likable woman, so taking on Zepar's charming attitude came like second nature to her.

+xxCunning ;xxxJoanna was used to being ignored, to being seen as less than, so when Zepar emerged on her body, she welcomed their power fully. She could now achieve whatever she wanted, she could use her and Zepar's smarts to make ends meet by deceit or evasion.

+xxSelf Confidence ;xxxZepar embodies desire, Joanna didn't. So when Zepar showed her what her body was capable of doing by influencing others, her self confidence grew through the roof. She is not easily brought down, and Zepar will not permit it either.


W E A K N E S E S S ─xxx

-xxSpirituality ;xxxWhen Johanna escaped from her Amish community, she left her religion behind as well. But she still has trouble coming to terms with the existence of Gods and other beings. She gets easily confused and overwhelmed even though Zepar tries to be patient with her.

-xxUncontrollable Lust ;xxxDesire and lust always come first for Zepar, before health, before wellbeing, before mental stability. This has been the cause of death for most of their physical bodies, they don't know when to stop and usually drives their human host insane or drains their energy before they can realize that they've stepped too far.

-xxPhysical Strength ;xxxAs Major God of Desire, on a fragile female body, Joanna and Zepar lack physical strength. They make up for it through smarts and cunningness, but they wouldn't really stand a chance like other Gods in physical fights.


Image

Image


Image

ImagexxxxxX
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

x
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X

x
x
x
x


P E R S O N A L I T Y ─


Kind xxx Sensible xxx Cunning xxx Seductive xxx Intuitive xxx Impressionable xxx Rebellious


-empathic, kind, feels for others, natural helper and nurturer
-sensible, cries easily, feelings amplified
-cunning (zepar), smart, strategic, plays to their advantage
-joanna was used to being stepped on, now she won't let that happen
-seductive, flirtatious, appealing, lustful, will not commit
-trusts their feelings, relies on mind rather than body
-spirituality overwhelms her, impressionable, sees the world though rose-colored glasses
-will never be told what to do again, her own rules or no rules


Image

Image


Image

So begins...

Joanna Kurtz's Story

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Catarina De La Cruz Character Portrait: Ahya Edola Character Portrait: Theo Sverre Character Portrait: Arsen St. James Character Portrait: Josephine Jonsdotter Character Portrait: Alan Sanders
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

ImageImage
Past, 21, March, 2020…

Begin At An End


Blood streaked the cracked marble floor. Still slick wet but certainly not fresh. Bernardo bent to get a closer look. Two fingers touching the vicious mess as if it were imagined. It wasn't. He brought the fingers to his face, inhaling deeply the scent of copper. It wasn't the usual smell that greeted him. No. This blood had run afoul of something other. A looming presence that twined its way through each cell. He could imagine the source. An overburdened body carrying a light not meant for this world. And there it was, in the barely present light cast by his flashlight, the sheen of molten gold in the red that he hadn't noticed at first.

"Fuck, God's blood," he wiped the blood off onto his khakis and stood to face his partner. Atticus Wallace seemed disinterested. But Bernardo knew better than to assume there was nothing stirring behind that carefully made mask.

"Think it's still kicking around here?" Atticus swept his flashlight, first over the blood streaked floors and then up and over the rows of rotting pews. This church had been out of commission for decades at this point. A molding shell of half rubble that clung heavily to the remnants of its infrastructure. Most churches had long since become defunct. Though some still believed in their hearts that the Gods walking among men were heretical demons. Bernardo thought that strange, that people were willing to accept werewolves, vampires, and all manner of spirit but the moment the Gods descended onto earth they shuttered their doors and boarded the windows.

Bernardo's history with the Gods was just as sordid as anyone else that fell beneath their purview but it stayed just that. Purview. A distant connection based on a professional thread. His job was to take these cases because nobody else could. He could count the number of actual Gods he'd ever managed to encounter in this job.

It was a fact though that Gods didn't just up and die. No matter how much blood was on the scene. The closest neighbors had reported what sounded like fighting coming from the abandoned church and Bernardo had fully expected to be greeted with the sight of strewn bottles, needles, and whatever the fuck else but there had been no trace of drug activity here. Not a smidgen of violence to be heard. All was quiet, a hushed peace that was only interrupted by the blood.

Gods didn't die. Therefore if it weren't miles away by now then it was still here. Perhaps wounded though more than likely it was simply healing away from prying eyes.

"Might be, better start looking." Bernardo answered at long last. Beginning to trace the sinewy blood trails through the dark.

They didn't have to search long or hard for that matter, just on the other side of what would have once been the Sacristy they found the stomach churning remnants of the God. Half tucked underneath a freshly overturned cabinet. One that still surprisingly seemed to have been holding on to the moth bitten and tattered robes of its former inhabitants.

The body was cut in several places. Threads of shimmering blood having dried to the skin around the wounds that were visible. The heaviest of which centered around the Gods gut. Bernardo thought if he looked close enough he could see organs. Twisting intestines poking out through the torn flesh. He couldn't stop himself from running through the facts in his head.

Caucasian Female, Early Twenties, Multiple wounds…cause of death....evisceration? She had been run through with something. Something sharp and deadly enough to render a God helpless. The only things that killed Gods were other Gods, but that hadn't happened in quite some time. The Pantheon made sure of that.

Yet here the body lay twisted under this broken down, decades old cabinet in a church thats likely been untouched for just as long.

He noticed that the Gods mouth was half open in an enraged scream still. Pearly white teeth stained red. Bernardo shuddered at the depths of the Gods wide open eyes. They hadn't retained any humanity in those last moments, the entirety of the corneas had gone a molten lava-like red gold shade that reflected their flashlights back at them. Just like the blood, the essence of the God attempting to spill out.

Bernardo had never seen it for himself, few had, but like any other he had heard Ghost stories aplenty about what it looked like to stare into the face of a dead God.

"Shes young," Bernardo felt compelled to say out loud. He carefully, without disturbing the body examined the corpse. It was disconcerting to say the least. Most Gods emerged into youth of course but that didn't stop him from feeling nauseated at the thought of who this young woman might have wound up being without Divinitys interventions.

"Lets call it in," Atticus spoke sharply, just over Bernardos shoulder where he too gazed at the body. There was something in his eyes when Bernardo looked up. Not nervousness, no, something closer to revulsion.

"Something wrong Wallace?"

"With me? No," Atticus snorted, gesturing wildly. "But the Gods can clean up their own messes, we don't need to be here doing -"

"Our job?" Bernardo cut in snidely.

Atticus laughed.

"Our job is God related crimes. Not 'clearly murdered' Gods themselves. The Pantheon won't let anyone within a foot of this once they hear about it and by all means too, they should be the ones to get a leash on whatever new Holy terror has cropped up."

Bernardo hummed under his breath. Atticus made a great point. But something about this felt off. Like an itch too far too reach. He felt the haunting echo of this one raise the hairs along his spine. He wasn't scared. Nervous perhaps. He didn't want to deal with another Szen if thats what was happening.

"Alright," he nodded at last. Preparing himself for the long night of relayed reports, red tape, and press avoidance that would follow. He prayed that once he made it home tonight Selene would be there waiting for him just this once and not wasting her time trying to spin light into the Gods media presence. He missed her, and the sight of the young girl that could have been something so much more than a dead God rotting in a church made that all the worse.

He needed a drink. Or 20. Enough to drown out this ragged itch of wrong in his mind.




ImageImage

Present Day, 25, May, 2020

The Pantheon


Filigree and baubles.

The Pantheon couldn't seem to ever get everyone together in one place unless burdened by loud music and fanfare. Isla hadn't felt the need to attend the party but when the call came in the night, a dream within a dream that could only have been a message of death, she did her best to get to the Pantheon before the urgency could be swept beneath the rug.

Alan had been meant to meet her there, but as usual he had been absent. Likely having forgotten about her completely. And instead Isla had been met with the overbearing audience of Gods that seemed to have very little to do other than waste away in hedonistic pleasures.

She could only try her best to gather the sober ones together long enough to get someone to figure out where any of the Major Gods were. It looked like Alan at least had already gotten the news of the newest addition to the growing list of names in the Gods personal obits.

By the time they managed to shuffle off into the meeting hall there was very little left of Isla other than nerves. Frayed and ready to snap at any moment.

The facts of the matter were given in precise detail. Quick and to the point.

Another dead God, cut to pieces. Isla felt hollowed out, gutted still by what she already had known. Her dreams were always right. Whether she wanted them to be or not.

"Two dead Gods could have been a coincidence. But three certainly isn't," Isla muttered and paced.

She couldn't stop moving despite the fact that nobody seemed to be giving her any mind. The frantic muttering under her breath as unhelpful as the bedraggled way she had appeared. She hadn't had the time to look presentable in front of her fellow Gods. Not at 3am and not when the third body in two months popped up in the city.

Each time she had strode the length of the room her thoughts seemed to unravel further. A knot of connections pulling loose from one another until she felt clear enough to stop. To wait. Her voice when it shuddered through her wasn't Isla. Not entirely at least.

"I told you all there would be death, damned bloody death, and its hunting us all!" Blythe was center stage, more than the God ever seemed to be and completely unrepentant about it.

"Come off it Blythe!" Crowed another God dismissively, "every vision you have is of death, can't bloody well expect much else."

"Fool! This isn't just death this is more than that. This is more than the approaching storm!" Blythe raged.

But even as strongly as the God gripped onto the forefront of Isla's conscious mind there was still cracks in the surface. The bleeding of Isla into Blythe that let the human push the God back. Regain her rationality. For a blistering moment she felt the embarrassment of tears prickle in her eyes but she knew better.

"It's all shadows in here," Isla tapped her head "I see things I can't begin to describe, things that even the Fates refuse to see. How long has it been since any of us have seen them anyways? Ever wonder if there's a reason they've abandoned ship?"

Disgust laced her every word, they were all in danger and couldn't see it. Even Alan, as sympathetic as he was to her plight would rather hide behind fake smiles and strategic statements released to the press. He stood at the head of the room as plastic and serene as ever. Isla bit back her frustration, wanting nothing more than to shout that this wasn't fair.

Why did she see the gaping maw of darkness at all times. The shadows that bled into her mind an ever present inky blackness that would leave.

"We understand Isla," Alan began, ready to plaster a bandage over the gaping wound that was Isla. "We're sorting this out." It wasn't any sort of promise or pledge. Just more words to placate.

Nobody else seemed all that concerned. Alan mostly looked disconcerted to be there at all. It had been years since any God had stepped foot into this hall. But times of peace always came to an end, and Isla could see the flickering of tension striking like a lightening storm in her head. The coming storm. Death haunting their steps.

"I know this is hard for all of us," Alan stepped forward, mouth set in a hard line. Standing impossibly rigid in his tailored suit. He looked every bit the part of a God in that moment. Domineering the space he took up.

"Then what's being done about it? Are we supposed to live in fear of a threat that we don't even know anything about - other than of course the three eviscerated Gods it's left behind." Isla knew she was poking at something that none of them ever spoke aloud. The glaring beast in the room made up of those that could and could not.

There had always been a line between the gods. Major, minor, lesser and even further than that went the Gods that were capable of wreaking havoc and those that weren't. Isla, Blythe, whoever existed in this body of hers was nothing more than a Glorified fortune teller. She was defenseless. As were many others.

She could see the discomfort on some of the faces in the crowd but none were so brazen as her to raise their voices in this fight. She had been afforded her stance by the ever thinning ounce of respect that her Dominion afforded to her.

"We're doing everything we can." Alan assured.






Image


Present Day, 25, May, 2020

The Gilded Cage


He'd been more clear in these past few months than he had ever felt in a lifetime of inhabiting this body. But that didn't stop the flooding anger from washing its way through his brain everytime he opened his eyes and still saw that he was here. Stuck in this Gilded Cage below the Pantheon proper. Stuck in this mindlessly endless boredom that pervaded every inch of his mind until the dull ache of anger roared into a blazing fire.

It had been easier when he was smaller to find exploitable weaknesses in this prison. It had been built for adults. Not children. And Oswald had been particularly imaginative in his desperation to escape this place. But it had been many years since he he last saw an opportunity to free himself and truly, he didn't much mind it anymore. He took a perverse sort of pleasure in watching Silva's face twist when he came to see what damage Szen had done to Oswalds body now. He'd scared off most of the other Gods that Silva sent to check in on him - all but Nemesis of course but he valued her company unlike any other.

They spoke as equals, two War Gods that saw the injustices of this systematic oppression. Their Domain had always been one of violence, there was no denying that,, and Gods like Silva certainly saw that fact. Its why Szen was here in the first place. Locked away for crimes he committed while crazed and lusting for blood.

He could still feel the blood on his hands. Could see the rivers of it running in his mind. Could feel and taste the heat of flames and smoldering ash as he took his fledgling anger out in the humans that had wrought agony on his body for years. Often he recalled the feeling of hands at his throat, squeezing the life from his body until specks of black covered his vision. Szen cant remember the point in which he emerged into this body well, can only see the moment that he popped Oswalds stepfather head like an overblown balloon.

He shuddered, and pushed away those memories.

Szen resented Silva for he seemed more invested in human welfare than that of his fellows.

It was pathetic.

He missed Catarina.

He wondered if she would visit soon. Or if she was busy with whatever seemed to be stirring up the energies of the Gods above. Szen could feel it, just like he suspected any of the War Gods could feel it. There was something brewing like a storm. He could easily imagine the strife that would be befallen the Gods and relished at the thought.

It served them right.

But that wasn't the only thing that Szen could feel. Even as caged away as he was there was a very distinct pull that seemed to echo from somewhere nearby. The presence of a God that Szen had not seen nor heard of in quite some time. He wanted badly to go out there and see for himself.

Had gone mad with the thought the first time he felt it. Thrumming with an energy that didn't feel like his own at the time. Admittedly, the body he wore had become a bit more damaged from his compulsive self battering than he usually allowed. His maddening habit of throwing himself against the enchanted barriers of the prison taking its toll.

Things were finally getting interesting. And here he was stuck.

Incapable of witnessing it.



ImageImage
Present Day, 25, May, 2020

The Pier


Josephine lifted the bloated body of a rat by its wormlike tail. Watching in morbid fascination as the creature chittered its dismay to the air. Struggling against her steel grip even as she swung it up and let it go, watching it disappear down the endless maw of a beast that wriggled in delight. Its limbs endlessly twisting and turning over and under and through each other until the maddening tangle became too much to look at. It made her sick, but excited, and very much giddy to be so near to it.

Petra loved her abomination and Josephine could understand why.

Its proportions fascinated her, the impossible nature of its very being mind warpingly unpleasant. Josephine wondered if this was how the world saw her. An unpleasant thing, a blight on nature that hurt to look at. It felt good to be faced by another nightmare even if she could not place a name to it.

She would also very much like to feed it anything other than Rats but Petra forbade Josephine from even coming near the beast let alone feeding it. As if she could or would stop Josephine from doing as she pleased. Besides, the beast hardly moved at all other than to undulate its limbs.

Since her emergence Petra had begun to take Josephine more seriously. She wasn't this meek little creature that clung to their mothers leg anymore. Though she had admittedly not been that for a very long time. Even with teeth as sharp as razor blades on display as Josephines grin there had always been a blanket of familiarity that allowed Petra to paint Josephine as a Saint. Incapable of running drugs, people, or guns the way the family wanted.

That was okay. Josephine, and to a larger extent Minerva, thrived on the deception of seeming less than.

It was a game they played well.

It had brought them all the way from Russia to here. To this city that seemed to never sleep with all the activity it saw. Josephine had been in the city for less than a few days but already she could tell that things were going to be exciting.

"Your sister isn't gonna like you being down here."

She didn't startle at the voice, but she did turn around. Mouth already half quirked into the beginning of a smile. "Bold of you to assume she'll find out."

"Bold of you to assume I won't tell her." The man stepped into the light, revealing the face and body of a man that Minerva would be delighted to just eat up. Atticus Wallace, Petra's personal project and Josephines babysitter - at least. When he wasn't working alongside mangy mutts.

"Bold of you to think I care " she countered back, unable to contain her laughter as she dramatically flipped her hair over one shoulder. He rolled his eyes, though she could see the fondness in the action. But once he glanced over her shoulder at the beast just beyond her he seemed to shudder inward. It was an understandable reaction to the shapes that seemed to have no english equivalent description.

Josephine took pity, looping her arm through his and giving it a tug. She'd like nothing more than to squander her time in the basement but hiding away never did anyone any good. She was excited to see the world beyond The Pier, if even just for a moment as she accompanied Atticus to the MusΓ©e De Vries.

Though she was excited to be involved in some small part with the business it was clear that this wasn't about that for her. Minerva's plans revolved around something much larger than some vampiric pseudo cartel operating on the edge of a city bustling with bigger fish. Those plans began with Aristotle and his endless collection of trinkets.


Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Catarina De La Cruz Character Portrait: Ahya Edola Character Portrait: Arsen St. James Character Portrait: Josephine Jonsdotter Character Portrait: Alan Sanders Character Portrait: Seo Daeyoung
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

Image
hex: #a87c5f
attire: x
location: Onyang Funeral Hall βž” The Pantheon
song: screw face


β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”
he wears woe as others wear velvet; sorrow flatters him like the light of candles; tears become him like jewels
▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁

"i'm sorry! i'm so sorry! please- forgive me!" the man was not. ahya watched him from behind, unseen by the eyes about her; even without her presence being transient, they likely would not have seen her. all attention was on the kneeling, sobbing, apologising wreck in the middle of the funeral home, and his attention was on the little girl standing in front of him. she showed a rage too calm, too serene, for a child still living. her life had been stolen to her by the same hands that had stolen her autonomy, again and again, many a night preceding her end.

the man wailed more apologies.

she knelt beside him, looking about at the concerned crowd forming. the child's father was front and centre, a familiar expression on his face. the brewing awareness of a reality one does not want to acknowledge. the stone that forms in one's gut, when suspicions long since pushed away come rushing to the surface; finally, and terribly, confirmed. a lot of confessions were met with these faces. so she had seen a lot of them, in her time.

they still ached to see, a bit.

she whispered in the man's ear, devoid of sympathy in the face of his terror. "and what, exactly, are you sorry for?". the ghost-child echoed her whisper, as well as her merciless expression. put in into words, you sinful creature, the god demanded. confess, and be done with yourself.

between his sobs, he did. desperate for the child to go away; for his guilt to fade. by the time the child finally allowed herself to fall into light, his hands were bruised from cuffs, his face bloodied from grieving fists. but it was not retribution she had wanted. she was just a child, after all. she just wanted to comfort her dad with the truth.

"will daddy be happy, again?" "one day. it will always hurt, but his heart is lighter now."

as the child, Min-hee, left the mortal plane, Ahya, her job done, left South Korea for the Pantheon.

β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”β–”
through months of shame and humiliation i have come to love my solitude. i no longer seek help from the outside world. i no longer answer the doorbell. i live by myself, in the turmoil of my own fears. trapped by my own phantasms. i wait for the flood to rise and drown me out
▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁▁

she caught the dourness in her hands, and let it leak through her parting fingers. the room was drenched in it- this sense of dread. the refusal to accept reality was back again, but with far more bite than what she had witnessed on the father's face days before. this refusal was rooted in arrogance. it was idiotic.

so, in character, for many of these gods, really.

she watched the show from the corner, back flat against the cool marble, one foot tucked lazily around the ankle of the other. she wasn't fond of the drama and feuds; the endless bickering among the gods. every meeting ended with the same resounding feelings. the major gods were unyielding, the lesser gods were dissatisfied, the war gods were angry (as always). even the events leading up to these feelings tended to be the same; some god would complain, the major gods would insist nothing was wrong, other gods (usually war gods. usually Cat) would beg to differ. the majors would reiterate that the topic was not up for discussion, and everyone would go home wondering what the point of the meeting was in the first place.

this one, though. its bones were similar, but the beast was different. the gods were playing their roles like usual, but there was less certainty- the plague of higher stakes brought maleability to an event that, in the years before, had always played out like clockwork. Ahya felt a pang of sympathy for Isla, a true Cassandra, complete with dark prophecies and disbelieving listeners. never mind that her warnings of death had never been more supported by evidence. three gods dead, and still, they thought themselves invincible.

Cat was no different, as she volleyed with Destiny, no, with Rio. the calm and the fury engaged back and forth, Ahya's own opinion on the matter dancing between them.

β€œI’ll be fine. It’s as the little river goddess said, the gods of war are meant to endure such adversity.” Ahya scoffed, lightly and lazily, her insouciance becoming her, her sense of justice (and spite, definitely spite) compelling her to speak.

"Endure war, yes. But not death. No god, not even a war god, is made to endure death. Regardless of what some of you may believe about your own immortality. And definitely regardless of, ah..." Her smile turned teasing, "... Death's endurance."

she turned to the major gods, many of whom clustered together. like a single body. a hive mind.

"on the other hand; 'you're doing everything you can?' What does that even mean? with all due respect, you lot are so terrified of rocking the boat, you wouldn't dare save a sinking ship." she looked at Dae-young, half-heartedly adding, "... metaphorically."

she could feel the swirling emotions of the gods around her, their trepidation, as they too surveyed the opinions exchanged. many of them agreed with her, that neither option was especially appealing. loathe to step out, she did so nonetheless, compelled by the thought of her own corpse joining the dead, be it as a victim, or a soldier.

"are these seriously our only two options? either wait to be added to the divine body count, or prepare for a war on an enemy we have yet to actually identify?" she sighed, her Weltschmerz reengaging. "if that's the case then maybe it's about time we gods clocked out, hm? we're clearly not qualified for critical thinking, let alone whatever sacred responsibilities we've been relegated."

Setting

Characters Present

Character Portrait: Catarina De La Cruz Character Portrait: Ahya Edola Character Portrait: Theo Sverre Character Portrait: Arsen St. James Character Portrait: Alan Sanders Character Portrait: Seo Daeyoung
Tag Characters » Add to Arc »

0.00 INK

ImageImage
Alan couldn't lie, he wanted to bury his head in the sand and forget all about murdered Gods and petty infighting. He would rather be alone, in Silva's pocket dimension, experimenting with the latest batch of natural oddities. Away from the constant back and forth bickering that seemed to swirl the drain of their lives as of late. Isla was stirring the crowd with her anxieties, and Alan knew that he could do little to dissuade her from ranting and raving. She was at the mercy of Blythe, and Blythe had always been one of the more radical Gods to come from Creation.

But he couldn't turn away now, and it seemed as if his words weren't careful enough to smooth the frayed threads in the room.


β€œWe have not worked together for centuries, I know this. It was not unheard of back in the day, for Gods to band together for the greater good. Maybe it's come time for some...camaraderie. Focus our skills on hunting down whoever thinks they can destroy us”

He found himself growing rather annoyed, Silva's thoughts filling in the gaps of his mind as he tried to think of a solution to their problem - Keeping the peace when there's already been bloodshed is futile, its high time to act Alan. But Alan didn't fancy the thought of War, regardless of who lead the charge. It felt irresponsible, to let those of such a dangerous nature off of the very short leash that they were currently being held on. And it felt equally as irresponsible to turn a blind eye like he wanted to. Alan would absolutely refuse the blame were things to go wrong. Regardless of his status, he had always been far more inclined to protect humanity.

Was Yongmul right? Should they set aside their very nature? Throw away the traditions that formed them? Alan had always found it odd that there was such a divide between the Gods. But Silva bristled at the very mention of doing away with the long standing hierarchy. They had their roles for a reason, had thrived within those very roles for millenia, and Silva found comfort in being amongst those of such a high regard.

"Though, perhaps not just some gods of war?" Ahya joined in, cementing for Alan the fact that there was no sweeping this away. "Diversity is fundamental for maximum productivity in the workplace."

It wasn't Alan who parted his lips to speak, and it wasn't Alan whose voice swirled throughout the room like a stiff breeze, sonorous and slow

"Hoping for an agreement to be reached is useless, there will be opposition regardless of the chosen course of action. So be it. Each God here has, whether they've chosen it or not, placed themselves within this 'coming war'." Silva did not waver for a moment, though he softened at the sight of Blythe. He knew that she wished for peace of mind, but it was unlikely to come to one such as her. Not now, at least. "I suggest those that cannot face this discussion with rationality step away now." He watched for a very long moment, as Isla seemed to flutter between unsurity. Blythe was steadfast and angry, but Isla had never wanted anything to do with the Gods even as she herself became one. But She felt guilty, in the same way that a survivor would were she to ignore these prophecies altogether and hide away. Alan was giving her an obvious out, a moment to think about whether she was truly going to help or not. After a long moment the young woman pursed her lips tightly together, arms crossed. She could not look him in the eye, but she did not leave the room. Still, she hunched in on herself, looking just as windswept and wild as when she had stormed in spouting off about her prophecies.

"We all have a part to play, I agree we should all be in it together." Isla muttered under her breath.

"I am willing to endorse this cooperation of all Gods regarding this matter, to work together, rather than apart." But Silva wasn't the only Major God in the room, nor was he the only God whose opinion mattered on the subject. He was no dictator, and the Gods were just as likely to take matters into their own hands in private if not given a choice. "It may be true that I have been less than proactive regarding the situation. But I am curious, what certain Gods of War, may suggest we do." Silva clenched his teeth as he spoke. Loathe to admit any fault at all, but knowing that it would do more for his image than if he were to argue uselessly. He focused on Catarina then, studying her for a long moment. Alan had a...complicated relationship with Catarina. A back and forth tug of war between the two of them that constantly had Alan on his toes, her motives were always an unknown to him. A variable he couldn't account for. She was being extremely vocal about this situation, and her ire, despite being grating, called to the destructive properties of his Domain. Nature could be just as Cruel as any other. He would much rather have her - and many others - where he could see them, as opposed to closing his eyes when it matters most.