The Forgery Breaks

[Arlin]

~Bell; Alleyverse Post, Last night~

Bell set his mug down on an olympic set of coffee rings. The headline was a dud. 

He reviewed his current draft and the materials Alanis had provided him again. And again, tried to conjure the image of this alternate Alleycity in his head. Tried to unlock whatever past in his head that this was supposed to be a key to.

Still nothing. 

How many times had he tried this now? 

He kept bracing himself for that moment when this all became more than just another story to him, when the stains on his desk became less real to him than words he’d iterated on for near days now. Constantly he had gone back and fact-checked with Alanis on different details and aspects of her story. Constructing a presentation that would prepare, trigger memories, and assure people in the most tactful way possible.

Still nothing.

“So, What do you think Acacia, is it ready to print?”

Maybe the guild leader really had just lost it. 

Then why didn’t his dread stop climbing?

Edited November 1, 2022 by Arlin

[Voidus]

~Voidus; The Alleys~

Voidus gave an approving nod as Mac began preparing himself. Spikes they would both need, and plenty of them, making up for what they lost in time to prepare in a more thoughtful manner with sheer quantity. Voidus' own spikes had begun returning, as the last clinging remnants of the Forgery shattered and fell from him he felt the innumerable pinprick sensations followed by the blossoming warmth of Investiture. Allomancy. Surgebinding. A number of abilities had returned, but in the face of the Stranger they would prove little more than parlour tricks unless he had a source of power to back them up.

Voidus' strength with his own field, Voidmaking, might surpass anything others could achieve with the power but when it came to Investiture he needed to get his power the same way everyone else did. And that meant that he needed a storm.

"Thank you Mac." Voidus said, voice steeling back to an angered resolve. "There will be... others with us. If you could assist with guarding them, I can focus on doing what needs to be done."

He pulled a small device from a pocket, a strange wire contraption studded with glowing gems surrounding a metallic spike of Duralumin. He could see the tiny stormspren, each captured perfectly into one of the gems, all of them channeling Investiture to the point that he needed it. And a spike of Duralumin, connection to anchor the storm, to center it on something. Or someone.

He gave only the slightest of twitches as one more pieces of smooth metal joined the others. One more trickle of blood that quickly had its source healed until only a few dried droplets remained. His shirt was beyond saving at this point, though he was at the least more fortunate in that regard than Mac, if not perhaps more fortunate in any other. As the wound closed around the metal and a new addition latched onto his soul, Voidus felt a new sensation. It was distant, not connected to the Alleys at all and had no way of arriving here without assistance. So he called it instead to the city, to the university that was his destination currently.

The Alleystorm had been absent for some time, but it bore down again now. Its winds almost quiet compared to a Highstorm were still quite capable of tossing unattended items and harrying people caught out in the streets, of dragging the encroaching sheets of rain directly into any who stepped outside. The night was dark and now the storm had come.

[+ZincAboutIt]

~Lita; The University~

Lita gave a soft laugh at Laurelai's incredulity regarding her previous employment. "'Obviously more?' Well, I always thought so but it is nice to have such a thing confirmed. I -"

A soft footfall, the rustle of cloth, and the eerie voice of Whisper interrupted Lita's next words. Lita whirled on the point of her heel, her heart instantly in her throat again as Whisper held out one pale hand, palm up.

"The item that you requested." She said, presenting the copper band to Lita.

Lita stared at it for a moment, all the world narrowing on that slender ring of copper. Her breath caught, and for a moment Lita was uncertain if she could hold back the tiny sob that clawed to be free. But she did.

"Thank you, Whisper," Lita said, her voice hoarse but otherwise steady. She plucked the ring from the girl's hand, giving her a quick look-over, before turning back to Laurelai. Instantly, Whisper was forgotten. She looked at the blonde woman, wondering if it was truly in Laurelai's best interest to remember her real life. A father unknown to her. A childhood as a war orphan. Years spent in the DA. Would that make her happy?

It will make you happy, something whispered in the back of her mind. It stung, which meant it was the truth. Yes, having the true Laurelai back would make Lita happy, and rust all the sorrow it might level upon Laurelai's shoulders. But beyond Lita's satisfaction, the idea of Laurelai alone living in a false life while the rest of the world regained the truth was repugnant. The Stranger may have made her a lovely dream, but Laurelai deserved to wake up. At the very least, she deserved the choice.

"I know how much you hate copper," Lita said, lips twisting into a smile she did not feel. She held it out to Laurelai. "But perhaps this time, you might make an exception?"

@Voidus

 

[Voidus]

~Laurelai; The University~

The multitude of whispering voices manifesting only feet away from them with no notice brought Laurelai almost instantly from the slight relaxed enjoyment she had managed to gain, back into her previous state of anxiety. A pressure began to build at her temple as the headaches that had only just subsided began making a vengeful return. Unbidden, the words that she had been told in the Chapel returned to her.

"A conflict." The eerie voice has whispered, seeming undisturbed and serene. "One Forgery with another. An Identity that cannot coalesce."

One Forgery with another. What did it mean? Surely the girl has known, would have been able to give a more elaborate answer if she were so inclined. Even now Laurelai could hear the call of the waters herself, promising to answer this question and others. Any question. She searched the room around her, hoping that some insight or intuition would leap out at her from the shadows. But none did. She could only take the words at face value and assume that even with her memories returned she might still be living a lie. But who had created it? And why?

"I know how much you hate copper." Lita said, wearing a smile that Laurelai instinctively copied to conceal the returned flash of pain. "But perhaps this time, you might make an exception?"

"Always looked terrible against my skin." She muttered, a rueful twist to her lips. "But I suppose I had better. A terrible chaser of secrets I would make if I feared even to have my own memories."

Taking the ring from Lita, Laurelai weighed the metal carefully in one hand. It felt strangely light for something so weighty with meaning. Almost as soon as her hand touched the metal she could feel something within it, a wealth of memories tucked away, waiting to be drawn back out. All she would need to do was reach out, and take them. Take them back.

And what if you do not like who you were? A quiet voice whispered. A voice that usually sneered or derided. But now it sounded... fearful. What if you were a monster who pretended friendship? Or what if, even after you regain the memories you still cannot be the person that she wants you to be?

The silence stretched a moment, her thoughts accelerating along with her pulse as she stared at the plain piece of copper. The questioned turned over in her head. Questions that perhaps not even the Chapel could answer for her. That was both a comforting and terrifying thought. The Chapel might help answer any question she had about what might have happened, even what will happen. But it could not answer questions of this nature, questions of right and wrong. What would she do if she still failed to be the person Lita expected her to be? Did she even want to be that person?

That last one was an important question. She liked Lita, was fond of the woman even. But here, in this life, the two were not friends. Laurelai was not entirely sure how they could be, given that she had always had enough difficulties trusting other people in her life enough to form friendships, and those were people who were not spies. But Lita had said they were, and something about the mannerisms she spoke with, an easy familiarity, a slight pain that Laurelai could now see hidden, it all hinted at the truth. But hints only. If Laurelai was going to take this back, to be this person she would need to trust. Trust that Lita was telling the truth, and that if she had been the person Lita was imagining once then she could do so again. A person who could be trusted, who Lita cared enough about to worry to this degree. A slight suspicion grew within her, a momentary flash that tied all threads together.

Well. She replied to the voice, slipping the ring onto a finger. If, after taking them back I'm still not the person she wants. Then I suppose I'll just need to make myself the right person.

She pulled sharply on the well of knowledge in the ring, sucking it all into herself in an instant. Her mind already felt ready to fracture to pieces with the Chapel and the headaches, what was a little more knowledge going to hurt?

Laurelai regretted that decision almost immediately. She sagged against the wall, using it to keep herself upright as a second piercing pain struck her other temple. Flashes of memory, connections, realizations, her entire personality it seemed was rewritten in an instant. Similar, but the subtle differences cascaded into a different life. As with any good Forgery it was the understanding of these subtle differences that lead to a true mastery, an effective and lasting Stamp. Two lives now hung before her, impossible to reconcile with each other. The Forgotten Daughter, and the tortured denizen. In neither had she achieved what she truly wanted. The latter had given her a surface-level satisfaction built on the lies of the Stranger. The former however had given her a chance, a path for what she actually wanted, built on the lies that Laurelai had created for herself.

She seized those lies back with a relish, clinging to them like someone dying of thirst might cling to a waterskin. They were her salvation, her identity. What made her who she was. Because hidden within those lies there were a few truths. A few unForgeable aspects of herself that she would not, and could not change. One of those truths sprung immediately to mind as she opened her eyes, blinking at the return of the harsh light of the hall, and focused on the redheaded woman before her.

Lita Attar is your friend. Laurelai remembered.

"Well that was an interesting few days." Laurelai said with a warm and pleased smile. "Hello Lita."

@ZincAboutIt

[Ashbringer]

Byron, the Einladung Hospital

Byron was shaking a bit more today. 

He'd been in the Hospital for a few weeks, now. It turns out, shooting up from a paralyzed state only to begin twitching later is symptomatic of... many different things, enough that whichever doctor had admitted had seen enough to tell the secretary not to let him out. That had followed a lot of tests, that resulted in many panicked voices until Byron had finally explained what he could do. Now there was a large bucket of sand next to him. It was white most of the time - he was still burning, albeit lightly - but they changed it out regularly.

He still wasn't entirely sure what the doctors were trying to do. Give him less and less cadmium until they finally stopped? If so they weren't doing a great job - they'd given him a lot when he'd first fallen over, and he wasn't burning very much. He had a bit of a stockpile going. They had seemed more concerned about what could happen if he stopped burning.

Byron had stopped burning before, and it had been fine... right? 

Still, the doctors seemed to have other priorities. A lot of people in today. Something was... happening.

He'd seen more of those dark things. The doctors hadn't believed it, but he'd been talking with Sanax and Vivica for a while, and the doctor seemed to think he'd gotten the idea from one of them. But no, he could see them, crawling and moving towards the Cognitive Ward. Occasionally finding a staff, simply tapping them, letting them drift into confusion and then the same panic as the patients. Some even changed physically... he thought. It was hard to remember.

None of the things seemed to bother Byron. He didn't know why - one had definitely tried to bother him before. But now they didn't seem to care, and so they didn't bother him.

But the screams... those bothered him.

 

Cassandra Adama, The Metallurgic Emporium

Cassie was just finishing a cup of tea when she heard NullBlade stirring, heading past her room and downstairs. She hadn't had time to leave a note out, but perhaps that was for the best. They'd done their best to help each other out, but she didn't want to involve NullBlade with the Ghostbloods and her Project. There wasn't much they could do for each other's conditions, either. Just understanding.

She moved to stand up, then hesitated. She'd specifically avoided letting Poller get a good look at her, but she hadn't extended the same caution to NullBlade, either. And based on the view in the mirror... it wasn't good. Not grotesque, as the metal kept most of the texture of her skin, but still... it was metal. The problems were on the inside. A weak pulse. Slow breaths. Slow everything.

Still, he deserved to know.

Cassie stood up, taking the small kettle and a pair of cups and began the trek to the main shop downstairs. 

"Hello NullBlade. It's... quite a night."

She paused, then sighed slightly. It was done.

"Care for a drink?"

@mathiau

 

[+ZincAboutIt]

~Lita; the University~

It was the hardest thing she had ever done, surely. Standing there and simply watching Laurelai stare at the ring in her hand. Waiting. Giving her the time to choose. Choose a life where Lita was an employer, an acquaintance. A way to pass a pleasant hour. Allowing her the chance to choose a life where Lita was not her friend. 

Lita watched Laurelai for what could have been a minute or twelve hours. Time constellated around this one moment; there was nothing else. Then Lita noticed a change in Laurelai’s expression, like an internal resolution, before Laurelai’s face seized with sudden shock and pain and she staggered back against the marble wall.

A tiny cry dragged itself from Lita’s mouth as she stepped forward, ready to catch Laurelai if she fell. The woman’s face was a mask of pain and confusion, dozens of expressions flitting across her fine features in rapid succession as she clutched the copper ring in one graceful pale hand. And then, Laurelai’s face stilled.

It was almost worse, this moment of respite, like a deep breath before a plunge into dark waters. But the plunge never came. Instead, Lita’s green eyes caught the flicker of bright, glacial blue as Laurelai opened her eyes slowly, blinking in the light of the hall. Lita dared not even breathe as she waited for what might happen, mind running a hundred scenarios, so many possibilities. 

Then Laurelai smiled, and it was warm and familiar. The smile that Lita only ever received from one person. The genuine, easy smile of a friend. Her only friend.

"Well that was an interesting few days. Hello Lita."

The world was coming apart around them, gods moved behind the framework of reality, and every breath felt like it might be her last. But for this one moment, Lita would not have noticed if the Stranger himself appeared in the room. She tried to form some witty response, put her friend at ease, let her know that everything was going to be alright. But all that came out was a single choked laugh before Lita crossed the last distance between them, wrapped her arms around Laurelai, and buried her face against her shoulder.

”Why the hell did you take off the damn ring, you vain idiot?”

Even as she said it, Lita couldn’t stop smiling.

@Voidus

[Voidus]

~Laurelai; The University~

”Why the hell did you take off the damn ring, you vain idiot?” Lita cried into her shoulder.

Laurelai gave a wry smile, the corners of her eyes were quickly becoming wet with tears, and for a moment she held them back. She was accustomed to such things, to disguising her expression and concealing her reactions. Stifling a few tears was certainly within her capabilities. But a moment later her resolve broke and she wept openly, Lita had endured enough false smiles and concealed emotions from her. Laurelai clutched tightly at Lita in return and pulled her close, using the wall at her back to support them both.

"I'm sorry." Laurelai said, half-smiling through the tears. "It was just... I really hate wearing copper. I probably should have thought of that before..."

Before sticking your life and all of your memories into a ring. A quiet voice chided. Should have perhaps thought of an idea that did not risk us breaking ourselves even further.

She sighed at that thought. But copper had seemed the best idea at the time, the only idea they had. A Forgery wouldn't have held long enough, and if she'd drawn those creatures back to her and Lita things could have become even worse. They both might have been killed. They still might, actually. It was not exactly as if they were in a perfectly safe position right now, and as pieces slowly pulled together Laurelai realized what they were likely waiting here to do.

"Lita..." She began, wiping the tears from her eyes so she could look down to Lita's familiar red hair.

It occurred to Laurelai very suddenly how incredibly close Lita was right now. Her head against Laurelai's neck, tilted to the side and lips just a half-inch from the skin of Laurelai's collarbone. Lita was not pushing too firmly against her right now, but the presence of the wall at her back prompted a memory to return, unbidden, of when Lita had cornered Laurelai in her office, during the Forgery.

She hoped very much that Lita mistook her suddenly increased pulse for joy at seeing her again, or fear of what might be about to happen.

@ZincAboutIt

[mathiau]

NullBlade saw Cassandra standing before him, despite the lack of light appropriate for the hour he could feel something was wrong with her skin

"Hello NullBlade. It's... quite a night." she said "Care for a drink?"

"Yes, I would like one." he answered.

We got closer to her hoping the wrongness he thought he was seeing would prove just a trick of the light.

It did not.

All of Cassadra's skin -at least all of what NullBlade could see- had become an orange metal, the same colour he remembered her harm being

"Cassie, are you alright?" @Ashbringer

[+ZincAboutIt]

~Lita; The University~

The sudden uptick in Laurelai’s pulse was enough to cause Lita to snap her head up, stepping out of the embrace slightly to scan the room for any new danger. She turned back to her friend.

Her friend. Lita gave a half-smile, exuberant joy tempered by the oppressive feeling of oncoming conflict.

”What is it? Did you hear something? See something?”

It was incredibly unlikely that Lita had missed something Laurelai had not, but now was not the time for pride. She’d been distracted enough that it wasn’t impossible that Laurelai had caught some edge of menace Lita had missed in her moment of reunion.

@Voidus

[Voidus]

~Laurelai; The University~

Lita's swift departure from the hug left Laurelai slightly dazed, she almost had to move back a little herself as Lita's braid whipped around at the sudden turn of her head. Clear, watchful green eyes darted in an instant to every corner of the room before returning and pinning Laurelai in place with their intensity.

"What is it? Did you hear something? See something?" Lita said, the warmth was not quite gone from her tone but it was overshadowed by an immediate efficiency.

"No." Laurelai said instantly, her cheeks reddening for an instant with shame before she drove it back down. "No, nothing like that. I'm sorry, everything is still a little.."

She scrambled through her mind and memories, searching for something, a distraction or an excuse that she could use to divert attention. Something that could help her from making herself look like anymore of a complete idiot than she had already managed.

"It's just... I remembered something. Or realized I suppose." She said, her mind indeed clicking a few startling memories into place at this moment. "It's... gods it's almost embarrassing to say. You're really not going to believe this but I promise I'm not lying okay?"

She drew a deep breath, using the motion to cool her cheeks and to calm her pulse as she locked eyes with Lita.

"It's my father." Laurelai said, cautiously. "Lita I know it's impossible but my father he's..."

Gods how do I even say this? You can't just casually reveal that the dark god who made the world is actually your father.

@ZincAboutIt

[+ZincAboutIt]

~Lita; The University~

"It's my father." Laurelai said, cautiously. "Lita I know it's impossible but my father he's..."

Lita froze at those words, caught by Laurelai's bright blue gaze. There was nowhere for her to run from this, no easy turn of the conversation to guide Laurelai away from possibly finding out that Lita had known - or at least guessed - the truth some time ago. Guessed and then kept that guess to herself. The instinct to lie sprang immediately to her lips, the compulsion to pull her face into an expression of curiosity and act surprised at Laurelai's oncoming revelation. It would be so very easy. 

The idea made her feel sick. Aren't you tired of lies, Lita? The work of a spy left little room for gratuitous honesty, but if there was ever a time to set aside the duplicity, it was now, here, with Laurelai.

Lita sighed. "I know who he is, Laurelai. It's Voidus."

The release of that one admission struck Lita harder than she would have thought. She actually felt herself straighten a bit, a bit of the gnawing hollow in her gut easing. How long had she been carrying that around, hiding it from her only friend?

"I guessed some time ago," Lita continued, rushing to get the words out before she lost her nerve. "I could never confirm it, obviously, but... well. Enough added up. I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. Honestly, I had no idea how to do it. It isn't exactly a conversation one ever expects to have."

@Voidus

[Voidus]

~Laurelai; The University~

After her initial slack-jawed surprise, Laurelai tried not to show the sudden spike of irritation that flashed into mind at Lita's words. Lita, her friend, had known about this... before the Forgery? For how long? Why had she never said? But quickly soothing the irritation was an even strong wave of gratitude and relief. That she had been believed, that she had been correct and not simply mad. Most of all she was grateful that Lita had told her the truth.

Laurelai did not have much trouble being amicable, drawing people's attention and even their affections. And yet, there was only one person she could actually call a friend. Innumerable acquaintances, a number of colleagues,a number of proprietors at stores around the city adored when she stopped by. But the trained eyes of a Forger were difficult to switch off. It was all too easy to spot the hidden intentions, the casual lies and deceit. The secrets. Nobody had ever given those to her before, and nobody had asked for hers. Not until that night, at the odd job tavern, when Lita had told her that even spies could be honest.

"Trust a tineye." She said aloud with a smile so wry it was almost disbelieving. "I was beginning to suspect it myself even before, right before the..."

She trailed off, the reality of their situation crashing in around her once again. The weight of what had happened and what had already happened. A peal of thunder echoed from outside, emphasizing the point and it was only now that she realized she could hear the distant sounds of rain on the building's roof and windows. She looked down the hall, wondering if there was a storm of some kind brewing outside that had an eerie sense of atmospheric appropriateness. Her gaze jumped as she spotted movement, one of the side doors to the hall opening and a pair of figures walked from within.

Instinctively she stepped to Lita's side, unsure what she could do precisely to help or a protect her but unwilling at this moment to part. It was only a second later that she realized who had just stepped in. The storm it seemed was not the only one who had a sense of dramatic appropriateness. Her father had stepped in, mere moments after she had been discussing him. Another figure stood next to him, looking so disheveled and out of place next to the neat, if bloodied, suit that Voidus wore. The man was so different, so unexpected that it took Laurelai a moment before she realized who it was, eyes widening even further.

"Mac?" She said with horrified realization. "Is that... gods, sir you look terrible."

@MacThorstenson @ZincAboutIt

[MacThorstenson]

Mac followed Voidus through the unfamiliar halls of the university, the crashes of thunder outside a stark contrast from years of- no, months. It was merely months of silence in the alleys. Idly, he wondered who Voidus had charged him with protecting, for the Lonely god didn't protect many people.

It was odd, the difference ones memories made to a person. Despite looking just as ragged, and being just as fatigued, as he did minutes ago, he was a far cry from the lost, beaten man who drifted through the alleys. He followed Voidus with purpose, his years of experience lending him strength when an hour ago he would have collapsed if pushed much more.

As they rounded a corner, his quiet musings ended and he sighed with resignation. It seemed that one of people Voidus wanted him to protect was his daughter. Which meant that any accidents designed to remove any witness of his tattered appearance would be inexcusable. 

"Mac?" Laurelai spluttered. "Is that... gods, sir you look terrible."

Incredibly aware of the man to his left, he bit off his first reply and managed a growling "Not a word," instead. 

He acknowledged Lita's presence with a simple nod, then began pulling metalminds out of his suit, sliding them over his arms and fingers, all of them piercing his skin in some way.

Turning to face the group, he started "I believe this is the last of my preparations. Voidus has charged me with protecting you both, but I will also be attempting to protect the city and alley's. Please don't be stupid. You are both incredibly competent, but this foe is beyond all of us but Voidus." With that, he stepped back, muttering something about how he would need to visit an incinerator after this. 

@ZincAboutIt @Voidus

[Voidus]

~Laurelai; The University~

Laurelai's eyes slid for a moment towards Voidus, her father, as Mac mentioned him. He was not looking to her, but to the side of the hall where a girl Laurelai had forgotten about entirely was arranging a number of items on a small table. She remembered once she had been terrified when he paid her attention, but now she felt a slight anger at its lack. She knew that they had spoken not all that long ago, in the Forgery. That they had had a good relationship together, friendly enough. But that had been built entirely upon lies. The Stranger had propped her up like a porcelain doll of a daughter, perfect and content. And now, now that they were both back to their normal selves he ignored her, walking instead to the silent and eerie girl who had very nearly not allowed Laurelia to return at all.

"Here." She said, a slight iciness to her tone that had not been there moments ago as she turned back to Mac. "Let me just take care of it."

It was almost too easy, the familiar sensation of reaching inwards and then out. A series of interconnected lines appeared in her mind, like Alleys that formed a larger symbol, constrained by a carefully drawn circle. A stamp to subtly tweak history. She reached out mentally to place it upon Mac's clothing, the frayed and tattered fabric immediately becoming clean, neat and pristine. The suit that he had worn the last time she saw him, before he left.

"I had thought you were gone?" She said, voice still a little cold. "Even before."

A rush of energy flowed back into her, reversed from the stamp. She was used to these drawbacks, had even learned to control them to a degree, but the intensity of this dwarfed anything she had felt before. It felt like the entirety of the Dor trying to flow into her body, looking to manifest in some way, looking for release. Her stomach lurched as she connected the sounds she had been hearing to the reality. She had tried to Forge in an Alleystorm.

Her eyes flew to Lita, trying to think of some way to protect her friend. Mac and Voidus were both nigh indestructible, but Lita... Lita could be hurt still. Could discover firsthand that the drawbacks to Laurelai's abilities were not always soap bubbles and flowers. Sometimes there was fire. Sometimes there was death.

The sensation vanished as quickly as it had arrived, a sudden anticlimax that she had not been expecting. She had experienced drawbacks that weren't immediately visible. Even some that she had never discovered what precisely had happened. But this felt different, the energy had been building, seeking some way to escape and manifest into something, likely something dangerous, and then it had just... vanished.

~Voidus; The University~

Voidus had stared for long moments at his daughter when he first arrived. Stunned to see her again now that he recalled the long, endless years where he had not. A vicious ache in his chest cooled the edge off his anger again, the painful reminder that he had missed her entire life. That his daughter barely knew him, outside of the Stranger's fabrications. And from the way her gaze glided past him to stare at Mac beside him, it seemed that he was back to being a stranger to her.

It was rare that Voidus' feelings got the better of him. The endless passage of time had numbed most of them, and even those he did experience were typically muted. But now he turned, facing away from his daughter out of fear that the pain would be visible in his expression. It would be far too selfish of him to try to continue living the life he had enjoyed in the Forgery, to keep everything that he had liked even as he ripped that false world apart.

"Let's get you back, shall we Viv?" He said instead, voice oddly quiet.

He walked towards a table, currently being attended to by the girl from the Chapel, Whisper. She had laid out each item he had requested from the Alleys and even begun assembling some of the simpler pieces together herself, all now neatly arranged and awaiting him. It was eerie to have his intended design known so precisely when he had neither noted it down nor discussed it. But it seemed she retained some knowledge from that place, and was putting it to good use.

About to thank her, he paused. Glancing behind at the sudden titanic swell of Investiture that engulfed his daughter. It was formless, unshaped and seeming ready to squeeze itself out into the physical world using whatever random conduit it could find. It was incredibly dangerous to hold, even more dangerous to release.

His eyes faded from black into the deepest recesses of nothingness. A true void that would allow nothing to exist within it. The lights around the room flickered for just a single instant as he extinguished the Investiture, erasing it from existence. And then he glanced back down, towards the desk. It had been unintentional surely, but even so Voidus doubted Laurelai would appreciate being fussed over by a man she had never actually spoken with outside of work or a world of lies.

@ZincAboutIt @MacThorstenson

[Ashbringer]

Cassandra Adama, The Metallurgic Emporium

NullBlade didn't seem to believe his eyes. He kept stepping closer, trying to get a better look. Trying to see what wasn't there. Cassie simply stepped a bit closer and handed him a cup of tea. She didn't want to hide this. Not right now.

"... No, NullBlade," she finally said, setting down her kettle onto her desk. "I'm not alright. Things were always worse than they looked, now they just... look."

Cassandra nodded at her desk chair, but didn't move to sit down. It wasn't exactly comfortable to stand for long periods of time, but at this point it wasn't any less comfortable than sitting down. Just not moving was best.

"I... don't know where to start is. I've been looking for ways to get out of it. And I found... one way. But it's risky. Could leave me dead instead of living like this."

She swirled the tea around slowly.

"I was going to try it tonight."

@mathiau

 

Byron, The Einladung Hospital

It was too much. Too much. Byron could hear the yelling, the confusion, the morphings, the panic from whatever was happening. Byron didn't know what it was, whether the dark things were causing it or trying to save people from turning physically different and mentally broken. But he just wanted it to stop.

But Byron had noticed one thing. Whatever it was, it was so much bigger than this. Big enough that it happened at the same speed in and out of his distortion of time. Big enough that it happened quicker, if not easier, for those inside.

So Byron did the one thing he knew how to do. He burned cadmium.

A lot of it.

[+ZincAboutIt]

~Lita; The University~

The sound of a door opening caught Lita's heightened senses before Laurelai's, followed by two sets of footsteps. Thunder rumbled as the two men entered the marble hall, footfalls temporarily muffled by the rushing sound of rainfall. A storm was coming - nearly here, judging by that rain. Lita turned, feeling a sense of gratitude as Laurelai stepped closer. 

That feeling of gratitude was quickly overshadowed by unease. What was that Earth saying? Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.

Voidus was taller than Lita remembered him, all cold angles and inevitability. He looked at home in this hall of carved marble, gaze harder than any of the surrounding stone. His resemblance to Laurelai felt especially unnerving in this moment, and Lita moved half a step closer to her on instinct. For a moment, the man who was a god looked to his daughter, and Lita caught the quicksilver flash of... something. Longing? Sorrow? His black eyes seemed to skip right over Lita - a blessing she would happily take in this moment. She had enough to be getting on with, especially when she recognized the ragged, filthy figure that stood beside him. It was Mac.

"Mac?" Laurelai spluttered, speaking the words that Lita was thinking. "Is that... gods, sir you look terrible."

Lita bit the inside of her cheek to keep from exhaling a slight laugh, but in truth the sight of the man was like a bucket of cold water over her head. All the warm regard between them that had been spun into the Forgery was a fiction. If he was here, then that meant that he had not left the planet, and had definitely not left Lita in charge of the Department. Whether intentional or not, Lita had effectively stolen his job. And she had been damn good at it, too.

She forced herself not to duck her eyes in the practiced subservience she had used before the Forgery, meeting and matching his short nod. Lita was unsure of how much Mac knew about the current state of things. And really, could he truly blame Lita for being just another pawn in the Stranger's game?

Probably, if he's angry enough, Lita thought, trying to read his expression. He was saying something, probably telling them not to be heroes or some other unnecessary caution. Lita replayed his words to herself, nodding, when Laurelai waved her hand and Forged Mac back to his immaculate self.

Rather than looking pleased, Laurelai had a momentary expression of pure horror as she whipped her head around to look at Lita. Lita, for her part, braced for... nothing. Nothing happened.

"Are you... alright?" Lita asked Laurelai, for the second time tonight.

~Vivica; The Perfect Gemstone~

Vivica sat amidst deep red light, her face tilted upwards, always upwards, towards Nox.

It was, she thought, the most beautiful view that anyone could ever have. Dozens of facets arched overhead, more encircled her, and each one of them bore his reflection like the icon of a temple window. Such a wonderful place to worship, to marvel, to gaze. If he never wished to remove her, if he simply carried her form with him for the rest of eternity, Vivica would have wept with a boundless joy she didn't deserve. Yet he wanted something even more extraordinary, a gift that Vivica did not ever imagine she would receive.

He wanted to bring her back. Not as a patient in the Cognitive Ward, but as the true Vivica. The one who knew the whisper of the black Alley sky. The one with a hundred recipes and all of her bindpoints memorized. The one who painted with proper red and not crayons on paper. The one who had given a name to a lonely god.

From outside of the gemstone, Vivica could hear him speaking softly, his voice echoing like a benediction within the all-consuming garnet light of her little chamber.

"Let's get you back, shall we Viv?"

He sounded tired - so, so very tired. Yet still, he planned to do this thing for her. A miracle he had already performed once before. Her Professor was going to make her real again.

@Voidus @MacThorstenson

Edited November 2, 2022 by ZincAboutIt

[MacThorstenson]

Laurelai glanced briefly at her father and then turned back to him.

"Here." She said, with a new iciness underlaying her words. "Let me just take care of it."

And suddenly, his suit was fixed. 

Mac stared down stunned, at the perfect replica of his Armani suit, a soft "Oh thank you," slipping out before he could catch himself. He was so caught off guard, that he nearly didn't notice the flicker of lights and the blooming of the void nearby. He wasn't one to comment on other peoples relationships, but he noted with some bitterness that there were worse fathers then Voidus.

A quick cough to clear his through, and a surreptitious blink or two later he refocused his attention on Laurelai, only catching the tail end of her question. 

"Er yes, yes I was on a short break." He started, forcing a grin onto his face "But uh well the whole place kinda went to rust after I left, and I can only conclude that it was due to the Strangers long lasting fear of confronting me that caused him to make his move then. Hopefully he didn't forge that bit away right?" Suddenly, however, Laurelai grew tense and spun toward Lita. 

Mac braced himself, ready to throw an alley at whatever was coming for them, when nothing happened. Leaving both him and apparently Lita confused at Laurelai's reaction. 

[Voidus]

~Laurelai; The University~

"Yes." Laurelai replied slowly, her brow creasing into a slight frown. "Yes, I'm fine. Sorry, I just thought... must have been my imagination. Forgery throwing me for a loop still, though you'd think I'd be used to it."

She gave a slight shake of her head, putting the thought out of mind. They had more important things to worry about, things like a department head who had just returned from what she had previously assumed would be a retirement. But then, that was nothing too unusual for the DA. So many denizens wandered off into the Alleys only to return years, even decades or centuries later as though they had never been gone. It was a nightmare to organize and quite the problem for the department of Records.

She gave a faintly polite smile, though one that soured as Mac mentioned the Stranger and the Forgery again. A topic she could do without discussing again, though given the circumstances that seemed unlikely. They were all here it seemed, gathered to confront the man who had Forged the world. And it did not seem like the kind of gathering that would end with a polite conversation.

Laurelai gave another glance to Lita, stilling her own expression back to that polite smile as she watched. Read Lita's bearing. Lita, who had been much closer to the Stranger than Laurelai ever had. Who had a strange close-yet-distant connection with him. Lita whom the Stranger had spiked in a storm much like the one that now thundered directly overhead. Laurelai could still recall the moment, a flash of lightning illuminating the Alleyway as Lita's body crumpled to the ground. Her expression frozen in an instant of pure overwhelming sensation that defied description.

"Are you alright?" Laurelai asked, letting only a touch of her concern into her voice. "I just... you were so-"

Her tongue tripped over the word 'worried' for a moment, afraid of perhaps overstepping into an assumption about Lita that may not be true.

"So focused on helping me, I didn't really get a chance to ask." She continued, trying to gloss over the verbal stumble.

~Voidus; The University~

He had gone over the steps innumerable times already. Mentally revised the plan. Confirmed it with one who spoke with all the knowledge that the Chapel had possessed. But actually beginning it was a separate thing entirely. For anyone else, if their soul still lingered without passing into the Beyond at least, it would have been easy. Vivica's body had returned, the wounds suffered during the Forgery as if they had never existed. When Whisper had placed it at his feet and untied the clean medical bag she was held in Voidus had almost instinctively reached out. For what, he was not sure. To brush a cheek? To close her eyes? She looked peaceful, asleep with her eyes open. But Vivica did not sleep, and therein lay the problem.

Anyone else could simply be returned to their body without issue. But Vivica was a bronze compounder, and one who indulged in that habit to the point of self destruction. As soon as the weight of all of those sleepless nights returned to her she would die. Even medical intervention would not be able to stop it, no matter how prepared. There were precious few solutions to the problem, and almost none that could be accomplished by anyone outside of the DA.

"Thank you for the earring." He said quietly. "I got one for you as well."

Pulling the ring of brass from his ear, he efficiently pierced it through an identical bindpoint on Vivica. It would allow her to tap the brassminds he still held, a wealth of Wakefulness waiting to be used. And he had no need of it anymore himself, unlike Vivica his body would not suffer from lack of sleep no matter how much he accrued. But even that was not enough to save her, because a metalmind needed to be tapped. And Vivica could not do that until she returned to her body. And practiced as she was with her metal, there was nobody who could tap a metalmind in the very instant they were returned to life.

"I'm just going to be helping for a moment." He said, looking into the garnet that he had placed on the table and now leaned over. "Just to make sure that you're okay, I promise that I won't do anything else."

He attached a small fabrial to Vivica's wrist. One of his own design, it took only the press of a button before it gave a slight spark and poured Light into Vivica's body. Her pulse returned, her lungs inhaled, her eyelids flickered. Her body was alive, if mindless. He gave a small smile at that success, not surprised but relieved at least. But a body with no mind was hardly a person. Her soul resided elsewhere, but at least blood now moved through her body. Blood that would allow spikes to function.

Voidus pulled a vial that had been prepared, placed meticulously and waiting for him. The warm glow of an allomantic reserve sprung into being in his chest and he burned it immediately, twisting Investiture through its structure to a singular purpose. He reached out, towards the now-warm body in his arms, and touched the power against it. He Soothed Vivica with the Brass, flaring the metal as powerfully as he could until he felt something shatter, a barrier between himself and her.

The body twitched, shuddered and drew in another breath, this one deliberate. Her eyes blinked and then began to snap into an absent kind of focus, but one with unmistakable intention. Her hand grasped tightly around the bronzemind he had placed in her hand, tapping the stores from it and taking them into herself, sustaining her brain and vital functions with a deep draw of Wakefulness. Voidus pulled her to her feet, face oddly expressionless and lacking all of its usual mirth and joy. He passed the garnet to Vivica, letting her hold it in her hands. The tiny form that still resided in the garnet looking up at her own body now.

"All fixed and waiting for you." Voidus said through Vivica's mouth.

@ZincAboutIt @MacThorstenson

[+ZincAboutIt]

~Vivica; The University~

Vivica gazed up at her body from within the garnet clutched in her own hand. It was, she supposed, likely rather disorienting. Or perhaps it would have been, if Vivica could currently conceptualize disorientation. She had rather forgotten her own face by this point; there were no mirrors in the Cognitive Realm, after all. It was rather pretty, if a bit vacant-looking. But then, people who were dead did look rather vacant. Vivica knew that from experience. She had seen very many dead people.

When Nox spoke to her using her own mouth, Vivica almost hesitated to retake her own body. Surely anything she could come up with to say would be pointless, silly, compared with the words he could make her say. She thought to tell him so, but then, it was rude to refuse a gift so perfectly wrought. He had gone through so much trouble to bring her back, and he had so many other important things to be about. It would be best to accept this present, so she could thank him properly. Thank you. Perhaps two words she could form with her own lips that might be worthy of him hearing.

Vivica took one last look at the garnet chamber surrounding her, fondly casting it to memory. Then, she looked back at herself, acknowledging the slight tug on her form that she had been ignoring. Her soul recognizing her body, it seemed. There was a rightness to this feeling, and so Vivica let it overtake her, surrendering to the pull just as her body drew in a breath. She flew like a single stream of Stormlight for a moment, and then - 

Corporeality.

It hurt. Her eyes blinked and watered at the light of the hall, spilling tears down cheeks that felt each millimeter of each tear trace across skin, the water cooling and causing her to shiver. She could feel the chill of the air in the room, feel the cotton of her shapeless medical shift where it brushed her flesh, raising goosebumps along her arms and neck and back. Vivica shuddered at the sensations, giving a soft whimper; even that minute sound hurt her throat after how long she had spent not using it. Something clenched and burned in the pit of her stomach - hunger? She could barely remember hunger but yes, that sounded right. Hunger, and thirst. She was so thirsty, now that she thought about it. Hungry and thirsty and cold, and she could feel everything at once, hear everything. She was breathing too fast; her heart was racing, speeding blood into her brain with enough force to make her dizzy. It was too much - 

Vivica retreated inward instinctively, turning her vision to the plane of her mind hoping for relief. And that was when she felt him.

He had been so quiet, so close, that Vivica hadn't realized he was there, pressed up against her mind like the oncoming shroud of night. Encompassing, inevitable, and wonderful. And so, so close. She had never been so close to anyone; the barrier between them had broken, and Nox was her. He heard her thoughts, felt her emotions, owned her memories. Vivica felt her mouth smile as she looked at him through her own eyes, and she could feel him looking at himself through her eyes, as well. Would they ever be so close again? Could she ever hope to find a better time to show him her gratitude, show him the scope and breadth of what he meant to her?

So Vivica showed him. She poured out every memory, every day spent in the Cognitive Ward talking with him, laughing with him, glorying in his warm, patient smile. She poured out each good day, and each bad day, where only the thought of him kept her from fading into total despair, imprisoned in her room, restrained to her bed, watching the slow drip of sedatives lull her into a stupor that could be deemed "safe." She poured out the delight of her first meeting him, the rush of caffeine and experimentation nothing compared to the exhilaration of making a new friend, and one so kind, with such good manners. She showed him the last day before the Forgery, when she had been overcome with memories of the fire and he had found her, taking her someplace safe, folding them both into a tiny corner of nothing. A place where fire could never reach. She showed him more recent memories, her time in the Cognitive Realm, wandering, searching, always hopeful despite her confusion. She showed him how he looked in that realm, both the light and the dark weaving through him in a complex knotwork that was more beautiful than anything wrought by human hands. She gave him the memories of his face in the gemstone, every facet reflecting his perfection back to her in deepest red. Each memory a drop, and the drops formed an ocean of meaning, every wave calling his name and echoing it back again, and again, and again.

Vivica looked through regained eyes at the face of the man who had been so many things to her. Her new friend, her patient Professor, her dark and wondrous god. Her Lucien. Her Nox. Perfect in each iteration. And always, always, more than she could ever deserve.

"Thank you," she whispered, her voice still thin and hoarse, but now full of delight. "I never worried for a moment."

@Voidus

[mathiau]

NullBlade, The Metallurgic Emporium

NullBlade had hoped Cassie's new skin somehow was the risky solution she'd mentioned in her note, obviously it was not. He accepted the cup she was handing him

"May I know what this way is?" He said "More importantly, is there any way I can help you with it?"

@Ashbringer

[Voidus]

~Voidus; The University~

There was, Voidus mused to himself as he watched Vivica awaken, nothing quite so intimate as sharing a mind with someone. He had intended to linger only a moment, just long enough for her to begin tapping the metalminds herself, and for him to be sure that she would be okay. But as he felt the overwhelming rush of emotions as a mind returned to her body he lingered.

The Forgery had allowed Voidus to experience what it was to be alive again, what it was to enjoy a relaxing meal or be annoyed as an unexpected rainfall soaked his journal and ruiined the notes he'd been working on in the garden. So many things that had been blunted to the dullest of edges by the passing of time had been given back to him with renewed sharpness. But that edge paled in comparison to what Vivica felt, every emotion heightened every instant experienced more fully than Voidus may have ever done. If his old feelings returning were like a knife then Vivica was a scalpel, cutting deep into his core with barely an effort.

And then she felt him. He was tempted to apologize, to retreat immediately and hope that she could forgive his intrusion. But wordlessly she hurled herself into him, not her physical body but her memories, her thoughts, her feelings. Each hit him with the force of a meteorite, and cut into him as not even a Shardblade could. He was completely and utterly overwhelmed under the assault as she poured out her every feeling with none of the hesitance or guile that anyone would ordinarily have towards someone sharing their mind.

"Thank you," she whispered, and Voidus could feel the lips moving as she spoke, was suddenly intimately aware of their each movement, of how soft they were, of how lovely and red. "I never worried for a moment."

"I..." Voidus could not even recall the last time he had been so lost for words. "Vivica that was... thank you, that was lovely of you to show me. It means a lot to me."

With a start he recalled where they were, and what they had been preparing for. The storm already raged overhead, Vivica had returned, the Forgery was shattering into pieces. Everything was ready, all he had to do now was to pull the final trigger.

"I came to visit you... after." He said instead, quietly. "I had been hoping that perhaps we could have some tea together."

With an absent wave he cleared the table of what he had been working on and replaced it, two porcelain cups on their saucers, and a small silver platter in between covered with sweets and pastries, all of the icing in a deep red.

"Perhaps, now that we both have a little time we could-" He had gotten halfway through his invitation when he realized that their minds were still joined. "My apologies, terribly rude to linger like that."

Gently, carefully he began to extricate himself. As he did he wondered idly if this was perhaps somewhat what it would have felt like for that girl to step out from the Chapel, to leave those waters of enlightenment behind and re-enter the real world. It hurt.

@ZincAboutIt

[+ZincAboutIt]

Quote

Mac, Lita and Laurelai have a chat while Voidus and Vivica take a long-awaited teatime break. This is in Discord format, hence the changed style. The thread can be accessed on Discord as "University End of E5".

~Mac, Lita & Laurelai; The University~

Spoiler

Voidus — Today at 11:04 AM
Laurelai: Are you alright Lita? I just... you were so- so focused on helping me I didn't even get a chance to ask.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 11:06 AM
Lita, frowning a moment before shrugging noncommittally: Well, I've... been better. Definitely not my best day. Better now that you're back, though, of course.
Voidus — Today at 11:08 AM
Laurelai, smiling: Yes I'm quite glad to be back myself as well. And not sure that it's any of our best days.
Her gaze slides sidelong just an instant towards Mac and then back. 
ZincAboutIt — Today at 11:09 AM
Lita, returning the smile, if a bit hollow: Yes, well, not all of us got a new suit today.
Mac — Today at 11:09 AM
Mac: wordlessly meets Laurelai's glance, lips drawn into a line 
Voidus — Today at 11:11 AM
Laurelai, concealing a humorous grin as she looks back to Lita and straightens her expression: Well I can make you one if you'd like but I'm not sure that it would quite suit you.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 11:13 AM
Lita, eyes taking on a bit more of their typical life as they fall into an easy banter: I rather think I'm more of a blouse and skirt type. Though I will need to get this mended. I sort of... ripped it open back in the Alleys.
She gestures at the hole near her ribs where her spike is slightly visible 
Voidus — Today at 11:16 AM
Laurelai, reaching instinctively forward and tutting at the tear: Not too bad, should be easy enough to...
Her voice trails off after a moment as she glances upwards at another peal of thunder. She draws her hand back but perhaps not quite quickly enough to conceal a tremor.
Laurelai, her voice a forced serenity: Cursed storm making things difficult. I'll fix it later for you.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 11:17 AM
Lita, squeezing Laurelai's hand for a moment: It's fine. Honestly I have a feeling this poor frock might be destined for scrap by the end of the night.
She places her hand over the hole, feeling the cold metal on her palm, and casts about for something to think of
Lita, to Mac: I didn't expect your return, Mac - er, sir. But your expertise will surely be much needed.
Mac — Today at 11:23 AM
Mac, refocusing on the conversation: Well, dear, I didn't expect to be back so soon either, but as always, life had different plans. Tell me, what happened during the forgery exactly? I got the impression from Voidus that it affected the whole city, but that can't be true can it?
ZincAboutIt — Today at 11:26 AM
Lita, mouth twitching very slightly at the “dear”: Actually it affected the entire world, I believe.
Voidus — Today at 11:27 AM
Laurelai, her own mouth also drawing to a thin line: The city, the Alleys, the whole world. I couldn't even begin to imagine...
Mac — Today at 11:30 AM
Mac, trying very hard to listen to a whole nother conversation, and maintain some semblance of small talk: And it held for months didn't it? Truly insane the amount of power being channeled by one being. I hate him, but I have to appreciate the good craftsmenship...
ZincAboutIt — Today at 11:33 AM
Vivica, in the background: …yes and the nice thing about proper frosting is the drip pattern you get down the side of the…
Lita, actually lowering her tin to avoid hearing too much of that: Mmm, yes. I’m not sure precisely how long. It felt longer, but who knows?
Mac — Today at 11:38 AM
Mac: Who knows indeed, the days all sort of blended together for me. Hopefully it wasn't too bad at least. The city can't in much of a worse spot then it was before
Voidus — Today at 11:41 AM
Laurelai, considering a moment and examining her own memories: A few months I think, yes.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 11:42 AM
Lita, speaking carefully: The city was… rather peaceful. Most things were, for a while at least. The Department was… doing well.
Mac — Today at 11:45 AM
Mac, with a hint of irony: Thats good at least, a little break never hurt anybody.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 11:48 AM
Lita: No, no I suppose not.
Voidus — Today at 11:49 AM
Laurelai, an edge to her voice again: Breaks are voluntary. This was... different.
Mac — Today at 11:51 AM
Mac: Yes, I suppose it was different. Still, no sense in worrying about the past, we all made it through didn't we?
Voidus — Today at 11:52 AM
Laurelai, muttering bitterly: Barely.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 11:53 AM
Lita, chewing her lip in pensive irritation: Hmm, yes I suppose so.
Lita: You’ll be returning then? To the Department?
Voidus — Today at 11:54 AM
Laurelai: Her eyes flicker up to each of them, an instant of realization forming.
Mac — Today at 11:56 AM
Mac, glances at voidus briefly, then thinks for a moment: Well I hadn't particularly thought about it, only becoming "self aware" a minute or two ago.
Mac: I suppose I probably should head back to that place
Mac, as if the thought just occurred to him: Did someone replace me in the forgery? You mentioned the department was still around?
Voidus — Today at 11:59 AM
Voidus, amusedly in the background: Viv, you left a little at the corner of... here I'll get it.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 12:01 PM
Lita, speaking just slightly louder than needed: Oh, well, as it happens yes, someone did. It was… well it was me.
Mac — Today at 12:04 PM
Mac, taken aback for a moment, then nodding slowly: Smart choice, you are who I would've chosen.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 12:06 PM
Lita, looking up in slight shock before smiling slightly: I - thank you. Actually in the Forgery it was your choice. We were rather closer there. Not “closer”, just. Well, anyway. It wasn’t real. But it is nice to hear the real you validate the choice anyway.
Voidus — Today at 12:07 PM
Laurelai: She did very well, department was running smoothly, effectively.
She gives a very slight grin.
Laurelai: Recruiting all sorts of wonderful talent.
Mac — Today at 12:08 PM
Mac: Ha! I'm happy to know it worked out that way, dear, you are the only member of the department who's name I know.
Voidus — Today at 12:09 PM
Laurelai: Lightly glowering
Mac — Today at 12:10 PM
Mac, quietly begins idly tapping his fingers on the table in a morse code, T-A-L-K-M-O-R-E-L-A-T-E-R
Mac: You worked in records didn't you laurelai?
Voidus — Today at 12:12 PM
Laurelai, somewhat sullenly: When I wasn't working for you, yes.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 12:13 PM
Lita, translating the tapping with some mild effort: I managed to retain the entirety of her skills in the Forgery. Perhaps the greatest boon of it all.
Mac — Today at 12:16 PM
Mac, feeling some sense of confusion emanating from the great beyond: Well then I suppose I know two of the department members names.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 12:16 PM
Lita: Is perhaps a bit less shocked that the department did not suffer in Mac’s absence
Mac — Today at 12:17 PM
Mac, a look of interest popping onto his face: How was the forgery me? Was he mostly the same? or rather, was your memory of him mostly the same?
Voidus — Today at 12:20 PM
Laurelai: I never met you, but from what I'd heard much the same. Perhaps fewer yachts.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 12:20 PM
Lita: Mmm? Oh, mostly the same. Nothing particularly different of note.
Mac — Today at 12:22 PM
Mac, a little bit offended: Well that's shoddy research on the Stranger's part then, thats about a quarter of my personality!
ZincAboutIt — Today at 12:23 PM
Lita: I wouldn’t sell yourself short, sir. At least a third, in my opinion.
Mac — Today at 12:27 PM
Mac raises a finger to object but reconsiders: Regardless, I would have liked to be here for that. I'm sure the denizens are going to have a field day researching all the changes and after affects
ZincAboutIt — Today at 12:28 PM
Lita: Yes, it’s going to be a bloody mess for a while I’d say. Ughhh, I already know my filing system is likely a total shambles now…
Lita, correcting herself: Or… your filing system.
Voidus — Today at 12:29 PM
Laurelai: Groans softly.
Mac — Today at 12:31 PM
Mac, raises an eyebrow at the mention of her filing system, electing not to make a comment: Yes, it will be quite the headache to sort out wont it. Hopefully the alley's aren't too bad, if so we can just turn a blind eye to the rest of the city
let them handle it themselves
ZincAboutIt — Today at 12:32 PM
Lita: I doubt they’d want our help anyway.
Mac — Today at 12:33 PM
Mac: Thats certainly true, at least.
Mac: Wait, did you say you recruited Laurelai in this new reality?
Voidus — Today at 12:34 PM
Laurelai: She did, yes.
Mac — Today at 12:35 PM
Mac: Interesting, what were you doing before that then?
Voidus — Today at 12:35 PM
Laurelai: Working at a hospital. Looking after my hopeless academic of a father.
Mac — Today at 12:37 PM
Mac, eyes widened glancing in the blursed tea party's direction, incredulously whispering: He was a professor? 
ZincAboutIt — Today at 12:38 PM
Lita: Well this is a university. It is not altogether surprising.
Mac — Today at 12:39 PM
Mac, nodding slowly: So thats where we are, the Alleyv- Alleycity University.
Voidus — Today at 12:40 PM
Laurelai: I'm sorry was literally everyone in the DA already aware that he was my father except for me?
Mac — Today at 12:42 PM
Mac: I mean surely not everyone, but when you've known someone for over 1300 years you tend to pick up on a few of their mannerisms.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 12:42 PM
Lita: Hardly. And I said it was a guess.
Mac — Today at 12:42 PM
Mac: He tried so very hard to hide it.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 12:44 PM
Lita: The resemblance is hardly minor as well. Tall, blonde hair, high cheekbones, fine featured… 
She stops listing traits and examines the ceiling
Voidus — Today at 12:45 PM
Laurelai: Glances at Lita with a raised brow before turning a slightly frosty glare to Mac.
Laurelai: How long?
Mac — Today at 12:49 PM
Mac: If you're asking how long I knew, it was sometime during the plasmacore incident, if you're asking how long you've been his daughter then thats a whole other can of worms...
ZincAboutIt — Today at 12:50 PM
Lita: stifles laughter
Voidus — Today at 12:51 PM
Laurelai, frowning: My entire life I assume. Though the how is more my question than how long.
Mac — Today at 12:52 PM
Mac: How did I know? He told you to stay safe in a meeting if I recall correctly.
Mac: He doesn't do that, ever.
Voidus — Today at 12:56 PM
Laurelai, a flash of irritation crossing her face: No. I meant how... nevermind. It's not for you to answer. And now I suppose is not really the time.
Mac — Today at 12:59 PM
Mac, a flash of realization crossing his face: Laurelai, your father is an enigma. Far older then me or anyone else I've ever met. Its unclear if he existed before adonalsium. That is to say, I know next to nothing about him.
Mac: I learned, barely a year or two ago, that he has an entire magic system created by his presence, I think. The details are still unclear, but I've been working with the man for over a millennia and I just learn that. The only way to get any answers out of him is to ask him yourself. 
Voidus — Today at 1:01 PM
Laurelai, taking a moment to recompose herself: Yes, I intend to. But later.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 1:02 PM
Lita: Gently touches Laurelai’s shoulder, saying nothing
Mac — Today at 1:03 PM
Mac, Coughing slightly: If I could ask you for one more favor, please uh don't tell him I told you anything.
Mac: In the off chance that he didn't want that to happen, I would rather not be disintegrated.
Voidus — Today at 1:04 PM
Voidus, holding a cup in one hand and Vivica's on his other as he helps her to walk and they approach the trio: You're not the only one who can burn tin in the room Mac.
Mac — Today at 1:09 PM
For the third time that night, Mac felt true fear seep into every bone of his body. Any semblance of a witty remark fell flat on it's face as  his face turned whiter then snow, and the best he could muster was a quiet "Sorry" 
ZincAboutIt — Today at 1:10 PM
Lita: Lowers her eyes slightly out of respect
Voidus — Today at 1:11 PM
Voidus, staring fixedly at his daughter: It is fine Mac. I see little point in keeping things hidden any longer.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 1:11 PM
Vivica: Miss Laurelai! It’s so nice to see you!
Voidus — Today at 1:12 PM
Laurelai, holding the gaze for just a moment before looking away and focusing on the woman he is with: Vivica? It's... nice to see you as well. I'm um... terribly sorry I didn't really believe you all those times you tried to explain things.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 1:16 PM
Vivica: Oh, that’s alright. I am rather mad, after all. Hello, Mr. Mac. And hello, Laurelai’s red haired friend. You’re the one with the special coin.
Lita, stiffening, raising her eyes as she covers her momentary emotion: I…yes. I’m Lita. It’s lovely to meet you.
Mac — Today at 1:17 PM
Mac, some semblance of color returning to his face: I'm sorry, I don't believe I've made you acquaintance yet, miss...
Voidus — Today at 1:18 PM
Voidus, only now pulling his gaze from Laurelai to the others: Vivica. This is Vivica, she... helped to break the Forgery for me.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 1:19 PM
Vivica, looking fondly at Voidus, then back to the others: I just did a little bit. Nox did all the important things.
Mac — Today at 1:21 PM
Mac: In that case I am at least a little bit in your debt Vivica.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 1:23 PM
Lita: Such a lovely earring you have, Vivica. 
Vivica, beaming: Thank you Lita! And don’t worry about any debts. I was only trying to help. It’s what anyone would have done, after all.
Voidus — Today at 1:26 PM
Voidus, looking to Lita: You were running counterintelligence during... recent months?
ZincAboutIt — Today at 1:27 PM
Lita, meeting his gaze with a single nod, trying to appear both respectful and competent: Yes, sir, I was.
Voidus — Today at 1:30 PM
Voidus, giving a single, slow nod in return: Well given that I myself believed the entire organization to be a myth mere days ago I would say that you proved quite capable at the task. You have my appreciation for keeping... everything safe.
His gaze does not shift, but there is a slight flicker of his attention to Laurelai once more before returning.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 1:33 PM
Lita, pulling the light flush of heat to her cheeks into a brassmind before it can color her face: Such important matters deserve the highest degree of safety. I’m glad you approve, sir.
She tries very hard not to think about the relative safety of Laurelai during the entirety of their working together
Voidus — Today at 1:36 PM
Voidus: Gives another nod to her before turning his gaze once more to Laurelai, the two meeting stares with an awkward silence.
Voidus — Today at 1:44 PM
Laurelai, pulling her gaze away first, directed downward in a perfect imitation of Lita's initial posture: Is everything prepared then? I wouldn't wish to delay things any further.
ZincAboutIt — Today at 1:48 PM
Lita: Holds Laurelai’s hand and squeezes

 

 

[Voidus]

~Voidus; The University/The cognitive realm~

Voidus continued to watch her, looking for a glimmer of bright blue eyes. But Laurelai kept her gaze turned downwards, not looking back, concealing her expression behind polite professionalism. It was even more formally than she had acted before, before she had known. The pain eased into his chest, joining the other well-worn wounds that rested there. It was sharp, fresher from the others, but it was not an unfamiliar pain to Voidus. He had spent time beyond counting knowing that he failed his daughter, this was just the latest reminder.

"Yes." He said quietly. "Yes, everything is ready. Mac? Keep everyone else safe."

Turning from where they stood, he held Vivica against him. Not pulling forcefully but staying in contact with her. Reassuring himself that she was still there, still alive. That he had not failed everyone at least. Her presence was a comfort, perhaps he should have tried to keep her away, leave her and Laurelai and Lita here while he and Mac went to confront the Stranger. But if he and Mac were unsuccessful then they would be no safer here than where they were going. And in many ways it would be safer, to be where he could see them, protect them if needed.

"Time for one last experiment." He muttered, pulling a slender metallic implement from the table. At its core a spike of some unknown material and wrapped all about with wire and gemstones in intricate patterns.

He pierced the pointed end into the air, felt resistance as the metal pushed not just against the air but against the boundaries between realms. Pressing a thumb against one of the gemstones he sent a surge of Stormlight into it, his feet lurched beneath him as all of them were pulled from the Physical realm to the cognitive. Immediately the hallway was illuminated by a flash of lightning underfoot, jagged and brokenly lifting up from the ground. The remnants of the Forgery were pulling free from the world, piece by piece. And they were taking a good deal of the cognitive realm with them. But that was of little consequence, this realm was the cognitive realm of the Forgery, a world of lies and fabrications. Its destruction would not affect the original.

The Spiritual realm however, was consistent. That realm of pure truth, unreachable to mortal hands but for the occasional glimpse given by Atium or some other grand Investiture. But Voidus was not a mortal, and this was not his first time battling a god.

"Stranger." He called, his voice still quiet, almost gentle. "Are you free for a chat?"

His thumb slid from a small amethyst to an enormous diamond. Channeling light into it, pulling more and more from the storm, from the Lightning, from his own reserves until the gem shone like the sun, distributing power to the entire Fabrial. And then spilling out, spreading into the air around him. Opening a doorway to another realm.

[Fatebreaker]

~ The Realm of the Gods~

The Stranger pulled the weave of the world tighter and tighter, preparing to make the final change. It was so close now, he could taste it, the potential thick in the air. He had made billions upon billions of adjustments, fitting things a little tighter, leaving less room for ambiguity. Some things would be edited, some repositioned, some removed. All to make things run smoothly, to make the Forgery set. He had rushed things before, made some shameful mistakes. But this would fix all of that, all the problems that kept popping up like weeds through cracks in the pavement. If only someone could see it, appreciate the magnitude of what he had done, what he was about to do. Sudiov didn't care, and wouldn't be able to fully appreciate it besides. Aylitha couldn't be shown, for the Stranger had leeched more of her power than she ever would have agreed to, had she known. And the Shade, well that was like talking to yourself. Your moodier self at that. He hadn't the time for such trivialities as existential crisis'.

And then he felt it. He felt the tear that rent apart the forgery like an eagle's talons through a rabbits' flesh. He felt several things at once. Rage, that his work had been ruined, years upon years of craft threatened in a singular moment. Confusion, on how things could have reached such a point without any of the gods noticing. Obviously some of them have turned against me, if not all of them. It is the safest assumption to make at this point. And most surprisingly, he felt excitement. The excitement of knowing an old friend had returned unexpectedly, as if from the dead. Will he thank me for the life I gave him? Will he resent me for not including him in the work? Will he understand how I tried to help him? Or will he hate me for what I've done? 

"Stranger." The voice held all the weariness he remembered, the strain of duty and obligation, the shackles that bound a god. But there was something else there as well. "Are you free for a chat?" Below the surface, there was heat, like thermal vents at the bottom of the ocean's floor. And that excited the Stranger, for it meant that the person he had met all those years ago was still in there. But it also meant that whatever may occur, whatever his intent may have been, Voidus would not be greeting him as a friend. And that spelled doom, for whom he could not yet say. And that saddened the Stranger more than he had thought it could. Am I to lose my friend again? And so, still holding the threads he had gathered, the Stranger manifested in the cognitive realm.

~ The Cognitive Realm ~

The Stranger stepped into an alleyway that stretched and warped. All around him, buildings and alleyways grew like strange coral, running through and around each other, spiraling into endless labyrinths. It was a place where perspective had been mutilated and gravity desecrated. Strange creatures lurked in shadows, abominations emerging and retreating from the alleys. The Storm surged in the air, holding tumultuous vigil over the nightmarish alleyscape below. But the Storm was not the only light, for over the realm entire ran the Grand Forgery. They spread out like a network, carved into the fabric of the land, over buildings and pathways as fa as the eye could see. It was reminiscent of the nervous system, or perhaps a slime mold growing through a fallen tree. Within the grooves, the investiture could be seen, surging like lightning caught in a closed system. It hummed with an eerie resonance that could be felt in your very bones. And the closer you looked, the more details you could see of the pattern. It split and branched in uncountable ways, reaching subatomic levels. The Stranger grinned, for his work was beautiful. This was the Light of Science, illuminating the whole planet with ingenuity and revelation. This was something worth Sacrificing for.

He turned towards the doorway that was opening and prepared to face the greatest person he had ever known, the only one he had called friend in untold eons. As he did so, he smiled as he sensed the other presences accompanying his old friend. Mac, Laurelai, Lita, and others he wasn't as familiar with. He grinned his cutting grin. So it was to be a party then? DA parties always went well. Very well, he thought, let the festivities begin. And he spoke in a voice that resonated the world.

"Welcome, one and all, to the End of the World." Then he spoke in a much lower voice, to the one that led them, "Hello, Voidus."

[Voidus]

~Voidus; The cognitive realm~

It was the same familiar grin. The same pleased tone. The same sparkle of an eye. The Stranger greeted them, and if one ignored the words he spoke, and the context surrounding them, you could almost believe they were simply catching up again after a long parting. But his spikes, most of them usually well hidden beneath a coat now jutted from his back like a porcupine, his smile while still in good humor was fashioned from jagged predatory teeth. His eye had been replaced by a deep well of nothing. 

"Working with him then." Voidus said, a statement rather than a question. "I had assumed. Not many places to acquire enough knowledge of me. But always best to confirm a hypothesis."

He stared into the Stranger's dark eye, at the glinting spike in his other orbit. His lips parted again, about to say something before stopping with a sigh. It was not the first time Voidus had needed to confront someone who threatened to end a world. He had, in fact, done so so many times that the act itself became boring, predictable. The Stranger was, at least, more interesting than most. Certainly more dangerous than any except for one.

"You know that this was never of much interest to me." Voidus replied. "Saving the world, listening to dramatic speeches. Usually I would prefer simply to..."

At a speed beyond comprehension a thin piece of metal flew through the air, whistling as it traveled directly for a bindpoint in the Strangers heart. But the splinter of Aluminium was engulfed by darkness the moment it left his hand, and it never reached its destination.

"But some days work is a little more of a chore than others." Voidus said with an unsurprised and tired smile. "So let me play along with the script for just a moment, to ask you about the grand plan. Or really, just an element of it. When you did all of this, did you actually think that you were doing it for someone else? Or deep down were you aware that it was all about you?"