The Alleyway Bar.

[LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian]

Iꜰ ᴍʏ ʙᴏssᴇs ᴀsᴋ, ᴡᴇ ᴘʟᴀʏᴇᴅ ᴀ ɢᴀᴍᴇ ꜰᴏʀ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʟɪꜰᴇ. Death walked up to Rashan, chloroformed him, grabbed the spike, and put it back in Voidus. 

Fᴏʀ ɴᴏᴡ, I'ʟʟ ᴀᴛ ʟᴇᴀsᴛ ɢɪᴠᴇ ʏᴏᴜ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴀʀᴍᴏᴜʀ. Death pulled a Deathlike cloak seemingly out of nowhere, and put it on Voidus, whispering something to it as it faded to a pure white. 

Tʜᴀᴛ sʜᴏᴜʟᴅ ᴘʀᴏᴛᴇᴄᴛ ʏᴏᴜ. Iᴛ's ᴀs sᴛʀᴏɴɢ ᴀs Sʜᴀʀᴅᴘʟᴀᴛᴇ, ʏᴇᴛ ɪᴛ ᴘʀᴏᴠɪᴅᴇs ʙᴇᴛᴛᴇʀ ᴠɪsɪʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴀɴᴅ ɪs ᴍᴜᴄʜ ʟɪɢʜᴛᴇʀ. Nᴏᴡ ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴅᴏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴅɪᴏᴛ? he said, nodding in Rashan's direction.

Edited July 6, 2018 by LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian

[Voidus]

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You're spiking my soul back into my other soul? Wouldn't that just make me a cognitive shadow?

 

[BitBitio he/him]

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Whoa! Don't go calling my boy Rashan an idiot!

 

[LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian]

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It would give you soulception.

 

[I think I am here. he/him]

Rashan blacked out. He didn't know why, but what he did know was that the sentience spike was missing from his hand when he woke up. A message, he guessed. Voidus must have not wanted Rashan to bring him back to life. But that meant... Voidus was dead for good.

Rashan sat silently, drinking, remembering the first time he had poked Voidus. So long ago. Rashan was different now. Voidus had died. It seemed as though the world has collapsed upon itself. Rashan took another sip of his beer.

And as he out it down, he noticed a face staring at him made out of the beer, smiling. Rashan blinked, and the face dispersed, rippling away in his root beer. How odd. Did Rashan hallucinate? There it was again, Rashan thought he saw a face in the wind.

What would Voidus want?

The face kept appearing, but Rashan dismissed it as another hallucination. He looked around solemnly. It appeared he was alone in the bar, everyone had escaped. It was an open space, and Rashan sat alone, drinking.

[Voidus]

You can pass through the spiritual realm can't you? The rock asked Death. Could you stick this in him there?
It gestured towards the spike that death had just given it.

[LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian]

Iɴ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪᴅɪᴏᴛ? Aʀᴇ ʏᴏᴜ sᴜʀᴇ? Lᴀsᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ᴀɴ ɪᴅɪᴏᴛ ɢᴏᴛ sᴜᴄʜ ᴘᴏᴡᴇʀ ᴡᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ᴛᴏ ʜɪʀᴇ ᴀ sᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟ ᴘʀᴏsᴇᴄᴜᴛᴏʀ.

[I think I am here. he/him]

Rashan drank, the face surrounding him, taunting him. It appeared like a crystalline reflection, a projection of light that looked like it had been reflected off of a mirror. It was clear now. 

Words.

One word, clear as day. What was it? Rashan could swear he'd heard it.

Say.

The.

Words.

Rashan stopped. Say the words? It all made sense. Spren. That talked to him. Crazy. But... Knights Radiant had apparently had to say some words, did their spren talk to them? Was there a whole type of spren that talked?

Say the words. It repeated.

"I don't know them," Rashan said. "I'm no Radiant."

Isn't it what that rock wanted?

Yes, it was. Voidus had wanted Rashan to become a surgebinder. It was his wish. Whenever Rashan had inquired on Radiants. Voidus had said that you needed to be Broken. Emotionally. Rashan didn't think that sounded fun.

But now... A spren was talking to him, telling him to say the words. Was Rashan Broken? Had he been Broke today? Had Voidus' death affected him that much?

Of course it has. Look at yourself. Sitting alone, drinking. You Broke a long time ago, Rashan. You've just been trying to distract youself.

"No, no! If I broke before, you should have come then! Before Voidus died!"

You were a squire. That interfered.

"Squires become Radiants all the time!"

Not unless their of the same Order.

Wait. Rashan realised something.

"You're...you're not an inkspren?"

You are no Elsecaller, Rashan.

"No..."

Say the words.

No.

Say the words!

"I'm a murderer."

What would Voidus want?

That stopped Rashan. And it... was true. Rashan had forgotten the words, but he remembered them now, urged to say it. 

He gave in.

"Life before death, Strength before weakness, Journey before destination."

These words are accepted. Welcome to the Order of the Truthwatchers, Rashan.

And Rashan hoped, wherever Voidus was right now, that he would be proud.

[LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian]

Although he was tempted to kill Rashan mid Words, he decided he wasn't a complete monster and decided against it.

Edited July 6, 2018 by LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian

[I think I am here. he/him]

10 minutes ago, LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian said:

Although he was tempted to kill death mid Words, he decided he wasn't a complete monster and decided against it.

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Thanks.

Anyway, Rashan's a surgebinder now! I know people who just become surgebinders out of nowhere, so I hope I managed to ramp up Rashan's power in a narrative way as well, rather than just "he's a surgebinder now"

Also, can you put that spike in me now because I want to see what it does. 

 

Edited July 6, 2018 by I think I am here.

[LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian]

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I took up multiple shards at one point. You're fine man.

 

Edited July 6, 2018 by LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian

[Voidus]

The rock felt the slight Connection he still had with Rashan snap. Replaced by another bond.

Looking towards Death, it gave a slight sigh.

Nevermind, just... Find someone you think deserves it, enough of me will still be around to make sure they don't abuse it.

[LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian]

Is ʏᴏᴜʀ sᴏɴ ᴅᴇsᴇʀᴠɪɴɢ? Oʀ ɪs ʜᴇ ᴛᴏᴏ ʏᴏᴜɴɢ?

[I think I am here. he/him]

12 minutes ago, Voidus said:

 

The rock felt the slight Connection he still had with Rashan snap.

 

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I don't  know if connection would completely be gone.

Think Kelsier and Spook, still connected even though they aren't magically connected, but rather through the way Spook idealises Kelsier.

 

[LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian]

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The spren cancels it out. There was no spren in Spook and Kelsier.

 

[Voidus]

Daughter. The rock reminded Death with a chuckle. And yes, too young for now.
 

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Happy to open this up to volunteers if anyone wants. Side effects may include a disembodied voice in your head, an urge to stab metal in things and occasionally mistakenly believing that you are a rock. Benefits may include: ?????

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@I think I am here. yeah was specifically referring to the magical connection. There is likely still a less noticeable connection of a different kind.

 

[LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian]

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I'll take it.

 

[I think I am here. he/him]

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Oh, ok.

*When you realise this topic has more replies than Divided we Fall*

 

[Voidus]

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Probably still enough for a whisper from the CR occasionally.

@LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian Death might not be the most prevalent character to be spiked given that usually people have to be dead or dying to interact. Does it even have a spiritweb to spike?

 

[LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian]

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I have a thing I have to do.

 

[Voidus]

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Well you've got it at the moment.

 

[LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian]

Death grabbed the spike and dissapeared.  He teleported beside his daughter's bed. Her poor little body had been plugged up to the IV for weeks, and her precious locks had given way to her beautiful bald head a few weeks ago, but she remained his little angel. Dhe had barely any energy in her to move, even to stay awake most days. Her tiny little arms were wrapped around the Vin doll he gave her the day she was born. The day her mother died. As he reached out to stroke her cheek he became Lopen again, his bony fingers covered by flesh again. A solitary tear rolled down his cheek as her eyes fluttered open. 

"Daddy?" she quietly moaned.

"Yes sweetie. Daddy's here." As he said this he completely forgot why he left to fight the Alleyverse's stupid battles, why he left this lovely creature's side.

"Daddy... am I going to die?"

"No honey, don't worry, daddy's here. Daddy will protect you, like I always have."

"You have. Thanks daddy."

"No problem kiddo. Say... you know how you always wanted to be like Vin?"

"Yes?' she yawned.

"Well here's your earring," he said, putting the spike through her ear. Nothing happened. He started sobbing.

"Daddy... do you see an angel?"

"No, no I don't. What's he saying?" The desperate agony in his voice was barely noticeable, but how could he deny it in such a moment?

"He's saying... He's saying he was a close friend of yours. A mento."

"A mentor maybe?"

"Yes, a mento. He says he can help me, and... ooh. He's funny. He called you a sly old dog."

"Did he now? Funny man." Lopen smiled, the tears becoming joyous, and a smile changing the composition of his entire face.

"He's making me feel better much better. Ooo. I... I... I don't feel tired anymore daddy."

"You don't?" he chuckle cried.  "That's good. Here, have some chocolate."

She snatched it from his hand. This was the hungriest she'd been in months.

Thank you @Voidus Lopen mentally called out.

 

Edited July 6, 2018 by LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian

[I think I am here. he/him]

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That's nice, it almost makes me happy that Rashan didn't get the spike.

But what of the other one? Voidus had two spikes, and Rashan took both, but Death only took one. Do the two spikes each grant a surge?

If so, then Rashan still has a spike. Can he use that one? Or throw it away?

 

[LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian]

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I'll grab the second one.

A small rat death walked up to Rashan, and took the second Voidus spike. It took it, teleported, and handed it to Lopen. @Voidus' daughter will need this he thought, hiding it in one of his many pockets.

Edited July 6, 2018 by LopenTheTwoArmedHerdazian

[Voidus]

12 minutes ago, I think I am here. said:

That's nice, it almost makes me happy that Rashan didn't get the spike.

But what of the other one? Voidus had two spikes, and Rashan took both, but Death only took one. Do the two spikes each grant a surge?

If so, then Rashan still has a spike. Can he use that one? Or throw it away?

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One Identity, one sprenbond. I assume the one Death had was the identity spike. A little piece of Voidus himself.