oo1

[merged]

[ It's only a few days into the month, and her voice, when it filters through, is rough and edged with exhaustion. She gets to the point quickly despite the distant flutter of discomfort at bringing attention to herself this way. ] I've got a couple of questions for people.

One: how many of you died in the dream? You know, to that... thing—the one made out of all those freaky Vessel bits mashed together. [ Her tone carries a dry bite, but beneath that, the memory of it clearly unsettles her. ] Two: did anyone else see a memory before waking up of... I don't know, One, Espera, and the rest of that bunch.

[ Without warning, she pushes the memory through the Murmur. ] That's what I saw. Not really sure why I saw it, but... [ There it is.

There's another pause, long enough that it's obvious she's hesitating. Then: ] Lastly... How many of you have dealt with gods back home? Ever kill one?

Totally unrelated to our current situation. Obviously. [ MMHMM ]

Comments

[potentialman]

[ Megumi doesn't really have anything to say specifically, so much as his presence is noticeably here taking notes. ]

[sculptedash]

[Enjoy a presence giving off the feeling of someone awkwardly peering from across the room. And when take notice of it they look away super fast, only to keep looking back to see if you're still paying attention so they can go back to peering.]

[dethangel]

Oh! We did! The god thing. Kind of. He said only a god could kill a god and we got the whale to do it. But I guess he was a god, so.

[He's kind of rambling and not really explaining anything, though. But that's less important to him than the thing she saw, really, because he likes One.]

That memory thing... was that One's friend?

[Wow, how sad...]

[merged]

Okay, that's one way to kill a god. [ She doubts they've got some hidden gods among them, but maybe... Oh, but then Toki is rolling right on, his focus on One & Company. ]

I'm guessing. Kind of seems like he really fucked up with them, though.

[sculptedash]

[Ash doesn't sound much better than Sharon, but there's also a hint of exhilaration to her tone.]

Oh- It got me so freakin' good. The only way it could have been better is if it had of ripped my limbs off and beat me with them as it slowly drained the life out of me.

And this- This whole sickness thing, Oh man- It's almost as good as the snake flakes back home.

[She'll also pass around this memory for the class.]

...I did kill Werthrent the Dimensional Snake God that they worshipped on my planet.

And have ran into other things like Gods, or their kind of direct creations made to build out the universe.

[She wont bring up Invictus right now. That can wait for another conversation.]

[merged]

[ jfc ash what the hell?? ]

Well, it seems like everyone who's died has also gotten sick, so... That's good to know. [ It makes her incredibly uneasy, but she powers through, focusing on the memory offered. Another focus on One, on his connection with the others. Hmm. ]

How'd you kill the dimensional snake god?

[dethangel]

[This particular shared memory really hits Toki; as someone whose most important people are his bandmates... well, this feels important.]

He used to have people to play with...

[Sure, sure, sorry about all that other stuff, he's got priorities. It's so sad!]

[goty]

I've been dreaming a lot of weird shit, here. But I've never died.

[merged]

Congrats, I don't recommend it. 0/5 stars. [ She doesn't linger on it, the memory still sour. ]

But what kind of weird shit are we talking about? Anything to do with Sleep?

[deathstealer]

[ First, there comes a presence in the murmur with all the overwhelming force of an avalanche, an immense pressure and weight, a beholding that engenders terror or affection or both. And then, it retreats, replaced instead with the gentle patter of snowflakes upon shallow water.

She has indeed killed a god. One with her own hands, and many by her machinations. But she's hardly going to say that just yet. ]

Thy last question is terribly blunt--
and there is no need to speak in riddles,
as Sleep is smart enough to know thine heart.
Art thou seeking to kill her?

[merged]

[ Ranni is almost too much from the start, her presence intense enough that Sharon instinctively recoils. She pulls back the way a snake does when it isn't sure whether it's facing a predator or prey. Even when Ranni pulls back, Sharon stays wound tight. ]

Sleep knows my heart because I showed it to her. I told her my intentions. [ Beneath her words lies something raw, rage honed into purpose, an ache that refuses to fade. But then she exhales through her nose, the sharp edge softening into something more thoughtful. ] I'm just curious how other people have handled things like her. Beings like that. Gods don't exactly exist where I come from.

[ Not like this, anyway. ]

[aeviternitas]

[ In the Murmur, the Forsaken's presence is shadow, somehow both oppressive in its weight and, simultaneously barely there. Though perhaps it is not the god himself so much as that darkness engulfs him. ]

I too fell to the creature, and, I too dreamt of One.

[ His voice scrapes raw and rasping, exhaustion bleeding into the Murmur.

For a time, it seems that is all he will say. Finally: ] I was once one among the number of gods in my realm. By the end, most were dead, though not by mine own hand.

[merged]

[ His presence is overwhelming, heavy, and faintly familiar, and she instinctively pulls back within the Murmur, as if leaning away from it. But the memory he shares roots her in place, her throat tightening. It hits too close to home, though she quickly forces that reaction down, burying it beneath the rest of the noise in her mind. ]

It's starting to seem like anyone who died to that thing ended up with a piece of One afterward.

[ But then he says that. He was a god. Her focus sharpens instantly, the earlier hesitation gone. She leans forward into the connection now. ] What killed them? [ She's utterly tactless when she's curious. ]

[ar_cane]

[ Replying on the topic of gods and killing them might be a bad idea in the long run, but... well, Viktor is practically giddy on sunlight after a very rough patch of seasonal depression, so he's trying to be more helpful now. ]

The answer somewhat hinges on your definition of "god" but, yes, essentially I have killed one.

[merged]

My definition boils down to unimaginable power, so... [ It's likely she'll accept whatever god he's taken care of. ]

What do you mean by essentially?

[beaffrayed]

[ Should he respond to this? Fray ruminates for a while, wondering how much to say. It's not for a dark knight to give false hope.

...He's not going to address those first questions, those aren't for him. ]

I've seen all manner of god be killed, though secondhand. But I'd struggle to apply what fueled them to what we're to contend with now.

[ Some of Sleep's effects do remind him of tempering - the compulsion for worship most of all. But he's hardly going to assume familiarity, so much of this is alien -- he shouldn't be here. ]

[merged]

I won't lie and say I'm not looking for ideas on how to deal with Sleep, but I'm also curious. [ She hesitates before adding some additional perspective: ] Gods are just words on paper where I come from—words people conveniently use to hide behind, but that's it. They've never been real, not until I got here.

[guidingbookworm]

[Sirius's quiet presence grew more unsettled as he listened in. Should he say something? The nameless goddess was not an easy subject for him, especially when Sleep reminded him of her so much. In the end his concern for Sharon won out with a tired sigh.]

Shouldn't you be resting?

[Like he was one to talk and he tried to hold back his concern, a little.]

I also saw a memory of One when I died.

[An uneasy shiver rippled through the murmur before he hesitantly added.]

Please don't do anything reckless. Gods are not what they seem. It's too dangerous.

[merged]

[ There's a weight of gratitude in her chest for both his concern and the memory he shared. ] Thank you, Sirius. I'm almost certain now that dying in the dream is why we saw One's memories.

[ She paused before responding to his addition, the words striking too close to something Vincent had once said to her. ] Don't worry, it's not like I'm gearing up to hunt Sleep down. I just... I need to do something, Sirius. Right now, all I can do is gather ideas, maybe see if there are any parallels between her and other gods. And honestly, none of it's likely to lead anywhere.

[ She winced at the truth of it, a likely useless endeavor on her part, but even so, it was a damn good distraction. ]

[vocalistyodels]

[He's not sure about replying, look he's not afraid to talk to Sharon, but their last meeting hadn't been great.

Better not to stir the pot. He's really not in the mood for that anyway.

Yet still, he'll push a memory at Sharon. Since she asked. It doesn't mean anything to him, maybe it'll make sense to her.]

[merged]

[ Sharon recognized Cooper's connection almost immediately, and though she doesn't respond, she does offer some small, soured feeling of gratitude. ]

[sorte]

[ eugh. ]

Sleep Herself is, I'm afraid, going to be extremely difficult to do such a thing to even if others have killed beings that they qualify as a god in their universes for many reasons, the biggest one being that this would be considered practically [ if not actually ] Her personal realm.

I'm very familiar with beings known as gods in my world. They're killable, although mostly by means of— or the aid of— other gods.

[merged]

Yeah, I know. I'm not an idiot. [ ...except for those times when she is—which is fairly often. ]

You said mostly—tell me about the times other gods weren't involved?

[hongtian]

I've fought would-be gods and swore an oath to join a friend's quest to kill one, but gods on the whole are... recluse. Far from mortal reach, save for their chosen ones.

Sharon. Are you saying that you died?

[merged]

[ Ruhong has fought would-be gods and swore an oath to kill another—neither revelation surprises her, though both send a thrill of delight up her spine. The more Sharon learns about her, the more she likes. ] Well, we know who Sleep's chosen One is. [ See what she did there? She thinks she's funny. ]

I did, it sucked, but I'm not dead now, so... [ It's clearly no big deal. ]

[hexrot]

[ .......... ]

Sharon.

[merged]

Jayce. [ They both can play the name game. ]

[spiritmonger]

I see no reason not to share what it was that I saw after I was consumed.

[ And so, the memory is shared. The complex emotions that come with it betray the calm, dry demeanor that Nymnar keeps: the same sense of inadequacy and unworthiness clings to the edges of it like bitterant. ]

I am rather well-read on the gods of where I come from, though I personally never had such a grandiose sense of self. My goals were more focused on how to extend my life, not to throw it away so carelessly.

[merged]

[ The memory he shares is difficult to swallow, painful, and bitter in ways she hadn't expected. The more she sees of One's past, and the more she understands, the more she hates it. It's hard to use someone when you sympathize with them. ] Thanks, I appreciate it.

[ But what he says next... ] I dunno, you've got to have a pretty grandiose sense of self to be seeking out immortality. [ One day, she'll learn not to assume; that day is not today. ]