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(Just gonna do this since no one seems to be reaching a consensus lol. Apologies in advance for the horrrible writing)
There has also been something at the edge of your vision for a while, as if to fit with the edge of the sunlit horizon, which blazes a bright red.
What do you do about it? Perhaps you try to ignore it, or consult someone about it, or even reach out and try to touch it. Regardless of your choice, however, the bothersome tinge lasts for around a minute before it retreats temporarily to frame a floating letter platform of sorts, which settles to a readable height and manifests the following:
"Hello and good day,
This is Galaxian writing. (In case we are unfamiliar with each other, I am the god of loyalty and life.) I am preparing to host a meeting, starting shortly after you receive this. It will mainly be between deities, but others are welcome if you wish to come. There will be no pre-designated topics, so please feel free to think about any ideas you would like to discuss if you would like.
Additionally, as moderation goes, incivility will be met with exclusion from the meeting, without exception. So please, before you arrive, set aside any hostilities you may have with other participants.
You can enter (and exit) this meeting by setting your hand on the icon that will appear after you have finished reading this letter. I look forward to seeing you."
His signature appears briefly as you conclude your reading and then disappears. Its bright scarlet ink doesn't seem to leave an impression. In addition, the message peculiarly conveys itself regardless of your preferred language.
...It's hard to say whether it's strange or impressive.
If you choose to arrive, you are teleported to the entrance of what may be a familiar tower to some. The visage of Epheral looms over you, but for those familiar with the actual tower, it somehow feels off. For one, there is no clock to be seen in front of you, taking away the effect of the original entrance. Not to mention, the prolonged red hue gives the place an eerie feeling, beyond even the impression of an abandoned, destroyed building. Perhaps a visage is a visage after all.
There's a faint trace of Galaxian's presence surrounding the area, but he himself doesn't seem to be present yet. Perhaps he is preparing for the meeting himself? What peculiar choices, really.
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When Seis got the letter, they assumed that they must have been a mis-send of some sort, a mix-up within some weird mishap. However, Silence saw the letter and got excited, and said that they wanted to go.
Most likely to see if there would be free food.
Seis didn't mind going, really, as long as they went with some friends.
So, currently, the whole skittle squad is here:
Silence sniffing the air for food, Lumi distracted by his phone, Francis admiring the tower, and Seis leading the way nervously while holding the letter in hand.
They all seemed attached together by yarn bracelets, most likely so they wouldn't be split apart. However, each bracelet definitely has enough room for the teens to easily slip out of them, enough room so that a few of them have to hold onto the thin rope to even stay attached. The group is shuffling awkwardly, as teenagers attached by yarn bracelets do. It's a pretty funny sight to behold.
Seis is mostly planning on how to bring up that Galaxian may have sent the letter to the wrong address.
(Spec if you see this, it would be chill to add Kradly if you want since Lumi's there, obviously you don't have to XD)
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Orphos quickly scanned through the letter, a little taken aback that someone would call a meeting seemingly for no reason. Still, it had been some time since he had made an appearance. It would be a good idea to attend, if only to keep tabs on the rest of the pantheon. He placed his hand on the icon and was warped to Epheral.
He stood before the tower, frowning at the building's run-down appearance. We really should have fixed this by now. Everyone must be too busy to patch it up. He wasn't sure if that was a good thing. Who knew what might have taken up residence here in their absence? Slowly, he stepped into the tower, the front wall rippling as he broke the plane of it.
He was distracted from his thoughts by the line of teenagers shuffling through the tower, attached to one another by... yarn? He silently prayed (to what, Orphos didn't know) that not all of them were deities. He hadn't drank enough before this meeting to handle that. He gave the group a curt nod before resuming his path. The massive hall had seen better days, and the light of the fading sun was definitely not doing the place any favors. He made his way to a large slab of rubble that looked like it might have once been a pillar and settled down to wait for more arrivals. He seemed perfectly content, though the way his gaze flicked to every dark corner and crevice betrayed some of his nervous energy.
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Ark manifests himself here, grinning like a maniac as always. “Wonder what he’s gonna tell us?”
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Marsh appears on the premise, soon followed by Nemesis. The new deity looks around curiously, taking in the structure and all of the people around them. Their wings flap excitedly as they whispered something to Nemesis.
Nemesis also looks around, less curious and more cautious of her surroundings. The sword at her hip is gone, leaving an empty scabbard hanging from its harness.
A floating four poster bed pops into existence, complete with sheer curtains and all. With a yawn, Somnus sits up and takes a brief look at his surroundings before closing his eyes once again. His appearance shifts, bone white hair, pale skin, a dark cloak, and two stubby little demon horns.
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Ash appears, dressed in slightly finer garb than the usual. It looks akin to funerary suits, but mixed into the robes that the Rot Lord is so fond of wearing. Ash isn't one much for small talk, so instead of talking to people he clings onto the ceiling like a bat. His wings cling close around them, hooking together to form a cloak. They seem to be reading a journal, though it's hard to tell with the relatively low light.
Huck likely didn't notice at first, but at some point while traversing the tower, he began to hear another set of footfalls. The Darkest Devout is following behind the bushbeast, unable to go around him without being impolite, but not seeming to want to given his large size and quick step. She doesn't know where to go, so it's probably also following him because of that.
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Time is there too, studying all the faces as he entered the scene. He's also looking at the surrounding remains of the Epheral. It's been a very long while since he's been here. What's with the red tint? It's certainty something curious. Maybe it's a side effect of the battle that was fought here.
Hm. There's some new faces here. Has Chronos even been to one of these meetings? For the moment, Time appears just to be lost in his thoughts as he waits if any other figures filter in.
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Huck's ears flicked backward as he finally caught the sound of someone behind him. He turned his head to look, and in doing so he managed to bump into the wall beside him. "Oh. Hello," he said, obviously extremely self-conscious.
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Critchun appeared a moment after Time, and is following him around. The beastie is currently much more beast than person, so most would be definitely be forgiven for mistaking her as just a weird otter-bear-thing Time brought.
The Devout seems to smile at Huck, but the darkness and mask hide the act itself. Wonder how he got the intent. Anyways, it speaks, with Huck hearing his own voice, "Hello. I assume we're both here for the same event? I do hope you know the way to the meeting, as I've never known this tower before."
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Chronos materialized next to Time and Critchun. She was standing normally, as since her recovery standing was much preferred to sitting in a wheelchair.
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The leaves sprouting along Huck's back lifted like hackles as he heard the Devout's (his?) voice and he let out an involuntary growl. It was an intensely unnerving effect, but he caught himself before he did anything further. Maybe she didn't have a choice to speak like that, and she hadn't done anything wrong. "I am not sure where the meeting is," he admitted. "It is my first time here, as well."
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(Gonna wait one or two more days for Zane and/or Specter before starting)
The closer one gets to the building, the more there seems to be a scent of vanilla mixed with the slightly metallic odor emitted by the machinery. A strange sensation to be sure, though whether it is unpleasant would likely depend on the answerer.
The inside of the tower is dimly lit. Its entirety is also illuminated by the red hue surrounding the exterior, but one side is plainly darker than the other, which is dashed with faint lights of varying shades.
In the central space of what is presumably the meeting space, there's a plain wooden table set up, though no chairs accompany it at the moment. For that matter, there are no accessories either, save for a single antique pitcher of water.
In the midst of the scene in the hallways, a young man weaves through the pecularity, giving brief instructions to those still heading to the meeting space. A telepathic "Please continue this way" is the most typical instruction given to those who still seem a bit unsure of their whereabouts, though he seems to prefer giving instructions to someone who doesn't need it over not giving it to someone who does, and a smile is given to all participants regardless of whether or not they need further help.
"Excuse me. The meeting space is situated in the center," he offers to Huck and the Devout as he carefully takes a standing position nearby the two. He seems to be actually speaking this time. "We apologize for lack of clarity within the instructions. This location is difficult to mark."
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The Devout seems to be about to say something along the lines of 'oh dear' before the man arrives and speaks. It speaks with a somehow lacking confusion, "Do you mean the center of this floor, or the center of the tower? And if the latter, where is the stairwell?"
Ash gives a small wave to the Clocktower group, before going back to his book. They make a mental note to ask about what happened to Epheral while he was away. Also to wonder about how Time and Chronos would react to being called the tick tock twins
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"All of those are the same for today," he answers smoothly. "You would reach your intended destination even if you were to turn and walk the opposite direction, so we hope you will not fret about your bearings."
With that, he gives a smile and eases his way past the two, walking towards anyone else who may need help.
...so, walk straight is really all he had to say. What a strange entity.
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Ark walks over to the clocktower gang and joins them wherever they’re standing. “So, you guys know what we’re here for?”
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Time acknowledges Ash with a motion of his own.
"Dunno." He looks past Ark, staring at the empty table and the lonely water pitcher, "I you read the invitation though, I suppose it may be mostly a time to bring up subject that just need to be brought up. His eyes slyly dart over to Orphos, before looking back to Ark.
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Germaine received the letter and didn't hesitate in touching the icon as instructed. This would be the second time she was invited to a deity meeting. Hopefully she'd be able to contribute with something important this time. If not, well, it wouldn't be bad to be up to date on happenings from around Forengard.
She rubbed her eyes after being teleported. The place wasn't quite what she expected, but it also wasn't disappointing. Who was she to question the choice of setting for a meeting of deities, anyways? She stepped inside with confidence, being directed towards the main place and politely greeting anyone she found on her way.
Maybe I should have brought some treats to share, like last time, she thought. Ah, well, too late. Hopefully nobody would mention anything related.
~
Kradly is also there, having come along with Lumi. He's just there for now. Maybe another day he would've wanted to do something else, but he also kind of wants to know what sort of things are discussed at deity meetings. Plus, he wouldn't leave his twin alone for something like this.
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As if the very mention of topics is a cue of some sort, everyone on their way to the meeting space suddenly finds themselves within it regardless of their prior distance from the room. The uncomfortable nature of this sudden state of affairs is likely more than uncomfortable for some; not to mention, the sudden appearance of so many people in all directions, all at once, is likely unpleasant for a certain dealer god.
And in the space of what is presumably a sudden forced silence, rather akin to the sudden drainage of talk before a performance, a slight silhouette sidles out of an invisible corridor, his demeanor and smile impervious to the atmosphere of the space.
It's a bit brighter here now. Wider, too, it seems, even though simultaneously it feels as if nothing has changed. Regardless, the room is still awash in an unfading red light, which seems to muffle even the immortal's bright, sharp voice.
"Hello, everyone. I'm sorry for the wait," he starts. "I'm glad that you could make it here, and as I believe is customary, I want to respect your time. As such, I assumed that the start of the meeting should be made as soon as possible."
He bounds forward a bit, surveying the participants with a small smile, before he settles into a more formal pose, clasping his hands in front of him.
"I guess I should do this part just in case, though. As I mentioned in my letter, you may call me Galaxian. Regardless of whether we have crossed paths already, I am glad that you are here, and I hope that you will gain something helpful from this meeting. Please feel free to ask any questions should you have any, whether during or after the meeting. There are plenty of entities here who delight in assisting.
"Oh," he adds, his gaze darting to the side and back again. "I also wished to clarify that I will act only as a participant when I can, so please treat this as an open dialogue. I hope my presence will not detract from that purpose. And if you need anything, like food or water or a chair--just think about it and it should appear."
Multiple things appear all at once--chairs that are presently pushed in towards the table, multiple bowls of different food varieties that appear in the centermost portions of the table's different areas, and stacks of mini brochures.
He smiles.
"Please take a seat if you would like, or stay where you are if that is your preference. I am looking forward to hearing from you today."
(As a note, anyone can feel free to join late; I think I should be able to make it work. And let me know if you need anything too. :D)
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Huck gave a nervous glance to the others gathered nearby. The dhole-headed Bushbeast had never been in the presence of so many deities before, and he wasn't really sure how to act in this situation. As such, he sat down where he stood, trying to make himself as small as possible to not crowd anyone else. He probably wasn't going to fit at the table anyway.
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(Qjnfkqkfk I wanted Apollo, Echo, and Ruin to show up "fashionably late", is there some way we can work that into this?)
Despite how much Seis really didn't want to, the rest of his friends were shuffling to the table. The yarn wasn't helping much with Seis's wants as it tangled around his fingers and hand, pulling them along reluctantly. It's a bit noticeable due to Seis slowing down the process of actually getting to the table in the first place, so the group had to stop to actually untangle Seis from the yarn, with somehow Francis getting tangled up after everyone else was released from the string prison.
Francis just accepts this fate, not bothering to try to untangle himself. He just sits down like his circulation wasn't being cut off in his hands.
Lumi is still on his phone when he sits down, and Silence plops down very casually and grins at everyone.
Seis slowly sits down, fidgeting with the letter. They don't seem ready to talk yet.
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Ash drops from the ceiling, concealing the journal back to wherever it was originally midfall, and moves to sit at the table. Only he first has to think away the back of the seat so that their wings aren't being dislocated or something. "As with Orphos, I would appreciate news of what has occurred since I was cast into death by my shade."
DD has to move her arm away from Huck, as the gray flame of its hand nearly touched him. Fire should certainly remain away from plants, so they wander over into a seat. It almost visibly reactions when Ash calls her leige his shade.
Critchun does not want to sit in the seats, so instead it goes to sit somewhat near Huck.
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Chronos took a seat next to wherever Time was sitting, looking around at the room curiously.
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Germaine remained standing in her place, waiting to see that most of the others would take a seat before she did. In the meantime, she glanced around the area.
There was food already on the table. That was good. Nobody would get distracted from the meeting by hunger. Perhaps a little guiltily, she also felt relieved that her cookies wouldn't be necessary. Still, she'd do well to have some at hand for next time.
So far everything looked in order. The deities were here, some other people, and even some creatures. Germaine smiled at seeing the bushbeast and the hare. She kept her hands together as she thought.
~
Kradly thought up the bright idea of pinching Lumi or snatching his phone, given that the situation was important and formal to an extent. But he refrained from doing so. After all, nobody had started to speak yet.
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Marsh jolts a little at the sudden teleportation though any confusion is quickly replaced with curiosity. Looking around the room as she took slowly a seat at the table. Every movement is a little hesitant, unsure of what she's supposed to be doing. A minute in and she's already snacking on something, an entire plate of croutons, trying her best to follow the conversation.
Nemesis takes a seat next to Marsh. She's not doing much of anything really, just observing and listening.
Somnus doesn't bode very well with going from a few minds in his near vicinity to an entire room of brains. Thankfully there's no major outburst, he at least has enough self-control for that, but he does float himself above everyone else just to get some space. It doesn't do much for the headache that's already starting to develop.
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(@Echo - Yeah, just pop them in whenever you want. Though ig they might be punished for their tardiness if they hate telepathy lol)
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Time decides to near the table, by Chronos. But doesn't take a seat for the moment. Instead, he decides to bring fourth a question.
"What's up with the non-deities? I though this was a meeting for the Pantheon, Galaxian." His words carry a very direct and blunt tone, but Time doesn't intend it to be some sort of pointed comment against the nondeities in the room, even if there is a chance some do take it in such a way.
Last edited by Time (April 6, 2023 02:55:41)
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Between the questions being asked and the intense eating going on at the table (which by the way is long rather than circular, though it lacks in jagged edges), the deity's been holding his tongue surprisingly well, waiting for everyone to settle in or get used to the meeting environment, but he answers when he's addressed.
"Oh, I'm sorry if I was misleading about the nature of this meeting. But it really wouldn't be much of a meeting without people. We as deities can meet up rather easily, right? Even outside of circumstance, I mean."
He shrugs, somewhat casual in doing so, though he gives what seems to be an apologetic smile to Orphos and Ash for the postponement of their question(s). "So I guess that with a meetup like this, I was thinking of more a general discussion. No inside secrets or anything. Unless you had something else in mind, Time?"
His grin has turned slightly towards the sly side.
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“Galaxian! Haven’t seen you in a hot minute.” Ark sits down at the table, and waits for the meeting to properly begin. “What’ve you been up to?”
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Seis's ears felt hot at the mention of non-deities, immediately wanting to melt into her chair and disappear. The letter in her hand crinkles as her hands strains into more of tight, nervous fists. She looks pale, and Seis definitely felt nauseous. Finding the courage to speak up was really hard! And Seis had told her friends that she'd like to do the talking, since she was the one who received the letter! Seis felt like it was her responsibility to bring up that it may have been the wrong address! However, Seis did notice that Apollo and Echo weren't there... Maybe Seis was to fill their place for the day? But wouldn't make more sense for Silence to get the letter, since Echo was their sister and Silence also knew Apollo better?
Silence pushed a few cookies to Seis, and Francis leaned a cold water bottle against her arm, snapping Seis out of her thought spiral.
"You good?" Silence muttered through a mouthful of cookies.
Seis nodded, slowly opening the water bottle and taking a sip. She felt a little less nauseous.
Lumi slowly (almost reluctantly) started to put his phone away as conversation started. Both he and Francis wondered if their respective parents ever attended meetings like these. Both as well had the same conclusion: definitely not. They would be too drunk to attend or would have been thrown out and banned for instigating fights.
It's a bit of a funny thought.
Francis and Silence keep pushing food towards Seis to distract her from her nerves. Lumi is joining in too, although due to not paying attention as he was on his phone, he isn't sure why his friends were creating a food pile in front of and around Seis.
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The Devout speaks up, with all in attendance hearing their own voice; though it doesn't overlap between listeners. "I was under the impression that those of us whom are not fully divine were invited as emissaries or associates of gods that were unlikely to appear. I don't see why such a thing would need to be questioned, given how many rivalries in the pantheon I've heard word of." DD now rests both of her hands on the table, making the gray flame of the vile shade come into plain sight.
Critchun is looking around at all the unfamiliar deities and mortals. They seem to want to comfort Seis, but knows that the required amount of beast there is 0.