Event Log: Dust to Dust

[hadrielmods]

Who: All characters participating in the event
What: The event log for the Dust to Dust event
Where: All over the city!
When: January 14th-17th
Warnings: A big ol' mess.

It starts off small: the wind picks up, particles of sand and dirt and dust begin to fill the air. You might not even notice at first, not until you have to wipe the dust off your windows to see outside. After all, it's been a long time since Hadriel has experienced weather, and it's never experienced a weather event not caused by the gods before.

But the gods aren't in charge of the weather now, and even if they could prevent this dust storm, they have way too many other things to do. So it's up to you to deal with it, and as the wind rises and the dust storm moves into the city, there'll be plenty to deal with.

Once the storm is at its peak, it'll be almost impossible to see outside - and it won't be safe to go wandering, either. Entirely besides falling and hurting yourself, if you aren't wrapped up well enough the particles in the air will abrade your skin. Love that sandpaper feel! Oh, and breathing? Yeah, better make sure your nose and mouth are covered, or else they'll be full of sand, too. Hope you've got some goggles stashed away to protect your eyes. Luckily, it won't last too long - 'cause you'll have plenty of cleaning to do once the storm is over.

► This log covers January 14th-17th.
► Feel free to make your own logs, as well
► Please tag headers of threads with content warnings where they apply
► Please put your character's name and open/closed in the subject line of your starters!
► If you foolishly get scoured to the bone, please let us know here.

Comments

[tongueamok]

As much as he wanted to stay embedded in Glacius' neck, Carlisle does appreciate their usual method of showing comfort, pressing his forehead tightly against his partner's in their personal sign of affection and solidarity. What's more is what Glacius actually says, the support he provides with his words as much as his actions.

"To take control of my own fate," he murmurs, his eyes closing as they glisten with a mixture of melancholy and determination. "I suppose that is what this is about, isn't it? Not just accepting things as I have seen them for so long, but... trying to do otherwise, despite everything that says I shouldn't. Despite my fears and apprehension, despite my nerves and my impending end. I don't wish to further its advance, but if I do nothing, it will find me regardless."

His expression relaxes; he rubs his forehead against Glacius' smooth brow again, his hand finding its place along the warrior's prominent scar. "I have had so much taken from me, and could do so little to prevent it. I have blamed myself for years, and even now, I still feel the guilt of their deaths, and of my failed lineage, weighing upon me. My existence until this place had been a burden on others... and on me, yet I persisted out of the terror of what awaited me. There were times I contemplated my end by the riverside, knowing I had so little to lose."

Carlisle shifts his head just a little, the bridge of his nose gracing Glacius' head in their form of a kiss. "I now have a reason to take control of what life I have left. I have motivation to do what I can to live, and while I feel sometimes that I don't deserve it, I know you would say otherwise. You give me what reason I need, Glacius. You- you are everything to me in this existence. You are why I want this."

[glacius]

The only response that Glacius gives to that is a shuddering exhale; he doesn't seem to have any more argument to make or advice to give. How could he, when his partner is offering up such heartfelt sentiments, returning the alien's own back to him? He only wants to be with Carlisle in this moment, relishing in the love that they share. Unfortunately, what brought them to this point still looms before them; they must face it, and so the otherworldly being speaks up again, bolstered by their bond.

"You have grown so much, my love," the ice alien murmurs, pleased that even distressing circumstances can bring them to a deeper understanding, and a more fully-fledged connection. "I cannot state enough how proud I am of you... or how pleased. Pleased to know that you will do whatever you can to stay by me. As your partner, it is my duty to return that, so... how do I help you for this? If you are going to undertaking this perilous task, surely together we can find a way to minimize the risks to you. I would feel much better knowing that I've... done what I can to make this safe for you."

Which seems to be a recurring theme for the alien, no matter what world they're considering. He might not be able to hold Carlisle back or keep him from danger all the time, but if they can prepare and work together... he knows they can find a way to prevail.

[tongueamok]

Carlisle can't help but smile at his partner's pride, that acknowledgment of personal progress rejuvenating. He continues to graze Glacius' ridges with the bridge of his nose before finally resting his forehead against the alien once more, letting the cool of his armor soothe him as he tries to think.

"I will need to use your energies somehow. I... I am not sure I can, or should, use only my own."

He has no doubt Glacius has noticed his recent bouts of coughing, as well as his weariness when he returns from his garden. The glyphs that keep it watered and protected from the oppressive heat are fairly simple, but numerous, and such a tax quickly adds up into something significant.

"But I would rather not expose your energies to any kind of taint... just in case."

[glacius]

Glacius certainly has noticed it, and all the other signs of his partner's struggling health lately. As such, he responds in a careful but up front manner, "I'll be honest, Carlisle, I don't think you can or should be using only your own energy unless it is a dire emergency. The Mote is there to keep you nourished, and so that you don't have to wear yourself down as much."

The alien puffs a little breath through his nostrils, though he is apparently thinking on the clergyman's words. His people are taught to be wary of corruptive influences, but... can he really call himself a protector or a partner if he shies away from this while Carlisle risks his own energies? "Well, it would be even worse to expose only your own, as we have just said. So I'm not sure there's another option in this case. Besides, my energies are strong and pure... there's a good chance that they will be able to resist this, yes?"

[tongueamok]

Carlisle tucks away a mental note regarding his use of his own energies for his garden for later, focusing on the latter half of what Glacius says.

"There is, but your energies are so much... stronger than mine. Abundant. They're harder for me to grasp as they flow from the Mote. Perhaps if I had a more controlled source of them, like a— oh!"

He pulls back just a hair to look his partner in the eyes, a rare hint of enthusiasm shining in them. "The Tears!"

[glacius]

"The—ah, yes!" Glacius blinks, having had to take a moment to connect the dots given that such things aren't commonplace in his world. That hint of enthusiasm is infectious, and the alien's own cheekbones twitch upwards just a bit; he hopes he's getting at the same thing that his partner is. "Didn't you say those plants had magical properties—and that they could be used to store a spell, so to speak? Could they contain the necessary casting for an exorcism... or perhaps even energy in raw form?"

[tongueamok]

"They could," Carlisle confirms, a smile tugging at him. "Exorcism is tricky and must be handled delicately -- especially here, as this isn't exactly an exorcism in the most traditional sense -- b- but the energy required for it could easily be contained in one of the seeds. You could provide me what I need, and it'd keep us that much safer, both your energies and mine."

He presses his face to Glacius' once more, hoping to express his gratitude properly.

[glacius]

Glacius accepts the expression of gratitude readily, his own smile growing as he butts back against Carlisle's face. "Ah—ha, see? Look at us, working together, figuring out a proper solution... you do not have to drain yourself if I am the one filling the Tear, and if the energy being used is coming from an isolated source, then my pathways and your aural channels should flow safely, without risk of being tainted by whatever energies this... other party is based off of. Now this—this is a plan I feel good about."

Then something seems to occur to the alien, however, and he slows and nudges Carlisle's face a bit more carefully—as if he's trying to get his attention. "Just... save the other Tear, alright? It was a gift to you, and I want it used for your aid; we must either try to cultivate another one if possible in the continued hopes of getting a spare to bloom... or you must save it and use it for yourself in an emergency. I want you as safe as possible in this damned city, and having insurances can only help."

[tongueamok]

"Of course," Carlisle assures his partner, his hand caressing the side of Glacius' face. "That you got me two -- even one at all -- was an unexpected blessing, and now, it works to our advantage. Perhaps luck will favor us with the remaining one, as I expect whichever we use in this process will not survive the endeavor."

Not that that's always the case, but that is how it usually goes -- with the magic stored expended, the seeds wither and crumble, unable to be rejuvenated in any way. There are many reasons the Tears are so rare, and their intrinsic value as magical phylacteries is one of them.

"Though with our Bond, I can't picture a situation where I would need to use the other." Or rather he can, but would absolutely prefer not to: would the Mote's energies still provide for him in the event of Glacius' death? Or should his lover be torn from Hadriel, back into his own world? Those are truly terrifying thoughts, as without Glacius giving Carlisle a reason to sustain himself at all, such energies stored within a Tear would be almost meaningless... and possibly unused.

[glacius]

"Ah. That's rather... bittersweet, isn't it?" Glacius replies, tilting his head against Carlisle's hand as he tends to do when his partner caresses his scar. "Losing the Tear, I mean—but to a good cause. Certainly to a good cause, if it minimizes risk in unknown territory. Anyways. Of course we will hope against hope that you should never have to use the other, but that does not mean that it is not still a good idea to have a back up. If you get badly injured or end up suffering fatigue as dire as what plagued you after our doubles attacked, for example, then the Tear could help negate that. It is all about being prepared. One can never take too many precautions, especially not with the wellbeing of the one that they love."

[tongueamok]

"I suppose that's true, though I have what energies I need through our Bond." He brings his spare hand to his chest, feeling that warmth resonating within, using it to stave off his paranoia. "I—"

A chuckle makes its way out of him, but it's born from quiet uncertainty rather than mirth. "My eyes glow now. I didn't realize it until someone pointed it out to me. It's peculiar how your energies have manifested visibly in me, isn't it?"

[glacius]

"Ah, you didn't realize? Ha—I'm sorry, I probably could have informed you earlier, I suppose I thought you would have just seen it in the mirror or... some such way. But it is rather subtle, isn't it? Unless you're channeling a lot of energy; I've noticed they glow more brightly then, or in moments of, ahem, exertion," Glacius chuckles, Carlisle's uncertainty making him uncertain in turn; he can't help but try to soothe it.

"Anyways. It may be peculiar, and I can see how such a sudden change in oneself might be unsettling, but... for what it's worth, well, I like it. It's quite striking. And it makes you even more like an honorary member of my species! So that is nice for me, not that there was anything wrong with your eyes before. It just... makes you unique, and is another reminder of our bond. It's nice to be able to see it just by looking at you, I suppose."

[tongueamok]

Carlisle can't help but smile at that. He should've seen it sooner, but the glow wasn't as bright when they first bonded, was far easier to miss. He's noticed it more frequently now, though whether that's because it grows more vibrant as his own energy diminishes, or because he's been made aware of it, he doesn't know.

His smile softens a bit at that sobering thought; he seeks to stifle it by burying himself against his partner once more, resting his head on Glacius' chest. "We didn't have enough in common already, did we? So we took it upon ourselves to make even more ties between us."

[glacius]

Glacius lays back as Carlisle rests against him, letting his hands drift soothingly up and down the length of the human's long back. "Ha, I suppose so. And we will likely continue to unearth more as we spend our lives together. I'm grateful for what we already have, though; it particularly fortuitous that our energies are so compatible, paving the way with the trust we have forged for such a union. I remember when you were first exploring that, back when this scar was a horrific wound still in need of healing."

The ice alien gestures vaguely to that side of his face with one hand before returning it to the cleric's back and continuing. "We have come a long, long way from there in every regard—but at the same time, you were always careful and caring with me. It's no wonder that we ended up Bonded, or that the union has worked so well despite our difference in species, and I am grateful for that, too.

[tongueamok]

As we spend our lives together. Those words resonate with Carlisle again, underscoring the importance of why he must find a way to survive beyond what little time he has. Didn't he tell Kate that whatever machinations the gods have planned next might be his last? How long will that statement be potentially true? What if—

He closes his eyes, pressing his forehead to his lover's frame and trying to focus on Glacius' words rather than his own thoughts. They circle in his mind like hungry beasts; he allows his partner to protect him, to be his shield from such anxieties.

"How different things might have been if you'd left me to my own devices that night in my garden," he murmurs. "If Algidus had never appeared here, and you hadn't seen me at my lowest. We would surely be friends, but- but would we be that much more? Would we be as we are now?"

[glacius]

"Now you're giving some other alien credit for our union?" Glacius snorts, pulling back to headbutt Carlisle again. It's not forceful enough to actually hurt his partner, but it's definitely more than his gentle bunts or nudges—rather like a light, sort of joking rebuke. "We are together because we care for one another, and we always have. Maybe saying we are destined is a bit too dramatic for you," though Glacius can't help but privately feel as though it fits, "But I think we would have gravitated towards each other one way or another. We need each other, after all."

[tongueamok]

There's a flash of worry that crosses Carlisle's face, but it melts away as the alien butts against him, and he belatedly realizes his partner was teasing.

"As dramatic as destined might be," he replies, basking in the affection he's receiving, "we have seen it time and again where we are drawn together." Not just with Algidus, but— "Even when the gods strip us of our memories, we find one another. I only hope it will be the same when we are free of this place, should our memories be taken from us again, as they are from those sent through the Door once more. Perhaps, by going through of our own volition, we will be allowed to keep them."

Carlisle hopes that they'd be able to choose where they go, as well. To return to his own world to wait for Glacius to find him would be just terrible, and the only means he can think of to search for his partner himself are risky even in the most ideal circumstances.