sticksandbones | 🌑🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘🌑 [ Moon Seance ]

Entry tags:

🌑🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘🌑 [ Moon Seance ]

Who: Moon Gang + idk other haters ig-
What: Moon Seance
When: Full Moon (May 23rd)
Where: Yeah-
Warnings: none immediately, but will be in post titles as they appear

[ Perhaps one might notice that Mizuki's started taking public notes in the netbook. He's dedicated a couple of pages to the cycles of the moon, and which moon was appearing in the sky that night, before the moon even rises. On the backside of the page he tries everyday to dot a black page with spots that are probably supposed to be stars. It doesn't seem random, but it's also hard to make out what it might be for initially.

The morning before the full moon, however, Mizuki circles the date. It's not as if it's a rare event or anything like that, happening roughly once a month and all that, but he does want to try to make a note of this. In the journal, on a new page, he writes: ]

It's a good night to contact the moon goddess, if that's something we still wanted to try! I can get some things to set us up. I recommend napping so you can be awake for later tonight!

[ No information beyond that, like a meeting place or anything like that, though it's likely Mizuki doesn't actually know where a good place to meet is. He doesn't know anything about trying to talk to gods that aren't already in your head, after all.

But he'll be outside by the well when night falls all the same, and he'll patiently wait for everyone to gather, too. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ourania looks over at him, thoughtful.

"I don't believe that is my place to say, though I do try. But the standards for gods and mortals are very different, Many Moons. It is by our followers that we are remembered- though ours have died out long ago. ... The followers of the Silver Moon, however, I believe were kind. They were healers, primarily, and turned away no one."

…The actions of the followers do not always align with that of the god. [ Something he isn’t really going to elaborate on, but hopes it’s understandable even without his examples. ] But your… magic…? I think… it’s very calming. Soothing. The sort of thing I associate with a kind person, but… I’m also never certain. Those things are hard for me to discern. The gods I’ve spoken to are nothing like you.

"Not always, no. But Beiwe and I always tried to be interactive. Not entirely hands on, but we made our creeds known, and if they did something we didn't approve of, we made it known."

She smiles though, letting a spark of light dance on her fingrtips for a moment.

"I'm glad, though. After Beiwe and her brother found me, I wanted to pay their kindness forward. Soon, I grew to love all things in this world, and Beiwe is the fighter- so I chose to nurture. That it shows in my magic is a wonderful thing. Thank you. As for your other gods... Different cultures and different worlds shape different deities. They are what they need to be. I am what I need."

Her brother... her and the other sun? [ They were siblings?? That makes sense in hindsight, but knowing what he knows now... woof. ] ...Why did they fight? What happened to make everything that happened... happen? Moder told me some of it, but I'd like to hear it from you. And maybe what it was like before...????

"Yes, the Fallen Sun. His name has been struck from history entirely to ensure He can never truly rise to His full power again. Even I have forgotten it."

It is probably the steeliest she's sounded tonight. But she quickly sighs and turns her gaze towards the window, clutching at the blankets in her lap.

"... I do not know what happened. Eons ago, the three of us lived happily. They ruled the day, stoking life and spreading warmth, and I the night with my Stars. But more than joy, it was suffering that seemed to interest the Fallen Sun. It was not unlike your tragedies in theater, but... He delighted in harming people.

Within days, vibrant and lush continents became arid wastelands under his cruelty. And when we put a stop to it, He lashed out. He nearly struck my beloved from the sky, and killed this region's Guardian of the Sky in his outrage. It was as if He could not fathom our disapproval or our desire to stop him.

... We went to war. And while we tried to protect the remaining life on this world, He too continued his destruction until nothing was left. When we sealed him, we had to let our beloved planet stay dead for years to allow the cosmic magic from our battles to settle. Only then could we begin reviving the world, planting new life and letting humanity grow once more. We sealed his prison within an enchanted forest, designed to keep mankind from finding it... but humans are persistent, and as we were forgotten, our power waned."

Ourania sighs again before reaching for her bedside table. Water.

"... Before his sudden change, the three of us lived in peace. It was the Suns who found me on the dark side of the moon and taught me humanity. I fell in love with Beiwe, but He was my dearest friend. He taught me to grow plants, and helped me shape the first Star. We would visit the planet we guided to explore and play, and... I thought we were happy."

Generally, [ Oh no, someone cover Mizuki's mouth- ] when someone derives pleasure from other's pain, it either comes from a place of wanting to inflict what they felt on others, or they may find it makes them feel as if they have control over something. Anyone surrounded by too much Order can find solace in the Chaos instead. That's often a feeling that stems from being ignored, being out of control of themselves, or just overall feeling powerless, usually in comparison to others.

[ Mizuki, you sound like a textbook, shut up- ]

It's likely he truly didn't understand. Sometimes people... do things wrong, and they don't realize why those things are wrong. Just saying "don't do that" often upsets them, as without an explanation it's not easy to understand. It's like... telling someone without any sort of nerves that they shouldn't touch the stovetop, but not telling them that it's because it's hot and could harm them. You understand this because you can feel the heat and your brain registers it as a danger to you, but this person without nerves wouldn't understand, because without an explanation, why would they?

People without any empathy are the same way. It's why I have to ask so many questions... I don't have empathy like other people, either.

Anyway, [ Not to worry the other people around here, haha- ] was there an event or something that may have triggered the change, or was it gradual?

Also, what do you mean you sealed it away? In the temple, I recall... uh... dead people? Was there a separate ritual that humans did? Was there another point where it escaped???

Ourania is quiet as he speaks, before sighing.

"I promise you, He very much did understand what He was doing. Anything else, if you are correct, He never once communicated- we were a family, and He never had issues bringing any potential problem up to us before. But what's done is done.

If there was a change, He hid it from me. Beiwe may have more insight, as His sister, but she is resting from her time shining during the day. From my perspective, He went from nurturing a small village to burning it down in a day."

As for his other questions...

"When He first wiped out all life on the earth, we sealed him within the temple with the aid of some of our surviving priests- with no future in a wasteland, they chose to sacrifice themselves. It was our efforts combined that locked him beneath the earth."

[ He feels as though he's missing something here. He wants to push back against her a bit, to point out things that don't make sense to him, but he understands that he isn't very smart. Of course this wouldn't make sense to him.

He'll drop it, then, and just nod. ]

And the details of that ritual?

"We repurposed an old temple to the Guardians, with their permission. Within the depths, the priests carved out binding circles, and fueled their strength with blood magic while Beiwe and I fought Him and lured him to the trap. Upon entry, he was overpowered in one final battle and sealed within the chains of their blood and life force. From within, the survivors sealed the door on their side, while we placed seals on the outside in turn. We then sealed the surrounding land that would eventually become the forest.

To feed the binding circles to full power, it was required that at least one would feed it steady drops of their blood until it took all that it could.

It was an ugly last resort, I will admit. But he had destroyed everything and would do so again."

[ He nods. He wishes he had his clipboard so he could be taking notes, but… ]

And why was he so much stronger than both of you? Were you holding back?

"Initially, yes. He was our brother. Our family, and closest friend.

But he drew power from the suffering he caused as well. And when he wiped out mortal life, ending the world completely... this too empowered him. I imagine that is why that pocket of the afterlife in the forest exists to begin with: to keep your souls and suffering from feeding him further."

How very interesting! A god that earns power on suffering instead of belief. That's far different than what we've been learning about. But then why did Nene's belief kickstart all the suffering again, if he just needed suffering to grow in power...??

"It wasn't the child's belief that kickstarted anything. She offered it understanding so as to try and curb the suffering, and He took it as affection and faith. He'd already started His reign of terror upon the forest by then.

He does still require faith as well though- something He either forgot or decided to ignore for His cruel fun. It is why we tried so hard to ensure His name could never be rediscovered."

Unfortunately for everyone, Affogato-

…So, this outcome would’ve been the same, regardless of Nene’s interference? That may be something she’d wanna hear…

I understand that sometimes you have to make a decision to pick one over the many. That’s a classic trolley problem. But assuming there were no time constraints and you didn’t have to worry about that choice at all, would you continue to try and reach out to him?

...Also, um, whenever he... "plays games" with us, it seems like it's been a pattern that the barrier allows a little more space for us to see around the grove and stuff. I was wondering if that was a sign of waning power, or... something else entirely?

Edited 2024-05-27 16:04 (UTC)

"Yes. I imagine her attempts to pacify Him and his twisted love for her spared her some pain... but in the end, He more than made up for what she missed out on."

--Oh.

Mizuki's question hits hard. Enough so that she falters, hiding her frown behind her knuckles as she looks away.

"I... I don't know. I miss my friend. But He tried to kill my wife, my everything. I want to know why. I want to know what happened, and if something did this to Him and He can be avenged, or... if it was always going to be this way. But I don't know. I'm sorry, my dear.

... As for the barrier, part of it is the Little Lion's children pushing for more freedom for you, and part of it is Him permitting it. It is a battle of wills, and at the same time, He is toying with the lot of you. Dangling answers before you with nothing else."

Mmh... That's alright. Let me try asking it a different way. If it turns out he'd done all this of his own accord, but he gets "fixed", and he apologizes... would you forgive him?

[ He thinks he worded that a little better, maybe. He's not sure if this answer will be helpful at all, but who knows! Things happen. ]

What would happen if they stopped? Is there anything we can do to help? Heimr should really have his kids back. How many Guardians are around that we can help? How many are corrupted? Is there an easier way to learn how to do the suppression stuff the moon shard does? How am I supposed to help Mister Renard out of the tree if I don't know how to use magic? Is there anything I can do to help you with the moon shard? Does that have your powers? Can I give it back? Would that heal you? What do you think we should do next? Are we even on the right path now?

Oh.

Oh that's so much. Ourania almost looks dizzy-

"Ah.. one at a time, love.

Setting aside the first one for right now, and in order-

The Fallen Sun would be able to flood the town with His monsters whenever He pleases, rather than just when the barrier weakened, along with His "games".

You may try and create your own barrier, but that... may well be your own duty to look into. As a collective, not just you, of course. But I agree. I don't believe his children were meant to be the casters of this ritual.

There are three within the Grove who are corrupted, and many corrupted beings within the forest of all kinds of species.

There may be, though I don't know how you best learn. Within my abandoned temples and churches there should be tomes and scrolls to teach this realm's moon magic.

The peacock needs cosmic magic of all sorts to ease him free. Work with a bearer of a Sun shard, and those with star magic. I have faith that you will learn.

The Moon shard is a piece of my magic. All it would do is grant me a sliver of power back, and not one that is necessarily missing. If you hadn't eaten it, you would be able to, but as it is now you and the shard are one and the same. It would not heal me- it is best with the mortals I gave it to, with you.

There is no right path, truly. I am... unsure, what you should do next. The power you give us with your faith and kindness may let us help you, but as long as my brother in law holds power over the forest, he can keep us from intervening more than we'd like."

She sounds a bit weary, but not unreceptive to further questions.

[ Mizuki is just nodding along. Okay, okay, this all makes sense. He understands.

...

Mmh- ] You said you'd put it aside. The first question, I mean. But you still need to answer it. Not because I'm trying to be malicious or anything, but because I gotta know how best to handle the situation, and if I can gauge your thoughts on him, it'd be real helpful, mom.

[ "Mom"-- ]

"I know, but you asked a lot of questions all at once, and even I cannot switch between things like that so easily. A painful hypothetical requires a different sort of focus than the guidance I can give."

But while he continues as she reclines a bit, running a hand through her hair, she pauses.

"Come here, my dear. Please."

Oh. [ Just “oh,” as if he didn’t realize he was asking too much, genuinely. It’s always hard to gauge how much is too much, especially when he rapid fires questions to the hivemind all the time.

He does sit by her when she asks, though. ] I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to… overwhelm you or anything.

Ourania pulls him into a hug, leaning her head against his.

"It's all important information, and I'm not upset at you for asking, little love. But it may be best to ask one or two at a time, while you still have these questions.

As for my brother in law... what I want is for those of you victimized by His current actions to give their judgement. And if we can, we shall help enforce it. But don't let my heart sway your own. ... And don't let my grief wrongfully spare Him, if it comes to that."

But what if I don't ask the right question and I'm not able to help? There's so much I still don't know, and I don't know what's important to know. Faith in this world works so much different than in mine. Magic, too. The only thing that's stayed consistent is the people, and even then even back home I didn't understand them that well.

I... I just wanna do the right thing.

"I know, my darling. And it's a hard path, no matter how easy others can make it look. But I have faith in all of you, as well."

After a moment, she looks down to him.

"Can I impart some knowledge to you, dear? As in- plant some magic knowledge into your mind. This may make things a bit easier for you."