now with 100% fewer homicidal robots

[kingincognito]

Who: Joshua + anyone involved in the portal project!
What: The portal is finally ready!
When: Mid-May
Where: The center of the Grove
Warnings: idk it's portal shenanigans, I'll add warnings if we need them!

[ It's taken a couple of months, but with the combined effort of a few good brains, the portal is finally as ready as it's going to be. Calculations have been made, plans have been formed, and now all they have to do is put the sun and moon stones in place, and pray.

Literally, because it's been in his notes that faith could have some power in helping them get where they need to go. Hopefully.

Midway through the month, Joshua puts out a message through the netbooks. ]

To everyone that has helped with the portal:

Our efforts are ready to bear fruit. I would like to try activating it tomorrow. Let us meet in the center of the Grove at noon, when the sun is at its brightest.

We know not what awaits us should the portal be successful, so I would prefer to err on the side of caution. If you can fight, please come prepared to do so. Also, we will certainly need hands to relay anything we might want to bring back. If you are Corrupted, however, I am afraid I must ask you not to be involved as a matter of safety and security. My apologies.

[ And, come late morning the following day, Joshua is there, umbrella in hand to protect himself from the sunlight. He has gathered boxes and crates for any potential recovery of items, should the portal work properly, as well as basic medical supplies just in case. Small bouquets of flowers are placed around the base of the portal, in what might be a startling abundance. Better to have more than needed than not enough. ]

Comments

the portalening

[kingincognito]

[ For all that Joshua feels like something this big should have even just a little bit of pomp and circumstance, it's probably best to just get on with it. After all, the portal is set up in the center of the Grove, in plain view of anyone who wishes to see it. The significance of what they're doing will be known to those who are interested.

In his heart, though, he feels the elation of being close to completing his brother's task. Elation, and in some way, sorrow: the former for what they might discover, and the latter for no longer having the connection to his brother that this task has forged.

The stones are set in a particular pattern, alternating sun and moon, and then Joshua clasps his hands around the handle of his umbrella and closes his eyes. He has never been a man of prayer, not like those that follow the Greagorian Church, but he is a priest of Beiwe now. Adding a little of his own aether to the soft but fervent faith that the portal will both work and connect them to their desired location is the least that he can do. ]

[sticksandbonesmods]

The portal opens with a soft lavender swirl and beckons, invites- and as you enter, you find yourself standing before a grand courtyard- a garden full of flowers none of you have seen before, that radiate starlight or nebulas. Purple and green trees line the outside, providing soothing shade and the sky above seems like a brilliant mix of midday and twilight, with clouds of stardust drifting across whatever the light source is. The building before you is tall and ornate, the stone a pure white with crimson and gold embellishments. The windows seem to reflect in rainbows.

It's beautiful, marking a purity in a soul that has long since lost itself to darkness.

> Explore the courtyard.

> Continue forward.

[lilyberation]

( lily is hovering midair, butterfly wings fluttering into a blur as she grins excitedly-

and then her face falls and she settles onto the ground. )

... I'm not...

...

( lily is free to grab as a companion in your explorations. )

[jesterlies]

[What Shadow Milk is right now is hard to really pinpoint. He's a little feathery, a little scaly. He's got twisty horns that almost look like antlers and some manner of long tail that reaches past the ground, curling a little at his feet as he looks down at Lily.]

[She should be overjoyed by this, she looked it a moment or two ago, but he thinks he understands what might be happening here. Because hadn't this been a project he worked on?]

[With a sigh he reaches down, scoops her up into his hands.]

You're falling behind, Guardian.

[lilyberation]

( lily curls up, one hand curling around his fingers. she can't meet his eyes, and if it's out of sorrow or shame or guilt, it's hard to say. though, it's lily, so it could easily be all three. )

... Just before you arrived... Vanny asked me not to come here without him.

[jesterlies]

[He takes a deep breath.]

And what would he say knowing you might be denying yourself with him gone?

[He knows. However, he also knows that's not a strong argument for someone like her.]

[lilyberation]

... Before he lost that part of his heart. He would have wanted me to go. But this was after. When he was terrified of it, and of the Spire. When he was raw from- ... from the White Lily Cookie back home abandoning him for knowledge.

I don't know anymore.

( her voice is quieter than usual, which is saying something when she's a very quiet butterfly already. her grip tightens. )

He was changing, after he Awakened. And with your presence here. Embracing his own desires more.

[jesterlies]

I was a rotten influence on him, it's true.

[That is said a bit for levity but also. well. It was True.]

[He understands where she's coming from, really. He remembers that possessiveness Vanilly had when he was here. The jealousy that rung so loud in their souls when he spoke or did anything without him. He knows the Truth that's supposed to be here.]

[Good thing he's a Liar.]

And I think he'd desire for you to be happy.

[Hum.]

...How about this.

[He takes his free hand, and holds it out, then, softly, there is a glow from all the runes etched into his skin. They shine gold against the blue, creating a brilliant contrast.]

[lilyberation]

You were.

( there's something about the airy tone...

but as much as she'd enjoyed his possessiveness in the moment, she knew deep down something was wrong. and she'd been wrong to encourage it for the feeling of- of feeling wanted when it felt like no one cared if she stay or go for all her life, up until the silver kingdom... and by that time, her ambition was stronger than her desire to belong somewhere.

lily is quiet up until he offers his other hand, magic aglow- she looks up at him quietly, and then presses her admittedly very small hand against his. )

[jesterlies]

[He was missing half of his heart, and so tried to fill it with Shadow Milk. The effect was well...]

[Anyway, the magic glows, shines bright, and after a moment above his hand there is ...a small mote of light. Almost like a dust particle, its so small, but it shines brightly even so.]

...These runes on my skin were put in place so that I could channel and store mana from him. This is all I have left of his light. Of him.

[He closes his hand, returning it to him, and a ripple of light shines through the runes.]

If we go, then so will he.

[lilyberation]

... Will- you lose it if you do this? I don't want you to...

( there's only so much of vanilla left in this world, and if shadow milk gives up even a drop for her... she's not sure she could handle it.

after a moment, she moves to hug him around the neck, burying herself into him almost. )

... Thank you...

[jesterlies]

[Ah- that was ...unexpected. He reaches a hand up to support her carefully. She is small and delicate.]

No, so long as I don't expend it as magical energy, it will stay within me. It just means I have to be mindful of the magic I cast.

[He burned through almost all of it fighting Suri. This was all he could keep hold of in the wake of that mess. he doesn't intend to let it go for much.]

But ...however small it is, it's still him. You won't be going in without him so long as we both go in together.

[hhng its still weird to be thanked by her but, he does not refute it at least.]

[lilyberation]

... Okay. Okay. Let's go. ... And thank you, Shadow Milk Cookie.

( it's- she wants to say it's strange that he's being kind to her like this, but- is it really? he's gone out of his way to make her laugh when she was upset, they live together, mourn together...

ease each other's loneliness.

maybe this isn't so strange after all.

she stays clinging to him, because for a butterfly who likes to flutter about, she is also very... well, clingy, but it seems her mood has lifted considerably. )

... Dibs on whatever looks the most interesting.

( oh yes, she's very relieved if she's ribbing him like that. )

[jesterlies]

[Perhaps the two of them have simply lied to themselves so much it became their Truth.]

[With that, though, he will walk them through the door.]

Oh, make noooo mistake, Guardian! The moment we're on the other side, all bets are off! You'll have to beat me to the good stuff if you wanna see it at all, mhehehe-!

[lilyberation]

You can't shake me off, it's illegal.

( to make her point, she nuzzles further into his feathers, giggling softly as her wings flutter. you'll be bringing her to the best spots no matter what! )

[jesterlies]

Wretched is my fate!

[He says it with such a dramatic flair, holding his arms out.]

You'd better be holding on, then! I won't be slowing down.

[lilyberation]

( it's okay! she's a butterfly... creature, so she can hold on nice and tight. there's a soft trill, like she's agreeing. )