vigilantics | week 1, sunday

Hm?

[ He seems a little surprised, since he looks back at the drawing and tilts his head slightly. ]

...Oh, I suppose I was. [ He says, like he's just realized this, but: ] By your standards, I mean. My people were much more... varied in appearance. I always thought myself rather plain by Eternal standards.

[ that's just how it be when you belong to a race of super varied god-like beings huh ]

What's the difference? Between humans and Eternals, I mean?

[ her mind is still blown by this revelation, but she also wants to have an actual conversation that isn't her blurting out the first thing to come to mind. ]

Why, everything.

[ He says it matter of factly, but he's at least getting slightly less rude with subsequent explanations. He's learning! Probably! ]

It is... complicated, and the complication is not something that I fully understand yet, but you are all made in our image. We are immortal, free of all the pitfalls that plague you mortals. And as it's relevant at the moment, we were endlessly varied in appearance. There were some of us who were as brightly colored as a field of flowers, some you could barely see at all. Others who were as tall as two men, and some who could fit in your hand.

[ He shakes his head, and when he sighs, it's thoughtful ]

...It's why I find all of you the equivalent of looking at a wall. You all look so... similar. Which I suppose is what I should expect, since I believe your creation was something of an act of vanity, but that's only a guess.

[ she actually seems to get it. she's met enough aliens, and knows enough about how alternate universes work, that this doesn't really come off as too surprising. humans look like kryptonians, and there are gods out there who look human, too.

it makes sense that something like this happens across realities. ]

Well... is there differences in the quality of the wall? Are some of us cheap hotel wallpaper?

[ Fane is actually surprised that this is Stephanie's question, but... Pleasantly so. He never dislikes talking about his people, but it's still frustrating to have to explain them so often. It's a very subtle twist of a knife that reminds him that he's alone, after all. ]

Oh, of course. [ He at least responds easily! So you're not all hideous, hooray. ] Some of you are definitely more interesting or pleasing than others. It's merely strange that you're all so similar.

Hm... Where I'm from, there are people called metahumans. So they're human, too, but they have powers. A lot of the time they can look pretty different from other humans. There's this one guy who's green and furry.

[ it's not as common as what fane is saying; being a metahuman is definitely not the norm. still, that's partly why she has an easier time accepting it than someone else might. ]

Hm... Then perhaps you're not all quite so... boring.

[ The way he says "boring" is like he's disappointed more than anything. Fane sighs and shakes his head, then looks back to his drawing. He doesn't get back to work, but his attention does settle on it. ]

And I suppose none of them call themselves Eternals, do they?

Not that I know of. But there are a lot of people I don't know.

[ it's what happens when you're not apart of any teams or even leave your city too often; you miss out on everything that happens elsewhere. ]

You said your companions never asked what you used to look like. So are they... not skeletal?

[ That's fair. At least Fane isn't so racist (species-ist??) that he assumes they all know each other. He nods, both to that and her question. ]

Oh, not at all. They're quite alive. Undead are not terribly common. [ A pause, then: ] ...Well, outside of Fort Joy, at least, but considering what happened and happens there, I would say that's an exception.

[ Yet that doesn't seem to be interesting at all to Fane, since without missing a beat, he continues. ]

They're Sourcerers like I, though of the distinctly more mortal inclination. Two humans and a Lizard. We all escaped Fort Joy together, were chosen for divinity essentially together, and so we're companions on this odd quest. [ He shrugs ] Being competition for the position of Divine does add a bit of awkwardness, but we all have the understanding that it's nothing personal.

[ Though considering he doesn't blatantly insult them, the implication here is probably clear: they're friends ]

What's a Divine?

[ there are other parts of that explanation that she doesn't get, but that one stood out the most considering it's something they're competing for? can only one of them get whatever it is? ]

Precisely what it sounds like. The actual technical responsibilities are more complicated, but—

[ He waves a hand, since he figures that would divert the actual point of the conversation.

...Also, he doesn't completely know them. ]

The Divine is a god. A person chosen to be the champion of the current "gods", a Godwoken, is one given the privilege of ascension. I'm Godwoken myself, obviously, but my travelling companions were all chosen by their peoples' gods to ascend. [ A pause, and then, ] Well, except for Lohse, I imagine. her situation is more complicated.

[ she wonders if it's rude to ask about lohse's situation is given that she doesn't actually know her. ]

Can only one of you become one then, if you're competing?

Correct.

[ He nods ]

That is where our partnership does get complicated. Or will, more accurately. Presumably, we'll have to fight to the death or something of the sort.

[ Fane says this so casually and matter-of-factly that it might be surprising. Or not, since it's Fane. ]

...

Fight... to the death...

[ hm. ]

...What?

[ He questions, as if this is a perfectly normal and reasonable thing to do. ]

It's not that strange. I need to ascend for my own reasons, as I'm sure they all do for theirs. If any of us had a problem with this arrangement, we're hardly required to keep each others' company.

Well, I mean... is there any way to do it that requires less dead friends?

[ ?????????? ]

[ He shrugs ]

I've no idea. Unfortunately, I've never ascended to divinity before,you know.

[ There's a pause, and then Fane adds: ]

—I suppose we are, at this point. Friends, I mean.

[ gj fane ]

Yeah, sometimes it takes a while to notice when you're busy adventuring.

[ well, not to her. steph usually notices right away, but she has spent enough time around people to realize that some of them can be constipated when it comes to friendship. ]

[ Fane makes a light, thoughtful noise. It might be discontent, but it's really borderline, so it's difficult to tell. But whenever he's finished thinking about whatever he's thinking about, he just sighs. ]

I suppose I'll have to accept that. [ constipated may be an understatement huh ]

... well, I wish you luck with that.

[ ... ]

Not with the killing them part though? No offense.

None taken.

[ He shrugs, since he definitely just accepts that one quite easily ]

I would prefer not to kill them, mind you. I'm not bloodthirsty. Unfortunately, it's simply necessary. If I'm to find out what happened to my people, well, divinity is the course ahead.

Did... something bad happen to them?

[ she almost asks if they all turned into skeletons but she manages not to. ]

[ ha ha if only ]

They are... gone. Disappeared. [ His voice is surprisingly soft as he says that, and certainly softer than she's heard. It's very clear that he cares deeply about his people, and is also deeply troubled by whatever happened to them. ] It is not even that they died out, though that's quite impossible. There is no record of them at all. Only our buildings remain, and even then, they're just considered ancient curiosities. No one knows of the Eternals.

[ He crosses his arms, and his tone shifts to more determined. ]

That is why I must become Divine. I must find out what happened to them, and with any luck, bring them back from wherever they went.

Oh.

[ she wasn't really expecting that. he talked about the other eternals so much that steph didn't really register that it was all... past tense. his question on whether or not she knew of any eternals where she lives makes more sense now. ]

Then... you'll definitely find them! I know that means nothing coming from me, but you will.

[ There's another pause, but his voice comes out soft and amused. ]

You know, that's kind of you to say. No one else has.

[ Largely because people tend to forget just a little of empathy in the face of "Fane, what the fuck," and that's fair. He doesn't begrudge people for it, and in fact, hadn't even really noticed until she had offered it. ]

[ that's a little surprising to hear, but also not. she figures a lot of what fane says might go over someone's head.

still, if someone has made it clear that this is their life's goal, you support them. ]

Well, that means my words are extra lucky and full of support then.

[ He laughs, though this time, it's warm instead of dry and sarcastic. ]

I'll take your word for it. It's hardly as if I can disprove that.

[ translation: thanks ]

[ she smiles and gives a little shrug. ]

Besides that, I also wanted to say thanks. For when we went into that cavern.

[ Again, he's a little surprised by the thanks, but he nods. When he speaks, it's almost... bashful, of all things. ]

Well... Naturally. I may not think very highly of mortals' survivability, but an ally is an ally. I would never hesitate to help someone in a fight.

My partner yelled at me for helping you because he said you would have just abandoned me.

[ which annoyed her, since she was actually there and saw fane do the exact opposite of that. ]

[ Fane pauses, and there's a distinct sense in his silence that he's offended. However, if there's any doubt— ]

...What a little shit.

[ -10 for hikage ]

I know! That's what I said.

[ well, not exactly.

but she was pretty mad about it. she still sounds vaguely annoyed. ]

week 1, sunday

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