Personification Life, the Universe, & Everything [IC]

[Holy Lykos]

Holodecking

"Oh, Oh. Sure." Etzic fumbled in his bag a bit more, ears positioning and seeming to gesture themselves, but a bit too randomly for anyone to really guess ust what he might mean. He pulled out a small wooden charm, shaped like some unknown being that was most definitely an idealized skritarii posed to show off strength. Through the center, almost like a spine, was a quill the same color as the ones along Etzic's mane.

Etzic handed off the wooden charm to Sandy. The charm thrummed with an almost electric feeling magical energy. It practically sung with the power of a pantheon unknown to Sandy, especially at this close range. Threads of iridescent energy ran along the quill and spread from it, almost like a web of power that told sandy exactly what Etzic had said earlier: It improved endurance and strength, drawing upon Etzic's own reserves of energy to run. While the charm was certainly something made by Etzic himself, it had notes of a deity unknown to Sandy lending his knowledge to help create the charm.

Unless the person had magical perception in some way, most of this would be invisible. Initially touching the charm could convey a little electric shock, not unlike static electricity, despite the charm being made of wood and keratin with a string of leather so it could be worn from the neck.

"Not as strong as my teacher's charms, but it should be strong enough to be helpful if you're weak from injury. Give the charm a squeeze while wearing it, and the writing should light up in blue and fill you with strength and endurance beyond your normal health." He nodded, a hopeful look on his face.

[Mincaldenteans]

Holodeck

"You're up far too soon than comfort would have it, Sandy," Anais chastised lightly with a shake of her head. Ox Blood was an amazing thing, but nothing compared to simple rest and recuperation - the body could only take so much even if "sped" up in its healing process. She didn't press the issue further, however, leaving it with a light tsk and cluck of her tongue.

Instead, talk of charms had quickly turn the attention back to Eztic that held it out for Sandy to examine and hold. She didn't have to touch it to sense something familiar resonating from the item and turned her head with surprised eyes and a smile toward the shaman, "You know of the Otherworld: we have much to discuss later, if you're so willing."

Eyeing the charm in Sandy's hand with intrigue, Anais commented without glancing at Eztic, although her address was clearly toward him; she also refrained from stepping closer to get a better sense or read of the item. "Imbuing an item takes time and no small amount of concentration. I wonder, did you have to prepare a circle of power, or was it a matter of gradual increments focused into the charm? Or perhaps a summoning for a boon bestowed upon it?"

So many ways to do make an item like the one Eztic's handed over, so many different applications. While exciting, the healer could had to hold back further questions lest they lose their collective focus on why they were in the holodeck.

[Giovenith]

"It's a diverse community, Sterling," Willow said, caught up in packing in his things. He was taking various books out of the hammerspace side of his saddlebag and quickly scribbling his name inside the front cover so that he could leave them in the library as exchange but be able to get them back eventually. "Point and Line to Plane" and "On the Road" were traded in for books on astronomy and comparative mythology. "It'd be impossible for them not to have something."

He could also pick up Brit's ice cream and some sweets for Geo-puzzle there. Autumn always had the best treats to offer, harvest season that it was. He reiterated the offer to Primordial and the Rmwtyliins before setting off, expecting friends to follow.

He folded his turtleneck up higher to protect from the chill as he flew, feeling a sense of nostalgic relief as they went through town. For a long time Bielefeld had been an alien prison for him, but now that he had been here so long and been around other parts of the universe, it felt just as much a safe home to return to as any other.

"What have you been up to while you were in Equestria?" Willow asked Sterling, pausing to collect a few boxes of orange cupcakes from a vendor. "I assume the business dynamic was shaken quite a bit there, even for a librarian."

[Giovenith]

Festival

"Look guys," said Marcus, carefully removing the box and handing it back to Giovenith. "We'll probably learn what's going on faster if we cover more ground. I'm going to head to the Observatory, see what Brother Adrastus can tell me."

Giovenith blinked at him and looked at the box in her hands. "Oh, alright then, Nick and me will check things out over here!"

The young cyborg frowned sadly as he looked at his silly girl in her box and helmet. "I am so sorry. We'll find another time, I swear-"

"It's okay, Marcus," the godling smiled. "Even when we're apart, we're working together. That's what matters."

The couple shared a hug before parting, leaving Nick and Giovenith there to find their way in the festival.

"So Nick," said Giovenith, looking around. "What now?"

[Fvaarniimar]

Festival

“You don't know what to do, either.” Nick pressed closer to Giovenith. “It's crazy, isn't it? We left -” His tail drooped, brushing the wall of his “carrier.” <I don't know about - I don't even know when you(plural) left -> As his tail lashed, the box rustled. “I left maybe two weeks ago, though. In. summer. Of! 2016! It's been over a year. I - so much must have happened. It's inevitable.”

“Mrew!” The sound was sharp, irritated. “Where do we even start? At the Building I'd try the front desk -” He bristled. <If only we'd realized BEFORE we left!> Another irate mrew - “But we're out here. And of course some Bielefelders will know something.” He stared out at the sea of festive faces. “The question is - which ones? Maybe EBs…” The Leaf and Kettle flashed in the godling's mind as it came into view. “I think they -” A piece of paper was on the door.

As they drew closer, the cat slumped. The piece of paper wasn't an flyer or a schedule. It was a note explaining that the Brisbys were taking an early brunch. “Well!” Nick forced his tail upright. His voice was determinedly cheerful. “There goes that idea.”

Another occurred to the bookworm in question. “We could try the library! They probably have a year of newspapers…” Except, of course, catching up on Bielefeld’s events would require two years of them. Which the library should have -" As he admired the azure sky, Nick wondered to Giovenith whether poring through thousands of pages of newsprint indoors even made sense. Wasn't it likelier that the Building held the answers they actually were seeking? “Even if we were there, though - I'm not sure. What answers -" He blinked.

"Maybe we should decide first? What do we actually want? Perhaps a reason why we've lost so much time and a summary of everything we've missed?”

[Northwest Slobovia]

The Building, Holodeck

Etzic handed off the wooden charm to Sandy. The charm thrummed with an almost electric feeling magical energy. [...] While the charm was certainly something made by Etzic himself, it had notes of a deity unknown to Sandy lending his knowledge to help create the charm.

Sandy examined the charm with interest, both its magic and its construction. He turned it over in his fingers, considering all sides to see if he Saw different aspects of its magic.

The magic was unfamilar; hardly surprising given that it came from another world, but it seemed to work as advertised. He leaned forward, looped the cord over his head, and give the charm a squeeze, wondering how it would act. A burst of renewed vigor, like Adonis' Boon, or something more gradual, like the Ox Blood's slow but steady "a week in a day" healing?

Sandy lifted the charm from where it hung, raising his head to its maker. "Your quill?"

Amanda leaned in closer to Sandy, both to look at the charm and to see its effect on her husband. Its appearance reminded her of things made by primitive peoples, she'd seen in museums, though she kept her opinion to herself. She'd get Sandy's professional analysis of its workings later, in private.

"You're up far too soon than comfort would have it, Sandy," Anais chastised lightly with a shake of her head.

Sandy looked over at her as she spoke, surprised at her words, then not: Anais was probably too interested in his health to have heard his offer of new magic. He responded matter-of-factly. "This is as far from our apartment as I'm going today. We'll see about tomorrow... how much the Ox Blood does overnight.

"I did finish pushing the plasma, though. The Gate crew set the drip too slow, so I sped it up. I feel much better from that alone."

"You know of the Otherworld: we have much to discuss later, if you're so willing." [...] "Imbuing an item takes time and no small amount of concentration. I wonder, did you have to prepare a circle of power, or was it a matter of gradual increments focused into the charm? Or perhaps a summoning for a boon bestowed upon it?"

'Otherworld'? Not a term Sandy remembered her mentioning before, but her follow-up questions were all practical, not theoretical. Anais wants to know how, but not why; an different approach to understanding than his own: how and why were interrelated for the historian, and almost as closely tied for the sorcerer. His gazed snapped from the ritualist to the shaman as he straightened up, curious how Etzic would answer: would he speak directly to the how, or would his answer be more circumspect or synoptic?

[Holy Lykos]

The Building, Holodeck

The sudden questioning of the other shamanistic individual- at least that's what Etzic assumed based off of Anais' attire and terminology- surprised the skritar initially. Even though she took no stemps towards him, Etzic took a few steps back while his tail seeming to curl a bit protectively. When he properly registered what she was asking, Etzic started to calm down. But first he turned back to Sandy. His questions had come first.

Sandy lifted the charm from where it hung, raising his head to its maker. "Your quill?"

The rodent-like alien nodded. "Part of the agreements with our ancestors and kawa involves minor personal sacrifice. Imagine pulling out hairs to make your magic work, basically. Show of Devotion to ancestral ways, just as the specific designs are too. Makes other species think we're rather primitive, though last I checked my species was wandering the stars longer than even humanity." His eyes sparkled with a something, before he glanced over to Anais again.

The Fortitude of Vaz charm would reveal itself to be a mix of the two, but more like Adonis' Boon. The initial activation was slow. A slow build of energy and vitality, in Sandy's case, injured as he was, the charm provided refresh strength that would keep him going for longer than he could have otherwise. Sandy would notice some ethereal iridescent sparking along it until the charm sung what had previously been a whispering hum. Along with that, the 'lines' of magic had extended to connect to two other things: His own body and Etzics. The charm could be considered to basically be a focusing tool contained in ritualistic magic. A lens turning magical energy into supernatural vitality.

"Otherworld?" Etzic questioned out loud. "Is that another term for the Whisperworld? The land of deities?"

Etzic thought for a brief moment. "But yes, cultural exchange and discussion of ritual would be rather fun. There's little risk talking ritual with others: only Skritarii can use our magic. As for your question, I would say the second, with a bit of the third. The ancestors help by conveying knowledge and epiphany, but living skritarii need to craft the vessels according to them. We focus the essence of the Whisperworld, whisps, into the vessels and build it into something magical such as that charm." The rodent paused for a second, "Nothing aggressive and violent though. That is strictly forbidden."

---

"True. Plus we did live here for a while.." He trailed off, trotting after his pegasi friend. Sterling for once was glad of his extra bulk and the slight shagginess of his coat: He was better insulated from the chill than his friend. Still, the wind prompted a shiver going from tail to ears. Sterling shook out his hooves. He was simply glad to be back in Bielefeld, with the old familiar sights, sounds, and smells drifting back to him one at a time. It was like a second home to him still- one he had been thrust from abruptly.

Sterling should have been expecting such a question, but he was still mildly surprised. "Business dynamic? I'm not quite sure what you're referring to." He started with, before turning to the second part of the question. "Things were... Mostly the same back in Equestria. Actually no that's a lie. Princess Twilight's been changing a lot. Though my Library was the only one in town after the Golden Oaks was destroyed... then turned into a castle." While walking, Sterling tapped his chin with a hoof.

"I actually have no idea where to begin. You haven't been home since we first left, right? Even then a lot was starting to change. Discord was only the first hiccup. We're at peace with the Changelings now for one, mostly. I stopped paying attention to wider once I started looking for a way to return but I never was successful in that. The people in charge had to pick me up like all the newer people are."

Sterling glanced towards his friend for a moment, before turning back to the autumn scene around them. Honestly, he was still shocked that seasons did this all on their own in every universe but his own. Sterling found he was mostly used to it now, but the initial confusion when no one was organizing for season changing festivals had faded now. Tartarus, he'd been confused when he had returned to his home and had been asked to help!

"Save research, both personal and job-related, I mostly just did what I always tend to do. Read, eat, and sleep. Sometimes go on walks. It was horrifically boring and lonely without you, honestly. I'm still poor at making new friends."

[Zarkenis Ultima]

Much like Amanda, Meritari noticed that something was going on by the entrance to the holodeck and turned her head in that direction, seeing Etzic bump into someone who, for now, remained out of her sight. The other woman's cry of surprise gave away the stranger's identity, though, and upon hearing it, the Kemetian turned back just in time to hear Amanda's words and hastily nod in response, though, in her haste, the other woman likely did not see the gesture. Either way, she waited patiently, now solely in Chrys' company as the other three members of the group had gone off to the entrance. If this Sandy was indeed more knowledgeable about the land of Egypt than Amanda, then she looked forward to meeting him, but he was preoccupied with something else and he would surely be more eager to speak to his wife, so she decided to stay put.

Watching quietly as the diligent wife helped her husband into the room, Meritari was surprised to see that the man looked different from the 'mirror image' within the room. A quick glance back and forth allowed her to confirm that he was the same person indeed, though his features looked different, duller. His abilities also surprised her, as even something as simple as shrinking a staff was quite different from the magic she was used to. Hearing the man address her, she offered him a polite smile and a nod, not minding in the slightest that he worried about his health first.

As Sandy conversed with Etzic and Amanda, the Kemetian adjusted the many papyri that she was carrying on her arms, slightly tired of holding them in the same position for the whole tour, though she preferred that to causing someone alarm by exposing her skeletal hand, like what had happened earlier with Chrys. Afterwards, she continued paying attention to the others, surprised to see what, in her terms, could be best described as a disturbance in the flow of the ka of Etzic and Sandy, albeit a positive one. Curious, she walked closer to the four, in time to hear many strange things. Talk of how humanity could wander the stars left her confused, but marveled, as did the mention of deities and rituals. She knew that these people were different from her, but it was still fascinating to learn more about their cultures.

"So your people craft amulets to use magic as well?" She asked after Etzic's explanation was over, hoping her intrusion would not be seen as rude. "My people do the same, but we do not commune with our ancestors. We invoke the names of spirits and deities to guide and protect us."

[Giovenith]

Festival

"Time is always a complicated thing, Nick," Giovenith explained, attempting to soothe the cat with a few gentle strokes along his back. "It's hard to begin anywhere with it when you're not an expert, like the two of us."

Wishing for someplace more comfortable to think, Giovenith took the two of them to a bench before purchasing a meaty snack to rip apart and feed bit by bit to Nick while they brainstormed. When situations seemed complicated, it was always good to start at the beginning.

"We know for a fact that we are at some point further in the future than the time we remember in Bielefeld," she mused. "That is, so far, all we know. But what else could it imply?" She considered. "Nick, do you suppose that we've lost time — been gone for longer than it feels like to us in some weird physics-y way — or jumped forward in time? As in, we have been gone for as long as we should have been, but we were thrust ahead of the corresponding time in Bielefeld? Maybe the distinction is unimportant, but if we can find out, we might know where to go

But how would they do that? Like Nick said, the newspapers were bound to be numerous. Was there a quicker way?

Oh. Wait. Duh!

"Nick," she piped, adjusting her football helmet so it wouldn't slide off in her excitement. "Why don't we just go on that net everyone likes? The one that lives inside of the computers. It goes faster."

When you were a member of a high adventuring magical community, the internet's appeal tended to dwindle.

--

"Sweet Celestia," Willow huffed his bangs from his eyes with a slight growl, frustrated as usual by things that made little sense to him. "Though I suppose I shouldn't be surprised, that town never could go one week without some earth-shaking disaster adventure happening. It was probably only a matter of time before it all piled on top of each other into something like that."

Good thing it was especially a season for coffee, since that's what the artist needed to drown the racing confusion. He picked a cup up from a stand before stopping to loiter nearby and let it cool in the autumn air in between careful sips.

"Well I certainly don't think you'd assume things have been much more manageable here either," he blew at the coffee steam, making elaborate white curls in the cold air. "What most of it matters at this point though, I'm not sure. It seems like forward is the only direction this place knows sometimes." With all that sufficiently vented, he sighed and gave a lopsided smile to his friend. "We both always sucked with that, that's why we're friends. There's never a shortage here at the Building though. Welcome back."

Willow held up his coffee in a casual salute before swinging back into the air to move along. He felt as if he needed to be doing more, something important, but he wasn't sure what path to take. He suppose there were just too many to deal with.

"You know, I was talking to Sallow about how to visit Equestria myself," he slowly admitted. "All this time, I've pretended that that was all that really mattered, that everything I did here was just passing the time. But now I realized that that's not really true, not anymore. I can never fully turn my back on this place, and I'm not sure what that means... for the future, I guess." The pegasus turned around to observe his friend while flying backwards. "How did your family react when you returned?" he ventured carefully.

[Holy Lykos]

"We both always sucked with that, that's why we're friends. There's never a shortage here at the Building though. Welcome back."[...]

"You know, I was talking to Sallow about how to visit Equestria myself," he slowly admitted. "All this time, I've pretended that that was all that really mattered, that everything I did here was just passing the time. But now I realized that that's not really true, not anymore. I can never fully turn my back on this place, and I'm not sure what that means... for the future, I guess." The pegasus turned around to observe his friend while flying backwards. "How did your family react when you returned?" he ventured carefully.

Sterling smiled softly. "Thank you," He nodded. The unicorn hummed softly before answering the rest. It was a rather wonderful day out wasn't it? He was enjoying the time to relax and talk with his friend for once too.

"No, I didn't expect it to be any different here. But for some reason the activities we undergo here sometimes seem more real and meaningful. I'm not sure why. Like you said, it seemed like going home was important but once I was there..." He paused, magicking up a fallen leaf to look at the colors. "I couldn't forget what I'd learned and seen. It made everything seem small and unimportant, despite the total change to what was going on back home and the insanity of some of it. It just felt unimportant in some ways. Sort of small.

"Though my parents were happy to see me again. I had to use a significant amount of vagaries and misdirection to explain where I had been for years, mostly because I figured it was best to keep universal contamination to a minimum. My parents would have blabbed their mouths off and everyone in Equestria would have learned of where we went. Not optimal. I did tell them I might have to go again someday though, so they should feel better this time around, even if we do miss each other."

Sterling sighed, idly starting to munch on the leaf. Less than a moment later he blinked, then spat it out while looking intensely embarassed. "Whatever did I do that for?" He mumbled, readjusting his bowtie.

[Giovenith]

"You probably handled it better than I will," Willow admitted, sipping the last of his coffee and tossing the (recyclable!) cup into the trash bin in an alley. "I inherited my bullshit detector from my mom though, so I'm not sure how I'll get around telling them. It's something I'll just have to wing in the moment, I guess."

He slammed the top of the garbage in the bin down to make sure the wind wouldn't blow anything out, but the crunching and crinkling of the trash was accompanied by an unexpected little squeak. Willow doubled back a little, pausing to blink at the bin before reaching out to lightly push down again. The squeak sounded again. He looked at Sterling, confused, then looked back at the bin and leaned in to see if he could hear anything else. This time, without him pushing down, he more squeaking and shuffling from inside.

Quickly, the pegasus pony jumped into the air above the bin and started digging through the trash, heedless of what he was pushing to the ground. The squeaking got more frantic and loud until Willow finally stopped and looked down at something within. He pulled the sleeves of his sweater down over his hooves to work like makeshift gloves before carefully reaching inside and pulling a tiny ball of dark, dirty fur.

"Sweet Celestia, it's a cat," he breathed, holding it out to show Sterling. "There was a fucking cat buried in the garbage!"

The kitty bleated a high-pitched "Myeeeh!" while looking around frantically at its surroundings. Its fur was sticky and matted, and it splayed its little claws in confusion as it gripped to Willow's sweater. It looked as though it had been a lifelong stray.

"Damn, it's still just a little baby too," Willow brought it close to get a better grip on it with his elbow and keep it warm. "It must have gone in there to look for food and gotten buried. It could have been killed by glass or when the truck came."

[Swith Witherward]

Away from the city's gaily decorated shops and homes, and past the stained cement walkways overhung with dark branches festooned in carnelian and paprika hues, sat the Building. Its back garden served as a separation of civilization and wilderness, when not abused as a firing range or Zalgofest. Here could be found the funny shaped pool and old pirate ship, and scattered remnants from Resident tomfoolery. It was all quiet now, the lawn chairs and tables had been brought in by Deuce for the season. Now it was a blank canvas.

Tamed flower beds and smooth lawn stretched wide before succumbing to hoary grasses and unkempt vetch on the property's opposite side. These naughty plants pushed their way in from the Woods, an invading army each spring only brought into submission by winter's sharp bite. But now, even in late Autumn, the vegetation still fanned outward from the copse like a ballgown. Cinnamon ferns and yellowing hosta nodded to the bloodroot tucked amidst the shaggy rye grass. Only the mushrooms stood resolute in form, for they were in denial of the season's end. Beyond them, at the very fringe of light and dark, sat the Log.

Trailing arbutus all but filled the cavity within the hollow log where the Fennec hid. Just shy of the vetch's border, the spot offered a good view of the Building while also serving as concealment from the Big Bads in the Wood behind. More importantly, it gave her a break from the Badger's nonsense... he was far too fat to squeeze in beside her. Besides, he had gone out early in search of honey, or snakes, or whatever nasty thing was doomed to become his breakfast.

Her ears had been lively that morning. The Mole trotting through nutgrass and sawbrier hadn't escaped her notice, nor had the passage of several Building Residents. She heard the Civet's footfalls as he walked along the branches high above her, and the Owl's complaining hoot at being awoken by his odd neighbor. The Squirrel's diligent quest for food had kept him active most of the afternoon, a sharp contrast to the Sloth which hardly moved at all. She suspected the Penguin had taken respite from the sun, and was perhaps deep within the large den under the old maple tree. A few others had passed by without noticing her.

The sun finally slipped behind a brooding cloud, allowing her to glimpse the Newcomer. The first of several, actually. The first wasn't very hard to miss at all, now that she squinted at him properly. Though marked somewhat akin to the Civet, the Polecat moved in a weasel-y fashion across the lawn. The Fennec made a mental note to keep a better eye on Mole, just in case. The second Newcomer was... surely, the world's largest rat? No, not a rat, but a rodent of some sort. It was larger than she, and the wind carried its smells of water and loamy earth towards her. These fragrances paled seconds later as a new scent rose. This odor was firmly attached to a yawning cat. A dead cat? A Not Quite Dead Cat That Yawned, yes, that was it.

Had the resident Animals the ability to speak, she might have bolted across the ground to welcome them. She was sorely tempted to swat the Lich Cat to see if his parts would fall off. As it was, her customary neighbors were all busy, and Fennecs were not brave creatures. It was much better to press her nose more deeply into arbutus and allow a bigger animal to investigate.

[Northwest Slobovia]

The Building, Holodeck

Sandy lifted the charm from where it hung, raising his head to its maker. "Your quill?"

"Part of the agreements with our ancestors and kawa involves minor personal sacrifice. Imagine pulling out hairs to make your magic work, basically. Show of Devotion to ancestral ways, just as the specific designs are too.["]

Sandy let the charm fall back to his chest to raise his hand to his chin, intrigued. "Very interesting. Those traditions are-- They're all but lost in my world. How I work magic is entirely different, although we do..." He gestured vaguely with both hands as he searched for an expression. "...pay homage to those who developed sorcery. Some spells are named after their inventors, sometimes even after thousands of years."

Sandy's gaze lost focus as he wondered about Etzic's culture's magical and material sophistication. How did science and technology advance in the face of magic that was apparently not a science itself? He mumbled a distracted, "Thanks, I feel better already." to the dorcupine as the Fortitude took effect. Sandy Saw little new about the amulet as it started to work, though he began to wonder what he'd Hear if he Listened with Pegasus' ears. Surely, Etzic must be out of contact with his ancestors here in Galli, so the ancestor worship must be sympathetic rather than--

"So your people craft amulets to use magic as well?" She asked after Etzic's explanation was over, hoping her intrusion would not be seen as rude. "My people do the same, but we do not commune with our ancestors. We invoke the names of spirits and deities to guide and protect us."

Sandy snapped out of his reverie and turned abruptly to face Meritari. "Wait... What did you just say?" His tone wasn't hostile, but inquistive, almost demandingly so, as Sandy mentally double-clutched to pick up a suddenly pressing topic. "While I was here," he motioned at the walls, meaning the real Library, "I visited the city's market, and merchants were selling invocations to the gods along with other magic. Amanda wondered if you might be from here, so does the name Bastet or Bast mean anything to you?" Sandy's face showed intense curiosity: was Meri from Earth, a much older Earth? His eyes gleamed with wonder.

A moment too late, Sandy's social mind caught up with his scholar's mouth: were the names of the Egyptian gods sacred in and of themselves in antiquity? He knew nothing practical of their religion, and so added a stammering. "Um sorry, if -- erm -- naming gods is... wrong."

[OOC: Bast, of course, is the lioness goddess of the Egyptian pantheon, and in later worship, Bastet, also the mother-goddess of domestic cats.]

[Holy Lykos]

A Squirrel in a Tree
Like many of the strange animals near the strange apartment block full of strange people in the strange city, the Squirrel had been busy. They themself had been a very strange squirrel themself, but so were most of the animals involved.

But, the tree hadn't always been in this city. The bleary eyed squirrel woke up once the city has shown up, and got quite the fright. They chittered, squawked and squeaked, and managed to fall right off their branch into a pile of leaves. Leaves went everywhere, and for a while the Squirrel was lost in color.

They scrambled out to the top of the pile, dazed to the point of stars and treenuts floating around their head.

---

Holodecking
Etzic smiled, feeling marginally weaker himself due to the draw. He would be fine in a few hours though. He was just glad Sandy felt better.

Meritari's question broke his reverie. He blimked, before nodding. "Oh, yes yes. My people construct amulets, fetishes, charms, all sorts of wonderful magical devoted to our kawa. The relationship is beneficial to both sides of coudse. Our devotion keeps them strong and healthy." Etzic nodded again, and smiled. Though Etzic had no idea who this Bast was.

---

The City
Sterling had been about to respond when the bizarre episode unfolded. A squeak, then his friend almost divebombinga dumpster. A stray cat fished from refuse. How bizarre.

"I suppose we should take him home for food and a wash, yeah?" Sterling piped up, trotting closer and gently checking over the dirty thing. Adorable, if filthy. "Yeah, we definitely should. We could see what to do when it's warm and fed." Sterling nodded, gesturing towards the building with his head.

[Northwest Slobovia]

The Tree
The Sloth awoke to the sounds of the hyperactive little animals doing what they always did: needlessly moving. The Fennec at least seemed to be looking for food, something the Sloth could understand, but the Squirrel was merely making noise for the sake of hearing itself talk. The Sloth slowly rolled its eyes, not having a faster speed for them. (Forget going up to eleven, sloths rarely made it up to four.)

They scrambled out to the top of the pile, dazed to the point of stars and treenuts floating around their head.

By the time the Sloth's eyes returned to their normal positions, the Squirrel had shut up. Better: vanished. Now I can get some sleep! But alas, a downward glance revealed that the sugar-fueled tree rat had merely taken a header. Sloth sighed: he probably should pick it up before one of the Building's cats got to it.

The Sloth backed to the trunk and let himself down a bit, just to the point where his long arms would let him sweep the Squirrel up with his claws. First, though, he waved his claws in the air above the Squirrel's head, shooing the stars back into the Toon heavens and scattering the nuts on the forest floor.

Scooping the Squirrel up, he glacially lifted himself back to where he could reach the branch above him. He set the Squirrel on the branch, gently smoothed its fur with his claws, and finally patted it on the head, a process that took several minutes.

[Giovenith]

The kitten responded to Sterling's sentiments with another displeased "Myeeeh!" It wasn't hard to think that it wasn't taking being snatched up by two strange horse creatures too well, but it was far too small to do much about it, its claws and teeth still offering little more than pinches and love bites. Willow shifted the animal to a more manageable position and took a moment to consider it — so tiny and fragile, easily mucked up and unable to do anything about in the world, with no one around to help or protect it. Without its mama, life didn't care about a helpless baby anymore. That didn't seem fair at all. Maybe it was because growing up in a cloud city lent him far less life experience with foundling animals (and animals in general besides birds), but thinking about all this hit Willow with particular precision. He folded his ears and attempted to make peace with the kitten by gently stroking its back.

"Nothing's going to happen to you now," Willow said in an uncharacteristically soft tone, folding his sweater slightly around the kitten to protect it from the autumn chill. "We promise."

Once back at the Building, Willow quickly lead the way to the communal kitchen and put the cupcakes and ice cream in one of the freezers for temporary keeping before searching the cupboards for a box. He found a decently sized one holding a few forgotten spices, clearing those out and then lining it with some soft fabric pulled from the hammerspace side of his saddlebag. In went the kitten, and in went a few more pieces of fabric that it could burrow under for warmth. Willow sat back and thought.

"Is the milk from the carton good for them?" he asked Sterling. "Milk from cows is probably different from their mother's milk. Or is it old enough for solid food?" Willow blinked expectantly at his friend, thinking he would have a clue either from reading or personal experience.

[Holy Lykos]

Sterling was worried. He had absolutely no idea how to care for an animal. Most of his readings were on theoretical magic and historical subjects. This was a totally different field of expertise he had no experience in. Animal care? No it had never crossed his mind. HE still struggled caring for his own self, why would he have taken on the extra responsibilities of a young animal? No, never. Not in a century.

But here he was now, trotting back to the building with Willow with a cat in tow. His friend seemed to be a natural at caring for such a small creature, so far. Sterling kept himself quiet, trying to not look so intimidating due to size.

"Is the milk from the carton good for them?" he asked Sterling. "Milk from cows is probably different from their mother's milk. Or is it old enough for solid food?" Willow blinked expectantly at his friend, thinking he would have a clue either from reading or personal experience.

"I... I don't know." He stammered out, trying to think of something. He could vaguely recall some basic biology classes, but raising a kitten was only a tangent of that subject. "I might have a book somewhere about it... but gut instinct says no. Most animals when young only drink their own mother's or a surrogate's milk. Same species only if I recall."

His nose scrunched up as he reached into his collar to dig through the hammerspace pocket, a distant present from Gio, that had been sewn into his new accessory. A bit more convenient than one in his saddlebag. A few moments later, and shuffling through at least a dozen books, he shook his head. "Nothing on me. But what about Nick? He might be able to aid us in caring for this kitten, you think?" Sterling looked at his friend worriedly, feeding the books back into his collar before fixing his bowtie. "Or we grab someone with experience with animals. One of the older ones like Sandy, perhaps? We'd have to ask around.

[Tiltjuice]

Warble?

Warble!

The fall winds that rustled the branches were something familiar. The Penguin usually took refuge from those almost literally, as the people in the Building might, by lying down and keeping low to the ground. (The Penguin was not a very good judge of what people actually did. Or didn't.)

But here, in the plants and trees behind the Building, there were very many nifty things about. Fallen logs and tall, stately old trees to block out the sun and wind alike. He'd passed many a day crunching through leaves like the Squirrel had, but doing it only for amusement. Weekly trips to the fish market kept him in good form, through the kindness of the City People.

He wobble-stepped back and forth, flippers spread wide, warbling curiously as he spotted the three Newcomers. Quite possibly somewhat foolhardily, but Penguins had never shied away from things that smelled like Fish. Even rotting Fish.

[Giovenith]

"Probably, oh but they're all out busy right now," Willow said, looking around the kitchen and trying to think quickly.

He looked down at the kitten again, who was now looking up at the grey pony and practically screaming for some kind of answer, one long meow after another. It clawed at the edges of the box and attempted to hop up, but fell over back into the blankets. It promptly got up again and continued meowing at him. Somehow this brought a slight smile to him.

"Ah, you seem pretty big and tough already to me," the painter said to the kitten, leaning down to get a better look at him. "Your eyes are open and you're frisky, I bet you could handle a little solid food..."

He flew to one of the fridges and looked around inside for something suitable for a cat that wouldn't make him too squeamish to prepare. He perked when his eyes finally caught something, fetching it out and returning to the box where the kitten still sat meowing.

"Would you like some of this?" Willow asked the cat, holding up a small can of tuna. "Just a few little pieces for you, see how you take it?"

He brought the can to his mouth and clicked the tab open with his teeth, setting the fishy smell free and sending the kitten into an even bigger frenzy. Willow poured a few tiny pieces and a good helping of the juice onto a small paper plate from the counter before gently lowering it into the box, wherein it was seized upon by the cat who finally went silent as it was busy lapping up the tuna juice and bits. The grey pony considered the animal again before sitting down next to the box and smiling down at it.

"He's so tiny," the pegasus said, peering over the edge of the box. "I didn't know they started out this small, did you?"

The kitten lifted its head again. "Myeeeeh!"

"You ate it all up already?" Willow grinned at the fluff ball. "We'll get you a little more then, and some water too."

It was rare that people outside of Giovenith got to see Willow Streaks' nurturing side, but he wasn't afraid to reveal it when the moment was appropriate. He was feeling especially sympathetic now in light of everything, relating to how the animal must have felt and taking solace in what he could do for it. Maybe his value was questionable to his friends, but not to this little creature.

"Give it a little more," he told Sterling. "He'll like you."

[Zarkenis Ultima]

---

---

Meritari listened attentively to Etzic as he spoke some more of his people's magical traditions, smiling slightly as the creature's apparent enthusiasm rubbed off on her a little bit. However, she turned her attention to Sandy when he suddenly addressed her. His tone was not violent, but it was forceful, something that made her take pause and take a moment to register what was being asked of her; when she did, she briefly wondered how many civilizations would make use of artifacts like hers, but what came next was far more important. The name of a goddess of Kemet was spoken by the historian, and though it did not cause her outrage like he seemed to think it would, it was still something she didn't expect.

"...Wrong?" She wondered aloud for a moment, before continuing. "But yes, I know the name of Bast, the warrior goddess. I was often told about the temple dedicated to her, in a city far to the north of where I was born. She did not receive much worship in my city, though; the priesthood preferred to focus on the worship of Re." She stated, before tilting her head slightly. "Why do you ask?" She inquired afterwards, though she was already beginning to suspect the answer.

[Northwest Slobovia]

The Building, Holodeck

"But yes, I know the name of Bast, the warrior goddess. I was often told about the temple dedicated to her, in a city far to the north of where I was born. She did not receive much worship in my city, though; the priesthood preferred to focus on the worship of Re." She stated, before tilting her head slightly. "Why do you ask?"

"'Bast, the warrior goddess'...", Sandy started in an awed whisper, "She hadn't been called that in-- Well, before the Classical Period, and maybe as early as... hmm..."

Sandy's gaze tried to bore a hole in the floor as he concentrated, matching up dates he knew to ones he could estimate: the arrival of the Sea Peoples, the collapse of earlier cultures, the huge changes in Mediterraean civilizations. Was she called Bast before then? Yes, probably: she was a deity when the wilderness was closer to Egypt's cities, when lions might drink from Nile above Aswan.

Sandy looked back up at Meritari, his gestures muted as he digested his conclusions. "If you're from a world like this -- where this fire may be one future for your era -- and you call her Bast and not Bastet, you lived at least five hundred years before the fire, and quite possibly-- It's even possible you lived two thousand years earlier. Which means you lived between 2,500 years and 4,000 years before I was born. I think you're the oldest person I know." He flashed an amused grin at Meritari: the huge difference between her lived and measured age was so striking it was funny.

After a significant pause, Sandy added a scholar's cavet as an afterthought. "If you're from a world like mine, which... uh, I don't know. But somebody must. Somebody from the Building went and brought you here."

Amanda listened to her husband attentively, gazed fixed on the side of his face, watching him talk. He was in his element as much as she was in hers in court, which meant he was almost certainly right. But more importantly, he was lecturing on history, at home: his voice familiar and comforting. After a year and a half of his absence, Amanda could listen to that all day.

But when Sandy finished speaking, Amanda turned to Meritari, amazed. She was from impossibly long ago. Not merely the incredibly long ago of Sandy's studies, but an age so old that even historians like Sandy paused when thinking about it. Could Meritari have lived before the Pyramids? Was she a subject of one of the kings who would be buried in one? Or was she on a first name basis with the young man called Tut?

Amanda hoped she wasn't staring, because she found it difficult to pull her gaze away from the impossibly ancient woman. She spoke with some hesitation. "You may be from before the pantheon that built this library, at least as we know them. That's hard for me to grasp."

Sandy looked at her out of the corner of his eye, and nodded once. "If she's from early enough, potentially." Looking back at the Egyptian, he added, "Possibly from before some of their heroes and immortal servants at least."

[Giovenith]

"... I'm sorry, I didn't think it'd bother you that much, they were just so cute!" Giovenith, back at the Building, sighed while apologizing to Nick.

Searching the internet had been a bust. They'd tried to ask the Oracle of Google, but in the end had been lead astray by videos of kitties! Nick hadn't been quite as amused, being, well, a kitty himself, but Giovenith had been enthralled and the one with opposable thumbs so they'd stayed trapped in a cycle of fluff, whiskers, and laser point chasing before realizing that they'd accomplished nothing so far. They were back at square one, and it didn't seem like they had anywhere else to go.

"I can't believe how trapped I feel," the godling said, leading her feline friend to the bench in the lobby before propping her head up in her hands. "Do you ever get the feeling that life moves so fast, and yet so slow?"

[Cerillium]

SOMEWHERE IN THE VOID WITHIN DEMENS' CHAPEL

The life-size lady's leg that was Fram floated before Deuce. In true blushing-pink flesh tones and wearing a modish black patent leather pump with spiked heel, it seemed almost real, and it dawned on Deuce that the thing would have been more at home in a Slaaneshi strip joint than Demen's chapel. A monstrous bell-shaped shade finished out the look, its golden silk offset by a black fringe that matched the fishnet stocking encasing the plastic leg itself. It was from this fringe that the voice came, each black strand lewdly rippling in time with the speaker's cadence.

"So?" the frill bristled outward like a macabre cartoon mustache. The lamp sounded more vexed than it had moments prior. The voice had taken on a whining quality. "So?!"

Far be it from Deuce to take a god to task! Especially when he lacked the legs to run away! "S-so?" The brick shithouse - an unexpectedly retired Noise Marine - was a shy soul, really. Its door swayed mournfully as seconds ticked by in the Void.

"So? So I want to go to the Island!" the leg stamped. "I don't see why I have to be poofed into fucking room decor just to get what I want!"

"At least you're a leg," the davenport beside the brick shithouse groused. Thaddeus was in no mood to endure one of Fram's tantrums. His back cushions pinched into an unmistakable frown.

"Oh, but you are just a bag of orphan tears, aren't you?! Tut! I could just pinch your pillows," Fram lampooned.

"Technically, I'm a couch," Thaddeus growled, "And if you touch my pillows, I'll tear off your-."

Really, what could one tear off a lamp to make a point? The shade? Gods only knew what Fram was concealing beneath it. Thaddeus doubted it was just a light bulb. Inwardly shivering, he allowed his part of the conversation to die out.

The Easy-Bake Oven took in the conversation, carefully gauging whether or not this collection of Chaos morons was worth the effort.

"You've been quiet on this matter, Klaus," the Oven rotated to the left to peer at a dog's toy bone.

"I suppose, Mr. Demens," Klaus lisped through his squeaker.

Hmm. Demens wasn't heartless. Christmas wasn't a holiday he cared to celebrate - the closest he got to it was sending Jesus a birthday present each June, but this was a matter of proper etiquette between Elohim and himself rather than an acknowledgement of any great feat.

"So? Can you poof us all there or not?" Fram showed entirely too much cheek through his shade, much to the Oven's annoyance. "You poofed an entire town here. It isn't as though we have anything better to do at Christmas."

"You don't even believe in Christmas," Klaus cheeped in his sibling's general direction. "So you, my dear Fram, are not going. NO."

The lamp's fringe curled into a pout but it wouldn't do him any good. Demens, likewise, had no intention of setting Fram loose in any dimension.

"Alright," the Greater Being Oven said at last. "I'll 'poof' the lot of you there. The rules are the same-"

"No molesting the natives," the davenport and dog bone intoned in unison.

"And?" the stern edge in Demens' voice could cut solid steel.

"Nobody kills anyone?" the brick shithouse hastily added. Nobody wanted a repeat of last year.

The oven's door handle twisted into a Cheshire smile. "Very well then. Off you go. Have a good holiday."




Doors flew open all over the Building, unleashing a loud noise more vulgar than a duck's wet fart. Demens yanked Residents off their feet, and squeezed them into odd shapes to survive the Void travel.

A gift-wrapped doorway popped into existence above the Island's warm sands. The door flew open, and then it began to shake as though an invisble hand were tapping ketchup remnants from a bottle. A cluster of household objects toppled out, each dropping from the opening to reshape into their forms once they hit the ground. Only the constructs had been spared the metamorphosis, though Demens had squished them into garish Elf on a Shelf costumes.

Klaus had no sooner hit the beach before popping up again to visually single out Desmond. "He'll function just as well here as in the Building," the god pinched his eyes closed in order to convince himself of this fact... and so it was, for that was the practical nature of the Avatar's gestalt magic.

It is at this point that the writer must advise veterans to allow their attention to wander while he recaps just what made the place so damn special.....

The Island of Ni, much like the Bielefeld nation formerly, was located far off the coast of somewhere that best felt right at that exact moment. Difficult to chart, impossible to fly to without a guide, and isolated from the world's bullshit, it had existed for thousands of years. It was, simply put, unplottable, for those of magical talents.

The Island haunt was extremely familiar to many, but for the newer Residents, this was their first glimpse of paradise. Sunlight glistened upon the crystal clear waters beneath them. The rays kissed the pristine beaches and then warmed the dense vegetation that served as a backdrop for a row of huts perched between jungle and shoreline. Those huts were a welcomed sight for so many. They were the holiday homes of the Residents. Some stood vacant in anticipation of new owners. Most were already stocked with provisions thanks to Minerva's holiday-imbued Lads.

Oh these huts! If organic walls could talk, they would weave tales of romance and sorrow, of anticipation and trepidation. The consummation of nuptials and the sleeping off of proper drunken benders! Each Resident had a hut, although some opted to share the dwelling, and each hut was just as cozy as the next. A few inhabited ones still had baubles and decorations placed there by Residents the prior trip. They did not have electricity, however. Candles and oil lamps cast a merry glow each evening. It was only through handwavium magic that the mini-fridges worked.

A large pavilion welcomed them all. This was where Residents held their Christmas feast, and where they gathered in the morning to see who was up for adventure. Each night, thousands of twinkling white lights lit up the pavilion. Outside, multicolored Christmas lights illuminated a path that forked into two directions. One led to a large fire pit set up for roasting marshmallows and other things on sticks, and the other path led to a small grotto used for prayer and meditation by some of the Residents. The bonfire pit had been the place of so many fond memories, but it had sat vacant for a long while. The sitting logs were still there, but it lacked firewood. Someone would have to beachcomb for it. Cuisine's tiki bar still stood, though it was in need of dusting. The Lads had stocked it as well.

A small, perfectly round atoll sat just off the main island, its watery center an intensely deep blue in contrast to the white beaches and palm trees surrounding it. There was a compound of sorts… more a series of open buildings interlinked by covered walkways… that faced the island huts. It could only be reached by a thin pathway from beach to atoll, and the visitor would need to wade through ankle deep water if using it.

In the vegetation only a few minute's walking distance to the hub of activity, the tech priests had already sequestered a bunker to serve as their space. This was where FUBAR would lurk, and where Opa could dock, and any androids or cyborgs or robots could receive repairs or escape the sand.

Mer Lagoon, a secretive place cherished by some former Residents, was the last treasure to be noticed by Klaus. The crystal clear waters there revealed the massive form of Pookie the Leviathan swimming from it, craggy spines breaking the water and casting up spray in his wake. Minerva shook her head at the sight of Charumati's weird pet.

"Pookie! Mummy's here!" Charumati brushed crumbs from her ears - for she had spent the trip in the shape of a toaster. "Home at last!" It was, for her, the one place where she could both use her magic and take a break from using her magic. Delight danced in her prismatic eyes. She was gone in a flash, darting and skipping across the beach to seek the cool comfort of her compound.

"Right, let's get the bonfire wood," Deuce's grin nearly took his ears. "And set up the tree. Any volunteers?"


And so it was that the Residents - all of them that were still part of the group - had arrived for vacation. This was a magical time of the year - one in which very few lines need be posted. Ah freeform blitzes, glorious guilty pleasure!

Enjoy!




*initial leg description courtesy of Jean Shepherd's In God We Trust, All Others Pay Cash

[Giovenith]

"I am an elf!" Sallow declared thunderously to the heavens, spreading his forelegs upward with a stern expression as he floated gently toward the ground. "An elf, I say!" He landed atop his hind legs and continued to reach toward the sky.

Why Sallow took his new elfiness so seriously and whom he was expressing this to was unknown to Giovenith or Willow, but they decided it was probably best to just leave him to it. Bags and pets in tow, they sluggishly made their way toward their holiday cabin and upon arriving immediately flopped themselves down on the bed swing on the porch. There was a moment of silent understanding between them, just laying there and letting everything that was on their minds wash over them. Eventually, Giovenith broke the silence.

"This holiday... isn't going to be quite the same anymore," she said, turning her head toward her pony friend's.

Willow groaned and swiped at his bangs. "You're telling me."

Much as they would have liked, there was no denying that the holiday season now carried a few scars as a result of their respective journeys. Sadly, the time of lights, presents, and sentimentalism was now also a time of violence and self-doubt in both their memories, but neither were having an existential crisis about it just yet. There was a certain relief that came from occasionally just lying down and allowing oneself to feel the stinging life had inflicted, to skip the middleman of denial and just let things take their course.

"I don't want to surrender this time of year to them though," Giovenith spoke up once again, bobbing the swing a bit as she stretched her legs out. "What about you?"

"No." Willow felt like he should have elaborated, but he couldn't summon the will to say much more than that. He couldn't make any promises about how he would feel in the future and he wasn't sure yet what his plan was to deal with his emotions right now. All he had right now was a basic goal, to not let Hearth's Warming be ruined, and that was good enough for him.

"Myeeh!" The kitten, now fully cleaned and wearing a tiny sweater Willow had made from a sock, walked across the mattress closer to Willow's face. A little paw reached out to gently bat the pegasus' nose, which shifted as its owner smiled.

"And here I thought your heart was as black as your turtleneck," Giovenith teased, sitting up to teach over and give a little rub to the baby cat's head. It meowed again and the young woman grinned. "I know you're cute, Fluff-baby!"

"His name is Kerouac," Willow corrected, curling a wing upward to cup the kitten to the side of his face. "At least until I find him a new family. I couldn't just keep calling him 'cat.'"

Kerouac playfully attacked the feathers surrounding him, gripping them as tight as his still-soft claws could manage and giving the tips ferocious love bites. Giovenith sighed with deep disappointment as she watched this. "But why can't we keep him?"

"With the way you already spoil Turtleboss?" Willow raised an eye at her critically and flexed his feathers to give Kerouac more of a challenge. "Hardly, we've got enough excitement as it is."

It wasn't fair! But there wasn't much she could do about it, Willow had been the one who found the kitty. At least she could trust her pony friend to make sure that Kerouac went to the best possible home though, and they did have a little time to spend with the fluffball. She gave his belly another tickle before getting up.

"Well?" she put her fists on her hips.

"Well what?" Willow questioned, wincing as Kerouac began to climb his face.

"What are we going to do to get into the Christmas spirit?" The godling did a little twirl. "We can't just wait around for presents, can we? We need a miracle!"

The grey pegasus snorted, scooped the kitten up in his foreleg, and sat up. "That's the thing about miracles, they're not exactly on-demand."

"Come on, Willow!" Giovenith huffed, and puffed, and stomped around the porch, clearly itching to do something that would take her mind off their previous emotional fatigue. "Let's go do something Christmasy!"

[Tiltjuice]

A very confused Penguin warbled softly. He had been, as he'd thought, wandering across a lush, green field. This was not a place with a lush, green field.

He twisted his head this way and that, beak pointing with every movement, examining this odd white grainy thing that squished under his feet, but sometimes poured back over it if he trod heavily enough.

Warble...

He began tugging his little foot out of it, sending the White Grainy Stuff flying in small puffs and clouds. The heat was getting to him a little, and he wandered down the shore, splashing into the water with a neat belly flop, swimming back and forth between a narrow passageway and the ring of White Grainy Stuff.

---

Chrys shared none of Giovenith and Willow's doubts and worries. At the moment, she was perched on the edge of the bonfire pit, peering into it like one of the soothsayers of old. She'd peeled away from the tour group just for a breather. The long spate of academic discussion had her head spinning a little. Although, in her defense, having lived through those times took a bit of the luster away.

Some things were better left in the past, to be sure. But others...she glanced at the cluster of huts, flushing slightly (because even beings more than 100 years old weren't always immune to embarrassment! - or flashes of romantic inclination). Sharing herself with Hans had been a bit of a leap of faith, and she couldn't have said what made it all work out. It had, though, and waking up with him against her back, his hands loosely covering her breasts, had been a comfort. She didn't need anything flashy or extravagant. Just that was enough, even if the experience had been awkward and slow at first.

She was on her feet before she realized it. The sea air and the heat stirred up a touch of wanderlust. Perhaps Hans wouldn't mind a trip through the jungle, followed by a bonfire? It would be good to introduce some of the newer Residents to others of the veterans. Or, if their handlers were busy, s'mores and a midnight dip in the atoll's lagoon wouldn't be amiss, either.