[Acro] GLoG 48: From the Ashes

[horngeek]

Well, I'm what's called an Exalted. So is Meidani, but while she's a Solar Exalted, I'm a Lunar. Gifted with the power to change my form, one of the ultimate adaptors.

The largest kingdom in Creation, the Realm, considers both Solars and Lunars Anathema, demons in human form, to be killed wherever they're found.

[Je dit Viola]

Ummm...that doesn't sound good.
Glad you could come, she says. Helen's thinking about how much the fox-lady is like her. "Power to change form" and "Demons in human form"? sounds a lot like her.

In fact, if she bothers to look at Helen's face, the basic gist of what she's thinking could be deciphered.

[horngeek]

Except with Helen, it's true. With Lunars, the demon part is all propaganda.

In the form of state religion, but still.

Is something wrong?

[Je dit Viola]

Oh, yeah. No. Helen shakes her head.

It's just that your story kinda matches up with mine. Which she will definitely not elaborate on, unless asked. And other stuff.

[horngeek]

What do you mean?

[Je dit Viola]

Oh. This. Helen shape-shifts to Central-American dark skin, long, silky black hair in ponytail.

Yeah, it's clear there's slightly more to it but...
She's hoping that the Lunar won't ask about 'Anything else?'

[horngeek]

Ah... I see.

People distrust you because you can shape shift?

[Je dit Viola]

Well...no... trails off Helen.

It's...something else. She's wondering how she'll react. Maybe she should try mind-poking to find out. Maybe that'll take too long, and she won't have enough time to go mind-poking.

[horngeek]

Oh?

Well, we all have our secrets.

[Je dit Viola]

Yeah. We all do, she agrees.

Except, for some reason, everyone always seems to figure out Helen's secret at the most inopportune time. Maybe she should just tell everybody and be over with it.

[horngeek]

Zamira nods, and her tail keeps swishing.

[Je dit Viola]

You know what? I really want to know what happened to Karuka.
Except that's supposed to be a secret, too.
So don't tell me.

Uh-huh. Keeps on swishing the little fox tail. Just like Avatar the Fox-Man.
I like your tail. It looks pretty fun, she says.

And she's got to go soon. Maybe next post.

[horngeek]

No, you don't want to know what's happening to her, really.

Oh, that's what's called a Tell. All Lunars have one, and it's related to their Spirit Shape, which is one of our most easily assumed forms. In my case, since my Spirit Shape is a fox, I get the ears and tail.

[Je dit Viola]

...which is why you convinced me to chang my mind.
I don't want to know.

Oh, wow. A fox, that's really nice. says Helen.

Who has to go.

Well, I think I better go to bed, gotta get up early tomorrow.
Bye, it was nice talking to you. she says with a wave, walking towards one of the bunk beds, and climbing up onto it.

Before sleeping. And...shape-shifting into a little girl, 'cause she likes being little better; it fits herself on her path to redemption better.

[horngeek]

All right. See you around, maybe.

Zamira stays outside.

{{Seriously, if I tell anyone what's happening to Karuka, it'll be over PM, and they'll need to confirm they're over 18 first.

And with Lex's permission}}

[Ashen Lilies]

...
It's not that bad... Unless you've changed it.

Anyway, Khiansa is in the main lodge! Playing music! Yaaay!

[Falgorn]

"I must say, you're rather good." Cornelius says, from...somewhere. He can't really be seen.

[happyturtle]

"Hey! Who's there? Show yourself!" Happy demands.

Hey, you'd be jumpy too, if your home had just been blown up.

[Falgorn]

"I...don't know what you mean. I'm right here..." Cornelius says, stepping out of the shadows. "I don't blame you for your paranoia, though."

[happyturtle]

"Didn't see anyone there," Happy says. "I'm sorry, have we met? Are you a member?"

[Falgorn]

"Not that I know of." Cornelius says. "No, I'm not a member. I came simply because I was intrigued by your group's motivation. One of your bases is utterly demolished and you...
Rebuild. You rise from the ashes, like a phoenix. It's an admirable quality."

[happyturtle]

"Why wouldn't we rebuild?" Happy asks.

[Falgorn]

"Lack of funding, lack of interest, lack of support, fear of being attacked again...
Many reasons." Cornelius says, in a matter-of-fact tone.

[happyturtle]

"Ah well. Here we are. I'm Happy Amakirr." She glances around and sees her hallucination sleeping peacefully on their shared bunk. That was one good thing about a hallucination... he didn't have to use a coffin.

[Lord Iames Osari]

In the middle of night, Anshu is having nightmares.
[hr]
"You will not defeat me," Anshu rages defiantly against the tortured visions imposed on him by the Neverborn. "You will not break me to your service. I am Anshu, Surely-Refulgent, Chosen of the Unconquered Sun!"

a dark figure said, materializing out of dreamstuff.



"Only if the light is weak enough to be extinguished," Anshu snarls.



"Daddy, is it time yet?" Another figure appears, this one a pale, subdued version of Nimai.



Seeing Anshu's look of shock, Ebon Mirror smiles.

Then both disappear from Anshu's dreams, leaving him alone with the darkness and the malevolent whispers of the Neverborn.

((I have to go now for a while, so they won't actually appear physically until I get back, but I wanted to get this done))

[Falgorn]

"Yes, here we are." Cornelius says, plainly. "I'm Cornelius. Cornelius Blanc."

[The Librarian]

Lowan is outside in his VS building a somewhat large Defensive Structure ((About half the size of the one in the link)) for GLOG. For people who don't know Lowan is from HALO, but has helped GLOG in several occasions. AT the moment anyone may talk with him despite the fact of how rigorously he's working.

[Lord Iames Osari]

Dark motes come together out of the air and coalesce to form two bodies in the middle of the encampment.

The Most Secret Ebon mirror declares as he and his daughter appear.



The nearby ghosts look at each other. "I don't really want to slaughter anyone. The people here are nice, with the chatting, and the sliding, and the pranking, and the getting changed when they think nobody's arou-"

Ebon Mirror cuts the ghost off with a slash of his hand, and dark energies erupt inside every ghost close by, agonizingly consuming them from the inside out.

[The Bushranger]

Brendan looks to be snoozing on his cot.

[Recaiden]

Ashna can be found shooting at the daughter from near a door. Using real bullets for once. She's not the best shot, but maybe she'll get lucky.