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DUST TO DUST ❅ EVENT
It will take them time to discern the cause. After all, all the artifacts brought back from the fight with Project Prometheus were deemed safe or at least contained, only able to have their dangerous power unleashed if people were dumb enough to try it.
The altheiometer is not the real thing. It was created by the belief of a child, after reading a certain book series, and therefore is more of a symbolic object, with none of the real capabilities of the device in fiction. Instead, it had other magical abilities. It was not entirely understood by the Project itself, just kept there to be studied and eventually co-opted for sinister use if possible. But it had remained inert in their company.
At the Pole, it passes the magical scan, since it technically is "safe," then finally activates. It works on a child's logic, after all. A child would think daemons are cool but wouldn't think bad people deserved them. A child would think the device should only activate to let good guys have daemons.
In the study containing the safer artifacts, the altheiometer opens of its own accord. Gears turn. The hands start clicking as they move in circles around its clock-like face, rotating back and forth between different symbols. The hands finally stop, clicking as they meet in the same spot, on the symbol of an apple, with a bite taken out of it.
It's all very metaphorical isn't it. The soul can't exist without free will. In some worlds they think free will only exists because of an apple in a garden.
There is a burst of light and sound that reverberates through the Pole. As the floor shakes, everyone sees a brief glimpse of the wave as it passes through walls - and then passes through each of them. Getting hit by it is like getting hit by a storm wave in the ocean, briefly lifting everyone off their feet.
Alongside the sensation of being briefly levitated, there is also the painful sensation of suddenly being aware of something deep inside, briefly made to feel almost like a splinter in their very core.
Then, with all the subtlety of getting attacked with a giant hole punch, the splinter is removed, excised. It does hurt, but there is also a strange relief. Except...whatever it was, it's still here. Next to each of the Guardians. Still attached, just...an externality now.
The wave crashes to the shore. They're all knocked to the floor again.
If they were alone in a room, they aren't now. If they weren't alone in a room, said room's occupants have now doubled.
Each PC now temporarily has a daemon. Daemons are the soul externalized, sentient and able to talk. Taking the form of animals, they often shapeshift and change forms during someone's childhood, but settle into a permanent shape during someone's teen years as the person's personality becomes more concrete and distinct.
- Form: A daemon takes an animal form that represents the person's personality. They usually have a gender opposite to their respective person's, but there are sometimes exceptions, sometimes for entirely unknown reasons, or if the person is some flavor of queer. Daemons will know that they're their owner's soul and be able to tell them that.
- Daemon Selection: Here is a page with interpretations of a few animals and what types of personalities they can represent, but please don't take it as law. It's just possible inspiration. The daemons can be any animal. For characters not from Earth, their daemons can be animals that are entirely made up or ones in their canons.
- Link: Daemons are connected metaphysically to their person through an invisible link, allowing that person to still be attached to their soul. Moving too far from your daemon can cause physical and spiritual agony. Suddenly being ripped apart by a great distance can kill someone. Killing a daemon - which is only as hardy as the animal they are - also kills their owner.
- Personalities: Daemon personalities are often similar to their owner's, but sometimes daemons are more willing to be honest about feelings or subconscious impulses. For instance, daemons often instinctually show affection to the daemons of people their owner is fond of. Daemons will remember everything their owner remembers, and was basically there the whole time they were alive, just integrated. Despite being externalized, they aren't something separate from each person, they were always a part of them.
- Physical Contact: People can touch their own daemons without effects and cuddling their daemon can be a positive experience of self-love. Someone hurting their own daemon can feel like they've caused the damage to themselves, and hurts on a spiritual or almost self-hating level. Meanwhile, picking up someone else's daemon without permission can cause incredible discomfort and pain. Alternately, touching someone's daemon with permission can cause comfort, a surge of happiness, or even pleasure, depending on the context of the contact and the relationship the two people have.
❅ Event Length: The plot will last an OOC and IC 2 weeks before they can figure out what's causing the change and reverse it, making the daemons internal again. During this time, allies of the Guardians will temporarily take over their duties and fortunately no major crises will happen. Players can set their own opens during this time as well as play out anything that happens over the whole 2 weeks in this post.
❅ New Characters: If your character is introing at this time, assume they arrived just in time for the magical wave to hit them, or walked into a cloud of its residual energy.
❅ Opt-out: Anyone that doesn't want to play in the plot or have a daemon can handwave Vasilisa's magical defenses caught on to the power surge and her glowing charms protected at least some people in the Pole from the transformation. You can ignore this and thread as if there's just a little extra chaos around the Pole.
❅ Jack Frost: There will also be a network post with Jack explaining what Vasilisa has magically discerned has happened. It will take time to find the source, as the altheiometer is very good at cloaking its readings and registered as "safe." (Technically, it is safe, it's just...inconvenient.)
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I'm sure some people think so. [ To insult outright or not to insult outright... he is considering his options. "No actually I've never liked anything that's objectively a bit rubbish" can't be an option because it's losing, obviously. ] Of course, operating on the theory that all forms of enjoyment are rooted in sincerity, I happen to think calling any of it rubbish wouldn't be sporting.
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[Of course this is the problem Aziraphale has with the concept; it's not sporting.
Crowley loves him so much.]
Sincerity doesn't have t'mean something's objectively good. There's loads of films that are so awful they circle right back 'round to being fun.
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Even objectivity is subjective when it comes to Earthly works, surely?
[ This bitch doesn't doesn't want to say maybe some things he likes are bad. Out here like you'll not snare me in this verbal judo trap (no such trap being laid in the first place will help with that a lot). ]
I suppose we do have a different perspective in that case. Not being Earthly works ourselves, I mean.
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[No one has to be perfect, but there are many things that require a level of technical skill to be considered good.
But he does snort at the fact they're not Earthly works.]
You're just too bloody nice. Or you're being a stubborn bastard who doesn't want to admit that you might occasionally have bad taste.
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[ Scoff! Pah! Unbelievable! And other such puffed-up noises! ]
I happen to enjoy my tastes, thank you! And I should very well hope I enjoy them, since I'm the one who has to live with them. [ THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH ANYTHING... also Crowley has to live with them too. What was his point. ] 'Bad taste.' Ridiculous. Shear your wool, you devilish old goat. You're clearly a layer removed from reality.
[ Give him a hand. No really, he wants to kiss Crowley's hand. ]
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But he will give Aziraphale his hand, because he loves him.]
The lady doth protest too much, methinks.
[That's all he needs to say in response.]
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[ GOTTEM. Never mind that he thinks Crowley is one of the cleverest beings alive-- one of the most creative, certainly. That has no place in pointless no-stakes arguments!
In fact, he turns Crowley's hat pink after all, for good measure. The nerve. The audacity. Aziraphale wants a divorce. (He considers the merits of getting legally humanly married and divorced multiple times for the thrill of re-marrying. It would be a lot of paperwork, though.) ]
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There might be some bullshit to deal with, being in this place, but it's more than worth it for a moment like this, when it's so hard to imagine being able to relax enough on Earth to truly enjoy each other's company.]
You bastard.
[Crowley loves him so much.]
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This is going to fuel his self esteem for weeks. ]
I have it on good authority that you like that about me. [ 'Bastard' is a whole term of endearment at this point. ]
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I'd argue that I only like it when it's not directed at me, but we both know that'd be a lie.
[He's not too much of a coward to admit it. If the current circumstances weren't proof enough, there's millennia of interaction to look back on. He really can't pretend.]
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There's just-- always something about that. Being liked. Makes him a little giddy. ]
After this long, I'd certainly hope that's the case. [ Crowley and his big brat energy. ] You do make it so fun.
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[A little bit playful, a little bit weird and horny. They both play up reactions for the fun of it, committing to the bit, especially when it comes to the gentle way they tease one another.
But also he's a little bit weird and horny and no one can stop him.]
The hat can't stay like this, though. Afraid it's just too much.
[It's being turned black again. Sorry, Aziraphale.]
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Aziraphale is starting to feel more and more confident that Crowley would have a good time just letting him give all the horny orders. Things to add to his mental kink list, etc. ]
Spoilsport. [ He's not actually tetchy about it. Crowley allowed the shenanigans to have enough time. ] I'll talk you 'round to a pop of color yet.
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I wore a blue shirt all through the Second World War! That's more than just a pop of color.
[There are have been other colors throughout time, but that was the most recent and sustained amount of color.]
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[ BARELY. He wants to say it doesn't count at all, but the technicalities... and Crowley looking very good in that shirt. They must lend some points. ]
You were hardly going to wear a black one, were you?
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[That's more Heaven's deal, which he won't say out loud to not ruin their nice day.]
I have some standards.
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[ It's too late to ever beat the kindness allegations. Crowley does, in fact, have moral standards. Like a beautiful vine that grew out through cracked pavement, despite everything working against it.
He's a marvel. Aziraphale should have bitten someone in Hell over the fact that Crowley can't see it. Ugh. Wasted opportunities, etc. ]
Look, we'll start off light. By which I mean dark. Maybe some lovely Phthalo green socks.
[ He's mostly joking. Aside from committing to the bit, it wouldn't be kosher to try to brute force Crowley out of making his own fashion choices. As long as Crowley knows he can experiment. If he wants.
Except when Aziraphale manifests his wedding planner scrapbooks, probably. ]
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Oh, I do enjoy a Phthalo green, one of the best dyes the humans came up with.
[He likes it enough that he'll swap his shirt from grey to that dark, rich green.]
Aside from black, obviously.
[Obviously..]
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Oh, obviously. [ Give him a hand, he needs to kiss it. ] I should never doubt your taste, should I?
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It turns out that the secret way to get Crowley to dress outside the box is literally just giving him compliments about it. He's going to add a few dark green henleys into his wardrobe rotation.]
You'd best not.
[With a look, since "his taste" includes Aziraphale, and he's not allowed to talk badly about himself.]
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Best not. [ You can't prove that he's making a petty lil imitation. Legally. ] Provided that agreement is mutual.
[ A relationship can be two bitches living in confused harmony about how they landed each other, right? ]