a_better_man | Abraxas Inbox

[Mat is reasonably certain that he could, if not for obligations in the real world, spend most of his time right here in the Horizon. How does anyone tear themselves away? The ability to create whatever the mind desires...and not just an image of it! A real, solid thing! A person could try out a dozen different lives in a month, if they wanted.

But he does have an actual life, and it's not terrible anymore, so he only spends a good portion of his time here. Currently he's working on adding glowing flowers to an artfully twisted tree, not far from the pond that is scheduled for an upgrade. He's waiting for Julie, and glad she's coming. Beyond the alterations she's promised to make, he has a few...queries, about the creature she'd sent.

At the moment he's not too concerned about it - it's contained for now - and is simply focusing on his work. He's dressed as he commonly is in Thorne, in his black brocade coat with the purple and gold, far nicer than when Julie last saw him. In the gleam of the flowers he forms in his hands and floats up to attach to the tree, his face is serene and focused in a way it rarely is. His Wheel of Fortune pendant rests on his chest, looking brightly polished.

To ensure she can easily find him in the natural maze of his domain, a sparkling stone path has appeared directly to this spot, lined with tall sunflowers that bend to point the way as Julie passes.]

[ In honesty, Julie's not entirely sure how her extensive time spent in the Horizon has effected her. She knows that she has a special connection with the Singularity that other people simply don't, but she also now knows that has always been the case. That it was the case the second she was pulled into this world, but she'd been locked away from the magic at first.

But she knows that, the more time she's spent here over the past year, the more she seems to feel the urge to keep coming back. She can't stay away, not without slowly growing more miserable and lost. There's something at play here, and if she were anyone but herself, it would probably be wise to wean herself away from the Horizon for a while. She truly can't say what it's doing to someone like Mat. Someone who doesn't have the same connection.

When she follows her instincts into his domain, she does take note of the path. It's nice of him, as someone who doesn't know that she doesn't need it. Wanting to find the pond is enough for her. But it's still quite pleasant to follow the stones, her heels clicking on them in time with the bouncing of the many long ties of her dress. Her earrings are sparkling, dangling Wheels, and several realistic butterflies are clipped through her hair. Only her necklace is a bit out-of-place, a cracked tooth of some kind, dangling simply from a gold chain. A black unicorn, the size of a tiny dog, trots next to her feet.

She approaches the pond without preamble, looking at it thoughtfully. Though she does have ideas in mind, she hadn't known what to expect, so she's quiet for a moment before she finally speaks. ]

Are you like, committed to this shape? 'Cause I can work with it, but it could be better.

Everything but the house is malleable!

[Mat turns with a friendly grin and dips his head in a little greeting, before setting another glowing flower up into the arcing and curving branches. He's happy with the result. Makes him think of the stories told around the hearth when he was little, at the inn. He'd gather there with Rand and Egwene and Perrin and listen to an old nan or auntie spin stories of adventure and legend and places that likely didn't exist but captivated the imagination anyhow.

And later he'd told those same stories to his sisters, though not around a cheerful hearth.]

Not much stays the same exact shape or size or color for very long. That's what the real world's for. This world? You can change your surroundings like you'd change a set of clothes! It can be different every time and I like it that way. You're welcome to reshape this little bit however you'd like, dominion over everything in this spot is yours, good lady!

[Because that's part of the wonder, too. It's not just Mat that can change and make things, though as it's his domain it's mostly made by him. But he loves letting other people add things, alter things, bringing something new and also a touch of them with it. He's eager to see what Julie brings - aside from her lovely self, which is always appreciated. He'd liked her, when they'd met back at the summit. Though he's easily won over by pretty people who like animals.]

S'good to see you again, by the way.

[ She gives him a nod of acknowledgement, and the tiny unicorn approaches to reproachfully size Mat up with a sniff, in response to his daring to address Julie. While she would ordinarily scold Duke for being rude in someone else's domain, she's pretty deep in thought and does not address it. ]

Of course we can switch stuff up here, but some people make specific places. It'd be rude as hell to change the shape of the pond someone grew up on or spread their mom's ashes on, or whatever. But if you're good with it...

[ Taking a breath, she raises her arms. Instead of visibly manifesting, creating each change one by one, a wave of magic seems to unfurl across the ground, from her lavender-painted toenails to the other side of the pond. The visibly pink aura lingers at the edges of the pond, which begin to smoothly shift and change. They aren't massive changes by any means -- the back side curls to create a better pool area, slightly narrower than the front side. Rocks and plants emerge from the ground, surrounding the pond with flowering bushes in white, pale pink, bright orange, their leaves overhanging the water, picturesque. In the smaller pool, a stack of stones appears, housing a steady waterfall that hits the water with an unending white froth. Other rocks dot the edges of the pond at random, though they are are all the right height and degree of flatness to be used as impromptu seats.

As that wave of magic dissipates, a second, more active wave follows. Still bright pink, it makes shapes above the water now. A small gazebo in the center of the pond, holding only a porch swing big enough for two. A low, arched bridge in maple wood, leading from one side into the pavilion. A weeping willow hangs over the water. Lily pads form green polka dots across the surface, ranging from palm-sized to giant Amazonian ones, large enough for a person to sleep on. The flowers are scattered, white and yellow and soft pink, throughout the green.

When the third wave comes, it is in the shape of animals. A dozen large fish appear under the surface of the water, swimming as if they have always been there. They are in a variety of colors, many calico; bright orange and red, white, black. Small turtles scoot along rocks and lily pads. Two snow-white, long-necked swans glide gracefully through the water together.

The whole thing shimmers in the air for a moment, rosy and gold at the same time, then becomes set, firm. Julie puts her hands on her hips and tilts her head as she looks over her work, assessing it. ]

There. Way better.

That it would be!

[Mat crouches to offer a hand for the little magic horse to sniff, should it wish.]

This is inspired by home, but...for me, if this space is mine, to make and remake as I want, then I want it to be mine. Something new. I dunno, maybe it's silly, but it's...it's incredible, isn't it? To truly be master of your domain, to be without the limits of nature and man...

[It's with that mindset that he watches Julie as she works, fascinated by it all. His face is alight with a wide smile as the pond begins to shift and change under her direction. There's as much enjoyment in watching others create as in doing it himself. And never before has he witnessed so large a making from someone else. It's clear she's skilled in this, the changes smooth and quick and precise.

And it's beautiful. She was right, a description and him attempting to recreate it would have ended in poorer results.]

Light, but look at that! I must agree, it is much better.

[ The little magic horse wants no part of Mat's nonsense, apparently. When offered a hand, Duke tosses his head snootily and snorts, then trots away to stand guard between the two humans. Unfortunately, when he was created to be protective over his mistress, the trait was not specific enough to keep him from hating pretty much everyone but her.

Julie again doesn't pay it any attention. ]

I don't think it's silly. I mean, I never really felt like I needed to change anythin', but I get why people would wanna change it up. I only ever added a couple of things that I came up with later, but most of my domain is the same as when it was first made.

[ There's a clue in her wording there, that she didn't make her domain, that it simply was made. But she doesn't know Mat all that well, and he doesn't seem to have a wealth of magical knowledge that warrants explaining her particular experiences in the Horizon.

When she's done, a knee-high half-barrel, made of lovely polished wood, appears next to her. It's filled with little brown pellets, which she stoops to take a handful of, and gently scatters into the water. The fish all come racing to begin devouring the food. ]

So, these are koi. From what I understand, they're pretty much just real big goldfish, so they don't need a lotta special treatment. Just feed 'em once a day -- though I guess it's the Horizon, so you don't have to -- and they'll snack on the plants and stuff too. The turtles and swans are basically just decorations, but you can throw 'em some food too, if you want.

[Mat just assumes Julie means that first time, without knowledge of self. He doesn't consider that first realm made by him. It just was made, out of some terrible subconscious or something like that. He doesn't know, he doesn't think about it. It had been a terrible place.

This one is far better.]

Well, that all sounds easy!

[Even if it's the Horizon, it helps to maintain some sense of normalcy here. To keep in the habit. He imagines it'd be all too easy to rely so heavily on altering things as to look to it in the real world, without thinking.]

Ah...speaking of animals and their easy care...a question for you, if you have the time. You're pretty and friendly and helpful, so I imagine your time is often in demand and I will take no offense if you've something better to do.

[He's grateful enough she's taken the time to bring a little something special to his domain. But he would like to inquire about...the creature.]

[ She's someone who regularly feeds the animals in the Horizon, her own and those of others, though she knows it's technically unnecessary. It simply feels like the right thing to do, as someone who grew up with animals. Besides, feeding koi is supposed to be part of the experience.

While she's bent over to feed the fish, she scoops up the unicorn at her feet, and clutches it to her chest like one might a small dog. It does not seem to mind this, though whether that's due to actually liking it or the fact that she's stroking its mane is debateable.

Her head tilts to one side as she produces a sugar cube from thin air, offers it to the unicorn. ]

Hm? Sure, I can try.

It's about that creature you sent me...

[There's amusement in Mat's voice. He's a man who can appreciate a bit of chaos, after the initial response. And he does enjoy a good prank, better so if it's animal based. He has a resume of his own, from back home.]

What, exactly, is wrong with it and how do I fix it? Aside from the cheating way, obviously.

[But it feels odd to do that to something he didn't make himself, and anyway, it may be easily fixed on its own. Or simply a one time occurrence, intended to get a start from him.

Which it had. Most spectacularly.]

Creature?

[ If she sounds slightly hesitant, it is because she has forgotten that she sent him anything at all. Julie says and does a lot of things on a daily basis, and she only ever retains around half of it. But recognition quickly registers in her eyes, and she begins cackling. ]

Shit, I totally forgot. So what'd you do to it? Get it wet? Feed it after midnight? [ She can't stop laughing even as she calls out for it. ] Gizmo, c'mere, lemme see you.

I think he got wet. He seemed...well, able to take care of himself so I just let him to wander. Only now he's in a comfy cave to make sure he doesn't run off into someone else's domain...

[Mat takes a moment, eyes closed, to dissipate the containment cave he'd made around the gremlin. It's one thing to have him here, another to inflict that on the unsuspecting.

Still. It was a good joke.]

I've got to say, you have turned the tables on me. Normally I'm the one using animals to give someone else a start. My hat off to you, Lady Julie.

[ It doesn't take long before there's a hideous little gremlin running at Julie, full-speed, chittering and jabbering. Unfortunately for Stripe here, she has seen both movies more than once, and is easily able to catch him without being attacked. She holds him up at arm's length, by the back of his neck, leaving him squealing and struggling in mid-air. ]

You got some food after midnight, huh buddy? Did you trick this poor rube into feedin' you late? [ She shakes the gremlin a little, eliciting a high-pitched shriek. Her tone turns from amused to demanding. ] Did you get wet? Are there any others hidin' out around here?

[ The gremlin groans and tries to furiously shake its head. Julie turns it toward Mat. ]

This is a gremlin. You get a gremlin if you feed a mogwai after midnight. You get more mogwais if you get a mogwai wet. Don't do either of those things. Normally, you gotta kill gremlins, but I'm gonna do you a solid and fix it just this once.

[ Her gaze flicks to the gremlin, still dangling in the air, and it begins to transform, starting at the top of its head. After a moment, she's holding a mogwai again, which purrs and coos, and she switches to holding it like a baby. ]

When I say once, I mean it. Only one in ten thousand is good, the rest are all evil just waitin' to strike. Gizmo is a good one, but if he gets wet and spawns, the rest of 'em are gonna rain hell down on you.

[ With that, she gives Gizmo back to Mat. ]

That is...quite the creature!

[And nothing Mat's ever heard of in nature, even in his own world where nature has produced some very odd animals indeed. Well, at least now he knows how to actually take care of one.

He takes Gizmo back with a thankful smile, settling him comfortable in one arm.]

Thank you, again. Well, you, little fellow, are going to live in the house now. With no food or water available. You're on a feeding schedule sir.

[That ought to take care of any potential problems. No access, no issues.]

Would you like to see my domain? [This directed at Julie.] You're always welcome to come by and investigate it on your own, too.

[ Gizmo gazes up at Mat and gives a trilling purr, looking perfectly innocent and content. As if he wasn't just an actual tiny monster.

Julie snorts at the admonishment, then bends and picks up Baron to carry him similarly. Despite being a unicorn, he does seem pleased to be carried like a little dog instead. Smug, even. ]

Sure. I mean, I'll come back and dig through the cabinets when you ain't here, but you can gimme the tour too.

The cabinets generally aren't very interesting. But maybe they ought to be...Jesper helped me make the house, we didn't put too many little details in.

[And Mat certainly hasn't done much as far as the fantastical inside his little manor house on the lake. Sure there's the attic, but that's different. There's no reason he couldn't make the rooms inside just as whimsical and pleasantly surprising as everywhere else.

He sets off, always excited to show off his domain. As they leave the vastly-improved pond behind, a handful of dazzlingly colored birds fly overhead, trailing rainbows of light behind them. Off in the distance, music can be faintly heard.]

Oh! I ought show you some of the animals I tried my hand at! You were most beneficial in suggestions. They're probably all wrong, but that's part of the fun. And light knows we all could use a bit more fun in our lives.

Nothin' in the cabinets? Don't worry, I'll find out where you keep your secrets. No big deal.

[ It's said teasingly though, as she walks along with him. She's just nosy, and tends to make no bones about it. She hums approvingly as the birds fly past -- this a woman who likes color -- and adds a cloud of butterflies for good measure. ]

There are lots more crazy animals in my world, y'know. I just had to pick ones that I could actually describe in writin'. Oh, do y'all have possums? Possums'll give you a heart attack if you ain't expectin' 'em.

That would be the attic! Only it's less secrets and more just the things you ought not have laying about your common areas.

[Mat has no shame when it comes to the contents of his attic, he's a healthy young man with a young person's appetites. And he's polite and keeps it contained to there. He supposes the room that looks to be set up for young children might be considered a 'secret', but it's more just something he doesn't bother to explain.

His grin widens as Julie adds to the display overhead. He loves it when visitors just enhance his domain like that.]

Possums! We have those. I don't see them very often, but the ones we have look like very angry old men in fur with frightening little feet that look like hands. Always thought I could easily see one standing up on his back feet, grasping a wee little knife.

I suppose that's based on how much of a prude you are. There ain't all that much I feel inclined to hide in a place like this.

[ Sure, if you live with others, you might need to hide your more unsavory belongings, but in a space that's fully your own? She sees no need to hide sex toys and drugs in secret boxes or under the bed. ]

You ever seen a possum with its babies, just a buncha little beady eyes starin' at you from their mama's fuckin' back? Creepy as shit. But they ain't dangerous. They just hiss and play dead if you get close. Can't even carry rabies.

Not a prude, but one of my lovers has a brother who visits. I have promised to exercise discretion. Anyhow, makes it easy, having all the fun things together right where they will be most used.

[And it is certainly all put to use, though Mat is limited by his own knowledge and that of those who visit. Most of whom are from worlds comparable to his own. There's no shame in talking about it, either, Julie is certainly a woman of the world and no blushing maiden.]

And I have not seen that, it sounds like something out of a nightmare. Ah...here we are...

[They've come to the little lake and the manor house on its shore. Mat tightens his grip on Gizmo and tells Julie to wait a moment, while he secures the little fellow in the house. He's not about to take him to the water's edge, and he wants to show off what's in the lake. Once the mogwai is safely inside, he leads the way down the little path just a short walk to the shore.]

There we go. Ah, you can see the platey-pus now!

[Along with not knowing what these look like, he also doesn't know how to pronounce what they're called. And there is indeed a relatively platypus looking animal out there swimming, though it's clearly simply a beaver with a bright yellow duck's bill.]

Brother's not hot enough to fuck too? Not like, at the same time, unless that's your thing. But like, ¿porque no los dos?, y'know? It ain't like we got a bunch of other shit eatin' up our time.

[ Sex is as good a hobby as anything else, particularly for those of the Summoned who have opted to neither study magic nor gain regular employment. Sex that's intricate enough to require an attic's worth of supplies is even better as a hobby. Or, at the very least, passes the day by faster.

At the edge of the lake, Julie pauses for a moment, silent as she actually processes what she's seeing. It takes her a second. Then she doubles over in raucous laughter, arms wrapped around her stomach.

It's not a bad approximation. It's just a bit more... confusing to look at, which says a fair amount, given how confusing platypuses are on their own already. She wipes a tear from one eye, still trying to catch a breath. ]

Close! Platypus are a little less duck-y, the beaks are black. Oh, and they got a little spur on their back feet that's venomous.

I don't think he's interested. Anyhow, we all live in close quarters and it feels like it could get messy. I don't like messy, I like fun and easy. And I'm not hurting for people to have fun with. Though I do have responsibilities these days. For one of us, I run errands for her and she is giving me a proper education in exchange.

[That really covers more than just controlling power. Mat's never had any formal schooling of any kind, he knows he's lucky he can even read. There's a lot to be learned from Lady Yennefer and he's damned grateful she's been willing to take him on as a student.

Maybe he'll actually make something of himself after all.

He laughs when Julie offers a bit more insight on the platypus, but really, it sounds as though he did rather well with this one.]

Do they? Well, I think this fellow can do without a venom spur. Now if we wait a moment...we'll see the narwhal. It's not as big as I think they really are, but it lives in a little lake and not the sea.

[Whatever Julie may be expecting, what surfaces in the lake is something that looks more like a bear than anything else. Furry, though flippered like a walrus, roughly the size of a grizzly. But with gills along its neck and a single cow-like horn coming up out of it's very bearish snout.

Mat tried.]

Oh, you think you're gonna catch feelin's? [ She says this wisely. ] Things only get complicated when there's feelin's involved. As long as everyone's honest and keeps it chill, shouldn't be a problem. But you're right, it's a little more touchy when it comes to family. [ She pauses, and then, as almost an afterthought, adds: ] I wonder if it still counts as incest if it's not actually physical. If it's all on a psychic plane, it's not exactly the same. Kinda one of those "if you fuck your clone, is it incest or masturbation" questions, I guess.

[ This does not come out in a particularly serious way, but it is an interesting philosophical quandary. Julie is just Like This, unfortunately. She was great at Cards Against Humanity, so that's the kind of mind she has to work with.

She watches the lake with anticipation, but what comes up is something so unlike anything else she's ever seen that she just doesn't react for a moment. It is a truly baffling sight, and she does not actually understand what she is looking at. ]

That's what you got outta narwhals? [ Julie is honestly not trying to be mean -- she is just confused. She's aware that he had seemingly not had any concept of whales or many of the other animals she had compared it to, but she is also not sure how this came about. ] This is so...

[ Slowly, she begins to laugh, growing until she's laughing hard enough for her knees to buckle somewhat and she has to sit down on the ground. ]

Do you want me to fix it for you? Or do you wanna keep this thing?

To be honest...I just don't think I have those feelings. At all.

[It's not something Mat talks about much, he rarely has occasion to. He's yet to be approached by a partner wanting more than what he offers, or had anyone wonder at his interests being purely casual. But it's nothing he's ashamed of.]

Never had the slightest hint of any romantic interest, never dreamed of romance, when I think of my life in the future that's never something I think about. But I'm young yet, who knows! I may grow into romance once day. And I am....not sure. Suppose it depends on if you believe in souls or not.

[It seems a perfectly normal thing to contemplate to Mat. Light knows he and Jesper have voiced - and tested - many questions about aspects of sex in the Horizon. And it's a good question, he's sure philosophers would trip over themselves to debate it.

But he is not a philosopher.]

I do know that for fellows, up here, we haven't got to wait between rounds if we don't want! Very handy, that.

[And then it is very clear that he missed the mark entirely on the narwhal. But at least Julie is amused! Making someone laugh is, in Mat's opinion, one of the most important things you can do for another person. He's piss and balls at actual comfort, but he can make people laugh.

Quite a bit, in this case, and he grins in his own amusement.]

It's a mammal....but in water...and it's got a horn! I don't know many animals that spend time in water, but bears do. And perhaps...make him a friend? I am rather fond of the bizarre beast. And I can ride him! Right in the water!

I mean, that totally is a thing in my world, I guess. At least in certain crowds. "Aromantic", they call it. I dunno how much stock I put in it, but. [ Julie is a Gen Z baby, she knows all about labels and flags and pronouns. She has doubts about some of it, but she's not inclined to tell others they can't get into it. ] But I guess you can't really say properly until you meet a person that you think should make you feel that shit, and then they either do or don't.

[ She can only snort at the idea of refractory period. Yeah, buddy, she is aware of that fact.

Still laughing, Julie wipes her eyes, then rises back to her feet. She rubs her palms on her thighs, then holds her hands up. In the space next to Mat's... creature, an actual narwhal forms. He's a bit shrunk for size reasons, but is otherwise a correct facsimile. ]

That is a narwhal.

I suppose I can't. If I never do, I never do. Nothing wrong with that, don't need a wife or a husband to be happy. I'll just keep on having my fun. And forgive me for being bold, but if you ever fancy a bit of fun with a handsome young village fellow...

[It's inevitable, Mat flirts or makes overtures to nearly everyone he knows and finds attractive - unless he's given the impression they'd be offended or entirely uninterested. Julie's very beautiful, fun, and seems to have a very casual attitude to it all. He likes all of those things.

Never hurts to offer the invitation, he's hardly one to be bothered by rejection.

And oh...oh, that's nothing like what he'd pictured. Mat bursts into laughter, practically doubling over, comparing Julie's creation. No, he missed the mark quite spectacularly on this one. They can't even be called cousins.]

Oh fuck me...I wasn't even close! Look at that...I never could have imagined something like that. Not in all my years. Fuck...

Abraxas Inbox

For Julie - Horizon

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject