ABRAXAS MODS (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
abraxasmods) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
abraxasooc2022-01-20 09:31 am
abraxasmods) wrote in abraxasooc2022-01-20 09:31 am
Entry tags:
TEST DRIVE MEME #5
TEST DRIVE MEME
Welcome to the fifth test drive meme for Abraxas! This meme is run a little bit differently than most in that you'll be asked to choose one of the three different arrival scenarios below for your character to take. If you have any questions about this mechanic or anything else related to the TDM, please take a look at the questions below or ask one of your own under the Questions header below. For general game questions please still use the FAQ.
Our Setting pages are full of information on the world of Abraxas, and an overview of the story so far can be found on our Game History page! Anything on that page - including information about the Horizon and the Singularity - can be assumed to be told to newcomers after they arrive, no matter which faction they are received in. For more information on Ambrose and the apprentice mages, Marlo, and Rowan, please see our NPCs page.
You can also find answers to questions asked on previous TDMs in their respective questions threads— 1, 2, 3, and 4.
Arrival
You awaken suspended in the abyss, silent darkness stretching out in all directions. If you try to yell, you'll find that the sound doesn't carry. If you try to move, you'll find it's impossible to tell whether or not you're actually getting anywhere. If you reach for an item you were carrying last time you remember being awake, your hand will only touch bare skin.
You're naked and floating helplessly through the void, and what little air you have in your lungs is running out.
There's a pinprick of light that almost looks like a faraway star but as it grows it becomes clear that it's actually quite close. Through the opening you can see a bright room, but it's hard to make out any individual objects, as if you're looking from beneath rippling water.
Scenario One: Welcome to Thorne
A hand plunges through and you realize water is just what it is. Whether you take hold of the hand or not it will grab you and yank you up through the surface, lifting you out until you're sprawled on solid ground. Once you catch your breath, you can get a better look at the surroundings: tall trees and even taller stone pillars surround the platform you're laying on. Behind you is an ornate fountain, the base of which is so deep and so dark you might be compelled to scramble away from it lest it suck you back in to that endless abyss. Ahead of you are the walls of a large castle with several tall towers reaching up towards the sky.
If you had any powers, they feel unusually weak. Attempts to use magic or enhanced strength or powers of any sort fizzle out without any effect, but they don't feel completely gone, either.
Set into an indent on a marble slab behind the fountain is a card bearing the image of one of the arcana.
An apprentice mage - the one whose hand lifted you out of the fountain - brushes the water off on their robes and runs back to join a group of three others, who all stare intently at a mage with highly decorated robes and a large, heavy book. He peers up at you for a moment and starts flipping through the book.
"One moment," he says, not bothering to look up from the tome. He looks tired. "I am Ambrose Rhett, the High Mage of the Kingdom of Thorne. We’ll explain everything in a moment, but for now, please calm down. You’re completely fine."
Regardless of your response, he keeps flipping through the pages, until he stops on one specific passage, stares at it for a moment, and then sighs with relief:
"Finally!"
Ambrose's expression brightens, relief visible across his features. He waves one of the apprentices over with a fine silk tunic, pants, and some basic sandals and with a wave of his hand they reshape to fit you perfectly.
"Oh, thank heavens," he says, closing the book and approaching you with a sort of worn-out relief. “I was beginning to believe we’d never get it exactly right.”
Now that he's not hunching over the book, he doesn't seem quite so stuffy and inapproachable. The apprentices all seem to visibly relax, and the one that handed you the tunic stops to take the tarot card down from the marble slab. If you show any curiosity about the card, they'll let you take a longer look, but won't let you touch it.
"Please, come with me," he says, motioning for you to follow him towards the castle. "As promised, my pupils will explain your current situation. And, ah - if you had any magic of your own, or other special abilities you can't access right now, fear not, they'll return within the week. The summoning takes a lot out of you."
One of the apprentices steps forward and rattles on and on about the castle, Thorne itself, the names of a bunch of royals and nobles, and of course, your reason for being here. The Kingdom and the world itself is in great peril, and tales of your exploits have reached far and wide across universes. If asked about these exploits, the apprentice will simply smile and shrug. The High Mage was happy to see you and that's good enough.
Once inside the castle you're taken to the North Wing, which has been set up as living quarters for you and your fellow newcomers. There are four people to a room, but each generously-sized bed has opaque curtains that can be drawn around it. You can meet your roommates here and discuss your shared situation (those who were previously brought in may have a great deal of information to tell you), or you can wander around and meet the others.
There's also a dining hall stocked with a rotating 24/7 buffet in celebration of the new honored guests. Somehow, your very favorite food is part of the rotation (or at least an attempted recreation of it given the limited technology available to the Thorneans). The town surrounding the castle is all abuzz as well, with most shops and services willing to give free samples of their wares to the new arrivals.
You may also notice that your sign is embroidered on your tunic: the same image you saw on the card from before with the name of the sign itself beneath it. If you ask the castle residents, they'll tell you a little bit about your sign (and will mostly stick to the positives, although some might point out the negatives).
Last (and, if you ask anyone else in the castle, least) there is a worn stone staircase leading underground to the dungeon. You can go there, if you wish, but all powers are restricted in the dungeons and most of the cells stand empty.
Scenario Two: Welcome to Cadens
You find yourself pulled from the water by a pair of strong hands. Dry warmth hits you at once as you're set on a warm hard floor. As your senses return you realize you're on dull ruddy stone and surrounded by strangers. Men and women in unfamiliar uniforms of brown and red leather stand in a semi-circle around a small pool of water. The very pool you were just pulled from. The water is still now, rimmed in pale gold tiles with odd symbols etched into them. Across it on the far side is a raised pedestal with a card propped on it. The card bears an arcana symbol.
You feel weak. Drained. Any abilities or magical powers you have seem far away and impossible to access. You're in what looks like a cave lit by dozens and dozens of torches set into the wall. There's no furniture or decoration to be seen besides the pool. It's almost uncomfortably warm and there's the sound of rushing wind somewhere in the distance. Flickering shadows obscure the faces of the guards. A robed woman stands off to the side, looking at you anxiously and then to the authoritative woman standing before you. She's grinning, dressed in a fancier uniform than the others. There's a sword at her hip. A guard covers you with a blanket and returns to their place in the semi-circle.
The woman with the sword gives a nod of approval and smiles warmly.
"Sorry about the circumstances."
She gives you a good hard look before standing again.
"Take a minute, catch your breath, you've had quite a shock. Take it nice and easy. I'm Prime Minister Marlo Reiner and you're in The Free Cities. That nice lady over there will explain everything to you and get you settled." A nod to the robed woman off to the side.
Marlo Reiner steps back and the robed mage approaches to help you up.
"Come with me, please." She brings you out of the cave through a corridor that angles upwards until you emerge in what looks like some kind of storage facility. Shelves of wooden boxes and cloth bags line them, unidentifiable parts of what might be machines are tucked into corners and propped against shelving units. "This is one of the Free Cities' outposts," the mage explains as she leads you. "We're honored to have you with us, I'm sure you have many questions but please save them. You need to recover!"
You'll learn you're in the Cadens Desert Outpost 003, a military outpost on the outskirts of Cadens city. You're brought to a room in the barracks that's been prepared. Each barracks room is rather sparse and utilitarian. Six simple beds set against the wall, three on each side of the room, each with a trunk at the foot of it. You're told the world is in a delicate and dangerous times and you're needed to help. You're important, you're told, and they're very grateful you're here.
You're asked to stay close for the time being, but to make yourself at home. The outpost is more a proper military base than the name implies, with full facilities. The barracks have a communal bathing room at the end of the hall, with curtains that can be pulled around the individual raised round tubs for privacy. There's a mess hall that has food available from sun up till a few hours after sundown. You're even encouraged to make use of the training grounds, if you'd like, with non-lethal training weapons available for use and obstacle courses set up. And the city of Cadens is only a couple of hours away by wagon - though you're asked initially to please be back at the outpost within a few hours of the sun going down.
For your own safety.
Scenario Three: Welcome to Solvunn
The feeling of floating is the first sense that comes to you as the edges of unconsciousness start to ebb. Sunlight filters through the rippling water as you open your eyes, making you squint. Before you have the chance to panic and inhale, firm hands grasp your arms and pull you to the surface of the water. Moments later, soft warmth is wrapped around your shoulders as you're guided on unsteady legs out of a pool of water. You're lowered to the soft grass. Men and women in simple garments with lavish embroidery stand by, waiting with bated breath, glancing seriously at an old man in an ornate robe. He holds an old leather-bound book in one hand and in the other is a card bearing an arcana symbol. His eyes move quickly over the page, and he mumbles idly to himself.
Any strength you may have possessed feels as though it has slipped through your fingers. Any abilities or magical powers you have don't come to the surface no matter how hard you try. You're in a grassy clearing in the midst of a circle of large stone slabs stacked to look like doorways. In the middle is the same glimmering pool you were just pulled from. A gentle breeze blows through, carrying the scent of flowers and herbs from an ornately decorated altar set off in front of one of the stone doorways. The mage closes his book and steps out of the water, addressing a matronly old woman. Behind her are two younger people, a rough-looking man, and a meek young girl, both of whom are also watching the mage.
“I detect no ill will from the gods, it seems we've been blessed with success.” Those that had gathered all breathe a sigh of relief and now seem pleased.
The old woman smiles and steps forward, offering to take your hands and help you stand. “Any gift the gods give us is one we will happily take. I'm certain you have many questions, and they will all be answered in time. For now, rest and know you will be taken care of.”
She pats the top of your hand and steps away with a serene smile, letting one of the others come forward with some clothes that seem to fit you perfectly. The rough-looking man from before steps forward once you're decent and motions with his head outside of the stone circle. His speech is informal, his consonants harsh.
“Hold your horses, I can see all those questions coming about! Rowan March, at your service. I'm one of the council members of Solvunn. There's a lot to discuss, but it's best talked about over a hot meal.” He leads you to a horse-drawn carriage and helps you up into the back. He talks the entire ride to the settlement.
You find out you are in the Primary Settlement, the first of three that make up Solvunn's great territory. The settlement is situated between two lakes and is humming with life. You're brought to the center of town and escorted to an apartment above one of the establishments in town. Rowan explains that the living conditions are temporary if you'd like them to be, that local families would also be happy to host you in their home. That there are others like you who have also taken up residence within the three settlements. You're told that the world hangs upon the brink of disaster and that there are those in this world that are happy to see it fall to ruin with their meddling.
You're important. The gods have graced them with your presence. They're delighted you're here. Welcome to Solvunn.
Everything you need has been provided in this humble apartment, and if it hasn't, there are shops that line the streets and a marketplace in the center of town. Owners of some establishments or stalls are more than happy to give out samples or barter with your time for their goods. Babysitting can be a very lucrative business. You're told of the other settlements, that they'd like you to stay here for now, but if you can find a family to host you, the secondary and tertiary settlements are best to get to with an escort.
There are tales of travelers visiting the secondary settlement without invitation disappearing without a trace. The gods are as hungry as they are protective, young traveler.
You’ll find that there are more than enough activities to throw yourself into to better settle into your new life in Solvunn. Work is done in the first part of the day so that families can spend the rest of it together in leisure and work on their crafts - whatever those may be. For those children who are not of school age, they need nannies or storytellers, and there’s always a gaggle of them running about unsupervised. Families with livestock can always take a spare hand, especially since farms are so spread out, they have a tendency to wander. Whatever skills you may possess can always be of use to the community or to honor the gods.
If any of these options are no good for your lifestyle, the main roads between settlements can always use a bit of monster clean-up… just make sure you don’t go alone.
How many slots are open?
Currently, there are 23 slots open for new players. We will process activity check before opening applications, so we will have a better idea of the exact count then. Existing players can apply for a second character without restriction.
How do I choose a scenario for my character?
Pick whichever situation appeals to you most. Which faction your character is drawn into has nothing to do with their personal morality, beliefs, or how highly they regard themselves and their own accomplishments. Anyone can be put into any one of the situations.
Can I try out more than one scenario?
You can! But please keep in mind that only the one you eventually choose can be game canon, if you decide to keep any of your TDM threads.
What happens if my character refuses to comply with the NPCs?
They will be forgiven for their moment of panic or anger if they have one, and the faction leaders will try to calm them and persuade them further. If they put up too much of a fight and/or start actively attacking anyone, they will be warned once that everyone is willing to put them back in the well where they came from (see below), and if they continue to fight they will make good on that promise.
My character intends on causing a lot of trouble (destroying parts of the cities, murdering the NPCs, etc.), what would happen to them?
Characters who make too much trouble for the mages and other NPCs would be thrown back in the well (which will mean drowning in the void, not returning home). Brawling with other PCs and causing minor damage is fine and will be greeted with a cranky attitude and intervention from various NPC guards, and there will be plenty of opportunity for destruction and murder later, but for now the Abraxans have no desire to keep huge liabilities around.
I want to wildcard a prompt or use one of the prompts from an earlier TDM that isn't on this one (eg. the library), can I do that?
Yes, in terms of the settings. As Thorne is no longer imprisoning any newcomers, that option is no longer applicable.
Is the power loss for characters permanent?
No, but it does take a week or so for their powers to be back in full, and certain powers (determined on a case-by-case basis) may require nerfs. If your character has world-breaking powers, please discuss with the mods what modifications may be necessary.
Can my character leave the bounds of the faction?
In Thorne, characters can leave the castle but not the city. In Cadens, they can take a trip from the outpost to the city. In Solvunn, they can explore the entirety of the Primary Settlement.
Can my character eventually change factions?
Yes. While the faction borders are currently closed, there will opportunities in the future for characters to relocate. For the time being, they are stuck where they are.
How much will my choice of scenario affect my character's plot later on?
This choice will determine where your character initially lives as well as the bias of the information they receive from NPCs (although other PCs can and most likely will give it to them a bit more straight). This decision - and every other major decision you make in game! - will also be used to flavor some mod surprises that will be coming down the line.
Don't get too anxious about this choice, though; this is just one choice you'll get to make in a game that has a lot of them, and every character in every scenario can work their way towards many, many individual goals and outcomes. You're not locking yourself out of anything in the future via the choice you made on the TDM. It will primarily impact the immediate future with the far-reaching effects being up to each player.
Are TDM threads mandatory for my application?
No, you may use other samples, but we encourage you to post to the TDM and get a feel for this game and its mechanics before you join. If you do not have a TDM thread you will still need to choose one of the three scenarios on your application.
What if I haven't settled on a sign yet?
You can ignore sign-related prompts if you're undecided (or try out different signs in different threads).
Can my character go to the Horizon?
First time visitors to the Horizon must be taken there by other characters, through either shared meditation or a physical journey to the Singularity, and all first-timers experience memory loss. For the purposes of the TDM, we suggest against using the Horizon.
What about making use of the network?
Much like Horizon they would need to be introduced to it by another PC, as no NPCs would be aware of the network or be able to access it. Because of this we would advise against using this mechanic for TDM top-levels.
return to main navigation
no subject
No, I don’t remember. But I’ve been informed.
[Stephen opts to slide the book back into place without using magic this time. His response lacks surprise, which means that he’s already taken the time to reconcile with the idea of another him—or the same him without the memories, who can be sure?—once existing in this world. For an ex-Sorcerer Supreme, who deals in the weird and the mystic on the regular, it’s less jarring than it should be.]
As far as I can recall, I’ve been here for barely two months. But expecting any congruity’s a moot point where timelines are concerned. [Does Peter know about Stark? Well. He’s not sure that’s something he should casually slip in; it still feels like a minefield in his own mind, at times.] But if you’ve been here before, you should have a better handle of things than even me.
[A beat. He crosses his arms.]
So why’re you so twitchy?
[Sometimes it’s easier to just be blunt than to dance around a topic; he’s never had the patience for it.]
no subject
he watches the book be slid back into the shelf. you'd think they'd be more careful about leaving complicated spellbooks around! it seemed more like theory to him though. ] Oh, I don't know if that's true. I only must've spent a few weeks here? I just know the main things, but I feel like even that's had to have changed a bit by now.
[ he starts, visibly straightens his posture and tries to feign ignorance when the oddity of his behavior is called out. arms fold over his chest, and he shakes his head. ] I'm not twitchy!
Except — well, okay, no - I'm just wondering, [ another frown, a hand waved out between them. fine, he just wasn't expecting to be called out. even if he should have, given his conversation partner. so maybe if he just asks what he wants to know, it'll be like ripping off a bandaid. ] What's the last thing you remember, from home? I think you might be before me. [ the last part slips out, an accidental spill that clearly seems to be defined as what if i've said too much, something that should have been kept for his internal monologue instead. because if he was from after, he wouldn't remember him, right? no one did. that was the whole point. except maybe dr strange still could? he didn't exactly have the time to ask about the details, given the context, so its biased assumption that spills out. ]
no subject
Peter’s right to wonder if he’s said too much, but not for the reasons he’s worried about; Stephen has a tendency to overthink for the sake of being over-prepared, and it doesn’t always lend to an easy, casual conversation.]
And why do you think that?
[HUH. WHY. Answering a question with a question isn’t helpful, but he’s allowed it. If there’s an issue that Peter is trying to slowly unveil, Stephen would prefer to yank back that curtain — for good or ill.]
no subject
peter tries to be obstinate, however, a shrug. ] Just a hunch. [ look, two of them can play this game of cat and mouse, even if it might be very obvious which is the weaker link amongst the two of them.
the problem is, he wants to tell him. but it's selfish, too. the burden of the future, or something like it. would stephen tell him what happens, if it was the other way around? ] You know. Like, the spidey-tingles? [ peter tingles aunt may had called them and it hadn't been his preference at all, embarrassing at the name was but now — well, he'll have to get used not hearing it, won't he.
he sucks in a breath, holds it as he looks at stephen with what he hopes is a convincing display of honesty. ] I could be totally wrong. Things have been a little fuzzy since I got back, really, so - so thats probably it.
in which off-screen vagueness reigns supreme
[Flat. Dubious. This explanation is highly unlikely and a little slipshod, but Peter’s being difficult about it, continuing this game of informational keep-away. And that in itself is worrying. He may not know him too well, but one thing is irrefutable: Peter keeps his heart on his sleeve. Now that he’s playing at an angle, trying badly to obscure it, Stephen wants to know why.
What could be so important?]
You’re fishing.
[—it comes out a little too tersely than intended, and he pauses, recenters with an exhale. Be nice, Stephen. He’s just a kid with a lot on his plate even before slingshotting from world to world.
He tries again, scarred fingers flexing at the crook of an elbow.]
…Fine. It’s not a thrilling recollection. I was at the Sanctum, making the rounds to reinforce too many passive spells to count. [ u g h ] Then, after a dip in the summoning pool, I arrived here.
[Pointedly leaves it at that, waiting to dissect any reaction that follows.]
damnit stephen
his expression pinches, confused. the timeline description is not much to go by, given that it sounded like it could be any other day for the sorcerer.
but that also implied a couple more things, fragmented facts that peter weaves through like a poorly constructed web. if this, then therefore that. that if he remembered peter messing up, he'd say so, well-deservedly so. if he remembered any of the events prior to sealing back an eldritch sky, he's say so.
or maybe he wouldn't. maybe he's a better liar than peter is but he doubts something so important would be so easy to hide away and while his peter tingles haven't evolved to sense discrepancies in space-time, they'd tell him that something was wrong if it was and so peter parker does again what he thinks is best: he trusts stephen strange. (how can he not?)
his throat feels dry, arms cross again, tucked against his sides. ] Oh, I see.
So you are. Before me, because if you weren't, you'd — [ you wouldn't know who i am. both hands pass across his face, conflicted. ] — you'd probably remember that you helped me. [ it sounds uncertain, a statement that's shaped like a question. remember is such an odd concept and is the heart of his hyperfocus. ] I appreciate it. [ he does, but he can hate the cost regardless. ]
no subject
Worrisome.
If body language didn’t bolster a faint, burgeoning concern, then Peter’s return vagueness of what he helped him with would’ve done it. By far.
One doesn’t go to Stephen Strange to fix small problems, after all. Magic was so often, and sometimes problematically, viewed as a fix-all, the universal band-aid for impossible problems. The great Hail Mary, free of the consequences. His brows knit together, eyes steady on Peter but gaining a somewhat distant, I’m-puzzling-things-out-behind-the-curtain look.]
What would I have helped you with? [He almost doesn’t have to reply, because Stephen’s addendum is quick.]
Your problems are more… local. [You know, friendly and neighborhood-like. But Stephen, finally, gives one nugget of actual useful timeline-context:] Even if your notoriety’s gone up a few notches lately.
no subject
but it had been a problem of a kid way in over his head and trying desperately to be two people at once; trying to smooth over something that got out of his control. what dr strange did — does — had been a tempting thing to ask for back then because it seemed so infallible, so out of his reach and yet such a panacea of a solution. ] Yeah, definitely local — [ his agreement starts whether or not there was space in between stephen's own words to fill. ]
[ a wince, worry and guilt and everything in between loud on his expression, as the timelines pinpoint further. ] Oh, so you do remember that part. Okay, cool. Cool, yeah. It's — it's not what that looked like. [ what did it look like, though? it looked like he killed someone in cold blood and ordered a lot of stark tech to turn on innocent people and his defense feels weak. ] I didn't mean for that to happen — [ its the same thoughts, on repeat, as the ones that brought him to doctor strange's door in the first place. he takes a deep breath, ] I didn't mean for a lot of things to happen.
[ he sounds bitter and hollow and adamant all at once. not for the first time, he tries to backpedal out of this conversation. tries to smooth over the global worries of people who had the experience of saving half a universe. ] But — I had a question, and you helped me, and everything's okay now, so at least you don't need to worry about that, right? [ :') ]
no subject
[He doesn’t know know it, of course. He wasn't there. But what he does know, through even their brief acquaintance, was that Peter wasn't what the media made him out to be. A story sensationalized, or twisted up in bad faith, or without every angle of information, with no context that he knows always exists; none of it reflected this kid's well-meaning nature, someone so young carrying enough responsibilities that'd break the back of most adults.
Are A and B connected? The news stories and the question he had to ask? "Everything's okay now"; it wasn't before. "You don't need to worry about that"; Stephen could and should worry about it.
After all, a man who was once-guardian of a relic called the Time Stone extends his purview even into a future that hasn't come to pass.]
So are you being vague because you don't want to tell me, or you think that you can't tell me? Because take this into account first: timelines are warped and out of place already. [Again, the idea of Stark, the dead man walking, comes to mind. Or beyond that, other Summoned who talk of inconsistencies in their own timeframes, or the fact that this world is an impossible crossroads as it is.]
You said this is your second time here. Did you remember the first after you returned to Earth?
[Maybe Peter can see what he's getting at. Sensitive information, spoken too early to those who shouldn't know it, seems to have little effect back home when memory isn't part of the equation.]
no subject
so he knows that stephen strange is right, hit the nail right on the head and of course he, of all people, would. surgically precise in his follow-up and peter shakes his head, expression somber. ] No, I didn't remember this place until I got back.
[ he looks to the nearest window, and momentarily considers how fast he can get to it to leave. thinks it might be a drastic exit to take, considering strange's magic cape floats nearby. peter might not be a coward, but he feels like running from this mess he's yet again created. ]
So — so you're saying I can tell you what happens in the future because it won't change anything. [ he almost desperately finds himself wishing it could, voice stiff, if only because maybe aunt may could still be alive if things could change. ]
It's just. [ hard, embarrassing, painful? all of the above? he shrugs, shifts his weight. ] I don't know where to start.
no subject
Maybe. For once, Stephen isn’t sure if he’d follow; not because he wouldn’t want to know, but because the discomfort is palpable. Maybe he’d need time; maybe he needs reassurance, a concept that is hit-or-miss for a man like himself, so determined to get to the heart of the issue that he often doesn’t take his time doing it.
But there’s is a part of him that can try.]
You’re walking proof of that, aren’t you?
[Of memories only returning once stepping foot in Abraxas again. Assurances in tangible proof. Surely Peter can appreciate that much.]
You said you came to me for something. Why don’t you start there?
o boy!
except, maybe, this might make stephen trust him less here, and that risk doesn't sit right with peter. it would be deserved, all things considered, but he's never been good at letting people down. he needs to be reliable here, too. ]
Yeah — well, you saw the news...[ he seems to drop the idea of taking a fast exit out of this situation, takes a deep breath and straightens out his shoulders, and continues: ] My identity being out in the open — that really messed up a lot of things. [ Friendly Neighbourhood Spiderman really means that people don't know who he is. just someone looking out for the little guy. you put a name to it and... ]
I came to you to ask if you could undo that. The world knowing who I was. I — look, the truth coming out also put people close to me at risk and - and just — I didn't know what else to do! I thought with the Time Stone — [ he grimaces. no, talking about it again doesn't make it easier is a rapid fire conclusion. actually it sounds dumber to say it now because he has the context of what happens next and yet...and yet, could he say he wouldn't try to do the same thing? ] — You said you didn't have it anymore, but that there was a memory spell, so...
[ he lets that hang between them, for a moment. trying to gauge reaction, maybe, but the look on his face loudly proclaims but wait there's more and it gets worse. ]
that gif is just my life
[The reaction Peter’s fishing for plays across Stephen’s face like a slideshow — the furrowed brow of concern, the way it transitions into even more alarming concern, a look that belies the way his mind is working at all angles again, taking into account—
A memory spell?
There aren’t many memory spells that can wipe away the entirety of everyone knowing Peter’s identity as Spider-Man, but one is prominent enough to lance through the current jumble of Stephen’s mind — one used somewhat haphazardly at that one party of Kamar-Taj’s, though the decision-making propensity of sorcerers having a little too much fun isn’t worth mentioning aloud.
But it is the only option, its scope able to affect so much more than a party where too many bad decisions were made — and in its broader, global reach, perhaps this is exactly what he would have suggested aiding Peter with.
Would he have, though? It would be the equivalent of breaking the universe (or at least bend it, just a little) to fix a single individual’s problem; a concept he’s often against on principle alone. Yet Peter wouldn’t lie to him. There’s more there he’s wrangled to keep leashed up as they speak. He can see it.]
At the level of what you’re suggesting? A memory spell would mean that everyone would forget Peter Parker as Spider-Man, yeah. Tricky, and very advanced spell casting, but… doable.
[Stephen’s look is the equivalent of someone trying to drag out information before it’s even spoken.]
So did I go through with it?
it's a mood
it still is. ] And I — I asked you to modify it so that maybe some people could remember me? And you could but then — I asked for too much, I think, because the spell got messed up and you had to put it into some box and —
[ voice fumbles, and he has to keep himself still, hands balled to fists, held steady and white-knuckled at his side and his ears are back to ringing. it feels like too much information to try and fill in - but he should. he should because whether or not the stephen strange before him is from his past rather than future, he still owes him. it feels like they're past the point of no return, like he can't just backtrack out of it now, and he feels all the more a kid rather than spiderman. ] — I was trying to keep my lives separate. It was a mistake. But my friends — they didn't get into MIT because of me. [ he's supposed to help people, not ruin futures. the looks on mj's and ned's faces — how they tried to play it cool, how they were pretending it was more fine than it was...
it's all fixed now, he tries to remind himself. that what he remembers is only in his memories now. mj and ned are going to MIT. they'll be okay. ] — I just wanted a way to fix things. [ a brief pause. his throat feels like its filled with sand. ] It...kind of got worse before it got better. The multiverses kind of — um, [ rip off the bandaid, just one two quick. ] Tangled over into ours for a bit.
But it is fixed now! [ a reiteration, some desperate little thing to keep reminding stephen of. or is he trying to remind himself? ]
no subject
For something that’s not yet happened to him, he feels the weight of it. The complications spiraling out from things unsaid. The multiverse is not a concept in which they understand much at all, and that it should unravel because of Peter— no, because of his agreement to help is utterly mind-boggling. Yeah, the kid needs a break. All of them do, from time to time, those who might don a superhero name and save the world now and again from whatever flavor-of-the-week threat rears its ugly head.
But this seems inherently, obscenely, irreversibly irresponsible. Since when is Doctor Stephen Strange such a bleeding heart? (More than he realizes.)
...Well, maybe not irreversible. Somehow, this doesn’t stop this news from being utterly wheeling.]
It’s fixed, but—?
[Because there’s always a “but”. Always a scar beneath the band-aid where time, space, and multiverses are concerned. He sees it on Peter’s face. This is a painful conversation for him to have, meaning there’s something critical still missing.]