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Post by Linyü on Mar 15, 2020 19:16:28 GMT -6
Life was funny sometimes. The last time he did this, Seveth had thought maybe it'd be the last. He hadn't done it many times, of course. That kind of wealth, that kind of opportunity--- it wasn't easy to come by. It had been a little bittersweet, even, that just as he'd managed to gather the resources for his third node... Well. In retrospect, it had been incredibly, unbelievably good luck that he had. It was just a shame that they were all useless to him now. "Don't look at me like that," he said to his handful of crystals. "You think this is easy for me? Mmm, you keep saying things like that, and maybe I will keep you all to myself." He grinned, but it was only a joke. They needed the money, oh boy, did they ever. And contrary to what San thought, the whole node was worth more than just the parts.
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Post by Linyü on Mar 15, 2020 19:24:08 GMT -6
After all, a node was basically ready to use, and with the ingredients, you had to go through the process of actually making it up. And you couldn't do it too often, or else your soul would really take a beating.
Of course, now that Seveth couldn't use them himself anymore, what was another node to him? For the low low price of just a little piece of his immortal spirit, they could be making the big bucks!
... Besides, if you eat the berry, that stuff grew back, right? Right...?
Okay, so it maybe wasn't technically his soul to be doing with it as he liked, but he knew the procedure. He'd keep San's soul safe, no harm no foul. Squaring his shoulders, steeling himself, he walked up the steps to the altar that officiated the whole process here.
... And walked, and walked, and walked. Gods and angels, why were there so many stairs?!
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Post by Linyü on Mar 15, 2020 19:27:59 GMT -6
It was supposed to be this magical, momentous occasion, but by the time he made it all the way to the top, he was wheezing. His body... This body still wasn't up to this kind of exertion, though he could already see signs of San's efforts, at least, to build it back up. A couple of months ago, he wouldn't even have made it up those stairs, so emaciated were all the muscles in those legs.
Still. He was really looking forward to when he'd be piloting a souped-up superman type bod, that was for sure.
He was so winded that he didn't notice the cloaked figures at first. Now he did, and found out that he wasn't quite tired enough not to jump out of his skin at the sight of them. "Whoa! Hey! Didn't see you there," he said, putting a hand to his heart. "Hey, nice robes. I'm really digging the whole matching outfit look. Did you guys coordinate, or was this a happy little accident?"
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Post by Linyü on Mar 15, 2020 19:38:00 GMT -6
Not a single one responded. Well, he was more or less expecting that, but it didn't make them less creepy. "Okay, okay, I get it. Strong silent types. That's cool," said Seveth. Slowly, he walked up to the altar, taking in the... state of it. "And I love what you've done with the decor. Old blood. Very... medieval executioner. Very macabre."
He had to put his things down onto it, which was fine, except the berries had to go too, and he was going to have to eat that in a minute. Eugh. Don't think about it, he told himself firmly, and picked up the berry to place it in his mouth. He chewed and swallowed as quickly as he could; they were dry, mealy little things, and the less he thought about the taste, the better.
He swallowed. Certainly not the worst thing he'd ever had to swallow, he'd give it that much.
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Post by Linyü on Mar 15, 2020 19:45:25 GMT -6
And now... the knife.
Picking it up, feeling the weight of it in his hands, he felt a little funny about this whole thing. Cutting himself... It wasn't that he was squeamish, if only because he'd done it enough times before that there was no point in getting worked up over it now, but when he held a blade, he couldn't help but think how easy it would be to sink it into his own throat. How he had the option, and the capacity, for such breathtaking self-betrayal.
He didn't, of course. He didn't have a death wish. He made a precise, efficient little incision into his wrist, very shallow, just enough to let the blood accumulate and drip slowly over the crystals. He was no novice, and this would be no blood-soaked mess of a ritual, whatever other attempts this altar must have seen.
And then he knelt, to pray.
Here, he didn't know what gods might be listening. But he sent up the standard prayers: for for success, for safety, for the price offered and paid and not an iota more.
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Post by Renathan on Mar 17, 2020 17:39:32 GMT -6
Water Node - Success! Next Attempt - 3-15-2021
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