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Entry tags:

bucky barnes (mcu)

Network | video | Warning

Who: Elidibus, OTA
Username: ceasetherain
Warnings: ghosts, body horror to wasting away, spirals, Dogtown, death

[Elidibus is centered in the video with the background of a living room indicating he's probably at home. Although he's inside, it might be noticed he is wearing a couple of layers to his visible clothing. Other than this, he seems as composed as ever.]

Good afternoon. I am reaching out to you all to pass a warning. I spoke with the apparition who has been appearing to many of us. Their name is Bryn Fletcher, who has appeared in reports of incidents a year prior.

[There is a pause and a glance to something offscreen. But rather than pursue whatever distracted him, Elidibus returns his gaze forward while continuing to speak.]

He wishes to pass on a warning. A great threat is building. Bryn claimed to have witnessed what I must presume was a twisting of reality. Perhaps literally. He spoke of how all was twisted into spirals and that all within were dying.

[There is a small frown and a shift, as if Elidibus were uncomfortable speaking a warning in such vague terms or upon such a small amount of information as he was able to get.]

Bryn claims the center of this is the house in Dogtown. That, by his words, it will devour everyone.

[There. A promise fulfilled and even then some. Reaching in the direction he looked before, Elidibus retrieves a cup of some warm beverage and sips. ]

Pray feel free to ask what questions you have. Though I fear there may be little I can speak on with any accuracy.

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When is there not some manner of threat building, here.

Quite so.

[Definitely agree there.]

What I was able to learn during my encounter lends credence to the particular severity of this threat. And Bryn Fletcher is to be commended for alerting us of this threat with little or no regard of his personal welfare.

There is that, if naught else. And I suppose it would be a shame to come so far and let this latest threat prove our ultimate undoing.

[Elidibus allows himself to show a tiny knowing smile.]

I concur. I'm sure others will be enacting calls to action. I trust we can expect your aid?

[He sees that smile, though he makes no acknowledgement of it.]

I would be loath to leave things half done.

[Which is to say, yes.]

As ever, I look forward to working with you, Emet-Selch.

[Tiny. Persistent. Smile. Almost like the thought warms up the cold that has persisted since his encounter with Bryn. It doesn't. But metaphors.]

[Yeah, now there's a faint squint at that persistant smile, though little more than that.]

Was there any doubt you would be doing so?

[ Fleetingly, a look of surprise crosses his face. Startled, as if at the question and the presence of the smile both. It's schooled quickly, along with settling his expression back to a polite mask. He is swift to assure. ]

No, of course not. Pray forgive me if I seemed to imply otherwise.

[ There is surely more. But it's not like he's one to talk about personal matters of the past over a network with dubious (??) security. ]

There is naught to forgive.

[Naught that he'd be willing to speak of over a network that may or may not be properly secure, anyway.]

[ Two guys that apparently understand the whole concept of 'if it is said/posted/etc on the internet, it stays on the internet'. ]

I'm certain a gathering of able bodies will be called for ere long. The responses to my message have already indicated others are looking for such.

[ Might take an hour or so, but Sheppard definitely takes the lead on that eventually. Elidibus? Might be stalling a touch to collect his thoughts and take stock of any change in his condition.

It will be some days before he can shake the chill and numbness that no layers of clothes or amount of hot beverages seems able to penetrate. But he'll tell Emet-Selch all about that later too. ]

I can hardly claim to be surprised, given the individuals here.

[And, of course, their supposed purpose on this world to begin with.]

Agreed.

[ And not least are which themselves, however dispassionate and 'apart' they may read by their personalities to others. ]

When you are finished with your business, there is something I wish to seek your advice for. As it is not an emergency, there is no need to place other matters before it.

[ Though given Elidibus is at home and not at work (specifically the ADI) at this point of the day, it must be something. A pause. ]

Do bring something to eat. Perhaps the seafood chowder we tried the other day.

[ Something warm please. ]

Yes, Elidibus had been sent (or asked to) go home early from the office. It probably wouldn't have taken much to figure out this early arrival was a result of his aforementioned encounter with the apparition of Bryn Fletcher.

Consciously the silver-haired man has been making an effort to pause when he can. It's not as if they are in a place where they get many breaks. But he'd worked (ironically) to find places to take a few moments to do something else.

Technically this is not such a time. He does have his laptop and a book of information on the Dogtown area (as it is able to be documented and mapped by gathered reports). In part to do some light work on the very pressing matter of a possible building new threat and out in the living room so that he is purposefully away from... well, his collection.

There is a cup of coffee near him and unlike usual he's not in his robes. Layers of clothes, a blanket and the heating is definitely turned up. Not unbearably- it is late fall in New England- so but more than usual.

Elidibus is reading a report from the book. He pauses and with unusually ginger action, lifts the cup of coffee with both hands and takes a sip before returning it with equal care. When Emet-Selch walks in, he looks up and smiles faintly.

"Welcome home. I trust all went well?"

Edited 2023-10-31 22:01 (UTC)

[There's a raised eyebrow at Elidibus' comment, but no question. That he will save for later, and so there is simply a nod.]

I will see what I can do

---

It does, of course, take some time before Emet-Selch arrives. As Elidibus had not implied the matter was urgent, he had taken Elidibus at his word and made sure to see to what else had required his attention first. Including making sure to pick up the chowder in question. There is, admittedly, a bit of a blink to see Elidibus not holed up with his collection (to say nothing of the clothes he's wearing), but Emet-Selch makes no immediate effort to address either as he closes the door behind him.

"It did."

He sets down the bag holding the containers of chowder on a nearby table, as he speaks, before setting about removing them and the associated utensils.

"Though you had something you wished for advice on?"

It's a gentle nudge, mostly, though one that suggests that Emet-Selch certainly doesn't mind getting immediately to whatever it is that happens to be on Elidibus' mind.

There isn't really any need to waste time. After a check of the phone- again handled gingerly- for new messages on the network, Elidibus sets it aside and gets out of his blanket. None of it has really been helping. The sensations are purely internal. But it did stand to reason that he should make sure the chill left him unaware of actual cold and compound the matter.

Well that's what he's telling himself. And it is reasonable to try to nurse it in some way.

He comes to retrieve his soup and speaks.

"My encounter with Bryn came with a cost. One I am unsure so soon after that I would recover from."

Left unsaid, he used some of his restored power (thanks to that arm and other established methods) to facilitate his communication with the apparition. But it's probably obvious considering what he's about to ask for.

"I would like your opinion on my condition, if you can spare the energy for it. Regardless of our limits, your clarity of sight in such matters surpasses my own."

And it certainly does, especially right now.

The gingerness with which Elidibus handles his phone is very much noted. Emet-Selch is, admittedly, not entirely sure what to make of it, especially with no further clues, but it is unusual enough to catch his attention. Especially given what Elidibus has already told him, as well as his own knowledge of the sorts of effects things in this world can have on one's body even when it is not an outcome one might prefer.

Still, he is willing to let it wait until Elidibus has come to claim his soup before he passes any further judgment. Not least of all for the fact that he has striven to at least not jump to too many conclusions over the course of his life.

(There is part of him that is not surprised that Elidibus' encounter with the spirit in question has come with a cost. He may only be truly familiar with the dead of their own world, but even then not all of those creatures that lingered after death were particularly friendly.)

"I have enough to spare for such a thing."

He picks up his own soup as he speaks.

"Though I would first know more of the nature of the condition and its effects."

So as to better be able to tell what he might be looking for, of course.

Everything is handled 'gingerly'. That is to say carefully, with focus beyond what he normally ever would need. And... he returns to his blanket.

"Of course," Elidibus says. The soup is set down near the mug of coffee. His hands are held open and are regarded thoughtfully before looking to Emet-Selch again. As if talking about nothing more alarming than reading a book, he begins to explain.

"Bryn... is a man trapped. If I were to hazard an analogy, it would be similar to a place completely devoid of aether. Thus, unable to sustain life. He will likely die soon if no one is able to rescue him from his fate."

This is needed background story. Elidibus is no doubt thinking of ideas but... he accepts it may not be possible. The warning was important.

"Yet he seems capable of reaching toward us who are from other worlds and reality. To facilitate the connection, I permitted him to make contact and used what limited resources at my discretion to further strengthen it."

One hand touches a shoulder- the one he allowed Bryn to touch. "Contact chilled the skin. And the further I endured it, the more the world seemed to fade. I know not whether he was drawing life from my existence or I was being drawn into his current plight." For a moment Elidibus's expression becomes wry. "Even now, what little sense of color remains to me is muted at best. All else is tones of gray."

Yet there's no physical signs of this. His gaze is as bright blue as ever.

"Most of my upper arm and hands have no feeling. An unending chill lingers through my body." The blanket, the soup and coffee are all glanced at. "None of these bring relief from its ache."

Elidibus' return to his blanket is, at least, nothing that Emet-Selch would be inclined to fault him for. Not under normal circumstances anyway - he has never been fond of the cold himself - and the only reason he even finds it so much as concerning now is for the relative warmth of the apartment to begin with. But it is not so much of a concern that he feels it necessary to speak on it, and so he falls silent as Elidibus begins his explanation.

An explanation that draws a look of concern the more Elidibus speaks, especially given the physical effects that Elidibus describes. True, Emet-Selch cannot fault Elidibus the desire to help, and it is certainly far from the first time there have been lingering effects after some manner of encounter in this world. But even so, this particular set of effects seems far more dire than might typical.

"Should he truly exist in a space without aether, or other means to sustain life, it would not be surprising that he might unconsciously draw on other sources to stabilize his own existence. Though such methods would not be enough to sustain him indefinitely."

Thus offering all the more reason to attempt a rescue. And soon, at that.

"As for the effects you are currently experiencing..."

Emet-Selch's voice trails off for a moment, as he refocuses his sight to attune more to the aetherial as opposed to the physical - and it takes scarcely a moment to see where the problem lies.

"There is an imbalance of aether. Your own yet remains, though it is being strongly affected by what appears to be ice aether that is heavily polarized to the astral."

Another pause, as he once more sets his sight back on the physical world around them.

"It is balancing to your own aetherial alignment, albeit slowly. Barring any repeat attempts at contact with Bryn, it will not worsen further."

The warmth is in overabundance in comparison to the need. But despite the urge to indulge in a little extra effort to get warm, it was probably a pragmatic enough. Try different things to see if it dispelled the chill, but also make sure there was enough warmth in the home when he could not discern changes in temperature so readily. How ignomous to get a cold. If ghosts can indeed get colds.

But mostly, it is that chill and numbness which aches to be curtailed driving him to try.

With a faint smile, Elidibus nods his appreciation. "I'm glad to have it confirmed this is only a temporary inconvenience." He possibly had some power to do the inspection himself. But at the speed and efficiency Emet-Selch could? Not without leaving himself vulnerable for a while. And he would rather have some crumb of power to react to danger than none at all.

But of course this is going to lead to considering whether he might be drawn to further contact with Bryn.

"...I'm inclined to do what I can where it concerns any rescue attempts. Though I doubt I would have to act alone in that respect."

For all his experience in dealing with the aetherial realm and those who might inhabit it, even Emet-Selch cannot say with any certainty whether or not a spirit should happen to be capable of catching a cold. Though certainly at least some of the physical effects happen to be similar in Elidibus' case, for all that it is no real illness at fault. But there is an answer all the same, and that will do.

(Nor will he fault Elidibus for having asked. He is not suffering the same affliction as Elidibus and he knows very well that it is better to have the capacity to react to danger should it become necessary to than to not.)

The question of Bryn, on the other hand, prompts a moment of consideration from Emet-Selch.

"I should rather have made the attempt and failed than not. Though I cannot say that any further attempts to make direct contact would be advisable. Not least of all for the effect it might have on your aether."

[John’s visage and attitude is far more feral these days, his eyes seem to be permanently feline, along with the canines and the scattering of fur, plus he’s sporting a pair of stylish, wide-rimmed glasses.

For some reason.

But despite everything, he’s turned far more serious because what Elidibus is saying has got him worried.]

Crap.

Did he say where in Dogtown it was, exactly?

[Believe it that Elidibus is taking note of these marked differences. But as they do not concern the current questions, he doesn't draw attention to them. Or seem shocked by them.

Hopefully that's just a poker face.]

I fear our encounter could not last long enough to gain further particulars, for all I was tempted. It is also possible what Bryn was able to see may not coincide with our own senses. He seems trapped in a reality that may be slightly beyond our own perception. Not unlike what was experienced with the model town perhaps.

[Elidibus reflects for a moment, then offers a reminder.]

The presence of twisted reality and spirals may lead us to clues. Though how this would manifest to us is a number of ways that are regrettably myriad in possibility.

Damn, you’re probably right. But that means it’s still out there, whatever he’s seeing.

Me and McKay have explored a lot of Dogtown but we haven’t seen anything too spirally yet. A lot of Hunt and Web though. Maybe it’ll change the further in you go.

Hm.

[Elidibus pauses to briefly consider.]

Though they may not be related, was there not some reports of increase in manifestation of the Spiral recently? Not just within Dogtown, but throughout the city.

[Particularly around the home of a certain name-stealing entity who called themselves Milo. And John and Steve.]

There may be some force growing in power. Or someone who might offer further insight on the phenomenon that seems to lurk in Dogtown itself.

You're right. Reality getting all messed up...seen a lot of that a little too much lately.

[He goes quiet, not wanting to dwell on that at the moment.]

It's been getting a lot of fear lately. A lot.

[In his opinion the amount of fear he gave off in the small town event could probably have fueled several apocalypses ten times over.]

Hm. One could even say the strange network of what has been discovered within the boundary of Dogtown itself is a stark manifestation of altered reality.

[ Elidibus isn't unfamiliar with pieces of different biomes and spaces being stitched together to create what appears to be one massive continuous area. But for one reason or another, he'd never himself gone into Dogtown to explore except briefly. ]

so we find the house

and firebomb it?

[Please let him blow this thing up if it is the source of their troubles. He has no idea if that will work. But he'd like to try.]

[Bold plan, Cotton... er Mr. Barnes. Elidibus texts back an answer that acknowledges the possibility of using it.]

I am unsure of the efficacy of destroying its physical component. Though it would be remiss of me to suggest we not plan for a possibility wherein destroying whatever physical anchor in this world exists may prove effective.

Even if it is preparing against a future resurgence.

[TL;DR Bring the fire bombs. Just in case.]

destroying physical components of avatars worked okay

[Also he just likes blowing shit up.]

ill bring them and see how it does

when are we doing this

[ Nothing wrong with blowing shit up sometimes. You know. In moderation. ]

A fair question. I have only just returned home from my encounter with Bryn Fletcher and it was... taxing. I need some time to recover, though I would not ask for a delay on my behalf.

However I have had responses from Sheppard if you are familiar with him, and I know my colleague Emet-Selch will be rending his aid. I've no doubt there will soon be a call to arms for those who wish to participate in combating this threat.

[ Surely it won't be long before Sheppard does his own call. ]

Wait, the-- the ghost is Bryn??

[Uhhh last he checked they got that guy out of the Lonely. And even if not, ghosts don't come out of there, or at least they shouldn't.]

We-- we saved him, last year. How did he-- are you certain he's a ghost?

[ Elidibus tilts his head a moment as if reflecting on Martin's response before answering. ]

I would not say he is a ghost. Nor dead, though I know not how much longer he may survive his current predicament. I did not know Mr. Fletcher before this yet the description matches the reports and that is whom he claimed to be.

[ He speaks calmly. Not detached per se but without particular strength of emotion. Still he seems interested in learning more about the Lonely. ]

The Lonely? Such may well describe the impression I received of the reality in which he seemed trapped. What more do you know of it? I take it by your words you were at least here on this star when the events of that report occurred?

He shouldn't be able to speak from there. He-- he shouldn't even be there, we got him out.

[Okay, okay, breathe Martin, let's-- let's get this straight.]

Yes, I-- I was there, and his bread shop had become this, uhm... this maze of smoke and steam that made you feel isolated. It was kind of like-- well, the realm of one of the Entities. But some people got in and got him out and he was okay.

[Honestly, this breaks his heart. He thought he had helped really save someone. That Bryn would be properly free. And yet...]

[ Elidibus lets Martin complete his thoughts and answer on his own time. He is very patient. ]

Hm. I hesitate to speak with any surety on the matter. But this place you speak of seems different to the state, for a lack of better words, Bryn seems to now exist in. The isolation and loneliness were present, yet I saw none of the physical qualities you described.

[ He offers a brief caveat to acknowledge his uncertainty. ]

Perhaps my perception of the realm from without differed from how it is perceived within. I do not know if continued contact would have drawn me into their space or pulled him out.

[ On what might be considerd - loosely - a more positive note, Elidibus then adds. ]

I do not know if Bryn was pulled into the same space or another like it. But you bring up a point. How he was able to reach out to us despite the improbability may be something worth pursuing. It would be reasonable to expect any window of opportunity to rescue him will not last long. Though I doubt it is a task one person alone would be capable of.

[The calm and more measured way of speaking does make him simmer down a bit, try to pull himself back from despair. He doesn't necessarily know what's going on-- and that's good. It could be better than he thinks. He doesn't know, and that's good.]

I think it's-- it's safe to assume if you spent too much time with him you would probably end up where he is, yes, so-- there's that. I just... I just don't understand what happened.

[How did it come to this? What made Bryn give in, or... was it just too much?]

If-- if he's still talking to us and it's still him, he must have some sort of anchor. Something, or, or someone he can get back to. Or... or it's about the house he spoke about, s-somehow.

Interesting.

[ There is a quiet pause while Elidibus mulls this over. ]

I fear I cannot suggest what form this anchor would take. I can say with certainty I never interacted with Bryn before now, other than through the reports I read on his situation.

[ How interesting if that was enough. The possibilities of such faint connections tantalizes his instinct to learn more. ]

Are you suggesting if there is an anchor, it may be connected to either the house or to our existence as outsiders to this star?

Well...

[How does he put this without giving away his whole hand... hm.]

I've been here a few years now, and-- it seems the best way to get anyone out of an Entity controlled situation is to have them anchor themselves. Usually to humanity, or, or another person, or something real that belongs to them. I don't know what he'd be tied to with a house, but... I, I suppose it's possible.

[Maybe if he is a spirit, his body is there and they got seperated somehow. Or... he's being held hostage in some way.]

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