Hey there, neighbor! It's Henry Oak here with your Secret Snowflake assignment.
Your giftee is Dulcinea Septimus. Go ahead and give them something that will make them feel special this winter holiday season!
Your giftee is Dulcinea Septimus. Go ahead and give them something that will make them feel special this winter holiday season!
Henry, hello.
Oh! That's great, thank you. I talked to her for a little while once, at least I know who she is. Thank you!
Oh! That's great, thank you. I talked to her for a little while once, at least I know who she is. Thank you!
[ Inanna leaves an EP (and digital copy over the network) of a cover of the song No Time For Toxic People infused with his performance. It will help Jayce relax, let go of problems for a little while, and recharge. ]
[ Delivered to Jayce's apartment around the 23rd (because K isn't entirely sure of the "correct" time frame for these things, having never celebrated before) are several festively wrapped packages, inside of which are: a small, delicately crafted figurine petting a cat handmade by K from recycled electronic parts and meant to represent them both, a butterfly couture sweatshirt, a kitty scarf (in Abyssinian cat colours), and of course an electric blanket.
There's also a signed note from K wishing Jayce a pleasant holiday season. ]
There's also a signed note from K wishing Jayce a pleasant holiday season. ]
[ Jayce is absolutely stoked about the present because he had somehow forgotten that secret holiday gifts go both ways.This guy's a genius, truly.
He doesn't immediately text back Inanna after getting the present; he contacts him later in the day because Jayce has been listening to the EP and enjoying himself for a while now. ]
Hello, Inanna. I wanted to thank you for the lovely present, I've been listening to the music for hours. That's you singing, right? You truly have a lot of talent.
[ He's never been this stress-free in a decade. Truly a miracle. ]
He doesn't immediately text back Inanna after getting the present; he contacts him later in the day because Jayce has been listening to the EP and enjoying himself for a while now. ]
Hello, Inanna. I wanted to thank you for the lovely present, I've been listening to the music for hours. That's you singing, right? You truly have a lot of talent.
[ He's never been this stress-free in a decade. Truly a miracle. ]
[ Inanna's grinning big. He loves that he chose the right song and infused it successfully to make it even better. ]
Jayce! Yes, that's me. I love singing. It always makes me feel better.
Jayce! Yes, that's me. I love singing. It always makes me feel better.
[ He really nailed the song, Inanna should feel proud. ]
I love it. It shows that you like music. It's not like the music we can listen to in my world, so it helps me catch up with the trends here.
I love it. It shows that you like music. It's not like the music we can listen to in my world, so it helps me catch up with the trends here.
That group exists in my world, but I'm from oh about 7-8 years prior to Folkmore, judging by the available discography. It's a pure joy to discover whole new albums to listen to.
[ Inanna could talk music all day. ]
What do you like in music or a song?
[ Inanna could talk music all day. ]
What do you like in music or a song?
Oh, I've been told before that Thirteen can pull people here from different timelines. It's so strange. It really shows how powerful she is.
[ Jayce will be happy to talk music all day too, to be honest. ]
I like classic music but also songs similar to the one you sent me. Rock music is very varied, and I like to listen to it while I work in the forge. Is good for smithing. Thanks to K, jazz has grown on me a lot and is the one I listen to it home when I want to relax.
Playing around with the relic the other day, I found a song that I liked, but I'm not sure if this one belongs in the rock category as well. Give me a moment. I'll send you the link.
[ Now that he's learned they can do these things, Jayce has been having fun with all the music and video options the relic offers. In no time, he sends Inanna 'White Rabbit' by Jefferson Airplane.
And yes, it went right over his head that the song is about literal drugs. ]
[ Jayce will be happy to talk music all day too, to be honest. ]
I like classic music but also songs similar to the one you sent me. Rock music is very varied, and I like to listen to it while I work in the forge. Is good for smithing. Thanks to K, jazz has grown on me a lot and is the one I listen to it home when I want to relax.
Playing around with the relic the other day, I found a song that I liked, but I'm not sure if this one belongs in the rock category as well. Give me a moment. I'll send you the link.
[ Now that he's learned they can do these things, Jayce has been having fun with all the music and video options the relic offers. In no time, he sends Inanna 'White Rabbit' by Jefferson Airplane.
And yes, it went right over his head that the song is about literal drugs. ]
Time is perhaps the least mastered part of life, even for gods, where I'm from.
Classical music was the pop music of its day. Diverse tastes and enjoyment is good for the soul, I believe. I love to sing, and I love other people's music too. That's some of the fun of making covers—picking a song apart and putting it back together with reverence and soul. It requires technical prowess and immense emotional connection.
Oh, that is a good song. Rock has enough room in its arms for Jefferson Airplane. Do you—
Hmm. That is to say: how do you expand your mind to come up with new ideas? your creativity?
Classical music was the pop music of its day. Diverse tastes and enjoyment is good for the soul, I believe. I love to sing, and I love other people's music too. That's some of the fun of making covers—picking a song apart and putting it back together with reverence and soul. It requires technical prowess and immense emotional connection.
Oh, that is a good song. Rock has enough room in its arms for Jefferson Airplane. Do you—
Hmm. That is to say: how do you expand your mind to come up with new ideas? your creativity?
I can imagine the many troubles that messing up Time could cause, even if they are gods. It's probably a good idea to leave it alone.
You bring up a good point. Classical music often has a way to get to you, to make you emotional, with sounds and composition alone. It's what I like the most about it—the expressiveness and potential for psychological insight. Not to say that other kinds of music can't accomplish that too.
You put a lot of heart into the covers you make, Inanna. It shows already in the way you talk about it. [ Jayce sounds the same when he speaks about magic. Takes one to know one. ]
I really like the beat, I need to check out more of her songs.
Me? I like walking, traveling, seeing what's out there...and drawing it. I have notebooks filled with sketches and ramblings about magic theories. Talking to people too. It lets me know what they need or what they would like to see. And then I try to make it a reality.
You bring up a good point. Classical music often has a way to get to you, to make you emotional, with sounds and composition alone. It's what I like the most about it—the expressiveness and potential for psychological insight. Not to say that other kinds of music can't accomplish that too.
You put a lot of heart into the covers you make, Inanna. It shows already in the way you talk about it. [ Jayce sounds the same when he speaks about magic. Takes one to know one. ]
I really like the beat, I need to check out more of her songs.
Me? I like walking, traveling, seeing what's out there...and drawing it. I have notebooks filled with sketches and ramblings about magic theories. Talking to people too. It lets me know what they need or what they would like to see. And then I try to make it a reality.
Hmm, lets hope Thirteen knows what she's doing.
Oh, I would love to hear about the psychological insight you get from classical music. If we can figure out what it is that provides it, then i could get incorporated into those other kinds of music (say when I cover something). I can do a lot of things, but classical music at its best requires far more than one musician or singer.
White Rabbit is on the list of top 500 songs of all time.
Being a god is in many ways the quick and easy route to accomplishing all that. Doing it the long, slow, hard way is far more impressive on many counts. It's beautiful, and I'd love to see your sketches and you working.
Oh, I would love to hear about the psychological insight you get from classical music. If we can figure out what it is that provides it, then i could get incorporated into those other kinds of music (say when I cover something). I can do a lot of things, but classical music at its best requires far more than one musician or singer.
White Rabbit is on the list of top 500 songs of all time.
Being a god is in many ways the quick and easy route to accomplishing all that. Doing it the long, slow, hard way is far more impressive on many counts. It's beautiful, and I'd love to see your sketches and you working.
Fingers crossed.
I'm not really sure how to explain that. I am not an expert musician, so I can only tell you how it makes me feel rather than give you any specifics.
I think part of the magic is in the composition, even slow classical pieces have a complex structure, and are not overly repetitive. Not all pieces, of course, but a lot of classical music is on the slow side, which also affects the way the body responds. Our hearts react to music's frequency, tempo, and rhythm, and it's proven that classical music can lower your blood pressure. The way the brain interprets classical music can bring people to tears of joy, just like a blunt and sudden sound, like a gunshot, is enough to cause fear.
Harmonic progressions, melodic phrases, proper rhythm... all of this matters if you want to elevate a good song to a great one, but I believe the key is to compose and sing from the heart. Give all you have, even if it's to compose a happy tune or to share your nostalgia through music.
[ Jayce is silent for a few seconds after that, sighing softly to himself before clearing his throat. ]
I talk too much sometimes. Sorry about the rambling. Are you still with me?
I'd say that being a god is no easy task either, and you clearly have a lot of love for music, Inanna. Thank you. I can show them to you one day, or you could come see the new lab and forge I have in Willow. I have plenty of half-drawn projects there already.
I'm not really sure how to explain that. I am not an expert musician, so I can only tell you how it makes me feel rather than give you any specifics.
I think part of the magic is in the composition, even slow classical pieces have a complex structure, and are not overly repetitive. Not all pieces, of course, but a lot of classical music is on the slow side, which also affects the way the body responds. Our hearts react to music's frequency, tempo, and rhythm, and it's proven that classical music can lower your blood pressure. The way the brain interprets classical music can bring people to tears of joy, just like a blunt and sudden sound, like a gunshot, is enough to cause fear.
Harmonic progressions, melodic phrases, proper rhythm... all of this matters if you want to elevate a good song to a great one, but I believe the key is to compose and sing from the heart. Give all you have, even if it's to compose a happy tune or to share your nostalgia through music.
[ Jayce is silent for a few seconds after that, sighing softly to himself before clearing his throat. ]
I talk too much sometimes. Sorry about the rambling. Are you still with me?
I'd say that being a god is no easy task either, and you clearly have a lot of love for music, Inanna. Thank you. I can show them to you one day, or you could come see the new lab and forge I have in Willow. I have plenty of half-drawn projects there already.
[ Inanna's chin rests in his hand as he listens to Jayce talking. Like classical music, he could enjoy that voice flowing over him and soothing him. He makes sure to pay attention, however. ]
I'm with you. I agree to a great extent. You should also look into Lisztomania, for example. Classical music can invoke a range of emotions, depending on the composer's intent and skills. Much of it is calming and relaxing. Good for baths or the end of a long day.
Being a god isn't easy, no, but it's no shortcut to composing success as Tara learned all too harshly. You're welcome, I'd love to see it now. Before everything's all done like a work of magic.
I'm with you. I agree to a great extent. You should also look into Lisztomania, for example. Classical music can invoke a range of emotions, depending on the composer's intent and skills. Much of it is calming and relaxing. Good for baths or the end of a long day.
Being a god isn't easy, no, but it's no shortcut to composing success as Tara learned all too harshly. You're welcome, I'd love to see it now. Before everything's all done like a work of magic.
[ Jayce is no singer, he would get too embarrassed to do that in public, but if Inanna ever wants to hear him talk nonstop, he only has to ask him about minerals or tell him to read a book out loud. ]
I've never heard of that one before, I'll look into it. [ He trusts Inanna's taste, and so far it has never disappointed him. Makes sense, given that Inanna is a goddess of beauty, but there's more than that. He's just very approachable and easy to talk with, and Jayce needed a friend like this. ] The relic really is amazing, there are so many things in it. I wish we had something like this in my world. The options seem infinite.
Tara is another goddess, then? Then feel free to come by any day. I'm often up early in the morning, but I know not everyone likes to do the same. [ Like Hawke, much to Jayce's amusement. The man has a Vendetta against early mornings. ]
I've never heard of that one before, I'll look into it. [ He trusts Inanna's taste, and so far it has never disappointed him. Makes sense, given that Inanna is a goddess of beauty, but there's more than that. He's just very approachable and easy to talk with, and Jayce needed a friend like this. ] The relic really is amazing, there are so many things in it. I wish we had something like this in my world. The options seem infinite.
Tara is another goddess, then? Then feel free to come by any day. I'm often up early in the morning, but I know not everyone likes to do the same. [ Like Hawke, much to Jayce's amusement. The man has a Vendetta against early mornings. ]
[ Someday. ]
We call it the internet because it's interconnected networks. The options are close to infinite, for good and for bad. [ #fuckingtara for example, one of the ways it's bad. It had been so common, at least before he went underground, that few people simply called her Tara. ]
Yes, another one I'd love to see here. I suppose she may be fine in the end, either way, but I miss her. ... early morning? Sometimes I'm still up.
We call it the internet because it's interconnected networks. The options are close to infinite, for good and for bad. [ #fuckingtara for example, one of the ways it's bad. It had been so common, at least before he went underground, that few people simply called her Tara. ]
Yes, another one I'd love to see here. I suppose she may be fine in the end, either way, but I miss her. ... early morning? Sometimes I'm still up.
So it's a fitting name.I trust you. Having infinite knowledge at their disposal doesn't stop people from acting stupid every now and then. [ Jayce is, luckily, still unaware of an internet troll and anon hate. People really can be the worst version of themselves when they hide behind anonymity, it's really sad. ] There are a lot of pictures of cats, too. Not a complaint, mind you. [ Jayce likes kitties, thank you very much. ]
I'm sorry, I know how you feel. I miss Caitlyn a lot. What's Tara like? Tell me something nice you remember. [ He wants Inanna to focus on the positive. ] Oh, hah. I see... that also works.
I'm sorry, I know how you feel. I miss Caitlyn a lot. What's Tara like? Tell me something nice you remember. [ He wants Inanna to focus on the positive. ] Oh, hah. I see... that also works.
[ Inanna laughs. ] Nothing will stop people from being stupid much of the time. Not even cat photos, though cat photos and videos are one of the wonders of the internet.
Tara works hard at her craft, at songwriting. It isn't easy, but she doesn't give up. What about Caitlyn?
Tara works hard at her craft, at songwriting. It isn't easy, but she doesn't give up. What about Caitlyn?
We did it. We found the most universal constant, even between different worlds: stupidity.
I think I'd like Tara. Songwriters have a lot of creativity. And what Viktor and I do is basically arts and crafts brought to an extreme level, so...we already have things in common.
Cait is stubborn and relentless when it comes to pursuing the truth and finding justice. It gets her in a lot of trouble sometimes. She became an Enforcer against her mother's wishes, they uphold the laws and prevent crime. She could be a really great detective. I've known her since she was a young teen.
[ She is his unofficial little sister. ]
I think I'd like Tara. Songwriters have a lot of creativity. And what Viktor and I do is basically arts and crafts brought to an extreme level, so...we already have things in common.
Cait is stubborn and relentless when it comes to pursuing the truth and finding justice. It gets her in a lot of trouble sometimes. She became an Enforcer against her mother's wishes, they uphold the laws and prevent crime. She could be a really great detective. I've known her since she was a young teen.
[ She is his unofficial little sister. ]
Stupidity, yes, but also love and art. People, it turns out, are people.
If she comes here, she could use your help... unless she comes from farther enough on it's all sorted. Can I leave you in a little mystery? Since it's her matter.
Oh! I want to work with her. Not that there are mysteries to unwrap here. For about 6-7 months, I played the role of detective myself. The cops weren't touching the matter, but I knew something was wrong.
If she comes here, she could use your help... unless she comes from farther enough on it's all sorted. Can I leave you in a little mystery? Since it's her matter.
Oh! I want to work with her. Not that there are mysteries to unwrap here. For about 6-7 months, I played the role of detective myself. The cops weren't touching the matter, but I knew something was wrong.
That's the saving grace of existence, the arts. Indeed. We would be lost without creative ways to express ourselves.
If she shows up, of course I won't mind helping. And sure, you're allowed to keep secrets. It makes things more interesting, sometimes.
I think Caitlyn would like you too, and you'd find something to do together. Half a year investigating on your own? It must have been a really difficult case. Did you find your answer in the end?
If she shows up, of course I won't mind helping. And sure, you're allowed to keep secrets. It makes things more interesting, sometimes.
I think Caitlyn would like you too, and you'd find something to do together. Half a year investigating on your own? It must have been a really difficult case. Did you find your answer in the end?
[ Inanna smiles. ]
For all our words, it's so hard to express how we feel.
Does the mystery [ Inanna flips up his collar in a dramatic motion and turns toward an angle, looking out from under an invisible detective's hat. ] increase my allure?
Not entirely on my own. I made a friend who helped me. We discovered that the gunmen who attacked Lucifer, Amaterasu, Sakhmet, and those with them only pretended to be religious fundamentalists. They wanted to steal a god's power for themselves. It's known as the Prometheus Gambit (and doesn't work). For something that promised death, a lot of people wanted to be gods. It wasn't the neat story handed to us tied in a bow.
For all our words, it's so hard to express how we feel.
Does the mystery [ Inanna flips up his collar in a dramatic motion and turns toward an angle, looking out from under an invisible detective's hat. ] increase my allure?
Not entirely on my own. I made a friend who helped me. We discovered that the gunmen who attacked Lucifer, Amaterasu, Sakhmet, and those with them only pretended to be religious fundamentalists. They wanted to steal a god's power for themselves. It's known as the Prometheus Gambit (and doesn't work). For something that promised death, a lot of people wanted to be gods. It wasn't the neat story handed to us tied in a bow.
If Jayce thought he was going to hide away up in the lab, he is sorely mistaken. Viktor had been needing to talk with him about something else for some time and after Jayce had a miniature breakdown earlier, needing to talk to him had now moved to a more important priority. Mostly in that Viktor had his own guilt to wrestle with but in his mind, the bits of Jayce's guilt that were creeping out still took precedence. One of the last things Jayce had said to him before they came to Folkmore had been 'am I interrupting?' So Jayce had known then that Viktor was consumed with guilt. While Viktor was not aware of how much guilt Jayce carried until that particular conversation.
Viktor was wearing longer sleeves in concession to the cold and had definite blood stains on one leg of his pants since he had gone looking for Jayce as soon as he could walk. Not finding him anywhere in the Forge, Viktor's next destination had been the lab.
Viktor was wearing longer sleeves in concession to the cold and had definite blood stains on one leg of his pants since he had gone looking for Jayce as soon as he could walk. Not finding him anywhere in the Forge, Viktor's next destination had been the lab.
Edited 2023-01-28 00:24 (UTC)
CW: for suicidal thoughts and general mention of harm to minors
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
defenderoftomorrow
2023-01-28 12:53 am (UTC)(link)
If it weren't for the damn weather making it impossible to go anywhere without freezing, Jayce would have left the lab to go hide in the darkest room of his apartment. Perhaps he should have done just that—walk out into the snow and let the weather do him in. It's what he deserved.
But instead, he was in the lab, sitting with his head in his hands after spending the last 15 minutes pacing around the room like a caged animal. His eyes had changed from yellow to cyan blue since his conversation with Viktor, and they were staying like that.
His breathing was shallow, and something cold had settled in his chest. The pressure was almost too much to bear. Like his dark thoughts and guilt, it weighed him down to the point where Jayce sometimes felt trapped in a nightmare. He had thought about the shimmer raid often during these last months in Folkmore and wondered how to tell Viktor, or anyone, about what happened, but never could. How do you tell your best friend that you are a child murderer? There's no sugar-coating the truth or bringing back a life. Knowing that Viktor had been injured in a similar way to what Jayce had done brought it all crashing down.
He rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand furiously, feeling the corner of his eyes wet, tears threatening to spill. He was too old for tears, it was too childish, and it fixed nothing, but he couldn't help it. A noise got his attention, and he looked up with wide eyes to find Viktor standing by the lab's door, blood still in his clothes. Jayce stood up so fast that the chair bobbled behind him and almost fell to the floor.
"Viktor! Are you alright? How's your knee?"
But instead, he was in the lab, sitting with his head in his hands after spending the last 15 minutes pacing around the room like a caged animal. His eyes had changed from yellow to cyan blue since his conversation with Viktor, and they were staying like that.
His breathing was shallow, and something cold had settled in his chest. The pressure was almost too much to bear. Like his dark thoughts and guilt, it weighed him down to the point where Jayce sometimes felt trapped in a nightmare. He had thought about the shimmer raid often during these last months in Folkmore and wondered how to tell Viktor, or anyone, about what happened, but never could. How do you tell your best friend that you are a child murderer? There's no sugar-coating the truth or bringing back a life. Knowing that Viktor had been injured in a similar way to what Jayce had done brought it all crashing down.
He rubbed at his eyes with the back of his hand furiously, feeling the corner of his eyes wet, tears threatening to spill. He was too old for tears, it was too childish, and it fixed nothing, but he couldn't help it. A noise got his attention, and he looked up with wide eyes to find Viktor standing by the lab's door, blood still in his clothes. Jayce stood up so fast that the chair bobbled behind him and almost fell to the floor.
"Viktor! Are you alright? How's your knee?"
"I'm fine. Hawke was already going to use his healing magic on me."
See this is the problem with stuffing something down so far that it isn't dealt with when it should've been. Viktor had ended up making a stupid mistake in the lab and it had cost someone their life. Whatever it was that Jayce was chewing on, it was no doubt something similar; what started out with a stupid mistake that had ended up costing someone their life. Because he had actually made a weapon out of Hextech that weapon must have been used for something that had ended in murder. Viktor wasn't stupid and had put the pieces together himself with what he gleaned from their interaction on the Relic. Now Viktor stood simply without judgment and his hands at his sides and just looked at Jayce squarely in the eye.
"I could ask you what you were talking about because it is very apparent you were talking about something in particular earlier. And while I haven't wanted to push you, I am not sure you have the luxury of trying to keep it all inside anymore. So I will propose a trade; you tell me what it is you are referring to when you said the word 'murder' and I will explain how this happened to my hand and what it is doing to me."
Viktor was often blunt and to the point but in this it was probably the least painful for all involved.
See this is the problem with stuffing something down so far that it isn't dealt with when it should've been. Viktor had ended up making a stupid mistake in the lab and it had cost someone their life. Whatever it was that Jayce was chewing on, it was no doubt something similar; what started out with a stupid mistake that had ended up costing someone their life. Because he had actually made a weapon out of Hextech that weapon must have been used for something that had ended in murder. Viktor wasn't stupid and had put the pieces together himself with what he gleaned from their interaction on the Relic. Now Viktor stood simply without judgment and his hands at his sides and just looked at Jayce squarely in the eye.
"I could ask you what you were talking about because it is very apparent you were talking about something in particular earlier. And while I haven't wanted to push you, I am not sure you have the luxury of trying to keep it all inside anymore. So I will propose a trade; you tell me what it is you are referring to when you said the word 'murder' and I will explain how this happened to my hand and what it is doing to me."
Viktor was often blunt and to the point but in this it was probably the least painful for all involved.
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