Genesis of Apotheosis

[Tearen Wover]

A lone figure walked into a small clearing, just an hour's walk west of the bustling and cheery town of Ambrosia. A halberd scratched in the dirt, used as an improvised walking stick as the Prime picked his way through the underbrush. The remains of a fruit torte vanished into his mouth as he looked around the verdant hollow in the forest. A cloud-smeared sky threatened to begin that evening's rain, and already the plants were singing in anticipation of the sky's bounty. Distant bird and frog song trickled through the whispering of foliage, and Tearen breathed deep of the thickened life around him. A small, natural pool sat quietly at the center of the clearing, with a small stream trailing off to the north and south, keeping it replenished with fresh water.

This spot, then, would serve as the venue for Tearen's final public act of serendipity for the Omniverse. The eldritch human folded his legs up under himself and willed his body to float a few feet above the pool. He closed his eyes and allowed tendrils of scintillating rainbow to begin to leak into the environment. Tall, granite pillars sprouted from the undergrowth, decorated with glyphs and runes that only he understood, for now. They encircled the diameter of the clearing, and a small tiled foundation began to spread out over the ground as well. A domed roof with figures and stories lining the rim in stone relief bubbled into existence, and a single circular oculus opened at the zenith of the dome, letting a single shaft of sullen light into the pavilion.

Most importantly, a smaller building folded its way out of thin air, five sided and enveloping the downstream section of the clearing. Inside, natural artesian fountains began to bubble to life, forming a sort of bath and bunkhouse, furnished with silky chaise lounges and ghostly curtains of cotton. This, then, would serve as adequate accommodations for whatever pupils may seek him out. Nodding, he dove inside of himself and began to meditate on what the following days or weeks would produce, but not before allowing his body to send a shaft of brilliant, emerald light rocketing up into the sky, serving as a beacon to those seeking what he had to offer.

Perhaps there were thing he hadn't thought of, but if so, they likely weren't important enough to dwell on ahead of time.

A new pantheon was due, in this world...

[Malon]

"Hooh. Slow, Epona..."

Now then, this had to be the Tangled Green... strangely enough, traversing the portal and being brought to an entirely different dimension had far less of an effect on her than she had expected it to be. She'd just... traversed that archway and was now in the midst of a thick forest. And that was that. She gently tugged the reins but Epona was an intelligent horse who slowed down to a walking pace when met with a dense forest. Malon guided her up to a signpost indicating, with large wooden arrows, what direction one had to move in to reach their respective destination. Now, Mr. Wover had mentioned something about Ambrosia, right? "Am... bro..." ah, there it was. An arrow pointing down a dirt path. There were also other signs but she skipped reading them after she found what she'd needed.

Luckily the path was more than large enough to navigate on horseback, although only at a moderate pace, and it took only a few minutes until Malon saw the first houses of what she presumed was the searched-for location among the trees. What a strange town this was! It looked chaotic and yet lively, and the inhabitants, as she could see from afar, were as interesting as the houses. Humans were the exception here, as far as she could tell: there were beings that looked like mannequins made out of metal, creatures that vaguely reminded one of animals, she even saw a Goron! But the majority was composed of animals walking on two feet. As it was daytime the city was bustling with activity in a heartwarming way. It reminded her of Hyrule Castle Town on its busy market days. People going around, carrying large baskets back and forth, sitting in outdoor lounges at cafés, chattering in groups...

Looking around she could not catch the sight of anyone looking like Mr. Wover, though. But he had been wearing a black cloak in the figmented memory that she had seen in the Nexus, so what if he had donned something else? Maybe she should ask someone for pointers? It had worked very well in the Nexus. She left Epona outside of a shop and ducked in, heading straight for the counter that was manned by a bored-looking rabbit-esque creature with white fur and loppy ears, reading a magazine but looking up.

"Welcome to, uh, Mimiga Organics, how can I help you?"

"Hi there. I'm looking for someone who's supposedly here in Ambrosia, is there any sort of town hall that I could get the info at?"

"Why don't you call them? There's payphone communicators across the street."

Oh, right. Calling them. She held back the urge to facepalm and nodded. "You're right. Thank you for the tip! I... oh, wait. You sell vegetables here, right?"

"Yeah..."


Two minutes later she came back out with a sack full of fresh fruits and vegetables for Epona. She began feeding the mare who eagerly devoured the carrots and apple slices that she held out, while her other hand produced the crystal ball and dialed. Tearen's voice resonated from within again.

"Mr. Wover, this is Malon again. I'm in Ambrosia, where can I find you?"

"Look to the sky", came an amused-sounding reply. Malon raised her head. Indeed, past the treetops a large beam of green light pierced the sky. The same green color that his three eyes usually gave off.

"... I see it now. Thank you!" She ended the call and climbed back onto Epona's back, but rather than navigating through the busy streets she exited Ambrosia the same way she had come, rode Epona along the outskirts and finally distanced herself from the city when the only obstacles between the glowing beam and herself were the trees. Getting there was a little more difficult especially on horseback but once she found a wild path - the sort used by boars and the like to navigate the forest in small groups - it was much more feasible. Before long she could see the clearing off in the distance, and a settlement composed of tents. That had to be it. Though she had spent most of her time until now bent forward to limit the surface of her body that was getting hit by twigs and branches, now she slowed Epona to a trot and rose into an upright position to get a better overview of the area. "Mr. Wo... Tearen?" she asked with a raised voice, following a sudden instinct to use his first name rather than adressing him as formally. "It's me, Malon. I've arrived."

[Tearen Wover]

"Ah, Malon!" came a deep voice from the girl's left. Tearen came stumbling out of the bush, carrying an armful of foraged jungle delicacies. Eggs, fruit, and more than a few kinds of insects jostled in his grip. This uncanny assortment became all the more disquieting when it began to levitate of its own accord, following Tearen around like a bundle of jungle effluvia. Malon watched the lingering orb with caution as Tearen approached her and Epona, but was distracted all the more when the elder Prime gathered her up in a fatherly embrace. The Hylian hadn't felt such honest compassion since her days running around under Talon's watchful eyes...

...regardless, Tearen released the embrace and beckoned her and her steed to follow. Malon dismounted Epona, but did not bother tying her off to any nearby mooring: she could rely on the fact that Epona would always stay close by. Curious to see what was generating the immense, yet curiously silent, beam of emerald light, Malon turned her attention to the pavilion that dominated the center of the clearing. There, beneath the hewn granite roof, spun a black polygon seemingly wrought of black glass. As it whirled on its axis, a lathe of green energy lanced up into the sky. She quirked an eyebrow. What other kind of power did he have at his disposal.

"You're hungry! Please, I've prepared some stuff ahead of time, but if you prefer to make your own food you can use some of what I've gathered." Tearen said, pointing at a few woven baskets outside of the stone bunkhouse. The assorted plants and animals sorted themselves into the proper wicker bins as he passed in through the gently flapping cotton door.

"Also feel free to take a shower. I'm going first though." Tearen said, disappearing behind a small divider inside the earthen shelter. It was cool and quiet inside the building; similar to one of the small stone houses that littered the expanse of the Hylian fields before Ganondorf razed it all to the ground. This last statement elicited a cursory blush from the girl, but she sensed that Tearen meant nothing lewd or insulting by it. He just seemed to...be a good host, for lack of a better term. As a rush of water began to sound out from behind the partition, Malon leaned against the opposite wall and called out to the elder Prime.

"Can we still talk? I have some questions..." she said, doing her best to sound confident.

"Go ahead!"

[Malon]

To occupy her hands while they spoke - she hated being idle - Malon produced a whetstone from her backpack and took the sickles out of their sheaths, then began to sharpen their blades while she sunk to the ground and crossed her legs beneath herself, with her back leaning against the wall. "Well, first things first... the memories are gradually coming back, as you told me. I remember flashes of... the place we were at together, and of battles that we've had. I wanted to thank you for everything."

"Don't mention it", came Tearen's response after a short break. "You have helped me too." Malon could tell that he meant more ways than her help in battle, but didn't dig any further.

"Still, thank you." She paused, gathering her thoughts, then went onto the most obvious question. "What is this place? This... encampment we're at."

"It's for the Primes that will soon come here. I've sent out an invitation for people to come here, to teach them. And to warn them about the sword of Damocles hanging above all our heads."

"I remember that... parts of it anyway." She thought for a moment. "Some powerful evil individual that could... invade this world, right?"

"Correct. I've used this year's Dante's Abyss to broadcast my warning to as many people as possible, but I couldn't deliver more than a short message. I'm hoping to enlighten those who come here with the full story."

"Is that what you mean by "teaching" them? Teaching them the full story about this... this evil invading from somewhere?"

An amused chuckle preceded his answer. "I would not be needing beds and kitchens for that. What I meant by teaching is that I intend on passing on certain knowledge and powers that I have."

"Such as?"

"Telepathy, for instance."

"And..." Malon paused, thinking about her next words. "What are the criteria for your choosing of your pupils?"

"Do you want to join? You're welcome to", Tearen replied. The way he worded his reply Malon realized that he'd led the conversation towards her asking this question like a farmer leading a horse with a carrot on their hand. Had he been able to tell that she would be interested in learning these things?

"Maybe..." she replied, but couldn't hide that her interest was sparked... no, who was she kidding. She was almost certain that she'd participate.

"The only thing I ask is that you keep your mind open for new things, though from what I could tell in Dante's Abyss that is not a problem for you. You're welcome to stay here while the remaining pupils arrive: I will explain what this course will entail and let you decide whether or not to participate. If you decide against it you are welcome to stop at any time."

"Okay, I... I'll think about it." She stood up and replaced the whetstone in her hand with a carrot that she trimmed with the sickle, and began to chew on. "I'll leave you alone now. I'm feeling hungry, so I'll cook up something. You want a portion?"

"I'd be delighted to! I'll join you to help when I'm done here."

"I'd rather not, actually. I need a little time to myself, to think... but thank you for the offer!" With that she stepped away from the shower cabins and headed into the encampment that Tearen had prepared. The first thing was to find Epona - or rather, have the mare come to her with a whistling - and remove her saddle and bridle so that she could have some time off. She took everything along to the tent that she made out as being the kitchen judging from its shape, and left the items next to the entrance where she would find them easily. Then she ducked in and began to raid Tearen's food supplies to see what she could cook up.

She wondered if he had one of these telescopic ladles that they'd been given in Dante's Abyss, too... those had been very useful when making stew.

[Strazio Rockwell]

Jade’s teleporter swallowed the trio and several minutes later they rematerialized in the middle of a wheat field. Strazio rubbed his eyes and groaned; his throat tasted like copper. A few feet away a cloud of glitter coalesced into one fresh Gamzee and a few more feet away the same miracle took place and created one grumpy Karkat. The sun above them bathed the earth in warmth as it crawled to reach its daily apex. Around them the earthy scent of wheat cradled their nostrils. Gamzee giggled as the waist-high stalks of cereal grain tickled him. Strazio sneezed and cursed.

“Where the fuck are we?” Karkat asked.

Gamzee answered as he frolicked, “dunno motherfucker, but this place is alright.”

Strazio pulled open his dataverse device and loaded up an OPS app. The thing loaded slowly as it fought for some kind of signal that far from civilization. Eventually he was able to get a fragment of a map loaded up.

“Looks like we’re in Camelot, we gotta head north,” he said and started walking in a northerly direction.

They walked for hours with Strazio leading the pack. Vast swathes of uninhabited land sprawled out before them, offering the travelers little respite. Not that this necessarily bothered them. They had rested well enough at Jade’s tower and the day was still young. Karkat and Gamzee spent the time catching up with recent events and the more whimsical of the two even took a chance to show off the bit of magick he had learned. Strazio was more than glad to listen to them jabber as his mind was preoccupied with what was to come. It wasn’t until Gamzee came up behind him and looped a lanky arm over Strazio’s neck that he was dragged into the conversation.

“Hey best bro of mine,” Gamzee began to speak, but was interrupted by Karkat.

“I thought I was your best bro?” Karkat asked.

The high-blood smiled and looked back at him, “well, yeah, you both are, we’re like a gaggle of best buds, just three best motherfuckin’ friends runnin’ around and spreading all kinna mirth.”

“What do you want?” Strazio asked, try his best to peel himself out from under Gamzee’s embrace.

“Well as I was trying to say, ‘fore I was interrupted, was where exactly are we going?”

Strazio held up his dataverse device so Gamzee could see it. The troll read through Tearen’s dataverse post. He spent the whole time reading it with his neck craned over Strazio’s shoulder. The rage-mage did his best to contain his frustration, but finally pushed the troll away.
“Who’s Tearen Wover?” Gamzee asked.

“He’s the guy that healed me back up after Enel gank-fucked us,” Strazio answered.

Gamzee thought for a moment and said, “that doesn’t seem like something you’d vibe well with.”

“What do you mean?”

He adopted a faux-royalty voice and spoke, “all enigmas must operate by these motherfuckin’ tenants, ‘I do not rush, I resort to head-cracking as the last motherfuckin’ option, all minds are precious and I cherish them’ I don’t know bro, just doesn’t seem like the kinda thing I associated Strawso Rockwheel with.”

“Oh fuck off,” Strazio answered and picked up the pace.

Truth was, he was right. And that was something that Strazio knew. In the smoky aftermath of his arguably legendary tantrums he knew deep down that his actions were predicated on half-cocked impulses. The thought pissed him off.

--

The trio made their way to the gate for The Tangled Green and stepped through. Before them a knotted mess of jungle and rainforest threatened to swallow any unprepared traveler. Karkat was the only one that was understandably apprehensive about this leg of the journey. After all he was the only one of the three that lacked immortality. It took a healthy dose of coaxing from Gamzee to get him to tag along. And so, with a reluctant Karkat in tow, the three began to carve a path. After about an hour’s worth of travel the three came to a river and stopped to catch their breath. Strazio sat on a boulder while Gamzee shimmied up a nearby tree.

“So,” Strazio began, speaking just above the sound of rushing water, “just what are you guys? I mean you can’t be human, you’ve got horns like some sort of imps or something.”

“Hey!” Karkat half-shouted, “that’s very insensitive of our culture, asswipe, we trolls are a stupidly proud and a proudly stupid race.”

“Trolls?” Strazio asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah boi,” Gamzee interjected “that’s the moniker that me monetize, trolls, we come from this kinda weird, kinda sad, kinda dictator driven planet called Alternia, it’s a pretty nice place if you ain’t nice, you’d fit in well Straz! Well, until everyone figured out what an old softy you are on the mushy inside.”

Karkat snicked and Strazio shot Gamzee a withering glare. The troll seemed unaffected by Strazio’s admonishment and continued climbing.

“So you some kinda gymnast like Gamzee too?” Strazio asked Karkat and then added, “and is that Jade girl a troll too?”

Gamzee laughed and began to hang upside-down from his perch, “nah man, Jade’s human just like you, ask KK about her, he knows plenty.”

Karkat’s face flushed cherry red and he growled something at Gamzee before answering in a voice that was several decibels too loud, “Nah! Gamzee just does those stupid tricks and flips cause he is a literal clownish fuck! He worships these clown deities and their miracles, and fancies himself a juggalo, don’t ask me what that means. I don’t know!”

“The fuck’s’a juggalo Gamz?” Strazio asked.

As if he had just been given a puppy the high-blood clasped his hands together and cooed. His eyes lit up and he answered, “they are the agents of mirth and whimsy, the spreaders of joy and emotion, brother, a juggalo is a motherfuckin’ miracle.”

Strazio rolled his eyes and stood.

“It’s getting late, let’s get going,” he said.

It didn’t take long for the three to spot the emerald pillar that served as Tearen’s beacon. While they weren’t one-hundred percent sure that it was indeed his beacon, the direction was correct, and that was good enough for them. After a few more hours of travel they finally reached their destination. A series of structures and amenities had been constructed for them and it was at this point that Strazio realized this wasn’t going to be a simple overnight visit. He thought about turning back, but he swallowed his pride and continued deeper into the camp. Gamzee and Karkat followed.

“Hello?” he called, “anyone home?”

[Tearen Wover]

"Hi!" came an almost immediate reply. The trio of pilgrims looked up to see Tearen Wover himself, floating around the boughs of a tree high above, plucking succulent looking...somethings...off of the mossy branches. The elder Prime was dressed in a black tank shirt, pressed slacks, and barefoot. All in all, it was a bit of a disjointed outfit, but Strazio got the distinct impression that Tearen was the sort of person who absolutely did not care. The floating ex-enigma allowed himself to drop back down to the forest floor in a puff of dead leaves and dew. Tearen adopted a large smile and advanced towards Strazio, holding a free hand out to shake.

"Good to see you again, Rockwell. Sorry we weren't able to hunt down Illidan." Tearen said with an only partly-apologetic smile. Now that he was more confident that Gildarts could be trusted to stay on the path of sensibility, the Shadow didn't care about the night elf quite as much. The rage mage shook the hand politely, if not somewhat stiffly.

"Don't worry. I'll get him in my own time." Strazio said with a nonplussed expression. He had always known that Tearen was a bit of an odd sort, especially after travelling with him for a few days, but the man he was talking to now seemed oddly chipper compared to the being he had worked with in Dante's Abyss. Of course, that could have been a result of the circumstances, but it was noticeable nonetheless. Tearen moved over to Gamzee, who took the proffered hand in both of his and shook it vigorously.

"Nice ta motherfuckin' meetcha. I'm Gamzee, and this is my other bro Karkat. I need to all up an be thankin' ya for helpin' my man Strawzo back in that ill-ass killin' floor, yo." Gamzee said, flashing a razor-toothed grin. Tearen returned the enthusiasm with a smile of his own.

"Glad to have you, truly." Tearen said. He turned to the petulant face of Karkat, who was in the process of fruitlessly trying to swat at tiny biting insects. The ex-enigma was amused for a moment, but asked the swarming pests to retreat for now, and the mosquitos obliged. Tearen approached the crabby troll with a handshake, but Karkat waved him off.

"Don't mind me, choco-skin. I'm just tagging along with these two psychos." Karkat said, crossing his arms. Tearen quirked an eyebrow and flashed a challenging smirk at the cancerous alien. He would work him over, before this was through. Tearen could also feel Gamzee and Strazio's anxiety spike when Karkat referenced the color of the eldritch human's skin; it didn't bother Tearen personally. He was sure that things on their homeworld permitted for such pointed observations. Still, it would be interesting to see how Strazio and Gamzee reacted once they thought he was out of eavesdropping range.

"Yo, somethin' smells all up and mothafuckin' delicious right now." Gamzee said, sniffing the muggy air. Tearen gestured towards the stone lodge.

"A friend of mine is making lunch. We weren't sure how many to expect, so I'm certain she has prepared far too much food. It's in her nature. Come, let's get you introduced and then you can eat after showering." Tearen said, turning on his heel and traipsing back towards the camp. The trio of newcomers allowed Tearen to saunter off for a short distance before comparing notes. First order of business...

"What the fuck Karkat?"

"Yeah man, can't you be chill on that shit?"

"What? What did I do now? Why are we whisper-shouting?" Karkat whined, gesturing wildly. As soon as Tearen had left, the mosquitos had renewed their assault on the mutant trolls apparently delicious blood.

"You can't go callin' people choco-skin! That's major uncool." Gamzee said in a sharp tone that Karkat was not used to. Strazio just maintained a disapproving scowl.

"Oh come on! He has a weird skin color! We're grey, humans are that weird tan color, and this guy is–"

"Still fucking human, Karkat! Mostly! I suspect!" Strazio said, piping in for the first time. Karkat rolled his eyes.

"What, you're telling me humans have different colors of skin? There's no biological need for that, you can't–"

"You trolls have different blood colors, don't even start with that right now." Strazio said, pinching his temples.

"OH MY FUCKING JEBUS. WHATEVER. Can we move on the fact that this hoity-toity weirdo told us to bathe? What the hell is up with that."

Strazio and Gamzee looked at one another.

"I dunno man, I could use a shower."

"–kinda getting rank 'n dank all up in my biz."

Karkat slammed his face into his palms. He was starting to get the distinct impression that Strazio was possibly supplanting him as Gamzee's best friend. Or. Whatever. Not that he cared.

"FINE! Go rinse your stupid bodies at the drizzle-spitter. I'm not gonna let that weirdo be my lusus. I'm going for a walk."

"Bro, we BEEN walkin'–"

"SHUT UP!"





...and so they all went and did their various things. Malon looked up with a wide-eyed expression as two very large, burly men brushed into the stone building, chuckling to themselves. They waved hello and the one with the horns stopped to sample her stew (before it was ready! Rude!). She couldn't exactly find words, still feeling slightly out of place, but when they both started to head for the showers together, well then the poor Hylian girl's face flushed to the same shade of fuchsia as the dragonfruit she was cutting up.

"...he's doing this on purpose..." Malon muttered, trying not to think about naked gladiator boys.

[Malon]

To mask her identity Malon is taking on a different appearance, shown below. She will remain in that form for the duration of the thread.

[spoiler]

[/spoiler]

Well, this was a problem.

In retrospect, she should have thought of it far sooner, really. Especially since it was Tearen organizing the event and, from what she had understood, he had posted a general invitation on some sort of board where a lot of people would see it.

Of course people from Dante's Abyss, bearing a grudge against them, would be coming here to take their revenge on Tearen, knowing where he was and that he wouldn't be going anywhere for a while. They knew not where she was but if they found her here she could imagine that some of them would happily attack her as well. So, it was time for a disguise.

This time it was Malon the eleventh - whom she took to calling Chef - that lent her her body as well as a different voice. Coupled with a short-sleeved shirt suited for cooking, a short skirt, an apron from Tearen's kitchen and a little recoloring of the characteristic brown hair that all Malons seemed to have, she was hardly recognizable. She could only hope that none of the attendants were able to see past her disguise, or if they did that they didn't call her out on it. Or recognize her. Funny... as she progressively remembered more of the life she'd had before her demise in Dante's Abyss as well as of the other Malon incarnations she felt like she was missing something. Like she couldn't remember someone or something important. She tried to think of it as best as she could but whenever she thought to have a firm grip on the memory it slipped through her fingers like water. How frustrating!

On the plus side, the cooking was going really well. Chef not only let her use her appearance, but her knowledge and personality also bled into Malon's. She felt better now, as if this kitchen was her domain and the steam coming from the pots, the bubbling sounds of the boiling waters, the dozens of smells filling the air from burning coal to black pepper, were creating a symphony for the senses and she was the dirigent. Granted, the sudden appearance of Tearen's friends - especially that of one of them snagging a ladle and tasting the unfinished curry stew! - threw her off but she regained her focus after a while. It was a good thing that she'd made some extra... these guys looked like they were hungry.

She was just checking the naan bread's consistency in the oven when she heard shuffling as the tent's "door" flap was moved aside. "Malon, how are... oh."

"Tearen? Come in!" she called without turning around, but recognizing him by the sound of his voice.

"I see that you changed your looks again?" he asked. "Hmm, and I smell delicious curry."

"That's right. No tasting before it's ready though! And yes." She pushed the naan back into the oven and stood up to face Tearen. "I don't feel too safe with my real form until some dust settles over the whole Dante's Abyss thing."

"Are you worried that people might come for you?"

"No. For you, rather - and that I might get caught in it if they recognize me." She gave him an awkward smile while toying with her long braid. "I'm sorry if this sounds cold, but I'd rather live instead of joining you in death again. That's Assassin's pragmatism speaking."

Tearen waved it off. "I fully understand, and you need not justify yourself. But if it were to come to a battle I'd make it my priority to help you get away if things get hairy... and you've shown that you're a strong fighter in Dante's Abyss. You can look out for yourself."

"Thanks... I appreciate it." She tasted the curry then took out a teaspoon, filled it and gave it to Tearen. "What's your opinion?"

"Mmh... delicious! Should I call the others to seat themselves?"

"Please. It's still gonna take some five minutes before the naan is ready but they're probably not finished showering yet. Do you know them?"

"Oh, yes. Strazio and I met during Dante's Abyss after... well, after we two were separated. I've heard of him before that though. I've only just met Gamzee and Karkat though."

"Who's who?"

"Strazio is the human one without horns, Gamzee is the troll with the bigger horns and Karkat's the other one. They'll probably introduce themselves though." He smiled reassuringly. "Strazio is a nice guy despite what he may sound like, and Gamzee and Karkat... well, they don't seem hostile at least and if they're tagging along with Strazio they're probably okay too."

"Alright... I'll stick to these looks while we're here though. Just as a safety precaution."

After Tearen left she grabbed the large pot of curry with two oven gloves and put it on a cart that she had previously readied. Better dispense the portions at the table rather than here in the kitchen. The rice was ready too, so she put it on the cart as well, followed by the dessert and finally the naan. When she carted everything out to the long table that Tearen had summoned into the camp Tearen and the others were already waiting with more or less impatient slash hungry looks on their faces.

"I wasn't sure as to what preferences everyone might have, so I've prepared a few options", she explained as she placed the pots on the end of the table. "The main course is Gerudo Chicken Curry with lemon. It's on the spicy side, but if you prefer a milder taste you can add coconut milk from this jug. Also, there’s crushed almonds in this small bowl which you can sprinkle over your curry if you like. As a side we have naan bread or rice depending on your preference, though I personally recommend the naan. And for dessert I've made a fruit salad with strawberries, pineapple, dragonfruit, starfruit and banana. If you like you can add vanilla ice cream as well." She pointed out a wood box whose insides she'd lined with large ice blocks. In the middle was a bowl with the ice cream, kept this way so it wouldn't melt for a few hours.

"Also, I should probably introduce myself. I'm Ma-... Maru. Maru of Kakariko."

"Motherfuckin’ delicious! Both the food an' the girl!" the one that Malon believed was Gamzee shouted. For that last comment he earned himself a glare from the other two. Malon could feel her cheeks flushing to the color of tomatoes again. "But, how d'you want us to get it?"

"We should line up", said the one with small horns - Karkat. "Like for a buffet. Right?"

"Yes, I was going to propose that. Just take your plates and help yourselves to what you want." She was about to move around to get her plate, but the one without horns picked it up and brought it to her as he got in line behind the two trolls.

"Nice to meet ya too, Maru", he said with a disarming smile. "I'm Strazio Rockwell and those two are Gamzee and Karkat. You a friend of Wover?"

"Mhm. But I'm here for the course, too."

"Nice. Well, I'm lookin' forward to some good time together then!" After that Gamzee moved forward to the next pot and Strazio could start helping himself, so the conversation ended there for the time being.

[Gamzee Makara]

-Karkat-

I really can't stress enough how embarrassing Gamzee can be in public. I forget that sometimes, especially after prolonged exposure to a Gamzee-less environment. I guess I just expect him to have matured or be a little less Gamzee the next time we see each other and go to places with people. But no, of course not. Still as whimsically full of bullshit as ever. Which is okay, I guess, I've called him friend for this long after all. I can handle a little cringe if Gamzee can handle a little of everything else. I suppose that's fair.

After that maddeningly gratuitous sort of flushed flirting, I silently gather my meal and plop down at the table with whatever sort of swill it is these humans eat. After a cursory glance up at the blue haired human girl, that white haired asshole, and that...one guy, I decide that maybe these guys aren't actually human. Especially that one guy. Gotta keep an eye on that guy. That one guy. Regardless, I stare down at the sustenance I picked out. Some sort of lumpy, mushy substance and a flat, fluffy piece of- ah fuck what did John call this shit? Breb? Brev? Whatever. The cook called it na-aaan or something.

Human foods are weird. I take a bite of the flat fluffy thing. A burst of warmth and mushy sensations explode into my mouth, and it's-

actually pretty good. I'm happy with this na-aa-a-an shit. I dip it in the goop she called krrrry and chomp down. It gives the breb an even warmer, somewhat spicy twang to its fluffy nature, which I also find very pleasing. Huh. All these other races and species gotta step up their game. This blue haired human or creature or whatever it is knows what the fuck is up.

I stare across the table as the others begin to sit down. I remember only now that waiting for everybody else to be seated before eating is a human custom or nicety of some sort. At first I feel vaguely bad about this, but then recall that this lot is comprised of mostly not humans. Still, I should probably work on these "manners" people keep spouting off about. I just find it hard to care about these things when every race, culture, species or whatever the fuck has different kinds. Gamzee, for example! I bet he didn't even know what his "pal" Rockwell was talking about when I brought up that one guy's hue of skin.

-----

~Gamzee~

I had no motherfuckin' idea what Strawso was talking about with the Tearman's skin color. I guess it's like, troll hemospectrowhatever? Like the blood colors we all have and stuff. Mine is purple as fuck, Karkat's is cherry red. But on the outside maybe? With skin? I dunno, I never really got the point of that crazy shit either, to be fair, the blood I mean. When you put all our blood together it makes a beautiful rainbow, you feel? S'why I wish my race could just get along with its bad self. Though I guess I've only seen like, a couple shades of human. Like, two or three tops. Humans would make for a pretty shitty rainbow. Maybe that's why it's more of a bigger deal?

Motherfuckin' human race needs to stop and just be a species and chill. Maybe a human brisk jog instead of a human race or some such shittery. I dunno. Either way, I guess I can see why offense could have been dealt in a direction that happened to be Tearman's. S'cool that he was chill about it. I don't think KK meant anything by it. He's the last person that would show any sort of hate towards someone for the color of their anything. Motherfucker has mad issues about his blood color. I don't see the problem, as afore-motherfucking-mentioned, but it's kinda a thing to him.

Whatever.

Food. Food is good. Food is so motherfucking good. I mayhappened to have let a loose slip of the mouthwaggler when I saw dat dere pretty little blue beauty, but I'm a heart on my sleeve kinda troll. As I'm piling on my plate, I wave politely at the lil' lady. 

"I really appreciate the foodstuffs, miss," I say with a smile. "I apahlohgize if my previous comment made ya uncomfortable. I'm a perfect gentleman, Ah swear it."

I hear a distant, muffled snort that I can only assume and imagine belongs to one or both of my best friends. Must be havin' hella allergies in this weird nature dwelling place.

"I-It is...quite alright, I suppose," she says all dainty like. "You're welcome. I hope you enjoy it!"

My grin gets a little grinnery and I taxi my bounty to a seat next to Karbro before beginning the snorfening of the foodstuffs. In the middle of a humongulous bite, Karkat gives me a swift lil' kick underneath the table.

"Oh! My bad dude. Want some?" I say with a mouth fool of nayne.

He gives me this really tired look and shakes his head. Poor little guy must be exhausted.

"Manners, you moron. Wait for everyone else," He whispers.

Oh. Yeah, humans are weird about social gatherings. I chill out for a bit and wait for the rest of 'em. I stare down into the depths of my wooden cup. Inside I see the purest, clearest, crystalest water I have ever had the pleasurely luck of layin' ocular nuggets on. I see a rather handsome motherfucker starin' up back at me.

I can't help but let loose a giggle. The world is full of miracles, man.

[Dane Regan]

Dane walked through the gate into The Tangled Green. Even at first glance, he hated it already. While the general terrain and vegetation were good for staying hidden, which he liked, he was about to do that without geographical features to aid him. If anything, it moved other people closer to his level of stealth. Dane could be observant when he needed to, so it wouldn't be too hard to spot anyone without a solid and reliable magical ability like he had. The key problem here was that he was lazy. He didn't want to have to keep an eye out. He wanted to be able to daydream and think about entirely irrelevant and theoretical branches of magic that would never ever become useful to him. All the fun stuff that required a magical battery the size of a planet.

As he stepped onwards towards his destination, he figured he actually could do that. After all, if he was hidden, then no one was going to bother him. It didn't matter if anyone else was also brooding about the jungle. Masking his sounds and hiding his body from sight with magic, he pressed on wishing that the event was based in a library back at Camelot. Although, he knew why it wasn't. Tearen had a pretty large bounty back there, and at Coruscant, and at some other place - not that Dane felt the need to try and collect it. At least, not without learning something first. Dying again would be annoying, but it wasn't intolerable if he could properly re-experience the strange creature's combat and mental prowess firsthand.

If Dane was honest with himself, he didn't feel much compulsion to actually turn up. He'd read the entirety of the corresponding post on the message boards, and while initially optimistic he felt dull about the whole thing. It probably was worth his time, and he'd already started travelling there once he recognised Tearen from Dante's Abyss. Dane wasn't exactly a good student. He could be diligent and hardworking, but only towards items that appealed to him directly - he bounced from topic to topic yet abandoned them quickly as they became too easy or boring, he usually still revisited them later though. He suspected Tearen was actually just a powerful mage of some kind masquerading under a slightly different method of magic. That made sense, although it didn't explain the small mostly smudged out clump of obscure images and coded information hidden at the back of Dane's mind that he knew were remnants from Tearen's mental assault. His current hypothesis was that Tearen had overridden the area of memory in his minds, corrupting it somehow. It was possible, probably. But the level of precision required would be immense. 

Twigs snapped silently under Dane's muffled feet as he floundered onwards like a zombie, mostly uncaring outside of the general direction. His mind was reserved for thought, not movement. He wanted to know, understand, and learn what Tearen may have to give simply for the sake of doing so. But until he got there only speculation and other half formed thoughts, conjectures, and hypotheses filled his mind.

---

Blinking in confusion, Dane looked up at the green light before examining the building. It was larger than expected, and the trek there wasn't too long. He wouldn't mind staying for a while should there be something worthwhile to offer. There was still the information about 'Diablo' and 'The Underverse', after all. His earlier pessimistic thoughts had been brushed aside in favour of restoring an optimistic outlook. While Dane was very much a function over form kind of guy, the appearance of the location still did wonders to his mood. He'd arrived faster than expected, although his talk with Clownpiece did seem to have delayed him somewhat. 

Still hidden and magically silenced, Dane walked onwards towards the building wondering if he'd be detected before he revealed himself.

I'll make a post tomorrow where Dane stops using Muffle and Stealth. Or you can notice him with your god skills (or by looking at foot imprints on the floor). Sorry for the delay Tearen.

[Tearen Wover]

Ambient, chirping sounds of the jungle serenaded the diners as they wolfed down the first few portions of the meal. Tearen smiled inwardly at the relative tranquility. Despite it all, it reminded him of a family dinner; so simple and easily taken for granted. After rinsing down the delightful spice of Malon's cooking with a glass of cool water, Tearen sighed happily and leaned back in the simple wicker chairs he had assembled earlier.

"Splendid cooking, Maru. Food is always better when prepared as opposed to simply summoned." Tearen said, twiddling a piece of naan in his fingers. Maru and Gamzee looked up in curiosity, the other two continued to tuck into their generous helpings.

"Howzzat?" Gamzee asked, picking bits of fruit from between his teeth.

"Thought Omilicizing everything was just a perfect-ass miracle."

Tearen nodded his head to the side.

"Well, useful yes. But summoned food only ever tastes the way we as Primes expect it to. Or at least, the way we remember it should. But there are subtleties that preparation and cooking provide that are not so easily replicated. For example, this pear, and this apple..." Tearen said, holding up a morsel of each from the assorted fruits on his plate.

"Visually identical. I'm not sure I could accurately describe what the difference in their tastes is, let alone you who hail from a different world. If I summoned a pear, could I be sure it tasted accurate? Or would just taste of apple? Furthermore, when the food is prepared by someone else..." Tearen said, gesturing at the persistently flushed face of Maru, "...they can provide seasonings and techniques that bring such life and interest to the dish. But, I suppose it's a matter of personal preference."

Gamzee nodded and stared down at his plate for moment before unceremoniously attacking the pile of food again. Yeah, now that he all up and thought about it, this motherfucker had something to think about, and this was just about food. The real miracles hadn't even started.

"Thanks Tearen." Maru said quietly, her smile demure. Tearen smirked at the girl's modesty. Hopefully by the end of these lessons she would feel more emboldened to take open pride in her many skills.

"I've got a question..." said Karkat abruptly, pushing away from the table and getting in the eldritch human's face. Tearen quietly took a sip of water as the troll's yellow eyes burned into his.

"What's with those weird rules you put on the hivenet? You actually expect people to do all that, for what, a few fancy tricks?" the crabby alien whined, slapping a hand down on the table. Gamzee and Strazio glanced at each other again, but Tearen held up a hand to call for their patience. The Shadow took another measured sip of water before responding.

"No. I don't expect anything of anyone. I would appreciate it if they did, though. Just a personal wish." Tearen said softly, giving Karkat a placid stare.

"Sooo what. You're just doing all of this for free?" the grey-skinned boy asked. Tearen thought about it for a moment.

"If you choose to see it that way, I suppose, yes." the Shadow said. He quickly prepared a rebuttal when something caught his attention. A new Prime in the area, one he hadn't seen before. This was concerning for a multitude of reasons, but as Tearen turned around in his chair, he was mostly pleased to see the form of Dane Regan emerging from behind a tree at the edge of the clearing. Hopefully no one else had noticed him before Tearen had. While he personally did not care that the young Prime was somehow capable of shielding himself from Tearen's vast sensory capabilities, it was possible that a revelation that the eldritch Human was anything less than dominant in all ways would undermine his authority as a teacher, to some degree.

"So what's your endgame with this, then?" Regan asked, standing his ground. Tearen made a very deliberate show of slowly getting out of the wicker bench and leaning against one of the thick, cool pillars that supported the domed roof of the pavilion.

"I'm only helping people learn to use what they already have. The powers I wield lie dormant inside everyone; who am I to hold the secret of their use? But, to answer your question more directly...the more powerful Primes this Omniverse hands, the better defended it will be against the forces of Diablo. I can only hope that students of mine follow my example, as set forth on the Dataverse." Tearen said, crossing his arms over his chest. On some level, he was furious, but he would not let that show. Especially to someone who had the audacity to try and get the drop on him on what was hypothetically is home turf. Still, it didn't stop the ex-enigma from leveling a glowering stare at the younger Prime. Threatened or not, Dane knew the score here; he had touched a nerve in the elder Prime.

"Come, Mr. Regan. Won't you join us for an exquisite lunch, and then we can get down to business." Tearen said, standing up straight again before returning to his food. Dane hesitated for a moment, but it seemed as though the rest of the Primes at the table were completely at ease. Certainly not in a position to attack him at a moment's notice though...nothing could be certain with Tearen present. The bookish warrior took a step forward before abruptly tripping over his own boot; somehow the laces had come undone since he had been standing for the past minute. Dane glanced up at the pavilion as he knelt to relace the doeskin footwear.

"Watch your step, Mr. Regan." Tearen said, not bothering to turn around as he said so.

Just to clarify, there is no specific order or schedule in this thread. People can post as the are able or want to.

[Dane Regan]

That explained that question, and Dane was satisfied with the knowledge he had at least one thing over Tearen. Although to be fair, Tearen wasn't actively looking for him at the time. The exchange also revealed a few things Dane didn't anticipate about Tearen's character: he could anger. It was suppressed well, but it was there. Dane had previously assumed Tearen was too logical and methodical to really have many present emotions. That thought process was mostly based around how Tearen fought like a machine in some ways. Calculated, precise and well-timed movements. Voided of any inherent meaning. Most opponents Dane had crossed weapons with in the past had tended to pour their essence into their strikes, be it fear, confidence, or anger.

Dane shook his head slightly, letting the hair that had grown slightly over the last month sway side to side. It didn't quite reach down towards his eyes, but it was getting close. There was no point in entertaining himself by justifying assumptions and playing internal or external mind games. He was here now, and if nothing else he vowed to enjoy the free food and hopefully the company that came with it.

Following Tearen to the table, he shrugged, sitting down in front of the food. "Just call me Dane, 'Mr. Regan' makes me feel old." There were questions he wanted to ask but felt it was necessary to first acquaint himself with the others. "I don't believe I've personally met any of you, but would I be correct in saying that some of you also came to Dante's Abyss?" He paused, gesturing. "Gamzee and Strazio, right?"

[Strazio Rockwell]

Having never even heard of half the words that Maru used when describing the grub Strazio decided it was best to try a little bit of everything. The curry was flavorful and tickled the mage’s palette just right. His homeland cared little for spices and instead focused on hearty, belly-filling meals. While the stews and roasts had their own charm, they lacked the exciting notes that a proper curry held. Hell even the salad was delicious. He made a mental note to ask Valerie if he had ever encountered “strawberries” before, the sugary red fruits ignited pleasure centers that he was surprised his brain even had.

His consumption slowed as he listened to Tearen’s reasoning in regards to the superiority of prepared food. It was a thought that he had never consciously acknowledged, however he did know the idea on some fundamental level. After Demitri was murdered he struggled with the idea of recreating his friend, but just what would he create? It wasn’t as if he was reanimating the man’s corpse, he was just creating a facsimile. And as Tearen pointed out the summon would be flavored with Strazio’s perception. After all, just what did he know about Demetri’s world, hell just what did he know about the man’s life? How could he hope to recreate anyone without knowing every minute detail of their existence? Other than satisfying a selfish desire to undo death’s work, just what would he accomplish by creating a doppleganger?

He shook his head and tried again to lose himself in the meal.

As Dane made his presence known Strazio’s muscles clenched and readied themselves for combat. Small sparks of magick charged through his hair and across his flesh. Perhaps it was paranoia, but a lifetime spent hiding as a pariah meant that any unexpected stranger was more than likely a threat. Were it not for Tearen’s intervention the rage mage would have been liable to attack the man then and there. Still as Wover addressed the stranger Strazio kept a cautious eye on the man. The messy-haired warrior seemed familiar to Strazio, he had seen him before but couldn’t quite place it.

As Dane sat he addressed Strazio and upon mentioning the Abyss Strazio’s eyes went wide. Lightning arced across his hand as he snapped his fingers and pointed an accusatory digit at Dane.

“I fucking remember you,” Strazio said excitedly, “you and that star-spangled bitch tried to jump me.”

Before Dane could respond Strazio continued, at this point setting aside his utensils.

“You know she set me on fire,” he said, “that fucking hurt, a lot , you’re lucky you got culled or you would’ve ended up like her.”

“Chillax brother,” Gamzee said behind a mouthful of food.

“Oh fuck off, the dude tried to kill me,” Strazio countered.

[Dane Regan]

Dane blinked at the outburst. Thinking back, he did vaguely remember Strazio being one of the members of the group him and Clownpiece suicidally attacked. Although the only reason Dane recognised him was because of the research he did on the other entrants during and after DA. Dane surprised even himself from how calm he felt about the explosion of the rage avatar's temper. Briefly, he entertained the thought that dying actually affected his mental state in more ways that he'd previously anticipated; everything felt somewhat muted - but that was a line of discussion for another time.

"Calm down. It was a competition geared around fighting people, I hardly think you're in a position to complain. Anyway, the way I remember it, you had both our host and... umm... someone else, I think, with you. With or without the culling, you had the number advantage." Dane suppressed the urge the shrug, opting to instead look back at Strazio, disinterested. Internally, however, he was almost happy - his ally must have done pretty well for herself even if she didn't make it out alive. He was sure Clownpiece would probably laugh when he told her about this later. 

He'd briefly considered a few other options for his reply, some more provocative than others, but deemed them inappropriate. Back at the time of the aforementioned event, Dane had had very little time to even register who he was even going to fight, but he'd conceded to Clownpiece that since death probably wasn't permanent, they might as well have gone out with some form of chaotic and suicidal glory. He didn't appreciate the concept, but after running for days straight, he didn't have a reason not to.

[Malon]

Malon grew concerned as Strazio and the newcomer - Dane Regan, if she'd gotten his name right? - started to bump their heads. Well, of course Dante's Abyss had been something that had sparked up conflict and likely created hostilities between many Primes, not just these two, and it was something from the very recent past: the memories were still fresh.

Tearen did not seem to mind the conflict too much though, and everyone present at the table looked like they could handle themselves if things were to escalate. She was unable to hide her nervousness though and glanced back and forth between everyone, as if to catch one of them drawing a weapon out of nowhere. Just then Karkat adjusted the knife on his plate, where its angle made the sun reflect a beam of light into Malon's eyes for a moment and she reflexively raised her hand to block it. It was then that a picture formed before her mental eye: a metal speartip, glimmering in the sun just like the knife... and holding the spear was a man whose head just turned as he caught sight of her. A grin of dirty and missing teeth spreaded across his face, then the picture shifted as she turned to run away the way she'd come from.

After this snippet the dam broke and a flood of memories invaded her mind: the short time at the Nexus, the meeting with Alexander Anderson and the vampire, the days - weeks? - spent as a prisoner of the Silverhand bandits, the anthropomorph fox called Carmelita, and Sera! She tried to hold onto that name, but the memory flood tore her along, and within moments the haze that had fogged her memories of Dante's Abyss lifted itself fully. Everything came back to her down to the last detail that she hadn't remembered. People, places, actions, events, emotions, feelings, objects, words, thoughts, plans, relationships, explanations, names. Everything came so fast, she had no idea if it was even in the right order!

Slowly her vision cleared up. She saw the faces of Dane, Strazio, Gamzee, Karkat and Tearen looking at her from their seats, with visible concern in their eyes: it would seem that Strazio had forgotten about his hostility towards Dane for a moment, even. She heard loud breathing and her vision was strangely clouded. Then she realized that it was she who was breathing this loud. She was hyperventilating, her entire body tense like a bowstring. And she had tears in her eyes that were clouding her vision.

"Maru? Is everything okay?" Tearen asked eventually, breaking the tense silence.

"I... yes, I..." She scrambled, trying to gather her thoughts. Her gaze fell on the almost-empty bowl before her. "I must've bitten down on some chili seeds! My mouth is burning!" She grabbed a handkerchief and a large spoonful of coconut milk that she promptly stuffed into her mouth while wiping the tears from her eyes. The intense taste of coconut filled her mouth and she felt pulled back to the present. "Sorry about that... I, ehm. I'll excuse myself, just a moment. Mr. Re- I mean, Dane, he needs a plate too!"

"I've got one right here", Dane replied awkwardly and pointed at an empty plate he'd just set down where he intended to sit. Indeed, apparently Tearen had foreseen that more people may come for the meal and had prepared a self-service stack of extra plates and cutlery.

"I mean, the spoon! I stuffed the only spoon that we have for the coconut milk into my mouth! I'll go get a new one!" She stood up so briskly that the chair behind her almost fell to the ground, though some invisible force tipped it back into place, and she rushed off into the forest, into a wholely different direction than where the kitchen tent with the spare cutlery was located. She had no idea what happened at the table after that, because she felt the world spin around her as she ran deep enough into the forest that she was out of earshot and couldn't see anyone at the edge of the clearing, or be seen from there.

Sera! Carmelita! How could she have forgotten about them?! Carmelita... only vague memories of the fox had crossed her mind up until then, and Sera? She had no memory at all of her! Her stomach twisted, she felt like she would throw up the curry that she had just eaten, but some more deep breaths prevented that. Dante's Abyss... they must have seen her there. Known that she slid into the event by accident, and that she died there. Right? Regardless... she had been asked by the Camelot guards to stay in Minas Tirith because they needed to take her statements against the Silverhand bandits. And she had promised to Sera that she'd stick with her for a while. She needed to let her know... right now.

But the others were no doubt suspicious after her outburst, which she realized must've made her look more than strange. She would explain herself to them later... right now she had to just make her way back. It was a very welcome coincidence that she'd witnessed Dane's usage of an ability to become invisible... for some reason she was able to replicate those abilities for a limited time! Her body vanished as she focused to mimic his trick and she snuck back to the camp, along the edge of the forest where they may have seen her if she was visible, but she was far away enough that they couldn't hear her - although she thought to see Tearen lifting his head for just an instant, but that may have been her imagination. Once she had the tents between them and her she slipped back out of stealth, into the kitchen tent and grabbed her crystal ball from her backpack. She could only hope that Sera was reachable somehow... the guard had lent them communicators so that they could call them when necessary, maybe she could track that one down?

[Tearen Wover]

Tearen looked over his shoulder as Malon's shrouded form slipped off into the woods. The girls' mind was heavy with worry for her friends in Camelot; it was difficult not to pick up on that with how loudly she was thinking about them. He was concerned now that she may have been suffering from some sort of post-traumatic stress, but being that the Hylian had never specifically told him the details, he could only guess at the damage. Regardless, she was a big girl and could take care of herself, for now at least. The elder Prime turned back to the last scraps of his food before leaning back and sighing.

"Right then, everyone mostly finished? I think its time we discussed some fundamentals." Tearen said, standing up slowly. Some of the other guests were still picking at their lunch, but the eldritch human felt like talking now, so, he would.

"The core ethos and thought where all of my power stems from is very simple; Thou Art God. It is not a metaphor or analogy. It is the recognition that you, as a thinking entity, are not discreet from the universe." Tearen said, walking around the table slowly. Dane and Gamzee followed him with their gazes eagerly, but Strazio and Karkat seemed more content to just soak in what they felt relevant. That was fine. They would learn, in time. Regardless, they seemed content to let him lecture.

"Our egos inspire us to view our condition as our individual selves and the rest of reality, but that is doing yourself a disservice. Instead, Enigmas, such as myself, choose to view ourselves as an inextricable unit of the greater whole. Any fraction of infinity must still be infinity, and therefore, we are not just part of the universe...we ARE the universe."

"Actually..." Dane said, piping up in a manner as politely as he could, "...that's not exactly how that math works. There is more than one kind of infinity, and–"

The bookish warrior suddenly found himself shutting up. It wasn't as if Tearen was exercising some mental power over him; the ex-deity was simply giving him that look again.

"You are correct, Dane, but a concrete reality exists as infinity as a concept, not as a hard mathematical function...as much as that may chafe your logical sensibilities. There are many things you are going to have to accept as undefinable if you wish to proceed with my teachings." Tearen said softly. It wasn't as if he didn't welcome questions to his lectures, but if felt more like Dane was trying to supersede him, again. The man's mind was strong, but Tearen could still feel trickles of anxiousness leaking out of his mind at the idea he could not triumph over the vagaries of reality with mathematics. So be it.

"...allow me to demonstrate. Let us consider walking." Tearen said, gesturing down at his foot. "If we choose to measure each step as an uncountable infinity as I progress through one motion, at what point to we consider that set concluded? At what point does point nine-nine-nine of a step simply become one? When do all of those countless decimal places finally cross the boundary of their uncountable set and collapse into a single...step." Tearen asked, the sole of his bare foot gently slapping against the hard granite. Dane opened his mouth and then closed it. He was sure he had an answer to that question, but for now he was quickly learning not to try and show up Tearen on the elder Prime's own stage.

"So...are we numeric titans, casually striding the gulfs of infinity with each thundering step, or, are we small, meek little motes of flesh, shuffling around tiny specks of land lost in a sea of epic proportions?" Tearen conjectured, waving his hand around in the air. "I find neither answer satisfying, and so, I don't concern myself with the question. For the purposes of this philosophy, we choose to forgo concrete measurements and realize our connection to reality as a sign of our innate divinity." Tearen said in a conclusive tone. There was silence for a little minute before Strazio stifled a yawn. Tearen smiled, in spite of himself. He would have expected nothing less of the rage mage, but luckily for Rockwell, demonstrations were not far away.

"Fuckin'..." Gamzee started saying, staring down at his own feet, "...Miracles."

Tearen chuckled.

"For lack of a better term, yes. So, when we recognize that we are not just part of the universe, but that we ARE the universe...as in, the actual universe, choosing to think and recognize itself...well then everything else starts to fall into place." Tearen said, snapping his fingers and conjuring a whorl of sparking, black energy around his hand.

"So basically what you're saying is that you can move things with your mind simply because of authority." Strazio asked in a pointed tone.

"It's a little more nuanced than that. You have the authority to move your own arm if you choose to, yes? If we extend the perception of our body to that of the entire world, the same principles apply. This wooden bowl..." Tearen said, summoning his dirty dish to his outstretched hand, "...is no less a part of me than the fingers which hold it."

"Uh hhhuh. So. At what point do you start fucking with people's heads?" Karkat snapped. The eldritch human shot the petulant alien a dangerously bemused glance.

"All in good time, Mr. Vantas. For now, I'm sure you all have questions relevant to what I just went over..."

[Dane Regan]

Dane remained attentive, lest he miss something important. This kind of things tended to have subtle hidden tricks. Little tidbits of knowledge. That said, he wasn't particularly impressed so far. Tearen was smart, or at least knowledgeable considering the paradox he described. And having to accept some things as undefinable didn't bother Dane too much. One divided by zero was undefined (and not infinity or a big number or anything dumb like that).

After Tearen's last word, a silence filled the hallway. Dane seized it.

"Yeah. I've got a few things to ask." Dane extended one finger on his right hand, counting. "Firstly, what's the limit? How much can you do?" Another finger uncurled slowly, bringing his hand into a position that was usually used by his homeland to insult one of the neighbouring nations. "Secondly, how and why does it work? I know you can only go so far with that because it's like trying to add detail to the question 'why does a rock move when you push it?', but even abstract things like magic have some basis - like exchange particles and..." He paused, cutting off the tangent before it could properly begin. "Anyway, my point was: why are we gods? What allows us to potentially interact with the universe in this way? What do we have that a machine doesn't? Or could a machine do this as well?"

Ignoring the fact he'd technically fulfilled his three questions already by extrapolating on the main two, Dane continued, extending a third finger. "How does this compare to magic? Mages can levitate objects, and machines theoretically can." Dane already had schematic ideas wedged firmly in his mind for such a thing, and a method to transfer those powers to a living, breathing, person. If this didn't turn out well, he still had that to fall back on. Although something told him his questions were probably coming across as naive. He knew Tearen's main thing here was 'god powers for everyone' or something like that, but if everyone already had that potential, why hadn't people discovered it by accident? Those people should fall under Omni's definition and thus Tearen shouldn't be the only one here. Yet as far as Dane knew, he was.

In conclusion, Dane was certain there had to be a catch. Either a long amount of training or a very small proportion of people who had compatible minds or bodies with Tearen's powers. Otherwise, in his eyes, it didn't make sense why this wouldn't be commoner knowledge. Maybe not its secrets, but at least information of its existence.

Nonetheless, Dane didn't voice that part of his mind. He'd already used the three questions he proposed, and he wasn't going to directly or indirectly try and contradict something Tearen had said. At least not in front of everyone else. That didn't stop him from being sceptical. As Dane knew all too well, smart people who are often right aren't always going to be correct. Verify the information, not the person.

[Tearen Wover]

"My my, he does have a brain and a half, doesn't he?" Tearen said with a challenging smile. The elder Prime folded his arms over his chest and leaned against one of the granite pillars again, bearing the same sort of expression that the owner of a chocolate factory might make as Dane ran through a list of questions borne from his blessed little sense of logic. These lessons were not going to be painless for him, for many reasons.

"Well, in my universe of origin, there was no limit. A substantial boast to make in passing, perhaps, but my power was effectively absolute. The only limitations placed on me were by others of my kind with a more intuitive grasp. This leads directly in to your third question, actually..." Tearen said, dismissing lunch's dishes off towards the stone bunk house. The plates, cups and utensils dutifully drifted off through the air and out of sight. Everyone except Gamzee was rather nonplussed by the display, which was good. The elder Prime hadn't really intended such a paltry effort to serve as an example.

"No matter how deeply you dive into the waters of the universe, there will always be a tiny mote of self-doubt in your mind, stemming from the most animal, primal parts of our brains. It's a sort of defense mechanism, hailing back to days that predated sentience or reason, that prevented our barely sapient ancestors from stargazing while they were half-starved and hunted. I assure you, each and every organism that is capable of creative thought can tap into this larger universe that is theirs to claim...if only they can overcome their own disbelief that it is even possible." Tearen said, staring off into the distance. He realized he had been speaking for some time now, so he paused. Strazio volunteered.

"...sounds like an insane person would have an easy time of it, but I don't see asylum residents levitating dishes." Rockwell said with an edge in his voice. Tearen nodded knowingly.

"The mentally ill are bound by their own twisted logic, and are surprisingly rational in other ways. But...you're not entirely wrong. To embark on this path is to voluntarily give up part of what might be considered 'sanity', but only insofar as most of it flies in the face of dated, animal logic. This leads into Dane's second question; how does it work? Well..." Tearen said, calling a nearby rock to his hand. He weighed it in his palm and adopted a ponderous expression.

"Instinct, Mathematics and Logic state, that if I toss this rock, this rock must then fall. It's more than common sense. Millions of years ago, my survival may have depended on this." Tearen said, casually lobbing the stone at Karkat's face. The grey alien's eyes went wide and he toppled over backwards onto the ground. He scrambled to his feet, fuming, and then saw the rock floating just an inch from where it would have broken his nose. Well...now he was even more mad.

"WHAT THE FUCKING SHIT. WAS THAT ENTIRELY NECESSARY." the crabby man shouted. It went on for another minute or so before Tearen just signaled for him to shut up.

"The uncomfortable part of this..." said Tearen, in a very low and serious tone, "...is that there is no interaction, aside from what my mind demands of the situation. I am the universe. I demand that the rock stays in the air. A machine cannot produce this effect, because a machine does not think, no matter how complex. Your question betrays your unwillingness to accept the truth. We do not interact with the universe. We ARE the universe." Tearen said, slowly locking eyes with the skeptical swordsman. The eldritch human leaned heavily on the table and spoke in as grave a tone he could muster.

"Thou art God."

Gamzee was just smiling.

[Strazio Rockwell]

Mind over matter, well basically mind over matter, was the concept at hand. Magick, Strazio figured, was much the same concept. Every scrap of flesh on his body was nothing more than energy waiting to be repurposed. And this property extended to everything in existence. Matter was energy waiting for manipulation. Tearen’s proposal was just an extension of this principle. However there was one major difference; to call upon magick once must pay a tribute, but Tearen’s demonstration seemed to require little more than a scrap of mental focus. Strazio had drifted away, only to be brought back by Tearan’s assault on Karkat.

The rage-mage laughed. He stood up, stretched, and wandered over to the door. He crouched and scooped up a stone. Idle eyes watched him as he turned the oblong object in his hand. He felt every pore and divot worn into the rock. And in one smooth motion he turned around and chucked the rock at Gamzee. His hand stayed outstretched and he enforced his will upon the projectile. The troll’s eyes went wide as he watched the stone slow and eventually come to a stop. It hung frozen in front of Gamzee’s face. It took a second for him to process what had happened, but when he did he lost his mind.

“Strawso! You’re doin’ it, a motherfucking bona fide miracle!” he tried to prattle on, but Strazio interrupted.

“I didn’t do that,” he answered, somewhat dejected.

Rockwell lowered his arm and asked Tearen, “did I?”

The eldritch let loose a half-hearted sigh and willed the stone back into Strazio’s hand. He shrugged and answered, “it just seemed in bad taste to allow him to be harmed at my table.”

“He can handle it,” Strazio responded, with a hidden edge in his voice.

The white-haired mage threw the rock outside and watched in vain as it soared across the campsite. He cussed, grabbed another rock, and tried again. Once again he failed to stop the mathematical aftermath of his actions. It was around the third or fourth try that he realized the others were watching him. Sparks danced across his body, gaining intensity as he grew more frustrated. The fifth and six rock flew further than the others, slamming against a tree and ricocheting into the forest.

“God Dammit,” he muttered and chucked another rock.

The whole display culminated in one final throw. His hands were now little more than short-circuiting transformers. As the rock reached its apex he fired a bolt of magick, obliterating the stone and sending a curtain of pebbles across the campground. With a huff he spun around.

“There!” he shouted, “problem solved, I stopped it mid air, am I art a God now!?”

“That was,” Tearen paused, choosing his words carefully, “not exactly the intended effect, please do try to contain your temper, Rockwell.”

Strazio threw his arms up, and spit outside. He turned back and pointed an almost accusatory finger at Tearen, “you said you were limited only by others of your kind, does that mean you were born able to do this bullshit then? And if you were, what hope do we have to learn it? It’s like a fish telling us we just have to breath through our gills to live underwater.”

[Tearen Wover]

"No. No, just other people like me who learned how to tap into their greater selves. Come on Strazio, I didn't take you for the type of guy to give up on something the minute he starts trying." Tearen said, raising an eyebrow at the fuming mage. Naturally, Tearen did not hold the rage mage's ire against him; it was a function of his reality. Part of who he was, and therefore, part of Tearen as well. In fact, this gave the eldritch Prime an idea. He delicately plucked a strawberry that had been left on Malon's plate between forefinger and thumb, and held it out to the white-clad warrior. Rockwell looked down at the piece of fruit, then back at the Shadow.

"...what? What the fuck am I supposed to do with this?" he snapped. Tearen took on a nonplussed expression, gingerly grabbed Strazio's hand, and closed the man's scarred and pitted fingers around the sweet morsel.

"I'm going to give you a better idea of what I'm talking about. May I borrow a piece of your sensory input for a minute?" Tearen said, slowly raising a hand towards Strazio's face. The angry wizard instinctively shied away from the gesture with a wary glance. He understood that he had basically elected to take Tearen on as a teacher, but there was a limit to how much he was willing to be made and example. Still...

"Just don't do anything fuckin' weird." Strazio muttered. Tearen couldn't agree to that, subjective as it was, so he just did his best to reassure the mage.

"It will only be for a minute...There." Tearen said, lowering his hand. He glanced over at Malon as her disguised form rejoined the group on the gazebo floor. Whatever phone call she had made had evidently caused her to lose her appetite, because she dutifully moved to clean her place setting away from the table. Tearen motioned for her to stay for a moment; she had already missed some important stuff. It would help for her to witness this. Strazio looked around, scratched his nose, and blinked.

"...what am I supposed to notice? Nothing changed." he said, tossing the unwanted piece of fruit back on to Maru's platter. He froze.

"What the fuck was that." he said suddenly, snapping a glare at Tearen, who was clearly trying to suppress a smile. Dane looked at the strawberry with a curious expression.

"What was what? I didn't see anything either." the mathematician said, picking the strawberry up. Strazio shuddered and waved his hand vigorously.

"S-stop! Put it back! I can...feel that. I can feel what the strawberry...is feeling." Strazio said, trying to process the alien sensations that were being fed to his brain from a few feet away. Gamzee immediately shot to his feet.

"DUDE. I wanna touch the Strazberry!" he shouted, snatching the red mote of life out of Dane's fingers. Strazio shuddered in a peculiar way as Gamzee fondled and poked the fruit.

"TEAREN! Knock it off! I don't wanna feel that stupid fucking thing!" Strazio snapped, marching over to Tearen's smug face and grabbing the elder Prime by the cuff of his tank top. Tearen simply offered the rage mage a quaint smile.

"But it's yours to feel. It's always been there, you just didn't know how to tap into it." Tearen said softly.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!" Strazio roared. Gamzee grinned peevishly and gave the Strazberry a little squeeze.

"Honk."

Strazio's legs went weak, and he lost his grip on Tearen.

"You and the strawberry are both extant. Part of the same universe. Part of the same body. Physical separation means nothing in this perspective, no more than a soul has a physical connection to the body. You are the strawberry and it is you. I am you. You are me–"

"–and we are all together, yeah I get it fuckwit. But it's not...like...But you're MAKING this happen though. You're just messing with my head!" Strazio said, getting back on his feet. As usual, Maru was blushing fiercely. To her credit, though, she managed to work through her mortified feelings and offer a suggestion.

"I think...maybe...Tearen is helping, yes. But the point is that the connection was always there. Right? We just didn't think to look for it because..."

"...because it doesn't make a lick of sense." Dane said, finishing her sentence. Tearen nodded approvingly.

"Not in the natural sense, anyway. No. But you're going to have to give up your instincts in order to learn your sovereign right to these abilities. It seems wrong. It seems impossible. It may even seem–"

"Can you...stop doing that...before you keep talking." Strazio said, pointing at Gamzee. Tearen blinked, then obliged the incensed wizard, once again covering Rockwell's connection to the unassuming berry with eons of evolutionary fog. The rage mage breathed a sigh of relief.

"Thank you." he said, straightening his collar and going to sit down. Gamzee looked down at the strawberry before shrugging and popping it in his mouth.

"HEY!" Strazio barked, wheeling around in his wicker chair. The clownish troll just gave Rockwell a blank stare. Tearen was pleased.

"What's the matter, Strazio? I thought it was just a 'stupid fucking thing'. Not an actual part of you. I even spared you the agony of it feeling itself being chewed up, so why the anger?" Tearen cooed, his green eyes seeming to leer into Rockwell's soul. Strazio fumed silently, then broke the table in half with a single, sparking punch.

"...whatever. I need some time to think." the furious wizard mumbled. He kicked his chair to the side and stalked off into the jungle, muttering to himself. There was a long silence before Tearen spoke.

"That's probably a good idea. Let's recess for now and take a breather. If you have questions, feel free to seek me out on your own, however." Tearen said, motioning for the other students to stand. Everyone gathered their wits about them and shuffled off to see to their own ends. Malon insisted on staying to help Tearen clean up Strazio's mess, but the eldritch Prime shooed her away.

Once he was all on his own again, he whistled a song about a walrus while extracting the ruined table's omnilium. Things were going better than expected!

[Gamzee Makara]

~Gamzee~

I just-

What even is-

Motherfucking miracles. That's it. That's all this place is. That's all these people are. I'm having sensory overload, something I never even assumed was motherfucking possible for someone so used to overloading his senses. If I was capable of having a seizure right now I think I would. Like if you could turn on seizures at will? But I don't know why you would wanna do that illness to yourself. I guess maybe to prove a point, kinda like I myself am trying and failing to accomplimish.

But whoa. Everything that is happening is happening and that is happening, you feel me dawg? I previously thought I was pretty enlightened, but nah son. Fuckin' dark as shit in my thinkpan compared to this noise, this pathway of imagining. Hey, you could make a religion out of this.

Maybe that's the point, I dunno. There's so much I want to know, but I dunno how to know, you know? Like where do I even begin? I can't formulate and contemplate all my thoughts into some questionable thoughts. There's just

so

MUCH.

I still ain't even gotten over the fact that the Strazberry still tasted like a strawberry. Like okay, I get that we're all the same thing and everything is us. There's some similar shit to be found in the teachings of the Mirthful Messiahs. But in such a situation, wouldn't the strawberry...you know. Taste like Straz? I guess!? I'm just so exploded in my mind, bro. Like that Tearman just blew my mind. That's where that saying comes from, right? Just not being able to comprehend and shit, so everything just explodes. All the words are a jumble jamblin' away, and they're dancing a jig with the letters inside themselves. Because like, if everything is the part of everything, the letters are just as much a part of the word as the word is a part of them and-

Aight. I need to calm down. My head hurts.

It's less of the accepting that the universe is one big mixing bowl of mixers, and more of understanding how that makes all this crazy shit happen. I'm pretty well versed in miracles, if I do say so myself. But only in seeing, acknowledging, and accepting them, never actually learning how they worked. Karkat himself was always on my briefcase about how I never knew what I was talking about but that's because I didn't want to know, you know? Knowing why a miracle is a miracle makes it less of a miracle. It takes away what makes it special, if that makes sense. The whole point is to not know why it happens, just to experience it happening. Somehow, though, I feel like what the Tear guy is tryna teach us is going to require a complementarian understanding of both.

Becoming god, huh? I dunno if I jive with that, to be honest. I already wasn't too up for holding a position of power back on Alternia, but getting almost-murdered by that God Anal guy really didn't give me the warm fuzzies when I think about real live people becoming deities. I walk up to Tearman and lightly tap him on the shoulder.

"Yes?" He responds promptly, turning to face me- whoa he has pretty eyes. They're like, green. A deeper green than I've almost ever seen. Almost. I can't help but feel like that hue is shared with the slime, and while I know it's sheer coincidence, I can't help but let loose a slight shudder.

"...May I help you, Gamzee?" Ah fuck. Didn't mean to seem rude.

"Uh...Yeah, I think so," I begin, my eyes floundering around the room in an attempt to stray away from his emerald peepers.

"So like, I'm sorry I ain't giving you a lot of context here, but can you maybe expand a little on what being a God means to you? Because just that phrase, that collection and order of words. It kinda gives off a bad vibe, when ya think about it a certain way, I guess. If that maybe makes sense. If it don't I mean I wouldn't mind elaboratatin' but you seem like you know a lot so i just thought-"

Tearman adopts a strange look on his face before holding a hand up, politely silencing me.