alternativewriting | Passages Inn OTA

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passages inn

Passages Inn OTA

There are Inns out there that exist between worlds and dimensions. They show up just when you need a place to stay, your car having stalled out a mile away or the unexpected rainstorm suddenly starts dropping torrents of water. Or sometimes you’re wandering around the streets in a city and need a place to stay and you spot the door to this Inn which looks friendly and inviting. Going in, things are just a bit off. The patrons are perhaps not quite human; the man behind the desk smiles a bit oddly. However he tells you that you’re in luck. There’s just one room left and you can have it.

But, when you leave the next morning and turn around to see what it’s called, the inn is gone. When you ask people about it, they look at you funny as if they have no idea what you’re talking about. There was never an inn there, they tell you.

And yet you may still have the key in your pocket, the leftover from dinner, a note from a girl you spoke to, just some little token that says well, maybe you’re not completely crazy.

The Passages Inn is one of those Inns.

Built in the middle of an interdimensional nexus it can reach any time or place or space. You just need to find the door and you can come in. If you’re lucky you can find the door again.

Just remember, first Tuesdays are Viking Night and second Thursdays are Poetry Slam.

The proprietor of the Inn is Alec Troven

element_wizard All questions and concerns may be addressed to him.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

“There's no cause for concern,” Simon tells him. “There's one with you as you were when Phoenix was young, and you were bonded. There’s another of your older version. He's in group that represents the most powerful of the cosmic deities.” He's not sure if Alec would appreciate that, and even less sure Alec is going to accept some of the changes Keldra had made, regarding Simon.

As a stranger, Vahl would not have dared poke Alec's mind anyway, knowing how powerful he is. As a lover, well, Vahl was aware of the dangers of Alec's mind, and never did anything more than pick up on any broadcast thoughts. Much the same as somebody who can't help hearing a loud voice, from someone who should probably be whispering.

Still on the subject of Vahlmir, Simon knows the kayori likes to make sketching motions himself, when he's creating vistas and objects in the Dreamtime, or summoning something complex. He's always enjoyed watching Vahl do that, as the god focuses on his work. Alec reminds him of this and he sits forward a little, watching as the coloured lines are scribed into the very air.

“That makes sense,” he observes, not just that Vahl and he would have different coloured lines, but also different cores. Their power bases are so entirely dissimilar are their souls, minds, hearts. Their personalities may be similar in some respects, as are their features but there is more that is different, than like.

“It's a fascinating form of perception.” One he'd like to be able to experience himself, if only for a few minutes, if only to learn something new. “I wonder if it's in any way similar to Danaë's unique perspective.”

Simon takes a large swallow of his drink, setting down the tankard on the table at his side.

“There is more,” he tells Alec. “A good few centuries have passed, though I’m not certain how well you'll receive some of it.”

"What's the one of me and Phoenix?" It makes sense that his older self is one of the cosmic deities. He's sort of resigned himself to the whole being considered a deity like entity to the Keldra. Doesn't like it, but it's like trying to stop a damn break with a finger.

Vahl is smart. There are others that aren't. Much to their determinant.

Alec's found that it's easier to show what he's talking about than just speak it. It can get confusing. And in a way this is a very poor representation of what Alec actually sees. Sketching also helps with his need to physically fiddle and move about. "It's ... interesting..." He'd be happy to give Simon a brief look, definitely not a few minutes, but a brief one. "You know, I don't know about that one. Never asked her."

Swiping his hand through the air, he erases the lines and gives a good thought to the statement.

"I'm not going to force you to tell me. However, I will promise you that I'm not going to consider whatever you tell me falls under the 'stupid beyond belief' rule that I have at the Inn that allows me to kick patrons out. If only because you didn't do it at the Inn," he said. There are binding rules at the Inn that let him do what he does. "Nor will I take it out on you if we meet outside the Inn. I'm not in charge of Vahl or Phoenix or your lives. You're allowed to make your own decisions."

“It's an image of you alone, 'The Traveller',” Simon explains. “Signifying Keldra's propensity to welcome in newcomers, and all that goes with hospitality. The negative aspect of the card, is to warn that not everyone comes as a friend.” It's a card Simon can relate to. Being one of those newcomers himself, once upon a time.

Danaë has never spoken directly to Gruber, although it's clear that she's welcomed him in. All the kayori are aware there is some kind of asexual courtship occurring between she and the UnGod. “Even is asked directly, I'm, told her responses are open to interpretation,” he comments, wryly.

He can't help a chuckle at the mention of the stupidity rule. “I'm content to continue. If only on the basis that whenever concerns were raised, Phoenix would chime in with 'chill the fuck out, Alec's gonna be cool with it,' or 'You know Alec probably doesn't give a fuck, right?'. We made him our official Alec-gauge.”

Though he's speaking with humour - in a near-perfect Phoenix-accent - he's not joking about that. Now... where were they? ah.

“After some time, a century or so, Keldra had embraced my adopted Cenn, Kuvahli. There were temples and shrines, to It and myself appearing throughout the realms. Danaë even created a realm for It, in which a great temple was built. It became classed on a level with the Architect, and with your older self. Phoenix always said, your elder version was never too pleased about being considered a god, so over time, Keldra turned more towards the UnGod. It had given our world a promise that Keldra would never end.”

Which could mean anything. If the entire population was wiped out and the planet left a lifeless lump of rock, The Ungod would have still kept Its word. But people being people, had seized on the positive aspect of this - as well as their fear of It.

Next, Simon hesitates.

“Seeing as your older self had moved up in the hierarchy, to the level of the supreme beings; there was then a hole In the element of Chaos. So a new house was created, the Great House of the Void... I was actually, eventually, crowned as Chaos Chieftain.”

He's uncertain if telling the embodiment of chaos that - however unintentionally - Simon has usurped him, is sensible. All Simon can do is trust Phoenix's judgement.

"The Traveler? Really?" That sends Alec cackling for a moment. His friend Rhys who is sort of his counterpart in reality...ish... maybe... well, he's one of the few people Alec will actually listen to when told doing something will have catastrophic consequences for the entire multiverse... is often known as the Traveler, the Far Traveler, the Wanderer things like that. Taking his 'name' just amuses the fuck out of Alec and Rhys will be hearing about this later. It won't get much of a reaction, but still.

"It's more fun that way," is the only thing he says there.

The stupidity rule is one of the ways he can maintain order at an Inn which allows beings of various states of power and stuffness. And to let others take comfort in knowing he has some sort of 'boundaries'. He does snort at the mimicking and the Alec-gauge, but Phoenix isn't wrong.

At the mention of the not-liking being called a god bit, Alec does feel the need to say, "That's because we're not. Gods are things of reality. Gods get things from being worshiped by people. I don't. I'm a parasite pretending to be real. A penguin can swim in the ocean, but that doesn't mean it's a fish." It's said sort of snappishly. He understands that some people have a hard time understanding the distinction, especially since superficially he does seem like a god. But, better they should worship something that will do them good.

Though apparently they're not getting a good trade; what with that promise. Because yes, technically, if there is a rock the size of the tankard left of the planet, the promise has still been kept. Another one of the reasons why Alec dislikes being called a god.

Out of all the things that Simon has said about the changes he's caused, the chaos chieftain is the one that Alec could care less about. He's always considered himself an entity of chaos. There are multiple. Also, less of a burden on him. Moving up in the hierarchy is good for something, he guesses?

"You want the hat? Phoenix got me a hat when that happened to me." He's completely pokerfaced when he says that.

He's a little bemused at Alec's reaction. Simon had figured that it was a neutral enough label, and nothing demeaning or embarrassing. He hadn't expected laughter. Perhaps Phoenix's policy of 'sometimes it's best not to ask' applies here.

“I know,” he holds up a hand in a placatory gesture. “The kayori all know. But people will be people, be they kelde humans, wraith, quralir, or sirenian. These archetypes find their way into the collective. The gods show respect to a being, and the people of the world elevate them. The only way to prevent that is to show no respect, and that would be unhealthy for zhe pantheon, I think.”

It's open to interpretation, but at least with the UnGod's adopted neonate being so fond of the place - and more in charge than he's gotten around to telling - Keldra stands a pretty good chance.

“There's a hat?” That does make Simon chuckle. “Phoenix has never mentioned it.”

As far as Alec knows, none of the others have met Rhys or if they have, know about that particular moniker. So it really is an in-joke that only Alec is in on. Rhys will be finding about this later.

He sighs. "I know people will be people. And there's nothing I can do to stop them. Doesn't mean I can't be annoyed. Phoenix and Vahl has heard me rant about this enough times." Because really. It is annoying. It's like trying to get your neighbor to stop playing the accordion everyday for five hours. He does try to mitigate any damage that could be cause by the worship and stuff... but...

"There is a hat. I can't believe Phoenix didn't tell you about the hat." He looks aghast at this, even though he totally made up the hat about five seconds ago. Chaos entity. Etc. Etc. "Let me go get you the hat."

With a blink he vanishes. About thirty seconds later he reappears with a hat - it's a bright, oily purple fedora with a green band and rainbow feather that shimmers oddly tucked into the band. "Captain Chaos" is also sewn into the band with a bright yellow thread.

“If it helps,” Simon offers, “we might be a little more firm about shuffling you out of the deck. If you'll pardon the pun. Our power is growing, and with Vahlmir's influence on the collective psyche, we might achieve some measure of success.” It might take a few generations, but Alec hasn't been on Keldra for a good long time now, and eventually he might fade from the psyche of the collective. It's not as if Alec will cease to exist if people don't believe in him. Not like some gods.

Fortunately, the kayori won't simply fade away if people stop believing. They've tried in the past to deny they are gods, to no avail.

Simon tries to protest that Alec really shouldn’t go to any trouble, but he's gone before the void-touched god can open his mouth. And is back before Simon can take another swig of beer.

“Captain Chaos? Really?” He loves Phoenix with all his dark heart, he really does. But the angel's appalling sense of humour...

No. Alas, Simon loves that too. Despite himself.

“You do understand, I'm not going to wear that?” Best just to be sure about these things. Although a hat like that... “Or allow it to wear me,” he states. As a Waerloga - a German word with Keldran meanings, a magical trickster and devil; Simon is aware that phrasing is everything. Not that his power can stand up against Alec's. But still.

"We'll see what happens." Part of him doesn't want to be forgotten. He just wants the worshiping to stop. Sort of. He does enjoy complaining about it. It's all about ego. And he's bound to pop in for a brief visit. That being said, it's not his world and he's not going to prevent Vahl from doing what he wishes.

Of course it's no trouble! A blink of the eye after all. Admittedly, it might have been longer for him, but time travel. And technically he could have just made it out of thin air. But this is funnier. It makes it seem like there actually is an official hat.

Despite the special effects, the hat is just that. A hat. Nothing intelligent or anything like that. That's not something, even with all his power, Alec can do.

"I'm not going to make you wear the hat. Or anything like that. It's just the official hat. You know? Phoenix will back me up on it." Hopefully. Maybe even Vahl will go with it. Either way it'll be funny. What's the point of being a chaos entity if you can't cause chaos?

He then gives Simon a thoughtful look, tilting his head so he can see him with the good eye. "So. You're a goddish thing now. Have you had the joy of being unexpectedly summoned by cultists in the middle of doing something else yet? And then getting to destroy everything in a hundred mile radius because the summoners got something wrong when they summoned you?" That last part is said with a malicious glee that hasn't been present in Alec during their conversation up until this point.

It's the most... inhuman... he's been. Because there's enjoying destruction and killing, there's the indifference of a force of nature destruction and then there's the Eldritch Horror who would take any excuse to rend reality into shreds like salting the earth so nothing can grow. Just because he can. Not a face he often shows. He can count on one hand the number of times he's done it around Phoenix.

This isn't a threat directed at Simon. It's just him letting a bit of the mortal facade down in front of someone who wouldn't be hurt by seeing it.

Phoenix would never let them forget Alec, not that the kayori would want to. But having him included in an oracle deck isn’t quite the same as worship, so a happy medium should be achievable. Eventually.

“Phoenix did buy this for you,” Simon points out. “A gift from a lover? Are you sure you don't want to keep it?” Although secretly, he's not surprised that Alec might not want to keep such a.... an interesting object. But then, Simon isn't aware of Alec's fashion sense in general.

A goddish thing. It's as good a descriptor as any. Simon has indeed become godlike, and has a place in a pantheon who respect him, and whom he respects in turn. But there's that It about him. The monster of the void.

“Summoning?” No Keldran would be that stupid. In fact there are no recorded cases of any kayori, anori, or ed'iori being summoned by other Keldran species. Danaë protects her children from any offworlders who might attempt a summoning. The ed'iori, little sparks of light that they are, often simply appear for the asking. The gods of Keldra can hear prayers, and - quite rarely - may appear before someone who particularly catches their interest...

As he considers Alec's question, something in Simon rises to greet that malicious malevolent glitter of what the real Alec might be. It's a recognition of sorts. Simon has a healthy respect for Alec, absolutely he does; and as a mere god, Simon knows he couldn't hope to survive if Alec turned only a small part of that power onto him.

But, that gleeful Terror, who would shred reality for its own pleasure is very much what Kuvahli can be, if It has a mind to. So the forces inside Simon cannot help but respond to Alec. For one moment, his eyes blacken into twin voids that reflect no light whatsoever. His voice drops as low and gravelled as Vahl's ever did, when in full Nightmare mode...

“I had no idea that was one of the perks.”

He has it under control almost at once, and his eyes return to their usual cool blue. Simon is what he is, and will not act upon it while there are innocents around. Or indeed if he's in Passages Inn, because it probably falls under the rule of stupidity. Turning Voidfire in the territory of the personification of Chaos is, after all, imbecilic.

Happy mediums in regards to mediums is fine with Alec.

Alec has heard of fashion sense. Decided not to bother with it. Much like tact. Admittedly his clothing now, just a white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled, a black vest and jeans isn't too horrid, but there are days. "I have plenty of gifts from Phoenix. Consider this a... no hard feelings gift?" He seems sincere.

Eldritch Horrors are not gods. Which is one of the reasons why he doesn't like being called one.

"Yeah. Summoning. Happens to me on occasion. People wanting knowledge from beyond and picking the Everstorm of Chaos to call to them. And if you get it wrong... well, it's not my fault you've decided that it was a good idea to summon something from somewhere beyond mortal comprehension." The ... we'll go with problem... of summoning Alec as the Everstorm of Chaos is that they don't want Alec as he is now. Mortalish. They want the Eldritch Horror. Shape informs thought and there is no human thought when he's the Everstorm of Chaos.

There's a thoughtful head tilt when the power comes up in Simon and he gives it a curious poke. He's heard of Kuvahli, of course, but this is first time he's ever been near the power itself. Sure, it's coming from a vessel, but it's still a taste. A hint of what could be.

Like is drawn to like.

The voice graveling does get a grin from Alec. It's one of those things he likes about Vahl. There's just something about it.

"It can be, yes. But the summoning has to go wrong. And you can't make it go wrong." Far too cheerfully, he then adds, "Though you can put in some specific requirements that can be easily overlooked. You'd be surprised how many people forget to cut the eye at the right point."

When Alec gets like that, innocents tend to get forgotten as a concept. He would destroy anything and everything in that form. Including the Inn.

Including people he cared about. Which, in his current state, he worries about happening.

Again, form informs thought.

There can't possibly be human thought, or human psychology in a being as vast as The Architect, Alec, or the Prime Powers of the multiverse. Even before the existence of angels was proven to him, Simon had always believed - not in a grand creator as such - but if there was such a being, it would transcend any human concept such as gender, morality, thought, emotion, or form.

Now with what he knows, it falls under Simon's own personal rule of Incredibly Stupid to not only try and contain such a thing, but to then expect it to behave as a rational mortal life form might.

And UnGod knows, even rational human beings dislike being dragged away from their homes without warning, and are going to lash out.

It can only ever end badly. He found that to his cost whilst still mortal. Kuvahli had given him the instructions and accoutrements with which to summon and bind an angel... only to Screw Simon over and open a hell portal. It had brought him his angel, but not in the way Simon had expected. It had given him a chance to see Phoenix in battle, and had given Gruber a whole new perspective on the angel. Not a soft pretty toy to be kept in a cage, as Simon at first thought he was. No, Phoenix was a glorious warrior. A battle-hardened comrade to fight at his side.

It's what made Simon fall in love with him.

With the hell portal in mind, however, whilst learning how to wield magic, he's never attempted to summon even the most innocuous-sounding demon. He may be as a god, but the smallest slip can indeed turn nasty, or summon the wrong entity entirely. Besides, what he's after doesn't require the mastering demons or other gods.

“Hm.” He ponders this for a moment. Even as an everyday mercenary, one had to be very aware of the fine print. It stood him in good stead whilst navigating the pitfalls of magic. A summoning ... “I wasn't aware the summonee was able to lay down specifications. But that has a definite appeal.”

Oh yes. His will be tortuous and detailed. Trickery and riddles are his thing, after all. It amuses Gruber to think he can lay down such finely detailed specs, that it will tie any potential meddler in knots.

Instinct tells him that it's best they steer away from this channel of darkness, however fascinating he finds it. It's that very fascination that can get one into trouble. Simon understands all too well that - yes, form informs thought - and that zoning into the abyss with a being like Alec can end up taking him to places he cares not to step.

“There's another chapter,” he says, more lightly. "And some pleasant news, if Keldra's good fortune interests you?"

Edited (Punctuation = good) 2020-12-12 23:09 (UTC)

You would think that, and yet people try to summon Cthulhu and friends all the time without realizing that. Which included Alec. They tried to touch beings like the Architect and things like that. And then they paid the price of it. As Simon has discovered. Though in a way, he's one of the lucky ones. He still's still alive and has his sanity mostly intact. Well, some people would say he's lucky.

It's a relatively recent occurrence that Alec's really embraced the whole eldritch horror aspect of his life. Alec has been summoned at some of the most irritating or awkward times. He's lost quite a few sandwiches to those. Food never traverses well during those. The shower is another time. The multiverse has been kind to him and not yanked him out in the middle of sex. Because that would have Consequences. There's salting the earth and then there's dropping a meteor on the earth.

Having been kept in a cage,in various forms, including summoning circles, enough times in his life Alec would only use that as punishment. Not for a toy. The marshmallow fluff jars don't count.

Phoenix the angelic warrior is really something to behold. Really. It's hard not to fall in love seeing it.

"How else are people supposed to know how to summon you? Just be careful, once you get it down, you can't change it," Alec said. Reality has its Rules otherwise eldritch entities would be destroying it willy nilly. So, if he's going to do it, he has to get it right the first time.

It's a pretty good idea to steer Alec away from this topic, otherwise he might start taking the wrong sort of Interest in Gruber.

There's a physical sort of shifting in his body language and air about him. Like he's getting snapped out of his thoughts after zoning out. There's even that befuddled 'where am I, what am I doing?' look on his face just briefly. "What? Oh. Yes. Of course it does."

Really good idea to steer him away from that train of thought.

These summoning rules do beg the question - If there is no specified summoning ritual at all, does that mean nobody can summon the being in question? It does seem imprudent to provide specifications if the alternative is freedom from such impositions. It's nothing he can't look into of his own accord though, and for the time being, steering them both away from potential trouble trumps idle curiosity.

The shift in Alec is noted with interest; and the feral surge in Simon’s core ebbs away quite smoothly, as he takes another sip.

“As you know,” he begins, “Ylaia was Empress at the time of your younger self's pack with Phoenix and Vahlmir. After a few centuries though, she was weary of the responsibility, and as a Beta personality, started to feel that Keldra was beginning to require a firmer hand at the tiller.”

“Of zhe chieftains, Drake was well suited but had his hands full with the hell realms. Mae lacked interest, but Vahlmir was fast becoming the most powerful, so Ylaia asked him, on a couple of different occasions. Vahl wasn't what you'd call enamoured with the idea. He refused, not wishing to lose certain freedoms.”

Vahl has always made it known that he values and needs his freedom. But then he wasn’t so unfeeling as to force such a loss of freedom on any of his Danaë-born siblings. Especially Ylaia, of whom The Nightmare is inordinately fond.

“Eventually, once I had been chieftain for a couple of centuries, she asked... no, begged, actually. Again. This time Vahl thought it over, and with the condition that I was to rule at his side, not as consort, but equal, he accepted. Nobody was more surprised than I, when he came to me and suggested it.”

Simon's eyes glint with humour as he adds, “No. I'm not arrogant enough to label this as Keldra's good fortune, I'm coming to that in a minute... Suffice it to say, Keldra now has two Tzars. The Tzarkaehl and the Tzarkahn, to distinguish us from each other. Myself being the latter.”

The multiverse always provides a way to summon eventually. Alec would liken it to a form of worship. Gods have their rituals that they require to be preformed to make them happy to grant a petitioner's request. (Don't eat for three days, wash yourself in elderberry juice, sacrifice thirteen virgins...) Eldritch horrors have their rituals that need to be performed to cause them to show up. Might as well get a leg up on the game and get some form of amusement out of it.

It's not a headspace Alec lets him drift into often and it's hard to drag himself out of sometimes. Especially when there's no reason to. It's a very seductive place. A rapid change of subject is a good enough way to do it when Phoenix woobles aren't around.

The coin is back as a fidget spinner as he listens to the continuing good fortunes of Phoenix's people. It seems like a ... good...? compromise for them. He's not sure yet. But, it's not his place to say. It's not his world. At least Vahl will be able to rule and have his freedom. So there is that.

"There's going to be a sixteen dollar fee for me to not call you 'Tzarina'," he said before adding a do go on gesture. He's joking about that. It was one of those things that popped into his head and he decided not to filter out.

That smartarse crack makes Simon laugh. He'll give Alec a hundred dollars if he wants them, but... ”My counter offer? You don't call me Tzarina, and I'll arrange an 'error' in the official paperwork, resulting in Phoenix getting labelled 'princess'.”

It might mean Phoenix smashing a chair across Simon's face, at some point. But it'll be worth it.

“The great good fortune arrived after that. Vahlmir and Chimaera found a twin timeline, the continuation of a severance of their original timeline... You're aware of the paradox Vahl created, when he took his own life, having his soul transplanted into his future self?”

UnGod. Why can't such simple reminders be a little less involved? Simon frowns slightly, and continues.

“The original timeline continued without Vahl, he was dead in that strand. So, when the Hell War came, and half of Keldra's gods were killed in this strand... the half that were killed here were the ones who survived the other strand. Both of our strands stem from that initial splitting when Vahl killed himself.”

It's damned complicated. An absolute nightmare, but then Vahl was always good at those....

“In the other strand, the surviving gods are as close to the ones we lost as makes no odds...” Simon sighs and pinches the bridge of his nose. “Long story short. The kayori wound up with all their number restored, bar Solus, Versha, and Tai. Even Drake's shredded soulbond with Corvo repaired itself.”

Hmm... an interesting proposition. He taps his fingers on his knee thinking this offer over. "Tempting. Tempting." It is kind of tempting, but he also might get an earful about it the next time he visits. It's not something Phoenix will forget about.

Ah the joys of temporal paradoxes. It's not like Alec knows nothing about those sorts of things. Or have created those sorts of things in the past.

So he understands the frustration on Simon's end.

At the mention of the merging of timelines, he holds up a finger and looks like he's intently studying something. Not like the spaced out balancing on the edge of Eldritchy-ness he had a moment ago. This is more like reading a wikipedia article.

He's checking to make sure that everything merged properly. Because you know, you can't leave that sort of things to amateurs. If there's one thing Alec is good at is melding, rewriting and erasing realities. Not to say that Vahl and the others wouldn't have done a good job but... he still needs to make sure. Professional pride. And not wanting people to get hurt, have it unravel at an unfortunate point in the future.

Phoenix won't forget it, but at least the angel won't get physically violent with Alec. It's just not something he can do with Alec. He certainly will with Simon. The angel has a thing for fight sex.

Hells, Simon might do it anyway. Without dreaming of blaming Alec. One doesn't start a pranking contest with the personification of Chaos, and ...whatever it is Simon glimpsed, only minutes ago.

He watches Alec's reaction, wondering if he might start drawing lines again.

It took the five chieftains to put things back as they should be. They managed to access the other timeline more easily because Vahlmir's power has grown. He could reach the Dreamtime that was part of Danaë, her own region of the Dream Realm. Through that area and through her, they opened a portal. Once the Returned Ones were safely home, they'd sealed it, and the two timelines diverged again. Permanently

Which was good, because they left there an insane version of Versha and of Tai; who were at war with each other. A war which could only result in the destruction of their planet.

The Kayori had enlisted Danaë's help to close the portal and seal the breach. Danaë, in turn, would welcome Alec's checking over her work. Alec has after all, tidied up the strands before, isolating the threat of Solus Kaelen from this timeline. Danaë had gone in after him, removing her eldest wherever she found him, until she reached the strands where he's a loving father, and a wise leader of the kayori.

Simon waits a bit and then wonders aloud, “You disapprove?”

A pranking contest wouldn't be so bad with Alec. He enjoys a good one. Especially with Phoenix. And never goes for Malicious. Unless pushed. Which Phoenix would never do. They know their boundaries.

If Simon does decided to start it with Phoenix then good on him. As long as he's willing for the payback.

Merging timelines is always difficult, especially when you're trying to exclude certain people. It helps if the worlds are close together in history. But since they were merging worlds where they were trying to bring in the people who didn't exist in their world, it would be harder.

They know their world, so that also helps. And they knew who they really didn't want to come over.

Still, having an outsider double check your work never helps. They can see something you might not being so close to the piece.

No lines are drawn, but he does reach out rather closely to Simon - since he's the closest thing there from that world/those worlds... and starts making a gesture like he's plucking a string instrument and weaving some things together. There's nothing physically drawn. That's for show and tell. This is working through the actual fabric of reality. Which, by its very nature, can't be seen within reality. Especially not in the Inn.

Simon might hear some notes, a plucking of a harp maybe or a violin trying to create a harmony, with far in the background a deep, but quiet, cacophony of what sounds like an orchestra if every person was playing their own piece of music and they were six bottles past what was unacceptable drunkenness. The sort of drunkenness that makes you wonder how they can even play.

The music of the multiverse.

Which is what Alec hears nearly all the time. It's a wonder he's still functional. It's not a wonder why he's insane.

When he pulls his hands away, the noise fades and he answers the question. "No. I was just doing some fine tuning. Tuck away a few loose ends," he said. "And sorry about the hands in the face. It's easier to do it when there's something from the world there so you don't have to go searching."

Oh no, Phoenix never goes for malicious. Even when he pushes Simon through a window, it's something he knows his Alpha can take. Though Simon might find all his boots full of marshmallows for a while.

In watching, Simon can't help but still himself enough to hear. And he does hear. It sounds... alien, and jarring, though softened by layers of reality, he supposes. Being who he is, Simon is constantly trying to figure people out. He knows that's a losing battle with Alec, but it's still an interesting mental exercise.

Alec reaches for him, and Simon is ready to duck, but no... No, it seems to be all right. If a little eccentric.

In wondering about Alec, Simon also wonders if he can tune in and out of the sounds of the cosmic wheels grinding. Phoenix has told him that Alec being aware of all of his alts has driven him slightly potty. With Simon's dread of having his mind invaded, the information had made him shudder. It's his number one fear. And to hear the thoughts of all of his other selves would be a living and eternal hell.

Some of his alts must must be quite psychotic. The ones who have been turned into teapots must be utterly, rabidly, insane.

Mentally, he thanks his Cenn once more, for such impenetrable mental blocks.

“We did all we could not to leave a mess behind. I remember Phoenix telling the chieftains, if we left behind a pile of thrashing wet spaghetti, Alec would slap us all in the face with it.”

What Simon heard was a minor blip of what Alec hears all the time. All. The. Time. It'd be like having a continuous migraine. Even while asleep. And then there's the hearing his alts.

Sometimes being on the other side is a relief. There's no sound, because sound doesn't exist. Nothing does.

"Do you have any idea how hard it is to unknot a mess someone makes of reality!? It's like discovering someone has let a hundred skeins of yarn around a bunch of kittens and cats and in a room with lots of chair legs. And you can't Gordian Knot it to fix things." He twitched with the frustration of an expert discovering that the projected he'd been working on for three months got taken apart by a bunch of amateurs. Worse than that. They were amateurs who considered themselves experts and would take no criticism from the actual expert. "So, yes. I would have slapped you all. If you were lucky."

His frustration isn't directed a Simon or anyone in particular so much as the phantom amateur. This is something he has run into before. And he hates it.

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