forum The Gods are All That Remain / Soft Apocalypse / Either one on one or vvy small group rp / Closed!!

Started April 30, 2021 by @ElderGodSwimwithGamers group

tune

Victoria resisted the urge to reach up and slap the god’s hand away from Joel. Charlie glanced up from looking down at the grass. “We’re- we’re leaving.” She rose, tapping Victoria’s shoulder for her to follow. Victoria then stood as well and followed Charlie inside.
“I’ll pack up the essentials,” Charlie said. “You can get anything else we might want to take with us.”
Victoria nodded. “Oh, here,” she said. She bent down and grabbed one of the larger pieces of fabric folded on the shelves. “Use this so it’ll be easier to carry.”
She nodded, taking it. “Thanks.” And she went and gathered food from the kitchen. Victoria took to rolling up the buck and bearskins, then went back and decided to take her dad’s old camera, one children’s book she wanted to read to Joel when he was older, and one her favorite novels. As she did so, Charlie moved to pack up clothes and canteens of water. Eventually they felt like they had everything they might need. Everything was wrapped up in the stretch of fabric, which Charlie tied up and carried. Victoria took the rolled up skins. As they walked back out, she could hear Joel starting to wake up, moaning and whimpering behind her.
“We’ve packed, my lords,” Charlie said, her eyes hard.

The three gods were waiting for the women when they walked out. The one who had done the most talking looked bored and irritated, the other two chatting to themselves. They all looked over when the women came out.
"Good." The one most likely in charge took a step forward, looking into the home for a moment. The third, who'd revealed her more human form, walked over to the two women with an apologetic smile.
"Here, it's safer for you to be away from the home," she said softly, glancing at the one looking over it. She led them further from the entrance, letting out a small breath.
"Take care of the garden," the one in charge told the other man. He nodded, shifting back to go to it. He started to dig it up, destroying the plants inside it. The one by the home held out a hand, a ball of fire forming there. He wound up like he was throwing a baseball, hurling it into the place. It burst into flames, everything burnable inside going up in an instant.

Watching the flames rise up from the cave entrance, the realization finally set in. They had been uprooted, their home destroyed, forced to wander like exiles. Everything Victoria had worked so hard to build, gone. She had only wanted to be a resting place for others, her home a place where travelers and wanderers could stop and rest before moving on again. And now they had become the travelers themselves. She never wanted her home to expand or grow in number, that is just what ended up happening. Was it so wrong to want a family, to have people who care about you stay by your side?
The scene before them began to blur. Victoria began to sway, a numbness creeping into her limbs. Was this really happening, or is it merely a dream? Then she felt Charlie grab her hand, heard Joel start to cry. She tried to focus on those things. She was here. This was happening. She leaned into Charlie, who wiped away tears she hadn’t even realized were there. At least the evidence of what had happened here, the memory and trauma she could not name, would be destroyed along with the home. Perhaps the nights where she felt so deathly afraid in her own bed would be over.

The goddess watched the two for a moment, sympathy in her eyes. She'd never enjoyed doing this, but it was required of her. She looked down for a moment, reaching into her pocket. She pulled her hand out with a small bag, offering it to the women.
"Here," she said softly. "These might help, eventually." Inside, the two women would be able to find various metal pieces, nails, and screws, and other small things. These things might seem simple to a god, to a human of this time? Such things were hard to come by and very valuable to those who sought them.
"It would be best you left now, before he remembers you," the goddess continued. The other god had finished in the garden, but the leader was still watching the flames from the cave with a grin.

Tragedy awoke slowly, blinking as their eyes adjusted to the light and rubbing their sore neck. Judging by the sun's position, it was around midday, which was fine. They were in no hurry. They swung their legs around so they were sitting sideways on the tree branch they had fallen asleep on, and after checking that their mouse, Geranium, was alright, started to climb down. Today was off to a good start, even if they already regretted falling asleep in a tree. They went about their usual business, talking to themelf, finding a stream to refill their water supply, playing "catch the berry" with their mouse. It was relaxing and comfortable, even if Geranium wasn't very good at throwing berries. The weather was warm and the trees were gently whispering; it was days like these that made wandering truly worth it.

(My starters are always so rambly fvgbhjn I'm sorry)

(It's okay! It lays a good basis thank you)

It wasn't hard to see the beauty the world could have, when left on its own. It was vast and open, leaving the possibilities of what could happen to a lone traveler just as endless as the world they found themself in.
This traveler, in particular, couldn't help but ponder this as he walked through the tall grass. His fate wasn't near as open, but he would take the time he could for himself. It was midday, and he'd been going since dawn. He just had loose, ill-fitting pants and a cloth wrapped around his neck, dropping down to cover his chest. It was wrapped high, as well, to hide the mark on his neck.
His fate was decided, after all.
Stopping, he pulled his lunch out, sitting by a gathering of trees. Running his fingers through his long, ponytailed hair, he let out a breath. He knew this was pointless, but he wanted to try. He didn't want to be kept with the others anymore.

(And you can build off this however you want, I just figured this dude would end up somewhere near Tragedy without forcing any interactions aha)

Charlie glanced up from Victoria and took the bag, taking a peek inside. She gasped softly. “T-thank you, my lady. I-I don’t know… how we can repay you.”
She glanced at the burning cave, then rubbed Victoria’s shoulder. “C’mon. I’ll show you how to live like I used to.”
Victoria blinked. Joel cried. “He’s hungry,” she said, dazed.
“We’ll stop to feed him, I promise,” Charlie said as she pulled away, leading the other woman on. “But let’s get away from here.”
As the sight of the burning cave and the gods began to disappear behind the trees, Victoria managed to look back only once before it was completely gone, along with any hope of returning to the life they once knew.

"Just keep safe," the goddess said softly. She watched the two go, folding her arms in front of her. They'd go through a lot together, wouldn't they? Hopefully, they would be able to avoid Astral long enough for the child to come into his powers… but things rarely worked so smoothly when it came to gods. The women were lucky he didn't know about the child even now.
The god watching the cave eventually turned away, frowning when he didn't see Victoria and Charlie.
"Did you tell them?"
"What?"
"About the child?" The woman didn't say anything for a moment.
"No. We all know they'll be safer that way."
"We're going to have to tell Derlik about him, you know."
"We're not going to tell him anything."
"Mara, you know he'll get mad if we don't and he finds out."
"Well, then, we'll just have to make sure he doesn't find out."

The forest around the two women was quiet, peaceful. It blocked the view of the smoke rising from the cave, that anything was wrong at all. Forests weren't safe places, though, once minor gods came. Others always followed, and not all were so hesitant to harm mortals if they wished to. The safest place to be at the moment would be a clearing, or to get out of the forest entirely.

Charlie was in the lead, refusing to stop. She knew that they weren’t safe, not yet, not until they came to one spot she hoped would be a good place to stop, even for just a moment. At least until they were all fed. They couldn’t keep going on empty stomachs.
Victoria followed after her, trying to quiet Joel. His crying made her nervous, it might attract unwanted attention. “Shhh, shhh,” she murmured. “Momma’s here, we’re okay. We’re okay.” After a while it was hard to be sure if she was trying to convince the child or herself.
After a while they came to a small clearing, a river winding though the middle. Charlie slowed. Ahead of them the landscape rose up in hills and valleys, the forest seeming to continue on across the river.
“Here.” Charlie set the cloth bag with all of their things on the ground. “We can’t stay long.”
Victoria nodded, setting down the animal skins. Joel continued crying. “Shhh, Joel. I’m going to feed you now, it’s alright.”
She sat down some feet away from the edge of the river. Unbuttoning her dress and taking Joel out of the carrier, she began breastfeeding him as Charlie went through their things and took out some of the food that was packed.

The forest was quiet, a good sign for now. There were the sounds of animals as a backdrop, no sound of any minor god coming near them. The water in the river was deep blue- the water was deep, obscuring whatever might lay at the bottom. That could be a concern, though. They'd need to find somewhere shallower if they were planning to cross, if there was nothing waiting for them now. Watching.
It didn't take long for her to reveal herself, though. Even if the water had not been so deep, she would have blended in well- her hair was the same deep blue, flowing like water itself and almost seeming to merge with the river. She looked young, barely six. She was a good sign, though- she was known to help travelers cross rivers.
She folded her arms on the riverbank, resting her head there and just watching the women from her spot.

As she nursed Joel, Victoria tried to keep her ears open. She could hear birdsong and the rustling of feathers and leaves up above, the soft footsteps of a deer about a mile away, the squeaking of mice hidden in the grass, some yards to their left. Nothing else. No sound of humans, or human-like creatures at least.
After Charlie got out the canteens of water, she went to inspect the river. Her gaze caught on something, and she chuckled. “I knew it. It’s you!”
“Who?” Victoria glanced up.
“Her,” Charlie pointed in the creature’s direction. “I remember when I first came across your- your place, she helped me on the way. She’s friendly.”
She tilted her head, catching sight of her. “Oh. She’s a sweet looking thing, hmm?”
But she was too dazed to keep focusing on the creature. She looked down at Joel, stroking his small foot as she absentmindedly reached for one of the apples Charlie had packed and bit into it. Charlie turned away as well and started chewing on another apple.

(It's okay! It lays a good basis thank you)

It wasn't hard to see the beauty the world could have, when left on its own. It was vast and open, leaving the possibilities of what could happen to a lone traveler just as endless as the world they found themself in.
This traveler, in particular, couldn't help but ponder this as he walked through the tall grass. His fate wasn't near as open, but he would take the time he could for himself. It was midday, and he'd been going since dawn. He just had loose, ill-fitting pants and a cloth wrapped around his neck, dropping down to cover his chest. It was wrapped high, as well, to hide the mark on his neck.
His fate was decided, after all.
Stopping, he pulled his lunch out, sitting by a gathering of trees. Running his fingers through his long, ponytailed hair, he let out a breath. He knew this was pointless, but he wanted to try. He didn't want to be kept with the others anymore.

(And you can build off this however you want, I just figured this dude would end up somewhere near Tragedy without forcing any interactions aha)

(Hhh I got possessed by my adhd and had to clean my room for 6 hours so anyways I'm gonna go ahead and start an interaction-)

Tragedy's face was covered in bits of berries that had landed on their face when they'd tried to catch them. They were good at neither throwing nor catching, and in retrospect, possibly should have chosen a different game to play while eating ther lunch, one that would involve their face being less of a complete mess. Geranium, always the optimist, had been eating bits of berry out of his fur forabout a while now, and didn't seem to mind the stains. His fur was always sort of a storage unit for him. Tragedy found a small creek to wash their face in, and Geranium nearly got washed down the stream again. "Geranium, my love, you are very small. Not that that's a bad thing, your height is perfect for you, and I love it as I love everything about you. However, once again, I am going to have to ask you to please refrain from rushing into waters that are as tall as you are," they reminded the mouse, scooping him out of the creek. "Honestly, where would you be without me?" They asked. Geranium, for obvious reasons, did not respond, but shook the water out of his fur and climbed onto Tragedy's shoulder.

The two wandered through the trees for a while longer (well, Tragedy wandered. Geranium, freeloader that he was, sat in their hand and took a nap). As they made their way into a claring, they smiled with surprise upon seeing another figure. "Wake up Geranium, we're making friends," they whispered to the mouse, who yawned in response, and Tragedy waved a hand at the stranger. "Hello, over there! It's been a while since I came across another humanoid!" They called as they stepped closer.

The girl's head came up some out of her arms when she was addressed, looking at Charlie for a moment before a look of recognition came across her face. She waved as the woman looked at her, smiling before setting her head back in her arms. She seemed interested in Victoria and Joel, curious as the woman fed the child. As the groups attention turned from her, the girl grew bored, ducking back into the water to find something to entertain herself with until they needed help.

The man in question looked up with a start when he heard a voice call to him, setting his food down in his lap.
"Most would consider that to be a good thing in this world," he said in turn, moving to stand after a moment and put his food away.
"It's always good to be cautious." The man let his gaze flicker to the mark on Tragedy's wrist, relaxing some. "But then again, with a goddess like Serna on your side, things can't be terribly dangerous." The man adjusted his own covering some, making sure his mark wasn't visible.

"Not very chatty, though." Charlie chuckled as she glanced back to see the girl dip her head below the surface. Victoria merely nodded, still reeling from the events of earlier that morning. Seeing this, Charlie reached over and put an arm around her friend.
"Hey, the important thing is that no one got hurt," she said in an attempt to console her. "We're still here, we're still together, and that's what matters, right?"
Victoria nodded again, though tears began to spill down her cheeks. She swallowed a bite of her apple.
"Hey, hey, hey," Charlie's heart nearly broke. She tried to wipe away Victoria's tears. "I know, I know. It hurts. It hurts so much. Do you want to stay?"
Victoria shook her head. "No, you know- you know that would be a bad idea." her voice quivered. "I just don't understand. W-what did we do wrong? It's just doesn't seem fair."
She sighed. "You said it yourself. We stayed together in one place for too long."
"But did they have to burn it?"
"I don't know. Who knows why the gods do things."
"That's not making me feel better."
Charlie frowned. "What do you want me to say?"
"You don't have to say anything."
"Victoria…"
They looked at each other, and Charlie sighed again. "Just eat, please. We've got a long journey."
She ate. A long journey, as if they had a destination. Bitter tears continued to flow, but she didn't know how to stop them.
Soon they had their fill, and Joel stopped sucking on Victoria's breast. Charlie refilled the canteens in the river and repacked, tying the cloth bag and the animal skins to a long branch and hauling it over her shoulder. She searched for the girl as Victoria put Joel back in the carrier and buttoned up her dress.

The girl didn't take long to reappear when Charlie came to look for her, pulling herself up out of the water now. She was as short as a child as she appeared to be, her dress as flowing as her hair. She offered a smile to Charlie, turning to do the same to Victoria. She paused, though, before taking a couple of steps over to gently wipe the tears away.
"Crying?" She asked softly, confused. Why was she sad?

Charlie returned the smile. Victoria tried to, though it was a tearful one. She now had Joel laying on her chest wrapped in the carrier, letting him grip her pinkie finger. He was awake, cooing at his mother’s finger curiously.
Victoria sniffed in surprise as the girl came and wiped her tears. She could only nod in response. Charlie took her hand in reassurance.
“We, ah, lost our home,” she said, addressing the girl. “She’s not used to traveling. Could you help us across?”