Z. Altius (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
chimericalclaw) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
expiationlogs2025-04-01 01:45 pm
chimericalclaw) wrote in expiationlogs2025-04-01 01:45 pm
open 🌌 crime of the day: overworking
Who: Altius & you??
Where: clinic; residential district ruins; network; around the city generally
When: immediately after the March event into early April
What: In the wake of monsters, Altius attempts to deal with the consequences.
Warnings: suicidal ideation
⬬ when you lose your self esteem | recovery; mid-late March
[The shade isolates himself as the Black Beast is destroyed—though by that point the wisps of shadow that trail behind him and disappear reveal enough of the man that it would have been obvious, had anyone been there to see him, that the wish to be nothing was losing its hold on him. As the transformation finally fades, Zekarion collapses, burns from light scattered across his body with the most severe of them spreading across his back.
Eventually, someone finds him. After that, he spends nearly a day unconscious.]
A [When he wakes in the clinic it's with panic. A shuddering gasp marks his return to consciousness, and he pays no attention to his injuries as he grasps at his head desperately, as if to make sure it's still there. Amber eyes wide, his sharp gaze darts then to where his mostly-ruined belongings sit on the other side of the room—then, finally, to whoever might be there in the room with him.]
B [Altius politely but firmly declines staying in the clinic more than absolutely necessary, given the circumstances—meaning he isn't there more than a day after waking. Though his burns are unpleasant even after some magical healing, eventually he gets around to convincing whoever might want to keep him there that he's capable of taking care of himself, promising to update anyone concerned about the matter. Really, the thing he ends up more willingly waiting for is a change of clothes—though it's not from his own wardrobe that he ends up dressed. After that, he's taking stock of his salvageable inventory—onyx tie clip, small pouch, wallet and partly-singed notebook—as he prepares to get going.]
⬬ that's when love dies | ruins; mid-late to late March
A [His obvious immediate first stop is... what used to be his house. Or it would have been, had the destruction not been clear two blocks away from it, debris from the collapsed buildings scattered as if from some sort of explosion. His steps slow to a stop before he takes it all in, then—
He laughs. Three seconds of the helpless sound; three seconds of silence as all the energy of it leaves him. His shoulders only sink so far, as if he's holding himself in place, and he only allows himself a brief moment of stillness before he prepares to step through the rubble.]
B [Later, when he's less obviously a mess and more put together, he comes back to continue salvaging what he can. He does more than look through his own home, though; if he happens to spot anyone else also sorting through the destruction, wherever it might be, he's more likely than not to step forward and lend a hand.
And sometimes, in other parts of the city where Altius isn't, a small number of black creatures made of crystal help with the work—though not possessed of any great magic and only rising to most people's waists, their giant jaws of sharp points are good for breaking through debris and making it easier to move.]
⬬ you look like you're bluffing | network, un: altius; end of March
I'm looking into building a new agricultural and general garden space within the city for the Chosen. I have little experience with cultivating plants, so I'm interested in speaking to anyone willing to contribute their expertise or effort. I'll compensate you appropriately.
[It's short and to the point. He doesn't think he needs to explain why.]
⬬ tell me, is it death, you feel | erasure; early April
[Before now, it would have been invisible. But sometimes, as the days go on, he slips.
When will this be over? — I don't want to be here. — What good is any of this doing?
As he thinks this, shadow overtakes whatever he has his hand on—a door, a set of documents, a box, a slab of broken bricks—and before he can register it as much more than a change of color, it disappears entirely, disintegrated into nothing.
Altius freezes. His expression blanks, the only thing remaining there intensity. The tremor in his posture might speak to the internal battle for control that he's waging over himself.]
⬬ that will bring you peace of life? | wildcard
[Altius contacts those he works with in order to check up on them specifically, and those who answered his call for volunteers to compensate them as promised. As for those the shade encountered... he's slightly less direct, seeking them out physically in what he thinks to be their general haunts to test if they're even amenable to his approach. With his home destroyed and the city in some disarray, there's no real guarantee of stopping by somewhere and seeing him.
He may have seemed to have an impressive work ethic before, but at this stage it wouldn't be mistaken to consider his constant movement unhealthy. Even to those who didn't speak to him as a shadow, it's clear that something is off about him, a stiffness in his demeanor, especially after his discovery of his new ability—when he stops openly gesturing and offering the physical reassurance he usually does, and pointedly keeps hands to himself.
ooc: Anything else? Hit me up at![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
lumieresdedragon or PWM!]
Where: clinic; residential district ruins; network; around the city generally
When: immediately after the March event into early April
What: In the wake of monsters, Altius attempts to deal with the consequences.
Warnings: suicidal ideation
⬬ when you lose your self esteem | recovery; mid-late March
[The shade isolates himself as the Black Beast is destroyed—though by that point the wisps of shadow that trail behind him and disappear reveal enough of the man that it would have been obvious, had anyone been there to see him, that the wish to be nothing was losing its hold on him. As the transformation finally fades, Zekarion collapses, burns from light scattered across his body with the most severe of them spreading across his back.
Eventually, someone finds him. After that, he spends nearly a day unconscious.]
A [When he wakes in the clinic it's with panic. A shuddering gasp marks his return to consciousness, and he pays no attention to his injuries as he grasps at his head desperately, as if to make sure it's still there. Amber eyes wide, his sharp gaze darts then to where his mostly-ruined belongings sit on the other side of the room—then, finally, to whoever might be there in the room with him.]
B [Altius politely but firmly declines staying in the clinic more than absolutely necessary, given the circumstances—meaning he isn't there more than a day after waking. Though his burns are unpleasant even after some magical healing, eventually he gets around to convincing whoever might want to keep him there that he's capable of taking care of himself, promising to update anyone concerned about the matter. Really, the thing he ends up more willingly waiting for is a change of clothes—though it's not from his own wardrobe that he ends up dressed. After that, he's taking stock of his salvageable inventory—onyx tie clip, small pouch, wallet and partly-singed notebook—as he prepares to get going.]
⬬ that's when love dies | ruins; mid-late to late March
A [His obvious immediate first stop is... what used to be his house. Or it would have been, had the destruction not been clear two blocks away from it, debris from the collapsed buildings scattered as if from some sort of explosion. His steps slow to a stop before he takes it all in, then—
He laughs. Three seconds of the helpless sound; three seconds of silence as all the energy of it leaves him. His shoulders only sink so far, as if he's holding himself in place, and he only allows himself a brief moment of stillness before he prepares to step through the rubble.]
B [Later, when he's less obviously a mess and more put together, he comes back to continue salvaging what he can. He does more than look through his own home, though; if he happens to spot anyone else also sorting through the destruction, wherever it might be, he's more likely than not to step forward and lend a hand.
And sometimes, in other parts of the city where Altius isn't, a small number of black creatures made of crystal help with the work—though not possessed of any great magic and only rising to most people's waists, their giant jaws of sharp points are good for breaking through debris and making it easier to move.]
⬬ you look like you're bluffing | network, un: altius; end of March
I'm looking into building a new agricultural and general garden space within the city for the Chosen. I have little experience with cultivating plants, so I'm interested in speaking to anyone willing to contribute their expertise or effort. I'll compensate you appropriately.
[It's short and to the point. He doesn't think he needs to explain why.]
⬬ tell me, is it death, you feel | erasure; early April
[Before now, it would have been invisible. But sometimes, as the days go on, he slips.
When will this be over? — I don't want to be here. — What good is any of this doing?
As he thinks this, shadow overtakes whatever he has his hand on—a door, a set of documents, a box, a slab of broken bricks—and before he can register it as much more than a change of color, it disappears entirely, disintegrated into nothing.
Altius freezes. His expression blanks, the only thing remaining there intensity. The tremor in his posture might speak to the internal battle for control that he's waging over himself.]
⬬ that will bring you peace of life? | wildcard
[Altius contacts those he works with in order to check up on them specifically, and those who answered his call for volunteers to compensate them as promised. As for those the shade encountered... he's slightly less direct, seeking them out physically in what he thinks to be their general haunts to test if they're even amenable to his approach. With his home destroyed and the city in some disarray, there's no real guarantee of stopping by somewhere and seeing him.
He may have seemed to have an impressive work ethic before, but at this stage it wouldn't be mistaken to consider his constant movement unhealthy. Even to those who didn't speak to him as a shadow, it's clear that something is off about him, a stiffness in his demeanor, especially after his discovery of his new ability—when he stops openly gesturing and offering the physical reassurance he usually does, and pointedly keeps hands to himself.
ooc: Anything else? Hit me up at
no subject
It's my understanding we would have "made it through" in one way or another regardless of what else happened...
[Not that he's eager to die and test that, but—calling himself alright at this point would be... a stretch.]
no subject
I- I guess we would have. But it might not have been in one piece! It could have been worse. I thought that, it felt like when we talked, I was making some kind of progress. [That was his only comforting thought after Altius got away.]
no subject
But it was thanks to many of those optimistic types that he was able to come back to himself. He looks down at his hands briefly, then wipes the sawdust off of them with a tight look to his face. Still, his words are sincere.]
... you were, and you did. Thank you for that. [He doesn't want to address or even think about the possibility of things going even more poorly, even if he might think of that as weakness given that he's always trying to predict every potential outcome. Being grateful that it's not worse also goes against everything he is, unfortunately.]
no subject
Hey, I'm just happy that I could help in some way. I mean it when I say I'm here for you, man!
[But he figures maybe he shouldn't keep dwelling on last month. It does seem like a bummer topic, and he's said what he needed to say. Plus Altius seems to have completely recovered!]
So what are you up to now? I'll lend you a hand!
no subject
I was—trying to help with rebuilding this store. [Trying being the key word, apparently, now that the materials he'd just carried over have vanished.] ... But perhaps I need a moment.
[Would he do more harm than good in his current state? He won't let it stop him forever—or even more than a few hours—but it's still... disheartening.]
no subject
He looks with him at the burnt wall, his face twisting slightly with displeasure. He can practically still smell the burning. Then he looks back at Altius with a little smile.]
Sounds like a good idea. A moment can do a lot of good! And when you're ready to get back to it, having an awesome teleporter helping out will be a good way to make up for lost time! [He offers. Maybe that'll make it easier for him to really relax for a moment.] We can just chill for a bit.
no subject
But... actually, the offer gives him an idea. It might be good to get away from this for a little while. He looks up to the top of the building then across to the city's skyline.]
... Is there somewhere you go to relax? Without anyone else.
no subject
[He chimes confidently, while following his gaze to the city's rooftops.]
How are you with heights?
no subject
[After a moment of hesitation, Altius holds out his hand. It... should be fine. It will only be a second.]
no subject
[Kurt grins as he reaches back for his hand.]
Well, you know what they say. The sky's the limit!
[With that, he takes Altius through a few teleporting jumps until they're on the top of some tall stone building that seems to be about ten stories high. He waves a hand around casually.]
How's this?
no subject
When he finally feels the wind on his face, he lets go and lets out a slow breath.]
Better.
[He only looks around briefly before stepping towards the edge with what might be an odd amount of confidence and sitting, legs hanging off the side.]
... much better.
no subject
Glad to hear it. You seem quite at home up here!
[He wonders if this is a chance to learn more about Altius.]
no subject
I should, [he says, and though his tone is far from his usual lightness, there's still a bit of rough humor to it.] Since I live in a penthouse.
[A moment of silence passes as he stares out into the simulated distance. He doesn't let the awareness of it being fake fully sully the experience, though, and after that moment he turns to look at Kurt out of the corner of his eye.]
Even when I was your age... [He lets a breath out of his nose, gaze sliding forward.] I'd get in trouble for climbing onto the roof. If they could find me.
no subject
Kurt chuckles as he listens to more of that rare Altius lore.]
Wow, really? I never would have guessed you were such a troublemaker! But I guess you do seem fearless. And you don't need powers like mine to appreciate being up in high places!
no subject
Kurt's reply does bring something to mind, though. Zekarion certainly didn't have magic when he started trying to escape from attention, but it did make it easier to get higher and higher up. And by then, he had bigger problems.]
... have you always been able to teleport?
no subject
[He chuckles warmly.]
But I know I gave my parents so many handfuls of trouble when it started!
no subject
[So Kurt probably doesn't remember much of the time when he didn't. He takes in a breath and opens his mouth as if to speak—but rethinks the question he was going to ask and leans forward to rest his chin against his folded hands, a furrow in his brow.
He has to regain focus. Losing control or watching and doing nothing are not options. Pointless wishful hypotheticals won't help, either.
For all he's used to directing conversations this way or that, he can't find the urge to do so for the moment, his mind preoccupied with a methodical listing of tasks to complete.]
no subject
Yeah. [He says to fill the air. And he pauses for a moment.]
Anyway, rooftops! Nice place to really collect yourself, yeah?
no subject
... alright. Back to it.]
The Empire State Building. ... have you been there? [It's relevant, really.]
no subject
Oh yeah! We X-Men are right there in New York, so I've visited it before. But only on the inside! I've never checked out the roof. I don't think I've ever teleported to the top of a building likat that before, come to think of it...,
no subject
[It's an irrelevant remark, really. Kurt, if and when he returns, won't even remember this conversation, and neither will Altius. ... he stops himself from going any further down that line of thought.]
I always thought the view from there must be something.
no subject
Trust me, I'd like to someday! It's gotta be a thrill looking down from that high. [He grins.]
If I do get a chance, I hope I can take you with me! That way you can see for yourself too.
no subject
Setting your ambitions high, hm... [a brief breath.] Try not to be too disappointed if I can't come with you. I'll find a few views of my own.
no subject
Sky high. [He nods along.]
I know, we'll see how things go. However things up, as long as you get to see a view like that, that'd be rad!
no subject
Me, however—]I imagine our first steps should be making sure the buildings we're surrounded by currently don't collapse...
[Focus on the present. Thinking too far into the future is what got him into this mess, he thinks.]
... Just another minute, I think.
(no subject)