You absolute idiot. You really thought you could get away with that? She didn't even know. Why the hell would you do that without telling her? He's not going to care that she wasn't aware. I could have told you that.
It's not even answering, it's just taking advice from the person who actually knows your enemy. That man has controlled my life for the past three years. Believe it or not I do know some things about him that could help! At least what won't work.
"Controlled my life" Of course I've done things he's wanted. But we've actually made an effort to undermine him and know what doesn't work. Like trying to hide a single person from him or an act without creating some sort of distraction. He can't focus on everything, but you've been interacting with Agnes. He's got his eye on her. He's likely had his eye on you, as well. He knew what was happening because you probably thought he wouldn't notice. You have to distract him if you want to do anything like that and then it needs to be done by someone he's not going to bother paying attention to. That's the only way Martin was able to trick him.
[That's an incredibly low blow, but it does take some of the furious wind out of Jon's sails.]
For at least one moment, two people he tortured got to do something that thoroughly undermined him. He spent the time he was probably planning to spend on holiday somewhere in prison. You take your victories where you can with a man like him.
There isn't one with a man like him. Small victories become meaningless when he returns after them, acts doubly against you. Completely defeating him is the only victory.
The Extinction. It's something we could potentially use. It was an emerging Entity when I ended the world. It's something like the Desolation, but distinct. Not just destruction, but a complete wipe and replacement by something new.
If it could emerge, it might be enough to destabilize the connection the Fears have in my world, pull them back. It could also just end up destroying all sentient life as we know it in my world. Presumably to make way for something else.
But at least Elias would lose.
[There are no good options, really. Nothing that's certain. Nothing that isn't going to bite them in some way.]
There is also something else, a place. It's where Agnes grew up. Ask her about Hilltop Road sometime. The fabric of reality is thin there, torn. It might be something we could use. Somehow.
A location in your world isn't here. But I know the concept. There are certain times in the year where the veil between worlds is thinner. Why would the Extinction help you?
It wouldn't actively help me, personally, but it could be a tool. It would be the equivalent of setting off nuclear bombs all over the planet, though. It could work, but at what cost?
There are, at the moment, 14 Dread Powers in my world, manifestations of our deepest fears. They're all tightly connected. Maybe they're separate, technically, or maybe they're all aspects of some single eldritch creature. The ritual Elias developed to bring the apocalypse relied heavily on all of them being brought through to our world. It was the only way to keep the balance and stop them from snapping each other back. The Extinction, if it were to manifest, could upset that balance. It could potentially pull all of the Fears back to their own plane, probably through me. Or it could do what it was made to do, which is simply to wipe everything out, including everything the Powers could use for their food and maybe even the Powers, themselves. It might turn them into the food for whatever comes next. No one really knows because the Extinction has never manifested before. Hard to predict how something might go when you haven't got the data to even form a hypothesis.
Which is why it would be the option of absolute last resort. I don't think there's a way to bring him down here. But Hilltop Road at home. That's where we need to go. I don't know what's there, but I know it's important. The Web's avatar told us to stay away from it. That's usually a good indication that we ought to go there.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Several days later
You really thought you could get away with that?
She didn't even know.
Why the hell would you do that without telling her?
He's not going to care that she wasn't aware.
I could have told you that.
no subject
no subject
That man has controlled my life for the past three years.
Believe it or not I do know some things about him that could help!
At least what won't work.
no subject
( part of this she's just deflecting with now )
But do go on. Prove yourself.
no subject
Of course I've done things he's wanted.
But we've actually made an effort to undermine him and know what doesn't work.
Like trying to hide a single person from him or an act without creating some sort of distraction.
He can't focus on everything, but you've been interacting with Agnes.
He's got his eye on her.
He's likely had his eye on you, as well.
He knew what was happening because you probably thought he wouldn't notice.
You have to distract him if you want to do anything like that and then it needs to be done by someone he's not going to bother paying attention to.
That's the only way Martin was able to trick him.
no subject
( he clearly wasn't permanently stopped )
no subject
For at least one moment, two people he tortured got to do something that thoroughly undermined him.
He spent the time he was probably planning to spend on holiday somewhere in prison.
You take your victories where you can with a man like him.
no subject
( she knows from experience )
no subject
no subject
no subject
It's something we could potentially use.
It was an emerging Entity when I ended the world.
It's something like the Desolation, but distinct.
Not just destruction, but a complete wipe and replacement by something new.
If it could emerge, it might be enough to destabilize the connection the Fears have in my world, pull them back.
It could also just end up destroying all sentient life as we know it in my world.
Presumably to make way for something else.
But at least Elias would lose.
[There are no good options, really. Nothing that's certain. Nothing that isn't going to bite them in some way.]
There is also something else, a place.
It's where Agnes grew up.
Ask her about Hilltop Road sometime.
The fabric of reality is thin there, torn.
It might be something we could use.
Somehow.
no subject
Why would the Extinction help you?
no subject
It would be the equivalent of setting off nuclear bombs all over the planet, though.
It could work, but at what cost?
There are, at the moment, 14 Dread Powers in my world, manifestations of our deepest fears.
They're all tightly connected.
Maybe they're separate, technically, or maybe they're all aspects of some single eldritch creature.
The ritual Elias developed to bring the apocalypse relied heavily on all of them being brought through to our world.
It was the only way to keep the balance and stop them from snapping each other back.
The Extinction, if it were to manifest, could upset that balance.
It could potentially pull all of the Fears back to their own plane, probably through me.
Or it could do what it was made to do, which is simply to wipe everything out, including everything the Powers could use for their food and maybe even the Powers, themselves.
It might turn them into the food for whatever comes next.
No one really knows because the Extinction has never manifested before.
Hard to predict how something might go when you haven't got the data to even form a hypothesis.
no subject
( not if people would die either way. the extinction could perhaps reset something but at what cost? )
One apocalypse or another. Coming back from that would have consequences you couldn't have considered.
no subject
I don't think there's a way to bring him down here.
But Hilltop Road at home.
That's where we need to go.
I don't know what's there, but I know it's important.
The Web's avatar told us to stay away from it.
That's usually a good indication that we ought to go there.
no subject
no subject
Just watch out for Agnes while we're here.
[At least they have that mission in common.]