#mtaw

[awakenedsalamander]

I keep thinking about the section at the very end of the 2E Mage: The Awakening Corebook that discusses Ascension.

Obviously, Ascension is the big goal of both Mage games (the WoD version is, of course, literally named for it), and so it makes sense for a Mage fan like myself to be kind of captivated by any hints of it I get.

And I am in love with the little details we get of how mages Ascend; the strange behaviors and otherworldliness of the Awakened on the threshold of another sublime transformation— how their very names and symbols become charged with power once they cross beyond the Abyss.

But what really keeps my attention is this section:

[None of the Ascended are] remembered by the Sleepers who once knew them. The Ascended slip out of Sleeper memory like water through a sieve. The Quiescence sits heaviest upon close friends and family. People who saw the Ascended every day, if she kept any in her life, wax nostalgic for a short while, as though their loved one had simply gone on a long trip. They quickly change the subject, and resist attempts to return to it. The more distantly a Sleeper orbited the Ascended’s life, the foggier the memories get, until no one remembers her at all.

(Mage: The Awakening, Second Edition, Page 313.)

How deeply melancholic a thought— you become an incarnate symbol of magic, finally complete your journey… and so, of course, the Sleepers forget you.

I’m not here to say that Ascending to the Supernal is a bad thing, I think that’s probably up to the individual mage, but what a heavy price. It really frames the Silver Ladder and the Free Council, and their vastly different but still related dreams of freedom for Sleepers and the Awakened alike.

It was always a painful goodbye, to leave for a world beyond worlds. But the parting is not made easier, knowing only one of us shall remember it.

#chronicles of darkness #cofd #mage the awakening #mtaw

[nw-of-dark]

Mage: Awakening vs. Ascension

So I have been playing World of Darkness for a short while now and I'm also contentious in regards to Mage and its two iterations; Awakening and Ascension. Awakening is part of Chronicles of Darkness whereas Ascension is a part of World of Darkness, and they are basically parallel universes of the same-ish game.

When I started playing Awakening, I found the rules to be fairly straightforward, and I didn't have to struggle through pages of flavor text like with other World of Darkness games. The one thing I really appreciate about Ascension is its lore. It's fascinating how philosophical the game can get, whether it's during character creation or actual gameplay. Ascension explores themes such as the nature of reality, the dynamics of power, and power over the narrative.

I generally play the setting of Ascension with the rules of Awakening, but I have recently been reading about Ascension more (particularly, 20th Anniversary/4th Edition) and a homebrew of Ascension 5th Edition.

As a fan of the 5th Edition World of Darkness game lines, I am disappointed that only Vampire, Werewolf, and Hunter have been released so far. Until we get a full set, I'll have to make do with homebrews and supplements from the 4th Edition to satisfy my craving for supernatural horror.

As for this blog, I will be covering both Awakening and Ascension lore but primarily focusing on Ascension. I will, masochistically, try to work the Awakening paths and orders into the setting of Ascension and I will leave you with this question; what are your thoughts on Awakening and/or Ascension?

#world of darkness #mage #mage: the awakening #mtaw #mages #chronicles of darkness #mage: the ascension #mage the ascension #mage the awakening #mtas #opinion #discussion #open discussion

[lucislibari]

The boy wanted to be human

The Mage: The Awakening Posting will continue until morale improves! This is an NPC from my game, the unofficial leader of the Guardians of the Veil by the shadow name “A Tale of Six Trillion Years and a Night” the following is two of their masques, The Defeated Boy and Wind Up God! Anyone who can guess the theme gets brownie points

#mage the awakening #mtaw #world of darkness #chronicles of darkness #Osamu Nakajima

[mataglap]

He tries not to cling, but Astarion does, and suddenly it's like before the final battle with the Absolute, when they'd both agreed they would win, but they still kissed like it was going to be the last time.

(more than any words)

#bg3 #mtaw #astarion #tavlen

[aaliyahunleashed]

#OnThisDay January 14, 2002 (22 years ago)

Blackground obtained a deal with Universal and the video made its television debut on BET, MTV, and VH1 during the week ending January 14, 2002.

Quentin B. Huff from PopMatters compared the video to the work of both Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson, saying: "Aaliyah's dancing in her videos probably owed a debt to the videos for Michael and Janet Jackson's solo work. No doubt that's true of many artists. Actually, the "More Than a Woman" video brings to mind Michael and Janet's "Scream" video, as well as Janet's video for "Rhythm Nation."

He also praised her dancing in the video for being "effortless".

Rolling Stone praised the video "for adding a touch of vibrant color to its futuristic factory setting".

Les Fabian Brathwaite from Out felt that this was "maybe" Aaliyah's best video ; He also praised the videos wardrobe styling and choreography.

BET said that Aaliyah was "glowing in the video" and that it included "her signature sexy-cool dance sequences"

What do you think? What was your favorite aspect of this video?

#aaliyah #aaliyahhaughton #ripaaliyah #morethanawoman #MTAW #BET #Musicvideo

[splorsh]

local magic weirdo who huffs space rocks news at eleven

#mage the awakening #doodle #mtaw #myterribledoodles #my art

[proceduralpassion]

More Than A Woman | Characters

Want to take a sneak peek at some of my OCs for my new WIP? Simply press that "keep reading" button to get a little taste 😉. As far as Mayans characters, everyone's fair game to make an appearance but the main heavy hitters of this story are the Reyes men (including Felipe and Miguel)!

Destiny (goes by Desi) Maduro is a young school psychologist at Santo Padre Elementary. Originally from Ventura, she moves a couple of towns over to Santo Padre after getting her EdS. The move was also a blank slate for her young cousin, Alejandro, who is in need of a fresh start after stumbling down a dark path.

Santiago "Santi" Reyes is the six year old son of Angel and the late Stephanie "Nails" Cardoza. It was already a huge transition when his parents split up and he lived primarily with his mom, but it was a shock to his system when he suddenly found himself without a mother and with a father who was emotionally clocked out.

Alejandro "Dro" Gonzalez has a mind that never stops and an appetite for money that's never sated. The same schemes that had him running out of Venezuela gets him involved deep into the cartel game in Santo Padre. He only ever wanted to provide for his dear cousin...

#mayans mc #angel reyes x oc #mtaw #c: destiny maduro

[lazyflux]

Phoenix Chronicles E7

Episode 6

Minor, early spoilers regarding Reign of the Exarchs.

Someone told me that running Mage meant dealing with the obsessed. No one said it was like herding cats. This was a slow session, though not because of the mechanics this time, but just sheer pacing.

This session was the first session in maybe 4 or 5 where we had a full table that had the Cabal completely together. We last left off with Hel on his way to work on a hot Tuesday morning, only to find that his impromptu roommate has left after only a few days stay -- they left behind a note and a curious bell. Not one to stand a riddle that appears to double as a pun, per the note, Hel goes to the Diner, an establishment the Cabal agreed to be the focal point (they're lacking a proper Sanctum, but perhaps some goading might change their minds).

The Cabal experiments a little, discovers the artifact's true ability. Apparently, only Hel really has a job, and one that he can feasibly slack off on, so they set off to follow Cherrim to the Verge she discovered last episode, briefly encountering the new Herald for a new Consilium that has just been stood up in Phoenix, whose only word to share (for now) is: respect the Gold Laws, the door is open for any agreements to be made seeing how the Cabal is a part of a Nameless Order outside the Pentacle, and all should be good. I suppose it could be mildly threatening if the NPC was played off as being very blasé about it.

Naturally, players gonna player, and internally decided to buck against the perceived overreach of authority. I'm sure that'll go over well sometime in the next couple of sessions. But for now? A group retreat, hiking through a mysterious Verge that has popped up in the middle of a dirt lot; previously unkeyed, it seems that someone has set one, but Chufi identifies it right away: simply write "I understand the dangers" in the dirt, erase it, and enter freely. The spell is from a signature nimbus they're unfamiliar with, and perhaps if they don't rub the wrong shoulders, one they'll never know.

Much of the session was spent just hiking around the dense jungle of the lot, bonding in a way, getting blisters from mysterious plants and heat exhaustion from the contrastingly wet heat of the Jungle-Verge. This was the meaningful part. Seeing the Cabal act as a Cabal, which hasn't happened since Tutorial-Safehouse arc of ep. 1 & 2.

The remainder of the session is handled with one-roll "extended" checks (taking a page out of Geist here) where we begin to setup several ploys:

(Samael, vampire hunter) Rooting out vampires who've corrupted the church.

(Hel) Learning more about this riddle, fulfilling an Obsession, and being drawn into a deeper Mystery.

(Chufi) Asked a favor by her mentor to make a portal to Phoenix; the two live on the moon, you see, having been established and evacuated by an archmage a few generations ago. Chufi has a very specific Aspiration, a meta-one, that reads "to be betrayed or to betray her mentor." This plays into that. And for the astute among you who're aware of the things that likely live out on the moon, well... open portals intentionally left open longer than they have to? Someone's playing at something.

#ttrpg #chronicles of darkness #onyx path publishing #rpg #dnd #mage the awakening #mage the ascension #actual play #mtaw

[m4rloe5]

multiples of 8 for archie!!

AAAAAA I get to talk about my Mage the Awakening OC Archimedes now! :3 I still haven't played him (as most of you already know) but he's just shaped and I'm rotating him around in my brain like a showstopper cake on the Great British Bake Off

8. Has your character ever fired a gun? If so, what was their first target?

What is he, some kind of American?? Of course not! The closest thing he’s ever been to firing a gun is when he once purchased that antique matchlock pistol to spite one of his competitors. Guns are too modern for his taste.

16. Which does your character idealize most: happiness or success?

Hmm that’s a tough one… I think happiness. Archimedes comes from old money, so he’s always lived comfortably regardless of his successes, so I think success is hardly the end goal. But I think happiness is hard to define for him. He was happy in his marriage, yet he was neglectful to his wife in favour of his obsession. I am not even entirely sure he knows what it’s like to feel happiness anymore these days.

24. How quick is your character to trust someone else?

Not quick. The only person he truly trusts is himself, but he also trusts his judgement. If he has deemed he needs help he will ask for it, and he will carefully select who to ask and trust his judgement that they won’t betray him.

32. Describe a scenario in which your character feels most uncomfortable.

I have trouble coming up with a specific scenario, but he would definitely feel uncomfortable without access to his cane. Just being without his mobility aid makes him unsteady (pun not intended), and the thought of being without a weapon for a prolonged period of time… Yeah, that would make him uncomfortable indeed.

40. How does your character treat people in service jobs?

He doesn’t look down on them per se, nor does he mistreat them by making outrageous demands, but he takes them for granted. Almost as if those people were part of the furniture to him.

#thank youuuu #lgbtmi #MtAw #Mage: Archimedes #my OCs #Ask Box Party #answered #Friends tag #and don't worry pals I've seen all the others I shall get to them tomorrow! #I didn't expect to get SO MANY ASKS I love you all so much

[awakenedsalamander]

Want to talk about those feelings on MTA? (I’d like to hear them.)

Oh always and forever.

So to be clear, I’ve come to really like Mage: The Ascension too. It’s a fun, wild game, with so much possibility in it.

But Awakening is my first love, really. It might even be the first RPG I personally looked into after getting in the hobby through D&D, though I’m not sure about that.

To me, the premise of the game is such a big hook. Not just the fact there’s this secret occult world of magic and mystery, but that it’s based around delving into forgotten lore and strange phenomena. I love the feeling of wizards poring over old tomes and investigating unusual places. I also love the way the magic works, this meticulous and symbolic shaping of reality, understanding the deeper meaning of the world but still through your personal lens.

I love the five Paths! Each distinctive and archetypical, from fortune-bending Witches, to dark and enigmatic Necromancers. (My personal favorite are the Obrimos, even though I am probably a Moros upon reflection.) But they’re also endless customizable! Your Mastigos Warlock could be a classic demon-summoning malcontent, a trippy psychic explorer, or a master of sorting and illusions, to just name a few.

And the Exarchs! Fascinating villains, if you ask me. They are tyranny itself, the very incarnations of authority. They’re as evil as that suggests, and yet there is an element of… well, not sympathy, but understanding that comes with that all-too-human desire for control and order.

The Seers in the Throne in general are fascinating, because they’re obviously more sinister than the Technocracy in Ascension, and yet the banality of becoming a tyrant because it’s the winning side is just so immediately understandable, even if it is despicable. Of course some mages would side with tyranny just because tyranny is the dominant force and they want to come out on top.

I also like the horror of the Abyss, this hateful and vicious anti-dimension full of malign universes that whispers to be let in to the real world, so it might bring it to ruin. And it is what brings Paradox in the world, because reaching too far with magic invites impossibility.

Ultimately, I love the idea of this game about modern magicians trying to figure out reality, pursuing mad leads and mystic clues to… something. It’s weirdly relatable, at least to me.

I could go on, it’s easy for me to just blurt out adoration for Awakening. There’s too much to talk about!

So seriously, thanks for asking. I appreciate being able to ramble about it.

#rambles #mage the awakening #mtaw #chronicles of darkness #cofd

[nw-of-dark]

Seattle (by Night)

Demographics

In Seattle, the supernatural community is comprised of various factions with distinct demographics. The Camarilla vampires are the dominant vampire group in the city, consisting of 1,000 members. They are organized and adhere to a strict hierarchy and set of rules. On the other hand, the Anarchs, a more rebellious and independent vampire faction, have a smaller presence with 127 members. They reject the Camarilla's authority and seek more personal freedom.

The Awakened, referring to mages who possess mystical abilities, make up a population of 1,110 individuals in Seattle. Among them, the Bridge Trolls cabal comprises 23 individuals. These mages lead a clandestine existence among the homeless population and actively resist the Technocratic Union's control. Seattle is home to a significant Garou population, with 160,956 werewolves residing in the city. However, the majority of Garou, approximately 160,000, are found in the outskirts and rural areas surrounding Seattle. These werewolves have adapted to the wilderness and protect the natural world from supernatural threats. In contrast, 956 Garou have adapted to urban life, likely due to the encroachment of cities on their ancestral territories.

The population of changelings in Seattle is relatively small, consisting of 199 individuals. Changelings are beings with a mix of fae and mortal nature and are tied to the realm of dreams. They often dwell in hidden enclaves, interacting with both the mortal and supernatural realms. However, the changeling population in Seattle is dispersed throughout the city, making it more challenging for them to unite and confront their internal conflicts.

Government

The Seattle Camarilla is the dominant faction of vampires in the city, characterized by their structured hierarchy and adherence to a set of rules and traditions. Unlike some other vampire factions, the Camarilla in Seattle generally avoids direct involvement in human politics unless it directly impacts their interests or business. At the time, the Camarilla is under the rule of Prince Alec Cross, who ascended to power after a period of unstable leadership by the late Lou Grand. Prince Alec Cross allowed the Tremere clan, a clan known for their mastery of blood magic, into the city during his early days as ruler. This decision indicates his willingness to forge alliances and embrace the benefits that the Tremere can bring to Seattle.

As part of rebuilding his authority and strengthening his rule, Prince Alec is in the process of reestablishing the Primogen Council. The Primogen Council is composed of representatives from the various vampire clans, acting as advisers and wielding influence within the Camarilla's power structure. These council members play a crucial role in decision-making and ensuring the interests of their respective clans are represented.

Additionally, Prince Alec is actively seeking a Seneschal, who serves as his second-in-command and assists with the day-to-day affairs of ruling the Camarilla. The Seneschal acts as a trusted adviser and administrator, supporting the Prince in maintaining order and overseeing the city's vampire population.

To maintain control and enforce the Prince's authority throughout Seattle, Sheriffs are appointed to each district. Sheriffs are responsible for upholding the Prince's laws, maintaining order, and dealing with any threats or breaches of the Camarilla's rules within their respective districts.

Lastly, the Prince employs a Herald, whose role is to disseminate information, announcements, and decrees on behalf of the Prince. The Herald acts as a messenger, ensuring that the Prince's ascension to power and his rulings are communicated to the vampire population and beyond.

Factions

Project Upside-Down is a specialized team operating within the Border Corps Division of the Void Engineers (Technocratic Union) in Seattle. This team is dedicated to investigating and responding to incursions of Wyrm-related entities within the Washington State area. The Wyrm is a corrupting force in the supernatural world, representing decay, corruption, and destruction.

The primary objective of Project Upside-Down is to identify and neutralize any Wyrm-related threats that pose a risk to the region. The team members are highly trained in both magical and technological methods, allowing them to combat and contain these malevolent entities effectively. They possess a deep understanding of the Wyrm's influence, its minions, and the strategies required to counteract its corrupting presence.

The Bridge Trolls are a distinctive cabal of 23 mages who lead an unconventional and clandestine existence within the homeless population of Seattle. They have established their sanctum in the tent-city located under The Troll's Bridge, utilizing the hidden space as their base of operations and safe haven. The cabal's sigil, the troll, represents their identity and serves as a symbol of their resistance against the Technocratic Union. As members of the larger Free Council, the Bridge Trolls dedicate themselves to challenging and thwarting the operations of the Technocracy, often employing tactics of sabotage and distraction to disrupt their plans and agendas.

The Duchy of Evergreen is a significant subdivision within the Kingdom of Pacifica, a crypto-nation existing within the realms of changelings. The duchy encompasses the regions of Washington and Oregon, with a concentration of changelings residing in the cities of Portland and Seattle.

In Seattle, a criminal gang known as the Worcester Knights, led by Finney Fallon, operates within the boundaries of the Duchy of Evergreen. This gang, notorious among the changeling community, targets universities and art districts as their hunting grounds. Their activities involve preying on creative mortals and draining their Glamour energy, which poses a threat to the realm of mortal dreams. The presence of the Worcester Knights creates an atmosphere of danger and instability within the supernatural community of Seattle.

Points of Interest

The Troll's Bridge serves as the codename for a specific bridge where the Bridge Trolls cabal of mages holds their clandestine meetings. The actual name of the bridge is known to the public, but the secret gathering place remains hidden, accessible only to those who are part of or familiar with the cabal. To identify the Troll's Bridge, one must look for a distinct marker: a graffiti troll located at the entrance to the underside of the bridge. The graffiti troll serves as a hidden symbol, blending in with other street art and potentially deceiving those who are unaware of its significance. This unique marker acts as a subtle indication to members of the Bridge Trolls cabal that they have arrived at their meeting place.

The bridge itself likely possesses certain characteristics that make it an ideal meeting spot for the mages. It may provide a secluded and discreet location, shielded from prying eyes and unwanted attention. The underside of the bridge might offer cover and privacy, allowing the cabal to gather and discuss their plans without interference.

The choice to use a bridge as a meeting place could also hold symbolic meaning. Bridges are often seen as connectors, linking different areas or realms together. In this case, the Bridge Trolls cabal may see themselves as bridging the gap between the mortal and supernatural worlds, utilizing their magical abilities to navigate and influence both realms.

The Menagerie Caern is a sacred and hidden space nestled within Discovery Park, serving as a gathering point for the Garou, werewolves bound to protect the natural world. Located near a small petting zoo, the Menagerie Caern remains concealed from the general public, allowing the Garou to commune with the spirits and perform their sacred rituals undisturbed. At the heart of the Menagerie Caern is a cairn, a pile of stones or rocks carefully arranged to mark and consecrate the location. The cairn serves as a physical and spiritual focal point, symbolizing the connection between the Garou and the natural spirits that reside in the area. It acts as a gateway for communication and communion with the spiritual realm.

Surrounded by the lush and vibrant environment of Discovery Park, the Menagerie Caern exudes a profound sense of natural energy. It is a place where the Garou can gather to perform rituals, seek guidance from the spirits, and strengthen their bond with nature. The Caern is infused with the essence of the wild, serving as a sanctuary for the Garou and a source of power for their spiritual and physical endeavors. The Menagerie Caern's hidden location within Discovery Park provides a level of protection and secrecy, ensuring that it remains undisturbed by those who are unaware of its significance. This hidden nature allows the Garou to safeguard the sacred space and maintain the delicate balance between the physical and spiritual worlds.

#seattle #world of darkness #chronicles of darkness #mage: the awakening #mage: the ascension #vampire: the masquerade #werewolf: the apocalypse #hunter: the reckoning #changeling: the lost #vtm #wta #mtas #mtaw #cofd #pacific northwest #pacific nw #hunter #werewolf #vampire #changeling #werewolves #vampires #hunters #mage #mages #horror #gothic #supernatural #fantasy

[lucislibari]

I decided to finish those sketches. I cannot get enough of this little dude's face. Sorry Chronicles of Darkness tag you get more of this little demon blooded Thearch bastard!!!

(half of these poses were referenced from @mellon_soup on tiktok btw!! Go sub to their patron it's divine)

#world of darkness #chronicles of darkness #mage the awakening #mtaw #cofd #frankie martin jackson #radio free appalachia #YOUR HONOR. HES MY LITTLE BOY

[mataglap]

...in which Astarion commits multiple acts of vandalism, Tav considers a change of image, and feelings get out of control. just a little.

#they're in love your honor #bg3 #writing #fanfic #tavstarion #tavlen #mtaw

[bobertflaming]

One difference I find really interesting between mage the ascension and mage the awakening is the difference in terms of spheres. MTAw has ten spheres instead of nine which kinda subdivides Entropy into Fate and Death. This is a huge inspiration for theorycrafting I find, considering there is a correspondance both between planets and MTA spheres and between planets and WTA Incarna. Because the asteroid belt has an incarna, Rorg, the incarna of a “destroyed planet” Turog. So of course it begs the question: what would the arcana linked to Rorg/Turog be? And since extending the number of spheres is no easy feat my headcanon is thus: Turog was the planet of Death linked with some Shade Realm of Death, and Pluton was initially the planet of Fate. Turog/SR Death was “destroyed” leading to an imbalance in the spheres and their roles, so Pluton/Fate took up some of the pieces left and became Entropy instead of Fate, embodying thus a merging of both aspects. Incidentally, This has a big impact cosmologically, like, this is a big change, we’re talking delight-turning-into-delirium level change I think. And one consequence kind of directly visible is this: In the old world of darkness, the whole concept-shard of Fate itself is intimately bound to the concept of Death and Entropy. And this is why we can’t have nice things!

#mage the ascension #mage the awakening #mta #mtaw #werewolf the apocalypse #wta #wod #owod #theory crafting

[franticbindings]

Rabbit Downtimes 3

(These are downtime actions I wrote for a Mage the Awakening Chronicle. I played an internet obsessed Acanthus with the shadow name Rabbit.)

Part 1, Part 2

Rabbit stood in the breakroom of the lorehouse and waited patiently for the coffee machine to dispense his drink. The stuff produced by the machine was so suspiciously good that he’d checked it out with his prime sight and had confirmed that there was Awakened magic on the device - though not of an arcana he could scrutinize further. He idly speculated about rogue coffeemancers roaming the city pursuing mysteries of The Bean when he heard someone enter the room behind him. He glanced behind himself and froze when he saw who it was. The man noticed him as well and also froze.

They both opened their mouths and then seemed to think better of it. It was always complicated when you unexpectedly met someone you knew in your mundane identity in a setting where Awakened rules applied. 

After a moment Rabbit tentatively put in, “I’m going by Rabbit these days.”

“Rabbit, huh? Still just Bobby for me.”

Awkward. Well, potentially awkward. The dynamics between Mages and Sleepwalkers could be complicated - ranging from awe to jealousy to resentment. More than a few Mages saw the unawakened as beneath them. Rabbit searched Bobby’s face for signs of any of those but only found a small smile of… pride?

“Congratulations - I hope, I've heard it's never easy. I can’t say I’m surprised though, I always thought you might make it.”

Wait…

“What?”

-

Alan Haas had escaped central Texas for sunny San Diego intending to finally be himself in ways that were impossible in his small home town. He was going to be out and proud, acquire real life friends to go with his online ones and maybe get a boyfriend. He was going to evolve into his final form and speed run the adolescence he never got to have.

He maybe, possibly, underestimated how difficult such a dramatic transformation would be. It turned out it was harder to leave behind his studied reserve and hermit-like tendencies than he thought.

Luckily, he met Robert Hastings - an upperclassman who was also on the track and field team and active in the campus LGBT organizations. The big, bluff mid-westerner had taken Alan under his wing, and by the time he graduated had carefully guided him out of his protective shell.

Now they were ensconced in a private reading nook in the LA lorehouse, sharing a suspiciously good cup of coffee.

“I’m sorry that we fell out of touch after you graduated. I didn’t even know you were in LA - or are you just visiting?”

Bobby waved this away good naturedly, “I’ve lived here for the past two years. As for not keeping up with each other… that was mostly the Council’s fault. I’m sure you know how mages are - secretive, and they have issues with the right hand not talking to the left. I’m not surprised that we never found out we were running in the same circles these days.”

Rabbit smiled warmly, “I have to say, it's good to see a friendly face. I’ve been going to events, but it’s like you said… people are cagey.” Rabbit took a sip of his coffee and then changed conversational tacks, “You thought I would awaken when you knew me?”

“It seemed possible. You had the right mindset, and well…” his expression was somber now. “What you told me, that one time about what happened with your best friend when you were a kid. How you were convinced that he wasn’t himself anymore and no one believed you.” He gave an expressive shrug and a rueful smile. “Seemed like mage material to me.”

“I actually found the real him again. The original.”

Bobby’s eyes widened fractionally. “Thats… good?”

Rabbit let out a breath. “It led to my awakening, so yes? It’s… complicated.”

“Can you talk about it?”

Suddenly it was freshman year all over again. Rabbit was Alan and Bobby was just a man he admired for being relentlessly kind.

“I can’t tell you everything, but I feel like I owe you the end of the story.”

-

“It was right after winter break, my Junior year. I had stayed in San Diego alone because, well… you know. I spent the whole break missing my mom and my aunt, dwelling on how things might have turned out differently back when I was a kid,” Alan took a sip of coffee before continuing.

 “We had just finished our first week of classes, and me and my roommates decided to go out to the Lamplighter for some karaoke. I’d just gotten done singing when Lawrence - you remember him?”

Bobby nodded.

“He said some guy was staring at me. I looked over and… there he was. We locked eyes and it was like a movie — time seemed to slow down. There wasn’t really any doubt in my mind - I’d known him for most of my life, he was my best friend for seven years. His hair was different than the last time I’d seen him, but… yeah.”

“At first I was terrified that he’d finally gone off the deep end and had flown to California to make good on all the threats he’d made. But the longer I looked, the less sure of that I was. He was with a group of people I’d never seen before. The kind of people that the Justin I knew wouldn’t be caught dead with. He looked…” Alan drummed his fingers on the table.

“He was looking at me like I was familiar, but he couldn’t quite remember who I was. Time sped back up and he pointed me out to this big older guy he was with. Their group seemed to be arguing about something, and Justin kept shooting these looks at me; like he was scared of me. I was still stunned and trying to figure out what I wanted to do when they all got up and left. I finally got it together enough to chase after them, but it had gotten all foggy suddenly and they just vanished.”

“I became obsessed with finding him, and I was pretty good at that even back then — especially if I wasn’t worried about things like breaking the law. You know I’ve always had a thing for rabbits — tricksters, right?”

Bobby nodded.

“Running down leads I kept ending up in situations that mirrored those stories, with me playing the part of the trickster; dressing in drag to sneak in somewhere, or telling some guys I couldn’t swim so that they’d throw me off the pier instead of caving my skull in. It was a real mess; if one of the Syndics didn’t have a lot of goodwill with local Freehold they would have killed me for sure.”

“He was a changeling?”

Alan nodded.

“They let it play out in exchange for future favors, and I eventually caught up with Justin. He got taken the summer he went away to camp, and only made it back a few years ago. I had told him about myself, being gay, before he left and made him promise not to tell anyone.” 

Alan looked away.

“That’s the reason the thing that took him gave for everything; he wouldn’t tell and that proved his loyalty. I don’t know if he blamed me for what happened, I’m not sure if he should — but it wasn’t the reunion I always hoped for… but it was what I needed to awaken.”

Part 1, Part 2

#mtaw #mage the awakening #alan rabbit haas #oc #acanthus #m:taw #my writing

[splorsh]

also a boyo from a mage the awakening game i’ve played in recently

#mage the awakening #mtaw