Encounterlogs
Avis Odd Encounter Sr Harriet 240527
In an eerie, colonial house, Avi, a young demonologist entangled in supernatural encounters, finds himself facing a new challenge when a rogue cultist of The Black Flame infiltrates his home. The cultist, wielding a dark relic capable of enhancing their arcane powers, aims to convert Avi to their side, using a mix of intimidation and manipulation. Despite the cultist's attempts to sway him with visions of chaos and destruction, Avi remains unshaken, countering the cultist's bleak outlook with his own wry assessment of life and the end of the world. As the room grows cold and whispers fill his mind, Avi's demeanor doesn't falter; he stands against the cultist's vision, arguing that chaos can be managed and that nothingness offers no reprieve.
The cultist, disarmed by Avi's confidence and critical reasoning, fumbles in his mission, revealing his uncertainty and inexperience with every failed attempt to intimidate. As their conversation unfolds, Avi skillfully turns the tables, appealing to the young cultist's sense of morality and the memory of his deceased grandmother, challenging him to reconsider his path. The cultist, struck by Avi's words, ultimately renounces his destructive ambitions, acknowledging his misguided efforts and leaving the relic behind as a gesture of his newfound resolve to seek redemption. Avi's calm and collected approach not only neutralizes the immediate threat but also transforms it into an opportunity for growth and reflection, showing that even in the darkest moments, compassion and reason can lead to change and recovery.
(Avi's odd encounter(SRHarriet):SRHarriet)
[Sun May 26 2024]
In the Master Bedroom of an eerie colonial building
The lavish master bedroom offers a large, queen sized bed on a frame of thick wood. Each side of the bed features an antique night stand, making it quite comfortable and classy all-in-all. A corner couch with a coffee table - paired with a modern coffee machine offering a touch display and a wide selection of teas - make for a comfortable place to sit, right in-front of the windows that show the vistas of the north side of Haven and the harbor. Across the windows an antique desk offers a laptop computer, completed with a massive, plush leather desk chair.
It is after dusk, about 76F(24C) degrees, There is a waning gibbous moon.
(A member of The Black Flame cult has been stirring up trouble in Haven, spreading fear and paranoia by manipulating the town's supernatural elements. They've been using a dark relic to enhance their abilities. Your target now must track down this rogue cultist, retrieve the relic, and find a way to neutralize its influence before The Black Flame can fully enact their destructive plans. The encounter will involve detective work, confrontations with the cultist's supernatural minions, and potentially a climactic showdown at The Black Flame's secret lair.)
"I told them I was fine, but they said I needed to get it checked," Avi is sitting on the side of his bed, a bandage at his left temple, and currently speaking on the phone. "It's not the first time I've been kidnapped by the Syndicate, but it's definitely the first time I've ever had a snatching go quite this badly," he tells whoever is on the other end. "I wish I'd had my phone on me, when the girl took off running and screaming and the goon chasing her got shot in the back by his partner? Classic," he says with a mean-spirited smirk. "But, I need to get back to writing this paper, I'll talk to you later, mom. Love you, tell Bubbe I'm fine as well." He hangs up the call, tossing his phone aside and raking his fingers through his hair, momentarily zoning out after what has already been a long ass day.
As Avi sits on his bed with the phone call over, the quiet of his room is suddenly broken by a distant, unexplained noise from downstairs. There is the sound of something metallic falling with a clatter, and then after a moment of eerie silence, a low murmur begins to echo through the house, unintelligible at first, but growing steadily louder. Even the air changes, growing inexplicably colder. Low murmurs turns into whispering that increases in volume, with words now clear and chillingly direct. "It knows you're here," can be heard, but it is only inside of Avi's mind. There is no one in the room with him, and the mind games increase as the illusion of the shadows of the room begin to mutate, shifting and pulsing irregularly.
"Ann, if that's you, I swear I am not in the mood right now," Avi tells the nothingness around himself as he narrows his eyes, looking at nothing - and yet seemingly expecting a response back from the nothingness. He rises to his feet, grabbing and pocketing his phone, and the young demonologist moves toward the bedroom door, ignoring the bedroom shadows as they swell in his wake - clearly this is not his first supernatural rodeo. Of course, it could just be paranoia. It was, after all, only earlier today that he was abducted by none other than the Syndicate and nearly trafficked into the other, until a series of cringeworthy unfortunate events foiled his attackers' plans. He hesitates, a hand on the bedroom doorknob.
It seems the rogue cultist is able to manipulate the atmosphere, and not only is he capable of performing this type of arcane power, he also is apparently inside of Avi's house. The Arkwright is popular today, and if the Syndicate wanted him, why wouldn't The Black Flame, too? Although it is definitely an out of the box recruitment attempt, or something of that manner, perhaps? Erratically, the lights flicker, plunging the room into darkness, off and on, and each time the light returns, is reveals a series of unsettling, cryptic symbols scrawls across the walls that certainly were not there before. Each glyph pulses with dark energy. The illusions continue, and amidst this orchestrated chaos, the cultist in the other room uses the relic to project ghostly apparitions that appear and vanish at the edges of Avi's vision. These specters whisper threats, and in raspy, chilling voices, they say in unison, "Your struggles are futile. Surrender to the chaos that approaches."
His hand draws away from the doorknob, Avi clearly doesn't seem particularly incentivized to go find the source of the rasping voices just yet since they're clearly perfectly happy to interact with him here. "Ari did say we should ward this place," he laments wryly. It's too late for that though, seeing as whoever or whatever is demanding his attention is already present. "My struggles are myriad, but I don't believe struggling against chaos is a battle I've picked," Avi says to the flickering darkness, his arms crossing in front of himself protectively, perhaps subconsciously. "The world is ending, what could that ever mean for man but chaos?" he says with the calm resignation of inevitability. "What do you want? Speak plainly," he demands with the imperious arrogance of an Arkwright scion.
The cultist, hearing Avi's unshaken voice and his demand for clarity, realises his attempts at intimidation may not be as effective as he'd hoped. He may not be all that clever in some aspects. He did, after all, break into an Arkwright's home. Yet, determined to push forward with his agenda, he decides to change tactics. "You speak of chaos as if it were your kin," the specters say together. "The world is ending, but the relic in my possession is a key. A key that unlocks the barriers between this world and the next. We will open all the gates, and redirect them to take everyone into the void. This world must be cleansed through complete destruction." The ghostly voices continue, "Join us, lend us your strength, and witness the transformation of reality. Or stand against us and watching everything you've ever cared about get swallowed by the chaos you so casually speak of." He really isn't the best recruiter.
"There's a poignant saying by one of the great minds of a generation that fits your agenda, and I quote, 'Stop trying to make fetch happen'." Avi smiles flatly. "There is order in chaos, just ask my wardrobe. But there are many camps in the divide on whether or not this plane of existence could continue to exist in the Void, a speck of order in a cosmic soup of uncertainty, or whether it would simply implode reality for all life on Earth as we know it." Avi gestures broadly, as if delivering a lecture. He was, for a short while after all, a cult leader. "What no one seems to be able to argue significantly is whether or not this world's state of being actually holds any sway over whether the doom hanging over our head includes the other worlds, and your nihilistic approach of 'better to be safe than sorry' is honestly the laziest form of a plan I've seen yet - and I've seen cults that amount to 'fuck away the apocalypse' so it's not as if you're hurting for competition," he smirks. "Now, stop playing with the lights and sell me on why nothingness would ever be the better option over chaos. We can workshop chaos. Nothingness doesn't sell," he argues mildly, doing some reverse-recruitment of his own, or so it seems.
Momentarily taken aback by Avi's retort and his dismissal of the cult's grand plan as' lazy,' the cultist struggles to maintain his focus to keep up the illusionary specters, and they flicker before fading away. His inexperience is apparent now more than ever, and the unanticipated resistance from Avi only serves to make his uncertainty grow deeper, but he's right outside the bedroom door. Taking in a deep breath that heavily expands his chest, he tries to regain some of his composure. This one has never been a cult leader, but he tries with, "You misunderstand. The void is not about nothingness." What is a void again? "It's about freedom from the constraints that this flawed place imposes on us. It is about unbinding the potential that lies dormant within us that is smothered by the so-called 'order' of this world." He continues to tell the Arkwright through the barrier of the door, "The relic is a catalyst for change. A catalyst for evolution, and with it we can shape the future. I'd like you to join us, not out of fear, but for the chance to be at the forefront of a new era. Where those like us." He decides to put Avi and himself as comrades in thought already... "can bring about the purity of nothingness. The world is bound to decay no matter what. It is just an inevitable decline. All things fall eventually. Nothingness is a blank canvas. It's freedom from the cycle of creation and destruction that entraps all living things. Nothingness brings liberation."
"Is that really the best you can do?" Avi asks, turning his back to lean comfortably against the door between them, arms still crossed. "You want to fling the world and everyone in it into the void to free us from order?" He pauses, then says, with emphasis, "The void is full of giant monsters that devour everything they come across, you forgot to mention that part in your pitch." He shakes his head slowly, before letting it thud back against the door. "Your relic is a glorified handle to a catastrophy-toilet," Avi tells the neophyte. "You want to flush everything away to make way for something new, and expect others to be blinded by the glare of shiny newness and go along with it. Well, I hate to break it to you, but there are plenty of us who are pretty damn attached to what we have. Our lives, our loves, our passions, our beliefs, and hello, do you know how much wardrobe is worth?" Avi frowns incredulously. "And you just want me to let it all slip through my fingers? Yeah, right."
When Avi's frank dismissal is given in response to what the young cultist has said, he's momentarily disoriented again, more than last time. The sharpness of the critique stings, and he shifts uncomfortably as if it were manifesting physically. Held in his right hand is the relic, and he gazes down at it, trying to find some sense of confidence. He gathers his resolve and tries to regain control of the conversation, but his voice carries more frustration than conviction. "The true nature of the void is not about destruction for the sake of destruction, but about liberation from the cyclical torment of existence. Yeah, the void contains what people call horrors, but it also holds freedom. Pain, loss, an endless struggle? Why cling to it so desperately? Beyond the chaos and the darkness, there is a new beginning waiting. We don't seek to end the world out of malice, but out of a deep, compassionate necessity. Think of it not as a catastrophe, but as a reset. Like a chance to correct the inherent flaws of our current reality." Maybe he's brainwashed? "You value your life, your possessions, and your connections. I get it, but there is a future where we are not bound by the past mistakes of humanity. I'm asking for you to join us, not out of fear or despair, but out of hope for what could be. Help us bring about a change that will finally free us all." He doesn't seem to get that Avi is saying 'no.'
"At this point, you're making up problems for a solution that already exists," Avi tells the frustrated cultist with what sounds like pity. The condescending sort, not the helpful sort. "What is the 'end of the world' but a great reset? And it is coming, whether you cast us all into the void or not, that much the prophecies tell us for certain, even if they're a bit sparse on the details of what exactly that entails," he allows. "The past mistakes of humanity are part of our history alongside our triumphs, they've shaped man, from the more powerless infant to the most powerful immortal evils that walk among us," Avi muses. "What are you lacking in this life that you're so eager to start anew? What if that new reality is worse than this one? Would you not just be contributing to the legacy of humanity's fuck-ups? What would your grandmother say?" Avi asks, and by the pause afterwards, it's clear this is not a rhetorical question, and he is truly summoning the conversational spectre of this poor guy's granny to guilt him with.
Granny guilting... "She's dead," the cultist's face falls as he says this in response about the last part, and the reality of Avi's words seem to be striking him harder than any physical blow possibly could. He stands there, silent for a long moment after the confession about his dead grandmother, but the guilt of his grandmother's hypothetical disappointment is definitely weighing heavily on him. "But she raised me, and you're right..." He can barely get out, "She wouldn't approve." With a shaky hand, he slowly loosens his grip on the relic. The object, which had seemed so crucial to his plans, now feels like nothing more than a burdensome token of his very misguided ambitions. The ancient dagger is carved from obsidian, etched with inscrutable runes, and it slips from his grasp, clattering loudly as it hits the floor. His shoulders slump as he stares down at it, the resolve draining from him. The ideological fervor that had fueled him wanes and leaves him empty and uncertain. "What...? What do I do now?"
"Well now is the hard part," Avi says, still leaning against the door. "You've got to throw out what you've been told, and decide for yourself what the next thirteen years, give or take, mean to you. Odds are you're slated to die before the end of the world, but there's talk that meditation, spiritual retreats, taking a break from connectivity and communing with nature, and several other introspection-centered activities can break the hold your own personal tragedy has on you, for a while. And while you're looking into ways to maximize the time you have left, it's up to you to decide what you believe the end of the world will entail." Avi gestures again, despite no one being able to see him. "Is the end of the world just the end of the world as we know it? Some post-apocalyptic, dystopian fight for survival? A reckoning of man by all the gods and spirits worshipped and tossed aside over the eons? Or something else entirely, something unfathomable? These are the mysteries worth pondering, and never ignore the voice in the back of your head that asks whether granny raised you to be a man, or a coward. And if you're not a coward, you'll face the coming end, not throw it into the maw of the void."
Overwhelmed by this turn of events, the poor young cultist is shaken, but stands motionless outside of the door, staring down at the fallen relic still. Avi's words have struck a deep chord, and the guilt of his actions, combined with his grandmother's certain disapproval, engulfs him. With a sharp inhale, his gaze lifts from the obsidian dagger and fixes on a wall. There's fear, regret, but also a budding determination as he takes in what Avi is telling him now. "You're right," he decides in a trembling voice. "I've been following orders without questioning, and caught up in something that felt larger than life, but forgetting..." He makes a 'tch' sound as his tongue presses at the roof of his mouth and the back of upper front teeth, expressing his disbelief over his own self. "Forgetting the value of the life that I have... the lives we all have. I need to think... Uh... Figure out who I am without this." There is no move to retrieve the relic that he most likely took without permission. "I think the relic needs to be somewhere safe. Somewhere it cannot be used for harm, so I'll leave it to you. I--I'm sorry for all of this, and thank you for reminding me of what's really important." His tone is sincere, and all of his former ideological fervor has been replaced with a humble tone seeking redemption.
"I believe in you, bro," Avi says. "Like, these are crazy times, and we're all going to struggle, but make sure you've got people in your life that don't suck and won't steer you wrong. I'll make sure the relic is handled, you don't have to worry about that at all," he assures the young man. "Do me a favor and lock the door behind you - I haven't seen your face so you don't need to worry about retribution this time, but it's a one-time pass. If you ever break into my place again, there will be an infinity of repercussions," he further promises. "Now, get out of here, and go your life to the fullest. It's the world's gift to you and you deserve every bit of it."
Quite easily, Avi defeated the two minions who simply flickered away into nothing when the cultist got too flustered and was unable to maintain his power. He also managed to convert the young man out of The Black Flame, and got some heartfelt responses when bringing up the poor dude's deceased grandmama. The weight of his actions and the direction of his life feel heavy upon his shoulders, and he pauses outside the door as he listens to Avi. Another deep breath is taken in, and the young man reflects on the gravity of his decision to abandon the dark path he had been following. There's a new sense of clarity and purpose as he steps away, ready to leave behind the malevolent energies and the chaos he once sought to unleash. Left with the relic that the now former cultist dropped onto the floor, the Arkwright would be able to feel its power if he takes touches it. This is the sort of object that should be destroyed, rather than kept around, otherise the rest of the cult will be hunting it down and seeking to use it to complete their nefarious plan. These are, indeed, crazy times, but they are a little less crazy here in Avi's home now that the cultist is turning away and letting himself out of the house. One last gracious claim of, "Thank you!" is called out as he exits the home and trots off down the street.
The cultist, disarmed by Avi's confidence and critical reasoning, fumbles in his mission, revealing his uncertainty and inexperience with every failed attempt to intimidate. As their conversation unfolds, Avi skillfully turns the tables, appealing to the young cultist's sense of morality and the memory of his deceased grandmother, challenging him to reconsider his path. The cultist, struck by Avi's words, ultimately renounces his destructive ambitions, acknowledging his misguided efforts and leaving the relic behind as a gesture of his newfound resolve to seek redemption. Avi's calm and collected approach not only neutralizes the immediate threat but also transforms it into an opportunity for growth and reflection, showing that even in the darkest moments, compassion and reason can lead to change and recovery.
(Avi's odd encounter(SRHarriet):SRHarriet)
[Sun May 26 2024]
In the Master Bedroom of an eerie colonial building
The lavish master bedroom offers a large, queen sized bed on a frame of thick wood. Each side of the bed features an antique night stand, making it quite comfortable and classy all-in-all. A corner couch with a coffee table - paired with a modern coffee machine offering a touch display and a wide selection of teas - make for a comfortable place to sit, right in-front of the windows that show the vistas of the north side of Haven and the harbor. Across the windows an antique desk offers a laptop computer, completed with a massive, plush leather desk chair.
It is after dusk, about 76F(24C) degrees, There is a waning gibbous moon.
(A member of The Black Flame cult has been stirring up trouble in Haven, spreading fear and paranoia by manipulating the town's supernatural elements. They've been using a dark relic to enhance their abilities. Your target now must track down this rogue cultist, retrieve the relic, and find a way to neutralize its influence before The Black Flame can fully enact their destructive plans. The encounter will involve detective work, confrontations with the cultist's supernatural minions, and potentially a climactic showdown at The Black Flame's secret lair.)
"I told them I was fine, but they said I needed to get it checked," Avi is sitting on the side of his bed, a bandage at his left temple, and currently speaking on the phone. "It's not the first time I've been kidnapped by the Syndicate, but it's definitely the first time I've ever had a snatching go quite this badly," he tells whoever is on the other end. "I wish I'd had my phone on me, when the girl took off running and screaming and the goon chasing her got shot in the back by his partner? Classic," he says with a mean-spirited smirk. "But, I need to get back to writing this paper, I'll talk to you later, mom. Love you, tell Bubbe I'm fine as well." He hangs up the call, tossing his phone aside and raking his fingers through his hair, momentarily zoning out after what has already been a long ass day.
As Avi sits on his bed with the phone call over, the quiet of his room is suddenly broken by a distant, unexplained noise from downstairs. There is the sound of something metallic falling with a clatter, and then after a moment of eerie silence, a low murmur begins to echo through the house, unintelligible at first, but growing steadily louder. Even the air changes, growing inexplicably colder. Low murmurs turns into whispering that increases in volume, with words now clear and chillingly direct. "It knows you're here," can be heard, but it is only inside of Avi's mind. There is no one in the room with him, and the mind games increase as the illusion of the shadows of the room begin to mutate, shifting and pulsing irregularly.
"Ann, if that's you, I swear I am not in the mood right now," Avi tells the nothingness around himself as he narrows his eyes, looking at nothing - and yet seemingly expecting a response back from the nothingness. He rises to his feet, grabbing and pocketing his phone, and the young demonologist moves toward the bedroom door, ignoring the bedroom shadows as they swell in his wake - clearly this is not his first supernatural rodeo. Of course, it could just be paranoia. It was, after all, only earlier today that he was abducted by none other than the Syndicate and nearly trafficked into the other, until a series of cringeworthy unfortunate events foiled his attackers' plans. He hesitates, a hand on the bedroom doorknob.
It seems the rogue cultist is able to manipulate the atmosphere, and not only is he capable of performing this type of arcane power, he also is apparently inside of Avi's house. The Arkwright is popular today, and if the Syndicate wanted him, why wouldn't The Black Flame, too? Although it is definitely an out of the box recruitment attempt, or something of that manner, perhaps? Erratically, the lights flicker, plunging the room into darkness, off and on, and each time the light returns, is reveals a series of unsettling, cryptic symbols scrawls across the walls that certainly were not there before. Each glyph pulses with dark energy. The illusions continue, and amidst this orchestrated chaos, the cultist in the other room uses the relic to project ghostly apparitions that appear and vanish at the edges of Avi's vision. These specters whisper threats, and in raspy, chilling voices, they say in unison, "Your struggles are futile. Surrender to the chaos that approaches."
His hand draws away from the doorknob, Avi clearly doesn't seem particularly incentivized to go find the source of the rasping voices just yet since they're clearly perfectly happy to interact with him here. "Ari did say we should ward this place," he laments wryly. It's too late for that though, seeing as whoever or whatever is demanding his attention is already present. "My struggles are myriad, but I don't believe struggling against chaos is a battle I've picked," Avi says to the flickering darkness, his arms crossing in front of himself protectively, perhaps subconsciously. "The world is ending, what could that ever mean for man but chaos?" he says with the calm resignation of inevitability. "What do you want? Speak plainly," he demands with the imperious arrogance of an Arkwright scion.
The cultist, hearing Avi's unshaken voice and his demand for clarity, realises his attempts at intimidation may not be as effective as he'd hoped. He may not be all that clever in some aspects. He did, after all, break into an Arkwright's home. Yet, determined to push forward with his agenda, he decides to change tactics. "You speak of chaos as if it were your kin," the specters say together. "The world is ending, but the relic in my possession is a key. A key that unlocks the barriers between this world and the next. We will open all the gates, and redirect them to take everyone into the void. This world must be cleansed through complete destruction." The ghostly voices continue, "Join us, lend us your strength, and witness the transformation of reality. Or stand against us and watching everything you've ever cared about get swallowed by the chaos you so casually speak of." He really isn't the best recruiter.
"There's a poignant saying by one of the great minds of a generation that fits your agenda, and I quote, 'Stop trying to make fetch happen'." Avi smiles flatly. "There is order in chaos, just ask my wardrobe. But there are many camps in the divide on whether or not this plane of existence could continue to exist in the Void, a speck of order in a cosmic soup of uncertainty, or whether it would simply implode reality for all life on Earth as we know it." Avi gestures broadly, as if delivering a lecture. He was, for a short while after all, a cult leader. "What no one seems to be able to argue significantly is whether or not this world's state of being actually holds any sway over whether the doom hanging over our head includes the other worlds, and your nihilistic approach of 'better to be safe than sorry' is honestly the laziest form of a plan I've seen yet - and I've seen cults that amount to 'fuck away the apocalypse' so it's not as if you're hurting for competition," he smirks. "Now, stop playing with the lights and sell me on why nothingness would ever be the better option over chaos. We can workshop chaos. Nothingness doesn't sell," he argues mildly, doing some reverse-recruitment of his own, or so it seems.
Momentarily taken aback by Avi's retort and his dismissal of the cult's grand plan as' lazy,' the cultist struggles to maintain his focus to keep up the illusionary specters, and they flicker before fading away. His inexperience is apparent now more than ever, and the unanticipated resistance from Avi only serves to make his uncertainty grow deeper, but he's right outside the bedroom door. Taking in a deep breath that heavily expands his chest, he tries to regain some of his composure. This one has never been a cult leader, but he tries with, "You misunderstand. The void is not about nothingness." What is a void again? "It's about freedom from the constraints that this flawed place imposes on us. It is about unbinding the potential that lies dormant within us that is smothered by the so-called 'order' of this world." He continues to tell the Arkwright through the barrier of the door, "The relic is a catalyst for change. A catalyst for evolution, and with it we can shape the future. I'd like you to join us, not out of fear, but for the chance to be at the forefront of a new era. Where those like us." He decides to put Avi and himself as comrades in thought already... "can bring about the purity of nothingness. The world is bound to decay no matter what. It is just an inevitable decline. All things fall eventually. Nothingness is a blank canvas. It's freedom from the cycle of creation and destruction that entraps all living things. Nothingness brings liberation."
"Is that really the best you can do?" Avi asks, turning his back to lean comfortably against the door between them, arms still crossed. "You want to fling the world and everyone in it into the void to free us from order?" He pauses, then says, with emphasis, "The void is full of giant monsters that devour everything they come across, you forgot to mention that part in your pitch." He shakes his head slowly, before letting it thud back against the door. "Your relic is a glorified handle to a catastrophy-toilet," Avi tells the neophyte. "You want to flush everything away to make way for something new, and expect others to be blinded by the glare of shiny newness and go along with it. Well, I hate to break it to you, but there are plenty of us who are pretty damn attached to what we have. Our lives, our loves, our passions, our beliefs, and hello, do you know how much wardrobe is worth?" Avi frowns incredulously. "And you just want me to let it all slip through my fingers? Yeah, right."
When Avi's frank dismissal is given in response to what the young cultist has said, he's momentarily disoriented again, more than last time. The sharpness of the critique stings, and he shifts uncomfortably as if it were manifesting physically. Held in his right hand is the relic, and he gazes down at it, trying to find some sense of confidence. He gathers his resolve and tries to regain control of the conversation, but his voice carries more frustration than conviction. "The true nature of the void is not about destruction for the sake of destruction, but about liberation from the cyclical torment of existence. Yeah, the void contains what people call horrors, but it also holds freedom. Pain, loss, an endless struggle? Why cling to it so desperately? Beyond the chaos and the darkness, there is a new beginning waiting. We don't seek to end the world out of malice, but out of a deep, compassionate necessity. Think of it not as a catastrophe, but as a reset. Like a chance to correct the inherent flaws of our current reality." Maybe he's brainwashed? "You value your life, your possessions, and your connections. I get it, but there is a future where we are not bound by the past mistakes of humanity. I'm asking for you to join us, not out of fear or despair, but out of hope for what could be. Help us bring about a change that will finally free us all." He doesn't seem to get that Avi is saying 'no.'
"At this point, you're making up problems for a solution that already exists," Avi tells the frustrated cultist with what sounds like pity. The condescending sort, not the helpful sort. "What is the 'end of the world' but a great reset? And it is coming, whether you cast us all into the void or not, that much the prophecies tell us for certain, even if they're a bit sparse on the details of what exactly that entails," he allows. "The past mistakes of humanity are part of our history alongside our triumphs, they've shaped man, from the more powerless infant to the most powerful immortal evils that walk among us," Avi muses. "What are you lacking in this life that you're so eager to start anew? What if that new reality is worse than this one? Would you not just be contributing to the legacy of humanity's fuck-ups? What would your grandmother say?" Avi asks, and by the pause afterwards, it's clear this is not a rhetorical question, and he is truly summoning the conversational spectre of this poor guy's granny to guilt him with.
Granny guilting... "She's dead," the cultist's face falls as he says this in response about the last part, and the reality of Avi's words seem to be striking him harder than any physical blow possibly could. He stands there, silent for a long moment after the confession about his dead grandmother, but the guilt of his grandmother's hypothetical disappointment is definitely weighing heavily on him. "But she raised me, and you're right..." He can barely get out, "She wouldn't approve." With a shaky hand, he slowly loosens his grip on the relic. The object, which had seemed so crucial to his plans, now feels like nothing more than a burdensome token of his very misguided ambitions. The ancient dagger is carved from obsidian, etched with inscrutable runes, and it slips from his grasp, clattering loudly as it hits the floor. His shoulders slump as he stares down at it, the resolve draining from him. The ideological fervor that had fueled him wanes and leaves him empty and uncertain. "What...? What do I do now?"
"Well now is the hard part," Avi says, still leaning against the door. "You've got to throw out what you've been told, and decide for yourself what the next thirteen years, give or take, mean to you. Odds are you're slated to die before the end of the world, but there's talk that meditation, spiritual retreats, taking a break from connectivity and communing with nature, and several other introspection-centered activities can break the hold your own personal tragedy has on you, for a while. And while you're looking into ways to maximize the time you have left, it's up to you to decide what you believe the end of the world will entail." Avi gestures again, despite no one being able to see him. "Is the end of the world just the end of the world as we know it? Some post-apocalyptic, dystopian fight for survival? A reckoning of man by all the gods and spirits worshipped and tossed aside over the eons? Or something else entirely, something unfathomable? These are the mysteries worth pondering, and never ignore the voice in the back of your head that asks whether granny raised you to be a man, or a coward. And if you're not a coward, you'll face the coming end, not throw it into the maw of the void."
Overwhelmed by this turn of events, the poor young cultist is shaken, but stands motionless outside of the door, staring down at the fallen relic still. Avi's words have struck a deep chord, and the guilt of his actions, combined with his grandmother's certain disapproval, engulfs him. With a sharp inhale, his gaze lifts from the obsidian dagger and fixes on a wall. There's fear, regret, but also a budding determination as he takes in what Avi is telling him now. "You're right," he decides in a trembling voice. "I've been following orders without questioning, and caught up in something that felt larger than life, but forgetting..." He makes a 'tch' sound as his tongue presses at the roof of his mouth and the back of upper front teeth, expressing his disbelief over his own self. "Forgetting the value of the life that I have... the lives we all have. I need to think... Uh... Figure out who I am without this." There is no move to retrieve the relic that he most likely took without permission. "I think the relic needs to be somewhere safe. Somewhere it cannot be used for harm, so I'll leave it to you. I--I'm sorry for all of this, and thank you for reminding me of what's really important." His tone is sincere, and all of his former ideological fervor has been replaced with a humble tone seeking redemption.
"I believe in you, bro," Avi says. "Like, these are crazy times, and we're all going to struggle, but make sure you've got people in your life that don't suck and won't steer you wrong. I'll make sure the relic is handled, you don't have to worry about that at all," he assures the young man. "Do me a favor and lock the door behind you - I haven't seen your face so you don't need to worry about retribution this time, but it's a one-time pass. If you ever break into my place again, there will be an infinity of repercussions," he further promises. "Now, get out of here, and go your life to the fullest. It's the world's gift to you and you deserve every bit of it."
Quite easily, Avi defeated the two minions who simply flickered away into nothing when the cultist got too flustered and was unable to maintain his power. He also managed to convert the young man out of The Black Flame, and got some heartfelt responses when bringing up the poor dude's deceased grandmama. The weight of his actions and the direction of his life feel heavy upon his shoulders, and he pauses outside the door as he listens to Avi. Another deep breath is taken in, and the young man reflects on the gravity of his decision to abandon the dark path he had been following. There's a new sense of clarity and purpose as he steps away, ready to leave behind the malevolent energies and the chaos he once sought to unleash. Left with the relic that the now former cultist dropped onto the floor, the Arkwright would be able to feel its power if he takes touches it. This is the sort of object that should be destroyed, rather than kept around, otherise the rest of the cult will be hunting it down and seeking to use it to complete their nefarious plan. These are, indeed, crazy times, but they are a little less crazy here in Avi's home now that the cultist is turning away and letting himself out of the house. One last gracious claim of, "Thank you!" is called out as he exits the home and trots off down the street.