middaeg | [Closed] September & October Catch-all

[ Frankly, this night isn't going at all like Felix expected.

He knows only hearsay about what happened in Dorchacht, but he'd seen the results of the unrest amongst Morganna's loyalists during the last festival. He should have known that bubbling pot would boil over eventually, and boil it has, violently so.

So Felix fights. And fights. And sheds blood, but his blades can only do so much against so many foes, especially against the undead.

So he snarls, and balls his fist, and tries to call upon the power of his other, more beastly half. It works in fits and starts. One moment he has the claws, or the fur, or the teeth, and can lash out, closing his jaws on a yielding throat. The next, he loses his grip on the transformation, and he's himself again, fighting tooth and nail with only a sword to draw his blood.

He's flagging visibly when he rounds on yet another foe, his blade driving for a throat—only to catch a whiff of Aefenglom's particular lingering scent, different from Dorchacht's, which draws him up short, staring at the man in front of him. ]

You—

[ Not sleeping, doesn't smell of death or the peculiar stink of the Wilde.

Slowly, Felix lowers his blade, exhaling sharply. ]

—are not one of hers. My apologies.

Edited 2020-09-24 02:57 (UTC)

[ Dorchacht has been plunged into utter chaos.

It's hardly Zack's first time in the middle of a battlefield. If all they had to worry about were mindless monsters who were too far gone to save, that would have been one thing, but he's starting to realize that some of Morgana's army are acting against their own will. Zack has no idea if there's a way to snap them out of it, but he hasn't had any luck so far.

Between that complication and all of the people passed out in the streets, it's hard to know where to focus his efforts. Does he carry the people who've passed out inside in hopes that it'll be safer for them there? Or does he cut down the necromancers and the creatures they've brought with them in hopes of driving them back out of the city?

Zack's taking it one moment at a time, letting his instincts drive him based on what's right in front of him. He's got Organics out, managing to carry the huge, wickedly-shaped broadsword in one hand. It's as he darts around a corner that he almost runs right into someone, and when a much thinner blade comes right for his throat, he leaps back to put space between himself and the stranger -- just in time to avoid getting sliced open.

Thankfully, they identify that they're actually on the same side before anything terrible happens. Zack heaves out a breath and nods to confirm. ]

We might get more done if we team up. Come on!

[ And with that he keeps running, not wanting to waste any time in his search for someone to either help or fight. ]

Wait—

[ Oh. And he's gone. Felix would argue that point, that he's better off by himself, but he's not been given the option, and... hell, there he goes, the man's going to get himself killed.

Felix growls low under his breath and sprints after him, deciding he may as well make sure that doesn't happen.

It's an ugly mockery of a real fight, what with the dead being used as shambling weapons against them. As quickly as he knocks a skeleton down, it's back up again, and the only way to stop it is to rob it of its limbs—or its puppetmaster. Fortunately, this isn't the first band of necromancers he's gone toe to toe with here. This time, he knows how to handle them, and already he's running through scenarios, picking out the living targets among the dead. ]

Do you even have a plan? Or were you just going to keep swinging until they stop attacking?

[ Felix shouts over the noise, kicking a rotten corpse away as it lunges at him. Admittedly, with that—frankly unwieldy looking, but suprisingly effective—giant of a blade, it's not the worst plan. Damn thing certainly gives him a hell of a reach, where Felix has to focus on quick-moving, focused precision strikes. ]

Look. Do you see the necromancers? The ones who are still alive.

[ Three, dotted at the epicenter of their own individual mobs of dead things, pulling the strings. ]

[ The way Zack sees it, there's not really any time to stand around and talk out a plan, not when the city is overrun. They can figure it out as they go. Maybe it also comes down to the simple fact that he's still getting used to the novelty of not having any orders to follow. He can handle situations like this the way that seems best to him, rather than having to follow Shinra's will.

Maybe one day that novelty will wear off, but today is not that day.

Besides, it's not like what he said was wrong. Between the large cleaves that he can dole out with Organic and the more precise strikes that the other Mirrorbound follows up with, they do manage to thin some of the undead horde. At least enough that they can pick out the people who are controlling them.

When the stranger-turned-partner points this out, Zack stops in his swinging for long enough to turn and look, making a note of what they the necromancers are wearing, along with their facial features. ]

Until we stop them, these things are just gonna keep coming, right?

[ He's figured out that much, anyway. After slicing through the ribcage of yet another skeleton, Zack heaves the blunt edge of his blade up to rest across his shoulders for a moment. ]

Unless you've got a better plan, we're gonna have to cut a path through to them.

That's the idea.

[ He picks up fast. Good. Felix draws a straight line with his pointing finger to the centermost of the necromancers relative to their position, target already selected. ]

We take that one first. That splits the other two up so they can't rush in to help each other. From there, I'll take the one on the left.

[ His eyes flicker over the blade settled on Zack's shoulders, indulging in a brief moment of curiosity. It's heavy, and huge, but the man wields it like it weighs no more than an ordinary blade.

Impressive. And not the first time he's met someone capable of such feats in this world. ]

Takes a lot of strength to wield a blade that large. Let's see you put it to good use.

[ He doesn't wait—he dives into the fray, swinging hard into the first shambling corpse he meets, drawing on the scant power of the moons waxing available to him now. His teeth buzz; his nails ache as they try to transform. Hopefully it'll be enough. ]

[ The first time he'd dreamt of the world of Geardagas, he'd entered this world as a shadow of what he would eventually become. This time...

He wonders if this time will be much the same.

This time, he's a wolf. But not the hunched beast on two paws he's been these past few months, no—now he is a wolf in truth, loping through the mists on four legs, dark as shadowed city that makes for the backdrop of this dream.

And he's not alone.

It's easy to change, here. He's a man at first, but then he starts to see things out of the corner of his eye, hear them at the edges of his awareness—shifting shadows, or the glint of light along the edge of a blade, or the sound of leather boots padding lightly alongside him.

The hairs on the back of his neck prickle, and he begins to jog, but the shadow keeps pace. The next moment, he's a wolf, running faster, and still the shadows keep pace.

He doesn't know how long he runs, through sights familiar and not. Minutes, perhaps. Or hours. Time moves strangely in dreams.

The next corner he rounds, she's there, the one point of golden color in this dreary expanse of darkness. He skids to a halt, stumbling on legs still unlearned, and then the next moment he's a man again, grabbing onto her shoulder for balance. ]

This was a bad idea. This dream... it's not like the others.

Edited 2020-09-24 02:24 (UTC)

[ The dream is dark. It's full of mist and strange sounds and Saber is on her guard. She's a little different here than she is in the waking world - more feathers, more fur, more of a monster than she looks. She is alone, lost, wandering, trying to find something or someone. She isn't quite sure and Saber can only go around corners and down darkened streets, seeing little flickers of movement in the shadows that never quite resolve into anything solid.

There's the sound of footsteps, muted by the fog and the dream, and then there's a dark figure grasping onto her. She sways, draws back as if to attack-

And realizes who it is. ]

Felix-

[ She frowns, re-centering herself. ]

It's certainly different. Darker and certainly not as welcoming. Are you hurt?

[ He steadies himself quickly, eyes darting furtively about the street, more anxious than usual. Something isn't right, but all he has to go on is his instincts telling him that. ]

No—

[ The harsh sound of steel ringing against the cobblestones is unmistakeable, making his ears shoot upright but it comes from everywhere and nowhere and no matter where he looks, he can't pinpoint the source. ]

—Not yet, anyway. But I think I'm being followed. Come on.

[ He gives her a tug on the arm and takes off jogging down the street, assuming she'll follow. At least he's not alone, now. He takes some small comfort in that. ]

They said we're supposed to bring back something from this dream... but I haven't seen a damn thing that looks like we could take it with us.

[ The sound of steel on stone makes her stiffen as well, head turning one way and then another as she tries to find the source of the sound. She doesn't like this. Every instinct she has is screaming at her to move and so she's happy enough to fall in alongside Felix, moving through the fog. ]

Have you seen anyone?

[ She keeps her hand on her sword. At least she still has that. ]

Nor have I, honestly. Just... fog. It's disconcerting. Like there's someone there that I cannot quite see...

[ Felix isn't fully paying attention, focused on the scents and sounds his senses yield him, trying to get a read on their would-be stalker. It takes him a moment to respond, inhaling slowly, shaking his head. ]

I've only seen you. Other than that... shapes, shadows. Nothing concrete.

[ There's a glow around the bend up ahead that might be what they're looking for, but as they round the corner...

There is, indeed, a glow of crystallized something stacked in a shop window to the left side of the street, but in the center stands a dark, vaguely human figure, light bending impossibly around it so that it stands silhouetted against the fog, features shrouded in shadow and indistinguishable.

The shape of it, though, is unmistakeably like his own—the way it's built, the way it stands, the way it holds a blade.

All the color abruptly drains from Felix's face, and he changes direction, sprinting to the opposite corner without turning. The shadow doesn't advance, nor does it retreat; it stands there, still as stone, watching them. ]

Don't look at it. We can't go that way. We'll have to go around the back.

[ Saber follows in his footsteps as he speaks, alert and gazing into the shadows. She's not quite sure who might be following them or what threats lurk in the shadows, but it can't be anything good. Not in a dream like this. It's threatening and ominous-

She comes to a halt as he does, glancing ahead to see the thing silhouetted against the light and fog. Her sword comes up, wings flaring as she prepares to defend herself. And then Felix turns to run and she's left staring for a moment before she turns to follow. She hurries to catch up, feet clattering against the cobblestones. ]

What is it? What are we fleeing from?

[ A pause as she draws a breath. ]

Felix - I need to know what we face!

[ Felix rounds on her, fists balling, ready to snap at her to stop asking questions. A flare of temper, fueled not by anger but fear. But he falters, fingers curling and uncurling, catching himself at the last second—it's not her fault. She has reason to fear, too, not knowing what, or who pursues them.

He grits his teeth for a long moment, taking several deep breaths, trying to find his equilibrium again It's only so much help. Eventually he slumps against the shopfront glass, dragging a hand down his face. ]

...My brother. Or a facsimile of him. And if it's anything like the real one, my better with a blade—I'm no match, and neither are you.

I was without peer in my own time, but... I will take your word for it regarding him. If you say we should not confront him, I will follow your advice.

[ There's a beat. A hesitation. Then she reaches out to lay a hand against his shoulder. ]

I am ready to assist you, though. In whatever way I can.

[ She's not good at emotions, but even she can tell that this is apparently taking a lot out of him. ]

[ Felix flinches. It's an involuntary reaction, keyed up as he is by the circumstances, haunted by the potential for a fight he doesn't think he can win.

Only for a moment, though. His eyes flicker over her face, and eventually he relaxes. She may not be good at emotions, but she's good enough at them for Felix, and for once he doesn't feel like refusing help. ]

...Thank you, Saber. Truly.

[ A breathless exhale, and then his eyes dart in the direction they were already traveling. ]

We're here for the crystals, not a fight. Our first step should be to search for a back entrance to the shop. Agreed?

[ Saber nods wordlessly at his expression of thanks. If he wants to talk about it later, they can. Right now, they need action. No time to deal with broken pasts. Not just yet. She follows his gaze, stride lengthening out again. ]

Agreed. I think we'll need to turn up here - there ought to be an alleyway-

[ And there is. Dark, ominous, full of fog. Very difficult to see down. Which seems typical of this dream so far. ]

I can't hear anything. Do you smell anyone...?

[ Might as well use that nose to their advantage. ]

[ Felix frowns at the fog down the alleyway, and lifts his chin to scent the air, but nothing carries—only the vague, cloying smell of damp in the air that his mind expects. ]

No... but I didn't smell anyone before, either. Whatever it is, it doesn't have a scent. We'll have to be careful.

[ So saying, he draws his blade, creeping down the alleyway until he finds what seems to be the back door to the shop.

When he tries the knob, he finds it unlocked, which makes the hairs on the back of his neck prickle uneasily. ]

This feels too simple...

Perhaps. But we don't have a choice but to press on, do we?

[ There's a grim set to her lips, her shoulders. Bracing for the plunge. Ready for this to explode into sudden violence. ]

Shall we?

[ Her sword gleams in the darkness and she nods at him, poised at the door for his signal. ]

[ Felix nods at her in turn, and without another word, opens the door and slips inside.

Though Felix is sure the shop would be pristine in real life, in this dream, he finds everything covered in a layer of dust that comes off thick on his fingers when he runs them along the countertop. He grimaces. Glass display cases line the walls, full of tarnished necklaces, earrings, and bracelets inlaid with glimmering stones. A jewelry store.

Front and center, set on raised pedestals inside one of the cases, are the crystals. ]

Let's just grab these and—

[ The hairs on the back of his neck prickle a warning, a split second before the front window explodes inward.

This Glenn, or the spectre of him, is all shadow that seems to crawl along the walls, the ceiling, dimming even the lights outside—but his blade is solid enough, ringing harshly as Felix brings his own up to meet it.

Steel. He catches a brief glimpse of the pommel—a wolf, with the mane of a lion—wait, what?

No time to think. He barks at Saber, without taking his eyes off the spectre steadily beating him back across the floorboards, each blow ringing harshly against his own blade, rattling his teeth. ]

Get the crystals!

[ She's cautious as they enter, gaze flitting around the darkened store. It seems quiet. Perhaps too much so. Calm after the moments of panic and fear a short while ago. It can't be that easy, can it? She follows to the cases, sword half-raised, and then there's a moment of violence and shattering glass and Saber ducks to avoid the splinters of glass, one arm raised to shield her eyes.

The clash of steel brings her back upright and she catches a glimpse of Felix locked in combat with the shade - whomever it might be. She takes a step forward to help and then remembers their object. She grits her teeth and turns back to the case, using the pommel of her sword to smash the glass in and begins collecting crystals as quickly as she can. ]

How long can you hold him?

[ She calls out over her shoulder. This shouldn't take too long - but seconds count in fights like this. ]

[ Felix grinds his teeth together, baring them in a fanged snarl at the specter, as they trade blows back and forth at a brutal pace. He has to adjust his footing, moving himself in a circle to avoid being backed up against the far wall and promptly skewered.

It's Glenn. It's so obviously Glenn, conjured by his nightmares—but the more they fight, the more Felix starts to notice little things about this false Glenn's footwork that are off.

And it fights dirty. He ducks a swing at his head that ignites a hot line of fire in its wake as it nicks his left ear, and before he can recover it kicks him in the stomach, sending him smashing into the display case diretly adjacent to Saber's. ]

As long as you need me to— [ he snaps. He was never able to win against Glenn, not in the past, and even now he struggles. ] —and not a second longer!

[ Crystal after crystal. Handfuls of them. She wants nothing more than to turn and fight, to launch into this right alongside Felix. But that's not her role here, not now, and as much as she hates it she needs to stick to her part. A few more and then she turns back in time to see Felix slam into the case next to her. Her wings flare slightly and then tuck back in. ]

I'm almost finished. Give me ten seconds, Felix. That's all.

[ Her lips are pursed, expression grim. ]

Then we can get out of here.

[ Felix nods, picking himself up out of the pieces of the display case, and launches himself at the shadow. They clash. They part. They clash again, and lock blades, and Felix presses close with all his strength. He can do this. He doesn't have to win; he only has to buy her time.

They are nearly face to face when the shadows peel back from his opponent's visage, and Felix realizes: it's not Glenn.

He's fighting himself.

Felix has only a moment to register this, jolting in alarm, and then his other self manifests an aegis out of its own nightmarish form and slams it into him with enough force to rattle his teeth and send him skidding across the floor.

When he manages to sit up, he's bleeding from a point where one sharp fang pierced his lower lip. ]

Change of plans.

[ He wipes a trickle of blood from his lip and then spits it onto the floor, staggering to his feet and lifting his blade overhead, pointed directly at the specter. ]

Help me kill this thing. We can get those later.

[ She's just finished stuffing more of the crystals into her pockets when she hears the clatter and clash and she whirls again to stare, sword rising as Felix goes skidding across the ground. She glances at him, but barely takes her eyes off of the shadow that they're facing. She can't deny being confused. Why face this thing now? What's changed? She doesn't know the history behind any of this.

But if Felix will fight, she'll fight with him. She moves to his side, blade leveled in a guard position. She tracks the shade's movements, lips press together, wings spread slightly (almost protectively) to half-cover Felix.

Look, it's what she does. ]

I'm with you.

[ And she leaps forward to the attack, sword extended in a thrust. The shade parries and darts back before leaping forward for a counter-attack. The fight is on. ]

[ Red.

Red. It's all he can see, all he can feel, clouding his mind like a thick haze as the twin crimson moons draw his eyes upward, catching him in their thrall. Felix isn't sure at what point he starts to shift—all he knows is that the world starts to fuzz out at the edges, and the voices around him feel muted, almost as if underwater compared to the hammering of his own heartbeat in his ears.

And that's loud and clear. As is, minutes or hours later, the sound of his own deep snarl as he parts his canine jaws and his lips peel back from two rows of sharp teeth.

He'd forgotten what this felt like. He hated it before. Now? He's too far out of his own head to care.

Fully a wolf now, Felix rounds on the scent of the nearest prey animal—rabbit, good for chasing, rending, killing—and stalks toward her, hackles up, teeth bared. They made it through the maze together, but he doesn't even recognize her face now.

And from the tiny pinpricks of his pupils, the flat look in his eyes, Felix may not even recognize himself anymore. ]

[ The moons have brought out a slightly more monstrous appearance for Sylvia herself. Her front teeth are larger, pointier and her nails have turned razor sharp. Patches of fur can be seen on the backs of her hands -- the only visible sign of it, given that she's wearing a jacket and long pants.

Sylvia had just made it out of that stupid maze, minding her own business when the transformation happened. But unlike Felix, she's not looking for blood. She's looking to play.

She's hiding behind a tree, waiting for anyone to come by for the opportunity to strike...but it seems like someone's already beating her to the punch, judging by the sound of footsteps behind her. She turns around and sees a wolf. Hungry. At this...she looks at him, pupils dilated without any hint of recognition.

And instead of freezing or fleeing, she takes on a fighting stance. Let's see what you've got, boy. ]

[ He may not be himself right now, but even a beast recognizes a fighting stance for what it is, and so his ears flick back flat against his skull, snarling rising in volume.

He drops low, nearly on all fours, and stalks to her left—slow, measured steps, circling, testing her resolve, hunting for an opening.

One clawed hand rakes the dirt, a warning—and then he lunges, feinting at her flank, barking, jaws snapping.

Will she flinch? Stand her ground? Take the bait and attack? Yet another test, prodding her for any trace of fear he can use to his advantage. ]

[ As soon as he lunges towards her, Sylvia's body moves on its own, pure instinct and feeling taking over. Going feral means that fighting takes precedence over freezing or fleeing -- and she, indeed, takes the bait and attacks.

She jumps and raises her knee, using the power in her legs to try to knee him square in the jaw.

And if she does, indeed, miss, then Felix will be able to overpower her easily. ]

[Closed] September & October Catch-all

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