middaeg | [Closed] September & October Catch-all

[ 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. ]

[Closed] September & October Catch-all

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