middaeg | [open] 🔶 it's a sad, sad situation

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[open] 🔶 it's a sad, sad situation

Who: Ferran & YOU
When: Iuneril
Where: Aefenglom (the river somewhere, the haven, aristocratic district)
What: Teleportation mishaps, accidental traps, and disguised run-ins (with bonus bad decisions) + any closed threads. Possibly more! Only time will tell.
Warnings: n/a

A. 2nd

[Although Ferran had felt an inclination towards building shapes for some time, it wasn't too out of the ordinary... being a hopeful architect and all. What was odd, initially, was the inclination towards one specific shape, which admittedly took some time to realize the reasoning behind, but the request from the company of native fairies the other month only solidified the idea, and although teleportation certainly sounds amazing, there are so many things that could go wrong:

What if he doesn't go to the right place? How does it transport him? Can something else happen to someone aside from being misplaced? What if his particles don't get put back together correctly??? And so, he decided he needed to fully comprehend the technique before giving it any serious attempts.

It's taken some time, but now he feels confident enough to transport an actual person, rather than the simple, replacable objects he'd been using for his tests—himself, that is. He's had a few mishaps, losing a few pencils and blocks in the process, but he's ready to make the jump. He thinks.

The first couple of tries go well enough, being only a short distance from each other. But the third?

He ends up in the river.

Of course, it's a much better outcome than landing himself in the Wilde, especially given that he's always been a decent swimmer, moth wings or no. It is, however, an unpleasant surprise, and he ends up taking in a bit of water, possibly making his emergence on the surface a little alarming with the way he coughs to clear his lungs.]

Jesus— [hack] Christ, [he gasps, paddling just enough to stay on the surface.

If he doesn't catch someone's attention immediately, he'll definitely end up resorting to calling out to whoever's nearby—not necessarily because he needs rescue, but in the hopes of making his exit from the water much less messy.]

Hey!

B. 3rd-7th

[It's fine this time, though. He's got it sorted out, a circle set up just inside his yard's shrubs and the other halfway across town. He's made a successful trip from here and back. It's working, and as long as he concentrates and keeps them up, he's confident they'll continue for however long he holds them together. He's making progress!

Brushing his hands (and a bit of accidental fae dust) over the construct, he looks up and happens to spot a passerby, who he greets with a smile.]

Hello there.

[He's in a good mood, apparently.]

Where are you headed? I might be able to get you there faster.

[What he doesn't realize is that he might end up getting them absolutely nowhere and stuck for some time. Fae magic isn't known for its reliability, and it's nearly as fickle as its users without enough experience.]

C. 4th-9th

[A tall, dark-haired man makes his first appearances in the aristocratic district this month, claiming to be from Dorchacht and gathering what information he can about the local politicians (aka nobility) and their tendencies. He's polite and subdued, frequently with a mild smile on his face, winning over at least a few locals with his looks, deep voice and pleasant demeanor.

When the man stops speaking with someone, however, the smile fades fairly quickly, and he seems to be in a hurry to retreat when he turns and knocks into someone with much less force than his size would imply.]

Ah, excuse me.

[In reailty, the man is in fact a young Fae who's completely concealed himself under the glamor of his guardian and the source of most of his troubles. Is this healthy? Probably not. Does he care? ... well, yes, but that doesn't mean he's not going to do it. Rion's persona is perfect for gathering information: he's charismatic in a number of ways, and Ferran knows his face, mannerisms and voice incredibly well, making him easy to imitate and remain constant. Plus, if he ends up saying or doing the wrong thing, it's less likely to paint a target on his own fluffy back, and he won't feel bad for ruining any reputations.

(Wouldn't that be fun, if the man showed up only to have everyone already hate him? It would almost make such a development bearable.)

In his hurry, he doesn't notice that he drops a golden quill, which looks valuable even outside of its enchantment and sentimental value. Hopefully whoever he's run into will be kind enough to try to return it to him...]

Wildcard.

[OOC: Feel free to play with these prompts as you please; jump in halfway, interrupt him, whatever! You can see Ferran's info and current goings-on over here and hit me up over pm or at

lumieresdedragon to plot something else out! Or just toss me a starter out of the blue! I love surprises!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ It does make sense that Zack would have been drawn more to other chimera, but he is a little surprised when Ferran admits he hasn't met any of the others. Now they're not here, so it all becomes a moot point. Are there any other Mirrorbound chimera left other than him? He has no idea.

Watching as Ferran tries to tame his hair, Zack feels compelled to do the same, carefully tucking a few feathers into their correct position. Smoothing them into place does help him to feel a little better. ]

I can at least get some height with them, but I don't think I can fly quite like a harpy or dragon could. I haven't actually practiced yet, though, so that's going on the list.

[ A pause, and winks playfully. ]

Hopefully it doesn't end with me falling into a river.

[Ferran shrugs with an exasperated sigh, just barely keeping himself from rolling his eyes. You mess up one portal...]

Flying's useful, so I recommend figuring it out sooner rather than later.

[It's a struggle to say the Fae likes any of the changes he's undergone, especially when Witch magic would serve just as well for the few upsides, but he can't deny the practicality.]

It's nice not having to figure out what roads to take to get somewhere, for one.

[ There's really no denying that being able to fly would be amazing, and there's plenty of useful applications that Zack can think of pretty much right away. Naturally, what first comes to mind is how he could get around in battle.

Those wings... I want them, too.

Who could have thought his wish would come true like this? ]

You're right. [ He gives a firm nod, as if he's come to a decision about it, before pointing a finger in Ferran's direction. ] How did you learn? [ Those fae wings look so delicate. It's hard to imagine they could really carry a full-grown adult. Then again, magic. ]

Very carefully.

[Even in the moon-fueled state been in when he'd first practiced, he started small; he's not particularly inclined towards breaking his neck for no good reason, chaotic Fae instincts or no.]

I guess it's like most physical things... you have to work up to it and learn how it feels.

[His wings are a significant size compared to some other Fae, but yeah—it's probably magic. He tries not to think too hard about it.]

[ Zack laughs at that initial answer. That much is obvious, really. As foolhardy and willing to jump into the action as he can be at times, he also has no intention of breaking his neck or his back or anything else.

So, start slow. Learn what he's capable of, and then work up to the more dangerous or risky tasks. He can do that. ]

Makes sense! [ With a grin, he lifts a hand and clamps it down on Ferran's shoulder, gripping it in what's meant to be a friendly and grateful gesture. ] Thanks for the advice.

[ Slowly but surely, the sun's drying them off, which means that they've done enough standing around. ] Now, where were you trying to go before your portal spat you out?

[He's a little surprised by the gesture, but more due to the force of it rather than any aversion to touch.]

Sure. Our wings are different, but... some other things are probably the same, if you need any more.

[Although the smile remains on his face, the way his eyes move gradually to the wall of a shop behind Zack probably displays some of his embarrassment.]

Uh... my neighbor's.

[Their distance from the Haven shows just how well that went.]

[ Their wings are different, and it makes Zack wonder at how much knowledge is really transferable between them. He hasn't put much thought into this whole flying thing until now, but it seems like it's high time that he did some research.

Zack isn't going to give Ferran a hard time over his blunder (more than he already has, that is), already considering how his flying trial-and-error is bound to land him into some sticky situations himself.

He plants his hands on his hips and leans his shoulders forward slightly, offering a friendly grin. ]

Well! If you wanted some company to get there the long way, I'm happy to take a walk with you. Unless you were going to try the portal thing again?

[ Just how determined-slash-reckless is this guy? ]

[Ferran laughs dismissively.]

Oh, no—I'd rather take the scenic route than end up in the forest this time...

[The only time Ferran is reckless is when other people's safety is threatened... although even that has become a much less likely occurrence with the absence of his magic from home. It's harder throwing yourself into danger when you stop being a magical tank...]

I don't mind if you want to come with me, but you must be bored to offer.

[ It's not as if Zack wants to discourage Ferran's portaling practice, but there's also such a thing as too much excitement for one day, probably.

At Ferran's remark, though, one of Zack's eyebrows lifts. ]

You think so? I don't know, having the chance to get to learn more about someone interesting I just met doesn't sound boring at all.

[ He stands akimbo and grins, before stepping forward to stand at Ferran's side. Lead the way, he seems to be saying with a quick forward incline of his head. ]

I wasn't really on my way anywhere, so this is as good a direction to go as any.

[Ferran could describe himself in many ways, but interesting isn't one of them. He shrugs with a smile, turning to walk and expecting Zack to follow.]

I guess I'll take that as a compliment. [He tries once more to get his hair back into place, running his fingers through it in a precise and practiced way. It's still not working, though.] So—what do you do with your time when you're not picking fairies out of rivers?

[ Zack does in fact follow, easily falling into pace at Ferran's side. He's the sort of person who can make friends with someone in a single interaction, and seems utterly unconcerned to be taking a walk with Ferran now. ]

Huh! Well, I guess you could say I style myself as a mercenary, so I take a lot of odd jobs.

[ He glances over his shoulder before remembering he doesn't have his sword with him. Just the wings, which he somehow can still forget are there sometimes. ]

Mostly ones that include monster-hunting. I did a lot of that back home.

The messy kind of work, huh?

[Ferran used to be a monster hunter of a sort, but he wouldn't compare it to what the experience must be like here. For one, there was a lot less blood involved, he's sure. He glances at Zack, trying to get a solid picture of the guy (aka make assumptions).]

How'd you get into that?

[Lower-case-m monsters being common isn't a great circumstance to be living in, and he's honestly grateful he didn't have to encounter creatures like that until recently. ... though it does make him wonder what the difference is between a "monster" and an animal in worlds like Zack's.]

[ The messy kind of work. Yeah, that's not a bad way to describe it. Zack lets out a small breath and nods, and while he has plenty of regrets when it comes to how things turned out because of his decision to join SOLDIER, there's no undoing it.

Better to take the abilities and skills he received as a result of all that and use them on his own terms, now.

At the question, he draws his arms up to fold behind his head even as he continues to walk forward. ]

Well, a war broke out back home, and while I was pretty young when it started, there was this program called SOLDIER that they were trying to recruit kids like me into. Every boy my age dreamed of joining and becoming some kind of hero.

[ Of course Zack realizes now that it had all been propaganda, a way to get willing test subjects, but how could he have known better back then?

He drops his arms and shakes his head to himself. ] Guess I had a knack for it, because I made it to the highest rank in record time. [ For better or worse. ]

[Recruiting kids to fight. Ferran has more than a few personal feelings about the idea, but he understands how easy it could be to get sucked into thinking it's a good idea. He's willing to give Zack the benefit of the doubt, especially since the guy seems so helpful, so he simply nods at first.]

You must have worked hard.

[Talent and knacks only get you so far, after all.]

I'm sure there's no shortage of things like that to do here, huh. Does it all blend together after a while?

You bet I did! Worked my butt off.

[ It had been lots of long hours, lots of practicing late into the night in his dorm room, not to mention all of the grueling training. For all that he'd been treated like some bright-eyed, bushy-tailed kid (and he had been), no one could say that Zack hadn't worked for his rank.

Of course, actually making it to First had actually been pretty anti-climactic due to the circumstances. But the hollow feeling he'd had then doesn't really compare to everything else that came after to disillusion him.

Wrapped up in those thoughts for a moment, he glances over at Ferran as they walk, forced to replay his question in his head to actually process it. ]

How do you mean?

Well, like... [Ferran brings a hand up to scratch his chin.] Does any of the Shade- or beast-fighting make an impression anymore?

[He's thinking in part of his own experiences back home—how every fight was something new and stressful, required a different strategy or better control. But those were pointed attacks, not just animals and aggressive creatures that happened to be wandering around.]

Or is it just something you get through without thinking much about it afterwards?

[ Zack's arms fall back down to his sides as he considers Ferran's question. It's kind of a heavy one, though he's not sure it was meant to be. He doesn't actually mind answering, though, as this is a life he chose. That aspect of his life, anyway. There were plenty of other things that he hadn't agreed to, but that's besides the point. ]

Guess it is kind of like second nature at this point, yeah. Don't gotta think, I just move.

[ There's a pause as he studies the path stretching ahead of them, before he realizes that's not entirely true. ]

The fact that the Shades can infect us, though... that's not something I'm as used to, so I do have to keep it in mind when I jump into a fight.

[ Sure, monsters back home could poison him or even put him to sleep, but those were all temporary side effects. The Cwyld was much, much worse. ]

[Ferran nods his head in understanding. Zack has brought up the major reason he's hesitated to get involved, even if he's willing to put in the work to train without his magic... and try to get past his other qualms with fighting. What's the point in diving into danger to help if you're going to immediately catch the magical plague and put other people at risk? There's a reason Fae are so rare these days, Mirrorbound or no.]

The Cwyld makes everything harder, huh. [He takes in a slow breath and lets it out as a sigh.] I can't imagine growing up in a place like this... always worrying about that kind of thing.

[ To some extent, everyone grew up with problems in their world. Zack doubts that any of the Mirrorbound come from a world that's completely perfect. If it's all you know, you must learn to deal with it, one way or another. The natives of this world have managed despite the encroaching presence of the Cwyld. ]

It's getting better, though, right? We took out that Cwyldheart and we're starting to force the infection out. I think there's still lots of work to do there, but... at least we're starting to see progress.

[ He tilts his head up toward the sky for a moment as a brief smile overtakes his features. Even if there's still work to be done, they're moving in the right direction, and that's what matters. ]

[Although tempted to follow suit and look up to the sky as he considers the idea, Ferran keeps his eyes straight ahead, knowing how quickly he could lose the way if he's not paying attention.

He doesn't know enough about the state of more than just the island to know if they are actually making that much progress. A year ago he might have immediately agreed with the more optimistic outlook Zack seems to be expressing, but as it is he simply decides to keep his less hopeful thoughts out of the conversation. Still, the neutral expression on his face is a sign in itself...]

It'd be nice to see things really recover.

[All of his research and reading haven't given him a frame of reference for what that would look like, and even the dreamscape that reflected a distant past was less than ideal. Still, without the Fae around to ruin everything... it would work out alright if they did manage, he thinks.]

[ It would be nice. More than nice, even, given that this world is all Zack's got left now and he'd like to leave it in a better state than how he found it, if it's going to be a part of his future. If Aerith manages to stay here too, they could even enjoy a life together here. While he knows that's a lot to hope for, especially with the rate that people disappear from this place, he can't help but get wistful about it sometimes.

His only response is a firm nod as he lets their conversation taper off, enjoying the companionable silence as their walk continues. Before he knows it, Ferran indicates that they've reached the neighbor's place that marks his final destination. ]

Oh! See, going the long way isn't always so bad, is it? [ He shoots Ferran a grin. ] It was good meeting you. Hopefully we'll run into each other again sometime.

[ Given how many Mirrorbound have left, Zack finds it all the more important to get to know those who are still here. ]

[Ferran has plenty to think about, so even if he wouldn't have argued with further conversation, he feels no need to force it. The quiet company is nice, though he he is surprised that Zack is willing to let it go on for so long... Then again, he guesses he has a tendency to assume things about people.

He's not complaining, either way. When they reach his destination, he leaves the Chimera with a smile and a wave, wondering if that next meeting will even happen.]

Until then. Thanks again, and take care.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[open] 🔶 it's a sad, sad situation

shhhh i saw nothing

at least it was only italics instead of small tags...

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gonna wrap this up since we have a new one!

o7