middaeg | [closed] and should the sky be filled with fire and smoke

[They had agreed on a date a few weeks back on when Viren and Zack could get together to do some basic combat training. They had no idea that this month was going to start out fairly cold and with a lot of snowfall. The snow and cold has never really bothered Zack before seeing as he come from a rather cold backwater town growing up and his chimera blood seems to keep him fairly insulated but can the same thing be said for his other monster friend?]

How you doing?

[They’re outside of Zack’s cottage right now. In the yard where there is more space to move and maneuver and teach. The snow is falling fairly lightly at this very moment and the sun is up with a simple overcast but who knows when the temperatures will dip even more. Zack crosses his arms over his chest.]

There’s not much in the house so we can probably move inside if we need to.

Edited 2019-12-04 03:46 (UTC)

[He’s heard through the grapevine that some people have left this world again. More people with more holes in their bonds and lives they’ve built here. It’s hard to deal and even if he should be happy that those people are getting the chance to return home, he can’t help but feel a little envious?

Zack decides to find Caren that day. He needs to keep his mind off things and one of his first choices is checking on Caren and seeing how she’s dealing recently too. When he finds her he grins and raises his hand to say hello.]

Caren, yo.

[There are several downsides to not having an established bond for a few months. It leaves Zack feeling like there’s something hollow inside of him. And it makes him itch when he’s near other witches. The worst part is probably the fitful sleeps and the way his body burns when the moons get closer.

He has to do something to tide him over until he can decide on someone he can trust to bond with him. And that means he seeks out Elliot for something temporary. He goes to where Elliot lives and knocks on the door.]

Elliot, it’s Zack. I need to ask you something.

[Luckily, Elliot was home and near enough to the door to be the one to answer. No having to explain to the other people from Elliot's world what he was doing here.

Elliot himself is not sure why he is, but it's not like him to turn away a friend who needs help so he'll open the door and hear him out]

Hey Zack. What's up?

Zack.

[Prompto had been quick to spread the word that two friends from his world was gone. There were more then them gone, and while she wasn't sure how to feel about them most of the time-she didn't know how to deal with having her bond broken.

She'd been sitting on a Haven rooftop- it was easier to just give into the urges now-but seeing Zack, she moved to the edge, legs dangling. She wasn't the most energetic person, but even now-her newly aquired fox-like ears, her wings- even her body seemed a little limp.]

Apologies for being up here like this. I wasn't expecting company.

[ viren gives him a tiny little glare at the incredibly innocuous question ("how do you think i'm doing??"). wearing a long black coat, he's bundled to his throat, his arms held tight at his sides. his teeth click together. ]

I'm...

[ this is cold. he honestly looks like some dark, broody, shivering beanstalk. his shoulders hunch. he thinks he can feel every snowflake that dusts against his exposed face; some hit his nose, catch in his eyebrows and beard. pathetic. snowflakes, they're pathetic. this is pathetic. ]

—inside is fine.

[ whatever... that's supposed to mean. ]

[ Considering that Aqua's living with Ven and Kairi, she doesn't hesitate to do what shopping that needs to be done. It isn't far too different from her chores at home - she would often take care of whatever she could.

Though, she can't deny that the recently owned store catches her attention. She looks to inside of the store from the window before deciding to go inside--

Only for the mistletoe to catch her attention. ]

... I've never seen a plant like this before.

[Zack raises a hand and waves.]

Yo! Hm.

[It's probably pretty strange that a fully transformed chimera needs to ask something like this. He was lucky enough to have a bond for nearly a full straight six months and now...]

I was wondering if I could ask you to bond with me. [...] Temporarily. Again.

[Zack cranes his neck to look up at her and he gives a small shrug. It's a pretty normal sight for their kind to be up in high places it seems. Zack will just have to join her in a minute or two.]

Looks comfy up there. But you look like you're brooding about something.

[Because isn't that what people do on rooftops?]

Want some company?

[Strange, maybe. But really what part of Elliot's life ISN'T strange]

A temporary bond again?

[He wasn't expecting this]

Well, sure - did your old bond leave?

[Zack almost snorts. He gets the picture loud and clear. So he goes to Viren and slaps him on the shoulder and then heads for the front door of the rustic looking cottage.]

Alright, get in here! Before you freeze your ass off.

[Entering the cottage it's fairly empty with pretty much the bare necessities to living. A table with two chairs, a kitchen with a few pots and pans and things and a gas stove, two bedrooms on either side of the living space and some stairs to a second-floor presumably to a third bedroom and a washroom. It looks barely lived in.]

Sorry, no witch here to get this place instantly heated, though.

[Zack isn't usually one to buy gifts for people. He feels like he's pretty shit at making those sorts of decisions. But the new shop opening up has a lot of hustle and bustle so he decides to at least check it out. He's not really expecting it to be as fancy as it is. And he's not expecting to see Aqua here either.]

Aqua, hey. Fancy seeing you here.

[He glances up at the strange-looking plant.]

What is it? Some sort of witch charm?

[Zack scratches the back of his head sheepishly.]

Yeah, he's been gone for about a month now. It's starting to ... uh.

[Make him itch and feel depressed TIME TO SMILE--]

It'll just be for a bit, that's cool, right?

Oh, I'm sorry to hear that Zack....

[He never knew Zack's bond, but it's always sad to hear someone important leave his friend's lives]

Yeah, that's cool with me. Though... [Boy, he bites his lip] There's probably something you should know before getting into a bond with me again.

[Zack shrugs easily. It happens to a lot of people so Zack doesn't really feel right about complaining.]

Hm? What's that?

Well...

[How to sum this up quickly]

The past few months, I've been investigating what happens to the severe cases of Cwyld in the Coven's infirmary. And I've hit a lucky break where they might let me into the basement area, but...first I have build up a resistance to Cwyld.

[...]

So I might be...slightly infected right now.

Oh shit?

[Zack looks surprised but honestly Elliot's work with trying to figure out more about cwyld and everything behind it has always been good work. Zack doesn't seem too phased by it. Maybe because... He pulls down the collar of his shirt to expose part of his shoulder. There's a bandaged puncture wound there. The tell-tale signs of some black lines of cwyld seeping out from under the bandage.]

I'm healing from a hit myself, right now. It's not bad, though. It shouldn't make much of a difference. Unless the infection somehow messes with both sides of the bond?

[ZACK. WHY. Elliot's eyes widen and he immediately goes into fretting mode]

Wha- Zack! That looks bad! Are you okay?!

Please tell me you've been to a healer!

Yeah, yeah. Don't worry about it.

[He lifts an arm to show Elliot that he's mostly okay. Shrug shrug. See? He's fine. Mostly! It's just a scratch!]

It's not as bad as it looks. Just ran into a feisty creature out in the wilde. But what about you? Are you gonna be okay? That's a long way to go for research, Elliot.

[He knows Elliot is a smart cookie but to willingly try to build up a resistance to a dark magic disease? It's Hojo levels of dedication but with more honour.]

Zack.

[ Aqua feels her heart leap in her chest. The last time she'd seen him was on their date. The memory of it all still felt so vivid to her.

She looks back to the plant, shaking her head. ]

I don't know. ... I'm a little surprised you don't recognize it.

[ He's been here much longer than she has. ]

It could be a plant that's also native to the shopkeeper's world.

[He is not reassured!!!]

Yeah, I'll be alright. The friends I live with are keeping an eye on me to make sure it doesn't go wrong. [He's being careful!!!] And if it means I'll be closer to finding the people who've disappeared from outside the wall, it's worth the risk.

[Being infected wasn't pleasant, but it was nothing compared to what his students might be going through]

But really Zack, I'd feel better if you'd let me take a look at it. I know how to treat small cases of Cwyld now.

[He hasn't seen much mistletoe anywhere and who knows if this sort of plant even exists or not in his own homeworld. Zack peers at it and he can't seem to sense any magic on it? At least for now?]

Yeah, maybe. It seems pretty popular around here, though. I wouldn't be surprised if it was some sort of charm.

[He glances at her and smiles a bit. It's nice to run into her like this.]

[ She smiles at that. ]

From what I know, this is a time for cheer for a lot of the people from another world. This could be a part of that.

[ She doesn't realize that what she had just said had been overheard by someone else. They stop then, glancing at the both of them with a rather quizzical look. ]

You don't know? It's tradition to kiss under the mistletoe if you stand under it with someone else.

[Zack is taken off guard by that and he whirls around to look at the person with an expression.]

What, really? That's what it's about?

[He knew that this place had a lot of quirky traditions but this one? ... It's kind of hilarious. Zack lets out a small laugh and then looks back at Aqua with a small playful smirk.]

Well? What do you say?

[ Aqua's eyes widen at that - her heart jumping in her chest as she feels her face heat up. ]

--I-- Here? [ The words just sort of slip out. Look, how could she not be at least a little nervous?

She isn't saying no at all, though. ]

[closed] and should the sky be filled with fire and smoke

Viren

Caren Ortensia

Elliot Craig

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