middaeg | cold steel coffin

cold steel coffin | open

Who: Nier and you!
When: February
Where: Aefenglom + the outer city
What: Open log + catchall, closed prompts go here
Warnings: Animal death in one of the prompts under the cut

a.

[ there are folks here, weathered and worn by horrors he hadn’t witnessed — some semblance of justice had been served with the execution that had taken place days prior, but none of this had taken precedence in his mind. he was a dead man from a ghost of a world, and everything about this one had been foreign to him.

still.

it wasn’t right.

there are others, too. struggling newcomers no different from himself.

it’s why if he sees you struggling, be it from a slowness, a skittishness, injuries of any kind, he helps without question. it could be a box of dropped goods, a blatant lack of food, some form of patent anxiety. either way, he extends a hand, either to help you lift your goods or offer you a warm loaf of bread — or maybe it’s an opaque, white flower. regardless... ]

Are you alright?

b. (cw: animal death)

[ once he gets over this whole “night” thing existing in this realm, he realizes it’s optimal hunting hours for a vampire. the air is still — near perfectly still. it’s on the fringes of the city, teasing the divide between the border and the wilderness that stretches beyond the walls.

his greatsword is stained with something black; it’s almost tar-like in its appearance. but even more remarkable is the crude splatter of crimson blooming across his chest. it’s marks his face as well – and lo and behold, the half eaten cadaver of an animal dangling from the palm of his hand seems to explain just about everything.

also, he isn’t wearing a shirt?? whoops.

this is awkward.

anyways. ]

...Hey.

[ um. sorry?? ]

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[ .

Zelda swears this is like a horror novel in progress. She had purchased a fur lined coat with her first pay check, trying to keep warm on her night walks. As it is, Aefenglom still has a chill in it's air she'd like to fight against. In comparison to him, however, she's a much slimmer person with perhaps a weaker constitution. Under the moonlight, this man looks like a ghost with his white hair and skin and eyebags— she'd mistake them for bruises, in most situations, but at this hour?

They make eye contact. She looks at the blood and black tar splattering across his weapon. "Hunter," she thinks, but does not say. "Hey," he says, but nothing else comes between the two people off the beaten path.

She stares before shrugging her coat off. ]

You'll catch ill like that.

[ Take it, Nier. Apparently you need it more, to her eyes. ] Have you traveled long? The fringes of the city do not lend to beasts with such lifeblood.

[ truth be told, he has no idea what to expect. the offer wasn't at all an imposing one — sure, the building may have been big, but cleaning was a mindless task.

the inside of the building is unlike anything he's ever laid his eyes on. not as large as the shadowlord's castle, and not as rustic or aged as it either. there's an expanse of space befitting of a crowd, and the stage is wide and grand, grasping at his attention the moment he walks in.

it's been 2 hours. he's made good progress. and then there's his new, impromptu boss rounding the corner. ]

Sorry, I'm not finished yet. Just give me another hour, please.

Edited 2020-02-07 04:47 (UTC)

That you've made this much progress is impressive.

[his boss hasn't rolled up his sleeves, but the disarray of his hair and the dust on his clothes says he was doing much the same, working for that time on another part of the theater. it's big, and his work has been demanding more time - thus why he had put up an offer in the first place. that someone answered it was the real surprise.]

I'm not here to scold you. I'm here to tell you to take a break, and to ask if you want anything to eat or drink.

[ there's a cursory glance given to the fur coat; his gaze hardens, meeting hers in turn shortly afterwards. in the darkness, his fingers curl around the animal's corpse, just a tad more tighly than they had been before. ]

Keep it.

[ his features are stony, not shifting an inch at what she says next. ]

Don't worry about me. I'm fine.

[ the back of his palm moves to wipe off a rivulet of blood dribbling down his jaw. ]

Go home. It's late.

[ Her assertion is quick and she seems a mite irritable, perhaps. He rejects her offer of the coat, but Zelda keeps it out. The two of them have entered a battle of will, now, but she's used to trying and trying until something gives. ]

I am on my way home.

[ Is she? Is she, really? ]

On the edge of town like this, you're closer to the Cwyld. I can't let you be. [ She pauses, taking in the site of him in blood, and the carcass. He's eating it; turnskin? Vampire? Hunting at night implies the latter, the destruction of the corpse implies the former.

In either case, his own words are perhaps a warning. ]

Which is it? Blood, or meat?

There’s nothing out here worth living in.

[ his words are ragged and rough, but his voice in of itself is level; the carcass falls to the ground, and nier readjusts his sword properly. ]

I was hunting them. That’s what I do.

[ all Shades are worth killing, regardless of their differences. the blotches of black on his sword begin to make more sense. nier stares at her, features hard at that question of hers, and then there’s a raise of the brow. ]

Don’t tell me you wanted some.

[ he tries not to be this rude normally. but girl. girl. ]

By your standards, perhaps.

[ She kind of likes being removed from he majority right now. It makes her feel... free. ]

I asked you blood or meat. I can see you were hunting. I'm quite fine, but you will fall to the paranoia and hunger this close to the Cwyld. I ask you again: What is it you are in search of?

[ The coat is still being held out. ]

What do you need to know for?

[ his jaw is tensing — all of him is tensing, actually. it’s the byproduct of his survival instincts kicking in. ]

Go home. You aren’t safe out here. [ he turns to his side, ignoring the coat entirely. ]

I’m not telling you again.

[ She hums, pulling the coat closer. ]

I wish to study the effects of these changes on people, in the hopes of making them much easier on others. [ She assumes he's Mirrorbound, considering how... open he is about it. ] I am capable of handling myself. However, at least consider my offer. The Cwyld may drive you mad, yet.

[ Vaguely, she's aware it could have done it by now. ]

Yet?

[ he fights the urge to sigh. instead he wipes a bit of blood off of his bare chest, almost idly. ]

I appreciate the offer, but I'm fine. Now go. And don't come back here without a weapon on you.

I will do as I please, I am perfectly capable of fending for myself when the time comes— And would you at least not make more of a mess of yourself!

[ He hasn't attacked her yet, so as far as she's inclined to think, he's not infected. Just... suffering, perhaps. Hungry as hungry gets. ]

If it is blood you thirst for, then there are much more humane and cleaner ways to get it. Meat, as well.

[ his patience is forged from iron. it truly and honestly is — but this woman is testing it, and god is he wracked with some kind of inexplicable irritation at all of this. the distinct feeling of being watched doesn't help either, and he knows damn well enough that something is lurking in the shadows, waiting to get at both of them.

so he walks towards her. his stride isn't anything rushed, although it is firm.

wordlessly, he towers over her. staring, the stark contrast of crimson against pale white more prevalent than ever.

and then he places both of his hands onto her waist.

and promptly picks her up and throws her over his shoulder.

anyways, he's leaving now. ]

[ He is not that much taller than she had assumed, but there's a domineering aura he radiates now that makes him seem taller, bigger, more shadow than man. As she thinks this, she contorts her face into a look of anger, acting as if she were a cat puffing itself up to look bigger. The silver haired man is not deterred; he tosses her over his shoulder after grabbing her and it strikes Zelda that he's made of skin and muscle. Sinewy, meaty, strong. He barely exerted himself picking her up.

Anyway, she fruitlessly pounds her fists into his bad, flailing her legs. ]

Unhand me! What do you think you are doing— No!

[ It's only as she tries to wiggle free, shouting into the darkness, that Zelda catches the glimpse of two lights blinking back at her. From this position, she can see behind her, and so...

...Had it been following her? She steels, suddenly, and...

Mortified, realizes what she's done. She's nothing to grab purchase on, with his back bare, but Zelda's nails scrape anyway. Her heart pounds, loud and afraid. This hasn't happened since the Yiga Clan.

In any case, she is very, very quiet, and very, very still, now. If that's what he meant to tell her, the argument is his win. ]

[ the scrape of her nails against his back doesn't go unnoticed. his eyes dart back to catch a vague glimpse of the presence stalking them; he could have taken it himself as she had not interfered. but they'd both been exposed, both distracted by whatever pretentious nonsense she'd been spewing at the time.

nier shrinks into the shadows with her still in tow — he sets her down, only to hook his arm around her shoulder and pull her close. the palm of his hand clasps over her mouth.

when he looks at her, he brings a finger to his lips — it's a "shh" motion, and his features have softened.

...and then his sword is drawn out, only centimeters away from her cheek. white eyes pierce through the darkness and in turn nier's breathing is labored, if only because there's adrenaline coursing through his body. it's fueled by bloodlust, one of a somewhat different variety for once. ]

[ She's plodded down into the dirt, underbrush cutting into her clothes. A twig scrapes the skin of her leg; she might bleed from it soon, but the pain is dulled by her senses working in high speed. The sweat that's gathering on her forehead is cold, somehow, perhaps because her body is warm with fear.

To top it off, the mysterious man forcibly silences her, pressing a hand over her mouth. She hadn't intention to speak. Even so, she looks from his arm, to him, bloodied and covered in moonlight, bare chested for some ungodly reason she still can't figure out, and then she looks towards the thing that's been hunting her— them?— and her breath catches.

She nods, a silent agreement to not speak. He draws a blade that is absurdly sharp, still slightly stained with black blood and animal blood, and she does nothing. For someon who had insisted she can take care of herself moments before, she is all too eager to allow him to do as he needs.

As she watches the blade catch light, the blood mingling, Zelda realizes she feels the sticky cold of something wet on her: The animal blood that had been splattered across his chest lightly coats her clothing now. Dirt, mud and blood cake her royal clothing. She really has gotten up to no good since arriving.

But she knows this area, at least a little. There's a small lake up ahead, to the left; Zelda points to it with the hand furthest from him. However, she's not sure if she catches his attention. It would be easy to lure it there, and topple one of the trees over it. It'd drown, then, probably. Maybe.

Her plan is probably not as quickly executed as whatever he wants to do. ]

[ It had been some time since night had served as Alex's escape. Though really, it was just a safe way to wander around without catching attention, or bumping into anyone she knew. Her wounds have been healing well, making it easier to move around. And she needed to. Staying cooped up, sitting with her thoughts, too many thoughts, and with no medication to calm them down, Alex needed to move. It didn't matter to where, and her feet tended to take over when her mind traveled somewhere far, somewhere safe.

It had its upsides, and also it's downsides, such as overestimating just how long she could go for. The sudden ache from her wounds brings her back down to earth, stumbling forward a few steps before catching onto something for support. A tree..? Had she left the city? Her eyes scan the area, regaining her bearings and discerning just where she's gotten herself to. As great as a merrows eyes could be in the dark, that only worked underwater. But she still could make out the figure of a man as he came out from deeper in the woods, her nose catching the familiar smell of blood that made her finned ears fan out.

From the sword, the blood on his body, then the half eaten creature, it wasn't too difficult to connect the dots. But the sight still had her freeze in place--not that she was getting anywhere with her aching body. ]

...So...sorry.

[ She's not sure why she apologized. A reflex, maybe. It's not as if she were in his way, and she hadn't caught him committing some kind of crime either. But her gaze still falls away, her head lowering as if she didn't see him at all. That was the best way to keep out of trouble in the city, keep your head low and your mouth shut.

Now if only her damn legs would move.]

You're paying me. It's the least I could do.

[ nier gives him a lookover, his own hair wound up, pant legs and sleeves scrunched up in contrast. he shakes his head slowly before his hands raise up in submission. ]

Thank you, but I'm fine. Do you usually do this by yourself?

[ it is definitely not as quick as whatever it is what he wants to do. nier notices the way she shifts against him, and his gaze roves on towards the lake; he had some awareness of his surroundings as it was, and his eyes grew sharp with scrutiny.

the question was what to do with her. he could leave her here, but that may have left to become someone else's prey while he was caught unawares. bringing her would slow his movements however, and leave them both vulnerable.

even more distracting is the way her blood boils against him. he's frigid to the touch, and the warmth is a keen reminder of the blood flowing through her veins. it seems like it'd be sweet, too, from the predation instincts she lacked.

regardless, nier doesn't respond. he's made up his mind, and grips her by the thighs, hosting her onto his back. his hands are occupied by sword once again, so he leaves her to grapple onto him with her own strength. when they draw closer towards the lake, the cwyld roams around the water, patiently waiting for them to arrive.

nier meets its blindingly white eyes. zelda's set behind some of the shrubbery. and then he leaps up towards the tree, his foot anchoring onto one of the crooks. the cwyld stalks up after him.

*this is when the curb your enthusiasm theme plays*

there isn't quite any telling what happened. but there's a dying screech, and the tree begins to visibly grey and wittle. but nier vaults back down, and both crudely and without question, she's thrown back over his shoulder like a burlap sack. ]

Where do you live?

Edited 2020-02-09 20:20 (UTC)

[ a merrow. he'd recognized those features well enough; his own ears quirk in response, the taste of the merrow he'd preyed on his dream flooding his senses. but then the figure visibly struggles, hands scurrying for whatever it could.

when nier approaches, he doesn't stalk — his movements err on the side of trained caution. but then he offers a hand, beckoning her to accept it. ]

It's okay.

[ what she'd been apologizing for, he hadn't known — but he responds regardless, and with an easy and small smile. ]

I can take you to your home. Where do you live?

Edited 2020-02-09 20:40 (UTC)

[ The ordeal is over before she has the ability to process what she sees. He's quick with a blade, efficiently brutal, and eager. Part of her wonders if this is how he's always been, of if the moon's sway is beginning to affect now. She imagines she will not know the answer to that question for some time. His name is a mystery to her, and he's already saved her life.

She hardly has it in her to protest when he hoists her up unceremoniously. Snow and dirt falls from her body, the coat that she had offered him now around her shoulders for the ease of travel. ]

If you put me down, I could easily lead you to it, if you must insist on being so curious.

[ The dejection in her voice makes it slow. ] ...Half a mile west. A mountain that looks like a bird's beak overlooks it.

[ It's just a run down, old cabin that's clearly been abandoned for ages, Even the door seems to be an ill fit for it. All the same, it's near a pond, there's fireflies, and the crickets are loud. ...Peaceful. Kitschy, even. ]

[ “set you down so you’ll get yourself nearly killed again? no thanks.”

the words are swallowed back down. no need to let the moon endow him with more honesty than he cared to brandish. he continues down the path leading into the city, and then comes to a halt for a minute— ]

There are nothing but abandoned cabins over there.

[ a beat. ]

Why would you be over there?

Would you kindly set me down?

[ She waits. Okay. Guess not.

Sighing, Zelda balances her chin in one of her palms, resting the elbow on his shoulder. ]

I enjoy the quiet, and it's peaceful. There's lot of greenery, and the scenery is lovely in the morning. [ Of course, this is only part of it. She doesn't like being reminded she's going to be responsible for someone else; thus, cabin in the woods. ]

Edited 2020-02-10 01:06 (UTC)

It’s peaceful.

[ he shows no signs of turning around. nope. none at all. the inner city towers over them as the lampposts erect into view, flickering faintly. ]

Until something kills you because you didn’t keep a weapon on you.

I can handle myself!

[ All the more motivation to work on barrier magic, isn't it? It's like training at the springs.

... So, miserable, but. ]

Where are you taking me? Let me go.

My house.

[ wait a second. ]

Apartment, I mean. That’s the word for it. I think.

[ anyhow, he’s begun to hike up the stairwell. she’s still dangling over his back. oops. ]

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cold steel coffin | open

b

dantes.

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a little bit of a and b

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