bergamotrose: (thoughtful)
Lorenz "I'm an 11" Hellman Gloucester ([personal profile] bergamotrose) wrote in [community profile] middaeg2020-02-10 09:51 pm

[Open] February Catch-All | Pegasus Moon

Who: Lorenz Hellman Gloucester + Open (with potential closed starters as needed)
When: Full Moon and after
Where: Throughout Aefenglom
What: Lorenz finds himself facing the consequences of not having his priorities straight.
Warnings: Possible body horror. Will update as needed.



A

[It was a miscalculation.

That was what he would tell himself later, after the dust had settled. It was a miscalculation of a variety of factors that he had neither predicted nor given the appropriate weight in his planning. The first was finding others from his land with yet a different set of memories than the ones he had already encountered, and navigating the particular frustration of not being able to determine who among them was friend or foe. The second, Lapis Lazuli. The ferocity of the rage that boiled within her was far more intense than he had realized, and it was a disruption in the plans he was trying to pursue with her. As much as he wanted to trust her as an equal, for the moment that was impossible. The third...

Marianne.

In an ideal setting, they would have been of similar age and had met with the same trials. She would have faced the darkness inside her heart and made peace with it, and they could have moved forward. But she had arrived in this realm as she was five years prior-- seemingly fragile, certainly untempered, and as liable to shy away as she was to explode in her fear. That alone would have been enough to still Lorenz's own plans, but then she had been taken. Taken, and forced to endure an untold number of disrespects that she was still reluctant to speak of. She, among all of those in this realm from Fodlan, had faced the most trauma in Aefenglom.

And yet, she was the least able to accept the final verdict delivered by the judge.

Knowing all of this in his heart, Lorenz was faced with a singular certainty that she needed his protection. But, that certainty was coupled with the fact that he felt he could not interfere.

He itched to write something-- a poem. Anything. 'Amid time’s flow I mourn bonds I’m not sure I can ever rend...' It left an unsettled feeling in his fingers that crept up his arms and firmly clenched his swiftly beating heart in it's fist, binding him to it's will.

At least he had the foresight to lock the bedroom door. Stocked in his personal quarters were sundry items that he suspected he would need until dawn--

But, it wasn't enough.

The wave of pain that met his body as he caught a glimpse of the full moon slowly dawning over the horizon had him biting his tongue in shock. Hands clenched tightly upon the rails of his bed in a white knucked bid for support as his knees buckled beneath him, changing configuration into something wholly unfamiliar. His ears burned, his vision blurred--

Amid the disjointed thoughts that rolled in a tangle in his mind was one recurring thread: Marianne. He couldn't let Marianne see him like this.

He knew he shouldn't be alone. Yet, unbonded as he was, he had no choice.

Finding his footing, Lorenz took the only course he could think of: Flee. Throwing the window to his bedroom wide open, Lorenz leapt for the freedom of the night. The late winter chill of the wind helped him have a grip on his intention, kept his awareness sharp.

Thus, with an inhuman stillness he crept through the shadows of the city, intent on making it to his destination unimpeded: The Harbor.

The salty air at the docks, the frigid bite of the sea, would surely help.]


B

[It was a miscalculation, yet here he was.

Lorenz sat on the edge of the dock, wrapped in a blanket he had procured from parts unknown while his unfamiliar feet dangled in the empty space wrought by low tide. His silken hair hung in his face and clung to the ears that now twitched in the cold breeze, tangled with muck and dirt that Lorenz was too hesitant to attempt to define. Uncomfortable and exhausted, Lorenz squinted out over the crisp horizon while he attempted to ignore the hollow feeling in his chest and the distinct knowledge that he was certain his flight from Haven had not been as clean as he had wished.

People had seen him. They had to. If they hadn't, they surely would in the near future.

Huffing irritably, Lorenz idly picked at the delicate swatches of velvet that were now hanging from his antlers.]


This must make quite a sight,

[He mused darkly, bitterly. After spending so much time keeping his appearances in a perfectly coiffed illusion of grandeur, Lorenz knew there was no coming back from this.]

crestfallenfor: (《042》)

B

[personal profile] crestfallenfor 2020-02-11 04:47 am (UTC)(link)
[It was a late night, as many had been since arriving here in Aefenglom. He'd been studying, Felix was struggling, Bernadetta was buzzing on the edges of his awareness, and sleep was tugging on his consciousness. He'd read the full moon would have an opposite effect on him than it did on his more monstrously-affected companions, but the extent was still somewhat unexpected.

So - fresh air. A walk outside to clear his mind and to practice a little bit of practical application - there's a small plume of magefire in his hand as he walks, illuminating the night, but it's that light that makes his eyes unable to make out just what is sitting on the edge of the dock as he walks through the harbor.

So he extinguishes it in a wisp of smoke, lets his eyes adjust...

Sees familiar purple hair and antlers, a Lorenz looking the worse for wear.

The moon must be doing a number on him, too.

So he approaches calmly, but not quietly, not wanting to spook him before squatting down next to him and taking in all the sudden changes - the shifted feet and legs, the velvet peeling off his horns, the ears...]


Lorenz? Are you alright? Do you need a hand somewhere?
bravelyathome: (aBI1FPJ)

Wildcard bb

[personal profile] bravelyathome 2020-02-11 05:10 am (UTC)(link)
[After hearing that Lorenz is there, she doesn't waste any time in going to get some tea ready. Lorenz must need a fresh cup after what he's been through. The least she can do is this since she's sure she can't really do much else. It's not even about being mentally equipped for this, of course. She can handle this. No, it's another matter entirely.

Namely that they're both monsters.

Knocking politely on his door, she waits until she hears that she can come in. Slipping inside, she offers a shy little smile as she lifts the tray up some.]


I...I brought tea. I thought maybe it would help.

[Setting it by the table by the bed, she picks the cup up to offer it to him.]

I remembered you talking about tea to someone once. So I made it that way. I hope it's okay.
crestfallenfor: (《023》)

[personal profile] crestfallenfor 2020-02-11 05:11 am (UTC)(link)
Hm. Is that so...?

[There's weight in the way Lorenz speaks, in the tone of his voice, in the way he seems to curl in on himself layered on top of how he sounds agitated.

How he kicks out a newly-hoofed foot, smacking into a pillar.

He's not looking at him, but that's fine. He's not telling him to. He doesn't need him to as he reaches up to straighten out Lorenz's hair, combing fingers through it to remove as much muck and grime as he can without water, tries to get him looking somewhat presentable - or at least as presentable as one can be in the dark, wrapped in a musty, beer-scented blanket.]


I assume you'd rather not go back to your house.
crestfallenfor: (《091》)

[personal profile] crestfallenfor 2020-02-11 05:49 am (UTC)(link)
[Numb nodding - and shying away - is much better than Lorenz lashing out in any way, so the help persists, whether he likes it or not. His "discretion" dictates that Lorenz ought to be made presentable before they go anywhere, for his pride's sake, even if he does end up carrying him.

Can't have everything, after all.]


The moons are really getting to you, aren't they?

[Of course they are.]

You can't stay out here, though.
unyieldingmarch: <user name=crimsonflower> (Pondering)

The Harbor

[personal profile] unyieldingmarch 2020-02-11 05:54 am (UTC)(link)
[The moons were a hard time for everyone, though Edelgard had undergone several such transformations now and had something of a handle on them. She tended to lock herself in her rooms during these events, not wishing to show the world her monstrous bat-form, but with the advent of a second bond and several months, it was easier to maintain herself.

The restlessness, though, that was different. She needed to get out, and did so quickly enough. She could not say what exactly drove her towards the harbor. Perhaps the wind, perhaps the salt that she could easily associate with Enbarr's port, or perhaps just random chance.

It hardly mattered, for when she spotted a lanky, antlered form sitting idly at the dock she was somewhat glad that she had come this way. Their first encounter on Aefenglom had been not far from this very spot, and strange as it may be, there was a feeling of things coming full circle when she made the decision to approach Lorenz.]


Not a particularly dignified sight, but there's certainly nothing I'd find fault with.
kuroi_taiyo: (91)

B

[personal profile] kuroi_taiyo 2020-02-11 07:46 am (UTC)(link)
[ Perhaps it was due to the treatments being given, so he didn't pull anything, but that night was probably one of the easiest moons to have to pull through. No amount of 'treatments' would get rid of the restless energy, however. Which is what had Judar walking through, and getting around the harbor area. (Look, it's been so long since he's had a drink...)

Walking around has four dulled sounds, instead of two from covered hooves, as the faun's getting around with the help of crutches. Something that was their bright idea of working on his grip again while getting him moving. Funny how it's led him to another faun, picking away at the velvet. Was he seriously out in this part of the city overnight? ]


At least it's around the time you're supposed to be shedding. Wait until the bones just pop off and leave you bleeding.

[ You're such a great comfort, Judar. ]
crestfallenfor: (《072》)

[personal profile] crestfallenfor 2020-02-11 02:47 pm (UTC)(link)
Alright.

[It's a simple, direct request. He can certainly respect that, even if he's still... concerned. At best.

At the same time, there's not a whole lot he can do, right now, so if they move to go elsewhere and Lorenz seems concerned about his appearance, then his fretting can resume.]


It's preferable to going home to Marianne, you mean.

[Sitting out on the docks and stewing in grime and misery was one option. Being in his own house, around someone he'd rather not see him in such a state was another. The connections tugging at the back of his mind with a... not-identical, but similar raw state to what he's seeing reflected in Lorenz reminds him of a third.]

Come home with me, Lorenz. You need to get cleaned up and presentable, anyway.

[And then they can talk about his bad life choices.]
kuroi_taiyo: (95)

[personal profile] kuroi_taiyo 2020-02-11 02:58 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Gee. What an irritated response that wasn't much of one at all. No sass for sass or anything. Normally Judar was ready for more lively reactions the day of, and after, a full moon. So Judar did what any concerned stranger would obviously do to help things along.

He gently nudged the other faun's side with a crutch. ]


At least do all this where it's warmer, and you're less likely to get pulled in by a hungry merrow.
crestfallenfor: (《017》)

[personal profile] crestfallenfor 2020-02-11 03:47 pm (UTC)(link)
You are not some fair damsel, at least.

[He's reserving judgement on the sweeping him into his arms part until he actually makes an attempt. For now, though, he continues to refrain from touching - he's not especially enthused about the idea of meeting the business end of his new hooves or his antlers, should instinct and flailing override reason.

At least he's not acting like Lorenz's appearance is at all surprising or horrifying, and he has to hope that's somewhat calming, if nothing else. They're still equals, and the only thing shameful about Lorenz's state is the grime on him and the smell of the musty blanket wrapped around him. Easily fixed.]


Why do you say that? I think she's stronger than you're giving her credit for, but...

[But he only knows the basics of what had happened to her just before he'd arrived, and he doesn't know anything about the details of whatever relationship she and Lorenz might have built - whether they're bonded or not, how their living situation is arranged, how deep their friendship may or may not run.

It's not something he can make assumptions about.]


I'll help you to my place, if you're worried about walking.
kuroi_taiyo: (53)

[personal profile] kuroi_taiyo 2020-02-11 03:48 pm (UTC)(link)
What I did to myself, huh...

[ That's quite a ways down, however. More than what Judar's managed in these past couple of days with walking and getting around, now that he could. What were the chances of him getting down and them both being stuck sitting here until someone got them?

It's not easy, and Judar doesn't have much energy to try and make it look like it was. It's with a lot of leaning and holding onto the crutches to get himself down enough to even start getting to the sitting position. The chill of this month really wasn't helping with the aches of moving around, either. ]


I guess you could say I did it to myself, by helping the first group get out of the Rathmore's dungeon. Everything that happened was my own doing, or something like that.

[ Is that the turn you wanted to take this in, Lorenz? ]
unyieldingmarch: <user name=crimsonflower> (Vulnerable)

[personal profile] unyieldingmarch 2020-02-11 03:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Lorenz.

[She approaches without fear, her steps all but gliding as she makes her way down the dock, stopping next to the pitiable noble. What a sight he is, bedraggled and roughed up. As though he'd lost a fight.]

It seems as though the full moon has struck you particularly hard. Are you in pain?
Edited 2020-02-11 15:54 (UTC)
crestfallenfor: (《105》)

[personal profile] crestfallenfor 2020-02-11 04:05 pm (UTC)(link)
She has not experienced what we have at home, but... if I am understanding the circumstances of this place correctly, and what's happened, she may have experienced worse than we ever will already.

[But, ultimately, whatever transpires between Marianne and Lorenz is between Marianne and Lorenz. His response has told Sylvain they don't share a Bond for... nebulous reasons. Nerves, perhaps. Propriety, perhaps.

There's little guarantee they'll even remember this place when they're sent back, so the idea that he wouldn't get over himself to protect her has his hackles up a bit - never mind that he very nearly did much the same. It's different, looking on someone else, and he's always been a master at compartmentalizing.

And so he does. Just like Lorenz falls back on noble obligation and makes to refuse his offer.]


You'd be far from an imposition, Lorenz, and who knows who else might come across you if you stay out here?
kuroi_taiyo: (12)

[personal profile] kuroi_taiyo 2020-02-11 05:36 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah, and a shitty one.

[ Which he made you pay for, if there was any guilt pulled out of all that. ]

Everyone got out in the end, so there was as much help as was needed. Too much help is a thing. Imagine everyone in a huge rush, helping to rescue the people they knew were taken. Probably getting in the way.

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