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synflux2025-10-13 05:41 pm
synfluxmods) wrote in synflux2025-10-13 05:41 pm
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KAIJU FIGHT #11
KAIJU FIGHT #11
ā¶ 001. THIS WAS A FAIRYTALE.
The Outsiders come to Gwen with their proposal, and it appears simple. A group of LILITH operatives go ahead and scout around the Enchanted Forest to attempt to discover more about the kaiju, especially since they seem to be limited on information. While Gwen seems particularly agitated by being forced to wait, she allows the Outsiders their time to go and find as much information as theyāre able to divine.
For Outsiders that go, a trail leads them through winding trees and the undergrowth, well-walked pathways that break into various clearings. There are signs of campfires, of civilization, and of people staying here in the wilderness - these may be the rebels that Gwen had spent so long lamenting over. Anyone skilled at tracking or survival might follow the trail, finding a deep cave in the midst of the forest.
Exploring the cave will reveal a community that had been existing practically under their noses. There are tents, clothes littering the ground, fires, even what seems like storage boxes and childrenās treasures: various wooden and hand carved animals, including large lions. What is most noticeable is the lack of people; there are some that are around, haunting the cave and peering out at the scouting team as they approach, but they are not armed and do not seem to want to attack any of the party.
They are, at least, willing to answer questions, and they share the following information: they had seen the Outsiders in the castle outskirts and flying overhead, had seen them venturing outside of Windsor, and had come to the conclusion their time was running short. The kaiju left, with what rebels remained, and decided to bring the confrontation to Gwen, for fear of losing more of their own people to the strange affliction that has been harming them for decades.
Yes, they confirm when asked: they have been victim to it as well, and suffering from it too long can lead to transformations that are difficult to undo. The only saving grace has been their leader, Eadmund, who has the power to counterattack what has happened - but he has gone to fight, too.
The scouting party may wish to rush back to Windsor Castle before it is too late.
For Outsiders that go, a trail leads them through winding trees and the undergrowth, well-walked pathways that break into various clearings. There are signs of campfires, of civilization, and of people staying here in the wilderness - these may be the rebels that Gwen had spent so long lamenting over. Anyone skilled at tracking or survival might follow the trail, finding a deep cave in the midst of the forest.
Exploring the cave will reveal a community that had been existing practically under their noses. There are tents, clothes littering the ground, fires, even what seems like storage boxes and childrenās treasures: various wooden and hand carved animals, including large lions. What is most noticeable is the lack of people; there are some that are around, haunting the cave and peering out at the scouting team as they approach, but they are not armed and do not seem to want to attack any of the party.
They are, at least, willing to answer questions, and they share the following information: they had seen the Outsiders in the castle outskirts and flying overhead, had seen them venturing outside of Windsor, and had come to the conclusion their time was running short. The kaiju left, with what rebels remained, and decided to bring the confrontation to Gwen, for fear of losing more of their own people to the strange affliction that has been harming them for decades.
Yes, they confirm when asked: they have been victim to it as well, and suffering from it too long can lead to transformations that are difficult to undo. The only saving grace has been their leader, Eadmund, who has the power to counterattack what has happened - but he has gone to fight, too.
The scouting party may wish to rush back to Windsor Castle before it is too late.
ā¶ 002. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN.
Back in Windsor, with some of the Outsiders left behind, things are beginning to get more tense. Gwen and her soldiers are gearing up, preparing their weapons and whispering tactics to one another. Clearly, many of them are not impressed with this particular plan. It is difficult to speak to anyone, or to get them to talk to an Outsider, but the few whispers here and there show that they dislike the Outsider's plan, are frustrated with Gwen for allowing it, and want the fight to start as soon as possible; they've even taken swords from the Garrison.
Everything remains tense as they wait for the scouts to return. This is an ample opportunity for the Outsiders to make their own preparations as they wait for their friends to come back, and even to try and delay and distract Gwen's soldiers from their own. Soon, the scouts return. Thereās a brief span when they can report their findings to their fellow operatives, but within a few hours the atmosphere shifts, Gwen marching to the gates. Outside the castle walls, an echoing roar shakes the foundations.
Due to the Outsiders deciding to scout and not aid in Gwen's preparations or advising on how to fight the kaiju, the soldiers inside the castle are more on edge and afraid. They are less prepared, their weapons not designed to target the kaiju's weakness, and Gwen seems more desperate. Their outlook is gloomy at best and murderous at worst.
At first, the rebels outside the castle walls do not look remotely intimidating. They're small, but there's an otherworldly aura to them, a light in their eyes that makes them seem stronger, bigger than they would otherwise. Behind them, head tilted back into a roar, is the kaiju, a blue, pastel shard stuck in his back.
Gwen's voice calls out across the battlefield: "You will find no glory here!" Her inability to be more prepared makes her voice shake: she and her men do not know how to use the Outsiders to their advantage, and it shows.
The lion speaks, his voice a low, soft rumble; it may even sound familiar to some Outsiders. It fills the silence, seeming to slip into the ears of anyone listening: "I do not come here to harm you, Gwenllian. I have come to save them." Around him, the 'rebels' cheer, raising their blades in the air.
Gwen's face twists, and she turns to her own people, whispering a few, sharp words. There begins a change in her followers: their eyes are taking on an odd sheen, and their bodies have begun to twitch, and jerk, and... Transform?
Gwen's soldiers begin to grow additional limbs, fur, scales, fangs, claws - a horrifying mixture of human and animal, or, worse, human and kaiju. Her closest generals transform first: one woman becomes a twisted bird creature, another a monstrous badger, and a third a feral, loyal hound. They leap into battle, racing towards the rebels: the Outsiders have a choice.
They are welcome to run into the battle and stop these strange, broken monsters from attacking rebel humans.
Everything remains tense as they wait for the scouts to return. This is an ample opportunity for the Outsiders to make their own preparations as they wait for their friends to come back, and even to try and delay and distract Gwen's soldiers from their own. Soon, the scouts return. Thereās a brief span when they can report their findings to their fellow operatives, but within a few hours the atmosphere shifts, Gwen marching to the gates. Outside the castle walls, an echoing roar shakes the foundations.
Due to the Outsiders deciding to scout and not aid in Gwen's preparations or advising on how to fight the kaiju, the soldiers inside the castle are more on edge and afraid. They are less prepared, their weapons not designed to target the kaiju's weakness, and Gwen seems more desperate. Their outlook is gloomy at best and murderous at worst.
At first, the rebels outside the castle walls do not look remotely intimidating. They're small, but there's an otherworldly aura to them, a light in their eyes that makes them seem stronger, bigger than they would otherwise. Behind them, head tilted back into a roar, is the kaiju, a blue, pastel shard stuck in his back.
Gwen's voice calls out across the battlefield: "You will find no glory here!" Her inability to be more prepared makes her voice shake: she and her men do not know how to use the Outsiders to their advantage, and it shows.
The lion speaks, his voice a low, soft rumble; it may even sound familiar to some Outsiders. It fills the silence, seeming to slip into the ears of anyone listening: "I do not come here to harm you, Gwenllian. I have come to save them." Around him, the 'rebels' cheer, raising their blades in the air.
Gwen's face twists, and she turns to her own people, whispering a few, sharp words. There begins a change in her followers: their eyes are taking on an odd sheen, and their bodies have begun to twitch, and jerk, and... Transform?
Gwen's soldiers begin to grow additional limbs, fur, scales, fangs, claws - a horrifying mixture of human and animal, or, worse, human and kaiju. Her closest generals transform first: one woman becomes a twisted bird creature, another a monstrous badger, and a third a feral, loyal hound. They leap into battle, racing towards the rebels: the Outsiders have a choice.
They are welcome to run into the battle and stop these strange, broken monsters from attacking rebel humans.
ā¶ 003. A ROAR-SOME BATTLE.
No matter what the Outsiders choose, Gwenllian leaps into the fray. What is immediately clear is the rebels are not attacking to kill. They also seem strangely resistant to the creatures that Gwen has made with her powers. It does not seem to have stolen their senses in the way that other kaiju have done in the past; it feels more like a warm embrace, the sensation of home and warmth.
Gwen's power surges, grows, and seems to flow over the battlefield, as a siren song. Outsiders may be influenced by the flood of her power, and might find their bodies beginning to shift: they may grow wings, claws, teeth, fur, scales or various other monster parts. They may even find their transformation becoming more complete, almost entirely monstrous, mirroring the fate of the generals... Or they may be able to ignore the call. Outsiders who had fallen prey to the memory manipulation are more easily prone to the changes, but can still resist the transformation.
The fight continues, with rebels attempting to knock out or disarm anyone coming their way. They seem almost gentler with the Outsiders, even the monstrous ones, and can be heard making promises to them: "We will protect you", "you will be safe, just let us help", and "Eadmund will free you all".
Throughout the fight, various Outsiders speak with Eadmund and damage him, and it seems as though the emotional impact is greater than the physical one. He keeps pushing through the fray, attempting to get closer to his bounty, when Muramasa strikes out at him with fire, knocking him to his back. Two hands work together to draw the relic from his back, pulling it free - baring it to the world. It is not a sword, but a large horn, embedded within his spine for decades.
As soon as the relic is drawn, Gwen howls. It is a horrifying sound, and her human shape unfolds itself, a bright light swelling, growing larger and larger, before her true form is revealed to all: a unicorn, bereft of her horn, bleeding from the wound on her head. The lion stands taller now, power echoing around him; the rebels sudden appear braver as his own power rockets through them. He goes for Gwen's neck, large jaw sinking into her as a thought runs through the minds of anyone nearby: "I will save you from yourself, my dearest friend."
Gwen's power surges, grows, and seems to flow over the battlefield, as a siren song. Outsiders may be influenced by the flood of her power, and might find their bodies beginning to shift: they may grow wings, claws, teeth, fur, scales or various other monster parts. They may even find their transformation becoming more complete, almost entirely monstrous, mirroring the fate of the generals... Or they may be able to ignore the call. Outsiders who had fallen prey to the memory manipulation are more easily prone to the changes, but can still resist the transformation.
The fight continues, with rebels attempting to knock out or disarm anyone coming their way. They seem almost gentler with the Outsiders, even the monstrous ones, and can be heard making promises to them: "We will protect you", "you will be safe, just let us help", and "Eadmund will free you all".
Throughout the fight, various Outsiders speak with Eadmund and damage him, and it seems as though the emotional impact is greater than the physical one. He keeps pushing through the fray, attempting to get closer to his bounty, when Muramasa strikes out at him with fire, knocking him to his back. Two hands work together to draw the relic from his back, pulling it free - baring it to the world. It is not a sword, but a large horn, embedded within his spine for decades.
As soon as the relic is drawn, Gwen howls. It is a horrifying sound, and her human shape unfolds itself, a bright light swelling, growing larger and larger, before her true form is revealed to all: a unicorn, bereft of her horn, bleeding from the wound on her head. The lion stands taller now, power echoing around him; the rebels sudden appear braver as his own power rockets through them. He goes for Gwen's neck, large jaw sinking into her as a thought runs through the minds of anyone nearby: "I will save you from yourself, my dearest friend."
ā¶ 004. ANOTHER SLEEPLESS KNIGHT.
Gwen fights Eadmund, and Outsiders will find their own fights ebbing and flowing. As Gwen gets the upper hand, her men grow stronger, turning on not just the rebels but the Outsiders, too. They are particularly violent with any Outsider who did not suffer the strange memory effects; it seems these grow stronger and weaker with Gwen, too.
The removal of the relic from Eadmund's back seems to have made him stronger, even with the emotional and physical damage the attacks from the Outsiders have left him with. Eventually, he seems to overcome the unicorn, smothered in her blood and drowning in her wails of anguish. There's a bright flash of light, and the two of them, Gwen and Eadmund both, seem to... Disappear?
The problem of the horrific monsters still remain, however, despite the disappearance of Gwen and Eadmund, and Outsiders are tasked by the rebels with rounding them up and trapping them in the prisons below Windsor castle. They ask that the Outsiders not kill the beasts, because they are certain of a cure, but accidents can happen, right?
Ripples of rumour spread throughout the castle about the fate of Gwenllian and Eadmund, but the focus is on the recovery efforts. There are various things that Outsiders can do to help: recover the wounded, capture the remaining monsters, repair some of the damaged walls, make meals, and guide the families of the rebels back to the castle from their caves. There's no shortage of aid required.
Finally, a large campfire is built, and there is a mixture of emotions in the people of Windsor, civilians and rebels both. There is joy at their endless fight finally being over, whilst great mourning for the loss of two heroes - Gwenllian the Unicorn, who had defended Windsor for decades, and Eadmund the Lion, who had fought to free her from whatever poisoned her mind. Speaking to civilians gives various viewpoints: some think Gwen was evil, others misguided, while some imagine Eadmund to be some kind of nightmarish fairytale that is told to children to get them to behave.
No matter the view, there is relief: for now, there is a reprieve.
The removal of the relic from Eadmund's back seems to have made him stronger, even with the emotional and physical damage the attacks from the Outsiders have left him with. Eventually, he seems to overcome the unicorn, smothered in her blood and drowning in her wails of anguish. There's a bright flash of light, and the two of them, Gwen and Eadmund both, seem to... Disappear?
The problem of the horrific monsters still remain, however, despite the disappearance of Gwen and Eadmund, and Outsiders are tasked by the rebels with rounding them up and trapping them in the prisons below Windsor castle. They ask that the Outsiders not kill the beasts, because they are certain of a cure, but accidents can happen, right?
Ripples of rumour spread throughout the castle about the fate of Gwenllian and Eadmund, but the focus is on the recovery efforts. There are various things that Outsiders can do to help: recover the wounded, capture the remaining monsters, repair some of the damaged walls, make meals, and guide the families of the rebels back to the castle from their caves. There's no shortage of aid required.
Finally, a large campfire is built, and there is a mixture of emotions in the people of Windsor, civilians and rebels both. There is joy at their endless fight finally being over, whilst great mourning for the loss of two heroes - Gwenllian the Unicorn, who had defended Windsor for decades, and Eadmund the Lion, who had fought to free her from whatever poisoned her mind. Speaking to civilians gives various viewpoints: some think Gwen was evil, others misguided, while some imagine Eadmund to be some kind of nightmarish fairytale that is told to children to get them to behave.
No matter the view, there is relief: for now, there is a reprieve.
ā¶ 005. THE LAST UNICORN.
The next morning, Outsiders are awoken by the arrival of a familiar face: Alex, assistant to Dr Spim. Something had been interfering with LILITH's communication since their arrival in Windsor, but with it now somehow dealt with she has been able to bring something: a cure for the monster transformations and the memory effects.
Typically, severe cases of Rift corruption are considered incurable. However, after a certain event earlier in the year, they were able to study a group of corrupted Outsiders that made an unprecedented full recovery. Additionally, thanks to a certain Outsider volunteering for additional testing and experiments, LILITH has been able to use her blood to create an antidote for significant Rift effects! They believe it can also be used to help increase resistance against more kaiju-related powers. Experiments and studies have been promising and now seems as good a time as ever for human testing!
Something else remarkable happens around mid-day. The door to Gwen's room opens, and there's a stampede of people running, whispering she's alive, he's alive, how is this possible, what is happening. Outsiders who walk up to follow the gossip chain will find a unicorn foal, horn intact, curled up with an adolescent lion, their faces pressed together as they rest and recover from a centuries long conflict.
It's not until dusk that the lion wakes up, and Eadmund sits by the great bonfire, greeting old friends and new. As he walks through the castle, something strange happens. Many of the various animals around the castle begin to twist and transform - horses, corgi, badgers, foxes, even the birds, reshaping into a human form. Some seem caught in-between, left with odd wings, dog ears or tails, and others don't turn back at all but seem to be given a human voice once more. Eadmund is apologetic: his strength isn't quite what it used to be, yet, and Gwenllian is too tired to help.
Tired, he asks the Outsiders this: please forgive her, and give her time. She has done such cruel things, but her heart was taken, and she had nothing left.
All that is left is for the Outsiders to gather themselves, ensure their friends are safe, cured and healthy, and begin to prepare for the journey home. It seems that there might be a happy ending to this story.
Typically, severe cases of Rift corruption are considered incurable. However, after a certain event earlier in the year, they were able to study a group of corrupted Outsiders that made an unprecedented full recovery. Additionally, thanks to a certain Outsider volunteering for additional testing and experiments, LILITH has been able to use her blood to create an antidote for significant Rift effects! They believe it can also be used to help increase resistance against more kaiju-related powers. Experiments and studies have been promising and now seems as good a time as ever for human testing!
Something else remarkable happens around mid-day. The door to Gwen's room opens, and there's a stampede of people running, whispering she's alive, he's alive, how is this possible, what is happening. Outsiders who walk up to follow the gossip chain will find a unicorn foal, horn intact, curled up with an adolescent lion, their faces pressed together as they rest and recover from a centuries long conflict.
It's not until dusk that the lion wakes up, and Eadmund sits by the great bonfire, greeting old friends and new. As he walks through the castle, something strange happens. Many of the various animals around the castle begin to twist and transform - horses, corgi, badgers, foxes, even the birds, reshaping into a human form. Some seem caught in-between, left with odd wings, dog ears or tails, and others don't turn back at all but seem to be given a human voice once more. Eadmund is apologetic: his strength isn't quite what it used to be, yet, and Gwenllian is too tired to help.
THE TALE OF THE LAST UNICORN.
In the past, a herd of unicorns roamed the forests, travelling around England and bringing the spring with them as they moved. In tune with the world, they encouraged the growth of plants, flowers and vegetation, keeping the country filled with greenery even as technology grew and became more prominent. Alongside them walked a great beast, Eadmund, protective and gentle despite his stature and his roar, who gave strength to those who would rise up and defend the world against its ills, a lion protecting his pride with all that he had.
Then the climate changed. Then the world shifted. Nature suffered, and with it so did the unicorns.
In Britain, the requirement for energy and power led to a second Industrial Revolution overtaking the nation, creating new factories and relying more on age-old technologies to ensure the country survived. The side effects were not immediate, but catastrophic when they came: the reliance on coal, oil, steam and a covert use of rift energy to power machinery led to the landscape twisting into something desolate. Earthquakes became more common, and lush farmland became closer to swamp and quagmires.
Thus, the unicorns returned. They offered aid, tried to help repair the damage done to nature, and offered their powers to soothe the hurts of the humans they loved so dearly. Alongside them was their dearest friend, their lion protector, who imbued the humans with strength and courage to fight against the threat of new beasts, new kaiju who walked the land as if it was theirs to claim. Together, they were formidable: warrior and healer, a pair difficult to defeat.
Humans are greedy, however, and often not content with the gifts they are given. A few saw the damage the rifts had done to their homes, to their friends, and remembered old stories of the power of a unicorn: their horn, their mane, their blood can heal, can soothe, can protect. Slowly, enough that it was hard to note at first, they began to trim the herd, hunting the smallest and the weakest, the youngest, until there were too few unicorns left to bring any hope to the world.
Soon, there remained none but one unicorn: Gwenllian, still young, fierce in her rage and her disgust at humanity.
They are evil, she argued, her hurt and anger overtaking her. There is no difference between them and the beasts.
They do not understand, Eadmund responded, bowing low to comfort her, maw against her neck. Let us help them to know. We can show them something better, help them to understand. We can show them their courage once more, the two of us together. Their intentions were not evil, but the results were. He remained hopeful in his grief, shouldering the weight of being last of their kind. In the depth of his heart, he loved her, and wanted to see joy return to her eyes.
I will show them understanding. Harsh, and cruel. Gwenllian, in her grief, did not wish for anything better. She had seen the horns and hair of her kin ground and used, she had witnessed their blood being harvested, and she was unable to reconcile her anger with her knowledge that it was not all the humans: desperation makes monsters, after all, and that is what she became.
When she rose up to fight the humans, they responded swiftly, and with a strength she did not expect. The source she knew too well, for how often had her dear friend given her strength and courage with his power, lifted her heart with his boasts of victory? To see it used against her broke her, and so she turned on Eadmund, and their fight was as violent as her hurt and her rage: the aftermath as deadly as what was wrought upon the earth.
She did not know that Eadmund was as much a victim as she, his power abused and manipulated, the humans taking what they could from him and using it to harm the only creature he had ever loved.
They fought, friend against friend. Gwenllian lost her horn, embedded in her dear friendās spine. Eadmund lost his future, cursed to live an endless fight, reviving each time his life was taken. Until Gwenllianās vengeance was complete, there was no hope in his future.
As the years passed, people began to forget the origins of the disaster, what had happened to the unicorns, and the strength of their protector, a great lion that lingered only in dreams, doing what he could to save those that remained. In turn, humanity turned their faith to Gwenllian, titling herself with the moniker of āGwenā, a hero of their time with one mission: to rid the world of the kaiju causing such danger and damage.
The more faith they had in her, the worse the world around her became. Those of the highest faith found themselves changing, twisting their limbs into something more monstrous, grief and anger fuelling her: humans have monstrous hearts, so their bodies should match it. Around the castle she called home, the human-kaiju roamed, feeding her power and her madness, a reminder of her true purpose.
Their battle continued for centuries, until news of the successes of LILITH reached Gwenllian, and she hatched a new plan: use the humans to take her final vengeance and spread her transformations to the rest of the world. The only thing standing between her and victory was the remains of her heart: Eadmund who, in all the years of fighting, had not given up on her, and whose power she, too, manipulated to control the guests to her land, to twist their memories and make them easier to shape.
Now he offers the Outsiders this tale, and begs them to help. Help save the friend he still loves with all his heart, and in turn help to save all those who have fallen victim to her strength, her power, her manipulations. Together, they can return hope to their realm, and bring a brighter future to those who remain.
Tired, he asks the Outsiders this: please forgive her, and give her time. She has done such cruel things, but her heart was taken, and she had nothing left.
All that is left is for the Outsiders to gather themselves, ensure their friends are safe, cured and healthy, and begin to prepare for the journey home. It seems that there might be a happy ending to this story.
ā¶ AFTERWORD.
This is Kaiju Log #11
All comments in this event count for 2 points towards October AC. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask them below.
We would also like to thank players for all their hard work OOCly to allow this plot to unfold!
All comments in this event count for 2 points towards October AC. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask them below.
We would also like to thank players for all their hard work OOCly to allow this plot to unfold!
EVENT BREAKDOWN/RECAP (CLICK TO EXPAND)
1.THIS WAS A FAIRYTALE: Outsiders scout ahead and try to find the rebels. They discover a cave with womena nd children inside: the rebels have already left.
2. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN: The kaiju arrives at the battlefield, and Gwen meets him. Her generals turn into monsters, and the fighting begins.
3. A ROAR-SOME BATTLE: Gwen and Eadmund fight, while around them civillians and Outsiders transform into monsters. The relic is torn from Eadmund's back, and Gwen is revealed as a unicorn.
4. ANOTHER SLEEPLESS KNIGHT: The battle comes to an end and Outsiders are given various tasks around the battlefield and castle.
4. THE LAST UNICORN: Eadmund and Gwen are reborn as young versions of themselves. Eadmund explains the story of their relationship. LILITH delivers a cure the Outsiders, using a new experimental option thanks to a certain Outsider working with them.
no subject
I should just let you wither away in boredom, but who knows what you'll do if left to your own devices for long.
[ Oh... He's in FINE form today, isn't he? ]
no subject
[ He responds quickly, but since he doesn't get a response, he assumes that Silco must be on his way to come indulge his request. After all, if he wasn't, it's not like Silco would turn down a chance to argue.
So, when he arrives, Tezcatlipoca laughs, pleased. He shifts so that he's sitting up, and he also automatically starts to put his hair up in a bun. Being on bed rest also means that his long, beautiful hair is much more annoying than usual. It still looks weirdly excellent, though. ]
Aw, c'mon, why are you mad at me? I didn't have anything to do with this!
[ But there's no actual offense in his tone. He just seems happy to see Silco back to his normal, grumpy self... ]
no subject
Who said I'm mad at anybody?
[ He's furious at this whole thing, and Gwen, whom he's decided is the one who would be killed for the transgression. Unfortunately, she has a bodyguard in the form of a lion.
Maybe they're similar types, but Silco won't admit that. ]
You really did have to cause problems, didn't you?
[ He pulls up a chair, tugging his flask out while he does so, during Tezca pulling back his long hair. He doesn't miss having it himself, but it's insulting that it still looks so good. ]
Remember last year? You attacked me. I suppose you'll need to get another follower for next year.
no subject
Ha, apparently so! October isn't my month, is it?
[ Though this had been way worse, in his opinion. At least Brasov had been bloody and exciting. This was nothing like that. ]
I think it's justified, though. I knew Daybit would wake right the fuck up after giving him a nice shock to the system. Sorry I couldn't do it for you, man. You'd probably, uh, die. And that'd be such an anti-climatic way for you to go.
no subject
None. ]
Oh he did, did he? A shot and he removed your limb and that's all it took? [ A beat. ] You couldn't shoot something non-vital to shock me out of it?
[ There had been a CHANCE? ]
no subject
...Is what he should have expected, actually. ]
Well. I dunno? Maybe? But I knew it would work for Daybit on account of why his memories are all fucked up in the first place. You don't have a brain full of aliens, so.
[ Tezcatlipoca says it so casually and doesn't even stop talking. It's such a bizarre revelation, and yet he treats it like it's perfectly normal. ]
And it's a pretty big limb! Like, c'mon, there's only so much of me to go around! You can't be cutting me into pieces so casually. I'd— Okay, well, not die, but I'd go away!
no subject
The what? Oh, of course. ]
Of course. Of course there would be.
[ An advantage. Of course there was. He almost feels more insulted because he'd thought Daybit was normal, like him. ]
Don't worry, I'm not planning on cutting you up too much. This is only one leg. You have three more limbs.
That's plenty left to keep me normal, don't you think? [ A beat. ] Next time, I'd prefer you try it, rather than make the fool of myself.
[ Because That's what it was. Sure. ]
no subject
...But the vitriol in that "of course"? That doesn't quite match. ]
What's that "of course" about?
[ He'll get back to divvying up his own limbs. Maybe. ]
no subject
And another. And another.
Here? Here he is... human. So. Terribly. Human. Weak. He notices it every time one of these Kaiju rear their monstrous heads. It's why he so often points out that he'd had two high-hits. As if it's armor against the feelings of inadequacy that he has so often felt.
His lips twitch. ]
I suppose it's just another reminder of how these abnormal powers continue to create... opportunities.
[ It saved him from the memories. If Tezca had caught him, would it have prevented ā ]
no subject
Well. Wouldn't exactly call his whole deal an opportunity, personally.
[ On one hand, he feels like if it was possible, Daybit would trade with Silco in a heartbeat. On the other, Daybit would never, because he'd never trust anyone else to keep those extra passengers at bay. So Tezcatlipoca just sighs and shakes his head. ]
Were the fake memories that bad?
no subject
Were they that bad?
[ He hissed, his fingers clenching slightly, and he gave him a look. There's an edge to it buried in there, like he saw something he shouldn't, and now he is trying to rid the sight of it from his memory. It's almost frantic. ]
Why no, it's not that bad. I simply called my daughter something we've been trying to bury for years, let alone ā
[ He bites his tongue. Let alone that. ]
I wasn't myself.
no subject
[ Tezcatlipoca says his name firmly, but calmly. It's like it's meant to draw Silco out of that spiral of rage that he's heading towards. It's that serious, arresting calm that Tezcatlipoca rarely shows, since it's for moments like this. ]
I know you weren't yourself. That's why it creeped me out.
[ ...Still, though. They'd had that conversation, and it's made one of Tezcatlipoca's assumptions clear. Silco wasn't happy. The fact that he's so willing to go immediately on a tirade here makes that even clearer, but that also means it's something he has to approach carefully. ]
What do you feel about that version of yourself, though?
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See that you don't forget it.
[ Mullishly. He starts fishing into his coat for his cigars. He has more of those than normal at this stage of a Kaiju fight too. Of course he does. ]
That version. [ Derisively. His fingers open up and he clips the end with his hand before he lights it. ]
It wasn't a version of all. [ A pause. A twist of his lips. ] There was nothing. Without drive, like I was a shadow of everything I became. I hadn't even been through... [ everything he'd been through. His face was from a Kaiju attack, so he'd sought revenge on the Kaiju. He'd even had... fond memories of his past. Of Vander. An amicable split, as he drifted toward LILITH for his purpose.
Insulting. ]
Weak. Simpering. Unable to adapt. Foolish. Angry.
[ At him? A person that doesn't exist? At the whole thing? At Gwen for daring to do this to him? To leave him without everything that he was, an easy life, without all of the baggage? Everything had been... so easy. Simple. Is he jealous of the him that existed? Not quite, but... at the same time...
Even he knows he is his own worst enemy. ]
imaginning silco getting quieter and quieter in this tag and loling
[ Itās a rhetorical question in the lilt in his tone, since heās not asking what Silco had been through to separate them. He knows, more or less. He certainly knows its effects, which is much more what heās concerned about. Those events had twisted Silco up into a bitter, angry man, and the version that Gwen had created didnāt have those kinds of knotted up scars.
Tezcatlipoca doesnāt think itās better, exactly. He truly thinks of it as a āwhat ifā, because the possibility of another world and another life isnāt strange to him. But itās certainly a man who wouldnāt have drawn his notice at all. Only the man before him would have that āhonorā. ]
The way I saw it, it was a you that didnāt need that drive.
[ There was no deep, painful trauma to push it forward, or maybe that Silco had overcome it. Either way. ]
Youād pick a painful life?
HELP he's shrinking...
It stalls him. Makes him hesitate. ]
I've never been given the choice.
[ Isn't that... what it really came down to? He'd never bothered, because what choice did he have? To go make amends with the man that tried to kill him? Drown him and strangle him in the river like he was just another corpse to throw with the rest? Give up his dream for something weak and middling? Give up everything for a shot at being comfortable, while the rest of them whiled their time away, still poor. Still dying. Just respectable, but barely that. ]
That man... [ Him. The one he wanted to pull apart and stuff in a box. He still remembered, how... free he felt. Comfortable. There was something he was doing, but it wasn't enough. It would be ineffective. But he was happy. It's a feeling Silco almost didn't recognize, until he realized how much easier it was. How light. ]
Could have had the drive. It wasn't like there was nothing there. He simply... had enough to make him complacent. It was easy for him.
If LILITH betrayed him, he would have found another way, he wouldn't have... done anything else. He wouldn't have torn them down, or found a way to make them pay.
It was a me that accepts transgressions.
Even when they shouldn't be.
[ A Beat, and then: ]
So no, I wouldn't choose that life.
[ Would he pick a painful one, though? He isn't as sure. But he doesn't know of a life with him where it isn't that. ]
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Itās not as if he wants Silco to be that man. It was antithetical to Tezcatlipoca, and he would have no right to call himself the god of conflictās acolyte. Howeverā¦ He does want him to be closer to that calm.
Once Silco makes it to Tezcatlipocaās campfire, he wants it to be with as few regrets as possible. ]
You say complacent. He said happy.
[ He points it out, but Tezcatlipocaās voice is cool and relaxed. Thereās no edge to it. Itās just factual. ]
Not sayinā that I want you to be like him. But Iāll put it this way. Youāre my acolyte, so I donāt want you to accept those transgressions either. Fight against āem, because thatās how change happens. But as my buddy?
[ Tezcatlipoca shrugs, but thereās that intense, uncomfortable gaze again. ]
I want you to be happy.
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What? A friend? Silco still has to, it's almost automatic, ingrained. ]
I would hope you wouldn't want me to be like him. The most conflict he made was the shock that it was me.
[ Sourly. ]
You want me to be happy.
[ It's a word with a lot of baggage. What happens, when he is happy? The last time he felt it ā truly felt it, was... When he was much younger. Back when things were easy, when be had people, he had Felicia, and... Yes, Vander. When they had a dream, and it seemed so achievable.
The fact that it was taken so violently away makes it something he could hardly dare indulge in. Yes, there were moments. Times throughout Jinx growing up that sparked something like that in him, or moments here, with his daughter; and dare he consider other moments... ]
I don't even know what that's like anymore.
[ And if he dared indulge in it, couldn't it be taken away? Wouldn't it?]
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[ Thatās obvious, he thinks. Anyone that meets Silco must come to that conclusion after even just five minutes, because Silco wears his misery like itās armor. Itās just also armor thatās covered in defensive spikes. Itās rare for someone to want to get close to the guy, since itās very obviously not good for you. Heās the kind of guy that only knows how to hurt people, whether he means to or not.
And thatās the conflict that Tezcatlipoca wants to change. Silco can rage against the world, upend his society and burn it down, and Tezcatlipoca will celebrate every bloody step. But personally? ]
Aināt that weird for me to want that for you. Youāre my acolyte of conflict because you push people. Make āem think about things that they hadnāt. Rage against enemies that are way bigger and badder than you but never backing down even so. Thatās worthy of my respect and itās why youāll always bear my smoke in your soul.
[ (Which. He wishes they hadnāt confiscated his cigarettes at a moment like this. Heās healing from a grievous injury, but who cares, he wants to smoke.) ]
ā¦But none of that means you have to have an unhappy life. You should take those moments of happiness with the same viciousness that you pursue everything else.
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It's defense. Armor. It protects him from others, it protects him from himself. Those that dare get close are cut in the process. How many times had he stabbed Vergilius ā even on purpose, as if daring him to step back and away to protect himself. Jinx was raised by him, and look how she turned out, broken (and perfect, to Silco) and straining at the seams. Even now, she seems to not quite be how Silco always saw her, but trying to play that role, fitting into a mold that doesn't fit her anymore. Tezcatlipoca... well. He was a god. Did anyth8ing hurt him? Silco had certainly lashed out like he could from time to time.
He puffs at his cigar, blowing a cloud of smoke upward, as if to hold from saying anything for at least a moment. ]
You know it is a guarantee, don't you? [ A pause. ] I don't think I have long, once I return.
[ Jinx would kill him. He was guaranteed to have an unhappy life. There was no resolving what he had there.
He doesn't know if he can have something different here. How long, until it's taken away? ]
You know that I was, once, don't you? When I was a boy. [ A thirty-year-old boy. ] We had so little.
I learned not long after, that it was little more than a lie. I couldn't want for better than what we all had, and have something for myself. [ It holds him like a vice grip. A chokehold on his heart, it dared not beat, for drawing that back around.
His lips twitch, and he says it, a touch softer. He doesn't dare admit it, but ā ] I've already tempted fate enough.
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[ Technically, he knows more than that. He knows itās a certainty, since heād accidentally seen into Jinxās memories and Egypt and thus seen that tragic ācrimeā. Heād also promised that he wouldnāt breathe a word of that, and heāll hold to it. Itās not good for Silco to know, really.
He shifts in his bed with a sigh, since he expects this from Slico. Theyāve talked about it before, essentially. But when he has the point of comparison of that other self? Maybe itās fine to be a little more blunt. ]
So, why not live it up while youāve got the chance?
[ He says it in his casual, easy way as always, but the real message is clear. Why not be happy while you have the chance? ]
You call it tempting fate, I call it giving fate a big middle finger.
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Because in the end, that is the truth that keeps Silco from giving fate the middle finger. The knowledge that in the end this will always happen. Years before, a world away; it will happen again. It even happened in that world they had been in before, or perhaps, even worse...
He had been lied to, so that he would stay.
He thinks of that now. How... angry he had been. At learning the truth. That his daughter was not dead, that he was not preserving her no matter what, but preserving her at the cost of everything else. He would have given her everything to have Jinx again.
He had it here. His daughter was here. Not only that. He had more than that. Tezcatlipoca knew what he was asking, what he was suggesting.
It still felt wrong. Dangerous. It would always feel dangerous. It was. Hadn't he said once, what a radical and transgressive act it was to cultivate despite everything? Despite how Piltover kept them down, he'd actually admired Felicia for persisting. Having children despite their poisoned streets and toxic waters.
Was being... That just as transgressive?
Maybe.
Was he capable?
He didn't know. ]
Do you know what happens when men like me try, Tezcatlipoca? When we defy our fates, despite everything that says it would be easier to not?
[ He taps the skin around his eye. ] Fate has a way of making us pay.
[ He thinks he might break entirely. ]
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ā¦Cāmon, man. Obviously I do. You see what happens every time I fire a gun. Or, worse, when I find people that I care about more than Iām allowed.
[ A while ago, Silco probably wouldnāt have believed Tezcatlipocaās explanation of his poor luck. Itās nothing he would have been offended about, because itās hard for humans to grasp. Silco may think heās beholden to something similar, but in reality? As something cruel and concrete that Tezcatlipoca keeps watch over? Not at all. Itās the benefit of humanity that they live smaller lives. Theyāre able to shape their own fates in ways that a god never could. Itās why he finds Silcoās obstinance almost sad. ]
But also, obviously? That doesnāt stop me. Fate might make us pay for it, but so what? I wonāt let it deny me things I want.
[ Thatās not entirely true, of course. Tezcatlipoca is strict with himself and following the rules, though it may not seem like it. Thatās not the wisdom heās trying to impart, though. ]
Iām just sayinā. You got a chance here. The fate you have here aināt the fate you have at home. Donāt squander that.
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[ Tezcatlipoca's luck surely is bad. After all, he'd watched in quick succession that he'd tried to catch Ereshkigal's feelings, and then unceremoniously, Daybit had arrived. And even then, it was...
Well.
He certainly wasn't getting what he wanted. But that meant... ]
So I assume that means you haven't given up on Daybit then, have you?
[ Pointedly, and a little peevishly.
It's easier to consider that, than it is to consider... what being happy even looked like for him. He'd not even thought to think about it, beyond some amorphous dream of a freed Zaun, and that was... it. What then? He'd run it, of course. Long hours, working himself until he was nothing. Withered even more than he already was.
But what was that like here? He already knew. Tomorrow he could vanish, or Jinx could, Vergilius, or Tezcatlipoca as well. He doesn't know what that would do to him, but he can only imagine... would it be like before? Whiling himself into madness.
Would he regret it? The things he didn't do? The things he didn't say? (Well, that was a lost cause. Thanks, nicer him.) ]
I don't think I've been denying myself what I want, exactly. [ He says it with a sniff, as if to say: don't you dare. ] I just never thought I really wanted happiness, anymore. Nor did I need it.
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Cāmon. You have to know by now that I donāt give up on anyone, right?
[ Itās not even sentimental in its tone. Itās just something factual. Once Tezcatlipoca likes someone and gives them his favor, it never fades. He might not be loyal in the traditional sense, since his favor is just as likely to lead to their death, but itās steadfast in only the way a god can be. Heāll look after that soul until the moment they return to the Root and are lost in that great swirl of energy to be reborn. Itās true for Daybit, for Silco, and even Ereshkigal (though sheās not beholden to that cycle).
But itās also the kind of sentimentality that gets him in trouble. Heās not nearly as good at being the good of impartiality as he might pretend to be. So, he moves on with the conversation and doesnāt give Silco the time to respond to that. He can mull it over on his own time. ]
But you think that because youāve been running so hard your whole life, yeah? Compared to all of that, this is practically taking a breather.
[ Not without difficulty, sure, but he doesnāt think Silco would disagree that life here is easier than it was in Zaun or in Kenos. ]
Just sayinā you can give yourself permission to indulge a little. Thatās all.
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But he hadn't, and... well.
It was a difficult thing to believe. Somehow, however, he was starting to. Believe in that. It's dangerous, and he knows it, but...
For some reason, between he and the other two he kept close, was he starting to believe it? What a foolish thing, but Silco had always wanted it, hadn't he? ]
It's too easy here. You know that.
[ It's token, though. Saying it because it's Silco, and because he has to. It is easy, normal. Everything else about the conversation isn't. ]
Besides. [ A sigh, and a roll of his eyes. ] I don't think I need permission to do that.
[ That is quite literally, the closest he'll ever be to admitting anything to Tezca. Even though he already knows. ]