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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
▶ 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 they’re 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 children’s 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 children’s 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.
▶ 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. There’s 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. There’s 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.
▶ 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."
▶ 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.
▶ 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 friend’s spine. Eadmund lost his future, cursed to live an endless fight, reviving each time his life was taken. Until Gwenllian’s 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 “Gwen”, 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.
▶ 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
This was a truth Silco knew, more than anything. Something that was as deep as the rot on his face. He fixed his eye on them, a tip of his head. ]
Never.
[ Firmly. Clearly. ]
Accept death? No. Something like this, it makes you strong. Yes, of course it hurts, but what do we learn from pain? What do we learn from strife and opposition? We learn how to to overcome it.
That's what dying taught me, did you know that? How to look it in the eye, and tell it that it would not succeed yet this day.
no subject
This man before them... Sometimes they really think he might be their City made manifest.]
< You died doing something you thought was important, didn't you? Or at least something important was involved. >
no subject
He will die. He knows how he will die. He knows it will be at his daughter's hands.
He hates it. He's angry. He accepts it. He loves her. She's perfect. She's broken just like him. He doesn't want to die. He knows he will have to. ]
I have not permanently perished yet. What I died for before...
[ A twist of his lips. ]
Was a falsehood. But I am still here, despite that. I've had enough near-misses that I won't let something like death get in my way.
[ Really, he was Zaun made manifest, but maybe that says a lot, to how their respective homes are similar enough that this is something they can both understand. ]
no subject
Dante wonders what they'd think if they knew it was this that made them think of them. Annoyed, maybe, or even exasperated. Honestly, they couldn't blame the two of them.
Even if it weren't for the connection to death itself, being associated with Silco of all people would have to grate.
Even if they can't say they don't respect the statement he's making right now.]
< ...Don't. >
[It sounds awkward coming from them, the word dragged kicking and screaming through their voice module.]
< Don't die, I mean. >
no subject
Sound more enthusiastic about the encouragement, why don't you?
[ That's a lot better than anything else he could say to them, given that he suspects he can guess the why...
And he doesn't exactly want to talk about it. He might lie through his teeth to conceal it, but... maybe Dante is too smart to believe his lies. ]
Don't fret. I already know how I'll perish. [ Hands spread, a smile that should be placating, but on Silco's face it's... well. It's insincere at best. Is it accepting? Not quite, but he knows of it, even so. He wants to change it — but he doesn't know how. After all, how could he hate his killer, when it's the most precious person in the world to him? Is he marching towards that final moment, knowing that when this is over, and they're forced to return, he will sign his own death warrant? He turns away from it, like he does the rest of it all. That black pit that threatens to swallow everything at the edge of his vision. ]
I don't intend it to be here.
no subject
But the coincidences are there, as are their consequences, and they might as well suck it up and learn to accept it.
(Deep down, they knew it was never going to happen anyway.)]
< Not dying here is good enough. >
[They can't even look him in the eye.]
< You... haven't told anyone else that, have you? That you're gonna die when you go home. >
no subject
Concerned that I'm keeping secrets, are you?
[ A sharpness that's almost more for show, than anything else. As if putting up a layer of armor for the sake of putting it up. ]
The people who need to know, know. [ Vergilius knows, because he had spoken to him about it, that thing looming over him like a sword dangling over his neck. He knew better than to confide in anyone, but his too-cautious self had been ground down, before it had split, and now everything that he was had been exposed. Once, that had left him drowned in a river, mutilated and alone. A part of him still worries that it will happen again. What layer hasn't been flaked off yet, that will do the deed?
Tezcatlipoca knows, he thinks. And Jinx...
Jinx will do the deed. Just like she did for every other member of her family. She's the one who told him, after all. Used it to tell him he would be replaced, in the end. To hurt, yes. Because that's all they were, the type that hurt. ]
no subject
At least it's a subject they can understand being cagey about. But still...]
< Fine. Just, if he doesn't know, don't tell him. >
[They cross their arms and shift from one foot to the other.]
< Or if you do... >
[They trail off, ticking.]
< I just think he deserves to have someone or something to look forward to. Even if he doesn't think he does. So if you don't want to promise me anything to do with your death or if you can't promise me anything else, could you at least promise me that? >
no subject
His eyes leave their face, looks away, and his good eye closes, though the way he turns, scar facing them, they're left with an unblinking eye, and a furrow that winds deep into his face. Ugly. Hateful. His eye that burning pit of pitch and fire.
There is something deep, and buried, and traitorous, that doesn't disagree with them. That he deserves better than the guilt and self-loathing he drowns himself in. Hadn't he been trying to teach him to be selfish?
But he knows Vergilius has something he's striving towards, the same as him. Would torch the world for it if it was denied him. They are the same, in this way. They have their roles to play when they return to their worlds. Neither of them can ask for more than that. He could no more ask Vergilius to turn his back on them, than Vergilius would ever ask him to turn his back on Jinx. He would die at the hands of his daughter, and Vergilius would continue on his path to free his own children. All they had was the now. The here.
He'd promised him that he wouldn't leave; and it was the same for him. He wouldn't either. It had been without words, but they often didn't need them, to say more.
His eye tipped to look at them, that glowing eye surrounded by pitch. ]
I've made all the promises I intend to. [ He feels that itching under his skin. The more people that know, the more likely it will be taken away. He feels the urge to escape, to end this conversation, before he gives away — far too much. Hasn't he given away enough? ]
And any that I make... [ This time he does look away again. Up and towards one of the high windows. ] are private, between the individual and I. [ His head turns back toward them, all of the weight of a half-unblinking, mismatched gaze. ] Understand?
no subject
In the end, all they're left with are his words, and those don't make them feel any better.]
< So I'm just going to have to trust you on this one. >
[This man who's made their life even more of a hell than it already is. Who brings negativity wherever he goes. Who thinks nothing of double-crossing others when someone else has no more use to him. Whose calculating callousness would put some people in the City to shame.
...Who knows who and what he is. Who knows what he wants. Who has the determination to change his world. Who has more drive than they'll ever have.
.......
Enough of that.]
< ...Fine, I'll drop the subject. It's none of my business anyway. >
[Accept it and move on.]
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Tezcatlipoca is going to be crowing about it soon enough, he is certain. ]
See that you do, Dante.
[ He says it with that careful, affected self-satisfaction he always has, like this is just another plan that's going well. Like he isn't dangling over the abyss, like it doesn't make his throat want to close up.
He's been off the rails for months — a year, even. He has no choice, but to pretend that things are going according to plan. Don't let anyone see anything, lest they know how to take him down.
He starts to move, to step away. He pauses, turns just slightly to look at them. ]
I understand the... concern, of course. [ He knows who he is. What his reputation is. And the fact that it is better here than it was before... He was a maddened thing once. He feels like he has been tugged back from the abyss, just by a step. It still looms, ever-present. ] After all, it's me, and you two are... close. [ So he found out. More like it's a complicated thing, but what from the City wasn't? ]
Just remember... [ A beat, and he starts walking away, turning away from them. ] I don't intend to let go of anything, as long as I am here.
[ And maybe that's half a promise, even if it's wrapped in thorns. ]
no subject
It's probably ridiculous, them saying any of this. Vergilius is an adult--older than they are they're pretty sure--he doesn't need their help. He can take care of himself.
Honestly... they're not even sure what they're doing or saying. They'd meant every word of it but--
No. It's enough. They're overstepping as it is.
Dante watches Silco's back in silence, then turns to walk away as well.]