driftfleet | +2 nerdchildren

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+2 nerdchildren

Who: Sorey & Mikleo / OPEN
Broadcast: Fleet-wide
Action: Marsiva
When: Now!!

[ACTION]

[It's probably not normal for a lack of something to be the first thing one notices upon waking up, but Mikleo opens his eyes to the realization that there's a serious lack of... weight on his chest, one he'd become resigned to feeling ever since leaving Elysia. Malevolence was everywhere in the world, and only his contract with Sorey and Lailah had kept him from growing sick because of it, or worse.

Here, though, he feels not even an ounce of it. Which immediately brings to mind the question- where...?

Once he's up and on his feet and staring out the nearest window - witnessing the state of the sky, what in the world - it takes him a while to shake off the shock. He feels like his head's been invaded- thoughts, understanding forced into it, making his head hurt. This is space. He doesn't know why he knows this, but he does. Space, a fleet of ships traveling the universe like a fleet of whales in the ocean, prisoners for entertainment...

What does it even mean?

Sorey. I need to find him. Forcing himself away from the glass, he wanders the hallways, drawn to his Shepherd like a lost sheep. He has to be here. This feeling is unmistakable.]

[BROADCAST: VIDEO]

-ink this is how it works? Where’s the part I talk into? Try the top corner, it's flashing. Do you know why? -well because it’s communicating, isn’t it? Don't look at me. Oh! No no, it’s working now. ...yup. Okay! Geez…

Wow, this is so cool! Can everybody really hear me? -oh man, we can make recordings with this! You know, instead of having to lug around parchment all the time? We absolutely have to bring this back home.

Like people need more reasons to fear the Shepherd.

-ah, right! Introductions! I’m Sorey. I’m supposed to be an Engineer? I’m not totally clear on everything involved in that, so please be patient with me! Um, and since it sounds like we’re all in the same boat- I mean, this might’ve been asked before but does anybody know who we can talk to if we really, really need to get back? It’s kind of an emergency. This seems like a kidnapping but we’re not in a cell or anything, so it’s not as bad as it could’ve been, I suppose.

But definitely! Any clarification on how to get back would be really, really helpful.

You should probably stop talking like you're with someone, Sorey. People will think you're more weird than you already are.

Sorry, you’re right. It’s just really hard to pretend you’re not here when you look right at me like that...

[ACTION PART 2]

[Sorey and Mikleo can be found exploring the Marsiva. To those who can see Mikleo (have a look at his permission post please!), they'll both be there, talking animatedly. To those who can't, feel free to call Sorey out on, you know, talking animatedly to himself.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Sorey points.] Exactly. I know stuff I'm not supposed to, and everything is making this really low noise? Like a buzzing noise, sort of? Or a humming noise.

And I can't find anyone! I think- I mean, I think they're safe, I can still feel them alive but I don't know where they could be. Until I saw you, I thought I might've lost my resonance again. [And it had been an unpleasant thought, one that has Sorey gravitating even closer to Mikleo, almost touching.]

Well, it's definitely not that.

[He nudges Sorey lightly in the arm with his elbow, brow quirking pointedly. Sorey can still see, hear, and interact with at least one seraphim just fine. His concerns about the others is legitimate, though, so he closes his eyes for a moment, trying to get a feel for what's around them. His pact means that there's always a connection, an invisible string tethering him to Sorey and his Prime Lord. The one leading to Sorey is so strong it's almost tangible, clear as day in his mind's eye, but Lailah...]

...Wherever they are, they're not here. The pact still exists between us, but I can't feel Lailah's presence at all.

[It's actually pretty disturbing. He's new to the whole sub lord thing, but you'd have to be an idiot not to realize how much of a problem it is to be missing one's Prime Lord.

At least, he should be saying that, and yet...]

Sorey. Can you feel it? What's different about this place?

Yeah. [Sorey frowns and folds his arms.] No malevolence. Normally I'd say that's a good thing, but...

[But Mikleo's felt it ever since they left Elysia. And Sorey's been feeling it ever since he became the Shepard. For it to suddenly vanish should be a great thing, but it's more worrying than anything else. If they're up in the night sky...just how far away from their world? Can you even get away from malevolence?]

...But it doesn't feel right, after everything.

[A world without malevolence ought to be a dream. It just feels too good to be true. Not to mention that they have too many responsibilities back home.

That's also not the only thing that's bothering him.]

Something's been done to us.

Yeah, you're right. [Which reminds him-

Sorey half-turns and reaches up to part his hair, gently moving his earring aside.] Can you see anything here? I scratched my head earlier and my hand ran into something. Maybe it has something to do with this.

On your head?

[Maybe a bump or something? He's human, after all, he could have been knocked out. Though why the seraphim would be affected by it, he has no idea.

He shuffles closer to Sorey and pushes his hair aside, feeling around. Sure enough, there's something out of place.]

It's not an injury, as far as I can tell. Something's... under your skin.

[It feels really weird and out of place. What in the world?]

Under my skin? [that's just freaking gross] Well can you get it out somehow? Is it like a splinter or something? It doesn't hurt...

[Mikleo tries pinching at it for a moment, trying to find the point of entry. It probably doesn't feel great, but it's necessary, right?

Aaaand it's also pointless. Before long, he frowns and stops, lowering his hands. This is genuine cause for concern.]

No good, the skin's sealed over, as thorough as any healing arte. You'd need a knife to cut it out.

[Okay THAT feels really uncomfortable and Sorey works hard not to shudder away from Mikleo's touch at that weird sense of dread that comes over him. It's only the fact that Mikleo's been looking after his well being since the day he started learning healing spells that keeps Sorey from squirming. He's still relieved when it's over, dropping his hair back down in relief.]

Then we'll look into that later. Nothing to be done about it now.

[Sorey reaches out to touch Mikleo's arm at the worry on his face.] Hey, no big deal. It's not hurting me.

[Mikleo frowns, attempting to rein in how bothered he feels. They still know far too little about all of this.]

Alright. But tell me if anything changes.

[Surely they could track down a knife if it became a problem. Something so small would be an easy heal once it's out.]

[Sorey nods, blowing out a breath and resting his hands on his hips. It's true that they know very, very little but the only way to remedy that is to seek out answers. It's something he and Mikleo are thankfully very, very accustomed to.] Let's go look for Rose. She might be here too- and she might know where the others are.

You may be right.

[Mikleo has his doubts about finding the other seraphim that way- Rose is just his squire, it's unlikely that they would be with her instead of Sorey. Even so, looking for their companions is a sensible suggestion.

And then he does what he'd grown accustomed to doing since the pact was made- he dissolves his body into small particles of light and fuses it with Sorey's, residing within him. It's easier to travel this way when they're out in public, since Sorey can keep them safe from corruption, and he looks less like a mad man by not talking to the invisible people all the time. Mikleo's not always a fan of doing it, especially with more and more of the continent being purified and blessed, but he won't question it when the situation fits. Right now, it does.

Immediately, however, he can tell that something is... different. Like entering an enclosure that's too small to fit in- it's stifling.]

[Sorey, meanwhile, lets out a quiet little wheeze and presses a hand to his chest, face scrunching up. This isn't right. This isn't right at all, this never- even when it first happened and he'd collapsed those two times, it hadn't felt like this.

This is like something has put his lungs in a vice and is slowly tightening it. It doesn't hurt, exactly, but it's hard to take deep breaths and unless he's imagining it then it's getting harder even as he starts to walk. He tries to jog and barely makes it the length of the corridor before he stops and bends over, hands on his knees and out of breath already.]

Mikleo, this doesn't...

"...I know. I can't--"

[It feels hard to talk. As if the entire link is off-kilter, and he's lost the ground beneath him. Usually, when Sorey moves, he can feel ever step, every gesture if he focuses, and while he has no control, he can at least still indulge in the sensation of having a body. It helped to quell the anxiety of surrendering himself - and his freedom - to the sub lord connection at the start. This, though... he feels lost in a dark ocean, unable to even swim to the surface again. His voice is faint, shaken to the core.

With a mighty mental push, he forces himself back out again, slumping against the nearest wall as he readjusts himself to feeling again, the numbing sensation gradually leaving his limbs.]

What... was... that?

[Mikleo comes out looking worse than Sorey feels, so he reaches for him and crouches, taking deep breaths and hanging onto Mikleo's shoulder to stabilize him.]

I have no idea. It didn't feel right. Are you okay? [There's so much about this they don't know. Sorey's always been content to leave things unexplained because Lailah couldn't break her oath, but now he's wishing there had at least been some texts or something he could consult. Especially if this means his powers as a Shepard have been compromised. What if this is permanent?]

[Mikleo releases a shuddering breath, not trusting his voice again, and merely nods. Now that he's out, it feels worlds better, but he's still left with too many questions unanswered.

He lifts a hand to grasp Sorey's arm, trying to reassure him while he finds his equilibrium again.]

Fine. I'm... I'm good now. Is that how it is without Lailah here?

[Are there stipulations they're not aware of in the sub lord pact that forbids certain things without the Prime Lord?]

I don't know. [Sorey doesn't let go of Mikleo because now it's his turn to be intensely worried. This is not good. What if Lailah being gone means he's no longer generating a protective domain? There's no malevolence to be sensed yet, but if Sorey doesn't have a domain anymore and Mikleo gets exposed to it, how is he supposed to protect him?]

Mikleo- Can you tell if I still have my domain? Can you feel it? [Sorey never really could, but he's not a seraph. He could feel other people's domains just fine but maybe because it was his own it was kind of always just...there. Even when it wasn't.]

[Mikleo frowns tightly, straightening up, and focuses his attention fully on Sorey now.]

I'm not sure. Without the malevolence, it isn't as obvious that you even have one. I don't think it's gone, though... you don't feel any different, and the connection is still intact.

[Albeit not great. They definitely need to sort out what's wrong with that- it would be a huge problem if they had to fight and couldn't armitize when things got dicey.]

Well. [Sorey shifts to sit next to Mikleo against the wall, loosely hugging his knees.] Maybe things are just muted because there's something between us and Lailah. Hopefully if we do run into any malevolence, you'll still be okay.

Would you be able to stand being inside me for a while if we do? You might be safer there.

[Ugh. Well, it wasn't intolerable or anything, just new and uncomfortable, but...]

I could stand it. But do you really think I'm just going to hide and let you fight alone?

[Do we need to have this fight again, because he will do it if he must.]

No! No, no, I'm not saying that. [Mikleo will punch him and it will hurt. Or worse, Mikleo will get mad and yell or leave and that will be even worse.] But if Lailah's not here, we won't exactly have the flames of purification. So if you start soaking up malevolence-

[Yeah, just gonna stop you right there.]

I was handling it fine before I became Lailah's sub lord, remember? Anyway, without her, all we'd be able to do is run away.

[Mikleo, as usual, is completely right but that doesn't mean Sorey has to like it. He frowns and sticks his legs out in front of him, turning away.]

Back to the starting line, then. If that's so, it's even more important for us to stick together.

Exactly.

[Mikleo nudges Sorey's side pointedly with an elbow. Sticking together means not hiding in the Shepherd's head when things get dicey. So don't suggest that nonsense again.]

[Sorey glances at Mikleo at the nudge, then draws a leg up and rests his elbow atop it with a sigh.]

I'm not trying to leave you behind again, [he explains.] I swear. I just keep thinking about Edna's brother, and... [How they still haven't found a way to turn a dragon back into a seraph, even though he promised.]

Edited 2016-01-18 03:26 (UTC)

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voice;

voice;

why did i do voice

idk but i didn't even notice

shit why did i even bring it up now you know

you fool, you chose poorly

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