driftfleet | /muffled dragonforce in the distance

[Nightingale takes a couple of steps back. Her mind is racing- She can't fight. She really doesn't want to get eaten. But she can't run away. She can't leave her friends.

All she can do is talk.]

Does that mean if Mikleo decides not to eat me, you'll talk? Please. If I can say my piece, you can kill me or eat me or whatever afterwards, so...

[... She doesn't mean it, though. She's hoping someone will arrive if she can keep talking long enough.]

You want to leave it up to him? [Sorey leans aside and Mikleo pokes his huge head over his shoulder, snarling. Sorey hugs his snout like a child, hiding his face from Nightingale before looking back over her way.]

He'll really eat you. He doesn't recognize you. [Why is he giving her so many chances to run? He should just chase her off himself, but...]

[Choose your words carefully, Nightingale. She can tell that this is going to be the line between life and death here.]

... Aren't we already leaving it up to him? After all, whatever the relationship between you was, I always got the impression you were equals... You care about him, you don't control him.

[What a ridiculous idea. Of course he-

...does. He does? He didn't used to. They were partners before- no, they're partners now, of course they are, Mikleo just needs- he just needs direction sometimes.]

...you wanted to be my Squire, didn't you? [Sorey lets go of Mikleo and stumbles closer to her, sword tip dragging a rut into the mud.] Once I find Lailah, I can make you one. Is that what you want? You'll be strong enough to stop yourself from getting hurt. You want that, right? You always look like you're in pain.

[She almost laughs at how ridiculous this is, suddenly. Did it work? He's approaching her with his sword out, but he seems to be willing to talk? If it's a bluff- He might be using her plan. Get in close by talking, then sneak attack. Or is it true? If he's being honest, and she backs away now, that's the end.

It's scary, but she holds her place this time.

And she smiles, though as he says, it's a pained smile. She didn't think it was always, but... He's not wrong. She does hurt a lot. Physically, and emotionally. Even if it's getting better, it's still there. But right now, what pains her the most is not being able to help her friend.]

... I would like that, I think. If I became your 'Squire', I could help you, right? You two wouldn't have to suffer like this. That's the kind of power I want, it's true.

But Lailah's not here. [That we know about, anyway.] It doesn't matter, right? So now I just have to think about how I can help you with the power I have. Because... I can tell. You're in the same position I used to be in. But you're still you under there.

So, please... Will you let me try to help?

Help...yes... [Mikleo makes a sound of displeasure behind them but Sorey ignores it. He does need help. And Nightingale, she tried to help him before; she's his friend. She wants to talk. She wants to understand.

Sorey slips closer across the mud, reaching for her with his free hand. It trembles where it hangs in the air; the domain around them thickens, pulses with his indecision, his willingness to hope clashing with what he already knows is the truth.]

I need help. I need to- to find Dezel and Zaveid. They're still out there. They're in pain.

[The bottle she had out gone, she reaches out to take his hand with both of hers.]

"Dezel" and "Zaveid"... I don't know who they are. Are they friends of yours? I'll call them for you.

... Are you in pain, too?

It's not so bad. [Grips her hand back, sword still hanging loosely in his grip. Mikleo growls warningly behind them, possessive in his own right and Sorey casts a look at him over his shoulder.] You get used to it. You'll get used to it too. Malevolence just needs some time to settle.

[He turns back to face her even as Mikleo's claws rake across the ground behind them; this close, the holes of his eyes are faintly red and wet on the inside, horrific wounds just past the shadows of malevolence.] Dezel and Zaveid are scared. I need you to get them here; it only hurts for a minute. Mikleo's fine now, see?

... Okay. Let me get my communicator out, okay?

[She lets go with one hand to pull out her communicator, as she says.]

But... I don't know them, and it seems like this domain of yours wreaks havoc on wireless signals.

[Does it? Who knows, but she's lying about it. If she pretends to be looking while talking to Sorey, she can probably extend this for a bit longer...]

So it'll take me a few minutes to find their numbers, okay? And... It'll take time to settle, right? It'll take a bit to get them this close, that's all.

... Hey. Did I ever tell you about Bluebird?

[Sorey withdraws back to Mikleo's side, cradling his head and petting his scales. Mikleo hisses at Nightingale, shifting closer like a cat eager to pounce. They've never let someone stick around for so long, but- but Nightingale's an exception. If it turns out she's here to hurt them, Sorey will let Mikleo eat her. But if they can save her, they have to try.]

Concentrate, [he insists, nodding to her communicator. You wanna tell him stories? Focus on finding his seraphim first. Prove him right. Prove you're not here to hurt them.]

Edited 2016-09-08 04:53 (UTC)

It's not a matter of concentrating.

[She holds it up to show him, with the spinning circle showing. She's trying not to show how on edge she is, though the sweat forming on the back of her neck is as good an indication as any.]

No matter how much focus I pay to it, I can't make it load any faster.

Anyway, you'd like Bluebird. She was a teammate of mine, back at the castle. She liked ruins and old things too. She especially just liked adventure, I think. Then again, it turned out she was like a thousand years old herself, so you'd definitely like her... She had so much history to her, you'd never get tired of her. She was part of this underground city.

[That Sorey isn't perking up immediately at the mention of history and old ruins is probably indication enough that he's pretty far gone, no matter how much like himself he sounds.

He tilts his head at her before giving Mikleo a good hug and pat and leaving his side again. He approaches Nightingale to loom over her and watch the screen of her communicator closely, draping an arm over her shoulders as casually as anything.

Go on. What about Bluebird?]

[That lack of a reaction honestly breaks her heart more than anything else here. She's just going to slowly bring up the index of communicator numbers. she's flicking through them, but pausing from time to time to gesture as she talks.]

I bring her up because... After a while, it turned out Bluebird was a vampire. I fed her, from time to time, but she was always worried she'd attack someone, or that she was a monster now... But none of us really cared, you know? Vampire or not, she was still her, and we could tell. She was still a weirdo who liked wrestling dinosaurs and could probably punch me in half if she tried, undead super-strength or no.

Did YOU think she was a monster? [His arm around her tightens, just a touch.]

Edited 2016-09-08 16:31 (UTC)

[That actually gets her to look up from her communicator, giving Sorey her ever-familiar 'are you an idiot' look.]

If I thought she was a monster, I wouldn't have fed her my own damn blood all the time.

... Or kissed her that one time, but that was more about trying to win a fight. And I probably shouldn't have, since her boyfriend was right there. But she was ridiculously attractive, vampire or not.

Anyway, no, she was still herself. She was a dumbass who wanted to be a superhero and save everyone she could, no matter what it did to herself.

[yknow buddy for being so hung up on monogamy u sure do kiss a lotta girls]

Y'know, I think you're wrong. [Sorey taps his sword against his leg.] People who wreck themselves trying to save everyone, those ones are monsters. It's unnatural. Self-preservation's the most normal thing there is.

[it was to win a fight ok. let her have dirty fighting, it is all she has.]

... You know, when I first met her, I would have agreed with you. My team wanted to save everyone, and only I didn't agree. Only I thought saving ourselves was more important.

Bluebird and Sparrow are the ones who convinced me otherwise. I had been in a... a fog, I guess? I was so deep in despair, I'd become totally unable to feel. Happiness, sadness, anger, I was just an idiot only concerned with my own selfishness to get through another day. But they... My team are the ones who gave me hope again.

[She sounds distant, but fond. Her team is important to her, after all.]

You have to take risks if you want a happy ending. And they don't always work. But sometimes, when those risks pay off... It's the most amazing feeling in the world. When we managed to save everyone, through their efforts and everyone's trust in them... It's hard to describe, you know? It made me realize, it's not stupid. It's reckless, sure, but... Everyone was so happy.

I think it's worth trying to make that happen, even if you don't always succeed.

[Oh, no.

Sorey rests his cheek atop her head, hugging her shoulder close. She came all the way out here, she's trying to help him find his friends, and he...he has to let Mikleo kill her. No- maybe he should do it himself. He promised her safety and Squirehood, but she's so sure of her ideals- she didn't even flicker with malevolence once, the entire time she's been here. He won't be able to convince her, not with that kind of resolve, not as quickly as he needs to.

The sky overhead rumbles and gathers clouds; fat raindrops begin spattering across the ground as Sorey's domain steeps itself in sorrow and loss. If he had more time-

But he doesn't.]

Nightingale?

[It's true. There hasn't been even a flicker of malevolence... To the contrary, in this kind of situation? Fighting with all her heart, no matter the means, to try to protect and save her friends? Even steeped in the domain's malevolence, this is the most pure she's ever been. This is the kind of situation she's most suited to- To sit, and try to talk things out, for her and her friends to bare their hearts to each other.

Even if it's raining, even if she's scared, her resolve is firm. Even if all she can do is stall until someone with actual power gets there, she'll do everything she can.]

Oh, sorry... I didn't mean to ramble on. Ah, I should hide my communicator, I don't think they're water-proof... Can I hide it under your cape?

[She looks rather embarrassed now. She's still lying, and stalling, and she doesn't like having to lie to him like this, but it's for a good cause... Her determination is keeping her strangely calm, despite everything. If this is the only way she can help Sorey, then she will.]

[His heart hurts.

He wants to be kind, but...he doesn't remember how. Not like how he used to. He's sure it wasn't long ago but it's just not something within his power anymore. It would be kinder to just make this as quick as possible.

She's scared of water, after all.]

I'm sorry, [Sorey tells her. With a flash his sword coats itself in razor-sharp ice; Mikleo picks his head up behind them, giving Sorey a look like finally, we're doing this.]

[Though she doesn't remember it herself, Nightingale's been an adventurer for several years now. She was never as serious about it as some others, never as good at it as those she knew, but she was still an adventurer who fought and came close to death, and actually died, many times.

Her instincts and reflexes and senses for danger were honed through fighting and exploring, having to pick the optimal course to protect her friends on instincts when she couldn't consciously process information fast enough. And her time at the castle only served to hone those instincts further, brushing with death so often it's always in the back of her mind.

As soon as Sorey moves, danger flashes through her head, and she leaps away, comm vanishing into her inventory. Skidding, digging her heels into the wet ground, and equipping her staff, she's turning to face them.]

Go to sleep!

[She thrusts her free hand out, fingers curled, in Sorey's direction, The time for pretenses is gone, and her cover is blown. She's just hurling a Sleep spell at him and praying.]

Edited (tfw you look back hours later and realize you used the very wrong icon) 2016-09-09 02:30 (UTC)

[He staggers for all of a second before flicking off the spell. Yeah he's boss-level resistance now. She was awful quick with that spell though; she must've figured out he was going to attack her.]

So much for killing you after you've said your piece. [He points his sword at her as Mikleo slithers up behind him, hissing, steam curling up from between his teeth.] Were you lying to me about helping me find Dezel and Zaveid?

[This time, her eyes glow as she casts Scan, checking for weaknesses.

Resists fire, wind, and water? Just resist all of her damn spells, why don't you?]

Not at all. I was genuinely trying to look for them to find them. I was even going to pass along your message, exactly as it was.

... So they could see for themselves what kind of state you're in now, and get as far away as they can.

Dezel might. [Though he thinks Dezel might come back anyway. He's surely blaming himself.] Zaveid will absolutely come back, though. He'll want to kill Mikleo.

[Of course, that's what Sorey's betting on. He turns to Mikleo and gives his snout a gentle shove.] Get going, this'll draw enough attention. [When Mikleo growls and huffs and angrily chews at Sorey's hair he shoves his muzzle a little harder.] I have this. Go.

[Mikleo takes to the air but he doesn't go far, circling overhead and landing on mountain peaks within eyeshot, roaring and breathing out irate puffs of flame.

Sorey returns his attention to Nightingale.] I wish you hadn't lied to me. If you came here saying that you wanted to kill me, I'd have understood. [Wouldn't have let it happen, but he'd have understood.]

... You don't get it, do you?

[She grips her staff, taking careful steps and angling herself so that Mikleo and Sorey both remain in her field of vision at all times.]

I didn't lie. ... About that part. I don't want to kill you. We both know I don't have anywhere near the power to kill you- And even if I did, I still wouldn't want to. I've written off people I loved before, letting them die through my inaction.

I'm never going to do that again. My inaction won't doom anyone else. If I can save you, I'm going to... If saving you through words won't work, then I'll have to figure out a new way to do it.

[She keeps talking, slowing her breathing. Shut out all useless information. Focus all of your brainpower on the situation. Prioritize your objectives, and figure out the methods that can achieve them.

Her first priority is to save Sorey and Mikleo. Surviving... That's second. If she dies here, though, then if they do get saved, they'll never forgive themselves... That's not saving them at all.

She can't run away. She can't win in a fight. She can't stall with sleep spells. So, what can she do? ... There's only one chance. One small, tiny chance, her only chance.]

And... There's one more thing I understand that you don't.

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