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[pauldron]

INBOX text / audio / video / action This is Lightning. Leave a message and I'll get back to you. code credit

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action; near the moon temple, near the beginning of the event?? time is fake

[brothered]

[Waves of inexhaustible enemies, cutting down anyone in their path as they steadily push their way toward the Moon Temple? Felix has neither love for nor loyalty to his faction, but he isn't a fool; he knows that people can and will flock to the apparent capital in a time of crisis, which is why he's doesn't hesitate to head out to the front lines. These Spartae need to be kept away from roads, from smaller settlements, from anywhere defenseless people might be.

There's also something, ah, cathartic about fighting for hours at a time! It isn't terribly exciting, given the basic moves these skeletal soldiers seem to fall back on, but focusing on helping defend this tiny farming town makes it impossible to think about—to worry about—anything else. By the middle of the night, he's settled, almost gratefully, into a mindless sort of routine. Automatically repelling anything that dares to get too close... isn't terrible.

And he isn't alone, a fact that would normally annoy him—and it certainly did, at first? But it quickly becomes clear that Lightning, too, is a force to be reckoned with; she never gets in his way, never calls for his aid, and it takes little time for them to assume complementary positions. Fighting back-to-back—the longer they keep this up, the less often he feels the need to flip around and warily scan the area behind him. This is... true teamwork. Whew.

But he still has to look back every now and again—and at this point, he just so happens to glance behind him just in time to watch Lightning body one of these annoying creatures. Heh.]

Nice form, [he calls back over his shoulder, allowing a Spartae to walk close enough to catch a sword to through the ribs.] Ready for more?

[Because guess what? They comin'.]

the only thing real is killing skeletons. :3

[pauldron]

[This is the kind of teamwork that can only be forged in fire and blood. This is the kind of teamwork Lightning has only forged with the other l'Cie, the knowledge that someone has her back as well as she has theirs. And sure, there's not nearly as many blasts of magic as she's used to, but they settle into a rhythm as the night goes on.

Stab, blast back the approaching on this side, slice. Duck beneath a blow meant to cut her side open, slice the skeleton at the knees. Rinse, repeat, do it all over again. Throw a few glances Felix's way to be sure he's not getting in over his head and appreciate that he knows what he's doing. It gives her the room she needs to maneuver, and if that means taking a page out of Snow's book to bodycheck the skeleton that got too close, well, she's grateful all the same. She leaps back, tossing a spell into the distance.

Fira sears the night, lighting up the empty fields around them in red and orange. A handful of skeletons go down in the blaze, collapsing into piles of scorched but somehow still intact bone. Landing gracefully, she smirks at him.]

I can do this all night. [They may have to. No matter how many they take down, more seem to come from nowhere. How many of their number is the darkness hiding? Hard to say. She glances to the gate to the settlement, the last of its people slipping away under the watchful eye of a few soldiers who had all but begged for their help.] You're not slowing down on me, are you?

[brothered]

[It's a skillful maneuver—and an undeniably powerful spell. He's reminded, briefly, of Sylvain's magic, wonders if his old friend is casting Bolganone somewhere halfway across the continent, before he forces himself to focus back on the approaching Spartae soldiers. Clumsy, creaking things...]

Hardly. [Ah, hold on. Let him neatly parry this one skeleton, then push it and its blade back—right into one of its many comrades. Get rekt.] These creatures are weak.

[They have, however, been going at this for hours now, and he's only human; he can certainly feel the first hints of fatigue creeping into the muscles of his arms, his shoulders—but it's good, in a way. A reminder that he's here! Alive! Doing what he does best, which is a thought that propels him forward, sending a Spartae's axe spinning to the ground.]

No need to push yourself.

[Mildly mocking, but there's no real malice to be found in those words. Goading one another along is what comrades do, right?]

[pauldron]

Who's pushing?

[It's what they do, at least. The endurance of a l'Cie is keeping her upright, though even that can't last forever. She sidesteps another sword, cleaving elbow from arm, and metal and bone clang to the ground. Endless endurance keeps them coming, but they do go down easily enough. Buying time is a simple task.

But for how long? One of the Temple soldiers shouts, cleaving their way through a few Spartae in their path, even as the main horde stays with Lightning and Felix. Dawn is hours away and she lets a burst of Aero fly in that direction. Bones scatter, buying the soldiers an escape route before she has to roll out of the way of an axe aiming for her neck. It stumbles, misses the attack, and she aims a kick at its sternum. It falls apart, but the axe skids backwards towards Felix's location.]

On your right!

[Careful there, partner! She's got your back.]

me: why is this tab in a window all of its own... oh? OH! oop

[brothered]

[He settles for a quiet huff of amusement as he turns his focus back to his task, making sure that no Spartae come too close to the imaginary line between himself and Lightning. Leaving enough space between them is a smart tactical move! Ensuring they have room to pull away—if they need it, which so far they have not. They are... doing well!

Even if an axe does come clattering back his way. He glances back just in time to step to the side, allowing it to land at the feet of... a particularly enterprising Spartae, who wastes no time picking it. Dual-wielding, huh? Great.]

Thanks, [he shouts back to her—and it would be a nice gesture, if he didn't immediately follow it up with:] I needed a change of pace.

[Why is he like this? God only knows. But as glances back in the soldiers' direction while he waits for his newest challenger to stop swinging both axes around like an idiot:]

How are they holding up?

[The lads!]

xD it happens!

[pauldron]

[Felix, why.

Though she's too well trained to actually do it, and too focused on taking down the Spartae she's facing, Lightning is internally facepalming. Suddenly Ashe's comment on her being like Felix makes an embarrassing amount of sense, and she really owes her fellows a drink.

But that's a thought for another time. Slicing the head off one Spartae she chances a glance back.]

They're almost clear.

[Almost isn't good enough. They still need time, and cover. The horde is closing in, bones rising where bodies would have fallen, and she narrows her eyes. Time for another tactic.]

Fall back! I'm going to blast them!

[You don't want to get caught in a l'Cie Fira blast, Felix! It sucks!]

[brothered]

[He likes a CHALLENGE, Lightning!! And double the axes surely means double the fun, which is why he's pleased to see his new enemy finally straightening up, finally preparing to take this whole thing seriously...

...Or not? Or not, because Lightning gives that order and Felix knows that the fun... is over before it began—and as disappointing as that may be? While Felix feels the frustration of having a satisfying kill ganked from him? He does, in fact, fall back without question, rushing back and to the side, because he's fought alongside mages before. Sayonara, brave foe...]

Clear!

[Do ya thing, girl. He'll circle around her, both to escape the blast and to pick off the few enterprising enemies seeking to catch her from behind while she readies her spell. Switching positions like this can be tricky; now, however, everything about it feels surprisingly natural, and Felix appreciates yet another reminder that he isn't fighting alongside an amateur.]

[pauldron]

[There's something to be said about fighting alongside someone who knows what they're doing, isn't there, someone who can look after themselves and cover you at the same time. Felix watching her back gives her the time she needs to gather enough energy for two Fira spells. Flames leap to life in her hands, casting shadows over the smirk on her face.]

Get lost!

[And then she throws them, one after the other, into the horde. They strike targets on two sides of the mass of bones, exploding night into day, and bones are sent flying in all directions. Scorched and smoking from being caught in the columns of fire, they'll take a bit to rebuild. The horde is still coming, but that move just bought them half a minute, easy. The soldiers can get clear. As for her and Felix, well, Lightning glances over her shoulder.]

You good?

[To stay here, she means, or should they fall back now? She's got some fight left in her if he does.]

[brothered]

[Spartae are simple, but not, like, that simple; only a handful of them are willing to press forward once Felix swoops in to cover Lightning's back, and those are taken down quickly and efficiently. He has ample time to turn and witness the lingering effects of her spells, which? You know? He still prefers his lightning-based magic to fire-based spells, but there is something undeniably impressive about the sight of charred bones slowly, painstakingly attempting to pull themselves back together. Maybe he shouldn't give Sylvain so much shit...

...Maybe. He's not about to learn any fire magic himself, but he will give Lightning a quick nod.]

Obviously.

[Look at him, Lightning! He's in FINE FORM! Peak physical condition! And, as he casts a glance over the soldiers' way as he sinks back into his offensive stance:]

The longer we give them, the better. [Because while he is an undeniable asshole, those soldiers... are tired? They're certainly not Felix- and Lightning-level combatants, so.] Ten minutes can make all the difference.

[Is that cool, comrade? He'll stay here and fight regardless, but you know, fighting together... isn't necessarily terrible. He wouldn't be opposed to continuing this arrangement for a while longer.]

[pauldron]

[If he thinks Fira was impressive, he should see her Thundaga once she gets it back. They can compare spells when that happens. Right now, she's sticking with Fira for the steady light it provides, and she takes her sword back into hand as the spells die away.]

Even two minutes makes a difference.

[Said as she slips back into her own sword stance, watching the rear. Their swapped positions means she's facing the oncoming horde while he guards her back and the soldiers retreat, but she's not bothered by it. She's certainly not leaving this fight yet. Balancing her weight on the ball of her foot, she narrows her eyes out into the dark. The bones are shaking, closer and closer.]

You've got my back?

[You ready?]

voice →

[enkelis]

( Despite doing her best to settle down, to ground herself, Clary's voice still manages to shake a little; she does her best to be flippant about it, but when you see someone almost every single day, it's a little harder to hide that. )

I heard I might have broken some records for world's longest nap.

[pauldron]

[When you see someone almost every single day, keep watch over one another, spend meals and days together, it's impossible to hide things from family.

Even more so from Lightning, who has had experience with two younger siblings and the past few months with Clary. She doesn't shake, doesn't tremble, not without cause, so to disappear for weeks like that only to reappear so shaken...something's wrong. Very wrong.]

I don't know. Someone I know back home slept for five hundred years. Think she's got you beat.

[A wry snort. There's a hundred questions to ask here; what happened, are you safe, what's wrong, are you okay, and somehow none of them matter. The only thing that matters is...]

Where are you?

[enkelis]

You know, I think I'd be okay with that. ( After the hell few weeks she's had? Five hundred years asleep sounds legit. )

Would you believe me if I said I was at the Temple? ( She laughs, humourless. ) Woke up here in my own room.

[pauldron]

[Wait. Wait, what?! A room at the Temple, after weeks gone--

Either the Priestess kidnapped her in which case there will be hands thrown very far, or there was a defection that Lightning somehow missed. Either way...]

Send me the number. I'm coming over.

[And don't even try to protest!]

[enkelis]

( She takes a second to hop off her bed, yanking open the door to look at the number posted. )

42. ( A beat. ) There aren't even any guards posted? How is this possible. ( More to herself than anything, because she really doesn't expect Lightning to know. )

[pauldron]

[Footsteps and the sound of a door opening echo through Lightning's end of the connection. 42 is in the other hall, not far, but far enough that she can still turn those words over in her head.

No guards. Ryne, who so clearly defected, is still under watch. For someone from the Court to have no guards, to be left unattended...it can't be.]

Clary, check your tattoo. I don't think you're with the Court anymore.

[It's the only thing that makes any sense.]

[enkelis]

But how, that's not- ( The sound of rustling as Clary sheds her jacket, pulling her hair aside before her mirror, falling silent when the orion constellation is no longer inked there. )

Okay, so maybe it's possible. ( Freaked out? Maybe. But it's actually easier to focus on this instead of- Everything else. )

[pauldron]

With these two? Don't count anything out.

[So, somehow the Priestess managed to forcibly kidnap Clary away from the Court and change her link somehow. How? Doesn't matter. What matters is figuring out what that means, really, because Lightning can't see the Emperor taking losing one of their chosen laying down.

How much danger is Clary in now, and how can they stop it? A question for later. Right now there's a more pressing matter. Her footsteps draw closer, close enough to be heard both in and out of their compasses, and then--knock knock!

Better get that. Lightning on the warpath is one that won't stop.]

[enkelis]

( Releasing her hair, Clary immediately moves to yank her door open, staring at Lightning for a moment. It's been weeks since she's seen her, so many things have happened -- too many things -- and Clary isn't sure how to process everything that's happening. )

You were right. My tattoo is gone. ( It feels easiest to focus on that, out of everything. )

[pauldron]

[How do you even begin to process a thing like this? The entire world seems to have changed in the past few weeks; Odin's return, the battle for the Gods Wood, her encounter with the Rising Sun's mage, the battle's abrupt and startling end...

And somehow, Clary missed it all. Even so, there's something in her bearing, something in how she's holding herself, that speaks of something else being wrong. It tugs on Lightning's heart, the need to defend her people rearing up. Odin shifts with it, offering his blade, but this is something he can't fix. She stares down the few inches between them, grip tightening around her compass.]

Guess that means you're one of us now. [A soft sound. Sides. Always sides.] Welcome to the Temple.

[enkelis]

( Welcome to the Temple. It's innocuous, something that Clary might have said to someone else in her situation, but with that on top of everything-

Clary's eyes well up, pursing her lips tightly. )

And I can never leave. ( Her breath shakes on her next inhale. ) I can't go home.

[pauldron]

[The last time she saw Clary remotely like this, they'd just lost over eighty innocent people. A harsh blow, an unexpected loss, and then the frustration. The grief.

To disappear for weeks and to come back like this...no. No, this is bigger.]

Inside.

[Gently, both unsure of all of this and sure that Clary doesn't want her emotions on full display, Lightning shuffles them both back into the room. She shuts the door behind them with a resounding thud, guiding Clary to sit on the bed, then goes to a knee in the plush carpets in front of her, worried.]

What happened? What do you mean you can't go home?

[Her voice is calm. Start at the beginning. Maybe they can work this out.]

[enkelis]

If I go back- ( Clary falls quiet, taking a deep breath, ducking her head to try and will her emotion back into some sort of calm, to not let it all come crashing in. ) -I'll lose my memories. I'll lose... everything. My runes, my friends, all of it will be gone if I ever go back.

( She finally looks back up to Lightning, imploring, ) I can't do that. I can't go home, knowing that I'll forget them.

[pauldron]

[Another hundred questions flicker across Lightning's mind, not least of all what the hell did you even get into, but to ask those now, to rub salt into a still bleeding wound...

This isn't something Cure can fix. It'd be easier if it could. But all she can do now is listen, and try to understand. Home is, as far as Clary knows, no longer an option. The alternative is to stay here in this war torn world, and...

She'll end up alone. When the war is over, when the rest of them go home--can they? she tries not to think about that--she'll be stuck here with none of her friends. How is that even an option? And what other options are there to consider? One of them takes her with them? Nero, or Lightning herself, taking Clary back to their world when the fighting is over. It's something to think about, but not now. Not with the wound so raw.

So rather than say anything right away, Lightning stands up, closes the small gap between them, and wraps her arms around Clary's shoulders.]

You don't have to go through this alone. We'll figure something out.

[She's not the promise making type, knows how easily even their homes can break their word...but it still needs to be said. They'll find a way. Somehow.]

[enkelis]

( As soon as Lightning's arms wrap around her, the emotions hit her full-throttle, as though they'd simply been waiting for something to release them. Clary chokes out a sob into Light's shoulder, burying her face there as it finally, finally hits her-

She's never going to see her family again. Luke, Jace, Simon, Izzy, Alec, or Magnus; she'll never get to say goodbye, she'll never hear their voices or spend another day with them. Even when the war is done here, what will she do? Say goodbye to the people she loves while they leave, too?

Her heart feels like it's splintering, like her entire chest is caving in on itself from the sheer weight of the reality she's facing. )