Zelos Wilder (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
chosen_gigolo) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
caughtinanetwork2012-05-13 12:18 am
chosen_gigolo) wrote in caughtinanetwork2012-05-13 12:18 am
Cowards die many times before their deaths
[The feed flicks on to a clearing somewhere in the forest quadrant. A stream runs through it and trees are all around as would be expected, but the camera is slightly tilted and at ground level. It seems it's been dropped or thrown aside.
There's Zelos, jumping back from Duke's sword...but not quite far enough, neither aware that their encounter is being broadcast.]
((ooc: Zelos speaking is in pink, Duke is in red))
Dein Nomos ricochets off of Zelos's Cruxis Crystal, leaving a crack on its surface that chops all the way into the crest surrounding it.
The noise of metal on glass resounds through the otherwise silent clearing. It's a small, tinkling sound, barely worth a mention if overheard, but suddenly Zelos's entire body feels as if it's on fire. Tendrils of untamed mana cause the skin around his crest to bubble, warping the flesh unnaturally in patterns like the veins of a leaf. Pure agony courses through every vein, every pore, as the Chosen staggers back from Duke, clutching at his chest ineffectually and gasping raggedly. He crumples to his knees, eyes wide in true, raw fear.]
G-get... augh... get away! Run!
[It's not the angry command of someone wronged, or the childish request of a kid who's lost a fight, but a true command with the threat of something terrible coming behind it. Already Zelos's extremities grow distended and sinewy, as if being stretched on a medieval rack.]
[ Zelos. That was fast enough that the frustrated blow hadn't done anything too bad, which is good. Duke takes a half step back, than stops when he feels....
Something very wrong with the man's mana. He hadn't even really hit him - just that gem - Blastia? Couldn't be, he'd felt nothing like Zelos' mana before, thus it wasn't a bodhi blastia and it still felt nothing like the false heart. He.. does not like how this mana feels.
... What is happening to his limbs? ]
.. What do you think I had been trying to do. [ But.. he really does not want to turn his back on that feeling. ]
Don't argue and just go!
[Everything is pain, ripping from the inside outward as the mana of the crystal reshapes his body. He can feel his skin hardening, taking on a green cast, his nails turning into sharp claws, his clothing beginning to tear as his body morphs and expands, muscles twisting and resituating. Every breath is an effort, sounding raw and labored. His head pulses, his vision swims...
He can't. He can't turn into a monster. He can't hurt anyone and Duke isn't leaving and everything hurts so badly from the tiniest nerve to the very core of his being, it's all excruciating.
He's still a coward, but even cowards have limits of what they can endure before they've had enough. With shaking hands, Zelos draws his sword. No one is going to have to kill him, loved ones or otherwise. He won't put anyone through that and...
and he needs the pain to stop now.
Grip wavering, Zelos plunges his sword into his own stomach. He'd meant for the chest, he'd meant for it to be quick but the pain wouldn't let him focus long enough. And yet... the mana of the crystal winds back into itself and Zelos's body returns to its normal shape. The feeling of his sword in his own abdomen is almost a relief after the intensity of that transformation.
The Chosen collapses onto his side, panting hard, and makes no move to pull the sword out.]
....... [ What even did he just see.
This... was not what he wanted to happen. Yes, he can't stomach the idea of Zelos near Zelda, if Zelos had betrayed friends before. He wouldn't mind him being dead, if it wouldn't have upset Zelda. He wouldn't.. have had too much of a problem if his blade had found itself in Zelos in that strike. But. This is something he doesn't understand. The reaction; he doesn't understand that.
He doesn't like this situation. The mana had stabilized, and it would hurt Zelda to lose her friend.
Duke does not look particularly thrilled with that train of thought, but this is a start of a healing spell. ]
Don't.
[Zelos's voice is stronger than it should be, given the life leaking out of him onto the dried leaves and brambles, but only for that one command. The rest of his words are shaky at best, continuously interrupted with pauses and coughing. It hurts especially to cough, his abdominal muscles forced to contract around the still protruding sword.]
Don't... try and heal me. It'll... [He winces at a hard cough, a quiet groan following it and a long pause until he can continue.] It'll just go... out of control... again...
......
... didn't intend.... [ But... it's mostly on a "because it would hurt Zelda" level. The spell falls apart. ]
... very well.
((ooc: SFC reactions are all fine and will be answered by Duke if you're quick, possibly (but improbably) Zelos, and later possibly Zelda, Guy, or Lloyd as the situation warrants/if they want to, but I'd like to request that no one give action tags unless they've cleared it with us first. Thank you!))
There's Zelos, jumping back from Duke's sword...but not quite far enough, neither aware that their encounter is being broadcast.]
((ooc: Zelos speaking is in pink, Duke is in red))
Dein Nomos ricochets off of Zelos's Cruxis Crystal, leaving a crack on its surface that chops all the way into the crest surrounding it.
The noise of metal on glass resounds through the otherwise silent clearing. It's a small, tinkling sound, barely worth a mention if overheard, but suddenly Zelos's entire body feels as if it's on fire. Tendrils of untamed mana cause the skin around his crest to bubble, warping the flesh unnaturally in patterns like the veins of a leaf. Pure agony courses through every vein, every pore, as the Chosen staggers back from Duke, clutching at his chest ineffectually and gasping raggedly. He crumples to his knees, eyes wide in true, raw fear.]
G-get... augh... get away! Run!
[It's not the angry command of someone wronged, or the childish request of a kid who's lost a fight, but a true command with the threat of something terrible coming behind it. Already Zelos's extremities grow distended and sinewy, as if being stretched on a medieval rack.]
[ Zelos. That was fast enough that the frustrated blow hadn't done anything too bad, which is good. Duke takes a half step back, than stops when he feels....
Something very wrong with the man's mana. He hadn't even really hit him - just that gem - Blastia? Couldn't be, he'd felt nothing like Zelos' mana before, thus it wasn't a bodhi blastia and it still felt nothing like the false heart. He.. does not like how this mana feels.
... What is happening to his limbs? ]
.. What do you think I had been trying to do. [ But.. he really does not want to turn his back on that feeling. ]
Don't argue and just go!
[Everything is pain, ripping from the inside outward as the mana of the crystal reshapes his body. He can feel his skin hardening, taking on a green cast, his nails turning into sharp claws, his clothing beginning to tear as his body morphs and expands, muscles twisting and resituating. Every breath is an effort, sounding raw and labored. His head pulses, his vision swims...
He can't. He can't turn into a monster. He can't hurt anyone and Duke isn't leaving and everything hurts so badly from the tiniest nerve to the very core of his being, it's all excruciating.
He's still a coward, but even cowards have limits of what they can endure before they've had enough. With shaking hands, Zelos draws his sword. No one is going to have to kill him, loved ones or otherwise. He won't put anyone through that and...
and he needs the pain to stop now.
Grip wavering, Zelos plunges his sword into his own stomach. He'd meant for the chest, he'd meant for it to be quick but the pain wouldn't let him focus long enough. And yet... the mana of the crystal winds back into itself and Zelos's body returns to its normal shape. The feeling of his sword in his own abdomen is almost a relief after the intensity of that transformation.
The Chosen collapses onto his side, panting hard, and makes no move to pull the sword out.]
....... [ What even did he just see.
This... was not what he wanted to happen. Yes, he can't stomach the idea of Zelos near Zelda, if Zelos had betrayed friends before. He wouldn't mind him being dead, if it wouldn't have upset Zelda. He wouldn't.. have had too much of a problem if his blade had found itself in Zelos in that strike. But. This is something he doesn't understand. The reaction; he doesn't understand that.
He doesn't like this situation. The mana had stabilized, and it would hurt Zelda to lose her friend.
Duke does not look particularly thrilled with that train of thought, but this is a start of a healing spell. ]
Don't.
[Zelos's voice is stronger than it should be, given the life leaking out of him onto the dried leaves and brambles, but only for that one command. The rest of his words are shaky at best, continuously interrupted with pauses and coughing. It hurts especially to cough, his abdominal muscles forced to contract around the still protruding sword.]
Don't... try and heal me. It'll... [He winces at a hard cough, a quiet groan following it and a long pause until he can continue.] It'll just go... out of control... again...
......
... didn't intend.... [ But... it's mostly on a "because it would hurt Zelda" level. The spell falls apart. ]
... very well.
((ooc: SFC reactions are all fine and will be answered by Duke if you're quick, possibly (but improbably) Zelos, and later possibly Zelda, Guy, or Lloyd as the situation warrants/if they want to, but I'd like to request that no one give action tags unless they've cleared it with us first. Thank you!))
[Voice]
...Will you be okay?
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I do not understand. Why ask of me?
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I do not know what the context of the situation is but it seems that you feel some guilt over what has happened.
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