melodiesoflife | Numb Feeling, Whole Dizziness

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Numb Feeling, Whole Dizziness

WHO: Lust, Ira, Mikleo (Open to anyone else she's got enough CR with that she would have invited them)
WHAT: Lust doesn't think she represses anything about herself. She's about to discover how wrong she is. There WILL be a monster fight in this one.
WHEN: November 12th
WHERE: Palitutu's Laboratory - Aqures Ixen

Lust surrendered her crystal to the Moogle and folded her arms. The white crystal was flat and round, much like a skipping stone, but the facets sparkled deep like diamonds, reflecting a tiny glimpse of multiple colors when it caught the light just right.

"Which job do you want to keep?"

"It doesn't matter. Pick one," she sighed, flicking back some of the dark bangs that hung in front of her eye. There really was little point to this, if she didn't have a shadow to begin with. For one thing, she was sure this didn't apply to humans. For another, she had nothing to repress. As long as she'd been alive, she'd harbored no shame for her crimes and selfishness. That was simply who she was, and the way she was made to be.

Her gaze drifted to the few who had come to attend this pointless ceremony. If they truly insisted upon being here, so be it. It made them feel like they were being good friends, and it wasn't as if she were bothered by their presence or concern. They'd see soon enough that their worries were entirely unfounded.

The machine hummed, and Lust turned her head back to the empty space in front of her. As she suspected, there was nothing there. For several moments she waited, until she exhaled and let her arms fall back to her sides. "I think that's long enough, don't you?"

"You're afraid."

The voice was so soft, barely a whisper. And it was coming from behind her. It took Lust a moment to realize the origin of the voice, and she spun around to stare at a woman's back. She recognized the raven hair, the pale skin, and the clinging black garments. But the figure was so translucent that she was barely there, completely transparent in some places. Slowly she turned at Lust, and smiled with a gentleness that looked entirely foreign on that lovely face that was usually so cold and uninvested.

Lust narrowed her eyes. This wasn't right. She'd only witnessed a few shadows, but she'd seen enough to know that they were supposed to be vicious, tearing their counterparts to pieces with their words and insults. This one looked at her with pity.

After gauging Lust's reaction, the Calamity homunculus chuckled, not unkindly. "You didn't think I existed. I can see that part of you still refuses to believe in me, but I assure you. I am there."

"...What are you?" Lust was not convinced. She shot a dark look at the Moogle operating the machine before that poisonous glare moved to the others assembled close by. Had they set this up in advance?

"Come now. You know what I am, though you're not entirely wrong to blame them for my existence." Calamity Lust shook her head, still wearing that sympathetic smile. "I'm your humanity.

"Impossible." Lust almost bit off the word, her expression cold.

"Is it? I wonder~" She reached a hand toward Lust's face, only to have it swatted away with a backhanded slap. "Don't reject me, Lust. I may be weak, but I am there, waiting for you to acknowledge me. And let me grow." She reached for Lust again, this time with both hands, and the homunculus took several steps back, hand resting on the pommel of her dark sword. "Is it really so hard to believe that I could exist without the use of a magic stone?"

Given the hateful disgust written clearly on Lust's face and the tension of her body, she did indeed find it impossible to believe a word the Shadow was saying.

It continued to watch her with a sad smile, but the glow of her eyes was steadily growing dangerously bright.

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Flynn stood next to the door, pondering more to himself than anything else. He could have swore that he knew Lust had some humanity since coming to Crystallis, but it may have very well have been confirmation bias. Lust was nice enough to help him during his Shadow confrontation, but it was already made clear that for the most part, Lust knew she could take care of herself and would accept no charity. So all he cold do was watch, and maybe intervene if things got out of hand. This wasn't something that Lust needed confirmation on anyway, not from Flynn.

Even with Lust asking or not, Mikleo would have been there to support her with all he had. She was someone he couldn't relate to in the past and someone whose humanity was nonexistence. However, since spent a lot of time with her in the last several months, he's learned that there was quite a lot of human-like traits about her that she refused to acknowledge or see.

He knew that some part of her still thought such things didn't exist for her. Though, saying anything to her right now wasn't the best choice but he does give the real Lust a serious, supporting look. He was going to help her in any way he could to ensure that she escaped all of this unharmed, since he couldn't bear another loss of good friends.

He stayed near Flynn by the door.

The only two people who cared for Lust (for some insane reason) were silent. She noticed this, of course, slanting a narrow-eyed glare of suspicion in their direction. Why did they say nothing? With all of the other ridiculous iterations of people's internal selves, those in attendance had been quick to argue against those shallow accusations, rallying in favor of the original. Did they agree with her Shadow? Was it just sheer, stupid optimism?

"Do you intend to strike me down?" The shadow smiled at her with gentle pity. "All your life you've searched for me. Now that I'm in your grasp, your only instinct is to lash out and cut down any chance you have for happiness."

"What is this?" Lust's stare was hard as she fixed her gaze on the moogles. "Who put you up to this? Did you decide it on your own?"

Shadow Lust sighed. "I told you..."

"I don't believe you," Lust snapped, steel singing as she drew her sword and pointed it at the gentle-faced woman. "I know what I am. And I know what I've done. Anyone else would feel regret. Joy. Anger. I feel nothing for the lives I took."

"And yet the thought of having a team seek out the Philosopher's Stone for you, on the condition that you allow an enemy to bleed to death on the ground, nearly tore you apart. Why is that, do you think?"

"Shut up."

"I could not allow us...allow you...to discard your humanity quite so easily as you did before. You didn't want her to live...you wanted these people to want her to live, and prove to be more worthy than the wretched creature you believe yourself to be. It was a decision you could not make..."

Enough was enough. Lust ran at her shadow, darting forward without warning.

"...because you would sacrifice what you've yearned for from the day you drew your first breath."

With a furious shriek, Lust drove her sword into the woman's chest. But there was no blood. There wasn't even any resistance. The shadow's purple eyes flashed before her body dissolved into a dark mist. For a moment it hung suspended in the air... Then in the span of a single heartbeat, the dark mist slithered to enshroud Lust in its oily grasp. Her body stiffened and her eyes jerked wide open as the smoke seeped past her lips, soaked into her fingertips, bled into her trembling frame.

Lust collapsed to her knees, her mane of black hair spilling over her shoulders as she was racked with a fit of violent coughing. She clutched at her throat, gasping...

Then she was silent. The smoke was gone. Her head lifted slightly, the long curls of her raven tresses veiling her face.

She slid smoothly up to her feet and exhaled as though relieved. But when she turned her head to look at Mikleo and Flynn, there was an eerie smile on her face.

Her eyes glowed like two purple flames.

This was concerning.

"You really like to point out the obvious in our trials, but can't see the truth in yours?" Flynn lowered his gaze, crossing his arms. "One thing I always like about you is that you always believed me to be the best I could be. Now I just worry about disappointing you." He looked at her eyes, unsure of what they signified. "I'm guessing our window to interject is over and done with?" He turned to Mikleo.

Mikleo was completely taken back by he behavior. It surprised him that she would lash out like this and now she was possessed by the creature that was part of her. Mikleo suddenly felt very wary as he moved to get into a more guarded position. Lust had sacrificed herself for his safety and that was very humanlike of her. He didn't understand why she was refusing to accept that as something that is part of her being. She was Lust and it didn't matter if she didn't seem like herself because no matter what happened, Lust was Lust. She couldn't be anyone else.

Yet she didn't seem to grasp that as he knit his brows together.

"We can't leave her like this Flynn. I think we need to reason with her," because he knows what it's like to have people lash out in anger and frustration in regards to themselves. He's watched people get consumed by Malevolence and right now it was if Lust had been devoured by the Malevolence.

"Lust, I know that you don't want to believe that this is part of who you are but it is true. You are very human compared to a lot of people I know. There is nothing wrong with it. Just because you were something else doesn't mean you can't change."

"Change? There's no need to worry about that any longer." The woman stretched her arms over her head, rolling her shoulders, then flexing her fingers as if she was getting used to this new form. She was far more tangible this way, not at all transparent as she'd been before.

She shook her head with a gentle smile at their words. "There's no need to interject. What's even left to discuss? This is what she truly wanted. Now she has it, does she not?"

Lust took a few steps, unsteady at first, but quickly regaining her grace and composure. "As long as I remain in charge, she no longer has to view herself with such contempt. In this way, she can be gentle, and kind...all the things she believes she lost on the day she was created. I am the humanity she's craved."

Her brows arched sympathetically as she regarded the two of them. "Do you really think she would forgive you if you ended this now? You're her friends, whether she can say it aloud or not."

"I know that a person and their Shadow are supposed to come to terms, but this doesn't seem like the right way..." Flynn raised an eyebrow, and glanced at Mikleo. "Any idea on how to get them to separate so they can try this again?"

"I don't think it's the right way to approach it. You should talk about everything before you make a final decision."

Mikleo's brows furrowed as Lust's inner self had taken over. He didn't really know what to do honestly. He glances at Flynn for a moment pondering.

"Yes, that is what it's suppose to entail. It seems like neither Lust or her Shadow share the same agreement. The only way to do it is to either separate them by discussion or we might have to fight her. I'd rather not hurt Lust if it's not necessary."

"What are you saying?" Calamity Lust, now merged with her other self, had lost much of the uncanny tainted echo of her voice. The only real difference now was a softening of her features and the burning brightness of her purple eyes. "Why would you fight this? Now she can't deny the existence of her humanity. As long as I remain in control, she can't be selfish. She can't be callous. I can make her be kind, and caring."

At this point she looked directly at Flynn with a quiet little smile. "She could love you, the way you always desired. It's what she wanted. Isn't that what you want? Don't you both want her to be happy, instead of the wretched, dismal creature she always believed herself to be?"

"She's hardy. I'd be more worried about hurting her feelings than hurting her physically. She survived the plague, so she'll survive anything we can throw at her to give her a second chance at resolving things with her Shadow." Flynn drew his sword, making sure to position it so that the flat of the blade was where the sharp edge was usually.

"You are in no position to tell me what I want from Lust," he continued. "You may mask her true feelings with your words and actions, but that doesn't mean she's changed or grown. That comes from within, not what you've plastered on outside."

"Yes, I know, you're right but I can't help but be concerned."

He replies with a nod as he tightens his grip on his staff. There really isn't much they can do at the moment other than try to convince her that this situation is not favorable for her or the other her. They were Lust and they needed to accept each other beyond all else.

"Being selfish and wanting to deny things she can't understand is part of being her. Just as you are her humanity-- she has her selfishness and other things that define her as who she is. There can't be one dominating the other. That's not acceptance."

Mikleo reasons carefully.

"I see..." The disappointment in her voice verged on heartbreaking. There was genuine sorrow on her face as she lifted her arm to the side and opened her palm. A gleaming spear of gleaming ebony metal appeared, and she clasped it tightly in her fingers. "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this. I never wanted to hurt either one of you. But if this is what needs to be done to secure my happiness, it seems I have no choice."

Her body rocked slightly as a flare of power rippled around her, the violet-eyed femme fatale's might spiking sharply. Shifting her stance, she drew back the spear before slicing it through the air with a horizontal arc.

"Chaos Thrust." The brightness of her eyes was intense and glowing as an eerie reverberation rippled in her voice. The devastating attack was unleashed on both of Lust's friends. The battle had just begun.

This was going to be tricky. Yes, Lust was hardy, but hitting her wasn't going to be something Flynn or his companion could do without hesitation. He didn't know Mikleo that well, so Flynn took it upon himself to take the lead - he seemed like the kind of kid who shouldn't have to do something like that, not unless there was no other choice. Flynn would gladly take that on. Not because he had to or wanted to, but because it was who he was - someone people could count on when things got rough. It was only a shame that Yuri wasn't here, his perfect partner.

Quickly side-stepping so that only his cape got singed by the impact from her attack, Flynn also took the time to push Mikleo out of the way. "Keep her busy," he quickly whispered. Jumping into a backflip, Flynn aimed a kick at Lust's Shadow to hopefully get her off-balance and create an opening for Mikleo.

Mikleo was surprised when Flynn shoved him aside. He skidded back a few feet, grounded and missed the attack thanks to Flynn. He was in a daze when Lust's shadow declared that it was going to start a fight with the two of them. It didn't register in his mind since he was still trying to process why she was being so hard on herself. He didn't understand why she didn't want to accept these things but at the same time, Lust was mysterious. He hardly knew enough about her to make judgement.

"Got it! Be careful and fall back if you get injured!"

Flynn was someone he felt was used to these sort of battles and thus taking the lead. Mikleo nodd his head as he pulled out his bow and arrow for the time being, firing non lethal shots at Lust to help throw her off balance as Flynn dove at her.

Lust's spear spun neatly in her hand, her long fingers elegant and dextrous. She deflected all of the arrows save one, that just nicked her shoulder. She should have winced, or flinched.

She smiled.

"Oh my, you really do wish to fight, don't you? It must be tearing you apart inside. Don't worry..." Her shoulders began to quiver as her smile widened, a low throaty chuckle soon rising into a peal of laughter as she tossed her head back. "I'll end all of your pain and suffering!!!"

A grotesque ripple rolled over her flesh as her body buldged and snapped. Narayana's Curse had activated, and the transformation was dramatic. Her slender legs melted together into a long winding tail that curled sinuously around her as she rose up, wings bursting out of her back with a splash of black ichor. One was red and leathery, the other white and feathered. Her black hair hung all the way down to pool on the floor as she rose up, stretching her arms, and flexing her fingers. Impossibly long nails jutted out from her fingertips, and with an idle scrape, she left a deep furrow in the floor.

The Ultimate Lance could cut through anything. It was supposed to have been lost when she was brought to this world, but now in her full Calamity form, it seemed she saw fit to bear her old weapons once more.

The wound on her shoulder closed in seconds. With rapid healing at her disposal, the two of them were in for a tough fight indeed.

Edited 2017-03-01 21:01 (UTC)

Given that there was just the two of them, it was unlikely that magic would have been a good choice. The sword he had wasn't exactly Niren's, but it was good enough and the objective wasn't to kill Lust, just injure her enough so she could regain control. Maybe. He wasn't sure how this could go down, but he couldn't abandoned her when she needed him. Lunging forth, he thrust his sword at the elongated tentacles and attempts to stab at them. That should have taken up their focus so that Mikleo could do what he needed to.

"This is bad."

Mikleo breathed slowly as he watched lust deflect his arrows. He'd have to fire more lethal shots at her if he was going to have any hopes of stopping her Shadow from losing it again. He ran the opposite direction of Flynn. Her laughter was downright chilling since he was used to Lust being usually herself and not quite deranged as the Shadow was.

"We have to figure out how to stop her regeneration! At this rate we're wasting our energy. Flynn!"

He shouted, as soon as he watched her become even more unrecognizable. This was really bad. Mikleo quickly activates Camouflage to give them both time to regroup.

The sinuous tail flicked with seemingly little effort to throw Flynn away from her, possibly sending him to crash into the lab wall if he wasn't able to dodge the attack quickly enough.

The fog pillowed out from Mikleo's position, roiling across the damaged floor and lending a beastly quality to Lust's monstrous silhouette.

"Now now, there's no need to hide from me," she purred, an ominous flash of orange light igniting somewhere near the shape of her head. It wasn't much of a warning, because just a split second later, thick rivulets of intense flames burst from her mouth, spewing in a sweeping arc from one end of the laboratory to another with her Dragon's Breath.

Crashing ingloriously into a lab table, there was no time to brush off the broken glass from the beakers off of his person. Unfortunately, he wasn't able to recover enough or move after the Camouflage art to get away from the Dragon's Breath, and his cape was completely gone in addition to Flynn suffering burns all over his body. Metal armor was not ideal to wear while fighting someone with fire capabilities, was it?

"Trying to stop her regeneration, huh?" Flynn thought aloud. He wasn't well-versed in magic or alchemy, and he had no idea how to go about muting her regenerative powers. "Any ideas on how to do that? Maybe one of these books has something...?"

The water seraph dove out of the way to avoid burns since he was the furthest away with the active camouflage skill.

Mikleo swapped quickly over to the White Mage job so he could cast Curaga on Flynn to stop the burning of the injuries. They had camouflage so they'd be at least safe for a time until she could see again. Honestly, he didn't know how to stop her regeneration but there had to be something they could do to prevent her from regenerating quickly.

"I haven't the slightest clue! I've never encountered a Calamity version of someone where we had to engage in a fight! I can try the books but how long can you hold her off?! I can't read that fast!"

He shouted back while still up in the white mage job.

Whatever lingering damage has been inflicted on Lust was fully healed as she cast Dark Ascension on herself. She prowled around the outside of the fog, scales scraping softly over the lab floors. The two of them were in there somewhere, and as soon as they made a move, she'd be able to strike them down for good. Perhaps a little heartbreak was all her other self required to gain her true humanity, to suffer the pain of real loss.

"Do you intend to hide forever?" she frowned. "If you insist on cowering in your little cloud, I'll leave this place. I don't think your little lab friends will appreciate a visit from the true form of this abomination."

The two of them were so ridiculously selfless and altruistic, she was certain the threat would goad them into action. If not, then she'd just have to make good on that threat so neither would risk calling her bluff.

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Numb Feeling, Whole Dizziness

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