melodiesoflife | I've made mistakes [semi-open]

Entry tags:

I've made mistakes [semi-open]

Who: Dylas and somewhat open (to friends, to people who would stop by the labs late at night).
When: Mid-January, 2AM at night
Where: Aqures Ixen Laboratories
What: Dylas confronts his shadow—alone and in the dark. Concerned, his Moogle, Koporo, frantically searches for help. But will it be too late?
Warnings: Violence, swearing, definitely blood, mentions of things in his permissions post.

['I need to face it after midnight’. That’s what he’d told the Moogle lab workers, citing his Vampire job as his reason behind facing his Calamity Self so late at night. In truth, he hadn’t heard a lot about the process. He knew enough about it that he didn’t want anyone else there while it happened, at least. It was something he’d handle himself. After spending so much time in Ryslig, forced to endure horror after horror, surely it wasn’t something he’d need the assistance of others for.

He was wrong, and his decision left Koporo flying out of the lab, hurriedly seeking out Dylas’ “friends”, waking them if he had to, urging them to come to the laboratory. ‘Dylas is making a big mistake, kupo! It’s really bad, kupo!’

When the first person arrives to the labs, they’ll find two sights instead of one. Dylas is always the first sight. He always stands at over seven feet tall. The obsidian black claws on his hands always look ominous, as does the way his face always contorts when it snarls. His long periwinkle hair and matching tail flow behind him as he takes a defensive stance against the opposite figure, a mirror copy except for three notable features: the Calamity version of himself isn’t fatigued, and his purple eyes are glowing forebodingly.

Dylas glances in the direction of the first person to find him, his ears flicking in the direction of arriving footsteps. There’s panic in his eyes, and then resolve. He’s clutching his right arm, part of his jacket burned away from a previous blast and leaving burned skin beneath it.]

Go home! I don’t need you here!

[But then the Other Dylas turns towards the first arrival...and starts to cry, lifting his arm to cover his face as he resumes his sobbing.]

W̨e'̶re͏ ̢so lon҉e̢ly͠..̷.̵!͞ ͜Wé'̷re͠ ͞alw̨ays ́so ͞lonel̢y!

[Dylas' eyes flick back to his other self's and then to the floor as his Calamity counterpart continues to cry and sniffle.]

Don't listen to him! He's a lying asshole!

[ooc; This is open to anyone Dylas would consider a friend or anyone who would stop by so late at night! If you’re unsure as to whether or not Koporo would seek out your character for help, just shoot me a PM or a plurk at

ForestTemple. ♥♥]

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‘Dylas is making a big mistake, kupo! It’s really bad, kupo!’ Those words had Midna bolted upright in bed in and flying in the direction on the lab in no time. Her own moogle had been awoken with the same fright, following in her wake as she muttered to herself things sounding like, 'what an idiot,' or '—could be so stupid!' and even, 'why didn't he tell me... tch.'

She'd managed to work herself up so much on the way that when she finally saw him— them, and then realized the shadow was sobbing, she turned her anger on the real Dylas, the one ordering her home.

"What are you doing in here by yourself!"

Ales was almost knocked out of his chair. The Teensie was half-asleep when Koporo nudged him awake. In this case, "nudge" meant "surprise shaking and yelling". He had to be thankful that they gave large chairs to the smaller lab members when he felt the back of his head bang against the soft seat.

"Dylas? Already?" He wasn't particularly fond of Dylas, but he didn't hate him either. If anything, he was grateful that there were other nonhumans among the Heroes, particularly one who wasn't completely idealistic.

He took his time in regaining his senses before sliding off the chair, spending a minute wondering where he was supposed to go, then slapping himself when he realized it was just the same place he' been last week with Sephiroth. By the time he had reached the room, Midna had beat him.

Before he could even make a response, the sobbing caught his attention. It was a familiar scene: Ales on one end, a pathetic version of himself on the other. The desperation not to let anyone else realize it was him before the Shadow starting spewing secrets kept in his locked file.

Dylas has issues. was the biggest thing he got from this, and he stayed back, mostly out of fear.

Koporo wished he could have found more support for his Hero of Light, but he wasn't able to. Having arrived after Midna, the Moogle cowered behind a chair peeking out at the pair of Dylases.

"This isn't anything I can't handle!"

He'd barely been fast enough to dodge that last attack. Maybe Monk and Vampire weren't the best job choices for him after all, but he'd have plenty of time to think about that later if he survived. Dylas made a fist with his left hand while his right still sat over burned skin, clenching his fist so hard that his claws started to dig into his palm. He positioned himself to spring forward, but that's when his other self started to speak.

"Seè h̶o̶w lone͢ly̶ ́we a̷r͏e͟?̨ ͞N̨o o͡n͟e ̵c̷ame͘!͡ N͘o ͝o͞ne imp͠o͏r̢t͡a͟nt ̷at̕ all͟! ͞J͞us͞t ҉th͜e͢ ͜gir͡l who̕ con̴f͘us̕e̷s͡ ͏y͞ou̴ ánd t̨he͠ i͘n͞sect͡ you͞ wis͝h̴ ̧w͠o҉u̶l̷d̛ ̴be͘ ͡yo͟ur͘ ͞f̨rien̷d̡!̴ ͟Wh̡at i͏s ̢i͟t͢ yo̵u͏'͟r̨e ̕a̵lwąys ̵th̨ink̸ing?"

And then the Calamity Dylas starts to sob again, standing and wailing at the sky like he's nothing more than a child.

"̷I di͟d͞n't͜ ąsk̕ t҉o͜ ̡be͜ ͜a͡ ͠mon͘ste̕r͞! I w̷ish͠ ̕it ͞h̨ad ͟n̵ever h̷àpp̵e͟n̶e͜d͞!́ Ẃh́y̢ did̀ it͠ ̵ha҉v͢ę ̧t̀o happ̨e̴n t̡o͘ m͝e, w̧h̕a̧t did͠ I d́o̢ ̴w̶r͟ong҉? W͡h̡y ̸wo҉n'̶t̴ ̛an̕yo͡ne c͠o̡nşole̶ ͠me?͟ ̷W̸hy̷ m͘e͜,͜ ͜w͢h̷y ̕m̶e, ̡w͞ḩy me?͠"

And with that, the Calamity Dylas snaps, his voice being replaced by a snarl as he rushes forward and slams Dylas to the ground his throat. A struggle ensues, one where Dylas tries to free himself while his Calamity self tries to keep him pinned and struggling to breath. Dylas glances at Midna and Ales with desperation and fear in his eyes, but then he steels his gaze, an aura surrounding his body as he uses the Monk's Boost ability even while being choked.

"B͝ec͞au̵se ҉y͝ou̵'̶r͢e ̡no͡thin̛g ͠but̢ ̴a̵ ͡c͞ơw͢ar̀d̵! ̵Y͢o͟u͘ ̴won't҉ tell̡ pe̡opl̸e̸ ̵ąny͢t҉h̷i͟ng!̵ Y͠ou'r̨e l̶on͘e̴l̢y a͢n̵d̶ ́yo̵u'̡re hurt a̸nd͠ ̢you͞'re͝ şcar̢e͠d, so͢ ͝yơu̶ ̀p҉us͞h ̵ev̧er̡yo͡n͝e̕ ͘aw̨ay!̕ ̶I͏t҉'̷s͏ a̛l҉l y͠o͝ur fa̛ul̕t! You'r̀e ̵not͝ coòl ҉a͟nd͏ s̸tr͢o҉n̸g a̸n̡d͜ t̕r̢oųbl҉ed,͠ ͟w̧e͘'̛re ́l̢ońel͢y! ̴W̶e're͞ ͡so͜ ͝lon̛ely and͝ ̶sca̢re̴d!"

( this was... hard to listen to. although nothing in midna's expression betrayed the thoughts that the calamity version of dylas was stirring in the room, she found herself wanting to reach out to comfort the dylas she knew, the one that she shared a home with... a tiny hand started to invade the distance between imp and wendigo... just as the rush of violence ensued.

pulling back, with a near snarl of her own, midna activated her Copies as ten versions of herself appeared in a circle around the two dylases, rushing inward to strike at the calamity version all at once, ten tiny claws coming down.

it wasn't a strong attack, but she hoped to at least free the real one in the madness. )

[This is sounding all too familiar. Lonely, wanting to be comforted, keeping away from people that could offer friendship. Lydia refused to listen to his own Shadow and kept a tight hug on Ales, but there was two problems with that method. One: Ales wasn't used to giving out hugs, and a tiny angry Teenie is not someone you'd expect to offer one. Two, Dylas' Calamity self was busy fighting the real one. No opening there.]

Leg Shot!

[His trusty attack strikes the Shadow, but does not successfully impair it from moving. Whether he got it to stop it in its tracks or not, Ales rushes after Midna to stop some several feet away.]

Then stop blaming yourself and do something about it! No one wants to talk to you, you don't want to talk to them, what did you expect?!

[Heavens to Polokus, looking back, past Ales was an idiot. He could have spoken about feeling abandoned - not as a child, that was an awful time - and if it weren't for the Shadow business, he'd be stuck on this nauseating cycle towards pure apathy. Dylas is going through the same motions, and it's sickening.]

[The Calamity snarls again, this time at Midna. In response to so many attacks at once in addition his leg scraped by the leg shot, he effortlessly flips Dylas over and uses him as a shield while Midna's attack connects. It scratches up the both of them in equal measure in the process. In the end, Midna's plan was successful, because Dylas' Calamity Self tossed him a few feet to the side so he could continue speaking.]

W̡h̡y̢ ͝do̡n̨'̧t ̕yo̢u̡ ͏a͘sk h̸im̷ ̛yo̧ur̨se҉l͢f̴?͜ Nơ—Į'̵l̵l d̕o̕ it.͟ ͏W͜h̶y ͢d͏o͢n̢'t ̛you͘ op̛en up ̢t͢ǫ ͘pe͞ople ͝an͜y̴m̢o̢r͟e͝,͏ ͟D͝yl͘as? ̸Is̕ ̀i̷t b̀e̴c͟aúse—

[Dylas pushes himself back into a crouch, his breathing rough an uneven from having his throat crushed those few seconds. When he hears that distorted voice speaking through its sniffles, he opens his mouth to yell, but all that comes out is a cough as he gaps for breath.]

—Y̡o̵u̧ ͟e͞nj̡oye͢d it̶? You ̛laughed ̵when͠ ̸ỳou͝ h͏u͠r̡t͝ ͡t̷ḩo͡s͢e m̷e͝n a̴t͟ t̷hè f҉estiv҉al! ̀Y͏ou̡ made ͏a̛ g͝ame ou̷t o͠f ̶it͏. ͠Y̴ou͞'̸r̸é ҉a҉ mon͘s͘t͟e̡r͡, y͞ou'r̵e ̢a ́mo̵nste͠r,̴ ͞you're a ͡mo͟n̛s̷te͘r̵!̛

[By the end, Dylas' calamity self has gone from crying to mocking Dylas with those repeating words, like a kid teasing another kid. Dylas can't take it, and he rushes forward, ready to put his Boost to good use.]

Shut your trap, dammit! Don't listen to him, none of this is true! It's never been true!

[And in response to that, the Calamity Dylas lifts his clawed hand and thrusts those claws directly into Dylas' chest without missing a single beat, stopping Dylas in his tracks as he looks down at the almost knife-like wound in his chest, sputtering.]

[Ales doesn't hear himself scream. He doesn't scream at the sight of blood, he tells himself. He doesn't scream when faced with death or when things don't go his way. He certainly doesn't scream when he watches someone cut another that deep and the blood spray onto Ales.

Maybe he can't hear his screaming over the voice telling him to run a Healing Program on the real Dylas.

His voice is audible to himself once more, but it sounds like babbling out of shock. It takes a few seconds before he can even hear himself once more.]

and-and-when people don't trust you, you think you can't talk to them again? You think that's true? I thought so, but then people proved me otherwise? That I can make up for going and and ruining everyone's lives because I thought that was best for them? [A nervous laugh.] Heroes are crazy! They trust anyone, even me! I put my only friend in danger, and they tell me I can start over! What a riot!

( an eye goes wide at the scene— as her clones connect to damage dylas himself. as she watches him struggle to speak, for breath, she has to stop herself from reaching out to him. but watching that claw slice through his chest is enough to break her silence. )

Dylas! ( she cried, in conjunction with ales' scream, a hint of something in her voice. desperation? damn...
as the other man speaks, trying to talk some sense into the dylases, midna's ponytailed hand rushes forward in a telekentic attack, moving to try and grab at the calamity version, taking the offensive as the teensie does the opposite.

there's a hushed order she gives to her moogle as she tries to keep the fiend in her hairy, glowing grasp— which is losing its steam quickly. these illusionist abilities hardly compared to her true powers, even if they could mirror them at times.

as the attack looses its potency finally, the imp rises, having composed herself thanks to ales taking the reigns, her expression blank again, hoping that healing program was enough to at least curb the injury... just for a little while longer. hang in there, dylas... you idiot. )

Is all of it really a lie? Everything he's saying? ( as the clouds begin to dissipate, her eye is glued to dylas alone. ) You know neither of us here will take you seriously when you call yourself a monster, but the rest of it...

Is it such a terrible thing... to admit to being lonely?

[There's too much to focus on. Almost. His adrenaline is pumping through each undead, vampiric, whatever vein in his body. He can feel the healing program, but it's slow. Because of his job class, it barely heals him, lacking the effectiveness that blood could carry. He'd boosted his attack earlier to try and bite his calamity self, but that's proving more and more difficult.

The Calamity version of himself makes his first move that turn by turning towards Midna and Ales, using Fulminating Oblivion to unleash a wave of dark energy aimed at the two of them. Curiously, he decides not to hit Dylas with the attack, leaving him squirming in his grip while he tried to get the upper hand. Midna's attack on him isn't strong enough to break his hold on Dylas, and the pair of them are yanked by Midna's hand.

Predictably, the Calamity Dylas sobs, his voice still a distorted version of Dylas' own.]

S̴-s͜tơp͏!͜ ̡You'̢r̸e̷ h̴u͞r̀ting m͘e, Mid͟n̸a! ͝Yo͝u'r̀e húrting ̶hi͝m, ͢t́oo͢, a̡nd̛ d̨o̶n't̸ y͡ou͡ know ͟ho͘w̵ ͝m̕u͢ch̨ ͡he͞ tŗust̵s y͞ou̸? ͜Ho̴w muc͟h ͢h͏e͜ ̕want͡s̴ to̷ ͘t͟h̷a̸n̴k̀ ҉you̕?͡ ͡But ̛h͢e c̛ąn't!͠

[The wound in his chest slowly restoring itself gives Dylas just enough freedom to fight the grip on him for a moment. He's panting as he starts to push those claws out of him by wrenching the Calamity's arm away.]

You...you don't understand, I'm supposed to...endure this all on my own. I'm not the only one it happened to. What he's saying, not all of it is a lie, but...

[The Calamity version of himself suddenly snaps violently, his aura shifting with such dangerous intent that even Ales will feel it, and Midna, who is much closer, will feel it the worst. Taking his second turn, he once again pushes his claws into Dylas, growling, snarling, voice breaking.

That's when a sound rings out above everything else. It's the sound that comes before something horrible, something that Dylas can't fight. It's the sound of his limit break. It's the sound of Wendigo about to occur, it's the sound of everyone in the room becoming his target.]

H̬̮̮͇̰̳a̙.̮͉̼͖.͚̭ͅ.̱h̤̫a͕h̪a̦̥!͎̯̮̳̩ ͕Do̻̲̣̤̲ ͕̬̟̺̝̩y͍̼̞̼̪o̳̗u͇̬̠̞̗̯ ̻̗̜t̟h̬͈̞̝̠i̹͈n̤̘̮̬͇̠ͅk ̯͕̱͈͚h̻͖e ̳̬̣͇͓̘̙c̮̗̖̳͈̮ͅa̻̹̱̩n̙̟̘ ͖̻͍̗̠͖ͅa͚̠̬̝̞̗͈c̳̫̺͙c̤̣̤e͈̫̞̞̥p̳t ͇̟̣̦̺ͅm̘̳͎̠e̞̠̻̹͕͚ ̖͙̹̘̻̣i͙̩̗f̦̯̺ ͖̞̝̲̩̤h͓̹͇ͅe͚̯ ̟̦͉̳c͚̳͉͍̬ͅa̫̥̘͈̣̻n̝̱̱̪'̩̰t ͕e̳͍v̦͔en ̙̭̗t͔a̦͓̹̻̩̹l͎̫̬k̜͓͕̗̟?̰ ͉̱H̗͈͙e ͍̱̭̼ͅd̘͕̣̙̱o͙̞e͇̭s͕̺̻n̹̫̤̩'̜̦t̹͕̲͔͎ ̻̻̭͓w͚̳͍̼͍a̭̗͖̞͔̻n̗͎̻̯̝̟t͍̹ ͎̗ṱ̲͖o͚̳ b̠̪̱͈͉͈e̯̱̲͚ ̞șe͚ͅe̮n̹̺̗̭̝̼̙ ̤̺ͅl̪͍̳̜̜̥ͅi͕̖̦̫̪̲ke͇ ̙̞t̺̜h̥̺̲i̲̭ͅs̠̥͖,͈̲̦ ̠m̼͖̼̝͚̼̘a̺y̖͈̹̮͎̰ͅb͔e̦̙̜̗ ͍̥̗͚̖̞ͅy̘̹̠͉̜̭̬o͕̠̭̘̟u͍͎̜̖ t̹͇͉w̗o ̦̦̦̜̻͙ͅc͎̼a̝̤͔̹̥̲̺n̲̣ ̖̣̗̻͙͈p͓u̫̯͚͇̪̞̥t̫̫̞̗̝͔͍ ̟̤͚͕̞͖͇ẖ̼͇̞̙i̠͇͖̬m̱͓̻̤̖͓̺ o̙̪̥̜̭͓̼ut̘̺̬̺̤ ̻͓̰̹͙̻ọ̮̱̱͔f̟̱͈͈̻̼ͅ ̯͖̳̼hi̠̻̙̼̳͍s ̣̯̖͎͔m̩̪i̻͖̗̙͓͎̫ș͖ẹ̪̗͇r̥̖̫͙̟̳̞y̟̯!̜͔

[He lets go of Dylas at long last, but Dylas staggers to his feet. His stance is unnatural. His claws are growing longer, his body is growing so cold that the temperature in the room starts to drop. His eyes are glowing golden as he snarls and then roars at the first thing that he lays eyes on.

And he's staring right at Ales.]

Edited 2017-02-10 18:57 (UTC)

[The added weight of the computer on his arm does little to keep Ales standing after the dark energy attack. He trips onto his back, and thankfully his hat remains on. In the seconds that it takes him to recover and stand up, the sound of the Limit Break pierces his hazy thoughts. His eyes dart upward only to meet the dark form of the Wendigo.

He should regret having come here in the first place. Regret getting attached to Dylas enough that he might as well die here on the stop. The real cost of friendship, or at least half-hearted attempts at it.

Maybe he's just tired from fighting and yelling, but he stands there and in a quiet, annoyed voice:] Really.

[He prepares to run and waits for the moment Dylas makes a run for him, but he also puts up a Virtual Shield.]

Midna. Do you know how long this lasts?

( the shift in aura is stifling, causing midna to wince as she watches, feeling more helpless than ever at dylas' suffering. maybe it hit a little too close to home, as someone that also felt she had the weight of her own sins to bear, believing she too had to endure it alone...

there isn't an immediate response to ales' question, probably because she doesn't know the answer. instead, she activated her master of illusions ability, attempting to bend the light and shadow around the teensie, hoping to render him invisible to dylas' rage. )

Get out of here, find that moogle I sent away! I'll distract him!

( her pointed gaze is back on the real dylas again, though she addresses what the calamity version has to say. her teeth are pressed together tightly, to avoid any chattering from the sudden cold in the air around them.

they were all idiots. the inhabitants of this world, the heroes of light, the two of them that had come here to help... but especially dylas. the king of the idiots.

perhaps he needed a queen. )

If he wanted to thank me so badly, he can do it himself! I have no desire to hear it from you!

[The only humanity that remains in Dylas vanishes the moment his limit break activates. There's a look of pure terror on his face as he hears that sound. He knows what that sounds means, what he's about to start doing to these people he's spoken to over and over. One of them, a friend. The other...Ales, the "who the fuck knows" companion that he thinks is sort of cool.

But what's left behind is a shell. If his eyes were focused on the Calamity version of himself, it might have been a fight worth watching. His stance is inhuman. He looks like he's slowly stalking prey as he inches closer to Ales, sniffing the air, snarling, eyes not even blinking.

But then Ales disappears from his line of sight. Dylas looks alarmed and snarls again, head whipping in search of Ales, sniffing the air for his scent. Luckily, the limit break does not come with an enhanced nose, and his eyes fall next to Koporo, who had been standing between Midna and Ales for some time since arriving with Ales.

Koporo draws his dagger, boldly stepping forward if it means Ales will get to escape. He lives with Midna, too, he trusts her, even if he's shaking so much he can barely hold onto it.]

I-I-I'll fight, too, kupo. I can be a hero, too, k-kupo!

[Dylas' breath and the area around his claws grow so cold that mist starts to form, not unlike breathing on a cold day. His Calamity self is meanwhile quiet, tossing two laboratory Moogles into the fringes of the battlefield, ensuring that if Dylas turns around that they'll be targeted instead of himself.]

[Oh, that's fine, they have a Moogle to distract him.

....What is he thinking? Isn't this the kind of thing Lydia told him not to do anymore? Stupid Moogle, risking his life for nothing.

Ales shimmies towards Koporo until he's close enough that a whisper might go undetected by Dylas.]

Get out of here! We can handle this ourselves!

( midna's eye stayed trained on dylas, the calamity version all but forgotten now in light of this new crisis. all these moogles getting involved, and ales seemingly not budging on the issue, either. damn. damn! )

Don't be stupid! ( the message was both for koporo and ales, her illusion of the light wouldn't last much longer, why did all of them have to be so stubborn? following in the tradition of being stupid, she lowered her gaze for a moment, thinking how dylas might punish himself if either of these two got hurt, thinking of how he'd lock himself in some cell again...

and in that moment, she activated vanish, appearing behind dylas, her tiny arms lacing around his neck to the best of her ability. she attempted to pull his head back, trying to lift his chin, into some poor man's version of a headlock, needing to take his focus away from koporo. )

Didn't I tell you both to leave while you still can?! Hnngh—!

[Everything is said and done. Dylas has accepted his other self. The part of him that wants something better for himself, the part he’s buried for so long because of all the sins he’s done has come to light. So has the darker part of him, the part of him that still feels like a monster and the good feelings that came with it. Behind all of it, though, he’d just been lonely and refusing to let anything change because of how much torture he’d endured in Ryslig.

Standing in the lab, Dylas’ clothes are in tatters from all the burns and attacks he’d endured, and his entire body is aching from head to toe. He pants, doubling over for breath for a few moments before he straightens himself back up. What does he even say after all of this? To Midna, who helped him. And to Ales, who...he’s not sure even wanted to be there.]

I’m not even sure what to say. Thanks doesn’t seem like it really...

[And then the fatigue rears its ugly head again and he falls into a kneeling position, catching himself before he falls all the way to the floor. He’s back to panting, his tail swishing wildly in irritation. Even worse than that is how his eyes sting, because he’s crying, and it just doesn’t seem to stop.]

[The reason for Ales being here is a mystery even he doesn't understand. Having a Calamity Hero would be terrible for everyone. That's just pure logic. But after talking with Lydia in December, the possibility of an emotion called "caring for your friends enough that you go out of your way to help them" was brought up.

Maybe Ales does have a chance to be "good", or whatever the popular definition of "good" was. More pressingly, his entire body hurts. Being able to only heal minor wounds during battle does not make the fight any more comfortable, and he currently is lying on his back, unable to see Dylas' tears. For now.]

Agreed. The normal response after this is "I need to go home and take a nap." I think I need one as well.

( as the clouds of her cloud barrier finally dissipated, there stood midna in her true form. the mirror of twilight, which had been floating just above her hand disappears as well, back to where ever it was that it laid dormant. when she finally turned, her eyes went first to dylas, whom she seemed to nearly float over towards on bare feet, toes barely touching the ground in her haste.

a hand found its way to his shoulder, resting there gently. she had never quite been one to know how to comfort others in their time of need but this... just felt right. )

Can you stand? ( she's here to help him to his feet, should he need it. )

[Ales is the weirdest bug Dylas has ever met, but it seems pretty clear to him that his Calamity self would have killed him without them. He's not the kind of person to give up a fight, so without their intervention...he doesn't really want to think about it right now.

There's a part of him that almost wants to laugh at Ales. If anyone looks like they're about to take a nap, it's him. And then there's the touch of a hand on his shoulder from someone he never really expected to look...quite like Midna does now. His memories from during his limit break are hazy, but he remembers everything that came after.]

Of course I can stand. [He scoffs, trying to sound a little more like his normal self. But he doesn't stand. His eyes are a little unfocused, and he takes a potion that Koporo is offering him to his left and drinks that, hoping it will give him a bit more clarity.] I'm just...exercising my right not to stand at the moment.

[Some things will never change, at least, but he does lift his right hand and places it over Midna's.]

[Ales is no bug. Probably. Bugs aren't soft and squishy in a way that doesn't kill them. Teensie biology isn't a topic is is comfortable discussing with other species.

With another minute of rest, Ales pushes himself onto his elbows to watch the other two. He has some questions about Midna and her abilities, but that can wait when he doesn't feel like dying.]

How long do you plan on exercising that right? [He says, not planning on standing any sooner than Dylas.]

( there's a pull at her lips with a— ) Hmph. ( and midna finds herself smiling. pulling her hand back, she moves to pull his along with her own and places it down next to him, squeezing it gently with the motion. )

Good, you won't need any healing in that case. ( there's a slow blink as she looks him over again, then looks over ales' way. )

And you, Ales? Any worse for wear? None of us seem to be in any more than one piece, at least, heh.

[we totally forgot that dylas can't restore his health with potions, so we're going to assume he just drank someone's blood instead okay? okay, thanks koporo for bringing a vial of blood over from somewhere in the lab

But regardless, it starts to make him feel more energized. He still doesn't want to stand. His mind is swimming. There are too many things he thinks he should do or words he thinks he should say but it's hard to pick the right ones. He squeezes Midna's hand in response and scoffs.]

The last thing I want to do right now is heal myself. I've had enough of fangs and claws for one day. [There's no doubt about it, his Calamity self managed to scar him in a few more places. What fun.

But then he drops his head down, ears flicking with him.] I'm sorry. I never should've done this on my own. You two are way too nice to a dumbass like me.

Exhausted. Sore from where I was knocked around, but not as bad as exploding. Trust me, the latter is one of the most painful ways to die. [And if it happens again, there might not be a body left to revive within five minutes. It's unusual to be thankful for those deaths, else he'd be more upset at coming out of this fight injured.

He waves a hands around while resting on his other elbow.] Healing would be appreciated if you still have the energy. And don't think I'm doing this out of the kindness of my heart. Do you know how dangerous it would be to allow a Shadow walking around? It was in the interest of the general public that I came here.

[Because why admit there are people you care about on more than a practical level? What kind of person can unironically give friendship speeches at times like this? Ales won't.]

( quiet while they speak, midna finally releases dylas' hand, slowly moving it upwards... to deliver a solid flick to his forehead. if he looks up, there's a smirk that could almost be mistaken for a loving gaze waiting for him. )

I suppose we're just as guilty of profound stupidity for coming after you in the end. I've always said as much about the heroes that were brought to this world, anyway.

( with that, she closed her eyes, concentrating from deep within as she called forth the healing powers of zelda's gift to wash over ales. opening them again, she gives him a slight nod, hoping that managed to at least help a little. she wasn't exactly the healing and nurturing type... at least, not before she arrived in this world. and not before she had found others she cared to be that person for...

which is exactly the reason she's gazing back towards dylas, now. ) You both look as though you could use that rest sooner than later. ( she was lucky, her transformation into her true form had come with just the boost in energy, magic, and power that she had needed to get through all of this. and now to see it to a happy conclusion. )

Ales. Take the loftwing that awaits outside the lab. It might not be as familiar as a chocobo, but it will see you home. Leave the dumbass here to me.

That sounds like something I'd say, Ales. But...uh...same. I'm glad I didn't end up exploding you, too, I guess.

[He's not sure he completely buys it, but he also doesn't know Ales well enough to say for sure. He'll half call him out on his bullshit, then. Noncommittally. And then there's Midna to deal with, suddenly unleashing a flick right between his eyes.]

Ow!

[Always the complainer. The flick catches him offguard and he winces. Were it anyone else flicking him, he might've accidentally snarled, but instead all he does is let his ears grump for him. They twitch down and he scoffs. He deserves a flick.]

I deserved that. Ales, if you can't see, Midna is hurting me. [He sounds so incredibly pained and sarcastic to reveal that. He's still not sure if he's ready to stand, not when healing spells won't work on him to much effect, but he can at least be thankful that she's healing Ales. But he whips his head up suddenly.]

W-wait. Don't send him away yet. There's something else I need to say.

That's nice. [Said with a smile in regards to Dylas being bullied. Ales is busy with standing up and smoothing his clothing. Running around knocked his hat and jacket out of line, and before he could go outside he had to look decent.]

Anyway, if you two are done, I'll be on my way-- [He turns on his head to the door. To the loftwing and sleep!

Except not. Ales spins back, his eyes forced open and his grin changed to a closed smile.]

What is it?

( with almost deliberate slowness, midna turns back to dylas, studying his expression for a few moments. her long lashes fell just as her head bows just slightly, inclining towards him in a nod— conveying both her understanding and encouragement.

dylas' face off with his shadow had had much to do with his imposed imprisonment, the loneliness of solitude and the burdens he bore alone. she was almost proud to think that he might be turning over a new leaf immediately, by asking ales to stay for a moment more. )

Should I leave the two of you alone? ( she isn't being entirely serious, as indicated by that impish glint in her eyes. )

No.

[His voice is suddenly more firm than before when he responds to Midna first. She needs to stay for this. He looks up at her with determination, which is...a little terrifying, considering his overbite and the fact he doesn't know how to look relaxed. Really. He looks pissed off, but that's not what he feels.]

I need someone else to hear what I'm about to say. ...I wish I were standing for this, but this will have to do.

[He takes a deep breath. ...there's sound this time, because he's way too tired to capitalize on the silence of his vampire job, but he reaches out and snatches Midna's hand before she can move too far away. Immediately, he rubs his clawed thumb over the back of her hand. She's so different like this.]

The...the other me didn't finish saying it. And I'm an asshole idiot who isn't really worth anyone's time when it comes to...this particular thing. So I need...someone else to hear me say this. So I can't go back on it.

[His ears flick a few times.]

I...do more than trust you, Midna. I'm scared sometimes...that I might wake up and find out you're not here anymore to order me around. Or that I might sleep and wake up as one of those crystals, or...or anything. If you'll have me, I'll...never leave you. I'm still a dumbass. I'm not great with my feelings and I have a lot of baggage, but...I could be your dumbass.

Edited 2017-03-29 06:11 (UTC)

[Underneath the cloak, it's difficult to see how Ales' shoulders scrunch upward. He had hoped for something else, a request to see things through, another stupid put-down. Not this...feelings. Opening himself up to Lydia and the others was bad enough, and while this hasn't gone full confession--

It's going to get there.

He has to stay, but it's going to be awkward, right? This is a private thing, he shouldn't be here, right? What does Dylas want him to do? Should he be encouraging?

His beady eyes dart to Midna, then to Dylas.]

( midna had also been expecting something entirely different. some bro-hug, or at least a 'thanks for being there even though we pretend we're not friends' but what came out of dylas' mouth instead lowered her bottom jaw so that her mouth hung open in surprise just slightly.

in the body of an imp, surrendering or even acknowledging the things she had started to feel for dylas was out of the question. she's searching his face, his eyes, his ears, for any hint that he was suffering from a massive head injury, but the sincerity in his tone is something she can't explain away.

her lip trembles just slightly as she looks from dylas— then turns her head to ales, where her cheeks rush with pink realizing he's a spectator... at dylas' insistence, no less.

she turns away from them both now, grabbing hold of dylas' wrist this time with the motion, and squeezing it. ) You... idiot.

( she mumbles, though her voice regains its footing as she continues. ) After all this— of course I won't let you go.

[He's not sure what led them to this or when he started caring. Had it been after he'd spoken to Midna inside of his jail cell? Or maybe after they moved in together? But he knew what cemented it, he couldn't forget that. It had been all that time in her world. Fighting together, fighting for her. At some point, meaning had begun to creep back into Dylas' undead heart. He'd seen what she was really like, understood there were reasons she couldn't say what she couldn't.

At some point, he started waking up and hoping Midna was still in the house. He started looking forward to bringing home food or cooking, if not for her, but to leave leftovers behind that she could finish at her leisure. And now, seeing her like this, in what he knows is her true form...it's a person he can not only stand by, but really be with.

Even if she reverts back, he'll wait for this form again.

He exhales a huge sigh of relief.]

I thought you were going to say no. You have terrible taste in boyfriends.

[The humor is a bit depressing, but given their own tendency to think in the shadows, it's probably not too surprising.

Or at least, not as surprising as when he kisses her hand while it's still close enough to him, holding onto his wrist like that. And then he rests his forehead against it, closing his eyes, smiling to himself.]

I think you can send Ales away now. I don't want him to throw up and blame it on me.

Edited 2017-03-30 02:02 (UTC)

[...Despite how much he feels like he's intruding, Ales has to admit it's kind of cute. Good to see two people he doesn't dislike getting along and being happy. He guesses. As long as they don't start aggressively making out in front of him.

But since he was only here to witness and Midna isn't repulsed, he assumes his job is done. Thank whatever deity he doesn't believe in that Dylas agrees. He bows - practiced and strained - and turns away.]

Wouldn't want to keep you lovebirds late for whatever you have planned, am I right?

[He might just go back home. It's late and work desks aren't good places to sleep.]

It's a good thing his taste makes up for it, then.

( she can't help it. she's blushing as he kisses her hand. it had been so long since she'd been treated as the lady she really was, and to think that this uncouth dead mess of a man was the one behind it... seemed both extremely unlike and fitting all the same.

she's finally smiling. it's not even a smirk this time, as she leans slightly forward to press her head against both his and their hands, the adornment on her head jingling gently with the motion.

this... is happiness, isn't it?
grounding herself back to reality again, she quietly clears her throat, pulling just slightly away to watch their teensie friend. )

Thank you, Ales. ( she calls as he turns away. she wouldn't forget how he struggled today for dylas. and only hoped that someday... she would be able to repay him in kind. ~~possibly by kicking his ass in the future, apparently.~~

pushing herself up, she moves to try and pull dylas to his feet, supporting his weight as best she can with a gentle tug. ) Well? Shall we go home too? Unless you plan on spending the rest of the night on this laboratory floor. ( and there's that smirk, back in its rightful place on her lips. ) Alone.

( oh my. just what could she be insinuating? )

I can make good decisions once in a while. Just. Not everything before coming here.

[He was a fool for thinking that his shadow self would be so easy to defeat. He realizes that now. Just like in Ryslig, he's pushed people away when he's needed help the most. If it weren't for Koporo...he doesn't even want to think about how this night would have gone. He imagines he'd have finished eating a few of the lab Moogles by then.

What do Moogles even taste like?

His ears flick down and up as he's helped to his feet. He winces, hisses in pain—there are some nasty burns on his body from the elemental attacks, not to mention where he'd been wounded physically. More scars for his body, he figures, though tonight is probably the night where Midna will learn he has the word "LIAR" branded and burned into his upper back. Luckily, he's kept a shirt on around her so far.]

The floor's...not a bad place to sleep. [He leans against Midna more than he should to compensate. Having his body possessed wasn't exactly a pleasant experience.] When did you get so big, anyways? [But.

Alone? Uh. His tail twitches low and curls against his leg. That sounds fair to him.]

I th-think that's probably fine. Not being alone, I mean.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

I've made mistakes [semi-open]

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you both come in here, WITH PROSE...

omg im sorry!!!! i didn't even notice lol... IM SWITCHING because im annoying like that

team annoying small tag switchers

cw: blood and injury, i said this would be bad

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwJeMuxQrbA boss battle music

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i'm jammin'

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pls throw her aside, dylas bb

Part 2 to save time because I suck

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WHERE WAS THIS NOTIF argh im sorry

throws you into the sun

Laughts from the moon

im really feeling it! (the love)

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ales you really hecked up look at what you betrayed you MONSTER i never get to use this icon

Ales hecks up: the RP

legit

Re: legit