On That Day, Five Years Ago - Black Water - Misery Marsh near Esdham

[neverfirstclass]

On the bright side, Cloud hadn't thrown up when the ship went down. Of all the things that went wrong that day, at least the fortitude of his stomach remained intact.

He'd braced himself for impact and after that it was fuzzy. Dream and memory intermingled. When he and the other Heroes blacked out and later he wouldn't be able to recall which parts actually happened and which were just projected assumption. He even thought he saw Zack running around on the deck trying to help, as absurd as that mental image of a chocobo trying to help keep an airship in flight was.

The next thing he was aware of was the feeling of thick water lapping against the side of his head. That and a sense of cloying scruffiness around his face. Grunting, he pushed himself up to sitting, half in and half out of some water. The dry ground wasn't very much so, more mud. Looking around blearily he could make out shapes moving in the fog around him. Things slipped into focus bit by bit from there. This was a swamp of some sort, or a marsh, whatever. Same difference.

Next he noticed three bodies laying near him; Reno, Johnny and another he knew was a fellow Hero but didn't really know by name. Dylan or something? His mind more latched onto the fact that the way they were laying was that it was almost like Johnny and Reno were reaching for each other.

The last thing to shuffle into focus were the shapes moving in the distance. They were a bit far off, too far, hopefully, to see or smell or hear them...but there were Malboros sloshing through the marshwater and mud in every direction.

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[charming_jerk]

Johnny had a hard time rousing, but he managed to slowly sit up. Everything was fuzzy, and his first thought was about how much he might have had to drink last night. The actual events set in quickly once he gets a look at the surroundings. The last thing he remembers was, for the first time ever, intentionally giving himself over to his bloodlust, all thanks to Kalki.

Whatever happened in between then and now was pretty startling. After getting to his feet, he can feel the extra weight on his neck, and it's not from his now longer hair. He reached a hand up to touch the horns that have now fully grown in. They were only a few inches long what seemed like just moments ago.

He'll have to worry about that later. Once he spots Reno, he immediately set to shaking him awake.

[sullenstallion]

From somewhere next to Johnny behind and to Cloud's left comes the mightiest sound that any animal can ever make, a sound so majestic—

"Hhorrrf!"

Snapping from 'dead' to awake is almost instant for Dylas, and after leaping to a predatory all fours position (he has the long limbs for it, unfortunately), he instead finds himself coughing and realizing how dry his throat is. There's a lot that feels off, but he isn't really racing to put it all together. His head feels heavier, his chin feels scratchier, and he feels kind of dirty...

...but he also feels really damn tired. His ears slump, and he grunts, turning over his shoulder to look at the others.

Give him a second. He's not really feeling it. Even with the fog, it's daytime, and that's not fun for his Job. He'd been with Midna last he remembers, and now he's on top of some sort of log? At least he's not getting wet.

[shinra_dog]

If Johnny's shaking hadn't roused him, the strange noise that Dylas made sure did.

"Whu-- ! Huh...?"

Jolting awake left him dizzy and he held onto Johnny's arm for a moment. His mouth was cottony, every muscle ached like he hadn't moved in days. He never could have imagined it had been years. His own hair had grown longer, his already long bangs now draped over his face, and his face now sported a soft coat of the fairest red-blonde hair too.

"Johnny?" he managed, squinting. "Yer horns...? Where are we?"

[neverfirstclass]

The noise Dylas made caused Cloud to go shock still for a moment. He wasn't sure if the rousing Hero might be in full control, or else the noise he made might garner some attention. But it seemed that there was no attack to come just yet, not from within nor without. With a grunt he continued pushing himself to his feet, still in the murk of the swamp but at least he wasn't sinking or anything. He tried not to think about what would have happened if they woke up even a foot under the swamp mud.

He left Reno to Johnny as he took a few cautious steps around, looking and trying to get his bearings. "I have no idea...some swamp but not one I've ever seen." He glanced off into the distance, scanning the horizon for any familiar landmarks but there was nothing he could find that stuck out.

His hand touched at his chin, feeling about and running through the beard that had grown, "But wherever this is I think we've been here for a while."

[charming_jerk]

Johnny helped Reno up, but he felt just as stiff and achy. Laying around in a swamp wasn't going to help that.

That noise Dylas made was a bit disconcerting, but Johnny would be lying if he said he didn't feel about as good as Dylas looked right now too. "You okay over there, man? You, Cloud? I feel like I got hit by a damn bus."

He couldn't even imagine what happened. "Look, the last thing I remember was... was goin' after Kalki. I kinda... black out when that shit happens. Somethin' had to happen between that and this." He waved an arm at their surroundings.

[sullenstallion]

"I'm fine. My mouth's just dry. Stop talking so loud."

Dylas didn't bother turning around to look at Johnny when he was spoken to and instead focused on coughing, trying to clear his throat. He tuned out the rest of the conversation as best he could. Cloud was the other guy's name. He knew Reno's name, Reno is an asshole.

He was just starting to feel satisfied with the amount of moisture returning to his mouth after such a long sleep when Kalki was mentioned. Instantly, Dylas' ears shot up and his body soon followed. He leaped from his knees to standing at his full height of over seven feet, scanning the area.

He didn't add anything quite yet—for now, he only looked, but anyone watching him might notice his ears flick back or his tail start to swish like an angry stallion's. His lip lifted, revealing fang as he growled to himself, but he said nothing.

[sullenstallion]

After any fight, after waking up, they’re on the move—

Like usual, Dylas lingers to the side of the group, always a few steps behind, always slightly off-placed from the central group. He prefers to keep a personal bubble for a number of reasons, but this situation isn’t one he’s prepared for. The landscapes are all unfamiliar, the monsters are hellish, and his companions are three people he hardly knows.

It’s not exactly his idea of a perfect road trip.

Eventually, the number of things on his mind overwhelm him. Midna. Koporo. The other people he’s spoken to. He takes a deep breath and shivers from head to toe, stopping in his footsteps to glance off into the distance. He wonders if everyone is alright. Chances are, they aren’t. He’s been through hell before back in Ryslig. It’s too unrealistic to think that everyone is still as alive as they are. He’d promised her that he’d never leave her, too, but—

His ears twitch as one of his party members approaches him by themselves. He rubs the back of his neck, trying to play off how anxious he looks and feels with a joke.

"Don't worry. I haven't decided which one of you I'm going to eat yet."

His eyes fall to his hooves. It's not even funny, it's...just all he can think of to say.

"What do you want?"

[ooc; No mod replies required. This is sort of a "last chance to talk to Dylas" thing going on since who the heck are all of you.]

[shinra_dog]

"Yeah, well..."

For better or worse, Reno had seen the world of Ryslig and what Dylas could become -- the hunger of the wendigo. At the same time, even under that world's influence, Dylas had generally kept his shit together. Reno respected that. So he was actually semi-aware of the dark joke Dylas was making and didn't take it too seriously.

They hadn't always gotten along, but Reno was sincere when he asked, "You holdin' up okay?"

[sullenstallion]

He wouldn't eat Reno, anyways, he's heard stories of the kind of world he'd been to and isn't so keen on putting that in his mouth.

"I'm fine. There's...nothing wrong with me at all."

His first instinct is always to be defensive, to snap back. He glowers down at Reno before starting to turn away. But. The calamity. His calamity self. He doesn't...need to be an asshole, it's just a comfortable role for him.

So he turns back.

"You're a lucky guy. You and the demon are an item, right? I saw him looking concerned about you for a second or two."

Before the horf happened.

[shinra_dog]

"Yeah." Reno nodded. He and Johnny were pretty official now, reaffirmed when they faced their Shadows. It was a hard road, especially with their own baggage -- romantic and otherwise -- but when it came down to it, they accepted even the worst of each other.

So Dylas was a man-eating monster guy. Reno was a mass-murderer. If they were both deemed worthy of being "Heroes of Light," then it shouldn't matter.

Reno smirked. "Don't tell me there's no one waitin' for you, though? I find that hard ta' believe. Just keep them in mind an' you'll be fine."

Because there had to be more Heroes somewhere else -- just scattered. They couldn't be the last ones left. Reno couldn't accept that.

[sullenstallion]

"You two look kind of gross together."

Did that sound homophobic? Hopefully, the fact that Dylas' ears wiggle playfully, twitching up and down more excitedly than his face ever emotes is enough to suggest he's teasing.

But if anyone ever asked him, he'd deny being a Hero of Light. He never accepted the title, not fully.

"Hey. How reliable are you?" Thinking about Midna, Dylas decided that maybe he and Reno could take the rear guard for a few minutes. Have a private chat. "I have a favor to ask you, but only if you're the kind of guy who actually gets things done outside of the bedroom."

[shinra_dog]

Gross, huh? Reno stuck his tongue out. "Aww, too sappy for you?"

For waking up in a swamp and feeling like shit, being able to snipe jokes back and forth with someone was a welcome bit of normalcy.

Reno crossed his arms and canted his head. "I realize it's hard to believe, me being so sexy and all, but I really did have a very serious job once that included clothing. What's up?"

[neverfirstclass]

Cloud was picking his steps carefully as they moved through the swamp. Given all they'd been through he didn't want to die here, in the middle of nowhere, just because he couldn't tell how deep the water or mud was. Malboro attack wasn't much more appealing either.

His snaking path brings him over towards Dylas as they all make their way along and he gives the other Hero a nod. He's about as nervous and awkward as Dylas is here, but it's not the horned Hero's fault. Considering what happened to Ramza he can't help but wonder if there was something he missed. And then Dylas is an unknown factor, a Hero he wants to trust but doesn't even know.

At least he doesn't buy that joke, "N-nothing I guess." He was quiet for a moment, tempted to leave it there, but he pushed himself to carry on. "I'm sorry. I don't remember seeing you around much before we went to face Garland. How long were you in Crystallis?" He did his best to keep any implication of accusation out of his voice.

[sullenstallion]

"I try not to be seen much," he offers as both an explanation and an apology, though the fact it's an apology is likely only apparent to himself. "I only come out at night. Vampires don't really get along well with all this sunlight."

Being out in the daytime is actually more exhausting for him than he'd like to admit. It's enough to give him a small headache and leave him wanting to lay down somewhere and take a nap like a tired cat, but they need to be pressing on. His tail swishes idly back and forth as he regards Cloud, not really remembering him either.

"I arrived in...May." And then the murders began. Literally. "I guess it's not the greatest outcome for you, being stuck here with me. That's why you're here, right?"

[neverfirstclass]

Cloud just sort of glanced at Dylas at the comment about not wanting to be seen much. He knew enough people like that as a natural state. Vincent came to mind, but so did Sephiroth to a point. The admission of being a Vampire caught him a little by surprise though. "Vampire. Like the Job? Or...?" He didn't sound scared, more curious and trying to parse out the specifics of it all. He was friends with a talking pony. Who was he to judge?

Being out in the day may not have been idea for Dylas, but at least the thick fog of the marsh was keeping most of the sun at bay. It was hell on their visibility though. "May....oh..." He frowned. It was all a scramble then and he never felt satisfied how it all turned out. Another example of his friends being messed with and nobody being held accountable for it.

But the last bit was what really confused Cloud. He looked Dylas up and down and he could guess what he was getting at but... "I mean, being here at all isn't really the greatest outcome. But Johnny and Reno are good friends. And we haven't really met before but I don't have reason not to trust you if that's what you mean."

[sullenstallion]

"The job. I've got two too many hooves to be a real one, I think." And sure enough, if Cloud ever looked down, he'd notice that Dylas' pants do not end in a pair of shoes. The vampire job keeps him from click-clacking as he walks, but the swamp does that, too. And right now, he can feel how wet and gross the swamp is, but after you walk everywhere barefoot for a while? You kind of get used to it.

"Huh. I didn't think you'd be so quick to say that. I'm not up to anything, but...I figured you came over here because you didn't think I was trustworthy. Reno's the only one here I've ever really spoken to."

[neverfirstclass]

Cloud gave a little shrug as he glanced at the hooves. He'd seen a lot at this point and it didn't really surprise him. He considered the pony among the Heroes as a friend after all. "I dunno. You could still be one. I don't see what having hooves would do to stop that." But it really didn't matter. He was just rolling with it.

But then he shot a toothy grin back at Dylas for his self deprecation. "We've all had our lives to manage. It was easy when we first arrived in Crystallis, but over time we got caught up in more and more things and more and more Heroes arrived. I couldn't be there to greet everyone like I used to. Frankly it's been a bit exhausting, and loud too. We were flailing around with our ideals but no real direction."

He looked around at their small group and then gestured at the barely visible path ahead. "This all isn't ideal, but it's simple. We don't know where we are, so we go forward. We're going forward because we don't want to stand still. And we trust each other because we're all in this together."

Esdham Palace and the grave

[neverfirstclass]

[neverfirstclass]

The Presidential Palace was in a poor state. Whether because of an actual attack or because of the monsters or just natural decay it was hard to tell, but a number of walls and half roof seemed to have collapsed. There was probably a way in but the front door was definitely not going to be an option. Even so, there was something about the sight of the place that compelled Cloud to look around. He wasn't sure what he was looking for, but he felt like he had to be sure he'd seen everything before he moved on.

The monster presence seemed a bit lighter around the house, at least enough that he was able to walk along without difficulty. His path took him around the side, through a side garden, and through a gap in a wall caused by who knows what.

On the other side of the gap he found himself more in the Palace's rear gardens now, and somehow the atmosphere felt a touch lighter. The plants were greener and there was less of the oppressive feeling of the spirits lurking around in the city. He rounded a turn in he landscaping, and his eyes went wide as he saw the grave in front of him.

"Guys? You should come see this."

[shinra_dog]

"What is it?" Reno came around the corner after Cloud and his eyebrows rose. Everything he'd seen so far, overgrowth and mud, swamp and dust, suggested that the earth as he'd known it here was changed for the gross all over. But the palace still had a garden, a green garden without standing water or bugs or monsters. It was a small space of peace in a world otherwise broken.

"Whoa..." Reno blinked, awed and then relieved to see such a place. "I'm surprised a place like this still exists."

Barracks Bossfight

[neverfirstclass]

Re: Barracks Bossfight

[neverfirstclass]

Finally they had gotten some good news. The other Heroes were alive, at least some of them were, and now they had a way to keep in contact with the new Mog Network devices. But then there was a bigger question, one that had been there the whole time but was taking up more and more space at the front of his mind. How to get across the world and meet up with them? Esdham was dangerous now, and it definitely wouldn't make for a good base. And then they said something about the crystalized Heroes in Aqures Ixen.

Cloud was worried about them. He was worried about Zack and Tifa and all his friends who had been frozen there. Were they really among their enemies now? He wanted to see for himself but he was at least aware that his group as they were had little chance of making the trip there. So getting across the world to find the others in Aerilon or Mysdia or Santa's Village was even more daunting.

"We need to find a vehicle," was Cloud's offering to the group, and you couldn't take the grunt out of the Would Be SOLDIER. The Barracks seemed to be the best option for them as far as he saw it. The Esdham military was well equipped when they last saw them and even a small craft would be something.

Leaving Dylas to his own devices, Cloud went with Reno and Johnny to see just what they could find.

[melodiesnpcs]

Entering the Barracks, the Heroes of Light will feel an overbearing presence. Somewhat alike to the aura given by the corrupted Heroes of Light in Aqures Ixen and by the echoes of former Heroes of Light found during the Answer Event... Yet very different.

There is something in this place, but it is not someone. Anger, hatred... Whatever it is lurking in this place seems to be made up of violent and negative emotions. But at the very least there are not Calamity Monsters lurking around the barracks so it should be safe to explore... Maybe.

[charming_jerk]

Johnny stopped just a few feet into the Barracks when those nearly palpable feelings hit him. He wasn't sure what to make of it, other than the obvious emotions attached to them. He immediately drew his Dragoon lance.

"...I'm not the only one feelin' that, right? Let's find something fast 'n get the hell outta here."

[neverfirstclass]

Cloud had gone a bit pale. He knew they were probably going to run into something or other, just on account of the city being haunted and their own rotten luck as Heroes. Even then, this was less than ideal.

His own hand slowly went to his sword as he nodded to Johnny, "It's not just you. If there's anything worth having in here we're probably not getting it without a fight." Leaving was always an option, but it's not like they had any clue or options of where to go.

He didn't have the ghostbuster job, not any more, but his other skills would hopefully do the job if needed.