When the scene reset -- again -- Ven felt a blend of dread and irritation, edging on pure anger. Not because of the need to fight, not even because of the danger, necessarily -- but because this wasn't a natural occurrence. This, like everything else since the Heroes had been transported, was a deliberate act of someone or something; all the memories and events therein that he'd seen so far were too different from one to the next to suggest that each situation was fitted to the same pattern. He wasn't very tactically inclined, not as much of a thinker as he was a doer, but he'd picked up on that much.
Point being: this cycle was no accident. It was made to keep going, by someone or some force. Someone or something that had to know how very personal this was for the one the memories belonged to.
That was partly why Ven didn't immediately react when Jade attacked his younger self. He had a deeply rooted respect for the fact that this was, first and foremost, Jade's memory -- his scenario, his pain, his call -- and while Ven was here to lend a hand, that was it. He was still an outsider, and unless the safety of innocent people came into question, he had no right to say what was an appropriate reaction and what wasn't.
At least, those were his thoughts right up until the replica knocked Jade back. Ven reacted, but half a beat too slowly -- but then someone else, someone faster than him, even, was already darting past, and then--
--and then things got crazy.
It was clear to Ven that the newcomer was an ally -- but then why was that lady attacking him--
"Wait!" Again, too late -- and the dark aura permeating from her spell was enough to make him mentally stumble, assaulting his light-tuned senses the same way a normal person might falter against an unexpectedly strong (and unpleasant) smell. Enough to distract him, just long enough that he was too late in trying to throw out a counter-spell to intercept hers--
--but he still tried, a hasty casting of Thundara meant to come down on that spell and catch it. Unfortunately, Ven was pretty tired at this point; he'd used several high-level spells nearly back-to-back, all while keeping Firestorm restrained to avoid unleashing it at the wrong time, and his attention was still unconsciously divided between the entire party since he had been acting as the impromptu healer. Trying to pull his focus back into one point in the blink of an eye, cast a mid-level spell, aim, hold back Firestorm, and recover from that surprising touch of darkness just now, all while fighting fatigue?
Not happening too well.
Lightning magic tore over the ground, wildly enough to knock up small waves of snow with a crackling roar. No one was in its direct path, thankfully, but considering how closely grouped they all were, it wouldn't take much movement to step into the danger zone
omg this is such a mess
Point being: this cycle was no accident. It was made to keep going, by someone or some force. Someone or something that had to know how very personal this was for the one the memories belonged to.
That was partly why Ven didn't immediately react when Jade attacked his younger self. He had a deeply rooted respect for the fact that this was, first and foremost, Jade's memory -- his scenario, his pain, his call -- and while Ven was here to lend a hand, that was it. He was still an outsider, and unless the safety of innocent people came into question, he had no right to say what was an appropriate reaction and what wasn't.
At least, those were his thoughts right up until the replica knocked Jade back. Ven reacted, but half a beat too slowly -- but then someone else, someone faster than him, even, was already darting past, and then--
--and then things got crazy.
It was clear to Ven that the newcomer was an ally -- but then why was that lady attacking him--
"Wait!" Again, too late -- and the dark aura permeating from her spell was enough to make him mentally stumble, assaulting his light-tuned senses the same way a normal person might falter against an unexpectedly strong (and unpleasant) smell. Enough to distract him, just long enough that he was too late in trying to throw out a counter-spell to intercept hers--
--but he still tried, a hasty casting of Thundara meant to come down on that spell and catch it. Unfortunately, Ven was pretty tired at this point; he'd used several high-level spells nearly back-to-back, all while keeping Firestorm restrained to avoid unleashing it at the wrong time, and his attention was still unconsciously divided between the entire party since he had been acting as the impromptu healer. Trying to pull his focus back into one point in the blink of an eye, cast a mid-level spell, aim, hold back Firestorm, and recover from that surprising touch of darkness just now, all while fighting fatigue?
Not happening too well.
Lightning magic tore over the ground, wildly enough to knock up small waves of snow with a crackling roar. No one was in its direct path, thankfully, but considering how closely grouped they all were, it wouldn't take much movement to step into the danger zone