sticksandbones | [CLOSED] 'Til Death Do Us Part Came Far Too Soon.

[Vash sees the creatures, but doesn't blink. He's seen many monsters, some of which linger in the panes of glass holding his reflection. Whatever these beasts are, he cares not. He has a single-minded focus. He will find his way to -

... The trees begin to give way not to the heart of the Forest like he might have hoped, but to the rugged edges of a cliff. This wasn't where he was supposed to be. And yet, even the profile of the figure laying against the tree tells him that this is where he was meant to wind up.]

Nai!

[He races across the remaining distance, reaching desperately for his brother's hand. If he can save just one person, it will all have been worth it. Please, just let him be in time to save him.]

Nai, it's okay. I'm here -

Unfortunately, Vash is far too late. Nai's body has long gone cold; the clothing he was wearing when he left the Grove is torn up over heavy wounds that never got the chance to close. The knife-tendrils lie idle at his side, covered in some sticky, black blood that's long-dried, despite the fact it looks like the rest of him has frozen in time. Yet, he looks as though he's sleeping peacefully, not in any pain...

Maybe that's the only solace to be found here. Maybe it isn't. That's for Vash to determine.

[Unfortunately, this is no solace. He can't imagine Nai ever laying down and dying like this. Even as he glances out toward the sea — a vast, unknowable thing that neither twin could have ever thought themselves worthy of — he can't bring himself to believe that Nai would let go. There had been so much worth fighting for still. Even if it meant being opposed to each other.]

Why did you leave? [There's no one to answer the question, but Vash asks it anyway. He feels so small in this moment, pushed down under the choking weight of guilt and loneliness. His brother was the only constant he had, distant but still there. A star on the horizon worth chasing.] Why did you leave me?

[Now there was nothing. No Rem. No Nai. No Wolfwood.

He watches Nai's motionless body for what feels like hours, hoping he might yet witness a miracle. When nothing happens, he leans forward, pressing a kiss to the crown of his head. Nai had always been the older brother, the protector. This was meant to be his duty.

Vash shoulders it anyway, hoping that wherever Nai was, he'd feel this last goodbye. If he had a chance to come back this way, if he made it through, maybe he'd try to retrieve the body. But the place where Vash was trying to get to would only desecrate his corpse. So long as he was here, it could at least be pretended that he died at peace.]

Edited 2024-03-07 22:38 (UTC)

this tag killed me so bad i had to take 4 days to cry about it,

Anyway!

Vash is having a terrible day. And it will only get worse. As he follows the path forward, it cuts through a confusing squiggle of trees, not a straight line but rather curved and annoying. It'll make him feel like he's walking through a mirror maze. Something yammers in his ear the entire time, a childish voice, one he might recognize as the one who conducts all the games and had yelled out in anger moments before the Grove was attacked and Wolfwood was killed.

"Hey, hey, are you sad? You know, if you and your brother would join with me, you wouldn't have to be sad. I can bring him back. I can! I'm VERY good at making sure people live forever. I'd reunite you! You could be happy! Isn't that nice? Don't you want to be happy?"

[HOW DO YOU THINK I FELT MODS?! HOW DO YOU THINK I FELT!!!

Anyway. Vash is... getting disoriented, the longer he goes. Maybe it's just exhaustion catching up to him? When was the last time he slept? Ate? Surely it hasn't been that long. And even if it has been, he can almost assuredly go longer. He's a Plant. He isn't supposed to need food or water or sleep.

It would be far better if the roles were reversed. If Nai were here. If he'd just give in-

Vash realizes the direction his thoughts are going, how the sinister whispers in his head drive him. He waves frantically at his ear, not unlike chasing away a particularly pesky mosquito. Maybe it doesn't help, not really, but there's something to be said about the Placebo effect.

He won't respond. He won't give it the satisfaction. He just stalks onward, faster in the hopes of leaving the voice behind. Besides, this isn't the first time he's left the promise of forever at his brother's side behind. He's experienced at this. The forest will have to try harder.

In the meantime, he focuses on trying to mark the trees. He doesn't have a knife, but he does have a particularly sturdy hand. If he presses just hard enough, he can leave dents in the bark, in the hopes of making it clear where he's been before.]

"You're lame. Don't you want to play? What about that guy that died — that Wolfwood? Don't you want to see him again? You do! I know you do! He owes me a BIIIIG apology, but maybe, if it's you, I can be convinced not to punish him again? Ooh, yeah, how about that? You come play with me, and I bring you back your brother and your Wolfwood! How's that?"

...it seems like the Creature is going to keep yammering for a while. Vash's marking of the trees will help, though, and as long as he keeps going forward and not spinning around, he'll eventually make it to the jagged cliffside, where the fog is strangely broken up into patches. It breaks just over the cliffside, revealing the ocean below (try not to fall in) before, off in the distance, there's a secondary fog wall keeping everyone from sailing off the map. It might even be keeping any help out, too, from the lands outside. It's a fogless pocket at the seaside, and the further Vash pushes out onto the cliffs where it breaks, the less he'll hear the Creature yapping.

To the north looks to be, were he to trace the cliffs for many hours, something of a beach. To the south, there's a high cliff with a lighthouse sitting on top of it, and if he squints, he might see something carved into the stone... but it's difficult to make out what it is at this angle.

[He shouldn't be surprised that the fog finds that chink in his armor. As he pauses in his efforts, his eyes drift closed. He draws a breath in, only to choke on it as they invoke Wolfwood's name. He sees the man, eyes glowing a sinister blue, then watches them close one last time. Sightless, gaze locked on a cruel sky above them.

He swallows hard. The temptation is there. His life had always felt meaningless in the presence of another's. Set beside two people, and he feels his heart lurch.

Livio deserved someone to be there, right? And Angelina, who was no doubt alone? She needed her father. How good would it be, for the grove to wake up after everything had gone to hell and find Wolfwood there.]

You - [His voice catches. He thinks of his brother, alone. Of how furious Wolfwood be. He'd already done this at the Castle, and promised to be better. Did he really want to go back on that?] You really don't know who you're talking to, huh?

[The beach is tempting, given the stories he'd heard. But that isn't where he's meant to be going. This is far from the heart of the forest, after all. And if he was meant to find where the Creature called home, he needed to get up higher, rather than lower.

Besides, he's noticed the voice getting softer the longer he treks along. If nothing else, it's reason to keep moving in that direction. Or to just keep moving at all.]

It's a long, blissful walk. Blissful in the sense that the Creature can't be heard out here; shame that he's not at the meeting where Felicity is presently discussing how the Creature doesn't seem to understand the sea and fears whatever is in it. Maybe, when he finds what he's looking for, he'll be able to support that story. Or maybe he won't. I'm not your dad.

Regardless, the closer he walks along the cliffside to the high ground containing the lighthouse, the more he'll be able to see what looms in the distance. Built into the cliff face itself looks to be a large carving of a woman, ~~excuse the picrew arty hard,~~ sitting down on what would otherwise be a throne or chair of some sort, but it is in fact the inside of the cliff itself. The closer Vash gets, the more it looks like her scarf is meant to be a stairstep down, where one could possibly climb all over her, or maybe sit in her arms or her lap. It feels protective, akin to the feeling others get when they're around Mizuki post-eating the moon shard.

Some hundred feet off, resting at the high-up and sloped cliff just on the edge, is a lighthouse. Tall, imposing...run-down, barely-maintained. The light doesn't shine, and ivy climbs the tower, overgrown and thorny.

[Given that he is not privy to the information Fel has to give (maybe he should have listened more before), Vash can only guess as to why the forest has fallen silent. Guess, that is, until he's able to really process the statue beside the lighthouse. He might not know that the Forest is afraid of something out here, but he at least knows there are a few other gods and guardians in this world. If Moder and Zahliya could keep the Forest at bay in their own ways, perhaps the statue was no different.

He approaches it quietly, taking the steps down just far enough to quietly rest a hand on her shoulder. He feels at ease around her, almost in the way he used to feel at ease as a child. The size difference certainly makes him feel as small as he was then.]

Dunno if you're the one keeping things quiet around here but if you are? Thank you...

[And since she may or may not have done him a good turn, he'll do her one in kind. All of the kelp that's been flung onto her body is gathered up meticulously and cast out to the sea. The... extremely freaky looking crabs are left there, just in case she's some kind of sea goddess or something like that, but otherwise, he does his best to clean her up just a bit.]

Hope that makes ya feel a little better. [He sighs.] Am I really sittin' here talkin' to a statue? Must be more out of it than I thought.

The very cool biblically accurate crabs will scuttle out of Vash's way when he approaches, but otherwise they look up at him from where they're perched across her stone legs, as if wondering about him.

Vash doesn't quite hear a voice in his head unlike with many of the deities here — but as he cleans the statue off, he'll feel something a bit chilly in the air. It feels unnatural, and not like a pocket of cold sea air or what have you — but it feels protective and safe all the same.

If he looks up at the statue's face, the sliver of sunlight that falls upon her cheek makes it seem as though she's weeping.

[Vash has to silently marvel at the statue. Even before his efforts, he would have thought she looked beautiful. Now it's all the better. He has to hope it made some small difference.

And maybe it did. Without his jacket to warm him, he feels the cold almost too easily. He shivers, but it isn't entirely unpleasant. He won't deny that there's a strange comfort to be found in the chill that seeps into his bones. It might not feel like the sea air, but it's the best he has to attribute it too. And with most of his duties done, his next step is to start making his way back up to the cliff and toward the lighthouse.

He does spare the statue one last glance. The illusion there stops him short, and he finds himself grimly amused.]

Me, too.

[A hand is laid against the span of her arm, gentle as he can despite the stony surface.]

If I make it back, I'll send someone to find you. Care for you properly! Deserve better than a makeshift job like this.

[And then he makes his way back upward. The next stop is the lighthouse.]

And so Vash proceeds up the cliffside, back toward that lighthouse. It is, as mentioned, decrepit and run down; no lights shine in the upper floors, and maybe that's not too abnormal, considering it's presently daylight and it would have to somehow cut through that impenetrable fog anyhow. What boats would come to a place where the barrier stands tall and sends them back?

The lighthouse door isn't locked, though. Perhaps whoever was last here never bothered to lock it, leaving it open so that someone could come in and run the place in their absence. Perhaps they simply forgot to lock it up. Perhaps it doesn't matter. Vash will have to clear away the ivy and vines to get in, of course, but it won't be too difficult.

Unless he'd rather climb the ivy to the top. That's also doable. Not recommended, but doable.

[Look, Vash is stupid, but he's not gonna be that stupid. Climbing is out, getting in through the door is in.

Of course... Vash is very reluctant to mess with nature at this point. At best, it'll upset one of the Guardians, and he doesn't need any of that bad luck right now. At worst, it'll set the forest off on him all over again. It's the last thing he wants when he's come so far.

So... while it'll regrettably take more time, he does his best to wiggle the vines out of the way and pry the door open, rather than actually breaking them. A few pieces might get broken along the way, but it's less malicious or intentional. He even apologizes a few times along the way.

It's getting to him, this place.]

You know considering the shit this man does the mod team would not have been SURPRISED if he climbed UP the fucking lighthouse like a bug, okay.

Vash wiggles through the vines, which have a slight amount of give but Not Really. The undersides are crackly and crunchy where they have gripped the stone; the rest is green and pretty and maybe, if Vash was a big fan of ivy-covered buildings, he'd think "this is super cool". But he's right in that he should be saying sorry to the plants that wind up breaking. It's protocol here... and he wouldn't want to anger anything.

Would he?

The door opens with a heavy squeal, grating across the floors and leaving a visible metal mark on them. The inside of the lighthouse is less than pretty; it looks like it was once lived in, which might be entirely unsurprising considering how far this place is from the rest of civilization. There's a clear walkway leading up the stairs, but there's also a sparse amount of furniture; a pull-out couch that was never pushed back into couch form, a small table, shelves that contained cans of food... those cans of food now contain botulism, don't open those.

Vash will notice, though, that the door has some extra weight to it. It's difficult to push open, but as he wiggles his way more fully inside, he'll see why: There's a corpse leaning against it, old and rotting, and another corpse lying not too far off.

[It's not like he just ran away from home in a fit of grief. Or you know. Jumps into the mouths of worms or anything like that. He's not reckless, you're reckless, fuck off.

But no, Vash doesn't want to anger anything. He's seen the forest's wrath up close. It's killed not just one of his loved ones, but two now. If he can avoid invoking its fury, he'll do his best. Even if it seems quelled at this far distance. He might have thought it calmed before, only to rear its vicious, bloodthirsty head.

So yeah, no. He's been very careful as he sneaks into this place. Not that it does him much good, considering the horrid smell that hits his nose the second he enters the room. He closes the door just as quick behind him, not eager to invite further issues in, but then he claps a hand over his mouth and nose.]

Shit -

[It takes some shifting to pull the neck of his thermal up over himself. The smell isn't the worst thing he's encountered, but in an enclosed space, he'd much rather not have to deal with it at all. Not when he needs to be paying attention.

Namely, paying attention to said corpses. After casting little more than a quick glance around the room to make sure he's not alone (it's brief, he could miss something, and he doesn't yet think to look up), he turns to examine the bodies. Mostly, it's a visual exam, looking to see if there's any identifiable traits.

What does he find - ?]

[Even just a cursory glance of the room will at least tell Vash one thing: someone used to live here. At the base of this Lighthouse, there was something of a home set up here. Everything is disheveled of course, but not in a sort of way that bespeaks of age so much as forced entry. An attack. The old blood streaking the walls says as much.

The first corpse, the one slumped against the door, attempted to keep it closed. Given the state of the remains, Vash will be able to tell that the body once belonged to an older man- perhaps in his forties thereabouts- but he isn't someone Vash would recognize as being part of the Grove. Nor would he recognize the second, much smaller corpse, that of a child no older than ten or twelve. Both clear victims of the Grove's collapse all those years ago...surely?

But Vash won't have much more than a second to look. There's a winding staircase that twists up to the very top of the lighthouse that seems to spiral on forever should you look directly up towards it, and where the staircase disappears into the upper level there emits an awful, ear-piercing shriek of rage.

Vash is not alone. He is intruding.

Something begins to thunder down the stairs. Claws scrape at the old stone, leaves and old vines fall from above in silent warning as something approaches with vicious intent, all until something comes to a halt at the curve of the stairs where it can see Vash crouched beside those bodies.

He can see him.

The creature is humanoid in appearance at first glance, until a closer look reveals the four pairs of hands clutching at the steps to keep him in place. He hunches there like a gargoyle, a massive pair of inky black wings buzzing at his shoulders as he stares down at Vash with eyes that seem sightless, complete voids of black that betray that of the sight of It. His head tilts unnaturally to one side, then the other, thorny spikes growing from his shoulders and arms betraying how far the corruption has spread through his body.

He sees Vash near the corpses, and with hardly a fraction of a second for Vash to get his bearings, he will be set upon by said creature throwing himself down towards him at full force, claws outstretched and jaw slack as he screams and screams and screams-]

GO AWAY!!!

[Vash only has a scant few seconds to scramble back, and even then — he only has so much room to scramble within. He presses himself as far back as he can against the wall, trying and perhaps failing to dodge the onslaught of claws and fury. He throws his metal arm up in an attempt to catch some of the worst of the attack — blocking the sensitive area of his throat even as other arm curls inward to protect his vital organs.]

Hey- hey wait! I'm not here to hurt you! [Notably, Vash doesn't attempt to fight back. Clothes can be stitched up. Hell, Vash can stitch himself back up. He doesn't know that he can do that with Adrian. He's seen the corruption before, only a few hours ago really. He doesn't know if he's fighting back against the Forest or something else.

But he won't kill it. He won't even raise his weapon until he doesn't have a choice. That's always been his way.]

Edited 2024-03-19 01:01 (UTC)

[The Creature has had a stranglehold on Adrian for a very long time. Though, judging by the state of these corpses here...has it really been that long? It's difficult to tell, when time passes so strangely here.

Whatever the case, his grip on reality is no longer simply tenuous, but completely nonexistent. He exists more like an animal than a person, holding permanent vigil over the Lighthouse as if protecting it really means anything anymore. Not that it's just the building he's protecting as his claws rake audibly across his prosthetic, hard enough to kick up sparks as he just narrowly misses slicing Vash's throat open. Another pair of hands catch at the wall beside him, missing his head by a hair.

He is not simply attacking to get Vash out of here. He is attacking him with a ferocity that shows he's trying to kill him, if given enough space to do so.

Vash is lucky in one regard. The lighthouse is as large as it is cramped, meaning there's very little room to maneuver in here. Adrian can't easily fly unless he goes straight upwards, and that collision with the wall is enough to cause him to stagger and fall back for a moment, hissing angrily as he looks towards the corpses on the ground. He hunches on all fours, smoke billowing through the gaps between his teeth as his wings flutter and he pushes himself off the ground again, this time attempting to grab Vash's head between both massive sets of foreclaws, no longer speaking, just screaming incoherently.]

[It becomes very obvious, very quickly, that Vash is up against something else entirely. What he might have hoped would be a misunderstanding is actually deliberate. This man, this creature, this... whatever he was, wanted the Plant dead. And if he didn't start taking this seriously, he was going to end up just like Knives had.

He can practically hear the gravelly voice of Wolfwood in his ear. Quit screwin' around, Needlenoggin, he says. You wanna live, act like it.. And so Vash does. He twists out of the way, pirouetting on the tip of a boot as one hand finds the holster at his hip. He whips the gun out, swinging his arm out wide in an attempt to knock the pistol against the back of the man's head. If he's lucky, it'll be just like things had gone with Elsword. He can knock some sense back into the man, and if nothing else, Vash can get the hell out of dodge before he recovers.]

I know you're in there. Someone has to be in there. Listen to me, I can help you!

[He can't, not yet. But they're working toward it back at the Grove. He just has to hope. And he has to help.

And if that doesn't work? Well, Vash is already backing up. His arm is outstretched, gun locked on Adrian's shoulder. His fingers don't come near the trigger, though. He's far more disciplined than that. Besides, he has two bullets left from the previous night. He has to make them count.]

[Wouldn't it be nice if things could be so simple?

The space they're fighting in right now is small, painfully so. They're knocking old belongings off shelves, sending decaying books tumbling to the floor, old knick nacks that somehow managed to survive years of weather and water damage. Adrian scrambles briefly around them as Vash dodges his attempt to crush his head like a grape, claws once again grasping at thin air as Vash pulls out his gun.

And just like with Elsword, the pistol connects with Adrian's head. It cracks into his skull with a bone-shaking impact, sending him stumbling back against the old loft bed that sits unmade near one of the lower windows of the lighthouse. His claws pull at the sheets in an attempt to stop his descent to the floor, ripping holes through them on the way down.

...for just a moment, all is suddenly still. Adrian groans from where he fell, wings limp at his shoulders. He's not unconscious, but he's clearly been dazed by Vash's hit. Which means he has a choice to make.

Does he run for his life? Or will he stay and try to help?

He promised he could help...didn't he?]

[For the space of a few seconds, all Vash can do is pant. His lungs burn with the effort, muscles sing and scream with the strain. He's sure the claws have already nicked him in several places, though through the adrenaline it's hard to really say what parts of him have been affected. He's at a disadvantage here, fighting in close quarters with only two bullets left. Running away would be a good idea.

But.

Vash did say he would help. And while he should probably stop promising such things, or even offering them to begin with, he doesn't. His eyes watch where the man drifts, and the second he winds up on the ground, Vash is already surging forward once more. Pushing the offensive, as one might say.

The sheets Adrian claws at are perfect, at least for now. Yeah, the creature is already tearing holes in them, but they should still work in a pinch. Vash grabs the end of one, trying to wrap it tightly around the man. Dazed as he is from the first attack, though, Vash struggles with the effort. It isn't helped by the wings and double sets of arms either.

He's losing precious time, so he quickly offers:]

Please, just stay calm. No one's going to hurt you. We can figure this out together, okay?

[As Vash approaches and starts to attempt to truss the creature up, Adrian seems to just...continue to sit there, struggling to regain his bearings. He can see the intruder circling him, reaching for the sheets and beginning to use them to wrap him up. It's a smart idea, to tie his arms and wings down so he can't attack further. It should mean that Vash can get out of here safely, perhaps to go find help...

Though, really, he should have just left when he had the chance.

The instant Vash opens his mouth again, Adrian's eyes snap back open. They're still that same awful black they were before, seeping with hatred and malice. He bares his teeth in Vash's direction, realizes that he's being tied down...

And the sheets begin to smolder. The area all around Adrian becomes unbearably warm, like stepping directly into a sauna. The air warps from the heat, and in what feels like an instant, the sheets Vash had so meticulously wrapped around him are burnt to ashes in a flash of flames that lick up his arms faster than the blink of an eye.

The moment he's been freed, Adrian surges forward, reaching still molten-hot claws out towards Vash, attempting to rake him across the chest. For the first time, his mouth opens and more than just incoherent noises of rage come out.]

I won't let you desecrate this place!! I won't let you!

[Given Adrian's previous steam breathing, maybe Vash should have expected this. Unfortunately, his confidence in his abilities paired with his blind optimism quickly results in things literally going up in flames. The wave of heat startles Vash enough to take a step back.

Unfortunately for him, it means he's caught on the back foot as Adrian charges forward. Though he manages to use his own momentum to push back enough to keep those claws from reaching something vital, they still gouge into his flesh. There's a sickening sizzle, the scent of something acrid and revolting as his skin cooks beneath the touch.

Vash yelps, prosthetic hand flying to his chest as he tries to keep himself held together. There's at least one advantage to the bruning hot claws — the wounds cauterize as they appear, meaning he won't be losing blood at the very least.]

Desecrate? What are you talking about - I didn't mean to be here. I just -

[He takes enough steps back to find himself pressed against a wall. His gun lifts again, still trained on his shoulder. Once again, his fingers don't find the trigger.]

[The bug leaps back to his feet once Vash staggers back, though his stance is still unsteady. His head throbs from the impact of the gun, his vision swims…but the will of the Creature commanding him forces him along no matter how exhausted he gets. He exhales more smoke as the spikes along his arms crackle, seeming to grow a touch longer as he drags his claws along the stone floor, an awful grinding sound following in his wake.]

Didn’t mean to? Didn’t mean to?

[He repeats Vash’s words mockingly, the temperature in the room rising. Though he seems unwilling to do more than make things hot, despite the show of flames from a moment ago…it certainly isn’t pleasant given their proximity with the corpses.]

Bullshit! You forced your way in here!! I saw you! You were going to take him from me!

[As Adrian says this, he gets behind an old bookshelf and plants both feet at its middle, kicking it towards Vash with all the strength he can muster.

Then, when he’s able to right himself- now hovering a foot or two off the ground- he briefly pauses, looking pained. A hand comes up to grip the side of his head, antennae curling close to his scalp as he looks fervently towards the wall.]

It’s gonna be okay. It’s okay. I’m here.

[He’s addressing the corpses, now.]

[Vash is used to heat, but not like this. The rays of the No Man's Land sun have nothing on being in close proximity to something akin to an open flame. The longer he stares, the more beastly the other man seems to become, even. The hairs on the back of his neck begin to prickle, while a voice in the back of his mind screams at Vash for not thinking to flee earlier.]

Take him - [Vash shakes his head.] I'm not here for anyone. I was just trying to find the - the - wherever the Forest Creature comes from and -

[He doesn't have time to explain much more than that. The bookcase hurtles toward him. Though he tries to make himself small, to thrust his arm outward, it's too slow. The bulk of the bookcase collides with him, knocking Vash against the wall. His head cracks against it, and he swears he feels something in his chest torso snap. When he forces himself to breathe, it aches.

Not great. And to make matters worse, he's lost his gun somewhere in the mess.

He can't stay like this, though. With some wriggling, Vash manages to leverage the prosthetic arm against the bookcase and shove it over once more. He tries to take stock in the brief seconds he has, searching for his gun in the mess.

He comes up empty, and finds himself staring empty handed toward the man now addressing the bodies.]

Please - I know how it feels to have something taken from me. I'm not going to do that to you.

[Adrian slowly lowers himself back down to the floor, feet sizzling as he touches the hot stone. Yet no matter the heat, it doesn't seem to bother him at all...he just remains there, panting to catch his breath as he turns to look back at Vash, his gaze narrowing. He looks pained still, as if suffering from a headache that won't go away...but even through it, he forces himself to step forward regardless.

Or, perhaps something else forces him.]

No. You ain't.

[A humorless smile flickers across his features as he watches Vash search desperately for his gun, only to remain weaponless. Helpless.]

Cause I'm gonna kill you. Did you think I was gonna let you leave this place alive?

[He reaches forward, grabbing a fistful of Vash's thermal- or, what part of it hasn't been ripped open- and pulls him up off the ground, holding him aloft before using that leverage to shove him into the wall, holding him there.

His grip tightens, heated claws dangerously close to Vash's heart.]

You shouldn't have come.

[You shouldn't have come. If that wasn't the truth. Vash shouldn't have left the grove. Coming out here in the hopes of, what? Chasing revenge? It was stupid. There was so much he'd left behind. Livio was his friend, and Wolfwood had asked them to stick together. And Angelina? He should have been there to care for her.

He's an idiot. He's always known it.

There's a temptation here, one that involves letting the fight go. Perhaps his death would be quick. Maybe he'd see Nick there, or even his brother. Even if it meant getting the shit kicked out of him, it's still a pleasant thought. Besides, there was always a chance they'd be dragged back out of the grave sooner or later.

But he can't. He'd promised not to do it again. Nic kwould be worried sick, even beyond the grave. And he had made a promise to Wolfwood. It's not too late to make good on it.

Probably.

He shifts his arm, the one of metal, upward. He grips Adrian by the wrist and tries to force him backward. At the same time, his own body coils, feet drawing upward in an attempt to bend himself enough to kick Adrian hard in the chest. He's not trying to hurt for the sake of hurting, he just needs another chance to break away.

He might want to save Adrian. He might want to save a lot of people. But he had other commitments, didn't he?]

Edited 2024-03-19 16:55 (UTC)

[Unlike Vash, who has been exercising caution with Adrian this entire time, trying to spare him without even hurting him...Adrian has not been affording Vash the same courtesy. His claws are slick with his blood that sizzles audibly as the heat rises, his other hand drawing back with the intent to hit Vash somewhere vital. Final. His throat, his chest, anywhere that will bleed out too violently for him to stop it.

But what he isn't expecting is Vash to push back with an arm that cannot quite feel the pain from the heat, at least not in the same way flesh can. An arm that's able to push his weight back in a way that catches Adrian off guard as he tries to wrench his wrist free, a vicious snarl ripping from his chest.

It's enough of a distraction for him to be unprepared to dodge that sqift kick to the chest, one that knocks Adrian back clear away from Vash and into an ungainly sprawl in the middle of the wrecked room. He scrambles for a moment on the floor, thin wings pinned underneath his shoulders as his claws scrabble once again for purchase on the stone. He lets out another inhuman shriek of rage, tinged and warped by corruption.

It's an opening, for whatever Vash feels fit to do with it.]

[There's only a limited amount of time for Vash to act. Adrian has already recovered quickly once. As much as he wants to stick around and try to help, it's clear that he doesn't have the capacity to do anything yet. All he can do is sprint toward the door.

He knows the vines will be an imposition. He's going to have to break through them, and he already kicks himself for having not done so in the first place. That's probably why he utters a silent prayer/apology to whoever's listening as he slams himself against the door.

And then again.

And then again.

With each thud of his body, he utters another apology toward the sky. His shoulder aches. Hell, something in his shoulder might begin to crack. But on the fourth try, the door gives way, and he finally stumbles out into the dim, murky light of the outside.

Just in time for a vine to grip him by the ankle and pull him down onto the ground. Once more, Vash's head hits something, this time the stairs. He feels something damp from where the impact occurred, and chances brushing his fingers over the blood. His vision swims, black pushing in at the edges.]

[Just as Vash crashes through the door of the lighthouse, it seems like he's going to make a break for it. He's freed himself to the outside, and all he would need to do is run. Adrian isn't willing to go very far away from the place he's guarding, after all, even if it means letting Vash get away.

...but the Forest is on his side. He's just managed to sit up as Vash is pulled down, his wings fluttering behind him as he uses them to lift himself up to his feet fully.

Within seconds, Vash will feel a weight settle on his back, harshly. Adrian pins him down chest-first onto the stairs, grabbing the back of his head with a massive, clawed hand. He's ignorant to the blood seeping through the blond locks as he yanks on them and pulls Vash's head back a little, tilting his head so he can look down at him directly.]

Just where the fuck do you think you're goin'?

[His wings buzz audibly as he tightens his grip on Vash's head, claws digging pinprick sized furrows into his temples and hairline that bleed as he keeps him held down, every breath he takes overwhelming Vash with smoke. A brutally familiar scent, one that blissfully overpowers the stench of the corpses now that they're outside.

If something doesn't happen now, he'll spill Vash's blood on the Lighthouse steps.]

[Vash has fought a lot of battles over the years. He's had close calls. He's been pulled back from the brink by metal, power of will, and his own abilities. Unfortunately, there's no ethically corrupt doctor to help him here, his own will is near drained, and his body hasn't healed properly since he first arrived here. If there was a fight to be fought, it's long been lost.

Nick would be furious. Nai would rip into him. Livio would likely hate him, and who could say what Angelina would feel or understand. The guilt wells within his stomach, and if it weren't for the rest of his situation, he'd feel nauseous.

He hasn't given up, of course. He flails one way, then the other. He tries to break free of the grip, but all he really does is tear chunks of his hair out. He flings an elbow back, tries to form words.]

Please -

[His life doesn't flash before his eyes. Not really. Instead, he replays the last hour or so. He thinks about how he could have stayed at the statue, remained to clean it up rather than charging forward. He thinks of the Goddess there, how she'd looked like she was weeping.

Would she grieve more now that blood had been spilled so close to her?]

Please - [He tries again. His voice is hoarse. Notably, though, he isn't looking at Adrian. He looks toward the Goddess. He can't see her through the stairs and strange angles, but he remembers the comforting chill of her presence.]

Help him, please. [He doesn't just beg. He practically prays. He can't join his hands, but he summons all the faith he has into that single request.] I don't ask for salvation - just grant him hope for tomorrow.

The clouds in the sky seem to dissipate, and the moon shines brilliantly, the air clear and crisp and cold. Both men will feel a watchful gaze upon them.

Little Firefly, don't you think that is enough? a gentle voice asks.

And Adrian will feel something in his mind clear up, like cobwebs being swept away, like the fog on the glass being wiped back, a gentle hand in his hair before it vanishes.

Little Sunflower, do you have no mercy for yourself? she asks again.

And Vash will feel a hand on his cheek, hear the soft sound of a whispered sob, and his wounds try to stitch themselves back up-

but the holy moon is weak, and just as quickly as the air and sky had cleared, it all comes rushing back as the forest howls. The chill remains, and so will the clarity and calm. But for how long?

Edited 2024-03-19 19:32 (UTC)

[The voice stops Adrian dead in his tracks. He looks up at the sky, the moon above casting a gentle glow over him and Vash, and for a moment he feels completely gripped by it. The coolness of the air manages to wick away his flames entirely, essentially putting them out and leaving him smoldering, little wisps of smoke rising up off his shoulders and arms.]

...you. It's....it's you.

[He mutters, blinking hard as the blackness in his eyes suddenly recedes, going from voids of pitch to amber with each blink. The anger he feels fades, replaced with mourning. He knows her touch. Her voice. Her statue is so close by, after all...who does Vash think took care of it all that time before? Who silently watched over the Lighthouse and the sea alongside him?

As the sky becomes murky once more, he looks down at Vash, gaze darting over his battered, charred, and bloody form. He lets go of him like he's been burned, using his wings to lift himself up off of Vash so he can stumble backwards into the Lighthouse once more. He's breathing a little faster now, heavier as he remembers what happened, what he's doing here.

He can't look back, because he knows their bodies are still there.]

...you hafta go. Now.

[He can feel the Forest's influence trying to creep back in, like claws closing around his neck. Yet despite that, he stays put where he is, using the doorway of the building to keep himself from getting any closer to where Vash ended up at the foot of the stairs.]

Leave. Get outta here, never come back here again. I don't- I don't want to hurt you again, damn it-!

[Dazed, battered, and dizzy as he is, Vash doesn't miss the way the cold creeps over his skin. He'd think it death, if not for that familiar sensation of comfort that creeps over him. His eyes slide closed, basking in her pleasant chill as he feels some of the wounds heal up. He's not in great shape, but he's not going to bleed out at this point.

Do you have no mercy for yourself? It almost reminds him of Ydalir's words. He probably should have listened sooner.

Speaking of listening, though. He doesn't realize the man has been speaking until it's almost too late. Thankfully Go Now are very clear, and though he squints up at the monstrous creature, he listens. He clambers to his feet, shifting back and down the stairs. There's a decent amount of distance between them now, but he isn't quite ready to turn tail.]

What - what about you? [His head feels so heavy, and he wants nothing more than to lay down and sleep. Unfortunately, that's not in the cards, not just yet.] You're - sick with whatever the Forest put in you. You need help.

[He realizes, perhaps a little late, that he's still unarmed. His gun, faithful company for decades as it's been, is still inside. He thinks about following him, or asking, but... like with Adrian, he can feel the Moon's influence waning. They only have so much time allotted to them both.]

Listen to me. If you stay any longer, I'll lose myself again, and I am going to kill you.

[He grips at the doorframe, his claws causing cracks in the stone to crumble and drop little pebbles around his feet.]

So unless you got a death wish? Leave.

[He takes another step back, bringing his right foot back behind him among the debris strewn about the floor from their fight. It takes him just a moment of blind prodding, but after a few seconds, he'll kick his foot forward.

It sends Vash's pistol tumbling from the building and down the steps, spinning until it lands near Vash's feet.]

I...I can't leave. I won't leave. ...S'too late for me anyway. Go back to wherever you came from, and forget about this place. You understand?!

[Leave, he says. Run away, just as he always has. Vash thinks of the faces he's left behind in a cloud of dust, of all the broken promises he's left in his wake. He knows better than to make another one, especially now of all times. But the words spill from his lips anyway.]

I'll come back for you. We'll figure out a way to save you- I promise.

[He bends at the waist, wincing as the wounds on his chest pull from the effort. He nearly stumbles over, falling flat on his face, but catches himself at the very last second. He has no idea how he's going to make the trip back to the Grove.

One thing's for certain, he does need to go back. He's found out plenty of information, and someone needs to know about it before he goes trucking off into the woods once more.]

My name is Vash. You hear me, and you remember that name, because I'll be back before you know it.

Edited 2024-03-19 20:08 (UTC)

I SAID DON'T!

[Adrian thunders, the echo of his voice up into the tower of the lighthouse sending it echoing for miles, despite the fact that there is no one to hear it. He can feel the corruption trying to claim him once more the longer Vash lingers, taking every last ounce of his energy to keep himself contained within the walls of the lighthouse as it is.

He growls under his breath, the thorns growing from his body trembling. His vision is already growing hazy again, and he can hear voices whispering to him. Demanding he protect what's his. Get rid of the intruder, kill him kill him kill him-

His breathing quickens, and though he refuses to look, he already knows the familiar hallucination he'd see if he turned to the corpses in the room. A little boy cowering in terror, desperately begging him to stop the mean human from getting any closer. From ruining their home.

Smoke billows from his jaws.]

You're a fucking idiot, Vash. You're going to get yourself and everyone here killed if you come back. Now GET OUT OF HERE!

[Because he doesn't have much more than a few seconds of lucidity left, though he will at least try to buy Vash time by grabbing the broken bookshelf and pulling it over the doorway, just enough so that when he does lose himself again, he will have to spend precious time trying to break through it.]

[Thankfully Vash is listening. Mostly. He doesn't have the power or knowledge to help now, but maybe he can change that. However, the only way to do so will be to live. And so he retreats. He takes his steps away, back the way he came. He watches the door warily, not daring to turn his back, but at least he gives the lighthouse a wide berth.

He doesn't make it far, though. He's exhausted, and he isn't going to survive the mental toll of the trip back, let alone the physical one. So he seeks out the closest refuge he can find. The Moon might have been weak, but right up against her, maybe he won't have to struggle as much.

Vash stumbles down the stairs. He has to lean heavy against the statue itself, lest he tumble down into the sea, but eventually he's able to collapse in the refuge of the statue's laps. Hopefully the biblically accurate crabs won't mind. Or eat him. Either way.]

[Vash will be afforded a few moments of peace. He isn't far enough from the lighthouse that its sole occupant can't still see him...especially now that he's aware of his presence.

He will hear an awful sound of wood shattering just a few minutes after he collapsed into the statue's lap, just moments before Adrian flies out the front door. He's back to looking the way he had previously, eyes blackened and his body flickering with uncontrolled heat. He doesn't even try to stop himself anymore as he rockets straight for Vash's location.

...except, he doesn't get further than the bottom of the staircase. He stops, as if held back by an invisible barrier, glaring at the statue that holds him safely in her motionless arms. He paces just at the last step like a caged tiger, exhaling smoke like an enraged bull.

He's never left the lighthouse. Unallowed to become one of the many corrupted beasts that rampage through the forest and destroy for the Creature's sake. He wasn't lying when he told Vash he couldn't leave.

Nor would he want to, even if he could. It's both a sanctuary and a prison, not just for his sake, but for the sake of people like Vash who won't leave well enough alone.

After a moment of angry posturing...the moth turns and flies back into the lighthouse, disappearing through the door and pulling it heavily shut once more.]

The air is cold and Vash must be tired- exhausted from fighting to live and fighting to live, from loss and grief twice over. She keeps her little firefly at bay before he stalks off in a violent huff and her heart aches. Loss and grief and to live, to live, to live are struggles she knows well. Despite the cold air that her gentle moonlight brings, despite the firm stone he lays against, Vash will feel something brushing through his hair- is it the wind or something more?

He'll also hear a soft, wordless lullaby.

Rest, my little Sunflower. Your love will be home soon. But I am sorry. I could not save you in time. So rest. Rest, and remember that I am here.

...

The cold, comforting presence in the air remains, but eventually the lullaby fades. And Vash is alive.

He is alive.

[Vash is alive.

Weary, yes. Heartbroken, absolutely. But he's alive, and he'll live on. He's used to this much. He'll get through, same as he always does.

But for now, he dreams. He dreams of a field of geraniums, a lullaby he can't understand, and a gentle hand weaving through his hair. Sometimes it's Rem that he sees. Sometimes it's a face he doesn't quite recognize, not in flesh at least, but feels comfortable beside all the same.

But he dreams. And he lives. That will be enough.]

[CLOSED] 'Til Death Do Us Part Came Far Too Soon.

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cw: death/dessication/child death

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Adrian rolls a 4 and fucking dies

rip in bug

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cw: hallucination/disassociation

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