[ Normally, Joshua would balk at being coddled so, but it's his brother, and he's also so cold that he really has no energy to do it anyway. He allows Clive to maneuver him, sitting in the chair and closing his eyes as he tries to will the warmth to settle into his bones faster.
He barely even notices Clive inspecting his chest for the numbness that the cold has brought and the near burning warmth of his skin attempting to regulate. It's only as the cloth is moved that he opens his eyes, looking down. There is indeed a mark there, but it's nothing like the blatant blue that had been there before. Perhaps the Phoenix had healed it... He really doesn't know the extent of the damage, other than it felt as though he'd been pulled apart from the inside.
Clive's comment makes him huff out a soft laugh, and he tips his head back, eyes locking on the ceiling. ]
No rest indeed. Though, I daresay we've earned a little regardless.
[ His tone brooks no arguments. There's too many unknowns in Clives mind to do anything but rest and plot their next move, shifting his brother's hands over more towards the fire to let the magic heat from it flow into him. Standing he moves to remove the cloak too, hanging it up so more heat can reach Joshua, then summons his fire. Just to test, the flame flickering in his hand before he quenches it. Still dampened. ]
We're not in Valisthea.
[ The only place he can think of is the lands beyond the oceans, but Ultima said they were blighted beyond repair... ]
[ More warmth is good. The longer he sits before the fire, the more he feels as though he can move. Soon enough, he doesn't even need Clive's help in angling himself, and the warmer he gets, the more he sinks into his chair.
Not in Valisthea... What happened to them? ]
I wondered as much. I don't know of anywhere this plagued by frost, outside of the northern lands.
[ And while Clive doesn't sit, he does stand by the fire as much as Joshua, arms folding over his chest as he ponders the flames. ]
It doesn't match anything from Father's stories.
[ The small Grove does seem very... tribalistic, yes, but there's something else to it as well. The Beastman he met. The large man running the Shop that called himself Heimr.
And Magic is still working, so either he failed - brother, forgive him - or something is quickening their abilities beyond the lands lifeblood. His head bows, his brow vee'ing down aggressively as he frowns. ]
[ Not that he's had a good look at it yet, not with the snow whipping around in the wind out there, but he'll take Clive's word for it. He brings his hands closer to him, rubbing them together slowly as if spreading the warmth around.
No, unless it's severely isolated village. Father spoke of mountains and a lack of trees. We're surrounded by a forest, from what I hear tell and what I have experienced.
[ The question makes his expression soften and he turns to look at Joshua again. The hands rubbing together makes him cast about. There was a blanket... ah. Here. Snagging the blanket he had been given when he first arrived up, he moves to wrap it around his brother.
When he replies, his voice is just as soft. ]
I don't know. I have been told our souls have been called to a world that claims it is the origin of the birth of them, but... I cannot-
[ Believe that. Not after all they've experienced and everything told of them. ]
[ Valisthea only has a small handful of places that one could consider a forest, and if Clive isn't familiar with it from what he's seen, then it's an odd situation indeed. Doubly so once Clive relays what he's learned. Joshua furrows his brow, taking the blanket and pulling it tightly around him. ]
I can't say that I understand... But once I've warmed myself and this snow storm dies down, I would like to do some research. There must be answers somewhere.
[ That gets both a fond sigh out of him and a soft huff of a laugh. ]
I figured you would say as much. You're going to be waiting a while. It seems this Winter is not keen on letting up until we offer it a sacrifice.
[ The distaste in Clives voice is obvious, as he moves to sit himself on the floor by the fire, curling one leg under and the other up so he can rest his arm on it. ]
Yet we know those Wraiths can be fought, and their death eases the hold, so I say let their death be the sacrifice they wish to see.
Hah, and I figured you would say that as well. Like I would do it without you. Together, brother.
[ He smiles and gently shifts to hold his fist out towards Joshua. It may be a different world, but it looks like it has it's own set of problems that need fixing. And who better to help than them? ]
[ They are indeed bonafide world-fixers. Or, well on the way to it, at any rate. He still doesn't know if they've succeeded in their world, but Clive alone has done enough good that it has to count for something.
He reaches out to meet Clive's fist with his own, bumping their knuckles together gently. ]
On that note, I'll be surprised if you haven't started without me. I don't know how long you've been here, but I feel like you dropped everything to go fight those wraiths the moment you learned of them.
[ There's a twinkle in his eye as he says it, teasing. Clive have you rested? ]
[ He's trying not to think of it. His body should be at it's limits, should be turning to stone under the weight of him casting that magic. He shouldn't even have magic left, according to what he knows of his deed.
But here he is. The blessing, the Eikons, Ultima still within him.
The fist bump makes him smile and he gently drops his fist after, then somehow manages to look awkward. ]
Ah. Actually. I have arrived but today. I have gone out several times already. To. Look for you.
[ He absolutely has not rested. He waited for his armor to dry, then stomped his way back out into the woods. ]
I have my theories, but that is all they are. I am not you or Harpocrates.
[ He says it with a smile, a little tease. He understands theorycrafting and the deeper thinking needed for research is not for him, but he's heard enough from others. ]
If this is our world, something has gone horribly wrong with the spell that was cast. [ That he cast, his fingers lifting up to call Phoenix's flame to it. The blessing only. ] I should not be able to do this, brother. Ultima's power was overwhelming, I was... fading. [ Petrifying. ]
I'll still take your theories into account. It's an excellent place to start, and I trust your judgment.
[ Anything is better than what he has now, a net zero of information.
What Clive tells him makes his brow furrow again, though. Clive was... dying? And what Clive told him earlier, once the wraiths had been dealt with... Are they being pulled from the brink of death? Is that it? ]
... you'll have to tell me all that happened after the last I can recall. Every detail.
[ He curls his fingers and clenches the flame, snuffing it, before sighing and turning his head away to look at the fire. He doesn't want to, but his brother asked. And he can't deny him anything. ]
The way Clive's hands come together, the way his fingers fold and clench at one another, should be enough to warn Joshua. Just say it, Clive. Just say it so you can both grieve properly and move on, because Joshua is alive and that's all that matters. ]
It... was fatal. Ultima ripping his 'brother' from you. With your last bit of strength, you gave me the Phoenix.
[ While Clive begged and sobbed and asked him not to, to stay with him, to not leave him. Because though the Phoenix's fire raged through him, he was cold and alone and Joshua was limp in his arms. ]
It was the strength I needed to defeat him, however. And at the end, as he lay dying, I- I took his powers. I healed your body, but you remained- [ No. ] Using the Phoenix after Ultima's powers flowed into me, however, showed me it was too much. So I used my strength, every ounce of it, to cast a Wish. No magic. No crystals. To let people live on their own two feet, to walk into the future on their own terms. That's... that's the last I recall.
[ The brilliant all engulfing white. The pain, the fire. ]
[ ... oh. Oh, Clive. Joshua had hoped against hope that he had survived it, that he had gone on to fight alongside Clive, that he wouldn't have put his brother through that anguish. He closes his eyes, clenching his fist at his chest. ]
... so I am...
[ Dead. He can't bring himself to say it, even if it's the truth. So, he focuses on the rest of it. ]
... your wish had to succeed. It had to. A world without magic, without suffering...
[ He hangs his head in silence to Joshua's soft words, his nails biting into his hands as the memory of the grief rolls through him. Dead. Yet here he's alive. Here he walks and breathes and is warm to the touch.
Heaven, for them both? Or Divine punishment for daring to go against the Gods. ]
For everyone whose hopes were placed on us. But... I can still feel them all inside of me. I can still feel him. And it makes no sense.
[ Joshua's mind moves to the same thing. Some sort of afterlife. But accepting that would mean accepting that Clive died as well, and he can't bring himself to do that. Not now, not yet. Not until he's done the research. ]
You can still feel them...
[ Right. Clive had used the power of Garuda. He still possesses the power of the other Eikons. ]
... what if we were taken seconds before these events? Myself taken seconds before death, and you taken seconds before the magic disappeared?
[ He's not keen on the idea of Clive still being able to feel Ultima, but... Perhaps if he's sealed away under Clive's abilities... ]
That, I'm not sure. I'll need to ask around for more information...
[ Beastmen, though. Mostly humanoid. Several of them? Joshua frowns thoughfully, tapping his fingers against his chin. A world where their souls originated... ]
You didn't happen to get their names? I would like to talk to them.
Will, for the young male. [ Oh he's going to butcher the ladies name, forgive him Madam. ] And ... Tingyun... [ His tongue struggles with it, it's such a foreign name to him ] for the Lady. They may yet still be here in the Inn, she seemed keen on setting up as Inn Mistress.
[ The unspoken words are there. Don't go outside, please. ]
[ His own tongue stumbles a little over the second name in the same way that Clive's did, simply because he doesn't know any other way of saying it. If they're good sources of information, he needs to keep their names on hand in his memory.
He can hear those unspoken words, though. He huffs out a soft laugh, sliding the blanket from his shoulders. He's starting to warm up now, and he doesn't need it as much. ]
What about you? What do you plan to do while I start my research?
[ He knows you, Clive. Don't ask him to stay indoors if you won't stay indoors yourself. ]
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sticksandbones2025-01-03 12:00 pm
no subject
He barely even notices Clive inspecting his chest for the numbness that the cold has brought and the near burning warmth of his skin attempting to regulate. It's only as the cloth is moved that he opens his eyes, looking down. There is indeed a mark there, but it's nothing like the blatant blue that had been there before. Perhaps the Phoenix had healed it... He really doesn't know the extent of the damage, other than it felt as though he'd been pulled apart from the inside.
Clive's comment makes him huff out a soft laugh, and he tips his head back, eyes locking on the ceiling. ]
No rest indeed. Though, I daresay we've earned a little regardless.
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[ His tone brooks no arguments. There's too many unknowns in Clives mind to do anything but rest and plot their next move, shifting his brother's hands over more towards the fire to let the magic heat from it flow into him. Standing he moves to remove the cloak too, hanging it up so more heat can reach Joshua, then summons his fire. Just to test, the flame flickering in his hand before he quenches it. Still dampened. ]
We're not in Valisthea.
[ The only place he can think of is the lands beyond the oceans, but Ultima said they were blighted beyond repair... ]
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Not in Valisthea... What happened to them? ]
I wondered as much. I don't know of anywhere this plagued by frost, outside of the northern lands.
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It doesn't match anything from Father's stories.
[ The small Grove does seem very... tribalistic, yes, but there's something else to it as well. The Beastman he met. The large man running the Shop that called himself Heimr.
And Magic is still working, so either he failed - brother, forgive him - or something is quickening their abilities beyond the lands lifeblood. His head bows, his brow vee'ing down aggressively as he frowns. ]
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[ Not that he's had a good look at it yet, not with the snow whipping around in the wind out there, but he'll take Clive's word for it. He brings his hands closer to him, rubbing them together slowly as if spreading the warmth around.
And then, softer: ]
What do you think is happening, Clive?
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[ The question makes his expression soften and he turns to look at Joshua again. The hands rubbing together makes him cast about. There was a blanket... ah. Here. Snagging the blanket he had been given when he first arrived up, he moves to wrap it around his brother.
When he replies, his voice is just as soft. ]
I don't know. I have been told our souls have been called to a world that claims it is the origin of the birth of them, but... I cannot-
[ Believe that. Not after all they've experienced and everything told of them. ]
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[ Valisthea only has a small handful of places that one could consider a forest, and if Clive isn't familiar with it from what he's seen, then it's an odd situation indeed. Doubly so once Clive relays what he's learned. Joshua furrows his brow, taking the blanket and pulling it tightly around him. ]
I can't say that I understand... But once I've warmed myself and this snow storm dies down, I would like to do some research. There must be answers somewhere.
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I figured you would say as much. You're going to be waiting a while. It seems this Winter is not keen on letting up until we offer it a sacrifice.
[ The distaste in Clives voice is obvious, as he moves to sit himself on the floor by the fire, curling one leg under and the other up so he can rest his arm on it. ]
Yet we know those Wraiths can be fought, and their death eases the hold, so I say let their death be the sacrifice they wish to see.
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If only we knew how many we need to defeat... But I have a feeling you're willing to defeat as many as it takes.
[ Which means, he'll be going as well. He turns, tossing a smile at his brother. ]
So we'll do it together.
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[ He smiles and gently shifts to hold his fist out towards Joshua. It may be a different world, but it looks like it has it's own set of problems that need fixing. And who better to help than them? ]
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He reaches out to meet Clive's fist with his own, bumping their knuckles together gently. ]
On that note, I'll be surprised if you haven't started without me. I don't know how long you've been here, but I feel like you dropped everything to go fight those wraiths the moment you learned of them.
[ There's a twinkle in his eye as he says it, teasing. Clive have you rested? ]
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But here he is. The blessing, the Eikons, Ultima still within him.
The fist bump makes him smile and he gently drops his fist after, then somehow manages to look awkward. ]
Ah. Actually. I have arrived but today. I have gone out several times already. To. Look for you.
[ He absolutely has not rested. He waited for his armor to dry, then stomped his way back out into the woods. ]
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Then, you're lucky I was brought here as well, wherever this is.
[ Clive could have gone out there and frozen to death. Or worse, with whatever those wraiths had planned. ]
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[ He says it with a smile, a little tease. He understands theorycrafting and the deeper thinking needed for research is not for him, but he's heard enough from others. ]
If this is our world, something has gone horribly wrong with the spell that was cast. [ That he cast, his fingers lifting up to call Phoenix's flame to it. The blessing only. ] I should not be able to do this, brother. Ultima's power was overwhelming, I was... fading. [ Petrifying. ]
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[ Anything is better than what he has now, a net zero of information.
What Clive tells him makes his brow furrow again, though. Clive was... dying? And what Clive told him earlier, once the wraiths had been dealt with... Are they being pulled from the brink of death? Is that it? ]
... you'll have to tell me all that happened after the last I can recall. Every detail.
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What do you last recall?
[ Give him a place to start. ]
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The last I can remember, Ultima was being torn from my body. After that, everything went dark, and then I woke up here.
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The way Clive's hands come together, the way his fingers fold and clench at one another, should be enough to warn Joshua. Just say it, Clive. Just say it so you can both grieve properly and move on, because Joshua is alive and that's all that matters. ]
It... was fatal. Ultima ripping his 'brother' from you. With your last bit of strength, you gave me the Phoenix.
[ While Clive begged and sobbed and asked him not to, to stay with him, to not leave him. Because though the Phoenix's fire raged through him, he was cold and alone and Joshua was limp in his arms. ]
It was the strength I needed to defeat him, however. And at the end, as he lay dying, I- I took his powers. I healed your body, but you remained- [ No. ] Using the Phoenix after Ultima's powers flowed into me, however, showed me it was too much. So I used my strength, every ounce of it, to cast a Wish. No magic. No crystals. To let people live on their own two feet, to walk into the future on their own terms. That's... that's the last I recall.
[ The brilliant all engulfing white. The pain, the fire. ]
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... so I am...
[ Dead. He can't bring himself to say it, even if it's the truth. So, he focuses on the rest of it. ]
... your wish had to succeed. It had to. A world without magic, without suffering...
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Heaven, for them both? Or Divine punishment for daring to go against the Gods. ]
For everyone whose hopes were placed on us. But... I can still feel them all inside of me. I can still feel him. And it makes no sense.
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You can still feel them...
[ Right. Clive had used the power of Garuda. He still possesses the power of the other Eikons. ]
... what if we were taken seconds before these events? Myself taken seconds before death, and you taken seconds before the magic disappeared?
[ He's not keen on the idea of Clive still being able to feel Ultima, but... Perhaps if he's sealed away under Clive's abilities... ]
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[ The Fallen? They had waged war with Ultima's collective, after all. He hms and tilts his head, recalling some things said to him. ]
I met a Beastman, mostly humanoid, who says he was told we're in a new world where our souls "originated" from.
[ And he blinks, thoughtful. ]
I met several Beastman who were mostly humanoid...
[ Does that help any, Joshua? ]
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[ Beastmen, though. Mostly humanoid. Several of them? Joshua frowns thoughfully, tapping his fingers against his chin. A world where their souls originated... ]
You didn't happen to get their names? I would like to talk to them.
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[ The unspoken words are there. Don't go outside, please. ]
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[ His own tongue stumbles a little over the second name in the same way that Clive's did, simply because he doesn't know any other way of saying it. If they're good sources of information, he needs to keep their names on hand in his memory.
He can hear those unspoken words, though. He huffs out a soft laugh, sliding the blanket from his shoulders. He's starting to warm up now, and he doesn't need it as much. ]
What about you? What do you plan to do while I start my research?
[ He knows you, Clive. Don't ask him to stay indoors if you won't stay indoors yourself. ]
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