![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
Entry tags:
October | Event: A Night of Moonless Splendor
A Night of Moonless Splendor↲ OOC Plotting
Minimize
On the morning of the 14th, as citizens throughout Nippon prepare for final day of the Tsukimi festival, the refugees will receive a message on their magi-comm from MRU in Kyoto.
"To all refugees who will be staying in the Western Kingdom for the annual Sakumi Festival, please be aware that there is a curfew for all Humans and Hanyo before sundown. It is for your own safety that you heed this curfew, and remain indoors until sunrise.
The Festival will continue until the night of the 31st. It is recommended that refugees do not look at the night sky for the duration of the festival. If you must go out, make sure to hide your face behind a mask.
Should you or anyone else you know experience strange symptoms after dark, such as erratic behavior or transformations unrelated to the side effects of Kizuna bonds, please contact the MRU right away. Affected individuals are encouraged to remain indoors and in brightly lit rooms, away from any open windows.
Additionally, we have a prepared a special area of refuge for those who have not been able to secure safe transit to the Eastern Kingdom, located in Tengoku's Skytower. More information will be available in the coming days.
Please enjoy the festival, and may the gods bless you all."
The Festival will continue until the night of the 31st. It is recommended that refugees do not look at the night sky for the duration of the festival. If you must go out, make sure to hide your face behind a mask.
Should you or anyone else you know experience strange symptoms after dark, such as erratic behavior or transformations unrelated to the side effects of Kizuna bonds, please contact the MRU right away. Affected individuals are encouraged to remain indoors and in brightly lit rooms, away from any open windows.
Additionally, we have a prepared a special area of refuge for those who have not been able to secure safe transit to the Eastern Kingdom, located in Tengoku's Skytower. More information will be available in the coming days.
Please enjoy the festival, and may the gods bless you all."
Understandably, this message is not met well.
Upon hearing of curfews and strange happenings, many refugees choose to flee, flooding the last train to Tokyo and contacting the NRL to secure accommodations in Nihonbashi on short notice. But they aren't the only ones, as most of the seats have been reserved by native Hanyo and Humans, as those who can afford it are also choosing to leave until the end of the month.
But what's the big deal? Weren't people excited for this festival? Well, as it turns out: it's only "celebrated" by Yokai. For everyone else, the Sakumi Festival is the worst time of year to be in the Western Kingdom.
A Festival of Darkness
According to legend, the moon was a gift from the gods. Once a beautiful string of pearls, now only one remains, the others shattered by greed and war, their remains gathered together to form Gaia's ring. This is the story of the Tsukimi Festival, celebrated throughout Nippon.
But there's a continuation to this story, told only in the Western Kingdom. Because this gift was no ordinary gift. It's said that the light of the moon is what allowed the Yokai to evolve from mere Ayakashi into enlightened and intelligent beings. However, that same intelligence is what would prove to be their downfall, as various clans rose in power and sought the magical radiance of the pearls for personal gain. As more and more pearls were destroyed, fewer and fewer ayakashi were able to benefit from their light, with the last remaining pearl not strong enough to offer even the slightest of blessing.
As punishment for their greed, the gods took back the final pearl, with no intent of returning it. Without its light, the Yokai became twisted, devolving back into their basal instincts, and feasting upon one another with reckless abandon. Saddened by their plight, the gods quickly reversed this decision, and the final pearl returned to the sky after 15 nights of darkness.
This is the Sakumi Festival, held in honor of those fifteen days their ancestors spent in perpetual darkness. As the festival begins, on the evening of the 15th, the full moon will begin to fade away, like a lightbulb that's gradually losing power. Within an hour after sunset, it will have disappeared entirely, causing the rings around the planet to dim in turn.
All through the Western Kingdom, Yokai will be celebrating late into the night, and most of them will be wearing strange masks that are designed to reflect their inner-self. Perhaps the Refugees should follow suit?
Monster Mash Western Kingdom, Nippon
Those who stay indoors between sunset and sunrise, or who simply avoid the Western Kingdom all together, won't notice anything special about this festival. But for those who venture out into the darkness of the moonless sky, they'll find themselves transforming and turning into monsters.
The exact form of these monsters varies widely. Some simply become more monstrous forms of themselves. Others may not transform at all, instead gaining supernatural abilities or minor cosmetic changes. And even others may become entirely unrecognizable. These transformations will last until sunrise, and will return every day they go outside or look up at the night sky. And as refugees from different worlds, the monstrous forms they're capable of taking seem nigh endless.
But what now? Well, that depends.
For some, they remain completely lucid throughout the transformation, merely transformed in body but not at all in mind. This is most common for those who choose to head indoors upon transforming, away from the transformative effects of the darkened night sky. For these refugees, the transformations are just a fun quirk of the holiday or an inconvenience. Thankfully, this is generally pretty easy to avoid happening more than once, as they won't feel compelled to transform again.
For those who were unfortunate enough to stare at the sky for any extended period of time, their transformation may be more extreme, as their personality becomes corrupted. Certain aspects of their personality may completely overtake everything else, while others may act entirely out of character. But perhaps the worst part is that those who experience this corruption will feel a strong desire to trigger it again, despite the lack of a guarantee that it won't be any worse the next time.
And for the truly unlucky, they may find themselves in a state the Yokai refer to as a lunar curse. Those who are under the effects of a lunar curse will be overwhelmed with an insatiable appetite, hungering for any number of things, be it a specific type of food, a heightened sexual appetite, or even a desire to feed on the flesh and blood of others. As it turns out, this is the most common side effect, and is the true reason for the curfew: as Humans and Hanyo caught outside by a Yokai afflicted by a lunar curse may find themselves attacked or even devoured. Once someone has been afflicted by a lunar curse, they'll do whatever they can to continue the cycle the following evening, growing irrational and violent near sunset, even while wearing a mask.
You've Got Mail Everywhere, Nippon
But even those hoping to avoid the Sakumi Festival by fleeing to the East will find that the holiday spirit has followed them. With the advent of technology, mischievous Yokai have found ways to send curses via text message, which just so happens to overlap with the festival. Upon opening a message that will appear to be from someone on their friend list, they'll be directed a website that automatically activates the spell.
The exact spell seems to vary depending on which variety of curse they happen to receive. Some of these are quite ordinary, and will simply send salacious or otherwise overtly sexual messages to their friends or even complete strangers, with some capable of combing through their magi-comm for compromising photos to share. Of course, the latter feature is quite buggy, so the photos sent alongside such messages may in fact just be random.
But others may find themselves opening something more dangerous. Among these, one such curse will trap whoever opens it in an enclosed space alongside whoever happens to be nearby, forcing them to perform specific actions to escape. While some are relatively harmless, such as a dance more or shouting something humiliating, others will demand the pair perform particular sex acts in order to escape.
These closed spaces can occur anywhere, but to an outsider, they won't look like anything. Those trapped will look as though they've disappeared until the curse is lifted, but they'll still be able to see the world around them through the magical walls. So those who choose to browse their magi-comms on their morning commute best be careful not to open any suspicious links, lest they be forced to fuck on a crowded train.
Fly Me to the Moon
After a few days, all Refugees will receive notice that an area of refuge has been created for any Refugees who weren't able to leave the Western Kingdom prior to the festival starting. Provided by the Tengu of Tengoku, those looking to flee the chaos will be asked to meet on MRU campus on the morning of the 20th to be teleported to Skytower.
Unknown to many Refugees, Skytower is the only city of Tengoku that floats in the sky high above the Eastern Kingdom. Built long ago during a period of war between Humans and Yokai, it now serves as a watchtower to report on any danger approaching either kingdom, due to its strategic location above the Chubu region.
As the effects of the moonless sky do not exist in the Eastern Kingdom, it is believed that this location will prevent the Refugees from experiencing the transformative aspects of the Sakumi festival.
Or at least, that was certainly the intent.
Castle in the Shadows Skytower, Chubu
Perhaps due to their unusually high magical resistance, Tengu are rarely affected by the Sakumi Festival, and can often be found stationed as guards throughout more populous cities. This remains true at Skytower, where the Tengu monks who lives there assure their guests that they will not be harmed by anyone who calls Skytower home.
"Rest assured, although you may be closer to the moonless sky on this sacred tower, you are not in any danger. May Tsukuyomi, goddess of the moon, grant you her protection during this time."
Refugees will be housed together in random room assignments, and although the rooms are small, every amenity they could ask for is provided free of charge. In addition to gourmet meals and access to an exclusive library that few humans have ever set foot in, extravagant outdoor hot springs that seemingly floating atop the clouds are available for the Refugees to relax in at any time of day.
Still, there are some spooky happenings at Skytower. As an ancient tower built many generations ago, many of the passageways throughout the tower are quite narrow and dimly lit. Refugees roaming the halls at night may find their shadows behaving strangely, moving on their own and even creating the sensation of being touched when one shadow reaches out to caress another. These effects are only mildly stimulating, and may even be mistaken for some kind of prank. Only those who dare bathe in the hot springs at night will encounter something more, their shadows engaging in blatant sexual acts under the water, leaving the shadow's owner to writhe as they experience every little sensation.
Curiously, this never seems to occur when the Tengu are around, and those affected may leave such encounters believing they hallucinated it.
Still, true to their word, for the first few days, Refugees at Skytower will be otherwise completely unaffected by the Sakumi Festival, regardless of whether they wear a mask or stare up at the eerily dark night sky.
Please note: Players have the option of having their characters leave for the Eastern Kingdom by airship on the 24th if they do not wish to engage with the second prompt.
Generic Horror Movie Title Skytower, Chubu
But on the 25th, as the Sakumi Festival enters its final week, those bold enough to look up at night sky will notice that the stars are disappearing. The sky will appear to grow blacker and blacker, absorbing any nearby light and appearing more like a dark void overhead than a night sky. Even with the lights on, Skytower will be notably dimmer, making it difficult to navigate the corridors of the tower at night.
Ordinarily, this would simply be yet another aspect of the Sakumi Festival, and one that should be avoidable due to their location on Skytower. But as paranoia among the Refugees grows, Kizuna powered by their fear manifests by causing the area of effect of the Sakumi festival to grow, reaching beyond the borders of the Western Kingdom, until Skytower is enveloped by it.
As the sun sets, an otherwise peaceful night will turn to chaos, as every Refugee on Skytower begins to change due to the power of the moonless sky. A number of Lunar Cursed Refugees begin prowling the tower, driven mad both by fear and by the effects of their own monstrous transformations, attacking everyone and anyone they come across.
And for certain refugees, the gradual loss of the stars and the moon will have more devastating effects. Those with an affinity for stars, space, the moon, or who have begin learning Sora magic will begin experiencing bouts of sudden weakness, causing them to collapse or lose consciousness. This effect escalates as the night goes on, as those afflicted will begin to fade away, their bodies growing translucent the weaker they become. Only prolonged contact with someone they've bonded with seems to have a positive effect, slowing or even reversing the symptoms. But others may disappear entirely until the festival ends, only capable of reaching out to loved ones through their dreams.
Refugees with mild symptoms will be tasked with assisting the Tengu in securing the Lunar Cursed refugees, as well as reaching the control center at the top of the tower to put out a distress signal. By the end of the night, all Refugees will be evacuated by airship to Kyoto.
Paper Faces on Parade
All of this culminates on the final day of the festival on the 31st, during which the sun never rises. A perpetual night blankets the nation, as the final celebrations of the Sakumi Festival take place.
Following news of the disaster at Skytower, Emperor Katsuragi decides to take matters into his own hands. Utilizing his own immense magical power, he cloaks his palace in a protective shield that will limit the transformations produced by the Sakumi Festival. Although negating the effects of the moonless sky using magic is borderline sacrilegious for a devout Yokai, after everything the Refugees did for the people of Shikoku last month, the least he can do is try and support them during this difficult holiday season.
And so, on that morning, all Refugees, no matter where in Nippon they may be, will receive an invitation to a Masquerade Ball to be held in the Imperial Palace in Kyoto. Those who want to attend need only wish it, and the invitation will automatically bring them to the castle grounds.
Additionally, all Refugees who disappeared as a result of the moonless sky will reappear thanks to the Emperor's power, just in time for the Ball to begin!
Kink Convention Gion, Kyoto
The Imperial Palace is much different from the Emperor's villas: a vast, sprawling mansion that seems to defy the laws of physics, with certain floors and walkways arranged in a way that makes them appear impossible to reach. Thanks to the many enchantments, those who walk the hallways of the palace won't notice if a corner suddenly twists, turns, or even has them walking along the ceiling of another room.
But the palace is far from empty! Exploring the mansion will reveal special rooms tucked away with certain enchantments, with many designed to entertain guests who happen to be staying there. Aside from generic things such as black and white movie theaters, libraries, and spas, some of these rooms seem to be tailored for this specific event.
One room is offering demos and workshops revolving around particular kinks, specifically designed to get the most fun out of whatever transformations they've been dealt by the Sakumi Festival. Refugees will be able to rent out sex toys and devices to use throughout the palace, and will even be offered a map of hidden and secluded spots to play in without getting caught.
In another room, a Yokai-turned-tentacle-monster teaches on the importance of safety during bondage sessions, complete with a live demonstration that will require volunteers. Whether this demonstration is simply about proper binding techniques, or an outright public tentacle-fuck, seems to depend on the enthusiasm of the volunteers.
And in another part of the palace, those who want to indulge in their desires anonymously will find special stalls seemingly designed for completely anonymous play, with variously shaped holes cut into the walls to reach out and touch one another. The way the room is set up, there's no way of knowing who is in each stall, as each one has a separate entrance. There's even a special stall that instead blankets the pair in complete darkness, allowing full-body touches and embraces with relative anonymity.
Just don't wander too far. Those curious enough to venture deep into the palace may instead come across a number of cursed rooms designed to trap intruders. Those captured will remain in these rooms until an attendant happens to find them to let them out. In addition to rooms filled with aphro-laced incense, some contain complex mechanisms designed to fully bind intruders, with some even doubling as fucking machines. Thankfully, there are multiple warning signs posted, so only those feeling especially naughty will end up in these corridors.
Party in a Labyrinth Gion, Kyoto
Those who are familiar with the Emperor's penchant for parties won't be too surprised by the offerings on display tonight. Although officially a Masquerade Ball, in which all guests must wear either a mask or appropriate costume, the actual theme is a bit more raunchy, and all Refugees will be welcome to choose from a selection of outfits that come in varying degrees of sensual and erotic.
Refugees will find no shortage of fun and interesting things to do at the party! A live music performance will play throughout the night, allowing guests to dance their hearts out on the dance floor. Food and drink are plentiful, with all alcoholic and uki-laced goods carefully labeled for the Refugee's convenience. And of course, those who want to indulge in their Sakumi transformations can do so knowing they're at no risk of becoming Lunar Curse and will retain their wits about them until the festival ends.
But as the night grows long, a more traditional event takes place in the palace garden, where the various Yokai attendants and aristocrats present gather around a large bonfire for the Sakumi Festival's end. They dance and sing, and then give prayers to the moon goddess Tsukuyomi, begging forgiveness for whatever sins they committed during the festival.
Refugees who are curious enough to take part in this Sakumi Festival tradition will find themselves compelled to confess their guilt for anything they may have done during the festival as a result of the moonless sky's effects. Whether these confessions are truly anything worth feeling guilty about is up to the individual, of course.
As the clock strikes midnight, all masks are thrown into the fire, and the sky lights up with a brilliant display of stars as the moon takes its rightful place in the sky once more.
But as for Katsuragi? He can be found curled up in a corner, thoroughly exhausted from using so much magic, with his head resting in the lap of a certain individual. Probably best to leave them be.
OOC Notes
Welcome to Jikan's October event! Please direct any questions to the Question Thread in the OOC Plotting post.
• If you do not wish to participate in this event: characters who are able to flee to the Eastern Kingdom will not experience any of the effects of the moon's disappearance.
• If your character would flee but you want them to participate, it's entirely possible that they may find themselves utterly unable to secure a ticket to leave the Western Kingdom, given there is only one train. Additionally, all teleportation terminals to Tokyo will remain offline until November 1st, and due to the lack of the moon, teleportation magic may be weakened.
• While the sky will continue to look spooky in the East as well, this annual phenomenon is explained as a scientific one. As Gaia's moon and rings are magical in nature, the increase in energy expelled during the Tsukimi festival causes them to release a gas-like by-product that blots out the sky at night for a period of two weeks. This has been proven to be true, but the reason this happens at the same time each year is still unknown.
• You have 100% freedom to pick whatever sort of monster your monsterfucker heart desires, be it from Japanese lore, your character's canon, or another canon all together. Whether transformations are painful or not is up to you, and monsters with supernatural powers or abilities will also be allowed to keep those powers! Go wild!
• As a reminder: there are roughly 10,000 Refugees in Nippon, so if you would like to utilize a random Refugee NPC for monsterfucking purposes, this is of course allowed!
• As stated above, characters who go to Skytower will have the option of leaving for Tokyo before things turn sour. These characters will still be able to attend the Emperor's Ball on the 31st!
• Please be kind to your fellow players and utilize content warnings for any graphic monster-related violence, kinks, etc! If you're not sure if something needs a warning, warn for it anyway!
↲ navigation
no subject
She exhaled a quiet breath, eyes drawing along the length of that heavy blade and senses attuned to the world around her.
That tone was dangerous, a promise for what was to come. His style of fighting would surely be new and unknown, a learning experience to say the least. So she was sure to keep her gaze on him as the blade was slammed down into the ground, her steps graceful and effortless as she avoided the beams while already moving to practically sidestep the upwards slash.
Ei followed up with a horizontal slash of her own, not aiming for anywhere that would be lethal at all but just enough to cause damage. ]
no subject
Her strike doesn't look strong. But it wasn't the power that he was caught off guard by. It was how smooth she maneuvered her spear. But looks can be deceiving. And as Cloud hasn't closed the gap to use his momentum for subsequent strikes, his more instinctive yet feral approach would come back to bite him. So soon into the battle, and as he forces himself to kick off the ground and away from her horizontal slash... ]
!!
[ A clean strike. So clean that at first, it looks as if all she accomplished was a perfect line across his chest, opening the front of his shirt. But not even a second passes upon him skidding back and bracing himself... ]
Ggh-
[ Throbbing. Stinging. He doesn't let go of his sword, but he can feel it. Warmth that wets the front of his body. He didn't even feel her blade make contact. And yet...there he is. First blood going to the Raiden Shogun as his mismatched eyes stare at her with a flicker of disbelief. Shit... No. He was stronger than this. Cloud had been preparing himself to catch up to Sephiroth. Not even factoring in the upfront desire to maim and make his prey bleed, he needed to be stronger and faster than this.
But he doesn't fight to protect. Not tonight. But before he can think of rushing Ei down once more, he takes a deep breath through his nose. His shoulders raise...the smell of iron rich in his lupine senses now as he can practically taste it on his tongue. He wants her taste on his tongue now. The wolf hungers. But he wills himself to lean further on his human side. Calm down.
Your SOLDIER training. Your might. Your progress.
Your legacy that wasn't even real...His stance shifts, raising his blade effortlessly to challenge her. When he speaks again, it's with less anger and thirst to his cadence. It's colder this time. For the time being, there'd be no more tricks or unorthodox techniques. This time, he was going to leave his mark on her. ]
Let's try this again.
[ When he rushes towards her, feet barely skimming the pavement beneath his feet, the second both feet are planted on the ground, he suddenly flashes to her side. To the ordinary human eye, it's almost like he blinked between places. This time, when he performs his first slash, it's followed up by a second. A third. Each swing more powerful than the last as he uses the momentum of his massive sword to try and apply pressure on Ei. And whether it means he endures a few more licks, until she gives him good reason to...
Cloud's going to dance with her, staying in her range and exchanging blows. ]
no subject
Proof that she no longer needed that gnosis.
She could gouge lines into islands, slay large snake-like entities and even the common man. There had been nigh an individual who could match her strength and agility in Inazuma, but only a singular man had blocked one of her hits and survived. At the moment, it was not life or death - to an extent - but she would put out as much effort as possible while being conscious of their surroundings. It would not do to damage the Kingdom's buildings carelessly, after all.
Ei quietly noted the damage done and would likely feel some regret over that at a later point, but now was amidst a battle. All she had done was act upon well-honed instincts, moving back into her stance from only mere moments prior while so aptly waiting for him to get himself ready once more. His tone is a bit different this time, but so was his movements; less reckless and with much more determined purpose and speed. Had she been an average woman, Ei may not have seen this man coming but her piercing violet gaze shifts the second he was at her side and her spear is quick to come up with alarming speed.
They were engaged in a violent clash, a dance between two fighters as she blocked, deflected or lashed out in turn. Metal collided and scraped along each other at times, creating bright sparks in the darkness between them. ]
I must admit. You do have quite impressive skills.
[ Ei didn't even have the audacity to really seem out of breath at all, still moving effortlessly as she spoke. ]
no subject
But at a later point? Cloud may still very well wish for it. A duel. The next step above him. Or, in the case of Ei, an entire flight of stairs between them. Because as this continues, and the occasional attack that misses and severs the earth beneath their feet and cracks, the realization hits him. ]
Saying that... [ He growls as licks of heatless blue flames start rising up and off his body, like an incoherent aura. Cloud's reaching another breaking point, limits that he either has to surpass or crumble under if he's to continue or even win. ] And I haven't landed a damn hit!!
[ Towing the line between man and beast... It's a compliment in the most angrily veiled sense of the word. There is the distance between them. It brings back memories of his confrontation with Sephiroth, as he broke free of the chains of fate. Even then, he couldn't touch him... He couldn't touch her. Frustration builds, and the form he'd reentered the fray with starts to show signs of sloppiness. His heart is pounding wildly in his chest as he struggles to keep his emotions in check.
Without a mask of his own, and having succumbed to the negative effects of the Kingdom's curse upon the land...he's teetering between humanity and a wild animal desperate to make his mark.
Taking a couple bounded steps back, he suddenly springs into the air, high above the Archon. Were the moon hanging above the sky tonight, it'd serve as a backdrop to his descent as he brings his sword down from on high, in a bid to attempt a crushing blow from above as he prepares to swing down. ]
Hrrragh—!!
no subject
Ei was not the Shogun here. The Shogun would have gone for more direct, fatal hits without so much as blinking. It was more efficient to end a battle quickly in her eyes. She can't even say she entirely understands his frustration amidst what she supposed was some form of compliment, flickering blue reflected in her eyes. The way his movements were now becoming a bit more sloppy were quite telling but far it be from her to mention it, what with his mind surely poisoned by the curse that plagued him.
How Reckless..
No. She would not kill him, but this action he'd taken was too careless. It took a scant few seconds to gauge where that sword would hit, and Ei then shifted over a touch while thrusting her spear upwards. The momentum he'd take would have her spear's blade skewering straight into his torso, but done in a way to avoid hitting anything fatal. In the seconds that followed, she brought him down to the ground as his weight was too much to be kept in the air.
Ei kept her spear where it was for a second, a breeze floating by as she gazed down at him. Wanting to see if this was what finally caused him to remain still. ]
1/2
"Ỉ̵͚š̶̰ ̶͉̾ẗ̷́ͅh̵̤̉ǐ̵̻s̷̨͐ ̷͇́t̸͚̒h̴̞̃e̶̟̾ ̶͈͂p̶͍͠a̴̳͠i̷͖̓n̶̫͌ ̵̼͘ŷ̶̢ô̸̬u̸̘͆ ̴̢̛f̵͌ͅé̶͉l̷̫̃t̴͎͛ ̴̓ͅb̸̫̋e̸̖͆f̴̜̍ò̷̲r̸̰̀e̶͓͐,̷̯̚ ̸̞͝C̷̮̿l̵̨͝ő̷̠ų̸̒d̸͙́?̶̻̃"
Who said that? ]
A-Ahh...
[ As he's brought down to the ground, Cloud's eyes visibly tremble as his grip upon the Buster Sword wanes in his hand. Blood pools, staining the front and back of his shirt downwards as waves of cold and heat war within him. This...is a pain he hasn't felt in a very long time. And yet, as he kneels before what he once thought was his 'prey', head bowed as his breathing stills after one last tremor... ]
2/2
Who he associates this pain with— ]
[ Blink. One instant he's down on one knee, bleeding out. The next, a line strikes up for the length of Ei's body, like a spark of lightning guiding his hand as the slash leaves a wave in its wake as he leaps up with the momentum of his attack. Up and back to gain some distance as he lands on his feet, clawed hand clutching his torso as Jenova's cells were already working overtime in a bid to reduce the bleeding. No ordinary man should have been able to get back up after that.
Nor should they still be holding that Buster Sword, fangs bared and eyes glaring as he snarls, ]
Tear you...
[ He raises his blade, wounded yet standing firm. ]
Wanna tear you in two.
no subject
It was enough that Ei carefully had pulled the spear out, taking the smallest of steps back. Words wouldn't come amidst her fears she had actually dealt him a too-serious injury when all she'd intended was to simply make him stop coming at her. Ei's brows knit into a frown behind her mask and she opened her mouth for a second as if contemplating apologizing to him but held back on that. Such could be possibly construed as an insult to his pride, and as someone who also used a sword? That was simply something she couldn't do.
This very minute train of thought is enough that she almost doesn't catch the movement in time and jumps back swiftly, avoiding the hit with ease. ]
Impossible.. you shouldn't be..
[ Anything else Ei wanted to say was stopped shortly as her mask suddenly fell to the ground in two pieces. Her eyes stared down at what was left of the mask, aware this was not a good situation anymore. There was no protection from the effects of the moonless night.
She had so many questions, about how this wolfish young man could still move and hold his blade while injured like that, but this fight now needed to be taken care of.
Those words may have even struck fear into other people, but Ei was far from a 'normal' person. As her head rose up and her gaze met his, it would be very clear that her eyes were now glowing ethereally compared to their appearance before. This wasn't a measure she'd wanted to go to, but it had moved to a non-negotiable point of no return. ]
You should have stayed down.
[ Ei moved to hold her hand over the top of her chest, purple electricity sparking wildly just before the hilt of a sword appeared. She grabbed it and pulled it out fully, holding it above her head. ]
no subject
Haaah...
[ Standing? She was right. He shouldn't be standing. For all intents and purposes, the man she sees before her today...very well shouldn't be here at all. Not on his own, anyway. Yet with all the support he's had, and the people who have quite literally carried him, Cloud finds himself standing on his own two feet here. Standing before the woman whose spear saw him run through, unintentional or no. But standing in front of her was a wounded animal. One who hadn't been thinking or seeing clearly ever since he'd been exposed to this moonless night. Apologies, regrets, laments; they can all come after he's been dealt his punishment. But the journey he takes reaching there...may not be a pleasant one.
It's when she lifts her head, their eyes meeting as the soft glow of mako is caught within the ethereal gaze of the Raiden Shogun. If this were any other night. Any other encounter, he may have even called them beautiful. But what he's about to behold... ]
?!
[ From her chest... Her polearm disappears. In its stead, drawn from the wildly sparking void she manifests, is a sword. A powerful sword. One that instills something familiar in him all over again. It's the same command he felt when witnessing Sephiroth wielding the Masamune. Only now, his body in fight or flight mode, does the revelation begin dawning on him.
"People coming and going didn't mesh with the Raiden Shogun's idea of Eternity -"
Clawlike nails dig into his palm, threatening to render blood from the pressure in which he instinctually focuses on the Magic Materia slotted in his Buster Sword. He has to stop her. He has to stop her before the truth is fully realized, and the weight of his choices bears down upon him full force. Eyes wide, he swipes his hand out, as if reaching for Ei with her blade held on high. ]
Fry!
[ There's no relent in the way he casts a powerful Thundaga spell, hoping to use this as an opening upon stunning her. Yet as the attack is called down upon his would-be prey, the sound of thunder rolling through and down the empty street...
"- she's our electro archon and the ruler of - well, most of Inazuma."
Eyes visibly trembling, his body positively vibrating. ]
You're...
1/2
Ei was ready to start moving, to bring her blade down when she caught sign of that movement. A hand outstretched to her, bringing along with it a second where she had paused. The air had a familiar smell to it and she knew what it was that was coming, blade shifting in her grip as a bright, near blinding bolt of lightning came down. Any other person would have been absolutely paralyzed by such a strong attack, but she stood there as tall and unwavering as she had been mere seconds ago.
The lightning had connected with her sword, little arcs of electricity dancing along the blade which now glowed even brighter. It cast a bright purple light, seeming to pulse and shimmer as if the sword itself were alive.
Even as those arcs of electric energy began to touch along her arm that soon lowered the sword, Ei didn't even so much as look bothered. If anything, she almost looked unimpressed as she began walking forwards, taking a couple of slow agonizing steps towards him before Ei seemed to almost blink out of existence before his very eyes. Cloud wouldn't have much - if any - time to react as she appeared right before him and began to swing her blade down towards him with quite the alarming speed. ]
2/2
A shudder rolled through Ei's entire body, her head bowed as she exhaled a soft, shaky breath. A warmth had flooded through her in mere seconds, making her legs feel weak with the fire thrumming beneath her skin. A shred of rationality kicked in and Ei then recoiled backward, the sword disappearing in a flash of purple sparks with her eyes no longer glowing as they had been prior.
Infact, her cheeks were flushed pink and breaths were coming suddenly more ragged.
Ei knew what this was and it was awful, and yet something of a relief because she had no intent before to kill him. The Lunar Curse had begun twisting her thoughts and actions, but now her mind was going elsewhere. She couldn't stay here. Her feline ears flattened slightly against her head almost sheepishly. ]
...Get yourself inside. Tend to your wounds.
[ That's all she could honestly say after that, excusing herself as quick as humanely possible. ]
no subject
The woman he didn't think to meet at that housewarming party...and here she was, standing before him with his own mighty spell rendered null and void before her might. She commanded it all. The Lightning. The rolling thunder. She even commanded his attention as his wounds throbbed and his adrenaline spiked to an all-time high. It was all his body could instinctively do to keep him well within the fight. Even if the conclusion had long since been decided when his bestial side took hold and told him to hunt her.
She was a dream. Even in his darkest moment, she shone as a dream that walked so agonizingly slow towards him. Cloud's grip upon his Buster Sword reasserts itself. And that singular twitch of the muscles in his arms was all he'd be able to do before she blinked out of existence. His own speed was impressive, able to move quick enough to appear as if he were flashing but. That...wasn't to scale with the Archon. This wasn't the same cat-eared fighter who took a defensive stance against his assault before. More terrifying, perhaps...was that while his eyes barely have time to even glance over in the direction of her sword...
That's not what he currently sees. When he looks to his side, the world around him fades away. In its place, his mind's eye, were memories. Memories of a promise he made to Tifa when they were children- that he would become the greatest SOLDIER and come back to save her. Of the best friend that he made when he failed and joined Shinra's ranks; Zack's goofy look on his face when he told him he was from Gongaga. Faces from Midgar that he's long since had to say goodbye to. Companions that followed him on the path of defying destiny.
In his final moment, the feral look in his eyes was gone, looking on with a sense of wonder as he sees Ayaka. She holds out her hand, like so many times before, smiling at him before his world goes white again. ]
... ??
[ Back to reality. His head remains upon his shoulders. The Buster Sword remains steady in his hand, resting by his side. He can finally hear things again. Smell things again. The sound of a woman's trembling breath. And as he stumbles upon his own two feet to turn around, with nary a violent intent to capitalize, their eyes meet.
And in this one singular speck in time, he stands before her, both eyes returning to their original color and mako-infused luster as he looses a shaken breath. Though his wolf ears and tail remain, she'd shaken him back to reality. If only for long enough that she may escape. Even when she vanishes into the night and leaves him there to stare after her, his eyes don't return to that mismatched blend of gold and blue. ]
.....
[ Only the sudden pulsation within his torso and chest where he's been wounded are what bring him crashing down hard. Cloud was too strong to die from wounds like these. But the hunt ends prematurely tonight. He has to return home and heal. When he has time to process what happened, whether he sleeps tonight or not...he'll never forget the imagery he laid eyes upon.
In its beauty and eternity, for better or for worse. ]