altimit | catch all >> october

[ There are two things anyone should be doing during this time when the monsters are storming the root towns. One is fighting and the other is hiding if choosing to stay out of the fight. It is unfortunate, then, that Fandaniel is choosing a third option.

That third option is to be reckless and make the situation worse for those opting for that first choice. He's in as much danger of being attacked by these things any anyone else, sure, but he's taken to baiting them down certain roads and alleys in Lumina Cloth and intersecting them with other monsters, always near where some fighting is going on.

He's creating larger mobs of monsters to deal with and then he makes his exit through a building or somewhere else. In Lumina Cloth, specifically, he knows every route and trick and shortcut from all the time he's spent here, harassing other beta testers back when it was so much less dangerous.

He... isn't being very sneaky about it, as far as being spotted by players goes. He doesn't actually care what they see, think, or inevitably do. It isn't as though any of them will go through with a murder to stop him, after all. ]

[Of course Dehya notices.

She's in the thick of it, fighting back monsters and trying to strategize with her Data Drain on the shielded ones. Which is progressively difficult to do when groups of them are getting dragged into the areas other players are, instead of being left to wander empty parts of town. Her newest special armor in sleek black dons her, and with confidence in her decision to fight to protect the other beta players, to be a hero, she's levying some incredible damage.

Of course, being a hero means punishing all evil doers. So the moment she has an opening to chase after Fandaniel after catching him sneaking in and out a third time, she pursues.]

Fandaniel! [No point being sneaky if he's not. He knows he's going to be seen.]

[ On hearing his name shouted, he does stop, giving a little spin around to face Dehya that sends the skirts of his robes flying about. ]

FlameMane! My dear! Why, how are you doing this fine evening?

[ A greeting, amused as always, as though he hadn't been doing anything weird at all a moment ago. ]

A lot better before you showed up! [Honestly, terrible all around! But a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.]

Don't think I didn't see you dragging those monsters in! Stop running and face me!

Ha, but I did stop! See? Here I am!

[ And he is! Standing there, facing her, waiting for her to catch up. ]

But that is quite the accusation! Why do you think I am not merely out on a stroll and those monsters happen to be bothering me?

[ Back again to the Sieden Hotsprings, only this time Fandaniel won't be sitting in the springs themselves. No, he's taken up space in one of the inn's rooms, sliding paper door left open, already having ordered an entire carafe of sake for them, and he fits in rather delightfully with the decor in the yukata skin he'd picked up from the GP Shop.

Honestly, he should go back for some more of those. Stress shopping... so good... but for now, he'd rather focus on giving Hector a chance to unwind, even if it's only drinking and venting in a comfortable locale.

Because here's the thing, for as much as he professes not believing any of them when they say they care about him, the same never goes both ways; he does care, if clumsily, and he does care about Hector, too, in his own ways, although whether Hector will appreciate that, well...

In any case, the NPCs will show Hector to where Fandaniel is chilling and ask if he'd like anything else brought over before they leave. ]

[ When Hector shows up, that something's off is immediately obvious.

It's in the way he walks, aimless. It's in the way he carries himself smaller than normal, the way his eyes rest unfocused in the middle distance. The way he dismisses the NPCs and refuses any extra drinks, and how he doesn't really acknowledge Fandaniel until he's sitting right beside him.

He kicks off his shoes, his gloves, messily undoes his robe. His pants stay on, for what it's worth—he's just making himself comfortable—and most notably, he doesn't immediately reach for the sake.

His gaze lifts and rests on Fandaniel. His eyes are tired, and the way the grief sits on his face makes him look older. For all the fuss he kicked up on the forums, he's quiet. ]

[ It's almost as if the grief is visibly dripping from the poor man, the way he carries himself, the silence, the exhaustion, and rather than trying to hand off a cup of sake to the poor man, he instead turns to give him one look over, and holds an arm out, offering a hug, a shoulder to lean on, even cry on, if he wants. ]

You poor oaf... come here.

[ There's nothing else to be said now that he sees Hector in-person. It's much more dire than he had anticipated. ]

[ Fandaniel's offer only hangs in the air for a fraction of a second before Hector leans in and takes the arm, pulling him into a tight, tight hug. He shudders in his exhale, but tears won't come—he's cried too much already—but he still buries his face in the crook of Fandaniel's neck.

He feels like it shouldn't be affecting him as much as it is... They barely knew each other, in the grand scheme of things. They didn't know each other for very long. But god almighty does it hurt.

And so he's deeply grateful for what Fandaniel has to offer him. Even if he can't really voice it right now. ]

[ And Fandaniel will remain there, wrapping his own arms around Hector in return, and letting him cling to him as long as he wants, as long as he needs. There are no pointless attempts to comfort him beyond the hug, no words, nothing else, only this.

There isn't anything he could say that would make this better. In the end, that'll be up to Hector, to find his peace, but until then... ]

[Dehya comes to a stop just a few feet away from him.] Cut the crap, Fandaniel! You and I both know you weren't just innocently strolling around. Don't you think it's time to stop treating this like a game before your griefing gets someone actually hurt?

[ Stop treating it like... stop treating it like a game? Fandaniel can't help it. He nearly doubles over in laughter, laughing and laughing at poor Dehya. ]

Stop? Stop? Ha! Haha! No, of course not! I want to see! See how they manage, how far they will go to fight for their lives, for their futures!

[ Ah, but then the laughter trails off and he takes in a breath, straightening up again to smile at her. ]

Because that is what you fight for, isn't it? You labor until you collapse to ensure you have one at all, yes?

[Dehya grits her teeth. What a selfish statement. But Fandaniel has always been like this, right? It's why she always stands opposed to him: because of how much fun he gets out of other people's suffering.] Yeah, and you reap the benefit of us protecting you while throwing it back in our faces! You want to see me fight? Fine--let me knock some sense into the blockhead of yours!

[She shifts her blade in hand and charges.]

[ Is it, though? The same man who huffed and puffed about how many people claimed to care and then angrily made them all breakfast? ]

Oh dear, so much for claiming to protect me.

[ Said in that obnoxious sing-song way of his but, see, the thing is, he doesn't move as she charges. Does she truly wish to strike him down? Will she? Fandaniel remains where he is as she comes at him with the sword and spreads his arms wide as if to welcome her. ]

Come, FlameMane! Strike! Save all of your doomed little friends from me!

[ Hector doesn't cry, but the tension that wracked his body palpably melts in Fandaniel's arms. The silence, the hold is enough for him. He doesn't know if it's okay, but it's feeling the warmth of another that tells him it is.

Eventually, with a little sigh, he pulls back. There's guilt, an apology on his face as he takes in Fandaniel's pretty little features. ]

I'm sorry. [ It's hard to tell if he genuinely is, or if he feels like he needs to say it. ] I...probably said some rude things to you on the forums.

[ He doesn't remember. ]

[ An apology to which Fandaniel can only shake his head. ]

Do not think of it. I tried my best not to become rude, as well, only... [ He offers a helpless shrug. ] I would say we are all in a poor mood but that's quite the understatement, isn't it?

[ Hector gives a hollow laugh, one that doesn't quite reach his eyes. His arms slip from Fandaniel as he sits and slumps in place. ]

Yeah. Of the century. I didn't realize how bad everything's gotten.

[ Made only worse knowing Yael is gone.

He absently digs a fingernail into the tatami. ]

It feels like...we're at each other's throats when we should be working together.

[ The fight at the meeting, the incendiary comments on the forums... He knows everyone's tense, but it shouldn't be like this. ]

Hard to work together when the goal is so far out of our grasp. So many wish to leave this place, but how? They do not know, so they become angry and throw blame every which way to see if it sticks.

[ He reaches out to lay a hand on Hector's, to still the picking at the tatami mat. ]

I fear that CC Corp has it programmed to continue getting worse and worse. There is no end to their cruelty.

[All that matters, in the end, is what she sees. The villain. And so she charges, twisting her blade to level the broad side of it to whack Fandaniel's side with the push of her strength.]

[ Hector is sympathetic, and he sees that. Emotions are running high—even for him—and who can think properly when everyone wants to fight?

His hands still under Fandaniel's, and he looks up at him. ]

I kind of get that feeling.

[ As much as he hates to admit it... ]

What do you think they're trying to accomplish with all this? What's... What's the point?

[ Fandaniel takes the blow to his side and while Dehya takes mercy upon him by turning her blade, striking him with the broad side rather than an edge, it still does more, way more, than she may have expected it to. There is the sickening crack of bone and he is thrown violently against the nearest wall of the buildings that bracket the alley they're in.

It cuts his laughter short, at least, but only for... a short time. He grapples at the wall to keep from falling to the ground, a laugh bubbling up again along with a cough, a dribble of blood staining his lips. ]

A.... aha... th-that's right... finish me off! Save the... the day!

That's the thing, though. There isn't. There is no point. We are all bickering when the outcome is a foregone conclusion.

[ Did Fandaniel's voice sound... glitchy there? For a second? It was brief, a flicker in tone, but gone again the next second. Maybe it was just Hector's imagination or the game being weird again.

Fandaniel grips his hands and will pick them up to hold in his if Hector allows it. ]

No one is coming to save us, my dear Hector. Would you rather not be comfortable instead of struggling like this? Is there truly anything out there for you to return to, even if by some slim chance, you find a way back?

[ Emotionally vulnerable and with his walls down, Hector feels...somewhat receptive to what Fandaniel says. The glitchy tone to his voice catches him more off-guard than anything—where he might argue that there will always be another way, he's more focused on that little blip.

That was weird.

And he's further distracted by the way Fandaniel tightens his grip; Hector returns the favor, gently grasping his hands to hold them. ]

There's so much to live for. [ He says this like it's obvious, like he has not once questioned it in his life. ] My family, my good friends at home... I bet they're worried sick right now.

[ One of them, at least, is rich enough to make the impromptu flight from NYC to San Francisco. ]

And there's my job, the temps that come back every year, the park... I could never leave any of those behind.

[ ... ]

Or you, if you ever decide to come Stateside.

[ He hasn't forgotten that. ]

[ There's a pause. He remembered that? He's still thinking of it? It brings Fandaniel up short for a brief breath of time, only a moment, and it leaves him inclining his head to one side, peering up at Hector quizzically. ]

You... actually want me there?

[ Because surely all that talk about getting out of here and visiting was all pretense to getting in one another's pants which, admittedly, doesn't take much pretense to begin with, so, perhaps not. ]

And if your desire to live out there, in that world, does not come to fruition? What then? What happens when you finally realize we have been abandoned to this place instead?

[ Hector meets Fandaniel's gaze with a little smile, the best he can muster considering...everything, really. Of course he remembered. Of course he had flashes in his mind of driving him through the trees to a scenic mountain top, where they could watch the sunset. Just like he did with—

And so to his question, he nods readily. He's a man of his word. ] Of course.

[ But his sentiment is quickly put to the side—Fandaniel continues with his questions.

Hector's brows twitch into a frown. There is...admittedly, a very real possibility that the other man's what-ifs are going to come to pass, but Hector has a very, very hard time accepting that. There's a little bubble of frustration in him. How can anyone give in so easily? ]

There has to be another way. [ He avoids the questions entirely. He sits firmly in the little sliver of hope he didn't know he had. ] We'll figure this out. We just—we just need to remember that we're in this together.

catch all >> october

for dehya

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for Hector

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me looking at her armor's attack buff... 300%....

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