everything is so weird on this ship, but dion absolutely believes he's just in another off-ship mission so he bolts toward the woman to check her vitals. ]
[ he drops the core back onto the bloated contraption-corpse. a mouth appears, swimming within the gore--just long enough to say:
"Killing me only freed me from her service. Now you have to deal with her yourselves."
the spotlights swing back into the seats. the audience is full of human bodies but they appear as if whole mannequins were stuffed inside them by the mouth, the skin and clothes together turned into a suit.
the light stops on a tiefling child with ruby red hair and skin to match. she smiles prettily.
nodd raises his voice to be heard over a sudden, growing hum of energy. ]
Stay there. I know what happens next. I'll be fine.
It's where I was before the Eudora. You've met me--so don't worry.
[ the child splits apart.
what seemed so well constructed a moment ago, a perfect little princess, erupts and reshapes. wider, wider, a form that threatens to tear through the theater's ceiling. great taloned feet crush the puppet audience as the beast rushes the stage. when it scrambles upward, nodd leaps backwards to avoid being crushed.
in front of him and his two party members (and the lady whose pulse will show she's certainly still alive) and dion, a massive red dragon, each scale over a foot in length. smoke curls from her nostrils. ]
You missed the really ironic part where I saved little girl her earlier.
[ "And now I have the Othūn and the tapestry," says the fucking dragon. ]
[ he watches the scene, not unfamiliar with the sight of sacrifice, and the anguish that comes from having to watch it. he keeps his gaze on the other's of nodd's party, their protests and their guilt at acquiescing to his bargain and fleeing.
he frowns, looking back at nodd. ]
I shall need to see how much of a fool you are in order to reprimand you at a later date.
the second part of this boss battle was short. after all, it's a level fuck-you adult dragon against a simple mushroom monk. nodd survives several rounds through sheer speed, leaping off the stage and running along the backs of the theater seats. (okay, he scrambles over a corpse-mannequin once.)
it's as if he knew dion of the future would judge him and thus he does not once attack letta himself.
when she hits him, he sails, hits a weight-bearing pillar and leaves a crack in the marble. she picks his body up between her talons and tosses him back to the stage. the wood splinters beneath him.
letta takes her time returning, nodd struggles to his feet. it's been minutes but that will have to be enough. as he did back then, nodd clasps his hands together and stares his death down. letta lowers her jaw and engulfs the monk in flames.
and then they are in the hallway. nodd is pink but quite unscorched. ]
[ the fight is frustrating to watch. it's not as if he can't understand—logically, he can. that nodd felt some connection or duty toward the dragon, and so he doesn't attack her.
but it still frustrates him, because as an outsider, he has no connection or sympathy with this dragon, all he cares about is that nodd is being foolish, and that he ought to fight to preserve his own health.
so even if he is whole and unburnt when they're left facing each other, he doesn't bother to hide his displeasure. ]
Yes and no. I'm almost completely sure I did die, but the next thing I know, I'm here. It's why that first day in the bathroom I was checking the tattoo I told you about.
[ not just STRIPPING like baiken accused.
anyway: the origins of dion and nodd's cr. ]
It's different from before--but why are you scowling at me?
We'd found out Sain was the Othūn--some kinda... divine storyteller? There's a whole magic tapestry part. Letta thought she had that and the Othūn, but the tapestry she had was a fake. So, if Sain got away, too, she'd actually have neither. Plus, Sain would have his mom back.
[ this part is more difficult to grapple with. ]
In comparison to what Sain was and what Corryn--antler kid--had going on, felt like I knew which piece made sense to sacrifice. There was no way any of us could beat her, even if we were fresh, so I chose to give my kids time.
[ he listens, frown never moving from his lips but... eventually, he sighs, shaking his head. ]
I understand the desire to give all yourself for what you believe is right, but I would ask you not to view yourself as someone that can be sacrificed.
[ he closes his eyes briefly ]
I should hope that those two youths were able to get to safety, and that you are able to reunite with them, as they are no doubt hoping to do.
[ wry. every member of the crew currently stands on death row. growing attached is an exercise in masochism, and, yet, nodd finds it hard to leave dion to that frowning. ]
And, who knows. I'm no resurrection specialist. Maybe I did live or got brought back. I'm as alive as ever now.
[ Anyway, a rift appears around both Dion and Nodd.
Welcome to the Hideaway.
You don't mean to eavesdrop, certainly not on a private conversation between the Phoenix and his brother, but you know they consider you down and out for the count since Ifrit had taken Bahamut's light from you, and you cannot allow that to stand. There is only one thing left in this world that you desire, and it's being kept at Origin.
There is nothing left for you here. Not your family, not your country. You have betrayed them both, and where Phoenix raises his concerns, you see only a beautiful promise.
Your life is secondary to your atonement, and if you meet your end in the battle to come, then you cannot imagine a more fitting end to your story. ]
[ the embarrassment elicits a small smile out of him ]
It is easier to sacrifices oneself than it is to sacrifice others. [ ... ] Regardless, I cannot agree with your conclusion. Individuals with power and beholden to use that power for the sake of the greater good.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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OKAY
everything is so weird on this ship, but dion absolutely believes he's just in another off-ship mission so he bolts toward the woman to check her vitals. ]
Sir Nodd, what is this—?
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[ nodd's head turning in his direction. ]
What are you doing--
[ he drops the core back onto the bloated contraption-corpse. a mouth appears, swimming within the gore--just long enough to say:
"Killing me only freed me from her service. Now you have to deal with her yourselves."
the spotlights swing back into the seats. the audience is full of human bodies but they appear as if whole mannequins were stuffed inside them by the mouth, the skin and clothes together turned into a suit.
the light stops on a tiefling child with ruby red hair and skin to match. she smiles prettily.
nodd raises his voice to be heard over a sudden, growing hum of energy. ]
Stay there. I know what happens next. I'll be fine.
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[ he stops, turning his gaze out toward the audience, body tense and horrified by the sight of the people laid there.
before his gaze locks on the small child, immediately registering her as a threat. ]
This is a memory?
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[ the child splits apart.
what seemed so well constructed a moment ago, a perfect little princess, erupts and reshapes. wider, wider, a form that threatens to tear through the theater's ceiling. great taloned feet crush the puppet audience as the beast rushes the stage. when it scrambles upward, nodd leaps backwards to avoid being crushed.
in front of him and his two party members (and the lady whose pulse will show she's certainly still alive) and dion, a massive red dragon, each scale over a foot in length. smoke curls from her nostrils. ]
You missed the really ironic part where I saved little girl her earlier.
[ "And now I have the Othūn and the tapestry," says the fucking dragon. ]
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[ scalie activating ]
Do you plan to kill the beast?
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[ they talk over some of letta the puppeteer's villain monologue. it's fine. he heard it the first time in its entirety. ]
I'm like the size of a peanut--oh, my turn.
[ back to what should be the most interesting thing in the room ]
I promised I'd play with you after the show.
[ "You'll keep your promise?" ]
Of course. You just have to let those three leave.
[ EVERYONE protests ]
You can go after them once you're done with me. If they can escape the manor before you finish, you leave them alone for now. How about it?
[ argument from nodd's party dies down when he says: ]
Sain, you have what you came for. You need to go.
[ they do, the tiefling lingering at the end, staring after nodd before turning to race out after sain and his unconscious mother. ]
We can maybe skip over--you don't really need to see this next part, right, Dion?
[ even the memory dragon pauses, awaiting a response ]
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he frowns, looking back at nodd. ]
I shall need to see how much of a fool you are in order to reprimand you at a later date.
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[ nodd turns back to letta.
the second part of this boss battle was short. after all, it's a level fuck-you adult dragon against a simple mushroom monk. nodd survives several rounds through sheer speed, leaping off the stage and running along the backs of the theater seats. (okay, he scrambles over a corpse-mannequin once.)
it's as if he knew dion of the future would judge him and thus he does not once attack letta himself.
when she hits him, he sails, hits a weight-bearing pillar and leaves a crack in the marble. she picks his body up between her talons and tosses him back to the stage. the wood splinters beneath him.
letta takes her time returning, nodd struggles to his feet. it's been minutes but that will have to be enough. as he did back then, nodd clasps his hands together and stares his death down. letta lowers her jaw and engulfs the monk in flames.
and then they are in the hallway. nodd is pink but quite unscorched. ]
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but it still frustrates him, because as an outsider, he has no connection or sympathy with this dragon, all he cares about is that nodd is being foolish, and that he ought to fight to preserve his own health.
so even if he is whole and unburnt when they're left facing each other, he doesn't bother to hide his displeasure. ]
I am surprised you survived that encounter.
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[ not just STRIPPING like baiken accused.
anyway: the origins of dion and nodd's cr. ]
It's different from before--but why are you scowling at me?
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We'd found out Sain was the Othūn--some kinda... divine storyteller? There's a whole magic tapestry part. Letta thought she had that and the Othūn, but the tapestry she had was a fake. So, if Sain got away, too, she'd actually have neither. Plus, Sain would have his mom back.
[ this part is more difficult to grapple with. ]
In comparison to what Sain was and what Corryn--antler kid--had going on, felt like I knew which piece made sense to sacrifice. There was no way any of us could beat her, even if we were fresh, so I chose to give my kids time.
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I understand the desire to give all yourself for what you believe is right, but I would ask you not to view yourself as someone that can be sacrificed.
[ he closes his eyes briefly ]
I should hope that those two youths were able to get to safety, and that you are able to reunite with them, as they are no doubt hoping to do.
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[ wry. every member of the crew currently stands on death row. growing attached is an exercise in masochism, and, yet, nodd finds it hard to leave dion to that frowning. ]
And, who knows. I'm no resurrection specialist. Maybe I did live or got brought back. I'm as alive as ever now.
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[ he's not buying the argument, but also, he knows he's being a hypocrite. ]
Regardless of the dangers here, it's still early to give up on hope that extends beyond the week.
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I deserve a story back for showing you that.
[ against his will, mind. ]
Tell me something from your past.
[ or let another memshare void take over, nodd isn't picky ]
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[ Anyway, a rift appears around both Dion and Nodd.
You don't mean to eavesdrop, certainly not on a private conversation between the Phoenix and his brother, but you know they consider you down and out for the count since Ifrit had taken Bahamut's light from you, and you cannot allow that to stand. There is only one thing left in this world that you desire, and it's being kept at Origin.
So you offer up your wings, and ensure that they cannot reject your offer.
There is nothing left for you here. Not your family, not your country. You have betrayed them both, and where Phoenix raises his concerns, you see only a beautiful promise.
Your life is secondary to your atonement, and if you meet your end in the battle to come, then you cannot imagine a more fitting end to your story. ]
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I need a moment. Sorry, let me--I want to get the exact intonation.
[ a beat of silence.
nodd commits a rather decent impression, acshully ]
I would ask you not to view yourself as someone that can be sacrificed.
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Only that I no longer cared if I lived.
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[ this is what we call foreshadowing ]
I would have never agreed to that plan of yours. I'd deny you the satisfaction, but you'd be alive.
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You would sacrifice yourself to save two children, but leave an entire world to die for one man?
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I'm a monk, not a saint.
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It is easier to sacrifices oneself than it is to sacrifice others. [ ... ] Regardless, I cannot agree with your conclusion. Individuals with power and beholden to use that power for the sake of the greater good.
(no subject)