[OPEN] Well. That Didn't Go Quite As Planned

[moneytwin]

Who: EVERYONE
Where: The Temple of Beginnings
When: Immediately After The End.
Rating: PG-13, may vary by thread
What: You fall, you pick yourself back up and you move on. Or at least, you try.


Fished Out Of Water
One minute, you are witnessing the fabric of an entire world implode as it is literally ripped apart by powers unknown. The next, that tell-tale twist somewhere beneath your sternum, before you are bodily YANKED away from Akvos, away from the ocean and the Queen and the King and the Princess.

And land back on (mostly) solid, dry ground.

Welcome back to the Temple of Beginnings. Don't worry, there's no hurry for you to get back up just yet.


Hey, Howya Doin'?
Once you do get back up, now is the time to be taking stock of the situation - yours, your friends, and even those new merfolk neighbours (who may need a hand getting their fins back into the water). There is also the missing members of the Circle to consider: people who disappeared on the journey to Akvos, and those who never made it back..

(There's also that small matter with a certain 'witchess-san' that may be a cause for concern to some more than others.)

Whatever the case, it's a lot to process right now. Take the time you have, because you don't know if it'll be enough for what you need.

---

[[ OOC: Here's an open post for threads reacting to the end of the Akvos world hop. Feel free to use the above prompts, and/or make your own! ]]

Comments

[nogoldenmirror]

[She adds the last of the soaked-then-air dried seeds to the mortar and begins crushing them as he speaks, her jaw setting. Learn from it... Right. Like that will keep her mother's voice declaring that they failed at the very thing she was taught to do since she could read Elvish from her dreams.]

Are kidnappers ever straight with their captives?

[She asks, both bitterness and brutal honesty lacing her tone. Keith isn't the only one who is done with Astoria's shit.]

[lonered]

Probably not. But if she actually wants us to do... anything...

[He really would love to find something to swing his sword at right now. The anger and frustration are going to get the better of him once they build enough to outweigh the exhaustion in him.]

And she hasn't shown any signs of stopping.

[nogoldenmirror]

...then she better be more clear, I agree.

[Rather than leave them in the deep end. She finishes grinding the sunflower seeds, places the paste on the cheesecloth, and squeezes it so tightly into a bowl that it's a miracle that she doesn't tear it with her nails and ruin the sunflower oil. She frowns, shaking her head.]

I have done all I can until the next batch has air dried overnight.

[She eyes him. Someone looks akin to a cauldron that is about to boil over and blow their lid off. A sigh escapes her.]

Come on, then. I hope you do not mind playing with fire.

[Did she just..? Yes, she did just offer to spar. Just not in her human form.]

[lonered]

[Now it just remains to be seen if Astoria is even capable of more clarity. Or willing to be. Keith still doesn't know which it really is.

He blinks in surprise at the switch of subject. His eyebrows lift. Is that... were those fighting words? Because Keith is absolutely down for sparring. There's just a moment where he hesitates over the fire bit, but he manages a grin anyway.]

Pretty sure I can handle it.

[nogoldenmirror]

[Fingers crossed that she is. Because this is getting ridiculous.

She glances over her shoulder, looking at him as she steps out. Did she fucking stutter, boy? She needs to get out of her makeshift lab and back into the wilds and the skies.]

Well, good. [She smiles. It isn't a pleasant one; more of a smirk, really.] For 'tis not simply in dreams where I can fly.

[The moment they're outside? She shifts into her dragon form.]

[lonered]

[Morrigan, he's just a bundle of issues, the borders of which are often jagged and unexpected. Fire is a complicated one.]

Right. Dragon.

[Wow. But hey. He grins now and rises up off the ground, hovering to be a bit taller than said dragon.]

And same.

[He'll fight you in the air, Morrigan. Or the land or the se-- no actually screw water for a while.]

[nogoldenmirror]

[She's making a note of the jagged and unexpected bit, but she lacks any sort of context about the fire thing. It will be interesting to prod him and see just what those issues are, but she'll be more relenting with him. It's almost as if she's developing some sort of "conscience" -- ugh.

She huffs a bit of smoke from between scaled lips, almost as if blowing up to puff at her nonexistent hair or asking just what he was expecting after she said the word "fire". She is, after all, a fire-aspected high dragon like this.

She shows a bit of teeth when he starts hovering. Oh, now this will be interesting.]

Land, or air? [She asks, because seriously. Fuck any body of water that isn't a bath or shower right now.]

[lonered]

Whichever you prefer. Or both. Mind my blade?

[Because she's got him beaten in the tooth and claw department. But he wouldn't want to put her in the position to wind up injured. Not on his account. He has a feeling the dragon is probably fairly well armored though.

Still, it's better to ask, right?

That's just polite.]

[nogoldenmirror]

Both, then. [She really, really wants to spread her wings in the air as opposed to the sea. She's missed the feeling against her face. Granted, it'll be weird against scale instead of feathers, but she'll deal.]

Not at all. T'would make it even, at the very least. [She lifts one of her claws and waves her "fingers" as she says it. Plus, she can tend to any wounds with her poultices after. She's dealt with similar injuries before. The hazard of dealing with mage-killers.

+3 approval though for asking.]

[lonered]

Got it. Then... let's go.

[Keith draws his swords. He's ready. Hell, he's excited. It's hard not to be. He's never gone head to head with a dragon, so this is definitely new. Besides, a good challenge of a spar in general always gets his heart beating.

He hovers a little higher, ready, but waiting, to see what Morrigan will do.]

[nogoldenmirror]

[Morrigan stretches her wings and takes off into the sky. Ah, yes. This is much better. She flashes her teeth in what is likely a grin before turning to face him, hovering. A high-pitched shriek of a roar announces the start of their little bout, echoing with her own excitement.

She feels powerful. Were she home, she'd be feared. It's practically singing in her bones.

She dives back down at him, opening her mouth as if she's going to spite a trail of fire, but it's a feint- she lifts in time to try and smack him with her tail.]

[lonered]

[What a charming and intimidating grin. Keith likes it. He braces, ready to dodge if there is indeed fire coming at him. But that isn't what comes, and instead the tail is coming around.

He grins and surges up, body arching in a quick loop as he swings back in, sword up to follow the direction her tail had moved, chasing the momentum.

He's coming at her full throttle, but he's mindful enough that he'll pull his strikes should he connect. Friends are for sparring not actually slicing up.]

[nogoldenmirror]

[Somewhere in the temple grounds, Shiro is likely introducing his forehead to his palm. hard. She doesn't care; only thinking that sword of his is starting to look like a toothpick in comparison.

Oddly, this gives her an idea.

Morrigan chuckles, though it sounds weird coming from this form. Ah well, think on it later. She turns just enough to see the movement and her tail to meet the strike, protecting her stomach. Clever. Not quite clever enough.

She cartwheels backward in the air, moving to bop Keith in the small of his back with her snout and a bit of smoke as she twists. Long necks, for the win.]

[lonered]

[Probably. But this is aerial combat training. It's a valuable skill. Also it's fun.

He blinks at the sound of a dragon laughing.]

That's an unsettling sound.

[He informs her, but there's a grin threatening his face anyway, even as he finds himself suddenly faced with a surprisingly flexible dragon. So. Big but also shockingly quick.

Keith squawks in surprise at the feeling of that touch to his back. He drops in the air before sweeping back up, sword first, coming for her from below and to the right.]

[nogoldenmirror]

[Morrigan only snickers more.]

Good to know. I can use that.

[Says the Witch of the Wilds trained since she could walk to play on man's fears and use them as a tool of self-preservation.

Come now, Keith; if this was her world she'd be as big as a Lion--and we aren't talking about a certain someone. Point being, of course she's fast.

A grin threatens her face as she rolls onto her side in midair and tucks in. The blade nicks her right wing and she hisses, falling before spreading them and catching herself mere inches off the ground before soaring up

And up...

...and up...

If he follows, a spark is his only warning. She turns and spits a fireball near him. It'll disappear into the horizon; it's simply a warning shot.]

[lonered]

Yeah, you definitely can.

[Keith agrees, but Morrigan is too fast for continued chatter at the moment. Keith needs to focus. There goes the dragon up and up, and Keith realizes that chasing her is probably exactly what she wants.

But he follows anyway.

He sees the fireball as it comes. Warning shot or not, it has him banking hard in the opposite direction before righting himself and flinging himself at Morrigan as fast as he can.]

[nogoldenmirror]

[It is indeed. Morrigan's eyes light up at the fact he did indeed follow her. Besides, better to at least aim for the airspace above the training grounds. It'd be bad if one of them crashed into the temple itself and gave someone a free skylight.

Well, unless they want it. Ah well.

She isn't the only one who's fast; so is Keith. Too fast to dodge, so she waits until the last possible second to slap at him with her tail.]

[lonered]

[Struck by a tail mid-air. Not his finest moment. But Keith reacts quickly and makes a grab for that tail, aiming to wrap himself around it. Why not?

Fighting a dragon is new. He's developing the skill set as he goes.

It's fun.]

[nogoldenmirror]

[She roars, sweeping her tail back and forth quickly as she begins to descend, trying to get him off. Can't get him with her claws and angling for a fire blast could get her, too. Clever boy.

Morrigan hasn't had this much fun since she first learned she could transform into this shape.

And, well, she'll give him this much: he didn't go for the wings. The wings were the worst idea. Hard to keep hold of and far too easy to tear if one doesn't have flight powers. It would also ground said dragon; things to mention in case they ever come across another that isn't, well. "Friendly" in a good sense.]

[lonered]

[This seemed like a better idea at the time. But at least it is keeping him out of the line of -- literal -- fire. He clings to the tail, moving with her as she tries to shake him off.

If he could just get higher up.

In fact, that's his strategy. He waits for the tail to sweep back and lets go all at once, rising up so now he's hovering above her before he dives, him and his sword on their way down towards Morrigan.]

[nogoldenmirror]

[If she pulls up, she exposes her back and wings vulnerable. If she tries to curl and turn out of the controlled fall, she'll expose her stomach but also could grab at him with her claws.

It's a no-brainer, really, but the risk is higher. Though she has one skill she hasn't used yet directly aimed at him. It's worth it.

She flips over, still falling and lets out a shrill roar that had stunned the shadow creatures countless times in Akvos. If he drops, she'll catch him to prevent him from going splat.]

[lonered]

[So Keith isn't expecting that. At all. And he's caught in it, given that he's not aware enough of what he's up against to have any sort of defense to it.

So he drops like a stone, though he at least keeps hold of his sword.

He snaps out of it in the moment before he crashes into her, eyes flashing yellow, sword drawn up before he remembers himself. Friendly spar. No need to stab. Breathe.]

[nogoldenmirror]

[Aaand she catches him in her claws, flipping up and out of the dive.]

Nice reflexes. Still caught you, however.

[There's a teasing quality to her voice. Hm, to let him go or not to let him go... Decisions, decisions.]

[lonered]

[And here is Keith, snagged by a dragon.

He slumps. His pride. But well, that was fun, so he can't be all that cranky about it.]

What the hell was that?

[And why did it knock him straight out of the sky?]

[nogoldenmirror]

[RIP Keith's pride; we knew thee well.]

A dragon's roar. It temporarily stuns its targets for a few seconds. I'm about to let you go. You can ride on my back if you're still disoriented.

[A lot more dignity, there. She lets him go.]

Good choice with grabbing my tail, however. Going for a wing would have one of two potential outcomes: either you lose your grip one-handed, or you accidentally tear the dragon's wing, in which you could also lose your grip and ground the dragon.

In a real fight, go for the legs and the head. Easier to disable or kill.