[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]

[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.

[lonered]

I'm good I think.

[Let go and he finds his footing. Or whatever the aerial equivalent to footing is, flying up alongside Morrigan once more.]

That's good to know. I'll remember that... if I ever come across a dragon that wants to fight.

[Huh.] You know that would've sounded weird once.

[And now it doesn't. This is his life.]

[nogoldenmirror]

[Don't look at her; she has no idea. As it is, she can't help the laugh escaping her at that one.]

And I would have thought the sound of allies weird once, yet here we are.

[Her mother's corpse must be rolling around in the swamp they called home as they speak.]

[lonered]

Yeah. I get how that goes though.

[For him that word is friends. But he has them now, and most of it is Shiro's fault for seeing him a lifetime ago.]

Thanks for the spar though. We should try it again sometime. Dragon or not.

[nogoldenmirror]

[Hush she's still getting used to even saying the "F" word. Allies is far simpler at the moment. Yet all the same, she ironically has her boyfriend to thank for that as well.]

I'll warn you: I am terrible with weapons, but I could try as a wolf... [She grins. It was fun, Keith.]

[lonered]

Wolf, huh? Yeah, that sounds pretty great to me.

[And then, almost wistfully.] I have a wolf, back home. Sort of. I mean, he's from the Quantum Abyss, and he can teleport, but he's a good friend.

[Keith misses him. But he'll probably have an idea or two for sparring with a wolf better than he did with a dragon.]

[nogoldenmirror]

It is one of the few forms from home she left me with.

[Sometimes she misses being a bear. Or an insect and startling people with the forms. Ah, well. Yet she listens as they fly about, a quiet hum escaping her.]

...My love has a mabari hound who imprinted on him when he saved the dog. He can't teleport, but the breed is notoriously intelligent and far more understanding of languages than most give them credit for.

[lonered]

[Things Keith is noting here and now. 1. "My love" because aww, Morrigan. Love is great, right? And 2. dogs are awesome.]

Dogs are great. I like animals a lot. Sometimes they're easier to figure out than people are.

[Most of the time they're easier to figure out than people are, honestly. At least for him.]

[nogoldenmirror]

[1. It is terrifying and she hates the sense of dependence. It would have been so much easier for her if she didn't know how it feels, and yet... Yes. Yes, it is. And painful. 2. Dogs are great. Wolves are even better.]

That they are, when they don't leave half-eaten hares in your packs.

[Yet she says it with as much fondness as she does disgust. Tell any of her former allies that if they show up, and Keith is dead to her. She glances to him, debating on saying it or not, before she sighs and relents.]

In my world, part of how mages become shapeshifters is by observing animals and their behaviors, taking on a similar appearance. I often ran further into the wilds to escape, finding refuge with the birds or the wolves. Bears even taught me how to fish like they do.

[lonered]

[That's true. Love is scary as hell. But also pretty wonderful. Keith can confirm. He can't help a snort of a laugh at that.]

I think that's dog for 'let's be friends' honestly.

[Congrats, Morrigan. Clearly you were blessed. With half-eaten hares.

But oh now that is interesting.]

That's kind of incredible. When I was a kid, I would've loved to escape, become something else.

[Anything else. Anything that would've made him feel for even a moment like he could escape from never belonging from always being different.]

[nogoldenmirror]

[Morrigan rolls her eyes, very close to saying "in her freshly clean unmentionables" when he admits that and she cringes.]

...I would have liked that, too. [Says the witch; admitting it quietly as, at last, she begins to drop down in altitude.]

In the end, the change is a magical one... You may change physically, but you cannot change the soul within. It will always remain what it is, and communication barriers will persist.