beyondthedoor | || slipping slipping slipping

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|| slipping slipping slipping

[He can see tiny silvery branches stretching through the darkness. He follows them, though he can't explain how, and shivers as the light blue leaves brush his cheeks. At last, his hands touch the core. He is engulfed by a warm light, though without the humming he sometimes dreams about, and then there is fire. And then there is nothing at all.

The strange dream is only a prelude to something stranger. Expecting to wake up at an inn, Luke's sprawled out on cold, hard ground. The natural grass here is dry and itchy, and the sky is overcast. It's also missing the band of fonstones that can be seen night and day in Auldrant.

He sits up quickly and looks around. To the north is a gathering of white mountains, shrouded by clouds. To the east is a swamp and a line of more mountains. Otherwise, the land is gentle and not too hilly. Feels like he's sitting on something--

-- oh, hell. It's his /replica/. It's his replica and they've both been kidnapped this time. Luke rolls off and frantically shakes his shoulders.]

Ugh. Wake up, you idiot!

[He can't tell underneath all that hair, but they are both certainly gifted with some new... features.]

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[Luke doesn't meet his replica's eyes, and instead backs away, trying to give the wounded kid space. He doesn't seem to remember anything. This could get ugly.]

Bandits? Don't be stupid.

What are you talking about? You know we're not -

[He cuts himself off, biting his lip. There's no recognition in those familiar green eyes, but the marks across his chest, the haircut, even the attitude is all Sync, although Ember doubts anyone besides himself has seen the other God-General scared.

His eyes fall on the remains of wings, and Ember squeezes his eyes shut for a moment. Whether the boy in front of him remembers him or not - ]

Who hurt you?

[His normally relaxed voice is low and dangerous.]

[His eyes narrow, but he doesn't look like he's about to be hostile. On the contrary. He's more concerned with getting himself out of Ember's lap, and trying to piece together what's left of his clothes against the cold of night.]

They won't be hurting anyone ever again, [he says, looking away.] Thanks for the help. I need to get back home. [He slowly gets to his feet, though by the way he's holding his stomach, he's still quite sore.

Honestly. He's wearing little more than a sheet and some pants, and he expects to go on by himself?]

Home? You're not going anywhere. [Luke crosses his arms.] That wound will reopen if you exert yourself. Fonic artes only do so much.

[A thoughtful pause.]

Stay with us, and tomorrow you can lead us to that city.

Seriously!

[Ember's a lot less tactful than Luke; as Sync stands, Ember reaches up to grab his shoulder to stop him going any farther.]

If you keep going like that, you'll pass out somewhere and get eaten or something.

[It feels pretty weird to be talking sense into Sync, but there's still something not quite right here, so it can slide for now.]

[Sync freezes up at the touch. He tries to jerk out of it, but he's still pretty weak and... well, Ember is taller and weighs more. So he tries to push the hand away.]

This isn't something that can wait! Who do you think you are, anyway?

[Luke sighs.] I'm Luke, and this hotheaded idiot is Ember. I know it probably doesn't make any sense to you, but we're... really lost. And you look like someone he knows.

We're not going to hurt you, so have a seat. Whatever you have at home needs to wait.

I don't feel like burying anyone.

Edited 2013-03-10 06:27 (UTC)

"Really lost"? Didn't know you were so gifted in understatement.

[Ember lets his hand be pushed off Sync's shoulder, but it's with a short-lived expression of disappointment. He still doesn't intend on letting the kid go anywhere, though.]

What's so important that you need to kill yourself getting back, anyway?

[He rubs at his shoulder, trying to dispel that grip. Still, he glances at Ember and Luke and can't sense anything hostile about them. They look healthy, though woefully unprepared for camping and traveling. His brows furrow as he tries to piece it all together. Something's not right, but...]

I need to check on something.

[They have a point, though. He plops on the ground unceremoniously, pulling his knees to his chest.]

... Are you brothers?

I'm good at a few things. [He finds where he left his dinner. Splitting it evenly, he offers the rest of the chicken to the green-haired kid.]

-- Brothers? [Luke looks surprised at the question. If they were just /brothers/, things would be a lot different, wouldn't they?] Hmph. I wonder. [He turns his back to the fire, arms crossed over his chest.]

[Where Luke looks startled, Ember just laughs, dropping back into his seat from before to pick up the last few bits of his food.]

It's kind of complicated. We weren't raised together.

[And yeah, he's sure now that that isn't his Sync, because... Well, his Sync wouldn't even have to ask.]

Edited 2013-03-10 07:41 (UTC)

Huh.

[Sync feels like he missed a joke somewhere. He glances at Ember, deciding he likes the lighter-haired one a bit more than the grumpy one. A rash judgment, maybe, but he seems more eager to talk.]

I'm Sync. [He watches Ember for a moment, and asks,] You need someone to show you around Arcadia?

[Luke tosses some more wood on the fire. He's tired and bothered by something (when is he not?) and curls up on the other side of the fire, wings wrapped around himself.]

[Ember doesn't need the introduction, but he beams anyway, only a little awkwardly.]

Haha, yeah, that'd be great...

[He stretches a bit, yawning.]

It's late, though. Can I trust you to not run off or stab us in our sleep if I close my eyes for a while?

[Not really waiting for an answer, he wanders over towards Luke and lays out on his side next to his original, curling one wing over himself until it just barely brushes against Luke's.]

Fine, I don't care.

[Luke is apparently already out. But Sync sits and guards the strange redheads, at least until he nods off himself an hour later.

Of course, an hour turns into another hour, and then finally a few hours... and at some point during the night, not only has Ember plunged his face into Luke's left wing, but Sync has taken over Ember's own feathers for a blanket.

IT'S COLD AND HE WAS BARELY WEARING ANYTHING, DAMN IT.]

Edited 2013-03-10 08:52 (UTC)

[Luke doesn't expect to wake up covered in replicas. He's stiff from sleeping on the ground. Did a herd of cows walk over him last night? He certainly feels like it. He huffs a bit when he realizes Ember's cuddling his wings, and struggles to detach himself so that he can stretch.]

Ugh, move it!

[Unfortunately for Luke, Ember is slow to rouse, and the shifting of his "pillow" just results in some sleepy nuzzling.]

But 'm comfy...

[He shifts a bit before rolling more onto his stomach and half blinking his way awake.]

...Mmm, still feathery.

[Sync sits up and runs his hand through his hair. He doesn't apologize for cuddling, but he does find a good excuse to uh, roll away and get up to stretch.

He stretches a little too much and winces, but tries to keep it to himself.]

[Luke pulls away, a little more violently this time, and shakes out his wings.]

You have your own!

[A yawn, and Ember blinks sleepily after Luke for a bit before what his original said even registers.]

Yeah, but I can't tuck my face into mine like that... The anatomy's wrong.

[Overly literal replica is overly literal.]

[Sync manages to pull together his tattered robe. It's even worse in daylight, and a bit stiff where the blood dried. Nasty. He has pants on, but he's not sure ditching his only shirt would be a good option. The scars are a little... yeah.]

Are you two ready yet?

[Luke just barely resists the urge to kick his replica. His face is red. Cuddling isn't something he signed up for, okay.]

Come on. We need to get moving.

[He eyes what's left of Sync's clothes and considers handing over his coat...]

[Gosh, you guys need to learn to take a snuggle.]

Alright, alright, I'm coming...

[Probably too much to hope that there will be any hand-holding with Sync around. Ember stands and stretches his arms above his head - oh well, he's getting more used to the wings anyway. He can walk. Probably.]

Can't believe you guys aren't even stopping for breakfast, though...

If you're that desperate, there's plenty of prairie chickens out in the grass.

[Sync rolls his shoulders as he turns toward the path.]

You just have to watch out for the direwolves.

[... He's not really sure Sync is shitting them or not. He doesn't know the kid well enough to tell, and this one is a bit... different, anyway.]

We'll stop for lunch. [He's not willing to endure that much whining.

Anyway, he hopes no one notices how much he's wobbling because fucking /wings/. Points for trying, though. And not holding hands.]

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flamesfanned - 2013-04-06 09:37 (UTC) - Expand

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