(Open) So say a prayer as the light leaves your eyes

[heavenstorn]

WHO: Cedrik Reede, open to all
WHERE: Stygia, the Barrens
WHEN: Month of October
WHAT: ‘Chaotic Respite’ event plus catch-all
WARNINGS: Violence expected, will edit as needed

For Felix (pre-event)

[ The time it took for Cedrik to locate and then reach the Barrens did surprisingly little to cool his temper. His Shadow was just thrilled with his decision to challenge a stranger to a duel. A part of him knew that that had to mean he was making a mistake, but he couldn’t back down. It would mean letting Felix be right, and if he was right, the Shadow was right as well.

It was a matter of principle for Cedrik now, whether Felix knew or even cared.

Finding a ruin devoid of guards, Cedrik scaled rubble that had once been a wall towards a sloping roof. The ground was unsteady but it got him high enough to look above the various twists and turns and spot anyone coming or already waiting for him. Felix had told him the ruins of the Barrens…but it’s a rather big place. ]

For Joonghyuk (Feast)

[ Once the crisis in the Oakwoods had been dealt with, Cedrik was anticipating a chance to rest. In the end it turned out alright, but the scale of it only further cemented the idea in Cedrik’s mind: Stygia needed an adventurers’ guild. His plan for the days that followed was to finalize the tenets of the guild and find a location… Instead, upon his return, Stygia was undergoing a minor transformation. Banners and decorations were being put up in the streets, stalls were being built and stocked with food. A festival was upon them.

Planning could wait, Cedrik decided.

Offering help to various other Restless, Cedrik helped the preparations and earned enough to barter for a few of the treats on display. Though there was one that caught his immediate and morbid curiosity. ]

It smells like that batch has gone off…

That, young man, is Elysium! And no one in Stygia makes a finer brew than me! The fouler it tastes, the better it works!

[ His lips quirked in a smile, letting the ‘young’ comment go without correction. The older Restless manning the booth chuckled to himself, pouring a mug of what looked to be sludge and setting it down before Cedrik. ]

It’s free…if you can finish it.

…all in one go, I assume?

That’s right, no delicate sips allow--hey!

[ Cedrik already had the mug in hand, nose wrinkling as he brought it to his lips. It smelled absolutely horrific…but the challenge wouldn’t go unanswered. Heedless of anyone else watching, the viera started to chug. ]

Comments

[boarwitness]

[the moving magic clarifies his purpose, and he clicks his tongue. it's hard to tell if he's annoyed, impressed, or both. but if he's affected beyond that, there's no hint of it—there's no pause as felix recenters himself, and launches back at cedrik--

--the flat of the knife slaps, and bounces resoundingly against his forehead with a solid smak sound. the result is an aggrieved huff—then a jab at cedrik's solar plexus. even at close range, it's less focused and concentrated than his previous strikes, clearly caught off-guard by the hit, his ire at being made fun of wobbling it.

in the corner of the room, a crack begins to form across the floor, lengthening with each step and movement. it's just settling, is all!]

[heavenstorn]

[ A half-step back to turn his body sideways makes what could have been a serious wound into a glancing blow, cutting skin rather than piercing his gut. If Felix hadn't been thrown off-guard, had been quicker with his thrust, Cedrik would be in a lot more pain.

What was that about not wanting him bleeding all over? ]

Temper!

[ Felix has been nothing but stone-faced and serious all this time, but it's only now that Cedrik thinks he should retaliate in kind. If Felix expects to make the warrior yield through ruthlessness alone...

His Shadow barely needs to nudge, Cedrik's already far too stubborn to stand for that.

He withdraws, taking several quick steps back to try and get out of sword range, and brings his hands together to attempt another magic trick. His hands begin to form the familiar patterns, gazed fixed on Felix as he hurries through the mudra--

The crack has reached the full length of the floor, from one corner to the opposite. Just one more step... ]

[boarwitness]

[the blade glances off cedrik, cutting cosmetically, and little else. stupid. he couldn't even blame that on the ridiculous shadow haunting his head. he'd have to be a little more tactical about it if he was serious about it being to the yield, and not blood sport.

cedrik steps back, and felix pauses to watch him, adjusting his footing as he does. the warrior starts forming patterns in the air with his hands, conjuring some new magic, he has no doubt. in hindsight, he probably should have outlawed the use, but would he even want to? it was hardly a worthy fight if they didn't both fight with all their potential.

which, to wit, was why felix was now running at cedrik, sword ready to strike as soon as he was close enough to do so. any magic casting was best interrupted before it could be carried out, and this could be the perfect time to force the other man out of the proverbial ring of their challenge. he runs, yelling with exertion as he prepares his blade, seconds to strike--

--and there's a terrible crack sound, followed by thousands more. beneath them, the floor they're standing on is coming apart, and in short order. as felix steps forward to swing his blade at cedrik's neck, his foot simply goes through—and he falls, head over heels, with the rest of the disintegrating support, to the floor below.

which takes the weight of the newly deposited rubble for approximately five seconds, before opening up, too. down they go, to the ground below.]

[heavenstorn]

[ The magic is meant to be quick, not even a true spell, so Felix has the right idea to close in and try to interrupt as fast as he can. Though it may not have been fast enough, Cedrik heartbeats away from releasing the Raiton spell--most likely it would strike Felix with lightning the same moment his sword cut his neck.

That is not what happens.

Felix falters and for a moment Cedrik thinks he's tripped, except he takes the ground with him and the viera drops through the rapidly growing hole with a shout of alarm.

He lands flat on his arse on the floor below, wincing in pain--the ninjutsu he'd been holding fails, manifesting as a strange white rabbit that perches on Cedrik's head, looking down at him in silent judgement. ]

Bloody--

[ Three seconds later, the rabbit vanishes. Two after that, the floor crumbles again, dropping them all one more time. ]

--hells!

[ Everything hurts...he's probably broken something. Maybe a few somethings. Yet just as he's starting to sit up, to look around and find where Felix has ended up, his ears twitch with the sound of yet more crumbling.

The walls. ]

RUN!

[ Pain be damned, Cedrik makes himself move, back on his feet to the nearest exit--dragging Felix with him if he has to. ]

[boarwitness]

[as his foot goes through, he matches cedrik's shout, and falls past the other duelist, managing to avoid landing on his head as he tumbles into the debris below. it's painful, undignified, but not life-threatening. for a moment, he lays, dazed, and manages to push himself up just in time to see a smaller bunny perched on the bigger bunny. huh.

then the floor drops again. this time all he gets out is a surprised gasp, before the nightmare continues. and this time, the rubble helpfully rearranges itself to land on him.

as the dust settles, he groans unbidden, achingly. several key body parts and limbs are, at minimum, sprained—any more than that won't be evident until the adrenaline wears off. one-handedly, he starts shifting the debris off of him, using the other to prop himself up—when cedrik is screaming, and so is the structural integrity of the entire building. a new thrill of brain chemicals dump, and with their help, he's on his feet again—although any movement is half because cedrik has him by the arm, dragging him along.

once they get clear of the shuddering building, it becomes immediately apparent how much of a close thing it was. bare moments later, the walls are collapsing on top of themselves, bringing the entire structure down in a crumbling, grinding pile of stone and metal.

for his part, felix remains standing, albeit unsteadily, watching the whole thing fall, not even bothering to shake cedrik off of him as he does. in the long moment after, as everything starts slowly settling again, he finally breathes out, unaware he'd even been holding it in.

what now?]

[heavenstorn]

[ The collapse kicks up a wave of dust, prompting Cedrik to cover his face with his arm, the other still gripped tight onto Felix's. That was most certainly noticed by someone. Are duels legal in Stygia? Property damage of this scale, even of ruins, will probably anger someone in charge somewhere.

Yet in the immediate aftermath as the dust (literally) settles...it falls quiet. There's no rushing footsteps drawing closer that the viera can hear, at least not yet. Which leaves the pair of them alone with one another, bruised and bloodied, and with a certain matter left unsettled.

Which was what, again? ]

...

[ Cedrik glances down and lets go of Felix's arm. ]

You're all right?

[boarwitness]

[at the question, he turns blankly to cedrik, and nods.]

I'm fine.

[he's not. neither of them are. but it's the kind of kneejerk response he'd give even if his arm was hanging by a thread.

glancing around, felix jerkily steps to the side, surveying the area for the exact same reason cedrik is listening keenly.]

Doesn't look like anyone's coming. [somehow.] Can you walk?

[heavenstorn]

[ At being questioned himself Cedrik makes a point to straighten his shoulders--even if doing so makes him grimace. Putting his full weight on both feet, there's no lances of pain so nothing important feels broken, which is a miracle. He's going to be a walking bruise come the morning, but he'll live. ]

Aye, I can walk.

[ From the look of it, the same can be said for Felix, so... ]

We should go separately.

[ The duel's no longer on his mind. When it comes to him again he'll brush it off as letting Felix off easy, what with the whole nearly being crushed under a collapsing building bit. For now his main concern is getting to a bed without being arrested. ]

[boarwitness]

Right.

[what duel. if there was any leftover bad blood, they could settle it another time, another place. he won't mention it if anyone asks about his bruising, because he doesn't feel like getting shouted at for foolishness, but at least they got a few good hits in. all in all, it hadn't been a waste.

still, he can't leave without a last word.]

Next time, then.

[heavenstorn]

...

[ Felix can have the last word, Cedrik will only look him in the eye and give him a silent, stoic nod before taking his leave. The sooner they're both gone from this place, the better. ]