logs | Hacking Up Posies (CATCH-ALL/OPEN)

This isn't art.

[The dhampir nearly snarls once he gets a better look at the rumble before them. One of those stone chucks look like it has something akin to bones wedged within them. While he might not know much about sculpting, he doubts that forming an entire skeletal frame is necessary. That could only mean one thing---]

What we're witnessing is a mass murder!

[He wastes no time summoning forth his magic this time around. Diplomacy is out the question for him and always will be in regards of such matters. In just mere seconds, a dozen or so floating red shards appear all around the gargoyle. The creature hisses at them as the shards quickly morphs into large blood-red swords.]

Begone!

[With just the snap of his fingers, those massive red blades dart right towards the gargoyle in hopes of piercing its stone-like flesh. Unfortunately, it's not going to be that easy. Every blade Augustine summoned phases right through the gargoyle one by one. They get wedged within the walls of the cave and one such blade nearly stabbed Cedrik in the process as it ricochets from the cavern floor.]

Wait, what?!

[ Cedrik is reaching the same conclusion as Augustine, the raw horror of it driving him to react in much the same way. He reaches for his sword again and draws it, taking a step forward to demand answers--but the dhampir's magic is faster.

Augustine was not aiming at him, but a brief flash of warning told him to move all the same--he jumps back, a heart's beat before the ricocheting blade slices through the air where he once stood. ]

...

[ He turns back to give Augustine a brief look. That wasn't his fault, of course, but Cedrik thinks he's allowed to be a little annoyed.

Weapon still drawn he aims it at the creature to confirm what they'd just seen. He jabs the blade forward into the thing's side--there's no reaction, no resistance. It's as if it isn't there...but how is it interacting with the stone? ]

Damn. [ Cedrik sheathes his sword, frown deepening. ] Do you know of any magic that could do this, Augustine...?

[Augustine lets out a slight cough as he averts his gaze from Cedrik. It's not like he was initially trying to skewer the poor rabbit. No, that was definitely a mistake that could've ended on a really bad note. That little blunder aside, Augustine cannot help but growl in frustration as the gargoyle continues with its massacre.

The beast picks up another stature and slams it onto the cavern floor with all its might. It seems completely disinterested in dealing with the two of them and more focused on its "art". As the beast continues with its violent antics, Augustine finds him struggling to answer Cedrik's inquiry.]

I don't know. [He mutters quietly as he circles around the gargoyle.] This could be an illusion of some sort but I'm uncertain.

[It's uncommon for such an ability to be able to interact with corporeal forms like this. Very, usual. This is why Augustine cannot help but stare in confusion as the creature smashes away at its latest victim. It's almost like this entire encounter is a simulation of some sort---]

He's not real. [The dhampir mutters as he leans close to get a better look at the gargoyle.] It's some form...of spirit, perhaps?

Not like us, though...

[ Side stepping a flying piece of stone, Cedrik makes for the edge of the cavern. The light the creature puts out isn't much, barely enough to see, and he has to squint to make anything out. ]

There must be some source. Help me--

[ For a moment he thinks he's found someone alive, that's how perfect the sculpture is. A figure, crouching behind a stack of crates, clutching their head in fear. It isn't painted like the others, in fact it's been gathering dust. Did the creature miss this one somehow?

As Cedrik kneels down for a better look, a sudden and familiar pain behind his eyes strikes. He feels the sudden pulse of a heartbeat not his own before it all starts to go black. ]

--gods damn it...

[ The Echo really has the worst timing. ]

[Augustine was lost in thought when Cedrik made a shocking discovery. He turns towards the adventurer with an expectant gaze, one that quickly morphs into worry as Cedrik suddenly starts to slouch a little. Unaware of what just transpired, Augustine quickly makes his way over towards his companion.]

Has something gone awry? [He questions while trying to steady the Viera with a gentle hand on the shoulder.] Cedrik?

[He falls silent when there's no reply. Cedrik seems to be in a daze of some sort, almost like he's no longer here with them. It's strange, far too strange for comfort. However, what's even stranger is the oddly realistic stature of a man crouching behind the crates nearby. It's completely colorless, stark white like alabaster.]

[ He's experienced enough with the Echo that he no longer passes out completely, able to keep himself from tipping over where he's crouched, but he's wholly unaware of Augustine's voice and touch.

The memories are not pleasant.

The mage's fear is palpable, bleeding into him through the vision. The desperation to escape, to silence the voice in his head by any means--there are questions the memory doesn't answer, but it shows him enough.

After a long, uncomfortable minute Cedrik snaps back to the present with a sharp breath, head lifting. The simulacrum is still doggedly smashing away in the background and Augustine is there, looking worried...

Ah. Right. ]

I saw what happened, or at least enough of it. This statue was the start of it...he turned himself to stone, trying to escape his Shadow. That thing there-- [ He nods past Augustine to the creature. ] --was meant to carry on in his stead, I think, but something must have gone wrong with the spell...

[For a second there, he feared the worst. Nothing he could say or do broke Cedrik out of that bizarre trance. It's like the man was a million miles away from here in spirit alone. If it weren't for the quiet thumping of Cedrik's heart, he would've assumed the Viera died somehow. It was a frightening affair but thankfully, it has passed.]

You're awake now? [He mutters in slight awe. Whatever happened here is beyond his understanding but it seems Cedirk is unharmed. That's...a relief.] Thank goodness, I feared that creature did something to you.

[Augustine turns his gaze towards the gargoyle with a slight growl. That stupid thing is still destroying everything within its path but thankfully, it doesn't seem interested in dealing with them.]

You saw what?

[He gives Cedrik a skeptical glance. While he has so many questions to ask, now isn't the time to ask them.]

I knew something was off about it but I didn't expect it to be a simulacrum of some sort.

[ Augustine's initial questions are answered with an apologetic smile. He's fine, yes, he's glad to reassure his friend of that much, but a full explanation will have to wait.

Though for a moment Cedrik wonders if he is fine as the memory seems to linger. The mage's dread still sits in his chest and he realizes that his own Shadow was stirred up by it. The fool tried to have it both ways, the dark thoughts murmur. To escape and still carry on...

Futile.

Cedrik's brow furrows and he gives his head a slight shake. He doesn't want to worry Augustine further. He just has to ignore it. ]

If there's some way to break the spell...but I did not see anything that would hint at how.

[ He looks to Augustine, a little hopeful that the mage will have a better idea. ]

[There doesn't seem to be a way to break this spell, at least not to the naked eye. Augustine falls silent as he observes the gargoyle. They simply can't afford to allow this creature to continue terrorizing Serene. While he can't help but feel a little sorry for it, Augustine silently refuses to leave here without some resolution. That would be reckless of him, especially since the gargoyle itself will continue with this madness.]

Maybe we can convince it to rest. [He suggests once he feels Cedrik's gaze upon him.] Convince it to end its futile attempts at 'art'.

After all, he's dead.

[He murmurs that last bit loud enough for the gargoyle to here. The creature pauses briefly before glancing towards them. Now directly facing the monster, Augustine stares directly at it as he speaks.]

You heard correctly, you're already dead.

[The dhampir gestures towards the stone figures nearby. His finger pointing towards the crouched stature of the man the gargoyle once was.]

Isn't that you? Or rather what was left of you?

[His tone is almost playful now, mocking even. He's trying to get a rise out of the creature.]

Perhaps...

[ It's the most reaction they've gotten out of the thing so far. It follows Augustine's gesture and what could possible be a worried look crosses its twisted features. Does it recognize the statue? There must be at least some awareness if it apparently hasn't even touched it in all this time.

Cedrik's brow furrows at Augustine's choice of words. Even if this works, it feels cruel--

It's a kindness. You should know that by now...here, let me h e l p...

The simulacrum shakes its head, though hesitant, and returns to its smashing. ]

...I must create art!

[ Cedrik hunches, one hand clutching at his head as his Shadow's 'help' becomes more and more insistent. It's not threatening to seize control, not like it had that day in the maze, but it won't shut up. Is this what the mage was dealing with all the time?

You want to help, don't you? Then let me talk to it. The creature will be at peace, people will stop being killed--at least for a while--everybody wins. I thought you liked happy endings...

...

If it would help...

Cedrik stands up straight, his expression placid as he calmly steps up next to Augustine, addressing the creature. ]

What good will your art be when there's no one left to see it? They'll be forgotten. Just as you will. And even then...eventually the paint will chip away and the stones will erode to dust.

It will all amount to naught, in the end. Why bother at all?

[Sometimes kindness is anything but kind, especially when wrapped within the truth.

This is Augustine’s intention as he verbally spits his venom. He wants to shake the very core of this simulacrum, he wants to break it apart and shatter it with the truth of its being. That’s the only way to put an end to this curse, the only way to put this undying soul at peace. While it might seem a bit cruel to Cedrik, there’s no better antidote than the bitter draught of truth. ]

Your art is meaningless! [He shouts at the creature with a slight hiss at the end of his words.] If you can’t perceive the principles of creation, then what makes you think your ‘art’ will be valued beyond mere vandalism?

[That monster is no artist. No, it’s nothing more than a feckless destroyer. While Augustine isn’t at all without sympathy, he cannot allow such villainy to continue. This is why he offers such bitter truth in hopes of sending this malevolent soul away. However, his words won’t be the ones to reach this wayward soul.]

Cedrik?

[There’s a hint of confusion in his tone as he regards the Viera. Something feels off, painfully off about Cedrik now. While the other always acted as a pillar of strength and undying optimism, something about Cedrik now makes the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end.]

[ Augustine's on the right track. What the creature needs is truth, but it has to be a deeper truth than what the dhampir is giving. 'Cedrik' looks across his shoulder at Augustine, answering the questioning tone with a wan smile.

He looks so tired.

The creature, meanwhile, has stopped cold, looking around the scattered stones. It reaches for one, clutching and turning it over in his hands. It's part of a woman's face, her lovingly painted eye the only recognizable feature. A very soft shade of green. ]

I...I must...?

[ Cedrik comes closer, close enough to cover the thing's hands with his own. It's a phantom touch, he's still not able to physically interact, but the gesture is what matters.

His voice is so terribly gentle... ]

It's all right. Even if you stayed, kept creating until time's end, it would still all fade to nothing. Why continue?

[ The creature is wavering, its formerly vehement protests are gone, faded into whimpering uncertainty. Cedrik asks him one last question, full of concern. ]

Haven't you suffered enough?

[ The simulacrum breaks in a silent crash of dust, the stone it clung to falling to the ground. ]

[It’s the melancholy in Cedrik’s words that gives Augustine pause. While he has witnessed something similar from others, it’s almost as if Cedrik has been swallowed by grief. His entire demeanor feels like a mélange of anguish and gloom. He feels so much colder and distant now. Gone is the familiar warmth in his eyes and his usual cheerful little smirk. It’s all been replaced by this oppressive gloom that threatens to push the man towards the brink of the void. While he’s fully aware that each of them possess a “shadow” version of themselves, Augustine simply can’t rationalize what he feels right now.

This feels…wrong. Horribly wrong.

The Cedrik he knows isn’t this glum or morbid. Yes, the adventurer can be a bit of a rascal at times but he’s not like this. He doesn’t like whatever “this” is and he plans on saving Cedrik from it.]

Enough.

[He commands once the last remnants of the simulacrum suddenly fades into nothingness.]

While their prolonged existence didn’t serve any reason beyond destruction, you are not the same as them.

[Augustine chooses his words carefully as he regards Cedrik. He feels as if the man is teetering over a knife’s edge right now. One false move and the Cedrik he knows will cease to be.]

[ The gentle expression fades as 'Cedrik' regards Augustine, slowly twisting into a wicked smirk. The dhampir has been a fine comrade to Cedrik these past weeks. He'd go as far as to call him a friend, in fact.

That won't do. That won't do at all. ]

Aren't I? Or...oh, was that too much?

[ He gestures carelessly behind him to where the simulacrum once stood. ]

All we've ever done is destroy. Merely being close to us is begging for death. He doesn't like to talk about that, though...

...but if you're still so 'fascinated', oh, the stories I could tell...

[Augustine meets his smirk with a glare. This is no longer the mild-mannered adventurer he has come to respect but rather the man's awful shadow born from his sorrow and self-doubts. He has learned much about those shadowy entities that lurk within them but this marks the first time he ever seen one emerge. It’s a little unsettling to say the least, especially since this entity seems to loathe its host.]

Even if you were the world’s greatest raconteur, I know better than to believe in your tall tales since you’ll twist the truth.

[While he’s certain that Cedrik has a couple of skeletons in his metaphorical closet, he doesn’t believe the man to be anything but genial and well meaning. That’s why he’s so willing to stare that malevolent entity down with such a rueful gaze. He trusts Cedrik.]

The road of good intentions is often paved in blood and I trust Cedrik was only doing what he deemed right throughout his journeys.

[His thoughts stray back to that one tale regarding the young girl he found within the forest. Cedrik could’ve easily shooed the child and her family away but he didn’t. Instead, he chose to help them and acted as their stalwart protector. How can anyone that kind and generous be anything but good?]

'Intentions', tsk...as if they matter.

[ The Shadow's distaste is obvious. It's just so frustrating. This is something Cedrik knows to be true but continues to deny. To hear it from his 'friend' is just as irritating. He's never going to learn if he keeps hanging around such blind, foolish people. ]

Tell me, what were your intentions when you defied the Empire? What did they amount to? Naught.

I know--none know better, in fact--what his intentions were. Whatever good he managed was ephemeral, his victories hollow, his righteousness a lie, because it does. Not. Matter.

[ Something slips in the Shadow's expression. A flash of anger instead of the calm acceptance it had been showing so far. If its control were to falter further, maybe...? ]

I defied my empire because I knew right from wrong.

[He proudly states without a single shred of regret in his tone.]

I’ve long come to terms with my decisions much like Cedrik has long come to terms with his.

[While there’s still so much he doesn’t know about Cedrik, he can tell that his friend is a man who stands upon his convictions. Whatever missteps he made along the way were surely righted by him as he continued to venture across Eorzea and beyond her. Augustine trusts that Cedrik does his best to live his life without regrets. That’s why he can look Cedrik’s shadow in the eyes and deny all of the foul things it may say on his friend’s behalf. Nothing will sway Augustine from thinking that Cedrik tried the best that he could for those who needed him.]

While my story may have ended far too soon, Cedrik accomplished everything that he could to ensure a future for others.

[He states firmly in hopes of shaking the shadow’s morale with his words.]

I’m certain the little girl he once saved all those years ago is eternally grateful to him.

[ The Shadow doesn't bother to hide the way his eyes roll at first. He still doesn't understand...but that's fine. There's only so much he can do to convince Augustine of the truth. Right and wrong are all well and good in the moment, but in the long run they amount to less than dust. Augustine's actions caused no meaningful change, the Empire would have crumbled with or without the dhampir's actions, no matter what they were. It's what Empires--what everything--eventually does. Everything...including-- ]

That girl will still die.

[ The Shadow's patience has finally snapped. His expression twists into raw, frustrated anger as Augustine dares to bring her up. ]

Illness or old age...it doesn't matter! All he did was buy time before--

[ Cedrik does not like where this has been going. The Shadow's voice stops short as if seized by the throat, eyes widening briefly before shifting into a different sort of anger. He's not quite looking at Augustine anymore... ]

--she will die...happy and free...safe after a long, worthy journey...

Yes, she might still die. [He admits plainly without a hint of remorse in his tone.] However, she will live a long and happy life all thanks to the very same man you profane with your presence.

[Nothing is eternal, nothing at all. Long ago, Augustine once thought that his family would live forever in bliss ignoring the lullaby of Death. However, he was sadly mistaken. When he lost his entire family, he swore that would be the end of him. He didn't think he could go on after witnessing such horrors and often wished he had died with them. Thankfully, he managed to find the will to continue. The will to live a long and happy life. Although, this revelation came a bit too late for him.]

I'm certain that little girl will grow to ripe old age with a smile on her face long before she breathes her last breath.

[Augustine purposely approaches the Shadow once he realizes it's trying to escape his gaze. He won't let it run and hide now. The only way for this malevolent shadow will vanish is if it faces the truth.]

There's no such thing as buying time, but there is such a thing as saving lives.

[ The Shadow isn't 'running' as much as it's actively being hunted down. Cedrik's wrestling control back from that part of himself, the anger evaporating from his eyes as he blinks, finally seeming to become aware of Augustine's presence again. ]

...she's reached her 30th summer by now, I expect.

[ He wonders if she's had children of her own. He hopes so. Even if she's forgotten the scary rabbit man who found her in the woods all those years ago... ]

Thank you, Augustine. I...lost track of things for a moment, there.

[A sigh of relief escapes Augustine once Cedrik slowly comes back to himself. This whole notion regarding one’s Shadow honestly baffles him. While Augustine has contested against the darker side of him who wants nothing else to destroy and hurt, he doesn’t quite understand how such darkness can engulf others.

Cedrik is a paragon among his kind, a gentle soul with a strong sense of wanderlust. He’s as mundane as they come at first glance, a good natured fellow with a cheerful disposition. However, the shadow he casts is that of someone who is wrathful and hateful towards themself. It’s a rather disturbing realization, one that Augustine memos for questioning later. What is it about his dear friend that makes him so angry and remorseful? The question is upon the tip of his tongue but he doesn’t dare ask it now.]

Welcome back.

[He states with a half-hearted smile as he regards the Viera. The last thing he wants is for Cedrik to lose his way and become like the gargoyle they slain. That would be a dismal end for his close compatriot, especially after spending so much time with the man.]

You had me worried there for a moment.

[The dhampir admits with a sigh before glancing at the broken statues nearby. There’s nothing that can be done for the victims here. Everyone who's been turned to stone surely perished in the process. While there might be a means to revert them back to flesh, Augustine is certain that the souls of these victims have since vanished into nothingness.]

I suggest we quit this place.

[He whispers to Cedrik.]

Ha, my apologies...

[ Yes, Cedrik expects Augustine has a lot of questions after that little display. He's not looking forward to them. Not just because of the ugliness of it all, but it can be so hard to put to words. Showing him would be better, even if it meant a trip to the Shadowlands, to his door--

It's too great a risk. The fewer people who see beyond your door the safer it will be.

--but he may have to settle for words, in the end. ]

...but yes, agreed. We'll need to report this to the authorities in Serene, as well. They may wish to send someone to retrieve the remains...

[ A pointless gesture, perhaps. But one that may bring solace to those who knew the departed. That small bit of good would be worth it.

Cedrik puts a hand on Augustine's shoulder and gives him a firm, reassuring squeeze before moving past to help guide him out. Without the simulacrum it's gotten a lot darker again, but not as bad as before. Perhaps the magic was effecting it somehow? They'll never know for sure. ]

Hacking Up Posies (CATCH-ALL/OPEN)

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