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erku mods ([personal profile] erkumods) wrote in [community profile] ercookies2021-09-20 03:04 pm
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TDM017: SYSTEMS UPGRADE

TDM017: SYSTEMS UPGRADE



Updating environmental system to version 2.69...




When you blink your eyes open, it is to the glare of blinding overhead lights and the sight of a pair of glassy mechanical eyes boring into your own. The face above yours moves like liquid mercury, forming an approximation of a figure that you recognize and trust implicitly: a friend, a loved one, a caretaker. Perhaps even a god or a goddess. From its lips fall the patterns of a language that is strange and robotic, and yet familiar to you:

Everything is fine.

Welcome to the ̶͓̃N̵̼̈ă̷͙m̴̝͋e̵͕͐l̴͔̋e̷̦͘š̴͙s̵̬̚ ̵̝͌I̴͙͐s̵͖̄l̷̞̓à̴͖n̷̺̏d̵̮͠.̶̼̊<


Darkness overtakes you once again. In the blackness of your dreamless sleep, you are sure you hear a strange chime. You are conscious of a choice:




Yes





Y̶o̶u̶ ̸h̵a̸v̸e̵ ̸c̷h̸o̶s̵e̵n̷ ̶w̶i̶s̵e̴l̷y̸.̷

The Augur thanks you for your loyalty.


I. Orientation


With your support, the Nameless Island will thrive and prosper -- but it may require a little more energy than usual to sustain. Step outside and you will soon see why: the skies are calm, the seas are clear and blue, and the pink sands of the beach have never looked more inviting.

Rome wasn't built in a day, but a facsimile of it certainly was. Enjoy new facades for all of the structures in the Nameless City - everything has been retooled, renewed, and restored to be sleek, shiny, and the absolute height of high tech, eco-friendly luxury, with lush greenery and futuristic architecture blending together seamlessly. You have been transported from the hospital directly to your new residence in either the Apartments or in the House of Worship, sparsely furnished with all the basics and some of your belongings. A friend, partner, or stranger may be there with you. This may be your roommate, but this place isn't hurting for space. No robot will stop them from selecting their own room if they wish.

The Augur calls everyone to the Loudinus Amphitheater, an outdoor stage nestled among the tropical foliage where 'bots put on a play about the purpose of the island, the Auspicious Acts, and the history of the past year, including the all-too-recent attack on the Augur. The robot sex scenes are numerous and explicit, and you may find yourself watching a horribly butchered version of any of your old encounters.

Pick up a free Playbook, a comprehensive list of the dramatis personae with detailed character profiles, and learn a thing or two about your fellow Islanders. No detail is too trivial!

(This play will be streamed to all devices to be viewed remotely, and a digital download of the Playbook is also available.)


II. With Great Power



As a boon for taking on guardianship of the land, characters will find themselves sublimating into the purest form of themselves, embodying a particular trait, quality, or concept to the point where they might as well be revered as its new lawful ruler. That's right: you've become as gods, right down to the development of unique magic powers OR changes to your form which reflect the very core of your being. Enjoy being able to create water, fly with your brand new wings, or even summon geese... among other things.

Of course, with semi-phenomenal, nearly-cosmic power comes semi-phenomenal, nearly-cosmic responsibility! After each expenditure of your new powers, you find yourself becoming weaker, hungrier -- but what you're craving isn't food or rest, it's eros energy. The more outrageous your power or transformation, the more your body will crave the completion of an Auspicious Act. Those who do not gather Eros Energy will be driven mad by this lust, until they begin to lose touch with their sense of self - perhaps even some of their most defining memories.

If the burden proves too great, these powers or changes may be wished away with a request to the Augur and the exchange of one Act.


No





You have chosen to exist away from the Augur's wisdom and b̷e̴n̸e̵v̵o̵l̶e̴n̵c̴e̸.

Please accept your gracious punishment. Have a p̴l̷e̷a̵s̴a̸n̷t̵ day!


III. Dis-Orientation


You awake outside of city limits, out of sight and out of mind, but with the looming sight of the bright and shiny Nameless City always on the horizon. What surrounds you is not luxury, but instead drab, run-down buildings and despair. Your orientation, an extravagant and sexually explicit play which describes the purpose and recent history of the Island, is remotely streamed to your device. Watch it if you wish. Meanwhile, there are a few 'bots to be seen among the rubble and rundown buildings that surround you -- but are they friend or foe? Ask them questions about what has happened to you, and they will be vague and evasive. You're inside a simulation, they say, and this is all very temporary while the Augur's systems update.

They do have one answer for you: if you want into the Nameless City before that time comes, it will cost you an Auspicious Act... and a visit to the Augur. The 'bots will escort you there, if you wish.

These robots are a far cry from the well-oiled machines of the Nameless City, though they're no less helpful. In a rundown shack, a robot bartender dispenses rations and bootleg moonshine. (You can even check out the bathtub it's brewed in!) The liquor is definitely real, and it can definitely strip the rust right off the robots. Whether it's fit for human consumption remains to be seen. Regardless, it's going to give you the night of your life - drinking the stuff may cause a variety of effects, from normal intoxication, to erections lasting more than four hours, to wild hallucinations.


IV. It's Morphin' Time


Later, the rogue robots bring some scavenged technology: small, pink globes with "PROJECT DAEMON" etched on the side. These globes bond to specific individuals and morph into different creatures based on the emotions that those individuals exhibit: someone feeling brave might find themselves with a bright, roaring lion, while someone scared may find themselves pocketing a small mouse. A singer may find themselves warbling alongside a siren.

They shift often and at will, and they are here to help you survive in this landscape. Need someone to help you catch fish, gather firewood, or find you a partner to complete that Auspicious Act? This little critter has your back!

These creatures can communicate with everyone in simple language, but you'll soon realize they're not just voicing their own thoughts, but the thoughts of the person they've bonded with.

These are temporary creatures who will run out of power by the end of the month, though they can be resurrected with rewards at a later date.


Continue




V. The Doctor's Back In


All of this must be a lot for Islanders to take in and process. A lot of new information, new feelings, and new surroundings to become acquainted with. But they should know they are not alone here. Dr D. Love is still as present as ever to help anyone who may need to work through accepting their new situation. He and his helpers might even be rather insistent on you having a session!

Whether you're in the city or out of it, you may suddenly awaken to find yourself sitting in a comfortable chair in the doctor’s newly remodeled office that is tastefully decorated with finely detailed, “hand” painted posters of beings in positions of pleasure. So many positions. Or you may find yourself in the Immersion Room, an equally tastefully decorated room filled with a large, comfortable bed (perfect for group therapy sessions!) and shelves full of toys and other supplies. For the duration of your session, enjoy access to anything one might need to help relieve the stress of their body and mind on their own - or with a partner, who might have been brought here just as unwittingly as you were.

The Doctor is there to help you work through your feelings and discomfort if needed, please have no fear. He knows some of you may be resistant to his help, but he’s as cheerful and devoted as ever, to the point of not letting you leave the building until you’ve admitted to whatever feelings you are holding back - not just to him, but also to your therapy buddy. What's the diagnosis? The fact is, you must not be receiving enough pleasure. You are too tense, you need to relax and allow yourself to embrace the carnal nature of this world and what it can provide you.

The more you resist, the more the Doctor shall insist. He may even choose to activate your Neural Implant, which all Islanders have been gifted with upon arrival. Said neural implant may cause immediate arousal, sexual attraction to those near you, and even turn various parts of your body into extreme erogenous zones! Once activated, the Implant's effects may kick in at the most random of times.

The Doctor knew all you needed was the right motivation.


OOC Notes:


Welcome to the updated Erku! As this is a setting shift and a re-launch of sorts, this TDM is open to top-levels from both current and prospective players. Feel free to tag around with reckless abandon, and have fun!

Whether you are new or old, it is entirely up to you as to whether your character wakes up in the Nameless City or in the ruinous world of the Simulation. Even characters who acted to attack in the Augur in Event 16 may wake up in the City and vice-versa, according to player preference. This simulation is a temporary run and will last for about two weeks (in other words, the duration of the TDM), at which point all characters will wake in their new Nameless City apartments. Even if you choose "No", you may future-date prompts for the City for this time period.

For now, previously requested safe havens and residences are not currently accessible. They will be made available again in following Simulations, but 'bots are inclined to leave characters in mystery and suspense about this!

Feel free to ask questions below.




N A V I G A T I O N

bestswordmaster: (postskip OH SHIT OH FUCK)

1a >:3

[personal profile] bestswordmaster 2021-09-21 03:17 am (UTC)(link)
[When a second person walks into the room, Felix is crouching on the floor and rummaging around in the closet for something, grumbling to himself. The room only has one bed in it, so he didn't bother to look too closely at the fact that some of the things here aren't his; he's just been looking for the damn cat.

But the second he hears that voice, he freezes. He doesn't move or say anything for a long moment, not until the owner of that voice stops talking.

Then he stands up and whirls around - and promptly smacks his head on the doorknob on the way up, in his hurry.]


Sylvain?--OW FUCK.

[He stands there pressing one hand against the back of his head and staring at Sylvain with a jumbled mess of an expression on his face.]
crestlaiden: (63)

[personal profile] crestlaiden 2021-09-21 03:40 am (UTC)(link)
[Although he hadn't immediately seen that it was Felix when he'd walked in, simply hearing movement and spotting the shape of a person, he'd quickly recognized whose back he'd been talking to before Felix spins around, the sharing thing half a joke, except... not. The room seemed to hold both of their belongings and, unlike Felix, he'd just seen his friend a few hours ago so seeing him, even in this strange place, didn't strike him as that weird.]

Hey. [He chuckles.] You have any idea what's going on? If you're here, does that mean... -what?- that the whole monastery got... magically... moved? [He's obviously having difficulty trying to make the dots connect and ends up giving up, scratching the back of his head.

The mix of expressions struggling across Felix's face immediately sends a sympathetic pang through his chest and his expression softens, completely misunderstanding why Felix is feeling so conflicted.]
Hey, it's okay. We'll figure this out, Fe. Together.
bestswordmaster: (postskip concerned)

[personal profile] bestswordmaster 2021-09-21 03:56 am (UTC)(link)
['Hey'? That's it? He's gone for months and Sylvain acts like it's been a day? Felix's face goes back to the much more familiar scowl. The one that says he's not actually angry, just...generally pissy. Or at least, trying to be pissy.]

The only thing we have to 'figure out' is where that stupid cat ran off to. Everything else is here.

[But he continues to just sort of look at Sylvain instead, until the scowl fades.]

I suppose you just arrived? Didn't you come out of the ocean like everyone else?

[It hasn't occurred to Felix yet what exactly it means that Sylvain is asking him where they are and what's going on....]
Edited 2021-09-21 06:37 (UTC)
crestlaiden: (89)

[personal profile] crestlaiden 2021-09-21 06:44 am (UTC)(link)
... A cat? What cat?

[And why did Felix sound like he knew where they were? His non-confusion was almost more confusing than anything else.]

Just arrived? I... guess so? I woke up in a... room. The Professor was there. Sort of. It wasn't him, not really, but it was trying to be. [He shakes his head, trying to push the memory away. The uncanny valley of it all hadn't been reassuring, it'd made his skin crawl.]

Did everyone else come out of the ocean? Did you come out of the ocean?? [He's so confused.]
bestswordmaster: (postskip felix explains it all)

[personal profile] bestswordmaster 2021-09-21 07:08 am (UTC)(link)
My cat. The stray that followed me here from the monastery.

[He very deliberately does not offer the cat's name.

His gaze lingers on Sylvain's face just a little longer, some things starting to sink in. Like the fact that Sylvain doesn't seem to have any idea what's going on despite having been here before. Just like the other Felix. Is this the same Sylvain who tried to turn him into a monster? Turned human again, and without his memories?

Whatever. Doesn't matter. He's back to normal and that's all that matters.

Felix sighs and sits down on the bed. Explaining all this is going to be tedious, but it's Sylvain, so he doesn't mind. ...wait.

Wait. Shit. It's Sylvain. And he has to explain all of this. He considers just skipping over all of...that...and letting Sylvain learn it some other way, but. But. The last thing he wants to have to see is some woman explaining it to him - because of course he'd ask the first woman he saw - and then inviting her off to fulfill some squares with him or whatever.

No way. He'll explain it or die of embarrassment trying.]


Quit hovering over there, it's annoying.

[Which is Felix-speak for an invitation to sit, probably.]

Yes, I came out of the ocean. Several months ago, I would have thought you'd notice that I was missing.

[Under other circumstances that would have come out more snappish, but he suspects Sylvain's going to say he wasn't missing, considering the way he's acting. He'll ask Seteth about it later.]

Everyone here who isn't an automaton came from some other world. It's not the whole monastery, but there are quite a few of us here from Fodlan. ...Dimitri is here. And Ashe, and Seteth. And some Black Eagles.

[He barely registers that he called the king 'Dimitri' and not 'the boar' without thinking. The whole...Edelgard thing, they can get into later.]

It's an island. Usually, people who show up here get washed up on the shore. But everything's been different since the attack.

[His jaw tightens. The thing with Sylvain's face rises up in his mind's eye, but he crushes the image. He tries to glance subtly at Sylvain's wrist to see if he already has a bracelet or not.]
Edited 2021-09-21 07:10 (UTC)
crestlaiden: (68)

[personal profile] crestlaiden 2021-09-22 04:20 am (UTC)(link)
[Felix doesn't even need to invite him over to the bed, Sylvain trailing after him towards it as if he's a little nervous to let him get too far from him. In this strange world with strange beings taking on familiar faces, Sylvain doesn't want to let Felix out of his sight just yet. He still feels like he's completely off balance but there's Felix, a steadying, reassuring force in middle of all of this.

He doesn't sit immediately though, that does take a bit of prompting from Felix, the familiar annoyance making him crack a fond smile before he takes a seat beside him.]


Several... I saw you this morning. How have you been here several months?

[The lack of the insulting nickname for Dimitri doesn't even have time to sink in before he's stiffening slightly at the mention of the Black Eagles.]

The attack? From Edelgard? [Felix had mentioned them and his understanding of what was happening here was still far too narrow, like it was merely some strange extension of their own world and not some place new entirely.]

Well, I definitely didn't wash up anywhere. Not that I could anyway. [He glances down at his plate mail.] Guess I should count myself lucky that isn't where I ended up.

[Luckily for Felix, Sylvain's arrival had included him not only receiving his bracelet but getting something of a rundown of what was expected in order to make energy to fuel this place. He really didn't need it explained again but he also had no idea that Felix was debating over how to broach the topic.]

Alright, so you showed up in the ocean here. To you, you've been here for months. And Ashe and Dimitri are here too? Oh, and a cat. And Seteth. And the enemy... [He rubs his face before threading his fingers through his hair in a self-assuring gesture.]
bestswordmaster: (postskip talking)

[personal profile] bestswordmaster 2021-09-22 04:58 am (UTC)(link)
[It doesn't even stand out to Felix that Sylvain's following him around. One of them has always been following the other around, more or less.

You know, until Sylvain started following girls around instead. But anyway.]


I don't know. It's something about this world somehow taking us from different points in time, or series of events. What's the last thing you remember from home?

[Felix shakes his head.]

No, not Edelgard. They're not the enemy here. Dimitri struck a truce with her. The attack was...

[Hey, Felix. I didn't expect to see you fighting for the other side. He scowls and shoves the memory aside.]

Monsters came out of the sea to destroy the Augur. The thing that brought us here. Some kind of machine that controls the automata. We--

[He pauses, remembering Constance on her black pegasus.]

Most of us fought them. Not that I would object to marching an army against our captors, but the creatures attacked indiscriminately. We were rapidly losing ground, but we must have held them off long enough for the Augur to do something.

[Dimitri's blood pooling on the ground, his eye closing. Felix's sword hand shaking, and he said...something. And then... Then he's not sure. He threw himself into the horde in a blind rage, that much he knows, but nothing else.]

I don't know what. All I know is that we all slept. Woke up here about a week ago.

[Couldn't find Dimitri's house; it no longer seemed to be on the map. Went to the hospital and found him there. Recovering. Alive. Even now, a nagging feeling hovers at the edge of his mind that he should be there, not here. But if he'd been there, he would have missed Sylvain's arrival.

Besides, Dimitri has an emperor to watch over him now. No need of a Shield with her around.

Felix has more immediately important things to worry about, anyway. Like...]


...I see you let them give you one of those things.

[He nods toward the bracelet, as evenly as he can manage.]
Edited 2021-09-22 05:03 (UTC)
crestlaiden: (65)

[personal profile] crestlaiden 2021-09-23 04:29 am (UTC)(link)
What do I remember? [He sighs, suddenly looking deeply tired, worn down beyond his years, as he thinks back to where they are in the war.] We've been marching. We're maybe a day's march out from Fort Merceus.

[He doesn't want to think about what's waiting for them there.]

... What about you? [If Felix is right, that means he may have just given him a glimpse into the future, or maybe Felix was about to do that for him. Either way, it's weird to think about, that their experiences down to the passage of time were desynced.]

So, you're saying people show up in the sea and then monsters came out of the sea? Could they have been warped there like we were? I mean, magic like that doesn't always do what you want it to, right?

[He tries to follow Felix's story, brows knitting slightly at the gaps. Before he can say much about it though, Felix points out the bracelet and he glances down at it.]

Yeah? Why? What's wrong with it?
bestswordmaster: (postskip look away)

[personal profile] bestswordmaster 2021-09-23 05:15 am (UTC)(link)
[Felix actually relaxes a little.]

You're probably only a week or two ahead of me. We were just about to depart for the fortress from Derdriu. Good to know we won't be ambushed on our way there.

[Felix frowns; he hadn't thought about it like that.]

Perhaps. Many of them weren't recognizable as people at all. But some of them...seemed to be people who used to be here. Looked and spoke like them, but they were walking corpses.

[As Sylvain looks at his bracelet, Felix looks away from it.]

Nothing. Have you used it yet?
crestlaiden: (119)

[personal profile] crestlaiden 2021-09-24 05:03 am (UTC)(link)
That's wild. But. Even though the last things we both remember back home are aren't that far apart... you're saying you haven't seen me in months? [He isn't sure why he's hung up on that bit of information but it bothers him. Like he's unintentionally abandoned Felix even if it was well beyond his control.]

Right, but sometimes when you start opening up portals, things start popping through that you don't want. You tap into places you didn't mean to. [That's how magic was. You always had to be wary of the unintended consequences of what you were doing.

He once again glances down at the bracelet, turning his arm so that it rolls on his wrist.]
Use it? You mean do any of the stuff they want us to do? [He shakes his head, hair moving as he does.] Nah. You're actually the first person I've run into so far. Aside from the weird... thing that was there when I woke up.

...

...

[He wets his lips and before worrying on them for a moment, debating how to ask this. He looks to Felix, expression unreadable, a practiced neutral though his eyes look sharp and intense, an expression not so different than the one he assumes when playing cards, keen on picking up any little hint of a tell but careful not to give anything away himself.] Have you?
bestswordmaster: (postskip you don't say........)

[personal profile] bestswordmaster 2021-09-24 05:49 am (UTC)(link)
Yes. That's what I said.

[And then he suddenly remembers what he told Seteth that night on the boat and hopes to the Goddess he never says a word about it. But to be honest, that was by far not the only time Felix has wished Sylvain would show up. He doesn't know or care what it means that it didn't happen until everything changed. He's just glad it did. He's not used to not having Sylvain around.

He shrugs.]


You think the Augur summoned the monsters by accident? I don't know. Dimitri said they attacked a year ago, as well, but in fewer numbers and with less strength. There's something strange about the ocean here. There are ruins beneath it that used to be some kind of city. I have a feeling whatever the walking dead were, they came from there.

[He expects Sylvain to ask him what the bracelet does, or how to turn it on, or something. He doesn't expect his best friend to already know about what the Augur wants them to do. Though there's a weird feeling of...relief, maybe? That Sylvain hasn't run into anyone else yet. And therefore hasn't done anything on his card yet.

Shut up, brain.

He gives Sylvain a wary look in return, but unfortunately Felix has always been incredibly easy to read, even for people who haven't known him his entire life. There's no way Sylvain misses the way his eyes widen and his jaw tightens at the question. His next words are much more snappish.]


What difference does it make? Did they explain what all of that nonsense is for?
Edited 2021-09-24 05:50 (UTC)
crestlaiden: (35)

[personal profile] crestlaiden 2021-09-27 01:12 am (UTC)(link)
I don't know. I guess, I'm saying it's a possibility.

[He nods, thoughts wandering from the ruins and monsters to much more intimate pressing issues. He glances down at the bracelet again, playing with it, remembering what some of the squares had said.]

I don't know, sounds like it might make some kind of difference since you brought it up.

[Of course, he hadn't missed the way the counter question had made Felix tense up, the muscle in his jaw straining for a moment. He shrugs a little at his follow up question.] Energy or something, right?

Hey, are you trying to say you missed me? [His smile turns into a huge teasing grin as he bumps Felix's shoulder with his own, hoping to lighten the mood a little.] You can just say it!
bestswordmaster: (Default)

[personal profile] bestswordmaster 2021-09-27 10:13 am (UTC)(link)
It doesn't.

[His tone is stubborn; he refuses to tell Sylvain of all people about his sex life on the island. He would never hear the end of it.]

Right. But be careful. The automata are always trying to force our hands. Don't eat anything they've made or accept any gifts from them. There are other ways to get food and necessities here.

[Felix turns to see that big, stupid grin on Sylvain's stupid handsome face and Goddess help him, he did miss this fool. Things never feel quite right when Sylvain isn't around, and this was worse than usual because they couldn't even exchange letters.

But out loud, he scoffs, shoving Sylvain back slightly more forcefully.]


I never said any such thing.
crestlaiden: (48)

[personal profile] crestlaiden 2021-09-28 04:08 am (UTC)(link)
[Sylvain just raises an eyebrow. Now he's even more curious. Like usual, Felix has managed to make him want something just by bringing it up in passing and then refusing to give him any more. He really wants to push, wants to pry. Alright, what he really wants to know is whether Felix has done the dead yet or not and with who?? Some stranger? A weird robot thing that took on the appearance of some girl he liked back home? He barely hears Felix's very useful warning about the place, stewing in his own thoughts when he should be listening.]

Alright? Force our hands?

[His whole face lights up in a bright smile at the playful shove, his little downward spiral of thoughts immediately forgotten.]

Not even a little? Am I going to have to make you say it? [He grins as he gives him a light tug, pushing him down onto the bed to try to pin him.]
bestswordmaster: (postskip >:D)

[personal profile] bestswordmaster 2021-09-28 04:37 am (UTC)(link)
[To Felix's credit, he has gotten a little more used to talking about sex-related things since he got here. It was necessary, particularly in those dark rooms when talking was the only way to get anything across.

But this is Sylvain. He can't explain all this to him! Sylvain, who probably knows everything about all of this already and would laugh at him for knowing so little and being so uncomfortable with most of it. ...not to mention the things Felix has learned he likes while he's been here.]


Yes. As in, they've made it difficult to do anything around here unless you participate in their disgusting plan. The food and drink is often drugged.

Oh hell, now Sylvain's smiling one of those dumb smiles that looks like the sun just came out and talking about all this...stuff with Sylvain sitting inches away is not helping anything.

But Felix Fraldarius doesn't back down from a worthy challenge, and all that other nonsense is forgotten in favor of responding in kind.]


Hmph. As if you could make me do anything--

[Felix pushes back harder, shifting in an attempt to get some leverage as this little wrestling match begins in earnest. Knowing he's always better with a weapon in hand, Felix grabs a pillow and swings it as hard as he can at Sylvain's face.

Felix Fraldarius also never holds back.]
crestlaiden: (104)

[personal profile] crestlaiden 2021-09-29 04:19 am (UTC)(link)
[Luckily Sylvain didn’t have much time to dwell on the bitter way Felix describes this place but later, once things were quiet, maybe when he was supposed to be sleeping, he’d play this moment over and over again in his mind. Had Felix ended up with someone, multiple someones? Had it been forced, coerced? The thought would twist his stomach as he tried to force his mind to other things, difficult as that was while sharing a bed with the man he would be trying not to think about.

Right now though, he’s grinning away and laughing, even as a pillow claps him in the side of the head. There’s some definite force behind it, which isn’t surprising in the least bit. He’s challenged Felix to something, which means Felix will win.

Playing up the strike, Sylvain stiffly falls over onto his side on the bed, messing up the covers as he pulls Felix with him, breathless and smiling.]


Alright, alright. [He raises his hands in surrender.] You obviously didn’t miss me at all. Probably didn’t think of me once.

[Some of Felix's hair had come lose, just a few strands, but it still takes a hefty amount of self control to keep his hands to himself.]
bestswordmaster: (postskip blush)

[personal profile] bestswordmaster 2021-09-29 04:56 am (UTC)(link)
[There is more than one reason Felix doesn't want to tell Sylvain about any of that...

He should have known better than to expect Sylvain to actually put up a legitimate fight. But he was the one who started it, so what was the point? Usually when they end up roughhousing like this, it's because Sylvain annoyed Felix to the point of trying to tackle him or something.

Felix is prepared to browbeat the man into continuing when Sylvain grabs him as he falls over. With the pillow in one hand and kneeling on such a soft surface, he's ill-equipped to dodge, and loses his balance.]


What! You--

[He falls over, too, managing to catch himself with one hand before he lands fully on top of Sylvain.

...not that this is much better, because he just ends up mostly on top of Sylvain instead, hovering over him by only a few inches. It's...been a while since he was this physically close to his best friend in a way that didn't involve training, or fighting, or first aid, or huddling with a bunch of the other Lions for warmth on a winter's march.

But he hasn't forgotten what it was like to peer into bright, honey-brown eyes like this, or how warm Sylvain can be, and it's all exactly how he remembered it. Later, when he thinks back, he'll blame his time on the island for suddenly being hyperaware of how easy it would be to kiss Sylvain from here, and how tempting it is to just do it.

For now he's just struggling to resist the urge as he catches his breath from the brief scuffle. His face heats up quickly when he realizes what he's been thinking and he backs off with a huff that doesn't sound as annoyed as he tried to make it sound.]


Hmph. Not once.

[...which is, technically, not a lie. It wasn't just once.

He punctuates it by dropping the pillow unceremoniously on top of Sylvain's face.]
crestlaiden: (47)

[personal profile] crestlaiden 2021-09-30 05:28 am (UTC)(link)
[Sylvain exhales a soft 'oof' as Felix ends up more on top of him than he'd intended. Throwing him off balance - absolutely the plan, rolling Felix over onto him - not quite what he'd been trying to do. But also... not a terrible outcome.

He gets a little distracted gazing back up at Felix and he knows he should be saying something to tease him but all he ends up doing is smiling softly up at him.

And maybe there's something unspoken there, well, there always was, but something close to the surface, insistent, something in the way Felix looks at him or tilts his head. There's like a palpable energy, a pull.

Before either of them can make a fool of themselves though, Felix retorts and Sylvain laughs softly at the way he tries to sound grumpy and annoyed. His protests are muffled as the pillow is dropped over his face and his retaliation is probably very, very inadvisable, but he grabs the pillow by the edge and sends it upward in an arch toward Felix's face as he throws it off.

It's not a hard hit but it's definitely aimed and not at all accidental.]


Not once?! Not even one time?! I'm wounded!
bestswordmaster: (postskip >:D)

[personal profile] bestswordmaster 2021-09-30 06:04 am (UTC)(link)
Hey--oof.

[Oh, that bastard. Felix glares and shifts into a position that somehow looks a lot like his usual sword stance, except kneeling on a mattress instead.]

Not yet, you aren't.

[He grabs the offending fluffy bludgeon with both hands and swings, raining blows down on Sylvain repeatedly. It's probably a good thing Felix's Crest doesn't recognize a pillow as an actual weapon (or a pillow fight as an actual attack), because otherwise the integrity of the pillow, Sylvain's head, or both might be in trouble.]

Surrender-- [whap--] and I'll spare you! [whap]
crestlaiden: (94)

[personal profile] crestlaiden 2021-10-01 07:05 am (UTC)(link)
[Laughing as he quietly pretends to scream, Sylvain tries to roll onto his side and covers his head with his arms as he weathers the storm of pillow strikes. His laughter quickly overtakes his attempts at fake quiet-screaming.]

Okay- [He gets hit by the pillow again and dissolves into more laughter, body shaking as he tries to quell it.] Okayokay. [His words are still punctuated with a little giggle as he turns again to look up at Felix, ready to plead to be spared.]

Alright, I surrender. [He grins, breathless.] Promise.
bestswordmaster: (postskip really)

[personal profile] bestswordmaster 2021-10-02 03:54 am (UTC)(link)
[Felix brings the pillow up again, poised to strike just as Sylvain claims to surrender. He narrows his eyes, skeptical, but the effect is sort of ruined by the fact that he's actually smiling. Seeing Sylvain laugh like this, completely genuine with no bitterness or sarcasm...he can't help a weird surge of pride at being responsible for that. He hasn't heard Sylvain really, sincerely laugh like that in a long time. It's always either fake or filled with something dark and unsettling.

Not now, though.

He spends just a second or two too long watching the way Sylvain's mirth dances in his eyes, and doesn't notice.]


Hmph.

[He tosses the pillow back roughly where it belongs at the head of the bed and clambers off the bed, adjusting his now-rumpled clothes and pushing back strands of hair that have fallen out of their tie.]

Enough messing around. We need to find--

[He was about to call the cat by name, but he abruptly realizes what would happen if he did.]

--my cat. And that dog we apparently have.
crestlaiden: (101)

[personal profile] crestlaiden 2021-10-03 07:54 am (UTC)(link)
[They spend a bit of time searching for the cat... and dog, though it's pretty obvious there's no dog in the apartment unless it's scared and hiding from them. Neither animal seems to have found their way here yet.

It'd been late before they'd even stepped foot in the apartment and, despite only having the one bed, there's certainly no time to go hunting for a second. It's large though and they've slept in closer quarters before, sharing a tent and huddling close for warmth while marching across the country in the bitter cold of winter.

So, it's with an air of casualness that they both strip down to their underclothes and slide into bed, a healthy distance between them as they turn out the lights.

Sylvain finds sleep quickly, tired from everything that had happened that day and the morning comes just as quickly. Somehow during the night the distance between them had disappeared, Sylvain curled against Felix, arms wrapped around him comfortably.]
bestswordmaster: (postskip surprise blush)

[personal profile] bestswordmaster 2021-10-03 08:28 am (UTC)(link)
[Felix is a little worried about Jose, but the little guy was a stray for a long time, so hopefully he can handle himself wherever he ended up until Felix can find him again. He's less worried about Zoltan, who is apparently capable of finding something to eat anywhere. Dogs are better at finding their way back to people, anyway. (Or, as Felix usually puts it, dogs are more insistent about never letting you get rid of them.)

Felix takes a little longer to fall asleep, but once he does he sleeps more deeply than he has in a while - it's blessedly free of any dreams about the ocean or being a fishman or hearing eerie singing from the depths. If he dreams at all, he doesn't remember it, and that's a hell of an improvement.

So when he blinks awake in the morning in an unfamiliar place, he feels well-rested for the first time in weeks. It takes him a few seconds to remember where he is. It takes him a few more seconds to realize that he feels much too warm.

And then he realizes that he feels warm because there's someone pressed up against him from behind with strong arms holding him close. There's the sharp pang of vague panic and the simmering of rage - this wouldn't be the first time he woke next to a stranger in bed - but it doesn't take long for him to recognize those muscular arms, or the bright red curls that he can see splayed out on the pillow if he looks up and back, or - and he'd never admit this aloud - the familiar scent of the man curled up against him.

Sylvain is cuddling him. And not in a 'huddle together for warmth' kind of way, but in a 'we probably had sex last night let me make you breakfast' kind of way. Suddenly his pulse is racing and he's not sure what to do. Pretend to be asleep until Sylvain wakes up and lets go? (This appeals to the part of him that's blushing furiously and basking in this nonsense. Which is exactly why he decides not to do it.) Extricate himself and almost certainly wake Sylvain up in the process? Wake him up on purpose and tell him to back off?

None of his options seem any better than the others, so he just picks one and goes with it, speaking quietly but keeping still. (You learn after five years and change of war not to startle someone awake if you don't want to possibly end up impaled. Felix, at least, sleeps with his sword within arm's reach at all times.)]


...Sylvain. Wake up.
crestlaiden: (101)

[personal profile] crestlaiden 2021-10-06 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
Mm. [It's not quite a protest as much as a lazy acknowledgement that he is sort of awake. Awake enough that he knows his arms are curled around somebody else, that everything smells amazingly like Felix and that each inhale makes him smile to himself a little, and he knows that it's getting light. But he's warm. And comfortable. And five more minutes sounds amazing.

... But this can't actually be Felix. He's woken up this close to him before but it was usually while they were wearing heavy winter gear and it was well below freezing out.

This... this is just nice.

He still hasn't opened his eyes, the memories from the day before seem too bizarre to be real but, as he cracks his eyes open and sees the room he remembers, they're seeming a little more likely. The room. The bed. And Felix.]


Morning. [His thoughts are racing nearly as fast as his heart but he manages to make it sound like he thinks waking up like this is totally normal. No big deal.] Do we have to get up yet? [It felt like a 'normal' thing to ask but of course he's wondering what that would really mean. Would Felix just lie around with him? Was this okay? Could he get away with whatever this was?]
bestswordmaster: (postskip wtf)

[personal profile] bestswordmaster 2021-10-06 04:26 am (UTC)(link)
[What? What is Sylvain saying? Did he do this on purpose? Was this his plan all along? Part of him wants to shove Sylvain off him and snap at him about it. Part of him really does want to just...lie here like this. He ends up sort of splitting the difference.]

What do you mean, 'do we have to get up yet'? What are you doing?

[He doesn't make any move to get up, though, despite telling himself he really should. And he's glad Sylvain's behind him because his face reddens to think about the 'we' in that sentence.]

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