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closed 🪶 it's a long way down to the bottom of the ocean...
Who: Benedikta Harman & others.
Status: Closed.
Where: Around.
What: Some MANTA stuff.
Warnings: The usual Benedikta warnings.
[ If you would like a closed thread, please feel free to hit up my plotting comment so we can hash something out! 💚 ]
Status: Closed.
Where: Around.
What: Some MANTA stuff.
Warnings: The usual Benedikta warnings.
no subject
Right or left for you?
[It's uttered under her breath to Alhaitham.]
I'm going to assume you can handle it?
[He seems to have been immune to their wiles so far, but that's about all the time for their consideration because they are being rushed at by both girls this time, their coy smiles now turned to toothy grins, fangs making themselves known, their eyes glowing that brighter red...
And whatever side he does not go to, Benedikta will—]
no subject
I'll manage, just focus on the other one—!
[Alhaitham manages to grit out his answer to Benedikta's questions before the succubi lunges for another attack which he just barely manages to dodge. He very quickly recgonizes here that there's no way all four of them are going to be able to fight within the confines of this room at the same time—and quite honestly Alhaitham kind of doesn't want to, considering all the books that are in here. But any attempt he makes in regards to heading towards the exit is quickly interrupted by more reckless lunges from the succubi who now has him in her sights.
"What is wrong with you?!" comes the frustrated screech from her at this point. "Why aren't you falling to our charms like the rest?!"
Alhaitham has no idea what her question is about, nor does he truly care; her frustration is making her sloppier, which allows him to have a chance to properly fighting back despite the difference in strength between them.]
no subject
For fuck's sake—
[She grounds through her teeth before there's a surge of wind that centers from where she stands, pushing back the succubus into the shelf before she tumbles to the ground, a pile of books falling with her.
A flick of Benedikta's wrist, and the shelf comes down not long after, wood splintering and being torn out of the books by that snappy wind.
These unfortunate books. 😔
Meanwhile, the one attacking Alhaitham shrieks as she's nearly lifted off her feet, and she grapples for him, trying to grab onto whatever part of him that she can reach before Benedikta can fling her across the room, too.]
no subject
...he can't say that he's mad about it, but there's no denying the unfortunate reality that's befallen them all the same. With luck they might be able to salvage something from that mess after this is over.
But there's not much time for Alhaitham to focus on it for much longer; a shriek right in front of him quickly draws his attention back forwards, and he does so just as he feels a tug at his sword and quickly realizes that the succubi going after him has grabbed onto the end of it in what is a last ditch attempt to stay where she is. Even as the blade cuts into her fingers and palms it stays there, trails of dark ichor flowing down the length of it and staining the otherwise intricate and elaborate green and white design.
Alhaitham narrows his eyes then, and his mouth twists into a grimace before he lets go of his sword and sends it back into the ether. The succubi's eyes widen in surprise, and its the last thing that Alhaitham sees before she gets flung across the room by Benedikta's wind, crashing right into another bookcase with enough force to splinter the shelves, causing the books on them to spill out and tumble down with her.]
no subject
Her fingers wrap tight around her sword, but she neither raises it nor sheathes it. A hand appears from beneath the massive pile, and she simply lowers her boot over it, crushing the fingers against the floor to stop her from moving any further, and she simply scoffs at the sound that the succubus makes beneath.]
Only fitting that you do the honours.
no subject
...still, despite what he himself thinks, it is ultimately not his place to interfere in. Alhaitham shelves those thoughts away to consider for another day as he walks over to the messy pile of books that have fallen all over the succubi and kept them pinned to the ground, further aided by Benedikta's boot upon their hand.
He glances over to her when she says those words, blinking for a second before looking back down to the soon to be fallen succubi. Perhaps Benedikta is the kind of person who relishes in the joy of a fight, but Alhaitham doesn't quite partake in those things. A fight for him is simply a useful way to get his point across in the most direct manner, especially in times when his temper does not afford him any more patience. Doing something his needlessly elaborate is—mostly unnecessary, but he can't say that he has any lost love for the succubi either, given what they've done.
So rather than saying anything Alhaitham simply brings his sword back out from the ether, nudging some books aside to reveal just enough torso for him to unceremoniously drive the blade through, grimacing at both the sound that comes from the act as well as the dark ichor that gushes out of the mortal wound.]
no subject
As for the other one, Benedikta has little patience left for the screams that she is making, so she simply takes her sword and drives the end of it through her throat, making her end just a quick and easy before she can crawl her way out of the books. She makes a face at the blackened tip of her blade and glances around the room before she wipes it down on one of the fancy velvet couches stationed in the centre.]
No wonder they were so adamant... Looking for a new master or some such...
no subject
At least it sounded like they haven't gotten to anyone else besides the alchemist. [He says in response to Benedikta's remark. They'd certainly taken their time with him, for better or worse. It's hard to say if Alhaitham pities him, even though he knows the backstory from what Kaveh had told him of his own prior encounter with the now deceased man. The grief for his wife is, of course, understandable, but to chase after something that is clearly beyond human ken, throwing all rationality and logic aside... its easy to sympathize, but ultimately there is no denying the fact that his death was one that he brought upon himself.
Alhaitham gives his sword one more flick, ensuring that the worst of the ichor is gone from the blade before he sends it back to the ether, and with both of his hands now free he crosses his arms to study the collection of books that line this entire room—the ones that haven't been ruined or damaged from the fight earlier, at least.]
These books shouldn't be kept here.
[He can't quite decide yet how they should be dealt with, but the important part is that they should not remain here for anyone to come across, considering what the knowledge in them has wrought—the evidence of which now lie dead in this very room, bleeding out pools of dark liquid.]
no subject
I've no idea where he kept the recipes, but this was telling enough.
[It's a page about the lore and mythology of succubi. Just one of what was clearly many, and it could have been from any of the books here. And the reason she knew that Alhaitham might have been in trouble. It would explain their strange behaviours, and why the Alchemist himself was done in before they even got here.]
I've half a mind to burn it all.
no subject
But that aside, Alhaitham takes a second to actually consider the suggestion that had been put forth. While he does agree that the dangerous stuff should be disposed of, part of him can't help but find it a bit of a shame to have everything in here destroyed. But its not as if they really have the time to go through and catalog every single book in here, and considering the nature of what he has done—and the depths of his desperation—Alhaitham highly doubts that he would have deviated much from his research, so...]
Let's. [He says once he's made his decision, glancing over to Benedikta.] These books are most likely too dangerous to keep, even under lock and key.
[Because people have always been curious... and while that isn't an inherently a bad thing, the cardinal sins established by the Akademiya exist for a reason—and what the alchemist has done here has very much crossed it.]
no subject
[Magic lights up at her fingertip, and unlike her usual wind magic, this is different—it's made up entirely of just pure aether that she draws from her body, the specks of light that flicker from it blue in colour rather than her signature green, and she brings close to the sofa, where already, the scent of burning velvet can be picked up, but she pauses.
...
....
And something like a voice in the back of her mind compels her to ask because god damn it, why the hell does she even care?]
... Are you feeling all right?
[Not in the physical sense but more the "two 'women' just tried to trap him forever so that they could suck the life right out of him" sense.]
no subject
He's drawn out of his thoughts when Benedikta suddenly asks him that question, and its surprising enough to draw a blink out of him.]
Yes. [He returns with no trouble.] If you're worried about any potential aftereffects, I would tell you that I did not feel anything from either of them in the first place.
[He doesn't really know if they've tried any of those things he'd read from the scrap about them seducing their prey. The only thing that really comes to mind is how forward they were being, But the only reason he paid any attention in the first place is to get any kind of potential clues; had it been any other situation he would have far too easily ignored her.
And as for the part about his life being in danger—well. All he can say is that it's hardly the first time people have tried to both use him and come for his life. If anything he can almost appreciate the simplicity of this whole event—its a change from the likes of Azar and Siraj. Even if the plans of those two people had more than a few fundamental flaws, handling them did not come as easy as it did for this.]
we can wrap this here I think! 💚
The heat immediately takes hold of the velvet, turning to flames, much to her surprise. She can feel the aether already growing thick as it picks up, and she motions for Alhaitham to scurry out of the room.]
It won't take long for it to catch. Now, let's be off before we get caught up in it.
\o/ yee
Not for the first time Alhaitham is struck by the fragility of knowledge itself. Though he has never been naive enough to think that everything that has been written down can be taken at face value, part of him had always upheld a sense of... sacredness in them, for a lack of a better term. He's always respected at what the written word has held, even if he'd never fully agreed on some of the texts that he reads, and he has always been aware of the fact that how history is more often than not shaped by those who live long enough to record it.
Despite knowing and being aware of all of those things, the knowledge that he is here now, in this very moment, making the conscious choice to actively destroy knowledge. The fact that it is dangerous knowledge does not lessen the severity of this moment in the slightest. Dangerous, forbidden knowledge is still knowledge in the end, and knowing that he is part of the reason why this will be lost again elicits a strange feeling he will have to contend with, in time.
But for now there is Benedikta calling for him so that they can finally leave this place, and Alhaitham gives the burning stack of books one more look before he turns and follows after her to make their exit.
Regardless of his own feelings, it is a fact that nobody will be able to make use of this knowledge after this. And that alone is enough for him to know that he won't look back on this decision.
At the end of the day, humankind is not a vehicle for knowledge, nor is knowledge itself the aim of humankind. If it has to be gone, then so be it.]