Entry tags:
[open] February MANTAs!
Who: Vincent Valentine and you!
Status: Open to all.
Where: Eltrut, Crescent Isle, Temple Ruins
What: Just a spooky man doing some spooky mantas.
Warnings: None! Yet!
Rumor of a mad alchemist:
[Vincent had spent the voyage to Crescent Isle pensive. Pensive for good reason- given the stories about the island's curse. He had no way around it. None whatsoever- but he'd gone regardless. Chiefly, because the man he was tracking's trail had been cold for months. This- what the merchants had said at the market- the descriptions they'd given- the inventory they'd remarked upon him asking after, was the only lead he'd had in a long while. And he'd intended to take it.
Not that he was alone on this endeavour. Since the MANTA board had been updated, all manner of riftfarers- some new, some old, had sought passage toward Crescent Isle. The deck of the vessel that had carried them was brimming with people showing off items, medicines, trinkets- that they'd obtained or purchased from vendors upon Eltrut which had, upon hearing of the task, sought to make some money by catering to the new demand of not shapeshifting.
Vincent had been ambivalent, save for a few stray glances to the more boisterous groups of riftfarers on deck as they (loudly) show off their items. Trinkets, medicines and items that Vincent did not have. Hence being pensive. Yet despite such- he knew. transforming into a werewolf wasn't ideal. But given his history... not exactly the worst thing imaginable. Regardless of the external, he could keep his head. He knew that.
As his eyes scan those upon deck, they settle upon someone vaguely familiar. And so, he observes.]
The House That Watches:
[Upon his wanderings through Eltrut, usually on route to or from a job, Vincent (of course) had taken special notice of the mansion upon the edge of town. Call it reminiscence. Call it nostalgia. Call it something far more accurate- the simple appreciation of a somewhat spooky piece of architecture. Not like the mansion was anything alike the Shinra manor, of course. It wasn't abandoned, nor was it left to time- and it certainly wasn't falling to bits. Yet. There was something unusual about the place. So much so, that Vincent had found himself lingering by the locked gate when he passed- before eventually moving on. As time had went on and he had passed it more and more, he found himself staring unto the grounds. And finally...
Well.
Whoever happened to be in the vicinity of one of his more recent visits might see something shocking. They might see him, from an idle position, leaning against the iron-wrought fence, suddenly move- scaling to the top of the thing effortlessly, and jumping unto the grounds before heading right toward the manor.
How unusual. The question is, would this person follow the trespasser, or not?]
Not So Animal Farm
Fresh feed. As you wanted.
[Clunk. A bucket of a non-specific animal feed would find itself, roughly, to the floor alongside whomever was elbow-deep in caring for the animals. Vincent, personally, had absolutely no intention of doing as such himself. Only in gathering what needed to be gathered- moving to and from varying people doing their good work, intending on providing a supportive, more than anything else, role. And it made sense to him. He had absolutely no skill at repairing anything. No knowledge of animal behaviour- or even any sort of talent at understanding the animals.
Yet he had come anyway. And for what little he could do- mostly lugging items to and from varying areas and carrying messages- he had no complaint about doing it. Yet he seemed somewhat distracted. His eyes flit about the area, as if he's looking for someone, or something. And, as he does just that:]
Was there anything else?
Temple Ruins
[It was a rainy night. Utterly miserable for everyone involved in keeping watch over the ruins and the sleeping researchers. Vincent was utterly drenched- yet he had absolutely no complaints. If anything, this was something which he was accustomed to. Positioned up high in a ruined tower within the Temple's courtyard, shrouded within his sodden cloak and with his knees to his chest, rifle upon his lap, his eyes showed no sign of weariness or tiredness, maintaining their gaze upon the outside of the temple.
The song of the oysters continued. Faint, whispery, almost- and all around them, fading in and out with the constant hiss of the rain. Yet no animals had shown for a while. Perhaps this verse of the song was intended to gather them. Perhaps when the tempo shifted, the temple and all within it would find themselves beset once again.
Perhaps.
Vincent intended on being ready.
He shifts slightly, turning his head to whom was stationed beside him.]
Get some rest. I'll watch for a while longer.
Status: Open to all.
Where: Eltrut, Crescent Isle, Temple Ruins
What: Just a spooky man doing some spooky mantas.
Warnings: None! Yet!
Rumor of a mad alchemist:
[Vincent had spent the voyage to Crescent Isle pensive. Pensive for good reason- given the stories about the island's curse. He had no way around it. None whatsoever- but he'd gone regardless. Chiefly, because the man he was tracking's trail had been cold for months. This- what the merchants had said at the market- the descriptions they'd given- the inventory they'd remarked upon him asking after, was the only lead he'd had in a long while. And he'd intended to take it.
Not that he was alone on this endeavour. Since the MANTA board had been updated, all manner of riftfarers- some new, some old, had sought passage toward Crescent Isle. The deck of the vessel that had carried them was brimming with people showing off items, medicines, trinkets- that they'd obtained or purchased from vendors upon Eltrut which had, upon hearing of the task, sought to make some money by catering to the new demand of not shapeshifting.
Vincent had been ambivalent, save for a few stray glances to the more boisterous groups of riftfarers on deck as they (loudly) show off their items. Trinkets, medicines and items that Vincent did not have. Hence being pensive. Yet despite such- he knew. transforming into a werewolf wasn't ideal. But given his history... not exactly the worst thing imaginable. Regardless of the external, he could keep his head. He knew that.
As his eyes scan those upon deck, they settle upon someone vaguely familiar. And so, he observes.]
The House That Watches:
[Upon his wanderings through Eltrut, usually on route to or from a job, Vincent (of course) had taken special notice of the mansion upon the edge of town. Call it reminiscence. Call it nostalgia. Call it something far more accurate- the simple appreciation of a somewhat spooky piece of architecture. Not like the mansion was anything alike the Shinra manor, of course. It wasn't abandoned, nor was it left to time- and it certainly wasn't falling to bits. Yet. There was something unusual about the place. So much so, that Vincent had found himself lingering by the locked gate when he passed- before eventually moving on. As time had went on and he had passed it more and more, he found himself staring unto the grounds. And finally...
Well.
Whoever happened to be in the vicinity of one of his more recent visits might see something shocking. They might see him, from an idle position, leaning against the iron-wrought fence, suddenly move- scaling to the top of the thing effortlessly, and jumping unto the grounds before heading right toward the manor.
How unusual. The question is, would this person follow the trespasser, or not?]
Not So Animal Farm
Fresh feed. As you wanted.
[Clunk. A bucket of a non-specific animal feed would find itself, roughly, to the floor alongside whomever was elbow-deep in caring for the animals. Vincent, personally, had absolutely no intention of doing as such himself. Only in gathering what needed to be gathered- moving to and from varying people doing their good work, intending on providing a supportive, more than anything else, role. And it made sense to him. He had absolutely no skill at repairing anything. No knowledge of animal behaviour- or even any sort of talent at understanding the animals.
Yet he had come anyway. And for what little he could do- mostly lugging items to and from varying areas and carrying messages- he had no complaint about doing it. Yet he seemed somewhat distracted. His eyes flit about the area, as if he's looking for someone, or something. And, as he does just that:]
Was there anything else?
Temple Ruins
[It was a rainy night. Utterly miserable for everyone involved in keeping watch over the ruins and the sleeping researchers. Vincent was utterly drenched- yet he had absolutely no complaints. If anything, this was something which he was accustomed to. Positioned up high in a ruined tower within the Temple's courtyard, shrouded within his sodden cloak and with his knees to his chest, rifle upon his lap, his eyes showed no sign of weariness or tiredness, maintaining their gaze upon the outside of the temple.
The song of the oysters continued. Faint, whispery, almost- and all around them, fading in and out with the constant hiss of the rain. Yet no animals had shown for a while. Perhaps this verse of the song was intended to gather them. Perhaps when the tempo shifted, the temple and all within it would find themselves beset once again.
Perhaps.
Vincent intended on being ready.
He shifts slightly, turning his head to whom was stationed beside him.]
Get some rest. I'll watch for a while longer.
For sure! ❤
He stops, finally, at a large fountain. There is no artifical light in this part of the garden. When the moon retreats behind a thick cloud, all that surrounds them is unviewable underneath darkness. Yet something even darker is upon the ground before him. It's the shape- the vague shape anyway- of a small human being, raising one of it's arms(?) in a waving motion.]
Found you.
[Vincent kneels before it, his eyes fixed upon the ground- before the shadow shape doubles over, as if laughing. It then contorts- growing and twisting into something monsterous, bristling and shaking- appearing as if it was going to lunge.
What do, Axel.]
Sorry Vin, we're in supportive spectator mode for now. IT'S ALL YOU, PAL
He had heard of others infiltrating during the day, attempting to gain audience with the family for their own attempts to learn more, but never had Axel caught wind of one of these shadow entities on their own like this. This guy may have just sprung something big.
Or it seems about ready to spring something on HIM anyway!
The assassin keeps calm. He won't pull a weapon, not yet. He came to observe and observe he will. Still, Axel tries to edge just a little closer for a better vantage point...
Both of these parties appear to move quick. If he wants to keep watching, he has to be ready keep up with whatever direction their battle takes.]
All good, all good! HE'S GOT THIS. ...kinda!
[Indeed, Vincent moving to his feet was a quick action- as if he were surprised by the shadow creature's form twisting and reforming into something monsterous.
Yet bizarrely, the man appears to linger, as if he hadn't a single thought for his own self-preservation. The shadow, however, erupts into life underneath him. It lurches forward in a great leap until it is underneath where his feet rest upon the ground- but nothing happens. The attempt is futile.
What could be the reason for this? Was it the fact that there was not enough light for him to cast his own shadow, and the creature to attack him through that? Regardless, he's either a fortunate idiot that just happened to be in the right place at the right time until the cloud cover is gone, or something else was going on.
The creature rages and roils underneath him, swping futily with its claws- as if it were trying to frighten him into fleeing to an area where he did cast shadow. Yet he does not move- crossing his arms- as if unimpressed. The thing responds to this- attempting to cross it's arms in synchronicity, yet failing.]
HE SURE DOES
[Huh. Well so much for that. Axel tilts his head. For a minute he thought the thing dissapeared entirely. A shame, but not wholly unexpected, perhaps it guessed it was outmatched, wanted to hide before making a strike or... but no. The closer Axel looks, he still sees it. There, squirming at the stranger's heels. Wholly ineffective.
Anticlimactic is the word that comes to mind. That first lunge had looked threatening; territorial if nothing else, so what changed?
Are they in cahoots? Their conversation hadn't appeared to be based on any familiarity yet Axel knew how lukewarm some of his own interactions within the Organization could be; it wasn't enough to rule anything out.
No choice. What were the words that kicked this whole thing off?]
"Find what you were looking for?"
[The Nobody sticks to the shadows, opting to let his voice carry. He'll keep hidden if he can help it, but with what he has already seen from both of these parties, he isn't banking on that being for long.]
sweet! ❤
No. Is this yours?
[The moon emerges from behind that cloud. The creature, finally seeing Vincent's shadow, bristles in glee before touching it- before it leaps back. It reapproaches. It tries once more. And, oh, it's fuming. It stamps its foot over and over.
Yet Vincent pays it no mind. It's not like he even percieves what it's doing, or trying to do- as much priority he's putting on finding the source of that voice.]
no subject
Ah well.
He always did like to play with fire.]
"Sure seems like they are excited to have found you, though."
[Carefully he uses a dark corridor to warp from one hiding spot around the fountain to another. Sticking to the shadows formed around a few ornate pillars surrounding the place and the mansion's sides.]
"And I'd say you made a beeline to this place pretty fast for someone with no business here."
no subject
Something which is moot when the Nobody teleports, and the voice comes from a different direction altogether. The creature seems to notice Axel too- turning it's head suddenly as Axel traverses his corridor- but losing him in the shadows of the pillars.
Vincent notices. And he keeps his gaze on the thing- for the next time.]
Call it curiosity.
[In the archetecture would be what he would say. But he's got a feeling, given the shadow's presence, and Axel's own perception of it, that wouldn't fly.]
no subject
[Not an 'appointment?' The assassin mulls that over a moment.
The tension is palpable. That can be useful in these situations, people tended to make mistakes when their hackles were raised a bit, too bad that isn't really the goal today. Hm. They're conversing all right but neither is budging an inch like this.]
"All right. Say I do. Are you.. satisfied? I mean, if visiting gardens at midnight is how you get your kicks."
[A noncommittal shrug.]
"More importantly, you planning on letting that little tagalong ride outta here with you, when you're all done here?"
no subject
[That's right, Axel. Mull. Respond. Question. Do everything you're doing- but don't even think about teleporting to another location again. It takes Vincent a moment to pinpoint where exactly he's speaking from now.
There. There he is.
Vincent's speed would, perhaps, be surprising. Axel would find himself staring down three silver barrels. The former Turk's gaze is impassive. Cold, even, as he regards the other man, the only sound coming from him the smooth click of Cerberus' safety catch being flicked off.
Well. That and a simple, low statement shortly after.]
...I want to know why you're so interested.
[Speaking of the little tagalong, it finally notices Axel too. With no small amount of glee, it shifts and it contorts into a writhing mass of darkness to try and reach the Nobody. Vincent responds, once again, with a quickness that could only be described as inhuman. A flash of silver, as he reaims. The gun is discharged upon the ground, where the shadow had leapt.
Perhaps that action, to protect the other, would go a ways to detailing Vincent's motivation. Perhaps not. It hardly mattered at the moment- because it didn't work. Three holes mar the ground. But the shadowcreature is unaffected. With another bristle, it erupts into a series of spikes, and it leaps for Axel. Fortunately, the shadows of the ornate pillars that surround the Nobody prevent it getting access.
...But it's certainly trying- clawing at the shadows formed by the pillars. A loud crack fills the air. The pillar- the actual pillar and not the shadow of it- seems to have gouge marks in it from the creature's claws. Then, in front of their eyes, a large chunk falls off it- tumbling to the ground and breaking into pieces.]
Whoever you are- run.
no subject
"For all you know, I live here." [He answers easily.] "Why wouldn't I check on a suspicious man in the garden?"
[But then one of two things happens. Bullets do fly, but not at him. The tagalong, the docile nearly playful entity from before goes feral and this, Axel thinks, is precisely why he needed to check out these claims. His evidence had ruled that this was not a heartless and yet when it displayed such animalistic behaviour, it was almost enough to discount his findings all over again. Too bad it's wasting it's time. Even if it was a heartless, he has nothing it should want to devour.]
"Tch."
[Don't gotta tell him twice. Trusting the man's warning as consent, Axel vanishes again, this close up, Vincent can see the way his own brand of shadows swallow him up to aid the hooded figure in slipping away.
One good turn deserves another though.
From another pillar, a flaming wheel of a weapon arcs through the air, it's fiery trail casting shadow from it's own light source, as it buries itself into the cracked stone foundations around the fountain-- a hopeful distraction, as well as bait for the rogue entity, should Mr. Red Cloak need one to get away himself.]
"If you wanna know, survive this yourself! Then you might get the story."
[Axel tries warping once more, hoping that second is enough to cover him as he retreats from the safety of the pillars to the other side of the house and wherever he can sneak to next. He doesn't doubt one or both might notice the movement, fleeing tends to be a lot more noticeable than stalking.]
no subject
But that retort is unretorted. What happens next happens too quickly for argument. There's a swirling darkness. Axel's own, apparently- Expanding violently and then collapsing in on itself, leaving absolutely nothing in its wake. Then a light- strong but flickering, as Axel's chakram buries itself into the fountain- forcing each of the shadows in the area to retreat. The pillar's shadow veers a whole 90 degrees from where it had been cast- and the shadow creature shrieks soundlessly, holding it's face in it's hands- either out of discomfort or annoyance, Vincent wasn't sure.
A shout, and then he's gone.
Vincent didn't want to leave. Not at all. But fighting the creature, let alone restraining it, seems an impossibility. So the story it was. The ex-turk scales the pillar with a wholely inhuman degree of agility and balance- crouching at the top before leaping, catlike, toward the manor's roof.
It's not a soundless landing. Nor is it an entirely clean one- there's a few sounds of tiles being dislodged and falling to be shattered upon the ground, but he'd made it. In fact, from this vantage point, he could even see where Axel had materialised.
What he did not know was that the creature had leapt too- concealed and tucked cosily within his own shadow. Perhaps that would become a problem. Soon.]
no subject
It was a game of blind cat and mouse, neither quite knowing their role. Axel can't deny the adrenaline coursing through him was hard to dispel. He's on edge now, ready to fight or flee, but there is no reason for hostility.]
"Not outta the fire yet anyway.."
[He mutters, checking every shadow now for abnormal signs. Like the fountain had proved, sticking in one place is bad news. Calling out to the man only made him a bigger target to the shadow entity, but he can get.. close.]
"I wouldn't recommend that."
[Axel chooses a shorter ledge to warp towards-- the balcony just below those overhanging shingles. Tucked in the shadow of the roof. Out of sight, yes, but knowingly easy to discern.]
"Ever heard, the closer you get to the light, the bigger your shadow becomes? You could have picked a better spot if you didnt want any more possession attempts.
Or is this to draw me out?