36105997: (Default)
† ᵥₐₗₑₙₜᵢₙₑ. ([personal profile] 36105997) wrote in [community profile] escordvi2025-02-05 12:54 am

[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.
emberized: (peering)

Sorry Vin, we're in supportive spectator mode for now. IT'S ALL YOU, PAL

[personal profile] emberized 2025-02-05 09:59 pm (UTC)(link)
[What to do indeed? This is your fight, Vincent, who said he has to do anything? Axel keeps back, green eyes wide, taking in the whole sight. As far as he knows those words aren't meant for him, his cover wasn't blown already, was it?

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.]
emberized: (dark corridor)

HE SURE DOES

[personal profile] emberized 2025-02-08 05:01 am (UTC)(link)
[OOC: Oh yeah, go for it, how fun! :> I'll follow wherever you lead!]

[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.]
emberized: (facetious)

[personal profile] emberized 2025-02-13 07:49 pm (UTC)(link)
"Would I be asking if it was?" [If words could hold a smirk, Axel's had teeth. He couldn't care less what assumptions were made of him, really. It only made tongues looser. How quickly Mr. Red cloak here zeroed in on his location, though, that definitely had his interest. The man may have turned slowly but Axel didn't miss the pinpoint accuracy they just detected him with.

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."
emberized: (shrug)

[personal profile] emberized 2025-02-23 07:29 pm (UTC)(link)
"Curiosity."

[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?"
emberized: (Toothy grin)

[personal profile] emberized 2025-02-27 01:06 am (UTC)(link)
[Axel's grin only widens at the telltale click. He doesn't mean it as a jibe, not really, but a lack of a heart and the subsequent inability to feel intimidated did a man no favors when it came to an weapon aimed at one's face. Vincent gets the courtesy of a small hitch of breathe at least, the Nobody's brain supplying that much as a necesarry response to a gun on your head.]

"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.]
emberized: (simple smile)

[personal profile] emberized 2025-03-13 06:09 pm (UTC)(link)
"Very inconspicuous." [Axel chuckles to himself at the lack of subtlety from the other person atop the mansion. The assassin doesn't doubt his 'friend?' Competition? Pursuer? Can find him like this and green eyes meet the lone figure on the rooftop, questioning. Does redcloak want him to follow or should he give the man something to chase?

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?