ximilia | video; un: felix & raddude5000

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video; un: felix & raddude5000

[As the battle rages on outside the South Naelor fortress, two network messages will reach all fellow Orbers through their headsets. They come through only several minutes apart.]

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video; un: felix

[The POV recording is transmitted through to the network without context save Felix's associated username; dumping viewers immediately into the sight of a beaming Jun Shortaxe. He's standing in a stone-walled room, clapping with arrogant glee as he steps closer into the room.]

--you're wrong about the deal. The king's deal was done the moment the heirloom was taken away from the palace... it told me that itself. [He is facing Felix as he speaks, only turning to address a second unseen person as an afterthought.] Hi, Finn. Made it here like a real hero, I'm proud of you.

[Finn's shattered reply is heard instead of seen, Felix's POV fixed solely on Jun with unerring focus. He is capturing everything; every subtle twitch of his body language, every laughing shrug of his shoulders. It's only when Finn's confusion turns to anger that he comes into frame, stepping between Felix and Jun with sword outstretched in one hand and glowing orb in the other. With a quick toss, the orb is sailing through the air towards Felix. When he snatches it out of the air, viewers are granted a brief but detailed look at the orb itself. Veteran Orbers will recognize the power emanating from it immediately. This was their target.]

Your little act was always a bit too much, just so you know. [Felix drawls, offering his own amused assessment of Jun's betrayal just before pocketing the orb out of frame.] See ya.

[Those watching closely will notice the shadow Felix cast suddenly disappear, indicating that an invisibility spell was Felix's final gambit to leave successfully with the orb. Unfortunately, the ploy is shortlived. Just as Felix's point of view shifts towards the nearest window, Jun's deeply disinterested voice issues a simple command: Do it. Immediately, what could only be described as intense pain pollutes the mental recording with distortion. The crackle of electricity and Finn's scream can be dimly heard through the limited visibility and roaring static.

When the video feed resumes again, Felix is clearly on the ground. Waves of pained distortion still radiate through him, picture flickering as he begins to lose consciousness. From his new position on the floor, only Finn and Jun's legs can be seen. The latter slowly moves towards him as the former seems to freeze, dropping his sword in horror.]

He has about an hour. Being hit by that spell is not a joke... I should know. It was worth it, though. [The voice is unmistakably Jun's, hammered home as he kneels down into frame and reaches out towards Felix and retrieves the orb, which now glows even more brightly in the presence of its partner. He stands, back now to Felix, facing Finn fully. The picture is practically strobing now, capturing only a few frames of every second as it gives into blackness]

I'm sorry, I really did want to help Degar. [The regret in his voice even sounds genuine.] But the heirloom isn't something I can give him. He'd understand. All I'm doing is fulfilling the promise we made as kids--

[If there was any words or violence exchanged between the two of them, it's lost to the sudden grip of Felix's unconsciousness. The feed cuts completely.]

(( ooc: for full context of what Felix's recording captures, please read the npc thread HERE ))

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[To those on the battlefield, it will only be roughly eight minutes after Felix's video appears that an earthshaking noise and blinding light erupt from the South Naelor fortress. Rubble rains down from the keep's tower, shattered by the a set of imposing red wings. A red dragon with a single teal scale centered on his chest perches on the half destroyed tower, its origin as inexplicable as it was sudden.

The dragon lingers for a moment, staring at something in the wreckage, before taking wing towards the battlefield.]

[A few stunned moments later, another video appears on the network:]

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video; un: raddude5000

[The view is unclear, rubble obscured by dust and smoke and a distant din of battle. Finn’s voice however, is recognizable, and as the video shifts to where he is kneeling, so is the sight of Felix, who was lying motionless, plainly injured and bleeding. The placement and number of his wounds aren't clear, only their severity is obvious. The external distortion caused by Jun's spell is almost as nightmarish as the mental distortion Orbers experienced secondhand.]

We need help in the fortress-- Felix is hurt, bad and I... don’t know what to do. He needs a healer or a doctor, now. Like, ‘ten minutes ago’ now.

[Finn couldn't know how accurate Jun’s 'hour' claim was, or how much leeway there was in either direction. Felix had scarcely moved since going down, and if he was conscious it was only barely. His death felt all too real a possibility. Panic clouds Finn's voice in the face of it, speaking quickly.

He turns the camera back to himself, in part to spare Felix the voyeuristic exposure of capturing what could very well be his final moments on camera. Finn, dusty but uninjured, looks exhausted. The darker blood of the dremnin on the front of his armor and the brighter, fresher blood on his hand from touching Felix were visible as he pushes away a loose lock of hair. Sabriel’s careful braid saved him from complete dishevelment, but only just. He doesn’t quite look in the direction of the video, shoulders held up tensely as he speaks.]

Jun has the orb. He... I mean I think the orb is part of him now. It did something to him, turned him into a... [Finn pauses, searching for a word to describe the beast. There were no creatures like it from his world, where dragons were something else entirely.] I dunno, a dinosaur or something, and he’s heading your way now. You need to--

[His voice stops short, cut off in his throat by some kind of impossible emotion. A desperate part of him still wanted to implore some kind of leniency from them, some kind of mercy or understanding... but he holds it back. What mattered right now was everyone’s safety. If there was anything left to save of Jun Shortaxe, he couldn’t prioritize it right now. Not over everyone else.]

You need to stop him.

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[After sending the message, Finn sinks down by Felix's side in a daze. The dragon had covered ground so quickly now, its intentions as murky as Jun's had been. Finn swallows before reorienting his focus back on Felix.]

Please don't die. [He begs, allowing himself a moment of vulnerability he knew Felix would hate. Were it not for the Felix's questionable consciousness, Finn wouldn't dare.] Please.
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[The first set of approaching healers who scale the rubble will find the pair in this position when they arrive. Latecomers will find only a livid Felix and a coterie of rescuers.]

[There was a thirty second delay wherein Finn had all the time in the world to worry about whether Felix had finally succumbed to death's sweet embrace.]

Ow.

[A piece of stone fell gently to the floor as Felix shifted a leg just enough to cause the rubble to move. The tiny sound of pain had been uttered through barely moved lips but it was unmistakably from Felix as he lay there. His eyes fluttered briefly but didn't open fully. And his breathing became more obvious again as he choked on the debris, coughing sporadically until a bit of blood and dust oozed from his mouth, then settled back to a slow rhythm.]

Just five more minutes, Locs, I swear...

Edited 2023-02-09 00:46 (UTC)

( it takes time he and Marta don't have to evade the teeth of the Dremnin and climb safely over the uneven terrain of rubble, but they make it together as quick as they can.

in the low light, the slow spreading pool of Felix's blood looks like ink, wide enough to make McCoy pull in a sharp breath. they've had close calls in the past – his own hasn't been far from his thoughts here, a year later – yet this is certainly one of their worst. )

Finn. Scooch up a bit, let him see you better, ( enough to make room for both healers, because like fuck is he gonna push the poor kid away right now. )

[ it takes both healers seconds to assess the situation, and marta a second longer to push the quiet curse out from under her breath. as mccoy addresses finn, she moves forward to sink down to her knees on one side of felix, already holding out her hands to begin the hasty prayer for healing she'd taken on as a cleric. borrowed magic glows from her palms, warm like an embrace, but it's her experience that guides it. focus on the organs, the major arteries— if they can stabilize him first, then they can worry about repair. ]

[Finn’s relief at the sight of Bones and Marta was profound. The sight of any orber would have had similar effect, but these two were particularly reassuring. People he knew and trusted, both. They both had a calm, self-assured presence. Helpers.]

Jun- or…the orb…they used some kind of spell on him. Like the one he told us about I think? Ellia’s? It really messed him up, bad. I didn’t move him or anything though, I swear. I figured you’re not supposed to do that, right? If someone’s hurt, you don’t move them.

[His talking was more rambling than informative, but Finn moves out of the way quickly, kneeling near Felix’s head but taking care to keep out of the way of the two healers as best he could. His mouth felt dry and his stomach twisted with guilt.]

He’s gonna be okay, right?

( as Marta begins, McCoy takes a knee on the other side of Felix, pushing his sleeves up ahead of a rapid assessment. )

You did good, Finn. Exactly what you're supposed to. We're gonna do everything we can, so you keep talking to him for us, all right? Keep him awake.

( he stretches his hands out alongside Marta's, takes a breath, and focuses until his magic joins hers, bathing Felix in healing light. )

[ Finn watches them with a restless, nervous energy, nodding along with his new instructions.]

You hear that, Felix? They’re gonna fix you up, dude. [ He was painfully aware of how unconfident his voice sounded, but he wasn’t even sure if the man could hear him anyway.] You’re not gonna believe the skriz that happened after you got knocked out…the orb turned Jun into a freakin’ dragon, and I know you don’t wanna miss that fight.

[Finn could feel himself faltering as he talks about Jun, clenching his fists hard and fighting back a tight, hurt feeling in his chest. Would they even be in this position if Finn hadn’t trusted Jun so implicitly? If he hadn’t told him everything about their goals, and who they were and why they were here…would Felix be bleeding out on the ground like this?]

Everyone’s workin’ really hard to make you better, and it would be pretty messed up if you died, man. Like, super unfunny, actually.

[As the healing began to take effect Felix's consciousness began to sharpen into focus. His face scrunched up as the pain hit him again, but not long after his eyes opened. It took a moment for his vision to focus and his eyes glanced about in a frantic need to assess, evaluate, and plan his next move. His eyes fell on Finn and stopped.

He whispered something to the boy. It sounded like it hurt for him to talk.]

Finn, come closer.

[Felix waited until Finn had moved closer to hear him before--suddenly his arm struck out and grabbed Finn by the back of the head, fingers digging into the hair just above the braid. He forcefully pulled Finn down closer until their faces were too close for comfort.

He looked livid. He sounded even more so.]

What the hell are you doing here!? What did I tell you to do!

[That was it. That was all the strength he had left. He was going to need more healing before he could do anything more than lie here and concentrate on breathing. It hurt too much to do even that.

Felix's arm fell back down to his side with no further harm done. His body went slack from exhaustion. His face smoothed out to reveal how tired and pained he felt rather than how upset he was. It was too exhausting to be angry.

He closed his eyes and, still engaging with Finn, whispered something he hoped wouldn't really be all that audible.]

Thanks for not leaving... partner.

[Felix's eyes reopened and his expression took on one of confusion.]

...did you say something about a dragon?

[ as felix steadily becomes more and more stabilized, marta allows some of the tension to ease from her shoulders. despite the convenience of magical healing, she can't say she'll miss the bone-heavy fatigue that settles deep into her chest afterward.

seeing the injured man stir into consciousness and reach out for finn is a relief — or rather, it had been right up until said man grabs at the teen's hair, yanking him down. marta yelps, her spell flickering out as she grabs for finn herself. she pulls finn back just as felix loses his spur of energy, sending both of them toppling back onto the ground. she swears again, this time in her native spanish, and directs a sharp glare at the now-prone man. ]

You, [ exasperated, aggrieved, ] stay down, stay quiet.

[ she rearranges her hands on finn's shoulders to be more reassuring than grappling, giving a squeeze as her tone softens when directed towards him. ]

He'll be okay, mijo. You did great.

( mccoy lets loose a swear as felix pulls at finn and marta moves to action, shifting himself to make up the difference, feeling the exhaustion pull at him. )

Fucking orbs, and dragons, and goddamn venomous rabid werewolf bastards, ( he snarls quietly to himself, like a surly prayer of reassurance. )

[Everything happens so quickly that Finn barely has time to process it, never mind react quickly. Felix, suddenly awake and conscious and filling him with the kind of relief he'd only felt a few times in his life. Felix, again, turning that relief to panic at the sudden force of his anger. Marta and Dr. McCoy, pulling Finn from the man's grasp and snapping at their patient to stay still respectively.

Revenge, that was the word Felix left him with before going unconscious. Appealing to someone's better nature certainly wouldn't be Felix's idea of real revenge, Finn knew that much already. What if he'd just done as he told him to -- stabbed Jun, quickly, no remorse. Would that dragon be careening toward everyone he cared about right now?

Marta’s words felt far away, and Finn glances toward her briefly, looking shaken.]

Oh, yeah. No problem. [He's half sure that was a reasonable response to whatever she was saying. The air still smelled heavily of blood. It was a scent Finn was pretty used to, but for some reason now it turned his stomach. Finn stands to his feet, wobbly for a few moments.] I'm gonna go get some air. Try to get eyes on Jun and fix this. You guys, just--

[He spots a glint of metal in the wreckage; a pile of Jun's armor. Finn makes a b-line for it, taking advantage of Marta and Dr. McCoy's preoccupation with Felix's vitals. He grabs up the scabbard at the bottom of the pile. His own dinged blade -- Vending Machine Sword -- sat abandoned by Felix's side.

New sword in hand at the edge of the ruined tower, Finn shouts a quick request back at them.]

Just fix him and stay safe!

[Without waiting for (or responding to) any reply, Finn hops down the rubble of the ruined tower towards the battlefield and Jun. There's no plan, yet. But maybe there would be one by the time he got there.]

Edited 2023-02-09 23:09 (UTC)

[Felix, rogue of rogues, gave Marta a lopsided smirk through the pain of even that mere muscle movement. He licked his dry lips before telling her:]

Them there's swear words, pícarita.

[Which were the majority of what he knew, thanks Ortez.

Felix watched idly as the woman comforted the kid and tried not to roll his eyes at the sight, lest they see; shifted his gaze to Bones as the man continued to pour healing magical energy into him and tried not to laugh at the cursing of the medical officer, lest it hurt. All the while his vision swam in and out of focus. He took a deep breath and winced. His gaze shifted again as Finn moved to leave.

The kid probably didn't hear it but Bones and Marta might have caught the quiet "good luck, kid" from Felix. He took another deep breath and closed his eyes as he felt the magic slowly knit pieces of him back together.]

...how long is this going to take?

Finn!

( the last of his magic fades out, and McCoy sits back with a heavy groan. it's with shaking fingers that he digs into the bag at his side, sorting through supplies until he comes up with a couple of the healing draughts he picked up in harsby, offering one to Marta for herself, and uncapping the other for Felix. )

You shut up, ( he growls, ) And stay still unless you wanna start hemorrhaging again and undo all our hard work.

[ it's only when finn has long gone and she's nursing one of the healing draughts that marta directs a sharp gaze felix's way. chasing after the former seems a fruitless endeavor, but marta is beginning to wonder if she'll even have the energy to watch over the latter. ]

Your accent needs work, [ she says around the lip of her vial, before turning back towards mccoy to give him a hard stare until he eventually drinks a draught for himself. she sees those shaking fingers, mister. ]

What? No bedside manner, Doc?

[Felix spared Bones a wry smirk--there was a hardened disappointment behind his eyes but he didn't express it. He had kept his voice to lightly teasing instead. He was used to being told to be quiet. Unfortunately for Bones, he was also good at ignoring it unless he heard a particular tone of growl from a certain person. Bones was not that person.

His eyes flicked to Marta and they lit up with amusement this time. Oh, he liked her. He started to laugh but that hurt so he cut it short, causing him to cough until he managed to reign it in. It didn't entirely kill the amusement in his eyes as he addressed Marta.]

So I've been told.

[His partner always berated him for it, too, but that was probably because he didn't try hard enough to learn anything particularly useful.

After another brief coughing fit, Felix's expression finally turned more serious. He tried to look around the room though it was hard for him to lift his head to swivel it around. He wouldn't stop though until he was satisfied.]

Where's my sword?

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video; un: felix & raddude5000

action; open to those coming to the tower to help

action; for finn (open to threadjacks)

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1/3

2/3

3/4 i lied one more after this

4/4 DONE

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