etrayalogs | Mission 010 Catch All

Entry tags:

Mission 010 Catch All - Closed

WHO: Sleipnir, Barnabas, Joshua, Leon, Vander, Kirk, Hernan, Sleeper (Silas), Accelerator
WHEN: Weeks 3 and 4 of Mission 010
WHERE: San Francisco
WHAT: Planned threads with various characters, didn't want to bog down the main mission log
NOTES\WARNINGS: NSFW, violence, blood, murder, unsafe behaviors

(Read more...)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Ifrit would be patient for Vander. Humans were fragile creatures, even Dominants, and his dear one had lost quite a bit of blood. Thoughts were sure to be sluggish as the body attempted to recover what it had lost. The silence, however, was doing little to assuage the simmering anger that was percolating inside of him]

Then clearly he is a liar as well as a beast.

[They reached Vander’s apartment complex and Ifrit simply walked inside. The front door still had yet to be fixed since Clive’s most recent visit, when he was still resisting. Even now he could feel it. Hush. I am handling this. ’a healer’ Ifrit ignored the soft voice, the man within was frightened and Ifrit could not allow that fear to get in the way of this.

Ifrit took the stairs, long legs consuming the distance to Vander’s floor easily. Grumpily, he ducked through the doorway and made it to the door. Too impatient to ask Vander for his keys and wait for the addled man to attempt to retrieve them, he simple took the knob, turned, and pushed. The deadbolt tore free easily and he stepped inside.

Ifrit glanced down at Vander and frowned. This man had some ill-placed trust. Clive was a good man to trust. Soft, certainly, but devoted and stalwart. He was capable of protecting what was his. Vander, his strong and delicate man, clearly didn’t always have the best judgement. And still, his heart clenched. Why hadn’t Vander defended their bond? Why had he let the creature he called a friend so close?]

You did not answer my question, Vander. [His voice was still measured. He placed the man carefully on the couch and retrieved a blanket, holding it to himself to warm it before draping it over the man and going over to his kitchen. Red meat. That’s what the man needed.]

Why did you let it mar our bond mark?

He's just... it's the anomaly... I think.

[The problem was that Vander didn't know for certain. Had Kirk been starving himself before their encounter? If the hunger became too overwhelming then he had been informed that it could overtake any of Kirk's good sense. He didn't know what had happened leading up to their coming together, and he was not in the right state to think his way through it.

The barrier dissipated once they had left it, conserving energy and the trip from the roadside to his apartment was a blur. One minute he was blinking his eyes and the next he saw the familiar ceiling of the hallway. Oh what a sight it would be seeing Ifrit; he hoped his neighbours were not around otherwise they would receive quite the fright. He almost laughed but didn't have the energy.

Suddenly he was in his apartment, though he couldn't tell how much time had passed, just that he was laying on the couch and there was a warm blanket over him. He almost missed being in Clive's arms - no, Ifrit - but he shifted slightly so he could reach up with trembling fingers to touch the cauterized injury on his neck. It would scar. It was too deep not to plus the burnt flesh that stopped the bleed.

His fingers lightly traced the burnt flesh and he wondered if it would kill him from an infection. He'd seen people go out that way. He closed his eyes, humming softly as pain radiate through him and he tried to focus on Ifrit's question.]

Bond... mark? You mean the burn? [The one he had just received? Wait, hadn't that just happened? He did recall Ifrit's teeth back when he wasn't himself either, but that had healed instantly.] I have a mark now...? It's not going anywhere.

[Wait, where did Ifrit go? He lifted his head, pushing himself up on one elbow to stare at the man in his kitchen. This was oddly domestic.]

Are you... taking care of me?

The anomaly.

[Something itched at the back of Ifrit’s mind. The bright flash of an eye once blue, then gold, then blue again. Words of understanding, of seeing how the other side of the coin looks at the world, how it could help. He paused, and grit his teeth at the sudden lance of pain in his temple.]

Didn’t Aurora say that the Anomaly wouldn’t impact Etrayans as harshly?

[His tone might have been just shy of too casual. If the Anomaly was what urged Kirk in this direction, then he could see the reasoning behind it. He still could not, however, forgive the man. It would also explain why Vander trusted him. If this was how he was when he was being shown the full picture of the world, then it would make sense that how he normally was would potentially be gentler. How he was then mattered not when how he was now nearly took Vander from him.]

Not the burn. The gifts we gave each other the other night when we made love.

[Ifrit found a good-sized piece of what was labeled as ‘steak’. It looked like a cut from a bighorn but smaller. It would do. Taking that out of the fridge, he also filled a glass with water and a bit of salt, swirling a warming finger in it to encourage the granules to dissolve. He paused as he was midway through cutting open the package to retrieve the meat and gave Vander what some might say was a bit of a pout.]

Yes. Why would I not be? Now lay down.

[Ifrit approached with the water, meat, and a plate, searing the meat just enough to make it more palatable for the injured man. He crouched down next to the couch, dropping the meat onto the plate and holding out the glass.]

Drink. Your body needs the salt.

[Ifrit busied himself with ripping chunks of the barely cooked meat into bite sized pieces.]

[He blinked at the eye colour change, and his brain was not following along even as he tried to sort out exactly how this scenario was going to end. He wasn't strong enough stand under his own power, and at this point, he wasn't convinced he could crawl either. It was dizzying just levering himself up, but he had to wonder: Why was Ifrit here and not Clive?]

I don't... believe that. I've seen people affected by it... maybe not as much but you know, changes... [He trailed off, unable to think back of a specific example. Not even the one that literally just happened in the streets or the one that was currently happening right now. He was only certain people from Etraya were affected.

And whatever normalized struggle to formulating thoughts of his current situation ground to an absolute halt when apparently there had been a mark exchanged that crazy night? He didn't remember much about it, backseat that he had been thrust for the event as it had come with a fight from start to finish. His fingers trembled as they touched the burn that radiated heat on his neck, as if he could determine if there was a mark beyond what he had already sustained.]

Gift? [He tried not to sound confused, but he fell sort as he squinted at Ifirt.

He slowly lowered himself on the couch. This was not what he expected upon realizing he had been returned to his apartment. He should probably suggest a doctor, yet he found himself raising shaking hands to try to handle the glass that felt oddly warm in his hands.]

I need to sit up to try to drink...

[He was about to dump it on himself and even lifting his head, he did manage to drink a little but also spilled it down his neck. He coughed and slowly moved to turn onto his side, still somehow managing to handle the glass without dropping or spilling.]

[Ifrit quirked an eyebrow - what a novel thing, having eyebrows - at Vander’s inability to give examples despite the fact that he was laid up on his own couch, waiting politely on death’s doorstep because of one. If the Anomaly truly was to blame. It was a vehicle for understanding. He wasn’t sure how to explain that in a way that the man across from him would understand in his current state.]

Then perhaps she was wrong. It seems our benefactors aren’t as knowledgeable as they like to make themselves out to be.

[Sighing in frustration, Ifrit turned his back to Vander and tapped the spot on the back of his neck where he had so pleasantly been held down by, teeth sunk into flesh he so willingly exposed. The warmth of the memory of that night swirled within him, so visceral and true. He turned back around.] You claimed me, as I did you here - [Ifrit held his finger above a spot that was currently burned closed. He tsked and tilted his head.]

But it’s been ruined. Both by your folly and mine. No matter. Once you have healed, I will give you a new one. [He eyed Vander.] One that you must treat better.

[Ifrit set the meat down and took the cup from Vander before slipping an arm behind Vander’s back and lifting him just enough so that he could drink the water.]

So you see why I am caring for you.

[He picked up the glass again to hand it back to Vander and eyed his shaking hands suspiciously before bringing the cup to Vander’s lips himself.]

[It wouldn't be the first time that they had limited information stepping onto a mission. Normally it wasn't quite this large and expansive, but the information was accurate enough to land them in trouble but not so much that it was an outright lie he had noticed. They had to sort it out themselves, always did.]

No... they often send us... into situations grasping for information.

[Vander stared at the spot on the back of Ifrit's neck, blinking his eyes slowly as his brows drew together as he recalled that moment when he bit the other man. There had been several instances, especially when he had Clive pinned to the countertop where he had applied his teeth. Then there had been the blur of activities after that point which was a confusing mess of stimulation that he had never formally parsed out.

He wasn't even certain that Clive was fully aware of what had happened. After all, he wasn't certain he even saw a mark on the back of Ifrit's neck. Just like the mark on his own was... he supposed it happened. He wanted to talk to Clive; he didn't dare ask yet.]

Thank you... for saving me. [He felt talking about their mutual 'love' bites was a landmine he did not wish to risk stepping on poorly.] Once I've had a bit of time to catch my breath, I should seek a healer.

[He groaned as he was helped (or more manhandled) up to sitting position, his head swimming and dropping towards his chest as he nearly passed out. He bit his lower lip to concentrate on the pain to prevent that. The tunnel vision faded and he was breathing hard even as he took the glass from Ifrit and held it in both, clutching it so it didn't fall into his own lap. Then his hands, the glass and Ifrit were bringing it to his lips. He did drink, gagging a little on the taste of taste.]

You and Clive have been... caring for me since we met. Is there anything I can do to care for you? [And him.]

For a being who can pull individuals from other universes, Echo is not very in touch with the situations on the actual planets and in the universes we are trying futilely to save, does it?

[Ifrit glanced down at the meat on the plate, slowly bleeding, and sighed. Water first. Then food. And based on how it had been going so far, the glass of water was going to take a while. Especially with how Ifrit knew it tasted. Drinking salty water was never pleasant.

He looked back at Vander, at his frail form, skin pale, body shaking. He was probably freezing. Ifrit increased the ambient temperature of his body, hoping that it may help warm the man. He would not get color back in his cheeks, not for some time, but he could at least be a bit more comfortable.]

That is something we can do. The Phoenix can heal wounds. I will fetch him once I am certain you can be on your own.

[Ifrit lowers the glass of water again and sets it down so neither of them have to worry about holding it. With the hand not holding Vander up, he traces a line just shy of the burn he left. How long would it take to heal? He itched to nuzzle it, to apologize for the pain, but he did not. Instead, he looked back at Vander.]

You are in no state to be caring for anyone. But…

[The armored plates that covered the side and back of Ifrit’s neck seem to reabsorb into his skin, leaving the flesh there exposed and so oddly normal compared to the rest of his body.

He didn’t want to know the answer to the question he was going to ask, but he needed to. That cold grip that Clive would feel was creeping through his chest cavity. He should not be cold. He should never be cold. What was this? Dread perhaps? Vander did not seem to understand, did not grasp what transpired between the two of them. What if… No. Surely not. Vander would not do something so brazen and bold without meaning it. Nor would the animal he kept trapped inside. Surely. He was just confused because of the blood loss.

He leaned close enough so Vander would not have to reach as far.]

Touch me where you claimed me, where you told me that I am yours.

[And for the first time in Ifrit’s centuries of existence and many iterations, his voice trembled.]

I don't know. I just... want to save my world. My girls, so whatever I have to do... ugh, I'll do it.

[It was difficult to string his thoughts together logically as they were disjointed and elusive. That he was carrying on any manner of conversation right now felt like a miracle of sorts, but he knew better than to be silent with Clive shoved to the backburner. This was what happened that night, after all, yet his counterpart was not emerging to contest.

No danger, right? It felt like a twisted situation all the same. He could more easily navigate this with Clive as he had developed a strong bond with the younger man, but what did he know about the Eikons? Little to nothing. He didn't even know they had free will and personalities until this moment.

His breathing was still heavy, and he drank what he could of the salt water. It tasted terrible, and the only reason that he perhaps didn't was because he was too weak from blood loss to do more than accept the assistance.]

Alright... I appreciate your help. With everything.

[His eyebrows drew together in confusion in what he was witnessing, blinking his eyes rapidly as he watched some change in the armour on Ifrit. For a moment, he thought that Clive was remerging and returning to the forefront, but no, nothing more than the armour on the neck had changed. The skin looked plainly normal too, not marks or bruising or scarring.

He stared at the spot revealed as Ifrit leaned closer as if to present for inspection. He blinked and stared at the other's face at the question, wise enough by the tone to understand this was important. But, he didn't remember. It was that flurry of a night that occurred. He had set his very human teeth to the back of Clive's neck, but not the side. Not there.

Vander reached out with a shaky hand and touched the hot skin, smoothing his fingers over it. That darkness within him stirred, sliding down his arm and into his fingertips to feel with him. It shouldn't be this way.]

It... was the darkness inside me that claimed you. [Or it was his best guess.] When it is out, I don't experience things as it does. It would be unfair of me to claim... what I don't remember? [Never one without the other.] If you can make it come out...?

Your girls…

[Ifrit stares down at the man pensively. What must it be like to have a parent that would go to the ends of the universe to save them? An interesting concept. And a foreign one. Ifrit traced a line along the very edge of that burn.]

And if it came down to having to kill the people that you care for here? And not Etraya’s gentle deaths, but true death. The end. No coming back, price or no.

[Surprisingly, the tone to this question was not weighted, merely curious. He genuinely wanted to know how far Vander was willing to go for his children. He knew the man carried pain for his sons, likely guilt. Did he feel that way about his daughters, too? He continued to trace gentle lines on Vander’s skin, watching him with a curious tilt to his head.]

Mmm. The sooner you have regained your strength, the better. Though we will be staying with you to ensure that you are safe.

[Not every waking moment, that would be dull and suffocating for everyone. But enough where they could make sure that Vander wasn’t getting himself into deeper trouble simply because he trusted another person and they got him in danger.

While it isn’t the answer he hoped for, Ifrit is surprised and pleased by the honesty.]

Thank you for telling me this.

[He slid his hand over to Vander’s throat.]

I will attempt to not kill you in the process of drawing it out.

[That is all the warning gets before Ifrit is squeezing that large, strong hand tightly around his throat.]

[Vander's brows drew an even deeper line over his eyes as he regarded Ifrit. He shifted uncomfortably on the couch because the answer was plain as day to him, especially after the threat of Robin potentially trampling over Zaun's rights and starting a dust up with his daughter. He had been poised and ready to even return to enduring Shimmer if he needed to, and he had already felt what it was like to kill on that.

But they had not started to fight directly. They were defending themselves and their rights to have technology and freedom which was so often trampled upon by others.]

I'll do whatever is necessary... if the fight it brought to me. I don't start it, but I will finish it. [Which meant if those he cared about, those close to him, decided to make the initial push to end their friendship, he would not hold back. He couldn't. And that scared him.

He appreciated the care that he was receiving from Clive and the Eikon. He knew that Kirk would not be making another appearance to take more from him with these two looming over him. He nodded slightly, dully aware of the caressing against his neck and it was enough to keep him from simply falling asleep.]

Once I heal, I'll be alright, but thank you.

[He expected that seeing a healer or this Phoenix would be enough to return him to his feet. He would likely have to confront Kirk once he learned more of what had happened and understand the situation. Until then, this couch or his bed was likely the only places that he would be spending any amount of time on.

That was the expectation. The reality proved to be much, much more contentious.

It took him a moment to realize his air supply was being cut off with a massive hand around his throat. He gagged at first as Ifrit's words filtered through his sluggish brain and his eyes widened as he stretched and strained against the hold on his throat, lifting a trembling hand to Ifrit's wrist in a lame attempt to pry it off.

His lips parted but the ability to speak had been cut off, and he was so close to unconsciousness from a combination of blood loss and pain from the burn that his vision blackened at the edges. Clive... stop. Not you too... He tried to summon strength through any emotion he could tap into.

The darkness stirred sluggishly, also affected by the damage he had already taken. He scratched at it, prodded and poked and the darkness presence eased towards the surface but hadn't the strength to break through until his consciousness was almost completely faded. Tendrils of black smoke curled along his skin, almost appearing as fur and his grey eyes flicked blue then back as limited energy debilitated both halves of his power.

The shimmering white protective barrier appeared then cracked and faded away. The darkness struggled and howled in frustration to escape and finally managed the feat once Vander's eyes rolled back into their sockets as he lost consciousness. There was a blast of black smoke and the area of the apartment was cast in various shadows as the Wolf clawed its way free of his oxygen deprived body which dissolved to smoke.

Diminished, the Wolf snarled from one of the shadows as it gathered itself and glowing blue eyes glared balefully before charging on all four paws. Unlike their first encounter, this was a full transformation and Wolf moved to set its teeth to Ifrit's throat.

[Ifrit watched Vander’s face with an intensity that was altogether different than Clive’s. Where the man watched to listen, to learn, to understand, Ifrit watched to dissect. Learn, yes, but it wasn’t a request of knowledge received, it was a cataloguing of something deserved.]

So are you saying that if you were told that your decision was to kill someone you loved here or lose your daughters, you wouldn’t start that fight? [A quirk of the lips.] I doubt that, Vander. I doubt that very much.

[Maybe he should try to dissuade Clive from continuing to get closer to this man. It was dangerous. They had already seen what the risk for pain was, getting attached here. Flashes of a beautiful scarred visage, clear gray eyes, dark hair in gentle waves around a face open with care, but not love, never love… ’Put him aside. He is nothing to you now. Sleep.’

Vander would have seen the unnatural light in Ifrit’s eyes flicker for but a moment as he was introspective. And then the full intensity of that gaze was back on the invalid man.]

You don’t like having to be taken care of, do you? I suggest taking the time to get more used to the idea. Clive will not stop caring for you, even if there is a time where it seems like it would be better to leave you. [Ifrit gently strokes Vander’s cheek with the back of his hand.] He cares too deeply for that. But I believe you have seen glimpses of that. How he loves others with all of him, regardless of the kind.

[Ifrit watches with a distant fascination as Vander tries to pry his hand off. He did tell him that he would be careful, didn’t he? Well, panic didn’t listen to reason so he supposed he could understand. He did have to be careful. He wasn’t sure if that beautiful beast would show in Vander’s state so there was a very real chance he would have to back off and be dissatisfied with any non-answer.

Then the dark tendrils started to seep from Vander’s skin, destroying the light that surrounded him for just a moment. Yes. This. Perfect. He squeezed a little harder until he felt Vander’s form disappear from under his hand. Yes, perfect, beautiful.

Ifrit stood, stepping back and preparing for the inevitable fight. His armor sprang back into place on his neck just in time to stop viciously sharp teeth from piercing into defenseless flesh. He let himself feel the sting of pain where teeth found spaces in the gaps of armor, blood trickling over the plating and sizzling from the heat.

Then, he grabbed Wolf by the scruff and yanked him off, ignoring the tearing pain as teeth were dragged out of their places between stone.]

Hello, beautiful. Can you speak in this form?

[He hadn’t expected to come face to face with a full wolf, but this situation was different than the one they found themselves in before.]

[Vander was mute to the plain skepticism from Ifrit because it was true, and it was an ugly truth that he didn't want to face. If it came between killing those he had grown close to and losing Jinx and Vi and Runeterra, he would do it. He would hate himself for it, but he would not let them down as he had so many times in the past. There was a darkness in him that he understood was built on good intentions.

And no, Vander was used to being the caretaker, and he was comfortable in that role. He had seen how Clive also fit that role: caretaker, protector, brother-at-arms. Yet, he had unearthed a part of Clive that needed to be cared for too, had stoked desire and soft vulnerability when they were alone, especially under the cover of dark where no judgment was passed between them. Just thoughts, feelings and wishes.

He wanted Clive to be here. He could understand the motivation here more.

Instead, Vander was replaced in a last ditch effort for survival regardless of Ifrit's intentions. An attack was an attack however it was intended and the Wolf snarled around armoured plating and hung on as tooth and claw racked over before he was ripped free from the precarious position. It didn't matter. Only attacking mattered.

Black smoke curled off his fur, and normally he would vaporize away and simply attack again, over and over, relentless. But there was an energy deficiency which forced Wolf to conserve (never stop, just adapt). He snapped jaws towards Ifrit's face from the hanging positioning, twisting and wriggling to be free.]

Speak, Fire One, before We tear you apart.

[Ifrit could see it in Vander’s eyes, that conviction. Good. If it meant defending their home, defending all that Clive loved, Ifrit would do the same. Clive would hurt, oh would he hurt, but he would understand in the end. He knew the cost of sacrifice. Of saving a world. If Vander wouldn’t do the same then investing any more time in the man would be worthless. Weakness was unacceptable.

Oh Vander, Clive wanted to be with you. He grabbed, tried, but it was too much. Ifrit’s miasma of burning heat and brimstone was too thick. He wanted to be the one there, holding a glass to Vander’s mouth gently, properly cooking his food, petting his hair, guiding him to rest. Calling Joshua to come and heal the man. But he was trapped, watching, stuck in his own body, helplessly pushing back as he watched Ifrit choke the breath out of the other man’s lungs.

Ifrit pushed the slight resistance back, relishing the feeling of his claws biting into Wolf’s flesh. He shivered at the sound of the other creature’s voice. Just as captivating as before.]

When we made love, you marked us. That claiming bite. Did you mean it?

[No point in beating around the bush. Wolf’s very minimal patience wouldn’t appreciate it anyway.]

[Wolf snapped and twisted in the grip, claws and teeth flashing regardless of the distance between himself and the body in front of him. Blue light still reflected out from between certain portions of his fur, increasing in brightness as his frustration rose. He needed to attack and tear and rip, not hang here like an ineffective pup.

Glowing blue eyes stared out from the wolf skull, and his lips pulled wide to reveal all teeth as his mouth fell open and a deep humourless laugh emerged. Wolf was all emotion, all the time, so he was fully capable of understanding what was being asked of him. He laughed, aware it would cause fury, a fight.]

You are ours, Maker of Flame. You will always be ours, and that bite was to show you your place.

[Wolf suddenly stopped thrashing and craned his head on his neck, leaning as close to Ifrit's neck where there had been a bite - multiple actually - and while he could not reach, he still chortled darkly.]

No one can escape death. You will return to us as they all do. Does our claim not satisfy you, Fire one?

[Watching Wolf struggle was exhilarating. He dug his claws in deeper, watching the blue energy pulse beneath that beautiful fur. It was strange. He would have thought the other would have dissolved and reappeared already. Could it be that Vander’s state was impacting him?

Ifrit felt the sneer before he decided to make it. Show him his place? It certainly wasn’t beneath this creature, enrapturing though he was. No, this was a place for equals and, if one were to truly consider the two of them, would Wolf really win against him when it came down to it?]

Show me my place?[Smoke pours from Ifrit’s mouth, the fires of Hell burning deep within his chest, the smell of brimstone permeated the air.] And what of yours, Little Wolf?

[Ifrit pulled Wolf closer, just out of biting range. He watched with hungry eyes. Wolf knew exactly where the mark was. Put it there on purpose. His blood sang. He wanted more, but now was not the time.]

What does death have if it does not have destruction? Pitiful creatures crawling into its waiting maw? No, you would grow bored. [Ifrit growls.] Without me, you would be nothing. You belong to me just as much as I do you.

[Ifrit reached up with his free hand and dug a claw into where he put his mark, the one he had put his intention behind.]

You accepted that when you accepted me, bared yourself to me.

[Wolf's regenerative abilities were well at work within Vander, and they could truly never die. They faded then returned; never one without the other. The difference was that Vander's humanity tainted them, tempered a little of the wildness and relentless abandon to rip and tear. Forced to think as it were.

They chortled at the show of smoke and flame and heat, amused by the damaged ego. Smoke curled off of their dark fur, the light growing from their mouth and eyes as strength returned little by little.]

So eager to have a place by our side, Flame Maker. Your contributions are noted, eagerly anticipated even, but you are not the sole contributor to our purpose. [They were held just out of range but another strain of neck and head and they could lap at the spot on Ifrit's neck where this one seemed oh so focused.] We are two; you are one. We understand your loneliness, Fire One. We two were once one and it was a depth of loneliness that required extreme action.

[Wolf snapped jaws at Ifrit's throat, just out of range as those claws dragged over fur and 'flesh', releasing more black smoke as the room darkened further. Time seemed to stand still.]

You are destruction; you take what you think you want, but it never remains because you cannot escape your nature. Anything you covet, anything you wish, anything you think you love will fall to destruction. We cannot escape what we are, Maker of Flame. Embrace it.

Edited 2025-08-11 12:47 (UTC)

[That sound, a bastardization of a laugh, rankles. Ifrit feels the spikes along his spine rise, a low growl coming from the back of his throat. His grip tightens further, digging claws deeper, wanting to see those wisps of smoke, those pinpricks of bright blue light, trickle out of this creature’s form.]

What brings the most satisfying death but destruction? My flames consume, but I am more than just fire. [As a testament to this statement, lightning dances down Ifrit’s arms and lances into the open wounds drawn out by Ifrit’s claws. It is more difficult to control without Clive here, but he was created for this all the same. To be the vessel of God, to hold this power and, with it, the world. He will let no one, not even Wolf, dictate who he is.] You act as if you know me, but have you truly tried to understand?

[He knows the answer to that and it is only confirmed by the mocking brush of a tongue against something that burned in him, something that, for a brief moment, had felt a little like being whole. Pain bursts in Ifrit’s chest. This was a game to Wolf, a thing to bat around and chew on, not a thing to covet, to protect. No. Ifrit lets his rage loose, the heat of his need changed to something darker. He would be no one’s toy.]

You do not get to dictate who I am, what I am capable of. [He could feel a small spark there, the indignation of being told his fate, of being denied his own will. Of Clive, the one worthy of his power, of the power of all of the Eikons. Flames burst from Ifrit, engulfing the two of them, consuming the shadows in the room, destroying the cold.] You may be comfortable with submitting to what you call your fate, but I am not.

[With that, Ifrit tears. It’s his turn to go for the throat.]

[This would never end as Ifrit wished; both of them were too free-spirited and yet bound to a purpose that they embraced. They could tangle and assist to those ends, but they would always be moving to the next little light that would blink out.

The show of lightning was painful, but they held their form purposefully to endure. A snarling whine of pain flared from the attack, solidifying their presence here and grounding it to this plane of existence.]

No, we do not; we know your end point as it is with all creatures. That body you inhabit will die. It will be a pleasure to watch the light fade in the future. [That was the one truth that could not be escaped, regardless of attempts to run from the inevitable. Wolf liked it when they ran; it meant they could unleash all this bubbling emotion.

The shadows were blasted away, but as soon as the fire passed, they began to encroach again. And when their throat was ripped out? They simply dissolved to smoke, a dark wolfish chuckle coming as their power consolidated in one corner of the room.] So you seek love and acceptance? Your human taints your purity. We will show you the end point of your fate, Flame One.

[Glowing blue eyes were the first indication as Wolf blasted from the shadows, closing the distance quickly to move to bite Ifrit's face.]

[The chance that anything in this life would end in a way that Ifrit wished was slim to none, but that did not stop him from wanting. He was a creature of destruction and to destroy one needed to desire. What point was there in the end of things if there was no beginning, no middle?

Ifrit didn’t bother to hide the sharp corner of a smile as Wolf endured the pain. To what? Prove a point? Funny.]

Just as the body you inhabit will die. This host may go, but I will not. In time, another will be born to take my form, just as those that came before this one for myself and all the others. [Ifrit’s eyes narrowed.] If you expect to see me on your side of the veil, you will be sorely disappointed.

[Ifrit managed to throw his arm up in time to save his face the ferocity of the bite. The pain that lanced through his forearm up to his shoulder was exhilarating. Drops of burning magma and sizzling red blood pooled around the puncture marks between plates of armor, trickling into Wolf’s mouth and onto the floor, the taste of iron and fire.]

You may try, Little Wolf. [Ifrit grabs at Wolf with his free hand to pin him against the arm between his jaws before crashing the two of them through a window. Past experience taught that there wasn’t enough space here for a satisfactory fight. When they hit the ground, Ifrit pushes Wolf of with a crashing wave of rock over his arm.]

But know that you will fail.

This body has already felt our teeth and claws. Another time will prove no different than the first. [Everyone and everything passed to their side of the veil; it was simply a matter of time. In every universe, in every timeline, it was the one truth that no entity could escape from even if it were only for a time.] We will embrace you as you pass over, Flame One. You will not go alone.

[There was a hissed of delight at the heat in their mouth, the beginning of a fight. Wolf lived for those that ran from their end point, hunted them down and tore them apart. As long as the energy in this body held, there would be no stopping them from achieving that truthful purpose.

Their teeth clung onto that arm as they were airborne and falling, and once they landed, the dissolved into black smoke. The street seemed to freeze in time and darkness fell over the area, highlighting Ifrit's molten flames as a bright point. Wolf gathered in the mouth of a deep shadow and then exploded out in a relentless charge to try to bowl Ifrit over to the ground.]

Has it now? And yet, here it stands for you to inhabit. [Ifrit tilts his head.] Perhaps you aren't as inevitable as you would like to seem.

[Though Wolf's words echo in Ifrit's mind. His opponent acts as if he is uncaring, all-powerful, inevitable, and yet does he wish to give his own form of comfort? Perhaps. A fire that has nothing to do with his rage flickers to life.]

Oh, my Little Wolf, be careful of making promises you won't be able to keep.

[Ifrit takes the brunt of Wolf's charge and rolls with it, kicking and ripping and biting and growling as the two of them scuffle on the ground, Ifrit's flames leaving tracks through inky shadow.]

We are, Flame Maker. Even this body will fail... [It would simply have to keep rising until this strange set of circumstances were over. That was why they would rise again and again.

Those words, like a challenge, took them both to the ground as teeth snapped and claws racked at the armour that adorned Ifrit's body. They would seize on clamping teeth on any portion of the other's body, though they were attempting over and over again to close jaws around that throat.]

You will come to us, Destruction. Twined in our purposes, as you say.

Will you find a new one when that happens, I wonder?

[Would he find you in next lives? Reiterations of their forms, powerful and inevitable. Ifrit, distantly, wonders if he truly will have a next life. If his purpose is fulfilled, he will not need one. Was that a pang of disappointment he felt?

Ifrit cannot stop the wild cackle that erupts from him at the scrabbling pain and the feeling of ripping into the gentle flesh of his Little Wolf.]

I will be your ferryman, bringing those damned souls that fall to my hands to your doorstep. But, my dear Little Wolf, I will not cross your threshold. We will be connected for eternity.

[With that, Ifrit let Wolf’s jaw clamp around his throat. Pain burns through him as his blood and magma pool in his opponent’s mouth and drip down his muzzle.

He shoved his hand as deep into Wolf as he can, holding him there as a fiery burning beam of pure light burst forth from his chest, power pouring relentlessly into the form locked to him in mutual pain.]

Body or no, we are inevitable. Everyone will face us one day, so the body means little when the purpose remains.

[They tangled together in an impulsive struggle against each other, and for now, Wolf must conserve. They may appear large and powerful, but the base state of this body limited their normal relentless choices of violence. They hated being careful and somewhat restrained.]

Hardly. We will walk together that path until you too are overtaken. You speak too highly of your longevity, Flame One.

[The taste of molten fire burned through their jaw, alit their fur so that black smoke curled off of them as regeneration fought the pain and action. They thrashed and struggled against that hand. It wasn't until that laser blast that they released their hold and evaporated into black smoke with a snarl until it was over.

A few feet away in a deep shadow they coalesced again and Wolf barreled right back out to try to seize Ifrit by the back of the neck so they could shake the other entity. Break their neck. Tear them apart. It was as they had done for centuries.]

Do you need a body to exist on this plane?

[How similar are they? How different? If only there were time to explore. But no, there is no time. The only thing they have now is this. Curiosity or not, his Little Wolf would pay for their slight.]

And you doubt too greatly. While I am just a piece, I am still a part of the Almighty. Resistant though we are to accept Their call, the nature of our creation remains the same. This body was made to hold infinity.

[Ifrit could feel the intensity of Wolf’s presence behind him and whips his tail out to intercept the pounce. He uses the momentum generated by the swipe to turn and lash out with claws to lacerate fleeting flesh.]

No, Little Wolf. That is not for you. You have not earned it.

Mission 010 Catch All - Closed

I don't even want popcorn for this one (i do)

cover your eyes, dear friends

It's gonna get messy in here.

he's being so domestic here

Yeah, for now.

/impending jaw's theme

Cover the kids eyes and ears. Save them from the horror.

Here there be monsters....

Monsters full of fire and fury

Well that escalated....

When a magical fire entity wants answers...

He's such an extreme doki-doki

He is what some may call ~yandere~

It takes two to tango on that front

These two are something else I s2g

They are damn fascinating. But also... damn, here comes the fight.

Pain of many kinds loom on the horizon.

This is actually some weird foreplay no one will admit to

They're fiesty little weirdos

They have been waiting for this

They have the funniest way of showing affection

They are just tsundere

Ah the beauty of tragic love between two lil freaks

Yeah this is their love affair and it's weird.

I feel like I need popcorn tho

There is definitely popcorn involved

Imagine being their neighbors

they will be so glad when vander moves out XD

A modicum of peace will be restored. And their building security.

ifrit has to leave the buildings intact first

TW: Graphic descriptions of burned bodies, murder

TW: Graphic descriptions of burned bodies, murder