etrayalogs | Mission 010 Catch All

[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.

Unclear. And we don't care to risk the exploration of it.

[They were here now and they intended to stay, even if it meant being hamstrung in this body to remain. This was not how they existed in their home world, but some existence was better than none outside of Runeterra.

Wolf chortled even as the tail slammed them and off-set their trajectory. Claws cut through their form, dissipating them to smoke where they reformed into a shadow again. They charged again, unrelenting and single-minded in the need to attack and rend flesh.]

We have earned your regard and thus your ire. Strike us down again and again, and we only keep coming, Flame One.

Why Little Wolf, are you afraid of death?

[A lack of curiosity was a sad thing. Understandable, considering the circumstances. But now Ifrit wanted to know. Would his Little Wolf return if his host died? This place had a strange way of treating death. What would that feel like to an entity that is the embodiment of death?

Perhaps it was time to learn.]

I may not have the patience of my host, but I have the power and the will. Come back all you would like, I will meet you with tooth and claw and flame.

[And Ifrit does, meeting every attack Wolf throws at him with one of his own. He does not seem to tire.]

[Wolf issued another harsh laugh.]

We cannot walk with you if we are not here, Maker of Flame.

[Death could not fear what they were. And this fight was pointless yet entertaining; in the end, taking Ifrit's life would likely still spare the body. There was only one end and that was to kill the source. That's what they were fighting for.

Of course, Vander had transitioned from a weakened state and the constant tearing through them and forcing them to reform was taking a toll. Their relentless attacks and claws and teeth continued on as if nothing were the matter, but their size reduced slowly as their energy depleted.

They inflicted injury on each other again and again. Wolf knew their time to be here was closing. Ifrit would win, and that win would require an appropriate reward for victory. Death and destruction]

And I would miss you so. But it’s important to know our limits, Little Wolf.

[Ifrit catches Wolf on his next charge. He noticed the beautiful shadowed form growing smaller and smaller. Was his partner running out of energy? What would happen when he did? Would he simply vanish? Die? Go back to lick his wounds and recover? Oh, how he wanted to know.

And so Ifrit shrouds them both in a pillar of flame so hot that the buildings around them begin to smoke despite not being touched. The asphalt beneath them begins to crack and groan, the rubbish in the bin burned to a crisp, the metal of fire escapes threatening to warp.]

[In this place, they had limits. They were not at the peak of their purpose, and they were confined the strength and whims of the individuals that held them. They still fought to the fullness of their strength as it was.

They leapt in to try to seize the other by the throat before they were surrounded by flame. Their jaws closed momentarily before their black smoke of being combined with that of Ifrit's one last time. Then Wolf used the last strength and evaporated completely.

Vander had a single moment to recognize the heat and lick of flame before it was all pain. He gave a single yell before the heat scorched his lungs and silenced him further. His clothing burnt in the same way as his skin.]

[Just as Wolf was reaching his limit, so too was Ifrit. The last pillar of flame took what little remaining energy they had left. Unfortunately, their power lasted just long enough to set Vander ablaze.

The fire went out as abruptly as it had started and Clive collapsed onto the asphalt, panting and shaking. Vander. Where was Vander? What happened? Clive desperately looked around to see the man on fire. He scrambled over and made short work of putting out what little flames remained but he could see that he was far too late.

The cracking skin, plastic fabric from his clothing melting in where the fire did not first destroy it. The smell of burning hair, flesh, fat. Smells that he had relished in so recently, the feeling of dying flesh sloughing off of bone—the pleasure of it.

Bile rose in the back of his throat. No. No this wasn’t happening. This couldn’t be happening.]

Vander…

[Clive’s voice is hoarse, choked with smoke and anguish. He hovers his hands over the other man’s body, knowing that any touch would be agony. He can already feel the tears building in his eyes. He did this. It was him. He had gone so far to save Vander from someone else killing him, only to turn around and do something far more agonizing.]

No… no I am– Vander, I–

[He couldn’t let him die like this. Not in so much pain. With a shaking hand, he pulled a switchblade from his pocket and flicked it open. As with any weapon he owned, he kept it well-maintained and wicked sharp. Against his better judgment, Clive ran a gentle hand over what remained of Vander’s hair, just barely touching. It would be too much.]

Hold on. This will hurt.

[Clive pulled Vander closer, propped his head in his lap in a gesture that had once been so gentle between the two of them, and used his body and free arm to hold the other man still. He could feel the burned skin breaking under his hands, soft tissue that should never reach the air pressed against Clive’s skin. He wanted to throw up. He couldn’t.]

Goodbye. I –

[Clive choked down a sob and, with a deft hand well-practiced in the motion, slid his knife across Vander’s carotid artery and jugular. He didn’t flinch at the initial spray of blood, letting all that was left inside of Vander soak into his clothes, his hair, his skin. The man had already been suffering severe blood loss before all of this. At least this way, he would die quickly.

Clive stayed there, watching as unconsciousness took the man who had only ever shown him kindness, watched as the tension from pain eased out of his body, watched as his breath slowed into nothing.

Only then, when he knew Vander had breathed his last, did he curl around the mangled corpse of the man who had so thoroughly made a place in his heart, pulled him to his chest, and screamed.

He screamed and sobbed, cursing and begging, until there was nothing left in him, only choking silence. When his body had no more tears to spill and his lungs had remembered what air was like when unencumbered did he unfurl himself from around Vander’s slowly cooling corpse.

Carefully, as if the man were merely sleeping, Clive lowered Vander to the ground. With shaking lips, he leaned down and pressed one last kiss to his lover’s forehead. He would never get to say that word out loud now, never get to see how it tasted, how it felt on his tongue.

Clive stood, kicking the merciful knife into the depths of the alleyway. Let someone else carry it. He could use it no longer.

He isn’t sure how long he stands there, staring down at Vander’s corpse, or when he decided to start moving. Life seemed to be blinking in and out around him. He just let his feet carry him to wherever they decided to go. It didn’t matter.

Vander was dead.

Clive became the monster he had always feared once more.]

[It was like pain he had never experienced before yet had heard about. Excruciating at first until most of his nerve endings had been burned away and that was even more frightening as he fell. He couldn't move, could barely breathe but the smell somehow managed to reach him.

He was fortunate that his eyelids had been closed so they burned shut over his eyes, not that it helped. How he survived at all for the time it took for him to be put out was both a blessing and a curse. He knew it was over, same as it had been when he died in Maria's arms, same as when he had died under Kirk's fang and now here... he knew.

At this point, it was a mercy. He couldn't think beyond the agony or in many places, the lack of it. He couldn't feel his hands and feet enough to move them, just lay quiet with a soft groaning noise indicating he was conscious enough to know the sound of Clive's voice.

Not Ifrit. Clive. So, that was the play?

He groaned softly before his ability to do so left as his scorched throat closed from swelling as he was pulled, leaving behind a smear of blackened skin. He just wanted to die, yet somehow, because he was who he was, he managed to lift a hand off the pavement to try - and fail - to touch Clive in an attempt to comfort the other man.

Suddenly there was a different kind of pain as a blade pierced and severed his major blood vessels deftly. He shuddered as his blood sprayed and spilled over them both, yet his suffering ended in a similar fashion to how he had faded away before. Soon, the pain had ceased and there was blessed nothingness.

With the depth of his injuries, it would take him considerable time to regenerate to come back. However, he would. In time. And then he would have to sit with the fallout there in the middle of the street.]

Mission 010 Catch All - Closed

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