(no subject)

[gordianknots]

Who: Avenger, Waver, Saber, Bazett
When: 26 Jan
Where: Along the castle
What: Avenger has half of his powers back, everything is awful.
Warnings: Violence, loss of autonomy

[Waver had walked away from the fight at the castle. He had only dared to go near it when his circuits cleared some - the first time in months

Once there, he had found his suit folded neatly in a chest, alongside his beloved red coat, and yellow scarf. Putting them back on felt more powerful than having his magecraft back. He was himself again, for the first time in months. Not entirely, there were little naggling things in his head, but he'd take what he could get.

He fiddles with his scarf as he leaves the building again, taking no time to explore. His patience is still too thin, overriding curiosity. He can head back to his house and see what his limits are.]

Comments

HOW DO ALTERS WORK we just don't know

[gordianknots]

[Small wonder that the mythology of Waver's denizen has any impact at all.

Or that it's even an advantage. Because what doesn't kill is absorbed, processed. The mud mixes with Waver's circuits, becoming a natural part of them, and soon enough, a gasp for air. Fingers curl, now unaffected by the mud underneath them.]

it is a mystery

[destructiveprinciple]

[ A bare foot kicks and rolls him over, still coated with mud. Waver is half-sanken into the pool of blackness. Everything overhead is probably blurry to Waver, vague blots of color and light that slowly sharpen back into focus. His throat will feel like its burning, and his clothes too feel strange.

After a pause; ]

...—You're not dead. [ There's an edge of frustration and confusion to those words.

Whatever just happened soul badtouching, this is clearly not the end result that Avenger was aiming for. ]

[gordianknots]

[Waver manages a nod, but he doesn't get up.

The process translated many things. There's prana in his veins now, paths of it traced in bright red lines on his skin, starting at the top of his neck and flowing downward, like veins. His suit is still black, but coat no longer the brilliant red of Rider. It is a dull purple not unlike a certain priest, and his scarf matches the suit.

He doesn't try to speak, not yet. It wouldn't be anything more articulate than a scream anyway.]

[destructiveprinciple]

[ Avenger leans over Waver, spread out flat on the ground and stares down at him wordlessly, brows furrowed for a long moment of silence, save for Waver's harsh breathing. The magus had been inside the black for roughly seven or eight minutes, to his estimation. ]

That... shouldn't be possible, you're not...— [ He straightens up, frowning and removes his foot from Waver. Then: he freezes up, fists clenching together slightly, not that's really noticeable to the mud-drenched magus.

Avenger remembers what Bazett specifically told him not to do. Killing Waver? Not that big of a deal. It wouldn't last more than a day. He'd figured the trauma combined with the magus' pride would prevent him from blabbing about it to anybody, and ward him off attacking Avenger. Two birds with one stone, see? He could cover it up.

But this? This isn't good because—oh, for fuck's sake. ]

[untilavalon]

[For fuck's sake, the cavalry has arrived.

She sees the mud all around, inky and slick and she has to pause. She has never seen this before, but it's clear that it is no good.

This is where Waver contacted her, but--]

Waver?! Waver! Where are you!?

[destructiveprinciple]

[ Avenger spins around at the sound of Saber calling out, muffled by the walls of the building but still understandable.

—Saber. The magus must... have contacted her before he walked into the storehouse, ugh. B|

He grimaces and turns to glance down at Waver. ]

Hey, get up. [ A beat. More forcibly: ] I said, get up!

[gordianknots]

---.

[To that, Waver reacts. His movements are hardly fluid, but he stands, although his eyes never meet Avenger's. They're fixed in the distance, like Avenger isn't even there.]

[untilavalon]

Waver! [She calls again, more forcefully this time-- before hearing something, not very loud, toward the muddied storagehouse.]

Avenger! I know you're here!

[She musn't risk using her noble phantasm if she can avoid it. If Waver is inside, the fantasm could harm him as well.]

[destructiveprinciple]

[ ...

Aw man, did he break Bazett's lord? He did, didn't he. That's... bad because she's going to be infuriated and she's going to yell at him and punch things—and she isn't going to forgive this mishap, is she. There's no way she will. And if his Master doesn't do that, then what's the point? Trapped, frustration, ugh. >:c

Might as well use what he's seemingly acquired. Avenger jerks his thumb at the door. ]

There's a lady out there who wants to see ya'. Get movin'.

[gordianknots]

[And with that, Waver moves. The motion's fluidity returns as he walks, although the first few steps that Saber sees will likely be familiar from the last time she had to face a man wearing grey-purple.

But getting moving is only one thing, and there's no sign of a threat. Yet.]

[untilavalon]

[Those steps are familiar-- but in a way she doesn't want them to be. She keeps her guard up, frowning.

Something isn't right. Why isn't Avenger making a show of this? He'd certainly seemed the type. Perhaps she'd assumed too much, but Waver's clothing is also strange.

This isn't right.]

...Waver?

[gordianknots]

[Waver stands still, only his eyes - now golden or hazel depending on the light, not their usual green - flick, resting on Saber.]

[untilavalon]

[Something is very, very wrong.]

Waver...

[Frustrated, she calls out.] Avenger! What have you done?!

[destructiveprinciple]

[ He appeared on the roof, staring down at Waver's still figure and Saber standing at the ready in front of him. Alright, one, two, three. Deep breath. You can do this, easy as pie, Avenger.

/douches hard at her ]

Wellll...

[untilavalon]

You would do well to answer me, Avenger.

[Her tone is downright icy.]

What have you done to Waver Velvet.

[destructiveprinciples]

Calm down a little, Saber.

[ He laughs, they'll need a villain, give them the villain. ]

Surprisingly, Waver Velvet does not die when he's killed! This time, anyway. [ Now is not the time for puns, you insane idiot. ]

[untilavalon]

Fix it.

[Saber is near growling, on the offense. She speaks through near-gritted teeth.]

Tell me how I can fix it, fix it yourself, or tell me who can fix this.

[destructiveprinciples]

I can't.

[ Perched on the edge of the roof, Avenger shakes his head and points at Waver's motionless figure. ]

As far as I know, the process isn't reversible. [ Even by him, even when it was accidental. Largely, it was done to Heroic Spirits, not humans. ] Eh, though I guess... Death in this place would probably set him right.

[untilavalon]

And what exactly was your intent in the first place?! To kill him? To what end?!

[destructiveprinciples]

Well, yes. I was actually aiming to kill him.

[ An annoyed sigh because he's figured it out by now, and that one little detail is endlessly irksome to him. ] Forgot about the fuckin' denizens...

[untilavalon]

Then not only are you so inept you cannot do as you set out to, but you wish me to finish your job?!

And what, in the first place, would his death have achieved?!

[destructiveprinciples]

[ He blinks. ] One more, temporarily, dead human.

Well, you can leave him alone if you want! I'm not going to force your hand, Saber. [ He shrugs, unbothered by Saber's fury. ] He's just gonna suffer like this however. Humans aren't supposed to be given my sort of rage.

[ Broken magi BT ]

[untilavalon]

[Near incredulous, Saber stares at Avenger for a moment.]

You child. [Truly, not even a child would work so messily or cruelly in her mind, but 'moron' isn't quite well-used in her vocabulary yet.

Out of option, she produces her communicator and contacts Bazett.]

Bazett? It's urgent.

[answerer_sword]

[It had taken a while for Bazett to find her items and flee the chaos of the castle. It was harder fighting in a body that she wasn't used to (though it was an interesting experience strangling minions with her now long hair). However, she had done it, and now she had her magecraft, items, and body back.]

[After putting on her suit, she had set out to find her lord and her Servant. However, she cannot see them anywhere inside the castle. Thus, she rushes out, trying to spot them in the surrounding forest. In the middle of searching for them, she almost misses the sound of an incoming message.]

[She flips the compact open, seeing Saber's face.]

What happened?

[destructiveprinciples]

Hey, I'm older than you are!

[ He pointed out indignantly from the edge of the roof as Saber pulls out her communicator and makes the call. ]