awashlogs | (no subject)

[Nyx releases a breath, stepping back from a pile of wood and wiping sweat from his face. He's been chopping for hours, cutting back the trees trying to swamp Bluo's streets and gather more materials for the church's reconstruction. The logs at his feet are roughly the right size now, though a bit more work'll be needed to shape them into supports, and his body aches quite comfortably.

It's been over a month and he's finally starting to feel like himself again. Occasional tingling and numbness aside, his left arm is strong enough to work now, and Nyx has been taking every advantage to do anything he can for the town. Pride settles in his chest, warm, and Nyx lodges his ax into a stump to heft a log over his shoulder.

He should have asked for help, he thinks to himself, knowing it'll take some time to get all of these over to the church, but he doesn't really need it, does he? He's strong enough to do it on his own.

Something is wrong about that thought, but he doesn't stop to think about it.]

[ Crowe is still in the process of learning about the place. There are ... unexpected twists and turns in the process. The whole part where the food is not exactly readily available from a supermarket may have to do with that.

Yes, she's scavenging, as much as possible.

She's walking in from the woods with a bag of roots and such. But seeing Nyx makes her stop and tilt her head. ]

Think you've done enough for the day?

[ She has no idea where his stamina levels are, anymore. But hey, she's here. If his body decides to give way for the moment, she'll help him home. ]

[Hey, he's not gonna judge her for it. He used to go hunting every few days to help provide meat for the town, but he's still working back up to that. Not being able to warp cuts out half his ambush techniques for the weird shit in the forest.

He pauses to let her fall into step with him so he won't have to worry about making her dodge the log and bobs his head dismissively at the concern.]

I could keep going for awhile.

[It's not like he's going to just collapse like some Lucian noble who wouldn't know a hard day's work if it bit them on the ass.]

Find anything interesting?

[ Not like a Lucian noble. Just like somebody who burned out from the inside and kind of reached the limit of himself?

Crowe snorted slightly. ]

Of course you can.

And I don't know how interesting it is since it's kinda colorless, but we'll find out. In a day or two, in soups and stews...

[ Yes, okay, maybe she's trying to keep it light, too. A bit. Not that she's good at it. ]

Anything interesting back here?

Ignis or Rin would know.

[He’s absolutely shameless about getting most of his meals from them. He brought his hunts back and gave them whatever they needed before salting and preserving the rest, but even now that he hasn’t been able to hunt he still doesn’t question his welcome.

Nyx misses hunting. Misses the thrill of his kukri sinking in precisely where he’d intended it to go. He misses being out there in the wild, living forest and being certain of his survival.

The scowl crosses his face for only a second, wrinkling the bridge of his nose and compressing his lips.]

Oh, you know. Lumber, branches, endless wood as far as the eye can see. A couple tress had some really fascinating knots.

[He didn’t bother hiding the sarcasm. Why would he? He remembers he usually pushes those things down and tries to keep himself steady, but he can’t quite recall how anymore. Doesn’t even want to. What’s the point? There’s no one to impress.]

Right. They would.

[ She'll go check with them both so they can pick out whatever they can use.

... and the Nyx answers the other part, and she blinks, then snorts. ]

Sounds like you'll be dreaming up lumber for a week.

Though I think people who're gonna use these will be grateful. Did you remember to eat at some point?

[ Just asking. ]

[His silence is probably all the answer she needs. He’d had breakfast, of course. It’s been a staple in Noct’s house all year, but it’s been a long day of work since then, and he hadn’t paused since he’d started.

The usual guilt at not taking care of himself when his friends ask doesn’t come.]

... Annnd I think that means you're done for the day.

[ She's not going to feed his guilt, thank you very much.

She's just going to get busy fixing the situation. Don't even try to argue, hero. ]

I need to get these logs over to the church so they can be trimmed for repairs. It shouldn’t take long.

[Long enough, but he didn’t want them left outside to the elements.]

[ Crowe rolls her eyes. ]

We are getting these logs over to the church. Idiot.

[He snorts, conceding the point.

Between the two of them it take no time at all to get the wood where it needs to go, and by that point he's even glad for the breather as he leads the way to the cafe so they can get something to eat.]

I'll have to go back out tomorrow and get more. Right now the forest is giving us an endless supply, so we might as well use it for something.

Yeah, but doing everything by yourself is shitty planning and you know it.

[ Crowe watches him with narrowed eyes. ]

You're angry.

[ Not... a question. But, possibly, an opening, she's only so-so at those. But if she's only guessing what the problem is, she can't even try to address it properly. ]

At least it's something I can do.

[His shoulders must be tight, he realizes, glancing sharply at Crowe. She's not wrong, by a long shot, but it wasn't something he'd figured either of them even wanted to talk about.]

... Nyx.

That's garula shit, you know. If that was the case and you were useless here without what you can't use, I doubt you'd have been brought back.

You think this place actually gives a shit? You think there's actually a purpose to see whether or not we can survive werewolves and ice palaces or being eaten alive?

[The last words were a hiss, the scar on his side itching at the memory.]

Whatever the town or the forest wants? It can shove it up its ass. I want to help the people survive. I used to be able to fight. Even without this six-cursed magic.

[ Eaten alive oh, great. The words hit her hard, because she's seen daemons and creatures do that to people, and it's not happened now, it must have happened before when he had everything to use, and still, Nyx Ulric, the one who always slipped past all the shit, despite how impossible it looked...

For a moment, her eyes go wide and frightened. Then she grits her teeth. ]

The town. Mr. F. Whoever or whatever dumps us into the stupid well.

But since I've been here, at least, like, at least half the fighting's not been physical. It's been here. [ She presses a finger into Nyx's forehead. ] And here. [ Another jab at his chest. ] And I don't know a better fighter when it comes to those than you.

The place is fucking with you. Don't let it win.

This place is always fucking with us.

[It must have been her words, but something seems to spark. Some kind of...stubborn determination that he hadn't realized was gone until it started to flicker again. He sighs hard through his nose and rubs a hand over his face.]

It's not just this place. It's that I was out there, almost every day, providing meat and protection for everyone I could, and now what? The beasts in the forest are too strong for me to half-ass fight. If I'm going in without magic then I need to be at the top of my game, and I'm not.

Those dragons attacked and a simple shield brought me to my knees, Crowe. It's all right there, and my instincts say to use it. But every time I do, as necessary as it is at the time, brings me one step closer to not getting back up again. I know death hasn't been permanent here, but is it the same when you've burnt your years to cinders?

[ It's a relief to see his eyes flickering back to their proper look.

It's not a relief to hear the words. ]

... yeah. It's all right there. I...

[ Don't know how to help.

Garula shit. ]

Wanna set up a time for sparring? Get you back on top of your game without magic?

[And just like that there's a defeated set to his shoulders again. He's frustrated in a way he's never really been before. Despite every lost battle, every inch of lost ground, every glaive lost to the endless tide of daemons, Nyx had kept going with all the confidence that they were making a difference. Now it feels like that path is clouded by the forest's brutal thorns tangled together, no end in sight.

He pinches the bridge of his nose.]

Yeah, might as well, I guess. There's nothing else I can do about it. This would be so much easier if I didn't have this...burden.

[ Crowe's lips purse. She considers that, had Noctis had the Ring, maybe she could find something to exchange for the sake of those powers being taken from him. As it is... ]

Maybe there's somebody here who can seal them. Or, I don't know, since the body swapping thing worked, maybe you can give them away. Like for the quest.

[ She's reaching, here, not actually trying to give plausible solutions. Feeling too helpless to have an idea that will work. ]

[Now there’s an idea. He stops, spine straight, and turns to look at her like she’s a fucking genius.]

The quest...that would work. It’s something precious, technically. I can give it to you.

(no subject)

Late April - Crowe

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