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dualislogs2019-11-24 12:52 am
bravers) wrote in dualislogs2019-11-24 12:52 am
But the night begins to turn your head around
WHO: Cloud Strife and Vincent Valentine.
WHAT: Exploration!
WHERE: Between Dualis and the swamps.
WHEN: late November.
WARNINGS: Violence, and lots and lots and lots of introspection.
[The past few days had been pretty shitty. Pretty shitty, of course, was an understatement. Cloud, himself, had mostly wanted to withdraw- to separate himself from everyone that knew him, and honestly? Stay there. It'd be safer for everyone if he did. Better, too.
So much had happened since he found himself at Dualis. Enough, for instance, for him to forget the despair that'd come immediately after the temple of the ancients, as well as his desire to leave everything and everyone then and there. He'd met people, with their own problems, their own insecurities, their own screwups that made everything personal feel smaller. Helped, or at least listened, to a few of them too.
He'd almost forgotten. That was more of a realistic assessment. Because it'd come back. Zack had told him most of what he'd long since blocked out- what'd happened in the Shinra manor basement at Nibelheim before their escape. And, honestly...? What Zack couldn't explain, travelling Gaia in his absence had filled in the gaps Zack couldn't explain. And worse- Time in Dualis, the very time that'd originally helped him- had filled the gaps in further- creating a clear and unarguable picture of everything, at its ugliest.
So leaving the city was easy. He'd originally agreed to go with Vincent. And... honestly, he... shouldn't be around people from Gaia. Not for a while, at least. Not until he understood himself better, understood what exactly the truth meant. But...
Vincent isn't the same as everyone else. He's different. Whereas anyone else would ask questions and voice opinions loudly, he doesn't. Any misgiving or opinion Vincent tended to form stayed inside- at least until it became useful to voice it. That, as well as the fact he's not entirely sure Vincent's entirely in the know about the events of the past few days.
So here they are. They've met earlier in the day, and they've got ready. They have approximately three days worth of food, basic camping equipment and his bike's been charged to full, with some extra battery packs just in case. They're hurtling through the wastelands, toward a point where the ground looks... different.
Minutes pass. Or is it hours? He's not entirely sure. The scenery's the same, the only difference is the trees in the distance actually look like trees now. But there's a lurch in the ground- and the engine gives a high-pitched shriek. Mud splatters underneath the tyres- and a few revs as he changes gears aren't exactly enough to make passage any easier. The ground's being chewed up around them, the speed slowing and slowing until its a crawl.
It's obvious. The ground's now impassible on this thing. The types are half-buried, and he's pretty sure even Shinra's (admitted) knack for making decent engines isn't going to be enough. So silently, he switches the engine off, stepping out from the thing with a squelch as both of his boots hit the ground.
He looks to Vincent.]
Next couple of hundred yards looks like it'll be on foot.
[No use losing their only way back, after all.]
WHAT: Exploration!
WHERE: Between Dualis and the swamps.
WHEN: late November.
WARNINGS: Violence, and lots and lots and lots of introspection.
[The past few days had been pretty shitty. Pretty shitty, of course, was an understatement. Cloud, himself, had mostly wanted to withdraw- to separate himself from everyone that knew him, and honestly? Stay there. It'd be safer for everyone if he did. Better, too.
So much had happened since he found himself at Dualis. Enough, for instance, for him to forget the despair that'd come immediately after the temple of the ancients, as well as his desire to leave everything and everyone then and there. He'd met people, with their own problems, their own insecurities, their own screwups that made everything personal feel smaller. Helped, or at least listened, to a few of them too.
He'd almost forgotten. That was more of a realistic assessment. Because it'd come back. Zack had told him most of what he'd long since blocked out- what'd happened in the Shinra manor basement at Nibelheim before their escape. And, honestly...? What Zack couldn't explain, travelling Gaia in his absence had filled in the gaps Zack couldn't explain. And worse- Time in Dualis, the very time that'd originally helped him- had filled the gaps in further- creating a clear and unarguable picture of everything, at its ugliest.
So leaving the city was easy. He'd originally agreed to go with Vincent. And... honestly, he... shouldn't be around people from Gaia. Not for a while, at least. Not until he understood himself better, understood what exactly the truth meant. But...
Vincent isn't the same as everyone else. He's different. Whereas anyone else would ask questions and voice opinions loudly, he doesn't. Any misgiving or opinion Vincent tended to form stayed inside- at least until it became useful to voice it. That, as well as the fact he's not entirely sure Vincent's entirely in the know about the events of the past few days.
So here they are. They've met earlier in the day, and they've got ready. They have approximately three days worth of food, basic camping equipment and his bike's been charged to full, with some extra battery packs just in case. They're hurtling through the wastelands, toward a point where the ground looks... different.
Minutes pass. Or is it hours? He's not entirely sure. The scenery's the same, the only difference is the trees in the distance actually look like trees now. But there's a lurch in the ground- and the engine gives a high-pitched shriek. Mud splatters underneath the tyres- and a few revs as he changes gears aren't exactly enough to make passage any easier. The ground's being chewed up around them, the speed slowing and slowing until its a crawl.
It's obvious. The ground's now impassible on this thing. The types are half-buried, and he's pretty sure even Shinra's (admitted) knack for making decent engines isn't going to be enough. So silently, he switches the engine off, stepping out from the thing with a squelch as both of his boots hit the ground.
He looks to Vincent.]
Next couple of hundred yards looks like it'll be on foot.
[No use losing their only way back, after all.]
no subject
It was true Cloud had experienced little of what was in Vincent’s memory, but to spite his confusion and lack of knowledge, he knew the younger man to be capable and trustworthy. He could think of no one else he’d rather forage into the unknown with. It wasn’t an awkward silence they traveled in, though he looked annoyed at he dismounted, his metal clad feet sinking into the soft earth proceeding the swamp proper. He frowned down at the muck and adjusted the satchel on his shoulder that contained the provisions his earnest and too-caring roommate had provided them for their journey.]
Will it be safe here?
no subject
[He's fairly confident in the fact it won't sink. It's only soggy ground, and there seems no indication that the bike will have anything worse happening to it than getting dirty. As for theft... he doesn't think so. He'd been sceptical over the fact that the area around Dualis was vacant. But their trip confirms it. For mile after mile, there was absolutely nothing- no waymarks, no shelters, no tracks- no camps. No indication whatsoever that anyone had been around. Ever. But even then, its probably best he locks the front column wheel. ...And removes the batteries already in it.
He does just that as he takes his sword from the side of the thing. Vincent would likely no doubt notice that compared to the fenrir, it doesn't actually have any specialised holders, so the sword had just been wedged against the bracket containing the engine. But it's fine. It works just as well. Finally, he takes his own pack- containing the rest of their supplies, pocketing his keys.
And as he sets off-]
...You ever look for deserters as a Turk? Or were you just on protection?
no subject
No. [He shook his head.] I did some field work before being assigned to asset protection, but it was mostly recon.
no subject
Right. Shinra was an arms manufacturer then, right?
[It's weird. Vincent's not their age, he knows he's not their age, but when he's off-guard it feels he is. Closeness did that, probably.
But, the point.]
...If there's anyone out here, then I'm counting on you to find 'em. I'd probably just get jumped.
[It's not self-deprecation. It's really not. He doesn't have the training Vincent had, or his talent at keeping to shadows. He walks on, his foot abruptly sinking into the start of a bog. He curses- interally, anyway- withdrawing it and giving it a shake before he places his weight back on it.]
Looks like the path goes around.
[Into some dark and very foreboding trees. Wonderful.]
no subject
I'll take to the trees. [While he's used it very rarely, he motions to his belt, where his comm device is clipped.] Open a line. We'll stay in touch.
[And without waiting, he moves ahead, moving from a walk to a job, then to a sprint and leaps to the lower branches of broad barreled tree. If there was anything moving in the dim and the dark, he'd see it.]
no subject
[The latter doesn't need saying. But he says it regardless, and when he's gone he does just that, watching Vincent seemingly change from a man to a swirling, winding mass of red tendrils- his cape- as he gains the velocity required to successfully make the leap. When he's swallowed into the darkness of the dark, sickly coloured foliage of the trees he moves his communicator- clipping it to his brace to better hear and respond.
And he kneels, taking a plastic bottle from his pack, and gingerly dips it into the water to collect some. Water's important. The stuff won't exactly be fit for consumption, but if the people of Midgar's slums manage some kind of filtration device, it's not a leap to assume they'll be able to do so too. The water in itself is murky. Rust-coloured, and it seems to have some black spots in it. Looking closely, it appears to be some form of larvae, with tiny little legs and long bodies. First sign of (native) life he's seen, actually. And yeah, he stares for a few seconds before he caps it, placing it back into his pack.
And as he walks along the path...]
See any signs of birds? Found some prey animals.
[Birds may mean larger predators...]
no subject
Yes. Droppings.
[Always a sure way to track birds.]
Are we documenting wildlife?
no subject
[Spoken while walking, and while looking at the muddy water. He's just seen something shift... and as he walks, he stares intently.]
The whole idea's to prepare ourselves until July. The first people that weren't part of the Heart were brought in a year ago, then. Get weapons made, bring in stuff from home. Buy supplies, things like that. After that time's passed, and the Head doesn't stick to the year of being here promise, then we're moving out of the city.
[It moved again. He comes to a stop, crouching, and speaking lowly.]
This trip's about working out if there's anywhere around that'll facilitate that. We've got cover with the trees, the ground might be good enough to build shelters on, I've got someone to talk to about setting up a water filtration system, and if there's enough animals around, then we might stand a chance of surviving out here.
[...What is it? It's a large crocodile, but its distance, as well as its natural camoflage in the swamp makes it unclear.]
We're as good as dead in that city. We don't have the resources the Heart does, and everything's monitored. We might actually stand a chance of fighting it head on out here. Providing we can look after ourselves.
no subject
[His only reply as he positioned himself to track the beast Cloud had caught sight of. Something idled here, as well, something deep, old. Magic, and more ambient than he'd encountered outside a Mako reactor. That made sustaining themselves out here even more plausible.
It also meant the beasts they were likely to encounter would be more than mere animals.]
There's a lot of magic here. Can you feel it?
[The beast in the distance disappeared beneath murk and water, so still Vincent's keen eyes hadn't noticed it until the ripples spread across the surface.]
Be on your guard. It's an ambush hunter.
no subject
[He's hardly dumb with magic. He's... better than most, actually. Mako showering (unbeknownst to him, more like pickling.) and all made him that way. But he's not specialised in it the way that Vincent is. Given what had made him that way inclined, most wouldn't want to be. Though training had made Vincent a firearms specialist, what had been done to him, what lurks inside him, makes him just as powerful with spells as he is with his gun.]
Alright. Thanks.
[Maybe it'd be bemused more than aggressive at it's first sight of humans. Or... near-humans. But he's not holding his breath, In the most remote reaches of Gaia, things didn't tend to work out that way with monsters, so why now?
His suspicion is proved right when the ripples of water turn into a V shape, right toward him. As it's back raises slightly from the water's surface...]
Gonna need piercing rounds. Looks like it's heavily scaled.
[His slab of a sword is pulled off his back. Bolt would seriously hurt it, since it's in the water. But even then, that runs the risk of pissing off everything else in the swampland.]
no subject
[Vincent's new firearm, three barrels of rage lined with silver that connects to a chain holding specially set materia, is a new addition to his arsenal. It allows the marksman with a penchant for magic to do both at once, and he makes quick work of finding the lightning materia in his hip pouch, affixing it to the grip of his gun as he moves, seemingly weightless, to the far end of the thick branch from which he's been watching.]
Draw it on land if you're able. I'll take care of the rest.
no subject
[Bait he is. He's fine with it of course, since... well, he tended to be bait in most situations. There's a crash of filthy water as the ripples hit the edge, and is churned up into about 300-400 pounds of scaled, jawed, snapping muscle. There's no shot yet- but that's fine too. He trusts Vincent. The shot'll come when it's most effective. Not a moment before, or after.
So, he draws the creature further out of the water and into the mud- moving the atlas in a slash. It's not intended injure, or maim. It's too close still to the water's edge to risk actually engaging it, lest he be dragged into the water by it- instead, the slash is meant for the air. To simply catch the low light the ancient-looking trees and glare it into the creature's face, to antagonize it into giving up its advantage.
It works. The creature ambles forward at a far greater speed than Cloud would have thought four stumpy, odd-looking legs would be able to afford it- and he's quick to bring the atlas back in a glance against the end of its nose. It bellows, but the strike isn't enough to stop it.]
no subject
When Vincent alights beside Cloud, gun still at the ready, the beast is still twitching.]