Twenty-Second Flare - Video/Action for Meisters/Witches - Break

[prominence_glow]

[Forward dated to Sunday, 1 a.m.]

[Somewhere in the way early morning, the feed suddenly erupts into static. Every few seconds or so, through the fuzz, one can see some very strange symbols flickering through it.Eventually, it quits, and the feed becomes just a bit more clear. It looks like, for whatever reason, Lea is on... But something's not

Comments

video; private; Y, but is it what Lea expects~?

[limitless_land]

Then why do you keep saying things you normally wouldn't say and are worrying those you care about?

A sense of control means nothing; all we can control in life is our reactions to what happens around us. That's the reality we live in. You want to act like a god, go right ahead. I won't stop you. I just hope you don't regret this later.

[The feed clicks. If Lea stumbles upon the area Riku was in, all he'll find is a wolf sniffing at an abandoned SFC.]

action;

[prominence_glow]

[Once Lea shows off, something is way off, as if it weren't off before. The way he walks is... like a puppet without its strings, stumbling and twisting. It almost makes him look drunk. When he finally stops, he leans a bit too much to the side as he just stares for a moment, blankly.

Oh, and ignore the pressuring sensation of his madness aura, Riku. And try to ignore any hallucinations.

Finally, he grins- too wide, too much teeth- and wiggles his fingers.]

I. Can. See. Youuuuuu.

[Soul Perception. It's a beautiful thing. With just that as a warning, Lea suddenly lashes out, magic flames snapping forward like an ax on a chain.]

action;

[limitless_land]

[-he definitely feels that aura weaker than he normally would, but the effect is the same as he would have when he was his normal self. Paws automatically go over his nose as he lets one pathetic whine slip out. He can hear them, the voices... the people who fell to darkness because of him.

And Sora's there, shunning him for once choosing the darkness over all that he once had.

I'm not like that anymore!

He shakes his head, getting on his feet and trying to focus on the scent- WHOA, SHIT. SUDDEN BURST OF HEAT. Riku jumps out of the way, just barely in time. Shit... so much for using this form to avoid being killed. Riku bares his teeth, sword resting on his back as he lunges forward. Please let the adrenaline make him suddenly be great at being on all fours...]

action;

[prominence_glow]

[Lea's just humming happily, lashing out flame after flame. If Riku tries to look, he'll notice there seem to be subtle eyes- or at least the shape of them, elongated vertically and just plain creepy- slipped into the fire.

For the most part, Lea is just letting the whips of fire do the talking for him, swaying in place from side to side.]

action;

[limitless_land]

[And Riku still thinks you've lost your mind, Lea. Just saying.

And he noticed the eyes thing, but he doesn't take the time to comment on it, instead taking most of his concentration to just not die. Who knew fear could be such a good motivator to learn to get around on four legs?

Speaking of, his left hind leg just got hit by the flames. He yelps.] The hell is your problem, Lea?!

action;

[prominence_glow]

You staying alive, apparently.

[Ah ha~. A hit, a hit! Lea smirks, and sends another wheel of fire spinning towards Riku.]

action;

[got_it_memorizd]

[As the attack spins toward Riku, the flames are deflected by one of Axel's chakrams. A metallic clannngg! as the weapon strikes the cobbled road and Axel steps out of a corridor beside Riku.]

Didn't anybody ever tell you it's cruel to hurt animals?

[He gives Lea a stern look, dismissing the thrown chakram to call it back to his hand. Something's not right... something just feels wrong, and he can't put his finger on it. His back is too tense, he has to fight an irrepressible urge to look back over his shoulder. Axel is overcautious by nature, but it's not like him to be paranoid, especially for no good reason. Okay, shake it off, it's just nerves. Or something. Shaking his head quickly, he regards Lea, noting that his eyes look strange. The kid just looks... crazy.]

What're you doing, Lea?

action;

[limitless_land]

[If there were ever a time that he was glad to see a chakram... this one time would definitely be it. He winces as he gets back on his feet, and tries not to laugh a bit at that comment.]

Somehow... I don't think he cares.

[Riku growls, getting rather defensive as he crouches. That scent... it was definitely something to do with the paranoia. It wasn't there at all before Lea arrived in his little hiding place. What in the world's was going on? And Axel, if you do anything crazy... he'll have your head once this is over.]

action;

[prominence_glow]

...Oh.

[Those disconcerting gold eyes focus on Axel, and Lea pauses in his swaying. More flames begin to circle around him, slow and waiting.]

I'm getting rid of a problem. Ugh... [He narrows his eyes.] Your soul is disgusting...

action;

[got_it_memorizd]

[Problem? What the hell does he mean by that? He watches the flames swirl slowly around Lea and takes a moment to squeeze his eyes closed. That feeling is still there, heavy on his shoulders like a wet coat, stifling. Swiping the back of his hand across his brow, he set his teeth and glared at Lea.]

Hi, Pot, my name's Kettle, and may I say that shade of black looks so fetching on you--it's your soul too, dumbass.

[Another pause and Axel's face contorts in something like pain--what the hell is this weird feeling in the air? Is it coming from Lea? Is it what's making him act so strangely?]

What do you mean 'getting rid of a problem'? Why is Riku a problem, Lea? [And he spares half a glance at Riku, turning his eyes back to Lea while keeping his head turned to the wolf.] You okay? I dunno what the hell's wrong with him, but he's packing way more punch than usual.

action;

[limitless_land]

[It means that he spoke up against the madness that Lea's spewed across the network and that he's throwing a temper tantrum because of it? That's what the young wolf sees, anyway. But that feeling... it's weighing him down heavily, making him want to go on instinct alone. It's so easy to do in this form, too. Just to lunge at that throat, rip it out... then it'd be all over.

He wouldn't have to worry about either of them dying. But something - his inner, human core? - keeps him from doing so.]

Fine, it's just a small burn on my hind leg. [Though he doesn't sound too sure, maybe a bit more feral.] ...His scent's off. True, my sense of smell's different than usual, but it's not natural.

[His mind is just screaming, 'This isn't Lea. It's some creature that's threatening life.']

action;

[prominence_glow]

[For a moment, Lea doesn't seem to be listening. He's just following something with his eyes, looking completely fascinated. But if his two opponents look... There's nothing there.

Of course, they're not hallucinating spiders made completely of eyes.]

...No it's not. My soul's not weird like yours is. And he... is. He'll get in my way. [He grimaces.] Everyone says I won't do it...

action;

[got_it_memorizd]

[No, no spiders, but Axel is very quickly becoming very certain that Vexen and Zexion are behind this somehow. This is revenge. This is sick, twisted vengeance for having killed them. He's also not convinced Marluxia and Larxene don't have a hand in it, since he did betray them. He betrayed them. He always refused to acknowledge it--after all, he wasn't really betraying them, they had never really been his allies in the first place! But what about Roxas? ... Did he betray Roxas? He betrayed his trust, that was for sure, but Roxas doesn't know that, not here, not now. Roxas doesn't have to know what happened, he doesn't have to know how he screwed up!

Shaking his head again, he grits his teeth and meets Lea's eye. Focus, Axel, focus. This isn't about Larxene or Marluxia. This isn't about Vexen or Zexion. This isn't even about Roxas (is it?). This is about Lea. Lea.]

Get in your way? Get in the way of wh... what exactly?

[He can't concentrate. He can't concentrate. He's sure something's breathing down his neck,

action;

[limitless_land]

Your soul's another kind of weird-

[This scent... This scent. He doesn't know it, and it frightens him. Something so twisted, so unnatural it almost reminds him of a Heartless he once knew. The uncertainty, the fear... Was this vengeance? Some sort of karmic reaction for his actions back home - defeating it and then resigning to the possibility that he might have to fall again to defeat Axel's friend?

Was this heavy, constricting feeling in his canine chest the guilt for betraying every single soul on the islands and then some as he turned his back on what he cherished most? He could almost hear the cries again, the screams of protest coming from Sora's mouth-

Sora... Sora... It was always about him, with that envious glint that they'd exploited... the envy he refused to acknowledge at all. Light, why- why was this all coming to mind now of all times? Was this what they meant by life flashing before your eyes when an end was inevitable - just like what happened with fake- Caden? It all made sense in some twisted way, but still

action;

[prominence_glow]

[The entire time, Lea just keeps staring. It's so... odd. Just by being here, just by staring, he can understand it. What haunts them. Is this what Terezi once talked about? When she could taste colors? Can he taste... whatever this is?

Paranoia and betrayal haunt his older self's ever footstep, nagging at the back of his mind and coiling around him like a snake of smoke. And there's Riku, and it's just so similar. They're both really similar, really, and it's funny. Lea never would have pegged either of them matching the other.

And why are they doing those things? What are they doing? Should he be worried? What if it's just a ruse? A trap?

But oh. Lea suddenly smiles. It's serene, but... wrong.

With soft, careful steps, he sways over to his Nobody and crouches down. For just a brief second, his face looks... different. And then it's Lea again.

Or not Lea.]

He's getting it. He's getting it, he's getting it! I thought you would, because I'm you and you're me

action;

[got_it_memorizd]

[When did he sink to his knees? He doesn't remember dropping, he was standing only a moment ago, glaring at Lea, fighting that deep-seated urge to run away. It had really always been there--Axel had quickly taken to flight over fight unless the fight was really worth it; having no heart meant no guilt, or so he'd thought.

[Oh, he would give anything to stop thinking right now. So many voices, so many faces, a cacophony of accusation and indictment in his head. Traitor, murderer, fool, monster, coward, they shouted, and somewhere through the noise Axel heard Riku cry out, angry. Still pressing his palms against his head, Axel squeezed his eyes closed so hard everything swam in lines of black and white.

[Something is very wrong. Whatever has happened to Lea, it's somehow infectious--Axel cam feel his grip slipping. He hasn't felt fear like this since he'd been running from the Organization. --Heh, feel? Had he felt any of that? Does he feel any of it now? Does he feel anything at all? Oh, Light, the noise in his head is