[Voice | Unprotected]

[songofthedeep]

[It's not necessarily the crows transmitting this... with his Powers at higher strength, Cerceus is more than capable of making himself heard through all of Sheol, though the echo of it through the crow gives it an odd sort of stereo effect. His song is wordless and powerful, haunting on the wind, an expression of crushing grief strong enough to

Comments

[priorpyro]

[Axel's voice is quiet, and hard to read; he has his hood up so you can't see if he's crying or not. (He is.)]

Would you like to be alone, Cy?

[songofthedeep]

[hoarse, broken laugh, and he nuzzles against Axel's shoulder]

Nah. None of this is your fault, Red.

[he curls his hand against Axel's coat, and that's when he notices, taking a shivering breath]

Aw, red... were you crying for me?

[priorpyro]

Idiot. [He somehow manages to say this with absolute fondness.] The way you were singing, the whole damned place was crying with you.

[His subtle change of wording is deliberate because, yes, he was actually crying for Cerceus and not just with him.]

[songofthedeep]

Yeah. Seems some of my power's come back. Kind of feel guilty for dragging everybody into my pathos, but kind of proud of myself too. Haven't been able to do that in a while.

[he takes a deep breath and lets it out slowly, idly stroking his thumb over Axel's lower lip.]

Look what I've turned into. I'm not even myself anymore.

[His eyes close]

Do it.

[priorpyro]

[The arm that's holding Cy squeezes him in a brief hug, and Axel finally looks down at him, at his closed eyelids - he looks tired. He looks ready. And Axel feels mostly regret that he can't truly give him the 'real thing'.

He's true to his word. It's quick. And from Cy's perspective, there is probably only a split-second of impossible heat and light, barely enough time to think 'Oh, that's hot --' before it bears him away. Like a sun, burning from the inside out - only it's Cy's inside. Axel pours more of his energy into the fire than he really needs to, just to make sure that it IS fast, and that it's utterly complete.

When he's done, there's just ash, and Axel doesn't even stir as Cy's crow - whom he could have sworn was watching the entire process intently - gathers it up and flies away. Doesn't even speculate on what that means. He's too drained, in every possible way, to do anything more than sit by the water. Hood drawn up. Eyes hidden. No longer thinging about really anything at all.]

[songofthedeep]

[he doesn't even open his eyes... just tightens his fingers on Axel's coat for a moment, before his bones are consumed and the ash crumbles away.]