22 [Video + Action (open)]

[niepokonany]

[Video]

[Feliks looks like he's in Union for the moment -- in a noble house, by the looks of the fancy furniture and his high-fashion outfit. He's got his boots off, on the floor next to the couch where he sits with a Growlithe curled up next to him, petting a tuft of fluffy fur.]

You guys seriously have zero chill, you know that? Like, I go out for a couple of weeks and come back and you got all mixed up with gods again?

Never a dull moment, I guess... But seriously, way to have all the excitement without me! Super rude, Union. You're gonna hurt my feelings or something, all hanging out without me and junk.

So? How badass was it?

[Action - Various places around the Business District + Teeter's]

[As usual when he's in town, Feliks has errands all over the shopping district. He spends the morning restocking on potions, food, and assorted adventuring supplies, then hits up some of the mid-range clothing shops for things to wear out in the field, things that aren't too fussy or too fragile.]

[In the afternoon, he steels his nerve and goes to his old favorite high-end shops. He gets fitted for a few new suits at a good tailor's, then ends up in one of the fancy dress shops, laughing and making a fuss, teasing the attendants and any other patrons nearby as he tries on one thing after another. All in all, he seems in great spirits, with the exception of one moment when he catches sight of himself in a mirror -- dressed up and laughing with the fire stone necklace glinting at his breast, and the weight of the last year comes crashing back all of a sudden. He ends up having to sit down for a moment to recover, like it's a damn fainting spell -- and of course, all the people working here know all the stupid noble gossip, so they know exactly what his problem is, but he still finds himself making excuses to anyone nearby.]

Sorry, my bad -- I think this corset's a little tight after all! Haven't been wearing them for a while, you know?

[In the evening, he ends up in Teeter's, because the classier places have never actually really been his scene. After a couple of drinks, any hints of shyness are well and truly gone from him.]

Hey, hey -- I'm bored. Wanna do something fun? Like, like a drinking contest. Or a dancing contest. Or a drinking and dancing contest!

Comments

video;

[leadingspirit]

...Okay, so Zero Chill is probably accurate, but I'm still pretty sure it wasn't intentionally done to leave you out. You should probably be glad you weren't involved.

'Cause at least on my front it wasn't badass at all. Not even a little bit.

video;

[niepokonany]

[He's actually very aware of that, if not of all the particulars -- but cheerful obliviousness is something of a safe space for him, so he carries on with it.]

Pfft, I would have been fine! Like, what's the worst that could have happened?

video;

[leadingspirit]

[Taki should hope as much.]

For most people, it meant facing literal manifestations of your worst nightmares.

[He delivers this with an entirely straight face.]

video;

[niepokonany]

[He knows, immediately and intensely, what that would be for him. The thought turns his stomach, but he's been living with it for months, hasn't he? It's always right in front of his eyes, anyway, so it's easy to stay calm and flippant.]

Sounds to me like you should have some pretty badass stories, then.

I mean, unless you're super scared of Pidgeys or something?

video;

[leadingspirit]

It didn't get at me specifically, I was too busy trying to pull friends out of it. Nothing about fighting your demons, or your friends', is badass.

video;

[niepokonany]

Uh-huh.

"Yeah, dude, I was just like, literally saving my friends from their demons, no cool stories to tell there or anything!" Seriously?

video;

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

If I could, I would've traded places with you, in a heartbeat. You know, I live for dull. It's safe. With dullness, you never have to guess where you are.

video;

[niepokonany]

So, um, why even go? Like, last time I went investigating mysterious caves around here, I literally met a god of death, and maybe also the Savior?

It's not a super good life choice if you're into "dull", is my point.

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

I was goaded. I think something chased me as well. Doesn't surprise me. It's kind of, how my life works. It's like this, see? The more I don't want to go, the more likely I'll end up where I'm not wanting to be. So I figured, why fight it? I'd only be there anyway. Probably the worse for wear too.

Oh, I met Death too, but probably not yours.

[niepokonany]

I mean, it was pretty out of the way, right? Who was gonna end up at a place like that by accident? If you don't wanna go, just don't go. I do that all the time.

...Big scary bird-dragon-thing, red wings, everything it comes near starts to rot?

[morituri_nolumus_mori]

... I didn't know Death had wings? All I saw was a skeleton in a black robe. When he spoke, his voice didn't have the common decency to register through my ears first.

video

[nippy]

Y'know, I would've said you were lucky to miss out on the caves, but you also missed out on my awesome after-party, so I'm calling it your loss.

video

[niepokonany]

You had a dangerous adventure and a party without me? You're totally breaking my heart!

[nippy]

[ he looks about as apologetic as he possibly can while he's laughing. ]

I'm sorry! Next time let me know when you're out and I'll tell everyone to hold off on the adventure a while, alright?

[niepokonany]

[Feliks bursts out laughing, too. Finally, someone who can take a joke!]

Hm, well... I guess that's fair enough for now! So maybe I can forgive you this time.

[nippy]

Oh, thank the gods. You had me worried for a second there.

[ don't worry, Feliks, he'd be a hypocrite to get on anyone's case about joking around to avoid a serious situation. that's his speciality. ]

So, what totally lame and boring things did you get up to while we were all scrambling around in dark tunnels?

[celebrity_commentator]

Welcome back.

[She knows where you've been, Feliks, and she still doesn't approve. Still, more important stuff.]

I don't know about badass, but no one seems to have gotten hurt, so that's good. You did miss the prettiest god ever, though.

[niepokonany]

[At least he's coming back to the city under circumstances that don't involve being injured or completely out of food now and again, these days. Baby steps.]

No way, you're kidding! You're gonna tell me all about it, right?

[celebrity_commentator]

I didn't think it'd be respectful to record her, but when she Mega-Evolved as a demonstration it looked like she was wearing a big dress made of pink crystals.

[niepokonany]

Savior, that sounds wicked cute. How did I miss that?

[1/2]

[ladyofluminosity]

[ Should she tell him what she saw in those caves? The flashback she had, that indirectly involved Fai? She was sure that Feliks continued to search for him, even now, and likely even saying his name would set the other blond off. So instead... ]

[2/2]

[ladyofluminosity]

[ She puts on a bit of a smile. ]

The god there was quite beautiful. You really missed it.

And sometimes I say to myself, "honey, you play a minor character from a short form joke series..."

[niepokonany]

[He wears his burden better these days.]

[He's actually around Union at least now and them, to start with, and stays long enough to actually rest instead of sneaking in, restocking, maybe talking to the Flourites' parents, and heading back out without a word to anyone. He's speaking with his family again (after the ordeal of having to face them after months of avoidance and explain to them that he couldn't if they were going to try and stop him). He's doing things he loves again, things he all but stopped doing for months -- enjoying the places he travels to, spending more quality time with his team, getting dressed up, telling stupid jokes, going out dancing...]

[But it's not like it isn't still there. He still spends days and weeks out in the wilderness, switching Rapidashes so they won't get too tired too fast, going over and over every place he can think to search. He laughs more and sparkles more, but still not as much as he used to. It shows in the lines of his body, a little leaner and harder than one gets the sense they're really supposed to be, making his long-unworn posh clothes hang a bit too loose on him. It shows in the hair-trigger that's been left of his temper -- in the way he's still unsure if he's talking to Yuuna again or not, and in the way he's willing to fight forever with anyone who comes close to starting trouble with him, or even anyone who takes offense to him, because angry is a welcome escape from the unfamiliarity of sad and empty and lost and because he just doesn't have the energy to say he's sorry or figure out how to get along with people.]

[His smiles are coming back, but there are always cracks just under the surface these days, and they're even closer to the surface when Lux is involved. Which isn't her fault, so he tries to smile anyway.]

I know, Rise was totally just telling me! Super jealous.

I play a character with hardly any canon personality, I know this feel.

[ladyofluminosity]

[ Lux may not be the most perceptive to things, but she could tell a somewhat tense situation when she saw one. While he seemed to be doing much better now than he was before, she knew the pain of losing a loved one to the wilds. It took everything to keep her from tearing herself from her normal life and work to search for him. ]

If you knew what some people had to go through beforehand, I'm not sure you would say the same time. I've been taking accounts on behalf of the Seekers. The gods really outdid themselves this time.

I'm glad to know it's not just me

[niepokonany]

Yeah, I heard it was a little rough. But like, seriously? Worse than the time with the past? 'Cause the time with the past was pretty intense.

[But he's still smiling.]