for whom weeps the storm her tears on our skin

[hoshikiri]

WHO: Takame and those who went after him
WHERE: The MetaVerse - Castellum Mortua
WHEN: Beginning 4/4
WHAT: A rescue party for Takame trapped in his dungeon
WARNINGS: Massive spoilers for Shadowbringers and Endwalker, combat heaviness, allusions to human experimentation, suicide ideation, child abuse, debilitating injury, self harm, light body horror, ptsd, severe paranoia, death, blood, light gore and a hell of a lot of violence.



Castellum Mortua - Entry
cw: allusions to human experimentation, suicide ideation



"Nos summus manus, Nos sumus deus. We are the Hand, We are the God."

♪ - Alienus

Such was the declaration heard upon entering the Spirit Realm that held Takame. Nonsense words for the uninitiated. That is, if they weren’t coming from Takame’s voice. The motto of the nation of Garlemald uttered with a pride never displayed before.

The inside of the dungeon was a seemingly endless path with yet more corridors and faceless automatons passing between them. On occasion they would salute one another, every five passers by as if on routine. Every step taken would echo against the steel blue floor and walls painted with the ivory standard over what was once one the color of a sprawling field.

Barriers that would otherwise prevent a fall into the Spiritual Abyss were left with scratches from an incredibly potent blade and burns that only had the memory of warmth to the touch. Signs of combat long passed.

There were options to proceed. The soldiers along the path before you were no more than cannon fodder, sheeps to the slaughter.

Nothing is even a challenge to break anymore.

Your thought? Or the voice?

The combat capable with incredible stamina could fight their way forward. For a while they would seem to keep coming without end. From capsules lining the walls of each corridor, smoke is released and unspeakably horrific creatures emerge and add to the numbers. Not far from the capsules, there are people in chains without faces, many protesting and falling to their knees and begging to not be put "there". Try as you may, you cannot save them from being forced into the capsules, drained of every shred of life right before your eyes and joining the many numbers of monsters and soldiers assaulting you.

It wouldn’t take too long before you overwhelm them and move on. But that also risks you running out of steam before the race even began.

Or maybe the rush of battle will empower you?

Give me something to live for. Give me the only purpose I have. I'd rather be dead without it.

(OOC Note: As you proceed in this log, fighting will buff you where avoiding fights will make you more exhausted. No abilities will be disabled, but they will be much less potent. Not only that, Shadow Takame will react to you differently depending on how much you've fought throughout the log, be it with more respect or hostility. Keep this in mind as you go on!)


Castellum Mortua - Vents
cw: depictions of child abuse both emotional and physical



♪ - Fakery Way

The keen eyed, or considerate of the non-combat capable, may look to their flanks where boxes of supplies are stacked on top of each other. Something is on the ground next to them, charged with aether. A Gunblade cartridge.

Could it have been left behind by Takame?

The boxes are climbable, and looking up there is an accessible vent that connects… somewhere. Large enough to fit a few people as the facility seems to be fairly sizeable. If one wanted to take a stealthy route, they could climb through the vents.

But the further along they go, they’ll feel a sense of apprehension. Of agitation.

"Van, for a Legatus." A young boy's voice recited. "Tol, Tribunus laticlavius. Sas... Tribunus angusticlavius or P... puruaefectus casutro--""
A striking sound cut him off.
"Your pronunciation is off again. We've been over this. Again." An older voice reprimanded.
"... Yes, father. I'm sorry father."
"Be correct, not sorry."
"... Yes, father. Sas, Tribunus angusticlavius or Praefectus castrorum. Rem, Primus..."

The vents will become hot to the touch to an unbearable degree like you're stepping on hot coals barefoot. The sense that you chose the wrong path will form deep in your heart even though logically, this path was sound.

Until multiple explosions go off after you make it.

And again, the voice will be heard upon exit and you'll feel like your motivation is being sapped away.

To fight is to be strong. To be strong is to live. To be weak is to be subjugated, then annihilated. Prolong it if you wish, the end is inevitable.


The Far Edge of Fate - Rush
cw: allusions to partial immolation



♪ - splash

No matter the route you take to go outside, you’ll find yourself still on a steeled bridge. But now steps between the paths taken have broken. Cracks form in the steel, dents that a feather’s worth of weight will cause to collapse, entire portions of the railings melted down or otherwise gone.

Where have the pieces gone? Floating in a dark, empty space that "outside" was. Where nebulous clouds and starless skies are all that’s visible if you look up. The deep purples and blues all around make visibility difficult aside from the occasional out of place pillar of light.

Though it would be more accurate to call it a failing lantern on its last legs before the flame fades.

Warrior of Light. Our Weapon of Light. I must fulfill my best use as such, I will never be human.

Looking back revealed the halls you just came from were now engulfed in flames. Combat was inevitable here. Unless you attempt to outrun the barrage of wyverns, bits and blackbirds that are coming at you from the sky, only to barely reach the end of your path, hopping along broken bridges, asteroids and debris and outrunning the falling ceruleum tanks exploding overhead.

"Leave him, he's nothing to us. If he can't be saved he can't be saved. There'll be more like him." An authoritative voice, somehow audible over the explosions.
"Commander, we can repair his...! He won't have feeling in it but please if we act now...!" The older voice from earlier.
"Throw him in the infirmary, then I want you find the savages that planted the explosives. That's an order!"

Run and run and run further away. If you don't the flames will catch up to you. No, in the end they will anyway. Run through the flames and you'll feel them ruin your body, scream in agony until you can't feel it anymore despite them leaving no trace on your body.


The Far Edge of Fate - Clash
cw: self harm, undetailed body horror

♪ - Ultima


At the edge of the straight path you'll find that a massive dark abomination, like something out of a nightmare, blocks it and will eliminate you if you don’t kill it.

There's a sound that came from it, a mechanical whirring that resembled a whimper. A thrumming like an unsteadily beating open heart connected by wire and aether.

The observant will note weaknesses in its frame. Its hands have digits missing, across its chest is a wide slash much like those at the entrance and electrical sparks went off around it. Whatever was once there won't be a problem for you.

"It could have been me. If the wheel of fate had turned differently, that could have been me activating Oversoul instead of..."
A loud swear in Hingan, or Japanese, followed by a slam, then the cracking of bone.
"Takame...!"
"I am fine. I am fine, Alphinaud. ... He saved you. I owe him."

The problem is, if the way you took was forward then there is no retreat. Your path behind you is gone, scattered to the depths of space. The arena you have to fight this monster is small. And the more you linger in fighting it, the more its overwhelming power closes the area in around you, surrounding the edges with magic that cuts through your skin, causing bleeding or burning that refuses to heal.

With all these factors at play, it could very much be your end long before you ever see Takame again.

Is there a way past it? To escape from this unwinnable battle? There was a space in the circle of fire where it was weak. And it led forward. Will you fight, riding the high of battle? Or will you flee and let it wither away?


The Sight of Sacrifice - Hollow
cw: ptsd, paranoia, death, undetailed gore



♪ - ridicule

If your preference is to try and run past it, you will be forcibly separated from the others. Where there is no combat there is deafening silence. Listlessness that will permeate your very soul. Emptiness as far as the eyes can see with no sign of your friends and slowly dampening motivation as your reasoning for being here in the first place leaves your mind.

The silence consumes your mind, entering it like water getting into your lungs. The more you struggle to swim away from the current of loss the harder it became to breathe. You are not supposed to be here, you had to be fighting. You chose wrong again. You made a mistake again.

You're being punished for it.

You have to be fighting. If you aren't you ought to be dead, you are about as useful as a corpse at that point.

The voice will also become more persistent.

Staying around long enough may get you a glimpse of a familiar horned figure. But something isn’t quite right.

What are my orders?

What have I done?

What are my orders

What are my orders

What are my orders

Why am I

Who

Tsurugi. Tsurugi. A blade. A blade. The Warrior of Light. The Warrior of Light.

Tread with caution. As you try to find the voice… or even remember yourself, the horned figure will be hovering over you, blade drawn and ready to strike if you don’t have help or defend.

He will disappear in a flash once spotted, but save for the silhouette, the most noticeable feature would be his glowing yellow eyes.

In the blackest darkness memories seem to fade more and more. In the winding dirt and shade the scent of blood is all you know and the rotted remains of corpses are everywhere you step. Most without faces, be they hidden or disfigured, some with clear expressions.

With signs of regret, fear, rage, agony. Even smiles that it only clawed at your consciousness to see. In your ears there are more voices and flies buzzing around the bodies despite you knowing there are none here.

"TRAITOR...! TRAITOR TO YOUR COUNTRY! A POX UPON YOUR NAME!"
"He's a monster...! A MONSTER...!"
"A smile better suits..."
"We did everything right... and still... STILL IT CAME TO THIS!"
"You... are... death."

But if you lose yourself. Find yourself alone on all fronts. Look to the light of the crystal. That which marks the Travelers sigil.

Something else known to be in Takame’s possession. The sight of the crystal will reignite your sense of purpose and reason and fill you with the determination to complete your quest.

It will guide you back to yourself. Will it bring you back to your friends? Will you find it before you forget everything you are? Or will death find you first?


The Sight of Sacrifice - Finality
cw: potentially intense violence

It doesn’t matter. None of it matters. I’ve told nothing but lies to weaklings who will perish in an instant.

I will never be human. I will never be truly capable of feeling, of thinking.

I will never be a man, only a war machine. I will never be a hero, only a failure whose actions bring more death.

I will never be worthy of his love.

I will never

be Takame Kesi.

Past the large enemy, or the sea of your own self doubt, you will reach the end. The end of what?

Everything.

♪ - the executioner



Just a void that seems to stretch into an eternal dark sky. At the end of it a figure stands. Clad in white, red and gold, a heavy cape with a high collar and a pervasive sensation of the void radiating from his person.

A turn of his head revealed it to be Takame, but not quite.

His hair was cut short, but there was no mistaking those scales and horns. His other most prominent feature, his green-teal eyes, were glowing yellow and on his face, his expression varied.

A twisted smirk if you went through every combat zone.

A disappointed, condescending pout if you did not. Regardless of his look, he greeted you thusly.

"Ah, ‘twould seem you’ve made your way to me. I’ve been waiting for so long that I almost broke this one." Stepping off to the side to gesture at the “one” in question, the real Takame laid. Bloodied and beaten on the ground, still breathing and conscious but no more than that. The armor he’d come in with was torn apart, his Gunblade thrown far behind him and his long hair matted and partially ripped out in the fake Takame’s hand.

Even still he managed some defiance.

"Do not… touch them…!" To which the Shadow responded with a kick that made him spit more blood.

"Will you stop me, Kesi? You who forgot our actions, who thought acting as if you were a person would erase how we helped crush Doma under our heel?" He turned to you.

"Who felt the most SATISFACTION in our battles with Zenos viator Galvus than any single event in our lives?!" He laughed, as if it was the funniest joke he’d ever heard. Takame didn’t, couldn’t, say anything. Either from his injuries or the fact that it was just… true.

"Even this foolish lot. Who are they to me but rats I can kill with a thought? 'Saviors'? You can’t save a machine that is long dead inside, waiting for a decent bout to be my resuscitation. "

(OOC Note: Shadow Takame will be NPC'd by me. Threadjacking within reason is still welcomed in it as are separate TL's, but when your characters get to this point this is where the paths taken throughout the dungeon will come into play. While he could potentially be talked down by certain people it is very possible for that your character will get hurt especially if they're not combat savvy. The extent of the injury is up to your discretion/comfort level.

Shadow Takame will not attack Yusuke Kitagawa directly under any circumstances.)

Comments

Rose; cw: minor sickness

[poisontippedcure]

[Vents - Open to Others]

[Rose hadn't expected anything in this labyrinth to be particularly welcoming, but what she saw made her stomach turn. The vents seemed like the safest option, she's not one who enjoys fighting, and she's happy to help whomever is with her into the vents.]

[She can feel the vents heating up, she can hear the voices beneath her, and she thinks that she made a very wrong choice somewhere. While they're in the vents, she'll offer any words of encouragement she can to those who are struggling. But after, as the vents explode behind them, she nearly collapsing on the ground. Girl looks like she's about to throw up. If anyone gets close to her, she'll reply--]

It's fine. I've had worse. We have to make it through.

[The Far Edge of Fate - Open to Others]

[Rose feels something instinctively wrong when they vanquish the foe. She'd fought primals before, so whatever this abomination was shouldn't leave her so uneasy. And yet. And yet.]

[Her fears are confirmed when she looks behind her--at the way back--and she sees the path being consumed by flames. She doesn't hesitate, she immediately grabs the hand of whomever is closest to her and starts bolting forward. Her Miqo'te legs don't work very well, but they do work.]

Run!

[Confrontation - Open to All, But Likely to End Poorly]

[Rose, to all who knew her in Eorzea, was an enigma. She was many things--spoiled being the most obvious. She didn't like pain, and she feared death. Of all people to become a hero, Rose always felt like she was a poor choice.]

[But, at some point in her journey, she realized that everyone has something they'd be willing to sacrifice it all for. Money, power. For Rose, it was her friends. True, she was small. And true, she was weak, especially without her voidsent. But the thought of those she loved in pain, the thought of those she loved gone, that she couldn't face. Small and weak as she was, she would do anything for those she cared for.]

[And, regardless of how Takame feels about the matter, he's among those she wishes to protect. So, she draws her scythe. She draws her scythe despite knowing, instinctively, that if it's a fair fight she'll lose. She draws her scythe despite knowing that she's likely to fail. Because at the end of the day, she's a Warrior of Light, and she's worthy of the title even if she doesn't realize it herself.]

You're wrong. Takame isn't a 'machine,' none of us are. And it doesn't matter what he's done before, it doesn't matter where he comes from.

[She's shaking, but her voice doesn't waver.]

Now give me my friend back, or else I will have to take him from you.

The Far Edge of Fate

[bebest]

[Well, this is a real bad time for a bunch of people already having a real bad time. Zulius is definitely all for running away from the whole RAGING INFERNO scenario.]

Oh yeah, I'm going, I'm gone.

[And then it takes him a few moments to realise that one of them has an advantage here in the leg department and as useless as he's largely been on his endeavour so far, he can be useful here. ]

Okay, you know what, I'm just gonna-

[Sorry, Rose, he's just gonna huck you like a sack of potatoes onto his back. He will at least give her a few moments to right herself before he starts galloping though. You're welcome? ]

Hold on, we're getting the holy hell outta here.

[dawnsdarkness]

Castellum Mortua - Entry

Lillian has no interest in being sneaky, or trying to find a way to hide. She's only careful enough to not ignite the interest of the entire bleeding castrum at once, whipping through and taking out multiple guards at a time. She knows this place- or, well, not this place exactly, but she can make some guesses. She has some memories too, of growing up in occupied Doma, where the serene rice fields and rivers were marred with the Castra bearing down above them--

She stops suddenly after a wave of guards go down with ease, looking around. That voice... "Did you hear that?" she asks, looking back at whoever is with her.

The Far Edge of Fate

At the end of the path, there is a familiar, terrible machine. And those thoughts-- or words?-- remind her of just why.

The Oversoul...

Tears sting at the corners of her eyes, but there's not time for that. She shakes her head, and lunges forward, striking at the machine with only a quiet, "I'm sorry."

Gathering herself to focus on the fight, she swings around to the others who've fled to the end of the path. "We have to take it down, quick!" she yells.

Running is not an option. Not from this.

Confrontation

Oh hells no.

Lillian can feel her heckles raise as this-- this thing taunts and kicks Takame on the ground. She can't say she really knows him that well, doesn't know any of her fellow Warriors of Light that well, doesn't know herself that well, but she is not going to just stand here and let him be talked to like that. Especially since, well. She knows how that feels. The guilt of satisfaction, loving the thrill of battle even while knowing that there had to be more than this--

"Don't you fucking dare," she yells, something in her refusing to think anymore on it, "Now how about a bout for your execution?!" That is all the warning she gives before charging forward, straight into the fight.

Entry

[bolledivita]

Caesar readily joined Lillian in the thick of the fight--mostly to make sure he could keep an eye on her, since. Well. Healer.

This wave of guards has gone down, and it makes him pause. "Yes, I heard it." He's quiet for a moment. "I have a bad feeling about this."

Well. Even more of one, all things considered.

Confrontation

[bebest]

At least by this point, Zulius war memories have started to catch up with him. They're not all quite locked into place yet, and he sure as hell hasn't got the time to process them. He's also definitely not processing the memories of that creepy awful THING that came along with them. If he did that he's pretty sure he'd have some sort of breakdown and he'd really rather not right now.

If he were honest, a part of him wants to charge right forward with Lillian on this one. He hasn't known Takame for very long but he's part of his staff and as such is someone Zulius considers worth saving. He wouldn't have charged into this madness otherwise. And that fake-ass Boomer is just as irritating as he was on Tamake's voicemail. Zulius hates him, he hates how he's treating the real Takame.

But he also knows what's an actual suicide move and that would be charging that dude. So he's just gonna make a panicked grab for Lillian as she charges ahead, planting his hooves down as a brace to try and stop her from charging headlong into that.

"Whoah wait wait wait! That's exactly what that tacky cheap knockoff wants. This is screaming trap, Babe."

[stripartist]

The Far Edge of Fate -- Clash

Goemon, strike!

[Yusuke has been fighting his way through the hell of Takame's mindscape this entire time, and he's starting to get tired. He's an art teacher, not the active young man he was in his past life's memories. His stamina is shit.

Still, he's not giving up. He has no idea what the hell this monster is, but it is between him and Takame and so it is going down.]

Confrontation

[Yusuke winces again at all the noise, the clashing and the yelling and the utter wrongness of this False Takame. He glances at the true Takame, bleeding and injured, and he feels his heart break.]

Kesi Takame, stop this at once!

The Far Edge of Fate

[bebest]

[Zulius has very swiftly realised that following the urge to dive into danger for someone he liked was a goddamn stupid life choice to make. He's definitely not a fighter by any means (that he's aware of) and has been spending most of his time here running and screaming.

There's something about this big...thing that's ringing familiar. A memory trying to push up into his consciousness like a desperate warning. He's doing the best he can to ignore it, he doesn't really need the reminder from his past life that this is a bad situation, thanks. No shit, Past Me. Luckily, he DOES have some lighting powers, which he's blasting off at that thing while he gallops around in a wide panicked circle, trying to keep away from it. ]

WELP! This is it! We're gonna die! We're not even gonna leave pretty corpses!!

The Far Edge of Fate

[poisontippedcure]

[Rose has fought Ultima before, but that doesn't mean that she wants to fight it again. Regardless of what she wants, though, she found Yusuke here. Would anything happen to Yusuke, especially in this dungeon, she doubts Takame would ever be able to live with himself. That makes protecting the boyfriend the number one priority.]

[When Goemon provides an opening, Rose rushes forward, positioning herself between Yusuke and the monster. Her strikes don't do much, especially not enough to fell the beast, but she can manage. Once she feels situated, she looks back to Yusuke and nods.]

Don't worry, you aren't fighting alone.

confrontation

[hoshikiri]

[Through the fighting and screaming, the struggling, the wild slashing, the insulting. Through the man who dragged himself, blood trailing behind him just to get his weapon.

Yusuke's voice was heard clear. Enough to force the Shadow to finally acknowledge what he refused to. The fact that he was here at all.]

... Do not interfere. [One warning. The Shadow's tone as close to the real thing's as what's been seen thus far.]

Far Edge of Fate

[bolledivita]

[It's been something else, watching Yusuke fight.

But there's been something nagging at him a little as the two of them keep fighting this monster. Like something that wants to be set free, and gets more insistent the longer Caesar watches Yusuke bring out Goemon.

Finally, it comes on the tail end of Caesar healing Yusuke. They need to finish this fight faster and there's a way he can help do that. His gaze snaps to Yusuke once more, as that thing that's been nagging at Caesar internally finally bursts free--first as an entity; tall and heroic-looking in red, gold, and white. Flight goggles sit atop its head, the lower half of its face hidden by a long, red scarf; its ends extending out behind the figure, in an outline of wings. "LUCK" is tattooed on both of the figure's forearms, and a wound on one hand turns one of those into "PLUCK." The oversized book circling the figure all but throws itself open.

Caesar doesn't have to look at the entity, and doesn't really have the time to do that, but the name emerges without him even really thinking about it--of course he knows. It's part of himself, after all.]

Go, Uriel!

[Glowing rings of light form around the Persona's wrists as it casts a Tarukaja on Yusuke.]

[crystallinememories]

Castellum Mortua - Vents

It was clear from the start that this whole venture was going to be... unpleasant, and more than bit invasive. Takame doesn't talk about his past much, and despite... everything else knowledge wise he'd attempted to gain in various timelines, this still is a bit uncomfortable for Raha from that angle, as well as the obvious.

He is not entirely unfamiliar with the Garlean education system, and while for children who are citizens it would likely be less harsh-- well. Let's just say he's not surprised.

Until the explosions hit. Those are surprising.

He curses, maneuvering himself enough to reach his staff. "Are you alright>? Do you need healing?"

Confrontation

[note for Shadow purposes: whether he fought the weapon depends on what the general group does- he will probably stay and heal/tank if there's a decent group there.]

Raha does not move, neither to back away or advance, as the Shadow makes himself known, standing quietly with his staff in hand as he watches the exchange. It is not disinterest, obviously, just his quiet, regal contemplation. He closes his eyes and bows his head slightly, taking it in-- all the regrets, the guilt... it all has to come to a head eventually, doesn't it?

"You don't mean that," he says, lifting his head and reopening his eyes, taking in the Shadow once more, "Takame is much more than that. You are much more than that. And if you do believe it, would you allow us to show you otherwise? We would not have come through all this if we did not care for him, and it is not through combat that we have forged the bonds we have with him."

confrontation

[hoshikiri]

"Unlike this fool who would bother to use our false name as if it will change a thing, I say only what I mean." He did mean it. This was the truth, the deepest and darkest reality in Takame's heart. So much so that the broken man behind the Shadow did not even say anything against it.

"What could you possibly show me that would change who I am and what I've done? You who only sees me through a false lens of heroism?" His words are harsh, but he has not attacked. Not yet.

[thavnairian]

[I. castella mortua - entry]
[Amal is nothing if not tenacious. He knows Takame is somewhere at the end of this realm awaiting rescue, and much like his other friends, he isn't about to turn his back on someone who needs him. Dressed questionably as per usual, he's nevertheless wielding a giant fucking scythe and he means business.

It's not his first time fighting Garleans, and it won't be the last. But it's not Garleans that he sees in front of him-- it's obstacles. None of this is real, after all. Even his simple mind can deduce that much. None of it's real except for the suffering Takame is facing, and it needs to stop.

He makes his way slowly through the castrum. Be they people or projects, everything that throws itself at Amal gets tossed aside almost effortlessly by his scythe or the voidsent that curls protectively about him. He can't save any of them, so he doesn't try; he only bears witness to the suffering, adds it to his load, and carries on.

He'll play the villain in this bloody, poorly-reconstructed tragedy. Of all the masks Amal has worn throughout his life and his campaigns as the Warrior of Light in his own shard, this one is the most familiar.]

[II. the sight of sacrifice - finality]
[This, too, feels familiar. Of all the shards of Azem here, Amal thinks he understands Takame here the most. Even the Garlean-twisted creature in front of him feels more like a shadow of Zenos than the gentle friend he's come to know. They all have their ghosts, after all, and Amal is no exception.

But Amal denied Zenos at every turn, and he'll deny Takame's shadow now. He steps forward and unsheathes his scythe, covered in blood as he met every threat head-on the way here, and he points the sharp end towards the Shadow.]

Who cares?

[He raises his voice, not for the benefit of the Shadow's hearing but precisely so that Takame can hear it, broken as he is.]

Who cares if Takame was a conscript? Who cares if Zenos gave him a good fight? Who cares if that's what he lives for?

The damned Garlean Empire is dead, and you're free. The past is the past. The only one here who cares is you—and you're chained to it like a prisoner.

[He swirls his scythe from hand to hand and lowers into a combat-ready position, knees bent, weight restling lightly on the balls of his feet.]

I pulled Drusilla out of the abyss. I'll pull you out, too.

[His voidsent growls lowly and raises his bony hands from behind Amal.]

So come at me, you son of a bitch! I'll show you a grand old time!

Vash the Stampede; cw: body horror, likely throwing up, probably

[doubledollar]

[☆彡☆彡Castellum Mortua - Entry - Open to Others]

[ he knew what he was getting into, here. going into the city the day before with his buddy Caesar, he'd even made the effort to stock up on extra bullets for the inevitable battle to come. He has them hidden now, in secret pouches all along a pure black poncho he's currently wearing, not at all looking like himself with a wide-brimmed cowboy hat and a red and gold flower-themed mask underneath. The only discernable feature that would let any of his friends know that it's Stampede they're fighting alongside is the fact that his left arm looks the same as it always does--wrapped up in black and brown leathers--except making it visually obvious when he raises said arm that it's fake--scarred around the base where the thing attaches to the place it had been severed many years ago.

The first 'monsters' he and any of his pals who have come into the dungeon together are to meet up with are those faceless, robotic automatons. And that suits Vash just fine--he has an extreme problem against killing anything that's living, but. There's a real difference when the enemies are just automaton that fizzle and pop when they're shot, expertly in the head with a .45 colt pistol with frightening precision.

For those who are more in tune with close-up combat, hand to hand or with a held weapon, Vash will provide keen backup, each bullet being like a shot out of hell to aid those he's allied with, whether it be just to help you out with a particularly difficult swarm of the robotic things as they start coming out in droves--or to catch one of the damn things as it tries to drive a gunblade through one of his allies' backs.

...The first part of the battle is easy. Are you here with him? Let's get through it together. ]

---

[ and it really is easy at first. Vash's confidence is high as the effects of the dungeon do indeed strengthen him the more of the automatons he helps his friends take out, but.

For those with him, the cowboy-looking man's aid will come to a hard stop when they bear witness to the creation of those monsters. The cries of the people being dragged into pods and transformed into hideous monsters is...
Enough to send the man into an apparent frenzy. He forgets trying to fight the onslaught of monsters, the automatons--as he desperately attempts to reach the chained people before it's too late.
Images of a girl, no older than ten years old flash through his mind--images of her being torn apart, bones exposed from limbs, wires attached to the back of her head, spilling out of her eyes--

Once he fails to save them, he's falling to his knees, tears pouring down his cheeks as he attempts not to let the contents of his stomach hit the floor. Hands over his head as he screams.

He really needs a hand, here. ]

[☆彡☆彡The Far Edge of Fate - Clash - Open to Others]

[ he has to keep going. He has to keep going, he can't let the images of this place, this shadowy dungeon made of false images and horrors stop him dead in his tracks just because he's seen something he'd rather not have.

This is the inner reflection of Takame's soul, he's coming to realise--and everything here is what his friend has been made to suffer. So he can't stop, he can't let his legs seize and his arms fall heavy until he's done what he promised: saved the man who he'd worked alongside for weeks now; who always seemed so quiet, lonely, and yet peaceful. Someone who he still hasn't managed to get to smile.

He can't give up, and that's why he finds himself in front of this behemoth creature that he can really only think of as some sort of dragon-centaur. The big, fourlegged body with a horrifying, but severely damaged torso atop of it. ...Another monster. But is it a monster like those ones back at the entry?
He has to steel himself. There's no escape here, just a small arena and those who are still with him; his gun in his hand, and fire in his throat. ]

There's no other choice but to fight.
The arena is breaking apart.

Whatever this thing is, it ... it needs to be put down.

Are you with me?

[ just look at it like it is. it isn't a human. it isn't a human, it doesn't have a blank ticket to the future that he can steal. it's blocking the way to his friend--the person who's future hasn't been decided yet.

Press forward. ]

[☆彡☆彡CThe Sight of Sacrifice - Finality - Mostly for Shadow!Takame, but feel free to come save him, he'll probably need it.]

[ he'd made it here.
Somehow, he'd made it to the end, and somehow, despite what few injuries he had, he could still stand.

However, things felt... different than when he'd first arrived.
Being that Vash isn't actually human, despite how he's been pretending to... everyone, so far, his strength is far greater than that of any humanoid. It had aided him in the fight against the automatons, it had aided him in being able to non-lethally deal with the twisted humanoids in the beginning. It had kept his feet moving and his gun in his hand up until now, as he stands before the twisted, dark version of his scaled friend--the real one bleeding on the floor below him, he feels so much weaker than he did in the beginning.

he hasn't figured out why, yet, either. Many times throughout the dungeon he'd desperately tried tapping into his strongest abilities, the power beyond the gate in his core--and even now, standing before the shadow Takame, there are strange, featherlike shapes lifting off his skin, like scales--like leaves, veined and white
But still he can't access it. Why. Why, out of all the times he desperately needs 'that' power, why can't he? ...Why won't it come? ]

Step away from him. You've done enough. What point is there in fighting a broken man who rests at your feet? It's cowardly to continue on.

[ Despite how desperate vash feels, he's trying to keep his voice even-keeled. Calm. ]

He can be saved. And that's what I'm here to do.
If it's a fight you want, I'll give it to you.

[ he may have been weakened by his decision not to fight those creatures in the beginning. But he's still stronger than your average warrior. He won't kill this shadow--but that doesn't mean he won't give his all to make him admit defeat.

to save his friend. ]

finality

[hoshikiri]

'Twas the only challenger I had before you lot arrived.

[Said like the most obvious thing in the world. What else was he supposed to do? Twiddle his thumbs? But indeed, Vash going through each encounter had Shadow Takame in a jovial mood so while he didn't step away, he did drop the chunk of Takame's hair he tore out in favor of drawing his blade.]

Will you offer me one, Ser Vash the Stampede? Show me your strength--! [The real Takame behind him looked up helplessly, unsure if Vash could fight at all let alone him at this level. He could say nothing as the Shadow lunged straight ahead in a flash and a wide blade swing.]

entry

[mehjin]

[viv's right there with vash as they fight their way into the castrum. hand-to-hand is precisely what she's here for, and she puts her stretchy body (and newfound strength) to good use in dismantling the horde of robotic opponents they are faced with, striking them from every angle with blows more than capable of denting their metal. the flow of combat, the rush she feels taking down foe after foe... it's familiar. comforting, even.

but the comfort comes to a sharp halt all too soon. viv's disquieted by the grim sight before them, but she doesn't expect such an extreme reaction from vash, is paralyzed by that surprise as he rushes forward in vain desperation. as he falls to his knees and howls, however, she's by his side in an instant, kneeling down and grasping his shoulder.]

Hey. Hey. Look at me.

[bolledivita]

Entry
[Upon entering, Caesar's not sure what he was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this.

The scene before him is... unsettling, and he does see that there's another option to proceed...

... But Caesar was never a subtle man, not in his previous life and most certainly not in this one. He charges forward.

He does see the people being forced into the capsules, and it makes him sick--but that's something he puts into a box, puts aside for later. If he gets distracted now, if he dwells on what he sees here... he's not sure he can keep moving. So he doesn't dwell. He finds himself acutely aware of the rush he feels with every foe taken down.

Part of him can't help but wonder, is this the rush that a certain Pillar Man felt? ... No. It's almost certainly not. He would find this more akin to swatting flies, Caesar's sure.

Once the dust settles, Caesar looks back to anyone else who didn't choose to take the vents and he calls out--]

Is everyone alright?

Finality
[By the time Caesar reaches the end, the man is almost vibrating in place. The previous foe was a fearsome one, but Caesar refused to back down.

... Yeah. He can't say he cared for that any. Just like he can't say he cares for the scene before him--in fact, the spark of fury within him burns brighter when he sees how the Shadow treats Takame. It's this scene before him that extinguishes any comparisons that might have still been continuing in his head. A worthy opponent for that Pillar Man, perhaps, but...

He growls.]

ENOUGH!

[He steps forward, teeth bared in a snarl.]

Step away from him. Now. You have a new challenger.

entry

[mehjin]

[viv is brushing her hands together lightly as she meets ceasar's eyes. she steps toward him, nodding.]

Fine. Better than fine, even...

The Sight of Sacrifice - Future

[hoshikiri]

♪ - to find a purpose

[A tackle to the ground, a relatively brief brawl of two injured men, the same injured man, and a final blow to the face. How familiar all of this was to what happened with Takame mere weeks before he arrived in Kaisou. This one was more personal.

Biting through all the pain, he pulled his Shadow back up by the short hair, disheveling his slicked back style in an instant.]

You will listen, goddamn you. And you will hear that I will not deny you. Because everything you have said is right.

[He expected pushback from his friends, all who came here, that would disagree with them. Should there have been, he’d lift a hand to silence them.]

I did not deny Zenos for this reason. To deny him, and you, would be to deny myself and a deep desire to fight and win I hold within my heart. One of the few desires I have because it is familiar.

[He limped to the Shadow’s sword still stuck in the ground, pulling it out and approaching the Shadow again. He pointed the blade directly at the Shadow’s neck.]

And to you I will do the same as I did to Zenos. [A panic inducing sentence for those who knew what became of Zenos. He was dead. Killed by Takame. And thus did the Empire’s fastest blade come down.


… Cutting only the loose bangs on one side of his Shadow’s hair. To which it stared at his reflection wide eyed.]

... Recall Musosai-sensei whose identity as Kogarashi I struck down. Thus do I eliminate the man designated as oen Tsurugi, soldier of a dead Empire. [He threw the sword with what little might he had away.]

That... that cannot be us anymore. Even if the memory follows us deservedly so to our grave. Recall why this journey began. To find Kesi Takame. To return to Hina and Zhian and now to Mother with a man behind the name. We… I still do not have it.

I do not deserve it. This kindness everyone has brought me. But did we not go on this journey to become worthy of this? To find desire and beauty in this empty and lifeless world we see? To find passion and humanity that I was long denied? To seek greater challenges and trials as an adventurer, a traveler?

This pain will never leave, but we feel it. Our sins will never be washed away, we hear them. Our burden weighs as it should, we consider it. [Again, the Shadow went wide eyed. Hear, feel, think...]

Even unworthy, even bearing a false name with no one behind it... you... we are still human. So please.

[They're both quiet for a long time, exhaustion finally slamming into Takame from all his words so he fell to his knees again.

His Shadow broke his fall, bringing him back to his feet to stand, if a little unsteadily.

And, as was his tendency long before becoming the Hero he was. Gave a single nod, almost looking at peace with his reflection before slowly fading away, bringing light back into this void they've been in. And as if in response, one of the birds that accosted the group on the bridge flew overhead with a gentle chirp dropping a certain device used to teleport before his feet.

He felt... more worthless than usual. More alone, expecting everyone who witnessed his worst self’s display to run far from him, to warn their loved ones to be wary of him. Even now he wanted to run and hide from everything they've witnessed here.

What will everyone say to him?]

[poisontippedcure]

[Rose hears the words that Takame speaks to his shadow, but she doesn't fully process them. She doesn't need to, because before she knows it, she's running forward. The adrenaline is fading fast, and moving is enough to keep her vertical. Probably.]

[She recognizes the backdrop, but it doesn't stop her from embracing Takame in a hug once she reaches him. It's a gentle hug, she doesn't know exactly how beat up he is, but it's probably best not to push it.]

[When she finally takes a step back, she smiles. It's a genuine, warm smile, marred by a slight hint of tears.]

We were so worried. I couldn't bear to lose someone else I cared about, someone who's family to me, again.

[stripartist]

[Yusuke would love to hug Takame right now, but he is so, so tired and sore that when he tries he just.

Ends up slumping against him on his least injured side with a sigh, taking his arm and hugging that instead.]

You are moving in with me when we get out of here, Takame.

[bolledivita]

[... He'd done some good in the end. Thank goodness.

Caesar's silent as Takame speaks to his Shadow. Remains silent for a moment or so once the reflection's faded away, before he makes his way over to Takame.]

... You'd better take it easy for a long while after this.

[It's said with a faint smile.]

[thavnairian]

[Amal listens quietly as Takame works through it (with some help, of course).

'I do not deserve it. This kindness everyone has brought me.'

Those words weigh heavy on Amal specifically. Though Takame and Amal started in different places, it seems the rhythm of their steps has been similar up to this point.

He's not truly relaxed until Takame's Shadow melts into nothingness, leaving only the dawn. Then Amal lets out a shaky little breath and puts his scythe away. With slow, patient steps, he makes his way over to Takame once his most dire wounds have been tended to a bit. And then he drops to a crouch.]

... What is it they say when soldiers retire? You served well. Now your orders are your own.

[He sets a hand on Takame's less fucked-up shoulder, not too heavy, but a reminder that Amal is here. He's... worryingly serious, but this is a situation that calls for it, he thinks.]

I'm going to share something that Drusilla told me after I pulled her back from the brink. The Lemures were formed to provide a home for lost Garleans, who have no resources and few allies in Eorzean lands. But she eventually came to realize that it had grown beyond that. Now, the Lemures are united by a purpose and a dream—brothers and sisters bound by shared convictions, she said.

I showed up on her doorstep wanting a purpose and she taught me the way. Even though they were Garlean and I'm Hannish, the Lemures accepted me as family all the same. And I, them...

And now I've accepted you. My wayward friend, your pain has burdened you alone long enough. Share it with us from this day forward. Your sorrows, your joys, your triumphs, your disappointments... We don't mind.

And if you stumble, your fellow Lemures will be here to catch you, as always.

[bebest]

[This has not been a fun experience for Zulius. Not only has this opened a door for some pretty unpleasant memories of his past life which he knows he's going to have to sit and process later- preferably while drunk out of his skull, but he's been deeply worried about Takame. Nothing he's seen here today has really done much to ease that concern. There's a lot of deeply worrying things going on in Takame's head and it's clear he needs time himself. To deal with this. To understand that he's worth so much more than what he believes he is.

Zulius isn't great at the Real Deep stuff. He's so much better at surface emotions which are so much less painful to process. Still, he trots over, circling Takamke a few times to fuss at his injuries, making soft worried clucks with his tongue. ]

WELL, that was a Whole Thing, huh? I rate the entire experience 0 out of 10. Would not do it again.

[It was the WORST. He finally stops his fussing to stand in front of Takame, arms folded, one of his hooves pawing the ground worriedly. ]

Okay, so you're gonna take some paid time off- not an option and for sure not because of that "death will be all you meet" stuff, either- which I do not subscribe to, FYI. But you need some time to process like- [he waves his hand to encompass the whole ass dungeon] all of this. I will absolutely find out if you're not resting and looking after yourself and there will be consequences.

[He casts Takamake a worried look again.]

I know this is like, when you ask how someone is holding up - but I'm gonna guess not great.

post-event

[hoshikiri]

[The Castellum lingered in the MetaVerse. The outside never changed from its imposing view, save for the scorch marks and full dents that now marred the door.

There was no presence of anything, no Shadows, no soldiers, no monsters. Just the faded smell of ceruleum and the burns that accompanied its explosion.

All that was left were voices of the past and a crystal.]

[fionnuisce]

...I have to admit, I expected something a little less high-tech.

[Walking next to Takame, Waver uneasily adjusted the grip on his cane.]

That smell--some kind of burning metal compound? Where are we?