Nara'a Sunvara (
aetherweaver) wrote in
deercountry2022-09-08 10:14 pm
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Entry tags:
i'm not a superhero [September Catch-All]
Who: Nara’a and various people.
What: September catch-all - starters will be in the comments. Contact me at
atrypical or Matt#6266 if you’d like one.
When: All through September.
Where: All throughout Trench.
Content Warnings: Violence and possible death - will add to this if it comes up.
[Prompts below. If you want a custom one, just let me know!]
What: September catch-all - starters will be in the comments. Contact me at
When: All through September.
Where: All throughout Trench.
Content Warnings: Violence and possible death - will add to this if it comes up.
[Prompts below. If you want a custom one, just let me know!]
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"We are the stories we tell ourselves. The brave hero, the tortured soul, the altruist, the pragmatist.." He smirks and shakes off the feeling, knowing that Fray would be amused at his friendship with a villain. "What kind of hero are you?" he can hear the dark knight saying. But Fray isn't here - not without the soul crystal. Is he?
Now's not the time for quiet introspection - or even bloody introspection. He's done the latter more than once. But it's hard, hearing Dabi say words that he's used to only hearing from another, so distant and yet so familiar. He huffs and stabs into the beast's back, using the sword like a climbing piton and leaping up to the back of its neck. He slits the thing's throat with ease and jumps off, landing slightly awkwardly as he hears the pained groans of the monster and the sound of its body hitting the ground.
He doesn't look at Dabi. He just looks at the stones of the street in front of him, spacing out for a moment. "Serve... save... slave... slay..." He hears the words again and presses a hand to his head. What in the world is going on? He shakes his head a bit and lets out a long breath. He can't keep doing this...
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Each pierce of the blade earns a weakening growl or groan from the creature as the miqo'te mounts atop it like a haggled champion over a toppled beast. Once more, it tries to turn its head, to lock eyes and freeze him in place, but all it really does is give the man an easier avenue to its throat. The twisted neck quickly rends open via the slash and blood spews out in an arching spray across the wall, drawing a gory arc in mockery of a rainbow drooling down the white surface. Gurgle gurgle. Aaaand down. Landing with a thud before going still.
Dabi moves forward, watching the Bugge bleeding out and the ground eagerly absorbing its blood. One second after another before he finishes up himself and heads away from it. Coat tails drift behind him in the breeze, sweeping the air that hangs heavily with smoke and blood. "Don't hurt yourself too bad. It'll get back up in half an hour to hunt someone else."
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"Where are you going?" He's genuinely curious, and the fact is that he doesn't have anywhere else to go at the moment. His plans sort of went out the window the moment the Bugge
nationattacked. He rolls his shoulders and follows the villain, armor clacking as he walks. He's not sure what the other is going to do.. and he's honestly curious what Dabi does outside of their encounters.no subject
"Ever been to Muckhod?" It's one of the bars that Dabi frequents when he doesn't feel like dealing with the business of Goat's Turning. Quieter, out of the way, buried between two hills. Drinks aren't bad and the place doesn't have a ton of customers. Makes for a nice break from the bustle Trench can sometimes throw you into. It's also the bar Dabi conducts his trades at, so perhaps Nara'a might see something of that there.
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"I haven't been, no. I haven't really been out drinking in Trench at all." Not that he's opposed, just... nerves. "Though I can't imagine there's a huge variety of alcohol here. Probably a lot of mushroom-based ones." Nothing like the sort he'd have in the Seventh Heaven - he can trust the bartenders there, at least. Though it's been a long time since he really had leave to relax there... ah, well.
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"I don't ask." Mushroom booze. Yum. (Yuck.) Dabi sticks with the beer. Occasionally with some other drinks, but most of them only take two before he stops tasting them. Then it gets more fuzzy and easier to keep enjoying. Hell, once he's smashed, they could probably give him water and it'd be fine. Actually, he'd probably need water when he's at that level of intoxication. It's rare he gets that drunk though. "Tastes well enough."
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"That's fair." More than fair. He personally likes to know what he's drinking, but he can understand why you wouldn't want that, especially in a place like Trench. "At least they have alcohol here. It's at least something that's normal here. Though I guess people have been making alcohol for ages now - it's not surprising they'd keep the tradition alive."
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Finally breaking the surface of the water, Dabi slogs his way onto the shore, losing the floating appearance of what clothes he had on and ending up looking like a drenched zombie with those burns and staples and clothes dangling off him as they poured water. And just to make things even worse... "You got that fucking tune stuck in my head."
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Nara'a doesn't seem to have as much water on him - he's still damp, but water isn't pouring off of him like it would for most people. Another benefit of the kojin's blessing, probably. He grins at Dabi and then chuckles. "Good. It's a good song. Heard someone in Gridania playing it once..." It's not really much of a song, just a couple of chords strung together, but it's still good. "I kind of miss hearing live music. Listening to it on the omni just isn't the same."
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"I didn't need it in my head." Grumbling at him all the same. Dabi starts heating himself up, though his fine control over his Quirk is pathetic compared to others and it doesn't take long for his arms to burst his blue flames from them. Oh well. That just means he'll dry off faster, steam already starting to escape from his soaked clothes. Opting to walk around a bit to help dry off rather than stand there and bake, he thinks about the live music idea. "You should go to some of the bars; they got live music."
Goat's Turning specifically.
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Nara'a watches and listens as the water on Dabi becomes steam. He doesn't have fine control over aether at all - he can't really shape it without a focus, and even then it's more like an explosion than something he can control. Still, at least Dabi's drying off. His boots squelch against the ground as they walk, and he nods. "I'm not - I've gotten out of the habit of hanging around in bars and taverns... I really should get back to it." Surely there's things that come in sealed bottles, and at least some of the things aren't going to be heavily alcoholic.
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Returning outside, Dabi tosses the bundle to the sand and starts wandering around again, brushing at his pants and tugging at his shirt to keep the drying process going. It'd be easier to just shuck the clothes entirely and dry them off that way, but he's not ready to strip down naked in front of the miqo'te just yet. The squelching sound of wet boots reminds him of why he specifically didn't wear his into the water. Easier to swim without them too.
"Depends on whatcha do with that habit. If ya gonna get drunk and raise hell, probably best not to try pickin that up again." Dabi uses it for a mixture of relaxation, blowing off steam with gambling, picking up information by eavesdropping or gossiping, and trading things.
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He doesn't mind the wet clothes that much, it's what he's used to after taking a dip. He does take the opportunity to take off his boots for a moment and dump the water out of them. He might as well. They'll dry fast enough, he just has to not get water trapped in dumb places.
"No, I tend to avoid getting drunk where possible. But being friends with a bartender's never a bad idea, nor is listening for stories or information. I've gotten a lot done with tavern-based information before..." Or well, an associate of his had, and passed on the information to him and another of the Scions.
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Wet clothes are fine? But wet denim can be a major chafe. Especially with saltwater. (Nara'a, take your clothes off if you're gonna take a dip. Sheesh.) Another scan of the ocean and the villain picks out a few more glowing paths leading out into the sea. Some are weaker than others, and one of them he doesn't remember seeing when they went down the first time. Fluctuating paths...
"Oh yeah? What'd ya do?" Sounds like a story. Dabi leans against the rock wall and hikes a foot to dust the sand off it. This one the staples and scarring goes all the way to the middle of his instep, though the other one stops around his ankle. Which is hidden away once he gets his boot back on. That feels better. Least he didn't stop on anything during that excursion.
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"Hm? Ah, well. Once time we were... being pursued for a crime we didn't commit. We ended up taking refuge in a neighboring city-state before they were part of the alliance with the others. But most of my friends went missing during the escape. We had no way of reaching them since we got rid of our communication devices... but we managed to find them by listening to rumors at the local tavern." Some of them, at least. "Tataru spent practically our entire time in Ishgard in the Forgotten Knight... I think out of all of us she was the most worried..."
As well as being the only noncombatant of the group... she was probably just trying to do what she could. Not like they ever discussed that... to be fair the whole group still has problems talking about feelings.
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Leaving the beach behind, he heads towards the boardwalk. Listening to the story was an interesting ride. Quick and to the point, but it raised some questions and revealed a few things about the other man's past. "Someone framed ya? Or was it a mistake?" Two ways that could come about. He's betting the former, knowing what he does about Nara'a. Talk of alliances and local taverns brings another ring of feudal times. "Can't say I've heard much like that in the bars, but sometimes ya hear about new sleepers showin up." People of interest which he can look into later.
Dabi steps up onto the boardwalk and knocks the toe of his boots against the steps a few times to kick the sand off. Ugh, the scent of fish from the nearby markets is always around and it's gross.
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JRPG magic?Unfortunately his red mage outfit is the most casual he's got - showing up in armor to a bar seems like it'd be in poor taste. At least at most of the bars he's been to. Maybe they don't really care in Trench."Yes, we were framed. Well, I was and the rest were... considered guilty by association. Someone poisoned the Sultana and put her in a coma. They made it look like she died. The banquet got... bloody afterwards, between Rauhban getting an arm chopped off and one of the Syndicate members getting cut in half. ... Though Teledji Adeledji... I would have preferred he answer for his crimes, but I'm not exactly sad that he was killed. But either way we had to flee."
His mouth twitches slightly as he remembers that awful time. "The leaders of the other city-states in the Alliance couldn't do much to help us without threatening their own positions. Fortunately we had made a... a friend in Ishgard - a land to the north that at the time was very isolationist. But a member of one of the High Houses has a lot of sway." He lets out a long sigh. "... Had, I suppose. But that's another story. In.. in any case we ended up recovering most of our friends. One of them was summoned to the Aetherial Sea to serve at the side of the goddess Hydaelyn."
So... dead, effectively. Though not incapable of doing things.
and just realized i got my threads crossed. you saw nothing.
"One of your companions was a criminal?" A lot of hero types weren't fond of sidling up with someone known for their bad background. Ruined the image and make other people question them. Guess Nara'a's different. Probably shouldn't be surprised. He slips his hands into his pockets and continues down the streets. "Ever figure out who framed you and why? Or didja get yanked here before ya reached that point?"
No surprise the people in power were reluctant to help people they thought were guilty of the crime. Those in power liked to stay that way and that meant appearing positive and in line with the masses as much as possible. It's dangerous for them to take a stand for what's against the common desire, so why the hell would they? Cowardice is much easier.
"Sounds like some kinda fantasy story."
Heavensward Spoilers | I legit did see nothing. :D
Just thinking about Illberd makes his head hurt. "And ended up sparking a war. Two wars, sort of... I ended up having to lead two nations to victory against the Empire. But if he hadn't tried to summon something..."
Though that led to still other things.
"And before you say 'trying to make a free army is stupid' - yes. Yes it was. Alphinaud has realized that now. He's... I love him like a little brother, but when we first met I did have to hold myself back from wanting to yell at him or punch him for being smug and stupid. He's a lot better now... still probably the best diplomat of us all in a lot of cases and he's still a teenager."
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Especially a military company. Sooner or later, someone would start tipping the scales and neutrality would be impossible without landing the company on a "side" even without the owner's intent. People are like that. War's like that. Dabi merely hums, a quiet "uh-huh" murmuring across his lips when war indeed ended up in Nara'a's story.
"Ain't ya a real important guy." His impressed words are lowkey sarcastic at worst, disinterested at best. "What'd he try and summon, a monster?"
Since Nara'a said not to say it... he doesn't say it. But obviously he's thinking it. What a fool.
Heavensward/Stormblood Spoilers
Was it worth it? ... Probably not. But there's nothing he can do about it now. "People keep looking to me for leadership in battle. It helps that I'm uncommonly resistant to damage." Thank you, the Echo. "And yes, a monster. He ended up sacrificing himself and a lot of other people - plus the two eyes of a powerful dragon - to summon a dragon-like primal called Shinryu."
... Mmn. That in itself is a touchy subject, but... "One of our number sacrificed himself to hold it long enough for us to uncover an ancient weapon capable of battling it to a standstill. It was later captured by the Empire." And then after that... ugh. It gives him the creeps still.
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"Was it worth it?" The question he's most curious about in that story. Since Nara'a's looking back on it and everything. Tsk, kinda ridiculous that all leaders have some sort of fucked-up thing in their background. Is that a quality for leadership? Must go through some shit to qualify for leading? "Braggart." He says 'uncommonly resistant' like it's no big deal. Dabi offers a quiet "hn" in interest at the continuing tale. Seen that before, someone willing to sacrifice so many for one outcome.
"Siccin a dragon on the world or somethin else?" You don't just do something like that without a reason. Though he can't help a brief snort at the culmination of this chapter. "Way to go, idiot. Imagine all that work and someone else comes along and takes it for themselves at the very end." The way he says it, chillingly amused, offers a suggestion that Dabi's likely been privy to that very thing happening to someone in his past. And yes, he was there for it.
Sucks to be Overhaul.
Stormblood Spoilers
Is it his fault? He's not sure. Maybe he could have stopped Alphinaud, and maybe he couldn't have. He just takes the accusation with a bit of a huff. Even if he could, he didn't - he can't change that. He already feels guilty enough for many things... there's no need to add to his guilt. (Regardless, he still will ponder it, even after their conversation is done.)
"Worth it? I don't think so. He started a war - despite the fact that Ala Mhigo won and Doma was freed... well. Maybe we wouldn't have ended up freeing them if he didn't. But I can't condone what he did, even if I understand it. He wanted his homeland free - anyone can understand that. But his recklessness and eagerness to throw people away..." No. He can't understand that. He knows well the cost of war, that you can't save everyone in it. But Illberd was too eager - maybe his anger was justified, but his actions weren't.
Is he bragging? He didn't mean to... he's got this gift, but he's not the only one. "Mostly siccing it on the Empire, but he didn't care if it took out the Alliance either as long as his homeland was free. I don't know what his plan was after the summoning - just let it hang around and suck the land dry of life force? He'd have freed his homeland just to let it die."
Idiot. Stupid, brave, misguided idiot. "At the end of the war there was... someone who took control of Shinryu and merged with it. Mostly just to get me to fight him. He was... really insistent on getting me to fight him. Multiple times. He kicked my ass the first time we met but he liked what he saw, I guess."
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"Sometimes ya gotta stop carin about other people to get whatcha want. If everyone was completely selfless, no one'd do a thing." Everyone's got to have some kind of "want" that requires them to take. And taking for yourself means someone else won't have it. "We got a war about to go down back home. Hopin to see society go up in flames because of it." So many things come from war that wouldn't have otherwise. Even the most earnest of intents won't get something done as fast as violence. People just don't like to admit that.
"Nice. Bring out a monster, aim it, and let it go." No care to what it'd do on the way to friend or foe. He can relate to that with that giant monster the old coot send them to go claim. To unleash something with no way to stop it sounds like an insane thing to do, but hey, isn't that the nature of fire? Something you think could be controlled would end up raging out of your power.
"Guessin he left ya alive to have another battle with ya later."
Endwalker spoilers
"Yeah, you've mentioned that. ... But you really don't like society at all, do you? ... What happened?" He's curious as to Dabi's past - what would lead him to do the acts he does. But he doesn't want to push. ... He kind of left the door open on that one, though. Nara'a hasn't had the easiest life, but he wouldn't say his has been bad. He can imagine what would lead someone to steal or to want an empire to fall... but all of society? Not really.
'Nice' isn't how he'd describe it, but he gets by now that that's just the way Dabi operates. "He did. We clashed several times after that. Hells, I'm pretty sure the only reason he agreed to help usher in the Final Days is so that I'd come out and fight him. He's... he was pretty insane, but... well. He helped in the end, in exchange for one final fight. I don't think... he can survive out where he was left."
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