Canis's heart

[soulping]

The moment you step through the mirror door, you seem to - slip, as if the floor were made of wax, but when you fall there is no floor to catch you; only darkness.

You fall for some time. Eventually, it feels as if you're not falling at all - but rather, floating . . . and some time after that, it almost feels as if you have no body at all. The light from which the entrance of Canis's heart is disappears quickly, and you're left with nothing - not even your own screams, if you have any; nothing seems to leave your throat, and there's no sound at all, besides. Even the rushing of wind is gone, and your own pulse seems to fade away. . .

. . . what penetrates your consciousness next is the soft sound of music. Someway or another, you find yourself on a white platform; you're dressed in plain clothes of your team color, all items gone from your person. In front of you, four stones float; all perfectly square and identical to each other. Each have images - a sword, a staff, a bow and arrow, and a sparkling circle . . . you understand what you must do.

CHOOSE YOUR CLASS
WARRIOR - MAGICIAN - ARCHER - ACOLYTE

CHOOSE YOUR CLASS | IRC: #swordheartonline! | PORT BAGHENNEN | LOCATION SELECT: 1 2 | AREA O█E: S█RE█G█H | AREA █WO: DU██ | AR█A THR██: █MOT█O██ | AR█A THR██: █MOT█O██: 1 2 | ██E█ ██U█: B███████: 1 2 | ?????: ███████ | TRUE HEART

Comments

[wingtamed]

An' yet here we are, right. You've got somethin' real nasty in you an' I don't see any Haruki-sama comin' to save you.

[ he's not moving, at least. ]

Knights're supposed to follow kings who're worthy of them, aren't they? He's not here! He's not gonna save you. I came here ta save an' protect you. I wanna help you! I want. . I want you to trust me an' be part of our team, properly!

An' I'd give everything I have for that! You're a person, Canis! Not a thing! You have feelings an' you get hurt an' you're an idiot but you're my idiot!

You swore to protect him but that's jus' glass. It ain't a person! It's not gonna love you! It's not gonna care for you an' it's not gonna be there for you!

Are you gonna kill me over that?!

[knighttolast]

"Haruki-sama saved my life! And now it's my turn to save him - he's not here but that's not his fault; he's waiting for me to save him and I can't afford to let you hold me back!

I don't care if he loves me. I don't care if he doesn't care about me! I don't care if he's not here because that's not what he's supposed to do; I was created for him and I should be there for him! And I won't stop!"

He pauses - lowers his voice, when he remembers his place, and sheathes his black sword.

". . . I'm not going to kill you. But you have no place here. This is my place, and I was born to serve Haruki-sama . . . if that's not something you can't accept, you'll have to leave."

[wingtamed]

. . that's stupid.

[ his own voice lowers, shoulders loosening and he does--start walking towards the glass again, but at a very light pace. harmlessly. ]

He's not the only one who'd save your life, y'know. I get it; you wanna save him. You wanna protect him with all you got an' that's--fine. But I care about you. Even if you're stupid. Even if you broke my face. I'm always gonna care about you.

[knighttolast]

He redirects his sword, blocking Mira's way to the glass with his arm out.

"It doesn't matter. My feelings for Haruki-sama go way beyond what you're willing to do for me."

[wingtamed]

You don't even know what I'm willin' to do for you.

[ raises a hand to grab onto canis's wrist--gently. ]

[knighttolast]

"No matter what you do, it's beyond it. Far beyond it."

He doesn't seem to react to that . . . it's not Haruki-sama's portrait, so he doesn't care.

[wingtamed]

[ woah he touched canis and canis didn't give a shit how. great. maybe he'll just try to ssslowly wrap his arms around him. super gently. ]

[knighttolast]

. . . what is happening.

He doesn't actually do anything because you're not actually doing anything to Haruki-sama, but. . .

". . . what are you doing?"

[wingtamed]

I'm hugging you. 'cause I care about you a lot, y'know? An' 's easiest to--explain it like this, ain't it.

I want you to like me. I want you to--care 'bout me jus' as much as you seem ta care 'bout that guy up there.

[knighttolast]

There's a pause, and he looks . . . legitimately sad about what Mira says.

"I can't."

He presses his lips together; there seems to be a minor quake in the earth as it trembles, though nothing else happens. . . ?

". . . I can't do that for you. Even if I wanted to, I can't."

[wingtamed]

[ oh that's. different. ]

If you cared about be like that, I'd always--stick by your side, Canis. I'd love you an' take care of you.

Even if you can't--would you wanna?

[knighttolast]

He shakes his head.

"I can't."

In a tone that makes it sound like it's the only answer that matters.

[wingtamed]

Canis.

I'll love you, a'right? [ so clearly it's a great idea to take canis's sword from him and charge the glass!haruki with it still sheathed, right.

right. ]

[knighttolast]

ONLY IF YOU THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA TO RAM A SHEATHED SWORD THROUGH CANIS.

Which is exactly what you may end up doing, only since it's still sheathed he can grip it tightly, yelling, "Stop!"

[wingtamed]

When we get out of here, I'm gonna show you somethin' real nice, a'right?

[ PULLING THE SWORD OUT OF THE SHEATH. and twisting away from canis. gonna go stab the haruki gonna stab it good. ]

[knighttolast]

Canis stops - tries to reach out, but he's slow and Mira manages to swing his sword down, slicing through the glass; it doesn't make a clean cut, but it's enough for the entire thing to break and crumble, and for all Canis tried all he gets out of it is a cut arm from intervening the lower half of the swing.

The light scatters in all different directions, a rainbow crashing down onto the ground as the entire thing breaks - and the tremors return, only stronger, and the sanctuary begins to break, earth rumbling as sand begins to fill the whole place up through newly-made cracks in the wall. Canis himself is - frozen in shock, unable to do anything but stare at the broken pieces of glass, unmindful of the room's destruction as he reaches down to shakily pick up the pieces of glass. Though it cuts his skin and though the shard splinters embed themselves into his flesh, he's on his knees, clawing the glass to himself desperately with a whimpering cry.

[wingtamed]

[ well shit.

THAT WASN'T. entirely intentional, not like--this. he's quick to drop the sword, leaves it on the floor behind him as he rushes for canis, moves to wrap an his arms around his waist to pick him up off of the floor. he'll just. rush them both out of here. fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck-- ]

[knighttolast]

He stubbornly stays on the ground, picking up the shards and cradling them,

"No, no, no, no, Haruki-sama, Ha—Haruki-sama, Haruki-sama—"

[wingtamed]

Canis--

[ you know that feeling when you do something really fucking shitty but you don't even realize how terrible it is until three seconds after you do the thing.

y e a h, that's. that's what mira's sure he did. thanks, self. thanks a lot. ]

You're gonna die if you stay in here any longer! Go, please. [ so he. gets on his hands and knees and starts scooping up the motherfucking shards, using his arms to shift them into one big pile. that's definitely nnot good on his arms, but. you know. ]

[knighttolast]

"D-don't—don't touch Haruki-sama, y-you broke him—"

He manages out in a hushed breath, holding the shards protectively.

"I-I-I can't leave, I can't leave, I'm not leaving him, I can't leave this place."

[wingtamed]

You're not gonna die in here!

[ he's got AN ARMFUL OF SHARDS. there's. way too many to pick them all up and canis won't leave on his own so he can't stay here and try to get them all before the sand takes over.

fffuck. standing up and. really awkwardly bending down to throw canis over his shoulder. he's getting out of here whether he wants to or not. ]

[knighttolast]

He yelps when he's picked up, holding onto the shard and still desperately clawing for more of them, but he's somehow lost the use of his legs and he's so focused on trying to keep these shards safe that you can try to get out of here!

Of course, the entrance is quickly being filled up by sand. . . .

[wingtamed]

[ nopenopenopenopenopenopenopenope.

this is this thing and his thing isn't dying here and he will trudge through all this sand with canis and haruki-bits even if the glass digs into his arms even if it hurts he's not gonna give up now. ]

[knighttolast]

You trudge through the sand, trying to reach through to the doorway, but it may not be a good idea. The plates of armor swing their swords at you, trying to cut you down, now entering the broken sanctuary with ease, as if making to cut down the one who broke it all.

[wingtamed]

[ so he's. unarmed facing two gigantic suits of armor that already ruined his hair and he broke canis.

yes, okay, this is definitely safe. the most safe. if he puts canis down he's sure canis is just going to go back there, if he tries to run for it he'll probably die. if he tries to get canis over there canis is probably going to come back over here.

attempting to lurch back and avoid those swinging swords, yeah. while making sure not to drop or harm canis. deep breaths. ]

. . 'm real sorry. I'm real real real sorry, Canis. I said--I was gonna love you, an' I wasn't lyin'. I want you to live. More than anythin' else. Right now I--I really really want you to get outta here.