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Post by Risukage on Jan 26, 2017 4:26:57 GMT -5
Xander sighs and leans against the doors as Tidus leaves, running a hand through his hair. So much going on so suddenly. This was bad. So much for them to track and monitor, and so easy for something to get lost or missed... And Lynn, damn it, he didn't like sending in Lynn like that, it felt so underhanded and smacked of not trusting Azandra, but it had to be done. He knew that Lys hated it even more, but for different reasons. It was a dangerous mission, and she was their most dangerous operative, but she was one person against an army...
He locks the doors and flicks the indicator that mechanically flips the sign on the other side to read as "unavailable." After turning out the lights he opens the Aura-locked hidden door to the room behind, slightly obscured by a small bend in the hallway that prevents anyone from being able to look directly in. The lights in this room are off as well, and he pauses a for a moment to undo the buttons on his shirt as his eyes adjust to the darkness. It isn't a large room, just one where they can stay if work somehow prevents them from getting out to their home in Deep, or as a safe room in case of danger, with secret exits to outside or other parts of the Lux. A bed is pushed into one corner of the room, with a small bathroom in a room opposite, a table with two chairs, and a small wardrobe as the only furnishings it contains. No window, as the room is deep within the facility, and it would be a security risk they didn't want to take. They don't need much there, as if they want comfort they go back home.
After finally getting his waistcoat and shirt off (which is almost as annoying as putting them on when one has wings), he hangs them up in the wardrobe and sits down on a chair to remove his boots. Taking off his sunglasses, he puts them on the nightstand next to the gold half-rim spectacles that he'd removed from Lys when he put him to bed earlier, as well as a tablet that he plugs into the wall, ensuring that the sound is on so he can be notified of incoming messages. Lys is on his side, back to the rest of the room, still fully dressed, and completely asleep. It takes quite a bit to wake either of them when already sleeping, but he still carefully curls up on the other side, his back to his companion, yawning broadly again. He knows that Lys will have to either crawl over him or wake him up to get out of bed in the morning, but he doesn't mind, as he'll probably need to be up and about early anyway. As he starts to drift off, he hears Lys shift in his sleep, and is surprised when he rolls over and throws an arm across him, gently snoring. Xander is almost unable to keep himself from laughing, thinking that it's a very good thing that they're both deep sleepers, as they also both snore most terribly. He quickly dozes off, and the only sound in the room is a two-part, rasping harmony.
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Post by Risukage on Jan 26, 2017 5:52:50 GMT -5
January 7, 7000 AGW
9:30 am Sinis time
On his second cup of coffee (tea was for after lunch), Xander continues to manage and route requests for information, feeling the cold knot of trepidation. They have not yet heard from Lynn, and Lys is obviously concerned. He isn't the only only one, as he puts down his coffee (third cup, he's been awake a bit longer) and sighs.
"You keep looking over to me. Something is on your mind." Xander doesn't bother to hide a grimace, as he was unable to hide the previous gestures.
"I was instructing Tidus in how the tablet works after you went to sleep. We talked about some stuff, and it occurs to me that it would be useful to have an in-house coder so we don't have to keep outsourcing it to Spire. But given what's going on and what we do, it seems like family is really the only ones we can trust and..." He trails off, his silence meaningful. Lys catches the subtext and looks away.
"I did not realize that you desired it as well, though I should not be surprised, you have enjoyed being 'uncle' to her."
"Yeah, but... I know what all of that mess did to you, and, well... I kinda worry that any of mine might be..."
"Better?" Xander winces and tries to protest but is cut off. "Not broken? I know what you're trying to say, and I am not offended. I share the same thoughts, and I thank you for being honest enough to speak your mind. Regardless, whatever yours will be, I will still love and support all of you. You know that."
"It's a bit moot anyway, there's nobody out there I trust with that sort of thing, and our resident mad scientist is dead. I...shit, sorry, I know that's-"
"It is alright. Not all was lost, and justice was served."
"And now it's just us." Their conversation is interrupted by an incoming message, and Lys sees from Xander's look of relief that it is the one they've both been waiting for. "Oh good, Fenrir is in Pax. And... Um..."
"There is a problem?"
"Not quite, it's... She wants to detour through Akra, which makes sense, it'll throw off anyone chasing them. But she also sent a request for intel on the location of Lizeny, Uelricost, Baalhazzar, and Vizal." Lys wrinkles his nose as he thinks.
"I know those names, but from where. Wait- Those are Azandra's most powerful... AllSong, NO!" He stands up, eyes wide with fear. "Order her to the Lux, immediately, her and Abbyline."
"No."
"Damn it, Xander, I-"
"You know what they have planned and you KNOW it's what needs to happen!" he snaps, causing Lys to step back in surprise, "this gives us plausible deniability as well as a way to solve the problem. You knew that this was a possibility when you dispatched her, don't lie to me."
"...Yes, but-"
"YOU CAN'T SAVE EVERYONE! Even her, and I know it hurts. It hurts me, too, Lys, I have the same memories that you do. But you're not the only one from whom come broken things, it happened to Aevra, too. I know that that's why you never wanted a family, because you feared exactly that. And..." He sighs and puts down the tablet to stand up and hug his companion. "You completely despise the thought that it's going to be your daughter that has to kill your friend's. But you know that it might need to happen, because the alternative is-"
"I know! I..." He returns the hug, burying his face in Xander's shoulder. "AllSong guide me, all I ever wanted was to keep peace in this world."
"And you're doing it. But part of that responsibility is knowing when to remove weeds from the garden. I'm sorry to be a bastard about this but-"
"You need to be, because I need it. Thank you. And I need to..." He squeezes Xander in a hug again, steps back, takes a deep breath, and squares his shoulders. "Operative Fenrir is authorized full access to any and all information within the Yggdrasil network, as well as all of its material resources, and the freedom to act without orders in any capacity that she deems necessary." Xander smiles and kisses the top of Lys's head, picks up his tablet, and sends Lys's statement as well as the requested information.
"Done. It's in her hands now." Lys sits down heavily in his chair, gripping the arms tightly.
"AllSong have mercy..."
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Post by Risukage on Feb 8, 2017 3:16:08 GMT -5
January 7, 7000 AGW
7:00 pm Sinis time
They are winding down for the day and Lys has put on the final pot of tea as Xander checks the queue for new messages. Something pops up, from Freeze. He grimaces at the remark that the tower there was damaged again and that this letter had been delivered to Breeze to drop into the network. But the request after it...
"Hey, mate, d'you remember a Professor Xree Vasiliev? I mean, I do, so you should, but..."
"I... Yes. Sweet AllSong, old names are sprouting up like mushrooms after the rain. I am not surprised. Given the events that are taking shape now it makes sense that everyone is attempting to stake their own claims. So he seeks an alliance, yes?"
"Got it in one. Specifically, he wants you to meet with him up in Freeze. Damn, that is a hell of a jaunt."
Lys is silent for a moment as he mentally reviews what he knows of Xree and nods. "I agree to meet with him on his territory. It will be a gesture of good faith, and someone with such technical prowess is not one that I wish to alienate at this juncture. You will be alright watching the Lux while I am away?"
Smiling that fanged grin, but softened with fondness, Xander reclines in his chair. "Things aren't gonna suddenly fall apart if you pop off a bit. Besides, we have commo between all of the cities, and the tower in Freeze will be back up by the time you get out there. It'll take you longer to get there than a message will."
"Quite true. It is late, and I require time to prepare. I cannot simply walk out of the door. I shall depart on the morning of the ninth and travel with swift haste. Please convey my apologies for not leaving sooner, but I will require tomorrow to ensure that proper transfers of power and authority are made so that things will run as they are in my absence."
"On it. Annnnd... Sent. They probably won't get the response until you do actually head out, but hey, we managed before instant communications, we'll manage when we have to do without. And I'm glad to see you do this, you really should get out more. I worry about you."
Lys smiles and pours them both a cup of tea. "You have always been overly concerned for my health, but I am grateful for it. I too often neglect it unless reminded. I am glad to have you by my side."
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Post by Risukage on Feb 8, 2017 3:58:05 GMT -5
January 7, 7000 AGW
9:00 pm Sinis time
The teapot and cups are rinsed and drying by the sink, and Xander and Lys shut off the lights to head to the bedroom alcove behind the office. It has been yet another long day that has kept them from their home, but it's not the first time that this has happened and certainly won't be the last. Lys opens the hidden door as he waves a hand at the aura-keyed lock, and Xander follows behind, holding their tablets. He plugs them in on the nightstand and yawns broadly, putting his sunglasses nearby. Handing over his glasses for Xander to do the same, he unbuttons the long line down the front of his shirt and feels Xander undoing the bits that go around his wings.
"You know, I'm not certain how I managed to do this on my own before you arrived. These wings are lovely and useful, but by the AllSong they are a right nuisance sometimes. What I wouldn't give for the ability to retract them now and then..."
Xander laughs and cuffs him on the shoulder, turning around so that Lys can do the same for him. "If it were a warmer climate and we weren't supposed to be such upstanding citizens we could just ditch the shirts. Though to be honest you've got the wrong attitude for it. Me, I'd rock the look. You? You'd permanently blush the color of our hair." Lys returns the slap, though with a bit more mirth, and takes both shirts to hang up. He is about to ask a question when the tablet blips with a message.
Crossing the room, Xander picks up the tablet, eyes the message with bored curiosity, then stops, blinks, returns to the top, and reads slowly, holding the tablet in both hands. Damn it. DAMN IT. He sits down heavily on the edge of the bed and runs a hand through his loose hair. DAMN IT ALL. Lys has been on a mental ragged edge for a while now, but Xander has been able to keep him stable and in check. But now, this? AllSong guide him, he knows what's going to happen, and prolonging it won't make it any better. His shoulders sag with the weight of the message that he knows he'll need to convey. Lys has paused, one hand still on the hangar and shirt in the other. Something is very, very wrong. Xander is his own person, not merely his copy, but still, he knows that posture. Something terrible has happened, and Xander wants to keep it from him, keep him safe, but knows that holding it back will make it worse later. Looking up, Xander finally meets Lys's eyes.
"The new Raven just arrived in Pax. There was a murder there earlier that day. The Paxian contact for the Ravens was found dead near the docks, stabbed multiple times, holding a black feather and a message written in his blood of 'I will have what is mine.'"
There is silence in the room. It is broken by the gentle sound of fabric hitting the floor as Lys drops the shirt. Xander puts his head in his hands, awaiting the inevitable. It is soft, almost too quiet to hear at first, but Xander is listening for it, because if he wasn't him and had bottled everything up the way Lys did this was what would happen. Shoulders shaking, Lys is laughing. But it's not of joy. It has the cold, harsh edge of madness, of insanity finding the perverse humor in the gallows.
"Such audacity. Such arrogance," he says, almost too quietly to hear, and laughs again. "She dares to slap my face like this? After all of the chances that I have given her? After looking aside so many times?" The laughter is louder now, and shakes his entire frame. Xander's hands clench into fists for a moment before he stands up, feeling cold rage at what her one, simple act of revenge had done. "Silly little girl, playing at being a princess, with her shiny little toy soldiers. She thinks she has power. She thinks she is untouchable. She thinks herself invincible." The laughter takes him again, and Xander looks away, pained to see his companion like this. "So she desires a fight? Very well, I will give her what she wants. I will give her war. I will give her death. I will give her complete and total obliteration. She will drown in the blood I will spill and suffocate under the corpses that I will pile atop her capital. I will show her who wields true power here. I rule this world. I have given it peace. I have given it prosperity. It is my hand in which Sinis rests, and it is by my grace that people have lived in safety and health. Very well, Azandra. Now I shatter the mask that I have worn for thousands of years. You will know my true face and you will know fear before I grant you the mercy of death. Xander!"
Picking up the tablet, Xander waits to type the message that he knows that Lys will want to deliver.
"Ragnarok Protocols are now in effect. All operatives are authorized the use of the red needles. 'Princess' Azandra and her forces are now kill-on-sight. If any attempt to surrender, determine their honesty and attempt to subdue and restrain. All non-deployed units are to converge at Earthsea for an assault on the Portal facility. Forward this to all of our allies. We will bring the war to her and we will end it now. I will no longer tolerate hostile actions in my world. I have spent seven thousand years keeping this world in order and I will crush any who dare to play at fighting that cause suffering for the people." A smile shows his fangs, somehow more dangerous than Xander's though they aren't as sharp, and it never touches his eyes. "There is a saying that there is no person more dangerous than a righteous person pushed beyond their limits. I have transcended mine, and now, I am the most dangerous person in Sinis." He laughs again as Xander sends off the message and walks over to hug him.
"I wish our positions were reversed. I can't heal anything, and you're more damaged than ever. You don't deserve this. I'll find a way to-"
He is cut off as Lys kisses him, gripping his hair quite tightly. Strangely enough, Xander's only surprise is that Lys didn't cut himself on his fangs. He pulls away and winces as Lys's grip in his hair tightens.
"MINE," Lys hisses, still wearing that cold smile, "this world is mine, and you will help me crush those who would defy me."
With a similar, fanged smile, he returns the kiss. "No, this world is ours. And we will destroy those who defy us."
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Post by Risukage on Feb 11, 2017 2:58:02 GMT -5
January 8, 7000 AGW
7:00 am Sinis time
Xander is asleep, his arms wrapped around Lys, who is nestled against his shoulder. A chime on the tablet from the bedside earns a baleful glare from one eye as he fumbles for the device. His fingertips brush the edge, but he doesn't want to wake his companion by moving. Stretching for it, just a liiiiiittle bit more- There, got it. Scanning it with the same half-lidded eye, he sighs deeply, earning an inquisitive noise from his companion.
"It's for you."
Taking the tablet and propping himself up on one elbow, Lys scans the message. "Eshevri. Hmm, he approves of our plan of action. Though he appears to be worried that I desire conquest. Hmph, I think that I shall be flattered by that. I will assuage this fear, and let him know of events in Freeze." Typing out the swift reply, he hands back the tablet and reclines against Xander's shoulder again. "I really should get up, but I think that I am allowed to sleep in a little now and then. Keeps people on their toes," he mumbles as the both of them doze off quickly. A few minutes later, though, they are woken again by another message. Once more Xander hands the tablet to Lys, who sits up with a deep sigh. Xander mimics him, holding him from behind with his arms around Lys's waist, playfully nipping his shoulder (next to some rather fresh and curious marks) as he reads from over it. Lys chuckles, both at Xander's act of affection as well as the missive.
"He inquires about our help at the portal."
"Makes sense, we're force multipliers, not warriors, and teaming up with them will make us both much more effective."
"My thoughts exactly. I will direct all Ravens to align with Eshevri's forces and provide them assistance. I think that I shall once more affirm that once Azandra's forces have been subdued then I will withdraw my forces from the field. He should also know of Lynn and Abbyline, if anything so that they do not interfere with each other." This message gets dispatched as well and the tablet gets set aside for the second time.
Xander flops back, pulling Lys to himself. "Just a little longer. Though anything else comes in and I'm gonna throw that thing across the room."
Smiling, Lys pulls the blankets over the both of them and kisses him. "Another hour, yes, and I refuse to answer anything else until then."
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Post by Risukage on Feb 13, 2017 3:47:38 GMT -5
January 8, 7000 AGW
9:00 am Sinis time
Lys adjusts the fit of the vambrace on his left arm, snugging it firmly into place. Xander is securing the breastplate for him, which has strategic gaps for the wings. Slim pauldrons provide shoulder defense without being bulky, and two pairs of gauntlets, one for each of them, sit atop Lys's desk. Xander has already donned his armor as well, but needs Lys to check everything, which he will do as soon as Xander examines him. Kneeling, Xander tests the fit of the leg guards on the front of Lys's thighs and shins, open to the back. This would normally be hazardous, but a half "skirt" of segmented plate, connecting at his waist, wide at the hips, and open to the front, provides protection from behind yet gives him mobility and the ability to sit comfortably. It is now Lys's turn to check Xander, and he marvels at the quality and skill involved. Sol truly had outdone itself; the black armor, accented in gold with delicate musical motifs, was sturdy yet light, forged and shaped between its hands as a human would modeling clay, allowing it to fold and hammer out metals with much more finesse and control than even Mythou could. Lys secures the slim plating on the "arms" of Xander's wings, providing a little bit of armor but not at the cost of their gliding flight, which is reciprocated by the other man. They'll be able to do it alone next time, but it helps to have that bit of assistance the first time around, as well as see how it's all supposed to fit together from an outside perspective.
"You know, I'm annoyed that you waited until morning to heal all of the marks that you left," Xander remarks with a mock pout, glancing at his companion, testing his reaction.
Lys sniffs with indifference. "I'd have had to do it again anyway, as I left a few fresh ones this morning. Besides, I was tired last night."
"Even though I did all of the work," he replies, smiling at Lys's smirk of satisfaction. However, this look fades as he sighs, carefully removing the gold, half-rim spectacles and folding them up, looking at them sadly for a moment before opening a desk drawer. Xander does the same with his sunglasses, understanding the meaning; Lys must put away the person he's been for so long to become something else. AllSong send that it is only temporary... Both glasses go into the drawer and Lys sighs again, reaching for one of two diadems on the desk next to the gauntlets. Xander steps over to put one hand on Lys's waist and the other on his shoulder, touching foreheads as he winds a lock of hair around his finger.
"So it looks like the weather got bad enough for you to need a coat."
Lys puts his arms around Xander, leaning into him. "I have always needed one, but I refused to let the cold bother me."
"...I worry for you."
"You think that, like Eshevri and so many others, I am fragile and volatile, that I will become that which I seek to destroy and will continue to conquer and subdue all who stand against me, ruling the world with an iron fist?"
"No, you know what I mean."
"Of course I do. It is my turn now to tease and prod. What we must wait to see is if I will be tempered and strengthened after being shattered, or if I have simply become brittle and will crumble under further pressure." Xander is about to say something, very concerned, but Lys's fingers on his chin interrupt him. "Your presence gives me strength. It always has. And though I depart for distant lands soon, I remain stable, for I have something to come home to." Xander feels immense relief as a smile finally touches Lys's eyes, who pulls Xander close and lets a kiss linger a little while, before stepping back to ensure the fit and placement of Xander's diadem. They are simple, just a black band with elegant curves, and in the same gold accents, centered on the brow are a tree and a lyre. Sol didn't bother with subtlety, and this suits the Lieds quite fine.
Xander traces his fingers along the armored headgear the other man wears after setting it in place, looking amused. "From healer to general. What a strange turn of events."
"And if the AllSong is strong with us we will be hailed as peacekeepers and not warlords." In another reassuring move, Xander sees Lys put on again the gold chains on his waist, from which hangs the white-lacquered and gold-accented flute case, and Xander does the same with his black-lacquered case before handing Lys his weapon and belting on his own.
Examining his reflection, Lys nods. "Very well, now that we are ready, it is time for me to prepare for my departure."
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