IC INBOX.

[interlucere]

 

 

 

 

( code by transilience. )

Comments

voice; 9/30

[bloodwit]

[ hello ms. mage of light you have one (1) dark mage on the other end of the line; judging by the persistence of these rings (or however incoming voice messages alert through pocket watches), this one apparently needs to have Words. ]

[ so, ]

—Good afternoon, Lux. Do you have a moment?

I can't believe this asshole will be the first one in her inbox for all time

[interlucere]

[ Lux isn't normally the type to not answer her watch, but Viren manages to get her on the second or third ring. She sounds rushed, quickly masking her concern behind a chipper lilt. ]

Good afternoon. I do—is everything all right?

[ Considering he was blowing up her messages, probably not. ]

LMF ya im sry for this blemish

[bloodwit]

Yes, everything is fine. ... For now.

[ FOR NOWWWWW ]

[ sort of. anyway. dorchacht ended up in flames, but what's new, that's not precisely why he called. ]

I wanted to follow-up with you about the information you requested. Particularly, that regarding Dorchacht's history.

[interlucere]

[ What does he mean, "For now"? Viren, you better not be starting more fires. Lux exhales deeply. ]

That's a relief. Considering what happened, I'm glad to hear you made it through safe and sound.

[ Yes, she really means that. This girl is too good to him. ]

I appreciate it. Would you prefer to speak in person, or does this work for you? I'm... [ An idiot. ] Not as mobile at the moment, but if you give me a little time, I can meet you somewhere.

[bloodwit]

[ giving his watch a bit of Look (because that relief really is too good for him) and. that response has him pausing. ]


... Why are you "not as mobile" at the moment?

[ he'll answer the question in a second. ]

[interlucere]

I'm under house arrest.

[ She sounds way too jovial about that for it to actually be true. ]

I'm kidding. I got into a bit of trouble a few days ago, so it takes me a little longer to get to places. It's nothing you need to worry about.

[bloodwit]

[ his Look intensifies. he's sure he'll see the extent of whatever's happened (unless she masks it, somehow) soon enough. ]

Fine. Meet me at [ insert name/location of some cafe ] in about an hour. Acceptable?

voice → action

[interlucere]

[ Don't give her that look, Viren. You're not her dad. ]

That should work just fine. I'll see you then.

[ Even with the bumps and bruises she sustained while getting quite literally kicked around during the riots, Lux still manages to make it to the cafe early. Still smartly dressed, her dress isn't as form fitting around the middle as it normally might—she didn't crack anything thankfully, but having anything snug around her torso right now feels like slow torture.

Looking around for him, she will settle down at an empty table if he has yet to arrive. If she manages to pick him out, Lux will make her way over, her seemingly ever present, bright (although a few watts dimmer) smile on her face. ]

[bloodwit]

[ because lux arrives early, she probably beats viren there by about a minute and thirty seconds. with a demeanor that bright, even if somewhat dimmed, she's a beacon. now he's probably shoving past some poor person that had stuck their seat out just a bit too far, tailcoat billowing out behind him as he storms over (he does like dramatic entrances, despite having considered acting benign for this little exchange). ]

[ yanking out a chair, ]

What happened to you?

[ hi, someone's rudely curious anyway ]

[interlucere]

[ She's already figured out that he has a flair for the dramatic, but rushing ahead to pull out a chair for her takes her by surprise. She's even more taken aback by his question, blinking at him quickly before her smile pulls thin.

Ah, he's observant. Either that, or he's taking what she told him to the extreme. ]

I'm all right, really. [ She slowly slides into the chair, keeping her back straight.] I ran into some trouble in Dorchacht, during the riots. I'm mostly healed up—just a little achy.

[ That's mostly true. ]

[bloodwit]

[ don't become too fond of the niceties, lux, for they can be temporal and capricious. but yes, viren seats himself as well, his eyebrows furrowed, mouth pressed into a thin line that betrays just a hint of an unpleasant grimace. ... of course it was riots. ]

Yes... Since Witches are capable of healing magic, I would hope you would have that handled.

[ he sighs, plucking a set of menus from the center of the table. he slides her one, browsing his own as he glances back up to her intermittently. and now, more idly curiosity: ]

Were you actually rioting, or just in the wrong place at the wrong time?

action — oct. 12th, in the wee hours of the morning

[scaling]

[ Akira is no stranger to being kept awake by aches and itches. Sometimes he wakes up in the middle of the night with pain gnawing at his legs, or he'll have to sleep in an awkward position as not to disturb a sensitive spot. It all comes with the territory of growing a whole host of new features over a short span of time. He's learned to work with it.

This, however, is something new. The feeling that lances through him can only be described as agony, like something is actively trying to tear out from beneath his skin. It jolts him awake with a gasping breath and sends him curling in on himself almost immediately. Working up the sense to reach for his back, he slips trembling fingers beneath his shirt to feel... feathers? Something hard is protruding, pushing out slowly with a grinding sound he suddenly realizes isn't his teeth but the shift of other bones in his body. ]

What the hell...

[ He gasps out on the tail end of a groan, mind clouded by pain. Did he get the date of the full moon wrong? Even so, no puca should be growing wings, nor is there any reason for twin aches to be forming in his skull, right above his forehead.

He needs to warn Lux. Akira realizes it in some distant part of his brain. He has no idea what's happening to him, if whatever is warping his body like this will come for his mind as well, just like the moon does. But the thought slips right out of his mind when a fresh wave of pain cuts through, drawing another noise through gritted teeth. For now, Akira can only brace himself as the transformation wracks his body. ]

[interlucere]

[ Lux is awake when it happens. Rousing just before the clock strikes three, disoriented from falling asleep wrapped in a pile of blankets in the attic, she stands up only to feel something surge through her. It's the calm before the storm, as pain rips through her suddenly, planting her back into the nest that she rose from and gripping her shoulders tightly. The transformation is quick, the muscles in her back spasming as wings break through and unfurl; delicate and gossamer-thin despite how violently they spring forth. She hardly notices the feeling of her ears elongating through the rest of her transformation.

But as soon as it finishes, the searing pain from her transformation abates, leaving her more disoriented than she was before. What..? Lux pushes herself up, sitting on her knees as she quietly shifts to get a better look at herself. Seeing an iridescent wing peeking out from behind her back, she stares, wide-eyed and more than a bit alarmed. But she's a Witch? Besides, it wasn't a full moon, so why would she have transformed? Was this another dream?

...Akira. She needs to make sure that he's all right. Fleeing the attic for the basement, Lux doesn't think to grab anything to cover the new appendages that ripped through the back of her nightgown. When she finds him, curled in on himself, feathery wings jutting out from his back, she stands frozen for a few seconds before practically flying to his side. Swooping down into a crouch, she places both hands on his shoulders, bracing him there.

She needs to stay calm. If she's any indicator, this will pass. ]

It's all right, you're all right. This will pass. Just try to focus on my voice for now.

[ If he goes feral... No, she's not going to think about that. ]

[scaling]

[ Suddenly there's another presence beside him, within him, Lux's concern welling up inside of him. The calm that follows, along with the hands on his shoulders and the soft voice that cuts through the noise (is that his own voice?), give Akira a thread to grasp, thin but solid. It's like the pain he felt before Joker's mask appeared on his face for the first time, although Lux's voice is nothing like Arsene's taunts.

Eventually the searing sensation subsides, the feeling of ripping flesh and shifting bone giving way to a brief bout of exhaustion and confusion. He expects it to be a bloodbath from how it felt, but as Akira looks down into the space between them, he only sees the usual color of his sheets. ]

What...

[ That emotion only compounds when he looks up at Lux and immediately notices the wings that must be attached to her back. ]

... You have wings?

[ It comes out a little breathy, as if he's still trying to catch his breath from the experience he just went through. Nevermind the much larger pair of feathery black wings and the long, thin horns extruding from his hair—Lux is a Witch. She definitely shouldn't have wings. ]

[interlucere]

[ Lux keeps talking until she feels him finally start to come to. Her hands remain on his shoulders, a physical reminder that she's there. It's all right, he can take as much time as he needs.

Putting on a reassuring smile when he looks up, it stretched a little thin when he makes that observation. She shifts slightly, her wings adjusting to the new position. ]

So do you?

[ Worry about yourself, please? It's not just a pair of wings that he's gained... ]

How do you feel?

[scaling]

[ Lux seems far too okay with this development. He'd think it might be one of those shared nightmares, but as surreal as this feels, it lacks the dreamlike quality. ]

I feel like I got run over. [ A soft laugh huffs out. Honesty. They're working on that, aren't they? ] But it doesn't hurt so much now.

[ And—now that he's coming down from that pain, Akira is becoming aware that he indeed has wings. His hands raise, almost looking like they might go for Lux at first, but they shift instead towards himself. He runs fingers along the horns coming out of his head. What are these even supposed to be? They don't feel like anything that would be on an animal he knows. In his peripheral vision, he can see dark feathers; an experimental twitch of the new muscles makes the wings curl slightly around them. ]

It isn't the full moon...

[interlucere]

[ She's calm because she has to be, and she is doing all she can to hold to the belief that this is just a dream. It's the only thing that makes sense. Lux isn't mentally prepared to face the alternative.

Removing her hands from his shoulders, she sits back and gives him room to breathe. Tucking a few strands of hair behind her ears, her hand lingers there for a few seconds as she blinks owlishly in surprise. Are... are they longer?

Not important; and the way his wings curl in around them is the perfect distraction. Lux turns her head to look at them in surprised awe. ]

I'm not sure what's going on. This seems a bit much, even for a full moon.

[ She begins to reach out to touch his wing before stopping herself. One would never know she was normally uncomfortable with physical contact. ]

It's like we're in another dream. But you're a Puca, so you shouldn't...

[ Never mind her changes. It's fine. ]

[scaling]

[ With that simple motion, his attention shifts back to hr. The more the pain and disorientation ebbs away, the more aware Akira becomes of his surroundings—

And that includes the long, tapered points of Lux's ears. ]

Your... [ Wait. ] ... Are you shorter?

[ While Lux might have aborted her reach before it got to his wing, Akira's impulse is a bit more uncontrollable. He reaches for one elongated ear, gently brushing against her hair as he lightly trails fingertips along the cartilage, vague awe settled into his expression. If he were in a clearer mental state, he might be able to draw a parallel back to that time she touched his ears, many months ago.

And then, as if suddenly becoming aware of the lack of permission, he jerks his hand back. In reality, it's more triggered by noticing that his claws morphed into something like hard, black talons. ]

Um—sorry. ... Are you a Fae?

[interlucere]

[ Lux would bluster about his height question, but she is very quickly distracted when he brushes a taloned hand over her ear. She takes a quick, sharp breath, her heart leaping into her throat as she stares at him with wide eyes. Akira?? Please warn her first??!

She's not going to dwell on the fact that that wasn't unpleasant. Not now. (Not ever.)

Glancing over her shoulder at her wings, they open and close without any difficulty. Well, so much for them being some kind of weird ornamentation. Lux smiles wryly. ]

I thought I was a Witch. I believe I may still be one. [ She hasn't tried using her magic, but she can still feel the steady thrum of it coursing through her.

Turning her attention back to him, her eyes focus first on his horns (???), then on his wings. ]

You can move them, right?

[ He has them somewhat curled around them, but she isn't sure how much of that is a subconscious reaction. ]

[scaling]

Yeah, I think I'm still a Puca...

[ His ears are still there, and it feels like his tail is, too. This extra stuff just grew in around it, chimera-like, only he knows that's not the case here. That doesn't develop overnight months later like an afterthought.

At the question, he shifts his attention to his wings. He can, can't he? It's incredibly foreign having those muscles there, but when Akira concentrates on moving them, the wings react. The wide sweep of them suddenly unfurling knocks a few things from his bedside time. Books, a pen, an empty glass all clatter to the floor. Whoops.

He looks sheepishly at Lux. ]

... Yeah, I can.

[interlucere]

[ None of this makes any sense—but then, the dreams they've had here never did, either. This is just more evidence to suggestion that that's what is going on here. Clearly that is the only logical explanation, even if it doesn't quite fit. Lux is going to cling to that.

Wincing when he sends a few items tumbling when he spreads his wings, a thin smile stretches across her lips. Ah, she should have seen this coming. ]

Maybe we should get you somewhere where you'll have a little more space...

[ She knows that he doesn't like leaving his room after a transformation, but there is something that she's curious about. The last thing they need to do is have him break something with that impressive wing span of his. ]

[scaling]

[ The instinct to hole up is there, but figuring out what's going on is much more pressing, and they're not likely to come to any real conclusions down here in the basement. Besides—the effort to contract his wings close to his back once more sends a few more items skitteting—well, Akira really should get somewhere else before he wrecks his entire room. Why did Lux get the easy to manage wings? ]

Good idea.

[ His attempt to get off of his bed almost ends with him in a pile on the ground as there's a sharp, sudden sound of tearing fabric as something pulls and slices through the covers. Thankfully, Akira is good enough at finding his center of balance on the fly that he manages to stumble and steady on his feet.

Feet that have sharp, pointed heels.

Akira squints down at them. ]

Oh. Great.

itp: Akira and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good Very Bad Day

[interlucere]

[ Her intent was to give him some space to spread out, and potentially see how functional their wings really were. Because if they could fly in normal dreams...

But then Lux sees him flail and hears fabric rip, and immediately she takes a step back. What? Looking at his bed in confusion before following Akira's gaze downward. She stares, eyes wide as she blinks almost owlishly. What in the world..? ]

Ah... That's. Different.

[ Helpful. Are you sure you're still a Puca, Akira? ]

Can you walk like that? [ She has a sinking suspicion that they might have to figure out how his wings work here and now, if they hope to get him out of the basement. ]

he suffer

[scaling]

[ Can he? He's managing to balance on them okay, but walking is another matter entirely. ]

Only one way to find out.

[ One wobbly step later, he's managed to stay upright—a good sign. Maybe if he takes the stairs very slowly...

He glances back at Lux to check her reaction. ]

Not the heels I'm used to, but I think I've got it.

[ He offers no more context for that comment than that, just continuing towards the stairs. ]

Deserved

[interlucere]

[ All right, so he walks a bit like a drunken toddler, but they may be able to work with this. She doesn't feel confident about getting Akira up the stairs, but together they can probably manage. ]

...

[ Akira. Why do you have experience in walking in heels. Lux pauses for a moment, blinking once, twice, then opening her mouth. ]

I don't think I want to know.

[ Congratulations, he finally came up with something seedy that she isn't going to question! Carefully inching past him, pressing her wings as flat to her back as she can, Lux tries to reach the stairs before him. Ascending the first few, she offers down a hand to him. ]

Here. If you need it.

[ She's trying to help, but also she wants to get ahead of him so that he doesn't end up falling on top of her. ]