paradisalogs | anger is an acid

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felix harrowgate

anger is an acid

Who: Felix and YOU?
What: An angry wizard on patrol
When: The evening of day 4
Where: Anywhere inside Cair Paradisa
Rating: We'll see

There's a difference between being angry and the castle for his own sake and being angry at the castle for -- what, exactly? Allowing these monsters to kill people? Facilitating it in the first place? That was dubious at best. Just like with Slenderman a few years ago, it's unclear how much will the castle might be exerting. Last time it seemed to be trying to help them, as it had, again, with the virus outbreak - though perhaps that was a case of a possessive castle protecting it's things from the wrath of another. This time there is less signs of assistance. He doesn't know what to believe.

All he feels is the rage. And as inadvisable as it might seem, given the circumstances, he sets out tonight on his self-appointed mission to try and protect everyone else. The fact that he might die as a result seems trivial. He is a wizard, after all; and silence was barely a limiting factor to his magic. Let the others investigate it. There were more than enough eyes in the library right now. He might not even have to admit that avoiding his friends was part of the reason.

As soon as it starts to get dark he roams the halls; his witchlights out to light his way, as much to help him see as to make himself visible to others. The tiny pale green lights skitter away into dark crevices and back as he moves, his stride steady and sure. He would kill whatever this was, if he could. It would be something, at least, to let this anger out on.

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[It just so happens there's another out on a stroll this evening. One of the Gentlemen is gliding through the halls as well, occasionally stopping in front of doors to random bedrooms to listen for what it desires most.

It continues to do this, despite the fact that he now was in Felix's company.]

[It only takes a moment for him to figure out what it is he's seeing. Another resident is possible, but glimpses of the dream from a few days spring vividly to mind, along with the curious searching behavior.

He places himself in the creature's path, witchlights arrayed at his back and his expression murderous.]

[The Gentleman's own expression is rather calm, as if he truly is simply going for a stroll. Perhaps that's exactly what he's doing, rather than browsing for tomorrow night's victim.

His eyes lock with Felix's eyes as he continues his steady approach, his course undeterred.]

[Maybe he doesn't know enough to be afraid, yet, or maybe he doesn't care. It's clear this thing doesn't and maybe it doesn't know enough to be afraid either.

He blocks the path with an arm up against the wall. Snidely asking what he's doing is out of the question, obviously, but the look on his face hopefully carries it]

[If Felix doesn't lower his arm by the time the Gentleman wants to pass, he may find it forcibly moved, and his body being shoved aside. The Gentleman may seem mild mannered and frail, but their strength is alarming.]

[He hadn't planned on a physical confrontation. Wizards aren't exactly the most athletic of creatures and he's not exception, really, aside from not having any kind of training in that direction. What he had counted on was the implied warning of his hands suddenly coming alive with fire being enough to at least give the Gentleman pause.

But that doesn't work in the slightest, and he finds himself with his back to the wall rather abruptly and violently, gasping a little to regain the breath that was knocked out of him.

If the Gentleman thinks that's the end of the argument, however, he's sadly mistaken.

A flash of light ahead of the creature, like a small, heatless explosion that's close to blinding to whoever might be looking at it for that particular moment. A globe of greenish light like a small sun in the middle of the hallway. Mostly harmless, for now.]

[Mostly harmless meaning entirely harmless to the Gentleman. He does partially glance over his shoulder to regard Felix's attempt. It was almost impressive, but not quite. Others have tried similar things to spook him in the other towns he's visited.]

[So much for the warning. Or any possibility that it might have been weak to light in any capacity. It had been a suspicion, given their appearance during the hours of the night.

He slams one fist against the wall, part in fury, part in a hope to distract him for just a moment, while the fire in his other fist flares to life as he tosses the searing energy right at the Gentleman]

[It's almost as if it's a game to the Gentleman.

As Felix sends flames toward his target, the Gentleman turns to face him, a twisted smile upon his pale lips. He opens his arms to welcome the flames, which hit him dead center but quickly dissipate into nothing. His clothes aren't even singed.]

[It's almost like a open challenge that he's more than happy to take. The arrogant taunting implied in the Gentleman's demeanor only makes him want to hurt the creature more.

His hand clenches and flourishes again. But the fire doesn't come from his hand his time. Instead he targets the hem of his pants directly. Anything else would catch fire more or less immediately. It may or may not work, but it's something to try while he strides closer. The truly terrible things he can try require, unfortunately, touch.]

[He might almost be taunting him at this point, asking him to do his worst while knowing his worst is useless without the one thing that will actually destroy him. He'll let Felix continue to try in vain.

The flames lick his pants, but again they disperse until there is nothing. Not even a thread is out of place. The Gentleman lowers his hands and turns away. He should really be getting back to the others now.]

[His lips move to shout out a 'NO', even if his voice refuses to cooperate. It's all blind rage and instinct, even if he is ignoring the one that keeps telling him this is pointless. That he should regroup and try something else rather than blindly trying every spell he can think of.

But Felix often doesn't heed those feelings. Not when the anger has control.

He dashes forward and tries to plant a hand on the Gentleman's shoulder as he turns to leave. More direct forms of injury don't work, but what he reaches for this time is simply it's purest form. Pain. Simple blinding agony that starts from the blood and works it's way outward. It's some of the darkest blood magic he has the misfortune to know - to have felt personally, even - and right now he doesn't care one inch]

Howl preferred to avoid conflict. He'd been doing it so far by staying in the library with books where he could concentrate on the mystery without lingering too much over the rather more grisly aspects of things.

But there was only so much sitting and reading he could do, especially when he'd come to the somewhat morbid realization that he was likely not in danger at all, if what these monsters seemed to want was indeed the one thing he no longer possessed. It had created a nagging sense of guilt he had to appease somehow. So he'd taken a quick head-count, realized Felix was nowhere around, and come to the simple conclusion that the redheaded wizard was probably off doing something stupid, and that he perhaps ought to try and do something about that.

It would have been a waste of all that magic he'd used saving his life if he got himself carved up now, after all.

Thankfully, with so few people in the halls, it didn't take all that long to find him. He might have offered some sort of scathing greeting, if he'd had his voice, but in lieu of it, he simply took up pace alongside him. Let him be stupid, if he wanted to be. Howl just wouldn't let him do it alone.

Felix pretends for a moment that he doesn't notice Howl's presence at his side. He doesn't want company. He wants to face this alone. And he wants to face it where people he knows can't see him be the wrathful monster he keeps bottled up inside.

But he can't really keep that up for long.

He stops in his tracks, suddenly, and arches a brow at Howl. He can't ask what he wants or why he was here, despite his earlier attempts to run the other wizard off.

Howl stops and turns, tilting his head a little and matching Felix's expression. Honestly, he should be asking himself why he's out here, when he could be much safer. But the answer to that is simply that no one else is probably going to bother to see what Felix is up to, because that was exactly how Felix wanted things.

After another moment, he just shrugs a shoulder.

Not good enough, in Felix's opinion. He crosses his arms. Petulant, maybe a little, but what else does he have?

Howl is a wizard, so it's worth a shot trying glaring at Howl until he got the message.

He tries mindspeech.

::Why are you here?::

He half expects Felix to start tapping a foot impatiently, though he manages not to smirk at the thought.

And then Felix sees fit to solve the communication problem. Well. It was much better than scribbling everything down on paper, wasn't it?

::Making sure you're not doing anything stupid.:: No need for tact, so far as he's concerned.

It was less distracting, at least, when who knows what might crawl out of the shadows at any moment to accost them.

::I am doing my job. Perhaps you are unfamiliar with the idea::

Which wasn't to say that it wasn't stupid.

::And I've been up all hours in the library just wasting time.::

He didn't mind being accused of being lazy when he was being lazy, but he'd been going distinctly against type the last few days, and wasn't particularly in the mood for Felix's abuse. Not that he actually expected him to suddenly become civil.

::I thought you were an academic::

There's a slightly condescending tone to the last word.

::I thought you had an ounce of sense. It must be a night for disappointments.::

Insults weren't going to help, of course, but he'd never claimed to be level-headed.

::It must be. Because clearly I won't be able to locate who is doing this and stop them, and even more people we know will die.::

Even without his voice, Felix gestured emphatically down the hall, and really he hadn't meant that to come off quite so desperate but he hated the thought of losing any more than he'd already lost. Crushing the castle might be impossible but crushing one of it's creations may be less so.

Howl crossed his arms and rolled his eyes, despite the fact that in Felix's situation, he'd likely behave in exactly the same manner.

::And the only possible way to accomplish that is to wander off by yourself. Sure you're not just looking to offer yourself up to them?::

He could understand Felix's position--he certainly didn't want to see anyone else wind up dead, either--but he wasn't above pointing out foolishness when he saw it.

::If that is what it takes to end this? So be it. But I'll have you know it was not my first plan::

Did he want to die? No. But did he care overmuch about the likelihood that he might? That was as much a negative at the other.

::Was there some strategic value to wandering out here alone that I'm missing, then?::

He was irritated, in part because he thought Felix was being willfully reckless, but also in part because he was doing what Howl hadn't been able to bring himself to do, and actually try to face something head-on.

::Covering more ground::

He crossed his arms at that, this jaw tensed, trying not to show that he didn't really believe that claim himself, even if was the tiniest fraction of the truth.

::That only works if there's more than you out here.::

Felix gave him a rather wry look and couldn't resist a very small roll of his eyes

::I somehow doubt I'm the only person who had such an idea::

He knew how people in the castle were around disasters. Heroes and vigilantes were common, and were exactly the sort that made it impossible to corral enough people into a safe place.

::I'll grant you that. Common sense does seem to be rather lacking around here.::

It was the only explanation for all the trouble people around here seemed to find themselves in.

::Then may the powers forgive us both::

It wasn't his problem if Howl lacked the sense to be offended and leave him alone to his mission.

::Oh, don't worry about me. I'll be fine.::

Which seemed arrogant as hell, but at this point, he was fairly convinced he lacked what these monsters wanted most.

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anger is an acid

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