mygod | pc catchall | ashlyn

[flameguard]

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weekend 0, saturday

[flameguard]

[ now that things have been reappropriated correctly, rondo can be found sitting by the fire. he's dressed in his actual uniform now, hair back in its usual ponytail, looking decidedly more knightly than he did in the weird cult fit! it's actually not that different but that's besides the point.

more importantly he is holding a bigass sword - he's just kind of staring up at it, expression pulled into a deep, thoughtful frown as the flames reflect back on the surface of the weapon, which is a darker color than it appears, tinged blue and pink like an afterthought.

he has yet to notice he has company though! ]

[killies]

[ she will wander over and take a seat next to him! she's changed into her own clothes which were apparently... a white t-shirt and white shorts. and combat boots. ]

... It's a relief to see people with their weapons back.

week 0, monday

[flameguard]

[ ashlyn can find rondo... chasing down one of the crows. it is squawking at him very unhappily. ]

No, no - come here, I promise I won't - owch!

[ as he gets pecked. the crow flies away, cawing unhappily, and rondo steps back. ow... it's then that he notices ashlyn, and he laughs a little sheepishly, ducking his head as he watches the crow fly away. ]

... These birds are pretty stubborn, huh...?

[killies]

I didn't know.

[ she hasn't tried to get their attention yet but is just watching this like. i see. ]

Maybe if you offer them food?

week 0, friday

[flameguard]

[ wow a murdergame... with a murder....

it's friday! and as of friday, rondo is standing by the pyre, his hands laced together, his eyes closed. even with his eyes closed, his expression is clearly, clearly upset, his brows pinched together in what can only be frustration, his mouth a tight line. when he opens them, though, his gaze stays focused on the bright blue flame. it's not so eerie, not really. not for him, at the very least.

across his chest, the inky tattoos of the week have multiplied - the shadows and ink coalescing in more than one spot, spattering a perfectly white cloak. not being strong enough to protect the people you care for. not being strong enough to protect the people you care for. not being strong enough to protect the people you care for. not being strong enough to protect the people you care for. ]

[killies]

[ who could have seen this coming!! anyway mm, really don't like all that text on this guy. ohhh that feels bad. baby boy. meanwhile her text hasn't changed since last time he saw her, it's still just a plain YOUR FAULT across her left arm.

ashlyn comes over and just. stands next to him quietly at first. ]

week 0, saturday

[flameguard]

[ void

where's ashlyn!! rondo will come check on her once she's had some time to decompress from the noise... he's... fine. he's certainly way less exuberant than ever, and his black inky text has changed to something like it happening twice. it's fine. everything is fine. ]

[killies]

[ ash is hanging out outside, behind the theater. she'll give him a little nod when he finds her back here. loitering like a weirdo. ]

week 1, monday

[flameguard]

[ ashlyn are you enjoying hanging out today on the island? it's really nice here, right! at some point, she might hear the sound of... footsteps...? no, those aren't footsteps....

no, that's the sound of a horse! and in the distance, she can see the gelding from the barn - and more importantly, someone riding it! that would be rondo, who is riding the horse like a pro with a BIG grin on his face. they're moving fairly quickly, galloping down some of the clearly well terraformed parts of the island, but he gives the horse a tug and a whoa, whoa when he spots ashlyn, starting to slow down. ]

Good morning, Miss Ashlyn!

[killies]

[ he's a horse girl............

but ashlyn is not so she just? raises a hand in greeting. ]

Hey. Having fun?

week 1, friday

[flameguard]

[ i miss bees. do you remember when things were chaos and bees. i miss bees.

anyway rondo is just kind of sitting by the pyre after... all of that! he's got a wet cloth pressed to his cheek, and is pretty much just staring into the blue fire, mouth pulled into a tight line, shoulders stiff, though his expression is like - clearly, obviously upset, his brows knit together.

it's fine. everything is fine! nothing is fine. ]

[killies]

[ meanwhile ashlyn is... not far from the bulletin, so she's close by. just... tapping her foot anxiously, endlessly.

although, eventually: ]

Sorry. About the bees. I should have stayed.

w2, monday

[flameguard]

[ shakes in memshare week cyoa. shakes. anyway we're in the void. ashlyn might notice that the shadowy place they've suddenly entered feels - hot. hot, and humid, and awful, and then... ]

[ after your induction into the guardians of light - hasty as it was - you join the others as they make their battle plans to march on the gates of hell. between your research with king solon and the willpower of the other guardians, preparations are being made for a confrontation of a lifetime, and you feel a little out of place.

everyone here is powerful - a king, a lord, the very ringbearer chosen themselves - and they control armies, countries and politics. this is the kind of thing that sazantos would have handled, where you would stand dutifully by his side and listen, wanting to help and soaking up what you could learn, but...

... but sazantos is your enemy, now. he lounges in hell with the forces of the undead gathering under his influence and might. you haven't gotten to confront him, not yet - you only know now what queen alaune has told you, that he intends to use her older sister, the princess elrica who was executed by her cruel tyrant father, against all of them. alaune tells you all that she wants to go to hell to confront them herself, because she is brave and admirable, and the ripple of shock that moves through the room is heard by everyone, perhaps no louder than richard, stunned at her side.

immediately, you feel moved, moved by the sense of duty and purpose you always feel, and you bow, one hand to your heart, and ask alaune and the ringbearer chosen if you might join them. you know the two of you could protect the queen, and...

... and you need to go to hell, too. you need to see sazantos for yourself.

you need to ask him why.

the queen accepts your offer with warmth as always, and to the background noise of shades of the walking dead approaching the castle in droves, the three of you descend into hell through the portal. ]

--

[ hell is - not what you're expecting.

it's gloomy and dark and miserable, and the oppressive power of pure evil seems to lurk around every corner. you find yourself standing in a near exact replica of the castle of edoras, and though alaune swallows nervously in front of you, she is strong, her shoulders squared backwards: the ringbearer chosen's lantern shines with a safe, warm blue glow like the sacred flame itself, and it soothes all three of you as you begin to navigate your way through the endlessly labyrinthine tunnels of this alternate castle.

you are accosted by shades and spirits of monsters nearly every third step, but you and the ringbearer chosen are both strong and capable, and you slash them back, keeping the queen safe as you guard her journey towards her sister. each monster is twisted beyond belief - some are humanoid, flesh melting from their bones and eye sockets, creatures of rage and despair, and others are just monsters, multi-eyed beings that spit black magic and acid, all designed to torment, to kill, to cause despair. it feels like you wander for days, down plush red carpets and past structures of horrible black crystal and roots, digging up into the castle's surface like claws. the entire time, your heart pounds with purpose and necessity, and though you aren't afraid, the further you get into the castle, the further a gut feeling of dread starts to build.

your gut feelings are usually accurate, and this is no exception. when you round a corner into a hallway, now cleared of monsters, there's a burst of black, accursed flame, and walking out of its embers is none other than sazantos.

your heart stops.

sazantos looks so different than you last saw him. your last memory of the former flameguard was him leaving flamesgrace to head to the isle of orsa - white cloak, silver armor, brilliantly blue eyes, long silver hair braided with a red ribbon that you feel like you've stared at a thousand times. a man you have seen in reality, in your dreams, someone who you have spent nearly every waking moment of your life following, chasing, striving for.

here, sazantos wears black armor, his face covered in a mask - his silver hair tucked into the back of the armor, too. the accursed flame nearly oozes off of him, roiling with purple and black and pink, the same sight the two of you once fought off in berecain.

it is in this moment that you realize that everything that you have so fervently hoped was false is a reality, and the sight of him breaks your heart into a thousand pieces.

you can't help yourself. you rush forward, ahead of alaune and the ringbearer, and his name escapes you in a rush - ] Sir Sazantos...!

[ (VIDEO: to 33:14. ♥

there was a bunch of extra meta that i took out for your reading purposes but here's one last bit.)

... sazantos looks at you again, and you swear you can see his eyes behind that mask, their bright blue that you fell in love with a decade ago. and then he chuckles, and his mouth turns up in an odd smile. he walks closer to you. he holds out his hands to you. he faces you.

"...You should join us, Rondo." he says, "The dark flame awaits you."

it knocks you for a loop. you stare at him, stunned, and then your feet start moving before you can even stop yourself - not sure if you're going to throw yourself into his arms or tackle him - but before you make it three steps, he's gone. you scream his name and rush after him, but the accursed flame only leaves behind sparks.

and as sazantos vanishes, your knees give out, and you collapse to the ground, staring at the space where your future used to be. ]

[killies]

[ ah... okay, that's a lot. being betrayed by someone he trust - for someone as nice as rondo that feels especially brutal.

all she can really think to say is: ]

He didn't answer your question.

[ about whether or not it was all an act. ]

week 2, friday.

[flameguard]

[ haha

well

rondo's really good at bouncing back from tragedy. he's used to tragedy, he's used to loss, but there's - there's just nothing that could have prepared him for this. for the first time, he's not running around looking for people after death has struck. today he's just sitting by the blue, blue pyre on the ground, his arms around his knees.

it becomes very, immediately clear that he's crying. silently, but he's crying. ]

[killies]

[ ashlyn is notoriously terrible at comforting people, and she isn't holding up that well herself. but she's not crying, so she figures that's something. figures that puts her in one role and him in the other.

so she comes over to stand beside him, very gently touching his shoulder. ]

Week 3: Monday

[killies]

[ okay, having explored the new locations a little bit she is just. ???????? so hi. hello. she's here to complain. ]

I'm starting to feel real grateful that the first new place we got had clean clothes and not teeth on the floor or blood trees.

[flameguard]

[ blees... blood trees... ]

Ahaha... But - at least the library's really nice! Have you been in there yet? [ optimism but also a nerd ]

Week 3: Saturday

[killies]

... It still got messy at the end...

[ but admittedly not as bad as last week? AT LEAST? ]

[flameguard]

I have a feeling that's going to be very difficult to stop...

[ he says with a little laugh, though it's not quite as energetic as it usually is. he's just looking very tired, today. ]

But... it was less bloodshed. So... for that, I'm glad.

week 4, monday!

[flameguard]

[ at some point on monday, rondo can be found at the amusement park! he's looking at the food stands with a facial expression that could be best described as wonder.

There's so much to eat, I don't even know where to start! What's cotton candy? Is that sugar? That must be. What's a funnel cake? It smells so good over here, I could.....woof

why did he brain woof. probably because he saw ashlyn! ] Woof! [ no, wait, ] I mean - Miss Ashlyn, look at this place! Have you ever seen anything like it?

[ the animal crossing emote reaction here is a tailwag. ]

[killies]

[ she like. opens her mouth to answer his brain-questions and then gets too overwhelmed by the combo of his thoughts and what he says out loud and is left just kind of radiating a vague dizziness from it all. ]

Woof... [ said as if she is just saying 'oof.' ]

... Not in person. Places like this are pretty normal where I'm from, but not in my home town.

w6, wednesday

[flameguard]

[ we're here! rondo's standing in front of the cabin, hands on his hips. he is still at 75% opacity. ]

Somehow, this still feels so strange. [ hello!! ]

[killies]

Being back? [ or, uh, 75% back? ]

You weren't gone that long.

Week 7: Monday

[killies]

[ well. everyone is being cursed to hell and back. ]

It might be crazier on this side...

[flameguard]

[ :stressed: ]

It's not usually like this...