anyway rondo shines a little at the praise, like obviously so, though he ducks his head. ]
You're too kind. [ ehe ] Thank you, Cloud.... it felt really good to get my sword muscles going. I still have to get used to this sword, so...! If you're open to sparring more often, we should.
[ after a moment he gives up and just. sits down with the sword. this is a sit down story. but once he does, he'll explains. ]
To be the Flameguard means that you're able to wield the Sacred Flame itself. Sometimes, a person is born with it and other times, a person can earn it, by passing a trial, but... only the Flameguard is able to do so. The Flame itself is a pure, azure blue flame. [ rondo touches where the light reflects a little blue on the sword, his mouth pulling down into a frown. ]
And... it's not just wielding it like it's a part of a sword. It's a part of you - you can summon it into your hand. Hold it, and feel it coursing through you. It is... your soul, your guardian. There's nothing else like it in the world.
On the other hand, the true opposite of the Sacred Flame is that of the Accursed Flame. It is darkness itself. All of the hatred and greed and despair of the world that coalesces into the flame, and corrupts the goodness and consumes the Flame. It... while it is the most often black, it also refracts pink.
[ and lo, the slightly pink side of the sword. ]
... I no longer wield the Flame. Not because I'm here, but... because it was stolen from me, and placed into this sword by someone who wielded the Accursed Flame.
[ square enix make ONE story that does NOT involve light and darkness challenge impossible
cloud can't say this is quite anything familiar to him, but he looks like he gets it as he stares at the sword and the way the light refracts on it as rondo on it ]
... Having it back with you must feel better, even if you can't wield it right now. [ he at least knows where it is? cloud thinks it would make him feel better if he lost something important like that. ]
you know... he hadn't really thought of it like that? rondo smiles a little, ducking his head - his hand falls gently on the flat blue part of the blade, pressing to it like he could feel its warmth if he tried. ]
...yes, that's... it does. [ his flame is right here, even if it's out of reach - even if his chest feels cold without the warmth he'd only just started to cradle. ] And... it's better that I have it, because now that I do, the person who had it before does not, which means... hopefully, the other Guardians will be able to subdue him and stop the madness at home.
...But... even without the Flame, there's still the armies of Hell to contend with. There are quite a lot of them... even if he's lost his abilities, they would still be a lot to contend with.
Yes, exactly! I was quite literally in hell mere moments before I woke up here. And...it doesn't actually look that much different from this village...? Though, once the sun came up, it was a little better. Foggy or not, there's no daylight down there.
[ it'll be fine - rondo, probably, who has never thought through a thing in his entire life ]
Heh, yes! I'm not dead! And... well, I like to think I wouldn't be sent to hell if I did die, even if that's a bit presumptuous. [ it is not presumptuous for rondo, who is aelfric's babygirl, but that is besides the point ]
... thank you, Cloud, for listening. I know it's a lot...
... Hell's a lot more of an abstract concept back home.
[ everyone who dies goes to the lifestream! why do they have a concept of hell? fuck you, i'm not questioning it, they say hell and i will simply accept this. but at the thanks he simply shrugs ]
Sounded like you needed to say it. [ he is a lot better at listening than he is at having to like. talk back. so this isn't a huge deal to him. ]
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I've got a lot of practice. [ and enhancements, which he doesn't mention, ] You're not so bad yourself.
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anyway rondo shines a little at the praise, like obviously so, though he ducks his head. ]
You're too kind. [ ehe ] Thank you, Cloud.... it felt really good to get my sword muscles going. I still have to get used to this sword, so...! If you're open to sparring more often, we should.
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but that seems to take him aback ]
It's not your usual sword?
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anyway. he looks at the sword - and then huffs, shaking his head. rondo's expression goes a little sad. ]
... It belongs to Sir Sazantos. [ so. ] Well... it belongs to the church, technically. It's a holy relic.
I don't really... I'm not sure why it ended up with me, but... I'm glad.
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[ he is not sure what else is safe to ask he is defaulting to asking about weapons to make you suffer ]
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[ he turns his grip a little so cloud can see the side of the sword, and runs his hand gently over the strange, curved part on the hilt. ]
It used to not really look like this, this is - um, recent. And the hilt shape is different, so it's a little heavier than what I'm used to. And...
[ as he turns the sword, it catches the light - pink, then blue. ]
... And... it has a lot of magic in it.
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[ oh look at the pretty lights on the sword. cloud looks a little surprised ]
Thought magic didn't work here. [ he cannot check as he has no magic if he doesn't HAVE HIS MATERIA BRING IT BACK HIS STUFF ]
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It doesn't, it's... it's more what it means than what it can really do, I guess.
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[ after a moment he gives up and just. sits down with the sword. this is a sit down story. but once he does, he'll explains. ]
To be the Flameguard means that you're able to wield the Sacred Flame itself. Sometimes, a person is born with it and other times, a person can earn it, by passing a trial, but... only the Flameguard is able to do so. The Flame itself is a pure, azure blue flame. [ rondo touches where the light reflects a little blue on the sword, his mouth pulling down into a frown. ]
And... it's not just wielding it like it's a part of a sword. It's a part of you - you can summon it into your hand. Hold it, and feel it coursing through you. It is... your soul, your guardian. There's nothing else like it in the world.
On the other hand, the true opposite of the Sacred Flame is that of the Accursed Flame. It is darkness itself. All of the hatred and greed and despair of the world that coalesces into the flame, and corrupts the goodness and consumes the Flame. It... while it is the most often black, it also refracts pink.
[ and lo, the slightly pink side of the sword. ]
... I no longer wield the Flame. Not because I'm here, but... because it was stolen from me, and placed into this sword by someone who wielded the Accursed Flame.
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cloud can't say this is quite anything familiar to him, but he looks like he gets it as he stares at the sword and the way the light refracts on it as rondo on it ]
... Having it back with you must feel better, even if you can't wield it right now. [ he at least knows where it is? cloud thinks it would make him feel better if he lost something important like that. ]
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you know... he hadn't really thought of it like that? rondo smiles a little, ducking his head - his hand falls gently on the flat blue part of the blade, pressing to it like he could feel its warmth if he tried. ]
...yes, that's... it does. [ his flame is right here, even if it's out of reach - even if his chest feels cold without the warmth he'd only just started to cradle. ] And... it's better that I have it, because now that I do, the person who had it before does not, which means... hopefully, the other Guardians will be able to subdue him and stop the madness at home.
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They're not gonna stop to look for you, you think?
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[ shit's so bad. also shakes cloud's soup brain around be normal. ]
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Even without the flame? He that powerful?
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[ sweats ]
...But... even without the Flame, there's still the armies of Hell to contend with. There are quite a lot of them... even if he's lost his abilities, they would still be a lot to contend with.
[ shit's rough in orsterra ]
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The armies of Hell. [ what. oh, wait-- ] That why you thought you might be in it when we showed up?
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SO NODS!!! ]
Yes, exactly! I was quite literally in hell mere moments before I woke up here. And...it doesn't actually look that much different from this village...? Though, once the sun came up, it was a little better. Foggy or not, there's no daylight down there.
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had not thought of that. ]
.... I guess so. [ hmm. ] Oh, but, it's fine! So long as the Ringbearer Chosen is there, we can get in and out okay.
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[ decides to not tell him that if they keep going without him they will probably also leave hell. without him. ]
Least that explains how you wound up there.
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Heh, yes! I'm not dead! And... well, I like to think I wouldn't be sent to hell if I did die, even if that's a bit presumptuous. [ it is not presumptuous for rondo, who is aelfric's babygirl, but that is besides the point ]
... thank you, Cloud, for listening. I know it's a lot...
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[ everyone who dies goes to the lifestream! why do they have a concept of hell? fuck you, i'm not questioning it, they say hell and i will simply accept this. but at the thanks he simply shrugs ]
Sounded like you needed to say it. [ he is a lot better at listening than he is at having to like. talk back. so this isn't a huge deal to him. ]