Xaltwind
princess
Zarkun
Urizen
Sanguine Rose
Noctis
RemramTrigger Warning:
Blood, Insanity
Blood, Insanity
Chavez
With the battle of Zarai out of the way, Chavez would continue getting into fights as the seething rage within seemed to have no end. From that point on the battles blurred as none of the opponents came even close to being as difficult or exciting to the match against the blonde fox. Eventually growing bored of the pitifully weak and meager challengers; no longer finding satisfaction in the ring and so moved on to slake the rumbling in his belly.
And what hunger Chavez worked up, but it was expected after enduring five or six or more fights, unable to recall how many exactly due to having lost count. Not that it mattered anymore for the only thing on the cowlicked mind now was food of which he dived into without a hint of restraint or class. The masked blonde ate furiously like a man starved and did so ignoring the fact his face was a bloody, bruised mess thankfully kept from being truly gruesome in thanks to the mask taking some of the blows though not by much. It was a miracle that Chavez wasn’t incapacipated from all the pain his body otherwise should be feeling; large purplish bruises and knuckle marks littering his beaten flesh and every inhale through his previously dislocated and nearly broken nose felt like glass were inhaled into his nostrils. Likely the burning rage and hunger dulled all the pain amassed and threatened to crash through him.
What was to come, however, would have Chavez wishing he allowed the pain to take hold or for one of the opponents to knock him out. Maybe then he would have been spared the nightmare about to unfold…..
For as the man continued cluelessly eating away; ignoring the painful aches and throbs as he did so, but could not stave off this burning throbbing in his head.
A throb that was nothing more than an inconvenient itch at first, yet with every passing second it spread and swelled in intensity until it became a dull pounding. His battered body began heating up where it eventually became drenched in sweat. Chavez ate until he took notice of his lack of strength as if pouring alongside the sweat while his face had been a number shades of red and bruising purple would quickly be drained of color. Soon left ghostly pale with a glistening sheen making the pulsing purple and red painting his eyes and nose become more pronounced. Vision began to blur in and out as his body slumped forward against the table knocking empty plates, bottles of beer and water and scraps over due both to the intense fatigue and influenza crashed throughout his body and with it the dam of pain became undone, flooding him with a myriad of immense burning aches. But the worst of it all was that insistent pounding in his forehead now reaching the tempo of a beating drum against his brain.
And just like that he became infinitely sensitive to every sound, smell and even taste and all of it worked in tandem to antagonize the horrendous pounding just beneath his forehead.
Then a wave of sickening nausea washed through him causing his belly which was nearly stuffed to the brim to roil and crash, threatening to scratch and claw its way up his esophagus like a terrible and ferocious beast that refused to be locked up.
Wracked with all sorts of pain and growing fever that was clearly only going to get worse, but even through all this, Chavez clenched his fists till the knuckles were taut and white and grit his teeth.” Nnnno…won’t. Chavez…re-refuses!” He claimed through gritted teeth and heavy pants; a look of pure stubborn determination to swallow back the vile beast fighting its way up for Chavez would be damned if he would allow himself to waste food he had just enjoyed even if it heightened every negative sensation he was feeling by doing so. A battle ultimately proved victorious.
The smallest of victories lasted no longer than a blink of an eye as Chavez strained to push and lift himself up though only able to move a few inches in doing where he then burst out laughing.” Hahahaha! Chavez will not..be bested by no fe-”
Blood suddenly came spraying from his mouth in his stomach’s content’s place, the blond unable to do anything but cough and heave. His hands, chest and the table now stained red and his tongue stung horribly as if a horde of wasps had gotten into his mouth. All these horrendous effects assaulted his body and it was far from over. He wanted it all to stop, but the inkling of thought he could form in his head currently feeling like a bat bashing against it was to get water to ease the cottony dryness in his throat. Fumbling for the pitcher of water set near the edge, when another bloody coughing fit wracked through him causing his hand to brush the pitcher sending it flying to the floor shattering.
He gulped in frustration and this time was legitimate as the magic of the cocktails were dying like a dwindling flame, leaving the many drawbacks of the two drinks he so foolishly chose to drink. The bartender’s voice spoke in his mind, reminding him of the warning she gave though the words were muffled and was now mentally chatising himself for his being so cocksure. All the suffering ahead of him; all of it his own fault and now would suffer through it alone.
The lone thought to quench his dry throat persisted. Motivating Chavez to drum up whatever energy remained in his body to will himself to stand up on shaky feet. The action left him reeling and dizzy, the world around him spinning. Merely standing there was nearly taking all his effort and the unseen weight pressing down on his body threatened to make him collapse at any moment.
To those nearby who could see the cowlick blonde might have mistaken him for a zombie with his sickly pale white skin and the blood staining his chin and chest along with the fact his face was bruised and swollen all over. Even how he was slouched and in a constant near stumbling pose aided in the allusion of a zombie who started mumbling something about water before shambling forward trying to make his way to the nearest source of water, his feet dragging as he did so.
(Note, everything this point will be gibberish mumbling but for sake of the readers and making things easier be typed out as what he thinks he is saying)
Each step taken was a struggle and effort and an uncertainty as everything was spinning and vision blurred to the point of seeing quadruples and blurry blotches at the same time. Being unable to get his bearings or know where he was going left him shambling aimlessly in a feverish daze with the singular drive for water pushing him onward in the hopes of getting his hands on the life giving elixir his mouth so dreadfully craved to slake his thirst and ease the stings itching his tongue.
“ Water…please…Chavez…*wheeze* drink…” He wheezed out through gulps, weakly reaching his right hand forward pleading to the blurry shapes nearby.
Only to find himself tripping and falling onto something which started to thrash and let out a muffled scream while something repeatedly struck at his chest and face.
Unbeknownst to Chavez, he had stumbled onto a woman sitting in a chair minding her business when the masked blonde fell onto her. The unfortunate woman was screaming and panicking for someone to get him off while pelting the sickly freak with flimsily weak punches. Such pleas that Chavez was unable to understand any of what was happening; attempting to plead for water to the thrashing blur, instead unintentionally coughing up blood in her face and with it came a shrill crying scream and this one Chavez actually heard. In fact the loud screech struck at his battered brain and felt as if a sword was stabbing into it causing the befuddled blonde to clutch at his ears for any more of this might make his brain explode!
Just when it proved unbearable a pair of hands had grabbed him by the shoulders pulling him to his feet then spun around. Before him stood another, larger blurry figure; said figure that of the poor sobbing woman’s boyfriend shouting at him to leave his girl alone and fuck off.
After realizing that this zombie looking blonde creep wasn’t responding or listening and started moving to swing a punch at him. Shortly before this, Chavez tried rubbing at his eyes then squinted and it was at this moment that things began to shift into higher gear as his body stumbled backward letting out a shout of fear, having him dodge the punch he had no idea was coming, but found himself falling back onto his butt in the end, his eyes wide with a look of shock and fear.
Lifting his head peering at the person who just attempted to attack him, but in place of a human male, what Chavez saw left him somehow turning a shade paler.” No…no..keep back. N-Not you!” He cried out as he began crawling backwards, his right hand up and swiping at the air to keep back the monstrous creature before him.
For what Chavez saw standing there was not said person, but that of a human-sized humanoid fox except it was not a normal fox. No, this was a large cartoonish and goofy fox one might see as a mascot at events for entertaining children. Now, this wasn’t to say that Chavez (Kazu) feared mascots or cartoon char as that would be too pathetic. This was simply his feverish mind’s way of giving his fear of foxes hallucination form…though the fox did let out a goofy in like a cartoon mascot would.
A most ridiculous form that might make any other indifferent or laughing, but the usually smiling and laughing farmer was not.
The cartoony fox began stamping towards him, giggling in that obnoxiously loud and stupid manner with its large furry paws extended towards him. And as it stepped forward, Chavez crawled back while still on his rear crying out for it to keep back, the look of fear growing more evident by the second. Then more people began approaching and for each one; another of those horrifying foxes appeared to torture him with that incessant giggling that grew in volume with every new fox.
Eventually finding his back hitting against something and with a crane of his neck saw that he had backed up against a table. One good thing that came from all this fear coursing through him was the boost of energy it gained him; enough for him to pull himself up to his feet once more, albeit having to lean against the table. The effort left him winded and panting heavily though would receive no chance to gather himself for as he looked around would find that he was surrounded by those comical foxes. Those stupid foxes and their ridiculous laughing…on and on they went; a maddening sound that pricked and stabbed into his ears endlessly with no end in sight. Slowly they encroached, their hands reaching with those wicked dead eyes ever unblinking.
Silence, standing still like ominous statues. A foreboding chill in the air. Darkness enveloping.
Light bursting to life, blinding the eyes, circus music playing, assaulting his senses.
Blink
They’re bouncing on their heels.
Blink
Arms swinging in unison all round him, entrapped.
Blink
Merry go, merry go around. The horses go round and round; a circle, endlessly looping.
“ Mary had a little lamb”
They begin singing.
“ Mary had a little lamb”
Voices of children, innocent and gleeful.
“ Little lamb, little lamb”
Make it stop….
“ Mary had a little lamb
Its fleece white as snow”
Please make it stop…
“ And everywhere that Mary went
Mary went, Mary went
Everywhere that Mary went
The lamb was sure to go!”
Their childish voices, torture. Their giggling guffaws mocking.
Singing…won’t stop. On, they sang about Mary and her damn lamb.
Louder and louder they sang. His head was buzzing.
“ shut up”
An endless chorus. Hammer pounding at his head.
“ Shut up!”
Giggling children wanting to play. His skull cracking.
“ SHUT UP!”
Chavez screamed, reaching for the nearby half- empty beer bottle he felt rolling against his right hand. Crack! He smashed it sending beer and broken glass flying while he swiped the jagged end clutched in his hand. Swinging madly; eyes fearful and wide, struggling to breath, the signs of an on-coming panic attack.
But they kept singing, bouncing on their heels like children playing.
Left hand clutching at his head bending forward; face grimaced in intense pain, eyes shining with tears.
“ Stop it…” He pleaded
Lamb lamb lamb, Mary had a lamb with fleece white snow. These words rang like church bells clanging around his head.
“ Stop it….stop it! Stop it!” God…his head felt ready to crack open. Thunderous booming of drums beating non-stop like red hot soldering irons pressed directly against his brain.
Giggles, they spin around him. Circling, dancing…mocking.
Blink
A cloak flaps.
Blink
Cloaked figure, black weaving through the foxes.
Blink
There?
Blink
No, where?
Blink
An unknown figure but impossible to focus. Really there? Trick of the eyes?
Vision blanking as white hot pain shot through his head.
“ Stop it! Shut up about Mary and her fucking lamb! Just….just stop!” He screamed, blood misting from his lips as he threw the broken bottle at one of the mysterious blinding lights, twas one of the holograms.
He doubled over, both hands clutching and squeezing at his head. Wanted to end, make it stop. No more. Fingers digging into the scalp, drawing beads of scarlet, his body shaking in pain and fear.
Panting…unable to breathe. The room, spinning. Pain..burning every inch of his body like acid.
Bliss. How blissful it would be to melt away now and disappear. Hide…longing to hide away from all their mockery.
Maybe then he would be free of this pain. Free of their laughter.
“ I’m not a clown…I’m not here for your amusement you fuckers! So shut up…and enough with that god damn singing!” He bellowed out in challenge. Warmth trickling down his face. Tears? Blood? He could not say.
Faster. Everything spun. Closer, everything encroached. Trapped, claustrophobic.Can’t breathes, drowning. Dripping, tears fell.
It all swarms around him, a tidal wave of singing and laughter.
Just when it felt like the weight of it all came crashing down on him, the terrified and confused blonde pried bloodied fingers from his head then flung himself up.
“ENOUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH!!” He roared out in anguish with every last fiber of his being pouring every ounce of emotion he could dredge up into this single cry.
The cracked mask fell from his face clattering onto the floor.
Silence. Blackness….nothing but blackness but with nothingness finally came the sweet relief of silence.
Now alone. No more laughter, no more singing. No more mockery. No more need to entertain.
All alone.
Hunched forward, Kazu stood there panting while his body trembled and legs shook barely holding him up. Left, nothing. Right, nothing. Forward and back and up and down, everywhere was nothing.
This was what he wanted, right?
“ No…no I don’t. Not this..please I….I don’t want to be alone..do I?” Whipping around in place as if expecting to see someone, but who? Someone he so desperately wanted to see, no..two? Who?
“ Where are you? Percy, your warmth…I need.” Turning around again, still nothing. Loneliness, so crushing.” Your smile, Ruby…please.” He whimpered out in need.
Tears streaming down his cheeks or was it blood?” No…they’re not here. No one…they’re gone…everyone leaves. I…I’m not good enough….nobody.” Whispering the words as if merely speaking allowed made his fears real.
Jolting pain from his throat forced Kazu to keel over into a strong coughing fit. Hands pulled away revealing palms starkly stained scarlet; gasping in shock and with it the last of his strength. His legs buckled beneath him bringing him to collapse to his knees.
Every inch of his body ached and throbbed with pain, but now lacked the strength to react to any of it. The dizzying fever and head splitting migraine prevented him from gathering any thoughts or remembering any of the events of the past hour leaving him in a quagmire of confusion. So impossibly weak and exhausted that he couldn’t even change his face now sporting a dopey dazed expression as his mouth remained agape with droplets of blood and tears dripped to the floor. Those tired eyes closed after feeling a small gush of cold air brush against the heated skin of his pale face slick with sweat almost sizzling; a minor and brief recompense. But it did nothing to give Kazu relief for what he needed his most.
So dry….so thirsty. His tongue still reeling from the phantom stings; tasting nothing but sand and iron.
He tried to gulp…too much effort…too dry. His breathing ragged and low while his mind whirled with a painful pulse.
Dehydration. Dizziness from blood loss. Muscles aches and bruises thrummed and dull soreness hummed the rest. What Kazu could consciously feel though had a feeling more affected his body.
Why was this happening? Please make it stop. Was there no one there? No, he was alone…yes he wanted to disappear.
He must hide?
“ Oh? But the show’s not over yet?”
A voice rang out from the darkness, breaking the silence. A familiar shoe stepped into view then its pair carrying a shadowy figure into the light. A winced pant as Kazu strainted to crane his head up enough to peer at the figure and saw…himself?
No? It was him but…the suit he wore while like his was properly put on, no longer wearing him. The blonde hair, no longer messy..cowlick missing. Then there were the eyes. Sharp blue eyes peering back at him with a playful and confident gaze and a smirk to match.
Was this him? Or what could be? A properly dressed and distinguished gentleman.
But that’s not him. This was what nobles expected from him. A fake..mocking him?
“ Whew…you don’t look so hot there, friend. You know what you need? A laugh..go on, laugh. It’s what you’re good for, remember?”
The fake spoke once more and in his voice but it sounded wrong…distorted. As if a deeper and more suave voice spoke on top of his. Every word said made him uncomfortable, unsettling and he wanted it to stop.
“ Aw come on, Kazu. Don’t be like that. Remember?”
Laughter rang out from the darkness, unseen. Laughter that was unmistakable.” Zai?” He asked himself queerly.
A clap of the double’s hands echoed out into the darkness.” Correctamundo! See, hear that? Hear how happy and jolly she sounded laughing at you? So many people are laughing at you. Doesn’t it make you glad to know you’re good for something? Be proud!” The double exclaimed excitedly, throwing his arms out wide.
Laughter broke out all around. All of them were familiar. Impossible to tell them apart and for every laughter that echoed out came an icy dagger stabbing at him. Their mocking, their belittling, it all hurt so much.
Stop. No more. Kazu is not a clown. Leave him alone.
Nobles, so cruel. Didn’t want to play their games.
Another clap of the double’s hands and the laughter ceased. Mercy came in silence.
His fake shifted placing the hands into his pockets. Standing there casually, smirking playfully.” Lovely wasn’t it? There’s still plenty more people to make laugh. You already had quite the eventful night so might as well keep going, yeah?” That cheeky grin, so wide.
Shakes his head. Did he? Must have. The double’s grin lessened.
“ Had enough already? Well that’s unfortunate, but I’m afraid you have no choice. Shouldn’t have taken that deal though if it helps.”
His right hand slipped out, flinging out in a swinging motion.
Clink. Clink. Clink. Clink.
Multiple tiny metallic items flung at him. Coins clatter to the floor, the impact enough to send Kazu collapsing onto his side where he lies, panting.
The figure, towering before him, crouching down, grabbing hold of his hair. Forced to look up at his own face, a look of amusement.
“ There, your payment. Now be a good boy and be useful for once or I’ll be paying a visit again soon.” He spoke, a promise. Released the double stands up giving his shirt a quick fixing tug and with a scoff turns departing into the darkness.
A momentary urge to reach out and call him back then was gone. An urge born from not wanting to be alone, but the need to hide was overpowering.
A pained groan as Kazu pushed himself to roll onto his stomach.
“ Need…need to get away. Got to hide..” He panted out in a weak whimper. Fear welling up within him as if sensing something bad was coming.
Crawl. Must crawl. Hurry…before…
Slowly, he moved. Inching at a snail pace. Fingers laced with red diggin, scarlet trails. So tired, exhausted. Can’t stop, must keep going.
Then they came. Disembodied mouths appearing one after another all around him. Lips parting, this time speaking. Voices familiar, can’t pick them out.
“ Fighting a woman? Has he no shame?
That’s a story? Disappointing and so lame
Made a lady cry? Classless idiot you’re to blame
Think you can pet the tiger? A waste of time, this you can’t tame
Find yourself so hilarious? Pathetic, was a pity claim “
The multitude of mouths spoke, stating cruel and harsh statements that stabbed at him like daggers. Some he could make out while most was lost in a jumbled gibberish mess as they spoke over each other.
Words heard all throughout his life. Said to demean him, to belittle him. To remind him of his lowly stature. To be cruel and vindictive.
Things Kazu shrugged off. He had no choice, no one cared about commoners. No one cared if he disappeared.
Make it stop. Kazu whimpered, clutching at his ears once more. Muffled but could still be heard.
The mouths chatted. Assailing him non-stop. Things he has shrugged off ignored, but oh did they sting. They always hurt, but can’t show it.
Hide. If he hides they might leave him be…won’t judge him.
Their insults slung at him, kicking the beaten and feverish farmer already down low as he can.
His face hugging the floor, struggling to mute the voices. Never-ending and far from finished.
Then suddenly, silence. Stillness.
His pleading worked? Was it over?
Billowing, a cloak flaps faintly.
Dread crashing through him. Don’t look, stay still.
Yet, curiosity itched at his brain throbbing in pain. A deep longing from deep within waking.
A voice screaming in his head swimming in a whirlpool of broken thoughts and fragmented memories. A warning, persist but that longing he could not resist.
Hesitantly his head lifted. A sight of a cloaked figure in the distance he was gifted.
A closer look he could see the figure floating inches from the ground. Slowly it tilted floating forward, to him it was bound.
Flapping, its cloak billowed as it picked up speed rushing at him and before long would be upon him.
Squinting of the eyes before they went wide. Kazu let out the tiniest of gasps.
“ M-”
