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Post by Ziya on Sept 14, 2018 13:07:19 GMT -5
Jason pulled out two pair of soft pajama bottoms and boxers, and after a moment's thought another shirt as well, as Conrí explained the markings and how he got them. He was very glad he didn't mention the robes earlier when suggesting a tux, as he was clearly very fond of the cloak. Honestly it all reminded him of one of the few inter-Clan organizations on Celderat, the Scouts. He didn't say that of course. Comparing the order he had spent a decent part of his life training and learning in to a children's outdoor group would be disrespectful at best.
The mood suddenly shifted again as Conrí finally revealed what Jason assumed was the source of his worries by drawing his blade to reveal Darkness he was fairly sure wasn't supposed to be there. That theory was confirmed by the wolf-king's next words, as well as his warning about whatever form may come of it. "You're in the best company then, lilulf mín."
He realized that his initial tone was much too casual and made it gentler as he decided to test his theory from earlier as well, lightly rubbing the back of his love's head and using his fingertips to put slightly more pressure just behind his ears. "Our Aspects don't come naturally to us; we have to train fro several years to be able to harness the amount of our Element needed to transform. Once we get close enough we had to isolate ourselves with the instructor, who wore armor Imbued with the Element of the trainee, because the first few times anyone uses Aspect they go berserk. Most can't even maintain a stable form until their third of fourth attempt. Only Lucia has even had full control of Aspect from the very beginning, likely thanks to having to survive two opposing Elements for so long."
He kissed his love on the forehead then, pulling back and smiling softly at him before nodding at the clothes. "Speaking of which, we should probably get dressed and get to sleep. I'll keep your worries and fears at bay, if you let me."
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Post by Conrí on Sept 14, 2018 14:39:46 GMT -5
After all of that had been said on his end, Conrí watched his love pull out two sets of clothes for them. He stayed curled at Jason's feet and stubbornly pulled his cloak tighter around him. It felt like home, and, that's where he wanted to be. He wondered if he would have been as bad off if he had Fenrir with him. Something in him caused his thoughts to race, and the wolf boy barely heard Jason's first words, aside from the new term of endearment, which made him alert enough to be receptive of Jason's touch, which initially cause him to sigh heavily.
Then his eyes widened a bit as his love's fingers pressed in behind his ears a bit. His entire body shuddered, and he whimpered suddenly. His ears also twitched a bit, and the would be king found himself leaning into his love's hand more. When Jason spoke, Conrí breathed loudly. He hadn't expected his form and their Aspects to have that similar of a training routine. He smiled a bit. "I'm in the best company, indeed, a stór."
When Jason kissed him on the forehead, the wolf boy finally sat up. He took a deep breath or two and picked up the clothes Jason indicated. He carefully folded his druid cloak and then dressed. The clothes were extremely soft, and almost seemed to invite Conrí back into the bed. The would be king thought about what Jason said. "That duty is not solely yours, but, I agree, ye're damn good at keeping me centered, chuisle mo chroí, and I'm so lucky to have you." He curled up at the foot of the bed, wondering if Jason would protest. Part of him still intended to try to wake up earlier than the others and run a simulation or two, but, the driving need to train had nearly vanished completely.
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Post by Ziya on Sept 14, 2018 14:56:37 GMT -5
Jason's smile grew at Conrí's reaction to his test, reacting exactly the was he'd hoped he would. As the wolf-king dressed Jason did the same, though without a shirt since he usually didn't wear one anyhow. Once his pants were on for a change he turned back the covers so they could get in, only to look at his love in confusion as he once again ended up at the foot, reminding Jason of a large dog for a moment.
He stared for only a few moments before chuckling and patting the bed near the pillows. "I know you're part wolf, but I think you might be overdoing it a little. I'd really rather you join me up here; I'll end up feeling bad if my boyfriend is down there all night." In truth he wanted to cuddle, but didn't want to admit it out loud. He may not be as dominant as he thought he was, but he still had some pride.
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Post by Conrí on Sept 14, 2018 16:07:09 GMT -5
Conrí groaned, and nearly glared at Jason when he made the quip about his being part wolf and grumbled as he moved from his comfy spot. "For one, a stór, ye're lucky you calmed me down, or, I'd be in the sim room training. It's how I cope. For two, you'd like it if I were down there doing other things, I'm sure. And, for three, next time you want to cuddle, just ask." He whispered slyly in Jason's ear and nipped at the lobe a bit.
The would be king wrapped his arm around Jason and held him close. He felt his breathing slow down, and he liked feeling this close to his love. They had already been through a lot, but, Conrí knew he wasn't going to let this go.
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Post by Ziya on Sept 14, 2018 16:37:24 GMT -5
Jason just grinned at Conrí's protests, fairly sure they were mostly for show as he moved. He did end up blushing when his love not only insinuated about what he'd like him to do but accurately guessed his true intentions, but the embrace made everything worth it.
Reaching with his free hand Jason pulled the covers over them, cocooning them in warmth and comfort before he remembered to shut the lights off with a minuscule Corridor to keep him from getting up. His eyes could see even in the total black, and the last thins he saw before closing them was his love right before him, a sight he wouldn't get tired of for a long, long time.
For once, sleep came easy to him.
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Post by Conrí on Sept 14, 2018 17:53:48 GMT -5
Conrí smiled a bit, his complaining done for the night. As the cover enveloped them, the wolf boy kissed Jason for a bit, and, even when the lights went out, he could see Jason just fine. He burned the image into his brain, and closed his eyes. The would be king hoped sleep would come easily to him, and just as he began to worry, he felt Jason pull him closer, and he buried his head into his love's chest. Whatever happened after that faded away, and he found himself waking up as soon as Fenrir started howling a very familiar tune in his head that caused the wolf boy to jump to his feet and stand rigidly in place for a few moments.
Once he realised what had happened, he groaned and started mentally cursing at Fenrir. He wondered what, exactly, Jason would do, if he woke or also slept like the dead had yet to be seen. He looked down and saw his pjs and decided he'd better change into proper clothes, so, he had Fen get his from the laundry room, which caused some grumbling on the wolf's part. Once the would be king had his clothes on, he buckled Claiomh to his hip, and drew his druid cloak around him. Once he was set, he walked out of Jason's room cautiously and started to walk into the sim room, hoping to maybe train before Lucia showed up, but, Fen's "It's before dawn" was super vague to begin with. Conrí decided that he would present himself formally to Lucia and then explain everything he'd told Jason. He was afraid that Lucia might try to force him into the transformation, but, he knew it had to be coming soon, and, he'd rather go beserk in a simulation. As he remembered what Jason did to the sim room, his throat went dry.
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Post by Ziya on Sept 14, 2018 18:33:35 GMT -5
A few hours after Jennifer finally fell asleep Lucia slipped out of the bed carefully, her arm making tiny clicks as it moved through the silence. Two weeks had past and she still wasn't used to it, but she had decided the previous day that it was past time to remedy that. Dressing in one of the few training outfits left on this world, a black sports bra and matching compression shorts, she snuck out of the ship and entered the house proper. As she headed for the simulation room she worked the fake skin sleeve off her arm, revealing the violet and gold metal underneath in the soft lights.
She sighed in relief as she saw Jason's door still closed, both his and Conrí's hearts peaceful inside, then entered the simulation room to find it wrecked. Another sigh, this time of exasperation, emerged before she placed her hands on the walls and focused, utilizing her Stone Magic to repair and improve on the design. Once she was satisfied it could withstand even Requiem she nodded in satisfaction and moved to the control panel to start training.
Movement outside the door caught her attention just as said door opened, revealing Conrí now awake and dressed entering the room. Suddenly Lucia felt self-conscious about her arm, grabbing it just above the elbow in a rare display of uncertainty as she faced her apprentice with wide eyes. Immediately she tried to give him a reassuring smile, though traces of nervousness still came through as she softly spoke. "You're up early. Looking to get a bit of training in before breakfast?"
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Post by Conrí on Sept 14, 2018 19:07:41 GMT -5
Conrí wondered if he was successful in beating everyone else awake, only to enter the sim room and find Lucia up and in training attire. He was amazed that she considered that garb fit for training, but, then he supposed that if it was a sim, then, what she wore wouldn't necessarily matter. He saw her touch her elbow and noticed her arm for the first time, but didn't comment on it.
"Master Lucia," he said, snapping himself to attention, trying not to show his awe that the room was fixed. "I, Conrí Niall present to you my rank as Fledgling druid of Spirits and Magic, Heir to the throne of Tir Tairngire, officially seeks and requests to add Apprentice of the Twilight Brigade's Lucia to that list." He knelt down and held Claiomh Solais out to her. "This is what you would call Excalibur," he bent his head, "If it pleases you, tap my shoulders with the chosen blade, and, the formalities will be over." He looked up at Lucia and winked a bit, "A simple answer is yes, I was looking to train. But, I think that blade might be a good place to start an idea I have." He waited for Lucia to draw Solais itself so that he could be fully honest with her.
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Post by Ziya on Sept 14, 2018 21:01:58 GMT -5
If Lucia was worried about Conrí commenting on her arm at first she certainly wasn't once he decided to treat her as if she were a general in an army. To make matters more awkward he knelt next, offering her his blade and... Wait. Did he just say it was Excalibur? The possibility of a second version of the holy sword existing disturbed her for a moment, nearly making her miss the wink and less formal answer that followed.
Not knowing what else to do she gently took the sheathed blade from him, but the instant she touched the hilt she could tell something was off. The Light within still shown brightly, but something else resonated as well... In a single motion she drew the blade fully, revealing the Darkness somehow infused within the metal. Confusion narrowed her eyes as she traced the Darkness, only for the mystery to deepen when it lead to Conrí's heart of all places. "Light and Darkness mingling... You seem to have potential for one of the roads in-between."
Realizing he was still waiting on her, Lucia sighed and lightly touched each of his shoulders with the blade as she spoke formally. "Very well then, I accept your request Conrí Niall. Your Apprenticeship will be unlike any training you've been through thus far." Abruptly she giggled and sheathed the holy blade again with a wink of her own before holding out her right hand to help him back up and handing him the sword. "Mainly because I have no idea what I'm doing, and I'm gonna treat you more like a friend than a student. All I ask is that you treat me the same, and no secrets. Of course, if you really don't want to say something then just tell me. Deal?"
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Post by Conrí on Sept 14, 2018 21:20:34 GMT -5
As Lucia mused over Claiomh Solais, Conrí;s heart started racing. He still simply waited, and laughed a little when his Master admitted his training would be unlike his other trainings because she was inexperienced. He shifted on his feet a little, and relaxed his stance. "Deal, Lucia." His thoughts turned more to Jason, and he wondered if he should ask if that included anything that happened between them, or, if that would be private. "Does this include things in my...um...more private life?" He knew he was blushing a little.
The wolf boy brushed that thought aside, and then launched into everything he had told Jason about the dark wolves. "So, the time is coming soon, and, rather than actually hurt ye or worse, it was my intention to push myself into transforming that way today." His own bluntness surprised him. "If it is in a simulation, then, I might not feel so guilty about getting into it out in a less controlled environment." The would be king also decided to tell Lucia exactly what made that kind of darkness come from him. "It happens when I feel completely useless. Also, before I forget, if I'm correct on my hunch, and that sword wants to change, may I work on the transformation in your forge? I will take care of everything, I promise."
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Post by Ziya on Sept 14, 2018 21:56:30 GMT -5
Lucia couldn't help but giggle again at Conrí's expression. "That falls under the second part, if you want it too. And if you want us to tone down discussion of that topic then we can work on it too, for that matter." It would be difficult to remember, especially after being around Riley and Seamus and the others for so long, but they could manage.
Her expression grew more serious again as he explained his concerns and plan to address them, but in the end she nodded and turned back to the console, quickly selecting a familiar wasteland filled with ruins before adding a few settings of her own. "I'd prefer to keep an eye on you while you do that, if you don't mind. Don't worry about hurting me; I've set it to fully heal anyone who dies instantly, and I'm no pushover. In fact, so long as Jen isn't pissed off I'm probably the strongest Celderatian alive."
"Speaking of which," she pressed the button to launch the program, revealing her choice as a ruined modern city empty of people, "welcome to Celderat, or what's left of it. There's going to be two Twilight Thorns heading this way soon, so I'd prepare if I were you. Oh," she summoned her armor, complete with the hole just as her metal arm began, and looked back at Conrí, "I'm already familiar with Riley's Excalibur, so I'd prefer to help you with yours if it comes to that."
The ground began to rumble.
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Post by Conrí on Sept 14, 2018 22:42:45 GMT -5
Conrí almost wondered what the hell he got himself into. Lucia seemed to throw him straight into the deep end, and, the only thing he hated about that fact was that it gave him very little time to get prepared. Even upon hearing this was all that was left of Lucia, Jen, and Jason's world had a very Jason game of wit like effect on him, and, he couldn't afford to be caught off guard right now.
As the ground started to shake, he drew Claiomh Solais and summoned Lugus. The wolf boy crouched down and took a wide stance. A Twilight Thorn approached him, and Conrí used a tactic from his spar with Jason. He used his rush as he jumped, started twirling his body around, and went straight for the creature's head.
Because of his trajectory, the would be king stuck his blades into the Twilight Thorn's chest. He hung from his blades, before pulling himself up to balance himself on them. From that position, he blasted at the Nobody's face with three bolts of Will of Lugus, before launching himself up once again at the head of the creature. Conrí wrapped himself around the Nobody's neck and stradled him like a kid on a grown up's shoulders. He summoned Lugus and began slashing at the Twilight Thorn's head, when the second Twilight Thorn made its appearance. Without thinking, Conrí tried to summon Claiomh Solais as though it was a second Keyblade, and instead fired off a check for large Ray of light at the second Twilight Thorn's head.
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Post by Ziya on Sept 14, 2018 23:05:58 GMT -5
Lucia stared at Conrí with more than a little surprise as he quite simply rushed the two towering Nobodies, quickly disabling the first before straddling it and straight up decapitating the second with some kind of Light blast. Soon enough they were both fading away, leaving only Conrí and a now clapping Lucia slowly walking toward her apprentice. "That was amazing! I think that's the fastest anyone has taken out two Boss-tier Nobodies without using a form of some kind."
When she closed the gap to about five yards she stopped clapping and walking, her face still clearly visible through the crystal visor of her helmet. "So, since you took them out so quickly we could move up to Supreme-Tier Heartless, or you could fight me instead. Keep in mind that neither of us can be hurt permanently here, and I made sure to reinforce the room when fixing whatever you two did yesterday. I'll leave the choice to you."
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Post by Conrí on Sept 14, 2018 23:25:51 GMT -5
Conrí barely managed to get a hold of himself when he realised he, firstly, just outright decapitated the second enemy, and, secondly, needed to find somewhere else to sit.
The wolf boy used the falling body to his advantage and broke his fall with it, but still rolled, careful to pick up Claiomh Solais as he did so. The would be king sheathed the blade, wondering what had gotten into him. He knew that the blade wasn't a Keyblade, so, why try summoning it like one?
Conrí bowed slightly as he noticed Lucia applauded him. He heard her offer a choice of his next fight, and then mentioned yesterday, which brought a blush to his face. "We were sparring and got carried away," he mumbled and lowered his eyes. The would be king considered his options, before saying, "In my experience, the student who fights the master usually learns the most."
Conrí summoned Lugus and bowed to Lucia, despite the familiar knot forming in his stomach.
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Post by Ziya on Sept 14, 2018 23:40:51 GMT -5
Lucia waved her left hand casually as Conrí before rebuffing his embarrassed statement. "Don;t worry about it. You two might have saved me from destroying the entire house, cause I would have forgotten about how weak this room was." She'd have never heard the end of it either, she realized with a giggle.
As Conrí chose to fight her and readied his weapon one glance showed her exactly how he felt. She summoned Requiem's Resolve, but kept it at her side as she motioned once again with her left hand, this time with a wave toward herself as she spoke once more. "Alright then, let's see what you've got. Don't be worried about me either, I'm still friends with the guy that did this to my arm, and you probably can't do anything worse, especially in here." She waited for him to make the first move, relaxed and calm.
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Post by Conrí on Sept 15, 2018 4:15:19 GMT -5
Lucia waved her weapon at him, and Conrí tensed, but didn't move right away. When she assured him that he probably wouldn't do anything to hurt her, the wolf boy nodded a bit, then realised they both stood still, waiting for the other to make the first move. The would be king chuckled a little. "Fine," he muttered with a sigh. "Just so you know, this is going against my preferred method of combat, but, I gather this is about seeing how quickly I will break."
As the last word fell from his mouth, Conrí threw Lugus at his master and begin charging at her in a big zag pattern, sure to keep Lugus going from his and to his target, until the energy built up in the blade. On the final toss, the wolf boy jumped high into the air, discharged the plasma dome and fired off Will of Lugus to the left, right, and back of Lucia. He knew that particular spell was done for a while, having used up three shots against the Twilight Thorn earlier.
Conrí deftly landed, and poised his blade at Lucia, before remembering that he had just attacked a pregnant woman with magic and electricity. "Lucia," he said softly, "I forgot about the life within you. Are you sure we should be training?" His eyes shone with genuine concern. "I don't doubt your ability to beat me arse into the ground if that offended you, but, if I somehow harmed that life, even in a simulation, I wouldn't forgive myself."
Conrí squatted down low, trying to decide whether to attack or defend. His head began to fill and sort through his options, depending on the scenario.
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Post by Ziya on Sept 15, 2018 9:01:19 GMT -5
A tight grin appeared on Lucia's face as she focused on Lugus, deflecting it with Requiem's Resolve or turning her body to dodge each blow until the last one suddenly became an explosion of plasma instead, forcing her to use Flash Step to teleport a few feet behind Conrí as he attempted to seal her movement.
Just as she was about to praise him and continue the match he suddenly stopped and mentioned something surprising. A faint blush grew on her cheeks as she listened to him, clearly visible through the clear visor of her helmet. "You uh, know about that?" Her left hand came up to rub her neck in embarrassment, only making a clanking sound as she forgot that she was currently armored.
"While I appreciate the concern -really, I do- it's alright. I'm only about a month along right now, and anything short of my torso getting destroyed won't hurt Elmindreda anyhow. Besides, we're in a simulation on top of that." Her voice grew quieter as she continued with a hint of pleading in her eyes. "There's only about six more weeks before I start to lose access to my powers and it's no longer safe for me to fight. Until then I need to help make the world safer than they grew up in last time."
She fell silent for a moment before her eyes flared to life again, glowing faintly as she leveled her blade against her apprentice. "For now, just treat me as you would anyone. And while compassion is commendable, need I remind you that we're in a battle? Crystal Genesis." Casually she tapped the tip of her keyblade on the ground, which began rumbling for a few seconds before a wave of diamond hard spikes two feet tall erupted, starting where her blade made contact and extending for ten feet.
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Post by Conrí on Sept 15, 2018 9:57:42 GMT -5
Conrí noticed his master stop and blush, and he listened to her words as he tensed his body, side stepped and ran at his Master. Right as he did this, her eyes flared to life again, and he jumped further to the right to avoid her spikes. He lunged forward and struck out at the side of his Master's torso. He also drew Claiomh Solais, and, to his chagrin, the lines of Darkness were thicker than the last time. The wolf boy actually went with the darker pulls and slashed at her back and torso in a wide arc, though something in him felt incredibly sick, and the would be king's knees started to tremble, but, he knew he had to push that aside for right now.
Conrí jumped again, so that he faced Lucia's back and slashed near its middle, before doing a series of backflips to get some distance between them. He took out his shillelagh and pointed it at Lucia, and said "Fyrestorm!" As the fire dome erupted over where Lucia stood, he backflipped a bit more, deciding it was a bit too hot where he stood. Still, the would be king had to fight the instincts that seemed to be guiding him more than his sense of justice. She said she's fine...she said she's fine. Also, we're in a battle, and, I hate to lose. Again, something sickening seemed to grab a hold of his heart.
Con--
Stay out of this, Fen! Not yet.
But--
I'm doing this on me own, and, I'm not letting ye get hurt again.
Claiomh can't--
I know!
He grit his teeth and decided to use a bit of wind magic to make himself disappear, though, he had a feeling that Lucia would see right through it. Still, he re-positioned himself at an angle where he could go after the target Lucia had given away. Thanks for the information. His lips twisted in a dark smirk. A small part of him fought back before fading away, Fen...If I go, bring Jason here. Please. I'm terrible for attacking someone innocent because of strategy, and, due to circumstances...I don't know if Lucia can stop me...I might die first, because I don't think I'll stop.
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Post by Ziya on Sept 15, 2018 11:01:08 GMT -5
Lucia's eyes widened as Conrí was already gunning for her, barely able to get her keyblade in place to block the first blow. Once she realized where he was aiming next she pivoted on her left foot, bladed shield extending from her metal arm to push back the next attack with a loud ringing. As he yet again tried to target her back she launched her self into the air herself, landing just in time to see a massive dome of fire erupt.
As she used her Waterga to counter the flames she took stock of the situation, analyzing his recent attacks and actions. His aura and heart seemed to be growing in Darkness, and she suspected that this was what he meant by a "Dark Wolf" before. Clearly he was targeting her torso in an effort to leave her vulnerable or do the most damage possible, something that definitely sickened her to think about, but at the same time she knew it wasn't normal for him. All she could do was ride this out and deal with the aftermath.
Once the flames had died down she quickly noticed that he was using wind to cloak himself, something he should have known was useless against her sight. Not that it mattered anyhow, as his heart was out of balance enough to sense clearly. As she sensed him about to attack yet again she decided to force the issue, channeling Earth magic through the nearest steel. "Stonega: Forge!" The steel flowed toward her, twisting and reshaping itself into thin wires that wove together to create a new layer to her armor even as yet more covered that with solid plates.
The extra metal made her slower for the moment, but unless he became much stronger he'd no longer be able to have any chance of breaking through unless she let him hack at her for a few minutes. "Alright, so you want to play that way. Try me."
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Post by Conrí on Sept 15, 2018 12:09:28 GMT -5
As Lucia reinforced her armor, Conrí clicked his tongue, undid his invisibility, which he knew, somewhere in the back of his mind, that he had wasted a move. He snarled and growled savagely as he faced Lucia. A weird haze started to come over his vision. He assumed his form of the wolf rather simply and safely, though, the pull to push himself further into the Darkness was enticing and ever-present. The wolf boy wanted to remember how to assume the Void and focus on the Flame, and when he did, Conrí saw himself and a darker form of himself standing in a still, calm pool. The the normal version stared at the darker form of himself with some sorrow. "You should give up, like I did with my a stór."
The darker version of Conrí sneered, "Not a chance in hell."
The light side of Conrí sighed, and then the void shattered.
The would be king held his blades in his more claw like hands and ran at Lucia, unleashing a savage fury of blows. It was clear that he was no longer thinking rationally, and Claiomh Solais was actually starting to gray. He grinned in an almost evil way, and, his memories turned toward his first spar against Jason. The feeling of Fenrir slipped away from him, fulfilling the last order he'd given when he was sane. Somewhere, Conrí knew that Jason couldn't reach him here, but, the last sparkle of light in him held on to the hope that Jason would be there after this.
The wolf boy's thoughts suddenly and sharply focused on the memory of Fen getting hurt in the last simulation, and, the last part of him snapped. Claiomh Solais turned black, nearly entirely and disappeared in a way similar to Lugus, and his body took the full form of a wolf, black flames bursting from his fur and licking at the concrete around him. His eyes glowed golden, and he rose his head and howled before savagely swiping and biting at Lucia's armor. He jumped around her, attacking in circles, wanting nothing but destruction and pain to spread.
In a place, very deep in his heart, he thought. Fen...don't come back. Not until this has passed. Chuisle, I'm glad you're not here. Lucia...I'm sorry. Conrí leapt back from Lucia after the flurry of blows, and lowered his head and growled.
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