Peculiar Emet-Selc [Solo]
Ill Mheg was a place that Eggie frequented. It reminded them of the greenery of Ishgard and their family at home. However, lately there has been a nuisance to their dedicated alone time…
Amongst fresh petals, of hues of yellow, pink and purple, of the flowered magenta wisteria, stood him. It would have been comical, for the way he stood out like a sore thumb, whilst the pixies bothered him, but the man was and is an Acsian. Emet-Selc he called himself. However, Eggie was used to this man’s peculiar mannerisms, the way he talked, the way he dressed…the way he would appear when Eggie was alone.
They didn’t like that last one.
The first time he appeared, Eggie aimed for his head with a frying pan. The man narrowly avoided it, the frying pan slamming directly in the wood and splintering it so violently that chunks flew past his face. His face pales some, before regaining its composure, taking a bow,
“I can see I came at a bad time hero”.
Eggie remembered what they told him specifically, word-for-word,
“If I ever see your fucking smirk again, I’ll cut you within an ilm of your life, motherfucker”.
Eggie was pissed. Rightfully so in their head, they pursued peace and wanted nothing, but peace. He wasn’t giving any.
“Oh-! You wound me so…very well! Till next time then, ta-ta~”.
Since then, he’s showed up and it drove Eggie mad. Each time, they would try to relax and then hes there. He watches them, pretending he didn’t notice them with a cup of tea before his eyes roll and he greets them like nothing was wrong. Sometimes Emet would offer them tea, talk normally, by normally, the occasional reminisce of taking territories all for the glory of Garlameld and such. Today was no exception to that rule. However, Eggie was not feeling well.
Ever since the first Light-Warden fell the headaches had appeared. At first, the Scions and even Eggie worried it a symptom of light-sickness, however upon closer examination there was no corruption, no telling signs, nothing. Y'Shtola herself was even puzzled, examining it multiple times for hours under different circumstances. Even as a headache occurred, there was nothing that gave it away. Not even simple, to the strongest medicine in Norvrandt worked. Today’s passage of days lead to today of all things, where today’s headache for some peculiar reason was the worst, it had ever been. If there was a word to describe the pain, several colorful adjectives come to Eggie’s mind, since they got out of bed this morning.
In Ill Mheg they travel to, to attempt to find a place to relax and hopefully sleep the headache away. They bring their pan with them, to cook later for the fae, who enjoyed the spreads Eggie always made. Yet today they were oddly missing.
Seven Hells, not him again.
“Piss off Selc, I’m not in the mood”.
“I can clearly see that…are the light-wardens proving too much stress to handle? You can always give up, let the light flood the place as the-!”
That was the last thing Eggie remembered. The pain suddenly came to a crescendo and their vision blurred. Collapsing to the ground, there is no sound rushing from Emet-Selcs lips as he merely stares with a disappointed look on his face. Suddenly, Eggies entire body began to heat up and burn. They let out several choked noises, withering in the worst pain they had ever felt,
Eggie could barely hear the syllables ushered from his throat, as the world around them begins to swim in colors…
For the first time, since they could remember, they feel pain making itself known and unbearable to their senses as their vision begins to blacken…
They turn and see Emet-Selc now, his face pale, his eyes wide, before they hear someone, or something screaming…
When Eggie wakes up, they feel the embrace of another, they turn and immediately get spooked in their daze by the ever so peculiar Emet-Selc. They both stare at each other for several dazed moments, Eggie squirms, never before had he gotten close, made an attempt in harm, touching, anything—
Eggie struggles more, and kicks their legs as the mans grip tightens hands heightening to their neck and pressing upon their windpipe as if in silent prayer, slowly becoming more constricting..
His grip suddenly tightens around them, and Eggies eyes widened as they feebly kick and choke out a gasp or two, his eyes stare back, wild, animalistic,
They violently shake them back and forth, his voice now a snarl,
“DAMM YOU AND THE BROKEN HUSK THAT YOU ARE”.
Eggie lets out a cry as his hand reaches towards their throat, intending to do something. They kick and snarl out and finally find a mark on his chest and throat somehow with their boots, colliding with his face and sent tumbling from within his grasp, spitting and gasping for air while he sits there with a growing red welt on his cheeks. He scrambles and moves like he never has before and screams at them,
“Damm you…DAMM YOU ALL FOR TAKING EVERYTHING FROM ME-!”
The man suddenly lunges forward hands outstretched. In requiem, Eggie takes their frying pan they had brought, slamming it as hard as they can with the force they can muster. It collides, making a sickening crunch, before the man is sent back. He laid there, dazed, his mouth and nose bleeding, his eyes wide and staring at the sky.
Eggie flees, they don’t look back, for in fear he may be back, would be back. They run until they collapse in the Crystariums halls, gasping for air. The Exarch having been there, jolts several feet back, clearly spooked before he rushes towards their aid.
“Aid, I require aid, quickly-!” The Exarch shouts.
The shouts send those in the Crystarium scrambling and soon thereafter the Scions are there, to tend to their fallen comrade.
Alphinaud tends to the few bruises and welts Eggie has themselves, while they remained silent, in fear. Even as the scions try in vain to ask what wrong, Eggie could not speak for the moment, fear gripping their heart so tightly it could burst. Clearly, Urianger notices this, and puts a hand on Eggie’s shoulder rubbing a few gentle motions whilst, speaking clearly for the others to hear,
“T’would seem our companion is clearly shaken, let us thus depart for a while, so that thou may gather thy bearings”.
Eggie looks at Uri, and quietly whispers a ‘thank you’. Out of them all, Urianger, really was the best at these types of situations, especially back when Haurchefant had died. At once, everyone backed off, and gave Eggie space. Something they later thanked everyone for, once they found the words.
Hours pass and once Eggie finds the will, they calm themselves, finding the will to somehow go back and proceed to recant their tale of having been attacked by the Ascian. Worried glances are exchanged, and puzzled ones where there as well when they recall the words, he shouted at them. Emet-Selcs words he so proclaimed, were puzzling and at the very least concerning.
That Night, Eggie could not sleep, for the fear remained. They may have very well almost died that day to an Acsian. A man, named Emet-Selc who till today, they had never seen become so undone. Their thoughts drift off towards what he says…what he screamed and for a moment…they felt…sad?
Their hand drifts towards their chest, as their eyes drift off and they try to shake off these feelings…confused, exhausted, scared. That’s all they felt, after everything. They see his eyes, shivering in disgust. His eyes had a wild look to them, desperate even. Something that up until this point they had never seen.
They close their eyes, trying to find the power to shake the feelings away, but found that they couldn’t and raised themselves to find…Ardbert,
“I can see your still shaken up by him”.
A sudden jolt, a look of terror passes, before the fury,
Ardbert merely gives a nonchalant shrug,
“I would if I were corporal, yet here I am”.
He crosses his arms, brows furrowed as he too looked…troubled,
“I was there behind him, when you blacked out…suffice to say he was screaming about something or another…if I had blood myself It would have turned cold”.
Eggie merely gives Ardbert a look,
“…You’re not helping the anxiety much, Ardbert”.
“Your anxiety? I damm near shit myself-!”
“Man was screaming his head off! Never seen him like that…”
The sigh that leaves Eggie is heavy and Ardbert seemed to notice, since he falls silent soon thereafter,
“…Look, I don’t know what he was on about, with whatever but hes an Acsian, he’s clearly lost a few marbles here or there…”
“…Clearly, he damm near almost choked me out!”
Eggie sighs and flips across their bed, as Ardberts walks, standing above them,
“…Look, I don’t know what hes on about but like hell am I going to see you sulk about it, stand up”.
Eggie sighs and heaves themselves up, only to be greeted by Ardberts fist,
“…What the hell are we doing-“
“Because, tomorrow, you’re going to bring the darkness to the light-!”.
Eggie stared bewildered at Ardbert for a couple of moments, before they actually began to chuckle and then laugh, causing the man to sputter,
“C’mon-! let’s show them what for! You’re the Warrior of Darkness! Kick some ass!”
“…Fine, fine, ya big talking oaf”.
Eggie raises their fist and bumps it, the action albeit it is having gone through Ardbert, the man smiled,
“There ya are-! For tomorrow! For Norvrandt!”
…Eggie smiles, adjusting their glasses,
