[open] i'm taking back my life tonight

[bloodings]

WHO? Mordred/bloodings & unlucky people (you)
WHAT? Dreamin'
WHEN? During the event, 'til the 23rd
ANYTHING ELSE? contains f/apoc spoilers, violence. prose or backets is cool, i'll match you!

[ Servants don't dream, but things are different here. It brings her back to when she was alive, never human, but not a spirit; when she could still dream.

Loathsome dreams, dreams that made her wake roaring in anger long after her decision to kill the king was made. Bitter dreams, of toppling her father and taking his crown for herself. Worst of all — dreams of what she wanted from the start. Dreams of her father's hand in her hair and words of praise as his son. (But she's not. She's a filthy, unwanted child, born from his enemy, and he will never recognize her because of it.)

Dreams... ]

a.

[ ... of her training. Of bitterness, seeing children her own age and knowing she would be dead before they even reached adulthood. If she is to die sooner, then she will blaze brighter, and become greater than they will ever be. She will defeat the king and claim the throne. (At least, her mother says she will. In truth, she wants nothing more than to serve him.)

She's still a child, though. So anyone in the dream will be very suddenly pushed over (even an adult; she's freakishly strong) and greeted by a very young face staring back at them, smirking. ]

Heh.

b.

[ ... of Camelot. Of a woman, a man, with the same face as hers, sitting at the round table. The same man the knights call King Arthur. Mordred's own face hidden behind a helmet. It's the day she confronted the king, the day her love turned to hate, the day she was reborn.

Maybe you're there to see her plead with him. It's not a long discussion. Mordred, her face exposed, desperate for acknowledgement as a son, if not as heir; for him to take pride in her. "Even if it cannot be publicly known, you can accept me. As a father, if not as king!". And the king's simple response — "Born from the machinations of my sister you may be, but indeed you are of my blood. Yet I shall not recognize you as my son, nor shall I allow you the throne." — before he turns his back on her.

Either way, when she returns to her chambers her emotions are almost radiating off her. The door opens, and she glances up, still wearing her helmet... but her glare can be felt. ]

What the hell do you want? [ She knows it's a dream, this time. The worst moment of her life, and it's exposed for all to see. ]

c.

[ ... of Camlann. Of waking on the hill after her father's spear pierced her chest, alone, with tens of thousands of dead bodies around her. It's a nightmare, not a memory; she's a literal walking corpse with a lance straight through her body and blood oozing from it with every step.

On a hill of death, it's easy to spot the only other living, moving thing. She blinks in surprise at the figure in front of her. ]

How? [ How are you here, how is she alive... how did it all end this way. One hand rests on the spear in her chest, seemingly unable to pull it out. ]

Comments

what (a) coincidence

[trample]

[ His surroundings only really set in once he's made to fall back into the surprisingly hard dirt of the training grounds. His shoulders ache, but unlike most kids his age, he doesn't break out into tears, but instead opens his mouth and eyes angrily. ]

What the fuck is wrong with you?

oh it's the eren achilles wants to bone

[bloodings]

[ She grins. It's a smirk, really, but it's not particularly unkind. To her, he's just another one of the boys she scuffles with in the training grounds; just another person to prove she's better than. ]

Fight back if you don't like it.

A

[horsepowered]

[It takes an awful lot of strength to push an entire centaur over. Chiron's reation to landing in a mess of hooves is to let out a pleased but surprised noise first, and then look to see who it is that accomplished such a task.

In a way, Mordred's face isn't a surprise. Their fight had already proven that. But given their recent discussions, there is a level of irony there.]

[trample]

I'd like to, but...

[ Her grin is met with a solemn deflection. He looks down at his hand, which is clenched around a hunting knife that he makes no attempt at concealing. If one looked closely, they could see it was still shaded red.

He turns his glance back up at her. ]

It's best if I don't. For your own good.

[bloodings]

Then you'll lose.

[ More than that — he'd die in a real fight. His expression isn't like the other kids she fights, though, and she leans in closer, as if to examine it... only to notice his knife. ]

Is that a knife? Hey, let me see.

[bloodings]

[ She would have freaked out, seeing a centaur as a kid — but it feels normal in the dream. Like he's supposed to be there, even if he's clearly not. ]

Having more legs doesn't make you better. [ He never said it did... ]

[horsepowered]

I didn't say that it added particular positive or negative value. It simply shifts skills around.

[Shifting, that was important. It took no effort for Chiron to get back on his feet, and when he did, there was no mistaking that one of those skills? Being tall.]

[bloodings]

[ No kidding: she has to tilt her neck back just to look at his face. Still, that's never stopped her before, and she walks right up to him without fear. ]

Well, that's fine. Because now that I've won... it's time to claim my prize!

[ There's no warning, or (god forbid) asking permission, before she starts trying to clamber onto his back. She's too short to actually do it without help, but she's trying, as if sheer force of will can get her up there. ]

[horsepowered]

[Mordred, you can't just do that! For all that Chiron stays still, because no, this isn't worth picking a fight over, he isn't exactly bending down to help her either.]

My students usually have the good sense to ask before doing this.

[trample]

I already told you, I'm not fighting you! [ He looks rather sheepish upon being examined so keenly. ] Quit staring.

[ Then, once her interest is made plainly clear, Eren makes to hide it like if it were his shame, pulling his hand behind him as he scoots backwards. ]

No way! Get your own!

[bloodings]

I'm not gonna take it, jeez. I just wanna look at it.

[ She has a sword, Eren, she doesn't need your piddly knife. ]

Why are you such a weirdo? [ She's one to talk. ]

[bloodings]

Good thing I'm not your student.

[ Even if it would be way better than what she actually is. Frustrated, she grows more... 'enthusiastic' in her climbing attempts, grabbing hold of his legs, the hair on his rump, and possibly even stepping on a hoof. (Of course, her efforts are at least limited by her smaller size and weight.) ]

Tch, don't be a sore loser. Help me up.

[horsepowered]

[That? That just gets a look of disapproval. The kind of teacherly disapproval that shows a total disappointment that you haven't put in any effort at all, or else know how to accomplish your goals and are doing the wrong steps on purpose.]

[bloodings]

[ CHIRON............ she's never been looked at that way before. Somehow, it makes her feel uncomfortable, but she still manages to stare back at him. ]

What? [ Then, after a second, she realizes what he must want. ] No rematches. [ Nailed it. ]

[trample]

[ He stares back at her with an interested, if confused, expression. Particularly at her weapon, which he ogles with very obvious Sword Envy™. ]

...Fine. Just don't get all grossed out once you get a closer look. And let me touch your sword.

[ Eren holds it out to her in the rudest, most brash way he can - the sharp end pointed right at her, then leans forward to eye her blade. It's close enough that it might even be considered a violation of personal space. ]

And I'm not the weirdo here. [ He fingers the bottom end of her sheath. ] What kind of person uses something like this anyway?

[bloodings]

A knight, obviously.

[ Not that she is one yet. But she will be, and that's what matters. She hands him her sword — it looks too big for her, and feels too heavy — and investigates his knife, running her finger along the blade. ]

They let kids play with these? [ Says... the kid with a sword........... ] What's the blood from, huh? Did you cut yourself?

[horsepowered]

[...You were so close.

Chiron sighs.]

Ask for permission, Mordred.

[bloodings]

[ A genuinely confused look, then a sigh. ]

Uh... please? [ It sounds like she's never said it before, because she probably hasn't. ]

[trample]

I'm not a...! [ Hold that thought. He totally was. Better to leave that sentence unfinished.

He's still gonna groan, but his face lightens up as he examines the length of her tool. His tone, however, noticeably becomes harsh again once she presses him for an answer. ]

Not a chance. It's, well... [ chuk chuk chuk ] It's hard to explain. I don't want to explain, anyway.

[ He's giving her a look that's so picture perfectly childish it's only missing the stuck-out tongue. This is a once in a lifetime happening, for sure. ]

[bloodings]

[ Staring at his childish expression, she raises an eyebrow. ]

If it's not from you, then it's from someone else. [ She shrugs. Nobody would be that defensive about using it on an animal. ] It's fine if they deserved it. You don't look like the sort to go around stabbing random people.

[ Not even Mordred is like that. ]

[trample]

Oh, they did. Without a doubt. [ He does a quick whip of his arms to bring himself back up to his feet, since Mordred wasn't offering a hand. meany ] But now you've got me wondering.

[ Her sword is flourished in the air and held in a position far too dramatic to be effective...but all the same, Eren looks pleased as punch. He might even look like a hero. If he were in the dark and the person looking at him was blindfolded, but that aside... ]

What does a person who goes around stabbing randomly look like?

[bloodings]

[ She was distracted by weapons, okay. Lowering the knife, Mordred watches him hold up the sword... and starts to laugh. ]

Forget that. You're doing it all wrong, you idiot. [ What is politeness? ] Come here.

[ She drops the knife on the ground, and moves to try and correct his stance. She's still young, hasn't had time to learn all the ways of a knight, but this is what she's spent her few years training in. ]

[trample]

Wha...? Am I really?

[ He wasn't going for anything particularly, but to be told that he was completely mistaken was enough to send his dreamy kid brain down into the dumps. So to amend that, he quietly acknowledges his mistake and her superiority (at least in this area).

Though he ought to be concerned about getting poked and jabbed, it's the least of his worries. Before long, he's got the pose down just right. His face is beaming. ]

This is it, right?

[bloodings]

Close enough.

[ Very encouraging. But she's still grinning, so she's obviously happy about it. ]

You probably won't ever need it, anyway. But at least now you won't hurt yourself.

[trample]

I wasn't going to hurt myself. [ He tries to frown but ends up having this mixed look which just makes him look constipated. ] What about you? I'm sure being a knight and all gets you knocked around plenty.

If you're throwing yourself into a life like that, can't that be considered hurting yourself?