// I got this feeling, yeah, you know where I'm losing all control //
The song thickens the air like syrup, tugging at Vesper’s mind even as he watches Thal’s blade flash up into the lamplighter’s belly. Its lantern whips back toward her, jaws yawning to snap again. "Thal—left!" he shouts, shadows surging from his hands before the warning has fully left his lips. A black ribbon lashes out and hooks the glowing lure itself, yanking sideways so hard the monster’s head slews off-line. The bite crashes harmlessly into a curtain of fog instead of her shoulder.
Another tendril snakes low, wrapping the broad tail. Vesper can’t pin it—too much thrashing muscle—but the drag slows the sweep just enough for Thal to hopefully roll clear of the mud-splattering smack.
He misty-steps onto a half-submerged log, boots skidding. With a sharp kick he blasts a sheet of filthy water up into the lamplighter’s face; the lure sizzles under the muck, its light hiccupping, and the melody stutters into a discordant rasp. "Keep under its gut!" Vesper calls, voice fraying with strain. He flings both arms wide, and his shadows fan out. The lamplighter tries to rise, tail beating a froth behind it, but Vesper hauls on the shadow caught around the lure, dragging its head down until the pale scales of its belly hover barely waist-high.
Every muscle in his shoulders knots with the effort of holding the tether. The monster’s song worms inside his skull—shards of half-remembered lullabies—but he grits his teeth, forcing the tune out. The fish hisses, lantern flickering, tail freed again and lashing furiously. Vesper braces, shadows anchoring like tarred ropes in the mire, buying her seconds—only seconds—to line up another blow. He can feel the strain in the tether, feel the lure’s glow pulsing against the pull of his magic. If he can keep it grounded, she can finish the cut.
For now that’s all he does: wrestle the light, hold the head low, and trust Thal’s dagger to turn the wobbling song into a dying note.
Another tendril snakes low, wrapping the broad tail. Vesper can’t pin it—too much thrashing muscle—but the drag slows the sweep just enough for Thal to hopefully roll clear of the mud-splattering smack.
He misty-steps onto a half-submerged log, boots skidding. With a sharp kick he blasts a sheet of filthy water up into the lamplighter’s face; the lure sizzles under the muck, its light hiccupping, and the melody stutters into a discordant rasp. "Keep under its gut!" Vesper calls, voice fraying with strain. He flings both arms wide, and his shadows fan out. The lamplighter tries to rise, tail beating a froth behind it, but Vesper hauls on the shadow caught around the lure, dragging its head down until the pale scales of its belly hover barely waist-high.
Every muscle in his shoulders knots with the effort of holding the tether. The monster’s song worms inside his skull—shards of half-remembered lullabies—but he grits his teeth, forcing the tune out. The fish hisses, lantern flickering, tail freed again and lashing furiously. Vesper braces, shadows anchoring like tarred ropes in the mire, buying her seconds—only seconds—to line up another blow. He can feel the strain in the tether, feel the lure’s glow pulsing against the pull of his magic. If he can keep it grounded, she can finish the cut.
For now that’s all he does: wrestle the light, hold the head low, and trust Thal’s dagger to turn the wobbling song into a dying note.
Vesper
//Go ahead and throw your stones, 'cause there's magic in my bones //
☆ has a pale star tattoo beneath his left eye, and freckle-sized constellations move across his skin
☽ hair changes from bleached blonde to brown
☆ telepathic: Sunlit Shadows | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 60ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
☽ hair changes from bleached blonde to brown
☆ telepathic: Sunlit Shadows | The user can read the surface thoughts and emotions of those within a 60ft radius. Control is excellent. Note: "Thoughts and emotions" include anything written in a character's narration in a post.
