[semi-open] harbinger of suffering and grief

[appraiser]

WHO: Ryoji and whoever doesn't sleep at night, I guess
WHERE: Apprassage to various places around the city, Recollé Woods
WHEN: midnight 5/17 and onward towards the end of the month
WHAT: Ryoji regains his Thanatos form; unable to control his powers, he flees, leaving destruction in his wake. He's generally very upset about it all. Please help.
WARNINGS: fighting, violence, mentions of death and suicide

[ —a screech pierces the stillness of night over the quiet streets of Apprassage, the bite of burnt rubber and asphalt filling in the space where a car now lies turned around and stalling traffic, shattered windshields spilling glass onto the street and the crumpled hood sending smoke into the air. The blaring of the car alarm falls on deaf ears of the boy standing before it, eyes wide and unseeing as he clutches his head and screams, the shimmering barrier around him dissolving back into darkness and then— ]

A. midnight, 5/17, various (CLOSED to those I talked to on May's plotting post here)
[ A brilliant flash lights up the sky outside, brief, overwhelming, then everything is plunged back into darkness. Whether the noise had woken you up, or you were awake in the dead of night to begin with, eyes lifted towards the sky might spot a shadow take off past the rooftops, deep rumble felt through the earth behind it.

Those who venture closer— the curious, the brave, the foolish— would find deep gashes on the roads, dragged long as if a sword pulled across the ground, scattered potholes still burning with the last wisps of an eerie glow. The sky flashes again, the shadow in the middle a dark hole that swallows up all light, monstrous figure apparent with the stark contrast that makes it easy to follow; even blind, one can do so by listening for the unearthly wail that cuts through the air and may dizzy the mind even from so far.

Close, it's hard to see, harder to believe: a sharp white mask reflecting the moonlight; serrated sword out of its scabbard and caked with dirt and rubble; coffins draped across its shoulder, rattling and coming for you. Every encounter brings it further and further out away from the innermost parts of the city, and each time, Thanatos stops and turns, breath visible as it chills the very air around it, waiting.

>> Hollingberry Field
>> Recollé Woods
>> Peach Beach
>> The ocean
>> ???

Select your arena, and let's go. ]

B. nights, 5/18 onward, Recollé woods (CLOSED to those above, and anybody who has interacted with Ryoji at least once before)
[ The pain disappears faster than it should have, but Ryoji would have preferred it to the emptiness in his chest, the way his hands won't stop shaking. He fumbles with his phone, startling when a twig snaps underfoot and he throws it from himself as if it burnt his hands.

He leaves the phone there for the time being, nestled on top of damp, rotting leaves as he picks his way a little deeper into the woods, a mutter under his breath: "Keep yourself together." Because whatever... whatever happened yesterday, he can't let it happen again, losing control and hurting others— killing, for all he knows, because he'd fled to the woods and hasn't gone back since the night before, hasn't talked to anybody in person except for some texts on the phone.

He's got to figure it out. Somehow.

It's here in the woods he'll stay until he can, out of the way and hoping nobody would come near after the unnerving draw of the woods earlier in the month, practicing under the veil of night. He'll manage it eventually, the flicker of shadow and a rumble, a light show, the splintering crack of felled trees. He's not as careful as he could be, frustrated, exhausted, distracted enough not to notice whoever approaches to see the arched back of a boy, head bowed and clutching his knees as he struggles back to his feet... or the back of a monster, sword in hand gleaming with the moon. ]

C. days, 5/22 onward, various (OTA)
[ Days pass, and it feels like he understands less and less of who and what he is... and why... The first time it happened, only a handful of days ago, it was a car accident. He'd frozen there in the middle of the street, staring down the pair of headlights as they approached. He had not died. He should have...

...Ryoji shakes the thought out of his head. Something had protected him, a power that welled up from within and then- gone. He couldn't do it again, hold out his hands and block the fluttering of petals onto his head in the park, or the cat that meets him on the road, rubbing its head against his ankles twice and then runs.

Maybe it had to be something similar, either to the situation or the feeling; there's no way he can know but to try, reckless and stupid as he stands by the busy streets of Tisse contemplating stepping out into traffic; holds a switchblade in his hand on the rooftop of an apartment building in Apprassage, flicking the blade in, out, in, out; up high on the bridges of the Towers, leaning dangerously over the edge as he stares down at the ground far, far below; at the zoo in front of the lion's cage trying to get it to wake up so he can climb the fence and stick his head inside its mouth; he doesn't know, nothing's working and he needs to know. ]

D. 5/26 onward, various (OTA)
[ the one lighter prompt, save me ]

Hey. Hold out your hand for a moment? I want your opinion on something.

[ If you comply, Ryoji tugs out from beneath his collar a thin silver chain, on the end of which a gold ring dangles momentarily before he presses it into the palm of your hand, closing your fingers back over it. Despite having been tucked under his shirt, the ring is cold against your skin, a faint glow emitting from in between your fingers while no sun reaches it inside your hand. ]

...How does this make you feel?

[ Stupid, probably, as if holding a ring would evoke some sort of emotion, but that's what it does for Ryoji, looking equal parts expectant and hopeful as he looks from you, to the ring delivered to his door courtesy of Retrospec, and then back. ]

--
( ooc: Aside from being able to shift into the form of Thanatos, Ryoji's powers include: ghastly wail (fearful opponents fall unconscious), tempest slash (sword attack), megidola (almighty magic attack), moonless gown (barrier that reflects all attacks, max three activation per day))

Comments

C, for irony

[thesettingsun]

[As someone obsessed with fashion, Shuji is a frequent visitor to the Towers. He's seen many horrible things there, but they're usually in the vein of overpriced clothes, or clothes that he really wants but can't find in a size that flatters him.

This is worse, objectively, and Shuji raises his voice.]

H-hey, that's a little too close to the edge, maybe you should back off?

[Please don't die young.]

[appraiser]

[ Ryoji lifts his eyes from the ground, slow to settle and focus on Shuji's face, but recognizing him immediately because he'd promised all of three things to him: 1) no blood pacts, 2) no jumping off cliffs, and 3) no stabbing somebody. He'd already failed the last one, and is dangerously close to the second, and blood pacts... he has, in fact, offered this to somebody before he had met Shuji, although it wasn't followed through with.

Still, he's all around disappointed in himself, a frown tugging at the corners of his lips, and he shifts his gaze back out, staring at the horizon and does not move. ]

Thanks, but. I'll be careful. I trust the integrity of this bridge to hold up.

D

[true_noir]

I feel nothing... though the glow is a bit strange.

[She opened her palm again and offered it right back to him before looking at Ryoji a little pointedly, studying him and his reactions, her lips thinning to a line. After a second, she added to that statement.]

You were sent this in the mail, were you not? By them?

[Because feelings about strange objects... she was starting to just assume were their fault somehow.]

[appraiser]

[ Nothing, huh...? It's disappointing, but expected. He takes the ring back, turning it in between his fingers without ever slipping it on, and then tucks it back inside his shirt. ]

That's right. From Retrospec, but through the mail slot rather than my dresser.

[ There's that need to keep it close, hence wearing it around his neck, but actually putting it on... he's a bit more wary to do so. It looks like a ring, but at the same time, it's from Retrospec. If a hidden compartment opens the moment he puts it on and shoots a needle into his skin and poisons him, that'll be on him. ]

A

[cattack]

[It doesn't take anyone particularly bright to notice the trail Ryoji left. And Cleo finds the trail and goes almost on instinct, following the gouges and still-burning magic. It's stupid- She should run away or call for help- but all she can think is that someone might be in danger, and she might be able to help.

Retrospec gave her visions of fighting a monster. Maybe this is the reason why.

When Thanatos stops near the ocean, Cleo finally steps out. She doesn't try for a surprise attack, or anything of the sort. Rather, she has a hunch trying to surprise it would be both futile and fatal. Instead, she approaches from the front, arms spread to show she's unarmed.]

Who are you? Are you all right?

[appraiser]

[ Those aren't questions expected from somebody stepping out to face a monster, somebody with concern and the hope that they'll receive an answer that Thanatos does not provide, line of coffins hanging it in the air as it swings its sword— a warning only, too far to do any damage and neither does Thanatos approach, but it slices through the air sharp enough to be felt all the way where Cleo stands. Over the water, Thanatos remains silent for a moment, then opens its mouth to whisper a single word that seems to resonate in one's mind rather than through the ears: ] Leave.

c... look.... i'm sorry....

[stopbleeding]

[Zoro doesn't know where the Towers are. I don't know where the Towers are. Nevertheless here he is, standing behind Ryoji on the bridge of the Towers.]

Huh. This isn't the boardwalk. I wonder where I took the wrong turn... I can't tell if I'm closer or...

[Finally he realizes he's not alone. One would think he'd be alarmed by the stranger's close proximity to the edge but, well. He's not. Everyone's got their thing and honestly he's too preoccupied to question it.

He does have a question though.]

Hey. Do you know how to get to the boardwalk from here?

[appraiser]

The boardwalk?

[ What. The question takes him slightly aback, with ready directions to many of the stores within the Towers, but not a place halfway across the city from where they stand now. He does know where it is, though, and the sooner he gives directions, the sooner he'll be left in peace to resume staring down from the bridge, Ryoji turns a bit, a glance towards the sky and another to the watch on his wrist. ]

You'll want to go south. Out there...

[ Actually, they could probably see the boardwalk from the Towers, up so high as they are, so Ryoji motions Zoro to the side of the bridge as well, leaning far out in order to point out the bridge in the distance, toes lifting from the ground so that he can get the other tower out his field of vision and see the boardwalk. ]

A. At the beach, Alone. This already sounds like a horror film.

[burningblossoms]

[Very often in the early evening, after everything that'd happened with Minako and that glowing woman, Yukiko went to the beach alone. She needed to practice, gain more control over that strange creature that she could apparently summon, and that was probably the safest place. Unfortunately for her, this places her in the path of a certain something.

It's difficult to miss Thanatos's approach, the rattling of wooden boxes, the blood curdling wail of doom coming ever closer. Instinctively she sets herself, and the gleaming avatar of her soul standing at her side. She knew that whatever this was, she should probably run, but as the monster came into view she stood rooted, staring at it intently.

Maybe it was just like a goth version of one of her own. Or maybe it was an illusion.
Either way, running wasn't an option now.]

...What...is this thing?

[appraiser]

[ A safe place is why Thanatos eventually ends up here, clouds of sand lifting up from the ground like a storm as it passes overhead, almost missing Yukiko if not for the glow of her Persona that draws Thanatos back as if to reclaim a Shadow... a Persona... a life that is Yukiko's. From the sky, Thanatos descends, sword at its side and coffins lifting to catch the breeze, jaws of its mask open with the beginnings of a Megidola aimed right for Yukiko if she does not move, a roar filling the air in hopes that she will. ]

A

[complementing]

[She can't sleep. This in and of itself isn't strange, since Minako often has bouts of insomnia, nights where school and work and thoughts keep her up. But tonight she's unable to concentrate on anything that would normally keep her busy through the late hours. Parking herself in the darkness of the living room, curling up on the couch and vibrating with restless energy, she waits. For what, she doesn't know, but-- the explosion of light in the city, combined with the ominous toll of Lucy's grandfather clock marking midnight...it feels like a sign. She jolts up, flinging open the front door just in time to see something flicker across the sky. Minako is overwhelmed with the sudden need to be there, right now, some sort of primal instinct that almost stifles the common sense of taking her spear with her, before she runs out the door in just her pajamas and a pair of boots. The city streets are different at night, but she navigates through them without really seeing anything, running at a fast clip until she skids to a stop at the Towers' enormous empty parking lot. The building is ominous as ever, equated as they are to the Tartarus of the other Minako's memories. But it's the figure in front of it that has her on edge now. There's a hundred feet between them but she thinks it hears her regardless when she speaks.] ...was it me who was drawn here, or were you calling for me? [She fixes her gaze on the white mask, terrified but unable to look anywhere else.] Either way, what do you want with me?

[appraiser]

[ Minako's voice seems to reach him no matter where he is, is what Ryoji always thought. But right now, he's scared; he's confused and panicked and for the first time in his life, the sight of Minako has him drawing back, because right now, he is Thanatos. The Harbinger of Death. No eyes shine out from behind Thanatos' mask, no voice emitted from its throat in fear that when it speaks, it will be in Ryoji's voice, and that it will break. Instead, the grip on the sword in its hand tightens, the very same silent response he would always give Minako's hand when he holds them, upset, and Thanatos takes off towards the sky for one of the bridges of the Towers, leaving Minako alone on the ground where he cannot hurt her, cannot face her. If she wants to reach Thanatos, she will have to climb that Tower. ]

C

[sakeplz]

[He's been doing some shopping when he happens to see a familiar person at the bridges for the Towers. Something strikes him as off so of course he can't just leave his new friend alone. It wouldn't be right. For that reason, he moves over to where he is and sets his bags nearby then reaches to wrap arms around him. Whether or not it works depends on if Ryoji lets him or not but hey at least he's trying to be affectionate?]

Ryooooo...I've missed you!

[He gives a tilt of his head.]

You seem sad. Or upset. Or both.

[appraiser]

[ Ryoji startles violently at the light touch on his back just before the arms close around him, and briefly, he feels a touch of what could be that barrier he was hoping for. But they're warm arms that he then leans back and settles into, and a voice calling for him, helping him lower his defenses and try to settle down.

He wants to calm down, and give Jirou that cheerful smile that he always wants to wear in his presence, but he can't. Not how he is now. ]

Sorry. It's... a bit of both.

B

[truedetective]

[Naoto isn't much of a night owl, normally. But Kanji the dog needs to be walked to keep up with his boundless energy, and the idea that this reality itself must be investigated leads her to be more inclined to go out.

Then, all of a sudden, halfway through a walk in the woods, Kanji growls. It's not the usual 'I'm staking out my territory' half-hearted growl she's used to, but a very clear one. The dog senses a threat somewhere, deeper in the brush. Naoto narrows her eyes.]

--is someone there?

[appraiser]

[ There is no answer; not that of a voice. In the silence, the air seems to still, becoming oppressive, as if the darkness itself were holding its breath. On the other side of the trees and underbrush, Thanatos stands with bated breath in a clearing made by its own sword, unclean cuts to the tree trunks the further in Naoto might investigate, but still it does not move or take to the skies, not yet seeing Naoto, but hearing the footfalls and the growls and hoping that whoever is out there will leave on their own. In waiting, the night breeze picks up, and chains rattle in the near distance. ]

B... laterish in the month

[goen]

[ Yato sees it every now and again. A bright flash in the night, strange sounds, and later in the daylight when he's bored enough to investigate, unnatural markings like you'd see out of a movie. The first time he sees those markings, he decides to arm himself. He turns to that miracle we call the internet. And days later, he begins to travel at night with a katana sheathed at his side. He expects to be stopped or gaped at or run away from, but miraculously, no one seems to notice or care.

One night as he heads for the river (it's nice to fall asleep to its gentle babble), he spies the shape of a person in the woods. Yato rarely runs across other people here, especially at night, so he instinctively quiets himself and observes from behind a tree. The person turns, just a little, and Yato makes out just enough of his face. Isn't that... Ryoji?

He frowns, on the verge of revealing himself to ask what Ryoji is up to out here, when something strange happens. The shadows play in front of him, the sound of a deep rumble -- and then he's blinded by light. When his eyesight returns, Ryoji is gone and something else stands in his place.

Hunched and slim, dressed in a grim coat with -- are those coffins? A being so otherworldly and eerie, that for the first time in years, Yato feels a chill in his heart. It's been a long time since he's felt this -- a raw, instinctual fear.

And yet... isn't that Ryoji? Ryoji was literally standing there a second ago, wasn't he? As much as he doesn't see eye-to-eye with the guy, Yato can't walk away without at least attempting to verify that Ryoji as a person is still somewhere in this picture. Yuuko would kill him if he didn't...

So uh. Against his better judgment, Yato separates from the tree. He eyes the giant bread knife in the thing's hand and carefully rests his hand on the hilt of his sword. ]

Ryoji?

[appraiser]

[ Ryoji as a person hasn't been in any picture for almost a whole month now; he'd been passing, emptiness in his chest and in his eyes shines a light that is more harsh than warm, and it's times like now that he feels close to understanding why: (fear) a deep seated dread upon seeing the face of somebody he knows, mirrored between them if only Thanatos had a face behind its mask, soulless eyes staring down at Yato and it does not speak. It cannot, for fear. For guilt, for shame, for the inevitable regret that will come with answering in Ryoji's voice, for the sword in Yato's hands that will be driven through its throat and carved down its chest and Thanatos will have to kill him. It's fear with which Thanatos turns to Yato, coffins spreading behind it like wings and blocking out any last trace of moonlight from the sky so that he may join it in a world of shadow. Fear that allows a single glimmer of light, bright and glowing between the jaws of its mask, danger. Fear that Thanatos hopes strikes at Yato's heart as well, so that he may scared into leaving and running away, never to return, because Ryoji Mochizuki is dead. In his place, Death. ]

C

[feistytrader]

[Silver is late for work. He's never really late to work, so maybe Jaeger might take pity on him, but that doesn't mean that the idea of it doesn't have him in a panic anyway. So that very same traffic that just started to wind up and Ryoji is contemplating walking into is the traffic that Silver is boldly dashing through; he easily outruns one car while nearly getting slammed by another- he manages to roll past the car which gets him quite a bit of irritated honking return- and hastily makes his way...

...Directly towards Ryoji at full speed, because dodging cars and looking at the guy precariously close to the road don't exactly synergize very well. Watch out--!]

[appraiser]

[ The honking of car horns jolts Ryoji out of one reverie and back into another and another— six years old, nineteen, now— and he freezes, cursing the fact that his feet won't move and mind won't work, all he can do is close his eyes and brace for impact and—

an elbow to his gut, feet lifting and back hitting the sidewalk before his head follows suit and he's seeing flashes of light that persist even behind his eyelids.

"What?" he'd like to ask, but he can't draw breath, he can only turn over and prop himself up by the elbows and look at Silver like "What the heck are you doing?????" ]

D

[gudaguda]

[ Sakura's a little startled by this sudden approach, but she does comply - a little warily but still with a smile on her face. She purses her lips as she feels the ring in her fingers. ]

I don't understand what it is, but it feels not correct.

[ Her words are a little unsure, as if she's unsure to describe exactly what she's feeling. And then she realises what she said, so she corrects herself. ]

Hmm... I think it would be better to say "not correct for me" cause it's something that's important to a particular person.

[ she opens up her fingers again, to look at the ring she didn't understand ]

[appraiser]

[ Oh. "Not correct for me" is an answer he'll take, along with ring back from Sakura's hand, lifting it up by the chain and letting it dangle above her palm, the ring turning slowly in the air. ]

I see. Rings are often bought to be given, after all.

[ That's what makes him pause, because he's yet unsure what side of the transaction he's supposed to be on, but shakes the thought from his mind as he looks from the ring back to Sakura. ]

I'm sorry for approaching with such a strange question. Are you not very familiar with rings?

[ Or is "I don't understand what it is" something that she would revise like the "not correct"? ]

B

[covenantal]

[ Well, Yu has his own reasons for sneaking out by himself these days. A power of his own that he doesn't know how to handle but is determined to practice, far away from anyone who might get hurt if he's careless. Open fields, parks, secluded woods - anywhere he thinks he'll be alone, where he won't get followed or found.

What he isn't expecting is to find, instead.

It's the sounds and lights that draw his attention first, pulling him from his own thoughts with a heart-stopping snap; that ... wasn't anything natural, he thinks. And maybe despite his own better judgment he moves towards the source, feeling out the shape of the power in his mind and wondering if it would be enough, if he had to, if he needed to.

Careful, steady, but loud enough to be heard: ]

Who's there?

[appraiser]

[ Death or, Ryoji, only for the moment, but they are the same He's startled by the voice that alone would drive fear into his heart, a familiar one he does not want to confront even more so. Instead of answering— before he can answer— the shock runs up the back of his neck, breath catching in his throat and released in a cold rattle as the shadows flicker about him and form the heavy coat and the metal coffins that is the prison Thanatos carries with. The change is sudden, but not silent, impossible with all that Thanatos carries, a welling of power that scatters leaves into the wind around where it stands. ]

C, let's go to the zoo

[long_live_the_queen]

[Today was Lucy's day off; she had nowhere pressing to be, a skirt she liked was just out of the dryer, and those announcements about the zoo earlier this month before that...fever dream of a week reminded her. So rather than rest her sprained ankle like she should have been doing, the teenager was out looking at the lions.

Or would have been. There's an obstacle in the way. He's been there for ten minutes.

...Lucy's also been staring at him for ten minutes.]

What are you doing?

[There was also a bench near where Ryoji was standing; brace and painkillers or not her ankle was starting to really bother her. And her oversized sense of personal space insisted he was too close.]

[appraiser]

[ Ryoji startles, rattling the chain links in pulling away, turning, slamming his back into the fence as he faces the voice as if he can't decide which way to run.

There's a dissonance with what he thinks he should have felt upon seeing Lucy: relief? fear? uncertainty? because they didn't exactly part on good terms. Or... interact on good terms in general. It would be much easier to provoke Lucy into killing him than the lion. ]

...Nothing.

[ It's an answer laden with guilt, but it's also sort of the truth. If she'd been staring at him for the past ten minutes, he also stood there, forehead leaned against the fence and staring, waiting, doing nothing. ]

5/21 daytime

[accordance]

[ It's been a few days since Ryoji last texted him. Worry for the boy's health has never quite left his mind, to the point of him unconsciously losing sleep - but at last, his schedule has been freed, and Ryoji had agreed to let him check up on him.

He pulls his trenchcoat over his wings and gathers the items that he had prepared. It's going to be a long walk to where Ryoji had kept himself, so by the time he arrives he looks a little out of breath, a suggestion of dark circles under his eyes. ]

Ryoji? I am here.

[appraiser]

[ Nights have been set aside for practice, trials, sitting and thinking in the cold are and soft moonlight. Nights are quiet and comfortable, and more importantly, when less people are about and he is able to move more freely.

Days, he sleeps, or tries, dreamless and fretful. But not today. Today he stays awake, clearing burnt brush out of the way and filling in the holes where the forest ground had been torn apart, trees broken and widening the natural clearing. His doing, but too little of that control feels like it is his, as opposed to Thanatos.

Thanatos could never see the light of day for all Ryoji cares, trying to master his fear and suppress the monster, but for that, he needs help. For that, he needs Lucian, quick steps to meet the doctor, his friend, the moment he hears his voice. ]

b! i hope this is ok!

[loudmouths]

[ why keigo decided to take a walk through the woods would have been anyone's guess, but the reality behind it was that he just... needed space. needed space from the odd thoughts and memories that had been plaguing him for the past month and a half. the woods seemed like a good place to start, even if it was in the middle of the night. what did he care? it wasn't like he was afraid of the dark!

...well, he didn't think he was.

anything could be scary if you had an overactive imagination, which keigo did, ten times over. sounds and flickers of shadow turned into horrific imagery, and it didn't help that his memories... well, they were filling in the blanks for him. what blanks? well... ]

I-Iyaaa! W-what's--!

[ his voice sounded so much louder in the silence of the forest, which only made the impressive sense of loneliness all the more overwhelming. it wasn't until he saw... movement that he cupped his hands over his mouth, willing himself to tread lightly. was that... someone's back? who? and what was... ]

H-hah...hahaha... no way.

[ indeed, what was that? keigo was frozen in place, eyes wide and owlish. ]

[appraiser]

[ It looks more "what" than "who," a row of coffins sticking out of the dirt from in between the trees, each imprinted with the bodies of clergymen carrying blades on their chests and holly at their feet. And then them move, lifted up with the rattling of chains so jarring in the still night, as the tall, dark figure stands and rises above the ground. At least, facing its back, Keigo is yet unnoticed by Thanatos. But as the leaves and branches settle after the transformation, his voice becomes more apparent over the dying wind, and it turns, slow, its face a white mask with empty eyes. ]

b

[notbunaga]

[She had no intention of being out this late at night, or even wandering this far. Souji had been restless the whole evening, barking and scratching at her front door, and eventually it became such a hassle that she figured something must be outside her apartment. In the off chance someone was wandering the halls with less than noble intentions, she had to at least investigate.

But the moment she opened the door, her dog had bolted out of her apartment, down the hall, through the doors into the stairwell and began descending fairly quickly at that...it was a total shock, and she found herself having to hastily throw on a jacket, shoes and...

...she grabs Hasebe, just in case. She was getting better. These days, if someone on the street was looking to cause trouble, she was never really concerned anymore. But in her mind, she was always threatening or fighting off people. When she manages to catch sight of Souji and follow her all the way to Recolle woods, a torch in one hand as she occasionally calls out for her dog, when she hears the sound of something nearby and, flashing the torch in Ryoji's direction, catches sight of something beyond that...something clearly inhuman.

If anything happens, she's not even sure a sword would cut it, no matter how good she's gotten with it.

Literally.]

...

[She doesn't say anything and does try to back off, but she's already betrayed her presence, having shone the light in her hand across him.]

[appraiser]

[ Nobody should be out this late at night, so deep in the woods. That would have been ideal, but impractical, if each passing night is anything to go on and Ryoji pushes deeper and deeper through the trees. Not far enough to hide from the barking of a dog that has him changing into Thanatos so that it may take to the sky, a familiar voice that has it freezing where it is, a slow turn into the beam of light that blinds, that almost obscures the person holding it, sword in her hand. "Run." The word flashes through Thanatos' mind, for once a word not aimed at another, but at itself. Ryoji would want to speak to her, but... shadows like him not being human She had brushed those things off the moment he brought them up and tried to explain; she didn't care. She didn't think they mattered. She would, now, seeing Thanatos charge right towards her using the light itself as a beacon, swooping at her head with its blade out but hopefully Aki's short enough that she wouldn't get beheaded even if she doesn't duck. ]

A

[explodosafe]

[Cutter had been out and about on the streets that night, feeling the familiar itch of too much energy and too little to waste it on besides thoughts he didn't want to think just yet once again. The experience with the shrinking and the subsequent trip into the woods are still fresh on his mind, the emotions he's felt weighing far heavier on his heart than any of the strange things he actually experienced.

Maybe it's because of that that he glances up and decides to investigate rather than to do the smart thing and just mind his own damn business. Strange things are something he can deal with. Maybe whatever he'll find will scare him, maybe it will be dangerous but at least he will be able to know exactly what it is that is causing those feelings.

That's much better than spending another night with nothing but the thoughts inside his head, really.

So he ignores all voices of reasons and heads toward the source of the commotion, using the marks on the street and strange lights as a trail until he has found the source -- or got found by it in return, since the first he notices is the hellish wailing that suddenly fills the air.

Gripping the knife in his pocket tighter he keeps looking until he finally sees it and his mind balks. Ironically it's not the coffins that disturbs him the most. It's also not the wailing, or the morbid mask and not even the ridiculous dangerous-looking sword.]

-the HELL 's up with your legs?!

[appraiser]

[ All the better to kick Cutter's face in, because Thanatos doesn't need feet to do that. And at least Cutter has voice of reason warning him no matter if he ignores them; there is no reason in Thanatos' dark, empty eyes, who sees a boy with his hands in his pockets and eyes to the ground where Thanatos takes off from in flight— this is why no feet, it does not need them to take to the air, brandish its sword, and dive down at where Cutter stands and would hopefully listen to that voice of reason of his to run or get out of the way. ]

D. Sorry this is so late!

[bold_in_deed]

[Ilia blinks a moment, taken aback by the request. But she does as he asks, holding out her hand for the ring.

She closes her fingers around it, frowning as she notices the glow. Odd. But it's cold, too.]

Um... a bit cool? The ring is, anyway. I don't feel anything in particular besides confusion.

[appraiser]

[ Confusion is understandable, having been approached out of nowhere, but Ryoji's eyes light up somewhat at being told his ring is cool. ]

Oh! Do you really think it's cool? I worried it might look silly, worn on a chain rather than on my finger.

[ Is this the wrong sort of cool... ]

a - recolle woods / walks in 1937171292 hours late with starbucks

[tarotcards]

[ Since Souji has received Mada, his daily routine changed. Instead of spending his afternoons with friends or his nights sleeping in, he ventures off to secluded areas to practice. Train where no one else could get hurt or see what he now possesses. He made a mistake a few days ago, not getting further out from the city, and he caused too much destruction and harm, so he's not making the same mistake again. ]

[ He ventures out into the woods, noting that trees plus fire monsters normally ends in disaster, but if he stays near the entrance and avoids going deep into the forest then he'll be fine, right? But then Souji spots little bits of destruction and the sounds of rattling chains and his curiosity has him wandering in (as if he didn't learn from last time). Eventually, he comes face to face with Thanatos and he freezes. The chill in the air, just the overall look of it... ]

Are you...?

[ "One of those things? The things from my memories?" ]

chugs your starbucks, it's mine now

[appraiser]

[ It's a terrible night for the curious to be out in the woods, following so obvious a trail from the outskirts of town straight into the forest. In the path to Thanatos, it's clear there's been a struggle: trees torn up from the top down near the entrance as if of something that's come crashing down from the sky, trees bearing gashes upon their trunks in casualty of more than one battle, the absence of trees in some area that have been burnt away too cleanly to be natural. And then, Thanatos, mirroring Souji as it stills and regards him coldly with empty eyes beneath its mask. Is it...? What? It's very tired, back hunched and jaws slow to open as it regards Souji for a moment longer. Then draws its sword from the scabbard at its waist, quicker to fight than to flee. ]

B

[constellates]

[The forest is the best place for stargazing.

It had just been a few months ago that Anya had taken a tumble in this place, but that was enough to scare her off. Unfortunate. Instead, she's got her small backpack that consists of a blanket, emergency supplies, and everything she could need for a night hike. Even if she's prone to loneliness, she doesn't consider it to be the same when she's among the stars. When she's stargazing, she always feels like she's with friends.

When she sees Ryoji in the distance, she perks up. Truly, friends are a wonderful thing, aren't they?

She's about to call out to him, hand raised and lips parting, when everything shifts. It's dark and light and suddenly loud as trees fall in the distance and Anya's blinking, stunned as her fingers are still reaching out to where she saw him.

It occurs to her that she should be scared - but it's worry and concern that carry her forward instead, something dreadful and heavy making a home in her ribcage.]

Ryoji...? Ryoji...!

[Self-preservation is for suckers.]

[appraiser]

[ Anya, how are you not dead yet. Thanatos will fix that for you. Because it's Thanatos that stands there when Anya arrives, not Ryoji. Thanatos in the middle of a clearing made of splintered wood and overturned earth, the sharp bite of metal in the air and an unnatural chill that makes one's hair stand on end. Thanatos that swings its head around at Anya when it hears her, responding to a sound rather than a voice or a name because it's still too early and Ryoji hasn't managed to wrangle control back from this creature that opens the jaws of its mask and lets out a roar that seems to shake the very earth, line of coffins spreading out behind its back as it takes to the sky, blotting out the moon, and Anya's precious stars. ]