mochizuki ryoji ([personal profile] appraiser) wrote in [community profile] recolle2017-05-16 03:46 pm

[semi-open] harbinger of suffering and grief

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))
feistytrader: (okay then)

[personal profile] feistytrader 2017-05-20 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
[...It's occurred to Silver that not all of the past lives or whatever they are are going to be pleasant. It's impossible that they'd all have cool lives. Even Shouto, with his cool superhero school, has a big scar on his face. His memories are full of cool magical animals, but most of them have seemed like something dangerous. It's impossible for everything to be happy all the time.

But for something to have someone this worked up? What the hell happened?]


Want to talk about it?

[He's not one to pry into a stranger's life. At the same time, there are only so many of them that are dealing with this, and the rest of the world... Well, they think they're just crazy, right? It feels wrong not to lend an ear.]
long_live_the_queen: (don't fuck up like I did)

[personal profile] long_live_the_queen 2017-05-20 02:52 am (UTC)(link)
[Lucy unfolded her arms, grabbing the slats of the bench and leaning forwards. Her grasp shook at the wrists slightly. She heard, listened—and denied what she could even louder. This was what was. This was all she was. Why did Ryoji think she wasn't? Why did Minako—why did anyone? Why were they trying to change the world around her?

She understood this, as miserable and as lonely an existence as it was. Not that, not the world that existed through the window she was peering in. It was strange, and frightening because it was strange.
]

What are you, a fucking priest now?!

[Her voice was a shade higher-pitched this time, and not as vitriolic as it could have been. More desperate, like an animal chased into a corner.]
accordance: all by <user name="feonixe"> (Default)

[personal profile] accordance 2017-05-20 02:58 am (UTC)(link)
[ Lucian is not someone who walks very quickly, so they can keep pace without much effort. It's not likely that he would take off his shoes, but he can make up for that in other ways. A calming presence, the role that he has always played. ]

Nature holds beauty. We need only look.

[ Never mind that Ryoji might have destroyed some of it. For now he deigns to speak little, waiting for the youth to voice what he thinks. ]
burningblossoms: (Sick)

[personal profile] burningblossoms 2017-05-20 03:07 am (UTC)(link)
[Which is more or less what Sumeo-Okami had expected. She'd dipped low enough into the trees that she was just skimming the ground, heading for a portion of wood that was filled with stones left over from clearing out portions of the beach for use. Large boulders and chunks of stone give her more things to duck behind protect her from splinters.

Poking her head out, she sweeps a beam of fire in a wide arc, not bothering to aim and just going for the method that would hurt it the most.

Further back towards the beach, Yukiko's just beginning to stagger to her feet, plucking splinters from her arms and trying not to panic. This is...objectively? Pretty terrifying.]
loudmouths: (🌟 second verse same as the first)

[personal profile] loudmouths 2017-05-20 03:45 am (UTC)(link)
[ keigo was diligent in keeping his mouth covered, but when the moonlight struck against the surface of one of those coffins, it didn't seem to matter much in the end. a shrill yell was still audible from behind his hands, something almost girlish (perhaps something dramatic like "iiihiii!!") and definitely embarrassing. he couldn't help it; he'd never seen anything like that before!

...or had he?

his eyes frantically searched back and forth, looking for an easy exit from this monstrosity, but then ... it heard him.

well, he hadn't been quiet, in the end, so it was to be expected. keigo stared up at the strange amalgamation of morbid imagery, his hands dropping to his sides as he found himself almost compelled to remain in one spot. a fear that paralyzing? it felt familiar.

he laughed. hollowly, a rigid rattle in his lungs. lips quirked, keigo slowly raised a hand upward, as if to wave. ]


Eeeh... S-sorry... to... disturb...

[ he was going to die, was the pervasive mood at that moment. ]
long_live_the_queen: (okay who shot me)

[personal profile] long_live_the_queen 2017-05-20 04:19 am (UTC)(link)
[She saw Ryoji topple backwards, and started to lean away—

And the light appeared, shimmering in the air in front of her. Lucy threw herself back, off of the bench, smacking heavily into the ground. That didn't matter, what mattered was getting away, far enough to see what the hell that was.

She rolled to her feet, ignoring the stab of pain in her ankle, and rose to a crouch she could only hold for a few seconds before her sprain couldn't handle it any more. Lucy lurched sideways, landing on the ground again with the bench between them.
]

What did—what did you do?!
true_noir: (Hmmm)

[personal profile] true_noir 2017-05-20 04:21 am (UTC)(link)
The rest of it, yes. At least that is what I assume. I only found this wedged in, like it was what was left behind after all.

[She nodded at the mention of the arcade and considered for a moment. It brought to her mind Tim. At the very least, maybe he'd have some idea of where to find illegal help?]

I could ask Aki, or possibly Tim. They're someone who maybe could help a little.
feistytrader: (say what now)

[personal profile] feistytrader 2017-05-20 04:25 am (UTC)(link)
[...That would require watching the news. He thinks he remembers reading something about a car accident on twitter, but truth be told, he's been way more buried in other things. But that's not really the point, either, because the point is that those things happened and they're important.]

Are you saying you ripped up the pier?

[Maybe he shouldn't be asking that so casually. Oh well. His expression doesn't change much, and he doesn't let go of Ryoji's hand as he asks.]
covenantal: (193.)

[personal profile] covenantal 2017-05-20 06:36 am (UTC)(link)
[ Yu scrambles out of the way of an attack that won't hit him, his pulse spiking as his heart climbs into his throat and stays there, obstructing his breathing. It's just a burning light, so bright it's almost blinding, and though he it doesn't touch him, his mouth tastes sour with fear. He has a feeling that if it had touched him, he'd be hurting. ]

No!

[ It didn't actually... that wouldn't have-- hit him, though... ]

What's wrong?! Please, answer me!

[ He doesn't know what compels him. Other than some sense that something is happening here that he doesn't understand, something he should at least try to do something about. ]
goen: (move it!)

[personal profile] goen 2017-05-20 06:38 am (UTC)(link)
[ If he hadn't seen Ryoji standing in the exact spot this creature appeared in, Yato wouldn't be able to believe it could house a human. Even now he has his doubts. There's nothing sentient in its single-minded devotion to death.

But a mindless sword is a predictable one. Yato raises his sword to parry, and even he's a little surprised to find that he raises it in time. The sawtooth edge of the creature's sword drags at Yato's, ripping Yato's stance wide as he allows his sword to slide past his body rather than absorb the full shock of that torrential blow.

He's never been in a real swordfight before -- kendo with Yamato is playtime compared to this -- and yet movement comes naturally. Like a dance. He only has to feel the flow. If this creature is raw force, then Yato is water. Wrenched sideways, his body rides the momentum. He whirls -- and though the creature has oddly recoiled, Yato won't relent. If Thanatos doesn't move, it'll find a savage tornado of a kick to its masked head. ]


Ryoji! I know you're in there, you sunny asshole!
covenantal: (125.)

[personal profile] covenantal 2017-05-20 07:07 am (UTC)(link)
... I could ask you why you won't hurt me.

[ He's standing there wide-eyed with both his hands balled into fists at his sides now, fear draining all the blood from his otherwise stoic expression. He's afraid, there's no mistaking it now; but he still won't let his expression crack, not even beneath slightly wide eyes.

His heart leaps like a frightened jack rabbit, trying to beat a path to escape through his throat and temples and wrists; but he can't run, not now.

Why, it asks him. ]


I ... I want to help, [ he says haltingly, not knowing if it's the right thing to say, not even knowing if help is needed. ]
complementing: (Default)

[personal profile] complementing 2017-05-20 07:44 am (UTC)(link)
[She stands there, tense and unmoving, waiting for Thanatos to strike first because going in blind would be suicidal, it could probably kill her before she even met it halfway. It might kill her anyways. But a minute passes, and then thirty seconds more, and Minako is starting to wonder if it's actually going to come for her. What is this stand off for? Is it waiting for something? Waiting for her to do something? Muscle by muscle, she uncoils from her fighting stance, lets out the breath she didn't realize she was holding.

She doesn't know what it wants, but she knows what she wants. She wants answers.]


Thanatos, right? Ryoji told me about you. [One daring step forward, her knees trembling as she plants her foot down.] Why are you here? Did Retrospec summon you from the other world somehow? How are you connected to Ryoji? [A beat.] Do you even understand me?
notbunaga: (Default)

[personal profile] notbunaga 2017-05-20 09:18 am (UTC)(link)
[Fortunately, her fighting instincts aren't her own. It isn't Aki that drives herself to duck, dodge and roll out of the way, but the memory of someone else. Of a warlord who'd laugh even in the face of death.

But she can't say she's as confident. The sensation of standing in front of this...thing is like staring at her own grave. The feeling in her stomach is unpleasant. Her knees might be shaking.

Despite that, it attacked first. All bets are off. Aki draws Hasebe from its sheath and takes a stance, discarding the torch to the floor.
]

I'm warning you now. [Is she afraid? Of course she is. She's never dealt with anything like this before.] I know how to use this.

[Even so, her words don't betray her feelings. She's steady.]
thesettingsun: smile (I can't explain to you)

[personal profile] thesettingsun 2017-05-20 09:31 am (UTC)(link)
Nothing terrible. Getting arrested for communism, getting bullied by a drunk midget.

[It's not a bad description of memory-Chuuya. Who's even shorter than barowner-Chuuya.]

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