EnterTheHero

Crystal Universe

...So. You guys full up on Gem characters, or could I sneak in with something fascinating like Onyx or Bismuth?

Persona - The True Self

Mako Moritomi//Moritomi Home for the Disturbed

Sunday, June 28, 2015

==~==

Mako stood, shakily, looking out over the carnage that that... creature had wrought. The flames slowly died down, leaving nothing but char and embers in their wake. He walked through the haze of smoke, eyes focused on the collapsed form before him as it stirred, beginning to force itself to its feet. It finally rose, looking Mako in the eyes, though differently than it had- where once there was malice and vitriol, the thing's gaze now seemed appraising. Perhaps even anticipating something.

Heh. "Creature." "Thing." Am I still that much of a coward? Can I still not see what's happening here?

No. Not anymore. Mako stared himself in the eyes, unwavering. Himself. His doppelganger, his... Shadow. Everything he'd run and hidden from. Everything he hated or feared about himself. His hands curled into fists as he tried to order his thoughts, trying to find the words he needed to say to his other half.

"...Fine. Goddammit, fine, okay? You win. I admit it. You... you are me."

He raked his fingers through his hair, still trying to calm down. "I... I was scared. Who wouldn't be? When Haku died, something... something broke inside me. The feelings I had- the rage, the frustration, the hatred- I couldn't make them stop. I couldn't make it go away. I wanted to- to hurt them. Make them suffer. Can you imagine...? Me, a kid, wanting to kill his own parents he was so angry. Can you imagine looking inside of yourself and seeing this, just itching to come out? It was horrifying.

"So I ran. I just ran. My parents were deemed unfit to keep me around after Haku died, and I was sent to live with my uncle here in town. I was... relieved. Ecstatic, even. Here was my chance- to flee those thoughts and feelings, to start anew. I tried to throw myself into my new life as much as possible. I ignored... all of this, burning and festering and growing inside me. I thought that if I could live hard enough, run far enough away, pretend I was happy for long enough, that maybe you'd just... go away."

He laughed. A bitter, joyless sound. "What a fucking joke, right? Problems don't go away if you ignore them. They just... get worse. And every time I lost control, it was just another reminder of what an idiot I was to keep part of myself locked up, hoping I could pass as normal for just one more day. You just kept building and boiling and... I could never keep you down for long. No matter how hard I tried, you were always there. And I'm an idiot for not admitting this sooner."

His face hardened, then, a look of resolve passing over his face. Despite the pain and exhaustion, he stood straight and tall. "You know, you're not wrong... But you're not exactly right, either. You're a part of me, yeah, but this isn't everything that I am. I... We can be so much better than this. We can be the person I was trying to be. For real, this time. Because now that I can face what's wrong with me... Now I can finally change for the better. The right way.

"So here it is. The truth. I am you. You are me. And... we can be so much better than this."

The Shadow stood silent for a moment, then grinned, much warmer than before. He clapped, a look of pride on his face.

"Well said."

And then the Shadow changed, but differently this time. Instead of a twisted version of Mako's flaws, the Shadow became a being in green and gold samurai armor, wielding a long trumpet like a lance or spear of some kind. Mako winced as a voice suddenly thundered in his mind.

I am thou. Thou art I.
I am Israfil, the Trumpeter.
Harbinger of tidings both glad and ill.

The being vanished, and Mako felt a warmth suffuse his chest. That being... it was like the ones he'd seen being used earlier- the beings they called forth to fight his Shadow. Persona...

So... This is mine, then? My power? Heh. So... this is that destiny... she talked about...

His thoughts slowed to a crawl, exhaustion suddenly hammering down on him like the weight of the world. He fell to his knees, already pitching forward onto his face. He laughed internally.

Haha... Gonna have... one hell of a headache... when I wake up.

...All of you... I'll see you guys later.

And then, there was nothing but the black of unconsciousness.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

Silas engaged Light Speed again, cursing as the flechettes of blue energy screamed toward them. Even nearly stopping time did little to diminish the onslaught, as it still moved unreasonably quickly. Regardless, he had plenty of time to get out of the way- to an extent. Non-vital areas of his body, such his arms, a calf, a shoulder, were pierced by the arcane shrapnel. He winced in pain, but continued moving. He'd felt worse pain than this before. He dropped back into normal time and aimed himself at the Abyssal creature once again, this time not bothering with broadcasting his attacks. A Beloved appeared from the air behind him, swinging its axe at Silas' back. Silas leaped up, landing on the haft of the axe as it swung upward, being launched into the air toward the Abyssal.

Let's see how he deals with this- Dervish Dance! He seemingly kicked off the air toward the Abyssal, the blades of Pleiades spinning around him in a fiery ring, like a chainsaw, eager to rip into the monstrosity's flesh...

...At least until the damn thing started talking. Eloquently. Silas' eyes widened as he called off his attack, the blades of Pleiades returning to their resting state as, once again, angelic wings sprouted from his back, flapping once to force his trajectory back and away from the creature. He fell, and landed gracefully as the Abyssal went on talking, making its- his?- observations of them. It... fears us? He looked down at his hand, still burning with veins of what looked like magma. No... not quite us, but the power we wield. The Firebrand.

The hand clenched into a fist. All the more reason for us to finish this, then. He began to stride forward, readying Pleiades' facets, heedless of the pressure assaulting his mind- he'd gazed upon the broken form of Jubileus before. Such an assault was child's play to ignore, for the time being. He'd have to finish this quickly, before it did become a problem, however. He gestured, one of Pleiades' blades rising to meet his mental command...

And then Souta sank to the ground, clutching his head, slurring his words. And then Mary succumbed as well, though to a lesser extent than Souta, the poor boy. Silas could have hit himself in frustration. After so long amongst his comrades, he had a tendency to forget that most mortals did not share his fortitude. He grit his teeth, looking between his pained comrades and the beast. He likely wouldn't be able to take the creature on his own, or even with Akoni and possibly Midori's support, before they too were increasingly overwhelmed by the influx of knowledge. He cursed, then swept back, calling off his attack.

"Dammit... DAMMIT. All of this effort, and for what...? Fine. We're leaving. Consider yourself fortunate that I would prefer my allies remain alive and unbroken." He engaged Light Speed, following after the rapidly retreating forms of his comrades, clenching his fists in frustration.

At least I know something more than I once did. I know the face of my enemy. And I will not rest until he is stopped. For the good of the Trinity.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

Silas wished he could rely on his hounds for this fight as he once again swung Pleiades against the Abyssal beast's hide, while thanking whatever forces might have inspired him to construct his dear weapon in the manner he did. The connection he possessed with his blades ensured that the beast couldn't consume them- they only ever moved under his power. The same, however, could not be said for his hounds. He didn't want to risk his oldest companions being consumed by this... thing, so they had been dismissed for now, waiting in Paradiso for his summons. For now, they were safe. Pity the same could not be said about him and the others.

As the Abyssal clung to the ceiling, it let loose a torrent of blue flame, probably the same hellfire Midori had spewed at him only moments before. He ran frantically from the spreading inferno, the heat causing his jacket and even his hair to singe and smolder. He winced in pain before leaping upward, angel wings bursting from his back to flap over and away from the torrent of flame, engaging Light Speed as he went. The blue blaze slowed to a crawl for a matter of seconds, allowing Silas time to get himself to a safe distance before the fire started moving again. The heat still stung, but it was better than being roasted alive. He touched down a fair distance away from the beast, turning to face it just as Souta latched onto it and pulled himself to it. Silas blinked in confusion- [color=goldenrod]That doesn't seem very productive, he mused as Akoni and Mary set up some sort of combination attack.

Now's my chance, he thought, his eyes falling on Mary's transformed state, eyebrow raised as he appraised it. So... that's Firebrand Trigger, is it? At least, hers. Perhaps it's different for each of us. He saw Akoni's hit land on the Abyssal, and Mary running to follow up. He shrugged internally. Now would be a fabulous time to find out! He felt for the wellspring of power he had been gifted with, and, just as instructed, gave it a firm tug.

The effect was instantaneous. The skin around his eyes cracked and smoldered like volcanic rock, as well as on his hands and arms. His eyes glowed like coals, and sparks flew from his mouth with each breath. His clothes darkened even further on his body, and a pair of glowing red glyphs in the vague shape of wings appeared on the back of his jacket. But the most dramatic change in appearance was that of Pleiades- instead of beautiful gold, the blades were now a glossy pitch black, as though made of obsidian, with the same veins of fire and magma running through them as Silas' body. It felt... exhilarating. Such power... and he could make it grow stronger still. How very interesting. He focused on the Abyssal, arranging Pleiades in front of him, aimed at the Abyssal.

"Try this on for size! Knife Thrower!" The blades of Pleiades zoomed away, one after the other, like bullets from a gun barrel, streaming smoke like meteors as they rushed toward the Abyssal's hide.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

I'm working on my post right now. I'm very sorry for the wait.

Create-A-Hero: A Superhero RPG (Closed)

<Snipped quote by fdeviant>

Alright, last listing of heroes is currently:

@Tearstone ?, @EnterTheHero, @fdeviant, @Nytefalland @GamerXZ.

Guys, the ones involved in the collab, you have until Saturday to get a reply started. If you don't, I'm moving the story onward with the Villains side and allowing the active Heroes other ways to find Rach. If you're stuck or having issues, REMEMBER communications with other players help. Even those not involved in the scene can provide options or thoughts that might lead into other ways to move the scene.

With Rach 'gone' for two hours, this leaves a lot of time to do things.

Some ideas is naturally getting patched up, determine your next step, etc. Someone could seek out recently purchased properties that could be an ideal holding space for a kidnapped individual. The Steel Mill mentioned in the IC, in the last post, could've been recently purchased by a dummy corporation that is connected to the Syndicate and that could be the main reason to investigate it. Maybe they use the two hours to get patched up, updated over the situation and determine which of their options they are going for. I suggest figuring that out OCly if you're going that route so it saves time and helps with flow.

If you're still having issues, ask for help with ideas. We're all writers, it's not impossible one of us might have a reasonable or interesting possiblity to have fun with.

@Fallenreaper

I can post tonight after my sisters' birthday party- I'll have a laptop free to use.

Persona - The True Self

<Snipped quote by EnterTheHero>
whose side are you on

@Sen

I don't know. I think I was speaking on the Shadow's behalf...?

Persona - The True Self

@Oblivion666@floodtalon

...

Come at me, bro.

The Three Realms War [A DMC, Bayonetta and Darksiders RP]

Since I'm finally out of school, I can finally post. Expect one by the end of the week, at the latest.

Persona - The True Self

Mako Moritomi//Moritomi Home for the Disturbed

Sunday, June 28, 2015

==~==

The first thing Mako processed upon regaining consciousness was the raging headache. Following that was processing the fact that everything hurt.

Owww... someone get the number of the truck that hit me. He shifted, trying to find purchase on the slick ground through the fog in his brain. Ugh... jeez, you'd think those cultists would be a bit more careful with the people they're trying to--

Mako's eyes snapped open. The cultists! Gritting his teeth with the effort, he managed to slowly push himself up to a kneeling position, groaning in pain as he took in his surroundings. It was... bleak. Some sort of abandoned facility, like a community center, or something. It was hard to tell under the layer of graffiti and filth covering every surface. It was honestly pretty nauseating.

I didn't even know there was a building like this in Warakuma. He pondered this thought for a moment more before a sick feeling settled in his stomach. But then... how long have I been out? I might not even be anywhere near Warakuma anymore... which would be troubling. He pushed himself to his feet, still feeling somewhat stiff and shaky. It was somewhat hard to see, seeing as it was dark, but he could see a lot of debris scattered around him. He'd have to watch where he stepped- wouldn't want to trip over anything in the dark.

He took a few tentative steps forward before light flared from directly above, briefly blinding him. He hissed in pain, his headache exacerbated by the sudden light.

Confounded tech crew, what the hell--? He risked sparing a glance around, to see what the light had illuminated, then froze, eyes going wide as his pain was forgotten.

Two dummies, situated directly to his left and right, hung in the air above him by their necks, as though in effigy. That would have been disturbing enough, but then there was the writing on them to consider, as well. On his left, the dummy was marked with the kanji for "mother." On the right, the kanji read "father." Mako shook his head, looking between the hanged dummies, feeling a sickening sense of... almost familiarity. Like... he knew this scene, somehow.

What the hell is this? With the light shining down, Mako could more clearly make out the writing on the walls and floor- and what he read only enhanced the sickened feeling in his gut. Is this... could these really be...?

“Ugh, fuckin' finally! I was beginning to think you were never waking up.”

Mako turned abruptly toward the voice that sounded behind him. "Who--?"

Whatever he was going to say died on his lips as soon as he saw the source of the voice. That’s… that’s not possible. He stared in blank shock at the figure, hunched and squatting a short distance away, tapping a nonsense rhythm on his knees with his fingers. The figure smirked, as though it could tell what he was thinking, rising lithely to its full standing height, still wearing that grin.

His own grin, on his own face.

His doppelganger sauntered over, wearing what appeared to be a tattered straitjacket, the sleeves torn off at the elbows, its hands filthy with what looked like dried blood. He shuddered.

“What are you…?”

The grin grew wider, but no less cold. “I should think you would be able to figure that out, genius. Those cultists must have hit you pretty goddamn hard if you don't even recognize your own face.”

Mako flinched, then tried to maintain his composure. “...Really? You really think I’m gonna buy that something like you is me?”

“Why not? You fake it all the time. Why is this identity any less honest than the rest of you?”

“I… I don’t fake--”

“I’m gonna stop you right there, ‘cause we both know that’s bullshit. I mean, let’s count the ways, shall we? The grade-A pupil to your teachers? Budding actor to the drama club? Rising star to the boxers, and charming master to that stupid cafe you always go to. And let’s not forget the most unbearable of your acts, the shining white knight for that little sham of a relationship you're trying to force. So many faces, so many charming little lies."

Mako's mouth worked noiselessly as he tried to think of something to say, but was distracted by the doors behind his copy opening up, admitting a trio of individuals. The copy's eyebrow raised as he turned around. Mako couldn't tell, but it seemed, from his doppelganger's stance, that he would be grinning that cold grin.

"Ah. The peanut gallery finally arrives, but..." His head tilted. "...Hmm. Your boyfriend's not here. What a shame." He shrugged, turning back toward Mako. "Perhaps these idiots can help spread the news, then. After all, how many of your friends know what you’re really hiding? How many of them know that underneath all your layers, all the fakery, all the bullshit you try and pull, that all they’ll find is me…?”

Mako grit his teeth. “You’re not--”

He cut off suddenly as the doppelganger struck him across the face. “What the fuck did I say about lies? You may not want to admit it, but I don’t have the same compunctions. Why do you think you try so hard to deny it? Why else would you run to all your little make-believe selves in an attempt to flee? You fake being a decent person because you know that deep down inside, I’M the real you! It’s always been like that, ever since Haku was killed.”

Mako clenched his fists. “Haku killed himself!!”

“BECAUSE OF THEM!!" the doppelganger shrieked, looking purely enraged, hands curled into claws at his sides. "Haku did it because he couldn't take it anymore! Because dear old mom and dad couldn’t be in the same room for two seconds without trying to tear each other down! Because they turned on him whenever he tried to make it stop! Because they made his life- your life!- miserable for daring to try and make them understand what they were doing to you!! They pushed and shoved you both until he broke- until there was nothing left! They may not have tied the noose around his neck, but it’s still their fault! And instead of doing something about it- even after your brother died because of them- what did you do? You ran. You tried to forget any of it ever happened. You ran away and you threw yourself into whatever fake life you could come up with in an attempt to get away from me! To drown me in your fakery!

“But you can’t, can you? And you know that. I’m always itching to come out. When that prick at the cafe was snapping photos, when you’re fighting, when those cultists were dragging you all out of that stupid cafe… whenever the going gets tough, that’s the real you that’s coming out. Deep down, all you have is me, because I’m the only honest thing about you. And you’re not just afraid of admitting I’m there, you’re afraid to admit you like me. You like the anger. You like the feeling you get when you get a chance to let me out. You’re a coward who’s afraid to admit that you like being a monster. The moment you get to hurt someone… is the only moment you’re really alive. Isn’t it?”

The double laughed, then- a cold, broken, hollow sound. “Yeah, you know it’s the truth. So why fight it? Why not let me out, show everyone the real you? Go back to Tokyo, say hi to the folks. Let them know how much it means to you… that they turned you into this. Or if you’re too chicken, you could stay here, and I’ll do it! Makes no difference, really. After all, I am you... aren't I?” He laughed again, hideous, high-pitched, psychotic. Mako clenched his fists before walking up to the copy, swinging his fist into its face, its nose crunching under his fist. The double clutched at his face, eyes reflecting shock and... amusement, almost?

“Shut up! SHUT UP! SHUT THE FUCK UP!! What the fuck are you, a cartoon supervillain? Get a life, and get the fuck out of here! You’re not a thing like me, you hear?? You. Are not. Me! Now leave me alone!!”

There was silence for the space of a moment. Then the laughing started. Low, slow, deep, then rising in pitch and intensity, higher and higher until the insane sound echoed off the walls. And underneath the crazed laughter was another sound, the sound of ripping and tearing, as the doppelganger’s body began to twist and warp- limbs growing longer. Skin darkening to ashen color. Its back swelling grotesquely, until a pair of bloody wings wings burst out gorily. Mako stared in horror at the eyes that stared him down, full of malice- at the horror that now awaited him.

“You know something? You’re absolutely right. I could never be such a spineless little wimp like you. So now? Now, I’m not just going to be the real you- I’m going to be the ONLY you! And I’m going to make some changes around here. I’m gonna set fire to all the garbage that you pretend is a life!! Starting with you!”

The beast cackled then, as its body burst into flames.

“I’LL BURN ALL THE THINGS YOU’RE TOO AFRAID TO!! THE WHOLE GODDAMN WORLD!!”

==~==

Round One... FIGHT!!