Alone

[swellter]

Who: Shouto and Allen + Dabi
What: June Event Prompt One. A few hours after THIS. 
When: June 8th.
Where: The Farther Shores a mile away from the cherry blossom tree.

“Alone”

BY EDGAR ALLAN POE

From childhood’s hour I have not been

As others were—I have not seen

As others saw—I could not bring

My passions from a common spring—

From the same source I have not taken

My sorrow—I could not awaken

My heart to joy at the same tone—

And all I lov’d—I lov’d alone—

Then—in my childhood—in the dawn

Of a most stormy life—was drawn

From ev’ry depth of good and ill

The mystery which binds me still—

From the torrent, or the fountain—

From the red cliff of the mountain—

From the sun that ’round me roll’d

In its autumn tint of gold—

From the lightning in the sky

As it pass’d me flying by—

From the thunder, and the storm—

And the cloud that took the form

(When the rest of Heaven was blue)

Of a demon in my view—
 

The nightmares started in April with the death of a friend.

Lying in a pool of Paleblood, clinging to the dying, the first seeds of corruption sank their teeth into his heart spreading doubt and fear. His brother's warm presence that first night kept him from spiraling to that end that forms every Beast in Trench. The next day, it was Amaterasu's guardian sapling that kept his nightmares at bay. He slept under the tranquil aura of the cherry blossom while he waited for his friend's return. For a week, it's calming influence kept his corruption levels low. Afterwards, it was Allen's kind and radiant presence in his home that maintained the sapling's work. It was only after Allen moved into Sancturary and Shouto returned to active duty with the Hunters that his levels started to rise. His omen kept strict watch on his levels waging war every time corruption started to spread, sending him back to the guardian sapling when his levels rose.

It usually happened late at night when his dreams turned against him, and he woke up in a frozen room with his heart beating frantically in his chest. He clung to Kizu those nights, burying his face into the snow leopards winter coat, finding solace in the cold. Ice crept past his sheets those mornings, covering both Sleeper and omen in a layer of frost. Yet, he managed to keep himself together. Foregoing sleep for more shifts with the Hunters until exhaustion forced him into a dreamless sleep after a few days. 

Keeping his corruption to manageble levels was easier in the presence of his friends. His deep connection with them, kept the dark thoughts from finding purchase in his mind. Maybe that's why he spent so much time with them that second month after Allen's death. Accepting their invitations more readily, joining them for dinner, walking them home, going to parties. Their presence gave him a safe heaven, a place where dark thoughts didn't press on his mind, a respite from the nightmares. So, he slept, taking naps at every turn. Somehow, he managed to keep his corruption levels from spiraling out of control up until June when the demon arrived. 

Prime for a takevoer, the demon found him in the midst of another nightmare and latched onto him the first day with Kizu nonethe wiser. It fed on him, plagued his every dream until his body couldn't keep up anymore and he stopped patrolling altogether on day five too tired to complete his rounds. Scrapes and bruises started appearing on his skin on day seven, and on day eight it sent him into a nightmare so frantic he lost control of his quirk, burning his surroundings. Terror set in then, afraid of himself unaware of his rising corruption levels. With the demon clinging to his back, his thoughts turned dark too quickly. Afraid, Shouto sought out his friends and found Allen's network post from a few weeks ago and he replied in search of a familiar face.

A hero agency.

The concept reminded him so much of home it eased some of the terror from his heart. Already feeling a little better, Shouto couldn't help but respond to ask him about his plans, offer his help. It'd give him an excuse to see him in person instead of conversing through the omini as they usually did these days, but the conversation turned sour when the Hunters were mentioned.

Dark thoughts crept into his mind so quickly, spreading like a disease. The demon was fully grown and it's influence more acute. Well fed, it was bigger than him now. The demon dug its claws into him, influencing his thoughts, turning them against him when the omen interfered but it was too late. It had grown too strong, held far too much influence and plunges him into a nightmare long before he reaches the guardian sapling.

When Allen arrives at the cherry blossom tree on the Farther shores, he'll find it empty. If he looks around, he might find a strange sight about a mile away. Upon inspection, he'll come across a glacier jutting out of the black sands, three stories high, and at it's center - at the level of the sand -  lies an unmoving figure distorted by ice. 

Shouto lies sleeping on the black sands, covered in frost, within an open space at the center of the glacier, cut off from the world. The demon clings to him, feeding readily while the carbon dioxide levels slowly increase.

Comments

laughs weakly at the irony... :')

[likethelight]

[ He can't feel the cold, it's muted as he's insulated from it by the Innocence that makes up his glove in this form, but he can see it and his expression flickers slightly because of it. But he composes himself, locking eyes with him and giving a steady nod. Alright. No hesitating then.

He lets out a breath, getting the last of the shakiness out of him, and glances for a moment over at Timcanpy. Just to exchange a wordless and sober kind of you know it's time grim acceptance before he shifts. Sitting next to Shouto instead of kneeling in a rippling of voluminous cloak that moves in a way against gravity, the feathered edges shifting restlessly. No move to pull some new weapon, no grim battle readiness -- his demeanor is as soft and gentle-seeming now as the downy feathers that drift in the breeze on his cowl. A tranquility that, as it's also the first time he's invoked his Innocence since the appearance of Amaterasu's guardian saplings... is the same sort of aura as the trees, albeit much fainter. Something he'd noticed better when he wasn't reeling still from his death and found the one at Sanctuary, recognizing the feeling immediately; a spark of divine grace. Even if his own isn't shaped by the all-encompassing love of a mother like Amaterasu, but the all-encompassing love of someone so lonely and love-starved that he needs to reflect what he treasures the most.

And he leans in again like that, closer. Bringing a scent like new snow and the fresh electric smell a thunderstorm leaves in its wake that mixes with the ash and snow, fire and ice that still hangs in the air. To touch his forehead gently against Shouto's, and linger there. Sealed off from the rest of the world like that just by the sheer mass of his feathered cowl. He won't mind the cold, even if it's bitter and hurts. ]

Just try to focus on me. [ Locking eyes with an unwaveringly kind of certainty, Allen's are strangely calm; pale grey mismatched with alien, pitch black and glowing red framed in long white eyelashes. The rings of red shift back and forth, like a camera lens trying to focus -- like trying to peer close. He won't tell him to try and be calm, but focus on him instead of the pain and the demon. Will that help what he means to do? Maybe, he's not sure. But maybe it could just help him center them too.

After all... Allen isn't entirely sure how he did it with Dabi before (Touya), since he hadn't meant to. Still isn't sure how much of it was because of his cursed eye, his ability to see corrupted souls... and how much of it was his awakening Paleblood abilities. The one ones he and Atsushi had been studying records of similar happenings for the last few weeks. Had poorly tried to practice or recreate.

Guess he's going to find out. Because if this thing is so wrapped up in Shouto's soul his sword can't safely separate them...

He moves his human hand to grasp Shouto's free one, squeezing lightly. With gentle certainty; determination. ]

I'll get it. I promise. [ Or literally die trying.

He lets his eyes close then, exhaling quietly though his fingers becoming tense as he prepares himself. To try and recreate what he had done when he stepped inside Dabi's soul, as all he remembers was trying to use his eye to look deep within and see the young man without scars he could barely see.

But his eyes never open.

The moment Shouto lets his own close too, whether to prepare himself as well or because Allen did... his mind slips. To somewhere else. Somewhere deeper. Darker.

Both of them. ]

*not "here" currently*

[burnitblack]

[the farther shores. he's been here numerous times. these black shores, the obsidian sand scrunching beneath the soles of his boots, the ominous ocean alternating between lazily washing the forlorn beaches and furiously crashing into them as if to gouge out permanent marks. many interesting things could wash up on these shorelines and dabi regularly combed them, looking for things from other words to gather up and bring back to his growing hoard. you never know what could be interesting to someone else, and interest brings value. for a society that encouraged everyone to play their part, touya was content to keep himself separated from it, a lone wolf that looked out and relief solely on himself, unless it was to his advantage to get involved. a hunter. a night walker. sure he'll play those roles when he needs to, but neither are of much importance to him. so he finds himself on these shores plenty. and his visits to the sanctuary had grown rather infrequent compared to the initial few weeks, after he found the sapling (as much a "sapling" as a full-grown sakura tree could be called one) growing on these dark coastlines.

it's that very same sapling he stands beside now, one hand on the trunk and turquoise eyes focused on a something a mile or so away. he's not here for beach combing today, not here for leaking out some corruption under the pink boughs. instead a certain text has brought him here. irritated that allen thought he could "summon" him like some kind of dog without any sort of explanation. but dabi's not an idiot and he knows these hero types enough to realize the only reason this man would contact him with such a truncated message was due to something happening to his brother. it's not a comforting thought, knowing this relative stranger likely knew more about the todoroki's past than anyone else in trench outside of shouto and himself. even more annoying that without endeavor here, there was really not way to weaponize his past like he had before in his own world.

which leaves touya with naught but his father's little masterpiece puppet.

the ominous words in the message led him to believe that shouto's either gone rampaging as a beast or he's about to die. the former is rather amusing and he'd like to watch--not get involved, just watch. but the latter? ... if shouto was going to die, and not by his own hands, that doesn't sit too well with him. while he certainly doesn't like his sibling at all, a sweltering combination of jealousy, frustration, and despair fueling his raging hatred towards him, touya trusted the kid to survive a lot of things. actually, he expected and hoped shouto would survive everything that came his way.

except for him.

dabi. touya. that's where the puppet's survival stops. that's what he planned on, what he intended. even when he had the chance to kill him twice before, dabi held back because endeavor couldn't watch. unfortunately, endeavor's not here, and "death" in this place is merely a stopgap to return. shouto's death would merely cause him to be returned later, a fact allen already proved. but... that didn't mean he wanted to give something or someone else the pleasure of offing his pathetic little brother.

so that's why he's here, a vulture now approaching the spot on the beach allen had send him, hands in his pockets and coat blowing behind him in the sea breeze. with his burn scars casting a skull-like visage to his face beneath the ghostly white spikes of his hair, clashing with the dark clothing and white shirt, dabi looks the grim reaper in strange form coming to collect the wispy soul of one balancing on the edge. the large black wolf walking beside him likely offers no comfort either, a few black flames flickering off its shoulders and haunches, tongue lolling between its teeth as a haunting blue glow emanates from its eyes and inside the back of its mouth. if shouto's going to die, guess he should be here to witness it, huh.

or help it along.]

[swellter]

[ In his stroll through the Farther Shores, Touya will encounter chunks of ice floating in the water. Heavier pieces have run aground on the shoreline, melting against the crashing waves. The closer he gets to ground zero, the smaller the chunks of ice become, but the more he'll encounter, scattered in every direction. In the distance lies an open crater with black sand billowing around it. Vitrified sand lies at the center of the crater. The black glassy surface looks almost like obsidian and just as brittle. If he stands at the center, the glass will crack but not break, the thickness of the melt half a foot deep.

Seated a few meters away from the crater are two figures. With his Innocence invoked, Allen's cloak covers up the youngest Todoroki, but a shift in the wind reveals a blue uniform and a dash of red hair. Shouto sits seiza style, lying very still as his temple touches Allens, the two of them caught in a spell interwoven between them. Touya might recognize the familiar power emanating from Allen from their last encounter, except this time, it's not an invasion; it's a rescue.

If Touya approaches, he'll meet no resistance from Shouto or his omen, who is absent as usual. If he chooses to stay, he'll find the sight of them rather dull since they don't move a muscle for quite some time. Shouto grimaces a few times, eyes tightly shut against a nightmare he can't escape. At one point, he'll make a noise and jerk unexpectedly as a white light shoots out from his chest and a small ball of fluff hits the black sand. All this happens in an instant without breaking his trance-like state.

If Touya approaches, the little ball will unfurl to reveal a snow leopard cub no more than two feet tall with paws too big for their small form, not yet grown into them. The once-imposing figure of Kizu will whine softly while attempting to get back to her feet, collapsing several times. After being destroyed in the nightmare world trapping her Sleeper, she's reverted to a shadow of herself, no more than a reflection of Shouto's heart without a personality of her own. Cut off from her Sleeper, she cannot return to where he is and finds herself alone and useless in a state where she cannot protect herself or her Sleeper, yet the moment she spots black flames flickering in the dark, she yowls in warning, tail sticking up, to scare off the black canine. When she fails to get it to back off, she jumps forward, ready to chase it off, when she spots another figure in the dark.

The little cub instantly recognizes him from his place in Shouto's heart, and a soft whining mewl escapes her. A surge of hope smacks everyone and everything, the little omen unable to control her telepathy abilities. After the initial whine, she runs to him, trips on her own feet, goes rolling a few times, regains her footing, and continues her headlong charge - that's not quite a straight line - for Touya. She ends up half a foot to his left but quickly turns around and jumps to her hind legs, placing her full weight on his leg while she looks up, and up, and up, and she falls over. Rolls herself back around and paws at him, sharp claws digging into his leg. Through it all, a feeling of Help! Help! gets transmitted along with Up, up! ]

[timplex]

[ Timcanpy knows he's coming. Expects it, and as soon as he appears on the horizon he twists about to watch his progress. Sitting beside Allen and Shouto as a small ever-watchful defender, his tail twitches back and forth lightly as his only movement. Allen's "trust" of Dabi (Touya) is debatable, existing somewhere between tenuous and not as far as he could throw him. At least where Shouto's well-being is concerned, and Timcanpy is a more skeptical reflection of that as he doesn't trust the older man with Allen either. And they're both vulnerable right now. Vulnerable to someone like Dabi, and Timcanpy is only Timcanpy: a small, grapefruit-sized golem of an omen with wings.

It's why he gets up as Dabi and his much more ominous-looking omen approach, raising himself up to his full height on his very tiny and stubby hands and feet (it gets him another centimeter). Not growling or showing offense, but distinctly guarding the two unconscious young men. So intent is he on it that he almost doesn't notice the appearance of another omen and Kizu's familiar aura, except that it's different and--

??

The little golem recoils in some comic surprise at the cub-sized version of Kizu that tumbles from Shouto and is barely any bigger than he is, if you count the wings. It knocks him right off his defense game as he stares as she tries to menace the wolf off, before being almost bowled over by the strength of her sudden telepathic emote. That sort of burst of... hope?

He gawks as she runs off, picking himself back up on his little hands. He'd expect that sort of thing more from Allen than Kizu.

Timcanpy's hesitant, instinctively wanting to stay stay with her and protect the other little omen as well as she barrels straight towards Dabi's questionable approach, but the instinct to stay and guard Allen and Shouto is stronger so he stays where he is and warily watches how the other pair treat her. ]

[burnitblack]

[that's a lot of ice in the water... looks almost like the artic. shoving flows against the shore while smaller chunks continue to bob about on the waves. initially he thought it was wayward attacks, but upon seeing some of the sizes, it slotted in his mind more like a glacier that'd broken up. shouto must've been using his ice a lot out here... though, considering what happen had to deal with in regards to touya, perhaps it wasn't "shouto" that had been involved. close to death or corruption, huh. so that's what's going on. he works it out easily enough, the glass sand bursting from the crater he comes towards all but confirming what'd happened. his little brother turned into a beast... and the priest's bleeding heart refused to allow himself to simply end shouto's suffering with a mercy kill. hmph.

wouldn't it be ironic if this time, it was touya who "killed" allen for accidentally misinterpreting his intentions towards his brother? unfortunately he's already been made aware of that and isn't one to act on his emotions as often. though it's tempting, made even moreso when he finds the pair of them seated nearby, looking somewhat peaceful as they engage in some sort of ritual. that's the only thing he can call it. just missin some kind of ouija board or incense pot in the middle to complete the picture.

yeah, he recognizes the power coming from allen. it doesn't sit well with him. that power's invasive and doesn't give a shit what's supposed to be or wanted to be kept private. it's also fucking ridiculous in regards to power. he's still not content with allen's death being chalked up more to shouto's ice skewering him than burning him into cinders with his own flames...

anyways. tempting as it is to pour out his fire onto them, touya merely entertains himself with the thoughts and avoids doing it in reality. makes for a good way to kill time while these two sit there and have their little seance. well, since he's here and doing nothing, might as well comb the beach and look for something interest-]

Hm?

[light juts from shouto's chest and only then down dabi realize the puppet's kitten hasn't come out to growl or look at him weird. he lingers, watching the ball of light unravel and tumble out into... well, well. look who's actually living up to her "kitten" title. for all the annoyance that cat's given him over the months, the crap part is, touya still has a thing for cats. dogs too, if you mind his own omen, which seems to be likewise debating on eating the little feline or ignoring it. watching kizu stumble around on the black sand, devoid of her sleeper and obviously unable to protect herself, he's taken back to that time. a brief memory. four people standing in an alley, laughing and drunk, kicking something around between them like a ball. one of them happened to look up and see him approaching, yelled some kind of obscenity at him for his appearance, and touya roasted the four of them without a problem. then spent a little while crouched down with the cat the four of them had been tormenting, petting and playing with it while its tormentors burned up beside them like a fireplace scene.

wolf isn't at all afraid of the yowling creature in front of it, merely glances up to dabi as kizu charges past it and makes herself a pest around his feet. pawing at his leg and digging her claws into his pants. great. just what he needed. his leg being turned into a scratching post by shouto's cat. tsk... annoying. clicking his tongue, touya reaches down and quickly seizes the small omen by the scruff of the neck, tugs her claws free of his pants, and then lifts her up. before lazily placing her on his shoulder so she can stay up there like some kind of clinging parrot.]

Stop it. [head turned enough to glare at her through his lidded eyes.] Ain't shit I can do to "help" cept stand around. Just lemme know when the little brat's back to normal. [she can stay up there on his shoulder for the time being, hopefully not finding it a good opportunity to chew on his earrings. as for the other one... dabi turns his attention back to the petite golden dough ball allen calls his omen. tim-something. he'd noticed him upon arrival and didn't bother him much beyond a glance. wavering between letting wolf try and eat him or not. it's a good fat mouthful after all. after all that staring and attempting to guilt him after the priest's death, he doesn't have fond memories of timcanpy. so it's a good thing omens can't die and touya's not one to waste his energy on something pointless.

so long as the little golem stays where he is and doesn't try to bother him, then the villain doesn't plan on siccing wolf upon him. guarding's fine, the lack of growling and offense keeping that tertiary peace between them. touya's expression flattens some at tim's response to kizu's appearance and subsequent attempts to assult his leg. wow. what a threatening beast you have protecting you, priest. it's almost laughable. either way, there's no interaction between the two of them, villain and golem threading that potential ceasefire betwixt the two. with kizu on his shoulder and wolf not being permitted to eat tim (and from the flame-like saliva, it's pretty clear the lupine omen would prefer to). dabi leaves the immediate crater, opting to wander around and comb the nearby beach while he waits for allen to finish up with his brother.]

[swellter]

[ Unable to control her powers, Kizu blasts another telepathic Up! Up! to everyone and everything within a hundred feet. That little stunt will have caught the attention of any beasts in the area. None the wiser, she keeps pawing at his leg until he grabs her by the scruff of her neck, and she reflexively goes into a trance-like state. Her ears go back, tail tucks under, and her legs come up close to her body. Her claws recede as she's lifted, going completely still. No sound or movement comes from her but the moment he sets her down, she springs back to life, twisting away from his hand, grumbling at the treatment. Paws at his neck, slips on his coat, and goes tumbling off the side.

Twisting mid-air, she digs her claws into his back and makes the climb back up. Head pops up, over his shoulder, back legs dangling behind her trying desperately to get a paw-hold. Her whiskers press against his cheek in her struggle, and she stills once more. Mismatched eyes, same as her Sleepers, turn to look at him. A quiet moment passes between them, then her paws dig into his back, and she jumps all the way to the top; front paws on his head, back on his shoulders.

She can SEE the other omen from all the way up there and calls out to him excitedly. Tim! Tim! When he looks up, she'll throw an image of a cozy blue fire with a lot more force than necessary, shoving it into the wolf's head while she's at it (and anyone within the vicinity). Soon after, she quiets down, dropping her front paws on his collar, then proceeds to drape herself on him. Right paws (front and back) hanging over his chest, left paws (front and back) hanging over his back. She curls herself around his neck like some living scarf. Finally, she stays still for more than a second, not listening to a word the blue fairy says, preferring to snuggle into his neck. ]

[burnitblack]

[hopefully that previous "stop it" also entailed cutting off the telepathic blasts. could do without the yelling in his damn head. touya doesn't know that the beasts around them could hear kizu's thoughts, but considering they're on the wide-open beach, unless something from the sea wants to come crashing up onto the shore for an attempted snack, there's little he thinks that's going to be a threat to them. and if something does show up... touya might be in the mood to kill it. if he doesn't end up trying to kill this furry little gremlin clawing onto his shoulder and back to keep herself from falling off...

he's glad for his coat to avoid the worst of those claws, and goes still to give her time to get herself back up and settled. knows that trying to grab her or help her adjust will only make things worse. not the first cat he's given a ride on his shoulders to. the whiskers on his cheek are only half-ignored, turquoise eyes flicking to the side to look at those mismatched eyes peering at him. like a certain other person with those same eyes who'd once before had his head dropped over his shoulder while touya carried him all the damn way back home. this better not be turning into a habit between them...

oof... now he's got her paws on his head, stuffed into his hair, and other paws on his shoulder. like a damn meerkat looking for danger. the image of the fire, all cozy and warm, smacks wolf in its head and the omen immediately responds with the same image, though the fire abruptly flaring into a raging blaze. possibility... other than that, there's no real warning or response. touya waits for kizu to finally get herself settled and comfortable across his neck and shoulders. like some kind of furry scarf. he flips the collar of his coat up, though it's askew since she's lying on the lapels. whatever.

touya's still going on a walk, not once leaving eye contact of the pair on the beach, but certainly not standing over them like the grim reaper ready to take off their heads. wolf, however, does remain by them, sitting in the middle of the glass-strewn crater and watching them with unblinking flaming eyes while the pair wait for signs of recovery.

or attack.]

[swellter]

[ It's not a habit, it's a state of being. After all, an Omen is a reflection of their Sleeper, and with Kizu currently devoid of a personality, she's even more of a reflection of her Sleeper's heart without the sense to be afraid of the blue fairy who feels warm like her Sleeper and gives them rides. Maybe it's not their habits he should be worried about but his own.

The image of that cozy and warm fire bursting into a wild blaze has the cub looking wonderstruck, wide eyes staring into nothing as the flare of blue fills up the image burning up the world. Again! Again!. She wants to see it again! Chase the blue flames as they spit and spat, roiling with life and movement.

Thankfully, she settles after that. Swinging from boisterous activity to exhibiting little movement. Chin on shoulders, her eyes stay on her Sleeper locked in the nightmare world with a demon intertwined with his soul. After a time, a low hum starts emanating from her while Touya explores the beach which soon turns into a low whimper the further they get from the pair, the Omen conflicted between staying in that cozy fire and running back to her Sleeper. She ends up burying her nose into the lapels of his jacket, pleading a constant Back! Back! until he starts moving in that direction. Too bad her cries draw a particular sort of monster from down below. The black sand starts to shake and the ground opens up beneath them. :) ]

you shit

[burnitblack]

[habit. and stop calling him a damn "blue fairy" too. there's no way he's going to make carrying shouto (or his cat) a repeat occurrence. right now, the only reason he's doing this is because touya might kind of be somewhat of a cat person down under all that crap. also because kizu is far less of an annoying person nagging at him and more a normal cat. so... that's the treatment she's getting. sides, he doesn't want his leg or coat torn up any further from scratches.

yeah, no. wolf realizes at the same time as dabi that trying to threaten something innocent like this kitten is a pointless gesture. so the wolf ends up taking its spot in the glassy crater while its master wanders around the beach for lack of anything better to do than waiting. he won't bend down to pick something up, but will rather lower on one knee to reach it with his hand, then look at it, to avoid dislodging the sleeping cub on his neck.

it's the sudden sending of "back, back" that prompts touya to step back from the place he's going. never was his intent to stray far from the two sitting there. but he's not actually area of an omen's sending being able to attract monsters. and his own dulled sense of feeling in his body prevents him from actually noticing something shaking beneath him. until that abrupt sink below his legs jerks his eyes straight down.]

--!!

[what the fuck!? immediately, on pure instinct, he slams flames straight down from his feet, igniting whatever the hell that thing is with a flood of blue fire. not caring how much he's pouring out or how hard, the only thought is getting up and out of there. and scorching the insides of the attacker. shit. monsters?! hovering in the air, flames puffing from his legs and feet, touya quickly looks towards shouto and allen. wolf immediately rises to its feet and moves out onto the sand directly beside the two, forelegs right behind shouto's knees and hind legs standing behind allen's if there's a tremor beneath, then it'll notice.

touya's gonna stay in the air, though flies back towards the pair along the way.]

actually since we know their headspace now/finished the nightmare... have someone else instead!

[likethelight]

[ Timcanpy, who had been watching the two's interactions and departure very anxiously (and stretching out a small hand towards Kizu as he squirmed in indecision bc Kizu no)... goes very still all of a sudden, just before the tremors start. Very still. Before exploding into motion and fluttering up in a panic around both Allen and Shouto as the giant worm bursts up and snaps at Dabi and Kizu. Fret, fretting—does he help? No he should stay. But oh—!!

Dabi's omen moves into position next to the sleeping pair though, and Timcanpy stills a little in realizing the intent. Protective. He stills too in debating that intent, in sensing the world around them as he is ever-aware even for an omen...

And then he turns towards Allen. ]

...? [ Pale grey eyes, slowly at first as he blinks away the disorientation from one consciousness fading into another -- and then snap open wide as he takes a sharp breath. Shouto's right there, his forehead still pressed to his, but this sense of danger --

He whips around, rising quickly to his feet thanks to the ribbons from his cloak that bind his legs and attempts to take in the following very quickly:

Tim, to his left.
Shouto, free of the demon on his back but still looking beaten from before.
Dabi's wolf to his right.
Dabi's flames in a pillar of blue fire some distance away.
Some... giant head half-emerged from the sand like some nightmarish beaked worm?? Emitting a horrible gurgling screech that's cut-off midway.
And Dabi— Touya, hovering above it all with his flames.

what the fuck ]

Touya! [ Blurted, surprised.

Shouto is still badly injured though, so on instinct his leg sweeps out as he drops in a more protective crouch by the younger Todoroki, clawed left hand to the other side and ready if anything else is coming at them. Whatever... that might be?? Even as Allen's attention snaps in alarm back and forth between Touya and his omen. They're... helping?? Or?? ]

You know they're both nothing but trouble!

[swellter]

[ The worm breaks through the sand. Touya shoots out a wall of cobalt blue flames that raze the ground and light up the world in shades of blue. Kizu, immune to fire, stares in awe the same way she did when Wolf tried to scare her off before, only she's so very fascinated instead of frightened and barely manages to keep her footing when Touya goes flying. One tiny paw slips, and she pulls it back just in time, her claws digging into his shoulder as she peers down his collar to look down at the VERY big mouth opening up and all the blue that hits it. The attack goes over her head, her comprehension barely more than a child's after having suffered a devastating blow from the demon who once tried to take her place. It's gone, disintegrated to nothing without even a glance from Shouto, killed by the same sword that Touya begrudged.

Seeing Wolf moving Kizu has the urge to chase after him but she doesn't want to leave the warmth either. It feels nice, so instead of chasing after the other omen, she blasts the entire beach with a telepathic call of Wolf! Wolf! Come back! Why are you leaving?! Don't you want to play with them?

The worm twists and withers, bellowing an alien-like sound that's far too low on the octave level to be human. It dives back into the black sand, sensing the movement of the newly woken up practitioners of a ritual now complete.

Shouto comes back into himself with a painful gasp that has him clutching at his stomach, where the internal bleeding from the explosion has grown worse. He coughs up blood the instant he comes back into his body, no longer held back by the enchantments of the spell. One hand slams into the black sand, as he hacks up the blood, noting the blue flames in the air and -- his eyes water as his head snaps up. ]

Kizu!

[ Connected to her Sleeper, the moment she feels him emerge from the ritual, she leaps off Touya's shoulder. Hitting the ground running, she blasts out a happy KIZU! coupled with that telepathic blast and her quick movement over the sand the worm heads straight for her while another tremor comes from the east, heading straight for the bleeding one.

Two worms. ]

/does not understand this irony

[swellter]

[ The nimbus light emanating from the cloak fluttering around him penetrates the ice, melting it from the inside out. Their foreheads meet and Shouto flinches at the familiar aura that blankets his world until all he sees is that resplendent cloak of light and feathers that tastes like snow. It softens his features, no longer sharp and unfeeling. His eyes lock with Allen's mirroring his determination. ]

We come back together or not at all.

[ He won't accept anything less. With his feelings conveyed, Shouto returns his grip, nodding once before following his lead. He closes his eyes and their minds plummet through the all-seeing eye that separates the realm of the gods from their world. A view only a few privileged Palebloods have glimpsed, where prophecies are birthed, indeterminate by the very act of being observed. They drift for a time - a second or eternity, it's hard to gather - before their subconscious is snatched up by one of the millions of currents spiraling through the abyss that lies between worlds. The stream cuts through the fabric of reality, not by power but persistence, and slams them into the demon's realm with only a vague awareness of the other before they're plunged into a well of nightmares.

When his subconscious wakes, he's submerged beneath the surf. Frantic, he hits the walls of the well scrapping his arms against the unforgiving stone, and kicks for the center, where he gets entangled in a cloak of light. Allen! He seizes a handful of Innocence and kicks for the surface breaking through the water. He takes a lungful of air while swimming in place in the large well, ten feet wide and fifty feet high, he can barely see the moonlight at the top. Allen's cloak covers up the other source of light at the bottom of the well coming from below. ]

Allen.

[ He drags the cloak to him, the action causing his elbows to hit the rock walls sending pain running up his arm, yet he persists, searching for his missing companion. In his haste, he doesn't notice the approaching creature or its rather curious focus on the one without light. Shouto's movements grow sluggish, the water turning denser, harder to swim in. It glimmers silver against the brilliant cloak and clings to his skin. Hot instead of cold. The creature uses its powers to conjure up the horror in his mind, turning liquid water into a hallucination of Paleblood. It waits for the truth of what he's swimming in to dawn in his mind, and when he goes stiff with horror, it strikes. Hair made of thin tentacles snaps up, grabs his leg, and plunges him into the deep. ]

#shouto?

[likethelight]

[ We come back together or not at all. It's almost like he's been called out on his own thoughts, and it pulls a small smile from Allen. It's a familiar sentiment he's heard before, from a long time ago. "I want to go home together with everyone."

He isn't smiling when he next wakes though, twisting about in a panic underwater as he tries to get his bearings and gets a lungful of well water for his trouble. Ocean?! But it doesn't feel right, feels tight and close, and for once Crown Clown feels like a liability even Allen feels briefly caught up in as it makes him realize he's never been underwater with it before and briefly doesn't know how to maneuver with it.

Is it a liability? No. Is it one while he doesn't know how to move with it in water since it responds to his subconscious? Yes. But does it also remap even the neurons of his brain to write itself and how to use it directly into his psyche when it needs to?

Also yes.

Something grabs the edge of his cloak though, hauling him up enough that he realizes -- hopes, rather -- that's the right way to go and kicks out for it as well. He breaks the surface, sucking in the damp air with a gasp as he casts about frantically for his companion. Where are you?! ]

Shouto?! [ A splash catches his attention though, twisting about as his cloak snaps around as well, hardening slightly and moving with a sudden sentience like fins cutting through water. But he turns around only in time to see the other boy plunge underwater like something's grabbed hold of him, and he dives down without a second thought. Seeing a creature like that down there staring back up at them however, tendrils from its... hair? tangling up Shouto's leg as it pulls him down though...? Nauseatingly horrifying, but it propels him into split second action.

One. A ribbon whips out from the back of his cloak and embeds itself into the stone walls above.

Two. Another snaps out and wraps itself more softly around Shouto's wrist, though it doesn't snap so taut as to yank.

Three. As he uses the tether on Shouto not to pull on him, but to help pull himself to him as his cloak itself bunches up and snaps itself in a way that propels him down, he twists to loop an arm around his middle.

But not before the edges of his cloak harden, sending piercing radiant tendrils down at that creature like a series of spears. ]

[swellter]

[ Spear-like tendrils of light pierce through the creature slamming out of the back of its too-soft form. It opens its mouth and a high-pitched frequency reverberates through the water. The light dims and the sound abruptly stops when it goes out. The tentacles go slack and Shouto kicks them off, swimming back to Allen whose cloak glows as brightly as the northern star for the lost at sea.

It outshines the dots of pale light that appear from the deep, drawn in by the death wails of a lost brethren. The water fills with haunting sounds that grate against his ear. He ignores it and keeps swimming for the white light of salvation. When he breaks through the surface, he swallows the water running down his face in his haste to replenish his oxygen supply. He coughs fitfully and spits it out, before regaining control of himself and stares at the pinpricks of light below. The euphony of sound comes together, changing tones, balancing harmonies to form a cohesive melody of old. ]

There's more down there. We need to--

[ His face goes slack, the pleasing sound invading his mind. With no divine protection, he's vulnerable to the creatures of the dark that invade his nightmares, each sent by a demon in the fold, carefully designing his demise by a thousand cuts. The moon above grows fainter and dims with the sweet surrender of the heart when the lyrics form in the distance.

Tender and concerned, Fuyumi's voice fills the small well. Shouto come join us. Then Natsuo, cheerful and confidant. We're all waiting for you. Touya, dull and calm - the only voice Allen might recognize - I'm leaving. And in the distance, the lure of the chant cements itself in a kind and sympathetic voice. Come dear. When you're ready. His mother's.

Caught in the siren's enchantment, he looks down at the waters the creature's powers creating an illusion plucked from his mind. To Allen, protected by his Innoncence, nothing will change, but Shouto sees his siblings waiting for him below and his mother welcomes him with open arms. His heart surrenders without a fight and Shouto dives down into the deep. ]

[likethelight]

[ Are you kidding him?

Breaking back to the surface, all he needed to do was grab hold of Shouto as well and he could pull them up by the tether he'd buried into the stone wall about halfway up. It was all they needed to do. But the other boy's eyes seem to glaze over and he trails off mid-sentence. ]

Shouto? [ He stops and trails off too though, in surprise as he hears another's voice call out for the other boy, gentle and unlike anything he would expect in this place. He's confused, but then blinks with a more startled clarity as yes, he does recognize Touya's. Are those voices...?

So close. He's already twisting about to reach for him in instinctive concern, but Shouto dives back down. And Allen, briefly horrified and then frustrated, follows. ]

! [ There's more of them, those creatures... Unfortunately, with his invoked form and thin claws on his left hand, on his own he can't move that quickly through the water as Shouto might. No ability to create drag on the water with his left side.

However, frustrated and more than a little irritated, he has the use of his cloak, which collapses in on itself to be more manageable and snaps against the water and against the side of the well to push him forward. Pushing and pulling to propel him forward, to quickly catch up with Shouto and wrap both arms around his middle. Right and left, which is as strong as an iron band, and he isn't even going to bother with trying to swim them both back up or possibly fighting against Shouto. Whatever you think you see down there... he won't let you.

The ribbon of Innocence from the back of his cloak he's left tethered to the wall above tightens, and will reel them backwards and back up out of the water lightning-quick while Allen holds on this time. ]

[swellter]

[ Diving deep, he swims far enough from the northern star for the creatures to drift up to meet him. They surround him, and Shouto sees his siblings welcome him, folding against the kind smiles and gentle platitudes. Natsuo messes with his hair, and Fuyumi hugs him, Touya claps him on the shoulder, and they turn him around to greet his mother.

The creatures surround him from every angle, their soft tentacles dragging against his form, curling around every limb to guide him into the nightmares waiting below where his mother awaits. The largest of the creatures with claws strong enough to rip through metal. Shouto goes willingly, letting himself be tugged down into the arms of--A Monster?!

His eyes widen in horror, and he panics, swimming back to escape. In that same instance, Allen cuts through the distance with a clever move. The divine cloak burns through the tentacles that tighten around him to haul him down. The attack disrupts the melody of the song freeing him from its grasp, and Shouto sees not his family but the monstrosities the demon brought to life.

Grabbed by the waist, he doesn't fight him but holds onto Allen as they shoot out of the water with a raging horde of monsters behind them. He coughs relentlessly, heart pounding in his chest, water streaming all around him, and Kizu fills his mind, filling him with calm. She's no more use here than him in sniffing out the lies and deceit. A reflection of him, the demon has been running circles all around her, caught off guard only once - when she managed to release him from the nightmare - but that won't happen a second time.

As Allen climbs up the well, Shouto looks down to see the monsters climbing the stone walls with those razor-sharp claws. It's a race to the top with the moon above slowly creeping over the well driving its light down at an angle. One of the creatures jumps from side to side, its claws embedding into the stone walls when it enters the field of moonlight pouring from up above. Large welts appear on its web-like skin. The skin starts to bubble, steam rising from within the flesh before catching fire, sending it shrieking back to the depths where it belongs. ]

The moon hurts them! Go into the light!

[likethelight]

[ Not just his cloak to lash out in protective defense this time, but this time Allen strikes at those tentacles with his left hand without hesitation, claws able to move faster and stronger through the water than a human hand with the reduced friction. Here, in the nightmare world of a demon against creatures that clearly have no living human body to return to? He can fight unfettered, trusting that if they're real enough and there is a part of them to be saved still the nature of his Innocence will do so. He is no lethal fighter, no, but raised to fight undead monsters with a spiritual weapon that saves by destroying, his fighting style when given no reason to hold back is lethal with a sometimes savage precision. But he means only to sever the tentacles binding Shouto, grabbing him then as his Innocence hauls them both up.

He isn't fighting him, no longer caught in the siren song, so as they break the surface Allen shifts to hold onto the other boy with just his right arm, so he can use his left to dig his claws into the side of the well when they reach the spot he'd tethered himself to about halfway up. Clinging for a moment there and coughing as he clears his lungs and shakes the water from his eyes. But Shouto pulls his attention back from thinking they might be momentarily safe there, his demeanor tightening up as sees the creatures crawling out of the water towards them. ]

Right. [ Tsk.

His head snaps back up, focusing on the moon and the mouth of the well above them. Not questioning, just moving. He holds on while another ribbon from his cloak shoots out, embedding itself this time near the top. As soon as it does so he lets go, trusting in it as it yanks them upward much faster this time. Up, up, and up until it catapults them clear out and above the well towards that moon above, his cloak spreading wide once again. ]

[swellter]

[ He tries and fails to shoot the creatures down with his ice. He tries his fire, but that also fails to ignite. This happened the last two times, remember? Kizu fills in the silence that begins to fill with panic. She transmits the conversation to Allen allowing him entry this one time. No, I don't remember anything. Kizu curls around his heart enveloping him with warmth. I know. I didn't understand before but it wants you vulnerable. Alone. It always tries to separate us.

His heart skips a beat as they shoot out of the well and into the moonlight that washes them with a gentle light that heals the scrapes and scratches they endured in the dark. Yet, Shouto doesn't feel any of its comfort. Why?! Kizu fills his mind with calmness, and tries to ease his thoughts back to tranquility. It wants to take my place.

He stiffens in Allen's hold, head snapping up, looking at him with real fear. ]

It wants Kizu. The demon. It wants to take her place.

[ The very idea disgusts him to his core and Kizu clings to him just a little tighter. It takes your powers to force me out. If I got out to help you... The nightmares will convene on a single point to destroy that which stands in its way. Shouto shivers from the cold, his skin prickling with goosebumps.

Below them, mist swells below the treeline of the enchanted forest of every grim fairy tale with a towering castle spiraling towards the Heavens at the center. ]

[likethelight]

[ Hearing Kizu in his head causes Allen to blink, but also not be entirely surprised: it's neither the first nor the second time. Hearing her and Shouto, prompting him to look down at the other boy to see if he's actually speaking and finding he isn't, does startle him. Is it because of the realm they're in, that it's Shouto's own mind as much as the demon's? Or was Kizu...?

Practical matters such as landing more on his mind, he twists them mid-air with the practiced finesse of an acrobat to slip his left arm under Shouto's legs and adjusts to carry him briefly instead that way, far more easily than someone with Allen's build should and not wanting to let him strike the ground as well. Bracing, he lands heavily but neatly on his feet in a low crouch a short ways from the well, feathery white cloak billowing around them as it's shed the water from the well like it was never there in the first place.

He begins to straighten, letting Shouto go but helping steady him to rise as well - whether he needs it or not. ]

I heard. [ It's soft but sober both, his expression gentle but serious. Resolved, and his eyes slide in the direction of the castle he'd spotted from the air. It's far too obvious and cliché, but... ]

Then we need to find it and destroy it first.

[swellter]

[ A hero in training, it's commonplace to let the person with the right quirk take over when it makes sense. With his quirk not responding, Shouto easily shifts from offensive thinking to defensive, making himself less of a burden to his partner. He doesn't struggle nor does he protests when Allen shifts him to better coordinate their landing. He follows his lead like he's been trained, and accepts his assistance to get back to his feet even though he doesn't need it.

I heard.

He's about to question that line when Kizu fills him in. I'm transmitting our conversation to him. Shouto pauses at the admission, looks back at Allen, then slowly nods. Okay. ]

Kizu. You said I didn't remember the last two times. Do you?

[ Yes. ]

Do you know where the demon is?

[ I know it's not anywhere where the moonlight touches. Before he can ask, she continues. The moon hurts it. The nightmares it creates can't stand in its light. You're safe in it. It heals you. But the demon isn't anywhere near a speck of it. To go after it means, to leave behind the moon. ]

[likethelight]

[ Not safe anywhere the moonlight touches. It stirs a deep-seated sort of knowledge Allen can't quite put his finger on, and he glances down at his left hand for a moment, at the crystal embedded on the back of it. The difference he's felt about it ever since his memories came back in full. The light it reflects more bluish and silvery than the gold it once was.

He brushes it off, chin lifting as he looks back up. ]

Which means more nightmare creatures. [ Kizu's words also clarify for Allen the nature of it and what's been going on. A creature of nightmares then... targeting Shouto, given what seemed to happen before and its intent. His mouth twists in some worry and grim realization at understanding a little more what's been going on, and his right hand balls up into a quiet fist.

All this time. ]

We can't just stay here and going after it will be dangerous no matter what. It's a risk we'll have to take.

[swellter]

[ Shouto follows his eyes to the blue crystal embedded in his left hand before Kizu starts explaining and he pays attention. ]

I agree. We have to put an end to it.

[ I won't lose you. Kizu says nothing in response and continues. The last time we traveled to the castle was by ice, above the mist. We landed in the open courtyard. There were nightmares waiting for us in the shadows, but they only watched us. It was worse inside.

The demon gorged itself on his screams, growing strong enough to cut off his powers the next time and without his powers, it toyed with him. A game of cat and mouse where the demon captured and released him at its whim, enjoying the surge of hope of seeing Sleeper and Omen reunited only to rip them apart over and over and over again until Shouto broke down to the point of setting himself aflame in the real world and burnt his room from the night terror that enveloped him. Kizu had comforted him for some time, turning tangible for Shouto to hold her. It was a familiar sight since the start of the month. The two of them holding onto each other at night, desperate to erase the feeling of being ripped apart. Separated. Their bond severed. When he calmed down, he contacted Allen, needing something to distract him from the terrors of his mind.

We should get going while the moon is still rising. ]

[likethelight]

[ Would it be waiting for them no matter what? Probably; if this is its realm, there's a good chance it's aware of their presence at all times. Taking it by surprise is unlikely to happen, unfortunately. Success is going to have to rely on being prepared when they get there, and Allen believing that his sword will be more effective here.

He takes a step closer, brushing the back of Shouto's hand lightly with his own right one. A small, but reassuring spot-check of a touch even if his demeanor is still serious. Both eyes pale and silver, as the moonlight negates the corruption seeping in from everywhere else in this place that was causing it to activate and give him a headache. ]

We should still try to avoid the mist. [ Whatever it is, it isn't good and it'll be darker. ]

Without anything higher to anchor onto though, my ability isn't good for that.

[ He could keep around treetop level maybe, but that's it. Yours is, though. ]

[swellter]

[ Shouto doesn't notice the reassuring touch, his mouth a worried line with everything Kizu's told him. It's enough to know they've made it out before, but he hates that he can't remember. It likes to play with you. Taunt you. If you're not certain something is real, draw it into the moonlight. He looks up to the full moon, still rising through the sky, and feels reassured by its presence. ]

I'm a liability without my quirk. If the demon wants to make Kizu come out, they'll come after me first. We can assume I'm their target for now. [ He turns to Allen. ] I should go first, bait out anything that's near us, and you can take them out.

[ He can take a hit and knows how to defend himself. He's not completely useless without his quirk, only partially. ]

[likethelight]

[ Hold on hold on hold on-- Allen blinks, startled as he hadn't realized that yet in their haste to escape. ]

Without your quirk...? [ He echoes it in some disbelief and growing alarm as that fully registers. None of his power? Then, in a nightmare world against that demon and surrounded likely by more creatures like the ones they had already encountered, likely much worse, he was without his quirk and... essentially a normal human, physically?

That is the first thing here that's made fear squeeze his heart. ]

We're not using you as bait! [ He snatches Shouto's hand with his Innocence-gloved one for emphasis, panic at the idea feeding his stubbornness. As if we're going to do that. ]

Who's to say it can't generate an endless amount of nightmares if we stay and try to fight them! A lot more of those creatures in the water appeared after I destroyed one of them, and it's likely going to want to do everything it can to keep us away from it. [ To keep him away, since he can hurt it with his sword, and his tone is relentlessly earnest. ]

It's better if we try to move quickly and only fight if we have to. That is something I can do.