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deercountry2022-06-19 08:01 pm
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Entry tags:
Alone
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.
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.
āAloneā
BY EDGAR ALLAN POEThe 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.
From childhoodās hour I have not been
As others wereāI have not seen
As others sawāI could not bring
My passions from a common springā
From the same source I have not taken
My sorrowāI could not awaken
My heart to joy at the same toneā
And all I lovādāI lovād aloneā
Thenāin my childhoodāin the dawn
Of a most stormy lifeāwas drawn
From evāry depth of good and ill
The mystery which binds me stillā
From the torrent, or the fountainā
From the red cliff of the mountainā
From the sun that āround me rollād
In its autumn tint of goldā
From the lightning in the sky
As it passād me flying byā
From the thunder, and the stormā
And the cloud that took the form
(When the rest of Heaven was blue)
Of a demon in my viewā
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.
no subject
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! ]
no subject
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. ]
no subject
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.]
no subject
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. ]
no subject
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.]
no subject
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
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!
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 Dabiā 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!
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. ]