deercountry | September Catch-All- Duality

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September Catch-All- Duality

Character Name: Megumi Fushiguro
Who: Megumi, Dabi, Chin Yisou, and Maybe You
What: Alternate Trench World- Bugge Saving/ Hunting
When: All throughout Sept
Where: Gaze- Pocket World

Content Warnings: Violence, Blood, Gore, Body horror, Vomit, Burn wounds, Insect horror, Profanity/ swearing.Will be updated as needed!

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[shit. it dodged. he should've ignited that jet burn earlier when it was directly overhead, not already leaving his range. thought he'd be able to make the attack wide enough to cover for that, but... dammit. a mistake he can chide himself for later. at least it gives him a moment to note the creature's reflexes and physical abilities. it's actively avoiding damage to more sensitive and important areas, suggesting instinctive protection despite being on the hunt. not a blind drive then. he'll take the show of pearly glistening ribs as a consolation prize.

dabi tenses as he recognizes the black hands. they're they're the same kind that grabbed and dragged him (and presumably the rest of the sleepers) down into his shithole! tsk... now this is personal. getting kidnapped by sentient "god" things is one insult, but getting sucked into another area by some fucking animal is downright offensive to his pride. he's already sitting up, kicking a leg to get megumi's out from under him where he probably collapsed on it, so he can get a lock on the creature.

they're at a disadvantage lying prone like this.

five stories?! what the hell?! his eyes widen as the full height rears up above them. it's as large as that damn giant the doctor and all for one made! at least dabi can pick out the lack of noticeable eyes, but can't tell if that matters or if it's using some other sensory location to track them. obviously the beast of staring right at the pair, so it knows they're here.]

We're targets out here. Move. [one hand snags around megumi's collar and dabi hauls him upward as much as he's clamoring to his feet. teaming up is not his forte, more a lone wolf who returns to an approved group once his work is done, but he's far more attentive to what gives him an advantage. and right now, megumi's survival to give dabi two-on-one odds is a much greater advantage than leaving the guy to die. shoving him to his feet, the villain strafes towards the buildings nearby, intending to get them into the mess of streets and alleys where a five-story-tall beast won't have complete ease of moving around.

and it gives them places to hide.

not that he expects this creature to give them a free run towards cover. blue flames ignite in his hand and he throws it to the side. almost instantly, a massive wall of blue flames springs to life between the creature and the pair. even if it won't keep it at bay for long, hopefully the heat and light will block out its sensing them for a brief period. light for sight, crackling roars for sound, and burning anything to cover their scent.]

[ The abrupt tug to his collar gets a reflexive push away with his hand. Preferring not to be dragged but sees the urgency in the situation.

As the wall of flames reaches up for the sky, Megumi's thumbs clasp together in a twisting motion, fanning the rest of his fingers in front of his face. An unusual gust of wind swirls outward tornadoing upward-- there is a distinct smell of voltaic energy brewing.]

Don't look back– Brace yourself!-

[ Distracted and cornered the beast must act. Feeling the intensity of the heat, the Reaper sits back on its hind legs getting ready to pounce in what it hopes to be the direction of its fleeing quarry, away from the danger of the molten undying flames.

CRASH- CRACKLE a large violet bolt of lightning strikes downward. Anyone watching would find that besides its vibrant color- the source of the electric seems a bit unusual. Instead of hovering in the clouds the spark comes from mid air about 2 stories up.

The charged pulse of over 30,000 amps directly strikes the searing hot flames.

💥 BOOM

A large explosion tears through the streets. Debris and fragments of the ground fly forward- taking the disengaged fighters further into the dilapidated ruins. Tumbling forward the two are just far enough away to escape any serious bodily harm.

A thick cloud of black camouflages the body of the behemoth. Looking at the spectacle is like experiencing a small-scale solar storm. A sort of cosmic clash. As the blue flames spark and ignite by each passing blast of electrical force-a series of rapid fire explosions go off in the swirling clouds of chaos. ]

[relax. he's letting go as soon as megumi gets on his feet. it's a miracle dabi bothered to haul him up in the first place, since he's far more apt to leave people to die behind him. unfortunately, this way's more advantageous. why'd this guy have to trail something this fucking dangerous out into the open? pain in the ass... dabi's internal grousing's arrested by the sudden gust of wind and he glances at megumi instinctively. don't look back-

faces forward and braces.

only to find himself getting struck from behind by a surge of wind and force. flung forward, hissing as a bit of debris skims off his shoulder with a trail of red behind it, dabi manages to catch sight of the ground before blasting a plume of fire from his feet, crushing the flames into the ground like a rocket's reverse take off and stopping himself from that pellmell tumbling into the buildings. quickly drops down to the ground and moves further into the buildings, not looking back despite the curiosity at hearing all those pops and rushes of small explosions bursting within the fire.]

The hell was that?

[won't look, but will ask.]

[Shallow breathing turns to steady breaths- stabilizing as he pushes off the ground. Small shards of blue dangle from his road burned palms, releasing a strong smoky odor into the air.]

Science. It's an arc flash. [ Peeling off the frayed shards and dry bits of blood that crystallize upon oxidation. Chucking them into the nearby rubble.] The wet ground, lightning and heat from the fire caused an explosion. [Admittingly he's only read about it til today-

Mint green eyes trail over to the source of the question. Looking at his face noticing the scars or wait maybe skin grafts?? Most burn victims' scars heal differently unless the skin is completely dead and needs to be replaced. An expert by no means- just something he recalls reading about in an injury classifications book.

Riveting he knows. But as long as the man's standing and doesn't appear outwardly to be in any kind of physical distress he's not going to question it much.]

[ Aha.

But those clothes. Now that's a different story. That dark long midevil drape that's supposed to accentuate an air of mystique and shadow, but in actuality looks like some flimsy blanket, that if the wind blows just right, the person would be unknowingly mimicking the outdated pop idol standing over a subway grate bit.

Eyes look to the center.

And it's supposed to be held together by that! A rope that looks like it was minding its own business up until now holding a curtain back in some guy's living room.

And that dated hood that gives the user the "feeling" of anonymity without actually doing so. News flash we can still see you!

Yup that is 100% no questions asked ~~because if you do you'd probably be dead~~ the garb of a devotee.

Is he being judgy- hell yes. Does he normally bother with what people are wearing? Absolutely not. But. Indoctrination is something he just can't stand and all the symbols just scream cult making his skin crawl.

But wait ] ...

Edited 2022-09-21 17:05 (UTC)

[Eyes glaze over.The horrid realization sinking in
...
Looking down at his own tattered filthy, ~~you've proabably guessed it...~~ "disguise."

The same fucking robe.

SHIT.

But give him a break- he took it from someone who clearly had no use for it anymore.

He ventures to ask... hoping he's right]

How long you've been here?

[His tone is surprisingly impartial. If he's wrong this could cause conflict, but let's be honest here, after seeing that firework display- he's betting Dabi's not your run of the mill average brainwashed zealot.]

[dabi puts a few pieces together from the mere "science" comment, but he's not an expert in this kind of thing, only guessing the gist of it until megumi gives him the rest. mah, least it worked. not that he thinks it'll keep that beast for long. the ice in the other man's hand likely won't give them much aid either. tch, fresh into battle and already disadvantaged.

scarred skin grafts, if he must know. grafted on earlier and slowly overtime ended up in this state from the constant burning of those blue flames megumi saw earlier. they can get more into the mess that is dabi's tragic body later on. if they die here, it won't really matter now will it.]

Ya starin.

[not that dabi isn't giving the other a scrutinizing once over himself. young, high school age, though taller than most of the kids he knows running around in his world. or at least appears that way with the lanky figure. all black isn't surprising in this place. same kind getup too, so why the hell's he burning holes in his body with that intense scrutiny? might as well blend in with the shadows and the weird cultists running around if you wanna stay safe.

dabi feels like he's getting scanned. it only takes a few more seconds before he gets the underlying reason megumi is riveting his body with those green eyes of his. a snort of annoyance comes from his half-burned mouth and he tugs the collar of his robe to the side, revealing a far more modern (if hot topic punk edgy) collar of a coat beneath the loose fabric.]

It's easier to steal in.

[and he'll leave megumi to take that however he wishes. figures the guy could use a brief reality check, since he's gone from running from some fucked up beast to apparently crashing into a "cultist" of this crazy place. yeah, no. dabi has his pride and would rather not be associated by someone else doing the same self-preserving thing.]

Three, maybe four days. Get dragged in, same as the rest of ya, right?

[ No arguments there- same logic he used when taking his cloak- just never too sure who you can run into in these situations. Better to look a little paranoid now then sorry later. And with that he'll be sure to keep track of any personal belongings.

Head tilts to the side, a curious look ]- You’ve seen more sleepers here? [ A Pause. ] I've only been here since this morning. [ Enough time to realize that this place is some sort of shittier version of the Trench.

His head goes from side to side- trying to make out any distinguishing or recognizable features. Bingo. About a half a mile in the distance, a tall castle catches his eye. Its dark stone walls pass the test of time, but the large clock on the face of the building has seen better days. Both hands appear limp- pointing straight down on the roman numeral VI. There's a large crack going down its center, and the egg white dim color singles it's not lit up. Which means in theory means no one should be there. Pointing towards the structure- ] That's the School of Mutter, we must be in the Gaz-
[ A booming roar in the distance is enough to make the pebbles bounce. A reminder that the hunt is still active.

With no time to spare he begins to briskly walk towards an alleyway. It's wet, smells of mold but ] It'll be safer to travel this way. [ The storm that was brewing off in the distance finally makes an appearance, as a slow steady rain begins to fall. ]

Edited 2022-09-22 00:49 (UTC)

[there's no countering megumi's choice of wear. he's got the same or similar idea dabi has, assumedly, and it's at least a nod in agreement to have someone on the same page. not enough to "trust" but enough to throw his lot in with in a pinch. which they're in at the moment... he doesn't think the fire or the explosions are going to hold that beast long.]

One or two. [ain't gonna say which ones or describe them. he'll run into more in the future, two in specific, but that's for a later adventure.] And ya already got that monster chasin ya. D'ya not know how to lie low?

[stay out of trouble in a new place. should be first rule of thumb when this shit happens. noticing megumi's head tilting to search for something, dabi follows his gaze, locating the towering castle farther up on a hill in the distance. imposing. but when the other man identifies it, the villain frowns at the implication. and the following roar. shit, the creature's back up.] Whatever that place was, it's either taken over by some branch of this damn cult, or a local hideout shelter.

[something to look forward to later. dabi follows him into the alley; this is a familiar path for him. villains tended to travel in night and within the underbelly of the city. rainfall, however, is irritating, but should mask their noise and scent from their pursuer.] Can ya do another one of those explosions?

Pfft... that was the plan. [Let's just say his timing to take a shower in the creek was impeccably horrible. It doesn't take long for Megumi to be entangled in some mess he wants absolutely nothing to do with. Such is some people's luck though, right?

Slinking through what's left of the winding corridors of the gaze, is a hazardous endeavor to say the least. Ducking in and out to avoid dangling debris from above. Climbing over chunks of concrete and scraps of discarded metal-a terrain that slows the escape for sure, but with the benefit of also delaying their pursuer.

Wanting to stop and ask more about the sleepers and anything they may have known, but understanding right now just isn't the time for that. Priority number one is getting out of harm's way, and coming up with some sort of plan. No use knowing how to leave if you're not able to make it out alive, right?]

[ But more explosions, aye? Well with Dabi's seemingly unlimited supply of flames and the Nue's electrical pulse ] Should be able to... what are you thinking? [Eyebrows pinch together giving Dabi a curious look.] Blocking off where we entered?

[plans get fucked up pretty quickly here. dabi can't say he hasn't washed off in some strange areas in trench before. a shoal in the ocean or a sponge bath via a small waterfall (but he's not gonna jump in any rivers or lakes, thanks), though mostly he sticks to his bathtub. private and safe.

dabi winds through the ruins without much problem, giving some suggestion to being familiar with navigating derelict places in his life. alleys are a common issue with him back home. most villains have the same. though this is a bit more than he's used to, more an obstacle course than just avoiding trashcans and shit. he's not sure anything smaller than the damn walls are going to delay that beast crashing around behind them.

they can talk later. right now, he aims to get them heading towards that castle-like clock-tower structure, where he's hoping a group of the cult has taken residence. most of the remaining large buildings form those "bases" for the cult in makeshift churches, so... good chance they'll be meeting that inside.]

Nah. Blowin down a door and siccin this fuck on other people. We can leave while it's distracted.

[you wanted to team up with a mass-murdering villain, well then here you go, megumi. that's the current plan in dabi's mind. if the cultists kill the beast, so much the better; if the beast kills them, the two are none the worse. at least they'll be long gone and their trail completely lost.]

[ Wow. Stealing and throwing people under the bus. Take my problems and make it somebody else's. Yes self preservation is key, but he's not going to willingly do it at the expense of others. That's a line he won't cross.

However, Megumi's not totally surprised by the thought process, but more so by the fact that someone would blatantly suggest it as an actual viable option. Starting to get a clearer picture of Dabi's personality, Megumi decides it's time to re-evaluate and adjust.

But in the meantime that answer is getting Dabi a big fat flat:]

No. [ His look is cold and serious as he takes a moment to analyze. He knows the emotionally appeal isn't going to work on him so he attempts to get through with logic.]

That would give away our location, and be a waste of energy. We don't know how many people are actually here [pointing at the decaying remains of a building] , and that thing is going to tear through the few who are and be right back on our asses. We need to come up with a more permanent solution.

[how naive and heroic. ya wanna play the self-sacrificing type, go for it, but dabi'd rather look at is "making use of your surroundings" and people simply happen to be part of the surroundings. he's crossed that line years ago; doesn't even recall what it looks like.

megumi's answer, short and single-worded, gives the villain a clearer picture of who this person is as well. tone of course, the expression on his face, lack of any further protest asides from slashing that line in the proverbial sand. yeah, this kid's one o those annoying 'heroic' people. tsk, too many of them even in a place like trench.]

Idiot. [his response is equally as flat and callous. this is about survival. theirs. the other shit doesn't matter. still, dabi listens to the attempted counter. he's capable of being stubborn, but knows when to be adaptable to keep an advantage.] Ya think that- [and jerks a thumb over his shoulder to the sounds of the creature tearing into the ruins, still chasing them, albeit semi-vaguely.] -doesn't know where we are?

[he frowns at the rest of it, thinking for a moment before countering.] Unless this thing's got a personal grudge against ya, it's not gonna chase us if it's killin or gorgin itself on other prey. We ain't gonna be around when it gets hungry again.

[The rain begins to pick up- a steady constant stream falling from the dark clouds.

Choosing not to address the insult. He's been called worse and after all what good will bickering do? ~~Oh but calling him a hero, Dabi should definitely do that in the future.~~ ]

Did you forget, you just burnt a hole in its ribs... [if eyes could speak, his would be screaming you've got to be kidding me, right??]

It's past the point of hunger. Animals don't continue hunting the same prey if it endangers their lives-Besides the forest has an ample supply of-

[Times Up.]

AHHHHH a high pitch woman's scream pierces through the conversation.

One massive claw rips through a nearby building- the one just adjacent to where they're standing. Shards of glass blast outwards scattering all over the streets. The few who were hiding in refuge flee in terror. Chaos.

Black hair whips around towards the direction of the noise. Out of instinct, hands clasp together, projecting a dog shadow puppet on the wall. A moment passes and the energy in the air feels different. Heavier. The pungent smell of electricity mixes with other volatile chemical compounds. Anyone familiar with magic may believe the smell to be just that. ]

Now's your chance. Leave. I lead it here, it's- [and before finishing his thought, the young man races through a puddle and into the building.]

[and now it's getting wetter. dabi lowers his head a bit further into his collar as the rain starts to slap against the rooftops around them, turning the pathways between the houses into cobblestone islands within muddy rivers. watch your step, boys. ~~don't worry; he usually slips that insult out if anyone ever behaves like this around him.~~]

And it still hasn't let off... Tsk, good point. [technically it just jumped over him after megumi knocked his legs out from under him. but hey, that worked for him. if it wasn't hunting megumi just for food, then it's likely gonna have a grudge against dabi as well for burning it... damn. he chances a look over his shoulder again, not able to see much beyond the glow punching through the clouds of dust and destruction behind them. which is starting to mat thanks to the rain.

a woman's scream interrupts his thoughts and he glances towards it. if he could even pinpoint what direction it came from. first instinct was to think someone else hiding out had just been found by the creature. second was to wonder if that's a good cue for their getaway, if the creature's now distracted. not quite the plan he had in mind, but followed the same principle idea...

he ducks to the side with a wince, one burned arm flying up to block himself out of habit as glass and wall blast past him. shit! it was that close?! glaring over his arm, dabi watches some of the refugees hiding out run away. so there were some hidden away.

the sudden motion of hands beside him and the triggering scent of electricity within the wet air tells him megumi's about to try that thunderclap thing once again. which won't help him much if he needs the fire to make the technique work...

rude. at least finish your damn plan before dashing off. dabi remains in the rain, watching the dark doorway the other man vanished into. the hell's he think he's gonna do? people already ran out. as for "leading" the creature, it's apparently still honing in on them. probably that heroic guilty conscience they like to dub "sense of responsibility" messing with megumi's actions.]

Baka-...

[dabi scowls under his breath before a gout of flame belches beneath him, blue jet launching him up onto the roof of the house megumi just ran into. hands in his pockets, he starts to walk along the tiles, threaded coattails flapping in the wind. guess he'll see this through to the end. this beast attacked him and perhaps he's feeling somewhat vengeful right now.

sides, megumi'll owe him later.]

~~[Sense of responsibility. Guilt.~~ Nailed it.

At any moment the walls could cave in, crushing and trapping him underneath. Sensing the immediate danger, Kage, a sizable jet black wolf with a unique red pattern of dots on her forehead, lunges out of the shadows.]

Check the house for anyone.

[Incredibly intuitive, the canine gets to work. Feverishly sniffing the ground, separating from Megumi for now.

The dank interior suggests this particular place must have been abandoned a while ago. A humid moldy scent hangs in the air meaning there has to be considerable water damage. It also appears that the electric hasn't been on for some time. A paper scattered on an old coffee table catches his eye. The headline reads: Rioter Revelations. Picking up the news article.

SLAM. Chunks of plaster from the ceiling begin to rain down. Shoving the article into his shadow. It's indeed important, but again now's not the time. Led by an invisible force, the young man finds himself on the other side of the living quarters, facing a dark wooden door. Just beyond that- the Reaper's rampage continues to unfold.

The tiny tentacle-like spines of its crown flare outward- reaching towards its intended targets. The bright blue flames alert the creature to Dabi.

By this point, it has multiple burn wounds on its chest plate from the series of explosions. Not in perfect health, but still left with plenty of fight.

Taking a deep breath, the monster builds up an immense amount of gas and pressure in its gut before expelling a thick black smog into the air. Using the craters along it's spine as a chimney to pump the toxins outward. The smell that taints the air has a chlorine quality to it. Breathing in the filth, will cause the esophagus to burn and over a relatively short period of time, it can cause drowsiness and confusion.]

[~~told ya he's been around plenty of heroes.~~

dabi probably isn't helping the house by walking on the roof, but he's not exactly a 200 lbs mass of muscle either. then again, with the rain making the roof slick, a single slip and fall could put him through said roof... good thing he knows how to fly and has good reaction speed.

there's the reaper. still crashing around in the abandoned residential area. so it really has been hunting for megumi (and presumably himself) all this time, rather than going after easier prey. the hell is this thing then? some sentient monster with the capacity for grudges? or something else... noticing the damage on its body, dabi takes some security in this thing being capable of injury. good. they're not dealing with some damn "invulnerable" aspect.

but when that gout of smog belches from the vents in its back (gross), dabi pulls a hand back, charging up a ball of flame in his palm. it's as bright as a star in the night sky, all the wreckage around him and the dark air making the swirling flames stand out as they condense into a more powerful and wild splay.

the lobs the entire thing forward like pitching a baseball. fire streaks across the sky, a comet shooting over the rooftops. not aimed at the creature itself but rather punching its way into the cloud of black smog. a brief spark and the entire orb explodes in a roar of open flame, blue fire lashing out in callous flares like a sun detonating within the cloud. hey, whatever that shit is, dabi doesn't think it's gonna help them. so he's trying to get rid of it preemptively. if it's flammable, then that's bonus for him.

and if the reaper as to suck in another breath to try and redo the smog, then they've clocked as important and can use it to their advantage.]

Opening the door, Megumi is hit with an instant blast of recognizable bright cyan heat. He stayed?? Whooshing past his face- messy black hair wildly whips backward. Instinctually shielding his eyes with both arms he peaks through the slits. A truly strange sight begins to unfold.

Lined up behind the great behemoth is a row of cultists. Far enough away to not be hit, but close enough to the action. Two of these hooded individuals are holding something in their hands.

Boom ! Boom ! Boom !

A series of rapid fire shots and explosions detonate. The flammable toxin takes on a deadlier quality. One resembling an artificial sun. As the fire connects and eats away at the particles- the atmosphere becomes illuminated- like a super nova- scattering light outward as a sea of shadows forms behind the creature.

Distracted. Megumi takes advantage of the situation. Flashing a quick hand sign before rushing directly in front of the monster.

Rearing backwards, cornered and defensive. The creature lashes out like a rabid animal. Getting ready to leap forward but it's clear something unseen is holding its hind legs firmly into the ground.] Gripping wildly the into the pavement in an attempt to break free-]

Shoot it!!

[The command is laced with stress and takes on a strange sort of desperation. The kind that suggests he might not be able to hold this thing down for long.]

[you can thank him later, "hero". dabi lowers his arm and braces one leg behind him to resist the potential explosion. if that shit's flammable and/or explosive, he's up here on the roof not exactly too far away and would rather not get blown off it via the resulting backdraft. or if the creature decides to attack him in response...

from his position, dabi can't see the cultists behind the creature, focusing instead on the being itself and the destruction the flames are causing it. as megumi pointed out, the charred hole on its side gives him the advantage of actually being able to kill this thing if he can get enough fire on it for long enough. but keeping it still for that to happen is annoying.

oh look! it's caught on fire. a small flicker of pride wanders across his normally blase expression. lighting up the area around them, his flames detonate within the cloud and combust the particles one by one in a growing swell of blue. explosion turns to flare and bathes the surrounding buildings in blue light.

not that it really charred the main problem... dabi blinks when a figure dashes out into the fray. only takes a second to recognize that ridiculous mess of spikey hair. megumi? the fuck's he doing here? thought he went off to go protect a buncha people he thought might be stuck in the buildings. his attention jerks back to the reaver (reaper? dabi didn't pay attention) as it tries to jump. only to notice the legs jerk in a telltale sign of imprisonment.

shoot it!

well that takes care of the motion problem. he breaks forward in a rush, a spurt of flame behind him propelling the villain through the air and over the roof towards the creature. not gonna lob another ball at it. this time, he wants to ensure it's down for the count. flames gather as the wind pulls past him, hair and coat dragged backwards in the rush. one arm slams in front of him, hand open and palm spread.]

Jet Burn!

[wider than his flamethrower from before, a blast of flames almost twice his own height roars out, washing over the creature's face and front in a downward angle. not giving it a chance to duck or dodge since jumping is eliminated. the scorching heat immediately flashfries the rooftops around them, melts metal and boils stone, turning the ground itself into a blackened, sizzling skillet.]

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September Catch-All- Duality

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1/2

2/3 I LIED SORRY

3/3- Done

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