Distant thoughts become cluttered mind [Catch-All March]

[expertonshutters]

Who: Hayato, Dipper, and assorted CR
What: Various event prompts
When: March
Where: Various

Content Warnings: Warnings for the current event. Anything else to be updated as starters are written.




Catch-all log for Dipper Pines (ghostharasser) and Ichimonji Hayato (expertonshutters). Top levels below.

Comments

Hayato

[expertonshutters]

Closed Starters

[expertonshutters]

[Xerxes Break]

[expertonshutters]

[Hayato could have dealt without literally any and all of that, that's what he thinks vaguely as his hand punches through the surface of the ground. He gives a strangled, furious shout as he drags himself up and out, towards what had looked like the barest hint of light.]

[His lungs catch air, real air, though he wouldn't call Trench's air particularly fresh on the best of days, and with a gasp, he pulls himself the rest of the way out of the ground.]

[He catches his breath and looks up to take in his surroundings only to find himself sitting in a grave. Cool.]



[It is with surprise, perhaps, that Break may find the walk way to his house strangely blocked by the prone form of someone ...maybe familiar? they've only met once, but it's unmistakably the person Break helped early last month, only much dirtier and warn.]

[He's breathing. Probably.]

[payingfordeliverance]

[Fortunately for Hayato, Break has been something of a homebody since the spring hit. Always introverted and preferring to keep to his own territory if he isn't outright having adventures, just now Break is also dealing with having lost a month, given the state he was in most of February. You see, it's been his intention all winter long to see if the dirt around his house is fertile enough to grow anything at all during the warmer months -- and given how many mushrooms he found in his own backyard this past November it's certainly worth looking into, even outside of the strange wall fruit. But what little he knows about gardening tells him there are certain things one has to handle before the growing season and so he ought to have started reading up on things last month, and he doesn't know what he's late about but he's certain he's late about something, and it's all very stressful and one of his kids is sad and his favorite person in Trench is also increasingly vibrating lately and on top of that Break found strawberries growing out of the tub faucet in one of the bathrooms this morning and there's no way in hell he's eating bathtub berries given what happened last time he ate something weird but he would have eaten them if he were stupid and now he has no strawberries.

All this is to say, Break discovers Hayato because he's out for walkies, circling the grounds pretending he's being productive and doing gardening reconnaissance instead of avoiding doing any more reading about it this afternoon.

If Hayato were a Pandora coworker, chances would be very high that Break would leave him there and sic Reim on him or something. Break as he is in Trench is not enough of a jackass for this. For one thing, there is no Reim, which is one of this world's most egregious flaws. For another, Break does not trust this place as far as he can throw it, and a guy laying around looking not altogether far from dead surely means there is trouble of some sort about and it's best to deal with it now before it becomes an even bigger problem later. However, Break also remembers that this guy is made of metal. He did not want to startle him when he met him the first time for fear of getting beaned, and he is even less interested in doing that now.

He exchanges glances with his omen. Baltus gives Break a firm nod, trots off to the underbrush, and returns momentarily to give his person -- who carries a perfectly good cane -- a very nice stick.

They shall give Hayato a poke from a distance, and see how that goes.]

[expertonshutters]

No.

[Grabs stick.]

[payingfordeliverance]

[Yes, you see, this is why we use a stick instead of the perfectly good cane, which Break needs for, like. Life.]

Oh! You're alive, how nice.

[Waggles stick.]

Event Toplevel | OTA | cw: robot gore, eye gore,

[expertonshutters]

[Hayato thinks himself lucky in only one regard. He had some kind of heads up about the nonsense this city likes to do from a gentleman last month. The man in question had explained an incident with being kidnapped by ravens and dropped in a boat with little to no preamble, only to discuss regrets among illusionary corpses of loved ones.

Hayato had found that as upsetting as he did absurd, and vowed to try and keep his wits about him. And so, finding himself in the shrine of the Moss King he is a little less freaked out than he would have been without warning. He is however, still pretty pissed about it, and the sort of resigned, angry sigh he emits is the single tell before he turns and marches his way deeper into the catacombs. The sooner he could figure out what this place wanted from him this time, the better.]

[The only hesitation in his step, comes from a pause as he catches a flash of red out of the corner of his eye. It's only a moment, before he resumes his trudge.]

Calling Fire

[The dark water was not a concern for him, he didn't need to eat or drink with the same frequency most normal people did, even after the changes to his body from his blood, so seeking such things out were not high on his list. No, the real problem, the trial that would likely put an end to him on the spot, of course, would be the house fire.

He stands there for the barest of moments as he struggles to reconcile the fact that there's just. A whole house down there burning. The more rational part of himself is trying to argue that this must be some kind of trick, it made no sense, it was some kind of test. That might be long enough for someone to come along and see the shell-shocked way he watches the blaze before he slides his gaze towards ...nothing? Something beside him, perhaps. He stares, as if seeing something that isn't actually there.

It's when the screaming starts that he throws himself into action. No, it didn't matter. If someone was trapped in there he had to save them. He has to make sure no one was in there, and if it was a trap, he'd figure it out from there. His lungs could recycle oxygen for two hours (in theory, back home), he could withstand heat better than most, if anyone had a shot of saving them, it was him, and whatever injuries he'd get he could recover from fine.]

Stay here.

[That's the only warning you get before be bolts into the house.]

Til Death Do We Part

[If you've been with Hayato all this time, then you've probably picked up on the haunted, distant stare he's gotten a few times through out the catacombs. It becomes clear that he's been plagued by something, and once this particular chamber of the catacombs opens up, that something finally reveals itself. A tall, imposing man with a severe yet exhausted presence begins to trail after Hayato. His visage is rotting and ghastly like the rest of these illusions, but in addition to the blood there is visible, cybernetic decay. damaged wires and scrapped metal peer out from under his rotting skin. An eye, freshly torn out, sparks here and there from damaged circuitry hidden under his dark hair.]

[His clothes are dirty and torn, fresh from battle, and his boots and gloves are filthy with muck, oil, and blood. He says nothing, but only regards Hayato with something pained and longing.]

[Hayato finally stops, midway through this chamber, and lets out a ragged, shaking breath.]

...Do you see him? He's there, isn't he? I'm not just losing my mind?

As Above, So Below

[He's tired by the end of this. That stalwart resolve he had at the beginning has been draining out of him with every step he takes. He's lost track of the time he's spent down here, and it's starting to chip away at him, little by little. He's motivated by sheer stubborn will, and an unwillingness to give up, a perseverance he's personally beaten into the very wire that makes him up, and yet he finds himself wavering. Crumbling.]

[The warning sounds in his head as he approaches the black hole. It rattles him to the very core of his metal bones, and after a tense silence, a quiet sound leaks out of him. Laughter.]

[It grows louder, unhinged and distraught, until it barely sounds like him.]

Kindness of the world?

[His laughing practically howls through the chamber, before he quiets.]

Hell is behind me, in front of me, it's all I know. Every step I take is an endless march through a Hell that I'll never escape! And what now?! What Hell can you offer me that's worse than the one I already endure!?

[Those words are defiant, but they are dripping in anguish and fear. Even someone like Kamen Rider is not impervious to the weight of their insecurity and doubts.]

Til Death Do We Part

[survivalthroughhate]

[Maul's been stoic and silent as he makes his way through the catacombs with his current companion. Considering how much trouble running his mouth got him in last month, right now he's trying to think before he speaks. He's talked to Hayato only when necessary.

However, having some undead figure that looks like he was on the losing side of a war definitely qualifies as that. Tensing up as if ready for a fight, he looks at his current traveling companion.]

Yes. I see him. An echo from your past, perhaps?

[It's a shot in the dark, but considering how often this place makes Maul relive his old memories, not one entirely unfounded.]

[expertonshutters]

[Maul. Hayato knows who Maul is. It's impossible not to, after the presence he had on the network last month. He also knows Maul as the person that killed Johnny right around when they'd both first arrived here. He's kept tabs on Maul.]

[Even Hayato realizes this is a bad time to confront someone about murder or otherwise, that getting into a fight with someone on terrain as uncertain and dangerous as this would be an incredibly foolish mistake. As such, he's also kept quiet, in much the same way. They speak when it's pertinent and little else. Hayato keeps his temper in check, and disregards how satisfying it would be to punch this guy once real good.]

[Getting out of here is more important. Punching could come later.]

[Of course this ghost showing up is going to throw a massive wrench in this plan. Hayato takes a deep breath, not yet turning to face Hongo, though he knows he's there, watching him.]

Yeah. Hongo Takeshi, my partner.

[Hongo isn't here. He refuses to believe this is really him, and so an echo is what he will treat him as, and for now "Hongo" remains silent, watching.]

I think he's been following us the entire time. It's just like him.

[survivalthroughhate]

[Maul watches Hayato closely as he speaks of the man. It's clear his partner must mean something to him. He doubts this place would have brought forth the specter at all otherwise. The Sith glances at the ghoulish visage of the man before turning back towards Hayato.]

Did he die in battle?

[Judging from his appearance, either he'd had that happen or a building had collapsed right on top of him.]

[expertonshutters]

No.

[Surviving having a building dropped on you was doable enough for them. Hayato would know, he had one dropped on him fairly recently. He didn't enjoy it, but he still walked away from it.]

At least, I hope not. If we've lost him, then we've lost everything.

[Nothing was a bigger symbol of enduring hope than the stalwart resolve of The First Kamen Rider. Hongo Takeshi would drag himself through hell and back over and over again if it meant continuing to uphold the fight. It wore on him in ways only he'd been allowed to see, but that never slowed him down. As long as there was a reason to fight, Kamen Rider will never die.]

[Hayato finally turns around to face him. His expression is pained while he takes in his state.]

What are you doing here, Takeshi?

calling fire

[verrostet]

[ Running across Hayato was, she thought, a stroke of luck. In times of need, you're supposed to be able to rely on superheroes to do the hard work of becoming a meat shield for the common citizens like her. She's a little girl, to boot — she should be reaping twice the benefit. Every superhero story will eventually depict a small child being protected at any cost, much to everyone's relief and happiness. As long as Hayato's around, she should be enjoying a relaxed, cushy journey; escort missions are only hated by the people who have to do the escorting.

So how did this happen?

She thinks this to herself furiously as she waits outside the burning house for Hayato to return. She would have been perfectly happy to ignore the house in its entirety; it makes no sense for a flaming house to be in a catacomb of all places, and after all the insane challenges she's had to endure in the past (what feels like) weeks, she has even less patience than usual for obvious traps.

She could leave him. Oh yes, she should leave him. Making herself obligate to a man clearly mentally malfunctioning will only spell trouble for her in the end. If he wants to be suicidal, then that's his right — as long as he doesn't drag her down with him in the end.

... ... ...

... Dammit. He's been in there for way too long. He may have a metal body, but there are more than just physical forces at play here if those banshee wails are any indication. Tanya's gloves creak with the tight curl of her fists, her teeth bared in an animalistic snarl. Making up her mind, she dumps her pack and submachine gun, puts up a protective film to trap a large air bubble around her, and bursts like a cannonball through the open door.

Now, where is he? He may be suicidal, but he doesn't get a leisurely pass to hell without her kicking his ass first. ]

[expertonshutters]

[The screams were deafening from the moment he entered the house, and while the feeling of having made a mistake was thick and rattling, the even worse feeling of action propelled him forward. Like being possessed, he tore through the house looking for the source of the screams. He threw furniture around, tore doors off hinges, anything to make it quicker for him to scour the building.]

[No matter where he searched, he could find nothing, and the fire under his skin that told him he had to keep looking was usurping the part of himself screaming he was being tricked. He knew and yet he couldn't stop.]

[It wasn't until he reached the last room, on the top floor that he took notice of the entities in the room. The shadows that had taunted him from the windows. Perhaps it is what remains of Hayato's normally strong will that causes the shift, but he recognizes them as an enemy. A monster. Bakemono is the word he roars from upstairs, loud enough to be heard over the fire.]

[When Tanya finds him, he's swinging at the shadows, desperately trying to take them out. They move and and shift away from him, silent yet taunting. He's covered in soot and ash and his movements are slowing, sluggish, while he chokes on the smoke. He's like a wild animal who seems to have completely lost who and where he is.]

[verrostet]

[ It isn't hard to follow the sound of Hayato's shouting, and while some people might feel concern, Tanya simply feels anger. She navigates her way upstairs at a rapid pace, her protective film handily repelling the smoke and flames.

When she does finally find Hayato, she takes in the scene between him (berserk) and the specters (hovering mockingly) for a full two seconds before making a decision. Even if he's lost his mind, his body should be as sturdy as usual.

So... she dispels her protective film, layers herself with a skintight defensive shell that disperses shock, and rockets herself right at him in a literal flying tackle. If she manages to tackle him straight through the wall of the house, then all the better. She doesn't want to linger in this house for a second longer than necessary, and she's willing to risk a dent or two in his chassis if it means an expeditious exit. ]

[expertonshutters]

[That wall had no fucking chance. Between the force and momentum of Tanya's tackle and Hayato's heavy, mechanical body, they both go crashing right through to the outside. It's the second story, but that's probably fine. Hayato has had worse falls.]

[The trance he was under is just as violently torn from him once he catches the air of the fall. He musters a single confused noise before they crash to the ground.]

[He chokes up blood, and his head hits the ground with a loud thwak, but he remains remarkably conscious, if startled and disoriented.]

Dipper

[ghostharasser]

Closed Starters

[ghostharasser]

invites self here too

[payingfordeliverance]

[There are a great many problems that come along with being somebody Xerxes Break likes. One of the more endearing is that he thinks text messages are impersonal and inadequate. Nice for organizing a lunch at great speed, certainly, and he is increasingly endeared to this business where you can leave a nice thing for somebody to find in their pocket later. But for late night chats about philosophy or talking somebody through some sort of crisis? Feh! If it's something one wants tea about a text message simply will not do. That is why, in the flurry of messages and support Dipper receives after his Grunkle Stan disappears from Trench, Break is notably absent.

Three nights later, there are suspicious noises on the roof of the Bone Fortress.

They are very quiet noises, just loud enough that a young boy who was lying awake in the bedroom below would catch onto them. Something that sounds like scrabbling claws across shingles. Something that sounds like...faint footsteps. Break and Baltus are both more than capable of moving in complete silence. They are not, on the grounds that Dipper Pines is a nervous creature and simply showing up in his second-floor window with zero warning whatsoever is, perhaps, unwise.

Once they have finished doing whatever it is they are doing up there, Baltus points out that Dipper is also a scary creature, honestly -- they have heard him mutter about the potential in blood magic before -- and Break's face appearing in his window might result in him not having one in short order. Break's suggestion that Baltus be the one to fetch him is also turned down, on the grounds that a shadowy being with glowing eyes is probably also not what you want to see outside the second floor in the middle of the night. After some deliberation, the cane, they decide, is an acceptable sacrifice. Leaning caaaaaarefully over the edge of the roof with Baltus at his side, mindful that he doesn't want to wake anyone who isn't already awake, Break lets the end of his weapon knock neatly against the windowpane in the rhythm from the start of "Do You Wanna Build A Snowman".

Tap tap t-tap tap.]

[ghostharasser]

[Break's intuition is good for a number of reasons. One, the obvious reason that Dipper was a naturally jumpy kid with anxiety, but two, Dipper Pines has lived through multiple apocalypses, including the collapse of what had been a nightmare realm that he lived in for months. To say that the sound of footsteps both human and otherwise caught his attention immediately is an understatement.

He remembers the last time shit came from the roof. He remembers the white walkers, trying their damnedest to get through the house's fortifications. He remembers sleepless nights, holding his breath-

He's quick, grabbing his knife off his nightstand. He barely flinches as he cuts his finger, reaching up to draw a sigil into the wall just above his head board. There's a moment when the walls seems to pulse, giving way to a magic array that covers the entire room that fades as quick as it came. A barrier for protection, though it only works on specific evils. It is however, good for giving a warning that much worse could come.

So is the sound of a shotgun being cocked, not far from the window.]

1/2

[payingfordeliverance]

[Sweet Pandora Jesus.]

2/2

[payingfordeliverance]

[Certain people who liked to yell and move too quickly during his Abyss recovery are lucky, Break thinks, that he himself is a brute and mostly just hits things very hard. He and Baltus regard one another, considering the matter. They reach a conclusion, and Break starts patting around in his pockets.

A moment later, a lollipop attached to the end of a ribbon dangles down in front of the window. There is very little that is more "Break's house" than candy and ribbons, so this may well tip Dipper off as to just who has decided to bother him in the middle of the night. Even so, it is not one of Break's favorite flavors, just in case Dipper shoots the thing on sight. We needn't be wasteful.]

[ghostharasser]

[He's lucky, because he almost jolts at the sight of the lollipop enough to let off a warning round.]

[While it was loaded with fire dust bullets.]

[As such, Dipper thinks first before shooting, and gives the lollipop and the ribbon it was tied to a scrutinizing squint. Wait, that is definitely the calling card of someone specific. With a sigh, Dipper lowers the gun entirely, clicks the safety back on, and goes to the window.]

[He pushes it open so he can grab the lollipop.]

(Mabel)

[ghostharasser]

April has kind of sucked, not gonna lie. Between the eternal night, losing Stan, and everything else, Dipper has been ...in not the best of moods. He's been moody, quiet, and cranky. That in itself isn't a terrible red flag, especially when he's a fourteen-year-old processing grief, but it seems like he's having a hard time shaking it off.

Finding out about the Ozpin stuff didn't make it worse, exactly. It just gave him something to direct his aimless aggression towards, and after he and Ford had that conversation, some ideas started churning in his head. Ideas that gave him an outlet, a focus, and something to fixate on.

And not entirely in the good way.

Dipper has spent a decent amount of time in and out of the dreamscape lately, too. That also isn't a warning sign on it's own, since he frequently practices his abilities with his sister. However, putting all of it together might spell out some potential trouble, and if Mabel has been keeping an eye on her brother, she might pick up that he's spent most of the day asleep in bed.

It might be worth checking up on him.

[sparklehorror]

Truth be told, Mabel has spent the bulk of the time since Stan left off in her own head, and doing many of the same things she did when she was processing her brother's death last year -- spending time at the beaches, drawing quietly in her own little corner. The bond she shares with her remaining family means she's aware of their pain too, and while she's capable of taking some comfort in how much they must all love one another for it to hurt as much as it does, by this point Mabel has learned that time is the only thing that truly fixes these things. Trying to bully the boys into bonding time or anything like that isn't actually going to cheer anybody up. They all need to just...do their own thing at their own pace, and for Mabel, that means allowing the precious times that have come to an end to become something sacred in her mind.

A woman's heart is an ocean of memories, and stuff.

Still, for all that she's sunk a little back into her self-absorbed ways, it's not as though she's completely unaware that her brother is being all cranky and pubescent about it. And, indeed, Mabel does notice that Dipper is spending more and more time asleep, which is the opposite of his usual problems. When she trundles downstairs in the morning and meanders up hours later for some supplies she forgot and finds him still asleep, it finally crosses her mind that this could be something bad. Abandoning her quest for the moment, she climbs onto the foot of her brother's bed.

"Dipper? Are you awake?"

Event Toplevel

[ghostharasser]

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