Trial of Trials : Act 2

[thequestgiver]

There's something uneasy that can be felt in the city, and seemingly no end to the rumors springing up in the wake of the downtown explosion that leveled BOARD's headquarters. Stories of an odd sickness where the afflicted suddenly winds up anemic, their blood levels dangerously low, despite feeling fine that morning have already taken root, others of strange animals seen roaming at night, and horrible screams and gunshots in one of the parking garages....

The space where the ill-fated headquarters lays silent, an empty patch of dirt and gravel that seemed to attract those drawn to stories and rumors. Police have already had to shoo away opportunists with metal detectors, hoping to find something interesting in the impressively quickly cleared wreckage, and others have reported something that just feels... wrong, when they walk by the site. The ghosts of those who hadn't made it out of the collapse? Or something else? Noone can really put a finger on it to explain.

And meanwhile, under the cover of shadows, things unknown to those who still walk in the light continue to move. Whispers of the rogue mage and a treasure trove of information, of upsets in the vampire hierarchy, and sworn revenge on the mages who had used one of their own for their gain.

And deep in a hidden lab, BOARD's remains and allies continue to work, twisting all they can get their hands on to create the perfect weapon; made of the very things they wish to cleanse from the world. The loss of the incapacitated vampire elder was only a small one, with how much they had already extracted and drawn from it. And if the rumors of their knowledge being in the hands of their enemies were true? They would just have to speed up their projected timeline. Or simply slow down that of the world. After all, they were mages. Reality bended to their will, not that of those who opposed them....

Comments

[grapeeater]

"... Around the river, mostly. It's quiet there. I don't like being around too many people." He tenses, trying to keep his gaze from flicking to the boy's throat. He's hungry... he needs to keep it in check, but he's so hungry... is he ever going to quench his thirst? Not any time soon, probably...

[dangerouslyinlove]

"Really? Well, I guess crowds aren't for everyone." Ryoji smiles reassuringly, watching the boy's gaze. He... thinks he might be cottoning on to what's going on, but he sure doesn't seem like he's used to this whole thing or at the very least isn't comfortable with it. Maybe Ryoji could help, somehow! Also he's pretty cute. "What brings you out here tonight~?"

[grapeeater]

No, Ryoji. This is a bad idea. "Just... walking. People-watching." Hunting. Reminiscing. Wishing this wasn't the way - but no, he has to keep going, keep getting more power. More, more. Always more, until there's no one who can hurt him or the people he cares about. "There's nothing really going on in this area. I'm not into bars or anything." Just the alleys that they provide.

[dangerouslyinlove]

"I guess you wouldn't be, if you're not into crowds." This is probably a terrible idea, but Ryoji doesn't really care at the moment. "Do you mind if I people watch with you for a bit?"

[grapeeater]

He hesitates. "I can't exactly stop you." He can. He will if he has to. He's so hungry. He has to get this person away... but he needs some touchstone for his humanity. He can't become what he feels like he should.

He can he has to he must he -.

[dangerouslyinlove]

"Alright then!" Ryoji takes that as consent, leaning against the wall next to the boy. Thanatos hovers in the back of his mind as he always does, knowing full well this is a bad idea but really this guy doesn't seem so bad. "Are you looking for anything in particular?"

[grapeeater]

"No. Just... kind of wandering aimlessly. I don't really like getting involved in other peoples' lives." He starts walking. This guy can follow him if he'd like, but he has to get going before someone he knows spots him.

[dangerouslyinlove]

Ryoji is definitely tagging along, though he is rapidly becoming less sure about his plan. Nice vampires still need blood, and Ryoji's is... weird. He has no idea what it would do to him and it would probably be mean to find out. Hm. Maaaaybe he should have thought this out slightly more. "Why not?"

(Ryoji) (thinking out a plan) pick one

[grapeeater]

"Because they don't have any relevance to me. Not really." Not since... well. Not since he was turned. He can't afford to get attached to anyone. "They have their lives, and I have mine."

ouch son (i mean you're not wrong)

[dangerouslyinlove]

Ryoji tilts his head, looking over him a little sadly. "So you just stay by yourself?" That is the kind of thing that can make him upset. Friendship is important.

i'm not even remotely wrong but I still love him

[grapeeater]

"Is that so wrong? Not everyone is up for spending time with other people." It's too dangerous. Too much. He stars heading towards the less populated area of town. He needs to lose this guy... or knock him out.

[dangerouslyinlove]

"I know, but... it's nice to have at least one person you can count on." You don't sound like you even have that. But... vampire, he guesses.

[grapeeater]

"... I suppose. But sometimes circumstances change." He can't rely on his brother if he's going to protect him. He can't rely on Kouta or Mai if he's going to protect them. There's no one. Not anymore. Not even the mage, not even any of those people. He can't, he won't, there's no way if he's going to keep them safe.

[dangerouslyinlove]

Ryoji looks over at him, examining the incredibly serious expression on his face. "Are you afraid of something?" he asks quietly.

[grapeeater]

"Everyone's afraid of something. What that fear is, though, is not something you discuss casually with someone you just met." Sorry, Ryoji, but not actually sorry in the slightest.

[dangerouslyinlove]

Ryoji laughs quietly. "Yeah, I guess most people wouldn't." Which is not to say he wouldn't, but he's also literally faced one of the bigger fears people tend to have. "...Change can be kind of scary." Like changing into a vampire, say.

[grapeeater]

"It can be. It depends on the change." It depends also if you were expecting to die rather than get turned into a vampire.

[dangerouslyinlove]

"Yeah. Moving to a new place isn't so bad. It's a little scary, since you're kind of starting over. But there are some fundamental things that are the same. There are other things that kind of... turn your life upside, and it seems like it's all changed all at once, though."

[grapeeater]

"... True. But you move on. You deal with it." They're now closer to the warehouse district, with fewer people around. Definitely since there was that incident a few weeks ago with dead... well, most people didn't know they were mages.

[dangerouslyinlove]

...huh. Ryoji's eyes fall on a couple places that feel... off to him, that probably have ghosts still inside. He's going to have to check that out later. Depends a bit on how this goes. "Right. But it can be hard. And sometimes, there are still things that are the same. It just feels different, because of everything else."

[grapeeater]

"Maybe." He stops, looking out at the water, the lights glimmering off of it. There's no one else around right now. He should strike. He should just take this person down. He's inching too close, he needs to go, he needs to stop -

"What is it you really want?"

[dangerouslyinlove]

Ryoji smiles. "I want to be friends! And to help, if I can." It may seem like he's lying, but he's... really not. He is actually that earnest.

[grapeeater]

"... No." He looks over his shoulder at Ryoji, expression serious. "To both, that is. Just... no."

[dangerouslyinlove]

Ryoji is not the least bit dissuaded by this. "Why not?"

[grapeeater]

"Not every person you meet is so kind. You should leave before things get dangerous." But he can't let this person leave. He knows too much. He has to. Why else would he be here? Did someone send him?