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

[ninjayeehaw]

There's no stopping the light frown that forms on Kinji's face at that comment, and he finds himself casually wandering closer. It was just rude to shout this sort of thing across a cafe, of course. "Well, the theory goes everyone's got one, don't they?" He tilts his head back, trying to smile again, but it's not really coming this time. "S'pose some people just take it a lot more literally."

[through_fire_be_reborn]

"Quite true," the man nodded, tone continuing to be utterly pleasant. "One might wonder which was the copy and which the original, but to me, at least, it's rather obvious which is which."

There's an almost condescending note in that smile as he shifts in his seat, looking up at Kinji, sunglasses mostly hiding the odd intensity in his eyes. Mostly, but not completely.

[ninjayeehaw]

There's almost a growl in the back of his throat, as he comes to a stop by the table. His own eyes are cold, meeting the stranger's readily. "Yeah? I reckon we got different ideas on which one's the copy." He shifts his hands into his pockets. "Already met mine, ain't too keen on my friend meetin' his."

[through_fire_be_reborn]

"You have, have you?" The implied threat went utterly ignored, the pleasant smile unfading. "Come, sit down, you must tell me about it." There was another glimmer of something in the man's eyes, making the suggestion seem very, very tempting and inviting.

[ninjayeehaw]

Kinji's frown just deepens. This close, he can properly smell the stranger now, and there was definitely a strong overlay of Tachibana to him, but there was something else...

He barely even realises he's pulled back the chair beside him until his legs fold on cue, and he drops heavily into it with a short huff, and he breaks eye contact so he can look down in surprise. Then back up, suspicion clear in his eyes. "I ain't gotta tell you shit."

[through_fire_be_reborn]

A small chuckle of amusement answered the proclamation.

"No? I would have thought it would be something you'd be very willing to talk about. Those sorts of encounters are the backbones of myths, after all." He reached for his coffee again before pausing to consider the young man a long moment. "Though if those myths have any roots in reality, I can assume it was your double who met his end, and not you."

[ninjayeehaw]

He just folds his arms, and his nostrils flare slightly as he inhales deeply. He just can't work out what that other smell is, but it's familiar...

"I woulda figured y'all heard about it already," he comments coolly. "Y'all seem his type."

[through_fire_be_reborn]

There was a small, almost politely offended huff of amusement at the observation. "If your double had been anything like me, it would be him sitting there, not you," he returned, tone almost idle as he had another sip of his coffee.

[ninjayeehaw]

His nose wrinkles, and the growl does escape this time, a low rumble that sounds like he's clearing his throat and trails into his words, just a fraction. "What're you doin' here, then?"

(Ugh, this smell was giving him a headache.)

[through_fire_be_reborn]

"Having a coffee break, of course," the man returned with all pleasantness. "A man can't live in his office and still be considered alive, after all."

[ninjayeehaw]

His hands grip tight on his sleeves, leaving him white-knuckled. "Yeah, I ain't so sure y'all qualify fer that last one," he mutters darkly, and that growl is much more present now. He knows that smell...!!

[through_fire_be_reborn]

"If I were what you're implying I'd hardly be sitting out in the sun, no matter how low it was, now would I?" the man returned idly.

[ninjayeehaw]

That's it! His eyes widen in shock for a moment, and his core goes stiff as the realisation makes his whole body jerk, the wolf in him yanking at the lead. It was a goddamn vampire, that's what they'd gone and spliced Tachibana with.

"...y'ain't fully gone, I s'pose." Spoken through gritted teeth, before he takes a deep breath yep now he recognises the smell. "Or y'all weren't never quite there in the first place. Can't kill what ain't alive."

[through_fire_be_reborn]

The jerk gets a raised eyebrow, but otherwise no reaction. "I can assure you, my friend, I am quite completely and utterly alive," he returned with a warm smile. "You still have a human mind over those animal instincts, I do hope. You should rely on it more than letting your lower nature override logic and reason."

[ninjayeehaw]

The beast rankles at that slight (lower nature--!), and Kinji unfolds his arms to rest one on the table as another surge of energy jolts through him, not as obvious as the first one but still hot, sharp and angry. His hand grips the edge if the table tightly, enough that the glass top creaks.

"Ain t no rhyme or reason t'whatever the hell you are," he grunts. The balance between his human and lupine minds was a delicate one, and this thing had a hand on one of the scales and kept pushing it down, keeping Kinji off-balance. It takes far more effort than it feels like it should, but Kinji manages to push himself back to his feet. "An' I'm real sorry, but I gotta go."

[through_fire_be_reborn]

"For the best, if you can't keep control of yourself." The words were that same pleasant, if slightly condescending tone. "I would hate to have a scene in such a pleasant location."

[ninjayeehaw]

Another snarl escapes his throat, and the wolf's impotent fury hits Kinji again, prompting him to spit out, "Oh I ain't got no worry y'all'll find a better location fer it."

He shoves at the table as he turns violently away, and a crack goes off like a gunshot - the force he'd just used broke the glass. Not that Kinji flinches, or even looks back as he storms away, until he's out of sight of the vampire monster. Only then does he stop and lean against a wall, breathing deeply to try and ease off the anger boiling just beneath his skin.

[triggerhappytraitor]

There's a vibration in his pocket, a text message. The latest of several that gone unnoticed.

'Don't go near him'
'Where are you'
'Damn it, Kinji, where are you?!'
'I'm coming to find you'

[ninjayeehaw]

Well, that's one way to get the beast to settle - the sudden rush of cold terror for his master's life.

He doesn't even bother texting back, he just calls the number back and starts lacing as anxiety curls in his stomach. Come on Tachibana, don't be stupid, please don't come looking for him...!

As soon as the call connects he's talking. "Don't-- Tachi, don't y'all even care come here, he's after you!"

[triggerhappytraitor]

There's a moment of stunned silence on the other end of the phone, a small, sharp inhale. Of course. Of course it would be.

"...it's Isaka. The DNA they used. It was from Isaka."

The words were tense, trying hard not to show how shaken and worried the Mage truly was.

"Meet me at the compound. We'll talk there."

I made so many typos gomen

[ninjayeehaw]

"Yeah, I could smell it on him." So there's some good news, at least; Kinji can tell when the bastard's close. "Be there soon."

He hangs up and tucks his phone in his back pocket, glancing over his shoulder as he does to make sure the alley's clear behind him, that he's not being followed, before he turns and moves, rushing towards the other end of the alley and out to the street.

I didn't even notice <3

[triggerhappytraitor]

Tachibana's already at the compound, leaning against his bike outside the guard's booth. There was a deep irony in being there, he couldn't help but reflect. Hiding where Isaka had kept him in thrall to figure out what to do with the clone that was the result of that ill-guided partnership...

His mind is in far too much turmoil to even begin to figure out what to do about the situation, his stomach still twisted in knots from the single photo. That BOARD had gone that far...

[ninjayeehaw]

It takes Kinji a while to get there; he doesn't actually own any sort of vehicle, certainly not in Japan, so he's fallen back on his wolfish powers to cross the distance at speed. It gives the beast something to do as well, push that furious energy at the monster he'd spoken with into energy that made his legs burn, pushed him to nearly-inhuman speed as he loped down alleys and over rooftops before he hits the thin stretch of road to the compound, and then he goes full-out, racing down the road.

And yet, he's not even tired when he stumbles to a halt in Tachibana's sight, crossing the final distance with heaving lungs at a much more sedate pace. "Vampire," he pants, voice ragged. "Yer clone's... a damn... vampire."

[triggerhappytraitor]

The man was silent a long moment. "Likely what I would have become if I hadn't broken free of Isaka's thrall," he agreed, voice soft and tired.

[ninjayeehaw]

"Vampire?" he huffs, before he takes a final deep breath, "'r a damn pretentious bastard?"

Either way, the werewolf loathed him, in both minds. "Cos when I first met y'all, y'weren't anywhere near half so frustratin'."