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]

"... If you know what I am, then you know that I hurt people by my very nature." As for not killing them... well. He has. But he knows better than to say that.

[dangerouslyinlove]

Oh, Ryoji imagines he's killed someone, at least. New vampires tend. But it doesn't have to last that way. "Right now, maybe. I admittedly don't know a lot about the specifics of it all... but I know there are some things that can at least make it less likely you'll really hurt someone."

[grapeeater]

"... I don't think you really understand what you're dealing with." He's not sure he can stop if he starts...

[dangerouslyinlove]

"Then, can you explain?" Ryoji suspects the answer is going to be 'no,' but... he's still there. Not planning on leaving.

[grapeeater]

"I'm not..." He's not entirely himself, but that sounds stupid. "I can't control how much I take, sometimes." That's... closer to the truth.

[dangerouslyinlove]

Ryoji nods. He can... see how that would be a problem. "...Do you just need practice?"

[grapeeater]

"... Yes, because people are so happy to have me practice on them while doing something like that."

[dangerouslyinlove]

Ryoji shrugs. "I don't mind!"

(If Thanatos could facepalm it would be.)

[grapeeater]

"... Heh. I'm likely to kill you." He has half a mind to, given that the guy seems to know too much.

[dangerouslyinlove]

Ryoji watches him, tilting his head. "Is that what you want?" Because you're definitely not going to get to, but intent is important.

[grapeeater]

"... I don't want you talking." So yes. If he has to.

[dangerouslyinlove]

Ryoji sighs. So paranoid! "I already told you I won't."

[grapeeater]

"I know. But people say many things they don't mean." Kill him kill him kill him -.

[dangerouslyinlove]

That is true... "...Do you want me to pinkie swear or something?" Ryoji no.

[grapeeater]

"What are you, a child?" No.

[dangerouslyinlove]

Ryoji shrugs. "Well, what kind of assurance do you want?"

[grapeeater]

"That's just it. I can't be sure. I can't be sure you don't know them, or that you won't run into them, and they'll get it out of you anyway..." His more composed expression starts to melt a bit, eyes narrowing with the hint of something else in his eyes.

[dangerouslyinlove]

That's... probably not good. Ryoji blinks at him, trying to take in his features and figure out what is even happening here as his geist tenses behind him. Something is wrong. This guy can't be Bound- you can't be Bound and be a vampire, that makes no sense. But there's still that kind of sense to him, of there being more than one of them there, a hazy figure that's there but not quite. And it's not a peaceful partnership, like him and Thanatos. It's... almost like the Wretched. And it wasn't really there before.

"...What on earth did you do?" he murmurs, more to himself as he watches the other 'thing' rise.

[grapeeater]

The 'spirit' keeps fading in and out. It looks not even remotely at peace with its current situation. Micchy takes a step back.

"What happened is none of your business."

[dangerouslyinlove]

"I'm not sure about that..." Ryoji doesn't know a lot about vampires. But this is something he's never even heard of before. Is it possible for a vampire to trap a soul, intentionally or otherwise? "If you tell me, I might be able to help." Can he exorcise a ghost from a vampire? Who knows. There is a part of him that really, really wants to find out though.

[grapeeater]

"You can't." It's his, his. He found this power, he needs to take it. He needs to hold onto it. It's not this guy's to take away. He attempts to focus his attention on Ryoji, to command him, but he can't focus.

He can't focus and he clutches his head briefly. He'd inhale sharply if he could, but he can't anymore.

[dangerouslyinlove]

Whatever's happening is clearly not great for either of the parties involved here. It would be much kinder to separate them... unfortunately Ryoji's getting the impression that it's not going to be easy.

"Do you even know what you did?" he asks, stepping slightly to the side and trying to get a better look at whatever other spirit is there, "Do understand what it did to you?"

[grapeeater]

It's not, especially because the more Ryoji looks... there's others. One is definitely stronger than the others, more solid... but there's other shapes flickering in and out of his view.

Micchy turns with Ryoji, keeping his gaze locked on the other boy. "I understand that there are people who need to be taken out, and I can provide that. And that there are people who shouldn't be in power that are, and I can fix that."

[dangerouslyinlove]

Nope. Noooope he does not like this. Once he leaves (since this is clearly not getting resolved now- hopefully the name he was given was real so he can find him again).

"So... no." No, you don't understand at all. Maybe he can do that, but the cost seems... awfully high.

[grapeeater]

"I understand that I hear their voices, but I also have their power. And considering my age, and the fact that people like me get more powerful the older they are... I need every advantage I can get."