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Post by mugenginga on Dec 25, 2009 22:18:19 GMT -5
There were many reactions that development could have had. There could have been shock and/or anger at Izanagi calling Souji a shadow. There could have been similar reactions to the fact Izanagi had been lying. Someone could have more or less calmly argued with Izanagi about his point. None of that had a chance to happen. Because with Souji not being gone, there was something that could be said to Izanagi. Not so much said as...
"Souji-kun, I'm sorry."
And then Ryoji decked Izanagi.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Dec 25, 2009 22:30:45 GMT -5
Izanagi had been expecting a lot. He had expected Kanji to beat the crap out of him. Hell, Kanji had been stepping up to do that. But Ryoji had gotten there first. Soft spoken, kicked puppy, still human Ryoji. Izanagi had not been prepared for that, and had not been able to guard himself before the punch came.
He stumbled backwards, and glared at Ryoji. This boy was the only reason he was even considering keeping Souji alive. And Izanagi knew that Souji would be gone by the time the day was over anyways. Izanagi had pushed the Shadow too far with his attempts to make Souji disappear. He was only barely hanging on now.
"You would feel sympathy for him, wouldn't you? After all, you're the same as him!" Izanagi yelled.
Souji flinched. Don't tell him! Goddammit, don't tell him!
Shut up.
If he remembers and I disappear, humanity is screwed! You call yourself a protector of humanity, but you can't even remember that small fact! For the love of god, shut up! Souji pleaded.
Izanagi had to admit Souji had a point. He took a couple deep breaths and allowed his anger to fade.
"I'm not here for the rest of you anyway. The reason I'm here is because of you," He looked toward Atem. "Izanami made a deal with Anpu. He brings her my avatar, and thus, me. She sends you to Yomi. Anpu succeeded with his part of the deal. Izanami will likely be coming for your soul soon."
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Post by mugenginga on Dec 25, 2009 22:38:47 GMT -5
The problem was that Izanagi had gotten something out. Ryoji's pissed glare changed to worry quick enough to be called emotional whiplash. It wasn't just the words that bothered him. It was the direction his thoughts had been going lately. The one's he had just had, the ones that drove him into punching Izanagi. His subconscious had such a chokehold on his memories that it still wouldn't let him know the full details, but he knew something.
As Ryoji's mind raced, Izanagi had straightened up. He looked towards Atem and delivered his message. And Atem's reaction probably surprised the group. He nodded his head.
"I know."
"Atem!?" Yuugi jerked his head to the side.
Ryoji mumbled something. He didn't know the details. He didn't know, he had with the existing evidence inferred. But it was rather the problem. That chokehold? Was barely hanging on.
"...of who?"
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Dec 25, 2009 22:47:48 GMT -5
Minato looked to Ryoji. Shit. Izanagi couldn't keep his stupid mouth shut, could he?! He didn't say anything, but he still looked pissed at Izanagi. He had to hope that Ryoji hadn't remembered anything, that Ryoji didn't figure things out. But the one thing Ryoji had mumbled out made Minato drop that overly optimistic train of thought. Izanagi had probably just hastened the time until Ryoji's awakening by several weeks. Nice going, co-creator of Japan.
"If Izanami takes your soul, I will have failed at the one thing I promised him before I gained control of this body. I will defend you from Izanami and make sure she is unable to take your soul. Even with this human body, I still have some of my divine abilities," Izanagi stated. "However, I will require a weapon. The blades my avatar wielded before I gained control will not work; I require a spear. Is there somewhere for me to buy a new weapon?"
Naoto and Kanji were both glaring at Izanagi. Kanji especially. That bastard had let something slip about Ryoji AND he was trying to completely force Souji out of existence without a care to the rest of them.
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Post by mugenginga on Dec 25, 2009 23:14:51 GMT -5
Ryoji kept staring at his feet. No one had heard him. Maybe it was for the better. He had suspicions. Now all he had to do was research. It was bad. Bad enough he couldn't be told. The fear Minato often expressed towards him meant it wasn't simply a matter of him being lost. The silence and looks of panic he had seen flick across the group meant he was right. He was someone's avatar. And whatever the god he was supposed to serve was, they had to do with destruction on a massive scale. He wondered if that was less inference and more his purpose trying to "awaken" him...
Teddie had sat down on a nearby bench. He was watching the proceedings, but still didn't seem there. Souji was going to be lost. Izanagi had no reason he could see to lie about that. Souji was still there, but he was going to be lost. Could Izanagi be mistaken? He didn't think the god was lying, but he could be mistaken. Izanami had been...
Atem, on the other hand, had a look on his face Yuugi couldn't remember seeing before. Atem took a few steps forward, and Yuugi saw he was walking with more authority than usual, as well. Atem was putting on some kind of show, but Yuugi couldn't figure out for what purpose. It was enough to inform him without words that he needed to remain quiet. What was Atem planning...?
There was a "mode" Atem had that he hadn't used in over three thousand years. It was a mode he'd been trained to have. His short reign had consisted of mainly peace. The encounters that hadn't been so had been mainly against opponents the skill was useless towards. This wasn't his game face, although it held distinct similarities, especially in the the unreadable department. Atem had shifted into his mode as a king, a Pharaoh, and the only thing the look was missing at the moment was a full cape. For once, the way he wore his jacket just didn't cover it, even with the slight wind creating a ripple effect at the base of the black leather accesory.
"Inform me of what happens if you break your word, Izanagi. If you do not answer, I will have no choice but to assume."
He even sounded like a royal involved in diplomatic proceedings. He still spoke with arrogant pronouns for himself and informal ones for others, but the rest had become very proper. As with any language, the noble variety of speech seemed snooty and unnecesarrily wordy.
In Ancient Egypt, the Pharaoh had been considered an incarnation of the gods. a mortal avatar, one could say. Most commonly the Pharaoh would be associated with Ra, the head of the Egyptian pantheon. With that in mind, the development could create an illusion. One of two gods being involved in impromptu diplomatic proceedings. Yuugi was staring at Atem with a new kind of respect. He'd known he had once been a king, but he'd never seen Atem like this. It was a bit intimidating and a bit aweinspiring, all at the same time.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Dec 26, 2009 21:15:58 GMT -5
Izanagi didn't even flinch at the change in Atem's tone. It was a tone he recognized, one that fit with the former Pharaoh.
"What, do you wish do die?" Izanagi asked. "In truth, nothing should happen. It was essentially a promise to myself, one that I can break without concequence. But you are now locked into this because of me, and I refuse to allow you to die because I allowed myself to be kidnapped by Anpu. I refuse to allow anyone else to be dragged to Yomi by Izanami, even if they have overstayed their welcome on this earth."
Izanagi turned around. "She will most likely come after you tonight. Unless you really do wish to die, one of you will show me to somewhere I can acquire a spear at."
Minato glared at Izanagi some more, until he thought of the place. Himitsu had to be able to do something about Izanagi and Souji. She always knew too much. Maybe she knew something about Souji and Izanagi too. Maybe how to save Souji...
He stepped forward. "I know a place."
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Post by mugenginga on Dec 26, 2009 21:30:16 GMT -5
Atem nodded, showing no ground. He didn't seem swayed one way or the other. No, he didn't wish to die. If he had to die, he wanted to do so in a way that would prevent the world more damage from the Games of Darkness. And he possessed a degree of certainty of that chance having passed when he forsook his past for his present. So now he hoped it would be old age that claimed him. He'd been feeling to see if there was some kind of retribution Izanagi would suffer. He seemed to be telling the truth about their being none, so Atem simply nodded.
Teddie looked up as Minato stepped forward. He seemed rather helpful out of the blue. It was probably to save Atem. He didn't like Izanagi, but even Souji would have worked with an enemy to save some one he cared about. Even Adachi if it came to that. He stood up, he wasn't helping the group moping. "Shadows" didn't have to be lost. Souji had to know that, it was why Teddie was still here.
Yuugi glanced at Minato as he offered a place. He knew right away what Minato was thinking. Himitsu had known somehow the importance of the Puzzle. He still wasn't sure that the sword that had been left in the apartment for the chaos of that morning hadn't appeared out of thin air then. Himitsu seemed to know about K1 and Naoya, too. Maybe she could help.
Ryoji said nothing. He didn't want to be here right now. He wanted to go to the library. He wanted to do research. He wanted to do it yesterday. Another realization had come to him. He knew everything he didn't. For some reason he was preventing himself from remembering it, but he knew it. It was like amnesia, probably trauma induced by the few thoughts that were slipping through. He wanted to get this over with and find who just who he was an avatar of. He was standing right next to the rest of the group, but he seemed very far away at the same time. It was cliched, but true.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Dec 26, 2009 21:45:25 GMT -5
Izanagi turned to Minato. Souji was being rather quiet, he realized. Souji had to have an idea what Minato was talking about, and just choosing not to say... or maybe he was conserving his energy. The Shadow would have realized by now that he was losing energy fast thanks to Izanagi's attempts to discard him.
"Lead the way," Izanagi said. Minato stepped forward and started leading the way toward Himitsu's shop.
Naoto and Kanji were following close to the back of the group. They had only been to the shop once; the time that they had gone there to check on K1 after he'd woken up from Apathy Syndrome.. The group was strangely empty without K1 and Naoya. Granted, most of the group had only ever been fond of K1, and Naoto doubted that anyone would want K1 around now that he'd returned to his home dimension. Most likely, he'd, as Yuugi had said, become King of Bel. Naoto had seen how K1 had become after defeating Belphegor. She did not want to consider what he was like now.
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Post by mugenginga on Dec 26, 2009 21:59:26 GMT -5
Atem dropped the mode he had slipped into as he headed after the group. He had waited for Izanagi to go behind Minato. Yuugi had waited for him. Teddie sped up a bit to walk with Naoto and Kanji. Ryoji more than took the rear. He was trailing behind by several steps. "...the same as him!" Over and over in the teenager's head. He was beginning to drop back more without realizing it. He was a good ten feet back from the main group by the time they reached the shop...
Or... you know... not. Nothing was there, or nothing that should be. It was an abandoned lot. A skinny cat crawled out from under a car that looked like it had been there for years and mewled at the group. It stopped when it saw the silver haired teenager in the group and hissed before using the junk littered in the area to bound away in that way only cats seem able to do.
It wasn't just that the shop was there. It was the right address. If Minato checked one hundred times it would still be the right address. The shop had never been near other shops. Nor was this lot. It wasn't even that, though. The trash, rust, junk, and even the weeds indicated this place had been like this for a very long time. At least.
Ryoji did manage to catch back up to the group as they stared, though.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Dec 26, 2009 22:08:48 GMT -5
Minato and Souji had pretty much the same reaction to suddenly coming across an empty lot.
Where the hell'd Himitsu's shop go!? Souji said. He stared at a cat that had been approaching the group until it laid eyes on Izanagi, and then ran away. He snickered. Looks like even a starving cat can tell you're no good.
That little jab was responded to by Souji being pushed again by Izanagi. A bit more of Souji's essence appeared to fade away, and he winced. It was a joke, Souji growled.
Well, I didn't find it very funny, Izanagi said back. He turned to Minato.
"I could have sworn Himitsu's shop was right here! Where'd it go!?" Minato said. He took a couple steps into the empty lot. "Where the heck could it be?!"
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Post by mugenginga on Dec 26, 2009 22:18:12 GMT -5
Atem was frowning as he looked at the lot. He didn't like this. She already set him on edge. She set K1 on edge, Yuugi got goosebumps around her, and Naoya wasn't anywhere near fond of her either. Keiji had seemed to have some kind of respect for her, but there had been hostility there as well. And now the shop had vanished. He saw Minato glancing at the street signs visible from the edge of the alley a few times.
"Atem, isn't this...?" Yuugi said.
"I don't think she wants to be found," was all Atem could say.
Teddie walked up towards Minato, "Um... are you sure you have the right address, Minato-kun?"
Minato didn't seem to hear him. His next comment answered the question. Ryoji had been replaying the recent events like an old movie in his head when Minato's comment came out. He looked up.
"Did you say Himitsu...? As in Motomeru Himitsu? Um... I ran into her earlier, her shop is a lot closer to the apartments..."
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Himitsu had sent Eriol and Pallette to their respective rooms. She had gone to hers as well. The instructions had been very explicit for them to not leave until she got them. This was a rather large hassle. She was used to moving the shop with just one living being and several entrances to her own personal pocket dimension to worry about. It took recalculations to deal with other sentiences.
There had been questions raised why she was moving again. She'd tried to avoid them, but Pallette had threatened to leave without a proper explanation. So she had told them. The shop was only there for neutral customers or those that needed to be there. The person that would be trying to find them in less than an hour was neither. He needed to work through the problems that had been placed before him by himself.
That was the problem with understanding fate as well as she did. No matter how much she wanted to help, she knew the consequences of many actions. Sometimes things had to be allowed to play out. For once the group in question had not upset the cosmic web that a certain annoying demon fully understood. Which meant she couldn't help them.
As the shop vanished and anyone close enough to see it go got a small gap in their memories, she found herself apologizing. She didn't know how things were going to play out for the teenager in question, but she could not interfere... they'd find the location as empty as the last they had tried.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Dec 26, 2009 22:29:03 GMT -5
Minato turned around and looked at Ryoji. "You saw her earlier?"
"Could you possibly lead us there?" Izanagi asked. He didn't like this. From Souji's memories he could tell that there was something off about this Himitsu character. The fact that her shop had mysteriously disappeared was only more proof that there was something up.
"Yes, we might as well try the location near the apartments," Naoto said. Minato had been correct; this was the location Himitsu's shop had been last. Which meant that the shop had somehow up and moved.
"This is way too weird," Kanji said.
You said it, Kanji, Souji said. It was a shame his speech didn't have the same effect on Izanagi that Izanagi's had on him when their positions were reversed.
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Post by mugenginga on Dec 26, 2009 22:37:30 GMT -5
Ryoji nodded. He turned without saying anything and headed in the direction of the apartments. It wouldn't be that hard to find the place. It was in a little alley between the coffee shop he had been to earlier and a place Himitsu had claimed was a fake occult shop. Atem found himself looking back at the lot. He didn't doubt Ryoji, rather the opposite. He believed Ryoji and Minato. Something was up...
...which was proven when the group reached the location. Ryoji blinked a few times at location. It was a two story building long since past its prime. The roof was caved in and there was a bit of a smell coming off it. Probably mold. Yuugi took a few steps forward and touched the building. It was there all right. He turned back to the group.
"Is her shop moving?"
Teddie blinked, "Is that even possible?"
"I can't think of any other explanation. She set most of us on edge when we met her. She knew what the Puzzle was far too well. She knew about K1's connection to Abel. She predicted something in relation to Minato. I'm certain she knew of Naoya in relation to Cain. The only one she didn't pull anything on was Naoto, Kanji, and Souji," Atem turned to Izanagi, "And I think this is a result of pulling something on both you and Souji. Think about it, Izanagi. Why are we not finding her just now?"
Ryoji blinked. Pulling something? He pulled out the hard leather case and looked at it. Had she "pulled something" on him, too? It had seemed odd, the whole situation. And this set looked to cost far more than what he had paid for it. As he turned the case over, those from Minato's world would recognize the pattern stamped into the top of the case. It was the same two toned mask that backed the cards that popped into their heads... indeed, the entire cover of the worn leather case had a stamped version of the back of those cards.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Dec 26, 2009 22:46:38 GMT -5
Izanagi scowled. "I think this would count as pulling something on you twice. Her moving her shop means that I will be unable to obtain the spear I need to defend you with. I will be forced to make do with Souji's swords..."
Sword. I got rid of the others. That one katana's been working nicely, Souji said. Not that you care, right?
"...Sorry, sword," Izanagi corrected himself. "In any case, if Himitsu really is moving her shop that we cannot find her, then I would like us to return to the apartments for now. I will await Izanami's arrival."
Minato looked over at Ryoji, and blinked as he saw the set of tarot cards. Ryoji had been into tarot before, so that wasn't that concerning, it was the design on the case that had shocked him. He stepped a little closer. "Where'd you get this? Himitsu?"
Naoto turned to look at Minato and Ryoji. Ryoji had out a case that had the same design as the back of the tarot cards they summoned their personas with... interesting.
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Post by mugenginga on Dec 26, 2009 22:56:57 GMT -5
Atem narrowed his gaze, "Contrary to what you seem to be thinking, I can defend myself. And Souji has defeated Izanami before, in a place she picked. Don't look down on me or my friends just for your supposed status, Izanagi."
Yuugi felt like he should say something. Nothing was honest though. He thought of saying that Izanagi was just trying to help them, but that wasn't true. He was just doing it because he'd promised someone, probably Souji. So he could't tell Atem that Izanagi was just trying to help.
Teddie looked over to Minato and then where he was looking. Ryoji had looked up from the case as Minato asked his question, "...yeah. I kinda almost trampled her. Ran into her, in any case. She seemed kinda weird... why, though?"
And that card, Ryoji glanced towards Yuugi and Atem, I had trouble placing those two before, but I definently think they resonate with that Arcana...
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