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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Mar 7, 2010 10:21:19 GMT -5
Minato had tried to object several times, but Ryoji had just run over his words, explaining why he had to do this. Minato had only stopped trying to get an objection out when Ryoji pretty much dared him to say that it would be less painful to watch him turn into that... thing.
"I said I wanted to stay with you as long as possible Ryoji," Minato cried. He stood up as Ryoji did, and took a step forward to stop him. "This isn't as long as possible, dammit! You're just running away because of what happened earlier today!"
Minato flinched as the world turned to green. He wanted to reach over and hold Ryoji back, but the memory of what had happened at the arcade stopped him. The Ryoji of then wouldn't have stopped at punching him. What would Ryoji do now? Ryoji looked calmer now, but...
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Post by mugenginga on Mar 7, 2010 10:40:57 GMT -5
Ryoji wasn't sure what to do now. His chest felt tight and if he hadn't known better he would have said he had a golfball or two stuck in his stomach. All this struggling was pointless, why couldn't Minato see that? He wasn't "just running away" like Minato so harshly put it. He couldn't deny the events earlier had contributed to the decision, but that wasn't all of it. Not be a long shot.
He looked away from Minato again, closing his eyes in case the other teenager tried to force another instance of eye contact. His tone was a bit cold as he spoke again, but it still seemed to be all Ryoji. And it was. Once Death had used Ryoji to convey the needed emotions. Now Ryoji was using Death to shield himself from them.
"You're letting your emotions interfere with your better judgment, Minato."
He wasn't walking forward in more, but it didn't even reach the levels of small comfort. Dammit, he needed to just walk out and stop holding himself back.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Mar 7, 2010 11:00:50 GMT -5
Minato clenched his fists and attempted to get eye contact with Ryoji, but Ryoji had closed his eyes. Ryoji was being too accepting of things again. Again. The damn bastard wouldn't struggle, he just kept saying that things were inevitable... Just like before. Ryoji was the one making this into a repeat of what happened before.
"Maybe I am! But you're doing the exact same thing! You're so caught up in thinking that everything's inevitable, that the Fall can't be stopped that you're not even trying to fight back!" Minato screamed. He looked pissed off, but the pain was still there. He couldn't believe how much of an absolute idiot Ryoji was.
"You're just repeating everything that happened back on Port Island! And now you're just going to run off and turn into that thing and then we're going to end up having to fight that thing again, but only this time we're all going to die because we don't have someone to sacrifice themselves to make themselves into some stupid seal on that bitch you're the avatar of!" Minato threw his hand to the side. "You could have at least tried to fight back! You could have tried!"
If Ryoji chose to run now, Minato would chase after him, but he wouldn't be able to stop him. Not until they were already outside of the apartments.
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Post by mugenginga on Mar 7, 2010 11:33:32 GMT -5
(OOC: I totally didn't forget this character, nope. XD)
Nyarlathotep had dozed off on the stairwell about eleven that night. It wasn't as much sleep as a recharge period, he was still quite aware. He'd decided Izanagi had become used to his presence as while he still trailed the god and his avatar, he didn't think they'd thought much of him lately. Nothing all that special had happened and there was nothing of note to report to Abel.
Due to Abel's instructions he had missed the chaos and developments around Malik and the event earlier in Minato's Apartment... he'd been on Souji's tail, no one else's, and Souji hadn't been home much. He knew about Kisa and Kaiba, but that wasn't important enough to merit a special report back. He'd probably need to check in tomorrow, it had been over twenty four hours since he was last there. If Abel really wanted him though, he'd summon him. Nyarlathotep had been with the group long enough Abel probably had his signature memorized.
Of course, when Minato began yelling at Ryoji, he had refocused on the situation. There were two stair cases in this particular building, and Nyarlathotep had taken camp up in the one to the left of the end of the hall where Minato's apartment was. The two teenagers had somewhat similar voices, but Nyarlathotep was pretty sure it was Minato yelling. The demon kept his focus on the yelling. Sounded like Nyx's avatar was finally about to wander off.
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Ryoji dealt with a lot of the yelling. He took a step forward. He tried to push the yelling and the anger he knew he should have expected out of his mind. All he had to do was leave. If he could get out the door, he could just let himself go. What S.E.E.S. had once called "fading into the darkness of the Dark Hour". But enough anger of his own had risen by the time Minato stopped that he couldn't just leave it at that. He turned around and his expression matched Minato's own. Considering how rarely either of them got truly angry, it hit home how south the situation had gone. Ryoji seemed rather pained, just like Minato.
"It's not a matter of accepting the inevitable! It's a matter of feeling that pull, that damn shift trying to happen! Less than a month, Minato! And I should have shifted as soon as I remembered, with the full moon having already passed! But I didn't because I am fighting it! No matter how much I fight it Minato, I will change! My emotions may be human, but I'm not! I don't even read as human in a medical exam, what does that tell you!?"
"You really don't get it, do you? Everything comes to an end! Everything dies! Even immortals go when their dimension collapses, even they can't outrun fate forever by dimension hopping! Some things are inevitable, why can't you see that!? I'm going to change into that monster eventually, I am going to die! Just let me go, let me get rid of this pain! If you had any sense you'd kill me and allow yourself the same thing! Dammit, Minato, why are you making this harder than it already is!?"
Why was he even staying here to fight this? He'd walked out on objections from S.E.E.S. before, hadn't he? Why wasn't he just walking out now? He knew why, although he didn't want to admit it. His feelings were different this time. His words were towards Minato, but his anger was being actually directed elsewhere. Look who needed to take their own advice about emotions. Minato really was right with that part of his pointmaking. He wasn't right in that the Fall could be fought, but he was right that he was acting on emotions rather than better judgments.
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The two were making enough racket for ten people. The entire floor (at least) was probably awake by now. Nyarlathotep lifted its claw like hands and covered the sides of its head. He hoped whatever happened there would happen soon, just to shut the noise up.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Mar 7, 2010 14:56:40 GMT -5
"Because I don't want you to die!"
Minato had yelled it very loudly, very suddenly. He wanted to get his emphasis across. He felt he had to. He had to convince Ryoji otherwise.
"I refuse to believe that you came back as Ryoji just for you to die like this again! Death could have easily become something else! But it appeared as Mochizuki Ryoji, not as Death! There has to be a reason for this!" Minato continued.
By this point he was yelling enough for eleven people...
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Souji, wake up.
Souji remained asleep. Izanagi couldn't believe this. How the hell was he sleeping this soundly when it had just taken one yell from Ryoji to wake him up before?
Wake up!
Souji looked up and started looking around. He'd finally managed to get to sleep, and now he was being woken up again by this.
"What?" Souji grumbled. "This better be good."
Ryoji and Minato are fighting. Ryoji's leaving.
"What, now?!"
Yes, now!
"Well, what do we do?!"
I don't know. I doubt even I could defeat him if he took his true form. Even if we did, it wouldn't do any good.
Souji had already climbed out of bed and was heading for the door. He didn't even notice if Teddie was awake or not or if he was even still on the couch; he needed to get down to Minato's apartment, though at the moment, he didn't really have much of a game plan.
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Post by mugenginga on Mar 7, 2010 15:18:38 GMT -5
Teddie was wide awake. The reason Souji had missed him was because he'd been in front of the bedroom door about to open it when it had been thrown open. Teddie had been startled by the sudden movement enough that he hadn't gotten a sound out before he was smacked in the face by the door. He mumbled as he rubbed his face, only even thinking to check for the nonexistant nosebleed due to the time he'd spent among humans.
Souji was already out the apartment door by the time Teddie had gotten out from behind the bedroom door. His eyes were flooded with concern. He hadn't been able to pick out a lot of the words of the yelling, but he'd more than heard it. He ran towards the door as Souji slammed it and pulled it open before heading out into the hall. He had no idea what to do either, but if Souji was that panicked he didn't have to think too hard about what was going on.
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Ryoji looked away as Minato shouted that he didn't want him to die. Of course, no one wanted anyone to die. Ryoji didn't want to die, or be lost, or however the hell you'd word it considering what he was in relation to the Shadow. He looked back at Minato as he continued and looked like someone had just killed his dog. He wished he could believe that, because it was unfair.
Why had Ryoji come back? Might as well ask why he'd shown up in the first place. Ryoji hadn't put too much thought into it before. Pharos had remembered his purpose, and then Ryoji had sealed it away again for the human emotions. Because those emotions had the vices of humans. They didn't want to die, and they wanted to fight against it.
Ryoji hung his head. That was probably why. Because he wanted to spend the time with Minato that Minato was arguing they had more of. That desire outweighed, yet again, the knowledge he'd have to hurt Minato once the memories came unsealed. He couldn't say that, not with how things were. It would just cause Minato to argue his hollow hope again. He turned away and managed to reach the door this time.
"The reasons don't matter. It doesn't change I have to go," Ryoji pulled the door open. At the speed at which Souji was likely headed there, he'd probably have his hand on Minato's front door handle by now.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Mar 7, 2010 15:38:14 GMT -5
"Ryoji!" Minato was already heading after Ryoji as he pulled the door open. He had shouted Ryoji's name, but he hadn't been the only one, as someone had practically shoved Minato's front door open and yelled it at the exact same time. Souji was standing in the doorway, looking right at Ryoji.
It was the Dark Hour, and Ryoji was heading out after a long arguement with Minato. It that didn't confirm what Souji had been thinking, then the author of this post's name is Cthulhu.
"You're leaving?" Souji asked calmly. He had to stay calm, even if the others couldn't. Minato had obviously been trying to convince Ryoji not to and had failed. Souji was the only one standing in the way of the door, though if Ryoji pushed him out of the way, he would move. He still had no game plan whatsoever.
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Post by mugenginga on Mar 7, 2010 15:45:40 GMT -5
Ryoji had jerked in surprise as his name came from two directions. The jerk had ended with a surprised stop as he saw Souji standing at the doorway. He saw Teddie in his human form catch up to Souji and stop behind the silver haired teenager. Souji spoke with a calmer voice than Ryoji had expected after he'd shouted his name. Teddie seemed to be trying to figure out how to get pas Souji without being rude about it. Ryoji nodded.
"Please don't try to stop me, Souji-kun..." His own voice was mostly calm. There was only the faintest trace of lingering pain. He really didn't want to have to argue his point with Souji too, especially with Minato right behind him.
"Ryoji-kun..." Teddie said.
The next words had even less pain to them, "You too, Teddie-kun. Just let me go."
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Mar 7, 2010 16:25:22 GMT -5
Even as he'd asked Ryoji if he was leaving, Souji hadn't known what he was going to do. But as Ryoji spoke with that calm tone asking him not to stop him, Souji finally made his decision. He looked away as he quietly stepped out of the way of the door. Minato blanched as Souji moved out of the way of the door.
"W-What are you doing, stop him!" Minato yelled. Souji didn't answer him. What he wanted to say could wait until Ryoji had left. Minato looked frantically toward Ryoji and then toward Souji.
"You're just going to let this happen!?" Minato was giving an accusatory glare toward Souji. Souji didn't answer him.
Izanagi, however, was busy trying to talk to Nyx, though.
So, you're letting yourself give in to your purpose once again, Nyx. I'm ashamed of you. He wasn't being taunting. He was being completely serious. You and I both know that it was possible to stop it. You're the one who's in denial, Nyx.
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Post by mugenginga on Mar 7, 2010 16:54:39 GMT -5
Teddie looked towards Souji in surprise as he simply walked out of the way. He wanted to say something, there had to be something they could do other than just let it happen. But after a moments hesitation he hung his head and scrambled to the side so Ryoji would have a clear path. Ryoji gave Souji a grateful look and closed his eyes and walked forward. He seemed to be trying to focus on anything other than Minato.
Don't lecture me, Izanagi, Nyx snapped, You couldn't even keep a promise that would allow you to have remained with Izanami. You lost your love by choice.
Ryoji didn't seem aware Nyx was speaking as he walked out the door. He began to walk faster once he got past Teddie, but it remained a walk.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Mar 7, 2010 17:31:21 GMT -5
Minato watched in disbelief as Souji and Teddie just let Ryoji leave. It was once Ryoji was out of the room that Minato finally said something.
"What the hell, Souji!?" Minato yelled. He walked toward so that there was only a couple feet worth of distance between him and Souji.
"It would be stupid to hold him up right now, Minato. We all knew that this day would come," Souji said. Minato clenched his fists. "We couldn't have stopped him from leaving."
"Like hell! You could have at least tried to stop him! We could have held this off for a little bit longer! We could have tried convincing him again! You could have at least stopped him!" Minato yelled.
"Well, what are you proposing we do? Tie him up and hold him hostage in here until he decides he's not going to be Nyx's avatar anymore?" Souji growled back.
"I don't know! But you could have at least done something! You're the one who's an avatar here, aren't you?! You had to have known something to help him! You of all people should have been able to do something!" Minato yelled back. "You're just standing here and giving up like everyone else! Goddammit Souji, I can't believe you're pulling this shit! Well, fuck you then! Fuck you and everyone else!"
"CALM THE HELL DOWN!"
Souji moved forward before Minato even realized what was happening and punched him in the face. Minato fell back a few steps and looked at Souji with an expression of pure shock.
"You're giving up as much as Ryoji is! You're the only one who can get through to him, Minato! The only one! You're his best friend, the guy he got his emotions from, his fucking lover! You don't have a lot of time to get through to him if he really is going to do this! With the speed he was going earlier, he's probably nearly out of the building. If you're still going to chase after him, GO!" Souji thrust his hand toward the hallway, motioning for Minato to go. Minato gaped at Souji for a moment before nodding and running out of the apartment. He had to make it to Ryoji. This was their last chance.
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Post by mugenginga on Mar 7, 2010 18:25:15 GMT -5
Ryoji had closed his eyes by the time his first food had hit the bottom floor of the complex. The pain was already growing, all because the form was supposed to come from Death, not some human form. The end result would bear traces of Ryoji like it had before. Even if it was just a mask, Ryoji was a part of Death. After all, the memories would always be there. At least the one who cared about them would only be used as needed, which was very rare.
He wasn't walking forward with sight, at least not in the human sense. The pull that he'd succumbed to was all the "sight" he needed. Still, if he lost it inside the building it would be more than a bit problematic. Sure, they'd all be dead soon but no need to bring the building onto their heads. Death didn't care, but Ryoji pushed forward the speed at which he was walking so that he ran out of the apartment. He practically ran into the door, barely managing to get it open at the speed at which he was going.
Even if Tartarus was around 24/7, Ryoji would have forced the change to happen in the Dark Hour. He didn't want to panic people, and the form merited by his purpose would do more than that. Island used to oddities or not, you didn't act normally around a several person tall glorified angel of death. He'd pushed himself away from the Apartments enough that the change wouldn't hit on the outer edges before his knees finally buckled under him. He let out an agonized cry as he covered his face with his hands.
The reason for the scream was far more than apparent as his knees hit the packed dirt beneath him. A bit of blood welled up from where his knees had hit, but it didn't even register on the scale of his current problem. From the base of his spine a black mass had shot out. It split out into several almost feathered shapes. As they began to grow to full extension, more of the black shadow substance began bursting from various parts of his body. Anyone with the misfortune to observe would swear Ryoji's body was being ripped apart by the miasma coming out of his body.
The teenager fell foward, one had coming off his face to catch himself. He was losing color in hsi face that one hand was covering as much was possible and his eyes were squeezed shut. Tears were rolling down his face, but it wasn't just from the pain as intense as it looked like it should be. There was regret there, because of what he'd had to leave behind. This wasn't the same at last time, he'd known that the whole time but it was really hitting home now. Too much of Ryoji had been there, and he could feel himself dying, being ripped apart.
The tears didn't look human by any means, either, as they basically amounted to more fluid streams of whatever blackness made up shadows. He pressed his fingers against the face, but no give gave. The two fingers that had been over his eyes suddenly caved inward as that part of what had been his face melted into that same blackness. The tears stopped as soon as his eyes melt-collapsed inward. The wings had reached about eighty percent of their full size by now, but what had once been Ryoji was still the size of a teenage boy.
From his waist the blacknoess shot downward into sharp angular shapes, what could have been glorified as dress if the entire scene wasn't straight out of someone's worst nightmare. It wrapped around his hands and his skin began to change color and melt into the blackness that was basically transforming him.
Before any further melting could actually be witnessed, the wings reached full length and suddenly wrapped around the former teenager, concealing him from the view of anyone watching. The agonizing scream had been tapering off for some time, but if finally cut off. It was sudden and with no warning. A ripple like one might expect nonexistant fully fluid tar to possess passed over the egg-like orb that had been made several times. It really was like someone had thrown a stone into pitch black water. With each ripple, the mass grew in an expodential manner before reacing the full height.
From the middle of the mass a blue vein work shot out, taking a very distinct path over the mass. Suddenly the mass seemed to gain a different consistency more like a wrapping of oversized wings. The wings shot outwards and extended to full length with an almost snap, sending black feathers similar to the down a chick might have every which way. The figure that stood up was one Minato would know from his lingering worst nightmares. It sensed Minato's presence behind it and turned towards the teenager. The monster that stood where Ryoji had been was stared at the blue haired teenager. How the Ryoji-like white mask managed to not carry an emotion one despite the "grin" it bore only lead to the unsettling appearance. It tightened its grip around the sword as tall as it was as it stared.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Mar 7, 2010 19:13:25 GMT -5
Minato had reached the bottom of the stairs at the worst possible time: when Ryoji had first fallen to his knees. He'd let out a yell and tried to run toward Ryoji, only to find himself pushed back rather violently by some sort of force. Minato had tried to approach again, and then the black mass had shot out from the base of Ryoji's spine. Minato took a couple steps back, and insantly knew that he had been too late.
He'd watched on in horror as even more of the black mass began to tear Ryoji's body apart. He could hardly see what was going on due to the growing winglike structures, but what he could terrified him. He was reaching close to hyperventillation as the wings, finally at full size, wrapped around Ryoji's body. He took another step back as the egg-like mass of shadows began to grow.
The worst part had probably been when the slowly tapering off scream had just completely cut off. That had been when Minato had realized that this thing was no longer Ryoji. That moment when that agonized, slowly more distorted sounding scream had cut off.
Finally, the wings broke away from the mass, sending down flying. A few feathers landed on Minato, but he didn't really care, because he was now staring at the one thing he'd hoped he'd only see in his nightmares. The only thing that remained of what Ryoji had been was a yellow scarf that seemed small compared to the being in front of Minato. It fell to the ground and lay there.
Minato stared up at the grinning face. It was wearing Ryoji's face. Just like before, it was using his face as its shadow mask. Minato gulped.
"Ryoji, I love you."
He manifested a blue card in his hand. He didn't want to fight it. He still didn't want to fight Ryoji. But...
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Post by mugenginga on Mar 7, 2010 19:47:53 GMT -5
Nyx Avatar continued to stare for a few moments. It angled its head to look at the card for a moment before it turned away from Minato. It didn't even seem to care the teenager was there. It flapped its massive wings, causing a huge draft as it lifted into the air. Tartarus was visible above all the buildings in Void City and it was clear that's where Nyx Avatar as headed. Not a word was spoken as it flew off.
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Nyarlathotep leaned back against the wall. This was something Abel had been expecting, so he didn't have to go out immediately. He'd wait until Izanagi and his avatar settled back down before heading to the hotel. It was expected, but it was big news. He felt the energy spike that was Nyx Avatar increasing distance from the area, so it had happened. It was rather amusing that Minato had thought he could stop it, really.
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Post by Firebreath Fishslap on Mar 7, 2010 20:00:59 GMT -5
Minato watched Nyx Avatar fly away for about a minute before forcing himself to look away. That had been it. That was the end of everything. He looked down at the lone scarf lying where Ryoji had been. After an agonizing moment, Minato walked up to the scarf and bent down before picking it up. The only proof that the teenager Ryoji, not the Shadow Death, had existed.
He hugged the long piece of cloth close to himself and began to cry. He stood there for a good moment, crying alone, before heading back toward the apartments.
He found Souji waiting for him at the second floor landing. Souji's eyes went to the scarf clenched in Minato's hand.
"...I'm sorry," Souji said.
"...You couldn't have done anything. None of us could have. He was already turning into that... thing when I got to him," Minato said. He wiped away a tear. "...I'm sorry. I want to lay down." He pushed past Souji and headed back toward his apartment.
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