awashlogs | o toi, le plus savant et le plus beau des anges

Entry tags:

o toi, le plus savant et le plus beau des anges

WHO: Akira, Dextera, Ryo (+ Pyra in the second thread)
WHERE: The woods
WHEN: 3/14ish
WHAT: Satan, a Devilman, and God walk into the forest to kill a guardian.
WARNINGS: Character death, violence; I'll update this if anything else comes up.

[ Link had cautioned him against harming the guardian, and while Ryo agreed that he had a point since the forest is sentient to some degree and that killing it could very well incur the forest's wrath, he decided to ignore the suggestion to leave it alone—he wants that thing dead, and he wants to know what it might be guarding. One must sometimes take risks in the pursuit of knowledge, after all.

A few weeks after learning about Dextera being in possession of a bullet capable of killing even even a god, Ryo, Dextera, and Akira decide to make the trip into the forest with the intention of tracking down and killing the creature.

It's been a couple of hours since they left town. Their surroundings are growing darker, the trees becoming more twisted and gnarly as they venture deeper. It can't be far now, and Ryo feels unease knot in his stomach—it's as though they're being ushered toward the creature, with nothing hindering their way. They haven't even seen a single animal since they left town. ]

I hope we're not being led into some sort of trap. [ He says, eyes scanning for movements between the trees, fingers tightening around his rifle. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ dextera actually does slump over onto the floor, when the book steals away its price. he’s breathing, quite obviously, and he has the energy to keep his eyes open, but it’s a task all his own to remain conscious or even want to with his sudden exhaustion. ]

…

[ and the nausea. he closes his eyes, willing the world around him to stop swimming before he empties his stomach all over ryo’s floor. it’s a dark, dark energy that’s gotten its claws into them, and they have no way of knowing if it’s worked until akira himself shows up at the door.

he shivers, feeling cold from the inside out. ]

[ The book wants power? It can have it. The book wishes for more? Here, she will give it, and give it freely. She has ample to spare within the depths of her core, and she will willingly provide it as much as she is able, as much as can be filtered from the seal that is placed upon her.

Yet when she speaks the final word in unison with them, when the incantation ends, she feels as if it grimoire has taken a whole lot more than what she had offered, like some sort of essence that she cannot place that she didn't know she even had. Now she suddenly feels without, an emptiness that leaves her feeling faint. Whatever it is that the book has siphoned from her, it's gone.

Feeling truly cold is a phenomenon for her, one she's only experienced while in Chroma, and she cannot help but bring her arms up to wrap herself around her. The crystal upon her chest has dimmed considerably. ] ...Was... was that it? [ She asks cautiously, voice small. ] Where is he?

Somewhere in town. [ His voice is weak, barely above a whisper. He gives up on trying to remain upright and lies down, staring up at the ceiling. ]

He'll come here soon.

[ He has to. They just need to wait for him to head back to the house. Their house. ]

[As he returns to consciousness, Akira's memories are a haze. He remembers being in Ryo's arms, he remembers a heavy pain in his chest, he remembers the battle, the forest, Dextera, flashes of lightning. It's all a mess, and as he comes into consciousness to the sound of waves lapping against the harbour, it has him touching his chest for a wound that's no longer there. His eyes come into focus, and he realises he's alone at the water's edge.

Did he really die? Or was that yet another close call? Death had become all too common after he'd become a Devilman, to the point of almost being routine.

But, he remembers, Chroma is different.

Akira also realises he's not in the forest, and if he's alone, he must've been separated from Ryo and Dextera after the fight. So he staggers unsteadily to his feet, and, disoriented, heads for the first place he'd think to look for Ryo: their home in Ruga, as fast as his demonic agility will allow.

When he arrives, he almost tears the front door straight off its hinges with the force that he opens it, yelling into the house.]

RYO! Where are you?

[There's both desperation and confusion in his voice as he enters. If he's not here, he might need to go back to the forest to help them.]

[ Ryo feels a swell of relief in his chest when he hears Akira open the door. It worked, it worked, he's on the verge on passing out but the fatigue weighing down on his body is worth it because Akira came back. He's home. ]

Akira... [ He tries to say it loud enough for Akira to hear, but all that comes out is another pitiful whisper. He's too tired to raise his voice.

Meanwhile, loud meowing can be heard coming from the bathroom. ]

[Akira doesn't hear any response from Ryo. But the meowing from the bathroom is odd, so he moves to open the door. Tako darts out, and before Akira can stop to figure out how he got shut in there, the cat doesn't even stop to greet him, running across the hall and standing by the living room to look at him with expectant eyes.

Is Tako trying to tell him something? Apprehensive, he follows the cat inside.

What he sees makes his blood run cold. A book on the table, Ryo and Dextera on the floor, and -- Pyra? Why is she here? He moves to her first since she at least seems to be sitting upright, even if the crystal in her chest is worryingly dim, and she's huddled with her arms around herself.]

H-hey... What happened? [He touches her shoulder, his voice trembling as he struggles against tears.]

[ Pyra wants to do many things here. She wants to help Dextera, or at least clean up after him. She wants to bring a blanket to cover him. For Ryo, she wants to give him a pillow and perhaps a cup of hot tea. But she hasn't the energy to any of those things....

She feels a hand upon her shoulder before she realizes it's Akira that's there, and a soft gasp escapes her lips as she looks up at him. ] Akira.... ?

[ He asked them a question, but she can hardly focus on anything but him right now. ] ---Akira. [ She would have leaped up to pull him into an embrace. As it is, she can only bring a hand up to cover his that's upon her shoulder, squeezing his weakly. ] It... it worked. The grimoire worked.

[ Her voice is trembling, but despite her exhaustion she cannot help but smile as she sees him. Relief washes over her. ] You're alive.

[You're alive. So he really had died after all, and it hadn't just been a bad dream.] What worked...?

[Is she talking about the book? Why is she smiling, when all of them look exhausted? He glances at the grimoire only briefly, and something about this situation seems wrong, even if he doesn't yet understand why. He's starting to panic, so Akira moves over to Ryo's side next, dropping to his knees and gathering him up in his arms.]

Ryo? [His voice trembles, remembering how Ryo had held him like this as he died. Then, with a little more urgency--] Ryo, talk to me.

[He's breathing, at least, but he and Dextera look even worse off than Pyra.]

Akira. [ Despite how tired his limbs are, he manages to lift a had to Akira's cheek. His touch is soft and gentle, but his fingers feel kind of cold. ]

We used the grimoire to revive you. It-- it took our energy in exchange for bringing you back.

[ He exhales quietly, leaning his head against Akira as he lowers his hand. ]

[The tears welling in Akira's eyes spill over, and he catches Ryo's cold hand in his.]

You all... did this for me?

[He didn't ask for this, for them to give up so much for his sake. The town would have brought him back on its own, wouldn't it? But then, he didn't ask for a lot of things Ryo has done for him. Akira wraps his arms around him, hugging him close.

For once, he won't get angry at him for going this far. He couldn't possibly, not now.]

Everyone... Thank you.

[ dextera has died before, and it doesn’t seem wrong now to spare akira from the pain of coming back the way he had. if it can feel like nothing more than a long sleep with a shocking sight waiting for him back at home, isn’t that the best? as they all talk to each other, with ryo and pyra explaining what they can, dextera merely watches—watches ryo, specifically, and the way he moves with something as close to affection as dextera suspects ryo will ever get. ]

…

[ he exhales, and relaxes against the floor. it’s someone else’s moment, right now. ]

[ She can smile tiredly at Akira as he thanks them, quietly watching how he interacts with Ryo so... tenderly and fondly. Akira is a lucky man, to have both of these friends to go to such lengths to bring him back from the dead using some dangerous, mysterious means.

She can't say, "Anything, for you. I would do anything for you." Because she wouldn't, she choose not to, even when she could have. But-- that maybe she didn't need to. Maybe that is the lesson she is to take from this, that with others' help, they can make miracles on their own.

The crystal upon her chest is blinking; she feels as if she might lose her corporeal form any moment if she doesn't focus on conserving her energy. She'll be alright so long as she doesn't overexert herself, and she's content with simply resting here for now. Closing her eyes, she lies herself down upon the couch and just.... watches for now as well. ]

[ Akira is so warm and Ryo thinks he could fall asleep like this, comfortable in the arms of his best friend. If he had any energy left, he'd put his arms around his neck and hold him close and probably not let go for several minutes.

It's been a long day. His abdomen aches and he's tired enough that he's probably going to sleep for a full twenty-four hours, but he doesn't regret a thing. The guardian is dead, they've learned something new about the forest, and Akira is back. ]

....Carry me to my bed, Akira. Dextera, too. [ Just because Dextera looks like he's about to pass out on the floor doesn't mean they should leave him there. ] Pyra can take the couch.

[Akira's grateful for the suggestion before he becomes a complete blubbering mess, wiping his eyes with a forearm. Then he picks up Ryo, and looks across the room.]

I'll come back for you in a minute. [He feels bad just leaving Dextera there, but he can only carry one of them at a time. So he'll take Ryo upstairs as instructed, and lie him down on the bed. Once he's sure his friend is comfortable, propping him up with pillows and tucking him in, he'll return for Dextera. As he does so, he brings down some sheets and a pillow for Pyra so she can rest on the couch.

That done, he picks up Dextera carefully, as if handling someone a lot more fragile than Ryo.]

Is the couch okay with you, Pyra? [She'd taken it for herself, but he didn't want Ryo just deciding things when she might have just taken a moment to rest.]

[ The sheets and the pillow are the proverbial straws upon the camel's back, and at last exhaustion takes over her. She'll be asleep on the couch by the time Akira returns to find her.

That is to say, yes, the couch is okay with her. ]

[ dextera isn’t in much better shape, but he’s able to follow everything that’s going on. by the time akira gently picks him up, and he’s probably not wrong to think that dextera is a lot more fragile than ryo, dextera sighs and relaxes into his arms. he’s exhausted, he’s cold, he’s unwell—but like ryo, he’s just relieved that akira is alive. ]

…thank you.

[A sad, yet fond expression crosses his features when he realises Pyra's already asleep. He won't disturb her any further, instead taking Dextera upstairs to Ryo's room as asked. There's enough room on the bed for another, so he sets him down to rest alongside Ryo.]

Thank me when you're better. I'll take care of you, just like you looked out for me.

Mm.... [ He's only half listening to what Akira is saying, in mind already on its way to drifting off into sleep. He shifts a little when he feels the mattress dip next to him, unconsciously pressing his forehead into Dextera's shoulder. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

o toi, le plus savant et le plus beau des anges

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject