phantasmalrift | Who knows what’s right? The lines keep getting thinner

Who knows what’s right? The lines keep getting thinner

Who: Shido Masayoshi and whatever unfortunate soul decides to approach him (Open)
What: Shido is working himself to the bone via self-inflicted punishment
When: Early May (like 5/1 ~ 5/12 or thereabouts)
Where: Various
Warnings: Lots of badbrain stuff going on with Shido rn, including self-deprecation, possible thoughts of suicide

[Library]
[Off in the corner sits a man, pouring over a manner of books. The more the days go by, the more that energy and health is sapped from him. The bags under his eyes have been persistent since day one of arriving here, but the noticeable changes are that he does seem to be losing some weight, and perhaps becoming a bit pallid... Yet a fire burns behind his eyes as he reads at the library like clockwork, occasionally extending a hand, fingers tensing, trying to press themselves down on some invisible object. Very occasionally, if one just happens to be around at the right time of day, they might hear a singular "pop" of air in his direction. It's also possible, at times, to find him completely slumped over on the table he's at, asleep, often grunting and twitching in his sleep— it's clearly not very restful...

On a brighter now, later on in the week you might see a henohenomoheji drawn on the back of Shido's head? He doesn't seem to be aware of this...]

[Library - 5/7 (Closed to Izunia)]
[There's more than just a pop today. Today? There's an outright crackle and snap of electricity.

Followed by an agonized yell and the clatter of a chair.

Shido lays on the floor, breathing heavily, one arm desperately clutching at the other that spasms from the surge of electricity that had torn through it. And then something peculiar happens.

Shido laughs. An unsteady sort of laugh, but nevertheless.

Maybe he electrocuted himself so badly he fried his brain...]

[Outside]
[If you get extra lucky, you might catch Shido outside. Particularly, the spot he chooses to go is north, to the top of the Skyclimb Cliffs, where he looks out to the ocean. It seems, well... somewhat of a precarious place for someone to be, really. He seems to be awfully close to the edge at times, no sign of fear or wariness in his body. You might catch him looking down, as if considering something, but for the most part? His gaze remains on the endless blue.

And then, after about thirty minutes of this, he'll quietly turn and head back.]

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I see...I'd known that destroying the Shadow caused the Palace to collapse. I guess it stands to reason that stopping the heart would have a similar effect...I wonder if that would be another reason I'm incapable of having a Palace, or if the important part is having a presence in the RG? Given the Metaverse is based in the consciousness of the people who exist in the physical world, it doesn't seem unreasonable to think that the important part is having your mind present on that layer of reality...

The "RG"?

That's the term ghosts use to refer to the physical world, short for Realground. The afterlife is the Underground, between the RG and the Metaverse. Most people can only have their awareness on one layer at a time.

... ah. [ah... his demeanor shifts a little.] So, then, how is it you're able to be here, even though...

I became a Composer...a judge of the dead for a local area.

[...You know what? Why not. A flash of white light surrounds him, just enough to temporarily blind. When Shido's vision clears, he'll see that Goro's body and clothes have turned pure white, faintly glowing so that only the suggestion of facial features are visible. A pair of large, feathery wings, each as large as his body, spreads from his back. Without knowing better, one might be forgiven for mistaking him for an angel.]

[It's a brilliant sight to behold. Shido is absolutely floored by the sight before him. Akechi looks... divine.

He breathes out.]

Incredible...

[It's a little hard to tell with the glowing, but he smirks. His wings fold against his back, the glossy, white feathers seeming a little brighter than the rest of him.]

I can move at will between the UG, RG, and any levels of the Metaverse I've located with the Nav. I can even exist on both the UG and the RG at once if I feel like it...so being alive or dead only matters in that I don't have a heartbeat or a need to breathe.

... it... truly doesn't bother you, then?

[He's a little cautious saying it. It's not like he won't blame himself for Akechi's death if he confirms that, but... it would be a slight burden off of his mind, at least.]

I don't like thinking about my execution...but the only thing I mind about being dead is that it's going to get inconvenient looking eighteen for potentially centuries.

Centuries... That's a long time to exist. ... are the wings functional?

It depends on how long it takes to find a replacement, but I am expecting longer than a normal human lifespan. Even longer if I become an angel, but it's probably a long time off before I have to make any decisions on that front.

[And he sure does love being asked that question...there's another smirk, this time as his wings spread out. He kicks off, the wind from his wings beating throwing sand everywhere, and flies past Shido. The answer, it seems, is a resounding yes...although, if Shido pays attention, he might notice that the way Goro's moving would be incredibly difficult on wings alone.]

[His eyes widen and he brings an arm up to quickly shield his eyes from the sand. When he lowers his arm...

His son is flying.

He lets out a breath and then shakes his head. Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable. This is truly his reality now, isn't it? It all still seems too far-fetched to accept.

But he's getting there. Slowly.]

[After a couple minutes of flying over the water, he comes back to touch down on the sand, a few feet away from where he started.]

I don't even really need the wings to fly, but I think they add a nice touch.

I... don't know what to say. It's quite incredible. [He draws a breath in, then nods to Akechi. A show of respect.] You've grown a lot.

[It's...a strange feeling, to have Shido look at him like that. With respect. He tilts his head, expression unreadable with his irises and eyebrows fading into the white glow.]

That is the point of the way the Reaper's Game is run. I could have done without the being forced to kill to get there part, but I think my experiences in it were mostly for the better.

I regret that you had to be put through such terrible things to become the person you are. No matter the purpose.

[His wings flutter a bit, and the way his weight shifts almost looks awkward.]

I hate how it happened, that they forced me to kill and then put me to a public execution. But the outcome is my way of atoning, and becoming different from the person you made me into. You taught me to kill without hesitation, and to be the same sort of person I hate, but my role as a Composer is to protect people.

I even have the power to revive the dead, as what I am now.

Hah...

[Fuck, this kid has so much power now. He really could just... utterly destroy Shido if he wanted to, couldn't he? The only reason he hasn't is because of the people important to him.

So much contempt and darkness lay in this boy's eyes for Shido, the man that forced him to kill. And now he would eagerly take Shido's life in revenge. He doesn't know how he was, years ago, before the years in the institution took their toll on him, but he does know that he changed him since he first came to Shido. Changed him for the worse.

He hardly feels bad for himself. Great contempt, if anything. No, he feels terrible for Akechi. And he wonders, again, if what he's doing is good. If he should continue to interact with Akechi when all it does is draw up that potent venom inside of him.]

...I'm glad you've found your way.

...It's thanks to Akira, Kurama, and the others who were there with us. The ones who were my friends, even after I confessed what I'd done. ...One of them who even forgave me after I killed him in cold blood.

[Did Akechi... actually soften a bit towards him? And yet, he dare not get his hopes up.]

They all sound like remarkable people. How many of them are here?

[Good idea, because as soon as he realizes he's turned a bit less hostile, his body language immediately turns more reserved and bristly.]

Just three. My boyfriends, and then I met Kana-chan in the UG.

Kana-chan... ah, that strange little girl.

[The one who... seemingly just knew things about him? And yet was so unconditionally supportive that Shido honestly hadn't known how to react?]

She's...certainly unique, yes. She's also one of my friends.

[By which he means, you had better be nice to her, or else.]

[...yeah, he's picking up on that threat. He hums softly.]

In any case, I'm sorry for disturbing your swim.

Hmm. Just keep in mind from now on that I can't drown.

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makejapangreat - 2018-06-04 20:17 (UTC) - Expand

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