DUNGEON - BELLMARE ENCLAVE (BELLMARE MOUNTAINS, PT 2)

[phantasmods]

The shadows are starting to grow very long as you crest his particular ridge - it's not night yet, but it will be soon. In the shadows of the afternoon, with a tall mountain already blocking the sun, lies a snow-covered valley that is different from the ones you've come across thus far in your investigation.

This valley is home to a town, and unlike all the settlements you've seen so far - Incendia, the Telovia mining town, and the manor - it's very much active. There are actual people in the streets, visible from above, going through their days on snow-free streets, bundled up against the cold.

Those of you who asked were told of the handful of people who didn't go into the slumber of stasis as the Fissure conditions of the world grew worse and worse, instead isolating themselves and trying to continue living their lives as they could. Now, it seems, you've found exactly such a group.

Welcome to the Bellmare Enclave, and enjoy your stay.

[[OOC: Welcome to part 2 of the dungeon! For the most part, interaction with the town's NPCs can be handwaved as described on the main information post. Worth noting are the following major things: The Bellmare Enclave isn't expecting visitors, though the people are generally friendly to the new arrivals. They don't know about the time dilation effect of their Fissure - to them, it's only been about eighteen years since the Slumber Plan was put in place and they withdrew from the world. And finally, by a similar token, they have no idea how far the Fissures outside of their own have grown - while it's not uncommon for them to find odd objects from time to time, they'll assume that the characters are just arrivals from other places within their own world, rather than outsiders, until told otherwise.]]

Comments

[makejapangreat]

[What Could Have Been]
[A small child is squealing like they're being murdered in the way that small children do. Shido gives a laugh as he swoops that helpless child off his feet and hoists him into the air.]

You have quite a set of lungs on you, Goro!

[The four-year old gives a little delighted laugh, nose and cheeks nipped red from the chilly air around them... though, Shido doesn't quite anticipate in time that Goro seems to have picked up some snow in his hands, and is shoving it right against his neck.

He cringes with his entire body.]

Augh!

Got you, daddy!

[In the background, a loud bark of a laugh erupts from a woman, followed by hysterical laughter. The little boy is laughing, as well, apparently quite proud of himself.]

Saw that one coming from a mile away.

[A woman comes up to him, smirking coyly as she grabs Goro from him. He makes what looks suspiciously like a pout at her as brushes the snow off himself.]

Yes... he certainly is your son.

Damn straight.

Damn straight!

[Oh lord... Shido rolls his eyes and sighs with great exasperation, then just shakes his head, unable to keep a fond smile off of his face as he watches the woman... his wife... place their son down on the snow, both giggling and...

... forming... snowballs... and looking mischieviously at Shido, whose eyes widen in horror.

Oh god.


... and the real Shido, meanwhile? Is staring at this vision, completely unaware of anything or anyone around him. He stands, motionless. If one looks to his face, they'll find a gaze filled with painfully raw longing...]


[Murder Counter: Reset (CW: Gore, Suffering, Death)]
[There's a sound Shido's never heard before. A sort of hiss, kind of like water on a sizzling pan. It happens so quickly, he almost misses it.

Aiden's Shadow turns charcoal black, smoke rising out of him for only a brief second before he evaporates into nothing.

There's dead silence from everyone, who are staring. And then, horrified reactions.]

Aiden...

Fuck... fuck!

No...

[Shido is silent. His breath is wavering. And then, as fast as he can, he exits the Palace.

Aiden, where are you?

There's no response, for a few seconds. Shido's blood is turning cold. And then:

In my room.

When he gets to the room, he's panting heavily, face pale.]

Hey... [Aiden is calm. Too calm.]

Is everyone else okay?

[Shido can't speak. After a moment, he manages a nod.

Aiden smiles, relieved.]

Good...

Aiden... [Shido's breath shakes. His... vision is turning blurry? Shit...] I'm sorry.

No, it's... [He takes a breath to steady himself, and nods, a little jerkily.] It's okay.

This isn't— [Shido cuts himself off abruptly.] This isn't... remotely okay.

[Aiden's brow is furrowed... he swallows hard, and starts reaching for Shido.]

... Masayoshi, I—

[He freezes, his pupils dilating, and lurches forward in the same moment that Shido moves forward, clutching onto his chest.]

I.. l...

[He's choking, gagging, convulsing. Shido wraps his arms around him tightly as tears stream down his face.]

I'm here... I'm here, Aiden...

..lov...

[He's groaning with pain, gurgling, and then—

A sickening squishing noise. He goes limp in Shido's arms.

Shido breathes raggedly for a moment... two moments...

And then lets out a scream.


And the real Shido is left staring again. Except this time? He's gone sheet white, his breathing shallow... and tears are freely flowing down his cheeks.]

well, this is fine...

[beguiledcard]

[ He feels sick.

Akira has seen something like that before, and that time had been--... Well...

It takes him a long time to push it all down enough to turn and properly check on Shido. ]

... Dad.

[ Just... deep breaths. Hand on shoulder. Very gently squeeze. ]

We know how it really went...




[ For a given value of knowing. ]

[makejapangreat]

[His breath shudders a little, but he still seems... caught up in that vision. His body is.. shaking...]

[beguiledcard]

[ Just... quietly moving forward, wrapping his arms around him.

WILL A





WILL A HUG HELP...????? ]

[makejapangreat]

[He gives a small start, then, breath a bit rapid for a moment as he looks down at Akira like he's still not totally there, for a moment...

And then slowly, he reciprocates the hug, holding him close.]

[beguiledcard]

We know what happened.

[ Said firmly, determined. ]

It was a success.

[makejapangreat]

[Drawing in a tense breath.]

... I.. haven't seen him in the past few days...

[beguiledcard]

[ He swallowing thickly. ]

... But, we saw him after the Palace. He's probably just back at the station.

1

[foolishjustice]

[Shido isn't the only one stuck staring. Crow's eyes are wide as he watches the scene unfold, an expression of something akin to disbelieving envy on his face. Behind his mask, his eyes are shining with tears, but he's too stunned for them to even fall.

Could this...really have happened, somewhere in the multiverse? Could a world be so kind? It's hard to believe, but...heh. Maybe it does exist, just to rub salt in the wounds of every other version of him out there.]

[makejapangreat]

[He can't even... bear to look at Goro, right now. Instead, his hand comes up and presses to his face, and he breathes unevenly... actually, he's giving a bit of an unhinged chuckle?]

To think I traded this for power...

[foolishjustice]

[He takes a breath, then steps forward and puts a hand on Shido's arm.]

Dad...

[Hold it steady, please. Stress laughter is never a good thing.]

[makejapangreat]

[He still can't look at him. He's still breathing a bit unevenly.

After a moment, he speaks, his voice a whisper.]

I'm sorry.

[foolishjustice]

I know...if you could change the past, it...but we can't. We can only go forward. And...

[He glances down, an idle thought surfacing. He doubts it'll be easy, even after the supernatural part is over, but...]

When I'm home, I can bring people back from the dead easily.

[makejapangreat]

[His gaze snaps to Goro, eyes wide... He lets out a breath, and swallows... before forcing a small smile.]

I'm glad... you deserve to have her back.

you know what i'm here for

[biddentodance]

[Everything Minato has seen here so far, and the last thing he's expecting is....something from here. Something from Keystone, something from a multiversal nexus rather than one of a multitude of variants on worlds...

And it's altogether too much like something he's already seen.

Goro and Akira had explained mental shutdowns, how they were effectively Apathy Syndrome. And now....now he knows, too well, how that happens. He's been experiencing the Dark Hour since the start, after all. He knows the symptoms, the signs, the things that happen to the Lost beforehand. He's seen it.]

....really is.....just like.... [His breath runs out there, and he can't seem to make himself draw another back in. Aiden. No. No, no, no.... It didn't happen, it's not real.

It's not real.

After a few moments Minato forces himself to breathe again. He's familiar with this kind of thing. Shido, despite his proximity to the supernatural, is effectively a civilian. Leader time.

Minato's voice is soft, uncertain....but more or less steady. He's schooled his expression back to neutrality.]

Dad...?

[makejapangreat]

[There's no response. Shido seems to be in another world entirely, at the moment, as he stares where the vision once was, breath still shallow and tears still leaking out soundlessly.]

[biddentodance]

[He gently reaches to put a hand on Shido's shoulder. Snap out of it.]

Focus.

[makejapangreat]

[He startles a bit, then blinks, looking at the boy next to him.]

...Minato...?

[biddentodance]

Just a vision.

[He's firm and businesslike right now, like he was in Aiden's Palace. Not the usual gentle boy.]

Aiden is fine. Not Lost.

[makejapangreat]

[...ah... did he...?

He takes a deep breath, then gives a worn smile, hand coming up to lightly pat Minato's head.]

I know.

We all know what I'm here for.

[byanyother_name]

[Shido isn't the only one openly in tears. Kurama... Kurama knows where this is going from the moment the Shadow disintegrates. He's never seen a mental shutdown but it doesn't matter. He knows enough.

And he knows how close they came.

There's no scar, he'd been healed, but his hand finds where Joker's dagger had dug into him unerringly. Where he'd taken a blow that would have finished Aiden's Shadow. A blow he'd only blocked with a skill he'd learned as he fought hunter after hunter after hunter.

Knowing where it's going doesn't help. Knowing this is just one more of the caverns visions doesn't help.

He knows how close they came.

The vision Shido isn't the only one that screams.]

Aiden!

[makejapangreat]

[The scream next to him causes him to outright jolt a bit, blinking rapidly as he looks over. ... holy shit, he's never seen Kurama look— so undone.

He swallows thickly, hand coming up to rub hard over his face... God, he... can't stop hyperventilating... But... he grits his teeth, holds a blink, then takes a long, deep breath, before letting it out.

A few seconds. Steady breathing. Okay. He reaches out, setting a hand on the teen's shoulder.]

It isn't real, Kurama.

[byanyother_name]

[It doesn't take long, this time, for Kurama to get re-done. A little of the tension eases almost as soon as Shido's hand settles on his shoulder, actually. It's becoming familiar, this scent, that hand, drawing him back.

He pushes down the stubborn remnants to deal with later.

Green eyes are sharp, focused and intent again, when they settle on Shido. As usual, they probably see more than the person they're looking at is comfortable with.]

No. But it doesn't have to be real to hurt, does it? Unless you plan to tell me you're entirely unaffected by the sight. At which point I'll have to call you a liar, Masayoshi.

Are you going to be alright?

[Not 'Are you alright?'. Kurama isn't even trying to hide that he knows Shido isn't.]

[makejapangreat]

[There's a bit of tension the moment those eyes look into his. See into him. He's no stranger to just how perceptive Kurama is...

Uncomfortable is right. His gaze is drawing away as Kurama speaks.

He knows that's telling in itself.

He gives a soft, wry huff of a laugh.]

"Alright" isn't a feeling I often come by.

[The sigh that comes out of him is a little heavier than he means it to be, his hand falling away.]

I'll deal with it. Admittedly, it'd be easier if he were around...

[The knowledge he would come back isn't the same as his physical presence, reassuring Shido that he's well with his mind intact.]

[byanyother_name]

An entirely relatable sentiment.

[It's not like Shido would get "That's a mood." anyway.

Kurama shakes his head slightly as the other man's hand slides off his shoulder.]

You don't have to deal with it on your own, Masayoshi.