011 | Black Parade

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Parade of the dead
When: All day May 26
Where: Shinjuku
Summary: The Near Shore needs a little protecting from the dead



The last few days have been filled with festival food, high energy, and lots and lots of parades. Near Shore residents really know how to enjoy their holidays, stopping up traffic for hours on end as floats and palanquins go by and filling the streets and courtyards in the area with food stands and festival treats. Many Far Shore residents may have found themselves drawn to this particular festival, as it is being held in honor of a shrine.

When an unexpected parade starts up, the people gather round to watch the impromptu spectacle. It's a little strange, yes, but nothing too terribly off-putting. That is until the parade reaches the shrine itself, at which point all hell breaks loose as the members of the parade start attacking anything and anyone in their way.

The Heavens will then call upon all the gods and shinki who are available to help, because these attackers are not normal at all - they are, in fact, the undead.



Let the Festivities Continue

The festival is a large, booming one. There are dozens upon dozens of food stalls set up all over the place with so many different kinds of foods that it could make your eyes go buggy, most of them fried in some way. On top of that, there is live entertainment walking around, stalls with souvenirs, and lots of excellent company nearby. Surely you'll be able to enjoy the festival to its fullest.

The Walking Dead

It is not immediately evident that the parade is being manned by corpses, but keen observers would be able to pick out the noticeable rotting elements of the dead. Anyone with a soul-sensing ability might even realize that they're not soulless, just lifeless. When the parade reaches the shrine, every god and shinki will be needed in order to protect the Near Shore from this menace. Corpses must either be exorcised or completely mutilated to the point where they can no longer move in order to release the soul.

Not Rootbeer Floats

On top of the mass of dead bodies being possessed by stray souls, some of the floats on wheels in the parade seem to have been taken over as well. They are moving slowly and with purpose towards anyone that crosses their path. At first, it may seem like the float is just veering a little off course, but it will soon become evident that it's headed towards you. They may be slow, but they're very large as well, meaning there's a lot more than needs to be destroyed to release the soul.

Souls, Souls, and More Souls

As souls are released from the objects they've taken control of, the air will become thick with a hazy fog of souls rushing away, into the air, and out of sight. This may make the continued fighting a little more difficult, but it means that the job is getting done.

Through some innate sixth sense, some of the dead people may seem familiar to certain gods (or shinki with specific memories). They can recognize some of the souls as friends or compatriots from their home world that had died. And these souls will recognize them as well.

Any characters not currently in the game that have actually died in their canon are free to be used for this part of the event and played out as NPCs by you and whatever partner you are playing with. All of these individuals will react in a similar way, though - they will beg to be released because it hurts them so horribly to be here right now and, of course, they can only be released in the same way that all the other souls are being released: exorcism or total destruction.

In Summary:

• Enjoy the festival
• Help save Near Shore residents
• Take down the dead bodies
• Try not to cry
• Cry lots
• Have fun~

Comments

[toremainbehind]

[The agony on Zero's face makes Izumo's teeth clench.

This isn't right.

This isn't right.

If memories were this painful, then no wonder why shinki didn't have them. It can make them compromised, losing sight of what it is they need to focus on. Even now, that was no different, and while Izumo could only feel a pang of sympathy for the god - now was not the time to be dwelling in the past.

He slides around to stand in front of Zero, hopefully to block his view of his dying parents,, and proceeds to punch him in the face.]

[moonlitknight]

[ The force of that punch knocks him back and he falls, catching himself on one knee. He's still for a moment, the hit enough to bring him back to the present. To the couple, to his duty.

He knows... he knows he isn't of any use to anyone like this and-- He looks up, the agony etched on his parents faces more than enough to scar what little there's left of him but even so, he forces himself to clamp down on his spiraling emotions and think past the grief, past his own misery. He clings to his father's words - a mercy...

It was a mercy. He repeats that line over and over in his head until the trembling subsides leaving him cold and numb. And when he finally feels like he can speak without his voice breaking: ]

.... leave.

[toremainbehind]

I'm not leaving until you pull yourself together.

[He doubts his fire would be able to do any harm to the haunts of the past.

He's not cruel to do that in front of Zero when it's clearly affecting the former shinki enough to bring about such strong emotions. If they were important to him, then what Izumo could do would probably damage him even more.]

Don't focus on them.

[Otherwise, he'd punch you again if necessary.]

[moonlitknight]

[ His fingers dig into the ground, breaking through and leaving him with nothing to expel his growing anger melting the cold keeping him numb. ]

Leave!

[ The words cut through his control and anger spills into his blood and his fingers twitch with the need to do something, anything to make it stop. The anger, the hurt, they convulse into one spreading like wildfire through his veins. ]

[toremainbehind]

I'm not leaving.

[If you want to fight, to get rid of the anger inside, then be his guest. He'll fight back.

But he'll continue to stay, standing in between Zero and his parents.]

You want me to leave? Then make me.

[moonlitknight]

[ The shards of ice have melted and Izumo is an easy target. Acting on instinct, the Hunter pushes him back up in one fluid motions and moves to grab the man's collar pulling him close. ]

Get out.

[ The words come out sharp, pointed. But, he doesn't do punctuate them with anything more. However tempting a target he is, the thought of using him to dispel his growing anger fueled by grief never enters his mind. Instead, he lets him go and turns his back on him to face the couple alone. ]

[toremainbehind]

[When he's released, Izumo staggers back a step before steadying himself.

He breathes through his nose, trying to dispel the annoyance he was feeling and then took a deep breath. Right now, there was something he had to do in order to get Zero's attention away from the couple.

On instinct, his Aura activates, though not at an extensive state where it'll start to burn the couple. If Zero doesn't do something, then Izumo will, as much as he'll hate to do it.]

You need to exorcise them, Zero.

[moonlitknight]

[ That has Zero turning on him, eyes flashing red for an instant. ]

You're not.

[ He steps between him and his parents. ]

Burning them.

[toremainbehind]

[The aura dims a bit, though Izumo remains unfazed.]

Do you want to watch them like this then? [A glance at the couple, brief, and then he looks back at Zero.]

What will you do? I won't burn them as long as you do something.

[moonlitknight]

I'll do my duty.

[ He turns his back to him to face his parents. ]

Like vampires, execution is a mercy.

[toremainbehind]

[There's something else Izumo wants to say, but he doesn't.

Instead, he allows his Aura to vanish and takes a step back to allow Zero the space he needs to do this.]

Then by all means.

[He won't interfere, not unless he's certain Zero can do this. He's seen him break down already - he didn't want him to break down again for killing this couple.]

[moonlitknight]

[ Witnessing his parents murder had been a breaking point for him when he was a child unable to cope with the gruesome end to the people he most loved. But this... now... It wouldn't be a Pureblood killing them out of revenge but their son ending their lives out of mercy. He knew this, and yet he couldn't help but compare himself to that woman, who had murdered his parents him front of him.

He drew closer, his father's agonizing look of pain spread across his face like wildfire while his mother convulsed in his arms. His father looked at him, nodding in understanding as Zero pulled out a glass vial and uncorked the top. ]

It won't hur-hurt.

[ His voice breaks and his father places a hand on his shoulder in silent understanding. ]

.... I'm sorry. Mom... Dad.

[toremainbehind]

[No wonder why Zero is heartbroken over this.

He turns away to offer the Hunter some privacy, deciding instead to check their surroundings. It would be best for him to leave, actually, but Izumo can't find it in him to do that yet.

Once he's sure Zero is okay after this, then he'll leave.]

[moonlitknight]

[ He helps them drink the silent poison and stays with them until their lids grow heavy. His mother falls asleep first and his father a minute later leaving Zero in silent tears hugging them for dear life as his shoulder shook with the force of keeping silent. ]

[toremainbehind]

[He doesn't need to look at Zero to see the pain he was going through.

It's only when he's certain no threat will come towards their way will Izumo glance at him, though. It's painful enough to see Zero staying by his parents, seeing - for the first time - the child Zero was.

It's painful, so he averts his gaze again.]

[moonlitknight]

[ Minutes pass before there's movement in the form of silver vines. They slide out from his jacket where Bloody Rose, his anti-vampire gun, is safely tucked into its holster. They slide over his skin, undulating down his arm to slowly reform into a shovel that Zero uses for support to stand back up after he gently sets his parents down. The shovel breaks ground seconds later and the silent Hunter gets to work on making a grave for his parents. ]

[toremainbehind]

...Do you need help?

[moonlitknight]

[ He makes no move to indicate he heard him and keeps on shoveling the dirt making it wide enough for two. ]

[toremainbehind]

[Zero's not respond.

Okay.

He'll find a close shovel - where it was, he doesn't know - but he does eventually manage to find one and will help Zero out.]

[moonlitknight]

[ He's numb, moving solely on autopilot while his emotions are kept caged inside. It was the only way he could function, the only way he knew how. This... it was all too much, he felt too much. Love and hate, anger. They were all forced back inside an icy heart leaving an empty shell to deal with the aftermath. It was the only way he could function. The only way he knew how. He'd been the same when his parents died, when Ichiru died, when... someone had left, someone important... why couldn't--

His fingers tighten on the shovel as a pulse of pain rips through his mind warning him to let go of the thought. Zero automatically drops it and the pain recedes back into the recesses of his mind, but not without pulling him from his numb state. His mind is alert again, and it's only then that he notices the second shovel and he slowly looks up, surprise clear in his face as he looks at Izumo hard at work.

How long... has he been there? He peers at him taking longer than usual to process his actions with unsure eyes until at last he says the first thing that comes to mind. ]

What are you doing?

[toremainbehind]

[Ah, he's finally talking again?

Izumo takes a brief break though as he straightens up a bit and looks at Zero.]

Helping.

[Simple as that before he starts again.]

I don't really remember if I've lost anyone, but at the very least, you shouldn't be alone digging a grave for your parents.

[Whether or not the grave stays is another matter entirely and not one that should be questioned right now.]

[moonlitknight]

......

[ He watches him, the look of wariness slowly fading as he takes back the reigns of responsibility. ]

It's fine.

[ He puts a hand on his shovel to stop him. ]

I can do it on my own.

[ It's not his problem. ]

[toremainbehind]

[When that hand stops him, Izumo reels back a bit in order to look at him better.]

Even if you can, I want to help.

[No one should have to bury their parents alone remains to be unsaid.]

[moonlitknight]

[ He shakes his head as his hand stays on the shovel. ]

This... it has nothing to do with you.

[toremainbehind]

[A sigh escapes from Izumo, though he doesn't let go of the shovel.

He shifts a bit in order to look at Zero.]

You're right, it doesn't. [If he wanted to, Izumo could have easily left, but he couldn't.

Something is telling him to stay.]

But as I've said, I want to help.