[closed]

[kagenonadeshiko]

Who: Ayumu, Goku, Hakkai, Chikusa, Ken, Ginia, Gojyo, Shun, Lavi, Nia, + brief appearances by Chinatsu and Caster.
When December 8th and 9th
Where: Goku's temple and various locations in the Far Shore's western district.
What: What starts out as an ablution to purify a blighted shinki turns into utter disaster in the western district.
Warnings: Character death, body horror, graphic violence, potential references to torture, sexual violence, and suicidal ideation in the ablution thread. Will add further warnings if necessary!

[The road to hell is paved with good intentions. Even in Heaven.

In the wee hours of morning before dawn, a loud, inhuman, cacophonic shriek shatters the silence in the western district. Afterward, a large, black mass hastily passes through the region. It skitters and softly thumps across rooftops in both pursuit of prey to sate its ceaseless hunger and flight from those intent on its destruction.

As it travels through the dark, the upper silhouette of a woman astride a giant spider can be glimpsed, ghosting and leaping across distances many more lengths than its size with stunning agility. For those that can steal a glimpse of the woman's face, they'll discover that the features are those of Ayumu Yamazaki - if hideously deformed by the addition of three extra pairs of beady, black eyes sprouting up over its forehead and beyond.

Those tracking its trajectory will realize that the ayakashi is bound for the northwestern edge of the district as if seeking desperate escape from every vestige of Amaterasu's realm and influence.

A telltale sign of the ayakashi's passing are faint wisps of spidersilk hanging from high places or bits littered across the ground. However, these secretions are dangerous to the touch, blighting anyone who comes into direct contact with them. A very faint, tar-like odor lingers in the air where it's been.

Maybe it'd be wise to keep under cover or at the very least, steer clear of its path until the danger's passed.]


[OOC: Ayumu's ayakashi form looks similar to this minus the skulls, with furrier black legs, and the aforementioned resemblance and eye deformities. Players are free to reference or comment on any of the description above in their own threads or posts if they like!]

Comments

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Line!

[Just as she promised, Nia hurls up the Borderline, but Goku's dodge spoils her efforts to shield him as well. The silk spatters off her wall, which she drops without hesitation when she sees him stuck.]

'I got this', huh? Hold still! Line! [This one is cutting, flashing out towards the thread entangling his foot.] You freeze up in a fight, you're dead!

[kagenonadeshiko]

[The sudden appearance of a third, unforeseen adversary takes the ayakashi by surprise and it actually manages to catch one of its legs. It cleaves its one good blade arm down at the Goku double's head out of sheer reflex in an attempt to ward it off.

The ayakashi seems too preoccupied with the double right now to pay the real Goku and Nia mind at the moment. Its range of vision very large but perhaps it's worth an attack of opportunity.]

[rockthemonkey]

I know that- woah!

[He'll thank Nia for the rescue in a minute, now he's focused on his double running at the ayakashi. Where did that come from? Is that a person? Did he do that? Except there's no time for questions, because whatever it is is being attacked.]

Look out! [Goku warns... himself... while rushing forward, sword at the ready. The double dissipates just before the ayakashi's blade reaches it, but that still gives Goku an opening to strike down on the arm with the katana.]

[sassywelshcatgirl]

[Why's he staring at his own weird special technique? In the middle of battle no less! And yelling at it? And -- charging into battle?]

D'ya really think this is an enemy you get in close to?! [One hand up and palm-out, the other behind it like support, Nia watches for her opportunity -- but she can't put a Borderline up for his protection, or even throw a cutting one when he's in that close.] You're gonna get yourself killed!

[kagenonadeshiko]

[The golden double vanishes and now there's a blade lopping off its arm. Infuriated, the creature gives up on subtlety all together and just throws its entire weight at Goku in a full body slam. While lighter than some ayakashi, it's still heavier than a person and that's going to be a lot of blight inducing contact if it connects.]

[rockthemonkey]

I'll be fine!

[Whatever happens, he won't die. Look, he already got her arm off, that's great. He won't die- oh, no, he's dying.] Argh! [It feels like it anyway- for the second time in 24 hours, Goku is slammed with blight and he falls to the ground. The serrated edge of one of her limbs catches on his arm, tearing up the skin, but Goku maintains his strength anyway. He can shake off any amount of physical pain, so long as his mind is still intact. He kicks upwards at the ayakashi, aiming to send her flying.]

... See?

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Oh, for -- Line! [NOW comes the cutting Borderline, fired over him now that he's handily on the ground. He says he's all right, she's not doubting him yet.]

[kagenonadeshiko]

[The ayakashi goes flying.

It also goes flying right over Nia's borderline before it can cut into it.

And as chance would have it, the ayakashi is now hanging upside down off the wall like a cat off a screen door with the tips of Ayumu's hair brushing almost tauntingly over the ground before it starts skittering up toward the roof.

Is it escaping? Or is it simply moving to higher ground before launching another attack?]

[rockthemonkey]

Hey! Get back here!

[Goku is back on his feet in a flash, ignoring his own pain for now. He holds his sword out and- oh, wait, no. Sword, not Nyoi-bo. Ishi can't extend and reach that high. He makes a frustrated noise and instead runs around the edge of the building to make sure Ayumu doesn't make it to the other side before him.]

Don't let her get away!

[sassywelshcatgirl]

What do I look like, a bird?! I'm not sure about this... [Nia squints one eye shut, stabs her fingers out again, and slashes a line through the air to yank a Borderline out of the wall, trying to cut off her escape.]

[kagenonadeshiko]

[Nia's borderline beats the ayakashi's race to the roof, blocking its retreat. So it quickly shifts direction and starts running along the wall, its sights on Nia. Once Goku runs past in his pass around the building, it'll jump off the wall so it lands between the impromptu partners. The creature's cunning is limited but it has just enough intelligence to notice the pair's apparent lack of coordination to try to divide and conquer them.]

[rockthemonkey]

[Goku and Nia might be divided now- as Goku skids to a stop and changes his direction back towards the ayakashi that's now between him and Nia- but that means something else as well. It means the ayakashi is surrounded. Nia seems pretty good with her Borderlines, which means Goku can focus on going on the offensive.]

Alright- [He's guiltily relieved that the creature is looking at Nia right now. It puts Goku in the perfect position to rush it from behind, sword aimed at the back of it's neck, without having to look at Ayumu's almost-familiar face.]

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Oh, oh no. It's going to bite me. [Nia throws up her hands and sort of stumbles backwards, not really particularly worried -- this girl-spider-thing's so close she can hit it clean in the face with a Borderline, no problems she can see. But the kid's coming for it at top speed, so she's trying to keep the monster's attention.]

[If only she were better at acting vulnerable, but hey.]

[kagenonadeshiko]

[The ayakashi's attention remains fixed on Nia and it wastes no time rushing toward her in a leap, several sharp legs stabbing toward her in an attempt to corner and pin her to a wall. The movement makes it so Goku's strike misses its mark but the blade slices into the flesh between its shoulderblades, causing it to emit an almost human scream of pain. There's still a hint of an ayakashi's warble but it's far less pronounced now.

It almost sounds like Ayumu's screaming during the ablution.]

Let me go!

[Is it a desperate trick? A coincidence? Or could some vestige of Ayumu actually be left in there? There's not but how can they know for sure? All they have is Heaven's word to go on, after all.... Don't they? What if there is a way to turn an ayakashi back into the person they once was...?

This ayakashi is capable of speech and strategy, after all. Maybe it's capable of human reasoning...?

Do they dare to try?]

Please... It hurts...

[rockthemonkey]

[The ayakashi screams and Goku does everything in his power to block it out. That slash wasn't deep enough to rend, he has to keep going. He can't listen.]

Shut up! [There's a leg right within Goku's reach and he takes the opportunity to stab it. If they can just stop her from moving- but then Goku gets a brief look at what's left of Ayumu's face, just out of the corner of his eye, and falters.]

Ayu- [What if there's still time? What if she's not all the way gone yet? But then Goku remembers the sight of Chikusa impaled and grits his teeth. No. It's too late for that. He slashes wildly with his sword, trying to wear the ayakashi down.] Shut up!

[sassywelshcatgirl]

[Nia darts backwards -- right into the wall, hell. She can't say she likes that, but after a brief flicker of alarm, she tightens her face into a scowl once again. Guy back there's still going to town and she can still pop up a barrier if she has to. This is under control.]

[The words earn no sympathy from her. Maybe it's real, the sentiment... maybe the girl in there really has some scraps of sanity left. But if so that doesn't change the fact that the monster's in charge, and it's trying to kill both of them and won't hesitate to do the same to others.]

[Maybe there's a way to save monsters, but you can't sacrifice people to do it.]

Call this a mercy then! Line! [Nia stabs her fingers out, flinging a cutting Borderline straight for her.]

[kagenonadeshiko]

[Goku's wild slashes are losing their some of their accuracy. Too many are still connecting and Nia's borderline cuts into the ayakashi. It's being forced into taking defensive action now, a development it's none too pleased with given the screaming ruckus it's making. With one assailant backed against the wall and the other attacking from behind, it's free to pivot and start dashing unevenly toward the back of the alley and the wall that it had sought to use to entrap them with earlier.

And now it's starting to climb back up to the rooftops. It's not quite done fighting yet but it needs time to regenerate from its wounds as ayakashi do when they're not rended.]

[rockthemonkey]

Damn it...

[Goku watches the ayakashi retreat with a frustrated expression. He can't let her get away. Suddenly Goku holds out his sword to his side.] Ishi!

[A young man in a black coat appears, expression blank. There's a flash of light in Goku's hand and the sword is replaced by a red staff.]

I'm gonna hit her till she stops moving! [They can't rend her until she's pinned down. Nyoi-bo can't rend, but it can fuck up some spider legs. Goku grips the top of his staff tightly and points the other end at the floor. It quickly extends and Goku uses it to jump and propel himself onto the roof to catch up with the ayakashi.]

[sassywelshcatgirl]

What the bloody hell --

[This isn't good at all. Nia can't leave well enough alone, either. She can't make this giant jump, so she takes off running alongside the building, trying to keep the two in sight from below. Or at least hear them. Maybe there'll be one of those iron staircases to the side she can get up. Fire escapes?]

[kagenonadeshiko]

[There's no traditonal fire escapes but one building does have a rickety looking ladder propped up against the wall. A couple of the rungs are busted but the wall has some stones jutting out of the side that look sturdy enough to be used as handholds. There's also numerous narrow ledges and windowsills that look like they could support a catgirl's weight easily enough. Nia will have to climb fast but it's possible to catch up to Goku and the ayakashi up on the roof.

Presently, the ayakashi is up on a rotting, shingled rooftop frantically stabbing potholes into it with its remaining legs in a desperate attempt to create a trap for the pursuing Goku. If it can just weaken the surface he'll have to cross to get to it , he might trap himself long enough it to truly get away.]