thenearshore | 009 | Where Your Demons Hide

009 | Where Your Demons Hide

Who: Everyone!
What: Emergency demon fighting
When: Late May 5-Early May 6
Where: Just outside of Tokyo
Summary: The demon from the school has reared its ugly head again and needs to be taken down.

On the evening of May 5, the Heavens suddenly receive an influx of prayers from people in and around a certain town just outside of Tokyo. There seem to be a lot of people in the area that have suddenly stopped responding normally (or at all). The situation continues to spread as the night goes on until not only is the whole town suffering from this malady, but the neighboring towns are starting to become affected as well.

With so many gods and shinki on hand - including new ones that have just appeared - the Heavens have issued a request for any available gods and shinki to go investigate what might be happening down on the Near Shore. New gods and shinki will be given the low-down on what's happening, but not much more than that.

The situation will continue to expand until just a little before dawn, when the demon finally has enough power to revive.

Drained Humans

Many humans in the affected areas are walking around despondently. Oftentimes, they are just walking into things or getting hit by things. There have been a few car-related incidents as well. Anyone who was present for the high school incident will recognize these symptoms as something that was happening to people in the school. The glazed looks, the spiritless responses and reactions. So this should be fairly familiar to some.

No One's Safe

Unfortunately, being in the town will start to wear on anyone who is there. Gods and shinki alike will find themselves growing more despondent the longer they spend in the town. All of their energy will be slowly sapped from their bodies, and shinki in particular will feel almost like their existence is draining away.

Hellish Circle

There is a large park in the center of the town. Drawn all around this park is a magic circle, large enough to encompass the whole park. There are candles around the edges of the circle, and in the center there is a cup filled with blood covered by a mask with a swirling eye pattern on it. Stepping into this circle will not only make you extremely tired and suddenly drained, but it will also bring bat-like ayakashi bearing down on you.

The Demon

The Demon itself rears its ugly head just a little before dawn, springing out from the center of the magic circle and looking right pleased with itself. It stands about 5'8" tall, so it is largely unimposing, but there is an aura about it that makes it undeniable that it is powerful. The demon will gladly fight anyone who comes at it, though most he will just shove out of the way without a second thought.

In Summary:

Help the drained people
Try not to get drained yourself
Be careful about being corrupted
Fight the demon
Have fun~

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Schuldig rolls his eyes. This kid thinks he's literally a friend of Sousuke? Well... then he's even younger than Schuldig originally thought! He briefly considers the idea of meeting the kid in person... just to be extra terrible to him. Ooooh - and then he can show off this fun little memory to Sousuke later! Perfect.

'I'm not shy,' Schuldig clarified, 'This is my normal way of communicating.' Which is true. He still doesn't feel bad for making him fall on his face though.

Ah, here's a way that he could possibly get the kid to look for him and not have to go very far. This would be a good way to really twist the knife on Sousuke too. 'Do you want to know how I know Sousuke?'

Edited 2016-10-23 23:50 (UTC)

Goten isn't down for long, but as he stands he's rubbing his nose that's a little red. Ow... He doesn't really understand what happened or why he fell on his face. Maybe he just hasn't gotten use to flying as much as he thought? Hmmm.... oh well, he'd just figure it out later! Whoever the guy speaking through his mind is...that's way more important and interesting then worrying about flying!

"Ohh. That's really cool that you can do that then. I've never met someone that can talk like you can!"

Goten hums to himself as he pats down his gi, getting a bit of the dirt off before he looks up at the building Schuldig is in curiously. He can't really explain why but he can feel someone is there. Someone strong. So that's gotta be him right? His question just gets Goten pumped again.

"I do! You must of just met him right? I think he showed up the same day I did!" Sousuke was great! He really needed to visit the other shinki soon.

"You know mister, it's not that bad out here. You don't have to stay up in that building."

He almost tells Goten that he'd also arrived the same day as Sousuke, mainly because it was a reason to pull the kid deeper into an assumption he was harmless - which seemed far easier than convincing him that he should be scared. Either option would have provoked Schuldig to action, but then the kid goes and actually tracks him. That makes Goten both Interesting and much more Dangerous.

So he cuts that much out of the charade and teleports directly in front of the kid. He still doesn't speak out loud, focusing on his mental voice and reaching directly out to Goten's mind, learning as much as he can in that quick span of time. Then, without any warning, he surges through Goten's limbs and holds them in place. Firmly. He knows the kid is strong but thankfully it's not about physical strength; it's willpower and he's not about to underestimate the kid now - not with him being able to track and fend off basic fear-baiting techniques.

Schuldig's mouth splits into a prankster's smile - as if he's doing nothing more harmful than tripping someone on the street. 'Here's what I did when I met him.' He snaps the boy's arms to his side and walks around in front of him, leaning down with his cheshire grin but not far enough his hair falls into the kid's face - that'd be the first thing he grabbed if he managed to snap out of it, of course.

It's just as he is taking a step in the direction of the building that Schuldig is suddenly in front of him. There's no warning to his sudden appearance it. Just suddenly there! That step he was taking forward naturally becomes startled a step backwards instead. He'd be impressed with Schuldig if it wasn't for the sudden strance force through his body.

"H-huh? What is this?" He blinks, confused and tries to move his legs and raise his arms. It starts off with a little effort then he actually starts trying until he's red in the face. There's some invisible force holding them. He struggles to move, grinding his teeth a little bit with the effort. His arms temple against the force but its no use. He doesn't know what's holding him but he doesn't like it! That's when his dark gaze shoots back up to Schuldig. The smile doesn't make him feel any better.

"What did you do? How ar-" What's more alarming is when his arms suddenly get pulled to his side by force. He did this to Sousuke? Why? Didn't he call Sousuke a friend? He meets Schuldig's grin with a frown of his own.

"You better leave Sousuke alone!"

Schuldig clicks his tongue. "No can do, brat." He's a little surprised the boy can still talk. Impertinence ran thick in kids' blood. "He's way too much fun to provoke. Too easy to provoke too, stone-faced guy that he is."

Then he stands back up and laughs a bit. "Actually I'm amazed an annoying kid could befriend my bitch. Wonder how..." And he reaches into Goten's mind for that memory, purposefully scraping up every detail he can to lord over Sousuke later. It wouldn't be a pleasant feeling for Goten, but Schuldig didn't care of course. Finally, he snags a particularly meaningful memory for Goten's side of the conversation.

'I'm sure these god-people are nice, right? But if not.. lemme know and I'll come save you!'
'You really mean that…'
'Uh-huh! I will, Sousuke! Promise!'

It makes Schuldig laugh inside and out, a malicious echoing effect for Goten. "You'd protect him? Man, that's gotta make him feel so weak!" This same kid is strong enough to pick Sousuke up and fly with him! Schuldig notes that part too, cranking through Goten's thoughts on his friendship with Sousuke and how the teen kept trying to stay cool despite flying, being held up by a tiny wisp of a child.

"There's no way you're human," he finally says at the end of his trawling through Goten's mind, still pinning him in place. "What are you?"

Edited 2016-10-29 22:22 (UTC)

Not being able to move is the worse. He can't fly away from Schuldig or charge him down no matter how much he wants too. He's doing something inside his mind, looking around and its really starting to make the half saiyan feel sick. He cringes a bit, trying to force him out, not that he really knows how to or if that's even possible. It doesn't work. Fighting, Goten could do. This... mind-whatever holding in place thing wasn't fair at all. Super strength, super speed, energy beams and flying didn't help him out at all here. He was stuck at Schuldig's mercy which was terrible feeling in itself considering how he was talking about Sousuke.

How is he suppose to protect Sousuke from someone like this? Even with his body pinned, he tries to clench his fists in frustration especially when the god starts to mock his promise. Goten already knows his own strength. Sparring with Jae-Ha and smashing through large rock formations showed him that much. The only thing he hadn't tested his power on was ayakashi. Archie still had yet to let him nor had he had the chance too. But Schuldig wasn't one of those so...that was fine right? If he could just move...get one quick punch in...he could probably send Schuldig flying through that building he was in before. At least he thinks so.

'I donno. I'm a shinki...' That's the obvious answer. Goten already figured out he wasn't human or he was just really weird human. He felt like a human and looked human. But even when meeting other shinki, there was something different. Being able to sense where people were was also something he knew humans couldn't do.

"You're not a human either. "

Edited 2016-10-29 23:32 (UTC)

It's one of his favorite things, hearing his targets squirm and struggle, realizing that their normal strengths and skills wouldn't be of any use now. Of course, the scramble of thoughts also tells him all kinds of things the kid could do; the things he needs to watch out for if for some reason his body-hold stopped working. The kid's mind is a solid taste of honey and yet there's more to it... almost granola? Seeds and nuts? Yeah, that's the best approximation he can come up with. Something super-healthy wrapped in regular human honey.

"Good guess," he retorted. "Which means under normal circumstances I wouldn't be bothering you. Thank my bitch Sousuke for that. And for this--" Which he didn't tell Goten, but he's planning on showing all of this to Sousuke later. So that's the reason he's going to use his cruelest technique he can on the kid. Possibly kill him. He hasn't decided yet.

Schuldig reaches out to place his hand on the top of Goten's head, pressing through his spiky hair to actually connect with some flesh as his palm presses to the boy's forehead. With a jerk at the nape of his neck, Goten would feel himself getting pulled to a corner of Schuldig's mind that looks like a starry sky. It's kind of a memory, of a room where he and the rest of Schwarz plotted their nefarious deeds, but the main thing is that it means he won't be worried about accidentally give the kid a leg up by thinking of a chair or other innocent item that could get used as a weapon.

Now Goten's mental self is free to move, but Schuldig is also able to dodge and teleport and generally play Keep Away. He doesn't really have to do anything now -- if he can restrict Goten's mind to his own corner then the kid's body will start to die. When Berger did it to Crawford, it wasn't oxygen deprivation but very real cuts on his skin, and Schuldig's interested in that too because he figures any physical damage he can do will make it that much easier to leave quickly if this non-human brat can withstand him.

Goten is trying hard to think of a way out of this. ~~Never mind the fact that Schuldig can read his thoughts.~~ Without being able to move, he can't do much of anything. No matter how strong he is, its pointless if Schuldig can just hold him in place! Still, he's not giving up. If anything, the mention of Sousuke just brings a fire back to his eyes. Sousuke hadn't done anything wrong. He was trying to adjust to this place and Goten wanted him to enjoy it. The last thing he needed was someone like this jerk after him.

"Sousuke isn't someone for you to play with! You better leave him alo--?!"

He blinks when Schuldig reaches out towards him. There's a quick moment that Goten clenches his closed eyes, as if bracing to be hit or something. He can't lift his arms or do anything rlse to stop him. But the impact never comes Instead he can feel Schuldig's hand on his head. Opening his eyes, he blinks up at the god, clearly confused. Before he can question what he's doing, his mind is suddenly pulled into Schuldig.

The next second, he's in a completely different place with a starry sky. It's actually kind of pretty. He'd be staring in awe at the room if it wasn't for the fact Schuldig is here with him. He doesn't really understand what's going on, how it happened or where he is. Just that he can move now! He tests it a bit by stretching his arms over his head followed by a few weightless jumps. Everything seemed to be okay... Why did Schuldig let him go?

"I don't think I've ever seen a place like this..."

"That doesn't surprise me in the least," Schuldig murmured even as he slowed down the events that were unfolding. It let time pass quicker when it came to effects on Goten's body while also not letting the boy perceive what was happening to him. "This sort of liminal space is reserved for people with strong mental capabilities."

He floats around and away from Goten for now, just depriving his body of his mind all the while and making it suffer. Here a tight muscle, there an overly stretched tendon, and everywhere little cuts of blood vessels bursting. But none of it can Goten's mental self feel - until it's too late. The fact that he's survived a full five minutes by then of hurt without collapsing is a testament to his nonhuman stamina.

"Enjoy the view while you can, kid," he continues while he grins, then fades in and out of the background, trying to stall the kid as long as he can. The longer he's pulled out of his body.... well, the more likely Sousuke will never see him again.

As much as Goten could stand there and enjoy the view, the fact the Schuldig is still with him takes any curiosity off the starry place. He watches the man float around and fade away here and appear over there. It's really weird--but Goten knows he can move now. He's gotta get Schuldig while he can still move. Just one good punch...

Clenching his fists, he kicks off the ground and leaps after Schuldig. His right arm is pulled back before he thrusts it towards the god's face. But every time Goten flies at him and throws a punch or a kick, Schuldig is dodging him or appearing somewhere else. He keeps telling himself that if he keeps on him, that eventually he will hit Schuldig.

'How is he so fast?!'

It's after a good minute that Goten finally settles back on the ground, panting lightly. There's got to be away to get him! He grinds his teeth a bit. If he can't hit him with his fists then maybe...
Goten stands firm, spreading out his stance a bit as he powers up. The energy is visible as it surrounds him in a large aura. If he can't catch Schuldig, then maybe he can try blasting him. Something isn't right--

It's then that the starry-room swirls before his eyes and he gets pulled from Schudligs mind and slammed into his own body.

He blinks, stumbling back, nearly falling over. "Wha-..."

His dark eyes regain the bit of light they lost as pain suddenly surges throughout his body and reaches his mind. It knocks the wind out of him. Looking down at himself just makes him more confused and terrified. His orange gi now has large soaked read spots, there's blood on the ground around him and all around. He shudders. Its not just any blood either. It's his own blood. He can feel the multiple cuts now, the tension in his body and just the throbbing pain. When? How? Where did all of it come from? Schuldig didn't touch him! He had just been dodging all of Goten's attacks..

Grinding his teeth with tears visible in the corner of his wide eyes he struggles just to keep standing. The ground looks way more comfier then it should. He can feel his body swaying that way as he struggles to keep up. He can't, not here. Not with Schuldig around. Goten winches as he forces himself to stumble backwards before blasting off the ground with the last of his energy.

'Sousuke I'm sorry... I'll get 'im but....i just donno how'

Edited 2016-11-04 03:03 (UTC)

Schuldig's convinced after the first several punches and kicks that Goten has no idea where he is - an inner mind world where his physical strength and dexterity are replaced with his mental prowess. That's why Schuldig can outmaneuver him, a kid who's so well trained in hand-to-hand combat. Schuldig's even a little bummed that there's no memories in the kid's head for him to comb through and figure out what kind of powerhouse species he belongs to.

And then, when the little boy's body is almost at his limit, the mental trap snaps shut - but Schuldig didn't trigger it. He likewise stumbles backward two feet as he realizes he's staring at Goten in real life again. There's a glare on his face at the audacity of this tiny brat's ability to break his control. "You-"

Before he can reach out and finish the job though, Goten blasts himself far beyond Schuldig's immediate reach. He's not the type to call someone who runs from a fight a coward - if anything, it's the smartest thing that his prey could have done when he was getting so thoroughly trashed. Once he's far out of sight, Schuldig grins. Mission accomplished as far as he's concerned. Now he can track down Sousuke later on and show him just how much damage he'd done to his little friend.

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009 | Where Your Demons Hide

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