[o5] ♪ Death's icy breath.

[fractus_animus]

Characters: AU Minato Arisato & people, then later AU Jin Shirato and more Persona users.
Setting: Early Afternoon on July 3rd, toward the afternoon/early evening; all over-ish -> cathedral.
Format: Action. Prose will be far too slow for this, sorry.
Summary: Minato goes crazy thanks to finding his sister gone and falls victim to a certain Cerulean blood's mind control.
Warnings: If you confront Minato after a certain point, your character WILL have a VERY HIGH CHANCE of dying! Here is the OOC info post. Feel free to backtag into forever if you like once I get this up.

[ The floors he visited had begun to ice over. Anyone who wandered near where Minato was would find it almost unbearably, bone-chillingly cold.

In fact, the walls froze around him as he walked, searching.

For what?

People. People he thinks he can... 'fix'. Or save. Perhaps his inability to do so during their time in the Pods had gotten to him.

... He had Thanatos, didn't he? Why not listen? Why not let him go? After a month of enduring Thanatos and Samael's persistent voices, he no longer had any desire to be what he now viewed as cruel. Killing people was a niceness, here. Surely, it was nice. A kindness. They'd thank him. Even if they didn't realize it. Dying was better than that. It would be better to die. If he killed them, with Thanatos, then perhaps they'd stay dead. Perhaps they'd no longer suffer...

... He was prepared to do it by whatever means, and however much pain had to be caused. Pain was good, too. Pain told them they were people, you see? That they had personalities...

Yes, he did like people.

He liked them enough to freeze them slowly and let his Persona rip them apart... ]

[ OOC: LET ME GET THE COMMENT HEADERS UP for the sub threads first, then you can reply. POSTING DONE, go reply to the sub threads and have fun. :) Be sure to verify a location on the first one! Some responses may be from deatharcana, by the way. ]

Comments

[vvvroom]

[...He knows what Jun's planning. It made him sick and, even though it won't be permanent, it still made his blood boil. Damn that psychopath for making it so it came to this and damn Jun for knowing him well enough to make sure Tatsuya would leave him behind, if it kept Maya safe.

After all, he could never break his promise to him...

He doesn't know if that asshole buffed himself up in other ways, but he throws a Dekaja at him just to be safe before turning around and following Lisa's lead.

He says nothing and looks like he wants to crawl into a hole and die.]

[deathboss]

ASSHOLE!

[Wither this was screamed at Jun or Minato was a mystery but Eikichi was about to attack him again, when Miyabi snapped him out of it. Somberly, he took her hand, and lead her away as they ran away, ordering Hades to throw a Bloody Honeymoon so they wouldn't be followed.]

Don't think this is over...

[Whoever isn't coming right now willingly, be it Maya or Lisa, he just grabs and they start to run away. Retreating isn't his style, even more when his own friend is going to very probably die off in the process...but knowing all too damn well that any of them would have willingly done it to save Maya's life. Even if she could have come back it was just the sight of her....he clenched his fist and didn't look back.

To have felt that connection between all six of them after some months here, and to know it was going to be torn away from them soon....he bit his lip down so hard he tasted the blood.]

[nemophila]

[Despite the dire circumstances and the high probability that Eikichi was insulting him, he smiled.]

Don't worry; I'll see you later, OK?

[He... was pretty sure he was lying. He felt bad about lying, but even if they knew he was, it was easier this way. Just because it wouldn't be permanent didn't mean that the prospect of dying didn't terrify him.

He quickly turned away once he was sure that they were beating a retreat however, right around with the wind started to die down. Now he had to focus all of his attention on Minato, and keep him busy for as long as possible.]

I'll be your opponent from now on. You don't have a choice in the matter.

[He wasn't feeling very cocky, but he smiled confidently anyway. He pulled out another flower, this time yellow-- and threw at Minato as he closed the gap between them, Chronos appearing once again to deliver a Wing Flap attack.]

[fractus_animus]

[ Minato isn't very distracted by the Bloody Honeymoon; Thanatos is strong to those elements, though it does hurt. The flower he dodges, but the Wing Flap is a bit of an annoyance. Not enough to kill him, at least, not with Thanatos equipped, but... well. He would definitely need to switch and heal.

... Right now he's more preoccupied on fixing what Tatsuya cancelled. Though instead of casting anything else, it's Sukukaja he first goes for as he changes Personas. After all, he's not one to quit very easily. Once they're gone, he eyes Jun, blue eyes glowing almost... unnaturally. Wait, were they always that blue...? Weren't they closer to a blue-grey?

Then, he does something odd: he laughs, reloading his gun. He brings his arms up, tilting his head. Then, he fires at Jun. Once, twice. Once for each leg--even as he does so, he speaks, though his tone is flat and oddly mechanical. ]

... Time...

[ That they would be so afraid to die, so afraid for one PERSON to die... so upset over it. It's so funny, that even those so close to his own Persona's pantheon would--

But oh, he supposes this should be a bit more serious... There is no warning when Thanatos materializes in front of him and suddenly bursts forth towards Jun, either. ]

Waits for no mortal. One's journey into the Underworld comes at the price of pride. Do you fear shedding that which binds you so much...? How ironic... and here one would expect you to understand... given that Death and Time are the same, in the end.

[ ... But just who's speaking now is hard to tell. His voice has an odd overtone to it, almost as though it's not entirely... his. ]

But if you are so eager to run out of that which you supposedly hold... instead of making this peaceful...

[nemophila]

[Jun didn't want to give him the chance to fix it-- After Chronos' wind cover, he was ready, and he was going to fight.

Or at least, he was ready. Chronos was ready the moment he gave the signal, and his body was already halfway towards moving, but when he caught notice of the eyes was the first thing that stopped him. The second was that laugh. That laugh gave him pause for a moment, and something deep inside him just...turned.

He regained his bearings soon thanks to some chastisement from Chronos, but not soon enough-- he was able to move to dodge the first bullet, but not the second, which lodged itself in his left kneecap as he let out a hiss of pain as he fell to one knee.

There wasn't much time to lament the pain though; not with Thanatos coming so quickly. Like a gust of wind, Chronos appeared in front of Jun, intercepting Thanatos on his way and reaching his arms out to to cast Garudyne on the encroaching phantom and to block him from getting any further. And Chronos certainly did not look happy to see you, Thanatos.]

Time and Death...are not the same. [Funny; back in Sumaru City, he might have agreed with Minato on that point.] Though they lead to the same end, that isn't what matters...

[He did his best to stand, letting his weight rest on his good leg while Chronos dealt with Thanatos. All he needed to do was stall.] All Death can provide is release. Time can be anything from sorrow, to joy, to pain and wonderment.

But if you're going to threaten what I hold dear, then I'll throw away all the time I have!

[deatharcana]

... You say that as though Death is something that should not be celebrated.

[ Tick, tock.

Thanatos has been put into a stalemate. Hm. Oh, well. This can be hard if Jun needs it to be. Thanatos takes the Garudyne, which slows it only briefly. The usage of all these physical skills leave Minato bloody. His health, drained away by the Persona; by too much use. Too many hits taken. But he refuses to die, urged on by voices and commands unseen and unheard.

His Persona, right at this moment... is stronger than any normal Persona should be, to be frank. ]

It brings us all to the same end. Why do you fear the chance to leave these husks, posing as bodies?

[ And yet he continues to direct his Persona. It jumps with ridiculous speed over and BEHIND Jun and Chronos. Ice begins to creep up Jun's bad leg and over his body... ]

[nemophila]

[A twinge of panic began to set in when Thanatos was behind him and the ice started crawling up. Chronos gave him a natural resistance against the ice, he certainly didn't get cold as easily as normal people. But it was something different when the possibility of being encased in ice was very real.]

Husks...?! [No. Hell no. He'd just gotten his friends back after years of bitter misery, he wasn't going to let that kind of stuff fly.] Is that any way... to talk about those you care about? You have loved ones here too, I know you do--!!

[Even if Jun was outclassed, this guy shouldn't be that strong, nor should his Persona. Not from when he originally met him. There was something else going on.

Chronos might not have been happy about these last ditch attempt ideas, but he'd comply. Jun was trying feebly to smash away the ice and free his leg, while Chronos flew away from him and headed straight towards Minato, unleashing another barrage of Wind and Light from Cross Fortune-- hoping to push both Thanatos, Minato, and some of the ice away.]

[fractus_animus]

[ ... He just smiles, though it's oddly mechanical. ]

Oh, no. Not at all. We're all dead already, you see. My friends and I.

[ But he has no more time for chat, thus, he instructs Thanatos to cast another Mabufudyne.

But instead of striking Jun or Chronos, the ice magic quickly makes a huge barrier in front of Minato himself to prevent Cross Fortune from directly hitting him. The Light... he was resistant to. It wouldn't be an issue. But he does need to heal, so he is quick--he changes to Samael, and he does exactly that, though Thanatos does not dematerialize... because he has not been taking his Suppressants, he does not need his Evoker for it. Not really. But there is more to it than that alone, and it reeks of unnatural destruction. ]

... When this is done... I will kill all of them. And then Thanatos will kill me. And we can leave this awful place...

[ I hope you're prepared for a gigantic sword trying to ram itself through your stomach, Jun. ]

[nemophila]

[Oh. No, he wasn't really prepared for that.

It's ironic, really; maybe if he was in Minato's mental state, he'd have been able to appreciate it. But right now the most he's thinking about is the warm feeling surrounding the numb pain in his torso, as blood gradually began to seep out around the wound and stain his uniform.

Damn. He had hoped he would've been able to buy them more time than just this.]

They're not.... [He coughed. Much more painful than usual, he noted.] It won't work... You're just hurting yourself...

[Yeah, some part of him knew this all too well. Chronos remained, but his movements had slowed, and he was merely hovering in front of Minato, watching.]

...You'll regret this...

[deatharcana]

[ He chuckles. ]

Ahhh, what does it matter? If I fail, you all revive. But I won't. ... I'll never understand why people fear such a wonderful thing... I'm just doing what's necessary. SOMEone has to.

[ He glances back at Jun, here, the smile still on his face. ]

... But I have other things to do...

[ And so, in the oddest sort of way a murderer really can, he leaves the room, off to hunt more victims. ]

[nemophila]

[His vision was starting to blur-- and he fell to his knees as he watched Minato saunter off.]

...Just you wait...

[His tone was as angry and vindictive as he could be right now. He had known something was wrong with this guy-- but right now his head was swimming too much from the loss of blood, and all he knew was that this guy had tried to kill Maya, and had now killed him.

He didn't have enough strength to say anything else, though, and he finally fell forward to the ground in front of him as the blood continued gushing out.

Another moment or so later, and Chronos finally disappeared.]