towerofanimus | (no subject)

Characters: Nyarlathotep and His Fun Friends (You)
Setting: Any Floor of the Tower besides the power-limiting ones
Format: Up to you!
Summary: Nyarlathotep has returned only to discover a rumor has been passed. The rumor is that "Nyarlathotep" is no longer in the Tower. Shedding his identity, all that remains of him is an inky pool of chaos.
Warnings: Death, maybe, if it comes to it. Maybe some graphic imagery too.

[The "shadow of man" never originally had a name. There was nothing to call it, really, nor was anybody interested in pondering what title would best identify something so unattractive and vile as mankind's destructive potential. The essence of evil should lack a name. It should also be inky, dark, squirming, and all around cold and unpleasant. All it was was "the Shadow". Chaos. An impulsive, yet not unintelligent mass of mortal filth.

It lacked a name. It wanted a name while never understanding that. Perhaps to its own fortune, that opportunity would soon come.

Sometime during the cycle of its infinite life, it was finally given a name. That was when the chaos finally awakened. It became Nyarlathotep. It developed a personality. It learned amusement. Nyarlathotep from then on never stopped sneering at mankind, always pursuing and watching from all corners and cracks.

That was the mask Nyarlathotep wore. He coveted that mask. But the mask isn't all of him. It was only an identity he was allowed to borrow by embodiments of greater nightmares.

What would happen, now, if that mask was to be removed? Then even it would return to the Chaos. The personality of Nyarlathotep was curious about it too. And so, for once, he willingly took it off. The Tower has called to him once again. The Chaos answers. It wanders in the form of a murky, black puddle, both mobile and aimless.

It only searches to feed itself.]

OOC: Bit of a note here, but any chance you could list which one of the Greater Arcana your character might fall under? Thanks!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[The King of Hell may have weakened, yes, but his powers were still formidable. Why, even the Chaos had reason to fear. And beside that fear came envy. Ambition may be one of man's most unique traits allowing them to build and become greater than anyone could possibly have predicted. Jealousy, another human quality, had the potential to cripple or fuel ambition. The Chaos felt it now towards Lucifer. It was irrational. There was no basis for it. But it envied his strength.

You too are loathsome to it. In this form, it doesn't know why. Negative emotions simply explode from within. There is a consistency, however, in this chaos. It shouts for and demands your existence to be smeared away from all universes.

The Jotun dissipates into black fog, leaving only the two Sleeping Tables summoned. They clop away from the dark mass and surround Lucifer. Both are prepared to cast spells of their own with Lucifer as their targets. The air warps and crackles similarly to the spell Lucifer had cast. But it's different, a little.

Rather than color being drained from the area, the whole room is illuminated right from the start. Two orbs of burning, white light simultaneously appear above Lucifer and drop down towards him. The sheer, Almighty power being held and concentrated from within its core is released into a divine explosion. Power from it ripples. The Tower might've shook had it been one of ordinary construct.

Megidola.]

[Fear and envy were feelings known to demons as well. The difference from a man feeling them and a demon feeling them, however, was immense. The demons could only react negatively to such feelings; could only desire the destruction of what had caused them. But for a man, while discomfort might come with such feelings so could inspiration. Ingenuity. With this negative force man might destroy but he can also build. And that was a massive part of what set him apart from demons.

That, more than anything, Lucifer envied.

The light generated by the Megidolas is blinding. The pain is too but he manages to make not a sound as it strikes him. The Lord of Chaos has fought so many battles over so many planets and worlds and dimensions that pain has become a friend to him. Perhaps his most intimate one.

Once the light dissipates and the room returns to view it casts a bloodied Lucifer in the center of it. Still not near death but the damage he's taken is beginning to show. His mouth has turned to a taut, thin line. His anger isn't evident now, not just by looking at him, and he spreads his arms a bit further away. And spreads his fingers a bit wide.

In both of the furthest corners of the room there's a few brief sparks before all hell is unleashed. Three columns of purple energy blast from both sides of the room and meet in the middle, crossing and cutting through the Sleeping Tables in front of Lucifer. It's raw power, Lucifer's raw power unleashed and demonstrated upon the world. A testament to his authority among the Demon World.

High King.]

[Anti-Almighty isn't a skill known in the Persona world. While the Tables are some of the more powerful Shadows, even they have no defense against Almighty attacks let alone one of Lucifer's signature spells. Helpless against the Demon King's power, the collection of furniture is sliced apart. They dissipate into fog once again. It's a humiliating defeat all in all. Humiliation is exactly what the Chaos felt.

Mindless, though not unintelligent, the Chaos knew this was a losing fight. Even against a weakened Lucifer, it knew it stood little chance of winning. Mind you, it knew it wouldn't die. Being unable to win against someone and being at risk of dying weren't the same thing. It was reluctant. Maybe if it had its treasured mask, it would be a little bolder. Maybe then it would have known to avoid this scenario as much as possible.

The Chaos attempts to flee.]

[Lucifer can't hide the smile of satisfaction that crosses his face as the Crawling Chaos begins to flee. Run. Slither and crawl away like the pathetic worm you are at your very core Nyarlathotep. Lucifer knew that's what you always were to begin with.

The urge to chase after the black puddle is strong. To try and deliver a finishing blow to it or to humiliate it even more at the very least. The fact that such actions wouldn't mean anything barely kept Lucifer under control and from pursuing the demon as it fled. After all it was always more practical to take an enemy down for certain rather than leave it wounded, even if death was not a permanent state within the Tower.

Still the demon was not his responsibility at the moment and finishing it off would provide little satisfaction. Whatever game Nyarlathotep was playing at the moment it didn't see like the demon had any intention of truly dealing with or speaking either. Or of assuming a guise that could truly challenge him. Thus a victory over the shapeless mass would in the end be quite hollow.

And it was no responsibility of his if others should be harmed.

So Lucifer watches as Nyarlathotep flees before turning to continue his own exploration.]