012 | ❝Somebody help me through this nightmare (I can't control myself)...❞

[pitiedthefool]

Characters: Corrupted Izanagi!Yu and YOU~
Setting: October 22nd through the 31st.
Format: Action, but I'll match you.
Summary: "I HATE THIS HELLTOWER."
Warnings: Death, necromancy, gore, and all this lovely stuff...

October 21st (locked to Commander Shepard and possibly a sleepy Nanako)...

Yu had done his best to gather the materials necessary, to meet the quota and stop his costume from crushing him like it had for so many already. He truly did place the effort in it, yet in his frantic search and how much his head was throbbing from Izanagi's voice screaming at him to save everyone he could from the fate others had fallen victim to...

It was an order neither of them could follow. Not even for themselves.

So before it would inevitably crush him, he quietly placed what was left of his own (not enough.... it wasn't enough...) into Nanako's pumpkin. As long as he could do it, he would keep his promise to Dojima-san.... to his uncle. Lightly brushing the bangs from her face before turning around, he turned to the other person in the room he trusted... even if vaguely and mostly due to the word of a certain Geth.

"...I only have an hour left. After that, there's no telling what she'll cause to happen..." He hesitated, before looking to the commander a friend trusted and idolized. "Before that happens, I need to tell you something."

I'm sorry, Nanako...

Soon after he left Room 3-15, he is killed. On the plus side, he's no longer affected by Lelouch's absolute order! ...Oh wait, that could potentially be a bad... thing...

October 22nd (Room 2-02)...

He awakened as usual for when someone died in this place. He could breathe fine, nothing seemed out of the ordinary as he waited for the paralysis to wear off...

That's when he noticed his face was no longer his. The mask was permanently attached to his face. He tried to rip it off, but that soon became less of an issue compared to what was in his chest. He knew the blade well; he'd been using it as a sort of walking stick and to fight with when he could not reach something with the bus stop sign. Yu gasped, realizing he was still... and his feet...

What had this done to him... and why did he want to-

October 22nd - 28th...

He ran from the room, not daunted at all by the blades in his feet... he didn't know if it was actual running or if he was beginning to glide. Yu didn't care. He just wanted to be away from everyone, from this insatiable desire... he didn't want to kill. He'd continue running until someone stopped him or he reached the meadow and fell to his knees, the naginata still sheathed in his chest like a certain Shadow-Persona he recalled helping another tame... how he remembered his Magatsu Izanagi stabbing his Izanagi.

No... I can't. I won't-!

He held his head in his clawed hands for a brief moment before screaming. He couldn't... he wouldn't kill to satisfy this need-!

But he wanted to...

He's scared of himself, of how Thanatos warned him... yet he couldn't stop it from happening in a far-too-literal sense.

October 29th - 31st...

He's no longer hiding from the others. In fact, he's wandering freely as the others scatter and try to either keep themselves alive or have already succumbed. Yellow eyes stare at each and every one of them, and on the surface, he's given in... but internally, there is but one small voice still crying out as he's forced to watch.

Don't come near me...
Don't come closer...
I can't control myself...
Save yourselves...
Kill me...

[ooc: Yu is fighting to keep himself from succumbing to what the tower wishes, and due to his strong will, he'll only last for a the majority of the week with only a couple minor slip ups. But starting around the 27th/28th, it's going to get harder. if you want your character to live and not be turned into a puppet for the rest of the day, your best chance is the 22nd through the 26th.

Feel free to run into him anywhere!]

Comments

25th

[doublechecks]

...Greetings.

[They crossed path during this month at last; but judging from the state of attire Yu's sporting right now, even Lelouch could tell that the male's definitely in a worse state right now, compared to Lelouch's harried look from having to deal with Suzaku's Geass leading to Nunnally's death and all.

Regardless, he's going to play it cool with the poker face of his.]

[risingshepard]

[The woman that was in the same room, garbed in her N7 armor, watched him quietly from her seat. It wasn't until he put the candy in Nanako's pumpkin that she spoke up.]

...Watching out for your sister?

[By this point, it was fairly obvious that he was the 'brother' Nanako was talking about... It wasn't every day that you'd see someone risking their own safety for another, but she knew--no, understood that he was watching out for family. She knew the feeling, especially since she'd made a giant one out of her own crew, twice over...

...Even if she'd failed to protect one of her own.]

[pitiedthefool]

...Yes.

[It's quiet, barely over a whisper as he lightly brushes the girl's bangs from her eyes. The little voice that had kept him from doing the unthinkable time and time again, someone he understood so much better than he'd care to admit with their similar parent problems.

He gave her most of it, though he'd held onto only one. It was getting harder and harder to breathe, but he didn't mind. He knew he wouldn't survive it,and so long as she was safe... it's all that mattered; that she and his team were safe.]

Sorry to just walk in. I'm... usually a lot more polite, but I'm on borrowed time.

[It's easy to see even through the mask: He is silently terrified, but not for himself.]

[risingshepard]

[That earned a shake of the head. She has no reason to be upset at all, considering how much trouble he must have put up with over the last few months.] It's no bother at all.

...Though I'm guessing she's not the only one you were worried about.

[Empathic or not...she can see his fear for the others' safety in his eyes. She'd carried it too, the day she went on what would have been her last mission, only for everyone to come out alive.

If there was anything she could show more than anything else, it's her familiarity with these sorts of issues.]

[pitiedthefool]

[Eh, he doesn't mind the trouble so much anymore. At least for the time being. What hurts the most is his girlfriend and his sister arriving here at roughly the same time and.... having to see him die so soon.]

... My team. [He nods faintly. A sharp one, huh.] Though I guess you could say their my family now, too.

[And he won't be able to lead them until this madness ends... If his guess is right, that won't be until November.]

[risingshepard]

[...Yeah, that isn't too hard to imagine. As for being sharp? Maybe a bit too much for her own good, at times.

...Family, huh. So he was the same way when it came to relating to others.]

...They'd be happy to know you were keeping an eye on them, too. Rest assured.

I just hope you have plans for after you come back from this.

[...Yeah, she has what she needs to know about how death works in this screwed up tower. Thank the mutual mono-eyed robot buddy.]

[kotodo]

[Heheh... It was about time he ran into a certain someone. Though Yu does little to turn around to face him. After all, he knew what looking into his eye meant. It was hard enough... fighting it off on his own. but to have be under the influence of Geass again as well would be...

No. He won't think about it. Even if he could smile, he wouldn't. Though the echoing chuckle comes at a small price.]

It has been quite some time... Lelouch vi Britannia.

[Funny, it was almost like Izanagi's voice, too... aside from the slight hint of insanity.]

[pitiedthefool]

[Comes with the territory. He and Naoto are just as guilty of it at times, but he doesn't mind. "Assume responsibility for the choices you make" and all that.

He nods faintly, looking up to meet her gaze for a brief moment.]

Most of those who've died like this have ended up in corrupted forms of their costumes. I know all too well what Izanagi is like in his corrupted, shadowy form.

[He places a hand over his heart, where he could recall the blade going through his Persona far too well... The laughter, the madness, the strong impulses and rage. ]

...but I doubt they're going to make it that easy, and if it comes to that, I won't be able to show myself around anyone without some risk of losing my sanity.

['I have no idea how much even having Beelzebub and Lucifer within my mind would be able to prepare me for this.'

There's a blatant hint. He doesn't usually talk this much.]

[risingshepard]

[And she catches on rather quickly--more to the implications of this than anything else. So if that's the case...then...

...No wonder this kid wants her to look out for his sister. He doesn't want her to end up the same way that he will in an hour. It doesn't take long after he explains himself for Shepard to respond.]

Then just tell me what needs doing. I'll make sure she comes out of this okay.

[Not even going into what else could happen, because considering his familiarity with this 'Izanagi'...he sounds very, very aware of what could happen after this.]

[pitiedthefool]

[The implications are one of the worst parts of it, really. Even behind the mask, that concern doesn't quite leave his gaze. Even though soon after, that determination flares up even briefly.]

She has to fulfill the candy or any other requirements for each day. The way I'd been gathering them is hunting what monsters have been protecting on the floors, but it's been getting harder...

[And considering he didn't make the quota today, there's the proof. He opens the mask and pops the candy in his mouth quickly. Need... to breathe... e_e;]

...Thank you.

[It's all he can say for now, even as he looks to his sister. ...He doesn't want to let go of her hand, and Izanagi's emotions are not helping any.]

[risingshepard]

[That doesn't sound good at all. However...she's known to make the impossible possible. She'll manage somehow--there has to be potential allies for her to get help from...

If not, she'll make people help.]

...Don't mention it. It's what I do.

['It's what I've always done since I became a soldier.']

You don't have to feel like you owe me anything, either. I don't need rewards to act as incentive for me to do something for people.

[She watches the both of them quietly, not wanting to disturb them any further.]

[doublechecks]

Izanagi.

[And yet, different. He knew of the god from the time he's spend in the other's head, and it is pretty clear that they were in the process of succumbing to the urges.

...He took a voluntary step backward, one can't help but be prepared when it comes to dealing with these kind of things.]

A... pleasure seeing you again.

[justiceinheaven]

[A faint murmur came from the bed at that moment, and Nanako turned over before blearily blinking her eyes open. Their conversation had woken her, if barely; she still looked like she was half asleep as she reached up and rubbed at her eyes. After a moment, she looked up at her brother in confusion, as if she couldn't understand why he was there.]

Onii-chan...?

[pitiedthefool]

Funny... That's what I thought when we started the--

[The investigation team.

They hadn't minded that they would never get the credit or recognition they deserved. All that mattered was that the victims could rest in peace, and that their world was safe. True, he didn't care as much as he should have and let the faint pains of empathy lead him at first, but...

Never was he more glad for the mask then right now, so that she would not see his face as he fought back not just his emotions, but his god's as well. Yet he smiles faintly behind it the best he can, just for her.]

Hey, Nanako. I'm sorry we woke you.

[...He couldn't say it. How ironic, that almost a year ago now, it was her that was dying... and now it was his turn.]

[risingshepard]

[...She's not going to ask for him to complete that--he probably doesn't have enough time, and that one piece of candy just gave him only a bit more to spare before he's choked to death. They could talk later when this wasn't looming over their heads.

For now...she'll just give a silent nod of recognition to Nanako.]

[justiceinheaven]

[Nanako let out a faint sound, pushing herself up and rubbing her eyes again.]

Is something wrong?

22nd, floor 7 (would he try hiding in the locker rooms too?)

[warriorscribe]

A glowing being was trembling, curled up on the floor in one of the locker rooms, fingers buried in his hair. He was so hungry, but he was scared. The urge to kill certain people was so strong... He didn't dare move. This wasn't him, this wasn't him, this wasn't him!

[kotodo]

Eheh heh heh... Not quite...

[He turns to face him a bit more, some red veins appearing where the blade goes into his chest. ...Just how is he turning and walking on those blades so effortlessly, anyway?

There is no smile in the yellow gaze.

Make it stop...]

It is both of us...

[pitiedthefool]

[The automatic thing to do would be to shake his head, but he couldn't even do that. There was no way he could lie to her, but how could he say it-?

Short answer: There was no way to say it at all. So he doesn't nod or shake his head. Though it does take him a moment to look at her again after closing his eyes that entire time.]

...Mm. I came to make sure you had what you needed for today. [Which wasn't a lie.] But Ruana's making me go away for a little while, so listen to Commander Shepard and the others, okay?

[It's still so weird using the Western pattern of speech.]

[justiceinheaven]

What...?

[Nanako woke up a bit at that, and she didn't look happy. No... she just got back together with her brother again. Why did he have to go? She reached out for him, clinging to him as soon as she was close enough, as if that would keep him from leaving.]

Why... why do you have to go...?

[Later that month, the 31st] Day of the Broken God

[risingshepard]

She's not sure just how much of her clips she wasted over the course of the last week, nor is she sure of what else she was going to do now that the monsters weren't giving out candy anymore--and she wasn't about to fight others just to get some for Nanako. It was a mess, through and through.

But that didn't give her duress--no, that wasn't the problem. The real issue she was bothered with was the boy not too far ahead of her on the 20th floor, made into a walking horror. She couldn't help but compare his state to the Husks that'd been a constant threat throughout the search in the Reaper derelict, on Horizon, and at the Collector Base she'd turned into a smoldering wreck. This whole thing made her sick to her stomach, but she couldn't afford to let that get to her--not when this needed to be put to rest, now.

It's a damn good thing she brought out all of her gear just for the occasion.

A shot is fired at the boy in an attempt to get his attention.

[pitiedthefool]

[Something broke in him in that one instant. The moment she clung to him, all he wanted to do was hold her tight and not let go. He swallowed hard, wrapping his arms around her but not as tightly as he wanted. Like he didn't want to go, but knew he had to and get as far away from her as possible before he...

Okay. He had to face the truth. Even if it meant putting on a confident act again, he... he would.]

Because I lost the game.

[And there was hell to pay. Yet if he could help it, Ruana would be one of those who ended up being one of them soon enough. They had only just been reunited... It wasn't fair...

'I don't want to hurt you, too... To let you see me fight what she'll do to me.']

But I'll come back once it's settled... I promise.

[risingshepard]

...I'll be right here, if you need me. For both of you.

['No one else needs to know what I've been through. No one else deserves to go through this heartbreak.'

Little else is said, even as she gets up to take her guns and what little thermal clips she has left.]

[justiceinheaven]

[Nanako clung to him tighter at that. She didn't understand what was going on, but the way he said that... it didn't sound good. It didn't sound good at all. Was he... was something terrible going to happen to him...? She couldn't think of what that would be; the thought of losing Yu... no. No, she couldn't have that... not her brother.]

Promise...

short answer: yes

[kotodo]

There was the soft click of metal against the floor soon, the strange breathing of something that had to do so through a mask. There was no face, no lips in which to move so that he could speak. Yet he did.

"Not me... I won't..."

It was soon accompanied by the sound of an elbow hitting against a locker, as though he walked and walked and walked without stopping. He gripped his head with clawed hands once more, ignoring the blade in his chest. Don't look down don't look down don't look down...

"Don't want... kill..."