soul_logs | [OPEN] Mission 156

Entry tags:

[OPEN] Mission 156

Characters: Open to participants who signed up here.
Location: Lake Tahoe, CA
Rating: Various.
Time: March 27th, late morning.
Description: The second of the three Madness emitters outside Death City is the target for this mission. Bundle up, everyone -- it's gonna be a cold one.

The mission begins late in the morning, to allow the mission-goers as much sunlight as possible in the warmest part of the day. Not that it'll help much… Temperatures are well below freezing already -- unnatural even for early Spring in the mountains -- and a howling snowstorm threatens to blot out the sun, beginning up the mountain where the slope just begins to rise sharply.

The slopes themselves are fairly barren: a windswept-looking tree here, a cabin that may have once belonged to the snow patrol there, maybe a Madness-crazed bear or mountain lion. Those braving the storm are lucky enough to see five feet in front of their face in these conditions!

Those brave few who manage to make it to the top (enduring falling temperatures and defeating the corrupted fauna and hulking kishin yeti along the way) may come across their goal at the very summit of the half-mile-high mountain: the Madness emitter itself, in the eye of the storm… And one last obstacle: the Witch guarding it.

OOC NOTES.
- The event summary post containing all relevant links is located here.
- Make your own threads, but please indicate in your subject line [CHARACTER(S) | LOCATION | OPEN/CLOSED]
- If you have any further questions, the mod thread on the coordination post is here!

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Silently, Bakura took stock of his double's injuries. It was far easier than it ever had been with Vash or Leo since he knew far too well his own body's limitations, even if the spirit never seemed to mind them.

The die glowed brightly as Bakura pulled energy from the spirit, all of his focus on the monsters before them.

'Holy!' The shouting of the attack, the overlapping of his White Mage self in his mind's eye... he didn't know if it helped, but it felt as if it did. The energy from with in him and from the spirit blending together like two similarly colored twisted strands as the white light blazed out, slamming into the yeti with a blinding flash.

When he felt his host try and draw from his reserves, he opened the gates to them without reserve, letting his power that was purely fueled by emotions - hate, longing, pain, desire, rage, thirst for something more than just life - flood their connection.

The light color of the energy of his own soul was almost perverse for a being whose core was that dark and its light worked itself into Ryou's like a lens that bundled something that was originally meant bring peace into a scathing ray that carried oblivion of another kind.

When it hit the yeti a backlash of exhaustion hit Bakura as well and he staggered before dropping down to his knees. Laughing under his breath, he watched the kishin egg limp closer despite having lost half of its head and part of its right shoulder. Its right arm was completely missing. Glancing backwards from the corner of his eyes, he saw that the other kishin egg was drawing near as well, also limping and all the more intent to kill them both.

"Tough bastard..." 'An attack from both sides, huh? That's clever.' Despite his words he still sounded proud and haughty rather than worried, even if the strain of the energy he had just given reflected in his 'voice'. He turned his attention towards the die in his hand. 'How much more attacks like that can you do?'

'Two more... maybe three, but that's pushing it.'

There was a note of exhaustion that had crept into Bakura's own voice, but there was also the presence of something else. A firmness and resolve that was growing more steady and solid. There was always a rush that came with the blending of energy that an attack from a strong resonance formed, something that filled him with very unfamiliar emotions that he couldn't quite label, but that the spirit wielding him was all too familiar with, even if not quite in the form that they took in his host.

For someone who for all his life had been powerless and at the mercy of those who puppeted him like an empty shell and to fate itself... the rush of power and the realization that he could defeat those who were endangering those he cared about was enormous. It was the steel that had been behind his resolve in Monster World when he had faced down his double, that small pillar of strength that his will solidified into when one of his friends was in need...

Not in his pretend worlds, but in reality, he had the power to help create a world where his friends were safe. This was where he could be strong, the heady feeling of the raw, emotion fueled power from his double all but transforming him into a proper hero character in his mind's eye, the missing parts of him finally complete.

He could do this. They could do this. With a proper common enemy that they could agree on needing to defeat...

They could do anything.

'Ready?'

'.....'

It were exactly those feelings, barely sensed through the thick curtain he kept trying to maintain through their connection, that had Bakura remain silent and partially recoil even if he still made sure that the umbilical cord of their resonance stayed strong. It was too familiar, too heady, too much the way he already felt - the circumstances might have been different, but it was a feeling like the one that he had felt shortly before he had been killed. He hadn't realized it when it had affected himself up until now, but he did recognize it within his double and it was enough to make the spirit stop dead in his tracks.

He knew where being this way led. He was a living example.

The whole thing felt like a bucket of cold water had suddenly been emptied over his head. This wasn't Egypt. They were fighting together, it wasn't like how it had been with Diabound or the rare and short-lived human companions he had had. This was reality after reality, the grit after the dream. ...and there were still two beasts trying to kill them.

Forcing himself back onto his feet with a sigh, he stood strong, waiting for them to reach him. He was going to dodge in the last moment and hopefully their size would hinder them and keep them in an easy to hit heap shortly after. Dodge, hit, strike, kill. Just as always.

... what had that been about...?

Bakura couldn't tell anything what his double was thinking, but the sudden flux of emotions was like shifting sand under his feet, throwing him a touch off guard. 'It should be enough...' he insisted, suddenly unsure, almost hovering.

He didn't send any message of approval as he kept watching the kishin eggs draw near. Only seconds before the first one could slash him he leaped to the side and rolled into a crouching position as fast as he could. At the same time he had already thrown the die, calling it back by the red thread that connected them as he opened up the gates to the power that was his soul once more.

'Shoot!

It was a relief when his double finally sprung into action and Bakura could as well, this attack more blinding than the first, almost as if Bakura were trying to prove that everything would be fine.

...why he felt he had to prove that to the Voice was something far too befuddling to really even think on, however.

He kept his attention a touch inward, trying to judge his double's reactions.

He barely registered as another part of his soul was chipped away to fuel the attack. The attack was fine and hit the first monster straight in the neck, beheading it except for a thin strip of flesh instantly, but he already knew that things wouldn't be okay the second he saw the second yeti move.

"Shoot!" This time it was a curse rather than an order as he and the yeti raced for who was able to react faster. The second monster had barely leaned out of the way of the attack and was now swinging its claws arm down at them again. It if hit it would drive those claws right through Bakura's head like a pike!

It was fast enough that running or just moving back and out if its reach would be impossible. Realizing that within split-seconds that felt like a small eternity, the thief did the only thing he could think of: rather than away he lunged forward and instinctively sucked in his breath as the claws still managed to graze his scalp as they tore some of his hair out and dug themselves deep into the ground. Much too close above him the kishin egg let out a surprised grunt. It was obviously not used to any of its victims fleeing towards it.

Crap! There wasn't enough time for Bakura to form a shield, even if he had had the reserves for it, so he could only wince, horrified as the claws scraped his double.

But with the second yeti so close...

'Roll! We can get this one form here!' And then, if he had anything left, he could try healing the spirit.

..wait. Why did he care about something like that...?

'I can't get out of its reach without getting your body sliced into a ribbon! Aren't you seeing that it's just waiting for that, you idiot?!' He snapped back, unconsciously renouncing his connection with the aching flesh and the warm blood that he was was wearing once again.

No. This wasn't his real body. It was a makeshift hull, a crutch, a replacement limb that he had had no choice but to accept as the original was lost and which he had come to live with just to now feel the bite of its lack in comparison to what the original had enabled him to do more than ever. If he had his real body slaying this monster would be no problem. If he had his real body he could have ground this fucking mountain and everybody on it into the ground without breaking a sweat. He would have been able to reduce Death City to dust! But it wasn't!

...if this were his real body, fuck, even if his powers were just not sealed, then he wouldn't have to open himself to the weakness of having to bare himself to another! He wouldn't be forced to trust another person who was just waiting to use him for their own benefit! This whole fucking place was just manipulating him again with taking his Ring and placing those limits!!

For a moment he just felt a calm sort of frustration as those thoughts kept accumulating inside him like a small ripple that turned within seconds into a giant wave of pure resentment and hate. Then the curtain that had dampened the quality of their resonance up until then dropped with a metaphorical snap.

The sudden openness almost floored Bakura, the raw frustration, anger, hatredflooding him like a sort of fire. They were unfamiliar emotions, at least at the strength that the spirit was feeling them, and they shook him to the core.

This was what his double felt like. This was that strength of emotion that drove him...

For a split second... he felt almost like he understood.

'You don't have to move, just roll me in your palm and aim with your thoughts!' It felt like he was yelling, his voice suddenly so loud in the absence of the barrier between them.

He could do this. He could use that burning emotion that was tingling at every fiber of his form, every crack of his surface, and destroy this threat.

Anger was power. Never before had he so clearly been able to see it... and he would use it to protect them both.

He did it without really thinking.

Snapping the die with enough force over his palm that it left bloody scrapes, he bundled all the scathing energy of his emotions in the mental image of a single blow - and then lunged straight at the yeti, slamming his fist with the Weapon in it against its chest while he opened it just enough to shoot.

It was utterly overwhelming that all Bakura could do was channel that emotion, that energy, that hate into the blast, the light so blinding that it burned almost as much as the emotions pouring through him.

Too much-- it was too much, burning in his mind, tearing up his mind and being, his own scream echoing is double's as he fell into darkness.

When the brightness from the flash cleared, the yeti was obliterated, only the soul left behind, and Bakura lay unconscious on the snow, face pale and breathing shallow.

1 HP. 0 MP.

The spirit was still standing, shivering and by sheer willpower rather than any strength that he had left, but standing.

The rage was still running high in him, making his ears buzz as he took in the area in the search for any more objects that he could direct the unholy energy at. When he couldn't find any, it added an edge of frustration to the mix as he finally turned towards his fallen host with an unwilling glare.

"......" It would have been easy to just leave him there. Either the cold temperature or some stray monsters would take care of him. His stare remained cold as he kept upright, just looking at him. He had said that he would protect him, but that was only because he had needed his body. Now that he had his own that promise was no longer valid. Their deal was off.

The blood was starting to turn into a cold, clotty crust at is head where the wind went through his hair, making it fly and look even more like spikes. That had been really a close shave. His cap was also gone. All those facts came and went from his mind as Bakura listened to the hum of his negative emotions.

After a seeming eternity, he took his jacket - scorched, torn and soiled with his own blood, but warm - off and carelessly dropped it over his fallen double. Then he let himself fall into a sitting position next to him.

It was hard to tell how much time had passed before Bakura stirred, face tensing a moment before his eyes oh so slowly squinted open. Where--

Oh right. They had been fighting, and---

He sat up sharply, adrenaline surging through him as he looked around. The Kishin egg, where--

But there was no sign. Only the two souls laying seemingly forgotten in the snow. He let out the breath he hadn't realized he had been holding, shoulders slumping. "Thank goodness..."

It was only then than he noticed his double, sitting in the snow, coatless. He blinked, utterly befuddled in his exhaustion before looking down and noticing the missing coat laying awkwardly on top of him.

...oh.

The voice... had stayed and had made sure he was covered. It didn't make sense...

There was another long moment of silence as the wind tugged at his mussed and now snow dusted hair. "T-- thank you..." he finally spoke.

His pale eyes slid to the side to rest on his host's face for a moment.

He didn't react to the thanks as he stood up and brushed the snow from where it had gathered on him. The sweater he had chosen to wear beneath the coat was a light dark blue and specially made for outdoor winter sports and thus warmer than a regular one would have been in such a situation, but it was still cold and he needed to get himself warmed up quickly.

Not bothering to make sure that Ryou was alright, he ordered "Get the souls. We're going back."

Bakura nodded, getting to his feet unsteadily, putting a hand to his forehead as the world seemed to spin. Not good...

Deep breath. You just need to get back to the base, you can do this, Bakura Ryou!

He let the breath out slowly before holding out the coat to his double to put back on before turning his attention to the souls. He carefully knelt down next to the nearest one, grimacing a little as he picked it up. Should he wait until he was more stable to try eating it...? but where would he put it if he waited?

Pressing his lips together a moment he nodded, steeling himself before quickly devouring it, giving a small shudder. It still just felt so wrong... and he could almost feel the weight of it inside of his stomach like a heavy meal.

One hand over his stomach this time, he moved over to the other repeating the pseudo ritual before returning to his double's side.

He would feel so much better once they were back where it was warm and he could rest...

He watched him with an unreadable look as he put his coat back on. Even it it he still felt frozen, but he didn't regret anything.

Walking over after a moment, he said "Don't hate it".

Bakura blinked. "What, the egg...?" he asked, utterly befuddled. He was barely keeping himself on his feet, making him even more easily confused by his double than normally.

"Eating the soul." He corrected. His host could hate it for all that it was worth, that didn't matter.

The Weapon looked uncomfortably to the side. "It isn't that I hate it or anything..." he protested softly. "It just... doesn't ever feel right. That thing... it was a person once, even if it's not an more..."

It was hard to explain, and he felt a little foolish, trying to. Especially to the Ring's Voice.

"Which is all the more reason to act responsible about it, isn't it?"

Bakura nodded, rubbing his stomach slightly in an absent minded way. "I just can't help but wonder sometimes," he admitted softly. "If this is really the right way to go about it... But there isn't any other way, right? They can only be taken care of by Weapons eating them..."

He turned his back and started heading downhill, trusting that the other would follow him if he wanted to.

"Saying that there wasn't any other way is the same as that you're not guilty and shouldn't be blamed, from what I've experienced. But sure, whatever it is that you want to believe in order to do it."

He wasn't even sure why they were having this talk now. Probably to occupy his brain from thinking about how much he was freezing.

"I guess..." Bakura admitted, watching the ground at his feet as he walked, doing his best to keep his purchase on the snow.

He was quiet a moment before speaking again. "It bothers you...?" he asked, voice soft.

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oh, BTW, which one of us is putting this on the soul tally?

I can do it if you'd like

Ok! I shall leave it in your capable hands, then~

o/! I shall not let you down!

\o/

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