cancry | [open] What a way to start...

[open] What a way to start...

[Well... okay. Dead. That kinda sucks, sure, but he's been down here long enough to kinda know how things go. Some cute little girl thinks she can just wrap everyone around her finger because they don't know any better. Just using everyone around her. It's disgusting. He's absolutely horrified that he's spent who knows how long practically worshipping this girl.

But that's okay. The man is nothing if not confident.

Which is why anyone that's been keeping an eye on the rooftop stage may find an unfamiliar redhead chatting up the specter guards, all bright smiles and casual charm. Insisting, of course, that he knows a guy.

After getting insistently removed from the area enough times the mask drops a little, amber eyes going hard as he stares at the nearest screen. What the hell makes her so special, anyway? Like she's entitled to everyone's adoration. All he needed was one chance and he could ruin her. All this desperate need to be seen and adored at all times meant one little slip was all he needed.

A moment later the smile is firmly back in place and he's strolling out of the mall proper, heading for the housing district. If she's not at work... then she's gotta be at home, right?]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Absolutely not. In many ways, she's as lost and memory-less as the rest of us. How she came to intrinsically know the powers we have, she doesn't know. That much is not a lie. And she isn't out for power. We are simply trying to find our way through, down, until we fix what has gone wrong with this afterlife.

Esme also poisoned her, and several others of our number, so they are hardly cut from the same cloth.

[Chiron gives a short sigh, glancing away. Watching the near mindless mill about as though nothing is wrong.]

I understand how this all sounds. Why trust a stranger, and his mystery group? Why trust a word about power that comes out of my mouth? And should I insist that you meet with Rei, that you will understand what kind of girl she is when you do, you would think me part of some mad cult.

But even so, we'd be a cult with a plan of action, which is at least more than I imagine you've got. Unless you'd like to try the roof again.

[Memory-less... but... how hard would it really be to play dumb? Especially if these people don't remember anything more than he does. Though the assassination attempt makes him wrinkle his nose with distaste.

Rather. Murder attempt. It's not really assassination unless they're like a political figure or something, right? Whatever.

It's the last bit that really gets him and he sighs heavily, all put upon and weary even as he gestures for the other man to lead the way.]

Well if nothing else it gets me away from her for awhile and if you all turn out to be mad then I'm just back to square one.

[With a nod, he whips out his phone to text Rei. Meet them in the park where it's a little quieter and fewer eyes but still close enough nearby. And then he leads the way, chattering merrily.]

Splendid! Now, Rei will be able to go into more detail. For someone so young, she at times is more capable of putting things into words, but I believe she also understands the whole process more. As it is, we do begin to regain memories, with time, if such a concept exists here. Fragments and pieces. New powers develop along the way as well.

Hm, I've neglected to ask for your title. Whatever passes for a name here. I woke up insisting on being called Your Majesty, but I've since had Chiron bestowed upon me. It's at least a name, at any rate.

[ Things being as they are, Rei is kind of always low-key expecting a message from someone (usually Lion, for some reason??) saying yet another new Eidolon has come popping up. So when she gets Chiron's message, she's not exactly surprised – if anything, she's pretty prepared to whizz herself off to the park but her nerves are still more than a little jangly.

But here she is, sitting on a bench under one of those blooming trees. Once she spots Chiron and this unfamiliar Eidolon approach, though, she hops right to her feet, looking all flustered. ]

Ah, um... h–hello...?

[ She's... not used to this yet. ]

[Well once he agreed to go the guy's awful chatty isn't he? But he trots along readily enough, considering the implications of everything Chiron says. He immediately wants to scoff at this title business. Why wouldn't he just give his name?

Well, they are awfully suspicious... maybe it's for the best. But really how uncommon is... is...

There's something there that feels wrong as much as it does right and he actually stops a few steps behind Chiron, staring after him as this adorable girl stands to greet them. She's tiny and cute and he instantly figures he better not say a damn thing about either.

He'd said title. What "passes" for a name. Is that why it sits so strangely? Like a blade that's just a hair unbalanced.]

Uh... yeah. Hi. Ruin, I guess.

[This would be easier to ignore if she was like... older. Hide the unease under flirting. Welp, sucks to be him.]

I do apologize for dragging you away from the others. [Not said: getting you out of bed/disturbing the rest that you clearly aren't taking anyway.] I'm terribly afraid I've made our little group sound something like a cult. One of these days, I'll get Lion's secret to not making our potential allies turn tail and run...

Ruin, Rei. Rei, Ruin. [Apparently!] He's quite interested in seeing Esme's ratings drop.

[ do NOT call her out. ]

I think at this point we need to accept that we're just going to end up sounding at least a little bit like a cult, no matter what we do.

[ 'hey sir, have you heard the good word about DEATH?' ]

It's good to know we have somebody else who wants to help us, though. Um... how much have you had explained to you so far?

[Does any of this really count as an explanation? He's thinking no.]

Uh... Names are fake, time's fake, that bitch is sure as hell fake, [Gesturing at the nearest screen/poster/etc] everyone's dead and...

There was something about special powers? I was really more focused on the cult thing. [At which point he looks her up and down and then flashes Chiron an apologetic look and a shrug. Look, it really sounded like a cult.]

The most pertinent facts, clearly. [He's not offended. Someday he'll get back his smooth politicking ways of speaking and now is not it.] The suggestion of meeting you did not garner a no, and I believe that if most people meet you, they will come to understand what sort of people we are.

Not to mention that you're currently the only one with any knowledge of how to bestow said power on others.

[ you know, if she's supposed to be the leader she should at least try to be not petty about this but hearing someone shittalk Esme like that sparks an incredible amount of joy. ]

That mostly covers it. Things are... a little broken down here right now. We're trying to get to the bottom of things [ literally in fact ] to fix them, but we can't progress any further with Esme blocking our way.

And... even after that, things will be hard. There's a lot of fighting and um... well, you might end up remembering things from your life you would've preferred to forget. So you don't have to join us – and even if you do, we won't force you to fight with us.

It's your choice.

[Bestowing powers, fighting... it all sounds like so much and for a moment he honestly just feels exhausted. Same old same old. Just like always right? Always another fight, always another challenge... Can't even escape it in death.

He lifts one hand, ruffling scarlet curls and sighing, clearly put out.]

No rest for the wicked, right? [But he can't just step aside and let this continue. So.] Look I'll help you out with this entitled little shit but... I'm not making any guarantees beyond that. Deal?

I think we can take any help we can get. Even if only temporary. We will never force this on anyone, so it's your choice, naturally.

[ Rei offers a slightly wobbly smile. ]

That's fine. Really, it matters most to me that you've got a way to protect yourself if you ever need it. That won't go away, even if you decide to part ways with us when we're done here. It's all up to you.

[Dammit stop being so nice. Both of you. He doesn't like owing anyone anything. He'll inevitably screw it up and everyone will hate him. Better to just... keep a distance from the get go, right?

Flames.]

Hey, hey- I said I'd help, right? C'mon you don't even know if I'm gonna be any good at this, you might want me the hell out of your hair soon enough.

You should've seen the original lot of us testing out our powers and fighting abilities, such as they may or may not have been. [It's practically a grin out of Chiron.] Unsightly at best. You'll do fine.

That's right. We're all working things out as we go, so don't worry.

[ She lifts her hand and carefully tugs down her sleeve. ]

If you're really ready, then I can establish the contract right now.

["Establish the contract" sounds a lot more final than what they've implied so far but he figures it'd be a dick move to start questioning them again. And like, what was he going to do? Wander around bored out of his skull for the rest of eternity?

Well, whatever.

Rei lifts her hand and he mimics her, assuming there's some dramatic like... hand touch thing that has to happen.]

Let's do this then.

[ There's no dramatic anime hand touch – just Rei turning her wrist towards him, revealing the black mark on her skin. Almost immediately it's awash in gold light that seems to spill out, washing everything else away in a white that blots out their vision. For a second, it's like the world skips a bit and then everything kicks back into motion with a jolt.

Contract established.

With that, you're free to claim both your freebie starter power and you also have a free Memoria Regain, and a free Idea to use as you'd like! ]

[Isn't she kind of young to have a tattoo? Really? Except then there's a flash of light that seems strangely familiar and everything seems to get a bit jumbled up. He actually staggers a step, surprised by the intensity of the whole thing.]

Flames what- [He blinks rapidly, trying to push aside the lingering weirdness. There may not have needed to be any anime hand touch things but since his hand is right there he reaches for her hand, not roughly but still insistent, looking down at the mark on her wrist.]

... almost looks like a crest... but that's one I've never seen. Is that what it is?

[Now he's even more confused.]

[ His touch isn't rough at all, but Rei still jumps a bit when he takes her hand so unexpectedly. It's only knowing that Chiron is there and he'd have this man's head if things got Weird that prevents her from yanking her hand free and bolting, though. As a career introvert, she's this close to breaking out in hives. ]

I–I, um... I don't know what a crest is...?

[ Helpful! ]

[Damn right Ruin's head would be suddenly quite removed from shoulders should things get Weird.]

Each of us obtain a mark, a tattoo of sorts. It's part and parcel of being one of us, I'm afraid.

[...So does Rei want to tell him it's definitely around his neck and the most outwardly visible one they've seen so far or...]

[Wow he just wanted to get a closer look! But when she says it's not a crest but some sort of mark for being one of them he squints a little but releases her wrist.]

Huh... Looks an awful lot like a crest.

[And then he glances over at Chiron before rolling up his sleeves. Cool new tattoo? Okay awesome. Where...]

Does... uh, does that mean it didn't work?

[Cause yeah there's nothing on his wrist.]

Oh, no, it definitely worked! It just seems to be in a different place for everyone... I'm not really sure why.

[ With her now free hand, she gestures to her own neck. ]

Yours is around here... it looks like a choker, almost...?

It's got a few interesting points. [Super helpful!] Yours is certainly one of the more visible ones, I think.

A choker?!

[He looks back and forth between them like he's expecting them to say it's a joke before he pulls out his phone to use the selfie camera to take a look. At first he looks confused and a little pissed off. But in an almost playful kind of way.

Then he's pulling the collar of his shirt wider to see the line that arcs down over his chest. As realization sets in annoyance fades into dumbstruck horror... Then he seems to remember they're there, stuffing his phone back in his pocket, something dark and ugly taking over his features, enough that he has to bow his head and scrub a hand through scarlet curls to be able to drag his expression back under control. He doesn't manage carefree flirt but he at least manages sheepishly neutral.]

Damn... button my shirt and I'll look like a girl. So uh... ahem what else should I know about? Any other surprises?

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