WEEK 4, DAY 7: MISSION

[wonderful_mods]

Mission: ---
Time Limit: ---
Noise Plane: ---
Wall instructions: ---
Wall rewards: ---
Reaped rewards: ---
Mission rewards: ---

[Darkness. Silence. That's all that hangs over Tatsumi Port. The city is completely blacked out, all signals are dead. No phones work, there's nothing but static on televisions and radios across town.

The sky is overcast, and the people on the Realground have found themselves looking up towards the sky... perhaps the giant tower standing where Gekkoukan High School once was might be an indication of why. Oddly, none on the RG seem to actually see it - at least, none of them notice it, judging by what you might find if you scan.

Speaking of scanning... the area is shockingly noise free. There's no interference, just a calm, unflinching acceptance.

All of the walls are down. Reapers have no orders, players have no mission. It's obvious there's one thing left to do.]

[[OOC Note: There is a Mission Reward, but the mods couldn't bear to let go of their radio silence. Mouse-over the dashes!]]

Comments

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

[Bowing to the inevitable, Zecora paces measuredly to the tower, her pin deck clutched so tightly in one hand it's close to breaking the skin.]

[apprisingreaper]

[She won't need to use her pins while climbing the tower. There aren't any shadows around, so the most Zecora needs to worry about is the labyrinth of corridors, the thousands of steps to go up, and the eerie red puddles spreading along the floor. As long as she doesn't let the confusing and suffocating silence get to her, she'll make it up to the top just fine.]

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

[Zecora completely fails to notice than any of this should bother her. One of the advantages of being her. By the time she reaches the top, she's actually a little confused about how pleasantly atmospheric that trip was.]

[apprisingreaper]

[Well, she'd probably be one of the few people who is comfortable with the aura of the tower. The only other human that was at home in Tartarus was Ryoji.

That confort, unfortunately, came from the fact that the tower was meant to summon Nyx, just like he was meant to.

Or just like he did. That shadowy figure standing before Zecora clearly isn't human, despite the few familiar features. It's Ryoji, but it's not him.

It just stares at her, not blinking or flinching or frowning... or doing much of anything. That may change if Zecora retaliated, but for now, there's no need to do more than sit here and wait for the end.]

[apprisingreaper]

[If anyone decides to make the journey up the two hundred sixty-two floors yes, really, and there isn't even an elevator making up the tower now replacing the high school, they may be disappointed to find that what is left on the roof is more of the same. The darkness is just as suffocating as ever, and though the wind is more audible, that's the only sound that can be heard. It's as if anything else just doesn't exist anymore except the tower, the few people up on this roof, and... wait, what's up in the sky?

Something dark moves in front of the moon, descending slowly down to the roof. Everything about it-the wings, the long sword, the grey skin-is inhuman, and unfamiliar... except that face. The skin may be paler, the grin may be more twisted, and the bright eyes may have been replaced with gaping, soulless holes, but that face still belongs to a boy that hasn't been seen since early the previous day. The monster Ryoji had been so terrified of becoming has finally appeared.]

[poppetstrings]

[Xion isn't stupid. She's been on recon missions for the Organization before, and she knows that if something looks suspicious, it probably is.

And Xion heads up to the tower as fast as she can, seeking out the stair cases to get higher and higher.

Two hundred and sixty two floors? No problem. Poppet here has the stamina of a god without muscles to get tired.]

[apprisingreaper]

[The monster just stands there until Xion arrives. There's no need to move. No one is attacking, no one is protesting... the end is coming, and no one dares to fight it, so the monster refrains from attacking, or even speaking, as Xion makes it to the roof.]

[suicidoll]

(Trailing somewhere behind Xion is Kreutzer. Though filled with as much determination to reach the top, she most definitely doesn't have matching stamina. Still, she presses forward and tries to keep up with her partner.

Even if there's nothing in the way and even less on the streets, she's still uncomfortable about this entire thing. A mysterious tower, a strange calling to the top...Kreutzer wasn't sure what to make of this, but she made sure to keep putting one foot in front of the other, trying to keep up with Xion.)

[vexed_snake]

[As far as making it up that tower goes, Asakura's too mean to give up easily. He's armed with a long pipe and looking rather vexed at the whole thing when he finally gets up there.]

Maybe I should do something about you...

[He's still considering this. It might be more fun to watch the world burn, after all.]

[apprisingreaper]

[The creature gives him little more attention than a small glance. Asakura was one of the people who wished for this, so his retaliation shouldn't mean much. The only thing that even merits that look Nyx gives him is the recognition.]

You again. You intend to prevent what you originally welcomed?

[vexed_snake]

I haven't decided yet. It might be fun to fight something like you...

[roadroller]

[It's taken Rin a long time to get up the tower, and she looks a little worse for wear having done so - she's only been a human for a short while, when she was used to never being tired as a robot, so stamina on this level is out of the question. She totally tripped and fell down a flight or two. But she tapped into her inner resilience, and finally made it. She practically falls over, but Handsfree Healing activates and re-energizes her. Finally standing tall, she looks way, way up at the dark creature.]

Oh ... hell ...

[apprisingreaper]

[Silly Rin, this isn't hell, it's Tartarus! Her reaction is completely justified. The monster is far bigger than any Noise she may have fought before, and likely for more powerful. It's not as aggressive, however; in fact, it just continues to stand there, not bothering to attack.]

[roadroller]

[The staring lasts for another moment, before Rin finally blinks, a chill runs up her spine, and she just starts yelling nonsense.]

Okay! I made it! Now stop all this crap with the tower and the blackout and ending the world! That's not what the Ryoji I know wanted to do... I'm here... in someone's stead... ♪

[Her voice is shaking again. After all, Minato was Rin's last link to home. And Ryoji and this world are now Rin's last link to Minato. Even if she's known them for a short time, she doesn't want them to disappear... not like this.

And there's more. She doesn't want to disappear either. He said they should go on to the next world.... but their mission... without knowing what it is, she's not sure they can do that. Surely this must give her the answers.]

This cannot happen! ♪

[tamedhollow]

[It takes Ichigo a long, long time to even get up the courage to ascend the tower.

He'd done this. He'd fucked up by not taking out Ryoji sooner. And that guilt weighed heavily on him as he sat in the dark hotel room, trying to figure out what he should do. What could he do? Was this something he could even win, at his current power level?



He knew he had to try. He couldn't let Ryoji -- Nyx -- destroy this world. He couldn't. He'd messed up, but maybe he could change things now. Taking sword in hand, he heads out.

Wings make it easy to climb the tower. But goddamn it's high. The air is thin and it's hard to fly, and by the time he reaches the top, he's winded. But he knows he has to do something.]

RYOJI! I know you're still in there!

[apprisingreaper]

[The creature tilts its head to stare at Ichigo, yet it shows no warmth or relief, not even recognition that this is a friend, this is someone that Ryoji wouldn't want to hurt. It just examines the man in front of it with a look akin to what a human would wear when spotting a small bug. Ichigo exists, but that does not matter to Nyx. He'll be wiped out soon enough.]

Ryoji? I was called that in the time when I was human. It was important to me. Now, however, it has been discarded along with that life. With a new form and a new purpose comes a new name to answer to. Nyx and myself are now the same, so I will adopt her name as well.

[tamedhollow]

[Nothing. That white face is as emotionless as a mask. It's like someone took Ryoji's face and pulled it across a black void.

It was spooky as shit. But Ichigo doesn't falter. He has his sword brandished, the black alight with black and red flame]

Then give Ryoji back, Nyx. No one wants you here! What the hell are you doing anyway? Just standing around up here... what's the game?

[shy_kindness]

[The Flutters are staring at the tower, extremely worried. Fluttershy is very hesitant to go into that tower. Fluttercruel's hesitant, too. Both of them are weary of what might be in there. But there's a chance to convince them to enter.]

[apprisingreaper]

[Would the giant winged figure heading towards the tower be enough to convince them? It looks dangerous, but someone should stop whatever it is. Judging from what Ryoji had said, the world was in peril...]

[cruel_kindness]

[Fluttershy's eyes go wide when she sees the figure heading toward the strange tower.

Fluttershy, that thing's headed toward the tower. It could be what's threatening this world.
U- um, but... That thing doesn't look nice at all. Someone else could save the world.
Fluttershy. Listen to me. Zecora's here and this world's in danger. Ryoji needs out help and this world's in danger.

Fluttercruel takes control.]

If we don't do this, no one else will. We have to. So let's move our little flanks and kick that thing's intestines out.

[Fluttershy's now convinced that they have to go in to save everyone else. With that, they head into the tower.]

[apprisingreaper]

[They shouldn't have much trouble inside the building. It's rather creepy, with the eerie green lighting and the red stains along the ground, as well as dizzying, as every corridor looks the same, leading the pony deeper into the maze. Thankfully, there are no shadows attacking, and with a little determination, they'll eventually find their way up to the top of the roof, where the monster is standing, grinning that same blank smile at them.

Funny how familiar that face looks, isn't it? That smile is far more cruel than it usually is, than it was when Ryoji took them to the cafe as a goodbye gift.]

[vexed_snake]

[What, the world's ending? Darkness everywhere, an impending sense of doom? And you're all going to play hero and go up there yourselves?

Should be an entertaining show. Asakura's just going to watch whatever fights break out because of this...but maybe he could be convinced to help?]

Death Arcana/Aftermath

[apprisingreaper]

[And so it's come to this. Many have stood against Nyx despite the danger, despite the fact that this world most likely will end. Whoever was brave enough to take on this battle would have had to fight for what seemed like an eternity. Perhaps sometimes, they needed to fall back, let others deal with the monster, and perhaps they wondered if this was ever really going to end.

Those still fighting now, however, will see a faint glimmer of hope. Nyx sounds less apathetic now, almost angry as it changes forms again, and what it says afterwards is another sign of finality.]

The moment man devoured the fruit of knowledge, he sealed his fate... Entrusting his future to the cards, man clings to a dim hope. Yet, the Arcana is the means by which all is revealed. Beyond the beaten path lies the absolute end. It matters not who you are... Death awaits you.

[It's come full circle now, but is anyone ready to bring down Death itself?]

[zebrarhyme_everytime]

You babble on about mankind
That fruit is gone, nothing left but rind.
Whatever motivates your act
You cannot deny this simply fact:
No matter how you play mankind's God
I'm a zebra, you nimrod!

[And, eat Velocity Attack, Death.]

[apprisingreaper]

[Well, Nyx would have reminded Zecora that Death awaits all living things, and thus, this applies to zebras as well, but that hurt. It takes a moment to recover, and then sends a wind spell out to retaliate.]