engage_the_enemy (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
engage_the_enemy) wrote2015-06-10 06:35 pm
engage_the_enemy) wrote2015-06-10 06:35 pm
Entry tags:
[IC] Inbox!
WELCOME TO YOUR PRIVATE CHANNEL, shulk. FOR SECURE COMMUNICATION, USE 215.77.554.88 *** shulk has joined 215.77.554.88 <shulk> not actually sure what this is for but it seemed worth setting up | ||||
<shulk>
and sure. it really has been awhile since you left
so i guess youre feeling better, or maybe im just walking into a trap. that was a joke, by the way
<Crow-sama!>
thats good
lol
yea na
dont feel like eatin monsters anymore
weird huh
im still stayin out here tho
just in case
bt it was ok when i met w/ yusei earlier to drop off my dwheel
u mightve seen it at the shop
sleek black and yellow thing
looks like a bird
hows lake dala sound
its quiet and relaxing
away from the city bt nt 2 far
and the stars r nicer there
<shulk>
if thats true you neednt worry anymore. but if youre happy where you are, still, youre free to visit anytime
your dwheel? that was yours? i had no idea! ill have to study it more closely later. does it still have its momentum technology?
lake dala...thats fine. itd be nice to be away for a little bit, youre right. when did you want to meet?
<Crow-sama!> by 'it' i meant 'her', blackbird is no 'it'!!
yeah blackbirds mine now
depends if yuseis taken her apart yet
she came with her momentum engine
bt that stuff doesnt work here
which sux
ur welcome 2 look tho
whenever ur free
im actually there already
good place 4 a swim
<shulk> for shame, Ten /also vague action??
can i? that would be awesome! thank you, Crow
oh, but um, if youre there...i guess i can stop by for a bit. stretch my wings, as it were
ill see if i can be quick as a challenge
[Nope, not nearly as fast as Yusei, still. Hopefully Crow is patient?
The harpy will be tucking this trip away as one more thing to work on, besides magic. Meanwhile, he's scanning the ground for a highly recognizable mer, when the lake comes into view. It's sunset, unfortunately, which means it's about to get a lot colder.]
<Crow-sama!> -> [ACTION]
see you there
ill get a stopwatch
[ACTION]
[Sure enough, Crow's at Lake Dala. In Lake Dala, to be exact, though the fading light simply makes his glowing markings get a whole lot easier to see. Parked nearby is the motorbike he's borrowed from Yusei for a few months now. After all, Blackbird isn't quite ready for riding yet.
Crow raises a hand out of the water to wave at Shulk before swimming towards the edge of the lake and getting out of the water. This might be the first time Shulk's witnessed Crow's transformation from land to water, but Crow's been through it so many times now that it's become as easy as riding a bike.
His legs split from his tail, arm fins folding up. The red symbol of the Crimson Dragon fades from his chest; instead the tail of the Crimson Dragon returns to his arm. But most striking of all is when Crow opens his whale jaws, liquefied bone bursting from his mouth and reforming into his human face as the mask recedes and his ears reshape. The purple markings on his face rearrange to Crow's familiar criminal marks.
But also Crow's very definitely not wearing any clothes right now; those are in a neat pile at the lakeside. There is no stopwatch.]
no subject
He can't quite wave back - although he nearly does it reflexively - considering his arms are his wings, but he flutters midair, descending to gently land in front of the mer as he exits the water. The small smile on his face is traded for a look of horror then, as Crow's body starts....mangling itself, in what almost appears to be a reaction to the open air.
His gold eye is wide, and he stands there, dumbfounded and gaping. It doesn't even register that Crow's bare as the day he was born, or that there's no stopwatch. Of course there isn't.]
Crow, doesn't that...doesn't that hurt?
[That's not how you say hello, Shulk.]
no subject
You do something enough times and you get better.
[Yes, he willingly put himself through agony until he got used to it. Crow isn't about to let himself be ruled by the Fog God's transformation of his shape. Crow points at Shulk's bad eye.]
I could say the same 'bout you. You get into a fight or something?
no subject
Crow didn't even flinch! But then again, it was also hard to tell.
When Crow turns it back on him, the harpy nearly whines, a petulant sound, glancing away and covering his ruined eye with a palm. It made sense, but why did people always assume he got in a fight? Why not an unfortunate accident? At least Crow is calm about it...
Shulk shrugs.]
Something like that. It'll heal eventually, I think. [Shulk shakes his head, letting his hand fall away.] Anyways, you said you had a story you wanted to share?
[Since they've established the horrifying transformation he just went through is old hat, apparently. And also not really a story by itself.]
no subject
But Crow doesn't have much time to think over it more, and even though Crow's curious about what got him the messed up eye, Crow has more important things to talk about tonight. He gestures to the ground beside the lake--]
Take a seat.
[Crow's going to follow suit. He might not be wearing any clothes right now -- gotta let the lake water dry up first, right? -- but ever since he's become a mer, the cold hasn't bothered him. In fact, it's preferable, now.]
You ever heard of a guy called Kiryu?
no subject
Whatever the case, the harpy isn't worried about it, and Crow doesn't pursue it.
He settles down beside Crow, tail feathers fanned out behind him, elbows resting on feathery knees. He'd worry that Crow is cold, if not for the fact the lake water itself is probably freezing, and the mer had just been swimming in it. The air is getting colder too, as the sun dips behind the horizon, and Shulk hunches against the wind.
Frowns at the water lapping at the edge of the lake not too far from them, because from Crow's tone alone, this isn't going to be a happy story, is it? Did Crow need to get something off his chest? Shulk shakes his head.]
No, I haven't. Why?
no subject
This story starts when Yusei, Jack and me were in our mid teens. That was when we left our foster home and struck out on our own. I guess we thought being independent meant we could be different from everyone else in Satellite. That we could change things.
[It had felt so long ago when they stepped from the doorway of Martha's, their few belongings in tow.]
But Satellite was bigger than us. It'd take more than three teenagers who were kinda full of themselves to change it. There was nothing we could do. Nothing that was meaningful, or anywhere near possible. We were teens with too much energy but nowhere to direct it, trapped on an island with no future. We would've been crushed by Satellite like everyone else... if Kiryu hadn't found us.
[Crow closes his eyes, remembering the Kiryu who had approached them, open and eager, excited at their potential. How different he is, now. Opening his eyes, Crow leans his elbows on his knees and threads his fingers between each other.]
Kiryu was... he was our guiding light. Kiryu was a spark, a burning fire that survived the oppressiveness of Satellite. And we were attracted to it like moths to a flame.
Kiryu had an idea, a goal: to form a Dueling gang with us and crush all the other Dueling gangs until Satellite was ours. We couldn't say no; all three of us... Jack, Yusei, me... we love a good challenge. Kiryu's goal gave us direction and reasons to hone our skills. A way to rise up above the trash. We called ourselves Team Satisfaction, because we wouldn't be satisfied until we completely dominated Satellite.
With Kiryu leading us, we were unstoppable. [Crow lets out a quiet laugh, mouth twisted into a wry smile.] Thinking back on it, it's kinda sad how fast we beat all the other Dueling gangs. It didn't take us long to become the kings of the junkyard. We just couldn't be beaten.
So... what do you think happens next?
no subject
Shulk listens, falling silent as Crow delved deep into a story - another one, from his and Yusei's shared past. It's immediately apparent this is something Yusei never thought to share with him. Maybe he hadn't asked the right questions.
It has the familiar element of Yusei, Crow, and Jack, banding together, helping one another. Shulk can see the idealism in it, and it speaks to him, that they set out to seize their own destinies, to mold them as they saw fit. In a world that wanted to crush them. It reminds him, a bit, of how he and Reyn set out from Colony 9, to something equally difficult, with a similar fire in their hearts. More out of retribution, than pure passion.
Crow mentioned the impossible a lot, when it came to Satellite.
And Shulk wouldn't say they had no chance, but he understands that accomplishing what they wanted, they needed something more. And it came to them. He wonders, then, why he's never heard about Kiryu until now.
His lips twitch with a smile - Team Satisfaction? - and he tilts his head towards Crow when the mer laughs. Humming, thoughtfully, when the decidedly happy undercurrent to this story suddenly stops cold.]
Well, when you reach a goal that quickly and easily, I guess there's no choice but to ask...what's next?
[He looks to Crow, frowning.]
You all weren't satisfied with what you had accomplished.
[Who would be content to sit on a former pinnacle, when they could reach ever higher?]
welcome to the rex zone
[Then again, Jack had chafed against the smallness of Satellite even more after the Team had broken apart, as if their achievement had simply whetted his appetite for more. Crow corrects himself.]
Or maybe it was just Yusei and me who were satisfied with what we'd done. But you're right, Kiryu... Kiryu wasn't satisfied with our victory. He couldn't accept that we'd achieved what we set out to do.
With all other the big name Dueling gangs beaten, younger Duelists started elbowing in on the old territory boundaries. These were kids who were trying to make a name for themselves before they got stuck working the factory like everyone else. But without any other targets, we turned on these kids, breaking their hopes when we broke their Duel Disks. We turned into bullies, picking on people weaker than us, plain and simple.
[The disgust is more than evident in Crow's expression and his tone. He'd enjoyed his time in Team Satisfaction, but that was the point where things stopped being fun.]
I was the first to leave. I hated what we became. I guess Jack felt the same, 'cause he left when I did. But Yusei... Yusei stayed by Kiryu's side for longer than he should've. [Time enough for Crow to meet Pearson, find a new calling, and watch his hero die.] But he eventually left, too. Without anyone to keep him in check, Kiryu lost it completely.
[Crow lets out a long sigh.]
Hardly anyone likes Security. Those guys are kinda like the police, 'cept their job was also to make sure people in Satellite stayed in Satellite. No one really dared to go against Security; they had power we didn't have. But Kiryu... he did the unthinkable. He attacked Security, bombed their headquarters in Satellite.
Jack, Yusei, and me... We came back, we did everything to stop Kiryu from doing more damage... and to stop Security from finding him. I wanted Kiryu to stop, but I didn't want to see him pay for his crimes, either. It might not be right to feel that way, but... [Crow shoots Shulk a smile, but it doesn't reach his eyes] ...I'm a pretty selfish guy. I cared more about Kiryu than the people he must have hurt or killed.
But... we were just stupid teenagers who didn't have any plan other than to run and hide. Security were unusually organised; they'd let us get away with taking over Satellite. Having all the other gangs brought to heel makes their job easier, you know? But Kiryu had ticked them off big time and he paid for it. They found Kiryu and took him from us. Yusei tried to save him, but all it did was convince Kiryu he'd betrayed him to Security. Kiryu screamed curses at Yusei before the doors of the Security van-- [Crow mimes doors closing with his hands] --slammed in our faces.
[It had been raining then, as if the skies had known what their hearts were feeling and cried for them.]
We.... we tried to see him in jail. But we were just Satellite scum. [Crow practically spits the term.] They wouldn't let us in. Not after what he did. Kiryu... he died alone in jail.
[Crow shivers, though it's not from the cold. Kiryu dying in jail is one of the reasons he used to visit Bolger, despite his hand in Pearson's death. Crow hadn't been as close to him as he had with Pearson, but Bolger was still his friend. And... he thinks Bolger would like to know that the company he'd sacrificed so much for is flourishing.]
Yusei took it harder than all of us. Kiryu had saved his life once... and he couldn't do the same for Kiryu. Thinking about it now, I think Yusei blamed himself for what happened to Kiryu.
...But that wasn't the last time we saw Kiryu.
[Crow's referenced Kiryu several times in his conversations with Shulk. A close friend who had hurt them. A Dark Signer they had been close to. A man who had died, revived, and left without a word.]
get set to get rex
Crow, too, he was rough, but he wasn't cruel. But from the sounds of it, maybe he'd gotten caught up in everything Kiryu was. Yusei probably did too. Jack...he seemed the proud sort, too proud to stoop to something like that. What was Kiryu after, in resorting to this kind of thing?
Shulk's lip curls.
On one hand, he can understand why Kiryu would attack this Security. If Satellite is misery and someone was knowingly keeping you there, then why would you hesitate to fight back? A fight between people is messy, and there's no good answer here. In that way, when Crow looks to him, his expression is open, not the least bit judging. What Kiryu did, it must have been awful, but...
It's cold, but Shulk's insides are icy, just picturing how hurt and angry and terrified this man must have been. To die alone too, that's...Shulk shakes his head. And he has no doubt, that Yusei took it very, very hard. Yusei, he hated to lose anyone, didn't he? And he'd blame himself, absolutely.
The implication Crow offers, where this story should have ended then, Shulk's eye is wide, and he gapes, staring at the mer. His expression turning grim as it sinks in.]
The...the Earthbound Gods, right? They brought him back.
[Maybe, he asked to be brought back. Someone that driven, someone with that kind of fervor, they'd serve a god well, whether they intended to or not.]
i wasn't kidding when i said i had most of these typed up
Yeah... That's right.
Kiryu found us, two years later. He was a Dark Signer, dead man walking. I almost didn't recognise him. That man... he wasn't our leader any more. The same passion and determination that drove us to new heights turned him into an obsessive maniac who wanted to hunt down Yusei and make him suffer. He sacrificed so many to the Earthbound God, just to get back at Yusei. And he laughed as he did it.
[Crow shakes his head.]
I'd given up trying to save Kiryu long ago. But Yusei... He can be way more stubborn than me. He kept trying to get through to Kiryu. Put his life on the line for it. Fixed things between Kiryu and him. But the Earthbound Gods' power... it twists people. Even when a Dark Signer stops hating, the Earthbound God would take over and force them to keep trying to kill us.
[Crow pauses, takes a breath to keep his voice steady.]
...Do you know how Kiryu died?
[Of course Shulk doesn't; he didn't even know who Kiryu was until now. Crow raises his head, looks Shulk in the eyes, unfaltering.]
Kiryu died in Yusei's arms. Yusei had no choice but to kill him and watch him die.
i bet godwin had to rehearse his stuff beforehand too
There was no helping Kiryu when he was alive, and...why would the outcome be any different when he was dead, but still moving? When he was a man transformed, into something horrible enough that he may as well have been a different person.
But Crow's right, Yusei is stubborn, and he...he refused to ever give up on the people he cared about. There's a familiar lilt to this tale, and the way Crow speaks...the harpy's heart clenches. There's a point to this story, and the dread creeping into his gut...
Shulk returns Crow's stare, brows drawn. Searching the mer's gaze with a gold eye.]
...Why are you telling me this?
[The Crimson Dragon brought Kiryu back, but Yusei probably didn't know that would happen, and had to move forward with the knowledge he'd killed someone dear to him. Had no choice but to do it.
That...must have been unbearable.]
there's a reason jeager spends so much time away
[Without any warning, Crow whirls around and punches Shulk in the chest, hard enough to knock him onto the ground. Half the reason he'd asked Shulk to sit down was because it'd be harder for him to react, to evade. And Crow is on Shulk in an instant, pinning him to the ground. No, Crow's not letting Shulk run away. Not until he's done with him.]
...You don't know the hell you're going to put Yusei through again! All for what? The Fog God's heart? While selling yourself to the Fog God in the process!?"
many reasons also geeZ CROW
The harpy coughs, harshly, gold eye wide in shock, and he...should have guessed. Crow knew, meaning Yusei...Yusei must have told him. He knows Yusei is scared, but enlisting the help of someone else, all to try and stop him - he hadn't agreed with this in any capacity, had he?
His expressions falls, nearly becoming blank.]
...It's why he's so afraid, right? [He makes no move to escape Crow, winged arms splayed.] Does he think I'll fall prey to the whims of a god that easily?
[A grunt.] Maybe I will. It wouldn't be the first time. But I'd rather try and find a way to end this, than let fear hold me back. Wouldn't you?
shulk has the wrong naked man on him
I'd find another way!
[And Crow has been searching for another way. That's why he went on that mountain expedition. And damn it, Shulk! If he's already fallen prey to the whims of a god before, then why is he still going with this?]
You told me God followers are compelled to attack people of the opposing side. Doesn't that tell you followers already don't have control over themselves?
[Crow's resisting the urge to punch Shulk again, but the earfins flattening are clue to the tension running through his body.]
Do you think it won't happen to you? Do you think you can hold on to who you are just because you have good intentions? That you're somehow immune to it? Don't be an idiot!
[Crow's claws are out, his tail lashing behind him.]
This isn't just about Yusei. I'm tired of losing friends to their stupid choices.
this is his life now
Shulk had turned his head away the moment Crow started shouting, pressing his cheek into the cool dirt, looking off somewhere beyond the lake's shores and trying to ignore the weight of the mer and his words, the rage he's barely containing.
The harpy furrows his brow, and he...he gets why they're scared, now. But it does little to change his mind, because he'd already pushed aside his own fear in favor of resolve.]
If I thought I was immune, I wouldn't have said anything - to anyone - about my intentions.
[The harpy sucks in a breath, a bit strained from the pressure on his chest.]
I...I know it's asking a lot. I know how bad it might get, but all I want is the chance to try.
[That's all he needed, isn't it? He's...not actually sure if he can go back, if he swears himself to the fog god. Nor was he aware that looking to Yusei to keep him grounded was putting an incomprehensible amount of pressure on the gargoyle.
Knowing this, the betrayal he felt when this started, it's gone. It's no wonder Yusei sought help. Shulk lets out a long breath.]
...We barely have control of ourselves as it stands, anyway.
the true cost of joining a side
[The thing is that Crow doesn't empathise with those who've lost control of themselves; everything he's done in Ryslig, it's been done with full control of his faculties, other than his attack on Rita. But he'd known that would be a risk, and so did Rita. As far as Crow's concerned, they do have control over every one of their actions and saying otherwise is just an excuse.]
You even told me the change in behaviour happens when the person frequents the god's domain! And that's where you're going to look for the 'heart', isn't it!? You're asking us to watch you walk into the gods' domain, knowing you'll change! You told me you wouldn't become anything less than yourself, that you wouldn't turn on Yusei!
[Crow reaches forward to grab Shulk by his jacket and shake him.]
What do you call this then? Was that all a lie!? Do you even care!?
getting yelled at by a whaleman
Because Crow is wrong. They have no control over their forms, their lives. Making a choice, as manipulated as they are, how often their hands are forced, it's hardly a choice at all. The gods are pulling the strings, and he and Crow and everyone else, they're marching along the path laid out for them.]
Of course I care!
[He pauses, breathing harsh.]
But you...you're both asking me to do nothing, when this might be the best chance we have! As if there's time to wait for another way to show itself.
[He can already feel a retort to that coming, and he squirms, trying to edge Crow off.
Bitterness crawling up his throat, because of course Crow would think of alternatives. He had them, back home. Had a powerful and good god, willing to aid the Signers. Here they only have themselves to rely on, and with how they've struggled...feelings of hopelessness creep into his chest.]
You just -- you don't understand.
no subject
I don't understand? I'm stuck here, just like you, aren't I?
[Crow abruptly lets go of Shulk's jacket.]
If you think there's nothing else to try, then you're not thinking hard enough! We're not asking you to do nothing! But you're asking us to stand by and watch you change into someone we won't be able to recognise any more!
[Crow's just so, so tired of all this. He's always losing friends to death or the results of their shitty decisions. Crow raises his fist, as if he's going to punch Shulk, but ends up punching the ground next to the harpy, knuckles sinking into the soil. For the first time in all this, Crow's looking away.]
If you keep going with this... Yusei's better off without you.
no subject
Still, he's annoyed that Crow assumes he hasn't been thinking enough, that all the information he's come across, the only thing that's come close to the answer he's looking for is this. And if her heart isn't in Dyster, well, he'll tear apart this entire peninsula to find it. It was here somewhere, it had to be.
But here, Crow is tearing at him. That sense of self he's fought so hard to preserve - would he really sacrifice it for a lost cause? To be recognized...and that Crow had reassured him before--
He flinches despite himself, when Crow raises his fist, again when that fist hits the ground. Staring incredulously at the mer as he looks away. The breath he's holding becomes painfully tight in his chest, full now with hurt.]
That's....! [True?] That's for him to decide. If he -- if that's what he wants, I-I'll...
[Shulk swallows thickly.
It's probably evident in the quaver of his voice, how much the mere thought terrifies him. Is he going to lose everything again, no matter what he does?]
...My mind's already made up, Crow. Sorry.
(no subject)
rip their positive CR again