Destiny City News reports several sightings of 'rabid dogs' appearing throughout the city. Those interviewed claim that the dogs would surround them and chase them down the streets, seemingly popping in and out of sight until the person finally found themselves in a well lit area. You have the misfortune of running into these same dogs.
They cling to the shadows as you go about your way at night. Seemingly at the corner of your vision, one flickers by, and you turn and see nothing. Again and again it happens. They are trying to drive you into the darkest corners of the city, herding you away from the light. In the nearby distance are the lights of the city: streetlights, signs, traffic. You have to do something to get there, to escape these creatures. When you make it to any significant light source, you hear a low growl, a wailing hiss; the dogs have vanished.
For now.
Where the hell is Libethenite… They were supposed to be here ten minutes ago. Hatsya took another swing at the shadows with her sharpened blade. “Ugh…” She let out a sound of pure frustration when the sharpened metal passed through the air where she heard a low growl and yet it didn’t connect with anything.
Times like this she wished beyond reason that her weapon was anything but a normal everyday sword that had been purchased from a store. Just because she had magic didn’t mean that it was useful in every situation and definitely didn’t mean it was something that she could truly defend herself with. At least agents had something they could rely on, if damaged or disarmed they could always just resummon it back as good as new.
But… after what she had done to Benitoite earlier this year, Hatsya knew that any request made for a sword, or even dagger, would be immediately denied. In the eyes of Zinkenite she had yet to atone for her sins.
Judge, jury, and executioner. He had assumed responsibility over her and it was to him she had to prove her worthiness to the Negaverse, to the cause, to Metallia. She had to redeem herself for trying to murder a general and though she had not seen Benitoite since her punishment was set, and burn mark given, it felt like even now there were additional eyes on her.
A cool breath brushed against the side of her leg and as she spun around to slash at the spot where she assumed the shadow beast to be, Hatsya instead let out a startled scream when one lunged at her face with a growl the rattled her very soul.
The Senshi of Swordplay retreated backward several feet towards a nearby street lamp and in doing so felt the aura of an agent nearby. “Libeth!” She shouted, assuming it to be her partner that was simply running late. “LIBETH!” this time Hatsya yelled louder feeling panic rise in her chest.
Indigo_Plateau
Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2019 11:45 am
Shanyume
It had only been a month, but already Rakovanite recognized that he did not prefer to patrol alone. It wasn't a sense of fear that made it feel as though there was no benefit to wandering the streets by himself, so much as a lack of capability. As fresh as he was, there was no reason for him to be alone. He posed minimal threat to senshi or knights who had been powered longer than him, and Rakovanite still had trouble sensing the minute differences between factions... He wasn't afraid to acknowledge his inadequacies, and the fact of the matter was that he did not have the experience to handle alone any tricks he may come up against.
That was just the way it was.
When he had his way, he patrolled with Captain Fettelite. As they tended to spend much of even their unpowered time together, it made sense that this was something they could take on as a unit. However, Fettelite was often whisked away without warning. Summoned by his general, a face Rakovanite had never seen and didn't know.
It left him frustrated, when he was stranded out in the field by himself. He could likely call on Captain Wolframite if it was absolutely necessary, but the half youma's short temper and impatience didn't seem to lend itself to pairing with Rakovanite's more methodical, deliberate, inquisitive approach to handling issues. Rakovanite wanted the best possible outcome in every scenario, exactly what was most beneficial to them, and the 'best possible scenario' didn't always make itself known immediately. He may not be afraid of resorting to violence, but that didn't mean he needed to on every outing.
But after Fettelite's abrupt disappearance for the evening, he was alone.
Which somehow seemed even more perturbing, given the oddities of late. It took him only a handful of moments alone to realize that it was likely in his best interest to head home and regroup with Fettelite from there. And yet... 'Libeth!' The unfamiliar name meant nothing to him, and quite frankly no desperate plea for aid did either. Rakovanite was not one to be bothered over the ails of another.
It was the undercurrent of power in the air, a faint prickle up his spine that made him want to investigate. Aura was still not particularly helpful in allowing him to distinguish what was near, yet. They were still too difficult for him to differentiate. But he did know someone was near.
He followed the feeling, the voice, and eventually came upon a girl wielding a sword beneath the dim lighting of a streetlamp. A corrupt senshi by the looks of her. Rakovanite himself stood within the faint glow of a shop, closed for the night. And between them... shadows, roiling and snapping at the edges of where the light met darkness. He could hear the snarls, the growls, as whatever lurked in the darkness waited for them to move, for a moment to lunge again. Rakovanite's gaze lifted to the girl. "I am not who you are waiting for, sorry to say. But you are in a bit of a bind, are you not?" He added, tone quiet but almost leisurely.
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Shanyume
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Posted: Sun Oct 27, 2019 11:20 pm
Hatsya looked up with a confused expression when the voice she was anticipating hearing did not belong to her assigned partner. Either Libeth was late, perhaps lost, or maybe the shadow beasts had intercepted them. Regardless of the circumstances, the Lieutenant was not here where she needed them to be, rather… it was a different one that stood in their place.
There was the sound of snarling behind her and out of instinct she spun on her heel and slashed at the open air where she had felt the cold breath against her thigh. Like before it simply made a whistling sound as the sharpened blade sliced through the overwhelming shadows. Try as she might, the simple non-magical weapon could not find purchase in anything solid.
A cold chill raced up her spine as she all but seemed to be dancing within the cone of light that shielded her from the beasts currently tormenting her.
“Yes!” Hatsya finally replied as another growling sound caused her nerves to nearly snap. “Please tell me you have an idea on how to get out of here…” Her voice trembled as panic rose in her chest. Holy water if that stuff even exists… A torch or flashlight... Hell I’ll even take a candle. Anything please…Despite trying to be brave and fight these things off, she was getting desperate and scared because nothing, not even her magic, seemed to do any good.
Indigo_Plateau
Posted: Fri Nov 08, 2019 11:35 am
Shanyume
Rakovanite watched inquisitively, head canted slightly to the side as the girl slashed at shadows with the edge of her blade. The shadows- manifesting as some kind of snarling beast lurked at the very edge of the streetlight she'd taken refuge under. Whenever she veered to far to the side in an effort to escape them, they nipped, barked. But they didn't cross that border between what constituted 'lit' and what did not. If any of them noticed Rakovanite, several yards away in the phosphorescent glow coming through a shop window, they paid him no mind. It seemed they'd already selected a target.
And she was loud in her frenzy and fear. "Be still," Rakovanite ordered briskly as she continued to frantically slash. "And be calm. They cannot touch you if you stand in the middle of the light beneath the lamp. They can't reach."
He continued to stare at her, still besides the flutter of the tips of his hair and uniform in the gentle breeze. He carried little with him when he patrolled, and his cell-phone had been teleported to whatever plane the rest of his clothes resided in while powered. The same must have been true for her. But agents didn't need cell phones for communication, did they? And he could assume that even if she wsn't expressly an agent, she had use of most of the same tools as he had at his disposal.
Rakovanite pulled the crystal-topped pen clipped to the inside of his pocket forward. "Do you have one of these?" He asked, holding the device in front of him, so she could see it even with the distance between them.
"It has a camera function," he explained. Not so different than a regular cell phone. "Use the flash to run to me."
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Shanyume
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Posted: Sat May 23, 2020 10:17 pm
Be calm… be calm… how the hell can I be calm? Hatsya’s hands shook in panicked terror as she slashed at the shadows once more before recentering herself under the street light overhead as he had instructed her to do.
These shadow beasts weren’t like the youma she was used to. He couldn’t just give a simple command and force this thing to leave her alone like those monsters from the Rift.
For a moment her mind and memories returned to the place beyond the Dark Kingdom and do the ashen blond General that had brought her there against her wishes.
“Heh…” She laughed quietly to herself and shook her head at the irony of her situation.
Never in her life would she have wished for one of Benitoite’s ill-timed summons as much as she wanted one now. Teleporting would be the easiest and safest way out of here, not some flashlight on a tablet or phone; even with it turned on, she would still be running in the dark. But that bridge was most definitely burned and her pride refused to allow her to call out to the General for help.
So her only option at the moment was to listen to the Lieutenant’s advice, there was no way around it and at least there might be safety in numbers if only she could make it to him.
“Can you shine your light towards me?” It didn’t matter how dim it was, her own would be pointed ahead of her all she needed was something pointed behind to keep these things from bitting at her heels or tripping her up so she couldn’t make it to him safely.
Indigo_Plateau
Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2020 7:38 am
Shanyume
Even from where he stood, Rakovaite could see the tension that gripped the senshi, could see the way her sword shook in her grip as she quivered. It was odd to him, something that he could barely fathom even when he'd been just a civilian. Their lives were meaningless; why should they waste time fearing the inevitability of death? And now that he wasn't just a civilian, the message had cemented itself even more firmly.
He'd been granted abilities that few possessed in exchange for his willing participation in this war. Because of that, Rakovanite had to expect that he was unlikely to live the full span of his life.
He wasn't sure anyone in Destiny City was likely to live the full span of their lives, with all the havoc that went on.
But that was neither here nor there. He was not limited to what a civilian was capable of, and neither was she. They did not need to be frightened of roving shadows. They were special. "Listen," Rakovanite said firmly as the girl centered herself back under the lamp. "Do not be afraid. Fear makes people sloppy. It allows mistakes when there should be none. Take a breath, and get a hold of yourself." He clicked the light on from his tablet's camera and shined it toward her.
He wasn't thrilled at the idea of her bringing the shadow monsters over to him, but the dull light from the storefront behind him should be more than enough to keep them at a distance.
Rakovanite spared a quick glance over his shoulder through the window behind him. The shop was closed, certainly, devoid of the brightest of its lights and empty, besides. The glow came from just the one left on, likely to ensure the cheap security cameras would be able to catch footage if the shop were to be broken into... "Hm." He turned back to her. "Come on, then. With any luck, we may not be out here all night."
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Shanyume
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Posted: Thu Dec 09, 2021 2:09 pm
Hatsya’s heartbeat was overwhelmingly frantic, pounding so hard against her ribcage that she felt the rhythm of it in her temples.
Why… Just this once, why couldn’t her swords be real? Aside from the soft glow they emitted, the deceptively sharply pointed blade would offer no defense. Even the Lieutenant likely had something tangible to throw at them. I’m so done with this s**t. she vowed.
Closed her eyes, drew in a deep breath and for a moment felt her stomach churn so aggressively she felt like she might sway out from under the light. This must be what cliff diving without a harness must feel like. Suicide… great.
“I can do this,” Hatsya tried to convince herself but the sound of her own voice was as shaky as her knees. “I can do this,”she repeated once more. Closed her eyes, bit down hard on her lower lip to keep from screaming, and ran towards the Lieutenant.
Hot breath and a scrape of teeth against her booted leg. Knocked her knees together but somehow she managed to keep running forward. Perhaps it was blind fear or momentum, either way Hatsya didn’t stop until a harsh yank of something grabbing onto the hemp of her long coat forced her eyes to snap open once more. All she could think to do was shrug her shoulders out of the garment and let the ******** have it as she sought shelter under the light the Lieutenant was surrounded by.
"These... these are worse... than youma." The struggle to form a coherent sentence was definitely real.
Indigo_Plateau
Posted: Thu Jan 13, 2022 12:19 pm
Shanyume
Rakovanite tipped his head quizzically as he stared impassively out toward the senshi and her pack of shadow dog aggressors. She was so frightened, to the point of hardly being able to move. He did not understand. She was quick. She had magic. Negaverse monsters were not uncommon around here. But she was afraid of these shadow things. The worst they could do was kill, if that, and given the confirmation of rebirth, it seemed like nonsense to be frightened of that.
She ran to him, shadows nipping at her heels and snatching at her coat as she shrugged out of it.
Rakovanite reached for her as she made it to the edge of where his flashlight would cast a shadow. He caught her by the arm and drew her in to his chest, stepping back toward the dim light from the closed shop window behind them. Without waiting for her to settle, he cracked the elbow of the arm not holding her into the window, causing the glass to shatter and crumble immediately, raining down in shards at their feet.
An alarm blared. A blue light flickered to light in the shop and spun reminiscent of a police light. Rakovanite knew there was likely a camera angled this way, but he did not have the intention of entering the shop. It was meant only to raise alarm.
He tugged her against the side wall, stepping to what he hoped was lower visibility to any recording devices while still being in range of the light cast from the. The alarm probably wouldn't intimidate the shadows, but the additional light did well enough. "We will wait a moment," he murmured to the girl. "They will bore eventually, and we will need to leave before the police arrive." He glanced toward the roofline. "Probably up is the best way."
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Shanyume
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Posted: Sun Feb 27, 2022 12:23 pm
Hatsya’s heart thumped aggressively against her ribcage. Not because she found his quick thinking or slick moves to be handsomely heroic as opposed to how startled she was by the sound of shattering glass and sirens blaring from inside the building. The abruptness of it all made her knees go weak after sprinting towards him and had he not of been holding her against the wall, no doubt she would have crumpled to the ground beside him instead.
A damsel in distress and here he was a knight clad in dark colors here to rescue her. The makings of a classic fairytale but the moment felt anything but romantic and no she was not inclined to kiss him for his good deeds.
“Up?” Her voice was etched with a nervous tone as she tilted her head back to see how high the rooftop was. A groan escaped her as she looked back at the Lieutenant. Right now she could barely stand let alone jump that high but there was no way she was going to ask for more help than he’d already given.
Shadow beasts snarled from just beyond the mess of shattered glass between them, where the light that shimmered off the sharp edges could not penetrate the darkness beyond. “I uh- yeah… you’re right.” Hatsya cleared her throat. “Up is probably safer.” Hopefully they wouldn’t be able to follow them up there.
"Do you want to go first or should I?"
Indigo_Plateau
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2022 1:50 pm
Shanyume
The snarling was reminiscent of dogs; the movement was not. They flit in and out of visibility, as if pacing the edge of where the light reached, waiting for one of them to step outside its protection. Rakovanite may have thought that if they were just shadows, they probably lacked the capacity to do actual damage. A shadow couldn't attack someone. But he was sure the girl must have felt something during their assault for all her panic. It seemed risky to completely write that off.
Probably as risky as inviting her close to him when she was being trailed by monsters, but it was already done.
"You first," he murmured, notching his head up toward the roof. "You can barely stand." Rakovanite could see it in the way she slumped, feel it in the way she sagged toward the wall. "It would be inconvenient if you were unable to make it." And somewhat of a waste of the effort he'd already expended. "But if you need assistance, I will be behind you."
He didn't have the experience and knowledge most would have. He'd only had these abilities for a month, so even this girl was probably more adept than he was. Rakovanite shifted his weight to his other foot, flexed his shoulder where it was in contact with the senshi. Could he- if he actually needed to- pick her up and vault up the side of the wall? It seemed bizarre to think it was possible, but he could definitely make the jump alone easily enough. And the girl looked to hardly weigh more than a waif...
He stepped very slightly back toward the shop, more into the light, to give her space to move. "We should go quickly."
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Shanyume
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Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2022 11:51 pm
Although she had graduated high school a while ago, one never forgets that sickening feeling of dread the moment before it was time to present in front of the class. Or the apprehension that twisted her stomach into knots and made her palms sweat.
Not a good feeling to have right now, but here she was looking at him with wide eyes as if he had suddenly grew a second head. With a bit of a jerking motion her head tilted back and she looked up. Standard one story building, couldn’t be what? Twenty-five to thirty feet high.
I can do this… Hatsya swallowed thickly and nodded her head. “Y-yeah…” Please just catch me if I don’t make it, thoughts she wanted to add but didn’t make it pack her dry lips.
“Pray they’re not up there too.” Ill-advised to dwell on that comment overlong, Hatsya got into a crouched position and jumped with what limited strength she had from her earlier sprint. The top of the wall was swiftly approaching until it wasn’t. Gravity worked against her and as she reached the apex of her jump Hatsya reached up with both hands and gripped the lip of the building.
“N-no…” she stammered. I won’t fall, I won’t fall… Over and over she repeated those words as she pulled herself up onto the roof and quickly surveyed the area to make sure she was alone.
“It’s clear-” she loudly whispered in a more muffled holler. Honestly, she should have just spoken normally but her mind wasn’t quite thinking along those practical lines at the moment.
Indigo_Plateau
Posted: Sun May 29, 2022 2:20 pm
Shanyume
Couldn't help but notice that October 13, 2019 was a full moon night, and that was when we started this RP, so... had to point it out. =w=
Rakovanite could hardly even comprehend what she must be feeling for her voice to tremble like that as the senshi agreed to the jump. Scared, doubtful perhaps. The things that hounded them from the shadows were hardly nothing. Rakovanite could hear low, disgruntled snarls. Could practically feel their breathing if he loitered too close to the edge of the light. Wispy shadow limbs danced around the edges of his vision. Something was certainly there, trying to accost them for some reason.
But she was a senshi, with magic at her disposal and surely some knowledge of the supernatural goings-on of Destiny City. Even if her spells phased through them and the creatures outpaced her, she was smarter than some shadowy abominations. If she would be calm and think, she would realize the options.
He hoped.
And this jump up onto the shop? Hardly even a hop. It would take nothing to escape these dogs. There was simply no reason to fear, and Rakovanite really had no idea how to convey this without some degree of condescending tone. So he just didn't.
"I doubt it," he murmured softly in response to her prayer as his head canted up toward the rooftop. And then further upward still to where the full moon seemed to glow impossibly bright, bathing the building tops in moonlight and casting shadows at their bases. Once they escaped the street, nothing "shadow" would follow them, Rakovanite was sure. Before he could offer any further reassurance, she'd taken the leap up to the rooftop.
It would be nothing of a jump, he'd thought. Even if she'd sprinted to escape and was trembling in fear and exertion, the Chaos that fueled them should be well and able to propel her up one story. The senshi clutched with both hands at the edge of the building. Rakovanite could see her struggling from where he stood.
After only a beat (was it rude to assume she was incapable? Would she want his assistance, and should he offer it uninvited? She hadn't seemed enthusiastic or particularly agreeable when he'd offered the thought that he would be just behind her...) Rakovanite leaped up and grounded himself to the ledge with one hand and both boots against the wall, while he used his other to steady her back, not pushing, just a reminder that he was there, and she would not fall.
Once she'd scrabbled up, he hoisted himself up to her side, dark eyes scanning the rooftop to see that it was, indeed, clear. Another beat, and- "They will not follow," he said, peering over the edge at... practically nothing, besides the glass that littered the sidewalk below and the flickering blue light from the shop window. No shadowy creatures at the edge of his sight, and he couldn't hear the snarling anymore, either.
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Shanyume
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Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 2:18 am
Although he seemed certain that the beasts could not follow, Hatsya had her reservations.
Magic always worked in mysterious ways and it was for this reason that she couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that they could taxi along in their own shadows or some how climb walls. A conspiracy theory if there ever was one, just a silly notion but still plausible.
These thoughts, and those like them, caused her her stomach to twist and writhe. To voice its discomfort and unease in a gurgling rumble that sounded like she was hungry after all that running; however, Hatsya’s expression twisted into one that was reminiscent of someone about to be sick.
Soon enough the responding police officers came rushing down the street with lights alternating between red and blues. A strobe effect that gave her a bit of a headache while watching, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from the alley ways or long shadows cast by the street lights and that blue USPS mail box in front of the shop across the street.
Honestly, she expected to see something; red pupil-less eyes or sharp gnashing teeth. Even a flicker of movement; but when the police vehicles came to a stop… so did everything else. Seemed that whatever had been chasing her had effectively fled the scene.
It took a full minute after the last officer got out of hiscar and scouted the area when Hatsya was finally about to actually breathe. No snarling sounds from around the corner or sudden gunshots going off; something she knew wouldn’t work but aside from that she wasn’t inclined to become an innocent bystander.
“I’m glad you were right. Seems like they’ve left.” Something she’d like to do right now too and although she’d never admit it out loud, Hatsya wished that someone would just teleport hre home. At least it wasn’t far away but it went without saying that she’d be sleeping with the light on for the next few days, or weeks even…
Indigo_Plateau
Posted: Mon May 30, 2022 6:26 am
Shanyume
He’d felt only minimal concern for the appearance of the supernatural, shadowy dogs. Nataniel had been attacked by youma and half-youma as a civilian and had emerged relatively unscathed with the aid of only one other person. And now Rakovanite had his own abilities to fend off threats with. Between himself and the senshi, it didn’t seem like they had too much to fear. In the worse case scenario, it would just take a few seconds to send a voice message through the pen to a general who could summon them. No shadows would follow them to Negaspace, undoubtedly.
It was the arrival of the police set him more on edge. They could see when people were being unscrupulous. They could record videos, make claims, potentially deduce their identities with enough information… People were more dangerous than dogs.
Having them arrive was the objective. More bodies and more lights would scare off the creatures that had been chasing them (probably). But Rakovanite still felt ever more anxious as the sirens drew near, cars parked along the street, and then a couple patrol officers began to scout the area. No dogs seemed to come for them, and it was a matter of seconds before the pair of police were at the shattered window. It would probably take them one or two seconds to just look up and see two people peering down at them.
Rakovanite took the senshi’s arm and guided her back and away from the edge of the building, more difficult for them to be spotted.
“It is probably safe for us to go our separate ways now,” he murmured. “I cannot hear the creatures anymore, and if the sirens and flashing lights were unable to scare them off, they have two easier targets now.” He gestured lightly toward the two below. “But if you ever need someone to accompany you on patrol again-“ He didn’t say that it was because he expected she would be too afraid to go alone, but his skeptical, pointed gaze may have implied it. “-my name is Rakovanite. Please feel free to message me with this.” He held up his pen between two fingers.
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Shanyume
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Posted: Tue May 31, 2022 12:35 am
He was right, as far as she could tell the creatures were gone and unless they had a way to destroy the lights then she felt confident enough that the officers were safe so long as they didn’t investigate the darker areas without a bright flashlight or something.
“My name is Hatsya,” a small almost rueful smile as she nodded. Although her eyes were cast downward, ashamed of her former behavior, she felt relieved that Rakovanite didn’t berate her for her earlier cowardice. “Thank you for saving me.”
Hopefully they’d me again someday under better circumstances. But for now, home sounded like a good idea. “Please be safe.”
The air was nippy and below she could hear the murmured sounds of the officers’ conversation as they peered inside the shop through the broken window. Best to probably roof jump a few buildings away before descending to the sidewalks below. Yes, her movements were hesitant; eyes darting from one rooftop to the next, ears listening to that horrible snarling sound before glancing down into the alley warily.
Silence.
Her life right now felt like that suspenseful moment before a jump scare at a theater just before one of the side characters got murdered. I can’t keep thinking this way… Just got to get to a well-lit area and go home…It’s fine. They’re gone. I’m fine. Small words of encouragement but it was enough to take that leap of faith and get the hell out of this accursed area.
