all aboard the atma train...

[tsundyne]

Who: Yukari and you poor unfortunate souls
Where: Throughout Vatheon (you can pick!)
When: Towards the end of the first day (of Curse 30), I guess
Style: [prose disguised as action brackets works for me--]
Status: Open, whoops

[By now, Yukari's seen the broadcasts from the network about this new Curse. She's lucked out before, with the Coral's effect passing over her, but...unfortunately, not this time. The tattoo on her right hand seems indicative enough of that, and she seems almost fascinated with it as she walks through Vatheon's streets.

The truth is, though, that she's worried.

...Worried about what it means, and worried about what she's heard.

A demon? Inside her? She's used to that-- or so she thought. But a Persona doesn't feel anything like this.

It gets harder to breathe and harder to focus on anything other than food. The unnatural hunger that's suddenly become the center of her attention, yet isn't satisfied when she eats...and her friends she lives with, about whom she's casually begun wondering, "...Well, what do they taste like?"

She doesn't want to know, though. She doesn't want to know, but the more she denies it, the worse the hunger stings and as she walks, she ends up dropping her (currently useless) Evoker that she had been carrying out of habit. It lands on the ground with a clang, but--

At the very least, it briefly snaps her out of her thoughts. She's bending down to pick it up, trying to focus on her breathing instead.

Her breathing--and only that...]



(( OOC: Have another DDS cannibal, Vatheon. Are you sick of them yet? |D She hasn't transformed yet, but her Atma avatar is Isis... feel free to contact me for plotting if you want. <33 ))

Comments

[bufudine]

[Serph's... a little sad to see that look on Yukari's face, but he can sympathise. It doesn't change that it hurts, seeing that look on a friend's face being directed at him. He doesn't let any of that show on his face, though.

He voice is as calm and even as always while he speaks.]

Locals. [He pauses and lets out a breath, before reiterating.] Always locals.

[Except when a foreigner has already been killed. The murders and other deaths have nothing to do with them.]

[tsundyne]

[The locals are nameless.

As far as she knows, they only speak when spoken to, and otherwise are there solely for their benefit.

...So it feels wrong.

It feels wrong to use them, but it would feel worse to devour anyone else. Anyone with a name, a life attached, a face that she recognizes...she grimaces at the thought.

She doesn't know if she'll be able to do it, when the time comes. But she can't bring herself to admit it.

So she just says nothing...]

[bufudine]

[A death is a death, no matter how you slice it.

Hunting in Vatheon is so much worse. The fact he has to actively hunt at all... He's grateful for the opportunities Vatheon has provided the Embryon, but all he can do is repay it with killing. It seems a poor exchange.

He's just glad people come back. Otherwise, with such a small population, he'd soon be hunting his comrades...

Serph keeps his gaze focused on Yukari.]

Do you still wish to be friends?

[tsundyne]

...

[Maybe it's only then that she realizes, the Embryon don't really have a choice either. Maybe that question is what finally makes her realize that a very important friendship is being put at risk, so she takes a few steady breaths to calm herself.

She doesn't want to push away Serph.

She hadn't even completely pushed away Tiir. And now they can almost get along.

...She has to be able to get past this.]

Yeah.

[She speaks quietly, but firmly, and flips her right hand over to look at the tattoo again.]

...But I'm scared. [said in a barely audible whisper; not something she usually admits]

[bufudine]

[It's tempting to say "we were scared, too," even though it's a lie. Very few of them were scared. Angry, perhaps, disgusted, sure, but not scared. There's no judgement in his voice.]

I can accompany you.

[When she goes to hunt. Dangerous, but Yukari is still his friend. He has faith in her.]

Very few of us hunted alone.

[In the Junkyard.]

[tsundyne]

[...

To say she'd feel better if he was there wouldn't be a total lie. But it would also mean essentially ganging up on someone, so she doesn't entirely feel right about that either.

It's just a really crappy situation, and if she's honest...

She's never had this much trouble with a curse until now.

She just...stares at him, trying to find the will to say 'Yes, please come with me, if this absolutely has to happen.' But that's when she realizes.]

But your mark...i-it's gone.

[staring at his cheek again]

Your demon...

[This means it's gone too, doesn't it? His own 'curse'...

He doesn't really have a reason to come.

Unless the tattoo's moved...]

[bufudine]

[It's exactly as she thinks.]

I seem to be a human for this curse.

[It's so strange, not having that constant, gnawing compulsion in the back of his mind and in the pit of his stomach. He's accepted it for so long that he barely remembered what it was like without it.

This is as close to how he imagines he would be in Nirvana. Without a demon, but with emotions.]

[tsundyne]

Lucky.

[The words come out before she even realizes it. Before she realizes how insensitive it is tp say so--because Serph has to deal with the compulsion every other day of hte year, doesn't he?

But here she is.

Whining about a week, and about having to do this. Because she isn't thinking about that.

She doesn't want to seem unappreciative though, so she asks, with a bit of a sigh, looking embarassed.]

Then are you sure you still want to come?

[bufudine]

[Truth is, he does feel lucky. Even if it's hard, comparing his curse to how he normally is, or comparing it to how Yukari currently is, in some ways, he's thankful he's had the opportunity to experience what it's like, being without a demon but still having his emotions.

...Even if this body seems to want food mere hours after eating.

Serph just silently nods. Does he really need to explain (again) that Yukari is his friend!?]

[tsundyne]

[Hey! She's trying to be considerate here, okay...

If he wants to enjoy his new-found freedom for once, like hell she's going to stop him. But she necessarily doesn't want to be alone for this, either...his experience would be valuable, maybe even vital. Because when's the last time she killed someone?

She never has.

...And maybe it hasn't hit her yet that this means she's going to have to.

Talking about it is so easy by comparison.]

I'm not gonna force you. But...

[She needs him.]

How-- how do you guys--

[Do it?

Not get caught? When?

Information, information, information. Maybe if she takes after Gale and tries to think logically, she can somehow make this easier on herself.]

[bufudine]

[How do you guys what? Keep the devouring under wraps?]

We hunt at night and do not linger when we're done.

[He's not about to mention that having access to the Defense Force's patrol roster helps.

Yukari's only known them while they've been in Vatheon, where life is peaceful. But they're soldiers. They're people who are saddened by the prospect of killing, but have no hesitation in doing so to survive. There's little point in trying to protect them from what they need to do.

They were killers, even before they gained their Atma. Don't compare yourself to them, Yukari.]

If you wish to avoid doing the killing, that is fine.

[He'll do it for her. When you've killed so many and so often, killing one more stops being a big deal.]

[tsundyne]

[If killing is that simple...then it's a wonder why more people don't get caught in it in the first place. It isn't as if the city is completely barren at night; there's plenty of activity. But evidently the Embryon are quite efficient.

Yukari doesn't know about their past as trained soldiers. The only thing she knows is what they have common, right now.

And she...

She's laughing a bit, subtly and softly. Because despite his offer, she's nervous. It's kind of unsettling-- everything about this.]

I've never. I've never done it...

[Not to a human. Only Shadows.

Her tone seems to imply she wants to keep it this way.]

[bufudine]

[Serph makes his offer more explicit. He's serious about this.]

You do not need to. I will do it.

[Again, Serph reaches to place a hand on Yukari's shoulder. Seeing her this upset is saddening, but he can sympathise. She's a civilian -- he wonders where he even learned that concept -- so the prospect of killing is obviously harder for her.]

It's fine.

[He's fine with killing on Yukari's behalf.]

[tsundyne]

But--

[...She freezes.

And she looks again at the hand he places on her shoulder; the feeling familiar to her by now. It's as if the hand itself caused her to stop mid-sentence, and there's a long pause as she thinks; because she realizes this is essentially asking someone to kill for her. To help. Asking somebody else to solve her problems...

It doesn't even matter that he is the one who offered. Accepting it would be the same thing in the end.

But she brings her own hand to press against his anyway, as she lets out a breath she'd been holding in. She squeezes it gently as her answer.

Because she can't do this by herself.]

...I wouldn't be able to pay you back for this, you know. Or make it up to you.

[She looks down sadly.]

Nothing would be enough.

[bufudine]

[He... doesn't understand. There's no need for repayment, is there? They're friends. He doesn't ask for anything in return.]

There's no need.

[Serph makes no move to move his hand from under Yukari's.]

I'm accustomed to it. Even before I became part-demon, I was a soldier in war.

[tsundyne]

[Right, yeah...

She knew he was going to say that. Minato never asked for repayment for anything he did, either. The part about him being a soldier t does surprise her a bit, though. Even though they'd told her a bit about the calamity and the war in the Junkyard, she had no idea they were considered soldiers.]

That explains a lot...

[Sigh. Guess she shouldn't be too worried then, but... she will be anyway.

Another bite of her lip.]

I guess it'd be best if I got this over with, then.

[bufudine]

[Serph won't move his hand on Yukari's shoulder until Yukari moves her hand off his.]

I will meet you the night you're--

[ready. But very few are ever ready to eat the bodies of the dead for the first time, are they?]

--hunting. Just contact me.

[tsundyne]

...

[Hunting... he keeps using that word, and it makes them sound like ruthless animals. But she supposes there's no better word for such a vile act.

She nods briefly, seeming lost in her thoughts.]

Okay.

['Since I have to.']

[bufudine]

[Hunting is a convenient word. It's much easier to say than "going to kill someone and eat them," for example.

It seems like Yukari needs time to herself to think about things, so Serph's about ready to take his leave. But he leaves her one last offer.]

If you have any trouble, please let me know. [A pause.] Even when this week is over.

[tsundyne]

...I'll keep in touch.

[In truth, she wouldn't mind staying with Serph a little longer. But she realizes he has things he needs to do, and in truth, so does she-- with a lot to think about on top of that now.

So she allows him to take leave, preparing to go a separate way herself. But she'll watch for a moment until he's out of her sight.

At least she knows she'll see him again soon.]