#030066 - A Report

[passio]

It’s been a long time. We have many new people here. My name is Dextera.

A few weeks ago, some others and I were able to defeat the powerful creature in the woods that Ryo discovered. When we kept walking after it, we found that the area beyond it was strangely calm and safe. It was a respite unlike anything I’ve ever seen that deep in the woods. We even saw one or two animals that were completely normal. If you’ve seen any of the usual animals from the woods before, you must understand how strange this is.

It was a small area, but it felt “right.”

The second update is that I recently came back from the woods again with Damian. Because the story from #FFFFFF keeps updating, I thought now was a good time to see if we could find any evidence of that man.

After a long time, and I’m sorry if we scared anyone by disappearing, we were able to find what we think were his bones, plus a locket with the picture of a beautiful man and a colorful feather inside of it.

That’s all. I hope everyone is well.

Comments

[lacrimose]

Yeah...

[Akira thinks back to Link, and how he couldn't bear to keep his memories of Zelda in Chroma, so he ultimately asked Akira to take them on. He doesn't know if Link will ever regret that decision, but it was his to make.

Just like this is Dextera's.

He takes the ring from him, examining it carefully.]

I think there might be a way I can destroy it.

[scourged]

Going home and not remembering it? Or going there and not remembering this place? It all sounds so fanciful.

And no apologies needed, you have been more than helpful especially in humouring my many, many questions.

[scooptimistic]

Haunting usually leads to possession and draining your energy though, doesn't it? At least that's how the movies make it look.

[passio]

Really?

[ dextera’s shoulders relax, and he looks a little more at ease. not happy, but at ease. ]

I wasn’t sure how to destroy it, and I didn’t want to just throw it away somewhere. Thank you, Akira.

[passio]

No, it’s just visions. That’s how I’ve always experienced it.

[passio]

That’s all anyone wants. To be remembered.

[passio]

Not remembering this place. It happened to me, once. I don’t even remember going into the forest. My sense of time here is still strange. I was gone for months, and yet only a few days passed here.

But I’ve still been here longer than most of the others by now. I want to do what I can.

[lacrimose]

I'm gonna need to transform to make sure this works. Mind if I go outside?

[...So he says, but he's heading for the window to use as a shortcut instead of back downstairs. Weirdo.]

[scooptimistic]

[ ... Always? ]

You've been haunted before? Multiple times??

[passio]

I think it was a haunting. I’m not sure. I used to see my brother.

[ this would be much sadder if it weren’t for the fact that his brother is present in this town and doing just fine. ]

[wordsinthesoul]

That's certainly true.

Is there something you'd want to be remembered for yourself?

[passio]

…?

[ dextera, of course, has nothing against akira transforming, but it does momentarily catch him off guard that akira is clearly planning to just bodily leap out of the window. ]

Be careful.

[ …he’s not going to stop him, though. ]

[passio]

[ is there something like that? dextera doesn’t think he deserves to be remembered by most, but he also knows the pain of forgetting, and being forgotten. ]

I think I’d simply like to be remembered for helping others. If I can leave that kind of impact, I’d be happy.

[holycurse]

i would think the most important part is the journey to capture the bird...though i suppose it wouldn't hurt to attempt the rest of the story as well.

perhaps pyra?

[she's popular, right? everyone loves pyra!]

[lacrimose]

Uh huh.

[So nonchalant. And there Akira goes, opening the window and hoisting himself out, dropping to the ground easily as a cat. Still holding the ring, he begins to transform into his devil form, opens his now fanged jaws wide, and...

Swallows the ring whole??? Well then.]

[passio]

[ dextera watches from the window as akira transforms, and when he simply swallows it—dextera does have to wonder if that’s going to actually work. is it destruction, if he can’t even digest metal? ]

Um…

[lacrimose]

[As Dextera watches, flames begin to erupt around Akira as he heats up his body. He has no idea if this will work -- like all of his Devilman abilities, he has to just trust his instincts and hope that his decisions kill him.]

Let's see if hellfire melts metal! [Akira grins.]

[passio]

[ hellfire!

it would have helped to have akira along to try to mix together his and ryo’s attempt at making a philosopher’s stone—regardless, when akira erupts, dextera flinches. ]

Aah?!

[ but, whether or not he can feel it in the pit of his stomach, the ring can’t stand up to hellfire. ]

[lacrimose]

[Akira also has no idea if he's about to make a molten ring-sized hole in his stomach, but, much like his body is impervious to flames, it doesn't seem to affect him at all.

When he's satisfied the ring has melted down, the flames dissipate. He coughs, and-- throws it back up and spits it into the dirt in a tiny amount of cooling metal.

He looks up at Dextera and gives a thumbs-up. Kinda like throwing up an incredibly dangerous hairball, but he did it.]

[passio]

[ the metal definitely burns where he spits it up, but it’s quick enough to cool once it’s out of the flames, and the ground itself is damp enough, that it doesn’t set the grass on fire immediately. ]

…

[ he exhales. ]

It didn’t hurt, did it? Thank you…

[lacrimose]

[Akira shakes his head, transforming back to his usual self. Though he's still smoking a little from the heat, he's still grinning brightly.]

It was fine! Don't worry.

[passio]

[ … ]

The bird might be more important. But then the problem is finding someone willing to risk themselves to get it.

[ once, dextera would have, gladly… but these days… ]

[passio]

[ “don’t worry,” he says, after a display like that. he’s smoking, for god’s sake. dextera tilts his head in concern, but he’s not going to push the issue. ]

You can come back inside. It’s probably okay to leave that there.

[lacrimose]

Right.

[He heads back inside, and fortunately uses the front door like a normal person instead of jumping back up through the window. He calls up the stairs:]

Is there any other stuff that needs destroying?

[holycurse]

i'm willing, if it comes to that. if nothing else, i'm quite confident in my survival abilities.

[Though he can think of a few people who would probably want him not to go.....oh well.]