tornheart | APPLE ORCHARDS AND TORN DREAMS [OPEN]

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APPLE ORCHARDS AND TORN DREAMS [OPEN]

Who: Open Log (All)
Where: Around the city (one prompt at the Green Valley school
Summary: Welcome Ceremonies, Dreams, Stirring a shadow hornet's nest. No big deal.
Warnings: N/A

"Are you ready my black lambs? Let's get to work..."

Apple Picking (General Prompt)

As September begins, the apple orchards of Greenfield Valley school are bursting with thousands of apples of various flavors and colors. There's even an experimental breed that's blue!

Those who have been attending the school know that this means a few important things. The first (and most important of course) is that it means that fall vacation is coming in just a few weeks (despite school having started just a few weeks ago), the second is that the school's menu is going to have a high number of apple-themed dishes until winter, and finally, the opening ceremonies.

The opening ceremonies are - well - one would consider them mostly boring for typical schools. And truth be told, Green Valley is not an exception. A single camera posed at the school's main gymnasium, a large podium in the center. For those who can't be physically there, the school's televisions all synchronized to a live broadcast as does the audio feeds. You can't quite escape it. Yet most people don't - after all it's one of the rare times of the year where the principal appears to wish students good fortune.

The person who stands in the front, Ms Michelle Andersen, is the very definition of an ice queen. Her face is perhaps locked forever into an emotionless stare. Bright blonde hair with blue eyes, both contract to her orange and black outfit.

Behind her, three men, the vice principals, who tend to play the good cops to her bad cop routine and insist that most students call them by their first names unless something really bad has happened; Norman (the most average man on campus that no one would know who he was if it wasn't for his name tag), Jeremy (the tallest staff member standing at over 195cm, thin, a bit of a lisp but he always means well), and Felix (possibly the hairiest man on campus as far as the rumors go, muscular, and a black beard that matches his scowling face when he isn't laughing - which is usually all the time. In fact, he's holding back himself from doing so when Ms. Andersen speaks.)

The presentation is short, as the Principal wishes all the students a great year, gives a bit of data on the number of students (they are up 300 new students from last year), the number of important guests that have passed, then as quickly as she was there, she leaves, explaining that there are additional meetings and events she will explain in greatest detail in the upcoming months.

Afterwards the students are treated to the vice principals singing a welcome song (it goes as well as one would expect it to go), telling the students that they are free to pick as many apples as they want as long as they all get eaten, but everyone is limited to two of the new apples and report to the hospital wards if any of them feel anything unusual after eating them. Just in case.

When the ceremonies are done, students and staff can return to their day...although some of the staff can be heard commenting that the Principal seemed even more...cold this year. Of course asking them for details would just cause them to shoo anyone away and pretend they didn't say anything.

[OOC: Players are welcome to speak to themselves or go have some apples. It's a general school mingling prompt! Additionally, it will be possible to email the vice principals during that week should the characters want to talk with them or ask school questions. Typical school stuff.]

Sound the Rebellion

(Special Prompt for the Unawakened, Monday the 4th)
The school's opening ceremonies aside, the Unawakened’s Monday was rather...strange. The night was plagued with restlessness as they heard the voice of someone laughing. Waking up feeling 'odd', although that differed between all of then - some would feel sick, others have a headache, or some just deciding that wearing a piece of clothing they haven't wanted to worn would look great right now. Perhaps they got a few comments from their relatives about how strange they were acting that day, or a worried glance if they felt sick. It might get dismissed with a wave of a hand.

After all, how can you explain that when they sometimes look upwards, they hear the sound of a child laughing and briefly see a symbol above their heads? Or that this somehow feels...fine?

Maybe in their new state of mind, they might not even notice the people that keep following them around...

Better than a GPS

(Awakened prompt, Monday 4th, day and night.)
"Alright Lambs, time to get to work."

Luci's voice echoed in their phone, laughing. Was he doing a peace sign?

"There's only a few but they'll be useful. I want you to find them and see what you can do. Who knows! Maybe you might be better at this than me, although I doubt it heh heh heh…Now remember what I said! You have to get them to fall asleep...but there's no real rules for that!"

For the Awakened, the symbols above the Unawakeneds’ heads will be as clear as day - Luci will even go so far as play little musical tunes when the characters are close by or distract them using electronics. "Come on! Stop wasting time and do something!"

For the Unawakened who have a relative, it will be somewhat easy. It is the others that will be a pain. Maybe that's why Luci asked for help. Or maybe he just wanted to see his 'lambs' struggle. "Get them to bed! It's not that hard! If you have trouble, just show them the program I've put into your phone and toaster! Or knock them with your toaster first if you want, I don't care! Just go in teams when you go after them, got it?"

It's obvious that 'sleeping' as far as Luci is concerned, is when someone is unconscious - he seems to almost want someone to knock an Unawakened out and then drag him into a room and let themselves go to sleep.

Once the task is done, and the place is secure, the characters will have to do the same. While the hypnotic wheel from the program is the easiest way, there's no hard rule about knocking oneself out either.

MINDJACK
Once the characters get inside, they'll be in the person's mind and dreams. Eddan's memories are predominant, and the unawakened will be standing there wandering around. It will be up to the Awakened to peel back the fabric of reality, much like curtains and show them the true memories of their past...

But beware. Shadows lurk here, and transforming will be necessarily. And if a character dies in someone else's dream...they might never wake up. So be careful...

The main mission is to showcase the person a few memories. Give them an idea that something might be amiss...it can be a little or a lot. Just be careful that the more memories, the stronger the shadows become... When both are done and awaken, ten minutes will have passed. Perhaps it will be time for question afterwards.

[OOC:The Unawakened characters need to be isolated for the program to run, and so do the players, so half the 'fun' will be setting up the traps so that the characters will be alone.

Awakened might decide to have someone stand on guard while the others go to sleep with the Unawakened, or just all stupidly go together, or find an area where they won't be disturbed - everything is up to you.

The dreamscape can be anything the Unawakened desires! It could be good memories of their time in Eddan or bad memories, a mixture of both, or just silly dreams. Whatever it is, the Awakened will need to 'peel' those memories away - for example showing them that their mother was someone else in their other life, or even directing the person to a mirror so that they can see their true selves. But for each memory - both good or bad, shadows will start to attack both the Unawakened and Awakened. Be careful and let the mods know if a mission goes REALLY bad.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"If you don't know the right way to look at things, anyway," he responds, lightly and almost immediately. The concept of 'sight' has been troubling him on and off since their last encounter at the aquarium, although for the life of him he can't figure out why. All that frustration has fortunately been vented into music, but he still can't help but wonder what the preoccupation could mean. He's hardly philosophical unless pressed.

It seems that despite the tumultuous nature of their previous meeting, Vincent has still managed to remember some things. His steps are carefully measured as they set off, perfectly matched to Kit's; there'll be no awkward lurches and checks this time.

"Although I wouldn't apply that to this dump."

"From all angles," comes Kit's reply, piggybacking easily off Vincent's as if this sort of debate were a practiced routine between them. "There is more to most things than what meets the eye."

More to himself, to his companion, the district where they find themselves, and even Eddan as a whole. Failure to recognize and accept that means choosing to be blind, and choosing to be blind means forfeiting opportunities to glimpse a larger picture. It means being the one watched, not the watcher.

His steps are measured, each the same as the last, his pace easy for Vincent to keep up with...until they turn a corner together, and then they grow a little longer. He will lose his pursuers. Little by little, that feeling of being in someone's sights will disappear.

"I think it applies especially to places like this." He stares ahead. "If you think it's such a dump, though...why were you here?"

"Do I really need to spell it out for you?" The query comes just as easily as Kit's replies, settling into the back and forth with an unwarranted familiarity. How had they managed to preserve this rapport after so much time since their first meeting? It was troublesome. "You ought to take your own advice and look a little closer if that's the case."

There were an awful lot of plausible explanations for Vincent's presence in this district despite his apparent disdain for it, and whichever one his companion settled on really didn't matter. The point was to continue being cagey, withholding as much information as he possibly could. Only idiots blabbed at the drop of the hat.

He has enough to focus on without divulging personal statistic. The increase in speed doesn't go unnoticed, and while he still matches it without struggle, it's tipped him off to something in the environment bothering Kit. Despite his continued nonchalant tone, his eyes are now wandering idly across their scenery, trying to spot something out of place.

"Playing street corners?"

The comment has no bite. Kit saw Vincent's lyrics. Even without knowing how well his band performs together, he knows the other boy has too much talent to stoop so low. Probably, he's coming from practice or from playing a gig.

Strange... He's almost sorry he missed it.

Continuing with the same pace, his gaze roams the familiar street ahead. He doesn't come often to Hagu anymore, but not much has changed in a year. It's still the same seedy district it's always been, meaning that a lot of the avenues he'd taken to using as escapes before his stint in juvy still exist. They should be coming up on one shortly. An alley with lots of twists and turns behind various businesses, and a forked exit. Determining where they'd come out would be difficult for his pursuers.

"I have a more important question." His tone is perfectly smooth, like polished ice. "Will you follow my lead?"

Vincent's gaze remains on the world passing by before them, the picture of practiced apathy. There's no way for an outside eavesdropper to tell that they're discussing something a little more meaningful than the weather as he removes the spent cigarette from his mouth. Once again he douses it with his fingers, pocketing it rather than littering on the ground. Only then does he reply, focus still in front of him rather than on Kit.

"Guess you'll just have to find out." It's a strange sort of thing. They've spent only a scant number of hours together before now, and yet he's completely confident that his companion will be able to translate this difficult-seeming response into its proper meaning. Where had that trust sprung up from?

"I suppose I will."

There is a reason Kit didn't ask if Vincent trusted him. Even if the other boy wouldn't have provided a straightforward answer, whatever response he did offer would have been telltale and reminiscent of the trust displayed that night at the Leviathan Habitat. Even Kit doesn't know where it sprang from, but he knows that even if it is still budding, it exists.

He gives no indication of what he's about to do, trusting Vincent to read his body language as well as he had during their fight. He slips nimbly into the alleyway he'd been looking for the moment they come upon it, a spring in his step that launches him into a sprint around any obstacles that bar their way: litter left to the wind, garbage cans that have been overturned or knocked over, or the odd cat that's startled into a low hissing crouch by their approach before it tears off out of sight.

The more quickly they move from this point on, the better their chances of slipping through their pursuers' fingers.

But carrying extra weight such as he is, will Vincent be able to keep up? Kit wonders as he tosses a look back at the other boy. The alley isn't full of simple hurdles, after all. It's an obstacle course, complete with a fence near the end that they'll need to scale. Clunky boots and a guitar will make the task more complicated.

Kit could leave him behind if it comes to that, perhaps even ensuring his own escape...but he won't. He owed him for helping him back to his own bed at the Habitat, and Kit pays his debts.

He's been in one tussle too many to be unable to tell when someone's preparing to hightail it and run. Vincent swings into a charge almost instantaneously when the other boy suddenly makes a sharp turn, flying after him without a moment's pause. It's strange to be doing something like this with a partner, but in the exhilaration of the moment he finds that he doesn't mind at all.

Kit was right to worry about the perceived handicaps his companion was working with, but a quick glance back will find that even these are nothing in the face of his unrelenting stubbornness. Rather than take the logical approach of attempting to dodge the various barriers in their path he's instead chosen to run right through them. Empty cans crumple under those selfsame clunky boots, an arm lashes out to knock oncoming garbage cans out of his way, and the other clutches the strap of his guitar case flush with his body. With his posture bent the way it is to compensate for the burden on his back, it almost seems silly to imagine any of those could have been a problem.

This guitar had been purchased before he'd departed from his family's house, after all. It was hardly the first time he'd been forced to run with it.

The rapidly approaching fence will prove tricky, admittedly, but it was nothing that he couldn't handle. Vincent was confident his strategy wouldn't cause him to lose pace with his companion - and who knows? Perhaps he'd even pass him during the climb.

He shouldn't have doubted. Of course Vincent is able to keep up. This realization pleases Kit, though why it should isn't something he can answer at the moment and, given their current situation, decides it's also better not to dwell on.

There'll be time enough later.

For now, his focus should be concentrated on swiftly shimmying up the chain link fence at the far end of the alley and down one of it's many forked paths. The fact that his companion can not only keep up with him during his ascent, but even climb over the top first, is something that surprises Kit considering the other boy's burden, but after the way he'd flattened everything in his path leading up to that point, perhaps it isn't so surprising at all.

On the other side, Kit's feet have barely touched ground again before he's running. There are fewer obstacles now to bar their way, and within a few moments the mouth of the alley and the street behind finally come into view. There Kit slows down to a light jog, and then to a walk, and when he's certain they're alone, he turns to Vincent.

"I never got a good look at them, but someone has been following me since this afternoon. I think we've lost them now, though."

Come to think of it, if Vincent hadn't come along when he had, Kit had planned to confront them. What about the other boy's presence had made him change his plans?

Edited 2017-09-09 07:00 (UTC)

In order to ensure that his case doesn't catch during the descent Vincent takes a large jump from the top of the fence, landing heavily before continuing the imaginary chase. Even after having overtaken the lead he's still able to follow his companion's directions through his peripherals, something he's never found himself able to do with anyone else. How strange.

Unlike Kit, there is no modulation in his speed when their path comes to an end. He skids to a stop instead, sliding almost half a foot before finally using up all his momentum. He takes a moment (less than he truly needs, out of pride) to catch his breath before replying, an eyebrow cocked in open interest.

"You must be losing your touch." He may be curious, but even that can't keep him from being an ass about things. Thankfully his expression settles into something a little more serious as he continues. "Any idea why they'd bother for that long?"

"I wish it were so simple," Kit laughed, but he suspects that the truth is more complicated than that. It has to be. It's almost as if the ones giving chase knew him better than he knew himself, or they could predict what he'd been about to do. It seemed that the introduction of Vincent had been an anomaly they hadn't planned for. Or at least...that's his guess. Why else should they have been able to make such a successful escape?

It's not as if they make a good team or anything. Except...maybe they really do?

Maybe.

"You didn't see them either, did you?" But Kit suspects that Vincent recognized the feeling of being watched, just the same. It hadn't been as powerful as the feeling at the aquarium, but it was similar in the sense that it had been unrelenting for a time. Not otherworldly in that they'd managed to shake it, and that feeling is one that makes Kit feel both relief and pride. But perhaps there's some truth to Vincent's jab, after all? If he wasn't losing his touch, might he have seen those faces?

It's a thought for another day as he peeks around the corner and into the street.

"There are a lot of reasons someone might follow me, but whoever that was, they weren't aggressive, and that eliminates a lot of possibilities." After a moment, he shakes his head. "I'm afraid I can't really be sure why..."

And then he pauses. There is one reason why, perhaps. Maybe someone else had seen that symbol he'd noticed above his head earlier? Maybe it hadn't been a strange hallucination after all?

He glances back at Vincent curiously.

"...it may have to do with something they saw, though. But that's only a theory."

Vincent snorts at the question while his companion checks the street for possible threats, completely ignoring the fact that he'd been listening to the other boy's explanation with a surprising amount of focus. He continues to lie about his own actions and intentions by stating "I can't see what I'm not looking for."

He hadn't seen them, no, but it wasn't for lack of trying. How could he possibly have been unable to feel the same tension in another that had been running through him all day? It would have required more than willful blindness, and he has neither the time nor patience for such purposeful stupidity.

There's a snarky comment just begging to be tossed out about secret admirers when Kit voices Vincent's own wonderment over the strange way they'd given chase for so long without any attempts on his person, but thankfully his 'theory' catches his attention before it can emerge. After sharing the lively rush of an impromptu sprint, it would be a shame to let his poor personality ruin things.

"And what's theoretical about that? What they caught or whether they saw it at all?"

"Whether they saw it at all," Kit answers truthfully.

He ducks back into the alleyway and, approaching his companion, withdraws from his pocket a small notebook and a rather ornate looking pen embossed with roses. Flipping open to the back of the notebook to draw upon a blank page, he presents Vincent with a depiction of the symbol that he saw, and the only symbols known to him which closely resemble it.

"I was certain no one else had seen it, but I cannot think of another reason for why I was followed from school." Anyone who wished to do him harm in the past knew better than to risk causing a scene there of all places. There were simply too many witnesses. "It resembles the Wiccan symbol for blessings in a way, and the Egyptian symbol for the Eye of Horus."

Three teardrop shapes falling, but instead of dripping from a crescent shape, the symbol he had seen above his head had been falling freely, with the center most droplet containing what appeared to be an eye. As it was neither a left eye or a right eye, it's impossible for him to link it directly to the Eye of Horus, unless the ambiguity should mean that it is both? Its inclusion is certainly worth considering. With it, the mark he saw is more complete, both sun and moon represented...but without knowing what the unknown symbol was supposed to mean, he can only hypothesize.

"Does it look familiar to you?"

Although his attention is completely on Kit's capable hands as they sketch out the mysterious 'thing' he believes is the cause of his current predicament, Vincent can't help but marvel yet again at the other boy's pretentiousness. Who carried around a pen like that in daily life? Better yet, who matched their office supplies to their hidden blades?

He really was an asshole.

The thoughts skitter away from the forefront of his mind as the object takes more definite shape, however. Try as he might to ignore it, there was no denying that his companion had somehow managed to draw the selfsame symbol that he himself had glimpsed floating above his own head earlier this morning. It seemed that, once again, fate had tied them together. He doesn't want to think about how appropriate that feels to him.

"Maybe on a tattoo somewhere," he responds dismissively, shoving his hands deep into his pockets. Even now, it's difficult to get himself to give information freely. "Pretty sure you're missing part of it, though."

Even Vincent himself isn't certain why he'd made that second comment. But it was the truth - something about that symbol felt incomplete, as if there ought to be more to it than the simple all-seeing tears. It's an uncomfortable sort of intuition that he'd prefer to brush back into whatever dark recess it crawled out from.

Glancing down at his drawing, Kit recalled the symbol he'd seen and studied the shape he'd mapped out in his notebook. He's certain it's exact. It's difficult to forget the appearance of an oddity that was floating above one's head. But perhaps some detail escaped his attention?

...

He blinks and then looks back at Vincent suddenly. Wait a minute...he'd seen it, too? Or something like it, maybe. It's possible that the symbols they saw varied in some way, for some reason or another. Without seeing for himself the marker above his companion's head, Kit couldn't be too sure.

Still, it's interesting that they should find themselves in a similar situation as before and in each other's company.

"I guess the ofuda didn't work, then."

Vincent seems to be cultivating similar thoughts, judging by the amused chuckle that manages to escape from him. "I wouldn't say that. It seems to be protecting my music just fine."

Because of course he'd left it in his notebook, a small memento from one of the most memorable evenings he's had in what feels like forever. It may seem callous of him to do so, but the truth is quite the opposite; there's nothing that he sees more frequently in his life than the inside of that book.

They'd uncovered more than they'd bargained for the last time that they'd been forced to work together on something as equally strange as this. He wonders if perhaps the feat can be replicated - and that's why he holds a hand out expectantly, silently requesting for that gaudy pen to be passed over.

"That makes sense," Kit responds, his voice ringing with soft amusement. "You've overworked it."

If the music Vincent's band produced is as dark as the lyrics he's written, one little ofuda couldn't possibly protect them as well. Whatever forces were at work that night at the Leviathan Habitat might not be interfering with any artistic endeavors now, but Vincent and Kit have been left unprotected this entire time. That explains the way he's been feeling today...but not why he hadn't felt this way since that night.

Was there a storm coming?

Nevertheless, he relinquishes his pen into the palm of the other boy's hand and watches him with unguarded curiosity.

"What are you going to do?"

"It's not my fault if it can't keep up."

His mind is already heavily distracted from the tranquil banter, but he can't help replying all the same. There was something calming about this back and forth that eased his mind, unnerving as that was to consider. But he needed that undivided focus now, if he was going to accomplish what he wanted.

"I just want to see..." The pen hovers uncertainly over the paper, as if waiting for instructions from a higher power. Vincent's words have trailed off, but in actuality there was nothing more for him to add - he wanted to see. To put that strange fixation into action, to carve out something useful from this unbidden intuition.

There was a term for that in more flaky social circles, he thought. What was it again? Opening your third eye.

Slowly, carefully, he begins to draw. His mind is completely blank, leaning heavily on what he imagines what must be Kit's own energy as his hands go to work. They'd combined once to create a puncture in this frustrating web of the unknown. They could do it again.

With the same grim determination he puts into everything he does, something recognizable begins to emerge. A circle coiled around the teardrops - no, a snake. An ouroboros, tail clenched wickedly between its teeth just above what it seemed to be protecting. Dark little scales cover its entire body, and directly opposite from its head is a small kink, as if someone had tried to beat their way through the guardian to reach those eyes.

Vincent remains silent once he finishes, pen tip still pressed heavily to the paper. The mythology is clear, but he doesn't recognize what he's drawn at all. It's obvious from his expression that he's trying to divine meaning from it as much as Kit must be.

"Ouroboros..."

Kit stares at the shape Vincent has drawn, its visage unmistakable. He didn't see it around the symbol earlier, and yet somehow, beyond his ability to explain things, he feels his companion is right. This snake completes the glyph somehow.

The tail-eater has many meanings in different cultures, but among them infinity is shared. As well, renewal...such as death and rebirth. But there is another meaning. Alchemists had believed it signified the union between the conscious and unconscious minds.

Combined, it's almost as if the symbol they both saw has something to do with some sort of...

"...awakening?"

And just like that, Vincent can feel the return of that peculiar headache of his. It pierces straight through the center of his forehead, as if something beneath the skin of straining to emerge. He's lucky this time - it isn't even close to being as debilitating as the ones in the aquarium had been. If anything, it's a small price to pay for the confirmation that they were on the right track.

He closes one eye briefly to mitigate the auras creeping along the edge of his sight, murmuring "Sight."

To see the world as it truly was. To awaken to the truth. That was what that judgemental little eye in the center of their symbol was telling them.

With a silent puff of breath he relinquishes his grip on the pen, allowing it to gently roll backwards into Kit's waiting hand. He doesn't quite know what to do with this new information (or perhaps he does) and so he settles for his well-worn defense of faint irritation. "I'd rather just fight the snake."

The ache behind his eyes and beating through his skull from one temple to the other is familiar, and one Kit is prepared for. It shocks him at nearly the same time as Vincent, but the strength of the attack is inferior to those they'd experienced before. Perhaps because it is the first one either of them has endured today?

In any case, Kit accepts his notebook and pen, returning both to an inside pocket of his jacket. The symbols are things he will be looking into more in the days to come, with a particular focus on all the possible ways they could relate to one another. He would force open his own eyes if that's what it took.

Probably, Vincent feels much the same.

"I believe I still owe you a spar," Kit says. He can do nothing to help Vincent come to blows with the serpent wrapped around that symbol, but he can keep a promise he made not to hold back. And besides, they've spent long enough in this alleyway. If they don't move again soon, all their work escaping will be for naught and their position will be discovered.

"You really think you're in any condition to do that today?"

The words are sardonic, bordering on playful, as Vincent seems to read his companion's mind and begins leisurely walking out of the alley. It's a more than welcome distraction from his last display of seeming clairvoyance, one that he'd take up even if his concern were legitimate, if he was being honest with himself.

He didn't like to be kept in the dark, just as much as he resented being ordered what to do. If there was some secret flowing beneath the veins of this city, he'd see it on his own terms. It was absolutely unacceptable to wait until some unseen power deemed him 'ready' to grapple with the truth. Those thoughts were what quickened his blood now and made the idea of a fight sound particularly appealing.

Kit's laughter is nearly melodic.

"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't in optimal condition. I gave my word, didn't I?" That the next time they fought he wouldn't hold back. He has to be at his absolute best to make good on such a promise and, while it's true he's been feeling a little out of sorts all day, he is certain his physical capabilities haven't been compromised.

In fact, the promise of such an exciting activity after dancing on the edge for most of the day could be just what he needs to relieve some tension. Doubtless, based on his demeanor and the sound of his voice, Vincent feels the same way.

"Do you know a place? You can lead this time, and I will follow."

"People say a lot of shit," he tosses back at Kit, tone completely devoid of any actual accusation. In the same mystifying way that he enjoys the sound of making his companion truly laugh, he knows that this is a promise that will be kept to the letter. It was just the way things were.

Vincent continues walking even before being giving 'permission' to dictate their location, his steps brisk and unable to contain the energy circulating through him. He does tilts his head back slightly to look at the other boy, sarcastic as always. "Not going to try and figure it out on your own, then? Lazy."

He does have a specific location in mind, though; they'd been fortunate to come out where they had, so close to one of the only parks still surviving in Hagu. It had clearly been built before the district had fallen into the sad state of the present, judging by its comparatively impressive size. The park itself was poorly kept now and often filled with riffraff, but it was also the perfect place for a fight like theirs.

Given the expansive nature of the place, it was easy to seclude oneself from the rest of the world for a time. They wouldn't be bothered at all once they found an acceptable clearing.

If genuine laughter from his companion is what Vincent likes to hear, then he's fortunate. His playful barb earns exactly that from Kit as he slips free of the alley's mouth, one falling swiftly in line behind the other. In fact, he keeps so close that it's questionable whether or not he already knows where Vincent plans to set the stage for their fight.

"I've had enough hunting for one day," Kit answers truthfully, but there's mischief in his voice mingling unabashedly with even more humor. "Of course, if you think you can lose me, you're welcome to try."

But he seems to recall Vincent describing him as impossible to get rid of...which is precisely why the curve of his lips is so smug. Almost daring Vincent to try, and at the same time, almost hoping that he won't. While a chase has a certain appeal, it will without question diminish their stamina and lower their ability to perform once they arrive at their destination.

And that would be most disappointing.

It really is amazing how easily the tones of Kit's amusement can settle his companion's disposition. A dare like that would typically have flared his temper almost immediately, resulting in his breaking into a sprint wordlessly at best. Instead Vincent merely shakes his head, letting out a noise that sounds faintly admonishing.

"As if I'd fall for something so obviously. You're not ducking out that easily." What better way to meet that smug grin than by spinning his own words back around to make his companion appear to be a coward? He wasn't willing to allow them to tax themselves unnecessarily before the fight, but such an annoying challenge couldn't go without comment.

i've never heard of that, is it a noncanon light novel?

yeah that's what i thought

be careful or i can start talking about all the things that don't make sense between yomi and kurama

as a jojo's fan i have to be able to laugh at shit that doesn't make sense

BUT IT'S NOT BOWL OF RAMEN IN A SHEET OF PAPER KIND OF NONSENSICAL

as if that's the only nonsensical araki does tho

i don't want to talk about weather report

i can't tell if you sound more salty or wounded

the answer is both. always both.

of course, how could i forget

HE WAS MY FAVORITE AND NOW I CAN'T EVEN LOOK AT HIM ;A;

stone ocean is kinda like that as a whole, isn't it

so much potential and amazing characters, flushed down the cosmic universe reset toilet...

jojos go down the hole

and shitty jojos come back out

at least we got dio eating rocks

and then getting super shafted after unnecessarily killing one of my favorite characters

stop liking the wrong people then

DID YOU MEAN 'EVERYONE IN SBR WHO ISN'T JOHNNY'???

👉φ

i don't understand what that's supposed to mean

it's obviously johnny's hand + the symbol for the golden ratio

oh did you mean the hand that shot Valentine for no particularly good reason???

i think the dead sea needs its salt back

what the fuck has the dead sea ever done for anyone