It's always said you never want to meet anyone down a dark alley at night...

[1andnotthesame.livejournal.com]

[And this dark alley certainly has an occupant you don't want to meet. Then again, the alley itself seems to be something you don't really want to walk down. It's...darker than normal, despite it being day time and...if you look closely, there's a glint of silver. Those who harbor particularly painful memories might feel something beckoning them, asking them to come closer, if they're paranoid enough or spiritually aware...

Down the ally is Ryuusei-or, as it is, the empty shell of Ryuusei in Mallki's possession-pacing and smirking to himself. It wouldn't be long now until he could finally summon his body-his newest catch had quite the...interesting array of painful memories, worse than most and made quite the interesting meal...

He glances up at the largest pod of his collection, which holds the other half of his host, and for the briefest moment, Ryuusei surfaces again as that odd combination of lies and slander that make up his "personality" seems to click upon seeing him.]

See...you're safe here. No one will kill you here, like that Jack tried to. You won't be hurt any more, by anyone.

...I...I feel everyone's pain here...it...it hurts...

[At that, Ryuusei's eyes almost-almost-soften, but then, it seems that his shell of a body is empty again and his eyes are once more a glowing purple.]

Tch! What a troublesome combination you make, host!

[Truly, this combination of lying to everyone, including itself, lead to a stubbornness that, while inefficient on its own, could certainly keep him back with the more stable determination of the other half. Even imprisoned, he had a large enough influence on his half of the host to cause a change of...well, not heart...more like...intentions.

Still, as long as he could collect enough misery and despair from the human souls he acquired, he could summon his true body forth, and make his position secure. As long as his body was intangible like this, it was still all too possible to inflict physical injury on his hosts...like that one time that Kiryuu managed to nearly cleave off the head of one of his halves-that was an outcome that was undesirable. However, collecting that one soul, the one that had a particularly close bond with his host and so was far more easier to channel...this was a large step in the right direction.

Soon, he could plant his roots into the earth again, and drain it of life. It was only a matter of time.]

[[ooc: So, this is the lets-try-to-force-the-treegod-back thread, for anyone to come in. As Mallki's thoughts imply, Yuusei's body at the back of the alley is the key to this-whether you wake him or kill him is up to you. Also, Mallki's managed to collect a few NPC victims and actual player's characters (with permission) and they can threadjack your character should you choose to send them down THE DARK ALLEY (unless you don't want your character to deal with player controlled zombies, which you can let us know when you post). I have a question post on the twin's journal from last time something like this happened so if you have any questions you can either post there or IM me.]]

Comments

[nesubityatem.livejournal.com]

[Atem is out in Satellite again, searching for the same person as usual although this time he's considerably more concerned. Yusei was not the type to go back on his word but he never showed up at the castle the other night. More worrisome still is that the link he shares with the chimera, that invisible thread tying them together, it's gone almost completely quiet. The pharaoh had never been acutely aware of it before but now that's it's gone the silence is powerful and foreboding.

Now it's the last vestiges of their connection that's guiding him through the empty streets, following it like smoke on the wind and filling in the blanks with pure intuition.

When he comes upon that alley, he might not have any particularly painful memories to conjure up but it beckons to him all the same because of what's inside. It's wrapped in a dark mantel, clearly unnatural and common sense is screaming at him to turn back and forget he ever saw this place. There's no doubt that he's close now. He knows beyond all doubt that that whatever is waiting for him at the end of this, even along the way, will be anything but pleasant but he's determined and he doesn't show any fear.]

[1andnotthesame.livejournal.com]

[A silver root, hanging from one of its crevices in the wall, seems to lift itself up and look at you, despite the lack of eyes.

Near the end of the alley-which isn't any longer than a normal one, it's just that the darkness makes it seem to be so long-Mallki chuckles. It was so easy to manipulate the bonds of others, and his newest capture was no exception. Already he was luring someone who he held close to his heart-simply because of the bond they shared.

This would prove to be interesting.]

[nesubityatem.livejournal.com]

[An involuntary shudder runs through Atem when the root moves and he eyes it warily, the dread compounding. He almost hesitates when he spots something else just passed it and he reasons that it's worth investigating. Drawing himself up, the pharaoh makes his way into the alley, staying particularly alert for any changes in the surroundings.]

[1andnotthesame.livejournal.com]

[The alley is dark-darker than night, which it shouldn't be, considering that it's daytime outside. The walls are laden with spectral roots just like the one that moved, so much so that the roots have interwoven to make a hanging ceiling. And around, seemingly echoing from the roots themselves, is the sound of multiple voices crying, moaning....

Further ahead, there seems to be not only roots, but translucent pods fastened into the walls and ceiling and floor-and they're holding something-it's hard to tell what, though from this distance.

And at the very end, a flash of purple-two eyes?-that blink before fading away with a soft, dark chuckle.]

[nesubityatem.livejournal.com]

[Atem still approaches in spite of the abnormality of it all. He's searching the voices, trying to hear something familiar in one of them to give him a sign, although he feels for all of them if they are indeed some kind of ethereal spirit of previous victims. Does that mean Yusei has also fallen like them? No doubt it's too late to turn back now and he has no intention of doing so in any case.

The eyes startle him initially but he soon fixes his face back into an impassive glare. Having nothing else to go on, his pace quickens as he heads deeper into the abyss, towards those strange pods.]

[voiceofspirits.livejournal.com]

[Ruka normally wouldn't be around a dangerous area like this, but she also doesn't know where any safer area is. Her mark is glowing brightly and soon she follows the source to the alleyway. Peeking from the side, she gasps at the horrific sight]

[1andnotthesame.livejournal.com]

[And one of the roots in the alleyway seems to react to you, pulling away somewhat. This was a Signer-but this was also someone that held a bond to the host...This could be an opportune meal, if he worked carefully enough. This required caution.]

[voiceofspirits.livejournal.com]

[She backs away far enough to not allow the roots to grab her. But still not running away, she knows there is something there that connects to her blessed powers]

[1andnotthesame.livejournal.com]

[There's an echoing laugh down the corridor, a dark sound that is empty and cold and contains nothing but sadistic amusement.]

Now, little Signer, what brings you here~?

[voiceofspirits.livejournal.com]

[Her voice is trembling slightly and concern]

Who are you? What have you done with the others?

Benji is totally incapable of saving anyone, but would you like to eat him? :D

[theuncagedbird.livejournal.com]

[Benji is roaming around as he is wont to do, and stops at the mouth of the alley. Having grown up fairly average most of his memories are bland enough that there's nothing horribly traumatizing to be dredged up (save for maybe the odd thing he's dealt with here) Even still, something makes him pause and blink curiously into the darkness.

You'd think a pop-culture junkie like him would have seen enough horror movies to know better, but then he also has that Crow tendancy to be a goddamn idiot. So he's inching closer.]

ilu immi <3

[1andnotthesame.livejournal.com]

[A root flickers up at you. You look like one of his hosts friends-but you don't seem to be rolling in despair-at least not yet...however. You are close enough to warrant an investigation-at the very least, you would be a more plentiful dinner than the robot like souls that make up the majority of his collection.]

<3~ any opportunity for further trauma for him I will take, you know this. XD

[theuncagedbird.livejournal.com]

[A... tentacle root? Okay, that's not normal. And despite the fact that the smart thing to do would be to run screaming in the oppposite direction, no one ever accused Benjamin Godwin of being anywhere remotely near smart. At least not in the common sense department. So of course he's coming even closer.]

<3~!

[1andnotthesame.livejournal.com]

[There's a laugh coming from the end of an alley and a flash of purple-eyes? Quite possibly. There's also something else...but it's hard to make out. A mark of some sort...

The alley is dark as night-and quite possibly darker-lit only by a mass of silver roots that dig into the walls and the ground and have woven themselves into a ceiling...

...the alley echoes with the sounds of crying...]

[theuncagedbird.livejournal.com]

[Crying? Is it a Witch? someone hurt down there? He's hesitating just inside the mouth of the alley now. Squinting into the darkness and totally oblivious to whatever danger he might currently be in, even if this does look like something out of a B-rate horror flick.]

H- hello? Is somebody in there?

[fledglingrose.livejournal.com]

[And all of a sudden, Aki's mark lights up, ever so brightly...]

!?

pfff you're horrible. :D Throwing a child in there...

[1andnotthesame.livejournal.com]

[If you try to follow the source, you'll find yourself just across from that alley...it's hanging with translucent silver roots, and looks darker than night...]

I know :D;;;

[fledglingrose.livejournal.com]

[Aki stands across the way from the alley, holding her burning arm, looking rather frightened. Why was her mark reacting like that...?]

We all are, aren't we. ^0^

[1andnotthesame.livejournal.com]

[There's a bit of a dark chuckling as one of the roots seemingly lifts itself up, as if looking straight at you.]

Re: We all are, aren't we. ^0^

[fledglingrose.livejournal.com]

[Aki's eyes widen at this, and she takes a step back.]

[spoilersitspdd.livejournal.com]

[For days now, PDD has been feeling a slow building of an all too familiar presence on the island. He knew that with the twins still around he would never be truly gone, but this is not merely the odd suppressed state that the two of them kept him in the majority of the time. This is far worse.

He's been looking for him for some time, but now his power has grown so arrogantly strong and PDD is close enough that even his dulled senses can pinpoint him.]

[And so Mallki will find a certain old friend slowly approaching the entrance to his alley, an air of composure only barely masking his rage and disgust.]

[1andnotthesame.livejournal.com]

[And at that, a low chuckle of amusement permeates the air beyond the alley. Mallki's doing his damned best to not show worry-but hell, any reasonable god would worry about their arch-nemesis coming to play when they still aren't at full strength.

Luckily, this god had its weaknesses from being in the human world so long. And he intended on exploiting them to their utmost limits.]

Well, hello~. Did you enjoy the present I left you?

[spoilersitspdd.livejournal.com]

[Crack crack, goes his composure.]

[1andnotthesame.livejournal.com]

Ah-ah-ah. Temper, temper, little dragon~. You really shouldn't lash out at others like that. It makes you look rather childish.

Besides, I, unlike you, seek out survival of myself, rather than destruction of another~~~...

Call it priorities.

Permission to ninja?

[fledglingrose.livejournal.com]

...

[She's still standing there, only this time, with the newcomer she feels...well, safer. Even though her mark was hurting even more than before.]