Let's not dwell on the past. We're in this together now.
[but as he says those words, he does remember flashes of something. a room full of screaming people, the flash of knives, the smell of blood and pain, a noose around his neck. he remembers a woman who was present for all of it, the intensity of her gaze. he doesn't know if he even heard her voice, but he feels he knows the voice belongs to this woman.]
No. None of them are special like you are. We need each other.
[that's fine. he can walk back to the tree. her voice is calm, but he has the sense she does not want him to do that. but the tree is still there. it still hurts to look at.
he looks at it and he remembers. gojo didn't die. he had your hands around gojo's neck, but he got away. but he remembers the look of horror and regret on gojo's face as it dawned on him what his friend had become.]
[ Growing stronger means more weight, more burden, and more violence.
And maybe infinite power is the only way to finally escape the cycle of violence, but that kind of strength doesn't come to everyone. There's only a few that reach the peak.
If you don't want my help, then you won't have it.
[that power he felt he had dissipates. he's alone at the base of this tree, and he's powerless. but the voice in his head has gone silent. what does he want to try to do next?]
[ ... Wow! Okay. He blinks, looking around in surprise. Being powerless kind of sucks, but he doesn't mind the quiet in his head. ]
Okay...
[ He gets up again, and remembers how those first villagers mentioned being saved by heroes. So he'll... just slink around the alleys and see if he can hear anything that mentions them. ]
[yes, he can. the villagers seem to be celebrating. it seems the city was under the control for many years of Lord and Lady Briarwood, a nasty vampire lord and his hot necromancer wife. but a hero named Gojo Satoro appeared and saved him, and now they've made him the Lord of Whitestone and are cleaning the streets of monsters in his honor.]
[ This sounds pretty typical for Satoru, to just show up and save the day with his immense power. He hasn't forgotten the memories that cut into his head, but... What else can he do?
He tries to keep a low profile as he makes his way toward the castle, presuming that's where the "Lord of Whitestone" would be. What's happening there? ]
[ He's just going to run for it!! If he can get them off his tail and hide in another alley, then he will, otherwise he'll just bolt out past the cities border to get away from them. ]
[sorry!!! this sucks, yeah. but he can go out to the woods and just be a monster there. one without cool powers. what will he do, anything in particular?
anywhere he goes, people will just try to drive him away. none of them are very strong, but they have numbers in their favor. they won't listen to reason. they won't just let him pass on by. they'll try to kill him, scream at him, throw things at him, try to set him on fire.
each time, there's a voice in his head, reminding him.
We can help each other. These people don't matter.]
[ He would rather stay in the city if he can, even if each interaction with the citizens grates at his nerves, and sends his temper flaring. But if there's no respite from the harassment—and this time, he keeps himself from attacking, not because he cares about their lives, but because it would only draw more attention to him—then he'll just leave, yeah.
And when he has a moment of peace, he'll press the knuckles of one of his hands to eyes in frustration. ]
No, no. Just the ones who bring it on themselves. Do you really think you deserve to be treated this way when we could be strong enough to defend ourselves?
[she just wants him to feed her a little bit of souls. yum yum.]
We're connected now, you and I. Your friend took my life, but I'm not ready to be finished yet. I'm still here because I exist in you. And you still live to have these conversations because I allow you to.
So you can kill me if you're willing to lose your own life in the process. Otherwise, I'll always be a part of you.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
[ His brows furrow as he tries to place the voice. ]
You... did you kill me?
no subject
[but as he says those words, he does remember flashes of something. a room full of screaming people, the flash of knives, the smell of blood and pain, a noose around his neck. he remembers a woman who was present for all of it, the intensity of her gaze. he doesn't know if he even heard her voice, but he feels he knows the voice belongs to this woman.]
no subject
So. I'm one of your monsters.
[ Another shackle. Another endless cycle of violence and consumption.
Opening his eyes again, he looks at the bodies around him and starts walking back toward the tree. ]
no subject
[that's fine. he can walk back to the tree. her voice is calm, but he has the sense she does not want him to do that. but the tree is still there. it still hurts to look at.
he looks at it and he remembers. gojo didn't die. he had your hands around gojo's neck, but he got away. but he remembers the look of horror and regret on gojo's face as it dawned on him what his friend had become.]
no subject
But also, a slight sense of relief. He might be alone, but at least he hadn't killed Satoru. ]
... What do you want?
[ He'll crouch by the tree, putting his face in his hands as he tries to sort out what he should do next. ]
no subject
[what he did before, the people he killed, fed her. but it did also give him more power.]
no subject
[ Growing stronger means more weight, more burden, and more violence.
And maybe infinite power is the only way to finally escape the cycle of violence, but that kind of strength doesn't come to everyone. There's only a few that reach the peak.
Most just die trying. ]
no subject
If you don't want my help, then you won't have it.
[that power he felt he had dissipates. he's alone at the base of this tree, and he's powerless. but the voice in his head has gone silent. what does he want to try to do next?]
no subject
Okay...
[ He gets up again, and remembers how those first villagers mentioned being saved by heroes. So he'll... just slink around the alleys and see if he can hear anything that mentions them. ]
no subject
no subject
He tries to keep a low profile as he makes his way toward the castle, presuming that's where the "Lord of Whitestone" would be. What's happening there? ]
no subject
Where do you think you're going? You're a monster. Are you here to hurt our hero?
no subject
no subject
no subject
anywhere he goes, people will just try to drive him away. none of them are very strong, but they have numbers in their favor. they won't listen to reason. they won't just let him pass on by. they'll try to kill him, scream at him, throw things at him, try to set him on fire.
each time, there's a voice in his head, reminding him.
We can help each other. These people don't matter.]
no subject
And when he has a moment of peace, he'll press the knuckles of one of his hands to eyes in frustration. ]
So what? You want me to just kill them all?
no subject
[she just wants him to feed her a little bit of souls. yum yum.]
no subject
... Who do you think deserves to die then?
no subject
no subject
[ philosophy time ]
no subject
no subject
And you? Should I let you live for turning me into a monster?
no subject
We're connected now, you and I. Your friend took my life, but I'm not ready to be finished yet. I'm still here because I exist in you. And you still live to have these conversations because I allow you to.
So you can kill me if you're willing to lose your own life in the process. Otherwise, I'll always be a part of you.
no subject
[ Since he doesn't have one. He'd tried feeling it more than once now. ]
So what, I'll die if you want me to? And if... I kill enough people, will you get out of me?
no subject
[ba-dum. ba-dum. ba-dum.]
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)