revenance_rpg | Paranoia

Entry tags:

Paranoia

Who: Emizel [Open]
What: Ever had those nights where you just can't sleep?
Where: Traverse Town
When: At least sometime after the Twilight Town incident
Warnings: Paranoid demon, do not frighten

Moxie was getting more and more worried about his person. More often now Emizel had been tossing around in bed. A few time he's woken up shaking. It was pretty bad, but there was nothing the Meow Wow knew what to do. Sometimes just waiting there to be patted helped calm Emizel down but now, even that was only going so far.

"....Let's go outside," he sounded so tired, so strained by the constant nightmares, but he was also so tired trying to fight them. If he stopped thinking about them they might leave him alone for awhile and a change of scenery may make it go easier.

That was the plan, but the execution couldn't possibly be more opposite.

Val flew overhead like usual while Moxie follow on foot a little ways behind. Even out in the streets, Emizel did not look so good. He kept his head down, and he clung to his staff like it was some sort of security blanket. Then again in the dreams it was the only thing he had to defend himself with, even though it never did him any good at the end when he always died anyway. Someone self-righteous, always immuned to his magic, usually they would say some lines about banishing the darkness and then he was gone in one hit.

But that was only in the dream, that wasn't here. Nobody could be that powerful and Emizel knew he wasn't really that weak either (and the energy was still fine, for now). It was just a dream, he had to snap out of it.

Snap out of it, calm down, think of something else. That's why he was here, after all.

Yeah, maybe he can do this, maybe this was--no, what was that?

Emizel froze. A black shadow just swallowed all the light around him. Whatever caused this had to be huge, and it was standing right behind his back. It was going to attack.

"NOO, don't hurt me!!" without another moment to waste, Emizel struck his invisible enemy first with a full on fire spell. Val had no idea what was even going on, but he was just lucky enough to dodge the fireball with a nifty little twirl and still having time to watch the fire smash into the lamppost. It sure made a lovely show of sparks and raining glass...too bad the lamp will never be functional again.

Val chirped and landed on Emizel's head. That was fun, let's do it again!

"O-oh...no..." that's the second thing Emizel had utterly decimated with fire. Everybody is going to get really pissed at him doing that if they weren't already. Not good. Not goooood.

If he ran now, maybe no one would know it was him.

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Emizel wasn't the only one walking the night, running from the dreams. While Emi's were getting more and more tiring and disheartening, though, Soma's were just... weird. That was really the only word for it. And he, at least, had help, even if that help came from an unlikely source.

Anyway, when Emi cut loose with that firestorm, Soma saw it from a rooftop halfway across town, where he had been once again chasing that elusive shadow he'd seen before. A blaze that big could only mean trouble, no matter its cause, so he swore internally and changed course, clearing several buildings with a panther-backed double jump along the way.

All of which is just a complicated way of saying that when the flames died, Emizel had an observer. "That's one lamp that will never threaten anyone again," he said solemnly from the relative safety of an overlooking rooftop. There was very little of humor in his voice, and if the perpetual night of this world weren't hiding it quite so well, one could tell that he was even paler than usual. He had heard the scream, and had a pretty good idea what was going on here. "If you run now, you'll never stop," he said, dropping from the rooftop to the sidewalk (a four story drop, not that it mattered particularly).

He heard the voice, he recognized the voice, but none of that actually mattered to him anymore. Sorry Soma, the nightmare had a pretty tight grip on him now.

"N-no..no no no, I didn't do anything," it was just an accident, alright? Although if he did ran, maybe he won't need to run far. There was plenty of areas he might be able to hide in.

...Yeah, ignoring that warning. Running it is. Except for the Spirits anyway, they stayed behind. Mostly because they had no idea where he was going or why... Moxie did bark to try to get him to stop though.

Yeah, see, that kind of solution only works when the person you're trying to run from is not A: faster than you, and B: able to stop time. Though to be fair, Soma did have a large - one might go so far as to say huge - demon kill count. He hadn't told anyone just how large, though, and certainly not Emizel.

Really, he had several options here. He could use a panther charge to catch up to, pass, and then physically catch Emizel. He could stop time and just walk up to grab him. He could give chase on foot, and trust his instincts and the combined team of spirits to help. Or he could walk away. ...okay, yeah, that last one wasn't gonna happen.

Stopping time could prove problematic - stronger opponents were immune to it, and intermediate ones were resistant. Emizel certainly qualified as an intermediate, and possibly even a strong one. He was Death, after all, even if he was also currently a scared child.

Black Panther was similarly ridden with problems. Sure, it would work - but the shockwave might cause Emi harm if he got too close, and that was the very last thing he wanted to do right now. Arachne was also out; he wanted to catch the demon, not take him down.

So a footrace it was going to be... but that didn't mean he couldn't cheat a little. "Guys, follow me, but stay out of my way. If he takes sudden turns, spot for me. I don't want to hurt him, but I may have to knock him down at the end." Orders issued - both to his own spirits and to Emizel's - he gave chase, rifling through his mental list of abilities as he ran. One of them called out to him, and he grinned a humorless grin. This was going to take timing...

Moxie felt strange taking orders from somebody else, just as he felt strange having to chase down his own person like this. It wasn't quite right, and somebody was probably going to get hurt.

At least Emizel couldn't really get far at all, too tired to. But as luck would have it there was some crates at his side, with just enough space in the back to sit behind. He just needed to climb over them first, anyway. Easier said than done when your mind was in full panic mode.

He got some cuts while getting into his hiding spot, but he did feel safer...for now. When people stopped looking for him, it should be okay to come out again.

...Yeah, you're not fooling anyone here, shorty. Between four spirits (two of them your own) and a demi-vampire whose senses are already keyed up, you might have gotten away by sidestepping into another dimension. Hiding behind a box, though? No, not gonna work.

To his credit, Soma did not immediately drag away the cover. If he felt safer in there - for whatever reason - then so be it. "I just want to talk, Emizel. You know me, I'm not going to hurt you. Let me help you."

He put Option B on hold, for the moment. What he had in mind wasn't going to be easy or particularly fun - it might get his fool head knocked off, if he wasn't careful. But it was the only way he could think of to stop him if he ran again.

Yes...well...it did feel like good thing at the time. Can't loose too much credit for at least trying. Although as long as it was fulfilling its role in creating a space between him and the outside, it was being successful. Open areas made him feel too vulnerable at the moment.

"...I might break something again."

...Was that all he was afraid of? Somehow, Soma doubted it, but... "Everyone does, sometimes, especially when something's really messing with the way their mind works. Any number of drunks would agree. And since I really doubt you've been hitting the sake, there's nothing to be ashamed or afraid of here."

He wasn't going to tell Emi just yet how close both he and Jeeves had gotten to being stabbed to a very close approximation of death when they woke him up a few days prior. He knew full well that these dreams could unhinge someone.

Soma's spirits had taken up a watchful, wary distanc--okay, no, they were fluttering about right alongside Emi's pair, trying to figure out between them how best to glomp the mini-reaper. Give 'em a minute, they'll come up with something.

This was kind of helping. Emizel was feeling a little less scared, just depressed now.

"It's getting worse," if these nightmares don't go away soon, he may just go insane.

The Spirits can go ahead and debate about it all they want, Moxie was already working on that plan on his own. He can't flutter, but he can paw at the box. If Emizel can get around them somehow, then he figured he can too.

Edited 2014-02-19 05:05 (UTC)

Instead of responding immediately, Soma sat down on the other side of Emi's cover box, drawing his knees up close to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. "Mine, too. I think I know why, but that doesn't help much." He sighed, briefly resting his head on his knees, and then went on, "It may be for the best if everyone starts keeping someone else around when they sleep. Especially people like us." No, Emi isn't the only one to have lashed out and 'broken' something.

Tepes and Yoko are, meanwhile, beginning to hatch a plan. Unfortunately, that plan involves airlifting Moxie and using him as a fluffy bunker buster - a plan which he might well take exception to, if he figures it out before they execute.

Actually the Spirits may not need to do anything. In a few seconds the tiny reaper was about to stand up from his little corner and possibly peer over the box.

Nothing was said, but it is a start.

"Last time I woke up from one of these, the room was full of plushies. Living ones," he said, then sighed again. "If it had been fire, or lightning, or something worse - if I'd transformed, for example - there might have been a lot of innocent people hurt. Maybe killed."

And he might not be himself anymore, either. There was always going to be that possibility, though at least Dracula wasn't actively trying to take control.

Though their plan might be foiled by circumstance, Tepes and Yoko may still attempt to lift Moxie, just for fun and to see if they can do it. Which may come in handy later, if they can pull it off.

"...So basically you want me to attack somebody in my room instead," this...maybe didn't seem so great after all.

Moxie was a little unsure why his hind legs suddenly weren't touching anything. Flailflailflail

"No. I want to prevent it altogether." He sighed, shook his head, and went on, "The idea is to have someone on hand who can calm you down if you lose it, or stop you if they can't. And no, I don't mean by hurting you - I can stop time, freeze you in stone, or bind you in web if need be, without scratching you. And those are just examples. But what I really want to try is actually fighting the nightmare, which is something I've had a little success at." Mostly because he wasn't the only one in his head.

Pilot to bombardier, pilot to bombardier, payload is squirming, repeat, payload is squirming. Please advise, over.

Yeah, none of those examples really sound pleasant, harmless or no. Bad enough his visions already involve him being helpless.

"Somehow, that seems even more terrifying."

Annnnd now all paws are off the ground. Oh dear. Squirming in done, now he's pretty much just floating there, confused.

"Facing your fears always is. Remember, I started out human - even worse, an albino, which means I had a lot of health problems. I was always weak, always the one who had to be protected. In the waking world? I'd only had this power for about a day before I wound up here."

And yes - that did mean he'd kind of went mad with it. An ordinary, even sickly, person does not mow down an entire legion of demons and monsters without earning some scars along the way. But now was really not the time to talk about that.

"My point is, I've been there. I know what it feels like, and I'd like to help, if you'll let me." He stood up and offered his hand. "You're the closest thing I have to a friend in this world, Emizel - more than that, you're almost a brother to me. Let me help you."

...Meanwhile, Yoko and Tepes are now trying to get up some momentum with their payload. Their target is aaaaall the way on the other side of that box, after all! This requires dashing - it requires daring - it requires an airlifted Spirit being brought to the rescue!

Edited 2014-03-01 11:33 (UTC)

Flustered little demon indeed. In no way he could be somebody's brother, that's just...silly, someone had to be crazy if they seriously wanted that. Something about getting those powers also didn't make sense now either. He only had them for a day? No friggin' way.

"What the-" why is his Meow Wow flying...

Moxie's paws dangled around when they got closer. Hi Emi hiiiiii~

His Meow Wow is flying because it's about to be dropped on him. Oh, hey, you might wanna catch him, Emi.

Soma, meanwhile, is just now noticing this, and facepalming. Hard. "What am I going to do with you two?" he asked, fighting back a laugh. It wouldn't help things if he let it out now, it might actually cause more harm.

Nothing is ever safe from cuddle carpet bombs. Nothing.

Also, it doesn't help when said thing is almost as big as you were. It's a good thing Emizel is pretty well used to having a Meow Wow on top of him by now.

"F..fine! I'll go back. I'll--" it seems like Moxie cared less if Emizel went back to bed or not. Now was attention time.

Fighting a laugh is one thing. Fighting a smile and a fit of the giggles at the same time is another, a battle Soma is destined to lose at least half of. He chokes back a snort of laughter and picks Moxie up by the scruff of her... lack of a neck? "Okay, you lot have had your fun. You can continue when we get back to the hotel."

For tonight, he'd watch over Emi's dreams personally. A dreamless sleep potion would help matters; thankfully it was a simple, quick brew to make, and he already had a couple made up for himself. Tasted a bit like a strong, sweet mint tea, for which he was grateful - the vast majority of the other potions he'd managed to brew under Dracula's guidance were markedly less palatable.

[OOC: I think we can call this a wrap at this point, that work for you?]

((Could try a time skip, see how far it goes XD; ))

Getting back to the hotel was simple, although Emizel would not be so sure about trying out potions; ones of that kind anyway. Not that he would have any other solutions either. He was beyond worn out, deprived, yet sleep itself probably wouldn't come easily. Too much bad happens every time he tries. Perhaps it won't be that hard to convince him though.

In the mean time, you do realize Soma that once Emizel goes to bed, you will be left with a ton to Spirits. Alone. With no one else to prey--I mean accompany them. No one else has ever stayed with them this late.... Come to think of it, this is the first some one different had been inside the hotel room at all.

Emizel wasn't the only one worried about the dreams. Xion was out and about as well, and as soon as she saw the fire, she hurried over to check out the situation.

(not as silly as one might think, given that she knew fire magic herself and experience had taught her that where there was fire, there were often Heartless or Nightmares to be dealt with.)

By the time she arrived, the fire was already out, but just in case someone needed healing, she'd called Blossom out. The Wheeflower was ready with her Cure magic, and Pooh was ready to carry anyone who needed carrying.

Fortunately, it looked like neither of them would be needed. There was just one person standing near the now-ruined lamppost. "Emizel?"

Well, she'd known he was good with fire magic.

Well now, that's sure someone he hadn't seen for a number of weeks. Err, heard anyway.

Emizel pretty much stood there like a deer caught in headlights when he saw where the voice came from. No notion that he was going to try to take off....yet. But still very worried about his well being in this case.

After all, Xion wasn't one that would try to harm him, right?

It really had been a while since they'd seen each other. While it was good to see Emizel again, Xion was concerned and it probably showed on her face.

At least he wasn't running, which gave her time for at least one question. "What happened? It doesn't look like Nightmares were here..."

If it had been Nightmares, Emizel would be picking up the items left. No, Xion wouldn't hurt Emizel, but she did want to know what was going on.

That's probably because there were never any Nightmares here to begin with.

"I..." he was backing up. Perhaps afraid, perhaps embarrassed, perhaps worried what he might do next.

Well, Xion didn't know that yet.

Backing up wasn't good, though. She didn't want to chase Emizel if she didn't have to.

"You?" Xion made the word a question, trying to encourage him to elaborate.

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Paranoia

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The feels, prepare for them.

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Needs moar happyish icons. DX

/pats

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sorry so late, and so short. -_-;;;

<3

XD

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