Dreamland (round 3)

[foundationmods]

[A strange house of some sort sits in the pitch black nothingness that exists around it. For those just now wandering in, they will be drawn to the building, finding it lit up in a way that it should not be. It's as if the whole area- house, yard, fence, and giant sakura tree- all give off their own light, and the newly-arrived are drawn to it like a moth to the flame.

Inside the boundary of the yard, the familiar faces of those who have passed on already will greet them. Depending on who is asked, they might give an accurate explanation. But even if they don't, one thing is clear: you don't want to leave this place. The area outside feels Dangerous, and it is probably best to stay put.

Fortunately, the house is built in an old style, and there are many rooms to explore. One room on the second floor seems locked, but the rest are open to explore as desired. The standard rooms are easy to find: kitchen, a W.C. and a bathroom, a sitting room of some sort, and a couple bedrooms (with plenty of futons for the dead to use). There are also several tatami mat rooms with nothing in them currently, but it seems like there might be some use for those rooms.

Around the house, perches for birds can be found. No birds are on them currently, though.

Sometimes Watanuki can be found in the house, but most of the time the dead will be left to their own devices. The question is, what will they do here?]

Comments

[anonnomnomnom]

[He's still pacing without stopping, because there's really just nowhere else to go, and there's very little he can safely take things out on in this dream. He knows that instinctively as well as logically. So he's been here turning around and around like a caged lion, unhappy restless energy thrumming all through him.

It's calmed a little by the time Natsuno arrives, and his shoulders relax just a little when he sees him.]

We'll know. But they-- [he looks down at his feet and seems to be trying to settle himself] I don't know. I'm not used to this.

[His huff of a sigh is controlled, but the aimless frustration of the statement really is aimed at a lot of things. Death. Having people to be angry over. Having nowhere to direct that anger.]

[sotoshini]

Me either. [ The frustration isn't the same but it's very much there—these kills didn't sit well with him but for entirely unselfish reasons for once. It's actually not a completely unfamiliar feeling, but it's one he still doesn't have a firm grasp of how to handle well. Nor is he really in a position to handle it immediately given the circumstances.

Last time this happened he just tortured several people to death, so his track record isn't exactly great. But it is a start, at least. ]

There's time before trial. Do you want to fight? I fed yesterday and Watanuki is fine with it as long as we don't break anything.

[anonnomnomnom]

[Natsuno is handling it just fine, judging by the way relief softens Anon's posture and his expression almost immediately -- he really is a creature of action first and foremost, and while he absolutely didn't handle the last time something like this happened especially well...

Having the ability to at least go somewhere and feel like he's moving rather than spinning in place is better than nothing. Bad things happen when he's cornered or trapped. Natsuno doesn't quite get a smile, but he does get a bright look and an emphatic nod.]

I'd like that, I think. Maybe not down here, though. We can both get up there now.

[He points up into the air, to the spot just above the rooftop and the cherry tree. It's perhaps a mark of how things are right now that he isn't suggesting a controlled spar in the yard. Control is a little frayed for that.]

[sotoshini]

[ That's all he needs to see and hear really. As long as he's working towards something in one way or another, it's enough. ]

Sure. I need more practice fighting in the air anyway. [ He'll take off and hold his position high enough that they shouldn't be in danger of wrecking the place. Given that he wasn't exactly around to help last time, he's fine with being the minder now if things start to get out of control. ]

[anonnomnomnom]

Yeah... so do I, actually.

[Anon will hop up after him, stepping lightly on the air -- he doesn't otherwise pull out any more shinigami abilities, though. He's fine with starting hand-to-hand at least; there's something grounding about it, and it isn't advisable to get too far outside the radius of the mansion anyway, apparently. There are lots of complicated little rules like that.

He doesn't start with anything too dramatic this time, just moving smoothly to put them through their paces with some basic jabs. How's Natsuno's maneuverability with those wings?]

... Nine-star Celestial Sacred Weapon. Seiku, the wings. I didn't have the chance to use it much yet.

[Instead, ironically, he gets to work out how to deal with someone winged instead.]

[foundfate]

Don't go too far up. If you get too far away from the shop, you'll get lost.

[He calls this out sleepily from his perch on a tree root.]

[sotoshini]

[ He's not usually too showy, but Natsuno's been using his wings pretty freely this week. There's still a lot he has to learn about them, but forest adventure last night helped a fair bit. Which is to say he's mostly able to handle the weaving in and out, though sometimes he overcompensates or doesn't move quite fast enough; but for the most part he's able to hold his own. About the biggest difference between the last time they fought is how sturdy Natsuno feels even if he still looks as noodley as ever. His hardiness and regeneration is still his strongest asset, even with his new demon powers. ]

Then I'll have to make sure to fix that. [ He'll take the next chance to do a fly by diving kick that channels all of his now substantial speed into the charge. And in the interim he'll make use of one of his other powers too. ]

Got it boss. [ That's not shouted but telepathically thrown out there, ty jinrou abilities. ]

[anonnomnomnom]

[Meantime, Anon is learning the ins-and-outs of air walking on the fly -- that is to say, he starts out at what's a moderate speed for him, dancing around and responding to the trajectories and intricacies of Natsuno's flight and watching for patterns.

Then he starts speeding up.

There's no flash step or fancy footwork at this point, because he's still warming up, but his mouth does curl a little at a corner, baring teeth as he executes a dodge for that kick -- by spontaneously dropping several feet in midair and then kicking off of midair below as well.

Hey Natsuno, how do you feel about a tackle from literally straight below--]

[sotoshini]

[ This isn't how gravity is supposed to work. But it's fine really, though he's aware that there's no ground to stop them. He'll flare his wings to slow down the ascent as much as he can and in the process try to effectively perform a barrel roll midair.

There's a grin of his own despite his position, it's effortless because stamina is something else he has a lot of now. And he's come to realize that both letting go and taking everything that comes at him is a lot of fun. ]

[anonnomnomnom]

[Gravity is but a plaything when you're dead, but also dead in a fancy way in a fancy dream shop. Anon flashes him a pleased look when his tackle whistles past, red and sharp and ruffling the pinions of Natsuno's wings before he also just bounces off the sky and does a backwards flip to the side.

Now it's time for some fancy footwork and a little acrobatics. Natsuno may recognize this move, just a touch of it, except now it's in full technicolor 3D as Anon bounces again off the air to the side and comes pelting back at him for a shoulder slam.]

[sotoshini]

[ The callback is a welcome one, even if everything is in full technicolor 3D now and in complete defiance of gravity. Like before he makes an effort to dodge the tackle, but he can't quite adjust his angle in time because of his wings. It's a direct hit, but it just makes Natsuno grin wider even as he instinctively winces a little. ]

If you make an ocean to throw me in, I'll be really impressed. [ He'll ride this momentum for now and see how to best counter when he sees what Anon's next move is. ]