victory_road | MR ARCEUS

I cannot. I don't know what this world is.

[He knows what it's not, at least, but that is probably shared knowledge. He just doesn't recognize the other demon or spot any familiar splashes of color. It's strange.]

What Tribe were you a part of? Or are you one who was cursed from the world outside the Junkyard?

[He'd shrug, if not for very contented dog on top of him.]

I am unharmed; I simply don't wish to cause her harm by lifting her off of me.

[Junkyard? Tribe? Riz can't say he's ever heard of anything like that. At least, not with the importance this guy seems to confer to the terms like they mean more than just a place where waste is stored and more than just a group of people.]

No tribe, and I've never heard of something called the Junkyard. People here get brought from all sorts of worlds. I'm from a place that probably looks nothing like the place you are from.

[Lupa tries to sit up and Houndoom lets him. Mostly. She's still leaning very heavily against him. It's a sign of her love.]

Are demons... a natural occurrence in your world rather than a result of the Atma Virus? I have never encountered one that was not changed and cursed like we were in the Junkyard.

[Still assuming demon here, because that's his sole reference for non-humans at the moment.]

Atma Virus?

[Not another virus, damnit. Isn't having to deal with one blood curse enough?]

We got demons, but nobody becomes a demon because of some virus. Some people become demons after they die, but only if they lived an evil life. Not every demon was a person though. I think they can also just create... new demons?

[... do demons reproduce like people. Riz doesn't want to think about it.]

[Lupa nods seriously, and shifts so that the black mark on his bare stomach is visible. From a distance, it only looks mildly sinister, like a combination of lava or a volcano and three gaping maws. Up close, the black is cracked and rough, blistered up like a burn, or buckled like lava when the top is cooling faster than beneath even if the skin around it is perfectly normal. There's a faint red glow somehow emanating from within that blackness for a moment, making it look even more like lava.]

There was light, leaving glowing trails through the sky. It sought us all out, piercing us, and when we had control of ourselves again, we each were branded where it struck. Later we learned it was the Atma Virus, and everyone in the Junkyard was transformed into demons because of it. I also know that the virus was used to transform humans outside of the Junkyard into demons as well.

[After that explanation, Lupa studies Riz for a moment.]

Are you something other than a demon? Your words imply that, but I have no memory of anything not either human or demon.

I'm definitely not a demon.

[Like, maybe not all demons are completely horrendous -- Fabian's dad is okay half of the time when he isn't completely insane -- but broadly speaking, they sure aren't good people and Riz definitely isn't the sort to go around torturing and fucking with people for the fun of it.]

I'm a Goblin. I'm guessing you are from a world that doesn't have them, but they are pretty common where I am from.

[Well, not exactly where he is from. Elmville is pretty lacking in Goblins. But generally speaking, they exist plentifully in the world of Spyre.]

[Lupa shakes his head.]

We do not. If they exist in the world outside the Junkyard, I would have guessed brute or fiend class.

[After a moment he adds, helpfully.] My own demon avatar, Cerberus, is considered asura class. There are many classes, and asura class is generally considered one of the strongest. The closest I have to a weakness is ice, and even mad I can counter physical skills and all but null guns. You may need to pass that information on to others.

[This guy is immune to guns? All guns or just non-magical ones? Not that Riz has his gun here, but as a general rule, he doesn't like things that he cannot shoot. Even if he is not currently interested in shooting said entity, it's nice to have the option!!]

You know, it's probably not a good idea to talk about your weaknesses so openly. Just FYI.

[Riz lets out a huffed breath.]

Though I guess it doesn't matter. Normally, nobody in this world has powers. Or guns. You've come here at a weird time.

When I go Mad, someone will need to kill me in order to protect everyone else here. I will be unable to tell anyone how to do it with the fewest casualties then. It took a team of three of the best warriors I know of to kill me last time.

Even one more death, even injury, is too much. It might be better to get it done now, when I'll be able to control myself into not lashing out for most of the process. Avoid fire; it will heal me.

[Lupa speaks like it's not a hypothetical, but rather something that is going to happen, and sooner rather than later. The latter statement does make him pause.]

If that is true, how long will this time with powers active last?

Usually, it's just two to three days.

[Riz has his own theories as to what causes this whole thing, theories involving whoever is in charge of this world and bringing them periodically needing to renew whatever magic it is that normally keeps them humanised and powerless. That would explain why it happens with some regularity.

He hasn't yet figured out why that also means more people than regular show up, but the theory is still a work in progress, okay!]

Okay, first of all, if you were going crazy and killing people, I'd find a way to kill you, even without you dropping your weaknesses.

[Riz isn't trying to brag or threaten. To him, this is just a natural conclusion. If someone was here being a danger to others, Riz would work his hardest to put a stop to that. He might not enjoy this world very much, and he thinks most of the people brought here lack common sense to the extremest, but that still doesn't mean he's going to let anyone threaten them.]

Second, what do you mean by mad? You are making it sound like something more than just getting angry.

Good.

[Lupa seems... well, not pleased, but almost relieved at the statement.]

It would also be best to gather others to help. Demons are very difficult to kill.

[Lupa looks away, and his voice is weighed down and filled with guilt.]

The Hunger eats at me and my control even now. I am resisting, but eventually it will overwhelm me. I will cease to recognize comrades or... innocents? I believe that is the best word. The only thing that matters within the Madness is Hunger and the need to destroy. The only thing that will bring someone's mind back temporarily is being mortally wounded and on the verge of death. The memories are muddled, as if seen and heard from a distance while under water but I remember killing my own men who should have been able to trust me. I should have been protecting them. I will carry that guilt on myself for as long as I exist.

Never again. If I could do enough damage to myself to insure my death right now, I would.

[Riz cocks his head, one of his big ears twitching upwards. His brows are knit above his big, slitted eyes as he commits every bit of information this man is giving out to memory. It might not ever come in use, but it's better to know something and not use it, than to be ignorant. Later on, Riz'll jot down notes about this conversation in one of his many notebooks.]

So it's like a Vampire's bloodlust? Or a werewolf under the full moon?

I don't know.

[Lupa shrugs. The words are familiar in a vague way, but neither of those things existed in the Junkyard. Not under those names at least.]

There was no moon in the Junkyard. Solar noise does have its effects, however.

It is possible for the Hunger to be kept at bay, but I won't devour others. Sera could also assist with the Hunger, but she is not here.

[That sounds like a vampire's bloodlust to Riz. Going mad from not eating. Which shouldn't normally be a concern here, not when they are all forced into human forms, but it might pose a concern turning times like this.]

How long can you go before you start feeling the hunger? And what did this Sera to help you?

[Maybe what she does can be replicated somehow? There are many people with powers during these weekends. Or perhaps it is like a vampire, where a willing donor of some blood can stave off the worst of it.]

The Hunger is least painful and pressing the moment after devouring, but it never leaves. I lasted several days before the Madness took me before. Other factors, like how often I transform or use Mantra, may change the timeline.

[Lupa looks sad, almost.] And it was singing, but I believe that was merely the way she channelled her powers as Cyber Shaman. There was no one else who could directly act upon data the way she could.

If it normally takes a few days, you'll probably be fine here. Even times like this, when everybody is back to normal, never last more than three days tops.

What do you mean exactly with Mantra and transform though?

[Okay. Singing. Riz, for the record, doesn't sing. And if he did, absolutely nobody would be calmed down by it. It does make him wonder though if this Sera was some sort of bard. Bards had some calm emotions spells, right?]

That information is comforting.

[Lupa frowns and then gestures to his stomach. There's a mark there, so very black, and looking almost like a fresh burn. A red glow seeps out of it for a moment.]

This Brand is called Lavaflow. Because of it, I can transform into a demon. My demon avatar is Cerberus.

[The Houndoom boofs happily.]

...she seems to think it is her name too.

MR ARCEUS

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

CW: talking about/asking for death

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject