(no subject)

[ace_of_knaves]

Who: Joker + Open
When: Night of the 20th
Where: City-wide
Summary: The Joker is dead but not gone. He returns in the Darkness to destroy the island he feels has taken so much from him.
Warnings: Violence, possible character death, language



The war path started in sector five where a man had died, feeling alone and bitter. The massive creature bore the man's madness, anger, pain and despair and knew only one thing: Destruction. It thundered down the streets, its long tail lashing about behind it, its hideous, cackling cries echoing to the rooftops. Where it went it disturbed the other beasts and all over the island the Darkness was starting to act up and grow more violent.

The creature took no notice of the madness it produced. It had only one aim: The Core. It was making its way towards Sector Four to destroy the machine once and for all. For Batman's sake. Even in the Darkness, it was all still about Batman.

((OOC: OOC info on the event!. Threading format is "Tagger's Choice": Tag however you feel most comfortable. And feel free to NPC the monsters and civilians as you wish! People fighting Joker will be fighting him at the same time, so go ahead and tag each other. Also, if you'd like to play with one of the optional Core status ailments: Getting closer to the baseball diamond may make you feel queasy or uneasy as if the Pull has become a Push.))

Comments

[icy_heavens]

Some of that actually made sense, and he hated it. But only some of it.

"And when they're afraid of you when you haven't even done anything?" There was an extremely bitter edge to that question. That had been his life before his powers had developed. He'd never thought it made any sense.

His eyes were an uncommon colour, his gaze too intense. His hair shouldn't have been white at his age, they'd all said. And he never smiled. Surely that made him something inhuman and thus something to be feared. It was all so stupid. None of those things were even his fault. His colouration was what it was, and he was just someone not given to smiles.

It didn't make him a monster, or a freak. He was just himself. Most of Rukongai hadn't wanted to understand that.

His voice lost some of that bitterness, softened into something more reflective. "... The world needs more people who aren't that stupid."

More-so, now that she wasn't here anymore.

[cracked_container]

"Give them time, I guess." He shrugs at that, but he doesn't even consider making excuses or give defense to baseless fear. He falls silent at that, still alert to their surroundings but also... just considering the person before him.

A seventy-something year old man in a kid's body, a death god similar to the 07 Ghosts and yet... something about Hitsugaya reminds him of both Frau and Labrador. He was like a monolith that held a thin vein of vulnerability at the core.

He had a feeling they weren't just talking about the strangers they'd just helped anymore.

"...it's not easy to change. Believe me, I know. And sometimes people slip and fall back into old habits or thoughts and they have to dig their way back out but... if they see something enough, people will realize that you're not something to fear. Given enough time, I believe people will see you're someone that uses strength wisely."

Shrugging, he turned away and added with a simple, sincere honesty, "You kinda remind me of Frau because of that."

[icy_heavens]

"Gave them over thirty years."

And what was really sick was that some of the things they'd whispered about came true, in a way. There was talk about how he'd just hurt the people he was living with, and it turned out that he had. Accidentally, unknowingly, but he had.

But he pulled himself out of this and squared his shoulders a little. "Left people like that behind when I became shinigami, anyway."

And they'd been just fine with him leaving, no doubt.

He needed a break from this. He let his eyes slide closed so that he could focus on other senses, feel for ripples of negative reiatsu in the air. Fighting was so much easier than having to deal with the real world.

[cracked_container]

"They sound very... stubborn," deadpanned Teito. He watched Hitsugaya for one, unblinking moment, then asked curiously, "...can you sense them? These monsters? Is that why you became a...a shinigami?"

It would make a certain sense, if that were the case. And would probably be faster than even Mikhail's ability to show him the surrounding areas.

[icy_heavens]

Thirty years of just co-existing, only getting into fights if someone hit him, or slandered Hinamori or Granny first. Thirty years of adults refusing to so much as look at him, and other children running away if he looked in their direction. Nearly half of his damned life being treated -- by all but three people -- like he shouldn't even have existed.

It was better now, with the shinigami. He'd found a place with them. He was far more accepted there. He fit there.

"Sensing them came later." He wasn't about to go into the real reason. Even . . . Hinamori had only recently found that one out, when he'd been ill and delirious. "Three blocks west."

Have fun catching up, Teito. He was off into shunpo again.

[cracked_container]

Teito gave a slight hum of acknowledgement, opened his mouth - and then snapped it shut again when Hitsugaya disappeared. With the general direction given, he could follow, but then, if Hitsugaya wanted the company, he probably would have waited for him.

Thus, he gave a shrug, turned, and headed back towards the subway entrance.

It was better that he got back sooner, rather than later - He'd forgotten to tell Frau he was going to be late, which meant he was probably going to get the closest that Frau came to actually lecturing once he did get back.

Again.