The Dark King Cometh

Rank: Newcomer Housing: K-9 Affiliated with Mardochaidos.

[childofthewesternarmy-blog]

floweringpacifist:

"Y-Yes, sir." Atlus blinked, a little surprised to hear it, but something of a bud of confidence grew in him. He had a knack for taking insults as life lessons a little too quickly. I suppose he cares enough to correct me… and not to stab me, anymore…

"A-All I said was that her name is short for, uhm… Veronica. It’s a flower…" This is so embarrassing to say out loud… "She glows about the same color as one of the shades that flower grows in… so I thought it was, ah… fitting."

"But you’re right. Things really are strange here…" I don’t think Vera is possessed… is she? He looked over at her, and she started bouncing up and down in the air, fluttering her wings faster. She’s just a little… restless. "And, ah… as for talking animals… have you met Red, my roommate? He’s… a talking dog." Atlus laughed slightly. "So you… you’re right. Everything here is beyond my imagination…"

"If that's supposed to be some sort of joke, it is not amusing. Do not take me for a fool."

[childofthewesternarmy-blog]

floweringpacifist:

"Well, yes… if I’m wounded, she usually tries to fix it. I’m not sure exactly how. It must be some kind of magic"

"Her, ah… her name is Vera." He pauses. "It’s… it’s short for Veronica.”

"Speak up. If you're a man, talk like one. No one should have to ask after your muttering." He plucked Vera from his shoulder and gave her a cursory glance before casually lobbing her back toward her master.

"Nothing in this gods-forsaken realm makes sense. Unending sunlight, possessed trinkets... I imagine animals will speak next."

[childofthewesternarmy-blog]

floweringpacifist:

"Ah… she’s… she’s a sprite…" Is he angry…? I can’t tell, but…

Vera perched on Mitsunari’s shoulder, her wings flitting more gently. 

"I-I’m so sorry she bumped into you. She’s very excitable… uhm, but… she has healing powers for small wounds. And seems very attracted to strangers… she loves people a little too much…"

"What are you talking about? This... thing is able to heal wounds? How?"

[propheticphoebus]

♫ Wow. It's hot. | Mitsunari

[childofthewesternarmy-blog]

propheticphoebus:

When the sun refuses to set, any god who bears a strong correlation with said celestial body has a lot to consider — namely whether or not the phenomenon has anything to do with his awakening on some random city’s shorelines. Apollon is so utterly cowed by the realization that he barely registers the sound of a voice calling out to him; gradually his mind begins switching gears, until he finally turns to face the stranger, his vision temporarily pockmarked by the glare from the UV rays.

Even with blind-spots plaguing his sight, the Greek deity knows this person to be less than thrilled by the thick, sizzling heat. What would be a smile in greeting twists into a stiff pout once he fully registers the man’s grumpiness, his bare shoulders squaring off huffily. This place (wherever it may be) has given him a terrible welcome so far, and apparently things aren’t about to change any time soon!

"That’s a little rude," he objects, though he steps aside to allow the man passage all the same. His arms fold against his chest as if he’s on the cusp of a tantrum, his eyebrows angling downwards in disapproval. "It’s not like I did it on purpose. I didn’t!"

"Whether you did it on purpose or not is beside the point. You made yourself an obstacle. Feel fortunate no one has cut you down to get you out of the way."

Mitsunari felt nothing for having apparently offended the other man: he had simply presented him with facts. In all honesty, this strange-looking man should have felt fortunate the weather was as oppressing as it stood now, else Mitsunari would have likely shoved him out of the way without a word. 

He started past the blond and almost cast away any thoughts of the encounter, but he stopped himself again and looked back. Despite the conditions, it looked to him that this man was relatively unbothered, though clearly concerned. It could have come from a multitude of things, sure, but all things considered, it begged explanation.

"This wretched heat has laid half the city low and yet you look no worse for wear. Why?"

[childofthewesternarmy-blog]

floweringpacifist:

There he is again… does he need help…? I just… I don’t know if he’ll try stabbing me again…

"Vera, no!" He managed to grab hold of his little sprite before she zoomed off to bap Mitsunari in the back playfully. Not him. Anybody but him. But now that he’d accidentally made his presence known, he had to own up to it. Let’s pretend we never met that first time…

"Excuse me, sir! Are you alright…? The heat is, ah, unbearable, I know… uhm… d-do you… need water? I have some…”

Mitsunari turned at the tap, ready to level an even stare at whoever had approached him, but he was only met with confusion as the strange creature flitted around him. So entranced was he by the thing, Atlus's question--and presence, even--went unheeded.

"What is this?"

[childofthewesternarmy-blog]

"Things are as dire as this, and yet, no one offers aid. Are the people of this city condemned to the depths of Hell, then?"

[propheticphoebus]

♫ Wow. It's hot. | Open

There are two things of which Apollon is absolutely certain.

One: He washed up here perhaps a day ago by now. When he fell asleep in his new room, hoping to purge the ache from his bones and the taste of seawater from his mouth, the sun had been smiling down at him from its position in the midday sky; he had smiled back before drifting off, comforted by its presence, and woke up feeling as if several hours had lapsed. The clock on the wall read 7:04, but there was something peculiar about the sight — namely that warm tendrils of sunlight were laid out over the clock-face, bringing about noon-day tidings in spite of the time.

Yawning, he rose from his bed, adjusting the waistline of the shorts he’d slept in. (It was far too warm to put a shirt on, especially if he was only going outside to ask for the time so he could fix the broken clock!) He ambled through the door and down the stairs, pausing briefly to take in his surroundings; then he stepped outside into the blistering heat, shielding his eyes against it with his arm. Rather than spotting a stranger from whom he could leisurely request a glance at their watch, he instead found widespread panic — people whispering among themselves about the end-times as they scrambled, wiping vendors clean of all their parasols, water, and sunblock.

Sleepily perplexed, Apollon glanced up at the sky as if in search of his good friend Helios atop the golden chariot; then, slowly, it dawned on him.

Two: The sun had not moved since he fell asleep.

The Greek deity made a strangled noise in the back of his throat, tangling his sweating palms in the blond mess of his hair. The sun had never failed to rise and fall without him before…! Was this a part of his uncle’s curse? Or perhaps it was a test of will from his father?

Regardless of its causation, the sight of the eternal sun left him dumbstruck and mute with shock, standing shirtless in broad daylight as he gaped at the sky with a horrified expression.

Welcome to Thalassia, Apollon.

[childofthewesternarmy-blog]

It had only been a few days since the Sun had settled itself quite readily at the highest point in the sky, but Mitsunari's patience with the entire ordeal had already neared its limit. He stalked through the streets with an even darker expression than what was normal plastered across his face, his vision threatening to set nearly anything on fire should he have stared at it too long.

He didn't bother to utter a word of complaint: it was pointless to waste the breath for it when there was neither anyone to listen or a thing to be done about it. He had told Saika weathering the anomaly wouldn't be an issue, but now he growled at the thought he might have been wrong. It seemed there wasn't an end to how high the temperatures within the city might climb; they could very well all bake alive on the road for all anyone knew. For him, trapped in leather and metal armor for his stubborn pride at refusing to purchase new attire, it was all the worse--and more likely.

He plodded along the sidewalks of the main city, searching for some bit of unoccupied shade. Of course, the task was easier said than done--people were scattered and sprawled everywhere they could possibly hope to find some bit of relief, leaving many in nearly the same position as the displaced swordsman. It did little to help his mood. Neither did the man that seemed to suddenly block his path as he stood gawking at the sky as if it could come crashing down at any moment.

"If you mean to let the Sun burn away your sight, do it somewhere out of the way of people looking to travel. Move." 

[redbellmurder]

"Were you always this fond of me? If I didn’t know better, I’d think you missed me."

[childofthewesternarmy-blog]

"Please. You've proven useful in the past. That's all."

[redbellmurder]

"It isn’t more difficult, no. It’s the journey, however, the conviction to follow through, that is the challenge. Yet you with your one-track mind… you shouldn’t even falter. Men like you are the envy of others."

[childofthewesternarmy-blog]

"Hardly. I learned that well enough during the last war. But I will find a path to walk. Let it be known now that I should not have to squint to see you following behind when I step foot upon it."

[redbellmurder]

"Mere curiosity. I’ve yet to see which path you intend to walk."

[childofthewesternarmy-blog]

"I should slay you where you stand for that."

"But I have already chosen to live. Deciding a path cannot be more difficult than that."

[redbellmurder]

"… Here, you shall learn. With no guidance, with no master, you will have to make a choice."

[childofthewesternarmy-blog]

"Why did you accept my proposal in this place, Saika?"

[redbellmurder]

"I must ask: What war do you intend to wage in these lands? Would you dare to claim this place for your late master? Because if so, you will need more than brute force. You and I both have a lot to learn."

[childofthewesternarmy-blog]

The question gave him pause. What did he want to do? Did he really want to return home, back to a land under the sway of that man? Did he dare to act on Hideyoshi's memory and take up his cause on his own, despite what he had seen?

He didn't know.

"...what war is there to fight in this place, Saika? For what cause is there to draw a blade? My Lord Hideyoshi is not here or anywhere. That fool Ieyasu isn't, either. So what now? What is worth fighting for?"

[childofthewesternarmy-blog]

✿ flower questions ✿

Daisy: How old were you when you had your first kiss?

Carnation: If I handed you a concert ticket right now, who would you want to be the performer?

Jasmine: What color looks best on you?

foxglove: Name three facts about your family?

Allium: What's the best thing you can cook?

Orange Blossom: If you could pick the gender and appearance of your child, would you?

Calla Lily: If you died right now, what song would you want to play at your funeral?

Poinsettia: Favorite holiday dish?

Oxlip: Would you ever get into a long distance relationship?

Primrose: Favorite kind of soup?

Daffodil: What's the most thoughtful present you've ever received?

Rose: Are you currently in love with someone?

Amsonia: Would you ever become a vegan?

Peony: What's your favorite hot beverage?

Tulip: For your birthday, what kind of cake do you ask for?

Myrtle: Do you like going on airplanes?

Hibiscus: Did you ever play an instrument? If so what?

Zinnia: Who was your best friend when you were six years old?

Poppy: What color was your childhood home?

Hydrangea: Starbucks order?

Violet: Do you like where you're from?

Locust: What was your favorite book as a child?

Rhododendron: What's the scariest dream you've ever had?

Queen Anne's Lace: Would you rather carve pumpkins or wrap presents?

Magnolia: Favorite kind of candy?

Aster: Would you rather be cold or hot?

Marigold: Do you listen to what's on the radio?

Heliconia: Do you like when it rains?

Azalea: What's a movie you cried while watching?

Dandelion: Do you think you're important?

[childofthewesternarmy-blog]

☛ GET INSIDE YOUR CHARACTER'S HEAD

1: What does their bedroom look like?

2: Do they have any daily rituals?

3: Do they exercise, and if so, what do they do? How often?

4: What would they do if they needed to make dinner but the kitchen was busy?

5: Cleanliness habits (personal, workspace, etc.)

6: Eating habits and sample daily menu

7: Favorite way to waste time and feelings surrounding wasting time

8: Favorite indulgence and feelings surrounding indulging

9: Makeup?

10: Neuroses? Do they recognize them as such?

11: Intellectual pursuits?

12: Favorite book genre?

13: Sexual Orientation? And, regardless of own orientation, thoughts on sexual orientation in general?

14: Physical abnormalities? (Both visible and not, including injuries/disabilities, long-term illnesses, food-intolerances, etc.)

15: Biggest and smallest short term goal?

16: Biggest and smallest long term goal?

17: Preferred mode of dress and rituals surrounding dress

18: Favorite beverage?

19: What do they think about before falling asleep at night?

20: Childhood illnesses? Any interesting stories behind them?

21: Turn-ons? Turn-offs?

22: Given a blank piece of paper, a pencil, and nothing to do, what would happen?

23: How organized are they? How does this organization/disorganization manifest in their everyday life?

24: Is there one subject of study that they excel at? Or do they even care about intellectual pursuits at all?

25: How do they see themselves 5 years from today?

26: Do they have any plans for the future? Any contingency plans if things don’t workout?

27: What is their biggest regret?

28: Who do they see as their best friend? Their worst enemy?

29: Reaction to sudden extrapersonal disaster (eg The house is on fire! What do they do?)

30: Reaction to sudden intrapersonal disaster (eg close family member suddenly dies)

31: Most prized possession?

32: Thoughts on material possessions in general?

33: Concept of home and family?

34: Thoughts on privacy? (Are they a private person, or are they prone to ‘TMI’?)

35: What activities do they enjoy, but consider to be a waste of time?

36: What makes them feel guilty?

37: Are they more analytical or more emotional in their decision-making?

38: What recharges them when they’re feeling drained?

39: Would you say that they have a superiority-complex? Inferiority-complex? Neither?

40: How misanthropic are they?

41: Hobbies?

42: How far did they get in formal education? What are their views on formal education vs self-education?

43: Religion?

44: Superstitions or views on the occult?

45: Do they express their thoughts through words or deeds?

46: If they were to fall in love, who (or what) is their ideal?

47: How do they express love?

48: If this person were to get into a fist fight, what is their fighting style like?

49: Is this person afraid of dying? Why or why not?

[redbellmurder]

"It doesn’t bother you in the slightest, does it? I’m impressed."

[childofthewesternarmy-blog]

"If one is strong enough to stand, one is strong enough to see a task through, regardless of what the skies may hold. Using weather as an excuse for failure is utterly pathetic and beneath any warrior worth his blade."

[redbellmurder]

"And what will you do when the heat rises even further? I doubt you could tear the sky asunder."

[childofthewesternarmy-blog]

"I never took you for one to try hand at needless attempts at humor."

[childofthewesternarmy-blog]

"So now we are to bear the brunt of some endless day? Feh. The sun or the shade makes no difference to me."