congressofravens | The Dead Wander the Murk

[Awaken, Spinner and Indulgent.

There are four ravens present.]

Horror.

The Intercessor was going to be merciful. Yusuke could feel it, was grateful. And then the world caved in to screams and festering flesh and nightmares his brain could never possibly conceive.

Chaos.

He could have tried his best to run, perhaps he might have succeeded. But meeting that creature's eyes... something resonated within him and froze him where he stood. They were both trapped in their sorrow. He would not run from it, for the sake of his friends.

Hot darkness closed over him, fetid breath, slimy moisture. Blades punctured his waist-- oh gods, was this what he'd unintentionally inflicted on Laslow?-- sending blistering pain rocketing through him. His lower spine, his pelvis, his sanity... all shattered in an instant. It might have been a mercy that he could suddenly no longer feel anything from the mortal wounds down through his toes.

I don't want to--

Tipped up, released, a final crunch of pressure and the briefest flare of agony like a nova. If not for the pain buzzing away his thoughts, he'd be dimly glad for his consciousness snuffing out before he hit the monster's stomach acids.

Then all that suffering became silence. For an instant, he was nothingness.

He jolts out of the darkness with a wrenching cry, shivering, feeling the phantom of cold sweat over every inch of his skin. He looks down, seeing he's wearing the medieval trousers he wore into the trial hall, along with the tunic with its damning cut in the cuff. There are no marks in his wrist. No wounds in his stomach either, though he expects to see them when he looks. For a moment it's all he can do to wrap his lanky arms around his shaking body, trying to hold himself together.

He was consumed. He died.

The raven's call makes him jump, his eyes swiveling to the dark birds present in his room. They've never bothered him before when he's seen them in nature, but now something about them leaves an ill feeling in his stomach. Rising from the stone bed, he crosses to the door and leaves quickly, wandering the gloom of the hall.

"Hello...?" he calls weakly. He honestly doesn't expect an answer.

Edited 2017-05-30 20:59 (UTC)

He may not expect an answer but with the young man calling out, there is a faint sound in reply.

"Hello?" it calls out, the voice sounding female. Dare you seek it out?

He's not alone.

"I hear you!" he exclaims, rushing through the strange mist. "Where are you?!"

Please, don't let it be one of his friends. If any of them are dead and trapped here, it will break his heart.

Yusuke will know this for sure: the voice does not belong to any of his female friends. As he moves, he will hear a whooshing noise but no footsteps. But the voice is getting closer.

"I'm over here!"

It's over by the end of the hall, leading to the rest of the Depths.

As fast as he can, he runs down the hall, heart pounding. If it's not someone he knows, then who could it be? What are they doing in this place?

If he died with blood on his hands, does that make this Hell of some sort?

"I'm almost there! Just hold on!"

When he reaches the end, he won't be able to see a human around but there is a flapping noise from right beside him; it's a raven.

"Um...hello?"

And yes, it just spoke. You are not imagining it.

Yusuke stares, blinks, stares some more. His mouth opens and closes a few times silently.

A raven. A talking raven.

"You... did you... I... but you're...."

Yes, he was just eaten by a dragon but he's still shocked by a talking bird.

"This... truly is the afterlife, isn't it?"

Yep, just a flying talking raven, no big deal.

"I...I don't know. But um...why are you a bird?"

"I... wait, what?"

Did he just hear that right? Quickly he looks down at his body, running his hands over his chest and arms and feeling the same limbs, the same contours, that he's known his whole life.

"I'm not a bird, you are. A raven, if I'm not mistaken."

The raven twists her head and looks down at herself.

"But I'm not a bird! I'm human!"

"As am I." Yusuke frowns. "This place must twist our perceptions somehow. If I only had paper and something with which to draw, I could attempt to show you my true appearance through a self-portrait."

He motions for the raven to follow him as he goes on a search for what he needs. "I am Yusuke Kitagawa. May I ask your name?"

"You can draw? That's pretty cool!"

He can tell that the girl is around his age but sounds innocent. "It's nice to meet you, Yusuke-kun, I'm Sora Naegino."

"Yes, I am... or rather, I was a fine arts student at Kosei High in Tokyo, majoring in painting." Something sad and dark flickers through his eyes, spurred by the thought that whatever life he had before the Depths is now most certainly beyond his reach. There can be no escaping the clutches of death itself.

Still, he chases his bleak mood away for now, burying it deep for further musing when he's alone again. He offers the raven-- or rather, the girl-- a faint but warm smile. "A pleasure, Sora-san. I must say it is nice to have someone with whom to speak in this sepulchral space."

He can't tell because what is ravens and showing emotion but she's happy. It's been kind of lonely in this place.

"It is rather nice. The others are ok except for one; she keeps screaming and blaming me for her coming here."

Blaming her for coming here? His smile falls away. That can only mean....

"Did one of you... kill the other?"

Is there another killing game happening simultaneously with the one he knows? Is this the dumping ground for the souls of those killed by this terrible game? To think that more people are suffering this way....

"I...guess that's what happened. She was angry that I didn't give her a gold statue I got. It wasn't because I wanted it; I just wanted to borrow it for a time as a weight. The next thing I know, she hits me in the back of my head and I woke up here."

She's still uncomfortable with saying she's dead but the girl is also trying to figure out everything.

A gold statue? Yusuke remembers the one that appeared in Eric's room, the one with hair and blood on it....

"Sora-san, that statue appeared in the room of a Titled from my side, along with other objects. I'm left to wonder if things can pass between the place where our death game is taking place and where yours is."

But how? And why?

"You think so? I haven't noticed anything like that but then again, I've been here for awhile."

"It is possible. If only I had remained there longer, I might have more information...."

He's so frustrated with himself. The guilt and self-loathing come rushing back with all the force of a rogue wave. Accident or not, Laslow died at his hands. His karma is surely tainted, and even if the gods forgive him for his transgression, Yusuke doesn't know if he can ever forgive himself.

"Have you seen anyone else here that you don't recognize from your side? Either a man with platinum hair or another raven?"

"Nuh uh, I've only seen you so far if we're talking birds. But that doesn't mean that he's not here; I just haven't seen them yet."

She probably spent a good deal hiding in this place because the others aren't good talkers and she's still scared.

"I almost hope he isn't here," Yusuke murmurs. "He deserves a peaceful rest, not to be trapped in this place. As do you, Sora-san. If your story is true, you did nothing wrong."

He's not saying anything about his own fate, which is quite telling.

"The others you know here... can you give me their names as well? Which one is responsible for you being here?"

"Excuse me!"

Hoo boy, nothing says bad timing like suddenly, another raven flying in, a shrill female voice coming from its lips.

"What do you think you're doing you little peas--" They stop when they see Yusuke. "You! How dare you not tell me you found this beautiful bird! Oooh..."

It starts to stretch its wings out to try and grab Yusuke.

"Out of the way, I must have it for my rooms back home! Now that they're all ruined...!"

"Excuse me!" Yusuke snaps sharply, pulling back from the second raven with a glare. He's pretty sure, based on what Sora told him, that this is her killer. "I am not a bird, and I certainly am not your property!"

The thought of it hits too close to home, to memories of being used by Madarame and treated like a mere object. He's on edge, bristling, and without someone he knows well to calm him down he's getting more agitated by the second.

"Hmph!" The raven turns its nose up. "If you're not a bird, how come you look like one?"

"For the same reason you look like one to me." Yusuke's still glaring at her, actually moving to put himself between Sora and the other raven. "This world twists our perceptions. Why, I cannot say, but I assure you I am human."

Sora was never a fighter on the physical matters and she didn't want to start now. All she could do was cower and shake, still scared at the woman, er raven, who killed her off.

"...that's her."She verifies with a squeak.

"I thought as much," he replies gently, though the glare he has leveled on the other raven is as frosty as ever. When he speaks to Sora's killer, his voice returns to a stern, no-nonsense tone.

"I don't know what you've been doing to Sora-san since you both arrived here, but I won't allow any more bullying. Taking her life over such a selfish reason makes me disinclined to ignore any ill will toward her on your part. I will be watching you. Is that clear?"

"Who you do think you are, ordering me around!?"

Clearly, the raven is disinclined consider that angering Yusuke is a bad idea.

Edited 2017-06-05 21:14 (UTC)

Yusuke is, despite his appearance, very strong and shockingly fast, not to mention adept with his hands. In the blink of an eye he has the squawking raven caught in his grip, pinning her wings to her body. The glare he fixes on her now is more than a little threatening, but his voice is even and calm and likely all the more chilling for it.

"I, like you, am very much dead, madam. That equalizes all of us. Whatever you were in life, whatever power you held, is meaningless here. So I say you will consider me your moral compass, until such time as you develop one of your own." He squeezes her slightly, an implicit threat. "Do I make myself clear?"

"Hmph!"

The raven turned up its beak, turning away.

"Well, I'll get you, one day! And then you'll see who's really in charge!"

And they just hopped away.

[Awaken, Deceiver, Destroyer, Dusk and Dawn, and Question.

There are seven ravens present.]

Edited 2017-06-05 21:16 (UTC)

[From the moment that he'd found out two more of them had died, he knew that he wasn't likely to live through what he'd planned. He'd expected that either the dragon was going to kill him, or its master would. It was something he'd made his peace with. Truly, he'd made his peace with death long ago and it really was just a matter of when and what sort of foe would be his last.

Hadn't really expected it to be quite that quick though. Truly, he'd expected that a punishment would be much more drawn out rather than what ended up being a quick and merciful end. That golden sword killed him almost instantly and put a very swift end to what had been a most amazing final battle for him. He couldn't have hoped for a better end to his life and he is quite satisfied.]

Damn, that was good.

[Spoken like the masochist he is. Because only someone as not right in the head as McBurn is would find being impaled to be an utterly amazing experience.]

[A large raven hops along by as McBurn speaks. It looks at McBurn, then double-takes.]

I, hm. Huh.

Did you just talk?

[asks the talking raven]

[You know he'd be so much more surprised if he hadn't seen a talking cat before.]

Yeah, why wouldn't I talk?

Yusuke hears that familiar voice echoing down the hall. It's not one he expected to hear, honestly. McBurn was clearly powerful and would prove a difficult target for any of the others, even Rubedo. Of course, that leaves the possibility that he'd been the one to commit murder. If he had... then whose life did he take?

He hurries to meet the man, and despite his concern he can't help taking a few seconds to appreciate that striking, colorful figure again. He's not really staring, at least, just... tactfully glancing.

"I certainly didn't expect to see you, McBurn. What happened?" No suspicion in his voice, he'll let the man speak first before he jumps to any conclusions.

McBurn really appreciates the lack of suspicion because he definitely isn't enough of an idiot to think he could get away with murder in a place like that. No, he knew the only real escape was through death.

He gives Yusuke a rather satisfied looking smirk. "I decided to fight the dragon. Was a damn good fight too until I got stabbed by some invisible person."

It may seem odd that he's actually pleased about this. What more could he have wanted? He went down in a glorious battle and the dragon was going to die, there was no question about that. He couldn't have asked for a better way to die.

Of all the things he anticipated, that was the one Yusuke didn't expect to hear. The artist's jaw drops.

"You fought the...." He trails off because of course McBurn would fight the dragon once he was prepared for it. "Don't tell me you managed to kill it...?"

If the creature really is dead, does that mean the others are safe? Will the ones responsible for all this finally give up and send the survivors home?

McBurn grins some more. "What happened to me was most definitely a punishment for my actions. It hadn't died yet, but it will very soon. No creature can survive after taking multiple blows to the neck and being poisoned with nightshade."

And McBurn is definitely looking very satisfied. It was worth dying to bring that creature down. It was a bonus that he'd forced its master to come out and punish him even if she couldn't be seen.

Yusuke almost laughs, but he doesn't quite. He does remember what he saw in the dragon's eyes right before the end, and some fragment of his heart won't let him hate the beast completely. He does offer McBurn a satisfied smile, though, because the execution did take him away from his friends and his future.

"Well done, my friend." Yusuke tilts forward in a gracious bow, a gesture of honor and respect. "I hope that battle was everything you wished for."

McBurn seems to be a bit awkward about someone bowing to him. He's just used to shows of fear over respect and it probably doesn't help that some of his comrades are fond of mocking bows.

"It was a good fight, that's all I was looking for."

And that's all he's going to say. No way will he admit he actually gave a damn about avenging someone or about some of the others surviving that mess. It's not like him to give a damn about people.

Yusuke knows McBurn is dangerous. He can feel it, and if the man took down that monstrous dragon then it's only confirmation. But he won't show fear of someone he sees as a comrade. McBurn controlled himself this whole time, didn't commit murder. That's all that matters.

"So far, I've only seen you and some ravens who are apparently the dead of a game running parallel to the one that claimed us. There's been no sign of Laslow and whoever else has perished on our side." Yusuke shakes his head. "Why you and I are different, I cannot say. But tell me, who was killed to initiate another Inquisition?"

A sudden tightness seizes his heart at what the answer might be. He doesn't want any of them to be dead, even Eric, but of all of them he prays Futaba still lives.

Of course Yusuke would have to ask the tough question and now McBurn has to admit that there's four dead people. He'll also have to explain about that crazy disease as well.

"It's a bit more complicated than that. Someone accidentally let out a disease that caused people to want to die. We were told that someone had to die for us to get the cure."

McBurn pauses for a bit to let that part sink in. "First victim was a girl named Ai. She tried to end her life by jumping from a tree. Didn't work too well, the culprit made her end quick and painless. The culprit also is a vampire, so she drank the blood of the victim," McBurn's tone here indicates he doesn't care one way or another and sees it as no different than the rest of them killing an animal for food. "Harley came upon this so she was killed as well. Don't think you know the culprit since she was invisible until the trial."

Yusuke takes all this in with a look of disbelief. A disease that drives the infected to despair and suicide, an unknown girl attempting suicide, an invisible vampire, and Harley's unexpected demise all have him shaking his head. And then there's McBurn, someone he expected might actually survive despite his lazy attitude.

But at least Futaba is okay. Rubedo, Killua, Maglor... he expects them to be fine. They're tough and capable, but then so was McBurn.

"Four of you in a week. This truly is becoming a slaughter." He's glad McBurn is satisfied with his own death, but with the way the violence seems to be ramping up, Yusuke is concerned for his comrades. "I can only hope this doesn't end with all of us dead on both sides and our captors starting afresh with two more groups."

Well, to be fair McBurn's own death was his own damn fault for so grievously breaking the rules. Better one sacrifice that took out the dragon than many.

"Yet the dragon is dealt with and that forced the ones in charge out of hiding. Dealing with invisibility isn't easy, but they are prepared for that now."

"Even if helping the others wasn't your intention, I must thank you. You've given them a fighting chance now."

Yusuke glances around at their surroundings again-- he's had some time to familiarize himself with it all, though it's still unnerving-- then back to McBurn. "I'm afraid there's not much to keep us occupied here. It's a copy of the Depths we know, save for the lighting change and the fog, so unfortunately it will make for a very dull afterlife."

McBurn seems awkward at the thanks, mostly because he's not used to it. "I just wanted a good fight and dragons in my world are all hidden away."

Not to mention that the dragons are more observers than a threat in his world. That dragon was more like the cryptids. Though he had been wondering what was up with this place and all. Definitely wasn't fiery enough for Gehenna.

"Still, can't say this place is worse than where I likely would end up in my world. Of course I'd be much more at home with all the fire."

[Awaken, Dreamstrider and Outcast.

There are now twelve crows present.]

The Dead Wander the Murk

WEEK 2

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WEEK 3

cw: suicidal ideation and masochism

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WEEK 4