Ragna=the=Bloodedge (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
rebellions) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
expiationlogs2024-05-09 09:00 pm
rebellions) wrote in expiationlogs2024-05-09 09:00 pm
OPEN=MAY CATCH-ALL
Who: Ragna the Bloodedge and YOU?!
Where: Around Aldrip
What: Dealing with the effects of his sentencing in the healthiest ways possible [citation needed] and other opportunities to bump into Aldrip's local terrorist!
Warnings: The usual Ragna warnings (blood, violence, language) may apply. See the prompts for details!
1. THE OUTSKIRTS ► find yourself in a pinch
[ The more he thinks about his latest encounter with the Council, the angrier Ragna feels. It's not just that Jerry managed to drag him to that whole sentencing crap against his will, which is already enough to hurt his pride, but the actual contents of the judgement that's been passed on him? He wishes he could say it's all bullshit and shrug it off, he really can't because for once, they might actually have a point, as much as he hates to admit it.
So instead of pondering the meaning of their words, he chooses to keep himself busy. It looks like the monsters have been rearing their ugly heads in the outskirts and attacking people lately, leading to the Grim Reaper deciding to take up the assignment to get rid of them. It gives him an excuse to blow off some steam and earn some buck while at it, killing two birds with one stone.
It's not exactly going as planned, as even as he's in the middle of fighting a pack of monsters, the words that had been bothering him so much lately are still stuck at the back of his mind.
' You have found yourself too emotionally tied to others, '
I know that.
[ He replies to his thoughts out loud, not caring whether his response will reach the Council's ears or not. He drives his sword into the nearest creature, narrowly dodging its maws. His attack cuts deep, and with one more slash, the manages to decapitate his foe.
He doesn't get much time to celebrate, as another monster lunges at him from behind. Ragna spins around, meeting it face-on with his right arm turning into dark claws that catch the incoming beast in their grip.
' It affects your decision making. '
I know that, dammit!
[ The creature lets out a whimper, its bones crunching and shattering in Ragna's grip; finally, it stops moving, and he lets the mangled corpse drop to the ground with a wet plop. With the final enemy defeated, Ragna's right arm transforms back to its original shape, the shadow sinking back into it.
Suddenly, white-hot pain surges through his body, emanating from that very same arm to his every nerve. Ragna falls to his knees, his breath shaky as his vision starts to blur. Focusing as hard as he can, he tries to calm himself down and hunches over, pressing his right arm to his chest as hard as he can, hoping he can somehow prevent the other monster from emerging. After a couple of seconds that feel like an eternity, the pain subdues, and the man finally manages to stabilize his breathing. ]
... I know this, too.
[ Before coming to this world, he had what, days, maybe weeks left at best? And now here he is, still alive after almost an entire year. Some would consider this lucky, but the uncertainty of his fate has been eating at him for months now. As far as he knows, he could drop dead at any moment, and if that happens... Well, it's safe to say his sentencing would be the least of the Council's worries. ]
2. THE PARK ► find yourself a hobby
[ You know how there's this picnic thing going on or whatever? Well, it just so happens that it somehow managed to attract this asshole, too. Not because he has any interest in socializing, mind you ─ no, the only reason he's here is the barbecue part. And it's not just because of free food, either! Rather than take advantage of someone else doing the hard work and enjoying the spoils, Ragna is the one working on preparing a variety of dishes from the ingredients he's brought. Cooking is one of the very few things he's actually fond of, and barbecue happens to be something of his specialty, so he might as well spending some time doing something relaxing for a change.
... Though it quickly becomes clear as a day he's overdone it a little, with the amounts of food he prepares being way too much for one person to consume. So what's the next most reasonable course of action? Drop it all on someone else so it becomes their problem, of course.
If you happen to be sitting somewhere nearby, you might find yourself approached by a certain well-known terrorist... only for him to present you with a plate filled with grilled meat and vegetables. ]
Well? What are you waiting for? Eat up, or get lost.
[ You're welcome??? ]
3. THE DOCKS ► find yourself a friend
[ So apparently, some punks have been stirring up trouble in the docks. Big deal. Being the furthest from a law-abiding citizen himself, Ragna doesn't particularly care about things like this, but since they offer money for bringing them in... he figures he might as well. (He offered to kill them, even, but the people giving him this assignment got all flustered and assured him just arresting them and bringing them to the City Hall would be more than enough. Bummer.)
Once the sun sets, he begins his highly unprofessional stake-out at the docks... which is to say he's just sitting around and watching the surrounding area, waiting for some suspicious people to show up so he can take them in and get this over with. But instead of people, it's one of the homeless cats that have made this area their home that wanders up to him. And unlike with people, Ragna finds that he doesn't mind this company too much, even going as far as sharing some of his leftovers from the barbecue with it. ]
Hey. You having a shitty day, too?
[ The cat purrs in response, happily munching on the small piece of bacon it's being treated to, and Ragna can't help but smile at the sight, reaching out to pet the animal on the head.
As long as no one's there to witness the scene, you might say his day has finally gotten slightly better. ]
4. THE OUTSKIRTS (AGAIN) ► find yourself a home
[ Another day, another trip to the outskirts to cull the monster population, earn some cash and take out his anger on the unsuspecting fauna. Or at least, that was Ragna's plan, but it goes out the window the moment he reaches the outskirts of Aldrip, where he comes across a simple, quaint building that most definitely wasn't there yesterday. At first, the man thinks he must be dreaming, then he considers the possibility of a hallucination, a trap, anything─ after all, there's no way this could be real. He knows the place, of course, he could never mistake it for anything else; it's the very church where he spent his childhood days, which were easily the best time of his life. But the house he grew up at had long since been destroyed, reduced to a pile of ashes and rubble, and his life along with it.
Before he can wrap his mind around this development or figure out what the hell is going on, his body is already moving on its own. He throws the door to the building open and disappears inside.
If anyone were to get curious about this new structure and walk inside, they will find themselves in a little chapel. Ragna is standing in the middle of the walkway, seemingly in some sort of a daze, as he doesn't react or even register another person's presence. Instead, he reaches out gingerly with his hand towards one of the pews, almost as if he's afraid it would crumble to dust upon touching. But it doesn't ─ it's here and it's real, and this realization makes Ragna's chest both fill with pleasant warmth and tighten in unbearable pain at the same time.
The man looks up at the altar before speaking up, his voice almost uncharacteristically quiet and frail. ]
... I'm home.
wildcard
If you're interested in running into Ragna this month but none of the prompts work for you, feel free to hit me up in discord game chat or at![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
psychelocks and we can figure something out!
Where: Around Aldrip
What: Dealing with the effects of his sentencing in the healthiest ways possible [citation needed] and other opportunities to bump into Aldrip's local terrorist!
Warnings: The usual Ragna warnings (blood, violence, language) may apply. See the prompts for details!
1. THE OUTSKIRTS ► find yourself in a pinch
cw: blood, violence
[ The more he thinks about his latest encounter with the Council, the angrier Ragna feels. It's not just that Jerry managed to drag him to that whole sentencing crap against his will, which is already enough to hurt his pride, but the actual contents of the judgement that's been passed on him? He wishes he could say it's all bullshit and shrug it off, he really can't because for once, they might actually have a point, as much as he hates to admit it.
So instead of pondering the meaning of their words, he chooses to keep himself busy. It looks like the monsters have been rearing their ugly heads in the outskirts and attacking people lately, leading to the Grim Reaper deciding to take up the assignment to get rid of them. It gives him an excuse to blow off some steam and earn some buck while at it, killing two birds with one stone.
It's not exactly going as planned, as even as he's in the middle of fighting a pack of monsters, the words that had been bothering him so much lately are still stuck at the back of his mind.
]
I know that.
[ He replies to his thoughts out loud, not caring whether his response will reach the Council's ears or not. He drives his sword into the nearest creature, narrowly dodging its maws. His attack cuts deep, and with one more slash, the manages to decapitate his foe.
He doesn't get much time to celebrate, as another monster lunges at him from behind. Ragna spins around, meeting it face-on with his right arm turning into dark claws that catch the incoming beast in their grip.
]
I know that, dammit!
[ The creature lets out a whimper, its bones crunching and shattering in Ragna's grip; finally, it stops moving, and he lets the mangled corpse drop to the ground with a wet plop. With the final enemy defeated, Ragna's right arm transforms back to its original shape, the shadow sinking back into it.
Suddenly, white-hot pain surges through his body, emanating from that very same arm to his every nerve. Ragna falls to his knees, his breath shaky as his vision starts to blur. Focusing as hard as he can, he tries to calm himself down and hunches over, pressing his right arm to his chest as hard as he can, hoping he can somehow prevent the other monster from emerging. After a couple of seconds that feel like an eternity, the pain subdues, and the man finally manages to stabilize his breathing. ]
... I know this, too.
[ Before coming to this world, he had what, days, maybe weeks left at best? And now here he is, still alive after almost an entire year. Some would consider this lucky, but the uncertainty of his fate has been eating at him for months now. As far as he knows, he could drop dead at any moment, and if that happens... Well, it's safe to say his sentencing would be the least of the Council's worries. ]
2. THE PARK ► find yourself a hobby
[ You know how there's this picnic thing going on or whatever? Well, it just so happens that it somehow managed to attract this asshole, too. Not because he has any interest in socializing, mind you ─ no, the only reason he's here is the barbecue part. And it's not just because of free food, either! Rather than take advantage of someone else doing the hard work and enjoying the spoils, Ragna is the one working on preparing a variety of dishes from the ingredients he's brought. Cooking is one of the very few things he's actually fond of, and barbecue happens to be something of his specialty, so he might as well spending some time doing something relaxing for a change.
... Though it quickly becomes clear as a day he's overdone it a little, with the amounts of food he prepares being way too much for one person to consume. So what's the next most reasonable course of action? Drop it all on someone else so it becomes their problem, of course.
If you happen to be sitting somewhere nearby, you might find yourself approached by a certain well-known terrorist... only for him to present you with a plate filled with grilled meat and vegetables. ]
Well? What are you waiting for? Eat up, or get lost.
[ You're welcome??? ]
3. THE DOCKS ► find yourself a friend
[ So apparently, some punks have been stirring up trouble in the docks. Big deal. Being the furthest from a law-abiding citizen himself, Ragna doesn't particularly care about things like this, but since they offer money for bringing them in... he figures he might as well. (He offered to kill them, even, but the people giving him this assignment got all flustered and assured him just arresting them and bringing them to the City Hall would be more than enough. Bummer.)
Once the sun sets, he begins his highly unprofessional stake-out at the docks... which is to say he's just sitting around and watching the surrounding area, waiting for some suspicious people to show up so he can take them in and get this over with. But instead of people, it's one of the homeless cats that have made this area their home that wanders up to him. And unlike with people, Ragna finds that he doesn't mind this company too much, even going as far as sharing some of his leftovers from the barbecue with it. ]
Hey. You having a shitty day, too?
[ The cat purrs in response, happily munching on the small piece of bacon it's being treated to, and Ragna can't help but smile at the sight, reaching out to pet the animal on the head.
As long as no one's there to witness the scene, you might say his day has finally gotten slightly better. ]
4. THE OUTSKIRTS (AGAIN) ► find yourself a home
[ Another day, another trip to the outskirts to cull the monster population, earn some cash and take out his anger on the unsuspecting fauna. Or at least, that was Ragna's plan, but it goes out the window the moment he reaches the outskirts of Aldrip, where he comes across a simple, quaint building that most definitely wasn't there yesterday. At first, the man thinks he must be dreaming, then he considers the possibility of a hallucination, a trap, anything─ after all, there's no way this could be real. He knows the place, of course, he could never mistake it for anything else; it's the very church where he spent his childhood days, which were easily the best time of his life. But the house he grew up at had long since been destroyed, reduced to a pile of ashes and rubble, and his life along with it.
Before he can wrap his mind around this development or figure out what the hell is going on, his body is already moving on its own. He throws the door to the building open and disappears inside.
If anyone were to get curious about this new structure and walk inside, they will find themselves in a little chapel. Ragna is standing in the middle of the walkway, seemingly in some sort of a daze, as he doesn't react or even register another person's presence. Instead, he reaches out gingerly with his hand towards one of the pews, almost as if he's afraid it would crumble to dust upon touching. But it doesn't ─ it's here and it's real, and this realization makes Ragna's chest both fill with pleasant warmth and tighten in unbearable pain at the same time.
The man looks up at the altar before speaking up, his voice almost uncharacteristically quiet and frail. ]
... I'm home.
wildcard
If you're interested in running into Ragna this month but none of the prompts work for you, feel free to hit me up in discord game chat or at
no subject
... Ange? What are you─
[ ... No, that's not the right question. This isn't his home, not the real one; he's still in Aldrip, and this is just... a copy, most likely. It shouldn't matter. It's just another weird thing happening in this weird world, but that's no reason for Ragna let himself get so distracted. ]
I─
[ He cuts off, words stuck in his throat. The man's grip tightens on the pew he was touching. Focus, he thinks to himself, desperately trying to think of something to say and failing miserably. ]
You, uh. Wanna take a look around...?
no subject
.. sure. [ She says, a little slowly.
Mostly because her brain is still very much chewing on that question, even as she steps forward to move inside a little bit more. ]
Do you know this place..? [ Ange decides to just ask him outright.
After all, Ragna does not seem like a religious man. Not enough that he'd look this caught up in the thoughts of some random chapel, that's for sure. It makes her question the only logical answer for the odd mood that seems to have come over him. ]
no subject
Ragna shakes his head, hoping that will help him to get over... whatever feeling it is that's making him act all pathetic like this. ]
... Yeah.
[ The man admits slowly, figuring there's no point in trying to hide it. He doesn't like talking about himself, and in fact avoids that like a plague, but the cat's out of the bag for this one, so he might as well be honest about it. Still, he chews his lip for a brief moment, not sure how to handle this sort of thing. ]
I─ I grew up here. [ He finally blurts out, immediately following it with a dismissive wave of hand, as if he's desperately trying to make this confession feel less important or personal. ] Well, not "here", obviously. This is just... a replica, I guess? They must've based it off my memories, or... something.
[ This might come across as crazy talk to some, but for Ragna, it's not outside the realm of possibility. It wouldn't be a first time he's come across this sort of thing, and focusing on that helps detach from his sentiment about the place... if only a little bit. ]
no subject
[ It's just that it's usually different stuff. Monsters, mostly, really. But it makes the idea of a building from Ragna's own world and own past appearing here a lot less surprising. Ange figures they're drawing directly from their memories for it, if the past few months were any indication.
Maybe it's why she seems so relatively unfazed about it, even in the face of Ragna's own awkwardness and semi-fluster about the whole thing. Ange is just still a touch more quiet than the usual, given that Ragna definitely is being pretty weird about this, and it makes her feel like being a little more careful, not wanting to step on any toes just because she sucks at being indirect. ]
Though.. if it's from your childhood, then I can understand it being a little.. [ .. honestly, she isn't even sure what Ragna is feeling right now, let alone what he's thinking. It's just obvious something is going on. ] .. strange. To suddenly see it again, I mean. Even if it's just a building without any people that'd belong there.
[ Because surely Ragna can't have lived there alone, right. Even he was a child, once upon a time. As weird as it is to imagine this guy being a kid. ]
no subject
[ He doesn't elaborate, leaving that statement rather ambiguous. For one, he's already seen his childhood home recreated perfectly in every detail once... but at that time, he was with Jin, Noel and Celica, so one could argue the people who belong in it were all there. Plus, they've seen a fair share of things (and people) being pulled from their memories before, so this isn't that big of a shock. No, it's... something else. He figures "nostalgia" would be the right word for it, but he's not in a hurry to admit it out loud. ]
... There's probably nothing interesting to find here. Sorry.
[ He doesn't mind if she chooses to investigate anyway, but he doesn't think there's any point in letting her get her hopes up. ]
no subject
I'd expect there to not be any clues about this place in a building that belongs to your world, Ragna. [ Regardless of whether or not it's copied. No, Ange feels that even if she'd investigate this place, she wouldn't learn about this world. She'd just.. learn about Ragna.
And she isn't too sure how to feel about that. Sure, she would like to know more about him, but-- ]
And I'm not going to just butt right into your personal life. That'd be seriously uncool.
[ Especially when she cares too much about him to do something like that to him. They're both private people. She gets it. ]
no subject
Ragna shakes his head, both to get rid of those thoughts and in response to Ange. Right now it's hard for him to grasp it, but later, once he's had a little time to think about it all, he'll be grateful for how much... empathy, for the lack of a better word, she's showing him.
And he'll never bring it up, of course, for the sake of them both. ]
I guess not... And it's too much to hope whoever copied it left some clue about how to get outta here or...
[ He trails off, his eyes growing wide as he remembers something. It could hardly be called a clue, but it could be their ticket to another world... as long as they find an Observer capable of using it. Ultimately, it might not amount to much, but hell, this place gives them so little it might as well warrant a little investigation, no? ]
... Actually... there might be something.
no subject
[ Ange sounds clearly surprised in a way she doesn't bother to hide. Not when it comes to this topic, anyway, or maybe just not as much around Ragna of all people. Instead she looks over, eyes widening a little bit with curiosity as she blinks up at him. ]
What is it? [ It's not like she can make a guess at it by herself. There's still a whole lot of stuff about Ragna's world that's a mystery to her - and she certainly doesn't know what might be hiding behind this place's relatively innocent facade. ]