[Hey, it's the guy that brought 20+ cheeseburgers to the administrator intro! He's out bright and early, working up a sweat jogging around the perimeter of the island. He's very tall, all muscle, pretty fast, and currently on his sixth or seventh lap past the cabanas entrance whenever he spots Alice.
He'll give a wave, but doesn't stop his pace just yet unless she waves him down in return. Three more laps until breakfast and he's on a mission.]
[ Alice has been sitting on the Toucan cabin's deck, reclining in one of the lounge chairs as she reads a book. In front of the deck is a fairly large wolf-slash-liger thing, mostly curled up and just content with laying in the sun.
Beelzebub jogging by happens to catch her attention in her peripheral vision, causing her to look up from what she's reading for a moment. After a beat, she returns the wave, sitting up slightly. ]
How long have you been running?
[ At Alice's voice, the monster's eyes open, watching him as he runs. ]
[Ah. She calls out, so he slows down for a minute, whipping a handtowel off his hip to wipe his forehead with as he trots over.]
Since about five this morning. Vacation or kidnapping or at home, I'd rather stay on top of my routine.
[A beat. Hm. Her scent is... weird. Unpleasant. He can't hide how his face scrunches reflexively, though he just wipes against his nose and mouth with the towel again to clear it. Oof.]
Wow, someone's dedicated. Ritual sacrifice vacations aren't an excuse to skip a day, I guess?
[ She moves to the edge of the seat, earmarking the page where she left off and handing him a photography book of abandoned places. If she notices Beel's face scrunching up, she doesn't make any sign of it, giggling a bit. ]
This. Kind of creepy, isn't it? Maybe the island'll start looking like these pictures if it stops getting the murder energy.
That's right. Meals are better when you've put in some work, anyway.
[He'll carefully take the book, skimming a couple of the pages. Hm. This all looked like human world architecture.]
I think it might take a lot. Haunted old places like this take a while to run down. That ho-ho administrator said they didn't expect us to be here any more than a few weeks.
[Neat, but not enough food for his liking in these pictures. Very sad, 1/10.]
That's not quite what I mean. [ but it's not important, so she presses on. ] They seem to think it is, at least. For right now, I guess that's just going to have to be good enough, until something gives.
[ see, figure (a). weird gazebo haze. ]
All we can do is watch out for ourselves, right? It's not like we can really trust each other, at the end of the day.
[rip me forgetting that this thread was intro weekend and I had to erase half my tag for being irrelevant]
...
Maybe we can't. Hard to say right now.
I do think there's got to be at least some people here who might panic if the administrators start putting any more pressure on people. It doesn't matter to me whether I can trust them, so long as I can predict them.
[ Alice is obviously very interested in the new island, taking her sweet time in seeing what's there. It's all new to her, but at least she sees Beel in the arcade as she pokes in. Once she gets close enough, she'll lean in and squint at whatever it is he's currently playing. ]
Oh, it stays on the machine like a record? That's kinda neat.
[ At least you get something out of it. She looks up at him for a second at the question, but goes back to the screen. ]
Not really, outside of messing around with it here. There's a casino in a fancy resort town that kind of has some similar-looking setups, but even that pales in comparison to all this. [ ... ] Are these more common where you're from?
Yeah. Only if you get one of the highest scores, though.
[Gotta be DEDICATED to your burgers.
He frowns a little as his chef man gets stepped on by a fried egg. Sad.]
Not this game, but my brother Leviathan has a few of these kinds of games in his room, and you can find them sometimes if you go out to places with karaoke. He says they're popular in the human world, too.
I wouldn't know about casinos. We usually avoid those at all costs.
[ The mention of the human world makes her look back up at him for a second, but she turns back to the game as he dies without a comment on it. Fucking rip, little chef dude. ]
I'm not too big on them, either. I've only been to it... once? And that was recently. [ for things certainly Not Casino Related. ] Why the aversion to them?
Mammon will drain Lucifer's bank account with how much he gambles. Then they'll fight, and then the building gets damaged, and Mammon ends up getting tortured for 100 years while the rest of us have to deal with Lucifer being in a bad mood because we have to pay off the casino being rebuilt.
Mn. I wouldn't have guessed it was a pact right away. But that would explain it.
[He does turn to look at her at the burst of excitement, though. What a weird witch... oh well. Mammon's been caught up with worse.]
Both. Kind of.
I'm one of the Seven Rulers, and most demons in the Devildom don't come close to what we can do. But we don't do the literal ruling. That falls on our king.
I'm also one of the youngest, so almost all of my brothers outrank me in power.
[ Kyaaaaaaa, Beel-kun, you're so cool. She's more interested in what he says as he goes on. ]
Wow, so you're a really big deal, huh? I mean, maybe not as big of one as could be, but there's always room to grow, right? What do you all do, then, if you don't do any of the governing or whatever?
Some of my brothers find other ways to be influential ans the best of their kind in the Devildom. Some just like to keep to themselves and pursue their own interests. My oldest brother spends most of his time with the prince, so even if he's not ruling he's well known in the palace.
All of us serve on RAD's council with the prince, though. And I'm on their Fangol team. Other than that and helping my brothers... I don't do all that much right now.
[Damn, he lost at his game. He looks disappointed, but starts entering his initials for the scoreboard anyway.]
I'm just content with eating lots of new food, and being with my brothers.
[ You're ten years old. You're standing towards the back of a group of children by the entrance to the orphanage, watching the director argue with a bunch of men new to Hima – adventurers using the mountain town as a stop along their journey. One of their companions was killed two nights ago, their items missing from where they stayed. You had accidentally found out that the director and his sons had actually done it, and they were pinning the blame on one of the other children, Decus, who you're currently standing next to. The idea of saying anything doesn't even cross your mind, because you already know that nothing you've said or will say will ever be paid attention to.
The adventurer you saw yesterday demands an answer from the director, who splutters for an answer before pointing in Decus' direction, saying that "it could only be him." The lanky purple-haired teenager next to you startles at that and has little time to react before the men easily drag him out from the entrance and outside. They start shoving him around, demanding to know why they killed their companion and where'd their valuables go. Decus falls, and they start kicking him, ignoring his cries for help, that he doesn't know what happened.
You feel yourself tense as you realize no one's going to help him. You can't help but be angry at Decus that he didn't try and skip town, even though he was too weak to be able to defend himself, and now he was going to be –
Use your strength. The power of the servant of the next king of the demon world...
That voice rings through you, as you remember the pact you made with that shapeless form in the darkness last night. The demon that promised you the power you were looking for in exchange for finding the book its master was sealed in, the one that you couldn't help but agree to making a pact with.
Decus' has stopped crying out by now, his face swollen and bloody as you realize he doesn't have much more energy left. So, with every fiber of your being, you yell out a single word. ]
Power!
[ It doesn't take much time before the ground starts rumbling, growing more and more violent. Suddenly the cries turn into yelling to shut the gate as a horde of monsters descended on the scene. The sky darkens, and flying monsters start swooping in in droves, and you can't help but watch with a wide smile. The orphanage director eyes you snarling with a twisted expression. ]
Half-elf! What did you do?!
[ You completely ignore him, pressing through the chaos to kneel down and help Decus to his feet. ]
Let's go.
A-Alice...
[ He tries his best to smile despite his red teeth and being very clearly in pain. You take him by the hand and lead him away, walking with a smile on your lips as you both pass by the ensuing carnage as the men get trampled under claws and the children scream and flee for their lives.
For the first time, you feel an overwhelming sense of happiness at what just took place, as you both hear the sound of a building collapsing as you walk out of Hima for the final time.
Finally, you have the power you've been looking for. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
INTRO WEEKEND
He'll give a wave, but doesn't stop his pace just yet unless she waves him down in return. Three more laps until breakfast and he's on a mission.]
this is the worst thing i've ever seen.
Beelzebub jogging by happens to catch her attention in her peripheral vision, causing her to look up from what she's reading for a moment. After a beat, she returns the wave, sitting up slightly. ]
How long have you been running?
[ At Alice's voice, the monster's eyes open, watching him as he runs. ]
im glad we both took psychic damage
Since about five this morning. Vacation or kidnapping or at home, I'd rather stay on top of my routine.
[A beat. Hm. Her scent is... weird. Unpleasant. He can't hide how his face scrunches reflexively, though he just wipes against his nose and mouth with the towel again to clear it. Oof.]
You look relaxed. What are you reading?
WE DIE TOGETHER
[ She moves to the edge of the seat, earmarking the page where she left off and handing him a photography book of abandoned places. If she notices Beel's face scrunching up, she doesn't make any sign of it, giggling a bit. ]
This. Kind of creepy, isn't it? Maybe the island'll start looking like these pictures if it stops getting the murder energy.
no subject
[He'll carefully take the book, skimming a couple of the pages. Hm. This all looked like human world architecture.]
I think it might take a lot. Haunted old places like this take a while to run down. That ho-ho administrator said they didn't expect us to be here any more than a few weeks.
[Neat, but not enough food for his liking in these pictures. Very sad, 1/10.]
Do you think that won't happen?
no subject
[ giggle. ]
What do you think?
no subject
[He thinks over it seriously for a second.]
Mm. People can only be patient for so long. Someone losing their temper is bound to happen at some point.
I guess I just don't know what to think of what the administrators might do. They won't care if it's just someone yelling and pitching a fit.
It's destroying the island that I think they'll get angrier about.
no subject
[ She sighs, pushing some hair back. ]
What a pain. There's nothing I hate more than weak people not being able to follow through without begging people for help.
no subject
Smash cut to merlin dead in the garden, RIP.]
There's nothing wrong with asking for help.
I just don't know whether or not to believe that's what the administrators need. For all the talking they do, they don't really say anything helpful.
no subject
That's not quite what I mean. [ but it's not important, so she presses on. ] They seem to think it is, at least. For right now, I guess that's just going to have to be good enough, until something gives.
[ see, figure (a). weird gazebo haze. ]
All we can do is watch out for ourselves, right? It's not like we can really trust each other, at the end of the day.
no subject
...
Maybe we can't. Hard to say right now.
I do think there's got to be at least some people here who might panic if the administrators start putting any more pressure on people. It doesn't matter to me whether I can trust them, so long as I can predict them.
Like you said. When are people going to snap?
WEEK 2, mmmmonday? early in the week.
What're you doing~?
no subject
Wonder why.
There's a slight turn towards her when he feels a body close to him, but his attention snaps back to the game.]
It's a video game.
I want to try to get one of the high scores.
no subject
But she watches with mild interest, tracking the lil chef dude running across the screen. ]
Do you get something if you get a high score? Or is it just kind of a pride thing?
no subject
Heh. I'll get to record my name on the burger machine.
[Yay! :)]
Have you ever played a game like this, Alice?
no subject
[ At least you get something out of it. She looks up at him for a second at the question, but goes back to the screen. ]
Not really, outside of messing around with it here. There's a casino in a fancy resort town that kind of has some similar-looking setups, but even that pales in comparison to all this. [ ... ] Are these more common where you're from?
no subject
[Gotta be DEDICATED to your burgers.
He frowns a little as his chef man gets stepped on by a fried egg. Sad.]
Not this game, but my brother Leviathan has a few of these kinds of games in his room, and you can find them sometimes if you go out to places with karaoke. He says they're popular in the human world, too.
I wouldn't know about casinos. We usually avoid those at all costs.
no subject
I'm not too big on them, either. I've only been to it... once? And that was recently. [ for things certainly Not Casino Related. ] Why the aversion to them?
no subject
[You know. Normal things.]
no subject
[ turns back to him. blinks. ]
What did you say you and your brothers were, again?
no subject
[A burger bun drops and he clears the current level. Hooray! His expression stays Very Concentrated.]
I can tell you've been around one of us before. It's kind of faint, though.
[A brief pause.
...]
Yeah. Really faint. Like you've got a perfume on or something.
no subject
Wow, you're good! It's been a few years since I had that pact, so I'm kind of surprised you were able to tell.
Are you in the service of a demon lord? Or do you have a lot of underlings that serve you, then?
no subject
[He does turn to look at her at the burst of excitement, though. What a weird witch... oh well. Mammon's been caught up with worse.]
Both. Kind of.
I'm one of the Seven Rulers, and most demons in the Devildom don't come close to what we can do. But we don't do the literal ruling. That falls on our king.
I'm also one of the youngest, so almost all of my brothers outrank me in power.
no subject
Wow, so you're a really big deal, huh? I mean, maybe not as big of one as could be, but there's always room to grow, right? What do you all do, then, if you don't do any of the governing or whatever?
no subject
[He shrugs.]
Some of my brothers find other ways to be influential ans the best of their kind in the Devildom. Some just like to keep to themselves and pursue their own interests. My oldest brother spends most of his time with the prince, so even if he's not ruling he's well known in the palace.
All of us serve on RAD's council with the prince, though. And I'm on their Fangol team. Other than that and helping my brothers... I don't do all that much right now.
[Damn, he lost at his game. He looks disappointed, but starts entering his initials for the scoreboard anyway.]
I'm just content with eating lots of new food, and being with my brothers.
no subject
week 5, early week??? MEMSHARE BAYBEEEEE (fantasy racism, lynching, mass murder)
The adventurer you saw yesterday demands an answer from the director, who splutters for an answer before pointing in Decus' direction, saying that "it could only be him." The lanky purple-haired teenager next to you startles at that and has little time to react before the men easily drag him out from the entrance and outside. They start shoving him around, demanding to know why they killed their companion and where'd their valuables go. Decus falls, and they start kicking him, ignoring his cries for help, that he doesn't know what happened.
You feel yourself tense as you realize no one's going to help him. You can't help but be angry at Decus that he didn't try and skip town, even though he was too weak to be able to defend himself, and now he was going to be –
Use your strength. The power of the servant of the next king of the demon world...
That voice rings through you, as you remember the pact you made with that shapeless form in the darkness last night. The demon that promised you the power you were looking for in exchange for finding the book its master was sealed in, the one that you couldn't help but agree to making a pact with.
Decus' has stopped crying out by now, his face swollen and bloody as you realize he doesn't have much more energy left. So, with every fiber of your being, you yell out a single word. ]
Power!
[ It doesn't take much time before the ground starts rumbling, growing more and more violent. Suddenly the cries turn into yelling to shut the gate as a horde of monsters descended on the scene. The sky darkens, and flying monsters start swooping in in droves, and you can't help but watch with a wide smile. The orphanage director eyes you snarling with a twisted expression. ]
Half-elf! What did you do?!
[ You completely ignore him, pressing through the chaos to kneel down and help Decus to his feet. ]
Let's go.
A-Alice...
[ He tries his best to smile despite his red teeth and being very clearly in pain. You take him by the hand and lead him away, walking with a smile on your lips as you both pass by the ensuing carnage as the men get trampled under claws and the children scream and flee for their lives.
For the first time, you feel an overwhelming sense of happiness at what just took place, as you both hear the sound of a building collapsing as you walk out of Hima for the final time.
Finally, you have the power you've been looking for. ]