If You Listen Close, You'll Hear the Sound / of All the Ghosts That Bring Us Down

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Who: Darin, Open to Close and Semi-Close CR!
When: This week
Where: Kauto: Region 5 Hospital
What: Darin's been comatose since his bout with his shadow and it's time to wake him up with SCIENCE
Warnings: Probable blood and physical trauma

While his condition has stabilized since the shadows were officially defeated, Darin definitely isn't in the best of shape. His wounds are taking much longer to heal than they normally should, his skin is pale, and he's showing no signs of any real mental activity. In short: he's comatose. But, there's a glimmer of light in this dark cloud. Using experimental technology, someone (or a group of someones) can reach into Darin's consciousness and maybe try and pull him out of it. The problem? This might not work at all. Or things could go from bad to worse for everyone involved.

What's the worst that could happen?

I-The Hallway-
Interestingly enough, Darin's head isn't just a massive void of empty space peppered with memories of some really great explosions. Nor is it a palace with massive golden statues proclaiming just how amazing he is. It's just...a really long hallway. Each door is unmarked and unlocked, but if you put your ears to them, you can hear muffled voices coming from within. The hallway doesn't seem to have an end though. Pick a door, who knows what you'll find?

II-The Night It All Went to Hell-
One of the doors leads to a rather quaint hillock overlooking a quiet port town. It's dark out, but there's plenty of light from the spattering of stars and the twin moons; red and white respectively, giving the scenery and almost ethereal violet hue. There's a modest home on the hillock itself...which seems to be the source of some commotion. There's the sound of a fight, then some yelling. And then, finally, the spark of a fire being started...

III-Life Goes On-
This door leads to a bustling street in the port town itself. At the end of the street is a rather large smithy, and there appears to be a full garrison of knights standing about the premises, waiting impatiently. The sea are brings the fresh smell of salt on the breeze, and some of the knights are complaining to an older, stout looking gentleman about the rust on their gear. Meanwhile, a beleaguered, blue haired youth, no more than ten years old, is doing his best to measure up an impatient knight for some new armor. Except he's gone and tripped himself up with the measuring tape and fallen into one of the large barrels of water, sending a mixture of laughs and groans rippling through the platoon.

"Why do you even keep this kid around, Acteon?! He's more trouble than he's worth!"

IV-Something's Not Quite Right-
This door leads to an even larger marketplace...not just a port side town anymore. No, this is a huge bazaar in some forgotten nation's capital. There's stalls selling any kind of wares you can imagine: exotic fruits and spices, weapons and armor, fine silks and furs, if you can dream it, it's likely being sold here! Some well armored and equally armed guards push by you quickly though and head towards what seems to be a throng of people circling up. Follow them and you'll see a large man looming over that stout smithy from the previous door, who is in turn standing in front of a gangly-armed, teenage Darin.

"What's all this about?"

"Your brat! He comes up to my stall and he...he breaks my weapons right in front of my paying customers!"

"Look, I was just showing these fine folk what inferior gear looks li--" Darin is cut off by the larger weaponsmith.

"MY GEAR IS THE BEST IN THIS REALM!! ACTEON, EITHER REEL YOUR FREAK IN, OR I'LL HAVE HIM IN CHAINS!"

Darin's smug look turns enraged, and he's already jumping over Acteon to try and throttle the man.

"WHAT'D YOU CALL ME YOU SECOND-RATE--"

The guards are already dogpiling on Darin which...doesn't necessarily slow him down. He pushes through them, and instead of attacking, just turns and runs for the nearest alleyway.

V-Chain of Command-
This door leads to...almost nothing, really. In fact, all that can be seen in this low light is what appears to be a massive steel gate. The bars reach up seemingly forever, and beyond the gate, there is nothing but blackness. The doors to the gate are pushed open slightly, but they're not fully open yet. Something appears to be keeping the doors themselves from being forced ajar completely. That something is Darin, hanging and covered in hundreds of chains, all of which are wrapped around the many massive iron bars. He appears to be hanging limp, but upon closer inspection, his arms are pulled taut, the muscles flexed and tight. As if, though unconscious, he's fighting to keep the iron gates shut.

-WILDCARD-

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Comments

[patchricide]

She doesn't take it right away.

This could be a trick. In fact, it most likely is.

She looks at him, to see if he's meeting her eyes.

But what if it's not? He would never forgive me for keeping him hanging like this. If it means a choice between that, and fighting this supposed ender of worlds...

"Whatever it takes."

She reaches for his hand.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

He is, indeed looking Allura in the eye. That eye contact is broken, however, when the sound of metal creaking and snapping is heard in the darkness.

Darin's voice booms out from seemingly everywhere.

"DON'T DO IT, ALLURA! HE'S TRICKING YOU!"

"Darin" snarls and turns his head, just in time for a severed chain to loop around his theist and yank him into the darkness.

"WILL YOU GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE! HE'S TRYING TO TAKE OVER YOUR BODY! SEAL YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS! YOU NEED TO LE--"

He's cut off by the sound of struggle and fighting, and then, ominous silence.

[patchricide]

Fortunately, Allura has good reflexes. No sooner did she hear the 'D' in "don't" and her hand was retracted and she had somehow put an extra foot or two of space between herself and the imposter.

Unfortunately, she seems to have no intention of following instructions.

"Darin?" And then, more desperate: "Darin!!" She runs forward, into the darkness, as if she expects to find him somewhere in the abyss.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

His battered frame is expelled from the darkness and lands at her feet. Countless heavy chains drape across his shoulders and weigh his limbs down. He struggles to get to his feet, but the weight of these chains is unnatural. They stop him from standing up, leaving him with no choice but to stumble on his hands and knees.

He starts to crawl back from whence he came.

"Leave, dammit...! I can't let him endanger you too...!"

"Please...I'm begging you...you need to leave for both of our sakes..."

His voice is hoarse and pleading as another shadowy figure steps forward. This one has no definitive shape; it's a shade. A projection of something much more powerful than either of them. All that can be seen clearly are two sickly yellow eyes, intense and arrogant.

What do you do now, Princess? Surely you don't mean to fight. After all, you're not even truly aware of what I'm capable of, even when I'm being restrained.

As if on cue, he shows her a memory. The memory Darin had of the events on Eosoros, when Shiro got hurt for his sake. When Darin lost control and butchered countless warriors with nothing but his bare hands. Blood and viscera dripping from Darin's hands as he stands over the mounds of torn and mangled bodies.

"Stop it..." Darin whispers, lowering his weary head.

[patchricide]

She's standing strong, her expression firm. The vision is far more unpleasant what she was shown before. And yet, she's still not leaving. And still a terrible listener, despite those big ears. On the other hand, it seems as much uncertainty as stubborn pride -- she's not simply jumping to an answer, but thinking through her response.

"... you're right," she replies. "I haven't the first idea. However, I never came here to fight you."

She turns from what she's being shown, and down to Darin. The man she came here for, not the demon that's trying to distract her from that.

"And maybe I don't have to."

It's a simple enough theory. Diomuhr may be boasting about his strength while restrained, but he hasn't overpowered her, even despite a direct mental link. Meaning Darin's holding onto control of the situation. On the other hand, he's battered and weak.

Well, this is the mindscape, isn't it? She's going to start channeling, and see how this works out. Not a direct link, simply channeling energy out, like a force.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

"What are you doing..?" Darin doesn't understand. He can't parse what exactly Allura is doing. But what's more alarming is the fact that Diomuhr is changing his shape again. It's slight, almost barely noticeable. The build stays the same; it matches Darin's almost exactly, but the hair changes and the clothes follow suit.

Darin scrambles to his feet. He knows what's coming.

'Diomuhr' steps forward, but he's not wearing Darin's visage any longer. Not exactly, anyway. The face is the same, but the hair is a deep forest green and instead of being short and spiked back, hangs just beyond his shoulders. His eyes are an intense blue, and while he bears Darin's characteristic smirk, there is much more malice held in that look than Darin could ever hope to muster. To Allura, while the face is the same as Darin's the hair color should give the identity away, considering the first memory she saw. And if doesn't, the edges of a jagged scar starting between his neck and his left shoulder can be seen just along the fringes of his black sleeveless shirt.

I don't really know what you're trying to do, Princess, but a little show of force like that isn't exactly something to deter me. But if we're going to show each other what we're capable of...

He lets the ominous statement hang as he lifts a hand up. Darin doesn't wait for whatever's about to come next. He uses whatever strength he can and darts forward only to be backhanded away with the same uplifted hand. The blow is terrifying, it sounds like a point blank artillery strike and the way Darin's entire frame snaps and lurches, then gets propelled into the darkness only reinforces how powerful the attack was. If this were real, there would be the very real sound of bones cracking and snapping from that one strike alone.

[patchricide]

"Darin!" She runs after him, chasing him down the featureless landscape. She crouches down next to him, and even cradles his injured body in her arms. And then looks up at Diomuhr, angered.

"You! You really don't understand anything besides brute strength, do you?! You said it yourself -- I don't mean to fight!"

But her hands are glowing. Resonating with her own lifeforce.

"All I'm here to do is to help the one who's restraining you, and reinforce the bars around your cage."

[forgeabettertomorrow]

That, in itself, is a fight you are not prepared for.

The voice is chiding. Mocking. And the form approaches with a confident gait.

You seek to bind me? Child, you're not even familiar with yourself, what makes you think you can so surely contain me? Where does your faith come from? Him? He gestures at Darin as he tries to pull himself out of her arms, to steady himself.

He doesn't even trust you to trust in him. You're a nuisance to him. He's only protecting you because he owes it to his dear friend, the black paladin. He's protecting you because he doesn't think, for one second, that you're even remotely capable as a person. And if you don't believe me...?

He waves his hand, conjuring another memory. A memory of Darin writing in one of his journals. This entry happens to be on Allura.

'I've never met someone who could possibly be a bigger pain in my ass. She just imposes herself on me! All the time! She looks down on me, acts like I'm some sort of brute, when she doesn't know a damn thing about me! It's no wonder her only friends are those spying little mice! I swear, if it wasn't for Shiro, I'd tell her to her face just exactly how I can't stand her!'

[patchricide]

"... and what about it? You know as well as I do that he still spoke that way to my face, regardless. I haven't forgotten the way we used to fight."

Which is why she doesn't look shocked or stunned by the revelation. Maybe that wasn't the point, though. She's hardly reveling in the memory, a fresh and painful reminder of how little they got along at first.

"I know that he didn't trust me. Whether that's my fault or his depends on which one of you ask. But that's why I worked at it, and why I still am working at it. And even if I've made it hard for him, I'm sure he's worked to forge my trust in him as well."

She narrows her eyes. "And I do trust in him. That's why I'm sure he can contain you. All I'm doing is seeing him through it safely."

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Darin had been quiet throughout this entire exchange, but for the first time he makes a sound. And it's hardly the first sound anyone would have expected given the circumstances.

He's laughing. He's laughing loud and raucously, and only pauses as he struggles to his feet.

"Well isn't that something else. You screwed yourself, Diomuhr. Not only did you think you'd weaken my fortitude by showing up in the guise of my brother, but you went ahead and picked a fight with the most stubborn, pig-headed woman I've ever met! And here I thought gods were supposed to be infallible!"

The words 'stubborn, pig-headed' sound strange though, as if Darin's voice was in stereo. That's because, without realizing it, Darin himself is playing a new memory. A memory of their solo fishing adventure. Seen through Darin's eyes the memory continues as he writes in his journal.

'...stubborn, pig-headed woman I've ever met! It's no wonder Shiro and the rest follow her, she has such unwavering faith that it's nothing short of inspiring. In the time I've spent here, I can't think of another person who has faced me down so readily. At first, I thought it just arrogance...her inability to see anyone below her station as anyone worth wasting time on. Now, here we are, almost a year later...and she's appointed me her personal bodyguard. Me! A bodyguard to a princess! If only dad could see me now. But still, I can't help but feel like there's a loneliness about her. It's something I understand and I feel almost compelled to alleviate her of that sorrow. I'll never admit it of course, she'd never let me hear the end of it, but I find myself wanting to be there for her. She's unfailingly kind, even to a joke like me. I find myself admiring her, honestly. I want to help her. I want to break her out of the only shell she's ever known. And I think, in doing so, it might help me too. I mean, if I can help someone like her, someone so strong-willed and courageous, then maybe there's hope for me yet..."

He looks up from his journal and watches Allura's back as she sits on a blanket holding onto the fishing rod he'd bought. He glances back down and adds some more strokes to the sketch he'd been making of her, perched, waiting for a tug at the line. When she cranes her neck back to him to ask what he's drawing, he responds curtly.

"Just the scenery. Focus on the line, will you?" That draws a huff from her, she obviously wanted to see the sketch for herself.

Darin, fortunately, doesn't seem aware the memory is playing, as he's staring Diomuhr down with a wild grin.

"You've made too many mistakes today, Diomuhr. I'm not afraid of Dromas anymore...and now my friends are here and they're gonna make a path for me to see the light of day again. So, what'll it be? Wanna drag this out? Because I can do this forever."

[patchricide]

Allura, however, gets to watch the scene closely. To see what he was hiding from her, in every sense. She even reaches out, because why not? Maybe with her channeling, she can guide it like a bubble on her fingertips, bring it in for a closer look. And smile to herself, quietly.

Well, maybe just this once, I won't use this as an excuse to badger you. Not until you're out of the hospital, at least.

But she shouldn't let herself get trapped in reminiscing too much. That's an admitted weakness of hers, one that's not separate from the very shell he was trying to break her free from. So, with some reluctance, she releases the moment back to the wind, and stands beside him with her spirit replenished.

"Shall we, Darin? I'm ready to finish this when you are."

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Darin merely nods.

"I'm tired, Princess. When this is over, I think I just want to sleep for a bit."

He sounds absolutely exhausted, but his breathing seems to have leveled out. Diomuhr, on the other hand, seems to be losing his composure. He plants his lead foot and drives a right straight towards Darin's chin.

Even after all of this you seek to defy me?! We had a bargain! This body is mine!

Darin catches the fist, the strike sounding like a blast of thunder against his palm.

"You're wrong, Diomuhr. This body is and will always be mine. You hitched a ride and now you're desperate for something to call your own. Maybe, in that way, you and I aren't so different."

Darin wrenches Diomuhr's arm and forces him to one knee. For a moment, Diomuhr actually looks alarmed, until he quickly dissipates into the void, roaring in defeat. And then silence.

Silence, that is, until Darin falls wobbles and slumps to the ground, head lowering in exhaustion.

[patchricide]

For a moment there, Darin actually looked very cool. Standing triumphant before his other self. But then...

"Darin!" She drops as well, attempting to catch him. However, while her tone is still concerned, the note of desperation has left her voice. And when she sighs, it's not with disappointment.

"Fine. You can sleep as long as you like -- so long as you wake up again in the morning."

And with that, she raises her hand and starts channeling energy back into him. She has no idea how to do this, whether it's healing him as much as she hopes. But nothing happened without trying, did it?