just call, we're all connected

[unbr8kable]

[It is a long, long sail to Hachijojima, but at almost 300 kilometers south of the Imperial Palace, it's one of the most remote places within the city limits, making it perfect for both urban exploration and other dubiously wise pursuits. Surely anticipation and boredom from the trip is the only reason for the frisson of nervous energy Nemesis can't shake even after an afternoon on what even in Hell TV form are gorgeous black sand beaches and lush, tropical greenery that verges on overgrowing the buildings of the port town.

That said, soon enough it's time to get to business, and after a dinner of fresh-caught fish and fruit to supplement the food they'd brought along, Hurricane and Nemesis begin setting things up.

The hotel they'd scoped out for the ceremony (thanks Yahell! Maps) was run down and abandoned even by Tokyo-F standards, its bubble-chic French Baroque architecture salt stained and half covered in vines and ferns and established greenery. Its sprawling beach patio opens straight to the sand and beyond that the ocean, though the promenade of graceful statues are now crumbling, and rather than cafe tables or lounge chairs, only moss and bioluminescent mushrooms venture over the once ornately tiled floor.

There is still plenty of space for candles and salt and whatever else one might need to do with the space, and Nemesis dumps her bag of supplies right there on one of the benches carved into the railing; turns to Hurricane beside her.]

Ready to summon an elder god?

Comments

[unbr8kable]

Oh--

[It takes her a moment after it ends, still feeling the spongy, wet-warm touch of decay, the odor sharp in her nose, the roar of the whisper ringing in her ears.

And then it's like waking from a dream--she looks around--at Hurricane, at the altar, at the horizon]

Wait--!

[crossmyheartandhope]

Jesus. That's - that ain't -

[He pages through his notebook, frantic - back a page, and then another, and then another - returns to the altar, fale pale and hands shaking, clutching the hastily scribbled banishing ritual in his hands]

Ia ia, Cthulhu fhtagn. [He touches something invisible, above his head]

A’uk. [Draws his hand down, to his third eye] Neb em hu. [Touches his mouth]

[The ritual is longer than the other one, more involved; he is decidedly shakier, saying it. When he's finished, he points the dagger at his heart, finishes the rest of the words, and then cuts his hand to spill blood on the altar again]

[errours]

[ The blood splashes against the now-rotting wood, and—







—not so much as a whisper. All that's left of the presence is its mildew-y residue—or all that you can see, anyway. Perhaps, though, as the blood soaks into the ruined altar, Hurricane feels those words echo in his mind, infectious yet gentle, almost like a question to pose himself:

I construct arcadias to forget my ache, I decorate the light
having so little of it. ]

[unbr8kable]

Jacob--

[Sharp, and she can't stop herself from grabbing for his hand and the dagger this time, anxious and looking back to what else might be following]

E-enough--stop!

[crossmyheartandhope]

It's - it's supposed to send it back -

[Peering anxiously in the direction that the fungus-demon disappeared]

[unbr8kable]

[She does the same, hands trembling around his as the last of the spores disappear beyond the horizon.

For long heartbeats she just stares into the darkness, then over to him, expression genuinely shaken. A beat later she looks down, pressing her mouth flat]

.........You're still bleeding. Should clean that up.

[crossmyheartandhope]

...you, too.

[A beat, and then another]

Didn't think to bring bandages.

[unbr8kable]

...The swimming towels. Can use those.

Are you still bleeding or you wanna head back to town first?

[She has in fact not yet released his hand, so it is possibly a little difficult to tell, especially with the only light coming from the stars above, now that the candles have been rotted out]

[crossmyheartandhope]

I - I dunno.

I -

[A beat, and then another; from the feel of it, he is still bleeding; at least, his hand is slightly warmer than usual, with the blood]

We better check. What if it's like that one time.

[unbr8kable]

They didn't seem like the imps...

[Her face pales nevertheless, and she clutches tighter at his hand, the grip slick]

We're still hours out of downtown, we won't be able to catch up. Can text somebody to keep an eye out for trouble...or just wait; someone'll message if it's bad.

[The breeze rustles through the beach and the broken hotel and the jungle that encroaches on both, and Nemesis casts around again for new visitors]

...Either way, should get outta here...maybe head for the dock and clean up.

[crossmyheartandhope]

Yeah... yeah. Sooner the better.

[A beat of hesitation. Then:]

Lemme text Dva. She'll keep an eye out if I ask her to.

[unbr8kable]

...Okay. Don't say nothing to freak her out too bad. She gets into enough trouble as it is.

[Another pause, and she looks at their stuff, piled by the beach and rather worse for wear, and she carefully picks her way over, tugging him after]

[crossmyheartandhope]

Kay. I'll just ask her if there's anything weird going on, and if no, to kinda keep an eye out and let me know.

[Starts to go after her - hesitates]

...you think we oughtta take the altar? If stuff goes south, we might need it.

[unbr8kable]

...Okay. Maybe--maybe. Could have evidence, or something.

[A pause, then she returns with the musty remains of her satchel, upturned]

Here. Don't touch it with your hand, just in case.

[She shoves what's left from her bag into what's left of her bag]

[crossmyheartandhope]

Yeah. That's - yeah.

[He hesitates, then dumps the rest of the almost-empty bag of salt - uses the bag to pick it up and wrap it, then put it inside]

[unbr8kable]

[Holds it steady for him, and stuffs in the book and some of the candles after for completion's sake]

...That about it?

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Grabbing the rest of the stuff, too, and stuffing it in his own bag]

Think that's everything.

[unbr8kable]

Okay. Then--let's get outta here.

[She gives another quick onceover, mouth pressed thin, before angling her head back towards the well-lit part of town]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[Nods and starts heading back toward the place where they left the submarine, markedly more subdued than when they left]

[He digs out his phone while they walk, to text Dva]

[unbr8kable]

[She sticks as close as their bags allow. On edge, she glances from his phone unseeing to the horizon to behind them, in case something was left to follow]

[crossmyheartandhope]

[After a beat or two, quiet:]

So far so good.

[unbr8kable]

Yeah...no explosions or nothing. So that's better'n most days.

[Her tone is muted, though]

[crossmyheartandhope]

Yeah, for real. Nothing flooded or whatever, neither.

[unbr8kable]

Yeah...

...Works out we got a sub. That case, we're set.

[crossmyheartandhope]

Yeah, for real.

[A beat]

Guess a boat woulda worked, too. They just float on the water, anyways.