[Open/Catch All] What do they call love in your reality

[satanslash]

WHO: Rin, ALL Y'ALL
WHERE: All over
WHEN: August Catch All
WHAT: Pit fighting, flower crowns, and honest emotions? This sure is an interesting month...
WARNINGS: It's Rin, he can't go five minutes without swearing at least once. But also, gross mushy feelings. Ew.

i. meet me in the pit, scrublord (Quest 21)

[Rin wasn't actually that fond of fighting, despite being pretty decent both with his sword and his fists. Fighting back home meant getting in trouble, losing jobs, getting suspended and having so much of the burden of his actions fall on Father Fujimoto's shoulders. He tried so damn hard to avoid it as much as possible, but his anger would always flare at the sight of bullies and assholes picking on those weaker than themselves.

Of course he had been called a demon for such actions, especially given that even as a small child he was capable of breaking bones in adults three times his size, but it was only later he learned he really was what all those parents would whisper to one another in fear and disgust.

Just his luck, right?

As an exorcist he was far more at peace with lifting a sword to protect those who couldn't protect themselves from his kin, at least the ones that deserved it, but even then he was always hesitant to go full tilt against them. Learning that his flames, when controlled, could actually exorcise demons back to Gehenna rather than kill them had been a great weight off his shoulders.

If there was a good reason for doing these things, he was all for it. Which is why he was questioning, silently, why exactly a fairy tale-based town needed pit fighting for a quest. Especially pit fighting among their own numbers.

It was requested, though, and he had already put himself out there as a willing contestant. He was there in the so-called pit without his sword, stretching out his arms, legs, back while waiting for the next opponent with a determined expression. If he was going to do this he was at least going to take the situation seriously.

But that does beg the question, who is willing to go up against a super strong, blue-flame wielding half demon?]

ii. I pray for the wicked on the weekend (Quest 20)

[Every so often, when Rin is feeling the restless urge to take a walk and wander about the town, he finds himself back at the church in Flavo that he had once spent a night with a bunch of other residents at Kaoru's insistence. While the memories of that were pleasant, it was more because the location even in it's somewhat rundown state reminded him heavily of home.

Not the dorm that he had been given the chance to visit last month, but home. The place he had lived for fifteen years. Granted this place didn't have a living space like the boy's home Shiro ran attached to it, but he had spent more than enough time in the church proper to have the place feel like that piece of his life that had been so quickly taken away from him in one fateful night.

If someone went looking for him at Chroma Cafe only to find him absent from it, they would have more luck finding him there. It was a good place to have conversations about honest feelings, whatever feelings those may be. It was a church after all.]

iii. A gentle beating heart (Quest 23)

[Somewhere in the town you might come across a sheepish looking teen holding box. What's in the box, you might ask? Well, approaching him would give an answer since the low sides of said container allows it to be seen in to easily. There's a stack of flower crowns, surprisingly well made and a good number of them as well. He might mutter something about having spent 'way too much time' on them, and Rin clearly doesn't give two flips who should and shouldn't be considered 'worthy' because really weren't flowers supposed to be for everyone?

Not that it does anything for his embarrassment. It's not like he's ever done anything like this before.

Whatever his thoughts on the matter don't be surprised if he, red faced as anything, attempts to hand you one.]

J-just take it, okay?

iv. Wildcard!

[As always, I'm up for anything ever. Hit me up on Discord (Rin#0768) or Plurk (rubberfaceokumura

Comments

[tropism]

[ he shrugs. ] Fine by me.

[ he can hit as hard as he wants, giorno cheats anyway. as an opening stance, he .... folds his arms over his chest and taps his foot on the ground. ] Let's begin.

[satanslash]

[... really?

Rin's eyebrow quirks up high, hands already in fists in front of him.]

Uh.

... you... sure?

[Because he certainly doesn't look ready.]

[tropism]

[ giorno looks at his face and laughs rather apologetically. ]

... well, I'm not very good at looking scary. I'm sure you can outdo me in that respect.

That being said, feel free to come over any time.

[satanslash]

[Heeeeyyy that's rude!

Probably true.

But still rude!

There's two seconds where he actually looks pouty about the comment, but it's quickly replaced by a serious expression and a scowl. Okay, guess we're playing that way.

He'll come over alright. He'll come over running and ready to hit with the power of a freight train.]

[tropism]

[ giorno does move, in the end, but there's something odd with his movement: something golden appears by him, and this is his stand. almost as tall as he is, the stand is quick enough to have both of them evade the strike, and when giorno takes a few steps back, that's when -

- a tree sprouts from where giorno had been standing. it carries him up the way it sprouts from the ground, giorno sitting on its branches as it arrays themselves in a way that makes it look like he has his very own throne.

this all happens very quickly, almost in a few breaths. the tree is thin and the branches bare of leaves, but it's a tree nonetheless. ]

Oh, that's good. I did tell you you're scarier, didn't I?

Now let's do that again. [ giorno will remain on the tree. ]

[satanslash]

[Rin damn near lands on his face after the hit completely misses and causes him to stumble several steps forward. He does catch and right himself, though, wheeling around to stare up at the massive structure that just appeared out of the ground.

"First one down" indeed. That's going to be easier said than done with this guy.

Rin was also not going to use his own powers, but seeing as Gio already threw that idea out the window he's now more willing to throw fire in to the mix.

He doesn't want to look scary, but a demon is a demon no matter how much human is in there.]

Tch!

[An upward leap, launching himself in to the air with a burst of blue fire at his feet, similar flames covering his fists and arms as he goes in for another swing.]

[tropism]

[ ah, fire. that's difficult. nothing can grow in extremes. giorno leans back into the mesh of branches around the tree, and rin has to be careful: once he hits the tree it's going to reflect the damage back to him - in the same amount of force he strikes it with. ]

Curiouser and curiouser. I've never fought against fire before - that's rather tricky.

[satanslash]

[Yeah he wasn't expecting reflects. He's come a long, long way in the near-year since his awakening, but he still has a long way to go especially in dealing with things that aren't other demons.

It reflects hard, too, sending him flying backwards and crashing to the ground with enough force that he skids for several feet.

He's not down for the count, even though he does need a moment to catch his breath because ow.]

Like you've got any room to talk about tricky--

[cough.

ow.

again.]

[tropism]

[ giorno just smiles from his throne. ]

Does your fire really burn? Or is that more like .... light, coming from within you?

Ah, well, I suppose there's no real way to find out but to engage.

[ you know that tree? better watch it. it seems like it's moving. then giorno slides down from it, and the entire thing seems to fall apart at the seams, like a picture becoming more and more grainy as you stare at it. and then you hear the buzzing.

the tree has turned into an army of wasps, looking like an angry black cloud. what will happen to our hero? will he survive? tune in next episode to find out. ]

[satanslash]

[The answer to that is somewhat nebulous. Really, Rin is supposed to be able to control what it does and doesn't burn, though his control isn't always perfect. His sword makes it easier, too, but he had originally gone in to this thinking that would be an unfair advantage.

Go figure.

Right now, though, he might want to make sure it's perfect because... yeah. Wasps aren't going to be comfortable for anyone, even a half-demon like Rin.]

What the fuck--?!

[He doesn't even bother finishing asking what just happened, dodges to the side and fully ignites those blue flames, surrounding himself bodily with actual, powerful heat in hopes of burning or at least deterring the swarming bugs.]

[tropism]

[ the deflection at least doesn't work as effectively as it does when it's one concentrated object where the attack is to be deflected. but they swarm the moment they feel attacked, scatter in the way insects do, and re-form again, loud and angry and determined. perhaps the fire being what it is makes them angrier. ]

You're very good, [ giorno says, conceding that fighting seriously would probably put him in danger and that's not what he wants, because he wants to win too. but there are many different ways of fighting, and giorno's isn't always direct. ]

[satanslash]

[Welp.

That. That is a problem.

Rather than try the same tactic again Rin bolts from where he was standing, attempting to out run the swarm.]

Says the guy who summoned fuckin' wasps!

[His voice hits a pretty impressive high note in his momentary fear as he runs up the nearest wall, managing to flip and launch himself with flames a second time in order to clear further distance from the attacking wasps.]

[tropism]

[ they're relentless and giorno is content to watch, laughing as he runs. ]

But you guys are such good friends already.

[satanslash]

THEY ARE SO NOT MY FRI--

[Derf.

The sound of Rin tripping and falling flat on his face, followed by the expected screams of someone getting swarmed by stinging, angry bugs. Naturally he goes on the defensive and flares up in to a bright blue ball of fire, but as before it really only serves to make the ones that don't burn even more angry.

Poor Rin.]

[tropism]

[ as soon as he falls, giorno comes over and - after darting and avoiding the lick of flames that surrounded the boy - he calls off the insects. they come to him obediently enough, save for a few that got too close to the fire anyway.

with a brief touch they all revert to parts of the tree he'd turned them into earlier - branches and leaves and all. ]

Come here. [ he says it gently. ] I'll heal you.

[satanslash]

That... hurt... uugnnn.

[Rin has enough sense to call his own flames back as Gio offers healing, but he doesn't bother getting up from where he landed. Yes, heal him, but also leave him to his shame of losing so badly.]

[tropism]

[ he clicks his tongue. ]

You can get up. [ and he prods his foot with the tip of his shoe. ] C'mon, Rin.

[satanslash]

Noooo. Jus' bury me here. That was awful.

[He's. A little embarrassed about his loss.

Just a little.]

I thought I was gettin' better! Nnnn...

[Distressed demon boy noises.]

[tropism]

You would've beaten me in a hand-to-hand fight. Physical fights aren't my forte.

[ he prefers the element of surprise. ]

[satanslash]

Coulda told me you were gonna use... whatever the fuck that bee thing was. I wouldn't have left my sword behind.

[But fine, fine, he's getting up.]

... what was that anyway?

[tropism]

Don't leave your sword if you're going out, whether or not you'll be in a fight, serious or otherwise.

[ lesson learned, hey? as for that question, giorno just shrugs. ]

You can call it magic, if you want.

Anyway - we had an agreement. [ he is, of course, talking about Dance Lessons. ]

[satanslash]

[Something deep panged in his chest, a memory pushed to the back of his mind--

"Don't ever let this sword out of your sight."

Fuck. When had he gotten so complacent here, thinking it was alright to just wander away without Kurikara? He'd been doing that more and more lately, too, not just now when he wanted to forego any chance of really hurting someone in a fight.

He swallowed hard, trying to use dusting his clothing off as a distraction from those self deprecating thoughts.]

Y'know I'm probably the last guy you wanna teach...

[tropism]

I'm not a professional, [ giorno says this as kindly as he can. ] It's just for fun.

[satanslash]

Well--

[That still doesn't make him any less awkward or unsure on his feet, even if he has been training with Shura for the past year.

Eh. Just for fun. He can... maybe manage this?]

Alright.