There were times in my life

[fractured_white]

Who: Albedo, Gaignun (namedforcat) and open.
Where: Everywhere.
When: Wednesday, Thursday and Friday during Dark Hour.
What: Jr. and MOMO have vanished and the loss of both of them has taken its toll on Albedo's sanity. He deals with it the only way he knows how: by fighting until he can't fight any more.
Rating: R
Warnings: Language, violence, blood, mutilation, references to and implications of suicide, character death and abuse of Shakespearian quotes.
Notes: PLEASE let me know what day you're encountering him if you tag this. His sanity will be continuing to slip up until his death, so it makes a difference. Also, let me know if you're willing to let your character get injured, otherwise I'll assume no.

Rubedo's number was gone from the listings. MOMO's was gone with it. Some might expect that second point to come as good news to the man who seemed to despise her, but he cared about her in a strange, twisted way. With them both vanishing at the same time, Albedo's already delicate sanity was beginning to crumble in ways that he found distressingly familiar. Oh, he was functional, could even pretend to be as sane as he ever was. But he was slipping, and he knew it.

During the Dark Hour, that changed. It had always been the time when he'd allowed himself to disregard the social pretenses required to manage in the city and act on his more violent nature. Now he had an ulterior motive. For three nights, he would roam the streets alone, avoiding his remaining brother however he could. For three days, he wouldn't be going to the book store or the theater. For three nights, he would be collecting injuries that did nothing to pierce his haze of rage and pain. For two days, he would be hiding the extent of his injuries from his brother. For three nights, he would be nearly as hostile as the Shadows he cut through and was mutilated by.

The third night, he would die.

Comments

Death scene/reserved for Gaignun

[fractured_white]

Albedo's injuries had finally caught up with him, forcibly reminding him of his mortality. The feeling of death was familiar, pleasantly peaceful as he remembered. It contrasted directly with his violent insanity, bringing the sense of calm that he'd hoped for. It was hard to be full of rage when you knew you were dying on your own terms.

For now, he was still on his feet, but his Persona had faded and his knife dropped from his hand as blood soaked through and stained his pure white outfit. His breathing was getting tight and a cough that nearly dropped him to his knees threw more red liquid onto the ground and left what was left his lips smeared scarlet. There was blood in his lungs, but even that didn't upset him. He'd never feared his own death, not the last time it had come to claim him and not now.

Night 1

[unknownrival]

Issei often went out during the Dark Hour, searching for those weaker than him who needed assistance. Albedo was certainly not weaker than him, but seeing him did cause Issei to stop.

...he had a bad feeling about this.

"Good evening," he called out, lowering his sword slightly.

[fractured_white]

Albedo recognized Issei's voice before he even turned his eyes on the boy, and it was an odd mixture of feelings. Issei was amusing, and Albedo normally enjoyed teasing him for his flustered or annoyed reactions, but tonight it didn't appeal. He wasn't in the mood for anything nearly so friendly.

"That depends highly upon your definition of good."

[unknownrival]

Right. That was not a good start.

"Do you need or want my assistance?"

[fractured_white]

"If I wanted assistance I would have invited Nigredo."

He usually did. But then, usually, he was much more stable.

Still, he began striding toward Issei, considering more intimidating ways to take his mind off of the day's shock.

[unknownrival]

Issei stood still, with barely a twitch of unease or fear.

"It's polite to ask."

[fractured_white]

"How generous of you."

As he walked, his cape flared out, exposing a small but bloody gash on his side.

"But your services in that department aren't necessary.

[unknownrival]

"I'm glad you're doing all right, but... Do you want any healing for that?" Issei asked politely. "I can heal it up and then get out of your way."

[fractured_white]

"If I cared to bother with such an injury, it would be long healed by now."

He flicked his knife to a backhand position so he could reach forward to grab Issei's chin and look him in the eye. There was definitely something off in the back of the albino's eyes, even compared to normal.

"But perhaps your presence could be put to another use."

[unknownrival]

Right. That was very concerning. Very very concerning. Issei went very, very still.

"I-it hardly seems fair to vent aggression on someone with misplaced good intentions."

[fractured_white]

"It hardly seems fair." He mocked, letting go of Issei and straightening up. "Were reality fair, quite a few things would be different, don't you agree?"

He would still have Rubedo. He wouldn't have had to watch Nigredo die. He wouldn't be immortal. He wouldn't feel so alone.

[unknownrival]

Issei took a few steps back. If worst came to worst, he could probably intercept with Jikokuten before being stabbed in the throat.

"I've never seen a reason to let reality interfere with how I act."

And once again they have a confrentation that was somehow caused by Rubedo disappearing

[namedforcat]

Gaignun knew what the disappearance of those two very important names off the contact listing meant. It meant that MOMO and Jr had returned home. Once again Rubedo had run off leaving the two younger brothers alone in a hostile environment. However, unlike Miltia, there was no amount of looking for him that would add him back to their number. There was no way to fix that hole in their structure.

Three had always been an important number to the URTV's, their whole social structure as children had depended on it. The first night he'd been too numb himself to do anything, the second night he got worried, but he dreaded this third night. He pounded through the streets, ignoring what Shadows he could on the search for the last of his brothers. He had to find Albedo, everything depended on it. Of course, he was none too happy once he got his wish.

"Albedo!"

[fractured_white]

"Quite the optimist. But reality has a way of enforcing its own will upon the world."

He started to walk around Issei, moving in a circle and keeping the boy within striking distance. He wasn't planning on attacking-he wasn't that far gone yet-but he was getting a sick amusement out of watching him wonder.

[unknownrival]

Issei shrugged as he kept moving. "Is that something I should give up and accept, then?"

Fear? Yes, he was afraid. But that wasn't going to help him.

At least this time they won't be actually fighting?

[fractured_white]

Albedo saw his brother before he heard him, recognizing the younger URTV instantly even through the fog of exhaustion and blood loss. He didn't want to face his remaining brother now. He knew Nigredo would be angry, call him reckless, impulsive. Try to stop him if at all possible. But now it was too late, and he was sure the other URTV could tell himself that Albedo was on his deathbed, only standing out of sheer willpower and a desire to die with dignity rather than collapsed on the ground.

He didn't want to face his brother, but he was happy to see him in this moment of returned lucidity. He smiled at Nigredo, looking relaxed even as blood continued to drip and seep from his various wounds.

"Hey there, Nigredo."

Another fit of coughing shook Albedo's body, dropping him to one knee. But still, he didn't seem worried, despite the blood now trickling out of the corner of his mouth.

And no catwalks.

[namedforcat]

It figured that Albedo would be the calmer of the two right now, but Gaignun swallowed hard to get himself back under control. Yes he was angry at Albedo, but more then that he was upset and frightened. Yes Albedo and he had had their altercations in the past, and peace between them had been a long time coming, but Albedo was still his brother. His precious, emotional, older brother. He stepped forward at that smile. Time seemed slow to him until he saw Albedo drop to one knee, and then it sped up at a breakneck pace. Ignoring the blood pooling around he dropped down to kneel in front of Albedo, putting out his hands to steady him.

"What have you done to yourself Albedo...?" The answer was obvious, but he had to say something and for all of his vaulted words in stressful situations, only these would come to him now.

"What have you done?"

Night 3

[amnesiadragon]

The past few days had been... strange. People seemed to be acting oddly, but then again he hadn't been here long enough to really be able to tell. So, once again, he headed out during the night to train. He didn't like it this way - he still needed money for a sword, and he still needed to get clothes better suited for this weather - but it would do for now.

He paused, though, seeing a somewhat familiar silhouette. That was Albedo... right? He walked forward, blinking in slight confusion.

"Hey there."

*Begins counting references to that speech.*

[fractured_white]

Albedo liked that reply. The strength of Issei's will was obvious from it, proof that his optimism came from a willingness to stand and fight for what he wanted rather than a lack of knowledge of how difficult it could be. If he was saner, he might have expressed agreement with the sentiment. Now, however, he just wanted someone to antagonize and continued moving to keep Issei in range.

"That depends on if you truly believe yourself to have the power necessary to oppose those slings and arrows of outrageous fortune."

[fractured_white]

By now, Albedo was obviously wounded. His outfit showed numerous tears and blood stains, his breathing was heavy and he had to keep a tight grip on his knife to keep it from slipping out of his gloved and bloody hand.

If the weakening of his body worried him, it didn't show. The look in his eyes as they fell on his not!nephew could only be described as manic, full of an anger and cruelty that hadn't been there even when they'd fought against the Shadows together.

"Well well, if it isn't the extra come to pay a visit."

[amnesiadragon]

Ryu tilted his head slightly, not quite knowing what he meant by that, though it wasn't untrue, he was extra. He hadn't talked about that to Albedo, though. What was more concerning were the tears and blood all over him. He took a step forward, not minding Albedo's expression.

After all, someone had calmed him down from a state where he surely had looked more frightening than that. He knew he wasn't the best person for this, but he couldn't help but try.

"Let me help you find someone with healing skills." Allen, maybe, since he didn't know anyone else who did...

Or U-DO :x

[fractured_white]

The desperation in Nigredo's words caused Albedo's smile to fade and he attempted a bitter laugh, but only ended up coughing more. It figured. He finally managed to get his own emotions under control, only to make things worse for Nigredo. But it was better this way. The alternative would have certainly led to him dying anyway, after doing something that led to the heroic types deciding he needed to be stopped. He would rather die on his own terms than at the hands of some self righteous fools.

"What was necessary, Nigredo."

U-DO can just go uncreate itself thank you very much. Never mind the UMN.

[namedforcat]

Necessity. There was always something awful about that word, like it would justify anything that it was applied to. Gaignun had used that word himself, when confronted about his own death on Abel's Ark. To do what was necessary. Common sense would tell him that to comment on this would be to reveal himself as a hypocrite, but common sense was drowned out by the rare flood of strong emotions. That same flood also drowned out any perspective that Gaignun might have had on the situation except pain.

"Necessary? How is letting yourself get torn apart by these Shadows necessary? I know Rubedo is gone but this isn't going to bring him back, this isn't going to make it hurt you any less! This..." He slowed his words to keep the fact that his voice was about to break a bit hidden.

"This isn't going to change anything."

[fractured_white]

Albedo couldn't help but laugh, throwing back his head in the insane cackle he hadn't really felt the urge to use since he died.

"You think I need your help? I'm quite capable of taking care of myself."

Or at least stick to its Upper Domain.

[fractured_white]

"That's where you're wrong."

He raised a hand to rest it on Nigredo's cheek, meeting his brother's emotional green eyes with his own calm purple ones. Seeing Nigredo like this...it hurt. His younger brother had always been the stable one, the one he could trust to be objective and to keep his emotions under control. Now he couldn't help but wonder what was going through the other URTV's head. Betrayal? Fear? No...loneliness.

"I was losing my mind, Nigredo. It may not hurt any less, but..."

He had to avert his eyes, not wanting Nigredo to see how much this prospect pained him.

"Had I not taken such steps, things would have returned to the way they used to be."