destinystrings | [Closed] Time For Closure!

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[Closed] Time For Closure!

Who: Yamato Hotsuin

drakenguard and Ideo Hazama

putonagoodshow
Where: Sagittarius Labs
When: Backdated to the 11th March
Summary: Yamato's Daddy Issues Conclusion! Cerberus Summoning! Hideousness of what happens when being raised by a star alien!
Warnings: Alcor is involved so expect lots of anger, bitterness and...anger. Also I tl;dr'd

Yamato was pretty certain that he had hit rock bottom at this point.

Before Animus, Yamato had a somewhat tight hold over his demons. After some initial hiccups here and there, he had found a stable position within this new life here - he had a job, he had routine, he knew where to sharpen his abilities on the wild demons during the 13th hour, he had...some people who he could converse with when he was in the mood to. It was not like being Chief of JP's, but it was better than rotting in the ground being dead, so he hadn't complained.

Then the Tower disrupted everything.

Nyarlythotep... even if Yamato told himself, logically, to disregard everything that came out of that creature's mouth, they still wormed into his brain. Intellectually, Yamato knew that his issues with Alcor were petty and childish. Rationally, Yamato knew that this was a grudge he shouldn't be clinging to anymore, something that he should release and move on from.

He knew all this, and yet...

Hah, well his actions these past few days proved how imbalanced he was by Nyarlthotep's words. If even Shijima noted how he was acting was embarrassing (although he didn't say that it was implied), then Yamato had a problem - if he was drinking himself stupid and ranting to Alcor before vomiting on him... he definitely had an issue.

So he needed to settle it.

Of course, Yamato needed some sort of anchoring system to ensure he wouldn't stray from the path he was going to set himself. He could ask his sister, but, she had not been with him these past months, and he felt a bit awkward asking her for help in this. She would, most likely not understand, and would be a bit too gungho in handing out physical punishment. No, he needed something he had security in controlling, but was firm enough to help him keep his own rules.

He needed Cerberus back.

However, summoning across alternative dimensions was new territory for him, and he had been intending on visiting Ideo to restart his working hours (obviously, upon return from Animus, he had pulled his untouched holiday weeks to just recover). A busy mind would help him stop dwelling, which was half of the problem whenever Alcor was involved. Overthinking and dwelling... it made him paranoid and irrational. So he left for Sagittarius labs in the morning - where everyone would still be asleep and only Ideo would get to see his less than stellar state.

Awesome.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

...well, this was quite convenient.

"Oh?" Yamato blinked a bit at him, feeling a bit sluggish mentally. He was still grappling with emotional turmoil and post-hangover feelings, so he supposed he could be forgiven for his lack of wit at the moment.

"It is difficult to summon demons without the name - they are normally essential for most summoning rituals," Yamato said after a pause, feeling a bit intrigued despite himself. Yes, if you knew the class of demon, it was difficult, knowing the name made it easy... but knowing neither of those? Almost impossible unless you had an existing contract with them - but even then, how could you make a contract with a demon you didn't know the class or name of?

"But, it isn't silly," he added after a pause. "It will be interesting to try, in any case."

Ideo sighed, and did something rather rare- he removed his left glove. Due to how little sun they saw, the skin of his hands was abnormally pale, almost translucent...but that wasn't all that was strange. When he turned his wrist over, almost shyly, there was a brand there.

"The pact mark hasn't faded. I think it means my contract is still upheld, but...he never gave me a name. Then again, I never asked." Ideo flexed his fingers, feeling a little exposed without the mark covered, but managed to persevere. "I was foolish when I called upon him. The book had said to put the pact mark on your body. I didn't realize until much later that I could have simply applied it to my clothing."

Aaaand he wonders why he got possessed by the malcontent of Makai?????

"..."

Yes, that had been incredibly foolish. One only placed pact marks on their skin if they wished to grant the demon regular access to their body. Normally, those types of people were either foolish, insane, or incredibly disciplined enough to handle such dangers. Sadly, it seemed Ideo had been the former - incredibly, utterly, foolish...

Well, that was to be expected if you messed around with Demon Summoning with only beginner's knowledge...tch...

"That was... a very stupid thing to do," Yamato agreed slowly, resisting the urge to facepalm in exasperation. "But you seem aware of that, at least. Well," he moved a bit closer, getting a better look at the pact mark, even lightly holding onto Ideo's hand with gloved fingers to hold him still. "Hm, I haven't seen this kind of pact mark before..."

"Everything I knew about demon summoning I learned from that book. I didn't have a formal teaching on the subject..." Embarrassed? You betcha he is! "I only received the book in the first place because a man approached me with it. He said I could be a natural, but I was too impatient to practice. I wanted immediate results."

Ideo suddenly shifted awkwardly, whether it was from Yamato gently holding his wrist, or from the subject. "It was idiotic, but...I didn't care what happened to me. I just wanted to destroy my tormentors."

A man?

Yamato looked up sharply at that, his lips pressing together in a thin line briefly. Rare was the man who roamed about with legitimate books on demonic summoning - in fact, usually they weren't human. There had been troubles in the past of demons handing out such things to those with the potential to summon, if only to stir up chaos or - perhaps achieve some goal known only to demons. It had been a nightmare for the past Chiefs of JP's.

"..."

And the mention of tormentors just cinched it. A spiritually powerful, angry teenager, looking for a way to grab any form of revenge? A demon would have gobbled that tripe up.

"I see," he said quietly, "...tormentors?"

Oh. He...hadn't told Yamato about what he'd done, had he? Ideo turned his gaze to his own wrist, watching the tattoo move with the flexing of his muscles. He could remember very distinctly why he'd placed it there- even if it had been melodramatic at best.

"My father demanded that I would be the best of my class, and that nobody could surpass my intellect. As is often the case, my classmates did not appreciate a know-it-all. I wasn't well liked." That was an understatement, of course. Typically, Ideo couldn't talk about this stuff without crumpling in to an emotional heap, but this time he managed to keep himself just distant enough to not fall in to despair. "I was hated. I know why, logically, but I still don't feel I understand it. When my peers turned to physical torment, my father insisted I deal with it on my own. There was no power in the administration. Nobody would see what was clearly going on. When I was given that book, it was...so obvious what I needed to do."

He took a breath, pursed his lips, then continued. "I made my contract, and dragged the entire school to Makai. They were all guilty- and I was determined to return their abuse back tenfold."

Yamato released Ideo's wrist and he slipped his hand into his pocket, glancing away with a faint frown. He wasn't bothered by Ideo admitting in returning the torture to his tormentors. Truthfully, it was fitting - if you baited and abused someone, eventually they would turn their fangs on you, hungry to draw blood. It was just common sense.

But this was what Yamato had meant, in regards to how rotten society was. People were frightened and jealous of anything that wasn't 'the norm'. If something was better than them, intellectually or otherwise, the average majority became violent or disgustingly cruel, determined to tear down the talented one into a life of mediocrity. Ah, what was that saying? 'If a nail sticks out, hammer it down into place'.

Filth.

"I can't say I'm surprised," he said simply, managing to bite back the majority of his meritocratic rhetoric fighting to burst free. He wasn't going to rant it at Ideo when this wasn't really the time for it. He could tell that much. "People are like small animals, fearful and violent when faced with something out of the norm... what happened, after you punished them?" he asked, suddenly switching topics. He had felt himself getting ready to fall into a rant...

"I lost myself." It was a simple fact, from how he stated it. Momentarily free of guilt. "The demons crowned me Emperor, I cannot remember why. It's...my memories are mostly a blur of emotion and disgust after the ritual. I only came to once again when Reiko and Tamaki were pacifying me. I'd...many people died. I'd put them all through their sins, even people who were innocent. Nobody was spared."

Ideo suddenly jolted, putting his glove back on like he'd seen something horrifying in the symbols. Once it was back on, he simply hugged his arm to his chest with a pathetic look. "I released the seal, and undid the damage I'd done. But I'd already been branded. It wasn't a crown I was given...it was more like a leash. I couldn't go back home."

His voice suddenly turned very small. "Reiko...stayed with me. She promised not to leave me alone. That was...that was when Philemon brought us here."

Hold on, that was interesting? Crowned Emperor? Was that even possible? Yamato pressed his fingers against his mouth, looking thoughtful as Ideo continued speaking. He was still listening, yes, but his mind was racing. So, a mysterious man handed a book to an angry, powerful teenager, and it ended with him becoming a Demon Emperor...

Something about all that was nagging him, but he shunted it onto the backburner to mull over later.

"...do you regret what you've done?" Yamato asked after a pause, tilting his head at Ideo. The other man looked very fragile in that moment, and Yamato never knew how to approach him when he was in that state. Yamato was blunt like a club - there was very little to no finesse in his emotional understanding, or verbal communication, so he wasn't sure how to voice his confusion delicately.

Ideo had managed to inflict Karmic punishment on his tormentors, but also attacked innocents. Yamato could see being regretful over such a thing, but, for enacting righteous punishment on those who hurt him? Why should he?

Ideo was quiet for some time, as if he had to mull the subject over himself. When he'd made a decision, he almost seemed to look straighter, taller- less broken up, at the very least.

"In a way, yes. In the end, I accomplished nothing. My tormentors stopped, yes, but it will not stop people in the future from continuing down that path. Humanity is more complicated than I gave them credit for. What happened at that school was not punishment for anyone but myself, ultimately." He closed his eyes, pushing some of his hair behind his ear. "I wanted to die, so I suppose it is fitting in a way. A fate worse than death."

But he was here, talking calmly about the past- that fact was the only reason Ideo managed a sad sort of smile to Yamato. "I didn't mean to saddle you with all this, though I suppose it gives a degree of context on the subject of demon summoning."

"It's fine," Yamato said, lifting his shoulders in a brief shrug. And it was fine. He was mostly bemused, more than anything, although he had been given an interesting insight as to why Ideo was Ideo. It explained why he was so - self-critical, in any case, even if Yamato found it to be an irritating trait to have at times.

He was well aware of his inability to really sympathise though. He didn't feel sorry for Ideo, and neither did he feel any empathy. He had been manipulated by a demon, and ended up causing death and destruction to a building full of foolish students. It had been through Ideo's own fault, and he paid for that foolishness by the inevitable consequences that occurred. Pitying him would be an insult, and Yamato didn't really know how to sympathise with such a thing - even if he too had gone through something similar himself, although a lot less... traumatising, he supposed.

"It was insightful in any case - but it makes me curious as to why you would wish to summon that demon back to your side again."

An understandable curiosity, really, one that Ideo wasn't sure he knew how to answer. He didn't take as long to collect his feelings this time, but there was still a moment wherein he just let his arms drop.

"That demon kept me safe. Being 'Emperor' comes with demons being riled to dethrone you. He protected me from that, and did not take advantage of me directly. It was Makai itself that polluted my mind, feeding off my own anger." He frowned somewhat delicately. "That demon may be suffering in Makai for my behavior, while I sit here in relative safety. That isn't how one rewards loyalty."

"I see..."

Well, that made Yamato feel a little less foolish for his desire to summon Cerberus, at least. He, too, wished to summon him for the same feelings of safety - and mild worry. He didn't even know if the contract still held, due to his death in his own world, but, Cerberus would be left masterless in an Egalitarian world...

"I...understand that, at least."

"Is that why you wish to summon a demon, as well?" Ideo tilted his head, smiling and standing from his chair. It was only a few steps over to the fusion chamber. "We may not have the space down here, but there's not much more upstairs, either...I took up a good chunk of the gym when I created my circle."

If they could pull this off, then there'd be untold benefits- and concerns that Ideo would have to begin safeguarding against.

"Mn..." Yamato scanned the room, sizing it up. Yes, there wasn't much space here - perhaps if it wasn't filled with all of this equipment, they could squeeze it in, but - well, perhaps they could use a smaller summoning circle? It would be more difficult to yield, but Yamato had experience in it, even if he found the bigger, more stabilised versions easier on himself.

"We could get away with using a smaller circle," he began thoughtfully, "But it holds a higher chance of failure and backlash."

"You're more experienced than I, even with my research since I've come here." Ideo sure didn't have any problem putting down his experiences, though that might have made a lot more sense now. "You know your demon and have experience, but I have my pact still on my flesh- which one of us would have an easier time? If we can at least draw one here, then we could calculate the differences through the COMP's frequency and draw the other here with technology."

Yamato had to weigh that for a moment, and finally conceded that a pact of flesh held a more stable contract than Yamato's. It was known that Ideo's contract was still active, whereas Yamato didn't know if his own was broken when he died. Ideo's would be the logical choice.

"Yours," he said, rubbing his mouth in thought. "Although the name isn't known, the pact on your skin serves as a solid anchor, whereas my contract is more... verbal, than official."

Ideo nodded, even though nervous butterflies bloomed up at that response. He'd had a feeling, but that didn't make him any less nervous. The last time Ideo tried anything of this sort, after all...

No, he'd have help this time. Right? Ideo took a deep breath, and tried to feign a smile. "If that's the case, then we should set up the circle. It should be good practice, at any rate."

Yamato scrutinised Ideo for a moment. He seemed nervous - understandable, if the last time he summoned a demon ended up with him becoming possessed. It would make anyone's confidence shaky, but that was dangerous. If one had even the slightest bit of weakness in their resolve, the results were ugly.

"...yes, we should. But, if you want," he paused before continuing, "I can handle the bulk of the summoning. I would just need to use you as a focusing point of the circle."

"A focusing point?" Ideo seemed surprised at that suggestion, shifting awkwardly. "I didn't know you could use living things as foci. What would I have to do, exactly?"

For some reason, he seemed less concerned and more curious at this. He wasn't going to have to be bait, was he? That'd be pretty damn ironic.

"Nothing, really. I'll just need to maintain physical contact with you as I summon," Yamato said, turning away from Ideo and looking down at the floor as he started to walk slowly. It seemed he was trying to mark how much room they had. Oh, hm, they had more than he thought. "Do you have any chalk?"

Okay, that didn't sound so bad. Ideo nodded and went back to his desk, coming out with two small cloth bags. "I have charcoal and chalk, whichever you prefer."

Other than handing off the bags, Ideo simply stood off to the side and let Yamato do his thing.

Good, because it was time for Yamato to roll up his sleeves (literally), and do demon summoning the old fashioned way. He did it with chalk, because that's what he was more familiar with using, and he swiftly drew the circle on the ground with precise yet quick movements. The circle was small, with only a metre long radius, and the designs within it, strange little sigils and markings, were cramped yet not messily so.

And it only took him about one minute to do all that too.

He straightened up when he was done, taking a step back to admire his work. He was a bit rusty but, not a line out of place. Perfect. He looked over his shoulder at Ideo and motioned him over.

...wow. That was nothing compared to what Ideo had set up- it'd taken him almost all of the morning to set his up, and he'd broke in early to start.

Wary of where he stepped, Ideo came to stand directly at Yamato's side, holding out his pact-arm out of pure instinct. It didn't occur to him to actually roll up his own sleeves, remove his labcoat, or even take his glove off.

That's okay, Yamato will just do it for you. He turned towards Ideo slightly, gripping his wrist as his other hand worked off the other's glove, and tucked it into his pocket for safe keeping as he started to remove his own glove. Physical contact was required for this - as in, skin on skin.

"Right," Yamato said, suddenly taking Ideo's bare hand in his own and turning back towards the circle. "As you're the one with the pact, the demon will probably only respond to your energy. We will have to sync, so just remain relaxed and calm for this to proceed as smoothly as possible."

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